you.”
He smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “It’s kind of my job to protect you. And I almost let you die. That can’t happen again. I won’t let it. We have to train harder. I thought we’d have more time…”
“It’s not your fault,” I say. “We have been training hard and doing all we can. You didn’t know Kazimir was going to show up.”
“No, I didn’t,” he says, agreeing. “I honestly didn’t think anybody would show up. Not for a while anyway. I don’t even know how he got into the country. We’ve had people watching him. I see now that it’s not enough. Katerina, I’m sorry that I let you get in harms way.”
“Don’t apologize,” I say. “Never apologize.”
“Why?” he asks.
“Americans apologize way too much. You should save your apologies for when you really mess up,” I answer.
“I did really mess up,” he says. “I almost let you get killed. I can’t believe I did that.”
“Not that you need forgiveness, but I forgive you,” I tell him.
“Thanks,” he says. “So, did Kazimir say anything to you before I showed up?”
“Barely,” I answer. “He asked if my dad sent me here because I’m replacing him. Like maybe he thought my dad was going to fire him. Can you even fire a terrorist? I don’t know. It was weird. Bur I don’t think he believed me when I said I wasn’t here to take his place. How could he think that? I’m a sixteen year old girl.”
“I don’t think your dad knows he’s here,” Tristan says, then frowns. “Katerina, I think it’s time you called your dad.”
“What?” I ask, my heart spiking again.
“Don’t say anything about you knowing what his real job is. Just tell him about Kazimir coming here. Tell him about him holding you at knife point. Your dad is going to figure it out anyway, and it’s better you tell him first. If he finds out later and knows you didn’t tell him, he will figure out something is up,” he says. “You need to do this to protect your mom and yourself.”
“Okay,” I say, taking a deep breath. I can do this for my mom. I’m just scared to hear his voice. “Do you know where my phone is?”
He nods, and pulls it out of his pocket. “Your dropped it on the path last night. I think I stepped on it, but it’s working fine. The screen didn’t even crack.”
“Good,” I say, taking the phone. “Can I have some privacy?”
“Yeah,” he says, getting up. “I’ll wait in the hallway. Let me know when you’re done. I’m never leaving you alone again.”
That is what I was afraid of.
He goes into the hallway, leaving me with my phone.
Knowing Tristan won’t give me a lot of time, I pull up my contacts and dial my dad’s number. It rings only a couple times before my dad picks up.
“Katerina,” he answers. “What’s wrong?”
I’ve only called my dad a few times in my life, and every time I have, something bad has been desperately wrong. My dad is at work a lot, so I usually don’t bother him.
“Dad…” my voice breaks, as I realized how much I missed him. It’s not right. How can I miss him? He’s a terrorist. I should hate him. But I don’t. “Kazimir showed up at my school, Dad. He… he held a knife to my throat. He was talking crazy.”
“What all did he say?” Dad asks.
“Not a lot. He didn’t make sense,” I tell him. “He kept accusing me of trying to steal his job. And then my friend Tristan showed up. Somehow he managed to get the knife away from Kazimir and then he took off.”
“Are you sure that it?” he asks. “He didn’t say anything else?”
“Daddy, I’m scared,” I say, to avoid answering his question.
“Don’t be, princess. I’ll take care of Kazimir. You won’t have to worry about him anymore,” he says.
“How?” I ask.
“Don’t worry about it,” he says. “I’ve got to get off here. But do me a favor and don’t tell your mum what happened.”
“Why not?”
“I just don’t want to worry her,” he
He smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “It’s kind of my job to protect you. And I almost let you die. That can’t happen again. I won’t let it. We have to train harder. I thought we’d have more time…”
“It’s not your fault,” I say. “We have been training hard and doing all we can. You didn’t know Kazimir was going to show up.”
“No, I didn’t,” he says, agreeing. “I honestly didn’t think anybody would show up. Not for a while anyway. I don’t even know how he got into the country. We’ve had people watching him. I see now that it’s not enough. Katerina, I’m sorry that I let you get in harms way.”
“Don’t apologize,” I say. “Never apologize.”
“Why?” he asks.
“Americans apologize way too much. You should save your apologies for when you really mess up,” I answer.
“I did really mess up,” he says. “I almost let you get killed. I can’t believe I did that.”
“Not that you need forgiveness, but I forgive you,” I tell him.
“Thanks,” he says. “So, did Kazimir say anything to you before I showed up?”
“Barely,” I answer. “He asked if my dad sent me here because I’m replacing him. Like maybe he thought my dad was going to fire him. Can you even fire a terrorist? I don’t know. It was weird. Bur I don’t think he believed me when I said I wasn’t here to take his place. How could he think that? I’m a sixteen year old girl.”
“I don’t think your dad knows he’s here,” Tristan says, then frowns. “Katerina, I think it’s time you called your dad.”
“What?” I ask, my heart spiking again.
“Don’t say anything about you knowing what his real job is. Just tell him about Kazimir coming here. Tell him about him holding you at knife point. Your dad is going to figure it out anyway, and it’s better you tell him first. If he finds out later and knows you didn’t tell him, he will figure out something is up,” he says. “You need to do this to protect your mom and yourself.”
“Okay,” I say, taking a deep breath. I can do this for my mom. I’m just scared to hear his voice. “Do you know where my phone is?”
He nods, and pulls it out of his pocket. “Your dropped it on the path last night. I think I stepped on it, but it’s working fine. The screen didn’t even crack.”
“Good,” I say, taking the phone. “Can I have some privacy?”
“Yeah,” he says, getting up. “I’ll wait in the hallway. Let me know when you’re done. I’m never leaving you alone again.”
That is what I was afraid of.
He goes into the hallway, leaving me with my phone.
Knowing Tristan won’t give me a lot of time, I pull up my contacts and dial my dad’s number. It rings only a couple times before my dad picks up.
“Katerina,” he answers. “What’s wrong?”
I’ve only called my dad a few times in my life, and every time I have, something bad has been desperately wrong. My dad is at work a lot, so I usually don’t bother him.
“Dad…” my voice breaks, as I realized how much I missed him. It’s not right. How can I miss him? He’s a terrorist. I should hate him. But I don’t. “Kazimir showed up at my school, Dad. He… he held a knife to my throat. He was talking crazy.”
“What all did he say?” Dad asks.
“Not a lot. He didn’t make sense,” I tell him. “He kept accusing me of trying to steal his job. And then my friend Tristan showed up. Somehow he managed to get the knife away from Kazimir and then he took off.”
“Are you sure that it?” he asks. “He didn’t say anything else?”
“Daddy, I’m scared,” I say, to avoid answering his question.
“Don’t be, princess. I’ll take care of Kazimir. You won’t have to worry about him anymore,” he says.
“How?” I ask.
“Don’t worry about it,” he says. “I’ve got to get off here. But do me a favor and don’t tell your mum what happened.”
“Why not?”
“I just don’t want to worry her,” he
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