but obviously someone knows you’re here. And probably wants to catch you as well. Remember that guy Toby mentioned? El? Seems kinda logical that he would be behind this. He already tried to trap us once.’
Rachel nodded. She also thought about the prospect of there being a spy on the Council. Should they say anything to Caroline and Rain? Kel was watching her and gave a tiny shake of his head. There he went again, reading her mind. But she supposed he was right. Could they even trust this other Hero party? Probably not. Until they knew what was going on, they really couldn’t trust anyone .
Rain cleared her throat. ‘Well, look, I’m really sorry about your hand—and thanks for the food—but we really need to get going on our own mission. We shouldn’t have stopped for this long.’ She looked over at Caroline, who was staring dreamily at Kel, and rolled her eyes.
Rachel thanked them for the antibiotics and wished them luck on their mission, which was returned. And then to her annoyance, before the other party left, Caroline leaned in and kissed Kel on the cheek. Rachel could feel her hands balling into fists. She had to force herself to breathe and calm down.
As soon as the two girls had left Rachel turned on Kel. ‘And just what the hell was that all about?’ she demanded. ‘So, what, she’s like your girlfriend or something? And when were you gonna tell me about her?’ She was almost shouting and Kel looked terrified. He held up his hands in a pacifying gesture.
‘Look, Rach, I would have told you about her, honest, but there’s really nothing to tell! We were at training together, that’s all.’ Rachel didn’t look like she was buying it. ‘And, well, um, we might have… kissed. But just once!’ He added quickly, seeing the flash of fury in Rachel’s eyes.
She turned away from him, hurt and upset, but determined not to show it. [I think you’ve already shown it, Rach –Narrator] ‘I don’t even care anyway,’ she said. ‘Whatever you did with her is your business.’ Part of her was annoyed that he hadn’t told her. She’d thought they had no secrets. She took a deep breath and turned around to face him again. She managed a weak smile. ‘I’m sorry. It’s none of my business. It’s in the past now, so let’s just forget about it.’
Suddenly Kel looked even more uncomfortable. He shuffled his feet nervously. ‘Um, well, yeah, but … We kind of kept in touch since training.’ He tensed up as he said it, like he was afraid of getting hit. And Rachel had to admit, she felt like hitting him. She folded her arms and stared at him, waiting for an explanation. ‘By email. And on Facebook.’
Rachel was about to go off again, but stopped, momentarily thrown. ‘Facebook? I thought they were from another dimension? She said their mission was in “our world”. Like “not theirs”. How are you Facebooking someone from another world?’
Kel started to explain about the server on the Council’s world, and how it allowed everyone to keep in touch even though they were in separate dimensions, but Ros coughed loudly. ‘Sorry, don’t mean to interrupt this little discussion, but shouldn’t we be doing something about that?’ He nodded at Rachel’s hand. Rachel and Kel looked at it, then at each other, and felt a little foolish. The dog was right. There would be plenty of time to kill the Safeguarder if and when they got out of this.
‘And I think Caroline was right,’ Ros went on. ‘That’s definitely a mark of being served. Whoever tried to trap you before, well, now they know exactly where you are at all times. And will, until we get the frick off this Altworld.’ He was looking very nervous, and chewing his doggy lip. ‘Ever hear the expression “caught red-handed”? Well that’s where it comes from. It’s not about being caught in the act, it means that once you get served, your ass is grass.’
***
‘What does this mean, “your ass is grass”? I am
Rachel nodded. She also thought about the prospect of there being a spy on the Council. Should they say anything to Caroline and Rain? Kel was watching her and gave a tiny shake of his head. There he went again, reading her mind. But she supposed he was right. Could they even trust this other Hero party? Probably not. Until they knew what was going on, they really couldn’t trust anyone .
Rain cleared her throat. ‘Well, look, I’m really sorry about your hand—and thanks for the food—but we really need to get going on our own mission. We shouldn’t have stopped for this long.’ She looked over at Caroline, who was staring dreamily at Kel, and rolled her eyes.
Rachel thanked them for the antibiotics and wished them luck on their mission, which was returned. And then to her annoyance, before the other party left, Caroline leaned in and kissed Kel on the cheek. Rachel could feel her hands balling into fists. She had to force herself to breathe and calm down.
As soon as the two girls had left Rachel turned on Kel. ‘And just what the hell was that all about?’ she demanded. ‘So, what, she’s like your girlfriend or something? And when were you gonna tell me about her?’ She was almost shouting and Kel looked terrified. He held up his hands in a pacifying gesture.
‘Look, Rach, I would have told you about her, honest, but there’s really nothing to tell! We were at training together, that’s all.’ Rachel didn’t look like she was buying it. ‘And, well, um, we might have… kissed. But just once!’ He added quickly, seeing the flash of fury in Rachel’s eyes.
She turned away from him, hurt and upset, but determined not to show it. [I think you’ve already shown it, Rach –Narrator] ‘I don’t even care anyway,’ she said. ‘Whatever you did with her is your business.’ Part of her was annoyed that he hadn’t told her. She’d thought they had no secrets. She took a deep breath and turned around to face him again. She managed a weak smile. ‘I’m sorry. It’s none of my business. It’s in the past now, so let’s just forget about it.’
Suddenly Kel looked even more uncomfortable. He shuffled his feet nervously. ‘Um, well, yeah, but … We kind of kept in touch since training.’ He tensed up as he said it, like he was afraid of getting hit. And Rachel had to admit, she felt like hitting him. She folded her arms and stared at him, waiting for an explanation. ‘By email. And on Facebook.’
Rachel was about to go off again, but stopped, momentarily thrown. ‘Facebook? I thought they were from another dimension? She said their mission was in “our world”. Like “not theirs”. How are you Facebooking someone from another world?’
Kel started to explain about the server on the Council’s world, and how it allowed everyone to keep in touch even though they were in separate dimensions, but Ros coughed loudly. ‘Sorry, don’t mean to interrupt this little discussion, but shouldn’t we be doing something about that?’ He nodded at Rachel’s hand. Rachel and Kel looked at it, then at each other, and felt a little foolish. The dog was right. There would be plenty of time to kill the Safeguarder if and when they got out of this.
‘And I think Caroline was right,’ Ros went on. ‘That’s definitely a mark of being served. Whoever tried to trap you before, well, now they know exactly where you are at all times. And will, until we get the frick off this Altworld.’ He was looking very nervous, and chewing his doggy lip. ‘Ever hear the expression “caught red-handed”? Well that’s where it comes from. It’s not about being caught in the act, it means that once you get served, your ass is grass.’
***
‘What does this mean, “your ass is grass”? I am
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