weeks,” Eric says, behind me. “If you give us the address. We’ll get everything sorted, and then you and I can go.”
I clench my jaw, turn. I have to be an equal partner in this deal. “I want to talk to Liesel. Now.”
He eyes me. Then he takes out his phone. “Let me see what I can do.”
* * *
Five minutes later my cell buzzes. Unknown caller.
“Hello.”
“Hello, Jacob.” Her lilting syrup voice gives me shivers, not in a good way. “I understand you wanted to speak with me.”
Eric stands by the mausoleum, hands in his pockets, watching. I press the phone to my ear and walk away along the path to my corner.
“Yes.” I try to sound firm. “I know it’s late notice, but I want to make this trip to my grandfather’s this weekend.”
“I’m sure Ed explained to you why that can’t happen.” She pauses. “Perhaps if you’d notified us as soon as he contacted you…”
So that’s part of it. A punishment for not telling them everything. “I’m sure with all your resources you can manage it. It’s not for another three days. Can’t you just send a car behind me, post guards?”
“It doesn’t work that way, Jacob. You’re far more valuable to me than that.”
Valuable to her . That reminds me. “I’m not dropping this. But I wanted to speak to you about something else too.”
There’s silence on the other end as she waits. Oh, yeah, she’s good at power plays.
“Those objects you’re giving me? Those aren’t from DARPA. Someone else knows about me.”
She sighs. “Jacob. I told you I would keep your secret safe, only those who needed to know. Didn’t I?”
I don’t answer. I’m learning. I walk slowly, kicking at pebbles on the ground. They scatter, clanking into headstones. Eric still watches, behind me.
“Yes, of course the objects are from another agency,” she says, almost irritably. “The CIA. They, and the FBI, often have the most need for urgent information like this. But they have no idea of your identity, where you are, or even how you’re getting the information. They give me the objects, I give them the answers they want. That’s all. I told you, it’s a DARPA project. Very few people know anything.”
I sit at the base of an oak in my corner, looking over the cemetery.
“Jacob?”
I wait a beat. Then: “I’m here.”
“You’re safe. I promised you that. As long as you cooperate with us, and don’t spring any more surprises or act on your own, like with this trip.”
Don’t touch that, Jakey.
“I want to go,” I say stubbornly. “He’s never asked me alone before.”
There’s another, longer pause. I can hear her shuffling papers. “Give us the address, and we’ll see if you can go next weekend, or the weekend after. With Ed. That’s the best I can do.”
I consider. It’s something, I guess. Not that there’s any threat at Dedushka’s house, but I see that they need to make sure. To keep him safe too.
“I’m waiting, Jacob.”
“Don’t you have his address?” I ask. “Don’t you have everyone’s address?”
“Not handy. What is it?”
“All right.” I sigh. “3430 Wolf Point Road, in Standish, New York. It’s a cabin. A long way in on a dirt road.”
“Got it.” I hear the smile in her voice. “I’ll get right on this, and we’ll set it up. A pleasure speaking with you, Jacob. I’m glad you called.”
She hangs up.
“ You called,” I mutter at the phone.
Eric’s still waiting at the mausoleum. When I come back he looks normal. Easy again. “At least you can go to your party now.” He hands me three Ziploc bags bundled together. “We won’t have time for these today. You’ll need to do them with Ana tonight.”
I glance at them, stuff them in a zipper pocket of my backpack. Homework.
“And don’t forget—” He pokes me in the shoulder, and I stiffen, expecting more warnings, demands. “We’ve got tennis practice this afternoon. I’m gonna take you down.”
I smile.
I clench my jaw, turn. I have to be an equal partner in this deal. “I want to talk to Liesel. Now.”
He eyes me. Then he takes out his phone. “Let me see what I can do.”
* * *
Five minutes later my cell buzzes. Unknown caller.
“Hello.”
“Hello, Jacob.” Her lilting syrup voice gives me shivers, not in a good way. “I understand you wanted to speak with me.”
Eric stands by the mausoleum, hands in his pockets, watching. I press the phone to my ear and walk away along the path to my corner.
“Yes.” I try to sound firm. “I know it’s late notice, but I want to make this trip to my grandfather’s this weekend.”
“I’m sure Ed explained to you why that can’t happen.” She pauses. “Perhaps if you’d notified us as soon as he contacted you…”
So that’s part of it. A punishment for not telling them everything. “I’m sure with all your resources you can manage it. It’s not for another three days. Can’t you just send a car behind me, post guards?”
“It doesn’t work that way, Jacob. You’re far more valuable to me than that.”
Valuable to her . That reminds me. “I’m not dropping this. But I wanted to speak to you about something else too.”
There’s silence on the other end as she waits. Oh, yeah, she’s good at power plays.
“Those objects you’re giving me? Those aren’t from DARPA. Someone else knows about me.”
She sighs. “Jacob. I told you I would keep your secret safe, only those who needed to know. Didn’t I?”
I don’t answer. I’m learning. I walk slowly, kicking at pebbles on the ground. They scatter, clanking into headstones. Eric still watches, behind me.
“Yes, of course the objects are from another agency,” she says, almost irritably. “The CIA. They, and the FBI, often have the most need for urgent information like this. But they have no idea of your identity, where you are, or even how you’re getting the information. They give me the objects, I give them the answers they want. That’s all. I told you, it’s a DARPA project. Very few people know anything.”
I sit at the base of an oak in my corner, looking over the cemetery.
“Jacob?”
I wait a beat. Then: “I’m here.”
“You’re safe. I promised you that. As long as you cooperate with us, and don’t spring any more surprises or act on your own, like with this trip.”
Don’t touch that, Jakey.
“I want to go,” I say stubbornly. “He’s never asked me alone before.”
There’s another, longer pause. I can hear her shuffling papers. “Give us the address, and we’ll see if you can go next weekend, or the weekend after. With Ed. That’s the best I can do.”
I consider. It’s something, I guess. Not that there’s any threat at Dedushka’s house, but I see that they need to make sure. To keep him safe too.
“I’m waiting, Jacob.”
“Don’t you have his address?” I ask. “Don’t you have everyone’s address?”
“Not handy. What is it?”
“All right.” I sigh. “3430 Wolf Point Road, in Standish, New York. It’s a cabin. A long way in on a dirt road.”
“Got it.” I hear the smile in her voice. “I’ll get right on this, and we’ll set it up. A pleasure speaking with you, Jacob. I’m glad you called.”
She hangs up.
“ You called,” I mutter at the phone.
Eric’s still waiting at the mausoleum. When I come back he looks normal. Easy again. “At least you can go to your party now.” He hands me three Ziploc bags bundled together. “We won’t have time for these today. You’ll need to do them with Ana tonight.”
I glance at them, stuff them in a zipper pocket of my backpack. Homework.
“And don’t forget—” He pokes me in the shoulder, and I stiffen, expecting more warnings, demands. “We’ve got tennis practice this afternoon. I’m gonna take you down.”
I smile.
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