I got Steven’s text and read it quickly. Having understood it, I allowed myself one quick glance back at the table. Steven and the Al Bhed were sitting, chatting. To anyone else it would have seemed perfectly normal, but I could tell that they were both tense; every word they said, every gesture they made was perfectly controlled. Not long after they had begun, the blonde man stood up and picked up his case before walking away. Remembering Steven’s text, I started to walk after him. However, he was very tall, and as he was striding away I had to jog to keep up with him. He kept looking around nervously, and began to speed up. Cursing, I broke into a run so that I didn’t lose him. Checking back for a second, I spotted Steven threading through the crowds, a head above most people, his steps long and sure.
I made sure not to lose the Al Bhed, but in doing so I was forced to get further away from Steven. I tried to send him a text, but I had no signal. I swore loudly, and as I shoved my phone into my pocket I felt a strong hand on my shoulder. “Why are you following me?” I looked up, panicking, and saw the Al Bhed peering down curiously. “Ah – you…you know more about us than we do, okay?” His face was not angry, so I continued. “The Al Bhed are really tight knit, right? You’re just like one big family. But…I don’t know what that feels like. It’s just how you said; our dad isn’t our dad. We didn’t know that, but we knew something was wrong in our family. I hated my dad. But now…I don’t have any family. Can you imagine that?” He went to speak, but Steven appeared at my shoulder, panting slightly, forcing him to stop. “Charlotte!” Steven gasped.
I couldn’t really blame her. It wasn’t her fault he’d seen her, and it was a smart move, what she was saying. I looked up at the Al Bhed man, and he smiled down. “I’m not really a bad person, but as I said, you won’t find me anywhere. Your ‘Dad’ was the only one who knew how to find me, because he’s been a spy for us for many years.” I looked confusedly up at him. “A spy, for you? But Dad hates the Al Bhed!” Rin shook his head. “That he does, which is why he makes the perfect spy. However, unfortunately, his instincts got the better of him and he leaked a few secrets. The location of our Home, for one. And because of him, many, many innocent people died.”
I swallowed nervously, my breath coming back to me, and gently put a hand on Charlotte’s shoulder, pulling her back. “I just want to make one thing clear, Mr. Rin. As much as I don’t want us to argue, you touch my sister again and I will not hesitate to fight you.” Rin laughed. “You think you could beat me, little boy?” I shook my head, and looked at Charlotte, who was in turn looking anxiously at me. “Of course I don’t. But there are other ways to stop someone’s actions. You will not touch my sister ever again. Is that clear?” Rin laughed again, and removed his hand. “Crystal.” I nodded. “Good. Now, my sister and I may be young, but we are mature beyond our years and very capable of keeping secrets. We no longer have a home of our own, or a family. We may not be of much use, but we know full well just how painful some secrets can be. Which is why,” I breathed deeply. I could regret this decision. “Which is why we offer you our services, in place of our father.”
Charlotte looked at me incredulously. “What?” I shook my head at her, giving her my ‘We will discuss this later’ look. She nodded uncertainly and looked back at Rin, who was smiling. “You’ve shown great courage, little ones, but also great foolhardiness. What do you have to offer that I could not attain from your father?” I smirked here, and motioned for him to watch. I pulled Charlotte with me and whispered to her, “Pretend to be violently ill.” She started coughing immediately, and I began my act.
“Charlotte? Are you okay? Charlotte? Oh god… Excuse me?” I tugged at the shirt of a passing woman and turned on my most concerned look. “I’m really sorry, but my sister is having a fit, she has them quite often but I didn’t bring my mobile phone with me, I hate to be a bother but could I borrow yours, just for two seconds, I need to phone an Ambulance!” The woman nodded kindly and pulled out her phone. I smiled thankfully and motioned for her to wait there. I jumped back to Charlotte and pretended to dial 999. “Hello? Could I have the Ambulance, please? Thank you. Yes? Hello? My sister is having a fit, I need an Ambulance; we’re at the shopping district of the city. Could you come quickly?” I nodded once more and ‘hung up’ the phone. Wiping my eyes slightly, I walked back to the woman and handed her phone back. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what will have happened without you.” I gave her one last thankful look and walked back to Charlotte, standing her up and hugging her as she continued to force the coughs. Rin walked over. “Smooth. Very smooth.”
I straightened up, laughing. Rin walked over, complimenting Steven’s actions, and I looked at him strongly. “So, are you going to take us up on our offer?” Steven asked, sounding much more sure of himself than I knew he really was. Rin raised one arched eyebrow, and I noticed an enthralling spiralled pupil; characteristic of the Al Bhed. I had heard about it, but I had never seen it. But Rin caught me staring, and I jumped, turning my gaze to the floor. “I will think about it.” His accent was clipped and sharp, as though he was unused to speaking our language.
“How long are you planning on taking? Because we don’t have a place to stay right now.” Steven was staring at Rin in a way that commanded respect. Rin looked thoughtful for a moment, and then responded, “I must talk with my peers about it. I will get back to you tomorrow; 1pm, here?” Steven nodded, and Rin walked away. Once he was out of sight, I gave Steven my best questioning look. “You want us to be spies for the Al Bhed? We’re only sixteen! What makes you think we can do this?” I laughed, but I was excited.
I laughed at Charlotte’s questioning. “That’s exactly why we’ll be good at it! What do you think of when you hear ‘spy’? James Bond, right? A middle-aged man with short hair and a posh accent. You’d never think of two teenagers, an Emo and an Indie would you?” She nodded. “I guess you’re right. Maybe we’re exactly what they need…” I smiled at her. “And besides, you wanted to get away, right? Here’s our chance! Even if we don’t like it, they’re sure to have info on Dad… and our real Dad too. If that’s not a good enough reason, I don’t know what is. We’ve only got one problem.” Charlotte looked at me in slight confusion. “Tomorrow? Where will we stay?”
Charlotte smiled slightly. “Well, there’s a Holiday Inn Hotel not too far from here, I know the way.” I laughed. “Charlotte, we don’t have enough money to go to a hotel of any sort.” Charlotte looked a little ashamed. “I… took money from Mum’s purse, and her credit card. We can live off that.” I looked at her disapprovingly. “Thank you. But don’t do it again, okay? I know it was for the best, but stealing should always be a last resort. I do appreciate it, however. Shall we go, then? Which way is it?”
I rolled my eyes at Steven’s patronising reprimand. “Look, we were both skint, we had no idea what we were going to do or where we were going to stay. I know stealing is ‘a last resort’, I’m not three! But we had no choice, alright? It’s this way, come on,” I said, and led him away, towards the hotel. Once there, I booked a twin room for us; I wanted Steven to see that I was only nine months younger than him, not nine years. I loved him to pieces, but he did treat me like a little kid.
Up in the room, I claimed a bed and dumped my stuff on it. “I’m gunna take a shower,” I said, and locked myself in the bathroom. I cleaned my teeth first, and glanced at my reflection in the mirror over the sink. My red hair didn’t spike at all, just sat there pathetically; my dull green eyes had no hint of a spiralled pupil; I was nothing like an Al Bhed. And yet, I couldn’t help but wish. I thought that if this ‘Rin’ knew both our pretend dad and our real dad, then there was a possibility that our real dad could be an Al Bhed, like him. But if he was, then I looked nothing like him. Sighing, I threw my toothbrush down onto the sink and turned the shower taps on, filling the small bathroom with steam.
I waited patiently for Charlotte to have her shower. As I waited, I looked around the small room with disdain. It was not what I was used to. I was used to getting pretty much whatever I wanted…and this was far from it. Charlotte had, of course, chosen the bigger bed, leaving me with the window bed. Of course, that I didn’t mind. I did mind that there was only one power socket in the room, and only one mirror. I did mind that the windows were grimy, and the surfaces had a thin layer of dust upon them. I wasn’t posh, I really wasn’t, but I had a certain standard I liked to keep to. I lay back on the bed and immediately my phone started vibrating. I took it from my pocket and looked at the display: Incoming call from ‘Withheld’. I don’t normally answer people who don’t show their number, but I had a gut feeling that I should.
“Steven, this is Rin. Look out the window of your hotel room at the man by the lamppost. You see him? Good. Watch carefully.” I watched as another man walked past, and quicker than you could blink, the man by the lamppost fell to the floor, a small, dark pool forming around him. “That man was a spy for us, who spilled his secrets. Now you know what your Dad is running from, and what the consequences will be if you decide to betray us. Do you still wish to join us?” I nodded, then realised he couldn’t see. “Yes, we do.” Rin chuckled slightly and I heard the phone being passed over. “Hi, like, my name’s Rikku? And like, I’m an Al Bhed too, or whatever? Like, I just want you to know that like, your dad is in sooo much trouble, and like, if you join us, don’t go down that path, or something? Like, I’ll hand you back to Rin now.” I laughed inwardly as Rin took the phone back and began to speak. “Remember. Tomorrow, 1pm, shopping district. Not a second later.” Rin hung up.
