Vortex Read Free

we all do.” He didn’t shake my hand. Instead, he turned his
     eyes to the book in his lap. “Mason … Mason Sterling.”
    Jenni Stewart rolled her eyes and elbowed Mason in the side. “This should be a blast …
     Junior playing secret agent. He must have thrown a mighty big tantrum to get his way
     onto this flight.”
    “Yep,” Mason said under his breath.
    I sighed and turned around in my seat, slumping low enough so no one could start throwing
     stuff at my head. Fine . If this was how it had to be, I’d prove my way into this group. Whatever it took.
     No more wearing my heart on my sleeve. I needed a hard shell, one that kept me from
     thinking about Holly and wishing I could talk to Adam or half-jump to visit my twin
     sister Courtney again.
    This is my life now .
    As the plane took off, I stared out the window and promised myself to stay focused.
     To do whatever I had to so I could be good at this job. Then I’d learn about the Enemies
     of Time … find out what the hell happened to create that future that little Emily
     had shown me and why the hell she looked so much like Courtney. And I could do all
     of it without the risks that came with time travel. That was what had gotten me into
     trouble in the first place.
    “Sorry about that,” Dad said, taking the seat beside me. “This is a very tight-knit
     group and we’ve taught them to be suspicious of everything.”
    I glanced at him. “I get it … I need to earn my spot … earn their respect. I’ve played
     this game before.” Yeah, winning over 007 Holly, I couldn’t help thinking.
    Dad must have read my mind. “Are you worried … about…?” Holly . He didn’t say it, but I guessed.
    “I trust you.” My eyes locked with his for a few seconds so he’d know I meant it.
     It was about the only thing I knew for sure. I turned my eyes back to the window.
     “I just don’t trust myself, but I’m trying.”
    She’ll be okay … she’ll be happy . I closed my eyes and let my mind drift to Holly, only without me. I smiled to myself. Her life will be perfect. Just perfect.
    I could survive for a long time just knowing that.
    Mason kicked the back of my seat, jerking me out of my daydream. “What happened to
     your arm, dude?”
    I kept my eyes straight ahead, not turning around to look at either of them behind
     me, but I spoke loud enough for both Jenni Stewart and Mason to hear. “Gunshot wound.”
    “Cool,” Mason said, then he practically yelled, “Ow! Damn, Stewart!”
    Dad laughed under his breath and I shrugged my good shoulder, hiding my own grin.
     At least I had made a good first impression with one person. One down … a bunch more
     to go.

 
    TEMPEST AGENT TRAINING DIARY

 

    MARCH 17, 2009
    LOCATION: UNKNOWN. SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
    Adam,
    I’m still keeping this journal for you even though I’ll probably never give it to
     you. It’s better if I don’t, but sometimes life doesn’t go how I want it to, and if
     I’ve learned anything from you, it’s to be prepared for the worst. I’m keeping it
     safe in a lockbox given to me by Dr. Melvin that only opens with my fingerprints.
    The desert sucks. Hot as hell during the day, cold at night.
    Sharing a tent with a 17-year-old whose own journal contains photos and background
     reports on every single girl I have ever dated. Apparently this was one of Mason’s
     first training assignments. I can’t picture myself with any of them now. It’s like
     a different person lived that part of my life and all I can think about is she-who-must-not-be-named.
    Oh, and everyone calls Mason Sterling … Mason. Even Dad and Freeman. Which is really
     weird. Maybe it’s because he’s so young and Agent Sterling sounds like a middle-aged
     man on steroids?
    Learned the Tempest mission statement today, though I doubt they have a brochure to
     advertise this on: “Tempest is devoted to protecting the world from the alterations
     of our past, present, and future