My Life In Code

12. Yes, We Have Another Crazy Man On Our Tail...Great

Chapter 12

Yes, We Have Another Crazy Man On Our Tail...Great

I didn't say a word to Max on the way to our hotel.  In fact, it was probably the quietest the four of us had been since we started this exploration. 

Max looked deep in thought with his eyebrows furrowed as he drove down the crowded street.  Ben and Drew were looking between the two of us, having a silent conversation, no doubt, and I had no clue what was being said.  But I did think that the main thing they wanted to know was what was up with Max. 

I wanted to know that, too.  I didn't get his reaction back at the Chain Bridge and I still didn't now.  And I couldn't ask him about it for fear of him lashing out at me again.  I would just have to wait until I could get him alone in our hotel room. 

When we got there, we checked in and went up to our room.  There were two bedrooms: one with two twin beds and the other with a queen.  The couch in the living room pulled out into a bed, too, but we wouldn't need that.  Well, hopefully.

Max took his stuff and, surprisingly, mine into the room with the queen bed.  Since he was apparently mad at me, I would have thought he would put his stuff in the room with Ben and Drew. 

So when it was just the two of us in our room, I shut the door and locked it...but Ben and Drew were more than likely going to be eavesdropping through the cracks anyway.  They had that look about them when we walked in.

Max was unzipping his suitcase and dug around for a pair of pajamas to change into.

"Hey," I said, staring at his back, which was stiff before I even spoke. 

"Hey," he said gruffly back. 

I walked slowly toward him, sitting down on the bed beside his suitcase.  He still didn’t even meet my eyes. 

“Max,” I said.

“What?” he asked, finally finding his pajamas and throwing them down on the bed.  He closed his suitcase hard and zipped it back up.  I was surprised he didn’t sling it across the room.  “What do you want, Callie?”

I looked up at him.  It was the first time he actually looked me in the eyes.  “I want to know what’s wrong with you.”

“Nothing,” he said, grabbing his pajama pants from the bed as he strode toward the bathroom.  “Absolutely nothing.”

So I didn’t even try to talk to Max again.  He wouldn’t, even if I did.  So instead, I grabbed my laptop and headed out onto the balcony of our room.  After logging on, I connected with the video chat and waited for Dad or Brielle to appear on the screen. 

As I waited, I pulled out the paper that I’d traced the symbol on.  I was still trying to figure out who or what VK or KV was, but I couldn’t think of anything.  Maybe once Dad or Brielle saw it, they would know or could help me find out.

Just then, both of them appeared on the screen.  Brielle was standing behind Dad, her belly bigger than what I remembered. 

“Wow, you look huge!” I said, laughing.  “But it could just be the angle.”

She leaned down until her face was right in front of the computer.  “Well, thanks,” she said with a sarcastic tone.  “I love not being able to fit into something if it doesn’t have elastic in the waist.”

I laughed.  “Aw, come on.  That’s my baby sister you’re talking about!”

“Trust me,” she said, laughing.  “I know.  She’s been kicking me like crazy ever since you guys left.”