Teen Spy: The Observer

Chapter 26

After eating dinner in the resort, Kiara pledges sleepiness and pretends to walk back to her room. As her friends follow the rest of the students to the nightly activities, she retraces her steps from the night before.

The sun is just setting, though, meaning there are fewer shadows for Kiara to hide in and there are more people walking around at that hour. This makes the journey to the Lunch Area more difficult. She must walk with purpose, so as not to be interrupted, but mindful that nobody really pays attention to what she is doing.

When she draws near, she pauses to look around and continues when the coast is clear. Luckily, the Lunch Area closes at five in the afternoon. By nine all the cooks and waitresses have gone home and there's no one inside. She meets up with Will and Sasha at the backdoor and they enter again through the kitchen.

Once in the conference room, Agent Carville asks for a report on the mission.

"Tomorrow you'll meet here at 2230 hours, and I'll arrange transportation to Port of Le Havre." Agent Carville says after Will and Kiara update him. "As for the recording, Agent McGreevy please send it to me for further analysis."

"On it." Sasha replies as she connects the watch to the computer.

"It seems like we're on the right track, but we will need solid evidence to proceed. Keep doing a good job." Agent Carville dismisses them as soon as Sasha sends him the audio.

Will and Sasha start to leave but Kiara connects her watch, just as she saw Sasha doing it and searches the files.

"Aren't you coming?" Will asks when he sees that Kiara isn't following them.

"Not yet." She replies to Will and to Agent Carville she says: "I took a picture of a map in Berte's office and there are several locations pinpointed. I want to search them to see if I find something. I have a gut feeling that it could be related to our case."

"You have access to ISS data base from this computer, good luck." Agent Carville says before tuning out.

"Would you like some help?" Will offers.

Kiara pauses and turns to look at his warm eyes. For a moment her mind wanders to the warmth she felt in the wine closet. She catches herself and blinks the memory away, concentrating on his question.

She quickly makes a list of all the places she must investigate and any other additional information that could help her understand the map. It turns out to be a long list.

"That would be great." She finally says with a smile.

"You two have fun, but I'm not gonna waste my time." Sasha says patronizingly. "Most leads are dead ends. So don't be surprised when yours turns to be just that."

With that, Sasha turns away.

"Wait." Kiara reluctantly says. "What did you think of Berte during the tour?"

To understand the importance of the map, she needs to understand Berte's personality. As much as Kiara hates asking her, Sasha saw Berte in a different context that could complete the picture.

"Charismatic, but very prideful in his accomplishments" Sasha says as she walks out of the room.

Kiara wanted to ask more, but Sasha was already gone, and she didn't want to chase her around or beg for cooperation. She sighs and shakes her head. When she turns back to the computer, she spots Will watching her thoughtfully.

"What?"

"Nothing." Will shrugs, but Kiara raises her eyebrow and stares back expectantly. "I'm just trying to figure out your relationship with Sasha"

"If you do, please let me know" Kiara jokes earning her a chuckle from Will.

Kiara then tells him what she needs to search for, and they divide the tasks. Because they need to be back in their rooms by curfew and it would take too much time to read everything, they decide to send some things to their phones and read it later.

As they start their research, Kiara is very aware that they are alone in the room and of the space separating Will and herself. Occasionally, her gaze drifts to him. On the third or fourth peek, though, Will catches her looking and sends her a devastating smile. Kiara is instantly mortified but decides to play it cool and returns the smile, praying that he doesn't notice her slight blush.

When their research progresses and they start having important results, the silence in the room changes to casual comments. From there, the next hour passes by fast with constant and animated chatter between those two.

They are discussing an information Will found on one of the pins in the map and debating its importance when Agent Carville checks in on them through the videoconference program.

"Did you find anything?" Agent Carville asks.

Kiara sighs. "Not much. The locations are warehouses used as storage or points of distribution, and some are corporate buildings and vineyards. All belonging to Berte Wines. Though one of them is an art museum."

"Why would he pin an art museum?" Agent Carville asks.

"That's what we were wondering and how it relates to the company and the other locations" Will says rubbing one of his eyes.

Kiara stifles a yawn.

"So far, we've got nothing, though not for lack of information"

"We're still sorting through it." Will assures Agent Carville.

"Nice work Agents." Agent Carville nods his approval and bids them goodbye.

"We should probably get going, too." Kiara says to Will. "Curfew starts in a few minutes."

"Yeah, let me send you the encrypted files." Will's hands fly over the keyboard and a few seconds later Kiara's phone vibrates.

They exit headquarters and make their way to the room buildings. Having finished the games, the first set of students start heading to the dorms and Kiara and Will blend in with them.

After separating paths with Will, Kiara speed walks to her room. Luckily, she beats Jessy and quickly changes into her pajamas. However, as she is pick up her cloths, Kiara starts to hear voices in the hallway.

Without thinking, she throws her cloths in her drawer, turns off the lights and dashes to her bed. An idea she instantly regrets because she misjudged the distance to the bed and her little toe crashes into the edge of the bed. She moans softly, hops in one foot, and silently slips into bed. Just as the door opens, she covers herself and closes her eyes, pretending to sleep.

She senses Jessy turning on the flashlight of her phone and her movements around the room. A few minutes later, Jessy falls asleep and eventually, Kiara does too with a throbbing toe and the relief of not being found out.