Agent Freeman (The Model Spy Prequel)

Chapter 6

"Agent Freeman?" Dan Matthews said. "A federal agent?" He held his chin in his fingers. I couldn't read his face. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. I couldn't predict where he was going next in this conversation. Finally: "Did Pillington send you after me?"

The man behind me pulled my hair again when I didn't answer. "Not exactly."

Charlie sniffled louder.

"Shut up." The man with a mustache flung a hand across the back of Charlie's head. The smack made me flinch. Charlie let out a high and shrill whimper.

"Don't do that!" Matthews snapped. It was the first time the normally composed man raised his voice. "You can't get what you want if you beat the boy's brains out. Petriksnova, switch places with Gabokovitch. Be a little kinder to our prized possession."

The man behind me grabbed hold of my arm and tossed me toward the mustached man, who released Charlie and handed him over to the pale blond, Petriksnova.

So this was the man who Matthews had been emailing? Petriksnova stood silently and considered what Matthews said. Then, very slowly, he adjusted the collar of Charlie's shirt. The care with which he did so was so unlike the violence in which he had lashed out only seconds before. This stark contrast, and how easily the man could switch between the two expressions, made me shiver. I had seen a lot of crazies in only my few years with the agency, but men like Petriksnova were the worst of the worst.

Matthews nodded and turned back to me. "How did you find me?"

"Pillington gave me your name. Said he was talking to you about Charlie and the science competition−"

Matthews scoffed. "He always was an idiot."

That we could agree on. Only an idiot would share information about cases with someone out of the agency. How Pillington got so far ahead was beyond me.

"And you're a traitor," I said. "I saw your emails. How long have you been turning over information to these guys?" I nodded at the thug with his grip around Charlie's neck.

Matthews gave a slight smile. "When they started paying me more money than I ever dreamed I could make." His eyes were dark.

Petriksnova gave a short laugh. "And there will be more where that came from, thanks to our friend here." He looked pointedly at Charlie. There it was again, the gentleness, the soft voice, the light touch. He went from one extreme to another.

"No," Charlie said suddenly. "I told you. I'm not turning over anything."

In a flash, the anger came back. Petriksnova gave Charlie a kick. "And we told you we'd kill you if you don't."

I needed to act fast. "And then what will you have? You need him," I said, gesturing to Charlie with my chin. "None of you morons can come up with a tenth of the things he can."

Charlie, his eyes wide, glanced at me quickly before Petriksnova snapped his head forward.

"If he doesn't want to talk," Petriksnova said, "we won't only kill him." He leaned into Charlie so that his mouth nearly rested against his ear. "Your mommy and daddy will get it too."

Charlie shook his head. "Please, please," he begged. "Don't hurt them. Please don't hurt them."

I swallowed hard. Charlie was going to give into them, and I didn't blame him. He would do anything to save his parents. I knew that if I had the chance to do things over, I would have too.

"Then you'll help us," Petriksnova sneered. "Right?"

Charlie's neck bobbed as he gulped. His eyes, large and frightened and filled with tears, were on me. "Yeah," he said with a nod. "Yeah."