Serene

6

Miguel laughs.

"Gabby, I have my ways of getting information. You, of the three, should know that by now." He says with a teasing smile.

She crosses her arms. "Well, since you already know of our quest, I don't think we need to say anymore."

His eyebrows narrow but his smile stays the same. "If that's the way you want it to be, fine. I'll get what I need to hear."

"Um, may I ask why you need this kind of information?"  I say.

He looks at me and says in Spanish, "I am the leader of my own spies, chica. I get information when I want and when I need."

My jaw drops. He winks.

"Okay. But how do I know I can trust you?" I reply in Spanish.

I'm not sure if all this Spanish is even correct but we understand each other.

"Oh, you can trust me." He says in english, causing Odeo to stare at us. And Gabby to stare off into space. He translates back to Spanish, "meet me early tomorrow morning."

I nod and look at Gabby. Her eyes lock onto mine and I know that she understands

We follow Miguel to the rooms we'll be staying in.

Gabby and I share a room again.

"You know about his group of spies and that he's the leader and all, don't you?" I ask her, after she closes the door.

She smiles her kind smile. "I've been in this business for years. Yes, I know what he said. Kinda rusty Spanish though."

I smile. "How many languages can you speak?"

"Five fluently." She answers. She pauses. "I know two more, but not everything."

My jaw drops. "What?! That's so cool. But didn't Miguel say only few people know Spanish?"

She laughs. "Miguel is a good guy. But don't take everything he says to heart. Or mind."

"So, he shouldn't be trusted?" I ask.

She inhales sharply. "Not that. He can be, I guess. Just know that the reason why he does things isn't always clear or easy to see. You never really know what he truly wants until he has it."

"Oh." I say, sitting on the bed. "How do you know him?"

Her eyes go distant and she stands still. "It was a long time ago. I-I don't know if I can say everything."

I help her sit down, shocked at how heavy this topic must be on her.

"Well, you don't have to tell me. But do you know why Odeo was so quiet today?" I ask quietly.

Her alert eyes come back and she studies me.

"This trip is a reminder of what he lost and how close he was to finding her. He was probably excited at first, thinking he could actually accomplish two goals at once. But I think once he got to our house, thinks changed. Reality punched his hopeful dreams out of his mind." She says with a sad smile. "But Odeo's a good guy. He'll come around and get his determination back. Just give him some time."

"Okay." I say. "Everything seems to be happening so fast and yet so slow. We're here on a quest to retrieve my memory yet we don't really have much of a lead."

She gets up and digs into her bag. "We don't need to really change for bed. Our clothes aren't dirty and we'll leave in the morning. Best to be already dressed."

I nod and lie down.

"Don't worry, Serene. We'll get through this. Just pray." She whispers.

I whisper a prayer, not really sure if God can hear me.