CHAPTER 4: ASH
Smith swung his axe at my head. I ducked a second before impact.
“You are so dead, Ash.”
The man sitting next to me looked smug, his voice over the headset matching his look. But I knew something he didn’t. End of the game, time to pull out all the stops. As Smith’s demon guard on screen drew back for another strike, I dug into my knight’s armor and pulled out an infinity crystal.
“Damn it,” Smith said, trying to retreat. Too late.
“Goodbye, Agent Smith,” I said, activating the crystal. A bright light issued from the stone, spun around once, cutting down anything in its path—including my opponent. Smith’s demon guard went down, body sawed in half, blood spurting, his scream of rage echoing the man’s next to me.
“I’m not playing anymore,” Smith said, throwing down his controller. “You cheat.”
“Congrats, man.” I grinned. “I haven’t seen anyone throw a tantrum like that since fifth grade.”
“Shut up,” Smith muttered as my knight did a victory dance on screen. The goal of the game was to rescue the princess from her prison and be showered with gold and riches. Kind of like a medieval Mario Brothers. My knight approached the castle to claim his reward.
“I can’t help it if…what the hell?”
Smith and I watched dumbfounded as the princess, the one I’d just saved, walked out of the castle, pulled out two daggers. She dropped into a crouch and smiled.
“Kudos for killing that demon,” said a voice over my headset. “But I’ll rescue myself, thanks.”
Smith and I watched as the girl leapt onto my knight, attaching to him like a spider. One clean swipe of her blades—and his head went rolling. I watched as the princess did her own victory dance.
“What the hell, Sadie!” I yelled into the mic.
“The game’s called ‘Her Majesty’s Revenge.’ I could hear her smile through the set. She was probably sitting in her nice little two-story house, twenty-five miles away in Chariot, doing the same nerdy dance as that two-faced Princess Periwinkle. You didn’t honestly think I’d let you boys have all the fun. Did you?”
“No fair. You created this game. How was I supposed to know the princess was a decoy?”
“All’s fair in love and gaming war, Ash.”
“Your game sucks, and so do you,” I said, chucking my controller across the room. I frowned at Smith’s smirk. “What?”
We could still hear Sadie’s laughter through the set. I loved the girl like a sister. But man, sometimes she was a pain in the ass. “Her Majesty’s Revenge” was just another of Sadie’s many beta RPGs. She was always designing new games, trying to come up with the next big thing. Smith and I were her test subjects.
“Ash Cornelius Stryker,” Mom said, entering the living room. Apart from hitting me with the three-name smackdown, she had her serious face on. I tried to look extra innocent.
“Yes, mother?”
“Did I hear you yelling at Sadie?”
Eyes wide, I put a hand to my chest. “Who me? You know Sadie and I don’t yell, Mom. We have heated debates.”
She shook her head. “Child, I love you more than anything, but you can’t lie for crap.”
“That’s because I’m an innocent soul like you.”
Dad poked his head around the corner, and Mom tsked, turning to fix his crooked tie.
“Honestly, I don’t know what you’d do without me,” she said, giving him a peck on the cheek.
“Probably walk around looking like a ragamuffin,” Dad smiled. His love for Mom was the only thing keeping him from yuppie status in my eyes. She might’ve looked like a blonde trophy wife, but Mom was the brains of this operation, and we all knew it. Dad pointed to me. “We raised you to be a Southern gentleman. Don’t let me catch you yelling at any girls.”
“Sadie’s not a girl,” I mumbled. Our moms had been friends for years. We’d grown up together. Sadie was a year younger than me and practically asexual as far as I was concerned. “Her games do kick ass, though.”
“No swearing,” Mom said at the same time Dad said, “Watch your mouth.”
Rolling my eyes, I got up and grabbed my keys. It was nearly six. “I’ve got somewhere to be.”
“You finish your homework?” Mom wanted to know.
“Every last bit, right down to the annotated bibliography BS we were assigned in American Lit.”
“That’s my boy.” Mom turned to Dad, the smile fading. “We got two new messages today.”
Dad took the papers she held out, scanned and then crumpled them in his fist. “This has to stop.”
“Wes,” Mom said, “have you even considered—”
“No, I haven’t.” Dad walked over and handed the papers to Smith. “Add those to the file. No asshole’s going to threaten me into dropping out of this race. We’ve worked too hard for that.”
“But what if—”
“I said no, Cheryl.”
Mom nodded once. They’d been arguing about those threats a lot lately. “Just make sure you take Evers with you.”
Dad ran a hand down her cheek. “He’s out in the car now. And the election’s just a few weeks away. They haven’t made a move yet.”
“Doesn’t mean they won’t,” Mom said. “Agent Smith, you gonna watch over my baby boy?”
Smith was such a brownnoser. “Absolutely, Mrs. C.”
Mom hugged me tight, her flowery perfume surrounding us both. “You be safe now.”
“Jeez, Mom, I will.” I gave her a quick squeeze. “Don’t worry so much.”
“You’re my baby, so I worry. Your Dad gets death threats every week, so I worry. Nothing wrong with that.” Her eyes looked a little misty, but she forced a smile. “Where’re you headed anyway?”
I grinned. “Self-defense class.”
* * *
“This place is a dump,” Smith muttered, then gestured to the walls of the gym. “Paint’s peeling. The benches and mats are all scuffed up. I feel like we’re in the Ghetto with a capital ‘G.’”
“Will you shut it?” I hissed. My black hoodie helped shield my identity, but Smith’s pie hole was going to get us thrown out. The little Asian woman who’d been at the Exhibition hadn’t said anything to us since we arrived. She just sat at the front desk, staring. I shuddered. “You’re gonna blow our cover.”
Smith shook his head. “You want to use the bathroom, don’t do it here.”
“Who said anything about a bathroom?”
“I’m just saying.”
“You’re an ass,” I frowned, ducking my head. Snow hadn’t noticed us when we first walked in—though my eyes locked on her first thing. Leading a class of twelve kids, her voice had carried. She was sweaty, her hair tied back with little pieces flying about as she demonstrated the moves. As the students repeated them one by one, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. The last boy in line tried to perform some kind of side kick and failed.
“Again,” Snow said.
Fail.
“Again.”
Fail.
“Again, Hyung-Su.”
Another fail, and this time he went down with a sniffle.
She knelt next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “No need for that, Hyung-Su. How will you succeed if you don’t keep trying? Now, lead with the hip and really plant that standing leg.” Nodding, she stood up. “Again.”
It took the boy two more tries, but eventually he got it. Snow gave him a one-armed hug, a small smile on her lips, and led the class in final stretches. The girl was amazing.
“That girl is a monster,” Smith said. “She’s the one you’re into? Ash, man, what’re you thinking?”
“I’m thinking she’s pretty great.”
Smith scoffed. “That’s the second kid she’s made cry today.”
“And?” I said. It was also the second kid she’d pushed to do something they didn’t think they could do. She didn’t accept defeat, so they didn’t either. “I’d let her knock me around any day.”
“Well, she’s not much to look at.”
“Watch it, Smith.”
“What?” He pinned his gaze on my ninja girl. “I’m just stating a fact. She’s kind of…”
“Kind of what?” I asked, staring him down. I didn’t care if we were friends. Didn’t matter if he was a trained security guard and five years older than me. If he insulted her, I’d have to get in his face. No question there.
“Kind of…not your type,” Smith finished. Catching sight of my clenched fists, he raised his hands in surrender. “Whoa, hold up. I was just saying she’s not your usual fare. But maybe I was wrong on that?”
I sat back. “Maybe you were.”
It was no secret. The girls I’d gone out with before weren’t like Snow. Smith had gotten that right. They were nowhere near as kick ass. They didn’t have half her appeal. At the movies, the Cultural Exhibition, here at The Academy, every time I saw her she surprised me. The girl was like nothing I’d ever seen before.
“So, are we going to talk about those letters or what?” I said, changing the subject to give us both a break.
Smith shrugged and passed me the threats.
“Anything interesting?” I took them from him and smoothed out the sheets.
“Nothing but the same creepy ass notes he gets every week,” Smith said.
Creepy and cheesy as hell, I thought, looking them over. Cutout letters, different sizes and fonts, glued to the pages with messages like “Drop out of the race now or else” and “Better to quit today than bleed tomorrow.”
I shook my head. They were always the same. Withdraw or die. Could they be more evil villain-ish? It was textbook stalker behavior—but why Dad?
“How about the security cameras?” I asked, handing the papers back to Smith. “You get anything?”
“No, same as always,” he said.
“That’s bullshit,” I said. “Whoever this bastard is he’s delivering the letters by hand. How is it that you guys can’t get an image or any fingerprints? You’re supposed to be some kind of tech-wizard, correct?”
“Yeah,” Smith frowned, “but like I told you before, he’s bypassing the system somehow. We can’t figure it out. Don’t worry, though, Evers and I got your back.”
“You wouldn’t need to have my back if we could just catch this asshole.”
Smith frowned harder, but it was true. Mom believed these threats could turn into actions. Seeing her scared made me hate the letters and their writer even more. I wanted to dismiss them like Dad had, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone who could bypass an advanced security system like ours was someone to look out for.
“What the hell are you doing here, Stryker?”
The voice was low, its owner as big as a freaking mountain. We’d only met once, but I recognized him. He’d been real friendly with my ninja girl. Protective, even. I wondered what they were to each other.
Letting the hood drop, I faced him. “Good to see you, too, Bae Bae. I’m flattered you remembered.”
His scowl brought an automatic grin to my face. “I don’t like repeating myself,” he said.
The Asian colossus stared me down as I stepped from the bleachers. A new group took the floor, and I recognized a few students from CCDS. Must be time for self-defense. I knew Snow was supposed to be teaching this class, the whole reason I’d even decided to come. But her eyes were glued to the three of us.
“What does it look like?” I said, Smith standing off to the side, silently watching for any sign of trouble. “I’m here to take the class.”
“No,” he said.
“No?” Was this asshole serious? “I heard it was open to everyone.”
“Not to you.”
“Listen, Bae Bae.” He took a step forward, and I smiled. This guy was just too easy. “I already paid for two months of classes. By the looks of things, your little establishment can’t afford to turn me away. So…”
I went to step around him, but he blocked my path.
“What’s your problem, man?”
“I’d think that was obvious.” He gave me the hard stare. “I told you. Stay away from Snow.”
“Why do you care?” I took a step closer.
“I’ve cared for that girl since she was five years old. I know Snow nearly as well as her own mother. She’s too good for you.” He looked like he was gritting his teeth. “You need to walk away.”
“That’s not happening.”
The little Asian woman walked up to us and crossed her arms. One thing was for sure. Her cold stare was a hell of a lot more effective than his.
“Museun il-iya?” she said. “Noogoon-dae nae ttal-eul chyeodabogo itsut-uh?”
I winced. So, this was Snow’s mother. From what I could tell, she wanted to know who I was—the troublemaker who’d been staring at her baby girl. Shit, and I’d thought I was stealth.
Bae’s lips curved. “Geunyang jiruhan bujajip-ae aeyo ajumoni, geogjeong maseyo.”
I glared at that. Her calling me trouble was better than him calling me a “bored, little rich boy” any day. I was just about to tell him off—in Korean or English, it didn’t matter—when Snow joined us.
“Hey,” she said to the group. An eyelash on her cheek distracted me. I had the crazy urge to brush my hand across her skin and let it keep going…to her jaw, her neck, her… She glanced my way then, and to cover, I forced a grin. “Why are you here?”
For you, I thought, but held back, not wanting to scare her.
Matching her serious tone, I said, “I want to learn self-defense.”
She cocked an eyebrow at Smith. “Looks like he’s got you covered.”
Ah, screw it.
“Alright, alright,” I shrugged. “You caught me. I’m here for you.”
“Me?” she said in surprise. God, she was cute when she was confused. “Why?”
I couldn’t resist. Leaning in close, my gaze locked on her, I plucked the eyelash from her cheek and blew it off my finger, loving the way her eyes widened. “I just wanted to see you, ninja girl. That so hard to believe?”
A strangled sound ruined the moment.
Snow turned to her mother, looking flustered. “What’s wrong, Omma?”
“Snow-Soon, who is this boy?” she said. And that answered that question. The woman spoke English nearly as well as I did.
“He’s just one of the CCDS kids. No one special.”
Ouch. That stung.
Her mom scanned her face then said, “Amudo ahnimyun wae ulgul-yi ppalgae-jyuh?”
“What? I am not!”
Snow’s mom tsked while I tried to translate what she’d just said. When it finally came to me, I couldn’t help but smile.
If he’s no one, then why are you blushing?
Good point, Mrs. Lee. She did look a little flushed, especially when another Korean girl stepped up to us and said, “Hey, aren’t you that guy from the movies? Holy crap! Snow, this is him isn’t it? Hoodie guy, right?”
Snow groaned, but I just laughed. So, she had a nickname for me as well. I took that as a good sign.
“I don’t think we’ve met,” I said, holding out a hand. “I’m Ash.”
“Min-Hee,” she said, smiling. “I can’t believe you’re here. That was some kiss.”
“Kiss?” Bae Bae looked like he’d swallowed a box full of nails. Smacking my hand away, he turned to this new girl with a sick look on his face. “What kiss?”
“Kiss?” Snow’s mom looked even worse. “Kiss? What’s this about a kiss?”
“Thanks a lot, Min,” Snow mumbled.
“Sorry,” Min-Hee whispered. “Imo’s so tiny. I didn’t see her there.”
Snow rolled her eyes. “Mom, calm down. It was nothing.”
“Nothing? You let this boy kiss you? How is this nothing?”
“It was just a kiss.”
The woman came up and poked me hard in the chest. I’d definitely have a bruise tomorrow. “Wae?” Poke, poke, poke. “Wae nae-ttal-hantae kiss hatssuh?”
“Actually,” I said, gently pushing her finger away, “she kissed me.”
“You speak Korean,” she said. Turning to Snow, she demanded, “Did you know he spoke Korean?”
She nodded. “I did.”
“More secrets.” Her mother frowned. “Why couldn’t you just find a nice Korean boy?”
“Omma,” she snapped.
“Plenty of successful businessmen,” Mrs. Lee went on. “Doctors and lawyers. You’re so smart you graduated early. I had always hoped maybe you and Bae might…”
The way Snow’s face turned to disgust and Bae paled told me they definitely were not a couple. I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Actually, Ahjumma,”—Bae stepped forward. Seeing the way the big guy had kept hold of Min-Hee’s hand was also reassuring—”we have something we need to tell you both.”
“Bae,” Min-Hee muttered, “I haven’t gotten a chance to talk to her yet.”
“We have to do it sometime,” Bae said softly. “Snow’ll understand.”
“Understand what?” Snow said.
Bae threaded his fingers with Min-Hee’s and kissed her knuckles. I wasn’t so sure Snow would understand anything. Even I could see she looked more puzzled now than ever.
“Min?”
“I tried to tell you, Snow, but…the timing just wasn’t right.”
She turned those fierce eyes to the Asian colossus. “Tell me what, Bae Bae?”
“We’re engaged,” he said, and I watched her face fall. One minute, she was standing there embarrassed at her mother’s outburst. The next, she looked like someone had just run over her favorite puppy.
Guess I’d read that one wrong after all.
Walking out with Smith, I threw a glance over my shoulder. I wanted one last look at my ninja girl. But she wasn’t looking at me. She wasn’t looking anywhere but at the ring flashing on Min-Hee’s finger.
Smith patted me on the back. “Tough luck, man. What’d you say we stop for a drink somewhere?”
“You know I don’t drink,” I said, rubbing my neck, trying to shake it off. To shake her off. “Bad for training.”
“Don’t be an idiot. I was talking non-alcoholic, like maybe a soda. You need something after a disaster like that.”
True enough, I thought. But I didn’t think a little Sprite was going to cut it.