The Prologue and First Chapter

Chapter 1

“It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“Famous last words.”

“What were we supposed to do? With the Intel we had, we made the best decision possible.”

“And doomed us all.”

“Anyone else would have done the same thing.”

“But that is why they hired us! Because we could do what nobody else could. Because we knew what nobody else knew.”

“Why would anyone blame us?”

“Why would anyone not?!”

Chapter 2

Johnson Wilson Smith lay in his cot, watching the rain fall through the window above his bed. He strained his ears to hear past the rain, the crying of the other children, and the creaking of the old building. And there it was.

Tap tap tap.

Johnson smiled and tapped back.

Tap tap tap.

The door slowly swung open and there she was. She looked as beautiful as ever in her pink puppy nightgown, her hair in a sleepy halo, her scared eyes illuminated in the moonlight.

“Um… Johnny?”

“Yeah Sarah?”

“I was wondering if…” Sarah looked away ashamedly, twisting a strand of her raven black hair between her long, boney fingers. Johnson and Sarah had been best friends since they could remember. In this orphanage of a few hundred kids, Johnson felt like Sarah was the only one he wanted to be with. Though she was constantly talking him into doing stupid stunts and getting him in trouble, and then wanting him to dry her tears after something goes wrong, when she shines him her devious smile he knows that even if she kills him, which he tells her often she will, he would follow her to the ends of the earth.

“That movie scared you, huh?” Sarah, the ever adventurous one, had convinced Johnson to help her sneak into the older kids movie night, which he knew she would regret.

“No, well… I mean. I… Um… yes.”

“Want me to tell you a story?”

“Only if you’re not busy…”

“At one in the morning?”

Johnson smiled at the memory, warm and comforting in his head. But that night was many years ago. And not surprisingly, a 14 year old Sarah could cause a lot more havoc than a 7 year old Sarah. Johnson barely looked up from his book as Sarah swung across the main hall on one of the giant, wooden chandeliers, as a whole platoon of councilors chased her across the hall. She landed expertly on the balcony, and swan dived into a crouch behind Johnson’s chair.

“I got it,” Sarah yelled triumphantly holding a manila folder in her hands.

“Um hum.” Long ago had the excitement of Sarah’s escapades worn off and now it was just tedious having to clean up the messes.

“Aren’t you the least bit curious to find out what I nabbed that was kept in the super-duper secret room?”

“Hmm?”

“Oh come on Johnny, can you show at least a little interest in my hobbies?”

“Stealing things that don’t belong to you is a hobby? I sure hope that the councilors see it that way, because I told you when you got into this that I was tired of covering your…”

“Johnny! There are children nearby!” Johnson looked up to see a line of second graders clambering up the great stairs. Sarah discreetly dropped the folder onto Johnson’s lap, and waved enthusiastically at the children.

“Open it,” she whispered as the teachers eyed her with the knowledge a full year of Sarah-teaching can only attain. They knew she was up to something, but with their own flock of children to take care of, they had no time to investigate.

“I don’t want to open it. I don’t have a care in the world what is in there.”

“Even if it’s ‘bout you?”

“What? Sarah, what did you do?”

"Nothing. I certainly didn't steal the file about one Johnson W. Smith."

" What?" Johnson met her eyes and at the impish twinkle, he jumped up from his seat. “Sarah! Why?”

“What’s your problem? I didn’t look at any of it?”

“What do you mean ‘What’s my problem’? This is personal information! Why would you even get this?” At this point Johnson’s voices was raised enough that the councilors looking for Sarah had come to see what the commotion was.

“Johnny,” Sarah said, trying to be nonchalant, but Johnson could see her discomfort at all of the eyes on her and him. “Johnny can you quiet down and… um… give me the folder. Please?”

“No, you know what Sarah, I’ve done an awful lot for you, never stopping you from doing all of the stupid things that you want to do. I’ve covered for you, I’ve lied for you, I’ve spent hours awake worrying about whether you were okay or if you were stuck somewhere where no one could get to you and no one could help you. And what have you done for me? Nothing! You use my stuff, you don’t care about what happens to me, you expect me to just up and drop whatever I’m doing just so that your little ninja fantasies can be fulfilled, and now you go through my stuff and expect me to just act calm so you can get away but I. Won’t. Do. It.”

Sarah tried to discreetly grab the folder, but Johnson was used Sarah, could read her face and could tell by just a twitch of her eyes what she was going to do. So he, very non discreetly, held the folder high above his head, so no matter how high Sarah jumped she wouldn’t be able to reach the folder.

Sarah glanced around, seeing the councilors coming in. She would have to get the folder and get out of their quick if she didn’t want to get caught. She tightened her legs and jumped. Johnson pulled the folder back. By now the second graders had come back out from the classroom and were engrossed in what they saw. The councilors were closing on Sarah. This would be the first time she didn’t get away.