“Who is this guy?” Gavin suddenly asks with concern in his eyes. “Is this someone that the CIA has asked you to find, because that doesn’t seem like a massive track record to me?”
“No,” I admit, getting carried away in my excitement. “But it might be someone that they will be interested in the future. He’s a con artist.”
“Well, that sounds a little too small for the CIA,” Gavin replies cautiously. “It seems more like a problem for the cops. And how do you know about him anyway?”
“He’s Michaela’s ex-boyfriend, and a real troublemaker...” I keep my gaze fixed on the screen, expecting some kind of untoward action, but it’s nothing compared to what I actually get...
“What the hell are you doing?” Gavin finally explodes, showing more emotion than I’ve ever seen from him before. He’s actually yelling at me, completely forgetting that I’m his boss, which proves to me just how strongly he feels about this. “Have you gone mad? You can’t use CIA technology for your own needs.”
“It isn’t technically the CIA’s yet, it’s mine,” I argue fiercely. “So I can do what I want.”
“You know as well as I do that this is a bad idea,” Gavin shakes his head at me. “The CCTV footage came from the CIA as did a lot of the funding, and you know that. You’re just acting crazy over some girl that you don't even know. This is going to land you in so much trouble, and I think that you’re aware of that.”
“Don't be so silly,” I try to laugh, but for some reason the sound is a little strangled. “We have to test the software somehow.”
“You using the information you have found from ‘tests’ is illegal. You could lose everything that you’ve worked your entire life for. Is this girl worth it?”
I don't answer him, knowing full well that he won’t like it if I say yes, which causes him to spin around and stalk out of the room, leaving me alone to continue my tests. Okay so Michaela might not actually turn out worth losing everything for, but she’s the best girl that I’ve met in a very long time, and I really just want the opportunity to do something nice for her.
I try not to allow the guilt to consume me as I turn back to the computer screen to do some more investigation. Now that I know more about this guy, I can learn even more if I dare. I know it might not be wise to dig even deeper into the records for him – especially after I’ve just been warned by Gavin – but I can’t seem to stop. Okay, so I don't want to end up losing everything that I’ve worked my entire life for, that would be crazy, but I’m so desperate to unravel the mystery of Michaela that I’m willing to do absolutely anything for it.
There’s something in this, I just know it. Now it’s up to me to find out what...
6
Michaela
The phone rings for just about long enough to make me nervous before April picks up, sounding too harassed for my liking. I never like the fact that I’ve left her at home with our horrible father, but there isn’t anything else I can do. If I want her to escape and to get out of there to pursue her dream, then I’ve got to work my ass off to earn back the money that Derek stole from me. Whether that will be from finding Derek and forcing him to pay me back, or from doing jobs such as the one that I’m currently undertaking, I’m not sure. In the end it doesn’t really matter... I just have to do something.
I’ve given up on hoping that my mom will stand up to dad for his behavior because from what I can assume he had her beaten down before either of us were even born. Whatever she was like before she met him, that side of her has long gone now, and I don't think there’s any chance of her ever coming back.
I remember clearly the first time I saw him hitting her – all because the mailman had lingered at the door a little too long for his liking. I don't think he was aware that I was standing behind him when he raced over to her, stinking of what I now realize was booze, and he yelled at her that she was a whore.
I watched in stunned silence as she wept and pleaded with him, keeping her eyes focused only on him, so she didn’t realize that I was there either. He yanked her hair until she screamed and admitted to whatever she was supposed to have done, and then a stinging sound rang out and her head snapped to one side... changing my life forever.
I guess I always knew that my dad was an asshole, but I didn’t realize that he was abusive too. My perception of the entire world altered that day, when I was only nine years old, and I raced from the room with a steely barrier over my heart.
Looking back on that memory now, I can see that the thing that freaked me out most about the whole thing was mom’s expression after he hit her. It wasn't one of shock or upset, it was simply acceptance, that this was the way that her life was always going to be.
After that, I lost all respect for both of them, and my attitude became a little unpleasant. I started to act out, to be something of a bitch, and I soon got my comeuppance.
Even if my mom hadn’t left him for hitting her, I would have thought that she loved me enough to leave when he smacked me across the face, just for making some snide remark... but she didn’t.
The only one who hasn’t been affected by my dad so far is April, and I intend to keep it that way. She has reacted to his attitude in a different way than I – she has become quieter, more subdued, and she does whatever she can to keep out of the way. Maybe that’s where she developed her dream to become a doctor, maybe it’s because she’s always had all the time in the world to study. Whatever her reasoning, I really want her to get there. She’s much better than mom and dad, she’s better than me too. She’s the only one who has a hope in hell of making something of herself, and I really need her to get there.
“Hello?” Her voice rang out rapidly, causing my heartrate to kick up a notch.
“Hey, April,” I reply cautiously. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’m just...” She sighs deeply – a sound that cuts me deep. All I want is for her to be happy. “I’m just having a bit of a crappy day, that’s all.”
“What is it?” I demand, pumping my fists by my side as a red hot burst of anger runs through me. “Is it dad? Has something happened?” I swear to God if he’s even touched her I will fucking kill him. There is no way that I’ve suffered all that I have, been through all that I’ve experienced and worked so hard, just to have it all thrown back in my face. I will fucking head there right now and tear his head off. I hate him for hitting mom, but she’s a grown ass woman that should know better, I hate him for hitting me, but it’s simply toughened me up into the bad ass that I am today, but if he hits April, I will fucking lose my shit.
“He’s just drinking a lot more,” she tells me a little sadly. “I don't know what to do about it.”
“Has he been near you?” I ask, with an angry wobble in my voice. “Has he done anything...?”
“No, no,” she reassures me quickly, very aware of my fear for her. “Nothing like that... he’s just a lot worse. He’s making himself sick and I’m worried that it’s starting to really affect his liver.”