EMIT (THE EMIT SAGA)

EMIT

A
novel by: Barbara Cross

Copyright
© 2012 by Barbara Cross

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Library of Congress TXu 1-832-801

EMIT: a novel/ by Barbara Cross. First e-book edition: Dec 2012

Summary: After Paige Devon, 17, meets Daniel Haydin, 19; her normal life is thrown into utter chaos when she discovers that he works for a secret U.S. agency. Her home is bugged and she is under constant surveillance by a team of agents. Besides keeping Paige alive, Daniel has a big secret he is hiding from her.

ISBN-10: 0988478307

ISBN-13:
978-0-9884783-0-5

West Cove Press New Jersey United States of America

The cover photo
©
Alix Cross
2012. All Rights Reserved (re-use requires permission).

Longing, I Want to Tell You, Long Distance Relationship, A Little Bit Different and Mental Crossroads are
songs written by ©Alix Cross 2012 and ©Jane McKee 2012.
All Rights Reserved (re-use requires permission).

This is dedicated to my beautiful daughter, Alix, who inspired Paige.

To my niece, Jane, for helping mold Lily.

To my mother, Gabriela, for her love and being the best “Gabby.”

To my sister, Maria, for all her support in everything and telling me to never give up. Thanks for believing in me.

I love you all.

Contents:

Dedication

Preface

Epigraph

1. Central Park

2. Haven

3. Meeting

4. Storm

5. Block Party

6. Photograph

7. Ambush

8. Surveillance

9. Assault

10. Hit & Run

11. Dream

12. Boat Ride

13. Harrow

14. Secret

15. Greenport

16. Return

17. Concussion

18. Envelope

19. London

Acknowledgement

LOVE'S PHILOSOPHY

The fountains mingle with the river,
And the rivers with the ocean,
The winds of heaven mix forever
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by law divine
In one another's being mingle;--
Why not I with thine?
See the mountains kiss high heaven
And the waves clasp one another
No sister flower would be forgiven
If it disdained its brother;
And sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea;
What are all these kissings worth
If thou kiss not me?

- Percy Bysshe Shelley

PREFACE

As I stared at his unmoving form, my eyes filled with tears. After all, this was my fault. When I was asked to keep this secret, I never imagined anything like this was even possible. Everything I was involved in was dangerous, yet somehow I felt safe and believed that my family would be unharmed.

My parents always said if someone told me
to keep a secret from them not to listen. So what did I do? I ignored their advice. All the red flags and all the warnings screaming in my head didn’t dissuade me either.

Because of that decision,
I was standing in a hospital staring at my dad who was in a catatonic state. Why didn’t I tell my parents? I thought I was protecting them, but was I just being selfish?

E
ntrenched in this bizarre world where everything seemed so impossible, but was actually real, I succumbed to the adventure. All my perceived notions about what I would and wouldn’t do went right out the window.

“
Joy in looking and comprehending is nature's most beautiful gift
.” Einstein

It was the end of June and more than the climate of Manhattan was changing. Residents were leaving the city to go to camps, vacations or their summer places. Throngs of tourists had invaded the city and the hustle and bustle was much more chaotic now.

I loved spending
summers in the city, but this year, I had plans to be in London with my grandparents. However, that all changed when five days before I was coming, Nana broke her leg. It was a rainy day and she tumbled down the slippery outside steps. A next-door neighbor called an ambulance and she was taken to a nearby hospital.

Dad
, an international law attorney, was working on a case at his firm’s London office and rushed to the hospital after Aunt Lucy, his sister, called him.

A couple of days later,
Dad called and said that I’d be staying at Aunt Lucy’s house.

“
Why?” I whined. “I don’t want to go there!”

“
Your visit will be too much for Nana right now.”

“I could help her and Granddad,” I argued.

“Sorry Paige, but there’s no discussion here. Nana feels horrible, but she has to rest. You can stay at Aunt Lucy’s house or you can stay home.”

“Fine. I’ll stay home,” I said angrily and hung up the phone.

I’d already nixed staying at Aunt Lucy’s when we were in London during my spring break. Aunt Lucy overheard that I might spend the summer in London and asked if I wanted to be her mother’s helper since she needed to hire someone. Watching my two crazy cousins, Liam and David, ages eight and ten, respectively, wasn’t at all appealing. I told her that I wanted to visit Nana, but maybe next year. If I went now, I’d be stuck with the boys and the babysitter in the suburbs an hour from London.

As I played on the computer,
I had an idea, so I ran downstairs.

“Mom, can I stay at Emma’s? I’ll be
really close to help Nana if she needs me.” Emma moved to Nana’s street when we were both four and whenever I visited, we were inseparable.

“Absolutely not. It’s rude to invite yourself,”
she answered.

“What are you talking about?
Her parents have asked me to stay with them for years.”

“You’
re not staying there,” Mom repeated.

“But why? It makes no sense,” I badgered.

“I’m uncomfortable about those boys.”

Emma’s
older brothers, Lane and Damian, were nineteen year-old identical twins.

“What? Why?” I asked
totally confused.

“Nana says they’re wild and they got
arrested last month,” Mom said uncomfortably.

“Come on. It was for jumping into the Chelsea Gardens. It wasn’t anything terrible.”

She glared at me. “They were drunk and were writing graffiti on the walls. You’re not staying there, so just forget about it,” she ordered.

“This isn’t fair,” I moaned.

“You can go to London, but you must stay with Aunt Lucy.”

“
I’ll be bored to death. I want to stay in Chelsea!”

“You can take the Tube anywhere.”

“If I can’t stay in Chelsea, I’m not going,” I wailed.

“That’s your choice
, so stop complaining.”

I skulked to my room frustrated with the outcome
and Skyped Emma.

“I’m not coming,” I blurted out angrily and sighed.

“Why?” Emma asked sadly.

“Nana doesn’t want me to stay with her and my only choice is Aunt Lucy’s house.

“Stay at my house,” Emma begged.

“I already asked and my mom said no.” I couldn’t tell her that
Mom thought her brothers were complete derelicts. “I’m bummed too. At least, I’ll see you the end of August. I have to go,” I said and rushed off the phone.

Ever since I was eight months old, we always went abroad the last two weeks in August. W
hile Mom and I visited with my grandparents the first week, Dad worked in the London office and then the second week, we went on a family vacation.

Last year,
it was Paris and the year before it was Rome. My parents never told me where we were going, so it was always a surprise.

When I went back into the kitchen, the house phone rang and it was Nana.

“I’m so sorry for being clumsy and ruining your summer.”

“It was an accident. You just rest and take care of yourself. I’ll see you very soon.”



When I came downstairs Friday morning,
Mom was heading out the door.

“
Morning sleepyhead. I need to do some research at the MET. Want to come along?”

“Yeah, I do, ” I said excitedly. “Let me grab a yogurt and throw some clothes on.”

Visiting museums was something we enjoyed doing and the Metropolitan Museum of Art was my favorite. I loved to draw and paint and my so-called masterpieces were scattered all around the apartment.

Mom waited
in the living room and got on her computer. “Your father’s sleeping, please be quiet when you go upstairs.”

“What time did he get in?”
I asked.

“It was after you went to sleep
. There was a delay at Heathrow. Then he was in his office till almost four this morning. He’s going to work from home today.”

When we walked outside, the air was warm and stifling. We lived on West 69th Street and Mom wanted to walk through the park. Seeing no empty cabs, I had to agree. Central Park, as usual, was swarming with people. Joggers, bicyclists, and dog walkers were everywhere.

I asked Mom about working at Harper’s Bazaar. She was an art director there.

“I asked yesterday and they hired too many interns
this summer. They can’t use you.”

“Too bad,"
I said sadly. “It would’ve been fun.”

“If anything changes, they’ll let me know.”

“Okay. I’ll ask Dad about his firm.”

By the time we reached the museum, I was so hot and sticky.

Mom said, “I have to go to the American Wing. Do you want to meet up later?”

“I’ll come with you.”

The sun was shining as we entered the Engelhard Court and as we rode the glass elevator, it felt like we were still outside. We roamed the period rooms and Mom took pictures on her cell

While I was playing
with a touch screen, I lost her. I glanced at my phone and we had been there almost two hours. I really had enough. I went downstairs, sat on the edge of the Frog Fountain and texted Mom that I was hungry.

She answered that she’d be down in ten minutes and we’d go for lunch.

I noticed a really cute guy walk by reading a museum guide. He was tall, very tan with light hair and looked like a model. I felt like I’d seen him before, but had no idea where. He went into the American Wing Café and disappeared from view.