Too Young (The Jewel Project #1)

Chapter 12.2 - The Games People Play

Kay came towards them, holding a gun in one hand and a girl by the elbow with the other. The girl appeared reluctant to follow, so Kay was more likely dragging her along. A rucksack had also appeared on Kay's back and Sam deduced it belonged to the girl.

"Sam, I found her sneaking around. She says she's backup, but I find her a bit reluctant to join us." Kay gave the girl a little shake to steady her on her feet.

She stared at Sam with wide eyes, her mouth forming a perfect, comical O. From her reaction, Sam guessed she knew Tom. He groaned, thinking he'd have to make a diagram to see how everyone connected on his team.

The girl shook her blonde and pink highlights, trying to snap out of the shock. "Jimmy, Sam looks just like Tom."

Jimmy took half a step back. "Do I know you?"

The girl pushed her chest forward and raised her sharp nose in the air. "You should."

Jimmy shrugged, obviously having no idea who she was. Sam's stomach rumbled again and he started getting annoyed. He wished some normal people would join the team. He was fed up with the intricate wires of his brothers' lives. Why couldn't they get a gun-wielding, Spanish knowing history expert?

"Sam, you were supposed to come back to training. You left me with Billy and that didn't last long." Kyle stopped in his tracks once he caught sight of the new girl.

Oh, so that's where Billy was.

The girl's hazel eyes widened as she looked at Kyle and a shrewd smile played on her lips.

"Who's this? And why is she looking at me as if she wants to eat me?" Kyle asked.

"She claims she's backup." Kay's voice was filled with dislike. She let go of the girl's elbow, moved over to Kyle and wrapped her arm around his waist, as tough marking her territory.

"Really? Let's see the supplies, then!" Kyle said, excitedly.

Jimmy snapped out of his confused state as well and the two of them took the rucksack from Kay and rummaged through it.

"What are you two doing, going through her stuff?" Kay said outraged, but both of them stuck their tongues out at her and continued what they were doing.

Sam stared at the new girl, expecting her to introduce herself, but she was busy contemplating Jimmy as though he'd mortally offended her.

"Sam, are we going to move camp tomorrow, because if we're not, I just thought of a—" The rest of Angie's sentence failed to produce itself once she caught sight of the newcomer. Her excited expression also gave way to one of supreme dislike. "This is getting better and better."

"What do you know?" The girl laughed a hiccupping sort of laugh that made Sam want to run away. "This is turning out a nice school reunion."

"Just freakin' great!" Angie mumbled.

Sam realized that he had kept in his last breath, and exhaled. He was fed up with this. He didn't even have time to get to know everyone, to realize what they could do and how to use them in his plans when more turned up. He was aware that more backup was good, seeing as Snitch Gravel's men outnumbered them, but he was tired of the drama.

"She doesn't have any rope!" Jimmy said as if he had found a dead body in her rucksack.

"She doesn't have a name," Sam mumbled.

"Gina?"

Tom came towards them, a look of disbelief on his face. The girl wheeled on the spot and let out a shriek so high that Sam thought it might have roused all the bats on a two mile radius. She lunged at Tom, almost bringing him down.