Too Young (The Jewel Project #1)

Chapter 2.1- Living the Dream

Chapter Two

Living the Dream

Chicago: Present day

Rain splattered the streets of Chicago, making downtown look like a black-and-white photograph. From his seat at a café, Herrison James scanned the crowd, one hand wrapped around his walkie-talkie, the other holding the binoculars to his eyes. A black Range Rover stopped at the traffic light in front of him.

Herrison frowned and adjusted the zoom on his binoculars. Someone in the front seat of the car seemed to be drawing on the foggy window.

He brought the walkie-talkie to his mouth. "Target is on the move. I repeat. Target is on the move."

For a few seconds, there was only static from the other side, then a voice acknowledged the message. "Roger that."

"Is the decoy in place?" he asked, following the Range Rover with his gaze as it continued its way toward a glass office building.

"Yes, sir. Our insiders will let us know when it's clear."

Herrison sighed and shoved the binoculars in a fancy leather briefcase. It was show time.

* * *

"Quit drawing on the windows. What are you, five?"

Sam jumped, and the line he'd been carefully drawing cut the rest of his symbol. He'd almost had it right this time. "I'm not drawing. I'm writing." His passenger side window was filled with pre-Columbian symbols.

Freider Grant chuckled. "I thought that with your scores in school, you'd have learned how to write by now. How on Earth do you keep getting straight A's?"

"Very funny," Sam mumbled, trying to correct the mess he'd made. It didn't do much good, so he started drawing another hieroglyph.

"Really, now, son. You should quit all the daydreaming about finding treasures and focus on real life."

Sam's muscles tensed, but he didn't answer and continued drawing.

"You're almost eighteen. You should be busy practicing your driving."

Oh, yes, of course, drive. No way in hell was Sam driving his father around. Not since the one time when Freider almost had a heart attack because Sam didn't break fifty feet before a crossing. That lecture alone was enough to last him a lifetime. And, if he was completely honest, he didn't mind being driven around.

"Or you could think about getting a job," Freider continued,

"I should think about getting a girlfriend, while I'm at it." Sam turned away from the window, his full attention on his father. He'd heard the nag routine so many times, he could repeat it word for word.

Freider's eyes narrowed and he squeezed the wheel tighter. "You'll have enough time for that when you're older. Right now, you should strive to improve your school work."

Sam's jaw dropped. School? He'd taken his final test of the year and came home with 112 percent. What more did his father want?

"And maybe help around the agency more. It could be your future career path, and I want you to be ready when it's time for me to retire."

There it was. The real reason for "the speech". Sam leaned his head against the window and looked at the grey clouds moving among the skyscrapers. Being a private eye specializing in providing divorce material was the last thing he wanted in life. His father was so thrilled with his job, but it made Sam want to throw up. He didn't want to deal with lying, cheating people all the time. If he had things his way, he'd become an explorer or an archeologist. Ugh, I can't believe I gave up jogging today for this.