Thrive - Remastered

Chapters 12 and 13

Chapter 12

It was decided that they should run through a mock exercise routine to throw off suspicion from anyone who saw them talking in the park. As they ran through a series of crunches and push-ups, Jordan gave voice to her thoughts.

“I believe everything that you’ve said to me, Buie. I do. I do believe that something is going on. But do you think that we’re being a little irrational to think that we are being followed or that people are trying to listen to our conversation?”

Buie sneezed, “Maybe, still I’d rather be safe than anything else. We are both involved in whatever information Robert found now, whether we like it or not.”

“Is it wrong if I hope that this is some wild goose chase? I mean, I just got the promotion of a lifetime and now—now all this. I know it sounds selfish.”

Buie took a long breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “No, no, it doesn’t. You’ve worked hard to get where you are. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry that this is happening. Have you told your parents about your promotion yet?”

Jordan shook her head. “No, we don’t talk much anymore, maybe once every month or two. I’m sure you know that. You probably see them more than I do.”

“At the cost of giving you advice you didn’t ask for, it may do you some good to see them. They always ask for you. There’s a lot going on right now. Now more than ever you have a lot to deal with.”

Jordan nodded.

Buie sneezed again and wiped at his eyes as his allergies brought on another flood of tears.

“I think we can stop now,” Jordan said. “That should be enough to satisfy anyone if we’re being watched.”

There was no argument from Buie as he rose to his feet. “As a precaution I think we should wait a few hours and then meet at the library—“

“No, I can go.”

Buie looked at her with a questioning eyebrow.

“If you’re right and someone is on to you, then I should be the one to go to the library. Let me know what books he checked out and I’ll find them.”

“Jordan, it could be dangerous.”

“It’s going to be far more dangerous for you than for me. I won’t check out the books to avoid suspicion. I’ll just see if I can find anything. I’ll be careful.”

Buie nodded reluctantly, “Okay, I’ll let you go but you have to promise to talk to your parents in exchange. Whatever happened in the past, they still care about you.”

Jordan took a deep breath and nodded.

 

Chapter 13

Jordan stood outside of her parent’s door. The time it had taken her to go back to her apartment, change and make the mile walk to their living quarters had been filled with memories of the past. Her childhood had been anything except normal.

Jordan was an only child. Her father and mother who both worked in the Construction Department of the city had raised her.  By all accounts she was brought up in a loving house and somewhere in the back of her mind Jordan knew that her parents always had the best intentions in mind.

They cared for her in every physical way, they never struck her in anger or verbally abused her. Still there was no denying that the Shepherd household was ran with structure and order.