An awkward silence fell over the living room as Christopher and Yvonne sat next to each other on the couch. Their conversation had veered from Alex to Debbie into deeply personal matters, such as Yvonne's desire to find someone who appreciates her and wants her.
Yvonne treaded into uncharted terrority when she asked him what he wanted. She desperately wanted to know the answer, hoping that he'd say he wanted her. But she was also afraid of the answer on many levels.
Christopher chuckled. "What do I want? Oh gosh, that's a bit of a difficult question at the moment." The fact that Christopher had lost his memory made the question hard to answer.
He removed his arm from Yvonne's shoulder and tapped his forehead. "I'd like to remember a bit of who I am. I felt so lost in the forest. Mark and Lincoln didn't make things easier, but when I saw all of you on the television, I knew something was wrong. I just couldn't put my finger on it. Once I got here, everything felt much better."
Taking pride in the fact she was to cheer up Christopher, Yvonne donned a shy smile. "I'm happy we helped you feel better."
He sighed. "Me too. I can't imagine what would have happened if I stayed with Mark and Lincoln. The thought of it scares the heck out of me. Can you just imagine –" He let his voice trailed off.
As he spoke, Christopher grew self-conscious when he realized he was sitting so close to Yvonne that their knees were practically touching.
His whole being seemed to be filled with a mix of longing and uncertainty. Somewhere along the line, as Yvonne helped him recuperate, she had unlocked the key to his heart. She had stoked the embers.
But Christopher was afraid to admit it or do anything about it because Alex stood in the way. He and Alex had been friends a long time. The rational part of Christopher reminded himself it was wrong to steal his friend's girl. But his heart didn't seem to care or want to listen.
He felt a sudden urge – no, need – to tell Yvonne where he stood, letting the cards fall where they may. Christopher rubbed the side of his face as he prepared to confess his feelings. "Well, honestly, it was you. I felt lost until I talked to you." The obvious interest that Yvonne saw in Christopher's eyes startled her.
Stunned at his confession, Yvonne's mouth fell open. She couldn't deny that she was developing feelings for him.
Yvonne saw the tenderness in Christopher's gaze, and that made her heart flutter. For how long had she been blind to his attraction for her? she wondered. Her heart seemed to float on a cloud, buoyed by a newfound sense of joy. Yvonne scooted a little closer on the couch until her knee brushed his like a soft caress.
Instinctively, the two leaned closer to each other, inching forward ever so gradually. Their noses lightly brushed against each other, when, BAM!
Yvonne knocked the tea over onto Christopher's lap. The two jumped back. And the intimacy of the moment was shattered.
"Oh, my gosh!" Yvonne shouted. "I am so, so sorry!"
Liquid drained from the cup onto Christopher. Yvonned quickly grabbed the empty cup out of his hands and set it down on a coaster on the coffee table. She rubbed her hand over the sofa to make sure that it hadn't gotten wet, but not a drop had spilled on it.
Christopher dabbed his pants with his hand. "No, no. It was my fault. I shouldn't have, uh–" He had borne the brunt of the accident.
Yvonne waved her hands. "No, it was all me. I'm so sorry."
As Christopher stood up, he grimaced at the feeling of his wet jeans. His expression was more than about spilling tea. The grimace was also for what he he was about to spill – his feelings for Yvonne.
"Yeah, I probably shouldn't get on Alex's bad side, anyway."
Yvonne awkwardly stood up as well. "Totally. I got that."
Her words were curt. She busied herself wiping down the empty teacup to hide the disappointment she felt. For a moment there, she had thought Christopher was going to open up her and confirm what she had suspected, that he was interested in her as more than just a friend. But now emptiness replaced the hope that she had held in her heart.
Christopher motioned toward the door. "I'm going to go change these pants."
"Yeah, of course. Go do that," Yvonne replied.
After she responded, Christopher shuffled out of the room.
When Christopher was out of sight, Yvonne collapsed onto the couch. "I'm an idiot. I'm a complete and total idiot."
She paused to let herself relive the short-lived moment when she and Christopher almost kissed. If that's what was going to happen. Yvonne was pretty sure they would have kissed if it hadn't been for the teacup incident. She slumped against the couch as thoughts of "what if?" filled her mind.
She scanned the room to see if anyone was watching her. Thankfully, no one was in there. "If Alex or Louis saw that, I'd never live it down."
***
At the time of Yvonne and Christopher's big spill, Louis went outside to feed Gary the super soldier horse.
He stood in the stable, petting the stallion's mane.
"Here, Gary," Louis said as he raised a carrot to the horse's mouth. Satisfied with his feast, Gary delightfully nibbled on the vegetable.
Louis watched the horse in awe. "I can't believe Alex found you in the forest. That was some luck. I don't think we would have been able to take down Riley without you."
As Gary whinnied in agreement, the sound of someone sneezing echoed through the backyard.
Louis glanced over his shoulder. He was sure no one followed him outside. He didn't see Alex, Yvonne, or Christopher in the backyard. He squinted as his eyes darted back and forth. "That's strange."
Gary's lips tickled Louis's palm. The horse had finished his carrot. Louis patted him on the head. "Stay here, Gary. I'm going to check out where that sneeze came from," he whispered.
Louis left in the stable in silence. He stalked around the house, paying close attention to his surroundings. As he turned the corner, moving closer to the front porch, he heard something, or rather, someone, mumbling.
He scanned the yard and forest around him. Nothing was there. By happenstance, Louis looked up. That was when he saw Mark perched up in a tree located in Alex's front yard.
Louis didn't falter. He crouched down, hiding behind a bush. He watched Mark's every move.
The spy was anything but nonchalant. He took pictures, recorded notes, and talked to himself. The only way he could have been more obvious was if he would have worn a shirt that read 'I am a spy.'
Louis shook his head at the intruder's brazen surveillance tactics. As the spy snapped photos, Louis cautiously moved away from his hiding spot, taking care not to draw attention to himself. He inched along, under the cover of the bushes, until he was certain he was out of the intruder's point of view. Quietly, Louis rushed back into the house. He had to tell Alex what he saw.
He rushed into the house through the backdoor. Luckily for him, Alex was standing down the hall. Before Louis said a word, Alex noticed the concerned expression on his face. "What's wrong?"
Louis bent over, catching his breath. "There's a spy in the front yard. He's sitting in the tree."
Alex didn't take the time to mess around. "SCOT, scan the house for any unknown personnel."
SCOT's robotic voice rang throughout the home. "Mr. Ambrose, there is an unidentified man in the front yard. I am afraid Louis is correct, sir."
Without any hesitation, Alex sprinted through his house and out the front door. He moved with the self-assurance of someone who had total control of himself. Outside, Alex slowed himself down and took quiet, purposeful steps, not wanting to scare away the intruder. His efforts were to no avail. A branch crunched loudly as Alex took his next step, alerting the spy to the homeowners' presence in the yard.
As soon as Mark caught a glimpse of Alex, he jumped out of the tree and scurried into the forest.
By the time Alex was able to spot the spy, he already made his way into the forest. Alex decided to let him go. Dismayed that the intruder got away, he trudged back to the house.
"SCOT," he called out furiously. "We need to secure the premise. If anyone else steps foot on my property, I need to know, immediately. This is more serious than I thought. We need a new plan."
*******
Mark retreated to the bunker. He ran as fast as his feet would carry him, knowing damn well he would never survive a fight against Alex Ambrose.
When he returned to the underground maze of rooms, Lincoln was already waiting for him. The old man had a nasty habit of being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time.
"Why are you back so early?" Lincoln asked. His tone was bitter, almost as if he were expecting Mark to disappoint him.
Out of breath and visibly sweating, the young man struggled to get his words out. "I, I, I… I, uh, Alex almost caught me."
Lincoln glowered at Mark. "What?"
The old man rose to his feet. Then, he stormed after Mark. Ferociously, he grabbed him by the throat and shoved him against the wall. "What's the one rule we always follow, huh?"
Gasping for air, Mark tried to speak. His attempt was fruitless. Lincoln's grip was too tight. Still, the old man didn't take the hint. He clenched harder, turning his knuckles white around Mark's throat.
"Oh," Lincoln said in a patronizing tone. "Cat got your tongue?"
He violently chuckled as he watched Mark suffer. "Well, if you're so weak that you can't speak to your boss, let me tell you this. If he ever spots you again, you're a dead man. If he doesn't kill you first, I will."
He threw Mark to the ground. "We're going to need a new plan."
As Mark looked up at Lincoln and the oxygen returned to his brain, he started to have doubts. He questioned the intentions of his boss, who he once thought to be an elderly, innocent man who was wronged by the world. Am I on the right side of this fight? He thought. If Lincoln's actually the bad guy, what do I do? I'll never be able to get away from him. Am I a dead man either way?