Behind the Mask Page 9

  “Not at all. Thank you for inviting me. Do you think it would be okay if I attend the next meeting with you?”

  “Sure,” Savannah said. “That would be great.”

  Lexie arrived home and immediately found a yellow legal pad. She furiously scribbled notes from the events of the evening. She wrote so fast her handwriting was barely legible. She wanted to get as many details down on paper as quickly as possible. Names, faces, topics discussed, and the Badger/Nick relationship were just a few of the notes scratched out on the legal pad. When she was satisfied with her notes, she called Kate.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Savannah

  Three weeks had passed since Nick allowed Savannah to invite Lexie to the NWM meeting. One afternoon, Savannah and Lexie were recruited by Haley to help make signs for an upcoming demonstration. The three were in the campus courtyard painting the signs when a stylishly dressed group of sorority girls cheerfully strolled by. One of the sorority girls noticed Savannah and whispered something to the other girls, who looked at Savannah and laughed. Savannah’s heart sank when she realized who the girls were: her former friends Cindy, Beth, and Julie.

  “Go to hell, bitches,” Haley yelled.

  The sorority girls laughed and marched away.

  “I hate those sorority bitches,” Haley said.

  “Me too,” Lexie added.

  Savannah stared at the ground.

  “What’s the matter, Savannah?” Lexie asked.

  “Those girls . . . those girls used to be my friends. I was with them at the frat party when I first saw Nick. They were in my English class last semester.”

  “They were bitches then, and they’re bitches now,” Haley said. “Those sorority types are all the same. Just looking for a doctor husband so they can pop out a bunch of bratty kids who look and act like them.”

  “Tell us how you really feel,” Lexie joked.

  Haley laughed.

  “I gave serious thought to rushing a sorority,” Savannah said.

  “You’re not like them, Savannah,” Lexie said. “You’re an individualist.”

  “You don’t have to always be friends with people who look like you,” Haley said. “Take our friendship for example. You never would have been friends with me in high school because I look different.”

  Savannah looked at her paint covered hands. “You’re right. I wouldn’t have given you the time of day in high school. And that would’ve been wrong.”

  “Goes to show you that not everything is as it appears,” Haley said.

  “That’s deep,” Lexie said, chuckling.

  “Shut up, smartass,” Haley said. “If it weren’t for me, Savannah, you might have ended up like one of those brainless sorority tramps. I saved you from that awful fate.”

  “You certainly did,” Savannah acknowledged.

  The three women laughed.

  Savannah watched a group of yuppie students, all wearing Greek symbols, congregate across the courtyard. “In all seriousness, Haley, you did save me from that fate,” Savannah said, pointing at the group. “My mom was a Tri Delta, so she wanted me to rush. I thought that college life was all parties and sorority functions, but then I met you. I realize now that there are bigger issues in the world besides what sorority to rush or which fraternity party to attend. I’ve changed for the better since being in college.”

  Haley put down her paintbrush and hugged Savannah.

  Lexie cleared her throat and said, “You two want to be alone?”

  “Are you jealous?” Savannah joked.

  The three women went back to painting their demonstration signs.

  “How come you didn’t recruit Nick to help with the signs?” Lexie asked.

  Savannah answered, “I haven’t seen much of Nick since the last NWM meeting. He and Badger have been busy.”

  Savannah knew that Nick had been spending time with Badger. She figured that the two of them were planning something and wondered if they were going to involve her eventually. Savannah wasn’t sure if she really wanted to be included, but she knew she would never refuse Nick if he asked for her help. Nick would involve her if and when he needed her. It was one of those need-to-know situations, and she would just have to be patient.

  “What’s Badger’s story?” Lexie asked. “Does he have a girlfriend?”

  Lexie knew that she had to make her questions not sound like an interrogation.

  “Are you crushing on Badger?” Haley asked.

  Lexie blushed.

  “You are! You want Badger,” Haley said.

  “He’s kind of cute in a scruffy way,” Lexie said. “I’m not crushing on him. I was just wondering if he had a girlfriend.”

  “Badger is an interesting dude,” Haley said. “You might not be able to tell from his appearance, but he’s brilliant. He graduated from Stanford on a full-ride.”

  “Wow, that’s impressive,” Lexie said.

  “He’s some kind of computer genius,” Haley continued.

  “I’d like the chance to get to know him,” Savannah said. “I hope Nick brings him around more.”

  “He’s shy, but maybe we can hook him up with Lexie,” Haley said, throwing her arms around Lexie. “You two would make a cute couple.”

  “I didn’t say I wanted to go out with Badger. I just asked if he had a girlfriend.”

  “Same thing,” Savannah said.

  “You two are killing me,” Lexie said, faking exasperation.

  The three finished making their signs, and Lexie returned home.

  The next morning, Nick was waiting outside of Savannah’s classroom after her last class of the day. She burst into smiles when she spotted his ratty Honda parked out front. Nick folded Savannah in his arms and squeezed.

  “Hi ya, gorgeous,” he whispered in her ear.

  “It’s good to see you. I’ve missed you so much.”

  “Wanna go for a ride?” Nick asked.

  “Sure!”

  They drove to the coast and took a walk along a stretch of deserted beach. The powdery sand stretched as far as Savannah could see.

  Nick turned to Savannah, his expression more dark and serious than usual. “Savannah, are you ready to take the next step with your activism?” he asked. “Before you answer, think about it carefully. Make sure you’re truly ready before we have this next discussion. It’s okay if you’re not ready, but I need to know before I involve you any further.”

  Savannah felt a knot form in her stomach. Was she ready? She didn’t want Nick to see how utterly terrified she felt. As if she had no control, she felt her head bobbing up and down in the affirmative. Her heart was answering for her without getting permission from her head.

  “I need to hear you say it,” Nick told her.

  Her voice croaked a little as if she hadn’t used it in a while. “Yes, Nick I’m ready. I’m more than ready.”

  “Okay,” Nick continued. “What I’m about to tell you has to stay between you and me. You can’t discuss it with anyone.”

  “I understand,” Savannah agreed.

  Nick nervously ran his hands through his hair. “Tomorrow night we’re going to make those fuckers at UCLA pay for what they’ve done to those innocent animals in the lab. This is what I need you to do. I’ll pick you up tomorrow night about ten. Pack a small backpack with plain black clothing. If you don’t have a plain black shirt, take one of your black T-shirts and turn it inside out. Don’t bring anything with your identity on it. Badger and I will provide everything else you’ll need. Dress normally when you leave your dorm room and bring the backpack with you. Haley will be involved as well, but do not discuss anything with her. Someone may overhear your conversation, so avoid the urge to talk about it. Under no circumstances should you or Haley bring a cell phone; the feds can track those. Leave it turned on and in your dorm room.”

&
nbsp; “What about my driver’s license or my student ID?” Savannah asked.

  “You won’t need them. Just stick about twenty dollars in your pocket and nothing else. Badger and I will go through everything with you tomorrow night. You still want to do this?”

  “Yes. Absolutely. I won’t let you down.”

  Nick smiled and threw his arm around Savannah’s shoulders. They strolled along the beach, watching the sun fall from the sky. As the sun set and the sky turned the color of pink cotton candy, Savannah knew she would never love anyone as much as she loved Nick Harris.

  Nick dropped Savannah off at her dorm. Haley was in their room stretched out on her bed with a bowl of popcorn and her history book.

  “Hey, girl,” Haley said as Savannah entered the room.

  “Hi, Haley.”

  “Been with Nick?” Haley asked.

  “Yep, we went for a walk on the beach.”

  Haley looked up from her book and made eye contact with Savannah, and they shared their secret with merely a stare. An entire unspoken conversation took place between them. Savannah always wanted a sister, and now she had one.

  * * * * *

  The next evening, Savannah and Haley, dressed in dark jeans, left their dorm room and were picked up down the street by Nick. They had their black, long-sleeved shirts in Haley’s small backpack.

  “You ladies look like you’re ready to fuck somebody up,” Nick commented as they crawled into his Honda.

  “You’d better believe it, Nicholas darling,” Haley commented.

  Nick leaned over and gave Savannah a quick peck on the lips. “Hi, babe,” he said as he gave her his “I want to fuck you now” expression.

  “Hey, handsome,” she responded.

  “Is everybody clean?” he asked.

  “Yep,” Savannah responded. “No cell phones or IDs. Only a twenty-dollar bill in my pocket and the key to our dorm room.”

  “Good girl.”

  Nick drove to Phillip and Jeannette’s house. “This is our alibi, girls. We were here playing Sequence and watching movies with Jeannette. Have you both seen Men in Black?”

  “I have,” Savannah stated.

  “Me too,” Haley added.

  “Okay, then we watched Men in Black. I rented it earlier from Redbox, just in case anyone actually checks.”

  “Good thinking,” Haley commented.

  “When we get to the house, I’ll go over the game plan. Badger will pick us up out back at exactly one o’clock. We have to be ready to roll out as he pulls up.”

  Nick parked his car in front of the house and had the movie in his hand as they went in the front door.

  Jeannette greeted them with hugs and kisses. She had a platter of sandwiches, fruit, and veggies waiting for them on the counter. “Help yourselves to some food, troops.”

  “Thanks, Jeannette,” Nick replied. “You’re the best.”

  “What movie are we watching tonight?” she asked.

  “Men in Black,” Nick responded.

  “Sounds good. I wouldn’t mind watching it again,” Jeannette stated. She took the movie from Nick.

  “Where’s Phillip?” Nick asked.

  “He’s at the store picking up some chips and beer.”

  “This is the story, ladies. We arrived, had some food, played Sequence, watched a movie, and had a little too much to drink, so we stayed a few extra hours to sober up before driving back to campus. That should buy us six or seven hours. Everyone got it?”

  Savannah, Haley, and Jeannette all nodded in unison.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Savannah

  Savannah, Haley, and Nick went to the back bedroom to prepare for the operation. Phillip returned home with chips and beer. He and Jeannette settled in the living room and watched the movie. They were careful not to disturb the mission preparation.

  Nick unpacked a black bag that had been hidden under the bed. Inside were his black clothing, black ski masks, a pair of night vision binoculars, bolt cutters, three large hammers, four cans of red spray paint, and six handheld walkie-talkies. “Badger will have the rest of the supplies we need for tonight in the car,” he told them.

  Savannah and Haley changed into their solid black shirts. Savannah turned her long-sleeved Kings of Leon shirt inside out so the emblem didn’t show. Nick pulled out a roll of duct tape. He taped up his boots and then taped both Savannah and Haley’s tennis shoes.

  “This is so we don’t have to throw our shoes away at the end of the night. We don’t want to leave shoe prints anywhere. Plus, the tape will hide the shoe insignias from any surveillance cameras.”

  Nick tossed each of them a pair of black gloves. “Try these on and see how they fit.”

  Savannah was impressed. Nick had thought of everything. He even managed to get her a small pair of gloves to fit her tiny hands. She wondered how many operations Nick had been part of. It gave her a sense of security to know Nick was so competent and organized.

  “Are you okay, Savannah?” Nick asked.

  Savannah tried to put on her most confident expression. “Sure, I’m fine. Just a little excited is all.”

  “Good.” Nick smiled. “You’ll be fine.”

  Nick spent the next hour giving Savannah a lesson on how to operate all the equipment. It was no surprise to Savannah that Haley already knew how to use everything.

  “Savannah, you’re the lookout. You’ll stay outside the lab and watch for campus security. This is your walkie-talkie, but you must maintain radio silence unless someone approaches the lab. Understand?”

  “Got it. Radio silence unless someone approaches the lab.”

  “Haley, you’re part of the destruction team with me and Badger. We will destroy as many computers and as much laboratory equipment as we can in the allotted time. Anything we see that looks expensive, we’ll destroy. The more money we cost these bastards, the more likely they are to shut down.”

  Haley nodded.

  “Badger has arranged for another group to join us. We’ll rally with them at the back of the lab and enter together. They’ll be responsible for liberating as many animals as possible. They’ll bring crates and other equipment to remove the animals and take responsibility for the rescued animals.”

  “What happens to the animals after they’re removed?” Savannah asked.

  “The underground teams who liberate animals have a whole network of people who assist them with the animals, including veterinarians, animal sanctuaries, and private citizens. They handle the liberated animals with great care, especially if there are primates involved. Primates require special attention. If you think it’s hard to find a home for a bunny, try finding a home for a chimpanzee.”

  “I guess I never gave a lot of thought about what happens to all the animals after they’re liberated,” Savannah said.

  “It’s not like we can take them home to our tiny dorm,” Haley joked.

  “The liberation group will arrive at the back of the lab simultaneously with us. They’ll be in a large panel van. If all goes well, a girl who works at the lab will be waiting to give us access to the premises. Her boyfriend is some kind of computer genius with a background in security systems. He’ll disable the security cameras at the back entrance where the vehicles will be parked. Everyone will be wearing ski masks and dark clothing, so we don’t really give two shits about the cameras inside the lab. In fact, we want those fucking puppy killers to witness the destruction of their precious equipment. Any questions so far?”

  Both Savannah and Haley shook their heads, so Nick continued with the plan. “Savannah, this is the important part. If the police show up, you warn us on the radio and then get the hell out of there. Take off on foot and don’t come near the vehicles. Run as fast as you can, and dispose of the walkie-talkie as soon as possible. Use the twenty dollars in your pocket to get home.”


  Nick wrote a telephone number on a piece of scratch paper. “This is the telephone number for Daniel Thornton. He’s a lawyer who handles cases for animal rights activists. Memorize the phone number or write it on your arm. If for any reason you get arrested, ask for your attorney and do not say anything to anybody. The police may even bring in the FBI, but don’t let that scare you. Just remain silent and speak to no one but the attorney.”

  Savannah picked up a permanent marker and wrote the telephone number on her forearm. After the ink dried, she pulled her sleeve down to cover it.

  Nick looked at the clock on the nightstand. It was nearly time to meet Badger. He had Savannah and Haley repeat their roles in the operation.

  “Everyone ready?” he asked.

  “Ready,” Savannah replied.

  “Let’s roll,” Haley added.

  The three nodded to Jeannette and Phillip as they headed to the back door.

  “Good luck, gang!” Jeannette hollered.

  “Thanks,” replied Nick. “See you soon.”

  Like clockwork, Badger rolled up in a nondescript car and picked the three up in the alley behind the house. Savannah and Haley hopped into the back seat while Nick jumped in the front passenger seat. The car reeked of gasoline.

  “Are we ready to burn this bitch to the ground?” Badger asked.

  Savannah’s heart skipped a beat. She wondered if he was serious. After all, she barely knew Badger.

  “Shut up, Badger,” Nick said.

  Badger seemed a little too comfortable driving over to UCLA. Using the rearview mirror, he smiled at Savannah. Two large black duffle bags sat in the back seat with Savannah and Haley. Savannah wanted to look in them but decided against it.

  Nick turned around so he could face Savannah and Haley. “Savannah, we’re going to drop you at your post first. There’s a dark corner across from the lab where you’ll be able to keep an eye out for security. Remember to maintain radio silence unless you need to warn us of an approaching threat. Both teams should be in and out of the lab in a little less than forty-five minutes. Don’t forget, if this goes south and the police end up here, you run like hell.”