Tomorrow Always Lies: The Gems Young Adult Spy Thriller Series, #2

Chapter 1

Across the frozen lake, an eight-dog sled team pushed ahead at a relentless pace, their soft fur wet from the blowing snow, which pricked Nadia’s exposed skin and blinded her view ahead. Her hands tightened on the reins. The arm clinging around her torso also tightened, a reminder that she wasn’t alone. Emma clung to her because it was ten degrees below zero and because her friend was scared, just like she was.

Nadia glanced over her shoulder. The icy wind had freed Emma’s long hair from under the hood of her parka. It flew around like a giant blond flag.

Nadia craned her neck. The snowmobile was still chasing them. The driver revved his engine, desperate to overtake the sled. The second man behind the driver held something in his left hand. As he aimed it, the pistol gleamed in the Alaskan sunlight.

Nadia and Emma ducked as a bullet pinged against the side of the sled. She pulled the reins and made the dogs veer to the right. That way the left-handed shooter would have a more difficult time trying to aim while still behind his friend.

How far out is Olivia? Nadia asked.

Emma squeezed closer while taking a deep breath to calm herself. She took out the portable radio and squeezed the button.

Hello? Olivia? This is Emma. Where are you? We need—

Another gunshot bounced off the sled, causing both girls to jump.

We need help! How far out are you? Emma asked.

The radio crackled to life. During a mission, we use our code names, you twit! the girl’s voice said in a sharp British accent. Emerald is ten minutes inbound. What’s your situation, Black Opal?

Our situation? Um—not good. Super-stressed right now. Being chased and shot at. Emma peeked over Nadia’s shoulder. And our poor dogs are getting tired.

Roger. Any contact with Ruby? Over. Olivia asked.

Nope. We haven’t seen her for, like, an hour. I hope she’s okay.

Roger. Keep your heads down. I’m coming as soon as I can. Emerald out.

Emma touched Nadia’s shoulder. What do you think?

We can’t keep up this pace for ten minutes, Nadia said.

Emma pointed at the dogs. They look so tired. I wish we could stop and let them rest.

I know. But if we stop, I’m afraid we’ll die.

Please don’t say die.

Do you have any cosmetics left? Nadia had left her purse behind.

Why, do you need some lip balm? My lips are cracking too.

Nadia forgot that Emma was still new to this. She waited for her friend to catch up.

"Oh. You mean those cosmetics. Yes, I have some Red-hot lipstick. Raise the Roof rouge. Forest Fire mascara."

That’s good. If they catch up, we might have to use them.

What’s that over there? Emma pointed to where the frozen lake met the shore. Two big snow tractors plowed through the snow at full speed. Each tractor was filled with more men, who didn’t look too friendly. The tractors drove onto the ice.

Those snowmobile goons have friends, Emma said.

Nadia pulled at the reins and guided the tired dogs away from the tractors.

Now the snowmobile and the tractors were closing in.

Nadia whistled and snapped the reins to encourage the dogs to go faster.

Don’t push them so hard, Emma said.

I’m sorry, but do we have a choice?

The dogs ran hard, their tongues hanging out as they huffed and puffed. There wasn’t much more they could do.

Until they came across a giant hole in the ice.

Nadia pulled back on the reins. Whoa! Whoa!

Luckily for Nadia, the dogs saw it first, kicking their legs as they tried to stop themselves on the ice. But the sled’s momentum still pushed them all forward towards the giant hole.

Nadia grabbed the handle and pulled the sled’s brakes, which dug into the ice. Metal scraped against ice, creating a spine-tingling squeal before the sled came to a stop.

Great. What do we do now? Emma asked.

The opening was at least one hundred meters across. Nadia reasoned that running around the edge of the hole would give the tractors enough time to catch them.

Should we try to swim across? Nadia asked.

No way. We’d freeze to death.

Emma was right. There was no choice.

Do we surrender? Nadia asked.

Judging by her face, Emma didn’t like that idea either.

The girls turned to watch the two tractors closing in on them. When they reached within forty meters of the girls, the tractors stopped, allowing four goons from each tractor to climb out. The hard-looking men smiled at each other with a strange, wicked glee. They knew they had these girls trapped. The two on the snowmobile also arrived on the scene.

All ten men closed on the two girls.

I don’t like this at all, Emma said. Will they let us surrender?

Maybe we should hope they kill us, Nadia said.

Emma gave Nadia a haunted look, realizing her point. Ten grown men. Two young girls. A remote part of Alaska.

No one would hear them scream.

Nadia’s thoughts were interrupted by a snowmobile revving its engine as it burst from the trees at full speed. A girl with long black hair was at the controls. She streaked across the ice and cut in front of the men. The girl dropped a small object on the ground.

As the snowmobile cleared the men, the object flashed and went off with a loud bang. The sound punched the ice, causing it to shatter under the men’s feet, dropping them all into the icy water.

The snowmobile headed for the dogsled and slid to a stop.

Who wants a ride? the girl with long black hair asked. Her light skin with cool pink undertones appeared much paler thanks to the weather. But Miyuki’s shiny personality still shone through.

So happy to see you. Nadia hopped out of the sled and climbed on the back of the snowmobile.

But Emma didn’t move. We can’t leave these dogs behind.

The tired animals waited for the girls to tell them what to do next.

There’s no room, Nadia said.

We admire your compassion, Miyuki added. But that may be difficult.

The men were dragging themselves out of the water. The shock of the cold still made their bodies sluggish. But they were recovering.

Emma didn’t move.

The dogs should be fine, Nadia said. They’re used to this type of weather.

Time is short, Miyuki said. We should get the hell out of Dodge City before those bad hombres come back.

Emma glanced at the men as they shook off the chill and attempted to stand back up. Then she looked at the dogs, who waited obediently for the girls. Eight clouds of breath coming from eight snouts. Emma lowered her head and pushed herself to the snowmobile. She sat behind Nadia and Miyuki.

The men were picking up their guns. Would they work after being underwater?

Miyuki didn’t wait to find out. She pulled out another piece of special cosmetics, popped the bottle top, and tossed it to the side. The bottle hissed as thick smoke poured out. The wind carried the smoke across the frozen lake, obscuring the men’s vision. Miyuki gunned the engine and raced the snowmobile around the edge of the one-hundred-meter hole.

Nadia looked over her shoulder as the smoke now surrounded the men, causing confusion as to where they could safely go without falling back into the lake. Miyuki kept the snowmobile at full throttle, allowing the three girls to leave the men far behind.

Soon a helicopter appeared overhead. Emma’s radio came to life.

Black Opal, this is Emerald. Is that Ruby driving the snowmobile? Over. the girl with the British accent asked.

Yes, Emma replied. She saved our bacon back there.

Roger. Stand by. I’m coming into land.

The helicopter found a nice patch of flat snow and settled down. The girl at the controls had curly ribbons of golden-brown hair squashed by a radio headset. Her brown face was accented with bronze undertones.

The three girls abandoned their snowmobile and climbed aboard the aircraft. When everyone was safely inside, the girl pilot, Olivia, pushed the throttle up, and the helicopter rose from the ground as it once again became airborne.

Emma tried to say something, but the girls couldn’t hear over the helicopter’s engine noise. Olivia pointed at the headphones hanging near her seat. All three girls put on a pair.

I’m so glad I found you, Olivia said over the headset.

We’re glad both of you found us, Nadia added.

No problem. We buddies. Miyuki put her arms around Nadia and Emma.

But Emma didn’t look happy. We have to go back.

Go back? Why? Olivia asked.

Those dogs. We can’t leave them out there in the cold.

I told you. They’ll survive, Nadia said. Those dogs are bred for the cold. Most likely they’ll stick together and hunt to survive.

They have a sled chained to them, remember? They’ll die out there, Emma said. We have an obligation to save them.

Nadia had forgotten about that. The dogs couldn’t go anywhere. They were stuck. Perhaps those men who chased them would do the humane thing and shoot the poor animals rather than leave them out in the cold to die. Or maybe they would take the dogs with them. But those were evil men. Men who would leave poor animals outside to freeze to death.

You two almost got shot back there, Olivia said as she pulled back on her stick, commanding the helicopter to clear the top of a ridge. I’m not going back there to give those blokes another chance for target practice.

Emma was right and Nadia knew it. They were acting selfish.

Miyuki read the faces of her friends. She nodded. Emma’s right, we should go back.

Those dogs did save our lives, Nadia added.

You never leave a furry comrade behind, Emma said proudly.

Olivia peeked over her shoulder. All three girls now smiled at her. Olivia pressed her foot on the left rudder and brought the helicopter around to a new course. Stupid flipping dogs.

It took the helicopter ten minutes to reach the frozen lake. As Olivia circled, Nadia could see the two big snow tractors still parked, and black trails of smoke escaped their exhausts. But she couldn’t see any of the men.

Where is everyone? Miyuki asked.

I think they’re warming up inside the tractors, Nadia said.

Not all of them, Olivia said. Look, near the dogsled.

She was right. The two men from the snowmobile were looking through their stuff, hoping to find that missing thumb drive, the one now safely tucked away in Nadia’s inside pocket.

I’m calling this off, Olivia said. It’s too dangerous.

It’s three against two, Miyuki said. We can take them down quick if we jump.

Jump? Emma asked. From the helicopter?

Nadia’s stomach tightened. Like most of Miyuki’s ideas, this was extremely reckless, but then Nadia thought of the dogs and how they could have been wounded or killed during their sled chase. They should at least try to save them.

I’ll go with you, Nadia said.

How about you, Emma? Miyuki asked.

I can’t…I just can’t, Emma said.

Nadia couldn’t blame her.

But once we land, I’ll grab the dogs and back you up if you need me, she said.

The goons are exiting their tractors. We do it now or never. Olivia watched for a response.

Miyuki nodded to Nadia. She was ready.

Hold on to your tights. Olivia dived the helicopter towards the ground.

The two men near the sled looked up in astonishment as Olivia brought the helicopter within meters of the ground before flaring the aircraft. The rotor blades created a blast of cold wind that made both men cover their faces and hold on to the sled for dear life. The poor dogs were getting a blast too.

Nadia swallowed as she popped open her door and leaped from the helicopter. Her boots slid on the ice, but she recovered enough to use her forward momentum to close in on the sled. Miyuki stormed in from the other side, attacking the smaller of the two goons with a kick to his stomach.

The larger goon saw Nadia coming. He blocked her kick and palm strike. The goon tried to punch her, but Nadia avoided it.

She tried another kick, but the man shifted and followed up with a punch that landed on Nadia’s shoulder blade. The sharp pain made her yelp. Nadia doubted she could take this guy alone.

A boot hit the goon’s cheek, throwing him off balance as he stumbled back. The boot belonged to Emma. She had skipped the dogs and came to back Nadia up. Emma got off another kick into the goon’s midsection, causing him to collapse to his knees while holding his stomach. Nadia rushed up beside Emma and launched another kick to the man’s face. This knocked him out cold, and he dropped a pistol, which skidded across the ice. Thank goodness they hadn’t given him a chance to use it.

Good job! Miyuki yelled as she began to untie the dogs from her side of the sled.

Nadia and Emma did the same on their side. The dogs jumped and yelped with excitement.

A light flashed across the girls’ faces. It was a spotlight from the waiting helicopter. Nadia wondered what Olivia was doing. She then understood when she saw one of the big tractors closing in on their position. The other tractor was still parked, but the men outside it were holding…

A bullet whistled past Nadia’s ear.

Miyuki led her four dogs toward the helicopter and jumped up inside. The animals hesitated, but Miyuki’s excessive encouragement persuaded them to jump up anyway as she stuffed them in the back.

Another bullet ricocheted off the ice.

Nadia pulled two dogs by their collars as Miyuki encouraged them to jump. The dogs already inside barked, almost as if telling their friends it was okay. Nadia’s two dogs jumped and squeezed inside the helicopter. Miyuki shifted the dogs around to make as much room as possible.

Nadia lifted dog number seven up into the helicopter.

Hurry up! Olivia yelled from the pilot seat.

The moving tractor now slid to a stop, and four goons were jumping out.

Nadia searched for Emma and found her near the sled with the last dog. She ran over to them.

We have to go.

This one isn’t too happy. Emma moved towards the husky and it growled.

Then we must leave him.

Do you have any dog treats?

Dog treats? We must go now, Emma.

Stand in front of him.

Emma, we don’t have—

Do it.

Nadia didn’t care for her tone, but she stood in front of the dog, which growled again.

As the dog focused on Nadia, Emma came around from behind and grabbed his collar. The dog shook and barked. He must have been scared to death, but Emma kept her cool as she hugged the dog and whispered in his ear. The dog sat down and relaxed. Emma kissed the dog’s forehead and its tail wagged. Emma then jumped up. C’mon, boy! Let’s go!

To Nadia’s amazement, the mean dog was gone and replaced by a happy dog, which ran to the helicopter with Emma. Nadia chased after them and helped lift the last dog into the helicopter. Miyuki then helped both girls cram into the cabin as she slid the door closed. The helicopter was packed.

As Olivia lifted off, Nadia could hear her cursing. The helicopter was wobbling as Olivia fought with the controls.

Nadia closed her eyes and said a small prayer in Arabic.

The helicopter moved forward, hugging the ground as it went faster and faster.

Nadia put on one of the cabin headsets. Is everything alright?

Olivia’s agitated voice came on. We’re overloaded. I can barely keep her in the air.

Do we need to land?

She’s heavy, but we’ll make it, I think.

Nadia observed the cabin. Three girls and seven full-grown Siberian huskies made it a tight fit. The dogs didn’t complain as they lay on top of each other and enjoyed the warm cabin. Dog number eight, the one Emma had helped, sat in the copilot seat next to Olivia. He sniffed at Olivia’s curly golden-brown hair.

Are these dogs vicious? Olivia asked over the radio.

That one’s a sweetheart. Just rub under his mouth, Emma said over the headset.

Olivia hesitated, but she stroked under the dog’s mouth. The Huskie showed its gratitude by licking Olivia’s face all the way back to Fairbanks.

Chapter 2

Emma yawned as their crowded passenger jet taxied into the gate at San Francisco International. Since the Gems had flown coach this time, they had to wait for the passengers ahead of them to exit the plane before it was their turn to take out their carry-on luggage from the overhead bins. But soon they rolled their luggage down the air bridge and into the main terminal.

The new smells and sounds of the terminal were just enough to keep Emma awake. Once her head touched any soft pillow, that would be it. Emma would sleep for a few weeks at least. The other girls felt about the same. Even Miyuki, who always had the energy of a power station, didn’t bother to hold her head up, causing her long black hair to droop towards the floor.

A bald man with a chest the size of a refrigerator greeted the girls with a warm and friendly smile in the arrivals area. His codename was Aardvark, and Emma was glad to see him.

Aardvark scooped up all four pieces of luggage and hauled them outside the terminal, where the morning sun brushed the clouds orange. The birds chirped as they jumped back and forth across the curved metal light posts in the parking lot. Aardvark opened the doors of a waiting black SUV. The girls climbed inside while the man loaded the luggage in back, then climbed behind the wheel.

As the man drove away from the terminal, Emma could already feel herself sinking into the soft leather seat of the SUV as sleep seduced her like a piece of rich chocolate cake. Emma turned on her side and allowed the comfy seat to hold her like a baby. Soon Emma drifted off to sleep as her mind dreamed of better times…

Like her dad laughing at something Emma had said.

Like the pride her dad showed when Emma was all dressed up for the mayor’s ball.

He felt so close now. So real.

Emma reached out to touch him. But her father only faded away like a figure of smoke.

Why are we at school? Miyuki asked.

The girl’s voice pierced her dream and caused Emma to open her sleepy eyes.

What’s going on? Emma looked out her window. Their high school’s familiar chalky white building sat there like a concrete monument to monotony. Aardvark parked the SUV near the drop-off area and left the driver’s seat. The man popped open the hatch of the vehicle and took out their school backpacks. This caused other students of West Berkeley High to stare and point at the large man that didn’t belong on campus.

Aardvark held their four backpacks and waited with a polite smile.

Looks like we’re going to school, Miyuki said with sadness.

We just finished a weekend mission, Emma said. We get to call in sick on Monday.

We didn’t have any chance to sleep on the plane, love, Olivia said. Not with that baby crying the entire flight.

No chance at all, Miyuki added.

Surely we’re not well enough to attend school, Nadia said.

Aardvark frowned, his sympathetic eyes softened to their plight. But he shrugged and waited for them. These were the moments when Emma wished Aardvark could talk. But that deep scar running vertically down his throat was a dark reminder why the poor man couldn’t. Besides, Aardvark would only tell them he was under orders.

Emma was going to fight this. I’m calling my grandmother. This is stupid.

Olivia and Nadia glanced at each other. They got out of the car and surrendered by taking their backpacks from Aardvark.

C’mon, girls. Let’s get this day over with, Olivia said.

Miyuki frowned and checked with Aardvark one more time.

The large man shrugged again.

Miyuki took her backpack. Emma?

Emma slipped out of the car with her phone glued to her ear. Grandma’s phone was ringing.

She answered.

Hey, Grandma Laura is making us go to school this morning, can you believe that? Seriously, we just got off the plane. I mean, we haven’t had any sleep. Can we call in sick today? I mean, sleep deprivation is a legitimate reason to be sick. So can you come pick us up?

You can’t skip school, young one, Grandma said on the phone. You’ll have to tough it out.

But, Grandma—

You’re the one who wanted to be like your mom.

I know I did, but just this once—

"You must face the consequences of your decision. Good