The Mars Project by Julie Steimle (english readers TXT) đ
- Author: Julie Steimle
Book online «The Mars Project by Julie Steimle (english readers TXT) đ». Author Julie Steimle
And as the FBI listened, they hoped to learn something they could not get out from prior interrogationsâŠfor they had forcibly taken information from both Jeff and Zormna when they had no other recourse. So far, all they got today was that Jenniferâs father had refused to let Zormna into his tools so she could fix the car herself, which is why they had come to the auto shop on Peteâs Hill Drive. They could also tell that Jeff actually made Jennifer nervous. They just wished they knew why.
Jennifer hopped out from the car again, glancing once more to the road where the FBI had a good view of them all, trying to keep it casual. She didnât know how much of the details they knew about Zormna or Jeff. She only hoped they did not know that her parents also came from the same world. So far, there had been no indication that the FBI were aware.
Zormna had walked alongside the car, ignoring the FBI watching them. Being under constant surveillance was awful. But letting it get to her always made it worse. And though she pretended that she was used to it, Zormnaâs flesh crawled every time she saw them. Instead, she occupied her time by walking around the shop and poking at things. She had been in plenty of repair shops before, but this one was definitely a new experience. Especially since everyone tried to shoo her away from the machines, telling her she would get her nice clothes all greasy.
With a bored huff, sweeping back through the garage, Zormna popped alongside Jeff. She stuck her head under the Jeepâs hood next to his. âYou know, I can save you a lot of time if you just let me use the tools here to fix my own car.â
Jeff shot her look as he laughed. âNo. This is a work place. Not a play area.â
âFunny.â She delivered the dirtiest look. But on her face it only made heads turn. After all, Zormna was shockingly beautiful. âIâll have you know that I amââ
ââŠnot Home,â Jeff interrupted her, affixing a part so that would not move anymore.
Sulking, Zormna huffed. âYou men get all sexist when you come here. I know more about machines thanââ
âI worked at a repair shop with my dad for years,â Jeff hissed in an extremely low voice, hardly above a whisper. âDonât you start comparing me to you. Iâve dealt with junk and made them good. Youâve had top of the line partsââ
âWhich I have improved beyond their original engineering capabilities,â she snapped back. Then she shook her head. âI will allow that you are good at what you do. But donât you dare say what I do is play. And I donât want to sit back and watchââ
âWell youâre gonna have to, because this is an auto shop. And you are not an employee,â he said.
Zormna jerked back.
Irritated, Jeff replied under his arm, âGo sit somewhere. Youâre crowding me.â
âFine.â She whipped around, stomping over to the bench.
When she was gone, one of Jeffâs co-workers snickered as he said, âWhat a prima donna. Does she actually think she knows more than the mechanic?â
Jeff laughed, rubbing his foreheadâbecause he knew she believed that she knew more than the mechanic. And though he had never had a chance to see if that was true, he did occasionally wonder if she was right. As he had said, she had grown up with the top of the line new machinery, while he had been working with junk. Truth was, they were a lot alike, even for fellow countrymen. Of course she craved to be useful again. She craved to dig her hands into machinery like she used to. But, no. She had to play the part of the innocent high-schooler. And innocent high-schoolers, especially blonde fourteen-year-old cheerleadersâher newfound roleânever, never knew anything about complex machinery. She would have to sit and watch.
But it was nearly fifteen minutes before Jeff could even touch the old convertible. And by then Zormna had walked out of the garage and onto the street, leaving him alone with the car.
Seeing Zormna go, Jennifer hopped up from her seat and meandered over to where Jeff was finally opening the hood to inspect her vehicle. âSo⊠Howâs it going with, uh, that protection thing?â
Jeff peeked once at the FBI car, knowing they were trying to get his verbal exchanges as much as Zormnaâs. He hardly moved his head when he replied, âNot the time for that conversation.â
He kept working.
Leaning a little closer, Jennifer whispered, âYou think they have listening devices in that car?â
Glancing at her wide-eyed naĂŻvetĂ©, he smirked. âI said, not the time. Talk about something else if you have to talk to me at all.â
Jennifer leaned back from him, a little put out. Though she shrugged and said, âOk. I was thinking you could help us redo the paint job.â
He lifted his head in a blink at her then glanced to where Zormna stood near the road. âWhat do you want? Racing stripes?â
Jennifer rolled her eyes, knowing he was only joking.
Yet as he watched her, Jeff rose to his full six feet to look at Jennifer more squarely. He knew from her older brother Todd that Jennifer was the family conniver.
âFine, but it will cost you.â
He had expected Jennifer to groan, but she merely grinned wider with a glance at where Zormna was standing inside the garage doors. âIâm sure sheâll pay for it, since it is her car.â
It was impossible not to laugh. Jeff kept shaking his head as he said, âJennifer, Zormna isnât going to fork over money for every scheme you have.â
âScheme?â Jennifer backed off innocently. âMe?â
Jeff laughed again, knowing Jennifer had been using Zormna for a great many conveniences that summer, from trips to the theater to buying ice cream at the mall and going paint-balling with a group of friends from her flag team.
âI know you want this car more than she does,â he said, delivering a chiding look. âHow is she paying for it anyway?â
Jennifer stared up at the ceiling while trying to avoid his gaze, but it didnât work. âOk⊠So I want the car. Mom and Dad wonât buy me one, and Zormna is a sucker for a good ideaâanything that will give her more freedom.â
He chuckled, shaking his head.
âI think sheâs just sulking because they refuse to let her completely own it. It has to be in my name too,â Jennifer said. âOr we canât keep it.â
âYeah,â Jeff laughed with some pain, asking, âBut what about the money?â
âOh, that.â Jennifer looked skyward again, blushing. âHer great aunt left her a bundleâŠ.â
âYeah, but that will run out,â he said. âDoesnât Zormna know that?â
âSure I know that.â Zormna walked into the garage up to the pair of them. âI got myself a job, and Jennifer is paying me back in gas money.â
Jennifer flinched, remembering the promise she had made the night before. She had hoped Zormna had forgotten about it. But Jeff, knowing better, peeked at Jennifer crookedly while hardly hiding his âI-told-you-soâ smile.
Despite that, as he stood up from the guts of the engine with a cockeyed glance at Zormna, he said, âYou got a job?â
Zormna nodded once. âYesterday. Which is why I have to go now.â Turning to Jennifer, she said, âYou have the keys. I want them back when you are done here.â
But Jeff cringed as if she had given him a headache. As she walked out the garage back to the street, he followed her.
âWhat do you mean you got a job? Where? We didnât discuss this!â
Zormna turned back around, squinting through the afternoon sun to the darkened garage, looking a bit too much like visitor from that glowing orb. âI donât have to discuss it with you. You have a job. I should have one too.â
âWhere, Zormna?â Jeff marched straight to her. He stood a foot taller than her, like a dark shadow of night resisting the day.
Going backward, she merely sighed, still heading to the curb. âRoller Burger on Davis Street, if you must know.â
Then she crossed the street, barely looking at the sparse traffic.
âZormna!â Jeff shouted after her, but unable to leave his workplace.
Zormna merely waved with a laugh. âSee you in school!â
And she turned away, quickly escaping into the side streets where he figured Zormna would ditch her FBI tail. He was glad she knew how to do it, but it made him uneasy to see her go without an escort, especially considering who she was.
His FBI car was still there.
Tromping back inside the shop, he growled to himself. âHow am I supposed to keep an eye on her if she goes on keeping secrets like that?â
Jennifer shrugged guiltily.
Delving back into the engine he had been working on, Jeff grumbled under his breath. He slipped once and dropped a wrench inside the machine.
âSkavee!â
He rarely cursed in his native tongueâso meticulous about keeping his secret. But Zormna often drove him to madness.
âWhat kind of person just does that?â he muttered.
Jennifer gritted her teeth, getting a little nervous listening to his peevish growling. Jeff was usually good-natured and easy-going, or had become such over the past year. But Zormna tended to bring back his old, edgy nature, sometimes bringing out the worst in him.
âThat littleâŠ.â He griped. Then looking up a Jenniferâs pained face, he asked, âHow am I supposed to protect her if she does this all the time? Jennifer, I know she doesnât tell you everything, but where does this wacko idea ofâŠâ He stared at her. A pained smirk and a clearer glare rested in his eyes as he fixed them on Jennifer. âIt was your idea, wasnât it?â
But instead of exploding at her, as he might have at Zormna, he just shook his head. He rubbed his oil and callous-covered hands.
Ducking with an apologetic smile, Jennifer said, âI didnât think it would hurt. It might help her ego or something. She thinks she is so perfect. And now that she knows sheâs a princess, I think it has gone to her head.â
Jeff rolled his eyes with exasperation, though he looked around to see if anyone heard their conversation.
âNo, Jennifer. Sheâs always been a bit of a prima donna. I guess she is just becoming more comfortable hereâenough to be herself.â In disgust, Jeff sat down with glare at the car. âThank you,â he peevishly added.
âSorry,â Jennifer whined. âI told you I didnât know it would cause you problems.â Then thinking a moment, she added, âDonât worry, when school starts sheâll be running from gymnastics to cheer practice to football games to work. She wonât have time to get into trouble. She said it herself: if she is at places where people expect her then it wonât be a problem to keep an eye on her.â
Jeff nodded. âOf course, the FBI will be thinking the same thing.â
âBut they canât pick her up either,â Jennifer said, earnestly. âNot like last time.â
He nodded resignedly. âTrue.â
âDonât worry, Jeff,â Jennifer said, stepping back so she could also leave. âWe have a whole new school year. Starting tomorrow, weâll be too busy to even care what the FBI is thinking.â
And she walked out into the warm afternoon summer sun feeling lighter in her heart than in a long while.
Jeff shook his head as she went off. âIâve never been that busy.â
He went quickly back to his work.
And though the FBI car remained to watch Jeff as he took apart and examined the pieces of the white mustang convertible, they would not get much. In fact, since the day at camp when they had discovered that he was most likely from the same place as Zormna Clendar, he had given no other proof that their assumption was true.
They had watched his house.
They had attempted to bug it, though without success as Jeff was just as adept at destroying electronic bugs as Zormna Clendar. That, and no one ever left that home
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