The Hidden Allies - Prologue

Prologue

Hey, why are we looking out of binoculars? Tabi asked, even though her sister couldn’t hear her. You don’t need them. We should be down there, getting a closer look. That man is some prime stock right there.
OI! Up your hearing! I want to know what he’s saying to that girl.
After a few seconds of mental poking and prodding, her sister finally adjusted her hearing range.
Good girl, Tabi praised.
“So,” the guy was saying. “What are you doing this evening?”
“Not much,” the girl answered, feigning indifference.
Ooh, she’s gooood, she totally wants him but she’s going to make him work for it.
“Fancy doing something with me?” he tried again.
“Depends,” she shrugged. “What do you wanna do?”
“We could catch a movie, maybe go to dinner?”
“What and where?”
“Anywhere you like, sweetheart,” he grinned.
Ooh! Ooh! Did you see that? He’s pulling out the big guns now. Speaking of which, have you seen those arms? That guy is ripped!
“Hmm, I don’t know,” the girl stalled, even though Tabi could hear that her heart rate had gone through the roof.
“You don’t want to go?” he asked, a note of something close to relief in his voice.
Relief? Tabi thought. Why would he be relieved when he asked her? Strange man.
“Now, I didn’t say that, but I was supposed to be having a girls night in with my friend.”
“I thought you said you weren’t doing much?
Good point buff boy, she’s playing you.
“Well, we don’t do much, just watch films and do facials and stuff. You know, girls stuff.”
“That’s cool, maybe some other time then,” he sighed, turning to leave.
“Wait!” the girl panicked, realising that she might have blown her chance at a date with one of the hottest guys she’d probably ever met.
“I, uh, maybe we could do a double date thing?”
“Uh, sure,” came the disappointed reply, but the girl didn’t seem to notice his tone. “I’ll bring my brother along too.”
“Is he as hot as you?” she asked, giving him a saucy smile.
“We’re twins,” he answered, turning away again.
The girl’s eyebrows rose.
“Identical twins,” he shot over his shoulder.
The poor girl nearly passed out, right there on the pavement.
FOLLOW HIM! Tabi demanded.
As her sister moved, leaves obscured her vision before presenting her with a scene that would have given the girl a heart attack. There was buff boy’s brother, and he wasn’t kidding when he said identical.
“So,” his brother greeted him.
“She said yes,” he answered, shoulders slumping.
“Ah, ha ha,” his brother teased. “Sucker! I told you.”
“Yeah, yeah, thanks for putting me on a date that I don’t want to go on.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Bright side is though,” buff boy grinned, clapping his brother on the shoulder, “you’re coming too.”
“What?” his brother’s face dropped.
“Double date, ha!”
“What? No!” he protested. “Nick! Wait, why?” he demanded as Nick walked off.
“Nick!”
Nick? Tabi thought.Why does that ring a bell? I should know a Nick with a twin. Nick, twins, Nick. Hmm. Oh! It’s you! Don’t let them out of your sight! she ordered her sister, needing to hear the other twins name.
“Because I said so, Caleb,” Nick called back.