Prologue

Cammie's POV

Yes. There were some things in this world that he just couldn't fix for me. He tried, he sure did. Tried harder than anyone else I've ever known. He must have cared for me so much... He didn't know how hard it was for me to leave him.

Zach-

Please don't worry about me. I'll be fine.

I didn't have to put my name, he knew who I was. A letter couldn't possibly stop him from trying to find me, that I knew. There was really no point in leaving a letter... But it was one of those moments where leaving a letter seemed like the best thing you could do. I didn't leave him, I didn't leave any of them. I left for them. I didn't want them to get hurt, they weren't- no, they didn't have to be as big as a part of this as I was. If Catherine wanted me and left the people I loved the most alone... She would get me.

Cammie's POV

"So good to see you again, dear." I hated her sickly sweet, sarcastic voice so much. "Here I am, Catherine. You wanted me and here I am. Now get your goons off of them."

She smirked, and my head swirled thinking of Zach. "And why would I do that?" I squirmed in the chair. "YOU PROMISED," I yelled at her. "YOU PROMISED THAT ONCE YOU HAD ME YOU WOULD BE DONE WITH THEM-" Slap. "You should know better than to talk to me that way," she whispered, stepping closer to me. Leaning down, she whispered in my ear, "Wouldn't want Zach to get hurt now, would you?" My heart stopped. "You wouldn't dare hurt your own son." She smirked again. "He was never my son. My son wouldn't have turned against me. My son would not be in love with the one girl that was the daughter of the person that ruined my life."

She backed out of the cell, locking me in the cold and dark room, still strapped to the wooden chair. "Cammie, be prepared for torture... Put on a brave face for your video, won't you?"

That witch was going to make a torture tape out of me? I shook my head, but my thoughts were confirmed. Catherine Goode was going to torture me. Catherine Goode was going to video tape me. Catherine Goode was going to send the torture tape to Zach, to Bex, to Mom, to Abby. To Liz, to Macey, to Solomon, to Grant. To Jonas, to Townsend... I grimaced. She was going to make them crack.

Zach's POV

"Cammie's gone." Those words echoed in my head, repeating over and over again as I punched the dummies in the P&E shed. I fought with myself and couldn't bring myself to calm. Catherine probably took her. As I thought of that woman, I started to punch the dummy harder and harder until the seams ripped open and the dummy fell to the ground. Even though it was down, I continued to punch it until I fell on the ground in worry and sadness- I didn't let myself cry but I was shaking. Shaking hard.

I didn't know how long I was crouched there, but eventually I fell on my back and saw the sky... It reminded me of when Cammie had ran away before- she had come back and we were lying under the roof together.

"Zach?"

It was Liz.

"Hey..." I sat up and she walked closer until sitting down next to me. Her face was stark white, but blotched with dots of red here and there. She leaned against me, and I could feel her shivering. I wrapped an arm around her and she buried her face in my arms.

"Zach..." She was shaking has she spoke. "Will Cammie be alright?" I didn't answer. "Cammie... Cammie's not..." She broke down, crying, shaking, a mess. Neither of us wanted her to finish that sentence, and when she left, I sighed. Cammie can't be dead. Cammie's too strong to die, I told myself again and again.

I went back to my room, just lying on the bed. Hoping for some word... Something. When I woke up, I remembered something else Cammie wrote in her Cove-ops report. About sleeping... and not dreaming. And that was it. I slept... and didn't dream.

Still Zach's POV

"Zachary Goode to Headmistress Morgan," the intercom spoke. Mr. Smith nodded for me to leave COW, and I hustled to the Headmistress' office. I didn't bother to knock.

"It's Cammie," Ms. Morgan- er, no, Mrs. Solomon spoke. I stood there breathlessly; Bex, Macey, Liz, Townsend, Solomon, and Abby... They were all there.

"Zach... Catherine sent us a box." I had seen her do this before and I rushed out of the room. "ZACH!" Bex yelled, chasing me. I only ran harder, but Bex caught my arm and pulled me back towards Headmistress' office, pushing me in before her and locking the door behind us, standing in front of it to prevent me from running again.

"Zachary Goode you tell us what's in that box." Everyone was staring at me, inching closer.

"No."

"Zach you will tell us now or I swear I will-"

"I DON'T KNOW," I yelled. I didn't mean to... But I had to.

"You might not know what's in that box-" Macey started, "But you seem to have a pretty good idea of what might be."

I sighed. I knew I wasn't the only one with a hunch- Townsend was just better at hiding things than me. "Trust me, you don't want to know what's in it and you definitely don't want to open it."

"Too late." Abby had already grabbed a knife and was ripping the box apart. "Abby, stop." Townsend had his hands on her arms and started to pull her away from the box. She stared at him in disbelief. "So you know what's in there too?" He shook his head and stepped closer to me, almost as an act of taking my side. "No, I don't. But as Zach said, I have a pretty good hunch." He looked at me knowingly. "Rachel, if you do choose to open that box, I advise that you do not reveal the contents to anyone other than Joe, Abby, Zach, Grant, the Baxters, and myself." He paused. "And, if absolutely necessary, Professor Buckingham would not be too bad to show as well. Zach, if Jonas knows as well... If he knows as much as you do, then he also has a right to."

Bex looked like she was about to punch somebody. Macey too. And Liz, the peace keeper she is, turned to look at them. "Guys... It's for the best. What's in there could be really dangerous... And we might end up doing something stupid that would put not only us in danger, but Cammie too."

"Then why do Zach and Grant and Jonas get to see it?!" Bex complained rather loudly. Headmistress sighed. "Zach obviously knows what's in there- which means he's dealt with it before. Jonas may or may not know, but because of what Zach appears to know we think that he might. And Grant... I think it's time for you all to know that Grant is Cammie's step-brother."

"WHAT?! GRANT CAN'T BE HER BROTHER!" Bex yelled. Headmistress nodded. "But he is, Rebecca." Bex stopped and sat down on the couch in her office. It was just now where I realized everyone had been standing. "Rebecca, Macey, Liz... I'd like you to please leave now. We'll call you back in later, okay?" They slowly left, and Solomon escorted them to their rooms. "Zach," he started when he came back, "Do you know the whereabouts of Jonas and Grant?" He tossed me a phone and I dialed their numbers.

Grant Zach

Hello?

Grant, it's Zach.

Dude, seriously? Haven't heard from you in what... Weeks? Months?

Yeah, nice to hear from you too. Does Jonas happen to be with you?

Yeah, we're actually out on a mission in London... He's here with me now. You need anything?

You both need to come to Gallagher ASAP. I'll have Headmistress Morgan phone CIA HQ... You need a ride?

No, man, we're cool. Or, actually... Could you have Macey send over a jet?

Done. Meet me in Headmistress' office.

Would you mind telling us what you need us for?

Uhh... It's more of something you need to see. And Headmistress needs to tell you something else, too.

Oh, sure. Be there in... Do you know any shortcuts to Virginia from London?

Macey's jet pilot can get you here in 30 minutes max, 15 minutes minimum.

Awesome. See you soon.

I had hung up just as Headmistress had, alerting the CIA director of the current situation. I bit my lip, impatient for Grant and Jonas' arrival.

Time skip 25 minutes

Again, still Zach's POV

The door flew open and I stood up. Grant and Jonas were there, breathless and looking just a little bit disheveled. "So, Zachy, you going to tell me what's up or what?" His grin faded when he started to notice the grim aura surrounding the room. "What is it?" He asked again, this time slightly quieter. Headmistress stood up and guided Grant to her desk. "Grant... You're Cammie's step-brother." He choked and stumbled, hitting the desk. He propped himself up against the desk and turned to look at her. "So... Where's Cam?" Solomon stepped forward. "That's the thing boys... It appears Agent Morgan's location is somewhat... Compromised. But we believe Catherine has her. And we also believe that the box-" He gestured towards the box that was next to Grant on the desk, "may have some sort of clue to what happened to her." Jonas' eyes widened. "Zach... is that-" I nodded grimly. "I'm sure of it." Abby had picked up the knife again, and this time no one was stopping her from opening the small box.

"It's a CD."

Cammie's POV (LOL haven't done that in a while)

"I'll never leave you, Gallagher Girl." Zach promised. But I knew better. That was a promise spies couldn't keep. But Zach was more than a spy. He kept his promises. And even if he had never said so, I knew he loved me. Like I loved him.

"Awake now?" Catherine was smirking yet again. "Your session is today. Now get up." She yanked me out of the chair and dragged me against the stone floor to another room. Colder, and surrounded with cameras and a single chair. Catherine strapped me to the metal chair and smiled, a remote in her hand. She pushed a button, and the cameras in the room came to life. And with that, she began the slow and painful torture.

She used knives. Knives and other unspeakable things. I promise you, I tried not to scream, or to cry out in pain. But once she had left the room with me still strapped to that chair... I cried. I cried and my tears mixed with my open wounds and blood. I cried and knew that my tears alone were probably torturing my family and loved ones almost as much as Catherine had tortured me. But I couldn't stop. I couldn't. So I cried and cried and cried. And it broke my heart even more that they were crying along with me. The pain I had brought upon myself alone was torturing other as well- a conclusion that I had never wanted this to end to.

Zach's POV

It was a torture tape. I knew it all along. Headmistress slipped the CD into her computer and turned the screen around so everyone else could see. There was a room. A room with a single chair. Cammie was sitting in it, and Catherine had a knife wielded in her hand. I cried out in fury and pain and heartbreak as I watched her trace Cammie with the knife and I was so heartbroken with the fact that this had already happened and that I couldn't stop her from doing anything. Catherine had so many weapons, left so many wounds. I was silent the rest of the time, aching to cry out. Abby and Headmistress were crying. Grant and Jonas sat on either side of me, their arms wrapped across my back. Joe had Headmistress enveloped in his arms, as did Townsend with Abby. We were all ridden with regret and sadness, wondering what we could've done to prevent that moment alone. I though it would last forever, and when Catherine finally left I almost let out a sigh. But I knew it wasn't over, not in the least. Five minutes passed before I saw Cammie break down and collapse in the chair, shaking, crying, and screaming in pain. I let out another cry of anguish and held my head in my hands, willing myself not to cry- I wouldn't cry. I would stay strong for Cammie- and I would find her.

Hi guys! So, thank you for reading, and I'll update as soon as I have some free time! Please review and send me any ideas you might have for my story! I don't own anything in this story, Ally Carter does. I apologize if any of the characters seem a little out of their characters in the book but only Ally Carter can perfectly shape them. Again, thanks for reading and R&R! Feel free to PM me if you want to, too!