The Spy
By:
Alternagoth_
___________________________________________________"Elise Ganret?" The teacher asked.
"Here." She was a little nervous. This was her first day in her new school. It had been so long since she had last been in a school. They had stared then too. Now, it was only because she was new. Before, there was a much deeper meaning to it.
She had just moved here from out-of-town. She was very quiet and tried to hide behind her shoulder-length brown hair.
Marco stared at her all through the class and just couldn't get his mind off of the new girl ahead of him. Almost unconsciously, he began humming Madonna's "Beautiful Stranger". Elise turned and glared at him, then smiled slightly. He realized what he was doing and quickly turned away.
Elise caught up with Marco in the hall between classes. He was talking with two other boys. One was taller with short brown hair. The other was oddly beautiful.
She slid up behind him and said, "Was that musical performance meant to be a compliment, Marco?" He was surprised and didn't know what to say. He whirled around and just stared.
"I'm guessing that's a 'yes' then?"
"Who's this friend of yours?" Jake asked.
"She's my new girlfriend." Marco answered, sliding his arm across her shoulders. She shook her head and pushed his arm away.
"Not quite." She said, "I'm Elise." She stuck her hand out for a handshake. Jake accepted. He stood there for a few seconds before speaking. "I - I'm Jake...and this is my cousin, Phillip. He's only visiting for the day."
"Well, it was nice meeting all of you, but I've really got to go." She said, checking her watch. "My locker's way down there." She took off down the hall.
Jake stood there for a few seconds, watching Elise make her way down the hallway. "Hey Jake? Time to come out of la-la-land. You've already got a girlfriend." Marco waved his hand in front of Jake's face. No response. "Jake, what's wrong? 'You okay?" Jake turned to him, his eyes full of fear.
"I...I think she just acquired me." He said in a whimper.
"That is impossible Pri...Jake. Sib-ull. Poss-e-bull. " Phillip/Ax stated.
* * *
"So you think that this Elise person is Visser 3?" Rachel asked skeptically.
"I don't know. Ax, is that possible?" Jake wondered aloud.
^No, Prince Jake. The Yeerks are far behind Andalite morphing technology.^
"So who and what is she?" Cassie asked no one in particular.
Jake shrugged. "I don't know." He rubbed his chin and said, "What if she's an Andalite? It's a possibility, right?"
Everyone stared at him.
^Prince Jake that is highly unlikely. ^
"But there's still a chance."
"Hey, I've got an idea," Marco started.
"There's a first time for everything." Rachel snorted.
He continued sarcastically, ignoring the comment. "Why don't we call her up and ask her?"
"Marco, you're a genius!" Jake said. "See what you can dig up!"
"What? I was only kidding!" He said confused.
"Just do it. I've got a plan."
* * *
Brrrriiinng! Brrrriiinng! Brrrriiinng! The answering machine picked up. "Hi. This is an answering machine. I hope you know what to do." BEEP!
"Hi. This is Marco...remember - the 'beautiful stranger'? Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to come over to Jake's with me and a few friends to hang out. I figured that you'd want to get to know some people since you just moved here and all. I'll try back later."
"How desperate is he?" Elise said to herself. She got up off the couch and trudged over to the phone, picked it up and dialed several numbers. The phone rang at Marco's house.
"Hello?" A tired voice answered.
"Hi, is this Marco?" She asked.
"Yeah. Who's this?"
"It's Elise. I got your message."
"That was quick."
"I was watching The X-Files. I kinda get sucked into all of that conspiracy stuff. So what did you want?"
"First of all, how did you get my number?"
"Ever hear of 'Caller ID'? How did you get mine?"
"Uh..." He paused, not wanting to give away how he truly got it - by hacking into the school's student files. "You gave it to me, remember?"
"Oh I did? I guess I forgot." She said cynically.
"Do you wanna come over to Jake's with us later?"
"Fine. Just one thing,"
"What?"
"Where does Jake live?"
* * *
"Do you really think she's coming?" Rachel asked impatiently.
The doorbell rang downstairs. "I'll get it!" Jake yelled, flying down the stairs to the door. It swung outward and Elise dodged it.
"Hi," she said, wearing an uneasy smile. She was looking over Jake's shoulder and at his brother, Tom. She just knew what he was.
"Are you okay?" Jake asked her, noticing how spaced-out she seemed.
"Oh, yeah. I'm fine."
"Do you wan to go upstairs then?"
"Sure."
He led her up to his room and shut the door behind them. Phillip, Marco, Rachel, and Cassie were also there.
"Hey everybody, this is Elise. Elise - Rachel and Cassie, you already know Marco and Phillip."
"Hi," she said weakly and leaned up against a wall. She didn't let them see her slide her hand behind his dresser and place a little black metallic listening device on the wall. "So what do you want to do?" she said.
"What do you mean?" Rachel said.
"I mean I don't think just lounging and staring is very interesting. Do you?"
"Well..."
"Well what? I don't have time for this. I've got better things to do than sit around. I'll see you on Monday." Elise turned to leave when Rachel blocked the door.
"I can leave if I want. You can't keep me here."
"Rach, let her go if she wants." Cassie said calmly. Rachel rolled her eyes and moved from the door.
Elise went downstairs and retraced the path that Jake had taken.
"Hey," a voice called from behind her and chilled her to the bone. She knew. She turned around to see Tom.
"Yeah?" She said.
"Are you new around here?"
She nodded. "I met Jake earlier."
"I think you should come to a meeting of the Sharing. You'd meet a lot of new people there and make some very close friends."
"Sounds promising. I'll think about it. Tell Jake I'll see him later. Bye." She continued on her way.
* * *
"That went well," Marco said just to break the silence.
"There's definitely something up with her."
"So when does your ingenious plan kick in?"
"Right now. Tobias, follow her." Jake lowered his voice in case Tom was listening in. "Make sure that she doesn't go near any known Yeerk Pool entrances.
* * *
Once Elise left the house, she put her hand in her pocket and felt around for her earpiece. She found it hidden behind folds of fabric. She pulled out the tiny device no bigger than an earplug. It slid unnoticeably into her left ear. She heard voices.
"..up with her."
"So when does your ingenious plan kick in?"
"Right now. Tobias, follow her." There was silence and a faint sound of whispering.
"Prince Jake, I believe that our conversation has not been private."
"What are you talking about? Ax, she left."
"Here." There was rustling. Then only loud static. Elise cursed at herself and quickly pulled the earpiece from her ear.
* * *
"What is it?" Jake asked looking at the remains.
^I believe it is some sort of listening device. Quite advanced by your standards. ^
"A bug?"
"Marco, cut down on the James Bond movies."
"Bond? James Bond?"
"All in favor of smashing his TV, say Aye."
"Who put it there?" Cassie asked, getting back on subject.
"I think it was Marco's new friend." All of them shifted their gazes from the destroyed device to Marco.
"What?!?"
"Elise did it."
* * *
Elise jogged home at a quicker pace than her usual. She hadn't noticed anyone trailing her yet. Even though she had a highly trained eye, she was almost completely unaware of Tobias riding the thermals above her.
She would have stepped on the flier that was slipped under her door if it weren't hot pink. She picked it up and read it.
COME JOIN
The Sharing
FUN!
GAMES!
MEET NEW PEOPLE!
MAKE FRIENDS FOR LIFE!
An a whole lot more!
Call 1-900-SHARE for a free schedule of events!
"Yeah. Sure. I wonder what the schedule is like. Saturday - Group sing-a-long round the Yeerk pool? Tackle football against Hork-Bajir?" She said to herself as she crumpled up the paper and threw it away.
* * *
Elise woke up to the sound of footsteps. She crept out of her room and quietly went into the living room, looking for something she could use as a weapon. Suddenly, the footsteps stopped, replaced by sounds of bones crunching and organs moving - the sounds of morphing. She reached over and closed the blinds, just in case. She also maneuvered to the wall and moved along it, where she could see anything coming at her. She felt along the wall - not daring to look away from the room. Click! The lights went on and nobody was in the room. The only movement was her own shadow. I'm way too paranoid. She thought then went back to bed.
* * *
Elise walked until she came to a stone building with not much but a banner hanging over the door, a sign-in table and people chatting outside to show that it was any more than an empty building. She went over to the table.
"Hello, are you new here?" The friendly young man behind the table said.
"Yeah, this is where I sign up right?"
He nodded and slid the clipboard towards her. Elise picked up the pen attached by a metal chain to the clipboard. Her eyes ran down the list of names. So many names. All potential controllers. She wrote her name at the bottom of the list, smiled and gave the clipboard back to the man.
"Glad you could make it." A familiar voice said from behind her. She turned around to see Tom standing directly behind her.
"Oh hi!" She pretended to be cheery. "Do you think you could show me around, ...uh...what's your name again?"
"Tom. And yours?"
"I'm Elise."
"Sure Ellie. Do you mind if I call you that?"
"No. Not at all."
"Come with me." He led her around their soup kitchen in the back of the building, down a long hallway of offices and several other places, praising The Sharing the entire time and introducing her to a few people. "So where's the Yeerk pool?" she was tempted to ask, but it came out as " Do you mind if I go and meet some people on my own?"
"Go right ahead. We're one big family here at The Sharing." She smiled and nodded shyly. She walked away and out of Tom's view, sat down on an empty bench. She glanced out the window and noticed a huge bird sitting on a branch. Tobias saw her looking at him and flew away to tell Jake the news.
* * *
^Jake, we need to know for sure. We have to see if she goes back in three days.^ Tobias said to him.
"You're right. Tell Ax that you two are going to alternate watching her."
* * *
The next morning a figure came jogging out of Elise's apartment building. Tobias wasn't keeping watch today. They had bigger plans. Elise wasn't the only one who was planning something. The gray hood of her sweatshirt hung over most of her face as she jogged and slowly morphed.
She shrunk several inches in height and her brown hair became a short, bright red. Her eyes changed from a soft ice blue to a deep jade green. The hood hung over most of her clearer pale-complexioned face. The tope of the sweatshirt was unzipped. She was sweating under several shirts.
Elise finally made it to The Sharing's rented building. She took a reassuring breath, tore off her sweatshirt and burst inside, wearing a navy windbreaker with FBI printed in goldenrod yellow on the back and shoulders.
It was before hours and the front doors were closed. She drew her gun and gave one powerful kick to them and they went flying open. That got everyone's attention. She took her badge from her hidden pocket and pointed her gun around. "FBI! FREEZE!" She yelled waving the badge in the air. The few people in the room saw the gun and they stopped what they were doing. Papers and pamphlets fluttered to the ground.
"You are all under arrest for conspiracy!"
No one moved.
"Hey, she looks like Gillian Anderson!" Someone called.
"I'm not! Shut up all of you!" She whipped out her cell phone and pressed speed dial. "Willmore, where are you?... I don't care if you haven't had your coffee yet and I don't want anymore excuses of you getting lost!... Get your butt down here NOW!" She closed the phone and began reading the Sharing members their rights.
A voice called from the back of the room, "You have no authority to do this!". It was Tom.
She cut him off and glared at him. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. Understand?"
She stiffened as something was jabbed into her upper back. The barrel of a gun. No, not a gun, she realized. A dracon beam.
"I am a Federal agent. I am employed by the government. If you think that you can get away - " The dracon beam pressed harder, digging into her spine.
"Oh but I can, Andalite."
"What?"
"You think you're so good. Obviously not good enough." He hit her elbow and her gun clattered to the floor about ten feet away. She laced her fingers behind her head and prepared for the worst.
"You'd be scared too if you had a gun threatening to shatter your spine. I hope you know that this is a serious offense -"
He put his mouth up to her ear and whispered loudly, "Don't try to scare us into believing anything you say. It won't work. And if you really are who you say you are, you could just disappear...without a trace...". He stayed near her ear and yelled, " Take her down to the Visser. He will be pleased."
Two Hork-Bajir guards came in from one of the side room that Tom hadn't shown her and grabbed her shoulders and arms tightly, pulling them down behind her and binding them together. Elise tried to struggle but realized it was no use when the guards gave her no room to move.
The Hork-Bajir led her into the same room that they came out of and down to a little room overlooking the Yeerk pool. And Andalite was waiting inside. Visser 3 was looking out over the Yeerk pool. She fought to keep a cool expression. So far, she was winning. He walked over to Elise. She tensed up.
^Well, Andalite, that was a very clever charade you had going there.^
"I try to be as creative as I can."
Swish! Visser 3's stolen tail blade was suddenly at her throat. ^Where are the other bandits?^ He demanded.
"It doesn't matter. You'll know soon enough anyway. You wouldn't kill me."
^If you want to do it that way, so be it. Take her down to the pier.^ He directed the guards.
"I may work alone, but there are others out there!" She said then cursed and spit in his face. The guards hauled her down the stairs. Elise was still trying to fight her way away from the living razor blades holding her captive.
"RRRRROOOOWWWRRR!" The ground seemed to vibrate with the deep sound. What was that?! She turned her head and thought that her mind was playing tricks on her. She saw an Andalite, a bear, a hawk, a tiger, a wolf and a gorilla attacking the controllers. In a sudden burst of energy, she screamed in Galard, "YOU'LL NEVER WIN, VISSER! NEVER!"
^Bring the Andalite back to me!^ The Visser boomed.
Elise continued to try to wriggle free from the Hork-Bajir guards restraining her. They took her back up to the observation room. She was forced to stand in front of the windows with the Visser's tail blade at her neck and the two guards holding her arms.
^Andalites!^ He yelled in open thought-speak. ^I have one of your own! Surrender or she dies!^
^Ax, what's she talking about? We're not missing anyone.^
^I don't know, Prince Jake.^
"I told you already. They won't know me." She said, hatred rising with each breath.
^He's lying. She's just another controller.^ Jake said, knocking out the nearest controller with a swipe of his striped paw.
^But look at how calm she is.^ Cassie said. ^Don't you think that a controller might act more scared?^
Suddenly Elise burst out in thought-speak, ^I know he won't kill me. I know nothing about any of you. Do what you came to do. I don't matter.^ and then said to Visser 3 coldly, "You won't know anything more about them even if you infest me."
^You think you can fool me? We'll see about that. Take her down to the pier. Let's see if you are telling the truth, shall we?^
She began kicking as hard as she could with both feet at the window in front of them, using the Hork-Bajir as braces to hold her up. He laughed in thought-speak, ^It will not break, Andalite. It is not glass.^ With a final blow, the window shattered to pieces.
They were stunned and she had no trouble breaking free and diving out the empty space. She managed to flip in mid-air and landed like and Olympic gymnast. She darted to the nearest exit, which was blocked by Hork-Bajir. She slowed down but kept moving towards them and concentrated. This had to work. She ran straight for them and easily pushed past them and up the stairs to the exit.
Elise climbed out of the Yeerk pool entrance. She was in a bathroom stall. She watched as the panel silently slid shut about a foot off the ground. She remorphed to look like herself and turned her reversible FBI jacket inside out to look like a pain navy jacket.
She walked calmly out of the bathroom and left the Macy*s, pretending to browse on her way out.
* * *
"Yes Visser, this is the exit that the Andalite used." The close-to-bald man said, sitting in front of a screen playing several hours worth of store security camera footage. ^There!^ Visser Three said, jabbing a finger at the screen. They had what they were looking for - a frozen image of Elise looking directly at the camera.
* * *
Ugh...Monday...
Elise thought as she was doodling in her copybook. Vice Principle Chapman appeared at the door followed by a police officer. He said, "Elise Ganret, please come with us."She stood up nervously and went to the door. "I haven't done anything wrong." She said just barely loud enough for the class to hear. Whispers followed. Rachel was staring most of all.
"That will be discussed in my office Miss Ganret."
She tried to read something in his eyes. There was nothing. The policeman led them into the office. Chapman sat down in the leather chair and motioned for her to sit in a chair facing his desk. She stood. "Tell me what I've done first.".
Chapman nodded and the police officer grabbed Elise roughly by the shoulders and slammed her up against the wall. She turned her head to the side right before to avoid getting her nose broken. He frisked her for any concealed weapons. Chapman stood up and began questioning her.
"What were you doing in Macy*s yesterday?"
"What? What's this about?"
The policeman turned her around to face him.
"I asked you a question young lady."
"I was shopping. What else do you do at a mall?"
"Then why and how did you suddenly appear in the restroom there?"
"How do you know all of this? Are you stalking me?"
"Just answer the question."
"I can't. They'll kill me."
The police officer drew a silenced gun. "Not if we kill you first."
"I shouldn't be saying this. Things like this have happened before, but I know you're not lying about killing me." She bit her lip and paused.
"Well?"
She glared at him. "I was doing recon ... I mean, reconnaissance. I was climbing through the ventilation system. The bathroom's right before it ended. It was where I got out."
"Reconnaissance for who?" Chapman asked, suddenly very interested.
"If I tell you, you have to swear it will never leave this room. If it gets out, I'll hunt you down, and if I can't someone else will."
"Get to the point Miss Ganret."
"I'm an operative for a secret government agency called 'The Cellar'."
"That's the most creative excuse I've heard this year."
"It's no excuse. I have evidence."
"What evidence?"
"If you would let me go to my locker, I could get it for you." Chapman nodded reluctantly. The police officer handcuffed her in case she tried to escape.
"What? Don't trust me?"
"No. We don't." Vice Principle Chapman and the officer escorted her to her locker.
* * *
Rachel almost buzzed into Jake's face. He jerked back.
^Jake! It's Rachel. Morph fly! You have to see this! Elise is being questioned by Chapman.^
* * *
Elise said, "I can't do this with my hands bound behind my back. Do you expect me to do this with my toes?" they unlocked the handcuffs and she dug to the bottom of her locker and popped open a CD case. She pressed a hidden button in the center of the open case and a little red pinpoint of light scanned her finger and a secret chamber on the side opened up. Inside was an official-looking badge. She held it up and both the cop and Vice Principle Chapman examined it.
"How do I know if it's real or not?" Chapman asked
Elise shrugged. "You just have to trust me." She slipped the CD case into her pocket. "But if you prefer, I can get my superior on a secure satellite link in about 5 minutes."
^Secure satellite link?^ Rachel asked Jake.
^My thoughts exactly.^ He answered.
"Fine." Chapman said, amused. Elise nodded and pulled out a small, thin laptop. "How did you get that in here, young lady?"
"I have friends." She answered without looking up. "But I can't do this out in the hall. No one's supposed to see." Chapman rolled his eyes and they went back into his office.
Elise set the laptop on his desk and flipped the top. The screen read ENTER PASSWORD in bright red lettering. She took the CD case from her pocket and put the CD in the drive. A concealed compartment opened in the front. A tiny microphone was inside. She handled it carefully as she brought it to her mouth. "Alternagoth. Agent ID: XF03316613. Key: Light the way." It beeped and the words changed to a blinking CONNECTING. A figure appeared as a silhouette.
"Hey Sir, guess whaaaaaat..." She waved her handcuffs in front of the miniature video camera above the screen. "I got myself a new pair of designer bracelets. I got tired of the old ones so I went looking...."
"Alternagoth..." His voice got more annoyed as he went on and he noticeably - even through all of the scrambling - put his head in his hands. "What did you do this time?"
"They found out about Macy*s. He didn't believe the badge and wanted to talk to you. I don't really think there's anything to say, but can you just give him some form of verification that I am who I say I am?"
"The papers are being faxed now. Destroy them immediately after he sees them. You're the best we've got. Don't ruin it now. Out." The screen went blank. The fax machine started printing. Chapman picked up the paper.
"No one can read that but you, Chapman. And once you do, you hand it to me, I destroy it, and we forget this ever happened. We've never met. We go our seperate ways. Understand?" Her voice was intense.
"Supposing this information is true, what is your real name?" He asked, setting the paper down on the desk in front of her.
"It is true. Did you ever see that 'Mission: Impossible' remake?"
"Yes, but what does it have to do with -"
"With me? Everything. If I gave you my real name it would be like giving away a little piece of the NOC list." She turned back to the laptop and closed it. She straightened up as an object pressed into her back. "I'm sorry, that's the best I can do."
"No, it's not, Andalite." His voice took on a strange tone.
"What?"
Chapman took a small communicator from his pocket. "I've got her."
"Who are you talking to? Are you some kind of psycho?"
A man walked into the office - Visser 3 in morph. "Who's there?" Elise asked, afraid to turn her head. "Listen, I already told you I can't tell you any more. I've broken too many rules already. I'm in for a serious - "
"Ah, Andalite honor. Is that all you are concerned about?" the man said.
"Huh? Who's there? What's going on here?"
"You know very well, Andalite."
"This is crazy! What's going on? And what the heck's and Andalite?" Visser 3 stepped into her line of vision. "Who are you? I already told him all I can. What do you want?" Chapman slapped her hard. "Quit playing games!" He said.
"I'm not!" Something warm ran from her nose down her chin. "Why are you staring at me like that?" She asked, suddenly noticing that Visser 3 was staring at her strangely. She rubbed her nose with her white sleeve. Blueish-green blood was smeared up her arm.
"What are you?" Visser 3 asked.
Fear flashed in her eyes. In one swift movement, she stood up and hurled the table at him. The other two rushed to help. "Don't help me, fools! Get her!"
Elise was already halfway down the hall, running as fast as she could. She wiped the blood from her nose and kept going. The bell rang. Kids poured into the hallway. She hoped to get lost in the crowd. She looked back and barreled into Marco. "Sorry," she mumbled.
"Can we talk?" He asked.
"Not right now," She answered quickly, helping him up. "This time I've really got to go." Elise took off again. She was within 10 feet of the exit when the policeman skidded out from the gym door in front of her. He couldn't stop and slammed into the wall. Elise spun of her heels and darted the other way.
She almost ran into the janitor too, but stopped. "Jack," she said abruptly, "Code 11 - 21. Tell him I'm hiding for a while. He'll hear from me." she added silently Hopefully. Jack nodded and continued sweeping the floor.
Elise spotted what she needed -- in this case, a fire alarm. She pulled it down and every bell in the building went off. She pulled a match from her pocket, struck it, and lit the paper that Sir had faxed on fire. She threw it in the nearest trashcan and kept blended in with the mass of people going for the door.
She ran to her apartment, where started to erase everything from all devices in the apartment.
There was a pounding on the door. "Police! Open up ma'am, we have a search warrant for your apartment."
Controllers!
She grabbed her backpack, opened up the window and jumped down the fire escape. She climbed to the top and looked over the edge of the building. There was an unmarked van parked in the street out front. It's probably full of Hork-Bajir, she thought.Elise got a running start and leapt to the neighboring apartment building. She barely made it and ran / jumped / slid down its fire escape.
She tore down the sidewalk and ran into an old lady carrying groceries.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm so clumsy sometimes. Let me help." Her voice was sympathetic.
"Thank you m'dear." The woman reached over to grab a can by Elise's knee and Elise grabbed her hand, acquiring her, and said, "I'll get that." She picked up the spilled food and hurried into a dark alley. She morphed the old lady, only younger and put on a pair of sunglasses.
Police officers were combing the streets asking anyone if they had seen this girl. An officer came up to Elise and asked the same thing. "Missing? Oh, that's terrible. I hope you find her." She tried to make her voice sound as different as possible from the other woman's.
Elise backtracked a few blocks until she found what she needed. This time is was a thrift shop. She walked in and bought a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
She found another alley and changed her clothes and morphed Jake behind a dumpster. She walked to the nearest pay phone. "Hello?" A man's voice answered.
"Is Cassie there?"
"Yes, hold on."
She heard two faint clicks as she was put on hold and when Cassie picked up. "Jake, what is it?"
"Get the others. It's time for a meeting of the wildlife association." Click! Elise hung up and walked to Cassie's barn.
* * *
"What do you think this is about?" Rachel asked.
Cassie shook her head. "I don't know. It was a really weird call, but it seemed like something big's going down."
At that moment, Jake stepped into the barn, face panic-stricken. "We've got a huge problem - "
"You lost your prized teddy bear?" Marco suggested.
Brrriiinng! Brrriiinng! Cassie picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Hey Cassie, it's me." her eyes went wide. "I was worried. I tried to call everyone else, but no one was home. I just got done talking to Erek. You know that girl Elise? Her story checks out, but Erek warned me that she's a master of disguise. Nobody's sure how she does it ... "
_
___________________________________________________To be continued...