I'm putting this chapter up now because I'm not going to update at all this week as I'll be on an Internet-less vacation. Enjoy. :)


Chapter 2. Wordplay (by Jaosn Mraz)

Tillie took me to the heart of downtown where she checked us into a ritzy hotel. I gave her an odd look as we entered the building but she shrugged her shoulders. When we got into the elevator said, "In my experience, it's actually safest to go to the swankified places. Most operatives have this impression that we have to blend by acting poor as dirt. I say screw that, I want to have a mini-fridge and complimentary breakfast."

I smiled because some things—like Tillie's take on life—never change. When we reached our room, Tillie shot like a bullet to the kitchen area where, sure enough, there was a little, white fridge. As she set about ordering room service, I went to look out at the landscape below us. The fireworks had just ended and cars could be seen and heard as they carried their passengers back to their safe homes. What I would give to be in the middle of traffic, my only worries being if I left the iron on or something, rather than staying one step ahead of people who wanted to kidnap me…

Then again, I sort of still loved my life. Once the Circle was stopped—and I had convinced myself that it would be stopped, hopefully with my help—I would finish up my last year at Gallagher and then begin working for the CIA. Just like I had always planned. The idea that within a year's time I might be an official agent gave me shivers of excitement. And fear, but that was beside the point.

There was a knock at the door and Tillie rushed to grab the food she had ordered. The smell of pizza drew me to the couch and I commenced to stuffing my mouth full of the yummy stuff. Once I was sure I wouldn't choke on my food I asked, "So what's next?"

Tillie didn't answer me right away. Instead, she popped open a Diet Coke from the glorious mini-fridge and took a few swigs from it. Then she looked at me, calculating what my reaction to her words would be. "I'll escort you to a safe house tomorrow morning. You will stay there until school starts up again or I will make you stay there."

I kept my face as blank as possible. Then I said slowly, "I've been doing fine, Tillie."

She gave me a half smile. "Ever see that movie The Italian Job?" I shook my head. "Well, in it they say that 'fine' stands for freaked out, insecure, neurotic, and emotional. I've never been able to view that word the same since then."

I rolled my eyes. It was just like Matilda to use my lack of pop culture knowledge against me. "So I have no say with what goes on in my life? You and my mom and whoever else are just going to drag me about and put me where you like."

Tillie was very serious when she said, "Until this threat is over, yes."

That's when I knew that no matter what I did, I'd never be able to go and find my answers. Not yet anyways. So with a sigh, I said goodnight to Tillie and went to bed. Oddly enough, knowing that tomorrow I wasn't going to be looking over my shoulder constantly helped me get the best rest I'd had in a month, and when I woke up to the light of a new day, I didn't feel cornered. Maybe a little trapped and childish, but I wasn't as scared at least.

Tillie checked us out after breakfast and when we walked outside I saw that she had somehow gotten a rental car brought to the hotel. The drive started out quiet but then Tillie muttered something about a mission that ended with her and a monkey playing tug-of-war over a banana, and I had to laugh. From that the talk flowed easily just like it used to and when we stopped to get gas and snacks, I learned that she loved grape soda more than anything and that the last time she was home in the U.S. was over seven months ago.

"You've been on a single mission for over half a year now?" I was shocked because while research could easily take that long, the majority of covers lasted two or three months at the most.

Tillie smiled. "No, I've gone from mission to mission. I guess you could say that I've been in high demand lately."

"Oh, and why's that?" I was turned towards her in the car as she started the engine up again. I opened a bag of chips and offered her some.

She shrugged as she chewed and then pulled onto the highway. She obviously wasn't going to answer the question then so I decided to let it slide for the time being and then fling it upon her at a later moment.

Eventually, I fell asleep and the next thing I knew I was being shaken awake in the dark. "Cam, honey, we're here."

"Here" was apparently the inside of what appeared to be an old barn. I got out of the car, closing the door behind me with a clunk that echoed up into the rafters. Tillie was walking to the far end of the barn. She turned her to head and gave me a nod to come over before pushing a series of bricks into the wall and pulling on a seemingly broken piece of wood. The floor to the left us began sinking into the ground, forming a set of stairs. I couldn't help the little gasp I gave. "What the—"

Tillie shot me a look before heading down the steps and I rushed to follow. When my foot left the last step it retracted back up, merging almost seamlessly with the ceiling.

The room around me was very…white. The tile floor, walls, and ceiling were all brightly plain. The desks, cups, computers, and chairs were all white. Even the people down there wore white. Oh, except for that woman with the red scarf. Isn't she daring.

Matilda nudged my arm to get me to follow her again. She opened a door that I didn't know existed and we slipped into a room that, thankfully, had some color in it. And a little something else.

"Bex!"

My best friend practically knocked me over when she slammed into me, effectively hugging the air out of me. "Cam, girl, I missed you! Wait." She stopped hugging me and looked me in the eyes. "No, I'm mad at you. I am really freaking mad at you because you left to have adventures and didn't think to take me with."

I adopted a bashful face. "Sorry, Bex. Next time I'll be sure to invite you."

"You better." Then we smiled at each other because, honestly, it was impossibe to be upset with each other. She hugged me again (though not quite as hardas before) and then sat me down on the couch to tell me about how freaking awesome it was when an agent showed up at her and her parents' place to whisk them away to a yet-to-be-figured-out destination. "I've been here three days." She finished. "They were exciting because, hello, this is an official government base but also boring because it is a government base so they weren't keen on me touching or, you know, hearing anything."

Tillie chose this time to talk from behind the pages of the magazine she had magically produced. "Don't worry. I'm sure things will heat up soon enough."

Bex and I both asked at the same time, "Why?"

Tillie sighed deeply as though it was such an effort to talk when all she wanted to was ogle at pictures of Orlando Bloom and Brad Pitt. "Because, you synchronized freaks, I've spent quite a bit of time here, so I know the best ways to listen in on conversations that you aren't supposed to be hearing." Bex and I shared a mischievous look when Tillie added, "And I hear that they caught another Circle agent so, you know, there might be some information to take from that."

Now Bex and I were grinning at each other. "So," I said innocently, sidling over by Tillie. "You think you're going to be kept informed on what this agent does or doesn't say?"

Tillie turned a page in her magazine. "I might."

"But if you were kept informed, you wouldn't be able to tell anyone not connected to the case. Right?" Bex said, coming over to Tillie's other side.

Tillie kept her face completely relaxed. God, she had a great poker face. Or she had no idea what we were getting at. "That is true." She said.

"And wouldn't you agree that I am related to the Circle?" I said.

Bex nodded vigorously. "She is the one that they are so desperately trying to kidnap."

Tillie snorted and put down her magazine. She looked Bex and me in the faces intently. "What are you two getting at? I don't have all day to deal with your little hints."

"All we're trying to say, Miss Henderson, is that since the Circle agent that was caught was presumably after Cammie, it would only be fair to keep her updated on any information he tells his interrogators." Bex's eyes were innocent and sincere, the perfect picture of a little kid insisting that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny really did exist.

Tillie gave a little smile. "I don't make promises, girls." She stood up and walked to the door that connected to the white room. Then she looked back at us. "But we'll see."

We waited until she shut the door behind her to have our victory dance.