Chapter One

Cammie POV

I knew if I didn't get out soon, I was going to die.

All I had left was a tiny slice of uncooked meat and an almost empty water bottle. My leg hurt more than it did thirteen days ago, probably because the shot had gone it deep and I didn't have the tools or the time to fix it, which was obviously a mistake, since I could barely stand anymore. I needed help, and desperately.

But God must have heard my prayers because I saw the jagged silhouette of a circle and hurried toward it with my last bit of strength. I pounded on the rock until it gave, and the chilling night air ruffled my hair and blew in my face. I dragged myself to the nearest tree and propped myself up, wishing I could just lie there and sleep. But, being a spy, who knew what kind of animals lurked in the shadows? I could not take any chances. I sighed and started to move up, until I heard a low growl fill the air.

I froze, knowing it was no use to do anything else. I took the sharpest thing I could find, a dagger that was a gift from my dad. I didn't use it, because it was too precious for anything else. But this was kind of an emergency.

I caught a flash of movement in my peripheral vision and turned slowly around to see a pair of huge jaws dripping with saliva and yellow eyes glaring at me.

Oh, great. So, starving spy girl, with a bullet in her thigh and a dagger in her hand, versus a lynx who looked really hungry and wants to have girl for dinner?

Right. Stupid question.

But when the aforementioned girl is a spy, she doesn't give up without a fight.

It lunged for me and I dropped and rolled, and it hit the tree behind me. It turned and snarled, a high, whining noise that hurt your ears, and lunged for me again. This time, it didn't miss and I hit the ground with a solid thud.

I slashed at it's stomach but it deflected the blade with it's paw, but it couldn't eat my face and leave it's belly unprotected. I went on dodging, slashing, on different body parts, hoping to keep it distracted while I work out a plan.

The catch was, it was kind of hard to think of a plan when the thing your' e slashing scratches every exposed part of you, including a painful bullet wound in your thigh, where it's currently slashing at. Shocking pangs of pain shot up my leg and I had to exercise all my self-control not to scream out loud.

Something made a disturbing noise above the trees, but I was so focused on the lynx, I barely noticed it.

I heard the sound of something sharp whizz in the air and a dagger hit the lynx's right eye, and blood poured from it.

It moaned and released me. I held the bandage to my leg, hoping to stop the blood from pouring from the scratches it gave me.

I carefully inched away from the lynx. It didn't seem to notice.

I was ok with all of this, except for one thing;

That dagger wasn't mine.

x~x~x~x

It seemed to know I wasn't the one who hurt it, because it moaned again and turned to the trees. Something, or more appropriately, someone, shot a couple of arrows and it hit it's belly and left leg. It's snarl turned into a whimper and it collapsed into a heap of bloodstained fur.

I didn't have time to wonder about my mysterious savior because I had other things to worry about. After prodding if it was really dead, I sat up and examined my leg. The bandage had come undone. The gauze was hanging in strips and the small hole burrowed in my leg gaped at me.

I hate that lynx.

I heard a faint rustling of leaves above me, but it probably was the wind. I crawled to my bag, leaned against the trunk of the tree, took out the first aid kit, and reapplied the bandage.

I went to work on the other scratches, often having to clean the dirt that came from the lynx's paws with alcohol. It was slow and tedious work, but not one that requires much concentration. I found my mind drifting to other things.

Where am I? Maybe still in Russia? Probably a bit farther, since it had been thirteen days, and I had a vague idea I'd been going south. Nepal, maybe. I dunno. Maybe the person who saved me would tell me.

Who saved me, anyway? Indians? The COC? Highly unlikely, since the COC can't have any idea where I am now. I don't even know where I am. And are there even any Indians in Nepal? They should teach us that in COW. I laughed at myself for thinking that. But I was grateful for whoever saved me. Unless it were the COC or Indians who are saving the torture for later.

God, I hope it's not Indians.

I moved on to the worse scratches on my leg, and my mind turned to not-so-recent events.

I closed my eyes and I went back to the pigeon terrace, where I made my mind up about running away and look for answers.

*flashback*

I didn't turn when I heard him. "He should be awake by now, shouldn't he? He's never going to wake up."

"Of course, he is."

"This is never going to be over."

"Of course it is."

"This is—"

"Cammie, listen to me. Don't talk—listen." There was fear in his eyes. "This isn't going to stop on it's own. It's not going away. We can't hide forever."

"She's your mother? You could have told me."

"No. I couldn't lose the one person who didn't see her when they look at me. I couldn't lose that."

"Is my father alive, Zach?"

"I don't know."

"She said he is."

Zach studied me. "She lies."

"We should be dead."

"I know."

We were only inches away, and yet we didn't touch. A spark of fire coursed between us. We had already seen our share of fire.

"Why does everyone get hurt but me?"

"And me." He tried to laugh but faltered.

My hand crept dangerously to his. "I'm not safe."

"Where will you go?" He eased closer.

"I don't know."

"What will you do?"

I shook my head. "I don't know."

When he kissed me, it was hungrier somehow, as if this moment was all we had, and we had to taste it, drink it, savor it, and not waste a single drop.

"Run away with me."I didn't hear the words. I kissed him again.

"Gallagher Girl," he pulled away. "We can run. We can get off the grid and stay off the grid until it's safe. For everyone. We can keep each other safe."

"I can't. My mother—"

"Would understand." Zach snapped. "If no one knows where we are, no one can find us."

I thought it over, but I knew. "I couldn't leave with you, Zach." I kissed him lightly.

He held me close and said, "I know."

*end of flashback*

After that very emotional talk, I gave myself five days to take what I needed.

Three days after the last day of class, I went to the case with Gilly's sword in it and left my notebook there (it was done on purpose).

I went to Athens, Greece, where the safe house mentioned in my dad's notebook was. I got the vague feeling Zach was tailing me and I planned to find out if it really is Zach or some COC creep.

After booking a hotel not far from there, I sneaked out at every opportunity to the mansion.

The safe house was a huge mansion that looked like it belonged in Thailand. Strange, but on the other day, I found a notebook, (Mr. Solomon's I think) saying the 'directions' to the 'blueprints' were hidden in a safe location. From what I gathered, it was blueprints of every detail, passageway, etc. of the main COC base. It also said the blueprints are one of the most important for bringing down the Circle.

I was excited, of course and, after a few days of thinking, it was obvious where this location was but the feeling of someone watching me nagged at my mind. I stayed in Athens for a few more days, hoping to catch whoever it was on my tail.

But whoever it was was Goode. Then I found out it really was Zach, and I panicked and went straight to my hotel room, packed, and went straight to the airport.

He managed to follow me somehow. I practically held a knife to his throat once he got out of the plane. I did everything I could to shake him off and I succeeded, but only because I knocked him out cold (yeah, believe it or not).

I found the place where the directions were hidden but someone took them to another place, the COC Russian. I broke in, downloaded the whole file, almost got caught, and here I am.

Wonder where he is now. I thought miserably. He's obviously not tailing me because if he was, he would have insisted on coming with me. And I certainly won't be alone right now. I sighed.

I shouldn't have told him to go. I should have let him do what he wanted, he knows how to take care of himself. I laughed half-heartedly at myself but I know deep down, I wouldn't ever forgive myself if someone gets hurt again for me. Especially Zach.

I seriously don't know what's really going on between Zach and me. Okay, maybe I do, and maybe I'm right, but I don't want to acknowledge it because things were already complicated enough without my boy problems. Just look what happened to Josh.

My life sucks.

Whatever happens, I will never let anybody get hurt because of me again. I guess that meant no distractions. No distractions meant no Zach.

I sighed again.

I just finished sealing the last of the scratches when strong arms grabbed me from behind, lifting me off my feet. I threw my head back to crush my captor's nose, but then I was turned and I got a glimpse of ink-flecked emerald green eyes before I was caught in a very intense make-out and the thoughts that I just promised to myself I would not let distract me came out of their places and nearly drowned me. One of the arms loosened their grip on my waist and went up to cup my left cheek. I moaned and barely felt the pain of some of the scars I had.

It was that goode.

He finally let go, long enough for me to take a breath and go back to earth.

"Zach?"

He smirked his world-famous smirk, and said,"Hey, Gallagher Girl."