Hurricane

Chapter Two: The Road to Hell

The road outside my house is paved with good intentions
Hired a construction crew, 'cause it's hell on the engine
You are the dreamer and we are the dream.
I could write it better than you ever felt it.

- Fall Out Boy

(Hum Hallelujah)

Zach sat in the hapazard dive bar with one of his closest friends, Ethan. The place looked like it was about to fall apart but it was part of the charm. The exposed brick may look like it was about to crumble but apparenlty that was the stlye these days. Ethan was a fellow spy, someone Zach knew he could trust and rely on.

"How's your new mission going?" His friend asked, slowly sipping his beer.

Zach shrugged. "It hasn't really started yet."

"It's with Cammie Morgan right?" Ethan asked, and Zach nodded his head. "Man, she's a total babe."

His tone caught Zach's attention. "You know her?"

Ethan shook his head, looking a bit wistful. "Not well. We hooked up once at some CIA function."

Ethan was the kind of guy that flipped through girls like they were pages in a children's picture book. It made Zach a little uncomfortable to know Cammie had been a page.

"Sex?"

He shook his head and grinned like a cheshire cat. "She was only sixteen, I don't do anything illegal." Although the way he said it made it sound like he wouldn't have minded too much.

"She's young right?" Zach said out loud, his mind jumping back to her stuck up attitude and how everyone worshiped the ground she walked on. "Shouldn't she still be in school?" He mumbled the words unhappily.

"She's too good for school," Ethan said. "She graduated right before she turned sixteen."

"I graduated when I was seventeen," he grunted.

"Jealous of a kid Zachy?"

"Don't call me that."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"I just don't like being called Zachy."

Ethan rolled his eyes. "I think you like her." He did, but there wasn't a chance in hell he'd admit it to anyone.

"I think you're stupid."

"Touché."

"It's just annoying how everyone thinks she can walk on water," he muttered.

Ethan laughed. "You mean you don't like her getting attention because it takes the spotlight off you."

"That is not true."

"Admit it," Ethan persuaded. "You're an attention hog."

"I am not."

"I bet if we were in a boy band you'd insist on being the lead singer," he remarked.

"You're an idiot."

Currently, Zach wasn't sure wht he was friends with Ethan; he was insistently irritating.

"And you're a wanna-be lead singer."

"Stop talking."

"Stop denying it," he shot back.

"Fine," Zach snapped. "I like being the best of the best. What's wrong with that?"

"Wanna-be lead singer" Ethan muttered under his breath and the he shrugged, raising his voice. "Nothing. Except you're a cocky asshole."

"I'm a cocky asshole?"

Ethan barely glanced at him. "Yes, that's what I said."

Zach fought the urge to roll his eyes. "You're a cocky asshole."

"At least I don't think I'm god's gift to the Earth."

"You don't?"

Ethan shrugged. "I mean I know I'm pretty important but—"

Zach elbowed him, sufficiently cutting him off.

They were quiet for a few minute before Ethan asked, "are you worried?"

"About?"

"The mission."

"No."

"It's pretty dangerous."

"No it isn't."

"A huge drug lord? In LA?" Ethan shook his head, laughing at his friend's ignorance. "That is almost a death wish."

"You're being too dramatic," he said. "I'm a spy, this is what we do. In case you've forgotten."

"He's a bad guy Zach."

"You think I don't know that?"

"He's dangerous."

"I know."

"I don't think you do. If you did you'd be more worried. There's something weird going on here and you and I both know it. It's deep cover Zach, that means there's something big and bad going on."

"It isn't a big deal," Zach said, glancing away.

"You're being naive." Hearing that from Ethan made his hands tighten around his bottle. Zach wasn't naive; he thought about the future and the big picture all the time. Sometimes it was the only thing that kept him going.

"No I am not," he snapped back, his voice low. "I'm just not like you Ethan."

Ethan looked at him with questions in his eyes. "What does what mean?"

Zach flicked his empty beer bottle, he pushed it away from him, having had enough.

"I don't have anything to lose," he bit back, both of them knowing the words would turn to stone between them, "and you know it."

Concern crossed over Ethan's face. "Zach—"

"Knock it off Ethan," Zach said stonily. "You know I don't want to talk about it."

Ethan did know. Because Zach never wanted to talk about it. It worried his friend; normal people didn't just shut down like that. But when Ethan thought about it, Zach had never really meshed well with the "normal" category anyway.

"Sure," Ethan muttered, knowing the subject wasn't worth pursuing, the ice between them said that well enough.

And as far as Ethan was concerned, Zach was right— he had nothing to lose.

:*:*:*:

Zach went home, regretful to admit his conversation with Ethan had left him discouraged. He knew this was a dangerous mission. That was why he was on it.

However, the more he thought about it, why the hell was Cammie? She must have a family that cared about her, people that were at her graduation, people that were in the same business; people that didn't want the possibility of losing her. He should have read her file. It could answer some of his questions.

Regardless, here she was on this blackout deep cover mission with him, and now all he could do was wonder why. He knew she was a great spy, he could admit that she'd proved that to him. He'd admit it to himself, but to no one else. Still, she was only seventeen, so much of her life in front of her. Some might say the same for Zach, who was only a year and a half older, but he didn't have family. He didn't have anything. The CIA knew that much, which is why he was likely placed on the case to begin with.

He had friends, but not close ones, Ethan and Preston being exceptions. But they would be able to get by if one day he never came back. Sure, he had two sisters, but he hadn't talked to either of them in years. He had no intention of contacting them. In fact, he really wished they would just forget about him. Either way, no one would really miss him.

Because that's what he'd always been: alone.

Up until Ethan had made him think twice about it, that was what he had wanted. Not having people care about you meant no expectations, no one to impress. You did everything for yourself. Yes, it might sound selfish, but was it really when there's no one else to care?

Zach glanced across the room and something caught his eye. It was a red envelope in the stack of mail he'd retrieved earlier. He knew what it was and seeing it put flames in his chest and regret caught in his throat. He saw a flash of curly blonde hair and lifeless pale blue eyes and he thought he might be sick. He put his beer down on the counter with too much force before stalking over and plucking the red envelope out.

He didn't even look at the address. He just ripped it in half and continued to do so until all that were left were scraps of red and white. He gripped the pieces in his hands with rage and disgust before he dumped them in the trash can. Just like he'd done with all the other ones before.

The red letters meant less than nothing to him. They were just a reminder of a life he wasn't going to have anything to do with anymore. He wanted them to disappear so he could get on with his life. So he could forigve himself; so he could move on.

But he knew that the envelopes would never stop coming. They would follow him wherever he went.

Because, sometimes, the past wasn't something you could forget.

:*:*:*:

Someone had once told Cammie that the road to hell was paved with good intentions. And right now, at this point in her life, she'd have to agree.

Zachary Goode was decorated with all kinds of good intentions. He'd been sweet at first, endearing even. And then before her eyes she watched his charming demeanor shift into rude and condescending.

He was gorgeous; she couldn't deny that, especially not to herself. She'd be the first to admit that his eyes had the ability to melt her into a puddle on the floor. But when her eyes danced to the smirk on his soft looking lips she knew something more sinister lay beneath his godly eyes. He wasn't just a boy to flirt and hook up with; he was dangerous and unpredictable. It was her first tip off, and then the rude remarks he'd made had almost set her head straight.

So she has a small crush but she was seventeen, and fairly certain she could control it. Still she needed to get close to him. As much as she wished she could detach herself from the people in her life, mission partners tended to be different. Especially on deep cover assignments. It wouldn't benefit anyone to hold him at arms length. No, for the mission to run smoothly she'd need to get in his head.

Her mother had always told her that for a case like this you needed to know your partner, inside and out. Because if you didn't— you would fail. In their business trust was a hard thing to come by, and once you got it wans't likely to be broken. Partners needed to trust each other because if they didn't, the mission would not be smooth sailing.

For her to trust Zach he needed to be open with her, honest.

Even though it may not have been fair to judge him in the little time she knew him, she already thought he seemed like the person who kept things to himself.

She was going to find her way into his heart and then into his mind. The mission couldn't afford for her not to. If this mission was going to be a success she needed him to be less insistent on keeping things to himself. That being said, she need to do all of that, without giving him the same in return. Her mother wouldn't hear of it if she didn't get that done, it was one of the reasons she was on the case to begin with.

Zach couldn't know all her secrets, but she was damn well intent on finding out his.

". . . Earth to Cammie."

She looked up from her plate of French fries. Rebecca Baxter sat in the chair opposite her, just having finished a cheeseburger. Rebecca, better known as 'Bex,' was a British immigrant and a year older than Cammie. She'd graduated early from Gallagher and accepted into the CIA instead of the MI6.

"Sorry," Cammie muttered, plucking a French fry and tossing it in her mouth.

"Jeez," Bex said. "Where did you go?"

"Nowhere," she replied, avoiding her friend's prying eyes.

Bex didn't seem to be in the mood to draw it out of her. "How's your mission going?"

Cammie only shrugged. "Hasn't really started yet."

"You've met the ass, correct?" Cammie rolled her eyes at Bex's words. Bex had previously worked on a case with Zach, and hadn't taken a liking to him. Zach knew about Bex and Grant, one secret down, only millions to go.

"Yes, Bex," she said. "I've met Zach."

"Quite a handful right?"

Cammie's lips quirked up into a smile. "He's a good kisser."

Bex didn't even look surprised. "Really Cam? Already?"

"It was to get me away from that other ass Jack."

"Sure," Bex said, her tone completely sarcastic. "Jack, Zach, is it the rhyming thing?" She mumbled under her breath.

"It was," she insisted, not hearing the second part . "It might have gone on a little longer than necessary but I needed to get the creep off my back."

"And get another one on? That's what always happens."

"I like boys. Give me a break."

"I like boys too," Bex said. "But not that much."

"Ok, so I'm a little boy crazy."

"A little?"

Cammie ignored her. "That doesn't mean I'm going to go out with Zach. It'd be weird. This mission is supposed to be long. I won't go through a full relationship during the duration of it."

"Somehow, I don't believe you."

"Fine, we'll probably hook up a couple times. I am pretending to be his fiancé."

"You're such a hoe," Bex said playfully.

Cammie rolled her eyes, not trying to defend herself.

Bex knew Cammie didn't really care. She liked boys, and she knew the labels that came with the territory.

Cammie had lapsed back into her quiet zone, and Bex recognized the expression on her face. She was thinking about her family, again.

"How's Tibey?" she asked, full well knowing Cammie wouldn't want to answer the question, not honestly at least.

"Fine," she said, as she always did, her eyes far away. Bex knew it hurt her friend when she brought up her sister. But she figured the rights of being a best friend included asking the questions that hurt the worse but were meant for the best.

"And you're parents?"

"My dad's back in the field," Cammie said, it was the only information she'd volunteered about him in a while.

"Really?" Bex asked, even though she wasn't really surprised. Someone at the base had told her last week. Still, it meant a lot that Cammie was coming forward with it without too much prodding.

"Yes. He starts soon."

"Do you know what he's doing?"

Cammie shook her head. "Basic stuff. Nothing too serious."

"Good," Bex echoed.

There was one thing that all best friends got awkward about. Sometimes it was a boy, or sometimes it was a personal problem. With Cammie and Bex it was family.

Of course it was one-sided, because Bex could talk about her kick-ass parents all day. Cammie found it harder, she had her reasons of course. And Bex understood and tried not to push her too much.

Bex knew she wouldn't say anything about her mom so instead she took the safer, although still rocky path.

"McKenzie?"

A faint smile graced Cammie's lips. "He's good."

"You've heard from him?" Bex asked, because Cammie had surprised her with her smile.

The smile grew and she nodded again. "Yeah, a few days ago. I was so relieved."

"I'm sure," Bex said.

"He says hi."

Bex laughed. "I hope he's doing ok."

Cammie nodded her head. "He is. I'm really trying to be supportive."

"I know. That's great. He's lucky he has you."

The words hit Cammie deeper then Bex had intended them to.

"I didn't mean—" she started as the smile slipped of Cammie's face.

She didn't say anything but the tight look on her face told Bex that she should just stop speaking. A few awkward minutes later Cammie started to bite her lip.

"I need to get home," Bex then said, knowing the evening had taken a turn to the worse and that it was time for it to be over.

"Sure," Cammie said, not looking at her friend, obviously still upset.

"Sorry, I'll text you."

Cammie nodded. "Sure."

Bex wanted to say something more, try and comfort her friend but she knew there were no words to help Cammie. She'd been in this position before and no matter how much it annoyed her to do so she walked away, knowing that, all in all, it was the best decision she could have made.

A little peak into the lives of Cammie and Zach

They're both gonna be mysterious in this one and yes Cammie is OCC as hell but who cares? It fits my plot :)

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