Author's note:
Hi guys! (If there are still readers here~) We're really sorry for the extremely long hiatus! It was really unfair for you guys because of our poor reliability and no notice. We will be updating in the future, but probably less often than before. (But definitely more often than months! ^^)
Sorry for the slightly short chapter, but we have action-packed future ones planned out, so hope you stick around~
Also, we've been getting some really sweet reviews and PMs so apparently people are still finding out about this story. We really, really hope you continue to stick with this story!
As we rendezvous with transport, everyone climbs into the car with heavy tension. No one was pointing fingers, but the air seemed to solidify near Aiden, who hasn't spoken a word since his freeze. The other boys stare out the window and the risen sun, their faces an interesting mix of anger and confusion. After a minute, Erika clears her throat.
"Ears?" Her voice breaks the silence, the slightest bit hoarse from disuse. She used the safe word we used as trainees, the words we used to make sure we couldn't be heard, or to make sure we were all listening.
"What?" Tyler's voice asked, slightly irritated. He eyed her warily as an unspoken thought ran through our minds; there was nothing to be said.
"Listen...," she says tentatively, "today wasn't a total loss."
Jake interrupts her off too quickly, eyes already narrowed.
"What do you mean, Erika? We failed. It took all eight of us and we still couldn't do it. I mean, what are we going to tell Abby? Solomon?" His voice rises unconsciously.
Lena puts a warning hand on his shoulder, quick as lightning. She flashes her eyes in Aiden's direction, giving Jake an unspoken caution sign.
He sighs deeply and squeezes his eyes shut. "I'm not saying it was anyone's fault. I'm just saying that we were sloppy. We were just amateurs! We weren't a team out there, guys. And-"
Out of nowhere, Erika reaches her hand in her jacket, quick as a flash, and chucks something at Jake so fast it took awhile to register what is was. Flashing back to memory, I remember the subject racing towards the clock tower and bumping into a girl the the crowd. A girl that I thought looked familiar.
We all stare, stunned at the worn leather object resting at Jake's feet and glance at Erika, who is now giving Jake a hard glare.
"We are going to tell Abby and Solomon we were successful. And we are not amateurs, Jake."
As soon as we stepped foot in the house we were greeted by an impatient Abby, sitting statuesquely by the kitchen counter. Her pale face stood in stark contrast with her dark hair, shiny and still untainted from white.
As soon as she saw Abby's distant look, Remy's triumphant grin, like the rest of ours, quickly diminishes.
"Is everything okay, Abby?" she asks cautiously.
"We completed the mission." Tyler adds.
"That's great," Abby's distant look fades as she quickly throws a poker face on. "Listen kiddos," She says, and I already start to feel my blood freeze, "something's happened and people need me right now- Joe's already waiting for me - anyway, they're sending new mentors, and you'll be continuing your assignments, but Joe and I won't be here anymore." She smiles at us apologetically. Like her words promised, she fluidly rose to leave and I could see the impatience etched in her eyes.
"So... are you just leaving?" I venture quietly.
Her unlined face creased with worry. "You'll be in good hands, Ellie. All of you. You'll be fine." With a last reassuring smile, she swept through the door which we just entered.
"Did we just get ditched?" Tyler blurts out crudely.
None of us really know the answer to that as we watch the unmarked van drive off the very road where we left this morning.
Suddenly gaining mobility, Aiden brushes past Jake and strides into the boys' bedroom, closing the door shut. I taste blood faintly and realize that I've been biting my lip unconsciously the entire time.
"Ellie..." Tyler trails, passing a look of understanding to everyone, "I think you should go talk to him."
His words are like a zap of electricity jolting me awake from today's daze.
"Me? Why me?" I hear my own voice, squeaking like a rusty door hinge from disuse. I clear my throat uncomfortable again, eyes trained to the floor. Erika answers my question with a taut, tight-lipped smile. "It'd just be best if you did. Just make sure he's alright, okay?"
"Okay," I hear myself respond robotically, finding myself at the door in a daze.
"Aiden?" I knock once, then twice. Grimacing internally, I swing the door open and enter, finding Aiden on one of the twin beds.
He look haphazard, as if he threw himself on the bed without a care. One arm was thrown over his eyes, but I could tell they were already closed. Treading softly, I perched on the end of the bed lightly and quietly as possible.
"Aiden," I tried to make my voice light and soothing, like my mother's. Judging by Aiden's unresponsiveness, I couldn't tell if I was succeeding. Very reassuring.
"You know," I continued, staring at the blue walls of the bedroom, "no one on the team blames you right? I mean, it could've happened to anyone. Even Jake feels bad, 'cause he sent me here to make sure you're okay."
Knowing that would get a response, I bit the urge to cheer as he slowly lifted the arm and opened his hazel eyes to look at me.
"No, he didn't."
My eyebrows shot up, surprised that he could see through my lie so easily.
"Your pause before his name." He answered my unsaid question.
I sighed in defeat and plopped onto the bed backwards next to him, staring at the ceiling. My eyes started roaming the ceiling, tracing the invisible constellations in the cracks.
"No faith in him, huh?" I chuckled. "He does feel bad, I can tell." I quickly rush, not wanting an answer, "He's just... a hothead sometimes, you know? Jake just needs to cool off."
I turned my head to face him, inhaling the smell of detergent off the sheets. His eyes were squeezed shut again, his pale eyelashes framing his closed eyes.
"I just keep replaying it in my head." He groans. He opens his eyes and his hand steals up to his hair, which he combs through roughly, disheveling it even more. "I mean, what kind of spy does that?! And what if it happens again? What would've happened if any of you had gotten hurt because of me? Oh god, I should've taken the backup when Jake asked."
"Hey." I lock eyes with him, gently pulling his hand out of his hair before he rips it all out. "What happened today was a fluke, Aiden. I've never seen you like that before. It was the first mission right? I'm sure you were just nervous."
He grimaced, twisting his mouth nervously. "You think so?"
"I know so." I smiled, hoping I sounded reassuring. Reaching my hand tentatively, I tousled his hair lightly so fall back in place, like Liz had done for me so many times before.
"You'll be fine."
Suddenly, door bursts open and Jake's head pokes in with a wide smile that I haven't seen in awhile.
With a jolt, I quickly scrambled in standing position, awkwardly fixing my clothes and feeling guilty for an unknown reason.
"Jake! What are you doing?" I exclaim, trying I dig myself out of this hole I've fallen into. "I mean," amending, quickly, "what are you doing here?"
"They came." He said smoothly, only looking at Aiden. "It's Mchenry and Baxter. Aid, If you feel up to it, everyone's in the kitchen."
"Yeah. Maybe I will, thanks." Aiden's good-naturedness seems to return, and exits the room after he shoots a small smile at me.
I quickly drop my eyes to the floor as he passes and wait until he leaves, each of his steps taking eternities. Lifting my eyes, Jake's position has changed, his arms now crossed in front of his chest and his eyebrows lifted, waiting for me to explain.
"Jake," I sighed, "it's not like that, okay?"
"Oh, my god Ellie." I wince at his exasperated voice. "What are you doing?"
The look of disbelief on his face made his green eyes expand, making me subject to their judgement.
My eyes narrow in retaliation.
"What do you mean, what am I doing? I am doing nothing wrong!"
He exhales through his nose angrily, clearly frustrated. "Ellie, are you blind? Seriously, because I think you are."
I laugh out of shock, not expecting that coming. "I'm the blind one? Jake, I think you need to take a class called self-realization with a teacher called hypocrisy- and why do I feel like you're antagonizing me?" I raise my eyebrows in question, ignoring the feverish feeling sticking on my skin.
"Ellie," the insistent tone of his voice takes me off guard, and I find myself looking into his eyes, which are confusingly not angry anymore. His voice made of something softer now, like linen.
"Don't fall for it, Ellie." A voice in my head whispers, the echoes bouncing all through my skull.
"I'm not attacking you, okay, Ellie? I'm just... concerned is all."
"Okay," I tread softly, as if I'm dancing blindfolded into a minefield. "But I can take care of myself Jake. I've grown up too."
"Yeah," he chuckles softly, "I keep forgetting that. But I won't anymore. Especially because of what happened this morning."
I hear the footsteps this time, coming nearer from the end of the hall. Macey's silhouette drew closer, etched by shadows of the already setting sun.
"Sutton, Adams," She grins, greeting us. She looks almost the same as the last time I remember, but her hair is longer, and her eyes are swifter, more calculating. In the last second, I didn't have a doubt that she did a thorough analysis of me, down to the number of hairs I grew on my head.
"Hi, Macey." I smile back, "Where's Liz?"
"Milan," she answers smoothly, "or was it Mali? Anyway, we need you guys in the kitchen, stat." She points in the direction with such authority that I half- expected her to make us march.
"Yes, ma'am!" Jake grins and fake salutes.
Macey rolls her eyes, but I could tell she wants to laugh too.
"Boys."
Like a weight being lifted off my shoulders, I laugh freely, and the only thing I could do is agree.
As we enter the kitchen, Erika catches my eye over the various mountains of food gathered from the pantry and sends me a questioning look.
I shake my head a fraction. Later, I mouth quickly.
"So," Tyler mumbles between mouthfulls of food, "we kinda wanna know what's going on, if that's okay?"
Bex grimaces delicately and wrinkles her nose. "Chew, love."
"But really though," Jake persists, covering for Tyler, "Abby left us without notice. That kind of thing doesn't happen unless something bad happens, right?"
Macey sighs, suddenly seeming defeated and shares a strange glance with Bex.
"Yes, sherlock, something has happened," She pauses to take a chip from Tyler's mounainous pile. "The plan's changed. Again."
"We're going to take you back to Gallagher tomorrow. All of you."
My eyes burn from being open for so long, and water once I blink them fiercely.
"But what about the whole team thing?" Lena asks.
"It's more than that now," Macey sighs, and pinches the skin between her blue eyes.
"Then what is it?" Tyler asks, mouth now empty of food. "You're kind of keeping us in the dark here."
"He's right." Bex frowns and nods at Macey mysteriously.
Macey bites her lip but opens her mouth, all of us watching her intently.
"Gallagher girls have been disappearing. So this week, four have turned out to be missing, and that's four more than there should be. It's too much of a coincidence to be separate attacks."
My heart constricts, squeezing my breath. I can feel the atmosphere in the room drop until the silence is deafening. The room is spinning and a single thought weaves through all my thoughts; How can Gallagher girls go missing?
"Oh, my god." Erika breathes. "Do they know who's doing this?"
"See, that's the thing." Macey says, her piercing blue gaze on us, "They think that the circle is back. And they have new motive."