It was the most unsafe safehouse Liz had ever seen. Liz hadn't really been to very many safehouses, sure, but none of them had been accessed by a key hidden under a flowerpot (except for that one mansion Macey had taken them to during their senior year at Gallagher, but Liz wasn't really counting that).

Liz settled Elisa on the couch inside, and started securing a perimeter. She didn't have much to work with, but she kept a few spare laser sensors in her bag, and her patented roof access detection sensor for good measure. A Gallagher Girl was always prepared.

They were far from "safe" Liz knew, (those laser sensors could easily be disabled with a McHenry Cosmetics compact in about 15 seconds), but it was better than nothing.

When Elisa revived completely (the universal antidote could be less effective when mixed with too much adrenaline), Liz knew it was time to do some detective work.

"So who do you work for, hun," Liz asked, gingerly. (The universal antidote could also give you a hangover headache). Liz had already run Elisa's face through the list of active CIA agents and come up empty. Liz had gotten some fingerprints too, but Elisa Solokov looked pretty normal on paper, except for her connection to the Russian scientist. And, unlike the Gallagher Girls and their colleagues, she actually had a paper.

Elisa blinked. Hard. "Interpol," she said slowly. Liz knew her field skills were very rusty, but it sounded like a lie.

"And you were working with Cammie and Zach?" Liz was skeptical. CIA/Interpol joint missions were rare, especially after that troubling Max Edwards incident ten years ago.

Elisa must have sensed Liz's skepticism because she clarified, "Not exactly. It was more of a common enemy kind of thing."

Liz supposed that made sense. "Well, I have to call my boss and let her know that I've been delayed," Liz said calmly.

Liz took out her phone. Elisa knocked it from her hand and stomped on it.

"No phones," her tone was nervous, fearful, Liz thought. "They're still looking for me. It's too dangerous."

"What do you propose then?"

"I have a check-in in a few days with . . . another agent. We stay hidden until then."

Normally, it wouldn't have seemed like an unreasonable plan to Liz. Liz had already met her future Gallagher Girl and wasn't expected back at school until the end of the week. This would have given her extra time to work on her lesson plans (she'd finally landed the Intro to Accessories class and she was excited to teach a new generation of Gallagher Girls how to weaponize a barrette).

But something about Elisa just didn't sit right with her. And a few hours earlier, Liz had watched as two thugs loaded one of her best friends and her friend's boyfriend/fiancé/whatever (Liz had heard the rumors, after all) into a van.

"What were you doing at that rowhouse?"

"I used to live there."

"And...?"

Elisa shrugged. "I have some enemies. They caught up with me."

"And Cammie and Zach were there because?"

"I. . . I don't know. They must have been going after my enemies. Cammie. . . she's my classmate. . . At U of C . . . She'd been following me. I didn't know why. . .and I've never seen the man before. . . Zach, you said?"

"Well they were taken by the people who came for you, and they could be in real danger right now." Liz was starting to realize waiting wasn't an option at all. In all honesty, she'd been so distracted looking after Elisa that her mind had just sort of . . . forgotten to process what had happened to Cammie and Zach.

Elisa went pale. She knew more than she was saying, Liz was sure. If only Liz had packed her patented truth serum.

Instead, she channeled her best Bex impersonation.

"I'm not going to ask you what's going on, because I'm sure it's classified, but one of my best friends is in real danger, and we can't just sit here and wait. So either you call your people or I will call mine."

Her words took Elisa aback. Liz grinned internally. Liz hadn't been this impressed with herself since she'd rappelled into sublevel two junior year at Gallagher and hadn't died.

"I'll make contact," Elisa agreed grudgingly.

Liz nodded. "You do that."