Zach's P.O.V.
Out of all places they could send us, they were sending us to Rome. Sure they were sending us to a safe house on the other side of the city, but it was still her city. The chances of running into her were slim, like one in a million slim, but that was still too great a chance. We sat in one of Blackthorne's many private jets; Cammie sat beside me, in the back row. Bex sat with Macey in front of us, Jonas and Liz beside them and Jake and Grant beside us, behind Jonas and Liz.
"Ladies and Gentleman," Mr. Solomon stood from his seat in the front of the small plane. "Please open your files."
We did as we were told.
Dylan Murray
Age: 18
Status: American Exchange Student
School: Salisbury School
Notes:
Football Player, History Honor Role, AP Italian Student, Fluent in several languages: French, Italian, Greek, Spanish, English and Arabic, Relationship with Samantha Parker
"You don't happen to be Samantha Parker?" I leaned my head on Cammie's shoulder, looking up at her through my eyelashes.
"Why, Dylan Murray?" She looked down at me, smiling. She reached over and swapped our folders, opening mine in her own lap. I did the same.
Samantha Parker
Age: 17
Status: American Exchange Student
School: Miss Hall's School
Notes:
Track and Field, Cross Country, AP Italian Student, Relationship with Dylan Murray, Sister of Jenevive
"'Fluent in Arabic.' Well, looks like you compromised, Goode." She jibbed.
"Nah, I'm too good for that." I was amazed I could joke when I was moving at a steady pace of 600 miles an hour towards the woman countless government agencies have fought to keep me away from.
We spent the next ten minutes exchanging files with our friends. Bex was:
Linda Modd
Age: 18
Status: American Exchange Student
School: Miss Hall's School
Notes:
Black Belt Martial Arts, AP Italian Student, Native of England
Macey:
Hannah Chase
Age: 17
Status: American Exchange Student
School: Miss Hall's School
Notes:
Daughter of American Fashion Mogul, AP Italian Student
Liz:
Jenevive Parker
Age: 16
Status: American Exchange Student
School: Miss Hall's School
Notes:
Junior President of AV club, AP Italian Student, Sister of Samantha
Jonas:
Mark Rogus
Age: 17
Status: American Exchange Student
School: Salisbury School
Notes:
President of AV club, AP Italian Student, Fluent in several languages: French, Italian, Greek, Spanish, English and Arabic
Grant:
Spencer Mason
Age: 18
Status: American Exchange Student
School: Salisbury School
Notes:
Professional MMA Trainee, AP Italian Student
Jake:
Jackson Kent
Age: 18
Status: American Exchange Student
School: Salisbury School
Notes:
BMX, Mountain Biking, AP Italian Student
"Profiles on your schools. All boys and all girls respectively. The lesser known of their kind. They are schools whose headmistresses graduated from Gallagher, so we use these schools as covers when sending students out into the field." He spoke.
"Your mission. We have received intelligence regarding an ancient terrorism organization, even more dangerous than al Queda."
"By a long shot." I heard Headmistress Morgan speak from her seated place beside Mr. Solomon.
"Anyway," Mr. Solomon sent her a sympathetic look. Cammie's brow wrinkled, trying to figure the meaning behind the look. I already knew it though, "We cannot give more information until you accept the mission." Everyone eagerly accepted, "Zach?"
"What do you think?" I leaned back in my seat.
"Moving on." Mr. Solomon smirked at me, "We have found out they are planning a full scale attack. On us. On Blackthorne." My brothers all looked taken aback, but I had known it was only a matter of time. "They had been targeting Gallagher, but realized Blackthorne would be a much easier target with an equal impact. We need to stop them. We imagine Blackthorne is not their only target. After all, the members we know of, most of them very high up, maybe even leaders, have been moving their families to Rome over the past few months. Most of them have kids who will all be attending the same school. You will be joining them. Part one would be befriending them. Part two is finding the other targets. Part three, stop the attack. Part four, take them down."
Bex's P.O.V.
"Are they actually together now?" I asked Macey, hoping for some clarification. I wasn't as clueless with boys as the Liz and Cammie, but I was no Macey.
"Signs point to yes, but..." Macey looked at them in the reflection of our in-seat TV screen.
"But she never told us." I finished for her.
We sat there and watched our best friend lean her head on the shoulder of her maybe boyfriend, their fingers intertwined and a movies reflection shining in their eyes. We watched as their eyes slowly shut, Zach's head leaning on hers.
"They're an item," Macey turned back to her magazine, contempt evident in her eyes.
Zach's P.O.V.
"What the hell?" I exclaimed, something hit my face, pulling me from sleep. I opened my eyes to see Grant and Jake grinning broadly, leaning over me.
"We landed Zachypoo! Let's go." They pulled their luggage out of the overhead compartments. I threw Jake's shoe back at him. Jake caught it, "Get Cammie and let's go."
"Good luck Zachy!" Bex called back before disembarking the plane. Cammie doesn't wake up easily.
I stood from my seat, standing in the hallway. I grabbed our two bags in one hand and slid Cammie over into my seat and then up into my arm. I made my way carefully through the plane and down the small stairs onto the landing strip.
"Oh good, you're all here." A woman in her mid forties or so smiled at us, "Let me guess." She pointed at each of us, calling our names off, "Macey McHenry, Hannah Chase. Rebecca Baxter, Linda Modd. Elizabeth Sutton, Jenevive Parker. Jonas Nichols, Mark Rogus. Grant Newman, Spencer Mason. Jake McClagen, Jackson Kent. Which would make her Cameron Morgan or Samantha Parker and you Zachary Goode are Dylan Murray." I didn't need to be a spy-in-training to hear the distrust in her voice. "My name is Bianca Magazzino and I will be your host mother."
"She was and is a Gallagher girl. Get in the cars and you will be taken to her home. Liz and Grant will receive further information. Good luck." Ms. Morgan spoke, ushering us into the two black SUVs.
I slid Cammie into the backseat, about to follow her in until her mother stopped me, pulling me out of the car.
"Zach, she'll be there. If you can't be there we will understand." She showed me compassion, something adults didn't usually show me.
I spoke the truth, "In our lines of work, we're going to cross quite often; I should get it over with now."
She nodded her head and gave me a pat on the cheek, "If you need anything. Call Joe or I. Anytime. We will pull you out. Good luck." I saw her glance at her sleeping daughter.
"I'll keep her safe. I promise." The headmistress pulled me into a hug.
"I know you will." I returned the gesture.