Chapter 26:

A long helicopter ride later.

"So how do you plan on turning yourself in?" Tina peeped over my shoulder.

"When that guy attacked me, I ravaged the room he was checked into. While I was there I found loads of documents, most of them a map of a jail, and some blueprints." I pulled out the papers and showed them to Tina. "Basically they're planning on breaking Josephine out and regrouping."

"So you're handing yourself to them at the front door?"

"And hoping that they don't kill me before I step foot inside." I chuckled nervously, my eyes no longer able to meet hers.

I can tell that she noticed my awkward pause, because I felt her staring right through me. "Cam, it's okay to be scared, or worried, or whatever emotion you're trying to hide from me."

"To be honest, all of this on its own is a suicide mission, and I think I've run out of miracles." I sighed. "If I don't make it out breathing, tell Zach to remember the code for 29." She nodded.

"As long as I am the one who ran her mouth about you, and basically made your high school a living hell, you are gonna make it out of this alive even if I have to drag you out myself."

"I like this Tina better, she's brutally honest about how annoying she was." She nudged me with her elbow.

"So where is the base?"

"Australia, deep into the countryside."

"How do they plan on running a really big terrorist group from the most under the radar continent?"

"Good question. But I know that they're meeting up at this high security prison in Tennessee first. That's where they plan to rescue Josephine."

"What do you think she wants from you?"

"Probably to rack my brain for things I don't have." I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Cammie, you shouldn't do this. Let her come to you."

"Before or after all my family and friends are dead?" She sat in silence and reclined in her chair.

It took barely an hour for us to land half a mile behind the base. I let my feet touch down onto the ground and shut the door behind me before Tina could get out. A look of shock and confusion spread quickly across her face as she continued pulling on the door handle.

I looked somberly into her eyes before whispering. "This isn't your mission, it's mine." And with that I locked the door letting her furiously bang her fists on it.

I slid down into one of the sewers and continued on into the pipeline. I didn't imagine myself to be sewer diving when I was graduating. I walked still through the darkness until I arrived at a small metal door. It was an underground entrance. I pressed onto the buzzer feeling the gentle hum of the machine under my fingers.

"Who are you with?" A voice finally croaked out.

"CIA." I replied.

"Who are you here to see?"

"Josephine Cavan."

"Josephine is not accepting visits right now."

"I'm not here to eat tea and biscuits with her, I'm here to interrogate, so if I were you it would be in my best interests to open this door." I warned. Within moments the man had already opened it with a visitors badge in hand.

I politely took the badge and was escorted to a quiet and still room. There was bulletproof glass separating me from the criminal that was mere seconds from entering. I turned to look at the door, questioning my decision to come here in the first place. By the time I had turned around I was face to face with the shell of a woman.

I immediately jumped in my chair, surprised by the lady in front of me that looked completely unfazed by the fact that she had been in a jail cell for weeks. Her hair was still perfectly shiny and not a single strand poked out. There weren't bags under her eyes and her face hadn't changed, there wasn't even a pimple or scar on her face.

"The mind replays what the heart can't delete. Do you remember that Cameron?" She smiled wickedly at me.

"It was you." I huffed unable to believe it. "This whole time I thought I was going crazy, but nothing ever happens to me without a reason." I ran my hands through my hair and looked at her. "You were the one who got in my head."

"I was just testing you, my darling." She looked at me, a mask of fake innocence on her face. "I mean, you will need to be ready if you'll be of any use to us." She looked at her cuticles, examining them as if they were the most precious diamond to ever exist.

"What do you mean?" I countered.

"You really think I made you shoot yourself with absolutely no other plan in mind?" She put her hand on her heart, seeming almost offensed by my assumption. "Cammie, I'm a criminal mastermind, the leader of the organization that wreaked the most terror on this planet, and I know talent when I see it."

"Your trying to recruit me? You think I would ever be foolish enough to-"

"You don't have much choice." She snapped, her voice icy cold. "You see Cameron, I know your strengths, weaknesses, and soft spot. I know what has to happen to make you crack, or snap, or feel. I can manipulate you like a kid does play doh, and you are forced to obey."

"Or what?" I stood up and snapped, my voice bouncing against the walls, my hands firmly pressed on the table in front of me.

"He dies." She whispered. "They die." She corrected, her voice more affirmative this time. "And no one will make it out alive."

"What do you know about Wickett?" I said quietly.

"I have my sources." She smiled. "Everyone has a pressure point, and sometimes, if you push hard enough, you can use it to bend them to your will."

"I knew I should've trusted my dad." I put my head in my hands.

"Matthew was always my favorite." She started. "Quick to crack puzzles, super observant, crazy hot." She drifted off. I cringed at her calling my dad hot. My dad wasn't bad looking, but it didn't seem like a compliment coming from her.

"Josephine, what do I have to do for you to let me go? To leave my family alone?"

"Join me." She looked up, a spark in her eyes. "Join me, and I will leave them alone. I will tell every sniper I have chasing them to fuck off. They will be completely at peace, and all you have to do is swear your loyalty to me."

I sat there in silence, knowing that there were two of the worlds biggest choices on my shoulders. I would either ignore Josephine's threat putting my entire life and the lives of the ones I love at risk, or, I go against everything I believe in, and work for the circle. 'No one ever really leaves the Circle.' The words rang in my ears like an Ed Sheeran song.

"I'll do it!" I yelled, plugging my ears, trying to make the never-ending nightmare stop.

"Okay." She clapped her hands together, smiling at me, almost trying to say she was happy she could bend me to her will. "First things first."

"What?"

"You are gonna bust me out of here." I couldn't see my reaction, but I knew that I was shocked. "What?" She shrugged. "You wanna prove your loyalty? You're gonna get me out of this cell."

Zach POV

Jonas? You have anything for me?

I have word that Josephine is being held in one of two facilities. It's either Denver or Tennessee, couldn't get any more specific than that.

Am I the first one to know or is there another little birdie Grant might have chirped to first?

Hey, hop off man. Grant yelled from his side. We can pick you up from the ship if you want. Jonas suggested.

Afraid we need to find someone to keep our cover for us first. Until then, we're grounded.

Sounds boring, have fun with that.

I hate you. I groaned into the phone.

The feeling is mutual. See you soon. And the line then went dead.

I walked back into the room, sliding the balcony door closed behind me. Bex and Macey both stared me down with looks of anticipation in their eyes.

"We have two locations, unfortunately we can't lower it down to one."

"So we split up." Bex cut in. "Macey and Matthew go to the first, you and I can go to the second."

"Bex, we don't know two people who can drive helicopters, and driving will surely take way too long-"

"I know how to drive one." Matthew's voice boomed from the back of everyone. "You guys seriously should've learned that junior year. I'm a little disappointed in Professor Buckingham." He chuckled.

"Okay, but we still don't have a helicopter for him to drive."

"You know what?" Matthew started, pulling his phone out. "You guys are newbies. I've got some connections. Let me worry about getting to the jail while you figure out whose going to keep our cover while we're gone." And with that he whisked himself away, leaving the four 'newbies' as he phrased it, left to ponder.

"Liz, have you got anything?"

"Yeah, a migraine." She snapped.

"Besides that, I mean like any suggestions?"

Liz pulled the computer close to her and her fingers began flying across the keyboard. A look of satisfaction crossed her face moments later as she pushed the computer away from her.

"What just happened?" Macey asked.

I put out a note on the GGHL."

"You mind explaining what that is?" Bex chimed.

"The Gallagher Graduate Help Line. Kim Lee created it after we graduated. I leave a message and anyone who graduated from our senior class can respond."

"So we are supposed to sit here and wait for a message from girls we haven't seen in years, hoping that maybe their going to open their phones and check this dumb-" I was interrupted by the ping of Liz's laptop. I looked over to see that we had gotten a message.

"Zach, you we're saying?" But I didn't respond because I was in a room with three trained spies who could kill me and then lie on top of me and do their makeup. I know I'm gonna die, but let's save it until after I find Cammie.

I know, I haven't updated in centuries.

I blame writers block! I have no idea as to where this is going and instead of trying to figure it out I'm watching episodes of the Flash.

I'm doing my best to end this story so I can get some new work out there. Just hang tight, okay?

Comments:

GallaghergirlsEmbassyrowFan: Hey, I've missed you! I know, Tina is going through a realization phase in my head (plus I can't stand her being annoying anymore) Yeah, at this point I'm starting to think that Cammie might have a death wish. Xxx

Smiles180: that's what I wanted, because it's ironic that after all that time, Tina would help Cammie. Xxx

Zammieotp: Thanks so much! Right now it's a difficult time for the whole Zammie relationship, but I will try to squeeze something in there just for you ;) xxx