Yeah, I know, I know. I'm a horrible updater. Honestly, the time escapes me. I have a separate life from this, (though I wish I didn't sometimes) so I must prioritize. Ugh. Well, Chapter 26, everyone! Only a few more until the end! The sequel is forming in my mind, but I have yet to get a full plot line.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Gallagher Girls series, I do own everything else.

Bex POV

"Duchess, come in, Duchess."

"Yes, Bookworm?"

"Scan the area behind you for any listening devices and report back."

"Got it."

I had been standing out here for nearly an hour and nothing exciting had happened. I had changed disguises three times and had been switched positions four. Zach and Grant were stationed somewhere far away, but I could see Macey and John posing as a couple across the street. I do not think that flirting is acting at all. Those two are so into each other. Hmph. I wonder how long it will take them to get together. Hopefully it will be smoother than Cammie and Zach's relationship. Talk about bumps in the road! I hope Grant and I get together one day...

I shook my head and forced myself to focus. This was not a time to be daydreaming. I quickly began my task, subtly checking the benches and poles for listening devices. I found none. That surprised me. You would think that the COC would have more surveillance around their bases, but who am I to say what their plans are? I have no idea how we are going to find this base. From what Abby told me, she said that it was deep within the forest and underground. Lovely. That just makes this job so much easier.

"None, Bookworm," I said into my comms unit.

"Thanks, Duchess. Keep in rotation until you are assigned your next task."

I said nothing back, but stared at the van that was functioning as our hacker and tracer base. Liz was in the back with about five other people, including Jonas. I looked around and spotted Grant pretending to buy ice cream for the third time and from that really cute redhead. I felt my jealousy swell up as he flirted with her. She probably thought this was her lucky day, three different guys flirting with her in the space of an hour. Well, I know it's one guy and I'm not liking it.

I turned away, sick at the sight. When will Grant flirt with me like that? When will he show affection for me, if ever? Oh this is so confusing! No wonder Gilly made an all girls academy. Boys are too confusing and too distracting for us to concentrate on our missions. Curse my girlie brain. Curse it.

I walked past one of our other operatives who was dressed as a businessman. He didn't even look my way when I passed him and started for the bus stop. I passed two more in the space of thirty seconds. Nearly everyone out here is a CIA operative. It's quite funny to see the normal person mingle with a spy and not notice it. I tried to put myself in their place and wondered what they might think. Do they wonder if they are standing next to a spy, or do they automatically assume it's a normal person? Little do they know that anyone can be a spy. That's what makes my job so hard. An enemy spy could be anyone. That blonde in the jogging suit about ten feet from me could be a COC agent, or that man talking on his cell phone waiting for the bus. It could even be that group of teenagers heading into town! That's why this job is so dangerous: you never know who is your enemy is and who is not.

I walked up to the bus and got on it for the second time. It would take me into town a little ways where I would rotate with another operative and team up with Zach. So far nothing has been seen. The forest that surrounds this town is thick and the operatives who have gone it haven't found anything yet. It was beginning to be frustrating. I wish I could go in there, but I'm on the look out team and I must obey superiors.

The bus let me off ten minutes later and I walked into another store, a floral. I walked around like I was browsing, but I was really scanning for cameras and listening devices. I soon wandered into the restroom when the only employee that was in the store went into the back. However, before I did, I opened the front door and made it seem like I had left. I checked the bathroom for bugs and cameras, but found none. I changed in 1 minute and 38 seconds. I think that might beat a record. My once auburn hair was now a scarlet red. My eyes that had been chocolate brown were now sky blue. The pink (yuck) blouse that I had been wearing had been traded for a green tanktop. My black skirt had been traded for black, ripped jeans. I basically went from a business woman to a punk teenager. I put on some black lipstick and eyeliner. I marveled at my work and walked out, my bag turned inside out from a brown shoulder bag to a black messenger bag. I hoped I didn't look too obvious.

Zach, right on cue, was walking on the other side of the street. He was wearing light, baggy jeans and a crisp green t-shirt. He had blonde hair, but still had his own green eyes. I, being disguised as his girlfriend, immediately ran over.

"Jeffrey!"

Zach, as if his name was Jeffrey, looked around immediately. He searched a little before he found me and then smiled like I just made his day. I ran up and jumped into his arms and he laughed. We both felt so awkward. I wanted this to be Grant and he wanted it to be Cammie.

"Hey, Brit. Nice to run into you," Zach said, beginning to walk again. "What brings you here?"

I put on a way too innocent face. That kind that is so innocent that you just know they can't be. "Just...a little shopping."

"In a floral store," Zach said raising an eyebrow.

I fake blushed and grabbed his hand. "Well, yes, but I can't tell you why."

Zach smiled devilishly. "Something for me?"

"Mayyybe," I said in a way too obvious girly voice.

Zach only smiled and put his arm his around my shoulder and I leaned into him. This was so awkward, but we played along. We rounded the corner and just pretended to be a boyfriend and girlfriend going on a stroll around town. Although, anyone who knew us would know differently. We were scouting. Our eyes wandered over every nook and cranny of this fair town. I spotted Macey a ways away walking into a store. I smiled at her body language that she was unhappy. Missing John a little are we Macey? I laughed in my head.

Just then I realized a change in the atmosphere. I tensed. Something was wrong. I looked around a little too obviously, but then calmed myself and stuck to my cover.

"Jeffrey, are any of your friends going to join you," I asked. Translation: Do you feel anyone following us?

"Yes, Mark was supposed to show up a while ago. He is probably keeping his distance once you showed up," Zach said smiling. Translation: Yes, I do. They are hanging behind us a little. Keep up the cover.

"Well then, maybe I should go and see if Tracey is around and see if she has any gossip about people at school," I said. Translation: Then I need to leave and go and see if I can contact Liz and see what is going on.

"Awww, I don't want you to leave," Zach said, grabbing both of my hands and pulling me close. Okay, this was just the act, and it was really awkward.

"Sorry, but I would have to anyways. A couple of the girls were going to meet up and go to that cute dress shop in downtown later," I replied. Translation: It was almost time to rotate anyways. A couple of agents were going to group together and go downtown later and I want to go with them.

Zach put on a pouty face and then sighed. "Fine, I'll see you tomorrow." Then he hugged me and walked off towards the direction he thought the people who were following us were. He turned and gave me a wave and then turned the corner. I waved back and then walked on. I instantly scanned the surrounding area. Two or three people were CIA, but the majority was strangers. Strangers can be your friends or your foes. For one, in a crowded situation, they can hide you from your pursuiters, but if there isn't a huge crowd, they can mean enemy agents. I wasn't liking the odds. I saw Macey exit the shop she had entered earlier. I immediately went to comms.

"Peacock, can you hear me," I whispered and used ventriloquy so that I didnt look crazy.

"Loud and clear, Duchess," Macey answered. "What's wrong?"

"Shade and I had a tail or tails, I'm not sure. Shade went to investigate and hasn't been in contact since. Something is amiss. Bookworm, what's the details?"

Liz's response was a little what I expected.

"We believe the Circle has found out we are here. We can't tell who they are tailing yet and if they have any motives other than to see what is going on. Just keep to your covers unless they attack."

"Over," Macey and I said at the same time.

I kept walking then and looked around for a tail that I might have. I didn't see any immediate candidates, so I acted like I just remembered something and turned around and walked towards where Zach had gone. I sped up my walking like it was important. I didn't see anyone following me, but the real test would come after I turned the corner.

When I did, I kept walking, but used the stores' windows to keep an eye on things. About twenty feet passed the corner, I noticed the old woman that had been browsing a book store across the street behind me and hobble in my direction. I know that many people would think I am paranoid, but I'm a spy, and anyone could be an enemy. I kept walking and then I noticed the man from the coffee house that I had seen earlier give me a quick glance from the store he was "browsing" in. Slowly, people started to trickle in. All of them I had seen before. Before I knew it, I was trapped. I knew it was time to fight.

"Bookworm! I'm surrounded. Alert the rest of the agents," I whisper-yelled.

I heard her say something, but I didn't hear. The first out of around fifteen people jumped me. He tried to roundhouse kick me to the head, but I blocked his leg with my arm. That was going to bruise. Another person came up behind me and twisted me arm. I threw my head back into her nose and she dropped my arm. A third and the first person came at me with fast punches. I blocked most of them, but some of them hit my body and face. I didn't slow down, but as they started coming faster and harder, I was slowing down. I may be a spy with amazing endurance, but I am still human!

One second I'm battling four COC agents, the next I am tasting gravel. I try to rise, only to realize that they are pressing down on me. One comes in front of me, smiles, and then I know no more.

Macey POV

I hear Bex call the alarm and I immediately go on alert and rush to find her. I burst out of the store I was in and head towards the noise that I hear coming from my left. I run towards it and see that Bex is fighting like a mad thing against seventeen people. I got to give that girl credit, she isn't going down without a fight. But I see the fight leaving Bex's eyes, she's weakening. Holding off that many people is tiring, so I try to get their attention on me, but something grabs me and hauls me around the corner. I kick and scream only to see John holding me. I glare at him.

"Let me go! Can't you see she is about to get beat? They might take her away and torture her," I yell, angry. "I already lost Cammie and I'm not losing Bex, let me go!"

John does nothing, but holds me back. I struggle, but he always manages to counteract me. I scream and bite. I hear a body fall and I know Bex is down. I struggle even more, but it's no use. John will pay dearly for this.

"Bex! Bex," I scream into the comms unit. "Bex!"

There's no answer.

I begin to cry as I hear people walking away. I want to peek around the corner and see what is going on, but I can't because of this (a.k.a John).

John loosens his grip and holds me. I cry hard, because I know Bex is gone. Zach and Grant come up to me with melancholy looks. The van pulls up and Liz and Jonas step out. We all huddle around in our little group, which is missing two people. Then I realize why Bex is not here and pull away from John. I glare at him with a look that could kill.

"You," I growl. "You. You are the reason Bex is gone! I could have helped her! I could have stopped this from happening! We've lost both Cammie and Bex now! What were you thinking?"

John opened his mouth to speak, but before he said a word, Abby peeked out of the van and smiled, "Because he was told to."

I gape at Abby and open and close my mouth, trying to form one of the thousands of questions buzzing through my mind. But Abby answers all of them.

"We planned for this to happen, Rebecca," she says. I wince at my full name. "John couldn't let them take two of you, so he held you back while Bex went. All of you have trackers on you, and we plan to follow them to the base where they take Bex. We also hope it's the base where they are taking Cammie."

It all made sense. I look at my feet for a second as this sinks in. Bex was the bait, and the fish had snagged it. We had a chance now to find both Cammie and Bex. I begin to calm down and I look towards John, who has an emotionless mask on. I feel really bad for yelling at him now.

"I'm so sorry, John," I say, my voice dripping with sincerity. "I didn't know. I...I thought that..."

"I know," John says in that low voice of his. "I forgive you."

I nod.

"Well, not that I want to break up this lovely scene," a tech calls from inside. "But we got a read on Duchess' tracker. They're heading northeast at fifty miles an hour."

That jars me. I instantly go back into "spy mode" and jump into the van. Liz, Zach, Grant, John, and Jonas all pile in behind me. The back of the van gets very cramped and I'm nearly sitting on Liz's and Grant's laps. We don't complain, though. We have a mission. The van screeched off and we all held on. The felt tension and excitement of everyone in the van at the prospect of finally finding Cammie and destroying the COC. But something strikes me. Why isn't the COC checking Bex for bugs, comms, listening devices, among other things? Aren't they stripping her of every weapon she has? Will they find the tracker?

I voice my questions aloud and the tech people look at me like I'm crazy. One speaks for the rest of them,

"Of course they'll strip her of her weapons and communication units! They would be crazy not to. The tracker that is planted in Ms. Baxter's skin in undetectable to most devices."

"Then why didn't Cammie have one," Zach asks.

The tech looks straight at him. "We did not expect Ms. Morgan's capture. These tracking devices were used only for this mission."

That makes no sense, I grumble in my head. I don't say it aloud, but I know everyone else is thinking it. Good grief, spies sometimes overlook the little things that make the huge difference.

We don't have to follow the COC van for long. They soon turn off the road and into a nature park. We don't follow. It would be suicide to. We, instead, go to the next light and go in the opposite direction. The techs are scrambling to find their location as we head back to our base. We are nearly there when a tech yells,

"Got them!"

We all smile. Abby turns to everyone from the front seat, smiles, and says, "Prepare for extraction in 24:00 hours."

Sorry, sorry, sorry. I'm trying, trust me! Oh, and one thing, please do not leave cuss words in your reviews. I treasure every review, but I will delete them. Thanks. :) To all of you who ask how Cammie is, well, you'll have to wait and find out in the next chapter! :D

Spy on,

Sorrel14