So I thought it was time to give you guys another chapter. Thanks to all of my reviewers! I laughed at some, was shocked at others, but loved them all the same. I have some shout outs though! To MyWingsLetMeFly: Thanks for being the rational one. :) To samcheese1: You were the first reviewer, and hopefully you were kidding... To the anonymous reviewer Ali: OMGSH! Thank you soooo much! :D That review totally made my day! To ktran: I laughed so hard at your review. XD To AlliAlways: You are the first person to offer me virtual rainbow pastries. :D Special shoutout to you! XD To Sydney: I hope that I don't "jump the shark" with this chapter. Let me know if I do though. :) ~~ Don't feel bad if you didn't get a spotlight shout out, my wonderful reviewers! All of your reviews are treasured and are read over and over again. Well, I hope I please you all with this next chapter. It may be what some of you expect, and what some don't. ;) (That was a loooong author's note. Ugh...)
Disclaimer: I do not own the Gallagher Girls series, I do own everything else.
Third Person POV (yet again)
The sadness that accompanied the agents back to the base was thick as tar. Everyone was shocked when they saw Cammie's lifeless body. The agents carried her to the hospital to see what was the cause of death. It could be many things. Poisoning was high on the list, but starvation was as well. It didn't pass the agents' eyes that Cammie had lost serious weight. The constant beating could have done it too, since Cammie's fair skin was now all purple and black.
Out of everyone, they all agreed Zach was hit the hardest. He was silent all the way back to the base, except for the sobs that racked his body. Tears fell constantly from his green eyes, which had now turned a mucky brownish green from the sadness inside. Even though she was dead, he held Cammie's hand all the way back to the base. His sad eyes never left her closed ones.
Macey, Bex, and Liz cried along with Zach. They wailed for the first few minutes, but eventually calmed to heart-wrenching sobs. Grant, John, and Jonas all held the girls after a while, trying to comfort them. But it was no use. They had lost their sister. Abby wasn't doing so well either. She tried to keep her face emotionless, but her eyes were beginning to flow over with tears and the occasional sniffle could be heard.
Back at the base, the word of Cameron Morgan's death flew like the wind. Everyone knew before half an hour had passed. Trevor began to shed tears when he heard as well. He insisted on seeing Sierra and began hitting the walls when he could not. They had to detain him and give him a sedative to keep him from further hurting himself. Abby herself delivered the news to Sierra, who immediately burst into tears and screamed, "It's all my fault!" over and over again. They left her to cry to herself soon afterwards. Yet, her wails could be heard from the second floor. No one tried to stop her, they just all joined in.
Liz, Bex, Macey, John, Grant, and Jonas all followed Zach, seeing what he would do. His eyes were lifeless like Cammie's. He did nothing to hide the hurt and sadness and heartbreak that was evident on his face. After he could no longer be next to Cammie, he wandered. He wandered until his feet brought him to her room. Already knowing where the spare key was hidden, Zach unlocked the door and walked in. It stilled smelled like her. Zach began to cry again. He made his way to the bed, sat down, and cried. The others followed him in and closed the door. They sat down in the chairs that had somehow made their way into Cammie's room. Liz, Macey, and Bex all sobbed again as well.
Soon, Bex spoke. "W-wh..why?" She barely choked it out before crying again.
"Shhhh," Grant soothed.
"She w-was t-t..too young!" Liz cried. She blew her nose on some tissues she had snagged.
Jonas just rubbed her back while she cried. He didn't dare say it would be okay. Nothing was okay, and nothing ever would be again.
"I'm going to murder that devil of a woman," Zach ground out.
"We all a-are," Macey agreed.
Everyone nodded.
They soon noticed the different emotion radiating from Zach: hatred.
"Zach, buddy, I know you are sad about losing Cammie," John said. Zach glared at him
"SAD? Sad! That is all you can say that I am feeling? I am way past sad. I'm angry, hurt, furious, and just plain heartbroken! I feel like my life has been pulled out from under me and I can't stop falling! She's never coming back, John! AND THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO. Do you know how bad that hurts? To know that she is never coming back? I kept hoping and praying that she would open her eyes on the way home! I hoped and prayed I was in a dream! That someone would pinch me and the real mission would begin so that I could bring the real and living Cammie home! But that's never going to happen, now is it? IS IT?"
No one said anything.
"Cammie is dead and there is nothing we can do." Zach, who had stood in his rage, now fell back on the bed and began to cry.
They all knew Zach spoke the truth. It hurt so bad to know that Cammie wasn't ever going to wake up, that she never would be with them again. They knew the lives of spies were dangerous, but you never really get the full scope until you experience it first hand. What was there to do besides mourn?
"We can't let Cammie die for no reason," Zach spoke suddenly. "She died trying to take down the Circle and that's what we are going to do. I know for sure that I will not rest until every Circle agent is dead at my feet. Who's with me?"
No one hesitated to agree. They all nodded determinedly. They wouldn't let Cammie's death go by without revenge.
"We start with," Zach spat the next word, "her."
They all knew who he meant: his mother. Who better to start with than the leader of the enemy and the reason for the death of Cammie?
"Let's go," Zach said.
"What? Now," Liz asked.
"Yes, now. There is no better time," Zach smiled wickedly. "I want to have a little chat with mommy dearest first, though. She might know how Cammie died. She may tell it biased, but I would like to hear how the girl I," he choked out the next words, tears gathering in his eyes, "loved died."
For a second, it seemed he would burst into tears again, but then rage contorted his face and he walked out of the room. The group followed behind him a little ways, scared to get to close to the flames beginning to come off Zach (metaphorically of course). Agents all around took one look at Zach and jumped out of the way as fast as they could. It is rare that you see any agent cower in fear, but today a new world record was set. Zach was terrifying. His green eyes has turned into a blazing inferno. His mouth was fixed in a determined frown, his eyebrows forming a devilish "V". Bex, Liz, Macey, Grant, John, and Jonas all looked on with silent awe.
Bex stepped out of the spell first. "We have to stop him."
They all turned their shocked faces to her.
"He's going crazy with grief. He's acting irrationally. We need to stop him," she whispered urgently.
They all took one look at Zach and agreed that maybe he was going a little crazy. They all nodded. His plan had been a good one, but the way he was acting was going to get someone hurt. They all split into groups and circled Zach. Zach, blinded by rage and grief, didn't notice his friends closing in on him. Before he could notice what they were doing, they had him pinned on the ground and being dragged to the isolation chambers.
"Let me go!" he screamed, but to no avail. John and Grant never loosened their grip on Zach's forearms.
Zach fought, clawed, and said obsenities, but his friends ignored him. They dragged him to the doors that led to the third floor, explained the situation, provided the proof, and dragged Zach to a padded cell. They threw him in and he lay there, dazed. Zach sat up and looked at them with sad eyes. They knew he recognized what had happened to him.
"Sorry, buddy. Just for a few days," Grant said. He closed the door.
Zach held up his hands to his face and looked at them to see if they were growing and morphing into a monster.
"What happened to me," he whispered.
But he knew the answer.
"Why did you have to leave me, Cammie?"
Third Person POV (STILL)
After they had left Zach, Macey, Bex, Liz, Grant, John, and Jonas all went to find Abby. Perhaps she would know what to do now.
They found her in her office, her head in her hands. Her tears were dried, but her eyes were puffy still. When she saw the group enter, she stood and said hello to each of them.
"What brings you here," she asked, blowing her nose.
"We came to see what is to be done," Bex explained.
Abby thought for a moment. "Wait. That's all we can do. The lab should be back with the cause of death within the hour. They are very efficient."
"There is nothing else we can do?" Liz asked.
"Unless you want to be the one to tell Rachel what happened, no," Abby laughed sadly. She plopped back down in her chair and sighed heavily.
"You haven't told Headmistress Morgan yet," Macey exclaimed.
"I'm waiting until the lab gives back the results so I can tell her how her daughter died besides the Circle of Cavan killed her."
"Well, we'll see if she takes it better than Zach did," Grant trailed off.
Abby looked at him. "What do you mean "takes it better than Zach did"? Zach just cried."
"Oh no," Bex said. "He went wild. He looked like he was going to murder someone."
Abby shook her head sadly. "It's what happens when someone looses a loved one sometimes. Just give him time to go through the stages of grief. He'll get better."
"Why aren't we reacting like Zach," Liz asked. "We knew Cammie longer and we loved her as a sister." Referring to Macey, Bex, and herself.
Abby sighed. "People react in different ways, Liz. No one really knows how they will react until they do. Zach has more, uh, violent tendencies. Give him time."
They all nodded.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," Abby called.
A person dressed in surgical clothes entered, looking quite frantic. "Agent Cameron! We have discovered something!"
"Yes, yes, Agent Williams, what is it?"
"Cameron Morgan is not dead!"
No one spoke. Everyone's hearts stopped for a full two seconds before restarting faster than ever. They all began to fire questions at the agent in the doorway so fast they sounded like screeching monkeys.
"QUIET!"
They all fell silent at Abby's command.
"Agent Williams, what on earth do you mean Cameron Morgan is not dead?"
Agent Williams wide eyes focused on Abby and then began to explain. "She was given a potion of some sort. One we have never seen before, but it's definitely causing Agent Morgan's condition."
"A potion?"
"Yes, a potion. It seems to put the victim into a trance-like death. It is an exact replica of death on the outside: the deathly cold, blue skin. However, on the inside, the potion seems to slow down the vital organs to almost a stand still that it gives the impression that the victim is dead."
"This is wonderful news!"
"I wasn't done, Agent Cameron. The potion also does something else. It slowly, but surely, kills the victim. It can take days, even weeks, after it is given, but it does kill them."
Silence.
Abby stood. "Have you found the antidote?"
"We have only just discovered the potion, ma'am. We are not sure if this can be cured. It may be irreversible. We also do not know how long Agent Morgan has had the potion. She may have less than 24 hours to live."
More silence.
"Find out what it is."
The agent nodded and left.
Silence engulfed the group for a while, but it didn't last long.
"I'm going to tell Zach," Bex said.
"What? Didn't you see what happened to him earlier? He could react worse this time," Macey exclaimed.
"I'm doing it anyways." She left.
They rest of the group followed suit only a few minutes later. Bex had already gone into the third floor by the time they reached the stairs. Bex entered Zach's cell to see him crying. He was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. Zach looked up at her with melancholy eyes and whispered, "Leave me. I am a monster."
"Zach, you want to hear what I have to say."
"What does it matter? Cammie is gone," he said in a choked sob.
"That's just it, Zach. Cammie isn't dead. She's been given a potion that makes it seem like she is."
Zach's head snapped toward her. He jumped up and grabbed Bex's arms. "What do you mean?"
"She's been given a potion that makes her seem like she's dead."
"No," Zach whispered. "Oh please no!"
Bex looked at him in confusion. "Zach, what's wrong?"
Zach hit a wall with his fist and then said, "I know what potion you mean. Circle members call it Hades' Drink. It's a potion that shuts down the body slowly while it makes it seem like the victim is dead on the outside. However, it's only ever administered to lost causes, usually agents who are no longer needed, or are dying and can't be recovered."
"It was given to her for a reason, you mean," Bex asked.
"Yes. My mother would not have given it to Cammie unless she got what she wanted or Cammie was dying. Bex, that potion wasn't given to Cammie for no reason."
"Is there an antidote?"
"Not that I know of, but I don't know a lot of things."
"Will your mother know?"
"Of course. All leaders of the Circle are required to know the effects and how to make the antidotes of original potions and poisons."
"We can ask her," Bex said.
"I'm coming."
"No, you're not. After what happened today, you need a few days. Let us deal with this."
"You don't know my mother."
"Nope, but I'm about to." She closed the door, leaving Zach pounding on the door.
The group was waiting outside the door. They all looked at her expectantly.
"Well," Liz asked.
Bex punched her left palm with her right hand, her face evil yet serene. "Who's ready to interrogate the leader of the Circle of Cavan?"
They all smiled. Finally.
Hope I didn't "jump the shark", which is a new phrase I learned. Thanks, Sydney. ;) I think the next chapter will be the interrogation, and also the last actual chapter. I think I will then write an epilogue and maybe a goodbye author's note. :) Then I shall write the sequel. WARNING: I don't guarantee a quick start to the sequel. I have to figure out the plot line first.
Spy on,
Sorrel14
