Here's the next chapter, etc, etc.
X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X
Going on foot was strategic, since using a car might alert Mona to their presence, but it also provided Toby with more time to second-guess his decision. He had no reservations about his loyalty to Spencer, but he didn't like the fact that his loyalty to her meant he had to extend that to the other girls. As he and Spencer made their way through the streets, following Caleb's directions to where Mona was holding Aria, he ran through the past few days in his mind. And by the time they finally reached the right building, he'd come to a realization: he didn't hate the girls anymore.
Or at least, not as much as he used to. He'd been on board when he thought that A's plan was simply to torment them, and at that stage he hadn't much cared who A was or what their endgame might be. But when he'd found out that The Advisor was Wren, things had changed. If Mona had been in charge, he might have understood. Heck, even if it had been Noel, he wouldn't have been surprised. But Wren. An actual adult, with real world experience; with the skills to be able to pull this off, but the maturity to know he shouldn't. Which meant that whatever was driving him had to be serious, for him to have done such horrible things. Why would a grown man torment four high school girls if he didn't have a lot to gain – or to lose?
Toby had always disliked Wren, but now his hatred for the girls seemed to be transferring. He was still hurt by what the girls had done, still bitter from the grudges he'd held for years, but he no longer hated them. He hated Wren. And if saving the girls meant beating Wren once and for all – and in the process proving his love for Spencer – then maybe it really was the only thing he could do.
"I can't hear anything," Spencer said as they crept around the house, looking for another way in. The front door seemed too obvious, but there didn't seem to be any windows low enough to the ground for them to be able to get in that way. "Can you?"
Toby closed his eyes, concentrating on his surroundings, straining his ears for any sound. Opening his eyes, he shook his head. "Nothing."
"So either they're being quiet, or…" Spencer trailed off, her face growing pale.
"Or it's already too late," Toby said. And to his surprise he felt a pang of something close to sympathy. He had hated Aria for so long, for not stepping in when she could have helped, for letting him suffer when she could have saved him. But now, faced with the same decision, he had almost done the same. He knew where she was, and that she was in danger, and he had been willing to leave her if it meant that he and Spencer could stay safe. Maybe they weren't so different after all.
Frowning, Spencer led the way around the back of the house, coming to a stop by the back door. It looked even more formidable than the front door, and was just as firmly locked. A quick but thorough search of the yard revealed no spare keys, which meant that they were going to have to actually break in.
Without a word they finished the lap of the house, and at last they found something – a window, low enough for them to reach. They stopped in front of it and shared a look.
"We need to get inside," Spencer said, and the fear in her eyes made Toby's heart constrict – and even more when he realized that she wasn't scared for herself. She was scared for her friends. Spencer, selfless as always, was more concerned for Aria's safety than her own.
"Do you think you can pick the lock on the front door?" Toby asked, deep in thought. He couldn't believe that twenty-four hours ago he had been fully committed to the A-Team, and now here he was trying to save one of the girls he'd been so desperate to hurt.
Spencer smirked. "I've learned a thing or two since being on the team," she said, and Toby wasn't oblivious to the irony – without being on the A-Team, Spencer wouldn't have the skills to potentially take them down. Spencer 1, A-Team 0.
"You do that then," he said.
Alarm flashed through Spencer's eyes. "What are you going to do?"
The suspicion in her voice was almost masked by feigned calmness, but Toby knew her well enough to recognize the implications. She thought he was going to bail on her. "I'm going to break this window," he said. "Worst case scenario, it gets me inside too. Best case scenario, it causes a distraction."
"So you draw Mona to you and I save Aria," Spencer said, nodding slightly. Her eyes were still narrowed, but he couldn't tell if that was in thought or if she was still suspicious. She opened her mouth and Toby braced himself for an accusatory question, asking if he was really going to help her or if he was sure he wanted to do this, but instead she said, "Good luck."
Then she kissed him on the cheek, met his eyes for just a moment, and darted away, disappearing from sight as she turned around the corner of the house. She hadn't given Toby a chance to back down, he realized, which was probably just as well; he still wasn't entirely sure he wanted to do this, but if Spencer was going rushing off into danger, he couldn't let her do it alone.
He waited until he was sure she must have reached the door, and then he grabbed the nearest rock and hurled it at the window. It shattered instantly, shards of glass tumbling over the sill. Careful not to get hurt, he pulled himself up and through the window, landing lightly on the other side. In the few seconds it took for his eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness, he heard the door open. A light snapped on and he saw that he was in an empty room, standing on dusty floorboards and shards of glass.
And Mona stood in the doorway, pointing a gun at him.
"And the wildcard turns traitor," she said, sounding more amused than angry. She jerked her gun toward the door, a clear non-verbal direction.
Toby hesitated, knowing he needed to buy Spencer more time, but he didn't want to argue with the girl aiming a gun at his chest. Slowly, wordlessly, he held up his hands and took a step toward her. And another. In half a minute he'd crossed the room, and Mona stepped aside to let him go through the door first, her gun aimed on him all the while.
"Try anything and I'll kill you," Mona warned, and Toby could feel the gun pointed at his back as he walked down the hall.
They didn't speak again until Mona told him to stop in front of a plain brown door toward the end of the hall; a bedroom, Toby assumed, although he knew it wouldn't make a difference where she was taking him. Bedroom, basement; he was screwed either way.
"Open the door," Mona instructed.
Toby did as told, revealing a brightly lit room with two very salient features: Aria, tied to a chair in the middle of the room… and Spencer, crouched beside the chair and hastily trying to untie her friend.
"Spence," Aria said, stiffening as Toby stepped into the room, followed by Mona – and her gun.
"I'm sorry," Toby said, talking to Spencer but looking at Aria.
Spencer stood up, her eyes widening as she saw Mona's gun. She held up her hands in surrender, causing Mona to laugh.
"Come now, Spencer," she said, lowering her gun. "Do you really think I'd hurt you when you've been so loyal to us?"
Aria's mouth parted slightly in shock and she jerked her gaze from Mona to Spencer. "What is she talking about?"
"Haven't you told her?" Mona asked, and Toby realized where she was going with this. Powerless to stop her, he just watched the chaos unfurl. When Spencer didn't answer, Mona smirked. "Now's no time for modesty, Spencer. Take credit where it's due."
"Spencer," Aria said, her voice sharp with fear and suspicion. "What's going on?"
"Your friend here," Mona said, carelessly gesturing to Spencer with her gun, causing the three prisoners in the room to flinch, "has been working for us. She's A, Aria. Aren't you, Spence?"
Everything seemed to slow down. Toby stayed silent, watching as Aria caught Spencer's eye, her own expression incredulous – and just a little bit hurt.
"Is that true?" Aria asked quietly. "Are you on the A-Team?"
Silence reigned for a moment, and then Spencer looked away. "Yes," she admitted, just as quietly. "I've been working with Mona and the others." She took a deep breath, met Aria's eyes, and said, "I'm A."
X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X
Read, review, etc, see you next time.