It had lunch tables with a little number attached to each. Each table had eight metal trays and an empty metal pitcher.

Some teams were all ready sitting down.

I caught sight of one of the two girls I had yet to see. She was tall with long shiny blonde hair. She was pretty in an artificial way. Her face was heavily made up with mascara and red lip-gloss.

Her team colors were orange and white. The team had made jumpsuits with the orange. At first glance they looked like they'd escaped from prison! She glanced over at me and her lips twisted into an amused smirk.

Then her eyes looked behind us, and her eyebrows raised upon a glance at Cannon.

"There's our table, 16." Delta pointed to one a few rows down. I followed and

walked with them in silence. We were all taking in everything.

"This is table sixteen and seventeen." Glory murmured.

I sat down and glanced around at the other teams, they're uniforms and themselves.

"So, I guess we'll be food mates with whoever seventeen is. I didn't see any of them over Maxell." Delta shrugged.

Everyone was chattering and looking around. Every bench was filled except for the one across from us.

"Announcements!" The stage was taken by a tall figure that I immediately recognized as Agent One.

We all silenced and looked up where he scanned us.

"I am looking at some of the best SITs in the world today. This includes the famous Midnight Sky, Gravel, Mustang, and Silver."

"Midnight Sky's here?" I heard someone ask. "Everyone would have seen him."

Everyone applauded. I had to smile a little for being pointed out.

I craned me neck to see Mustang a few tables down.

He had a shock of brown hair slicked back and tied into a ponytail, his uniform was a tan shirt and pants and a tan vest. He's famous for his horse riding skills and how he took down a famous terrorist who was threatening to blow up the White House.

The double doors flew open and made an attention-commanding slam.

Everyone's head jerked toward the door.

Four SITs came in. They all wore black shirts and black pants, a white star was on their right sleeves. They glanced around.

"That is Midnight Sky." Delta whispered.

The second one had jet-black hair, it was pushed back, medium length. His icy blue eyes glittered in a startling manner. His head was tilted in a devil may care, donned with a smirk and his face showed off unnaturally handsome features.

"Ah, speak of the devil." Agent One said fondly. "This is Compound Nebraska, and this is Midnight Sky."

The boy next to him took a stride forward. "Sorry we're late Agent One, the jet was almost shot down by terrorist."

I stared. Midnight Sky looked like an older, more confident Cannon!

"Not a problem, please, find your table and sit down."

The four walked over to the bench and sat down. Midnight Sky was parallel to me.

He glanced up and looked at me. His eyebrows raised and his lips twisted in an amused smile.

I turned and faced Agent One as if I hadn't noticed.

"We all know that this is a competition. And the competition started the minute you stepped into cabins. First of all, I'm sure you all want to know what's going on."

He paused as a tall man in a bright blue jumpsuit came forward toting a four-foot tall trophy.

"This is the prize for the winning compound. It's the second biggest group award in SIT history."

"Won't that look nice in our awards hall?" I heard one of Compound Nebraska whisper to Midnight Sky.

"We are having a scavenger hunt. Somewhere within the 2000 acres surround this camp there is a little lead chest, about the size of a condensed laptop. Inside is a gold key. Take this gold key to this glass case." He gestured behind him where the trophy was locked in an air tight glass case. "Unlock the trophy and smile because your team just wrapped up the second highest award yet."

"So it's basically a free for all. Surround is everything from a barren desert to snowy mountain range. Traps, men, and challenges are everywhere around this place. This is a huge playground of tests. Everyday your team will be graded and points will be raked in. At the end of this month, the team with the most points will have the biggest award yet."

He pulled out a flat black velvet case. He snapped the lid and opened it to reveal four medals. They were a little blue ribbon pin, and from the end of the thick ribbon was a medal the size of a half dollar. It was gold and had writing engraved in it.

"Winning the trophy results in 10,000 extra points."

A huge screen rolled down behind him and I saw cabin numbers and compound names listed neatly with a "0" under each.

He smiled. "Rules are that your team may only use they four inventions they brought with them, their air boards, laptops, and luxury items. In challenges you may be provided with something like rappelling gear or scuba equipment. Those can be used for the challenge and returned at dinner. Anything you get off bodies you kill. Not other teams but agents, you can have them. Except for transportation, food, plans, or personal items. You are required to be at camp by six thirty every night but Friday. Curfew on Friday's is 12 am. You will have breakfast at 6 every day but Saturday's breakfast is optional. Lunch can be packed if you have a long searching day planned, dinner is at seven sharp. If anyone from your team is missing at a breakfast or dinner, save Friday dinners, or Saturday breakfast, or late for curfew, 100 points will be docked. At the end of the month, various awards will go to individual SITs and teams. We have the Overall Best SIT as one of them, so remember to stay on your toes.'

'And quickly. Uniforms. Cabin 16, Compound Washington has a 100 point lead for best uniforms." He looked up at the screen as the "0" turned to a 100 and the red number turned green.

"Green means you're in the lead." He explained.

I looked at the board. We better stay green for a month!

"And cabin 7, Compound Texas, fifty points for second best."

Mustang's table grinned as points went up on the board.

"You guys know how to work the trays. Instructions for the day will start tomorrow. Eat up!"

I hit the button on my tray and a plate of pizza and freeze-dry ice cream appeared.

We all began eating in silence.

"So, I guess this place will be pretty competitive." Delta murmured.

"I'm used to it." Cannon shrugged a shoulder. "You should see me and Silver

during ninja." He winked at me.

"That's not competitive!" I sipped my soda.

"What do you mean?"

"I totally kick your butt!" I cracked a smile. And Glory and Delta laughed.

"You a ten-star?" His voice was saucy, smooth.

I looked up to see Midnight Sky staring at me with a cool, piercing gaze.

"Yeah. We all are." Cannon replied in an equal voice.

"So." He glanced up at the scoreboard. "Washington?"

We all nodded.

"You're Silver. The Silver?" One asked me.

"I suppose."

"I had to write a paper about Maxell." Another, with a husky voice and short brown hair, said. "It's an ingenious program."

"Thank you." I paused. "This is Glory, Delta, and Cannon."

Midnight Sky studied each as I said they're name. His eyes rested longer on

Cannon.

"Cannon? A little old fashioned don't ya think?"

Cannon smirked. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

"I'm Lightning, this is Comet, Quickie, and Midnight." The tallest said quickly. "I guess we're in the cabin next to yours."

I nodded slightly. "I know."

"So, you make the uniforms?" Quickie had a roughish face, warm tan, unruly

hair, and a cute smile.

"Yeah. I'm pretty good with my hands."

"Yeah?" Midnight Sky and Cannon asked at the same time.

I looked between the two slick clones. These two are either going to be best friends or mortal enemies!

I looked at their appraising gazes. My money is on enemies.

"Rules!" Agent One was back on the mike. "I forgot to mention those fun things!"

Everyone groaned good-naturally.

"First of all, there are five girls here. Stand up all ya'll."

I stood and surveyed the other four. There was the Barbie that I'd seen earlier here and at the airport.

There was the tomboyish red head chick I'd spotted upon arrival, her uniform was green and yellow, and the cut wasn't exactly flattering either.

There was a pretty girl with cherry bright red hair that was unnaturally becoming. I liked her on site and hoped to meet her.

And then a Mexican girl who looked like she'd be pretty except for her hair was cropped close to her ears and was tucked back in a punk way. Her grimace showed off an obvious tough edge.

It hit me. I'm the prettiest girl here! I had to smother a smile for a moment. That's a first.

"These five girls are Tulip, Spunk, Violet, Silver, and Dusk. In each of their cabins- you can sit down now girls – in each of their cabins are a bed that is lined with x-ray proof curtains. At lights out these curtains shall be shut, and stay shut.'

'I know I won't have such a big problem with this because everyone here is on a mission. This is important to your careers. I know that there will not be any fooling around.'

'The game is always on. Treat everything like it's a code, not a drill. Spying, of course, is allowed. If you think another team has something, try and figure it out! This is a game.'

'But, when and only when you are invited is anyone allowed in another compound's cabin. If anyone is caught in someone else's cabin without permission, there will be lie detector tests! So don't try luring people in your cabins either. If you're caught, their entire team will be thrown out of the Spy War.'

'All right. You have free time till 10. Ten is nights out."

I bit heartily into my pizza.

"Not a very good babe selection." Cannon murmured.

I smirked. "Did I ever tell you that you have a way with words?"

Glory gulped down the rest of his soda. "All right, let's get a move on. I don't want to spend my first night eating."

We disintegrated our trash and stepped toward the door.

"Nice meeting you Midnight Sky." Cannon gave a sugary smile in a greasy voice.

We walked out and toward the cabin.

"What was that?" I asked with a laugh.

"I don't like that guy." He replied as we grabbed our boards and headed to the cabin.

"Your impression of him is probably what I think of you."

"He's a steamin' hunk of man." He wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

"I knew you was homo." Delta smirked. He popped the front of his board up in a lame "pop air" movement.

I did a perfect pop air, practically balancing the board and myself, cushioned with two inches of air, and nearly vertical.

"Show off." Glory laughed.

"We got two hours, what do you guys wanna do?" I sprayed a pile of leaves in a confetti-like spray over Cannon.

"Let's get cracking. We should have that treasure by tomorrow morning." Glory grinned. "Maxell will have it right?"

My smile faded. "Are you kidding?"

"It's got a metal detector!"

"Well first of all, it's a 2000 acre playing field and Maxell only has a 10 acre

spread at one time. And they put the key in lead. Maxell can't read lead. Most things can't, that's probably why they put it in lead."

"Oh."

"We can still win. A ten acre, holographic, map. And we can see if anyone is tagging us, if there are any traps ahead. We still have a huge advantage." Delta popped the last of his pizza crust in his mouth.

"I want to make friends with that Dusk girl. The one with red hair? She looks cool." I said.

"She's the only other near pretty one besides you." Glory laughed.

"This is gonna be an interesting month." Cannon sighed.