This chpter is dedicated to Poseidon and Erin, who both reviewed this chapter. Erin because you reviewed I'm going to assume that you didn't kill Britni and I don't need to buy oreos.
Chapter 3: Cammie POV
"Can I see her? Bex, I mean, Agent Rebecca Baxter?" I asked.
"I'm sorry Agent Morgan-Gallagher but Agent Baxter isn't in a good condition to talk." The agents said from behind a pane of 6 inch thick bulletproof glass. "If it helps anything at all Cammie the doctors have found a microchip implanted behind her ear. A needle was put into her head and we think she was at the mercy of electrical currents telling her what to do."
"Thanks." I sighed. My feet dragged across the floor as I trudged down the hall. I followed my feet, going nowhere in particular. I found myself outside Grant's office. His door was closed and locked. I softly knocked the door twice. From inside I heard a Grant pacing. He unlocked the door.
"Cammie, what are you doing here?" Grant didn't sound at all like himself. There were bags under his eyes; I'm guessing he didn't sleeping last night.
"It's about Bex. It definitely wasn't her. They planted some microchip behind her ear that allowed them to control her." Grant suddenly perked up. He lifted me up and swung me around.
"I love you like a little sis Cam. You know that!"
"Yes Grant…breathe"
"Sorry." Grant put me down and I smoothed out my skirt.
"I have to go." Grant immediately looked disappointed. "Paperwork." I sighed.
Grant nodded and quickly asked, "Are you going away again? With Zach?"
"How did you know?"
"Cammie, Zach was my roommate the whole time he actually stayed in Blackthorne. I know when he is planning something."
"Yeah. We're taking some time off. It's good to have a break."
"Just promise me one thing."
"What?"
"Don't get shot this time."
I caught a taxi to a couple of blocks away from Zach's apartment and walked the rest of the way. I had to make sure that I wasn't being tailed. As soon as I knocked on Zach's door he opened it. I shrugged off my reversible trench coat and sat down on Zach's couch. Most of the furniture in his apartment was black and the whole place was spotless.
"Something tells me it wasn't the maid that cleaned up here. You know the offer to quit the CIA and go into the cleaning business still stands." Zach laughed and picked up a small cardboard box and set it on the table.
"This is what was his, or has something to do with him." Alexander Goode's journal was on the top of the box. There was a photo album with heaps of pictures of him, Cassandra and Zach. There was an old school yearbook as well. It was from Nebraska High. Of course I knew that Alexander Goode went there, my dad went to school there as well but Zach blew up the place in senior year. I started flicking through the yearbook. There was a whole section (17 pages) devoted to the Nebraska/ Blackthorne exchange. There were a few pictures that had a younger Joseph Solomon in them but most of them were of so many boys that it was hard to pick out who exactly you were looking for.
"To track a fox you start at its den." I whispered.
"What?"
"Just something an arrogant old teacher told me."
"Townsend?"
"Townsend. Maybe we should take that 'advice' though, if you can even call it advice. Since Nebraska High is gone maybe we should start at Gallagher with your mother." Zach looked up at me when I mentioned Gallagher.
"I think that's a good idea but I don't think you are going to like what we find."
"Why?"
"Because our mothers are the same age they would have been in the same year at school." I honestly haven't even considered that. That she might have been friends with my mum.
"Maybe Zach but that doesn't mean that they were friends."
"But don't forget that the Circle recruits young. She was only sixteen."
Sixteen. Sixteen. Sixteen. Joseph Solomon was recruited at sixteen. She was recruited at sixteen. Dad knew about them at sixteen. They were chasing me at sixteen. I'm glad I'm not sixteen anymore, I'm glad that I jumped over the waterfall instead of going with Cassandra. It has been only sixteen days since I came back from my last mission, but I'm a spy, it was never going to be long before I was back in danger.
A soft knock echoed through my office, despite me being here over two weeks dust was still on the bookcase and the room just didn't feel as if it had had life in it for ages. Bex was standing in the doorway, her hands clasped in front of her and her caramel eyes made contact with mine.
"Can I come in?" Bex asked. Her voice sounded weak and she made no attempt to hide the sound of regret. I slowly stood up, my palms pressing down on the top of the desk.
"Sure." Bex cautiously walked towards my desk and I met her just in front of it. I pulled Bex into a tight hug.
"I'm so sorry Cammie. I swear if I ever get my hands on the circle…"
"It's ok Bex." Bex stopped babbling and looked at me. "I'm going away. I promised Zach that we would find Alex."
"Is he alive? Alex I mean."
"I don't know."
"Just promise me one thing."
"Don't get shot this time." We said simultaneously.
"How did you know?" Bex asked.
"Grant made me promise the exact same thing. Speaking of Grant." I pointed to the figure lurking in the doorway. Bex turned around and jumped into Grant's arms, happy to be herself again. But of course the threat still hung around and the looming uprising of the circle.
Next chapter Zach and Cammie get on the road! (and we learn why Zach can't be trusted with a map)
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