Hey guys, sorry it took so long. School has been crazy and I finally made a softball team here and I've been practicing really hard for this. Enough about me. I hope you guys like the chapter.
When we got back to school, my mom was having a cow…or two…or three.
"What on Earth are you thinking? Attacking a civilian is the kind of thing we frown upon Zachary!"
Zach and I sat on opposite sides of the room; not daring to look at my mother's fiery eyes.
"You could have exposed what we really are here!"
"What are we: wizards" I thought sourly but held my tongue.
"Zachary you could have severely hurt that boy! A boy who played a significant role in Cammie's sophomore year!" Mom, stop yelling. It wasn't like Zach killed him.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Morgan," Zach didn't sound sorry, "I promise it won't happen again."
My mom's expression softened.
"It better not. Go to dinner now, I'm sure your friends are waiting."
We both left but not five feet out of my mom's room did Zach press me against the wall and kissed me; hard. I slid my arms around his neck and laughed quietly. We should have been in so much trouble.
We weren't though, naturally.
Zach's lips fumbled over mine and his hands squeezed my hips.
"That Dillon kid deserved that punch," he finally breathed.
"I know," I leaned my forehead against his and giggled, "He definitly did."
"I'm glad you agree," he leaned in to kiss me again when we heard "Cammie! Zach!"
We pulled back but not completely apart.
"You guys have to see this," Liz managed to trip herself with her show and went sprawling.
Zach was there in an instant.
His hands disappeared from around my waist and caught Liz around her mid-section. Their contact lasted about point two seconds before he moved back over to me and slid an arm around my waist.
"What's up Liz?"
"It's something I found in the CIA's database. They're threats to Gallagher."
[{Twenty Minutes Later}]
[{The Girls' Room}]
"These are all the threats sent to Gallagher in the past week by the Circle."
It reminded me of when Abby showed me the threat book for Macey's family.
"These are from Tina," she pointed at the top twenty. "How do you know," Zach asked, moving towards the screen. "Every single one of them single out Cammie. Plus…they say from Tina."
"How come they can't trace her," the fury and hurt from Tina's betrayal was still fresh.
"She's officially off the grid."
"Great."
I leaned back on my elbows and shut my eyes.
Catherine was threatening Gallagher and she had Tina with her. Tina had been going here since seventh grade. Her mother was alumni which meant Tina knew everything about Gallagher.
The only thing she didn't know about was the way to get in and out with the entire security system of Gallagher finding out.
I bet you she was going to find out.
Regardless of the fact Tina had betrayed the entire sisterhood of Gallagher; she was a Gallagher Girl.
She didn't give up easily; if at all.
"Tina will find a way to get to the heart of Gallagher guys," I opened my eyes and gave Zach and Liz the facts, "she will tear this place down piece by piece…and she'll start with me."
Zach's hand shot out and grabbed my knee.
Anyone normal would have thought it was a romantic gesture, like he was touching my knee gently. Any spy or spy-in-training could see the grip he had on my knee cap. If I moved an inch, he could easily make my knee shatter with a simple twist.
It was the only way to get me to focus on him without looking or moving away.
"She will not get to you. Not if I can help it."
The door opened and Zach pulled his hand back.
I let out the breath I had been holding in and looked up.
"We're not going to let Tina…or Catherine get to Cammie either Zachy-poo," Bex walked in and flopped down on the floor. Macey stalked in after her and dropped onto her bed.
"Cam's right though: Tina will eventually get through."
Liz grinned.
"Not if we have back up."
"What kind of back up," I started but the door opened again and one very buff boy with a wide grin and a scrawny kid with a concentrated look walked through.
"This kind of back-up," Aunt Abby smirked.
[{Line Break}]
The effect was instantaneous. "Abby," Bex and Macey screamed. They hugged her tightly but still avoided the arm she had been shot in. Grant and Jonas scooted past them and sat on the floor next to Zach.
"Hey squirt," Abby grinned at me.
I turned to Liz.
"She's the back-up?"
"Try not to seem so happy to see me," she scolded/laughed and sat on my bed.
"Yes Cameron," I flinched as she used my first name, "I am the back-up that not only did Liz request but your mother."
"She figured she would do something like this huh?"
She nodded, her hair flinging in the tight ponytail.
She was definitly the same Abby: beautiful, confident, and cocky (almost a female Zach) but there was a part of her that was gone for who knows how long. She had a cautious side now…a side I didn't like. I wanted my aunt back who dared me to jump out of twenty foot trees, not the one who was used for my back-up.
"Are you going to go get Tina back and try to keep her from destroying Gallagher?"
"No, I'm not."
Everyone's face fell.
"I'm going to be three steps behind you if something goes wrong while you guys go get Tina and try to keep her from destroying Gallagher."
Our faces perked back up.
I had a giant grin on my face.
Three steps behind you was what my dad always said.
Three steps: in case you forgot something.
Two steps: in case you needed watching.
One step: to catch you if you fell.
"You promise to be three steps behind at all times?"
She grinned "More or less."
Zach's fingers slid through mine with an inquisitive look.
"I'll tell you later," I whispered and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.
"I'm getting more later," he demanded before he turned to Abby. "When do we leave?"
She checked the watch that she didn't have on and said "In thirty minutes exact."