Wow! Another update in two days! But I felt so bad about not updating for three months! I had to! I'm so sorry—again. I promise I will try to update at least every month.
This chapter is dedicated to DAYLIGHT12. Her review was amazing and it made me smile. She's the whole reason that I'm updating this quickly. =D
Disclaimer: I don't own anything familiar. I WISH I could write something as amazing as that, as amazing as Ally Carter can.
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Chapter Nine
The rest of the day on Saturday, I was a little distant. I had gone to the library after I'd overheard what I did. There's something about tows and rows of books upon books that is somehow soothing. I sorta understand why Liz loves them so much.
When I got back to our dorm, Bex, Macey, and Liz were awake. They inquired as to where I was but all I told them was that I had to clear my head. I still hadn't told them about when my mom had stopped me in the hall. Why would I tell them this? I could tell they were concerned though.
As it turned out, Zach was ever more concerned. My friends had all but forgotten about it when they saw the boys. I silently sat down next to Zach at breakfast without saying a word as I dished up my food.
I could feel his eyes on me. I avoided them. He didn't say a word until the Grand Hall was nearing emptiness.
Finally, he took me hand in his and stared down at it. (I could tell from my peripheral vision.) "Cammie," he said softly. "What's wrong?"
I looked at him. His gaze lifted to meet my eyes. I could see real concern in his eyes. The kid would do anything for me. I could tell by that one look.
I contemplated telling him for a moment. I didn't want to worry him but at the same time, he was the only one that I had told about the hall incident between my mother and me. He had been so sympathetic. He didn't show pity, knowing that I would hate it.
I sighed, making my decision. "I had the dream again," I began then I stopped. Should I tell him? I sighed again. Looking at him, I said, "Can we go somewhere else? Somewhere private?"
Zach's eyes softened. He squeezed my hand and tightened his grip. His thumb traced my palm. A smile stole across his face. Almost a ghost of one…but still a smile. "I know the perfect place," he murmured. "And there's something…I should tell you, something I should have told you when I first got here." It was his turn to avert his eyes.
I reached up with my free hand to cup his cheek. "Zach? What is it?" I asked. It was my turn to be concerned.
His eyes fluttered closed at my touch, something I rarely see in him; Zachary Goode never shows emotion.
"Not here," he whispered.
I dropped my hand and stood up. "Lead the way."
His ghostly smile came back. It was short-lived. The grim look came back in a flash. He took the hand I held out and we slowly made out way out of the Grand Hall. He didn't say anything as he led me. I wasn't sure where we were going until we stopped in front of the same door that he'd stopped at a month ago and many times after—the one to the roof.
He quickly rewired the security (it didn't take him long—we'd been going there all month) and opened the door, making sure no one was following us. He led me up the stairs and onto the roof (after shutting off the electricity on it).
When we got up there, he let go of my hand and gestured for me to sit. He sat next to me when I was settled. "So…" he started. "You first."
I sighed. Dropping my eyes, I said quietly, "I overheard my mom and Solomon talking in her office this morning."
Zach seemed startled at first but then he asked, "What did you hear?"
"I heard…I heard that there was…something that…I was supposed to figure out on my own. I think it had…something to do with what my mom was going to tell me. I didn't get a lot of details but even the barest can be crucial to you. I-I'm scared, Zach. Really, really scared."
He lifted my chin and stared into my eyes. I was on the verge of tears—he was the only person I ever cried in front of, except my mom—and I buried my face in his chest when he wrapped his arms around me. "Cam…you'll be okay. I told you that I would protect you. I'm not going to let you get hurt…I promise. I love you."
I lifted my head and smiled a watery smile at him. "Thank you," I whispered. Then I remembered. "What did you want to tell me?"
A shudder ran down his spine—I felt it. "Cammie…" He sighed. "I-I don't want you to get hurt. This would put you at risk. It gives you information that you don't need."
I pulled back, glaring. "Tell me!" I demanded. He shook his head. "Zachary Jared Goode! Tell me this instant. If you can help me then I should certainly be allowed to help you!"
Despite himself, Zach grinned. "You're so feisty, Cam." When my glare didn't soften, he sighed. "Okay, okay." He took a deep shuddering breath and it whooshed out. "I have a sister," he began. "Her name is Melanie."
I stared at him when he paused. "Melanie? The girl you mentioned that one time? On the roof?" He nodded. "You lost her," I stated.
He took another deep breath and nodded his head. "I-I didn't necessarily lose her. But in a sense, yes, I lost her."
I stared at him for a second. "What does that mean, Zach?"
He closed his eyes and drew his hands down his face. "This is the part that I don't want to tell you, Cammie."
I glared again and stood up with my hands on my hips. "Do you want me to leave?" I said scathingly.
He shook his head but still held it in his hands. "No," he said finally. "Stay. Sit. I'll tell you." He lifted his head and stared into my eyes, silently pleading with me to just do as he asked.
I finally sat down, not letting his eyes slip from my gaze. "Okay. Tell me."
He drew me to him, wrapping and arm around my waist. "Melanie…was taken. When I was here. Last semester. By a society called the Circle of Cavan." (A/N: I know, I know. This was in Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover but I figured I'd tie it in to my story.)
I stared at him. "Circle of Cavan?" It sounded so familiar….
"Yes. She was kidnapped. I don't know why, but I think it has something to do with my parents. That's who they were after when they went missing on that mission. And now my sister is gone too. They left a hostage note. It said that I had to turn myself in if my sister was going to live." A tear escaped his eyes. "She's eight, Cammie. She's too young to die. She still needs to come to school, to learn to be like you." A soft smile lit his face. "When I met you, I envisioned my sister. She was going to be just like you. But she…if she dies, she won't. She was going to come here. To Gallagher. That's how I knew about it. Partially." He let out slight cough and tears spilled down his face. "I don't want to lose you, too."
As he was saying this, I was trying to connect the Circle of Cavan to something I'd heard. And then it clicked. "You're parents and my dad were partners," I whispered raggedly. "My dad went on the same mission, to defeat the Circle Cavan…and he didn't come back. My mother was notified of that and she was also told that his partners didn't make it either." Zach looked shocked. "Do you…do you think they're after us…because of our parents? What are they going to do next?" I'll admit, I was terrified. So scared.
Zach's eyes were wide and I could see a hint of fear in his own eyes. "I don't know, Cam. I honestly don't know." A hint of a smile came across his face. "On the bright side, I do remember my father mentioning a Chris Morgan when I was younger."
I wiped my tears, surprised at how fast we could go from grief to joking about how our parents were friends—which we just found out.
I laughed quietly. "I remember my dad saying something about Jared Goode. In fact, I think he might have mentioned one of his best friends having a son the same age as me." I grinned.
He smirked. "Yep. Our parents were friends alright." He sighed. "It's amazing how much seems to fit together in our world. I never would have guessed."
I nodded and a soft smile flitted across my face. "Yeah, it is." I let my eyes flutter closed and I laid my head on Zach's shoulder, enjoying this moment, locking it in my memory forever….
Nick's POV (This is under request of one of my readers!)
I smiled at Macey as we walked down the halls of Gallagher Academy. She was currently leading me toward the library so we could "study." I don't know why it was so important that we do that.
Macey McHenry was difficult to figure out. As I stared at her ahead of me, walking swiftly in the direction of our destination, I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of protectiveness come over me. She was so delicate to me, because I've been her best friend for years. And for all those years I have been a spy. When my friends would hit on her, I pounded them later, when she wasn't there. She was like a little sister to me—except more.
Not only did I feel protective of her, I also felt…love. For years, my parents had told me that I was one day going to fall in love with Macey McHenry. I had thought they were joking, thought that that was ludicrous and stupid. Now, I realized that they were right. I had fallen head-over-heals in love with Macey McHenry. She was the one thing that kept me going. She was my light at this unfamiliar school, the one thing that kept me in shape. In-tune.
Wow, that sounded really emo. I'm not emo. I promise. But this summer when I was with her, it hurt me so much that I couldn't tell her who I was. Then I came to Gallagher. And I saw her. I was a little upset when I saw her and took her into that room but I was also relieved: no secrets from my best friend. Whoever controlled fate must really like me. I don't know what I would do without Macey.
Now my only problem was getting her to fall for me. Cammie told me that she already had but I wasn't so sure. She was so good at concealing her feelings but I wanted her so bad. I hated the way guys stared at her, as if she was a prize to be won. When I looked at her, I saw a beautiful, delicate girl who had feelings. It was like I was seeing the sun for the first time. Nothing could measure up to her.
"Ni-ick? Hello-o? Are you still with me?" Macey's voice jolted me out of my thoughts.
I smiled at her. "Yeah, sorry, just spaced out for a minute."
She smiled. "That's okay. We're here. Just look for books on what we're writing our reports on."
I cocked my head. "Are you sure? Maybe we should…" I trailed off, unsure of what to say. Honestly, I just wanted to enjoy her presence…but was I going to tell her that? No. Of course not.
"Maybe we should…?" She let it lead to a question.
"Um, can't we just…hang out, Mace? We have until Wednesday to get this done. And we both already have half of it done."
She sighed. "Alright, alright. I just thought that maybe we should get it done just so we don't have to worry about it." She smiled adorably up at me.
I stepped closer to her, realizing for the first time how much taller I was than her. "Since when do you want to get something done before it's due?"
The red color that spread across her cheeks complimented her skin tone very well. "I need to prove the Senator that Macey McHenry can get straight A's without cheating."
I smirked. "Can't we do that without doing homework on a Saturday?"
She looked up at me, seemingly startled. "We? You're going to help?" She seemed shocked.
I smiled genuinely. "Yes. I'm helping you," I murmured softly.
Unexpectedly, she threw her arms around my neck and I almost fell over, startled.
When she pulled back, a big smile was on both our faces. "What was that for?" I asked.
"You're helping me!" she squealed. So un-Macey-like. I gave her an odd look.
She cleared her throat. "I mean," she said modestly, "you're helping me. I can show some gratitude, ya know."
I smiled. "Yeah. I know."
We stared into one another's eyes for what seemed like a lifetime. She broke the moment when she cleared her throat. "So, um, what do you want to do? Watch a movie? Talk?"
I smiled at her again and said, "Talking would be good. Or movie. Whichever."
She nodded and stepped away. "Okay, let's, um, watch a movie. Or something."
"Lead the way, Macey, dearest."
She raised an eyebrow. "Dearest? Who calls people 'dearest' anymore?"
I nudged her and rolled my eyes. "Dearest, honey, sweetheart, whatever. Just lead the way."
She smiled and took my hand, surprising me. She pulled me to the door and then turned around before she opened to say, "Nicolaus Walker, you're about to experience a movie-marathon, Gallagher style!"
"Should I be scared?" I asked.
She merely laughed and pulled me out the doors. This was going to be interesting….
Zach's POV (Just a treat!)
I smiled down at Cammie. We'd been on the roof for a while, just enjoying each other's presence. I knew that she was scared. Honestly, so was I. Who wouldn't be if they found out that some group called the Circle of Cavan was after them? I mean, honestly. How is it possible that one spy can endure so much in the short span of sixteen years? It's not easy to have your sister and your girlfriend's—a girl you can see yourself marrying—life on your shoulders. Man, it's tough.
I suddenly heard a faint buzzing. It startled Cammie and she lifted her head, suddenly very alert. "Zach? Do you hear that?"
I silently nodded. "It sounds like…a helicopter."
Cammie nodded. "Yeah…Solomon didn't have anything planned for CoveOps today, did he?"
I shook my head. "No, he didn't." I stood up, pulling Cammie with me. Looking around, I tried to spot the helicopter. She did the same. It took us a few minutes when she saw it.
"There!" she exclaimed. She pointed toward the sky somewhere to the east. I squinted. Then I saw it. The helicopter was coming swiftly toward Gallagher. We stared at it for a minute before slowly looking at each other.
"Is that…" Cammie started.
"Coming this way? Yeah, it is."
She gripped my wrist and looked wildly around. "We have to warn my mom and Solomon! Hurry!" She ran toward the entrance and down the stairs. I quickly followed, turning the electricity back on in the process. We exited the door and I reactivated the security for the roof. There was no one in the halls so we were able to sprint toward the headmistress's office. Cammie barged in when she reached it. Her mother stood up from her desk when she saw the two of us, looking a little scared.
"Cammie? Zach? What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.
"Mom," Cammie panted. "Zach and I…saw…a helicopter…coming this way. We need…to go…into lock-down…mode."
Headmistress Morgan immediately went into action. She pulled something from under her desk and promptly pressed a button and spoke into it. "All Gallagher and Blackthorne students and teachers, gather in the Grand Hall. I repeat, all Gallagher and Blackthorne students and teachers, gather in the Grand Hall. This is a Code 9 alert. I repeat, this is a Code 9 alert."
I glanced at Cammie and mouthed, "Code 9?" She shrugged. She didn't know.
Ms. Morgan turned to us. "You two, follow me." She headed out of her office and went down a hall. We were headed toward Sublevel One. Or two maybe.
When we reached the door, she impatiently tapped her foot as it scanned us. Finally, it let us in but instead of letting it take us to Sublevel One, she pulled out a card and inserted it into a slot.
"Mom?" Cammie said quietly. "Where are we going?"
She didn't answer but pressed another button. I gripped Cammie's hand and squeezed it comfortingly.
Finally, the elevator stopped. Ms. Morgan turned to us. "What you are about to see is not to be spoken of to anyone." Cammie opened her mouth to say something but her mother cut her off. "No, not even the girls, Cammie. Nor the boys. This is for yours and Zach's eyes only." She stepped out of the elevator, signaling us to follow. What we saw was shocking: They were the faces of our parents and others who had mysteriously disappeared on a mission to stop the Circle of Cavan. It was like a military base that detected all enemies. It was different though too. There were also faces of those who the Circle of Cavan wanted.
And at the top of the list, Cammie and I were there. Along with the rest of our friends.
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Ha ha. Cliffie! But I updated. Twice in two days! You guys should be so proud of me. I didn't even get that many reviews for the last chapter. But I know that I've been a terrible author. Please, please, please review. I want to know what you think. How about we try for…220? 215? I won't hold chapters for ransom but it WILL make me update faster! Maybe tomorrow! I love you all! And again, should I change my user name to JamesBond21 or Sunshine415? Something like that? Please give me your input! And a quick question—do you want me to make this action-y or romantic? Because it's moving in the direction of action-y! Just wondering.
~IheartZacharyGoode