So, it's been what, three days? Well, I'm updating. Because I want to finish this. I'm so excited guys! I'm going to have my first story finished and I'm WAY excited. I have this chapter the next one and an epilogue, I think. I hope you guys have all enjoyed it. Many thanks to all my reviewers.

Oh, and by the way, my goal is to have at least two hundred reviews by the end of my story. Think you can do it? I think you can! I have faith in you! =D

Disclaimer: Ally Carter owns it all. Ya-di-ad-da-ad-da.

Chapter Fourteen: Rescue

Zach POV

Cover: Adam Callahan, son of Director Jake Callahan of the CIA

Story: Caught red-handed trying to detract information from the Circle of Cavan's system, to save his girlfriend

I looked up briefly from my cover story to glare at the Director and my aunt. "'Caught red-handed trying to detract information from the Circle of Cavan's system'?" I quoted. "Honestly, you couldn't think of anything better than that? I mean, it's really hard to catch someone when they hack into a system at home."

Kate shrugged. "Well, you gave us the idea." She smirked. It reminded me of…well, me. And my father.

I went back to my cover story.

Likes: Spying, clubbing, sports (i.e. basketball, football, etc.), his girlfriend, Wendy Cooper

Dislikes: All the girls who throw themselves at him, amateur spies, dancing (although he does it to appease Wendy), dense people

Again, I looked up. "Um, is there a point to knowing your son's likes and dislikes? I mean, are they honestly going to question me?"

Up to that point, since we'd come up with the plan the day before, Abby had stayed quiet, only adding her two cents in when necessary. She spoke up. "Adam Callahan is one of the most wanted spies in seven different countries and several more organizations. The Circle of Cavan is one of them. Whoever portrays Director Callahan's son has to be ready for anything. The Circle of Cavan will expect Adam to send someone to impersonate him."

"Wouldn't they also expect this person to know everything that makes up Adam Callahan?" I inquired.

Kate sighed. "Zach, the Circle of Cavan will suspect anything. That is precisely why you have to do this. Abby is going in there with you and she is disguising as a Circle of Cavan recruit. What better way to be accepted than to bring them one of the most wanted spies? Try and cooperate."

I smirked. "Oh, Aunt Kate, you know how good I am at that."

"You're about as cooperative as a skunk snooping in my garage," she answered flatly.

Callahan cracked a smile and Abby burst out laughing. "You've encountered a skunk in your…garage?" Abby asked, trying to contain her laughter.

Kate nodded. "It wasn't pretty."

"What did you do?" the Director piped up.

My aunt smirked. "I shot it." Everyone, including my friends, laughed. "Seeing as I can' really shoot my nephew because it would be the opposite of what we want—and plus, his parents would shoot me themselves if I did that—I've had to deal with him for the last seven years or so." She ruffled my hair. It reminded me of the year my parents 'd rock Melanie to sleep but I refused to her comfort me.

I shook away the memory and smirked. I'd been doing that a lot in the last twenty-four hours. They prospect that I'd actually get to see Cammie again—not to mention my sister—brought hope to me. "I don't think you would be able to shoot me," I said. That brought on another round of laughter.

I smiled—a real one—looking around. Thinking, this is how it's supposed to be.

The only thing left to do now was get Cammie, Melanie, and Macey back. Then we'd be complete.

Nick POV

I sat outside on a balcony, thinking. Well, it wasn't really outside—Callahan wouldn't let us go outside. It was still pretty. It was one of those tinted mirror windows: I could see out but no one could see in.

The sun was going down. Twilight was one of my favorite times during the day. It was so beautiful and it indicated a new start, a new beginning. (Yeah, don't tell anyone.)

This one, however, gave me hope. Hope that I desperately needed. Also reminded me of Macey. We'd watched the together a lot on the cruise this summer.

Ever since Macey had gone, it seemed like a part of me was…missing. A big part. I thought I could live with just being friends. I hadn't felt the touch of her hand, her lips. I hadn't heard her whisper my name the way Cammie whispers Zach's or the way Bex whispers Grant's. I thought I could live with that.

Turns out, I can't. As I watched the Circle of Cavan men parade her away, those were the only thoughts running through me head: I didn't get to say good-bye. I didn't get to kiss you. I didn't get to hold you, for real. I didn't get to tell you how I feel. I knew that I had several chances to do that before all this happened. And I hadn't taken them because I was scared. If I got another chance, I would tell her everything. If.

I refused to admit the depth of my feelings but I knew I'd crack if I saw Macey again. There's that word if again.

Someone opened the door. I didn't say anything or even acknowledge their presence. For a moment, we sat in silence. Whoever it was didn't sit next to me right away.

When they spoke, I expected to hear Abby or Kate. Even Callahan.

What I didn't expect (which was very bad for a spy) was to hear Zach say," It's a weird feeling, isn't it?" And I didn't expect myself to know exactly what feeling he was talking about.

I found myself—foolishly—lying to him. "What are you talking about?" I asked with an unconvincing laugh. As a spy, there are lots of things I'm good at. Lying is not one of them. Another bad trait to have. As a spy. I decided that if I did see Macey again, I'd ask her to teach me how she lies so well.

Zach walked forward and sat next to me. "Oh, I think you know exactly what I'm talking about," he said with a slight smirk.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about," I repeated.

He sighed. "I think you do."

I glared at him. "Humor me."

"Nick, I've known you for at least eight years. You're an awesome spy. But you can't fool me." Huh, maybe I'm not such a bad liar. "You're in love with Macey McHenry."

Well, isn't he blunt?

I looked away, giving yet another unconvincing laugh—at least, unconvincing in his eyes. " How would you know how I feel about Macey McHenry?" I asked after a moment of silence that he refused to fill.

He shrugged. I expected him to use his one word phrase "Spy" but he didn't. He said, "Everyone deals with this sort of thing in their own way and in their time. When I found out that the Circle of Cavan killed Cammie's father, I knew she was in danger. So I stayed away from her. I didn't visit. I didn't call." He paused, giving me an opportunity to talk if I wanted to. I didn't.

He continued. "When she was taken…well, you saw how I reacted." He sighed. "In a way, this reminds me of the way I acted. When I figured out I was in love with Cammie. And when she was taken. Except you're doing the opposite of what I did: You're drawing back from everyone else. Not just her." He laughed dryly after saying that. "Because you can't. Obviously." He looked at me then and I new, for once in his life, Zachary Jared Goode understood. He understood what I was going through.

Wow. I totally just sounded like a girl.

I sighed. "So what if you are right? What if I am in love with her? That doesn't change anything."

He smirked. "You're right. It doesn't change anything. Except the fact that you admitted your feelings."

"I did not!" Like a five year old, I couldn't help denying it.

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, man. I was in your shoes once too," he added. He patted my shoulders and suddenly, I knew we were done talking about all that mushy stuff. He stood. "Hey, Nick," he said, before he reached the door. "If you want to talk about it, you can come to me." He said it as if I were a brother—not a fellow spy and friend. Which, come to think of it, makes sense. After spending four years in the same dorm, you'd have to consider your roommates brothers. "Just so you know," he added. He left without another word.

I turned back to watching the sunset. It reminded me so much of Macey. I briefly wondered if she was watching the same sunset and thinking of me before I remembered that she was probably locked away in a dark cell.

Grief filled my thoughts. She was probably being tortured for information. Information that she didn't have.

Along with the grief came anger. At the CIA (though I didn't know why). At the Circle of Cavan (for taking her away from me). At my parents (for even being friends with hers). But most of all, at myself. I was running with her how could I have let that man get her? How could I have not seen it coming? And then, I didn't go back for her. Cammie did.

I let my head fall into my hands, it felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest and someone had ripped a huge gaping hole into it and then put it back in. Zach was right and I knew it. I was in love with Macey McHenry.

And I was going to get her back. If it was the last thing I did.

Macey POV

I held Melanie in my arms as her sobs slowly died and she fell into a fitful sleep. I watched her with certain tenderness. Yes, Zachary Goode's sister had won me over. But honestly the way she smiled up at Cammie and me…it was just too hard not to fall for her. And every few moments she would mutter Zach's name and sometimes Cammie's. I've also heard Nick and Grant's names too. And Jonas's. Once.

It'd been a while since they took Cammie. I wasn't sure how long. In a dark cell like this one, time didn't seem to matter. I was pretty sure it was probably night time the second day but there was no way to tell. As discussed above.

I had tried sleeping, like Melanie, several times in the last three hours but I couldn't. Not while my best friend was somewhere in this heck hole, probably being tortured for information that she didn't have.

I heard a creak and then a thump but I ignored it. I had heard lots of those in the last few hours but none of them were Cammie. I didn't think this one was any different.

Until they threw Cammie back into our cell. I hadn't seen any of them since they had taken her yesterday but I knew that the person who threw her back in wasn't the same one who took her out.

I held Melanie tightly and hoped that she wouldn't wake until the man was gone.

Apparently, luck was on my side. She didn't wake until she heard Cammie's weak voice after the man had left her, cackling like some lunatic. Which he probably was.

"Macey," Cammie said weakly.

Melanie was by her side before I could even crawl over there. "Cammie!" she squeaked. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Cammie shook her head. "No…I-I just need to…sleep." By this time, I was there. "Dream about Zach. Dream that I'll…see him again." She sighed contentedly as she shut her eyes. "We're going to get you out of here, okay, Mel?" she said faintly.

"Shhhh," I said. "Go to sleep. When you wake up we'll discuss your proposition."

Cammie smiled at my use of her favorite word. Well, not her favorite but she was the one who got me started. Then she was out. I picked her up and carried her to a darker area of the cell and a more comfortable one. Melanie followed me. "I hope she'll be okay," she said, trying not to cry. Because, to an eight year old, when you cry in front of an almost-seventeen year old, it's the end of the world.

I pulled into an embrace. "She'll be fine. I promise you. Cammie Morgan isn't one to give up without a fight." I looked over at my best friend where she rested in her peaceful slumber. She murmured Zach's name once and flipped over.

Melanie looked in the direction where my eyes were. She heard Cammie say her brother's name and she looked up at me with wide eyes. "She really loves him, doesn't she?" she asked with the curiosity only an eight year old could give.

I smiled. "Yes, she does." I paused. Then I voiced something that I was very unwilling to admit in front of Zach or anyone else. "And he's good for her. And I think she's good for him too."

Melanie smirked. Just like her brother. "Yeah, I think she's good for him too. He's so closed off, ya know? It's heart breaking. I love my brother and I know that he loves me but he doesn't ever show it. He didn't want me to get hurt. When our parents died. I still remember it though." Her eyes clouded up and she got a far away look as if she were remembering something. "I was only two. I remember when my daddy left us and went on that stupid mission but I didn't know what he was doing at the time. Zach did. He thought that our dad was invincible because on every other classified mission he'd gone on, he had come back.

"Then my mom had sat him down and told him that she was going away for a while. I was sitting on the floor playing with my toys but I remember every word. She told him that she would be back and that everything would be okay. But Zach and I both knew that it was because our dad was missing.

"For a couple months, we waited for Jared and Annie to come home. But they didn't. We had the funeral and I remember that too. Aunt Kate said something and then Rachel did. Rachel Morgan, ya know, Cammie's mom." She glanced over at my friend. "I don't remember seeing Cammie there though. Anyway, the Director of the CIA said something too and then they laid my parents to rest.

"I remember Zach being really mad at Aunt Kate because he thought that she was the one who let my mom go. I knew that Aunt Kate had tried to stop Annie Goode. It didn't work. My mom was as stubborn as Zach is. It was such a horrible year, that year we lost our parents. Zach wasn't himself. He spent much of his time in his room and when he did come out, he was closed off and depressing." Tears filled the little girls eyes and she tried to blink them back. It didn't work. "Thinks changed over the years. When he went to Blackthorne, he met people and they changed him…in a way. Dr. Steve tried to get him to open up and so did Joe." I was a little surprised when she mentioned Solomon. "He didn't open up. Until he met Cammie." Melanie smiled then, even though tears were coursing down her cheeks. "She has been such a blessing in his life, in ways she probably can't imagine. I'm sure that he is trying to figure out a way to get her—us—out as we speak."

I stared at this little girl. An eight year old who had endured so much in her life and yet was willing to do anything for her sixteen-year-old brother. And I thought my life was bad.

"That's so much for an eight year old to endure. You have been through a lot over the years, haven't you?" I cocked my head to the side and smiled sadly as she nodded. Unexpectedly, I pulled her tight against my chest. "We're going to get you out of here. Just like Cammie said. I promise you that."

She smiled again. "I know. I knew that you would the moment I saw you yesterday."

"Zach," we heard Cammie whisper again. "I need you."

Mel blinked. "Funny. That's the only way I've gotten sleep too. Thinking of Zach. And all his goofy friends." She got a mischievous glint in her eye, one I've seen in Zach's many times. "Speaking of my brother's goofy friends, what's up with you and Nick?"

I raised my eyebrows and ruffled her hair. "Silly girl, nothing is going on between Nick and me. We're just friends." I looked down at my hands as a depressing thought came to my mind. "And I'm sure that's all we'll ever be at this rate." I made a circling motion with my hands. "Look around you. We're in a cell. I don't think the boys can figure out where we are. Even with Jonas's and your brother's help."

She sighed. "I'm sure they can and you deviated, missy. How do you feel about Nicolaus Walker?"

Despite myself, I laughed her. The word missy coming from her lips combined with the fact that she was calling me that was too hysterical not to laugh.

After my laughter died down, I looked at her. "How do I feel about Nicolaus Walker….well, I know that I have strong feelings for him."

Melanie shook her head. "That's not enough information, Miss McHenry. I want more. How deeply do you feel for him?"

I sighed. "I don't know, Mel. It's…complicated." I looked at my hands, which were, apparently of their own accord, moving around like I was nervous or something. "It doesn't matter though. We're just friends. All we'll ever be is friends."

Melanie opened her mouth to object but a sudden rattle cut her off. . I pulled her closer to me, half afraid that they were sending someone else to share this cell with us. Half afraid that it was going to be Nick.

Cammie was wide-awake from the rattle and she rushed over to us. I reached out and pulled her into our huddle

For what seemed like hours, we waited. Then we heard a familiar voice hissing, "I don't think you'll 'just be friends' for long. Come on! We've got to go!"

Zach! That meant Nick was somewhere too.

They had come.

Zach POV

Everything was ready. I had my cover memorized and Abby had me disguised perfectly as Adam Callahan. Nick was going as himself and Grant was too. The Director hadn't wanted Bex to go but she had refused not to go. Cammie and Macey were, after all, her best friends.

"Okay," Callahan said, briefing us for the tenth time. "Remember, you need to get in and out immediately so Kate can plant the bomb. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," I said loudly, saluting him.

He raised his eyebrows. "Goode, this is no joke. And this is not the military. "

I looked at him, a little offended. Did he really think that I thought this was a joke? Cammie was my girlfriend for goodness' sake! "I know it's not a joke. We've been doing this for the past hour, Director," I said. He seemed a little bit more appeased when I addressed him as I was supposed to. "I just want to rescue three people I love most in the world. Please just let us go. We're ready."

"Yeah," I heard from everyone else.

He sighed. "We can't let the Circle of Cavan get you guys. Do you understand that?" We nodded. "Please be careful. I don't want anyone killed out there." He turned and motioned for my aunt and Abby to come forward. "Don't let them get killed. Kate, plant the bomb as fast as you can and get out of there. Abby, get those kids out as fast as you can. Got it?" They both nodded. "Good. Now go."

The two spies ran forward and motioned for us to move with them. They led us to a jeep. I looked at Kate questioningly. "We're taking a jeep?" I asked.

Abby answered first. "Yes, we're taking a jeep. We don't want the Circle of Cavan to spot us coming. Their headquarters are underground and they have the same mirror windows ours do. Above. They won't see us in a jeep. And plus, we're not even driving it all the way. We're walking most of it."

I slowly nodded but didn't comment. I didn't want to admit I was wrong.

We filed into the jeep and sat there quietly as Abby started it. I looked at Nick. "Thought about what I said?" I asked him. He nodded. "And?"

He sighed. "You were right."

Grant looked between the two of us and asked, "Zach was right? About what?"

Nick grinned slightly. "Oh, ya know, this and that."

Grant stared at him. "No. I don't know. What in the world does 'this and that' mean?"

Nick kept on that stupid puppy dog grin that I knew I had when I thought about Cammie. Which was too much lately.

I smirked at Nick and then looked at Grant. "Really, Grant? Really? I'll give you one hint: He's thinking about a certain someone…the way you think about Bex."

Both Grant and Nick flushed bright red; Grant, because now Bex knew how much he thought about her; Nick, because Grant would probably guess who he was thinking about—and then everyone would know who he's in love with.

Bex rolled her eyes. "I already knew you thought about me," she said in a thick British accent. She reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

Grant smiled down at her and then turned back to Nick. He grinned. "You're thinking about Macey." He didn't phrase it as a question. Then his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Wait, Zach couldn't have been right about that. It has to be something in the past…." He trailed off, thinking.

Bex smacked him impatiently. "He's in love with Macey!" she exclaimed exasperatedly.

Grant's eyes widened but I knew he wasn't surprised. "Oh-ho, so Zach was right about that. Makes sense." He turned to Bex. "But how did you know that? I mean, we only talk about it in our dorms."

She grinned and, casting me a wicked wink, she used my signature line, "Spy." She pointed to herself.

Grant and Nick groaned and Jonas rolled his eyes. "Not you too," Liz piped up. She hadn't said much since we left Gallagher.

Bex smirked. "Oh, I know. I just thought he should get a taste of his own medicine."

I rolled my eyes but before I could come up with a snappy comeback, Kate interrupted us. "We're stopping here and walking the rest of the way. Everybody ready?"

"Yeah," we all said quickly.

"Okay," she said. "Zach, Nick, Grant, and Bex, you follow Abby. Liz and Jonas will come with me. I'm going to plant the bomb as quick as I can and you guys blow up the cell that's holding them and kill the guys as fast as possible. Liz and Jonas will activate the bomb." She looked at me then. "Zach, be careful. Get Cammie, Mel, and Macey out of there as fast as you can. Abby will be there to help but she also has to make sure everyone else gets out okay. I'm leaving the responsibility of Melanie with you. Don't leave her. We can't lose her. Not like we lost your parents."

I swallowed back sadness at her words and nodded. "I swear. I won't let her out of my sight."

Kate nodded and then turned to Abby. "Well, we better get going. Remember what you're doing, Agent Springs." (A/N: Does it ever say what Abby and Rachel's last name is? I just made that up.)

"And you, Agent Goode."

I looked between the two women and realized that they must be really good friends. I don't know why that surprised me but it did.

Abby waited until Liz, Jonas, and Kate were out of sight and then she turned to us. "Okay, guys, as soon as we're in, Kate's going to create a diversion." She reached up and switched on her comms unit. We followed her example. We'd been loaded with this stuff before we left the headquarters. "Kate, do you copy?"

There was static on the other end of the line, and then we heard my aunt's voice saying, "Yes, Abby, I copy."

"Okay," Abby answered. "We're on our way to the entrance." She crept out from behind the bush that the jeep was parked behind. She glanced both ways before motioning for us to follow. "Wait!" she said suddenly, stopping. "I need to bind you." She pulled out a few pairs of handcuffs and then strapped them to each of us. She pulled out a chain duplicate (it wasn't real metal) and tied it to each of our handcuffs so we were tied together and then she tied it to her belt loop. She put on a wig and a pair of contacts. She didn't look like Abby Springs anymore. "Okay, we're good to go." She pulled on the chain and strode leisurely toward the entrance. She kept glancing this way and that to make sure no unwanted bystander was watching us. What would it look like if a woman were holding four teenagers hostage in the middle of Scotland? Yeah, I would think it was weird too—if I was normal. But I'm not.

We reached the entrance. Before she knocked, she said, "Okay, we're at the entrance. As soon as I get in, I'll say the code words."

"Copy that," Kate answered.

Abby straightened her shirt and pulled on her fake chain roughly to get us up there. "Sorry, I have to make it look like I haven't been nice to you," she apologized before pounding on the door three times, pausing and then knocking twice more.

A few seconds later (five seconds and fifty eight milliseconds, to be exact), a man opened the door. I kept myself from snarling at him. I recognized him from my research this summer. He was the director of it all. He must have a sick twisted mind.

"Director," Abby said, saluting him and then bowing like he was some kind of king. "I've brought Adam Callahan, Nicolaus Walker, Rebecca Baxter, and Grant Newman with me here. I caught Mr. Callahan here"—she kicked me forward and I pretended to fall on my knees—"trying to hack your system." She turned to me with a menacing look. "Get up, you scoundrel." She turned back to the director. "Miss Baxter and Mr. Newman weren't very careful. I caught them circling the outer perimeters of your area here. Just a plus. Mr. Walker was kidding somewhere in the bushes. I'm surprised your people didn't catch them."

The director gave her a suspicious look and I prayed that we were good enough. "What about the other two? Jonas Williams and Elizabeth Sutton. Surely you found them as well?"

My stomach lurched as I remembered that he probably knew we had all been together but Abby wasn't phased by it. She gave a breezy laugh. "They were probably close but I didn't bother to find them. The only help they would be is hacking computers and destroying hard drives. We have enough of those, don't we?" She pushed me forward again. "Mr. Callahan here can hack too, anyway. Can't you, Adam?"

I glared at her and spat on her shoes. She slapped me. Hard. I knew it was part of the act but man, can that woman hit. "I guess you'll just have to torture it out of him." She gave me a intimidating glared.

She was slowly gaining his trust. "What were these three doing on our territory? I thought they were with the CIA." The director nodded toward the other three.

Abby cocked her head. "I thought you had Cameron Morgan and Macey McHenry. Macey and Nick have a connection, do they not? And Cammie is Bex's best friend. I would assume they were trying to figure out a way to…rescue their fellow peers." She turned to Nick. Trailing a finger down his cheek, she said, "Were you trying to save her? Miss McHenry? It won't work, you know. It never will work."

Nick clenched his teeth and glared at Abby and then at the director. "Like I would tell you," he spat.

Abby raised her hand to slap him but the director held up a hand. "No. Let me." Abby gave a fleetingly alarmed look but the director didn't catch it. It was gone in a flash.

He pulled out a taser. He pointed it at Nick but Nick didn't back down. It came dangerously close to his abdomen but he still didn't back down.

The director pulled it back. "Well, you'll be a strong one." He paused. "Especially since Miss McHenry is dead." He laughed ominously.

Nick clenched his teeth harder. I knew that he was really mad and that he was about to charge the man. I gave him a look that said, "He's lying. Just so he can tase you. Don't. It's not worth it."

Nick shook his head slowly at me but stood his ground.

The director turned to Abby. "Well, Miss…I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."

"Oh. Cody, sir. Talise Cody." She fluttered her eyelashes.

The director smiled. I could see bloodbath in his disgusting hazel eyes. "Well, Miss Cody, it seems you've brought me very fine people."

She smiled back but then her head bent down as if she were ashamed. "I'm sorry I couldn't get Mr. Goode, sir. He got away from me too fast."

The director laughed. "Not to worry, Miss Cody, we'll get him yet."

She smiled at him. "Of course we will."

He nodded. "Well, shall we?" He motioned into the dimly lit room.

Abby nodded and followed him inside. "Forbes! Jenkins!" Two men scurried out from a room somewhere in the dark corridor. "Take this young lady and her hostages to a cell that they can share."

"Yes, sir," the blonde said.

He and the dark headed one turned and motioned for Abby to follow. She yanked us forward only to be stopped by the director's voice. "Oh, and Forbes?"

The blonde turned. "Yes, director?"

"Bring me Miss Morgan."

Forbes nodded. "Right away."

A gut wrenching pain almost overwhelmed me when I heard Cammie's name. They had already tortured her. Abby looked back at me with a similar expression but she was warning me: Do not, under any circumstances give, our cover away until it's time.

I nodded once.

"So, where are you taking us?" Abby asked.

The one who must have been Jenkins looked at her. "We're taking you and these prisoners to a cell right down there."

"Oh, I see," she said. "Have you ever had anyone break in?" She emphasized the last two words very slightly.

Kate's voice rang out on the other end of the comms. "It's time."

Suddenly, there was a boom and then a crash. Here's our diversion, I thought.

Forbes looked at his partner. "You take them," he said just as the director was sprinting around the corner. "I'll go with the director."

Jenkins nodded. Forbes followed the director down the hall and out of sight.

As soon as they were out of sight, Abby grabbed Jenkins taser and gun and pointed it at him, getting him in a headlock. "You make one sound and you're a dead man," she said in a threatening voice.

Jenkins gulped. "Yes, ma'am."

She pushed him forward. "Take us to Cameron Morgan and Macey's McHenry's cell. Then you're going to take us to Melanie Goode's cell."

"They are all in the same cell, Miss Cody."

She grinned. "All the better. Take us there. Quickly." She jabbed the gun into his back.

He started forward and Abby said in a whisper, "Faster!" It sounded worse as a whisper.

He started jogging and Abby kept up with him. After a few minutes he stopped at a cell door. "Open it," she ordered him. He pulled out the keys, keeping his hands over his head. I heard Macey say, "How do I feel about Nicolaus Walker….well, I know that I have strong feelings for him." I looked at Nick. He was grinning from ear to ear.

In answer, I expected to hear Cammie but I heard a different familiar voice. My sister. My breath caught and I held back tears of joy as I heard her say, "That's not enough information, Miss McHenry. I want more. How deeply do you feel for him?"

I heard Macey sigh as Jenkins continued to pull out the keys really slowly. "I don't know, Mel…it's complicated." I smiled when I heard her call my sister Mel. "It doesn't matter though. We're just friends. All we'll ever be is friends."

Then they stopped talking. I realized it was because of the loud rattle that the keys were making. As soon as the door was open, Abby looked at Jenkins and said, "We are no longer in need of your services." Then she tasered him right in the chest and then shot him. I flinched ever so slightly. I'd never seen a man killed before. I realized I'd probably have to do that a lot.

I hurriedly stripped off the tight tie around my handcuffs and ran to the opening of the door. "I don't think you'll 'just be friends' for long. Come one! We got to go!"

They sprang up. I heard the clicking of their shoes. And then they were out of the cell and into my arms. Melanie was the first to reach me. "Zachy!" she said and gave me a tight hug. I picked her up and kissed her cheek.

"I'm so glad to see you again," I said. My voice cracked at the end and I gave my little sister a tight smile.

"Zach!" Abby hissed. "Time for reuniting isn't now! We've got to go! Kate has the bomb planted and Liz and Jonas are activating it now!"

I looked at Cammie and gave her a "we'll talk later" look. She smiled and then looked at her aunt. "Abby?" she said uncertainly.

Abby smiled. "Yes, darlin', it's me. We'll talk later. We've got to go." I looked at Bex, Grant, and Nick. They had disposed of their handcuffs.

"But…what about the other kids?" Melanie said. I was still holding her.

Abby looked at my sister. "What other kids?"

"There are other kids, just like me," she said solemnly. "We can't just leave them to die!"

Abby breathed in deeply. She looked at the way we had come and then down the other way. "Is this the last cell in this hall?" she asked.

Melanie nodded. "Yes, all of the other kids that aren't corrupted yet are in the ones down here." She slipped down out of my arms. "I'll show you. We can get them on the way out."

She ran as fast as her little legs would carry her to the first cell. Abby hurriedly found the key that would open it and unlocked it. "Chelsea!" Melanie yelled into the cell as soon as it was open. A little girl about Mel's age appeared at the door. "We've got to go. These are CIA agents. That one is my brother. And there's his girlfriend." She pointed to Cammie and I. "We have to go now though!"

Abby looked at the little girl. "Can you run?" she asked Chelsea.

Chelsea slowly nodded. "You're not going to hurt me, are you?" She was so afraid. It was too much for a girl her age could handle.

Abby smiled gently. "No. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise. You'll be with your family soon."

Chelsea nodded.

"How many more, Mel?" I asked.

"Only three. Follow me." She and Chelsea sprinted down the corridor, passing cells until they reached another. Abby unlocked that one and both Chelsea and Mel ran into it, calling, "Nicole! Sara! Come on! We've got to go!"

Two more girls that looked about twelve came out. Identical twins. "I'm not going to hurt you," Abby said. "I'm going to take you back to your families."

The two girls nodded. The four of them ran to the last cell we had to go to. Abby quickly unlocked that one and another girl by the name of Maddi came out after being called several times. She looked about fourteen. "Wh-what are you going to do to me?" she asked Abby. She tried to look brave but I could see the fear in her eyes.

Abby bent down next to her and laid a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm taking you back to your family."

The girl looked at Abby and then quickly hugged her. "Thank you."

Abby smiled. "You're welcome." She looked at her watch and then spoke into her comms. "Kate, how much time do we have?"

"Abby, you've got to get out of there. The bomb will go off in two minutes."

Abby got an alarmed look. "We've got to go." She spun around and sprinted toward the exit, the rest of us following. The two eight year olds couldn't run that fast. Chelsea tripped. She screamed and Melanie looked around at her. "Zachy! Help her!"

I looked at Cammie. "Get Mel. I'll get Chelsea."

Cammie gave me an alarmed look. "No. You won't get out in time." But I was already sprinting back. "Zach!"

"Get her! I'll be okay!" I looked back at her. "I love you. Go!" She nodded and picked up my sister.

"I love you too!" she yelled before turning and dashing after her friends and Abby.

"Hurry, Zach," I heard Kate say. "Get the girl and run."

"Okay, Kate, no need to pressure me," I said sarcastically. I reached Chelsea and picked her up. I ran toward the entrance. We were almost there.

"Ten seconds, Zach!" Kate said, her voice rising with worry.

"I'm almost there," I said. Five feet…four…three…two…Just before I reached the entrance, I heard a boom and we both went flying.

Cammie POV

Boom! The bomb went off just as we reached the jeep. I looked back, searching for Zach and Chelsea. I didn't see anything. I kept looking. I still had Melanie and she looked with me. "Zachy?" she whispered.

Abby pressed down on her comms unit. "Zach? Do you read me? Zach?"

I waited for her to tell me that everything was okay, that he got out. She just looked at me and shook her head. "No," I whispered. I couldn't handle this. Not now. "No!" Melanie's eyes filled with tears as my tears started to fall. I fell on the ground, clutching her to my chest. "It's my fault. I should've gotten Chelsea," I sobbed. I felt a hand on my back.

"Cammie, you can't blame yourself," Bex said soothingly.

I was hyperventilating. Sobs wracked through my body. Bex took Melanie from me and handed her off to Macey, who let go of Nick's hand as silent tears of her own coursed down her cheeks.

I clutched my abdomen. "No!" Pain like no other came to my chest. I couldn't bear the gaping hole that had formed.

I heard a whizzing sound. A helicopter landed. A few minutes later I heard a pilot saying to Abby, "Miss Springs, we've come to take these teens back to their school. The Circle of Cavan is destroyed. We just need to find the others." Still, I sobbed. I couldn't leave now. This was his resting place. I would never leave him.

"Cammie," Abby said. "Cammie, we need to go." She reached down to pull me up.

I slapped at her hand. "No! I'm not leaving this place," I snapped at my favorite aunt.

"Cammie, you have your mother. Your friends." She paused. I looked up at her and tears filled her own eyes. "Melanie. Who's going to take care of her? She needs you, Cammie."

That got me going. I stood and let her lead me toward the helicopter as sobs escaped my body. Bex paused on the stairs, turning to wait for me. Then her eyes seemed to catch something. She mumbled something unintelligible because I couldn't hear over my loud sobs. She said it louder and then yelled my name. "Cammie! Turn around! It's Zach!" My eyes widened as tears escaped them. I whipped around. There he was. Carrying a limp child in his arms.

Then I was running. Melanie was right behind me, I could see. She was yelling both Zach and Chelsea's names but I had eyes only for Zach. Kate, out of nowhere, took Chelsea from his arms and carried her toward an agent that must have specialized in medicine. He looked up as he heard his name and then opened his arms. I reached him and he lifted me in the air and spun me around. Tears of joy trailed down my face. I rested my forehead on his as he set me down. "You're okay," I breathed.

He smirked. "Why…wouldn't I be?" he wheezed out. He coughed.

"You're hurt," I stated.

He shook his head. "No. Just a little smoke damage. The bomb was leagues from the entrance. I was almost there when it went off. I only got the smoke. The headquarters was huge."

I laughed and kissed him once. He grinned and leaned in for more but then we heard a small voice saying, "Excuse me! I love him too! He's my brother!" I laughed and turned to pick up Melanie. She reached for Zach and he took her, pulling her to the other side to put an arm around me. Mel kissed her brother's cheek and clapped her hands. "We can all be together now!" she exclaimed.

I looked up at Zach, cocking my head to the side. "What do you think, Zach? Should we stick together now?"

He pretended to mull it over. "Hm…I think that would be okay with me." He leaned in and kissed me. He wanted to deepen it, I could tell, but Melanie interrupted it.

"Hello! Innocent little girl here!"

I laughed. "Yeah, innocent." I ruffled her hair and smiled.

We reached the helicopter and Melanie jumped down to rush up the stairs. I watched her and then went to follow as the pilot ushered us in. Zach grabbed my wrist. "Thank you. For taking care of her," he said. "I'm sorry you had to endure that." He looked at me with such tenderness in his eyes. Another side of Zachary Goode was coming out. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head and he nodded, understanding.

"Miss Morgan, Mr. Goode, we need to go. Please, file onto the helicopter," the pilot said, amused. I looked at him. He looked so familiar….

"Yes, Director Callahan," Zach said, smirking.

"Oh! Director!" I hurriedly rushed up the stairs and I knew Zach was following. Bex motioned for me to come over and sit next to her. Zach sat down first and I nestled my body on his lap. Everyone was there. Nick and Macey were in the corner and he was looking at her the way…Zach looks at me. The way Jonas looks at Liz. The way Grant looks at Bex. She was playing with his fingers. I smiled. Finally. Liz and Jonas were huddled together over a laptop, assessing the damage that the bomb did to the headquarters. Bex had her head on Grant's shoulder and she reached out and took my hand.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she murmured.

"So am I," Zach added. I looked up at him and smiled.

"I love you too," I said, reaching up to kiss him.

"Ahem," a familiar voice said. I looked up and met the eyes of Joseph Solomon.

He smiled at Zach and I and said, "Nice to see you alive, Miss Morgan. Keep your hands to yourself, Goode," he added with a glare.

I glanced up at Zach. He just smirked at Solomon and slowly wrapped his arms around me. Solomon sighed.

He turned to the rest of our friends. "Well, Rachel will be thrilled to know that all of you are okay." He turned back to me. "She was in hysterics when she found out that they had captured you, Miss Morgan. I would make a point of going to her as soon as we get there if I were you."

"We're going back to Gallagher?" Liz asked, surprised.

"Yes, we are, Miss Sutton. There is no threat that we can't handle now. Thanks to the eight of you."

"Six," Macey said. Nick looked at her questioningly, in the process lacing his fingers with hers.

"Why six?" Solomon inquired.

"Cammie and I didn't do anything. We just…got captured. Well, I did and Cammie tried to save me."

"Miss McHenry, you stopped the Circle of Cavan from taking a little girl's life. You were there for her when no one else could be. I promise, you and Cammie sacrificed more than the rest of us."

I felt Zach kiss my head and he whispered, "He's right, you know. You did."

"Anyway," Solomon continued, raising his voice and ignoring Zach's interruption. His whisper wasn't as quiet as I thought. "We are going back to Gallagher and the Director Callahan is escorting us back. He will be hosting a celebration dinner in honor of the eight of you, Abby, and Kate. You will all be receiving rewards. And that is very rare in the CIA."

"What about me?" Melanie asked from Chelsea's side.

Solomon smiled and I'd never seen a tenderer look on his face. "You too, Melanie." An eight year old girl gets a reward? Who would have thought?

"What's the date today?" Bex asked suddenly.

"It's November twenty fourth, Miss Baxter. Why?"

"I was just curious…." She sighed.

"We should be back at Gallagher in another four hours," Solomon said and then he went and sat next to my aunt. Hm…I wonder if there is any chemistry there.

"So, Gallagher Girl, how do you feel about completing a mission that not even a fully trained spy could do?" Zach asked me with a smirk.

I laughed and rested my head on his chest. "I feel…elated. I save your sister. You're all right. My friends are safe. Everything seems right in the world." I sighed. "But I know it's not always going to be."

He breathed in, burying his face in my hair. "How about I make you forget about that last part?"

I smiled. "That would be nice."

He grinned and his lips found mine. I hadn't felt his kiss in what felt like weeks. I knew it had only been a couple days. But it felt good. My thoughts clouded and I forgot everything except Zachary Goode.

Until someone had to ruin the moment. Stupid Macey. "No offense, guys, but we don't want to watch you two make out the whole time," she said with a smile.

I rolled my eyes and stuck out my tongue, like a five year old. However, I was happy that Macey was still herself. As I watched her and Nick, Nick said something in her ear and she smiled, giggling. A new side of Macey McHenry. I had a feeling that I would like it.

I looked at Bex. She was asleep on Grant's lap. He was smiling down at her like she was the sun and he was a blind man who was seeing it for the first time. (A/N: I totally stole that from Eclipse!) I smiled. They were perfect.

Liz and Jonas were just lounging on a seat. They were the more awkward ones of us. They didn't show affection often but I knew that they did like each other. Love, whatever you want to say.

Looking around at all my friends, I knew the next semester at Gallagher was going to be an interesting one.

Bring it on, I thought.

Before anyone asks, no, that is not the end. I almost decided to make it the end but I can't leave Macey and Nick's relationship hanging, can I? Also, I have to do the dinner in honor of them. I just have to. No question asked.

This is my longest chapter yet! YEA!!! Cookies for everyone! Ha ha. Virtually. And I mean, my longest chapter EVER. I'm so excited! Okay, so I only have one chapter and the epilogue left. I think I know what I'm going to do for my next Gallagher Girl fic but it'll be put off until probably March or so. I need to finish my other stories too. Well, not all of them but at least two more. I'm going to take a vote. I'll tell you guys when I post a poll so you can vote! Thanks for all your amazing reviews! Think you can go to…185? That would make me post the next chapter soon! And I think I said this but I want to make 200 reviews before the end. You need 27 to do it. I know you can. With this chapter plus two more, it should be a piece of cake with you guys. I love you all! I'm going to try and have the next chapter up tomorrow or Tuesday!

~XJamesBondX

P.S. I cried writing this chapter! I seriously thought that Zach was going to die! Then I realized I was writing it. So he didn't have to die. =D You should all love me forever and review since I did that. Merry Christmas! Even though it's two days after.