Don't own anything... Although I had a dream where... You don't need to know that...
Cammie jolted upright her pj's soaked in cold sweat.
Closing her eyes she choked down a sob and started to shake uncontrollably. She didn't bother to turn the light on; instead she padded silently across the room and into the little bathroom off the edge of het dorm room. As she passed she glanced at her peacefully sleeping best friends.
Cammie stole herself and glanced in the mirror, then her eyes wouldn't look away again. Eyeing into the mirror a white, dark eyed, colourless face looked back which Cammie only recognised as her own because as she blinked it did too. A painful sob grew in her stomach and rose to her mouth, she cluched her hands over her face to block it, but the pitiful noise still slipped through the cracks.
A set of footsteps, louder than Cammie's, followed her into the bathroom. The girl rubbed her eyes as she watched Cammie from the doorway. In the bright light of the bathroom she looked even worse than normal, every brusie and shadow more pronounced than ever.
Bex hated seeing Cammie like this, but she was used to it now and was ready for the second stage of the nightmare. Bex could see Cammie turning more and more green as she stared into the mirror and waited for a second before leaping forward and guiding Cammie to the toilet, where she emptied her guts.
Bex didn't flinch away, she just handed Cammie a wet cloth and helped her clean herself up. She then filled a small bottle of water and made Cammie drink a little bit. She slid down the wall and sat next to her semi-unconscious best friend. Cammie's rushed breathing soon evened out and Bex knew she was falling asleep again. So she scooped her up and placed her back in bed like she had done for the 455 of nights previously.
She then rubbed her face and clambered into her own bed as quietly as she could. However over the rustling noise Bex heard Liz muttering something in her own dream,
"Save us… Zach will save her… Safe… all Safe…disable…safe." Liz rolled over and Bex lost hearing of her but it left her wondering , who was Zach? Her? Us? How could we ever be safe now Catherine was in charge and she shot Headmistress Morgan? Lying back down Bex faded into an uneasy sleep, her mind still churning through pitiful thoughts.
"Get up Cammie! It's 8 o'clock and we need to get up!" Macey bounced around like a cat on hot bricks as she ran a comb through her already perfect hair. Cammie groaned a few times and rolled into the pillow to go back to sleep. But unfortunately Macey was insistant.
Cammie opened one eye, rubbing the sleep out of it, and glanced at the clock next to her bed.
"8 O'CLOCK! Damn, Macey we have 1 hour till breakfast, let me just sleep..." She grumbled, burying her face back into her pillow.
"No we don't, we need to get ready for school!" Macey ignored Cammie's half-hearted protests and dragged her into the bathroom, waving her hairbrush wildly in the other hand.
The cloth from last night was sitting in one of the four sinks, clean, and the toilet had also been cleaned and washed. Bex stood watching as a bedraggled but not-as-ill-looking Cammie came in after a determined Macey, hairbush in hand. Cammie sent Bex a look out the corner of her dewey eyes,
Thanks for last night.
Bex grinned back, Cammie was about to speak when Macey grabbed her shoulders and pushed her down into a chair with probably a little bit too much force as the chair cracked slightly under the pressure.
Eye liner, foundation, mascara, lip balm and powder later Cammie looked like a normal teenage girl, not an orphan who had cried over her mother's bleeding body and trained in secret how to kill. Not a girl who threw up every night, no. Just an ordinary girl, well as ordinary as you could be when you spoke 40 languages.
Macey took out some hairbands and a hairbrush and began to do Cammie's hair, humming to herself happily.
10 minutes later Cammie stood in school uniform, her shoes shining, her makeup perfect, and her hair neat.
Macey had taken two small sections from the front and plaited them back before tying them. Opening the sole of her shoe using the tag Macey had sown in she slid a small knife into the gap and closed it with a slam. Macey did the same, so did Bex.
"Well, day 456." Liz added another line to the tally chart which she hid under her bed. Nobody would ever know that inside this room were four girls, all protecting a broken, damaged soul and a secret. Cammie made sure it was kept that way, nobody but these four girls knew just how damaged Cameron Ann Morgan was. Well maybe Joe, but Cammie rarely saw him anymore.
Hitching her fake smile on she walked out of the door, followed by Bex, Macey and Liz. All of which were chatting about homework, as if everything was normal. If Bex wasn't Cammie's 'night time support' and Macey didn't do Cammie's makeup every morning so she looked normal and Liz didn't set up locks on all of the windows and doors so nobody could see the real Cammie, well they wouldn't have got as far as they had done currently. But they were a team, and they stayed together no matter what.
"Hey Cammie!" Tina screeched from the bottom of the stairs, "My sources tell me that Catherine is dead!" Tina seemed thrilled about this and started yelling out details to anybody who would listen. Like a strange town crier, everyone huddled round to listen and the girls all turned to see a member of their party had stopped. Cammie froze and a swirling began in her stomach.
"Shut up Tina Ballerina." Macey spat, "We all know that's not the case or we would all have been told." She glared at Tina who sniffed and pranced off into the hall. Macey didn't care much; she just looked at Cammie who was still stuck solid staring into thin air. The girls all dragged Cammie down the steps until she woke up and matched their pace.
Nobody noticed the cover up and the girls all landed at the breakfast tables, as far from Tina as they could manage. The language of the day was Dutch, but none of the girls were concentrating on it, they were just too busy trying to get their brains to wake up for a day in school.
"Well let's see if we can get though today, and let's make sure we co-operate with whatever happens next." Liz sighed, turned pink and looked down. The others shared a glance but applied themselves to breakfast.
Zach's POV
"Why in the name of Grant's most stinky underwear do we need pistols!?" Preston sounded shocked, but he put the gun back in his pocket anyway. Each of them had a similar outfit, black trousers, black t-shirt, black jacket and black trainers. All had a pistol holster and comms unit, but that was pretty much it.
"The outfits are a bit predictable," Jonas mused, "Like the movies." He glanced at Zach, who flipped him off without even a glance.
"Well the lights will go out, even if the Code Black doesn't. Protocol won't happen, the girls will freak and Patricia is going to set off some blank's to make sure everyone is really scared." Joe stood with the four boys in the back of a white van outside the gate, "I always drive a van so don't worry you will be safe."
"How come, if we want chaos, the code black isn't going off?"
"Because the girls can handle a code black, they can't handle anything else. They will bolt, and you have to get the girls without anyone else knowing. Right the comms will be on path 76, testing."
"Test…yeh."
"Test… uh huh."
"Testing… Path 76 working."
"BLEH… yep it works." Grant grinned at everyone who was holding there ear after Grant shouted down it, Zach reached over and hit his head with a smack.
"Right lets go." Joe climbed though and sat in the driver's seat the set off though the gates, the boys were all sitting silently, straight faces and ready to spring out. "I will tell you when." He parked up and climbed out, leaving the four agents ready to save some girls.
A lot like the cliche movies.
37 minutes 12 seconds later, not that Zach was counting, Joe Soloman's voice came though the comms unit with a crackle, "They are near the door of the first hall. Go."
Grant climbed out, followed by the others, and stood silently by the outside of the door. It unlocked from the inside and the lights shut off. Patrica gave them a nod from alongside Liz and then waved her hand in Liz's direction, she nodded and started to jab at a keyboard. Jonas split off and crouched down next to her.
"Get out the way morons." Patrica whispered, cocking her gun. The doors were slightly open and the boys could hear hundreds of muttering girls. Grant dragged them into a small alcove opposite the stairs and they compressed into it.
BANG! The shot echoed around the hall and a moment of silence followed then a scream. The girls all bolted and rushed out the doors and towards and up the stairs. Zach spotted Cammie in the crowd, she was at the back, gripping Bex's arm. Macey was just behind them. They swept around the bend and Zach elbowed Preston.
"There they are." Preston whispered, "I will get Macey, she is easy as she isn't holding anyones hand." Preston reached out grabbed Macey's ankle and dragged her underneath with the other two. She fell onto her hands and started to scream but Preston put a hand over her mouth, muttered a sorry and elbowed her out.
"Come on." Grant called, "Let's go get those girls." Nearly everyone was past when Zach and Grant slid out, in the pitch black nobody saw them and in amongst the screams nobody heard them.
"Macey!" A girls voice was half screaming from their left, "MACEY!" It had a British accent, barely covered by any American drawl, and sounded worried.
"Bex." Grant whispered, "And she won't have let go of Cammie yet, she will be so scared. Joe said they hold knives in their shoes so be careful."
"Shhh! They are closer..." Zach hissed.
"Cammie, hide. I will find Macey, go behind the fireplace." Bex now sounded petrified, "CAMMIE GO!" Bex was now verging on mad, Zach recognised the sound of a girl who was scared but trying to hide it, yet another one of his traits.
"Ready?" He muttered to Grant.
"As always." Grant grinned and stepped out from their hiding place, Zach saw a lock of brown hair disappear into a library which is the opposite way to most the girls. Bex's face hardened as she saw the two boys, she took the fighting stance and held her knife out, "Oh shoot... Bex, we aren't going to hurt you."
"How do I know!?" Bex now sounded defiant, "You aren't going to get to Cam."
"We are from Joe Solomon, we have been sent to help." Grant held up his hands in surrender, Zach copied, his eyes not leaving the door where Cammie had disappeared through.
"LIARS!" Bex screamed, "Where is Macey? And Liz? I will kill you if you touch them."
"Great," Grant sighed before springing on Bex, she thrashed in his arms but he managed to just about get the knife. Zach slipped past them and towards the library; he could hear Grant talking to Bex who was still fighting him furiously. He had the upper hand as he could just lift her off the ground with his height.
The library was large and had all the signs of being practically lived in by the students, books were piled by computers, printers had stacks of paper on them and even in the old room modern portable lamps were on the floor, shelves and tables. The large fireplace dominated the large open area in the middle. Chairs and sofa's rounded around it making Zach wonder what Bex meant behind the fireplace. Slipping over he looked intently at the stone the made a large arch around the empty grate. He noticed one stone in particular was less dusty than the others, pressing it, a small gap opened up behind the grate. Trying to be a quiet as possible he slipped inside.
It was a passageway, small and stony. A cold draft floated down though the dark way, he noticed the cobwebs were haphazardly ripped and clumped. She must have run, he thought, she must be petrified that I'm with that evil... Twisted... Woman!
"Cammie?" Zach called, her knew somehow that sneaking up on her wasn't the way forward. Also showing he was male is a good head start.
"Who are you?" Her voice was harsh and venomous, "Why do you want me?"
"I am an Agent from Joe Solomon." Zach replied softly, "I am here on his orders to get you out of here and safe."
"How should I know you're not lying?" Zach rounded a final corner and found himself in a small room, she stood opposite him. Her uniform was covered in cobwebs and she had a tear in her sleeve and a small cut underneath it. Her face was solid but Zach could sense fear under her bravado, and the bite marks on her lip.
"Here is my gun," Zach placed his gun on the floor and tapped it towards her, "I have no other weapons. Grant is helping Bex Baxter, Preston has got Macey out and Jonas is helping Professor Buckingham and Liz Sutton turn all the lights out. The shot you heard was a blank fired by Buckingham to make you all bolt so we could get you girls out in the confusion. Joe is waiting outside with a van to get us all away before anyone can stop us."
"Who are you?" Cammie had lowered the knife slightly but her eyes were still cold.
"My name is Zach…" Zach deliberated for a second but decided to just do it, "…Goode."
Her face twisted after he said his name, fear shot through her eyes and anger contorted her beautiful soft face.
"YOU ARE THE SON OF CATHERINE!" Cammie raised the knife and lunged forward, Zach trapped the hand with the knife and caught Cammie's overbalance before she hit the wall.
"I may be biologically, but in person I hate her as much as you do Cammie. That woman brainwashed me and tried to destroy me possibly even more than you. I hate that woman. " Zach gave the knife back to Cammie and that seemed to be the key, her eye's softened very slightly and she tucked it in her belt, "Do you know how to get out without being noticed?" He took a step away from her so she could feel comfortable.
"Yes, follow me." Cammie went to leave the 'tower room', she stepped under the doorframe and slipped. Her feet slid out from under her and her head smacked backwards into the wall. Zach rushed forward, catching her before she hit the floor. A small droplet of blood seeped out the back of her head onto Zach's sleeve.
"Your exhausted." He sighed down at her.
Picking her up bridal style he stepped carefully over the slippy patch on the floor. Joe had said she was strong but as Zach navigated the passage, with Cammie in his arms, he had to disagree. She was strong, but breaking and she wasn't coping. Stepping out into the library he came face to face with Grant, Bex next to him. Bex was on her toes, Grant still half gripping her arm.
"Oh my…" Bex's face went pale, "YOU!" She screamed and started forward; Grant caught her round the middle and pulled her back.
"What happened?" He grunted as Bex attempted to kick him and punch him to reach Zach.
"She slipped; I would never ever hurt Cammie, Bex. If I ever do I give you full opportunity to kill me." Zach looked down at her, she looked peaceful, but the image of her and her mother floated in front of his eyes. Now more haunting than ever with Cammie unconcious.
"I will agree to that." Bex whispered angrily, "Now follow me, Grant told me what is going on and I know I way to get to the car park without much difficultly. Lets get Cammie out before you get us ALL killed."
Zach slumped on the floor of the Van as they moved further and further from Gallagher. The two sets of seats either side of him were packed with the team and girls. Cammie was still out cold, her head lolling against the side of the seat she was pinned in.
Macey had dozed off in Jonas's seat but she had shot awake and forced Grant and Preston to restrain her as Joe explained and calmed her. Now she was sitting on Preston arguing profusely in French. Tiny Liz was sitting between Macey and Jonas on the edge of his seat. They were absorbed in Jonas's laptop speaking about stuff Zach didn't even try to understand. Bex was perched on Grant's knee, both of them insisted it was just for logistics but Zach suspected otherwise.
Zach sighed and lent back against the locked doors, watching Cammie closely. She kept snuffling strangley in her sleep and twitching. He focused on her more as she grew restless and watched her face contort into a expression of pure horror.
Zach frowned at her, hoping it would pass, but then she gave out a muffled scream.
The reaction from Rebecca Baxter was faster than everything Zach had ever seen. She flew over and slid between Grant and Cammie before turning her head so she could breathe properly. Joe's head spun round from the front at the scream but when he saw Bex he turned back calmly.
"Cam your safe now, Solomon has us and we are safe." Her hands were in Cammie's and she was speaking quietly in her ear, "Its fine now, wake up Cam."
"Zach…" Cammie muttered, "Don't… hurt… parents…" She turned over and slipped back off into sleep. The reaction was instant. The adults began to chat among themselves, not wanting to be involved with the teens drama. But all the agents turned to face Zach. He shrugged, but his heart was hammering against his chest.
"Why does she remember you?" Macey questioned, "I mean she met you what, 2 hours ago?"
"2 hours 23 minutes." Zach recounted looking at his watch, "And I don't know, she hated me for at least 4/5 of the time she was talking to me."
Zach looked up at the girl, he could tell she was special but not why.
Well hope you all liked it, Reviews as always would be welcome x