So, here's chapter 14. Meh, I'm conflicted on this chapter, but oh well. I like the beginning, but the end point was a little awkward, so sorry. I just didn't want this chapter to be obnoxiously longer than the rest, so consider this chapter and the next as almost one chapter (but not.) I was listening to some Tichelli while writing this, so I think the tone changes as the music did (which was Angels in the Architecture, by the way.) I don't know how many band nerd as reading this, so that last sentence might be completely meaningless to most... but you guys should really listen to Tichelli. He's a visionary. So, anyways, happy Friday! Very excited for the weekend, Tickgrey

I arrived at my CoveOps classroom a little late, but it didn't even matter because Mr. Solomon hadn't shown up yet either. It was incredibly unusual to him to be late, so I scurried to my seat which I now noticed was its own little island in the corner of the room without my friends there. Tina glanced back at me, and I could see on her face that she was wondering if the reason I was late was because there was some breakthrough. I returned a glance to assure her that nothing notable had happened (at least not that I was aware of.)

Finally, the door swung open to reveal not Mr. Solomon, but Mr. Smith. In fact, a very expressionless Mr. Smith. I was hoping to get a read off of him, but he was letting absolutely nothing slip out. I shot a curious look at Bex, only she wasn't there, so I just ended up giving a strange glance to Anna Fetterman. Anna didn't seem to mind which was probably because she shared similar confused sentiments.

Mr. Smith cleared his throat and began, "Mr. Solomon had some business to attend to, so I have been asked to step in for the time being."

Tina looked excited that Mr. Smith might reveal some juicy gossip about the whereabouts of Mr. Solomon, but instead Mr. Smith just continued, "Today, we all agreed that it would be an appropriate time to continue our discussions on what to do upon graduation."

There was an anxious shuffling, but he continued in the same dry tone, "Applications for most of the major agencies are due in two weeks in order to be considered for most 'straight out of school' positions."

I gulped at the sound of that. I hadn't even gotten an application for an agency yet, let alone started filling anything out. "Most of you have already submitted applications which is fantastic! We would like to encourage you girls to submit them this week so you don't run out of time."

I'm pretty sure Mr. Smith continued talking for a while about helpful application tips and the benefits of some different agencies, (even though I'm pretty sure everyone in the room had their eyes on the same agency: CIA) but to be honest, I completely drifted away. My thoughts were tied up in everything that could possibly be happening with my friends and mom.

"Ms. Morgan?" I heard a snap. I jerked back to the present and looked up to see Professor Buckingham at the front with Mr. Smith. When exactly had that happened? I couldn't possibly have been in my thoughts for that long (evidently I had though.)

"Hm?" I drowsily asked.

Mr. Smith gave me a stern glance and then said, "Professor Buckingham needs to see you."

I nodded and followed the elderly professor out into the hallway. She motioned for me to follow her which I did. We climbed into the Sublevel elevator and made our way to Sublevel 1 which I was now getting very used to seeing. I was beginning to wonder where the sophomores were having class if Sublevel 1 was almost constantly used for a war room now. When we reached the end of the hallway, I turned into the room and much to my surprise, saw Macey, Zach, Liz, and Bex sitting calmly at the familiar oak table. I smiled and said, "Hey!"

They smiled and waved in return, but the atmosphere in the room was much tenser than I had realized. Bex looked beat up with a few noticeable bruises on her face and arms including one particularly nasty bruise on her chin which was turning a lovely shade of purple, and I'm sure there were a whole plethora of bruises hidden elsewhere. Zach also looked much rougher than the last time I saw him. His lip had been busted open recently, and his eye was blacked out. Liz and Macey appeared to be fine, but for all I knew, they could have had hidden injuries.

Mr. Solomon was seated across the table from my friends. I joined the group at the table cautiously. Mr. Solomon was the first to speak, "I hope you four realize how reckless what you did was. We have never taught you anything of the sort, and to be frank, we expected much more of students such as yourselves."

Macey and Liz nodded solemnly; neither liked being yelled at like this. Zach remained indifferent as normal, but Bex, on the other hand, protested, "Does it matter? It worked."

I shot her a confused glance which she shrugged off. She was engaged in a full-out war with the teaching staff of the Gallagher Academy. Professor Buckingham replied swiftly, "That is beside the point. There were many far safer not to mention less idiotic ways to gather the intelligence that you did."

Bex scoffed, "Then why weren't you doing them? Why were you just sitting around like we had time to waste?"

"Excuse me," Professor Buckingham was getting angry, "but I don't recall telling you everything that both the staff and the CIA have been doing to gather intelligence and conduct a rescue operation."

"Well, if you had, we might not have had these problems," Bex reminded her as if it were just that simple. She had a look of victory on her face. I, in direct contrast, was completely bewildered. What intelligence? Had Bex and Professor Buckingham had an argument before they took off? And for that matter, where did my friends even go?

Mr. Solomon tried to direct the conversation back to a more level-headed discussion. "Well, we cannot change the past. We can, however, catch you five up to speed on what is happening."

I was still confused. Mr. Solomon clicked a remote, and all the screens in the room flickered to life. One flashed to a map of Germany and then proceeded to zoom in on a small town in the southern region. "This is where we suspect the Circle is holding Rachel. The CIA has sent recon teams in the area to gather intelligence and confirm that this is indeed where they are holding her. If it is confirmed, they will draw up a plan to breach and rescue."

Bex, Macey, Zach, and Liz all nodded as if they knew what was happening. I was still lost and now even a little bit angry. Why did my friends and teachers all seem to know what was going on with my mother more that I did?