Things were indescribably weird for the next few weeks at school. Once you get out in the field for real, it's not easy to come back to the classroom. Bex, Liz, and Macey all seemed to flow back into the academic world like they'd never been gone, but between the constant headaches, stabbing pain from my chest, and the sling around my arm, it was hard for me to forget everything that had happened. Zach understood of course. It was rare for me to catch him paying attention in class. He mostly just stared into the distance.

"Hey, Zach," I called to him after class, "how are you doing?"

"Fine," he replied.

"No, I mean, how are you doing?" I asked again. "I mean, terrorist or not, you did just lose your mom. I know how that feels."

We peeled away into a side corridor where the stream of students thinned out. He looked at me with those cold eyes and said, "I'm getting through. She was my mom still, but there's not a person out there that I hated more."

I pulled him into a hug (well, as best of a hug I could give in my condition.) He finally pulled away and asked, "Have you decided what you're doing yet? With the flash drive and after we graduate?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "I'm not giving it to the CIA. I know that for sure."

"What do you say we take the ledger?" He suggested. "And do things how we want them done?"

"Go after the names ourselves?"

He nodded, "No more red tape or being told to leave it for someone else. Just you and I."

"Honestly, I'd like that," I said.

"Let's go now," he started to tug my hand.

I shook my head, "Can we wait until graduation? I have some loose ends to tie up first."

When I got back to my room, I saw Bex sitting at her desk scribbling away at one of our final assignments as spies-in-training. "Bex," I called, "there's something I need to tell you."

She looked up and said, "What's up, Cammie?"

"I'm not joining the CIA after graduation," I explained. "Or any of them actually."

She smiled softly, "Yeah, I've been gathering that over the past semester. Anyone who knows you could see you've been leaning towards that. What's the plan, then? College? A normal job?"

"Zach and I have in our possession a ledger," I began cautiously, "one that lists every double agent the Circle ever had."

Bex gaped, "How did you get that?"

"Long story, but basically it's Zach's fault," I grinned.

"Have you told the others?"

"No, I wasn't planning on it until later," I admitted. "The fewer people who know now, the less of a chance we're going to get stopped. The CIA are very interested in the list. And besides, no one else is my best friend."

"Your secret plans to run away with Zach are safe with me," Bex promised.

"Thanks, Bex," I could always count on her. That much would never change. "What's in the future for you, then?"

"MI6," she beamed. "Time for the Baxter duo to become a trio."

"And what a trio it will be," I said.

The days of my high school career quickly wound down until there were only two left. My classmates and friends buzzed about the hallways, visiting classrooms and hallways for the last time. They wanted to make sure that they didn't forget a single inch of the grounds until the next time they returned as alumni. More than anything, I wished I could forget everything.

Sitting in my last Cultures of the World class, however, I was actually starting to feel a hint of nostalgia wash over me. This was the last time I'd hear Madame Dabney's spy stories of the weird and unbelievable.

My brief walk down memory lane was halted by a rap at the door and Professor Buckingham's voice: "Pardon me, Madame Dabney, but could I borrow Cameron Morgan?"

"Of course," Madame Dabney bowed.

I gathered my things and shrugged at Bex and Macey who were mouthing, "Why?"

Professor Buckingham turned to me once we were safely out of earshot of the classroom and said, "The Director of Clandestine Services for the CIA is here to see you, Cameron."

"He is?" I asked.

"Mr. Price is a decent man," she explained, "but he is rather forceful until he gets his way."

"Thanks," I said, "but we've actually already met."

Professor Buckingham initially seemed a little taken back by that, but then she seemed to remember that I'm Cameron Morgan and the abnormal is fairly normal in my life. We walked to the main hall where Mr. Solomon was sat talking with Mr. Price.

"And if she says no, you will leave her alone," Mr. Solomon quickly trailed off when they noticed we had joined them in the hall.

"Ah, Cameron!" Mr. Price stood. "Great to see you again. I trust your final classes have been going well."

I shrugged, "Just got pulled out of it, actually."

"My apologies," then he winked, "or perhaps, you're welcome?"

Professor Buckingham turned to Mr. Solomon and said, "We should let them talk, no?"

Mr. Solomon didn't move. Mr. Price smiled, "We're just going to chat. Nothing too bad, Joe."

Mr. Solomon finally began to stand up while turning to me and said, "You okay?"

I nodded, "Yeah, we won't be long."

Mr. Price waited until they both left the room before smiling, "Cameron, thanks for meeting with me. I wanted to update you and tell you that we have located a handful of Circle agents in some foreign spy agencies. They are being handled. This is all thanks to your good work, of course."

"I don't really know what I did to help you," I responded cooly. "Have you found any of their agents inside the CIA?"

He chuckled, "My dear, they didn't have the resources required to turn our agents."

"I wouldn't count on it."

"Right, well, in either case, we don't have any intelligence to suggest there are any, so that's that." I could tell the conversation was over, but one final enquiry popped into my head.

"And what if the ledger hadn't been blank?" I started. "What if it had listed the name of CIA agents?"

"Then, we would have assumed the list to be an attempt to burn our agents," he explained. "Once again, I assure you that the Circle did not have the capabilities to turn our agents."

"Is that all, then?" I asked hopefully.

"No, no, of course not," he smiled once again. "Cameron, I hope you have considered our offer further. We are willing to make a more attractive proposal. More money? Any specific assignments?"

"Total autonomy to go after the Circle's agents would do," I shot back immediately.

"We don't have the intelligence," he reminded me.

"I would find it."

He shook his head, "You'd be chasing dragons that just don't exist. Waste of your talent. On the other hand, we have a great long-term assignment in South America on the docket. It's a joint CIA-MI6 operation. I know you're close with a number of their agents, so we could work something out."

I shook my head, "I'm not interested."

"This operation would save lives," he growled, "and all you're interested in is a fool's errand. There are real missions, real tasks."

"What do you think is going to happen to all those double agents? Are they just going to go back to being a normal spy like before or are they going to continue to seek the same kind of power and money they received from the Circle?"

"They simply do not exist!" he bellowed. "End of discussion!"

"You're right," I said quietly. "This is the end of the discussion."

I stood and began to walk towards the doors to the main building. He stood as well, "Cameron, do not make this mistake. Don't throw away your future for this."

I continued walking until I passed Mr. Solomon who had been waiting just outside the hall doors. I shrugged, "He's all yours, Mr. Solomon."