Spy School - Back to Basics [2]

10: Breaking and Entering

Site Omicron

Vienna, Virginia

May 10

1100 hours

"I thought you would be better than this, Samantha, Ben." Lacy frowned. "Honestly, I can't fathom why you would break my trust!"

Erica and I glanced at each other. Surely she was just over-exagerating or being sarcastic. How can you break someone's trust if you knew them for less than a day?

We were interrupted by Elizabeth.

"Ms. Lacy, may I go to the bathroom?" she asked, innocently, like she wasn't the head of some secret organization that was planning to nuke a country not less than a month ago.

"Sure," Lacy smiled. "I'll take you there, and you two-" she nodded towards Erica and me- "get out of there immediately. I don't want to see you breaking any rules again." We nodded quickly, and Lacy gently shoved us out of the room and locked the door, and then walked out of the room with Elizabeth.

As we walked to the place where Jayden was giving yet another lecture with zero enthusiasm, I realized something.

"Erica," I whispered, "if Elizabeth interned here, wouldn't she know where the bathroom is?"

Erica froze. "So that means Lacy is showing Elizabeth to a different place, but where? They're probably going to a place to launch their operation."

I prepared for one of Erica's distraction, but thankfully, this one wasn't going to harm me. She then collapsed in my arms, and I barely caught her.

"Um," I stuttered as the class turned to look towards me, "I think Samantha is dehydrated, let me take her to the water fountain."

"But you don't even know where it-"

I was out the door before anyone could respond.

"Can you stop being limp?" I muttered.

"No. Wait until we round the corner of the building." I swore I almost saw a hint of a snicker on Erica's face, but then it was gone. Could it really have happened- Erica, laughing?

I went down a different train of thought. "I still don't understand why you choose this distraction to get us out of there."

"It was necessary."

I finally rounded the corner of the building, and in less than a second Erica was on her feet.

"No more talking from now- and I absolutely mean it," Erica added, seeing me about to add a "but" to the conversation. "And don't look like you're sneaking around, otherwise we'll get caught. Instead, walk normally, but at a bit of a slower pace."

I nodded in defeat. We wordlessly started walking, trying to look like we were just going to the water-fountain.

The duo in front seemed to also know Erica's advice and were walking with their heads high and inconspicuously. They reached a door marked "Staff Only" and Lacy started to fiddle with the keys on her lanyard. Erica suddenly lunged forward.

"What are you doing?!" I whispered. She ignored me and darted behind a corner just next to the door which Lacy was opening.

"Can't you hurry?" Elizabeth asked impatiently. "You already tried three keys."

"Well, I don't use this entrance often, so you'll have to excuse me," Lacy replied in a clipped tone. She inserted another key and the door finally opened. "Aha."

Lacy and Elizabeth entered, and just before the door closed, Erica went out of her hiding spot and slipped something that looked like a card between the door and doorframe. Thankfully, Lacy and Elizabeth were already inside, so they didn't notice her. I quickly jogged to Erica.