Spy School - Back to Basics [2]

14: Federal Surveillance Association file

The following footage and commentary has been compiled by the FSA divison of Mission Failure Statistics. Security cameras were found in the debris of former Robert E. Lee Junior High, located in black-boxes.

Commentary by ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇

Here we have several subjects, and several layers of... something. Honestly, I'm not sure how to begin this file, but I suppose I can start with the basics.

We have Mike Brezenski: CIA student-in-training, has been on several missions. Recruited later than most. A top student in his class.

There's Trixie Hale, our own agent-in-training: you can look more about her in the database, but for the bare-bones, she is a slightly above-average student, has sneaked onto one mission before and is now part of Operation M&M's. Code name Amethyst.

And now we have the setting: It's lunch break, and Mike Brezenski has just been given a phone call with certain instructions to set the grass on fire. He doesn't know why he should, but he knows it is important that he does.

"What was that all about?" Agent Amethyst asks Agent Brezenski.

"It was from Ben," the latter states. "We have to set the grass on fire. Quickly."

"Why?"

"I don't know, he didn't tell me," says Agent Brezenski. "But he says it's important that we do it now. Or something bad will happen."

"Well, I already have a match," Agent Amethyst says, pulling said item from her left converse. "Let's go."

The two agents-in-training are already located on the blacktop, so it takes only a couple of steps to reach the grass. The courtyard-blacktop area is full of bustling people, but they are all distracted playing wall-ball.

Agent Amethyst kneels down while Agent Brezenski does his best to block Agent Amethyst from the wall-ball player's view. There is a small segment that he didn't consider to block, but no one seems to spot Agent Amethyst anyways. Agent Amethyst strikes the match on a piece of cardboard she produced from her other converse, and holds the blazing match right above the grass.

"Alright Mike," says Agent Amethyst, "lighting the grass in three, two, one."

On one, Agent Amethyst drops the fiery match onto the grass, and both agents jump away and start running.

"Fire! Fire!" yelles Agent Brezenski. The people playing wall-ball turn around and start screaming and yelling, running away from the fire as well. Simultaneously, the fire alarm goes off, and chaos spreads to the rest of the school.

"We should make sure everyone gets out," Agent Brezenski tells Agent Amethyst as they're running. "Considering that we started the fire."

"Definitely," Agent Amethyst agrees. "Since there's two of us, and we're located at the north end of the school, we should split up and go different directions, meeting at the main entrance. We'll cover ground faster."

As a visual, I've provided a map to show their directions, with Agent Amethyst's path in red, Agent Brezenski's in blue, and their starting point in black. 

Agent Amethyst and Agent Brezenski are jogging now, hurting to open every unlocked door they can see to make sure no one is still inside. At this point, the fire spread from the grass to the K-wing and gym, but the two agents are already far beyond that point. They so far have not encountered a single living soul, human or animal, so far. It looked like everyone was quick with getting away from the fire. Agent Amethyst has reached the front entrance, but Agent Brezenski has one more room to check. And this room has an occupant: a boy, probably huddling under a table, and by the looks of it is a 5th grader; he probably is a participant of one of the local field trips to the middle school.

"Hello?" Agent Brezenski says to the boy from the doorway. The boy cringes at the noise. "Hello?" Agent Brezenski continues, walking towards the boy. As he reaches down, the boy makes a weak but urgent gesture: "no, wait."

"What?" Agent Brezenski asks. The boy points to some noise cancelling headphones on the desk and Agent Brezenski immediately understands. Back in elementary school, the agent-to-be had a classmate with sensory overload, which meant on occasion, his classmate's senses would, well, overload. Every detail would stand out, from the teacher's watch, to the distant noises of the PE class playing kickball, and the scratchy feel of his shirt would amplify.

How do I know all these details about Agent Brezenski's early life? I would rather not say, but I am an FSA agent after all, emphasis on S for "Surveillance"...

Agent Brezenski places the noise-cancelling head, knowing it wouldn't fully solve the problem, but at least there wouldn't be as much overloading.

"I'm sorry," Agent Brezenski mouths, "but we have to go now."

The boy gets down from under the table and starts walking next to Mike. Neither talk, but they both briskly walk towards the entrance, where Agent Amethyst is waiting.

"Oh, so you found someone," Agent Amethyst says, "thank goodness that we checked all the rooms, then."

Agent Brezenski opens his mouth to reply, but he feels a tapping on his arm.

"Ground. Shaking," the boy says, his voice barely a whisper.

After a moment, the two agents feel it as well, and they pick up a roaring noise growing louder and louder from the middle of the campus.

"Run!" Agent Brezenski yells, though it is not necessary since Agent Amethyst already picked up the boy and was running towards a staff member's car in the parking lot that was right next to the entrance, the nearest shelter available. Agent Brezenski ducks behind the car next to them just as Robert E. Lee Junior High explodes.

951 words.

This chapter style was really fun for me. It was cool doing something not from Ben's pov, and rather an office-jock from the FSA, recording the incidenct.