Spy School - Back to Basics [2]

15: Hostage Situation

Unknown Forest

Vienna, Virginia

May 10

1240 hours

As I finished my call to Mike, I realized I should have called Cyrus about our location, so he could pick us up. (And, arrest Elizabeth and her crew.)

I took Erica's phone which she gave me, and dialed the contact "Grandpa". I had just pressed the call button when I felt something whiz by and then a loud thunk as it embedded itself into my shoulder. I had time only to think, Oh shoot, I've been shot, before I passed out.

When I woke up, I was laying on the ground on my side with my hands and feet bound, and a sack over my head. The thing that impaled my shoulder must have been a sedative dart. SKITTLES must have caught up to me.

The question was: why didn't they kill me?

I was relieved, of course. But everything in the dictionary for being a villain went against it. During my lessons when I was undercover at SPYDER's base, Joshua Hallal had made a point about killing the enemy agent right away. No capturing, no monologues, just wipe them from existence.

There were only two logical conclusions: I had information they needed, or I was being used as bait.

I really, really hoped I was wrong, and that Elizabeth was being merciful. But then again, her plot involved killing the entire population of Robert E. Lee Junior High.

I decided to make what I could of my surroundings without moving too much. My bound hands felt that there was a box and several cold metal things- probably guns. It seemed that I was dumped into a storage room.

I was thinking about getting up onto my feet and hopping around like a little kid pretending to be a rabbit, but then I heard footsteps. I quickly went limp and tried to arrange myself into the position I originally was in.

"He's still here," I heard a voice say, "but I don't see how he could have exactly escaped."

"I wish he would escape. Moving target practice is fun, though the screaming is annoying. Yelling is good though," a second, burly voice said.

"Um, yeah, that's nice," said the first voice, his voice just as disturbed as I felt.

"Well, I'm sure I can use him for target practice once he is allowed to die. Is he allowed to die yet?" the burly voice asked. I swallowed nervously.

"No, the target hasn't taken the bait yet, and besides, he's going to be backup leverage, so, um, you can't kill him yet," the first voice replied.

"Oh, wait, I can use traitor Ivy for target practice!" I could almost hear the burly man show the gaps between his teeth.

"Um, yes, she is a traitor, but, er, she is needed alive, with brain and vocal cords fully working. But, I heard that guard Jeff loved doing moving target practice for you. You can go to him. Don't worry, I can cover your shift," said the first voice anxiously, obviously trying not to fall victim to the second voice's "moving target practice".

Ivy must have revealed herself! Erica probably got overwhelmed by the guards and t distracted her.

"Oh! Thanks!" said the second voice, and then I heard loud footsteps down the hall. As soon as the footsteps receded down the hall, I heard the first voice breath a sigh of relief.

"Finally, the maniac is gone," said the first voice.

Suddenly, a crackling voice emerged from the guard's walkie-talkie. "Target has breached the building. Get ready to secure the room."

"Copy that," he replied.

It was silent for about thirteen minutes, until I heard a small, very faint bumping noise. The guard didn't seem to hear. There was another bumping noise, and then I heard someone landing on the ground nimbly. There were nothing but grunts and whooses of air as blows were exchanged, and then quiet again. The person who was obviously the winner of the brief fight went towards me and pulled the sack off my head.

Erica. Of course.

Before I could even thank her or even ask her how she got inside the base, the door slammed closed, and I heard the words "Target captured."

Erica whirled around. "What?" she exclaimed. She took in the metal door and the words we both had heard, and realized what had happened.

"Argh," she said, "you were bait. I shouldn't have come right away I should have called Cyrus-" she sighed.

"Ahem," I coughed, gesturing to my bonds, "untie, please?"

"-Cyrus, Cyrus," she continued, not hearing me, "back during the training camp, you were used as bait to attract me, and eventually Grandpa. Now it's the same thing, but it can't be happening, can it?" she said, a look of panic on her face.

I had already reached the same conclusion.

"Yes, it's happening. Now, the bonds-" but I was interrupted by a voice crackling into an invisible speaker system.

"No, we're not capturing your grandfather. We're being civil and doing negotiations. Now, we are sending the hostage footage soon, so, please, behave," the speakers blared.

"What exactly are you negotiating with?" Erica asked suspiciously.

"That's not of your concern," the person on the speakers said harshly.

"Until I know what exactly the form of payment is, negotiations are off the table," Erica said angrily.

"That is not in your power," the person on the speakers clipped. "The payment is between our organization's authority and your dear old grandad. And, if you leak any information, well..." the person talking left it at that.

"I would say, 'you won't get away with this,' but I don't want to be at risk of sounding cliché," Erica replied humorlessly.

The person at the speakers didn't respond, but I could almost make out a tinkling laugh, high pitched more so expected for fairies than humans for just a fleeting silence. Then I could hear a clank of a microphone being turned off, and silence entered the room once more.

"Um, you still haven't removed my ties," I said sheepishly.

"Ah. Yes. Sorry about that."

1019 words. 

School has started for me. :(

I'm not sure if speakamumbo has updated, but if you haven't, GOOD. >:)