Spy School Betrayal

Near death and Notes

"Crap on a cracker!" Erica grunted, jumping off the be and hurriedly throwing her stuff back into her bag. I slid off the bed and began packing myself. 

"Where are we going?" I asked her. 

"We need to find my mom. Show her the email." Erica slung her bag over her shoulder. 

"But your mom told you not to come out here! She'll be really mad-" Erica wheeled around, her eyes wide with fear and anger. 

"Ben! Can't you see that I don't care?! My sister could be in danger! It seems somehow she's involved with Murray Hill and you know how that goes! I can't let anything happen to her! Mom needs to know!" I nodded and hurried after Erica as she rushed to the car. We piled into it and sped out of the lot. It was another gray day but at least it wasn't raining. I sat in silence for a while, clenching onto the armrest of the car while Erica made tight turns down small backroads and alleys. We were now driving through the countryside, through narrow winding dirt paths. 

"Is this the right way?" I asked.

"Not really, but it's a shortcut." Erica replied, back to her usual calm. Well almost. Her palms were sweating so badly that her hands were slipping around on the steering wheel. 

"Erica can I do something for you?" I asked hesitantly. She took her eyes off the road for a split second to glance at me.

"Talk to me." she said after a minute. "about anything but the mission. I just- I may need a distraction." I nodded. 

"So- your diary? I'm sorry I read it." Erica winced almost imperceptibly. 

"This? Really?" 

"We need to talk about it at some point." Erica sighed heavily. I continued. "the entry made it sound like you liked me. Do you?"

"I guess you could say you're my best friend." 

"I mean do you like like me? And please don't say its complicated. I know it is. I also know that the two of us have worked together for a long time as friends now and we've made it work. Are you ever even going to consider a relationship?" Erica didn't answer for a minute, but finally seemed to think of what to say.

"Look Ben. You want the truth? I- I do like you. Maybe as more than a friend... Its just really hard for me to admit that or even understand it. I guess you're right, we have made it work being friends. It's really not you at all, its me. I may be an amazing, talented spy- a heck of a lot better than anyone else at the CIA- but when it comes to emotions I'm lost. I've always been taught to ignore things I was feeling, to just shut it off. Its so easy- or it was until you came along." Erica was looking ahead with her eyes glazed over, trying obviously to fight to keep her emotions coming through. She was almost squirming in her seat with discomfort but she continued for my sake. "if I'm being honest I want to try having a relationship, I just don't know how." my heart skipped a beat and I couldn't stop a goofy smile from spreading across my face. 

"I can help you. I can teach you how to feel things again and control it. You just have to let me." Erica took a deep breath. 

"Soon. Just- not now. I'm not quite ready. I need to deal with my sister first. Trying to learn about relationships could jeopardize the little time I have to find and rescue her." I nodded, understanding but disappointed. Erica picked up on this and took one hand off the steering wheel and put it on top of mine.

"Sorry Ben, but trust me. I've gotten this far. I can go farther." I gave her a smile and she returned it. We pulled out into a driveway leading up to a small, nondescript white house. Erica parked the car and we rushed to the front door. Erica quickly jimmied the lock and we stepped inside.

"Mother? Mom?" Erica called. There was no answer. A glint of panic was fading into Erica's eyes. She hurried down the hall with me trailing behind her.

"Somethings wrong here." she noted. We stuck our heads into the quaint little rooms on the downstairs floor, each empty. Erica then led me up a small staircase to a master bathroom. I gasped upon entering it. There were two broken teapots in the floor, the sheets were thrown about the room and furniture was shattered. There was a drop of blood on the otherwise pristine white carpeting. Erica rushed into the adjoining bathroom and I heard a noise come from her I had never heard before. Erica screamed in terror. I ran in after her and stopped dead. Catherine Hale lay in the bathtub, a blood splattered all over her pajamas. Her black hair was a rats nest and her eyes were shut. I felt tears spilling over my eyes. I felt like my mother had died. Erica rushed to her mom's side and breathed a sigh of relief. 

"She's alive- but in bad shape." Erica took a thing of smelling salts out of her utility belt and waved them under Catherine's nose. "mom- wake up. Mom!" she pleaded, thinking it was to quiet for me to hear. Catherine remained firmly unconscious. Erica jumped up and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed a number than held it to her ear. 

"I need an ambulance to 736 Chestnut Drive- quick! My mom's been attacked! She's alive but unconscious..." for the first time Erica wasn't faking the daughter in distress. I put my hand on her shoulder as she shoved her phone back into her pocket, then knelt by the tub.

"Should we move her?" I asked. 

"No. The ambulance will be here soon. It appears whoever did this must have stuck her with something while she was asleep, then tried maim her." Erica was clenching her mom's hand. That's when I noticed a slip of paper sticking out of Catherine's other hand. In her distress Erica must have overlooked it. I plucked it from her fingers and read it aloud.

Erica- What happened to no secrets between sisters? Don't worry, mom will be fine. I'm not a psychopath. However what I do to you- or take from you will hurt you more than this. Sorry it had to come to this, but I guess trusting me with the family secret was just not something you felt like doing. 
-Trixie

Erica choked and my eyes went wide. 

"Erica!" I gasped. "I think I know whats going on."