Spy School Betrayal

Back at St. Smithens

"Ben! I was worried sick about you!" Zoe Zibbell flung herself at me the second I stepped foot into the not so grand stone entrance to "St. Smithens". Mike also hugged me, Erica standing impatiently behind me watching.

"And welcome back Erica!" Zoe said, moving to hug her but than thinking better of it. Erica simply nodded and grabbed my wrist.

"Come on Ben. We have to get back to work." I followed Erica and Mike and Zoe followed me.

"What are you guys working on? Another mission?" I could hear a hint of jealousy in Mikes voice.

"Its none of your business." Erica snapped. She had been in a sour mood ever since learning that her sister might have turned to the dark side. 

"But I'm your friend! Or at least Ben's friend. I've proved myself on missions before and its not like I'm going to go around telling people." Erica didn't bother responding to this but Zoe spoke up.

"Ben thinks that Murray Hill has conned Erica's secret younger sister Trixie who is not in the spy business and didn't know her family was to get revenge on them for not telling her." Mike gasped and Erica wheeled on me.

"What the hell! Did you tell her?" she asked, her voice full of fire. 

"No!" I put my hands above my head and scrambled backwards. Zoe turned pink.

"Actually Erica don't be mad at Ben- I found out because I tapped his phone a few weeks ago for a homework assignment." Now I wheeled on Zoe. "relax smokescreen! Just open up your phone case and there's long range high end bug in there." I quickly did this and then stomped the black circle to pieces on the ground. Erica took a menacing step towards Zoe. 

"Tell anyone else-" she growled...

"I wont! I swear!" she held out her pinky for a pinky promise. Erica looked at it confused.

"Why are you holding out your finger?" she asked. Zoe rolled her eyes.

"Someone needs to get Ice Queen a basic guide to human behavior." she mumbled. 

***

"You two need to go now." Erica said to Mike and Zoe once we reached her bedroom. "this is business for me and Ben only." Mike and Zoe raised their eyebrows. 

"We already know whats going on... don't you think it would be useful to have more hands on deck?" Zoe asked. Erica narrowed her eyes. I knew the real reason that Erica wanted Mike and Zoe to leave- she didn't want them to see her bedroom. She had uncharacteristically hung kitten posters all over the walls, had a light blue comforter and delicate china teapots all over her room. Erica didn't want anybody to know this, but she had let me in on it. It always made me smile. 

"I don't care." Erica said, growing annoyed. 

"Wait!" a sly smile spread across Mike's face. 

"What?" Erica snarled.

"You want to be alone with Ben so the two of you can-"

"Shut up!" I swatted Mike playfully on the arm. "Erica just needs some space. Can't she have it?"

"Space with you around?" Zoe giggled. Erica's eyes narrowed to slits and she flashed forward to grab Mike and Zoe and flip them over, but I lunged in front of them at the last second. I didn't know if my spy instincts were finally kicking in or what, but Erica accidently grabbed my arm and judo flipped me into the wall. It hurt- a lot. Zoe and Mike scurried backwards while Erica stared down at me.

"Oh god." she muttered. "that was a dumb thing to do." she reached down and pulled me up. I was winded and having trouble breathing. "I'm really sorry!" she whispered.

"It's okay." I wheezed. My back was aching and my legs felt like jelly. Erica seemed to be considering her options of what to do next.

"Leave- now." she snarled at Mike and Zoe. They nodded, half sullen, half skittish and hurried down the hall whispering to each other. Once they were gone Erica unlocked her door and scooped me up like a baby. She carried me inside and shut the door, then triple bolted it and sat down on the bed, me in her lap. 

"You shouldn't have done that." she said.

"Their my friends- you shouldn't have been trying to judo flip them."

"They deserved it." Erica grumbled. She set me down on the bed and got an ice pack out of a mini fridge on the corner. I gratefully accepted it and pressed it against my throbbing back. Erica sat back down next to me and pulled me against her. I leaned into her shoulder and she put her head on mine. 

"So- what's the next step?" I asked after a minute. 

"Isn't it obvious?" We have to lure Murray and Trixie to us!" Erica grinned. On the contrary I frowned and glared at the wall. 

"And that means I'm going to be the bait." I groaned.