Stories Collide - A Stuart Gibbs Story

Chapter 11: Sneak Attack

"Why California?" Asked Zoe.

"I don't know. It was an order from the head of the CIA. You generally don't question him, if you're in this business," said Harlan testily.

Erica gave me a look. It said "or, is the head of the CIA also corrupt?"

She started to ask a question, but Harlan cut her off. "Sorry kids, but I don't have all day. You will meet Catherine and Alexander just outside the school wall at oh-two-hundred hours, and at oh-four-hundred, you will board your flight to California."

"It's always two in the morning with you guys," Chip muttered grumpily.

We headed our separate ways, back to our dorms. Given that we were going to California, I tossed in mostly shorts and t-shirts into my suitcase. Then I got some sleep for a few hours. When I woke up, it was late afternoon. My friends and I had been excused from classes for the rest of the day, week, and however long it took to find these other 'characters'. It was very refreshing to have the day off, and I began to think that maybe we should get every weekend off of studies, like in regular middle school.

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And before I knew it, it was 1:30 AM. I groggily got dressed, put on my shoes, and walked out of school. As I made my way through the forest, the tree's dark shadows loomed over me. I began to think this was a great place for hiding enemies...

When a body leapt out of a tree to my left. It slammed into me and shoved a rag into my mouth (which I realized, to my dismay, was a dirty sock). I was about to pass out from fear when the person spoke.

"Ripley! You have to be more careful!"

It was Chip.

I groaned and sat up, taking the sock out of my mouth. Waiting for me on the other side of the wall were Catherine Hale, Erica, Alexander, Cyrus, Zoe, Mike, and Jawa.

"Benjamin!" Catherine said happily. "So glad you were here. You were 21 seconds late, and I was starting to worry about you." One thing about the Hales was that they always expected too much from you. I rolled my eyes. Chip hopped over the wall, and I followed.

We started to walk down the street. It was only 2:01, and there wasn't much to do.

Something occurred to me. "Why did Agent Harlan want us to come here at 2:00 if our flight is at 5:00?"

My friend's eyes widened. "LOOK OUT!" screamed Erica. An incoming RPG was rocketing towards us. I dove to the ground...

Then everything went black. 

I woke up a few hours later. Wondering where I was, I groggily rolled over... and fell flat on my face.

I looked around and realized we were in the airport bathroom and I had just fallen off the counter. Erica was standing over me, giving me a disdainful look.

I grumbled and pulled myself up. "Where are the others?"

"They're all in our waiting seats. They woke up shortly after the RPG fired. We brought you in here, because a group of kids and two adults and a grandfather lugging a body around the waiting area would seem a little suspicious, don't you think? Then Mom assigned me to babysit you."

I took a better look around. The door to the bathroom appeared to have been locked very forcefully by Erica. I heard faint noises of angry people pounding on the door. As I listened more closely, the voices sounded higher than a man's. I looked at the sign on the door and realized that we were in the ladies room.

Erica registered that I had noticed this and said, "There were no communal bathrooms around. A girl carrying a boy's body walking into the ladies restroom sounds bad enough, but a girl carrying a boy's body walking into the men's restroom is even worse. I did my best."

I had to admit that was a valid point, but now it sounded as if the door was about to break off its hinges from people pounding on the door. Erica seemed to consider her options, then untied my jacket from around my waist, put it on me, and draped the hood over my head, obscuring my face. She opened the door and casually walked out, me trailing behind.

We walked to the Gate A waiting area and found the group waiting there. Catherine leapt up from her seat and said, "Thank goodness you're alive, Benjamin! I was so worried about you. That RPG hit you head on and you just passed out! I was thinking..." she trailed off as she noticed another woman staring at her in shock. She turned to her and explained, "For my older son's birthday, we hosted a paintball war. One of them had too much explosive in it and it knocked out Benjamin here..." the mother nodded understandingly, as if this had happened to her a thousand times. She turned and walked away.

Catherine sighed with relief and turned back to me and Erica. "I was worried she wouldn't buy that."

Erica sat down in her seat and patted the one next to her. I sat down in it and looked at my watch. I usually knew the time by heart, but that sometimes didn't work after I had been asleep, or, in this case, knocked out by an RPG. It was 4:48 AM. We would be boarding in about 12 minutes.

Jawa cleared his throat. "Before we get on the plane, I propose that we discuss the rocket-propelled grenade that hit us. Do you suppose Agent Harlan engineered that? Or merely played a part in the operation?"

"I've read Harlan's files," said Erica. "He's been serving the CIA for 14 years. But, that certainly doesn't mean he's incorruptible. Someone probably turned him along the way."

"I've never heard of him," I said. Zoe and Chip agreed.

To my astonishment, Cyrus said, "I've never heard of the guy either. And I've served the nation for my whole life. I'm guessing 'Harlan' is an alias."

"How long ago did you read his file?" I asked Erica.

"A few days ago. I've read almost all the agents' files. Harlan's was made a few days ago, so I read it." Erica frowned. "But if he has been serving the CIA for 14 years, why wasn't his file made earlier? All I can assume at this point is that someone did a terrible job creating a fake persona. It might have been Harlan himself. Probably not, though. Someone probably made it for him and paid him to take the fall on the RPG. But not really. He'll probably be extracted and terminated in the morning. No one would let him live with the evil information." She looked at my watch and said, "We are going to board soon. What is our seating situation?" She asked her mother.

Catherine looked at her papers and said, "You, Ben, and Chip will sit in 22. Alexander, Cyrus, and I in row 23. Zoe, Mike, and Jawa will sit in row 24."

"Alright." Erica picked up her duffel bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Let's go."

"California or bust!" Said Mike triumphantly. Cyrus rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath.