Spy School: Royal Flush (Fan-Made)

Chapter 6

A Cliff
May 14th
2100 Hours

My eyes slowly fluttered open as I regained my consciousness.
I could hear the crashing of waves behind me.
My head jerked up, fully awake.
I looked around.
I was laying on the ground with a cliff behind me, waves beating against the rock.
I tried to scramble away, but I quickly found that I was tied up.
A length of chain was wrapped tightly around my torso and legs with a big rock attacked to my ankle.
My heart sunk.
I was going to be drowned in the ocean!
Scared out of my mind, I desperately tried to get the chains off.
"Oh relax, Ripley! It's just for show..."
My head snapped in the direction of the voice.
Murray was sitting in a lawn chair, sipping a soda.
He changed out of his suit, favoring a jacket and jeans for windy weather.
"It's not like I'm gonna drown you or anything! The CIA wouldn't risk killing you off. Too much paperwork." He shrugged, taking a big gulp of his Sunkist.
"Besides, I'm sick of this whole routine. I make an ingenious plan, you try to stop me, I have to kill you... It's getting kind of old..." He unsuccessfully tossed around the can, dropping it and spilling the contents. "Aw..."
"But anyways, wouldn't it be better for the both of us for you to join me instead?" He bent over to eye level.
I groaned.
"For the last time, no!" I protested.
Murray laughed. "Oh, but you don't have a choice this time!"
"You're gonna join me either way, Ben. We can do it the easy way or the hard way..." He sneered.
"And what are those?" I raised an eyebrow, still skeptical.
"Easy Way: You join me on your own merit and I reward you handsomely! Hard Way: I force you to my hideout kicking and screaming and make you a prisoner. Now tell me, which one sounds better to you?" His smug smirk turned into one of taunting.
I bit my lip, trying to come up with a witty retort.
"Tick tock, Ripley~! Make sure you decide before your CIA friends come!" He said in a sing-song voice.
I went back and forth in my head, trying to get an answer.
"You want me to join you, Murray? Well you'll have to drag me! Because unlike you, I don't take the easy way out!" I declared.
Not gonna lie, that felt good.
He scoffed.
"Have it your way, Ripley... But mark my words, one day you'll be begging to join me..." Murray took a fistful of my hair and gripped it to prove his point.
A sharp pain pierced my scalp where he grabbed my hair.
Before Murray could say any more, two black vans drove up to the cliff.
"Ah. Here they are." He turned to the vans.
"Now, so you don't go blabbing our little deal to your friends..."
He tied a cloth gag around my mouth, not allowing any sound to escape.
He let go of my hair and stood up to greet the CIA agents climbing out of the van.
One of which, was Erica Hale.
Her black hair, pulled back into a pony tail, whipped around in the wind.
If looks could kill, Murray would be dead on the ground right now.
"Where is he?"
You know, it's impressive how so much rage can be packed into three simple words... Especially when they come from Erica Hale...
"So glad you could join us! You looking for him?" Murray stepped aside and shoved me up to the front.
"Benjamin!" Alexander Hale, arguably the worst agent you could've brought, stumbled out of one of the vans.
"Hang on! We'll rescue you! ...Somehow!" He tried to be encouraging. It didn't work.
Erica Hale pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance.
"Did you bring what I asked for?" Murray raised an eyebrow.
Erica narrowed her eyes.
"Bring him out."
As ordered, two other agents brought the real Prince Quincy Valent from the van.
"Unhand me, you cretins!" He struggled against his handcuffs.
"Ready for a trade?" Murray asked.
"And what if we don't?" Erica challenged.
"Then I hope you can handle the paperwork that comes with a dead agent..." Murray smirked evilly.
"You wouldn't dare..." Erica growled.
"Sure I would. Ripley's been a thorn in my side, so give me a single reason why not." Murray taunted.
Erica stood down. Because she knew deep down that he would.
"So, here's how this gonna go!" Murray clasped his hands together.
"If you give me the prince, I'll let Ripley live! If you don't..."
Murray gestured towards the sea.
"So? What's it gonna be?"
Erica kept her eyes trained on him.
"Hand over the prince."