Spy School: The Rise of Gama

Chapter 25: Here We Go Again

"Psst. Are you all still awake?" Liz whispers into the dark room.

She's staring up at the ceiling which is close enough for her to touch if she reaches her arm up from her position on the top bunk. The room is filled with two bunkbeds, the same as the other three bedrooms in the hallway. Adela and Ahara both claimed the bottom bunks, leaving Liz with the cramped top one. The boys, including Matias who decided he'd rather stay with the students than back at the base, are in the room across the hall.

"Ahara? Adela?" Liz tries again a little louder, rolling onto her side to peer down through the darkness at Adela on the bottom bunk of the bed beside Liz.

"Yeah, we're up." Adela confirms.

"Are you having trouble sleeping too?" Ahara asks.

"Mmhmm." Liz murmurs, rolling onto her back again. "I can't stop thinking about today at the base."

"Today was rough on all of us, Matias especially." Ahara sighs quietly.

"I don't think I've ever seen you move as quickly as you did today, Ahara." Adela says.

"I still didn't move fast enough. If I had I would have steadied Matias before he fell instead of attempting to catch him and both of us ending up on the ground."

"He should have listened to Rena. As much as I despise her and her arrogance, she seems to know what she's doing." Adela admits grudgingly.

"Can you blame him for not listening though? What type of seventeen-year-old expects to be put in charge of an organization? Even born and raised into it, do you think he'll be able to handle it?" Ahara's question remains unanswered, floating through the darkness and through their minds.

"You've been quiet a while, Liz. Are you asleep?" Adela's whisper breaks through the blanket of silence.

"Are the positions inherited?" Liz responds. "Matias has to take over the positions his parents were in. If my mother was killed during the bombing, do you think... do you think I'll have to take her position as a lieutenant of the Imperial Eagles?"

"Nah, there's plenty of people in the IE that can take over if necessary. They'd probably put Carol or Jessica in before you. Not that you need to worry about that, Sanders is not the type to be taken down by some petty bombing."

"But Adela, it's been two days since that message was sent to my phone. Shouldn't she have called again by now?"

"She said she'd call when we are to return, so she meant exactly that. If the building needs to be repaired she won't call until that's done." Adela answers. "Trust me, give it time."

"Are you two going to the ceremony tomorrow? I was thinking about attending."

"Of course you were, Ahara." You can almost hear Adela smirking. "No, Lyndley had surgery this afternoon and I promised her I'd visit. What about you, Liz?"

"I think I'm going to tag along with you. I'm not really one for sitting through a long ceremony in a language I don't understand."

"I'm going to sleep then. You two should try to get some rest as well." Ahara turns onto her side, pulling the blankets more tightly around her.

Rustling is heard as the three girls move around on their bunks in an attempt to find a comfortable position. After a few minutes, the only sound heard in the room is soft, even breathing.

~

The first rays of morning sunshine filter through the small dusty window in the girls' room, waking Ahara up. She sits up slowly so as not to hit her head on the bunk above. Adela and Liz are both still asleep.