Spy School Oneshot Collection

Crossover with Gallagher Girls - A Tale of Two Catherines

A confrontation between Catherine Hale and Catherine Goode, where Catherine Goode is captured and an interrogation is attempted. Mentions of torture.

Spy School part is sometime before SSR, and Gallagher Girls part is sometime before the end of the last book.

"We're so alike," Catherine Goode said, looking across the dimly lit alley. "But you knew that."

"We are nothing alike," Catherine Hale said.

"Oh, that's what you tell yourself. That's what you tell everyone else. But you, of all people, should know a lie when you see one."

"I don't have time for your games," Catherine Hale said, taking a step forward and discreetly reaching for her weapon.

"Of course you do. I know how you operate. You're not going to do anything to me. Sedation will just delay this."

"I could do a whole lot more than just sedate you."

"But would you?"

"Perhaps."

"I don't believe you," Catherine Goode taunted. "We were once in very similar positions, you and I. And wasn't it dreadful back then? You should have left it all when you had the chance."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sure you do. You just don't want to admit it."

"We're done here," Catherine Hale said, keeping her eyes locked on the other woman.

"So you think I'm going with you?"

"You were always so cocky," Catherine Hale said.

"Not without reason," Catherine Goode responded.

"It's terribly ironic, isn't it," Catherine Hale said as she watched her adversary crumple to the ground.

*      *      *

"I have to ask," Catherine Hale said as she walked into the cell Catherine Goode was being held in. "What does your son think of all this?"

"Perhaps I should be asking what your daughters think of what you do."

Catherine Hale just stared at her.

"Not going to answer that, I see. Maybe that's for the best. Because when you said you simply couldn't keep your work from your daughter, clearly that only applied to one of them." She paused, seeing if that would get a reaction. It did, but it was so slight most people wouldn't have noticed. "Oh, I know about Trixie. You thought she was a secret, didn't you? Tucked away at boarding school, separate from all this. Safe."

While Catherine Hale made a mental note to check on her younger daughter as soon as she was done with this poor excuse for a conversation, Catherine Goode continued.

"Your silence is very telling. This isn't court. You don't need to keep pleading the fifth."

"Who are you working for now?" Catherine Hale asked calmly, acting as though she wasn't bothered by all this.

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know."

"Yes, I would, in fact, like to know. And I'm not above doing what's necessary to get that information."

"Oh, really," Catherine Goode said.

"Really," Catherine Hale said.

"I'd like to see you try."

"Then I will." She tried to make this sound menacing, but, frankly, Catherine Hale just wasn't a very menacing person.

"So do something. If you can. I don't know what your precious morals say about torturing someone you think is insane."

"What makes you think I think you're insane?"

"Because you're just like everyone else. And, even more than them, you're picky about things."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"How does this sentence makes you feel?"

Catherine Hale reflexively cringed at the purposefully poor grammar.

"You're quite fun to mess with, I will give you that. And it's so easy, too."

"You just don't care, do you?"

"Care about what? The things you care about? What even are those things? Loyalty to your ungrateful agency? Your idiotic husband?"

"He hasn't been my husband for a long time."

"Really?" Catherine Goode asked. "Then why do you keep his last name?"

"That doesn't mean anything."

"Are you sure about that?"

"You won't care if we torture you," Catherine Hale said, changing the subject .

"Oh, but you certainly would."

"That is not the situation here."

"But it could be some day."

"We could kill your son, and that would mean nothing to you."

"You wouldn't even kill me if you had the chance. And you have had the chance. A number of times, actually."

"I only do what I must."

"No, you would just keep coming up with excuses not to do it."

Catherine Hale knew this was going nowhere and turned to leave.

"I guess I'll just be seeing you around, then," Catherine Goode said.

"I certainly hope not."