Hide & Spy (a.k.a. Gallagher Girls NG)

Chapter 15

Something that should be known about me, or obvious at this point, is that I am a runner. Always have been, always will be. Be it a gene passed down from my dad, or just a reflex. Running gets places me places faster, but, more importantly, it gets me away from places faster.

In that moment, I ran as my grandmother bellowed, "Morgan!"

I didn't stop running. I just took off ignoring the sounds that were chasing after me. I just ran. My heart was pounding and pumping adrenaline through out my whole body. For a moment, I actually believed that my feet weren't touching the ground.

Regardless, despite needing to run what I really needed was a place to hide and the janitorial closet seemed like a good place. I was surrounded with mops, brooms, and buckets. There wasn't any light inside of the closet, but if someone had opened the door they would've seen me in a second. So, I hid. I backed al the way up to the wall, using whatever was around me to blend in.

However, what I didn't expect was to hit a lever of some kind. Call it desperation or fear of getting yelled at by my grandma, but at the sound out rapid footsteps I pulled the handle and floor beneath me caved it, and I was falling.  

My eyes went wide and I forgot to breathe for a moment as I slid down through the ventilation system, moving like a bullet shot into the air. I landed several floors down, in the basement of the school. It was late at night, and dark. I shoved through the basement door and made it outside. I was about to think of an escape plan when I heard, "Going somewhere, Morgan?"

My head, swiftly, turned in the direction of the voice and found Mr. Hobbes strolling towards me. His hands were shoved into his pants pockets and his hair was slightly damp.

"I was just-"

"Avoiding the headmistress?" he finished for me. I wanted to say that I was just going for a walk or heading to the P&E Barn for a late night workout session, but they never came out of my mouth. "I heard that she's looking for you. She and her husband, Joseph."

"What happened between you two?" I blurted out.

"Me and Joe? Well, Morgan, that's classified," he said. Classified, I knew it too. I just wanted to change the subject.

"How classified? It can't be that bad if your superiors allowed you to work in the same building alongside his wife."

Mr. Hobbes smiled. "True," he agreed. "However, I think we both can agree that Headmistress Solomon can take care of herself and can, when she wants to be, quite vicious. " He was right, Grandpa was a legendary spy with a rap sheet longer than his life span, but Grandma was a league all her own I pity the spy that feels her wrath, and right then that spy was me.  Still, I wasn't going down without a fight.

"The Circle of Cavan," I said in a whisper so soft I wasn't sure he heard me, but he did.  "Every time I ask, I get shut down. I know, it's classified, but still."

"I'm sure your Terrorist Studies teacher will be happy to answer that question, next year," Mr. Hobbes calmly said.

"I'm not one for patience," I said. "When I want answers I go looking for them. What's that saying, better to ask for forgiveness than for permission?"

The smile on Mr. Hobbes' face never faltered. Soon enough, he was right in front of me. "It is, but I have my own assignment Morgan and you can't keep asking these questions. Not yet."

"Why? It has something to do with me? Catherine has something to do with me? She was my grandmother and yet no one tells me about her? Or if they do it's vague. Who was she? Why did she take me? Why won't anyone talk about her? Is this about Townsend, did he do something to her?"

"Zach never told you?" Hobbes asked, surprise in his voice. "Teddy Townsend didn't tell you either? I'm shocked."

"Tell me what?" I asked.

"It's not my place to tell you," Hobbes said as he kneeled down in front of me.

"For once, you're right, Jacob," said a third party. We both turned and there he was, hiding in the shadows of the academy building. His expression was neutral, his voice was monotone, and he strolled over as if nothing was wrong.

"Hi, Grandpa," I said.

"Morgan," he said. "Jacob, aren't you supposed to be teaching a CovOps class?"

"Aren't you?" Mr. Hobbes asked as he rose to his feet.

"Well, something else came to my attention," Grandpa Joe said as his eyes cut towards me. "Apparently a Gallagher Girl and a boy from Blackthorne were caught fighting in the Hall of History, and as headmaster it is my job to find these rebels and punish them. You're excuse?"

"I believe it's customary for a CovOps teacher at Gallagher Academy to be late every now and again, wouldn't you agree, Joe?"

"Morgan, let's go," Grandpa said.  Running was not an option that time, by exchanging glances with both men there was no way I was going to make it three feet before one of them had me pinned to the ground. Reluctantly, I went with Grandpa and he lead me back into the academy, to Grandma's office.