Spy School: A New Beginning

Reconnaissance

A/N: Hi, I hope you all are doing well. I have not been writing as much lately because I'm trying to find a way to make this story as good as possible. I've been brainstorming, so I hope that as this story progresses, the story will show that. I literally have post-it notes all around my desk with ideas and things to remember for the plot. Also, for anyone concerned about how slow this book is moving, it will change soon. Enjoy! 

Ben's POV

The soft leather under my fingers was oddly comforting as I fidgeted nervously, trying to distract myself from the daunting task ahead. The cool metal of my weapons pressed against my skin, a reminder of the danger we were about to face. The leather seats beneath me are soft and supple, but I can feel the tension in my own body as I try to relax. My head rests on my folded arms in my lap. The leather seats are soft and smooth under my fingertips, and I can feel the vibration of the engine as the heavily armored vehicle rumbles forward. My head rests heavily against my knees as I try to calm my racing heart. 

We are about to break into a bank we had no intel on. Advanced Breaking and Entering, a third-year course at the Academy of Espionage has taught me that even breaking into a familiar building like the house you live in is incredibly difficult. So, the difficulty is taken to another level when you take the task of breaking into an unknown building with numerous safety precautions and guards. I had some optimism because we were with Cyrus, Erica, and Catherine. However, every time I reminded myself of this, I also knew that my skills paled in comparison with theirs. 

As my head lay on my knees, I felt a twang of fear. There is no room for error in this business, especially not right now. I care so much about everyone who is a part of this group, and one of my mistakes could cost them their lives.

I felt someone gently put their hand on my shoulder. Erica. We were in the last row of seating in the car, with Catherine and Zoe in front of us talking quietly, so hopefully, no one could hear us talking due to how loud the car's engine was. "Ben, are you ok," she asked. I shook my head, not daring to speak. Even though I trusted Erica more than anyone else, I didn't want to trouble her. 

She continued trying to find out what was wrong. I couldn't hide anything from Erica, she was practically a human lie detector. "Are you scared?" I nodded again, still not wanting to speak. Erica looked at me curiously and said, "You realize you have done far more dangerous things, right? Like jumping out of a helicopter, or hanging on the edge of a cliff, trying to defuse a nuclear bomb." She gave me an amused look, before wrapping me in her arms. The embrace made me feel comfortable like I was safe in her arms. Finally, she let go, and whispered: "Better now?" I smiled at her, feeling more confident. 

Cyrus announced, "We're here." Of course, to preserve the secrecy of this operation, we didn't park right outside of the bank. We parked around half a mile away from the bank. Using a fire escape, the whole group scaled a building near the bank so we could get a better look. Erica had helped me stock my utility belt earlier. I pulled out a small scope and looked at the building. Erica, Catherine, and Cyrus did the same, while Mary rallied Mike, Trixie, and Zoe. 

Alexander had elected himself to stay back at the house, guarding the prisoner. I scoured the area near the buildings. I knew that Catherine, Erica, and Cyrus were looking for entrance points and security measures, so I figured that I would make myself useful. My scope drifted towards a bus stop, where I noticed a man who was sitting on a bench. It's unusual for someone to be waiting to catch the bus at 11 p.m. He was reading a newspaper but was perfectly positioned to watch the bank. I watched him for another 30 seconds, watching his eyes drift back towards the bank. As he put his newspaper down, I saw the telltale bulge of a gun next to his hip. 

I felt goosebumps run down my skin. "Erica," I hissed, "There's are guard next to the bus stop." She replied, "I'm not surprised, I've counted over 20 guards so far." Mary and the rest of the junior agents snuck up behind us. "20 guards" Trixie echoed, her eyes widened. Cyrus spun towards us. "Get down," he hissed. We all dropped down, flattening ourselves to the roof of the building. Years of training have taught us that when someone says to get down, you don't hesitate. Just as we had flattened ourselves, a powerful beam of light swept over where we were a few seconds earlier. 

As soon as the light moved away Cyrus looked at us and said, "Listen up. Mike, Zoe, Mary, and Catherine are going to infiltrate when I give the signal through the front doors. Remember that the bank has an alarm, so be prepared for that. Ben, Erica, Trixie, and I will infiltrate through the windows on the third floor. Make sure to clear each floor, and we will converge on the second floor. Any questions? None, ok, get moving!"