Spy School: Operation Downfall

Bombing

                   It wasn't long before I sprinted over to the East Side of the Quad, it was usually where our Communications and Cyber-retaliation 101 classes were held. It was due to the massive height of the building that overlooked the quad and the quiet suburbs surrounding Spy School. The building wasn't for 3rd years as the courses were only designated for fourth years and above. The students generally forgot the building except for the occasional class that was scheduled there.  The age and neglect to maintain the building showed, the thick vines wrapped through and around the multiple huge cracks throughout the exterior wall of the building, sometimes even seeing the interior. The tainted windows already turning yellow with cracks. The exterior paint of the building has long been ripped off and only shows the bare concrete. All my friends followed here I was heading, including the Principal who had a surprising amount of stamina and speed considering the lack of exercise he had over the past few years. Zoe then questioned, keeping pace with me, "Ben what's the hurry? What happened back there?"

Mike followed suit, he was slightly more athletic than me, smirking, "Did you see your girlfri-" He couldn't finish before Zoe elbowed him in the stomach. Jawa and Chip both running slightly in front of me, turned around with concern in Jawa's eyes. Chip had more of an amused look in his eyes. However, both were exploding with questions including all my friends.

Trying to gather my breath, I tried answering their questions one by one, "First, she isn't my girlfriend. And second, I'll explain when we get to the brush over there why I was running." As we arrived at the brush, I then explained what I saw the explosion that went off, and the connection between Mr. Crandall and Mr. Bronston's swift movement towards the brush towards the entrance of the aging building. Chip then stated the obvious, "What if Mr. Crandall and Mr. Bronston? Are in the leagues with the person who blew up the principal's office."

The principal who just arrived, red-faced, shouted, "RIPLEY, YOU ARE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS OF MY WRATH YET." 

Mike ignoring the Principal said, "All right, let's secure the premises before we waste any more time. They swiftly leaped into action Mike pairing with Zoe through the back entrance where the two teachers went and Jawa, Chip, and the Principal through the front entrance. Which was why, when a shadowy figure jumped from the roof into the touring oak tree in a fraction of a second. I blinked trying to register if it was just a shadow or a person. Before I could confirm it myself, the two teachers arrived just at the roof of the building. Mumbled rapidly to each other, even from down where I stood I could hear a fragment of the conversation, "Bomber --- was here ---- where ---how --- escape." 

Before long, I put the pieces together, this morning when I was at exams I was supposed to head up to the principal's closest which was where the explosion happened. But who wrote that note which was suspiciously my handwriting to the Principal to avoid both of us becoming barbeque? I went inside the building the intoxicating smell of rock and decaying wood wasn't as subtle of a smell now, as I was distracted.

As I arrived at the roof I saw everyone gathered. I stood there wide-eyed as well, there lay a rock-propelled grenade on one of the tallest and most surveyed roofs on the campus. Cameras edged almost every foot of the roof. Except in the area where the satellite blocked the view of the attacker, partially. As everyone realized what happened. Mr. Crandall burst right back into his doddering act and Mr. Bronston whistled and looked towards the suburbs of Downtown Washington D.C.

Mr. Crandall the only teacher out of the two who faced us stared intently at the slop of oatmeal that he held in his hand. Doddering, he looked up to see me saying, "Well, hello Benjamin."

 Then I asked everyone who was as puzzled as I was, "Mr. Crandall and Mr. Bronston why were running towards this building? That almost no one uses?"

Dropping the doddering act immediately, with Chip exclaiming, "Wait. All that doddering was a joke?" 

Mr. Crandall ignoring Chip's remark said calmly, "All right. So you know what happened. The office of the principal's office exploded and we were able to track from where the projectile was launched and Mr. Bronstan and I hurried up to incept them. But to no avail as the attacker slipped away however leaving this weapon."

Then Mr. Bronston added, "On top of teaching Physical Mechanics of the Body 101, the class that I substituted today was Heavy Weaponry, and RPG here seemed to be from the armory and was stolen before the morning class I taught."

Then Mike spoke up, "Why would an attacker use a crude RPG, than using something more sophisticated considering today's technology?" We had no answers and no leads. However, I realized that there were multiple cameras dotted on the roof. More than probably the whole campus itself. Although aging and the multiple cracks on the screen. I projected an idea, "How about we check the cameras."

Mr. Crandall responded, "They are going to get the chips and check the feed and figure out who it was. Do all of you want to see it, if you do meet the faculty in room 108 on the left-hand side today at 1600. You can see the door on your way down."

While we headed down, Jawa then said, "Interesting how the attacker would choose a well surveillance area which all the students know and considering they could get on campus means they know the school well. So why set up an attack there?" 

With all of us puzzled, Zoe tried to lighten the mood, "How about we forget about this and we'll see the video this afternoon after dinner." We all tried to agree to Zoe's plan of ignoring it, however it was harder for me. As if it weren't for the note both me and the principal would've been barbequed. As we headed for the cafeteria, the mood wasn't like normal the hushed chatter and warm atmosphere. Today the mood was silent after seeing an attack on Spy School, most of them were on the edges of their seats. 

As we finished lunch, we all headed to room 108 to see the video. When we arrived the video was already playing, we all scrambled over and watched. The video was blurry and glitchy at times with the cheap cameras that Spy School could afford, however with the proximity to the attack. I could see her. Erica Hale.