Spy School: The Rise of Gama

Chapter 16: The Shadow of Death

Liz smooths down her plain black dress as she looks in the mirror, failing to look directly at her own reflection for very long before her eyes dart to somewhere else. Her black hair is pulled up into a tight bun in an attempt to hide the light brown natural roots that are starting to show, reminding her to re-dye it soon. Forcing herself to focus on her reflection again, she raises her line of sight to her face. Her eyes are red and puffy from crying with darkening circles underneath from lack of sleep. Knowing that all the others look nearly the same brings little comfort. The scene from two days ago keeps playing back in her mind.

Mrs. Sanders waits for Adela to leave the room before letting her professional calm fall away. Livid anger fills her eyes as she glares down at Liz. “How dare you talk back at me like that, Elizabeth! I am not only your mother and your principle, but a higher authority in the organization you now serve. You have no right to speak to me that way.”

Liz flinches back, taking a moment to gather her courage and carefully choose her words before retorting “I didn’t ask to be brought here, mom. This isn’t what I’m cut out to do.”

“You have no choice, Elizabeth. This is the path you must follow to survive. You know perfectly well what I’m talking about now, don’t you.”

“I do. I also know that when I came back, I expected you to show some form of emotion, a smile, a nod, something! I could have died, mom! Don’t you see that? Don’t you care?” Liz’s voice cracks and she looks down at the ground.

“All I see is that my daughter is falling behind in her classes and her training.” Mrs. Sanders responds coldly. “I can not have that happen, Elizabeth. My position is at risk.”

Liz tenses up, staring at her mother in disbelief. “Your position is at risk? That’s your reason for acting how you have been? That’s your reason for not caring that teenagers under your care, including your own daughter, were nearly killed today?”

“You must get used to the presence of death, Elizabeth.” Mrs. Sanders responds, this time a faint hint of underlying sadness tinting her voice. “In your profession, it will follow you constantly.”

“Whatever. Can I go wait for Ty now?”

After a minute of silence, Mrs. Sanders finally nods. “You’re dismissed.”

A knock at the door pulls Liz from her thoughts. She walks to the door, feeling numb and disconnected from the world, her body moving on its own out of her control. She grips the cool metal of the door handle and turns it, pulling it open just enough to go see who it is.

Outside the door stands Lyndley. She’s wearing the same plain black dress as Liz, down to the decorative eagle stitched onto the right shoulder. A black bow is clipped into her blonde hair, but as always her bangs still cover her forehead and cast shadows over her blue eyes. She doesn’t need to say anything, Liz knows why she’s here. Liz slips her black ballet flats on and leaves her room, following Lyndley.

The two walk downstairs to the meeting hall together. The room is changed from before. Black cloths now cover the wooden tables and the lights are dimmed. The presentation screen is pulled down, a picture of Ty smiling covers the blank surface. Students are scattered around the room, some sitting alone, others sitting together. Nico is leaning against the wall at the back as always, one of the only familiar things about the room that now feels so different.

All of the girls are wearing the same plain black dress with the stitched eagle on the right shoulder. The boys are wearing the same black suits, the eagle stitched into their black ties. All of the students’ faces look similar as well. Red, puffy eyes, solemn expressions, most of the girls have tear-stained cheeks.