Rule #1: Never Date An A.C.E. [COMPLETED]

Chapter 30: Rule #39: Don't Use Cliché Movie Lines

The first agent we saw pointed us in the correct direction. Junior held my hand tightly as I knocked on the door before entering. A furious Harper was handcuffed to the table, with my remaining friends stationed around the room, with Dylan sitting across from her. I closed the door behind me and stationed myself in front of it. Junior stood beside me, but when Harper's eyes met his, he cowered behind me.

"It's alright," I whispered, rubbing his back.

"How long have you been a mole?" Dylan asked, and a smirk appeared on Harper's face.

"The whole time. You all were none the wiser," Harper spoke, her voice riddled with smugness.

"Is there anyone else?" Vanessa asked, her voice monotone, as if she was trying to not convey her emotions.

The smirk grew on Harper's face, "Maybe.'

"Levi," Dylan looked toward him. "Notify the Director of other possible moles." Levi began typing away at his device as I stepped forward.

"Why?" I asked, thoroughly confused.

"I wasn't caught in a gang shootout," her gaze returning to a furious one. "It was one between Ace and the Three Princes. Ace killed my best friends," she glared around the room, before refocusing on me. "After that night, the Three Princes took me in, taught me the basics and sent me on my way." A tight-lipped smile grew on her face, "Revenge was completely worth it."

"How many more moles are here?" Dylan asked through clenched teeth. When Harper's mouth remained shut, Dylan stood and slammed his hands on the table, "How many?!"

"Why don't you ask your girlfriend?" She flicked her eyes to me. "Her parents told her everything."

All eyes turned to me and I furrowed my brows. Then an epiphany overcame me. "The journals," I whispered.

"What?" Dylan walked toward me.

"The journals!" I said, pushing open the door behind me. I ran through the halls, my friends following behind me. We approached my dormitory to see it was cracked open. We hushed, Levi remaining outside with Junior was the rest of us creeped toward it. Vanessa handed me one of her guns and we paused right outside the door. With one look at everyone, I kicked in the door to see our room in disarray. We spread out, and I headed toward my room for the journals. I turned the doorknob, throwing the door open to see someone holding a flaming journal.

And she was surrounded by ash.

"No!" I cried out, shooting at her. She crumpled to the floor, blood mixing in with the shreds of burned paper. I snatched the journal from her hand and put out the fire, but it had already consumed the bottom third. I frantically looked around the room to see that the rest of the journals had already been burned.

Including the last letter my parents wrote to me.

I kicked the woman's corpse in anger, Dylan coming along behind me to pull me away.

"That was the last I had of them," I scowled, forcing down the emotions trying to claw up my throat.

"What can you remember?" Dylan asked as we joined the others in the living room.

"I can't seem to remember anything about there being multiple moles," I said. "My parents only suspected one."

"Well there was at least two," Alex said, gesturing with her bow towards the dead body in my room.

"Guys!" Levi yelled and we rushed into the hallway to see him holding a tablet. "Luca stopped for a little while before coming back this way. I think he's bringing reinforcements."

"Let's end this, once and for all," I said, looking at what was left of my friend group. Steely looks were on their faces, except for Dylan, who smirked.

"Rule number thirty-seven, love, don't use cliché movie lines."

"Shut up," I growled, but I couldn't help the small upward movement of the corners of my lips.

"They're coming?" Asked a small voice behind Levi. I realized Junior had heard everything we said, and I reached out to him, but he jerked away.

"Come here, buddy," Dylan said softly, but Junior's eyes were wide with fear.

"I'm not going back!" Junior yelled, before taking off down the hall.

"Get the Director," I ordered Levi. "He needs her. I'll follow him and relay to you where he's at." I ran after Junior, allowing him to have a respectable distance ahead to not alarm him.

"Junior, I'll keep you safe!" I yelled and he only looked back briefly before running faster. I knew he was reopening his wounds by running, but I doubted he could feel it. He was running on pure fear and adrenaline.

"You didn't keep me safe when he shot me!" Junior yelled back.

"I know! And I'm sorry!"

Junior rounded a corner, but when I rounded the same, I had lost him. "Junior!" I screamed, looking up and down the hallway. There were a few doors, and I tried them all, but I couldn't find him.

"Please! Miss Sara is coming! Don't you want to see her?" I yelled, my voice echoing down the empty hallway.

A figure appeared from the shadows and I immediately took a hostile stance. A man walked toward me, carrying a thick leather whip in his left hand.

"You must be that girl," he mused to himself, taking a similar stance to my own. A wide smile grew on his face, "Boss will be happy I've caught you." He then brandished his whip toward me, a crack resounded as it snapped only air. I weaved my way around it as I rushed toward him, shooting the gun I had. He jumped from side to side, but when I finally had him in my sights, I was out of bullets.

"This is why I use a whip," he said, wrapping it around my ankle and pulling me down. I kicked upward as he approached me, using his weight against him until he too was on the ground. I unwrapped my ankle and threw myself on top of him. I punched his face repeatedly, but with one hit from him and I flew off. He picked up his whip, and this time it met its mark. A red welt grew on my chest as he cackled. I stood, shakily, and rushed toward him so fast he didn't have time to react. I grabbed his whip and wrapped it around his neck, buckling his knees so he would fall. I tugged as hard as I could until he stopped struggling.

I took the whip for my own as I walked away, keenly aware of needing a working weapon, since it seemed Ace was crawling with the Three Princes goons. I continued my search for Junior, until I found him hiding behind a curtained window seat, staring out the window.

"Come on, let's find Miss Sara," I said and he followed me silently. The Director met us in the cafeteria and Junior fell into her arms and sobbed. She hummed to him until he calmed down and led him away to a safe place.

"Nice whip," Boone said, coming up from behind me.

"Stole it," I said, wrapping it up and placing it over my head and under my arm.

"You look badass," Alex said.

"Everywhere you go there's a trail of destruction," Vanessa joked.

"Like a vortex," Levi piped up and Dylan grinned. My friends all exchanged eye contact and nodded, as if in agreement.

"What?" I looked between them, clearly confused.

"Congratulations, Vortex," Boone clapped a hand on my shoulder. "You now are an official Ace agent."