Andria Andromeda Rivera In Tracking Time

Things Turn And Churn In Minds...

'Guys, we'll talk about this later!' I whispered, 'We need to get on with the plan!'

They nodded uncertainly. We quickly passed the hall unnoticed. The room opposite led to the passageway to the kitchen, I remembered. We stealthily crept into the room, making sure it was empty. 

This was extremely strange I thought, we hadn't encountered anyone. Well, unless you count the two people who were talking in the hall room...

Jace put a hand on my shoulder and whispered, just loud enough for the two of us to hear, 'I know you and I know that you are not the spy'

I felt gratitude beyond anything I could express in words. I let it show on my face.

Jace smiled and turned towards the others, 'this room should lead to the kitchen. Let's go!'

Olivia went first, followed by me and the others. As soon as we were all in the room, a shrill alarm rang. 

Lee's eyes widened as he grasped Olivia and muttered, 'we'll secure the entrance room'

James removed his satchel from his shoulder and rummaged through it, 'how is it not here? I triple checked it before leaving!'

Great, James can't find the poison, I thought, can things get worse?

I surveyed the kitchen, there was a water tank in the corner of the room. 
I brushed past the array of utensils towards the cooker and frying pan just as James yelled, 'I got it!'

I heard the sound of forcing a door open. 

'Handle it carefully,' James warned as he passed us each some spiky flowers on a cloth, 'you don't want the spikes touching you. In fact, even their presence is toxic, only that you need to be exposed to it longer.'

I carefully greased the flower-thingy on the pan, making sure not to touch it directly.

The thumping noise grew louder. The door would break down any minute.

I glanced at my friends, they were done. We quickly passed the flower-thingy to him. 

The door burst open as I heard Lee and Olivia yelp across the room. They would barely give us half a minute. I opened the window to the sound of bullets. 

'We're surrounded,' said Jace.

I ducked just as one bullet nearly grazed my skull, watching the others do the same. What were we going to do now?

Olivia and Lee entered the kitchen, locking the door behind them as they brushed sweat of their forehead.

I glanced at the utensils me and Jace had grazed and the water tank that had ricin floating in it, (Eava put it) already dissolving. 

Just a few more seconds, I thought.

The door broke open. 20 people wearing sea green robes entered, glancing around at the empty room before them. Yep, I said empty room.

I peeked through the keyhole.

'They're not here' a man with a goatee growled.

'They have to be here, the alarm bells rang!' Another voice replied.

I could see James in the dim light, trying to fit in the small space. I moved over to give him space.

Suddenly, I felt needle sharp pain surge through my shoulder. I clamped my hand over my mouth, I could not blow our cover. But the pain didn't lessen, it was almost as if the needle had not left, but kept piercing again. 

I finally let loose a moan of pain. 

'Ah, our spy has helped' the goatee man sneered as he surged forward and opened the cupboard below the sink, disposing me, Lee and James.

'Well, well, well, we've got visitors' said the third man from the left of the goatee guy.

I gulped, risking a glance at my shoulder. It was swollen and black, paining like-well, like a needle pains when continuously jabbed into your shoulder.

That's when the goatee man's words came back to me, 'Ah, our spy has helped'

The spy, my eyes widened as realization dawned on me. This was a trick, he was acting as if I was a spy.

I glanced at Lee and James, both whose eyes were staring at me with a broken, betrayed look. They thought I was a spy, a traitor, a betrayer, something I was soo not. 

I turned my attention towards the enemy.

The man with a goatee stepped forward, 'Well done Andria! You shall be rewarded for this, Cresto would personally want to meet you!'

James glared at me, 'You-you cheater! How could you?'

I felt tears well up in my eyes, 'James, this is a trick! I would never-'

'Eava spent 2 months looking for you! Olivia-she risked her life to save all of us twice, you were one of the people she saved! I thought we were in this together!' Lee interrupted.

'Guys, how could you believe this? Can't you see that he is lying?'

'Drop the act Andria' one woman with an oval face and brown eyes urged, 'Sure, you didn't want to do this earlier on, but we convinced you in the end'

The cupboard next to the sink burst open, with Jace, Eava and Olivia dashing out.

Olivia judo-flipped one man, unsheathing her dagger. Jace managed to snatch a M-16 and fired while Eava grabbed the not-harmed utensils handing us a couple each to shield us from the bullets.

My instincts kicked in as the enemy got over their shock and fired back. I pushed men over and climbed up the platform, opening the window completely and covering myself with the plate Eava gave, yelling, 'SHIELD YOURSELVES!'

The others did so, as the bullets fired and the enemy fell to the ground, dead.

We ran to the storage room since, after our last attack, the whole manor had become Ianuae-proof except the unexplored part and Ianuae Magicaed back to the second hideout, Olivia, getting enough strength to run because of the fight that just happened.

Jace quickly ran his hand across the wall, pulling the wire in the corner. The wall disappeared as we all ran into the room, panting.

Eava touched my shoulder gently, wiping away a tear 'It can't be you. You-you ca-can't be the spy'

'She is' said Olivia, a rage rising in her eyes, 'Guys, I know that you three would never betray us' she gestured towards James, Lee and Eava, 'Who's left? Jace and Andria-besides even if they were pretending, what about those men in the hall? Didn't they say that they could use the secret of the Rivera one'

'Olivia' Jace warned silently, 'Don't you dare accuse Andria of anything before listening to her side of the story'

'The exact lines were: We could use the truth against her, they would leave the Rivera one behind. Why would they use the truth against the spy? What would they get?' I countered, giving Olivia the most sincere look I had.

The fire of anger died in Olivia's eyes, 'It's...not you...' she sighed in relief.

Lee and James obviously respected Olivia's verdict because the moment she said that, they relaxed.

I broke out crying, it was just too much. They accusing me like that-it was unbearable seeing them turned against me. It made me feel that after all this, they didn't trust me.

Jace hugged me, muttering soothing and comforting words.