Ruby Redfort: try not to scream

Chapter 25- Impersonation

Hitch awoke the next morning feeling horrible. Ruby had been so upset the day before and he hadn't seen her since. As he went upstairs he saw her.
"Whatcha drinking?" he asked, trying to be casual. Ruby spun around with a cup of coffee in her hand. Hitch raised his eyebrows. Ruby dropped the cup in the sink.
"Morning," she said awkwardly.
"Look kid, I'm really sorry about yesterday,"
"Why? What happened yesterday?"
Hitch was now very confused. He had hurt her terribly and now she was acting like nothing happened.
"Kid, are you ok?" Ruby's face grew distressed.
"Oh, look at the time. I gotta get to school. Alright bye then," she rushed out of the door leaving Hitch alone in the house. He contemplated her behavior for a moment or two and then remembered what LB had said the previous day.
"The drawer," he whispered. Rushing into Spectrum, he ran through the hallways. When he reached The Red Room he burst in and speed-walked straight over to the desk. He rummaged through the draws until he found a letter.
It read:

I'm sure by now you guys will be getting suspicious of my behavior. I promise you that I am not against you. The Count gave me two options at Clancy's Dad's party. One of which was that he would kill every single one of you. The other was something that involved you all staying alive. All I can say is remember the dream I told you about. Remember the date and time. Also remember what Bradley Baker gave for me. I am giving the same for you all. I'm sorry for all I have done. LB, thank you for letting me live my dream. Blacker, thanks for being an incredible friend. Froghorn, thank you for being the most legendary potato head ever. Clancy, thank you for showing me what love is. And Hitch, you're some agent. You're some butler. But most importantly, you're some friend. I'm sorry for being a total pain sometimes. I'm sorry for thinking you were Casey Morgan. I'm sorry for being a bad friend. By the time you read this, I will probably never see you all again. So this is goodbye. I love you all, even if I don't tell you all the time.
Ruby xx

Hitch's heart rate sped up immediately.
"Kid, what have you done?" he sighed. Then it hit him. The girl who had been in the kitchen earlier was not Ruby Redfort. It was a girl disguised as Ruby. It was Lorelie Von Layden.

Meanwhile:

Clancy sat down in his usual seat, next to Ruby. She didn't talk to him, which he found quite strange. It was as he went to whisper something in her ear that he noticed her smell. The distinct scent of turkish delight. He leaped from his chair and shuddered slightly.
"Clancy Crew, what on earth are you doing?" asked Mrs Drisco, rolling her eyes.
Dan looked at him, knowingly.
"What is it Clancy?" he asked.
"What have you done? Where is she?" stammered Clancy.
Suddenly, through the door burst many Spectrum agents.
"Oh my gosh. What is going on?" squealed  Mrs Drisco.
"Mrs Drisco, get all of the students out of here, other than Danial and Clancy," said LB.
"May I ask why, ma'am?" said Mrs Drisco, trying to be difficult. LB rolled her eyes.
"Because we work with the FBI and that is not Ruby Redfort. She is, in fact, a murderous raving lunatic and if you don't get all of these kids out of this room now someone may get hurt," In LB's gravelly voice, it almost sounded like a threat. Mrs Drisco and the other kids cleared out of the room. Hitch hid behind the other agents to make sure he wasn't noticed by any of Ruby's friends.

Once they were all gone, the agents pulled out their guns and aimed at Lorelie. Hitch advanced towards her, pointing his gun straight at her forehead.
"Where is she," he growled. Lorelie smiled cruelly.
"Smart boy, but I'm afraid you're too late. Bubblegum girl will stop breathing soon," The American twang was gone and the creepy unidentifiable accent replaced it.
"I'm not going to ask twice," spat Hitch. Clancy and Dan were stood by Blacker.
"Alright. Currently she is with Victor, being murdered," Lorelie was impossible. There was nothing she loved more than making her enemies squirm. She could see the pain in Hitch's eyes and was reveling in it.
"Lorelie, tell me where she is," Hitch hissed, his eyes darkening.
"Even if I do, it won't make a difference. Don't you understand? She traded your lives for her own. Handed herself over to Victor to stop him from killing any of you. It's a shame really. She really was quite good at her job but just not good enough,"
It finally registered with Hitch. Everything The Count had said at the party made sense now. It was June 2nd, 12.01 pm. Ruby's dream was now her reality. Was he too late to save her? Was she already dead or hurt?
"Look," he glowered. "Find it in your brain to tell me where she is or find your brains scattered in pieces on the walls. I will only ask one more time. Where is she?"
"Alright. She's in the abandoned office block, downtown. Thirty third floor. But you might want to hurry. You have exactly one hour and twenty six minutes till she dies," Lorelie smiled grimly. She knew as well as anyone else that it would take a lot more time than that to get downtown, find Ruby and get her out before she was killed. Hitch refused to give up hope though. He wouldn't stop until he got her home, safe. The Spectrum 1 agents arrested Lorelie after peeling off the mask. As they dragged her down the corridor, there were lots of whispers from the students in the hallway. It was now lunch break and seeing the faces of Hitch, Clancy and Dan made everyone very scared.
"Clancy, what's going on?" asked Red, surrounded by Del, Elliot and Mouse.
"All I know is Ruby's in trouble. I have to go," Clancy dashed away from the others, leaving them horror struck. Once he caught up with the others, they all jumped into Hitch's and LB's cars and sped off, downtown.