Spy School Reunion

Chapter 28

I don't have much to say other than I hope you're having a great summer so far! :) Don't forget to  vote and comment! Sorry this is a day later, I completely lost all sense of date and time in quarantine lol. Please enjoy!

"Then let's go," Mike said calmly after Erica held up the sticky note with the address of who we assumed to be the real Joshua Duncan.

"Yeah let's go," I aggressively, standing up. I was understandably angry at Hailey. Not even really that she killed her father (although it was messed up, she seemed to have believed Joshua's lies that she was helping Mark) but the fact that she lied to us. All of us. She made us waste so much time and energy while we thought we were helping her. If she had just explained in the beginning, we could move on and focus our attention elsewhere.

But I guess our adventure to get to this place was constructive. We found even more evidence Joshua is planning something and we even have a HUGE lead into the Joshua Duncan identity issue. But still, Hailey should have admitted it long ago, to save us all some time.

"Um, I don't think Hailey should go," Jawa said, "I don't trust her after what she just said and I'm still very suspicious of her. Chip and I can stay here with her. You four go."

Hailey looked disappointed at having to stay back, but didn't say anything. I think she was as intrigued by all of this as we were. After all, it involved her past boyfriend and father. I guess we had no right to tell her she can't go after we started intruding on her life, but she didn't verbally protest.

Erica nodded. She, Mike and Zoe started discussing a plan. I tried to listen, but I was distracted.

Hailey lightly touched my arm, "Hey, can we talk in private?" She asked me.

I grumbled a little, but nodded.

She led me to the entrance of the room, out of the craziness in the main area. She looked absolutely defeated, "I know and can tell you're mad at me. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. But when Erica lied and told me you guys were in the FBI, I freaked out. I didn't want to go to jail, even for manslaughter, so I kept it a secret. I know I wasted everyone's time and I'm sorry."

I understood where she came from, but I was still mad. I was glad that she said something and I'm VERY glad she wasn't a sociopath and didn't purposely kill her father. However, I wasn't so quick to forgive.

"Hailey, you wasted so much of our time. Now who knows when and what Joshua's plan is. We could have been devising a plan DAYS ago. And the worst part is that we thought we were helping you and your family, but you're just lying to everyone around you. You've wasted all of our time and it's counterproductive."

I felt a little bad at how much my words affected her, but I didn't show it.

"Ben, I'm really sorry. I don't know what to do or say that will make you forgive me. I really care about you Ben and that was the one thing I wasn't lying about." Hailey didn't say this in a pleading or annoying way. It felt genuine.

"I'm not that quick to forgive," I said plainly and coldly.

My harsh tone upset Hailey a bit, "I understand that, but honestly, who asked you? Who asked you to come and meddle in my family's business? I let you guys into our HOUSE to investigate some guy you had beef with TEN years ago? Not only that, all of this put my life in danger."

I was appalled and taken aback, "Excuse me? We were trying to help you and your family figure out what happened to your dad!"

"Were you?" Hailey shot back, "Did you even care about Dad in the first place? Or did you only come to the farm and investigate to settle a score with an old enemy? I don't think you were even concerned about my father unless it mattered to the case with Joshua."