Spy School Revolution

Reconnection

National Mall

Washington, DC

0240 Hours

It was not a short distance to my destination from the Portmier Hotel, and running there actually took quite some time. I just about burned through any energy I had from my realization in the car. But somehow I managed it, pumping my legs across the sleeping city until I arrived at the forest near the National Mall.

I leaned heavily against a tree to catch my breath, completely winded.

This actually turned out to be a pretty lucky move, because soon afterwards, I heard a twig snap behind me. Unlike my 'fight' with Catherine, my instincts actually served me well this time. I pressed myself against tree and went completely still.

Which wasn't easy. If you've ever played hide and seek, you'll know how difficult it is to remain totally silent when you're panting from exertion. So I focused on quiet, controlled inhales and exhales, my heart thudding in my chest.

It was faint, but I could definitely hear footsteps coming towards me. Whoever was making them seemed to trying to be stealthy.

Could the person be Erica? She did tell me to meet her around here, so maybe she was just arriving herself. And yet, I had a bad feeling. The footsteps were getting closer. I thought about all the times I had been startled by Erica materializing near me soundlessly. It couldn't possibly be her.

I squeezed my eyes shut and pushed myself against the trunk, desperate to become smaller. I could hear each individual footfall now, every single crunch of mulch on the ground. I was even aware of a slight metallic clinking coming from the person, like a ring of keys or a pocket of coins. The sounds suddenly stopped several feet away from my tree, like the person had noticed something. I tensed, curling my hands into fists. I was no fighter, but I would have the element of surprise if it came down to it.

And then miraculously, the footsteps started again, this time away from my hiding spot. I stopped holding my breath, then peeked around the trunk of the tree.

I saw a tall figure retreating out of the forest. Could it have been an enemy agent? And if so, who were they after, me or Erica? It didn't really matter at this point. It would be equally dangerous if they found me.

This was getting a lot more dangerous than I had thought it would be. I padded further into the forest until I saw the Chester Allan Arthur statue, stopping every few seconds to listen for any more footsteps. Fortunately, I didn't hear any.

I quickly twisted the ring on the statue's finger, tapped in the key code, and impatiently waited for the the statue to open up, nervously looking over my shoulder the entire time.

I descended into the secret tunnel, feeling a bit more relaxed when the statue closed up behind me. I knew this tunnel, at least, was safe from the enemy.

The flickery light of the old lightbulbs in the tunnel was familiar to me now. I had been there twice before, both times to hide from various groups after me. The remains of a small fire, sneaker-prints in the dust, a thin jacket. Everything I walked past reminded me of my previous missions. And the person I was here to see.

As I made it to the end of the tunnel, the door to the monument came into view. This was the moment of truth, to see if I was right about all of this or not. Sure enough, there was a key left in the lock.

And there was only one person I knew that would have left it there.

I took the key as I walked through the door, a wave of relief washing over me. I headed up the stairs to the top of the monument. I normally probably would've dreaded it, as it took nine hundred steps to get to the top, but for some reason they seemed to be less painful than I remembered.

When I was nearly there, my heart started racing in a way that had nothing to do with the exertion. I guess my anticipation was getting the better of me. With shaking hands, I took the cold handle of the door to the observation deck and slipped inside.

When she turned to meet my eyes, I felt a small puff of air leaving my chest.

Sitting at the west-facing window was Erica Hale.

Her jet black hair hung loose around her face. Messy, like she had been in a struggle. Pretty, I thought stupidly.

"It's really you," I said tentatively, joining her at the window.

"It would seem that way," she replied briskly in typical Erica fashion. But her expression was uncharacteristically soft.

Still in half-denial that she really was here, I sank down to the ground next to her.

Then she leaned towards me, lightly resting a hand on my jaw and tilting my face to the light. Her finger tips were warm. Whatever words I was about to say died in my throat, it seemed my brain had lost all function.

"What happened to your eye?" she asked, pulling away.

"Your mother kind of...punched me?" I managed.

To my surprise, she actually laughed. "Nice," she said, nodding like she was impressed.

"Shut up," I mumbled, but I couldn't help laughing too. Erica's mirth, rare as it was, was always contagious.

As the reality of finally finding her set in, I felt the tension that I had built up over the past few days starting to unravel. My shoulders relaxed, my jaw unclenched. I hadn't even realized how worried I had been for her. I suddenly felt all light and giddy, more relieved than I had ever felt.

Still smiling faintly, she turned back to the view. The observation deck was dark, save for the glow of the city lights coming from all the windows.

I looked out into the night. The flickering lights, the Reflecting Pool before us, the adrenaline from evading the enemy, it was all the same as the very first time I had been here, which was also the first time Erica had opened up and confided in me about anything.

There were about a million things we needed to talk about, but I think we both silently agreed to just have one short moment of quiet in each other's company.

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A/N: Thank you for reading! Apologies for the late-ish update today. I spent a long time trying to get this part exactly the way I wanted it to be. Also: Yesterday we hit 500 reads! I don't even know what to say. The idea that people have read through my story a that many times is just unfathomable. Thank you so much!

If you enjoyed today's chapter, please do me a solid by leaving a vote and a comment. Stay safe and healthy, everyone!