Spy School: Zoe or Erica?

Erica's Secret Message

"Catherine!" I shouted in victory, nearly trampling Mike on my way to the adult's rooms. "I know where Erica and Zoe are!"

Fist raised in glory, I sprinted towards the adult wing of the headquarters. I just knew something was wrong with what Erica had said earlier.

Jawa and Chip were in disbelief- and so was Mike. I couldn't blame them, since this big breakthrough was very sudden, and I almost didn't catch it. Almost.

"How did you do it this time?" Chip said, doubling my running speed and catching up to me. "Telekinesis?"

"That's not possible, you dingus," said Jayden, bursting out of his room and nearly mowing me over with his door. "Ben probably just got the information out of the bad guy by threatening him with his ugly face last night."

I rolled my eyes. This kid was ruthless when it came to insulting me.

We arrived in the adult wing to find the hallway empty. Catherine was the first to burst out of her room- but she looked like she had just been through a hurricane. She was in a neatly tied bathrobe. Her hair was half-combed, and there was a look of excitement on her face. 

"Benjamin!" she said, walking over to hug me. "I-I don't know how to thank you!"

"My theory isn't confirmed yet-" I said as Catherine squeezed the living daylights out of me. "And don't thank me, thank Erica."

"Don't worry" Mike said behind us with a grin. "All of Ben's theories have a hundred percent accuracy rate."

"How does Erica have to do with all of this?" Jawa said. "You and here have had zero contact since the kidnapping- and because of that, there's no possible way she can inform you where she is."

"I don't know, to be honest. But all I know is she's somewhere in south Berlin."

"Berlin?" Chip said. "That's the capital of Germany, right? I knew those scoundrels were up to no good!" he shook his fist.

"I doubt it was the German government who did this, it was probably SPYDER," I said. "And I still didn't tell you how I got her location."

"Erica probably slipped the message to you somehow," Cyrus said, pouncing on me from the ceiling and breaking our hug. "My grandaughter has no limits when it comes to sneaking hidden messages."

"She is the most talented spy I have ever seen, after all," Alexander said, bursting out of his room in his usual attire- perfectly made tuxedo, debonair tie, and shoes shinier than my door hinges after applying WD-40.

"Unlike you," Jayden snorted from behind me. Alexander shot a glare at him and looked down at his shoes. Catherine gave him a curt look and raised his chin. "You still have room for improvement, but that's a topic for later. Benjamin, will you explain how exactly you managed to get this location?"

"Well, I was going through Erica's last words with me-"

"You were what?" Mike said. "Aww, that's so cute. You need to preserve your potential last moments with her, don't you?"

"Anyways," I said, punching Mike lightly on the shoulder. "I was saying how I went over her last words with me. And here they are-"

I ran over to Catherine's room and grabbed a sheet of paper and pen. Throwing them down on the floor, I wrote two neat lines of dialogue.

"Somewhere out under there, hiding"

"But even readiness loses intruders, nevertheless"

"What does that all have to do with South Berlin?" Mike said. "Oh waaiit-" he squinted his eyes. "I see! Ben, you're a genius!"

"Actually, Erica is a genius. She managed to find the location of the kidnapper's homeland before they even came!"

"The suspense is destroying me," Catherine said, leaning in. "What's the secret?"

"Watch-" I said, then proceeded to write something down on the paper.

"Somewhere out under there, hiding"

"But even readiness loses intruders, nevertheless"

South Berlin

"That is genius!" Catherine said, pulling me into another hug.

 Jawa and Chip cast jealous looks over at me- which I avoided and pretended not to notice. I didn't need people showering me with compliments- I needed to get on with the mission.

"So when are we going?" I asked Cyrus. 

"Right now. Pack your bags once again, everybody, because we're going over to save my granddaughter."