Spy School: Spanish Sabotage

Activation

Okay, first of all let me give a shout out to  for being the first to comment. If you want to be mentioned, just comment first or say something mind-blowing lol. I know I said I would update on Thursday, but I fished early. So, enjoy Chapter 2!!!

The National Mall

April 25

1400 hours

As I approached the bloated statue of Chester Alan Arthur, I was glad that the weather was so pleasant this time of year. Cherry blossoms were just beginning to bloom, and there was a slight cool breeze. It wasn't too hot or too cold. All you need is a light jacket. (If you got the reference you are awesome.) But I still shivered as I looked around to make sure no one was watching me. Stepping up to the marble sculpture, I twisted a ring on his finger and entered in a code on the keypad that popped out. The statue creaked as it rotated ninety degrees to reveal the staircase beneath. As I descended, it slid back into place.

I entered the all too familiar stone tunnel, looking down to check out my footprints from my last visit. I glanced around; the Edison bulbs were lit, so I figured that Erica was already here. But I didn't see her. I began to question whether I had come to the right place - or whether the box was really from Erica - when I heard a voice from behind me.

"Hey," Erica said, leaning against the side of the tunnel. I smiled at her, and she began to walk towards me. "Took you long enough," she groused. "We have a lot to discuss."

I got nervous and excited, thinking of the past few days and the possible future. I decided to let her lead the conversation. "We do?"
She continued walking towards me, her icy blue eyes conveying her excitement. "We do." She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "There has been a lot going on, what with the explosion an all." I sighed. So this was a business meeting. But talk of an explosion still piqued my interest.

"What explosion?"

Erica smirked. "Funny. Drop the sarcasm Ben. It all seems connected, don't you think?" I raised my eyebrows, trying to signal that I had no idea what she was talking about. She sighed. "Do you watch the news?"

"Oh! That explosion. I thought you meant one at school or something like that," I covered. "Because if you-"

"Ben, stop trying to cover," Erica cut me off mid-sentence. I shut my mouth. "Have you ever heard of Archipielago Zapatera?" I nodded, vaguely remembering a trip that one of my aunts had gone on about five years ago. My mom had wanted to go, so my aunt decided to take a trip. It made for a very interesting Thanksgiving dinner conversation.

"The Spanish archaeological site in Nicaragua?"

"That's the one," Erica said, smiling widely. She seemed to be pleased that I knew something about what she was telling me. "Nicaragua was conquered by the Spanish in the 1700's, but there were many settlements before then. Some of the original Spanish cities in the country date back to 1524. The Spanish had the majority of the land but the British held control of Mosquito Coast. This limited the Spanish trade, and made it hard to get supplies. Ultimately, in 1821, Nicaragua became part of the first Mexican Empire, leaving Spain with nothing. Many Spainards still blame the British for their loss of land. And now, a centuries-old Spanish site has been blown off of the map." Erica sat on the steps, apparently finished with her story.

"Not that the history lesson hasn't been fun, but what does a bunch of stone carvings detonating have to do with us?" I chided.

Erica gave me one of her you're an idiot looks before grumbling and pulling something out of her utility belt. She unfolded a clear plastic evidence bag so that I could see the charred flag inside. "That's a British flag. Mom found it planted at the scene of the crime, which means that someone wanted to blame Great Britain for the attack," she stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Had I not been so shocked, I would have pointed out that I couldn't have known that without her showing me; but my mind was reeling. I couldn't speak or move. Everything made so much sense. I knew that it could only mean one thing.

"Croatoan," I managed to croak out after a minute. Erica gave a dry chuckle before echoing me. I looked at her. "There are way too many coincidences for that to be true. Murray is our guy, so this should be our case, right?"

"Right. Grandpa was supposed to activate us tomorrow, but he gave me our envelopes and said to leave tonight. I don't think he wants any potential moles to know where we are, which is wise." It was wise; typical of Cyrus. Erica presented the golden manila envelope to me. On top of it were two stamps; one of which said OPERATION: WEEPING CROCODILE, the other labeled FOR YOUR EYES ONLY. They really are running out of names to use. I broke the seal to find a paper with all of the information Erica had just told me on it, plus an economy class plane ticket and a wad of cash. I glanced up at Erica to find her holding some of my most precious items; my black mission suit from Catherine, my utility belt - also from Catherine - and a tennis racket. She must have broken into my room again. I learned long ago to take out anything potentially embarrassing. She smirked, and I could see her eyes still shining with excitement.

"The flight leaves at seven. Let's go."

Chapter 2, everyone! Please vote, comment, and tell others about it. If you want to pitch an idea for another story, comment on my feed. Thanks!