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"Emergency jet has been ejected." Xarissa noticed. "And it's flying towards us."
"What do we do?" Sarah asked.
"It doesn't have any weapons on it, so it's harmless unless it crashes into us."
"You guys, that is the same miniplane that Laura took. I think that only Laura would know of that new technology. Open the hatch for the jet." Xarissa commanded.
**************
Rebecca sat with her head on her desk. Conner had left, taking the watch with him. It wasn’t the same at the GCA. She knew a lot of people here, had a lot of friends, but nothing could compare to the life she had at the HIA.
Laura was a tough one. She’d always been. Most of the time, nobody really understood her dry humor, but when the punch line came out, it came out strong. She was smart, a good fighter, persevering, and a good friend. Rebecca could always count on Laura to stand by her.
Caitlin was extremely smart, and a pretty good athlete. She was tall, skinny, and beautiful, which Rebecca always admired, and had a potential to become something great. She was an awesome friend and could be very funny. She never procrastinated in her work and when she found something she was good at, she kept at it.
Sarah was more girly, and her hair looked really nice in the braids she always put it in. She was also very smart, and good at figuring things out. She was great at math, way above average. She had a nice smile and was a very nice person.
Xarissa had many quirks, which Rebecca liked. Rebecca and Xarissa were actually quite alike, and they were more like sisters than friends. They teased, they taunted, but they always stuck together through the hardest of times. Rebecca could count on her to always watch her back.
Actually, Rebecca would trust any of them with her life. They’d changed her in so many ways. Sometimes she was extremely crazy, wild, and annoying, but they still stuck with her. Sometimes she was mean, and her jokes went a little too far, but they were always still her friends. Rebecca almost didn’t understand it, but then she realized what it truly was. It was because they were such great people. They were people who could be friends with even the least of them. They would stoop down, no matter how far, to pick someone up. They were all great people, and she had ditched them. She had left them because she was angry with the Administrator. She knew the chief. He was a good guy and always wanted the best for his students, for his agents. They were really good friends. He had done what he thought was best for her, and all she’d given him was her resignation. It wasn’t fair to him. It wasn’t fair to all of them. She knew what she had to do now.
She would ask them for her forgiveness and hope that they let her return.
****************
Enver told the man to sit down and took the wheel instead. They were surprised to see him, and he gave them a half smile, knowing they had been too exhausted to notice him sneaking in the car. He knew where Laura was headed, and he didn’t mind going with her. He should let the agents rest and attend to their wounds. He could fly the plane, easy as pie, and he owed it to them. He wanted them all to return home safely, all in one piece. Even if that meant he would have to go with them to protect them.
****************
There was a soft bump as the emergency jet alighted on the top of the plane. Sarah put the plane on autopilot and opened the hatch. She walked to the back as Laura stepped into the plane. “Laura! We’re so happy to see you!” Caitlin exclaimed. She ran to her and gave her a hug. The others joined in a group hug. Laura smiled and hugged them back. Then she broke it off.
“There’s something I have to tell you,” she said. Everyone sat back in the chairs. Laura took a deep breath and began.
******************
Rebecca left the desk and took one of the new planes that Connor had made. She condensed it into a disk and slipped it into her pocket. She took the bus over to Heritage and walked in the front door.
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Enver flew the miniplane close by a commercial airport and turned it into a car. He drove to the parking space and they jogged over to the airport. They bought tickets to Phoenix, Arizona, a plane that just happened to be leaving just then, went through all of the security, and the agents got onto the plane. Enver was jogging back to the car when he saw them.
****************
"Ok, please don't hurt me in any physical or oral or mental way, please, because I know that you guys are going to be angry with me."
"Ok..." Sarah agreed.
"I'm a double-agent." Laura said quickly.
They were stunned. Then suddenly their expressions changed simultaneously and they jumped to their feet, screaming, "WHAT?!?"
"Don't worry, it's not like the union confederate double agent, it's more like..." Laura scrambled through all of the wars that she could in history. She couldn't think of any. "I don't know." She finished. Unfortunately, Xarissa, Sarah, and Caitlin didn't hear the 'not' in 'it's not like the union confederate double agent', so all three of them grabbed Laura, not paying any attention to what she was saying.
"Tie her up!" Xarissa commanded. Sarah and Caitlin obeyed.
"You're going to be in a lot of trouble when we get you back to the agency!" Sarah shouted.
Laura began to speak, but Caitlin quickly gagged her.
"We'll give you some time to make up an alibi before we take you to the court!"
"I'b lying lo lell you! Ib no the bad gui!" Laura tried to say through the gag. It didn't work. Xarissa placed duck tape over the gag so that no sound came out of her.
"Sarah, how quickly can you take us back to Heritage?"
Sarah smiled.
"I can get us there in 15 minutes." They were flying over the Mediterranean, having just passed Italy. Laura couldn't believe it. They were her friends! Would they just gag her like this when Laura was trying to tell them something? Something must be wrong. Something must be very wrong.
"You know what, Sarah? Slow down. I want to interrogate the prisoner before we get there." Xarissa said evilly.
"Gladly." Sarah said in a soft tone. Caitlin was beginning to look a little concerned, but said nothing. Xarissa walked over to Laura and ripped the tape and the gag off of her at the same time. Her friends would never do this to her. Something was wrong, and that made Laura really afraid.
"All right. I'll begin softly. Who are you working for?"
Laura grimaced in pain from having the tape and gag ripped off.
"Answer me!"
Laura felt strange. She looked up and said,"Would you really do this to one of your best friend? Oh wait, one of. You have a lot of 'best friends', don't you? Xarissa Merkley, agent from HIA, one of the most socially talented people I know, is interrogating one of her 'best friends'." Xarissa was steaming. She wanted to hit Laura back with words too, but continued the interrogation. "What was your mission?"
Laura simply smiled, and said, "Oh, you three are going to be so embarrassed when we get to court. I can't wait. You know, I was going to tell you just now, and save you the embarrassment, but after my trial, you are going to be so shunned, even you, Xarissa, will have no friends. Except for your other shunned friends over there. But wait! You're the one who's giving the interrogation, so you'll have a lot more shunning than they will! Poor Xarissa." Laura saw Sarah's hands tighten on the wheel, and Caitlin was grasping the armchair. Laura also saw that Xarissa really wanted to slap her and cause some physical pain to Laura.
"Go on. Do it. I dare you to."
Xarissa raised her hand and started to bring down the blows.
****************