Super Secret

Chapter 7- Plan B

Eleanor couldn't deny the tense atmosphere upon arriving back to base. It was uncomfortable without Ellie there, all the girl could do was wait in silence as White paced back and forth about the room. Even Purple looked on edge.

"It was a set-up," White finally announces after what felt like an eternity of lingering silence, "Our ghost guy planted those coordinates into our database. He wanted us to find him."

Eleanor looks back and forth between White and Purple, her head trying to wrap itself around the situation. "Well, that's impossible, how would he have had access to our database anyway? Isn't it highly encrypted or some shit?"

"Well, clearly not," White shoots Eleanor a dark glare.

"We seem to think he must have broke in somehow," Purple interjects, "That he found our base, directly hacked into the computers in person and planted those coordinates under our radar."

"But how would he-?"

"That device on his wrist, Blue," White cuts her teammate off, "It allows him to turn invisible." She sighs under her breath, dragging a frustrated hand down over her face. "We should have seen this coming, we should have known-"

"You can't blame yourself, White. We weren't to know," Purple reassures, meeting White's gaze.

The two continue to stare at each other. It felt intimate, as if Eleanor had walked in on something she wasn't supposed to see.

When Purple was around, which wasn't too often, they always seemed to get through to White effortlessly. They always seemed to know the right thing to do or say, and strangely enough, it worked every single time. Eleanor wished she could take a leaf from their book when it came to Ellie.

Trying to recollect her thoughts, Eleanor disrupts the personal moment. "Y'know, before she ran off, Ellie also mentioned something about being followed home."

This new information immediately snaps the two out of their shared moment.

"What? When?" White's expression twists with confusion.

"Before you called us. She never got the chance to expand on it but, do you think it could be linked to ghost guy?" Eleanor crosses her arms as she continues to explain, trying not to reflect too much on how she left things with Ellie, "She never saw the intruder which could mean they were using the same invisibility device as Heinfeld?"

"It couldn't have been Heinfeld himself if he was at the hotel with you guys, correct?" Purple begins to connect the dots.

Eleanor nods in confirmation. "That's what I was thinking, I don't think he's acting alone. Whoever followed Ellie home was working for him."

"But why follow Ellie?" What do they want with Ellie?"  White paces again, fingers stippling her chin in thought. She wasn't making it a secret that the situation made her feel antsy. "Why does ghost guy want us to come to him? What is he after?"

"I think it's obvious we have something he wants. That's why he took Mr Colour."

Simultaneously, Eleanor and White spin round to face Purple, sitting cross-legged at White's desk. They raise a single eyebrow at their teammates who continue to gawk wordlessly. Repressing a bubble of laughter, Purple continues:

"Mr Colour's likely not talking, so I mean, he clearly thought Ellie might have had this thing he's after. He could be leading us to him in hopes that one of us slips and gives him information on whatever he's looking for."

The three of them linger on the thought for a moment, wavering in silence as they allow Purple's words to process. Until it dawned on Eleanor in a sudden stroke of horrific realisation.

"Oh my god, he's taken Susan."

White sighs in frustration. "We don't know that, Eleanor."

"White, it couldn't be any more obvious!" Eleanor had no idea where this stroke of confidence had come from, but it was too late to hold back now, "It makes sense. Heinfeld wanted us to come after him so he could get information out of us, of course, he was gonna try and make a move and kidnap one of us. And you just stood there and let him!" Eleanor was simmering with bottled-up anger.

Moving closer to her, White's eyes glower threateningly. "You better watch your tone if you wanna stay on this team Eleanor Jordan-"

"-And we just stood there and let Ellie go after her!" Ignoring the other girl, Eleanor forces down a choked sob, "Ellie and Susan are in danger, we have to go after them White, we have to rescue them."

"Do you realise how ridiculous you sound? He'll be expecting us! This is what he wants!"

"Do we have much of a choice? He has half our team and Mr Colour. Finding Susan and Ellie will lead us to him too."

"We don't know that-"

"But isn't it worth a shot?" Purple interrupts. With folded arms, they finally make a stand from their chair, "If we plan this well, we can rescue Green, Pink and Mr Colour and be done with this mess, wouldn't you agree, Jess?"

The room quickly falls into an uncomfortable silence.

Purple used White's real name.

Judging White's unfazed reaction, Eleanor assumed she was used to Purple addressing her by her real name. Still, Eleanor can't help but allow her mouth to fall open.

White had never mentioned her real name in front of the other girls. Mostly in an attempt to uphold her privacy but also because there was never a real need to disclose the information. So hearing her name slip so carelessly from Purple's mouth sent an unexpected shock wave coursing through Eleanor's body.

Jess.

It sounded so... normal?

When Eleanor thought of White, she associated her with superhero business. Nothing more, nothing less. The thought of White having a real name and a real-life outside of their dangerous jobs was almost unimaginable. 

She didn't look like a Jess.

She didn't seem like a Jess?

Speechless, Eleanor watches closely as White and Purple exchange glances, eyes intent with unspoken meaning. The girl couldn't deny the tense atmosphere. She felt as if she were stuck between bickering parents, which in all honesty, was nothing new for the girl since she had to go on regular missions with Susan and Ellie. 

A small part of her longed to be able to share that intimacy with Ellie, but after what happened at the hotel, a part of Eleanor knew that would be unlikely. She quickly pushes away the thought and swallows the uncomfortable lump in her throat. 

Driving Eleanor back to startling reality, White finally gives a defeated huff and tears her gaze away from her teammate with flushed cheeks.

"Okay, fine. But we can't afford to be reckless about this," She then makes a move across the room, pushing past Purple and assuming the seat at her desk, "Not when we still don't know this guy's intentions."