Spy School Project X: A fan teaser

Chapter 13 - EMERGENCY ESCAPE

June 23

Murray's Compound

Middle of absolutely nowhere, Georgia

0830 hours

Erica turned around to look at the screens and swore. "Looks like we won't be exploring anymore," she said.

"What're we gonna do?" I asked, trying to stay calm.

"Make like Mario and get out of here. Did you happen to see how Murray activated the tube earlier?" 

"Uh, no. I was too busy saving you from Dane."

"Great." She began searching the desk for secret buttons but found none. "He must have controlled it remotely," Erica concluded.

"Wait, I have an idea," I said. I stood underneath where the tube had dropped down from the ceiling, then waved my arms and said, "abracadabra." Nothing happened. Erica just looked at me in a way that seemed to say, "bruh."

"Well, I guess we're going to have to go with plan B," she announced.

I didn't like the sound of that. "Which is what?"

Instead of answering, she ripped the other enormous curtain off the wall and dragged it to the furthest corner of the room. Then she climbed up a small ladder and turned a handle on the ceiling. I hadn't noticed either of them before, but when a hatch in the ceiling popped open, I immediately understood what her plan was.

"Oh, no. No, NO, NO. I am not doing that."

Erica stopped and looked at me impatiently. "I'm afraid you are. It's either this or try to fend off at least 40 heavily armed killers."

"Maybe they're just coming to say hi..." I suggested.

"I highly doubt that, as Murray still has a bounty on your head."

"Well, I think I'll take my chances with the assassins." As I said this, the pounding of footsteps became audible.

"Okay. Suit yourself." With that, she climbed through the opening and pulled the curtain up afterwards.

"Gahhh," I exclaimed. There's no way I was staying there by myself, so I reluctantly followed her onto the roof. I was not a happy camper, but at least the view was amazing. For miles around, the treetops were like an ocean beneath us, waving in the morning breeze. 200 feet below, a herd of deer was grazing on the lush green grass. In the distance, I could see the sun peeking over the top of some mountains. We seemed to be light-years from civilization, and I just stood there, taking it all in.

"Nice of you to join me," Erica said, snapping me out of my daze. "Help me spread this out."

I followed her orders, and when the curtain was laid out completely flat, it measured  40 feet long and at least half as wide.

"Alright, now grab the two corners closest to you."

Again I followed her orders.

"Now, on the count of three, jump. And make sure you hold on tight. Ready? One, Two ---"

"Wait---"

"Three." She had already jumped by the time she said this, and without thinking, I jumped off with her. The air whistled past my ears as we plummeted downwards. It seemed like we were falling for an eternity, rapidly closing the distance to the ground below. Then the curtain caught air and snapped taught. It felt like my arms were almost ripped off my body. It's a good thing that I'd been clenching the corners as hard as I could, because if I hadn't, somebody would've been making a pancake shaped coffin. Erica managed to hold on as well, and since we were holding onto opposite ends of the same "parachute," we swung towards each other. Then we slammed into each other.