Heart of Ice and Stone

Chapter 9

"So, you're like a rebel part of the Academy?" Zander asks.

"Basically," says the man, introducing himself as Agent Shir.

"Why?" I ask. We're sitting on a couch, opposite to him. There were agents down the next hallway, crawling everywhere. We wouldn't have made it one hundred feet within the exit.

"A group disagreed with the methods in effect, so we split." Frustration was beginning to creep into his voice.

I ask coldly, " I was asking why we should trust you after your agents kidnapped us."

"If the Academy had caught us, we would've seemed like normal kidnappers. However, if they had seen you willingly come with us, our activity could have been discovered."

"Why us? Why not any other kid in any of the other branches?" Zander questions. Branches? There's other secret academies?

A voice from the door answers him. "Because the Academy has something you both want. Or rather, someone." I turn to look at Zander's mother, but Zander remains facing ahead.

Agent Shir continues, "And you're both good agents are considered as very valuable assets to the Academy, thus to us."

Zander's mother walks around the couch, talking at the same time. "You want to rescue your siblings and we want to bring the Academy down. We believe we can help each other."

"She's your daughter." Zander's voice is low and dangerous, like he's barely containing his rage. "You should be rescuing her, whether it helps your organization or not."

His mom flinches, but straightens. "It's out of my hands."

"You're just like the headmistress," he seethes. A look of rage passes over her face, but she says nothing.

I cut in-between. "So you want us to exchange information?"

Agent Shir chuckles and leans back. "We already have all the information we need. We're going to have the takeover happen at the same time as the rescue."

"When's the rescue going to be?"

"The night of the Opening Dance."

"Opening Dance?" My eyebrows rise. "But that's in..."

Zander finishes, "Two weeks. We don't have the information nor the materials needed to plan that, let alone execute it."

"We can provide the information, but you will be putting together your own team."

"Why haven't you attacked already? You certainly possess the information and manpower to be able to do so," I say.

"We have some, but the Academy has many resources that we do not."

"But on Opening Night, all the schools will be there. It'll be impossible to execute a rescue or a takeover," Zander snaps.

"We're bringing the whole U.S. government with us." Agent Shir grins. "How we manage it is none of your business. All you have to focus on is the rescue. Now, do we have a deal or not?"

I glance at Zander. His stare pierces through the agent. "When are we going back?"

Agent Shir uneasily answers, "Well, if you agree, then you'll be there around sunrise tomorrow. And if you don't, we'll have to decide whether to confine or kill you." One deathly look from Zander's mom sends his hands up and saying, "I'm joking! I'm joking! But we can't let you leave until you agree."

Zander's mother interrupts. "Before you think you can take us on, I will assure you that the agents you fought earlier are mediocre, at best, according to our standards."