Spy School At Work

Chapter 4 - Evacuation

I'm trying to write at least 500 words a day.

Chapter 4 - Evacuation

CIA Headquarters

July 24th

1630 hours

The fire alarm was blaring a deafening high-pitched sound into the hallways and rooms. The sprinklers rushed to put out the flaming garbage can, which was quickly spreading throughout the ugly blue carpet that we doused in kerosene. Most employees were following standard procedures by rushing out of the building in an "orderly fashion", although some rushed inside in a vain attempt to find the fire or rescue someone to try and be a hero. After all, that was probably the only way a desk jockey could actually save lives in "the field."

As the scientists and engineers joined the mob in the hallways evacuating the building, Sophia and I caught the door and slipped inside.

One of the first lessons they teach you in spy school is to "fake it with confidence"; if you look confident enough when doing what you're not supposed to, no one is going to bat an eye. Erica and I have taken advantage of this many times during our missions. In fact, she was the one who taught me how useful it was just to act confident in the first place.

The lab was large and it was littered with lab equipment and electronics. The floor, wall, and ceiling shone like white ice. To our left was a walk-through door with even more lab equipment behind it in a small room. The centre of the room had metal tables, bolted to the floor. On top of it were blueprints, laptops, and a piece of gum.

"Oooooo, gum!" exclaimed Sophia excitedly. She plucked the piece of gum off the table and pocketed it.

"Don't touch anything! If the scientists find out that someone's been here we're screwed," I told her.

"Fine."

We scanned the brightly lit room for a storage room.

"There," said Sophia, pointing to a windowless steel door to our right.

I walked over and jiggled the door handle.

"It's locked."

Sophia walked over, taking off her hairpin, causing her blond hair to cover up her face. She broke the hairpin into two pieces and stuck both pieces into the keyhole. Aggressively moving the straight hairpin in and out of the lock, she turned the lock with the bent piece. The lock was picked within seconds.

"Voila! I knew this hairpin would come in handy one day," she grinned, then said sheepishly, "I got it custom-made for picking trashy locks, it was ten dollars for one..."

"Focus," I said, "Although I'd gladly buy one off you."

She smiled.

I turned the door handle and went into the storage room. It looked like a walk-in freezer with aluminum-lined walls, shelves filled with labelled plastic containers, and dim lights. Sophia and I split up, I took the front and she took the back. Armed with duffel bags, we started to take containers off the shelf and steal espionage supplies.

Ten minutes later, with our duffel bags filled to the brim, we evacuated our crime scene and exited through the back door. We heard sirens from the front of the building.

"Are you sure the CIA won't notice the missing technology?" I asked Sophia.

"They won't miss it, agents steal the odd gadget to take home all the time," she answered, "Now, let's celebrate the success of our mission!"

"What-?"

But before I could question her about it, she grabbed my wrist and dragged me to her car. She threw me in the passenger's seat and hopped in behind the steering wheel.

"The bags!" I protested.

Sophia paused, "Oh... I forgot..."

I sighed.

Ten minutes later, we were far away enough from the CIA headquarters that we could no longer hear the sirens of fire trucks, police cars, or ambulances. It was quieter than a cemetery inside the car. I knew we were both thinking about the gravity of our actions and the consequences if we were caught.

"I'm feeling kinda hungry with all that action," said Sophia suddenly.

"We still have to erase the security camera footage," I told her.

"Sure, after we get some food. They will probably think the fire was an accident or something."

"I don't think it's wise-"

"Oh! Let's stop here!" she said, casually pulling over into a "no parking" zone beside a donut shop.

I chuckled, "Are you Murray in disguise?" I joked at her slightly sleazy behaviour.

"What?"

I forgot that the majority of my childhood missions were still classified. "Never mind," I said quickly, following her into the donut shop.

As Sophia was going to the front counter, I found us a seat where we could look out the window for people trying to find us. But I was mostly concerned that Sophia's car would get a ticket. I pulled out my laptop and decided to get some work done. Then I realized I didn't have any of the skills that were needed to hack into the CIA's security system so I had to wait for her anyhow.

She sat down with a large box of donuts.

"What are you looking at me like that for? I'm gonna save some for later! Also, I couldn't not get them, they're soooo cute!" She opened the box and showed me a large assortment of animal faces on the donuts.  She bit into one aggressively, destroying the poor animal's face. I was more concerned by her frivolous attitude despite the risk of getting caught committing what was treason.

"Whatever you say, donuts," I joked.

She scowled.

I turned my laptop around and explained how she needed to break the EJML encryption in the CIA's system.

"Sure," she answered, munching on a donut.

Sophia proceeded to hack the CIA from my laptop with her frosting-covered hands with a speed that rivalled the world record.

"You know," I told her as she was furiously typing, "it would be nice if we had other agents on this mission. Ones with field experience."

She looked up from the computer screen, "You don't trust me?"

"No! I just meant that we could get some of my friends on this mission. It's just that they have field experience... unlike us?" I explained.

"Unlike me, you mean, Mr. I've-been-on-over-a-dozen-missions-since-I-was-a-wee-twelve-year-old. Whatever the case, we can't just contact them through CIA channels; other channels aren't exactly secure."

I paused, unsure of what to do.

"Don't we have a graduation reunion today? Just go ask them there," she went back to her typing, which I took as a cue to not argue with her. Deep down, I knew I couldn't just show up to the reunion so suddenly. I haven't gone to one ever. I was just too embarrassed to go after everyone else became a field agent. It was ironic how everyone else got to be field agents when nobody else was activated as much as I did in our youths.

"I can't," I told Sophia.

"Is it because you're afraid to see your friends again?" she smirked, "C'mon, it will be fun!"

"No! Well, I just didn't want to. But if I have to go, then I'll go."

I wish I didn't.

I originally planned the reunion to be chapter 2, but I guess I'm bad at planning. It's gonna be in chapter 5 instead. 🤷