The New Girl's Top Secret Quest

Chapter 21: Xander and Hypnosis

"So, Cindy, how long have you been here?" Raven asked out of a sudden as they were preparing for bed one night.

The stillness of the night comforting. The constant blow of wind on the windowsill, relaxing.

Cindy looked a little surprised at her though the mirror. "This is my sixth year."

"That's quiet a long time," Raven commented as she stared at the chandelier above their beds.

"I didn't count the days. Just woke up one day and realized its been a long time," Cindy replied with a sigh.

"Were you able to go home, though?" Raven asked just as Daz got out of the bathroom. She glanced at them but spared no attention.

"Twice," Cindy said nonchalantly as she continued to comb her hair.

"So, you know this place by heart." It wasn't a question.

Cindy stared at her, "Why?"

"You know, I realized after looking from the rooftop of the infirmary that there are still buildings I didn't know existed in the campus."

"You mean, the two buildings on each side of the Widow's manor?"

Raven nodded, "Yes."

"Didn't you realize it's for the Guardians? There are thousands of them patrolling the campus," Cindy simply replied going back to putting curlers on her hair.

"Why don't we see them during the day?" Tasha perked up from her mountain of pink faux furs. She was also listening.

Cindy glanced at her. "They're just there, on the rooftops and the dark corners, watching."

Tasha looked excited though. As if a light bulb just lit on her head. "Oh yeah! Is that what the tunnels and hidden stairs are for?" 

They all turned sharply at Tasha.

"What tunnels and passages?" Cindy asked, quiet surprised.

"You've seen tunnels and hidden passages?" Daz interjected, looking awed.

"Don't be silly of course I didn't," Tasha said rolling her eyes. "But I've seen the blueprint. Remember I told you once, Cindy?"

Cindy's brow pinched. "Yeah, I do remember. By the way, how were you able to get your hands on a blueprint anyway? Even I haven't seen one."

"Did I ever mention that my father works for the Widow's army?"

"He did?"

"Yeah. I don't know exactly what his position is but for sure it's higher up."

"Have you known all along?" Daz asked, curiously.

Tasha shook her head. "I've only found out last year. When they were talking about Inferno Sabotage. Whatever that means. There were several men who barged in our house at dawn. Our phones rang like crazy. Father was outraged. They interrogated him in his study. The men were angry. They pointed a gun on him and asked him if he was a spy. I was hiding by the secret door looking into the study."

"And you said you didn't know anything about what happened last year," Cindy said.

Tasha raised an eyebrow at her. "I didn't know it was about the girl who died. That day, Daddy was brought to his office and when he came back three days after, it was all quiet and back to normal. Like nothing happened. Mum won't let us talk anymore about it."

Hearing that, a plan formed in Raven's mind. So, for the next two days, Raven charted the entirety of SinHigh and asked Tasha to  mark the hidden passages. But the plan was flawed. She had an instinct that Tasha wouldn't cooperate.