Operation Holiday Cheer - A Spy School Story

Chapter 21: Day IV (Hide-and-Seek)

Georgetown

Washington, DC

Book Hill Park

December 21st, 2015

1040 hours

Mike POV

"It's a really good thing Cyrus bought those shovels and scrapers, eh?" Chip asked as we arrived at Book Hill Park.

"Chip, please shut up," Jawa grumbled in reply. "I love the snow and all, especially coming from California where it's as frequent as a blue moon, but shoveling is something I do not enjoy!"

"Hard work builds character," Alexander replied bluntly as he stretched his arms.

"I understood that reference, but no!"

"On the bright side, now we can actually get out of the driveway," Catherine commented.

"Don't forget that the sun and snow plows were out and about!" Ben added as he wiped some sweat off his brow.

"Yeah, and the plows laid down some salt too, I think. It's freezing, but at least we drive if needed!" Erica said.

"Hey, it's not like we need to go to the grocery store, right?" Zoe asked, adjusting her scarf to protect her face from the cold.

"We won't need to resupply for a few days, so we're fine," Cyrus answered.

"So..." I began as I saw all of the children sledding. "We don't have any sleds, and while the snow is melting from the road, it's still sticking to the ground. What exactly are we doing here?"

"I had a little idea on a game we could play," Alexander replied. "Hide-and-seek."

His suggestion resulted in us giving him confused looks, though the Hales seemed to perk up at this. Even Cyrus had a little smile on his face, which was a surprise.

"Cyrus, you're smiling. Why are you smiling?" Zoe asked, sounding astounded. "Someone take a photo and send it to the International Spy Museum!"

"Hush your mouth, kid," the elder man scoffed. "Hide-and-seek is only the greatest game in history! Plus, it's practical!"

"... I don't get it."

"Basically, it's a game of what you Americans refer to as SERE—survival, evasion, resistance, escape," Catherine explained. "The person designated as 'it' is an enemy operative. The others must evade him or her by whatever means necessary outside of engaging in combat, all while staying within a certain area on a map. Techniques include dodging into alleys, makeshift disguises, and the like. Anyone caught must join the seeker in locating the others. There is also a timer, and whoever hasn't been caught by the end wins."

"We actually had to implement the timer because Dad once didn't realize that it had gone from Mom hunting him to all of us trying to find him, and he interpreted all of our calls and texts as tricks," Erica added. "He evaded us for an entire week until we found him in a coffee shop! And even then, he tried to bolt!"

"Hey, the rules were 'whatever means necessary outside of engaging in combat,'" Alexander argued. "And I'm very competitive."

"Well, it sounds fun!" Jawa reasoned. "What's the plan?"

"In the spirit of the season, we've decided that we'll break off into pairs while Dad is 'it.' Choose a buddy!" Alexander ordered.

Quick as a flash, he laced his fingers within Catherine's. Chip and Jawa gave each other a nod and a fist-bump before standing together. As for me, I turned to Zoe.