The Good-For-Nothing Society | Completed

Chapter Sixteen

Elijah spins so he's facing me straight on, "I'm not going to do that."

"Elijah," I say, pleading. "We all die at some point anyway. This might be the only chance I get to find the truth."

"It's a suicide mission," He snaps. "I won't aid you in that."

"I'm not sure you will have much of a choice."

"You have no idea what you're asking me to do."

"Yes I do." I say, "If anyone tries to grab me, you've got to let me go. It's safer; for you, for the school. It's the best way to get answers. You know it's the most
logical option."

"Espionage rule number six," Elijah hisses, "An undercover agent must include backup in life threatening situations."

"Espionage rule number thirty-two," I counter, "An undercover agent must be willing to asses the risks and decide if it is worth another's life."

"You're a teenager!" He shouts, shooting to his feet.

"So are you!" I yell back. "How would I ever be able to come here and look your brother in the eye if you were to die?"

"How would I ever be able to come back here knowing I let them take you?"

"Because this is your home, and no one would blame you."

"I would blame me."

"But you will live."

Elijah spins and punches the wall. I don't blame him, I feel like punching something too. "We are spies, Amelia. The moment we leave this place our lives are on the line. You really going to sacrifice yourself every time, to save me?"

"Of course I am!"

"Then you don't deserve to be a spy," He spits and stalks out of the drafty building, leaving me to the wind.

I know it's not the most rational thinking. But if I'm the only one these people need alive then it's the safest reasoning. I won't have anyone else I care about die, not today and not in three weeks. There's a chance they don't need me at all, there's a chance they don't carego. Maybe they didn't even know my parents had a child, maybe it was never declared or something, which is why they're so unconcerned with me. But regardless, whatever they want, it's my duty to make sure no one else gets hurt.

"What did Stan want?" Grace asks, when I get back to our dorm.

Lily's bed has been emptied, her stuff taken out. It looks weird and not weird at the same time. This evening I'm going to have to face the music when I enter the entrance hall. I've seldom seen another student since I took one of their sisters out. If I was disliked before, I'm going to be hated now.

I sigh as I sit on my bed, "They found the boy with the yellow backpack."

Graces eyes go wide and she sinks down into the window seat. "What does that mean?"

"Apparently they know where he's going to be in three weeks, so they're sending us there."

"Us?" She asks, pointing to herself.

"I believe so. Me, you, Elijah, Tessa and Stan."

"Wow," Grace says.

"Miss Gateshead too."

Graces mouth pops open, "Double wow."

We sit in silence as she absorbs what I'm saying. I don't ask for the same thing I asked of Elijah, because I'm pretty sure I will be paired with Elijah. I know everyone has noticed how he and I move as one, able to predict the others moves without communicating. I suppose that's what happens when you're trained to notice everything about someone and then spend all your time with them; you practically become them.

"At least you'll have backup," Grace finally says.

"Yeah," I mutter.

Maybe it's naivety, but my parents were two, trained, grown spies and had been spies for a long time before these people killed them. Sending me towards them, with two trained spies and a bunch of half trained spies doesn't fill me with any sort of hope. I think it's insanity. I can't see how it makes any logical sense at all.

Maybe they're keeping it quiet, maybe they think the proper channels are being watched. Both mum and Yellow Backpack knew where we were, they knew what time we'd be there and they waited. Maybe keeping this in-house is safest. But why risk it at all? Why not just expel me and make me go it alone? Then everyone else will be safe and it's only I who will be in danger.

Then it hits me, I've got to go alone. If I run away, if I leave, no one can come with me. Everyone here will be safe. The school can tell them I died, or I'm dead and no one could contest it because I don't have any family who will come looking for me.

Maybe it would hurt Elijah and Grace, but they're only sixteen. They've got their whole lives ahead of them, and they'll soon forget the tragic girl who came to the school for a couple of months. I mentally tell myself I have a week before I need to get out, it gives me a head start and gives me time.

"What are you planning?" Grace asks me, "You've
got a strange look on your face."

I smile brightly at her, "How I'm going to act at dinner, everyone is going to be judging me."

"Pah," Grace says, "Everyone thinks you're awesome. I wouldn't be surprised if you're greeted with a round of applause."