Spy School: We Meet Again

Chapter 14: Please let me know

Ben's POV

I was sitting on my couch with my head in my arms. I was doing this a lot lately, but every time I had a reason to. I'm absolutely terrified. But not for me, but for Erica. What should I do? She doesn't want to talk to me, but she has to know what happened. I have to protect her in any way I can.

My phone was laying on my coffee table and when I looked at it, I had an idea. I have to do something, I can't just sit here.

So I picked it up and called Catherine.

"Hello, Catherine speaking."

"Hi, It's Ben calling."

"Oh Hi Mark! Long time no see. How's work?" What is she talking about?

"What?"

"Oh really, she did that? I don't believe it." Again, what is she talking about?

"Catherine are you alright?"

"Ok, now I can talk. Sorry, Benjamin, Erica was in the same room I was in. I know she doesn't want to do anything with you, so I had to act like I am talking to someone else." Well, that is comforting...

"Oh, Ok. Look can we meet up? I have a few things to discuss, that I can't talk about over the phone. It's about SPYDER." I just had to talk to her.

"When do you want to meet?"

"Would today be fine for you?"

XXXXXXXXXXXX

I was meeting up with Catherine in my apartment. Over the phone, we both agreed that that would be the best place since the topic at hand was SPYDER, so I was just sitting there waiting for her to arrive.

An hour later, after our phone call, she arrived.

"Well hello Benjamin, what did you want to talk about?"

"Hi! If you don't mind before I get to that, if it wouldn't be too much to ask... how is Erica?" I just had to know if she is alright.

"All tho that can wait. Please come in. Make yourself at home." I realized how rude I was, by just asking a straight up question, without even letting her in the apartment.

"Thank you, Benjamin. I brought you some coffee, thinking that you could use it after everything that has happened." Erica has the best mom ever.

"Thank you! Yes, I can really use it now. Do you want something to eat? I can quickly cook something."

"Oh no, thank you! I'm fine with everything. I don't need anything else." She smiled at me, while she entered my apartment.

"Well Benjamin, you have quite a place here."

I knew this would come up: " Oh, yeah. Erica said something similar to that. Please take a seat wherever you want."

"About your question before, Erica is doing fine, considering that she was captured, but her heart is a different thing." Catherine looked at me while she took a seat at the couch. "You know, Ben, I never got to thank you for saving my daughter, so thank you, truly."

"Don't say that. I have done nothing but caused pain for her and I know it. I have done nothing that would be considered good these past years and I don't deserve any praise. Catherine, I called you, because I need your help. I have been trying to talk to Erica. I tried to call her, I tried to text her, but she is ignoring me." I could not look at Catherine, so my eyes looked down. "You know why, when you called me, at first I didn't want to go and rescue Erica?"

Erica's mom didn't say anything, so I continued. "It's connected with something that happened before I disappeared. I know you probably want to know what it is, but I want Erica to be the first one to find out. I can tell you, that if SPYDER really is trying to kill Erica, then she is in really big danger." I took a deep breath and continued. " I want to ask you a favor. Can you please let me know if you find some new information about SPYDER?... And can you please let me know if Erica is doing something dangerous? I know this is a lot to ask, but can you please trust me?"

She still didn't say anything. "As much as it doesn't look like it, I care a lot for Erica, I have always cared for her and I don't know what I will do if she dies because of my mistakes."

"You know what Benjamin, save all of this for Erica. Don't worry I will tell you if something happens." She gave me a smile, which was heartwarming. "You know, when I thanked you for saving my daughter, I didn't mean just saving her from SPYDER. I also wanted to thank you for saving her from herself. When Joshua supposedly died, Erica was so hard on herself, but when you came along, slowly she started to live as a girl again, not a spy. Ben, as much as she doesn't want to admit it, as her mother, I can see that she still cares for you. She can just be stubborn about her feelings and that is exactly what is happening now."

I smiled at her. The thought that Erica's mother just told me, that Erica maybe likes me, is nice to hear.

"And don't worry, about telling me what happened 6 years ago, I know that later you will. Just don't give up on her."

That will be the last thing I do: "Don't worry, I will never give up on her, and thank you, for believing in me. If I may ask, what exactly happened when they captured her? Do you know why their base was absolutely abandoned, except for the few agents there?"

"We were able to capture the agents that you knocked unconscious and interrogated them. Apparently, their plan was to finally get rid of Erica. That house wasn't even their base. It was just a temporary place for them to lure Erica to and then if they were able to successfully capture her, wait until Joshua comes. If we would have known that, I probably wouldn't have called you."

"Did they really just give you this information?"

"Well, they did need some persuading beforehand, but all that matters is that we got the information in the end." She gave me a sweet smile. Catherine can be really sweet but also unbelievably deadly.

"Well Benjamin, I think I will be on my way. As much as I want to stay here and talk about old times, I have a daughter to look after." She got up and walked to the door. I followed her. "And don't worry, as I said, if anything happens I will tell you about it."

"Bye Catherine."

"Take care, Benjamin!"