Here's the next chapter. It's short but please enjoy. :)
Erica turned away from us in shock.
“Mom?” I never heard that much emotion creep into her voice.
Catherine's beautiful face filled the screen. She had a sad expression on her face. I had a suspicion this whole thing was an act on Erica’s part, but seeing her mother's face, I knew it wasn't.
“Erica, sweetie, put the gun down. I know the CIA has treated you poorly, I do, but this is not the answer. Stop this and come back. I'm sure spy school would take you back.” Catherine Hale's wonderful British accent filled the room.
The principal, too bend on impressing Catherine (it was evident he thought she was hot) cried out, “Yes, of course we'd take you back! Wait… Catherine, you're single now right?” I heard a grunt of pain as he was kicked in the shin by Catherine.
Josh was not smiling anymore. He surged forward and put a gun right against John Tyson’s temple, producing a whimper from the head of the CIA.
“Get her off right now or John dies. I don't want to hear or see Catherine anymore!” Josh’s voice wavered a little bit. He knew, as much as anyone else, she was the only one Erica might listen to. The same train of thought was on Cyrus’s mind as he brought Catherine in on the call.
Erica stood transfixed on the screen. Then she came back to life and waved a hand at Josh to bug off.
“Excuse me?” Erica said with shock and compete hatred, “You think saying that would get me to switch? You're the biggest backstabber of them all! I had an opportunity, even bigger than the one to break SPYDER open and you didn't let me go! You convinced the president himself to not let me on that North Korean mission after the president hand picked me! Because I'm your ‘little girl’. Well? How do you like me now, Mommy?! I hate you! Don't even talk to me!” the whole room and the people on the camera were paralyzed in shock. No one, not even me, heard that much emotion and anger come out of Erica. This was Ice Queen. Perfect, emotionless Erica.
Now that explained it! The reason she beat me up a while ago was because she was mad at her mom and I brought her up. It made Erica mad and took it out on me.
Her mom was the most taken aback out of all of us. Anger seeped into her voice, “Erica! You do not speak to me in that way! I pushed for you to go on the mission to take down SPYDER so hard! Which I now realize is a huge mistake. I felt bad about North Korea so I tried to make it up to you by this! You know why you couldn't go on that mission. It was far too dangerous! I don't give a damn if the president selected you. It was a too big of a risk and I couldn't, as your mother, take that big of risk. Okay?! And I'm sorry! But you are acting unacceptable!”
I heard Josh and Murray snicker in the background. They seem to be enjoying the show. For the rest of us, it was awkward. It was like we were listening to something we weren't supposed to hear. Both people on either ends of the phone were quiet. The good thing though was it seemed like Erica forgot about us for a second. I wasn't about to die, yet.
Fury penetrated Erica’s features.
“Mom,” she said, now dangerously calm, “I am not four anymore. I can take care of myself and I will. And don't give me all your excuses and bull crap. You're starting to sound like Dad. And for that, you get to watch me do this.” Erica whirled around to face me, pointed the gun right at me and fired.