Pandemic Spy School

Chapter Eighteen

Hi! I'm sorry I haven't posted, and I know I've said that several times, but I really am. I am back to my normal schedule, so from now on, I will try to post one chapter every week again. This chapter I was able to write because I introduced a new character, and I have so many ideas of what she is like. That's all I have to say, thank you for continuing to read this, and I hope you enjoy! I'll start writing the next chapter right away! 

Chapter Eighteen

Arrival

Helicopter

Wuhan China

January 12th

0000 hours

We landed smoothly.

I didn't know why I hadn't trusted Erica. Of course we had made it to the ground without dying. It was a small clearing of land, trees surrounding us, and hot air already stifling us.

"Out of the helicopter," Erica told us, no warmth in her voice.

A quick stop, this was supposed to be. Erica opened a porthole in the side of the copter, and tipped up a huge container of aviation kerosene to the lip, and poured it in.

Charlotte rearranged the luggage in the back, and I saw to my needs deeper in the forest.

It was then that I heard the voices. Not the voices of Charlotte and Erica, but a bunch of boys, yelling and cheering. Approaching. I scrambled back to the helicopter, and found Erica and Charlotte sitting on the ground scrolling through their phones, neither of them making a move to talk.

"There are voices approaching," I said hurriedly. They both looked up at me, disbelief on their faces.

"Sure, Ben," Charlotte said, turning off her phone, and crossing her arms. "We're in the middle of nowhere and you expect a bunch of stupid kids to show up on our site?"

"He's right," Erica whispered, slowly getting to her feet and going towards the forest.

Then we were all standing there, listening as the boys' voices got louder and louder. And then the head of the first boy appeared.

He was tall, his black hair reflecting the sun, his olive skin stretched into a grin as he toppled over a boy at least a foot shorter than him, all of them erupting into laughter. The smallest one had light brown hair, his green eyes visible even through the brush. The rest looked almost the same, brown hair, average height and quiet voices. It was the one crushed to the ground that noticed us first.

"Hey!" He yelled angrily at us, his accent thick. "That's out clearing, get out!"

"We bring no harm," Charlotte said, raising her hands above her head. "We only needed to refuel our helicopter before we hit the skies again."

"Helicopter!" Another boy cried, and pushed past his friends and came running into the clearing, awe written over every inch of his face as he stared up at the cockpit.

Theother came after him, the tallest stopping near the clearing as the five others ran to get in the helicopter and look around, led by Charlotte. Erica didn't ease up as fast though.

"Who are you," She demanded of the boy beside her.

He turned to her, and smiled kindly. "I am Noah. I am the oldest in my family and I care for my brothers. We found this clearing a month ago and we come here everyday. We don't usually get visitors."

Erice nodded curtly. "You have a lot of them to deal with, then."

"It's work, but they listen. Where are you flying to?"

"No where. It's classified. We will leave now, and you can have your clearing."

I glared at Noah for getting her attention, and then stormed after Erica into the helicopter, not smiling as the younger boys hopped back to the ground. Erica didn't look any different as we buckled in, but her demeanor had changed. Brighter, almost. Charlotte grinned at me, and then instead of sitting next to me, plopped down next to Erica in the cockpit.

"Who was that?" She asked, nudging Erica's shoulder. I could have sworn Erica's cheeks reddened, but she didn't smile or blink at all.

"His name was Noah, and that's all I know," She replied solemnly. Charlotte smiled. Then looked down to the ground where Noah had ushered his brother into a line as far away from the helicopter as they could get. And just before Erica could start the engine, Charlotte yelled down to him,

"Her name is Erica! And take it as a compliment that she talked to you at all!"

I couldn't feel anything but rage as Charlotte yelled the last few words, and Noah laughed, and it was all I felt, even for hours after our departure.

***

Charlotte's POV

Blackness. Blistering pain. And then a soft surface beneath me as Erica dumped me on the couch beside Ben.

I didn't care that I yelled that information at Noah; Erica clearly wanted to continue talking to him, but not with Ben around. And to be fair, the look on Ben's face suggested he thought the same.

No one talked, no one that I could hear, anyways. In silence, Erica flew the helicopter to China, and Ben either slepted or raged in his head beside me. And so, with my headache, I fell back asleep and prayed that I wouldn't be in pain when I woke up.

***

Ben's POV

We flew over forests and cities and bodies of water and roads, but Erica didn't lower to any of them. I watched as they flowed beneath us, blurring eventually when my eyelids grew heavy.

Erica didn't talk to me or Charlotte, she only stared forwards and looked dead for most of the time.

It was dark when a huge brick wall stretched into view. Longer than any wall I'd seen before.

"The great wall of China," Erica said, more just as a fact, not for any particular point. Charlotte woke up at that, and she slumped against the back of the seat.

"How long until we're there?" She asked, stretching her arms above her head.

"We are there, but another twenty minutes until we land," Erica replied.

"How's your head?" I asked Charlotte, and she smiled gratefully.

"It's better," She said. "But I can't think too deeply."

I was about to ask her another question when she asked me something that made me cringe.

"How's your heart?"

I just shook my head in disbelief, and then looked out the window. The city we were below was huge. Tall buildings with lit windows, houses in the deepest shadows, headlights before cars, trees under street lights, the moon reflecting off the water, - it looked super peaceful. Charlotte looked as well, and for some time we were silent, watching the ground as it passed below us.

Until we started to descend. Then we went still as Erica flicked out the lights.

It was to a building's roof, lights surrounding the edges that we headed for. And I closed my eyes as we grew closer, my fear of crashing increasing by the second. And then we were there, and Charlotte was gone from beside me. Erica was too.

I scrambled to the open door, and then hopped to the ground.

The sight before me made me gasp. Erica was hugging someone.

Someone with short black hair, a black sweater and black pants. She kissed Erica's cheek and then came in front of me, studying me from top to bottom.

"Benjamin Ripley," She said, holding her hand out infront of her. "It's so nice to meet you. Erica's told me so much."

I shook her hand, even through my burning cheeks.

"Ben, this is my international spy partner, Li Ming." Erica said.