You shouldn't be reading this if you haven't read Only the Good Spy Young!

When most girls at Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women think of summer break, they think of diffusing bombs in Nigeria, tracking terrorists in Russia, or implanting bugs in China. They think of exotic locals and adventure and danger. But when I looked back at my summer vacation, I didn't think of any of that. Instead, I thought of Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. I tried to run away, to find answers. I wanted desperately to figure out why the Circle of Cavan was following me. To tell you the truth, I only made it to the gazebo in Roseville, Virginia, and that's where my mom found me fifteen minutes later. While the rest of the girls left school, I remained on lockdown on campus with my mother and an unconscious Mr. Solomon for the summer. It was too risky for me to leave. Even Zach left to go on this mission of self-discovery. My mother told me he wasn't returning to Gallagher in the fall.

I looked out at the shiny limos driving down the driveway from my room. All my sisters were returning home. They would have outlandish stories to tell, while I would tell them about how my summer was spent tanning by the Gallagher lake and practicing my roundhouse kick in the P&E barn.

"Ohmigod, Cammie!" A high pitched voice cried from behind me. I turned from the window to see my best friend, Liz, standing with her arms open in the doorway of our room.

"Liz!" I cried, and ran up to her, giving her a huge hug. My summer had been lonely, with my only company being my mother, who was constantly working, and a half-dead CoveOps teacher. Liz had gotten sunburned. Really sunburned. She winced when I hugged her. Her blond bob had gotten blonder, and her arms were filled with extra credit essays and lab samples.

"We're seniors!" She yelled, dumping her bags onto her bed. Her voice suddenly turned quiet. "Did you find out anything about the CoC this summer?" I shook my head. No answers whatsoever.

"Not even in the Gallagher database." Liz sighed.

"Which means we'll start from page one." I had looked through every book, every website, and every source in Gallagher Academy for information on the Circle of Cavan. All I could find was things I already knew. But there was one subject I had not looked up. The last name "Goode" in the Gallagher Girl alumni list. I was afraid to see Zach's mothers name in the list, afraid to find out her past. The Circle of Cavan had recruited at Gallagher? It was hard to believe. Not even Gallagher Academy is safe from the them.

"Okay, I would like to notify everyone that my summer was a load of crap since I didn't see any of you." Macey McHenry said quickly, as she charged into the room, Louis Vuttion tote bags in hand. She was a shade tanner, and was it possible that she got prettier over the summer? Liz and I ran up to her, and wrapped her in a hug. "No death threats or unexpected break ins this summer, Cam?"

"None. I've been on lockdown."

"I know the feeling." Macey smiled. "And no signs of Mr. Zachary Goode?"

"I haven't heard from him since he tried to convince me to run away with him." She rolled her eyes.

"Boys."

"And he's not coming back?" Liz sighed, and I nodded. I hadn't heard a word from him since he left. No mysterious postcards. No random pop-ins at weird points in my life. Nothing whatsoever. He had disappeared.

"Could he be at Blackthorne?" Macey whispered. I shrugged.

"Possibly. But I doubt it."

"Could he be with his…mom?" Liz asked fearfully. I sighed. I had told my friends about the events in the tombs, and in the waterfall with Mrs. Goode. The Gallagher Girl.

"I don't know." I admitted. I wanted so hard to believe Zach was the good guy, but I didn't know if I could. And even if he was good, he could easily flip over to the Circle of Cavan, and his mother.

"Well, we should really be focused on that this is our last year at Gallagher!" A strong, British accent rang out from behind them, and we turned just in time to see Bex before she squeezed us into a huge group hug.

"How was your summer, Bex?" Macey laughed. "I bet you're dying to tell us."

"Beijing was nice, but it's hard to appreciate the Forbidden City when your friend is being hunted down by an ancient terrorist group!" Bex said seriously.

"Are your parent's working on finding them?" Liz whispered. Bex nodded.

"That's what they were doing all summer. They wouldn't let me help, but I know they spent three weeks in August looking around in Greece."

"Did they find anything?" I asked slowly, remembering my father's journal, and Athens. The place he went missing. My best friend shrugged.

"I don't know. They wouldn't say." I sighed. What would happen if nobody found the Circle? I wouldn't have Gallagher Academy for protection anymore. In a year, I would be on my own.

"We'll find them, Cam." Macey said reassuringly. I tried to smile, but I couldn't.

"Come on, dinner should be starting soon." I said, changing the subject.

1838

Cammie Morgan, Macey McHenry, Bex Baxter, and Liz Sutton, hereafter known as "The Operatives", immediently went downstairs at the mention of dinner, because, as it turns out, the cook takes off during the summer, and Operative Morgan favored his meals over her mother's every day. And Operative Baxter admitted the food in China actually wasn't that great.

We were walking down the Great Hall. More girls were flooding down the staircase in there uniforms, there faces happy and glowing in the late afternoon light. But whenever they passed by me, there voices dropped to a whisper. Some of the seventh graders openly stared at me. I tried to ignore it, but spies aren't totally immune to the gossiping around them.

"Did you have a good summer, Cammie?" Tina Walters asked me as we walked down the hallway, her eyes worried and careful.

"It was fine, Tina. How was yours?" Two seconds later, I regretted asking that question. She went on and on about Corsica, Angelina Jolie, and a shoebox. Don't ask me how they were all related.

"Tina, we actually have to make a pit-stop on our way to dinner, so, we'll see you there?" Macey asked, her smiled extremely fake.

"Uh, sure. Bye." Tina said, confused, and walked off to chat with Mick Morrison. Macey grabbed Liz and I by the arm, and started dragging us down the East Wing hallway. Bex quickly grabbed my arm so she could keep up.

"Where are we going?" Liz asked, and Macey sighed.

"We're making a pit-stop, ladies." Next thing I knew, she was dragging us into the infirmary. It was a long, white hallway, with white floors, white walls, and big windows high up on the walls, near the high, slanted ceiling. Mrs. Murphy, the head nurse, was no where in site. Macey dragged us up to the hospital bed of Joe Solomon. "I just thought we should see him."

He looked better. I mean, there were far less bandages, the bruises on his face were healed. He looked like Mr. Solomon. Still unbelievably hot. He was asleep. He had waken up about halfway through the summer, but only for a few hours, at the most, at a time. He still couldn't leave the infirmary, but he was slowly getting better. He was asleep at the moment. The only sound the slight whirring and clicking of all the machines around us.

PROS and CONS of having an unconscious CoveOps teacher in your "house" for the summer

A list made by Operatives Morgan, Sutton, Baxter, and McHenry

PRO: You could sneak into his office and go through all of his stuff (and there is probably some really cool stuff in his desk).

CON: His office was on lockdown half of the summer, because it could explode any moment. And you're still afraid that everything would start to flood as soon as you walk down there.

PRO: You had someone to endlessly talk to.

CON: Despite what you tell yourself, he never ACTUALLY listened.

PRO: You could draw silly things on his face with a Sharpie.

CON: You would have to wipe it off right after, because you would feel slightly guilty.

PRO: If some terrorist group invaded, he could magically wake up and kick all of their butts.

CON: He kind of was part of that terrorist group.

"What are you going to do with him when he…wakes up for good?" Liz whispered. I shrugged.

"No idea."

"Do you think he'll still…teach? I mean, he was the good guy, after all. He tried to save you." Macey whispered back.

"He might, but I don't know if my mother would want that." I said softly. I had spent a lot of time sitting in the chair next to Mr. Solomon's bed this summer. Mostly thinking about what had happened. I talked to him, a lot, too. Never when he was awake, just when he was asleep. I told him about my mom, and Zach, and my friends. What I did that day. I told him about my hopes, my dreams, and my fears. It felt good to let it all out to someone. He was a good guy. He tried to take down the Circle of Cavan, and save us all. He didn't deserve to be put in CIA prison somewhere for his actions.

"Do they know when he'll be able to leave the infirmary?" Bex asked quietly. I shook my head. He was still beat up pretty bad. Bex's head snapped up, remembering something she had forgotten. "Guess who I saw this summer?" She asked loudly. Mrs. Murphy walked out of the back closet, and shushed her. She was a small, round women with happy blue eyes. "Sorry!" Bex whispered.

"Who?" Macey said, looking at Bex.

"Agent Edward Townsend!" Liz blinked.

"Our ex-teacher Mr. Townsend? The one we drugged?" Bex nodded.

"Where?" I asked, confused. I hadn't heard a thing about Townsend all summer.

"In Beijing. He was at the Great Wall of China when I was there."

"Did he talk to you?" Macey asked.

"No, he just sort of nodded at me, and went on his way."

"Weird." Macey murmured. "I saw him, too."

"Really?" I wondered. She nodded.

"While I was in New York. I was in Le Cirque and he was having dinner five tables away."

"I saw him, also!" Liz exclaimed. "I was at the Tybee Island Lighthouse, and he was there, too."

"I didn't see him." I shrugged.

"Because you were safe at Gallagher with your mom all summer." Bex said. "He's keeping tabs on all of us."

"What do you think he wants?" Liz asked.

"I don't know."

"Shouldn't you four be at dinner?" Mrs. Murphy asked hastily, walking up to us.

"Sorry, Mrs. Murphy." We all mumbled, walking quickly out of the infirmary and into the dining room, sliding into our usual seats at the senior table. It was weird thinking that this is our last welcome back dinner. My mother walked into the dining room, and took her place at the staff table at the front of the room. I couldn't help noticing the seat next to her was eerily vacant. My mother stood up, and the hall quieted down. She was in Headmistress mode. To be honest, I didn't spend loads of time with her this summer. I spent most of it by myself, and she spent most of it in her office, writing reports or on the phone with the Director. She was just as pretty as ever, but she seemed tired, and a little stressed. I glanced at the other teachers. They looked the same way as her.

"Welcome back to another year at Gallagher Academy. I'm extremely happy to see all of you here safe and sound. I assure, that even though last semester was…extreme, this semester will be no different then the ones before it. You are still expected to go to all of your classes, follow your curriculum, and study hard. We will be enforcing some new rules, however. No one is allowed to leave the campus without permission from me, the Headmistress." Her eyes met me and my friends, and we all looked down in guilt. "No one is allowed on the grounds of the school after 8:00pm. And most importantly, we will go through monthly security checks to make sure our school is the safest place you can possibly be."

"My mom almost didn't want me to come back to Gallagher this summer, with the Circle and all." Liz whispered sadly.

"She knows this is the safest place in the world for you, right?" Bex whispered back.

"She just doesn't want me getting hurt, but I convinced her to let me come. It's my senior year and everything. But if I didn't have just one year left, she probably would enroll me in a public school around our house, or have me homeschooled." I stared at my plate sadly. This was all my fault. If I wasn't here, then this place would be the safest place in the world for all of these girls.

"Lastly, many of you may have noticed we have an empty chair at the staff table." My mother continued, drawing attention back to her. We all glanced at each other. "Mr. Solomon is still resting in the infirmary, and we insist that you must not take time to visit him during the school day, because he is not yet…well enough for visitors." The whole student body winced slightly. About half of the girls probably felt he was a traitor, and would never speak to him again, and the other half probably thought he was still pretty damn sexy and would give him flowers every day if they could. "I would like to inform you that neither Agent Townsend or Agent Baxter will be coming back to reprise their role as Covert Operations teacher."

The whole student body frowned. We all had enjoyed Bex's mom as our teacher. She was a breath of fresh air after Mr. "I hate students AND teaching" Townsend. My mom met my questioning eyes, smiled, and winked.

"Our new Covert Operations will, however, be no doubt a familiar face to some of you. So, on that note, please welcome Agent Abigail Cameron to Gallagher Academy." I turned quickly towards the dining room doors to see my aunt Abby walk through them once again. I had a total case of déjà vu. My aunt looked better. Happier. Her hair was longer, and back to its glossy self, in a shiny, tight, high ponytail. She had a nice, pretty golden tan, and her bright green eyes looked electric. Even though it was pretty cold in the dining room, she was wearing short, dark blue denim shorts, showing off her long, thin, toned legs. She towered over us in her five inch designer wedges. Her cream colored short sleeved tunic was belted with a caramel colored leather belt. Was it possible that she had gotten even more beautiful since the last time I saw her? She waved softly at my friends and me as she passed us. I looked at Bex, who looked at Liz, who looked at Macey, who looked at me. I know we were all thinking the same thing at that very moment. Oh. My. God.