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When His Phone Rang, He Had To Dig Through His Pocket To Find It, And His Fingers Brushed Against A Pair Of Tiny Earbuds He And Kat Had Last Used In Monte Carlo. Hale Smiled A Little, Realizing He Hadn’t Worn The Tux In Ages. It Was Just One Of Many Ways His Life Had Change In The Years Since A Girl Named Katarina Bishop Crawled Into His Window And Into His Life." — Double Crossed By Ally Carter

-Ally Carter

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When His Phone Rang,

Ally Carter

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When His Phone Rang, He Had To Dig Through His Pocket To Find It, And His Fingers Brushed Against A Pair Of Tiny Earbuds He And Kat Had Last Used In Monte Carlo. Hale Smiled A Little, Realizing He Hadn’t Worn The Tux In Ages. It Was Just One Of Many Ways His Life Had Change In The Years Since A Girl Named Katarina Bishop Crawled Into His Window And Into His Life." — Double Crossed By Ally Carter

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And Then, Despite Everything, I Smiled And Looked At The Note And Knew That Spring Would Come —it Always Does. So I Stared Out That Cold Window, Watching My Breath Collect On The Glass, Trying Not To Think About My Life After The Thaw.

Oh.' I Shot Upright. 'i Was In Mongolia.' Note To Self: Learn To Be A Less Extreme Liar.

Macey Couldn't Decide Whether To Be Intrigued That Hale Was Walking Around With A State-of-the-art Covert Communications Device Or Be Jealous Because She'd Been Caught Without One Of Her Own.

Townsend Shrugged. 'with All Due Respect To The Good Doctor, I Highly Suspect He's A Moron.

I'm The Guy Who Happened To Be Home The Night Kat Came To Steal A Monet."- Hale

I Suppose A Lot Of Teenage Girls Feel Invisible Sometimes, Like They Just Disappear. Well, That's Me—cammie The Chameleon. But I'm Luckier Than Most Because, At My School, That's Considered Cool. I Go To A School For Spies.

How Are We Doing, Simon?" She Whispered Into The Small Microphone In Her Collar. "just About..." Simon Started Slowly. And Then He Stopped. "wow." "what?" She Asked, Panic In Her Voice. "nothing," He Said Too Quickly. "what?" She Asked Again. "well...it's Just That...your Boobs Look Even Bigger On Tv." Kat Took That Opportunity To Turn And Glare At The Nearest Security Camera. In His Bathroom Stall Thirty Feet Away, Simon Nearly Fell Off The Toilet.

Because Sometimes Not Liking Someone Is Easier.

Angus Looked At Hamish. "i Hate It When Mom And Dad Fight." Hamish Smoothed His Brother's Messy Hair. "me Too.

I Needed To See You. And Touch You. And Just... Know

We Wear A Lot Of Labels In Our Lives, And It's So Very Easy To Be Defined By Them. We Have Grown Somehow Accustomed To Thinking Of Ourselves As A Size Eight Or A Size Fourteen, As A Capricorn Or A Taurus, As Single Or In Love.

So Instead She Settled On, "did My Father Put You Up To This?" Hale Exhaled A Quick Laugh And Shook His Head. "he Hasn't Returned My Calls Since Barcelona." He Leaned Closer And Whispered, "i Think He Might Still Be Mad At Me." "yeah, Well, That Makes Two Of Us." "hey," Hale Snapped. "we All Agreed That That Monkey Seemed Perfectly Well Trained At The Time.

Hale Looked At Macey, Who Added, "seven Minutes Since Shots Fired." "kat What's The Emergency Response Tie In Midtown Manhattan?" "not Long Enough If They Want A Clean Exit," She Told Him. Macey Hadn't Heard Kat's Words, But She Looked At Hale Like She'd Read His Mind.

Maggie Threw Her Head Back And Laughed. 'so You're Going To Try...what? Birds Of A Feather?' She Quested. 'of Course Not,' Kat Said. 'everyone Knows The French Government Banned The Importation Of Peacocks In 1987.

How Sweet Is That? I Know I'm No Boy Expert, But I Have Heard Entire Lectures On Reading Body Language, And I Have To Say That Assuming That A Person Will Have Forgotten Your Name Is Way High On My "indicators Of Humbleness" List (not That I Have One, But I Totally Have A Starting Point Now).

Kat Didn't Know What To Say. It's Good To See You Too? Thanks For Getting Me Kicked Out? Is It Possible You've Gotten Even Hotter? I Think I Might Have Missed You?

Turn," Liz Said, Trying Not To Hide Her Impatience At Being Forced To Read At Non-speed-of-light Pace.

You'd Better Not Be Trying To Steal That," She Said. The Boy Shrugged And Reached For The Small Rolling Suitcase At Her Feet. "i Wouldn't Dare." "because I'm An Excellent Yeller." "i Don't Doubt It." "and Fighter. My Cousin Gave Me This Nail File... The Thing's Just Like A Switchblade.

Mr. Solomon Was Right The Worst Kind Of Torture Is Watching Someone You Love Get Hurt.

Someone You Love

Like Cammie Is Fine," Macey Said, Then Glanced At Me. "no Offense." "none Taken," I Said. "i Think.

If You Ever Put A Student At This School In Danger Again-' 'oh, I Thought You Gallagher Girls Were Immune To Danger.' Despite The Hundred Girls The Filled The Foyer, No One Moved Or Gasped Or Tried To Defend Our Honor. We Stood Silently, Waiting For Our Headmistress To Say, 'oh, We Are Quite Used To Being Underestimated, Agent Townsend. In Fact, We Welcome It.

Like So Many Aspiring Writers Who Still Have Boxes Of Things They've Written In Their Parents' Houses, I Filled Notebooks With Half-finished Poems And Stories And First Paragraphs Of Novels That Never Got Written.

If You Die Of Pneumonia,i'm Pretty Sure There Are At Least A Dozen Guys Who'll Try To Kill Me And Make It Look Like An Accident (hale)

What Is A Gallagher Girl? She's A Genius, A Scientist, A Heroine, A Spy... A Gallagher Girl Is Whatever She Wants To Be.

I Drink Caffeine" She Said Calmly "lot's Of It Gives You Pep

We Don't Have To Do This. Just Say The Word And I Can Have A Jet Here In An Hour. We Can Go Anywhere

At The Core, I Try To Write Characters Who Are Real People With Real Insecurities, Fears, Hopes, And Dreams, Which Is Why Hopefully Readers Can Identify With Them.

Ambassador Winters, Allow Me To Introduce My Aunt Abby And Her....boyfriend.' Townsed Tensed. Abby Glared. And Rebecca Baxter Looked Like She Was Going To Choke On Her Chewing Gum.

I Suppose You Should Her It From Me That I Met Your Mother" He Smiled A Litte Sadly. "well. . . When I Say Met I Mean One Time I Tried To Kill Her." "do Me A Favor" Zach's Voice Was Low And Dark And Dangerous. "next Time Don't Just Try

What About A Princess Bride?" "where Are We Gonna Find A Six-fingered Man On Such Short Notice?

Kat Felt Her Heart Beat Faster, Adrenaline Pumping Through Her Veins, And She Knew He Was Right. She Studied Him For A Long Time. "do You Believe In Curses, Hale?" He Looked At Her. "i Believe In You.

I Saw The Gun. I Sensed The Van As It Rushed Forward, Seconds Away And Coming Faster. I Heard The Screams Of The Fight Behind Us. But Nothing That Night Was Louder Than The Masked Man's Astonished Whisper As He Looked At The Boy Who Stood Beside Me And Said, 'you?

First Time It's A Stranger. Second Time Its Just A Coincidence. Third Time It's A Tail

Why Do I Feel Like I Can't Trust You Anymore?' I Wanted Him To Lash Out. I Wanted Him To Fight, To Protest, To Argue- To Do Anything But Look Deeper Into My Eyes And Say, 'because The Gallagher Academy Doesn't Admit Fools

Hey, Macey, Sorry To Drop In But Cammie Just Had To Be Alone With Me. You Know How She Gets.

Will You Still Want Me If I'm Poor, Kat?" "what Kind Of Question Is That?" "no. Seriously. You're The Planner. Simon's The Genius. The Bagshaws Are The Muscle. And Gabrielle Is . . . Gabrielle. But What Am I, Kat? I'm The Guy Who Writes The Checks." "no. You're The Most Naturally Gifted Inside Man I Have Ever Seen. And I Was Raised By Bobby Bishop." She Made Him Look Into Her Eyes. "i Don't Care About Your Money.

They Were Both Totally Laughing, And He Was Twirling Her, And Her Hair Was Flying Around Like She Was In A Shampoo Commercial. Seriously. She Could Have Sold Conditioner To A Bald Man The Way She Looked Out There.

Gabrielle, Hale?" Kat Smacked His Shoulder. "it Wasn't Bad Enough That You Got Me Kicked Out Of School, But You Had To Use Her To Help You? Gabrielle!" "i Can Hear You," Her Cousin Sang Beside Her. Hale Looked At Gabrielle And Gestured At Kat. "she's Adorable When She's Jealous." Kat Kicked His Shin.

And I Remember "normal" Might Never Be The Same Again.

She Thought She Kept Seeing Him Because She Wanted To See Him," Macey Explained. "ooooh," Bex And Liz Sighed Together. "it's A By-product Of Very Dramatic Kissing," Macey Went On Like A Doctor Identifying A Common Side Effect.

The Kids Kept Walking, Moving Through The Henley's Halls Like A Tide, But When Kat Turned To Leave, She Walked In The Opposite Directions. She Wasn't An Ordinary Kid, After All. Katarina Bishop Followed No One.

What Kind Of Plan B?" Hale Asked. He Was Almost Holding His Breath When A Voice Answered, "my Kind." Macey Tried To Read The Look On His Face Then, But It Was Gone In A Flash. It Had Been A Simple Moment Of Peace And Joy And Pure Happiness. That Voice Made Hale Happy. It Kept Him Calm. It Was His Backup And His Conscience. Macey Couldn't Help Herself, She Envied Him.

Um…” Simon Started Slowly “at The Risk Of Stating The Obvious I Feel I Have To Point Out That Interpol Has The Worldʼs Best Database Of International Criminals.” “thatʼs The Idea ” Gabrielle Said With A Nod. “and I Feel Compelled To Remind You That Weʼre International Criminals ” He Finished But Kat Was Already Smiling. “donʼt Worry Simon. Itʼs Not Like Anyone In There Knows It Was A Bunch Of Teenagers Who Robbed The Henley.

She Looked At Him And Shook Her Head, Smiled A Litle As She Told Him, "you Are So Like Your Father." Then She Looked Past Me And Zach, Past Bex And Abby, To Where Agent Townsend Sttod By The Door With His Arms Crossed. "what Do You Think, Townsend, Darling? Isn't He Just Like You?" She Looked At Zach Again. "i Think He's Just Like You." And Then She Closed Her Eyes And Drifted Off To Sleep.

My Name Is Cammie!” I Didn’t Think About All The People I Could Have Woken, All The Alarms That Might Have Gone Off. I Just Snapped, “how Did You Know About Boston? Why Are You Working With Mr. Solomon Now? Are You My Friend Or Are You My Enemy, Zach? Or, Wait, Let Me Guess, You Can’t Tell Me.

It Seems You Don't Approve Of The Family Business Katerina. Or Of Me. But These Chances You Take... These Things You Do... This Is A Dangerous Life To Live... Alone.

Kat Looked At Hale. "i've Never Heard Marcus Talk This Much." "yeah," Hale Whispered. "i'm Trying To Decide If I Like It." Just Then, Marcus Took The Ruler And Struck Eddie In The Stomach. "hale Men Speak From The Diaphragm!" Hale Nodded. "i Definitely Like It.

Note To Self: Rachel Morgan Is A Totally Awesome Liar.

Hes Gone. Hes Just Gone.

I Didn’t Know What Was More Disturbing—the Fact That Something Was Obviously Wrong, Or That Three Faculty Members Of The World’s Premiere Spy School Had Forgotten To Lock The Door.

Faculty Members

For All The Days Of Our Lives," We Finished And I Felt A Little Like A Character In One Of My Grandma's Soap Operas.

Now, Now, Hear Me Out," Hamish Went On. "we Don't Have To Kidnap Garrett. Not If We Kidnap The Buyer." "or Distract Him," Angus Added. "like The Bulgari Job," Hamish Said. "you Mean The Job That Landed Half The Dimarco Family In A South African Prison?" Kat Said. Angus Shrugged. "nobody Said It Was Perfect.

Your Test Had Cheese Meteor Questions?" - Bex To Liz.

But I Wasn't The Girl I'd Been When I Left, And I Knew It.

And I Didn't Choose It, Kat. I Chose You.

"we're Going To Be Okay." Here's The Thing About Being A Spy: Sometimes All You Have Are Your Lies. They Protect Your Cover And Keep Your Secrets, And Right Then I Needed To Believe That It Was True Even When All The Facts Said Otherwise.

I've Thrown Enough Punches In My Life To Know When Someone Is Hurting.

Wait. Far Be It For Me To Say This" — Hamish Looked Around The Compartment — "and If Anyone Tells Uncle Eddie I Suggested Being An Upstanding Citizen I'll Kill 'em, But Aren't There...laws And Stuff? I Mean, Can't You...you Know...sue Him Or Something?" Asked The Boy Who Had Once Stolen An Entire Circus, All Three Rings.

I Thought You Might Need A Ride.' 'the Headmaster's Office Called Me A Car.' He Shrugged, Indifferent But Amused. 'and Here I Am In A Submarine.

Excuse Me, But Aren't Boys Forbidden On This Floor?' Macey Said On Our Way To The Suite. 'that's The Advantage Of Being The Only Boy,' He (zach) Said. 'no One Actually Comes Right Out And Makes Rules Like That.

Sometimes You Forgive People Simply Becuase You Still Want Them In Your Life.

All These Years I'd Thought Being A Spy Was Challenging. Turns Out, Being A Girl Is The Tricky Part.

His Mother Got Her Purse. His Father Reached For The Door. "scooter," He Said, By Way Of Good-bye, "have Fun With Your Friends." But Hale Was Shaking His Head. He Put His Arm Around Kat's Shoulders. "she's Not My Friend, Dad. She's My Girlfriend." Hale's Parents Must Have Walked Away, But Kat Wasn't Looking. She Was Too Busy Staring Up At Hale, Trying To See Into His Eyes And Know If He Was Okay. The Sadness That Had Lingered For Weeks Was Fading, And The Boy That Held Her Was The Boy She Knew. A Boy Who Kissed Her Lightly.

Zach,” I Said As I Lay There “where Did You Go? When You Were Looking For Me?” I Shifted In His Arms, Looked Into His Eyes. “crazy.” His Voice Was A Whisper Against My Skin. “i Went Crazy.

I Know Too Well How Dangerous Hope Can Be, How It Grows And Sometimes Dies, Taking Its Host With It. It's More Powerful Than Anything Dr.fibs Keeps In His Labs, More Precious Than All The Secrets Inside Sublevel Two.

Love Is The Biggest Con Of All

Is Joe Your Father, Zach?' I Don't Know Where The Question Came From, But It Was Out, And I Couldn't Take It Back Even If I'd Wanted To. 'no.' Zach Shook His Head. 'i Never Knew My Dad. I Don't Know Anything About Him.

Real Strength Is Not Hitting When What You Most Want To Do Is Kill.

Abby Must Have Been The One Who Found The Safe House, Because Townsend Didn't Like It. "the Building Across The Street Is Under Construction," He Snarled As Soon As We'd Carried Our Bags Inside. "the Elevator Has Key Card Access, And I've Hacked Into The Surveillance Cameras From Every System On The Block," Abby Argued. "we Have A Three-hundred-sixty-degree Visual." "excellent." Townsend Dropped His Bag. "now The Circle Can See Us From Every Angle." "don't Mind Agent Townsend, Girls," Abby Told Us. "he's A Glass-half-empty Kind Of Spy." "also Known As The Good Kind," He Countered. Abby Huffed.

Surveillance Cameras

Basement?' Hamish Cried, Then Glanced At His Brother. 'you Hear This Fellow? He Thinks We Can Just Go On Down To The Furnace And Start Tinkering?' Angus Laughed. 'he Probably Wouldn't Care At All If The Whole Place Went Boom, He Wouldn't.' At This The Guard Bristled And Stood Up Even Straighter. 'now See Here---' 'no, You See, My Good Man. Out Here, See, We've Got Snow. So In There, I'd Bet, You've Got Heat. And Where There's Heat There's Gas; And Where There's Gas There's...' Angus Trailed Off While His Brother Said, 'boom.

Time, The Greatest Thief Of All.

But The Downside Of Being Con Artist Is That It Very Hard To Con. Even If The Lies You Tell Are To Yourself.

But Then The Girl Moved, And Smiled, And Pulled Her Hand From The Grate- A Gorgeous Green Stone Clutched Tightly In Her Grasp. It Was Covered With Dust And Cobwebs, But It Was Uncracked And Unharmed. And, Of Course, Completely Fake.

As Buckingham Talked, I Couldn't Help But Remember That There's A Reason They Call Us Gallagher Girls. It's Not Just Because The Youngest Of Us Are Twelve. It's Also Because Our Founder Was Under Twenty. From The Very Beginning We Have Been Discounted And Discredited, Underestimated And Undervalued. And, For The Most Part, We Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way.

And, Of Course, There Are The Perfect Day, Perfect Moment, Perfect Life Dreams That Come Sometimes And Make A Person Hit The Snooze Button For Hours, Trying To Go Back To Sleep And Make The Perfect Moments Last.

Every Head Turned To See Two More Security Guards Appear, Each Holding A Bagshaw By The Back Of The Neck (which Might Have Been Considerably Less Conspicuous Had The Bagshaws Not Been Dressed As Chimney Sweeps). Kat Turned Back To Hale. 'the Mary Poppins?' 'seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time.

Security Guards

''women Of The Gallagher Academy, Who Comes Here?" She Asked. Just Then, Every Girl At Every Table (even The Newbies) Stood And Said In Unison, "we Are The Sisters Of Gillian." "why Do You Come?" My Mother Asked. "to Learn Her Skills. Honor Her Sword. And Keep Her Secrets." "to What End Do You Work?" "to The Cause Of Justice And Light." "how Long Will You Strive?" "for All The Days Of Our Lives," We Finished And I Felt A Little Like A Character In One Of My Grandma's Soap Operas.

What Are They After?” Kat Asked. “hard To Say,” Hale Said; Again, He Eyed The Room. “who Is That?” Macey Asked. “the Reason I Wasn’t Flirting With You,” Hale Told Her.

For A Genius Thief You Really Are A Stupid Girl Aren't You?

The Older Man Cocked His Head And Gave A Laugh, "we Get All The Ladies. But For Some Reason I Don't Think You're Here Looking For Me." "i Don't Know," Kat Said. "i'm Always In The Market For Good Rappelling Harness." "for You, My Dear, Nothing But The Best." "but You Are Right About Something. I'm Actually Trying To Find---" "young Mr. Hale, I'm Assuming." Kate Blushed. "let Me Guess--i'm Not The Only One?" "maybe. But You're The One I Hope Finds Him." He Gave A Wink And Walked Away, And Kat Didn't Feel Alone Anymore In The Big Room Full Of People.

They Promised Me That This Would Be My Home. That Girls Like You Would Always Be My Sisters. But They Weren't My Sisters, Were They?" Catherine Asked, But Then The Lunacy Broke, A Quick And Fleeting Crack, And Through It I Saw Anger And Bitterness And Rage.

Talent Katerina Is A Dangerous Thing

Dangerous Things

And So That Means..." "we Have To Rob The Henley," Simon Said. Kat Sank Onto A Truly Uncomfortable Sofa. "again.

You Know,' I Whispered, 'some Girls Might Think It's Creepy Having A Boy Watch Them Sleep.' He Smirked And Pointed To Himself. 'spy.' 'oh.' I Nodded. 'right. So You're A Trained Peeping Tom.' 'product Of The Best Peeping Academies In The Country.' 'well, Now I Feel Much Better.' 'you Should.

You See, Greg, My Mother Is Going Through A Feline Phase. Blinky Is A Persian,' Hale Said Simply, As If That Should Explain Everything. 'binky Has A Nasty Habit Of Shedding All Over The Living Room Furniture, You See.' Gregory Wainwright Nodded As If He Understood Perfectly. 'and So We Had To Get New Living Room Furniture, Which, Unfortunately, Does Not Go With The Monet.' Kat Stood There For A Moment, Staring Into That Small Window Of The World Where Someone Would Tire Of A Monet Simply Because It Clashed With The Couch.

Because Even Though The Truth Can Set You Free, That Doesn't Mean It Won't Be Painful.

I Also Packed Explosives." -liz

Hamish Smiled And Rubbed His Hands Together. "sure We Can. What Do You Say? Pigs In A Blanket?" He Leaned Over The Cool Counter And Raised His Eyebrows At Gabrielle. "the Only Way I'll Get Under A Blanket With You Is If Both Of Us Are On Fire," She Told Him.

I Wrapped My Arms Around My Knees And Stared Through The Window's Wavy Glass. The Red Velvet Curtains Were Drawn Around The Tiny Alcove, And I Was Enveloped By An Odd Sense Of Peace, Knowing That In Twenty Minutes, The Halls Were Going To Be Crowded; Music Was Going To Be Blaring; And I Was Going To Go From Being An Only Child To One Of A Hundred Sisters, So I Knew To Savor The Silence While It Lasted.

There Are Aspectsof This Life-- Of This World-- From Which You Can Never Walk Away. Ever. The Fact That Almost Everything You Say To Almost Everyone You Love For The Rest Of Your Life Will Be A Lie Is One Of Them.

Rest Of Your Life

And There's A Cop Over There." "what?" The Boy Said, Glancing At The D.c. Police Officer That Stood At The Corner Of The Street, "you Think That Guys Can Do A Better Job Protecting You Than I Can?" Actually, I Thought Liz Could Have Done A Better Job "protecting" Me Than He Could, But Instead I Said, "no, I Think If You Don't Leave Me Alone, I Can Scream And That Cop Will Arrest You." Somehow The Boy Seemed To Know It Was A Joke.

"no," Preston Snapped. But He Didn't Protest Long Because, If I'm Going To Be Honest - Which Is Kind Of The Point Of These Reports - I Was Already Unzipping His Pants.

That's Good; Don't Deny It. Denying The Undeniable Just Makes You Sound Like A Fool As Well As A Liar. In This Profession, You Can Be One- Sometimes The Other. But Never Both.

Of Course. Because At The Gallagher Academy, "precautions" Usually Equals "voluntary Shock Therapy.

Listen To Me, Cammie. There Are Things In This Life…in This World…there Are Things That You Don’t Want To Remember.” - Rachel Morgan

But I Should Have Known That It Doesn't Take That Long For Change To Happen - It Takes A Second.

You Really Saw Some?" Liz Said An Hour Later. Sure, We Had The Stereo Blaring And The Shower Running, But Liz Still Whispered, "they Really...exist?" "liz," I Whispered Back, "they're Not Unicorns." "no," Bex Said Flatly, "they're Boys. And They're...good.

You Know, Ms. Morgan, That Was Your Mother You Just Hammered," Mr. Solomon Said.

Maybe Wrist Corsages Cut Off Circulation To The Brain? I Mean, Is That Why So Many Girls Do Stupid Things On Prom Night? I Was Really Going To Have To Investigate This Further, I Decided

She Looked At Him, Watched Hum Toss The Remote On The Table And Say," So Maybe I'm Going To Handcuff Myself To You The Next Time You Decide To Take A Stroll.

He Was Beside Me Then, His Arms Wrapped Around Me, Holding Me Tightly. "i'm Not Crazy," I Whispered. "i Know." Believe It Or Not, That's The Most Romantic Thing Zachary Goode Ever Told Me. And I Kind Of Loved Him For It.

Hey Anyone Who Thinks A Non-military–grade Rappelling Cable Can Support The Weight Of Two Grown Men And A Miniature Donkey Deserves To Fall Off A Cliff.

In A Place Where Everyone Knew My Story, It Was Nice To Know There Was A Chapter That Only I Had To Read. :)

Tonight It Taco Night" -rachel (cam's Mom)

The Bagshaws Aren't Boys. They're Bombs With Very Colorful Fuses.

Sleep Every Chance You Get. Eat Every Chance You Get. Those Were Two Of The Many Lessons That Kat Learned At Her Father’s Knee And Her Uncle’s Table.

Pain Seared Through Me Again-a Hot, Burning Stab In My Gut-and Yet My Body Found Strength I Didn't Know I Had, Correcting As I Fell.

Give Me Everything You Have," I Told [preston]. "really, Cammie. I Never Knew You Thought Of Me That Way.

I For One Like Chaos. Chaos Looks Good On Me.

It Was Easy To Believe, Between Lessons On Shakespeare And Dickens And Austen, That All Of The Great Stories Had Already Been Written By Dead Europeans. But Every Time I Saw 'the Outsiders', I Knew Better. It Was The First Time I'd Realized That Real People Write Books.

Sometimes The Biggest Lies We Tell Are To Ourselves.

Covert Operations Report At Approximately 0900 Hours On Saturday, October 14, Operative Morgan Was Given A Stern Lecture By Agent Townsend, A Tracking Device By Agent Cameron, And A Very Scary Look From Operative Goode. (she Also Got A Tip That Her Bra Strap Was Showing From Operative Mchenry.) The Operative Then Undertook A Basic Reconnaissance Mission Inside A Potentially Hostile Location. (but It Wasn't As Hostile As Operative Baxter Was Going To Be If Everything Didn't Go According To Plan.)

I Could Have Lied. I Could Have Fought. But Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures, So I Took A Chance And Called Upon A Gallagher Girl's Weapon Of Last Resort. I Flirted

Desperate Measures

If We Hadn't Hated Him A Lot, We Might Have Liked Him A Little At That Moment. But We Did. So We Didn't.

The Whole Summer Lay Ahead Of Us-time To Rest, Time To Wait. And When The Future Comes-no Matter What Comes With It-i'll Be Smarter. I'll Be Stronger. I'll Be Ready.

So You Just...left?' Zach Huffed. 'all The Cool Kids Are Doing It.

Quietly, Macey Went Through Her Options. Even Though The Masked Men Were Asking For Cell Phones, The Gunmen Were Making So Much Noise That She Was Sure Someone Had Already Called 911. The Obvious Exits Were Blocked, And The Elevators Had No Doubt Been Disabled. The Men Moved With Confidence And Order, But They Weren’t Trying To Be Quiet. There Was Nothing Covert At All About This Operation. Unlike The Boy Beside Her.

As Soon As She Was Close, She Whispered, "you've Got To Get Out Of Here." "no, You've Got To Get Out Of Here," He Told Her. "go Downstairs. Go Now." "no," She Countered. "you Go." "why?" He Asked. "you Tell Me First." But Before They Could Say Another Word, The Last Elevator Slid Slowly Open And Two Men In Masks Rushed Out. From The Opposite Side Of The Of The Ballroom, Shots Rang Out, Rapid Fire, Piercing The Ceiling, Plaster Falling Onto The Dance Floor Like Snow. And Then Hale And Macey Whispered In Unison, "because Of That.

The Time For Crying With Your Girlfriends About A Broken Heart Is Over Chocolate Ice Cream And Chick Flicks—not Stun Guns And Bulletproof Vests.

Do You Want To Hold It?' She Asked, Dangling The Padded Envelope In Front Of Hale With Two Fingers. 'no.' 'do You Want To Touch It And Kiss It And Wear It Around Your Neck?' 'don't Be Silly,' He Told Her. 'everyone Knows Green Isn't My Color.

Step 4: Cough And Gag. Step 5: Repeat Step 4 Until It Feels Like Maybe Your Lungs Aren't Inside Your Body Anymore. Step 6: Remember That A Really Cute Boy Is Beside You, So Try To Cough In A Far More Attractive Manner.

What Are You Looking At? Hale Asked. Why Are You Smiling? I Worry When You Smile.

It Was So Rare To Find Someone Who Was Both So Young And So Wise, Both So Fresh And So Jaded.

Either We're A Team Or We Aren't. Either You Trust Me Or You Don't.

Fear Is A Weakness. It Makes A Person Lose Her Nerve And Her Cool. It Makes People Jumpy And Organizations Nervous, And When That Happens, There Is Always A Chance To Take Advantage.

Thanks To You, Gabs, We Just Figured Out A Half Dozen Ways Not To Rob The Henley.

She'd Absolutely Adored The Library_an Entire Building Where Anyone Could Take Things They Didn't Own And Feel No Remorse About It.

"what?" He Cut A Grin At Kat When He Saw The Impressed Look On Her Face. "corporate Espionage Is My Second Greatest Passion." "with Your First Being..." Kat Prompted. "gelato," Hale Said, And Turned Back To The Group.

Now I Know That, From This Point On, We'll Be The Ones Doing The Chasing. And Iike It.

Hiding Is For Amateurs.

She Watched Him Stop To Pat The Mayor On The Back. He Stumbled A Little In The Crowd, And His Left Hand Disappeared Ever So Briefly Inside The Mayor’s Tuxedo Pocket. It Was Over In A Flash, A Blink, A Second. And Macey Was Quite Certain She Was The Only Person In The Entire Room To Have Seen It, But That Was Just As Well. At Least, Macey Had Seen Enough. And At Last, The Boy Made Sense." — Double Crossed By Ally Carter

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You

If Anything Happens, Marcus Will Save You. Won't You, Marcus? Hale Asked, Looking Up At The Man, Who Nodded. It Would Be An Honor, Miss.

You Know You're Smarter Than All Of Them, Right?" Hale Said Flatly. "in Fact, If You Wanted To Prove It..." He Glanced At The Blackjack Tables. Simon Shook His Head. "i Don't Count Cards, Hale." "don't?" Hale Smiled. "or Won't? You Know, Technically, It's Not Illegal." "but It's Frowned Upon." Sweat Beaded At Simon's Brow. He Sounded Like Someone Had Just Suggested He Swim After Eating... Run With Scissors... "it Is Seriously Frowned Upon.

The Only Way Bex Would Miss This Would Be If She Were Unconscious. And Tied Up. And In A Concrete Bunker. In Siberia.

I Love Being A Pavement Artist; Seriously, I Do. It's Like When Guys Who Would Normally Hate Being Freakishly Tall Discover Basketball, Or When Girls With Abnormally Long Fingers Sit Down At A Piano. Blending In, Going Unseen, Being A Shadow In The Sun Is What I'm Good At. Seeing The Shadows, It Turns Out, Is Not My Natural Gift.

Good-bye Dr. Steve,' I Said, Then Climbed The Stairs And Went To The Fifth Floor To Die.

Oh, And Cammie," At The Sounds Of His Voice, I Spun Around, Expecting To Hear Him Crack A Joke Or Call Me Gallagher Girl. The Last Thing I Expected Was To Feel His Arms Sliding Arounds Me, To Sense The Whole World Turning Upside Down As Zach Dipped Me In The Middle Of The Foyer And Pressed His Lips To Mine. Then He Smiled That Smile I'd Come To Know. "i Always Finish What I Start.

Don't Put Your Characters On A Treadmill. They Need To Go New Places, Face New Challenges And Do New Things.

The Things That Are Most Precious To Us Are Sometimes The Most Secret.

Unusual Financial Activity: None, Unless You Count The Fact That Someone In The Family Is Way Too Into Civil War Biographies. (can This Be A Possible Indication Of Confederate Insurgents Still Living And Working In Virginia? Must Research Further.)

Seriously", Macey Snapped. "go. Kiss. A Baby" "can You Believe Her?" Preston Asked, Coking His Head Towards Macey." Everytime She Sees Me, All She Does Is Call Me Baby And Talk About Kissing." Macey Looked Like She Wanted To Kill Him. But I Kind Of Wanted To Laugh.

Like Many Authors, I Caught The Writing Bug During My Teenage Years. I Don't Remember The Exact Day Or Year, But I Remember That Reading S.e. Hinton's 'the Outsiders' Sparked My Interest In Writing.

So I Hear We Get To Go To Town This Weekend. Want To Catch A Movie Or Something? --z P.s. That Is, If Jimmy Doesn't Mind. Translation: This Weekend Might Be A Good Chance For Us To See Each Other Outside Our School In A Social Environment, Free Of Competetiton. I Do Not View Other Boys As Threats, And I Enjoy Making Them Seem Insignificant By Calling Them The Wrong Names. (translation By Macey Mchenry)

Might Have A Couple Of Kinks To Work Through," Hale Admitted Then Reached For Her Hand. As Soon As He Touched Her, Kat Knew There Was No Such Thing As Curses. People Make And Break Their Own Fortunes--they Are The Masters Of Their Own Fate. And Right Then Kat Wouldn't Have Changed A Thing.

To Know A Piece Of Grass, You’ve Got To See The Ground That Grew It. Maybe That’s Why I Remember Every Detail Of That Night, Every Inch Of Ground We Covered, As I Followed Zach To The Place That Had Made Him, Seeing Them Both With Fresh Eyes.

Should Alcoholics Go To Liquor Stores?

I Came Back, Uncle Eddie. Last Year, After The Henley, I Could Have Gone To Any School In The World -- I Could Have Done Anything, But I Came Back." "you Ran Away, Katarina." "and Now I'm Back." "you're Still Running.

Hale." Kat Sighed. "the Headmaster's Car? Really? That's Not To Cliched For You?" What Can I Say?" He Shrugged. "i'm An Old-fashioned Guy. Besides, It's A Classic For A Reason." He Leaned Against The Window. "it's Good To See You, Kat." Kat Didn't Know What To Say. It's Good To See You, Too? Thanks For Getting Me Kicked Out? Is It Possible You've Gotten Even Hotter? I Think I Might Have Missed You?

Macey Was Just Starting To Argue When Abby Asked, "what Can You Tell Me About The Gunmen?" "they're Amateurs," Hale Said At The Exact Same Time Macey Told Her Teacher, "they're Pros.

You Don't Have To Do This, Kat." "i've Been Hearing That A Lot Lately." "he's Right." "i Didn't Say Who Had Said It," She Countered. "you Didn't Have To." He Looked Out At The Water. "you Two Are Good Together." "we're Not Together," Kat Said Automatically. "sure You Are. You Just Don't Know It Yet.

When Zach Said, "im Going To Kill Dr. Steve." It Wasn't The Angered Threat Of A Worried Boy; It Was The Calm, Cool Statement Of An Operative Trained To Do Exactly That. And That, I Think, Is Why It Scared Me. But It Wasn't As Terrifying As The Look In Bex's Eyes When She Said, "not If I Find Him First.

When Hale's Hand Disappeared Inside His Tuxedo Jacket, Macey Wasn't Exactly Sure What He'd Find Inside The Pocket. It Could Have Been Another Phone Or A Breath Mint. Really, Nothing Would Have Surprised Her. Well Nothing Except... "is That An Earbud?" She Whispered. He Smiled. "are You On Comms?" "shhh," He Told Her Softly.

It's Not Cam's Fault," Bex Told Her. "we Rigged Her Bed So That If She Gets Up, I Get An Electric Shock." "liz Designed It," Macey Said, And Bex Shrugged "we Told You We Were Taking Precautions." Of Course. Because At Gallagher Academy, "precautions" Usually Equals "voluntary Shock Therapy".

Pretend And It Will Be True.

That's Cool." Hale Nodded, Unfazed. "but Just So You Know, That"---he Pointed To The Piece Of Metal Peeking Out From Behind The Stage---"is A Hurst 5,000 Psi Hydraulic Spreader-cutter, More Commonly Know As The Jaws Of Life." "so?" "so I'm Not A Normal Boy.

If You Can Be Still Enough And Common Enough, Then It's Really Easy To Be Invisible.

...maybe It's Only Fitting That Relationship That Started With A Lie Would End With One.

You're Late." Kat Said As Soon As Hale Put The Phone To His Ear. She Wasn't The Kind Of Girl To Wait For Hello. "what Can I Say? Macey Mchenry Has Been Throwing Herself At Me..." "see, That's The Kind Of Thing That Would Make Me Jealous If She Weren't Way Out Of Your League." "you Know, If I Had Feelings, That Might Have Hurt Them.

Time. I Would Have Gone Somewhere To Buy Time.

Okay, First Thing Tomorrow We Hit The Streets Around Taccone's Place. Somebody Saw Something.' 'i Got It Covered.' 'the Dimarcos Might Be In Town.' 'actually, They're In Jail.' 'all Seven Of Them?' Hale Shrugged. 'it Was An Interesting October.

And As Every Spy Knows, Common Enemies Are How Allies Always Begin.

Sure, This Was Where Her Father Had Planned The De Beers Diamond Heist When She Was Three. It Was The Very Room Where Her Uncle Had Orchestrated The Hijacking Of Eighty Percent Of The World's Caviar When She Was Seven.

Trust. We Stake Our Lives On It, But It's A Subject That Not Even The Gallagher Academy Can Teach. When Do You Let Your Guard Down? Who Do You Let In? And I Knew At That Moment, As I Sat Beside My Mother, Bathing In The Warm Spring Light, That Those Were The Questions A Good Spy Never Stops Asking

So, Your Dad's Hot." "thanks. He Was That Way When I Met Him, So I Can't Really Take Credit.

So You're Zach." Townsend Didn't Even Try To Hide The Judgement In His Voice As He Looked Zach Up And Down In Some Sort Of Silent But Dangerous Examination. Zach Huffed But Smiled. "so You're Townsend." The Two Of Them Stared For A Long Time, Wordless. It Felt Like I Was Watching A Documentary On The Nature Channel, Something About Alpha Males In The Wild.

I Think It's Kinda Nice.' And I Did. My Mom Isn't Famous For Her Pies. No, She's Famous For Defusing A Nuclear Device In Brussels With Only A Pair Of Cuticle Scissors And A Ponytail Holder. Somehow, At The Moment, Pies Seemed Cooler.

I’m Sorry If I’m Not Flirting With You. I’m Kind Of Spoken For.

There Are Some Secrets We Keep Because We Can't Bear To Let Them Out And Some Because It's Better To Keep Them In.

That's When I Heard The Sounds Of A Certified Genius Spinning Around In Circles Like A Dog Chasing Its Tail.

Spinning Around

And Zach Was Taking His Jacket Off And Draping It Around My Shoulders, Which (according To Liz, Who Double Checked With Macey) Is The Single-sexiest Thing A Guy Can Do.

Its Vermeer" Kat Turned To The Boy Who Lingered In The Doorway. "it's Stolen" "what Can I Say?" Hale Eased Behind Her And Studied The Painting Over Her Shoulder. "i Met A Very Nice Man Who Bet Me He Had The Best Security System In Istanbul." His Breath Was Warm On The Back Of Her Neck. "he Was Mistaken.

I Heard Someone's Playing Hooky,' Zach Told Me. He Smiled. Standing There, It Felt Almost Like Nothing Bad Had Ever Happened- Or Would Ever Happen Again 'there's A Boy In My Life,' I Told Him. 'he's A Very Bad Influence.' Then Zach Nodded. 'bad Boys Have A Way Of Doing That. But They're Worth It.

Don't Believe Everything You Read. It's Very Difficult To Be Accepting Of Our Own Bodies. This Topic Deserves It's Own Book, But Since I'm Not Qualified To Write It, I Won't. Instead I'll Just Say This: The Pictures Staring Out At You From The Supermarket Checkout Stands, The Images We Are All Supposed To Aspire To? They Lie

It Felt As If Maybe The Curse Had Lifted, The Tide Had Shifted, But Then The Breeze Picked Up And A Skeet Took A Very Unfortunate Turn. Seconds Later, Angus Was Pulling His Shot Far To The Right, Shooting A Large Hole In The Second-story Galley Not Ten Feet Above Marcus's Head.

But The Heaviest Things, I Think, Are The Secrets. They Can Drown You If You Let Them.

"good For Him," Hale Said. And Then He Stopped. There Were Four Other People In The Room, But Hale Only Looked At Kat, And Something In His Gaze Burned Her, Froze Her, Made Her Want To Run.

Boys! Are They Always This Impossible? Do They Always Say Cryptic, Indecipherable Things? (note To Self: Work With Liz To Adapt Her Boy-to-english Translator Into A More Mobile Form—like Maybe A Watch Or Necklace.)

I Tell You, I'm Half Tempted To Break Into Cia Custody Just So I Can Break Joe Solomon Out Of Cia Custody Just So I Can Break Joe Solomon.

Easy There," Zach Said When I Stumbled Into Him. "now's Probably Not The Time To Get Handsy. You Might Want To Control Yourself.

Waiting. Like It Or Not, It's A Skill All Spies Have To Master Eventually.

I Mean She's Cleopatra... Shouldn't She And Antony Have Known Better? They Were So Different..." "variety Is The Spice Of Life" "and From A Thousand Miles Apart" "absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

The Bagshaw's Blew Up An Armored Truck One,' Gabrielle Offered.

Number Of Empty Ben & Jerry's Containers: 3 - Two Mint Chocolate Cookie, One Plain Vanilla. (who Buys Plain Vanilla Ice Cream From Ben & Jerry's, Anyway? Is There A Greater Waste?)

He Looked As Though I'd Just Run Over His Pet Puppy (though No Actual Puppies Were Harmed In The Formation Of That Metaphor).

We're Seniors." "i Know," I Said "so Aren't You... Curious?" "about What?" "about Life. Out There. Life!" She Said Again. "tell Me, Cameron Ann Morgan, What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?" We'd Reached Another Door, And I Stopped And Looked Up At The Camera That Monitored The Entrance, Just As I Whispered, "alive.

Hey No One Makes Me Do Anything. Not My Family. Not Your Family...not Even You.

Every Decent Con Man Knows That The Simplest Truth Is More Powerful Than Even The Most Elaborate Lie.

Why Don’t I Know You?” “does Anyone Ever Really Know Someone Else?” “you Think Your Cute,” She Told Him. “you Think Your Gorgeous. But I’m The One Guy Here Who Knows Better.” “so I’m Not Gorgeous?” Macey Challenged. “of Course You Are,” He Started Away, Turned Back At The Last Minute. “but I’m The Guy Who Figured Out That’s Not All You Are." — Double Crossed By Ally Carter

Tell Me Or I'll Yell For Mr. And Mrs. Baxter, And You Can Find Out How Bex Became Bex

That's Why We're Going To Disrupt The Lunch," She (kat) Said. "you Know," Angus Said, "i've Got A Little C-four That I've Been Saving For A Rainy--" "we're Not Blowing Up My Company, Angus," Hale Said. "righto. Carry On, Kitty.

The Operative Tried To Implement The Purusey Breathing Technique, Which Has Been Proven Effective At Fooling Polygraphs. There Is No Conclusive Evidence As To Whether It Is Effective At Masking The Internal Lie Detectors Of Fifteen-year-old Boys.

Where's The Fun In That?

Your Memory Is Your First And Best Weapon, Ladies. Learn To Use It.

Acting Like You Don’t Care Is A Whole Lot Easier When You Don’t Care

And I Remembered With A Pang What Had Happened To Me The Previous Summer - That Even Gallagher Girls Aren't Always As Strong As They Need To Be.

Can I See You Outside For A Second?" Kat Glared At Hale, Then Walked To The Patio Doors And Out Onto The Veranda. As Hale Closed The Door Behind Him, Kat Heard Angus Say, "ooh, Mom And Dad Are Going To Fight Now.

I Think You’re Freaked About What Happened At Cambridge. I Think It Scared You." “i’ve Been Through Worse, Bex,” I Said, Joining Her On The Lower Stairs. “way Worse.” “oh, Not The Attack.” Bex Raised Her Finger In Contradiction. “what Happened Before The Attack. I Think You Saw The Future. Which Is Kind Of Freaky When - Two Months Ago - You Didn’t Think You Were Going To Have One.

Well, See, There's This Cave In Switzerland I Really Need To Find.' She Slipped On Her Sunglasses; Was Already In The Middle Of The Street When She Turned And Looked Back At Hale And Gabrielle. 'you Coming?

Another Door Swung Open, And Another Guard Appeared, This Time With Gabrielle, Who Wore A Black Catsuit And Rappelling Harness.

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