Infiltration Day
A YA Espionage Short Story
This started, as the name of this newsletter suggests, with a word association exercise, and I wound up having fun with the idea of a Metal Gear Solid-style tactical espionage story set in a school. The best parody is born of affection.
This story is also collected in the Kindle ebook Advanced Word Associations.
"Remember," Sol said on the other end of the line, "this is a stealth mission. You're going in unarmed, so if you're caught, you're toast."
"Yeah, yeah," I said into my smart watch. "You don't have to tell me twice." I laid my bike flat on the ground and crept toward the edge of the woods, where I could see the building. "I have a visual."
"See anything?"
"Just a bunch of girls hanging out in the quad, and a guy reading on the stairs in front of the library." The entire school, dorms and all, was in the one building, a palatial T-shaped Art Deco mansion built around a century ago. Lake Armstrong surrounded it on three sides, with one road in and out of town, cutting through the woods. Luna had walked me through a map earlier today, and so far, everything matched. The sunset painted the lake a golden red. "Doesn't seem like very high security."
Luna came on the line. "Looks can be deceiving. Brughel Academy is notoriously close-knit, and they're expecting an infiltration. They see somebody who isn't supposed to be there, they'll figure out he's from Kristov, and they won't show any mercy. "
"We can't afford to fail," Sol said.
"No we can not," I said. I gave my backpack one last check. It had a spiral notebook and a social studies textbook, to help it look more ordinary. There was also a book light, a bottle of water, and an energy bar in case I got hungry. The mic hidden under my collar seemed to be working. My smart watch had a good signal; an airpod was secure in my ear, so I could take calls relatively quietly. As far as I could tell, I was all set. "Ready to commence Operation Grace Note."
"Godspeed, Sky."
I darted down the hill. A tree grew beside the wall, with a branch stretching out over the courtyard. I climbed up and took another survey. The girls, some still in their uniforms, were gathered at a table, showing each other whatever had come up on their smartphones. The library was on the opposite side of the building, and the boy there hadn't moved, except to lean against a column. I didn't see any resource officers, either. Nobody seemed to be looking this way. There were more trees I could use for cover on my way in.
I crawled along the branch until I was clear, then swung myself down, then flattened myself on the trunk of the next tree. There were windows facing in my direction, and sometimes I could see somebody pass by one. Somebody who could easily look out and spot me. On the other hand, that was why I was wearing a Brughel uniform. Sol and Luna had managed to get one for me. It would be useless if they got a look at my face and knew I didn't belong there. I had to keep my distance or stay in their peripheral vision, though from this far they might not think anything of me. I began to walk more or less casually, keeping my head turned away from the windows on this side of the building, as if I were admiring the sunset on the lake. Looking like I was sneaking around would have only attracted attention.
Around the corner, the boy at the library was still focused on his book. I kept my casual saunter going, and kept my face away from the windows. Anyone looking outside would just see a regular student going for a walk.
The library door opened, and another boy came out to chat with the one who was reading. I began facing directly forward. I could only hope that if either of them looked in my direction, the distance and the dim light would make my face too indistinct for either of them to consider suspicious. Fortunately, it looked like they were more focused on their conversation. By the time I reached the corner and the wall turned outward, the two at the steps had both gone inside. Now I could relax a little.
My instructions were to check the basement windows along the ground. And there, about halfway to the library door, was a window that had been left open by my contact, just as promised. Narrow, yes, but I was small enough to get through. I gave the windows on the upper floors one last check. Everything seemed clear, so I dropped my backpack in, then slid myself feet first through the window.
It was dark in here, so I took out the book light. It wasn't much of a flashlight, but at least it was discreet, and it helped me get my bearings. The room was full of tall shelves full of file folders. I must have entered a records room.
I gave Sol and Luna a call. "I'm in."
"Perfect," Sol said. "Your next step is to meet up with your contact. Her code name's Astra, and she'll be waiting for you in the hallway connecting to the main school building. You remember the password?"
"Yeah, I got it. Over and out."
I went to the door. It was deadbolted shut, but since the deadbolts were on the inside, it was simple for me to get the door open. The hallway was darker than the records room. I followed my flashlight beam to a stairwell. When I got to the top, I eased the door open, and entered into full light.
I'd made it to the library. The boy who'd been reading outside was with his friend in the fiction section. Students from just about every grade were here, with some browsing on their own, others studying together at a table. Again, as long as I didn't attract attention to myself or my face, I'd be all right. I moved as if glancing through the shelves myself, gradually heading toward the door. It was propped open. I gave it a mild push. Just a quick slide through…
"Hey, Tom, didn't realize you were here."
I froze. Two boys and one girl, all my age, were out in the hall approaching me. And apparently I looked like a friend of theirs.
"Yeah, since when do you go to the library?" one of the boys said.
I couldn't think of anything to say quickly enough. If they got credit for catching me, they all got a $100 pizza gift card. Paid for by the students of Kristov, of course.
"Wait a minute," the girl said. "You're not Tom." She got out her phone. Now I knew I was a goner. Brughel Academy had its own internal social network, and every student was automatically a member, with their portraits ensuring that their faces were all instantly taggable. Which meant as soon as she pointed her camera at me, she'd see I wasn't on the network, and therefore not a student at Brughel.
So I ran.
One of the boys yelled, "Hey! No running!"
"Waitaminnit, isn't today…?"
"Get him!" the girl said.
And they began to chase me through the hallway up until I reached a crossing. I took a left, and right away somebody grabbed me and yanked me through a door.
"Hurry," that somebody told me. "Hide under that desk." She steered me toward the teacher's desk in the corner of the classroom. I ducked underneath.
I heard the two boys and one girl step in. "We found the intruder!" a boy said. "You seen him?"
"Nope, sorry," my somebody said. "Ran right past here. You'll just have to look elsewhere."
Footsteps went outside, and the door shut, and my somebody said, "Okay, you can come out now."
I stood back up. The somebody who had brought me in here and helped me was an Indian girl wearing denim shorts and her uniform polo shirt, with the sequined sleeves and collar of a gymnastics leotard sticking out. Her hair was pulled tight to the back of her head and wound up in a bun. She looked at me with her arms crossed. "You're seriously the one they sent?"
"You're my contact?" I said. "Do you believe love can bloom?"
"Even on the battlefield?"
I let myself relax. She knew the password. "You're Astra?"
"And you seriously expect me to believe you're Sky?" Astra said. "I mean, they told me to look for a kid with a single earpod, and I saw those kids come after you. But I thought they'd be sending someone a little… bigger."
"Hey, I'm almost thirteen."
"You're kidding. I thought you were a fifth grader when I first saw you."
Now I crossed my arms. "This is a spy mission. Why not send the person you least suspect?"
Astra rolled her eyes. "Fine. You're Sky. You understand why you're here, right?"
"Of course," I said. "Today's Infiltration Day. The day of the year when Brughel and Kristov each send a spy to the other's school before light's out to take something valuable."
"And right now we've got a spy in Kristov," Astra said. "But you know why you're really here, right?"
The muscles in my back tensed. "I'm here for Solid. You told Sol and Luna that they're manufacturing Solid here?" I clenched my fist.
"Maybe I'm not a hundred percent certain, but I'm close enough. There's a posse of juniors and seniors we're all sure are involved in manufacturing and distributing." She took a step closer to me. "You look like this is more than an assignment for you."
"My big brother's addicted to Solid. I don't even recognize him anymore."
"I'm sorry," Astra said. "That must be rough. We've got kids at this school getting hooked, too." She got out her phone. "But if we play things right, we might be able to knock out Solid in this school once and for all. Here."
She handed her phone to me. It showed the face of a kid with hair like a fright wig and glasses like a 1970's grandmother.
"That's Huey Dornbrook. He knows more about chemistry than anybody else in this school, even the teachers, and rumor has it he's been studying Solid trying to find out what makes it tick and how to counteract it. He may even know where and how they're making Solid. Right now he should be in the chem lab on the second floor. It'll be room 222. Find him, talk to him, figure out what he knows. Then you can look for where they're manufacturing Solid and do… I dunno, something… to stop it."
"The mission was to get pictures—some kind of proof it's made here."
"Let me guess—Kristov's going to leak it to the press and create a PR fiasco for Brughel?" She let out a huff. "Serves the faculty right. They'd rather sweep it under the rug than do the hard work of cleaning house."
"Huey Dornbrook." I studied the face closely, then handed the phone back. "Will he be expecting me?"
"Don't worry, I've gone over it with him. He'll tell you anything you need."
"What about you? What're you going to do?"
"Me?" Astra rotated her head. "I just finished a long gymnastics practice, so I'm going back up to my dorm, taking a long-ass bubble bath, and going to sleep. You take care of yourself. Remember, if you're caught, you'll be sent back to Kristov in your underwear and painted head-to-toe in blue."
"I know the stakes," I said. "One last question—what's the spy you sent to Kristov looking for? A trophy? A painting?"
"Ah ah ah." Astra wagged her finger. "I'm not throwing Brughel that far under the bus." She headed for the door. "Don't be a stranger, Sky."
She went out to the hall and shut the door behind her, leaving me in the dark classroom, for a moment too busy still imagining her in that leotard to remember the mission.
But in a moment I got hold of myself and gave Sol a call. "You think I should check this out?"
"If Astra says it, I believe it," Sol said.
"You're only saying that because you made out with her at Homecoming," Luna said.
"Save it for after the mission, Luna. Besides, I've heard of Dornbrook. The Ivy Leagues are at each other's throats over which one's going to get him, and he doesn't even graduate for two more years. If anybody knows how to deal with Solid, it's him."
"Which leads me to my next question," I said. "Which way's the nearest stairway? Astra forgot to tell me."
"Let me check your position," Luna said. "You're in Room 134, so after you go out the door, turn left, and it'll be right after the girls' room."
"Perfect." I cracked the door open and took a peek out. The hallway was nearly deserted except for two older girls down to my right, strolling away from me. I slipped out and turned left as Astra instructed. Soon I spotted the restrooms, right across from each other, and there were the stairs right next to the girls'. I ascended slowly.
A boy brushed past me as I turned on the landing. I quickened my pace so I could gain some distance before he turned to look, but from the sound of his footsteps, he was still going down. I let out a sigh as I reached the second floor.
The door to room 222 was wide open. Only one person was inside, sitting in front of a computer monitor, whose light outlined his fright wig hair.
I shut the door.
As soon as it made the click, Huey Dornbrook swiveled his chair around. "So lemme guess, you're Agent… Wait, you're Agent Sky? Are you even in middle school yet?"
"Okay, so I'm small for my age," I said, approaching his workstation. "But I'm in seventh at Kristov, so I must have fooled somebody. You're Huey Dornbrook?"
"Just Huey's fine. Actually, as long as we're playing Spy vs. Spy, could I use a codename, too? I never got around to asking Astra about it. I was thinking Prohias."
"What the heck does that mean?"
"It's a name. Antonio Prohias. He created 'Spy vs. Spy' for Mad Magazine. I dunno, I think it makes a decent codename."
"Okay, fine, Prohias. Astra said you might know where they're making Solid."
"I have a strong suspicion, yes," Prohias said. "It's definitely made here on this campus. One of the ingredients is derived from a berry that grows on a rare tree that our school happens to keep in the greenhouse. I'm guessing somebody in the botany club's involved in the operation. Solid isn't as hard or risky to make as crystal meth, but you'd still have to do it in a relatively isolated spot. One nobody checks, not even security."
"And there is a place like that on campus?"
"There's a perfect place. Outside this building, up to the north, before you get to the lakeshore, is what used to be the security guard's quarters. It's been abandoned ever since they started letting the resource officers live off-site and commute in. The school just never bothered to tear it down. Everybody always tells the sixth graders it's haunted. It's cordoned off, but there's a board in the back door that isn't really nailed in. If I were going to make my own narcotics, I'd do it there."
"To the north…" I recalled an extra building or two on the map during my briefing, but Luna hardly mentioned them. "Sounds like exactly what I needed. Thanks, Prohias. I'll check it out."
"You sure? I mean, yeah, stealth's the name of the game here, but look at you. Anybody willing to start a drug ring is gonna be tough, and they're gonna be mean. They'd rip you up like tissue paper."
"And lose out on the gift card?"
"It's your funeral," Prohias said. "Just don't tell anybody I put you up to this."
"You didn't," I said as I walked out. That honor belonged to whoever got my brother hooked on Solid.
From what I've been told, I'm the youngest person ever at Kristov to volunteer for Infiltration Day.
On my way down the hall, I passed a window overlooking the north side of the campus, with a picture-perfect view of the lake and the last rays of red rippling over it. The gymnasium was to the left; next to it, a smaller building with a sculpture garden to the side, probably the arts building; and then, to the right, a run-down, empty heap that had to be the Solid lab.
This time I felt confident enough to find my own way outside, without Luna's help. It was getting dark, and there were fewer students out and about. If it was anything like at Kristov, everybody was probably back in their dorms studying or in their common rooms playing video games. I saw nobody on the way down the stairs, and only a few people on the first floor.
The three kids who'd caught me before turned toward my hallway.
Right away I ducked behind a pillar sticking from the wall, flattening and tightening myself as much as I could. My heart rate jumped as they passed by. They'd added a fourth, and he really did look a lot like me. Guess they'd found Tom.
I found an exit, and stepped outside.
Now that the sun had dropped behind the ridge, I had plenty of shadow to cover me. There were a few kids out here, mostly walking back to the main building from the gym, but they wouldn't be able to see my face. And the abandoned building was even darker. I ran over, circled around to the rear, and found the back door. The board looked like it was nailed in, but a slight nudge confirmed it wasn't attached, only propped up very close. As long as I was careful and slid the board slowly aside and didn't knock it to the floor, I didn't risk alerting anybody.
I got out my booklight again. The floors were dusty, but one of the halls had considerably less junk than the others. I went that way.
I sent my flashlight beam through a door. What I found was a small chemistry set on a countertop, a sort of redux version of what Prohias had available in the chem lab. I pointed the eye of the camera on my smart watch toward the equipment and started snapping pictures. And there in the corner was a crate full of what looked to me like the same baggies of Solid I'd find in my brother's dorm. I took even more pictures. Mission accomplished.
And just as I began to think it was too easy, a pair of large hands dropped onto my shoulders.
Before I knew it, I'd taken four fists in my face and stomach, and fallen to my knees. The two guys who'd done it then pulled off my backpack and dragged me into another room and handcuffed me to a pipe. They were both much bigger and much thicker than me. Probably seniors.
"Now, now," a voice said. "You didn't have to go that rough on him."
I recognized that voice. I'd heard it not long ago. "Dornbrook? Prohias?"
A figure stepped into the room. The light from outside outlined the fright wig that was his hair. "Sorry, kid, but a hundred dollar pizza gift card? Who can pass that up?"
"You… You made Solid, didn't you?"
"I forgot to mention before, but I'm in the botany club. It's been very lucrative."
"You!" I thrashed my arm out, violently tugging at the pipe behind me. "My brother's a braindead junkie because of you!"
"I see. I'm sorry to hear that. We all have our little tragedies. My father, for example, lost his job last year, and hasn't been able to find a new one since. And I have tuition to pay for. I like going to school here. So far Solid's helped ease the burden, while Dear Old Dad thinks I'm doing consulting for chemists with capital letters after their names. That's why I can't afford to lose this, especially not to a child like you."
I grabbed for him again, and this time, he caught my wrist. I could feel his fingers working on the strap for my smart watch. He pulled it off.
"You give that back," I cried. "I mean it!"
"Oh yeah, you really sound like a badass secret agent now." He plucked out my earpod and tossed it and the watch into my backpack. "I'm going to head back to the lab and finish my homework, and leave codenames Quark and Odo right here to keep an eye on you for a little while. We'll send you home tomorrow morning. I'll let you pick the shade of blue. We've got Hale Navy, Blue Note, and Waterloo."
I dropped back to the ground as he left.
Honestly, it wasn't the punishment they had planned that bothered me as much as knowing I'd gotten so close. If I'd been more careful, I'd be on my way back to Kristov by now. In the next few days, we'd get the secret out, Brughel's reputation would be tarnished forever, and I could finally get my brother to seek treatment. Daniel'd always been kind of a jerk, kind of selfish, kind of prone to punching me at random, but now he was hardly anything, not even a ghost. He was still my brother, the only one I had. And now because I had to go play hero instead of letting a high schooler take the job, because I wanted Daniel to owe me something, I was stuck here, and he was going to keep getting more Solid, and keep wasting away.
Suddenly a lady's voice rang out through the building.
"Hello? Is anybody in here? I'll remind you there's no trespassing! Please show yourself, or I will call for security."
"Aw, crap," one of my guards said. "It's Mrs. Bainbridge! Let's beat it!"
"What about him?"
"She can do whatever she wants with him, as long as she doesn't catch us!"
And they both ran.
I'll admit, being found by a faculty member wasn't on my agenda tonight. It had supposedly only happened once before, about ten years ago. I wished I could remember what I'd heard happened to that student. Obviously they got sent back to their own school, but which one? And was there a punishment? Suspended? Expelled?
A strong cell phone flashlight entered the room and swung toward me. "There you are."
That voice. "Astra?"
"It just so happens that I'm great at impressions."
"I thought you were taking a bath."
"Got stopped by a friend before I had the chance. Then I saw those goons run in here after you from up in my dorm. So I called Sol, and he said I should come get you. You got lucky tonight, Sky."
"Thanks," I said. "Though I'm gonna guess you don't have a key for these cuffs."
"That's true, I don't. Although…" She ran the light over the pipe. "Woo, these are old. I wonder…"
She grabbed it, then gave it a kick.
The pipe cracked in two, and I was able to draw the handcuffs off the lower part.
Astra helped me to my feet. "So is this where Dornbrook told you to go?"
"He set me up," I said. "He's the one behind Solid. He manufactures it in this building. I got pictures, but he got my smart watch."
"No way… He's a top student. Perfect conduct. All the teachers love him."
"Well, he's also evil."
"Great. So what now? Cut your losses and go back to Kristov?"
"I can't. Not without that watch."
"Well, I mean, it's just gear for the mission. I assume Sol planned on—"
"It's not for the mission! That watch was last year's Christmas present from my mother. She's finally trusting me with a phone, and if I lose it, either she's gonna get mad at me for making her buy a replacement, or she's just not gonna replace it at all. And… And it's the main way my brother and I communicate anymore. He doesn't talk much now that he's addicted, but he can still text."
"You're right," Astra said. "Dornbrook is evil. But how do we get it back?"
"Well, fortunately, I know exactly how," I said. "He said he'd be up in his lab, and he took my stuff with him."
"Then we better hurry. Everybody has to be back in their dorms in thirty minutes."
I followed Astra inside, where she checked to make sure our way was clear.
"Hey, Astra," I said, "is it true you made out with Sol at Homecoming?"
She slapped the back of my head. "None of your damn business, twerp. Focus on the mission."
We took the stairs to the second floor, and found Dornbrook still in his lab, sitting at the computer. The door was still open. I slipped in and found a hiding spot behind the lab table. Astra stayed outside.
My backpack was next to Dornbrook's chair. If I were real careful, I could crawl over and grab it, but all he'd have to do was turn his head and he'd spot me. I didn't just have to be careful, I had to be cautious.
An announcement came over the school PA: "Attention, students at Brughel Academy. This is your principal Mrs. Bainbridge. The school offices and facilities will be closed in fifteen minutes. Please finish whatever you're doing and return to your dorms, if you haven't already. Tomorrow has plenty of learning in store for you."
The voice sounded just like Astra's impersonation. If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought Astra herself made the announcement.
Dornbrook closed his programs and got up. As he reached the door, I scurried over to the backpack and worked my arms through the straps. Now I just needed him to get out of here so I could get out of here.
He stopped just outside. "Hey, didn't you hear the announcement?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, I heard it," Astra said. Her hand floated in front of the doorway. "Just needed to text somebody real quick before I headed up." Her thumb stuck out and prodded toward the right.
I got the signal.
I darted straight out of the chemistry lab, and made a point of bumping into Dornbrook on my way out.
"Wha? Who?" He spun toward me. "You!"
"Me!"
Astra grabbed his arm and locked it behind his back. "He told me what you've been up to, Huey. Seems like Ms. Bainbridge would like to hear about it. Or maybe the police. Or I dunno, Harvard, Yale, Berkeley, Brown—"
"Yeah, right," Dornbrook said, "you're really gonna believe a spy from Kristov?"
"Well, tough," I said, "'cause I've got the photos."
"Yeah, sure, you can prove Solid's made here, but you can't pin it on me."
"Oh yes I can." I wiggled my collar, showing off the microphone. "My support team has been listening in on everything you said. Face it, Prohias. You're toast."
And from there I was basically home free. I ran downstairs, out to the quad, then climbed the wall and went up the hill to where I'd left my bike. Before riding out, I took the smart watch out of my backpack and strapped it back onto my wrist. I'd missed one call from Sol.
I rode away from the campus with streetlights illuminating my way. Sol and Luna were waiting for me in their car at the Zaxby's around the corner. When I arrived, Sol stepped out of the car to greet me. "Mission accomplished, Sky."
Luna gave me a thumb's up from inside the car.
"Great," I said. "Did we catch the spy they sent to Kristov?"
Luna leaned out of the window. "Nada," she said. "But what we got here is way more important. This is gonna bring down Solid for sure."
"Finally. So does this mean I don't have to use this stupid codename anymore? I just wanna be Dave from now on."
"Dave it is." Sol helped me get my bike onto the rack.
"And you remember your promise?"
"The pizza party for the middle school dorm is on me."
"Mission accomplished, then."
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