Tom hurried down the hall and caught up with Jessie and Angie before they exited the school building. The two girls looked at him curiously, but didn't fight it when he led them outside and to the right, away from the crowd.

"What's up?" Jessie asked once they reached an isolated tree on the edge of the grounds.

"You two know something." Tom sat at the roots of the tree and the girls followed. "About this internship thing. And I have a feeling I know what it is."

Angie sighed and shook her head. "You're totally right. That mission I was supposed to go on? I think this is it."

Even if he'd suspected it, Tom's gut still clenched uncomfortably. "What do you mean you think this is it?"

"I was supposed to go to Japan to retrieve something, but they canceled at the last minute," she explained. "I was told I'd be briefed later."

"Meanwhile, they've briefed me about a recovery mission in Japan," Jessie continued. "I'm pretty sure this weird sudden internship is our cover to get there. Well, your cover."

"I don't understand why Jessie's not coming if she knows about the mission," Angie said. "Or why it's just the two of us and Billy and Eddie."

Billy and Eddie were only a few things bothering Tom about this whole situation. But at least wherever Angie was going, he was going with her. "I suspected something like this. What I don't understand is why Sam and Jimmy were left out."

"They don't even know about it," Jessie said between her teeth. "This is so stupid. They should've at least sent Kyle or Jimmy with you."

"How are we supposed to finish a mission without Sam?" he asked instead.

"It's not a jewel mission. We need to steal something," Angie answered.

"Steal what?" Tom asked.

Both Jessie and Angie shrugged. This was beyond frustrating. What the hell was the agency doing? And what hurt worst was that Tom felt his hands were tied. Sam hadn't taken what had happened very well. Tom could feel it as well as see the subtle signs on his twin's face, his struggle to be fair and not mind. But he did. He felt left out. And actually telling him that he wasn't missing a stupid internship but a mission would make it so much worse for him. And Tom sure as hell didn't want that.

"What are we going to do now?" Angie whispered.

"Wait to get briefed, is my guess." Tom heaved a sigh. "When are we supposed to be leaving on this thing?"

Both girls shrugged again, annoyance and defeat on both their faces. It was hard to understand anything anymore.

⭐⭐⭐

The briefing cam sooner than expected. During the afternoon's training, Herrison asked Tom and Angie to follow him to his office. They did, more than eager to get some answers. After a few clinical, white tiled corridors, they reached the wooden door that lead to Herrison's small office. They were less than surprised to see Billy and Eddie already in there, having a heated argument about some video game mission.

They fell silent the moment Herrison walked in. He headed straight for his desk and had a seat. He rummaged in his pockets and pulled out a small, black box and an antenna. With careful movements, Herrison screwed the antenna on the box and pushed a tiny button. A low buzzing sound filled the room.

"Okay," he said, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his eyes. "This will only work for a few minutes, until they realize I jammed their bugs. Don't complain."

"What?" Tom asked in disbelief.

"Don't complain to anyone except me. I know this is not right and not fair, but I did my best," Herrison said, swinging back and forth on his chair. "Initially, Tom was supposed to do this alone. I asked for the backup team to step in, and next they wanted to send Angie. Finally, third time's the charm. This is the best it's going to get. You four."

"Why are they doing this?" Angie asked. "Why can't we tell the others what's going on? And why did Jessie get briefed?"

Herrison sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "My superiors are overly cautious. Jessie has been briefed because we need her on standby."

"Standby," Tom said flatly. "We need more of an explanation than that."

"We suspect a jewel mission soon. Very soon. Jessie is the first to know about that because we want her ready and available for research. And now..." Herrison pushed the small button on his jammer and the buzzing stopped. "Time to brief you about your mission. Please sit down."

They all did, Tom and Angie watching Herrison wearily, Billy seeming confused, and Eddie indecently excited.

"The Japan internship is the cover the agency has offered you to complete your task. Since we are clueless about the location of the next jewel, we need to get some information. We have received intelligence that such information may be found in Japan."

"Why?" Angie asked.

Herrison rubbed his forehead. "Because that's where Snitch Gravel is currently holding his research apparently."

"So we're stealing from Snitch Gravel," Tom concluded. He had no idea why he wasn't surprised. A shiver ran up his spine, but he steeled himself to face this and do it right.

"Yes, but it's not what you're thinking. It's an office building in which he rented some offices. You don't have to face him and his men head on. Unless you get caught."

"Come on, we can do this," Billy said. "We've been undercover in his base before."

"Exactly." Herrison nodded. "It's an in and out scenario. Shouldn't take you more than a few hours."

"Then why are we getting two weeks of cover?" Angie asked the most logical question.

"Because depending on the content of the research documents, you might be going after the jewel too."

"Just the four of us?" Tom asked in disbelief.

"No." Herrison stood. "All of you. I'll brief the others as soon as we have those papers."

"So, when are we leaving?" Eddie asked with mad enthusiasm.

"In two days."

They all nodded. But Tom still felt uneasy because he didn't understand the secrecy among the team. Why couldn't the others know what was going on? Of course, them knowing would lead to a lot of complaining, but still... And despite his anger at this and his wish to damn the agency and tell the others everything, as soon as he got home, he found that he couldn't. Not when Sam was pissed the way he was.

That evening, they had a big family dinner to congratulate Tom and Billy for their big opportunity. Tom squirmed in embarrassment whenever his parents praised him, and couldn't help but look at Sam every time it happened just to see the darkness falling over his twin's face like a subtle shadow.

At the end of the meal, Tom stayed behind with Sam to clean the table and bring the dishes into the kitchen. Even if he'd offered to help on purpose, he found it so hard to talk to Sam because he didn't know what to say. Everything sounded so pathetic inside his head.

"I'm sorry," he finally said.

"What are you sorry for?" Sam asked between clenched teeth. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I'm sorry you're not coming with us. It's going to suck without you."

Sam's brows unknotted and he looked at Tom curiously. "Thanks." Then he seemed to get even angrier as he forcefully piled the dishes. "The thing is, I kinda asked."

Tom stopped with a spoon in midair. "Huh?"

"Why I didn't get in," Sam mumbled, picking up the stack of plates. "And I apparently did."

"You did?" Tom asked incredulously.

Sam shot him a glare. "Yes. But since I'm in detention, I don't get to go."

Wow, the agency was good, planting a little gateway for when Sam will have to get out of school, too. But it was still weird. Tom wondered if the headmaster knew they were agents.

"Sorry to hear that," he finally said.

Sam only nodded and headed for the kitchen. Tom followed with his hands filled with cutlery, his chest still heavy with guilt over not telling Sam what was going on. He had no idea if the whole detention thing made Sam feel better or worse about what was happening, but Tom knew he'd feel much worse if he knew what was really going on.

Just tell him. He'll get over it and realize it's a good thing that you've told him. He should, he definitely should. But when Sam came out of the kitchen and Tom opened his mouth, no words came out. Because he didn't know what to say and how to say it.

"I'm going to bed," Sam mumbled.

"You're being an immature prick, you do realize that," Tom's mouth said before he could stop it.

Sam stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to face him. "What?"

"I mean it sucks, I get it. But why can't you be happy for me?"

The annoyance on Sam's face was washed away by guilt. He bit his lower lip. "You're right. I'm sorry. I am happy for you. I just..." He sighed. "All my life I've been first. And now this... this is a real kick in the ego. And you're right. It shouldn't matter. I'm a prick and I'm happy for you." And he turned and started up the stairs.

Tom let out a deep breath. He didn't feel any better, even if he knew he was right. He could see where Sam was coming from and maybe he should be more understanding towards his twin, too. But with the mission looming over them like some scavenger vulture, he was too on the edge to fix things.

⭐⭐⭐

Saturday came too quickly, as did the time of Tom's departure. As he settled in the front of Kyle's car with Billy, Tom and Angie in the back seat, Sam couldn't help but feel miserable. There was excitement and anticipation in the air and Billy chatted away happily about all the things they could visit in Japan, but Sam couldn't feel it. He was like the Grinch who stole everyone's thunder and he wished he could stop it. But it sucked so much not going, too. Being away from Tom for two weeks.

"What the hell did Jimmy do to my car?" Kyle kept mumbling, while fumbling with the speed gear. "He effed up my gear box."

"Oh my god, Kyle, did you actually use effed up?" Angie asked, giggling.

"Jerry's rubbing off on me," he answered, shifting gears again and flooring it.

The car roared and charged forward, pushing Sam back into his seat. He wrapped his fingers around the door handle so hard, his knuckles turned white. He'd never suspected the car had that much in it. From the delighted look on Kyle's face, neither did he.

"Okay, now I feel like I'm back in my old car. At least partially," he said, thrilled.

Sam wondered if Kyle's old car was a spaceship, but he was too busy keeping his eyes on the road to ask. He couldn't say he felt unsafe, but he did feel the need to be extra attentive and signal every possible danger. After a while, the novelty wore off and he could relax, but he couldn't say he wasn't happy to finally reach the airport and slow down.

Sam climbed down with shaky legs and looked towards the entrance into the parking lot to see the rest of the group get there. His mother's silver Mercedes pulled up in the parking space next to them and the others climbed down. There was a huge smile on Jimmy's face, and he practically bounced towards Kyle.

"What do you think?" he asked, his fists clenched in excitement.

"It's the best birthday present ever!" Kyle mirrored his stance making the two of them look like over excited teenage girls. "What did you do to it?"

"Just worked on the engine a bit, took out the limitation sensor and—"

"Um, Jimmy," Jessie said warily, pointing over her shoulder.

Sam followed her thumb and spotted his mother. To say she was livid was an understatement. She glared from Jimmy to Kyle as though trying to decide who to descend upon first.

"Jimmy," she finally said in a clam, dignified voice. "You're grounded for one week."

The smile slipped off Jimmy's face with speed far superior to Kyle's car. "But Mooom. What did I do?"

"Kyle," Maxi said, completely ignoring him. "You're grounded for one week ,too."

"Well, fuck!"

Everyone froze. Sam bit his fist, trying his best not to laugh at the horrified expressions on his mom's and Jerry's faces.

"Two weeks then," Maxi said, pulling herself together and turning to Tom to say goodbye.

Kyle opened his mouth again, but Kay covered it with her hand as though afraid more obscenities would come out. Sam turned away from his mother,  because he wasn't sure he wouldn't get grounded too for laughing. He sobered up the moment he realized the others were leaving and he had to say goodbye, too. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down and not sound like a giant asshole when he wished them to have fun.

Though as Billy and Eddie waved at him with bubbling enthusiasm, it was so hard not to flinch or say something nasty. Once Angie came to him and hugged him, he calmed down, because whatever happened, he couldn't be mad at her.

"I'm so sorry you're not coming," she whispered before pulling away.

"Yeah, me too," Sam said, feeling much better.

His stomach sunk again when it was Tom's turn. The look on his twin's face was worrying, even with the sunglasses on. Sam could feel the tension in him and the unease and wondered what was really going on. Because as much as he wanted Tom to feel bad that they weren't going together, this seemed to be more than that. Or maybe he was just being a paranoid prick.

"Have fun, okay?" he said, smiling weakly.

Tom just looked at him for a while, then hugged him tightly. "Whatever happens, remember that I've tried my best."

Sam pulled away, but before he could ask, Jimmy pushed him aside to hug Tom, too, and wish him a good time. Jessie followed, a worry crease between her eyebrows.

"Be very, very careful, okay?" she whispered. "And let me know how it goes."

When she wanted to walk away, Sam grabbed her arm to stop her. There was slight panic building up inside him now. It wasn't just him. He wasn't being paranoid. Something was happening and Tom had just slipped through his fingers, waving goodbye, walking towards the gate where Sam wouldn't be able to follow him anymore.

And he was going, going, going, gone.

The others didn't seem to have a problem with it. Jimmy and Kyle were already pleading with their mom to lift their punishment, Kay watching them amused. But Jessie was still stiff, still frowning, still watching the gate as if hoping they would come back.

"What's this about Tom being very careful?" he asked in a low voice, trying to sound as calm as possible, convince himself that it could be nothing. But every possible alarm bell had already gone off.

Jessie wasn't answering either, just biting her lip, her green eyes still fixed on the gate through which Tom had disappeared. Finally, with a big sigh, she said, "I'm not sure how to answer that. This just feels wrong."

"It feels wrong to me, too. But that's not what's bothering you. You know something."

She hesitated again. "You should be briefed. You should have been briefed before this. You should be out there with them. We all should."

It felt like someone had knocked the ground from under Sam's feet and he was floating in nothingness, staring at the void below him and knowing he could do nothing. "Tom's on a mission?"

"We all are. We just don't know it yet." She looked up at him with pleading eyes. "I wasn't supposed to tell you. Please don't make them take it out on me."

"Only if you tell me everything you know."

"I will, but it's not much." She sighed. "Not much at all."

🌟🌟🌟

I might just be able to keep up with double updates. Anyway, full chapter this time around.

Not much to ask here because the chapter had one main purpose. So how so you feel about the Sam - Tom dynamic? Did the awkwardness come across? Are you pisses at Sam?

And what about Harrison and the Agency? Any thoughts on that?

Any comment is very welcomed and useful so don't be shy. Let me know what you think and what you believe will happen.

And if you liked the chapter, press that little star.