Second Thoughts
by
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Jonathan, Hope, and Faith were still in the training room talking after the rest of the teens had left. I smiled and giggled quietly as they excitedly rehashed how the mission went, assessing what they said “went awesome” and wondering how to do even better next time.
Reluctantly, I pressed the button for the loudspeaker. “Alright, you three, it’s time to head out.”
Faith and Hope turned and looked up at the control window. They smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”
Suddenly, an alarm sounded. “What’s that?” Faith cried.
“SECURITY LOCKDOWN,” the electronic voice boomed. I heard a loud bang. I turned to see the metal security doors slammed shut.
I heard Hope scream, and Jonathan cried, “Sarah, shut down the simulator!”
I looked back through the window. The training room was running! This isn’t supposed to happen. It’s supposed to shut down with the lockdown! I thought, typing the force-stop code into the control panel. I hit enter.
“Sarah! It’s not turning off, and we’re trapped in here!” Jonathan cried, this time sounding panicked.
My heart was pounding. The control panel wasn’t working, and the training room was out of control. All the systems were on in the training room – the floor was moving, the room was shaking with fake explosions, the heat was on full-blast. The lasers that could shock you, used only for Squad 4 agents, were firing everywhere.
What do I do? I worried. Lord, please help me stay calm! I closed my eyes, trying to think through the blaring alarms. The electrical panel! I thought, and raced down the ladder to the training room door. I opened the panel outside the door and found the breaker. I pulled at the handle, but it was jammed.
“What? No, not now!” I cried, pulling as hard as possible.
“Sarah!” I heard the three teens pounding on the metal door.
“Get us out!” Faith yelled.
I looked closer at the handle. There was a metal pin stuck in the joint. My tool kit, I thought, and sprinted back up the ladder to the control panel. I grabbed my pliers and ran back to the breaker. Please let this work, I prayed, pulling at the pin. I could hear the training room shaking and the screaming teens pounding on the other side of the door. Finally, the pin pulled loose. I grabbed the handle and shoved it down. The panel sparked, then the lights turned off. The sounds in the training room died down, and Jonathan yelled, “It worked!”
I breathed a sigh of relief. With the power shut off, the security door couldn’t be locked by the electronic magnets. I pulled it up and let the three teens out.
“That was insane!” Faith said as they ran through the door.
Hope had tears in her eyes as she grabbed my arm. “I was so scared,” she whispered.
I hugged her. “Me too.”
“What happened?” Jonathan asked seriously.
“I don’t know,” I replied, shaking my head. But I’m pretty sure it wasn’t an accident, I thought grimly. That pin kept the training room from shutting down like it was supposed to. That was intentional.
We tried to open the door to the outside of the building, but it was locked with a regular bolt, so we had to wait for the security team to let us out. After all the excitement, the teens got the giggles and began telling jokes and laughing at everything, whether it was funny or not. Their laughter helped me calm down. Eventually, I remembered I could use my watch to contact help.
Why didn’t I do that earlier? I thought, stepping back from the teens. I pressed the radio button, but nothing happened. Strange. I tried again. Nothing. I tried to send a typed message to Rebecca, but the screen flashed “no signal.” How is there no signal in here? I thought, frustrated. My watch is connected to satellite, so the lockdown has nothing to do with it.
“Sarah.” I jumped as Hope tapped my arm. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, you just startled me.” I smiled.
“Are you contacting someone to open the door?” Jonathan asked, slight concern showing on his face again.
“There’s no connection, so we’ll just have to wait,” I explained, feeling uneasy. Why isn’t there connection? This is weird, I worried. I saw the looks of concern on the teens’ faces, so I decided to worry about my watch later. “Do you guys like riddles?” I asked.
“Oh, yes! I know a great riddle!” Faith said, grinning as she rubbed her hands together.
The mood lightened again as we told riddles and more jokes. Fifteen minutes later, the security guards unlocked the door, and we walked out of the dark building into the sunlight.
“Freedom!” Jonathan yelled, charging from the building. He didn’t get far before his dad stopped him with a bear hug.
“Are you okay, son?” Mr. Truth asked. I could see worry lines on his forehead.
“Yes,” he replied, looking embarrassed as he tried to push out of his dad’s arms.
Mr. Truth laughed. “Hey, I’m your dad. I get to embarrass you all I want.” He let him go with a friendly nudge. “I want you to go straight home, understand?”
“Yes, sir,” Jonathan replied, walking away.
Mr. Truth turned to me. “Sarah, I want to see you in my office.”
I swallowed hard and nodded.
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About the Book
Twenty-year-old Sarah Sanders has been overjoyed to have her twin sister, Rebecca, working at Truth Squad for the past two years, but when new agents show up, things start going haywire. Rebecca starts receiving unusual threats. Strange things start happening around Truth Squad. It gets serious when someone is injured, and the evidence seems to point to Rebecca. Sarah can’t accept the facts the way they seem. Her sister wouldn’t do these things. Sarah is convinced her sister is being framed, and the twins set out to prove it. But when their plans backfire, Sarah must face her fears and save her sister – before it’s too late.
About the Author
Kelsey Gjesdal grew up creating story lines for imaginary games with her siblings and eventually began to write them down as novels. Along with writing, Kelsey enjoys playing music, drinking coffee, and studying Scripture. She has a heart for children’s ministry and is pursuing a major in psychology and minor in creative writing. She currently resides in Albany, Oregon.