In The Beginning

Book 1

By: Aria Leigh

Chapter 1: 1992

"Denise Andrews, to the office, please. Denise Andrews," the PA system pounded out.

Five year old Denise shivered in her seat. What could she have to go to the office for? Her long blonde hair shook back and forth as she rose from her chair. She dropped her oversized pencil on the table and started out of the room.

All eyes of her peers were on her as she slowly left the room. To a group of five and six year olds, this was scary because no five or six year old had ever been called to the office in that school year.

Denise looked down the long hall through her, what needed to be cleaned, glasses. She tugged on the edge of her T-shirt and slowly started her way to the office.

Step by slow step, she took her time because she didn't want to find out what unspeakable horrors waited for her in what the grade sevens called 'The Teacher's Lounge.' Or most commonly among grade ones was 'The Dungeon' which was learned from grade twos who had been sent to the office when they were in grade one.

She clenched her tiny hands in a ball as she reached the entrance to the office. There was nothing she wanted more than to turn and run but she knew she had to go.

She reached up slowly and turned the knob. She pushed the door open and entered. All she could see was another door and a huge beige desk.

Ms. McAllister leaned over the desk and looked down at the little girl who had just entered the office. "Yes? What can I do for you, miss?" she asked slowly as if Denise wasn't smart enough to understand her.

Denise cowered a little at the size of Ms. McAllister. To Denise, she seemed like a giant. "M-my name is Denise Andrews," she squeaked.

"Hmmm? I'm sorry. You're going to have to speak up," she said, leaning over the desk some more.

Denise was shaking and her hands were sweating. "My name is Denise Andrews," she said, louder this time.

"Oh. You're Denise Andrews? You have a message. Your mother called and she wants you to go to her office after school. I believe the address is on the message. Here," she said quickly and handing Denise a blue piece of paper.

Denise hesitantly accepted it and read the address.

"Can you get there by yourself?" Ms. McAllister asked.

"I can manage," Denise said and put the paper in her pocket. "Can I go?"

Ms. McAllister nodded and Denise was out of there as fast as a cheetah after its prey.

Denise calmly entered the classroom and took her seat.

"Denise," Marit said. "What was it like?"

Marit Landry was Denise's best friend. Her name was Norwegian and in Norway, it was pronounced 'Marit' but in Canada, it was pronounced 'Marie'. She had short red hair, brown eyes, and freckles across her nose and cheeks. She was fun to be around and in quite a few of their peers' eyes, she was strange or weird. That's why she was Denise's best friend.

"It was horrible. There were giants that always said 'Miss', huge walls, and the giants were always attacking me," Denise explained. Quite the exaggeration.

"Woah. You're lucky to have come out alive. Well, why did they call you down?" Marit asked.

"I have to go to my mom's office today after school. I don't wanna go alone. Hey, do you wanna come with me?" she asked.

"Okay. I'll call my mom at recess," Marit answered and turned back to her math problem.

Recess finally came and before Marit and Denise went outside to play on the jungle gym, they went to the public phone down the hall and Marit called her mom.

"Mommy, Denise wants me to go with her to her mom's office today after school. Can I go? Can I? Can I?" she begged.

"Would her mom be giving you a ride home?" Marit's mom asked.

Marit looked at Denise. "Will your mom drive me home?"

Denise nodded. "Yes."

"Yes, mommy."

"Well then okay. See you laterl, honey," her mom said and hung up. Marit clumsily hung up the phone.

"I can go. Now let's go play," Marit said excitedly, dashing for the door. Denise hurried behind her.

The excitement grew between Denise and Marit as the end of the day came closer and closer. When the bell rang, Denise and Marit were the first ones out the both stood out in front of the school, gazing down at the address on the blue paper.

"Okay, Denise. Where do we go?" Marit asked.

Denise thought a moment and then looked down the street to the right. "If I've mapped this out right, we need to go through the park and down a couple of blocks," she said.

"Okay, let's go," Marit said, walking away fast. Denise ran to catch up with her.

They walked through the park, teasing each other about the new boy in class and asking questions. They came out of the park and, like Denise had suggested, went down two blocks.

They paused in front of a big building, which to them, looked like an office building but to the public's view, it appeared to be an apartment building. Either way, Denise thought her mother was inside.

Marit reached up and pulled the door open. She peeked inside. It looked lik the bottom floor of an apartment building or a hotel. Marit went in with Denise behind her. They looked around amazed.

"Well, what floor does your mom work on?" Marit asked.

"Floor 13," Denise read from the paper.

They approached an elevator on their right. Marit jumped and pressed the up arrow button. It lit up and Denise and Marit waited for the doors to open. There was the single sound of a single bell ring and then the doors smoothly slid open. They both stepped in and Marit saw that she could not reach the number thirteen button.

"Denise, stand on my back," Marit said, getting down on her hands and knees. Denise carefully climbed up on her back and pressed the button.

Denise stumbled off of Marit's back when the elevator lurched upward. They stood quietly as the elevator went up with a soft whir of gears and cables.

The elevator slowed and finally stopped. Marit and Denise waited as the doors slowly slid open. When the door did slide open, they saw a short hall with a large steel door at the other end.

"That must be it. C'mon," Denise said, walking down the short hall to the big steel door. She knocked hard on the door.

From inside a voice boomed, "Come in!" The door slowly swung open. It opened into a huge white room. Against the walls were desks. Directly in front of them, across the room was a huge desk. Bigger than the others. Behind each desk was a woman or man in a suit. Behing the huge desk was young man dressed in all black.

Everyone looked up as Denise and Marit walked in.

"May we help you?" a woman asked them.

"My name is Denise Andrews. Do you know where my mommy is?" Denise asked loudly.

All the people looked at the guy at the large desk. They were all silent as the guy spoke with the young man and the young lady to his left and right.

Marit and Denise wondered what they were talking about.

"Denise Andrews? The daughter of Joe and Majandra Andrews?" the young man on the left asked.

"Yes. I was expecting her but who is the other little one?" the main man asked.

"I believe that is Marit Landry. Daughter of Mark and Diane Landry," the yound lady on the right said, glancing at Marit.

"We must get rid of her," the young man said.

"No, they would both be excellent additions to the agency," the main man said, looking at both of them.

"What about Denise? Do we tell her about her family?" the girl asked.

"We have to. She should know," the main man said.

"Okay," the young man and lady agreed.

They all turned to Denise and Marit.

"Denise Andrews. Marit Landry. My name is Foleros. I am the head of this agency," the main man said.

"Huh? Where's my mommy?" Denise asked, looking at each woman.

They were all quiet and then the girl that had been on Foleros' right, spoke up. "Honey, I don't wann be the one to tell you this but your mother has gone missing. In fact, your father and little brother have gone missing as well," she said sadly.

Denise was silent. She didn't know what to say or do. Could she believe this woman who she'd never met before?

Denise saw the sincerity on the young girls face and knew that she wasn't lieing. Denise's eyes started to water.

"Denise, I'm sorry," Marit said, putting her arm around her.

"We are the G.E.T.S. You two will be joining us. The G.E.T.S. stands for Government Employed Teenage Spies. Because you are not yet teenagers, you two will train every week until you are teens. Then you may go on your first mission," Foleros explained.

It was all so over-whelming. Spies? Training?

Marit stepped forward. "What do you mean? Spies? Training?" she asked.

"Everything will be explained in due time. For now Lela will show you around and introduce you to some other children who are training to join the G.E.T.S. someday," Foleros said. The girl on his right stood and came around the desk.

She walked out the door and Denise and Marit followed slowly. How did they get into this?