Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
That night, Erin wasn’t able to sleep, she dreamt Mia was trying to tell her something. But each time Erin tried to get closer, her friend would drift further away. She grew more frustrated with each step and unanswered question. Eventually, Erin was startled awake. She sat upright and felt the cold sweat coming from her forehead. It didn’t take her long to decide to head down to headquarters. When she got there, she expected no one to be there, instead there was an unexpected visitor.
Her eyes focused slowly as she realized who it was, a comforting smile appeared on her face when he turned to greet her “I thought I was the only weirdo here in the middle of the night.” She smiled.
Joe was looking over Mia’s tape when he heard someone coming in. He got up and greeted Erin with a hug “I know this is very hard for you.”
She shook her head against his shoulder “Not like Darren.” She moved away and noticed his eyes were red “You couldn’t get past it without tearing up too huh?”
Joe rubbed his eyes tiredly “That girl really gets to you.”
“Tell me about it.” Erin chuckled as she nodded to the screen recapturing the moment of Mia’s farewell words “Did you find out anything?”
He shook his head “When Matt informed me, I was in Beijing and I came back with the earliest flight. Unfortunately for me, it was at 2 in the morning.” Joe turned to the screen “She’s one of the originals, of course I will be concerned. It became personal the minute I met you guys.”
Erin nodded understandingly “I know what you mean. She’s a part of us, if anything happens to her…” she let her words fade. Her eyes easily welled up with tears and she had to take in a deep breath “If only I-”
Joe put up a hand to halt her “It’s not your fault Erin.” He said firmly “Mia said it herself. If they were planning this for a long time, how were you to know when it would actually happen. Stop beating yourself down and use your logic to help Mia. I know she is not dead.”
She smiled despite the tears that trailed down her cheek to her chin “I’m glad you’re here. It’s been a mess the past week.”
He nodded with a hand on her shoulder “Let’s look at the tape one more time. You were the last person to be with her. Mia’s a very smart girl, I’m sure she left a trail for us.”
Erin nodded “I’m just afraid I will break down again.” She wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath “Okay…for Mia. I will be strong.” She smiled firmly.
Joe nodded and rewound the tape. They thought there would not be another distraction, but Darren had come stumbling in. He looked completely pitiful, his beard was getting thicker and his hair looked like a bird’s nest. He placed his hand in his jacket as he nodded to Joe, not the least surprised to see him there “I wanted to see the tape again.” He explained shortly.
Joe waved for him to join himself and Erin “How are you holding up?” but the answer was obvious, he was a mess without Mia.
Darren shrugged without feeling, as if half of him disappeared without Mia’s presence “I feel like…dying. It’s a slow and agonizing death.” He wrinkled his brows at Joe “It’s a very strange feeling, you know? To be alive yet you are literally dying.”
Joe and Erin exchanged glances, they didn’t expect Darren out of all people to give up on Mia. But it was easy to see that she was the reason why he smiled. He was colder to everyone and it seemed he was back to his old attitude. The anger, the snappy comments, not to mention the threats and fights he constantly got into.
“I don’t know what to say to bring your mood up…” Joe began “But I know if Mia was here, she would not want to see you like this.”
“But she’s not here.” Darren said bluntly.
Erin nodded to Joe to start the tape. Listening to Mia’s voice only brought back more tears and heartache to Darren as he sniffed away the tears, his hand pressing on his temple. Erin too could not control her emotions, at one moment she had to look away and then it occurred to her. There was a line from Mia’s words that caught her attention. She snapped her head up “Joe…rewind it a bit!”
Joe nodded and then replayed it. Erin closed her eyes as she listened to the words, it was easier not to look at the screen. She looked up with a smile “What is it?” Joe asked.
Erin turned to Darren “That part where she said ‘we’ll see each other at the grave, you’ll visit me won’t you?’ That’s it!”
Darren looked at her strangely “I don’t get it.”
“The grave! The cemetery that Mia and I went to…the one that Reina was supposedly buried in. The caretaker, he said he heard cries every so often but he just ignored it.” Erin explained.
“The perfect place to hideout since no one would be suspicious of a cemetery.” Brad finished for her. He stood by the doorway. The three looked up to him and he entered the room “I got a little nervous when I didn’t see you in your room.” He said to Erin.
“You couldn’t sleep either?” Erin asked.
He shook his head and then looked over to Joe with a smile “Welcome back.”
“Looks like we’ve got a lead.” Joe nodded to the three with a smile.
The small group turned bigger when Doug dropped by, then Ted, Matt, Eric and eventually Dennis who thought he was early showing up at 7am in the morning. The seats barely fit everyone with Joe at the head “Are we going to go to cemetery?” Darren asked eagerly, he was ready to leave at that moment.
Joe shook his head “They’ll be ready for us.”
“They don’t know we know.” Brad pointed out.
“But they will assume that we know.” Dennis said wisely “We’re dealing with an ex-agent here. She knows our operations.”
Ted nodded with a thoughtful expression “That’s very true. We have to have a plan of attack, where they cannot guess what we’re doing.”
“By the time that happens, Mia would be dead!!” Darren blew up suddenly.
Doug let out a sigh “Darren, calm down. It’s not-”
“I’m sick and tired of you guys telling me to calm down!! How am I suppose to be calm if she’s out there…God knows how she’s doing. We know where she is, why don’t we just run down that damn cemetery with a tank and find them?” Darren looked mad with his eyes bulging out and his arms flaring in every direction. No one knew what to say as he got up to leave. Erin was about to stand up when Dennis shook his head at her “I’m tired of hanging around trying to come up with a plan…I’m gonna go and find her myself.”
“DARREN!!” Joe roared as he stood up with a finger pointing at him “If you are stupid enough to do a one man show, go ahead! Not only will you kill yourself, you won’t be able to see Mia once WE save her. Mark my words. No one is to lay a hand on a P.R.A. agent and gets away with it. She’s not dead. Until you believe it, I want you to stay in the headquarters. If you fight it, I will use restraint.” He threatened.
Joe nodded to Brad and Doug who was closest to Darren. The two got up and walked over to Darren as they each got his hand “Sorry, man…” Brad apologized.
Darren knew he could not go anywhere as he took his seat. Joe sat down calmly as he turned to the team “Currently, they have contacted us twice. I’m sure it will happen again. Until then, I want no one to go anywhere. You will stay here until this mission is accomplished. There are more than enough rooms and food to last us for months. No one and I mean NO one is to step foot out of this room unless ordered by myself, Dennis or Matt.”
“Yes, sir.” The team replied with respect.
“Now go home and pick up enough clothes to last you for a month.” Joe advised.
The team split up and returned home to pick up their belongings. Erin and Brad came home to find Shelly shivering with fear in the corner of the living room. She looked completely petrified, Erin’s worried expression quickly came on as she rushed to her sister “Shelly, what’s wrong?!”
Brad looked around the apartment “Everything’s in place.” He returned next to Erin “Shelly, did someone come in here? Were you attacked?”
She reached out suddenly and hugged Erin “They…the…blood…hand…” she stuttered. Her eyes landed on a box by the door but she quickly squeezed them tightly shut.
Brad followed her gaze to the box as he got up gingerly, his steps were cautious as he approached the box. He looked inside and his eyes widened while his heart began to beat fast. He turned to Erin “You better take a look at this.” His voice told her it was not good.
Erin began to let go of Shelly, who gripped her neck even tighter “It’s okay…” she coaxed and pulled her arms back. Shelly curled herself into a ball again. Erin felt the chills running up and down her spine when she saw the bloody human hand inside the box. The blood looked fresh as it was still seeping from the veins of the hand, which was brutally cut off.
She bent down on her knees to give a closer look and so did Brad. Her eyes caught on the diamond ring on the hand’s fourth finger “Mia’s…” Brad whispered, not trying to scare Shelly even more.
Erin felt sick to her stomach as she felt her legs weakening. Her eyes rolled back as it closed and her head slowly tilted back. She fell into Brad’s ready arms “Ga Jei!!” Shelly cried but still refused to get near the box.
“Erin!!” Brad cried over and over, but she was not responding. He picked her up with his arms and placed her gently on the couch “Erin!” he shook her violently and she eventually fluttered her eyes open.
She sat up “Mia….it’s her hand!” she shook her head vehemently “No…it can’t be…no.” she was talking more to herself. Her eyes glued to the box.
Brad placed his arms around her “Erin…calm down.” He hushed as he reached around her waist and hugged her “It’s okay…we’ll get it researched. It might not be Mia’s hand.”
She was trembling from head to toe “Those psychos…they’ll pay for this!” she vowed.
*********
Shelly came along with Erin and Brad as they took the hand to the hospital. Brad had called Joe to tell him what they discovered but advised that Darren should not know until they get the report of the blood test. The blood had soaked through the box by the time they reached the hospital.
The three were taken to a special room to wait for the research. Erin was pacing the floor as her fingers wrung together “Ga Jei…was that hand really Mia’s?” Shelly asked feebly.
Erin turned to her sister “I don’t know Shelly, they’re going to find out.”
Brad patted the girl on the back, she looked better than when they first found her but she was still shaking from the ordeal “Do you want to stay with us?”
Shelly frowned “I thought I was?”
He smiled “We have orders from our head that we are to stay at the headquarters. I’m sure Joe will not mind that you stay with us too.” She nodded slowly and returned to staring at the floor.
The research took about 1 hour but to the three waiting it seemed like days. Erin was laying on Brad’s shoulder when the doors opened up. She quickly snapped up to greet the technician “What did you find out? Does it belong to Mia Lam?”
The man adjusted his glassed as he shook his head “The fingerprints were burned off by acid, we could not identify the person. The blood is type AB, is your friend AB?” he asked.
Erin turned to Brad “I’m not sure. I think Darren would have her records.”
Brad nodded in agreement “There goes hiding it from Darren.”