Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
The team were going to return to headquarters when Chuck received a page from Joe to meet him at Yan Sum Hospital. The van took a detour and so did the second van since they could not fit the whole gang in one auto. They were greeted by Joe who was beaming like a proud father “Great job Team.” He nodded at them.
Everyone was all smiles as the followed him inside. He led them up to Ethan’s room, where he was feeling much better. He was startled by the huge group that barged into his room “We thought you might need some company.” Mia grinned as she took a seat next to him.
Chuck grinned, “Actually, it’s more like curiosity.”
Ethan looked confused “What do you mean?”
“Come on, we know you and Erin had this whole plan to catch TK.” Doug rolled his eyes “You can’t fool me. You’re only best friend.” Mia cleared her throat and Doug lifted a brow “You’re his GIRL-friend, it doesn’t count.”
The group laughed but Ethan still looked lost “No…I didn’t plan anything with Erin. I only warned her about TK’s plan to hypnotize her.”
Everyone spun slowly around until they looked at Erin. A slow smile appeared on her face “I guess everyone would like to know.”
“Yes! Don’t leave us in suspense.” Becca scolded.
She nodded as her head lifted up “Ryan?”
He stepped over to her as she motioned for him to lower down. When he moved away, his brows wrinkled as he left the room. Becca shook her head “What did you tell him?”
“You’ll see.” Erin insisted.
Minutes later, Ryan came back with Matt in his wheelchair. Darren crossed his arms with wondering eyes “Matt? What does Matt have to do with this?”
“Inquiring minds would like to know.” Jenna added.
Erin turned towards Matt “You want to explain?”
“SOMEBODY explain!” Becca wasn’t exactly patient.
“I’ll explain.” Matt smiled as he pointed for Ryan to pull him in closer “It was almost two weeks ago when Erin came to see me….”
**************Flashback**********
Matt was watching TV when he the doorbell rang. It couldn’t have been Ryan since he was at work and Shelly was out with some co-workers. He approached the door and was surprised to see Erin with her cane “Erin? Shelly’s not home.”
“That’s okay, I came to see you.” She smiled as he moved aside to let her in.
“Do you have some technical questions for me?” he asked.
Erin laughed, “Can’t an agent visit an ex-lieutenant?”
“Well, if you say it that way.” Matt wheeled himself into the kitchen “Let’s get something to drink.”
She found her way into the kitchen and took a seat at the dining table while Matt fixed them some coffee. When he returned, she smiled when he handed her the warm cup “Thank you.” She sipped it lightly “How are you doing?”
He shrugged “I’m still alive. I admit it was hard at first but I’m getting use to the wheelchair. At least my forearm is getting a good workout.” She nodded but he could tell there was definitely something else “So are we going to pretend that the small talk is interesting or are you going to tell me what’s really going on?”
“Promise me you won’t tell anyone else.” Erin’s smile faded.
He placed his cup down as he gave her his full attention “This is serious.”
She pulled the letter out of her pocket “Can you read this to me?”
He nodded as he unraveled the folded paper, Matt quickly skimmed through the words “Where did you get this?”
“What does it say?” she asked.
“It’s a remedy to block your mind from being hypnotized. Who gave this to you?” Matt’s concern came naturally to the agent.
Erin leaned back in her chair with a sigh “Ethan.”
“Why would he send you this?” Matt wondered more to himself “Does this have anything to do with TK?”
“You know about him?” Erin tilted her head.
“Ryan’s kept me updated.” He advised.
Erin nodded “I think Ethan’s being blackmailed. About a week ago, he told me of a new treatment he wanted to try on me. It was hypnotism. I was a little iffy but I knew he wouldn’t harm me so I did it. After it was done, I felt odd. It was unexplainable, like I had this rush of feeling to forgive TK. Ted and Mia came to pick me up and I had the urge to see Brad. We went to the cemetery and found TK there. It was just an act, but I fell for it. Ted wanted to catch him but I wouldn’t let him. I didn’t know why I did it, but it felt right. I saw him again at the Mayor’s ball. He just talked to me and told me he didn’t care what others thought of him but only what I thought of him. Again, I let him go. It wasn’t until Shelly pointed out how much I’ve changed that I began to notice a difference.”
“You think he was present when Ethan did the session?” Matt too thought of the same. Erin nodded and he continued with the thought “That’s understandable…he knew you could not see him or possibly the gun that was pointing at Ethan.”
“My thought exactly.” Erin nodded firmly “A couple of days later, my eyes had a little problem. Mia took me in the hospital and the doctor prescribed me with special eye drops. Inside the bag was this folded paper. I was going to ask Mia and Ted to read it for me. But I didn’t want them to worry or panic. My next thought was Uncle Chuck but instead I came up with a better idea. If you want to catch the rat, you have to be the mouse.”
Matt knew what she was planning “It’s too dangerous.”
“I know. But someone has to stop him. He has a weak spot for me, I’m the only one that can get him that inheritance money. He is more likely to believe me. I already know what the others are going to say if I suggest this idea. They would probably lock me in a room and find TK themselves. That’s why I’m coming to you.” Erin concluded “I know I can trust you…right?”
Matt was hesitant about the whole idea but after working with Erin for the past few months, he knew she was capable of pulling off the stunt “Okay.”
She was relieved “I was afraid you would object.”
“I was going to. But I know you can do it.” He patted her shoulder firmly “Do you know how dangerous this is? You have to be ready to lose your life.” He gave her the worse case scenario “If he finds out your plan, I don’t think he will care too much about the inheritance.”
Erin nodded understandingly “I’m ready for anything. A life for a life, Brad would forgive me.”
Matt sighed, “I know I can’t change your mind. So the saying goes, if you can’t beat them, join them.” Erin laughed as Matt began brainstorming “We have to somehow convince him that you and the others are not getting along. Or earn his trust by playing the victim role. Guy’s are suckers for beautiful women. And you’re not an ordinary one, you’ve become dependent on people and you’re blind.”
“I want to start now. I know he’s watching me…I just have to fake an accident and he’ll be by my side to play the heroic role.” Erin analyzed.
“That’s good.” He nodded in agreement “I have a couple of friends that can arrange for an acted scene. Now the only problem is to find out where he is staying.”
“Ah Bat.” Erin smiled “If you can find him, you can find TK. But we have to be careful, he’s a sly one.”
Matt shrugged “Not a problem, I’ll just find a couple of girls to get him drunk and he’ll spill everything.”
“Great minds think alike.” Erin nodded with a laugh as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the indestructible earpieces “Uncle Chuck would kill me if he knew I stole them. But these two are only trials, if they do well, we could get them made for the whole team. As of now, there’s only two. We can keep in touch this way.” She felt him take one from her hand.
“Good. Give me a week to plan out the scene and I’ll let you know where to go and what to do. My boys will look out for you.” Matt was still worried “Be careful Erin.”
“You sound like Uncle Chuck. Don’t worry Matt. I’ll be fine.” She assured him.
***********End of Flashback***********
Ted crossed his arms “So that guy that looked like Ah Bat was planned?”
Erin nodded “We had to do that in order for you to leave the scene. I was afraid it would not work if you fought off those guys.”
“So what happened with Ethan at the lake?” Mia was most curious about that.
Matt raised his hand “I can explain that.” He turned up to Ryan and put out his hand. Ryan quickly took it as Matt pushed himself up from the wheelchair. Everyone gasped as they watched him take a few steps with Ryan’s one hand help.
“You can walk!!” Becca exclaimed.
He smiled “It’s a little shaky but I’ve been working on it. That day after Erin told me everything. I was about to let Ethan in on our little trick but decided it was best if he didn’t know.” Matt looked over at Ethan on the bed “Remember that day I came in to see you?”
Ethan recalled as he nodded slowly “It was the day before I was kidnapped by TK.”
“I put a homing device in your coat.” Matt explained, “It’s been destroyed when you were dropped into the lake but it was enough to follow where you were.”
Darren nodded at the brilliant idea “So when TK took Ethan to the lake, you were already on your way. And it was you that called in anonymously.” He pointed out.
Matt laughed, “I thought you guys would surely recognize my voice.”
Mia was the one that picked up that call, she chuckled to herself “I did think it sounded oddly familiar and for a second I thought it was Matt, but then I told myself how ridiculous it sounded.” She shook her head “Who would have guessed.”
“So you saved me?” Ethan asked Matt.
Matt was humble “I don’t know if you could say that. I took a cab there and witnessed the whole thing. Lucky for me, TK was too busy tying you up to notice me behind one of the trees. The minute he left, I used crutches to get me around. I put a call into the team but knew they would not get there in time to save you. I figured what do I have to lose but my life?” he laughed, “So I jumped in.”
“Thank you.” Ethan said whole heartedly.
“You don’t have to thank me. It’s part of my job.” Matt smiled.
After hearing the whole plan in detail, Becca was worn out “Wow! Any more surprises that we need to know?” she asked with sarcasm.
It was Erin’s turn for questions as she turned to the group “Reina.”
She only needed to say her name and Mia was quick to explain “That was Joe’s idea. Ted and I went to see her. We wanted to convince her to help us so we made a story about how TK stole the corpses of Andrew and Dave.”
Ted chimed in after Mia stopped “We knew she would not believe us so we asked for Michael and Julie’s help. She softened but Mia was the one that pulled the wool over her head. She used the heart to capture Reina’s good side.”
“Such a shame when she has finally regret everything, she still has to go to jail.” Mia sighed sadly.
Joe shook his head “Maybe not.”
The group turned to him curiously “The best we could do is ask the judge to lower her sentence.” Chuck knew the law.
Joe smiled “Not if I could help it.” He pulled out an envelope that the Mayor gave him “This is a petition to not only lower Reina’s sentence to 10 years, but to give her probation of only 2 months and on top of that she will get a reward of $1.2 million dollars for killing TK, who was up for reward the minute the Mayor was returned.”
“How many signatures do you need?” Ted asked.
“Just the entire Team and anyone who was involved with solving this mission.” Joe smiled as he passed around the paper and a pen. Everyone signed it. He turned to Erin last “I know you are still angry at Reina. You don’t have to sign it if you don’t want to.”
Erin lowered her head “You mean I get to be the bad guy?” she shook her head “I have already forgiven her.” She smiled. It was contagious as everyone smiled at each other, “Ted, could you help me?” she began rubbing her eyes when they began to itch again.
He led her to a table where he moved the pen to the right line. She signed it and he folded it as he handed it over to Joe “I’m off to see the Mayor. Don’t miss me too much.”
“I won’t!” Jenna announced. She waved as if he was going away for good. After Joe shook his head with a smile and walked out the door, Jenna let out a long sigh, “God, I thought he’d never leave. So what do you really think about Joe.”
They looked at her strangely but it was Darren that commented, “We’re not falling for that one.” Becca cracked up while Doug high five Darren.
Ted shook his head at the team as he turned to Erin, his smile faded “What’s wrong?”
She rubbed her eyes again “It’s itching again.”
“I’ll take you to see the optometrist.” Ted offered.