Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
Erin found it hard to sleep that night knowing that Luke was locked up somewhere. She could only imagine what they were doing to him. It was a few hours until they were to meet at headquarters. She felt the sudden need to clear her conscience as she woke and dressed in warm clothes due to the cold weather they were having lately. The sky was still dark when she reached the cemetery. It was locked as she expected, looking around she found the coast clear as she climbed the gate and entered.
Stuffing her hands in her pockets, she found his grave with ease. Kneeling in front of it as she bowed with respect “Hey you. Betcha didn’t think I could be up so early.” His picture stared back at her with a frozen smile “I’m sorry. I seemed to have lost your brother.” She didn’t have the heart to look at his picture “I’m so useless, I can’t even protect one person. He was taken from right under my nose and it didn’t occur to me until later. Maybe I really am not cut out for it.” Tearing up, she lowered her head with closed eyes “Why won’t it stop?”
“Because that is your destiny.” A haunting voice appeared before her as she raised her head at the same time a tear slid from her cheek. The face was familiar but she knew the words, the tone “Long time no see.” He grinned, his dimple still in place as she last remembered.
“Brad.” Erin whispered, tears of joy escaped. He sat on the gravestone comfortably “What should I do?”
“Erin, haven’t you learned anything in the past four years?” he asked gently.
Nodding, she gulped back the tears “Yes, that I can’t do this without you.”
Shaking his head, the silhouette answered, “No, you can. And you have all the answers, you know what to do, you just want someone to agree with you. I’ll always be there when you need me but there comes a time when you’ll need more than that. I am only a figure of your imagination when you feel helpless.”
She laughed at herself pathetically “So basically, I’m a crazy woman that talks to herself thinking that she’s talking to her dead fiancé.”
Jumping off the stone, he knelt down in front of her “I’m as real as you make me.” His eyes were vibrant as he smiled “Close your eyes.” Erin found it ridiculous but she decided to do as he asked. She felt something cold touch her face “You feel that?” nodding while keeping her eyes shut, afraid if she opened them he would leave “You’re not crazy, just confused. Whatever happens to Luke, I will forgive you. It’s not your responsibility Erin, you have to understand that. Everything happens for a reason.”
“I am my biggest critique.” Erin opened her eyes and sighed when he was still present.
He looked at the sky and realized the sun was rising “I have to go. Be strong.” Brad advised before disappearing into the wind.
She felt newly charged as she got up and ran out of the cemetery ready to take on the mission. Erin was the first to enter headquarters as she checked out her gun and bulletproof vest. Glancing at her watch, she realized the rest would not be there for at least another two hours. Marching to the training room, she practiced her gunfire and martial arts.
It felt like hours until she was finally exhausted. She had no idea he was watching her the whole time “I’m glad you found a new drive.” He leaned against the door coolly.
Erin wiped the sweat from her forehead “They got Luke.” She said flatly.
“I know.” Devin replied with a grin. He pulled a photo from his shirt and showed it to her “It appears Hung Gor is gathering his own circus.”
Her brows wrinkled when she noticed the cages in the picture “We’ll get him.” She passed it back to him.
He raised his brows in surprise “Well, I’m not sure I like this new confidence you have. It’s one thing to have confidence but it’s another to be cocky.”
“No, cocky is when you think you’re God’s gift to women. I am just sure of myself.” Erin smiled victoriously.
He laughed humorously “Contrary to what you may believe, I only think I’m God’s gift to you…alas you haven’t noticed it yet.”
She reached for her water bottle as she took a long gulp and walked by him with a crooked grin “And I won’t ever realize it.” She walked backwards with a teasing grin “I’m going to shower before the meeting, I’d ask you to come but your ego might take up all the room.” Devin nodded with a pressed lip smile, defeated.
*************
“Are we clear on everything?” Devin asked again. The team nodded firmly as they secured the vests under their normal clothes and guns in pocket.
Doug shifted uneasily “My vest is a little small.”
“That’s because that’s not yours doofus. It’s Reina’s.” Mia pointed out with a laugh.
“No wonder the girl looked at me funny.” Doug peeled off the vest as Reina switched with him “Hope you don’t mind the sweat smell, I didn’t have time to shower this morning.” The group groaned with disgust.
Devin shook his head at the bunch “I don’t want any rock unturned, pull aside anyone that looks suspicious. Ted and his team will be helping the second we call them. Let’s do good today team.”
“Yes Sir!!” there was proud grins and confidence in their eyes as they saluted him.
“Move out!” he ordered.
“Wait, where’s Carmen?” Mia noticed.
“That’s a first.” Doug snickered.
“She’s running late.” Devin said shortly “Let’s go.”
Taking separate cabs, the divided groups marched to their positions. Mia and Erin raced towards the crowded escalators “Scorpio and Pisces on board.” They checked in the minute the reached the third floor.
“Good, start from the top.” Devin answered, “Be careful girls.”
“Isn’t that sweet, he’s worried for us.” Mia teased her friend.
Erin ignored her friend with a shaking head as she spotted something different on their way up to the fourth floor. She nodded to a guy snooping in a corridor that appeared to be an emergency exit “You see him?”
“Yeah. I’ll get him, you keep going up.” Mia turned and ran the opposite way the escalators were going. Taking two steps at a time, she managed to beat the moving stairs.
“Hot cappuccino please.” Doug ordered. Ryan looked at him exasperatedly “I need to wake up!”
“That’s fine.” Devin replied, “Act normal, that will distract the terrorists.”
Picking up his drink, he found a seat underneath an umbrella table as he sat down careful not to spill his drink. Ryan opened a newspaper while his eyes searched the area for anyone suspicious “That’s very subtle hole.” Doug said with extra sarcasm as he pointed to the hole in the middle of the paper that was obviously cut.
Jenna pouted, “That was MY idea!”
Doug laughed, “Now it makes sense. Ryan isn’t that dumb.”
Matt patted Jenna on the shoulder as he nodded to a few passerby that looked at her strangely “Come on.” Suddenly, his eye caught on a moving motorcycle that zoomed by them. His eyes tracing the car until it turned a corner.
“What’s wrong?” Jenna asked.
Touching his ear piece, he warned the rest “Guys, look out for a motorcycle guy. I have a feeling he might be one of them.”
“Ah Gam rides a motorcycle.” Erin advised from her position.
“Darren, do you see anything strange?” Devin asked.
“No. Everything is clear.” He stayed low behind his long binoculars that was especially set up for him across the mall.
Reina was restless “I should be out there.”
“I’ve made up my mind.” Devin said firmly.
Mia’s hand sat over her gun in the pocket as she opened the door carefully and followed along the empty hallway “Pisces is inside the cave, everything clear so far…”
“Cave?” Doug laughed, “That’s a stupid code.”
“Well you should understand since you speak stupid language!” Mia blurted suddenly, she heard a door slam close. Yanking out her gun, she pointed down the hall “Who’s there?!”
“You see someone?” Erin asked.
Mia moved quickly down and noticed a door ajar “It’s a stairwell. Erin, he’s going to the fourth floor.”
“I’m on it!” Erin answered as she sprinted towards the same emergency exit that was vertical from Mia’s position. Pushing the door open, she raced down the hall to the stairwell in time to catch the guy walking out “Stop!” she ordered. Panicking, he turned and ran back down the stairs. He was quickly sandwiched with Mia at the bottom and Erin at the top.
“Run! Come on!” Mia challenged with a beckoning finger. The guy looked from one girl to the other as he took a chance with Erin, who looked more petite from the crazy woman. Wincing, Mia turned away after Erin punched him clear across the face “Oooh, wrong choice.” Stepping on his chest, she asked, “Where is it?”
“Where is what? Who are you people?” the guy asked “I didn’t steal anything!”
“Steal?” Erin motioned for Mia to take her feet off “What the hell are you doing snooping in this hallway?”
“I…I…I was eh…” he looked embarrassed as he turned away, tongue tied.
Erin sighed “Checking out the salesgirl at the computer shop.” Pulling him to his feet, she nodded to the exit “Get out.” Turning to Mia, she shook her head “Come on.”
“Sir, I think I see the guy in the motorcycle.” Darren advised when he spotted the guy parking his bike on the sidewalk by a meter. Pulling off his helmet, he had a clear view of the guy’s face “It’s Ah Gam!”
“Team, stay on your toes!” Devin ordered. Reina clutched her stomach suddenly. At the corner of his eyes, he could see her “What’s wrong?” he asked without much feeling.
“I don’t know. It just hurts.” She groaned in pain.
Matt stopped in his tracks as he looked worried “Reina, are you okay? She was having stomach pains last night.”
“I have to get to a restroom.” Reina shook her head. Devin softened as he watched her face wrinkle in excruciating pain, nodding, he gave her the green light to leave.
“Come back the minute you feel better.” He said with authority while taking over the computer map of the Time Square section.
The second she was out of the van, she turned off the earpiece and raced towards the mall. On the second floor, she found the shop with ease. The sales girl greeted her with a smile as she nodded and grabbed a shirt on the table “I want to try this on.”
“Sure, let me get—”
“This room is available.” She pointed to a room that opened emerging Ah Gam as he slid pass her. Entering, she found the gun he hid behind a hung up shirt. Pushing it into the back of her jeans, securing its position “Sorry Doug.” She whispered before opening the door to take care of business.