Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
In a daze, she could hear him calling her from a distance. Fluttering her eyes open, she looked around the blank white room, his smile was comforting “Jessie.” Doug clasped her hand between his “Hey you.”
Jessie smiled in return “I didn’t think I would see you in heaven.”
Doug’s smile faded “You’re not dead.”
“What?” her brows furrowed.
He pointed around the room “Its just the hospital. You’re safe and I’m still alive.”
“But I thought…” she shook her head in confusion.
“It was just a plan Mia came up with…” he began explaining.
In Michael’s room sat Erin and Julie, she seated by his bed waiting for him to come to. It seemed like hours since they released him from intensive care. His system was free of drugs but he remained weak as he finally opened his eyes “Michael! He’s awake!” Julie exclaimed to Erin.
“Michael.” She smiled while getting up and standing behind Julie “You’re okay, don’t worry.”
He nodded “I feel like my bladder just exploded.” He reached out and held onto Julie’s hand “I’m sorry…for worrying you.”
Tears welling up as she shook her head “No…you didn’t. I knew the team would get you out. They always do.”
Michael turned to Erin with a smile “No offense but I think I need to get away from you people.”
Erin laughed with a nod “I understand. I had suggested that to Julie, maybe it’s for the best.”
“Yes, it is.” Michael agreed with a tired sigh.
“Well, you two probably have a lot of catching up, I’ll go check on the others.” Erin smiled at the two with admiration and left the room.
************
Luke felt an aching pain down his back as he twitched his body on the hospital bed “He’s awake.” Ryan patted Jenna on the cheek, she was tired of waiting and had rested on his shoulder.
“Luke!” Jenna rushed to his side “Are you okay?”
“I’m hungry.” He looked strangely at them “I feel like I haven’t ate for days.”
“You didn’t. Apparently, they starved you and Jessie. But don’t worry, everyone is safe and sound.” Jenna assured.
“How’s Carmen?” he asked.
Jenna turned away and buried her face in Ryan’s chest “We couldn’t save her.”
“What?” Luke screeched his voice.
Ryan rolled his eyes “She’s teasing you. We were able to save everyone. Carmen is in the room next to you.” He pointed to the left.
“I want to go see her.” Luke pulled the blanket off weakly and prepared to get up when he felt a surge of draining energy overcome his body. Laying back, he covered his face with a hand “Maybe later.”
Jenna grinned with a shaking head when she turned to a knock on the door, it opened and appeared Carmen, limping on one leg “Speak of the devil. Hi Carmen.”
“Hey…” she greeted and turned to Luke, who was smiling goofily at her “Wipe that stupid smile off your face, I was just checking to see if you were dead yet.”
“Vicious aren’t they?” Ryan winked at Luke, but he earned a jab in the ribs by Jenna.
“It’ll take more than starvation and bombs strapped to my body to kill me.” Luke said bravely.
“We should see how Matt is doing.” Jenna spoke up suddenly. Pulling Ryan along, she left the two to talk amongst themselves, knowing that that’s what they wanted. Holding onto Ryan’s hand, she strolled down the hall “Are you ready?”
“For what?” he turned to her innocently.
She frowned with a pout “You promised.”
Laughing as he pinched her cheek adoringly, he nodded “I’m only kidding. I’ll tell Gor as soon as we see him.”
“Well come on then!” She began dragging him towards Matt’s room.
Touching his forehead for the fifth time, she relaxed again knowing that his temperature was back to normal. Reina smiled when his face began to flick, it was nice to see his face again, to stare at him. Her hand wrapped around his tightly as she sighed “I’m sorry, Matt. I didn’t mean to lie to you again.”
“Reina…” he muttered her name incoherently “Reina…”
“Matt.” She shook him gently to wake him from the dream “Matt.” She called louder. Slowly his eyes opened as her smile grew wider.
“Reina, am I dreaming?” he asked.
Shaking her head, she grinned “No…I’m here.”
“I thought I heard you earlier but I thought it was just my imagination. How did you get out?” he pushed himself up into a sitting position.
Reina smiled “I’ll explain as soon as everyone gets here.” She had paged for the group to meet in Matt’s room for a meeting.
Just then, the door thrust open appearing an out of breath Jenna and Ryan “M…Matt…” she said between breaths.
“Hi to you too.” Matt frowned strangely “Did you two race again?”
Ryan shook his head “No…no…I…have something…to tell…you.”
“It can wait. Have a seat first.” Reina instructed.
It was Mia and Darren that entered next, hand in hand they looked like a love sick couple “Hey guys, what’s the rush?” Mia greeted.
“In a minute.” Reina said shortly and pointed to the couch. Luckily Matt’s room was the largest, it was able to fit a lot of people.
Erin knocked on Matt’s room door and opened it “You’re late!” Mia tapped her watch.
“And you’re dead meat.” Erin warned. Mia threw her friend a wide grin as she tapped on the empty seat next to her. Shaking her head, she took the seat while waiting for the rest to come in.
Doug could hear laughing even before he reached the door. Opening it, he asked “Is this where the party is?”
“Hi lover!” Mia waved wildly.
He laughed as he approached an empty chair he found by the other empty bed. He took a place next to Jenna and Ryan. Devin walked in as he supported Carmen with one hand “You guys might want to keep your voices down, I think I heard the nurse saying she was going to send up security.” Turning to Matt, he nodded “You okay?”
“Better than I’ve been in the past 48 hours.” He joked.
Reina stood up to help Carmen into a chair “Thanks.” She said gratefully.
“So, I want to start by apologizing to each and every one of you. I know it’s a tough month that we went through, what with losing an agent and another one going to jail, not to mention the string of kidnaps of our dear and loved ones.” Reina began.
“Boo!!! Sit down.” Mia hissed.
“You want to do it?” Reina raised her brows.
Popping from her seat, she practically took over the spot light as she began to animate “Well, it all started about a month ago when I was eating dinner with Darren and I saw Reina in a black trench coat exchanging something with someone I didn’t recognize. Curious, I decided to follow her…..”
********FLASHBACK**********
Mia followed her outside the restaurant instead of going to the bathroom like she told Darren. Feeling that she was being followed, Reina quickened her steps. She merged into traffic and when the steps caught up with her, she stopped and spun around with an arm whipping at her follower but the person blocked her “Mia!” she sighed with relief.
Mia was suspicious “What are you doing there Reina? I saw that person pass you a paper, it looked like a check. Are you working for the CIA?”
Reina turned her eyes strangely “Yeah…yeah…I am.”
“Thank goodness.” Mia laughed, “At first I thought you were taking a bribe but then I thought about it and it just didn’t make any sense. The only person that would do anything to harm us right now is Hung Gor, but you don’t know the guy…” Reina laughed nervously while nodding “Oh my God, he’s bribing you!” Mia pointed.
Reina spun in a circle to look for anyone else that might be watching them as she pulled Mia into a little café shop and took a seat “Please, don’t tell anyone about this.”
“Reina! You can’t do this. Does Matt know?” Mia pressed.
“No! And he’s the last person that should know.” Reina emphasized, “I’m sorry, I didn’t weaken but Hung Gor is very powerful.”
“How…how did you know this guy?” Mia was confused “What’s that check for? Oh my God, you’re an assassin.” She threw her hands in defeat “We lost you…we lost you, didn’t we?”
“Mia, stop being so dramatic!” Reina scolded “I’ll tell you, but don’t you dare repeat this to anyone!” she told her everything, from the history of her old days to the most recent request from Hun Gor, to kill Doug.
Mia sat back in the chair “Doug…you…you’re going to kill him?”
“No! I couldn’t do it even if I wanted to.” Reina assured her “There is only one way to get out of this.”
“I’m afraid to ask.” Mia said slowly.
“I die.” Reina said flatly. Mia began shaking her head “No, listen to me…if I die, then Hung Gor will not have anything to threaten the team with. You guys can catch his ass and throw him in jail for good.”
“What about Matt?” Mia reminded her.
She sighed sadly “I have a letter that I wrote out explaining everything. I’ve thought about this Mia. On the day of the Time Square mission is the day I’m suppose to kill Doug.”
“There must be a way out….” Mia was desperate to keep her friend’s life “Wait…I know…fake a death.”
“My death?” Reina asked. Mia grinned with a shaking head “Doug’s?”
“Bingo.” Mia snapped her fingers. She leaned her arm around the chair “And Darren says my head is full of mush. Hah!”
Reina raised her brows “I think it was Doug that said that.”
“Oh…right.” Mia cleared her throat “Okay, so this is what we’ll do….”
**********END OF FLASHBACK**********
“So Mia called me and told me about her plan.” Doug continued, cutting into Mia’s words. She wasn’t pleased but decided not to argue “I thought it was crazy and the idea of lying in that coffin again, wow…that was enough for me to back out.”
"Chicken." Mia muttered.
“So you guys got Ethan into this.” Erin guessed.
Mia pointed to her friend “Precisely, I knew it wouldn’t work if we brought Doug in the hospital but the doctors would say that he wasn’t shot. I called Ethan hoping that he would do me this favor…it must be my charm but he said he’d do anything for me.”
“I’m still here, Mia.” Darren reminded her coolly.
She giggled, “I know sweetie. You’ll always be my favorite husband.” Throwing him a kiss while he smiled, it was hard to be mad at her for a long period of time.
“With that in mind, we knew the plan would work but only if Hung Gor and his people believed it. That’s why the funeral was printed in the newspaper.” Reina continued.
“But why did you turn yourself in?” Jenna asked.
Devin tapped his chin “Easy, it’s the safest place Reina could be in. Hung Gor would not be worried about her since her job to kill Doug was already done and he couldn't ask her to do another job. She took all the wrap and he continues to live outside the law.”
“Exactly.” Mia pointed to Devin. Carmen raised her hand as Mia acknowledged her “Yes, you the crippled girl.”
“Actually, this is for the boss. How did you know where the hideout was?” she asked Devin.
“You knew?” Reina questioned.
Erin spoke up “This, we had Luke to thank.”
“Luke?” Jenna looked even more confused.
“If he didn’t pose as Brad to get to Carmen, she wouldn’t have given him the old college album which had a picture of Brad, Carmen and Ah Gam.” Erin explained.
“What?” Mia turned to Reina looking shocked.
Erin arched her brow up at her friend “I told you.” Reina crossed her arms at Mia warningly. She smiled weakly and returned to her seat next to Darren “Anyways, after Carmen found out the truth, Luke was devastated.” She snuck a glance at Carmen to see her reaction but the girl only looked down at her hands “I opened up some of Brad’s old things to show Luke, just to light up his spirits when we ran across his journal. He convinced me to read it and I discovered someone in there…”
“Reina.” Devin finished “The description of the girl fit Reina to the exact. That’s why I was extra cautious of the Time Square mission to keep Reina in the van with me. Unfortunately…”
“I realized that Ah Gam had a crush on Carmen back in college. I mentioned it to Devin and he suggested that Carmen go to check out the old sewing manufacturing company.” Erin explained, “Even if she was caught, we knew she would not be killed.”
“The last time Erin and I fought with Ah Gam, it was in an alleyway. He was especially careful not to let us enter the alley. I noticed that and figured it might be a hideout. Doing a little research, I found out that the building was owned by a woman by the name of Chan Kwok Lai. Sister of the ever so famous Hung Gor.” Devin finished.
Mia began clapping her hands together “Great work!”
“Nothing beats your little trick.” Erin pointed out. She nodded to Darren “It almost cost you a husband and a kid.”
“I’m sorry.” Mia widened her eyes “I promise, it won’t happen again.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that before.” Doug nodded to his friend “Don’t believe her. I wouldn’t, I mean look where I turned out? Lying in a coffin with two sleeping pills in my body. I slept for hours.”
“Wait, how did you get out?” Jenna asked.
“That explains why the priest made us go out so he can bless the body in private.” Erin snapped her fingers “Sneaky.”
“Or just plain smart.” Mia tapped her temple while winking at the others.
“You came up with that?” Erin laughed.
Her smile dropped “No, Reina did.” She muttered.
“But the good news is that we killed the crazy mad man and saved the world.” Matt finished, everyone began laughing.
“Yes and business will presume on Monday morning ten o’clock sharp.” Devin pointed, “Those that are injured can miss a few days.”
“Damn! Punch me Ryan…right now.” Jenna pointed to her gut.
He patted her on the head “Aww…but I'll pass. Thanks for asking though.”
Doug stifled a laugh as Jenna turned to him threateningly “Shut up! You have to go too.”
“No, I’ve been through an emotional rollercoaster. It’s exempt.” He nodded firmly but earned a shake of the head from Devin “Damn!” he cursed to himself.
“I know this is the wrong time.” Erin stood up before Devin could leave the room.
“She’s going to propose.” Mia whispered loudly.
She threw her friend a good glare “No. I was going to ask about Becca’s funeral.”
Devin nodded and turned to Matt “What do you think?”
“Joe always said, once an agent always an agent. She might not deserve a grand funeral but she should have a respectable one for turning back at the last minute.” Matt reasoned.
“Good point. Reina, can you take care of it?” Devin reached for the door when he felt a hand stop him.
“Uncle, don’t you have something to do?” she turned to Erin and flicked her head towards her.
He smiled knowingly but decided to avoid the question “You might want to see a doctor for that tick.” Without another word, he left the room as Erin turned to the door in time to see it close. Jenna threw her a sympathetic smile.