I don't like them innocent
I don't want no face fresh
Want them wearing leather
Begging, let me be your taste test
I like the sad eyes, bad guys
Mouth full of white lies
Kiss me in the corridor
But quick to tell me goodbye
Ghost, Halsey
Z
Why the hell was I surprised that he was gone when I woke up?
I'd slept well into the middle of the day after the tequila and a few Tylenol to quell the headache that was blooming behind my eyes. Han laid down next to me in bed as I was falling asleep, but I remember thinking his body language was different than before. Normally when he went to bed, he sunk into the sheets and made himself completely comfortable. There was something stiff about the way he settled in this time.
At least he left a note. It was laying on his pillow a few inches from my face.
I flipped it over expect it to be a goodbye letter, but instead, it had a time and "Mexico City" written on it in Han's handwriting. I'd seen his writing before, and it was relatively neat, but this time it was scrawled, likely done in a hurry.
I felt a sink in my chest, wondering if I lost my chance at Toretto and everything he represented.
I almost didn't want to call Brian, but I did it anyway. I knew if I didn't have an update for him soon he would do something stupid, like come down and get me. I chewed what was left of my bottom lip while I listened to it ring. I was about to hang up when someone answered.
"Hello?" I asked unsurely.
"Anna." Brian's voice answered back. My name sounded clipped and all business. I could hear his fingers flying across the keys of his work computer. Brian was on the hunt.
"What's going on?" I knew the answer.
"There's been a kidnapping." My heart sunk in my chest. I had worked my fair share of those.
"Is the suspected kidnapper known to the child?" I asked.
"No." I breathed out through my teeth. Those were the worst. They were the ones I normally ended up working with.
"I just wanted to let you know I'm going to Mexico City to dodge the worst of the storm. I'm going to let you go so you can get back to work." I said, jumping right to the point.
"I wish you were here, Beck," Brian said earnestly.
"Would Penning let me come back?" I asked. That would honestly be the best thing. Han was probably long gone and I didn't know if I could even make it to Mexico City, but I was going to try. Even without Han, it was on my list of places to go.
"No. Not now. His lawyer buddies are still pissed. They're fighting everything. They said we're making a scapegoat out of a dead man." He sounded distracted.
"Can they really fight that?" I asked.
"I mean, they can, but it's not going to accomplish much of anything. They might get your leave extended. I'm kind of glad you aren't here."
"So Penning is actually going to approve of my trip to Mexico City?" I asked incredulously. He made a noise in the back of his throat.
"Penning was expecting you to visit Portland." Brian started sounding distracted and the tapping of keyboard keys picked up speed.
"I've been there. It's my time to do something new." I told him.
"Do something that's not work for a change. Have you been able to shut that off?"
"Nope. Started looking-" I stopped dead.
"For what? Things to investigate?" The typing stopped. He sounded incredulous.
"Sounds stupid when you say it." He laughed.
"Listen. Go have fun. What would you even do with the information you found? It's not admissible in court and you have no jurisdiction. Go get drunk, hang out with your 'vacay booty call'" He sneered at the words. "and stop thinking about being your cop. You're going to get over your head real quick down there."
"You got the phrase 'vacay booty call' from Lisa didn't you?" I deadpanned.
"Yes, and I hate myself for saying it out loud. Listen, when you come home you're going to have to be at the top of your game. You don't down there. Take advantage of that."
"You're right. When did you get so wise, buddy?" I teased. He snorted again.
"Listen, I have to go. You'd better call me the very second you get to Mexico City."
"Yes, Dad."
"I'm not into that."
"Good to hear it. If I knew otherwise, then it might make work uncomfortable." I thought I heard a muttered 'fuck you'. "I'm not into being mothered either."
"It's me or Lisa." I groaned.
"You know, maybe I am fine with it." He chuckled.
"Yeah, I am the lesser of two evils. Bye, I have to go."
"Bye." I heard a snatch of voices from the office before Brian hung up. They must have gotten a break in the case.
With talking to Brian off my to-do list, I turned my thoughts to the tasks at hand.
What the fuck was I about to do? I didn't know Han. Literally, the only thing I knew about him was he was a member of Toretto's crew and he knew I killed people. My investigation skills were clearly terrible on this trip. I didn't have any excuse for being this distracted. This could easily turn dangerous.
His vague note really didn't mean anything, either. Was he expecting me to meet him in Mexico City or was he going to take me? Did I have a way there without him?
Unsure of what else to do, I called the local airport. Communicating in Spanish sucked, and eventually, the man I was speaking to found someone that spoke English so he didn't have to deal with me butchering his language anymore. It all ended up being a giant waste of time; the flights out were all booked. The woman was nice enough to check the buses for me and those were all booked too.
I was actually stuck.
I flipped on the television and found the weather. The purple blob on the radar had gotten bigger and was spinning closer. The weatherman was looking excited as he made a bunch of wild gestures demonstrating the probable path of the hurricane.
My Spanish sucked, but even I could translate Ciudad de México on the map and could tell the hurricane was obviously turning the other way based on the radar image. They'd get a day or two of rain at the absolute most from this. I needed a way there.
I really needed a car.
That sucked because the only person I could ask about that was currently using his to steal who knew what with Dominic Toretto.
I felt a tightness in my chest. I had to let Toretto go. Brian was right; there was nothing I could gain from stalking Toretto. This would, unfortunately, mean I would have to let go of Han.
Probably for the best; there was no way he was coming back.
Z
I stayed up late packing. For what, I wasn't sure. Every tourist in the city was trying to get out, and I couldn't find a way to Mexico City. There was a super expensive flight to LA, but I couldn't bring myself to actually book it. I'd rather weather out the storm. The owners of the villa had sent workers to board up the windows and the set of french doors leading out to the pool. I'd probably be safe here.
I was too much of an uptight planner for this uncertain, waiting around shit.
I had taken Han's note out with the trash at some point during the day. I couldn't remember what time was on it, but I knew that had come and gone. He had already left town, and I was mad about it.
Not as mad as Brian was going to be when he didn't get that call saying I was in Mexico City.
Unsure of what else to do, I went to sleep and waited for landfall.
Z
I jolted awake. It felt like I'd been in bed for about ten minutes when I heard a noise from the front room. I flipped my phone over; it had only been twenty minutes.
I'd talked to robbers about their decision making a lot over the years. A lot of them told me that they watched the house and waited for the homeowners to go to bed. If that was the case, then they were about to be in for a rough surprise. I was pissed.
The back door out of my bedroom was covered with plywood as were the windows, so there wasn't a way out, but that was fine; I still had the front door. I slid out of bed and picked up the heavy lamp on the nightstand. I would fight my way out of this if I had to.
My heart started hammering in my ears as the adrenaline surged. I heard their footsteps softly move towards the bedroom door. I leaned against the wall next to it, hoping they wouldn't bother to look my direction.
The door creaked open slowly. I tightened my grip on the lamp, ready to swing. The door was pushed the rest of the way open. I took a deep steadying breath as the person walked through it, heading directly for the bed.
The room was pitch black, so I knew they couldn't see me. The problem was, I couldn't see them. I had one shot with this stupid lamp. I was preparing to wack them over the head, but their voice stopped me.
"Anna?"
"Han? What the fuck is wrong with you?" I heard his feet scrape across the floor as he spun around quickly. I could feel him lunge for me in the dark. The movement startled me, and I did the only thing I could think to do; I dropped the lamp and punched him in the face.
Z
"Are you mad?" I asked once the dust had finally settled.
Turns out he was reaching for the light switch.
There was a flurry of activity after my fist hit his face and the lamp shattered on the ground. When the lights came on, there was glass over every square inch of the bedroom and a red spot blooming up on Han's cheekbone. He apologized profusely for scaring me and I sort of apologized for hitting him.
"What the fuck was that?" He frowned as he pressed the washcloth filled with ice to his cheek. "You hit like a boxer."
"I thought you were a robber," I answered as I moved the ice pack off of his cheek to inspect the growing bruise. "What the fuck are you doing here? I thought you were long gone."
"You don't seem too torn up about it." He gave me a lopsided smile that slid off when he saw the look on my face.
I had not felt great about knowing he was gone, and I had stewed about it all day. I cared a lot more than I wanted to.
"It's been a day." I finally answered. I felt my lips twist together in an unflattering sneer.
"You couldn't find a flight?" Han asked. I shook my head.
"I need a car." I blurted. He chuckled. "I'm serious."
"What would you do if you had one?" The question was patronizing, but the tone of his voice was anything but.
"I came to Mexico to get out of my life. I thought I was going to have to go back home. I just want to -" What did I want?
"You're running?" He asked.
"You are too." I shot back. His eyebrows shot up. "You know why I'm running. I just want to know what you're running from."
I'd seen so many criminals make excuses and try to deflect or distract, but Han didn't do that. He glanced down to my bag on the floor and then back up at my face. He regarded me with interest, but there was not one trace of fear. He was arrogant; that had been the downfall of many a criminal. It had also been the cause of my own.
"You're not stupid." He told me.
"You're in on something."
"You want in too?" I was trying to decide if it was a question or not.
He shook out the kitchen towel in the sink. The ice clattered, noisily breaking the silence. He took his time folding up the towel and draping it over the handle of the oven.
"You're asking me to leave with you?" I finally said. He nodded.
"Didn't you come here looking for an adventure? You're not going to get it out of tourist guides and vacation towns."
My heart started hammering in my chest.
I felt like he was handing me what I need. I needed an out. I needed to forget about being a cop so I could forget about Ross and maybe get a chance to heal. Brian was right; I wasn't going to get anywhere by staying wrapped up in my FBI agent thoughts. Of all people, he knew what it was like to go through something like this.
"I can't go back to the way things were." I finally answered.
"So come with me. Let's get out of here." Han gestured to the door. My heart was in my throat and I felt the same kind of rush I did when I got behind the wheel of that LA police Charger.
"Let's go."