Thank you Guest 1 and 2 for your reviews! I'm glad this story is being enjoyed. I know one of my readers is going to be very happy with this chapter ;)
Brian paused outside of the entrance of the gypsy woman's place. His gut told him this was where he was to go. He turned around, scanning the area for someone else.
"You came," Mr. Nobody said, coming out of the shadows. Brian spun to face him.
"What do you want?" Brian asked.
"I am here to tell you something," he replied.
"Tell me what?" Brian demanded.
"Brian, I know your father," Mr. Nobody said.
"No you don't," Brian said stupidly.
"Yes, I do. He was my best partner," Mr. Nobody went on.
"No, he wasn't. He was a good for nothing loser who abandoned his family," Brian snarled.
"Brian," Mr. Nobody said slowly. "Have a seat." He gestured to the hood of Brian's car. Brian reluctantly obliged.
"What's this have to do with her?" Brian asked, pointing to the woman who was peering out the window at them.
"I'll get to that," he promised. "Now, listen. When you were a small boy, your father had to go away on a mission."
"No," Brian interrupted.
"He had to leave you and your mother without saying why," Mr. Nobody went on.
"No," Brian said again, louder.
"Of course, he wasn't supposed to even have a family being in this career, but he loved your mother far too much."
"Stop it!" Brian shouted.
"He left to go on a mission and died, Brian. He died before you were eight years old," Mr. Nobody finished. "That's why he never came back."
"That's a lie!" Brian yelled, standing up and moving until he was inches from Mr. Nobody. "That's a f***ing lie and you know it!"
"How is it a lie, Brian?" Mr. Nobody asked.
"Because she said she saw him!" Brian shouted, pointing to the woman. "She said he was here recently!"
"She's a gypsy, Brian," Mr. Nobody said. "Your father spoke to her from beyond the grave."
"BULLSHIT!" Brian roared. "This is all bullshit!"
"Are you going to calm down so we can finish talking?" Mr. Nobody asked. "There's more."
"What else could there possibly be left to say?" Brian asked, angry.
"Well, your father had a run in with a woman..." Mr. Nobody trailed off.
"I thought you said he died on that mission he left us for?" Brian asked.
"He did. Brian, a mission can take years to complete. He met a woman and since he could never return to all of you, he pursued her, and, well..."
"What are you trying to tell me?" Brian demanded.
"Brian, you've got siblings," Mr. Nobody finished. There was a stunned silence.
"How many?" Brian asked quietly.
"Two. Twins really. Fraternal. Boy and girl. Look, I know where one of them is," Mr. Nobody said. "If you want to meet him."
"Why would I want to meet him or any of them?" Brian asked. "They are nothing to me."
"Well, they would like to meet you. At least, he would," Mr. Nobody said. He looked over to where his car was parked.
"You brought one with you?!" Brian yelped. "What is wrong with you?!"
"I had hoped you would be a little more receptive," he replied.
"I'm not doing this," Brian said, backing away. "I'm not meeting my father's mistress's child."
"He's your half brother whether you like it or not," Mr. Nobody called after him. Brian got into his car and squealed away. A young man came up beside Mr. Nobody and watched.
"He hates me and he doesn't even know me," he lamented.
"Eric, he's just in shock. Trust me, he'll come around," Mr. Nobody reassured him.
"You really know where my sister is?" Eric asked.
"Almost. She's close," Mr. Nobody promised. Eric just nodded. They had been separated after birth because his mother couldn't raise both of them after their father died. Foster homes hadn't wanted to take them both, so they were split up. Then he was adopted by the Reisners. Eric wished he could have found her sooner. Her or Brian for that matter. It was lonely sometimes.
Deckard-Next Day
He was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. He was trying to put his mind into the mindset of a little girl. Where would she go? What would appear safe to her? He had an idea. He drove slowly towards the local ice cream shop. It was afternoon and warm outside. She was a kid. It made logical sense. He stepped out of his car, looking around carefully. He noticed a silver porsche parked and idling up the block a little. It made him suspicious. Then he saw the bobbing head of a little girl holding a stuffed dog while walking towards the ice cream place. Deckard smiled a little. It had to be her. There was no adult with her, and she was putting on a brave face for the public to see. He approached her cautiously.
"Hello there," he said, making her spin around. She said nothing. She just stared at him, looking like she was going to scream.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Deckard said. "I know your daddy. See?" He pulled out a photograph carefully. He had taken it from Suki's house. Suki was even in the picture to help things along. The little girl stared at it.
"How did you get that?" she asked. "Were you in my house?"
"My brother was. He helped your Aunt Suki get to the hospital. She's all right," Deckard told her. The girl looked at him cautiously. "I swear I'm not going to hurt you. My name is Deckard. I'm a friend of your father's. I can call him for you if you'd like." He showed her his phone for good measure. The girl still looked unsure until she looked over his shoulder and became pale. Deckard turned to see the silver porsche right in front of him with a Japanese man smirking at him. Had to be Takashi.
"Lei, I need you to hide, now," Deckard ordered. She ran. Takashi approached him forcefully.
"She's coming with me," he said.
"Oh, I don't think so," Deckard said.
"You work for me, do you understand?" Takashi asked. "I'm the mob."
"Really," Deckard said, laughing. Takashi glared at him. "I'd say you work for the mob as well. You're not the mob."
"You should really leave, Deckard, and let me handle this," Takashi said, a warning in his voice. "After all, you let him escape all those years ago, so what's stopping me from killing you right now?"
"Your broken arm," Deckard said simply. Takashi looked at him curiously when Deckard reached out quickly and wrenched Takashi's arm right around, making him scream. The snapping sound was sickening. When Deckard let go, Takashi couldn't use his arm at all. He reached for his gun when Deckard knocked it out of his hand and pushed him flat on his ass. Takashi rolled away quickly and lashed out his legs at Deckard's, making him jump like he was hopping over a skip rope. He kicked Takashi hard in the side and was about to land another blow when a bullet whizzed past his ear. Deckard ducked, looking to where it had come from. He couldn't see the source, so he ran before he got shot. Another bullet flew past his head. It was a sniper. Had to be. Lei was cowering in a corner in the next alley when he stumbled upon her.
"Come on, kid," he panted. "We gotta go before we're dead meat." Lei grabbed his hand and they ran together. Deckard groaned at the loss of his car. He searched for another one quickly, smashing in the window with his elbow once he found one.
"That's stealing," Lei pointed out. Deckard looked at her incredulously.
"It's justified when it's saving your life," he replied. It seemed to satisfy her. She climbed into the backseat while he hot wired it. Once running, he squealed away. He knew he couldn't take her right to Han as he was now being followed. He also knew he had to let her talk to Han or else she wouldn't trust him. It was going to be a long day.
Suki
The ceiling lights were bright when she opened her eyes. Disoriented, she looked around.
"Hey, baby," Tej said. Suki jumped in surprise.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, feeling angry suddenly.
"I heard what happened. I got here as soon as I could. Look, I am so sorry..."
"Save it. I had my ass handed to me by some freak who broke into my house," Suki snapped. "Where is Lei?" She looked around frantically. "Lei!"
"She's missing," Tej said. Suki stared at him.
"She's what?!"
"Missing. Deckard will find her. He's brilliant at finding people. Can you just relax?"
"You just told me my niece is missing. She's six, Tej! Where is she going to go?"
"She's smart. She'll be fine and then Deckard will find her," Tej reasoned.
"And you're just sitting here? Not even looking for her?" Suki demanded.
"Of course I am!" Tej cried, getting up. "Look, I'm going!" He skidded out of her hospital room. She was boiling mad, and he couldn't believe he had been so stupid as to not be out looking for Lei. Of course she'd think he was the world's biggest idiot. This was not helping his case of being competent at all.
"What are you staring at?" Suki asked Owen, who was sitting in the corner snickering.
"Nothing," Owen replied. "So glad you're awake. You're such a delight."
"I don't even know you," she snapped. "Get out!"
"I'm here to protect you," Owen said calmly. "My brother is out finding your niece. I'm not to leave you."
"I don't need protection," she said hotly.
"Yes, well, seems you do after being thrown down a flight of stairs," Owen said, looking at his fingernails.
"I was caught off guard," she said defensively.
"Aren't we all?" Owen asked. She stared at him. "Get some rest, darling. It's gonna be a long haul."
Dom & Han
"Phone call for you," Dom said, handing the phone to Han. He took it gingerly.
"Hello?"
"Daddy?" a little voice asked, excited.
"Lei!" he cried in relief. "Lei, baby, how are you?"
"I'm okay. Deck is watching me," Lei said seriously. "He's funny."
"That's good," Han said. Deckard was funny? That was a new one.
"When am I going to see you?" Lei asked. Han heard Deckard making a noise in the background at her question.
"I don't know, baby, but soon. It's not safe to be with me right now," Han told her.
"Deck said the same thing," Lei said sadly. "I wanted to see you."
"I want to see you too. I will see you," Han promised. He heard sounds in the background that he didn't like. Sounds of gunfire and tires screeching.
"I have to go now," Lei said.
"Lei? Lei!" Han shouted as the phone disconnected.
"What happened?" Dom asked.
"She hung up. Dom, there was gunfire. My baby is in danger," Han said. He rushed to the door.
"Deckard's got it figured out. If we show up there it'll only end badly for all of us. Look," Dom went on. "She'll be here before you know it. He made a promise, and he'll fulfill it."
"What happened to you?" Han asked. "You used to be all 'go, go, go' and full of action."
"I have a family now, Han," Dom answered. "I can't just take off and be the hero anymore."
"I have a family too, and right now she's being chased by murderers," Han snapped.
"I have seen what Deckard can do," Dom said calmly. "They won't be chasing them for long."
"You have so much faith in the guy who supposedly murdered me," Han muttered.
"And that right there is another example of what Deckard can do," Dom smiled. "It'll be all right, Han. I promise."
"I friggin hope so," Han grumbled. He sat back down. The wait was killing him.
Lei
They were flying around corners and spinning in circles. Deckard's gun wasn't scary to her like the other man's was. She almost admired how swiftly he used it. He had told her to buckle up and hold tight when they first raced off. There seemed to be an unending stream of cars chasing after them. It was like an amusement park ride, and if it wasn't so serious and scary, she'd be enjoying the ride. Deckard's face was all scrunched up while he concentrated. Lei found it funny. Then suddenly it stopped, and they were sitting in the car with billows of smoke rising up from the ground from their tires.
"Can we go see my daddy yet?" she asked.
"Almost. We need to stop and see your aunt first," he said. Lei was okay with this compromise. She missed her Aunt Suki.
Brian
Brian was still angry at what Mr. Nobody had told him. Frank. That was his name. He remembered now. How dare Frank tell him that his father had been unfaithful before he died like it was a good thing? So he had some siblings. So what? He fumed silently. Mia had wondered what was wrong when he came home. He made up some story about a driver almost causing an accident. He wasn't ready to share what he had learned.
"Brian?" Mia asked, entering the living room. The kids were playing at his feet. He was doing his best to interact with them.
"Yea?"
"There's someone here to see you," she said, looking at him curiously. Brian froze. Frank wouldn't have...would he? He went to the door cautiously. A man was standing there looking nervous.
"What do you want?" Brian asked. He felt Mia still right behind him.
"I wish to discuss something with you," the man said.
"Now isn't a great time," Brian said.
"Look, I know he gave you a big shock..." the man started.
"Stop it," Brian said, holding his hand up. Mia was intrigued now.
"Brian, what's going on? Who is he?" she asked.
"I'm Eric," Eric said.
"He's nobody," Brian growled.
"I need to find my sister, Brian. Our sister," Eric went on. "I need your help."
"Sister? Brian?" Mia asked, confused.
"Go inside," Brian told her. "I'll handle this." She gave him a look as though she wasn't sure, but he convinced her otherwise. He turned to face Eric.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Brian demanded. "You just show up here and be all 'Oh I'm you're long lost brother' in front of my wife?"
"I thought you would have told her," Eric said.
"You were wrong. This has nothing to do with her," Brian said angrily.
"Uh, it kind of does," Eric said. "You're married to her."
"Whatever. Can you just get off my front doorstep? I told Frank I wasn't interested in meeting you," Brian snapped.
"Well, here I am, bro," Eric said. "Sometimes you don't get a say in things."
"Get off my lawn," Brian said fiercely.
"Brian, I need to find our sister. She is out there somewhere," Eric went on.
"Too bad for you. I can't help you," Brian said, going back inside.
"I thought if I asked you..."
"You thought wrong," Brian cut him off. He gave Eric a leveled glance.
"All right," Eric said, holding up his hands in defeat. "You win." He watched Brian go back inside. He wished he had started with the letter, the one saying his sister was in danger. Maybe that would have prompted Brian to help him. Eric had no idea where to even find his sister so he could help her. It was all so unsettling.
"What the hell was that about?" Mia asked inside. Brian watched until Eric left.
"So last night Frank met me and told me about my dad and how he left us to go on some top secret mission. Then he tells me my dad knocked up some woman and had twins while on this mission. That is apparently my brother, who is looking for his sister."
"Who is also your sister," Mia said, getting it. "Why did you make him leave?"
"Because it's all so ridiculous!" Brian exploded.
"Brian," Mia said quietly. She tilted her head towards the living room where the kids were playing.
"Sorry," Brian said quickly, lowering his voice. "It's just ridiculous. It doesn't even make any sense. I'm still processing it."
"What if she needs help?" Mia asked.
"You said yourself no more helping people. We're out of the game, remember?" he reminded her.
"I know what I said," Mia replied softly. He stood there radiating anger and confusion. "But maybe you should help him."
"Why? Because he's my brother? Dom is way more of a brother to me than that kid will ever be," Brian said.
"I know," Mia said. "Just think about it." She patted his shoulder before leaving him standing there. He needed to talk to Dom.
On the streets
She revved her car, basking in the gloriousness of racing. She loved this part, the anticipation of who was going to win. It would be her, of course. She was the best. When the flag was dropped, she set off like a bullet from a gun. Her opponent didn't even see it coming. She screeched across the finish line crowing in delight. When she took his keys, she felt even better. Yes, drag racing made her feel so alive. It was in her blood, her genes, yet her father hated cars. She had suspected her real parents must have.
"Hey, Boss?" her associate called. "Someone to see you."
"Send 'em in," she said, snapping her gum. She was counting her winnings. It was great being the head of a racing team. She got a piece of all their cuts.
"Hello, Amelia," he said, coming in. She looked up.
"Travis," she said, smiling. "I wasn't expecting you."
"They sent me to tell you it's time," he told her. She sidled up next to him, fixing his shirt.
"I'm not ready," she replied.
"You have to be. Amelia, this isn't a game to them," Travis said.
"I'll get them their precious money, geez," she said, exasperated. "I miss you."
"Not a good time, doll," Travis said.
"Awww," Amelia said, pouting.
"Just be at the docks for midnight tomorrow all right?" Travis said.
"Ugh, fine," Amelia sighed. "Bye bye now." She pushed him away with one finger. He left, shaking his head. She smiled to herself. He couldn't scare her. She looked out for number one. She always had since fifteen when her parents died. Fifteen years later and she was doing fantastic. A little poke from a certain business partner wasn't enough to make her go running underground. She could handle it.
