AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry this part is so late, but I have been very busy with school work over the past few weeks.
IT WAS ABOUT REVENGE
IT COULD HAVE BEEN A RANDOM ACT OF VANDILISM. Even in a city like New York with every entertainment, kids felt the need to smash things to pass the time. So, in a town such as Quantico - where it was possible to see everything and do everything in a day - Gaia would not be surprised if the kids had a similar hobby.
But she knew her luck: she didn't have any. Gaia could feel her flight or fight instinct begin to kick in. Turning towards Ed, Gaia knew she was going to have to suppress the first part of her instinct, the part she normally submitted too.
"Ed, we should go." The words formed roughly in her throat as she began to brush the broken glass away from the car with her boot. "We need to go."
Ed nodded, a resigned look resting on his face, before reaching towards his car door.
"You're not going anyway."
Ed froze. Gaia snapped her head round. Definitely not a random act of vandalism.
The gruff voice belonged to one of three men wearing dark clothes and day old stubble. Gaia's eyes flicked from one to the next - each one looking smugger than the one before - but something about the man on the left bugged her. His straight nose and strong jaw looked maddeningly familiar, but Gaia could not place him; her brain just slammed against a major roadblock.
Gaia refocused, the glint of metal demanding her attention. Knives. Each one was holding a knife. Now things were complicated. "Ed, don't move," she ordered her voice strong. Three armed men she could handle. Ed getting hurt she could not.
Adrenaline was already buzzing through her veins, awakening her muscles and spiking her skin. Taking a step towards the men, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her badge. "I'm Agent Moore. You mind telling me who you are?"
The smirk on the guy-with-dark-eyes' face stretched and his eyes sparked with amusement. "Oh, I think we mind."
Dread threaded through her nerves. They knew who she was. This wasn't about getting a kick; it was about revenge.
It all fell shattering into place.
The men were part of Socorro. She now clearly remembered Marsh ordering one of them and knocking down the others.
Gaia shook her head slightly, throwing her memories back into the holes they were trying to crawl out from. She beat these thugs before and she wasn't going to allow o few bad memories stopping her doing it this time. Beside she had stopped zillions of bad guys without help, why would she need a fellow FBI now?
She stepped forwards.
Dark-eyed-guy swung out sharply. Gaia ducked, then sprung back up thrusting her elbow into his face. She heard him groan.
Thugs 2 and 3 charged at her. Immediately switching into auto, she knocked Thug 2's arm wide, sending his knife clattering under a nearby bin, then - using an old time favourite move - flipped Thug 3 over her shoulder. The muscles in her arms and back burned as she used the guy's 200+ lbs against him. Thug 2, who she believed Marsh had called Luis, aimed a punch at her chest. Easily blocking it, Gaia spun round and chopped him at the base of his skull. Instantly, his eyes rolled back into his head and he crumpled to the ground, his head smacking against the tarmac with a dull thud.
The air burst out of her lungs. Thug 1 had recovered and thumped his foot into her stomach. Losing balance, Gaia fell backwards onto Thug 3's prone form with a grunt. Pain sparked up her spine as her back slammed into his shoulder. Breathing hard, Gaia blinked heavily, scanning the car park trying to see where Thug 1 had gone.
Air burned up her windpipe again. Thug 1 stood about three feet in front of her, knife in hand. She knew she should be scared, or worried or at least pissed off. But all she felt was calm.
3 FEET. 2 FEET. 1 FOOT. Gaia counted each step Thug 1 took towards her, each step that closed the distance between where he stood and where she lay on the ground. The orange glow cast over the car park from a nearby lamp highlighted the twisted grin that had become his blooded face. He thought he had her cornered. How wrong was he.
Planting her hands on the hard ground, Gaia finished her countdown; zero. Kicking up her feet, Gaia snapped her boots over the blade of the knife in Thug 1's tight grip and pulled. The knife slipped from his grasp as if it was as slimy as he was.
She sprung up, her shoulders squared and her stance solid. Her heart was pounding fast, pushing blood through her veins and drugging her with oxygen. A slight smile tugged at her lips: Thug 1 looked pissed off having been attacked back so easily.
Surprise slammed through her brain and her world spun. Breathing heavily, she tried to understand what had happened. Turning her head, she saw Thug 1 sprawled on the tarmac next to her. The idiot threw both of us to the ground! Gaia rolled over and crawled towards Thug 1. She saw fear fill his eyes as she kneeled in front of him.
Gaia smirked.
She thrust her fist into his head, knocking him unconscious. And with that, she let her body relax.
ED DID NOT REGISTER MOVING FROM HIS SPOT BEHIND THE CAR UNTIL HE WAS CROUCHED ON THE GROUND BESIDE GAIA'S COLLAPSED FORM. Gently, he brushed back a stray strand of her hair that had fallen across her half-close eyes. A lazy smile danced over her lips as her eyes fluttered open to look at him and mutter, "You know, I think I will never tire of kicking ass."
A warm feeling ignited in his chest and seeped through his arms and legs. Shaking his head in amused disbelief, Ed felt a light chuckle rose up his throat. In the few seconds it had taken Ed to move to Gaia's side, the tension that had locked his body had melted into relief, causing his once solidness to shake. It was almost as if the worry had consumed all his strength and left him weak. All he could do was sit down next to Gaia and stare at her alive and safe.
Ed's inner calm faded as he watched Gaia's eyes darken. His last piece of peace disappeared as Gaia turned her serious eyes to him. "Ed, why are you here?"
Ed choked a little. "Um, you asked me to come remember?"
"Yeah, I know," Gaia replied steadily. Shifting slightly next to him, she stopped looking at him, a frown drawing her eyebrows together. "But you didn't have to."
Confusion coiled inside him. She was the one who had asked him to come. Was she the one about to decide that he should leave? Ed didn't know. All he knew was that she seemed sad even though she was desperately trying to appear strong.
Gaia sighed, then turned to look back at him. "You know what my life is like. You know it's this mess, this huge mess. Why would you want to be a part of this mess again? I don't understand why."
Something in Ed's chest expanded. Sitting in front of him was the most honest and vulnerable Gaia he had ever met.
"Yes, I know," Ed replied slowly. "But you're not the only one who has lived through some drama. Both of us have lived through some damn crazy stuff." Ed paused, unsure he should say the next bit. Though Gaia had just willing showed him a piece of her heart, he wondered if this would be a step too far. But then again, ever since he had arrived he had been pushing at and bending the rules and barriers they seemed to have created. Ed took a deep breath; it was time to break away from all their crap. "I came because ever since you left I have thought about you every single day."
Gaia smiled. "I missed you too."
GAIA WINCED AS ONE OF THE THUGS MOANED. The sound of him groaning awoke the pain puncturing her back. God, she really needed a long hot shower. She could almost feel the steaming water soaking her skin and soothing her muscles. Carefully she stood up and stared down at the three things standing between her and her relaxation. As if reading her mind, Ed said, "Shall we get out of here then?"
Gaia nodded absently. "Yeah, in a minute." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her phone. Her fingers automatically punched in the memory burnt numbers. She lifted the phone to her ear, only having to listen to a couple of rings before her call was answered. "Hello Special Agent Bishop. This is Agent Moore calling. I have something to tell you."