Chapter 15, MIA

Tex

Sure, I wasn't much of a freelancer anymore, but I knew how to get a job done, whether that was with or without a gun, and I guess that's probably why they picked me for this investigation. That and they thought I knew something and wanted to pry me for what I knew. But I really didn't know anything except what they'd told me already.

A missing person's case wasn't exactly my favorite type of mission, because I preferred violent ones with lots of bloodshed, but I took this for multiple reasons, one being that Church had wanted me to, and the other being the identities of the missing persons. Not only were they both friends----depending on what you call friends----but they were also both fellow freelancers. It was very uncommon to hear that, so I couldn't refuse it, even though I knew that my forensic team was really employed by the Chairman to pry me for answers about Project Freelancer and the persons. But it didn't matter; two can play at that game, bitches.

I smirked menacingly at the youngest member-----a man about twenty two, dirty blond hair and big blue eyes.

"Hey, who are you again?" I strolled over to my victim casually. He stood in just a regulation uniform for forensic specialists----basically a cop uniform only black.

"My name's James, Ma'am." I nodded and turned to the door of Mass's apartment, I'd only brought him with me to investigate her house thoroughly because I wanted to get information out of the kid. Right now, I was debating how to get through the door that Mass obviously couldn't open. Cops had locked it and I didn't have permission to go through it yet, but this loser next to me didn't have to know that, and it didn't matter to me.

If I'd had York, I would have just had him break the lock, but he was…well…dead. I missed him, but the best way to deal with it, was to just not think about it. Now, if I had Church, I'd make him kick it in, but he wasn't here.

"Fuck this." I pulled a Bobby pen from my hair and used it to pick the lock, which actually worked better than I expected it to. Mass sure needed to update her locks if she wanted to stay safe. Actually, that was probably how if she got kidnapped, that's how it happened. We moved in and I saw that there was yellow tape around quite a few things. First, a pile of dried and brown red roses with just a few pedals faintly red that was on the ground across from a bay window. Second, some blood on the ground in front of the same window, it didn't look fresh, but dried. Lastly, a pistol was on the ground.

I'd gotten the call about this job three hours ago at six AM and the victims---Washington and Mass----had already been missing for twenty four hours. Mass's mother had been the one to report, telling officials that her daughter's phone was off, she hadn't shown up for a dinner they'd had planned for weeks and nobody had answered the door when they'd knocked.

What caught my attention first, was the pistol. They'd already run a check on it and found fingerprints. It had been used and touched only by Agent Washington. It was a specialty pistol only freelancer received, could fire a bullet at three thousand miles an hour. Damn did I love those things, could easily go through somebody's skull.

He'd dropped it, I guessed, because it looked tossed and wasn't too far from the roses. Not a single bullet had been fired from what the neighbors had all said, and there were certainly no signs of that here. The investigations team had also confirmed that the gun hadn't been fired once, all the bullets were inside. They'd left this here for me later or maybe they'd been afraid to move it too much, either way.

"This blood looks smeared," I heard James said behind me I turned around quickly and strode over to where he was leaned over the edge of the tape. I knelt down scowling, noticing the pattern to the smear, looked like it'd been done by a shoe of some kind.

"Yeah, it's a pattern like a shoe." I leaned over it and the smell of the blood tinged my nose, but I ignored it. The pattern…it looked familiar…oh shit. I know. "It's a pattern from a Spartan suit of armor. Like the freelancer's or Master Chief."

"That blood was Agent Washington's." I glanced at James and then stood.

If it was his, it was probable in my mind that he'd been attacked and injured, possibly while on the ground and the adversary had accidentally stepped on and smeared the blood. Or it could have been something else, but I doubted it.

"You don't think Agent Washington kidnapped Mass, do you?" honestly, I'd never thought of that. The guy was pretty nuts and if he'd finally snapped, and then it wouldn't surprise me. Though if he had snapped, what had made him snap?

"Yeah, but what made him snap?" James glanced at the roses.

"Maybe he came here and was going to ask her to marry him or something and she turned him down, saying she wanted nothing to do with him. Or maybe she just broke up with him." That was true, I could see someone snapping from something like that, but Wash…?

"We do have to consider all the possibilities. So how about I throw out that it wasn't even really a struggle? What if they didn't really fight at all, no one else was here and he came here injured. The smear in the blood could be his boot. Maybe they ran off together."

"What, to Vegas or something? Like, eloped?"

"Maybe, though that doesn't sound like Wash, he's so uptight."

"Yeah…so, done here?"

"Not yet." I walked over to the roses, seeing very faint fingerprints on the plastic wrapping around them.

"That's Wash's too. Wow, seems like the guy touched everything in here, huh? Ha ha." I ignored him mostly, just staring at the roses. He'd never even told anyone that he was coming here, or that he'd been dating Mass, how unusual. But there was obviously something there, judging by the fact he'd been in her apartment and that there were roses with only his fingerprints on them. Maybe he had some crazy obsession with her though and that was why his blood was on the ground. Could she have killed him or attempted to kill him…? Mass usually wasn't aggressive, so I doubt she would even strike him out of cold blood. So if he'd been attacked here, that would mean he'd either been attacked by someone else, or done something to provoke her or scare her.

"This is really all the evidence you have?" I glared at James even though I knew it wasn't his fault.

"We found Washington's car in the parking lot and Mass's too. There are also some footprints of Spartan armor down there. The team here last told me the footprints were a size ten of men's." Okay, time to ditch the idea that the footprint was Wash's; he was a size like, six or five, certainly not a ten. There actually weren't that many freelancers with a size ten, and that list included Maine, Georgia and Colorado.

"I think we have a prime suspect: Agent Maine."

"How can you be so sure that it's not Washington's?"

"He's nowhere near a size ten. Though you wouldn't know, because you've never met him, but he's hardly much taller than me. Small guy, 'ya know? Though he is the smartest guy I've met in awhile. Maybe he's small because of his brain power, but who knows. Now, let's go check out that other evidence."

Torn Apart

Mass

It wasn't as if I wasn't scared, it wasn't as if I knew what was going to happen or if both of us would live, but I felt safe anyway. Despite my lack of confidence in the situation and what was going on, I somehow hoped that David would save me if they tried to kill me. He was after all, one of the smartest freelancers in the program and a general, so surely he'd figure a way out of this with both our lives, right? He had to; there weren't any other options but probably dying; unless that wasn't their plan all along and they were going to torture us or something. I didn't want to die or be tortured. Not only because of the obvious reason, but because I had finally found someone who I thought I cared about and they seemed to care about me too.

He stared downwards like he had been for about three hours, eyes closed and his breathing perfectly even. Maine hadn't moved us since he'd left and he hadn't even come to check on us.

Obviously David was either sleeping or very deep in thought. Either way, I was getting bored and too restless. "Daavid?" my voice came out like a whine as I leaned towards him. He didn't even move at first, just his breathing being disrupted. Yeah, he must be sleeping. "Daaaavid? I'm boooored!" His eyes shot open and he looked up at me, smiling just a little.

"I wondered when you'd start whining for me. Surprised it wasn't sooner than four hours." He leaned back, wincing.

"Are you hurt?" Panic suddenly began to flood my veins. If Maine had hurt him…

"No, Mass, I'm just not as young as you." I suddenly realized I didn't even know how old he was. If he was complaining about age…oh no, please don't tell me he's like forty.

"How old are you?" His eyebrows pulled together like the question frustrated him.

"Thirty three, you?" Oh, phew, not as old as I'd thought.

"I'm twenty four." He whistled and turned away like he was surprised or something. "What?'

"Nine year difference between us." He smiled weakly at me, looking from the corner of his eye.

"Is that a problem?" I suddenly felt sad. It probably was for a guy like him. He laughed.

"No, not really. I just figured I should tell you just in case you didn't notice. Getting involved with an older man can sometimes bring misfortune." I rolled my eyes, not really liking the fact he was treating me like a kid. So, I was nine years younger, did he think it gave him authority or something?

"I think you'll bring me the opposite." I smiled suggestively and he winked at me, obviously enjoying the compliment.

"Thanks, but I want you to keep in mind what type of person I am, alright? I'm fucking dangerous." I rolled my eyes again, not liking again what he was insinuating.

"I think I can handle you." He turned to look me in the eyes now, suddenly so serious he looked like he was about to threaten me. Was he trying to scare me? Because it was working.

"I'm serious. Though I do appreciate your confidence, I can be a little insane sometimes because of Epsilon. So, just keep that in mind, okay?" His eyes softened, but his expression didn't; though since I was focused on his eyes, I relaxed again.

"Okay, I promise as long as you'll promise to not treat me like an inexperienced child." He paused, and then nodded.

"Okay, deal." I nodded and he nodded, turning away from me. I leaned my head on his shoulder warily, nervous how he'd react. But he didn't react negatively, groaning with pleasure and releasing a deep breath.

"Okay you pricks, how 'bout we get this show on the road?" Maine stepped in, smiling, his armor on completely, which looked kinda funny while he was talking. It was hard to fear him when he wasn't really that frightening. That's why I had let him into my apartment, thinking he was just there to visit, but then he'd turned on me. We'd been friends back during training and before he became the Meta. Since he'd claimed to be saved, I tried to be nice and trust him. Obviously a bad idea. I'd never tell that story to David like that, because he'd probably smack me across the face. And in hindsight, it was incredibly stupid. But that's just how I was I guess.

"Ready, Wash?"

"Kiss my ass." Maine didn't seem to be affect, but instead went to step around me to get to him. Wash recoiled back into the wall and I hissed, crawling into his path.

"Don't touch him! I'll kill you!" He looked down at me like I was a little terrier dog who was yapping at his heels.

"Cute woman, aren't you? I guess I would know though, counting I did sleep with you a couple times." I turned red with anger and embarrassment.

"What? You what?" Wash demanded.

"Yep, I sleep with her; eat your heart out, Kid."

"I'm not a kid!" Now he really sounded pissed. If he could have, I bet he would have kicked Maine in the face like at my apartment, or killed him by beating him to death.

"How 'bout you get your Chihuahua under control?" I glared at Maine, but felt Wash's eyes on me. Of course he would agree with the dog reference, he was an asshole too, just a very hot and cuddle alternative with just a little more compassion than Maine.

"Megan, please don't get yourself hurt. I did this because I wanted to keep you safe, not because I wanted to get captured." I whipped around to see him, busting out the most powerful puppy-dog eyes I could and batting my eyelashes at him.

"But I don't want him to hurt you…" His eye began to twitch immediately, but they never left me, like he couldn't even consider looking away.

"B-but Megan, I want you to be safe. It means more to me than my own safety, so please…" Yep, he caved, they all cave. Nobody can resist the puppy-dog eyes, well, maybe except Maine and sometimes my commanding officer. I wonder if it's just my cuteness or if they've just never had to deal with it like parents do.

"I'm not-" before I could finish, Maine pulled me up by my shirt and aimed his pistol at my temple. I screamed in terror as David shouted, panic filling his eyes instantly.

"No! Don't hurt her! Please! Just take me!" The only other time in my life I'd heard so much panic in a person's voice, was when I'd been a kid and gotten lost in a mall crowd, my mom had been shouting my name with panic, it quivering. I'd found her though, luckily. Why did he care about me so much? Was it because of how I was or did he somehow love me?

"You gonna let me?" Maine looked me in the eyes through his EVA helmet, gun still to my temple. I on the other hand, turned away to look at David. He looked like he could faint from panic, or maybe sob. What was my best choice in this situation? If I gave up and let Maine take him, then he could kill him, but if I didn't, then I'd die instead. Well, at least with the other way there was a chance we'd both survive.

"Yes…" He tossed me to the side grabbed David by his wrist.

"Thank you, Megan…" David whispered, eyeing me from the corner of his eye sincerely. I'd never seen him look at me or anybody else that way, but it scared me. If he was looking at me like that, was it because he thought he was going to…

"David…"

"As much as I want to watch you guys fall apart, it's a lot more fun to just drag him off." Maine then began to drag him out of the room----literally. David's eyes stayed a me as he spoke rushed.

"I love you, Megan." I could hardly believe it…my mouth was agape now as I watched him be dragged away. He…he loved me? But how?

I actually have all the remaining chapters of this written and ready to post seeing as I'm trying to finish up all my remaining fictions from last year. It's really sad to finish this one(not completely, just what I'll post until i get around to editing), it's been a part of my life since 4/3/09. It's my second fiction I think(or maybe third). Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please review, it make me want to write more!

Next Chapter Name: Discovered.

Preview:(Church)

Junior crawled up the side of the couch I was on and ended up landing on my lap. Ew, fucking gross alien-hell-spawn-thing. He immediately jumped over to Tucker and landed on his lap. Thank God.

"What are the police sayings?" He looked up at me curiously.

"Two things, one, fucking formal Tucker, two, they said that they might close the case soon and just mark it that they probably left with each other willingly and will return later without much of a commotion."

"What, like they think they eloped or something?" I shook my head.

"Yeah, I guess so. Sounds fucking out of character for Wash, but I guess I don't know how in love he was." I shrugged. "Maybe they wanted to get it over with without anybody contesting or anything. It's possible, I mean, I wouldn't mind just eloping with Tex." I took another sip again and he was quiet. For some reason, I didn't get the feeling telling him was a good idea. He wouldn't do anything, I was pretty sure of that, but I wasn't sure entirely what he was getting at with all these strange questions. It wasn't like him to be this curious, usually he just stayed quiet and listened instead.

"What even makes them consider otherwise?" I stared at him now.

"They found some of Wash's blood in her apartment, his pistol and some wilted red roses." Tucker turned away and so did I, confused by his attitude today. Man it was unlike him to just completely ignore the fact Wash had been dating and not make some type of dirty joke out of Mass, not to mention he seemed to be serious for once about the questions, like they actually meant something to him.

The air conditioner clicked on and that's when Tucker jumped to his feet like it had given him an idea. Cobalt looked up to him and so did I as he sat down Junior on the couch. "Church, I'll be back, watch Junior for me." I stood to protest, but he was already running for the door.

"Tucker! You fucking retard! Get back here!" I chased after him, managing to spill some beer on the carpet and couch. "You have got to be kidding me!"