Mia Chen Chooses Violence

Aria jumped first.

Perfect landing.

Minimal panic.

Very on-brand.

Mia stood at the edge staring at the rooftop gap like it had insulted her ancestors.

Behind her, the men were getting closer.

Fast.

“Jake,” she called calmly.

“Yes?”

“If I die doing this…”

“You won’t.”

“…I’m haunting you specifically.”

“That feels fair.”

One of the men shouted:

“STOP THEM!”

Mia took one step backward.

Then sprinted forward.

For one horrifying second she was airborne above a four-story drop while I mentally prepared to develop seventeen emotional issues.

Then she landed directly into me.

Both of us crashed onto the rooftop hard enough to destroy my remaining dignity.

Mia sat up immediately.

“I hate you.”

I grinned painfully.

“You survived though.”

“That’s unfortunately true.”

The men stopped at the rooftop edge.

Apparently even criminals have limits.

One pointed at the girl beside us.

“You have no idea what she stole.”

The girl slowly pulled a tiny flash drive from her pocket.

Mia blinked.

“…seriously?”

I stared at the tiny object.

“We almost died over a USB stick?”

The girl swallowed hard.

“That drive contains evidence.”

“Evidence of what?”

Her voice dropped lower.

“Human trafficking.”

Silence.

Every joke disappeared instantly.

Even the wind suddenly felt colder.

Mia’s expression hardened.

“Oh these people are going to prison prison.”

One of the men suddenly pulled out a gun.

Bad development.

Very bad development.

Mia glanced toward me.

“You have a plan don’t you?”

“Define plan.”

“Jake.”

“I have the early emotional draft of a plan.”

Mia stared at me.

“That sentence should legally concern everybody.”

Then a freight train thundered beside the buildings.

Metal screamed against the tracks.

And suddenly?

I smiled.

Mia saw it immediately.

“Oh no.”

I pointed dramatically toward the speeding train.

“Ladies?

The coolest bad idea of my life.”