The Code

Chapter Three: I'm On My Own

"Thank you. You may have just saved her life." He smiles and says, "I have missed you... Agent M." I smile and get in the car. I start to drive to Elmhurst. On my way there I question how the hell I know how to drive this recklessly, dodging cars and speeding, all for Sophia. Once I reach Elmhurst, I jump out of the car and run down the street. I reach the ditch between the neighborhood and the train tracks. I crawl up the ditch and hide behind a tree. I look around for any signs of Charlotte, Noah or Liam. I move from crate to crate until I get to the train. I see someone sleeping on the train. I slowly creep up to them. I look over and see that it's nobody I recognize. I leave them be and jump on the train. I run along the top of the train and look around to see if I see anyone. As I run along I jump from cart to cart and jump over bars of metal. I'm surprised by how fit I am and how I'm able to do all of these things. I jump off the train and run on the tracks. As I reach a small building, I hide and look around the side of the wall. I then see them, Charlotte, Liam and Noah. It's then I realize who I was having a fight with in high school about Sophia. It was Liam, not Noah. Liam was dating Charlotte. Liam was talking to Charlotte about threatening her. Sophia didn't kiss Liam. Or did Liam kiss Sophia? Did Sophia reject him... for me? I get closer so I can hear what they are talking about.

"Miranda has found the notes in the closet," Charlotte says. Noah then sighs and kinda looks sad. I wonder why.

"Has she really? I wonder why she didn't tell me about it," Liam says. Charlotte scoffs and says, "That's because she gave up before she found them. Did you really have to give her the car? And where is she anyways? I'm looking at the camera and don't see her." Liam then takes the phone and I see live footage of inside my house. But for some reason it says, "Sophia's house". Have I been living in Sophia's house? Charlotte then turns to Noah and says, "You couldn't hide those notes in a better place?" Noah just looks down and sighs again. Charlotte then turns back to Liam and says, "Get those notes back. Now!" Liam then gets up and says,

"You don't tell me what to do, remember?" I then get up and run to my car. As I run I hear Noah's voice say,

"Hey! It's Miranda!" I don't look back, I just keep running. I run across the ditch, I make the decision to leave my car and find a motorcycle. I jump on it and start it up. How do I know how to do this? I then start driving away. I need to get to those notes before they do. I race down the streets and look for any sign of them following me. Just when I think I'm in the clear, a car speeds onto the road from an alleyway. I have to get home before they get to me. I then decide to cut across the park so they can't follow me. As I get home I jump off the bike and run inside. There is no way they made it before me. I open the closet and grab the box of notes. I then hear the door opening so I run to the back of the house and hide in the bathroom. I can hear footsteps enter the house and I stay quiet. I hear Charlotte's voice say,

"Noah where did you put those notes?" I then open the note that has been in my pocket. I begin reading.

"So some strange men in suits came to my work and told me I needed to come with them today. I was very hesitant at first but when they told me someone I know is in danger, I went with them. In the car they told me that they contacted my parents and everything would be fine. I was panicking the whole time. We were in the car for a long time. In fact by the time we got to where we were going it was about nine at night. I asked them where we were going but they didn't answer me. I started getting really scared. Finally we stopped at some bookstore and got out of the car. I met this man and he told me that my "bodyguard" will be here soon. I had no idea what he meant at the time. I then hear him get on the phone with someone. I hear him say, "Wait outside, introductions need to wait for 24 hours, remember?" I question what that means but I don't ask anything. We wait for a while inside the bookstore until he gets another phone call. This one is really short and all he says is "Okay." He then turns to me and starts walking outside. I look across the street and see some girl in a mask, standing next to a really nice car. It looks like she took a deep breath when she closed her eyes. Then the man in front of me waved her over. She jogs across the street and ends up right in front of me. She looks familiar, especially her eyes. Then the man, now next to me, says, "Sophia this is Agent M. Agent M, Sophia." She then extends her hand for me to shake it. So I do. But something about it feels too familiar. I then begin to feel dizzy and stopped listening. It felt like I blacked out but I was still awake. I'm pretty sure the girl said hi to me but I didn't hear anything. I only started listening again when the man said, "Agent M is here as your bodyguard." It clicks in me that I have no idea what's going on so I then ask, "Wait...why do I need a bodyguard?" The man then tells me, "Agent M will explain on the way." I then ask, "On the way to where?" Then the girl jumps in and says, "Your new house." That's when I almost cried. Will I ever see my family again? Will I ever have a normal life again? And what the hell is going on? She starts to walk to her car and I followed her. When we got in the car she told me I was some code so I could save all technology but I didn't buy it. And then I saw something, her ring. I recognize it, my friend had one just like it. I thought it was her but she told me that she found the ring on the street. But I don't think I believe her. Hey if you ever read this, Hi Miranda. - Sophia"