MIA
The next morning, when the six of them were at Exites, just stopping for Kevin and Neil's enjoyment, Mia got a call. She stood outside with the car and answered it, despite not knowing the number and being certain it was a bad idea.
'Who is this?' Mia asked, looking around for any suspicious behaviour.
'Hello, Artemisia,' Mia froze at the sound of the voice and her name being spoken - her true name. 'I don't think we've been properly introduced. If you meet me in half an hour at the location I am going to text you, we can talk things over.' Mia was searching the streets frantically. How could this person have gained access to her phone number? 'Your family and mine, we haven't always gotten along. It's time we change that, don't you think?'
'Who is this?' Mia repeated. A laugh came from the other end of the line, and then there was silence. Mia pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at the blank screen. No Caller ID.
Mia crossed the parking lot and entered the store, immediately finding Nicky. She grabbed his sleeve and turned him to face her. There was a wide grin on his face that dropped as soon as he saw Mia's own expression. 'Where's Neil?'
Nicky only pointed in the general direction of the stairs before Mia was up them. She headed to the second and then third floor, finding Andrew standing by the goalie racquets. Mia tapped her thumb and index finger against each other, deciding what to do, but her feet were guiding her in his direction.
Andrew noticed her coming and turned and smiled.
'Look, I'm not in the mood for any of your games today, Andrew,' Mia hissed, looking around. 'But I need to leave, and I need you to look after Kevin and Neil - I know you already do, even Neil - because I think something bad is about to happen. Maybe just to me, but maybe to all of us. So I need you to be on high alert today, even though you're soaring right now.'
'Alrighty,' Andrew mocked and Mia's teeth ground against each other. 'What's got you in such a tizzy?' Mia shook her head and went back down the stairs, not bothering to find her cousin first. He'll be fine, she told herself. Neil knows how to protect himself. Mia ran out of the store and looked down at her phone to find a text ping up on the screen with an address.
Except when he doesn't, a small part of Mia's brain forced her into believing the worst would happen to Neil, but she shook that off, too, and ran to the address as quickly as she could. Mia could only hope she'd get there within the half hour.
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'Hello?' Mia called. She'd ended up in an apartment. There had been a key waiting for her at the reception. The lady had recognised her somehow, and it set Mia even more on edge. She itched for her knives in her boots and the guns that weren't there anymore.
The apartment had no furniture in it - no signs of anyone living there - except for a table and two chairs. Mia looked around. There weren't even lights on - weren't even any light switches.
'Hello, Artemisia,' The same voice from the call said, and Mia spun to find the source. 'It's lovely to finally meet you dear,' Mia spotted the figure standing by the hallway. It was a man, probably in his twenties - no more than twenty-five, if Mia had to guess - and he was tall. Very tall.
'Who are you?' Mia asked. The man stepped forward into the room and Mia saw him - actually saw him - for the first time; Ichirou Moriyama.
Of course she'd heard about him in her youth; Her father had often spoken of the heir to the line of their largest rival, and how he was growing up out of Hatford reach. How he'd always lived out of Hatford reach.
'Why did you come all the way out here to speak to little old me?' Mia tried to joke, but her legs were trembling, and her fists were clenched. 'Shouldn't you be more concerned with the actual business part of my family - not the runaway part?'
'Well,' Ichirou said, his hands behind his back, walking over to the table. 'Your cousin, Wesninski-' Mia hated hearing that name '-has caused my family a lot of trouble over the years. His mother ran away with him - their first offense, stealing what was rightfully my uncle's; He had a lot - I mean, a lot - of my family's money with him, too; And worst of all, you were with him the whole time, meaning that we couldn't go after him, and had to leave it to the boy's father.'
Ichirou stopped by the table and gestured for Mia to sit in one of the chairs. She swallowed hard and did as instructed - she feared him, a lot, and wouldn't be caught disobeying someone of higher ranking than her. Mia may have been a Hatford, but she wasn't the first-born like Ichirou.
'And what do you want me to do about that? It's hardly as if I can bring back all the money and you know I won't hand over my cousin without a fight.' Mia said. Ichirou took the second chair opposite her. He was smiling - but it was an icy thing, not really a smile, but not quite a grimace - and clasped his hands on the table. There was a signet ring sitting gracefully on his right ring finger that Mia wished she could cut right off.
'That is not what I came to speak with you about today, dear,' Ichirou said, and Mia bristled at the term he was calling her. 'No, I wish to speak with you about your investigation. Surely you know which one I mean.'
Mia's blood went cold. There was no way he could know. Mia had gotten her sources straight from the Days, and there was no way they'd betray her like that. No way they'd side with the Moriyamas on this matter. No way Kurt would do this.
'I may need some clarification,' Mia said. Ichirou's cold smile stretched across his face.
'You are researching the death of Kayleigh Day, are you not?' Ichirou asked. It was like an interrogation. But Mia only just realised something; they were alone. Completely alone. Ichirou had not brought any guards with him. Mia tensed slightly. What does he really want?
'Yes, I am,' Mia said with as much confidence as she could muster. 'I don't see how that's a problem for you to deal with right now. Surely you have nothing to hide or at least enough evidence to hold up in court that states your family had nothing to do with her death.' She saw the cracks starting to appear in his mask.
'But of course, my dear equal,' Ichirou said, and that was what set Mia off. She frowned and began to stand, but Ichirou was faster.
He slammed one hand on top of Mia's right wrist and pulled something out of his sleeve. Ichirou brought the other hand down on top of the back of Mia's palm and it took a moment for her to recognise what it was; A knife. Ichirou had just put a knife right through her hand.
Mia choked on her screams, staring at her hand. She heard only ringing in her ears, Ichirou's words drowned out by the pain. She'd experienced wounds as bad and some worse than this, but it had caught Mia by such surprise that she could only stare at it.
'-Sorry,' Ichirou was saying and Mia finally lifted her eyes to his face. 'I didn't mean to call you that. We're not equals - well, not quite yet.'
Ichirou stood straight and pulled on the sleeves of his jacket, straightening out his suit. 'Oh, and tell your friends that they will suffer a similar fate if they do not stop their research after your departure.' He took one last look at Mia and turned. 'Goodbye, dear,'
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Mia eventually got to a phone booth and rang Kevin's number. He didn't pick up for a good three seconds and Mia began to worry that Ichirou had already gotten there.
'Hello?' Kevin finally answered and Mia sighed with relief. She clutched her poorly bandaged hand to her chest. 'Hello, who is this?'
'Kevin, Kevin it's me,' Mia breathed. 'Please tell me you're alright. Tell me Neil's alright.'
'We're fine, Mia,' Kevin didn't sound fine. 'But Andrew - he's not good, Mia. Where did you go?' Mia sighed again and clamped her eyes shut to stop herself from crying. She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't cry.
'I had to do something that I forgot about,' Mia lied. 'What happened to Andrew?'
'I'll tell you when we get back to campus, but,' Kevin paused. 'It's not good, Mia. Seriously. Where were you?'
'Kevin, I need you to tell me now, what happened to Andrew,' Mia panted. She had never really cared about Andrew - the feelings had been mutual - but whatever this was, it wasn't a coincidence that it had happened on the same day Ichirou had visited her. Mia tried to think about the things she'd read in her preparation for going to Palmetto with Neil. What about Andrew had been odd? He'd been in the foster care, reunited with his family as a teenager, been taken in by his cousin Nicky after his mother's car accident. There's more, just think, damnit.
'I-' Kevin cut out, the dial tone ringing. Mia cursed and fumbled around her pocket for anymore change, but she didn't have any. She instead picked up her own phone and called Kurt.
'Mia? What's up?' He asked slightly suspiciously. Mia was already walking away from the payphone. 'What's wrong?'
'I just had a lovely visit from Ichirou Moriyama,' Mia breathed. She decided to head back to Exites - she'd be able to orientate herself from there - and held the phone to her ear with one hand, the other pressed tightly to her chest for protection.
'What?' Kurt spat. He coughed for a few moments, as if he'd been drinking and had spat out his drink upon hearing her words. 'What did he want?'
'He wanted me to drop Kayleigh's case, and then stabbed me in the hand.' Mia told him. 'I need you to come get me.'
'Okay,' Mia could almost hear Kurt nodding through the screen. He was standing and walking. 'Okay yeah, I'll come get you. Where are you, exactly?'
Mia gave him a rough idea and he hummed as the car started. 'I'll be there as soon as I can. Just sit tight, okay?'
'I don't have anything better to be doing right now,' Mia laughed hoarsely, but Kurt didn't seem to be in a joking manner.
He stayed on the phone until he got to her, and then Mia collapsed into the passenger seat of his car as Kurt sped away.
'Let me see,' Kurt said, watching the road and holding out his other hand. Mia placed her bandaged one in his and he briefly looked over at it. 'Blood's still coming through; I brought a first-aid kit. Thought you might need it.'
'Thank you,' Mia breathed. She unbandaged her hand and redid it up properly with the things Kurt had brought. The road was too bumpy for her to stitch it up, so she did her best. 'I have to go home,'
'Home as in London, or home as in Palmetto?' Kurt asked, keeping his eyes on the road.
'London,' Mia said. Something Ichirou said had upset her - it was what had lead him to stab her in the first place. 'He called me his equal,' Mia said quietly.
'That's not good, Mia,' Kurt said. Mia shook her head, agreeing with him. What did it mean, though? Mia's heart dropped as she realised; It could only mean one thing.
'He killed them all.' Mia said. Kurt looked over at him. 'He killed them, now I'm the only heir. That's how I'm his equal.'
'Okay,' Kurt said. 'Okay, we'll deal with that later, but first, let me arrange transport for you to get home.' Mia's world spun, and she vaguely remembered Kurt having a conversation on his phone. 'Mia, Mia look at me.' She finally did as she was told to and realised there were tears in her eyes. Mia sniffed them back and saw Kurt looking at her with worry and fear in his eyes. 'You're going to be okay, trust me.' Mia nodded, thanking Kurt for being a crutch she could lean on.
'I need you to keep watching over them, even though I'm going back.' Mia said. 'Kurt, please watch Neil for me. I know you'd watch Kevin even if I wasn't there, but I please need you to look out for Neil, too. Please.' Kurt nodded, a firm expression now on his face.
'Of course, Mia,' Kurt said. 'Come on, let's get you on that plane.' Mia nodded and exited the car, stepping out onto the tarmac.
Before she entered the plane, Mia turned to Kurt with tears in her eyes. 'Please don't tell them where I've gone. And make sure Kevin and Renee drop Kayleigh's case. I'm really sorry, Kurt. I wish I could have done more for you and your family.'
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Mia called her father multiple times on the plane, but he didn't pick up any of the times. There weren't any other people in her family that she had the phone numbers of, and could only hope they were all alright.
A part of her felt guilty for leaving Neil - and the rest of the Foxes - behind, but she needed to be there for the rest of her family. The ones that were left, of course. Mia couldn't be sure if her thoughts were right, but she suspected Ichirou had killed all but one member of her family - they were all older than her - making her the automatic heir to the Hatford line. Equal thudded around in Mia's brain for hours, keeping her restless and making her stress more about what would await her when she got to London.
As soon as the plane was on the tarmac, Mia's phone buzzed and she stared at it in disbelief. It was her father. It was Stuart. Mia picked up and pressed the phone to her ear, stepping off the plane. 'Stuart? Dad? Are you there? Are you okay?' She asked frantically.
'Mia, Mia calm down,' Mia stopped at that voice. That wasn't her father's voice.
'Who is this? How did you get this phone?' She demanded.
'Mia, it's Bo,' The other voice said. Mia let out a breath and began walking again. 'Where are you? Are you okay?'
'I'm,' Mia paused, not knowing how to respond. She looked down at her bandaged hand and then back at the streets. She looked around and began walking to the nearest store that would have a bathroom. She needed to change her bandage. 'I'm not too good, Bo. Alive, obviously, but I'm back in London.'
'What? Why? Are you with Nathaniel?' Bo asked. It sounded like he was shuffling papers around. 'He needs to be here as soon as possible, Artemisia. He needs to be inducted into the family.'
'No, he's not with me, and no, he's not being inducted into the family.' Mia said harshly as she entered a shitty gas station bathroom. She pressed the phone between her ear and her shoulder and opened the first-aid kit she'd taken from the plane. 'Where's everyone else? And why do you need Neil so bad?'
'They're all dead, Mia,' Bo said, and his voice caught - he'd never been the type for violence, instead preferring to be the strategist. Mia froze in shock. 'Mia? Are you okay?'
Dead, dead, dead, dead. Frankie's dead, Henry's dead, Mum's dead, Dad's dead. They're all dead, dead, dead. Mia shut her eyes and willed herself to stop shaking. Now's not the time to have a panic attack, idiot. Mia took in a deep breath and opened her eyes again, taking out the things she needed to fix her hand.
'Yeah, I'm here, Bo,' Mia said softly. 'I thought so, but when I heard your voice, I thought- maybe it was a coincidence that you had dad's phone. I thought they'd left him, at least.'
'Them? Mia, you know who did this?' Bo asked desperately.
'Yes,'
'Who?'
'Ichirou Moriyama.' Bo was silent.
'Oh,' Was all Bo said when he found his voice. 'Oh, okay. Why?'
'I don't know, Bo, but can you please come and get me? I'm in a shitty gas station near the airport.' Mia asked.
'Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can.' Bo replied. Mia hung up and made sure her bandage was secured tight around her hand before standing and walking out of the bathroom.
Mia waited outside the station while she waited for Bo. It was pretty cold, and Mia didn't have a jacket, so she stuffed her left hand as far into the front pocket of her jeans as she could and carefully folded her right hand under her left armpit.
Soon enough, a car pulled up in front of her and someone stepped out onto the path in front of Mia. She hadn't seen Bo in years, but somehow he looked exactly the same; The same black hair that it was almost blue; The same dark brown eyes; The same concerned frown.
'Artemisia?' He asked, unsure. Mia only smiled sadly and nodded. She took her hand out of her pocket and her other out of her pit and wrapped herself around her brother. Bo immediately returned the gesture, resting his chin on top of Mia's head - he'd gotten their mother's height, which Mia was forever jealous of.
'Hey big brother,' Mia said quietly. Her hand was throbbing and she pulled away, looking at it.
'What is that?' Bo asked, looking at her hand as well.
'Ichirou Moriyama visited me,' Mia sighed. Bo quickly ushered her into the car and she sat in the passenger seat. 'That's how I know it was him who did this to our family. He also told me to stop researching something, and then stabbed me.' Mia cut a long story short.
'What were you researching?' Bo asked, focusing on the road.
'Kayleigh Day's death.' Bo turned to look at her with a deeper frown. 'I don't think it was an accident, Bo, and all the evidence we found suggested that it wasn't. I was going to take it to court, and Ichirou must have found out I was researching it somehow. I don't know. But I do know that everyone I left behind in America will be safe without me.'
'Okay, first of all,' Bo said, holding up a finger and looking back at the road. 'You said "The evidence we found" We. That's a plural, Mia. Who did you tell about this?'
'Kevin Day and Renee Walker,' Mia shrugged. 'Kevin is Kayleigh's son - I couldn't keep it from him for long. And Renee caught on. She used to be in a Detroit gang - we own territories in Detroit, Bo, she'd heard of the Hatfords.'
'Okay, fine,' Bo cut out. 'And second,' He held up a second finger. 'How do you know Nathaniel will be safe?'
'Well for one, would you please stop calling him that,' Mia said. Bo seemed suspicious, but nodded. 'Call him Neil. And also, I have Kurt looking out for him.' Bo slammed on the breaks. Luckily they were at a red traffic light, but Mia still shot forward in her seat.
'Kurt?' Bo asked, turning in his seat. 'As in Kurt Day?'
'Yes,' Mia dragged out the short word. 'Why is that so surprising? You know Kurt and I were friends when we were younger.' Bo shook his head.
'It's not surprising, now that I think about it,' He said, turning back to the road. 'I just hadn't expected you to get back in touch with him.'
'We never went out of touch, Bo,' Mia said. 'Even through those years Mary, Neil and I were on the run, I stayed in contact with Kurt. The only new thing is that I saw him for the first time in years when Neil ran his mouth to Riko Moriyama.'
'Ah, yes,' Bo said, a small smile creeping onto his face. 'I did see that. He definitely got that mouth of his from aunt Mary.'
You have to tell him, Mia's subconscious demanded of her. She swallowed hard and opened her mouth to speak. You have to tell him Mary's dead. That he's running the family now. 'Bo, I,'
'Speaking of Mary,' Bo cut in. 'She needs to come home. She needs to run the family now.' Bo looked sideways at Mia, who had a pitiful look on her face. Something in Bo seemed to click, and his jaw slackened. 'No. Mia. No, what are you- what are you saying?'
'She's dead, Bo.' Mia whispered. Bo pulled over and fully turned to look at Mia.
'How long has she been dead?'
'A little over a year, but-'
'I thought so.' Bo turned back. 'She wouldn't have missed the funeral. You won't remember her living here, in London, but I do. Before she left to go to America and marry Wesninski, Mary stayed here, with the rest of us. She loved Lilly dearly - even more than she loved dad, unsurprisingly - and if she'd been alive, there's no way she would have missed the funeral. Even if it was exactly what Wesninski would have expected of her.'
'I'm so sorry I didn't say anything sooner.' Mia said, hanging her head in shame. 'I know you weren't at the funeral, but I should have told Stu-dad. I should have told dad. He was hoping she was still alive, wasn't he?' Bo nodded. 'I'm so sorry, Bo.'
After a moment of silence, Bo took a deep breath and pulled back into the road. He'd understood what he needed to do, then. That he was running the family now; What was left of it, at least.
'I'm going to keep researching Kayleigh, now that I'm back here and the others are out of danger from that.' Mia said as they pulled into the parking lot of the home. 'I'm going to take it to court, and I'm going to make those Japanese bastards pay for what they did to our family. Ichirou Moriyama will go down at the hands of a Hatford.' Mia took in a deep breath and stared out the windshield. 'And I know how I can get all my research and information back safely.'