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While the Backstreet Boys were at the Z100 radio station promoting their new album, Mia met up with the rest of the APO agents.

Mia arrived at a secluded neighborhood a few miles outside Manhattan. She parked her rental car near the sidewalk and got out. An old house stood before her; ivy leaves grew on one side of the house and reminded her of the old house she lived in as a child with her sister. She made her way up the uneven pathway that led to the front porch and was greeted with the scent of old wood and pine lofting in the morning breeze. The sun had just risen and she could see it barely peeking through the trees that lined the backyard.

Mia reached the front porch and carefully walked up the rickety wooden steps that led to the door. Why couldn’t Ken have picked a better safe house than this heap, she thought as she carefully walked up the steps. Mia took out an old brass key from her jacket pocket and unlocked the door. She pushed it open and entered the foyer and was greeted by Ryu and Aundrea sitting on the couch in the living room area.

“Hey, it’s about time you joined us, Rebel,” Ryu greeted. Ryu loved to tease her whenever she gets under Ken’s collar.

“Hey, how’d your flight go?” Aundrea asked giving Mia a quick hug. Mia sat down on the recliner chair across the couch.

Mia sighed; she was exhausted. “Alright. Still pissed Dreadlocks got away.” Mia gritted her teeth when she remembered their encounter at the airport.

“Any clue as to who sent him after you?” asked Ken, descending down the stairs and sitting on the couch near Mia.

“My guess would be Regina Black,” said Mia, rocking back and forth on the recliner and absently examining her fingernails.

“Any luck finding the embedded disc or Agent Davenport?” asked Aundrea.

“Still no word or sign from him or the disc. I’ve contacted the CIA and asked if they had any new information but they haven’t gotten any yet,” Ken replied.

“Black’s shipment will be coming in next week at Chinatown. Don’t know what the shipment contains, but the shipment comes in this Friday at 11pm, Pier 94,” Ryu informed, looking up from his laptop.

“Mia, can you and Aundrea go to Pier 94 this afternoon and check things out?” asked Ken, turning to Mia.

“Actually, I’m meeting up with the Boys right after this. Their manager asked me to go with them to the MTV TRL studio, which is in about an hour. The Boys are also going to a club tonight. I’ll have my communicator on if there is any trouble,” Mia added quickly, avoiding Ken’s look. She knew he still didn’t feel it was a good idea for her to be dating Nick but he trusted her.

“Alright, I’ll have Ryu and Aundrea check it out and they’ll shadow you at the club this evening. Make sure you inform us of your position at all times,” Ken instructed.

She tried not to roll her eyes at Ken’s order. Mia hated being told what to do, and she knew he only wanted Ryu and Aundrea to keep tabs on her.

“Alright, I’ll see you guys later,” Mia said, getting up from the recliner and headed out the door.

>>>>>>>>>>>

The Boys went back to the hotel to have lunch before their TRL visit. After their lunch, they had about an hour of free time.

Nick tapped his foot impatiently as he sat on the bed in his hotel room. He’s been trying to reach Mia for the past half hour but she hasn’t answered her phone.

He was about to try again when his phone rang. He smiled when he saw that it was Mia finally calling.

“Hey baby, I’ve been trying to reach you. Why weren’t you answering your phone?” he asked.

“Oh…um…I forgot it was on vibrate…sorry,” she answered. Just then in the background, Nick heard a male voice say, “Yo Mia, you forgot your key,” to which Mia replied, “thanks.”

Mia turned back to Nick on the phone. “Are you guys back at the hotel?” she asked him.

“Yeah…where are you?” Nick asked, trying to sound casual.

“Just out and about downtown I’m actually on my way back to the hotel now,” Mia said.

“Oh. Are…you…with someone?” he asked, trying to sound casual again.

Mia realized he might have heard Ryu just now. Thank God he didn’t say anything that could have blown her cover.

“I’m by myself,” she replied quickly, “I’m almost at the hotel so I’ll see you in a bit, alright?”

She waited about a few seconds before she hung up on the other line. “Alright…see ya,” Nick murmured at the dial tone that was now ringing in his ear.

Nick shut his phone off. He could have sworn he had heard a guy talking to Mia. Hopefully, it’s not what Nick thinks…

He was about to text Howie when he heard a knock on the door. Thinking it was Mia, he swung the door open with a bright smile but it immediately slid off his face.

“Oh, it’s just you,” he said when he saw AJ standing there.

AJ feigned a hurt look. “Well, it’s nice to see you too, Bro.”

“I thought you were Mia,” Nick said apologetically. He let AJ in his suite.

“I thought she was here with you? Where is she?” AJ asked looking around.

Nick shrugged. “Honestly…I’m not sure.”

AJ gave him a strange look. “Did you call her?”

“She never picked up her phone, but she just called me back a few minutes ago…and…I heard some guy in the background talking to her…well, he told her that she forgot her key or something. You think she’s…seeing someone else?” Nick asked, looking up at his older best friend whom he considers a brother.

“I don’t know man. You seem to be attracted to the bad ones,” AJ teased. When he saw the face Nick made, he rolled his eyes.

“You’re being paranoid. Maybe the guy was an old friend or a relative she ran into.”

“I don’t know man. Something’s up with her. I feel like she’s hiding something from me,” Nick concluded. Even though he’d only known Mia for a month and a half, he still felt he didn’t know her completely. He found it peculiar that she wouldn’t even let him see where she lived.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Nick opened it and Mia came in.

“Hey, sorry I took so long getting here. Traffic is a bitch out here,” she said apologetically.

Nick immediately gave AJ a look. AJ shrugged and pretended to read a text message.

Mia finally noticed AJ in Nick’s suite. “Hey, AJ,” she greeted, oblivious to the fact that they were just talking about her.

AJ grinned and waved at her. “Hola, chica!” He glanced at his watch.

“Oh shit, dude. We better bounce. We’re supposed to be at the TRL studios in half an hour,” AJ said. His phone rang as if on cue and he answered it.

“Hello? Alright, we’ll be down in a minute, Rok,” he said and hung up his phone.

AJ, Nick and Mia left the suite and headed downstairs to join the other Boys in the lobby.

The Backstreet Boys made it to the TRL studios in time to surprise their fans and the VJs.

Mia stood off to the side with the Boys’ bodyguards and watched the Boys being interviewed by Damien. Brian was hyper and bouncing up and down at every one of his answers. The rest of the Boys laughed and were cheesing it for the cameras and the audience.

Mia looked away briefly out the large window and caught a CNN broadcast flashing on the giant monitor outside in Times Square. A news bulletin scrawled across the screen and immediately caught her attention:

CEO of Black Corporation, Roger Black, returning to the States from a business trip in Japan. A video clip of Roger Black stepping off of a private jet at an airstrip outside of New York was shown on the monitor.

Mia continued to read the report:
Black Corporation has recently developed a new computer chip that his company will launch in a few weeks, just in time for the holiday season. Mr. Black and his company will host a celebration of the launch on November 9th at his private residence in The Village.

A new clip showed Black being interviewed by a red-headed female reporter at the airstrip.

“Mr. Black, what can you tell us about your new computer chip?” the reporter asked.

“Well, I’ve pooled together some of the best computer software developers in the world. The computer chip that I designed will increase the capacity and memory of any computer hard drive; it can also increase the shelf-life of the battery in electrical devices. The chip can also increase performance efficiency in vehicles that have a built-in computer,” Black replied. “It does many technical things.” He gave a hearty laugh.

Mia stopped reading the bulletin and snorted. I’m the only one who can see passed your bullshit. she thought venomously.

She looked around and stepped into a secluded corner before she opened her cell phone and called Ken to tell what she just read on the news.

“Ken, I got info on the shipment on Friday. They’re computer chips. They might have a link to the EMPE,” she reported softly.

Ken responded immediately, “Good. Where did you get this info? Did Rochester call you?”

“No,” Mia replied rolling her eyes, “It was on CNN. He’s got a big launch for it.”

“Got it. Thanks.”

Mia closed her phone and joined the bodyguards who seemed not to have noticed she left their side.
The Boys finally ended their interview with Damien and waved at their fans goodbye.

“Make sure you pick up our new album Unbreakable,” they said. “We’ll see you on tour next summer!”