Blood Red, Snow White

Chapter 9: The Longing for Each Other

 "What's up with the hoodie and the mask, dude?", Jackson asked as he approached Suga standing near the car.

"I did not want Ray to recognize me while I was walking down the street just now", Suga said as he looked back inside the car.

"You left Mia in the car alone to get this?", Suga pointed at the coffee and the bun in Jackson's hand.

"Not for me, for her. Plus, this area is safe. Don't be as paranoid as Mia, Suga. It doesn't suit you", Jackson teased Suga.

Mia rolled down her window and looked at them in annoyance.

"Can't you guys come in the car and continue your conversations?", Mia asked them as she was irritated with them.

"See, she is being paranoid again", Jackson joked about Mia to Suga.

Suga laughed a little and opened the driver-side door as he sat beside Mia. Jackson sat at the back seat and gave the coffee and bun to Mia.

"Do you boys want some?", Mia asked as she wanted to take a bite of her bun.

Jackson shook his head in denial but Suga took her coffee and drank a sip. Suga needed the energy to be back on Ray's case. Now that Ray's case is messy and out of hand, Suga and Jackson had to find a way to catch Ray Santiago and close the case with strong evidence on Ray.

"Do you want to hear a dad joke, guys?", Jackson asked them.

Mia turned around and smiled. She nodded her head in excitement forgetting that she had to inform Suga that Ray Santiago was at the house just now.

"What do you call a sad cup of coffee?", Jackson asked as he looked at Mia and Suga.

"Depresso, and now why did you ask me to come over here and not to the house?", Suga dashed the joke in the car.

"You can be so mean at times, Suga. By the way, Ray was at your house just now, trying to break in", Jackson said as he pouted.

"Plus, Jackson acted weird when we were trying to escape Ray. He told me to be quiet and not talk about it in the car. You guys are trying to hide something from me?", Mia said as she continued eating her bun.

"Jackson, you still don't know how to be subtle, don't you?", Suga was annoyed at Jackson for being obvious.

"I am sorry! How can I...", Jackson mumbled under his breath.

"So, you are hiding something from me. What is it?", Mia asked Suga and Jackson to spill the beans.

"It is time you know that there is something and I can't say it but...", Suga said as he pointed out his notepad in Jackson's hand.

Jackson gave Suga his notepad and Suga started to write something on it.

"Don't utter a word when you read this. Stay calm. We suspect that there is a small recording chip planted in your chest. Whoever has planted that thing in you doesn't know we know about this so we have to continue being subtle about Ray Santiago and his case"

Mia's eyes widened as she read this. She couldn't believe that someone would do that to her and she immediately felt the cut on her chest. She did not suspect anything when she saw the cut because she thought she got it when the fight broke between Ray and her in the house that day. She looked up at Suga and then at Jackson in horror. Mia sighed hard and laid back her head on the headrest as she wrapped her unfinished bun back in the plastic. Suga looked at Jackson and they knew that Mia was hurt so Suga tried to change the topic by asking them if they wanted to spend the night in a motel around here.

"I need to use the ladies by the way. Get to the motel fast", Mia sounded flat and emotionless.

Suga drove the car to the nearest motel and parked the car in the parking spot. All three of them got down from the car and checked in the motel for three different rooms but there were only two rooms available.