M.I.A.

Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty:

Corey

I have a plan. It's my last, desperate hope, but I don't know what else to do. I take the local bus to another stop, hop the next bus to the rest stop and wait there for another promising mode of transport.

I slide through the glass doors and weave among the people standing at kiosks and taking up space on the tan tiles. Some are holding Dunkin' Donuts cups, others are practically running to the rest room, and a couple look ragged and drooping—half ready to nose dive into their Subway sandwiches and trays of dollar menu fries.

When I get close to the map with the little "You Are Here" sticker on it, I stare up at it, trying to figure out the best route to take while eavesdropping on the people around me—watching eyes and fingers trace interstates and back roads, hoping to find someone going in my direction.

I doubt there's anyone that will get me exactly to Mia's hometown, so I'm going to need to hop cars. And I need to make sure I plan it all out correctly otherwise I'll end up in Wyoming or something. I'm complaining to myself about how I wish I could just ask someone where they're going when a ribbon of conversation catches my attention.

"Mia's car was found about ten miles east of here."

I spin around. There's a short, chubby girl with blond dreads briskly walking toward the exit. A tall, wiry guy is trailing after her, his eyes on a smart phone. "Right, I got it pinned on my Google maps."

The girl doesn't answer, so he lowers the phone and calls after her, "Sydney, hold up a second."

The girl—Sydney—pauses, her hand white knuckled on her purse. "What? We're losing time." For a split second, they glare at each other, the air around them crackling with intensity. I'm not the only one whose attention their volatile energy has attracted.

The wiry guy glances around and takes a deep breath, visibly trying to lower his tense, broad shoulders. "If we make a plan of action, we'll find her faster."

Sydney closes her eyes and lowers her chin, her hand slides off of her hippie bag and she takes a step to face him. "You're right."

He tucks his phone into his back pocket, a short quick gesture that seems more like a punctuation mark than anything I've ever seen. "I know."

She smirks, her blue eyes weary but somehow laughing. "You two are infuriatingly alike."

A slight smirk tugs at his lips, flashing a dimple. "I know that, too."

Abandoning the map, I step closer to the girl, scrutinizing her. At first glance, I wouldn't associate her with Mia, but...close up, I can see similarities between the two. Same bone structure, same eyes. Wanting to be certain, I check the initials on her bag. S.L. Maybe the L means Lowell? Maybe she's Mia's sister, or a cousin?

I glance at the boy. No familial resemblance, but there's something about him that makes me feel he's closer to Mia than most. Something in his rigid stance and the expression on his face. Desperation and longing. And that class ring...this must be the owner of the arm that Mia's smiling about in that missing person's picture. I'd bet my life on it...well, my non-life, I guess. Maybe it's this John guy.

"So," Sydney says, "what did you have in mind?"

He nods to himself, as if getting back on track. "I think we should go to where she was lost, do an examination of the surrounding area."