Back in Prague, Ethan walks up a stairway and enters a building. He runs up a spiral staircase. When he reaches the second floor, he takes his coat off, screws off a nearby lightbulb, with his hand covered by the coat, and crushes the bulb inside the coat. He spreads the fragments of the broken bulb on the floor to a door. He screws another bulb off but doesn't take it off. He enters a room and quietly closes the door. The room is the same room Jim was in while he was watching his team's cameras. He looks around for a second and goes to a small plant. He rips the plant out of the pot and pulls a handgun out of it. He loads the magazine. Inside a bathroom, he looks through a set of passports and puts them in a bag.
Ethan: Money, money. Where's the damn money?
He empties a couple of smaller bags looking for this money. He is unsuccessful. With his button-up shirt and wearing a white tank top, he washes his hands. Inside the main room, he sets a chair upright. Ethan looks at the computer Jim was using and remembers Kittridge's words.
Kittridge: The other day, we decoded a message on the internet from a Czech we know as "Max". He'd gotten himself in a position to buy our NOC list, an operation he referred to as Job 314.
Ethan takes a seat in the chair and pulls up a tab on the computer that reads "INTERNET LINK" and types into the search bar "INTERNET ACCESS". Another tab pops up that reads "SELECT USENET GROUP." Ethan types in "JOB 314", but a message says "SEARCHING STRING NOT FOUND". Ethan closes his eyes and sighs.
Ethan: (Quietly) Job 314. I can't...
He then types "MAX.COM" but the same message pops up. He types in "JOB", same result. Ethan sighs and rubs his eye.
Ethan: Job...
He types "SCROLL USENET GROUPS" and a scroll menu comes up. He looks through the menu and shakes his head. He looks up at the bookcase. He tilts his head slightly and notices a Bible sitting on it.
Ethan: (Whispered) Job 3:14? Job 3:14.
He stands up and pulls the Bible out of the case and finds the verse. It reads "With kings and counsellors of the earth, who built for themselves places now lying in ruin;"
Ethan: (Whispered) You son of a bitch.
He sighs and types "BIBLE" into the search bar. Another scroll menu pulls up and another message reads "126 ENTRIES FOUND, SPECIFY GROUP". Ethan types "BOOK OF JOB"and a tab labeled "Book of Job Discussion Group" pops up. A message on the tab reads "Welcome to the Book of Job Discussion Group. Which Chapter and Verse do you wish to post your message under?" Ethan types "3" in the Chapter section and "14" in the Verse section. He types "Max@Job 3:14" into "Message To:" and "Job" into "Message From:". In the message portion, he types "Max, goods tainted. Consider extremely hazardous. DO NOT USE. Fate will be that of kings and counsellors who built for themselves palaces now lying in ruins. Must meet to discuss a.s.a.p." He sends the email. He does the same thing in other Groups in other languages to Max. Ethan starts dozing off until he hears the glass from earlier being crushed. He looks over at the door and it opens. Jim walks through with bloody hands. Ethan hangs his mouth open in shock.
Jim: Ethan, what are you doing? I needed you, Ethan. I needed you on the bridge. But you weren't there.
Jim pants and reaches his to Ethan.
Jim: (Groaning) Ethan... Ethan...
Ethan snaps out of his hallucination and sees that it's actually Claire reaching towards him.
Claire: Ethan?
She lightly touches his shoulder and Ethan defensively grabs her hand, pulls her past him and pushes her. He grabs the handgun and aims it at her. He turns to the door then back to Claire.
Ethan: Don't move.
Claire: Ethan. Ethan, it's okay. Just calm down. It's Claire. It's okay.
Ethan: You were in the car.
Claire: No, I wasn't. I heard on the radio...
Ethan: Shut up, I saw you. You were in the car.
Claire: No, I got out of the car. I ran to the bridge. He said someone was just...
Ethan: Don't give me that. I was on the bridge. There was nobody on the bridge.
Claire: What happened to Jim?
Ethan: (Shouting) Wake up, Claire! Jim's dead! They're dead! They're all dead!
Claire stands in silence and Ethan still has the gun on her. He looks back at the door and back to Claire.
Ethan: (Normal voice) Who sent you for me?
Claire: Jim's dead?
Ethan: Who sent you here?
Claire: Jim...
Ethan: Take off your coat.
He puts the gun away and takes off Claire's coat.
Ethan: Where were you, huh?
Claire: I...
Ethan puts her hands above her head and starts frisking her.
Ethan: Where were you?
Claire: I walked away. He said abort. I just walked away.
Ethan: That was four hours ago. Who sent you?
He turns her around to face him and grabs her arms.
Ethan: Did they send you for me?
Claire: Who's "they"?
Ethan: (Impatiently) Did they send you? Look, who sent you?
He pins her down on a bed.
Ethan: Who sent you?
Claire: No one sent me. No one sent me. We were supposed to be back here at 4:00. 4:00 if we abort. We don't return here until 4:00, 0400...
She starts sobbing.
Claire: 4:00 a.m. 4:00, Ethan, 4:00... if we abort. 4:00 a.m.
Claire continues crying and Ethan sits there, pondering.
YOU ARE READING
Mission: Impossible (A Male Reader Insert)
Fanfiction"Your mission, should you choose to accept it..." Y/N L/N is a disavowed IMF agent with a dark, mysterious past. After his final mission, in which almost his whole IMF team was lost, he decided to settle down at home in an attempt to put that life b...
