Yeah, I figured when I'd dig into it when I did my brakes (upgrade) and figured I'd grab a cable to have just in case.Possibly a busted spring, or it has been out of adjustment for so long that the cable fell off the hook on one side and is just knocking around loose. You can get kits with all the parts and just use what you need to rebuild it.
[can always return it if it can be repaired]