*************2 years later*******
I'm laying prone with my body covered in mud, sticks and leaves. The barrel of my rifle barely exposed from my blind as I follow my main target this time. This is the jerk that wasn't at the pharmaceutical lab when I blew it up 2 years ago. I've taken out two other labs that he was supposed to be at. The last one was only 4 months ago.
He's already setting up shop and producing at a new location, thinking he's still top of the food chain. Right when the pig smiles...
"Gotcha bitch." One pull of my finger and he hits the ground. I smile pulling out the the detonator to the entire crate of explosives they had accepted. They thought it was their heroin that came across the border. I push the button and watch as the already frantic guards and employees running all over the place all hit the ground terrified as their building goes up in a loud bang.
I feel the shock from here and I'm using my rifle again taking out the guards in the towers and tapping any I see out in the open. The fire raging on in the building sends the people who survived the blast running scampering like mice from their little experiment.
"Ready boys?" I ask and 3 trolls, 5 redcaps, and 2 Oni who have been waiting quietly in hiding step out.
"Let's go then."
Next thing we're all on the other side of fence and we're immediately attacking, slicing and collecting blood in the little blue bottles we have. I pull out my .40 and take out some lab techs going for a gun.
Turks the bigger of the two Oni's here grabs a balding lab tech who's screaming,
"DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!"
Turks chuckles in a deep and menacing manner before his gruff and deep voice bellows out. "A DEAD MAN!" Ripping his arms off his body letting the blood from his arms drip into his mouth.
The rest of the lab technicians cower in fright against the corner of the burning building.
Suddenly a shot rings out and I'm struck in my bullet proof chest plate.
DAMN IT! THAT HURTS! I try to take a breath and turn seeing the injured guard trying to stand and take another shot at me.
I pull katana out of its scabbard from my back and run using my momentum to run the blade through his abdomen and slide the blade out over his spine. I turn and suddenly a guards face pops up shocking me.
"JOHN!?" The name flies out of my mouth before I can stop myself.
"WAIT YOU KNOW WHO I AM?! YOU KNOW ME?!" He yells shocked himself.
I make a split second decision to kill or question. I move like I'm putting my gun away and grab the little IED 'parasites' that I have and hit him hard and attach it to him.
"You kill me, you die, you try and remove it, you die. Understood?" I tell him.
He looks at the jagged bladed IED sticking into his arm and there's some emotions rolling behind those eyes. Mostly pissed off, but who gives a fuck? He nods.
"Good Boy. Follow me now." I say oozing with a little dominating sarcasm and went to go get my initial target.
"Pick him up. BOYS! LET'S GO!" I yell and immediately they all reappear right next to me.
"Turks you drop off the package?" I get a nod of confirmation along with a wicked smile.
I lift the detonator and press the button and drop it. Before it touches the ground we're gone and far from there. It clatters to the ground before the next second the entire complex is flattened.
There are no survivors from that facility.
Except for Mr. Graves who's knocked out. ....And this man who has my Johns face who keeps staring at me as we scan them both for trackers, transmitters and like.
We have to dig one out of both of them located right behind the right ear and then we're gone to the next place. One is strapped to a table with no hope of escape.
I'm placing shackles around the wrists and ankles of this 'John' before me, who doesn't move, resist, or say anything. I turn to head out the door and he clears his throat.
"Do you mind removing the explosive? I don't think I can get very far away like this." He asks sounding a bit defeated and resigned to what ever may happen.
I walk over looking him in the eyes, his gaze doesn't falter from mine not for one second even as I rip the IED out of his arm. The flinch as the air hits it is another matter. He sucks in a deep breath and holds that breath before letting it out....
My John would do that too when he was hurt....
"Thanks" he grinds out from between his teeth before looking me back in the eyes.
"How did you know my name?" He asks after I'm still standing there not saying a word just looking at him.
"Lucky Guess." I finally say and walk out shutting the cell door.
"What?!" He yells out in disbelief. "No I remember you!" He yells out and that makes me pause. "ITALY, you ran into me on the street and you and your boyfriend pretended you didn't speak English."
I laugh and turn, "That man is not my boyfriend. We'll see if you know me and I know you ....in time. That man over there is my first priority.
So get comfortable." I pat his cheek and go out again.
Walking up the stairs Cass is waiting on me. He runs to me and hugs me tightly.
"We did it Sin! Mary! We got Graves!"
I pat his back and hold him tightly.
"Yeah we did kid. I promised now didn't I?"
......
The cells at Temples were perfect to use and he had no problem letting us use them. In fact Graves watching the Oni bleed out other pieces of scum slowly was a satisfying sight to see. We kept him hydrated with an IV and supplied vitamins that way too. He ate whatever was fed to him by Temple who liked to stroke Graves face after each bite. Temple loved watching him quiver in terror, but still would eagerly reach out to try take a bite of food.
Now that we had Graves I was in no rush. However, this 'John' was another story.
Every time I took food down to him, I'd search his eyes looking for any trace of the John I knew. Not knowing how I would figure out if this was truly him or not. Each time he would stare right back like he was struggling with something, rage maybe?
I carried the plate of rice, beans, and some chicken down to him in the cell and as always I didn't say anything. I just set the plate down next to him eyes locked, until he dropped his gaze.
"....Sin...for this to happen to me?" I heard him mutter as he reached for the food.
My breath caught, 'Sin?' Did he really just call me Sin?
I grab his arm frantically, "What did you just say?"
A little startled because I have not touched him since those shackles were put on a few weeks ago.
"I asked, 'what grave sin have I committed for this to happen to me?' I don't understand why I am here, why you took me with you, why you look so familiar, why, HOW you knew my name?"
"I mean this is crazy, I'm crazy." Now he seems to be speaking to himself more so than me.
"I thought you knew who I was." He shook his head sadly disappointed and resigned himself to eating his fare.
I pull out a simple bound book, from the inside of my coat. No name or author, no identity can be found in this simple printed book I had made over time to help me heal. It wad Johns and my story from beginning up to 5 years after his death. I wanted to see what would happen. I put it down next to him, making him look up.
"What's this for?" He asks confused.
"I.... it's just some reading material." I was going to say that I wrote it about us... but this is not my John here. How could it be about us.
"Thank you." He says before I turn to leave.
"Do you like Frank Sinatra?" I ask before leaving the cell.
"Yeah, I do." He says slowly puzzled at the random question.
I just leave and head up stairs. I'm feeling numb and dead inside. I tell Cass we can begin to question this John tomorrow. I go to the room Temple has set up for me and turn on the computer to see the video feeds of his cell.
He's just finished his plate and sets it down. He hesitantly picks up the book looking for the name of it or an author or anything to identify it. Finding nothing he just turns to the first page and starts to read it. I turn up the volume and zoom as close as I can to see his facial reactions. I see him smiling and hear him chuckle. More than once I see him stop and pinch his forehead like it hurts. He puts it down not long after reading it and lay back on the bench that is his bed down there. He goes to sleep and I go grab Sinatra. Poor Sinatra he's so old I can't believe he's still around. He doesn't move much and only gets up to use the bathroom, eat, drink, and when he wants me to love him.
An idea pops into my mind. "You would know John, wouldn't you Sinatra?" I ask the purring pouffe in my arms.
"Meow."
"I'll take that as a yes."
....
The next morning I take John his food and find him reading some more of the book. I don't say anything just give him the plate and leave. I come back shortly with Sinatra in my arms and this John is setting down an empty plate.
He looks up, "Thank you for the food." Is all he says as I come in. He eyes the cat who's ears have perked up hearing his words.
"Meow." Sinatra starts to look around and sees this John in the shackles. "Meow."
He goes to jump from my arms towards this John, so I carefully set him down. He moves faster then he has in a long time and gets close and sniffs.
"Hey kitty." His shackles clink making Sinatra pull back but noticing his fingers are extended goes in to sniff them.
He rubs his head against his extended hand and begins to purr loudly. He proceeds to start meowing and attempts to hop into Johns lap but can't. I lift Sinatra up and let this John hold him. Sinatra is meowing still purring and rubbing all over him like he was starving for attention.
"Well you sure are a little crooner, huh?" This John says petting and loving on Sinatra. ".....Sinatra..... If I could name you I'd name you Sinatra." He smiles down at the cat who will not leave him alone.
I turn and leave and halfway up the stairs I have to sit down. I'm hyperventilating ..... Is that really John in there? I calm down my breathing and go back in and see Sinatra is curled up on Johns chest, cradled in the crook of his arm. John has the book open reading it again and doesn't hear me approach over the purring of Sinatra.
I'm there for a while just watching as the cat looks like he's in heaven and John looks at peace reading the book. Cass comes up behind me breaking the trance like state I'm in and pulls me by the arm away.
"Why is Sinatra in there?" Cass asks me bewildered.
"It's John." I whisper, "Sinatra would know his human anywhere. The instant he heard his voice he had the energy to get to him and love on him like he was a kitten again. I think that really may be John, Cass." I'm in shock as I say it out loud.
Suddenly I hear John crying. I run back to Johns cell and he's not reading the book, just holding Sinatra.
Crying.
That's when I realize Sinatra is no longer purring, or breathing. He lived long enough to see his human again and left. This John was mourning a cat that he'd just met.
His head lifts from Sinatra's body and looks at me.
"He just stopped breathing." He holds Sinatra closer. "I don't know why, but I feel like I just lost someone special to me."
"It's alright, he was an old cat, he was just holding out for his human to return to him." A tear escaped my eye as I looked at Sinatra's little body looking so happy where he was.
"WHAT IS GOING ON? DO YOU KNOW ME OR NOT?! WHY ARE THE EVENTS IN THIS BOOK FAMILIAR LIKE I DREAMED THEM OR SAW THEM IN A MOVIE?! TELL ME WHATS GOING ON!"
He bellows out grief and anger written all over his face.
Cass shuts the doors to the hallway and we grab seats and sit down. I go to take Sinatra and John pulls back to keep him.
"Fine." I raise my hands up and step back.
I sit down next to Cass who puts his arm on my shoulder.
"I thought he wasn't your boyfriend?" John spitefully says.
"I'm not her boyfriend. She's my hero, and if you are really who we think you may be, You would be my hero too."