*WARNING R-18 SCENES AHEAD, MATURE ADULT CONTENT, VIOLENCE AND TORTURE PLEASE SKIP AHEAD TO THE NEXT CHAPTER WHEN YOU GET TO THE ##R-18##.*
"Before we get into all of that, we have some questions about who you are now." Cass says firmly.
"Why were you working for that piece of shit, Graves?
What were you doing at a pharmaceutical lab that made prescription drugs laced with street drugs to make the people who use them even more addicted to them and the business just that more profitable?
"Who are you and why do you look like our John, who we watched DIE."
Silence fills the air once Cass spits out those questions. Then a sound comes out of Sinatra along with a not so pleasant odor.
John looks down and realizes what just happened.
"You wanted to still hold him." I say getting up to go grab some towels and soap in box.
I wrap Sinatra up in a clean towel after carefully cleaning his fur and place him in the box.
"Goodbye my sweet little crooner." I say before putting the lid on. Holding back the tears and by taking a deep breath.
John is still cleaning himself off with a bucket of water, the soap and towels. I leave and come back with a large bucket of warm soapy water and another of just hot water.
"Here now you can clean yourself completely." I take a seat and he attempts to take the shirt off realizing the shackles won't allow that completely. He washed the shirt in the original bucket and squeezes it out best he can.
We just sit back and watch as he uses the new buckets to clean rest of him self. He's about to undo his pants and remembers we're there.
"Do you mind?" He asks.
"Nope go ahead." I smirk still watching as Cass turns his head to stare at the wall.
John seeing I'm not going to do the same as Cass turns and drops trow, exposing his back and cheeks to us. I grab Cass's arm. He turns and looks. On John's back are whip scars and burn marks. I'd know those markings anywhere. He received those from the Viola case, the psychotic masochist left those scars on him. This was John.
I stand up and go to him and shock him when I touch the scars. Feeling them and remembering what it was like when those were new.
"Turn around and I'll unlock your shackles for you to bathe properly." I say carefully. Not trying to show emotion as his body was tense from my touch.
He turns and lifts his hands up and I undo them before kneeling and unlocking the legs too. The skin is rubbed raw and is bleeding from the friction against his skin. I grab the towel and start to clean them feeling guilty that I've done this to my John.
"Why are you doing that?" I'm snapped back from my thoughts and I realize, this man doesn't know who I am.
"I know first aid, I was just trying to help so you don't get an infection." I get up and go back to sit down. Cass is looking at me wide eyed. "Go grab him something to wear please." I say and Cass leaves.
"What were you a nurse or something?" John asks me as Cass leaves.
"I believe we asked you some questions first. We can get to your questions after ours are answered first.
........
He washed himself facing away from me the whole time which made me smirk at his modesty. I almost forgot that's how he was when we had first met. Cass came in with a simple shirt and gym shorts to change into. Once dressed he sat down on the bench and thanked us for the clothes and wash.
Cass scratched his head, "Why are you so polite when we're holding you hostage?"
In unison, "It doesn't cost anything to be polite." Me and John look at each other.
Cass groans covering his face muttering, "I forgot about that."
I knew what he was thinking about, when John or I would finish each others sentences or reply in unison to someones question.
"Moving on," I start. "So, why were you working as a guard at that lab that was making people addicted to the prescriptions?"
Lar is upstairs watching on the video to tell me if he's lying or not.
"Because it was a job. I got hired on with the company about 3 years ago but I'd only been recently moved to that location. I'd been there for only a week. I knew that it was a prescription drug lab where they made already approved drugs. I didn't know what was in the crates or what they were doing in the labs. The clock in and break room for us guards isn't even in the lab building. That's all I can tell you about that."
Cass waits for Lar to say something to us, "I think we'll be the judge on what you can tell us."
Lars voice comes through finally. "He's telling the truth."
"So Graves is the one who hired you?" I ask leaning forward.
"Graves? Is that who you had me carry out of there?" John asks.
"I asked a question, is a person named Graves the one who hired you?" I ignore his question.
"No, it was a woman named Helen ... uh.. what was it, Helen Poltin/Pollten? I had submitted an application when I saw an ad in the paper." He said this straight faced.
Lar voice tells us, "True."
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" Leaning forward I look into his eyes and carefully enunciating each word calmly.
He pauses looking at me and I can see the wheels in his head are moving.
"I don't know who I am, I know my name is John but that's it. I like Frank Sinatra, I collect statues of the virgin Mary, my favorite thing to eat is stir fry with rice, I like Scotch whiskey, cats, WWII books and movies. I mean what do you want me to say?" He tosses his hands up in the air frustrated not sure what we're asking of him.
"I'm going to show you a picture, tell me who you think it is." I pull out a picture of John when we were in Norway. Happy smiling driving the rental around trying to find a private camping location.
He takes the picture and looks at it and confusion crosses his face. "Is that me?!" He looks up at us and back down at the picture.
"Is this me?" He asks again looking up at us.
"The man in that picture...." I have to stop myself and Cass finishes my sentence.
"He died almost 11 years ago. In her arms after helping rescue her because of the sick fuck you were unknowingly employed by and that you just so happen to look exactly alike."
"SCARS included." He adds taking the picture from him and giving it back to me.
"So who was he to you?" He asks intrigued. "He rescued you and died in your arms?"
I can't take it anymore I stand picking up the box with Sinatra in it and say as I'm leaving.
"He was my hero." Is all I say and walk out and up not able to do this anymore right now.
.....
I'm upstairs with Lar watching over the video feed as Cass continues to ask questions.
"You know mija, I have not found a single sign that he's trying to fool anyone. Maybe we can ask around to see if someone knows how to get his memories back for him, if there are any. I don't know how it happened but it seems to be him, also Temple and me both smell Fae in him now. He's not a shape shifter, he is mostly human like you but with the scent of Fae on him."
"What do you think we should do Lar? We Fae take care of our own but it could be dangerous to let him free not knowing what is going on. I won't take the chance of risking any of you."
Lar takes a breath and is silent looking at the screen as Cass now is just talking to talk with him, get him to loosen up.
"Mija, I think you start talking to that pinche gringo pendejo and see what kind of answers you can get out of him."
......
"Come on kid, we got someone else to talk to today." I say to Cass who's just talking cars and guy stuff with this John. It made my heart ping in pain taking me back in time for a second.
Cass walks out and I turn to leave to when this John asks a question.
"Are you alright?" He asks sounding concerned.
"Yes, why do you ask?" I turn back around to see him.
"You're hands have been shaking non-stop since I washed up and you saw the scars on my back. Do you know how the person you say died got their scars?"
"He was whipped and burned by a sick bitch." I say my mouth becoming a thin line trying to stop my hands from shaking.
He seems to be committing this to memory. "I'm sorry." He says finally.
"What for?" I scoff.
"I can't remember who I am so I can't deny or confirm if I am the guy you are hoping me to be. Just like you can't deny or confirm who I am either." He puts his head in his hands and kind of just sits there.
"Well do some reading, I'll be back later with food." I shut the door and leave.
...
"Cass I don't think you should be in there when I'm interrogating Graves." I tell him as we're discussing things.
"You shouldn't be alone with him either." Cass argues back.
"She won't be."
We both turn and look at the door and there is Alex walking in.
"Alex I think Natalia's pregnancy has chased you out of the house. She that hard to handle right now you'd rather be stuck in a room like that again with me then at home with her?"
"Ha Ha, what room? Lar called me said I should come over, you're not doing good having the shakes." He walks over to and gives me a hug.
"Whats the matter? Did something...MADRE DE DIOS!" He yells that last bit seeing the computer screen and who's on it. He goes over closer looks at us wide eyed and then back at the screen.
"IS THAT WHO I THINK IT IS!?" He exclaims dumbfounded.
"That would be the reasons for the shakes." Cass tells him.
"I need a drink and a explanation please." Alex sits down and I agree.
"That makes two of us amigo."
.......
Later after some stiff drinks and an explanation of what we did know, Alex accompanied me downstairs to go 'talk with' Graves. We're passing by John's cell and Alex stops and just stares watching him read the book I gave him.
"Hey, Maria, isn't that your book?" He asks and I nod. "Then why is he reading it?"
I whisper back, "I am hoping for something to trigger a memory, anything really. Sinatra believed he was John, died in his arms too. I'm surprised the way he reacted to Sinatra dying, he cried, even called him a crooner just like John...used...to." I trail off as I see the man in the cell start to cry softly. He sets the book down.
"Mary.." He cries out and I start to go through the door and Alex stops me.
"Wait, we'll come back after we get answers from Graves give some time so emotions don't get the better of our judgement."
...##R-18##........
We had been letting Temple bleed Graves a little bit every few days. When we walked in Temple was stopping up the little blue bottle that were used for the blood. Graves who was shackled to an old mortuary embalming table could only just lay there with his head slightly elevated against the rubber neck cushion that Temple had put on to prevent anyone from damaging themselves. Temple took the IV line that he used to control the flow of blood and sucked the last few drops out of the line teasing Graves intentionally.
He saw us and winked and began to tell Graves he deserves a kiss for tasting so damn good. He bent down and Graves started to struggle before Temple laughed.
"You're dreaming if you think I would actually kiss you." Temple walked off laughing, "He's all yours guys." Graves is struggling to see who Temple said that too.
"Wh..hhooo's there?" Graves asks not sure how or if he'll get an answer.
Alex doesn't come around to be seen by Graves, instead he goes to a cupboard and pulls out two full face oni masks and black gloves. He hands me a mask and the gloves while donning his own. He shows me the mouth piece that can change your voice if need be.
I mouth to him, "Why the hell does Temple need these?"
Alex just shrugs and we pull them on and over our faces. We also throw on some old white lab coats. We look like some twisted science fiction oni doctors.
Walking around the table we stand there just looking at Graves as he looks at us.
"What do you guys want?" Graves finally says.
"Answers" the voice that comes out is deep and terrible sounding.
"Answers? Answers to what?" His ego must have inflated since last I saw him cause he apparently didn't grasp the severity of the situation. He was starting to get rude and puffed up even shackled down on that table.
"We already know about you and your dirty underhanded schemes with the pharmaceutical companies to make people addicted even more so most of them already are. Your lab and everyone that was in it is gone, flattened, incinerated, poof." Alex said slowly for it to sink in.
"DAMN IT! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH DAMN MONEY YOU'VE COST ME! YOU'RE THE SAME ONES WHO BLEW UP THE LAST THREE? AM I RIGHT?" He yells at us like we were dogs that would start to cower before him.
Alex and I exchange a look. "Temper, Temper." I say before punching him in the gut a few times and backhanding his face.
"Fuck you assholes!" Graves spits out after I stop.
"Oh now, see that's just bringing more trouble on your self." I grab the needles and put my knee on top of his hand so it stays open and flat. I shove the needles under his nails across the nail beds. His screams fill the room.
"So was it just your brilliant scheme to destroy so many lives or are there others involved?" Alex asked picking up some more needles and going to his other hand.
"Go fuck yourselves." Graves grits out and the screams continue.
........
"One last question for you to try and answer today. .... Who was that man trying to save you at your little pharmaceutical lab? " I ask and Graves groans.
"What man?" He grimaces in pain from the molars we just yanked out of his mouth.
"This one." Alex holds a screen shot of John in the cells up when we first brought him in.
Grave looks hard at the picture. "HE was there? What was he doing there?" Graves starts to laugh. "That tried to save me?"
"What's so funny? He's one of your guards?" I ask.
"He may work at the company but he's not one of my guards. I don't even know why he was there. If he was there then....." Graves trails off and just stays there silent.
"What?!" Alex picks the pliers we were using to pull his teeth out. "If he was there? Makes him seem like he's maybe more of the catch than you are..."
"HE'S PART FAE NOW! O...someone brought him back to life as bait. But other than that I don't know anything else." Graves shouts not wanting us getting near him with those pliers again.
I grab graves by his mouth. "Who's bait is he?"
Graves is crying, I squeeze realizing there's give in his jaw bone. I think I cracked his jaw breaking teeth out.... "Tell me and I'll give you something for the pain." I smile under the mask.
"The bait...." he whimpers.." is for the queen..." he's sniveling like a baby.
"Why would that attract our Queen?" I growl out squeezing his jaw again.
"AAHHH!!! It's not him that will attract her, it's who he'll attract that'll attract the queen....Please don't ....." He's sniveling like a baby.
I look up at Alex and go to the cabinet I grab some aspirin and stick them in Graves mouth. "There's something for the pain." I say smacking his cheek as he goes to swallow making him whimper in pain.
We leave and take the outfits off.
"Maria?" Alex places a hand on my shoulder.
"He doesn't know who I am, Alex, my John is still dead." I say to him tears threatening in the back of my throat and eyes.
"Come here." He opens his arms and I go to them letting him hug me.
"This feels worse then when he was dead." I let it out because it hurts so much worse seeing him in front of me with so many memories and I want to hold so badly, but he looks at me like I am a stranger.
"So what are you going to do Maria?"
"I don't know."