When Rivera opens his eyes, you can tell everything is fuzzy for him.
"ugghhh...." He groans attempting to sit up and tenses feeling the weight of the shackles on his arms. He touches them and his eyes open to see the shackles and sits up to stop paralyzed at the sight of me and John.
"Rivera, you've been looking for me?" I ask sitting casually but exhibiting that I mean business with my tone and gaze, in the chair near the bed.
Rivera jumps and rubs his eyes. "Sin is that really you?!"
"Yes, Rivera it's me. You want to explain some things before we get into the pleasantries. Like why were you looking for me? Or maybe why you're shooting up drugs now?" I try to hide the look of disgust and disappointment in my face.
"John is dead. How the fuck are you standing in front of me man?" Rivera's eyes go wide again.
"Stop evading Sin's questions, Rivera. We'll explain to you once you've explained to us." John points to me and waits for Rivera to start talking.
"I'm sorry but I need a trash can." Rivera doesn't look good and I snapped my fingers and one appeared.
"WOW! I did it again!" I was thrilled I was able to snap something again, and quickly handed it Rivera as he started to gag and just in time he was emptying the contents of his stomach.
The smell was noxious. I stood up and took a few steps away, "Damn Rivera what the hell?" My eyes were watering the stench overpowered the small attic room quickly. John went to the small barred windows and opened them up to get some airflow.
"Sorry." Rivera pulled back and was spitting into the bucket black bile and red spots.
"Rivera what's wrong with you?" I asked knowing that his vomit was not a good sign at all.
He smiled up at me, "Cirrhosis of the liver and some other GI problems that I can't afford to fix since the Agency kicked me out and I lost everything."
"Why did they kick you out?" I ask coming back to sit down as John took the trash can to the toilet.
"I was on a mission and ended up addicted to shooting up smack. They refused to allow me to even try to do rehab, it was their easy way of letting me go because they were still pissed I leaked information that I saw Ortiz in Spain and it got to you. "
"So that WAS you." I shook my head remembering how I figured it was him who had been able to get us that information.
"Yeah, when there was still someone at your, a way to get in touch with you. Before everything seemed to have gone to shit in the world. I can't afford rehab, my medical bills, I said fuck it. At least the drugs give me temporary relief of the pain and help me forget everything I've lost even if it's just for a few minutes."
Rivera rubs his eyes and head, cracking his neck and continues to rub and mess with his hands. I can see the reaction his body is having needing it's next fix.
"Well you'll get rehab here with us, the old fashion way. Cold turkey. Then we can move on to other subjects. Get some rest Rivera, I'll bring some food up for you to eat in a little while. After you stop having withdrawals I'll take the shackles off. "
"Wait what?!" Rivera stands up. "I didn't ask you to sober me up now did I?" He's getting angry.
"Like I said Rivera, I'll be back up later with food." Me and John exit and lock the door and head downstairs.
There's banging and a twisting of the knob as he tries to break the door down.
"HEY! I DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS! I WANTED REHAB 2 YEARS AGO, I DON'T CARE ANYMORE DAMN IT! LET ME OUT OF HERE! SIN! SIN! DAMN IT DON'T BE A BITCH LET ME OUT!"
He's screams through the door and I sigh biting my tongue, knowing its for the best.
.....
Two weeks later and a enough swearing to make a sailor blush, the worst of the withdrawals are over. Even with the clarity from a drug free body, he still craved it and was still asking for me to release him. I did the best health evaluation I could considering it wasn't much, but it seemed pretty much like the diagnosis he gave me.
His liver was failing him and he didn't care about his life anymore.
"Rivera it pains me to see you like this, you deserved better than what they did." I rub his shoulder as he vomits up blood and the food he had in his stomach.
The weakened version of the man I knew now sits before me. Muscles fading, body thinning, skin and eyes beginning to yellow because of the cirrhosis. My friend who I could trust to follow me into the most dangerous parts of the world and make it out alive with me. Reduced to a sick, drug addicted, dying man.
I didn't know how much more time he had left on this earth, probably not long.
"Rivera why were you trying to find me? I will let you go and give you some money for a hotel and whatever you desire before letting you go. I need to know why you were actively looking for me though?"
Rivera looked up at me relief flooding his face. "You'll let me go? K, last time I talked to Hawthorne, she said that something was going on in the agency concerning you. You were being taken off the lists of wanted individuals and they called off all the DDC's....."
"DDC's?" I asked confused.
"Detecting Drone Clusters. They send out these massive clouds of small drones and the do sweeps all over the world. They were looking for you, Cass, anybody on the wanted list was fair game too."
"She said the Agency was saying if you or Cass were found that you were to welcomed back with open arms. All charges were dropped of aiding domestic terrorism."
"WHAT?!" I interjected I really did have to charges dropped? We could go back home?
"Yeah but Hawthorne said something didn't feel right to her about the whole thing. She had a feeling it was just to lure you back there."
I start to pace back and forth the cogs in my head turning quickly.
"What else did Hawthorne say?" I ask him.
"Nothing, She went missing a few days before I ended up in that smack house. I went to the Agency to try and find out and some random desk jockey there said she was assignment. When I spoke to her though she hadn't been put on a new assignment yet. It had only been two weeks since her last one."
"You think they found out that she leaked information to you?" I twist my head to look at him as I still pace the floor.
"I'm positive of it and now they probably have her locked in some cell for it too." He shakes his head. "I had to try and find you. If they really do have her locked up you got to get her out. She helped rescue you, you can't abandon her to those cruel pricks that don't care about who's in there." Rivera started to tear up mumbling about there was no way he could get her out.
"Don't worry Rivera I'll get her out." I pat him on the shoulder to reassure him.
"But what if it's a trap to lure you in? There has been talk of a lot of shady things happening to agents and criminals lately while overseas. I think that's why I was sent on the mission that I was, to make me fail and either get me killed or cut me loose."
He looks at me this shadow of my friends former self, emaciated, ill, and dying, still concerned for my well being. My heart aches for the cruel realities of this world that he's had to endure.
"I've heard about the weird things going on as well. Before I let you go, Why don't you tell me everything that you've heard, anything could be useful to me later. Also, don't worry about me I've got some friends and a few new tricks up m sleeve. It's a lot harder to catch me now."
....
It wasn't easy to let Lar snap Rivera to go back, knowing what he'd go right back to doing. However, I gave him the freedom to make his own decisions and let him go.
He'd gave me more information than I was expecting and it truly startled me some of the rumors he had heard whispered through the grapevine. These were heard while he was still an officer and afterwards from Hawthorne and a few others he still had some form of communication with.
Disturbing me deeply he talked about the drugs being laced with street drugs, that of which I already knew, he also talked about special drugs being put it in ingredients for mass marketed foods and drinks. There was a wide speculation of what was being put in these items. There was always one thing though that Hawthorne and the others seemed to be certain of. This was not being done with the knowledge or approval of the president and other leaders in office. Any time it was brought up to a high authority figure they pushed for an investigation and wanted evidence. Any one who seemed to have found anything would end up vanishing before getting any proof to anyone.
He continued to tell me a great many things about the numbers of missing people, children included, had been going up for the past 8 years. He started to ramble on about how so many things seemed to be connected. To what and to why.... That was the question that needed an answer.
Once I was satisfied with the information he gave and I asked I hugged him tightly. Then I gave him a couple grand in cash and Lar snapped him back to the states.
"I'm sorry about your amigo, Mija." Lar gave me a hug when all was said and done.
"It's fine Lar, go a head and head back to Belle and Luna. I know you've got your own work to do. I can't wait to see what new things you come out with for the runway. Besides we have to start working on some stuff here too. Thank you, Lar, I appreciate every thing you do."
"No problem, Mija."
I send him on his way and me and John try to train snapping with little items.
I am able to snap things to me most of the time now but sending items is a no. John has been picking snapping items to places but not to him. We would send Temple into fits of laughter watching us get frustrated.
"Are you constipated or trying to snap that book to the table?" Temple was roaring with laughter as I was concentrating to make the book snap to the table in front of me.
"If I was blocked up trust me you would know Temple. Now quit laughing and screwing up my concentration." I look at him and suddenly the book goes to the table.
"HOW THE HELL DID I DO IT THIS TIME?!" I yell in frustration.
Temple snickers scratching around his horns as he looks away trying to hide his smile.
John is grinning at me too.
"What?!" I'm annoyed that this keeps happening and John snaps his book to and from his table effortlessly suddenly.
I stand slack jawed shocked before pulling in my bottom lip and chewing on it in frustration.
I shake my head and imagine an egg in my hand to crush it on John and Temples heads when suddenly without snapping my fingers I get an egg in each hand. Before they can realize what happened I chuck them at each of their heads.
*crack crack*
"HAHAHAHA!" I start to laugh like crazy. "How's that for some egg in your face?" I finally chuckled looking at their faces. I stop laughing when I see Temples wide eyed expression.
"What?" I ask when I realize they're not looking at me but behind me.
I turn and start in fright.