Chapter 18

  I wonder what time it is? Does it matter? I have peace in the middle of the night, sitting in this secluded grove in the park. I remember sitting here on a warm summer day with Maria, I was so content I just fell asleep with Maria.

  Now it's all just going away. We were closer than I could imagine possible for any two people, yet I never had a clue she had these plans to go away for 10 years. But what is the alternative? I beg her not to go and she's gone in a few months? That issue is sorted, but it was sorted without us talking. I would wonder if there are other things but they damn well don't matter for 10 years anyways.

  The issue with Jennifer isn't sorted.

  A twig snap. I don't care if it's Others coming to kill me.

  “What are you doing here brother? I hardly recognized you with the beard.” A familiar voice says.

  “Stinger, yeah, it makes sense. This is the perfect time for me to hallucinate.”

  “Odd, I thought I was the crazy one. It's a nice spot here.”

  “Yes, its a great spot to think, alone.”

  “But I just got here brother, I'm all better. Well, that or I escaped and they didn't tell you. You wouldn't believe all the killing they had us do. Well, mostly two of us, y'all didn't see that. You know they had me assassinate a resistance family at Christmas dinner? Just run in, with a chop chop of their heads, I was so fast they all paused as their heads toppled off one by one.”

  I just laugh. “That's about how I imagined your time went, which makes sense because I'm imagining this conversation.”

  “I don't know brother, I have 3 extra voices in my head, that's why I'm unstable. What's going on in your head? You've always been a rock.”

  “I'm living another man's life. I love Maria and Jen, Maria is going away for 10 years, it turns out the Collective has been keeping her alive, she has to repay a debt to be fully cured. They want to give my daughter to some Countess, reprogram her head so she remembers her childhood as perfect, but lose all memories of me, and Maria.”

  “How is that living another man's life? It sounds like your life.”

  “It's all going away and part of me longs to live like right here. No tech, no being ordered about, no being led through life. I don't even know what day of the week it is, and I'm fine with that. It would be perfect if my daughter was here with me.”

  “Just your daughter?”

  “No one else wants to be here with me.”

  “Bull shit. You know damn well she loves you, this is beyond destiny and the suits. I watched you for months, periodically coming back, I stabbed you because part of us sensed how much you truly loved her and she would never love us.”

  “But what of Jen? She'll never know who I am.”

  “That is a pickle. I agree with you, she should not have memories of you wiped, that's barbaric.”

  “Of course you agree with me, you're in my head brother.”

  “You have my word she will never forget who you are.”

  “Sure, another person giving me their word. I've had enough of this place, I'm going home. Want to come with me?”

  “Ok. I've already met Jen, she'll be happy to see me again. Oh don't worry, I was nice, she was happy to meet Uncle T. She's very sweet.”

  “I'm glad my subconscious thinks so.”

  “Want to know a secret brother?”

  “Sure.”

  He leans and whispers in my ear.

  “There is no chip that prevents you from leaving the island.”

  With a blur he's gone.

  I've been wondering about the chip for some time, I need to test it. I head out through the brush. I really don't hope hallucinating is going to be a constant thing. I have six days now. I need to get back and see Jen.

  I approach the HQ, Maria is out front.

  She reaches out to hug me, I brush past her.

  “Is Jen asleep?” I ask.

  “Yes, it's 4 AM. Where were you? You ducked out on surveillance.” She says pensively.

  “She's usually up by 7, I'm going to wait for her to wake, we're going to spend the day together. I'm taking her to the movies.” I say and continue up the stairs.

  “Ok, so you have the day planned without checking with me.” She says.

  “Yeah, just a day. It's not like I'm planning the next 10 years of my life without consulting you.” I say, looking back at her from a few steps up.

  “That's not fair.”

  “None of this is fair, at least you damn well knew what was going on.”

  “I did so much for you.”

  “And I you. Remember the operating room? The struggles we went through just to survive? Was that real? Because I'm beginning to wonder what was and wasn't real. I woke up, Jodi was assigned to me, to be my companion. Were you the same? Was this all a big psyop to have a child? Are you assigned to me? Do you actually care about me?”

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  She looks up at me with a deep sense of sadness. “What have I done to you to make you think like this? Of course it's real, of course I love you. We've had weeks to sort this out.”

  “Weeks?! You just told me about it. YOU had weeks to sort your future, our daughter's future, and expect me to just fall in line in less than a day?”

  “She couldn't talk about it kid.” Frankie says as he enters.

  Marching down the stairs I slam him into the wall and pin him there.

  “I don't even want to get into this with you, you stay the frick out of this. You all knew, didn't you? I was the fool for more than a decade. First you drugged me, messed with my head, pushed me to be with Jodi to 'keep me in line'. All a damn game.”

  “Stanley, let Frankie go. This won't help things.”

  I shove him away, he tumbles to the ground. “Sorry, I didn't mean to shove you that hard.” I start up the stairs and stop after a few steps. “I'm going to wait for my daughter to wake up so I can spend the day with her. We'll see what happens after 6 days, I'll either agree to your plan or I'll run away with her and you'll never see her again.”

  “You can't leave the island, kid. The implant.”

  I march back down the stairs and shove him, “Is there an implant? Is there?”

  He looks off to the side, can't even look me in the face.

  “Is there Frankie?” Maria asks.

  He shakes his head. “No. You would have seen it at some point with the combat shades and removed it. It was deemed better to imply it was there and leave you guessing where it was.”

  I turn to walk up stairs, pausing as I put my hand on the end of the railing. I laugh. Over a decade in prison, and the door was open the whole time. I tap the flat of my hand on the railing end.

  10 years.

  Tap tap

  We were free.

  Tap tap tap

  Why?

  Tap

  I grasp the railing post and rip it off, throwing it against the wall, then rip out the whole length of railing, splinters fly as it crashes down. I turn and punch my fiat through the wall to the base of my shoulder.

  Maria starts towards me.

  “Stop. I'm going upstairs to wait for Jen to wake. All of you, leave me alone.”

  Marching upstairs I head to Jens room, quietly opening the door. I sit down on the floor with my back to the wall, she's sleeping, the soft glow of her night light illuminates the room. She's so beautiful. I could have taken her from here, gone away to live a normal life before she was discovered. The prison here was self-imposed, I failed my daughter. I stop myself from sobbing, I don't want her to wake up and see me like this.

  There is a shimmer beside me. My brother is sitting down leaning against the wall with me.

  “You really messed up that railing.”

  “Yeah. It was asking for it.” I say with a chuckle, he laughs as well.

  “So what are you going to do brother?”

  “Besides sit here and talk to myself?”

  “I guess.”

  “I haven't decided. Maria is going away for 10 years, so taking Jen off the island is a possibility now that I'm not imprisoned here.”

  “You're not speaking of Maria much.”

  “She decided our future years ago, what I have to say or think means nothing to her, my concern is my daughter.”

  “Yes, but...”

  Jen stirs. With a blur Stinger disappears.

  “Dad?”

  “I'm here dear, I have a big day planned for us.”

  She rubs her eyes. “I heard Uncle T, is he here?”

  Crap, I must have fallen asleep, dreaming now.

  “You don't know Uncle T dear.”

  “Let me show you.” She stands, and cycles through her different illusions on the generator, an old lady, her mother, Dan. Then she stops, an illusion of Stinger, looking the same age as he did moments ago.

  I stand and put my hand on her face, she looks up at me with her beautiful eyes. I grab her by the shoulders.

  “Dear, where did you get this image from?”

  “I met him in Central Park last week.”

  “You left on your own?”

  “No, we talked at the bottom of the stairs where I was walking on my hands. He teleported me to the park, it was fun.” The camera was out...

  Holding her tight I rush to the comm room.

  “Maria!” I yell. She comes out from our bedroom. “Get Frankie, Jen has had contact with her Uncle Terry.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I was talking with him last night, I thought, with all that was going on I was imagining talking to him. He's here. Get Frankie, I'll get Jodi on the radio, we need to confirm things. Frick, I was just talking to him 5 minutes ago.”

  “In Jens room?”

  “Yes. Get. Frankie.”

  “Ok.” She rushes down the stairs.

  Not letting go of Jen I sit at the radio.

  -Cavern Command, this is Goliath, is Colonel Jodi there?-

  “Dad, I'm scared. What's going on?”

  “It's ok, you're safe in my arms.”

  -Cavern Command, this is Goliath, is Colonel Jodi there?-

  -We heard you the first time, it's 5 AM, she's probably sleeping.-

  -Wake her now, tell her it's a priority in regards to Agent Stinger.-

  -Will do.-

  Maria and Frankie enter the room as I raise Jodie.

  -What is this about Stinger? He's in lockup.- She says.

  -He's here, I saw him, Jens seen him.-

  -That can't be.-

  “Frankie, is it true?” I ask.

  “I haven't heard anything, kid.”

  -I'll look into it and get back to you.- Jodi says.

  -Please do.- I say.

  We barricade ourselves in the comm room. After a while we hear back.

  -Guys...- Jodi says then cuts out. -Guys... It's... It's early, he's been out a week. They're all dead.-

  -Who??- I ask.

  -The 6 guards and 10 staff members and their families, they were all found in a cell in the secret prison. He killed them all, and their families. Only a few were reported missing.-

  “I need to talk to him.” I say.

  “No, we need another plan.” Maria says.

  “He's been talking with me and seemed friendly. I need to see what he want's.”

  I head out the door, they barricade it behind me. Standing outside the building I look around.

  “What do you want?” I ask.

  He appears in front of me.

  “The plan was to kill you, but it was 3 to 1 in favor of letting you live. You didn't follow your part and die like you were supposed to. But you betrayed your own brother, what you told me last night seems like a more fitting torment.”

  “Why though?”

  “You have no idea what it's been like, the four of us, all constantly at war. These three are only ever quiet when I'm killing. Right now she is pleading to spare you, they're all yammering. I've spilt so much blood, and you've been free. It's simple really; the order in which you all die is you, Maria and, well I haven't decided on Jen yet. I likely won't.”

  “You can just walk away.” I say.

  “No. You have until noon to get things in order, for Maria to be with the Coalition, for Jen to have her little mind put straight. Noon or you all die. You will die anyway, but you need to suffer like I did. No you don't. You certainly do.” He starts muttering to himself, then snaps out of it. “Sorry, just a bit of a disagreement with myself. Your choice; decide by noon or you all die.”

  Before I can respond, he's gone.