Chapter Twenty One
"Just do it!"
After Rebekah and the others got back from Iron Mask, the female started hounding V to do a facial recognition between Simon and Sam. The male tried to persuade her that it wasn't him but she wouldn't let the matter go. She kept claiming it was Sam to where the others got wind of it. Their disbelief and denial were just as strong as the males who witnessed the event. But since Rebekah wouldn't stop badgering V to do the recognition, he had no other choice but to do it.
Everyone ditched Last Meal and were hovering over V's shoulder as he typed in Simon's name and ran it through the system.
"Is this the same Sam you talked about, mahmen?" asked Dhusk.
Gabrielle nodded. "Yeah. He died twenty seven years ago. Maybe this lookalike is his kid he didn't know about." The statement was pointed at Rebekah.
"No," the female said with strength. "The man I saw was defiantly Sam."
"Well, we're about to find out."
A picture of Simon and Sam popped up on the screen and lines started going back and forth between the pictures. The picture of Simon looked younger compared to Sam's. Under the pictures was a bit of information of Simon St. Peter. He was twenty seven, grew up in Yachats, Oregon, was in and out of foster care until he was eighteen, enlisted when he was of age and was discharged about a month ago from service after doing some tours in Iraq. Down below a loading bar timed the process until it blinked done and brought up a percentage of similarities between the pictures.
The match was a ninety-nine percent match.
"Now hold up." Clicking away on the keyboard, V managed to bring up Simon and Sam's files and DNA coding showed up on the screens. More lines zigzagged across the screen as it identified the codes.
The codes were one hundred percent match.
"How the hell is that possible?" Phury asked.
"There's probably some—" The male was cut off when his computer started blinking. Apparently the facial recognition was still on and the computer was alerting the male of a match. V clicked on the alert perhaps thinking there was a glitch when hundreds of pictures with information started popping up all over his screens. Pictures of a man looking exactly like Sam went back all the way back to the Civil War. Names outshined pictures when the same signature and handwriting popped up from different centuries in different countries written in different languages.
"V, what's going on?" spoke Wrath since he couldn't see.
The male was speechless as he watched more signatures going all the way back to the Crusades and further showed up. It was when the handwriting in a strange language stopped around the end of the first century. Because Rebekah had been hovering over V's shoulder, the female leaned over and clicked the closest picture on the screen.
It was of a young boy who had died in Russia during World War II. Under the picture was his death certificate saying the boy named Shurik Kotko suffered shrapnel wounds to the neck during the Battle of Moscow. He was only fourteen when he died protecting his friend, Yuri Bobrov, who later joined the Red Army to fight against the Germans.
Rebekah remembered the dream Sam had about the Battle of Moscow and how it ended with him dying. She also remembered him mentioning the name Yuri and how he felt the urge to protect him in the dream.
Another picture caught the female's attention and she clicked it. The picture was of an Italian named Silvio Abandonato who had been a soldier for the Italians during World War I. He was about to turn twenty when he died in the trenches from a mortar round during the first Battle of Isonzo.
Dragging the mouse to a the oldest picture on the screen, Rebekah clicked the picture to see a black and white photo of a man named Stanley William who fought for the Union during the Civil War and died in the Battle of Antietam from a knife wound to the chest. He was only eighteen when he died.
All three pictures looked exactly like Sam.
Starting from the Civil War going all the way up until the day he died, each and every picture was of Sam. As for the handwriting, the matches were either ninety-eight or one hundred percent.
"Those writings go all the way back to the Viking Age," mumbled Tohr.
"How in hell is that even possible?" asked Z.
Unable to draw her eyes from the screen, Rebekah managed to click a button which lined up the pictures in order by date. Starting out in black and white and turning into color, each picture was of Sam from the age of seventeen to thirty-two. In each picture the female saw the man she loved somehow fight in just about every war known to man. And those were just the wars that were photographed. She knew if they could take pictures in the first century she would be seeing the same person staring back at her.
"Maybe we can ask the Scribe Virgin," mentioned Fhear.
"And say what?" remarked Hhavoc. "Ask her about a guy who apparently has been alive since the time of the Vikings? I don't think she can answer that one. Besides, this Sam guy is human. He is, right?"
The question was a good one. How could a person have survived for a thousand years if the evidence was telling the truth? How could Sam still be alive if he apparently died so many deaths?
Pain. Lasting. Two of the three keys to the seal. Memory. The cause of pain.
Sam sounded like he was the one who seal before he had disappeared twenty seven years ago. The two keys easily explained how this was possible. What Rebekah wanted to know the most was why Sam created this seal in the first place. Why would he want to relive life only to die and be reborn just to die again?
There was only one person who could answer that.
And he went by the name of Simon.
In truth, everyone was curious about this finding. Vishous had spent most of the day digging up old records of each photo. The male was surprised to find out that all of the blood tests matched the others perfectly. Because of the perfect matches, Sayge had actually saved the drawings of the seals and was taking another look at them. This time she wasn't doing it alone. Her students were getting a glimpse of a seal that was a thousand years old and were just as obsessed as the female. They spent quite a while trying to decipher the seal. As for Rebekah, she figured her best shot of getting Sam back was to do what he said all those years ago.
When V had called it quits and went to bed, the female had gone to the Pit and pulled up Simon's profile. Turned out the guy had been discharged because of a back injury he received on his last tour. The report said his unit's Humvee flipped during a mission and it had been Simon who was gunner. He survived the attack but had to be shipped back to America to get surgery on his back. He now lived in Caldwell since he didn't have any family back in Oregon and managed to get a job working as a mechanic. His apartment was on the bad side of the city and he was also registered at a fight gym where members had to sign weavers in case someone got injured.
Checking the time on the computer, it was about time for the shop Simon worked at to close up while the gym was just opening. Surely Rebekah could catch him when he went for his usual work out. There was a sign in sheet she was able to pull up and it showed that Simon signed in about the same time ever since becoming a member.
Rebekah quickly got rid of her find and left the Pit before anyone spotted her. The female wanted to see Simon alone. There was many sceptics going on right now and she didn't need any of their doubts worming their way in her. She wouldn't allow to mess with her resolve that Sam was somehow Simon just like how he had been different people over the centuries.
The gym was really something.
As soon as Rebekah took her first step inside, she noticed the steel cage surrounding the owner's office. In the center of the gym were four boxing rings occupied by fighters. Two rings were being used by those practicing boxing while the other two were used to train what seemed to be MMA fighters. Running along the side of the gym were punching bags and people working in pairs.
"You looking for someone, miss?"
Turning towards the caged office, Rebekah asked if Simon was around and the man pointed to the ring in the back. Stuffing her hands in her pockets, the female walked past the humans who casted glances at her. They were probably surprised to see someone like her walking into a place full of testosterone. Rebekah ignored them as she circled around to the ring in the back and stood on the sideline to watch.
This was the ring for the MMA fighters and the two men fighting were really going at it. One guy was buff and kept throwing punches before following up with a kick. His opponent was only wearing loose slacks with his gear on and wasn't wearing a shirt. As the man spun around on the balls of his feet, his back faced Rebekah and she could see a huge scar in the shape of a hook curved around his shoulder. Rebekah looked up in time to watch as the man got in his opponent's guard and grabbed him around the arms only to lift him and toss him to the ground. Getting on top of the guy's chest, the man started pounding away on top of the guy until the person supervising the fight called it.
As some guys who had been watching the fight pulled the guy who just got pounded one, the supervisor pointed over in Rebekah's direction and the man who did the beating turned around to face the female. Rebekah's eyes locked on to the tags dangling around Simon's neck before looking up to his surprised face. Telling the supervisor he was taking a break, he made his way over toward the female and stepped out of the ring.
"What are you doing here?"
Rebekah shrugged her shoulders and stepped aside when Simon stepped down on the floor. She casted a gaze over to the guy he had been fighting. "Do you always give people a beating when you step in the ring?" she asked.
Ripping off his gloves and placing them on top of the ring, Simon ran his hands through his hair. "He asked me to go for real on him. Would a person rather practice fighting like it was the real deal or a game?"
"Glad I'm not the only one who goes by that method," the female mumbled.
Simon must've heard her because his hard gaze seemed to lighten. He eventually chuckled and leaned against the ring. There was a moment where his eyes looked at the tags Rebekah was wearing. She couldn't help but do the same thing with him since they dangled around his neck. Rebekah wondered how many tags Sam wore through the years before taking up a new name to stamp on the steel.
"I just wanted to say sorry last night." Rebekah paused. "And that I had that guy yesterday."
Something in the female bristled when Simon did a take of her and chuckled again. "Sure," he laughed. "A woman like you could defiantly take down a drunk. I do appreciate the laugh."
Even his smart remarks were the same.
"You think I couldn't?" she challenged.
Looking over his shoulder to see that the ring was empty, Simon pointed over his shoulder. "Actually, I think you could. Fought some girls in my old neighborhood and they were tough so I got some respect. And I have this stupid streak of getting into fights with people every time I hear a challenge. Guess what I'm saying is that I'm willing to see these skills you claim you have."
It was Rebekah's turn to laugh. The person was defiantly Sam. No matter what, it seemed his stupidity streak lasted over the ages. The female appreciated knowing some things about him hadn't changed.
Giving Simon a nod, he held up the ropes as the female removed her boots and jacket. Tossing her sock and stepping into the ring with Simon behind her, she brushed her hands through her hair as she hopped on her feet. Simon swung his arms wide like he was stretching them. Some people noticed the two and eyed them in the ring. There was a shout coming from the caged office and Simon assured the owner they were just doing a light spar.
Rebekah stretched her limps since she was wearing a black tank top and loose jeans followed by another hop. She then met Simon in the center where they did a fist bump before heading to their sides. Bringing up her fists, the female watched Simon take his position and noticed it was the same position.
The both came in and Simon started the fight with an upper cut followed up by a left jab. Rebekah sidestepped both punches and went low to tackle Simon. She made solid contact and the both of them went to the ground. Before she could put him in a lock, Simon slipped out of under her and was back up on his feet. He jumped around in a tight circle as the female found her way back to her feet. Simon then came in with a high roundhouse kick which Rebekah blocked and caught. Then Simon surprised her when he dropped to the ground with her after him. Rolling up to his knees, he wrapped his other leg around her neck and grabbed her arm when she tried to push off.
Rebekah took a deep breath as she lifted her legs over her head and rolled with the flow, bringing her on top of Simon and giving him a sharp jab in the face to release her. Letting her go and rolling to the opposite end, Simon got up before Rebekah and managed to wrap his arms around her chest from the back and lift her off the ground just to throw her at his feet. She kept him off by kicking him in the nose when he was about to get on top of her and flipped back to her feet.
Rubbing his nose and seeing it wasn't bleeding, Simon brought up his fists as he watched Rebekah with close eyes. The two circled the other in the ring as if hoping one would give away their next move. This time it was Rebekah to go first by throwing a wide punch. Simon easily stepped back and blocked when the female followed up with a back kick. As he pushed her back, Rebekah used her momentum to throw an ax kick which Simon blocked by bringing both of his arms up to protect his face. That was when Rebekah saw his chest wide open. Sliding her foot between Simon's legs, the female shoved her shoulders right in his chest and wrapped her arms under his so she could lift him on her back. The female then jumped back and landed on top of Simon who took the fall for the both of them.
Rebekah rolled over until she was straddling Simon and held up her fist like she was about to punch him when he held up his hands in surrender.
There were some people clapping and cheering as the two got up to their feet. Some guys teased Simon about getting his ass kicked by a woman as they stepped down from the ring. As Rebekah slipped her boots back on, Simon pushed the guys aside playfully and they brought up their hands like they were ready to fight. The female watched how he laughed and messed with the other men before they all dispersed to get back to their own work out. When it was just them two, Rebekah noticed how Simon rotated his shoulders and flinched. He then reached over his shoulder where the scar was and shifted his shoulder again. His body tensed and his movement was a bit slower like he was trying to work through the pain.
"What happened to your shoulder?" she asked even though she knew.
"I got hurt during a mission. The doctors did their best but not enough for me to sign up for another tour."
Taking off his gloves, Simon raked his hand through his hair and nodded over to a back door. Rebekah got the hint and followed him out. Before the door closed, he grabbed a chair and used it to keep the door open as they stood outside. The air was humid which was a sign it might rain later that night.
"So who's this Sam?"
Rebekah sighed as she leaned against the building. Eyeing Simon, it felt a bit weird that she was talking about him even though he didn't remember. All the female knew was that she had to find a way in helping him remember his past with her and the Brotherhood. Maybe talking about him when he was Sam would be the first step of figuring things out.
"Someone close to me," she said at first.
Simon nodded his head and joined her against the way. Folding his arms over his chest, he took in a deep breath and sighed. Rebekah remembered the last time he did that and expected steam to come from his lips. No steam this time.
"Did he die overseas?"
"No. Something happened when he got back and died in a fire."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay. It was a while ago." Rebekah paused as she considered asking him a question. The female swallowed and kept her eyes on the night sky. "What about you? Got someone waiting for you?"
She heard a chuckle come and a deep inhale. "Nah. Just me. Been on my own for as long as I can remember."
"Don't you have a family?"
"Nope. I was actually a foster kid until no one wanted anything to do with me. I just never fit in with the other kids in the houses. Most of the time it was the adults who I had it out with." Simon sighed again and looked over at Rebekah. "You know, I never got your name. I think you owe me that much since it'll take me a while to get my respect back."
Rebekah smiled as she pushed herself from the wall. "The name's Rebekah."
"Rebekah, huh? Well, it was a blast to meet you. And now that we're acquainted, how the hell did you find me?"
"I know a friend good with computers." The female pointed to his tags. "All I had to do was give him your name and he was able to look you up."
"Do I need to worry about you stalking me now?"
"No," she laughed. "Just wanted to thank you and say I had it last night."
"I think we settled that just a second ago."
Looking around, Rebekah figured it was time for her to head out. Simon must've sensed her need to leave because he edged close to the door and told her he needed to get back in there. Giving him the best of luck in getting his respect back, the female waited until he closed the door behind him and took in a deep breath.
It truly felt strange talking to Sam about Sam when he thought he was Simon. Just thinking about who he once was made the female wonder about the other lives he mysteriously lived through. No matter how they wanted to deny it, there was evidence going all the way back to the late first century of Sam's existence. While the evidence started there, Rebekah actually wondered if it continued further down the timeline. Could it be possible if Sam had lived longer than the first century?
The long past could wait for a while. Right now Rebekah had to work with the one life she knew Sam the best and figure how to get Simon to remember those who had been his family even if he hadn't been born to one. Only then would they get Sam back and find a way to end this endless cycle of continuous lives.