As Scarlett emerged from the New York City taxi cab, she paid the driver
and stopped to take in her surroundings. Everything appeared deceptively
normal, from the ubiquitous taxis, to the crowds of people busily moving
about their business, to the imposing labyrinth of streets and buildings.
Wearing a black trench coat and a ski cap, Scarlett shivered a bit from the
wind and the lightly falling snow flurries. The bleak sky was cloudy and
gray, and showed no sign that the harsh blanket of winter would be lifted
anytime soon. A nearby street sign showed
41st Street
Lexington Avenue
Scarlett paused to glance at her watch. She had exactly ten minutes.
She recalled the recent conversation she had shared with Jinx.
* * *
"Hello?"
"It's me," Scarlett said.
"Scar-"
"Quiet!" Scarlett cut her off, not wanting Jinx to speak her name.
"Uh," Scarlett said for the benefit of anyone eavesdropping, "stupid dog is pestering me again."
"There's not much time," Scarlett said hastily, "where are you?"
"Still in Japan. What is going on over there?"
"We need your help. I can't say more. You have to trust me."
"Just tell me what you need," Jinx said.
* * *
Grand Central Station. Scarlett crossed 42nd Street and quickly looked to her left and right. She spotted a few Vipers doing routine patrols at key intersections, amidst the throng of people. Stuffing her gloved hands into her coat pockets, Scarlett felt the handgun nestled smugly beneath her belt.
Just in case.
With as nonchalant an air as possible, Scarlett sauntered through the glass doors and headed inside. The spacious center of Grand Central Station was still as enormous and imposing as ever. Making her way through the passersby, Scarlett headed for the information booth in the center, which bore clocks showing the time.
She was a minute early.
Scarlett looked up for a few seconds to admire the painted and lit ceiling, which stood at a height several stories above the ground. A man dressed in a black suit, trench coat, and fedora approached her. Scarlett caught him in the periphery of her vision, and her mind went on alert.
Who is this man?
The fedora was tilted forward and down, concealing much of his face in shadow. A black scarf covered the lower part of his face.
Scarlett looked to her left and right quickly. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. No one was converging on and encircling her.
Scarlett pretended not to notice the dark man as he drew up alongside her and looked upward at the ceiling.
"Hello, Scarlett," the man said. Scarlett froze, recognizing the voice immediately.
The voice of Duke.
Her heart skipped a beat as she slowly turned to look at him. Duke faced her, bringing his scarf down below his chin. Beneath that fedora, her old friend's crystal blue eyes looked piercingly into hers.
For a few seconds, Scarlett felt utterly speechless and off her guard. Her defenses dropped.
"D-duke?" Scarlett whispered.
Duke smiled affectionately at her and raised a gloved hand to her face. He stroked her chin with his thumb and index finger.
"It's been a long time," Duke said.
"Yes, too long," Scarlett said, almost forgetting about her meeting with Jinx.
Scarlett felt intense turmoil within her heart. She had not thought about Duke in so long that she had forgotten how strongly she had once felt toward him. When Duke had departed from G.I. JOE and presumably from her life, Scarlett at first had longed for him and pined for his company and friendship. They had been like best friends. She had liked him. Maybe she had even loved him. Deep inside, she had sensed that their relationship would no longer remain the same. She had known as well that she would never be the same. Scarlett had realized that with time, the lofty image of Duke that she carried within her heart would fade away into the recesses of her memories, like the long forgotten photo albums of her family that she only looked at upon feeling those rare stabs of nostalgia. The pain of parting had been great, but had diminished gradually as she forgot him. At the same time, she had known that she would forget him and that his place in her heart would one day be taken by another, and this thought was equally painful to her.
However, the emptiness left behind by Duke in her heart HAD been filled up by a man she had grown to cherish as much, and possibly even more, than she had cherished Duke. Scarlett now remembered Snake Eyes, and how much she cared for him and longed to see him again. For an ephemeral moment, Scarlett felt a brief upwelling of her feelings for Duke, which had been long buried. She now reminded herself that she could no longer love Duke, not after the way Snake Eyes had touched her heart.
Scarlett stepped backward, pulling away from Duke's gentle caress.
"Please, Duke," she said. "What are you doing here?"
Duke smiled and, arching an eyebrow, said, "I'm with the CIA now. I know you're meeting someone here."
Duke looked around for a second.
"Judging from the looks of it, it appears that someone is late."
Scarlett thought to say that she was meeting Jinx, but decided not to. Where the heck was that girl, anyway?
"Okay, so you knew I would be here at this exact moment. Impressive intelligence work."
"Thanks," Duke said, gesturing toward the subway concourses with a hand.
"It's not safe here. What say we take a walk?"
Scarlett looked at him and nodded. Could she trust him? She wasn't sure yet.
"I know," Duke said, "that you have been carrying out underground operations against Cobra throughout the New York region."
"That so?" Scarlett said.
"You and I both know that Cobra is up to something more than just fucking around with the government of this country. They plan to expand their control over the rest of the free world. We can't let those bastards succeed."
"And you have a plan?"
"I have several contacts with other former members of the U.S. armed services, as well as federal and regional law enforcement officers, who have gone underground and are waging a secret war to bring down Cobra. They, like you, are engaging in small but lethal operations. Yesterday, five Cobra officers were shot in a crowded subway station in Chicago, and the perpetrators escaped using smoke bombs. Two weeks ago, a rail line in Pennsylvania that Cobra was using to bring in computer hardware was dynamited. Four months ago, a truck carrying guns and explosives was intercepted and destroyed."
Scarlett arched an eyebrow at the mention of the raid she, Mainframe, and Lifeline had executed together. She said nothing of her involvement.
"The point is," Duke said as they neared the escalator which would take them down to the 7 subway line, "small pockets of active resistance have formed in this country. Cobra is desperate to suppress them. What I've just mentioned to you is only a fraction of what has gone on ever since Cobra took over."
Duke draped an arm confidentially around her shoulders.
"I know people," he said in a low voice, "people who want to bring down Cobra as much as you and I. If we could get the various resistance groups to join together and coordinate operations, think of how much we could accomplish. We could bring Cobra down to its knees."
As Scarlett got off the escalator on the bottom level with Duke, she turned to look at him. For the first time in months, she felt a ray of hope. Perhaps this was the key to their success. This was the answer.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"I want you to meet with someone. He's a leader of one of the resistance cells."
"Who is this guy?"
"He's a former FBI agent," Duke said.
"Anything else I should know?" Scarlett asked as the 7 train came roaring into the subway station. Scarlett watched the train roar by and finally come to a screeching halt. The subway doors opened.
"We're going to meet him in a hotel in Times Square," Duke said. "It's just across town, we'll be there soon."
Scarlett and Duke stepped into the train along with several other people. Scarlett shuddered for a moment upon seeing two Vipers at one end of the train car, and two more on the other. She knew that Vipers were a commonplace sight now within every major city, but the sight of the enemy mingling so freely with the populace greatly unnerved her. None of the Vipers paid her or Duke any mind. One of them even sat with his legs crossed, reading the New York Times.
A bell sounded, and the doors shut. The train came to life again and began picking up speed as it roared down the subway tunnel toward Times Square.
Then Scarlett noticed the Vipers at one end of the car get up and come walking toward her. She looked to her other side and saw the other two Vipers doing the same. All four of the Vipers were holding bayoneted rifles.
"Duke," Scarlett whispered as she reached down slowly with one hand for her handgun, tucked beneath her belt.
She turned to look at Duke and nearly cried out in shock when she found herself staring down the barrel of a semiautomatic pistol.
Nothing could have prepared her for the sight of Duke holding a gun in her face.
"I wouldn't," Duke said as the four Vipers drew near. He glanced to each side, and Scarlett followed the motion of his eyes. There were innocent bystanders everywhere.
Scarlett was not prepared to fight Duke and four Vipers in a crowded subway car. She closed her eyes and sighed with dismay as she withdrew her hand from her gun.
"I don't understand," Scarlett said, shaking her head as one of the Vipers reached down to remove the gun hidden at her waist. Another Viper grabbed both of Scarlett's hands and handcuffed them.
"Maybe someday you will," Duke said with a twisted smile.
"But… why?"
"Cobra is all the rage now. Patriotism… is for wusses," Duke sneered.
Scarlett stared at him in shock. The Duke she knew would never say such a thing. He had been a proud and patriotic American all his life. He would die for his country. Clearly, Duke was not in control of his actions. He was brainwashed. He was one of THEM. But how? Scarlett could not understand for the life of her. Duke had been so convincing, so natural. Only now, when it was too late, did she truly understand the evil and cunning of Cobra.
"Duke, don't do this, please," Scarlett begged as Duke produced a cloth soaked with chloroform.
"Lights out," he said as he covered her face with the cloth.
* * *
Scarlett felt groggy. She shut her eyes by reflex, as she was in a well- lit room. She had no idea how long she had been unconscious, but she knew her situation was not good.
Gradually she opened her eyes.
Scarlett was strapped to a dining chair. She was in a spacious banquet room, but all of the tables had been pushed to one side.
"How very nice of you to join us at last," Dr. Mindbender said as he walked up to her.
Scarlett looked up and glared at Mindbender with hatred.
"It was so nice of your friend Duke to drop you off to visit," he said complacently.
"What have you done to him? Where is he?"
"Calm down. Duke is no longer your concern. If I were you, I would be thinking of making things as easy on myself as possible."
"Is that so, you cowardly scumbag?"
Dr. Mindbender slapped her hard on the cheek. Scarlett winced as she felt the sting of Mindbender's palm against her flesh. She turned to look at him again.
"Scarlett, I'm a very busy man, and I don't have time for games. So let's dispense with the formalities, shall we?"
"What do you want?"
"What I want is very simple. I want information, which only you can provide me."
"Oh yeah?" Scarlett said sarcastically.
"Who else are you working with? What is their location?"
"You think I'm going to just come out and tell you?"
"It would be in your best interest, my dear sweet thing."
"You won't get anything out of me," Scarlett declared defiantly.
"I'm very sorry to hear that," Mindbender said, "because we at Cobra are on a tight timetable. We don't have time to be harassed by little insects like you."
The door opened.
"I could just strap you to a machine and suck the information from your feeble little red headed brain, but I have something that will be much more entertaining."
Two armed Vipers walked into the room and stopped at each side of the door.
Scarlett looked intently. Her facial expression transformed from one of disdain to one of shock as she saw Snake Eyes come walking in.
"Snake Eyes?" Scarlett gulped.
Snake Eyes walked mechanically toward the seated and bound Scarlett. He showed no sign of recognition. In one hand, he held a menacing ninja sword.
Dr. Mindbender smiled.
"My friend, how good of you to join the party."
Dr. Mindbender turned back to Scarlett and adjusted his monocle.
"I aim to break you, my dear. I'm going to get the information from you whether you want to talk or not. I'm sorry that you force me to resort to methods of torture. It will be doubly satisfying to me to make your special friend here the instrument of your torture."
Chuckling, Dr. Mindbender moved to the back of the chair and looked with Scarlett at Snake Eyes, who now stood before them, wielding his sword.
"I have brought Snake Eyes here for this one special purpose," he explained. "He is going to beat and cut you a thousand times until you go mad from the pain. He will break every bone in your body until you cannot move. And when your body is broken, he will strip you of what's left of your clothing. Perhaps he will even ravage you, no? You will be stripped of your mind, your body, your dignity, and your very humanity. He will break not only your body, but your heart as well."
Scarlett looked at the impassive Snake Eyes with growing fear and horror. She felt as if she faced an abyss of black despair. Scarlett felt as if she were a woman standing on the edge of a precipice, where before her lay a pit of scorching fire, and behind her lay a pack of ravenous wolves ready to tear her apart.
"Look at him," Dr. Mindbender said with a sinister air, "see how he shows no emotion at what I have just described. Is this the man you once thought of as your friend? He saved your life many times. He risked himself for you. I saw it with my own eyes. Perhaps he even loved you? And you felt grateful to him for his selfless act of sacrifice for you. You respected him for his abilities, his loyalty, and his courage. You liked and admired him. Maybe you even loved him? Do I strike a chord? I see the way you look at him now. There are tears in your eyes. You cry not for yourself, but for the man standing before you. Yes, I see the truth of your feelings revealed now. You love him."
Scarlett shut her eyes, and the tears rolled down her cheeks. Dr. Mindbender now circled around her and Snake Eyes, observing her expressions and continuing his merciless taunting of her.
"I'm not a fool, Scarlett. I can see that everything I have just said is true. It doesn't have to end this way. Imagine this… you and Snake Eyes can be together again. Just like how it was meant to be. Sure, you'll be a mindless, brainwashed automaton, but that's just a minor inconvenience. Do you see the people walking the streets out there? Do you see them complaining? They're happy, Scarlett. Life under Cobra is just peachy keen. We are benevolent rulers. We have a vision, not just for this pathetic country, but for the entire world. We hold the key to the happiness of all humankind. Would you deny us this opportunity to change the world and mold it into the perfect image of peace?"
"It means nothing without freedom," Scarlett retorted.
"Freedom is highly overrated," Dr. Mindbender said. "Just look at the rest of the world. Has life in Russia and Eastern Europe improved since the fall of communism? Have the African people tasted happiness since the end of colonialism? The whole world is just as lost and astray as it ever was. We have the power to change that. YOU have the power. All you have to do is name names. It doesn't have to end like this."
Scarlett shut her eyes and said nothing.
"Think about it as you now taste true pain," Dr. Mindbender said, turning to Scarlett as he walked out the banquet hall double doors.
"When Snake Eyes has softened you up enough, I will return to check on you," he said as the two Vipers followed him out.
Snake Eyes and Scarlett were now alone in the big room.
"Snake Eyes," Scarlett said softly.
Snake Eyes showed no emotion as he slapped her hard with his free hand. Scarlett felt her head jerk to the side, and her face stung with pain once again.
"Please, don't do this," she pleaded.
Snake Eyes did not listen. With a backhand motion, he struck her again, and Scarlett's head flew toward the opposite direction.
Scarlett now tasted blood on her lips. She looked at Snake Eyes now with a mixture of love and horror as he thrust his ninja sword forward. Scarlett's heart nearly stopped as the blade stabbed through the air above her and stopped abruptly, coming to rest on her right shoulder. Snake Eyes moved the blade slowly to her neck. He looked as if he were caressing her with his blade, deciding what would be the best place to begin cutting her. Where would be the best place to cut her and cause her great pain, yet without severing any major blood vessels and outright killing her?
Scarlett felt the tears fall down her face freely now.
"Snake Eyes, listen to me. It's me, Scarlett."
Scarlett saw into Snake Eyes' eyes. It was an impenetrable wall, an endless maze that she now had to navigate through. She knew that if Snake Eyes went through with his torture of her, he would never forgive himself. If he ever came to his senses one day and discovered what he had done to Scarlett while under the influence of Cobra, the realization would utterly destroy him. It would devastate his very soul. For Scarlett knew how deeply Snake Eyes had always cared for her, and how much he cherished and treasured their relationship. Snake Eyes would blame himself unconditionally. He would think to himself that he should have been able to stop himself, that he should have been able to resist the brainwashing. He would be driven to self punishment and self destruction, in the vain hope of somehow atoning for the most unthinkable crime of hurting the woman that he loved. The thought that Snake Eyes would blame himself for hurting her stabbed Scarlett's heart more deeply and painfully than any corporeal torture ever could.
"They're forcing you to do this," Scarlett said rapidly, knowing she had little time before the cutting would commence, "but Snake Eyes, you're stronger than this. This isn't your true self. Your true self, the part of you that loves me, is hidden deep within you. Hear my voice and hold onto me."
"Come back to me," Scarlett said tearfully, "please come back."
Snake Eyes drew the blade down to Scarlett's chest. Scarlett felt the sword move slowly upward between her breasts, coming to rest at the hollow of her throat. He was going to cut her right through her shirt, straight down the middle of her chest, over her sternum.
Scarlett shut her eyes.
"Snake Eyes, please," Scarlett said.
Snake Eyes hesitated, and Scarlett opened her eyes. She saw Snake Eyes looking at a spot right above her breasts, at the place where her neck joined her torso and where the collar of her shirt lay open.
Snake Eyes reached out with his other hand to the necklace around Scarlett's neck.
"You remember," Scarlett said, smiling, seeing a flash of recognition within Snake Eyes and his true self.
Snake Eyes gently fingered the gold medallion of the sun and moon, and for a moment, Scarlett allowed herself to enjoy the touch of Snake Eyes.
"You gave me this necklace for my birthday. You were the only one who remembered without being told. Do you remember how happy I was to be with you on my birthday? Do you remember how I told you I would keep it with me always?"
Snake Eyes looked into her eyes. The conflict within was evident now.
"I treasured your gift. More than that, I treasured the memory of sharing that moment with you. I looked for you, Snake Eyes. I searched for you all these months, longing to find you. Do you know that I dreamed that we would be together again? I dreamed of giving my heart to you and you alone. I dreamed of sharing my life with you."
Snake Eyes staggered backward and dropped his sword. He looked as if he wanted to scream to the heavens in pain as he clutched his head with both hands. His knees buckled, his entire body trembled violently, and his head shook beneath his hands, before he sank to his knees.
Snake Eyes stared at Scarlett as if he had just woken up from a long dream.
"I know something that Mindbender doesn't know, Snake Eyes," Scarlett said with tenderness, "I know how deep and how wide is your love for me. It's stronger than the most powerful brainwashing. I read your letters. They tell me in words what you tell me through your actions, that you would never willingly hurt me in any way. You dreamed of finding the key to my heart. You despaired of ever finding it, but you never ceased to love me. I want you to know something."
Snake Eyes bent down and picked up his sword. Walking toward Scarlett, he raised his sword, and with one quick motion cut through the ropes that bound Scarlett to the chair, without even scratching Scarlett's clothing. Leaning forward, Scarlett tumbled out of her chair.
They faced each other on their knees.
"I love you," Scarlett said.
She threw her arms around him. Snake Eyes responded by dropping his sword and putting his arms around her as well. Never had Scarlett felt a sweeter sensation than when Snake Eyes held her in the way she had always longed to be held.
"Please forgive me," Snake Eyes signed to her. "Have I hurt you?"
"No, you came back to me," Scarlett said happily as she hugged him tightly again. "You love me."
After a long time in which each person soaked in the presence and emotion of the other, they finally had to let each other go.
Together, Scarlett and Snake Eyes now thought of one thing as they stood in Cobra's interrogation room.
Escape.
41st Street
Lexington Avenue
Scarlett paused to glance at her watch. She had exactly ten minutes.
She recalled the recent conversation she had shared with Jinx.
* * *
"Hello?"
"It's me," Scarlett said.
"Scar-"
"Quiet!" Scarlett cut her off, not wanting Jinx to speak her name.
"Uh," Scarlett said for the benefit of anyone eavesdropping, "stupid dog is pestering me again."
"There's not much time," Scarlett said hastily, "where are you?"
"Still in Japan. What is going on over there?"
"We need your help. I can't say more. You have to trust me."
"Just tell me what you need," Jinx said.
* * *
Grand Central Station. Scarlett crossed 42nd Street and quickly looked to her left and right. She spotted a few Vipers doing routine patrols at key intersections, amidst the throng of people. Stuffing her gloved hands into her coat pockets, Scarlett felt the handgun nestled smugly beneath her belt.
Just in case.
With as nonchalant an air as possible, Scarlett sauntered through the glass doors and headed inside. The spacious center of Grand Central Station was still as enormous and imposing as ever. Making her way through the passersby, Scarlett headed for the information booth in the center, which bore clocks showing the time.
She was a minute early.
Scarlett looked up for a few seconds to admire the painted and lit ceiling, which stood at a height several stories above the ground. A man dressed in a black suit, trench coat, and fedora approached her. Scarlett caught him in the periphery of her vision, and her mind went on alert.
Who is this man?
The fedora was tilted forward and down, concealing much of his face in shadow. A black scarf covered the lower part of his face.
Scarlett looked to her left and right quickly. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. No one was converging on and encircling her.
Scarlett pretended not to notice the dark man as he drew up alongside her and looked upward at the ceiling.
"Hello, Scarlett," the man said. Scarlett froze, recognizing the voice immediately.
The voice of Duke.
Her heart skipped a beat as she slowly turned to look at him. Duke faced her, bringing his scarf down below his chin. Beneath that fedora, her old friend's crystal blue eyes looked piercingly into hers.
For a few seconds, Scarlett felt utterly speechless and off her guard. Her defenses dropped.
"D-duke?" Scarlett whispered.
Duke smiled affectionately at her and raised a gloved hand to her face. He stroked her chin with his thumb and index finger.
"It's been a long time," Duke said.
"Yes, too long," Scarlett said, almost forgetting about her meeting with Jinx.
Scarlett felt intense turmoil within her heart. She had not thought about Duke in so long that she had forgotten how strongly she had once felt toward him. When Duke had departed from G.I. JOE and presumably from her life, Scarlett at first had longed for him and pined for his company and friendship. They had been like best friends. She had liked him. Maybe she had even loved him. Deep inside, she had sensed that their relationship would no longer remain the same. She had known as well that she would never be the same. Scarlett had realized that with time, the lofty image of Duke that she carried within her heart would fade away into the recesses of her memories, like the long forgotten photo albums of her family that she only looked at upon feeling those rare stabs of nostalgia. The pain of parting had been great, but had diminished gradually as she forgot him. At the same time, she had known that she would forget him and that his place in her heart would one day be taken by another, and this thought was equally painful to her.
However, the emptiness left behind by Duke in her heart HAD been filled up by a man she had grown to cherish as much, and possibly even more, than she had cherished Duke. Scarlett now remembered Snake Eyes, and how much she cared for him and longed to see him again. For an ephemeral moment, Scarlett felt a brief upwelling of her feelings for Duke, which had been long buried. She now reminded herself that she could no longer love Duke, not after the way Snake Eyes had touched her heart.
Scarlett stepped backward, pulling away from Duke's gentle caress.
"Please, Duke," she said. "What are you doing here?"
Duke smiled and, arching an eyebrow, said, "I'm with the CIA now. I know you're meeting someone here."
Duke looked around for a second.
"Judging from the looks of it, it appears that someone is late."
Scarlett thought to say that she was meeting Jinx, but decided not to. Where the heck was that girl, anyway?
"Okay, so you knew I would be here at this exact moment. Impressive intelligence work."
"Thanks," Duke said, gesturing toward the subway concourses with a hand.
"It's not safe here. What say we take a walk?"
Scarlett looked at him and nodded. Could she trust him? She wasn't sure yet.
"I know," Duke said, "that you have been carrying out underground operations against Cobra throughout the New York region."
"That so?" Scarlett said.
"You and I both know that Cobra is up to something more than just fucking around with the government of this country. They plan to expand their control over the rest of the free world. We can't let those bastards succeed."
"And you have a plan?"
"I have several contacts with other former members of the U.S. armed services, as well as federal and regional law enforcement officers, who have gone underground and are waging a secret war to bring down Cobra. They, like you, are engaging in small but lethal operations. Yesterday, five Cobra officers were shot in a crowded subway station in Chicago, and the perpetrators escaped using smoke bombs. Two weeks ago, a rail line in Pennsylvania that Cobra was using to bring in computer hardware was dynamited. Four months ago, a truck carrying guns and explosives was intercepted and destroyed."
Scarlett arched an eyebrow at the mention of the raid she, Mainframe, and Lifeline had executed together. She said nothing of her involvement.
"The point is," Duke said as they neared the escalator which would take them down to the 7 subway line, "small pockets of active resistance have formed in this country. Cobra is desperate to suppress them. What I've just mentioned to you is only a fraction of what has gone on ever since Cobra took over."
Duke draped an arm confidentially around her shoulders.
"I know people," he said in a low voice, "people who want to bring down Cobra as much as you and I. If we could get the various resistance groups to join together and coordinate operations, think of how much we could accomplish. We could bring Cobra down to its knees."
As Scarlett got off the escalator on the bottom level with Duke, she turned to look at him. For the first time in months, she felt a ray of hope. Perhaps this was the key to their success. This was the answer.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"I want you to meet with someone. He's a leader of one of the resistance cells."
"Who is this guy?"
"He's a former FBI agent," Duke said.
"Anything else I should know?" Scarlett asked as the 7 train came roaring into the subway station. Scarlett watched the train roar by and finally come to a screeching halt. The subway doors opened.
"We're going to meet him in a hotel in Times Square," Duke said. "It's just across town, we'll be there soon."
Scarlett and Duke stepped into the train along with several other people. Scarlett shuddered for a moment upon seeing two Vipers at one end of the train car, and two more on the other. She knew that Vipers were a commonplace sight now within every major city, but the sight of the enemy mingling so freely with the populace greatly unnerved her. None of the Vipers paid her or Duke any mind. One of them even sat with his legs crossed, reading the New York Times.
A bell sounded, and the doors shut. The train came to life again and began picking up speed as it roared down the subway tunnel toward Times Square.
Then Scarlett noticed the Vipers at one end of the car get up and come walking toward her. She looked to her other side and saw the other two Vipers doing the same. All four of the Vipers were holding bayoneted rifles.
"Duke," Scarlett whispered as she reached down slowly with one hand for her handgun, tucked beneath her belt.
She turned to look at Duke and nearly cried out in shock when she found herself staring down the barrel of a semiautomatic pistol.
Nothing could have prepared her for the sight of Duke holding a gun in her face.
"I wouldn't," Duke said as the four Vipers drew near. He glanced to each side, and Scarlett followed the motion of his eyes. There were innocent bystanders everywhere.
Scarlett was not prepared to fight Duke and four Vipers in a crowded subway car. She closed her eyes and sighed with dismay as she withdrew her hand from her gun.
"I don't understand," Scarlett said, shaking her head as one of the Vipers reached down to remove the gun hidden at her waist. Another Viper grabbed both of Scarlett's hands and handcuffed them.
"Maybe someday you will," Duke said with a twisted smile.
"But… why?"
"Cobra is all the rage now. Patriotism… is for wusses," Duke sneered.
Scarlett stared at him in shock. The Duke she knew would never say such a thing. He had been a proud and patriotic American all his life. He would die for his country. Clearly, Duke was not in control of his actions. He was brainwashed. He was one of THEM. But how? Scarlett could not understand for the life of her. Duke had been so convincing, so natural. Only now, when it was too late, did she truly understand the evil and cunning of Cobra.
"Duke, don't do this, please," Scarlett begged as Duke produced a cloth soaked with chloroform.
"Lights out," he said as he covered her face with the cloth.
* * *
Scarlett felt groggy. She shut her eyes by reflex, as she was in a well- lit room. She had no idea how long she had been unconscious, but she knew her situation was not good.
Gradually she opened her eyes.
Scarlett was strapped to a dining chair. She was in a spacious banquet room, but all of the tables had been pushed to one side.
"How very nice of you to join us at last," Dr. Mindbender said as he walked up to her.
Scarlett looked up and glared at Mindbender with hatred.
"It was so nice of your friend Duke to drop you off to visit," he said complacently.
"What have you done to him? Where is he?"
"Calm down. Duke is no longer your concern. If I were you, I would be thinking of making things as easy on myself as possible."
"Is that so, you cowardly scumbag?"
Dr. Mindbender slapped her hard on the cheek. Scarlett winced as she felt the sting of Mindbender's palm against her flesh. She turned to look at him again.
"Scarlett, I'm a very busy man, and I don't have time for games. So let's dispense with the formalities, shall we?"
"What do you want?"
"What I want is very simple. I want information, which only you can provide me."
"Oh yeah?" Scarlett said sarcastically.
"Who else are you working with? What is their location?"
"You think I'm going to just come out and tell you?"
"It would be in your best interest, my dear sweet thing."
"You won't get anything out of me," Scarlett declared defiantly.
"I'm very sorry to hear that," Mindbender said, "because we at Cobra are on a tight timetable. We don't have time to be harassed by little insects like you."
The door opened.
"I could just strap you to a machine and suck the information from your feeble little red headed brain, but I have something that will be much more entertaining."
Two armed Vipers walked into the room and stopped at each side of the door.
Scarlett looked intently. Her facial expression transformed from one of disdain to one of shock as she saw Snake Eyes come walking in.
"Snake Eyes?" Scarlett gulped.
Snake Eyes walked mechanically toward the seated and bound Scarlett. He showed no sign of recognition. In one hand, he held a menacing ninja sword.
Dr. Mindbender smiled.
"My friend, how good of you to join the party."
Dr. Mindbender turned back to Scarlett and adjusted his monocle.
"I aim to break you, my dear. I'm going to get the information from you whether you want to talk or not. I'm sorry that you force me to resort to methods of torture. It will be doubly satisfying to me to make your special friend here the instrument of your torture."
Chuckling, Dr. Mindbender moved to the back of the chair and looked with Scarlett at Snake Eyes, who now stood before them, wielding his sword.
"I have brought Snake Eyes here for this one special purpose," he explained. "He is going to beat and cut you a thousand times until you go mad from the pain. He will break every bone in your body until you cannot move. And when your body is broken, he will strip you of what's left of your clothing. Perhaps he will even ravage you, no? You will be stripped of your mind, your body, your dignity, and your very humanity. He will break not only your body, but your heart as well."
Scarlett looked at the impassive Snake Eyes with growing fear and horror. She felt as if she faced an abyss of black despair. Scarlett felt as if she were a woman standing on the edge of a precipice, where before her lay a pit of scorching fire, and behind her lay a pack of ravenous wolves ready to tear her apart.
"Look at him," Dr. Mindbender said with a sinister air, "see how he shows no emotion at what I have just described. Is this the man you once thought of as your friend? He saved your life many times. He risked himself for you. I saw it with my own eyes. Perhaps he even loved you? And you felt grateful to him for his selfless act of sacrifice for you. You respected him for his abilities, his loyalty, and his courage. You liked and admired him. Maybe you even loved him? Do I strike a chord? I see the way you look at him now. There are tears in your eyes. You cry not for yourself, but for the man standing before you. Yes, I see the truth of your feelings revealed now. You love him."
Scarlett shut her eyes, and the tears rolled down her cheeks. Dr. Mindbender now circled around her and Snake Eyes, observing her expressions and continuing his merciless taunting of her.
"I'm not a fool, Scarlett. I can see that everything I have just said is true. It doesn't have to end this way. Imagine this… you and Snake Eyes can be together again. Just like how it was meant to be. Sure, you'll be a mindless, brainwashed automaton, but that's just a minor inconvenience. Do you see the people walking the streets out there? Do you see them complaining? They're happy, Scarlett. Life under Cobra is just peachy keen. We are benevolent rulers. We have a vision, not just for this pathetic country, but for the entire world. We hold the key to the happiness of all humankind. Would you deny us this opportunity to change the world and mold it into the perfect image of peace?"
"It means nothing without freedom," Scarlett retorted.
"Freedom is highly overrated," Dr. Mindbender said. "Just look at the rest of the world. Has life in Russia and Eastern Europe improved since the fall of communism? Have the African people tasted happiness since the end of colonialism? The whole world is just as lost and astray as it ever was. We have the power to change that. YOU have the power. All you have to do is name names. It doesn't have to end like this."
Scarlett shut her eyes and said nothing.
"Think about it as you now taste true pain," Dr. Mindbender said, turning to Scarlett as he walked out the banquet hall double doors.
"When Snake Eyes has softened you up enough, I will return to check on you," he said as the two Vipers followed him out.
Snake Eyes and Scarlett were now alone in the big room.
"Snake Eyes," Scarlett said softly.
Snake Eyes showed no emotion as he slapped her hard with his free hand. Scarlett felt her head jerk to the side, and her face stung with pain once again.
"Please, don't do this," she pleaded.
Snake Eyes did not listen. With a backhand motion, he struck her again, and Scarlett's head flew toward the opposite direction.
Scarlett now tasted blood on her lips. She looked at Snake Eyes now with a mixture of love and horror as he thrust his ninja sword forward. Scarlett's heart nearly stopped as the blade stabbed through the air above her and stopped abruptly, coming to rest on her right shoulder. Snake Eyes moved the blade slowly to her neck. He looked as if he were caressing her with his blade, deciding what would be the best place to begin cutting her. Where would be the best place to cut her and cause her great pain, yet without severing any major blood vessels and outright killing her?
Scarlett felt the tears fall down her face freely now.
"Snake Eyes, listen to me. It's me, Scarlett."
Scarlett saw into Snake Eyes' eyes. It was an impenetrable wall, an endless maze that she now had to navigate through. She knew that if Snake Eyes went through with his torture of her, he would never forgive himself. If he ever came to his senses one day and discovered what he had done to Scarlett while under the influence of Cobra, the realization would utterly destroy him. It would devastate his very soul. For Scarlett knew how deeply Snake Eyes had always cared for her, and how much he cherished and treasured their relationship. Snake Eyes would blame himself unconditionally. He would think to himself that he should have been able to stop himself, that he should have been able to resist the brainwashing. He would be driven to self punishment and self destruction, in the vain hope of somehow atoning for the most unthinkable crime of hurting the woman that he loved. The thought that Snake Eyes would blame himself for hurting her stabbed Scarlett's heart more deeply and painfully than any corporeal torture ever could.
"They're forcing you to do this," Scarlett said rapidly, knowing she had little time before the cutting would commence, "but Snake Eyes, you're stronger than this. This isn't your true self. Your true self, the part of you that loves me, is hidden deep within you. Hear my voice and hold onto me."
"Come back to me," Scarlett said tearfully, "please come back."
Snake Eyes drew the blade down to Scarlett's chest. Scarlett felt the sword move slowly upward between her breasts, coming to rest at the hollow of her throat. He was going to cut her right through her shirt, straight down the middle of her chest, over her sternum.
Scarlett shut her eyes.
"Snake Eyes, please," Scarlett said.
Snake Eyes hesitated, and Scarlett opened her eyes. She saw Snake Eyes looking at a spot right above her breasts, at the place where her neck joined her torso and where the collar of her shirt lay open.
Snake Eyes reached out with his other hand to the necklace around Scarlett's neck.
"You remember," Scarlett said, smiling, seeing a flash of recognition within Snake Eyes and his true self.
Snake Eyes gently fingered the gold medallion of the sun and moon, and for a moment, Scarlett allowed herself to enjoy the touch of Snake Eyes.
"You gave me this necklace for my birthday. You were the only one who remembered without being told. Do you remember how happy I was to be with you on my birthday? Do you remember how I told you I would keep it with me always?"
Snake Eyes looked into her eyes. The conflict within was evident now.
"I treasured your gift. More than that, I treasured the memory of sharing that moment with you. I looked for you, Snake Eyes. I searched for you all these months, longing to find you. Do you know that I dreamed that we would be together again? I dreamed of giving my heart to you and you alone. I dreamed of sharing my life with you."
Snake Eyes staggered backward and dropped his sword. He looked as if he wanted to scream to the heavens in pain as he clutched his head with both hands. His knees buckled, his entire body trembled violently, and his head shook beneath his hands, before he sank to his knees.
Snake Eyes stared at Scarlett as if he had just woken up from a long dream.
"I know something that Mindbender doesn't know, Snake Eyes," Scarlett said with tenderness, "I know how deep and how wide is your love for me. It's stronger than the most powerful brainwashing. I read your letters. They tell me in words what you tell me through your actions, that you would never willingly hurt me in any way. You dreamed of finding the key to my heart. You despaired of ever finding it, but you never ceased to love me. I want you to know something."
Snake Eyes bent down and picked up his sword. Walking toward Scarlett, he raised his sword, and with one quick motion cut through the ropes that bound Scarlett to the chair, without even scratching Scarlett's clothing. Leaning forward, Scarlett tumbled out of her chair.
They faced each other on their knees.
"I love you," Scarlett said.
She threw her arms around him. Snake Eyes responded by dropping his sword and putting his arms around her as well. Never had Scarlett felt a sweeter sensation than when Snake Eyes held her in the way she had always longed to be held.
"Please forgive me," Snake Eyes signed to her. "Have I hurt you?"
"No, you came back to me," Scarlett said happily as she hugged him tightly again. "You love me."
After a long time in which each person soaked in the presence and emotion of the other, they finally had to let each other go.
Together, Scarlett and Snake Eyes now thought of one thing as they stood in Cobra's interrogation room.
Escape.