Killing Him Softly: Who are you?
by tarskeewee08
John carries Evangeline gently into the small cottage. Wess takes the jeep and drives it into the surrounding forest. Pushing the door open with his foot it creaks open and he walks in carrying her. The place is dark and smells of mildew. He walks into the first room he sees to his left and it looks somewhat decent. He lays her down and her hair covers her face. Moving her hair away he stares at her. He can't believe its been two years. He leans in and kisses her lips and feels her breath escaping her it smells of sweet champagne. His love for her has him frozen with happiness of having her again.
"She'll
be okay..." Wess says walking into the room.
John looks at him.
"What did you give her?"
"Just a tranquilizer…it should
wear off in a few hours."
"A tranquilizer mixed with alcohol?
Are you fucking crazy!" John shouts standing up glaring at him.
Wess rolls his eyes. "I couldn't risk her waking up on us man. And I advise you to restrain her tonight, because she won't cooperate. She's not Evangeline."
John walks out the room into the cottage. He looks for a light and can't find one. The place is relatively empty. The living area has a couch and a table with their computers set up. Going to the kitchen he sees a refrigerator, stove and several cabinets. He checks them and find little food but some imported beer.
"You couldn't stock
the place before we came here?" he ask flipping on the light.
Wess
shrugs and goes to the couch plopping down and stretching out. "I
had to change spots at the last minute…I got a tip that the rebels
were casing my first pick."
John freezes in the kitchen and
looks at Wess "What?"
"Oh, sorry man that's another thing
we have to deal with. Whoever on this island that has possession of
amnesiac princess in there is holding a powerful trump card. Laredo
marrying her was a foolish mistake on his part. Whether he wanted to
dispose of her or not she was royalty and he has to give every
appearance of wanting her back, which I think he does
anyway."
"She's not royalty or a princess….she's Evangeline. I won't be turning her over to anyone. I suggest you go into town and get something to put in here. She will be sick from that crap you pumped into her bloodstream" John says slamming the refrigerator door.
Wess watches him amused walk off into the room he has her in and slam the door. He's right about not giving her back. The government has big plans for her and his orders are to have her ready for transport in 72 hours. If his old buddy got in the way of that he will have to be dealt with.
John sits on the edge of the bed and puts his head in his hands. He has to think quickly. The sooner she wakes up the sooner he will have to get them from here and away from Wess. Now he isn't sure if he can trust Laois. Turning he looks at her sleeping, her evening gown ripped and her arms scratched up. Sighing he crawled up onto bed and pulled her onto his chest. Stroking her hair he kissed the top of her forehead and let tears of joy escape him. He had her in his arms again and that calmed him. Looking over to the nightstand he grabs his gun and slides it under his pillow. He will figure things out later. Tonight he would sleep.
(Evangeline's POV)
Slowly I open my eyes and the room is dark. I'm laying on Laredo's chest hearing his heartbeat. My head is pounding from the back to the front and my body feels sluggish. Focusing in the dark I see I'm not in the palace. Lifting my head I wince at the pain and try to see Laredo's face. Immediately I see the man is not my husband. His hair prevents me from seeing his face but I can tell its not him. Oh god who is he? Screaming I jump up on the bed and try to race out.
He jumps up too and comes at me. Grabbing me before I reach the door I beg him to release me speaking in Greek. I tell him that my husband will be angry. I scream that my cousin will kill him. He puts his hand over my mouth and I bite down on it pushing him out the way. He hollers and I can't see his face but I reach the door and take off out of the room. Then from nowhere another man grabs me lifting me off the ground.
Screaming and cursing them in Greek I fight back. Kicking my body aches but I don't care I will raise the dead to get out of here and back to my husband. The other man speaks in English yelling for the man holding me to let me go. I stop swinging my arms hearing that he's American and not the rebels that Jake told me about. I look over and the man has a gun pointing it at the man holding me I can see his face and my heart stops. It's the man that came into the shower with me. Oh god he's real! How can that be?
The man holding me releases me and I fall to the floor. Quickly I crawl away from them into a corner and bring my knees up to my chest. I don't understand this. Who are these Americans and how did I get here? Where is my husband? Where is Jake he's supposed to keep me safe. Putting my head in my knees I try to wake up from this dream. This must be one of the nightmares. Are we on the ship again? Oh god please let me wake up. I whimper crying softly.
"Get that fucking gun out of my face!"
Wess hisses at John who has it leveled at his head.
"Don't
you ever touch her again man. Do you hear me. I will kill you. I mean
it."
Wess looks at John and can't believe he threatened him. He knows that when the time comes things won't end nicely between them two. "Make her chill man. We aren't alone in this cove." Wess says walking away.
John lowers the gun and watches him head to the other room and close the door. He looks at Evangeline who's in the corner shaking and crying. She woke up screaming and speaking in Greek. It happened so sudden he couldn't reach her. Looking at his hand he sees the bite mark and smiles. He was glad his baby was a fighter. It made the pain of knowing what these animals did to her lessen.
Walking toward her he's careful not scare her. "Evangeline"
She cries louder and refuses to lift her head. He knows she terrified and decides a different approach. "Christina"
She lifts her head slowly and looks up at him. He wants to touch her so bad but holds back. He can see the fear and distrust in her eyes.
"It's okay Christina…I don't want to hurt you…please" John says extending his hand to her.
She looks at his hand and then back at him. Does he see recognition in her eyes? God he hopes so. "It's okay" he says again noticing she's stopped her tears.
"Who
are you?" she says in English with a heavy accent.
"My name is
John" he says smiling at her.
"Where am I?" she asks in
Greek.
John frowns and she sees he doesn't understand her. "Where am I?" she says in English.
"Some place safe."
She frowns pulling her knees closer to her chest. "Please take me to my husband. He will pay you whatever you want."
John winces at her calling that pig her husband. "Evange…Christina, I need you to trust me. I won't hurt you. Can you get up?"
She looks at his hand that is still extended toward her and makes no move. John sees that Wess is right, they have scrambled her brain. Right then and there he made a change of plans. He would kill Laredo Montego before they left this island. And he would do it slow.
Rising he steps back. "Please stand up…"
She
looks at the gun he's still holding. John sees her fright and takes
the gun and puts it in the back of his pants and then raises both
hands in the air.
She rises slowly and winces. John sees she finally notices the scars on her body and her dress. She looks down at the torn material and then holds her arms out in front of her looking at her scrapes. She looks at him angrily. "You did this to me!" she says frightened.
"I can explain."
She
starts screaming something in Greek talking real fast and pointing
her finger at him. He listens to her and can't believe how fluent
she is in this foreign language. She picks up a bottle that is on the
table next to the computers and holds it front her still yelling at
him in Greek. John remembers that she could draw attention to him and
works quick.
"All is fair in Love. Love's a crazy game. Two people vow to stay. In love with me you say." He says to her slowly. The words pop in his head. He says them to her again, she blinks and stops shouting.
She listens as he works hard to remember the words. Finding he can't he repeats the chorus. "All is fair in Love. If I should go away. A writer takes her pen to cast her words again. Cause All is fair in Love."
She stands there staring at him and he feels a connection. He looks at her pleadingly hoping she recognizes him. "Where did you get that poem?" she asked looking at him confused.
"It's not a
poem it's a song. A song you sang to me many years ago" John says
smiling at her.
"I don't know you" she says weakly
"Yes
baby you do. Look at my face." He says stepping closer to her. She
instinctually steps back. "You know me."
"I don't…I
have never…"
"Evangeline think"
"Who is Evangeline?
Wait…I know you…"
John smiles relieved. It's coming back to her...
"You're the waiter. The one that called me that name and disappeared." She says her eyes wide.
John
frowns in disappointment. "Yes…I am but I'm much more than
that"
"You're American"
"So are you
baby…"
Evangeline frowns at him. "No, I'm
not…"
"Evangeline please…"
"Stop calling me this
Evangeline. My name is Christina! Christina Montego the Princess of
Leros!" she snaps.
John smiles at how she throws her chest
out. He can't help it. "Oh god baby, you don't understand…"
"I want to be taken back to the Palace and I will have my
husband spare your life!"
John runs his hands through his hair and blows out air in frustration. "Listen to me. Your name is Evangeline Marie Williamson. You were born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Your sister's name is Layla Williamson and your mother name is Lisa Williamson. You currently live in Llanview Pennsylvania….you have a best friend named Nora….is any of this familiar to you?"
She looks at him blankly. "I don't know you" she finally says.
John's heart breaks. He watches her fold her arms and wince at her scaring. "Can you please go and lay down while I find something to tend to those scrapes"
"I won't sleep in the bed with you! It's not proper!"
John shakes his head. "We won't sleep
together. I will sleep on the floor."
"Why did you bring me
here? What do you want?"
"I came to rescue you…"
"Rescue
me?" she says cocking her head and looking at him.
"I can
prove it to you."
He takes a step to her and she raises the bottle in a defensive motion to swing at him. He stops and points at the computer behind her. She looks back at the computer and frowns then at him. "Let me prove it to you."
Stepping to the side she watches him go to the computer and turn it on. She has no time for computers at the Palace. Actually Laredo doesn't allow computers, TV or radios. He says they are for idle minds.
John decides to go to the banner and pull up the archived article on her abduction. Todd Manning ran a detailed article for weeks on the search for her. It would definitely help. Punching in the date of her abduction her face appears on the screen with a bold header: Prominent Attorney Evangeline Williamson Abducted Again!
John looks behind him and sees her eyes widen at the image of herself. She's wearing her hair differently but she can see herself. Getting up from the chair he pulls it out for her to sit. She looks at him for a long moment then goes to the seat and sits down.
(Evangeline's POV)
What is this? Reading the article I see where this Evangeline was in a car accident and went missing outside of a prison. It talks about a massive search effort led by John McBain. I read and read and the terror rises in me. My head feels heavy from the weight of the information and I shake it to clear it again.
"This is wrong…I'm not this woman…" I say
weakly.
The man behind me touches my shoulder "You are sweetie
and I'm John. We love each other remember"
Closing my eyes I see myself in a dark place, I'm screaming and crying. I can hear the voice I'm screaming. It's John. I turn and look up at him and I flash back too…
"And now you are right where I was….you know the truth, and you can either do what Chris wants or you can blow half a dozen lives right out of the water…"
It's his voice but I don't know what he means by that. I can feel a sense of betrayal by him and it's strong. It hurts deeply. Frowning at him I move away in my seat to get his hand from me. I can't trust this man. He's a liar! Everything in my body is screaming that he LIES! "What truth? What truth blows a half dozen people out the water?"
He looks at me confused. "What are you
talking about?"
"You said I knew the truth and I could do what
Chris wants or blow people out of the water." I shout at him. My
heart is pumping. Oh god I do know him but it makes no sense. I don't
understand any of this. The ship and now this memory in a place with
him standing in my face. We're arguing but I can't understand it.
I don't understand it. All I know is he hurt me really
bad.
"Evangeline…"
"Don't call me that!" I scream putting my hand over my ears. My head starts to pound. I'm somewhere dark and my head hurts. I put my hand to my head and its wet and sticky…oh god I think I'm bleeding. I scream.
John sees her raise her hand to her head as if in a trance then scream. He runs to her and pulls her close. She snatches away getting up from her chair. He knows she's remembering but god why did she remember that fight. The day she found out Christian was alive. Why that memory!
"Evangeline.."
"Noooo" she says shaking
her head.
"Okay, Christina….you're overwhelmed right now. I
need you to calm down. We can talk about it all when the drugs are
out of your system"
She stops shaking and looks at him.
"You drugged me?"
"No baby, but you were drugged. I just
need you to relax okay"
"Stay away from me!" she shouts and
goes to the room. John follows her close. She goes to the bed and
curls up in a fetal position. He watches from the door and
understands that the tranquilizer and whatever else they given her
has her brain scrambled. He will have to stop pushing. He could cause
her more harm.
He didn't mean to overwhelm her with that article but he wanted his Evangeline back. God help him he needed her back. This was killing him.
