Killing Him Softly: Going back to Hell

by tarskeewee08

Jake walked into the fishing hut screaming at his men in Greek. They'd just missed her and now according to his sources the rebels had her and the agent. Turning over the small wooden table he fought the urge to pull his gun and shoot the first person he saw. His panic over failing her and not protecting her was making him crazy with desperation.

"Sir, we found three of our men several miles from him. They are all dead." his guard said timidly.
"Where did you find them?"
"Off the road, apparently they gave chase and the driver was shot the other men seem to have died in the accident."
"And the others?"
"We don't know they may be deeper in the forest."

Jake sighed deeply and scanned the hut. "This is where she called from. What was he doing to her? Was he working with the rebels?" his head started to hurt. And squeezed his eyes shut from the piercing pain that shot through his temples.

Images of being in prison and arguing with a John over a Natalie flashed in his head. He was so angry over this cop sleeping with his wife? Wife? He had a wife?

The men in the room watched him concerned as he bent over holding his head. "Sir are you okay!"

Jake yelled for them all to clear out in Greek and they left abruptly. He went to the sofa and plopped down then bent over and put his head in his lap. He saw himself speaking to Christina behind bars. She wanted to help him. She looked different. He called her Evangeline.

Yelling out from pain his body began to shake. Images of being in a cell and hearing Christina scream in terror as she was being dragged pass him flashed before his eyes. Seeing himself strapped to a table with a metal helmet and needles in his head terrified him. He could see Christina screaming and begging for mercy as the same thing was being placed on her head.

What the hell did this all mean? When did he get married? How did John betray him with his wife? Why did he think Christina was Evangeline? He heard Laredo's voice in his head speak of his mission. He heard him tell him his responsibility to serving his command and protecting his cousin Christina. His body began to shake and he fought the urge to vomit. The truth was so close. But these flashes of strange images and names were making him paranoid. He only knew one thing. He and Christina were in danger and Laredo and John were responsible.

Slowly rising with his eyes squinted he struggled to catch his breath. He heard his guards calling for him and slowly opened his eyes. Lifting from the couch slowly and walking to the door he walked out into the evening air. "Where are they?" he asked angrily.

"It's the rebel's sir, they have her and there is no way we can reach in her in that forest. It's too dense to cover and it'll be nightfall soon." the man said in Greek.

Jake nodded. He was so weak from the latest visions that he needed to get back to the Palace and regroup. Tomorrow at dawn they will head out first thing and he would rip this island apart until he found his beloved Christina.

Morning

John lay behind Evangeline with her pulled closely to him. His right arm bent and supporting his raised head he listened to the soft sounds of her gentle snoring. Her hair was in her face and he didn't bother to move it. It made her more vulnerable and alluring to him. Gently he massaged her stomach and remembered a night of passion with her. He woke her through the night making love to her over and over again. Having her with him like this was the most comforting thing that could have ever happened to him.

Years of dying inside at failing her had left him so emotionally wrecked that joy, love and comfort were foreign emotions to him. It was like learning to walk again. Slowly his cold black heart had warmed and pumped with hope of a life with her. He was alive.

Hearing a knock at the cabin door he looked back toward the entrance to the room covered by multicolored beads that sparkled in the morning sun peeping through the windows. Sliding off the satin sheets he grabbed his jeans and slipped into them not bothering to put on underwear. Walking out of the room he moved the beads and stepped into the living area. Hearing the knock again he hurried to the front door to avoid waking his sleeping princess.

As he suspected Laois stood there. "What time is it?"
Laois pushed past him and came inside. "It's time for you to get her up."
John saw he was carrying the torn dress she wore when he kidnapped her. "What are you doing with that?"

Laois dropped them on the table "She has to put these back on. She has to be returned in the shape she was when she was taken. I had some of my men retrieve them from Wes's cottage."

"Laois we haven't spoken on how to do this yet. I mean what type of tracking equipment do you have?" John said walking over to the table and sitting down.
"We can wire her…"
"No too risky" he snapped.
"We can give her transistor to communicate with it's the size of a lipstick."
John shook his head. "Where would she put it? She doesn't have a purse. Laredo will be suspicious of her when she returns, he will search her immediately."

John looked at Laois and saw the truth. He didn't really have any full proof plan to protect her. He was playing this by ear. "She won't be doing this. I can't send her back like this."

"John! Please we have too…."

Laois and John look up to see Evangeline standing with the maroon satin sheet wrapped around her. Her hair flat hanging on her shoulders and eyes squinted with anger. She was not backing out of this and John couldn't convince her otherwise.

"Van this isn't safe. Wait and let me come up with something." he said desperately.
She moved into the room holding the sheet tightly and looking at the torn dress she wore to the ball. "We don't have time. By now they know that Christian's men are dead and I'm with the rebels. Every minute I'm away from Laredo, every minute we risk him not trusting me. We have to move now.

John shook his head and Laredo smiled at the beautiful chocolate goddess before him. He saw why both Laredo and McBain were desperate to have her. "Princess we are so grateful for you doing this."

"ENOUGH!" John screamed slamming his hand on the table. "She is not your princess. She's not his wife! She's an attorney for Llanview, Pennsylvania that has been brainwashed for god's sake. Didn't you say yesterday that she still may have some of his programming? Now you come in here with no way for us to effectively track her and no way for us to get into this palace. I won't risk her life!"

Evangeline smiles softly at her wonderful man. She sees his face red with anger and fear. She completely understands it. He spent 2 years searching for her. He's terrified justifiably so.

"John I can handle Laredo, you are going to have to trust me. We have to get back to our lives, but Christian is entitled to his too. He's the biggest victim in all of this John. He lost so much. Please baby." she said walking to him and putting her hand on his face.

He leaned into her hand and closed his eyes his heart beating a mile a minute. She pulled his head to her stomach and he raised his arms hugging her by her thighs and hips to him. He was so scared. He had a bad feeling about this. The worst feeling possible. Everything in him said she was in danger and if he let her do this he would loose her again forever. He felt her hand rubbing the back of his head as she clung to the sheet with the other.

"We need to leave in an hour. We'll drop you off in Aldina at the market. My men will shadow you to the Palace gate. Princess you will need Christian to clear the Palace by midnight of the outside guards. Whether they are gone or not that's when we converge on you and will shoot our way in if we have too."

John still buries his face in her and he's crying softly. She looks down at him. "Okay, give us a minute I will be ready." She says sadly

"Nooo….Vangie please….I won't survive it again…" he moans into her.
"Shhh…" she says pulling free and kneeling to his level. Lifting his face to hers she smiles "No one will take me from you again baby. Trust me; I will fight him all the way. I can do this."

"He got into your head Van, he programmed you. He used your body. How could you risk it all and go back to him?"

"I risk everything for us John. I can't be whole if Laredo gets away with this. I can't live with myself if I don't help Christian you know that."

"I do" he says sadly.

She smiled and stood up dropping the sheet he looked at her naked body and before touching her she reached behind him and grabbed the torn dress. He watched her put it on and pick up the sheet heading back to the room. He sat back in the chair and could see her retrieve her panties and put them on too through the beaded door to the other room. He couldn't believe he was letting her do this. His heart was breaking all over again.

She came back into the room and her hair was somewhat disheveled. "Okay baby, get dressed. We need to go." She said tossing him the remainder of his clothes and holding his shoes. He got dressed quickly and avoided her eyes. If he looked in her eyes he would loose his nerve and force her to stay with him.

They walked out and found Laois and all his men gathered and waiting. John didn't see the women and children and was aware that they all were peeking from separate windows in the village. Laois looked at Evangeline in the tattered dressed and smiled approvingly and John felt his jealous rage boil in him. Grinding his teeth he climbed in the jeep after her and pulled her to him. They drove through the woods to the clearing and a small boxed shaped car waited for them. Laois got out, John and Evangeline followed him.

Walking over to the car Laois looked at them "John we will take her to Aldina and drop her off in the market at a designated alley. Christina you will have to make it to someone to call for help. You have to be desperate and hysterical and keep evoking the Montego name. The entire Island knows of your kidnapping so many people will be upon you quickly, you have to be convincing. If you can't reach Jake or have troubles go through Marcela."

Evangeline nodded and got in the back. John went around and got in the passenger side. He told Evangeline to get down in the back. They drove the rest of the way to the marketplace in silence. John almost stopped the mission twice but resisted. Going through the small streets he kept his head lowered so no one could see his face. Laois turned down a back road and took some alleyways until he arrived at a secure spot. Stopping the car and turning it off, he looked at John.

John sighed and looked back "Baby we're here."
Evangeline lifted and smiled weakly "Okay"
John looked her in the eye "Tell them you escaped when we were sleep and convinced a villager to bring you to market. He was too fearful to bring you to the Palace. We are coming for you and Christian at midnight. Make sure you have security gone. If you don't we're coming anyway."

Evangeline nodded and leaned forward. She kissed John lightly on the lips and his heart burned with sorrow at letting her go again. Laois opened his door and pulled back the seat. Evangeline broke the kiss and slid over and out the car. John stayed inside because if he moved he would stop her.

They sat back in the shadows watching her walk down the alley. As she neared the entrance of the alley she grabbed her stomach and used the wall to support her the rest of the way. Coming out of the alley she collapsed completely and several people went to her immediately. John watched as they picked her up and carried her away. He looked at Laois. "If something happens to her…"

"If something happens to her I will help you kill him John. I promise you that."

John nodded. He didn't really care for the endorsement he would kill him anyway.

The Palace

"Where is she dammit!" Laredo growled delivering a crushing slap across his face. Jake stumbled back some form the force of the blow but made no move to defend himself!"

"I told you to have her with me before sundown! I want my Christina!" he shouted in Greek.

A knock at the door interrupted the attack. A guard appeared. "We've found her!" the man said excitedly.

Laredo and Jake both turned around shocked.
"What!" Laredo shouted
"Where? When?" Jake shouted louder.
"She's being brought from Aldina, she collapsed in the streets of the market place. Apparently she escaped."

Laredo frowned "Aldina?"
"Yes sir…she will be here any minute."
Jake felt his stomach clench. He didn't want her in the Palace. He wanted to find her on his own and get her off this island so he could kill Laredo and John. "Why wasn't I notified of this!" he hissed.

"I am sorry sir." the guard said lowering his head.
"Never mind that!" Laredo said excitedly "They have found my Christina, that's what's important."

Jake watched him race out of the door and rubbed his face that still stung from his attack. He could taste blood in his mouth. His Christina was back. He would have to get her alone to find out where this John person was and sneak her out of this Palace. The images of the torture at the hands of Laredo were now more vivid than the ones of this phantom wife. His rage and need for revenge was what motivated him. The only thing that held him back was his need to protect her.

He would find a way to do both.

One Hour Later

Jake stood next to Laredo on the curved driveway watching the car approach with Christina. He wanted to greet her first but as soon as the car stopped Laredo was at the door pulling it open. Jake watched him reach inside and pull out a weakened looking Christina. She opened her eyes and looked at Laredo bursting into tears. He grabbed her face and kissed her tears and mouth. They spoke at once in Greek of missing each other. Laredo scooped her in his arms. Jake saw her lay her head on his chest. She opened her eyes and looked at him and a strange look flashed over her face. As soon as he saw it, it disappeared and she kept clinging to Laredo.

He carried her up the stairs and Jake went to the guard. "What happened?"
"We got a call saying she collapsed in the street sir. She cried the entire time in the car and kept saying she wanted you. She wouldn't tell us what happened or where her captors were. She just asked for you."

Jake nodded and told them to beef up security around the entire perimeter. He would have to get to Christina, something about this whole thing didn't sit well with him.

(Evangeline's POV)

Laredo carried me all the way up the stairs. I cringed in his arms. The tears on my face were real. Being with him now terrified me. I shook with fear at the memories of the things he's done to me in this bedroom. God help me I want to do this but I am loosing my nerve with each step he takes. I want him dead for what he did to me and Chris.

Dead.

"Christina…baby I am so glad you are okay" he said lowering me to the bed.
"Laredo it was so horrible, he kept trying to tell me we knew each other. He kept trying to trick me." I said trying to be believable.

"Shhh…" he said sroking my face. Slowly he lowered his face to mine and kissed me. I fought the urge to gag as his cold nasty tongue slipped into my mouth. His hands traveled over my body squeezing my breast and I knew these weren't love caresses but his attempt to search me for bugs or anything indicating I was setting him up. I winced as he squeezed my breast roughly but allowed his disgusting exploration.

Finally letting me go he looked into my face "Did you have any dreams or visions?" he asked looking into my eyes to see the truth.

"Dreams? Nightmares about not seeing you again." I said hoping to sound believable.

He studies my face and I force more tears to come. "Laredo I saw people killed I saw those horrible rebels kill your people. I was so scared."

I see him soften as if he trusts me more "I'm so sorry Christina. I will send Marcela in right away to clean you up. I swear to you that the men responsible for this will pay with their lives."

I nod and he turns to leave "I want to see Jake" I say weakly.
He stops and looks at me suspiciously "Why?"
Sitting up on my elbows I put on an innocent face. "He's my cousin, I want to see him to let him know that I'm okay."

Laredo smiles evilly. "In due time, first clean up and get ready for me. I've missed you and I want to celebrate your return."

He watches for my reaction and I know the one he wants "Of course husband. Whatever you say" I say smiling sweetly at him.

He nods and walks out. Falling back on my pillow I grimace. Oh god Christian come to me. Please. I need your help.