Thank you syraka for the reviews!!!
I decided to go ahead and finish out the season 2 portion of the story today…so here it is!!!!
Chapter 38: The Truth Will Set You Free
Michael grabbed the backpack with the five million and ran towards the tree-line. Lincoln followed close behind. Jack ran out of the warehouse and saw the brothers running for the jungle. She took a deep breath and ran after them, the echo of gunfire fading behind her.
The brothers did not stop running until they were well into the jungle. Jack could not see where they were because of the thick foliage. She ran blindly, following the trail of broken branches and bent ferns.
"Wait," murmured Michael to Lincoln, "I hear something."
Lincoln paused and listened. Michael was right. He could hear the sound of footsteps and see the brush swaying as someone ran quickly towards them.
Just then, Jack nearly barreled into them as she tore through a large bush. She froze when she saw the brothers, heart pounding wildly.
"What do you think you're doing?" demanded Michael, angrily.
Jack's breath came in ragged gasps as she tried to reply.
"Listen…back there…we had a plan. A plan for all of us to get out."
"That's funny," interrupted Lincoln, "Sounded a lot more like you two were setting us up."
Jack shook her head, "No…that was Alex's idea, I guess. Bill Kim was never part of the original plan. Not that I knew of anyway. We were supposed to get the boat and the money and get out of there and you two were supposed to be free to do whatever you wanted. I guess Alex changed his mind."
Jack glanced back in the direction of the warehouse.
"I hope he's okay," she muttered, "I shouldn't have left…"
"Then why did you?" asked Michael, eyes still narrowed in suspicion.
"He told me to…I don't know," replied Jack, guilt and fear in her eyes, "Maybe I shouldn't have listened. What if they…oh, I hope not."
Jack ran her hands through her now-tangled hair in panic. She could not imagine what she would do if they killed Alex.
"What do I do now?" she asked, despairingly.
"Sucks for you," sneered Lincoln as he turned to walk away.
"Wait!" said Jack, afraid of being left alone.
"And why should we?" asked Michael, giving her a head-to-toe loathing look.
Jack sighed as she realized what she was going to have to do to gain their trust. She was going to have to tell the truth…something she had not done in so long.
"Okay, you want to know the truth behind all this? The real story…the story the media won't tell you, the story The Company won't tell you?"
"Make it quick," snapped Michael.
"They threatened Alex's son and ex-wife and my parents," began Jack, shakily, "They said that if we didn't do what they wanted, then they would kill them…all of them. We hated it…every single thing we did. I regret it all. Tweener…I killed him, not Alex. He took the blame so Internal Affairs would leave me alone. And your father…oh, I am so sorry."
Jack hesitated as she saw Michael and Lincoln stiffen in shock and anger.
"But…I got what I deserved," she added.
"Which was?" asked Lincoln.
"Alex told The Company at one point that we were quitting…that we couldn't do it anymore. They responded by hitting his son with a car and breaking his leg. And they…they killed my parents."
Jack tried desperately to choke back her emotion. The loss of her parents coupled with the possible loss of Alex was overwhelming. She felt a black tide of despair hit her. She tried to shake it off. Now was not the time to lose her composure.
"Like I said," she murmured, "I got what I deserved."
Michael and Lincoln exchanged a glance.
"I, um…I know I have no right whatsoever to ask this," said Jack, looking away, "But, can I…can I go with you two? For now at least…just until I find Alex…if I find Alex, and then I'll leave and you'll never see me again. I promise."
Michael hesitated, but something deep down told him he could trust her. After all, she had technically been a victim of this whole thing too. And if it wasn't for him breaking his brother out of prison, she would have never gotten involved in the first place.
"Fine," he said, reluctantly, "But one false move and you're gone…just like that. Got it?"
Jack nodded, relief filling her tired and aching body.
"Yeah…yeah, sure. Thanks."
"Why do you want to follow us anyway?" asked Lincoln, clearly unhappy about Michael's decision.
"You're the only people I know around here besides Alex…and The Company, but I don't particularly care for them."
Lincoln nodded curtly, but still had a doubtful look in his eyes.
"Okay," said Michael, "Let's go."
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Michael and Lincoln pulled further ahead so they could talk in private. Jack understood and hung back several feet.
Suddenly, a teenage boy ran out onto the path in front of them. Jack saw the brothers stop and stare at him. She reached for her gun and cursed when she remembered that it fell back at the warehouse. She ran up to see what was going on.
"Hey, you showed up," said Michael, sounding happily surprised.
Jack relaxed slightly at the sound of Michael's light tone of voice. He obviously knew this boy. She wondered how, but then remembered it was Michael Scofield. He had friends in all sorts of places.
"We had a deal," replied the boy with a heavy accent.
"This is my brother. And that's Jack," said Michael pointing to them, "She's…a friend."
Jack could not help but smirk at that. She seriously doubted Michael would ever call her a friend and mean it.
"Come, on!" said the boy, excitedly, "This way!"
"So we can trust him?" asked Jack.
Michael nodded and turned to follow the boy. Lincoln walked beside Michael and Jack followed closely behind.
"So we get out of here," said Lincoln, "And we never look back?"
"We never look back," replied Michael.
"I want to thank you, Michael…for everything..."
Michael glanced back at his brother and smiled.
"You're welcome."
Jack was moved by the words.
"Wow," she said, "Wish I was on your side instead of The Company's. I think I'd have liked you guys."
"Yeah, don't get too friendly," said Lincoln.
Jack smiled slightly and held up her hands in mock surrender.
"Okay, okay…my bad."
Soon, the forest gave way to a small beach with a dock. The boy stopped at the edge of the tree-line and waited for the others to catch up.
"It's the best I could do with the money you gave me," he said as Michael approached him.
Jack gaped at the beautiful boat that sat a dock.
"That'll work," muttered Michael, as he handed the boy a wad of money, "Gracias."
"Gracias!" said the boy enthusiastically.
He turned to leave, but hesitated and turned back around.
"She's very pretty," he said.
"She'll get us where we need to go right?" asked Michael as they turned to look at the boy.
The boy smiled, "Not the boat, senior."
The brothers and Jack exchanged confused looks, then whirled around to look at the boat…
And saw Sara Tancredi…
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