Hope you enjoy! More is on the go- Red

Chapter 7

Frank

I strapped guns to me, and knives when no more guns would fit and grenades and smoke bombs along the white, symbol across my torso. These people had no idea the shit storm that was coming for them- they would. It had been four hours since they took her. Four hours they sealed their fates. They had no fucking idea.

"Are you done?" I asked Lieberman. I told him it was urgent that he came. I didn't have anyone else that could find her as quickly.

"I am looking into the flight paths. I'm reeling through satellite footage. I am looking into this doctor to see where he may have gone. On top of that, I'm tracking the details of the owners from that warehouse and the medical centre you said were involved. Something will crop up, now back up and let me find her" He said. I rubbed my face roughly. I could take on a brigade of men, cut them down like a machete to weeds, I could escape from the force of the police, the FBI, the maximum-security prisons but telling me to wait patiently was something I couldn't easily manage. What were they doing with her? I knew she would be so scared and she would be waiting for me. My fist met a wall and a hole punctured straight through.

"Good thing about helicopters is that they are easy to track. It landed on a building a few miles away. Then I followed traffic cams for the car they used to get to an old an old, derelict apartment complex"

"Address" I demanded. He handed me a post-it note, and I took off.

"Thank you Lieberman" I said, leaving and driving full speed. I knew where she was, and I would find her. I had to. This morning was so different, so effortless it was cruel. This was my punishment. Even if it was just a second, I forgot- forgot about the grief and the guilt, forgot there was a world outside of Karen. That woman made me lay out every part of me for her to see and then against all rationality, she would accept me as I am, somehow. I knew I couldn't be with her. I knew I was far beyond the point of having a girlfriend and crawling into her arms after I went out for a purge every now and then. A person that's done what I have, doesn't deserve something as perfect as Karen. In the seclusion of the water tower, she'd given me something I never deserved but had selfishly allowed myself to have anyway.

I will never forget; not a second of how her skin felt on mine or the smell of her hair or the way my name sounded from her lips as she lost herself beneath me. Not the way she refused to let me go, nor the ways her eyes tethered me to her when the darkness beckoned me back. And the way she would let me know again and again that she loved me, with her mind and with her voice- as if she was afraid I didn't believe her. I'd been cold inside for so long, that's what kept me standing, but from the time she pulled me close and gave herself freely, I was not cold, just still. Completely and utterly still and quiet. A kind of stillness that only comes from peace and I thought for sure I'd never reach peace, not in this life or any other. That night she gave me was the closest thing I would get to heaven.

I remembered her walking into that hospital room with wide eyes and a photo of my family- I couldn't recognise it then, how special she was. I was a serial murderer and she had compassion for me before she'd even met me. That was Karen Page. Her heart knows no bounds. There just aren't people like that in the world. She doesn't even know; how important she is. She thinks there some darkness inside her, like me. I wish I could show her how wrong she is.

I pulled up the complex. I was ready.

Karen

I begged but it did no good. He wouldn't stop. He'd probably heard that word a million times, all the while, cutting, stabbing, pulling then scribbling in his notes. I felt drained, I didn't know the time or the day or how long I'd been there on that table with blood trailing down onto the slabs below me. I was tired, and I hurt. I hurt so much that I thought that I would feel nothing else for as long as I took breath. The tears dried hours ago, there was none left. I would wave in and out of consciousness and thank god for the out times. Frank would flash behind my eyes and then my family, the ones I never told him about.

I had so many regrets and they were taunting me with things I'd never be able to change now. Is this my life flashing before me? All the pain and stupid mistakes and…. and Frank, the way he tries. He never gives in. I love him for that, not for the darkness in him- I understood that now. The one that choses to kill like a monster and love like a man. He wasn't evil. People did this to him. They made him kill as a soldier, and they abused his loyalty for their corrupt motives. They butchered his family, they shot him in the head. Despite all of it, he is drawn to good people, to good actions and moral souls, to scared people that need help. They never took who he was, and I was so proud of him for that.

That horrid light above me never went away. It was starting to make me feel sicker than I already did. I heard something and struggled to turn my head, but I did. A metal bed rolled next to mine.

"K….Karen?" He stuttered. Toby was lay down facing me. There was no blood on him, there was colour in his face, but he was afraid. I knew that, the feeling of helplessness.

"Toby, I'm so…sorry" I said. My voice was quiet, and I hoped he'd heard me. Tears welled in the boy's eyes. I remembered his mother crying when I'd met her- she loved him so much. The only one who never gave up on me that way was Frank, I'd drove away everyone else, but he wouldn't go. Toby reached out his shackled arm, the chains clashing loudly. It took a moment to realise it was his finger tips brushing my hand. I grabbed them as tightly as I could. He looked at me, his brows pulled together in confusion.

"You came for me" He said, a small smile of gratitude at one side of his mouth. The tears I thought gone, began to warm my cheeks. He was afraid and trying to be brave. I knew what was coming for him and more bile rose in my throat. Vance came back, pulling a tray at the side of Toby.

"What a rare treat. The things I can do with the aid of your constant regeneration" He said sadistically to Toby. I squeezed his hand. For as petrified as I was at dying alone, I hoped I was on my own and that Toby had gotten away.

"Look at me" I pleaded. He did, his terrified eyes never left mine. I could see the scalpel press into his chest and I heard the scream that followed. His head rocked back and forth in agony. Blood stained his skin as the blade sliced longer and harder. Toby sobbed, strangled cries filling the room. I couldn't take it. This was worse than the abuse of my own body, this dug into me in different ways and all I could I do was lay there and watch.

"STOP!" I yelled. He ignored me. "Stop it, you piece of shit. Stop!" I gave my last strength in to the plea and a wave of force pushed up from inside my chest, making me feel winded and breathless.

There was silence, Toby glared at me. Vance stood frozen, pulling the scalpel back. After a moment he shook himself and continued.

"Stop it! Let him go!" I demanded again just as I had before, feeling the same tug and exhaustion from the command. Another pause, then the doctor retrieved the keys from the side and just like that, he released Toby. It took me forever to realise what I'd done. His eyes were vacant, void of enjoyment as they had been when carrying out these vile acts. Toby sat up slowly, still stagnant with fright. Just like I'd discovered I could push thoughts, not only read them, I was now finding there was more still to this new power. Could I have made him stop all this time? I couldn't even think about that- I needed to put my energy into getting him away from us and I hoped there was enough. I was so tired.

"Destroy your research. Burn it all and stand in the flames" I ordered. A more potent convulsion of fatigue overtook me so much so that it was difficult to keep my eyes open. Vance paced away into an adjoining room and I let out a breath I'd been holding. Toby scurried to unbind me but even when my wrists were free, I didn't have enough left in me to stand. He tried to yank me up, but I just couldn't.

"Toby, you have to go" I said. He shook his head, frowning.

"You saved me. I can't leave you here, it isn't right" He said, holding my hand properly this time. I rubbed his arm.

"There is no time now. Please Toby, please go, be safe" I begged. His eyes glistened. The wounds on his chest were already closed. If I could save him, this wouldn't have been for nothing. I could be consoled in the knowledge I'd done my job, I'd got him home.

"I will get help, I will get help" He said, running off in another direction. I started to smell faint whispers of smoke and it told me that my orders to Vance had been carried out. I didn't have the energy to contemplate morality, but I did think about the man they said I'd killed on the roof. I don't know why, maybe because I'd never seen him do anything bad like I had Vance.

I knew I should feel warm, given the flicking of orange flames in the corner of my eye, but I felt colder than ever and…. lost…. adrift like I was floating on a raft in the middle of the sea.

In the smoke, finally, I saw Frank's face. It was as bloody as ever which was alright. I knew I'd see his face before I went, and this was who he was- a man always dripping from the blood of his enemies.

"Karen! Karen!" He was being so loud, and I was trying to rest now.

"Shhh Frank, it's ok" I assured him, smiling but letting my eyes close. I felt pain as I was lifted out of the cloud of smoke and taken somewhere else. This was it now, I can finally leave that room. I hoped Frank would forgive me, that I never kept my promise that I wasn't leaving anytime soon. I closed my eyes, but Frank was being loud again, so I couldn't nestle in the darkness that called out to me. I smelled the fresh air and Frank's smell which I would happily choose over fresh air. I would always know his smell. Soon, I was put on flat on my back, so I tried to rest again. I began tilting into the dark but his voice rung inside my ears.

"Karen! Fight, do you hear me? Fight this" He pleaded. He sounded upset, I didn't like that he was upset so I kept my eyes flickering open to make sure he was ok. I heard him talking but not to me.

"She saved me but there was nothing I could do" A boy's voice sounded. It was familiar, but I couldn't pull up a name for him. Soon I was in Frank's arms again, his arms were like no one else's. It must be his arms. There was shouting, noises, voices so loud and beeping but I all I cared about was Frank, he sounded so afraid. I wanted to go to him, to protect him but something held me down. There was a sharp pain in my arm, it was happening again. I thought it was over, please don't let me go back.

Instead of the pain increasing, a peaceful release of any feeling in my body happened. This was it, it had to be because the agony was gone. I was tilting, slipping but before I did, I felt him. A hand on my face, lips on my head.

You gotta find me Karen, just like when you made me find you in that dark. I'm sorry I was too late. God, I'm sorry.