Angie watched the traffic in her rear view mirror as she drove one more time around the block. She had to make sure she wasn't being followed. The morning traffic was only beginning to build up, so she declared it was safe and parked three doors down from her own.

As she hurried towards her rented apartment, she went over what she'd taken care of and what still needed her attention.

Tickets, secured, transportation from the airport, secured. She wasn't sure yet where she was going, so she would handle accommodations when she arrived. She'd read the coordinates so many times, she knew them by heart.

She'd also talked to Phillip and provided Maxi with surveillance, supplies, and a fast escape route in case things got nasty. There was no way Angie was leaving until she was sure Sammy was safe. She owed Sam that much.

Now all she had to do was pack and get out of there. It had already been too long since Kyle had sent out the distress signal.

The moment she opened the door, after glancing over her shoulder to check for followers, the smell of coffee assault her. It was like heaven seeing as she'd been up all night driving to Sam's house to pack up Sammy's things, and back.

She found Maxi in the small kitchen of the studio, a coffee mug already in hand, her laptop in front of her.

Angie had opened her mouth to wish her a good morning and ask about Sammy, but the words died in her throat.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, good morning, Angie," Maxi said, her finger still sliding on the touch pad. "I have a lot of work to do today and thought I'd get an early start while Sammy is still sleeping."

Maybe it was the lack of sleep, the determination building up inside her or the hidden resent she held against Tom's p, but something inside Angie seemed to snap.

"Are you insane?" She marched to the table and slammed the lid of the laptop over Maxi's fingers.

Maxi sucked air through her teeth and pulled her hand away. "I could ask you the same thing."

"Did you not get what I told you yesterday?"

As much as she tried to keep it polite and simple, she couldn't. How could Maxi Grant still not understand the dangers, comprehend the implications and at least save herself? After everything that happened, everything she'd lost, she still acted like a goddamn idiot.

So Angie's next words were not kind or polite. "Your boys have been kidnapped. They're in danger, and whoever did it could decide to come for Sammy next to use her against Sam. You can't work, you can't go outside. Until your sons are safe, you. Don't. Exist."

Maxi pulled further back from her, eyes burning with anger. "You can't expect me to put my life on hold."

"That's exactly what I'm expecting you to do for your children and for your granddaughter. And if you can't do that..." Angie's gaze flitted across the studio to the bassinet on the couch. "Then I'm taking Sammy with me."

Maxi scoffed. "You don't know the first thing about raising a child."

Neither do you! Except in this case, Maxi meant the literal sense and she was right. Feeding Sammy once didn't qualify Angie to look after her for more than a few hours.

"Agreed," she said. "But I'm willing to do my best if that's what it takes to keep her safe."

Maxi bit on her lower lip, reflecting on Angie's answer. The fight disappeared from her eyes as they filled with tears. Slowly, very slowly, she seemed to be battling herself and finally accepted that this wasn't something she could just brush off and pretend didn't exist. What got on Angie's last nerve was that she became aware Maxi would have continued to use denial to block this out if it wasn't for Sammy.

Finally, she let out a sigh. "So..."

Angie snapped back to attention. "No internet, switch off your phone, and you only leave the house once a day to take Sammy out for a walk. No shops, no visits. You can text your grocery needs using this phone." She took the burner she'd gotten for her out her pocket and placed it on the table. "There's only one number and you'll be communicating exclusively with that person until I or any of your kids get back."

"Who is this person?" Maxi asked, picking up the ancient phone.

Angie didn't know, so she didn't explain. "Someone who will look after you. If we don't make it, they'll let you know and you can decide what to do with your life from then on."

"Don't make it? Angie, are you..."

"Serious? Yes, I am. Dead serious. And maybe it's time you understood what you and your husband have gotten us all into."

And just like that, she turned away. There was no point supervising Maxi any further. If she decided to ignore Angie's warning, she could easily go on with her plans to shop online or whatever after she left. So she focused on packing her bag for Japan instead. She packed lightly, aware she might have to roam a lot, and in fifteen minutes, she was back at the door.

Maxi was still in the kitchen with her mug, but was glancing out the window, the laptop still shut. Angie headed to her couch and kissed Sammy's forehead. The baby whimpered and turn in her sleep.

"I'll get your daddy back, I promise," she whispered. "And your fun, crazy uncle. And if all goes well, maybe you'll grow to know me as your fun, crazy aunt."

The moment the words were out, even if they were silly, a weight plunged into her stomach, as if she'd made an unbreakable vow. She wanted to keep her promise so bad, it hurt.

"I'll get everyone back."

"Are you leaving?" Maxi asked, not looking at her.

"Yes." She hesitated a moment, feeling sorry that she couldn't connect to this woman, share her burden with her. "Please stay safe. I won't ask you to take care of Sammy because I know you will."

"And I won't ask you to find my sons, because I know you'll do your best." She raised her blue eyes and they were shining with tears.

Angie nodded, struggling not to get teary to. "I will do my best. And in case they come back and I don't..." This was hard because she couldn't exactly pass on a heart-felt message to Tom through his mother. "Tell them I loved them all."

It had to be enough. Tom would know. So once Maxi nodded, Angie picked up her bag and walked out. The moment the door closed behind her, she forced herself to put Maxi and Sammy out of  her mind.

That was out of her hands now and she'd done everything she could. It was time top focus on what lay before her.

She had to find them and save them. Or die trying.

🏯

Jimmy opened his eyes, his senses on full alert as if something had triggered inside him. It was dark, but that wasn't a surprise. He was used to the darkness, to the pain. Except now, there was no trace of pain. The little light in the room brought into focus an unfamiliar wooden ceiling.

He frowned and tried to focus. There was no led strip, no glass. He was no longer in his cage, yet his body reacted as if he were. Because at this time of night, they would come to test him. And that was maybe the reason the pent-up energy inside him felt deadly. He needed to unload it somehow. If he didn't, the darkness would take over.

Moving cautiously, he sat up and glanced around. There was nothing of interest in the room, the simple furniture screaming utility over decorative. He still wore the baggy skater shorts and a tank top.

His mind lurched, trying to put two and two together. The last thing he remembered were winding mountain paths and whispers. But he'd left with Jessie and the two of them had been taken... Somewhere by that grumpy old man.

Where wasn't relevant right now. He needed to get out. His heartbeat was already spiking and adrenaline was slowly taking over. If he didn't consume the killer energy, it would consume him. So he stood, grabbed his hoodie and pulled it on, then headed for the door. He was more than grateful to find it open, because he knew he'd have to kick it down otherwise.

The narrow hallway on the other side was empty and quiet. One quick glance revealed what proved to be the exit. He wound up in front of an old garage and shed filled with logs which were nestled under the shadow of a mountain. Well, not a mountain per se. He frowned and glanced around. It was so quiet, the only light provided by the moon. Yet, he could see the outlines of more rocky formations clearly. It somehow felt as if he'd stepped into a giant graveyard filled with headstones.

Driving the morbid thought back, he squinted into the darkness for some means to unload all the energy inside him. It took him seconds to discover a steep path starting next to the shed. Running up the mountain it was.

He sprinted the small distance between the house and the garage, trying to go as fast as possible. He didn't slow down as he started climbing, begging his body to grow weary, to stop torturing him. He couldn't go back into the black hole. Not now when it was smaller than he ever remembered it being.

There was a time it wasn't there at all.

But he couldn't focus on those times, even if he could vaguely remember them. That was the issue. He could remember everything. But he couldn't access the information, use it, figure himself out and force his mind and body to behave, to return to who he used to be.

Faster and faster he went, his hands soon joining his feet in the effort to climb higher and higher. Stone was replaced by snow as he went, but he couldn't feel it. All he could focus on was the rhythm of his heart and the swirl of thoughts inside his head. After a while, the more he panted, the thoughts left room to feelings. That had never happened before, but now he went from anger, to peace, to love and hatred. Confusion, fear, disgust, pride.

He reached the summit and everything silenced.

Panting, he stood straight, letting the wind brush his face, his dyed hair. The madness was gone. His body was exhausted, his mind quiet and his chest full. The black hole had disappeared, taking the danger with it.

For the first time in what felt like forever, he was free. No fear, no pain, no thoughts. Just silence. As he stared into the forest of cliffs around him, he was sure that he could fly. He could do this. He was strong and he could fight this thing and come out on top. All he had to do was try.

But first, he'd enjoy just a little more peace. He let his eyes wonder, scanning his surroundings. In the distance to his left he could see a huge castle perched on top of a lonely mountain top, much like the one he was one, just wider. It seemed to be in ruins.

He squinted to get a better look. There was a long set of stairs leading to the entrance, and if he wasn't mistaken, there were lights shining behind some of the windows. A tug in his chest indicated that something important was there.

Jerry. It had to be Jerry.

That's why he was here. Because he had people to find, people to save. And not just anyone. His twin, the rest of his brothers. Tom. Passing images spoke of a childhood spent together in adversity. They brought frustration with them and a sense of helplessness. But he knew that had passed. He'd found his family, the rest of his brothers. And now, for some reason, they were in there and counted on him to get them out.

He sat on the snow, letting his legs dangle into thin air. The platform at the top was tiny, but more than enough for what he needed; to backtrack and cement a few things into his subconscious, things he wouldn't allow himself to ever forget again.

His family. His friends. Jessie.

Shutting his eyes tightly, he focused on Jerry. It was easy to bring his face to the forefront, all differences between them included. His warmth, the care with which he treated everyone, the incredible bravery as he faced something he felt no draw towards.

Jimmy's mind reeled and a sense of rage that had nothing to do with Jerry engulfed him. For some reason, he was rejecting the memories.

"No, you don't," he said between his teeth.

If his brain wanted to be a dick, he'd give it overload. From Jerry, he focused on Tom. His love for life, the way he walked everything off, the fighter he was. The survivor. Always fun and filled with mischief.

The pounding in his head intensified, but he pressed on. Sam. Their leader, maybe the smartest person he'd ever met. Brave, fair and always open to suggestions, doing his best to keep the peace, keep the balance, make sure everything would turn out right.

And then there was Kyle. Cursed like him, fighting for control. Doing his best to protect everyone, even if from himself. Kyle had been his rock, the one he could always count on for anything, including immobilizing him if necessary and setting his straight.

He wouldn't forget them. Wouldn't abandon them. His mind could go suck it for all he cared.

But it became almost impossible to focus. The memories danced around his mind, refusing to stick, to make sense. He tried harder. Vomit climbed up his throat, but he pushed it back. Not like there was anything in his stomach which needed to get out.

"I'm not going to forget them. I'm not," he said, each word louder.

His memories left room to darkness. Then he could hear his own panting, feel his muscles aching as he strained harder and harder.

"Wow, his speed is impressive. Now turn it down so we can test his endurance."

"Why turn it down? Let's see how long he can go."

"That's not cruising speed!"

"So? He's not normal."

Not normal. He wasn't normal, but the white coats had no idea why. Had no idea that they were building on something that was already there, something they couldn't even begin to understand. Their tests were pointless.

And yet he ran. Ran until he could no longer feel himself. Then he hit, harder and harder until he caused dents in walls, until he smashed wood in.

"Harder! Hit harder!"

Always harder, always faster, always more. But after the workouts, he felt better, as if the evil inside him dimmed and the drugs were flushed away. It was never satisfactory for them, though.

"He's more logical, more responsive."

"We don't need him logical and responsive."

"Yes, we do. He's of no use to us if he doesn't think."

"You think! We need him a blank slate. We need him to forget everyone and everything he ever knew."

"But his skills..."

"He can build new skills, new memories. Think about it! If he knows who he is, how would he fight his own brother?"

Kyle. Their issue had always been Kyle. The only one who had successfully handled the serum. And all they've been trying was to make him a second candidate. Only so they could control Kyle. But it was over. He was free.

And all because of Jessie.

Her shining green eyes came into focus. Her orange curls, her sweet smile, the sound of her laugh. She'd always been there, and unbeknownst to the men in white, the one keeping him grounded. The only constant he'd had for over a year.

She ran her hand down his cheek, the smile on her face making her shine like the sun. "I love you so much. You're everything to me."

And she was everything to him, even if he'd forgotten it for a while. Ever since he'd first seen her, he knew. Knew that she would be different, that she would heal his heart. And once they finally got together, his life became a fairy tale. She was always there, supporting him, understanding. She'd followed him to Cambridge and stayed with him while he finished MIT. She'd sneaked in his room almost every night. They'd lived together, went on stolen weekends together.

He loved her.

And as the thought formed, something inside him seemed to unlock. The feeling had always been there, just smothered under layers upon layers of drugs and lies. It was why images of her kept fleeting through his memories, stopping on random things that then made no sense.

Like Paris.

Her flushed face appeared in front of his eyes. She looked at him with so much love, so much longing. He was euphoric, filled with a desire to hold her, love her more.

"Not the smartest thing we've ever done," he said.

She just grinned at him. "It'll be fine. Because whatever happens, we're in this together."

Yes, they were. And at that moment, he took her word for it and just went with the flow. After all, what was the worst that could happen? He was ready to give his life for her. And it didn't happen anyway. She'd gone out and gotten a morning after pill.

Except, at that moment, neither of them even considered that there was more to it.

"I have the serum, too."

It had taken so long for it to manifest, but he could read the signs. The stiffness in her posture whenever she detected danger, the haze in her eyes. He'd cursed her without meaning to.

There was no guilt. His sick mind was actually thrilled that she was like him. And it was an impulse he didn't feel the need to fight. Because the serum had messed him up way before the white coats lay their hands on him and pumped him full of drugs.

His mind reeled again as he dove deeper into his memories. It pushed him back violently, shoving him to the outskirts of his being. Why couldn't he get back if he remembered everything? Why couldn't he focus?

But it was a start. Because even after he shook his head and once again returned to the now, the feeling of warmth inside his chest was still there, joined by something else. He missed Jessie. Ever since they'd escaped, he hadn't spared her a minute, lost as he was in the swirl inside his head. The only time he'd truly focused on her, if only for a few moments, was on the plane.

She must've gone through hell this last year, always there, facing his angry outbursts, watching him slowly descending into madness. 

Anger coursed through him, but this time it was fully justified. He couldn't think about it yet, but they would pay. For what they did to him and for what they were actually trying to do. But one step at a time.

For now, he had to return to the little house and see what was to be done about rescuing his brothers. And even before that, he had to let Jessie know that he appreciated that she didn't give up on him.

Dawn had come and gone by the time he made his way down the mountain. It was still cold and cloudy, but daylight made the rough path a lot easier to navigate. Once he finally reached the shed, she could see Jessie in front of the house, looking around madly, as if she'd lost something.

"Jimmy!" she called the moment she spotted him.

He smiled, meeting her halfway between the garage and the house. She hugged him tightly, resting her forehead against his shoulder.

"I was so worried," she mumbled. "Where were you?"

"I needed to burn some energy, so I went up into the mountains."

She pulled back, staring at him with wide eyes. Then she slapped his chest. "You idiot! You could've collapsed up there and who would've found you? What if you fell of a cliff?"

He laughed. "I'm fine."

"Luckily! Don't ever do something like that again. Or--" The words died on her lips once he took a strand of her hair between his fingers.

It was so short compared to how she used to wear it. But it still looked like an orange spring, and the familiarity brought a smile to his face. He'd always loved her hair, and even with it short, she looked amazing. When he focused on her face, there were tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"What you're doing now. You did it when we were... um..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Courting?"

"You remember." It wasn't a question, but he nodded anyway. "What did you do up in the mountains?"

"Mostly tried to make a few things clear to myself. My mind is still loopy, but I do remember everything. I just can't... Access it, I guess. I know it makes no sense."

"It does. William mentioned it would be like that."

He frowned. "William?" Shit, that made perfect sense. They'd probably tried to do to William exactly what they'd done to him. Anger came and went again as he tried to focus on what was important at the moment.

"Anyway, I know what we have to do." He nodded towards the castle. "We need to get the others out. But first, I need to thank you."

She took a tiny step back, "Thank me?"

"For being by my side through all this mess. It couldn't have been easy for you."

"Jimmy, that's nonsense. Of course I was there, I--" She cut herself off, worrying on her lower lip as if afraid she'd let too much slip.

It wasn't enough. "Love me?"

She pursed her lips and nodded. "Do you remember that?"

"That's not about remembering." He took her hand and put it over his heart. "I still feel it." There was so much hope in her eyes, it made the heat inside him grow exponentially. "I'm back, Sunshine."

Jessie let out a sob and flung her arms around his neck. He wrapped her in a tight embrace, and the moment she raised her face towards him, he lowered the missing inch and brushed his lips over hers.

She took in a sharp breath, but didn't pull away. All the better. He needed more time to get reacquainted with their shape, their taste. She let him, her hold on him tightening, her breathing labored.

He took his time, running his tongue over her lower lip, taking it between his. And when he went a little deeper, she let him, kissing him back slowly, as if not to scare him. The moment she did, all his hesitance went out the window. Yes, it was a big deal and he hadn't kissed her in ages, but damn it, he wanted to really kiss her. So he deepened it even more, tightening his hold on her, kissing her like he had a million times before, to show her she was everything.

It felt right. The darkness receded and he was alive and... happy. It filled him up, drove away the madness, even if for a few minutes, brought back all his feelings for Jessie.

Admiration, pride, longing. Love and lust, so much of them that there seemed to be no room inside him. And the feeling that there was something he was forgetting.

"Hey!"

The strange voice had Jessie jumping back, panting her lungs out. Kato headed for them, that battle stick still in his hands. This time he wore a black gi, but the same disapproving expression.

"Step away. What did we discuss last night?" he went on.

Jessie looked sheepish for some reason. Jimmy only wanted to kiss her again. Do much more than kissing, because there was so much about her he'd missed. 

"Okay, sorry. I was just happy to see him." She raised her hands in surrender and turned to him. "Master Kato has some... Um, interesting theories about energies and thinks we should put off on getting too physical."

"Ture." The little called to them. "Now prepare for training."

Jimmy cocked an eyebrow. "Okay..." Training sounded smart and he knew there was maybe some truth in that energy theory, but his arms felt strangely empty without her.

"Just..." She sighed. "That felt so good. And long overdo."

"Agreed on the feeling amazing part. And--" He took in a deep sigh. "Jessie, I may not be all there yet, because I'm not. But at this moment, there are three things I'm certain of."

"Oh?" She looked a little shocked by his statement, and he realized they really did need to talk more when they got a little privacy.

"One, we need to get the others out, and right now, we can't. So this training Kato mentions could be useful. The second is that once this is over, those assholes who used me as a pin cushion need to pay. And the third..." He caressed her cheek. "The third is actually the most important, and it's that no matter what, I love you."

Her smile brightened the world, but the effect was slightly dimmed by Kato's screaming.

"Hands off, Jaime!"

Great, he needed a Jerry. The thought made him laugh, but he held it in and turned to the man who had in the meantime reached them.

"It's Jimmy, actually."

Kato didn't seem to give two shits. He just sized Jimmy up. "Go chop logs." He nodded towards the shed. "You find ax in there."

Normally, he would've questioned it. But at the moment, his mind was getting fuzzy again while his body tingled with a different kind of energy, one which couldn't be consumed with running. Yep, burning off some of his lust sounded like a good idea. So with a shrug and a smile to Jessie, he headed that way. After all, the mindless physical activity would allow him to bring more order to his thoughts.

🏯🏯🏯

And here we go! Another chapter is up. Fortunately, writing has been going pretty good lately so I'm back on track.

Angie is on the move and officially heading for the Japan to join the savior squad. Meanwhile, Jimmy is finally getting better. At least he remembered he's in love with Jessie.

Thoughts? Feelings? Opinions about what the Agency is really after? All are welcome.

Don't forget to vote and comment for support.