- Chapter 15 -
Erased
Martin felt as if he was in a movie. He was walking just behind Anna Simeon down a very long and narrow corridor lined with rounded doors on either side. Her walk was rapid, and to the point. She didn't look back nor talked to Martin until they reached the final door on the left.
Anna, who had changed back into her own normal wear, a lilac-coloured fitted dress, stood on the opposite side of the door and gestured at Martin to enter the room. "Mary and Malcom are in there. They want to see you too."
He hesitated. Martin stood still in front of Anna, not knowing whether he should go back to the past or move forward. Anna had promised that either way, he was free to leave the Agency. She had made sure of that. Nobody had ever made him question the meaning of life like this. He had spent most of his life barricated inside training compounds for what? He had never received any form of gratitude for the dedication he showed to the Boss.
He also was hesitant about trusting Anna. Obviously this underground facility had to be controlled and operated by a few hundre people. Who was she working for? Sweat started beading down Martin's forehead as the realisation that maybe this wasn't a family reunion. He noticed Anna becoming uneasy. Something wasn't right.
"What's going on, Anna?" Martin asked, looking over his shoulder. He didn't feel safe anymore and his heart began to thump in his chest. The overbearing sensation of terror had invaded him.
"What do you mean? Just...go visit your family." She didn't look at Martin when she spoke to him. She held the door with one hand and tugged sporadically at the hem of her short dress with the other. She kept her focus on the floor at all times.
"They're not there, are they?" Martin asked. "ARE THEY?!"
Anna skipped when he raised his voice. She looked at Martin, tears forming a river in her bottom lids until they could hold no more and cascaded down her pearly-white face. Her lips quivered.
"No they're not. I'm so sorry it had to be this way"
Martin didn't truly understand the meaning of her words until he felt a shocking sensation vibrating through his neck. His muscles tightened and he collapsed to the floor. But before his vision faded, he noticed Anna blowing him a kiss.
*****
When he woke up he found himself in a hospital room. He tried to move but it quickly became apparent that he had been sedated. His muscles throbbed with pain, a pounding headache was threatening to shatter his skull, and his stomach rumbled with sinful lust for food.
The first thing he noticed was that his long dark hair had been trimmed to nothing but an inch long. He looked around his room. There was an I.D tag by the bed. Martin Christ, 16 years old, 5'9... Wherever he was, at least he knew that he was officially out of the Agency. They wouldn't dare have his real name printed anywhere where Jerusalem officials could find them.
He was just about ready to pass out when the nurse came in to check up on him. She checked his stats and then looked at Martin.
"Are you the son of Michael Christ Sr. and Evangeline?" The nurse asked.
"Yes," Martin answered. There was no point denying it now. His stats were available to everyone now. Things were different.
The nurse fumbled in her pockets and took what look like a picture out and handed it to Martin. It was a photgraph of a girl, about eight years old. She looked just like mom, he thought.
"Who is this girl?"
"Isn't it odd that you show up here, in Babylon, out of nowhere, and you just happen to be the brother of my adopted daughter? Now be honest, Martin Christ, who sent you here?"
He didn't notice at first, what with being sedated and all, but the nurse's voice stirred up forgotten memories of the night his family was destroyed. She was there. Her name was Jenna Crown. Whatever Anna did it worked. She didn't seem to remember Martin joining the Agency.
"I was visiting the statues as part of my school project." Martin forced himself to say. He didn't mean to lie, but he couldn't go back to the Agency. Although he didn't trust Anna anymore, he didn't feel right exposing her. That would only open doors to other questions.
The nurse seemed to accept his answer as being the truth. She promised that as soon as he was recovered, she would organize a reunion with Mary. She closed the lights on his bedside and told him to rest.
Martin couldn't move to his side and had no choice but to stare up at the ceiling. He wondered why Anna has sent him here, at the southern tip of Jerusalem? He knew it was her, there was no doubt about that. Was it to be reunited with Mary or was there something more to it?, he wondered. He closed his eyes and prayed that his troubles would be over.
"Are you the son of Michael Christ Sr. and Evangeline?" The nurse asked.
"Yes," Martin answered. There was no point denying it now. His stats were available to everyone now. Things were different.
The nurse fumbled in her pockets and took what look like a picture out and handed it to Martin. It was a photgraph of a girl, about eight years old. She looked just like mom, he thought.
"Who is this girl?"
"Isn't it odd that you show up here, in Babylon, out of nowhere, and you just happen to be the brother of my adopted daughter? Now be honest, Martin Christ, who sent you here?"
He didn't notice at first, what with being sedated and all, but the nurse's voice stirred up forgotten memories of the night his family was destroyed. She was there. Her name was Jenna Crown. Whatever Anna did it worked. She didn't seem to remember Martin joining the Agency.
"I was visiting the statues as part of my school project." Martin forced himself to say. He didn't mean to lie, but he couldn't go back to the Agency. Although he didn't trust Anna anymore, he didn't feel right exposing her. That would only open doors to other questions.
The nurse seemed to accept his answer as being the truth. She promised that as soon as he was recovered, she would organize a reunion with Mary. She closed the lights on his bedside and told him to rest.
Martin couldn't move to his side and had no choice but to stare up at the ceiling. He wondered why Anna has sent him here, at the southern tip of Jerusalem? He knew it was her, there was no doubt about that. Was it to be reunited with Mary or was there something more to it?, he wondered. He closed his eyes and prayed that his troubles would be over.
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