A New Beginning

Chapter 86: Killing Them Softly

Chapter 86: Killing Them Softly

A/N: Italian marked with the * will be translated on the bottom

"JACK!" Rose calls out through her tears. "Jack, Jack... please..."

She struggles against her bonds as best she could, but with her lack of food, the burden of being pregnant, and the awkward position she was in, it feels almost impossible. She twists her wrists in the ropes despite how much it hurt, the agonizing feeling of the rough cords dragging against her skin, she pulled desperately, trying to break them or wriggle free. She writhes around until her wrists are raw, almost to the point that they are bleeding. The baby in her womb protests the strain she's putting herself through, kicking repeatedly, but she didn't care... she couldn't care right now, not with Jack so close and the family reunited to some degree. Tears are pouring down her face, repeatedly calling her fiancé's name out of desperation of having been separated from him for so long. She can see a puddle of blood pooling around his head, likely from where he had been struck or attacked by Cal and Riptide.

"Jack..." she cries. "Jack please talk to me..."

She calls until her voice is hoarse and equally as raw as her wrists. She continues to weep, knowing that this is what Cal wanted. It was the worst kind of torture he had put her through, to have Jack so close and yet she couldn't touch him, to hold and kiss him again. To feel his strong arms wrapped around her body, whispering in her ear that everything was going to be okay. She lays as close as the ropes will allow, her curly red hair spread out on the dingy floor like a fan, her tears staining them as she waited for either Jack to wake up or for Cal to come and get them.

Her mind races, thinking about what might happen to them, now that they were at his mercy. He could do anything he wanted to them without hesitation. He would likely hurt both of them, maybe one at a time, just to watch the other one suffer. She wishes beyond all belief that someone would come and save them, she lays on the floor and listens to Jack's laboured breathing, waiting to see his blue eyes again.

"Jack please wake up... I love you."

...

Everything is black to Jack, just a void of nothingness, his head throbbing continuously from the pain of lack of comprehension. He cannot fully grasp what has happened to him as he seems to float in the endless darkness that surrounded his body. He felt numb and cold, unable to feel much else.

Suddenly, out of the void, Jack can see a light, bright and white at the end of this dark tunnel. He tries to head toward it, find out what was going on. Where was he? Where was Rose? What had happened to him? Would they be okay?

The light approaches his form and Jack squints to see what is ahead. The brightness engulfs him completely, he still has no sense of feeling or time.

When his eyesight adjusts, Jack finds himself in a field covered in a light dusting of snow. Flakes of white powder are falling all around him, sticking to his blonde hair, and landing on his nose. They tickle ever so slightly as a cool breeze blows the white forms all around the field of tall grass. Around the field are trees of many kinds, some were green while others were bare, likely because it was winter time in this place. The quiet of this setting soothes Jack's anxieties as he walks through the field, embracing the peace surrounding him.

He hears something behind him. A voice... someone call his name.

"Jack!" it calls.

He turns to see a familiar figure materializing through the snowflakes. He steps closer to see who it was. His heart drops when he hears the voice he's missed so much.

"Jack, mio Amico!"*

"FABRIZIO!" Jack shouts excitedly. He runs as fast as he can towards his best friend. He embraces the Italian with the biggest bear hug known to anyone. He can feel himself starting to cry, holding his friend tightly. "I thought you were dead!"