Two Fighters

Hostages

Dark chapter so you've been warned...

Lana POV

I stood in the back of the room, watching the press conference. I was wearing my cargo pants, heels, and white shirt with my pins. The effort to get fully changed out of my uniform was too much at the moment. The meeting I had this morning only made my stomach knot up at the thought of anything that had been said. Yet October 10th 2011 I would be shipped back over to hell itself.

"Thank you every one for coming!" Dana hollered signifying the end of the press conference. Dom walked off stage, wearing the suit I had seen hanging in the hotel closet. I'd be lying if I said it didn't fit perfectly in all the right places. I snuck my way backstage and placed my hand on Suzette's shoulder.

" How did he do...? Sorry my meeting ran over." She grinned and patted my hand.

" He did great... And I don't know if you know this yet but he's crazy about you." I felt my cheeks heat up before nodding.

"Don't tell him... But I'm a bit crazy about him too... Now are you ready to see New York? I hope you don't mind the subway, it's the best way to get around."

"I'll survive." She laughed softly until I felt arms snake around my frame.

" Hello beautiful." Lips pecked my cheek, I couldn't help but smile as I turned around. He was already changed, wearing tennis shoes, gym shorts, and a hoodie.

"Hey there... Gosh I think I liked the suit a little better." He chuckled and looked over his shoulder after taking my hand.

"A few of the guys wanna tag along like I said. You okay with that?" I nodded and he whistled loudly.

"Come on let's go!" Mere moments later the others followed behind. Everyone sat their bag in their cars so they wouldn't need to carry them around. Being on the subway put me on edge, but it was nice seeing the different sites. Especially with people who didn't know New York as well as I. As the afternoon came around I could tell everyone was getting a bit worn out.

" Why don't we grab a bite I'm starving!" Joe hollered and I shrugged as did everyone else. We went back towards the subway and each grabbed a spot. Only when I lifted my eyes did my own demeanor shift. The man looked nervous, I could see the sweat beading on his neck. I glanced down the other side of the car and cursed under my breath. The next stop wasn't for a few minutes. I glanced back at the man, noticing a scar that ran down his neck. Dog tags dangling down to his chest.

"Whatever you do-" I looked in his eyes for a second" -Do not stand up. Tell everyone not to stand up till the doors open." I whispered to him, yet he listened even with a confused look on his face. I sat back and kept my eyes on him, yet I knew it was coming. The sudden jerk of the subway sent people in our car screaming as he forced the train to stop by pulling the emergency handle.

"No-nobody move!" The man stood and unzipped his jacket, a bomb, poorly wired at that, snug against his chest. His hand was sweating and shaking with a gun in his hand. I placed my hand on Dom's knee for a second yet kept my eyes on him. Schizophrenic. I stood and raised my hands as he pointed the gun at me, yet he cursed.

"You're a fucking nark ?!"

"Far from it." I paused for a moment." -You're a solider aren't you? Navy?" He nodded slowly.

"How'd you know....?"

"Gotta be one to know one." I motioned to my pins with my head. "I've got a gun on me. You trust me to remove it?" He took the safety off the gun and closed the space between us. I heard a woman yelp as he pressed the cold metal to my forehead.

" Why aren't you scared?" I didn't even flinch when it touched my skin, it just brought back memories.

"This isn't the first time I've had a gun to my head." He moved back a step and motioned to my leg. I crouched down and pulled out my gun, sitting it on the floor and kicking it to him. "Tell me Mr...?"

"Williams- Roger Williams... What's your name?"

"Agent Lana Clark"

"Clark? Navy seals Clark?" I nodded quickly.

"Mr. Williams maybe I can help you. There's gotta be a reason you're trying to blow yourself up with a bunch of civilians. The very same you swore to protect." He narrowed his eyes at me before looking at the gun in his hand.

"I just- I remember the voices. It was a Special assignment. They didn't have enough marines in the area so they called us-" He zoned out for a second." -We had to go in this building and kill these men-" His green eyes settled on me." -Have you ever killed someone?"

" Yes."

" How many? With your own hands. Your own weapons."

"To be exact. 509. I was an assassin."

"You remember all of them? I remember when I first got shot. When my wife's helicopter got shot down. You ever lost someone?" I nodded yet he chuckled and lowered his gun, taking out all but one bullet and spinning it. "You believe in fate Miss Clark?" I shrugged.

" In a way."

" How about luck?" He aimed at me and fired. Empty. " You didn't even flinch."

"I've been closer to death. I've held my own gun to my head before-" I chuckled slightly. "-I think I understand the pain you feel more than you think."

"I watched my wife's body fall from the sky! Tell me how the fuck do you think you understand my pain?!" The gun clicked again. More than likely it was a total of six or eight shots. Minimum three chances left...Maximum five chances left.

"I was tortured for two months. The first month they had me and my fiancee." I felt myself twitch just from the memory. "They started with him. They burned him with hot irons then cut off his fingers. Meanwhile I'm sitting there-" I paused picking my next choice of words." -Begging him to let me give the Intel. I knew it would at least give him a quick death. He kept telling to not say a word that it was our lives or our country's life then they cut off his hands." I swallowed the lump in my throat as I watched his angry persona slowly melt. "I remember the smell. The smell of his blood in the air. Yet they made sure they kept him fucking alive. " My cheek twitched. "Then they took up to his knees. That was a month into the ordeal. They'd already suffocated me and stopped my heart twice." It was then that I let the first tear go since then. It felt like fire down my cheek. "They whipped me, burned me, But none of that really hurt compared to what came. I remember it was dark out and it was cold that night and I looked at him. He was suffering and they came in and poured gasoline on him. His screams. They even wake me up still to this day-" I bit the inside of my cheek, blood pooling in my mouth slowly. "-they lit him on fire and they closed the door. I thought the smell of his blood would be enough of a nightmare. No. For two days, maybe more, all I could smell was burning flesh. I hate candles, they remind of that moment." I looked down for a moment. "When he was ash, pure ash, I watched them laugh. One of them picked up a handful of what was left of my fiancee and threw his ashes in my face. So do not tell me I do not know your pain." I started walking toward him, the gun pressed to my skull. His eyes were red as he looked into mine. "For the next year, I didn't talk much. Didn't even feel human. I held a gun to my head at least a half dozen times. Yet a year to the day, I was back in Iraq. In some mansion and holding a gun to my head. I pulled the trigger but the bullet jammed-" I huffed a laugh." -I was so pissed Because I wanted nothing more than to perish right then and there. But here I fucking stand. So, give me the gun. Let me disarm this bomb and let these people get back to their families." He lowered the gun and I snatched it before looking at the bomb, yanking a plug. " It wouldn't have gone off anyways."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean it wasn't wired properly." I motioned to the officer I saw outside of the subway car and he opened the door. I hadn't felt so numb in years even when Dom's arms engulfed me. No more secrets were worth hiding.