The Sorrows of the Past
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The morning air hit my exposed skin as I stepped out, the scent of Sarah's garden covers the porch. A low hum vibrated from my pocket. I pulled out my old flip phone, the one I only kept in case of dire emergency. I hoped I'd never use it nor hear it vibrate. The caller ID flashed a number I hadn't seen in seven years, a number I’d sworn I’d erased from memory. I pause before clicking.
"John," a low voice spoke, as familiar as a bad dream. "It's been too long."
"Not long enough, Mark. I'm out. Remember?" My voice was flat not dealing with this.
"I remember. I also remember the oath you took. The one about protecting, about serving. This isn't about some rogue operative, John. This is about Aakin. He has the blueprints, the schematics for a city wide collapse. New York. Thousands. Millions, if he makes it home."
My breath pauses as I tighten the grip on my phone. I pictured Mia, her bright, innocent face, Sarah’s smile.
"Why me? There are others."
"None like you. You're the only one who can get close enough, fast enough. He's at the old refinery, planning his extraction. One shot, John. If you don't take it, New York burns. If you do, you save them all."
My eyes drifted back to the house, to the window of Mia's room. A tiny, pink curtain shuttered in the wind.
"No," I said, the word a quiet whisper. "I can't. Not again. Sarah… Mia… they almost lost me last time. I promised them. I promised myself."
"A promise to your family, or a promise to humanity? John. He boards that plane in three hours. After that, it's over."
The weight of his his former bosses words felt heavy on his chest, suffocating. My hand shook. I closed my eyes, seeing not the refinery not a plane not the past adventures, but Mia’s small hand in mine, Sarah’s worried eyes.
"I'll need intel," I said, the words tasting like ash. "Everything you have."
"Consider it sent. John, thank you."
The line went dead. I stood there, the phone heavy in my hand. I had to tell Sarah. I had to explain why I was breaking my promise, why I was walking back into the fire that almost took me. My heart, felt cold, it began to beat in a frantic rhythm. New York. Mia. The world. The choice was made.(While I want to see where this goes there will not be a continued version this is all that it'll be)
