Enigma (Rogue #2)

Epilogue

"Come right this way," the officer's words appeared in Josanne's translators. Josanne walked down the metallic hallway of the prison. She rose from the bench she sat on and followed the guard. This time she wasn't here with a gun ready to put the bullet in the right place, or she wasn't here to double-cross anyone and take their fortune.

Josanne was only here to talk.

She sucked in a deep breath as she followed the officer. The walls were the same chromatic grey Josanne guessed existed to make the prisoners more depressed. Whoever designed truly knew what they were doing.

It had been a month ever since Kain had been convicted. 1 month ever since her only family got put away. 1 month since the authorities had scrambled for the PSEUDO that she dissolved. It was a week before her mandatory military service started. No one knew what to do with her. Trinidad didn't want her back, so Britain swept up her broken pieces.

They had put Kain in some of these prototype prisons they started making for dangerous criminals. It was a hundred meters below the Atlantic Ocean. Josanne had to take a submarine to get here. She was sure this was a place in the PSEUDO's range.

Her waist had felt light without the guns in their holster. It felt weird simply being out and about without having to watch her back or narrow in on a target.

"He's in here," the guard said and stopped in front of a huge metallic door. Josanne sucked in a breath. It was time for her to get closure.

The door slid open, but not before it revealed another metallic door, which slid into yet another one. Josanne counted 5 times before the door finally opened.

If she were with Kain, she would've memorized the mechanics of the door and would think of a million different ways to breach it. But Josanne forced the instincts out of her head and simply walked through the metal box. Then it lowered into the earth.

Josanne tapped her foot on the ground as it lowered. She made gripping eye contact with the officer who turned away. Then it stopped and the five-door layers slid open again. Josanne walked forward into a dark basement place that stopped at a stark white room. It was like darkness and light had contrasted.

Right in the middle was Kain. He blended into the background with a white jumpsuit and pale skin. Josanne could've missed him if it weren't for the presence she was used to sense. Her gaze rose onto hers as she walked up. The guard stayed back.

Josanne said nothing as she stopped right where the white room started. There were no bars or barriers. It was like Kain kept himself in here.

Josanne gulped before she rose shaky hands up to him. "Hello."

"Hello," Kain signed back.

Josanne said nothing again. What were they supposed to talk about now? If she were in the PSEUDO right now, they'd be going over strategies and planning their next move. Josanne would prepare for her next kill and warm her fingers for the trigger.

"How have you been?" Josanne signed.

"Take a wild guess," Kain signed with vigour in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Josanne signed suddenly. "I'm sorry."

"Really?" Kain gestured. "You're sorry. Sorry, will fix none of this. Sorry, will not bring back the PSEUDO."

Josanne held her head down and poked her tongue in her cheek.

"Why did you do it?" Kain asked, eyes turning sad. "What compelled you?"

Josanne could think of multiple things. Words that had gone unsigned for too long. But she only sighed. "I realized that this isn't what God made me for."

Kain titled his head. "What do you mean?"

"I want a normal life," Josanne gestured aggressively. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life on the run. I don't want to spend the rest of my life fighting and fighting again."

Kain poked the side of his tongue in his cheek.

"And I don't being able to pull a trigger the only thing I'm good at."

"So your feelings are the reason my life's work has gone to the ground?" Kain said as he moved closer. "Especially all I've done for you?"

"We're still family," Josanne began, but Kain put a hand in front of her.

"Would family betray family?" Kain signed, veins popping in his hand. "Family sticks together. Do you know what a family wouldn't do? They wouldn't have left you back in Trinidad to be trafficked from sweatshop to sweatshop. I've clothed you and I've fed you. I've taken care of you for the last 8 years. What more do you want from me?"

Josanne flinched at the mention of her past. She looked at Kain again in the eyes but saw the memories they'd built up. She saw Kain rescuing her from the truck of other frightened kids. She saw Kain running out onto the dangerous streets to bring back food. She saw Kain protecting her in her darkest moments.

But it was not enough.

"You raised me to kill for you," Josanne emphasized.

"I raised you to bring justice!" Kain yelled, the words shaking in her translators. He ran up to her in an attack. Josanne screamed.

He bounced off some invisible force and back into his cell with a groan. Kain being Kain bounced back and stood up again with a blank expression. Kain rarely got angry with her, but when he did, the nerves paralyzed her.

Josanne flinched and stepped back again. Josanne could feel the emotions burning off him and onto her in an angry heat. He wouldn't hurt her.

"The PSEUDO wasn't justice," Josanne replied. "It was revenge. It was just so that you could take your anger out on the world. I was a part of it for too long."

"What will you do?" Kain signed with a sly expression. "You will never survive without me. You have no money or no family."

Josanne wanted to refute them, but he was right. She replied. "But I can live how I want to."

Kain looked their eyes at the floor. "I think it would be better for you to go."

"Kain," Josanne tried. "This is the only time I can visit you. I just want you to know-"

"Go," he gestured angrily.

She looked at him once more. All of it. As misguided as Kain was, Josanne could see the teenager who wanted to avenge his parents and make the world a better place. She saw the boy who'd rescued her and held her close when she'd get nightmares.

But that boy didn't exist anymore. Only the hollowed-up shell had existed.

"By the way," Josanne said. "What's your real name?"

"Does it matter?" Kain said.

"You tell me," she replied.

Kain sighed, "It's Luka."

Josanne almost laughed. Luka. It sounded too calm and too serene for it to be Kain. She pressed her lips into a thin line. Kain still didn't look at her.

"Goodbye Kain," Josanne signed again.

The time Josanne didn't wait for Kain to tell her goodbye. Instead, she turned away and never looked back.