"No no no no no no..."
Aaron comes running down the long staircase nervously. Samantha hurries toward him when she sees him.
"Aaron! What was it? What happened?"
"It it it it's the thing, the damn uh... of uh... Oh man...."
"Aaron, you're scaring me! What the hell did you see up there?!"
"Every damn cop in the entire state of Washington seems to be out there, Sam! Choppers, sirens, and more policecars than I can count!"
"Are you kidding me?! Did they see you?"
"No no, Sam look we have to go. We gotta get outta here."
"Not 'we,' Aaron! You!"
"What?! There is no way I'm leaving you--"
"Aaron! I'm still innocent! They find me and I'm just legally brought back from the dead. I have nothing to lose, and everything to gain!"
"You are not innocent any more, Sam! You and I both know that. But I've come too far to let you slip out of my hands now, so you're coming with me!"
"Where the hell can we possibly even go?! You said there are cops all over this damn place!"
"I've been in this complex countless times, Sam. I know the ins and outs of it better than anyone... There is a way out they'll never find..."
"There is?"
"I told you this used to be medical complex... Well around the time it was occupied, the sewage system was a bit different..."
"What are suggesting, Aaron?"
"There's a waste deposit at the opposite end of the corridor just upstairs..."
"I am NOT gonna swim around in human crap, Aaron."
"That's the good news, Sam. It's not active. So there is no waste, just a long walk."
"And where does it end up?"
"Sam, please let's just go. There is no time to go over everything..."
"But I need to kno--"
Aaron grabs Samantha by the arm and runs up the stairs with her, causing her to hurry in the same rhythm up the steps that he is.
Outside of the facility, Commissioner Russo gives a signal to the armed policemen to move in. Memers of the SWAT Team kickdown the main door and enter cautiously. Commissioner Russo looks on from a safe distance with concern.
Inside, Aaron and Samantha are running through a dark hallway.
"It's too dark! Can you even see where you're going?!"
"Yes, Sam... I wont ask you to stop talking but don't be so loud okay? And don't slow down when you talk, walk and talk, Sam, walk and talk..."
"You sound like I do when I talk to..."
At that point they pass by an open door and although they run past it, the flickering lights inside the room came on just in time for Samantha's eyes to catch a glimpse of what was in the room; a rotting human body strapped to a dentist's chair with duct tape.
"Oh my God!"
"Shhh! What is it, Sam?!"
"Oh my God I just saw a corpse..."
"That was Cliff. Keep running we're almost there."
At te entrance to the facility now, walking through the hallways with guns drawn, the officers communicate with one another through hand gestures. They inspect the main lobby as well as the restrooms. They find nothing there and continue moving in.
They spread out as one group runs down the stairs and another group takes the short corridors through the main floor. The main group remains going straight forward in the facility. One of them stops to look into a room with a flickering light in it. He pulls his hand radio close to his face.
"You might wanna see this, sir."
Outside, Commissioner Russo responds on his hand radio.
"What is it..."
"It's a dead body. Tied to an operating chair of some sort. Looks like it's been here for months. Dried to the bone."
"Alright, I'm sending in forensics to get an ID. Keep moving."
A second transmission comes in to Commissioner Russo's communicator.
"East wing is clear, sir."
"Copy that."
He clicks another button on his radio before speaking again.
"Team Charlie, find anything?"
"We're down in the furnace, sir. All looks clear here."
Commissioner Russo shakes his head with a look of worry and desperation on his face.
In a very quiet tubular hallway, droplets of water randomly echo as Aaron walks through with measured urgency. Samantha is actually on his back with her legs and arms wrapped around him.
"Sam, this would be a lot faster for us if you get down and walk on your own, please, I am not kidding."
"I'm not kiddin' either. God knows what kinds of diseases existed back when this tunnel was full of crap. I'm not putting my feet down."
"You're wearing sneakers."
"Things can soak through. Just shut up and keep walking. How much longer?"
"Well I'm not sure, I've always studied these and their structure but I never took the walk. The tunnel is about four miles long, I'm not sure how many miles we've covered."
"Four miles long... So it's gonna be about an hour walk... Great, Aaron, just great. A full hour smelling dead animals and rotten poop and stale urine... This is gonna suck!"
"Having to carry you on my back and hearing you complain about it doesn't exactly make it easier, Sam."
"Oh don't you dare come at me like that, Aaron. I didn't want to come. I wanted to stay at the plant and get rescued by a sexy law enforcer."
"Wait, a what?!"
"You heard me! You literally dragged me into the crap, so now you have to deal with it. You ruined my chances of meeting a hot guy in a uniform, the least you can do is listen to me bitching about it."
"As inappropriate as it is for you to say any of that, on so many levels, I have to admit... It feels good to finally hear your weird sense of humor again... It's refreshing, Sam... I like it."
"Oh God... Listen, just hurry up and get us out of here."
Back at the outside lot of the manufacturing plant, Commissioner Russo throws his megaphone on the ground in anger, and kicks his car as several of the officers who have come back out from the facility speak to him.
"My apologies, sir. We are all very sorry. But every room in there was empty. The only thing we found was that body, nearly decomposing."
"Where the hell is the ID?!"
"Sir, it doesn't match anyone who's been reported missing, so they're gonna have to do some lab work."
A young man in a white lab coat comes hurrying toward Commissioner Russo.
"Sir... Sir... The body they found belonged to a young man named Clifford Dane. Didn't match our records here but, after a nationwide search, his dental records returned a match from North Dakota. He was an out of state student at Grayson University just outside of town."
"Let me guess... His parents think he's been in college this whole time, and the college thinks he's been home..."
"There's... No way for us to know that, sir."
"Useless!"
Several moments later, in the sewer tunnel, Aaron and Samantha have reached the opening. Samantha is nearly falling asleep on Aaron's back.
"Sam... Let's rest for a few seconds."
"Where are we?"
"Not quite home. Look, you're gonna need to get off anyhow, cause there's no way I'm gonna be able to cross that ledge with you on my back."
Samantha gets off Aaron's back and he helps her safely hug the wall as she slides past the ledge and onto wide grounds. He then follows her doing the same. Aaron lays on his back breathing havily and looking up at the sky. By now it has stopped raining and the clouds in the night aky have parted to reveal a half moon and a very bright collection of stars. There is a preview of sunlight in the dark sky as it is of a darkened blue color now. Samantha is standing next to Aaron, looking down at him.
"Really? So we're just gonna take a nap now?"
"No... I just need to catch my breath and... The pain meds are... wearing off... My arm is killing me. I'm not sure how much longer I can carry you, Sam."
"Well, we're out of the crapper, so I guess I can walk on my own now."
"Good... So let's get going..."
He sits up and then stands. They begin to walk and enter a trail leading up the side of the cliff. Samantha looks over the edge as she walks and sees the distant water with the night's sky reflecting from it.
"Amazing. That water is so full of crap, yet it looks so peaceful just before dawn..."
"Doesn't that describe someone you know...?"
"Watch it, Aaron."
"I was talking about me."
"I know."
At the bottom of the cliff, Aaron's old car lays an underwater wreck with the putrefying body of Detective Jenkins attached to it, but they don't see it. They continue to walk up the rocky path and make it to the top of the cliff, entering a wooded area.
"Oh... The woods... Of course... Why would I think it would get easier?"
"I'm sorry, Sam. It's just that this is the fastest, safest way home right now."
"Once again Aaron, shoulda left me at the plant. Woulda been fine."
The commissioner calls off his men back at the plant and he remains there as several police cruisers begin to drive away. The helicopters are also now gone, and Commissioner Russo is approached by one of the detectives on the scene.
"So what do we do now, sir?"
"You do what you people do best, detective, you detect. Figure out what this Clifford Dane kid had to do with the owner of this car and call me with the results..."
"Understood."
"I'd like to get that call by Eight AM, so you better get to work. You have less than four hours."
"Right away sir."
A heavy patch of evergreen bushes at the end of the road where Aaron's house is, starts to move. The desolate dead-end street is quietly awaiting the impending sunrise, as Aaron and Samantha both emerge from behind the trees. They hurry up the walk way to Aaron's front door. Samantha sits at the doorstep with her back to the door, breathing heavily as Aaron uses his keys.
"Oh my God, Aaron. Let's never ever do anything like that again... Ever..."
"I promise we wont, Sam. I promise."
"Its freezing out, the path was filthy, it was the longest walk I've ever had to take! I really need a hot bath, I swear this is--"
"No worries, Sam. We're home."
Samantha looks up at Aaron, who extends a hand to help her up. She looks at his hand unimpressed, and then at his face. She groans and shakes her head before letting her hand meet his and standing up. They walk into the house.
Later that morning, Aaron is standing in his living room, and he is speaking to a police officer who is there with a notepad.
"... And when I went out to start the car, it just wasn't there."
"And you didn't hear anything last night? Any sound of possible trespassing, or...?"
"Nothing. I'm even surprised my burglar alarm didn't go off. They must have took the car while I slept, but how...?"
"Well, whoever stole your car, took it for a joyride and caused quite a bit of trouble, so I apologize for implying it was you. They left it on your property... The manufacturing plant you recently acquired."
"Well, in the condition you say they found it in, I want nothing to do with it. Can they just send it to the scrap yard?"
"That can be arranged. But I'll file this report first. And then we'll go from there..."
"Alright, thanks officer."
"Have a good day."
The police officer exits the house and walks away. After getting in his police cruiser, he gets on his walkie talkie and presses the button.
"Well, sir. It seems someone stole this guy's car and drove it to his facility. There is no way he could have done all that and be back on this side of town by morning, all suited up and ready for work. I'm sorry but it's a dead end. This guy's clean."
Back inside the house, Aaron sits on the couch in his living room. Samantha peeks her head up through the basement access door. Upon seeing that he is alone, she slowly comes out and walks toward him.
"I thought he'd never leave."
"I know... I thought you would never leave either, Sam... But I know you will. And I can't blame you... What I've done to you is horrible..."
"Aaron..."
"No... I completely understand, Sam... I don't ever want to let you go, but I know I have to... My life-long dream was for you to WANT to be with me, not just to have you with me against your will."
"Aaron, stop."
"Sam, now you've seen the side of me that even I hate. Why would I think you're gonna love--"
"AARON, LISTEN TO ME!"
Aaron looks at Samantha with watery eyes. She gets in closer to him, standing in front of him as he remains seated looking up at her.
"You've already released me from the bondage, Aaron. In more ways than one. And I'm still here. If I haven't left, it is because I don't want to. They say actions speak louder than words but if what I have told you weighs more to you than what I have done, allow me to spell it out for you..."
"Sam, I--"
"Shut up! This is difficult..."
Samantha sits on te couch next to Aaron now.
"Don't even look at me when I say what I'm about to say. Look that way... That way, Aaron, look away from me."
Aaron nervously turns and looks straight as Samantha leans back and looks at the back of his head with a furrowed brow. Her tears take over her and she begins to speak within sobs and sniffles.
"Aaron... When Veronica came to me downstairs, she got there at just the right time. I swear I was ready to do things to you that right now I'm even afraid of thinking about. But she calmed me, and gave me hope of finally getting out of that nightmare, so you... I mean thanks to her, you're still breathing, I swear. And I am the one who should be thanking her for that, not you."
"Sam, I'm sorry I made you feel so--"
"Don't talk, Aaron! There's more... When you two were fighting and I bumped my head, it didn't knock me out; I pretended it did so that Veronica would leave me out of your stand off. I don't know if it was the bump on the head that made me feel differently, but the fact that she tossed me aside like I was worthless... I... I mean... Why was my rescuer treating me so much worse than my kidnapper...?! The fact that she was sadistic enough to actually hold a gun to my head, Aaron, and hold me hostage, while I was already a hostage... To someone who never raised any weapon to me at all... It was confusing and alarming..."
"You have no idea how that made me feel."
"I think I do... I think, NOW, I do."
"So that's why you shot her?"
"No... There was so much more than just that boiling me up inside. I mean, sure she called me 'kid' and treated me like one, but that wouldn't have normally bothered me so much. For some reason this time, I had been your prisoner for so long, that it had been just as long since someone talked down to me... It reminded me of one thing... Throughout my adult life, I have always been treated as a child. By my mother, my teachers, by Jadaiah, by the cops, by everyone. I haven't been able to shake that off. They all treat me like I'm a little girl... Except... For you, Aaron... You treat me like a grown woman... You treat me like a freaking queen, for crying out loud..."
"That's because I know the--"
"Quiet, Aaron... What I'm getting at is that even when you had me locked up downstairs, you've somehow managed to make me feel like you were the one serving me..."
"That's what I live for, Sam. That's the only thing I have ever wanted to do is serve you. No matter wh--"
"I heard you defending me and yelling at this woman for hurting me... Even though you were obviously outmatched by her, you never gave up... Even my own damn mother gave up, Aaron, but not you. Mom actually buried me, can you believe that?! And then she even gave up on her own life... But you... Never... Gave up..."
"And I never will, Sam... I don't care what I have to do or what I have to be... If I can have you by my side, out of your own will, then anything and everything is worth it. I love you with every fiber of my being... Each and every tiny little part that makes up my existence is, independently, madly in love with you, and there is nothing I -or anyone else- can ever do to change that. I love you, Sam. With everything that I am, I love you so much."
"I guess you really do love me... And after all that has happened... Your love really is all I have left in this world... I will be honest, I seriosuly wanted you dead, but I just didn't want to kill you myself. I'd never have the stomach to actually take someone's life. So I wanted Veronica to beat you up, and yes I wanted her to kill you, but that's before I realized... That I actually needed you... And I still do... So I couldn't let her do it, Aaron. I just couldn't. And at that point I had no choice, so I ended up doing something I never imagined I could do... Just to save you, because I... I... Because I love you, Aaron... I love you."
She breaks down into a heavier overflow of cries and tears. Aaron puts his arm over Samantha's shoulders and pulls her in close. She sobs into his chest and he lifts her head up by her chin. He looks into her welled up eyes full of sorrow and sincerity, and breaks down with tears of his own.
"I love you too, Sam... I love you too... More than you'll ever know..."
Samantha presses her lips against Aaron's and they share a very nervous and heartfelt kiss; this can't be love. Aaron's once empty home seems even emptier now with the two of them cuddling in the living room and crying their eyes out; this can't be love... The thought of the amount of people that Aaron killed just to get her to say those three words felt romantic to Samantha; this can't be love... Samantha was just months away from graduating college and now she does not even legally exist, thanks to Aaron's decisions; this can't be love... She took the life of two law enforcers just to be with the man who ruined her life... This can't be love.