The Moirae

"Who is this?" A female voice answered from the other line, "how did you get this number?"

...

"Oh, no." Ms. Baldwin continued to watch the reports along with her two patients, this was a turn for the worse, there was no doubt about that. "Is that...?"

"Yes," Curtis replied, she noticed that there was no venom in his voice, a terrifying calm had replaced it. "That's him they are talking about."

"Christina," she began, "you need to look at me, I'm sorry but we are going to have to speed up the treatment for you, it's the only way now." Christina nodded, unable to speak. "Curtis," she began, "there is something you need to know about him, something that Christina revealed to me not very long ago because of its implications and because I might have been forced to report it to the police." Curtis looked at the woman as she gestured for him to walk with her. "Christina told you a little about her past relationships, and how they ended. But she did omit some, graphic details, details that she openly shared with D."

"Of course she did," he replied, again he had taken over a role that should have been his, again this ghost had gone somewhere and learned something that he did not know from his wife. The anger that he had been trying to conceal for so long was beginning to return, threatening to blow like a raging volcano.

"Curtis," Ms. Baldwin gently grabbed his arm, "there is something you need to know about Christina's previous marriage." Then she began to recount the heartbreaking story that Christina had shared with her regarding her ex-husband, the beatings, the constant rapes. The more she told him, the more the anger rose within him, but for the first time it was not directed at D. "She shared all this with him because he is just as broken, Curtis. Without trying to, he put her back together."

"So why would you need to call the police about this?"

"Her ex-husband was found dead a few days after D had left," she replied, "he had been stabbed over 100 times, his penis had been removed and forced into his mouth. The detectives in the case found evidence that all that had been done while he was alive. He did not die of blood loss, Curtis," she looked him in the eyes as she finished her statement, "he died from exposure. Five days after the attack."

"And you think D had something to do with it?"

"The more they spoke," Ms. Baldwin continued, "the more they revealed to one another, sure it was a few days and for all intents and purposes the connection that these two forged is far stronger. It's a connection that was forged out of need, desperation, and mutual acceptance. Have you ever heard of Stockholm's Syndrome?" When Curtis nodded she continued. "It is something similar, you can see it very evident in battered spouses. When they meet someone that had gone through very similar experiences, they develop an immediate connection that mirrors Stockholm's. This is the case with Christina and D.

"I know it's not the answer you want to hear, Curtis, but it is the truth. Her attachment with D is not love or desire but its more an emotional bond than anything else. Your connection with her is based on love, and that is why she feels so attached to D at this moment, it is an emotion that subconsciously she wants to share with him because of that connection that they share. But with him, well right now the already shaky foundation she had is shattered and now there is going to be a lot of hard work that will need to be put in to help her. Curtis, I'll be honest, these next few months will not be easy. So if you think that you are not up to it, and you want to end this marriage, then my clinical recommendation is that you do so now."

"I understand what you are telling me, ma'am," he replied while looking at his wife, "and you and I have spoken about the reasons why I intended to end my marriage. But if what you are telling me is the truth, and there is a chance that I can have my wife then I would be a fool not to take this last chance." He took one last look at his wife, "what do I need to do?"

...

"How did you get this number?" The voice repeated, while not unpleasant in her tone it was clear that there was some concern behind her question. She was very guarded, that much was obvious.

"We found it in a letter," Rebecca replied, the softness of her voice almost making it seem as if the person in the line would be unable to hear her. "A letter addressed to me and my wife."

"Is this Rebecca?" The voice softened as she asked, "or are you Martha? Is everything alright with the babies?" Anxiety returned to her voice as she asked her questions.

"We don't know who you are, why would we tell you anything?"

"He taught you two well," the voice replied, "I am Edith, currently I am taking care of D's personal affairs, and this number is extremely private. Other that you two, there are only three other people in the world that know this line exists. So tell me, are the children alright? Are you two alright?"

"We saw the news," Rebecca replied.

"I see," Edith replied, "well unfortunately there is very little I can say that has not been covered by the multiple news outlets. D took a round to the chest from a M24; police of course have been unable to find anything to connect the round to the shooter. Some of his closer friends have taken it upon themselves to conduct their own official investigations, which is why this is still showing up in the news."

"How is he?" Martha asked while Rebecca processed the information that Edith had shared with them.

"As of right now, he was put in a medically induced coma in order to allow his body optimum opportunity to heal. The surgeons were able to remove the round without much difficulties, and the CIA has him under observation and protection in the meantime."

"Elvis?" Rebecca asked.

"He was here as a favor for the FBI, looking into frivolous reports of organized crime, but luckily he was on scene when the shooting occurred and was able to get transport for D almost immediately." Edith pulled away from the phone for a second and spoke softly to someone else in the room with her, then returned with a softened voice, "How are you guys holding up? Are there any issues?"

"Just concern," Rebecca replied, the battle hardened warrior emerging through the fragile little girl, "is there anything we need to do?"

"No," Edith immediately replied, the harshness of her voice made both women straighten up, "and don't even think about it. If D ever finds out that you even suggested it, well I am sure you have seen him when he is in a foul mood. He wanted you two to have a life away from all this," she added, "please continue to do so. When there are any changes, I have your number. You will be the first call I make."

"Make sure that lazy bum calls us as soon as he is out," Rebecca replied.

"Yes, ma'am," Edith replied before disconnecting.

...

"Is this going to be a long process for her?" Curtis asked, his anger and jealousy was slowly being replaced with a deep concern for the welfare of his wife. She had been coming along little by little, both through the guidance of Ms. Baldwin and through the help of another one of D's former friends. Somehow, Curtis was not surprised that this man had such a connection to a vast array of people, but he was surprised at how quickly this other individual had contacted Ms. Baldwin.

"I have read a lot of his research," Ms. Baldwin told him, "Dr. Cargill is one of the most prominent authorities in the subject, and he comes with one additional bonus that will help your wife."

"What's that?" Curtis was still unsure about this new doctor, he immediately had suggested that Christina be placed under constant observation, almost as if he was afraid for her safety.

"He knows D," she answered, "in fact he has treated D in the past, for some reason or another he had a release signed from D from almost a year ago that if anything were to happen to Christina, he would be free to speak to her regarding his own treatment."

"She did mention that he has this uncanny ability to foresee the future," he replied, "I am almost beginning to admire the man."

"That is a terrible thing to say, Sergeant," a man's voice interrupted them, "he would probably frown at that comment."

"Dr. Cargill," Ms. Baldwin said, "this is Curtis Mitchell."

"Doctor," Curtis extended his hand, "thank you for making the trip out here."

"It's nothing," he replied, "I remember how complex D is, and if he took a liking to someone other than himself for once, then that person must be really special. I must admit that I had my own reservations about making this trip," he continued, "my own dealings with D were very limited." Dr. Cargill wondered how long D punished himself for the wrong he had done to Dr. Cargill, however the doctor hoped that he would have the opportunity to speak to D. To tell him that he understood the position that he had fallen into, both of them had been carefully manipulated by a woman who they both had loved in their own way.

"Then if you don't mind me asking, doc, why did you come?"

"It's like I said, Sergeant," he looked at Curtis with amusement, "D by nature is a very solitary man. His upbringing and career choices firmly implanted the idea in his mind that he is alone against the world. But D lives his life by a set of rules which makes him calloused against the world but extremely loyal to those around him. Have you ever met him, Sergeant?"

"Can't say that I've had the pleasure, doc."

"I sincerely hope that one day you do," he ignored the sarcasm, "even at the cost of his own happiness, that man is incapable of wronging another individual, unless of course is accidentally. But in any case," the doctor continued, "I am here to do what I can to help your lovely wife. So, shall we begin?"

The new treatment regimen immediately began to show in Christina, her mood had improved dramatically over the first weeks that she interacted with Dr. Cargill. While Curtis suspected this was more because Christina and Dr. Cargill could openly speak about D, however he kept these thoughts to himself. The news developed slowly, while the violence was still being covered in the headlines, D's condition was relegated to a single line in most reports. Eventually, Christina stopped asking about D and worried more about her husband, something Ms. Baldwin saw as incredible progress. Curtis was understandably guarded against the recent revelations.

"Dr. Cargill," Curtis began during one of their join sessions, "do you think D was the one that killed Christina's ex-husband?"

"No," he answered, "I do not." Dr. Cargill looked at this man with curiosity, when he had first met him he had very open hostilities with D, but the more they sat and discussed things the more he could see that shift in his eyes. "D is a lot of things there is little doubt of that. Many, including himself, refer to him as an animal, his drive for violence is almost a natural response to his situations. He is methodical, patient, but above all he is fair. Perhaps the better question, Sergeant, is if I think he is capable of it."

"You think highly of that man, Doc," Curtis answered, "you must respect him a great deal."

"I know a lot of what he had to give up throughout his life, Sergeant," he replied, "I cleared him to return to duty on his last assignments. He survived a direct hit on his transport aircraft just as it was lifting off. I was not entirely convinced that he should have continued, but deep down I knew that he did not want to stay here. He is incapable of making life-long connections to what you and I would call ordinary individuals. His service record both in the military and as a contractor read like a Hollywood blockbuster, he is a walking medical enigma.

"If given the chance, would he have murdered your wife's ex-husband? I have little doubt about it, but the brutality in which he was murdered does not speak of D. If he shared his desire for punishment and others took that in their own accord, well I could see that as being more akin to what happened. Those few he does let in can get carried away I'm sure."

"Is my wife in any danger?"

"Honestly, Sergeant," he replied, "you're the only one in danger. If you do her wrong, expect to have your wish granted, and you'll get to meet D, face to face."

...

"D is not going to be happy about this," Edith said to the man sharing the large office with her, next to D he was one of the most important people in her life. She felt a closeness to him that not even her husband shared, but this connection was more of a brother than a lover. That connection belonged to D alone. "Those two women are too sharp for their own good."

"Well," the man replied, "he did fall for them, didn't he? He tends to pick the right women for that role." She knew this was a compliment, something rare for this otherwise closed off man and she kindly accepted it.

"He is not going to be very happy about all this nonsense," she continued, "the city is tearing itself apart."

"Whoever D has named in that envelope is surely part of this whole thing," he replied, "this is a great opportunity for whoever pulled that trigger to try to destabilize the area and get a bigger foothold into this mess." He looked at Edith, "are you sure you aren't going to open it?"

She shook her head, "no," she replied, "its not just me, its also Francisco that is following D's instructions. There was a reason why he told us to wait. If he doesn't pull though, then there will be little to stop us from opening it." She paused and looked at him, much as she had done over the past weeks since he joined them, "I can see why he fears you."

"D is not afraid of me," he replied, "no more than I am afraid of him."

"So he is terrified then," she laughed, "you two are so alike. It's no wonder people call you brothers. You guys share that same air, that same darkness. But you also share that, I don't know exactly what to call it, but that thing that drives people to you."

"Once, D and I were doing this training, some of the most brutal thing that you could imagine. Part of that training was to remain hidden for as long as we could while out captors searched for us using anything available to them. One of the things they used was of course search dogs. Those pups were some of the biggest German Shepherds that I have ever seen in my life, and boy those demonic dogs were ferocious." Edith looked at him, this was a rare insight into his shared life with D, "one day they just let those damned things go off leash. We heard them coming of course, so we separated. Our plan was to rejoin forces in a certain area within a few hours to make more plans as to what to do about our situation. Well, wouldn't you know it, when those dogs chased us, one of them took a particular liking to D and followed him through just about any terrain you could imagine.

"By the time I managed to link up with D, that damned dog was with him, he sat there petting him like if it was his own house pet. As I approached, the dog stopped and just growled, all the while D just laughed. With a tap on his leg, he dismissed the dog, who left while wagging his tail, off the same way he had come from. Before I could ask D how he did it, he just looked at me and said: 'it's an animal thing.' Then stood up as if nothing had happened. That's who D is, at his base he is an animal much like I am, hell that is the reason why we were able to cause such wanton destruction to so many others. But that is the same thing that you described just now, that is what draws people to him. I am just honored that some of his animal magnetism rubbed off on me."

"D rarely talks about any of that," Edith said as he had finished his story, "his military life that is."

"It's a painful time for him," he replied, "a lot of the things he went through during that time changed him, not all of them for the best. He'll be the first to tell you, that man is broken beyond repair. For that matter, so am I." He looked into her eyes, "but he is still my brother."

"Yet, you would have gone to war against him," there was no accusation or venom in her words.

"Without a doubt."