NEW FLESH

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: SCARRED TISSUE

SHE looked up at him her brown eyes wide with realization.

He watched as she looked down at her hands, she was feeling something he'd felt at one point in his life; she was feeling uncertain.

She looked up at him once again tears working up behind her eyes, she fought them off instead glaring at the man in front of her, "who the hell am I?" he shook his head, "I'll explain once we find Hurley, speaking of him, where is he?" he leaned forward in his crouching position, she met his gaze for a brief moment.

"Did he do this?" Ronnie nodded his head looking down at the ground, while he hated him for what he'd done to him, he hated him even more for what he'd done to Raven- or Margo- he couldn't even begin to try and figure out what the hell he'd done to the little girl he'd once been able to call his little sister, she was just a shell of the person she had been years ago.

The shell of a girl who had lost everything the night she was put in handcuffs.The night she'd acted on her orders.

He wanted revenge not only for himself but for his sister, and together, they were going to take it as a team, they were going to get the bomb built and detonated.

Ronnies walkie talkie crackled to life with someone's voice, it was a man."We've got movement on the seco-"

The sound cut off with a loud thump before the device returned to static, "Morris? Morris you there?" he paused glancing towards the bathroom door, "what's going on?" when no one replied he threw the device down running his hand over his chin, "we've gotta go, Stan's coming, I have no doubt that he's got back up." she nodded her head in response allowing him to grab her hand and pull her to her feet.

Opening the bathroom door they both stepped out Mitch's eyes immediately flicking to look for any signs that harm had come to the girl, when he realized she was fine he visibly relaxed, Ronnie crossed the room picking up Margos gun before he held it out to her.

Mitch watched the entire thing confused as to why he was giving her the weapon. The girl took the gun in her hand letting her hand fall to her side- her fingers clasped around the gun- Ronnie slowly approached Mitch his face lighting up with a small smile, "Hurley." he spoke his voice deeper than he'd expected, it had more of a southern accent linked to it and Mitch wondered how the terrorist leaning in front of him could possibly be American.

"Where is he?" Mitch shook his head refusing to offer any information of any sort, "I don't know what you're talking-" he was cut off by a harsh slap to the face his words meaning little to nothing to the older man as it didn't answer his question, he delivered a second slap to Mitch hoping that it would show him he was going to get his answer one way or another.

"Where is he? He outside?" he moved towards the window carefully glancing out past the white curtains when the door busted in just barely hanging onto the hinges as the action occurred.

Ronnie- his instincts burning away at everything inside him- grabbed Margo by the wrist and quickly dragged her to the window as Stan fired his gun, Mitch and the other two recruits quickly joined in fighting off the men in the room as best as they could while Ronnie lept forward crashing through the glass his hold on Margo faltering as he slid down the flag pole.

Glancing behind her, she watched as Stan met her gaze, it was a pleading gaze, one that was silently asking her to not go, she took a step towards Stan before she quickly turned away and launched herself out of the window.

Everything slowed for a moment and it felt as if the world was finally in her hands, as if she had a say in her life now. Stan rushed over to the window as Margo reached the bottom of the pole Ronnie grabbing her hand before taking off down into the darkness of Rome.

The older man let out a sigh bringing his hand up to rub over the creases in his forehead- from previous years of worry and stress- Mitch fired a bullet into the last mans head watching as he crumpled to the tile floor, letting out a breathy exhale of air he turned to look at Hurley, "who the hell was that? And why'd they take Lee?"Stan shook his head, "we gotta get out of here."

Leading Mitch- along with Josi and Josh- out of the room and down the hall, he approached the physicist kicking him down to the floor with his gun in hand.

"Please no." he pleaded raising his hands in from of his face to try and defend himself, "please." he sighed his voice dulling in volume, dragging the man to his feet they rushed past the entrance to the staircase hoping to use the emergency exit at the bottom so they could avoid drawing attention by going through the lobby.

"Hurley?" Josi quipped, he turned to look at her every possible emotion running through his eyes, "why'd that guy call Lee, Raven?" something sparked in his eyes, fear? Maybe it was dread.He knew what was coming, and he knew he'd be the one who got stuck answering all the questions.

"It's a long story, one that you all aren't meant to hear." he snapped pushing the man forward as they reached the bottom, "what do you mean? Does she know that psycho?" it was Mitch asking the questions now as he rushed down the stairs to keep pace with the older man.Instead of answering, Stan ignored him pushing the emergency exit open with his free hand, the others followed out behind him as he led them to the car they'd rode in earlier. He popped open the trunk ordering that the physicist climb inside, in his fear he climbed in hoping that he'd have a better chance of making it out alive.

Stan slammed the trunk closed wasting no time in climbing into the driver's seat, the others climbed in Mitch taking the front, it was odd, where were Annika and Eric?He could only wonder.

He started the car the engine roaring to life with the single turn of the key, in seconds they were pulling away from the hotel and making their way down a dark alley, Mitch turned in his seat frustration radiating from his frame, "Hurley, what the fuck? I thought you were eyes on, why didn't you spot 'em?"

"They were already in the damn hotel." he stated giving Mitch a pointed look, "Local Mafia's working with 'em." he added, "Margo, what about her?" Josh interjected leaning over Mitch's seat, "gone, she's not our concern anymore, let's just hope she put a bullet in her head before they tried to get anything from her." his voice had deadpanned and with it his eyes, but if you looked close enough you could see something simmering along the edges, it was doubt, and with it worry.

All while he hoped she'd put a bullet in her head so Ronnie wouldn't be able to feed her any of the information he had been putting off telling her himself- he had hoped he'd never have to tell her, that things could remain the way they'd always been- he also hoped that she was still alive and waiting for them to finish their job.

"So that's it? We're just supposed to forget about her? Act like she never existed?" Josi asked, Stan took a deep inhale when he heard the tone behind her words, she was hurt just by the insinuation that they were required to do that.

"Exactly, that's your job, be the professionals you're supposed to be and get it done." after that he stopped responding to their questions the car becoming eerily quiet despite the cries and pleads of the physicist in the trunk.

It was only about ten minutes into the drive before they stopped in front of a new smaller building, Stan was the first out Mitch following him to the trunk, he opened it with a steady hand removing his pack of cigarettes from his pocket seconds later.

"What the hell just happened out there, huh?" Josi and Josh remained in the car fully aware that they were heading back to the safe house with Stan once they dropped Mitch off at the second hotel with Annika, Eric was already safely back at the house with Ben and Irene working through information and other files on Sharif's computer.

"That's twice now this guy's blown up our entire op." Stan ignored him instead harshly slapping the physicist across the face, "what's the target? Huh? What's the target?" he ripped the duck tape from across the man's mouth watching as he flinched away from him, "I don't know, mister." he whimpered squinting his eyes, "yeah, you do." he replied reaching into his pocket to grab his lighter, "huh?" he questioned again, he picked up the can of gasoline he'd stashed in the back of the car generously pouring it over every inch of skin the man had to offer.

"Do you think I'm stupid? He's an American. He said your name. Did you train this guy?" Mitch continued watching as Stan went out of his way to ignore the younger man, "you like to smoke?" Stan asked, "oh, Jesus Christ!" Mitch mumbled turning and taking a few steps away from him, "are you a smoker?" he questioned again removing the cigarette from his lips before placing them between the ones of the physicist, "I don't- wait!" he spoke turning his head away to try and delay the cigarette being transferred to his mouth, "bad habit." Stan added watching as he squirmed around in the trunk.

"Wait, stop! Wait, wait! I know something." Stan carefully removed the addictive rolled bundle from the man's mouth waiting for him to continue, "what do you know?" he spoke twiddling the cigarette in his fingers, "I know something." he mumbled trying to find the correct words before he continued, "There is a man..." he paused in an attempt to catch his breath, "there is a man they call Ghost. Ghost. I think it was an Iranian man said it." he spoke closing his eyes as he spoke.

"Where are they building the bomb?" Mitch watched from over Stan's shoulder wondering what in the hell was wrong with him, sure he was doing his job and interrogating but he was wondering why he hadn't put a gun to his head yet, "I just..." he trailed off taking a heavy inhale of air, "where are they building it?" he asked again his volume rising, "took the money." he added hoping his shitty response would be enough to get him out of the mess he'd fallen into.

"WHERE ARE THEY BUILDING IT?" he yelled, he was frustrated beyond his limit and knew they weren't getting anywhere with the physicist, "all right, here. Take some time to think about it." he shoved the cigarette into the man's mouth despite his protests and slammed the trunk closed.

"Ghost? Is that his name?" Mitch questioned taking a few steps closer to the man as Annika stepped outside watching the exchange, "why is this guy after you?"

"Something personal, sir?" Stan somehow held his composure at the remark instead calmly replying, "they're building a nuke." reaching into his pocket he removed a set of keys holding them out to Mitch, "Hotel Navona. Clean yourself up." he walked away from him making his way into the hotel where he'd gotten a room for Annika and Mitch to share, he would return to the hotel once he'd dropped off the other two recruits at the safe house.

NEW FLESH

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: SCARRED TISSUE