Captured

Matthias is arrested by the police for murdering Thomas Savan.

I started realizing I was breathing heavy and looked at Thomas' dead body. I had killed him and was glad that he wouldn't attack me ever again. Then something hit me all of a sudden and made me realize what an idiot I had been. I hadn't just stopped Thomas: I had stopped him from doing anything else. Maybe if I had just knocked him out he would have gotten better.


Fear overtook me once again and my feet made me stand up. After that they decided to make me run. It was like I was in a drunken stupor. A police siren was picked up by my very attentive ears and I ran in the opposite direction on the road.


The sound of the police siren kept on getting closer and closer to me no matter how fast I ran. The man in the shed must've called the police to inform them of a murder. The murder that I had done.


The car finally got close enough and  I still attempted to outrun it. I heard people open the door and I ran under the pressure of exhaustion. I ran for a few seconds before one of the police officers tackled me. I fought with the officer but he easily handcuffed and put me in the backseat of the police car.


After they put me inside the car, they went back to where I had come from. A few minutes later and they were back. The man went in the driver's seat and the woman went in the passenger seat.


They must've not feared me that much to send in only two officers. But that would also mean that it would be likely that I would have escaped when they came.


"Officers," I said. "Thomas Savan was attacking me. I was only defending myself."


"By bashing his brains out?" The female officer asked. "You could have just knocked him out."


"But he would have kept attacking me."


"It still wasn't your decision to make to take his life."


"I'll do better next time." I pleaded to her. When I saw her bow her head I thought I was making some head way with her. "I won't kill next time."


"Sorry, we can't take the chance." The male police officer said.


The ride to the Nuscon Police Station was long to me. I was fearing what they would do to me. The scientists would sometimes talk about the Death Sentence and the best ways to kill a man quickly. They would probably kill me since there was an eyewitness account of me killing Thomas.


I sighed and watched the town of Nuscon, Arizona go by outside the car. There were happy people going by. I had learned that the state I was in was Arizona but was still unaware what state the laboratory was in.


The female police officer walked beside me while the male police officer walked behind me. As I walked inside the station I realized that my final resting place might be Death Row.
*             *                *
I looked down as the Police Chief looked at me. My hands were starting to feel uncomfortable in the handcuffs and the two police officers weren't helping matters either.


"Tell me again how this happened." The Police Chief said.


"Thomas and I were going out exploring. He didn't tell me where we were going." I replied. "Then he ate some green algae and went all crazy. I was only defending myself."


"You are aware that algae only grows in water?" He asked.


"Yes, but that's what it looked like. Whatever it is, it still drove Thomas crazy and made him think I was his dad. Won't you at least look at the substance?"


The Police chief didn't look interested in what I had said. "I'll send some people to confirm what you have said."


"Thank you." I said. I was then escorted to my cell and just sat on the bed. I had been interrogated a lot in the last few hours. Suddenly I saw a young woman in a white dress. But she must've been a hallucination because she seemed like smoke and unlike a normal person. Shaking my head I decided to go to sleep for a little while.


A few hours later I was brought to the Police Chief again. "You said your name is Matthias?"


"Yes, it is." I answered.


"You supplied no last name, birth date, social security number, or parents. Are you playing with us or do you have amnesia?"


I tried to say that the only place other than Nuscon, Arizona I remembered living in was the laboratory. My head started to hurt and made me want to cry out. "Yes." I replied.


The Police Chief must have realized my pause. "We'll have to have someone check you out."


Within the next few days doctors and others were crowding around me. They were making double sure I wasn't lying. I was being brought back to my cell when I turned and saw a familiar face. I had only seen it once but it was familiar nonetheless. I stopped completely, with my guards trying to force me to leave, and had it sink in that Philips Noir was indeed here.


"Philips!" I yelled to him.

Philips turned to me and walked over to me. The men that were walking with him just stood there. He put a hand on my shoulder and I felt the touch of a good friend.


"Matthias, call me Plague. It sounds less formal and we've known each other for a night. What happened to you? I didn't figure you for a criminal." Plague said.


"I was staying with someone and he attacked me. I ended up killing him." I replied.


Plague grimaced. "Was there no other way? Couldn't you have just knocked him out and gotten away?"


"I wasn't thinking. I just didn't want him to ever hurt me again."


"The first killing is always the one that goes wrong." Plague said. "You had a reason for killing. It wasn't done out of bloodlust."


I could tell that Plague was rationalizing and that he knew what he said wasn't right. Besides, what could Plague do to get me out from jail? He was just a civilian that was probably visiting someone in jail.


"Give me two hours and I'm sure I'll be able to convince them to let you out of here and into my care." He told me and then the guards took me to my cell.


I just sat there waiting for what seemed like days. What would living with Plague be like? Would he betray me like Thomas did? I didn't want to have to kill Plague, but I might have to if he attacked me. Had Plague been lying to me earlier just to make me feel better? I was used to being trapped and treated poorly, but there had been a little charm living in the laboratory. Maybe not a first, but there had been some charm later.


My cell door opened and Plague stepped through the door. "Are you ready to leave?" He asked. "I can get you a different pair of clothes later."


I got off my bed and looked at him. "How did you free me?" I asked him.


"I didn't free you, I put you under my care. I was a CIA agent before. The police here know that and respect my opinion." He said. "They know that I can handle you."


I nodded and followed him out. It sent relief through my body to know that I was somewhat free. I would have to stay with Plague out of thanks to him.


Plague opened the passenger door for me and shut it behind me. It was a thoughtful action but I thought there might be another motive behind it. I was probably thinking about that too deeply, though. And if there was another motive behind it, I didn't mind.


We drove a few hours until we got to a motel. Plague was a wanderer, just like me.

Author's Note

Nuscon, Arizona is not real. It is created for this series.