Chapter Three- Confession of the Help

I swallow hard. Keeping silent as I wait for him to continue.

"Jack, I know you are there."

"What?" I answer in a monotone.

"I need your help," his voice carry a stressed tone.

"I left for a reason, Johnathon. I can't come back. I can't come back."

"Caroline has been taken.."

His statement sends me speechless. Caroline was the girlfriend he got before I left. I was never updated on their relationship because I left. So, I'm not sure what to say to him.

"I was tracking a human traffic ring," he stops and I close my eyes, knowing where this is going, "and they took her. They said they will kill or sell her depending on their mood."

I still sit in silence, choosing my words carefully. "What... Why are you contacting me then? Don't you have the Bureau to help you out?"

"They play the waiting game," Johnathon said.

I laugh to myself, not expecting a different answer. 

"Well," I sigh, "if i am to do this then we're going to have to talk. And if you're going to go about this the way I feel you are, then we're going to have to do it my way."

"Alright," he answers in a confused tone.

"I will be there in about two days. I want you to be ready and alone. I'll pick you up and we'll go some where where we can talk in private."

"Alright, Jack," he chuckles half-heartedly. 

"I'll see you soon," I answer back and hang up.

"You better not," Edward snarls, standing between me and the fire.

"I have no choice. If I am going to work with him on this, he'll end up seeing us for who we are one way or another."

"And telling him about it is your idea of a better solution?" he snaps.

"No. But it's the best that I have."

"And he could kill us! He could lose it and kill us for who we are!"

"He won't! He's a cop, one who follows the rules and will not break them. He knows something has been wrong all along; I see the emptiness inside him, the wholeness we feel in our kills is his emptiness. We are twins and we know everything about each other even if we don't speak of it. So, I see it as a topic that has been put off that I now get to share. And if you can't accept it," I begin, standing up to get a few inches from Edward's face," stay out of it."

I turn on my heel and begin to pack up my truck.

Two Days Later

19 February 2012 8:15 pm

I pull into the parking garage of John's apartment complex. I grab my duffle bag and walk out of the garage and into the building from the street. Entering on the first floor I take the stairs up to the fourth, take a right off the stairwell and knock on apartment 28. I look down both sides of the hallway as I wait. As my eyes come back to the door, it swings open to relieve John. 

We stand in silence for a few moments. his eyes go from my brimmed hat, to the neat beard and long hair, down to the worn apparel, and finally, my beaten boots. His eyes dart to my worn, calloused hands, examine the deep marks and griminess.

"You've really umm... Had a change in style," he chuckles a little, eyes back on my worn jean jacket.

"May I come in and shower?" I smile.

"Oh, yes, yes. Come in. You know where it is," he steps out of the way and lets me travel to the bathroom.

I take my time in the shower, attempting to cleanse the two years away. When I get out of the shower, I cut my hair to it's original style; number four on the sides and the top trimmed to about two inches and tapered to the sides. Then I shave off the beard, revealing smooth, clean skin. Satisfied I reach into my bag for deodorant and as change of clothes; white undershirt, gray thermal, long sleeve, and tall gray socks.

After I tie up my boots I toss my dirty clothes into the duffle bag, collect my toiletries and exit the bathroom. As i walk out I examen his apartment; papers and files are now stacked hip high in the hallways, waste baskets full of garbage. Only clean area was the kitchen. Not a single dish or spot of food could been seen. The living room had coffee rings on furniture and the floor. But this is normal for John. He is a messy thinker.

"Let's go, we have a long night ahead of us," I say, leading him out the door.

We get into his 2004 Volvo S60; I take the driver's seat after I drop my stuff off in my truck. John looks at my beaten up truck with concern.

"This isn't your usual style," he partially smiles.

"Been kind of a retreat, if you would like," I respond, sliding into the driver seat.

I drive for about half an hour, bringing us to the coast in an abandoned warehouse. As I get out and close the door, I look around to make sure we are the only ones. John follows me inside and I run the same inspection. Once I was satisfied I met John in the middle of the empty room.

"What is this about Jack?"

I take in a deep breath, exhale and begin.

"I am Copy Kat. I used you when you called me for help; The files you asked my help on, I took for projects. That's the empty feeling you have day in and day out; that's me killing."

He stood there for a moment, then cracked a smile and stepped back, "This is a joke."

"No joke. I'm telling you the truth."

Without warning I get a right hook, sending me backwards. I straighten up to only receive another. He picks me up by my collar and hits me again, and again, and again.

"You son of a b***h!"

"Don't talk about mom that way," the landed me a punch right in the mouth. 

"You a*****e! You f*****g b*****d!" John yells as he continues to hit me.

Finally he lets me go, dropping my on the floor. I sit up and reset my nose, spitting out a wade of blood after the snap. I make an attempt to stand up and I get hit in the stomach, sending me back on my a*s.

"WHY!!!" John screams, eyes watering, red face.

"You chose to be the cop," I spit out more blood and saliva, "I chose to be the serial killer. I also developed an alternate personality based on who killed our parents."

His only response is to kick me in the stomach. I cough a few times and then vomit to my left; I wipe my mouth and look at John. Breathing heavy, his whole body moving with each inhale and exhale. Hand covered in my blood and loss of control.

"Can we talk now?"

"No, f**k you!"

John begin to walk out. I get up and touch his shoulder. He reacts by turning to punch me, I grab his fist and twist his arm behind his back and force him to his knees. 

"Now you see? I allowed you to get your anger out. I could have stopped you anytime. But I didn't because you asked for my help. They only way I could do that was by telling you who I am rather than seeing it. Now you can hate me, but I'm going to ask you a very cliche question, what is more important right now; you and me, or Caroline?"