THE PRISONER

Chapter Five

John's eyes fluttered open. He was now home, lying on his couch. The returning memories had come too fast. His brain just couldn't take it. But now his memories seemed fully restored. He smiled.

"You have no reason to be smiling, Mr. Miller." a familiar voice told him.

John sat up on the couch. It was at this point that he noticed he was handcuffed. Michelle sat in a nearby chair. She was handcuffed as well. It also looked as if she had been in a struggle. A man in a suit stood in the center of the living room, staring at John. It was the Homeland Security agent from the bus station.

"I really thought this would be the last place you'd go, John." the agent told him. "I thought you were too smart. I was about to give up waiting on you. But then you came. I guess I was wrong about you."

"Where's my wife and kids?" John demanded to know.

"Your son and daughter are still at school." the agent explained. "And your wife is in the other room with your friend, Mike. You do know that she's moved on, right? You have been dead for nearly five years after all."

John felt a wave of sadness come over him upon hearing this. And then a wave of anger. "Why?" John finally asked. "Why fake so many deaths while orchestrating such a horrible attack on your own people?"

"I shouldn't answer that. But since you're both going to be dead by the end of the day anyway..." Agent Pruitt said. "George W. Bush stole the presidential elections of 2000 and 2004 with the help of a powerful group of people. They soon put a plan into action that would strip the American people of all their freedoms. A plan for world domination. Airplanes would be hijacked by terrorists and crashed into some of the most important buildings on the East Coast. But in reality, there were no terrorists. The airplanes were taken over by men of our own government. The planes landed safely and were switched with empty remote controlled drones before they crashed. The World Trade Center was rigged with demolition grade explosives the weekend before to insure that no surrounding buildings were harmed. Too bad the one aimed for the Capital Building was shot down before reaching its target. It would've made things so mush easier. The people on the actual planes had their minds wiped before being placed in a secret prison. At the time when complete American enslavement is achieved, they'll be forced to join one of the prison camps currently under construction."

John couldn't belive what he was hearing. Yet all of it made the worse kind of sense.

"Bullshit." Michelle exclaimed. "That would mean that my husband is in Iraq for no reason."

"All of the soldiers are fighting for our cause and they don't even know it." Agent Pruitt said and smiled.

Michelle looked really pissed now. Pruitt seemed to notice, but ignored it. Instead, he pulled out his gun. "Stand up." the agent ordered. "We need to get out of here. We wouldn't want to stain your ex-wife's upholstry."

John was pissed now. He ignored the gun and lunged at the agent. He managed to knock him down, then they began struggling for the gun. It was difficult for John since his hands were still cuffed. He tried hitting the agents head a couple times with this double fists, but Pruitt got the upper hand. He turned John over and pissed him to the ground.

"I tried to be nice." the agent said as he put the gun to John's head.

Michelle swung and hit the Homeland Security agent on the head with a nearby looked like it was made of porcelain, but the metal rang upon hitting the man's head. Pruitt fell to the floor unconcious.

John grabbed the lamp from Michelle. "I'll take care of Mike." But before he could head to the other room, Mike and Kim came into the living room instead.

Mike saw the scene and got a surprised look on his face. "What the--"

Before he could finish his sentence, John banged the lamp against Mike's head. The metal rang again, then Mike fell to the floor.

Michelle found the handcuff keys on the other agent, then removed both of their handcuffs. She then put the cuffs on the agents.

John went back to Kim and hugged her once again. "I've missed you."

"I.. I've moved on with my life, John. I thought you were dead." Kim told him.

A tear formed under John's eye, but he wiped it away. "But... you were the reason... my inspiration for my escape from them." He pointed toward the unconcious agents.

"I'm sorry." Kim said.

"But it's not your fault. It's theirs." John said, then paused. "I'm going to make them pay. Let's go, Michelle."

Michelle followed John out to her car. She then got in the driver's seat, with John sliding in next to her.

Before Michelle could ask, John answered. "We're going to a TV station. I have to convince them to air my story."

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John and Michelle has waited for what seemed like forever in the television station's lobby before finally being directed to a room where some others were waiting. John told them his story, from the years in prison to his pilgrimage home. He also showed then his bar code and the healing wound from which he had pulled a tracking device.

In the end, a few of them actually believed him. They tried their best to convince the others and to get the report started. They excused themselves from the room for a moment, leaving John and Michelle alone.

"I hope this works." Michelle muttered.

"Me too." John muttered back.

A minute or so later, a man came into the room and sat a try down on the table. The tray included a pitcher of water, a small bucket of ice cubes, and some glasses. John saw something familiar in the man, but he just couldn't place him.

"Thanks." Michelle told the man. He only nodded in reply and left the room.

John walked to the open doorway and looked the way the man had went, but he was already gone.

"What's wrong?" Michelle asked.

After a moment, John replied. "Nothing. Never mind." He then returned to the table and sat back down.

Michelle began to prepare a glass of water. "Want some?"

"I guess so." John answered.

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John and Michelle were now sitting on the set of the local news. He couldn't believe that they were about to be on live television talking all about what happened to him. He smiled.

But then he noticed that familiar man standing across the room. He was staring directly at John. His smile disappeared. Who was that man? Was it someone he knew before September 11th, but whose memories of him hadn't returned yet? Could it be someone he had seen on the news before?

His name returned to him. Some of the memories of the prison must have become unclear when most of his memories returned to him. But now this particular memory was crystal clear. This man was Dr. Rose.

John tried to stand, but he could not. In fact, he couldn't move a muscle. His eyes slammed shut and he was unable to open them again. The last thing he felt was his back hitting the back of the chair.

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John Miller awoke to the familiar buzz of the morning alarm. He slowly got out of his bunk and went to the sink to wash his face. He then noticed his roommate, Mike, was waking as well.

"I had the strangest dream last night." John told him.

"What was it about?" Mike asked.

John thought for a moment. "I don't remember. Something about.. televison. Whatever that is. The more I think about it, the harder it is to remember."

"Ah. That's happened to me before too." Mike said.

The breakfast alarm was sounded and they both made their way to the cafeteria with the others. John and Mike got their food and sat down at the usual table.

A few moments later, John noticed a familiar-looking woman walk by. She looked back and smiled. John smiled back.

"Who's that?" John asked Mike.

Mike took a look at her. "She's new. I don't know her name."

"Hmm." John watched as she sat down at a table on the other side of the room. "See ya later." He then picked up his tray and walked to that table. "May I join you?"

The woman looked up at him. "Okay."

John sat down, then held out his hand to shake. "I'm John. And you are?"

She reached out and shook his hand. "Michelle." She smiled once again.

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"So... how are you today, John?" Dr. Rose asked.

"I'm good. I met a new friend today. Her name is Michelle." John said and smiled.

"Oh. Too bad." Dr. Rose replied as he took some notes.

"Why?" John asked.

"She won't be here much longer. She's being transferred." Dr. Rose explained.

"Oh." John sighed.

Dr. Rose tried to console him. "You'll make plenty of new friends, John."

"Yeah, I know." John replied half-heartedly.

"As long as you pledge your life to our great leader, your life will be prosperous. Do you pledge your allegiance?" Dr .Rose said.

"Of course." John told him. "I mean.. Yes, sir. I will proudly do so."

"Good. You may go."