Sarah's heart skipped a beat. She desperately wished John was om the other side of the door. She wondered if she would see a smile on his face, whether he would be excited to see her and tell her he had gotten a job. She also wondered if he had managed to escape from his captors and he was bleeding everywhere. Another knock at the door brought her to the realization that she still had not opened the door.
"Who is it?" she inquired.
"Hi, I am Joker, a friend of John. He sent me to you. He is hiding somewhere, and he sent me to ensure you are safe and to take you to him. Open the door quick, we do not have much time."
Panting, Sarah opened the door. "Welcome Mr Joker. I am sorry we did not meet under better circumstances. Where is my husband? How is he? Is he injured or hurt? Take me to him right now. Why aren't you saying anything? Is he in the hospital. Oh no, is he dead?" Joker had to muster every ounce of energy in his body not to chuckle. Sarah was evidently going through a flurry of emotions, and she obviously did not know where her husband was. She did seem to love her husband, and he felt a twinge of pity for her, but orders were orders.
"Relax, he is fine. He sent me to get you. We have to go now!"
Sarah nodded. "Just let me get my bag. You know, I am surprised John had a friend I did not know about. Where do you two meet?"
Joker looked lost. He had to improvise. "We met in school. He helped me with a project once, I offered to take him to dinner, you know, my own small way of appreciating him. We talked and discovered we had a few things in common, and we really hit it off. Your husband's knowledge of football is amazing. I remember telling him to go pro, he is a really good footballer."
Sarah stopped. Something was wrong. John did not like sports, and he certainly hated football. He kept saying how it was so stupid for 22 fully grown men to spend over one hour chasing a ball, only to kick it away when they got it. This was an impostor. Joker look one hard look at her. Something was wrong, he could feel it. Something in his story had not convinced her.
Sarah managed to form a smile on her face. "Yeah, that's my John. The football addict. Sometimes I ask him what he loves more, football or me. Say, what school did you meet him? It must have been the one in California right?"
Joker sighed with relief. Finally, something he could go with. "Yeah, the one in California." As soon as he said it, he knew he had messed up. The air suddenly seemed charged.
Sarah moved like lightning and kicked him in the groin, then started to run. "You are an impostor, John has never been to California. We always planned to go there for our honeymoon."
Joker grunted in pain and bent over for a few seconds, but recovered much faster than Sarah expected. He lunged after Sarah and delivered a tackle that would have made any sportsman proud, grabbing Sarah in the process. She started to scratch his face with her nails, but one punch from him knocked her out cold.
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John lay still, feeling his heart pound in his chest as the fog in his mind slowly cleared. He could hear faint voices in the distance, barely discernible over the throbbing in his head. The pain was sharp and persistent, but he knew he couldn't afford to give in to it now. He had to figure out where he was , and how to escape.
He blinked his eyes open, wincing at the dim light that filtered through the dirty windows of what looked like a warehouse. His arms and legs were bound, and though the ropes dug painfully into his skin, they were loose enough that, with effort, he might be able to work his way free.
With each slow movement, John's mind raced back to Sarah. If Joker had found him, would he go after her next? He had to warn her. He had to get out of here before it was too late.
Summoning all the strength he could muster, John twisted his wrists back and forth, wincing with each turn. The ropes dug deeper, but after what felt like an eternity, they began to slacken. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to keep going. He had no choice.
Suddenly, a sharp voice pierced the silence.
"Looks like our guest is waking up."
John froze. The short man with the deep blue eyes, the one who had haunted his dreams, was standing over him, arms crossed, an amused grin on his face. Behind him stood two hulking figures , Joker's men, no doubt.
"John West," the short man said, pacing slowly around him. "You never did know when to stay down, did you?"
John's mind reeled. That voice… it was familiar. Too familiar.
"You don't remember me, do you?" the man continued, as if reading John's thoughts. "Perhaps I should refresh your memory. After all, we go way back… before the Lances. Before Sarah. Back when you were just a scared little orphan."
Suddenly, it all clicked. The voice, the eyes, the face… it wasn't just Joker's men who had come for him. This man had been part of his past. The past he had tried so hard to bury.
The man knelt down to John's level, his smile never fading. "Ah, now you remember, don't you? But that's a story for another time. You see, John, you've become a nuisance. And my employers, well… they don't like nuisances."
John gritted his teeth. He was determined not to let fear control him. "Let me go," he demanded, though his voice was hoarse and shaky.
The man only laughed. "Oh, John. It's not that easy. You should've stayed away from Sarah. You should've known better than to get involved with the Lances."
Joker's men began to move in closer, and John could feel his heart racing. His hands were almost free, but he didn't have much time.
"Before this is over," the short man continued, "you'll regret ever stepping foot in that house. But don't worry… I'll make sure Sarah knows that your fate was sealed the moment she defied her family."
John's blood ran cold. He had to act fast.