Escaping the Past

Many years ago I once was young and foolish and had no idea of what kind of impact my decisions had on the ones I cared for until it was too late to change them. My name is Alex Martin, and I used to work for a crime family with the name of Chow. Actually, Rex Chow was the guy I worked for and let's just say that man had his own demons to worry about as did I.
I actually have no idea why I even began to work for such a creadent family such as theirs. I guess it began when I was just 16. A mere boy who had run away from my abusive foster parents. You see I was born an orphan. My supposed father who was 19 years old had supposedly raped my 15 year old mother and she was forced to give me up. I heard she didn't want to but her folks who were of high society didn't want me as a reminder that their little girl was violated in such a dipicable manner as rape. Well the moment I was born and she realized she couldn't keep me her heart gave out. I like to think she died peacefully and without pain. The doctors said it was a weak heart, but I believe she died of a broken heart. She loved me even though the way I was concieved wasn't normal. Then a few years later I heard my father was hit by a car when he stumbled into the middle of the street at night drunk as day.
Well I grew up being shuffled from foster home to foster home never feeling like I fit in anywhere until I met my best friend. His name was John Torres, but everyone called him Stix. Stix and I did everything together including working for the Chow family.
I first met Stix when I ran away from my abusive foster parents. He too, had run away from his parents and that is how come we became so close. We shared an impass, a secret that we would always keep between just the two of us. A secret we would not share with anyone else in the world for they would not understand.
It was a cold morning when we found ourselves mixed in with the Chows. We first met Rex Chow when he arrived at the bakery in the morning like he always did, it's just we happened to be sleeping in the alley next door.
"Say what you two boys doing sleeping near my joint?" the boney boy had asked.
John and I just looked at eachother trying not to laugh at the tall, scrwany boy with two very short arms as he tried to sound tough.
" My name is Stix. I was just sleepin for I have nowhere else to go." John told him.
He laughed and then he extended his arm.
" Stix, eh? I like that name. It's alot better than the one I got. My name is Rex, unfortunately my peoples call me BB. But I prefer Rex, ok." Rex said staring at us.
"What does BB stand for?" Stix asked him.
" Boney boy." He said.
John and I looked at eachother for a split second and laughed.
" Yeah, yeah. My older brothers, Bert and Darius thought it would be funny to give me a such uncool nickname. So I just prefer it if you all call me Rex, ok?" He asked.
"Ok." We all said in agreement.
"Shit man, I get no damn respect around here." Rex said as John and I tried not to laugh anymore. " So I know Stix and you all know me, but who the hell are you?" Rex asked pointing me out.
I hesitated before I could answer him.
" Alex Martin is my name." I said sticking my hand out so he could shake it.
He looked at me and before I could say anything else, he winked at me and extended my arm and shook it.
" No. No. Alex just won't do. If you hang with me you have to have a cool name. Let's call you A-Man." Rex said smiling.
It took a minute or two before it sunk in.
" A-Man. I like it." I said in agreement.
He led us into the bakery where he bought us the bestest breakest we had all year.
"So Rex, have you lived here your whole life?" I asked him as I ate my omlet.
He took a big swig of orange juice before he answered.
"My family origanally came from Hong Kong. My great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Rexon Chow escaped from Hong Kong with his wife, Nella, and their two kids, RJ-Rexon Jr., and Kimberly. That is when he decided to start the family business. And I have lived here since I was born." Rex said.
" What line of business is your family in?" John asked.
It grew quiet, very quiet as Rex just stared stiffanly at John and me.
" If I told you that, I 'd have to kill you." He said.
John and I looked at eachother in terror.
Then Rex turned to both of us and smiled.
" Ha-ha! Just kidding." He said laughingly. " Actually my family is in the shipping business. We import and export coffee, and artifacts all over the world. We have many divisions all over the world. Our base of operations is right here in Manhattan." He said.
As we began to talk and share all our sordid pasts, a tall eerie built up man with an angry look upon him entered the room.
" Rex Chow get your ass over here now." He shouted as loud as he could.
Rex looked at us brokenheartedly as he made his way to the man.
" What can I do for you, father?" He asked unable to look him in the eye.
His father looked down at him.
" You made your mother weep again. Here she stood over hot stove to cook meal for you and you spit in  her face by coming over here and eating. You should be ashamed." He said unable to look at Rex.
Rex stood around for a minute took a hard sigh looked at Stix and me and then smiled at his father.
" I swear to you I did not come here to eat. I am here on business." Rex said looking happy.
" Business? I don't remember sending you out here for business." His father said scratching his head.
"You didn't. I came to see if I could find us a couple of new informents since the last two disappeared. And I did." Rex said looking at us.
His father stood tall for aminute then began to laugh.
" Are you talking about these two boys?" He said trying to size us up.
"Yes. They would make the most perfect informents. They could spread our news all over places you older people can't. Think about it pops. We could make history." Rex said excitedly.
"Hmm..." His father said pacing up and down. " What are your names? I mean what are a couple of strapping young men like yourselves called?"
Stix unafraid of Mr. Chow talked first.
" My name is John Torres, sir. But my peeps call me Stix." John had said with such dignity and class.
Mr. Chow reached out his hand for John to shake and looked firmly at him and said; "any man with a good grip and such class would make a fine addition to my family. Welcome John. I mean--Stix."
Then it was my turn. I was never as confident as John was. I could never have affirmiated myself the way he did with such dignity and grace but I tried my best.
" I am Alex Martin. But Stix and Rex here, call me A-Man." I said begining to sweat as the glare of the sun touched my face.
Mr. Chow looked at me for a moment, lifted his eyebrows and winked.
" Welcome, A-Man to my family. We have been waiting for you two charming boys."
He said with such appreatiation.
I should have known right then what I was about to get myself into but I guess then, at least in that point of my life I didn't care. I needed something to live for, a dream to hold onto. And also there was the added bonus of real money in my pockets. No more living on the streets, no more begging for food. Right at that moment John and I were living the high life. We had money and lots of it and we shared an apartment together with two beds. I had never had my own bed before. That was the first time in my life where I had a home and in a strange, scary way the Chows' adopted me and made me part of the family. I had to do whatever I could to make it up to them especially Rex because he had become like a second brother to me, with John being the first.
As the years rolled by the easier it got to pretend to be A-Man, a hired informent, a hired killer, a hired anybody to do the dirty work. Then one thing changed. One thing went wrong in my perfect world that I had built. Stix, Rex and I were working a shippment of illegal arms when the cops showed up for a raid. There was a big shootout and many innocent lives were lost that day. Including my best friend in the whole world.
" John! John! What's wrong with you?" I had asked.
He fell to the ground.
"I've been shot." He said before he passed out.
I rushed over to his side. I knelt beside him and held his face in my lap.
" John. John, you need to get up and listen to me. We need to go before we are arrested. We need to get out of here, now." I told him.
His whole body was going limp. He opened his eyes and coughed.
" A-lex,--you ne-ed to let me go. Get out of here. Remember our plan?" He asked me.
" Yes, man. I do. This final job was going to be our last. We were going to leave together and take our money and start our own business. We still can. You just need to let me help you." I said with tears rolling down my face.
" No--no-one can help me now. I'm not going to live. But you are. Don't forget to get out. Promise me you will." He asked barely being able to speak.
I hesitated and before I could say another word I felt a tap on my shoulder.
It was Rex.
" Come on man. We have to go." He said running.
" No not without John. Now help me with him." I said to Rex.
I turned around but Rex was gone. And John was still lying on the ground.
" Go--Al--Alex. Now. Before it's to late." He said and with that he died in my arms.
I sat there for a minute not being able to move, just crying. Then I looked up and saw two cops running my way. I got up and dragged John's dead body over to a corner so that no one could see him, then I promised I would be back later that night to bury him and then I left. I was the last one to arrive at the Chows' secret warehous. That was when I saw Rex and his family eating quietly as if nothing happened. I panted as I made my way to the table. I sat at the empty chair to the left of Rex and I just stared at him.
" What?" He asked stuffing his face with a piece of steak.
I got up from the table and looked around the building as I saw tens of injured men bleeding everywhere and the Chows' not doing a damn thing to help any of them.
" What is the matter with you, people?" I asked looking at the whole Chow family especially Rex.
" What are you talking about?" Rex asked.
I sighed heavily because I didn't understand why none of them understood my frustration.
" John was killed tonight, Rex. And if you can't tell almost all of your men were injured or killed. But it's obvious you just don't care." I said angrily.
I began to pace back and forth in anger when Rex came over to me. He looked at me, sighed and put his arm on my shoulder.
"Look, A, I am sorry about Stix, he was my friend, too. But the fact is he is gone and nothing we can say can ever change that. What happened to Stix and the other men is tragic but it was an accident." Rex said.
As if I beleived him. I knew somebody working for his family tipped off the police and that was why they raided the shippment. I knew this, because it was John and I who tipped them off. We did.
Oh for years now things have gone from bad to worse for the Chow family. At first they only imported and exported legal items, but for at least two years now it has been nothing but illegal and John and I just couldn't take it anymore. We had to get out of there and we honestly thought we would. But we had no idea of what was really going to go down that night.
" Well that's all and well, Rex, but I have been thinking long and hard about something and that is ...I want to go. Leave. Get out of here and start to put my life in order." I said to him.
He backed away as Mr. Chow got up out of his seat.
" Rex, what is this? What is he saying?" Mr. Chow asked Rex.
Rex looked at me with an angry expression on his face then turned to his father who did not look pleased, then back at me
" Nothing to worry yourself about, pops. It's my problem and I'll take care of it." He said not pleased with me at all.
He escorted me out into the hall where he calmly but assertively demanded some answers.
" You made me look like a fool in front of my own father. How dare you ask of me something like that. How selfish can you be?" He asked.
" I'm sorry. It's just John and I had been talking about it for a while now and we felt like it was time to go our seperate ways." I said honestly.
He sat down on a bench and sighed.
" After everything my family has given you, this is how you repay them? By leaving and abandoning them when they need you most. When I need you most? What's up, A? I thought we were friends? Even more I thought we were brothers." Rex said almost begining to cry.
He had tried to do it. He tried to guilt me into staying, but I was determined now more then ever to leave.
" Rex, it's not like that." I said as calmly as I could.
" The hell it isn't. You want to leave because you think just becasue we lost this one shippment we will all fall apart. But we won't." Rex said trying to reassure me.
" No. The reason I want to leave isn't because of the lost shippment, it's because of John's death. He was my best friend. We had a connection I had never had with anyone else. It's because of hm that I want to leave. But I want to leave honorably, and not cowardly." I said sitting next to him on the bench.
Rex couldn't even look at me in that moment.
" Fine. Have your stuff packed up in one hour. I will have your final payments ready for you in a briefcase and just to show you that there are no hard feelings I will throw in John's money too. Now if you'll excuse me I have to get back to my dinner." Rex said leaving.
That worked better then planned or so I had thought. Oh yeah, the Chow family let me go alright, but not without a hell of a beating from them first. They called it my bonus gave me my money and litterallly threw me out the door, but hey who's complaining at least then I was free from their kind of life for good, or so I thought.

A week had passed, and suddenly it felt right, for the first real time in my life I was on my own and loving it. I no longer had to take orders from anyone, just myself. I picked myself off the ground wiped off the dirt and began to look towards the future. For the first time in a long time I was free. Then my heart sank as I realized that I truly was alone. My best friend in the whole world was gone and the people responsible for his death wouldn't pay.
I went back for John's body and I gave him a proper burial, as I said goodbye to the one true friend I had in this world. Then it dawned on me. Rex and his family had to pay for what they did to me...John...and everyone else they had hurt, and pay I promised myself they would. I hurriedly ran to the police station and told them everything I knew about the Chows. And for my ratting them out I got immunity and would be placed in witness protection only if I testified against their organization. It took a while for them to convince me it was the right thing to do afterall, they can't blame me for being scared it was my life I was putting on the line.
The trial was to take place a few weeks later and I was to be the star witness. This trial was huge, probably the biggest one that the state had ever seen. The cops had been waiting forever to take down the Chows and here I came in and gave them everything I knew. I knew about everything. I knew the Chows had been importing and exporting illegal drugs and firearms, that they have been known to bribe a few politicians and a few detectives and even dignitaries from other countries. I knew all about their plan to assinate the governor, and I even knew they had smuggled in some illegal aliens to do their dirty work. Yes, I knew about every dirty, rotten crime they had ever committed, because they seemed to brag about their power quite alot.
Yep. I knew so much that several attempts were made on my life because of what I knew, but luckily for me I was guarded safely by law enforcement.
A few weeks later and the trial had finally come up and I was seated on the bench and I gave my official statement. Both lawyers did their best to win their arguements. And they both did a great job at getting to me. One made me feel like crap, while the other slaughtered everything I said. Boy, that was so not my day. When the trial came to an end the jury had actually found the whole family guilty of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, five counts of attempted murder, forgery, tampering with evidence, smuggling, and even prostitution my spirits started to lift. That day in the courtroom when I swore to tell the truth and I did, Rex could hardly look at me. And when he did, it was an outrageous mean look.
"How could you betray me like this, huh? A-MAN! I can't believe after everything we've done for you, everything we've been through, that you would shame us. Betray us. I don't get it man, why would you betray your own family. I thought we were brothers." Rex said to me before they took him away.
" I thought so, too, up until you and your pathetic family left John, the only real brother I ever had die along with alot of other good men out there. How could you betray all those guys you call employees...brothers...family?" I asked as they began to take Rex and his family away.
" You will pay for this, Alex. So help me you will pay for this!" Rex said screaming out the room.
" I already have paid." I said under my breath.
I was escorted back to the police station where I had met up once again with the DA who prosecuted the Chow family.
" Well done, Alex. That was the easiest trial I could have hoped for." He said to me.
"Glad to know how easy it was for you. But what about me? I was assured that for my testimony at the trial that I would get full immunity and be placed in the Witness Protection Program. I want to know how soon can we start that?" I asked.
Just then a balding man, smaller then DA Harris, waltzed into the room.
"Ah-ha...right on time. Alex Martin I would like you to meet Mark Parker, senior field agent for the witness protection agency. No finer man that I know. You will be perfectly safe in his care." Warren told me.
" Hello Alex, I'm Mark. Warren just told me what you did  Brave young man, you are. Don't know if I would have the guts. This time justice prevailed." He said to me as he sat down next to me.
He pulled out a green folder from his coat pocket and plopped it firmly on the table. He opened it up and looked at me.
"Alex Martin is dead. Lucas Shamby is very much alive. And he lives in Fort Lauderale Florida. He works for a packing company and has his own apartment." He said giving me my portfolio.
I looked at it and it wasn't easy to read. My own obituary was staring me in the face and I couldn't even speak.
" I took the liberty of making you your new Florida licence, passport and social security number. I have all the necessary paperwork to officially declare your old life dead and give you a new life. All you have to do is sign on the dotted line, and you, Alex will be reborn into Lucas." He said handing me a pen.
" Lucas Shamby, huh? Is that who I look like to you, is a Lucas?" I asked looking up at both men who just stared at me.
I laughed a little, then I took a big breath and sighed as I began to sign for the last time, Alex Martin.
" Is that it?" I asked as I dropped the pen.
" That's it." Mr. Parker said to me.
With that he handed me my licence, passport and socila security card. Then he gave me his phone number in case I needed him that night. He told me he would escort me all the way to Florida for protection. And he said that our plane left early the next morning. I went to the safe house for the duration of my stay in New York for the next day I would never see my beloved home again.

My heart grew heavy as I thought about John and the adventures we could've had together. Two men traveling the world with nothing but time on our hands, oh how fun that would have been. He was the first person who ever meant anything to me in my life until I moved to Florida and all that changed.

Part 2- The Birth of Lucas Shamby
It was 6 AM when my alarm clock went off inside the house for the last time in New York. I got up and opened the shade of my window. I looked outside and from my window I could see the Statue of Liberty, and the Empire State building. Never in my life would I ever see such a glorious sight again.
There was a slight knock on my door. I answered it. It was Detective Parker ready to take me to Florida.
But was I ready to go? Was I honestly prepared to leave behind my beautiful New York skyline?
I had to be. New York was no longer safe for me. The place I once called home, no longer had that same meaning for me. New York was the only home I ever had and it was the first place I ever had family. John, my brother, I will miss him and in my own natural way will miss what we had with Rex.
But that part of my life is over...for good...it has to be. I need to move on. I need to find hope and home in another place far away from my beloved New York.
I was escorted in an unmarked car all the way to the airport and was quietly rushed like celebrities into the airport by a private entrance. Afterall that is what I was in New York...a celebrity. A hero...to almost most of the people and the kids...and a coward...a fraud...a piece of fucking crap to those who were loyal to the Chow family like I should have been.
Did I do the right thing? Should I have turned my back on the only people who ever watched my back simply because they were responsible for my best friend's death.? I don't know. I wish I did. I live in this hell that only I made, because of stupid mistakes on my part. The adult side of me says " be a man. Stand up for yourself." While the child side of me cries out " I want my mother. I'm not mature enough to make a decison. Ask me later."
It's like a game of tennis is being played inside of me. But which side wins...the moral one...or the immoral one? Well for the first time the answer was clear...my moral half outweighed my immoral half.
Rex and his whole family had gotten everything they ever wanted in life simply because other people were too afraid to say no to them or to tell them off. I was that way too, until they took from me my very best friend, John.
There really isn't more I can say about him except that I love him and miss him so much.
When the plane began to take off and the uncertaintity of it all sank through I was to embark on a new adventure. Alex Martin died, the minute the plane took off into the air and Lucas Shamby was born.
As I looked out the window of the plane and realized I had my whole life ahead of me I began to wonder about how much of Alex Martin would be left in me. Would he all dissolve away like ice cream in heat or would he fade away like a mirage? Or would he still live on inside of me with the hopes that some day like a phoenix he too, will rise up from the ashes.
" Lucas...Luke...L..." I said under my breath.
" Come again?" Detective Parker asked me.
" I was trying to come up with a cool nick name for Lucas." I said.
He stuck his nose back into his book.
" Oh." He said.
" What do you think of Luky?" I asked.
His face popped up.
" Hate it." He said.
" How's about Luc spelled like this L-U-C?" I asked him.
" Better." He said.
All of a sudden the plane began to shake.
" Just a little turbulence, Detective Parker. Nothing to worry about." The pilot said to him.
A few hours later the plane landed and my life as Luc was about to begin. I was escorted to a small apartment complex in Fort Lauderdale Florida. It was small, but quiet. And the people here were nice.
" So...uh...this place...does it suit you?" Detective Parker asked me.
I looked around. It was small and bland but I felt safe, for the first time in years I actually felt safe, but how long could that last?
" Yes." I said.
Detective Parker looked around the room and then looked at me.
" Well...Alex--I mean Luc, I guess this is goodbye. Thank you for what you have done for this country. I realize it probably wasn't easy." He said.
I looked at him firmly.
" It sure the hell wasn't easy for me. They had been like family to me for years, but when they were responsible for the death of my brother, the only person in this whole world that I connected with, then trust me it gave me great pleasure to turn on them." I said.
" I really am sorry Luc...about the death of your friend, John. Just know that for whatever this is worth...he will be honored in New York as a hero." Detective Parker said to me.
I looked out the window of my new apartment and smiled at the sky.
" I know John would've liked this place. He aslways told me how much he wanted to travel around the world and surf in the ocean but now he will never do that because of what they did to him." I said.
" Right...well if you need anything...anything at all don't hesitate to call. I will be on the first plane back here. And if I can't make it soon enough, there is one detective here that I trust with my life. Shawn Edwards...will be here for you when I can't be. We go way back and I know you are in good hands." Detective Parker said to me.
He shook my hand for the last time and I walked him to the door.
" One minute...for what it's worth, Alex...you really did do the right thing. And this country has a lot to thank you for." He said as he walked out the door.
" If I did the right thing, Mark...why do I feel like such a creep?" I asked under my breath.
I headed back to the window and saw Mark get into a taxi and drive off to the airport. I knew once again that I would be on my own. It seemed that everywhere I went and everyone that would come into my life would be gone and I would be once again be alone. I would love to say that this is the end of my story and that from here on in I lived ok-like if not happily ever after, but I can't. This is only the begining of what was to come.

Part 3: Meeting Marty
It had been exactly one year since I lost my best friend and had to literally become a new person. Yet I find myself not regretting a moment of my life in the past. I know I haven't gotten over losing my brother, John and I don't don't believe I ever will. Something recently has happened to me or perhaps I should say somenone has happened to me to give me such hope of my future. I met the most amazing girl and I really believe she is the one. She makes me feel something I have never felt before. When I am with her I feel the most wonderful feeling of freedom. The thing is she thinks I am somone I am not. She knows me as Luc Shamby, which is only half of who I am, but she needs to know all of me. The other part of who I am, Alex Martin...former A-Man to the most lethal crime family in the world, the Chows'. No. Uh-uh...if she knew who I was...who I used to be...she'd hate me and want nothing more to do with me. And who would blame her. As it is now I want nothing to do with me. She deserves better than this...than me...than what I can give her. I want her to be so happy and most importantly I want her to be safe. She won't be safe with me because I know Rex and how he thinks. When someone betrays him and his family in any way there will be dire consequences for the betrayer, and I will not pust her in the line of fire when Rex finds me and find me he will.
Marty Anderson...deserves much better then what I can give her. She isn't safe in my life. Can I really give her up? She saved my life when I hit rock bottom here in Florida. She picked up the pieces to my broken heart and put it back together. How can I be so selfish by keeping her in my life when there was a good chance she could die, just like John. Oh yes...John...I really believe he would've liked Marty. He probably would have fought me for her affections too. I know she would've liked John. He was a good person and a good friend and an unbelievable good brother. Would it really be fair of me to watch Marty die the same way John died by in the hands of the same person? I knew what I had to do. I had to break up with her before we got in any deeper. So I called her and asked her to meet me by the ocean, the one place I felt John's strength overpower me. I was the first one there. I sat at a corner just watching the waves crash into the rocks when I looked up and saw her. A vision in blue. Her long red hair flew across her face. Her lips were covered in light pink lipstick and her smile gave my heart a warm shock.
" Hey handsome." She said to me as the sound of her voice sounded soft and light.
" Hi beautiful." I said standing up as she lept into my arms and gave me a kiss.
I let her down and offered her a seat on the warm sand.
" So what did you have to talk to me about?" Marty asked.
I looked into her deep green eyes and then I looked away. I couldn't do it. I couldn't break up with her. Not like this. Not this way. So I lied, instead.
"i wanted to ask you out to dinner." I said.
" Dinner? You wanted me to meet you on the beach so you could invite me to dinner? How sweetly and oddly romantic of you." She said.
" So will you meet me tonight at 7 o'clock at Roman's?" I asked her.
" Sure." She said.
She began to walk away when she turned back to me.
" Luc...what is this really about?" She asked.
I sighed before I spoke.
" This is about nothing, Marty. Except me wanting to have dinner with the most beautiful and loving woman in the world." I told Marty.
" Oh. Ok." She said to me.
She walked away and I got a sinking feeling in the back of my gut that what I had set in motion cannot be undone. And I was right. When I got back to my apartment I had a present waiting for me. It was a picture, note and three sticks held together by a ribbon. As I began to untie the ribbon the sinking feeling in my stomach suddenly got bigger and I began to feel sick. I looked at the note first. It read:
"A-Man...you can run but you can't hide. I will always find you. He wasn't the first and I guarantee you he won't be the last."
Then I looked at the picture and it was Mark Parker...and he was dead. He had been gutted like a fish and I was to blame. If I hadn't testified he would still be alive, and I won't let his fate and John's fate be Marty's fate as well. I won't. The only way I can make that happen is to break things off with her. And I had planned to do that, that night.
She looked so beautiful, and fair and had a glow about her that I had never seen. She was the best thing that ever happened to me which was why I realized that I had to let her go.
" Marty...you look so beautiful." I said to her as she walked toward me in her white dress like an angel.
She blushed a bright red. I got up and pulled her seat out for her and pushed her in. Then I sat down across from her. I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. She was dazzling and gorgeous and took my breath away when I saw her.
I ordered us drinks and food and when the waiter left she gave me a peculiar look.
" So...Luc...what is it that you wanted to tell me?" She asked.
I hesitated before I began to speak.
" I can't see you anymore." I said firmly.
Her face began to break into tears.
" Are you serious? Was it something I said or did?" She asked me.
I grabbed her hand and kissed it.
" No...it was nothing that you did or said...it's me. I'm the problem." I said begining to shake.
" What exactly is the problem?" She asked.
" I can't tell you. It's not something you want to know. Trust me...everyone is better off if I dissappear." I told her.
She cried harder and the other patrons began to gawk and gaze at us.
" Please...Luc...I love you. I want to know if you're in trouble. Is that it? Are you in some kind of danger?" She asked me as she wiped tears from her face.
" If I was...I don't want to get you involved. I need you to be safe...because I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you because of mistakes I made in my past." I told her hoping she'd hear my warning.
" Luc...you are the only person in my life that I have ever counted on and needed and I know that you would never let anything bad happen to me. I can't lose you...not now and not ever. Please...be honest with me, and tell me the truth." She begged.
I looked at her and sighed hard. Then I realized that I could never just abandon her. I had to stay with her regardless of what may or may not happen afterall she isn't safe without me and yet she isn't safe with me, either.
"Ok. I'll tell you everything. When I was younger I made the worst mistake of my life that has cost me so much. It cost me my best friend...John. We were two young men who were barely making it from day to day when we ended up working for the Chow family from New York, who were a notorious crime family and had done many unspeakable things to innocent people." I began.
" The Chows', I remember reading about them. They were awful people, and you used to work for them. That I will never believe." M,arty said.
" It's true...I did...until they let me and many of their other associates down. They let John die and many others and that was when I realized they needed to pay. I was so wrong to have worked for them, and I know that now, but I can't make it up to John or anyone else. I got out and testified against the whole family and in exchange I got a whole new life...as Lucas Shamby. My real name...my birth name is Alex Martin, and I pay inside everyday with guilt. John had so much to live for and he's dead because of what we did with Rex and the rest of the Chows'. And now everyone I love and who has helped me is in real danger becasue he recently got out and is seeking revenge against me. He murdered the detcetive assigned to my relocation case and now I know he'll be gunning for you...which is why I have to say goodbye. Just know, that I will always love you." I said to her as tears poured from my face.
A look of horror swept her face.
" Luc...why are you telling me this now? Why have you lied to me? I thought I meant something to you...I thought we meant something to eachother. Was all this...all we felt..all we shared one big lie? A mistake?" Marty asked me with a pained voice.
" I am telling you this right now because I may not have long to live. Rex wants me dead...as dead as John and I couldn't keep living this lie. I thought I was protecting you...now I know I wasn't and for that I apologize. You mean everything to me. You are my whole world and I would rather die, then to see anything bad happen to you. None of what I felt toward you was a lie. I really do love you, Marty. With all my heart and sould, I love you. And I can only hope that it wasn't a mistake...our love...is stronger then this. We can get through anything as long as you and I beleive it and believe in eachother." I declared.
It was silent for a moment and she flung herself in my arms.
" Don't be thinking you can get rid of me that easily...Lu--I mean, Alex." Marty said correcting herself.
" Don't worry about it. Alex is dead...Luc is who I am now and forever." I said to her embracing her face in my hands.
"I don't know about that...I can see Alex through your eyes. He is still there and he will always remain in you forever. You can't wish him away...but you can embrace him. He will be a part of you forever and you can't escape that. There is no escaping the past. It's who we are...and who we will always be...all we can do is learn from it...and survive it...and become stronger from it. I may not have liked who you were, but I understand you did what you had to do to survive. I accept that. And in the end, Alex, you did the right thing for everyone. You took a stand when no one else had the guts to. That took courage and that made me realize how even more in love with you I have become. I love you and if you think for one moment I am letting you out of my life...my sight...you have another thing coming. Whatever you face in the future...we face together. We belong together and I trust that. I trust us." Marty said giving me a kiss.
" I trust us, too." I said to her.
We decided that we would run away, far away from Rex and what was left of his family. We took all the money we had and purchased to one way tickets to China, via, cruise ship. How little did we know that one of Rex' and his  spies were aboard this ship.
" It's beautiful, honey." Marty said to me as we were shown our room.
" The Honeymoon suite...the finest aboard this ship. There is a phone there if you need anything let us know. There is dinner and a show in the main cabin at 6 pm, and we have a casino on the C deck, and a pool on the A deck and the bar is located on the B deck. We have shuffleboard, pool and bowling, too all on the various decks throughout this ship. So we hope you enjoy your time with us on the Marion Cruise Liner where...'we only cruise in style'." the cabana boy said.
He left us alone and we quickly began to investigate.
" You don't think we were followed, do you?" Marty asked me.
I peered out the window.
" I don't know. But I wouldn't put that past him. He wants me dead...and we all know he always gets what he wants." I said sitting on the bed.
" Not this time he doesn't. I won't let him kill you. We will find a way out of this, I promise. Together, we can do anything." Marty said sitting next to me.
' I want to believe that, but he is out for revenge. I betrayed him and his family and he rarely forgives and never forgets. We just need to keep running, for the rest of our lives." I said to her.
" We can't keep running forever, Alex. Sooner or later he will catch up to us and then we will have to answer him. As I said before you can't escape the past...you can try all you want but you'll fail every time." Marty said.
I knew she was right. She was always right.
"Maybe one day I will get the strength to stand up to him, but I don't have it yet. So for now, at least, can we just run?" I pleaded.
She looked at me and smiled.
"Sure." She said.
Little did we know that two of Rex's men had snuck on board the ship just as we did. This was about to be a very interesting development.
"So what do you want to do first?" She asked me.
I looked out the window of our cabin.
"I think we ought to stay in our cabin for the whole evening. Just to be on the safe side." I suggested.
She looked at me.
"What about dinner?" She asked.
"We can have it in our room. I have to make sure we weren't followed before I even think of enjoying this cruise. You are the only person that matters. Marty if I lost you, I couldn't survive." I told her.
" I feel the same way, Alex. You are everything to me, too." Marty told me.
We kissed just as there was a knock on the door.
"Room service" The waiter said.
I looked at her just as my face turned a pale white. She grabbed my hand tightly as if she were afraid of something.
I walked to the door slowly knowing full well we hadn't ordered anything yet. I got a very bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that this was it. This was the very moment Rex would get his revenge on me. This was the very moment Marty and I were going to die.
I slowly made my way to the peephole and peered outside and sure enough I saw him. Rex was standing outside my door. He found us and this time he had us cornered.
I signaled for her to get out of here but she didn't budge. She didn;t budge a single inch. She stayed right next to me as Rex kept pounding on the door.
"What are we going to do?" She asked me.
I looked around the room trying to figure out an exit in which we could make opur escape. The door on the left led to another room, as did the door on the right. We couldn't use them of course because of other guests on the cruise. The window was our only option. I moved a small wooden table in front of the door to give us more time to get out the window.
"Alex...let me in man. I only want to talk to you. I know you're in there.You have to know by now how well connected my family is. We have people that work for us everywhere. If you give yourself up now I promise no harm will come to you or your beautiful girlfriend Marty. Yes Alex... I know all about Marty. Come on man, a long time ago we used to be friends...I even considered you my brother. You and John both were my brothers. You don't think I grieve for him. I do. Everyday I do. Alex...all I want to do is talk. I promise that's all now just let me in." He said.
Marty made her way to the door and was about to move the table when I stopped her.
"What are you doing?" I whispered to her.
She stood up and looked at me.
"I'm letting him in so you two can talk and put the past behind you forever." She said to me.
I kissed her forehead.
"If we let him in here...we're dead. He'll kill us both like he killed John. I know him. Trust me when I say he's here for one thing and one thing only...revenge." I said.
"But he said he wouldn't hurt us. He promised." She said.
I looked at her with admiration in my heart.
"His promises mean absolutely nothing. He will kill us without a second thought. There is nothing in him except spite and hatred. He's nothing like the Rex I once knew. His family changed him. They made him evil to the very core just like them. There is nothing good left in him. The brother that he says he once was to me is gone. He knew I couldn't live with what happened to John. He knew...they knew that way of life wasn't cut out for me and that is why he's here. I betrayed him when I testified against his family but I couldn't live like that. A killing machine with no moral compass wasn't the kind of life I wanted. So I tried to get out and it cost John his life and it cost Rex to lose the only true family he had. There is no forgiving that. Not ever." I explained.
"You tell me that you are not the same person you once were. Can't that be true about him?" Marty asked me.
"I saw the error of my way. He hasn't yet seen it and chances are he never will. Besides I changed for the better and he changed for the worse. He was a really good decent person when I first knew him but now he's changed. The good man he once was has been replaced with a man full of anger, resentment and revenge. He wants me dead and he'll stop at nothing to make sure that happens." I said.
"What are we going to do, Alex. They know we're here and the ship is out to sea. There's no where left to hide." Marty said trembling.
I took her shaking body into my own and kissed the top of her head.
"We're going to be okay. I won't let anything happen to you." I promised her.
We made our way to the window and I opened it. I stuck my head out to see if any of his men were out there. I saw no one. I let her out first. Her slender body had no problems making it out the window. Then I followed. When we were both out I made sure to close the window so they couldn't figure out how we escaped. It was getting really dark. I put the unpacked backpack off my back and gave her a sweater.
"Thank you." She said. "What are we going to do Alex? There's no where to go on this ship if he has spies everywhere."
"I have one place where we can go. When we bought the tickets for the honeymoon suite I had a feeling we were being followed so I made a secret reservation under a different name. The room is a cabin on the main floor. If we go quietly and quickly we can stay there for the rest of the cruise. The only other person who knows about the room is the captain. He was friends with the detective who was assigned to my case so I know he can be trusted. Let's go find him and get squared away." I said.
We walked to the captain's cabin and knocked quietly on the door.
He anwsered it and let us in.
"Our room has been compromised." I said.
"So then it's on to plan B?" He asked.
"Yes." I said.
"Alright then follow me to your new cabin. It isn't as big as your other one but nobody knows it's here. Not even the crew members know this cabin exists. I made this my own personal cabin years ago when I was made captain of this ship. I never let anyone use it, unless I find them worthy. Mark told me alot about you and if he trusts you then I trust you." He said to me.
"Thanks. I need to tell you something about Mark." I said.
"What?" The captain asked.
"He's--He's...dead. Rex murdered him after he helped me. I say that as a warning to you I'd hate it if he killed you to because of me." I said.
"I had no idea Mark was dead. I should call Laura and offer my condolences to her and thier kids. He was a good friend. But you didn't kill him Alex. It was part of his job to protect you. He died a hero so let's do the right thing by him and remember him for that. He was a hero." The captain said.
You're right. Mark was a hero. I'm the fraud. I thought I could do this. Testify. Start my life over. Become someone else. But I can't, because everywhere I go Rex finds me. Rex finds me and he hurts the ones I love. I can't let him do that anymore. I can't be a coward. I have to turn myself in to him. If I don't you could die. And so could she." I said to the captain and to Marty.
I turned around and faced the door.
"You will do no such thing Alex." The captain said.
"Listen to him. Please." Marty begged.
"I can't do this. I'm no hero. Mark was the real hero. He was the strongest man I know." I said.
"Then honor him as such by staying alive and fighting. If you go back and turn yourself in to that monster, then you're dead. If you stay here with us where you'll be safe than you'll live and Mark's death would mean something. Don't take his ultimate sacrifice away from him. Fight to live Alex. Fight to live." The captain said.
"Fight to live for me." Marty begged.
"What do you think I am doing. Can't you see that this is the only way it can be. Marty...if I don't do this we're all dead, like Mark. I have to face him. I have to right this horrible wrong I made. Marty the very thought of losing makes me very sick.It gives me a pain in the pit of my stomach because you are absolutely everything to me." I told her.
:"What about me? What will happen to me if you die?" She asked.
"I don't know. Honestly I hadn't even thought that far ahead." I said.
"I love you, Alex." Marty said to me.
I looked at her and sat her down in a chair and wiped her wet smudged face with the tips of my fingers.
"I love you, too. Always. But I have to do this. I don't want to leave you. Marty, I have made so many mistakes in my life. Mistakes that have cost me big. But loving you and being with you is not one. And I will never let it become a mistake. I have led a life where I had to sit back and watch as one by one people I care about have died. John...Mark...my mom, I refuse to let that be you. Rex has taken so much from me I can't and won't let him take anymore. I need for you to be safe. You are my everything and that is why you must live."I said.
"Alex, don't you see how I can feel the same about you? I would die without you in my life. Please don't do this. Don't meet with Rex. You were right Alex, people can't change who they really are. If you are right about Rex then this must be true about him. He is a dangerous man. Please you know that he will kill you the minute he gets a chance to do it. Don't give him that chance. Don't let him take away the only person I have ever loved.