# Black Dawn #
[Chapter 1](https://steemit.com/story/@schattenjaeger/black-dawn-introduction-fictional-story)
[Chapter 2](https://steemit.com/fiction/@schattenjaeger/black-dawn-chapter-2)
[Chapter 3](https://steemit.com/fiction/@schattenjaeger/black-dawn-chapter-3)
[Chapter 4](https://steemit.com/fiction/@schattenjaeger/black-dawn-chapter-4)
[Chapter 5](https://steemit.com/fiction/@schattenjaeger/black-dawn-chapter-5)
[Chapter 6](https://steemit.com/fiction/@schattenjaeger/black-dawn-chapter-6)
[Chapter 7](https://steemit.com/fiction/@schattenjaeger/black-dawn-chapter-7)
# Chapter 8 #
As Adam keeps approaching the elevator that's supposed to bring him to the detention area, where he hopes to find Maria, he realizes he has no idea what to say to her. Bigger things are at play here, but it doesn't remove the fact that for the five years, Adam has been faking his death. And one of the people thinking he was dead was the woman Adam promised to marry. The woman Adam promised to love for the rest of their lives.
It was done for Maria's own good, but what's her reaction going to be? Maria has no idea what happened five years ago, only Adam and Bruce Miller do. As far Adam knows, anyway. Until today, he was under the impression that only Bruce knew about him being alive, but being lured to this mess by Derek proves that someone, somehow leaked the information. It could not have been Bruce, Adam knows he can trust him. But someone knew about him.
And now Maria's paying the price.
Adam finds a spot for cover and stops for a second to observe the communicator he grabbed from the guard. He tries to figure out if he could contact the communicator he saw Kevin carry around with him. It's no use, though, since all the frequencies are encrypted. It'd take a day to try to find Kevin's frequency.
*"Damnit, Kev, what happened.."*
Kevin can take care of himself, and Adam knows this. Still, he's not prepared to lose his best friend the same day he reconnected with him.
As he hides under cover, Adam sees the guards who were posted in the detention area make their way past him.
*"That should give me a clear path then."*
Slowly, Adam moves towards the elevator, making sure he's not being watched, keeping his rifle ready - but he indeed has a clear path. He can't believe he might be moments away from seeing Maria again, after five years. Never did he ever think it might happen. The circumstances are insane, but it would be a blatant lie to claim that part of Adam wasn't happy about this. Happy, but also guilty, since Maria's involvement in this is a direct result of being his former wife to be.
As he used the ID keycard to enter the elevator, Adam remembers what the guard told him.
*"Okay, B2. I'm coming, Maria. Just hang on."*
----------------------
Kevin, bloodied and battered, has not given into the torturous beating Derek has been dishing out. Derek still insists on questioning him, however. With a swift punch across the face.
*"Just so you know, Kev. My brother is on his way to the detention area. Thorough as he is, I'm sure he'll find one Mr. Heenan. Could you be worried about what Mr. Heenan might be able to tell Adam? About you, by some chance?"*
That information does get to Kevin, but he tries not to show it.
*"You see, I thought it'd be a brilliant idea to have my brother do my dirty work for me. Heenan won't talk to me, because he's smart. He knows I need him alive. Adam, on the other hand.. oh, Adam doesn't need Heenan alive. In fact, I shudder to think what my brother will do to the man who cost him five years of his life. Of course, we would still be able to stop Adam. If you should wish that."*
Kevin realizes how well Derek is playing the game, better than he expected, but for Kevin, so much is on the line that he refuses to cooperate.
*"Have it your way, Kev!"*
Derek accepts the fact that Kevin is not going to talk, and exits to the other room.
Kevin immediately attempts to break the handcuffs that he's chained to the pipes with, but obviously to no avail. It's not like he expected them to break, it was more of a reflex than anything.
*"Come on, Adam. I've saved your life a dozen times. You owe me one."*
More specifically, Kevin is thinking back to seven years ago, when Adam was being held prisoner in a Chinese prison, where he spent 18 months not uttering a word, not even when the most inhumane torture methods were being used in an attempt to squeeze government secrets out of him. Both Adam and Kevin risked their lives for the government, and this is where it got them.
In the next room, Logan wants to know if Kevin broke.
*"So?"*
*"No. He's not talking."*
*"We're wasting time, boss."*
*"Relax. Adam's on his way to the detention area."*
*"Will he break Heenan?"*
*"I'm sure of it."*
*"What makes you so sure he won't just save the girl and leave?"*
*"Because I know my brother. He may be a hero, but he has a dark side. I'm not the only killer in the family. Heenan took his livelihood from him, and trust me when I tell you: Adam is not a forgiving man. In the meantime, we'll keep Kevin as bait. Even if he's not talking, he's a threat to The Order. They won't let him be in our 'possession'. I'm sure he knows too much. Besides, I still have a pending family matter to take care of."*
---------------------------
The elevator stops at the second basement level, "B2", and as the doors open, Adam slowly steps outside with his rifle pointing at all directions, making sure he's not being ambushed. The area seems secure, and Adam surveys the surroundings. The detention area is everything you'd expect: bare, barren, rugged. Not a place you'd like to spend any more time than you're forced to. Adam notices a lone surveillance camera that he shoots down. There a total of eight prison cells in the room, and Adam's heart starts pounding as he realizes one of them must be holding Maria.
Today, he's been blindfolded and attacked, ambushed my a dozen armed guards, been trapped by two snipers, but it's the prospect of seeing Maria that is making him nervous.
Nothing behind door number one.
Nothing behind door number two.
Nothing behind doors number three, four, or five.
Unlike the others so far, door number six is locked.
Adam hears someone from behind the door.
"*Maria?! Are you there?"*
The prisoner is out of breath for a small moment that feels like an eternity to both.
*"Maria? Answer me."*
The voice is a familiar one, from long ago.
*"Adam?"*
Adam's heart rate goes up, as his sweaty palms aim his rifle at the lock on the door, and he shakes so much, he almost misses, but manages to break it.
Adam kicks in the door.
As the door opens, Maria and Adam lose track of time. They may stare each other for a second, maybe an hour. Neither knows for sure. Maria is just as beautiful as she was five years ago. Same reddish hair, same freckles. Everything Adam's been dreaming about every day for the past five years.
Adam can barely utter a word.
*"Maria."*
Maria is too confused to form a coherent thought, but gets up from the floor and takes slow steps towards Adam, who slowly approaches Maria, until they both engage in an instinctive embrace.
This is finally what it takes to break Adam, as tears fill his eyes as he pulls Maria in closer. Maria is completely lost in everything that's going on.
*"Adam, I.."*
Maria takes a good look at Adam's face to make sure it's really him.
*"It's really you. What are you.. what's going on? Please, just.. what's going on?"*
"*It's a long story. Really long. But I'm getting you out of here. I promise. No one's going to hurt you anymore. I'm sorry, but we need to move, we don't have time. Can you move?"*
*"Yeah.. sure. Yeah."*
Maria's clearly shook up, and this makes Adam observe the bruises over Maria's face and arms.
*"God.. Did they hurt you?"*
*"It's nothing.. Let's just.. let's just get moving, okay?"*
Adam promises himself that he is going to kill Derek. No ifs, or buts.
*"I'm gonna make sure you get out of here, alright? And then I'm gonna stop Derek."*
*"Derek.. I don't understand what's going on, but these guys are a small army, you can't.."*
Adam pulls Maria back in on a hug.
*"Hey.. I'll be alright. You're gonna have to trust me. But first, like I said, we're gonna get you out of here. They got Kev, and I have to get him out, too."*
*"Kev? Kev's here, too?"*
*"Yeah, he showed up to save my ass. And I think I'm gonna have to return the favour."*
Adam stops as he accidentally notices a ring in Maria's finger. This admittedly hits Adam hard, harder than any physical abuse he's taken during the day. He knows how ridiculous it is to worry about such a thing at a time like this, but despite everything, he's only human. to take a long look at his former fiancée.
*"I'm just.. I'm just happy you're alive, okay?"*
Maria noticed how Adam's eye caught a glimpse of the ring, and Maria awkwardly tries to hide her hand.
*"You, too."*
*"Come on!"*
As they step out of the prison cell and are about to leave, a voice from one of the other cells yells out to them.
*"Anyone there? Please!"*
The voice stops Adam dead in his tracks. He feels his blood freeze. He would recognize the whiny voice anytime, anywhere for as long he lives. That's the voice of Lloyd Heenan. Adam turns to face one of the remaining prison cell doors.
*"Heenan.."*
Adam destroys the lock of the door with his rifle, and stands there. Just stands there, while taking in the fact that he's about to be a part of another reunion; this time with the man who took his life away from him.
*"Maria.. I don't.. I don't want you to see this."*
Adam pulls open the door and he lays his eyes on an a scared Lloyd Heenan. The president's chief of staff, who manipulated the chain of command to order the hit on Adam five years ago, causing Adam to leave his life and go hiding.
*"What's going on..? Adam?"*
Adam ignores Maria, as he stares at Heenan, who's eyes grow as he experiences fear he's never experienced before in his life. Not even during the hours of torture. Across the room is the man he thought was dead - by his command. Adam doesn't take his eyes off of Heenan, but urges Maria to not watch one more time.
*"Maria. I don't want you to see this. Please don't."*
Adam takes steps toward Heenan and stares a hole in him.
*"You."*
Adam aims his rifle at Heenan's head, and looks ready to pull the trigger. Heenan is terrified.
*"No, you can't! You can't! Please! Y-you're one of the good guys!"*
*"Am I? **AM I?!**"*