Different Plans

Ana chuckled and kissed his cheek. It felt so unatural to feel her lips again when he had just made contact with Gabriel. Could Jack tell her?

"Where are we headed?"

"I found an abandoned farm right outside of Dorado. We'll be safe there."

"I think you underestimate Talon."

"Maybe, or maybe I just believe in a better life. I just hope being in Mexico won't remind you of Gabe too much."

Now that Jack thought about it, he knew that being in Dorado would remind him of Gabriel. He just didn't have the balls to tell Ana that. He tried to change the subject.

"How did you get passed Talon's security?"

"I'm actually not sure. All the doors were unlocked except for your cell of course, but the turrets and defenses were all down."

Now Jack was confused. It sounds like Sombra let Ana in, but why?

Ana drove the van into a deserted field and up to a rickety old barn.

"Thought this might be familiar, farm boy."

Jack chuckled.

"I'm not a young man anymore."

"Well,I think we all know that Jack."

"Shut it, you're not far from."

Ana chuckled as he took her in his arms. It was good to see a familiar face, but faces can fade away in the mind. Jack knew Ana, but after seeing Gabriel, alive, mostly. He felt like he didn't know her anymore, at least not as much. Jack had just realized how much of a toll Gabriel's death was on him. He let it change him. Jack allowed that feeling of loss overcome him. Was he desperate to find someone who still cared about him, or did he truly love Ana at the time?

"I set up some defense systems around the barn, but the sensors are not in place. We can look at the monitors, but it looks like we'll be switching off night watches again. Don't be stubborn this time I get first..."

Jack looked solemnly towards the ground.

"Jack, what is it?"

"Do you remember after the explosion we could never find Gabriel's body?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Ana, he's still alive."

"How do you know Jack?"

"Because he's working for Talon."

Ana gasped.

"Under the alias Reaper."

Ana took several steps away grabbing for air. She began breathing rapidly.

"It's not possible!"

"Gabriel is alive, barley. His body, everything has changed. He's become some sort of ghost-like figure, but I can tell he is suffering."

Ana shook her head rapidly placing both her hands on Jack's cheeks.

"It doesn't matter. You never have to see Gabriel again. If he has chosen to become a terrorist, we cannot change that."

Jack grabbed her wrists pulling her hands from his face.

"Ana, I have lived the last eight years as if Reyes was dead, but it's like he's come back to life. I'm sorry Ana, but I still have feelings for him, and he needs someone to guide him back on the right path. It scares me that I am admitting this, but I cannot watch him suffer."

Tears ran down Ana's face.

"You-you cannot be serious Jack. He is a monster!"

"I-I'm sorry Ana."

"It's not like you are ever going to see him again!"

Jack looked up sadly. She gasped.

"You-you are not leaving, are you?"

"...I don't know Ana. I need sometime to think, but right now Talon is still looking for us and I can't just..."

Ana shook her head pushing away Jack's chest.

"No! No Jack! Based on what you just told me, I don't think you give a damn about what happens to me!" Ana exclaimed.

She ran outside tears streaming from her face. That night Jack took night watch as Ana cried herself to sleep. Jack sat in the loft of the barn looking out the window into the night. He looked down and stared in shock at his feet. The ankle bracelet was still on him! He quickly grabbed at it trying to rip it off, but a screen on it lit up. A bright pink sugar skull popped up on the screen and faded into a message.

"Stay with her soldier boy. We'll be in touch."

Jack sighed carefully letting go of the band.

"Sombra, she let Ana in, but why?"

Jack became distracted all night. He didn't know if the band could track him, or blow up, or if it was just a device that Sombra hacked before Gabriel put it on him. Is she still trying to capture him for Talon, or is she trustworthy? The night before at the cafe, Jack had learned some pretty important things, but was it enough to trust Sombra and Gabe? These questions lingered all night long. Ana woke to see Jack had fallen asleep in the loft of the barn. She let him be and went to the monitor to check the cameras. Jack eventually woke and attempted to confront Ana about the situation at hand.

"I'm not leaving, not tonight at least, but Sombra has a plan. It might be safer than ours."

Ana quickly turned to face him.

"You told Talon where we are?!"

"I don't have to Ana. Sombra is a computer genius and I think she may be working against Talon."

"They aren't your friends Jack. How could they possibly know where we are? The shield jams..."

Ana looked down to see the ankle bracelet on Jack.

"Jack, they banded you! They are tracking us!"

She took a lazer from the desk cutting off the band.

"It's not what it looks like!" Jack exclaimed.

All of a sudden Ana held up the band and threw her arm back. Jack gasped.

"Wait Ana, no!"

She threw her arm forward chucking the band into the barn door. It shattered to the ground. Ana turned. Her face grew with anger.

"You don't need to worry about me Jack, but I will not let you get captured again!"

That night Jack made the hardest decision of his life and took the van back to Talon and waited at the cafe. Chloe came out again.

"Oh it's you again." She said sweetly. "Jack right? Can I get you anything?"

"Sombra's number?"

Chloe smiled.

"I'm sure it's already in your phone."

She smiled sweetly walking back to rhe kitchen. Jack looked confused but picked up his phone and saw a flashing pink sugar skull again with a hidden number under it. He called the number, putting the phone to his ear. It rang three times.

"Bueno?"

"Sombra?"

"Heh, the soldier. Gabe was right. You're smarter than you look."

"...I'm going to pretend that wasn't an insult and ask what the hell is going on?"

"We are escaping."

"Escaping? From where?"

"The world."

"I-I don't understand."

"You will. Talon has treated us poorly and the world has treated you the same way. It's time to escape all of it. I have a plan. Wait for us."

"Wait, how do you know where to find me?"

There was a long pause over the phone.

"Señor Morrison, tell me, what are you holding?"

"Um, a phone?"

"Correct."

Jack grumbled a bit disapointed that he didn't figure that one out already.

"We'll see you soon, soldier boy."