“You don’t know, do you?”
Dennis grew angry. “I know what I did. I have a vivid recollection of everything.”
“Look at the next paper.”
Dennis reluctantly complied.
“Those are your medals and accommodations. You were in Africa, South America, and Europe. Then you heard about the Rust Belt War, and Redd Piper, and his Pilgrims in Oregon. You came home to help. You started the Lightning Squad to fight the RAC and the government that declared war on its people. You know the ones: the by the people, of the people and for the people. Yeah, those ones. Then we started the Blues. The two of us. You were my hero, Dennis. Do you remember?”
“Liar,” screamed Dennis. “I never did any of those things. I have a vivid memory of everything I did.” Dennis began to calm down as he reflected on the only world he understood. “I was a failure. You did all those things—not me.”
Ray was amused. “Look at those documents. There are names and phone numbers. Check them out.” Ray began coughing up blood. “I think the end is near, so let me finish telling you what you’re starting to remember.”
“Wait,” Dennis said. “How do you know about my dreams?”
“They all have them. Sandra Casimir, those kids of that Haystack fellow—you know the one: ‘bring your devils to my camp and I’ll return to you little angels.’ Remember that one, Dennis? Then the ‘little angels’ started remembering. It only took them one or two months to remember.” Ray paused to look up at his brother. Dennis was still staring at the papers.
“Why do you think Casimir made you his number two man in the organization?”
“It’s just temporary.”
“Doesn’t matter. Think about it. Why would he do it?”
Dennis didn’t answer as he stared at the documents. Then he looked down at Ray. “It’s because of you. He figures I know you. Who better to put in charge? Furthermore, he knows how much I hate you and would want to capture you.”
“That’s not it at all,” Ray said, still smiling through the pain. “He doesn’t give a rat’s ass about us being brothers. He wanted only the best. The doctors told him that while you’d lose memories of your past, you wouldn’t lose the ability to react like you always did before. You’d be Legionnaire Dennis again. Genghis Kahn. Yeah, I heard. As soon as combat arose you’d instinctively know what to do. You went through Hell House, Den.”
Dennis was stunned. “No way, man; and how could you know Casimir called me that?”
“Dennis, listen to me. You do remember the story of the soldier that took nine months to—how do you put it—be treated?”
“Everyone at headquarters knows the story.”
“Well that soldier was you.”
“What! How do you know all this?”
“Because Teresa tells Casimir, Casimir tells Judy, and Judy tells me.” Ray waited for the reaction.
“Wait! Back up! What’s this about Teresa?”
“I was coming to that. You were in Hell House, buddy. You were a soldier in the Blues. We kicked the RAC’s ass, but we were set up. We didn’t know about Casimir at this point. He disbanded us, but he kept you. You were taken to Hell House.” Ray coughed up some more blood, and stared at the oozing blood from his guts. Then he looked up at his brother and smiled. “You were a real pain in the ass to those pricks. You gave them holy hell, Den. They had to double the guard detail on you, but it wasn’t enough. They had you strapped to the chair—both arms and legs. It didn’t matter. You wrenched the whole chair, bolts and all, right out of the cement floor. Then you clobbered the doctor with the back of it. It took four guards to wrestle you down; then the nurse gave you an injection of something to knock you out.”
“No, I don’t believe you. You’re lying. You’re the biggest liar. You’ve always been that way. I ought to just finish you off right now.”
“Look at the last page of those documents. It’s your discharge from ‘Treatment’—Hell House. Look at the signatures at the bottom. Look at the patient. That’s you!” Dennis was horrified. “Look at the nurse. It’s Teresa Herrera. That is your wife’s maiden name isn’t it?”
Dennis nodded.
“She was attracted to you. She had a pretty crappy life and wanted you. She convinced Dr. Frankenstein—Eugene’s name for him—to plant in you a memory of you falling in love with her, and marrying her. A judge, bought and paid for, married the two of you right there in Hell House. He put into your memory the story of how you met. It isn’t real, Dennis. You have a real wife. Teresa was always deathly afraid you’d start remembering her, and remembering your real life. She reported every dream you had to Jaydan Casimir.” Dennis began sobbing.
“Do you remember Anna? She’s your real wife.”
“Anna? I heard about a woman named Anna that was killed in a road rage incident. I know that Casimir was having an affair with her.”
“That’s your wife. Casimir tried to do the same thing to her as he did to Catherine, but whereas Catherine killed herself to escape from Casimir and protect Eugene, Anna tried to escape to the new country. She wouldn’t have made it. Casimir got wind of the plot and sent some men to kill her. They wanted to make it look like road rage, but I beat them to the punch. I killed them, then staged the road rage incident and let Anna leave.”
“I had dreams of a woman. We seemed close, but you’re telling me that that woman was my wife?”
“Is your wife. She’s waiting for you in New America. She figured that you’d wake up and realize who you really were, then you’d come home to her. She’s waiting for you in the New World, waiting for you to come home.”
“But why would Casimir think she’s dead? There wouldn’t have been any body.”
“That’s true. There was no body, but Casimir only cared that she was taken care of. Judy did that.”
“What about Judy?”
“Judy was our spy. Casimir told her a lot, and what he didn’t tell her, Judy found out because she monitored his phone calls. Then she reported to me. When I was sure Anna was safe I called Judy. She knew what was going on. She would have given Jaydan some bullshit story of how they made sure she was dead and local police took care of it.”
“Judy is a spy? That bitch.”
“You recruited her, bro,” Ray said, nonchalantly.
“How do you know all this? Communications with New America are closed down. I know you have a special phone. I listened in on your conversations. You never talked to any Anna.”
“So that’s how you knew so much,” Ray said, still smiling. “I used my own encrypted phone. Even Cass didn’t know about it. I used it sparingly and late at night only.”
Dennis, who had continued to aim at Ray, finally lowered his weapon, and began sobbing. “I don’t know anything anymore.”
“You will, Denny. Give it time. Search your dreams. Remember them. When Sandy did, she remembered more. She investigated and learned still more. Eugene will help you, and so will Chad Armstrong.”
“Armstrong? Was I his leader?”
“More than that, Den. Do you know that when you’re a Legionnaire, even when inactive, but in trouble, any legionnaire will come to your assistance? When you and I formed the Blues you needed their help. Armstrong was your buddy. He came to help. So did Bones, Foote, and Wrenn. They’re all Legionnaires. They’re your friends. They’re here because of you, not me. They charge me for their services, but not you.”
“I can’t believe this. I was this hero? They put me in Hell House? Oh my God! The dreams were coming more frequent. I stopped telling Teresa about each one because I didn’t want to scare her.”
“She knew they were becoming more frequent. She kept calling Casimir up and reporting your moods.”
“But what about Teresa and Jerrell? I love them,” he said, still weeping.