Shattered Bonds
Ron and Elliot stood in front of Carter's house, a moment pregnant with unspoken tension. The weight of years hung in the air, and Elliot remarked, "You know, both Emma and you have a thing for standing still in front of houses." They exchanged a glance, acknowledging the strange symmetry of their lives.
They knocked, and Carter opened the door, his eyes widening in disbelief. Linda's voice echoed from within as she approached the doorway. "Who is it, Carter?" she asked, only to stop mid-sentence as she caught sight of Ron and Elliot.
"You-you are alive!" Carter stammered, shock etched across his face. Linda, now standing beside him, mirrored the same astonishment.
Elliot, sensing the urgency, cut through the moment. "Now isn't the time or place to stand outside when everything's messed up. Can we come in?"
Once inside, the atmosphere grew charged as Ronald and Carter locked eyes. The room seemed too small for the weight of their shared history. Carter's temper flared, demanding answers. "What's going on? Where's Emma? And why are you," he pointed accusingly at Elliot, "with a guy who was declared dead 25 years ago? What do you want now?"
Linda, her frustration evident, sat on the sofa, unable to contain her emotions. "You left us in such circumstances, and now you show up. What do you want?" Her voice trembled with a mix of anger and hurt.
Carter, seething with anger, grabbed the phone, intending to call headquarters. "Enough!" he shouted, but Elliot intervened, urging him to reconsider, emphasizing the lack of trust within WOLVES. Linda, standing up, poured out her long-held grievances. "How can I believe you? You left us. If it wasn't for Mr. Fleur, Carter's dad, Freeman would have killed me and our unborn child, thinking we were involved." She spoke with the weight of past betrayal on her shoulders.
Ron, his eyes revealing a turbulent past, responded, "Things were different back then." A wave of nostalgia hit as he was transported to a pivotal moment.
Flashback:
Linda waited anxiously for Ron's return at WOLVES headquarters. The air was thick with anticipation, and she clutched a piece of life-altering news. Tonight was supposed to be a celebration—the completion of their mission. Yet, as the mission reached its climax, news arrived that shook the very foundation of her world. Ron had gone rogue, endangering the lives of their fellow agents.
Two weeks passed, and one night Linda, preparing for bed, heard footsteps on the second floor. The investigation led her to a note: "Never tell her who her father is. I might never come. R.P."
"Oh, I'm the irresponsible one, the bad guy? You think I'm happy to see her, my little girl, like this?" He paused, his gaze piercing through both Carter and Linda. "I saw her grow up, I trained her secretly to become one of the best. You don't know any of the shit that happened that day. It wasn't me who went rogue; it was someone else."
Linda's eyes welled up with tears, a mixture of anguish and confusion. Ron's revelation challenged the narrative she had held onto for years. Carter, feeling the weight of his daughter's plight, moved closer to Linda. "Lin, our girl needs help now. We can argue about the past later."
Ron, sensing the desperation in the air, added, "I know you both have questions. We need to put everything aside for now and focus on finding the cure for Emma, there is more to the story. She's in danger, and we can't afford to lose more time."
Carter, seething with frustration, demanded to know Emma's whereabouts. Elliot, breaking the tense silence, disclosed that she was in Czech with Shawn. The revelation left both Carter and Linda in shock, uncertainty clouding their expressions.