Prologue Part 3 - Mea maxima culpa

These past few weeks have been a blur. The first thing I remember since my “rescue” is waking up to find myself on an operating table. Anonymous doctors surrounded me and kept busy making this cut and that, speaking in muffled tones to harassed looking nurses. It took a full minute before anyone realized I was awake. One of the doctors simply shrugged, reached a bloodstained, gloved hand to a nearby IV drip and made a small adjustment.

Darkness again.

The next time I barely regain enough consciousness to remember must have been some time after the operation. The room is dark, and I can hear the soft whirrs and clicks off machinery nearby. My eyes refuse to open and my breath is hot and warm almost as if i'm smothered. I must still be in the medical facility. My entire head aches and my forehead throbs, the final hours of my captivity still lingering as a memory entombed within flesh.

I reach my hand to wipe my forehead and this time it obeys without question. Only my forehead isn't what it touched. Instead, a mass of bandages seemed to be wrapped around my forehead. No, not just my forehead. I grope around to discover that my entire head is wrapped in linen and gauze. Makes sense I guess.

But its not a good sign.

A small cough draws my attention to my left. I'm not alone in here. My voice cracks as I ask who it is.He or she doesn't answer. Truth be told I don't even really want to know who's there. A slow, dull ache begins to spread from my forehead down to my neck. The unpleasant sensation is quickly followed by a sharp stabbing pain across my face and I grit my teeth to suppress a grunt. My visitor must have noticed because within seconds I was out again.

This is starting to get old.

Its morning.

I'm finally well and truly awake. The room i'm in is small, but clean. A window with the blinds drawn shut filters in vertical slits of light across my rectangular confines. I turn my head, aware of some slight discomfort as I do so to take in the rest of my surroundings. Nothing in here but a small shower, toilet, a mirror and what looks like a cupboard. Not exactly home.

I sit up straight, stretch, and head for the shower. No point trying to leave without at least using the facilities. The water is hot and it burns like liquid fire but by the time I step out 10 minutes later, I feel like a new man. I dry myself with a towel hanging off a nearby hook and stand in front of the mirror to take a good look at myself.

Too bad the person staring back isn't me.

I look straight into the eyes of the stranger and see the same image reflecting back to infinity.

They've given me a new face.

I take my time to admire their handiwork. My hairline is different, my jaw set rather square. The angle my ears are tucked has been changed. My lips look wider. A quick check confirms that my gunshot scar is still there, albeit reduced. My nose is still broken though.

I begin to laugh.

They've changed just about every facial feature I could think of but my nose is still bent.
As I throw my mouth wide open I look at my now perfect set of teeth. Crowns, I assume.
I laugh even harder and grip the sink for support. I fight to breathe in between hysterics until my face turns red and i'm in tears.

Then I laugh some more.

Twenty minutes later and i'm strolling down the parking lot with a set of keys in my hand. The cupboard contained not only a tailored suit but a gun, a wallet stuffed with cash and cards and an ID with my new name on it. The keys were in the jacket pocket.

I stop for a moment to take a look around. To my left and right stretch rows of identical cars. All of them brand new, but not the latest model. In other words, good enough to blend in. I press the unlock button on the remote and the third car from my right winks its lights at me.
I guess that one's mine.

I step up to it, open the door and get into the driver's seat. Laid across the passenger seat is a brown manila envelope with the words “Welcome back” printed on it. I ignore it for now. There's going to be plenty of time to run errands for the Devil later. I check my gun, stick the key into the ignition and place my hands on the steering wheel. Easing the car out of the parking spot I pause for a moment and close my eyes.

I take a deep breath.

I open my eyes.

I put pressure on the gas pedal.

And I drive away.