[The Last Outlaw] Where Will I Go?

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Ash quickly followed him. "What is it you want to show me?" she asked. She began getting confused when they got to Barret Street and he stopped. "Seriously, what are we seeing?"
 
"Hold your horses love." Franco said as he glared at his watch.H silently counted down from ten when he heard a horn blare and colorful music playing some distance away. The entire crowd roared it's approval as a Chevy camero painted like the Cuban flag rolled down the street. The people around Ash and Franco gave a mock salute and said "Long live Cuba!" Franco turned to Ash, "If ya hang around with me, then ya have to go to the National Cuban patriot Parade. A celebration of all things Cuban." he explained as the first of several flats passed by, donning the Cuban flag and playing music.
 
"Hehe... Love live Cuba...?"

Ash didn't know how to feel at that point. She wasn't Cuban but being around a bunch of people who seem to love Cuba made her feel... she didn't know what feeling she had.
 
Franco watched the parade with glee as several homemade floats passed by him. He smiled and watched the parade pass by. After a while the last colorful passed by, and the crown started to disperse.
 
At least Franco seems to be enjoying himself, she thought. She watched the crowd disperse when the parade was over and sighed softly. "So what now?" she asked him when the last of the parade watchers went home.
 
"Now, we go home, I'm very tired." He said flatly as they hopped onto the bike and drove back to Franco's Place. The lights were out, on the front was a note written by Jorge explaining he was going to be out of town for a couple of days and the Cafe was to be closed. Franco unlocked the door and let himself in.

"I have a headache, so I am going to bed. Help yourself to anything in the fridge and The T.V. is over there." Franco said pointing to a TV over in a corner. "Good night Ash" he said as he trudged slowly upstairs.
 
She didn't say anything as they rode back to the cafe. There was a note that said Jorge was going to be out of town for a couple of days when they got there.

"I have a headache, so I am going to bed. Help yourself to anything in the fridge and The T.V. is over there." Franco said pointing to a TV over in a corner. "Good night Ash" he said as he trudged slowly upstairs.

"Ok, g'night," she said. "I hope you feel better."
 
Franco stopped upstairs and headed for his room. He opened the door to the darkened room. He flipped on the light to reveal a messy, crowded room that was overflowing papers and garbage.He set his .45 Colt on the night stand and stripped of f his t-shirt and pants.He caught a glance of himself in the mirror, a well built Cuban in his late twenties. He smiled and did some flexing in the mirror. Before he could turn out a light. He heard a noise coming form his closet. It sounded like a child sobbing.

"What the hell?" Franco asked himself as he grabbed his gun and made his way slowly to the closet door. He hesitated a minute, before ripping the door open to reveal a young girl in a shall, sobbing over the dead body of what Franco assumed was her mother. The girl turned towards Franco, revealing her black, empty eyes.

"Holy Shit!" Franco said as he fired twice at the girl, not realizing the girl was a figment of his imagination.
 
Ash jumped when she heard shots coming from upstairs. Running up the stairs, she kept thinking of what or who was getting shot. She made her way into Franco's room and stood at the doorway.

"What's goin' on? What're you shooting at?" she asked frantically.

She took a moment to look at Franco's body. He was well built, and some thoughts ran through her mind.
 
Franco kept his weapon trained on the girl, who seemed unphased by the two bullets that were supposed to tear through her body and ended up in the back wall of his closet. When Ash came upstairs and checked on him, he glanced over at her and said, "Stay back Ash, I found some trespasser who came out of "The Exorcist" or some shit!"

He then noticed that other than a white tank top and boxers, he wasn't wearing anything else. He just shrugged kept his fixed on the demon girl. H e had bigger problems to deal with.
 
"Franco you're shooting at a closet. Put the gun down."

Ash walked over to him and tried to lower his weapon. "Put it down."
 
Franco lowered his weapon, keeping his eyes trained on the girl in the closet. The girl had not said a single thing, but her presence was disturbing. Out of nowhere he asked the girl, "What do you want from me? huh? what do you want from me!?" he asked hysterically. The girl sat there for a few minutes before asking a single word, Why?

That single word brought back bad memories for the tough vet. Images of death and suffering ran across his mind. He dropped his weapon and looked down. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." he said quietly
 
Ash walked over to him and pulled him close to her. "It's ok," she said. She wrapped her arms around him and brought his head to her shoulder.

She knew that he more than likely had some type of PTSD from Afghanistan but he never wanted to talk about it. Could whatever he went through be so bad that it still haunted him? What could he possibly be sorry for?

"It's ok," was all she could say.
 
Franco sobbed quietly as he hugged Ash back. The girl had disappeared, but the memories had stayed with him. Maybe he should tell her, what could be the worst thing that happened. He sighed and said "No Ash, it's not okay, I haven't been totally honest with you." He pulled up a couple of chairs and motioned it her to sit. "It all started 10 years ago."
 
Ash knew something was up but didn't want to say anything. She sat in one of the chairs that Franco pulled up. She sat next to him with a worried look on her face.
 
"I was with the US Rangers when I served in Afghanistan. My squad was a odd bunch, mostly misfits and castoffs from other units." He chuckled a bit as he remembered all the hijinks his crew got in.

"One day, Me and the other guys were humpin, which means we were out on patrol. We suddenly got fire from a nearby village. We had to hide behind some ruins and return fire from a enemy we couldn't even see. We called in a black hawk and they cleaned up the mess for us."

Franco took a deep breath and continued. "When we got to the village, it was a mess. The black-hawk hit more civilians that actual hostiles and the people were cleaning up what was left of their loved ones, Arm...legs...feet,now just bleeding stumps. And there was this girl who was sitting over her mamma and... well you can figure it out."

Franco got up and walked over to the window, staring out into the bright lights of New York. "I've seen some much violence and death over the years, I don't even feel anything if I shoot random that get's in my way."
 
Ash's expression softened, though it became a sorrowful one. She leaned forward and clasped her hands together. "Oh my..." She sighed softly, she didn't think that it was that bad.

"Franco..." she said. "Is there-" She stopped herself. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to ask what she was going to ask.
 
Franco turned back to Ash. He arched a eyebrow in confusion. "Is there what Ash?" he asked.
 
Ash wringed her hands together. "I was going to ask if there was anything I could do but-"
 
"But what? It would be too much of a inconvenience to help a Ghetto rat like me!" Franco growled. "Who are you to judge me, Someone who lived all their life in a safe little bubble has no idea what I had to go through just to survive!" Franco screamed. He punched the wall in anger, causing a fist sized hole in the wall.

He sat down next to Ash and lit cigarette and took a drag. "You can't help me Ash, no one can. You should get outta here while you still can, Why waist your time with me. I'm some lowlife thug who is just gets paid, kills repeat." He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to get away from all of this.
 
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