The Psychotic Payback

A promise is a promise

Jim pulled me aside for a moment.

Jim - Shadow... I want you to understand that whatever happens in there, whatever you see... you and Nadia will be together.
Shadow - Jim, this is it, it's the big boss and he has my Nadia but... if you have to choose between you and I, choose to live.
Jim - Bro...
Shadow - Jim, I'm serious. You have your family and they need you more than me. If I feel like it's too risky, if we have to let to chance something else after we go and introduce ourselves... you're out of the mission.
Jim - Shadow, I'm not going to leave you just like that.
Shadow - Jim...
Jim - No! I'm not gonna do that. Now, let's fucking go, we have to save your wife.
Shadow - ...let's go.
Jim - Dave!

He screamed to get his attention.

Dave - Yeah?
Jim - We're leaving!

Dave walked up to us with the stuff from under the couch; a sniper rifle with a silencer and a backpack with 6 grenades, 3 extra mags and 3 sticky bombs.

Shadow - Dave...
Dave - What?
Shadow - You can go...
Dave - What?!
Jim - What?!
Shadow - Just... go; and keep quiet about all of this shit!
Dave - You sure?
Shadow - NOW! Before I change my mind.

Dave turned around and started to walk away.

Shadow - And don't get into this kind of shit again or you'll be the first one I kill!
Jim - What are you doing?
Shadow - Keeping my promise.
Jim - What promise are you talking about?
Shadow - ...
Jim - Shadow!

I didn't want to answer, my mind was only set on getting Nadia back with me. She is the only reason why I went back to having a normal life for so long and now they take her and drag me back into it... like i have no choice but to stay in these ways until this lifestyle takes my own life.

We were barely walking to the boss's house. Jim and I weren't talking much to each other during that small trip, but then Jim wanted to ask:

Jim - Hey, Shadow.
Shadow - Yeah?
Jim - What was it like?
Shadow - What was what like?

I was confused at his spontaneously vague question.

Jim - What was it like to be so normal for so long because of the woman you love?
Shadow - ...
Jim - I know it's a sudden and random thing to ask but-
Shadow - No, don't worry... it was new for me. You had your life before I did with your own wife and kids, but I felt my life was still in that box; that killing box. Jim, I was a horrible person after they took Lexi away from my hands, i felt the whole world was out to get me. They killed her and blamed me so I gave the world a reason to lock me up. I killed and killed until the thirst for blood disappeared, but then it would come back and I would kill some more. This kept going for a while until I met Nadia, she really did bring the love I thought i had lost back into my heart.
Jim - Bro...
Shadow - And I know it sounds horrible when I say i was thirsty for blood but...
Jim - BRO!... calm down, that doesn't bother me so much as you think it might; in fact, I get it. I made the bar as just a bar, a place to sell liquor to imbeciles all around that come for a cheap hangover; then that one fight happened, we both got in that fight and I got some blood on me. That made me get that thirst for blood as well and that's why it's now like a fight pub. We were cut with the same scissors, my friend; there is nothing you can do to make me doubt that you and I are brothers.

Our bond was unbreakable, but I wasn't telling him because I wanted reassurance, I just really needed him to know why... why I'm doing what I should've done.

Shadow - Jim...
Jim - What's up?

I thought about it once more in silence, it was important but very hard to do this.

Shadow - Jim, you're out.
Jim - Out?
Shadow - Out of the mission, you may go rest.
Jim - WHAT?! Rest?
Shadow - Yes

It wasn't hard in the sense of me letting him leave and leaving me alone, but in the fact that that may be the death of me.

Jim - Do you have a death wish?!
Shadow - Maybe... but I'd rather have that than putting your life in danger because of mine.
Jim - No! I'm not letting you do this alone, not now, not ever.
Shadow - JIM! This is my fight, I never should've invited you in the first place but I was so angry that I just did. I'm not asking you to leave, I'm telling you! Go...
Jim - I'm not leav-
Shadow - GO!
Jim - NO!
Shadow - I swear to Jesus, Jim. If you don't go...
Jim - What? Shadow, I'm not your little kid that you get to tell if he goes or not to the theme park. I'm your best friend and I will ALWAYS be there to help you, even if you don't want me to...
Shadow - ...
Jim - Now lets go.

Jim turned around to keep walking towards the bosses house, but i couldn't let him...

Shadow - Jim...
Jim - Wha-

I struck him in the head with one of the mags we had on the bag, letting him almost fall unconscious. I caught before he hit the ground and dragged him back to the house we were just in. It wasn't far, but it was still a setback I was willing to go through. I got him in bed and tied his hands, although I knew that wouldn't work for long.

I left the house as fast as I could to continue my journey... alone.