Rewritten-Chapter 2

He opens his eyes once more except he was at home and his comrades surround him and also a man with a fine coat and refined silver monocle stood at the centre of the soldiers he looks out of place yet he didn't and he had something behind the glass of the monocle that adds to his small height and build and his grey hair emphasised his experience of life. His still blue eyes moved to William and he showed a simple gesture of respect and said.

"Glad to see you awake young master Freeman. It is a miracle that you have survived the war but to also survive a bombing it's truly-"

"Where is she?" William interrupted.

"Hm?, ah…why don't you take a rest first?"

"Sigmund, where is she?" SIgmund soul was in conflict as he saw Will's eyes as if a child was asking where their dog was and he was the parent, the bearer of bad news. 

"Miss Merisa was not found when they uncovered the explosion that occurred last week."

*sigh* William lets out a breath and as he draws it out his eyes start to swell with warm streams of tears and an inevitable headache strikes him.

'The flower shop!'

"Sigmund, she was standing next to a flower shop. Did they check there?"

"Young master Freeman i am afraid they have not reported anything that you spoke of perhaps i will encourage them to do so and-" 

before sigmund finished his word Will rushed out of his bed and went downstairs towards the exit holding his head with his left hand as his right barged people aside and before his nose picked up the smoke filled air his eyes search his target and finally he saw a half standing flower shop with blackened walls and headless stems from ripped baskets littered in front of it's entrance as the explosion opened the door. 

He mumbled her name "Mer-isa"

Then he shouted at the top of his lungs with a muffled cry "MERISA!!!" There was no one except strangers that passed by with confusion and sadness as they mourned their dead and the people he saw as family behind him. 

He wiped his tears before he faced them and he caught the worrying look they gave him just the same as hers before the explosion took her.

"Sigmund, I will find her, " He asserted with a sharp tone.

"Sir, when you were unconscious Miss Merisa's family prepared a funeral-"

"A funeral! Didn't they think there is a possibility she is alive!?"

"Young master Freeman, we know of your loyalty to Miss Merisa and we admire your love for her but…" Sigmund did not dare to finish it and would not even bother to because he knew he already planted the madness on William's head.

'This is proof that she is alive and I will do everything I can to find you or I will die trying…i owe this much' William touched the burnt surface of the flower shop and breathed in the intoxicating smell and turned towards his left to see the centre of Southport where the dry beach was being ruled by seagals in the usual cold morning of North Albion a part once called minor ice age.

'It doesn't matter where you are or who kidnapped you. I will find you even if you are in bones, I will find you I promise, I promise.' he looked at his comrades all tired of war but ready to follow him.

"Soldiers, are you sick of living?" William asked them with a smile.

The soldiers started to laugh and stood in formation and responded.

"YES SIR!" William smiled in response because it doesn't matter whether they meant it, this confirmation was enough for him as he walked closer towards them and looked at each and every one of their eyes..

"Well follow me." They didn't know where they were going and none of them were going to question him as they followed him during the war and they would follow him through the depths of hell. 

Sigmund stood still as the group led by his young master glorified the streets with every step and there as he stared he smiled with pride of what William had become and felt pity for the enemy that did what William thought they did even if they didn't they are guilty by just his thoughts alone.

"Things are getting interesting around here."

He fixes his monocle and grabs hold of this moment as it changes the course of history.

15 th August 1921

It was a sunny morning in a town called Dorabell, it has a very charming appearance to it even though the streets were crude to walk on and when the smoke of factories were blown to the sky as if it was an effort to cover the sun and in all of the conflicts there was in the middle of the busy streets there was an office with a label on the edges of its roof 'Shepherds Harp' and as people walk in through the glass door which the insides of the office were filled with smoke of cigarettes and papers and documents for each person that worked there and just at the other side of the street is a pub named 'Rose's Revenge' and inside was filled with indecency of clerks, factory workers and women who were free on a tuesday morning or the rest of the day.

Suddenly the lax atmosphere was interrupted with a "BANG!" as the door was forced open.

Outside of the bar was a man with black coat and gloves holding a bar girl with his right and holding a revolver with his left.

"Who and where is William Freeman?" the man asked rudely and not recognizing the confusion and terror within the eyes of the people in the pub threw the girl on a nearby chair and asked again.

"Who in here is William Freeman?" but this time instead of silence the response was from the bartender.

"Who wants to know?"

"Brian Bolt of the Bolt Brothers. And I am going to start with you if you don't tell me who and where William Free-."

"Clink!" a colt pistol was firmed and a cold tone was heard.

"I think you are already done with him."

"Drop the gun." Brain dropped the revolver.

"Turn around." Brian obliged.

"If you have business with me you come to my office on the other side of the street not to my pub."

Brian sheepishly responded. "Sorry Mr Freeman i am new to this area i couldn't possibly have known-"

"Well, get used to it." hiding his embarrassment, Brian exited the bar after picking up his revolver, William walked to the counter.

"Get the girl a bed and also some money so she can last a few weeks before she returns to work."

"Yes Bill." the bartender responded.

William walked out of the bar and the pub went back to how it was. Outside of the pub stood a Ford Model T.

"Nice office you have, but sadly my brothers decided that we will discuss business in our orchard house. I hope that is ok Mr Freeman-"

"Please call me Will, we are to be friends aren't we?" william smiled

"I guess we are Will and you can call me Brian, please after you." Brian gestured impatiently to get in the car.

"No, please go." William responds coldly.

"Alright. You will love the orchard house. It may seem small at first but the price was worth it-."The car door was shut behind Brian and from the right and left side of the car stood 5 men with revolvers in their hands and on the right side was William lighting a cigarette.

"What is the meaning of this Will, why are you doing this?" Brian starts to squeal in his chair.

"We just want to be secure of the meeting place, friend." William responds as he winks at Brian and walks to a car behind the Ford Model T that seems to have been parked and gets in it and 7 of the 10 men get in in different cars and the rest get in Brian car.

-3 hours later-

They arrived in the woods and were just 2 miles away from the orchard house and they stopped the car.

William got out of the car with two men as they reached Brian's car.

"How was the ride?" William asked teasingly.

"What do you do to me now? kill me in the woods and bury me so my brothers can't find my corpse. Is that your plan?" Brian accepting his fate made a prediction of what to expect.

"No, you will show me how sincere your love for your brothers is. It is now 10:25 and you must reach the orchard house at 11:00 past that… well you forfeit your life and your brothers as well do you understand?"

Brian nodded his head but did not say anything he knew he loved his brothers dearly and even if this gamble isn't real he would do it.

"Now go" William commanded and like a dog chasing a ball Brian ran as fast as he could.

–25 minutes later–

*sigh*

*sigh*

Brian humps and puffs his breath as he ran he doesn't know what time it is because he did not even bother checking his watch all he knows is that the fate of his brothers rests upon his efforts and he can see the orchard house it was just a few metres away he accelerates his speed even though his legs were begging him to stop and his heart did not even rest properly due to his persistent running.

As the trees branches creates a tunnel like form he reaches the end of the supposed tunnel like woods and finally reached outside the orchard house but he stopped it was not to catch his breath or to rest his beating heart, no it was because of his repressed fears that kept him running that kept him going that gave him hope was now lost.

William looked at him and turned his head slightly and asked the man behind him

"What's the hour?" 

"11:02 sir." 

"So close…yet too slow." William said with a cold temperament as he looked at Brian who had a shattered face and tears within his eyes and was clenching teeth with rage and grief of his brothers.

With a swift move Brian draws out his revolver aiming at William but it was futile as strings of lead pierced his body he was left there never to be remembered again.