I'm the Last One That You'll Ever Remember

Chapter 33: Decoy

The day was finally here. It was time for Frank to die, or, if Poison’s plan goes well, for him to go back home to his family. Poison didn’t think this day would ever come, and had spent all night going through his plan with Sable just because she had offered to help him again to make sure his plan was as foolproof as it could be. Deep inside, she didn’t want anything bad to happen to Poison, but as they continued to go over the plans with each other, they both began to realize that there was no way for him to avoid the evitable. The Killjoys were going to find out he had betrayed them, and if it wasn’t going to be by Sable telling them the truth, then it was going to be through the news coverage over the recently discovered missing 15 year old, Frank Iero. There was no way that the Killjoys wouldn’t find out about Frank and Poison’s betrayal.

It was a blow to both Sable and Poison. Depending on how soon the press got ahold of Frank’s story, Poison was looking at his lifespan shortening down into a single week at the very least. Strangely enough, he wasn’t about to back down out of his plan just because of his short time left on earth. His intention was to save Frank’s life, even if it resulted in him having to face his own mortally for the first time in his life. Sable had offered numerous times to plead for the others to spare his life in front his brother, the Killjoy leader, but Poison ordered her to stay out of it and that he would accept the consequences for his actions. Then another issue popped up right after that one. In the future, after Poison had been dispatched by one of the other Killjoys, they would mostly likely devise a plan on assassinating Frank and everyone else that were linked to him. Once again they were stuck. Poison didn’t want to have sacrificed his life for Frank only for him to get murdered in the end by some psychotic Killjoy. Sable once again offered to beg for his life on his behalf but Poison made a comment about her love not being good enough to stop his brother from having him killed. Sable pondered over it before coming up with another answer. She would promote herself to being Frank’s secret personal protector after Poison’s death, that way he would have a better chance at survival. Poison appreciated it, knowing that his brother wouldn’t have the balls to kill his beloved Sable, whether it was by the hands of his minions or his own.

After breakfast, Poison had informed his brother that he would have Frank killed before supper that evening. Kobra had given him a nod of approval before leaving the room to attend to other matters. By the time that evening came around, Poison was waiting for Frank to come out of the shower. When the door finally opened to let out some steam, Poison could feel a sudden sadness sweep over him at the thought of Frank not being around anymore. He forced those thoughts aside to remind himself that he was doing what he had to do in order to save the poor boy and to finally give him some peace and happiness by surrounding him again with his family. Still, it hurt him deep inside.

“Poison, are you okay? You look upset.” Frank asked him in a soft voice while towel drying his shoulder length hair.

Poison shook himself out of his depressing thoughts to give Frank a nod. “Yeah I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“Okay.”

“Hey Frankie, can you come over here?” Poison asked him, patting the spot on the bed beside him.

Frank hesitated, his eyes going wide. “Is it to…”

Poison chuckled and shook his head. “No, no I promise we’re not doing that. Just come over here, will you?”

Frank nodded and walked over with his towel in his hands. He took a seat next to Poison before looking up at him with his innocent hazel eyes. “Is there something you want to talk about?”

Poison shook his head as he reached over to smooth Frank’s dark wet hair down with both hands. “No, not really. I just want to look at you for a minute.”

Frank’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Why? Are you going somewhere?”

Poison shook his head again as his hands glided down his damp strands. “No, I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here for a little while longer, maybe forever, depending on how future events go. Don’t ask.”

Frank shut his mouth after he was told not to ask. “Well, if you’re not going anywhere, then am I the going somewhere?”

Poison nodded. “Yes, yes you are, Frankie.”

Frank’s eyes widen in excitement. “Are you saying I finally get to go ho-?”

Poison stopped him right there by stabbing him in the neck with a needle that he had hidden in his pocket, and pushed the drug into his blood stream. Frank flinched as he let out a gasp, his eyes wide with hurt and betrayal. Poison hated that look, and was grateful he was wearing a mask so that Frank couldn’t easily see the guilt and remorse on his face. He caught Frank just in time when his eyes rolled back in his skull and he fell limp. Pulling the young boy onto his lap, Poison cradling him close to his chest, occasionally pressing soothing kisses to his forehead as he thought over what he had just done. His stomach wasn’t agreeing to his decision, but he didn’t feel like he had any other option. Killing Frank, wasn’t going to be considered an option.

Poison ignored the sound of his bedroom door creaking open, and laid his cheek against Frank’s wet hair. Sable slipped inside and closed the door. “Poison, it’s almost time. I’m gonna let out the prizes intended for the last auction. Once you hear the alarm, you gotta get going after everyone leaves the house or else you’ll be noticed. The last thing we want is for them to check your duffle bag on your way out the door and discover Frank still breathing. In that case, it wouldn’t take them long to figure out what you’re planning.”

Poison nodded, and stood up with Frank’s small form still cradled in his arms. “Let’s hope my plan doesn’t make a turn for the worst. Can you grab my duffle bag, it’s in my closet.”

“Sure.” Sable searched his closet thoroughly and pulled out a big brown duffle bag. “Let me hold it open for you and help you navigate him all the way inside so you don’t have to struggle with him too much.”

Poison smirked as he just finished restraining Frank’s limps with zip ties and slapped some duct tape on his mouth before grabbing a black bag to shield his face with. “That was my thought too.”

Together, the two of them managed to get Frank’s entire body into the duffle bag with minutes to spare. Poison zipped up the bag before tossing Sable some clothes. She caught them and looked them over in curiosity. “What is this for?”

“Last night when we parted, I took the body to some house in the neighboring woods. There was a note on the door by the owners who are currently on vacation for the week. I broke in and emptied their downstairs freezer and kept the body on ice after I made a few ‘adjustments’ to him. Just in case those idiots don’t believe me and decide to dig Frank’s decoy up as proof, we’re going to have to make sure he looks like the real Frank as best as we can.” Poison explained quickly while gathering some other items to pack into the duffle side pockets.

Sable gave a Poison a look of disgust. “Oh god, I don’t think I wanna know what you mean by ‘adjustments,’ neither do I wanna know what we’re gonna have to do to make him look like Frank.”

Poison straightened back up and placed his hands on his hips. “Don’t worry Sable, I’ve done the hard work already. All you have to do is give our dead corpse a haircut, that’s all.”

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A few hours later after Sable had staged the prisoner’s escape attempt by unlocking the door to their cell so that they could make a run for it into the woods, she and Poison had snuck off some distance away in the opposite direction where the prisoners and the Killjoys went. They found a small open clearing where they each worked together to dig a deep grave where Frank’s decoy was meant to be buried. Once they were finished, Poison had left Sable in charge of his duffle bag where Frank was, so that he could go and collect the other body. An hour later Poison returned, and Sable got started on doing her job…that’s was until she took off the black bag and got a good look at Frank’s decoy.

“JESUS CHRIST, POISON!” Sable screamed as she fell back in horror with her eyes stayed glued on the defiled corpse. The hobo they had killed didn’t look anything like he did the last time she saw him. His eyeballs had been ripped right out of the sockets and were gone, as well as all of his remaining teeth. As her eyes trailed down, she could see that his fingertips were gone too. “What the hell did you do to him?”

“Oh you know, a little of this and a little of that. Now get back to work Sable, we’re running out of time.” Poison ordered as he took out the clothes that Frank worn on the night of his 15th birthday.

“Fuck.” Sable mumbled to herself as she got back up and took out her pocket knife. Carefully, she cut and layered the long black hair to imitate Frank’s style by memory. Once she was finished, Poison took over with dressing the corpse before they both kicked him into his freshly dug grave.

“Alright, let’s bury his body, and then you can head back to the house to join up with the others. I’ll take Frank to a safe place where I know he’ll be found.” Poison told her.

Sable shook her head. “No, I want to stick with you to the end. If any of them asks about where we went, I’ll just tell them that I followed you into the woods because I didn’t believe you would really go and finish the job in murdering Frank, and it turned out you proved me wrong.”

A slow smile came to Poison’s lips. “You’re getting really good at this whole lying thing, you know? I use to think you joining the Killjoys would be our downfall, but look at you now.”