He spent weeks on end trying to figure out what he could do to stop these men from killing more people. Then it hit him. What if he went to England and did something? The something he would do is he would kill people, like a hit man. So that is what he did.
The next Monday he flew out to England to meet up with a man named Gregory. The things James have heard about Gregory sounded great. Now it was time to meet him. James heart was racing and he couldn’t control his heartbeat if his life depended on it. When the plane lands he looks for Gregory. When he spots him, he didn’t expect what he looked like. He was short with a beard and a hat (about a tall as his leg) and a long coat. James was about 7 inches taller than him.
“Well, you must be Jimmy?”
“James, people call me James… I hate the name Jimmy.” James replied
“Nice to meet you James, I have heard all about you through the letters you sent me, you sound like a great guy.”
“Thank you.”
“You told me you came here to make a difference, what difference might that be?” Gregory asked James.
“Can we not talk about it now; let’s wait until we are somewhere private!” James seemed irritated, but he was glad to have someone who believes what he believes. James now saw Gregory as a virtuoso on the topic of war. The security guards were looking at him and Gregory so they both lowered their voices.
“Yes, but first I would like to know a little more about you. What is your favorite color?”
“Red, I love the color red.”
“Really, red is the color of anger and hatred, I thought you were kind of a magenta or a cyan. Those represent quiet yet pop out in a dark crowd.”
James was astonished at what detail he was putting into colors. Why would he say stuff like that?
“Does it matter what color I pick?”
“Well yes it does; it matters because first impressions make a difference in a relationship. You and I want a good relationship, right?”
James paused for a minute then answer, “Yes of course, the flight really made me tired. A young boy was playing with his marbles. I thought they were some sort of trinket”
“Let’s get you in a nice bed then, I have a guest room in my house.”
“That sounds lovely!” James got into Gregory’s car and they drove to his house.

“Let’s get you in a nice bed then, I have a guest room in my house.”
“That sounds lovely!” James got into Gregory’s car and they drove to his house.
In the car Gregory kept asking questions.
“Why do you want to make a difference?
“I would like to make a change because I think it’s very unfair that one man can control the fate of many others lives and that seems unfair. He has volition to choose what he does, but he still chooses to do the wrong thing.” James seemed very angry at the thought of this topic. Then Gregory said something James would have never expected him to say.
“It does seem fair to the man in charge. The person in control thinks what he is doing, is right. It is detrimental to other people that are not following his rule, but it isn’t harmful to him. Everyone hopes this situation won’t be perennial, but it might be based on what is going on now. ” James was surprised from what Gregory told him. James never thought about it that way.
“Who could ever think taking control of counties and killing people who are different is okay?”
“The man in charge thinks its okay.” Gregory said.
They arrived at Gregory’s home where James grabbed his bags and went inside to rest. When he walked inside, he saw that everything looked really clean. The floors and the walls were perfectly painted and dusted. The shelves and drawers in the rooms in the house were all sorted and labeled so it made it easier for people to find things. The beds in the rooms made James feel like he was at The Dorchester. He sat down on the bed and it felt like he was sinking into a heavenly bed filled with feathers. He was told to go to the guest room and rest for the night, and that is what he did. Before he went to bed he reconnoitered in the house. He explored the kitchen and bathrooms, trying to make himself comfortable. James unpacked his stuff and went to bed. He was in for a big surprise in the morning.
When James woke up, he analyzed the clock and it showed 9:40 am. He never slept this late in his life. He always woke up at 6:00 am, sharp. He got dressed and went out into the kitchen. He was surprised to see that Gregory was cleaning a big sniper rifle.
“What are you doing? That gun is illegal!” James yelled at Gregory.
“Didn’t you know I make differences, too?”
“What kind of differences?” James asked with hands forming the shape of quotes when he said the word ‘differences’
“I am a hitman. I kill people and get a reward.” Gregory told James.
“ That is tenuous, you never see hit-men around. How much do you make?”
“I make enough to live.”
“When you go on another one of your manhunts, may I join you?”
“Why James, why?”
“I want to know if I can follow in your footsteps.”
“Yes, you may join me this afternoon to kill Hanz Orizhankinlin.”















































The theme of before we were free was Freedom with a cost. Anita achieved that freedom, but James did not. James tried to achieve freedom, but he died in the process. James died trying to achieve freedom just like Anita’s father. They both fought for a cause. Then, they both died from caring and trying to fight against it. My story and Before we were Free are similar in details. They both have the theme of Freedom with a cost.

That afternoon, James and Gregory went to a very small apartment across town. The window was a perfect view to spot anyone of his targets. Gregory unpacked the long rifle showing off all the parts to James and telling him what they do and where they go. Then he picked it up and set down on the window sill and waited. 30 minutes passed, and then Gregory said, “Quiet, I see him.”
Gregory aimed and fired. “Miss,” whispered Gregory with an annoyed tone of voice.
The bullet must have hit something soft because the gun was boisterous when fired. The gun had an old silencer with the brand name Lifton Co. James thought the gun’s bullet made a raucous noise. Gregory re-aimed and fired again. This time the bullet hit him directly in the head and pushed him back into an alley.
“Now it is time for the hard part, the Clean-up!”
“I don’t think I should join you.” In that moment the door was kicked open. The men who were walking passed the target slowly walked in and shut the door.
“I know you are in here Gregory! Come out and we won’t have a problem.” The man in the white whispered in a deep voice.
“I don’t think they’re here, the floor above us was the floor they were on.”
“Shut up Yanniv.” Obviously, the man in the black was Yanniv. James was so scared he couldn’t breathe, but he got control of himself quickly. The man in the white had a pistol with a really long barrel. The man in black had what looked like a machine gun.
“I think they went this way.”
“How would you know David?” The man in the white was David.
“Yanniv, do you trust me?”
“Yes I do.” Yanniv said caustically.
“Then follow me and shut up!” David berated Yanniv.
“I don’t think shut up is a nice word David, use be quiet. Plus I think this place is pretty eerie, with all the mold and crap on the walls.” Yanniv annotated David on his word choice.
“You’re right this place is creepy, let’s find Gregory and get out of here.”
They went into the kitchen and aimed, but didn’t fire. The sudden movements of the men were conspicuous. They were terrifying to Gregory and James, but what was more terrifying is what was about to happen. James thought both boys were disparate in says, shape and attitude. David was angry about something.
“Gregory, I have a bomb. In 1 minute I will detonate this bomb and you will die if you don’t come out.” Gregory thought hard.
“Alright, I and coming out of the closet now. I have my hands on my head and I am walking slowly.” The door creaked open and showed only Gregory, but not James.
“What do you want?” That minute the two men shot him twice in the head and once on the chest.
“I wanted to kill Gregory.” He pulled out a contract and burned it.
“We got him Yanniv.” James was surprised and wasn’t going to let amateurs kill his best friend. At first, he reluctantly watched the two men disrespect his best friends body. He pulled out the pistol and shot Yanniv in the heart and shot David in the head.
“I can’t believe I did that.” James showed his atonement by closing Gregory’s eyes and taking his gun.
Right at that second, another gun fired. James looked down and saw a pool of blood on his white shirt. At that moment, all he wanted was restitution for his loss of Gregory, but he wouldn’t get it in heaven. He was gesticulating to try and get help, but he could not breath because the bullet went into his lungs. He wanted to make a difference, but he was too late. He wanted change, but he stayed the same. He wanted something to be great in his life, but all he got was disappointment. The man who shot him was a Nazi spy, who knew Gregory. Before James died, he looked in Gregory’s wallet. He saw a folded up red armband with a swastika on it. The ethereal fabric ripped with one touch. He wanted to banish the idea before he ripped it, it was in pristine condition. James found out, Gregory was a Nazi. He was betrayed. Why he would help James was indecipherable. He was now a martyr who died for his cause. James wanted his decrepit thoughts to whither away in the dust, like leaves blowing wind.