Disclaimer: DA is not mine. Blah blah, what a surprise.

-On the Run-

Chapter 1: The Hitchhiker

October, 2009

Lately, things were not going quite right for Logan Cale.

First it had been his heart. Daphne, his fiancée, dumped him, out of the blue, and now, less than a month later, the thing that would enlighten his mood and that would write his name in the history of the Pacific Free Press, a unique and amazing story that would expose the twisted priorities of the government even after an event as catastrophic as the Pulse had been, had collapsed and ended before he even began typing the first sentence.

Aaron Valentine, the man who'd been claiming to be a med tech in a secret government facility had been murdered - rather silenced, Logan thought - and now, with no evidence more than the few lines the tech exchanged with him, with no names of the people involved, with no other starting point, the whole story had been reduced to only a possible urban legend.

And Logan had wanted to do that at least, in memory of the poor man, but his code as a journalist stopped him from doing so. Truth was the only goddess worthy to be praised for, and publishing something that had no real evidence was tantamount to heresy, and such a thing could cost him not only his work but his newly formed reputation. Mostly, he wanted Herrero to be proud for giving him the job in the PFP to him, not to be ashamed.

On the other hand, Logan was almost sure that Manticore, as the man had told him the project was called, knew his identity. He believed he was the reason why Valentine had been found with a hole in his forehead in his backyard, but nobody had gone after him. Perhaps they hadn't considered him such a threat, and certainly he wasn't now that he was about 45 miles from Gillette somewhat fleeing in terror. Logan was sure as hell that his sense of self-preservation was still intact - mostly, at least.

Even when this new and unpleasant sense of fear for his life flooded his body, he sort of promised to Valentine's ghost he'd expose Manticore eventually. Maybe not in a month, maybe not in that year, but he would. It was only a matter of starting all over again, finding another informant or so, digging somewhere else.

But they wouldn't be safe. Manticore had become his story to be published.

Repeating the thought until he wrote it down in a mental post-it, he almost didn't note the beautiful young woman hitchhiking on the roadside. Surely he would have seen her feminine form as he passed her by, but he'd have kicked himself mentally for not having stopped. A few yards ahead he pulled over and opened the window from the passenger side, barely an inch, seeing her come to him with such a natural grace.

Ah, you Moron Cale. Is not like you can trust just some sweet chick standing aside a dark road...

As she leaned down, her big brown eyes hypnotized him. She wasn't just beautiful, she was stunning. He did notice the suggestion of her look and he felt her gaze drifting through his body, which sent shivers down his spine, taking his thoughts away from wondering why would be a girl like her in such a lonely road in the middle of the night. She just smiled and bit her lower lip gently.

Logan blushed -and then remember how to speak, smiling shyly back to the beauty goddess in front of him. "Where are you going?" he asked cordially, his fingers tentatively dancing on the door panel.

"I'm going to Buffalo," she replied with a voice so harmonious that was music to his ears.

When did he unlock the passenger's door? He had no idea and didn't notice until he figured he was motioning the young lady to get into the car. However, the smile with which she thanked him became the most wonderful thing he had ever seen in his almost twenty one years of life...

TBC...