I wish to express my continued thanks to Alaidh for being an amazing Beta. :)
I would also like to thank the readers for reviewing and inspiring me to write. :)
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"No man is an island entire of itself;
every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main… Any man's death
diminishes me because I am involved in Mankind; and therefore never send to
know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
- John Donne
1:09 PM
Sector 5, Seattle, Washington
The grey-blue Aztek pulled out of the parking lot of Metro Medical and headed back towards Logan's apartment. The first checkpoint had traffic backed up for at least half a mile. A truck had rear-ended a car, skidding on the road slick from the rain. The drivers appeared to be having an argument and a man was gesturing with one hand while talking, holding a cell 'phone with his other and sharing the experience with some poor insurance drone on the other end. Several officers were trying to calm them down and take statements at the same time, with little apparent result. Logan could imagine the scenario and winced.
Max found the whole process frustratingly slow, but she often did. If she'd been one of those guards, people would be assessed and processed far more efficiently. So much time was wasted while they studied the IDs, and if they had anything they wanted to check, they walked so slowly back to their little booths, as if they had all the time in the world. This happened at the next checkpoint with the car ahead of them. Someone hasn't dotted all the "I's" and crossed all the "T's", she thought darkly. Max realized she was clenching her jaw and tried to relax. Unfortunately, relaxing made her tense.
"You in a rush?"
Max sighed. "Just don't want our day eaten up by these morons."
Our day, Logan thought and smiled. "We'll be back at the apartment in no time."
"Whatever."
"So, you think it was a game?"
He was back to the shooting at the park. She shrugged, wondering how much she'd have to reveal about her past in order to defend her theory. A game. A sport. A hunt. Her instinct told her it was the right conclusion.
"Yeah. Sounds like it to me. Why else would guys with guns be out at night, in a national park where hunting is illegal, flashing hunting gear and deliberately using it on a human target?"
Logan opened his mouth to say something, but their conversation was interrupted; it was their turn to be scrutinized by the sector police. Their ID was carefully considered. Max gave the guard her most innocent smile when he stared at her.
"Heading home, Mr. Cale?"
"Yes, I was visiting a friend in hospital."
Their ID was returned to them and the barrier was raised. "Have a good day, Mr. Cale, Ms. Guevara." He waved them through, blessedly disinterested. Logan nodded and drove away. They were quiet for a while, letting the rain create its own, unique rhythm on the roof of the SUV and watching the grey buildings blend into the grey sky.
Suddenly, Logan cursed and yanked the steering wheel to the left, breaking hard. A boy of about fourteen wearing heavily repaired clothing ran into the road, not even looking to check the traffic. The reason was soon apparent, as several armed guards in urban camouflage followed, shouting to pedestrians to move out of the way and dodging around the Aztek and a Honda Civic that had skidded to a stop while coming in the other direction. People fled the street, some ducking into storefronts in order to escape being an accidental casualty of justice. Logan jerked reflexively as one guard rolled expertly across the hood, landing on his feet at a run. The boy disappeared between two buildings on the other side of the road with the forces in close pursuit. The whole experience had taken under ten seconds. Soon all that could be heard was the sound of rain and engines and the windshield wipers keeping time like a metronome.
"Well, that was exciting," Logan said dryly, still recovering from the incident. He scanned the hood quickly for any sign of a dent. The Aztek wasn't in pristine condition, but he didn't need any more reasons to visit the body shop.
Max arched an eyebrow, knowing how it felt to be chased by soldiers who were under orders to terminate you. Watching the event was nothing when compared with being the target. "We need to discuss your definition of exciting."
A horn sounded behind them. He glanced at the traffic in the rear-view mirror and released the brake, continuing down the road. "That wasn't exciting?"
"It was very telling of the increased military presence in Seattle." Logan gave her an odd look, both eyebrows rising towards his hairline. "Hey, I heard it on the news a few days ago."
"It's probably accurate." Moments later, he groaned as the cars ahead of him hit their brakes in close succession. What appeared to be a platoon of army personnel had set up a roadblock and they were searching every car. Logan resisted the urge to smack his head on the steering wheel.
"Hey, relax," Max said smoothly. 'We'll be back at the apartment in no time."
He glared at the windshield, her words echoing his earlier comment. She smiled sweetly and managed not to laugh.
"So, what is Eyes Only gonna do to help find Peter Hurst's attackers?"
Logan reached for his ID in preparation for the search and sighed heavily, taking in the congested road and the delay the military represented. A burly man in a rusted Buick behind them decided to get out of his car and start an argument with one of the soldiers. He had an appointment in the next sector that he had to get to and he wanted the soldier to understand that and let him through. Well, that was the censored summary of what they could hear through the windows. Someone further down the line leaned on their horn and was soon joined by an irregular chorus of horns that clashed in tone. Then the yelling began in full force, the words indistinguishable from the rest of the noise. A woman two cars ahead of them was being pulled from her dented Volvo and spread against the hood for a brisk search. Her face held surprise and fear, and her protests fell on indifferent ears. The rain quickly soaked her. Two children in the back seat opened their windows and started screaming.
His hands gripped the steering wheel. He was unable to assist, alleviate their pain, or come to the rescue. All he could do was watch.
"Well?"
Logan had an idea beginning to form, teasing his mind with the possibilities. He looked at Max, and she stared warily back, obviously not sure she trusted the gleam in his eyes. He smiled and said, "What do you say we get away from it all?"
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2:22 PM
Logan's Apartment, Sector 9,
Seattle, Washington
"This is whack."
They had been in the apartment only ten minutes and Logan had assembled gear for a camping expedition.
"You have a better idea?" He pulled a rolled sleeping bag from the closet and tossed it to her. She caught it with ease and set it beside the other one. Two gym bags and a plastic cooler completed the luggage. "If I get there while the season is still quiet, there's a better chance they'll go after someone else."
"Making yourself a target is a good idea?"
Logan grimaced. "Actually, I present a lousy target. If you can get off from work, it isn't me who'll be the target."
"Yeah. Right. Like I have nothing better to do with my time than get shot at."
"Max, they're going to do this again. I know that, you know that. Peter said the guy had bragged about doing this for years. How many people are dead? How many people would no one miss? They're flaunting their ability to get in, hunt and get out. If this is a game, the risk and excitement only increases as more campers arrive."
"They could close off the park."
"And never have a chance to catch them. Besides, how do you shut down all the ways in and out of a national park that's larger than Rhode Island? They have too many places to hide and the rangers are outnumbered. Since the Pulse, it's amazing the park is open at all." Logan looked at her with the expression of a man on a mission. "These guys are organized, Max."
Max sighed. "These guys are organized, well-armed psychos."
"Who need to be stopped."
"But -" Max caught her next words before they were spoken. But you're in a wheelchair, Logan, she had almost said. You want to go into the wilderness like this? She chewed thoughtfully on her bottom lip. Yeah, that would've gone over real well.
Would've hit him like a brick, her Inner Commentator said. And made him madder than Lucifer's worst day in Hell.
Thanks a bunch.
Any time.
"But?" Logan prompted, his face set carefully in a hard, neutral expression. Max swallowed. Damn. He knew what I was gonna say. So what should she tell him? That she didn't want him to get hurt? That she cared about his stupid Eyes Only ass getting riddled with bullets and his body being kicked over a cliff? That a forest wasn't wheelchair accessible? That a national park was full of wild animals looking for an easy meal that couldn't run away? That she used to be a hunter?
That she'd never been camping before?
"But I've never been camping before," she said, hoping her discomfort and the offering of a potentially real concern would placate him.
It didn't.
"I used to camp when I was a kid," he said, checking his gun was empty of ammunition before packing it in his knapsack. The ammo went beside it in an opaque zipper bag. "There's nothing to it. You'll get outta Seattle for a week, enjoy the wildlife, cook over a campfire." He slung the knapsack over the back of his wheelchair. "It'll be fun."
"And the tent?"
"Is a kit that came with the Aztek. It fits over the rear of the vehicle. Instant camper, as long as you don't mind sharing the double air mattress that fits in the back."
"No big dealio." Angry with him for wanting to put his life at risk and at herself for being caught trying to mother him, she grabbed her knapsack and stalked towards him, her hand extended. "Okay, I'll do it. Can I borrow your 'phone?"
"Sure," he said, and watched it disappear with her as she wandered down the hall to the bathroom and closed the door.
Logan was nervous and excited. He hadn't been camping since… His hands gripped the wheels of the chair. I'm not going to let this get in my way.
You'll be at the mercy of Mother Nature and her cruel jokes, his Inner Voice said.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I can do this. I'll be fine.
You'll be dead.
The rain continued to pour. Logan tried not to let it affect his mood as he brooded about being in the middle of nowhere, dependant on Max if he couldn't get the wheelchair around a rock, or something. Several scenarios, all of them frustrating, paraded through his head.
"All set." He stared up at Max and brought himself back to the apartment, taking the cell 'phone from her hand and tucking it into a pocket in his jacket.
"What did you tell them?"
"I didn't. I asked Original Cindy to tell them I had the flu and would be out about a week," she said, adjusting her bulging knapsack. She gave him one of the gym bags to place across his knees and easily loaded the rest of the luggage onto her arms. "She's gonna let Kendra know. I'll need a note from the 'doctor'."
Logan nodded. "I'll see that you get one."
"Don't know if Normal'll buy it. I've been sick a lot lately." She was referring to the numerous excuses to her boss so she could do Eyes Only work. "And I only have so many aunts who can die before I run outta family."
"Max, I need you on this one."
"Hey, I said I'd do it and it's done. Don't tie yourself into knots."
Logan sighed and followed Max out of the apartment, switching off the lights and locking the door behind him. If they were lucky, they'd be at the site before dinner.
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