The Boogie Man
Sequel to Kittens Have Claws, Too. Victor, Katherine, Tayla and Mystique discover the secret to helping keep female ferals alive…But will nightmares be the setback for an old friend, or will her personal Boogie Man be the one to save her soul.
I DON'T own them…at this point I wish I did…I would put them all out to pasture and go on with my LIFE…SOMEONE get Victor Creed OUT of my head. Wait, never mind. (Victor muse purring in the background as he throws back the covers on the bed…) I am going to pet the kitty while you guys enjoy the story.
Chapter 9
He woke up in a haze. He remembered finding the cage last night. He looked over at the nightstand – and the wad of cash lying there. He must have done okay. The room was quiet – he was alone. One thing they told him was true – he wasn't interested in another woman – and he'd tried.
The first night out of the mansion – he'd found a couple girls in a bar – let them drag him back to their place – but he just wasn't interested – no matter how hard they tried – and they had TRIED. He definitely gave them credit for that. He didn't even bother after that. Broads were off his radar. Booze and Blood were all he had left – and stogies.
He rolled over and reached for his shirt – and the stub of a cigar he'd left in the breast pocket. It was crushed – figures. He'd have to go looking for one. He rubbed his hand over his face. Where the hell was he? This wasn't the motel he rented last night – before the fight. He looked around – the phone book in the night stand said Casper, Wyoming. What the hell was he doing here?
He couldn't remember much after getting to the bar last night – was it last night? He paid his entrance to the cage and stripped down – next thing he knew he was here – three hundred miles from that damned town in Colorado. Well he was getting back on that bike and going right back to Canada. She didn't want him – and he sure as hell didn't want her.
He managed to lie to himself through his shower, shave, brushing his teeth, but when he opened the door to the room – he knew he was going the rest of the way – back to Colorado. He climbed onto the bike and kicked it to life. She was his mate – like it or not – she was going to have to deal with him.
He could almost hear his beast – his animal side roar in triumph as he pulled onto the southbound on ramp of Interstate 25. He was going to have to teach Wolverine who was boss – one of these days.
XXXXXXX
The crowd was getting ugly – very ugly outside the compound. They had the chopper fired up and waiting to fly them out as soon as they knew the girls were safe. Tayla didn't want them going into full cycle in the chopper – so they had to wait, at least until the first cycles were done to move them. All three were mated – and seemingly happily – which was a relief to her.
The sound of something breaking shocked her. The last couple was waiting on the cycles to start; the other two were ready to be flown out. Micah was waiting to take all six to the fallback center. This protest was getting violent – very violent. She was staying safely to the inside rooms of the main building of the complex, she and Kat had just set off the virus and she wanted to stay until the computers were all completely clean.
"We need to get you out of here – NOW!" Myst said as another crash sounded – this time it sounded like something hitting the gates.
"Why – they are outside – we still have time." Tayla said.
"Erik just got here – the Brotherhood are here – and the Friends of Humanity brought Sentinels."
"WHAT!?" The virus wasn't finished running.
"The small chopper is fired up – you both know how to fly it – get out. Micah just lifted off with the kids – GO! Tayla we need YOU safe both of you. You girls have all the knowledge in your heads – don't let yourselves fall into their hands."
"But the computers – we can't leave a trace." Tayla was saying as she watched the progress.
"I know a few things about computers now GO before I knock your ass out and have Kitten fly you out of here." The shape shifter hissed.
"I bet Vic's telling her the exact same thing. If you knock both of us out – no one is flying ANYWHERE!"
She didn't even see Myst move, just felt the blow – and everything go grey and hazy then black.
XXXXXXX
"Kitten you have to go – you will both be safe there – at least until your factors are working again. I will know where you are – so I won't worry." Victor said as she threw another pile of files into the incinerator.
"Vic – I am NOT leaving you here." She said.
"Listen – Myst and I have this planned – we are going to slip out – join up with Erik so he doesn't suspect a thing – have it out with the FoH and then slip away from the Brotherhood again and get to one of the fallback centers in a week or so. We can't do that with you two with us."
"WHAT!"
"KITTEN – It ain't just you – it's the CUB damn it. Think about the baby – the world if anything happened to either of you. Do you really want to turn me loose – INSANE!" She looked over at her husband – he was terrified, stark fear on his face – something he never let anyone – even her see.
"Fine – but someone is going to have to convince Tayla to go – it's the absolute LAST place she wants to go right now – anywhere near Logan is the last place she wants to be."
"That's why Myst is knocking her ass out – you are flying." He said.
"Great – is the chopper ready?"
"Yes."
"If you die on me, Tom Cat, I am going to KILL you." She hissed. "ESPECIALLY now that I am pregnant." HE pulled her into a fierce hug, his lips crushing down on hers.
"Darlin – if I die – I'll stand still and let ya kill me – how's that." He said with a grin.
"You DAMNED well better. Now hand me that box – these files need to be destroyed." They finished burning the boxes of files before he took her to the waiting chopper. Tayla was laying in the passenger seat, strapped in and out cold.
"She's going to HATE you guys for this – you know that." She said.
"No she won't not after what's going to happen to this place." Myst said. Kat looked around sadly. Years of work – and expense were about to be sacrificed – but the sacrifice was worth it – no one would ever know what had happened here – what they had done – and their work would go on, they had made sure of that. She was still going to miss it.
"You two be careful – and don't trust Bucket Head further than you can throw him." She said as she put on the ear protection and radio headset. "And if you get my husband killed – McGOO I'm coming after you."
"I am quaking in my shoes." She laughed. They both looked down at her bare feet and Kat pulled the door closed with a jerk. She just hoped the X-Geeks knew they were coming – if not she was going to have a lot of explaining to do.
XXXXXXXX
Victor watched the small chopper lift off – his life inside it. As soon as they were safely away, he and Myst slipped out the tunnel they had built just for this contingency years ago. At the other end were the controls for the explosives devices planted in the foundations. The entire place was about to come crashing down – they would have about an hour to get to Erik and convince him to get the Brotherhood out of here before the explosion.
He looked over at Myst's blue fingers punching her code into the controls. All he had to do was punch in his – and that would be it. He lifted his hand with a sigh to the keypad.
"Well – there goes a cool billion up in smoke." He said as he punched in his code. The countdown started and they both took off out the secret door. It wasn't hard to find Erik and the others, and the robots were marching down the streets. Most everyone had left town – Dave and several others had managed to slip most of the locals out. Anyone left knew what was coming and were slipping out; waiting to see what was left after the dust settled.
This was HIS town – and he'd help with the rebuilding – later. Right now he needed to make sure his wife was safe – and then make sure her work was. He felt a twinge at the loss of the house and the pool – for ten years that had been his home – and all the work on that pool – watching his Kitten play in it. Hell – he'd build her another damned pool.
"Where have you two been?" Magneto said as they found him in the crowd of mutants.
"Taking care of what you asked us to." Mystique said.
"Did you get anything?"
"Here." Victor handed him the selected files – the ones that would lead him to false locations – false safe havens. Their children would be safe from his madness.
"They've left then?"
"Cleared out – everything – and the place is wired to explode." Mystique said.
"Hrm – perhaps we can use that. Lure the robots in before the explosion.
"Erik – the whole TOWN is wired to explode." She said. "We need to get out."
"WHAT!? Why would they do that?"
"Maybe to protect the people they love. In case you haven't noticed – there's not a whole lot of natives around."
"Creed?"
"It's wired – why they did it I don't care – but I ain't plannin on blowin up." He glared at the older man.
"Pyro – order the withdrawl – let the Friends of Humanity have the field – much good it will do them. There is no need for our brothers and sisters to be harmed – and we have what we need. You two – check out these locations – find out where they are hiding. I WANT those mutants."
He looked over at Mystique. They would get to slip away – he carefully schooled his face, to keep the grin of triumph from spreading. Erik still thought he was nothing but stupid muscle – it was best to keep it that way.
XXXXXXX
He could smell the explosives – the entire town had blown. WHY!? He could smell blood – there were parts of those large robots lying around. Where was she? He raced to the compound but it was nothing but a crater. There wasn't anything to even leave a scent – it all stank of whatever they'd used to blow it up. He knelt at the wrecked gate – a primal roar of anguish and hate ripping from his throat.
He would find her – he'd know if she was dead – she was his mate. He could feel Logan trying to tell him something – trying to get through.
"Go back to the Institute – Charles can track her."
He was right – the path could track her – let him know if she was alive – know where to find her. He growled low, and then slipped back into the back of their joined mind. Let Logan deal with this – if she was dead – HE would deal with her killers.
