Chapter IX: A chance to secure a future.
Heath finally came to an undetermined number of minutes later. He was lying on his back in the hall. A full ache was curling through his chest as he remembered he'd been shot. He patted around expecting to see blood on his glove, there wasn't any. He rubbed his chest guard and felt a sharp hard object. He picked it off his chest and saw that a bullet had flattened into his bulletproof vest. "Oh thank god." He said with relief. He quickly got to his feet. He looked around, the only other person in the hall which was now darkened and filled with smoke was the body of his superior. "Harley?!" He yelled, no response. He strained to see through his slightly blurred vision. Down the hall aways, her bat lie on the ground. "Harley?" He called again. Still nothing.
He didn't need more motivation to run back into the shock therapy room and grab his weapon and helmet. He put it on and tightened the strap, then gripped his weapon tightly and ran down the hall to her bat. He picked it up and looked down the other hallway that connected to the one he was in. There were a few bodies of other guards, all facing toward where he was. Evidently whoever took her went that way.
He followed the pattern of guards down other halls and corridors. Past blasted open doors and shot up offices. Eventually arriving at the short stairway that led up into the large exercise yard. Blood was poring down the concrete steps from a body of a guard who'd been shot more than any human probably has ever been. Heath placed Harley's bat in the sling in his back meant for his rifle and cautiously began to move up the steps.
As the sound of alarms and chaos dinned behind him, the sound of a helicopter came into auditory dominance. He crouched just below the last step before the top and the body atop it. He looked over the body to see a tandem rotor helicopter in the distant corner of the yard. He squinted and tried to make out the figures who had just reached it. They all seemed to be prison guards, and Harley was among them. Being dragged by one of the pigtails. Heath slowly brought his weapon to lie on the body of the guard he was hiding behind. He saw four guards altogether, three standing around the helicopter whilst the fourth was trying to get Harley into the helicopter and yelling inaudibly at her. He took careful aim and fired one shot. The guard on the far left dropped. And the other two went down on their knees and searched for the shooter.
Heath enjoyed the ease of his situation as he smirked while he put his crosshair over the head of the guard remaining on the left. He pulled the trigger, "Bingo." The guard fell back dead. The remaining guard hurriedly got up and began assisting the other in forcing Harley into the helicopter. Heath wouldn't dare himself to fire while Harley was that close to the target. He retracted his rifle from his shooters perch and moved up a bit.
He moved the switch on his rifle to the automatic setting and took a deep breath. "God help me now." He said softly to himself. Then with a surge of strength he ran up the last two steps and jumped over the guards body.
He ran as fast as he could, the cold October air burning his exposed face. As he charged toward the helicopter, the guard who was originally his last target noticed him and moved down the ramp and began to fire blindly at Heath. Heath dropped to the prone position and fired a burst of shots that hit their mark in his opponents neck and head. Harley took note of this as she struggled with the last guard and screamed to Heath. Her words were drowned by the helicopters rotors but he knew she needed to be saved.
But before the other guard would let him move he unholstered his side arm and fired at Heath. A bullet glanced off his head but he knew he wasn't going to stand a chance at point blank and on the ground. So Heath dropped his head and played dead. "Heath!" Harley screamed. He lay as still as he could on the ground waiting for his time. Before long he heard the helicopter begin to take off and he looked up. The ramp was still down and beginning to move up.
Heath jumped to his feet and ran hard at the helicopter, leaving his primary weapon behind. He jumped up and grabbed the edge of the ramp. The helicopter began to lift up and pitch forward. As the altitude increased Heath held on for dear life as they passed over the swamp that surrounded the complex.
During that time he heard Harley crying loudly as whoever the other guard was shouted at her. Heath's patience was stretched when he heard a slap. Anger rose inside of him, probably more anger than when his mother divorced his father right in front of him. He pulled himself up a bit just to see over the edge of the ramp and saw Harley on a seat against the wall of the cockpit crying while the remaining guard stood over her holding a knife. Heath lifted himself up over the edge of the ramp quietly and crawled up the angle of it. Harley was still crying but noticed him. Reverting her glance back to the figure quickly. Heath stood up and slowly pulled out his pistol. Harley looked again but this time the other guard took notice. He was wearing a gas mask that hid his identity but he didn't seem like a normal guard. He turned around and noticed Heath standing in a heroic scene of glory as the orange afternoon sky behind him framed his person as he held his pistol st the figure. The other guard quickly grabbed Harley and turned around. Holding his or her knife to Harley's throat. "Drop the knife." Heath said leaning forward and jutting his weapon at the figure. "Yeah that's not going to happen." The figure said, his voice muffled by the mask. "I said drop it." Heath said again firmly. "Try me." The figure said holding the blade against Harley's skin now. She looked Heath in the eyes, hers were filled with tears. "So?" The figure said pushing the knife harder against Harley's throat. Heath looked at Harley again. Her jester head cover was missing, her hair totally frizzled, her makeup streaked and running from her tears. He sighed as he shakingly dropped his pistol to the floor of the helicopter.
"See that's better." The figure said before shoving Harley at Heath. He caught her and she hugged him as tightly as she could. Heath looked at the other mans uniform and on the vest was a name in big white letters. It read "JOKER"
"Oh for the love of Christ." Heath said rolling his eyes. The now identified joker took off his gas mask and enjoyed the sight of his two captives standing on the edge of the ramps. "Could've all been easy of you just died back in that hallway. But no, Rambo over here had to be a hero." The Joker tainted. "I'm sorry I evidently care about Harley more than you do." Heath fired back. "Oh she said I don't care. What a whore." The Joker retorted. "Look let's just get the inevitable over with." He said redrawing his pistol. "Back up."
Heath and Harley backed up to the ramp. "Farther." The Joker ordered. Holding them at gunpoint. They coupe backed to the edge. Heath looked back over his shoulder to see the altitude of the helicopter had to be at least a thousand feet or so and still climbing. "Last chance to say your goodbyes." The Joker taunted with a small laugh. Harley looked up at Heath, crying softly. "Duck and kick." Heath whispered. "What?" She replied also whispering. "Duck and kick." Heath responded with a wink. Harley thought then smirked and nodded before putting her head back on his shoulder. "Ok times up. 3..."
Heath hugged Harley tightly. "2..." He took a deep breath. "1..."
At that moment Harley quickly ducked down and moved back toward the Joker. Kicking him in the side of the leg and knocking him off balance. He fell to the ground dropping his weapon. Harley picked it up and moved past him to make sure the pilot and copilot didn't try anything. Heath quickly moved to the Joker and held him down throwing multiple punches. To which the Joker attempted to block whilst laughing.
Harley balanced her attention between the pilots and the fight behind her. It was a continuous brawl. Heath would get on top and start pounding the Joker's face with continuous punches. And then the Joker would get him off and try to force him toward the ramp. Finally after a bloody and long fight Heath finally had the Joker on the edge of the ramp. The Joker pulled a knife out of his leg pocket and pulled Heath down, putting the knife to his throat. "One of us is going to die and it's not me." The Joker smirked. Heath looked to his left and saw the Joker's pistol on the edge of the ramp as well. "Well." Heath said. "I think."
"Think what?" The Joker asked. Heath smirked. "You're wrong." He said before moving his right hand off the ramp and pushing the jokers arm down. And grabbing the pistol with his left. So he had the Joker's hand with his knife held down and the pistol against his head. "Hey Harley got any last words?" Heath asked looking over his shoulder back at her. She looked back with a smile. "Good riddance."
Heath laughed while still looking at her and pulled the trigger. Blood and brains shot out of the Jokers head as the bullet splattered his skull. Heath breathed a sigh of relief and stood up. He then kicked the Jokers body which was somehow smiling off the ramp and watched it fall out of view. Harley walked up behind him and put her arms around him. "I love ya." She said happily. "I love you too." Heath said with a smile as he pulled her close. "Thanks." Harley said. "Don't mention it." Heath replied before kissing her forehead.
Heath then turned around and wen forward to the cockpit. "Gentlemen. I believe your service is over." He said as he reached forward and pressed the Autopilot button.
Harley assisted him in dragging the pilots out of the cockpit and unceremoniously executing them on the ramp before dumping their bodies. "Where to?" Harley asked as Heath sat I one of the pilot seats. "I'm landing this thing first off. I don't want to be a target." Heath said as he undid the autopilot and started and angled decent. "Hey Heath?" Harley asked standing in the doorway. "Yes sweetheart?" He replied as he guided the helicopter toward a field. "What are we gonna do now?" She asked. "Don't know, try to blend in and get out of the area. We're going to be wanted after this you know." "Yeah I know." She replied.
Eventually the helicopter semi crashed in the field Heath was aiming for. Sliding forward and to a stop. Heath got up out of his seat and went to the back. Harley stood up off the side bench. "Sorry about the rough landing." He joked. "I've been in worse." She replied remembering Midway City. Heath surprised her by picking her up in his arms and carrying her out the back of the Helicopter. He put her down on the wheat field and held her tightly. "Well this is us. Forever." She said looking into her eyes. "Thank god." She said with a giggled before he kissed her softly in the glaring light of the October sunset.