Chapter 12
Mac went back to the lab. When he walked in, David had his bag over his shoulder. "You're not running again!" Mac declared. "You're coming with me!"
"Mac, if she gets this story started, it could ruin everything for you and this lab!" David said.
"Why don't you let us worry about that? You said you haven't had anyone who wanted to help you, so let us help you! Don't run from us!"
"What if you…"
"What if, what if. Why don't you stop dealing in 'what if's' and just start trusting someone?"
David finally nodded. "Okay."
"Good. Now let's get out of here."
"Where are we going?"
"We're going to California."
"For what?"
"We're going to find that autopsy report, and I have plenty of friends to help me get it."
They started out of the lab, but Mac saw Nora coming down the hall along with Jack McGee. He shut the door and locked it back. "What is it?" David asked.
"It's Nora, and she has that reporter with her," Mac whispered.
Just then, they heard Rita outside the door talking to Nora. Mac looked around the lab but there was no other way out besides through that door. "Here I am surrounded by the vultures again!" David said. He went to the other side of the lab.
"There's no way out," Mac said.
David looked at him with his glowing green eyes. "There could be," he said in that deeper voice.
Mac was startled and backed up a step. "David." He watched as David changed into the hulk.
The hulk looked at him and then motioned for him to follow, and he even picked up David's bag. Mac followed him over to the air vent. The hulk pulled the vent cover off and they crawled in. The hulk pulled the vent cover back on and then they crawled through the shaft. Mac was not sure what was happening with David and the hulk but he knew something was different. They finally came to the opening that led outside, and the hulk shoved it off with no effort at all. He got out and then waited for Mac and put the cover back on.
Mac was almost too shocked to move when the hulk looked at him and said, "Come on."
He seemed to know that Mac was shocked and got him by the wrist and pulled him on. "Where are we going?" Mac whispered.
"Just come on," the hulk said.
Mac did not know what was more disturbing about this…David seeming to control himself becoming the hulk, or the hulk talking. They ran for a long time, and then Mac stopped beside a tree. He took a bottle of water from his bag and drank some. He looked at the hulk. "You need some water?" he asked.
The hulk nodded. Mac gave him a bottle of water and he drank the whole thing. "I don't understand this," Mac said. "How can you talk?"
"Later," the hulk said.
They went on running. Mac was starting to get tired. He was in shape but he was not used to running through mountains. He finally stopped. "I have to stop a minute," he said. "Where are we going?"
"You're cabin," the hulk answered.
Mac did not know how the hulk could be more unnerving, but hearing him talk just made him want to run. "How can you talk?" he asked.
"Not now."
The hulk walked over to Mac and picked him up. Then they were traveling fast through the woods. Mac hated being carried but he was tired and the hulk seemed to be in a hurry. They soon came to burned woods, but there was no fire there now. "What if the cabin is burned down?" Mac asked.
The hulk just grunted and kept going. Mac thought that probably meant he did not want to hear any pessimism so he just kept quiet. He thought they were moving very fast, a lot faster than he could run on his own. He had wanted to think that he had cured David but obviously he did not, but the hulk was definitely different.
After about an hour, they came out of the woods at the cabin. Mac was surprised to see it still standing there as the hulk put him down. He walked over to the cabin. Some of the grass around had burned but the cabin was not burned at all. "How did that fire get around it?" Mac asked.
"Don't question miracles."
Mac whirled around to see David standing behind him. "What happened?" he asked.
David smiled. "You've helped me control him," David said. "I knew everything he was doing."
"You even talked…"
David nodded. "It's incredible. I never thought I would control him like that. I felt like it was still me."
"I thought you wanted rid of him."
"But if I can control him, he won't be destructive."
"Well, we're going to prove that the hulk didn't kill anyone because I don't believe it. He would have never killed someone you loved."
David looked at little puzzled. "How do you know I loved Elaina?"
"Just the way you say her name, my friend."
"I did love her but I guess it just hadn't been long enough after Laura died. I…"
"You don't have to explain it to me. I know."
They went into the cabin and David got into some more clothes. "I guess if I can control him, I won't have to buy so many clothes," he said.
"Well, if it's an emergency, are you going to take the time to jerk your shirt off? Usually we're having to escape from something."
"Yeah, you're right."
"We just have to find a way to get out of here. I don't have a vehicle anymore."
"I guess we could get down the same way we got here."
"Why don't we just go down the road?" Mac asked. "We're going to end up walking anyway."
"You seem to be upset about this."
"I am. I thought I had finally figured out how to cure you, but instead, you're happy that you can control the hulk. You want to use that strength just as much now as you did the day your wife died in that car accident."
David sighed. "I have to admit, I don't like the idea of not being able to save someone I care about…even you."
"Alright. Let's not argue about this right now. Let's just get going."
Mac got a few more things from the cabin, and then they headed down the mountain. They could definitely see where the fire had been. It had torched most of the woods around there. Mac knew everything would just grow back up after a good rain came along, and it would be new growth and even greener.
As they were walking, David was thinking about what had happened before. He had actually known what the hulk was doing, and he had felt stronger than he ever had. He always felt strong when he was changing but this time was different. He had to admit, he liked being able to control the hulk. People would not be afraid of him…maybe…if they knew he was not a raging, out of control, freak, as they called him. David supposed he was intimidating. He could not say because he had never stood facing him except in dreams.
They soon came down to a fire camp. The chief of the camp was there as they were walking by. "What are you folks doing up there on that mountain?" he demanded.
"I was checking on my cabin," Mac said, not liking the man's tone.
"Don't you know there's a forest fire?"
"Sure, I know it."
"We've got enough trouble putting out these fires without civilians having to be rescued up there on the mountain!"
"Well, for your information, I am not a civilian!" Mac said. "And we're on our way down, so that should satisfy you."
The man glared at Mac and David as they walked on. "Wow, what a grouch," David said.
"I guess he's had too much trouble," Mac replied.
"He doesn't have to be so rude about it."
"I agree. You give some people authority and they think they rule the world."
As they walked on down, they came to a road block that blocked anyone from getting up the mountain. "How did you folks get up there?" the ranger at the block asked.
"Never mind that," Mac said. "We're wanting to get into town."
"You shouldn't have been up there on that mountain."
"So we've been told. What difference does it make how we got up there? My cabin isn't burned down. We could have stayed there."
"I don't know how you got up there, but this evacuation is mandatory."
Mac frowned. "You can tell us to evacuate, but this is still the United States, and if I don't want to, I don't have to so don't be talking to me like that. If you can't take us down to town, I'd like for you to find out where they took the truck I had rented. I have to report that it's destroyed and maybe I can get another one."
"Jake there will take you, but don't you come back up here."
Mac just stared at him a moment, but he walked on. David thought Mac was very brave in front of those people. Jake took them down to the junk yard where they usually took vehicles, and Mac found the truck he had rented. He called the rental agency and told them what had happened to the truck, and they sent an agent there.
Mac looked at David. "That's very fast service, don't you think?" he asked.
"Yes," David answered. "You think they will let you rent another one after something like this?"
"Well, it wasn't my fault."
"Yes, I guess that would be a factor."
They sat down on a bench outside to wait. "Are you thinking that you don't want to get rid of the hulk now?" Mac asked.
"Would it sound selfish if I said yes?" David asked.
"Just a little, but I don't know whether you would have to continue taking the serum. It's just an experiment."
"An experiment that worked differently than we expected."
"Yes, very differently. I don't understand how it worked that way either."
"Neither do I, but I sure would like to find out."
"It has something to do with the way your brain works when you have a highly emotional event like anger."
"I was told by a neurosurgeon once that I had the signs of a split personality. Something on the scan."
"She didn't know you were the hulk though, right?"
"No. I had been electrocuted, but I survived because of the hulk."
Just then, they saw a car coming up the drive to the junk yard. Mac was hoping it was someone from the rental company, but David knew who it was. He got around the corner of the building before the car arrived. "What are you doing?" Mac asked.
"That's Jack McGee!" David whispered.
Mac looked at the car that was now stopping in front of the office. He waited for Jack to get out, and he came over to him. "Hi," Mr. McGee said. "I'm Jack McGee. I work for the National Register."
"I'm Mac Taylor. I don't own this place. I'm just waiting for a replacement car."
"You may be the man I'm looking for."
"Oh?"
"Are you the one who had the truck destroyed up in the mountains when the fire started?"
"Yes. What does that have to do with you?"
"I hear that you're involved with the man who becomes the hulk."
Mac frowned. "What?"
"The hulk. A big, green creature who terrorizes and destroys. He's very dangerous."
"Are you kidding?"
"No. I assure you that I'm not."
"Well, I suggest you go somewhere else to look for information."
"Now, come on. You have been working on secret experiments at Rita Mansen's lab."
"How would you know what I've been doing? And what business is it of yours?"
"A lot if you're involved with the man who becomes the hulk."
"Why is that your business?"
"Because I intend to stop him."
"Are you the police? Are you a detective?"
"No. I'm an investigative reporter."
Mac stood up and glared at McGee. "Well, I'm the head of the crime lab in New York, a first grade detective, a criminalist, and a forensic scientist, and I think that gives me a right to work on any kind of experiment that I please to work on. And I know a lot of people in the FBI, so I suggest you get out of my face, and stay out of my business, or I'm sure we could find something to put you away for."
McGee just stared at Mac a moment. He knew this man was not intimidated by him, and he figured he could make a lot of trouble for him. "Well, you don't have to get so huffy about it," he said.
"I get huffy when people butt into my personal business where they don't belong, and usually people who stick their nose in my business end up with a broken one."
"I guess I'll just talk to the owner then."
"Why don't you do that?"
Mac watched McGee walk into the office. He hated this kind of situation. He walked to the corner of the building. "He's inside," Mac whispered.
"You're quite intimidating when you want to be," David replied.
Mac gave him his bag. "Take this, and wait for me out there. When I get another vehicle, I will pick you up."
"Okay."
David walked out into the forest there behind the junk yard and moved out close to the road to wait on Mac. He thought about just going on, but he would not abandon Mac now when he was trying so desperately to help him.
The rental agents soon arrived with another vehicle for Mac. "I'm sorry about this," Mac said. "It happened when we were trying to evacuate."
"Well, things happen," the agent replied. "That's what insurance is for."
Mac signed the papers for the new truck. "Don't worry," he said. "I won't be taking this one up there around any fires."
"Good."
The agents left, and Mac got into the truck, paying close attention to where Jack McGee was. He was still talking to the owner of the junk yard, but he looked toward Mac as he was leaving. Mac went on down the drive and out on the road. He was looking for David as he went, and finally, he saw him. "Come on!" Mac said. "Hurry!"
David got into the truck quickly and then Mac went on. "McGee is still there?" David asked.
"Yes. I was afraid he would follow me, but he was still harassing the owner."
David relaxed on the seat. "This is getting too dangerous for me to stay here."
"I don't want to hear that. Eventually, he will give up here and 'think' you moved on. You're staying with me until I solve this case. We're going to Valencia, California next, and I'm going to look into that case."
"Why are you doing all this?"
"Because, I'm a detective, and I don't like to see someone suffering. If I can do anything to stop that suffering, I'm going to do it. I guess I suffer from an overabundance of curiosity."
David knew he would have to stay because he did not think Mac would give in even if he did leave. "It will take a few days to get to Valencia," he said. "I haven't been there since…"
"I understand," Mac said. "We've come this far together, we can go over there too."
"Do you really think you're going to be able to prove anything about that fire? It's an old case."
"Don't worry. I've investigated old cases before."
"Were you successful?"
"Yes."
David was silent a moment. "I think I was very lucky to have met you. I think that you are very good at your job and just don't brag about it."
"When I have a job to do, I do the very best I can. I think you were a pretty determined scientist and doctor too."
Mac looked at the GPS. "I hate these things," he said. "I would rather have a good, old fashioned map in front of me, but I suppose they're handy."
"I don't know much about those," David replied. "Technology has definitely come a long way."
"I have to keep up with all that sort of stuff."
"I'm sure you do. I'm glad you're up on your DNA research."
Mac frowned. "Another problem we're going to have is creating more of the serum," he said. "What if you need more?"
"Why don't we worry about one thing at a time? You have more right now, don't you?"
"Yes." Mac rubbed his forehead. "I just want this to work."
"You are closer than I have ever been, and it did work. Just remember that."
Mac wanted to get that reporter off David's back…and he would someway. He would not let him keep hounding him like that. No one had a right to hound someone until their life was just not even worth living.
