Here we go with chapter 6. I'm so glad you're all enjoying this. Once
again, thanks for all the reviews. I feel like Christmas has arrived early
when I see them in my inbox!!!!
Chapter 6
The weather had indeed turned with a vengeance. Winter had well and truly arrived.
Max kept watch at her window.
She could hear Logan tapping away on his keyboard.
The nights were dark in post-pulse Seattle. Once the buildings would have all been brightly lit, but nowadays many of them towered as silent specters in a broken world.
Uninhabited. Uninhabitable.
Dark.
"Dark night. Dark mood," she thought morosely.
"Logan Cale. Of all the people in Seattle, 'he' had to be the one she had a connection with. If there was someone up there, he or she, had a whacked sense of humour. Why did Logan have to be so stubborn, so pig headed, so infuriatingly ... like herself?"
She let out a long sigh, and with it, some of her anger.
She had to admit that in his place, she wouldn't have left either, just as she had defied Zack and refused to leave Seattle.
She could see Logan reflected in the window. She could imagine his scruffy face staring intently at the screen, his long, slender fingers flying over the keyboard with a grace that was unmistakably his.
"What happened to the girl who didn't give a damn?"
*******************************************************
Bling was there in plenty of time for her to get to Jam Pony. With relief she realized tomorrow was Saturday. Couldn't come soon enough. Maybe then they'd have time to sort this bitch out.
She tentatively greeted Logan with a smile when he wheeled out of his bedroom the next morning.
He seemed pleased to see her, even if he appeared half asleep. Perhaps last night's discussion was forgotten.
"You got breakfast for a girl before she heads out?"
He grimaced at her. "Coffee, cereal?"
"Was wrecking yourself at the computer last night worth it?"
He tried a grin, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Not a thing. Not one single lead to go on."
She stood there in front of him, hands on hips, bright eyed after a sleepless night, and full of attitude.
He looked up at her. "So, in answer to your question - emphatically no."
It made him tired just looking at her. Maybe he just wasn't a morning person, he mused.
"Well, gotta bounce. Fill Bling in on our visitor."
She then looked around and pouted, "What, no packed lunch?"
Logan rolled his eyes. "Good bye."
******************************************************
Logan told Bling of their late night visitor while they both ate some breakfast together.
"What's your plan today then?" the trainer asked.
Logan sighed. "Same again. I gotta work this out. But first, a shower."
Some time later, feeling considerably refreshed, Logan wheeled himself into the computer room. He had just powered up his computer when suddenly the fire alarm in the hallway outside his penthouse started wailing.
Bling put his head around the corner. "You stay there. I'll check it out."
Naturally Logan didn't stay there, but followed Bling to the now open door of his apartment. Bling cautiously stuck his head out, but there was no sign of fire or smoke.
The alarms up close were deafening.
At that moment the elevator opened and two security guards came out. They seemed relieved to see Logan in the doorway, and one of them said breathlessly, "Mr. Cale, we have to evacuate the building immediately. We have an uncontrolled fire on the tenth floor. Fire trucks are on their way."
Bling and Logan looked at each other, suspicion in their eyes.
"Do we 'have' to evacuate?" asked Logan.
"I'm sorry sir, but naturally there's danger using the elevators, and our orders are to bring you and Mrs. Moreno out immediately."
'Great' thought Logan dryly, evacuate the elderly and the infirm.
He looked at Bling. "I don't like this, but I guess we have no choice."
"I'll lock up," said Bling with meaning, "meantime, you go down in the elevator with the security guard."
Feeling like a captain deserting his ship, Logan moved into the lift with one of the security guards, while the other went on to Mrs. Moreno's apartment.
"Does anyone live on the tenth floor?" Logan asked as the elevator headed down.
"No, fortunately."
"Have you seen the fire? Been to the floor?"
"Uh uh. Our job was evacuating people."
"You wanna take a look on the way down?"
The guard looked at him as if he were crazy. "Hey man, it's my job to get you down to the foyer in one piece. We ain't stopping anywhere."
Logan nodded his head philosophically - no harm in trying.
*************************************************
Bling rushed back into the apartment, ensuring that none of Logan's Eyes Only work was accessible. Once satisfied he locked the door, and started the long walk down in the stairwell. He was uneasy in his mind about being separated from Logan feeling reasonably sure that Max wouldn't approve of this arrangement. This whole fire seemed a little convenient, considering the circumstances. With a grim determination he increased his pace.
**************************************************
The elevator doors opened with their usual 'ping', but Logan was at first reluctant to leave their sanctuary. It was like LAX at Christmas time, pre- pulse of course. There seemed to be people everywhere.
Logan looked at his watch. No wonder there were so many people around, the time was only 7:45 a.m. Most people wouldn't have left for work when the alarm sounded. He thought to himself that he hadn't realized so many people lived in the building as he knew for a fact that many of the apartments were vacant.
Steeling himself for the onslaught of people, he decided to head for an unobtrusive corner where he could wait for Bling.
Pandemonium seemed to reign, people were rushing and calling out, children and parents crying alike. He heard someone say that there had been an explosion on the tenth floor and others spoke of burnt bodies. It all sounded horrific, but his journalistic instincts told him that he was yet to see any facts to support the hyperbole.
For the most part he was ignored as he waited for Bling, which suited him nicely. The fire trucks had arrived, and most people's interest was now fully occupied in watching the firemen arriving with their apparatus. Logan found it interesting as well.
He realized Bling would have a hard time finding him amongst the throng, but decided it was wiser to stay where he was. Scanning the foyer, he thought he had a momentary glimpse of Bling, and was just contemplating going forward to meet him, when he felt something hit him on his right arm and suddenly he felt a searing pain.
With shock he looked down to find his pale grey sweater covered in blood.
**************************************************
Bling was surprised as well when he entered the foyer. Nothing like a disaster to bring people out.
Assuming Logan would find a position out of the rush, he started walking around the perimeter, having to excuse himself as he pushed past others trying to escape the melee. At last he spotted Logan in one of the corners near the front entrance. He seemed to be looking down at something, and then Bling saw him jerkily clutch his right arm with his left hand.
Bling rushed forward – knowing intuitively that something wasn't right - until he was close enough to see the blood.
"Logan?"
Logan looked up at him. "Get me the hell outta here," he said tensely.
**********************************************
"You gonna tell me what happened?" Bling asked as they headed to the hospital.
Logan's car had been parked out the front, fortunately away from the fire trucks. Within minutes Bling had Logan in the car, wheelchair stowed in the back, and his own jacket wrapped around Logan's upper arm, which still continued to bleed sluggishly.
"I don't really know," replied Logan, still dazed by the suddenness of events. "I was just watching the firemen arrive. I felt ...I can't explain it ...like someone punched me on the arm. When I looked down ...this."
"You didn't see who did it?"
Logan looked at him and said simply "It was all too fast."
Bling had quickly checked his arm before they drove off. "That's a deep knife wound you've got there. How's it feel?"
Logan shrugged, "Not too bad I guess."
In truth his arm didn't hurt too badly. What shook him was how quick and easy the whole thing had been. Why the arm? Why not chest, back ... heart? Logan shivered.
"You okay? Not goin' into shock on me?" asked Bling concerned.
Logan shook his head, not quite trusting himself to speak. He clutched his arm tighter, glad for the pain, glad to be alive to feel it.
*******************************************************
The ER at the hospital was frantic as usual, but for once Logan was glad that due to his wealth, he went to the head of the line. Paying customers were rare these days. The heath system was as chaotic as the ER they were in.
Logan and Bling were ushered into a cubicle where a young, blonde haired, female doctor quickly saw them. Bling was surprised to see Logan looking at her suspiciously.
Looking up from his file she introduced herself. "I'm Doctor Caroline West and you are Logan Cale?"
Logan nodded his assent.
"You have a knife wound?"
Logan nodded again.
"When did this occur?" she asked as she examined the wound.
Logan thought back. "About 40 minutes ago."
"Mmmm, knife wound to the upper arm. It's nasty. Deep. Fortunately there doesn't seem to be any muscle damage though."
Bling could see Logan was looking more and more edgy.
"You'll need quite a few stitches."
Logan made a face. "How many is quite a few?'
"We'll have to count as we go along," Dr. Caroline West replied brightly.
Logan felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach
*************************************************
There was a veritable plethora of cracks, marks, indentations, and stains on the wall of the cubicle and Logan studied every one of them in detail.
It didn't help.
"It would assist me if you could relax more Mr. Cale," Dr West said encouragingly.
"Please call me Logan, and I'm afraid this is the best I can do."
"I could give you a shot of something for the pain, and it would help you relax as well."
"No," replied Logan quickly, feeling less relaxed than ever at the thought of it.
He turned his face away from her ministrations, and in a good impersonation of Max muttered under his breath, "Let's get this bitch done."
**************************************************
Logan had two calls while he lay on the table being stitched up. The first was from the security at Fogle Towers to say the building was safe again, and apologizing for the evacuation. It had turned out to be a small fire in an unused storage room. No chemicals were involved, and everything had been put under control very quickly. No they didn't know where the rumours came from that it was a major fire. No, no one knew how the fire started. All tenants were allowed back in their apartments. Still, it had been better to be safe than sorry the man had finished jovially. Looking at his arm and grimacing Logan thought dryly "Easy for you to say."
The second call had been Max.
"I was just at your place. They told me all about the fire. Is everything okay?" She sounded concerned.
"Yeah. It's fine - just had a call from ... building security ... Turned out to be nothing."
"A bit strange wouldn't you say after last night?"
"Coincidence probably," Logan managed to get out with a grimace. "I am not enjoying this," was his silent thought.
"Logan?"
"Yeah?"
"I just said don't you think it's a bit much to be a coincidence?"
"Oh ..."
"Well?"
"Yeah ... I mean ... no."
"Logan, are you okay? You sound kinda jumpy!"
"Sure, I'm fine. Listen, I'll ring you back later."
With relief he hung up the phone.
Bling had gone in search of a coffee, and waited for Logan outside the cubicle. It was quite some time later before Logan emerged, with a white face and his arm in a sling.
Studiously ignoring Bling's face, he immediately proceeded to take his arm out of the sling and then put the sling in the nearest rubbish bin.
Bling didn't even bother to comment.
"You all set to go home now?"
"Yeah," replied Logan, trying to put as little strain as possible on his right arm as he pushed himself. "I had a call to say we've got the all clear." He filled Bling in on the details as they headed for the car.
"You think it's safe to go back there after all this."
Logan threw Bling a look that said 'not you too!'
"If I'm going to get to the bottom of all this, I'll need all my equipment," he explained impatiently, finding it hard not to wince.
"Well, I don't think Max is likely to be too happy about this."
Logan narrowed his eyes. "'Max' doesn't need to know."
"How can she not know?" asked Bling surprised.
"'We' don't tell her."
"Uh uh, not 'we' – 'you'."
"Okay. Have it your way, 'I' won't tell her!"
"I happen to like the girl," said Bling with a hint of sarcasm. "I also have a healthy regard for my ass."
Logan grunted something unintelligible that Bling seemed to find funny, but made no further comment as they got in the elevator to go down to the hospital car park.
Bling was particularly cautious as they got down there. Like Logan, he was shaken by the speed and the unexpectedness of the attack.
Reaching the car without further mishap, much to Bling's relief, the trainer unlocked the doors and watched thoughtfully as Logan prepared to transfer to the passenger seat of the Aztek.
Almost casually he remarked to Logan, "You know, if you bust those stitches, you'll have to come back and be sewed up all over again."
Logan paused ... sighed ...threw him 'that' look ... and then finally said ungraciously, "Okay. You win."
Without a word, Bling assisted him into the car.
TBC
Chapter 6
The weather had indeed turned with a vengeance. Winter had well and truly arrived.
Max kept watch at her window.
She could hear Logan tapping away on his keyboard.
The nights were dark in post-pulse Seattle. Once the buildings would have all been brightly lit, but nowadays many of them towered as silent specters in a broken world.
Uninhabited. Uninhabitable.
Dark.
"Dark night. Dark mood," she thought morosely.
"Logan Cale. Of all the people in Seattle, 'he' had to be the one she had a connection with. If there was someone up there, he or she, had a whacked sense of humour. Why did Logan have to be so stubborn, so pig headed, so infuriatingly ... like herself?"
She let out a long sigh, and with it, some of her anger.
She had to admit that in his place, she wouldn't have left either, just as she had defied Zack and refused to leave Seattle.
She could see Logan reflected in the window. She could imagine his scruffy face staring intently at the screen, his long, slender fingers flying over the keyboard with a grace that was unmistakably his.
"What happened to the girl who didn't give a damn?"
*******************************************************
Bling was there in plenty of time for her to get to Jam Pony. With relief she realized tomorrow was Saturday. Couldn't come soon enough. Maybe then they'd have time to sort this bitch out.
She tentatively greeted Logan with a smile when he wheeled out of his bedroom the next morning.
He seemed pleased to see her, even if he appeared half asleep. Perhaps last night's discussion was forgotten.
"You got breakfast for a girl before she heads out?"
He grimaced at her. "Coffee, cereal?"
"Was wrecking yourself at the computer last night worth it?"
He tried a grin, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Not a thing. Not one single lead to go on."
She stood there in front of him, hands on hips, bright eyed after a sleepless night, and full of attitude.
He looked up at her. "So, in answer to your question - emphatically no."
It made him tired just looking at her. Maybe he just wasn't a morning person, he mused.
"Well, gotta bounce. Fill Bling in on our visitor."
She then looked around and pouted, "What, no packed lunch?"
Logan rolled his eyes. "Good bye."
******************************************************
Logan told Bling of their late night visitor while they both ate some breakfast together.
"What's your plan today then?" the trainer asked.
Logan sighed. "Same again. I gotta work this out. But first, a shower."
Some time later, feeling considerably refreshed, Logan wheeled himself into the computer room. He had just powered up his computer when suddenly the fire alarm in the hallway outside his penthouse started wailing.
Bling put his head around the corner. "You stay there. I'll check it out."
Naturally Logan didn't stay there, but followed Bling to the now open door of his apartment. Bling cautiously stuck his head out, but there was no sign of fire or smoke.
The alarms up close were deafening.
At that moment the elevator opened and two security guards came out. They seemed relieved to see Logan in the doorway, and one of them said breathlessly, "Mr. Cale, we have to evacuate the building immediately. We have an uncontrolled fire on the tenth floor. Fire trucks are on their way."
Bling and Logan looked at each other, suspicion in their eyes.
"Do we 'have' to evacuate?" asked Logan.
"I'm sorry sir, but naturally there's danger using the elevators, and our orders are to bring you and Mrs. Moreno out immediately."
'Great' thought Logan dryly, evacuate the elderly and the infirm.
He looked at Bling. "I don't like this, but I guess we have no choice."
"I'll lock up," said Bling with meaning, "meantime, you go down in the elevator with the security guard."
Feeling like a captain deserting his ship, Logan moved into the lift with one of the security guards, while the other went on to Mrs. Moreno's apartment.
"Does anyone live on the tenth floor?" Logan asked as the elevator headed down.
"No, fortunately."
"Have you seen the fire? Been to the floor?"
"Uh uh. Our job was evacuating people."
"You wanna take a look on the way down?"
The guard looked at him as if he were crazy. "Hey man, it's my job to get you down to the foyer in one piece. We ain't stopping anywhere."
Logan nodded his head philosophically - no harm in trying.
*************************************************
Bling rushed back into the apartment, ensuring that none of Logan's Eyes Only work was accessible. Once satisfied he locked the door, and started the long walk down in the stairwell. He was uneasy in his mind about being separated from Logan feeling reasonably sure that Max wouldn't approve of this arrangement. This whole fire seemed a little convenient, considering the circumstances. With a grim determination he increased his pace.
**************************************************
The elevator doors opened with their usual 'ping', but Logan was at first reluctant to leave their sanctuary. It was like LAX at Christmas time, pre- pulse of course. There seemed to be people everywhere.
Logan looked at his watch. No wonder there were so many people around, the time was only 7:45 a.m. Most people wouldn't have left for work when the alarm sounded. He thought to himself that he hadn't realized so many people lived in the building as he knew for a fact that many of the apartments were vacant.
Steeling himself for the onslaught of people, he decided to head for an unobtrusive corner where he could wait for Bling.
Pandemonium seemed to reign, people were rushing and calling out, children and parents crying alike. He heard someone say that there had been an explosion on the tenth floor and others spoke of burnt bodies. It all sounded horrific, but his journalistic instincts told him that he was yet to see any facts to support the hyperbole.
For the most part he was ignored as he waited for Bling, which suited him nicely. The fire trucks had arrived, and most people's interest was now fully occupied in watching the firemen arriving with their apparatus. Logan found it interesting as well.
He realized Bling would have a hard time finding him amongst the throng, but decided it was wiser to stay where he was. Scanning the foyer, he thought he had a momentary glimpse of Bling, and was just contemplating going forward to meet him, when he felt something hit him on his right arm and suddenly he felt a searing pain.
With shock he looked down to find his pale grey sweater covered in blood.
**************************************************
Bling was surprised as well when he entered the foyer. Nothing like a disaster to bring people out.
Assuming Logan would find a position out of the rush, he started walking around the perimeter, having to excuse himself as he pushed past others trying to escape the melee. At last he spotted Logan in one of the corners near the front entrance. He seemed to be looking down at something, and then Bling saw him jerkily clutch his right arm with his left hand.
Bling rushed forward – knowing intuitively that something wasn't right - until he was close enough to see the blood.
"Logan?"
Logan looked up at him. "Get me the hell outta here," he said tensely.
**********************************************
"You gonna tell me what happened?" Bling asked as they headed to the hospital.
Logan's car had been parked out the front, fortunately away from the fire trucks. Within minutes Bling had Logan in the car, wheelchair stowed in the back, and his own jacket wrapped around Logan's upper arm, which still continued to bleed sluggishly.
"I don't really know," replied Logan, still dazed by the suddenness of events. "I was just watching the firemen arrive. I felt ...I can't explain it ...like someone punched me on the arm. When I looked down ...this."
"You didn't see who did it?"
Logan looked at him and said simply "It was all too fast."
Bling had quickly checked his arm before they drove off. "That's a deep knife wound you've got there. How's it feel?"
Logan shrugged, "Not too bad I guess."
In truth his arm didn't hurt too badly. What shook him was how quick and easy the whole thing had been. Why the arm? Why not chest, back ... heart? Logan shivered.
"You okay? Not goin' into shock on me?" asked Bling concerned.
Logan shook his head, not quite trusting himself to speak. He clutched his arm tighter, glad for the pain, glad to be alive to feel it.
*******************************************************
The ER at the hospital was frantic as usual, but for once Logan was glad that due to his wealth, he went to the head of the line. Paying customers were rare these days. The heath system was as chaotic as the ER they were in.
Logan and Bling were ushered into a cubicle where a young, blonde haired, female doctor quickly saw them. Bling was surprised to see Logan looking at her suspiciously.
Looking up from his file she introduced herself. "I'm Doctor Caroline West and you are Logan Cale?"
Logan nodded his assent.
"You have a knife wound?"
Logan nodded again.
"When did this occur?" she asked as she examined the wound.
Logan thought back. "About 40 minutes ago."
"Mmmm, knife wound to the upper arm. It's nasty. Deep. Fortunately there doesn't seem to be any muscle damage though."
Bling could see Logan was looking more and more edgy.
"You'll need quite a few stitches."
Logan made a face. "How many is quite a few?'
"We'll have to count as we go along," Dr. Caroline West replied brightly.
Logan felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach
*************************************************
There was a veritable plethora of cracks, marks, indentations, and stains on the wall of the cubicle and Logan studied every one of them in detail.
It didn't help.
"It would assist me if you could relax more Mr. Cale," Dr West said encouragingly.
"Please call me Logan, and I'm afraid this is the best I can do."
"I could give you a shot of something for the pain, and it would help you relax as well."
"No," replied Logan quickly, feeling less relaxed than ever at the thought of it.
He turned his face away from her ministrations, and in a good impersonation of Max muttered under his breath, "Let's get this bitch done."
**************************************************
Logan had two calls while he lay on the table being stitched up. The first was from the security at Fogle Towers to say the building was safe again, and apologizing for the evacuation. It had turned out to be a small fire in an unused storage room. No chemicals were involved, and everything had been put under control very quickly. No they didn't know where the rumours came from that it was a major fire. No, no one knew how the fire started. All tenants were allowed back in their apartments. Still, it had been better to be safe than sorry the man had finished jovially. Looking at his arm and grimacing Logan thought dryly "Easy for you to say."
The second call had been Max.
"I was just at your place. They told me all about the fire. Is everything okay?" She sounded concerned.
"Yeah. It's fine - just had a call from ... building security ... Turned out to be nothing."
"A bit strange wouldn't you say after last night?"
"Coincidence probably," Logan managed to get out with a grimace. "I am not enjoying this," was his silent thought.
"Logan?"
"Yeah?"
"I just said don't you think it's a bit much to be a coincidence?"
"Oh ..."
"Well?"
"Yeah ... I mean ... no."
"Logan, are you okay? You sound kinda jumpy!"
"Sure, I'm fine. Listen, I'll ring you back later."
With relief he hung up the phone.
Bling had gone in search of a coffee, and waited for Logan outside the cubicle. It was quite some time later before Logan emerged, with a white face and his arm in a sling.
Studiously ignoring Bling's face, he immediately proceeded to take his arm out of the sling and then put the sling in the nearest rubbish bin.
Bling didn't even bother to comment.
"You all set to go home now?"
"Yeah," replied Logan, trying to put as little strain as possible on his right arm as he pushed himself. "I had a call to say we've got the all clear." He filled Bling in on the details as they headed for the car.
"You think it's safe to go back there after all this."
Logan threw Bling a look that said 'not you too!'
"If I'm going to get to the bottom of all this, I'll need all my equipment," he explained impatiently, finding it hard not to wince.
"Well, I don't think Max is likely to be too happy about this."
Logan narrowed his eyes. "'Max' doesn't need to know."
"How can she not know?" asked Bling surprised.
"'We' don't tell her."
"Uh uh, not 'we' – 'you'."
"Okay. Have it your way, 'I' won't tell her!"
"I happen to like the girl," said Bling with a hint of sarcasm. "I also have a healthy regard for my ass."
Logan grunted something unintelligible that Bling seemed to find funny, but made no further comment as they got in the elevator to go down to the hospital car park.
Bling was particularly cautious as they got down there. Like Logan, he was shaken by the speed and the unexpectedness of the attack.
Reaching the car without further mishap, much to Bling's relief, the trainer unlocked the doors and watched thoughtfully as Logan prepared to transfer to the passenger seat of the Aztek.
Almost casually he remarked to Logan, "You know, if you bust those stitches, you'll have to come back and be sewed up all over again."
Logan paused ... sighed ...threw him 'that' look ... and then finally said ungraciously, "Okay. You win."
Without a word, Bling assisted him into the car.
TBC