Disclaimer: I don't own any
of the characters, so please don't sue me. I'm just making this because I'm a
big DA fan.
Timeline: I guess it's
somewhere after I and I am Camera, so nothing after that actually really happens
like Tinga being captured by Manticore and all that. I'm also taking some
information given in Meow, like Logan having fixed the exoskeleton and the
implant that can be traced.
Don't forget to review.
****************
Normal paced back and forth
in the limited confines of his office.
He could see the invaders moving about beyond the open door. Dumont and his female sidekick had set up a
portable computer over his counter and were conferring over it. A beefy guard with an automatic rifle stood
guard, just outside the office's door.
Logan stood silently near
the door, watching every movement through it. He seemed to sense Max watching
him, for he turned to meet her eyes.
"Trying to see what
they're doing?"
He nodded. "They've started searching through all
the packages. I can't make out the package they're looking for."
Max stood up from Normal's
desk and approached to Logan. "Logan, what they're doing doesn't
matter. It's what they're going to do
when they're finished."
"Yeah," Normal
said. "We've seen their faces.
They aren't going to leave us alive."
"We don't know
that," Logan said. "I think
the safest thing we can do is wait."
Max glanced around at the
others. Normal was often cleaning his glasses
from the sweat of his forehead. Original Cindy sat in Normal's chair, with
George beside her who had regained consciousness a few minutes ago. She then turned her eyes to Logan.
"Logan, I don't
feel--", she didn't end the sentence and collapsed in Logan's arms. She
was shaking violently.
"Max!", Original
Cindy called out running towards her. Logan cautiously placed a seizing Max on
the floor.
"Shh. We don't need to
draw their attention.", said Logan. He took his jacket off and covered Max
with it.
Obeying Logan's order,
Normal spoke in a low tone. "What's wrong with her?"
Original Cindy stood up
towards Normal. "She's sick. See what working all day can do?" Normal
remained silent.
"Logan, it's the
implant, again.", Max said, fighting the seizure. "The pain is worse
than the last time--"
"Shh. Don't speak. You
need to rest.", he said holding her hand tightly with one hand and pulling
her hair off her face with the other one. "Everything will be okay."
***************************
"Nothing. Want to start
the search all over again?", asked the tracking tech.
"Do so.", ordered
Lydecker.
"Yes, sir." The
tracking tech typed a few codes to re-start the search. The phone rang and
Lydecker gave him a nod to answer.
"Hello?", he then
covered the speaker. "It's her.", he whispered.
"Tell her I'm not
here."
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but
he's not here. He left a few minutes ago. Yes, ma'am, I'll inform him."
Seconds later, the tracking tech hung up the phone. "She said that you
report to her as soon as you find the X-5, sir."
Lydecker didn't say a word
for a moment. "Next time she calls, tell her we haven't found her and that
I haven't come back."
"Yes, sir."
"Now, go back to your
activities.", he ordered. He wouldn't let her put a hand on his "kids".
It was his project from the very start and he wouldn't let anybody interfere
with it. He now had to focus on his mission to find Max. Where are you? You
can't hide forever. That implant will stop you sooner or later.
******************
With the help of his
exoskeleton, Logan had carried Max in his arms and placed her in one of the
room's corner. He still held her hand as tightly as before. Max had lost
consciousness a while ago.
"We have to try to do
something. We can't just sit here and
wait for them to kill us.", Normal said.
George spoke up for the
first time. "Logan is right. If we don't provoke them into anything we're
more likely to last longer. And the
longer we live, the more likely something is to happen that we can use to
escape. How about the young man who was
puking on the sidewalk? Is it possible
he might notice what is happening and find help?"
"Sketchy."
Original Cindy whispered.
"How did you know about
him?" Normal asked, sharply.
"I saw him on the way
here, I don't think they saw him." George explained simply.
"Sketchy might be able
to save us!" Original Cindy said.
Normal turned from the
corner he was standing. "Sketchy
couldn't save baseball cards!"
"These people are going
to be preoccupied with their mission, whatever it is. If we give them no cause to worry about us, we may find an
opportunity for one of us to escape and call for help."
"And I suppose you're
an expert?" Normal said.
Logan smiled without
humor. "I once got the chance to
negotiate a hostage situation."
Normal simply raised his
eyebrows.
Original Cindy came to a
decision. "The man is right. We need a plan."
"Are you insane! It's
too risky!" George protested.
"We're wasting time," Original Cindy
said, before she could change her mind.
"Original Cindy's gonna create a diversion. You, hit him with a chair.", she told
George.
"But--"
Original Cindy pushed Normal
into a chair. "Sit down,
Normal. You havin' a heart
attack."
"What the--"
Original Cindy spun to the
door and called the guard.
"Help! Help us!
He's having a heart attack!
Quickly! He needs a
doctor!"
The guard walked through the
door and pointed his weapon directly into Original Cindy's face. He saw Normal grunting
in the chair.
"Do something!"
she demanded. "He's going to die
and *then* where will you be? On trial
for murder, that's where!"
Dumont and his female
henchman stepped through the door. He
pointed his weapon at Normal, and for a split instant Original Cindy thought
she'd gotten her boss killed as the gun chattered furiously. When it stopped there was a neat semi-circle
of bullet holes around his feet.
For a second no one moved,
then Dumont smiled. "A nine
millimeter automatic. Better than a
triple bypass."
Normal nodded, his face
ashen.
Dumont turned to Original
Cindy and looked her straight in the eyes.
"No more tests of my patience. Understand?"
Original Cindy could barely
speak. "I..."
"She understands,"
Logan said quickly from the corner.
Original Cindy shifted her
glare to Logan as the three terrorists exited Normal's office. The guard stood
outside the office in the same position.
"You," Normal
said, his voice shaking, "if you ever rope me into anything like that again,
you'll be as well looking for another job tomorrow!"
Looking at her boss's face
Original Cindy felt a tug of remorse, but everything in her rebelled against
admitting she was wrong. "There
ain't gonna be tomorrow if we don't do something."
"Miss..." George
sounded grim. "Unless you want
someone to wind up dead, don't try something like that again. These people are playing for keeps."
"Yeah. What he
said.", said Normal still shaking of what had happened.
"We all need to calm
down.", Logan said. He looked to an unconscious Max. Max, I know you're
going to hate me for this, but we both know it's the only way.
*************
Liked the cliffhanger? I'm
going to post the next chapter depending on how many reviews I receive. So,
keep reviewing! :)
