AN: I know I said it would be a while, but I wrote that ending note weeks ago, and forgot to change it before I posted it. Anyway, here's Chapter 3
My legs give way and I fall on my knees next to the broken glass. Tears spring to my eyes and fall unnoticed on the fragments. He's gone. They've taken him. He's the one gave my new identity, made me realize that there's a life outside of Manticore, made me realize I was human, this is what he gets for it. Taken from his home to have God know's what done to him, and then he'll probably be rewarded with a bullet through the head. I start sobbing, the magnitude of everything that's happened tonight becoming hitting me all at once like a weight. I reach out and touch the broken glass, cutting myself. The pain helps a little. I deserve a lot worse. This is all my fault. If I hadn't been so selfish and run away from Manticore they wouldn't have been able to track him down. This all just because I wanted to be happy, and was so caught up in wanting a better life for me that I didn't even think of what would happen to my friends if they got tangled up with Manticore. What a wonderful friend I am, I think bitterly. People should be lining up around the block just to see me, the girl who sent the first person she ever really got close to straight to his grave. Well not straight there, I guess. If Manticore had come here just to kill him they wouldn't have bothered getting rid of the body.
I dimly come out of my haze. He's still alive, that means I can still get him back. I sit up. I'm going to get him back, and when I do, Manticore's gonna pay. I brush aside the exact details of how I could make Manticore suffer without getting caught, what's important right now is getting Logan away from those sons of bitches before they kill him. Where would they take him? A malicious smile creeps across my face. Jondy was in on it. She'll know. My mind completely focused on the objective, I jog back down to the basement.
OC looks up from where she was kneeling over Jondy when I come near. Jondy's head is bleeding, and she's still out cold. Not like I care. She was part of the mission to get Logan.
"Boo, I thought you were gonna get wheelboy. Where is 'e?" I keep on staring at Jondy. I have this weird thought that if I beat the crap out of her long enough, Logan will just appear in front of me out of thin air, and everything will be okay. The rational part of my mind knows that's not true, but I can't help feeling like it's worth a try.
"They got him. I was too late." My voice sounds strange, dead, but it doesn't matter, nothing matters, except getting Logan back, and making Manticore pay. OC's starting to look scared again.
"Who's they?" I ignore the question. I'm going to have to explain myself sometime, but she's going to be freaked out, and I really need somebody to feel close to right now. I couldn't stand to lose another friend.
"Come on, we gotta blaze." I pick up Jondy and put her on my motorcycle, holding her up so I can climb on in front of her. OC sighs and climbs on behind Jondy, propping her between us. I gun the motor, and speed away, trying vainly to outrun every emotion that I've been through tonight. If I go fast enough, I'm sure I'll leave them all behind.
It works a little. I at least get a dam in front of the raging flood, drying out my heart and leaving it colder than it's ever been in my life.
My first thought is to hold up at Logan's uncle's cabin for the day, then search around the military bases tonight to find out where Manticore's taken him if I can't get it out of Jondy. I'd never seen the cabin, but Logan had told me where it was. But since Manticore has Logan, they might have it under guard if they think I might go there, so a camping place is probably safer until I check it out. I park in a glove of trees. This will do 'til tonight.
"Here we are." I hop off my bike and drag Jondy to a nearby tree and tie her tightly. She's starting to come around, and the first thing she's going to do is try to get back to Lydecker to tell him where I am, good little soldier that she is. The idea that it could just as easily be me acting like that is enough to make bile rise in my throat. But I'm not like that anymore. I never will be again. Delicious as the idea of beating the crap out of Jondy until she told me where Logan was being kept seemed last night, I don't think I can actually do it. I have morals now, and free will, and friends…
OC is sitting under a tree with her knees tucked to her chin, staring despondently at the leaves on the ground. She's sitting so still that, against the morning light, the scene could be something out of a painting. Something called 'Heart's Loss' or something. She really does look like she's facing the end of the world. Her face is frozen without any expression whatsoever, all of her muscles are slack, but her eyes hold overwhelming grief and pain. It just adds more to my guilt. Because of me her entire world has been turned up-side down, and it may never be the same again. Just like Logan's. I tentatively break the silence.
"You want some breakfast or something?" She shrugs. I take that as a yes. Personally the last thought on my mind is food, but I'll do anything to keep myself occupied, to keep me from thinking. Besides that, if I'm not around, it will take OC longer to insist on the 'heart to heart'. I can almost see the conversation looming ahead, black and ugly, ready to pounce on my friend and take her away forever. This time I won't be able to side-step her questions and safely put them away to deal with later. There's nowhere to run away from them now, no excuse to be in the way.
I search Jondy, but she's not equipped with provisions, and when I left Seattle I was too upset to think to think of anything except getting the hell out of there. There's no way I'm going into a town. Lydecker's probably got anything within 50 miles of here that could remotely pass for civilization under guard. Guess I'll have to make do with whatever's around here, meaning either start gnawing on a tree or try to catch something.
I vote for the latter. Appetizing as bark sounds right now, there's gotta be something better in woods as deep as these. I do a double check around me, Jondy's secure, OC's safe for the moment, and head off into the woods, moving soundlessly through the brush.
The peacefulness of the woods seems so out of place after what I've been through in the last 12 hours. My sister broke into my house, held OC hostage, attacked me, my boyfriend was kidnapped, I had to run for my life, and then…nothing, I'm just walking through this perfectly tranquil forest, no hint of threat in sight. It seems like it should at least be raining, instead of this beautiful, sunny day. This weather seems so wrong for it's timing.
A flurry of feathers leaps up from right in front of me, making me jump. I hadn't really been watching where I was going, and hadn't seen what-ever-it-was till I almost stepped on it. I pounce as it tries to flap away, slamming it to the ground as it shrieks and tries to attack me. I grab the neck as it strains to peck at my hands and snap it. The bird goes limp instantly. I study it curiously. It's a pheasant. Stupid bird. I wouldn't have even known it was there if it hadn't raised such a fuss. Still, it is the leading candidate for breakfast right now. I shrug and start walking back to where I left OC, carrying the bird by its neck.
OC looks up as I walk back into the clearing, and her eyes widen in horror as she sees what's in my hand. I look down at the bird, a little annoyed. What did she expect, I'd just go up to a bush and order Chinese takeout? I sit down and lean against a tree, starting to pluck it.
"What the hell are you doin?" She finally asks, still staring, shocked, at the half-bald bird. The lack of sleep must be making her slow. I glance up at her.
"Making breakfast." I explain as patiently as I can. OC swallows hard, she looks like she's going to be sick. I dejectedly go back to plucking the pheasant, suddenly realizing how this must look to her. Way to go Max. What a nice, normal thing to do-go out into the woods and kill your breakfast with your bare hands. Why don't you just start howling at the moon? OC doesn't say anything more, but her eyes never leave the bird as I put it on a spit and start roasting it.
I have no idea whatsoever if pheasants actually live in Washington. If they don't, just pretend that they do
I just barely finished this, so the next chapter actually will be awhile. Reviews are really appreciated!
