Here, have a Thanksgiving present in the form of chapter 30. It shouldn't be long before this story comes to an end. But don't worry. There's more coming. I thought that I would finish out the whole series, and then start on an unrelated fiction. New start, clean slate, sumthin new.
Oh, and, I know I've spelled McCartey/McCarty different in Dreams than my other stories. I didn't notice it until I watched the credits, and by then it would have been a pain to go back and fix everything, but I will. When Dreams is done, I have taken note of all the little spelling and name mistakes. I will fix them
I had put up the two parts of Regression as a peace offering for not posting for Dreams regularly anymore. But if you all want to see hide or tail of part three, which is really long and I'm not done with that part yet, go and review the thing. You're the ones who asked for it.
* * * *
XXX. Ten
It wasn't that hard to find out where they had gone. All Jake McCartey had to do was follow the path of blood on the ground. Some one had gotten a really good hit in. He was mildly surprised that they were still going, but neither Mollard nor Iceani was exactly normal.
What was he thinking?
He should have gone with Seiji and Sara back to the surface. The others could hold their own.
But he wanted Mollard alive, and given the chance Melissa would kill him. Jake physically couldn't stop either of them, he was sure of that. But on his end Melissa listened to him for some strange reason. He might as well use it to his advantage.
Something on the floor glinted in the faint glow of the dim lights. He knelt down next to it. Looked like a serrated hunting knife. Whoever had gotten stabbed had pulled the blade out and threw it on the ground. It didn't answer the question of who had been injured. It wasn't a weapon the belonged to the Iceani armor so it was Mollard's. But she could have taken it from him.
He left it where it was. It could be evidence later on.
"Where'd you go?" He spoke to no one in particular.
His question was answered when the tunnel wall next to him exploded out ward. He needed to stop getting his answers like this. It wasn't healthy.
When the dust settled he saw Drew Newell standing on the other side of the hole. The sound of shuffling behind Jake made him turn around.
Jake aimed his gun. "William Mollard. You are under arrest."
The man started to laugh.
"This isn't funny." Drew spoke behind him.
He continued to laugh. Yeah, he'd get the insanity plea.
"Where's Melissa?" Jake spoke over his shoulder.
"Um, that's kind of my fault there. I distracted her and he got in a lucky hit. Right in the heart too. She's out. If it's not too bad she could be up and around in a few hours. Not in any kind of shape to fight but . . ."
Mollard wouldn't shut-up.
"What's so damn funny?!" Jake yelled.
"You, him, the Atlanta girl, your Lady Detective. It's all funny." He managed to speak through his laughter.
Drew shrugged.
"You have the right to remain silent." Jake continued on with the Miranda Rights. Mollard kept on laughing.
He stopped.
"The Atlanta girl can't die. He," he pointed to Drew, "He can't either. The world won't let them. But you . . . Jake, you are another matter all together."
"Yeah. It happens."
Drew moved to partially block Jake from Mollard.
"I'll still go through you." He growled at Drew.
"It'll be hell."
Mollard smiled and got to his feet.
"Don't you understand? I have to help them, and part of helping them means getting rid of people like him and the Atlanta girl."
"You got off real lucky with her. She would have killed you, I won't. But it doesn't mean I won't hurt you."
Jake watched the two stare each other down. There was a faint smell of ozone in the air. How did that-?
Mollard raised his hand and the world went white.
* * * *
Seiji left Sara with the paramedics. He had snuck off in the confusion when the rain began to fall. He on the other hand, welcomed the water. It did a little to help him feel a bit cleaner.
He would have loved nothing more than to stay with them and finally relax. But it was out of the question. He had to go back down there. Something had happened.
He jumped down the stairs to the maintenance tunnel and backtracked the way that Woo had led him out. It was a good thing that he had a photographic memory. But, then all telepaths did. Here was the place Sara had been. The dark stain on the ground marked where she had nearly bleed to death.
A large crash made his next choice of direction easy.
Seiji ran off in the direction that McCartey had gone earlier.
More blood on the ground.
"Where did that come from?"
He didn't touch the knife when he found it. He took a side tunnel. It looks like Jake had missed the smaller trail to the side of the knife. He didn't have to go far to find her. He lifted Iceani off of the ground. Where her shirt had once been pale blue, it was mainly covered in red. Mollard had managed to get in a hit. To her heart. Not that she wouldn't get better. But it didn't mean that she couldn't be taken out of commission for any great length of time.
He would still worry.
Seiji hated to do it, but he had to go. He set her back down where she had been and folded up her jacket to make a makeshift pillow and placed it under her head.
He went back to where the knife was and went the only other way that he hadn't been.
"Smoke?"
He broke out into a full run. It was tiring but he forced his body to comply with his wishes. He could rest later.
Seiji skidded to a halt at the sight before him. Most of the tunnel had caved in. Drew wouldn't have done this. But where were they? He climbed over the rubble. He could see where one person had pushed his way out of the concrete. A chunk of stone rolled down the side of the pile followed by another. He started to move the pieces out of the way and encountered a hand. He took the hand and pulled. After some struggle the disheveled form of Drew Newell appeared.
"Thanks."
He watched him discard the smoldering remains of his leather jacket and sat back.
"What happened here?"
"Well, Willy's learned a few new tricks. Whatever he did hurt like hell too."
"Where's McCartey?"
"Down there." He pointed further down the corridor. "I threw him out of the way. I hope I didn't do it too hard."
"Mollard's gone. I saw where he climbed out."
"Gotta find him, man. He wants Jake dead."
"I know. Speaking of dead-"
"Yeah, I know. 'Cani. My bad."
"What?"
"I'll explain later. Help me up."
Seiji lent Drew a hand and pulled him to his feet. He rubbed his head.
"You all right?"
"I think I got hit on the head."
"Really. I thought that all that concrete managed to miss your head some how. You were only buried under it."
He rolled his eyes at Seiji and started down the way he had thrown Jake.
"I barely got my hands on him before the little flashy thing Willy did hit. I think he might have gotten singed. That thing was hot." He paused for a moment and nodded his head, "There he is."
Seiji couldn't quite see anything yet. I few more feet and he could make out the form of a body lying face down.
"Drew, we are never coming back to this state if we can possibly avoid it." Seiji said as he squatted own to make sure there had been no major damage done to the unconscious Detective.
"I like New York. It's only when you show up that bad shit happens."
"Whatever . . . there doesn't seem to be anything broken. He has a few bruises, probably from when he hit the ground."
"Can you wake him up?"
"Don't have to."
Jake groaned and pushed himself up with his arms.
"Have a nice flight?" Drew joked.
"I've had better." Jake mumbled.
"It's not for everyone."
Jake moved himself into a sitting position and ran his hands through his hair.
"Drew."
"Seiji."
"Do you know where Melissa is?"
"Yeah, I put her there after she pulled the knife out of her chest. I don't think it was the best idea. There was a whole lot less blood before she did that, and the thing was serrated too. I have no idea how she did it."
"What?! Is she all right?!" Jake interrupted.
"She'll be fine once she comes back." Drew replied.
"Anyway, go back. Take her to topside. It's raining so you shouldn't run into the paramedics. They might be looking for me."
"I know it's raining. I got mad. That happens when I get pissed. As for the other thing, no. If anything we all go and I come back. Right now I'm the only one who hasn't nearly bleed to death or been hunted down by Willy. The few scrapes I do have are already healed up."
Seiji shook his head.
"You will go. I think I can handle him but I need Jake for bait."
"Hey! I'm sitting right here! How about consulting me on the whole bait thing." Jake protested.
Drew glared at Seiji, but he could never win at that game.
"Alright. I'll take 'Cani back to our hotel room. Then I come right back. And you know I'm fast, I'll do it."
"Thanks."
"Back in ten."
Drew lifted himself into the air and went back to retrieve their friend.
"Not that I don't appreciate it, but I wish he hadn't thrown me so hard."
"You're alive, Jake. You could be charbroiled and buried under what could very well be a ton of concrete."
He nodded his head.
"Bait?"
"He wants to kill you."
"What happened to putting too much energy into fixing me once to let me get hurt again?"
"Nothing will . . . I think."
Jake gave him a rather pained look and sighed.
"Let's get it over with."
* * * *
William Mollard pried another piece of rock from under his skin. It dropped to the floor with the others he had to cut out. He didn't expect it to have done that much damage. And that boy had thrown the Partner out of the way at the last second.
They were both still alive.
He could feel it.
But he couldn't feel the Atlanta girl any more. He had gotten lucky when her friend came in a distracted her.
And the Lady Detective was still in this world. It would be harder to get to her now. She had been moved away from here. He pulled a piece of glass out of his shoulder. There. That was all of them. He watched as the smaller cuts began to close. It would take longer for the others.
The people back where he used to be had done many things to him, and now he was the better for it. And it was all because of the white-haired man. He owed him a great deal. He owed it to him to finish his job: to help the Lady Detective and Kill the Partner, and to go on to help the rest of the world while he was still living.
He chuckled. The Partner . . . Jake, had tried to arrest him. He knew better than to think he could just take him.
He put his knife back into his boot and pushed himself off the ledge he had been sitting on. The small stones and glass crunched underneath his feet when he walked out of the small side room. It was time to go back. The Partner was alone down here. The other boy had left.
He smiled.
He would have to break his promise to the Lady Detective.
The Partner would have to go slowly.
He was a troublemaker as well as a Negation. All the more reason to rid the world of him. Mollard moved silently through the tunnels under the subway. His feet didn't really touch the ground. The white-haired man had told him how to move things just by thinking about it. He cold only manage to pick himself up a little under an inch. But he was getting better. Everything about him was better than most people.
He passed by the place where he had fought the Atlanta girl. His other knife was here. He picked it up and examined it. The blood was drying on the blade and the hilt. He wondered how it was that even though he had killed her she would still come back. He wondered how it was that he knew.
He stuck the knife in his belt and continued on down past the cave in and to where the boy had thrown the Partner. No one was here. But he could feel him. There was something wrong.
A small click made him do an about face and found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.
There he was.
"Still trying to bring me in . . . Jake."
"You should stick with calling me the Partner, dude. My name just sounds wrong coming out of your trap."
"All the more reason to say it . . . Jake."
He took a step forward and the Partner took a step back. He didn't want to play this game.
"You know . . . Jake. If you had just let things be, you would have died quickly. But you've only made things worse for yourself. It will be," He smiled, "very painful."
"Whatever."
He took another step forward and the Partner sent a warning shot over his shoulder. It grazed his ear, too. So, he was a good shot.
"I don't have to miss next time, Mollard."
"True. Do you think it will do much damage?"
"I think it would do enough."
"What if you're wrong? You don't have your friends here anymore. You won't leave this place alive."
"Yes I will."
The Partner turned and ran. He was fast. Must have done track in high school. Mollard started after him. He had a feeling that the Partner knew that he could tell where he was. It looks like he had been wrong about it, or the Partner was an idiot.
He entered the room that he had planned to make the Lady Detective's picture in. It would be funny that he would die here, where she had been.
And there he was with his back against the spray painted wall still pointing his gun at him. He sighed. At least he would have a good time later.
The Partner smirked.
"Wha-"
Some one slammed his clenched fist where his neck met his shoulders. It wasn't intended to do much damage, but as a show of strength. When the hit landed he fest something crack in his neck followed by pain. Something had been damaged.
Mollard turned his upper body to meet pale violet eyes under blonde eyebrows. He knew him, didn't he? Yes, he did.
"Seiji?"
"Yes."
He had forgotten about him? How the hell did that happen?
"I don't know how it happened, William. I'm not you."
This wasn't good. He remembered something about Seiji being very strong. And he was friends with the Partner!
"Seiji-"
"Hold on Jake."
He sprang to his feet to run out of the room, but ended up connecting with that other boy's punch. Seiji stopped him from flying across the floor. When did that kid get back? He had just left! He could try something. He narrowed his eyes and concentrated. The other boy's mind wasn't as strong as Seiji; maybe he could do his work for him.
"Um, Seiji."
"What Jake?"
The Partner pointed to the boy.
The boy was clutching his head in pain. Instead of trying to stop him like he had hoped. Seiji reached over with his free hand and knocked his friend out. He wasn't expecting that.
"Read him his rights, Jake."
Jake flew through the rights. Was Seiji going to hold on to the entire time?
"I hate to do this, William. But I don't see any other way aside from a lobotomy."
There was a short string of pain through his mind and he passed out. When he woke up he had been loaded into the back of a police cruiser.
He couldn't feel anything anymore.
Not like he used to.
He - he couldn't remember how do any of the things the white-haired man had taught him either.
Seiji.
He had made him forget.
He had taken away his mental abilities.
He looked out the window and met the Partner's eyes.
He had lost.
The car drove off and took him away.
* * * *
"What did you do to him, Seiji?"
"I made him forget a few things. I literally burned out the portions of his minds that had been altered. That's it for him."
"He's human again?"
"No. Once you're changed, there's practically no chance of going back."
Drew sat between them holding an ice pack to his forehead.
"Did you have to hit me so damn hard, Seiji?!"
"Yeah."
"Okay."
Jake shook his head and laughed. Drew did have that in common with his predecessor. They both were jokers. The smile left his face when he saw Dante making his way over to where he was.
"Oh great."
He saw Seiji glaring at him from the corner of his eye.
"What is it?" He whispered.
"He's Irons' middle man. He was on this, McCartey."
He swallowed the curse that had come to his lips so that Dante wouldn't hear it.
"I knew he was in with Irons, but-"
"If you need anything."
"Thanks."
"McCartey!" Dante yelled.
Seiji sat down next to Drew.
"Yes sir."
"What the hell went one here?! You were no longer on this case! You had no right to be here!"
"I had every right! My partner was down here! We look out for each other, that's why we're paired up in to teams!"
"Even though you got the guy, and I am proud of your for it. This little act of defiance will go down in your record."
"I don't care, sir."
Dante nodded.
"Get yourself cleaned up, you look like shit."
He left to deal with the press. Lubin passed Jake and mumbled something about Dante being shit.
"You're right in that one, Lubin."
"I purposely make crappy coffee just to see the look on his face."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Listen, I gotta go do the wrist work on this. Thanks for the help."
"Anytime."
Jake sat down on the trunk of the police car next to Seiji. He did need to get cleaned up. Then find out which hospital Sara had been sent to. It was time for all of them to get some rest.
********************************************************************************************************************
Remember 10.
Two more chapters to go.
Go read Regression.
