"One Night"
Chapter 11
Disclaimer: Still don't
own any of it.
Summary: Logan goes to a Manticore doctor for help.
Spoilers/Timeframe: Occurs after "Designate This".
Rating: R
A/N: Thanks to everyone who
have reviewed me so far (17/1/02). I really appreciate it. I know how difficult
it is to keep track of a story if it's continuing all the time. I do make an
effort to keep the chapters coming. I don't think the end is far off, please
keep posting comments. I need all the encouragement a girl can get.
I know, I know, parts of this may sound dumb. Just warning you, I'm not sure if White and Deck ever knew each other. I haven't seen the new series yet. So give the girl a break. Just read please. Then tell me if you think it was trash.
*****
This was going to be her home. She let the sand on the beach shift through her toes, enjoying the soft grainy feel travel over her skin. Letting her feet sink into the sand, she raised her hand to shield her sensitive eyes from the sun. Looking over the great expanse of ocean, she stared into the distance where she could vaguely make out the Washington coastline. Dropping her sandals into her bag she picked up her hat. The boat had long since left. That is, if you could call a small dingy with one engine a boat. Eva pulled her bag close to her chest. It contained all the money she had and now, that money would be her only savior if this job didn't go through.
A week ago she had run away from the only home she had, if prison was a home. Eva couldn't even recall a single instance when she had been allowed to walk in an open field, all alone and completely few. Free of obligation, free of fear, most of all free to be normal. Maybe she still wasn't normal. But at least she was in control of her future, not locked up in some lab working day and night on some weird project. Here she would find herself.
Standing on the beach staring up the cliff-face she wondered what felt so peaceful. Danes Isle had a safe appeal to it. A quiet small island, with few people and hilly green plains, just what she had always dreamed of. Clutching the small clipping in her hand, she took her first step up the embankment leading to a small walking trail. She was answering an advertisement for a full time nurse. The position requested that the applicant have a caring and patient nature. Experience not needed. She fit the bill perfectly. The only question was would her prospective employer meet her requirements.
As it turned out her, prayers were answered. Eva lived with Mrs. Willow, a crippled lonely widow for the next four years--till she passed on and left Eva everything she owned. Life was perfect, she couldn't have asked for anything more. Every day she would walk in the open field behind the house and just stare into the horizon, lost in thought. In the summer, she would pack a picnic lunch and lie in the small forest not far from the house and dream. During the day, her dreams were of the future, bright and always full of promise. It was only nights that tormented her. Constantly reminding her of the past, the demons that would always haunt her, someday they catch up with her. That day came far sooner than she imagined.
~~~~
This morning was different, she struggled to sit up and ran her hand through
her tussled curly hair. What time was is? 7.30! Oh no, Snuffy will be
tearing the house apart! Eva jumped out of bed, not bothering with a robe
she raced to the kitchen. Snuffy wasn't there. Nor was he by the front door.
Heading back through the house, Eva opened the back door to check for her
fluffy companion. Big mistake.
"Don't move!"
Three men had their guns aimed at her chest. She couldn't take all of them without getting shot so she just stood frozen. What the hell was going on? One look at the man stepping out of the van, brought it all clear, Ames White. The devil supreme, that was the only name she had for him. During her years at the government laboratory, he would often come to check on her. Monitor her work and her behavior. She stood her ground and raised her chin, defiant. They wouldn't turn her, no way. Never would she ever, work willing for them again. Once she believed in their cause, the creation of the perfect soldiers. But the corruption and heartlessness she had experienced changed her mind. They could brainwash her no longer.
"Get her in the van."
Before she could even react, one of the soldiers' plunged a needled full of sedatives into her neck.
"Keep her under till we get back to the base."
"So you decided to join us. Since our most valuable resource has returned to us, I thought I'd throw a little party and it wouldn't be a party without a few important guests now would it. But first, X5-623 where have you hidden all Manticore's research?"
Eva pulled against her restraints. Her arms and legs were both strapped to the metal indoctrinating chair. Oh, she remembered this chair well. She was waiting for those horrid eye-openers, it was a wonder you could still blink after one session of them holding your lids. She glared at White, where the hell was Lydecker? Sure, she knew Ames White but in the past he had very little to do with any of the dirty work. It was Lydecker who took the role of personal tormentor. Something was up, she could feel it.
"I don't know what you want. After I got out I didn't want anything that would remind me of you."
Ames laughed, it was a cruel wicked laugh. "623, you really are naïve, aren't you. Hey, Deck, time to put on our show."
One wall, which had been black, lit up to display an adjoining room.
"It's been a long time, Eva, too long if you ask me."
Lydecker stepped into view and in his arms, he cradled the most beautiful baby she'd ever seen. "She's perfect. You outdid yourself X5-623. With the genetics lab destroyed, it has put us back years. But this little baby is the beginning of the new generation of transgenics. Now it wouldn't be a family reunion without the father would it?"
At his signal, a bound and sedated Zack was being dragged into the room. Eva's heart started to crumble. This was it. The minute she had seen the child, she had known instinctively the baby was hers. Now they had everything she held precious. She had made rules for herself, in order to keep safe. Never trust anyone, never let your guard down, and above all never get involved. Well she had obviously broken all the rules. Angry tears threatened to escape her lids and Eva took a calming breath in an effort to hold them back. Soldiers don't show weakness.
This was all wrong. What was going on? How did she get in this mess?
"I'll ask you one more time, Eva. Tell me what I want to know." As White spoke, Deck raised a gun and pointed it at a still drowsy Zack.
Eva scanned her brain, desperately searching for the answers they were demanding. "My Zedcon research is at Naturalest Laboratories in Alaska. All my other research was at the house in Danes Isle."
When had she had the time to visit Alaska? And how did she conceive that little baby with Zack no less. She hadn't seen him in over ten years. Something wasn't registering in her brain. The words just tumbled out of her mouth. It didn't even make any sense to her. But it seemed to please both White and Deck.
"Now how hard was that?" He motioned a guard, something Eva didn't quite catch. The next thing she knew Zack was being collected off the floor and Deck was walking away with her baby.
"No, let me have her. Don't take her away. Please." With tears streaming down her face she gave a strong pull on the restraints, the straps snapped giving her freedom. She punched White in the face and he crumpled to the floor unconscious. Rushing towards the door, she kicked it open and ran to the next room.
She didn't hesitate to throw open the door. At her entrance, the guard standing by the door was knocked out cold. Zack took that opportunity to disarm the soldier dragging him and use the gun to shoot him down. Eva froze in shock, it had been years since she'd ever used a gun let alone seen one fire. Or had it. Something about the way the soldier lay sprawled in his own blood reminded her of something.
Lydecker cleared his throat, the other occupants of the room seemed to have forgotten his presence. Both turned to see him upon hearing the sound. "Now both of you cooperate and everyone lives. You know they're coming." He pointed his gun toward the security camera above. "You've probably got ten seconds to give yourselves up quietly. What's it going to be?" When neither of them responded, he aimed the gun at the baby. "No big loss. You can always have more."
"No…" Eva couldn't remember just when it all went to hell. But the same time she launched herself at Lydecker, someone's gun went off. She hit the floor with a hard thud, she struggled to push herself up but she didn't seem to have the strength. Looking up she saw Max, only it was Max twelve years ago. The gun was still aimed at her chest. Staring down she saw the blood oozing from her wound. Studying the face of her sister, it seemed like history was repeating itself. Only this time she was dying because Max pulled the trigger.
"Eva, hang on." Zack was trying to pull away from his opponents. They too looked familiar. "Eva…"
She was drifting, slowly. She'd let this all happen. It was all her fault. As her body started to shut down, she knew it in her heart that her baby would live. That it was all going to be all right, Zack would figure out a way to get out of this mess, he would take care of their baby.
"Eva, no." Zack broke away from the X7s and threw himself to the floor beside Eva. His sudden escape brought more gunfire.
"Stop, don't shoot." Lydecker's order came to late. Zack lay beside Eva on the floor clutching his neck. "Eva…" His voice came out gargled and Deck knew he wouldn't be around much longer. He glared at the kids who were now gathering around the couple. "Leave them." They were both beyond saving. There was nothing in the donor bank and without Eva's expertise and equipment they wouldn't survive anyway.
As she took her last breath, a silent tear rolled down her cheek. Their child was doomed. The demons would haunt and corrupt her for all of her days. Because her parents couldn't protect her. And all because her mother broke the rules.
~~~~If only she had just stuck to her rules. Stayed away from the others, none of this would have ever happened~~~~
