OK, Here is one last tidbit for all of you to read. I am afraid that you are going to have to wait a while for the rest of it, like two weeks, until after I get home! (YEAH, home finally home!)
Enjoy and please R&R, I enjoy your input.
Darwin
Chapter Twenty Two: Loose Ends…
When Logan next regained consciousness it was to the vibration of the vehicle under him, the loud humming of the knobby tires on the Humvee. He blinked several times and sat up slowly wincing at the pain in his arm. Everything around him was dark even the interior of the vehicle, looking out the window he could see stars peeking out between dark clouds. A wan moon shown red, just rising from behind the planet. Blinking he looked about him wondering where he was and how he had gotten here. The last he remembered was the crash sight, Shawnee treating his arm, and then pain and blackness.
Case was at the wheel staring intently at the window of light provided by the headlights and he glanced over at Logan a moment seeing him moving finally, "About time you woke up." Case said shortly.
Logan straightened up a little more, raising his right hand up to his left arm. There his fingers encountered the torn sleeve where he had been skewered by the plane. Beneath the tear in his sleeve his arm had been bandaged tightly. He then looked into the backseat seeing Hawker and Mouse and no one else. More quickly he sat up straight and looked over the faces in the Humvee again.
"Whe…Where's everyone else?" Logan asked in alarm, looking back to Case for the answers, "Shawnee, Thomas, Cotton?"
Case looked over at Logan his mouth a thin line, "Thomas and Cotton we just dropped off at the last major town, they're going to take a bus back to their respective homes. Seems they live only about 50 miles apart from each other."
"And Shawnee?" Logan asked getting a terrible sinking feeling.
"She," Case swallowed, "She stayed behind."
"WHAT!" Logan said incredulously, even as deep down he knew that Shawnee had never wanted to leave, that she would never, short of being forced, leave the only life that she knew.
"She said…she said that 222 was suffering from a concussion and someone had to stay back who knew how to handle it."
"But they'll kill her," Logan groaned.
Case was shaking his head, "She is going to claim no knowledge of what happened after the crash. She is going to claim to have been unconscious when we left. That should keep her out of trouble."
"But…they'll wonder why we didn't take her with us when we left, even unconscious."
"She'll figure something out."
Logan shook his head slowly, "God, Case I hope she made the right decision," Logan said softly.
"There was no convincing her otherwise," Case said, "believe me I tried."
"I know," Logan replied looking back out the window. She had told him once that she was happy, well treated. He hoped that circumstances wouldn't change that treatment. "I only hope she'll be alright."
Logan looked back to the other two, "So why did you guys stick around then?" He said wincing at the pulling of his shoulder.
"I live in Eastern Washington," Hawker said, "And it's right on the way. I know my mom probably thinks I'm dead, so I am going to surprise her."
"She'll be surprised alright, but she'll surely be happy to see you." Logan then looked over his shoulder at Mouse, she was still looking scared, out of place, all of the self confidence he had seen in her was suddenly gone, "Mouse?"
She looked away with tears in her eyes. Finally she signed at him not looking to see his reaction. Logan swallowed hard, "You have no family," he whispered. He turned in his seat understanding suddenly the close attachment Mouse and Shawnee had possessed. Shawnee had essentially been her mother and she was still back there. Case looked over at Logan a moment his hands making nervous motions on the wheel, "Shawnee insisted that Mouse come with us, even when she was adamant about staying behind. But Shawnee wanted her to have a life."
Logan's mouth thinned then he looked back at her again, "Mouse?" For a moment the girl didn't react then slowly she turned her red eyes toward Logan, "We'll take care of you, I promise. We're your family now."
She sniffed loudly looking uncertain of his sincerity, and then she signed at him again. Logan looked at her smiling warmly signing back, a repeat of her own sign, "I promise." Was what he told her. A small smile formed on her lips and she looked down fidgeting a moment with her shirt and then she nodded without looking at him, as if she was convincing herself that it would be all right.
Logan turned back toward the front sighing heavily as he looked out into the deep night. Home…he was truly going home! But first there were a few loose ends to tie up.
Torri woke to a pain that felt like her whole head was physically expanding and contracting in quick pulses, she tried to sit up but immediately lay back down again as her whole body screamed at her. The light was bright around her and at first she thought that it was the sun, blinking again she looked around her only with her eyes. All around her were people, and floodlights, and her eyes flew wide and a hand went to her head. She encountered there a bandage and at first she thought that it was just there to hide her barcode. There was pain when she touched it though and it brought a flood of memory back.
She bolted upright and turned her eyes instinctively toward the plane. It was in tatters, the main body of the plane was engulfed in flames and she gaped, who was still in there? And how did she get out? She had been going up the ladder to the cockpit to check the problem with the turbulence, when the aircraft had listed hard to the left and had sent her hurtling through the air. She winced at the remembrance of the impact with the plane.
She thought she remembered hearing Cale speaking to her but she couldn't think of when exactly that might have been, before or after the crash. Nor could she remember what he had been saying to her.
She looked around again seeing Shawnee to one side in handcuffs covered heavily by what she now recognized as Manticore Soldiers, probably from the Wyoming base. Slowly she eased herself off the stretcher and stood. With the way the world was spinning for her she was unsure it was a wise idea. She pressed on though moving toward an older Manticore who seemed to be in charge of the operation. He was a tall man with dark eyes and darker hair, she caught a glimpse of a bar code on his neck that she quickly translated. He was an X-5. He was conversing with another Manticore soldier who was X-6 about the details of the cleanup operation. She saluted him as she came close and he gave her a glance and a quick salute in return.
"Sir?"
"X-8-222 you really shouldn't be up," He replied to her without looking at her, "You have a concussion."
She nodded, "Who else made it out?"
He absently handed the clipboard he was carrying to the X-6 and turned toward her looking concerned, "One of the X-10's who was with you and the Cat woman over there," he said pointing at Shawnee with his pen.
"No one else?"
"We can't tell the Silly-villians had the place all kinds of tore up by the time we got here. Can't make out any tracks specific to people leaving the plane, the fire crews messed that up. The tire tracks are all muddled we can't tell whether the tracks are from the rescue vehicles or other sources. If they did they left quickly, none of the first response people saw anyone around the plane when they arrived," He shook his head in disgust his gaze drifting to Shawnee again. "We're lucky that they did not come across her when they arrived, she had enough sense to stay out of sight at the very least. We'd never have gotten near this place short of force if they had."
"Have the bodies been recovered?"
"We haven't been able to get near the wreckage, it has been burning non stop since we got here."
Torri's brow furrowed, and she ignored the pain it caused her. She nodded toward Shawnee, "What did she say?"
"She hasn't said anything actually beyond your needing help. She acts like she is in shock." The man shifted feet narrowing his eyes in curiosity, "How many were with you?"
"Twelve of us were in the plane, two crew, myself, two X-10's, and the unit consisting of seven soldiers."
"You three are lucky to have made it out at all."
"Yeah," Torri replied absently, still perplexed about that. Something about her miraculous rescue did not seem right.
Shawnee was not strong enough really to carry her, who was the lighter of the two of them, much less Cory who weighed a good two fifty. And he was still unconscious so he could not have gotten them out. Slowly she looked around her wandering away from the X-5 without dismissing herself. She moved back over to where she had been laying looking for a clue that more readily explain why she was out here and not trapped in the plane still. After some moments she came to a small pool of blood in a crevice near the berm and a half buried piece of bloody bandage. Neither she nor Cory were hurt that badly, so where did the blood come from? Her mouth thinned as the implications became clear to her.
She stormed over toward where Shawnee was still being guarded saying sharply to the X-11's, "Let her up and get those cuffs off of her," She managed to sound indignant at the woman's treatment, "She's no threat to you."
The two closest moved swiftly raising Shawnee up by her bound arms and then unlocking the handcuffs. Shawnee looked incredulously at Torri as the stout woman grabbed her gently by the arm and drew her away from the crowd of Transgenics. When she had moved to sufficient distance to prevent being overheard, she turned Shawnee to face her, "Where are they?"
"Ma'am," She said innocently, "I was unconscious. I don't know what you are talking about."
"Shawnee don't play games with me," She pointed down to the not quite concealed evidence at their feet.
Shawnee followed their gaze down and then looked back into her eyes defiantly, "As I said, I was unconscious. That they are gone from here, was only obvious to me when I revived."
"Then why did they not take you?" Torri pressed. And she saw Shawnee's resolve crack a bit, and knew that she had found a chink in the armor of her story, "Where'd they go?" Torri hissed.
"That I do not know," Shawnee said softly, "But I think that you already know where they went."
Torri looked down nodding minutely, she then looked back into the tall woman's eyes, "They'll kill you once they find out, Shawnee," Torri spoke in a low sharp voice, "Why did you stay behind?"
"Because the outside world holds nothing for me," She said evenly, "I would rather stay behind and live the life I have always known than go into the world outside where I am unknowing and unknown. I have never been mistreated here with your people, if they kill me," She shrugged, "At least it will be a quick death, and I will not have compromised my convictions in the process."
Torri could not tear down her logic and she found herself nodding minutely. She knew deep down that as soon as Shawnee was returned she would be killed. Bryn did not seem like the type to buy that story and Shawnee would probably be sacrificed in the Transgenic's rage. Torri had bore witness to too many of Bryn's "Disciplinary Hearings" to believe otherwise. If the woman did not do that with her for this escape she would be genuinely surprised.
A thought came to Torri then and she left Shawnee standing where she was and again approached the X-5.
Hawker had been thoroughly smothered by his ecstatic mother when they pulled up to her doorstep. Kawea Lightfeather insisted that they have dinner and stay the night out of gratitude for the return of her son, the only living relative she had left. They relished the break giving them time to stretch their road weary muscles.
They still wore the fatigues from the mission none of them willing to stop in a public place long enough to get changes of clothes. Hawker's mother tried to offer them something else to wear, but nothing she possessed fit either Case or Logan. She instead insisted that they be washed, including their undergarments, and gave them flowery silk robes to wear in the meantime. Hawker, who had clothes in the house that still fit him, and Mouse who looked, well natural in her robe both laughed so hard they were on the verge of tears. Logan and Case couldn't help but to laugh themselves. It eased the tension they all had been burdened with over the past several hundred miles.
Getting out the smelly, stained, and stiff fatigues was a great relief, as was the long hot baths they were all allowed to take. Logan knew it was going to be depressing to have to put them back on in the morning. And in no small part because they were a grim reminder of his separation from Max for the past nine months.
Logan took the time while he soaked to change out the bloody bandage on his arm. Since nearly losing his leg from neglect five years earlier, he was adamant about properly treating any kind of injury he sustained. Short of going to a hospital however his arm was way above his First Aid training, and all he could do was keep it clean and dry until he got home. He was glad that his body had an amped up immune system now, or else he might be worried.
They had been well fed on venison and salmon with sides of vegetables from the garden behind her house, and wild berries for desert. It had been such a long time since any of them had eaten a decent meal they all overate, feeling bloated, yet satisfied with the meal.
Hawker's mother had been immediately enamoured with Mouse, surprising them all when she had begun to carry on a conversation with the girl solely in sign. Logan then recalled many times catching Hawker and Mouse talking in some corner of the barracks in her medium of communication. He had often been taken by the impression that Hawker and Mouse were "an item" though it never went beyond their hanging out together.
By the end of the evening Mouse had relaxed considerably, smiling and laughing with them all, and a thought struck him. Logan inquired obliquely into Kawea's interest into taking the orphaned girl in. It was obvious that Mouse could be very happy in this environment, and Kawea was delighted with the proposition of someone else in the house to keep her company. Logan had hoped that Mouse would be as enthusiastic about the arrangement. She only looked a bit reluctant about staying with the practical stranger, but soon agreed. The two of them went off after that conversing quickly in sign about what arrangements would be needed.
They then sprawled on any piece of furniture that they found comfortable and slept soundly for the first time in longer than Logan could remember. The next morning they had said their farewells, Logan and Case looking on wistfully at how happy Hawker and his mother looked together, and how happy Mouse looked to find a place where she would be easily accepted. They had been still looking for their happy ending at that point.
Logan focused his gaze again drinking in the view before him. He thought the smoggy skyline of Seattle never looked so good in his life, and he was forced to quell the butterflies rising in his stomach as they neared the old and familiar paths that Logan was so used to all his life. The want in him to rush to his apartment was very strong and growing more insistent the closer they drew to his home. Again he fought against it, he wanted everything out of the way when he went back home, he wanted no distractions, no thoughts of what he was going to do with whom.
That was why they were going to Tima's place first, if Tinga were still in the area, she would be staying at Tima's. If not it would be a good place for Case to stay until Logan could contact her. Logan was antsy to get Case and his mother reunited, he still felt he owed Tinga even after five years. She had been the one to make him see that he had a lot to live for after Max's assumed death. She had saved him from himself, and giving her son back would be about the best gift he would ever give anyone.
He felt a little jittery, a little too conspicuous driving through the streets of his hometown in a vehicle that screamed military. His eyes darted back and forth looking for signs of recognition from those on the streets, most totally ignored their presence, still the same screwed up world where people were just trying to get by. But the thought that there was a Manticore squad just looking for their arrival was nearly overwhelming. It was, after all, not the brightest move in the world to return to the same place that you had been captured from in the first place. Or maybe it was brilliant, who would be stupid enough to do such a thing?
Logan pulled the Humvee into an alley near Tima's place and shut off the vehicle. Case slowly woke beside him blinking blearily and looking unfocused out the window. "Where are we?" He asked through his deep yawn.
Logan smiled broadly, "Home."
Logan made his way up to Tima's balcony, rejecting the notion about anyone being home. He eased one back window open and slipped inside favoring his still sore shoulder. He was in the midst of turning around when he was pounced upon. Someone latched arms around his neck and he instinctively stepped back and pulled hard on the person's arms flipping whoever it was over his shoulder. To his surprise the person landed on their feet. She was immediately coming back at him throwing a left, which he caught in one hand, followed by a right and again he caught it. He pulled them both down towards her sides, smiling broadly as he recognized her saying, "Man this is just déjà vu, except its not dark and this is not a cellar."
Her arms went lax in his grip, "Logan?" Tinga queried.
He smiled again releasing her arms and she suddenly wrapped them around him, crushing him in her arms. Logan returned the hug ignoring the white-hot pain on his arm from her strong grip. She stepped back from that unbridled joy after a moment looking him over. She was suddenly at a loss for words seeing him here when he should have been somewhere else. Logan smiled again, "I have a surprise for you." Tinga looked at Logan perplexed as he stepped back over to the window motioning his companion inside.
Slowly Case stepped in through the window but Logan blocked his entrance from Tinga. Case did not notice at first who it was in the room with Logan as he was slowly looking over the apartment around them.
"I found this," He grabbed Case by one sleeve and dragged him around to face Tinga. Both of them froze eyes locked on another, "I want to say you two know each other," Logan added unable to hold back his chuckle at their look.
"Mom?" Case said slowly as if unbelieving of his own eyes.
"Case?" Tinga said tears welling up in her eyes. She reached across the space between them to touch his face, "Oh my God I thought I lost you forever!" She said emotionally suddenly embracing him. He wrapped her up tightly in his own embrace burying his head in her shoulder trying to hide his own tears.
"I thought you were dead," he said in a muffled tone, "I thought they got you too."
"No baby I'm here." She said trying to sooth him running one hand through his hair. Looking up with watery eyes she smiled at Logan reaching out a hand to him. Logan took it squeezing it gently and nodding in understanding, "You found him…" she said in a breaking voice, "Thank you."
"We kinda found each other," Logan said shrugging.
Long moments passed as mother and son got reacquainted and then Tinga backed away looking her nearly grown son back over again. She smiled again warmly, lovingly at Case before turning back looking at Logan with curiosity.
"Max said…"
"She's alive?" Logan interrupted his heart leaping into his throat. Despite all the convincing he had tried to do to get himself to believe it he never had allowed himself that. He had not wanted to be disappointed again. "How is she?"
Tinga nodded slowly, "She's…um…fine."
"You don't sound very convinced of that Tinga," Logan said sounding worried.
"No, she really is alright, she'll be happy to see you."
Logan looked uncertain. Tinga then said, "Max said that you had been missed flying off to some unknown point. How'd you get here?"
"It is a long story, and no offense I would rather tell it later," Logan looked at her meaningfully.
Tinga nodded again, looking as if there was something else to tell, "Then you had better go to her, Logan, she's been a wreck without you."
Logan laughed shortly, "I find that hard to believe."
Tinga looked at him sternly, "Believe it. Go to her."