Chapter 5: The chase

After two days of sitting around Darien was bored out of his mind.  Bobby and Claire were off tailing this Kenny character yet again.  They had followed him as much as possible in the past two days.  So much so, that the guy barely had room to breathe.  They were glad that the train would be making its three-day stop in a few hours.  The change of scenery would be greatly appreciated. 

Darien was thrilled he could walk again.  He still promised Claire he would be careful and not overexert himself.  Taking in a deep breath and long stretch, Darien decided to go find the two McShawn brothers.  There was just something familiar about them.  Thinking further, he figured, maybe Dana could give him some info on the two.  Leaving a note for Bobby and Claire he went in search of Dana Harper.

Dana was halfway across the dining car when Darien spotted her.  He tried to run after her, but was a bit weak from recuperating these past weeks.  "Dana!  Come on, listen to me would ya?"  Darien bent over taking in a deep breath.  Feeling a hand on his back he jumped slightly.  Thinking it was Claire he came back up still gasping slightly only to be met with the face of a stranger.

"Mr. Fawkes …err…I mean Drake, are you alright?"  Darien looked at her in shock no one was supposed to know his name.  Even Dana who was supposed to be some kind of hot shot agent didn't know, at least he didn't think she knew.

"How do you?  You wouldn't be Miss Lezley …would ya?"  She looked at him oddly not knowing what to say she just nodded her head.  She thought maybe Mr. Hobbes had told him about her or possibly Claire, who she'd taken that tray to a few days ago when he was unconscious.  It didn't matter though.  What did, was that he was her connection and they needed to get the killer before anyone was killed this time around.

"Your partner, Dana Harper, she said you were new at this so how is it you know my name and she don't?"

"What are you talking about?  Dana Harper never was and never will be my partner, Agent Fawkes!  That broad isn't 'even' an agent.  For that matter for the five years…aw crap!"  A look of recognition came over her face.

"What?  What aw crap?  Oh and by the way I think I like you already."

"Thanks, but I think I just figured out why I haven't found the guy.  All this time I've been thinking it was Kenny.  I still think he had something to do with it, but now I'm thinking she's in on it and I can't believe I didn't see it before now."

"I can't believe it, we were duped by the bad guys."  Darien shook his head in frustration and sat down or rather almost fell down.  If Lezley hadn't helped him to the chair he would have been on the floor.

"What are you talking about other than the fact that you got bad info?"  Lezley sat in the seat across from him and looked at him with curiosity written all over her face.

"Well, a few days ago Hobbes met her at the bar ya know, and she said she needed to talk.  She gave us some line about needing to give us some info and that you would be there too, but you were working."

"What?  That broad, I cannot believe her.  Damn she's good though.  Too good, she even had me duped into thinking she was one of the good guys.  She made me think she was 'only the help'."  Lezley was infuriated.

"Well, anyway, she said there was some deal that happened last year.  She said her partner lead a couple of agency guys into an ambush.  He got them all killed.  Man, I shoulda known.  She wouldn't tell us who her boss was and she said we had some secret weapon we weren't sharing."

"Well, you do, don't ya?  Oh, and don't worry your secret's safe with me.  The boss says I can't tell anyone.  The thing is how did 'she' find out?"

"You mean you know?"

"Of course I do, you're the uhm…hmm…  But, 'I' didn't go telling her that.  For that matter the only thing I said to her was that I thought I knew who the killer was and that Ralph was probably right."

"Aw crap!"  Darien laid his head down on the table shaking it vigorously.  So, this agent guy last year was 'your' partner then?"

"Yeah, he was transferred six weeks ago after he was injured, or shot, rather while undercover.  He was posing as a hood that was supposed to beat a poor guy senseless.  The guy lived no thanks to him.  He 'was' kind of a mess up.  In fact, I can't figure out how he even got that undercover job with his record.  And, the fact that the guy married Dana last year, I don't know if he knows about her extra curricular activities, but if he does it's a sure bet that he's in on it, too."

"Your ex-partner wouldn't happen to be Chaz Borden would it?"

"Yeah, how did you…"

"Let's just say I was on the receiving end of his recent activities."

"That was you?"  He nodded slowly to her question.

"Hey, I am so sorry about that.  I hear he's at the agency now.  You guys better watch your backs just in case."

"Yeah, he is and he's the bosses grandson.  Let me tell ya if that don't throw a wrench in everything I don't know what does?"

The two sighed trying to take in all of the information.  They needed to find out if Kenny 'was' involved and if he was, how deep?

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Kenny sat alone in his compartment.  He'd gotten those he needed to help him ever since that night.  But, now all he wanted was for it all to end.  Deciding what to do, Kenny picked up his laptop.  Finding nothing but an advertisement in his email, Kenny slammed down the laptop cover in anger.

He understood if his son-in-law didn't want any part in helping him.  Even 'he' wanted it all to be over.  Opening the laptop once again, he began to write an email to the one person or organization he knew could and would help him without question.

Jared and Michel Stark, with help from the new head of sector G, Arnaud DeFehrn.  They never would give him any information he didn't ask for.  All the deaths of the agents were always a hit that 'they' needed to make.  They just didn't have the man-power for it.  At least that's what they always said.  It didn't matter anyway.  Because to Kenny it just brought him that much closer to shutting down that damn train.

After quite some time of waiting for a response, he finally received a reply.  Arnaud was overjoyed to help him.  Help him get rid of Fawkes?  Well…that was an honor.  Jared and Michel were in prison.  But, Arnaud had his ways.  He could get him out without anyone even realizing they'd left until they were gone.

Kenny was overjoyed.  He needed their help if this was going to work.  Besides that, they could easily get in and out of places that he couldn't.  Arnaud had some 'gift' as Jared called it, of getting in and out unseen.  He had no idea how, and Jared never would elaborate on any info he had.  The only one who ever would elaborate on his info was Michel, as he had many times.

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Lezley and Darien had been following Dana for a while now.  They were both exhausted, but kept up the chase.  Dana slowed and entered one of the compartments up ahead without knocking.  It was strange, but Lezley and Darien followed her inside dawned with quicksilver.

Kenny stood before them, not at all surprised at her presence.  They listened as Kenny relayed to her the plan.

"What do you mean Chaz won't help us?  He loves me, doesn't he?  He's got to help!"  Dana fell into a chair and began to sob into her hands.  She couldn't do this without him.  What was Chaz thinking?  She could only hope she could find a way out and soon, before its too late.

"I know my dear, dear Dana, but that's what he said," Kenny walked over and tried to console his daughter.  Laying a hand on her arm, he looked up into her eyes from his squatted position in front of her.

"I don't think he would want any part in the death of his grandfather anyway.  Besides we knew he would eventually want out.  He's too good for this, you know it just as much as I do."

She began to nod her head then she realized what he'd said about her husband's grandfather, Charlie Borden.

"What?"  Dana stood looking away with a hurt in her eyes that could not be mistaken.

"Yes Dana!"  Kenny continued and trying to face her.  Once he regained her gaze he continued.  "Bradley McShawn or should we say 'the official' is our next target.  Once we rid ourselves of 'him' then maybe this can all be over.  I'm sorry Dana we have to."

Dana whirled on him just missing the invisible Lezley who hurriedly stepped out of her way.  "We can't, we just can't!  We agreed we'd take out the conductor and one of the high security agents as usual."

"Well, things have changed."

"But…"  Kenny held up his hand with contempt.  Darien's blood rushed from his face.  It took everything he had to hold the quicksilver.  Dana paused about to say something, but instead turned to leave as she was about to run out of the door Darien and Lezley quickly scooted out before her, but not before they saw the tears flowing heavily down her face.

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Lezley and Darien entered Darien's compartment tired and hungry.  Before them they saw  Claire and Bobby sitting at the table playing cards.  Of course Claire was winning.  Darien had the suspicion that Bobby was letting her.

"What are you doing?"  Darien asked in a tired kind of anger.

Bobby jumped at the interruption.  Darien's eyes were bloodshot, not just from the madness, but from the exhaustion that was written all over his face.  Claire jumped from her chair and carefully ushered Darien to the bed where she gave him his shot and checked him over.  Finding him all right other than utter exhaustion, and an inflamed incision on his side she gave him a shot of an anti-inflammatory and antibiotic and moved to the end of the bed.

"Hobbes, I asked what you were doin', man!"  Darien said still quite angry, but simmering some.

"Why?  We just got back after a total waste of time.  There ain't nothin' but a laptop on our friend Kenny.  So, the keep and I came back here, got bored and started playin' cards.

Why, is there somethin' up we should know partner?"

Darien sat up slowly his body aching perhaps from overdoing it and the extreme exhaustion he was suffering.  He was just not ready for that much action just yet.

"Well, its just…Lezley and I just got back from that guy Kenny's room and, let me tell ya man, we didn't find nothin' as you so bluntly put it."  Hobbes looked at his partner astounded. 

Once Hobbes finally got his bearings, he started in again.  "Fawkes, what are you sayin'?

"I'm sayin'…what 'am' I sayin'?"  He looked to Lezley for help in frustration.

Lezley kindly took the cue and started in.  "What agent Fawkes was trying to say is that Kenny is 'very' involved.  In fact he's got plans of targeting Bradley McShawn.  Who by the way happens to be your very own official."

"What?!"  Bobby and Claire said in unison.

"There is no freakin' way my friend, no freakin' way.  Besides, Bobby Hobbes woulda known.  'Cause nothin…"

"We know!"

"Nothin gets past Bobby Hobbes!"  Darien and Claire recited in harmony with each other.

"Nonetheless," Lezley continued, "those are his plans and Dana is not very happy about it.  It seems her husband is the officials grandson."

"Chaz?  But he's…"

"I know keep, he's working at the agency."  Darien chimed in.

The four sat in complete shock as to the realization of the information that was set before them.  They all decided that Bobby and Claire would keep an eye on Dana until morning.  After that and a good rest for Darien he and Lezley would follow Dana see where she goes in this dead end nothin' town.  If she even left the train, and maybe they could find out how involved she and Chaz really were.  Then perhaps they could save that official butt of the bosses, unbeknownst to him of course.

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Dana watched from a distance as Darien and Lezley followed her.  She knew something was up.  She had been finding them around corners all day.  Even after she left the train they followed her.  She turned down about the only alley she could find and took out her cell and speed-dialed Daddy.

He told her to keep them close, but at a safe distance and he gave her a time and place to meet his friends that would take over for her.  She hung up in tears.  She had no idea who his friends were, only names.  But, what she did know was that they were worse than her father was.  At least worse than he was before her mother was killed.  Now, she could only wonder what the killings had done to him.

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Kenny received a call from Arnaud.  He informed him that he and the stark brothers would be thrilled to help him.  However, Jared and Arnaud particularly were all set to take care of them in 'their' way, but Kenny wanted nothing to do with it, he wanted them left unharmed.  He only wanted them to insure that they were left behind when the train took off again.  Jared and Arnaud however, had something 'else' in mind.  What Kenny didn't know wouldn't kill him.

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Arnaud walked into the cell, which housed Jared Stark and his brother Michel.  Michel wanted nothing to do with his brother.  But, the taste of freedom was even stronger than the hatred he had for his brother.

"Twenty minutes, that's it.  I'll be watching you so no funny stuff outta you two.  Or its back to solitary confinement."  The guard said as he left the room.

The two nodded saying nothing and shook Arnaud's hand as if he was their long lost brother.

Arnaud and the two men backed into a corner out of the view of the security camera overhead.  Arnaud had been made visible by one of Jared's great doctor's before he went to prison.  They had no idea if it would hold, but it didn't matter, all they needed was enough tests and info to duplicate it.  Then, unbeknownst to Arnaud they'd get rid of him altogether.

Arnaud quicksilvered himself and the two men and waited for the guard to get curious enough.  They had all day.  Arnaud's gland didn't have the madness so they could wait there for days if need be.  Only thing was it took a lot out of the carrier of the gland to hold it for that long.  And, knowing Arnaud he wouldn't last two hours, not with his patience.

The guard outside at the monitor hadn't been paying much attention to much of anything outside his lunch.  After taking a long sip of his soda he glanced over at the monitor.  There before him was a very empty room.

He waited and waited thinking that they just walked out of the view of the camera.  After thirty minutes and still nothing, he rotated the cameras in the room, still nothing.  Becoming alarmed at the situation, he drew his gun and entered the room, but not before he called for back-up just in case.

Entering the room, he looked around finding nothing, but what he missed was just two seconds after he entered the door mysteriously opened further behind him.  Coming up empty he radioed for a shut down of the prison and a search to start.  What he didn't know was that it was already too late for that.  They were already in Arnaud's jaguar and headed to some little one-store train station town to meet up with miss Dana.

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After several hours of leading the two agents on a wild goose chase, Dana grew very tired.  She was quite a ways ahead so a little rest wouldn't hurt any.  She picked up her cell phone that had been ringing incessantly while answering with exhausted tone…

"Yes?"  She breathed.

"They're on their way as we speak Dana."

"Good, then we can get on with this thing.  Where is the meeting place?"

"Take them to a clearing about two miles into the woods due east."

"I'll be there."

"Good, just be sure that you are."

With that, she hung up almost violently.  She hated this.  Those agents didn't seem to deserve this, but none of them her father had killed had.  Finally, she found the clearing.  Looking back down a long hill she saw that the two agents were still quite a ways behind struggling along.

Sitting on a stump in the middle of a snow covered clearing she picked up her cell once again and dialed Chaz.  It rang and rang until he finally picked up.

"Oh, Chaz thank you for being there…Damn…  I don't know what to do Chaz, I just…  I just don't know."  Dana said through tears.

"What is it?  What's wrong?  What has that freakin' bastard done to you Dana?"  He asked with fear in his voice.

"Its this… whole thing Chaz.  I…  I just don't know if I can do this."

"Do what?  What is that ignorant…I'm sorry Dana, but I hate what he has you into.  I know he's your father, but loyalty can only go so far.  Stephen knew that, why can't you realize that too?"

"I do Chaz, Its just…I don't know how.  I'm not like Stephen.  I don't have…"

She paused.  She couldn't go on the tears were flowing so heavily now.

"Dana, just tell me!  What does he want you to do now?  Dammit, hasn't there been enough death in all of this?"  He said under his breath.

"Chaz I…  I can't say.  You'd hate me if you knew anyway."

"No, trust me Dana I could never hate you."

"Maybe that's true, but I still can't say Chaz!"  She said in almost a whisper.

"Are you being followed?"  He asked in concern.

"Yes!"  She whispered into the phone while struggling to hold it in her trembling hands.

"They're here Chaz, I have to go."  She quickly put away her cell phone and waited while trying to shake back the tears.

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Picking up a walking stick for Darien, Darien and Lezley slowly made their way to the clearing Dana had effortlessly lead them to.  It was a cold and snowy and the stump Dana was sitting on was about the only place that 'was not' snow-covered.

As he came to the top of the hill Darien found himself to be so exhausted he almost collapsed.  But, instead he rested his hand on the tree in front of him that was just outside the clearing.  He began taking in long deep breaths.  He lay his free hand at his wounded side.  It ached terribly and he could feel the skin pulling against the stitches.  He wondered how much more exertion would cause them to tear.  He was afraid it wouldn't be much more at his current rate.

Lezley, seeing his current condition as she came up the hill, stepped to his side and laid a comforting, but concerned hand on his back. 

"Hey, are you okay Agent Fawkes?"

"Yeah, yeah, just give me a minute, Lezley.  I just…need…to get my…breath back."  Darien said through his labored breathing.

A hand suddenly clapped over Darien and Lezley's mouths to silence their screams.  Fear went through Darien so intense he could not control the quicksilver that now flowed quickly over himself and the perpetrator.  A familiar voice gasped then stopped him short.  "Hey there partner, calm down its just me your partner, partner remember my friend."

"Hobbes!"  Darien screamed as he dropped the quicksilver.

"What are you…"

"The Keep got worried, she said if I didn't come find your sorry butt before the train took off I was gonna be in worse shape than 'you' my friend.  And believe me if the keep says she can do it, than she can do it."

Darien slumped down in the snow in exhaustion and shaking his head.  Lezley tried to catch him, but it was too little too late.

Three men trudged slowly up the snowy hill.  They could see two men and a woman, but could not yet tell who it was yet.

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…TBC