Title: Coming to Terms--Chapter Nine
A/N-I think I'm almost done with this story…or I am done and forgot to change the author's note. We shall see.
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Alec had definitely said five minutes. She clearly remembered him saying the alarms would be deactivated for five minutes! Then why the hell had the alarms gone off precisely two minutes after he had re-routed the system? Who was she kidding, this was all her fault, she had trusted Alec. She had believed him when he had said this would be an in and out job. Well, whatever. This wasn't her score. It's not like she had anything banked on the outcome of whatever happened tonight. After all she had held up her end of the bargain, and after all the running she was having to do now, he owed her an explanation of the other night and then some.
Now, as she dashed down a flight of stairs to their rendezvous point, Max found herself involuntarily shuddering at the thought of what 'and then some' might actually mean to Alec. Not that he wasn't hot, hell she'd have to be blind to think otherwise, but he was Alec. The always present pain in her ass, thorn in her side, pebble in her--
Gunshots. Two gunshots from the main foyer. The main foyer where Alec should be waiting for her. Crap. This couldn't be good. There was no way this could be good. Alec hadn't brought a gun, she had made sure of that. So there was definitely someone else down there with one.
As she bounded down the last curve in the staircase, her worst nightmares became a haunting reality. He was on the floor clutching his side as a pool of crimson formed beneath him. Falling to her knees at his side she immediately began to search his body. There was so much matted blood and stained fabric, that she couldn't even tell where he had been hit.
"Don't worry Alec, everything will be okay. I'll get you out of here, you just have to promise me you'll hang on, okay? Alec"
She could hear the worry that had seeped into her voice. The last thing he needed right now, as she watched his face contort in agony, was to have her freak out because he'd lost way too much blood. There was so much blood. Shit, where the hell was it all coming from!? Rolling him onto his side she lifted up the back of his shirt, pushing it up his body so she could have a better look. About six inches above his waist, her eyes followed the darkest path of liquid to a shredded area of skin. The bullet had definitely gone in. Carefully turning him over onto his back again, she found the matching hole on his front. At least it had gone through.
He wasn't moving as much anymore, and she knew that she needed to get him out of here before he lost anymore blood, or before they got in anymore trouble. As a matter of fact, it was kind of weird that no one else had bothered them. Someone had obviously been here, and that alarm hadn't exactly been quiet, but as long as they didn't bother her, she wasn't going to go looking for them.
Cupping his face in her hands she tried to get him to wake up. She may super human, but he was still bigger than her. She didn't need a genius to tell her that an unconscious Alec plus a motorcycle wasn't exactly the best means of escape.
"Why does it always seem like I'm having to bail your ass out of these situations. Damnit Alec, I need you to wake up!" She shouted rather than spoke these last words, not in the least caring about if someone came back at this point.
Crouching down protectively over his body, she quickly scanned the room, hoping that there would be something, anything that would help her get him out of this mess. And that's when she heard it. An almost inaudible mumble had escaped past his lips. His head began stirring slightly, and Max snapped to attention.
"Alec, c'mon you big baby. Wake up."
"Max?" Judging from the look on his face, it had taken him way too much energy to even speak her name.
"Yeah, I need your help getting out of here, okay? I can't carry you all the way home."
"He wasn't supposed to shoot me," Alec mumbled almost as if he hadn't even recognized the concern in her voice.
"What are you talking about," she hissed. "This isn't the time for any of your smart-ass remarks Alec. If we both don't get going like now, we're going to end up dead, or captured."
"No you don't get it. Max I was only trying to--"
"Well explain it to me later. Right now you're going to get up and help me walk your ass out. C'mon."
And with that she hoisted him up off the floor, and out of the puddle of his own blood that he had been lying in for far too long. Slipping her smaller frame under his arm that had been hanging so lifelessly by his side, Max slung his bag over her other shoulder and headed out the front door. There was something about this whole night that rubbed her the wrong way. Well, obviously the whole Alec being shot thing, but there was something more. There was no way they should've been able to walk out like that. No, there was definitely something more going on behind the scenes and as usual she had a feeling she knew exactly where to start looking for answers.
With a reluctant sigh, she helped him position himself on her bike before slipping into the seat in front of him. Making sure that he had a secure enough grip around her waist, she revved the engine and peeled off into the darkness of the night.
She was not looking forward to what would most certainly be coming next.
A/N…you like? I think there's only going to be one more chapter. But then again, I'm a habitual liar. Yay!