Glory Days by Star24
Disclaimer: Dark Angel and its characters are property and copyright Twentieth Century Fox and James Cameron and Charles Eglee. This original story is copyright 2003 Star24.
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Chapter Five
789 6th Avenue
The atmosphere in the small boutique was tense. The police had made no overt moves toward the store after the gunman's threat, but more of them continued to arrive outside. Soon after the news trucks began to pull up, sprouting antennae and looking like so many giant bugs, squatting up and down the street.
The four women had been standing huddled in a corner, for close to half an hour. Marietta and the manager were trembling, and the older woman had begun to look like she was going to pass out.
Max had had enough. She walked over to the gunman who seemed to be in charge and tapped him on the shoulder.
He turned, startled. "Who gave you permission to move?" he snarled.
"I did. She needs to sit down. Unless you want to have a medical emergency on your hands." Max stood there hands on her hips, staring down the gunmen as she nodded her head towards the older woman.
"What makes you think I care?" He sneered.
"Her having a heart attack isn't going to help this situation any." Max refused to back down.
"What're you doing here anyway? You and your friend don't look like the type of rich bitches who'd be shopping here." He responded letting his gaze sweep insolently up and down her body.
Max frowned and was about to respond when there was a sudden commotion outside. A small helicopter was landing on the street, and what looked like a SWAT team began to climb out of it.
Fogle Towers
There was an uneasy silence between the two men as they consumed their lunches. Logan was still pondering Gavin's words, and Gavin had dropped back into the silence he had maintained earlier.
Finally Gavin broke the quiet. "Logan, I didn't mean to upset you before. It's just that it's still hard for me. About Carly I mean. Max looking so much like her brought it all back. I miss her."
"Gavin, I am sorry about Carly. I guess I still haven't quite taken it in that she's gone. I…"
Before Logan could finish his sentence there was a beeping from his computer room The monitor that Logan kept tuned to the local news station came to life.
"…SWAT team has just arrived by helicopter and it looks like they are considering going in. We understand that the men in question are holding four women hostage inside this exclusive boutique on 6th Avenue and that is probably the only thing that has prevented a fire fight so far…"
Gavin watched in bemusement as Logan jumped up and stood staring at the monitor.
"Max." With that one word he grabbed his jacket and keys and was out the door leaving Gavin alone in the apartment.
789 6Th Avenue
The phone inside the boutique began to ring. "Pick it up." The gunman gestured to Max.
She shrugged and picked up the receiver. "Hello." She listened for a moment "Sure, let me see if he's taking calls." Max held the receiver out to the gunman, "It's for you."
He looked at the phone she was holding as if it was a snake. "Tell 'em I ain't talking. Tell 'em I want the cops gone and a car out front or I start shooting you bitches."
Max shrugged. "He can't come to the phone right now. He says he wants the cops gone and a car out front or he's gonna start shooting us. No, he's standing here holding a gun on me right now. Okay, I'll tell him."
"They want you to release one of us as good faith. You do that and they'll work on the car." She stood looking at him. "What do you want me to tell them?"
"Tell 'em I'll think about it."
"He says he's gonna think about it. Better give him some time; I don't think that's easy for him."
The gunman grabbed the phone from Max and slammed it down. "Watch that smart mouth of yours or you're gonna be the first one I shoot."
"Max!" Original Cindy called out suddenly. Max and the gunman turned to see the older woman slumped on the floor with Marietta kneeling over her. Max rushed back to them. "She said somethin' about her heart and then collapsed." Original Cindy said with a wink to Max that the gunman couldn't see.
"She has a heart condition." Marietta said earnestly looking up at the gunman who was now standing over them. "Please let her go. She could die if she stays here."
"They want a release for good faith." Max pointed out. "Let them both go. You still got us."
The gunman stood there for a moment and then he gestured to his companion. They walked away and huddled together in silence for a few minutes.
"Okay those two go. But you two are stayin' with us and then you're comin' with us when we get out of here. You're gonna be our insurance against them chasin' us. Get em outa here. Now. Before I change my mind."
Max and Original Cindy helped Marietta get the older woman to her feet. She moaned, but seemed able to stand by leaning on the redhead. Together they walked her to the front door. The two gunmen stood to either side, out of the line of the door but with their guns trained on the women.
"One wrong move and I shoot all of you." The one in charge warned.
"Yeah right, I know." Max drawled as she opened the door slowly. She called out
"Hostages coming out. Don't shoot." Then she pushed Marietta and the other woman out the door. As soon as they were outside, the gunmen grabbed Max and Original Cindy's arms and pulled them inside, away from the door.
"Get in the back where you were, bitches."
Max and Cindy exchanged glances and nodded to each other as they turned to walk to the back.
Outside of the store Logan made his way down the sidewalk, flashing his press pass to get close to where the SWAT team was setting up.
Fogle Towers
A few minutes after Logan's departure, Gavin walked into his computer room. He watched the news feed for a few minutes, but then turned away from it. For the next several moments he walked around the room, examining the equipment that Logan had set up.
He seemed especially interested in the camera and video monitors, wrinkling his brow as he peered closely at them.
Finally he sat down at the main console and began to hit keys. The screen kept coming up blank for him and he finally stopped and sat back, considering carefully. He began to open the desk drawers. When he saw Logan's gun he pulled it out and stared at it for several moments before placing it carefully back into the drawer.
He opened another drawer and a frown crossed his face as he picked up a picture. He sat there staring at it and then, in a burst of anger he ripped it in two. The two halves of Max's face fluttered to the floor where he stepped on them and ground his foot over them. When his anger had passed, he picked them up and fed them into the shredder, destroying the evidence of his handiwork.
In the back of the last drawer that he opened he found a small key ring with several keys on it. He looked around the room but there was nothing with a lock. Holding the keys in his hand he began to wander around the apartment. In the back hallway he found a locked closet. One of the keys fit the lock and he pulled open the door to reveal a stack of boxes.
Gavin pulled down a box and lifted off the lid. A smile crossed his face as he pulled out a file and began to read what it contained.
End of Chapter Five