by: iluvaqt@hotmail.com
QT's notes: Blaze, you know I'm pretty anxious to see this story unfold too but I don't think I express it quite the way you do. I promise to do my best and get the Chicago side of this adventure out soon. Work's got me pretty tied up at the moment. Big headaches…
Chapter 13: Cruel Intentions
The man pulled the trigger and Max launched into blur speed. She tore the gun from his grasp, just as the dart hit the wall behind her last position. Before he had a chance to run, Max shoved the man against the wall and threw the gun in Logan's direction. She kept one hand wrapped firmly around his neck.
Logan bent to pick up the gun and stood up, studying the man curiously. If anything, he looked angry than afraid or surprised at her strength. And he was clawing at Max's hand. He was trying to say something.
Mike spluttered and gagged; this wasn't going according to plan. Maybe his approach hadn't been quite fool proof but he hadn't expected to be disarmed in the space of two seconds. He'd changed his jacket and lost the bandana. He was in dark gear and he'd been told to disable not eliminate, hence the M9 drug cartridges.
"Max, let him down." Logan had the gun levelled at the guy's head. When she didn't relent, Logan reasoned with her. "We can use him to get out of here."
Max released him and stood back. She knew he didn't have any more firearms on him but he could have other surprises up his sleeve. She stood out of the danger zone, but close enough to take him out if she had to. "Okay."
"I'm not working for White," the man choked out.
"Makes no difference to me. You point a gun at me, you're the enemy," Max spat.
Mike shook his head. He was hunched catching his breath and he straightened, leaning against the wall for support, rubbing his throat. "I couldn't wait for the extraction team, White wanted you now. So I had to get here before one of the other guys got to you. They would have taken you, conscious or not, bound and gagged. I swear, I'm working to get you out of here alive. The odds have just tipped in their favour with more muscle. Did you hear the chopper?"
"Why should we believe you when you shot at her?" Logan asked threateningly.
"Hey, it's only a sedative. I don't know White's game plan yet, okay. I'm supposed to play along. I have no idea what he's got going down. All I know is it's serious and it's an international deal. If I don't show up with Max in two minutes, he's going to know I'm not in and this place'll turn into a death trap."
Max looked at Logan and bit her lip. "Tie me. Follow at a distance. I'll go with him."
"I don't like it. Who are you, anyway?"
"Mike Wynter. IAB. That's all I can tell you. We've gotta get moving."
Logan had to bury his doubts for now. Bling was around somewhere and they still had to get out without tipping White off. All things considered, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more going on than anyone wanted to let on.
Mike reached the door to A2 building. He flashed his ID badge and shifted the body on his shoulder. To her credit, she didn't make a sound or movement.
Inside her thick cloth-hood, Max had to fight the rising of claustrophobia. Ever since her week long torture of being trapped in a 3ft by 3ft cell, she'd always been more than a little nervous about having anything over her head or stuck somewhere without a ready exit. When his shoulder moved and dug right into her stomach, she had to suck in the curse that tempted to fly from her lips. She kept her body slack and took even, relaxed breaths.
"Here we are gentleman. Sorry to keep you." White narrowed his eyes and motioned for Mike to drop Max in the chair.
Mike set her down. He discreetly slipped her a blade as he let go. If anything was to go wrong she could cut herself free in a second and run. She had to know White was close by and that the room was full of men. She had superior hearing didn't she? He moved to stand next to White.
"You were supposed to be with Nate," White ground icily.
"I was following orders. She'd escaped, she took out Fin before I could stop her. I gave her a shot before I grabbed her." As he moved closer to White, he whispered, "Quite an animal, a real wildcat."
A cruel smile formed on White's face and he slapped Mike firmly on the back. "Fine. You're done here. Return to your position and get someone to help you with Fin. We're moving out after we finish up."
"Yes, sir." Mike nodded and headed for the door. He turned back for a brief moment to look at Max before he left the building. Walking away, he headed into the shadows of C1. He spotted Logan, watching A2.
Logan crouched between the cover of a truck and old crates. "How many?"
"Four foreigners, and 7 hostiles. I took out a guy earlier. They won't find him, but the other parameter guy is a tough old guy. White trusts him to a fault. We can't get him just yet. Listen." He passed Logan an earpiece and held his own receiver to his ear.
"So this is it?" a Russian man asked.
"Yes," replied the familiar voice.
"Johasha, check her."
"We have to get her…"
Mike clamped a firm hand down on Logan's arm and held him fast. "This is bigger than just getting White. There are dirty agents that have been trading information, resources, anything drawing a dollar figure, to anyone who's willing to play their game. We need this to go through."
"You bastard." Logan growled as he shook the other man off. He grabbed Mike by the jacket and hissed in his face. "You knew. You're worse than him if you're willing to go through with this for the sake of your case. You're willing to sacrifice her life?"
"Something tells me this isn't something you can lecture me on."
Logan fell silent and clenched his jaw. He wasn't comfortable with how familiar this guy seemed to be about everything about Max and himself. He made a mental note to get the 411 on him, once they got out of this. There'd been many times where he'd risked the safety and lives of others for the sake of his quest to reveal the truth. He'd personally put Max in danger many times. It chilled him to think how many times he'd never given it a second thought.
"She's in perfect condition. Barcode matches. She's the one we want."
It was a woman speaking. Part of the Russian party, Mike assumed. There were more exchanges in Russian before the man spoke up again.
"Price as originally confirmed. We have a deal."
Mike checked his portable receiver. The video transmission showed one of the Russian men passing a silver case to White. After opening the case and checking the contents, White motioned to two of his men to take Max.
All of a sudden, a voice yelled something and there was a loud crashing.
"Find him."
Pocketing his equipment inside his jacket and grabbing his gun from the holster under his right arm. Mike turned to Logan. "Time to move."
Logan resisted the urge to say, about time. He hadn't seen what Mike had been watching but he heard what had been said and he didn't like that the transaction had already taken place.
Max waited as heavy footsteps approached. Then from somewhere behind her, a voice yelled.
"Stop."
A loud crash reverberated off the walls as a piece of scrap metal fell from high up.
They'd found someone. She prayed that it wasn't Logan. Breathing evenly, she waited, not knowing exactly what she was supposed to do next. Something Mike had said earlier implied that he'd create a diversion. Was that it?
White pointed at his other men. "Find him."
Four arms roughly jerked her up and half carried, half dragged her to a waiting cage.
"Good luck taming her," White snickered.
"It will be no problem." The corners of the Russian boss' mouth turned up in a half smile. White had a feeling that the man knew something he didn't, and whatever it was, he didn't envy Max. Not that he ever harboured that emotion when it came to the transgenic. What was to envy about being a hybrid freak creation?
There was a loud bang as the warehouse door slammed open.
"Nobody move. You two, drop the girl," Mike ordered White's men.
White didn't move, but the Russians had other ideas. The boss nodded to the woman, who must have been Johasha. And before they knew it, they'd all become part of a very dangerous standoff.
Johasha held a detonator in her hand and a Gyurza pistol in the other, aimed level at his heart. "VX gas. You move and you will all be carried out of here in body bags."
Mike held his ground but didn't even dare twitch. Vest or not, he'd be dead before he hit the ground if she got trigger-happy. And considering they didn't have any atropine handy, he wasn't about to take any chances. "Okay," he said still holding his gun aimed at the boss' chest.
Logan had his trained on White. One wrong move and both head honchos would be permanently out of action."Nice plan," Logan hissed over his shoulder to Mike.
An explosion from the roof windows took everyone by surprise. That was, everyone but Max.
She'd been waiting for her opportunity. Breaking her ties and ripping off her hood, she dove for the woman holding the gun at Mike. Tearing the detonator from her death grip and disarming her gun with the other hand, Max grabbed the woman to use her as leverage.
At the same time, two figures had come crashing through the windows and landed, smack in the middle of the standoff party.
"Hi boys." The blonde smiled sweetly.
"Deck's gotta work on his timing," Mike grumbled.