by: iluvaqt@hotmail.com
iluvaqt's Notes: Thank you MichelleDrake, Lexie and AngelZ, you guys prompted me into posting this. :) I hope you can manage a wait for the next part. I've got a writing commitment to complete. Anyone with beta talent a Logan fan? I'll be needing a beta in the next couple of weeks. E-mail me, iluvaqt@hotmail.com. As per usual, a very big thank you to all who enjoy these stories.
Chapter 20: Rising
An angry grey blanket cloaked them and with the exception of the occasional flash of lightening, it was impossible to tell which way was up. Outside it had started raining and the water poured down the windows from all directions. Checking her instruments again, Tash only felt momentarily reassured. Despite her upbringing, she didn't have much faith in machines when took her feet over 800 metres off the ground. Glancing at the artificial horizon, she gripped the stick firmly as she pushed her foot down giving more power to the rotors.
Alec sat behind her, trying to find a break in the clouds. "We need to get closer to the water," he said over her shoulder. He saw Tash nod but it was a few moments before he felt a slight dip in the cabin. He knew where her hesitation stemmed from. If they were close to the freighter, they could very well hit it. The cables and masts rose up to 90m from the deck. Aside from that, they were banking on the element of surprise.
Tash felt the cold. She was conditioned to withstand extremes but the sensations she was having had started from inside. And no amount of clothing or external heating could chase it away. In her side mirrors, she watched Alec. He was completely engrossed in the imagery outside. She could easily read him; the tense set of his lips, the extra grey flicks in his eyes and the determined angle in his jaw. He was willing the clouds to lift. Either that or he was wishing for X-ray vision so he could see through it. She felt the apprehension radiating from his body. In the rigid ness of his shoulders, and the way he sat forward in his seat. His hand was on the latch of the door. It was as if he was ready to jump at a seconds notice. A shiver snaked down her spine. She hated the feeling. Past experience told her something bad was about to happen. It was the warning before the storm. And this time Alec met her eyes. Before she could dispel her fears, he'd registered her thoughts and his face darkened.
A man dressed in dark clothes with a bulky jacket open a door and steps through. He walks toward the girl. She's lying on the floor. She's not moving.
Gris crouched by the girl and poked her. "Hey." She still didn't move. Rolling her over, he checked her pulse. He had trouble finding it, but he did. He wasn't all that worried about it. But he'd hate to think what Evan would say if he'd accidentally killed his hostage. Looking at the box a few metres away, he wondered how she'd managed to get this far. The cord that had been tied around her waist, hung in a loose loop down one side of the crate. Her hands and feet were still bound.
Rachel felt a strange groggy feeling wash over her, before the humming in her ear got steadily louder. The second before she opened her eyes, it became like a shrill siren. She could feel her head pounding; it felt like both lead and cotton wool at the same time. She groaned and looked up, coming face to face with the bluest eyes she'd ever seen.
A hand clamped down on her mouth, effectively muffling her and pushing the gag further into her throat. Her scream died out as she coughed and choked against the cloth. "Shut up. Nobody's going to hear you." Now that she was awake, he roughly jerked her up and carried her back to the crate.
They were striking blue eyes, it would be hard not to be drawn to them if it weren't for the cold and calculating soul they betrayed in their depths. She'd find no sympathy in him. Nor did she think that any pleading or promising would any good. She'd bet that if they decided to leave her here, he wouldn't give her a second thought. Gris was about to re-tie her when a voice in his ear gave him new instructions. "Looks like we have a change of plans." He saw the fear and confusion in her eyes and he smiled cruelly.
"Don't worry, angel. I promise, I'll make it clean."
As he picked her up again, Rachel screamed and kicked. The noise coming out as stifled screeches, squeals and moans. He clamped a strong arm around her legs and she cried in helplessness. As she hung over his shoulder, she beat against his back with her fists. Grunting, Gris resisted her urge to drop her and shut her up indefinitely. They were killing her anyway. The only thing that stopped him was his professional edge. He had a reputation for being clean and by the book. They were paying the Captain and his first mate to turn a blind eye, but messing up his boat wasn't part of the deal. He'd dump the girl and the lift raft as planned, and that would be it. It would look like she'd tried to get away and drowned.
Tash radioed the Lake Patrol and the agents for back up. They'd said it would take them at least an hour to catch up to the freighter. The FBI were flying with another helicopter but they were still another ten minutes away. She'd dropped beneath the clouds, till she could see the water below. They were about 50 feet above the water. Before she turned to turn to speak to Alec, she noticed a huge shadow looming ahead. "Here we go," she whispered. Pulling away, she manoeuvred the helicopter to level with the deck. Pushing forward on the stick, they moved ahead along the ship. Tash's heart lodged in her throat when she spotted Rachel.
Gris deposited her none-too-gently to the ground. Her hair stuck to her face in damp ringlets. Her dress was torn and clung to her like a second skin. She was covered in goose-pimples and she shivered with uncontrollable fear. She didn't feel the cold, her whole body felt numb. Another man appeared above her and collected her by the elbow. Without a word he began dragging her toward the edge. Rachel kicked and struggled against his death grip.
"And it's bye-bye angel." Gris look into her wide hazel eyes and blew her a kiss, before standing her upright.
Rachel felt her balance wavering as she struggled to find secure footing. The ground was slick with water and she had nothing to grab onto. She sent one desperate, pleading glance at her captors before a large palm planted a firm shove into the small off her back.
Stevin and Gris both laughed seeing the horror in her eyes as she started to fall. Gris turned away to check that the deck and bridge were still unmanned. He'd told the Captain to stay in his quarters for the next twenty minutes. They were in the middle of the Lake Michigan, what could they possibly run into.
Alec saw everything in slow motion, he saw the men laughing as Rachel pitched forward and began falling to the churning water below. Without a second thought, he threw open the door and launched out into the night.
Above the sounds of the howling wind, and raging waves, Gris heard something. Something that didn't fit, and he looked up. He saw the helicopter. It was hovering about a hundred metres out, with its cabin door wide open. Reaching for his gun, he began shooting at the pilot.
Tash wanted to stay close and watch Alec but she couldn't without getting shot down. Bullets ricochet off her side windows, but she heard a different sound too. It was the sound of bullets puncturing metal. As she pulled away, her fuel-warning lamp started beeping incessantly. Tash cursed. Pulling the life vest from under her seat, she put it on. To her right, a little way in the distance, she saw a raft. It was drifting on the water and it had to be about to be about a klick away from where Alec was. Knowing a crash landing was inevitable. She had a second to decide where she was headed. Turning toward the raft, she struggled with the controls. All the warning lamps started beeping and she gritted her teeth, bracing for impact. She tried to come in for a glide, but controlling a helicopter was far more difficult than flying a plane. The nose of the helicopter hit first, but the wind and force of impact cause the chopper to turn. The rotors tore into the water before the tail ripped from the body of the chopper and the cabin immediately started to fill with water.
Water came pouring in from all sides. Tash un-strapped her safety harness and reached for the navigational beacon. Tearing it from it's housing, she scrambled for the open door. The impact had ripped the open door from its hinges and she swam out of the sinking wreckage. Over the water, the spilled fuel and oil had ignited and Tash stayed below the surface, seeing the fire glowing above her as she swam.
Seeing a man dive in after the girl, Stevin fired on them. Hearing Gris firing in another direction had caused him to look up and see the helicopter. He started firing on its tail rotor and smiled in satisfaction as fuel started pouring from multiple punctures to the tank. He looked down at the water below, there was no sign of the man or the girl.
Rachel struggled against her bonds. Water had gone up her nose and she felt herself choking behind the gag. She kept fighting the urge to breath, knowing she'd drown before she'd ever reach the surface. The water above her became more murky and dark as she felt herself sinking deeper and deeper. Hollow and low groans sounded from all around her and she knew the ship was moving away. She stopped struggling. Her hair floated around her face like a dark curtain and she closed her eyes. Welcoming the silence and the numb feeling enveloping her body till all she could hear was the blood pounding in her ears.
Alec willed his limbs to push harder against the water. He kicked off his shoes and ignored the stabbing pain the bullet had made as it grazed his right arm. All his focus was trained on the figure steadily falling deeper into the abyss.
Her eyes shot open as a strong hand closed around her wrist and pulled. She was pulled level to her rescuer and the tape was quickly torn from her face and gentle fingers pulled the cloth from her mouth. Before she could register a coherent thought, she was pulled into a firm embrace and lips planted over hers.
Alec could feel her blood thundering in the veins beneath his fingertips. He opened her mouth with his tongue, softly. Slowly breathing into her. She struggled at first before accepting the oxygen and resting against him, as he propelled them back toward the surface.
He swam, kicking hard, and holding her close with both arms. One hand braced her waist, and the other was locked under her arm. He could feel his lungs starting to burn. Supporting his body alone, he could last over five minutes. Breathing for the both them and swimming at the same time were taking its toll.
Breaking through the surface, he felt her sag against him and he threw his head back taking in a deep breath. His eyes caught sight of the first bright light and his whole body froze.
Rachel felt the man holding her tense. Looking up to see his face, she recognised him from the ball. Alec. He'd rescued her. Suddenly, she realized that she'd been crying. Her eyes stung and her cheeks felt tight. Licking the corner of her mouth, she could taste the salty moisture. She followed his eyes, and could almost feel the heat floating over the water. Black smoke curled over strewn debris. Parts of the helicopter bobbed, chard and mangled.
Rachel felt a chill for the person who must have been a part of the wreck. The rain hadn't done much to douse the flames and fire followed the trail of fuel that drifted on the water. Feeling both cold and overwhelmed, Rachel began shivering, her head just above the choppy water. The rain pouring down her skin and she could feel the soaked weight of her hair pulling her head back.
Alec struggled to swallow the enormous lump that was lodged in his throat. He should have never dragged her into this. What would he say to Jones? What would he say to Max? Max. He hadn't given her a second thought over the past two days. Was it a case of out of sight out of mind or more so that he'd finally gotten over it all? Feeling the girl beside him grip him tighter, he knew it was the latter. A soft splash sounded from behind him and he turned his head to see what had made the noise.
Rachel looked over Alec's shoulder to see none other than Natasha Worsely. She was soaking wet too, and severely underdressed. Had she been flying the helicopter? That would explain her tousled appearance. Why were they helping her? Where was her father? Surely at a time like this he'd come for her.
"Give me your hand," Tash said to Rachel, reaching for her as she leaned over the side of the raft. After helping Rachel into the raft, she yanked open the survival kit and took out a small knife. Cutting Rachel free of her bonds, she then turned to glare at Alec who'd pulled himself in. "You owe me a Hardwick."
Rachel looked at her in suprise. She remembered Natasha's dress from earlier that evening. Right now she was wearing nothing but her underwear and a now semi-transparent baggy shirt. It was a Hardwick? It must have cost a fortune.
Alec, who'd tried to busy himself wringing out his jacket for Rachel, looked at Tash in a mixture of confusion and relief. "Hard…"
Tash launched herself at him and hugged him tightly.
It took Alec a stunned moment to return her embrace. She started sobbing uncontrollably.
"You're a complete idiot. Fool, I tell you. I wanted to kill you myself when you jumped. I thought if I ever saw your face again, I'd strangle you with my bare hands." She was rambling now and between sniffs and sobs, she continued berating him. "You've always been reckless. You could have landed badly. You could have broken your stupid neck." It was then that she noticed he was bleeding. "See," she declared, "You got yourself shot. Again!" Not giving her appearance a second thought, she ripped the sleeve out of her shirt and opened his shirt to inspect the wound.
Rachel sat watching quietly from her corner. It was obvious that Natasha cared a lot for Alec, and from the way he looked at her; it was obvious he felt the same. Rachel felt incredibly awkward, like she was intruding on a couple's private moment. All of a sudden, lights from above bore down on them.
"FBI. Everyone okay down there?"
"Get us home and we'll be fine," Tash yelled back.
"Roger that." The man in charge smiled to himself and turned to the men waiting by the open door. "Let's bring them up."