"Nothing's Worse Than Cold Casserole"
by:

Disclaimer: As per default chapter.
iluvaqt's Notes: Thank you for your feedback, frankie. It's much appreciated. I'm glad you like this story.

As per default chapter. Thank you for your feedback, frankie. It's much appreciated. I'm glad you like this story.
Part 13: Unyielding Ox

Max could hear Logan close behind her and she stopped every now and again to let him catch up. As she turn to look behind her, she didn't see the slick patch of decaying foliage covering the area in front of her. Her feet slid forward and to keep upright she tried to steady herself by catching the nearest tree. The wood had rotted through and the slim truck snapped under her weight. Max went down hard and started sliding.

"Max!" Logan yelled.

The slope was steep and the terrain rocky, with sharp rocks and trees stumps and shrubs everywhere. Lifting her head, she looked up at Logan and froze. Her heart leapt into her throat and she couldn't force out a single sound.

She didn't have to say anything. Logan read the terror and agony in her eyes and stopped mid stride. He could have mistaken the look for pain, had he not felt the prickling sensation on the back of his neck.

"Don't move," the voice ordered. "You. Get up. Slowly." A twig snapped to his left and the man glanced away momentarily.

"Looking for me?" Alec appeared beside them and twisted the gun from the man's grasp, and knocked him to the ground. He lifted the comm. headset from the unconscious man and crushed it in his hand.

Logan rubbed his neck with a shaky hand. "Ah, thanks." It was then that he met his rescuer's eyes. He recoiled in shock. "Ben?"

Max had dusted herself off and stood up by then. Quickly interrupting before Alec could reply. "He's a twin. It's not Ben."

"Great. I've been reduce to an it," Alec mumbled. That's the thanks I get for saving her norm. He grunted and started down the hill.

Logan followed after him and met Max halfway. "Are you okay?"

"Just a scratch. I'll live." She smiled to herself when he reached for her hand. Her heart rate had returned to a relatively steady pace, but his smile was about to start it on an erratic course again.

"Let's go. If I ever set foot in this place again, it'll be too soon." They started running down the hill, dodging rocks and foliage as they went. Logan was breathless by the time he reached the bottom and his chest was contracting painfully.

"There," Max said pointing. In the darkness, she could see a truck in full speed reverse, the wheels spinning furiously and mud flying in all directions. Syl jumped out of the passenger side and went around to check the back wheels.

"Stop. Stick it in drive, but don't floor it." Syl backed up a little, but not far enough. Even though he didn't step on the gas hard, a huge clump of sludge flew at her. Seething, she wiped the mud from her face and reminded herself to count backwards from five before going after Krit. What was worse was that the truck hasn't edged an inch. They were still stuck in exactly the same spot.

Sam reached the truck at the same moment Max and Logan did. Alec wasn't far behind. "Zack's not far, we have to get this out now. We've got at least four TACs behind us."

Syl met Max's gaze and they both sprung into action. They jumped into the small ditch behind the truck and braced to push. "Gun it!" Syl called. And the truck lurched a little as Krit floored the gas. Mud sprayed up onto their clothes and when it was evident that the wheels were digging in deeper, Alec and Sam jumped in beside them.

With all four of them pushing, the truck slowly edge upward till it was free. The front of their clothes where covered with mud. Bits of grass, stones and twigs clung in little clumps all over their pants and boots.

Heavy footsteps sounded behind them and Sam turned to see Zack stumbling toward them. "Get in. Now. Max you drive. Syl, you and Sam in the back. Krit with me." He eyed Alec suspiciously before moving to the truck passenger door. After Sam climbed in, Zack passed Will over. He was barely conscious and blood had seeped through the front of his clothes onto Zack. Zack's shoulders were covered in Will's blood.

Sam tried to swallow but her throat just wouldn't work. She stared down at his pale, still form and couldn't move. Tears welled in her eyes and she didn't blink them back. She couldn't think. She sat frozen in her seat. There was an echo in her head, and she couldn't recognize the voice, or even which direction it was coming from. Whack. The sharp sting dug deep into her cheek, and she instantly turned to the woman barking at her.

"Snap out of it," Syl growled. "Hold him steady."

Sam curled her arm under his head. She stretched her right arm across chest and held him gently but firmly. Her nose ran and she wiped it angrily. This wasn't supposed to happen. It should have been her. Why? She felt numb and cold, but inside her heart was slowly breaking. With each shuddering breath she felt under her arm, she knew another crack had formed in her solid beating heart.

Tearing open his shirt, Syl surveyed the damage. As she'd feared, the bullet was still inside. The entry was low on the right side of his back. A dark bruise had formed around the entry point and little red welts marked his stomach. It'd be impossible to extract the bullet. From the way he was seeping, it had already done internal damage. There was no way she could dig it out without risk of infection or worse, losing more blood. With the truck jerking and swaying, all they could hope for was to keep him alive until they could get to a hospital. She looked over at Sam and from the look on the other girl's face, there was no chance in hell she'd say it. He's not going to make it.

Reaching into her backpack, she pulled out her med kit. She had a few bandages, some swabs and tape, but none of that was going to do a lot of good. "Logan, the bottle in the glove compartment."

"Not the…" Krit moaned. Zack cut him off with a look, and Krit went back to counting how many trees they narrowly missed crashing into.

Logan found the bottle and passed it to Syl. She poured some of the contents over Will's side. Cleaning the blood away with a few swabs, she felt him twitch beneath her touch. All of a sudden, he started seizing. It took all her strength to hold him.

"It's okay, Will. Please look at me," Sam begged him. Cradling his head in her arms, she leaned close to whisper to him. "You can't leave me." He stopped convulsing and his eyes had closed. "No Will. You've got to look at me. Come on, you've got to stay awake." Tears were flowing freely now and she could taste the salty moisture on her lips.

Syl has used most of Krit's home brew to flush out the wound. She pushed against it with a bandage and this time she got no response from him. Syl quickly wrapped the rest of the bandages she had around his stomach to hold the patch in place. Pulling the thermal blanket from under Max's seat, she covered him with it. Not that she'd mention it, but Krit was being remarkably calm about the whole situation. True, it hadn't taken long to convince him to loan his truck for this venture but she'd bet her life on his not really considering the outcome of his consent. She could feel sticky liquid soaking into her pants. Blood, mud and berry vodka plastered the floor, not to mention the backseat. Krit's wild berry concoction consisted of about 2 percent berry and 96 percent alcohol. One of these days, she'd love to see Logan try it. Now doubt she'd witness the same expressions on him as she had on Bling; shock, spluttering and a fit of coughing. But boy, two swigs and she'd feel free as a bird. Despite the berry, it was pretty nasty stuff. He hadn't gotten the distillation process quite perfect yet. And before the stuff could completely numb the pants off her senses, she got a slight but distinct bite of metal and sour fruit.

Her thoughts momentarily took her mind of the grim reality facing them. She looked at the face of the man who looked so much like her brother. She might not know him like she did Zack, but part of her felt pain as she watched the life ebbing from his body.

Sam chewed her lip and buried her face in his thick hair. It was so soft against her skin, and the smell of him overwhelmed her senses making the tears flow like rivers. She couldn't lose him, she couldn't bear the thought of what she would do if that happened. At least before, she knew he was alive. And that one day, she'd get him out. Not in all her dreams, in all her wild plans, had she ever thought things would end up like this. Please. She pleaded silently. I know I don't deserve a miracle. And nothing I've ever done is worthy of grace. But please, I'm begging. Don't let him die.

Logan glanced in the side mirror. He could see Sam behind him. It was so disconcerting to watch her. If he didn't know the truth, he would have sworn she was Max. Unfounded jealousy swelled in his heart as he saw the tears from her eyes fall onto the boy's face. Her fingers were stained with his blood and a gasp slipped from his lips when he saw her bend down to touch his mouth.

She didn't know what had caused her to do it, but the second her lips and met his, a jolt of electricity had shot through her body and her heart started beating madly. Lifting her head, Sam looked at his face and found his eyes fixed on her. She felt her skin flush to the roots of her hair. Resisting the urge to cover her flaming cheeks, she smiled at him, her eyes glowing. "You're going to be all right."

Max heard Logan's gasp and didn't say anything. Out of the corner of her eye she'd caught the kiss too. She'd felt an odd sensation grip her heart. She knew it wasn't envy. She felt nothing more than sisterly love for Zack. Maybe it was the way Sam had acted. It had been too long since she'd let impulse govern her actions. There'd been so many times when she'd wanted to kiss Logan that way. And now all those missed opportunities seemed to be taunting her. It was if a lifetime had passed by and she'd almost come to accept not ever seeing him again.

In his pain induced coma he'd felt the gentlest touch brush his lips. It was so brief, the fleeting warmth caused his body to cry out in protest. A sweet and familiar voice called to him. Called his name. And the next thing he saw was Sam. Her long brown curls were pulled back from her face in a ponytail, but a few stray ringlets had slipped out and gently framed her face. Tears stained her cheeks and her nose was a dusty pink. In the cloudy gaze that hovered in his vision he could almost see her as a girl, determined not to give in. He remembered the stubborn tilt of her chin, her full lips pulled into a line, white teeth just showing, and digging firmly into a soft bottom lip. He'd been seizing badly at the time and she wouldn't leave him. She'd completed the mission without his help or his physical co-operation. He remembered her blatantly refusing to follow his order to go on without him. The same way she was stubbornly refusing to let him die now. Her eyes meet his for a single moment before a bright light caused him to close his eyes again. This time a warm darkness enveloped him and he wasn't cold anymore. He heard the steady hum of the truck's engine grow softer, till he could no longer hear it.

Sam watched Will's face. A small smile played on his lips, and his features were no longer etched with pain. Beneath her fingertips she felt his heart beat, and she gratefully sagged back into her seat. He was going to make it.