Title: THE STEEL TRAP
Disclaimer: Dark Angel is owned by Charles Eglee, James Cameron, and Fox. I claim no rights to these characters, alas, although I like to play with them.
Episode Reference: Takes place immediately after Some Assembly Required.
Rating: PG
Summary: A Logan Cale, Man of Action fic, complete with Steelheads and major bad guys.
A/N: The plot begins to thicken and there may be a surprise. Thanks to my betas, Alaidh and Kasman, for their insight.
I live for reviews. You know what to do.
Chapter Two
The next day, Logan, still fired up about his plan, decided to try a workout. To get his plan underway, he had to appear as buff as he could, and the best way to do that was to get pumped up with a workout. He surveyed his hip in the bathroom mirror; the bruise was large and ugly, but had stopped spreading. He hadn't consulted Sam Carr about the injury because he knew what Sam's reaction would be - lots of rest and no exercise for a period of time. And ice packs. He hated ice packs. Once the coldness spread to the still-feeling parts of his body, he would start shivering. It was very unpleasant.
He transferred, still a bit stiffly, to the exercise table, and began a series of warm-up exercises. After determining that he wasn't hurting himself, Logan strapped himself down to the table and did serious crunches and sit-ups, working up a good sweat. For a cool-down, he sat up and did curls. Satisfied that he was pumped up sufficiently for his purposes, he grabbed a shower.
Logan pulled on jeans and a tight black sweater, then completed the look he was going for with a pair of old sneakers. He pulled a roll of bills out of a desk drawer and peeled off a few, threw his jacket over his shoulders, loaded his gun and slipped it into his backpack, and headed out the door.
It was a slow, horn-honking drive to the market where the Steelheads hung out. It wasn't one of the local markets where Logan bought his fresh produce, but a shabby place where a lot of secondhand goods changed hands, no questions asked. Alec had told him which stall the group seemed to call home, at the far corner of the market. He parked a short block from the market and wheeled the rest of the way.
The place was gloomy and dingy-looking on a good day, and even more so in the thin November light. Logan wheeled himself from stall to stall, checking out each as if he were looking for something in particular. Within a few minutes, he noticed that he was being followed at a distance by a peculiar looking little man with blue hair and what looked to be a metal prosthetic arm. It seemed that one of the Steelheads had taken the bait. Logan continued to peruse each stall, conspicuously looking for something, shaking his head at each proprietor. The little guy with the blue hair got closer.
Logan continued the game, getting most of the way through the market, and finally stopping at the stall Alec had indicated. Out of the corner of his eye, Logan saw that the little blue-haired man had been joined by a tall black companion with metal blades embedded in his arms. They continued to watch him with interest while he pretended to survey the wares spread out on tables in the stall.
A woman's voice behind him said, "Are you looking for something?"
Logan spun the chair around and saw a female Steelhead standing in front of him. She was certainly striking - no hair, but what looked like metal wires curling out of the top of her head, smudgy black eye makeup and lipstick, pale skin, black leather clothing and boots. She looked like a space alien to Logan, who preferred his women with hair and soft pink lips.
"Well, yes, I am," he replied, staring up at her, try as he would not to.
"Can I help you then?" At least she was polite.
"Ah, I had heard that I could get some - andy - here." Logan flexed the muscles in his arms a little to emphasize his point.
"And where did you hear that?" The girl surveyed him up and down. Her eyes came to rest admiringly on his biceps, then moved to his chest.
"From an.acquaintance of mine. Bike messenger who your friends roughed up a bit a week or so ago."
"Oh, that idiot," she commented. "I remember him." She tore her eyes away from Logan and looked over his head to the two men who had been following him. They came around behind Logan to join the girl. She turned to the taller man and said, "Our friend here is looking for some andy. Think you can accommodate him?"
"I'll have to ask Eddie. I'll go get him." He headed away from the market, to a building a few yards away. Logan noted the door he went through for future reference. A minute or so later, he returned with yet another Steelhead, this time a white-haired man with odd blue eyes and a Union Jack on his vest.
"I 'ear you're looking to purchase some andy, mate," the platinum haired one said in a lower class British accent.
"Yeah, do I need to go through a committee?" Logan said, indicating the quartet standing in front of him.
"Pre'y cheeky for a bloke in a wheelchair, aren't you?" the Brit said.
"So I've been told," Logan replied. "You got any or am I wasting my time?"
"What you want andy for?" the blue-haired one asked.
"To help in my workout, what do you think?" Logan said. "I'm a body builder and Nature could use a little help."
"You? A body builder? Don't make me larf!" The Brit Steelhead said.
"Just because my legs don't work doesn't mean I can't bench press any one of you over my head," Logan warned, "and toss you over a stall."
The female Steelhead smiled. "I'd like to see that." She looked admiringly at Logan again. "Eddie, I'll bet he could, too," she commented to the Brit with the white hair.
Eddie sighed. "All right. How much do you want?" he asked.
"How much can you get? It's not like I want to visit your little corner of the world again anytime soon. No offense, but it's just not welcoming, you know," Logan said with a smile.
"A hundred pills'll cost you a thou', mate." British Eddie was all business.
Logan reached into his pocket and pulled out the roll of money. He counted off the amount and handed it to Eddie. "Here."
Eddie looked surprised to see cash in hand so quickly and easily. He gestured with his head to his blue-haired henchman. The little guy ran to the building Logan had spotted earlier. A few minutes later, he returned with a bottle of white pills, which he handed to Logan.
Logan nodded a Thank You, then turned back to British Eddie.
"There you go, mate. Just follow the instructions on the bottle."
"All right. And how do I get in touch with you for a refill?"
"We're - around. You can always find us in the market here," British Eddie replied.
"Not even a cell phone number?" Logan asked disingenuously, leaning back in the wheelchair and smiling at Eddie. "As you can see, it might be ah, inconvenient for me to get to the market sometimes. Hard to maneuver this thing - " He patted the wheels - "if it's too crowded."
British Eddie looked at his two henchmen, who shrugged. He rolled his eyes in frustration, then turned to his female companion. "Lux?"
Lux glanced down at Logan and winked at him. "Why not?"
Eddie rummaged in his pockets and found a slip of paper. He scribbled a telephone number on it and handed it to Logan. "'ere. Call when you need a refill. And tell that little poofter friend of yours to stay out of my territory."
"Oh, I'm sure he won't bother you again," Logan stated. "Nice doing business with you." He spun the chair around and headed back through the market toward his car. Eddie and the other Steelheads stared after him; Lux was licking her lips.
When Logan got back to his car, he breathed a deep sigh of relief. The Steelheads didn't seem particularly dangerous, but the girl, Lux, certainly creeped him out. He'd rarely been eye-stripped by women before, especially since he'd been shot (Max being the exception), so it was discomfiting to have it done to him by someone who looked like a metallic pineapple in a skirt.
He got into the car and pulled out his cell phone. He speed-dialed a number.
"Hello? Matt?"
"Yeah, Logan. What's up?" Matt Sung answered.
"I just bought a hundred hits of 'andy' off a bunch of Steelheads at a market in Sector 12. Thought you'd like to know."
"Thanks. Do you want me to keep an eye on them?"
"If you don't mind. I think they're into some other dirty dealings on a higher level, however - Eyes Only got a tip about organ smuggling."
"Whoa!" Matt exclaimed. "Serious stuff."
"I can't prove that yet. I want to try to get closer to them, if I can."
"Be careful, Logan. These guys have a reputation.."
"Yeah, I know. You're not the only one who's told me that. So far, the only one who looks really dangerous is a guy named Eddie. A Brit, from his accent. The other two seem pretty dim-witted. The girl, however - "
"Girl?"
"Female steelhead. Seems to fancy me." Logan laughed.
"Oh, now that's something to brag about," Matt said, with a smile in his voice.
"It's a start."
"Well, I know you like to live dangerously, but even with that exoskeleton, you need to be careful."
"The exoskeleton's in the shop for repairs," Logan stated.
"Then, even more reason for you to be careful."
"-I promise I'll watch out," Logan swore. "And I'll call you if I need help."
"Good."
"Gotta go, Matt. I'll talk to you later." Logan rang off.
As he drove back home, he contemplated his next move. Now that he had connected with the Steelheads, what next? He shuddered at the thought of having to put the make on Lux to get to Eddie. Maybe now that he had some names and faces, he could delve into the 'net and see what he came up with.
The bank of computers was fired up. Logan, cup of coffee in hand, was intently staring at the screen. He'd hacked into the files of the Seattle police department, searching for any mention of Eddie and his friends. He was getting frustrated and thinking about calling it a day, when the phone rang. It was Max.
"Hey," she said by way of greeting.
"Hey," he replied. "Whatcha up to?"
"You know, just hanging out. You? "
"Spending a hot night on the computer, what else? Protecting the downtrodden." Logan laughed.
"Yeah," Max said wistfully. "Don't get into too much trouble."
"How much trouble can I get into?" Logan asked. "I'm here by myself. The exoskeleton is with Sebastian, hopefully being repaired, so I'm back on wheels."
"Well, ya never let that stop you before, did ya?" Max asked.
"How's Zack?" Logan asked, quickly changing the subject. Max knew him all too well.
"Seems to be settling in all right. I'm keeping a low profile, so he doesn't know I'm here. It's breaking my heart."
"I'll bet," Logan replied sympathetically.
"Working on anything interesting?"
"Nah, just the same old same old. You know, police corruption, crooked politicians."
"Well gotta go. Just thought I'd check in and say hi," Max said. "I'll be back in a few days."
"No hurry. I squared it with Normal. And thanks for calling, Max."
"Yeah," Max said and hung up. Logan looked at the phone, then smiled sadly.
He decided to do one more search through the police department records. He had exhausted "Identifying Marks," "M.O.s," "Names," and various physical descriptions. No Eddie. So, on a wild hunch, he typed "L-U-X" in the "Alias" field and hit ENTER. Then he went into the kitchen for another cup of coffee.
The screen began rolling as the search ran. A few minutes later, a file popped up and the computer beeped. Startled, Logan wheeled quickly back to the desk to see what had turned up. He almost spilled the coffee in his lap in his hurry to get to the computer.
"Bingo!" he said aloud to himself. "Eddie's not in the system, but Lux is."
Eagerly, he pulled up the file and began to read it. His heart nearly stopped and he realized what he had stumbled on.
"Name: Lucy Lempkin, AKA Lux."
"Lempkin! Oh my God!" Logan exclaimed aloud. "I wonder if she's related to Pierpont Lempkin!"
Disclaimer: Dark Angel is owned by Charles Eglee, James Cameron, and Fox. I claim no rights to these characters, alas, although I like to play with them.
Episode Reference: Takes place immediately after Some Assembly Required.
Rating: PG
Summary: A Logan Cale, Man of Action fic, complete with Steelheads and major bad guys.
A/N: The plot begins to thicken and there may be a surprise. Thanks to my betas, Alaidh and Kasman, for their insight.
I live for reviews. You know what to do.
Chapter Two
The next day, Logan, still fired up about his plan, decided to try a workout. To get his plan underway, he had to appear as buff as he could, and the best way to do that was to get pumped up with a workout. He surveyed his hip in the bathroom mirror; the bruise was large and ugly, but had stopped spreading. He hadn't consulted Sam Carr about the injury because he knew what Sam's reaction would be - lots of rest and no exercise for a period of time. And ice packs. He hated ice packs. Once the coldness spread to the still-feeling parts of his body, he would start shivering. It was very unpleasant.
He transferred, still a bit stiffly, to the exercise table, and began a series of warm-up exercises. After determining that he wasn't hurting himself, Logan strapped himself down to the table and did serious crunches and sit-ups, working up a good sweat. For a cool-down, he sat up and did curls. Satisfied that he was pumped up sufficiently for his purposes, he grabbed a shower.
Logan pulled on jeans and a tight black sweater, then completed the look he was going for with a pair of old sneakers. He pulled a roll of bills out of a desk drawer and peeled off a few, threw his jacket over his shoulders, loaded his gun and slipped it into his backpack, and headed out the door.
It was a slow, horn-honking drive to the market where the Steelheads hung out. It wasn't one of the local markets where Logan bought his fresh produce, but a shabby place where a lot of secondhand goods changed hands, no questions asked. Alec had told him which stall the group seemed to call home, at the far corner of the market. He parked a short block from the market and wheeled the rest of the way.
The place was gloomy and dingy-looking on a good day, and even more so in the thin November light. Logan wheeled himself from stall to stall, checking out each as if he were looking for something in particular. Within a few minutes, he noticed that he was being followed at a distance by a peculiar looking little man with blue hair and what looked to be a metal prosthetic arm. It seemed that one of the Steelheads had taken the bait. Logan continued to peruse each stall, conspicuously looking for something, shaking his head at each proprietor. The little guy with the blue hair got closer.
Logan continued the game, getting most of the way through the market, and finally stopping at the stall Alec had indicated. Out of the corner of his eye, Logan saw that the little blue-haired man had been joined by a tall black companion with metal blades embedded in his arms. They continued to watch him with interest while he pretended to survey the wares spread out on tables in the stall.
A woman's voice behind him said, "Are you looking for something?"
Logan spun the chair around and saw a female Steelhead standing in front of him. She was certainly striking - no hair, but what looked like metal wires curling out of the top of her head, smudgy black eye makeup and lipstick, pale skin, black leather clothing and boots. She looked like a space alien to Logan, who preferred his women with hair and soft pink lips.
"Well, yes, I am," he replied, staring up at her, try as he would not to.
"Can I help you then?" At least she was polite.
"Ah, I had heard that I could get some - andy - here." Logan flexed the muscles in his arms a little to emphasize his point.
"And where did you hear that?" The girl surveyed him up and down. Her eyes came to rest admiringly on his biceps, then moved to his chest.
"From an.acquaintance of mine. Bike messenger who your friends roughed up a bit a week or so ago."
"Oh, that idiot," she commented. "I remember him." She tore her eyes away from Logan and looked over his head to the two men who had been following him. They came around behind Logan to join the girl. She turned to the taller man and said, "Our friend here is looking for some andy. Think you can accommodate him?"
"I'll have to ask Eddie. I'll go get him." He headed away from the market, to a building a few yards away. Logan noted the door he went through for future reference. A minute or so later, he returned with yet another Steelhead, this time a white-haired man with odd blue eyes and a Union Jack on his vest.
"I 'ear you're looking to purchase some andy, mate," the platinum haired one said in a lower class British accent.
"Yeah, do I need to go through a committee?" Logan said, indicating the quartet standing in front of him.
"Pre'y cheeky for a bloke in a wheelchair, aren't you?" the Brit said.
"So I've been told," Logan replied. "You got any or am I wasting my time?"
"What you want andy for?" the blue-haired one asked.
"To help in my workout, what do you think?" Logan said. "I'm a body builder and Nature could use a little help."
"You? A body builder? Don't make me larf!" The Brit Steelhead said.
"Just because my legs don't work doesn't mean I can't bench press any one of you over my head," Logan warned, "and toss you over a stall."
The female Steelhead smiled. "I'd like to see that." She looked admiringly at Logan again. "Eddie, I'll bet he could, too," she commented to the Brit with the white hair.
Eddie sighed. "All right. How much do you want?" he asked.
"How much can you get? It's not like I want to visit your little corner of the world again anytime soon. No offense, but it's just not welcoming, you know," Logan said with a smile.
"A hundred pills'll cost you a thou', mate." British Eddie was all business.
Logan reached into his pocket and pulled out the roll of money. He counted off the amount and handed it to Eddie. "Here."
Eddie looked surprised to see cash in hand so quickly and easily. He gestured with his head to his blue-haired henchman. The little guy ran to the building Logan had spotted earlier. A few minutes later, he returned with a bottle of white pills, which he handed to Logan.
Logan nodded a Thank You, then turned back to British Eddie.
"There you go, mate. Just follow the instructions on the bottle."
"All right. And how do I get in touch with you for a refill?"
"We're - around. You can always find us in the market here," British Eddie replied.
"Not even a cell phone number?" Logan asked disingenuously, leaning back in the wheelchair and smiling at Eddie. "As you can see, it might be ah, inconvenient for me to get to the market sometimes. Hard to maneuver this thing - " He patted the wheels - "if it's too crowded."
British Eddie looked at his two henchmen, who shrugged. He rolled his eyes in frustration, then turned to his female companion. "Lux?"
Lux glanced down at Logan and winked at him. "Why not?"
Eddie rummaged in his pockets and found a slip of paper. He scribbled a telephone number on it and handed it to Logan. "'ere. Call when you need a refill. And tell that little poofter friend of yours to stay out of my territory."
"Oh, I'm sure he won't bother you again," Logan stated. "Nice doing business with you." He spun the chair around and headed back through the market toward his car. Eddie and the other Steelheads stared after him; Lux was licking her lips.
When Logan got back to his car, he breathed a deep sigh of relief. The Steelheads didn't seem particularly dangerous, but the girl, Lux, certainly creeped him out. He'd rarely been eye-stripped by women before, especially since he'd been shot (Max being the exception), so it was discomfiting to have it done to him by someone who looked like a metallic pineapple in a skirt.
He got into the car and pulled out his cell phone. He speed-dialed a number.
"Hello? Matt?"
"Yeah, Logan. What's up?" Matt Sung answered.
"I just bought a hundred hits of 'andy' off a bunch of Steelheads at a market in Sector 12. Thought you'd like to know."
"Thanks. Do you want me to keep an eye on them?"
"If you don't mind. I think they're into some other dirty dealings on a higher level, however - Eyes Only got a tip about organ smuggling."
"Whoa!" Matt exclaimed. "Serious stuff."
"I can't prove that yet. I want to try to get closer to them, if I can."
"Be careful, Logan. These guys have a reputation.."
"Yeah, I know. You're not the only one who's told me that. So far, the only one who looks really dangerous is a guy named Eddie. A Brit, from his accent. The other two seem pretty dim-witted. The girl, however - "
"Girl?"
"Female steelhead. Seems to fancy me." Logan laughed.
"Oh, now that's something to brag about," Matt said, with a smile in his voice.
"It's a start."
"Well, I know you like to live dangerously, but even with that exoskeleton, you need to be careful."
"The exoskeleton's in the shop for repairs," Logan stated.
"Then, even more reason for you to be careful."
"-I promise I'll watch out," Logan swore. "And I'll call you if I need help."
"Good."
"Gotta go, Matt. I'll talk to you later." Logan rang off.
As he drove back home, he contemplated his next move. Now that he had connected with the Steelheads, what next? He shuddered at the thought of having to put the make on Lux to get to Eddie. Maybe now that he had some names and faces, he could delve into the 'net and see what he came up with.
The bank of computers was fired up. Logan, cup of coffee in hand, was intently staring at the screen. He'd hacked into the files of the Seattle police department, searching for any mention of Eddie and his friends. He was getting frustrated and thinking about calling it a day, when the phone rang. It was Max.
"Hey," she said by way of greeting.
"Hey," he replied. "Whatcha up to?"
"You know, just hanging out. You? "
"Spending a hot night on the computer, what else? Protecting the downtrodden." Logan laughed.
"Yeah," Max said wistfully. "Don't get into too much trouble."
"How much trouble can I get into?" Logan asked. "I'm here by myself. The exoskeleton is with Sebastian, hopefully being repaired, so I'm back on wheels."
"Well, ya never let that stop you before, did ya?" Max asked.
"How's Zack?" Logan asked, quickly changing the subject. Max knew him all too well.
"Seems to be settling in all right. I'm keeping a low profile, so he doesn't know I'm here. It's breaking my heart."
"I'll bet," Logan replied sympathetically.
"Working on anything interesting?"
"Nah, just the same old same old. You know, police corruption, crooked politicians."
"Well gotta go. Just thought I'd check in and say hi," Max said. "I'll be back in a few days."
"No hurry. I squared it with Normal. And thanks for calling, Max."
"Yeah," Max said and hung up. Logan looked at the phone, then smiled sadly.
He decided to do one more search through the police department records. He had exhausted "Identifying Marks," "M.O.s," "Names," and various physical descriptions. No Eddie. So, on a wild hunch, he typed "L-U-X" in the "Alias" field and hit ENTER. Then he went into the kitchen for another cup of coffee.
The screen began rolling as the search ran. A few minutes later, a file popped up and the computer beeped. Startled, Logan wheeled quickly back to the desk to see what had turned up. He almost spilled the coffee in his lap in his hurry to get to the computer.
"Bingo!" he said aloud to himself. "Eddie's not in the system, but Lux is."
Eagerly, he pulled up the file and began to read it. His heart nearly stopped and he realized what he had stumbled on.
"Name: Lucy Lempkin, AKA Lux."
"Lempkin! Oh my God!" Logan exclaimed aloud. "I wonder if she's related to Pierpont Lempkin!"