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: Logan's plan starts to hatch and others get involved. Thanks to my betas, Alaidh and Kasman, for their insight.
I live for reviews. You know what to do.
Chapter Three
Eagerly, Logan scanned Lux's police file. There were a couple of misdemeanors, of a drug nature, on her rap sheet. But at least, he did turn up one significant piece of information. Under "Known Accomplices," there was an entry: Edwin (Eddie) Jones, AKA British Eddie. Further investigation turned up no arrests in Washington State for Eddie, but the London bill had obviously had a field day with him. He must have been one of their favorite felons, being in and out of the slammer about once a week, as well as a couple of longer stints in Brixton.
Logan blessed his military intelligence training that allowed him to hack into the highly secure British files. They contained a lot of information on Lucy Lempkin and Eddie Jones, and it was a fascinating story. It seemed that Lucy, Pierpont Lempkin's kid sister, had been sent to an old-fashioned "finishing school" in England, in the hopes that the discipline would tame some of her wildness. Obviously, it hadn't.
Apparently she had gotten involved with a bunch of neo-Goths, who dealt drugs to support their decadent lifestyle. Her first arrest had been at age 16, for a "cosh and carry." Logan stared at the mug shot: Lucy/Lux had been rather pretty in a pale, hollow-eyed kind of way. She had short blonde hair with purple streaks, too much purple eye makeup and purple lipstick. She'd been let off with a warning, probably due to her family's influence.
Somehow, she'd managed to graduate, then get in a few semesters at the London School of Economics, also probably due to her father's influence. So, she wasn't stupid, Logan thought, or too drugged out to pass some courses. She seemed to have met and taken up with Eddie when she was 19.
According to Eddie's rap sheet, he'd been in and out of trouble since adolescence. He had a long list of petty crimes that indicated an aptitude for extortion and drug dealing. He was also a member of the neo-Goth scene, so it seemed inevitable that they should meet up. Three years ago, according to the records, their paths seemed to have converged in London: Logan noted the parallel arrests started at that time. Two years ago, they left England.
Logan took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. It was like reading a novel, he thought, kind of a Goth picaresque tale. He wondered why they had left England, but speculated that it had gotten too hot for them there. And knowing how corrupt the Seattle police department could be, and how amenable to bribes the Sector cops were, he could see where this would be a comfortable place for them to set up shop.
Logan closed the British files and pursued the rest of the story locally. It seemed that Lux and Eddie had tried to stay under the police radar - just barely. They'd brought the Steelhead fad with them from England, having gotten bored with the relatively tame Goth scene. They had accumulated a small group of followers who supported their bizarre penchant for metal implants by drug dealing and protection rackets. Armed with this information, Logan began to formulate his plan. He had a connection to Pierpont Lempkin, and rumors of organ smuggling by Eddie and his gang, but he didn't know if the two were related, or if Eddie was freelancing. He needed more information, and unfortunately, he didn't know where that information was any more.
The previous spring, he'd had Max steal diskettes from Lempkin's home - diskettes that contained details of Lempkin's criminal activities. She'd completed the mission, only to have the diskettes, along with a stash of cash, stolen by Original Cindy's squeeze, Diamond. Then, Diamond and Cindy, on their way to Mexico with the money (and presumably the diskettes) had been kidnapped by Sidney Croal. Croal was the head of Synthedyne Corporation, which had performed biological experiments on prison inmates, including Diamond. Diamond had died of her deliberately induced illness, but not before infecting and killing Croal himself. Max had rescued Cindy, but Max's fanny pack with the money and the crucial diskettes, had been lost in the shuffle. And Logan desperately needed those diskettes.
With a deep sigh, Logan quit his research for the night. He thought he knew where to start the search for the missing diskettes, so he speed-dialed a number. Leaning back in the wheelchair, he waited for the caller to pick up.
"Hey," Original Cindy's voice said.
"Hey, it's Logan."
"Max isn't here," Cindy said.
"I know. She's away taking care of some family business. I called to talk to you. I'm trying to track down some computer diskettes Max, ah, acquired for me last spring."
"Yeah, and what's that got to do with me? I don't keep track of her stuff."
" I know. I hate to bring this up, Cindy, but these were in a bag that Diamond - took from Max. The bag also had a bunch of cash in it-."
"So that's where she got all that money. Never would tell me how she got it."
"It's a long story, but do you know what happened to that bag?"
"Not offhand. Let's say I lost track of it when the black helicopter boys took me and Diamond away. I guess it got left on the bus," Original Cindy said. "Last I remember seeing it, Diamond had stashed it in the overhead compartment. Does that help?"
"It sure does. Thanks," Logan said. "And Cindy, if I find that bag, you can have the money."
"Don't matter to me, Logan. It's tainted as far as I'm concerned. You keep it, and use it for Eyes Only stuff."
Logan frowned at that remark. Had Original Cindy figured out his alter ego, or was she just fishing? He knew that Max wouldn't have told her. On the other hand, Cindy was no fool and was as street-smart as they came.
"Um, Eyes Only stuff?" He tried to sound confused.
"Yeah. Logan, I got the 411 on that. I'd recognize those eyes anywhere. Max never busted you."
"Never thought she would," Logan replied, a smile in his voice. "You've got a deal."
"Hope you find what you're lookin' for, Logan. Too many bad guys out there."
"I hope I do too. Thanks, Cindy. I'll talk to ya later."
"Okay. And Logan, you take care of yourself. I don't want my girl any unhappier than she already is, with that Love Bug virus and all."
"I promise I'll be careful. You've got my word on that."
"'Night, Logan." Original Cindy hung up.
"God, how many people have I promised I'll be careful to? I'll never get anything done if I'm that careful," Logan said to himself as he put the phone down.
It was late, and he was tired. He decided to call it a day and pick up the investigation the next day. His priority would be to find that bus and find out if the bag with the diskettes was still on it, or if it had vanished again.
The next morning, refreshed from a good night's sleep, Logan continued the search for the missing diskettes. The first order of business, after breakfast, was to track down the bus from which Diamond and Original Cindy had been taken. That should involve a straightforward search of Seattle bus records, Logan thought. He knew the date and destination, and that was probably enough to start the search. There had been only one bus to Mexico that day.
He brought up the records of the Seattle bus company, entered the date and destination data, and let the program run. While it ran, he grabbed a cup of coffee and a couple pieces of toast. As he rolled back into the computer room, the information he sought flashed onto the screen. An incident report had been filed because the bus had been stopped and passengers removed. As Logan read the report, a small smile played at the corners of his mouth.
Although the official-looking men with pharmaceutical company ID badges, who had stopped the bus and taken away two passengers in a helicopter, hadn't said why they did this, the rumor was that the passengers who had been removed were carrying a deadly disease and were contagious. The rest of the passengers had been transferred to another bus, which the Seattle bus company had sent to take the place of the possibly contaminated one. The original bus had been hauled away and put into isolated storage, just in case it really was contaminated. And there it stayed.
Now, all Logan had to do was find the storage facility. There couldn't be many places where buses were stored, and it was probably off by itself somewhere, given the possible contamination. Another hack was in order.
About fifteen minutes later, he found it - a warehouse in Sector 12, isolated from other facilities, near an old steam plant. Eager to check out the place, Logan skipped a morning workout and showered and dressed as quickly as he could. He slipped a digital camera and his gun into the pocket, and his laptop computer into the backpack on the wheelchair and left the penthouse.
Between his various sector passes and some persuasion, the Sector police being in crackdown mode for a change, he made it into Sector 12 about an hour later. He found the warehouse, surrounded by a razor wire fence, at the end of a short road. There was only one security guard that he could see, but the guy was heavily armed - probably one of Synthedyne's minions, Logan assumed. Even in his most swashbuckling fantasies, he knew he couldn't break into the warehouse by himself without the exoskeleton. Silently, he cursed both Zack and his own paralysis. He knew he'd have to call in the reserves, in the form of Alec. He took some photos of the warehouse, the fence around it, and the guard for later reference, then headed home.
Once back in his apartment, he phoned Alec. Judging from the background noise when Alec answered, Logan deduced that he was at Jam Pony. He could hear Normal yelling at the messengers, and Sketchy yelling back.
"Yeah?" Alec said by way of greeting.
"Hey, it's Logan. I need a favor."
"Why don't I like the sound of that?" Alec asked.
"It's no big deal for you. I'd do it myself if the exoskeleton weren't out of commission," Logan replied.
"Okay, what do you need me to do?"
"Why don't you come by my place when you get off work? I can explain it all to you then."
"Okay. About six? That all right?"
"Fine. See you then." Logan hung up.
Unlike Max, Alec showed up promptly. He even rang the bell, rather than just walking in, as he usually did. Logan answered the door, backing the chair up so Alec could enter. "Right on time."
"Yeah, well some of us still have some military discipline."
"Right." Logan spun the chair around and headed toward the living room. Alec followed him, hands in his pockets, looking around as if he were casing the place.
"Want a beer?" Logan asked, trying to overcome his natural animosity toward Alec and be a good host.
"Sure." Alec plopped down on the sofa and sprawled there while Logan went to the kitchen to get a couple of beers. He returned in a few minutes later with two bottles of beer between his knees. He wheeled around the coffee table, locked his brakes, and handed Alec a beer.
"So, Logan, what's this all about?" Alec said, taking a long gulp.
"I'm trying to track down some computer diskettes Max stole for me last spring. They got stolen from her and ended up on a bus to Mexico. That's the last anyone saw them -"
"You want me to go to Mexico and track them down?" Alec interrupted eagerly.
"Nah, nothing as exotic as that, unfortunately. The bus was impounded and quarantined at a warehouse in Sector 12," Logan explained.
"Quarantined? As in something contagious and nasty was on it?"
"Original Cindy's girlfriend, Diamond, who had been infected with an experimental disease, was on it. She was taken away - back to the lab that had infected her in the first place. She died a short time later, but Original Cindy was fine and Max rescued her. Diamond had stolen the diskettes from Max - by accident. But apparently the backpack with the diskettes was left on the bus. I need you to break into the warehouse and find the backpack. I have the seat number and the pack was stashed in the overhead."
"Okay, sounds pretty straightforward."
"It is. Like I said, I'd do it myself but - " Logan rubbed his thighs. "I've got pictures of the place, the fence around it, and the guard. For you, it should be a piece of cake."
"Yeah, and if it is contaminated, that won't bother me. Lucky for you I'm hanging around." Alec said playfully.
"Well you were pretty handy when we went looking for Isaac," Logan admitted grudgingly.
"Yeah, we made a good team, don't ya think?"
"Don't press your luck, Alec," Logan warned. "I do remember you trying to kill me. And you would have if Asha hadn't happened along."
"Yeah, well, that was my job. I was trying to put you out of your misery. Nothing personal." Alec was surprised to see Logan shiver when he said that. He looked puzzled.
Seeing his expression, Logan explained. "The guy who put me in this chair said the same thing to me - 'Nothing personal.' Just a bit of ugly déjà vu there."
"Sorry. Didn't know that. So, when do you want me to do this?"
"As soon as possible. Information on those diskettes may be the link to whoever is behind the organ smuggling operation."
"I thought Eddie and his buddies were." Alec leaned forward and stared at Logan
"They may be the middle men. I stumbled on a piece of information that links them to one of the biggest bad guys in Seattle, one I've been trying to take down for a long time. So far, I haven't been able to touch him."
"Wow!" Alec exclaimed. "Well, let's see what you've got on that warehouse."
An hour later, they had a plan. Alec and Logan would meet at 6 a.m. and drive to the warehouse site. Alec would break in and do his thing, while Logan waited for him, keeping watch just in case. They would stay in touch through a pair of Logan's comm units. Logan didn't foresee any problems, but it didn't hurt to be extra careful.
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: Logan's plan starts to hatch and others get involved. Thanks to my betas, Alaidh and Kasman, for their insight.
I live for reviews. You know what to do.
Chapter Three
Eagerly, Logan scanned Lux's police file. There were a couple of misdemeanors, of a drug nature, on her rap sheet. But at least, he did turn up one significant piece of information. Under "Known Accomplices," there was an entry: Edwin (Eddie) Jones, AKA British Eddie. Further investigation turned up no arrests in Washington State for Eddie, but the London bill had obviously had a field day with him. He must have been one of their favorite felons, being in and out of the slammer about once a week, as well as a couple of longer stints in Brixton.
Logan blessed his military intelligence training that allowed him to hack into the highly secure British files. They contained a lot of information on Lucy Lempkin and Eddie Jones, and it was a fascinating story. It seemed that Lucy, Pierpont Lempkin's kid sister, had been sent to an old-fashioned "finishing school" in England, in the hopes that the discipline would tame some of her wildness. Obviously, it hadn't.
Apparently she had gotten involved with a bunch of neo-Goths, who dealt drugs to support their decadent lifestyle. Her first arrest had been at age 16, for a "cosh and carry." Logan stared at the mug shot: Lucy/Lux had been rather pretty in a pale, hollow-eyed kind of way. She had short blonde hair with purple streaks, too much purple eye makeup and purple lipstick. She'd been let off with a warning, probably due to her family's influence.
Somehow, she'd managed to graduate, then get in a few semesters at the London School of Economics, also probably due to her father's influence. So, she wasn't stupid, Logan thought, or too drugged out to pass some courses. She seemed to have met and taken up with Eddie when she was 19.
According to Eddie's rap sheet, he'd been in and out of trouble since adolescence. He had a long list of petty crimes that indicated an aptitude for extortion and drug dealing. He was also a member of the neo-Goth scene, so it seemed inevitable that they should meet up. Three years ago, according to the records, their paths seemed to have converged in London: Logan noted the parallel arrests started at that time. Two years ago, they left England.
Logan took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. It was like reading a novel, he thought, kind of a Goth picaresque tale. He wondered why they had left England, but speculated that it had gotten too hot for them there. And knowing how corrupt the Seattle police department could be, and how amenable to bribes the Sector cops were, he could see where this would be a comfortable place for them to set up shop.
Logan closed the British files and pursued the rest of the story locally. It seemed that Lux and Eddie had tried to stay under the police radar - just barely. They'd brought the Steelhead fad with them from England, having gotten bored with the relatively tame Goth scene. They had accumulated a small group of followers who supported their bizarre penchant for metal implants by drug dealing and protection rackets. Armed with this information, Logan began to formulate his plan. He had a connection to Pierpont Lempkin, and rumors of organ smuggling by Eddie and his gang, but he didn't know if the two were related, or if Eddie was freelancing. He needed more information, and unfortunately, he didn't know where that information was any more.
The previous spring, he'd had Max steal diskettes from Lempkin's home - diskettes that contained details of Lempkin's criminal activities. She'd completed the mission, only to have the diskettes, along with a stash of cash, stolen by Original Cindy's squeeze, Diamond. Then, Diamond and Cindy, on their way to Mexico with the money (and presumably the diskettes) had been kidnapped by Sidney Croal. Croal was the head of Synthedyne Corporation, which had performed biological experiments on prison inmates, including Diamond. Diamond had died of her deliberately induced illness, but not before infecting and killing Croal himself. Max had rescued Cindy, but Max's fanny pack with the money and the crucial diskettes, had been lost in the shuffle. And Logan desperately needed those diskettes.
With a deep sigh, Logan quit his research for the night. He thought he knew where to start the search for the missing diskettes, so he speed-dialed a number. Leaning back in the wheelchair, he waited for the caller to pick up.
"Hey," Original Cindy's voice said.
"Hey, it's Logan."
"Max isn't here," Cindy said.
"I know. She's away taking care of some family business. I called to talk to you. I'm trying to track down some computer diskettes Max, ah, acquired for me last spring."
"Yeah, and what's that got to do with me? I don't keep track of her stuff."
" I know. I hate to bring this up, Cindy, but these were in a bag that Diamond - took from Max. The bag also had a bunch of cash in it-."
"So that's where she got all that money. Never would tell me how she got it."
"It's a long story, but do you know what happened to that bag?"
"Not offhand. Let's say I lost track of it when the black helicopter boys took me and Diamond away. I guess it got left on the bus," Original Cindy said. "Last I remember seeing it, Diamond had stashed it in the overhead compartment. Does that help?"
"It sure does. Thanks," Logan said. "And Cindy, if I find that bag, you can have the money."
"Don't matter to me, Logan. It's tainted as far as I'm concerned. You keep it, and use it for Eyes Only stuff."
Logan frowned at that remark. Had Original Cindy figured out his alter ego, or was she just fishing? He knew that Max wouldn't have told her. On the other hand, Cindy was no fool and was as street-smart as they came.
"Um, Eyes Only stuff?" He tried to sound confused.
"Yeah. Logan, I got the 411 on that. I'd recognize those eyes anywhere. Max never busted you."
"Never thought she would," Logan replied, a smile in his voice. "You've got a deal."
"Hope you find what you're lookin' for, Logan. Too many bad guys out there."
"I hope I do too. Thanks, Cindy. I'll talk to ya later."
"Okay. And Logan, you take care of yourself. I don't want my girl any unhappier than she already is, with that Love Bug virus and all."
"I promise I'll be careful. You've got my word on that."
"'Night, Logan." Original Cindy hung up.
"God, how many people have I promised I'll be careful to? I'll never get anything done if I'm that careful," Logan said to himself as he put the phone down.
It was late, and he was tired. He decided to call it a day and pick up the investigation the next day. His priority would be to find that bus and find out if the bag with the diskettes was still on it, or if it had vanished again.
The next morning, refreshed from a good night's sleep, Logan continued the search for the missing diskettes. The first order of business, after breakfast, was to track down the bus from which Diamond and Original Cindy had been taken. That should involve a straightforward search of Seattle bus records, Logan thought. He knew the date and destination, and that was probably enough to start the search. There had been only one bus to Mexico that day.
He brought up the records of the Seattle bus company, entered the date and destination data, and let the program run. While it ran, he grabbed a cup of coffee and a couple pieces of toast. As he rolled back into the computer room, the information he sought flashed onto the screen. An incident report had been filed because the bus had been stopped and passengers removed. As Logan read the report, a small smile played at the corners of his mouth.
Although the official-looking men with pharmaceutical company ID badges, who had stopped the bus and taken away two passengers in a helicopter, hadn't said why they did this, the rumor was that the passengers who had been removed were carrying a deadly disease and were contagious. The rest of the passengers had been transferred to another bus, which the Seattle bus company had sent to take the place of the possibly contaminated one. The original bus had been hauled away and put into isolated storage, just in case it really was contaminated. And there it stayed.
Now, all Logan had to do was find the storage facility. There couldn't be many places where buses were stored, and it was probably off by itself somewhere, given the possible contamination. Another hack was in order.
About fifteen minutes later, he found it - a warehouse in Sector 12, isolated from other facilities, near an old steam plant. Eager to check out the place, Logan skipped a morning workout and showered and dressed as quickly as he could. He slipped a digital camera and his gun into the pocket, and his laptop computer into the backpack on the wheelchair and left the penthouse.
Between his various sector passes and some persuasion, the Sector police being in crackdown mode for a change, he made it into Sector 12 about an hour later. He found the warehouse, surrounded by a razor wire fence, at the end of a short road. There was only one security guard that he could see, but the guy was heavily armed - probably one of Synthedyne's minions, Logan assumed. Even in his most swashbuckling fantasies, he knew he couldn't break into the warehouse by himself without the exoskeleton. Silently, he cursed both Zack and his own paralysis. He knew he'd have to call in the reserves, in the form of Alec. He took some photos of the warehouse, the fence around it, and the guard for later reference, then headed home.
Once back in his apartment, he phoned Alec. Judging from the background noise when Alec answered, Logan deduced that he was at Jam Pony. He could hear Normal yelling at the messengers, and Sketchy yelling back.
"Yeah?" Alec said by way of greeting.
"Hey, it's Logan. I need a favor."
"Why don't I like the sound of that?" Alec asked.
"It's no big deal for you. I'd do it myself if the exoskeleton weren't out of commission," Logan replied.
"Okay, what do you need me to do?"
"Why don't you come by my place when you get off work? I can explain it all to you then."
"Okay. About six? That all right?"
"Fine. See you then." Logan hung up.
Unlike Max, Alec showed up promptly. He even rang the bell, rather than just walking in, as he usually did. Logan answered the door, backing the chair up so Alec could enter. "Right on time."
"Yeah, well some of us still have some military discipline."
"Right." Logan spun the chair around and headed toward the living room. Alec followed him, hands in his pockets, looking around as if he were casing the place.
"Want a beer?" Logan asked, trying to overcome his natural animosity toward Alec and be a good host.
"Sure." Alec plopped down on the sofa and sprawled there while Logan went to the kitchen to get a couple of beers. He returned in a few minutes later with two bottles of beer between his knees. He wheeled around the coffee table, locked his brakes, and handed Alec a beer.
"So, Logan, what's this all about?" Alec said, taking a long gulp.
"I'm trying to track down some computer diskettes Max stole for me last spring. They got stolen from her and ended up on a bus to Mexico. That's the last anyone saw them -"
"You want me to go to Mexico and track them down?" Alec interrupted eagerly.
"Nah, nothing as exotic as that, unfortunately. The bus was impounded and quarantined at a warehouse in Sector 12," Logan explained.
"Quarantined? As in something contagious and nasty was on it?"
"Original Cindy's girlfriend, Diamond, who had been infected with an experimental disease, was on it. She was taken away - back to the lab that had infected her in the first place. She died a short time later, but Original Cindy was fine and Max rescued her. Diamond had stolen the diskettes from Max - by accident. But apparently the backpack with the diskettes was left on the bus. I need you to break into the warehouse and find the backpack. I have the seat number and the pack was stashed in the overhead."
"Okay, sounds pretty straightforward."
"It is. Like I said, I'd do it myself but - " Logan rubbed his thighs. "I've got pictures of the place, the fence around it, and the guard. For you, it should be a piece of cake."
"Yeah, and if it is contaminated, that won't bother me. Lucky for you I'm hanging around." Alec said playfully.
"Well you were pretty handy when we went looking for Isaac," Logan admitted grudgingly.
"Yeah, we made a good team, don't ya think?"
"Don't press your luck, Alec," Logan warned. "I do remember you trying to kill me. And you would have if Asha hadn't happened along."
"Yeah, well, that was my job. I was trying to put you out of your misery. Nothing personal." Alec was surprised to see Logan shiver when he said that. He looked puzzled.
Seeing his expression, Logan explained. "The guy who put me in this chair said the same thing to me - 'Nothing personal.' Just a bit of ugly déjà vu there."
"Sorry. Didn't know that. So, when do you want me to do this?"
"As soon as possible. Information on those diskettes may be the link to whoever is behind the organ smuggling operation."
"I thought Eddie and his buddies were." Alec leaned forward and stared at Logan
"They may be the middle men. I stumbled on a piece of information that links them to one of the biggest bad guys in Seattle, one I've been trying to take down for a long time. So far, I haven't been able to touch him."
"Wow!" Alec exclaimed. "Well, let's see what you've got on that warehouse."
An hour later, they had a plan. Alec and Logan would meet at 6 a.m. and drive to the warehouse site. Alec would break in and do his thing, while Logan waited for him, keeping watch just in case. They would stay in touch through a pair of Logan's comm units. Logan didn't foresee any problems, but it didn't hurt to be extra careful.