A/N: Thanks again to my reviews Suzy Q and aLeX your advice has helped and
meant a lot to me. More of The Max and Logan to come. This is introducing
someone from Ella's not so wonderful past.
Chapter Four: Donavon
'Seattle PD?' Alec sounded truly amazed. 'I thought only drunks, jerks and insolent fools ended up as Police officers.'
'They do.' Said Ella simply. She was nervous, her hair was tied back tightly in a bun but she kept picking at it. Alec was beginning to get annoyed.
'I take it you don't think too highly of this Donavon. If you do that again!'
'Sorry. No he's a pig.'
'Oh right. What sort of pig?'
'A cleaver one.' Ella spotted her target and dropped into pace behind him, leaving Alec standing.
'Great, a cleaver Manticore pig and an obsessive Manticore soldier; what fun! Ella leave your damn hair ALONE!!!'
'Shut up!' She hissed. But it was already to late. Donavon was facing them; his eyes flickered to Alec but rested on Ella. The position of his eyes made Alec agree with Ella in a whisper.
'He's a pig.'
'Actually I'm an X7. You?' Donavon's voice matched his face. Sour and pointed. The doughy colours of his skin made Alec think of Zack.
'X5.'
'You, I already know. X8-177.' His eyes were still rooted a good 12 inches below Ella's eye line.
'It's such a pity you remember me.' Ella said, you could have cut iron with her voice.
'I'm honoured you remember me.'
'Don't be.' Alec heard Max behind the comment and smiled.
'What do you want Ella is it?'
'Virus. X5-452 against Eyes-only.' Alec gapped at his younger friend. The middle of a crowded street was not the place to discuss this.
'Ahh. Follow me.'
Donavon led them through an abandoned alley to a small blue door. It opened onto an immaculate lab.
'Your theft skills have improved.' Ella commented.
'Why, thank you.'
'Lets get down to business, shall we?' Alec asked. He didn't like labs. They reminded him far too much of synapse, where he'd spend over a year. The memory of the place still woke him in the night.
'Fine. That virus was a fine piece of work, what do you want with it?' Alec glared at the boy. He was far too blunt to be trusted.
'The cure.' That was Ella.
'Why?'
'Why not.' Alec started. These two were firing phrases at each other with such hatred and ferocity that he was worried about get hit in the crossfire!
'Fine.'
'Can you do it?'
'Yes. But why should I?' There was a blur of movement. Ella held an arm against Donavon's throat.
'Ella!' Alec yelled. He sometimes forgot just how easily she'd wiped the floor with him four months ago.
'Shut up Alec!'
'No chance. He's our only chance.' Ella let Donavon slide to the floor. There was a look of complete disdain on her face.
'Do it.'
'For £30,000 I might.'
'£20,000.'
'£25,000.'
'Done. Money up front.'
'No deal. You know you'll get your money. I've no such guarantees.'
'What?' Alec asked but Ella ignored him.
'Fine. But you will pay, all of it.'
'I understand.' There was something Alec was missing. Ella hated this guy far more than he'd expected.
'Give a while. I'll contact you when its ready.'
'Good. If it doesn't work I'll crush you Donavon.'
'Whatever 177. Whatever.' Ella turned and walked away. Alec followed utterly confused.
Ella stopped about two blocks away from the lab. She was crying. Alec reached for her arm and Ella fell into him. For the third time he found himself keeping her safe from the outside world.
Chapter Four: Donavon
'Seattle PD?' Alec sounded truly amazed. 'I thought only drunks, jerks and insolent fools ended up as Police officers.'
'They do.' Said Ella simply. She was nervous, her hair was tied back tightly in a bun but she kept picking at it. Alec was beginning to get annoyed.
'I take it you don't think too highly of this Donavon. If you do that again!'
'Sorry. No he's a pig.'
'Oh right. What sort of pig?'
'A cleaver one.' Ella spotted her target and dropped into pace behind him, leaving Alec standing.
'Great, a cleaver Manticore pig and an obsessive Manticore soldier; what fun! Ella leave your damn hair ALONE!!!'
'Shut up!' She hissed. But it was already to late. Donavon was facing them; his eyes flickered to Alec but rested on Ella. The position of his eyes made Alec agree with Ella in a whisper.
'He's a pig.'
'Actually I'm an X7. You?' Donavon's voice matched his face. Sour and pointed. The doughy colours of his skin made Alec think of Zack.
'X5.'
'You, I already know. X8-177.' His eyes were still rooted a good 12 inches below Ella's eye line.
'It's such a pity you remember me.' Ella said, you could have cut iron with her voice.
'I'm honoured you remember me.'
'Don't be.' Alec heard Max behind the comment and smiled.
'What do you want Ella is it?'
'Virus. X5-452 against Eyes-only.' Alec gapped at his younger friend. The middle of a crowded street was not the place to discuss this.
'Ahh. Follow me.'
Donavon led them through an abandoned alley to a small blue door. It opened onto an immaculate lab.
'Your theft skills have improved.' Ella commented.
'Why, thank you.'
'Lets get down to business, shall we?' Alec asked. He didn't like labs. They reminded him far too much of synapse, where he'd spend over a year. The memory of the place still woke him in the night.
'Fine. That virus was a fine piece of work, what do you want with it?' Alec glared at the boy. He was far too blunt to be trusted.
'The cure.' That was Ella.
'Why?'
'Why not.' Alec started. These two were firing phrases at each other with such hatred and ferocity that he was worried about get hit in the crossfire!
'Fine.'
'Can you do it?'
'Yes. But why should I?' There was a blur of movement. Ella held an arm against Donavon's throat.
'Ella!' Alec yelled. He sometimes forgot just how easily she'd wiped the floor with him four months ago.
'Shut up Alec!'
'No chance. He's our only chance.' Ella let Donavon slide to the floor. There was a look of complete disdain on her face.
'Do it.'
'For £30,000 I might.'
'£20,000.'
'£25,000.'
'Done. Money up front.'
'No deal. You know you'll get your money. I've no such guarantees.'
'What?' Alec asked but Ella ignored him.
'Fine. But you will pay, all of it.'
'I understand.' There was something Alec was missing. Ella hated this guy far more than he'd expected.
'Give a while. I'll contact you when its ready.'
'Good. If it doesn't work I'll crush you Donavon.'
'Whatever 177. Whatever.' Ella turned and walked away. Alec followed utterly confused.
Ella stopped about two blocks away from the lab. She was crying. Alec reached for her arm and Ella fell into him. For the third time he found himself keeping her safe from the outside world.