Part 29
A little bit of hell
AN: Here's the next one for your enjoyment. We last left Logan staking out the Familiar Headquarters, trying to come up with a way to get in without the help of his favorite cat burglar. He was still blushing over Bling's jokes when all hell broke loose.
---
The ear-piercing screech of the car's brakes was accompanied by a trail of smoke as it skidded toward the sidewalk, obviously out of control. Logan didn't even have time to curse; the black SUV was headed in his direction and he wasn't about to wait for it to brake. Sprinting out of the car and to the left, his attempt to reach the safe portion of the sidewalk was hampered by a girl, seemingly rooted to the ground in shock.
He didn't think, instead he felt the heat emanating from the car that was approaching fast, threatening to crush both of them into the row of parked vehicles. Grabbing the girl, Logan dove forward and as much to the left as he could, but it was too late. The SUV's left side grazed him, letting a sharp pain soar in his ribs as he fell, rolling on the ground, the girl safely in his grip.
The car finally stopped, hitting an old light pole that bent on impact, but Logan didn't see that, didn't feel the debris raining upon them; all he felt was the girl he had to shield with his body, to protect from the fall and ...
Suddenly, he wasn't looking at the pavement anymore, but at the light blue sky again. He remembered that particular blue color, the smell of burnt rubber and wasted brake liquid, the feel of .... of nothing, no feeling below his chest, that cessation of all sensation while the sound of flying bullets tore through the hot air, imparting an aroma of gunpowder to the smell of the asphalt.
The girl tried to wriggle out of his grasp and Logan felt himself brought back to the present when she accidentally touched his leg and he almost yelped in pain. Instead, Logan half grimaced, half smiled. It hurt. That was good.
He let go of the girl who stood up shakily. She extended a dirty hand he gladly took as support. Several passersby were staring at what was left of the smoking SUV and Logan's eyes reflexively darted toward the guards he had been observing all day. None of them had moved, they were both staring at the crashed car across the street, they were talking into their comms, agitated, but they weren't leaving their positions. Damn! That was some discipline they had been taught.
Logan was now on his feet, still feeling some pain in his ribs and left leg, but nothing too intense. The girl was crying next to him and Logan turned to comfort her when a muffled sound made itself heard from the SUV. Someone was still alive in there, but not for long, if he was to judge by the smoke and flames that were lapping at the back of the car. No one on the street made a move to help. Somewhere, a woman was shrieking, but it didn't look like anyone would move soon.
Damn Lydecker and his intel! And what in the blazes had Stetter done? They had talked about a diversion, not an exploding car! Logan swore under his breath and approached the car on the driver side, where the biting smoke allowed him to vaguely make out a man struggling to get out. The door of the black vehicle was hot and he wrapped his hands in his shirt trying to pull at it, knowing full well that its opening would bring a gust of oxygen into the flame threatened interior.
The man on the inside was pushing while Logan pulled, but it was no use, the door was stuck. Logan bent and picked up a piece of debris he swung at the window. Inside, the man covered his face at the cracking of the glass.
His voice had a frantic tone to it as he half yelled, half pleaded with Logan.
"I'm stuck!"
By this time, the smoke was making Logan's eyes tear and his breathing wheeze, but he took one large gulp of air and bent through the window. The smell of gasoline inside made Logan hurry as much as he could, but the seatbelt wouldn't budge.
"Go away! It's going to blow!" A gut-wrenching cough accompanied the driver's words.
Logan took a cursory glance at the man on the other seat; it was enough to see his bloodied head slumped on the dashboard, and a gun in his grip. Gritting his teeth, Logan reached over the driver and made for the gun, but the distance was too big and he was almost choking with the smoke. His extended fingers missed their target, touching the head of the slumped man instead. It rolled on the side only to reveal wide-open brown eyes. But the driver had seen Logan reach for the gun and grabbed it, passing it on to him.
"Don't miss!" the driver whispered, his head lolling to the side just as Logan fired two clean shots at the seatbelt.
It couldn't have taken Logan long to free the driver, but it sure seemed like centuries to his burning lungs, invaded by the smoke and the stench of burning leather. With a last effort, Logan grabbed the man and started to pull him out the large SUV window in an attempt that seemed useless. The back of the car was in flames and an explosion was imminent.
Suddenly, through the smoke, Logan saw a pair of small hands grab the driver next to his, pulling with him. It wasn't much help, but it was enough. With two yanks, the man was out and Logan started to drag him to the sidewalk, when it suddenly occurred to him that the helping hands didn't belong to any of the passersby still looking at them. It was the girl who was had been pulling alongside with him and who was now slumped on the sidewalk next to them, catching her breath.
But Logan didn't have much time to wonder about her. Loud crackling resounded from the car and then its back blew up with a loud bang. Once again Logan grabbed the girl protectively, but this time no debris came their way. Instead, as if on cue, as the smoke was dissipating, Logan saw the guards approach.
Of course, now that the car had exploded, there was no threat anymore, he thought scornfully. But they didn't come over. Instead, they were asking the several passersby standing around to come inside the building, shoving more than asking in some cases.
The doors of Hell were finally open, Logan realized and the thought gave him a chill. A few hundred yards away, another guard was talking to a policeman in his cruiser. When the police drove away leisurely, something clicked in Logan's head and he whispered to the wide-eyed girl sitting next to him.
"Kid, get out of here, now!"
Her eyes looked at him unblinking and he shook her, hard, again and again. From his position between the cars parked on the sidewalk, he could see two guards looking in their direction and he yanked the girl to her feet, finally getting her attention.
"Listen, you did a good thing out there, it was great, but you need to go now," he urged, nodding in the direction of the guards.
The girl seemed to understand, as she looked first at the building the people were taken into and then in Logan's piercing blue eyes.
"Run and don't come back, understood?" he gritted through his teeth as the girl scrambled to her feet and taking a last look at him, disappeared behind the parked cars.
Logan allowed himself a moment to close his stinging eyes and inhale deeply. The air around was not what he'd normally call breathable, but he couldn't be picky. The burning sensation in his chest was almost gone. Next to him, the man he had dragged on the sidewalk was still breathing and occasionally moaning. His dark skin and high cheekbones visible under the grime alluded to a mixed descent.
Maybe Latino? Logan wondered and then chuckled. Who cared? The man was alive and that was all. But Eyes Only might not be as fortunate, he mused, seeing how the guards gesticulated toward them. One look at the shattered CD player still hanging at his waist told him there wasn't much help to be expected from that side. Bling and the rest would keep out, as ordered. Maybe they'd even transmit the hack, as he had instructed. But he wouldn't run now. If he had any luck, they'd take him inside. At least he could do some damage in there.
"Ouch!" a low moan came from the driver on the sidewalk, and Logan moved a few centimeters to bend over him. Blue eyes met brown ones and there was a moment of silence as each appraised the other. At one point, the driver's eyes widened a bit while his eyebrows drew closer together. Finally, he tried to get up to a sitting position and Logan helped him.
"Thanks!" the driver offered, eyes shining with sincerity. "You were quite good out there."
Logan looked at him and tried to smile a bit. Instead, he shrugged: "Don't sell yourself short, you hit that pole like a master archer: bull's eye."
The sarcasm dripping in Logan's voice was not lost on the driver, whose blood rushed into his cheeks. "Well, I was... distracted..." he tried to explain, knowing the other man had to be wondering about the gun and the smoke in the car.
Logan managed a cocky smile, wary about the driver of a Familiar. So what, if the driver and the Familiar had struggled for the gun? So what if the man had an open and likeable way about him? Those were not reasons to trust him. But when the driver stood up, cursing under his breath before he finally caught himself and extended a hand to the man on the sidewalk, Logan decided to take it. The man's grip was warm and strong, in spite of the situation, and his voice had a gentle timbre to it as he introduced himself to the now standing Logan.
"Otto's my name. Thanks for the help." His tone revealed that he didn't expect any answer. Maybe that's why Logan decided to reply.
"I'm Nick. And no problem."
They were both standing now and Logan had a clear view of the still open door to the mysterious building he had been observing. All the passersby who had witnessed the incident had been rounded up and taken inside and now one of the guards approached them, inviting them to join the rest.
As Logan went through the high, arched doorway he had been seeking access to, a feeling of peace flooded him. The plan had gone down the drain; he was in the middle of the Familiar Headquarter, with no contact to the outside, and the added encumbrance of potential hostages. And yet somehow, he felt that the universe was right on schedule.
To be continued...
AN: Come on, guys, it's hot in here and I'm writing. Please tell me what you think. Criticism and nitpicks most welcome.
A little bit of hell
AN: Here's the next one for your enjoyment. We last left Logan staking out the Familiar Headquarters, trying to come up with a way to get in without the help of his favorite cat burglar. He was still blushing over Bling's jokes when all hell broke loose.
---
The ear-piercing screech of the car's brakes was accompanied by a trail of smoke as it skidded toward the sidewalk, obviously out of control. Logan didn't even have time to curse; the black SUV was headed in his direction and he wasn't about to wait for it to brake. Sprinting out of the car and to the left, his attempt to reach the safe portion of the sidewalk was hampered by a girl, seemingly rooted to the ground in shock.
He didn't think, instead he felt the heat emanating from the car that was approaching fast, threatening to crush both of them into the row of parked vehicles. Grabbing the girl, Logan dove forward and as much to the left as he could, but it was too late. The SUV's left side grazed him, letting a sharp pain soar in his ribs as he fell, rolling on the ground, the girl safely in his grip.
The car finally stopped, hitting an old light pole that bent on impact, but Logan didn't see that, didn't feel the debris raining upon them; all he felt was the girl he had to shield with his body, to protect from the fall and ...
Suddenly, he wasn't looking at the pavement anymore, but at the light blue sky again. He remembered that particular blue color, the smell of burnt rubber and wasted brake liquid, the feel of .... of nothing, no feeling below his chest, that cessation of all sensation while the sound of flying bullets tore through the hot air, imparting an aroma of gunpowder to the smell of the asphalt.
The girl tried to wriggle out of his grasp and Logan felt himself brought back to the present when she accidentally touched his leg and he almost yelped in pain. Instead, Logan half grimaced, half smiled. It hurt. That was good.
He let go of the girl who stood up shakily. She extended a dirty hand he gladly took as support. Several passersby were staring at what was left of the smoking SUV and Logan's eyes reflexively darted toward the guards he had been observing all day. None of them had moved, they were both staring at the crashed car across the street, they were talking into their comms, agitated, but they weren't leaving their positions. Damn! That was some discipline they had been taught.
Logan was now on his feet, still feeling some pain in his ribs and left leg, but nothing too intense. The girl was crying next to him and Logan turned to comfort her when a muffled sound made itself heard from the SUV. Someone was still alive in there, but not for long, if he was to judge by the smoke and flames that were lapping at the back of the car. No one on the street made a move to help. Somewhere, a woman was shrieking, but it didn't look like anyone would move soon.
Damn Lydecker and his intel! And what in the blazes had Stetter done? They had talked about a diversion, not an exploding car! Logan swore under his breath and approached the car on the driver side, where the biting smoke allowed him to vaguely make out a man struggling to get out. The door of the black vehicle was hot and he wrapped his hands in his shirt trying to pull at it, knowing full well that its opening would bring a gust of oxygen into the flame threatened interior.
The man on the inside was pushing while Logan pulled, but it was no use, the door was stuck. Logan bent and picked up a piece of debris he swung at the window. Inside, the man covered his face at the cracking of the glass.
His voice had a frantic tone to it as he half yelled, half pleaded with Logan.
"I'm stuck!"
By this time, the smoke was making Logan's eyes tear and his breathing wheeze, but he took one large gulp of air and bent through the window. The smell of gasoline inside made Logan hurry as much as he could, but the seatbelt wouldn't budge.
"Go away! It's going to blow!" A gut-wrenching cough accompanied the driver's words.
Logan took a cursory glance at the man on the other seat; it was enough to see his bloodied head slumped on the dashboard, and a gun in his grip. Gritting his teeth, Logan reached over the driver and made for the gun, but the distance was too big and he was almost choking with the smoke. His extended fingers missed their target, touching the head of the slumped man instead. It rolled on the side only to reveal wide-open brown eyes. But the driver had seen Logan reach for the gun and grabbed it, passing it on to him.
"Don't miss!" the driver whispered, his head lolling to the side just as Logan fired two clean shots at the seatbelt.
It couldn't have taken Logan long to free the driver, but it sure seemed like centuries to his burning lungs, invaded by the smoke and the stench of burning leather. With a last effort, Logan grabbed the man and started to pull him out the large SUV window in an attempt that seemed useless. The back of the car was in flames and an explosion was imminent.
Suddenly, through the smoke, Logan saw a pair of small hands grab the driver next to his, pulling with him. It wasn't much help, but it was enough. With two yanks, the man was out and Logan started to drag him to the sidewalk, when it suddenly occurred to him that the helping hands didn't belong to any of the passersby still looking at them. It was the girl who was had been pulling alongside with him and who was now slumped on the sidewalk next to them, catching her breath.
But Logan didn't have much time to wonder about her. Loud crackling resounded from the car and then its back blew up with a loud bang. Once again Logan grabbed the girl protectively, but this time no debris came their way. Instead, as if on cue, as the smoke was dissipating, Logan saw the guards approach.
Of course, now that the car had exploded, there was no threat anymore, he thought scornfully. But they didn't come over. Instead, they were asking the several passersby standing around to come inside the building, shoving more than asking in some cases.
The doors of Hell were finally open, Logan realized and the thought gave him a chill. A few hundred yards away, another guard was talking to a policeman in his cruiser. When the police drove away leisurely, something clicked in Logan's head and he whispered to the wide-eyed girl sitting next to him.
"Kid, get out of here, now!"
Her eyes looked at him unblinking and he shook her, hard, again and again. From his position between the cars parked on the sidewalk, he could see two guards looking in their direction and he yanked the girl to her feet, finally getting her attention.
"Listen, you did a good thing out there, it was great, but you need to go now," he urged, nodding in the direction of the guards.
The girl seemed to understand, as she looked first at the building the people were taken into and then in Logan's piercing blue eyes.
"Run and don't come back, understood?" he gritted through his teeth as the girl scrambled to her feet and taking a last look at him, disappeared behind the parked cars.
Logan allowed himself a moment to close his stinging eyes and inhale deeply. The air around was not what he'd normally call breathable, but he couldn't be picky. The burning sensation in his chest was almost gone. Next to him, the man he had dragged on the sidewalk was still breathing and occasionally moaning. His dark skin and high cheekbones visible under the grime alluded to a mixed descent.
Maybe Latino? Logan wondered and then chuckled. Who cared? The man was alive and that was all. But Eyes Only might not be as fortunate, he mused, seeing how the guards gesticulated toward them. One look at the shattered CD player still hanging at his waist told him there wasn't much help to be expected from that side. Bling and the rest would keep out, as ordered. Maybe they'd even transmit the hack, as he had instructed. But he wouldn't run now. If he had any luck, they'd take him inside. At least he could do some damage in there.
"Ouch!" a low moan came from the driver on the sidewalk, and Logan moved a few centimeters to bend over him. Blue eyes met brown ones and there was a moment of silence as each appraised the other. At one point, the driver's eyes widened a bit while his eyebrows drew closer together. Finally, he tried to get up to a sitting position and Logan helped him.
"Thanks!" the driver offered, eyes shining with sincerity. "You were quite good out there."
Logan looked at him and tried to smile a bit. Instead, he shrugged: "Don't sell yourself short, you hit that pole like a master archer: bull's eye."
The sarcasm dripping in Logan's voice was not lost on the driver, whose blood rushed into his cheeks. "Well, I was... distracted..." he tried to explain, knowing the other man had to be wondering about the gun and the smoke in the car.
Logan managed a cocky smile, wary about the driver of a Familiar. So what, if the driver and the Familiar had struggled for the gun? So what if the man had an open and likeable way about him? Those were not reasons to trust him. But when the driver stood up, cursing under his breath before he finally caught himself and extended a hand to the man on the sidewalk, Logan decided to take it. The man's grip was warm and strong, in spite of the situation, and his voice had a gentle timbre to it as he introduced himself to the now standing Logan.
"Otto's my name. Thanks for the help." His tone revealed that he didn't expect any answer. Maybe that's why Logan decided to reply.
"I'm Nick. And no problem."
They were both standing now and Logan had a clear view of the still open door to the mysterious building he had been observing. All the passersby who had witnessed the incident had been rounded up and taken inside and now one of the guards approached them, inviting them to join the rest.
As Logan went through the high, arched doorway he had been seeking access to, a feeling of peace flooded him. The plan had gone down the drain; he was in the middle of the Familiar Headquarter, with no contact to the outside, and the added encumbrance of potential hostages. And yet somehow, he felt that the universe was right on schedule.
To be continued...
AN: Come on, guys, it's hot in here and I'm writing. Please tell me what you think. Criticism and nitpicks most welcome.
