Beyond the Shattered Glass

Lalalala: Coldplay's Clocks is an AWESOME song. I've been listening to it and Every Heart from Inuyasha for the past 12 hours. Nonstop... yeah. I mean "Confusion never stops, The closing walls and ticking clocks." What GENIUS came up with that?! Anywho...it's helpin' me write, so you all need to love it. This chapter is going to be the climax of the story. Or at least half of it. I haven't decided if I'll put it all here... I have a music festival thing today that I'm going to that'll be neat and take up my whole day. So...yes...

I REALLY love that song...

Beyond the Shattered Glass: File 9

The car skidded to a halt, and one thug actually CARRIED Megan in so she COULDN'T run away. The sickly smell of burnt rubber filled her nostrils. She remembered hearing about this. A conveyer belt blew up and the building was deemed unstable. She blinked, staring anxiously as they walked in the heavy steel doors. She'd have one hell of a time trying to kick those out if she needed to escape.

They walked around the concrete floor, stuffing various things in various closets. They sat Megan down, tying her to a chair. Gin came up, taking her by the chin.

"Don't worry sweetums. As soon as we find Kudo, this will all be over for you. Who knows. Maybe I'll go easy on you." Megan opened her mouth to inquire what that was about, but had a gag promptly put into her mouth instead.

Somewhere in suburban Denver...

Sherry sped down the empty late night streets...she looked worried, and that wasn't providing any comfort for Jimmy. He fiddled with his fingers nervously, staring at each passing house. He desperately wanted to hold Rachel, the full sized one, in his arms. The way he had the last night they'd seen each other; the night they almost died clinging to one another in a closet. He didn't know why, he just felt like it would somehow make him feel better.

He could only imagine how terrified she was. That's when something full of irony hit him in the head. Rachel had been his tormenter for the past few days, and he'd wished the worst upon her. Yet now, he was worried sick that she was hurt somewhere, in pain, maybe even... no. He couldn't think about that. Rachel was fine. She was going to be just fine, and he was going to tell her he loved her and never let her from his sight again. Yes. He gave a slight nod to himself, confirming this.

Sherry looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. In all truths, she almost wished the worst on Rachel. Deep down, she knew she had feelings for the boy sitting next to her. But she knew she could also never have him, and that he and Rachel were made for one another. She heaved a quiet sigh, her foot pressing slightly harder on the gas. This broke Jimmy from his thoughts, gazing over at her with those big, unusually blue eyes.

"What's wrong?" he inquired. She smiled softly.

"Nothing, Jimmy. Don't worry about it, okay? Think about what you'll say to Rachel when she comes out..."

He blinked, slightly confused at her response. He shrugged it off, however. He was too numb at the moment to worry about solving any mysteries for the moment. Although she had brought up something new for him to think about. What WAS he going to say to Rachel? The same questions from when he had began to tell Rachel about his being Conan flew through his head. Would he get mad? Would he cry? Would he stay calm? He didn't know, but it was definitely something to think about. After a while longer, Sherry handed him her cell.

"I can't get in touch with the boys. Call the cops, tell them the old, blown out shoe factory on Surrie."

He nodded, doing as he was told... he hoped Sherry knew what she was doing...

Back at the factory...

An hour passed...then two...then three. Whiskey left occasionally, and the thugs were on the phone. Finally, everyone's attention turned to Rachel. Vodka walked up, undoing her from the chair, picking her up by her throat, shaking her for a moment, before throwing her against the nearest wall.

"Bad, bad move, kid. You're playing with the big boys, and you lost our new toy. We aren't very happy." he snapped as she struggled to get to her feet. He walked over, giving her a swift kick to the stomach. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she yelped loudly in pain. Gin walked over, placing a hand on his partner's shoulder.

"Cool it... Whiskey. Knock the kid out with that chloroform over there and... I dunno...throw her in the closet. I don't want to attract attention by killing the brat. No one is here to miss her if we just leave her here. It'll be slow and painful for her." He added the last bit as he watched Vodka eye her like a hungry wolf eyes a helpless lamb. "Plus. If the cops show, we can use the brat as a hostage or something..."

One thug knocked her out, although it was hardly necessary. Rachel was so dazed from being beaten that she couldn't comprehend what was going on. She was tossed into a closet, the door being slammed behind her.

About ten minutes later, sirens and skids of cars halting echoed outside. Momentarily, a strong voice, amplified by a loudspeaker, called "COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!"

Vodka swore profusely along with Whiskey, while Gin stayed calmly at the table. The thugs looked to one another dumbly... After a moment, he stood, slamming a bottle of wine onto the floor.

"Light it." he commanded, starting out of the room.

"Light it?!" Whiskey asked in horror.

"Light it." he confirmed, tossing him a box of matches. "It will create a distraction. They have us surrounded, and it's out only shot out. One thug made his way towards the closet, but Vodka held up a hand with a smirk, following after Gin.

"Leave the kid." he ordered, signaling for them to follow. One shrugged, throwing a lit match onto the spilled alcohol, dashing off after everyone else.

The skid of yet another car came from outside as Sherry and Jimmy arrived, both leaping from the car just in time to hear a loud "FWOOSH" and watch a window be blown out with a large flame. Several officers gasped, before calling (needlessly) "They've set the place on fire!"

Jimmy watched the flames begin to consume the old building, listening as the fire department's sirens sounded roughly a mile away...

Inside, however, things weren't so calm. So numb. Megan's eyes flitted open and she looked blearily around. It was dark. She hurt. "Can't...think..." she murmured to herself, coughing lightly, trembling and attempting in vain to stand. She reached a shaky hand to the doorknob, finding it surprisingly hot. She figured it was the after effects of the chloroform, though, and opened it slightly. She was met by a whole mess of black, billowing smoke and flames licking eagerly at her door, as if intent on reaching her small body inside. She let out an involuntary shriek, slamming the door back, pulling her knees to her chest, burying her face there, and covering her ears and sides of her neck with her hands. Hot...fire.. was all she could think. She shivered uncontrollably with fright. Why isn't anyone helping me?! she thought after a minute or two. Where...oh...they...they don't know I'm here. I'm going to die and they'll never know I was here... it all seemed so clear now. She didn't notice it, but tears collected behind her shut eyes, leaking out gingerly, plopping into her lap.

Outside, the scream was heard, and the officers and firemen broke out into a flurry of activity again.

"Someone's inside!"

"A hostage?"

"Sounded like a girl."

"A kid, maybe?"

"They didn't have a kid though, did they?"

Jimmy knew perfectly well who the scream had come from though, and his eyes got huge. "R..Rachel!" he whispered, staring up at the blown out window, the smoke billowing out in thick clouds now, like some sinister firework. Sherry looked at him.

"Jimmy, don't do anything stupid!" she hissed, but she was too late. He ran up, standing beneith the firehouse, getting drenched and running inside before anyone could do anything. He didn't know what had happened to him. He hadn't even thought about it, he had just went into a blazing, unstable building. He coughed instantly, his eyes burning at the smoke and heat.

"RACHEL! RACHEL, WHERE ARE YOU!?" he called. He rushed through the flames, running about, dodging the fire. He ran up some stairs, looking around. "RACHEL!"

His voice echoed, causing her to break out into hard, loud sobs. She knew it was her imagination. Moments later, the smoke got to her, and she passed out again. Flames slowly began to eat at the door, coming dangerously close to the child's hand...

He had heard her, but couldn't be sure where she was... he called out to her several more times, but he was totally lost. "RACHEL!" he called desperately, tears rimming his eyes. He closed his eyes, thinking. When he re opened them, he noticed one, small closet, currently being engulfed in flame. He didn't know why, but he ran to it, and sure enough, there she was. He gasped lightly, seeing her limp, small frame, scooping her into his arms, holding her firmly against his chest. How could he have not seen it? She had sweated and the fire had singed off the fake freckles, and the soot had made her hair appear dark as it usually was. There was no question: That WAS Rachel. He nervously felt her pulse and breathing. Alive, but barely. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, pressing it over her face to minimize smoke inhalation, before running downstairs.

Outside, everyone was getting anxious. He'd been inside for nearly ten minutes. But then, out of what resembled Hell, Jimmy came out with the frame of a small, lightly burnt little girl. He pulled in a breath of fresh night air gratefully, somewhat reluctantly handing Megan to an EMS worker, who carted her off to a waiting ambulance. They ushered him in, and he barely had time to notice Sherry talking to a frantic Eri and Richard Moore, who looked somewhat relieved at seeing Jimmy and Megan being piled into an ambulance. As he was leaving with the girl, he could see them pile into the car to follow. They laid the child and Jimmy on two gurnies, injecting them with IVs and treating their burns with ointments that were handy. He looked at the girl from the corner of his eye, and with a smile, reached over and held her hand... It's okay, Rache. Everything is okay now...

ooc: YAY!! Bwaha. There's only one chapter left, so review your little heads off...but...yes... I have another new song besides Clocks, too. Two, actually. Every Heart from Inuyasha, but more importantly: Imperfection by Skillet. GOD THAT SONG ROCKS MY SOCKS!! Everyone send all sorts of slobbery kisses in thier reviews to my FCA leader, Danni, for being nice and burning me a copy of her Skillet CD XD I LURVE YEW DANNIIIIIIII!!!! ((P.S. Yes. I be in FCA. DEAL WITH IT.))