Chapter Thirteen:
As the gunshot registered through the train station, the panicking mob fell to an eerie halt.
The screams and terrified voices faded into silence as the hundreds of random travelers stopped dead in their tracks. A few seconds passed, and all anyone could do was stare.
Charlie was standing near the entrance to Union Station, her right hand held out in front of her as if she had signaled the strange immobilization of the crowd. But, while everyone's attention was suddenly focused on her, Charlie's only concern was the bullet that had been heading toward her and the young man trying to help her.
The bullet had been heading toward them...at least until a sudden wave of heat slowed its course and now held it suspended in mid-air.
Charlie waited, feeling the watching eyes around her, the weighted burden of her troubled life, and concentrated on the small piece of metal that had no other purpose in creation except to cause harm.
Her gaze slowly shifted from the weapon to its wielder, the tall blonde man who seemed to tower over the crowd. He also looked with surprise at the suspended bullet, but his face quickly twisted into a pleased grin. A dark haired man was now standing next to her assailant, his features wild and...oh, God...wolfish...
Charlie lowered her arm slowly, sensing the growing circle of space around her, which became larger as the wall of random people pushed backward in an attempt to not only get away from the bullet's path...but also the strange young woman who seemed to have the entire room entranced.
The tension was beginning to break. She could feel it. In another moment, the screams would start again, and the riotous exodus would recommence. But, before that could happen, she intended to send her violent stalkers a little message.
Without taking her eyes off the ferial pair, Charlie took one long breath and released her curse upon the crowd. There was a strange sound, like a vacuum forming in the area where Charlie stood, and suddenly a wave of heat blasted out across the room, knocking pedestrians from their feet and making the very foundations of the building shutter in protest.
She did not wait to see the reactions of those around her. She knew all to well what she would see in their faces. Instead, she turned and began to do what she did best...
...she ran.
Jay gasped as his feet were blown out from under him, and he hit the marble floor with a breathless cry of pain. He winced and rolled onto his stomach, just in time to see Charlie sprint past him in the direction of the exits.
As quickly as he could get to his feet, Jay began to chase after her. He glanced back over his shoulder only once, and spotted the two armed men stepping over the stunned travelers and heading in their direction.
Jay darted out of the open front doors and spotted Charlie running down the sidewalk to his left. He chased after her easily. He was quick runner, and he did not have a heavy duffel bag to slow his progress as she did. He caught up and grabbed a hold on her upper arm to stop her.
Charlie whirled around and Jay drew his hand back in surprise as a wave of heat nearly singed the palm of his hand. She glared at him viciously, almost accusingly, as if the scene in the station had been his fault. But, Jay just flexed his hand and grinned.
"Come on!" he said directing her toward his waiting cab, "Let's get out of here!"
Charlie gaped at him and shook her head, "A cab? Are you nuts?"
Jay shrugged and admitted, "A little. Come on..."
This time, he offered his hand, and Charlie took it without hesitation. She could still hear the frightened screams coming from the open doors nearby, and she knew the two men would be following her. At least a cab would be less conspicuous than her running on foot...even if her bizarre new chaperone did turn out to be certifiably insane.
Jay jerked open the yellow vehicle's door and let Charlie dive inside before he took the seat next to her. His dazzled cabbie friend folded up the newspaper he had been reading and glanced back at Jay with recognition.
"I was wondering if you were coming back," the cabbie said, "Meter's still runnin', ya know..."
"Yeah, I know," Jay said, the triumphant grin still lighting his face, "Downtown. Step on it."
"You got it," the cabbie said, throwing his car into gear and tearing out into the night with unbelievable speed.
The two passengers were thrown rudely from side to side, but were already putting distance between themselves and the train station when Logan and Creed appeared on the street.
Creed holstered his weapon and glared down at his team leader with silent contempt and satisfaction. Logan ground his teeth with bitter frustration at Creed's rash actions, but at least they had confirmed the identity of their target.
Logan drew a small radio from his jacket and called out to the rest of the team.
"This is Logan. To all team members. We have positively identified Charlene McGee. Prepare to continue search from target location alpha...respond..."
