The Light at the End of the Tunnel
Sequel to A Light in the Dark
Chapter Five: The Eyes Have It
Logan laid down gingerly on the bed the oh-so-grateful transgenics had furnished him with, in what looked suspiciously like a storage closet. His shoulder hurt like hell. Those med-techs had been none to gentle with his arm. Max had called him a baby. Max, the one person who he'd expected to be understanding and caring, had made fun of him. He looked around him, eyes exploring the small claustraphobia-inducing "room" he was in. There was a series of shelves on one wall, and in the corner, an object which Logan had to strain his human eyes to make out. 'A broom,' he thought. Yep, definitely a closet.
He still couldn't believe the reception he'd received. Everyone who'd been present in headquarters had laughed at him. At least since the matter was confidential, no one else could laugh at him about getting shot "for nothing." No, instead, it seemed everyone in TC was doing just fine with finding their own reasons to laugh at him.
There was an upside, however. They had believed him. Despite their...less than hospitible mannerisms, his plan had worked. Of course, they were going to send recon teams ahead to the warehouse to make sure that it was something worth going after. And of course it would be. Logan and his partner had seen to that. The truth made such a powerful weapon.
Logan drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the way things would be. The way they should be.
"I just don't trust him!"
"But that's-"
"I don't trust him, Max! I know that you and he-"
"Dammit, Alec! Listen to me for one damn second, would you? I. Don't. Trust. Him. Either!" Alec looked at the angry brunnette, a look of shock on his face.
"I've been trying to tell you that for the last half hour. But everytime I opened my mouth, you thought it was to defend his honour. If I trusted him completely, would I have set up recon teams to go in and check out the warehouse?" Max sighed heavily and threw herself down on the couch in the rec-room.
"Okay..well...I don't trust him simply because that's my nature. And he had you first." Max couldn't help but smile at his logic, despite the fact that she was frustrated with him. But then again, when wasn't she? "But why don't you trust him," Alec asked.
"Oh come on, Alec. He was acting shady since he got here. We were trained to see that."
"True enough. But I just thought it was my overly jeal-...zealous imagination?" Alec stammered.
"Zealous, huh?" Max said while putting on one of Alec's trademark smirks. You sure that 'z' shouldn't be a 'j'...you know...like it was originally?"
"I'm not a jealous person," Alec stated simply enough, trying to keep his hands from fidgeting.
"HA! Now that's funny. What about Dade?" she asked, still smirking at him. She motioned for him to come sit next to her on the couch.
"What about him?" Alec knew he'd already lost.
"You know, Dade. The guy who bumped into me on the stairs in our building. I fell down, he helped me up. Got a broken nose as payment for his chivalry."
"He was flirting. And tried to cop a feel."
"You're so full of it. You're lucky I love you, or I'd have to kick your ass for your bullshit," she joked, cuddling up to his side.
"Well, that never stopped you from trying to kick my ass before."
"I see your point." Max lightly whacked him in the back of the head. Alec hooked his arm around Max's small frame and pulled her closer to him. Their lips brushed together softly. A deliberate cough shattered the tender moment. Alec glanced up long enough to see that it was Logan. He smiled mischievously as his lips captured Max's in a much more intense version of their previous kiss. Max was puzzled, then content, until realization occured as she heard the soft whirring of mechanical motors behind her.
"That wasn't nice, Alec," she whispered as she pulled away.
"I disagree. I thought it was very nice." Alec raised an suggestive eyebrow.
"You know what I meant," she responded, unable to quell the smile that forced its way to her lips.
"And I meant what I said. In both respects." Alec raised himself gracefully off the couch, pulling Max up with him. They turned to face Logan, who was standing rather patiently. His face betrayed nothing, neither did the way he carried himself. But one look into his eyes showed the truth. The eyes truly are the windows to the soul, and this particular soul was very pissed off.
"Sorry, Logan, We didn't hear ya come in, buddy." Alec knew full well that Logan wouldn't believe that. He knew first hand how good transgenic hearing was.
"It's alright. I went to HQ looking for you," Logan replied, avoiding Alec's gaze. It was obvious that Alec was not the person he'd been looking for, unless that old wives tale about how you start to look like the person you live with after a while was true. "Mole said I could probably find you here. Playing pool." Alec had to fight the laugh that threatened to emerge as Logan's expression showed that he'd already scanned this room and had seen no pool table. Mole knew they'd moved the pool table closer to HQ.
Alec chuckled low, knowing only Max could hear him. 'That scaly bastard was probably hoping Motor Legs would stumble across us in exactly...no in a worse situation than he did. I knew I loved that guy,' Alec thought. Logan's long absence from TC had not made Mole more fond of him, that's for sure. Max subtly elbowed the chuckling transgenic beside her.
"So what'd you want?" Max asked, smiling.
"Just to see what the recon team found."
"They're not back yet. Should be any time now though," Alec replied.
"Oh, okay," Logan said, resigned. "I'm bored out of my mind. Dix won't let me near the computer. Say, you guys wanna play pool?" Logan looked around the room exaggeratedly. Alec rolled his eyes.
"Mole must've forgotten that we moved the pool table closer to HQ," Max offered quickly.
"Oh...well, we could go over there and play." Logan smiled. Alec was reminded of the Cheshire Cat. He chuckled again, not so quietly this time. Max didn't even bother to elbow him this time.
"Why not? That way we'll be closer to HQ when the recon team calls in," Max suggested. 'Men,' she thought to herself. 'Human or non, they're all the same. Not jealous, my ass.'
As she sipped her beer (pre-pulse, a gift to her and Alec, courtesy of who else but Logan), Max watched in amusement from her seat at the makeshift bar as the two men lined up shot after shot, missing infrequently. Grimacing at the odd taste of the pre-pulse beer, she couldn't help notice the tension in the room that almost visibly emanated from the players. She also found herself noticing how his jeals clung to choice areas of his anatomy when he bent over to line up his shot. And the way the muscles in his back rippled when he pulled the pool cue back and then forward into the cue ball. Then she noticed the way a single bead of sweat dripped down his neck and disappeared beneath his sweater...'Sweater!' she mentally screamed. "Shit, shit, SHIT!"
Alec was wearing a black t-shirt and cargo pants...and was on the opposite side of the table. Logan was wearing a green sweater and jeans.
It wasn't until she saw that everyone in the room was staring at her that she realized she'd said the last part of her mental rant out loud. Alec looked at her hungrily. His eyes then darted quickly around the room, searching for the cause of her distress. When his eyes met those of every other transgenic male in the room, he saw that very same hunger.
"Shit!" he exclaimed as realization dawned on him. "Max! Let's go. Now!" Alec said as he went over to a suddenly ready and waiting Max and pulled her out of her seat. He grabbed her hand and began leading her out of the room, hoping the males would be smart enough to stay away. 'How the hell did I miss this? I should've known days ago. It's like she's skipped all the stages and gone straight into full blown Heat.' During his musings, Max had plastered herself to his side, trying desperately to nip at his neck with every step they took.
And there were several males following them down the hallway. Logan included.
"What the hell is going on?" the ordinary asked loudly from behind the now speed-walking couple.
"Just shut-up and back the hell off. Now!" Alec yelled, not knowing which had the greater influence on him right then; his dislike of the man or his animal instincts. Probably neither one helped the other. He had to keep Max away from all other males, Logan most of all. At the harshness of his tone, it seemed as though the other males were momentarily brought to their senses; they turned tail and ran. Except for Logan. 'Figures,' Alec thought bitterly.
"No! What is going on? Max said something a long time ago about...her feline DNA causing her to..." Logan trailed off as if embarrassed to discuss this particular topic.
"What Logan? What? Go into Heat? Want to jump every guy in sight?" If Logan didn't leave soon, Alec was really going to lose his temper.
"Um..yeah. Is that what's happening?" They were outside the doors now and headed to Alec and Max's apartment building.
"Yes, that's what's happening. Congratulations, you get a gold star," Alec bit off. 'And my foot up your ass if you get any closer to Max,' he added silently as Logan began edging closer to a now frowning Max.
"It didn't look like she wanted to jump every guy in sight. It looked like they wanted to jump her."
"That's in the genetics, too," Alec explained simply. He did not have time for this.
"So the males are affected by what?" Logan asked. If he knew how close he was to being thrown across the street into the nearest wall, he would've run. But he didn't know, so he came a little closer to Max.
"Aleeeec, why aren't you paying attention to me?" Max asked. She'd been trying to nibble on his neck, and her hands were roaming all sorts of wonderful places, but Alec had to keep his head clear.
"Max, I need to be able to think right now. We'll fix it in a few minutes." Without even looking at Logan, Alec answered his question. "Pheramones. Females in heat release very large doses of pheramones. It kind of...brings out the animal in us."
"Oh...I see. So..." Logan had moved a little too close. Max had apparently decided she couldn't wait a few minutes. She ripped herself away from Alec and literally tacked Logan to the ground. "Oh my!" Logan yelped as Max mercilessly attacked his neck with lips and teeth. (A/N:shudder:)
Alec growled, feral glint in his eye. He grabbed Max's shoulders and pulled her off of the man on the ground, who wasn't really making much of an attempt to fight her off. Threat. Mine. Alec's instincts went into overdrive, and it took all the willpower he had not to kill Logan right there. "Logan. Go. Back. To. HQ. Now," he spat, hugging Max to him tightly.
Alec didn't look back to see if Logan had complied. He simply blurred with Max to their apartment building and up the stairs to their apartment, not even stopping to lock the door. If he'd looked back he would've seen the smug grin on Logan's face as he picked himself up off the ground.
"Logan...I heard about what happened. Um...we have a bit of a problem. The recon teams reported in and well...you were right. They found the Familiars at the warehouse, and they have some kind of bio-weapon there. They heard the familiars talking...about how White was stepping up the plan to the night after tomorrow. We need to do something like...yesterday. And well... you see...Alec and Max are supposed to lead the teams that go in for a little search and destroy at that warehouse...and since Max obviously can't go...it's just going to be Alec, and...well...none of us can go get him at the moment...any male would fight him for Max and any female Max would see as a threat...so...that kind of leaves you." Dix hadn't seemed to breathe at all during all of his rambling.
Logan put his hands up defensively. "Oh no. Alec would kill me. Max already...got impatient with him actually trying to keep a clear head and all...and kind of...jumped me...literally. He had to pull her off me and then he ordered me to come back here. No way am I going back there..."
"But you have to. You can talk through the door, if you want, until he comes to his senses...more or less," Dix pleaded. If anyone had told him he'd ever be asking Logan to do anything but leave his computer alone, he'd have told them to go admit themselves into the infirmiry. But there weren't any other options.
"Fine. But if I die, I blame you." Logan left HQ quickly, hoping to get to the apartment before Max and Alec's situation had...escalated too far. As soon as he stepped outside the building, he took out his cellphone and dialed a number. "It's me. Yes, it's done...exactly as planned. Thanks for that little wonder pill, by the way. It worked like a charm. Yeah...Fen-o-whatever to you too."
Logan slipped the phone into his pocket and ran the rest of the way to his destination, leaving him wheezing at the door to the couple's apartment.
He banged his fist on the door and winced as the movement sent a twinge of pain through his arm. "Alec! Dix sent me to get you. You're needed in HQ now. The recon teams reported in and..." Before the rest of the words were out of his mouth, the door had opened and a half-naked Alec was standing in its place.
"Now's really not a good time," Alec growled.
"Yeah, I'll bet," Logan muttered. "Listen...Dix told me that the teams heard the familiars talking about releasing a bio-weapon the night after tomorrow. The search and destroy teams are going tonight and you have to lead them."
"Shit. Max is gonna kill me," Alec said, his senses slowly returning.
"Yeah...well...handcuff her to the bed or somethin'." Logan winced at the smirk that had appeared on the transgenics face.
"Already done. How do you think I'm out here alone?" Alec's said, smirk still firmly in place.
'Oh yeah, that's what I wanted to hear,' Logan thought.
"Hang on, I'll be right out." Alec turned away from the door and headed into the bedroom. Logan could hear small murmers coming from the room, but couldn't make them out.
Alec leaned over Max and kissed her forehead. "Baby, I'm so sorry. I've gotta go."
"WHAT!" Max screamed. Logan had no trouble hearing that.
"I know you could care less at the moment, but, believe it or not, Logan was telling the truth. The recon teams reported that the familiars are going to launch a bio-weapon day after tomorrow. We've gotta stop them tonight. And you aren't in any shape to go, but I am. I'm sorry. When I get back, I'll make it up to you, I promise." The mention of White and the Familiars must've knocked some sense into Max, because she just nodded.
"I understand. You'd better hurry back," she said, lust filling her voice. "I'll be here waiting for you." She pulled herself up as much as she could while hancuffed to the very strong titanium bars(let it never be said that transgenics don't plan ahead), and planted a passionate kiss on Alec. "Be careful."
"Always," Alec replied, putting another kiss on her forehead. "I'll leave orders with Mole that absolutely no one is to come near this building. I'm fairly confident most will listen." All the transgenics would.
"I love you."
"I love you, too. I'll be back before you know it."
And then Max was left with nothing but her unsatiated desire. And no way to release the energy. 'He could've at least positioned me to where I could do push ups.'
Alec and Logan headed toward HQ. Everyone was already assembled in their teams and were waiting to be briefed once Alec arrived. With all the commotion of getting plans together and setting out, no one noticed the human slip away from the crowd. Not even Alec.
A man watched from a high window as several vans headed out of Terminal City's wide front gates. Once the convoy was out of sight, he pulled out a small device and placed it in the lock in the door of the apartment. Stepping back a few feet, he watched with gleaming eyes as a light on the device turned from red to green and the door opened just a crack. Without hesitating, he removed the device and stepped inside the door, locking it behind him.
He stood at the foot of a large bed. A beautiful girl was writhing about on the bed, eyes closed. The way the sheets clung to her, it was obvious she was unclothed. He regarded her with a watchful expression full of many things; awe, lust, but most of all, triumph. The dark beauty took a deep breath and her eyes snapped open as his scent reached her nose.
"My, my, what are you doing here?" she asked huskily. From the sound of her voice, one would be inclined to think she was very happy to see this particular man at the foot of her bed. But her eyes told the truth. Her expression held many things too. Desire and confusion, but her eyes- her eyes were full of fear. As the man smiled and silently began to undress, fear turned to pure terror. Realization hit her like a bullet right through the heart, and her eyes clamped shut. This man, the man she'd once thought she loved, was going to solve her problem. Her body would revel in it, respond to his every touch. But her eyes would not believe the lie her body told her. Her mind would be her instrument, the one that would take here to the one she truly wanted to be with. Her eyes would be the windows to her tortured soul. That is, if she dared to ever open them again.
Wow...that chapter actually turned out a lot different than I'd planned in my head. It wasn't supposed to be so...dark and depressing. I'd love to know what you thought (love it, hate it, undecided?).