Disclaimer: Not mine except new characters.
A/N: My first attempt
Many Thanks:
Mel11: thought you'd like a cliffie for a change.
Elle6778: more changes in store before Max and Ben can get together.
Darkangelgirl: I thought people didn't like Issy, so you'll just have to find out what happens.
Angel Of Darkness: glad you liked it.
Wildsky: White and Issy grew up together, see chap 13.
Jracklesfan77: just a little action to keep the interest.
Who Loves The Teacher?
Chapter Thirty-five: Rescuing The Damsel
Alec could see the clearing; to one side was a bleeding figure. 'Get a grip Alec, it's only a deer,' he thought. In the centre were four figures in dark suits, one was on the floor holding his leg. 'Good on yer Issy.' He looked closer at the other figures, 'White, it had to be White,' but where's Issy.
"Max, I've got eyeball on White and his cronies, but I can't see Issy. Have you got eyeball?" he asked.
"I can see Issy, she's down, but it looks like someone's tying her." Max hoped that last bit would keep Alec calm. She didn't need him losing it when they'd just got Ben back.
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Issy had seen White raise his gun to shoot her and rolled out of the way, only to collide with one of his men. The man caught her and got her hands in cuffs behind her back before throwing her to the floor.
"Well done Jake"" White smiled smugly. "Thought you could get the better of us Issy, or were you hoping someone would rescue you. You fool, no-one will hear you here and by the time anyone knows you're missing the trap will be set," he sneered. "But if 452 or 494 are here that will be the icing on my cake."
Turning to his men, "take her to the compound," he commanded. Then to her, "I wonder how well you will survive torture; I know you've inflicted it on others."
She tried to struggle as they dragged her away.
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When they started dragging Issy away Alec's first thought was to rush in and get her back. Candi put her hand on his shoulder, sensing that he was not thinking rationally. The hand distracted him long enough for him to remember his training.
"Max we need to follow and find out where their going," he said. "And Max, I need you to tell me what to do and stop me doing something stupid."
"Understood Alec," she replied. "I agree we follow, but it may be a trap so lookout for wires and lookouts," she commanded. "And Alec don't worry we'll get her back and as Ben said, this is a bigger test of our abilities to work together than she envisaged. 'Deck I hope you're getting all this."
"I'm listening," he replied gruffly, "just take care." He was on edge, what had that stupid girl done now.
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As she stumbled through the trees White grabbed her hair, "I thought you freaks were supposed to be more nimble than this," he jeered. "Tell me, Issy, what's it like torturing your brothers and sisters?"
"I don't know, what's it like?" she retorted. "Sandeman made us from his DNA, so that makes us all brothers and sisters."
White struck her in the face cutting her lip and making her stumble again. "Seems you haven't learnt how to answer questions," he mused, "something you've got in common with 452, she was quite fun to torture, I wonder if you'll be as good."
"Probably not, we took different training courses," she quipped back, earning another slap to her face for insolence. Beginning to feel dazed she decided to try and contact Alec. 'Alec, White's planning a surprise with me as the lure, he thinks you and Max might be here, but not Ben or Candi,' she thought.
White and his men dragged her to another clearing. Here was a compound with a makeshift command and lots of personnel. She was taken into one of the tents and thrown into a cage.
White smirked, "quite fitting you in a cage, freaks and wild animals are much safer that way."
As he walked away he turned to one of his men, "no talking to it, no food and if it asks for water you know where the hose is, don't trust it."
Issy watched him go and for the first time in her life felt really afraid. Not just for herself, but also for Alec, Max, Ben and Candi. She sat down and thought how stupid she'd been getting so annoyed with Lydecker that she hadn't thought about the consequences of her action and now look where she'd landed.
One of the guards came over to look at her. "Freak scum," he snarled and jabbed her with a tazar until she collapsed.
"Shit," was her last thought before she blacked out.
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Alec heard Issy's message, "Max, Issy says be careful, she thinks she's the bait to trap you and me. Doesn't know about Ben and Candi, but if it's a trap there'll be more than four."
"We could work it to our advantage, if he doesn't know about Ben. Ben and I go in the front door, you and Candi the back. While we're arguing about who Ben is, you nip to and get Issy."
"Yeah, but we don't want to swap one hostage for two, he's probably got tazars and dart guns," he replied.
Candi tugged at his arm, "Alec there's someone else out here and I don't think they're with White."
Alec crouched beside her and whispered, "where and how many?"
Candi pointed to a tree several metres away, "There's a blonde female, she been in front of us for a while but I don't think she's seen us. She seems to be following White, like she's stalking him."
"Max did you get that?" Alec asked. "She's 10 metres 20° from our position, have you got eyeball."
"Yeah I got her," Max replied, "I suggest we try and take her first, can you see her backup."
Alec checked with Candi, who indicated that she couldn't see anyone, "no eyeball on backup, either she's alone or the other is better hidden. If she's transgenic, she's not one I know."
Max checked with Ben, they couldn't see the backup either, "proceed with caution, no eyeball on the backup. My eyeball not clear to identify target."
Although they couldn't talk directly Max could see Alec and signalled him to move out and go round to intercept their target.
Max and Ben continued at blur speed to trap the target between them quickly.
Before the target could react Alec had knocked her to the ground and Candi followed through to hold her on the ground, as Max and Ben arrived. As they secured their target another blurred across and side kicked Alec in the ribs knocking him into a tree.
As Alec turned to observe his assailant Max joined them and kicked the man to the ground. After a short scuffle Ben and Max had the second target on the ground secure face down.
"Let's see who we've got," she said as they picked them off the ground, then she gasped. "Syl! Krit! What are you doing here?" she exclaimed.
"Max! Ben! How?" exclaimed Syl.
"So you know these two," Alec exclaimed sarcastically, "should've known it would be '09ers causing problems, no offence Ben," raising his hands to show he wasn't trying to offend.
"None taken," Ben replied.
"Ok can we get untied and discuss why you're with two Ben's and a stranger and what you're doing here?" asked Krit.
As they untied Krit and Syl, Alec continued, "It's great that you know each other but can we save the trip down memory lane." Then as Max hugged them, he continued ironically, "We'll soon be overrun by '09ers," he laughed.
"You're already out numbered," Ben derided. Then added, "if this white's as bad as you say we need to get going."
"Ok but let's regroup and plan," said Max. "Issy said that he's expecting you and me, but he's not expecting six of us, so although he may have reinforcements we should be able to take them."
"Depends what they're armed with," said Ben. "Any more news from Issy, Alec?"
"No last I felt was a jolt, nothing since," he replied.
"Tazar?" asked Max.
"I would think so, probably got darts if he wants us alive," replied Alec. "He usually wants us alive to torture in some way," he finished ironically.
"If he wants us, he's not going to kill Issy until he's got us," Max reasoned, "so we've got time to plan our attack."
They sat down to work out their plan of action.
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White had finished setting his trap and walked back into the tent. He looked at the figure lying in the cage and grabbed a hose from one of the men, shouting, "what have you let her sleep for?" Then he sprayed Issy with cold water.
The shock of the jet of cold water brought Issy back to consciousness fast, but at first she didn't know where she was. The cage reminded her of the cell that she had spent her early life in, and then she remembered.
"Nice of you to wake up Issy," he sneered. "I hope my men have kept you busy." Noticing the scorch mark on her side, he continued, "I see they've introduced you to the tazar, so now you know what will happen if I don't like your answers."
"Go play with yourself," she spat back, still feeling unsteady.
"Seems you haven't learnt to play nice yet," he replied. "Do you see that little ring at the top of the cage?"
She looked up and realised that there was indeed a ring, she remembered how in the old days at Manticore insubordination resulted in the culprit being hung from a ring and dealt tazar shocks until the guards got bored and threw them into solitary. She grimaced at the thought, too many times Alec and others had suffered that fate and there had been nothing she could do.
"I can see from your expression that you know what it's for," White snarled. "Well if you answer the questions you get to stand up, but otherwise you'll feel what its like to be chained up. I do so hope you won't cooperate."
Issy stood and looked at him; the evil behind that face was almost palpable. "So what do you want to know?" she asked, hoping that the others would arrive soon.
"For a start who's here with you?"
She grinned, he wouldn't believe her but it was worth a try and she wouldn't be lying. "I'm here with my partner; we thought it'd be nice to come back to where we met." As she said the words she tried to think them to Alec, hoping it would help their plan.
White's expression froze as he grabbed a tazar and jabbed it into her right side until she collapsed. "You get in there and chain her to the roof, then drench her. Call me when she's awake," he shouted to the guards as he stormed out.
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"Change of plan," said Alec, to the surprise of the others. "Issy's told him she's here with her partner, so if I go in the front while the rest of you take them out from the back."
"That leaves you very exposed," Max queried with concern, "what if White tries to shoot you."
"I wasn't given the ability to charm my way out of things for nothing," he replied cockily. "If I keep them talking and you move fast, by the time he wants to shoot me, you should be ready to save my ass again."
"And if it goes wrong," Max asked.
"You look after Alex and Ben gets to be your SIC," he replied easily. "But since you don't want that yet, nothing will go wrong," he grinned and gave Max a hug.
"Ok," said Syl, "let me get this straight, you're Alec Ben's twin, Max's SIC
and Issy's partner. So are you still with Logan, Max?"
"First part's right, but I'm not with Logan," sighed Max. "Look it'll take too long to explain now, we need to blaze."
"What's with the coms units?" asked Krit.
"'Decks monitoring us back at base in Manticore," Max said absentmindedly.
"What Lydecker is here and you're working for him," Syl exclaimed shocked. "Why would you work for that son of a bitch?"
"Yes, he's here, no we're not working for him and we haven't got time for this now, later," Max snapped. "Positions everyone, let's get this bitch done. No killing unless it's necessary."
They moved into their positions.
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Alec sauntered up to the gate of White's compound, his coms link on, he was busy counting the number of men, other positions and weapons and relaying it to the others.
"Hey shop," he yelled as he approached the gate. "Is everyone asleep around here?"
Suddenly several weapons were pointing in his direction, White's men looking very warily at him. White came out of the tent where Issy was caged.
"Ah, 494," he grinned, "and to what do I owe this pleasure?"
"I hear you've got my partner and I want to make sure you're treating her right," Alec replied his hands raised in mock surrender, still checking out the camp and whispering into the coms unit.
"I'd have thought she was a bit old for you," replied White, trying to rile his opponent. "Thought 452 was more your style, but I suppose she's more interested in the cripple Logan. Still I suppose you couldn't find anyone who'd want a freak like you."
"Now we've got the pot calling the kettle black, you're just as much a freak as me," Alec replied calmly. "I don't remember your choice of women being any better; after all didn't you kill your own wife."
Alec continued to monitor White's men who were beginning to encircle him. "Hurry Max," he whispered into the coms unit.
"You'll watch me do the same to Issy and then I'll torture you until you tell me what the freaks are up to and why you're here," White snarled.
"Don't be so sure of that," replied Alec with a grin.
"At that moment Max and the others entered the scene from behind White. Several of White's men were now sprawled on the floor unconscious.
"Now why don't you tell me where Issy is," Alec smirked, "before we kill you?"
White glanced towards the tent but said nothing. It was enough for Alec who blurred towards the tent, closely followed by Ben as Max and the others kept an eye White and the others.
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As Alec entered the tent he gasped at the sight of two men holding Issy roughly as they attempted to chain her to the roof of the cage. In seconds he and Ben had attacked and knocked out the three guards.
Alec cradled Issy in his arms noticing the scorch arks on her clothes. His eyes darkened, all he wanted to do was snap the necks of everyone who had inflicted the damage, starting with White.
Issy moaned as she started to regain consciousness. Realising someone was holding her she stiffened, not sure who it was.
"It's ok Issy, I'm here, you're safe now," Alec whispered.
She opened her eyes gently and looked at him. "yes you are, but I don't feel very safe yet. Can we get out of here?"
He picked her up and carried her out of the tent. "You bastard White," he spat, "I should brake your neck."
Max and the others turned to Alec and gasped.
As they looked away White, who had been assessing a way out, slipped into the shadows and into a nearby vehicle. He got away before the transgenics could react.
Alec would have given chase, but was more concerned about Issy, he knew the rest of them could survive tazar shocks, but could she?
Realising that they'd lost the one person here that they would quite happily kill, they bundled the others into the cage and left them with a puzzle on how to get free. Then savaging the site for food, weapons and computer equipment, they took Issy back to Manticore in one of the vehicles.
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A/N:
Darkangelgirl: She's not dead yet! You'll have to keep going to be sure though.
No cliff hanger, but 194 reviews before the next.
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