Chapter 5
Hey guys. I don't just doubt it, i know that i wont be able to finish posting this before Christmas. But i'll resume posting next year- joy.
However , do have a Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
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You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from.
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Dr Laura Mallory leaned against the wall in the dark alley, thankful to have a moment to catch her breath. She didn't want to seem like she couldn't pull her own weight here, but she really could use a little bit of rest after the long run. She didn't know who was chasing them, but she had a pretty good idea. She had all but anticipated this.
First thing they had tried to do when they found a place to hide was calf o help.
"Damn it!" Danny cursed, looking at his phone with dismay.
"What, no signal?" Steve asked, checking his own phone, his face telling of the same result.
"They must be using a cell jammer." Danny said.
"We gotta move Danny, this is hardly a place to get too comfortable, we'll be closed in." Steve said, reloading his gun, looking ready to go.
"I see that Steven, but we can hardly move anywhere inconspicuously with her glowing in orange like that." Danny said, indicating their prisoner. "We've gotta get her a change of clothes first."
"Yeah and how are we supposed to do that, genius? I haven't seen any Walmart yet in this dingy place of yours." Steve griped.
"Steal. We steal them. I'm sure in one of these nice, locked apartments we can find something to suit her. Just stay here, I'll be right back." Danny said, ready to go.
Laura didn't have to mind being talked about as if she weren't there, she had no opinions and thus it barely registered as the two went back and forth about her right in front of her. She made the effort not to remember their names, who was who, their opposite but somehow synchronizing characters. It was of no consequent really; they were going to die anyway. She felt she already knew too much about them for that matter. She most certainly didn't want to remember their faces after the fact. Maybe she wouldn't have to. Who said she was going to stay alive long enough to remember any of this?
Steve shot out a hand to stop Danny. "Wait a minute, where do you think you're going?"
Danny skeptically looked down at the arm Steve was holding and gave him a look that said, 'hand off please'.
Steve didn't let go, still waiting for an answer.
Danny sighed exasperatedly, "Steve, we need to move, and we need to call for help. Our phones are jammed, the best we can do is find a payphone and call Newark PD and tell them our location. And if we need to run again and disappear, we can't achieve that very well when she's glowing in orange!" Danny ranted.
"You could get shot the minute you step out of this hiding place Danny. I'll go, you stay here."
"Oh, because you take bullets so much better than I do?" Danny mocked, "Steve this is my home turf. Although I have no idea where we are right now, I'll catch on quick. You on the other hand have never been to Jersey before. So, it's a no brainer, we're wasting precious minutes. I gotta go."
With misgiving Steve was about to relent, "Alright, be care…wait is that blood?" Steve said in renewed alarm as if noticing for the first time the blood seeping from Danny's shoulder.
"I told you it was just a graze Steven. The blood has already clotted. Let go."
"Let me take care of that first." Steve said.
"It can wait, I gotta go." Danny had to pry Steve's hand off with a stern look and nod towards their ward before taking off, a little puzzled by the Navy SEAL's stalling tactic. One would think he was afraid to be left alone with their prisoner there.
Dr Mallory watched the whole exchange with part amusement, if she could afford it at that time, or any other time for that matter. She was observant, it was an art, perfected more by her time in prison. It usually meant the difference between life and death and she didn't know how to switch it off. She had a feeling Steve was not just unfamiliar with the setting of their location but also the role of not being in control.
…..
Yes, Steve was apprehensive about Danny going out there all by himself, but that was the best plan they could come up with. Someone had to go and check to see if their position was to be compromised anytime soon. He really didn't know why though, but he was antsy being left alone babysitting their prisoner here. Something about her unsettled him. He couldn't put his finger on it. He was not going to put his guard down by any chance but…but he wasn't comfortable doing whatever it took to stop her from running. He would have to hurt her, might have to if she attempted to run. She was a prisoner after all, apparently a very dangerous one considering their current situation now, with professional gunmen after them now. But try as he could, he just couldn't get his heart to agree with his mind, with all the facts staring him in the face.
He leaned back on the other wall and studied her. She was again obscuring her face with that damned hair, but he had seen her face, her scared eyes when she had looked up at him and asked him to take off the cuffs. She brought out such conflicting feeling in him and it was hard to keep that stern look on his face when faced with that almost innocence on hers. Looks were almost always deceiving and hers were no exception. She was a mass murderer, he better remember that.
"So, are those friends of your?" Steve started.
"No sir."
"Enemies?"
"Probably."
"What did you do to them?" Steve asked in sarcasm.
She didn't even look up at that. "It's anyone's guess, Sir."
"You know who they are?"
"No idea, Sir."
For the life of him, that was the best he could do for conversation. She didn't seem like she was up for it either, so he stopped trying. He had to maintain the capture-captive vibe, no friendliness or it could be used against him. He would be damned if he let those goons have the better of him.
Ten minutes later Danny was back. Oh, thank God! It was getting really uncomfortable here. His relieved sigh was more from his need to be relieved of his duties as much as it was of seeing Danny alive and well.
Danny gave them both a funny look.
"I sense fireworks in here. The level of communication is…overwhelming." Danny said with sarcasm. "Did you at least manage to learn if she knows who our pursuers are? At least?"
"She says she doesn't know anything."
"Oh, and you just…accepted that and…what…went back to companionable brooding?" Danny mocked.
Steve smirked, "Glad you're back safe and sound Danno. Manage to do any of the goals you had set out to do?"
Danny walked over to Laura and handed her a bunched-up bundle. "I managed to get these, hope they fit." He said
She graciously accepted them with her usual polite, "Thank you." She awkwardly fidgeted with them a bit until Steve and Danny got the idea and turned away to give her some privacy, as much as they could manage given the circumstances.
"How's it out there? Seen anything?" Steve asked.
"They are out there no doubt, but I managed to sneak out and in without being made. I got in contact with Newark, gave them our location. They are on their way."
Steve breathed, at least this will be over soon. "So, we just stay here then and wait for them to find us. Like sitting ducks."
"I don't like it either but what other options do we got?"
"You gave them this exact location?"
"Had to. Why?"
"Nothing, just a hunch. Let's move and watch this place from somewhere that's not a closed corner and see who comes for us first."
"You don't think…?"
Steve shrugged, seeing Danny catching on to his suspicion. " I just don't like to be cornered."
Laura cleared her throat, "I'm done, thank you." She said.
They both turned and stood there, staring at her, dumb struck for a moment. The clothes did fit, only a little too well. Danny had managed to get her a t-shirt, a warm hoodie, close fitting and a pair of jeans. Her prison sneakers, without the jump suit, went well with the outfit. No one could tell that they were prison issue. Her hair had been pushed back into the hoodie, which made her face more visible, when she was not looking down, younger and even more pretty. She looked like a normal young lady, upstanding citizen and all.
They both cleared their throats after a long minute of awkward silence.
"Ok then, plan? Daniel?" Steve asked impatiently.
"Yeah uh, we move. I've found a bit of a safe haven just a few blocks from here. I think we can hide there and watch this place, like you said. Although I think you're just being paranoid."
"I'd love to be proven wrong in this instance. Ok then, let's go." Steve said.
They started to move, making sure they stayed I the alleys, Danny ahead, leading the way. They made a few turns and finally made a turn into a small semi enclosed space. Another corner, but they had a higher vintage point and could spy on the place they had just vacated. It wasn't much but would provide shelter until their cavalry arrived.
Five minutes later, two men in neat suits walked stealthily to the exact location Danny had given to the cops, the exact location they had been hiding ten minutes ago. They walked as if they knew exactly where they were going, guns drawn and ready as if they were about to pin down a cornered animal.
"Correct me is I'm wrong but that doesn't look like Newark PD to me. Unless if cops look different in Jersey." Steve murmured, huddled next t Danny, watching the place they had just vacated.
"No, doesn't look like the mob either." Danny concurred.
"We could take them out from here."
"We could do that and maybe we'll succeed, or we'll just have succeeded in giving away our position. Who knows how many of them are out there Steven? And this has just turned into a government covert operation, if I know any better."
Steve considered it, itching to pull the trigger but knowing that Danny was right.
At that moment Steve hissed in pain, touching his ankle. He looked around, saw the snake and with that same foot crashed the head of the snake. All in a second it was all over, the snake lay dead at his feet. It wasn't a big snake at all, but crap, he'd been bitten. Of all things!
Danny had started at Steve's pained noise, he looked around there it was, a snake.
He hadn't wasted time taking out his gun intending to shot it, never mind giving up their position. But he wasn't fast enough, the ninja had managed to deal with it in his usual ninja way without giving away their position. It all happened so fast. But damn it, Steve had been bitten, he had on a strange look of horror on his face to confirm it. How could they have known to check if were they had chosen to hide was clean and clear of snakes?
Steve staggered back, trying to find a palace to seat, holding up his leg.
Let me see let me see" Danny said, as he tried to help Steve, looking at the leg. He didn't waste time ripping his shirt and tied a makeshift tourniquet just above the knee.
"Damn it! First day in your precious New Jersey and I'm bitten by a snake! In the big bad city, no less. And you say Hawaii is bad." Steve grumbled.
"Really, right now Steve?" Danny said, busy tying the tourniquet. "It's a dark alley, a corner with garbage bags all piled up. It's gotta be the warmest place in Jersey right now, aside from inside a house. Where did you expect it to hide?"
"You're seriously defending a snake to me right now."
"I'm defending New Jersey. Hawaii's got plenty of snakes too, with all it's jungles."
"And yet I've never been bitten by one, not once in all my life Danny. Because they know where to live. In the damn jungles!" Steve said with irritation.
"You're ranting like me right now."
"It's a coping mechanism." Steve bit out. "God, my luck is so bad these days, if i bought a cemetery people would stop dying!"
Danny could see that Steve was starting to feel the effects of the bite. Good God what type of venom was it? How long would it take to kill him? Danny could notice beds of sweat forming on Steve's forehead now, in this zero-degree weather! Their pursuers were still out there, with guns and he didn't know how many they were. They were positively trapped. But Steve had to go to a hospital. Like right the hell now!
Danny looked around for help and no one was there, their prisoner was gone. Awesome! Great! Just what they needed right now!
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