Chapter 12
I do not own anything from Transformers.
In the land of Gods and Monsters
I was an Angel
Living in the garden of evil
-Lana Del Ray
Optimus, Gabby, and Barricade left the rest of the group in the desert to meet with one of Gabby's suppliers and contacts.
Ratchet and the rest of the Autobots came up with a plan. They would hit the building in Los Angeles first, and then head to New York City.
They would not go and blow things up much to Ironhide's disappointment, but came up with another way to get rid of this powerful new race that Lockwood was creating. They would, however, destroy the main laboratories in Kansas where Gabby thought the super weapon was located.
It was a crazy plan. They all knew it, but without risking real human lives they had to take a chance.
The only thing that worried Optimus was they could only use humans in this plan, and that meant Gabby.
Gabby and him were still not over their issues, but Optimus did start to understand why she did what she did as they traveled around.
Gabby had contacted the man she took the barrel of the chemicals to, and had asked him for some advice. That was whom they were meeting with now.
Turns out Optimus' suspicions about the man were right. He was dying of cancer, and wanted to keep his family financially sound when he was gone, hence the drugs he made. He was also a chemist, and had at one time been a chemistry teacher.
He was protected from prosecutions because he provided intel to the governments, and he was going to expose some former partners for their roles in stealing from the government.
They met up in a mall back in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Optimus and Barricade insisted on accompanying Gabby to the meeting place.
The man actually looked a little better today, and he eyed the transformers that escorted her warily, then realization hit him about the two men with Gabrielle, and his goateed mouth dropped open in shock. Optimus had to admit that the man was more intelligent than most humans he ever met to identify them so easily.
"Are they who I think they are Gabby?" He asked leaning into the table looking around.
Gabby smiled slightly at his surprise. "Yes, and let's keep this as light as possible.
"Of course. I can die a happy man now," he said smiling widely at the transformers sitting across from in human form.
Gabby smiled wider this time. "Remember I told you I was searching for something?"
"Yes."
Gabby's eyes softened at Optimus as she side glanced him. "I found him."
Optimus looked down for a minute letting that settle on his processors, and he wanted to smile. He hadn't told her about Orianna yet. In fact, Orianna had sent a second message. This one was clearer, and she said she got his message and would be careful coming back.
He waiting for the night to fall and they were back in the desert so Gabby could hear it alone.
"How fast can you get me magnets? As in industrial size," Gabby said.
The man's blue eyes flashed in question, and he sat back taking a breath and rubbing his goatee.
"Should these guys be around those?" He asked.
"Doesn't matter. I need them for what I need to do," she answered her brown eyes becoming determined.
"I know a guy who could provide them, but you will need juice for them. Is this placed in one spot or mobile?" He asked.
"Mobile, and powerful enough to destroy electronic equipment in a ten story building. So, I will need something big enough to hold everything," she answered.
The man scoffed, and shook his head. "A ten story building? That is asking a lot…."
"Money is not the problem," Gabby added.
"It's not the money. It's the power of it," The man said still thinking. "How long can you give me?"
"Not long. They are hot on our trail, and you know if I stay in one place long enough I will be exposed, and so will they," she said as her voice became faster.
"Gabby…..I don't know….."
Barricade scoffed and mumbled this was a waste of time, and Gabby shot him a look to shut up.
"Listen. I need everything untraceable, because the surrounding security is monstrous," she insisted.
The man's eyes narrowed at Barricade, and he adjusted in his seat still thoughtful.
He finally leaned in closer again as he eyed a doubtful Barricade. "Give me two days, and I will have an answer for you."
Gabby smiled and took a drink of her soda. "You got it. Like I said money is no problem."
Suddenly, the man smiled really wide again, and looked in between Optimus and Barricade. "I will take care of the monetary side."
The group sat back in surprise at his answer. Gabby couldn't hide her surprise at the man. He usually was very demanding of money even though him and Gabby trusted each other.
"Walt, come on, I have to pay you," she said incredulous as to what his intentions must be.
He laughed at her confusion. "No, Gabby. I do want one thing."
Gabby cocked her head in confusion, and Optimus could not wait for an answer.
"What is it that you want?" Optimus finally asked getting distrustful of this Walt human.
Walt sat back and took a sip of his soda and pointed to Barricade. "I want a ride in him, and I am not talking around the block either."
As the shock wore off, and Barricade began to curse in Cybertronian, and then Optimus could not help but start laughing. It was so simple, yet so beautiful at the same time.
…..
"Yes, you will!" Gabby said through the commlink as they made their way back to Arizona. Optimus had the speakers on so Gabby could hear Barricade too. He was whining the whole time.
She bought her latest throw a way phone and passed her information along to Walt, so he could contact her.
"You are the only human I allow in my car," he continued to whine making Optimus annoyed.
"The man is dying. He only has months to live," Gabby said. "Besides, he is giving me a freebie, and you are going to do it."
"What if he croaks in me?" Barricade asked in disgust.
Gabby sighed and sat back. Optimus was still in holoform, and the two exchanged looks of annoyance.
"I am not some…carnival attraction as you humans put it," Barricade growled into the commlink.
"You mean sideshow?"
"Whatever," he answered still disgusted.
Optimus finally had to step in. It would get Barricade out of their hair for a little while, that is why he was all for it. He usually did not like things like this either, but Gabby knew what she was doing.
Barricade would not leave Gabby's side, and that is another reason that Optimus could not get any alone time with her to tell her about Orianna. He was very close to throwing him off a cliff. The constant fighting between him and the Autobots was getting old, and he was really upset when Gabby was almost squished because of it the other day.
"If you don't do this, I will let Ironhide and Bee loose on you," Optimus said.
Gabby's eyes widened, but she said nothing. She knew it had to come down to threats to get Barricade to cooperate.
The commlink was quiet for a moment making Gabby and Optimus exchange smiles. Optimus was happy they were at least doing that again. Though they still have not physically touched yet. That would come soon.
Optimus knew that Barricade was stewing. He was in front of them on the road, and he kept going over the traffic lines almost hitting other humans making Optimus angrier by the minute.
He often wondered why his sparkling insisted on bringing him back to life. He knew she had a reason, and he would find out when Orianna returned to Earth.
"All right, but I do it for Gabby, Prime," Barricade said with a sneer. He just loved to throw that in Prime's face on a daily basis.
Optimus rolled his holoform eyes. "I didn't expect anything else, Barricade."
Gabby shook her head, and said, "Thank you, 'Cade."
"Right," he said before signing off the commlink.
…
Dr. Richard Lockwood looked over the satellite images and of the three of them walking out of the mall in New Mexico.
"That is Optimus Prime alright," he said to one of his soldiers.
"Yes, it is sir," the soldier answered.
He dismissed the soldier and looked over the image again spotting the formally blonde, now brunette with shorter hair. He had been so close to getting her back when she had been with her mother.
He still insisted to his bosses that he could make the weapon they craved from her. He still needed her eggs, and her genetics.
He was already angry that he had failed once, and after working after Gabrielle Ryan being gone for two years, he thought he finally had a breakthrough the make the weapon they could use.
There was something in the energon that connected with her egg that allowed her conceive the child, but this time he thought he would have the answer with Optimus Prime.
From what he had read on the reports on Optimus Prime, he was thinking he would need the transformer leader after all.
He was called a Prime for a reason from what he had studied, and had gotten from the Autobots he had captured.
So, the answer had to be there. He had immediately put out an order to not kill the Prime on contact, and realized that he needed the alien. He was grateful that he was not successful the first time, and quickly realized his mistake.
He insisted that science was the answer to the child they had conceived, and if they were the only ones who could do it, then so be it.
They had met with a man who Lockwood did not know. The higher ups were still trying to prevent Mearing from stopping this project. She did finally catch the ear of a couple of senators. He also knew it was Mearing that was keeping Gabrielle Ryan one-step ahead of him. He smiled because after looking, he was able to locate her finally, and even better she was with the robot leader Optimus Prime again.
Yet, he knew that she was planning something, and had the full support of those on the inside. He would have to do some more negotiating to keep these guys on his side, and keep the Autobots coming out of the woodwork again.
He knew Mearing was trying to gain sympathy again for the Autobots and the rest of the alien species.
He had to work on that first. Besides, he wanted to know what Gabrielle Ryan and Optimus Prime were up to. He was surprised they met with a dying meth dealer. He could not figure out what they wanted with the guy yet.
He did have a hunch they would try to attack his facilities. It would be easier to just kill them all, but he needed Gabrielle Ryan and Optimus Prime alive.
He picked up his encrypted phone. First, he would deal with the senators who were being sympathetic with Charlotte Mearing.
He wanted Gabrielle Ryan back on the most wanted list that Mearing had managed to remove. He wanted her face plastered all over the news again. This would slow her down a little until he could figure out her plans.
…
Two days later Gabby received the phone call she needed as Optimus took her to a hotel to clean up. There were not facilities where the Autobots were hiding out, and Gabby was desperate for a shower.
She smiled as she hung up the phone, and Optimus was still outside watching over the area.
He was still in robotic mode, and she realized how much she needed him right now.
She almost laughed at the man who sold her the room. He made a comment that it was rare to see women truckers.
Trying to put other thoughts aside, she knew she needed to get cleaned up.
She took out the hair color she just purchased, and looked into the mirror.
She could only question how much longer till this was all over.
….
A/N Hey all! Just a reminder I go to rated M next chapter, because things will start getting more explicit from here.