Woot!! Final showdown!! Hope you're all excited!! :D I chose to give Frank a real gun instead of a phaser or anything like that just because I think he's one of the people who likes to do things the old fashioned way. Oh, and I relaly hope the Reverse Technology thing makes sense O.o If you have any questions or it sounds confusing just feel free to message me :D Hope you all like it!!
The morning sky had a strange rusty tint to it, the rising sun casting the dawn in a mix of red and orange. The wind was cool and kicked up a few layers of dust that had settled on the street in the middle of the night. Jim kept his back against the wall, fighting the urge to slide down and sit on the ground; he knew if he sat down he wouldn't get back up. The lack of sleep and repetitive blows to the head had made him dizzy and uncoordinated and balance was becoming less of an option with each passing minute. His head throbbed dully, the blood pulsing in his ears like a swishing roar. He was stiff and sore all over, his joints protesting each movement but complaining from the standing as well. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to move, it flat out hurt to do much of anything but he needed to be strong, at least for a little while longer.
He'd received a message sometime during the night giving him the location and time he was supposed to meet Frank. The message had lead him to a junk yard about a block away from the Academy; it was a place many of the engineering and mechanical students practiced during the year but today it was closed. It would be empty and private, the perfect place for a meeting.
The black backpack felt heavier in his hand than it should have been and Jim constantly adjusted his grip on the strap. It only needed to look convincing, just long enough for him to go through with his plan.
The heavy iron gate clanged to life and began to slide to one side, opening just enough for him to slip through before it closed again. It was still quiet, the murky morning light casting long shadows across the ground. Piles of dissected engine parts and various other components used in the Starfleet ships were laid out in a twisting, labyrinthine pattern. It was designed so the students could look at individual parts without having to go from one side of the yard to the other but today it just seemed like a trap waiting to be sprung.
There was a shuffle of footsteps from behind one of the larger sections of engine and Frank appeared, his dark eyes glinting in the dullness of the morning. "Glad you could make it." He smirked at Jim's haggard appearance. "You look like hell."
"Funny…" Jim grumbled, taking a few slow steps forward. Each step felt like being stabbed in the leg but he kept walking, ignoring the pain. Just a bit farther…his mid kept telling him, urging him forward. He tossed the backpack toward Frank's feet and stopped, glaring at him hatefully. "Here's your money, as promised. Happy now?"
"Elated." Frank gave him a dark smile and pulled something out of his pocket, leveling it at Jim. It was a handgun, the barrel catching the light dangerously. It figured that Frank would stick with an old-fashioned gun instead of a something newer. He valued to classic models of things; cars, guns, murders…
"What's with the gun?" Jim asked, trying to keep his voice level and unafraid. He knew the answer but he needed to stall long enough to get closer to the older man.
Frank smiled faintly and shrugged. "You're a loose end Jim. And you know what they say about loose ends." Keeping the gun leveled at Jim, he stooped to pick up the backpack, hefting it into one hand. He unzipped the top and reached inside, pulling out a stack of plain, white paper. Fury flashed in his eyes once he realized the trick and glared back at the younger man. "What the hell-?!"
He never had a chance to finish as Jim threw himself at him, knocking them both to the ground and sending the gun clattering across the pavement. Jim used every ounce of remaining strength he had to pin Frank to the ground and pull something from the waistband of his pants. With lightening fast speed, he looped the band tightly around Frank's wrist and latched it, locking it into place.
A powerful kick hit him in the chest and he tumbled backward, landing hard on the ground.
"What the hell did you do?!" Frank demanded, ripping at the wrist band with no luck.
"I changed the information on the band…" Jim gasped, pulling himself to his feet with a shuddering groan. "You never knew this…but Reverse Technologies is one of my best subjects…" He pulled a thin, handheld monitor not bigger than a glasses case from his pocket and pushed in a few buttons. "You may no longer be Prisoner 6001829 anymore…but there was an opening for Prisoner 6001832..." Jim gasped again, tasting blood in the back of his mouth. "Welcome back to the Prison's computer system Frank…you'll be eligible for parole in about 75 years…"
Frank's eyes flashed murderously and he made a lunge for the gun. Jim saw the movement and managed to dodge to first bullet fired at him, ducking behind a large chunk of an engine. He'd activated the number, sending an alert back into the main system used by the Prison. Once the system registered that an inmate had "escaped" and was no longer in the designated building he'd been assigned, the entire police force would be notified. Jim had been careful with his plan and everything seemed to be working out for the moment, he just needed to keep the gate locked until the police got here. However long that would be…
Another bullet ricocheted through the metal next to him and he dodged away again. Okay, new plan…keep Frank away from the gate and any other computer system until the police got here. If he managed to get near a computer, he could probably do whatever he was planning to do to the Enterprise to begin with. No…I won't let that happen…not after all this…Jim thought, dodging behind another heavy piece of machinery. He could see the gate, he just needed to make sure it didn't move.
There was a loud shot behind him and Jim felt a sudden, searing pain in his side. He stumbled, hand instinctively going to his abdomen where the pain originated. Blood was spreading across his shirt fast, much faster than it should have. He stumbled again, falling to one knee behind the piece of machinery. He gasped, looking down to see blood gushing down the front of his shirt and falling to a crimson puddle on the ground. He kept his hand pressed over the wound, breathing harshly and squeezing his eyes shut. This is bad…this is bad…shit…
"You're not going to win this time, Jim…" Frank growled from somewhere behind one of the engine pieces, following the large spatters of blood. "You're going to die…and I'm going to make sure of it this time." He swung around the corner of the engine and prepare to fire again when something heavy and metal crashed into his head. The older man was dazed and lost his balance just long enough for Jim to run to another section of the yard. It wouldn't last forever, he knew, and he would probably bleed to death before the police ever arrived but he had to try.
"Son of a bitch…" Frank grumbled, regaining his balance and grabbing the gun again. He had two bullets left, more than enough to finish the job. "Come on Jim…" He called, following the sporadic blood trail. "Come out, come out wherever you are…"
Jim pressed his back against the smooth surface of metallic panel and took a shaky breath. He was running out of energy and places to hide rapidly. He vaguely registered the sound of voice from somewhere off in the yard but they seemed much farther away than he could place. He hoped the police had arrived sooner than expected but he knew it probably wasn't the case. His knees buckled and he fell, landing heavily on the dusty ground. It was getting harder to breathe and Jim was pretty sure he was going to get stuck on the losing end of the game regardless of what happened.
I'm so sorry for the terrible cliffhanger!! I'm moving to a new apartment this week so I wanted to update before everything gets really hectic O.o I promise I'll update as soon as I can!! :D
