Greatly Exaggerated
Chapter 12
Logan unlocked Veronica's front door and had taken three steps into the living room, when he felt the cold metal cylinder against the back of his neck. It was followed by the telltale sound of a gun's hammer being cocked.
Logan froze, the hair rising on his arms and the back of his neck.
"I have children." He said softly, struggling for composure. Panic would not get him anywhere.
"I know about your children." A distinctly Non-Russian voice said. "I've met them; I've mingled with them. And I've left them alone for the past six years because you were supposed to be dead."
Logan inhaled. He hadn't heard the voice in years, but he recognized it. This was not good.
"I'll admit, I was a bit disappointed when you died by accident instead of by my hand, but you were dead, and I had my justice. So I was able to move on – for a while. And then you turned up alive all of these years later…"
"I am so sorry." Logan whispered a lump in his throat.
"I treated you like part of my family. I welcomed you into my home."
The gun pulled away from the back of Logan's neck and come down on the top of his head. Everything went black.
Veronica was waiting for Logan outside of school.
"Hey you." Logan said. Veronica looked particularly adorable today in her pink sweatshirt with a rainbow.
"Hey." Veronica said. He slung his backpack over his shoulder, and she took his right hand in both of her hands.
"My sister's negotiating with the networks to sell her version of 'The Aaron Echolls Story'. I think the sticking point is she's insisting she play herself. The producers, on the other hand, are insisting on Tara Reid."
"Trina wasn't even around." Veronica said.
"Who do you suppose cares? I've always wanted a TV movie version of my life. Hey, think they can get Tom Welling to play me?" He spread his arms out like Superman.
"Dream on." Veronica smirked.
A truck pulled up behind Logan's XTerra, and Dick and Cassidy got out.
"Logan! And Logan's special lady friend who I approve of whole-heartedly and without reservation." Dick said.
"Dick. Hey, Cassidy." Veronica said.
"What's up, Veronica?" Cassidy asked.
"Boys." Logan said.
Dick opened the back of the XTerra. "Got the supplies. Enbom and Rams are gonna meet us at the Sac-N-Pac."
Cassidy and Dick started to load gasoline into the back of the XTerra.
"Uh, can't we do this later?"
"What's all the gasoline for?" Veronica asked.
"We're gonna... go kill the grass on the Pan High football field, spell out "Pan Sucks." Logan said.
"Which it does." Dick said.
Cassidy looked away not meeting Veronica's eyes.
"Oh hell." Logan thought. This was going to piss Veronica off to no end. She had been on him for a while now to let go of this feud. She wasn't stupid. When the community pool burned down, she would remember the gasoline, and she'd look straight to him. He had lost her enough times already. When she'd found out about the GHB, when she found the cameras in the pool house, when she found out his alibi was fake. She was all he had left. He could not afford to lose her again.
"Guys. Abort the mission." Logan said.
Everybody looked at him quizzically.
"Get the gasoline out of my truck and call off the plan." Logan said. "We're not doing this."
"Are you crazy, Logan?" Dick asked. "They shot out your window! Your girlfriend was in your truck! Are you going to let them get away with that?"
Veronica looked at Logan in disappointment. "What were you really planning, Logan?" She asked.
"Don't look at me that way. It doesn't matter what I was planning. I just called it off. I'm doing the right thing."
"Why?" Veronica asked.
"Because I can't lose you. Because I love you."
"Why call it off now?" Cassidy asked.
"Because my mistakes are a result of this moment. If I can take it back, the other stuff won't happen."
"You can't go back, Logan," Dick said, sagely. Suddenly he was sitting on the ground in a Lotus position.
"Impossible." Cassidy said, nodding. He waved a gun around in the air for emphasis.
"You need to go forward." Veronica said, squeezing his hand.
"Forward is the only way." Cassidy said, raising his gun, and shooting a passing student. Marcos-something.
"I don't want to. I want to fix this moment right now. Look at her." He pointed at Veronica whose eyes shone with love. "She loves me. She hasn't said it yet, but I know she does. Look at the way she looks at me. If I fix this moment, she'll stay with me. She won't go running back to Duncan, and I won't do the things that I ended up doing."
"If you understand, things are just as they are; if you do not understand, things are just as they are." Dick said.
"I don't even know what the fuck that is supposed to mean." Logan said.
Dick shook his head sadly.
"Logan, your children need you." Veronica said.
"Children?" He turned back to face her, and suddenly, she was pregnant. Very very pregnant to the point of bursting, and he didn't think he had ever loved her more. What was wrong with him?
"Veronica?" He asked nervously, and she smiled softly.
"Dick?" He asked turning around.
"We shape clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want." Dick said.
"Beaver?"
"My NAME is Cassidy."
"Dad."
Logan spun around. Veronica was no longer pregnant, but two young children were standing next to her. He knew these children.
"Morgan and Logan" He said.
"We need you dad!" The little girl said. "You have to come back to us."
The little boy scowled menacingly.
"They need you." Veronica said.
"They need you." Dick said.
"Wake up dad." Morgan said. "Wake up now!"
"You'll do mahvelous!" Cassidy said sighting his gun on Veronica.
Logan regained consciousness with a start and found his hands secured tightly behind his back.
Opening his eyes, he saw that he was sitting on the short end of the sectional. His feet were straight ahead on the ottoman, and were duct taped together. He looked around, desperately.
The twins? Where are my kids?
"Oh, you're awake." Logan's attacker said. "Good."
He sat in the easy chair straight across from Logan, legs crossed. An open bottle of wine sat on the end table to his right.
Veronica and I were saving that wine for this weekend! But honestly? Who cares about the fucking wine?
Logan looked the man over. He used to be handsome, full of a youthful sort of vitality. Now he just looked worn and tired. The last few years had not been kind to him. He lifted the bottle of wine and took a swig.
"Please..." Logan croaked, his mouth dry. "I'll give you anything you want." Logan said. "Just please don't hurt my family."
"Logan Echolls... A family man." The man laughed softly. "Who would have thought?"
Logan slowly breathed through his fear. He experimentally tugged at his wrists. Thick. Felt like duct tape. His eyes located the clock: 4:45. Veronica would not be home until 6:00.
"I used to be a family man." The man said, conversationally. "A beautiful wife, two devoted kids. A mansion. A multi-million dollar company. Fine cars. Prestige. Standing in the community. I had a good life. Now…I don't"
"I am so sorry." Logan said again, knowing it wouldn't do any good. He looked at the telephone. Too far away.
"I cut the phone lines." The man said. "And I smashed your cell. There will be no calling for help, even if you weren't bound up."
Logan worked on his breathing. Had to keep calm.
"How are you liking those new children?" The man asked. "Had to have come as a shock to you."
Logan nodded. "It's an adjustment." He said carefully.
No point in gushing, it will only make the twins more of a target.
"Children are the greatest gift a man could ever ask for. And losing a child…" He trailed off.
"I am so sorry. Please don't hurt my children."
"You had to have known that I would come after you one day."
"I'd kinda hoped that you wouldn't." Logan answered.
"You've had luck on your side in the past. My shots were clean, but all three times you moved at the very last second. Don't count on having that kind of luck today. You won't be escaping alive this time."
"You were the one who shot Veronica?" Logan asked eyes hard. It took all of his willpower to stay calm and not go after the man - gun or no gun.
Why hasn't he mentioned where the twins are? Does he not know they're home?
"You're the one who pulled her right into the line of fire. I'll admit though, I didn't feel too guilty about it. She's a nosy bitch, and she's almost as responsible for the state of my life as you are."
Logan's face was ashen. What had he done? All he had ever wanted for the past six years was to be with Veronica, and in his haste, he had fallen for the easiest explanation – The Russians. How convenient had it been for him when the Russians died? He could come back home and pick up his life and everything would be fine. How could he have brought this kind of danger down upon Veronica and his children? If anything happened to them…He didn't finish the sentence, because if anything happened to them, he would surely be dead as well. As long as he was alive, this sick fuck would not be laying a hand on them.
No matter how hard you try, you can't outrun your past, Logan Echolls.
"I heard that you're richer than ever, Logan."
Logan nodded. No point in denying it.
"That hardly seems right, since it was you who pretty much led to my downfall."
"I'll give you money. I'll sign every cent that I have over to you if you promise not to hurt my family." Logan said.
The man laughed softly again. "Could you possibly be stupid enough to think that would satisfy me?"
Logan shook his head and noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He flicked his eyes to the left for only a moment. Morgan was standing on the far side of the staircase – out of sight from the easy chair – looking at him. He had to find a way to warn her.
"How will your son feel when he learns that you killed me? His friend?" He asked.
"This will never be pinned on me. I won't even be a suspect." The man said, sipping wine out of the bottle.
Logan risked a look at Morgan again. She gave him a tiny little nod, and backed up out of sight into the hallway.
"Why haven't you killed me yet?" Logan asked. "You could have killed me the moment I returned home."
"Don't play dumb, Logan. You know what I have planned."
"Please don't." Logan begged desperately.
"We're going to sit here and wait for Veronica to come home. When I hear her car in the driveway, I'll put this mask on." The man pulled a ski mask out of his jacket pocket.
"I'll lock up the kids, and then you'll watch me fuck your girlfriend."
"Please don't touch her!" Logan screamed. "Kill me now! I beg you!"
"No, I'm going to make you suffer first. You should be grateful that I don't plan to kill Veronica or the kids. That's why I brought the mask. However, if you try to warn her, or tell her who I am, I will kill her right in front of you. Is that clear?"
Logan nodded.
He thinks the kids are with Veronica. Run Morgan! Get your brother and get the hell out of here! Be safe! I love you. I love Logan.
"Please don't touch her." Logan begged.
The man laughed. "It's only fair."
"Remember my beautiful wife, Logan?"
"Yes."
"Do you remember fucking my beautiful wife, Logan."
Logan closed his eyes tightly and nodded.
"And what were the consequences of you fucking my beautiful wife, Logan?"
"Cassidy hired Veronica to find out who Kendall was cheating on you with. Veronica uncovered your Ponzi scheme and turned you in to the SEC." Logan whispered.
"Correct!" The man said sipping from the wine bottle.
"It's hardly a fair trade, to be honest. Veronica is no Kendall. I like my women a little curvier. But I think I should be able to get it up just knowing that you're watching. If I really wanted to even the score, I'd make sure you lost all of your money and then I'd throw your son off a roof."
"Cassidy jumped off that roof!" Logan said. "Nobody threw him!"
"But you didn't stop him, did you? You were there! I hold you responsible."
Logan squeezed his eyes shut. He was losing his tenuous hold over his composure.
He opened his eyes again.
Oh God No! Morgan! What are you doing? Why are you still here?
His daughter was silently creeping up behind Mr. Casablanca's chair, and she was clutching something small and orange in her tiny little fist.