Raiden was forced through the garage entrance roughly, the other cyborg holding him fast in a crushing grip. He seethed with rage and wanted nothing more than to rip free from the hold and tear into his captor. When he had first been captured he had fought like hell but it had meant very little in the face of the other cyborg's superior tech.
The gun held to his head meant very little to Raiden. With his reinforced skull a bullet would have no chance to pierce through. It would stun him most certainly and would be an unpleasant experience, but the gesture was more of a command for obedience rather than a threat and they both knew it.
It was only because of John in the grip of the other invader was Raiden being completely complaint with the man marching him through the darkened garage.
He was livid with his son. Not so much as for disobeying him, but rather that John put himself in danger for him. He knew that the boy was afraid of losing him, and his foolish actions were born out of desperation and love, but dammit he should have stayed hidden. Even if the agents lurking around Maverick couldn't free him there had still been the reassurance that John would have been ok.
Whatever would have happened to him after that Raiden could have lived with as long as he knew that John was safe.
The Hunter would have claimed his prize once more and would have disappeared with him to some other forgotten corner of the world. Boris would have made sure that the teen was safe until the dust settled. Perhaps even Hal would have taken John in until Rose resurfaced. If she was still around to resurface. But all those plans had changed the moment his brave and foolish son appeared around that corner.
Despite his mind working overtime Raiden couldn't figure a way out of this. Not with the other man and John several paces behind watching for any attempt at resistance on his part. The desperate thoughts and half formed plans were immediately forgotten as his captor abruptly spun the both of them around.
They were not alone in the parking garage.
The thing that demanded attention first was the glow of a HF sword. A sparking crimson blade casting its red light out, making the blood pooling around the second invader, now motionless on the concrete, appear black. There was a heart stopping moment when there was no sign of John but to Raiden's great relief he soon spotted his son scuttling for cover under a truck.
The cyborg holding him immediately removed the gun from the side of his head and aimed it towards the interloper. Only three rounds were fired before the remainder of the clip was completely spent. The bullets were deftly blocked by the blade, the sparks kicked up by the action illuminated a familiar scarred face.
Smirking Sam stepped into the reach of the dim emergency lighting of the garage. He deftly flicked his blade to clear the droplets of blood off of it. Raiden would have never thought that he would feel an odd mix of surprise, relief, and gratefulness upon seeing that insufferable smile. Sam even had the audacity to shoot him a wink before he was charging forward.
The cyborg holding him immediately twisted and placed his hostage between himself and the red blade arcing towards them. Unfortunately for his captor, Raiden was not about meekly take being reduced to a shield in this scuffle. There was no way he could overpower a military grade cyborg, but then again he didn't have to. He began to pull with all of his weight against that unyielding grip, just enough to throw the cyborg off balance and provide an opening to Sam.
The cyborg was wise to his tactics and released him, throwing him to the ground so he could properly intercept the charging man without distraction. It proved to be a useless attempt as an unarmed cyborg stood no chance against the experenced swordsman. The battle was over before it every really began.
Raiden took the opportunity to get the hell out of the way before the self detonating function activated and showered him with artificial blood.
"Well that was over far too quickly." Sam flicked his sword clean once again. "And you had trouble with these guys?" He asked incredulously.
Raiden didn't respond to the teasing or bother to answer the man. He was up on his feet, stumbling nearly back to the ground as he ran for the truck John was hiding under. Kneeling down to peer under, he was greeted with the wide terrified eyes of his son huddled near the rear wheels. His artificial heart nearly froze in his chest when he saw that the boy's face and shoulder were completely drenched in blood.
"John are you alright?" He asked desperately. "Where are you hurt?"
"Dad." The teen whimpered out before immediately crawling out from underneath into his waiting arms. A near frantic check over revealed that none of the blood was John's. His son let himself be looked over, silent and shaking. Raiden well knew it was the look of someone who had been pushed too far and couldn't take any more.
"We are going to have a long talk later son. About how next time you listen to what I tell you and about how you have more bravery than sense." Raiden tried to hoist the boy up once more but his damaged shoulder would take no more abuse and refused to obey his commands. John would not relinquish his grip on him even as he was lowered, but instead clung desperately. In the end Raiden had to awkwardly maneuver the boy to carry him piggy back, the two of them falling into the old motion like he was carrying that little boy with scraped knees all over again.
"More bravery than sense? Sounds like someone else I have heard of." Sam approached them. His expression was lighthearted but he carried himself with barely contained tension at the situation. "I do believe the proper words you should be saying are 'thank you'."
"I'll thank you when we get out of here." Raiden shifted to take most of John's weight on his good side. "There is a strong chance that there may be more of them. We need to get moving." He began to stalk through the parking garage, eyeing the available vehicles. Most of them looked too modern, too hooked up to the net. Any of these cars with the cutting edge tech that Maverick so proudly promoted out to its employees could be hacked.
It was not as if he disbelieved Hal when he stopped by that evening to deliver his ominous intel, but Raiden had suspected that some aspects of the Hunters hacking prowess had been exaggerated. Given the state he had been found in and the mystery surrounding the guy, Raiden figured the information had seemed more dire that it objectively was. After all, he had been caught by a pit trap and an EM charge, not some grand hacking event. There was also the fact that Hal tended to run on the emotional side.
'I owe him an apology.' Raiden noted to himself as he continued to scan through the vehicles. There was no way Maverick security should have been hacked like that. There was also that uncanny unison that the invaders exhibited throughout their encounter. There was something unsettling about the whole mess that had his instincts prickling.
"I would like to know where you think you are going." Sam stated with a casual air as he came to leisurely follow along beside of him. Raiden tried hard not to compare the smoothness of the other man's strides to his still less than graceful movements which were being hindered by artificial blood loss taking its toll and the teenager in shock clinging to his back.
"Like I said, we need out of here. Gotta have suitable unhackable wheels for that."
"I think you are getting a little ahead of yourself there." Sam moved around to stand right in Raiden's path, halting his hunting. Heedless to the annoyed look, the Brazilian man pointed off into the shadows. "No need for a car when we have no exit. Lock down. Remember?"
"Shit." Raiden said more to himself than to Sam. He had hoped since the invaders were dragging him and John down here to be presumably thrown in the back of a van that like the elevators, the garage was open. A thought then struck Raiden. "Wait. If this place is locked down how did you get in here?"
"Bad timing on my part. Or should I say fortunate. For you, that is." Sam motioned with a jerk of his head for Raiden to follow. "After our little, ah, discussion I went out to cool off for a while. Perhaps for a long while." Sam muttered introspectively. "I had half a mind to not return at all."
"So what made you come back." Raiden shot him a curious look even as he glanced about the shadows for more danger.
"Despite what you may think of me I do keep my word. For good or ill. I had promised Boris I would look after the two of you. So I returned. Just in time for that to come down behind me."
Raiden looked to where Sam had indicated with an unnecessary flourish. The concrete path sloping upward was blocked by a solid steel barrier that shimmered in a faint electric blue. 'A EM barrier.' Raiden let out a huff of frustration, adjusting his grip on John.
Had it been metal alone the way forward could have easily been carved by Sam and the Murasama. With that barrier there however the HF qualities of the blade would neutralized. The most they would be able to do is dull the edge of the sword.
"Yes. Missed me by that much." Sam held his hands a fraction of an inch apart. "Knowing that I was missing out on the fun I tried to leave this place. But no, the doors were sealed. I was trapped down here. I figured the best thing to do would be to stick to the shadows and wait and see if whatever was causing the fuss would come my way. Luckily for you and the kid, I'm glad I was correct."
Sam shot him a wry grin that Raiden did not return. There was still a tense undercurrent from earlier today that could be felt from the other man's stiff body language that failed to be covered up by his casual words. Despite the tension, Raiden could not help but feel that Sam had seemed actually sincere when he said he was glad for their safety.
For a brief moment Raiden was torn. His memories of the battle hungry man seemed at odds with the individual before him that claimed that he was doing all of this because of a promise. Raiden would never forgive Sam for what happened in Africa all those years ago, but he had saved John. And himself. For a moment he wondered if he shouldn't have put more faith in Boris' judgment.
"Any suggestions then?" Raiden asked, pushing the unwanted thoughts aside to be examined more closely later.
"We could wait and see if Maverick could regain control of the building again." Sam suggested, giving the heavy door a test kick. The impact on metal resonated dully through the dark garage.
"Or that would give this guy more time to hack others to bring in reinforcements." Raiden said wryly. "Control shouldn't have been lost in the first place. Hunter has already shown that he can get past our defenses. A UG could be on its way right now, or cyborgs with a little more firepower than they brought for their grab and run job. We're sitting ducks down here."
"As much as I hate to agree with you, you are right." Sam left the door to come stand by his side. The taller man eyed the shadows for threats. "Our little home away from home has been compromised. We need to leave before we find out what else our dear friend has in store for us. I have my sword but I do not relish the idea of heavy fighting without my armor."
"Or they can just gas us. We're already confined…"
Raiden stopped mid sentence as a faint sound tickled at the edge of his senses. He increased his hearing sensitivity in an attempt to better locate it but that soon proved to be unnecessary. It was the teeth itching sound of metal scraping against concrete coming from above them that was growing louder by the moment.
Directly above the parking garage entrance it sounded like something was digging through the concrete with machinery to get to them. John's grip tightened noticeably around his neck, the teen shaking like a leaf from the unknown threat. Raiden backed away carefully, eyeing the spot on the ceiling where dust could barely be seen trickling down in the dim lighting. Sam already had his sword out and at the ready to face whatever would break through.
Raiden moved to place John and himself behind a sturdy concrete pillar even as Sam moved to stand between them and the threat. They did not have to wait long in the building tension as chunks of the roof of the parking garage suddenly gave away. The dust the fallen concrete kicked up shown brightly in the near blinding sunlight beaming through the newly made opening.
Through the hole in the ceiling nimbly jumped Bladewolf.
"Greetings." The machine said before settling down in the ray of light. "I apologize for my lateness."
"Meu Deus Wolfie. Are you trying to get me to have my heart replaced too?" Sam dropped out of stance to move forward to greet Bladewolf.
"Wait." Raiden said sharply, halting the other man. He tried to access his comms but the signal was still being jammed. "Wolf could be hacked too."
Sam looked to him in mild disbelief before the possibility truly struck him. Everything else today shouldn't have occurred, so the unlikelihood of of the AI being hacked wasn't as unlikely now. The swordsman did not quite raise his weapon but was not relaxed either. He turned to Bladewolf with a shrug.
"Well is it true my friend? Are you turned against us as well?"
"I am not." Bladewolf said at once. Raiden felt guilty at the almost hurt droop of the machine's posture at the accusation. But after all the close calls of today he could not afford to take the chance.
"No offense Wolf, but we can't take the chance right now. Are you willing to let us see for ourselves if you are not compromised."
"There is no offense taken." Wolf nodded in acquiescence. "In fact it is a prudent precaution given current circumstances."
"And how do you propose to find out then Blondie?" Sam said over his shoulder yet never took eyes off of their potentially hacked friend.
Raiden slid John off of his back to stand on his own using the pillar as support. With a motion to John to stay put, he walked from behind their small shelter to approach the machine. Sam shot a hand out to grab him by the shoulder to halt him. Pain sang through the jarred bullet wounds but Raiden simply shrugged the hand off.
"You don't have the software that I do. Trust me, I'll know. You just watch John." After a brief moment of hesitation Sam relented.
Raiden approached and knelt down beside of Wolf. He could tell that Wolf was happy to see him although keeping very still so as to not make himself seem a threat. Either that or it was a very good act and he was about to be killed or dragged up through the hole in the ceiling and into captivity once more.
"I apologize for the necessity of this." Wolf said softly. "As a non-organic being I understand the need to check."
"Being non-organic has nothing to do with it Wolf." Raiden said as he pulled a thin cord from the back of Wolf's head. "Checking potentially compromised allies is just the name of the game, machine or no. At least you'll be easier to check. I'm sorry about this though."
"Thank you. For the apology."
Raiden plugged the cord into himself, bracing for the mind bending sensation of having another's thoughts alongside your own, an alien way of thinking and perceiving the world. Connecting to a complex AI like Wolf was worlds different than hooking up to simple tripods or the various other machines he has hacked in the past. Hacking was not necessary here though in this case as Wolf let him in freely.
There were no weird textures, nothing hidden, just simply Bladewolf. The feeling of the AI's consciousness against his own was exactly the same as Raiden remembered it those few weeks ago when Wolf had managed his breathing after his connection procedure.
"He's good." Raiden deftly pulled the cord free, but not before sending feelings of gratitude towards the machine for allowing him to check. He received trust in return before the connection was lost.
"Alright then." Sam said, slightly lost as to what went on but unwilling to pursue it further.
"I once again apologize for the lateness of my appearance." Wolf helped nudge Raiden to his feet as the damage was making his BMI sluggish. "As soon as I sensed something was amiss with Raiden's vitals I made to return immediately."
"Took your sweet time." Sam quipped before returning to inspect the size of the hole in the ceiling. "You missed all the fun." Raiden returned to where John was hobbling forward to join them.
"I was confined in the labs by the building's lock down. It took longer than anticipated but I managed to escape via elevator shaft and then through a window. I hope the damaged I caused attempting to leave the labs is not too severe."
"In the face of what went down I don't think Boris is gonna care about structural damage." Raiden helped his son along, knowing it was futile to try and lift him again after last time.
"That is for him to worry about. We have our own problems. Such as getting out of here and quickly." Sam said still eyeing the ceiling. Abruptly he turned and walked into the shadows.
"Quickly is the problem. Even out there our vehicle problem still stands." Raiden called out to him, mulling over the possibilities. "We would have to go out of our way to find something low tech."
"No need." Sam's voice cut out through the darkness. "With a little "machine assistance", I think my bike can fit through that gap up there. It can hold two and Wolfie can carry one."
Raiden could not help but draw back in surprise at Sam returning with a distantly familiar piece of machinery. The motorcycle that he had stolen in Denver was being pushed along towards the sunlight. Taking the bike would explain how Sam made it out of the badlands and to medical assistance. He must have claimed it for himself after that.
A thought crossed Raiden's mind that it could have been his all along but he dismissed the ridiculous odds of such a thing.
Wolf jumped up through the opening he had dug through the concrete, motorcycle wrapped securely in his tail as if it weighed nothing at all. Watching the process, Raiden fell to thinking again about the individual after him and the boy at his side.
Given how this Hunter seemed tear through Maverick defenses like mere paper to get to him, he began to wonder if it was the wisest option for him and John to stay together. With the target on his head, incidents like these would not stop occurring. Not until the one after him is dead that is.
Perhaps he would talk it over with John later, get back in touch with Hal somehow once the dust settled. If there was anyone on this earth who knew how to stay hidden from a seemingly omniscient digital force it was that man. These thoughts were set aside as Wolf dropped down to join them once more.
"The safest order to evacuate in is Samuel, John, and then you Raiden." Wolf announced, walking up to the taller man.
"I would rather find a way up on my own, if its all the same to you." Sam said, eyeing the distance and the nearest vehicle to the opening to climb upon.
"That will take extra time. This is more efficient." Wolf declared, ignoring the man's protests and indignation as he wrapped his tail around Sam and leapt upward. John huddled closer beside of Raiden as they were left alone in the garage that smelled of dust, motor oil, and spilled blood.
Wolf returned quickly and with far more care than he showed Sam, secured the teen and leapt up into the sun. Raiden shot a look back to where he knew the two bodies lay. He was loath to run away from the situation, having already been hidden away for weeks. But now was not the time to stand and fight and he knew it.
He had barely managed the scuffles as it was. His two takedowns? He had gotten lucky. In a full out fight he would have lost badly. Certainly a far cry from the days he had been able to take on a Ray with relative ease.
As he was brought to the surface by Wolf, Raiden resolved to purge himself of the weakness brought upon him due to his captivity and hunt this Hunter down for all that he has done.
Sam already had his motorcycle running and was looking around for anyone planning to intercept them. Raiden cast a look around scanning for snipers.
"As it would be the safest for him, I say that the kid go with Wolfie. So that means you're riding with me." Sam said with an insufferable shit eating grin as he patted the motorcycles seat.
"I'm not riding bitch." Raiden said flatly.
"I will be able to more quickly remove John from danger." Wolf said, already helping the hesitant teen onto his back. John eyed the various sharp edges with poorly contained trepidation. "I will monitor the both of you at a distance until more appropriate transportation can be acquired at a safer location."
"Fine." Raiden sighed, knowing that this was no time to argue. "Just keep him safe Wolf. Alright?"
"I shall." Was the solemn promise the AI gave him before darting off, John squawking in surprise at the unexpected speed.
Raiden's attention was pulled away from the pair of them quickly disappearing off into the cityscape by something being held out to him. He looked at the jacket in Sam's hand and then up at the man in confusion at the offer.
"So you don't draw so much attention from all of that blood on you." Sam said, his usual breezy demeanor dropped towards something more serious. More genuine.
Raiden wordlessly took it and pulled it on. He honestly expected quips and insulting comments as he climbed onto the motorcycle after the other man but Sam didn't seem to interested now that there was no audience. Once again Raiden wondered why he came back at all, not entirely convinced about his claims about keeping promises.
That unspoken tension that hung between the two of them was left behind as they peeled off and away from Maverick headquarters as quickly as they could.
Going through the city Raiden tried to keep an eye out for Wolf and John, but recalling their stint in Denver, he knew that Wolf could be extraordinarily elusive when he wanted to be. Imagining the look on John's face the first time Wolf elected to take a vertical route up the side of a building made him chuckle to himself.
The amusement was quickly washed away as they were nearly t-boned by a car as they went through an intersection. Had Sam's reflexes been a little less keen their escape would have been cut off right then and there. His companion turned and let out a mix of English and Portuguese swearing at their close call. Raiden irritably swatted Sam's hair out of his face and twisted around to get a better look at the vehicle that nearly hit them.
The car was a sleek modern model and the driver seemed to be just as shocked at what nearly happened as they were. But it wasn't only the car that caught Raiden's eye, it was the traffic lights. Both directions had green. He did not have time to look further as another swerve pulled his attention back to the front.
One of the cars ahead of them had swerved, colliding with the vehicle beside of it. This time they had to jump up on the sidewalk to the heated protests of several pedestrians to avoid being caught up in the collision.
"I know people joke about Sunday drivers but this is getting ridiculous." Sam called back to him.
"They're being hacked, I'm sure of it. We need to get to less populated areas." Raiden eyed the CCTV cameras on the various buildings that they passed by. Just like mankind's ancient ancestors, his instincts prickled in that way told that they were being watched by a predator.
"Can't be. No one is that good." Sam protested yet nonetheless chose to take them out of the quickest road out of the city and onto the back streets.
"I know." Raiden muttered darkly, uncaring if the other man heard him or not.
Raiden begun to think back on the intel that Hal had given them as he and Sam wove through the streets into the more seeder areas of the city. Everything his old friend found suggested that this was personal and pointed to one individual. Then how the hell were they doing this?
No one in the world was this good at hacking. It was too fast, too many variables, too many targets. Not even Sunny could pull something like this off. He trusted Hal, he really did, but it would take a whole team of people with incredible talents and funds to pull something like this off, not one person.
'An AI could do it.' Raiden thought with a chill. The Patriots could have pulled a stunt like this off, and easily at that. But they were long gone. And the Hunter was just a man. Wasn't he?
Raiden didn't have long to brew in his increasingly disturbed thoughts before the motorcycle came to a stop. Sam had pulled the both of them up next to a rather rough looking van parked under an overpass. It was in a rough area of the city as there was garbage and empty bottles everywhere. An unwashed looking man eyed the two of them suspiciously as he sat with a leg dangling out of the back of his van.
Sam killed the bike's engine and kicked out the kickstand. Raiden slid off, eyeing the area for cameras or wayward traffic and being relived that they seemed to be in the clear for the moment.
"Can I help you gentlemen with sumfing?" The stranger slurred, taking another drink from his bottle and spilling some of it down his beard. "Don't think I've seen yous down this way before."
"Yes actually. I think you may be just the type of help we need." Sam said cheerfully, readjusting his hair which had slipped loose.
"An what kinda help...is...that?" The question trailed off as the man got a proper look at the sword Sam carried. The confusion shifted towards alarm as the drifter squinted his watery eyes and got a closer look at the man's arm. Then the old drunk took a good look at Raiden himself.
The jacket could only do so much in covering up the blood. Raiden knew it was splattered on his face and in his hair. There was also the fact that he was standing in broken glass barefoot without flinching. It took a few moments to sink in but the moment that the stranger realized that they were not exactly typical men the bottle he had been drinking from hit the ground.
The man scrambled back into his vehicle, pulling at the doors. Sam caught the van's doors before they could fully close and reached in after the man, laughing at the inelegant retreat. Raiden huffed at the antics and crossed his arms as Sam pulled the man out, holding him as one would a rabbit from a hat.
"I d-dont want no t-trouble now, ya hear?" The terrified drifter stammered. "You fellas just take what you want now. I won't try to fight you with them fancy cyberonitcs now."
"Whatever we want? My so generous." Sam teased, still holding the man in the air.
"Cut the crap Sam." Raiden scolded, and then to the terrified soul that just wanted to drink in peace. "We just need your van."
"M-my van? But what…?"
The man never had the chance to finish his thought. All words fled the poor soul as Wolf approached, seemingly appearing from nowhere. Riding on his back was a thoroughly windswept and stunned looking John.
"This antiquated vehicle is perfect for our requirements." Wolf looked the van over before turning towards the drifter that looked like he was about to piss himself in the presence of the machine. "Thank you for your assistance."
"Sure, no problem man." The man squeaked out. He reached a shaking hand into his pocket and pulled out a key with a worn leather fob. Sam plucked the keys out of his grip and set the man down but did not release him yet. He reached into his own pockets before placing two items into the confused man's possession.
"Here...is some cash for your troubles. It's not much but it can buy you another drink or a few. And here are the keys to my bike. You take care of it and deliver it to a man by the name of Boris Popov and you will be compensated for the van with interest. Understand?"
The scruffy drifter nodded vigorously but did not seem to trust himself to speak. Sam released the man who staggered over to the blue motorcycle, giving Wolf a wide birth. He then watched them with wide eyes as the swordsman, the blood drenched man, a stunned and windblown kid, and a giant robotic wolf climbed into his commandeered vehicle. The last thing Raiden heard before the doors were shut was the man muttering to himself about not being drunk enough for all of this.
-0-0-0-
The sun had set an hour or two ago and the moon was hidden by the overcast sky. The only thing lighting up the highway and the scrub desert lands were the dim headlights of the old van and the occasional vehicle headed the opposite direction. Fellow travelers of this lonely stretch of road out in the middle of nowhere were infrequent yet still too common an occurrence for Sam's liking.
To be without his armor when everything had gone wrong was an intensely bare feeling. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, feeling the filmy aged leather creak under his flesh and metal grip. A flick of his eyes down at his sword propped up against the passenger seat within quick reach was somewhat reassuring. It would not be the first time Sam has had to face down innumerable opponents with nothing but his blade and the clothes on his back. But then he could at least see who his opponents were.
The way misfortune had seemed to follow them as he and Jack had fled on his bike had almost taken a supernatural quality to it. It was as if an invisible wave of malevolence had hovered around them trying to strike them down where direct action had failed. Some of the older women back at home would have said that his prickly blond charge back there was being pursued by a devil. Samuel was not a devoutly religious man, but in the hypnotic emptiness of the desert road, memories of tales of his youth and the impossibilities of what occurred this day, he felt the impulse to cross himself.
Whenever the four of them had transferred to their commandeered vehicle those waves of misfortune seemed to have passed them by. Sam had immediately taken them out of the scope of the city to escape the reach of their unseen hunter. The inside of the van had been heavy with tension and silence as they made their way as far from Maverick headquarters as possible. Once they had passed the city limits Blondie had finally spoken up from the back.
"Where are we heading?" The question was asked quietly, reserved. Sam had been disappointed to hear that the man's fiery spirit had once again burned low.
"Somewhere safe." He had answered. There were no follow up questions and so Sam had left it at that.
Even as Sam had looked about them for pursuers or potential trouble as he drove, the man also cast quite a few glances back at his passengers.
Wolf remained staring resolutely out of the back of the van's tinted windows. Every so often he would report that they were unfollowed. Early in their escape from the city Wolf had notified the two men that they had cleared the area of signal disruption. Before Sam had a chance to say anything Jack had told the AI to turn off any means of contact because of potential tracking. Wolf had said he had already done so and returned to watching against physical pursuit should he need to spring to action.
John, the little spitfire that had given him so much hell, looked thoroughly subdued. He was wide eyed and largely silent, wrapped up in a ratty blanket pulled from the van owners bedding. The way he remained huddled against his fathers side on the cot reminded Sam of a traumatized pet that had been pulled from the ruins of a house razed by a hurricane or an earthquake and was clinging to the only comfort that they could.
Blondie looked as rough as the boy but as stoic as the machine. After fretting over his kid and settling down for the long haul, the man clearly began thinking in overtime. He glared at the opposite side of the van as if he were trying to melt a hole through it out of pure concentration. Sam was no expert on technology, but still he knew that with Maverick's security was solid. Apparently the security company's best was not good enough and he knew the same thoughts had to be weighing on Jack's mind as well.
He would have initiated conversation about it, perhaps to see what a more experenced cyborg would think about the whole mess except for two reasons. One was that as frequently as Sam glanced back at his passengers, Jack was watching him as well. Sharp blue eyes were often narrowed his way as if he were trying to figure him out. Their 'conversation' earlier that day still smarted even if it had been greatly overshadowed by the following events, and Sam had no desire to prod at those wounds any further today.
Secondly: the man looked like hell. No shoes, covered in dirt and drying blood both his own and others, and injured as well. Sam had little illusions that the blood stains would ever get out of his favorite jacket. Thankfully the bleeding had seemed to stop as the self-repair units had began their work. Between the injures, the internal maintenance being performed, and the events of the day Jack looked utterly exhausted.
Sam would often look back to see him fighting to stay awake, the ill look of the man's eyes more pronounced in his compromised state. Eventually the sleep won out and the two were soon out like a light, the kid asleep curled up against his father and Jack sagged over against some sturdy boxes.
That had been some hours ago and Sam was starting to feel some fatigue himself. He had endured many longer nights before and was not particularly troubled by the tiredness creeping into his bones. He was far more concerned by the gas hand creeping concerningly close to the E. They would have to stop somewhere and soon.
Sam glanced back in the mirror, halfway considering on asking Wolf to retrieve some gas while the three of them found a place to hide out of sight of the road. He was sincerely surprised to see a pair of sharp, if tired, eyes open and watching him.
"Welcome back sleeping beauty." Sam said quietly so as to not wake up the kid. "I was beginning to wonder if you had died on us."
"It's gonna take a bit more than that to kill me." Jack said just as softly. Sam turned his attention back to the road but not before seeing the other man slowly try to pry himself out of the kid's grip. His senses prickled as he felt a presence approach on his right, carried to the front by silent footsteps.
Mindful of the sword in the way, Jack slipped without a word into the passengers seat.
"How's the kid?" Sam asked out of actual concern for the little devil. He glanced back at the boy. Still out cold and faintly snoring.
"Scared more than anything. The leg will scar but he'll be fine as long as we avoid infection." Jack said quietly and flatly.
The two sat in silence, watching the road for several minutes. Sam didn't know what was on the other man's mind but he was feeling a little spiteful after earlier today and was not about to be the one to initiate the looming conversation.
Pulling the borrowed jacket around him a little tighter, Jack finally broke the heavy silence.
"We need to find a way to get in contact with Boris. He's been working on getting a place set up for me and John to hid out for a while. We need the coordinates."
Sam was shaking his head even before the man had a chance to finish speaking.
"No. It's far too risky to attempt communication. And we are not headed to a safe house either. Not anymore." Out of the corner of his eye he saw the other man turn to face him slowly. Sam could imagine the sour look on Jack's face. Always so serious, that one. "We can't trust it. There is a good chance that the location may have been compromised in the raid. Or earlier than that honestly."
For several long moments Sam wondered if he was going to get a response at all. A car in the far distance approached on the opposite side of the road, dazzled them briefly with its headlights, then was speeding off into the night before that quiet voice spoke up once more.
"I don't suppose you are going to give me a straight answer if I ask you how you knew about the safe house, are you?"
"Hey." Sam shot him a grin that the both of them knew he didn't mean. "I'm not always contrary. Only when it is fun. And being stuck driving this van that reeks of cigarettes and piss is not exactly my idea of a good time."
"Oh I know what your idea of a good time is alright." Jack said, a hint of venom seeping into his voice. He then turned away from Sam to watch the shadows outside chasing them through the night. Sam beat down the wave of anger at the judgmental words with another grin.
"Ah you know me so well." Sam laid a metal hand over his heart. "All of my secrets laid bare, save for one apparently. The reason I knew of the safe house was because it was always the plan for me to be your guard. Along with Wolfie that is."
A sigh was the only response Sam received. Not what he was expecting to be honest. He anticipated a little bristling, perhaps a few sharp words. There was always the possibility of violence considering their history and the fact that Jack sat with the Murasama leaning against his thigh right within reach.
Sam shot a look over to get a feel for the volatile man's emotional state. Jack looked less surprised at the news and more resigned. He was leaned against the glass but turned when he noticed Sam staring.
"If we are not headed to the safe house then were is this 'safe' place that we are headed to now?"
"Well, first were are going to find somewhere to get gas or else we are going to go nowhere. It's not on any record at Maverick and its well out of cell signal."
"We can't hole up in the hills indefinitely." Jack leaned forward and began to rub at his closed eyes. "I'm not sure if you've noticed but I can't exactly go roughing it in the wild. I'd be dead of autotoxemia within two months."
"You would not be the only one struggling in the wilderness." Sam could sense that the other man was confused at the statement. He was not about to reveal his extra cyber work due to Jack's handiwork. The reminder of his artificial lungs stung like tugging on a wound that was only beginning to scar over. "Boris knows of the place I have in mind. That old bear is smart, he will know to look in a secret place that only the both of us know of. We have at least a few weeks of grace before certain problems become too severe to ignore."
"A secret place only the two of you know of, huh? Are congratulations in order or…?"
Sam hoped that his laugh had been smothered in time so as to not wake the child. A little flare of humor was unexpected from Blondie but it did much to smooth over the tension still festering from earlier today. If Jack was willing to joke with him then this guarding stint might not be as tedious as first anticipated.
Sam glanced over then faltered at the expression on the other man's face. 'Oh. He had been serious.'
"Ah no. Russians are not exactly my type. As for the location…" Sam's amusement faded into something a little more bitter. A smile a little more brittle. "It was one of the areas that I had taken shelter in after you had nearly killed me."
Jack gave no reply. The near ease at which they had been conversing dried up as quickly as water in these desert lands they were traveling through. Several minutes passed, the silence filled to bursting with all the words unsaid between the two.
Eventually Jack stiffly stood and abandoned the passengers seat for the welcoming darkness of the back of the van. Before he had fully escaped the light of the dashboard, out of the corner of his eye Sam saw him pause briefly. The words were quietly said and nearly unheard over the muted roar of the road.
"Thank you. For saving us."
.
Authors notes: Poor Wolf is always late to the party
Meu Deus- My God!
A Brazilian phrase for surprise or astonishment