The Not Knowing Is What Gets You: Part 7
by Alystraea
"Where is she?" Sam asked, his nervousness more than evident. "I knew she shouldn't have gone ahead by herself."
"I've lost contact with her so she must have gone back to full human form," Dani kept her gaze locked towards the hallway that Rahne had gone down, as though her penetrating gaze would somehow will their friend back. Out of the group only Nils seemed to be keeping his calm, though he too was staring intently at down the hall.
"Five minutes," Dani said, "Five minutes and we're going after her."
Sam nodded, though he wanted to disagree. He knew Dani was right in her choice, that they shouldn’t just barge in there, but he wanted to. He didn't know where or what Rahne was up against, and not being there beside her to make sure that she was ok was killing him. He set his face into a mask of determination.
"Were did all these guards come from?" Tabitha asked annoyed as a bullet whizzed past her head. She felt Bobby grab her arm and pull her down. Normally she would have shouted at him for being an overprotective idiot, but for the moment she kept her thoughts to her self.
Terry let out her sonic scream, knocking several of the front guards out. Tabitha removed Bobby from her arm and managed to lob a few strategically placed timebombs at the remaining guards.
"It looks like Tab's computer skills have been noticed," Terry sighed, "I wanted to get in and out with out this much hassle. I just hope the other group's fine."
Douglock stood behind the others, feeling a bit useless. He knew he should be focused on helping his friends, but he couldn't stop thinking about Rahne. Was she all right? Why did he have this feeling she wasn't? He tried to keep his worry from showing, but he knew he was doing a poor job. Rahne could take care of herself. He just had to believe that.
Rahne let out a small gasp as she was roughly thrown into a chair beside Dr. Majcomb. She glared up at her capture trying her best not to look afraid. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction. Her arm ached and blood was freely flowing down the back of her hand.
"What are you doing?" Dr. Majcomb demanded, she tried to stand but was shoved down again, "Can't you see she needs medical attention?"
"Obviously," the man said as he took a chair across from them. He flashed them a smile that practically oozed with slime. He gestured to one of the guards, "Secure this room. I'm sure Miss. Sinclair's friends will be along any minute." The guard saluted and left the room.
"Now, Miss Sinclair..." he paused, "I'm terribly sorry, I have you at a disadvantage. Let me introduce myself, Captain Gregory Baird, at your service."
"A pleasure," Rahne muttered.
"No, let me assure you that the pleasure is all mine," Captain Baird returned, "I've long been a close observer of your life."
"My life?" Rahne exclaimed shocked. How did this man know her?
"Yes, actually," he stood and began to pace, "We have a close mutual friend, though I will admit you know her better than I do."
"I can assure ye that no one I care about would associate with the likes of ye," Rahne spat back.
"Please, you don't even know me," a pained look flashed across his face, "Will you not even give me the benefit of the doubt?"
"I know what ye were trying tae do," Rahne glared at him, "Anyone who would willingly infect people with a disease, as horrible as the Legacy virus, is a monster in his own right."
"Yes, I suppose you have seen the effects of the virus first hand," He walked over to lean on the table and stared Rahne in the eyes "Watching your adopted mother suffer from the virus must be hard on you, isn't it Rahne. You don't mind if I call you Rahne do you?"
"What do ye want with me?" Rahne muttered, begining to feel light headed from loss of blood.
"Its not what I want from you, dear Rahne," he smiled again, "But what you can help me with. You see I really wouldn't care about you at all if you weren't so close to Moira Mactaggart."
Rahne's face went blank for a second as the shock of it hit her. How did this man know Lady Moira? And what did he have against her? He now had Rahne's full attention.
"I'm grateful that you stumbled across my path today Rahne, my dear," he walked behind her and placed his hand on Rahne's shoulders, "Its very fortunate for me indeed." He suddenly grabbed Rahne by the neck and knocked her roughly to the floor.
"Rahne!" Dr. Majcomb exclaimed and leapt to her feet, but was forcefully shoved back into her chair. She glared up at the guard who positioned himself directly behind her. She stared helplessly at Rahne who lay sprawled across the floor.
Rahne lay there for a few seconds coughing, trying to gain her composure. The sound of a cocking gun gained her attention, and she glanced up to look up the barrel of a large pistol. Captain Baird's calm composure was now slightly cracked by the hint of insanity running rampant in his eyes.
"Can you just imagine the pain dear Dr. Mactaggart will suffer when her beloved daughter is shipped back home to her in a box?" he laughed, "I'm sure she'll be heart broken, don't you think?" He pulled the gun away and reached down to smooth back Rahne's hair like he was consoling a small child, "Moira Mactaggart has to pay for the mistakes she has made in her life."
"Lady Moira is a kind hearted person who has done nothing but try tae help people," Rahne shouted at him. A look of pure fury washed across his face and he slapped her. Rahne swallowed hard, she glared at him. As he pointed his gun back at her, she realized there was nothing much more that she could do.
"Lady Moira," he said with more than a hint of sarcasm, "is guilty of the crime of neglect. Due to her turning a blind eye to the rampant mutant menace, time and time again, she has created more suffering than you can imagine."
"What are ye saying?" Rahne asked him.
"Mactaggert has spent years supporting the mutant menace, turning a blind eye as it grew into a killing machine," Captain Baird explained, he closed his eyes and for a moment a look of intense anger washed over his face. "The blood shed because of her mistakes must be paid for." He stood towering over her. He took a moment to straighten his jacket and give her one final look up and down. "You seem like such a nice girl, Miss Sinclair, too bad you're not human." He aimed his gun straight at her heart. Rahne contemplated her choices. Deciding that lieing still was not the best choice, she waited till the last possible instant before leaping to the side. The bullet left a deep scar in the cement floor.
"Damn," Baird cursed softly and took aim again. This was not a game Rahne could keep up long. The guards were circling closer and her head was spinning. She had lost too much blood. She leapt to her, feet morphing to her half wolf form without even thinking. Lashing out at the nearest guard to her and the door, she left several bloody lines across his face. Crying out the man dropped his gun. Baird shot out at her, and with deft skill, she managed to duck, while delivering a low sweeping kick to another guard.
If I can just make it tae the door, find the others. He's goin' tae kill me if I don't. I canna die yet please not yet...
Bolting to the door, she was stopped less than half way there by a blow to the head from one of the guard's rife butts. Crumpling with out a sound, the next thing Rahne saw was Baird pointing his gun at her once more. She tried to move, but the room was spinning. The spot on her head where the rifle had rammed into her ached with such a fierce pain that it was a struggle to stay conscious. Rahne closed her eyes, trying to halt the spinning.
"Good bye, Rahne dear," Baird said with out emotion. Rahne held her breath, waiting for the inevitable explosion. All she could think of was a wide smile, lips that had been pressed to her own, a smile that had always warmed her heart. The gun cocked and there was a massive explosion. The wave of heat and air that passed over Rahne made her eyes pop open.
"Sam," she gasped, amazed as she saw Sam barrel full force in Baird before he had a chance to pull the trigger. Sam didn't stop until he had rammed Baird into the opposite wall.
"Rahne," Rahne heard her name called out and Dani was suddenly leaning over her, "Are you ok?"
"Aye," Rahne smiled up at her friend, "I just need a minute tae catch me breath." With that said, Rahne promptly passed out.
"Great," Dani muttered under her breath and glanced around the room as another dozen guards rushed in from the far stairwell. "Three against thirty, what wonderful odds." The guards seemed to be gathering together on the far side of the room. They stared warily at the intruders, trying to size them up before launching an attack.
Nils said nothing, but moved towards the oncoming guards. Dani watched intrigued as his mutant powers took affect. It was like his body started to uncoil.
"Nils, don't!" Dr. Majcomb shouted across the room, "You're too sick to use your powers."
Hesitating for a moment, he seemed to debate whether or not he was going to listen to her, but then he powered down. In the confusion, and thanks to the fact that her guards had decided that she wasn't the real problem at the moment, Dr. Majcomb ran across the room to join them.
"Watch Rahne," Dani told them, as she stood. At least that way maybe he'd feel somewhat useful. The guards cautiously began to move towards them. She summoned her psychic bow and took aim at the nearest group of guards. Her arrows hit with deadly accuracy and felled five at the start. She glanced over at Sam, but he was too concerned with Rahne’s assailant to offer her any help. She muttered softly under her breath and went back to her attack.
"You little mutant bastard," Baird wiped at the trail of blood that ran from his mouth. He eyed Sam up and down before taking a defensive stance, his fists raised. Sam took a step back himself, his hands were already clenched into fists and had been since he saw this monster standing over Rahne.
Throwing a wild punch at Baird, Sam eyes widened slightly as Baird side stepped it and swung in to land a fist in the middle of Sam’s stomach. A small grunt of pain escaped his lips, but he managed to swing a powerful upper cut to Baird’s jaw. The man staggered backwards, before lunging full force at Sam with a ferocity that seemed for a moment animalistic. They fell to the floor, both trying to land a hit on the other. A loud click caught Sam’s attention, but not quickly enough to warn him about the knife that had until that moment been held in a wrist guard on Baird’s arm. It did however give him enough warning to roll the side so the knife only cut into his left shoulder instead of his heart. Sam let out a sharp cry and kicked Baird away.
Baird quickly jumped back up, but then stood there for a moment trying to catch his breath. Sam managed to stumble only slightly in getting up. He chose to ignore his aching shoulder. Baird’s eyes shot to the knife now laying on the floor. Sam beat him too it and kicked it halfway across the room.
"Do you really think you’re going to make it out of here alive?" Baird sneered at him, "My men will make sure none of you get out of here, and well..." he glanced over Sam’s shoulder, "It looks like Miss Sinclair won't be walking out of here at all."
In spite of himself, Sam couldn’t stop from glancing behind him. Rahne was lying still next to Nils and Dr. Macjomb. That was all he could see before Baird hit him again, this time square across the cheek. Sam swung back, but his aim was off and he missed completely.
"So," Baird chuckled softly, "It seems you have a sweet spot for the young lass, not that I can blame you, she is a sweet girl isn’t she?"
Sam’s eyes narrowed, he let his fingers relax for a second before clenching them tighter.
"And I’m sure she’ll look lovely," he continued his voice suddenly like ice, "As I ring the life from her pretty little body. I’ll make sure her death is slow and painful, just for you. We’ll see if its your name she screams out for."
With a roar, Sam powered up again and rammed into Baird, his fist making clean contact with the other man's face, to unmercifully send the back of his head into the wall. Trying to calm down, he stood over Baird’s now unconscious form and resisted the urge to keep hitting him. He reached up to hold his now aching shoulder.
"Sam, if your done over there," Dani called out as she formed another arrow.
"Rahne.." Sam started, but Dani cut him off.
"Rahne will be fine as soon as we can get out of here," Dani shot another guard, but another took aim at her. She deftly avoid the bullet by jumping to the side. Another few whizzed past her. Sam powered up and went after a line of guards. He plowed into them easily taking them out. Suddenly the unmistakable sound of Terry's sonic scream filled the room, sending several of the unsuspecting guards to the ground.
"We leave you alone and look at the trouble you get into," Tabitha shook her head at her friends, before lobbing two time bombs at a group of guards. The force of the explosion sent several flying in different directions.
"Leave some for the rest of us, Tab," Bobby told her as he chose his own guard, delivering a nasty upper cut. The guard crumpled to the floor. Dani smiled, she should have known the others wouldn't stay away from the fun for long.
"Dr. Majcomb, how's Rahne?" Douglock asked as he knelt beside her.
"She'll be fine as long as she gets a blood transfusion, quickly." Dr. Majcomb told him, "She's lost a lot of blood, and I don’t like the look of that bump on her head. I don’t think anything's life threatening though." Douglock smiled at her, before reaching down to tenderly brush a stray lock of red hair out of Rahne’s eyes. He glanced back up to meet Dr. Majcomb’s gaze and she smiled knowingly at him.
By now most of the guards had been rendered harmless, Dani and Terry picked off the last remaining few with some help from Bobby. They all quickly reformed around the door. Douglock had picked up Rahne and was holding her as if he was afraid she would break. Sam hovered nearby looking more than concerned, though he seemed more worried about Rahne than he was about his own bloody shoulder.
"I need to get her to some kind of medical facility immediately," Dr. Majcomb said, than she gave a glance at Sam’s shoulder. "You too from the looks of it."
"Let's get out of here then," Dani said.
"Woo hoo," Tabitha laughed as she lept onto Bobby’s back, "But promise me we’ll use the front door and not the air ducts."
Terry and Dani shared long suffering looks before leading the team out of the complex.