by Neko » Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:43 pm
Chapter 2
“The firemen have put out the fire, but they couldn’t salvage much.”
I don’t know if Logan was listening to what the policeman was saying. I heard him talking, but the words didn’t seem to sink in. As soon as he’d left I couldn’t recall a word that he’d said. We went straight to the police station after the incident, but we reported it as an accident and the van exploded.
Each of us had already called out parents saying we’d been in an accident and we were all OK. Logan’s Dad wasn’t glad to hear that the van had been torched. It seemed mutual that we’d left out the part about a supposed cartoon character mistaking our ride for his enemy. None us of had said anything to each other sense coming to the police station and were quietly sitting on a bench outside the sheriff’s office.
I sat with my elbows on my knees, staring down at the tiled floor. The events of that night repeating over and over in my mind. A pair of hands holding a cup of coffee entered my line of vision, startling me out of my daze.
I looked up and saw a policeman standing there smiling sympathetically at me.
“You look like you need something hot,” he said kindly offering me the cup. I looked around and saw everyone was sipping mildly at similar cups. I took it gratefully and took a big swig. I hate straight coffee with a passion, but at that moment feeling as I did it was the best coffee I ever tasted. “You all get in touch with your folks?”
He was a young man in his earlier thirties and had light brown hair neatly combed back.
“Yeah,” I said, though no one else answered.
“Has a paramedic taken a look at you guys yet?”
“Yeah,” Kevin said. “We’re all A-OK, save for Nattily’s bruised shin.”
It didn’t hurt. I had a bump on my left leg. The paramedics said to keep off it as much as I could and it should clear up in a week or so. The policeman left after assuring us that we would be released just as soon as the paper work was filled out. For that we had to wait for the Sheriff who had to be called from home, had arrived a few minutes ago, disappeared into his office, and hadn’t been out to see us yet. We all sat in our plastic seats aligned against the wall, numb and quiet. I drained the rest of my coffee and tossed the foam cup into a nearby trash bin.
As we sat there quietly I heard the sheriff’s voice from his office. I was the closet to the door so I leaned over and put my ear to the wood and listened.
“What’re you doing Nattily?” Steve asked.
“Shh!” I hushed.
“Sorry,” he said.
“SHHHH!” I repeated.
Steve said nothing and I turned my attention back to the door. The sheriff’s voice was soft, but steady.
“….just a bunch of kids, sir,” He said. ”They’re all fine: Bumped, bruised, and shaken, but all right.”
Here he paused for a long while.
“Washington state sir,” He said. “They say they were in Portland for a convention or something and were heading home when it happened…………….. Yes we’re sure it was him. The kids didn’t say anything (said it was a car accident where they’re car just happened to burst into flames), but we had a report from our sky spy that happened to sweep the area at the time and we have several surveillance photos the sky spy took. The Air team was notified and they’re tracking him now. I’ve not received any report from them and I’m not sure of they’ve made contact with the enemy yet………………………..”
I pulled my ear away from the door, my heart in my throat. I looked over at the others who were in turn looking at me, perhaps hoping for some clue as to when we would get out of there. When he saw my face Kevin got up from his chair and kneeled down next to me.
“What is it Nat’?” he asked.
“The Sheriff…he’s….”I took three larger breathes to regain my composure. “He knows it wasn’t an accident! He knows about the Transformer! He said something about surveillance photos and a sky spy and….and…and an air team…It’s like sort of conspiracy!”
Kevin stared at my face for a long moment before standing up and looking at the others.
“I think we should go,” He said quietly. Jacki looked at me and Kevin.
“We can’t just leave,” She said. “They have our ID’s, they’ll find us!”
“And besides, t...they have to be the g…good guys right?” Steve stammered.
I shook my head.
“I don’t care,” I said. “I want to go home; I don’t want any part of this.”
“Are we in agreement?” Kevin said as he scanned each of our faces. “Logan?”
“It would look bad if we just split…” He said. “If you guys don’t wanna be here go, but I’m not. It was my car…”
“Logan,” I pleaded. “Please, let’s go…”
Logan didn’t say anything, but kept his head down and was silent. Kevin grabbed my arm and helped me up. Jacki came up beside me and held my hand. Steve pushed himself up with some effort and ambled over to us. Together we sat there looking down at Logan, faintly hoping he’d change his mind. When it became evident that he wasn’t coming, we turned and starter walking.
We made it to the front door when a noise made us freeze. The door to the bathroom had opened and a policeman walked out. He looked up and waved at us cheerfully. We returned the gesture and quickly walked out the station and out onto the dark streets.
Kevin and Steve walked beside Jacki and I as we made our way farther and farther down the street. I felt bad about Logan. Who knows what was going through his head. He’d always been a fragile minded boy as long as I’d known him. He must think he’s going mad. I may very well be going mad and imagine the Sheriff saying all those things, but nevertheless. I didn’t feel safe there at all and simply wanted to start walking until I arrived tired, happy, and safe at my front porch.
We must have walked a good three blocks before I noticed it. The Humming…it was back. I squeezed Jacki’s hand.
“What is it Nattily?” She asked.
“That Humming,” I said.
“I hear it too,” Kevin said not looking around, but keeping his head straight ahead.
“Yeah,” Steve added.
“Oh god,” Jacki breathed. “I hear it too…where’s it coming from?”
We walked stiffly onward, keeping our ears peeled trying to pin point exactly where the humming was coming from. I felt ill with anxiety. My legs felt like Jello and my arms felt weak. As I listened the humming changed slightly.
“There’s two now,” Kevin announced. “One above and one behind us...maybe a car. No one look around. Just follow me.”
“Oh god,” Jacki panted gripping my arm harder. “Mary full of grace…”
“This is **** up,” Steve sneered.
When we neared a convenience store Kevin steered us inside. The man at the counter gave a smile and went back to his newspaper and we all dispersed and walked through the various aisles. Kevin went to the back and got a beer. Jacki went straight to the bathroom and Steve sorted through the magazines. I walked down the candy aisles watching through the window as a red sports car pulled into a parking spot facing the store. In the front seat was a young white man about Kevin’s age. Just as I was thinking he might be a hologram or something he moved. He bent over the seat and retrieved a magazine and began to read. My heart calmed and I rejoined the others as they accumulated near the counter. Steve was eating a hot dog and Kevin had a large can of beer in one hand and a pack of Tylenol in the other.
“So?” He asked me.
“A red sports car pulled into the parking lot but there’s a guy inside,” I said.
“Doesn’t matter,” Kevin said. “It could still be them.”
“Why are they following us?” Jacki asked. “What do you think they want?”
“I dunno,” Steve said through a mouthful of hot dog. “But we should get moving.”
I turned to the cashier.
“Do you have a back entrance?” I asked.
The cashier looked at me, surprised at my request. Then he looked at us with a suspicious glance.
“What for?” He asked. “What’s wrong with the front?”
Kevin pushed me aside, and took over, much to my annoyance.
“I had an argument with my Dad earlier today and I ran off,” He lied. “I think he might be following me.”
“Why don’t you go to the police?” He asked.
“We did, but they just said they’d look into it and shooed us away,” Kevin was a very convincing liar.
After eyeing us a few more moments the cashier nodded. He walked from behind the counter and motioned us to follow. He led us into the back, past boxes and boxes of snacks and cases of beer. I caught sight of the door and felt a wave of relief sweep through me.
“Here you go man,” The cashier said and opened it up. As we all filed past he gave us all encouraging smiles. “Good luck guys.”
“Thank you,” I said.
The back door led us to an ally way. One way led to the street we had come from while the other led to a Mall.
“C’mon,” Kevin issues us down towards the mall. There were no cars out as the Mall’s parking complex came into view. As we walked through the orange light of the street lamps I felt a lump in my throat. This was crazy. In a matter of hours my entire reality had taken a sharp 180 turn and now I found myself in some Oregon town, without my purse, phone, and the like. My Parents must be rigid with worry. As I began to feel panic settle in and tears start to form in my eyes I noticed Jacki go stiff.
“That car from the parking lot,” She said so quietly that I almost didn’t hear her. “I think it’s following us!”
“There’s no humming though,” Steve said. He was right. The humming was gone. In fact it had been gone since we entered the convenience store.
We were nearing the entrance to the parking complex when I saw the faint glow of head lights approaching. Sure enough the red sports car from earlier drove passed us and started to turn into the parking complex.
“Scatter on three,” Kevin said in a low, warning voice.
“Huh?” Steve, Jacki and I all said at once. There wasn’t time for an answer though. As the sports car stopped in the entrance, blocking the sidewalk, Kevin pushed away and ran.
“THREE!”
Without question we all scattered. I saw Steve run across the street but not where the others went. I jumped the hedges lining the complex perimeter and ran into the parking complex. Heart pounding into my ears and my leg aching, I bounded down the rows of empty parking spaces. When I heard the rev of an engine I felt like my heart might just stop there and then. I urged my legs faster and made it to the elevator and pressed the button furiously. When the doors didn’t open immediately, I abandoned that idea and bounded up the stairs the sound of a car engine fresh in my ears. As I made my way up the stairs I felt my energy draining fast. My shin was sore and with every step of my left leg it gave a strong pulse of pain that shot up my whole leg. While turning to start on the next flight of stairs I saw the red sports car coming up the slope from the lower levels.
‘He’s following me!’ I screamed in my mind. ‘Why? Why? Why? Go after Steve he’s slow!’
Thinking back on it now I felt kind of guilty for wishing that on Steve, but at the time with the terror I felt I would have thought any number of things. After two more flights an idea came to me. I slowed my ascent and made sure that the sports car got ahead of me. As it came up the slope and zoomed to the other end of the level to the slope that lead to the next level, I doubled back to the last level and ran to the elevator. I pressed the button again and again and finally the doors parted just in tome for me to see the red sports car coming back down. I rushed inside and I saw the Car stop at the elevator as the doors closed. When the elevator began descending I pushed the emergency stop button. Immediately everything stilled.
Out of breath and sore, I leaned against the wall and slid to the floor.
“****…” I cried running the lump on my leg. Suddenly all the past anxiety, fear, and worry caught up and I began to sob. I didn’t even try and collect myself at all; just let everything out. By the time my tears ran dry, my shirt was speckled with tears and my eyes were red and puffy. I started to worry about Jacki and Kevin and Steve. They must have gotten away since the sports car came after me; which made sense seeing as he…it…whatever…was already poise to enter the parking complex. I felt stupid, I felt scared, but mostly I felt tired. Incredibly drained of every kind of energy your body could possible have. And I had to go to the bathroom. I began to wish I’d gone while in the Convenience store.
Suddenly the elevator gave a jerk and began to ascend. I got up and began to push the emergency stop button, but to no avail.
“Oh no,” I panicked. “Oh no, oh no, oh no! ****!”
I hit the control panel in frustration and pain shot up my arm. I leaned against the control panel and made myself as small as possible in an effort to hide where there really wasn’t any such place. The elevator slowed and stopped. My heart started to pound. The doors opened…
I didn’t move. I clenched my eyes tight and held my breath.
“C’mon out sweetie,” A voice called. “We know you’re in there. We can see you in the surveillance camera.”
I didn’t move. I tightened up.
“We just want to talk, I promise,” Another voice called.
I heard a strange noise and suddenly a giant head popped through the open elevator doors and looked right at me.
“ We’re not going to hurt you,” It said.
I screamed at the top of my lungs and pushed myself as far from the doors as possible.
I must have startled him because he jumped, hitting his head on the ceiling.
“Ouch!”
“You slag head!” The first voice said. The giant head disappeared back through the doors. “You’re not helping!”
There was a sharp noise of jets and another voice spoke.
“Cool it!” The new voice said sounding rather cranky. ”Both of you are useless. Simple assignment and you manage to screw it up!”
“How do you purpose to get her out then,” The first voice asked, sounding put off. “Mr. Great human catcher?”
“Shut up,” The cranky voice said. “Watch.
“Look kid, we haven’t got all night. All your buddies are all in custody and are being taken to HQ. You can be little miss drama queen and force us to get you out by force, or you can do us a favor, make our job slightly easier, and just walk your little chassis out here. What’s it gonna be?”
“Ooooh,” Said the second voice. “A vendetta!”
“Quite you.” Cranky snapped. “What’s it gonna be girly?”
Shaking like a leaf I stood, using the wall as a support. Slowly I turned and looked out. I saw three faces staring at me. I retreated back into the elevator, trying to calm my nerves.
“This is stupid!” Cranky voice said. “That’s it-“
“Wait,” The first voice said. “Let me try.
“What’s you’re name sweetie?”
Should I answer? They were trying to get me to come out. I certainly didn’t want to stay in the elevator all night. So I complied.
“Nattily,” I said.
“Ok Nattily,” The voice said sweetly. “My names Bluestreak. The one with the big head is Sideswipe and grumpy here is Jetfire.”
“You’re Autobots?” I said.
There was a long silence.
“I wasn’t expecting that…”I heard Sideswipe say.
“Yes, we are,” Bluestreak replied. “How did you know?”
“Anyone who was a kid in the 80’s knows who you are,” I said. I was beginning to calm down and started to have a little fun.
“Oh Primus not another one!” Jetfire droned. “Whatever possessed Prime to agree to let the humans do that god awful cartoon? It’s kicking us in the shaft now.”
“Are you ready to come out now?” Bluestreak asked. “Nattily?”
I breathed deeply.
“Ok,” I said so quietly that I heard Sideswipe say ‘What’d she say?’. I just turned around and with a good burst of will power, and walked out. I almost fainted when I saw how big they were. When I saw Starscream I was in shock, but I was well over shock now. Bluestreak was indeed blue. He had a kind sort of face. Sideswipe was standing behind him leaning on one leg looking down at me. He’d been the red sports car following us all along. Jetfire was standing aloft looking rather annoyed: Maybe because his tactic didn’t work.
“That a girl!” Bluestreak said. “You can go now Jetfire, we can take it from here.”
“Good!” He said. With a swift turn, much like how Starscream did, he jumped and transformed and hovered a moment.
“Remember to file your report to me when this is all sorted through.” He said and with then was gone in a burst of his jets.
Sideswipe sighed and stood at his full height.
“What a grouch,” He said. “You’d think he’d enjoy the time outside.”
Bluestreak shook his head and returned his gaze to me.
“Ok,” He said. “Now we can get going.”
“Can I ask where exactly?” I asked nervously.
“You may ask,” Sideswipe replied playfully. “But we reserve the right to not answer.”
He must have found this joke amusing, but Bluestreak didn’t seem to and I wasn’t quite in the mood for humor.
“We have strict orders to bring you and your companions to our base,” He said simply. “Where the base is, we’re not at liberty to disclose that information.”
“Oh,” I said. “This all has to do with Starscream attacking us right?”
Bluestreak smiled.
“I could tell you were a sharp one,” He commented. “And yes, it does.”
