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Making sure Leon was really out of the building Julie ran straight to the computer room where the printer spat out the pages she'd typed. She pulled on her leathers and strapped her pack, which she'd stashed there earlier, over the top. Slipping the letter into a large envelope she tucked it securely into her jacket and zipped up. After a last look around she walked to a security panel, keyed in a pin number and responded to the computer's verbal request for instructions.
"Lock entrances B to W, deactivate external Mercury mainframe access, deactivate water and gas supply, deactivate automatic explosive isolation and disarmament precautions, reduce electric supply to code blue levels and commit full government wipe of all entry-exit logs for the last 12 days."
"Understood and initiated."
As Ryan watched from the balcony above all exit points from the second level were silently locking unknown to him without the pin number. He was trapped in a building wired to explode.
Before tugging on her bike helmet Julie wiped impatiently at the tears that had fallen since Logan kissed her good-bye, there was time enough for the emotional breakdown later, why couldn't her emotions just stay squashed until she let them out? She still had to deliver Ryan's letter before she left for London with Leon.
Pulling a radio timer from her pocket she keyed in 5:00 pressed ok and ran for her life out the unlocked front door.
Meghan glanced behind her to make sure Private Sampson had followed her order to run. She saw him run and jump behind the broken communication’s transmitter just in time to avoid being shot in the back.
Her heart pounding Meghan turned back and continued firing at the approaching Tracers. More of them had arrived and all this activity was draining the little strength she’d gained.
Suddenly the Tracers stopped in their tracks and stopped firing. The leader of the Tracers stepped up and stood before his men.
“Meghan O’Leary!” he shouted. “It is over. There are only a handful of your soldiers left. I promise I will not destroy them if you give your life for them. They will survive. If you do not, my men will hunt them down one by one and they will feel excruciating pain before they die, this I promise.”
Meghan thought over the Tracers offer, “How do I know you’re telling the truth? After you kill me, what’s to prevent you from changing your mind and killing them anyway!”
The tracer smirked, “You will just have to trust me.”
Meghan looked behind her. She saw a few of her soldiers’ looking in her direction. They were shaking their heads, telling her to not do this, to not give her life for them. They would fight the last one.
Meghan felt the weight of the decision she had to make. If Maksim were here she knew he’d tell her to fight, to not give up. But she was so tired and weak. She could hardly move, as it was, then she thought of Logan. She loved him so much, she didn’t want to die and leave him. But she was also the leader of her people; she had to do everything she could to make sure they survived. She made her decision. Meghan blocked out everything, Logan, her love for him, Maksim and their close friendship.
“All right,” she said, “I’ll come out, but on one condition.”
“And what condition is that?” asked the Tracer.
“You let my soldiers walk away right now, without being harmed,” replied Meghan.
“No, after you are dead they will be taken into custody.”
“The deal is, you let them go and then, and only then, do I come out,” reiterated Meghan, her weapon pointed in dead center at the Tracer’s chest. “If you don’t accept my condition, you’ll be the first one to die. My weapon is pointed right at you. There’s no way I would miss or that you could get away before I shot you.”
The Tracers stiffened his relaxed stance and an angry look appeared in his eyes.
“All right, your condition is accepted,” he said then turned to his men. “Let the unclean ones leave.” The Tracer removed his glasses and his men saw his yellow eyes, which told them to do the opposite of his instructions.
Suspicious, Meghan called out, “You and your men must throw down your weapons and step away from them!”
The Tracer twirled around and shouted back, “No! We will not do that. Your soldiers would come out shooting.”
“No they won’t. My soldiers follow orders. If I tell them to leave, they’ll leave, without firing a shot,” said Meghan. “That’s the deal, take it or leave it.”
“Very well,” replied the Tracers and he nodded to his men to throw their dart guns on the ground.
“Come on, you too,” said Meghan.
The Tracer jerked his weapon out of the holster and angrily threw it to the ground.
“Very good, now step back. Private Sampson! Lead our people out. You are in charge until Major Maksim returns. Is that understood soldier?”
Private Sampson looked at her and shouted back, “Yes Commander.”
“Then go. Take them to the sanctuary.”
Private Sampson nodded again and stood up. He started walking away from the Tracers. As he passed hiding places, other immortals stood and followed him.
Meghan kept her eye on the Tracers. She one bend and reach for his weapon. She fired her Crystal weapon and hit the dart gun, making it vanish.
“Ah, ah, ah, I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” she said.
The Tracer jumped back away from the red ray. He knew that if he’d been anyway close to it, that if even a tiny red spot had touched him, he would have vanished like his weapon had.
As the last of the soldiers disappeared out of sight around the building, the Tracer leader called out, “All right, they’re gone. Come out now. Your time as come to be terminated, Unclean One.”
Meghan breathed a sigh; her people were safe for the moment. She knew the Tracer would not keep his word, but she at least had given her soldiers enough time to get away, to live so they could find a way to either destroy all the Tracers or make peace with them. As soon as all the soldiers had disappeared around the building they met up with Maksim and Logan, who had arrived during Meghan’s negotiating with the Tracer leader.
Where he'd entered the second level instead of an archway there was a huge steel door! All he could think about was the five-minute fuse, the bombs all over the building, the strange window of light he'd seen the two men enter in the lab and never seeing Julie again.
He was afraid.
Giving up and running down the hall he threw open every door that wasn't locked, not one room had an exit! Opening the last door revealed a glass-fronted bedroom, through the window he could see Julie running toward Leon, a car and her motorbike. Logan had said she was good, that she fixed things and helped people, why couldn't he have trusted her!
He had to get out and tell her he trusted her, that he was sorry and that he knew she was good.
He threw a chair at the window only to see it bounce off without even causing a crack broke him. It was to late, he couldn’t get out without the access codes for the computer, and the building was build like a fort. As he dropped to his knees and looked out the window he whispered the one word that could give him any comfort.
"Julie."
Julie's whole body froze; she'd heard Ryan's voice filled with despair calling her name as if he stood next to her. Ahead, Leon was yelling at her, she could see his lips moving and knew words were coming out but she wasn't in the same world as him anymore, she was with Ryan.
He was upstairs watching her!
Spinning around, Julie saw him slumped against the window of the second floor bedroom, he straightened and stood as their eyes locked. They were connected!
She dropped her pack and ran, in moments she was through the front door. Ryan's panicked voice sounded in her mind.
"What are you doing? There isn't enough time, get out Julie!"
"Run to the blast door, I'll have is open in seconds."
On the second floor she heard rhythmic pounding as he ran down the observation catwalk.
"What's going on Julie? Why can I hear you? Why can I see what you're seeing?" He sounded calmer now, like he was reassured by seeing her calm unhurried actions.
"I don't know, I think it's because I love you."
He was absolutely silent as she ripped the cover off the computer access panel and franticly keyed in her pin number. The door slowly began to lift. Ryan threw himself on the floor and squeezed through as soon as he could. He grabbed her hand and bolted for the front door, now he had her he wasn't letting go.
"No way am I letting you forget you said that Jules! I love you too."
"Shut up and run!" was her less than flowery response.
Julie knew that they had less than five seconds left, if they could just get that little bit further the blast would throw them clear.
Ryan had just reached where she wanted them both to be when she felt the explosions' heat hit her back.
Maksim and Logan stepped from their cover, Logan was ready to run but Maks shot out an arm to hold him back. "Let her go, Tracer!" he shouted into the silence. It was an eerie sensation seeing her walk across the square to them, with no sound about her and the wind blowing every which way. His voice echoed into the vacuum.
"Ah, Major Maksim Kohl I believe," the Tracer answered with a forbidding smile.
"Elusive it seems until now."
"Not elusive Tracer - you just couldn't catch me!" Maks threw back at him, stepping forward with Logan at his side. He repeated his initial command. "Let Meghan go!"
"She has surrendered herself to us, there is very little you can do."
Meghan saw Logan flinch at the words, she saw his eyes, couldn't look away from him. It seemed as though he was expressing everything to her in one look, she wondered how she was ever going to give him up. Then looked away, knowing she had to die for her people's sake.
"Meghan?" Maksim looked at her, she refused to turn her head to face him or Logan. She simply nodded, and that simple action said it all. Logan knew he was losing her.
"You see Major Kohl, she is mine now. Without her your people won't survive, they will perish if she is not there to lead them." The Tracer said, laughter in his voice. He was mocking them. But he was also underestimating them, for Maksim understood the strength of his race, knew that they would survive anything if they had to.
"Meghan!" Logan shouted then, thwarting her determination. The sound of his voice filled her with a new found strength; she lifted her head high at the call, turning to face him yet again. She knew what she had to do.
"Tracer, I will fight you, just you and I." She called.
Logan closed his eyes, fear coursing through him at her declaration.
"You will lose." The Tracer scoffed.
"Tracer, I never lose." She stated arrogantly. "You should know that by now."
A blow to his manhood it seemed, for he stepped forward from his followers, into the square. "I will fight you." He threw off his coat, "And I will win." He threatened.
Meghan smiled slightly, adopting a defensive stance and outstretching her hand to him, "Come on," she motioned, switching the motion of her hand into something altogether more threatening.
They fought, blow for blow, often she found herself on the ground but equally as often he found himself at her mercy. The fight was exhilarating and it was only Logan's on looking eyes that kept her strength from dissipating. She fought for him, he prayed for her.
Eventually she found her ethics at war with her duty. She sat astride his chest, her hand pressed against his throat. Maksim shouted at her to complete the job, but she couldn't do it. She flipped herself back on to her feet, just as a dart sailed through the air. It struck her upper arm. She glanced down at it then at its firer, and finally at Logan. It was Logan's name she whispered as she sank to the floor, her strength lost again.
"Meghan!" Logan shouted, breaking free of Maksim's hold. He ran to her and held her up from the ground as effectively as he could. Her eyes sought his, pleading for him to help. Maksim came behind him, the antidote in his hand.
"Use it!" Maksim shouted as fear ingratiated in every movement he made. He turned angry eyes on the Tracer's. Ready to pounce.
"No." Meghan whispered, loud enough for him to hear.
The first thing Ryan saw when he came-to was Leon sitting under a tree with Julie's upper body pulled across his lap, he talked to her in gentle French, tears slowly falling down his cheeks.
Ryan felt a stab of panic in his chest Julie was hurt. Finding himself at her side in a flash, she tilted her head smiled at him then laced her fingers with his. When she moved her arm he saw a massive slash down her front, there was no way to get the help she needed in time. Julie was bleeding to death.
"I remember the first time a saw you, I had been following Danny's actions for some time and through him we'd discovered you. No one was sure if you were trustworthy but after two seconds of watching you, I knew. You have an inner light girly, something inside you shines. I can't remember if I've ever told you how much I love you." Leon stroked her cheek tenderly.
Julie smiled at him and in hushed tones began to speak. It was clearly an effort. Ryan listened to them; he felt bad for understanding their private conversation but needed to hear it all. He knew Julie would tone things down for him, to try to protect him from hurt. "Promise me something old man, take my man here with you to London. Train him in everything, clean up Mercury, oh and dispose of Gaspard, this is his entire fault! Leon I'm begging you to make sure that Ryan doesn’t blame himself for this, my death isn't his fault or yours."
She began to cough violently, it took effort to control but she did it.
"I'm sorry that I've been such a pain lately," trying to smile she ended up sobbing and tears trickled down her face, "I just didn't comprehend what to do, I wanted to make everyone happy but I had to protect myself. I'm sorry that I broke the rules and put us all in danger, I'm so sorry Leon..."
"Shhh, none of that matters now."
"I love you Leon, you are the only father I've ever known."
Ryan bit his bottom lip hard she was so brave! Julie took a deep breath and attempted to prop herself up, both men reached for her and held her between them.
"Look at me surrounded by beautiful men, what more could a girl want?" She talked in English now. "Thank you for loving me Ryan, I needed it to feel whole again. After this is over, you need to go with Leon so you'll be safe, he'll tell you everything you need to know. If you ever have questions, Leon knows me inside out!"
"This is so unfair, we haven't had any time." Ryan couldn't talk above a whisper; he could hardly breathe it hurt so much.
"All you need to know is I love you." Her tears ran constantly now, giving into her body's shock she leant against Ryan, her hands tensed further as she shook, instead of easing away like the other tremors, this bout continued and got steadily worse.
"Good-bye you two." She whispered.
Together Leon and Ryan held her tightly until the shaking stopped.
"Leave them Maksim, they will know soon enough that they cannot win." Meghan whispered, then turned her gaze to meet Logan's. "You came for me." She said, slowly, with a small smile gracing her lips. All she could manage, the serum coursing through her veins was making her weaker by the second.
"How could I not?" Logan replied, "I love you." He touched the pads of his fingers to her cheeks, embedding the feel of her smile into his skin. He took his hand away then, unsheathing the syringe that Maksim put in his hand.
"The antidote, you did It." she stated, pride infusing her words.
"It might not work." He answered, bringing the point of the needle to her arm, praying that it would do its job and deliver her to him unharmed.
"You'll make it work." She answered, her faith in him immense. She gasped as she felt the needle break the skin of her forearm. Logan pressed down and they both watched as the liquid emptied into her. "I wanted you to know, before this, that I love you. I want to tell you like this, I didn't want it to be hurried"
"Ssshh, it's okay sweetheart, I know, I've always known." Logan reassured her.
"I think I'll love you forever." She whispered smiling at the irony. Forever didn't seem very long at that moment. Logan's heart was breaking; she looked so weak, so lost.
"Is it working?"
"Maksim." Meghan smiled, outstretching her hand to him. "My brother."
"Always." He replied, crouching down at her side, taking her hand and clasping it between both his own. Meghan felt happier then, in no way alone because she had the two people who mattered most to her at her side.
"I won't let you go Meghan, I'll never let you go!" Logan's voice cracked as he spoke.
"You won't have to, the antidote will work." Maksim stated, as though the word were all that was needed to make the antidote do its job.
"It’s better." Meghan said, as she closed here eyes.
"No Meghan, don't close your eyes, look at me!" Logan ordered gently, letting go of her hand to lift her from the ground and more fully into his lap. Silence settled yet again around them. Meghan remained motionless.
Maksim jumped to his feet, rage turned yet again on the Tracers who had taken his sister, his best friend. Logan remained on the floor, hugging Meghan to him, his forehead touching hers, rocking back and forth. His tears fell freely, coming to rest on her face. Meghan's eyes fluttered open, and her skin blistered slightly as the antidote began aggressively eradicated the poison inside her body. Her eyes rolled as she started shaking uncontrollably.
Maksim’s eyes turned murderous and thinking the antidote wasn’t working, he surreptitiously signaled the other soldiers to be ready to attack.
“You should not have shot her, Tracer,” he hissed, contemptuously.
“She gave herself up for her people. She knew she was to die,” replied the Tracer as he backed away from Maksim’s approach.
"Maks, no." Meghan's voice sounded, she was weak but she couldn't let Maksim continue the war, to do so would have been wrong. "Leave them..." Her faith in Logan's antidote was strong enough that even while she felt as though she were dying she believed in him. Maksim seemed deaf to her plea though and stalked further forward; with every step he took anger seemed to emanate from him. The Tracers recognized this and reacted to it, fearing what the infamous Major Maksim Kohl could do to them. He was not known for his merciful soul. And if there were one thing that these people all knew about him it was that he never gave up, and that he was fiercely protective of his leader.
Meghan gasped, her breath gurgling in her throat. "I'm not letting you leave, damnit Meghan don't leave me!" Logan willed.
And suddenly it seemed simpler, she could breathe, could hear the love in Logan's voice as he willed her to live. She wasn't dying. The antidote was working! She tried to speak, but her voice wouldn't come so she outstretched her hand to touch Logan's cheek, brush away the tear that had fallen. "It's okay..." She mimed and confusion clouded his eyes, then joy. Immense joy lit up his face as he hugged her closer to his chest.
Maksim was blind to them, couldn't see that Meghan was fighting, that the antidote was working. All he could see was the blood red anger and the Tracers that had taken away the only person in his life who had ever really mattered. He drew his crystal weapon from its holder and turned it to them.
"Maksim!" Logan shouted, but Maks couldn't hear, rage roaring in his ears. Meghan pleaded with Logan to do something, she couldn't bear to see Maksim so out of control. It wasn't right. Logan lifted her and with a supporting arm drew her to the length of his body. She was weak but she could stand.
They made their way to Maksim, and only when they stood between him and the Tracers did he really see them. "It's okay, Meghan's okay." Logan said gently, years of experience with similar situations coming to use. Meghan smiled as though to reinforce his words. "Leave them Maks." She mimed, still unable to speak.
"Please!" Meghan begged.
Logan made eye contact with Maksim, without a doubt he knew what was about to happen. He'd seen that look in Julie's eyes, specifically as he saw her hunt down a child killer, it meant business. He'd thought it was unique to Jules, he wished it was unique to her, because if he wasn't mistaken the animal inside Maks had just taken over. Besides the obvious physical differences, Maks looked exactly like Jules at that moment, the essence of the pair was identical, pure warrior.
"It's pointless Meghan, he isn't here anymore." She accepted the fact with quiet understanding.
The Tracers had all been instinctively retreating since he'd arrived, hearing that comment gave them a real reason to do so.
"Die impure one." Turning the Tracer motto on them, Maksim fired and the leader disappeared.
True to the form of all bullies, without a leader and facing a real challenge the other Tracers went to pieces. It was complete madness; some even turned weapons on themselves, but most simply ran.
The war was over.
“Ryan, help me carry Julie into the car,” Leon instructed. Ryan was still overcome with grief and could not believe that Julie was dead. “Come, quickly, before the fire fighters and police come, ” Leon reminded Ryan again when he did not respond.
Leaving the entire mansion engulf in flames, they sped away in Leon’s car. Soon, they came into the view of Leon’s house in the woods. It was very remote and carefully hidden from sight.
“Come, place Julie inside this capsule before it’s too late...........” Leon said with urgency.
“What the...what is this?” Ryan exclaimed.
“I don’t have the time to explain, do it first and we’ll talk later...”
The capsule closed automatically once Julie was placed inside it. A distinct click indicated that the capsule was sealed and secure. In addition, a blue light surrounded the exterior of the capsule.
“I know you’re confused right now and wondering what is going on. Julie is not dead and she’s not going to die.............” Leon said mysteriously as he drank his tea.
“I don’t understand. Julie’s heart stopped and she stopped breathing. I examined her carefully.” Ryan said in disbelief.
“Let me explain. The capsule is a device that helps Julie retain her body temperature and protect her from external interference. Nobody can open the capsule or destroy it. It’s impenetrable. Not even I can open it. The blue light is in fact a laser beam that destroys anything that touches it. Even if you manage to de-activate the beam, the capsule itself is electrically charged on the outside as it is made of a natural alloy that captures the electrical energy in the air. No one can touch the capsule without getting electrocuted. However, the rest is up to Julie.................” Leon explained.
“What do you mean?” Ryan questioned.
“Julie is recuperating as we speak. This is the first occasion that I have to resort to such means as she usually heals from her injuries in a matter of seconds. I have never seen her so seriously injured except for the last time. Ryan, you must brace yourself. Julie is immortal. She has no knowledge of it.”
Though slightly shocked, Ryan was not particularly horrified with the events that had transpired. With Leon’s revelation, a ray of hope grew in Ryan and he prayed that Julie would wake up soon. As long as Julie was alive, nothing else mattered.
