NEW! The Lightning Strike - Part Four (ATWT/Nuke/Angels Lie)
Title: The Lightning Strike - Part Four
What It Is: Oneshot/Songfic/"Angels Lie" 'verse
Rating: R for language, content
Prompt: Still another sequel to “Angels Lie”!
Disclaimer: Don’t own ‘em. Don’t make no money.
link
***
The Lightning Strike - Part Four
“Just hold on a damn minute,” Luke says angrily. “Colonel Mayer is here? In this hospital?”
Casey stares at him. “Duh. Where did you think he was?”
“Gee, I don’t know. STATESVILLE?” Luke bellows.
There’s a crash behind the counter as a startled Marvella drops the lid of the coffee urn.
“You okay, Miss Olsen?” Turo calls.
“Just fine,” she answers, glaring at Luke. “You boys need a refill?’
“Mmmm.” Turo chokes down another swallow of coffee. “We’re good, Ma’am.”
Marvella goes back to her cleaning, and Luke lowers his voice. “Jack said the Colonel was in custody,” he hisses at Casey. “I may not have picked up everything he said the other night, but I’m pretty sure I remember that little detail.”
Casey ignores his sarcasm. “The son of a bitch is in custody. He’s in custody up on the fourth floor.”
“What the hell is he doing there?” Luke’s voice rises again.
“Dunno.” Casey shrugs. “Ask your boyfriend.”
Luke stares at him. “What?”
“Hello?” Casey reaches over and raps Luke’s forehead with his knuckles. “Your boyfriend? The great and powerful Doctor Reid Oliver?”
“Reid’s not my-” Luke hesitates. “Okay, technically we haven’t broken up…” He rubs his forehead. “Never mind. What’s Reid got to do with it?”
“When Noah turned his father in, he had a head injury. The Colonel, not Noah. Ergo, he’s Doctor Oliver’s patient. That’s the dude I was telling you about,” Casey adds to Turo.
“Brain surgeon guy?” Turo’s lip curls in distaste, and not just at the coffee. “Yeah, I figured.”
“Wait.” Luke rubs his forehead again. “Reid is treating Colonel Mayer?”
“Sure is. My mom wanted to throw Colonel Crackers back in Statesville, but Doctor Oliver said he had sustained a traumatic brain injury.” Casey rolls his eyes and makes air quotes at the term. “And he couldn’t possibly be moved for at least 48 hours. He ordered a bunch of tests and shit.”
Luke sputters helplessly, and Casey nods. “Yeah, that’s what I said. Chris tried to override him, but Doctor Oliver got in his grill and wouldn’t back down. Said the Colonel was his patient, so he got the final say. To be fair,” Casey adds, “he did say that if they wanted the Colonel to live long enough to stand trial, they had to treat his injuries. But still, why here? They have doctors in the joint. I can attest to that myself.” Casey gives up on his half-drunk coffee and tosses the cup in the tiny trash can.
“So let me get this straight,” Luke says. He can feel the rage pounding in his temples. “Noah’s in a room on the second floor and his father’s in a room on the fourth floor? Is he being guarded?”
“No, dude.” It’s Casey’s turn to be sarcastic. “There’s no guard on the crazed cop killer, just a trail of breadcrumbs to Noah’s room and a sign on the door that says ‘Please kidnap your son again.’ Of course, he’s being guarded. And Jack’s got at least two uniforms outside Noah’s room 24/7.”
“But this other guy, the Colonel’s cellmate, he’s still at large?”
“That’s the 411.”
“This is insane!” Luke bursts out. “Doesn’t Reid understand what the Colonel’s done?”
“Hey, he’s your boyfriend. You go talk to him.” Casey’s phone chirps again, and he peers down at the screen. “Got it!” He punches a few keys, then holds it up to Turo. “Is this the guy you saw?”
Luke peers over Turo’s shoulder as he squints at the screen. It’s a standard police booking photo, with front and side shots. The young man in the picture stares sullenly into the camera. He’s got close-cropped hair and pale, predatory eyes. Luke feels a shiver run down his spine.
“Creepy,” he says.
“Tell me about it,” Casey replies. “It says something about a guy when the damn Army kicks him out for playing too rough.”
Luke feels his unease grow. “Is that what happened to Maloney?”
Casey nods. “Dishonorable discharge. I overhead my parents talking about it. Well?” he asks Turo impatiently.
Turo frowns. “Dunno. Like I said, he kind of hid his face behind the flowers."
“Sure, he probably did that on purpose. What color was his hair? The description here says red.” Casey taps the screen with this fingernail.
Turo shakes his head. “He was wearing a baseball cap.”
Case snaps his fingers in triumph. “See? It’s a disguise.”
“Maybe.” Turo peers closer at the screen and gnaws at his lower lip. “Dammit. I’m just not sure.”
“What if-” Casey breaks off. “Wait, there he is!”
Turo turns as the delivery guy in the green coverall walks past the coffee shop, heading toward the freight elevator. Once again, he’s carrying the enormous bouquet of flowers, obscuring his face.
Turo stares at the man. “That’s not him.”
Casey slumps in his chair. “Well, it was worth-”
“No, I mean that’s not him.” Turo grabs Casey’s arm. “That’s not the guy I saw earlier.”
“What?”
“This guy’s taller,’” Turo whispers urgently. “And his hair’s grey.”
“What the hell?” Luke asks.
A second figure walks by, also heading toward the freight elevator. This one’s dressed in scrubs and a doctor’s coat. He’s thin and has reddish hair. Turo stabs his finger as the man disappears down the hall.
“That’s the guy I saw!”
“So who’s the guy wearing the uniform-” Casey breaks off and turns to Luke.
They both speak at the same time. “The Colonel.”
“Shit!” Casey swears.
All three scramble to their feet in pursuit. In their haste, they crash into one another. There’s a headlong collision involving arms, legs, coffee cups, a tiny table, three tiny chairs, and a tiny trash can. They fall to the floor, swearing and howling, as Marvella shrieks in alarm and tosses a tray of day-old scones in the air. Precious seconds are lost as they untangle their limbs both from each other and from the furniture, followed by another collision at the narrow doorway as they all try to squeeze through at once. Then Casey breaks free and barrels down the hall, Turo hot on his heels.
“Stay back!” Casey bellows at Luke. “Call the police!”
“Like hell!” Luke fetches up against the freight elevator seconds after the other boys. Casey stabs the button repeatedly with his finger, but it’s too late. The doors are closed.
“Dammit!” As one, they look up at the floor indicator lights above the door. With a cheerful ding, the button on the far left lights up.
“Basement!” Casey says. “This way!”
He races to the stairwell and thunders down the stairs. Turo is seconds behind him. Luke follows, grabbing his cell phone from his pocket.
At the basement level, Casey and Turo leap over the handrail, skipping the last few steps. Casey rips the door open and they all pile through, then collide yet again as he stops.
The basement hall runs in both directions, and Casey hesitates. “Which way?” he asks, chest heaving.
“There!” Luke yells, pointing.
At the end of the hall to their left, the man in scrubs and doctor’s coat is exiting the building, using the door that leads to the loading dock. Luke shoves past Casey and Turo and runs toward him.
“Hey! You!” he shouts. “STOP!”
Time seems to slow down as the man turns at bay. His eyes widen as he sees Luke. He raises his arm, and it’s like everything is happening underwater. Luke knows he’s running as fast as he can, but it seems to take forever. He can hear the pounding of his own heart, the footsteps of Casey and Turo behind him, but the sounds are muffled and distorted.
In his slow-motion state, Luke suddenly sees with amazing clarity, his eyes narrowing in on tiny details with laser-like precision. On the lapel of his white coat, the man wears a nametag that says “Dr. Reid Oliver.” He’s also wearing Reid’s ID-card holder around his neck, the one with Reid’s photo ID and security card -- the card that can open pretty much any door in the entire building. The man even looks like Reid, with reddish hair and blue eyes. But it’s not him. It’s the guy from Casey’s phone. It’s James Maloney.
Even as his brain in processing this, in its weird dreamlike haze, Luke’s eyes register that Maloney’s arm has stopped its upward motion. And that there is now a gun now pointing directly at him. The hole in the barrel is round and black and blank, as cold, precise, and unforgiving as the eye of a camera. Maloney’s finger moves to the trigger.
And Luke knows in his heart it’s too late for him to duck.
To be continued! Soon! Subito! Seriously!
What It Is: Oneshot/Songfic/"Angels Lie" 'verse
Rating: R for language, content
Prompt: Still another sequel to “Angels Lie”!
Disclaimer: Don’t own ‘em. Don’t make no money.
link
***
The Lightning Strike - Part Four
“Just hold on a damn minute,” Luke says angrily. “Colonel Mayer is here? In this hospital?”
Casey stares at him. “Duh. Where did you think he was?”
“Gee, I don’t know. STATESVILLE?” Luke bellows.
There’s a crash behind the counter as a startled Marvella drops the lid of the coffee urn.
“You okay, Miss Olsen?” Turo calls.
“Just fine,” she answers, glaring at Luke. “You boys need a refill?’
“Mmmm.” Turo chokes down another swallow of coffee. “We’re good, Ma’am.”
Marvella goes back to her cleaning, and Luke lowers his voice. “Jack said the Colonel was in custody,” he hisses at Casey. “I may not have picked up everything he said the other night, but I’m pretty sure I remember that little detail.”
Casey ignores his sarcasm. “The son of a bitch is in custody. He’s in custody up on the fourth floor.”
“What the hell is he doing there?” Luke’s voice rises again.
“Dunno.” Casey shrugs. “Ask your boyfriend.”
Luke stares at him. “What?”
“Hello?” Casey reaches over and raps Luke’s forehead with his knuckles. “Your boyfriend? The great and powerful Doctor Reid Oliver?”
“Reid’s not my-” Luke hesitates. “Okay, technically we haven’t broken up…” He rubs his forehead. “Never mind. What’s Reid got to do with it?”
“When Noah turned his father in, he had a head injury. The Colonel, not Noah. Ergo, he’s Doctor Oliver’s patient. That’s the dude I was telling you about,” Casey adds to Turo.
“Brain surgeon guy?” Turo’s lip curls in distaste, and not just at the coffee. “Yeah, I figured.”
“Wait.” Luke rubs his forehead again. “Reid is treating Colonel Mayer?”
“Sure is. My mom wanted to throw Colonel Crackers back in Statesville, but Doctor Oliver said he had sustained a traumatic brain injury.” Casey rolls his eyes and makes air quotes at the term. “And he couldn’t possibly be moved for at least 48 hours. He ordered a bunch of tests and shit.”
Luke sputters helplessly, and Casey nods. “Yeah, that’s what I said. Chris tried to override him, but Doctor Oliver got in his grill and wouldn’t back down. Said the Colonel was his patient, so he got the final say. To be fair,” Casey adds, “he did say that if they wanted the Colonel to live long enough to stand trial, they had to treat his injuries. But still, why here? They have doctors in the joint. I can attest to that myself.” Casey gives up on his half-drunk coffee and tosses the cup in the tiny trash can.
“So let me get this straight,” Luke says. He can feel the rage pounding in his temples. “Noah’s in a room on the second floor and his father’s in a room on the fourth floor? Is he being guarded?”
“No, dude.” It’s Casey’s turn to be sarcastic. “There’s no guard on the crazed cop killer, just a trail of breadcrumbs to Noah’s room and a sign on the door that says ‘Please kidnap your son again.’ Of course, he’s being guarded. And Jack’s got at least two uniforms outside Noah’s room 24/7.”
“But this other guy, the Colonel’s cellmate, he’s still at large?”
“That’s the 411.”
“This is insane!” Luke bursts out. “Doesn’t Reid understand what the Colonel’s done?”
“Hey, he’s your boyfriend. You go talk to him.” Casey’s phone chirps again, and he peers down at the screen. “Got it!” He punches a few keys, then holds it up to Turo. “Is this the guy you saw?”
Luke peers over Turo’s shoulder as he squints at the screen. It’s a standard police booking photo, with front and side shots. The young man in the picture stares sullenly into the camera. He’s got close-cropped hair and pale, predatory eyes. Luke feels a shiver run down his spine.
“Creepy,” he says.
“Tell me about it,” Casey replies. “It says something about a guy when the damn Army kicks him out for playing too rough.”
Luke feels his unease grow. “Is that what happened to Maloney?”
Casey nods. “Dishonorable discharge. I overhead my parents talking about it. Well?” he asks Turo impatiently.
Turo frowns. “Dunno. Like I said, he kind of hid his face behind the flowers."
“Sure, he probably did that on purpose. What color was his hair? The description here says red.” Casey taps the screen with this fingernail.
Turo shakes his head. “He was wearing a baseball cap.”
Case snaps his fingers in triumph. “See? It’s a disguise.”
“Maybe.” Turo peers closer at the screen and gnaws at his lower lip. “Dammit. I’m just not sure.”
“What if-” Casey breaks off. “Wait, there he is!”
Turo turns as the delivery guy in the green coverall walks past the coffee shop, heading toward the freight elevator. Once again, he’s carrying the enormous bouquet of flowers, obscuring his face.
Turo stares at the man. “That’s not him.”
Casey slumps in his chair. “Well, it was worth-”
“No, I mean that’s not him.” Turo grabs Casey’s arm. “That’s not the guy I saw earlier.”
“What?”
“This guy’s taller,’” Turo whispers urgently. “And his hair’s grey.”
“What the hell?” Luke asks.
A second figure walks by, also heading toward the freight elevator. This one’s dressed in scrubs and a doctor’s coat. He’s thin and has reddish hair. Turo stabs his finger as the man disappears down the hall.
“That’s the guy I saw!”
“So who’s the guy wearing the uniform-” Casey breaks off and turns to Luke.
They both speak at the same time. “The Colonel.”
“Shit!” Casey swears.
All three scramble to their feet in pursuit. In their haste, they crash into one another. There’s a headlong collision involving arms, legs, coffee cups, a tiny table, three tiny chairs, and a tiny trash can. They fall to the floor, swearing and howling, as Marvella shrieks in alarm and tosses a tray of day-old scones in the air. Precious seconds are lost as they untangle their limbs both from each other and from the furniture, followed by another collision at the narrow doorway as they all try to squeeze through at once. Then Casey breaks free and barrels down the hall, Turo hot on his heels.
“Stay back!” Casey bellows at Luke. “Call the police!”
“Like hell!” Luke fetches up against the freight elevator seconds after the other boys. Casey stabs the button repeatedly with his finger, but it’s too late. The doors are closed.
“Dammit!” As one, they look up at the floor indicator lights above the door. With a cheerful ding, the button on the far left lights up.
“Basement!” Casey says. “This way!”
He races to the stairwell and thunders down the stairs. Turo is seconds behind him. Luke follows, grabbing his cell phone from his pocket.
At the basement level, Casey and Turo leap over the handrail, skipping the last few steps. Casey rips the door open and they all pile through, then collide yet again as he stops.
The basement hall runs in both directions, and Casey hesitates. “Which way?” he asks, chest heaving.
“There!” Luke yells, pointing.
At the end of the hall to their left, the man in scrubs and doctor’s coat is exiting the building, using the door that leads to the loading dock. Luke shoves past Casey and Turo and runs toward him.
“Hey! You!” he shouts. “STOP!”
Time seems to slow down as the man turns at bay. His eyes widen as he sees Luke. He raises his arm, and it’s like everything is happening underwater. Luke knows he’s running as fast as he can, but it seems to take forever. He can hear the pounding of his own heart, the footsteps of Casey and Turo behind him, but the sounds are muffled and distorted.
In his slow-motion state, Luke suddenly sees with amazing clarity, his eyes narrowing in on tiny details with laser-like precision. On the lapel of his white coat, the man wears a nametag that says “Dr. Reid Oliver.” He’s also wearing Reid’s ID-card holder around his neck, the one with Reid’s photo ID and security card -- the card that can open pretty much any door in the entire building. The man even looks like Reid, with reddish hair and blue eyes. But it’s not him. It’s the guy from Casey’s phone. It’s James Maloney.
Even as his brain in processing this, in its weird dreamlike haze, Luke’s eyes register that Maloney’s arm has stopped its upward motion. And that there is now a gun now pointing directly at him. The hole in the barrel is round and black and blank, as cold, precise, and unforgiving as the eye of a camera. Maloney’s finger moves to the trigger.
And Luke knows in his heart it’s too late for him to duck.
To be continued! Soon! Subito! Seriously!