Just doing my job

Unlike LA, I quite like Australia.

There’s something about how open the Outback is that appeals to me in a way cities never have. It’s strange that someone who was born in London could feel at home in such a desolate place, but I like it.

I’d always wanted to take a ride on the Indian/Pacific Railway, and it was the perfect way for Ren and I to sneak into Perth unnoticed. Ren had been against the idea to start with saying it was too public, there was too great a risk that someone would recognise one of us. I pointed out that there was so little in the Outback that getting a radar lock on us if we flew would be easy, and she relented.

We’d hit Australia a day after our rather hurried exit from LA, taking only what we had on us at the time. I was lucky that Ren was experienced with this sort of thing, as I didn’t have a clue how to dodge immigration and procure false documents.

Ren had made me promise to stay dry while we where on the train, so I had nothing to keep my mind occupied. I pretended to be engrossed in a series of trashy spy novels I’d picked up at the station while I thought about all that had happened.

Charlotte was, to an unknown extent, involved in the conspiracy that had already claimed Dr. Lang’s life. I just couldn’t get my head around it: I’d known her almost 6 years, and she’d never shown any sign of being anything other than what she appeared to be on the outside. I was terrified by the concept that someone I had fallen in love with and had planed to spend the rest of my life with could turn on me like she had in Ottawa.

I wasn’t much company during the trip, and the other passengers left me alone, deciding that I wasn’t the sociable type. Only Ren managed to get me to come out of my shell for any length of time, managing to get me to talk about my life before my ability’s had manifested and about my family. It was probably the first proper conversation I’d had in years.

We talked for hours at a time in the small cabin we shared, but I found that she was never willing to discus her own past from before her own transformation. I was only able to pick up bits and pieces: she was born somewhere outside Paris, but had spent a lot of time there. Her hatred for the French government was some how personal rather than political or ideological. In all, she was even more of a mystery to me than she had been before.

One good thing was she had stopped hitting on me all the time.

*********************************************************************

I was grateful for the distraction when we finally arrived in Perth. We rented a 4x4 under an assumed name and paid cash, something that put a huge dent in our remaining reserves, and headed out into the interior.

Duke Mackenzie’s place was a four-hour drive up the cost, the road hugging the Indian Ocean most of the way. It was almost relaxing in its own way: the sun was just setting as we took the turn off that led to the old farm he lived on with his family.

Ren insisted that we stopped a distance from the farm and wait to see if anyone was watching the house. After another 2 hours of sitting in the near absolute dark of the Australian Outback she finally agreed that we could go on.

*********************************************************************

“I take it this ain’t a social call?” Duke stood in the doorway as we pulled up in the 4x4, “I’ve had SIU and Interpol on me back about you going crazy.”

“And what do you think?” I asked, getting out of the car and standing in the middle of his driveway.

“I think I’ve known you too long to listen to those dingo’s.” Duke smiled, “Who’s your friend?”

“This is Ren.” I walked forward, “They didn’t tell you about her?”

“No.” Duke shook his head as he handed me a cold can of beer, “But if she’s who I think she is, I’ve heard of her.”

“And?”

“And I want to know what the hell’s going on.”

*********************************************************************

I told Duke everything: from Simon Neo and Dr Lang’s message, to the events in Ottawa and LA. He just sat in his kitchen and listened, having told his wife that it was best she took the kids to the movies in town. Duke had always had a strong sense of family, ever since his youngest sister had died of an overdose at a party in Adelaide, and I could understand him wanting to keep them out of whatever was going to happen.

“So what you going to do about it?” He asked when I finally finished.

“I haven’t got a clue.” I shrugged my shoulders, “We’re just playing it by ear at the moment.”

“We have to do something.” Ren looked up, “We have to find out what they’re planning and stop them.”

“How?” I asked, semi-resigned to the fact that it was helpless, “Even if Charlotte is the most powerful superhuman on their side, and we can’t assume she is, we are seriously outclassed.”

“True.” Red admitted. “I know a few people, members of the underground who may be able to help a little, but no one in that class.”

“What about Diana?” I asked Duke.

“Don’t have a clue where she is.” He shook his head, “And we’re not exactly on speaking terms as it is.”

“Diana?” Ren asked, confused.

“Diana Mackenzie, my big sister” Duke explained, “She’s a powerful pyro-kinetic who goes by the name of Inferno nowadays. Haven’t seen her in two years; she dropped out of sight after Sam died.”

“We need to find out who and what we’re up against before we try and recruit anyone.” I shook my head, “The last thing we need is to invite a member of the conspiracy into our midst and have them betray us.”

“You’re trusting me.” Duke raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve known you since I was at the academy; I trust you.” I assured him.

“You trusted Charlotte…” Ren pointed out.

“If Duke was on the other side then we’d have been busted by now.” I shook my head, “We have to trust someone…”

The words died on my lips as the whole world suddenly disappeared in a blinding flash.

*********************************************************************

My ears where ringing when I came to. I was covered in dust and lying on my back on what felt like glass. I slowly opened my eyes, then shut them again as bright sunshine priced my brain, adding to the killer headache that already felt like Godzilla stomping on my brain.

The ringing slowly stopped to be replaced by the sound of wind blowing across me I felt it touch exposed flesh across my entire body, and realised that my clothes where gone. My entire body ached like it had never before, and I wondered what in the hell had happened.

After some time I risked opening my eyes again, and slowly became used to the glare of the sun. I could tell by its position in the sky that it was almost noon, over twelve hours from the last thing I remembered. Me teeth where tingling, something I’d never encountered before. The air was so full of dust that I had a coughing fit when I tried to sit up.

“We got a live one here!” A voice called out, and I was suddenly aware of a number of men wearing protective clothing walking around. At least I think they where men; I couldn’t tell through the facemasks. One ran over to me and waved what looked like a large touch over me, making it click loudly.

“He’s still hot!” He shouted over his shoulder, “Get the isolation unit over here!”

Four men ran over carrying what looked like a fibreglass coffin with oxygen tanks on the side and lifted me into it. There was the hiss of venting gas, and I passed out.

*********************************************************************

I woke in a bed somewhere, by eyes covered in bandages, restraints holding me down. I tried to move, but I felt as weak as a kitten. I felt a needle in the back of my left hand, and offered up a silent pray that it was nothing more than a simply saline drip.

“You gave me quite a scare there Nathan: I know you’re a tough son-of-a-bitch, but even I wasn’t sure you’d survive a tactical nuke going off in your face.” A soft voice in front of me grabs my attention, sending an icicle through my heart, “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”

My mouth went dry, and I was barley able to croak a single word, “Charlotte…”

To Be Continued…