Nanowars: Rebirth - 4. Chapter 4: Flight

Chapter Four: Flight:

At exactly eight o’clock, Harry heard the doorbell to his house ring. Tobias, who had followed him home like a lost puppy, jumped over the back side of the sofa.

“I’ll get it.” Harry was trying his best to stay calm.

When he opened the front door he saw it… the face he had prayed he would never see again. It was all he could do not to slam the door and run upstairs to hide. “Dr. Walker.”

“Come now Harry… you know better to call me that.” Travis smiled showing off his perfect white teeth. “I brought you flowers.” he said offering Harry a dozen red roses.

“Is it safe for me to take them?”

“Harry… customs don’t allow people to bring my sort of flowers into the country. I bought these in a store in Georgetown. Really, you must stop being so paranoid.”

“The last time you gave me flowers the thorns were poisoned.” Harry said coldly.

“That was ages ago. I’ve matured since then.”

“Funny you don’t look any older.”

“What can I say, I’m well preserved. May I come inside?”

“If you insist.” Harry stepped out of the way.

“It’s a very nice home you have here… well kept garden, plenty of lighting, nice furniture… and I see you’ve got yourself a pet.” Travis said when he saw Tobias in the living room.

“Travis,” Harry said, his temper rising.

“Alright… I apologize. I promise to be on my best behavior for the rest of the night.” Travis said, raising his hands in surrender.

“Let’s get one thing straight… nothing is to happen to Dr. Green.”

“No,” Travis said, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

“Travis…” Harry warned.

“He helped you escape and has been interfering with your progress.”

“He’s been helping me not become like you.”

“And what is wrong with that. Really Harry, I’ve never understood what you’re so afraid of. The future… Our future should be embraced.”

“It was done to me against my will.”

“But I did it for your own good.” Travis said, still smiling as he petted Harry’s hand.

He walked away, sitting on the sofa next to where Tobias was, his face aimed at the floor. “What do you want Travis?”

“Well, when I read about your engagement in the newspaper I just knew you were about to make the biggest mistake in your life. Poor girl… you probably broke her heart. I know you broke mine.”

“The wedding is off so you can go back to Obsidia.”

“Consider my being here a rescue mission”

“I was to be free of you. How in the world did you get back into the States in the first place? You’re on every terror watch list.”

“I am not a terrorist.” Travis insisted.

“No, you’re much worse. What did you give the government?”

“A few odds and ends… nothing as important as you.”

“Such as?”

“A few crates of mini-nukes, two mass drivers, and a few pieces of intelligence that I was sure they would find useful for their war on terrorism.”

“So what happens now?”

“We have dinner… I hope you like Thai.” Travis said as Logan and Lance entered carrying several bags.

“I’m to trust that you won’t drug me?”

“Harry, you’re coming back with me one way or the other. We can do it the easy way like civilized people or I can drag you back kicking and screaming. So what is it to be… you fly back with me on my jet or in a cage aboard a cargo ship?” There was rage radiating from his eyes.

“And if I do this the easy way?”

“I won’t seek retribution on your friend. He’ll be your responsibility.”

“Fine,” Harry sighed.

“Good, now that that’s out of the way, we can enjoy the rest of the evening.” Travis was all smiles again.

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

When he finished eating Harry excused himself from Travis’s company. He needed to start packing. Travis, not willing to leave him unwatched, sent Logan to help. He sent Lance with Tobias to do the same.

“I’m sorry it has come to this.” Logan whispered after he closed the bedroom door.

“Travis never found out that you helped with the escape?”

“No, you were very clever how you handled it… faking your death and all. By the time Travis knew he had been tricked you were tucked safely away on Andrews Air Force Base.”

“Good.” Harry sighed as he brought out a pair of large suitcases from his closet.

“Here… let me help.” Logan offered, walking up from behind.

He could feel the man’s hot breath tickle the back of his neck. “Please don’t. This is hard enough.” His knees shook.

“You mean…” Logan whispered.

“Yes.” Harry replied in a soft voice.

“Travis will be busy taking care of business with the Pentagon. We have some time on our hands.”

“No… I’m not ready to go back to that.” Harry said as he unzipped the suitcases.

“I see.” Logan said, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

“What has Travis been up to? Or should I not ask?”

“Making money selling weapons, increasing his influence… generally making himself a one man world power... nothing different from when you were at the Obsidia.”

“And the experiments?”

“Continuing as always. I am worried about you though. From what I understand, Dr. Green was able to reverse the process and put you in remission. I wish you hadn’t done that.”

“Was I to let the experiment continue?”

“You would be better able to protect yourself if you had. Just as you have your admirers, there are those jealous of you. Travis can use that against you.”

“I won’t give in to him.”

“Is he really asking that much?”

“Yes… he wants the future of the world.”

“He wants you. He has loved you since you were children.”

“That was something arranged by Julian… the one who started this whole mess.”

“Yes, which means you should be kinder and more forgiving towards him. He is only doing what he was told to do since the day he learned how to speak.”

“He thinks he owns me.”

“He’s afraid of losing you. Out of twenty four children, only you and Travis survived.”

“And Travis didn’t learn anything from that. He still continues the project.”

“It is his only purpose in life… except for you. Only you can tame him Harry. The sooner you do, the better off we all will be.”

“If that’s what you believe, why did you help me escape?”

“Because I couldn’t watch you fight. I hoped that some time apart would allow both of you two calm down and see reason. I know it might not seem like it but Travis is trying to be better. He’s just too used to getting his own way.”

“Now he wants his way with me.”

“Give him a second chance Harry… please.” Logan begged.

“I will try not to antagonize him.” That was the most he was ready to promise.

“You need to trust him.”

“Given the number of times he has lied to me…” Harry said defensively.

“Did you give him much choice? He believes you’re his only real friend, the only one who can make him happy, and the only one who really understands him.”

“I once understood him.”

“He killed his parents and yours. That would change anyone. He did it for you and the ones who didn’t make it. He was wrong to think you would be happy about it but didn’t they deserve it?”

“He didn’t ask… he acted on his own, just as he always has.”

“He doesn’t want it to be that way. He wants you to work with him as an equal partner.”

“Only if I agree with the Awakening Project, which I don’t.”

“It’s why you were born.’

“But it’s not how I choose to live.”

“So, you’re going to stay in remission until the drugs kill you? That makes you more stubborn than Travis in my book.”

Turning around, Harry let Logan see his fear. “I’ve seen his true face. Would you have me become such a thing?”

“I have seen his true face. Other than you, I’m one of the few others who have. You are not the same. Each of the double dozen are different.”

“Each child was supposed to survive.”

“But only you and Travis did. That is why he will never let you go. You can either accept that or go back to tearing his heart apart.”

“I’ll try to be better.”

“You know you must do more than that.” Logan said, caressing Harry’s face with a large hand.

“I’m not ready.”

“”You will be,” Logan said as he tossed the suitcases off the bed. “It won’t get any easier.”

“Is this why Travis sent you to help me pack?”

“He knows I would never hurt you.” Logan said before planting a kiss on Harry’s forehead.

“There hasn’t been anyone, any man since…”

“We know. He should have never have frightened you. Trying to force himself on you… insane. You’re not scared of me though, are you Harry?” Logan asked as he laid Harry back down on the bed.

“No.” Harry whispered before Logan covered his mouth with his lips.

______________________________________________________________________________

“Well?” Travis asked as Logan slowly came down the stairs buttoning his shirt.

“He’s terrified… what did you expect?”

“I hoped he would have missed me.”

“After what you did to him…” Logan said sternly.

“I lost control… I didn’t mean for it to happen that way.”

“But it did and he has never forgiven you for it.”

“What am I supposed to do… I can’t help being what I am.”

“I recommend you start taking Dr. Green’s remission drugs.”

“What?” Travis said shocked.

“That you always progressed much faster than Harry has always been a problem between you two. You’re not…”

“Human?” Travis said venomously.

“Easy to get along with.” That was about as honest an answer he could give. “You need to remind Harry that there are parts of you that are still the young man he grew up with.”

“Have I changed so much?”

“You used to be the sensitive one. Harry the stronger.”

“I remember that,” Travis said, regret in his voice. “I don’t understand why Harry is so afraid of me.”

“In your attempt to take control of the project away from Julian, you showed your brutal side. You acted without him.”

“If I had failed, I didn’t want him to suffer because of my actions.”

“All he knows is you killed his parents.”

“They deserved it.”

“That should have been Harry’s decision. You wouldn’t even be alive if it wasn’t for him.”

“Don’t think of lecturing me Logan. I know what Harry did for me… what he endured in my place. Don’t you think I feel ashamed enough that I made him endure more after I took control? I just want things to be perfect between us… as it used to be.”

“Then you must show patience. It will not be easy to regain his trust. You need to put limits on the experiments.”

“But we have learned so much.”

“At the cost of how many lives?”

“No one has died since I took control. I put an end to that.”

“They might still be alive but your experiments usually destroy what they once were.”

“They are better, stronger, superior. They are the future.” Travis insisted.

“They are freaks.” Logan spat. “They are creatures who don’t even remember they were once human.”

“I can’t stop. The more I learn about the Relic, the more I find I don’t know.”

“Maybe it was never meant to be understood. For goodness sakes, it’s buried under a mountain in Antarctica. It should never have been found.”

“But it was. There is no turning back now. We can only move forward.” Travis said just as Lance returned with Tobias.

“The plane is being refueled and should be ready for takeoff when we arrive.” Lance reported.

“Is Harry ready?” Travis asked.

“He was taking a shower when I came down but he’s already packed.”

“Was seducing him difficult?”

“It took some persuading but I was able to manage. It will take time before he is back to his old self.”

“I leave that to you.”

“I think I know what needs to be done.” Logan said as he gave Tobias a wink.

It was then that Harry appeared at the top of the stairs. “I’m ready.”

“Those words are music to my ears.”

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

“Emily… what is so urgent that you needed to see me at this hour?” Colonel Thad Labatt asked as he led the distraught woman inside his house. “This better not be about my not going to the wedding. Old boyfriends don’t do that sort of thing.”

“The wedding is off.” Emily said, collapsing against Thad in tears.

“It’s off… what happened?”

“I don’t know. Harry’s former boss showed up and Harry called telling me to go off to my mother’s house in Ohio and not to expect to see him again.”

“Who was his former boss?”

“Travis Walker… Harry made him sound like some kind of monster.”

“Travis Walker, here?” Thad asked. As a member of military intelligence he knew that name all too well.

“Yes, Harry said that was never supposed to happen. The government promised to protect him. That’s why I came to see you.”

“I know the name Travis Walker but that’s about all I can tell you. Are you sure he’s here?”

“He was waiting for Harry in his office.”

“Emily go to your mother’s and stay there,” Thad said.

“What… that’s not why I came here. I want you to save Harry.”

“Emily I don’t know what you saw in this Harry fellow but forget you ever knew him. The people he once worked for are bad news. You don’t want to go messing with them.”

“That’s what Harry said.” Emily said sobbing harder.

“And he’s right. In fact, forget about Ohio you’re coming with me to the Pentagon. My bosses will want to know everything Harry told you. You’ll most likely then be put into protective custody.”

“Protective custody… like witness protection?”

“Yes, that’s one way of looking at it.” Thad said grabbing his car keys. “Come on, we need to go.”

“Why me!” Emily wailed as he was led away.