A Hard Day's Night

[russ]

That Helena perceived the wide range of expressions crossing Russ’s face was appropriate. Thoughts and emotions were flying so fast through his head that he did not begin to know what to think. Necessity and desire blurred. What had to be done and what he wanted to do became one. He only wished that he were more capable than needing to drag either of them into this. Helena might have been the centered interest in this fiasco, and Logan more than able to take care of himself, but Russ was solely responsible for dragging in yet another. He did not care so much about himself. Whilst in the middle of it, he could easily pretend he and Helena were off on some vacation. In their safety, able to forget about what was going on outside. Granted, that was harder to do at Logan’s hand, but he at least had the opportunity to keep kidding himself. With Cassidy off with that thing however, he could not. Reality came to smack him in the face, and he knew if he had faced it before none of this would be happening.

Nodding in solemnly in response to Helena, and feeling slightly relieved when her hand took his, Russ turned to face whatever Logan had prepared for him. Needless to say, he was a little surprised when the weapon he came to fear more was holstered in the rack and Logan showed signs of coming around. Russ was entirely unaware of what he had done to deserve having them both on his side again, but he let out a sigh and nodded enthusiastically. He understood that he was still in deep shit for what he had done, and would probably have to live it down for awhile longer yet, but he was glad that Logan finally saw what was more important in this equation now. Russ was nothing in comparison.

[white]“Right, yeah, of course.”[/white] Releasing Helena’s hand to reach into his pocket and withdraw the phone he was given, he held it out to Logan. [white]“I mean, there’s not a hell of a lot more to tell, eh? I was out boating and when we got back he was there. Obviously who he really wants is Helena.”[/white] Even though he tried to recall everything, his mind was still a little cloudy as he tried to shift through for the important facts. What he held of importance might have been more for the female, than Logan. [white]“I tried to convince him that I’d gone my own way, but he wouldn’t believe me. And then Cassidy left with him… willingly.”[/white] Making a face at her stupidity, but more so his own, he shook his head. [white]“He said he’d call that phone.”[/white] Looking between either of them to gauge some sort of reaction, some shred of hope, [white]“As far as I know, she doesn’t know about any of this and Cassidy can be quite… friendly…”[/white] Looking hopefully to Logan, because he dealt with this kind of thing, [white]“I mean, do you think she could be okay? I mean… he was… he was being nice to her. No point in doing that for my benefit, right? You don’t think he was trying to trick me?”[/white] So much for not babbling.

[logan]

Logan’s jaw tensed and Helena went stiff beside Russ, when he took out the cell phone. With one glance at the doc, the Hunter knew what was running through her mind; guilt, fear, anger for the girl that had been taken. Silently, he acknowledged the fact that he’d have to put up some extra locks on the front door, to keep the good doctor from making a martyr of herself.

She was a bit like the kid, in a way, he thought with a wry shake of his head. She just couldn’t wait to get away from him and the cabin.

”Of course he wouldn’t believe you; he’s working for a demon,” He grumbled, taking the cell phone before Russ could pull it away. Squinting a bit- damn his old eyes- he examined the phone and smiled when he found what he was looking for. Motioning for the two of them to follow him, he moved around them and toward the kitchen.

Talking as he walked, he stopped in the doorway of the large, tiled room and flipped the special switch to his right. Passively, he waited for the false wall next to the stove to push out and slide to the side, revealing the hidden room on the other side. Various lights flashed as tv monitors showed all activity outside the cabin. It was a part of his little hiding place that not even Helena had been privy to before, and he bit back a smile at the surprised gasp from her direction.

It was well known that he was a paranoid son of a bitch, and that right there was his peace of mind. The heart of his cabin and all the lands surrounding it, the secret room was where all his codes, computers and booby trap triggers were stored. In all the years since he’d built his various safehouses, only a handful of people were ever allowed to see it; forget set foot in it.

All he could say was that if Russ ended up being stupid again, he was gonna kill him himself. With that in mind, he motioned for him and the doc to come over.

”I’m gonna be straight with you, kid,” He said, easing himself into the chair situated in front of a wall of monitors. ”Without knowing what the guy is- human, demon, or vegetable- I don’t know what’s going to happen to your little friend…but it probably ain’t gonna be milk and cookies. But, if the guy gave you this,” He held up the cell phone. ”I might be able to track him when he calls…or maybe even if he had it on him for more than a few hours. Just watch and learn. Watch and learn.”

Cracking his knuckles, Logan connected the phone to various wires and began to type.

[/blockquote]

[russ]

A great wave of relief swept over Russ to at least be able to tell them what had happened and not get a gun brandished in his face again. Naturally, he was still scared shitless for Cassidy’s fate, but a small glimmer of hope found its way inevitably into the idealist’s head. If Gabe were trying to lure them out from the safeguard of the cabin, he would have to keep Russ’s friend alive for now, right? Cassidy was fine. She was a fairly talented young woman; as sick as it seemed, maybe she would be able to charm the Neanderthal into an ounce of civility. She could make the best of men, and hopefully the worst too, find something to enjoy in her company. Her slutty ways might just get her out of this yet.

Clearly, Helena and Logan did not share in his faith. Which was exactly why he came to the latter for help. Russ was the idiot who trusted and blindly hoped for the best or refused to face an earnest situation all together. Aside from whatever it was Logan saw in him (though Russ figured it was mostly what Helena saw in him that made Logan give him the time of day – which still had him a bit baffled too) they were polar opposites. Logan was exactly what Russ needed to stay focused and accept reality. The only thing that saved him from possibly leaving Cassidy to the wolves, if one would pardon the expression.

Despite hope, Russ winced at the mention of the demon. Yeah, he knew about what was going on with Helena, but he was the master of pretending. They were just on some reclusive getaway that they could not get away from. That was all, right? Wrong. This was truth of what was happening, and Russ had gone and sucked another person into a situation that had nothing to do with him save for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. How he wished he really could just hole up with Helena and act like nothing in the world was going on outside of them. A chance to just sit and get to know each other without having this loom overhead. Fucking demons and the lot. Sure, Russ might be just accepting all this shit now… but he was quickly learning to hate it. Such a freaking headache.

Following Logan as they were directed, Russ really should have been muttering a riiiight… you’re fucking crazy, you know that Logan? Instead, his earnest and deeply blue eyes glimmered slightly as the regular guy in him sparked again with energy and his only thought was: cool! See now, if Logan had stuff like this hidden all over the grounds and had made him privy to them, he probably would have been more patient. New things always excited him, and new things with secret doors that slid out of the way?? Definitely some cool James Bond shit that would have any warm-blooded male intrigued. Nodding absently, looking around and absorbing the room, Russ was doing anything but watching and learning.

[white]“So are you going to have to kill it?”[/white] He asked mildly. It was not exactly like he had not been exposed to how these things went down, even if he never saw it for himself. Looking at Logan,[white] “I’m assuming it’s not human, right? If it can throw the Barbie Mobile off coarse, it can’t be. But if we don’t know what it is, how would we know how to kill it? Sorry. First thing, first, I guess.”[/white] Russ said, knowing he was getting ahead of himself. It was just easier to think about the end, rather than what steps they would have to take in between. He sincerely hoped not many. But even if they did… would that really be the end of it? Helena had been dealing with this for years. Surely if it could be ended in one night they would have already been on it. It was not something that he wanted to think about being sucked into for so fully. He could not imagine what the last time he devoted years to was. They were lucky he had devoted these weeks without intently walking over a landmine.

Continued in "Who You Gonna Call?"