Rating: *MA/NA-17*
WARNING: SWEAR WORDS. QUITE A FEW OF THEM. There was only supposed to have been one, but anyway. I figured that it was a lot more effective, seeing as a man with a gun saying �gosh� just didn�t seem intimidating enough.
Summary: A family divided. A life in danger. A hero appears.
Type of fic: Story
Disclaimer: All recognisable entities are not mine.
Author�s notes: Um...just something that doesn�t make too much sense. This is what I get for having watched Enrique�s Hero video clip one too many times!
Author�s notes II: Unfortunately, I�ve never been in America, so I�m not sure of any of the places or their airports or anything like that. It probably takes a whole lot longer to get from place to place, but I just had a look through an atlas for the names and used a ruler (and the scale) for distances. Marsellas is a name/place I just made up.
Author�s notes III: The use of the real names will probably throw some people off, but it was a lot easier than creating other names for them. That would have been a doozy.
***
the chase
�They were here. The guy behind reception said they left early this morning, about five and a half hours ago.�
�Which way were they headed?�
�South.�
�Damn that Jericho. When I get my hands on him, I�ll rip him limb from fucking limb myself.�
�They�re not that far ahead of us. We�ll catch them.�
�The bastard kidnapped Stephanie, and he killed all members of the NWO. He is going to pay for what he did.�
�Helmsley, you do realise what this could mean, don�t you?�
�Yeah. I should have killed Shane McMahon when I had the chance.�
*
�Are you okay?�
Stephanie turned away from the passing scenery and looked at Chris sitting behind the wheel. She nodded. �Yeah, I think I am.�
He glanced at her before returning his attention to the road. �You think?�
�No, I am.� She sighed. �I just never realised how hard it is, running away from home and all. That house, I�d lived it in all my life. It may have been a prison, but it�s the only home I know of. I�m happy to be away from it, but��
�It�s never easy finding yourself in unknown situations, and it can be scary.�
�Scary it most definitely is. For the longest time all I wanted to do was get away from that place, and now it seems that I�m feeling homesick for it.�
Chris freed one hand off the steering wheel and patted her on the shoulder. �You�ll be fine, Stephanie. The homesickness will soon go away, and you�ll have a whole new house to live in. One where you�ll be free to leave whenever you wish. I promise you that.�
His words touched her, and already she could feel some of the apprehension leaving her. She smiled at his profile. �I�m going to hold you on that promise.�
He glanced at her, a look of surprise on his face. Then, he too, smiled. �Alright.�
*
�Well, well, what�s a pretty thing like you doing in a dump like this?�
Stephanie started from the deep voice behind her, taking several steps back from the large man invading her personal space. �What?�
He leered at her, his yellowed teeth glinting dully under the harsh fluorescent lights. The gleam in his narrowed eyes made her stomach turn. �Lost, little girl? Maybe I could be of some�assistance?�
She took several more steps backwards. Stephanie knew the meaning behind his �assistance�, and she felt her heart twist in sudden panic. All her life she had been surrounded by some very low men, yet none of them ever made her feel as terrified as she did at that moment.
�I�m fine, thanks,� she stammered out, turning away from him and hurrying towards the front door of the little diner.
Chris. Where was Chris? He had said he was only going to be a couple of minutes.
�Hey, darlin�, I�m not finished talking to you,� the guy growled from behind her.
Stephanie felt his large hands on her arm, twisting her around and pulling her towards him. She fought against it even as she felt his grip tightening. �Let me go,� she gasped, the pain of his hold shooting to her head. �Please, let me go!�
�Now, don�t be like-�
The distinctive �click� of a cocked gun sounded unusually loud in the small diner.
�Get your fucking hands off her.� Chris�s voice was pure ice.
Stephanie felt an involuntary shiver sweep through her at his tone, and she looked at him with both relief and unease. He kept his eyes firmly on the man refusing to let her go, the look on his face menacing in its ferocity and intent. This was a side of him that she had never seen before, and it scared her.
For several moments the three of them stood in absolute stillness, a modern charade of a knight rescuing a maiden. Finally, the man�s hands loosened.
Stephanie jerked out of his grasp and she stepped away, towards Chris. She smiled uncertainly at him, but he kept his gaze trained on the man behind her. When she reached him, he took hold of her hand. She held onto his with both of her hands as she tugged him backwards, out towards the door.
�Hey, man, I meant no real harm,� the guy said in a placating, almost friendly tone that made her feel queasy. �Just being sociable is all.�
�Come on, Chris,� she whispered, urging him to move faster. She could feel the anger radiating from him. �Let�s just get out of here.�
*
�Long hair, brunette, blue-grey eyes.�
�Sure, I saw her. Her and her man friend.�
�How long ago was that?�
�Oh, I say about four hours ago, four and a half. It was just after lunchtime. I offered to cook them up something nice, but they said whatever was available was fine. Nice people.�
�And then�?�
�Well, I suppose they left and continued on their way. Didn�t see them leave myself, had a bit of trouble with Jaws out the back. Jaws is my dog, and he starts barking real loud whenever we get strangers round these parts. As you can hear.�
�Do you think anyone else would have seen them?�
�Real nice, they were. Very polite, they were.�
�Yes, yes. Was anyone else around when they were here?�
�Well, Earl was in here when I got back inside, he says he seen them. Talking about the girl, not at all very happy.�
�Earl?�
�Yeah, Earl. Lives about ten minutes from here. Not a very nice guy, so you be careful around him.�
*
�Who�re you and what�d you want?�
�Are you Earl?�
�Depends on who wants to know.�
�Just answer a couple of questions, and we�ll leave you alone.�
�Tough city folk, huh? Oh, we get people like you round here a lot, and don�t think-�
�We�re not people you want to be fucking with.�
�Think you can scare me with your guns? I�ve- Fuck!�
�Answer the questions and we�ll let you live.�
�You shot me, you fucking bastard!�
�We were told that you were the last person to see a couple leave the diner earlier today. Is that right?�
�I see a lot of couples- Shit!�
�Just answer the questions, asshole.�
�Alright, yes! Yes, I saw a couple earlier today! The little tease, and her friend with a gun. Fuck! What was that for?!�
�Little tease, huh? Did you really think a piece of garbage like you would have had a chance with her?�
�No, but fuck what I would�ve given just for-�
�Oh, fucking wonderful, Helmsley. Just kill our only lead.�
�Shut up, Taker.�
�What the hell are we supposed to do now?�
�There�s two ways they could have gone. Further south or west. We go south.�
�But-�
�If I know Shane, he�d want to be as far away from his father as possible. We continue south.�
*
�Chris?�
Chris was surprised at the sound of her voice. For the past several hours they had travelled in taut silence, ever since they left the diner. At his name, he felt his muscles relax slightly. He hadn�t realised how tense he had been. Seeing Stephanie being man-handled had made him blindly angry. He had been more than prepared to kill.
�Chris? Are you okay?� Her voice was soft, timid.
He forced himself to take a couple of deep breaths, just enough to glance at her and nod with reassurance. �I�m okay.�
Out of the corner of his eye Chris noticed Stephanie lift her hand, and then place them gently on his arm. At her touch he could feel the anger and the tension evaporate. �Pull over for a minute, okay?� she said quietly.
�But-�
�Just for a minute.�
He relented, and easing his foot off the accelerator, he managed to find a wide shoulder to pull into. He put the car in park, but didn�t turn off the engine. He felt drained, fatigued. �I�m so sorry, Stephanie,� he whispered, feeling regret at the way he had acted.
�Don�t be,� she told him. �That was the second time you saved me.�
�The situation should never have arisen,� he said. He refused to look at her, feeling sick at the thought of what could have happened. �I should never have left you.�
�The important thing is that it�s over, and we�re both okay.�
Chris couldn�t help but look at her worriedly. �Are you really okay?� His gaze travelled to her arm, where the man had grabbed her, and he winced at the red imprint marring her skin. He knew it was going to be a start of a large bruise.
�Hey, look at me,� she said, her voice light. He looked at her face and was pleased to see her smile. �I really am okay. If men like him are the kind of people I know I�ll have to face for my freedom, then I�ll learn to defend myself. I really am okay.�
Chris was amazed at this woman�s resiliency, but he wasn�t surprised. It just made him love-
He broke off that particular thought, not prepared to deal with it at the moment. He smiled back. �As long as you�re okay.�
Stephanie nodded. �I really am.�
�Then that�s all I care about.� For a moment they just gazed at each other, then he looked away, back towards the long stretch of highway in front of them. �We need to get going,� he said.
�Do you want me to drive?� she offered, not for the first time.
�No, I�ll be okay. It�s only an hour or so until we stop for the night.�
*
�Helmsley.�
�Hunter, we managed to get a copy of Jericho�s phone calls during the past week or so.�
�Didn�t think he�d be so stupid to use his own phone.�
�He didn�t. He used a neighbour�s phone, and she was more than willing to talk to us. At a price, of course.�
�Of course. What did you find out?�
�He�s been calling a couple of numbers in Tucson. The first one has been disconnected, but when I tried the second one I got connected to a group named Windsor West Enterprises. Checked it out, it�s a sham company. However, we did manage to find out who was behind it. Man named Rocky Starr.�
�Never heard of him.�
�We�re working on finding out who he is, but he doesn�t seem to exist in any of the databases we�ve run through so far.�
�Fine. Let me know the second that you do.�
�Sure thing, Hunter. Also, what do I tell Mr McMahon about his daughter?�
�Just tell him that we�re getting close, and that we�re going to find them soon.�
�Alright. Anything else? Anything about Windsor West?�
�No, tell him nothing else. I�ll talk to him myself in a couple of hours. Also, send me that Tucson number.�
*
�So�can I know the plans?�
Chris was distracted for a moment, and he turned away from where he was keeping watch near the window. �Plans?�
Stephanie nodded from where she sat on the bed. It was a nicer motel than the previous one, and they had managed to get the last room with two beds. �Yeah, the plans. Where are we going? How are we going to get there? I figure that it�s probably time I know what�s going on. And how much longer until we reach wherever we�re going?�
He had to smile at her excited tone. He could clearly see how eager she was to see her brother again. �Not much longer, I don�t think. The plan is to head down to Macon in Georgia, and from there fly out to Tucson.�
Her eyes widened slightly. �Tucson? I�ve never been to that part of the country before.�
�Actually, it�s not our final destination. We�ll meet up with Shane in Tucson, and then from there head to Phoenix.�
Stephanie shook her head, a sad smile on her face. �All these years he�s been living in Phoenix. If only I�d known��
�That�s all in the past now, Stephanie. You�ve got a new life to look forward to.�
But she just shook her head again. �I have a feeling that�s this is a long way from over. Vince�� She broke off, lifting both hands to cover her face. �I don�t think he�ll let me go that easily.�
Her words had been mumbled, but Chris heard them. He stood up from where he was sitting and walked towards her, kneeling before her. He hesitated for a moment, then placed both hands on her knees. �It�ll be okay, I promise you. Shane has thought this through, and he�s going to make sure that Vince won�t be able to do anything about it.�
Chris gently pulled Stephanie�s hands from her face. Tears were threatening to slide down her cheeks, and he reached up, wiping them away. �You�ll see, everything will work out,� he continued, smiling at her. �You�ll be safe from Vince and his men.�
She started to smile at him. �I believe you.�
Her words warmed him like nothing else he could remember.
*
�Windsor West Enterprises. Carmella speaking, how may I help you?�
�Can you put me through to Rocky Starr please.�
�I�m sorry, sir, but there�s no Rocky Starr currently employed in our company.�
�Alright, can you put me through to Shane McMahon please.�
�I�m sorry, sir, but there�s no Shane McMahon currently employed in our company either. Perhaps you dialled the wrong number?�
�No, I think I got the right one.�
*click*
*
�Windsor West Enterprises. Carmella speaking, how may I help you?�
�Cameron O�Brien please.�
�Please hold.�
�Cameron here.�
�It�s me.�
�I�m glad you called. There�s a problem. Vince�s men are closer than we wanted. Someone just called the WWE offices looking for Rocky Starr and Shane McMahon.�
�Damn it.�
�Not only that, but they�re also a lot closer to you than I want.�
�How close?�
�Too close. We just found out that they killed someone at the same place you called me last.�
�Fuck.�
�My sister, how is she? Is she okay?�
�She�s fine. She�s sleeping at the moment.�
�Is she safe?�
�For now, that�s why I don�t want to stay too long.�
�Alright, okay, with Vince�s men so close, there�s been a change of plans. Instead of Macon, head to Georgia. It�s a big and busy airport, and they won�t expect you to go there. Also, change your destination to Amarillo. There�s a flight at one in the afternoon. Can you make it there on time?�
�We�ll make it.�
�Good. From Amarillo, head southwest to Marsellas. It�s a small town near Clovis. I�ll have a team pick my sister up, and from there to here.�
�And me?�
�This isn�t going to be-�
�Just tell me. You know I�ll do it.�
�You�ve done so much already.�
�I promised that I would help you, and that�s what I�m doing.�
�I need you to head southeast, in the opposite direction, towards San Antonio. I need you to be visible, redirect them. Just for a couple of days, enough to give me time so that Vince won�t be able to take my sister away.�
�Alright, let�s do that.�
�Last thing, this number has been compromised. WWE will be disappearing in an hour or so. You�ll have to call me direct through the Agency. Make sure your line is secure.�
*
�Helmsley.�
�Hunter, it�s me again. We managed to trace Rocky Starr. His real name is Dwayne Johnson, and you would never believe who he works for.�
�Shane McMahon.�
�Shane McMahon.�
�Fuck.�
�Also, we managed to trace a couple of other calls. Jericho booked a flight for two from Macon to Tucson. Tomorrow afternoon�s flight, leaving at one thirty.�
�Good job.�
*
�What?�
�Sorry, Hunter. This is important. The Tucson number for the WWE, I was just pulling their files when it started shutting down on me.�
�What do you mean?�
�I mean, the company�s gone. They�re deleting all records of it. As of two minutes ago, it never existed. These guys are good.�
�Tell me that you got some solid information before that happened?�
�I did, I was just going through the last call. They know that we�re onto them, and that you aren�t far behind. They�ve changed their plans. Head to Marsellas in New Mexico, that�s the new destination. That�s where Jericho is taking Stephanie.�
end chase.
