Devil's Daughter (closed)

[BeachBum25]

Grabbing the gun she placed on the center console, Cisco ejected the clip and then emptied the round that was in the chamber. He sat the weapon back on the console as he continued to drive. He was certain she had other weapons in her backpack, but now there was one less at her immediate disposal.

"Perhaps they did follow me, but no, this is not my fault. The fact that you are alive is my fault. I should have just let you walk out the back door of the diner and get cut down. I would have made my escape and your body would have been riddled with bullets and nobody would give a fuck because nobody gives a shit about you."

He pulled the SUV over and stopped. After putting it in Park, Cisco turned to the Devil's Daughter. "You want out? Go ahead. Get the fuck out and see how long you survive. If they had sent anyone else after you, you would be dead already. Trust me, they are going to send someone else after you... probably already are briefing that person. The person they are sending is not going to want information like I did . That person will just kill you. Hell, you may never even see the person, because it might be a sniper that will just take you out from a distance and not think twice about it. You know all about snipers... right?"

Cisco unlocked the doors; letting the Devil's Daughter know that he was serious about letting her out. "Go on. You have made such great decisions up to this point, why not keep your streak going."

He waited anxiously to see what she was going to do next. He had no idea how this how episode was going to impact him. He needed to contact his CO and find out what he knew about the situation. The suits were definitely not military, so Cisco believed that his CO knew nothing about what was happening to him.

"Let's go. Make up your mind. Are you getting out or not. I don't have all day. It is only a matter of time until they are hot on the trail."

 

[zydrate]

She watched as he grabbed her gun and emptied it… clip and all. Perfect. Her eyes never left the gun when he tossed it back onto the dash where she had placed it.

“At least being dead would have been a picnic compared to how slow you were to do anything!” She grabbed her gun back and shoved it in her jacket pocket before holding out her hand, “Bullets.”

He continued to yell at her, and she just sat there holding her hand out for the ammo in just dropped to the floor. He wasn’t budging and neither was she. Finally, after a tense few seconds, she grabbed the door handle, finally letting her emotions get the better of her, “Você é o pior caçador que existe! E sim, eu sei o que é um atirador de elite! Obrigado por quase me matar esta noite!!”

Just as she grabbed the handle, a flash of blue and red lights lit up behind them, followed by a quick few squeals of a siren… the police. Goddamnit. She sat back and faced forward, keeping her hand on the handle as she looked around to see where they were. She could run. They would have to deal with him and by the time backup would arrive, she would be gone.

Just a second before she pulled the handle, she heard the doors lock once more.

 

[BeachBum25]

He made no comment to the Devil's Daughter when she asked for.. no, demanded.. the bullets. He was not going to return them to her. She kept her hand out, but he ignored her.

"You can curse me out in Portuguese if you want. I have been cursed out in a lot of different languages. That doesn't bother me." Cisco saw her reach for the door handle and was about to say something when the flashing blue and red lights went on behind them. Then the siren.

Slowing down, but taking his time to come to a complete stop, Cisco looked around the area to see where they could go. Once he came to a stop, he saw that DD still had her hand on the door handle. He locked the doors. "You wouldn't make it two steps out of the vehicle if you tried to run. Those are not regular cops behind us. They would gun you down as soon as your foot stepped out."

All the while he was talking to the Devil's Daughter, Cisco was looking in the rearview mirror; watching what was going on behind them. "Listen to me carefully. Very slowly, slide down onto the floor. Make yourself as small as possible when you get down there. Don't make any sudden movements as you are going. Just move slowly. Oh, and reload your gun." Cisco handed back the clip to her.

As DD slid down onto the floor, Cisco unlocked the doors of the SUV and then reached back with his left hand to open the back door. It wouldn't give him much protection, but it would provide him with brief coverage as he exited the vehicle and moved to the front. "No matter what, stay there until I come to get you out. If it is anyone else that opens that door, just shoot them."

Exiting the SUV, Cisco quickly moved to the front of the vehicle as the "police" opened fire. He didn't have much firepower, but his plan was to get them to use a lot of their ammo while he kept them at bay with random shots; hoping to pick them off with his accuracy.

Before he knew it, the SUV was riddled with bullet holes. When he had an opportunity, he looked back and could make out three figures firing at them. There was one on the driver's side and two on the passenger side. Cisco decided to focus on the one on the driver's side. It would give him the ability to move a little more; he would be able to move down the side of the SUV.

When the opportunity presented itself, Cisco fired a single shot at the person on the driver's side. They had their head just above the door, and Cisco's shot pierced their forehead, killing them immediately. Cisco heard some yelling from one of the other two. He was telling the other to move around to the driver's side. "Perfect"

As the second person moved around to the driver's side, Cisco fired two shots, both entering the side of the man's head. Cisco called out. "And then there was one." There was a volley of bullets sent toward the SUV. Cisco slid under the SUV and came out on the other side; firing multiple shots. "Now there are none."

He walked back to the police vehicle to make sure there were no other threats. Then, he went back to the driver's side door and, pointing his weapon at the Devil's Daughter, told her she could get out. He maintained a position of cover since he did not trust her at all. Once she was out of the SUV, Cisco told her that she welcome to go ahead and leave if she wanted. "Of course, you won't get far in the SUV. The tires are flat. I am taking the police car and going to find a place where I can dump it and find another way to get out of here. I am tired of trying to help you and you blaming me for everything that is happening to you."

Cisco picked up the bodies of the tree dead men and put them in the back of the SUV. After closing the tailgate, he picked up their weapons, put them in the police car and got in.

 

[zydrate]

It had all happened so fast. The men in the other car were dead before they could call for help. At least, that's how it seemed to Zara. She was sure she was next... at least that's what she thought until this man told her to get out or stay... he didn't care. Story of her life. Not that she wanted him to care...

"I only blamed you for finding me and everything after," she corrected him. "Fine! I wanted to get out anyway!" With that, Zara stood outside of the police car and held her bag to her tightly, "Remember, you're just as dead as I am now that they probably know about you finding me."

She had no regrets. Zara took that moment to look around... they were practically in the middle of nowhere--meaning that the road they were on was a backroad between neighborhoods, she assumed. She didn't bother studying the outskirts of the city as she figured earlier that she wouldn't end up here... yet here she was.

Zara couldn't tell which way was closer so she started to walk in the opposite direction they had been going. She didn't bother moving from the side of the road just yet as there was no one coming or going. In her mind, she planned her next move. She would need to find a place to stay tonight and then, somehow, continue on her way in the morning or sometime tomorrow...

 

[BeachBum25]

"I found you because that was my job. I protected you because I understand that you were in danger over something that was not of your doing. I could have just let them know you were on the bus and they would have stopped the bus with 20 men and dragged your ass off. No, I wanted to know more and I acted on it when I got information from you. If you want to make a go of it, have at it. Yes, they will come after me, but I have a certain set of skills that I have developed that will allow me to survive. You, on the other hand, may be good with weapons, but, they will hunt you down."

His voice was calm. Yes, he had put himself in a bad situation, but he was confident he could survive it. He was pissed off at her because he had risked everything for her and she did not appreciate it.

Maybe it was best that she went on her own. He would be able to survive easier without her tagging along. The thing that pissed him off the most, however, was that she was going to end up dead or in their custody anyway. She would not be able to avoid them forever.

Cisco sat for a moment after the Devil's Daughter exited the car. He reached across to close the passenger side door. Looking out at her. "Last chance. I pull away and I am not looking back. You will lose the only ally you have."

 

[zydrate]

Oh sure, he said all this now. "Like I said, I was doing fine until meeting you." She didn't offer him an apology, only because he didn't deserve it...

OK, maybe he did but she was in over her head and she didn't want to take anyone down with her. Besides, she would make better time without him. "From here on.... whatever your name is, I can only hope you have better luck than I do because as soon as you got involved with me, you became the enemy." With that, she walked off. She wanted to look back but didn't dare. Instead, she heard the car take off. It was then she hurried her pace and walked back toward the city.

It only took less than 3 hours to get back to the outskirts of the city. Looking at her watch, Zara saw it was a few minutes after midnight. She still needed to get a place to rest for tonight and re-evaluate her way to get to Oregon. She also wanted to get something to eat.

**** 2 days later ****
Holding her second to the last burner phone, Zara dialed the number she had memorized and waited... at the end of the first ring, someone answered. She had given the password once more. In less than a minute she was talking to someone who introduced himself as Agent Taylor. She asked why they were after her. He told her they just wanted to talk to her.

Talk? Yeah right.

Zara knew she had brought all this on herself. She should have talked to them after that initial call. But for some reason, it all didn't make sense. That confirmed her suspicions when that man had found her... and then everything that happened afterward? She took no comfort in Agent Taylor saying he would meet with her personally just to talk. It was then Zara ended the call. She knew if she started in on the accusations, this Agent would just play innocent. Condescending.

She had to keep moving. Had to get to her destination. She had to get to Eugene, Oregon.

OK, the train was the only mode of transportation left. Trying to travel via foot or even trying to get ride like she had seen in the older movies, would be too dangerous. This time, Zara made the choice to travel in the middle of the day instead of the night like before. She realized she was still a target and that they were looking for her... so she made herself as unrecognizable as possible. She wore baggy jeans, a baggy flannel shirt and shoved her hair into a baseball cap. She looked more like a student and she used that to her advantage and had gotten a worn backpack as she boarded the train. It would take half the time as a bus and she was OK with that. Besides, those who rode the trains were also tourists and just in general, a bit higher class of people than those who took the bus.

Sitting down, she pulled her hat down a bit and looked out the window. She was keeping an eye out for anything and anyone suspicious.

 

[BeachBum25]

"Good luck." Cisco drove off leaving the Devil's Daughter on the side of the road. He had offered to help her, but she was not willing to take him up on it. It probably had something to do with her father and what he had done. He had probably always been on his own and that was how she saw it being in her best interest.
Driving off, Cisco didn't want to be in the police car too long. He got onto the freeway and found a truck stop. Parking the police car in the very back, Cisco walked inside to get some coffee.

After getting a seat in a booth in the back where he could see anyone approaching him, he asked the waitress for a large coffee and a piece of pie. After the waitress delivered them, he thanked her and watched her walk away. Then, he took out his cell phone and made a call to someone he knew he could trust. The only people he knew he could trust right now were those in his unit. His call went to his closest friend, Paul.

Paul told him they were told that he had betrayed his country and was on the run, but nobody in the unit believed it. He told Paul what happened and told him that he was on the run. Paul told him that anybody in the unit, including the CO would do whatever they needed to do to help him. Cisco told Paul to expect calls from different numbers because he was going to ditch his phone and get a couple of burners. Pail wished him luck and said to stay in touch.

Cisco got up and paid for his coffee and pie, neither of which he touched. He walked outside and began to talk to a trucker. He tucked his cell phone into a crevice along the side of the guys truck before saying goodbye to him. He walked away and found a female trucker heading toward her rig. He asked her where she was heading, and when she said she was going north, he asked if he could get a ride from her. To his surprise, she willingly agreed.

Hopping into the cab of the truck, Cisco introduced himself as Tommy and got himself situated in the passenger seat. The trucker told him she was going to Spokane, WA, and that he was welcome to go as far as he wanted with her. He thanked her and settled in as they got onto the freeway. It was going to be a long ride.

They made idle chatter as they went with Tammy, the truck driver, asking a lot of personal questions. For most of the questions, Cisco made answers up in order to not have to tell her it was none of her business. It was obvious that she was not accustomed to having a passenger, and she was enjoying the company.

 

[zydrate]

It was nearly 4am when the train stopped at it's latest stop. Zara instantly woke and looked around her to make sure no one was near. She silently scolded herself for falling asleep and not making sure she remained safe so that no one could sneak up on her.

Standing up to stretch, she looked out the window as she twisted her waist to work out some of the kinks.

A worker for the train was going through and checking on things as Zara stopped him and asked where they were now. He told her a small town outside of Sacramento. Thanking him, Zara waited as he went on his way and when he was out of sight, she opened her backpack and took out the copy of maps she had made at the library days prior. Finding the city on the map, Zara assumed they were running on schedule so that would mean they would get to Oregon in another 4 or 5 hours.

Sitting back down at her seat, Zara took notice that a security guard was outside, talking to a few lingering passengers as they took a quick smoke break. She saw the guard show them something and they shrugged and kept smoking. The guard looked at the train and then disappeared to the side, entering the train. She watched him as she held onto her bag...ready to move if needed...

 

[BeachBum25]

The ride north through California was long and tedious, but Tammy kept him awake with her nonstop chatter. Cisco asked her about life on the road and how it impacted her family. She talked about not really having a family; her parents were always travelling, her siblings were spread out across the country and she didn't have a significant other to worry about. So, she just drove as much as possible to make money.

When she asked him what he did, Cisco told her that he had been in the military and got out a few months back and was now just travelling around trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. Tammy told him that he was welcome to ride with her as long as he wanted. "You can be my bodyguard as I drive around and have to deal with some of the idiots on the road and at the truckstops. Also, in addition to me enjoying having someone to talk to, you sure are easy on the eyes."

Cisco laughed when Tammy said that. She was very attractive, herself, and he was sure she could get just about any guy she wanted. He was surprised that she was driving a big rig, because she certainly did not look like the stereotypical trucker. When he asked her how she got into being a trucker, she said that her father had been a trucker and despite not being home much, the family never wanted for anything. "Although it was touch on my dad, he made good money by hustling. He took care of us and also invested well. He retired early and him and mom travel all the time. I started driving because I didn't want to go to college. I figured I would make my money and get out early; like dad did."

Listening to Tammy put something in cisco's head. Maybe, if he couldn't resolve his problems with the people after the Devil's Daughter, he would go into truck driving. It would keep him on the move and give him a source of income.

"Welcome to Oregon," Tammy exclaimed. Cisco looked up and saw the sign. "Okay, what is next for me," he wondered.

 

[zydrate]

Luckily, which was something Zara had been able to think in a while, the security guy had walked right by her as she 'slept' on the train. A couple of hours had passed and she was just outside of Eugene, which was fine, since no one she needed to see was in the city...

Before she had walked on, she stopped at a bench and pulled out her map, before studying it. She was where she had wanted to be, despite the set backs and delays. Now, she was definitely on a mission from this moment on. Figuring out where she needed to go from the train station, Zara started on the road, heading west into town. She made sure to stay far enough from the road but still so she wasn't making it more difficult than usual to walk. But she was tired, that was for sure. Her stomach noises had also reminded her that she was running low on energy. Perhaps she would be able to eat something soon...

Seeing the sign for turn off 394 just a few feet away... she was almost there. After this, she figured she be fairly safe for a while and from there, could eat what ever she wanted. At least, that was her plan. As she walked along the road that when further back into the trees, Zara thought it was very nice there. It kind of reminded her of her own home just a few miles outside of Portugal. Yes, there were a lot of things she missed about home but she really missed her father. They had said a lot about him and how he was a trader but Zara knew better. He had been truthful with her about his past. Truthful about what she was to do should anything happen to her.... she was to find his old CO. Only Zara's father knew where he had lived and had given Zara specific directions and instructions on what to do when she reached him.

Zara had just come the top of a hill when she saw the only house she had seen in since the turn off. It took her a while to get here, but she was here. Picking up her pace, Zara found herself running toward the house... over the fence and to the house. She knocked on the door.. no, banging her fist on the door, calling out, "Joseph Aldar, sou eu, Zara... Sou a filha do Diabo! Olá?!" No answer. She tried again.

Still nothing. Zara looked around and then stepped back and looked at the home. Nothing seemed out of place... she ran down the steps of the porch and then walked around to the back of the house... maybe he was back there...?

Just as she reached the back of the house, Zara could hear sirens in the distance... Running up the back porch, she could see a window where she could look in and that's when Zara saw a man on a chair... he was sitting oddly. The sirens got closer.

She didn't have to look a second time as Zara knew the truth... that man was dead. Now... now she had no one to trust... no one that could help her...

Slumping against the backdoor of the house, Zara held in her tears. It was no use shedding any tears. She was beyond all that...she was tired.

Zara didn't feel the first poking of the prods from the stun gun she was pierced with. Hell, she hadn't known she had been stunned until she realized she couldn't move as a group of law enforcement officers seemed to close in on her and then, before she knew it, she was in the back of a police cruiser. She still couldn't move or feel anything but she got the general idea she was handcuffed. She still couldn't move much as she was taken from the car and to a building she had assumed was the jail. No pain was felt as she was tossed in a cell...

****

It took a couple of hours for Zara to get her bearings back. She was no longer handcuffed but she was locked in a small cell. There was a man at his desk just a few feet from the cell. He wasn't paying attention to Zara, seeing her fully recover. In fact, he knew Zara was awake and hadn't looked up from his paper as he spoke, "So... the deputy sheriff is outside giving a speech the local press about your arrest for killing Mr. Aldar. Shame, he was a pillar to the community. Once the Deputy is finished, he'll be back in to talk to you."

 

[BeachBum25]

As they approached Medford, OR on I-5, Tammy mentioned that she needed to stop and use the facilities and get a bite to eat at the truck stop up ahead. Cisco wasn't going to complain. Riding in the truck was not the most comfortable, and he welcomed the opportunity to take a break.

Once they pulled in and Tammy got her rig parked and secured, they headed inside. Cisco got a booth while Tammy headed to the ladies room. While looking over the menu, Cisco looked at the television. There was a news conference about a murder and someone being arrested for the murder. He started to look away from the television as a picture flashed onto the screen of the person who had been arrested.

"What the fuck," he murmured to himself. How the hell did the Devil's Daughter get up to Eugene so quickly? Who did she murder, and why? He started to think. Maybe this is why the suits had been after her. Maybe they knew what she was planning. Then Cisco though about his role in the murder. He had helped get her away from the suits. If he had just let them take her, the person she killed would still be alive.

Tammy came in and sat down across from him in the booth. Once again, she was nonstop talking. She even flirted with him a little. Cisco told her that he had just talked to a friend who was in Eugene. "Would it be okay if I rode as far as Eugene with you?" She smiled at him. "Tommy, you can ride me as far as you want to baby." She winked at him and then looked at the menu.

When they finished eating, Cisco insisted on paying for her food. It was the least he could do for her giving him a ride. Once they were back on the road, their chatting was around a variety of topics including the music that came on the radio and the states that each of them had visited and which ones were their favorites.

Once they were in Eugene, Tammy dropped him off after giving him her phone number and telling him she would be back this way in about five days if he wanted to go for a ride. After thanking Tammy and getting out of her rig, Cisco wondered what he was going to do now that he was here. He still wasn't sure why he even got out here.

He found an inexpensive hotel and paid for three nights. He didn't want to rush into anything, and the Devil's Daughter wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. After getting settled in the room, Cisco put on the television and while watching the news found out that the Devil's daughter's preliminary hearing was going to be the next day. It was at that moment that he decided he would slip into the court room and see what information he could glean during the hearing. He would have to disguise himself somehow, though, just in case the suits showed up there, which he was pretty certain they would.

 

[zydrate]

The next morning, Zara was awaken with one a cop in her face, and she could feel his hand on her thigh. She didn't move when he opened the cell door earlier and as he approached her, his hand ran up the side of her thigh. it gave her a sick feeling... before he could move his arm up more, Zara reached up with one hand around his throat and the other punching him hard. Although she was strong... to a point, he was stronger and took a swing at her also, his fist finding her chin. There was some shouting behind them and another officer pulling the guy off of her as Zara again ready to strike. She could taste blood in her mouth and so she took that time to spit it on the men before her.

Was this helping her case? Probably not.

She was then pushed back by the officer who broke up the attack and he handcuffed her hands behind her, telling her it was time to go. She still hadn't talked to anyone...meaning she hadn't even denied to killing that man, Aldar, in his home. She had been told about her going before a judge in the morning and she could only assume that was where she was being taken now. The officer she hit was following close behind, complaining about what had just happened. Someone told him to shut up as they put her into the back of a police cruiser and headed off to court...

***

Keeping her eyes forward while the judge went over some other cases before getting to Zara's case. When her case was announced, she was pushed forward to face the judge. Her charges were read and the judge asked her name since she was entered as Jane Doe. She had refused to give her name so far. The judge asked her how she pleaded--

"Not guilty!" A man, dressed in a black suit and had slicked back grey hair, shouted as he entered the court room. It was almost like a drama show on TV... she was saved just in time? She wasn't sure. She didn't get representation or had talked to anyone about having a lawyer. She was pretty sure that some things were not by the book. He walked directly up to Zara and leaned in close, "Don't say anything, I'll handle this as your lawyer."

Zara had no idea who this man was. The judge called the court to order and had her 'lawyer' come up toward the judge so they could talk. Zara didn't move as she watched what was going on. There wasn't anything she could do or say... she couldn't even really hear what they were discussing. It was decided her arraignment would continue tomorrow after she was told she would need to talk to her lawyer later today. Just as she was about to say she didn't know who this guy was, she was lead away and officer dragging her out told the lawyer he could met them at the station later on.

"No! He's not my lawyer!" Zara called out, resisting as much as she could, trying to get someone to listen, "I don't know who he is! I didn't kill anyone!!" But it was too late as she was dragged fully out of the courtroom. She was again taken to the police cruiser as the cops who brought her laughed at her expense, telling her they were going to have fun with her once she finished with her lawyer. And then their conversation turned to the man who had said he was her lawyer.

 

[BeachBum25]

Sitting in the back corner where he could observe everyone that entered and exited the courtroom, Cisco paid close attention to everyone that was there. It didn't matter if they were there for another case... whether they were a witness or a defendant or a lawyer or court personnel... Cisco made sure to notice details about them.

When the Devil's Daughter was brought forward he noticed that she had not given them a name and was being addressed as Jane Doe. It wouldn't be long before they had her identified. Although her fingerprints would not be in any system, the suits would soon be swarming in. The person she is alleged to have killed had to have some connection to her, and the suits had to have a role in it.

When the "lawyer" came charging into the courtroom, Cisco knew the suits were here. If she was going to have a lawyer, it would be from the Public Defender's Office. This guy was slick, and it was obvious from the look on DD's face that she had no idea what was going on. That was confirmed after the arraignment was continued until tomorrow.

As the Devil's Daughter was led out of the courtroom, there was a genuine look of fear on her face. Her calling out that she didn't know the guy and he wasn't her lawyer, plus professing her innocence out loud showed true fear about what was happening to her. There was a part of Cisco that felt that she was getting what she deserved for blaming him for things that happened to her. He was pretty sure she probably thought this was his fault, too.

After the Devil's Daughter was taken out, her "lawyer" walked out of the courtroom. Cisco got up and followed.. at a distance. He knew this guy was working for the suits, and, in short order, he saw that he was right. The lawyer was approached by 3 suits on the steps of the courthouse. One of the suits was the original suit he had met with when assigned to the mission. The talked briefly. There was some laughing, and some backslapping, and then the suits left. They were obviously happy with the way things were going. Cisco had to find a way to change all of that around.

Following the lawyer as he walked the couple of blocks to where DD was being held, Cisco looked around. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he wanted to know where everything was when he came up with a plan. He watched the lawyer go into the building. Moving around, Cisco found a spot near the entrance where he could watch for the lawyer to exit the building.

Seeing the lawyer come out of the building, Cisco started to approach him, but stopped, quickly. The suits were there again. Moving behind a pillar, Cisco was able to hear their conversation. The lawyer said that the woman would not give him any information other than that she didn't kill anybody. One of the suits laughed. "Yeah, we know that. We took care of that."

Then the lawyer said that other than saying she was innocent, the only thing she talked about was how one of the cops was getting very touchy-feely with her. "I told her that I would talk to somebody about it." They all laughed. One of the suits said, "I would like to get touchy-feely with her... and a whole lot more."

The suits walked away; leaving the lawyer standing there alone. Cisco saw an opportunity after the suits got into a black SUV and drove off. Just as the lawyer was starting to walk away, Cisco moved next to him and gripped his arm. "If anything happens to that woman while she is in there, you will pay with your life. Those guys that just left won't be able to help you. Trust me. I have a very specific set of skills that I will use to make sure that you experience pain like you can't imagine, and you will beg me to just kill you."

Then, Cisco was gone. He knew the lawyer was in shock. He wouldn't know what to do. The lawyer looked around.. confused, and then went back into the building.

 

[zydrate]

The loud music wasn't stopping and all Zara could do was look at the man at the desk. They were trying their best to get to her but were failing badly. It was a bit comical only because they were doing it wrong. She didn't understand the music they were playing but she assumed it was whatever they had laying around.

It had started when she got back from court and they served her lunch... which was just a paper bag that had a sandwich and an apple. Of course, she ate it. There was no use in depriving herself of food since she would need the energy to get out of her. There was no use in panicking either... at least not now. She was biding her time.

Zara understood she would need to go back to court and that her lawyer would work up a deal for her. The one problem there was that wasn't her lawyer. She had never seen him before in her life. The cops sure knew him though.

Since she had hit the one cop earlier in the morning, she knew he was also waiting for the right time to strike at her.. as she had overheard him tell the other cop that she would pay for leaving a mark on his face. She was sure if she had the time, she could have done a lot more damage.

Her wrists were a bit cut up from the handcuffs and fighting them as she was being dragged out of the court room. They still wanted a name and she wasn't giving it. They wanted a lot of things but again, she wasn't relenting. They had told her she would be taking a trip here very soon as they were waiting for someone to come pick her up and get her out of their hair. Zara paced in the small cell, mentally counting the steps from corner to corner, keeping her mind busy, ignoring the music...

The music stopped suddenly and she looked up... there he was. Her 'lawyer' who was flanked by 2 men she wasn't sure about. Well, this was it. She had resigned herself that this was all over. They caught her.

 

[BeachBum25]

There was not much Cisco could do while the Devil's Daughter was sitting in a jail cell. He was good, but he was not going to be able to break her out of jail, so, he had to wait. The big question was going to be whether or not he had to kill DD's "lawyer."

Deciding to get something to eat, Cisco went into a coffeeshop across the street from the jail. He sat at a table where he could see everyone who came and went into the shop. He ordered a sandwich and a large coffee and sat there thinking about what he got himself into and what he was going to do next.

Starting to develop a plan, Cisco started to look at places where he could cross into Canada, undetected. He pulled up a map on his phone and also started to do searches for locations where he could get into Canada without having to show any identification. He was certain that the suits had put out a BOLO on him and that showing identification going into Canada would set off all kinds of alerts.

After eating and paying for his sandwich, Cisco walked around the area of the jail and then headed back to the courthouse to scope it out better. He still had no idea what he was going to do, if anything, but he wanted to be prepared, just in case he came up with something.

That evening, he found a cheap hotel that took cash and did not require any form of identification. It wasn't exactly clean, but it got him off the streets and enabled him to lay down to get some sleep. He had to be prepared to act the next morning if he came up with a plan.

 

[zydrate]

No one approached her as she stayed in her cell. The men that came in were talking to the officers and they were arguing about what they wanted to do next. The men wanted to take her but the officers said that if she didn't appear for court, the judge would want to know why and he was a real stickler for the rules.

The taller guy, the one who looked sharp in his suit and who told the judge he was her attorney, looked a bit anxious.. why was that? The other 2 men, also in suits, were the ones saying that they needed to take her now. But the older of the officers shook his head and said no, it just wasn't possible.

"She still hasn't talked. Not even telling us her name."

No, she had doubted anyone knew her name, so, in the meantime, she would continue with it.

"You said some guy threatened you...do you think he was with her?"

"Shh, it was probably nothing... if he was to carry out such a threat, he wouldn't have been such a pussy and not at least show me who he was."

They ended the conversation and told the officers they would meet them at the courthouse tomorrow morning and from there they would do the exchange.

***

As much as she didn't want to fall asleep, Zara had no choice in the matter. She sat with her back against the wall and hugged the blanket she had balled up. She had a small plastic knife she had kept with her that had come with her lunch. They didn't feed her dinner.. which was fine.

Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back, sleeping lightly, waking when something shifted or any small noise seemed to wake her.

***

The next morning, Zara was taken from her cell to the police care that would take her back to court. She was still quiet as they drove away from the station, she noticed they were going a different way than yesterday. She knew it was time to speak up, "Where are we going?"

The 2 officers up front just laughed, "Well, well... she can talk! Guess that means we'll know what she sounds like when she screams... don't worry honey, your court appearance isn't until this afternoon so in the meantime, we're just going to have a little fun. But you know, away from prying eyes...if you know what I mean." They laughed again and Zara leaned back to kick the metal partition... which of course only made them laugh again.

 

[BeachBum25]

Before the sun came up, Cisco was outside the building where the Devil's Daughter was being held. He already knew the lay of the land and wanted to make sure that he saw the "lawyer" go into the building and that he saw when they took the Devil's Daughter back to court.

It was still early, before most people were out and about in downtown Eugene, when Cisco saw DD being taken out of the building and led to a police cruiser. Cisco thought it was odd since the judge had rescheduled the hearing for after lunch. He watched closely as the police car pulled out of the parking lot and turned left. That was odd, because the courthouse was in the opposite direction.

Watching the police and the Devil's Daughter's interaction, Cisco could see there was a problem. Then, he saw DD kick at the screen between the front and the back, and the two cops laughing at her. Yep, big problem.

Fortunately there were few people around, and Cisco was standing next to a pillar across the street from the jail. When the police car stopped at the traffic light part way down the street, Cisco took out his handgun with the suppressor attached, and fired a single shot. There was nobody around to see him, so the conditions were perfect.

Cisco walked down the street to where the police car had pulled over and the two cops were standing next to the car looking at the flat tire. He heard the cops talking. "Fuck, something like this would happen this morning. I know we could have had a good time with her. She would have put up a nice fight, which would have made it that much better." They both laughed, and then one of them kicked the flat tire. "By the time somebody comes out here to change the tire, it will be too late and we will have to take her over to the courthouse. What a shitty time to get a flat tire."

"What happened officers? Did you run over something and get a flat tire?" Cisco walked up to the officers as they both looked at the tire. "I wouldn't want you to get your hands or your uniforms dirty. I would be happy to change that tire for you... if you would like. Of course, you guys probably have a service that comes out and changes it for you."

He could see the wheels grinding in their heads. This might give them the opportunity to do what they had planned. "Would you really do that for us. That would be awesome." Cisco nodded his head. The cops popped the trunk and just stood there while Cisco got the spare tire out of the trunk and changed the tire. When he closed the trunk, he greeted the cops with his weapon drawn.

"Take your guns out of the holster and put them on the trunk." In complete shock, both complied. Cisco then took the hand-held radios off each of their belts before handcuffing the two of them together. Grabbing their guns off the trunk, Cisco jumped in the front seat and drove off in the police car.. the second time he had made an escape in one. As he drove away, he looked in the rear view mirror at the Devil's Daughter. "So, you didn't do so well on your own, did you?"

 

[zydrate]

Zara had stopped kicking at the partition and just sat there, trying to see if she could get out of her handcuffs. The two men had cursed and slowed the car down, talking about something was wrong. She didn't know what was happening and she tried to turn to look but of course, couldn't because of the seatbelt holding her in place.

What was taking so long?

Just as she was about to call out that it was getting stuffy in the car, one of them jumped in the driver's seat and didn't waste any time as he drove off. Where was the other guy?

That's when she heard 'his' voice... full of cockiness as their eyes met in the rearview mirror. Of course, Zara couldn't hide her shock as she tried to turn around to look back at where the men were... she couldn't see them. She then turned back to the man driving and glared at him, "How did... wait.. why are..." she stopped, she didn't really have the right to complain as he was taking her away from the police. Probably going to do the same thing they were going to do to her?!

That made her work her arms and hands to free them but it didn't work. Instead, she was stuck there... Zara didn't say anything as they continued to drive for over 20 minutes when she finally spoke up, "Why are you doing this? And how did you know where I was?!"

 

[BeachBum25]

Once they were out of the city, Cisco pulled into a parking lot at a shopping center. He opened the rear door and let the Devil's Daughter out of the back of the car. He still hadn't said anything other than his initial comment to her.

Gripping her arm, Cisco led the DD into the mall. They needed to get her a change of clothes. He still had some of the money left over from the cash the suit had given him before he started his search for the Devil's Daughter, and they needed to get her out of the outfit she had on.

Walking into the first shop, Cisco said to her, "don't be picky. Find something to change into so we can keep moving." He saw her look. He knew she had questions. "I will answer all of your questions once we get out of her. Just do what I say for now."

After she chose a simple outfit, Cisco paid for it and guided DD to the Ladies Room. After she changed, he took her arm. "We need to get moving. They will locate the police car soon enough, and I am sure that there are cameras all over the place in here.

Once outside the mall, Cisco saw a bus pulling up. He wasn't crazy about using public transportation, but stealing a car from the location that they dropped off the police car would give the police an advantage looking for them. They got on the bus and just rode. DD started to ask him a question, but he looked at her and mouthed, "not here."

The bus pulled up to a train station about an hour north of Eugene. Taking her hand, Cisco led DD off the bus. Once inside the train station, Cisco began looking at the schedule. They could get a train that would take them north, almost to the Canadian border. It would take them almost 17 hours and require one change, but it was a perfect way to let things cool down.

After buying 2 tickets, he took DD aside on the platform. "Once we are settled on the train, I will answer your questions. Oh, and yes, you can get off whenever you want."

 

[zydrate]

He never answered her. They rode in silence for a while before he tossed the handcuff keys to her and she was able to catch it and use them. Her wrists were cut up and bruised but that was the least of her worries. Had she just gotten away from one dangerous situation and into another? She decided to let it play and see what was going to happen. Zara figured he wasn't going to hurt her if he let her take the handcuffs off.

Once they stopped at the store, his grip on her arm wasn't painful but it was firm. She quickly just picked out a blue t-shirt that said Oregon with a picture of the mountains and then also picked out a pair of grey leggings. The items were paid for and she quickly changed into them in the dressing room, still wondering what was going on.

OK, he wasn't going to answer her here so she did what she did best. That was keep quiet.

The train was a surprise but she went with the flow and didn't fight him but he still wasn't letting her go. While they waited for the train, he told her he would answer her questions once they boarded... and that she could leave. She gave him a simple answer, "OK."

Later, when they got settled on the train, which wasn't very full, they could sit facing each other in the four seat booth.

Zara didn't say anything for a solid 15 minutes as she tried to relax. Clearing her throat, she looked at the man across from her and shrugged, "So, why did you do what you did? How did you find me? Are you taking me to D.C. like they wanted?" Sure, she had more questions but she didn't want to bombard him with too many. She needed to find out his role in all this first.

 

[BeachBum25]

Getting situated on the train, Cisco sat across from the Devil's Daughter and took a deep breath. He had no idea what he was going to do. A week ago he was a member of an elite military unit. Now, he was on the run, and he did not know who he was on the run from. In addition to that, he had this woman with him that was the cause of all of his problems. If he had just done what he was supposed to do, and did not have a conscience, he would be back on base right now with no problems.

Looking at her after she spewed all of her questions out, Cisco paused for a second. "Okay, to answer your questions.... I did what I did for the same reason that I tried to help you in the first place.... I think someone or some group of people are setting you up. I don't think you are dumb enough or careless enough to travel all the way to Oregon to kill someone and get caught the moment you do it."

"How did I find you? Well, that was just stupid luck. I was getting out of the country since my attempts to help you have put me on the wrong side of somebody's law. I was close to getting out when I happened to see a news report that was on the television in some diner I was eating at, and it was about a murder, and suddenly your face was plastered on the screen. I happened to be travelling through Eugene and, I am not sure why, but I decided to find out what was going on. There was just too much of a coincidence that you had escaped from them earlier and now you were arrested for murder. When I saw those cops taking you out of jail this morning, I knew something was wrong. I didn't know what, but there was something off."

"As to your last question, if you see the train tickets are for Bellingham, Washington. That is not Washington, DC. Bellingham puts me close to the border with Canada. I can find a place to cross the border, and buy myself some time to figure out what I am going to do next. You are free to get off at one of the stops between here and there. In fact, at some point we need to switch trains. You could get off there, too. It is all up to you."

At that point, Cisco was talked out. He pulled the bill of his hat down to cover his eyes. He had no idea what the Devils' Daughter would do, but he was not going to go out of his way to stop her. He was in deep shit because of her, and she still blamed him for all of her problems.

 

[zydrate]

He pulled his hat over his eyes and Zara just stared at him for a few minutes more before looking out the window as the train started once more to a new destination.

For some reason, Zara felt a bit more relaxed with this man... why was that? There were still a lot of doubts about his intentions because she kept wondering why he had come to save her? It just didn't make sense.

With that, was she ready to trust him? Of course not... at least not yet.

As they rode in silence, Zara leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She needed to rest as she hadn't gotten much in that jail as she was always on the defense. Shifting in her seat, she brought her knees up to her chest and literally pretzeling herself into the seat before falling into a light sleep.

***

Waking up suddenly from a nightmare, Zara gasped and sat up straight, trying to get her bearings before she remembered where she was. The train had stopped and some people were getting off. The man wasn't there. Had he gotten off before this stop? She wasn't sure. He did move very quietly though.

She sat there, knowing she had nothing on her. Her bag was still at the police department so she had absolutely no money or even a weapon.

For some reason, that didn't bother her. She would make do. But she needed to know exactly where she was... standing up, she looked around at the nearly empty train car before stopping one of the workers to ask where they were.

He told her they were in Burlington and this was their next to last stop before they reached Bellingham.

OK, so there was still a while to go. Zara needed the restroom so she left and had gotten back to her seat and the man was still gone. OK, that was fine. He probably left just to get away from her.

If he only knew. And she wondered if she should have told him. He said he was trying to help her back when they had their first encounter but why? Why was he trying to help her as he did when he got her away from those cops?

Sitting back down, she then wondered what to do from here. This new place, Bellingham, was going to require research and she would need to take some time to figure out her next step.

Just as she was about get some more sleep, the man returned. He got to their seat and tossed her a bottle of water... which she caught. Watching him sit down, Zara held the bottle to her and thanked him. He didn't respond as he sat back down. "I thought you left." She said, opening the bottle of water and taking a long drink of it. Placing the lid back on it, she tightened it and then looked at the man, "I'm Zara. Zara Sutton. My father is Sgt. Jack Sutton." She saw the name... well, her father's name, ring a bell to the man. He hid it well.

 

[BeachBum25]

Knowing they were coming into a station, and seeing that the Devil's Daughter was asleep, Cisco decided to get up and get them something to snack on and something to drink. When he didn't see anything that he would be interested in eating, he purchased two bottles of water and started to make his way back.

As he was moving through the cars, the train pulled into a station. Cisco stopped. He decided that it would be better to observe from a standing position than it would be while moving. He wanted to make sure that he did not miss any threats. He knew there was a chance that the Devil's Daughter would wake up and not see him there and decide to get off the train. Oh well. He had already done enough to save her ass. If she wanted to go off on her own again, that was on her.

Once everything settled down with people getting off and on the train, Cisco continued making his way back to where he had left the Devil's Daughter. He sat down and tossed her a bottle of water. "There wasn't much in the way of food."

He heard her tell him her name, and then she shared the name of her father. Cisco just nodded. It was a nod that neither acknowledged that he knew who her father was nor denied any knowledge. It was a simple nod that Cisco was known for. It kept people off balance and did not give them any insight into what he was thinking.

"Cisco."

 

[zydrate]

"Cisco." She repeated to herself in barely a whisper. OK, good. He had a name. At least from now she wouldn't have to think about his as 'that man'.

Why did it feel like a big weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Yes, she told one person but others knew about her father and what he had been capable of. They just weren't sure about her. What had he passed onto Zara... what secrets... perhaps it was skill? Was she able to kill like her father did?

With a sigh, Zara sat back and drank her water. She didn't volunteer any other information as they sat in silence for most of the train ride. She listened to some ambient noises around her as people talked amongst themselves. She stared out the window, watching the scenery fly by, wondering if she would ever be able to stop and wander around to explore it.

Or would she be running for the rest of her life?

 

[BeachBum25]

She didn't ask any questions, nor did she volunteer any information. That was okay with Cisco.. for now. Going forward, however, he was going to need her to open up. Either that, or she was going to have to go her own way once and for all. He still wasn't sure if she knew just how lucky she was that he had seen the news report at the truck stop. Her time with those two police officers would not have been pleasant, and it seemed like they believed that nobody would buy her story if she reported them.

With the bill of his ball cap pulled down, Cisco gave the impression that he was asleep. However, it was just a cover so that he could observe everything and everyone around him. The Devil's Daughter, yes she had given him her name, but she was still the Devil's Daughter until she earned the right for him to use her name, was one of the people he continued to observe. HE wanted to see how she handled things. Cisco wanted to see how observant she was.

As the train approached the station in Bellingham, Cisco continued to act like he was asleep. He wanted to see if anyone waited for him to get off first or if people would simply get up and leave the train; after all, it was the last stop. Once the train was stopped, and everyone got up to leave, Cisco looked over at DD. "This is our stop. From here you are free to do what you want. I have a plan of what I am doing. I don't know what your plans are, but I would recommend that if you don't have a plan that you start to develop one real quick."

Cisco stood up and started off the train. He did not look to see if the Devil's Daughter was following him. After disembarking, he looked around to get his bearings, then headed inside to the small coffee shop to get something to eat before making his way to the border. He sat down at the counter, his hat still pulled low over his eyes. He looked around to see if there was anyone of concern before ordering a large coffee and a sandwich.