All of Us -- Chapter 38a

Disclaimer: The TV show Dark Angel, all of the characters that appeared on it (Max, Zack, Alec, etc.), and everything else that has to do with the show belong to their respective owners, not to me. No money is being made off of this fic. I only own the original characters (Becky/X6-405, etc.).

“It looks like our target is all nice and shut down for the night,” Jeff said quietly as he zoomed in on the store that he and Rob were planning on pulling a heist.

“Everything looks good,” Rob agreed. “Did you really think that it wouldn’t be, ni—Jeff?”

“You never can be too careful,” Jeff reminded Rob. He tried not to roll his eyes. Whose brilliant idea was it to put me and Rob together to pull off this heist? Oh yeah, that guy Trent from Rob’s unit was supposed to go with him but he hurt himself sparring this afternoon and I happened to be in the room and available to go tonight. “Let’s get in there.”

“Take point, I’m right behind you,” Rob said.

The two of them edged closer to the store. “There’s not a lot of people around. This is good.”

“Who’d honestly want to be in this neighborhood at this time of night?” Rob remarked.

“I don’t know,” Jeff said. I will not strangle him. I will not strangle him. I will not strangle him. “Did you hear something?”

“It was only a dog,” Rob said.

“Are you sure?” Jeff asked.

“I think I know what a dog sounds like, Jeff,” Rob said.

“Sorry,” Jeff apologized. “I’ve gotten a little more paranoid over the last few months.”

“You have been through a lot,” Rob conceded. They continued to move closer to the store, but stopped suddenly. “There are people in the area. They’re watching us.”

“Not good,” Jeff said. He put a hand to his earpiece. “Control, this is Jeff. We’ve got a possible situation. Rob and I hear people in the area and we believe them to be observing us. Possible Familiar activity. Do you copy?”

“We copy,” Dix replied. “Get back to your car and abort the heist. We need the two of you safe. We can always send other people out somewhere else to get the money and other supplies.”

“Got it,” Jeff said. “We’ll see you soon.” He turned to Rob. “Well, this has been a pointless trip out.”

“Do you have to whine about everything?” Rob said. They turned around and walked casually back towards where they had parked the car that they’d taken out of Terminal City. “Maybe we didn’t accomplish what we had set out to do, but you do not have to complain about it.”

If we weren’t in public, I’d definitely try to beat the shit out of him right now! “I’m sorry if I’m bothering you, Rob.”

Rob shrugged. “Whatever.”

“Fine,” Jeff said. “Wait a sec…crap, we’re being tailed. I’m counting at least two people…no, now four...”

“…and now seven,” Rob said grimly. “Son-of-a-bitch.”

“Let’s just get back to the car,” Jeff told him. Suddenly, he and Rob ducked and just missed being nailed by the tranquilizer darts that were just shot at them. Jeff took out his nine millimeter and began to shoot. “They’re coming at us from behind, but if we fire quickly…Rob? Rob?” He turned and realized that Rob was no longer next to him. He heard Rob running towards the car and raced after him, but Rob had gotten too big of a head start. He heard Rob yell something and then a car door slammed and tires screeched. By the time Jeff ran around the corner, the car was gone. “Rob, damnit!”

I can’t worry about Rob now! Jeff turned around and threw a punch at a Familiar and suddenly, he found himself surrounded by another six. Even if these guys are at the same level as someone like Vance or Christian, there’s still a lot more of them than there are of me…here goes nothing! He threw himself into the fight, punching and kicking in a blur of motion. He took down two of the Familiars before he got caught from behind as he tried to hit another one. Jeff hit the ground hard and he started to get up, but somebody nailed him with a Taser. He fought it, but he couldn’t and he felt the Familiars kick him while he was writhing on the ground. He heard some footsteps and then a voice that he recognized immediately.

“I’ll be damned,” White said. He leaned over at Jeff and smiled. “It’s 941. One of 405’s precious friends. Maybe even her boyfriend. One of my friends said that the two of you looked pretty close and cozy during that hostage situation back in March.”

“Fuck you,” Jeff said. He spit in White’s direction.

“You would think that with all that they put into you animals that they would teach you freaks some manners,” White commented. He kicked Jeff in the stomach. “You little bastard.”

“I could say the same thing about you,” Jeff retorted. He glared at White and tried to get up, but was shot with the Taser again and fell back to the ground, gasping in pain. “Asshole.”

“I think that somebody needs to take their nap,” White said patronizingly. He took out a syringe from his pocket. “Who wants to take his sedative?”

“Go screw yourself,” Jeff said defiantly.

“You really have a lot of spirit,” White said. “What a shame.” He waited for three of the other Familiars to hold Jeff down before he leaned down and injected the sedative into Jeff’s arm. “Have a nice nap, 941.”

“My name…is Jeff,” Jeff managed to say before he passed out.

TBC