What's Next? -- Chapter 20

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.).

Whatever the hell I just did, I will not be doing that again! Caroline thought as she regained consciousness.  Wait a second, what the hell did I do?  She blinked.  Oh right, I was out for a walk after doing some errands and I ran into Becky's boyfriend's brother and we were talking and...oh damn!  She fully opened her eyes and turned her head to look at her surroundings.  Where the hell am I?  This definitely isn't my bedroom and this isn't my house!  She heard voices approaching the room that she was in and narrowed her eyes, the fury in her building.  Those fucking assholes!  I should have fucking known that at least one of them would have tried something after the interview!  She tried to move, but realized that she was tied to the bed that she was laying on.

"Good morning, sunshine," Patrick said cheerfully as he and Lydecker entered the room.  "How are we doing this morning?"

"I don't know, let me think," Caroline said sarcastically.  "I've just been kidnapped by my ex-husband and my brother's former best friend.  I'm doing just fine.  Now let me go you asshole."

"I think that you already know the answer to that one, dear," Patrick said.

Caroline gave him a murderous look.  "We're not married anymore.  Don't call me dear."

"There's no need to be upset," Patrick said.  He started to put a hand on Caroline's shoulder, but Caroline leaned up as much as she could and spit directly into Patrick's left eye.

"If you even think about touching me, I will kill you," Caroline hissed.

"Good luck.  That's kind of hard for you to do right now," Patrick said.

"Do you honestly think that will keep me from finding a way to at the absolute least make your life a living hell?" Caroline said.  "Do you?"

"We were married for twenty-one years," Patrick said.  "That was a living hell."

"Well, welcome to the fucking club," Caroline said.  "How do you think it was for me after you called up the asshole to your right and asked him to have somebody kill me?"

"I don't know," Patrick said.  "I could care less."

"Leave her alone for now, Patrick," Lydecker said.

"If it isn't everybody's favorite bastard," Caroline sneered.  "Did I finally send your sorry ass over the edge, Donald?"

"This isn't anything that you did not have coming to you, Caroline," Lydecker said.

"What a load of horseshit," Caroline said.  "This is something that I definitely did not have coming.  I'm so damn sorry that your precious ego is wounded because I busted you for what you did to my children and all of those other poor people with millions of people watching and hearing every word that I said, but I did not have this coming to me.  On the other hand, you've got some major pain coming your way.  What should I use, Donald, a knife or a gun?  I'll be generous and let you pick."

Lydecker shook his head.  "You won't be doing anything."

"As soon as I can get free, you bet your sorry ass that I will be doing something," Caroline said coldly.  "Just watch me."

"You always had a way with words," Patrick said.  He pointed to the security camera that was in the corner of the room.  "We'll be doing exactly that."

"Just wait until Zack and Becky and Dennis and the others find out that you have me," Caroline said.  "If Wes recognized either one of you, you both are toast."

"Even if 312 recognized me, the chances of which are pretty low, it won't be a problem," Lydecker said.

Caroline snorted.  "You obviously remembered who Wes is and if you recognized him, then he'll definitely have recognized you.  Wouldn't you think so?"

"We took precautions for the possibility that 599 and 405 find out about you," Lydecker said.  "Even if they bring 452 in, they'll still be dead before they can get to you."

It took everything that Caroline had to keep her face neutral at the thought of losing her children, though she couldn't keep the venom out of her voice.  "Don't you even think about harming my children.  If for no other reason since obviously the fact that Zack and Becky are my children and I love them doesn't mean shit to you, think of how Chris would feel if he knew what you are willing to do to his nephew and niece.  Give that some thought, will you?"  Something occured to her and she raised an eyebrow.  "You'd be willing to kill off one of the children that you made that you consider to be a tribute to Lisa?  You'd be willing to murder a part of your late wife, the one that you loved so much?  I thought nothing could transcend the love that you feel for Lisa.  Isn't that what you said at your wedding all those years ago?"

"As much as it hurts me, if that's what it comes to then I'll do it," Lydecker said.  "Besides, 157 is still alive as far as I know.  As long as one of them is still living, that's what matters to me."

"You are just amazing," Caroline said angrily.  "Don't you dare fucking hurt either of my children and don't you dare hurt Max either."

"You can't do shit, sweetheart," Patrick said, grinning.

"Don't call me sweetheart," Caroline said.  She took a deep breath.  Keep your cool.  They want you to lose your temper.

"Or what?  You'll spit in my eye again?  I'm scared," Patrick remarked sarcastically.  He wiped his left eye again.  "I've got to admit that you have good coordination with your mouth."

Caroline smirked.  "You're the one in the room who would know that."

Lydecker looked at his watch.  "It's getting close to lunch time.  We'll be back later."  He waved at Patrick and the two men left the room.

Caroline sighed and stared up at the ceiling.  How am I going to get out of this one?  They want to kill my children and it's pretty much a given that they'll kill me eventually.  What am I going to do?  She closed her eyes for a moment.  I might not see them again and Dennis...oh God, I might not see him again either!  Calm down.  You might be tied up, but you're still alive and that counts for a heck of a lot.  It's not over until the fat lady sings and I don't even hear her warming up.  She sighed.  Hurry up and find me, you guys!  Come on!

TBC