In Fear of Three Little Words

Chapter 41


The cold was nothing more than a minor irritation, the lack of food or drink not even a second thought. Logan’s mind was focused on two things, the scent in his nostrils and the tracks his sharp gaze scanned as he ran.

For two days and nights he’d run with no more than a moment’s rest now and then, a minute scan of the terrain and the tracks, his nose to the air, smelling the ever present scent of Kurt and Sabertooth.

Once, the scent disappeared while crossing a stream and Logan had driven himself nearly mad trying to find the trail again. Twenty minutes later he’d found it and was running, trying to make up for lost time. Time Kurt didn’t have.

The terrain had grown rougher as he’d crossed into the foothills of mountains. The forest was dense here except for the trail, now open and easy to follow. He was close, sensing something not quite right.

Logan’s hackles were up, waiting for the trap. He stopped and listened, hearing a trickle of water to his far right and the sound of branches rustling to his left. The sound might have been a deer or some other innocent animal. But the odor on the air told Logan a different story.

“Took you long enough, old man,” Sabertooth said, leaning against a tree not twenty feet away.

Logan went into a crouch, a snarl rising up in his throat. He sprang forward and Sabertooth met him with a mutual slashing of claws and roars that split the afternoon quiet of the forest.

“Where is he, you lowlife scumbag?” Logan growled, slashing out. Sabertooth dodged the claws and swung a massive fist landing hard in Logan’s stomach. He fell back six feet and leapt up again, hardly feeling the blow. “You tell me where Kurt is or I’ll rip out your throat!”

“Your little boy, Kurt?” Sabertooth licked his lips, his teeth sliding over his fangs as if he’d just enjoyed a good meal. “Me and him have gotten real well acquainted. But you know that don’t you?”

Logan let out a snarl and the smell of Kurt on Sabertooth assaulted his senses. He smelled Kurt’s blood and he smelled Sabertooth’s sex and the mixture drove him forward, sending Sabertooth bowling over, slamming hard into the earth. Logan sliced his claws towards Sabertooth’s face, but the man was fast, rolling out of reach.

Something was wrong. Sabertooth wasn’t fighting him, not like they’d fought before.

“He’s a real sweet thing, your fuzzy blue babe,” Sabertooth taunted. “And Trask’s been having fun with him too. But you knew that too, didn’t you, Logan?”

Maddening rage blinded Logan’s vision, red the color of blood a veil over his sight. He snarled and ran at Sabertooth. But his nemesis retreated, drawing Logan forward, drawing him towards what, he didn’t know. But he followed, for he could do nothing else.

Then the trap sprung around him, a half dozen of Trask’s men all aiming their guns at him. Sabertooth backed away, that malicious smile plastered on the man’s face. Logan let out a roar and sprang forward, slicing through a rifle like butter. He slammed the man into a tree and headed for the next, dodging shots of their immobilizer beams. Another fell backwards in retreat and Logan snatched the rifle and broke it in two with little effort.

Sabertooth caught Logan’s eye and offered him a sneer, a challenge being issued with nothing more than a lift of the chin. Without thought Logan shot forward, dodging and ducking blasts from the rifles.

Then the earth crumbled beneath his feet, falling away and sending him crashing down into the depths of the earth. Logan landed hard, pain blossoming up his back and ringing in his head. He groaned and rolled, his vision blurring momentarily.

He looked up, and above him Sabertooth stared down, hands on hips.

“A fitting trap for a wolverine, wouldn’t you say, Logan? Oh, and by the way, Merry Christmas.”

Trask’s men ringed the deep pit, pointing their guns. Logan issued a curse and jumped to his feet, scrambling to get out. The kiss of the beam struck him between the shoulder blades and enveloped him, surrounding him with its smothering paralysis.

******************

Charles reached out with his mind, scanning for some sign of Logan or Kurt...or even Sabertooth. His mind had grown weary as had Jean’s of countless hours trying to touch the minds of his missing team members, trying to locate them by the use of their mutant powers, but Kurt obviously was unable to teleport whether because of Trask’s collar or drugs or unconsciousness. And Logan...what had become of Logan?

Christmas day and Charles had never felt so bereft of hope.

Some of the students’ parents had forced them to go home, Amara and Roberto and Sam. None had wanted to go and he’d watched them leave with a heavy heart when he should have been glad for them.

He’d heard Bobby arguing with his mother, refusing to come home and he knew Kitty’s parents were upset as well. But Jean’s family seemed to understand and had sent their prayers.

Charles had hoped for a call from Fury by now, the agent’s trackers following Sabertooth’s and Logan’s trail. He knew the forest was dense and the mountains were an impediment to their search. He tried to have patience, but his fear grew by the hour that Kurt and Logan would soon be lost to them forever if they weren’t found soon. Or it would simply be too late when they were found.

He reached out further, straining northward, weeding out psychic debris. A flicker caught his attention, a brief flash of Logan’s signature in the form of his healing ability. He strained towards it...reaching...almost there....

“Professor,” Jean said, rushing in and sounding breathless. “Agent Fury is on the telephone. He needs to speak with you.”

Charles pulled back from his search, reluctant yet eager simultaneously. He pulled off the headgear and set it aside.

“Did he say...?”

“I think he’s found them.” She handed him the phone and Charles took a deep breath.

“Agent Fury? This is Charles Xavier.”

“Professor,” Fury said. “We’ve detected an under ground facility near the Canadian border. I think we’ve got our location.”

“Download the coordinates and my team will be there shortly.”

“SHIELD can handle this, Professor,” Fury said.

“And we’ve already had this discussion, Agent Fury. These are my people. My team will not sit by and wait this out.”

A long pause followed. “All right. I’m downloading now. It should take you about an hour to reach the location.”

The line clicked off and Charles looked up at Jean’s anxious expression. She was already suited up as were the rest, just waiting for this moment.

He gave her a nod and sent out instructions to his team.