Fort Bragg Terminal, Manhattan

[Jihadjoe]

Evelyn just stared, shocked and surprised Logan was even capable of speaking those words. As her mind raced to find a response, she noticed his eyes flicker towards the bar, and his expression set into angry lines.

"The hell? That bastard is 'ere? In frickin' Coronado? How!? Oh, Evelyn, if ya' are part of this then I swear I-" Logan suddenly got interrupted as Hale approached the two of them.

Evelyn frowned sadly as she looked at Logan. "I'm sorry Logan, but it's for your own good. I..." She stopped herself before saying something she'd regret.

"I was hoping you'd be here Logan... Wasn't entirely sure if you would be." Hale looks hard at Willows, noting the anger and aggression. "Sit down Logan, please. I'm not here to fight."

"Sit down? SIT DOWN?! Ya' gotta be frickin' kiddin' me. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't punch ya' in the face right 'ere, fella."

Hale sighs and shakes his head slightly. "Logan... You could hit me, but it honestly wouldn't make any difference to anything. I wanted to give you a chance." Hale hesitated for a second. "Again... And I wanted to understand why..."

"Give... give me? Aha. Haha. Hahahahaha! GIVE ME A CHANCE?!" Some of the people in the bar began turning their attention towards Logan who was now standing up and shouting with a furious temperament.

"YA' FRICKIN' BACKSTABBIN' SON OF A BITCH, I SWEAR I WILL RIP YA' GUTS OUT, YA' HEAR ME?! GIVE ME A FRICKIN' CHANCE? GET OUTTA' 'ERE. YA' JUST SUDDENLY FORGOT I GAVE YA' THE OFFER TO TALK, AT THIS VERY FRICKIN' STATION?!"

Logan calmed down a bit but still kept an angry tone in his voice. "What happened eh? Ya' frickin' shot it down. For my good? Since when were you my dad?"

Evelyn glanced around at all the bar patrons who had turned their attention to Logan's outburst. She said quietly, "Logan, please.. Calm down, we're trying to help you."

David moved around the table and sat down opposite to where Logan was still standing. "I'm a long way from being your dad Willows. I didn't forget, I had my reasons for not coming at the time. It's your choice to make, and still one you can go back on... I think"

Hale placed his hands face up on the table. "Alright... I'll go from another angle... Why do you think I'm here?"

Logan nodded to Evelyn before looking dead eye into Hale. "Ya' ask what I think? Well ain't that a first. What I think, Hale. Is that ya' are goin' to arrest me. Think I'm stupid? I saw the news, I'm a 'wanted criminal' now. Haha!"

"Not exactly Logan. We want to bring you in... Yes. Criminal? Well that's still your choice isn't it." Hale reached into his pocket and pulled out a packet of cigarettes. "Smoke?"

Logan looked confused. He was suspicious, angry, but at the same time he felt that Hale was being honest. "My choice to be a criminal? Funny ya' say that. 'Cus I remember just the other day bein' hunted down by LSF Agents. An', sure, I could use one hell of a smoke."

Hale slid the packet across the table to Willows and watched as his hand snatched out a pair of cigarettes.

Evelyn cocked an eyebrow at Logan. "I am not an LSF agent.."

"Here's the truth Logan, it's a lot better to go with that than trying to create some myth for you to believe and follow me back to Liberty... I have sent men out looking for you, yes. They're under orders to disable your ship and deliver you into my custody."

Hale smiled for a second. "Easier said than done though I suppose... I've known about the cardamine problem, if you want to call it that, for a long time. I tend to keep an eye out for the people under my command... But I still don't understand why you made that choice."

Logan glanced at Evelyn before replying in a disappointing manner; "Well after this, I sure as hell will have trouble believin' anythin' comin' out of ya' mouth." He then looked down at the table, tapping his index finger three times before lifting his head again.

"Truth... truth. I always liked the truth, Hale. Ya'see, if ya' accept the truth, ya' accept ya'self. I accepted myself. For who I was, for what I was 'bout to become. Cardamine was the truth. It was reality. Better face it than try runnin' away. I was given, as the boys up there in Malta call it, 'an offer I couldn't refuse'. Sure I had problems, I had 'em big time with the Orange Juice. But the poison could also be a cure.

You talk about choices. There were no choices Hale, it was either to live or die. But I don't see how ya' can help me in anyway, an' even if ya' could its too late now. I'm dependent on this thing. I don't get it, I go kaput. Now if ya' excuse me, I'm gettin' the hell 'outta 'ere before ya' send in the cavalry.

As for ya' Evelyn, I have no words left for you." As Logan finished his last words he lifted himself up from the chair and hurried his way towards the hangar. He didn't even look back or bother to wait for their replies.

Hale's head sunk into his hands, the cigarette hanging from his lip still unlit. "Evasive as ever Evelyn. Maybe I shouldn't have come..." Hale leaned back and ran a hand through his hair. "What now?"

Evelyn kept her face expressionless, hiding the hurt Logan's words had had on her, and turned to Hale. "We can try to capture him, or we can wait until he comes after us. I'm sure as hell not going to settle for the second option." She stood and hurried towards where Logan had walked out.

Hale stayed seated, slowly lighting the cigarette he stood up and walked to the bar. "Whatd'ya want bub? Hey... You remind me of someone..."

"No I don't... Forget it."

Hale turned towards the door, hesitated for a moment then indecisively walked towards the hanger bays.

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