I'm sorry but I like to live in a world where Rachel Amber isn't called a manipulator or a liar because she is a fucking child who got her entire life ripped out from under her. Chloe loves Rachel and would do anything for her. If you played the games and actually paid attention you would actually know this because canonically they had a healthy relationship and canonically they cared deeply for each other. Just because you can't say no to finding Sera for Rachel in BtS doesn't mean Chloe couldn't make that decision. She chose to find Sera because she knew it would make Rachel happy which is all she wants to do because she is a lovesick teenager who has just developed her first actual crush.
Also if anyone says "Rachel cheated in the first game." you are a fucking victim blamer, both of those situations (Mark and Frank) were incredibly illegal, Mark kidnapped and drugged Rachel as her teacher. Frank met her and likely spent time with her due to his closeness with his clients, especially Chloe, when she was a fucking minor. At best he waited until she was 18 to pursue anything with her, and worst he was pursuing a romantic and sexual relationship with a literal child. I hope anyone who thinks Rachel is a bad person realizes how fucked up that is.
I don't know if this is any good but I finished it so figured I'd post it.
Goes without saying, but this one is dark and angsty so go in at your own risk.
Trigger warnings: abuse, kidnapping, blood
Read on AO3
“Hey,” he said. His voice was warm and kind, and it roused Beca from sleep. “I made breakfast.”
Beca blinked awake, a hand coming up to rub at the headache that was constantly pushing at the backs of her eyes.
“It’s going to get cold,” he said. He pulled back the sheet of their bed and held out a hand for her to take. He was smiling, but that did nothing to comfort Beca.
She took his hand and he helped her stand and make the short walk from the bed to the table.
The heavy clunk of the chain hitting the ground as she moved no longer made her jump the way it once had.
At the table was a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast. A mug of coffee sitting beside it, steam still curling upwards.
At one time in her life, Beca had hated eggs.
Pain shot up her back as she took a seat at the table, but she was careful not to let it show on her face.
He sat beside her, took her hand in his, and bowed his head in a moment of silent prayer.
Beca did the same, afraid of what would happen if he caught her not doing it.
He squeezed her hand when he was done, and smiled at her again.
“Dig in,” he said.
She gave a tight-lipped smile and scooped the egg onto the toast with slightly shaking hands.
She wasn’t allowed a knife or fork. That would be too risky.
Beca didn’t know his name. Didn’t know where he had come from, or why he had picked her. She didn’t even know how long she’d been here.
All she remembered was accepting a drink from a bearded stranger in a bar.
The next thing she knew, she was waking up in the trunk of a car.
The days - at least she thought it was days - that followed were a haze, but eventually, they reached what he had called their ‘forever home.’
A tiny cabin in the middle of nowhere.
He had attached a bulky, heavy, metal cuff to her ankle, and chained it to the bed. She had enough length on the chain to reach the kitchen table and the bathroom, but that was as far as it went.
She learned quickly not to speak and not to fight back.
He was so much stronger than her, and he wasn’t afraid to show it.
She didn’t remember when she had given up hope that someone would find her.
“Eat up,” he said, watching her. She was still looking down at the now cold egg balanced on the dry toast. The thought of eating it made her feel sick. She felt the atmosphere in the room shift. “Eat it. I bought it. I cooked it. You need to eat it.”
She swallowed and opened her mouth to take a bite, and in that split second his hand grabbed her wrist and forced the food into her mouth. She choked as the edge of the toast hit the back of her throat, and her eyes widened in shock as started to cough.
His hand clamped over her mouth so she couldn’t spit it out.
“Don’t you dare,” he growled, his grip tightening. “Eat it.”
Beca’s eyes watered as she started to choke. She couldn’t swallow. She couldn’t breathe. She clawed at the back of his hand, and just when she thought she was about to choke to death, he let her go with a look of disgust.
She coughed and gagged and vomited across the table.
“Why do you have to make this so hard?” He asked like he genuinely couldn’t believe she’d just done that. Like it really was her fault.
She wanted to apologise. She wanted to say she hadn’t meant to be wasteful or ungrateful, it was just that she wasn’t hungry. Her headache was making her feel nauseous and she hadn’t felt like eating.
But she couldn’t. Somewhere over the past few months, her voice had died. She’d been too scared to use it, and now it felt like it was gone for good.
He placed a gentle hand on her cheek, and his thumb brushed just under the bruise on her cheekbone.
He was smiling at her again. Like the outburst had never happened.
“Go lie down, if you aren’t feeling well,” he said. “I’ll clean up.”
Beca’s arms shook as placed her hands on the table and got unsteadily to her feet. She gingerly made her way over to the bed, but before she reached it, her leg was pulled backwards with such force that Beca fell and hit her head on the metal bar of their bed.
Groaning, she rolled over and saw him holding the chain attached to her ankle in his hand.
“Actually, I think it might be time,” he said. “I think we’re probably done here, don’t you?”
Beca’s eyes widened and she shook her head frantically.
“If it’s any consolation, you’ve lasted way longer than any of my other girls did,” he said. “I thought you might make it to a year, but I guess not. Nine months is a pretty good attempt.”
She tried to scramble away from him, but he just shook his head sadly.
“You aren’t fun anymore,” he said. “And I don’t really find you that attractive now, no offence. There’s a new girl I keep seeing at the grocery store. I think I’d like to bring her here.”
Beca started crying, still shaking her head. She tried to hit his hands as they pulled her closer to him, but he seemed to hardly feel it.
“It won’t hurt,” he said. “I’ll be gentle. You’ve been my favourite so far, I’ll make sure it doesn’t hurt.”
He placed his knees on either side of her, so he was sitting on top of her, trapping her beneath him.
She saw the flash of his knife and started to struggle harder.
“P-Please,” she sobbed, feeling his crushing weight against her, “please.”
He seemed surprised. She hasn’t spoken a word in close to six months now.
“Huh,” he said. “Well, see, you just made it interesting again.”
“Don’t kill me,” Beca said, “I’ll,” she swallowed, her voice getting stuck in her throat again, “I’ll do whatever you want.”
He rolled his eyes and put the knife down beside them. “Never mind. I forgot how ‘pleady’ you were.” He flexed his hands slightly. “This will be more fun for me though.” And then his hands went around her neck and tightened.
“Beca!”
Beca struggled, clawed, and fought.
Her head was throbbing as the pressure built. Her heart was pounding against her chest and her lungs were screaming for air.
“Beca, wake up!”
She didn’t want to die.
Not here. Not like this.
Her hand fell away from his, as her strength started to leave her.
That’s when she felt the knife he’d forgotten to move out of the way.
“Bec, it’s just a nightmare, please wake up!“
Beca jolted upright, almost colliding with the person who had been hovering at her bedside.
Her throat was sore, and her head ached, but she realised the weight pressing against her stomach was gone.
She scrambled away from this new person, and her hands went up to her throat, checking to see if his hands were still wrapped around it.
A light was flicked on, and Beca saw Chloe standing there, concern written across her face, tears in her eyes.
“You’re okay,” Chloe said, not wanting to get any closer. “He’s gone. He’s gone, and he can’t hurt you or anyone else ever again.”
Beca swallowed and let out a shaky breath.
It had felt so real.
Her hand went automatically to her ankle, and she rubbed it against the broken and bruised skin. She felt the familiar bite of pain, and she knew she wasn’t dreaming now. The cuff was gone. The chain was gone.
He was gone.
“Take another deep breath,” Chloe said, watching as Beca’s glassy eyes kept darting around the room.
Beca did, and she tried to force the wave of fear back down into the pit of her stomach.
Her hands were tingling and her chest was tight, so she closed her eyes and took another deep breath.
Chloe’s heart broke as she watched her best friend struggle to pull herself back together.
They’d found Beca three weeks ago, walking down a highway, miles and miles away from where she’d last been seen in Barden.
They’d found her walking barefoot, wearing nothing but a dirty t-shirt and underwear.
She was glassy-eyed and bruised and covered in blood. So much blood. As if a bucket of it had been tipped over her.
She was picked up by the police, who asked her questions she couldn’t answer. She wrote down her name with shaking hands, followed by the word ‘hospital’ before she collapsed in the interview room.
The police called Beca’s dad, who called Chloe, and they both got the next flight out.
When they reached the hospital, they brought them to see Beca, who was heavily sedated and looked worse than Chloe could have imagined.
Her neck was so bruised it had gone beyond purple. They’d cleaned off the blood, and Chloe could see the multitude of bruises on her arms.
She was so thin. So pale. So small.
When Beca woke up, the doctor told her that considerable damage had been done to her throat and vocal cords.
They told her they didn’t know when she’d be able to speak again.
Or even if she’d be able to speak again.
When the police came to speak to her, they asked her to tell them everything she could remember about where she was and who she’d been with.
She wrote it all down. Hands shaking, tears stinging her eyes.
Chloe had sat beside her. Watching as she wrote, her heart breaking with every new sentence.
It took a few days for the police to find the cabin.
To find him.
He was lying where Beca had left him, his throat slit, and the knife sticking out of his chest for good measure.
They found the length of chain and the heavy cuff which had been opened by the key Beca found in his pocket.
They saw the mess on the table, the overturned chairs, and the bloody footprints that led away from the cabin.
They found the cellar.
They found what was left of another five missing girls.
Back in her room, Beca looked at Chloe with pleading in her eyes. Eyes that were still red from the blood vessels that had burst when he was choking her.
Beca wanted Chloe to fix it. To take away the pain and fear.
She lifted her hand, reaching out for Chloe, hoping she would understand what she needed.
Chloe did.
Chloe always did.
She climbed up onto the bed and Beca curled into her side.
“I’ve got you,” she said. “You’re safe.”
Beca cried against her, sharp, painful noises were the only sounds she could make.
“You’re okay,” Chloe said, pressing a kiss to the top of Beca’s head.
Beca’s sobs started to die down, and Chloe loosened her arms from around her.
“Do you want me to go?”
Beca shook her head, her hand gripping the fabric of Chloe’s shirt.
Rating: NSFW (Talk of kidnapping, actual kidnapping, language, sex, scheming)
Trigger Warnings: Kidnapping
Author’s Note: This is a direct result of a conversation that I had two weeks ago with @the-blind-assassin-12. This one got away from me a little but I think you’ll still enjoy it. It’s gonna get kind of dark, but when we get there, you’ll understand why.
Summary: You and Logan head to Westworld to test out a new narrative before it launches to the public - one where Logan gets to play the hero... but will everything go as planned?
“So it’s a… a kidnapping narrative?” He was bent over the tablet on the tabletop, his eyes moving over the images as fast as he could scroll through them with one long finger. “The Hosts actually abduct the Guests?”
“Yep.” You were perched next to him on the edge of the table, your bare legs crossed at the knee. “It’s different from the other types of narratives we offer, because with this one, there are actual stakes, Logan.” He glanced up and you smiled at him, shrugging your shoulders. “Still can’t get hurt, not really aside from being scared, or with some bumps and bruises and scrapes, but according to the people here, the ones that designed it? It’s a lot more intense, so not all Guests can participate, you have to be cleared to do it during the intake interview and then they flag you somehow.” He reached over with the hand that wasn’t on the tablet, fingers moving up your leg slowly as he stroked the skin there, his attention torn between what he was looking at and you, and you couldn’t help but grin. “Lucky for me, Logan, I get to…”
“They’re gonna grab you, tie you up and throw you onto the back of a horse?” He looked up again, his eyes darkening as you nodded. “Gun to your head, or knife to your…”
“Mmmmhmm.” You bit down on your lip and put one of your hands on top of his, staring at him. “It’s meant to be a big thing, when they take someone. The narrative builders worked really hard to make it so that even though we’re aware of what the stakes really are and that we can’t lose, we stay immersed in it, no matter how long it takes to be rescued or for us to get away.” And they’re usually pretty good with that, so… “So that’s the narrative I’m going to test, gotta make sure that -”
“Who’s gonna rescue you?” He was smirking, tongue moving over his lower lip to wet it. “Another new Host? Some random -”
“Well I’d hoped it would be you, Logan.” You reached out to run your fingers through his hair, shaking your head. “I know you’ve been working hard lately, and you’re looking forward to this trip. What could be better than saving the damsel in distress from the -”
“You’re the furthest thing there is from a damsel,” Logan replied as he pushed up from the chair he was sitting in, his hand pulling away from your leg and moving to your side, the other one flattening on the table on the other side of your body. “But I can’t wait to shoot those things and see how grateful you are to me for it.” You laughed, leaning and and kissing him slowly, your legs uncrossing so that he could step closer. “How am I supposed to find you?” His breath hot on your cheek, Logan kissed his way toward your ear before taking the lobe between his teeth and pulling back. “And how long am I supposed to wait?”
You raised both hands, your fingers skating over the bare skin of his arms and settling over the thin, inked lines on the inside of one of them. “I donno, Logan, it depends on…” He bit down and you hissed, head tilting to the side and Logan’s mouth dropped again, moving over your jaw and then to your neck. He doesn’t wanna talk about this now, he… “You know how this goes, Logan.” You sighed, humming quietly and stroking his arm again, the fingers of your other hand curling around the roots of his hair and tugging. “Delos.” He pulled away slightly at your use of his last name, looking up at you through long lashes. “We’re gonna be sleeping on God only knows what for the next couple days, and as much as I’d like to let you have your way with me on this table... “ He grinned, straightening up and before you knew it, Logan had scooped you into his arms and was carrying you toward the large bed against the far wall of the room you were sharing. A lot had changed between the two of you since he’d opened up to you for the first time in the Mesa suite, but as he tossed you onto the bed, lowering his body onto yours, pressing you down against the mattress, you realized that one thing was still the same. He still makes the most of these beds every time we’re here.
---
You woke up the next morning, eager to head down and catch the train with him, but when you opened your eyes, Logan was already out of bed, the light in the bathroom on. Why would he need to… Logan never worried about his appearance on the mornings he caught the train into the park with you, since he’d just be changing into his well loved park attire, but you could hear him in the small room, opening drawers and unzipping his travel case. “Logan?” Climbing out of bed, you stepped carefully into the bathroom, blinking at the brightness. “Why are you -”
“I can’t ride in with you this morning.” He was dressed in a white shirt, the sleeves undone and rolled up to his elbows, the tails tucked into dress pants. “They just… I have a meeting before…” He curled his lip and you felt your shoulders slump. “I got the email overnight, and just checked it when I woke up, some fucking client is here and wants to meet with me, refuses to talk to anyone else.” Oh. “So I have to do that, and then report back to Juliet, and it’s a thirteen hour difference, so I have to wait.” He huffed, shaking his head. “I won’t be able to take a train in until at least the one at noon, which means that you’ll be a full day ahead of me, and…”
“Logan.” You reached out to him with both hands, stepping between him and the countertop. “It’s fine. Once I get there, I just have to ride up north toward Python Pass, past the mines. There’s a town there now, and that’s where this all is.” You smiled at him, even though you were disappointed. “There’s more for me to look at and assess before I start with the actual narrative, so I can wait for you, Logan, I -” You shook your head, pushing strands of his damp hair into place as his hands settled on your shoulders, his eyes drawn to the patterns on your skin beneath them. “I’ll need someone to rescue me, anway, so I can’t…”
“William’s going in with you.” You caught the change in his tone of voice and sucked in a breath.
“William? Why? If he’s here, why can’t he -” Logan laughed, looking up and shrugging his shoulders.
“No idea. But Juliet said this client was very specific, and they didn’t want to see William, they wanted a Delos, and since I’m here…” You understood; Logan was a hot commodity, and since he was much more stable than he had been in the past, had made a ton of progress and implemented new processes within Delos, people were taking notice. And they should. You were proud of him, but you would have been lying if you said you hadn’t felt a wave of disappointment at learning he wouldn’t be riding in with you. “He’s just going with you, since there has to be someone from the board on the first trip…” Logan shook his head. “It should be me, but I’ll…” He pushed the strap of your tank top down, lowering his head to kiss the curve of you shoulder, right over the lines he’d permanently put on your body. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I know you will, Logan.
---
He was seething with anger, staring out the window as the plateaus and desert flew by. That could have been a fucking email, or a phone call or… Logan understood that people wanted to see the face to go along with the name, that they wanted to feel like their investement and involvement with the company weren’t for nothing, but it was frustrating when the people he met with simply wanted to talk - and not about anything new. We could have had the whole day together. Logan shook his head, wondering what you were doing, if you’d reached the new town yet, if you had started your review of the narrative. Wonder what she’s wearing this trip.
Even though the train ride was short, meaning that he’d get into Sweetwater just as the sun set, and could get on a horse and set out almost immediately, Logan wasn’t happy. The way he felt about you wasn’t new, but it was still unexpected, and each time the two of you went to Westworld or any of the other parks together, the connection between you had strengthened, even more than it did at home in Los Angeles. You’d been a surprise to him from the beginning, and after the night you’d taken him to get his first tattoo - had let him tattoo you - Logan had stopped questioning the way he felt about you, deciding to let things happen as they would.
That had been six months ago, and you’d provided Logan with something else to focus on, a distraction from work and from the thing that had nearly consumed his life: finding a way to oust William from Delos, and remove him from Juliet’s life. He was close - he’d found a way to prove that William was manipulating the system, collecting financial data on Guests without the knowledge of anyone at Delos, and even though that wasn’t what Logan truly wanted to remove him for, he knew that taking that angle with the Board was more likely to produce results than trying to find a way to prove that William had simply left him for dead in the middle of the desert. Either way, as long as I can get him out, I’ll… Personal vendetta aside, Logan’s free time was spent gathering and figuring out the best way to present the information while doing everything possible to keep things civil with William so that when he made his move, there was no opportunity for the other man to prepare.
But sending you off into the park with William had made Logan uneasy, and without telling you too much - you knew only the basics of what had happened and it had to stay that way until he could be sure he’d be able to use the information he’d gathered - Logan knew he wouldn’t feel better until he had eyes on you again. And then she’s going to get kidnapped, and...but that’s part of the game. He felt himself smiling, watching as the sun set behind the mountains, the chatter of the few other late day arrival passengers barely registering to him. As he stepped off the train and onto the wooden platform, Logan grinned, eyes passing over the scenery and the people milling around. Good to be back.
He wasted no time in going to the stables and picking a horse before asking for a map to Lost Spring. Within an hour of his arrival in Sweetwater, Logan had left the town behind him, riding north beneath the rising stars. The stablemaster had told him that he’d reach the town in the middle of the night, and even though Logan enjoyed the open air and the silence, he found himself urging the horse onward, dipping one hand into his pocket to pull out his watch more frequently as the miles passed. Just before midnight, Logan saw flickering lights on the horizon, and knowing that it meant his destination was close, he dug his heels into the horse’s sides, closing the distance more quickly.
It’s impressive. He sucked in a breath as the town took shape around him, larger than Sweetwater but smaller and less striking than Pariah, even though there was a lively feeling to it, too. After leaving the horse in the stable, he wandered back toward the saloon, where he’d seen a sign advertising rooms for rent. Logan looked over everything, watching as the Hosts moved through the street and between buildings, a few of them trying to talk to him, asking if he needed anything, but he was focused on the saloon, on the sounds of laughter and music that he heard from within. I’ll look for her, grab a drink and ask around, find out… But Logan didn’t have far to look, because as soon as he pushed through the swinging doors and into the bar, he saw you sitting on one of the stools, hair loose around your bare shoulders. Sleeveless. She’s gonna kill me.
Steps quickening, Logan cut through the tables where people were sitting and playing cards, striding to the bar and not even hesitating as he slipped his arms around your waist, letting his lips fall on the skin behind your ear. “Hey, darlin’.” You yelped but immediately relaxed backwards, turning your head and meeting his lips with yours. I don’t know why but I’m relieved. You shifted on the stool, turning your body toward him, and Logan groaned as you teased his lips with your tongue, the faint taste of whiskey and something citrus registering in his mind. It’s only been 14 hours, and I... When you pulled back from the kiss and looked up at Logan, he spoke again, letting out a heavy breath. “What was that for?”
“Happy to see you, Delos.” You shrugged, gesturing toward the empty stool next to you, Logan taking it and sitting. “I wasn’t expecting you tonight, thought I’d have to look for you -”
“Yeah, I made sure that I got on the train this afternoon, I didn’t wanna spend the night alone in our room.” He held up a finger to the bartender, pointing at the whiskey bottle and nodding, and the man quickly poured him a shot. Once Logan had swallowed it down and requested an actual drink, he turned to you again, leaning an elbow on the bar. “This place is really different.”
“It is.” You picked your glass up, taking a long drink and shaking your head. “I learned a lot today, got to talk to a lot of the Hosts, and…” You closed your eyes. “The people that live here.” Logan rolled his eyes, knowing that you were correcting yourself out of habit, much like Disney employees did. Gotta keep the magic alive. Logan never thought of them as people, but understood why you did, especially when you were around other Guests. “So I guess the story is,” you said, leaning in closer to him. “There’s a gang in the hills to the north, run by a guy that goes by the name of McCray, but everyone calls him ‘Ghost’, because no one knows if they’ve ever seen him.” He saw the excitement on your face, heard it in your voice. “People keep getting grabbed by his men, dragged out of town, and the Sheriff has had to rescue like six people in the last month, because they just keep getting taken.” That’s a terrifying backstory … “But the thing is that when the Sheriff and whoever he’s taken with him find these people?” You shook your head, closing your eyes. “They don’t wanna come back, they wanna stay on with the gang.” Shit. Logan’s eyes widened, his head tilted to the side. “Yeah, the Sheriff told me that since I’m alone here in town, I need to watch out for three men on gray horses, because…”
“Alone?” You nodded, mouth hanging open slightly as he cut you off. “Where’s William, he was -”
“Oh, he left almost as soon as we got here.” You waved your hand, taking another long drink and finishing what was in your glass. “We rode up from Sweetwater together, but we barely checked into the rooms before he was making some bullshit excuse and telling me he’d be back in the morning.” The fuck? “I didn’t question it, because I really don’t give a shit where he went, but…” You shrugged. “I haven’t seen him in hours.” You straightened up, smiling brightly at him, and Logan grinned back, reaching out to take your hand in his, linking your fingers together. “Plus, it doesn’t matter, you’re here now, so I don’t need him.” He tilted his head to the side, staring at you, and even though he was dead tired and sore from being on the horse for so long, Logan knew that neither of you would be sleepng for a long time.
“You think there’s any rooms left?” He watched you pause, eyes going wide. “I need somewhere to sleep.” You stayed quiet for a second before reaching out and undoing one of the buttons on his shirt, fingertips brushing against the skin beneath it.
“I’ve got a bed you can climb into tonight, cowboy.” You leaned in, glancing around as if you were making sure no one was listening. “I don’t think you’ll be sleeping much, though.” He saw the flicker in your eyes and grinned, nodding as he lifted his glass to his mouth, swallowing the last of his drink and licking his lips clean.
“Lead the way.” Logan followed you up the stairs, his hands at your hips, and when you stopped in front of a door, your hand on the knob, he reached past you, fingers closing around yours and his body pressing against you fron behind. “Wait.” He was almost growling in your ear, and Logan felt your hips shift back against his, your lips forming his name but barely getting the word out audibly. That’s what I was lookin’ for. “I just wanted to tell you,” he said as his hand moved back from yours and up your arm before it moved to your stomach, his nose in the hair that curled freely behind your ear. “I rode here fast, because I wanted to spend the night with you.” You nodded, and Logan pressed you against the door, the fingers of his hand undoing the top buttons on your vest and then sliding beneath the soft material and against your skin.
“I’ll make it worth your while, Logan.” You turned your head toward his and Logan pulled back slightly, giving you space. “We just gotta get int-”
“Do we?” He kissed you, almost tasting the surprise you felt, and grinned against your lips, the tips of his fingers curling around the swell of your breast, bare beneath the leather you wore. “I think we can -”
“She’s sure pretty, partner.” He froze at the sound of the voice, both annoyed with the interruption and angry that someone had dared to make a comment about you in his presence. That’s not how this works. “Maybe when you’re done with ‘er you can send -” He swore under his breath and pulled his hand away from your chest, leaving the one at your hip where it was.
“She’s not a fucking Host.” His words came out in a hiss as he turned the top half of his body, eyes blazing in the dim light of the hallway. “And she’s not -” The man was dressed in a pair of dark pants and a dirty button down shirt, a black hat perched on his head. He’s good looking. Logan was surprised, but he knew better than to relax, the hand that had been on you going to his hip, where a pistol was holstered.
“No need to get upset.” The man held both hands up, his eyes looking past Logan and to you, the smile back on his face. “Even prettier from the front.” Logan was quiet, waiting, and then he heard you whispering in his ear, one of your hands resting against his back.
“He’s a Host, Logan. It’s fine.” You pressed your lips to the back of his neck, sighing. “Part of the game, hmm?” You spoke quietly, but then cleared your throat, stepping to the side. “I’m all set.” You took Logan’s hand, twining your fingers together. “Already got the rest of my night planned, but thanks for the compliment.” The second man stayed quiet, regarding you with ice blue eyes for long moments and then he nodded once, reaching up to tip his hat.
“You two enjoy yourselves.” After he turned away, heading for the stairs, Logan took a deep breath and returned his attention to you, nodding at the door.
“Inside.” No more interruptons. You wasted no time opening the door and walking into the room, and Logan looked around, taking it in. It was simple - very understated, but it looked cozy, and though Logan had seen his fair share of rooms in Westworld, it was always nice to see what the Delos money was paying for. “How were you so -”
“I think it’s part of the narrative, Logan.” You were sitting on the edge of the bed, removing your boots. “They have to identify someone in town, right? Make sure they’re here? Gotta have someone scouting, even if the other guys ride in.” I didn’t even think about that. He stared at you as you twisted your hair over one shoulder, lips pressed together. “I’m in their sights now.” Are you? God she’s so fucking excited about this. He raised an eyebrow, bending over to pull his own boots off and curling his toes. Finally. “You picked a different outfit this trip.”
“I did.” Logan stepped over to the bed, grinning. “I just grabbed shit off the hangers and put it on.” He stood in front of you, reaching out to put his hands on your shoulders. “If I’m gonna be ridin’ out into the middle of the goddamn desert lookin’ for you, I didn’t want to wear layers.” You laughed, reaching out and pulling his shirt untucked, starting to undo the buttons from the bottom up. “Less for you to take off, too.” You looked up at him, not saying anything but still smiling, and he dropped his hands so that he could shrug his arms from the sleeves, the material falling to the floor as your hands worked his belt undone. “All business tonight?”
“Just focused, Logan.” You pulled his belt from the loops, letting it clatter to the floor and then lowered your hands, flattening them on the bed and scooting backwards onto the mattress. “And grateful to you for defending me from that Host in the hallway.” Your lips quirked up as you spoke, but before you could get another word out, Logan climbed into bed with you, letting his body press down against yours, like he’d been wanting all day. “Jesus, Logan, you’re…” He was unbuttoning your vest as he kissed your neck, hands working quickly between your bodies. Once he’d undone the last one, Logan pulled the material apart and sat up, kneeling over your body on the bed.
He could see you clearly in the moonlight streaming in through the window, and the night was perfectly cool - Logan’s favorite type of night in the park, and the exact opposite of the sweltering day it had been. “Every time I see you,” Logan said the words quietly as he ran a hand up your stomach, spreading his fingers apart and pushing down gently. “I… just wanna touch you.” He swallowed, leaning down and kissing you hard on the mouth, your heart pounding beneath his fingertips. “I can’t help it.” He nipped at your lip, and though you’d been laying still beneath him, you reached up, one hand gripping his bare shoulder and the other wrapping around the back of his neck to hold him in place. “Yeah? That’s what you…” You arched your back, pressing your chest against his, and Logan’s fingers curled, thumb swiping against the raised peak of your nipple before he swallowed your breath in another kiss.
You pushed him away from you only a few minutes later, and though he was surprised, it didn’t last long as he watched you unbutton your pants, pushing them down over your hips along with some ruffled cotton and lace. He continued watching you for a few monents, reveling in the reveal of each inch of your skin, and then Logan moved too, keeping his eyes on you but raising his hips to take his own pants off, followed by the thin cotton shorts that he wore in place of typical underwear. I’m so glad we don’t wear this shit now. Both of you totally naked, Logan grinned at you, raising an eyebrow. “Thought you said you wanted to touch me, Delos.” He laughed, shaking his head back and forth as he moved back toward you, reaching out with both arms to pull you away from the bedding and onto his lap, your protests quiet and totally for show. He ran both of his hands over your back, waiting until you’d settled with your knees on either side of his body, your hands on his chest. “Got the shot this time, Logan.” Your eyes were wide as you stared down at him. “It’s good for a month, so -” Shit.
Delos had introduced new medical products onto the market over the previous year, one of them being a new form of birth control that was offered to both male and female guests of the parks just in case they happened to interact with a human instead of a Host during their trip. You had yet to try it out, instead preferring to stick to the methods you’d been using previously both inside of the park and at home. Why now? “What made you…” He cleared his throat, mind racing. That means… His hands moved from your back to your front, pushing both breasts together without looking away from your face. “You -”
“Wanted to try it, see if I like it better.” You shrugged, leaning down. “Who knows, maybe I’ll stick with it when we go back home.” He squeezed your flesh gently as your hands moved up and into his hair, lips dropping to his ear. “You’ll have to tell me what you like better.” With a roll of your hips, you traced your tongue along the edge of his ear and Logan’s lips found one nipple, teeth following soon after as he bit down. You groaned - louder as his tongue swirled, and then Logan switched his attention to the other side of your chest, opening his eyes briefly and then closing them again as you started whispering in his ear - his name, pleas for him to keep going, and then as one of his hands made its way between your legs, you swore, pulling hard on his hair. Exactly. It was rare that Logan felt comfortable enough with a partner to go without protection, even when they were on a secondary form of birth control, but at the thought of burying himself in you with nothing between you for the first time? I can’t wait.
But he did wait, wanting to be sure that you were ready for him; one finger and then two slipping in and out of you with a practiced ease, Logan curling his fingers slightly without moving his wrist, mouth still on the skin of your chest. “You ready for me?” You nodded, patient as Logan’s lips made their way back up your neck and he removed his fingers from you, sliding the hand around to your hip and pulling your body down tight against his. “I hope so.” He kisssed you again, his hips jerking upward and causing you to cry out as he connected with the sensitive skin he’d been touching. No more. Been waiting all goddamn day for this. “Lay down.”
You were moving before he was finished speaking, trading places on the bed so that he could kneel above you, the fingers of the hand that had been touching you wrapped around himself, slowly stroking. “Logan, let me, I want…” But he shook his head, watching as your chest rose and fell, one hand resting on your stomach as the other gripped the blankets beneath you. “C’mon, Logan, I -”
“Not tonight.” He ran his tonge over his lower lip, reaching up with his free hand to push his hair back and out of his eyes, head shaking slowly back and forth. “Tonight I wanna enjoy this, what you’re… what we’re gonna…” Your eyes widened, and he could almost feel the excitement radiating from your body. She wants this, too. “You sure? There’s condoms in the drawer, they’re in every room, I -”
“If you don’t trust the shot, Logan, that’s fine, but …” Your head moved slowly back and forth, hair spread out over the pillow. “I trust it, because I trust Delos.” He felt a flash of apprehension, thinking of William’s scheming and the collection of data, but pushed the thoughts away, again focusing on you. Not tonight. Not now.
“Oh, I trust it.” He watched your eyes leave his face, your gaze focused on his hand, on the way that his wrist twisted, his thumb moving slowly over his tip. “Just wanted to ask you again.” Logan took a deep breath and then let go of himself, using both hands to widen the spread of your legs before he settled between them. Won’t matter, her legs’ll be around me in… With a smile, Logan reached down again, guiding himself to your entrance, and with a long, low groan he pushed into you, fighting not to close his eyes. Look at her face. You lost the battle, your eyes sqeezing shut and your mouth dropping open as he filled you, one hand reaching out toward him and the other gripping the bunched sheets below you tightly. Holy shit. You felt incredible, muscles tight around him, and he’d been right, one leg wrapping around his thigh and the other around his waist as Logan settled in. Fucking perfect.
The two of you found a rhythm, Logan’s body covering yours, your nails digging into his back as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders, lifting you off the bed slightly, the other hand pressed into the mattress to brace himself. Logan’s past partners had wanted more from him; more than the places where their bodies had connected with his, more than the muffled moans and groans, more than the minutes of pleasure, but he’d never been willing to give it to them, at least not the way they wanted. He’d kissed his partners, sure. He’d touched them, of course, knowing that his skilled fingers and tongue were almost as high in demand as the rest of him, but with you, the bare minimum wasn’t enough, and he knew it never would be. Not again. In the span of time that he’d known you, Logan had done the impossible: he’d fallen for you, even though he didn’t know how to tell you.
He hadn’t been lying when he’d said that it had started out as simply sex, seeing you in the halls at Delos and being physically interested, but the peeks he’d gotten into your life - starting with your tattoos at the Christmas party and then your wit in the interactions you’d had at work and then on the night you’d allowed him to take you to dinner had made him more interested, and well before the night of his admission in the suite, he’d decided that he wanted more with you. So Logan kissed you at every opportunity, even as his hips were rocking against yours and you were leaving long, red marks on his back. He touched you, the grip on your shoulder anchoring the two of you together, his other arm still supporting some of his weight but the fingers of it stroking the side of your face at the same time. I want to tell her, but it’s not… I need to deal with William first. He didn’t want to complicate things, and though he knew you knew he was being faithful and you didn’t expect more, Logan wanted to give it to you nonetheless. “Fuck, Logan.” You groaned quietly, the ends of your nails moving against the back of his neck. “You feel…” I know.
Logan slowed the movement of his hips, lengthening his strokes, and you responded accordingly, meeting his thrusts with tiny ones of your own. She always… It was never a race to the finish with you, never an attempt to draw things out to impress each other; when he was with you, Logan let things happen as they were meant to, and enjoyed every second of it. He felt some lingering soreness from the horseback ride in, and knew that you’d come before he did that night; he could feel how close you were with the changes in the way your leg was wrapped around him, the grip you had on his bicep. “C’mon.” He mumbled the word against your throat, teeth grazing against the skin. “I feel it, but I wanna feel you…” His tongue dipped into the hollow at the base of your throat as you swallowed and he tasted sweat, even though it was still chilly in the room. You’re right there, I know it, I… He was taken by surprise as you moved the leg that was around his thigh and planted your foot on the mattress, moaning out his name, and Logan felt his tightly wound body snap, emptying himself inside of you with a few more faltering thrusts of his hips as he bit down on your shoulder, teeth sure to leave a bruise that no one would see beneath the embedded ink. Fuck.
It only took a few more seconds - he thought it might have had something to do with the jolt of pain from his bite - and then you came too, muscles seizing around him, the leg that was still holding him in place going limp. “Jesus, Logan, I…” You were beathless, lying beneath him, and though spent, Logan refrained from pulling out of you, focusing on the slickness he felt, the heat between your bodies. “Get offa me, Delos, I wanna…” He groaned, taking a deep breath and then, even as he slid out of you for the final time, Logan sighed out your name, rolling onto his back and reaching for the drawer on the table, where he knew that a stack of folded handkerchiefs would be waiting. Standard issue Westworld. He handed you the first one and then pulled out another for himself, and the two of you spent a few minutes cleaning up before he rolled onto his side, waiting for you to do the same.
Neither of you made any move to get beneath the blankets, and as Logan stared at you in the still-bright moonlight, he smiled, reaching out to run his fingers over your shoulder, the faint indentations of his teeth still present. “I’m sorry, I got…” You laughed, moving closer to him and returning your hand to his side, stroking over the skin atop his ribs. “You’re a surprise.” You smiled, half of your face hidden by the pillow. “You know that, right? I never -”
“Gonna get sappy on me now, Logan?” He watched a you widened your eyes in mock surprise, pinching his skin. “Was it really that good for you?” He laughed too, threading his fingers through your hair and pulling your face back to his, muttering the words “shut up” before he kissed you soundly, tongue gently prodding your lips for a brief second before it entered your mouth again. Maybe I am. “Damn, Delos.” You sighed as the two of you separated, both of your heads falling back onto the pillows, eyes still on each other. “If this is how it’s gonna be, I’ll keep getting that shot, Logan.” You yawned and the movement of your hand slowed, but Logan didn’t speak again, instead just watching you as you drifted off. “Blanket, Logan.” You sighed but made no move to reach for it, and Logan instead sat up, pulling the blanket over the two of you without bothering to get dressed. Won’t matter, we’ll just be taking everything off again in the morning. “G’night.” You yawned again, and beneath the blanket, you moved even closer to him, tucking your forehead in against his neck, cheek pressed to his chest. Goodnight.
In the time before he fell asleep, Logan was only dimly aware of his own body’s movement, the arm not trapped beneath his body winding around you to hold you close.
---
He’d been right about waking up. After what seemed like only a few short hours of sleep (but had actually been the whole night), you’d woken Logan, your hands exploring his body, and before getting dressed and heading downstairs, you’d tired each other out again, this time by the warm rays of the early morning sun. Leaving the saloon, you walked across the street and to the small restaurant, settling in at a table together and letting a cheerful female Host take your breakfast order. You asked for coffee, but Logan reached out, his fingers wrapping around the woman’s arm as she left the table. “Can we get a pitcher of water, please?” She nodded once at him, her eyes moving over his face before she turned and stepped away. Logan returned his attention to you, rolling his shoulders and tilting his head from side to side to loosen his neck. She needs it. “You need to drink water, and a lot of it. If they’re gonna take you out, who knows…” He swallowed. “You get thirsty real quick out there.”
His mind wandered back to the days he’d spent in the desert with William, the days he’d spent there after William had left him, wishing for water and hoping for death. It’s just a game, for her, but still… “Of course, Logan.” You reached out and squeezed his hand. “That’s smart.” You talked over breakfast, but Logan was distracted, both by you and lingering thoughts of William, as well as by the aching of his muscles from his time in bed with you. What is wrong with me? “Want to go for a walk, I can introduce you to the Sheriff, and…” He was grinning, up and out of his seat at your words, a hand extended. You took it, smiling back at him, and within a few minutes, you were walking down the street again, the sun blazing down even though it was barely midmorning. “Sheriff's right down here, we -” You gasped as you pointed, your eyes on the hills at the end of the street. “They’re coming, Logan, it’s…” He turned to look at you, hearing the excitement in your voice. “I can see the dust rising, the horses…”
His heart pounding, Logan did the only thing he could think of - he pulled you in and kissed you, a hand on the back of your head, the other settled low on your back as your hands pressed against his chest. It’s just a game, but… When he pulled back, you were smiling at him, but he saw the surprise in your eyes at his behavior, and he was almost sure it was mirrored in his own. Who am I and what have I done with Logan Delos? He released you as the sound of hooves became louder, and the two of you turned to look in the direction of the noise, along with others that were on the street. He watched the two horses, their feet kicking up dust as they stormed in, and before he could even react, the animals had stopped in front of the two of you, one of the men dismounting and pointing his gun at you. Shit.
Logan’s hand went to his waist, fingers twitching over the butt of his gun, but he watched you shake your head, eyes wide. “No, Logan.” You swallowed, playing along, one hand held upto halt his movement. “It’s alright, they warned me…”
“She’s comin’ with us.” Logan noticed for the first time that the man still on horseback was pointing his gun at him, and as his eyes moved back and forth, he felt a slight tightness in his chest. Just a game. She’s not in danger. “My partner’s gonna toss you a rope, and you’re gonna tie her hands together.” The gun didn’t waver from where it was pressed to your neck, but Logan watched as you fought not to whimper, knowing that it would cause him to take action. “An’ then she’s gonna get on this horse with me, and we’re gonna ride up into the hills and see the Boss.” A coil of rope fell at his feet, and Logan glanced around, watching as the people and the other Hosts looked on, none of them even thinking about interfering. “I said tie her.” Logan finally heard you gasp at the sound of the gun cocking, and he bent down, picking up the rope. This isn’t gonna go over well, this is too intense, no one’s going to… “Both wrists, make it good, cowboy.”
“I’ll find you.” Logan spoke quietly as he reached you, taking one wrist into his hands and then the other, knotting the rope around them tightly before he curled his fingers around your chin, forcing you to look at him. “I promise, I’ll...”
“I know.” He looked in your eyes and while you looked scared, you were still excited. “I know you will, Logan.” I don’t like this. The man on the horse instructed Logan to step back and so he did, reluctantly letting go of you. “I’ll see you soon, Logan.” He nodded, taking two more steps away from you and watching as the man holstered his gun, using one arm to lift you and waiting until you’d gripped the saddlehorn with both hands to kneel down, giving you something to brace yourself against. You put one foot in the stirrup, swinging your leg over the broad back of the black horse and he followed you, swinging easily up behind you. Logan felt disgust watching as he reached past you, taking the reins and settling his arms on either side of your body, chest pressed against your back. I don’t like this at all.
“You thinking about comin’ after her?” Logan’s attention was pulled away from you by the second man, but he only turned his head partially, keeping you visible. “Playin’ the hero?” With a laugh, he continued. “Good luck findin’ us up in those hills.” He heard you call out to him as your horse turned and began galloping out of town, and Logan caught the fear in your voice as you bounced in the saddle. I’m coming. “You come before sundown, and she dies.” Logan didn’t have a chance to speak before the second man took off after the first, the sound of hooves fading after long seconds as the three of you rode out of view. Shit, I should have… but no. She wanted to be taken, this is the narrative, she has to…
“Hey, you there.” Logan turned at the sound of the voice, noticing a man in a badge striding down the street toward him. “Who wa-” But he was cut off by the sound of more hooves, this time coming from the opposite direction. This place is fucking busy. Logan turned his head to look in the direction of the new noise - three grey horses, a single man atop each. Wait a minute… Brow furrowed, Logan watched as the three men tore through town, pausing only long enough for one of them to reach out and grab the arm of a lone blonde woman, pulling her off of the ground and onto the horse with him before they continued down the street, following the tracks of the first horses, the woman screaming loudly for help. What… Staring after the men, Logan felt himself freeze. Three men, not two.
“Who were those men?” He turned his attention back to the man with the badge, raising one hand to point. “The men on the grey horses, that grabbed …” The horses...
“Those are McCray’s men.” Adjusting the brim of his wide white hat, the sheriff shook his head. “Was tellin’ your friend about ‘em yesterday, and…” Wait, if those were… who…
“Then who…” Logan pulled his own hat off, tapping it against his hip as he felt the panic rise in his chest. “If those were… where did… who…” He shook his head, pointing. “Who the fuck were the two that…”
“I have no idea, son.” The sheriff stared at Logan, shaking his head. “Never seen ‘em in town before in my life.”
---
As always, feel free to ask to be added or removed to this tag list. No hard feelings.
Author’s Note: William is a piece of shit, but I still enjoyed writing this.
Summary: It’s a race against time for Logan to get across the park and to you, but what condition will he find you in?
After walking away from you and leaving the spilled alcohol to dry on your already dehydrated skin, William and Tanner cleaned up the camp, putting out the fire and packing things onto the horses. He’s going to kill Tanner too, he won’t want a Host… But the more you thought about it, the more you realized that William would likely keep Tanner alive to act as a buffer between him and Logan when Logan found you. What does he want? The few hours of sleep that you’d gotten hadn’t helped much, and so when William untied you, giving you a few minutes to stretch your arms out before he retied your wrists together in front of you, you felt dead on your feet, already exhausted. Why does my arm hurt so much?
But William didn’t let you climb back onto your horse, instead looping the rope that tied you around his arm before he climbed up onto his, glancing down at you. “You’re gonna walk today.” What? No, I can’t. “And then maybe when we stop to rest the horses, you’ll feel a little more like talkin’.” He’s crazy, I can’t…
But you did - stumbling behind the horse for hours, the sun beating down on your shoulders and causing your skin to tighten. Focused only on staying upright - the few times you’d fallen to your knees, William had allowed you to be dragged until you’d regained your footing - you stared down at the ground in front of you, hopelessness growing by the second. Logan’s going to kill him. When he finds us, he’s going to… Logan’s face flashed in your mind, the way his eyes looked when he smiled at you, the way his hair flopped over his eye, the way his lips moved when he talked, but with every step you took away from Logan, the more desperate you became.
When William finally whistled for the horses to stop, the sun was high in the sky and you were covered in sweat, your hair only half contained with the rubber strap you’d used to secure the ends of it, the rest of it sticking to your skin. It was cloudless, as most days in Westworld tended to be, and you could feel your skin blistering, knew that they were likely large, but as you dropped to the sandy ground, you thought only of your tattoos - of what they’d look like when and if you ever healed. Shit. You slumped forward, forcing your eyes open, and when you looked down, you saw that the skin of your wrists beneath the rope was red and chafed and one knee of your pants had torn, blood seeping through and soaking the material. Ow. When did that happen? You drew in a deep breath, flexing your arms, and as you looked at the skin there, realized that those were bleeding, too, along with a deep, lingering pain in your elbow. I’m a mess. You laughed at the thought, wondering what Logan would think of you when he saw you again. He’s going to hate it, he’s going to be disgusted, he…
“Get up.” Still laughing, you looked up at William, who was standing in front of you with his arms crossed. “I said get up.” You tried to get to your feet but struggled, and wondered if the knock to the head and the whiskey had anything to do with it. Logan was out here for days and he was fine, it’s barely been a day and a half and I’m… You shook your head slowly. Focus. It doesn’t matter what he did, or what happened or - “Jesus.” You felt yourself being lifted to your feet, William pulling you up by the thick cords around your wrists and a low whine leaving your lips. “I said fucking stand, even Logan was better than you are, and that prick -”
“Don’t you fucking talk about him.” Your tone even and strong for the first time in hours, you stared William in the eye. “You tried to kill him.” The words slipped out before you could stop them, and though William’s face didn’t betray him, his eyes did. “You wanted Delos. You -”
“You think you’re so fucking smart, hmm?” William stepped closer, and you saw the dirt on his cheek, saw the small scar next to his eye. “Figured it all out?” He shook his head. “You have no idea… but you’re right, so maybe you do have some idea.” He took a deep breath, collecting himself. “Did he tell you why? What he did to me?” He told me everything you piece of fucking shit.
“William, he didn’t tell me anything, I don’t know how many times I -” You were cut off again, this time not by his hand against your face, but instead by his closed fist slamming into your stomach, doubling you over as pain bloomed through your torso. Jesus Christ. “Can you please just...Fuck.” You coughed hard, bracing your forearms against your thighs. “How am I supposed to answer your questions if you won’t let me talk?”
“You’re talking, but you aren’t saying anything to me.” He stepped closer to you, reaching out to grasp your jaw, yanking your face up so hard you felt your neck crack. “Did Logan tell you about Dolores?” You thought back to the way that he’d reacted to the Host when he saw her on the yacht, the way he’d gotten angry at William immediately, the way it all made sense once Logan had explained. “I’ll tell you about Dolores and what good old Logan did to us.” Oh, great. But can I sit own, William? Instead of letting you do so right there, he dropped his hand from your jaw, picking up the rope again and leading you to the shade of a tree. “Sit down. This is a long story, and I don’t want you to keel over before I’m done with it.”
He waited until you’d settled against the ground, choosing a small patch of grass and running your fingers over it slowly, savoring the feel of it. “W-”
“No. You listen now.” He cleared his throat, saying your name. “If you fall asleep, I will find ways to wake you up. The guns won’t kill you, but they hurt like hell when you get shot. Especially in the hands and feet.” You bit your lip before you could blurt out the fact that if he shot you in the foot, you wouldn’t be able to walk and he’d have to let you back on the horse. Don’t antagonize him. “I came here for the first time when Jules and I were engaged, and wasn’t planning on taking part in any of the shit Logan loves about Westworld - none of the sex, none of the murder none of the… I just wanted to have a good time… and then I met Dolores.”
William talked for nearly an hour, recounting the story of meeting Dolores and then the girl stumbling onto the campsite with him and Logan, the trip to Pariah and the double cross, the few days that they’d been separated when he’d known that Dolores had woken up, that she was feeling things - real things. Despite the fact that you didn’t want to listen to him because you could barely keep your eyes open and you hated the sound of his voice, you found yourself interested in the story, though his side of it seemed nuts. He thought that Dolores was real, thought that she was as in love with him as he was with her after only a few days, thought that something could come of it after leaving the park. “William.” You interrupted, surprising even yourself. “You’re telling me that these things… feel? That they …” He watched you, almost as if he was trying to figure out if you were teasing him, but then answered you with a surprising softness in his tone, his eyes focused on the sand.
“Yes. Not all of them, but at least her.” He swallowed and you widened your eyes. He believes it, still. “She said things that… none of the other Hosts did, they were just things, dolls, as Logan put it, but Dolores? That trip? She was something else.”
“But you came home. You… you married Juliet, got her… you had Emily, and you’re, it’s been… you’ve come here.” You winced with every word and realized that your lips were cracked and dry, your tongue moving over them by force of habit. “So many times, William, you come here more than L-” You stopped yourself, not wanting to say his name out loud because you didn’t want to think of Logan, off somewhere worrying about you. “Does she remember you? Does she-” He grabbed both of your shoulders again, pushing you backwards, and then William was on top of you, kneeling over your body and holding you to the ground. You cried out, feeling the grass against your skin, the pain of his grip slightly offset by the cool blades beneath you, but William didn’t give you long to think, his tone angry again as he ground your shoulders and back against the earth, one hand letting go to yank your head to the side by your hair. “William, stop.”
“No.” He leaned down, face only a few inches from yours. “She doesn’t remember, not after… not after that trip.” He took a deep breath and then laughed, his finger trailing over your shoulder again, passing over your exposed collarbone and then up your neck before he tapped on your chin. “Not after what he did to her.” He stabbed her, he said he cut her open. He sighed and settled his weight against you, both hands moving to your throat. “But he’ll remember. He’ll remember you.”
---
He woke up just as the sun was setting, sitting straight up and immediately reaching for the pouch of supplies, his heart racing. I didn’t mean to sleep for that long, I… He unlocked the device, searching for Tanner’s dot, and was pleased to see that it was still only about as far ahead of him as it had been previously, even though it was moving. When he woke up, Logan wasn’t quite well rested but he was better, and though he still had hours to go before he even got close to you, he was determined not to waste any more time. He’d ridden quickly out of Las Mudas, knowing that he needed to cover as much ground as he could before the shot wore off, and he’d managed a few hours of breakneck speed before he felt himself slumping in the saddle, slowing the horse down to a trot and then to a halt, tying it to a small tree before he collapsed on the ground, fingers closed around the edge of your hat’s brim. I’m coming, I just need…
He took a long drink out of the canteen before he refilled it from the river, whistling for his horse and then climbing on, the heels of his boots urging it to go, even though he could tell it didn’t want to. I know, buddy, but we’ve gotta. As he covered the ground and the shadows deepened, bringing with them cooler temperatures, Logan worried about you. Thirty six hours had passed, and if the weather he’d experienced had been any indication, you’d been in the sun for most of it, sweltering in the daylight and then freezing at night. I hope he’s letting her sleep by the fire. When Logan had been William’s prisoner, following him across the park looking for Dolores, he’d made the man walk for the majority of the time, trying to stay on his feet behind the horse he was tied to, but William hadn’t let him near the fire at night, and Logan’s recollection of those nights was misery, especially the more sunburned he’d gotten. He won’t do that to her, there’s no way. While Logan didn’t remember everything about the last day of his time with William, he remembered the pain he’d been in, every step agony, every muscle in his body aching, and the thought of you in even a fraction of that pain was enough to make his blood boil.
He checked his progress with Tanner’s position as the night wore on, but the Host kept moving, which meant you did, too. Though Logan wasn’t hungry, he ate some of the food he’d packed from Las Mudas - bread and jerky - and it kept him awake, allowed him to focus on what he’d do when he finally found you. He’s going to wish he’d never met any of us. He reached the plantation at dawn, watching as Tanner’s dot paused on the map, the bright point of light seeming to mock him. He’d closed the distance to about half - roughly a few hours between the two of you, and though Logan wanted nothing more than to keep going, he knew he had to rest again, otherwise he’d be no good to you when he caught up. Unless William just left Tanner, they’re stopped too. This means … Logan typed your name into the tablet again, waiting for your picture and profile to come up, your smile staring up at him from the translucent screen. I’m coming.
He wound his watch, giving himself three and a half hours, and though he thought he’d have a difficult time sleeping, Logan passed out quickly, his body bordering on exhaustion, even on the hard ground. When the watch dinged, Logan sat straight up, his eyes moving over the agave plants and the smaller aloe ones near the edges of the field. Get up, Delos. No more sitting still. Thinking quickly, Logan stooped down, breaking some of the aloe leaves off and wrapping them in a handkerchief before smearing some on his nose and climbing back onto the horse. It’s not much but it’s something. She might need it. You’d officially been gone for more than two days, and Logan knew that every minute counted. You were moving again, and Logan was surprised to see that your progress had quickened, Tanner’s location only a few miles away from the edge of the land - and the beginning of the sea, something that Logan hadn’t ever seen himself. Nowhere else for you to go, William.
He passed though the remainder of the plantation and entered the sand dunes, pulling his bandana up and over his mouth and nose, lowering the brim of his hat to block the sand and sun, and pressed on, thinking only of how, when he found you, he was going to get you back from William, away from Tanner, and to safety. He’d already decided that as soon as he made his move, he was going to press the button on his hat; the security team would see that there were three high-value Guests in the same area that needed assistance, and he hoped that in the time it took them to arrive, he would be able to do something to get you back into his arms and to subdue the other man. Shooting him would be great.
Logan kept the tablet out and open as he rode, watching as Tanner stopped moving, his own dot approaching the last known location of the Host quickly, Almost there. He had a plan - or at least part of one, and Logan intended to stick to it, drawing William’s attention away from you and onto him, hopefully giving you a chance to escape. He’d shoot the Host as soon as he could, but Logan’s focus needed to be on William, because he was the most dangerous part of the equation - he was the only one that could truly harm you. When the map told Logan that he was only a quarter mile from you, he dismounted, tying the reins to a tree and ensuring that he had everything. Here we go.
Against his better judgement, Logan twisted the dial on the injector again to a half dose and pressed the trigger, closing his eyes and waiting until he felt the energy coursing through him. I only need a few minutes. He tucked the device back into the bag and took a deep breath, walking in the direction of Tanner’s dot. I’m here, William. You better not have hurt her.
---
As soon as Logan spotted you, he gasped out loud, thankful for the sound of the crashing waves that tore the breath from his lips and carried it away. What did he do to her? He could see your sunburn from where he was, the blisters on your shoulders and upper chest prominent. He could also see the blood that had soaked your right knee through the tear in your pants, the streaks of dark reddish brown on your arms. Still cautious, Logan inched forward, gun drawn, and stepped toward where you were standing, the Host’s arm around your neck, holding you upright but otherwise not doing much of anything. He’s just waiting. He wasn’t holding a gun on you, and the closer Logan got, the more he understood why. You could barely stand, and your eyes were half closed - either from exhaustion or pain, he couldn’t tell which. You looked as if you’d lost at least a few pounds and your hair was still loosely held back, though the parts of it that had gotten free were matted and dirty, sticking to your skin. William was facing away from him, staring out over the water with his hands in his pockets, and finally, Logan couldn’t help himself, calling out your name as his heartbeat thundered in his chest. I’m here.
He watched as your eyes slowly opened, and even though he was still ten yards away, Logan could see how unfocused they were, how cracked your lips were as they tried to form his name. You weren’t tied anymore, and Logan saw the bruises and chafing on your wrists, courtesy of the rope he’d first wrapped around them. She needs a doctor. Logan reached up with one hand, ready to press the button like he’d meant to do, but was stopped by the sound of a cocking gun, audible even over the rushing water. “Don’t touch it. Hat off, Logan.” He froze at the sound of William’s voice, hand only inches from his hat, but his eyes went back to you, seeing that your eyes had fully opened at the feeling of the metal pressed to your temple. You can’t die, it won’t kill you. But he knew that you were too far gone, too exhausted to consider the reality of the situation, and so Logan held his hand up, slowly reaching it back as he looked at William.
“I’m gonna take it off, William, that way I can…” William nodded once and Logan reacted, using the back of one hand to knock the hat off his head, not bothering to watch where it landed. It doesn’t matter. I have his tracker in my pocket, I can use that one. “Let her go, William, whatever the problem is, it’s with me. She’s not a part of this.” You cried out as the Host’s hold tightened, his gun still aimed at you. “She’s exhausted, William, at least let her si-” But William had drawn his own gun before Logan could react, turning and firing a single shot, aimed at Tanner’s head. The Host’s grip on you loosened, and at the sudden change, you stumbled forward, arms outstretched to catch yourself, but William didn’t let you fall, the gun dropping from his hand and hitting the sand at your feet, his fingers closing around your upper arm and yanking you against his chest as you screamed in pain. Something’s wrong with her arm.
It only took a few seconds, But Logan felt like things were moving in slow motion, watching as William put his hands on you, the hand at your arm replaced with one wrapping around the front of your chest, pressing against your shoulder as he held you in front of him, effectively blocking any shot Logan might have had. “Come and get her, Logan.” William watched him from over your shoulder, and Logan weighed his options. “You wanted me to black hat with you, and now look at you, trying to be a white hat and save her.” Logan watched as William’s free hand fell to his side, the man’s head shaking back and forth. “You couldn’t just let me be happy, could you? Were always so afraid I was gonna take over your fucking company before it was even yours, afraid that I would have better ideas than you. You couldn’t even let me have my vacation without trying to fucking dictate what we did, and then when I started having fun, you took that away from me too.” It’s not real, William. None of it was, but this is. You can … you’re hurting her, just like you hurt me, you… “It would have been so much easier if you had fucking died in that desert, Logan. But you didn’t. I could have gone back and had everything. Juliet, Dolores, Delos… all of it. But now, all I have is your fucking sister, and if you had your way, I wouldn’t even have had her for much longer.”
“Do you even care, William?” Logan was looking at William but he was also watching you, saw the way that your arms hung down at your sides, eyes closed again as your head drooped forward, Logan noticing the dark bruising that spread across one cheek. “If you’re still so in love with D-”
“It’s not about that, you asshole.” William screamed, jerking you sideways as his body moved. “It’s about what you’re taking away from me. Always taking. Then, now. Taking, because you don’t know any better, because you’ve never had to …” William sneered. “What are you working on now, Logan? What evidence are you collecting on me? What is she helping you with?” Helping? Logan’s eyes widened. That’s what this is about, he thinks that I… Jesus, this is my fault.
“I told her we got into a mess with the Confederados, William, that you and I had a falling out. I told her that you weren’t happy with how I was playing the game, but that’s... I wanted to protect her until... “ He stepped closer unconsciously and watched as William took a step backwards, the waves crashing only a few feet behind him. “She isn’t a part of this, William, and we won’t say anything if you let her go. Look at her, she can barely stand, William, she’s…” William glanced down at you, and Logan watched as he smiled, nodding.
“She said that, too. That you didn’t tell her anything.” He laughed. “I didn’t believe her. I guess I should have.” She lied for me. Logan watched your lips move, though he couldn’t tell what you were saying, and felt his heart pounding. “So what are we going to do about this, Logan?” William raised his gaze, blue eyes full of anger. “What’s your solution?” I want to kill you, that’s what I want to do.
“What do you want, William?” Logan stepped forward again, and William stepped back, the water lapping at his boots and yours, too. “Money? Dolores? You certainly don’t want Juliet, or -” Cool it, Logan. Don’t push him too hard.
“I loved your sister.” Logan heard honesty in William’s voice for the first time, watching as the blonde shook his head. “I did, but then…” He looked up, and Logan saw the desperation in his eyes. “You take Delos away from me, Logan, get me fired, put me in jail?” He shook his head. “You take her away, too.” William laughed, but the sound was bitter. “Just like you took her away that first time.” Jesus, William. Dolores?
“It wouldn’t have mattered, William, we would have left and then she wouldn’t have remembered you the next time we went back. That’s how it is, they aren’t real, Dolores was never… fuck, William, come on. It’s all a giant game. You tried to kill me over Dolores before, tried to ruin my credibility, tried to…” As he spoke, his voice raising, Logan was inching closer, eyes focused on you, willing you to open your eyes and look at him so he could tell you what he needed you to do. But you didn’t, and as Logan took a final step toward you, the hand at his side reaching for the gun on his hip, William reacted, drawing the knife from his belt and pressing the sharp side of the blade against your abdomen, skin visible thanks to the bottom two buttons of your vest being undone. No. He thought back to the way he’d treated Dolores the night in the Confederado camp, the way he’d jammed the knife into her stomach without pause. No, you can’t. You can’t, she’ll…
“Stop moving.” Your eyes flew open at that, gaze moving down to the knife and Logan heard you whimper, watched tears start leaking from the corners of your eyes. “One more step, Logan, that hand moves one more inch? I’ll do to her what you did to the woman I love.” She’s not real, William, she never was. You can’t love her. Not like…
“William, think about this.” Logan said your name and you finally looked at him, wide eyes meeting his, the fear in them something he never wanted to see again. If he stabs her, she might not make it until the team gets here. “She’s alive. She’s real. If you do this, there’s no going back.” You were still crying, but Logan watched as you moved one of your arms, slowly, your hand reaching out to him as much as it could, fingers shaking. I’m right here. I’m not going to let him… “William, let her go, this isn’t about her, it’s about me.” He was pleading, but he didn’t know what else to do. “You already… she doesn’t... I’ll stop, I won’t keep looking for a way to get you out, just please, let her go. Let me get her help, I’ll say that it was the Hosts in the storyline, they won’t have to look into it, we’ll forget…” I mean it, just let her go.
“No. You won’t.” William shook his head. “She’d never agree to that.” I think she would if it meant she got to live. I think she’d agree to anything right now, just like I would. “You’re so close, aren’t you? Almost ready to take what you have to the board?” William grinned, the expression chilling. “You won’t stop. Unless…” He bit down on his lower lip, turning the knife in his hand to press the tip into the exposed skin of your stomach. “Ask him to save you. Ask him to help you.” You stayed quiet, and William pushed the blade, your skin dimpling beneath the tip. “Fucking do it.”
Logan realized then that though he’d been thinking that William would be willing to compromise, he was wrong. He’s not expecting this to end well. He knows he’s fucked, this is a game to him. “L-Logan.” Logan looked away from William’s face, staring at you, and he heard the pain in your voice, almost as if you were seeing him for the first time. “You came.”
“I told you I would.” He nodded and so did you, though yours was barely a movement. “I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner, I should have -” His words were interrupted by a moan from you as William pushed harder, the sharpened tip of the knife slicing through your skin, blood beading around it.
“I said beg.” This is the game he chooses to play? She’s not a fucking Host, she won’t…
“Logan, please help me.” You forced the words out, Logan watching your fingers curl at your sides, head shaking back and forth. “Don’t let him hurt m-” Your words trailed off into a scream as William pushed again, more of the knife disappearing into your stomach. “Logan it hurts. Please… I… help me, Logan, don’t let him, help me, I -” He was frozen on the spot, watching as William inserted the knife further, blood leaking from the edges of the wound. Move. Move, Delos,or you’re going to watch her die.
“You have to watch, Logan! Fucking watch what I’m doing to her.” The tone of William’s voice madness mixed with glee, Logan - for a moment - thought back to the way he’d been with Dolores, the way he’d goaded William. This is my fault, if anything worse happens to her, it’s all my… You moaned out his name again and William twisted the knife, eyes on your abdomen and the wound he’d created there, ignoring Logan for the first time. Now. It has to be now.
As Logan stepped forward, he reached into his pocket with one hand, pressing down on the tracking device to activate it, the small circular object buzzing once to let him know that it worked. Fifteen minutes. He continued moving and Logan watched as you turned your body toward William, raising one hand and pushing with the strength you had remaining. Logan’s shoulder connected with William’s chest and he reached out, using the hand that had been in his pocket to push you away from William, shoving you as hard as he could with one hand to the center of your chest. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.
You separated, crying out Logan’s name in surprise as you stumbled backwards, but Logan focused his attention back on William as the two men tumbled into the sand. Logan used his momentum to roll William onto his back before punching him once in the jaw, arm flying through the air without pause. Using his right hand, Logan reached for the gun on his belt before he pressed the muzzle to William’s chest, shaking his head back and forth. “Don’t fucking move.” William stared up at the dark haired man for a few seconds and then turned his head to the side, laughing. “What?”
“Your girlfriend’s drowning, Logan. Looks like she pulled the knife out too, there’s blood all over the sand.” He knew it was dangerous, but Logan glanced at you, seeing that William was right, and made a decision. I have to. I have to save her. He looked away from you - the hardest thing he’d ever done - and squeezed the trigger. William shuddered beneath him, and Logan fired again, trying to buy himself time. When the man reached up to touch his chest where Logan had shot him, gasping for breath and trying to push his hands and the gun away, Logan snapped the cuffs onto first one wrist and then the other, staring down at William, who wore a look of shock on his face. “Good for you, Logan, you fi-”
“Yeah,” Logan sniffed, spinning the gun around in his hand before raising it above his head. “Fuck you, William.” He brought the butt of it down, smashing the handle into William’s temple twice. You deserve so much worse. Once William’s head had lolled to the side, Logan stood, grabbing the cuff chain and pulling William a few feet away from the water to make sure that the man wouldn’t drown, and then he ran to where you were laying, facedown in the wet sand, the saltwater rushing around your body. There’s too much blood. Logan sat down, rolling you onto your back and into his lap, one hand going to your stomach and hovering over the wound, though he knew it wouldn’t do much good. The supplies are all wet, everything’s… He ripped his shirt off, balling it up and pressing it down over your stomach. Please. They’ll be here soon. “I’m here.” He leaned down, stroking your hair with the hand that wasn’t tending to your wound and pressed his forehead against yours, taking a deep breath. “I’m right here and I love you, please hold on.”
---
Forcing your eyes open partially, you groaned at the pain that shot through your head as the low light filtered in through your still halfway closed lids. Where am I? Running your tongue over your lower lip, you let out a breath, trying to take a deeper one and wincing. “Hey, don’t do that.” Logan? “You’ve got four broken ribs, you’ve gotta…” You saw him move out of the corner of your eye and then Logan was sitting next to your bed, his dark eyes only inches from yours. “You’ve gotta take it easy.” At the sight of his face, you felt yourself start to cry, the tears leaking down and over your cheeks, but before you could reach up to wipe them away, he was doing it for you, his thumbs moving gently over your skin and lingering against the outer corners of your eyes. “I’m so sorry this happened to you.” You gave yourself a few more seconds to cry, and then tried to roll over and toward him, but he stopped you. “Can’t do that, either.”
“Wh-” Logan pulled his hand away from your face, reaching across your body and taking your right hand, his fingers closing around yours. Fuck my throat hurts. “Why?”
“Your ribs aren’t the only thing that’s broken.” Logan’s smile was more of a grimace and he lowered his eyes for a second before staring at you, pressing his lips into a thin line. “Your right shoulder was dislocated, there’s a hairline fracture in your left elbow, your knee had a bunch of gravel in it that they had to dig out, you have a concussion and you…” He stopped, squeezing your hand gently. “You’ve got a bunch of staples in your stomach from…”
“He stabbed me.” Your eyes widened and Logan nodded. “How did…” You shifted on the bed and Logan immediately stood, pulling his hand from yours to help you scoot upward on the mattress. “Does this…” You swallowed. “The bed, does it…” Logan was pushing the button before you got the rest of your sentence out. “Ok, stop.” Your upper body was raised, allowing you to look at him and not up at him, and you took a breath. “I’m so thirsty, can I…”
“Only water.” Logan turned, reaching for a pitcher and filling a cup that was sitting on the tray next to you. “They hooked you up to an IV, but you were really dehydrated, and we don’t…” Logan shook his head. “We don’t know how your stomach will handle…”
“S’ok, Logan.” You closed your eyes. “Water’s fine.” He held the straw up to your lips and you took small sips, intensely thankful for the cool liquid as you swallowed a few times. “Thank you.” You cleared your throat, staring down at your legs. “He was going to kill me, Logan.” You heard him suck in a breath from next to you, and then he reached out again, hesitantly dropping his hand on top of yours. “He thought I was helping you get him out of Delos, so he…”
“Yeah.” Logan said your name and you turned your head to look at him, watching as he chewed on his lip. “I tried to keep you out of it, and it… he still.” You saw how tired he looked, how worried Logan was as he stared at you, his hand simply resting on top of yours instead of holding it. “I’m sorry. I’m so goddamn sorry, I should have…”
“How long have I been here, Logan?” You were still speaking quietly, each word a struggle, but you needed to know, and you wanted to hear his voice. “When -”
“Brought you in the day before yesterday, you’ve been out for…” He shook his head, eyes glistening. “You were barely conscious when the recovery team got to us, and by the time you got to the Mesa medical center, you weren’t awake anymore, but they had a monitor so I knew you …” He stopped, catching his breath. “You were in and out of it yesterday, they said that you needed to rest, even though you had the concussion, but I…”
“You were here… the… whole time?” Why would he do that? “In m…”
“They wouldn’t let me in the OR, but I’ve been with you since you got brought to this room.” You turned your hand over and squeezed, feeling pain shoot up your arm, but you didn’t care. Operating room? For stitches? They can do that in…
“How bad was it, Logan?” You felt yourself shiver. “I remember feeling him cut into me, and you were there, but I don’t…”
“I think…” Logan’s head dropped. “I think I hurt you worse when I pushed you away from William when I tackled him, you fell on…” He looked back up. “I think you fell on the knife, and I shouldn’t have…”
“Stop.” You forced the word out, finding the strength to make it a command. “Stop Logan, you saved me, he would have done worse if…” You remembered how it had felt to be William’s captive, the feeling of his hand as it had hit your cheek, the way his fist and foot had felt slamming into your stomach, how he hadn’t cared when you’d fallen to your knees behind the horse. “You couldn’t fight him if he was still…”
“I should have been more careful.” Logan was crying too, and all you wanted to do was lift your arm to touch his face, to tell him that it was going to be ok. Logan… “I needed to take him down so I could get back to you, I… I just pushed you, I didn’t even think…”
“Where is he now?” You closed your eyes, settling back against the pillow. “What happened to him?” Logan laughed, the sound muffled as he wiped at his face. “I remember a gun, did you…”
“I shot him.” Logan sniffed, and you opened your eyes again, turning your head toward him. “Twice, in the chest. It was enough to get him cuffed, and then I…” Logan frowned. “I knocked him out with my gun.” Shit. Your eyes widened, and you finally felt Logan’s fingers close around yours. “You pulled the knife out, or it fell out, I don’t know, but when I finally got over to you, you were bleeding bad, and… I just held my shirt against your stomach and waited.” He shook his head. “It was the longest fifteen minutes of my life.” You didn’t respond, your eyes on Logan’s face, and after a few seconds, he sighed, pulling his hand back to drop yours. “I’ll go get the doctor, now that you’re awake, they’ll want to -”
“No.” You shook your head, feeling it start to pound with the movement. “Don’t leave me, please, I…” I need you here. He looked surprised, but Logan nodded back, leaning over you to press the call button that was resting on the mattress next to you. Lift your arm. You ignored the pain, lifting your left arm and sliding your fingers up toward Logan’s shoulder, thumb pressing in on the inside of his bicep, even though you couldn’t see the ink beneath it. He said something on the beach, and I need to know...
---
After talking to him, you were in and out of sleep for the next twelve hours, and though Logan still refused to leave your room outright, he did take ten minutes away from you to hastily shower in your bathroom, turning the water on as hot as he could stand it. While you were in surgery, he’d called Juliet, informing her of what had happened, that her husband had tried to kill you and was being held in the Mesa jail while you were in surgery so that the amount of damage that had been done to you over the course of the 48 hours William had been holding you could be assessed. She hadn’t believed it at first, but by the end of the conversation, he’d heard in her voice that she knew he wasn’t lying, and Juliet had promised to be on the Delos jet as soon as possible, coming out to bring both of you home. Too little, too late, Jules.
Logan had been busy while you were getting worked on, also calling your family to let them know what had happened, even though the Guest Experience Team had volunteered to do it for him, letting your boss know that you wouldn’t be returning as scheduled, even going so far as to contact the Delos corporate lawyers on your behalf, telling them to get ready for one of the easiest cases they could imagine taking on. He’d changed out of his park attire, too, sending his bloody clothes off with the security team as evidence, but he’d been too keyed up to shower, and knew that he needed to.
You’d looked better coming out of the OR, though you still hadn’t looked great, but the fact that you were breathing, the rise and fall of your chest steady under the thin gown you wore was enough to calm him slightly. I’m right here. You might not want me to be when you wake up, but I’m here now. He wasn’t your emergency contact, but the doctors and nurses had taken pity on him since he’d been with you and it was common knowledge that the two of you were together, showing him your medical reports. When he saw your injury list, Logan finally broke down, his eyes scanning over the lengthy list of the abuse you’d suffered at Willaim’s hands as the tears streaked down his dust-covered cheeks. I should have killed him. He deserves it.
Logan had stayed in your room throughout the time you slept, drifting between being totally out of it and halfway conscious again, but you’d never opened your eyes, and so he’d stayed quiet, waiting. She’ll wake up when she can. He knew your body was fighting to rehydrate itself, and the nurses came and went like clockwork, replacing the bags of fluids that you were being fed, redressing your shoulders and upper back with the medicated bandages that they’d applied to combat the sunburn you’d gotten. Your dislocated arm was in a sling, the fractured elbow in a lightweight brace meant to keep it bent without the risk of you worsening the injury, and Logan was devastated. This shouldn’t have happened to her.
He was angry at himself for not seeing that William was capable of doing something like this to you, even though he’d experienced it firsthand. But this is worse. He didn’t … he didn’t hurt me, not physically like this. You were battered, and though Logan was thankful that William had never laid a hand on his sister in the years that they’d been married, he wished that the man hadn’t tried to get to him through you. There was no reason for this. He slept - fitfully, curled up on the couch in the corner of your room - waking up every hour or so to check on you, the backs of his fingers running over the skin of your bruise-free cheek as he stood over your bed, brushing your hair out of your face. They’d cleaned you up after completing your surgery, rinsing your hair out and giving you a quick bath, and you looked more like yourself, but Logan still wasn’t satisfied.
Even speaking with you for the few minutes he had before calling for the doctor hadn’t been enough, but Logan didn’t want to push it. We have a lot of things to talk about when we get home, now isn’t the time. He dried himself off, stepping out of the bathroom after he was redressed - wearing only a pair of comfortable sweats and a t shirt, and was happy to see that you were awake again - and that you looked much more alert. “Hey.” Your voice quiet, you turned your head to look at him. “I feel better.” You sound better, too.
“Good.” Logan ran a hand through his damp hair, nodding. “You must be more hydrated, the bags are working.” He eyed the IV drip and then looked at you, watching as you lifted your hand and pressed the button to raise your bed. “Be careful, you -”
“I’m on pain meds, Logan. It hurts, but it’s not as bad…” You shook your head. “You need to get out of this room.” She wants me to leave? “I heard you on the phone earlier, Logan. You aren’t responsible for me, you don’t have to…” You shook your head, looking down. “You haven’t seen Juliet yet, and I heard you say she’s here, you should…” You exhaled, pressing the hand attached to the arm in the sling against your stomach as you winced. “I’ll be alright, Logan, if you go.” He looked at you, staying silent. She doesn’t want me here. He felt his knees go weak but he agreed with you, walking back over to the couch and putting on his shoes. Logan stepped next to your bed and looked down at you, unsure of what to say. I should just go. What’s there to say? “I’m OK, Logan. I’m not going anywhere.” You smiled at him, the first one he’d seen in days, and he felt his eyebrows rising. “And maybe when you come back, you could bring me some ice cream?” She wants me to come back? He finally laughed at that - some of it in relief - nodding his head before he turned and walked away from your bed, your soft voice stopping him at the door. “Vanilla, please?”
“Of course.” Maybe. Maybe things will be OK.
---
As always, feel free to ask to be added or removed to this tag list. No hard feelings.
Rating: NSFW (Talk of kidnapping, actual kidnapping, language, violence, physical abuse of a female, death)
Trigger Warnings: Kidnapping, physical abuse
Author’s Note: I debated on whether or not to go dark with this one, but I needed to in order to truly set the tone. You’ve been adequately warned, and it’s not my fault if you choose to ignore the warning or the tags and you read something you don’t like.
Summary: You’ve been taken... but by who? Will Logan figure it out - and can he find a way to get to you in time?
Though you didn’t appreciate the way the Host’s chest was pressed to your back, or the way it felt to have his arms settled against your sides as he held the horse’s reins, you tolerated it. It’s part of the narrative, meant to keep me off guard, focused on that instead of… “You know where we’re goin’?” He leaned in, speaking into your ear. “Boss is lookin’ forward to having a conversation with you.” That… You frowned, eyes darting over to where the second man was, his horse a few yards ahead and to the left of you. “Lost Spring’s a great place to go, ain’t it?”
“Yeah, it was…” You swallowed, shaking your head and glancing down at your bound hands. “I like it.” You took a deep breath, chewing on your lower lip. Get him talking, you want to learn more about this narrative, you need to… “So, aren’t there usually three of you? Sheriff told me…”
“Three? Nah. It’s just me an’ O’Conner over there.” He gestured with one hand, and your frown deepened. “We work alone, ‘seasier that way.” He must have been wrong when he told me, but…
“And the horses? He said that you guys always have gray -”
“This has been my horse since we robbed that rancher in Sweetwater couplea months ago, and that one’s been O’Conner’s since the same night.” Sweetwater? But the … The Abernathys? There’s not supposed to be a connection, these are new Hosts. You felt uneasy, but maybe the Sheriff had fed you incorrect information, maybe it was meant to not make it as easy to be rescued. Logan will find me.
“How much longer do we have until we get to… wait, what’s your name?” You turned your head to the side, teeth digging into your lip. “Gotta know what to call you, right?” The man stayed quiet, so you continued. “We’ve been riding for hours, and I don’t -”
“Tanner. You can call me Tanner.” He sighed, flicking his wrists and urging the horse faster. “An’ we’ve got a couple hours til we get to where we’re goin’.” Couple hours? That doesn’t make sense. You scanned the horizon, eyes moving without turning your head. We’re not going into the hills, we’re going… You glanced up, looking for the sun, and finding it behind you. That’s wrong, it should be overhead or to the left, it… we’re going into the desert. Heart beating faster, you stayed quiet, but you were no longer at ease. What did I get myself into?
---
Two hours later, you were still keeping pace with the sun, and if your memory served you correctly, you were headed for the Lowlands, toward the sea. What’s this way? There’s no way the Lost Springs Sheriff would come out here, this isn’t… Tanner had sidled up with O’Conner, the two men talking quietly, and though you tried to listen, you were focused on the way the sun was beating down on you, your bare shoulders on fire. I wish I had my hat. You’d thought that you and Logan would go back to your room before the narrative started, giving you a chance to pick it up, but things had happened quickly, and you’d been taken without anything covering your head. I’m going to be so burned. “We’re stoppin’ for a minute.” Tanner spoke again, pulling his horse away from the other man. “Gonna let you use the facilities if you need to before we finish this.” Finish? But you were grateful for the break, grateful to get off of the horse and stretch your legs, even if only for a few minutes.
“Thank you.” As your feet his the sand, you groaned, closing your eyes. “You don’t have any w-”
“Don’t test your luck.” Tanner was unwinding the rope from your wrists, undoing one of the knots that Logan had tied to give you use of one hand. “I’ll give you enough slack to go into that grass over there, but if you try anythin’, I’ll shoot you in the foot.” Inhaling sharply, you nodded before you moved. “Go.” You stepped quickly away from the man, though once you reached the end of the rope’s length, he followed. At least he’s giving me that, even though he said he… You thought as you squatted down, the grass reaching your shoulders, trying to come up with a solution. Though the two men hadn’t said much else to you, you knew that you hadn’t been abducted by the Hosts that you were supposed to have been taken by, which meant that someone had taken you purposely. But who? No one knows I’m here, and… I’m no one.
You would have understood if they’d taken Logan, but you? It didn’t make sense. I could take one of them down. They’re Hosts, even if they shoot at me, it won’t… But you knew that it would hurt, and if both of them shot at you at once, you’d go down to the ground, letting the other get to you. You had no weapon, no way of defending yourself aside from your hands, and you were in the middle of nowhere. Tanner called out to you and you popped your head up, letting him see that you were still where he wanted you, and then as you stood up, buttoning your pants, he pulled the rope roughly, leading you back to him. He switched places with O’Conner, and while Tanner turned away to relieve himself, you studied the second man. “You don’t talk much.” I need to figure out who sent them and why. “Tanner said -”
“Tanner knows what’s good for him, he won’t keep talkin’ to you, little lady.” The second man’s voice was low and slightly more threatening, even though his build was smaller. “We just gotta get you to the Boss and then you won’t -”
“McCray?” You stepped forward, eyes widening. Maybe. Maybe I was wrong. “You gotta get me to McCray?” Silent for a few seconds, O’Conner stared at you and then laughed, the sound harsh in your ears.
“Ghost? Nah. We wouldn’t give you over to him, he’d try an’ keep you for himself. Boss has somethin’ different planned for you.” Different? What… “He said he could give us whatever we wanted ‘s long as we made sure he gotcha.” Tanner reappeared, and you watched as he glanced upward, looking at the sun.
“Time to go. We’re supposed to be back at the campsite before dark, and we’re barely gonna make it as it is.” He looked at you, one eyebrow raised beneath the brim of his hat. “If I leave your hand free so you can hold on better, you gonna give me trouble?” You weighed your options quickly, looking between the two men, and realized that you were indeed at their mercy. I need to figure out who these people are before I …
“I won’t.” You swallowed, throat dry. “You sure I can’t have some water, though? I’ve been sitting in the sun and -”
“You’ll get water when we get to the campsite if he wants to give it to you.” Tanner pulled on the rope and you stumbled after him, swearing under your breath. “Just get back on the horse.” You did, hoisting yourself up and onto the saddle, hands going back around the knob in front of you. You felt him settle behind you again, knees digging in against your thighs as you started moving. “You have no idea what you’re in for, do you?” No, I don’t… I… “You’ll know soon enough.”
---
The sun was starting to sink ahead of you by the time Tanner slowed the horse down, a series of low whistles leaving his lips. After a few seconds, an answering whistle carried to your ears, and Tanner signaled O’Conner forward, the horses moving faster. Someone’s there. You broke through a small strand of trees, catching sight of a single figure sitting with his back to you, a small fire in front of him. “Is that -” You closed your eyes swallowing hard. “I -” They can’t hurt you. They can’t hurt you, they’re Hosts, they can’t do anything worse to you then they already have, they…
“It is.” Tanner was leaning forward again, talking quietly into your ear. “And we got you here early, so he’s gonna be happy.” The horses stopped moving, and Tanner cleared his throat, unwinding the rope again and tossing it forward. You’d stopped again, Tanner retying your wrists together so that when you arrived to their boss, you had no possibility of getting free, so the length was shorter, but it still reached halfway to the seated man, the knotted end resting on the ground in short grass and a few sticks. In the silence between you, there was only the crackling of the fire and the soft whinnying of the horses, but then Tanner spoke after clearing his throat. “Got her here to you, Boss.” He leaned in again, speaking to you. “Don’t move.” You nodded once, still wanting to see where things were headed, and felt the man dismount from behind you, though he didn’t step away from the horse.
As O’Conner moved to the ground, too, you looked between the three men, the new one still seated and facing away from you, staring at the fire. Maybe I can run, maybe I can get a gun, it’s getting dark, and… But then the third man stood and slowly turned to face you, and your blood ran cold, all thoughts of escape disappearing. “W… William?” What is he doing here? “Y-you -” The man took three steps toward you, his eyes focused on your face before he bent down, picking up the end of the rope and closing his fingers around it above the knot. As he stood back up, you watched as he smiled at you from beneath the wide black brim of his hat. He kidnapped Logan and now he’s got me.
“Surprise.” As he said the word, he yanked on the rope, and because you were caught off guard, you tumbled off of the horse, barely able to brace your fall with your forearms, and unable to keep your head and elbow from knocking against the ground. What the fuck? “You know,” William said as he pulled you across the ground by the rope, your bare arms scraping against the underbrush as you moved, head spinning and your feet dragging behind you. “This was the perfect opportunity, you coming here to catalog this new narrative, Logan having to stay behind…” He doesn’t know Logan’s here. You widened your eyes but didn’t say anything, staring up at William through watering eyes. Do not cry. “Bet I’m the last person you thought you’d see here, hmm?” William knelt next to you, finally removing his hat and setting it on the ground next to him, his hair hanging over his eyes. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell you all about why I’m here and why you’re here. We’ve got a lot to talk about.” He leaned in, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, one hand reaching out to touch your cheek, but there was no warmth in it. “Tanner.” William looked up, fingers still on your face. “When you took her, who saw? Was she wearin’ her hat when you grabbed her?”
“Ah, Boss, she was on the street in Lost Spring, like you said she’d be, walkin’ back from breakfast.” Your eyes moved to Tanner, and you noticed that he looked a little worried, one of his hands rubbing at the back of his neck. “She was with a man, dark hair, all in black, real handsome. No hat.” You heard Willam swear, and though Tanner continued, the blonde man’s attention was back on you, his lips pressed together.
“So he is here, and he knows you got taken.” William cocked his head to the side, stroking down your cheek and to your neck with the pads of his fingers, nothing gentle about it. “Wonder how long it’ll take him to realize that you’re not where you’re supposed to be.” He probably already has, it’s been hours, he would have gone to the Sheriff, he… But why would he, you thought as you stared up at William. O’Conner said not to come til sundown, so if Logan waited, he won’t… and we’re not in the hills, he’ll never find me… “You’re figurin’ it out, aren’t you?” William grinned, his fingers closing around your shoulder. “I’m doing to him what he did to me, except …” William sucked air in between his teeth, shaking his head. “Except they can’t rebuild you.” What the fuck is he talking about? “Now.” He settled down onto both knees next to you, removing his hand from your skin and reaching into his pocket. “I figure, at the very least we have abut two days before he even comes close.” William pulled out a handkerchief and a small bottle. “And I think this first part will go much faster if you’re not awake, don’t you?”
“No, William, I -” You watched as he tilted the bottle over and onto the cloth, shaking your head back and forth. “Whatever that is, you don’t need to, it’s fine, I won’t…” But William only laughed, setting the bottle down and pulling the bandana around his neck up and over his nose, leaning in over you.
“I don’t believe you.” He shrugged, nose wrinkling. “And I’m not ready to hurt you… yet.” You screamed once before he covered your mouth and nose with the dampened cloth, closing your eyes and not even trying to hold back your tears as William pressed down. Logan, help me. Please. The last thing you saw before you lost consciousness was his face, his words echoing in your mind. I’ll find you. I promise.
---
He followed the Sheriff down the street, his hands jammed into his pockets. That wasn’t the right kidnapping, that wasn’t … she… “We have to ride out after her, we have to…” Logan could barely get the words out. “She got taken, and -”
“Son, I know she did, but we’ve got our own to worry about, and only two deputies plus myself. The McCray gang took Marilee, we’ve gotta go after her and…” They have to help her, they can’t just…
“No. You have to go after…” Logan groaned in frustration, hands moving to his hair. “You know where Marilee will be, but my… she got… you have to…” The man sighed, looking up at Logan from behind his table.
“You can see if any of the townsfolk will ride out with you and look for your woman, son, but -”
“My name is Logan Delos!” Logan slammed his hand on the table, shaking his head back and forth in anger. “And I need you to help me, now because the woman I…” He swallowed, taking a breath. “I don’t know this area, I don’t know where to…” I don’t know where to look.
“Do you have any enemies? Does she?” The Sheriff leaned back in his chair, one hand stroking his beard. “Maybe it was a kidnapping, and there’ll be a ransom note. Someone might want something -”
“We don’t know anyone here, we just got here yesterday, we…” Logan’s eyes widened, one hand going up to his face. “We barely left the room, and…” He shook his head. “There’s no one.” But there is one person. He took a breath. “Unless…” Logan snapped his fingers, tapping the tabletop. “I need a map, I need…” He shook his head. “I’ll be back.” Without another word, Logan turned and left the Sheriff’s station, nearly sprinting back to the saloon. What room? What… “Hey.” He stopped at the mail counter, the young woman behind it eyeing him intently. Not fucking now. “Yesterday, a… a woman and a man came here, rented rooms.” He paused, licking his lips nervously. “She had tattoos on her back and shoulders, and he would have been… blonde, probably about my height… I just need to know what room he was in, he’s my sister’s husband and…” The girl smiled, reaching beneath the counter and pulling out a logbook, one finger moving down the page.
Logan saw your name and then William’s, and he felt his heart beating faster. “He was in room four, but it looks like he checked out yesterday evenin’, says there’s a …” She turned away, reaching back into one of the mail slots. “Left a letter for a Logan?” He did? She held out a small envelope, the smile on her face returning. “You Logan?” Logan nodded, hand reaching out for the paper and sliding his finger beneath the back side and tearing it open. There was a single sheet of paper inside, folded around a small object, and as Logan shook it out into his hand, he felt himself freeze. “What’s it say?” The Host behind the counter leaned forward, but Logan couldn’t respond, his eyes locked on the paper and the circular disc in his other hand. Motherfucker. “Good luck?” She laughed. “Good luck with what?”
“What is this?” Though he knew what it was, Logan held up the metal, finally speaking again. “What is it?” Biting her lip, the woman shook her head, green eyes moving up to Logan’s dark ones.
“I don’t know, Logan. Doesn’t look like anything to me.”
---
Fifteen minutes later, Logan had gone back to the room, grabbing his hat and yours before going to the general store and buying two canteens, filling them both with water, and stocking up on a second pistol and extra ammo. Won’t do any good on William, but the Hosts… He led his horse out of the stables and down the main street, eyes landing on people one after the other. I can’t ask them for help, this is personal, this is… “Hey!” He stopped, raising his voice and turning in a slow circle, hoping that someone that saw him was one of the people that had been present earlier. Please. “I was with a woman earlier, and she got taken.” He reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet. “I’ve got $100 for anyone that can tell me anything about those men or those horses, or -” He pulled the bills out, holding them in the air. “One hundred dollars cash to anyone that can help me get her back.” He stopped, waiting, and as Logan gulped in air, he closed his eyes. She’s gotta be ok, he won’t…
“Mister?” Eyes snapping open, Logan turned toward the sound of the voice, seeing that a young man had stepped off of the porch of one of the stores. “I don’t know who those men were, but the horses? They had a brand on ‘em.” His eyes went to the money and then back to Logan. “Didn’t see it up close, but it looked like… like the Abernathy brand.” Dolores? Fucking Dolores? “From Sweetwater? Those horses are some of the finest around, and they reported a couple missin’ a few months ago.” The man stepped closer again, voice stronger. “If it’s the same men, I heard that they robbed a couple places down near Las Mudas and the old plantation.” That helps. Logan let out a breath, lowering his head. “I can show you on a map if you want, I know you’re a newcomer, so…”
“Thank you.” The two words spoken with a gratitude he didn’t know he was capable of, Logan stepped forward and toward the man, handing over the money. “You’re tellin’ the truth, right?” The man nodded. “Not just doing it for the m-”
“Of course not.” The man shook his head, folding the bills and sticking them in his pocket. “I can use it, sure, but I wouldn’t lie about somethin’ like this when a woman’s been taken.” Oh, thank fuck. Logan reached into his pocket and pulled the map that the Sheriff had given him out, and for the next few minutes, he stood in the street, the man explaining where things were located, where likely hiding spots were. “There’s not much to the west, and unless you go far south first, all that’s north is mountains and cliffs, and they’re damn near impossible to get up.” So he went south. Logan’s eyes moved over the map, and though he knew it was unlikely, they traveled southeast to the unclaimed territories, to where William had set him off into the sunset. He wouldn’t do that again, he tried it once, and it didn’t work, he knows that’d be the first place I’d look.
“Thank you.” He met the young man’s eyes again, and Logan hoped that he could tell how grateful he was. “I didn’t even know where to start, and now I…” He nodded, pointing. “I’ll head down to Las Mudas, and then see what they have to say.” Maybe they’ll have names, then I can… Logan took a deep breath.
“You’ll find her.” The man smiled at him, nodding twice. “Go.” He mounted his horse, turning it around and riding out of town. He said it’s about a day’s ride to Las Mudas… I’m gonna make it in half that.
---
You woke up when it was fully dark out, head pounding and throat dry. What the fuck? You were on the back of another horse, but this time, you weren’t sitting up on your own, you were strapped to the saddle, stomach pressed against it and your body bouncing with every step the animal took. Oh my god, I’m going to puke, I… Even as you had the thought, you felt your stomach seizing, and the next thing you knew you were getting sick, barely able to lift your head in order to make sure you didn’t cover your arms in vomit. At least my hair’s still tied back. Still coughing violently, you tried to look around, but couldn’t lift your head for too long because of the pounding. He fucking chloroformed me, how is that legal, how… There had been incidents in the park before, you knew, where guests like William had tried to harm other guests, and that was why Delos had implemented the Guest Tracking System, allowing people to alert security through the device if they ever felt that they were truly in danger. But your hat was back in your room, which meant that you didn’t have your device, and though William had his hat, you knew you’d never get to it to press down on the hidden button. Maybe… But you also knew that keeping you disoriented was part of William’s plan, and while it wouldn’t make you any less angry, it would make you more manageable. But why is he… because of Logan?
Your mind went back to the conversation you’d had the night Logan got his tattoo - when he’d told you what happened with William. You knew that Logan and William’s first trip to the park together had ended badly, and you knew that it was bad enough that Logan didn’t talk about it to anyone else, but you didn’t know why William would have taken you to prove a point. I didn’t do anything, Logan told me not to worry about it, he... From your position on the horse, it was difficult for you to tell what direction you were moving in, or even what time it was. I need water. I need food, I need… But you knew that William wouldn’t give you any of those things, and if he let you off of the horse at all, it would be a shock. “W-william.” Your throat scratchy, you gritted your teeth and tried again. “William.” After a few seconds, the horse you were on stopped moving, and you heard footsteps on the ground heading toward you.
“Yes?” He spoke from right next to you, voice low. “Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty.” Determined not to do anything to piss him off, you attempted to raise your head, trying to meet his eyes.
“I’m dizzy, William.” It came out as a whine, and you couldn’t help it. “I need to sit up, I can hold on, I -” I need to see where I am. “Please, William, where am I going to go?” You knew that you looked, smelled and sounded terrible, but you needed to get through to him. “Let me sit up, William, I -”
“Fine. But if you try anything, I’ll -” He gripped your chin in one hand, fingers closing tight against it and forcing you to look up. “You won’t get a second chance.” You could hear that he meant it, and though you knew that the gun at his waist wouldn’t harm you, you were sure that he had another plan. You nodded weakly, and only a few seconds later, felt the binding on your arms getting looser. “If I pull you off of there, are you gonna be able to get back on?”
“I think so.” You swallowed, and then William pulled you forward, this time not letting you fall to the ground before you got your footing. “Thank you.” The words slipped out before you could stop them, but you were so happy to be standing on solid ground that you couldn’t help it, and William actually laughed from next to you, his grip on your elbow tight. That’s going to bruise. “Give me a second, please.” You lowered your head, staring at your feet and trying to take deep breaths to clear your mind. Get it together. You finally raised your head and looked around, surprised to see that only one of the men - Tanner - was still with you. Where’s O’Conner? Turning your head, you saw that the horse you were riding was the one that the second man had been on. What happened to him?
“Our friend O’Conner’s no longer with us.” William was whispering, mouth close to your ear. “Had to get you a horse somehow.” Your lip curled, but you didn’t respond. “Get on, we need to go.” It was difficult but you managed to get back onto your horse, and soon the three of you were back on track, making your way over the flatlands, the moon shining brightly above you. So we went south. We’re not near the hills anymore. The hours passed and finally, when you were so exhausted that you thought you’d fall off the horse, William allowed you to stop just as the sky was beginning to lighten, the three of you setting up camp beneath a few scrubby trees. Even as he tied you to the trunk, allowing only a little play in the rope so that you could halfway stretch out, you were thankful for the respite, for the chance to close your eyes. “Enjoy this sleep, because tomorrow, the fun starts.”
---
You woke up to the buzzing of flies, and as you attempted to use your hands to wave them away, you were reminded of your predicament. I’m tied to a fucking tree. Eyes opening all the way, you struggled into an upright position, lifting your hands as much as you possibly could, drawing your knees up toward your chest. What the fuck am I going to do? You looked over the camp, seeing that William was nowhere to be found, Tanner leaning against his bedroll and staring up at the sky. “You can stop strugglin’ now, you aren’t goin anywhere. Boss tied those knots well, an’ he knows what he’s doing.” You swallowed, deciding that you were going to try speaking, even though you didn’t know how your voice would sound.
“How long have you known him? William, I mean?” Throat scratchy, you winced. “You said you’ve had the horses for a couple months, and…”
“They met me the night I helped ‘em rob the Abernathys.” William spoke from behind you and you closed your eyes. No. I needed more time, I… “I find myself out on that farm most trips to the park, you know.” William appeared in front of you, glancing over his shoulder. “Take a walk, Tanner. I need to talk to her for a while.” The Host stood, leaning down to pick up his canteen before he walked off. That doesn’t make sense, they aren’t supposed to be that obedient, it would ruin the game, they… “Anyway.” William settled down on the ground in front of you, legs crossed and canteen on his lap. “We’re gonna have a conversation, and if you give me the answers I want, I’ll give you something to drink.” It had been more than 24 hours since your last drink, and your tongue was still coated with the taste of your vomit - water sounded like the answer to everything. What do you want, asshole?
“I don’t know what you want to hear, William, I -” You shook your head, closing your eyes. “Why are you doing this, what -”
“The first time I came to this place, it was supposed to be a bonding trip between me and Logan. He was going to be my brother in law, and Jules… she wanted us to get to know each other better. I’d heard stories about the park, stories about... “ William shook his head. “L… he promised me that after the trip, I’d know who I was, and he said he wanted to meet that person, wanted to see what I was really like.” That doesn’t sound bad, it’s what he told me, too… “But he just wanted me to do what he wanted to do - fuck and drink and kill, and when I finally…” William laughed, looking into your eyes. “When I finally played the game how he wanted me to, the war and the plotting, and the … he didn’t like it much.”
“William, I don’t -” You coughed, trying to sit up straighter and also trying not to drag the burned skin of your shoulders against the tree bark. Play this off. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“But you do, because…” William leaned in, eyes cold. “He’s getting closer, he’s up to something, and he wouldn’t tell anyone else, only you.” What? “What has Logan fucking Delos told you about what happened here and what he’s doing now?” You shook your head, hearing his tone of voice - unlike you’d ever heard it previously. What is wrong with him? I don’t… “Tell me!” William moved forward, fingers closing around your shoulder and shoving you backward, slamming your back into the tree trunk. “Tell me what that piece of shit told you about me.”
“He didn’t tell me anything, William!” You screamed the words without thinking, your arm throbbing where he was gripping it. “He just told me that it didn’t end well, and he ended up in the desert and they didn’t find him for days, but…” William’s grip loosened slightly, his hand sliding down toward your elbow. “He only said that the two of you didn’t really get along, and that the trip was…” You closed your eyes, trying to remember the word Logan had used. “Illuminating.” You opened your eyes again, not wanting to but forcing yourself to look at William. “He told me about the drugs and the sex and the alcohol after he came back, because no one believed him, how he didn’t want to feel anything, and how he almost offed himself multiple times, but he doesn’t talk about you, William. Not to me, not unless we’ll be seeing you and Juliet and Emily.” You gritted your teeth. “But now I’m…” Shit. Shut up. “He doesn’t talk to me about you, William, we’re together, but we don’t…” It was a lie, and both of you knew it. He was protecting me. He didn’t want me to be involved, that’s why he never… “I don’t know anything else, William, I don’t, I …” You lowered your head, fighting back the tears that were threatening. “I’m so thirsty, I…” What is Logan doing? What does William know?
“Now you’re what?” His voice low, William leaned in, lips again close to your ear. “What have you figured out, hmm?” He laughed, fingers tightening again. “Tell me now.” Lie. You could almost hear Logan whispering into your ear. Lie to him. Make it convincing. “I’m waiting.”
“Now, William, I’m thinking that there’s a lot more to you than…” You swallowed, closing your eyes. “More to you than people know.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t what you were thinking, either. You sent him out into that desert. You tried to kill him. You…
“You know what?” He let go of your arm, sitting back and staring at you again. “You’re right about that.” He reached over, picking up the canteen that was sitting next to him and unscrewed the top. “And you’re going to find out just how right you are soon.” He leaned forward the canteen in one hand. “Open your mouth.” Eyes flying all the way open you pulled away from the tree and tilted your head back, doing as he asked. Thank God. You felt the cool metal touch your lips and then William tilted the canteen up. Gulping, you managed to swallow twice before you coughed, shaking your head violently back and forth. What… whiskey? What the … Coughing harder, you didn’t pay any mind to the fact that William was emptying the remainder of the canteen onto your face and chest, letting the whiskey soak your skin and clothing. “It’s his favorite, so I thought you’d want to have some.” You turned your head to spit, trying not to start screaming at him, because you knew it wouldn’t do any good.
“What are you going to do with me, William?” Finally catching your breath, you looked up at him, swallowing before you squeezed your eyes shut for a few seconds. “You’re not going to give me water, not going to…” You coughed again. “Not going to give me food, I’m sure. I didn’t have a blanket, so…” You smiled at him, wrinkling your nose. “You going to nearly kill me and then find me, William? Make yourself look like the hero, so if Logan ever says anything, he’ll look like an asshole?” William shifted onto one knee and paused, squinting at you before he answered.
“Nah. Logan’s going to be the one that finds you. But when? How? What condition you’re in?” The man laughed, head shaking back and forth. “That I haven’t decided yet.” He stood, one hand on his hip. “The thing about Westworld is that you can’t take anything out of here, not really. So no matter what, there’s no proof. And…” He pulled his hat off, turning it over so that you could see the inside of the brim. “These trackers are so handy, aren’t they?” William ran his fingers over a small tear on the inside of the hat, shaking his head. “That’s why I took mine out and left it at that saloon. I’m sure Logan’s found it by now, so he knows that I have you, and he knows he can’t just call into security and track me.” Dick. He paced in front of you, and you heard genuine giddiness in his voice, even though your head was spinning from the combination of the sun, lack of sleep, the fall you’d taken and the whiskey you’d swallowed. This isn’t good. “You don’t have a tracker on you, and when I picked those two idiots? I made sure he’d never had any contact with them before, so he won’t know who they are to… Hey.” He stepped back toward you, reaching down and grabbing the shoulder strap of your vest, yanking you toward him, the rope biting into your wrists. “Listen to me.”
“I’m listening, William.” You were, it wasn’t a lie, but you couldn’t muster up the enthusiasm you were sure he wanted. “I hear you, loud and -” Your words were stopped by the sting of the back of William’s hand as it made contact with your cheek, your head whipping to the side. Crying out, you struggled to raise your arms to protect your face, but the rope stopped you, the knots digging deeper into your wrists as you tugged, the tears finally falling freely. “What do you want from me, William? What?”
“I want you to tell me the truth, you miserable little bitch.” William slapped you again, laughing as he stepped away from you. “You will. Maybe not right now, but … soon. You’ll tell me what you know, and then I’ll know exactly how to stop him. I’ll know what I need to make him quit.” William turned and walked away from you and you slumped back against the tree, shoulders shaking. He already wants you gone, William, and this is just going to make it worse.
---
He’d ridden out of Lost Spring and down to Las Mudas as fast as his horse would allow him to, and when the animal had tired, Logan leaned down, whispering one of the fail safe commands into its ear, returning it to full strength. Convenient. The initiative had been implemented after Logan’s own trip to the edges of the park, and worked on all Hosts - animal and human alike. Some commands would just give them extra energy, others would alert the Mesa security team to an exact location. Though it wasn’t common knowledge and was still in the process of being beta tested - “We can’t ruin the illusion, Ford had said with a single shake of his head. “We give technicians the codes, that’s one thing, but Guests? No.” “Fuck you, Ford.” Logan gritted his teeth, eyes on the horizon in the gathering twilight. “She could have…” But Logan knew that you wouldn’t have used it until it was too late, still determined to do your job, and if William was involved, he wouldn’t allow you to use the words. I’m going to fucking kill you, William.
As the sun rose in the early hours of the next morning, Logan finally rode into town. He scanned the people milling around in the early morning twilight, trying to get a feel for the place with exhausted eyes. It wasn’t somewhere that he’d spent a great deal of time previously, so he didn’t know where to begin. The law, start there, this place has to have some sort of… “I need the Sheriff.” He stopped in front of the saloon, still on his horse. “I need to talk to him about the robberies, the men with the black horses.” Two of the women standing on the steps pointed in unison, and a few minutes later, Logan had dismounted and was sitting in a small room, his hands folded on the tabletop in front of him as he explained what he was looking for.
“Look, Mr. Delos.” The young Sheriff was shaking his head. “I’ll tell you what I know, but it’ll take me some time. Why don’t you let me get you somethin’ to eat, let us feed your horse, take a few hours to get some rest.”
“No.” He shook his head. “No, I’ll accept the food and the information, but I can’t wait a few hours, she doesn’t have them.” He was sure of that, sure that any delay from him would put you in more danger. “The men that took her might just be thieves, but the one they’re taking her to?” Logan sighed. “He’s bad news.” Faster than expected, Logan had a hot meal in front of him, the lawman talking about the bandits that had been in the area.
“Never hurt anyone, but they’ve done some damage. Stole a bunch of silver, killed a few cows and some sheep, took the horses.” Sounds run of the mill for these parts, but it doesn’t make sense that they’d be with William. Why? “They’ve been in and out of the area between here and Pariah and Sweetwater, never stayin’ in one place. Pariah’s one thing; lawlessness there is how they operate, but here? Here we -”
“Alright, but do you know who they are?” Logan chewed and swallowed, wondering if William was feeding you, what he was saying to you. “Names? Nicknames? Where they’re from? What they might want?” The man leaned back in his chair, thinking.
“Nah, they’re just like Hector Escaton’s posse, tryin’ to cause trouble when and where they can, but…” The Sheriff sighed. “Think one of em’s name is O’Conner, he fits the description of a man from down near Avalon, the other one we don’t know, and it’s why we ain’t caught ‘em yet.” Of course it is. He rubbed the heels of his hands over his eyes, thinking of the way you were likely feeling and hoped you still thought he was coming. I am, I’m just figuring it out. I swear… “My best guess? They takin’ her to meet someone, they prob’ly headed south from where you all were, and then they headed…” He squinted, lips pressed together. “Toward the canyons.” No he wouldn’t take her there, he wouldn’t repeat it, that’s not it. “Could also be headin’ toward the sea, that’s a shorter trip, but there are fewer places to hide on the way, unless they’re followin’ the river.” He leaned forward, pointing on the map. “If it was me, an’ I was tryin’ to get somewhere quick?” He tapped a finger on the map where the rivers converged between the lowlands and the old plantation fields. “I’d stick to the river, cuz it’s easier to follow it straight to the end. The edge of the park. I’ve seen it, but he hasn’t. He’d want to see …
“Thank you.” Logan shook his head, deciding what he was going to do. “I’ll follow the river west, see what that turns up, there’s people out near the plantation that might be able to…” Wait a minute. I don’t have to ...
“Sure are. Lots of ‘em, but a lot of ‘em don’t speak English, so you’ll have to find someone that…” He laughed. “That can talk to you.” The man pushed back from the table, glancing at the watch he pulled from his pocket. “You look exhausted, are you sure that you -”
“No. I have to go, I can’t wait.” Logan stood, reaching a hand out to the other man. “I appreciate your help more than you know, but I need two more things from you, and then I’ll be on my way.” The Sheriff nodded, gesturing at Logan with one hand. “I need a pair of handcuffs, and I need you to show me the yellow brick road.” Please work. He swallowed, waiting, but after only a few seconds, the man turned away from Logan, stepping further into the room and spinning the dial on the safe behind him on the wall.
“I’ll leave you now.” No more accent, no more … shit. He’d never seen the Hosts affectless, and the first time would have been much more interesting if your life hadn’t been on the line. Logan stepped past the Sheriff as the man placed a set of cuffs on the desk and reached into the safe, pulling out the bagged items from inside. They were standard issue first aid items - bandages, over the counter painkillers, alcohol wipes - and, Logan saw, relief flooding his body, an EPI pen along with a few vials of liquid that were marked “adrenaline” along with a jet injector. Perfect. He slung the small pouch over his shoulder and then reached in again, picking up the final item in the safe: one of the tablets the behavior analysts used. Alright, Delos. Find her. Logan returned to the table, sitting down, and after logging in, he was able to access the park map, and in turn, all of the Host and Guest locations, tiny moving dots on the illuminated screen.
He knew it wasn’t worth a damn, but he quickly typed your name in anyway, closing his eyes when your location came up less than fifteen yards from him. I wish. He typed in William’s name, too, but that one was literally on top of him, and Logan thought of the tracking device he’d stuffed into his pocket, lip curling into a snarl. Look up O’Conner. He did so, limiting the results to Hosts, and was surprised to see that there were two of them, one showing up as being in the Ranchlands to the east, and the other’s marker blinking slowly nearly due north of Las Mudas. Blinking? That means…. He clicked on the name, bringing up a picture and was presented with the image of the man that had held the gun on him. Got you...but you’re dead? He tapped again, bringing up playback of the final moments of the Host’s life, and didn’t see much; just a fire, the second kidnapper laying next to it, and a prone body on the ground. Wait, that’s a rope, that’s her, that… Zooming in, Logan saw that your head was turned to the side, eyes closed, hands still tied together and resting against your abdomen. What did he do to her? But Logan didn’t dwell on it , instead zooming in on the second Host’s face and tapping, bringing up information on him. Tanner. Alright. That Host’s location was not blinking, and Logan breathed a sigh of relief. He’s nearly a day away, I should have… fuck, why wasn’t there a stockpile in Lost Spring? He’d tried the same code words on the Sheriff there, but there’d been no response, and though Logan knew that he simply should have immediately asked upon arrival in Las Mudas, the truth was that he needed the rest and he needed the food. I need to sleep, I need… But she needs me more, she needs help.
Logan stared at the screen, finger hovering over the button that he could have used to call security in. They can be to her in fifteen minutes or less, they can save her, they can… But Logan knew William, and knew that the man had given up. There was no way out of it for him after taking you and leaving evidence behind - and though Logan didn’t know if he’d actually kill you at the merest glimpse of intervention, he didn’t want to risk it. Whatever he’s got planned, he wants me to be there, wants me to see, wants me to… Logan glanced down once more before turning the tablet off and slipping it into the bag with the medical supplies, pulling out the jet injector and one of the adrenaline vials. I’m going to crash, but at least I’ll… Swallowing, Logan twisted the vial into position, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes.
He hadn’t injected himself with anything in nearly two years, but you were worth it, and he pressed the trigger without another thought, the release point tight against the inside of his forearm. I’ll crash hard, but at least I’ll be closer to you when it happens. Logan took a deep breath and stood, already feeling more awake and alert as the injection took hold. “I’m coming.”
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