[2er RPG] The Shepherd [ENG]

Marcus first freaked out when he came back to consciousness in the dark. But then he remembered that he let his father take him. So he sat up and calmed himself. For the first time in forever, his head was clear. There were no sounds or images distracting him. Nothing. Just quiet.
At some.point he got up and walked through the room, painting a mental picture of the room. It was roughly ten by ten feet [translates to about 3x3m] and on one side there was a heavy door. The room was made of metal, propapbly iron or steel. Marcus' Eyes and ears were no help, but his nose was. It smelled like a distinct combination of paper, ink and salt water. He knew exactly where he was because there was only one empty warehouse fitting for this description and the checklist for his father. It was the old fabrication hall of a newspaper agency which stopped existing thirty-seven years ago. A company his grandfather Louis worked for as a teenager, Marcus recalled. It was located in the old harbour area of New Orleans.
Marcus sat back down in the left corner on the hind end of the room. Logan would find him. He had the checklist for Franks hidingspots, he had Louis' background. And if Marcus didn't answer Francis' calls, Logan would also have the perfect weapon against Frank. All Marcus had to do was survive. Survive for Logan, for Dylan, even for Francis.

Marcus was missing for two days now and Logan worked the same time without a break. But he wasn't Marcus, he did not have his super-brain, he wasn't as smart and he had no excuses left to tell Dylan. He stayed with Mike still and Logan sent Leia to check on him, but he didn't go himself. He couldn't, he didn't know how to look him in the eyes, without him knowing that something went horribly wrong. Leia told Logan that he knew and that he understood if they both where working hard to fix everything... both, yes... if Marcus where here, everything would be alright now.
He hadn't spoken a word to Andrew since he told him, everything what happens to Marcus right now is his responsibility. Logan should have known better. Marcus always had reckless ideas ans Andrew let him do these things. He was sure that the plan would have worked if everybody had stuck with it and he blamed Andrew for how it went, although he knew that he was unfair.
Before leaving two days ago, Logan almost snapped completely when Andrew told him it would be alright in his calm and assuring voice. Sara held him back, Logan didn't know what had happened, if not for her.
Now he sat over all the clues he had and just was overwhelmed by this information. He should have known as soon as Marcus asked him to keep Dylan safe in this strange voice. Actually he knew... but he didn't do anything. Maybe he thought Marcus wouldn't leave Dylan like that. Why did he needed to be caught? Why did he insist to do this? Why did Marcus trust Logan that much?
He grabbed the picture of Marcus granddad which was fucking old.
"It's about family...", he murmured and grabbed a picture of every member of Marcus family. "Family... and... home...?" He stood up and knocked his chair down in the process. He searched for the folder about New Orleans, finding it fast and looked at the locations which where marked as hiding spots of Frank. He took everything and ran over to Stan to just slap everything on his keyboard. "There. Find something.", he demanded. "I'll get more coffee."

"You should talk to Dylan, he's scared...", Leia watched her brother packing his stuff. He only came home now and wanted to leave in a few minutes again. Dylan was at school right now and Mike would pick him up afterwards.
"No. I'm going, I'm bringing his father back..." He went inside the office and opened their safe, taking another of his guns. He loaded it right away and also took enough munition to start a war.
"Logan! I thouht you promised Marcus to watch out for Dylan!"
"I do!", he turned around, glancing at her. "I don't have a minute to spare, you don't know what this is about!"
"I know he is missing."
"You know nothing, just... let me do my job. I have to find him and get him back as soon as possible. It's been almost four days now and I think I know where he is. I can't just wait. If everything is going according to plan, I'll be back with him tomorrow."
"Or you'll end up missing or dead too."
"I won't and he'll be alright."
"What if not?"
"He is going to be alright."
"What if?"
"There is no if. I don't have time for this.", he shoved Leia out of the way and locked the office again.
A few hours later he sat in a plane to New Orleans, the whole team was joining, no mistakes, no coincident, he wouldn't fail and he had everything planned through.

He gave him just a few hours to process everything. Then, the torture started. Marcus had a strange collar around his neck. He was right when he tought, it was a shock collar. His father asked him moral questions and when Marcus answered wrong or not at all, he got shocked pretty hard. It was painful, but Marcus was determined to get through this. Logan would find him.
Another shock rushed through his body, forcing him to tense up. At this point, Marcus had lost track of time and was little more than a quivering mass on the concrete floor.
"I can do this all day, Marcus. You can end it whenever you want. Just give me the right answer."

Airports were a weird thing. So many security measures and yet the most famous serialkiller could hide in fron of everyone. It was rather fun.
He waited for an hour now. Then he saw the small team, Marcus Williams was working with. How did he know that? Well, Frank 'Francis' Ackerman jr. had his ways. Information was power and he liked to be one in charge.
Francis Ackerman was a beast of a man. Nearly 1.9m tall, trained muscles and a keen eye for details. Women and men alike called him attractive, thanks to his mother. A strong jawline and crystal clear, bright grey eyes were pretty convincing. Francis considerd his face as one of his favorite weapons, right after the Bowie Knife, he always kept on his body. And he was a talented shapechanger. Right now he was a pale redhead, not dark blonde. He wore sunglasses, which hid his fake freckles barely. He also faked a limp while sneaking up to the most angry member of the party. He went right past them. But in doing so, he snuck a little note with a number on it into Logans jacket. The message accompanying the number was simple: Call me!

Logan leaned against a wall as he waited, because his whole fucking team went to the toilet. He put his hands in his pocket and then he noticed it. "What the..." There was a note with a number and 'Call me' written on it. Andrew just came back and Logan murmured a short "I'll be right back." and left for a more quiet place. He took his phone and called the number, there was only one person who could have done this without anyone noticing it and who had a reason to. Marcus' brother.
"You being in New Orleans seems to proof me right about Marcus location.", he came to the point rather quickly. He actually never even talked to Francis, Marcus sometimes did, but Logan had no reason to and also Marcus didn't want him to. But he had a feeling, Marcus also relied on his brother regarding this matter, Logan wasn't sure if he should trust him though.

"You think to high of me, little brother. I'm here because my granfather lives here and apparently he was able to help Marcus find our father. Since Marcus never answered my calls after the set date for the raid, I got worried and wanted to get more information. You being here indicates that you had the same idea or you have more information than I have. Please feel free to share."
Francis watched the ex-soldier from a safe distance. In his head he closed the space between them with a few quick steps and slid his knife into Logans spine. But he fought the urge down. The longer he didn't kill, the harder it got to not do it. By now he had fantasies about killing everyone he met. Finding his father would definitely help with that.

Logan looked around a little, but he saw Francis only on photos, which where a few years old and he didn't really know what to look for. "He told you about the operation?", Logan asked not really believing him and he didn't even want to talk to this man. But when Marcus thought he could help, maybe he could. On the other hand he also thought splitting up and going in alone was a good idea...
"Did he tell you something about it? Did he have some kind of plan?", he asked without giving Francis any clear information. Who knew what he would do with it, he didn't trust him a bit. But maybe Marcus told him what he had planned and Logan was sure about one thing. Marcus wanted to go in alone from the start and he knew it could go wrong.

A smile crept onto his face as Logan started looking for him. He had no idea...
"He told me everything, little brother. I just got the message a little bit clearer than you. You know, sometimes you have to read between the lines. Marcus never told me that he wantes father to actually get him. But he was very presistent in mentioning that I should not break our deal and that he knew I was after father as well. If you ask me, that's a clear hint. He expects me to find our father. And he wants me to join forces with you. The problem is: I don't trust you. And I'm a lot better at finding my real brother if I am allowed to do what I can do second best. I'm willing to give you a trust bonus because of Marcus. I won't kill. And if you confirm my desicion to be the correct one, I'm even willing to not hurt anybody. I'm sure ee need to work together to get my father and my brother. Otherwise Marcus wouldn't do what he did. He hates to involve me in his private life. So. What do you want me to do? Right now, Marcus is being tortured by a man who knows his profession better than I do. The faster we get things done, the better."


"You know my answer!", Marcus screamed at the empty room, "I'd rather kill myself than the woman!"
"Even if it meant the death of your own family? Even Dylans?"
Marcus leaned back agains the wall. Could he? Could he sacrifice the life of his family by trying to protect an innocent life? The questions got harder, the line between good and bad got more and more blurred.
"Would you give the men the information about the location of that woman in exchange for the life of you and your family?"
"I don't know."
He expected a shock. Nothing happened.
"Finally we're making progress."
A plate was slid in through the door. Usually Frank gave him some water and dry bread once a day. But this time there was some chocolate as well. Marcus was too hungry to deny the food. He never tryed to hide that. His father knew he needed to eat, there was no use for refusing. Marcua needed all the strength he had. He played the waiting game, nothing more. He just needed to get theough this.
"The last question for today. You should rest. Good night."
Strangely enough, Marcus could sleep in this hell. Better than ever, to be honest.

He ignored being called little brother again, it was so fucking cheesy and out of the mouth of a serial killer it was kind of super creepy. Logan felt a strange tickling in his spine as if something horrible stood right behind him at this very moment and that was probably the case. He listened to Francis although he didn't want to. As far as he knew, Marcus trusted that man way to much and he could very well be an accomplice in all this. But he probably had no choice but to trust him.
"Don't worry, I don't trust you either.", he replied and suppressed the urge to look around again, he just had looked like a fool. "There are only so much locations where your father could hide, I don't have much more information then you do. You want to find your brother? Good, then tell me what you think you know and I will consider wether I trust your information or not. It's all about your family and your home, so where would he hide Marcus and in which extent is he prepared for us? I know you don't want your brother to die or become like you, so stop playing games and I'll even try to not kill that bastard Frank myself and leave him for you to do whatever crazy shit you like."

Francis chuckled.
"Little brother, right now you have more intel than I have. As I said before: I'm here to speak with my lovely grandfather to get what you already have. Plus you have Marcus' search pattern. Let me take a look at that and I may be able to help you. And don't day this is my home. I have no idea where we lived all those years. As far as I was concerned, a concrete box filled with darkness and pain was my home. The perks of being a human experiment."
He shrugged, knowing that Logan wouldn't see it.
"We're losing time. Time Marcus doesn't have. Father is pretty good at mindgames. If you made a decision, call this number. I give you eight hours. If I don't hear anything by six I'm gonna visit Louis and he won't like it."
He hang up and left the airport building. He really had no time. And he really was worried about Marcus. Over the years, Frank Ackerman got really good at what he's doing. Marcus had no idea, what was waiting for him.

Logan bit his tongue, he didn't want to rely on a crazy serial killer. And even if he weren't, he hated how he was behaving and talking to him. But lately, everything got him mad, so he breathed for a while, trying to calm down and think of what's best for Marcus.
He got back to the others who waited for him with questioning faces but he didn't want to talk about it here, first they needed to get their stuff to their temporary headquarters.

They drove to a hotel where they had everything they needed and Logan was nervously standing outside, looking at the cellphone in his hand. What other choice but the hear Francis out had he? But even if he wanted to find Marcus, why would he give the information about his whereabouts to Logan. Maybe he wanted a piece of the cake himself? Maybe it was safer to just check every location possible, if needed they would search every inch of New Orleans... but they had no time.
The others told him it was his decision, but Logan wasn't necessarily happy with this. He called Marcus brother.
"I'll give you what I have and I tell you what I know.", he came straight to the point. "But I don't trust you, we need to meet somewhere. I won't put these information in some shady locker at the trainstation or leave them on a bench, I'll give them to you personally and I'll watch you examine it, even help filling out the blanks. You can choose where. Can you agree to that?"

Francis smiled as soon as he saw the number on his phone.
"Look across the street. Follow the path throught the park until you reach the oak. There is a green bench on the other side of it. I'll be waiting."
He hung up again and wandered the same path he just described to Logan. He waited for him, sitting on the bench, like he was not a serial killer and torturer. He even renounced any disguise besides some sunglases. Though the shirt and trousers of a fine office man was really weird. He just wasn't used to this kind of outfit.
"Nice to finally meet you in person, little brother. I'm Francis."
He smiled charmingly as he always did. But behind those glases, in those beautiful grey eyes, was nothing but a monster. Hidden beneath an attractive shell. He looked nothing like his brother. He was the embodiment of their mother.

Logan took everything he had on all this and left the hotel. Most of it was digital so he had only his Notes from yesterday to carry along with a tablet, where everything Francis needed was saved on. They also scanned every little Note Marcus had made, regarding this matter. He also brought two more tablets in case the small display wasn't enough for Marcus brother, or he wanted to see something side by side.
He came alone and his wasn't scared of Francis although he maybe should have been.
Logan chose not to introduce himself, instead looked at Marcus brother for a while. They didn't look alike, not like everyone else from Marcus family Logan met. He handed him the tablets and a folder with some extra notes they had no time to digitize before leaving and looked at the man sitting in front of him, without saying a word.

Francis sighed and took the tablets and notes. Logan wanted to play the silent game? Sure enough.
Francis scanned through the information. Most of it he already knew so he basically just skipped that. The interesting part was about Louis. Francis started reading and compared everything with what he already knew. And then he saw Marcus' notes. It was scary how similar it looked to stuff of their father. Manic, obsessed, mad.
The multiple tablets actually came in handy. Francis compared stuff in the notes with information on another tablet, writing his own notes in the third one.
"Well, little brother. I'm not as good as Marcus, but I think I can be of help."
He showed Logan the picture of an old warehouse. It was one of the possible hide outs Marcus picked for New Orleans before thinking closer to home.
"As far as I know my father, he needs some specific things to work. First off: space. You cannot build a big box of darkness anywhere. You should check, if there is electricity. This warehouse is labled abandoned. Would be very strange for it to still have the lights on."
He handed Logan the tablets, the one he wrote on last.
"I have no idea how prepared he will be. He knows that you are looking for him, that's for sure. But does he expect you? If so, his prep is more likely a great escape than an attack plan."
His mimic darkened underneath the sunglasses.
"I haven't seen him in a very long time. I thought I killed him, to be honest. But now he's back. Don't you dare do this without me."
He shook his head and got up.
"One last thing: He never works alone. He always a monster on a leash to protect him."
He walked away, not in the slightest scared to be caught. He knew that Logan needed him.

Logan looked at the picture and the address and then looked up again in Francis face. His sunglasses prevented Logan from seeing his eyes and it bothered him. Another psychopath could be there too? Exactly what Logan needed... as if two weren't enough.
"Wait.", he shouted after Francis as he was going to leave. "If it is as you say and I get you all information we can possibly get about this warehouse: plans of the building, old, new, whatever. You think you can reconstruct possible escape routes your father would take, or maybe the position of his surveillance equipment?" Two pair of eyes worked better than one and Logan asked himself if he expected Logan and Francis to work together. Maybe they would miss something otherwise.
"And I have another question. Do you think he expects you?"

Francis smiled and took the glasses off. His gaze was calm, relaxes and oddly soft.
"Haven't you heard? I'm the failed experiment, that kills without a real target. No one expects me. Or did you a few hours ago?"
Still smiling he put the glasses back on and his hands into the pockets of his designer pants.
"I probably can. It's been a while but father was never big on changes if something works. Get me the plans, I give you inside in his crooked mind."
He made another step, hesitated and turned once more to Logan.
"I know what you think about me. I know what the world thinks about me. I'm a monster, I know that. But for some reason, Marcus decided to think something else about me. I don't know what. I don't know why. But he sees me as a human. I like that. So let's not fuck this thing up, shall we?"
Now he finally left, disappearing in the depths of New Orleans, humming a jazzy melody.

Because you are his brother, because you share the same cruel father..., Logan thought, but he couldn't know. The truth was, there were lots of people who understood Marcus much better than Logan did. He watched Francis leave and went back to the hotel himself. While walking he thought about Marcus and his brother and what Logan would do if he one of his brothers was like him. Would he abonden him? Or would he still think about him as family? Logan also supposed Francis was one of few people who understood Marcus pain and thus Marcus talked to him. And Francis talked to Marcus, maybe because of the same reason.
When he came back he immediatly let Stan check all about the location. Francis was right, there was electricity and while Stan got everything he could find, Logan set Roy to carefully watch the surroundings of the warehouse. He knew he wouldn't be caught when staying far enough away. The ex soldier thought about asking Andrew about Francis, but he didn't want to. Also, he needed him no matter what anyones opinion about him was.
After he got everything he called Francis again. It took less then an hour. Stan was a genius and because this was about one of them super motivated.

"Marcus. Wake up, boy."
A cold, skinny hand slapped Marcus softly against the cheek. Slowly he opened his eyes just to stare in the face of his father. For the first time they were eye to eye. For a second, Marcus thought he looked into a mirror. Frank Ackerman sr. looked exactly like him. The strange eyes, the dark hair, the jawline. Everything.
He struggled to get up into a sitting position. Ackerman didn't help. He just watched. What did he want?
"C'mon, get up."
Ackerman pulled Marcus up to his feet and led him out of the box. He was right about the warehouse.
In silence, Ackerman led Marcus into a different box. But this one wasn't empty. In the middle of the room stood a table and on that table sat a woman. She was handcuffed to a metal chair, tape covered her mouth. When she saw Marcus, she shook her head, scared of whatever would happen.
"What do you want from me", Marcus asked as Ackerman pushed him down onto another metal chair on the opposite side of the table.
In the corner was yet another chair. Ackerman sat down and crossed his legs.
"Marcus, this is Anne. She is a Nurse, 32 years of age, recently engaged."
"That wasn't what I asked."
"Her fiancé is owner of a vet clinic. They have two dogs."
Ackerman leaned foward. The look in his eyes changed.
"I'm going to cut of parts of her, starting with... let's say her pinky. Finger after finger, then her toes. Maybe I'll do the ears after that and then I need bigger tools."
"You're a monster!"
"So you've said before. Now."
Ackerman stood up and put a gun the table.
"One shot. You can kill her, to end her suffering. You can try to kill me. Or you can kill yourself but then I'm gonna kill her too. Slowly. Your choice."

"I'm all yours, little brother", answered Francis.
He watched the hotel of Logan. Just to be sure and to distract himself of more destructive things. The knife in his back screamed for some blood.
"What do you want me to do?"

Logan was worried about Marcus a lot. But he worked without a break to not think about it, he understood Marcus better now. His brother was quick on his phone again as if he haf waited for Logab to call.
"You were right, the chance Marcus is there is high. I need you to help me plan the operation and tell me what your agenda is. I'm not tolerating another Ackerman not doing what I tell him but I'm sure you are as stubborn as your brother. So tell me right away what you plan to do so I can consider it in my plans. I don't want any surprises." He sighed, maybe he was too harsh but on the other hnd he talkes to a killer he probably let go for now. Marcus was his top priority and he didn't even want to think about a plan to hit two birds with one stone. Getting Marcus back was his top and only priority right now.

"That's the thing, little brother. I don't have a plan. I'm pretty good at improvising, 'cause sooner or later, a plan doesn't work. So I skip that part and just do anything I need to do to reach my goal."
He pulled the knife out and let it dance across his fingers.
"My goal is to first free Marcus and second to kill my father. Now you know what I'm up to", he almost growled into the phone.



Marcus sat in the darknes, dried tears sticking on his face. He replayed what happened in his head over and over and over again.
"Stop!", he screamed on the top of his lungs.
Ackerman stopped cutting off the middlefinger of Anne. She was still conscious, crying, screaming, shaking. Dying.
"It's your choice, Marcus. You can end her misery."
He knew, he didn't have a choice. Killing himself wouldn't help anybody. Killing Ackerman was clearly not an optuon, otherwise he wouldn't have pointed it out. So there was only one thing, he could do.
"I'm so sorry", Marcus whispered, reaching for the gun on the bloody table, "so sorry..."
He looked her dead in the eye, aimed and shot. Her head flew back and forth, more blood dripped onto the table. There was a clear hole in her forehead but the back of her head looked like an exploded melon.
Marcus dropped the gun to the ground, trying to keep it together. But he couldn't. He jumped up, tears in his eyes, curses on his tongue. He attacked Ackerman, pushed him back against the wall. But before he could do anything else, he felt a pair of arms around him.
"I know it's hard. But you gonna work through this. You did good, Marcus. Really good."

That didn't help Logan. He was not the sort of man who planned every little detail in his life but this was different. This was about Marcus and his safety. If Francis got in their way before Marcus was found, everything could happen. He didn't want anymore improvising, it got Marcus caught in the first place, that fucking idiot... Logan felt his anger again, thinking for a moment Marcus had it coming and it was his own fault. In the next moment he hated himself for such thoughts.
"Okay then, forget it. Just don't get in our way. If you do and your father escapes with Marcus, be sure that I'm much less polite to you." Meaning he would arrest him if he had the chance. Okay, he helped them find the location, but when he couldn't stick to a plan, then Logan couldn't use him. Best he wasn't even around when they started their operation. Actually, he didn't even want to talk to Francis anymore.
"So, are you helping me spot all the possible escape routes, or not? I guess not even you can march in there without your father noticing and you can't watch every fucking exit. So as much as I need your help, you need mine too."