Chapter Text
Lula, Jack, and Merritt idly walked through the Chinese marketplace, nerves on edge as they waited for Danny to give them the all clear. Personally, Lula didn't understand why the rest of them couldn't be there for the drop-off. Sure, Danny was the unofficial second-in-command, but they were all part of the Eye. Why would Danny get singled out?
She held her tongue though. Being thrust into a group with two years of history together was tricky stuff. She acted as nonchalant as she could, but it wasn't easy. The four men were still mourning the loss of Henley, especially Danny. It was why Lula broke into his place and introduced herself the way she did. This way, Danny would have a reason to hate her that had nothing to do with Henley.
Lula tried to be more than a cheap replacement, but it was impossible not to feel that way. Secretly, she kept her fingers crossed that Henley would return. Preferably with them becoming Six Horsemen, because Lula didn't want to leave. It wasn't fair to have only one girl on the team anyway, and Henley would be a perfect partner in crime. The guys were great and all, but the team needed another woman to balance out the stupid.
There was also the fact that Lula was desperate to learn some escapism magic from Henley. Lula had some elaborate tricks she wanted to try, but was stuck on how to get herself out. Henley's wisdom would be invaluable.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the tantalizing aroma of roast duck. Lula's mouth watered. She was just about to suggest they buy some when Jack stopped.
"Hey guys, is that Danny?" She and Merritt followed Jack's gaze. It was Danny all right, but he was behaving strangely. His movements were erratic, like he couldn't decide which direction to go. Lula's gut fluttered uncomfortably at what it could mean. Had the Eye refused to help them? By getting caught did the Eye consider them a liability?
Merritt approached Danny first. “What’s going on?”
“Did something happen?" Lula asked. Danny stayed silent, his brow furrowed the way it did when he was stuck on a problem. He probably didn't even notice they were there. "Atlas!”
He jumped. It was odd to see him so skittish. “Hmm? It’s just, I don’t know . . . I-I—” Danny looked so disheveled and disoriented Lula was worried he'd been drugged with something. "Dylan was here and—"
"Dylan?" Lula perked up at the news. She remembered hearing the voice blow his cover back at Octa, but none of them knew what happened to him since then. "How did he find us?" A flash of pain and guilt crossed his face and Danny looked away. Lula's blood chilled at the implications.
“What are they doing?” Jack asked, drawing everyone's attention to a large, open truck at the far end of the street. Lula couldn't be sure, but the people loading boxes and crates looked familiar.
“Those are Walter’s men." Danny reached into his coat and pulled out the card, chip still attached. "This is what they want.”
“Wait, what the hell?" Lula said. "Why do you still have that?” Did this mean he didn't meet with the Eye at all?
“That’s Lionel Shrike’s safe," Merritt muttered, squinting at the truck. "What the hell do they want with that?”
There was a pregnant pause until Jack let out a strangled gasp. “Oh shit!” He bolted after the truck, knocking people and tables over without a second glance. At that moment the truck began to leave, but Jack only ran faster.
“Wait, what? What’s he doing?” Lula glanced back and forth between Danny and Merritt but they looked as confused as she did. Then the two of them gaped at each other in some sort of shared horror.
“You don’t think—” Danny began.
“He would,” Merritt answered. The both of them took off after Jack and after a moment’s hesitation so did Lula.
“You guys what’s happening?” she yelled, doing her best to dodge the fallen furniture and angry pedestrians. “If I twist my ankle in these heels one of you will have to carry me to wherever the hell you're going!”
No one responded or looked back. Lula growled and stumbled to a stop. She could easily take off her heels and run barefoot, but she still had the massive coat from earlier. The logical thing to do would be to ditch it, but she’d be damned if she let go of something so expensive. Being a magician on the run wasn’t exactly the most lucrative job. Why deny herself a few nice things?
But what to do? The boys were in a panic for an unknown reason; something to do with Dylan. Lula hated being left in the dark, but answers would have to wait. As the only one with a level head, she needed to take charge. None of them were capable of outrunning a truck, even Jack (no matter how toned and athletic he looked).
She turned back around. One of the street vendors was cursing in Chinese as he picked up his overturned vegetable crates. There was a flash of reflected light and Lula’s eyes were drawn to the man's back pocket.
Normally she’d have a little fun and sweet talk her targets but this was an emergency. It wasn’t the time for an elaborate con. She rushed over to the man and “tripped” into him.
“I’m so, so sorry, sir! Damn heels.” She wrenched them off with a huff. “I swear, one of these days I’m gonna end up in a cast, y'know what I mean?” The man mumbled something and pointedly ignored her.
Lula took a few steps toward the front of a black and red van whose logo matched the one on the crates. With an exaggerated sigh, she bent over as if to place her heels back on. Once all eyes were off her, Lula unlocked the vehicle and jumped inside. She made it about fifteen feet before the man noticed.
“Sorry!” she yelled out the window. “I’ll bring it back I promise!”
--
Merritt and Danny were silently cursing their luck as they chased after Jack. Neither of them were in terrible shape, but hypnotism and flashy card tricks didn’t require much physical prowess. Jack on the other hand—well, there was a reason they chose him to lead the FBI on a merry little chase. That kid was fast.
“This rate we’ll lose him!” Danny huffed.
Merritt only nodded, unwilling to waste precious energy trying to speak. He fought back the worry for Dylan to focus on Jack. They needed to stop him. In his frenzied state he was going to get himself killed.
Ever since Dylan's dramatic reveal over a year ago, Jack looked up to the man with an alarming fervor. The devotion was only heightened by their shared "jack-of-all-trades" skill set (if one pardoned the phrase). While it was common for magicians to be well-rounded, everyone leaned toward their area of expertise.
Jack and Dylan however, had the rare gift of excelling at anything they set their mind to. It was one of the main reasons why Jack asked Merritt to instruct him in hypnotism. After discovering Dylan could do it, Jack was insistent on learning himself. In the interest of not being shown up, Merritt agreed on the grounds that Jack teach him card tricks.
Probably what made Jack the happiest though, was when he and Dylan sparred together. Apparently Dylan had been so impressed by Jack’s abilities when they fought, he wanted a chance to fight back on equal terms. It easily became a regular thing, and Merritt had to admit it was mesmerizing. They traded blows with magic, threw with deadly accuracy, turned any object within reach into a weapon; they created an entirely new martial art form. It would be a hit as a future trick, but Dylan had his FBI alias to worry about. Now that cover was blown, but it wouldn’t mean anything if Walter got what he wanted . . .
A dark van with some Chinese logo sped past them and screeched to a halt, effectively cutting them off. Merritt yanked on the back of Danny's coat to keep him from crashing into it. After a moment's pause the side door slid open.
It was Lula. “Get in.”
Merritt grinned. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” They scrambled into the van which was stacked with crates of strange vegetables and bottles of various sauces.
“Jack?” Lula asked, back in the driver's seat.
“Up ahead.” Lula sped off without a word and Merritt and Danny struggled to shut the door without falling out. There weren't any seats beside the two in front, so Danny sat on a ten gallon bucket while Merritt chose a crate.
Now that they were in a vehicle, they caught up with Jack in no time at all. He almost bolted when they pulled up beside him, but Lula rolled down the window and yelled out a greeting. Jack didn't wait for the van to finish stopping. In one swift motion he yanked open the passenger door and jumped in. Merritt noted he didn't sound winded at all, the bastard.
“So does anyone wanna clue me in on what’s going on here?” Lula kept her foot on the brake and glared at each of them in turn. “Because I don’t appreciate being left out and you guys are really freaking me out!”
“Walter’s gonna kill Dylan so we have to save him, go!” Jack yelled. He looked half crazed with panic and Merritt was worried he’d rip the wheel out of Lula’s hands.
“But how do you know he’s in that truck?” she said. “What if we’re following the wrong guys and—”
“We’re not.” Danny sunk into his seat, voice soft and eyes trained on the ground. “They’ll lead us to where Dylan is.” He rubbed his temples as if plagued by a terrible migraine.
“Lionel Shrike is Dylan’s father,” Merritt said softly, noting her anger for what it was. Jack was too strung up to be thinking clearly and for whatever reason Danny was being uncharacteristically mellow.
“Shrike?” Lula frowned. “The magician who died in a safe at the bottom of a lake or something?”
Merritt nodded. “And now—”
“Now they’ve got a safe and they’re going to kill Dylan and we’ve got to move!” Jack smacked the dashboard and Lula reflexively slammed on the gas.
“Right, just um, I’ll just . . . wh-where did they go? How do we find them?” Lula's skin was pale, their panic now mirrored in her eyes.
“They’ll be near the river somewhere,” Danny said. He pinched the bridge of his nose and inhaled deeply. “With something big enough to drop him in the water.”
“Great, let’s go, go!”
“I’m going, I’m going!” Lula snapped. The van increased in speed and Merritt’s stomach twisted uncomfortably with the lurch.
“Whoa, not too fast, all right?” He couldn’t see the speedometer from his position but any officer worth their badge would pull them over in a heartbeat. “I know time is of the essence, but we’re no use to Dylan if we get caught.”
Lula’s response was a verbal grunt but she slowed down to a more manageable speed. With that taken care of, Merritt turned his attention to Danny.
The man in question was now bent over, hands cradling his head. For a moment Merritt could only stare. Danny was usually so focused on upholding his “aloof” persona (especially in the wake of Henley’s departure). It was jarring to see him openly show how rattled he was. Perhaps this was just his way of expressing concern for Dylan, but Merritt couldn’t shake the feeling there was more to it. Had Walter found Danny before he met with the Eye and Dylan saved him? Had Dylan been the one the Eye sent to pick them up?
Either way, it wouldn’t explain why Danny was acting so guilty. Dylan was their leader, so of course he’d take the fall. Merritt wanted to ask for specifics, but now wasn’t the time. Saving Dylan was top priority. He could find out what happened later.