Chapter 2 - Backpack
McClane stepped back, his teeth grinding. "What do you think I'm going to say?"
"Oh, come on," Matt suddenly looked ten years younger. "After all we went through –"
"Yeah, I remember," McClane retorted. "The arguing, the pouting, the slowing me down. Even if we were heroes, that was then, this is now, and I live alone."
"I'm not moving in," Matt protested. "I mean, how gay would that be?"
"About as gay as living in another guy's basement," McClane pointed out. That really had nothing to do with Matt's request, but it felt good to rub Matt's misery in his face.
"The Warlock and I were best friends."
"Yeah, at space camp."
"It was computer camp! And it was really cool and computer geeks make all the money these days, so ha!"
"Yeah, then they end up at ex-policemen's houses, begging for a place to stay."
"Hey, I'm not begging," Matt held up his hands. "I just thought iI could crash here for a while, and that way Lucy wouldn't have to make two separate trips to see both of us –"
"Lucy!" McClane thundered. "What does my daughter have to do with anything?"
"Because we're kind of together but she said you were cool with it and I just realized that she never told you," Matt stepped back as in fear at McClane's murderous expression. Matt gave a weak laugh, "Ha-ha, I thought you were acting pretty calm, especially because I thought you'd tear my head off, but I guess you didn't know."
"You're with Lucy?" McClane's voice whispered ominously. "My daughter – you've been with –"
"Oh, no-no-no," Matt hastily shook his head, his hands raised. "We haven't done anything yet. We've kind of kissed and she let me get to second base and I don't know why I'm telling you this because I don't want to die and if I start running now will you give me a head's start before hunting me down and killing me?"
Snarling, McClane shot one hand out to clamp down on Matt's shoulder. With police expertise, McClane found the nerve at the bottom of Matt's neck and dug his fingers in.
"Ah-ah!" Matt sank down a few inches. "Ow, please stop."
"Get inside," McClane pulled Matt in and shut the door behind him. It was ridiculously easy to march Matt into the living room and plant him down on the sofa.
The moment Matt's rear hit the cushions, he clutched his backpack to his chest for protection, stammering, "I – I have a cellphone somewhere in here, and I can call someone and if I don't show up to the security place next week someone will look for me. Maybe not right away, but after a month or two, they'll – they'll get very suspicious."
"Jeez, you'd make a lousy hostage," McClane shook his head. "How have you managed to keep yourself alive for this long? You're too stupid to do anything besides collect dolls and play on the computer."
Matt straightened indignantly. "I didn't come here to be insulted. I'm going and –"
"Sit down," McClane shoved him back down. "You're going to sit there and answer my questions about Lucy or I'll take you to the back room, beat you, and then bring you back here for more questions."
Matt squinted, confused. "There's only the two of us. Why take me to the back room? Why not do it here?"
"Because beating always takes place in a back room," the older man growled. "Welcome to interrogation, McClane style."
"Oh, come on," Matt suddenly looked ten years younger. "After all we went through –"
"Yeah, I remember," McClane retorted. "The arguing, the pouting, the slowing me down. Even if we were heroes, that was then, this is now, and I live alone."
"I'm not moving in," Matt protested. "I mean, how gay would that be?"
"About as gay as living in another guy's basement," McClane pointed out. That really had nothing to do with Matt's request, but it felt good to rub Matt's misery in his face.
"The Warlock and I were best friends."
"Yeah, at space camp."
"It was computer camp! And it was really cool and computer geeks make all the money these days, so ha!"
"Yeah, then they end up at ex-policemen's houses, begging for a place to stay."
"Hey, I'm not begging," Matt held up his hands. "I just thought iI could crash here for a while, and that way Lucy wouldn't have to make two separate trips to see both of us –"
"Lucy!" McClane thundered. "What does my daughter have to do with anything?"
"Because we're kind of together but she said you were cool with it and I just realized that she never told you," Matt stepped back as in fear at McClane's murderous expression. Matt gave a weak laugh, "Ha-ha, I thought you were acting pretty calm, especially because I thought you'd tear my head off, but I guess you didn't know."
"You're with Lucy?" McClane's voice whispered ominously. "My daughter – you've been with –"
"Oh, no-no-no," Matt hastily shook his head, his hands raised. "We haven't done anything yet. We've kind of kissed and she let me get to second base and I don't know why I'm telling you this because I don't want to die and if I start running now will you give me a head's start before hunting me down and killing me?"
Snarling, McClane shot one hand out to clamp down on Matt's shoulder. With police expertise, McClane found the nerve at the bottom of Matt's neck and dug his fingers in.
"Ah-ah!" Matt sank down a few inches. "Ow, please stop."
"Get inside," McClane pulled Matt in and shut the door behind him. It was ridiculously easy to march Matt into the living room and plant him down on the sofa.
The moment Matt's rear hit the cushions, he clutched his backpack to his chest for protection, stammering, "I – I have a cellphone somewhere in here, and I can call someone and if I don't show up to the security place next week someone will look for me. Maybe not right away, but after a month or two, they'll – they'll get very suspicious."
"Jeez, you'd make a lousy hostage," McClane shook his head. "How have you managed to keep yourself alive for this long? You're too stupid to do anything besides collect dolls and play on the computer."
Matt straightened indignantly. "I didn't come here to be insulted. I'm going and –"
"Sit down," McClane shoved him back down. "You're going to sit there and answer my questions about Lucy or I'll take you to the back room, beat you, and then bring you back here for more questions."
Matt squinted, confused. "There's only the two of us. Why take me to the back room? Why not do it here?"
"Because beating always takes place in a back room," the older man growled. "Welcome to interrogation, McClane style."