Graceful Soldier

Chapter One: The Beginning

New York City, 2021

"Logan Cale, in all his Eyes Only glory."

The voice only briefly startled the young man who stood watching the silhouettes still huddled together quite rigidly on the streets, his blue eyes zeroing in on the mindnumbing traces of congested commotion, as one of his hands calmly reached up to adjust the thin-rimmed pair of glasses that sat comfortably atop the bridge of his nose. Professing a deep sigh, he rocked back quietly upon the balls of his feet, plunging his cold fingers back into the pockets of his slacks. His beautifully sculpted face was baring an intentional five o'clock shadow, his full lips threatening to slide into a small smile, while he continued to survey the broken world that lay stretched out in all its imperfections before them, its doors remaining skeptical and far from open to the many transgenics that now lay dormant within its midst. "Funny, isn't it?" he mused, his voice placing itself just above a whisper. "We once prided ourselves on being able to accept human beings for their differences, and now even Lady Liberty is shutting her doors."

Max Guevara shrugged, hesitantly following his gaze, her long brown hair flapping wildly about in the night wind, as her lips pursed themselves in concentration. She was slender, with big brown eyes and a generous mouth, her small frame never failing to pack quite the punch. She'd escaped the deadly confines of Manticore as a young genetically engineered girl who'd lacked the experience needed to fit in, but persevered through strong determination, and soon developed a real knack for seamlessly integrating herself into Post-Pulse society amongst the many humans thrown together in fickle little Seattle. Matter of fact, she'd never actually cared about anyone or anything until she'd met Mr. Cale and his undying quest in paving way for the downtrodden. He'd been a cyber-journalist on a mission, feeding his messages to the city, and landing bad guys behind bars where they belonged- or well, dead, if and when the situation called for it. He was a real do-gooder, and she'd met him purely by accident...so much for trying to master her skills as world's best thief. More importantly though, he knew who she was and where she'd been, and he would eventually become her greatest ally when the darkness chanced a shot at boxing them in. And just when she'd least expected it, a small part of her had opened up and invested itself emotionally in what he had to offer her, finding room for the love she never thought herself capable of truly feeling. "Yeah, but they could've done a hell of lot worse," she managed.

He turned around, his handsome profile gently monitoring her sleek figure, as his eyes swept the entire length of her, quickly noting the fact that her hands were just as unclothed as his own. They hung listlessly at her sides, her stance tensing somewhat as she felt his steady glance wash over her, her cheeks growing the slightest bit crimson. He contemplated a single step forward, carefully edging towards her, as he professed the softest of nods in her direction. She didn't move, and proceeded to stand her ground, feeling him inching even closer to her, a sly smile playing with the corners of her mouth. He paused for a moment, abruptly wincing. "I've got an old friend with a pretty decent place near here. He more or less still owes Eyes Only, and we couldn't be more than a few miles from it now. Thought it might be our best shot at getting some rest tonight."

"Haven't really been able to sleep much these days," she admitted softly.

"Doesn't hurt to try."

"What about the others?"

"I'm sure they can't be far behind at this point," he conceded. "We'll be on the move again by morning."

"And I feel like I've been running my whole life, Logan."

"Max-"

"The virus is gone," she stated quietly, "but when you stop and think about it, it really doesn't matter, does it? White got what he wanted. People think we're monsters, and his familiars still want us dead. We'll never have our freedom, Logan. And far be it for me to come between that and a bunch of killers who keeping trying to feed us the blame on a damn silver platter."

"Freedom's not-" he began.

"Yeah, I know," she continued, "it's not free. But it should be, and we shouldn't still be held responsible for what Manticore did to us. I mean, it's not like we could stop what was happening with everything they put us through- it's not like we had a choice. Ordinaries...people do. They can decide what's right and what's wrong, and who's calling the shots. But they don't. They just sit back, and let the five o'clock news make their decisions for them. What kind of life is that?"

"It's not."

"Yeah, but it kind of still makes me screwed in the long run, doesn't it?"

"Either way, Alec, Joshua...all of them, are counting on you to lead them away from that," Logan murmured. "You're their only hope for salvation, Max, and they're trusting you to get them to it. Sandeman knew it, and you know it."

Her lips formed a slight pout. "Yeah, and if Lady Liberty isn't willing to make an exception, what makes you think a 'rocking, awesome chick' is gonna come through?"

He smiled, laughing softly, his lips nearly grazing hers. "Because I know that 'rocking, awesome chick,' and I have faith in her- you're not going to make this easy for them, and they know that."

"Yet you keep putting so much on the line for me," she added, matching his grin with one of her own, "which, I might add, almost ended up costing you Eyes Only for good."

"Fine price to pay."

"How's that?" she asked him, a thin eyebrow arching itself in question, the briefest flecks of humor dancing around her brown eyes, which were suddenly the happiest he'd seen them in a long time.

"I kind of helped to save the world, and finally ended up with the girl of my dreams in the process. Doesn't get much better than that."

Her smile grew wider. "And now that you've got her, Mr. Cale, what're you going to do with her?"

"We should probably find a place to stay first," he reminded her, just as his lips fell into hers, gingerly running his thumbs along her jawline, as his fingers crept back to settle themselves fondly against the back of her neck.

"Ah, yeah, the Young and the Restless are at it again," a familiar voice quipped to their right, the uncoated annoyance reverberating through the night air, as the figure stood on the dry pavement, grinning ridiculously, hands tucked into the pockets of his worn jeans. His blonde hair remained slightly tousled, as his green eyes crinkled out of pure amusement. "You two lovebirds just can't seem to keep your hands off each other, can ya?"

The creature that followed closely behind him, was a good six feet, five inches in height, and towered over the three of them, his long brown hair blowing every which way in the breeze, as he struggled to keep the tattered hooded sweatshirt zipped up from the cold that threatened to creep inside. His posture was a bit hung over, as his blue eyes trailed Alec's entertaining expression, immediately sporting a sense of recognition, his dog-like face brightening. "Max and Logan gettin' busy?" he volunteered randomly.

"Yeah, looks like it, buddy. What else is new, right?"

"Virus bitch went down?"

"If Logan's not on the ground in about five, I'd say they've still got a winner," Alec retorted smugly.

"And the night just wouldn't be complete," Logan mumbled, shutting his eyes, as he reluctantly broke away, letting out a slow breath.

"Thought you guys were still high-tailing it with Mole," Max offered, fairly confused. "He's still got wheels, right?"

"Oh. Yeah. Well, we just stopped for awhile, you know? Enjoy the sights, take in a little action? You should try it sometime."

"Tricks and treats," Joshua added.

"Your idea of action doesn't exactly involve the obvious, so I'd be willing to bet you're still waiting for-"

"Hey." Alec let out a nervous laugh, taking a few steps closer, his face drawing a blank, as he calmly gestured to her by holding out a single hand. "Max, you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, really? Hmm. Guess I don't know you as well as I thought I did then. Pity, because I always figured you'd be more than willing to give it up so easily for all those strippers."

"What strippers?" he responded innocently. "I've reformed my ways- I've taken on life on the open road...I'm a changed man now. In fact, I'm entirely shocked you still haven't noticed."

"Yeah, I guess having your ass kicked by a girl does that to you," Logan professed, shooting a large smile his way, as he fished around for his car keys, gently retrieving them from the pocket of his slacks. "Of course, I really wouldn't know, because I was busy saving yours."

"Noticed what?" Max returned, struggling not to smirk at the comment, her muscles threatening to collapse with laughter at the jab. "Your continuous lack of depth or your ability to excel at that continuous lack of depth?"

"Can I buy a vowel?"

"We're fresh out," she admitted, tossing up her hands in a mock attempt at defeat. "But you're probably still gonna need to find a motel in the area, so I'd get crackin'."

"Huh?"

"Motel?"

Joshua turned to her then, curiosity once again getting the better of him. "That where you're staying, little fella?"

Max broke into a half smile, as she looked at Joshua's exceedingly tall frame, touching a hand to his arm, her eyes remaining warm and sincere. "No, Logan and I are going to try and catch some z's at a friend of his. But that doesn't mea-"

"This...friend doesn't like what he doesn't understand?" he quickly guessed.

"Probably," she confessed, nearly regretting it, "but it doesn't mean we'll be that far away. I'm sure there's somewhere you can guys can get a room until we're up and running again."

"C'mon, big guy," Alec urged. "Might not be too late to snag something with free cable."

"Boob tube," Joshua agreed.

"Yeah, that's my man."

"Lay low," Max told him, "and whatever you do-"

"Yeah, yeah, people don't like freaks in this city, either," he considered, rolling his eyes. "Somehow I doubt that's gonna be a major revelation on my part anymore."

"Were Sketchy and O.C.- how're they doing? Holding up okay?"

"Last I heard, they're still living the high life in Vegas," he offered, shrugging, as he ran a hand through his blonde hair. "But trust me, it's all good. The familiars can't track us that way, right? No harm, no foul. And I've been getting word that O.C.'s really been hassling the casinos for some dough. She's holding her own, Max."

"Get out," she breathed, choking back a small laugh.

"Hey, I stand corrected."

"But they-"

"They're fine, don't worry."

"Splitting up was for the best," Logan put in. "Makes it a lot easier to get around. Granted, there may be one too many transgenics loose in the sewers these days, but it's probably better than being housed up in Terminal City for too long. Kind of...promotes the craziness after awhile, you know?"

She nodded. "Listen, we're gonna head off, too. So if you need anything, you guys've got my number, right?"

"Still wanna check out that location?" Alec threw in hopefully, giving her a look.

"That's why we came, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I just don't know what makes you think Sandeman's still alive. All the signs-"

"Alec, all the signs have been pointing to me, and I think he's responsible for it."

"Not disputing it."

"This turned out to be bigger than any of us imagined," she reasoned. "I can't give up on knowing little to nothing, if I can know something."

"Hey, no prob. I was just checking to make sure we were still giving it a go. Not about to bail on you."

"Not bailing either," Joshua proudly confirmed, as he gave Alec a rather hard clap on the back, nearly sending the X-5 headfirst to the pavement below.

"Hey, easy there, buddy, okay? I wanna live to see tomorrow."

As Alec and Joshua began to head off their separate ways, Logan casually draped an arm around Max's shoulders, giving her small frame a quick squeeze, as the car keys continued to dangle from his free hand, calmly making his way over to the vehicle parked undisturbed in the gravel to their left. He bestowed one last glance upon the less fortunate behind him, the slightest bit of feeling starting to cloud his blues. Proclaiming a prolonged sigh on his behalf, he quickly forced himself to look away, once again realizing that it was just one more problem he didn't have the ability to solve. There would always be people without a proper place to call home, and there would also always be those who simply didn't want a home. "There's something to be said for living in a broken world," he mumbled.

"Huh?"

"Tired?" he asked her softly, as he reached over to open the door for her, waiting until she was carefully tucked away inside before he closed it.

"Yeah, well, I guess you were right. Maybe I can finally catch some shut eye over here, you know?"

"Shouldn't work too hard," he pressed, his hand delicately placing itself over her own, before he began to walk over to the driver's side, climbing in beside her.

"Ha ha," she mumbled, her lids starting to shut themselves, as she lay her head back against the seat, hands folded neatly in her lap. She heard him flip the heat on after placing the key into the ignition, quickly shifting the car into drive. "You know, Logan, I've been thinking..."

"Mmm hmm?"

"About everything," she stated matter of factly, turning her head to the side to give him a brief glance, a soft sigh escaping her lips.

"Everything," he echoed, his scruffy face rather unrevealing, as he gave her a short nod, his eyes giving their full attention to the scenery that lay stretched out ahead, edging the car back out onto the main road.

"I keep remembering what it was like to still live with some peace and harmony. Not a lot, but enough to get by, you know? When they couldn't judge us, and I'd go about living each day thinking I might start to finally feel like I really mattered. That I could actually feel. I knew it was stupid, and I cursed myself a thousand times for telling myself to care, but at the time it just seemed like a really good idea." She fumbled a moment, nearly laughing. "Then I manage to release dozens of transgenics back at Manticore, and suddenly the world is telling me it's payback time for my indiscretion. Zack once called it a moment of weakness, and I kept wondering if my momentary lapse in judgement was exactly that. Of course, coming to the hospital to transfuse you the way I did that time? Hell, I don't know, maybe he was right all along. Maybe he saw more in me than I was willing to let on."

"Not counting the X-5 reunions?"

She gave him a faint smirk. "Yeah, well..."

"You're stronger for this, Max, and there's nothing wrong with that. And don't think I still don't appreciate everything you did for me that day. You saved me, and it's not something I can easily forget." He gave her a quick pat on her knee then, his eyes touching hers with a glance that assured her it was full of love. "Back there at Terminal City, you....you saved all of us. You probably gave them the only real freedom they'll ever have."

"Yeah. I mean, I guess that kinda makes me a hero in a weird sort of way, now that I think about it."

"You should think about it a lot more," he pressed.

"And what about you?" she whispered. "What exactly has it done for the man who used to have so much?"

"Don't worry about me," he conceded. "Trust me, I'm just glad to be along for the ride."

"Known this friend of yours long?"

"Long enough to know he's probably a pretty good bet right about now. To be honest, he's actually more of a loner than anything else."

"He have a name?"

"Chase Goodwin," he volunteered, shrugging. "Helped him out of a jam some years back, and this'll put us about even."

"Yeah, but he doesn't know Eyes Only is really-"

"He knows Logan Cale had some very meaningful chats with Eyes Only on a daily basis though, didn't he? That should be more than enough to hold him to his word."

"Oh, so this is like a Matt Sung sorta thing then, huh? Gotcha."

"Well, Chase isn't a cop. He's more like a great big hermit who's gone into serious retirement. Though at one time, he was once a very respected businessman. Caught his wife cheating on him with a prestigious mob boss, and needless to say, it didn't go over too well in the grand scheme of things. If it weren't for me stepping in to deal with matters in a...more appropriate and less violent fashion, he couldn't have proved anything worth a damn, and the settlement alone was enough to screw him over."

"Ouch. Sounds like a real piece of work."

"I think he probably still is."

"And I'm guessing he probably also knows there's a bunch of transgenics on the loose now, too," she added, her pretty face offering him a sarcastic grin.

"Considering his problem didn't exactly involve transgenics, I don't think that's going to be an issue," Logan countered, matching her big smile.

"Just trying to play it-"

"Yeah, I know. But we'll be okay. Watch and learn, right?"

"And the last time you said that to me, I totally blew it with that creep at that hotel in Willoughby. Of course, he was as harmless as a fly, because that hat should have tipped us both off."

"You're basing the fact that he was harmless on his remote fashion sense?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, because I somehow can't picture one of White's familiars wearing something so completely ridiculous."

"It's all in the delivery," he murmured.

"Well, he wasn't delivering much, either," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Besides, we still managed to get Ray outta there, didn't we?"

"Which probably wouldn't have happened if I hadn't come to your rescue," he pointed out, his eyes lighting up.

"Who got caught by the sheriff again?" she returned teasingly.

"The sheriff just needed a little convincing," he insisted. "Naturally, he was suspicious- I mean we couldn't even get our stories straight when we met him."

"Yeah, and do you think we'll be needing that map sometime soon, or do you know where you're going?"

"Max, our correspondence was done face to face in Washington."

"Then he probably moved after- oh. Out of all the places in the world, his settlement drove him here?"

"Yeah. From what I can recall from memory, his address should still be a few blocks up yet. I imagine he's already corrupted his remaining wealth by now, so I wouldn't expect anything too fancy."

"Guess we should be lucky we made it this far altogether," she added, pulling her black jacket closer to her chest, scrunching up her nose. "Only this neighborhood kinda gives me the creeps."

"Coming from you, I'm not sure I know how to take that," he mused, laughing softly.

"See, I know we're living the days of Post-Pulse and all, but I'm not exactly seein' a whole lotta lights out here."

He nodded. "Cleaning up is more or less a thing of the past these days."

"Yeah, or maybe they're all just vampires," she suggested then.

"Should be that place straight ahead," he pressed, ignoring her, as he carefully pulled up to the curb, quickly cutting the headlights.

"I think Alec is gonna have a hard time finding something with some life in it around here," she commented, as she stepped out onto a small patch of dirt and grass, straightening out the creases in her jeans. "But, heh...really not my problem."

"Most of this is abandoned- shouldn't be that difficult. But like I said, this guy doesn't exactly abound with enthusiasm at the idea of going out, so I can see why he'd try his chances here."

"Hate to disappoint you, Logan, but I don't think anyone's lived here in a very long time."

"How can you be s-"

"Because it reeks of looters," she retorted simply, "and the lawn's crap."

"That's an interesting deduction," he quipped, "especially for someone who used to be skilled in that profession. On the other hand, I caught you at it, so..."

"Yeah, yeah," she professed, rolling her eyes. "Either way, I'm thinking there's nothing of any value left here, anyway."

"Then it shouldn't bother you," he added, walking on ahead of her with a satisfied smirk scrawled across his handsome profile.

"That was uncalled for," she called behind him. "Because old habits die hard, you know."

"I'm sure they do."

"So you think it's that one?"

"What?"

"That house up there. Looks to still be liveable by your basic Post-Pulse standards."

Logan carefully examined the tall, rundown row house that sat huddled amongst a short, narrow driveway caked with dried mud and pebbles, immediately noticing the soda cans, empty cups, crumpled lottery tickets, and candy bar wrappers carefully strewn every which way. Some of the trash rumpled slightly, albeit clumsily, lifting itself to be swiftly carried away by the cool breeze. He professed a frown as he dodged a crushed coffee cup lid and whatever remained of what looked to be a torn fast food bag. "Somehow, this wasn't the way I pictured it."

"Maybe all that hermit stuff was just a ploy to go party?" she suggested, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

"Possible," he agreed, nodding, "but not likely." He followed her up the front steps, which were slickly coated with an abundance of grass stains across battered cement. A potted plant, which had once sat comfortably to the right, now lay toppled over on its side, its contents having collapsed of thirst ages ago. Max hesitantly inspected it as she passed it, her nose crinkling up in massive distaste, as her hand abruptly shrunk back, eagerly wiping it across her jeans.

"Okay, now that's just gross. Guy hardly goes out a day in his life, and somehow just forgets to water his plants? Weird, is what it is."

"Some people get lazy."

"Not that lazy," she offered.

"I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this, Max."

"Ditto," she whispered. "And as much as I hate to say this, I really doubt this guy would've welcomed us with open arms. Can you say ghost town?" She contemplated for a moment, her brows knitting themselves together. "Not to be rude or anything, because he's your pal and all, but exactly how much did you really know about him?"

"Apparently not enough," he sided.

"That's what I thought. So, do you wanna knock, or should I? I'm all for catching someone by surprise or whatever, but I really don't think that's an option here. And far be it for me to take the initiative, right?"

"Somehow I don't think what happened here is related by any means to the Pulse."

"Yeah, but the question is why did it happen here? You've got signs of life, judging by the heaps of trash, but it doesn't seem like...do you think it's Manticore?"

He shook his head. "What business would they have here? That's...saying they even got this far to begin with. It doesn't add up. The last time we suspected something like this, it was White's guys giving us a run for our money. I don't think that's the case here."

"Okay, smart guy, I'm all ears."

He smiled, rapping his knuckles clean across the door, as they both began to await a response. "Max, you destroyed Manticore. Now, unless someone from White's cult followed us all the way over here to toss a few punches, my guess-"

"My guess is no one's home," she finished brightly, already removing the content from her pockets, as she quickly moved in and got to work on the lock, blowing a few stray pieces of long brown hair from her face.

"Or we could just break in and show a complete disregard for his property," he added, shrugging. "After all, it seems like the only logical choice we have left."

She laughed. "Oh, c'mon. You know you were gonna tell me to break out the tools any minute now."

"Yeah, and all we were supposed to be doing is looking for a place to stay tonight. This isn't being friendly, neighborly...Max, it's being overly obnoxious."

"My middle name," she declared proudly.

"I don't think-"

"And I can't go home anymore," she tried, shooting him a look, "so if I see an opportunity to crash somewhere that's abandoned, I'm gonna take it. Fair enough?"

"Max."

"Oooooh, got it," she whispered, giving him a short wink. "And I think we can pretty much deduce that Mr. Goodbar is either out of town visiting relatives, or he's hitting the city lights for a lot of girls and a lot of fun. You wouldn't exactly have a locked door if you'd just been burglarized or something like that. Trust me, I know these things."

"What'd they steal, the rest of his plants?"

"Logan."

"This is insane."

"Yeah, and that's coming from a guy who used his computer to suss out the bad guys and do them justice?"

"That's different," he argued, raising his brows.

She rolled her eyes. "Look, either way, it would seriously take someone with my kind of background to get through here undetected, and still manage to-"

"Window?" he threw in, indicating a finger to his right.

"Yeah, well, judging by how it looks, even some kids just passing through wouldn't have had any luck with that. That thing's clearly been sealed shut since the dawn of time. Guess he didn't like air, either."

"Better security certainly wouldn't have hurt him."

She stood up to her full height again, mockingly throwing a hand softly against his chest, as she carefully turned the doorknob with the other. "Speaking from experience?" she asked him quietly, the corners of her mouth curling into a smile.

He gingerly took her hand in his, his thumb grazing the top of it, as his blue eyes watched her with a quiet grin. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Pretty dark inside," she mumbled, fumbling for any kind of a switch on the nearby wall, as her vision immediately began adjusting itself to the blackness inside. She noted the way the small tree outside was gently casting its shadow across the bare wood floor, its branches dropping by with just the faintest hint of brightness. "This guy forgot to pay the electricity bill, too, huh?"

"Mmm...I think we both know how wonderful electricity is Post-Pulse," he quipped.

"True. Hey, got a flashlight?"

"I thought cats could see in the dark."

"I was talking about you," she deadpanned.

"Out in the car," he flatly added, throwing her a look.

"Great. Why don't you go out and get it, and...I'll just have a look around Mr. Goodbar's place."

"Goodwin." He raised an eyebrow. "On second thought, I don't think I honestly need to tell you not to touch anything. Because if you do, it's on-"

"Hey, relax, all right? I've got it covered. Besides, it's not like he'd even know anything was missing, considering he's probably a big party animal in disguise. Probably drinks himself into a stupor on a daily basis. I mean the crisis with his job alone was enough to drive even the straightest arrow into oblivion."

"Really, Max."

"C'mon, this is me, Logan. Just go, okay? We're not going to find anything at this..." Clearly frustrated now, she suddenly grew quiet, letting out a tiny breath, as her hands fell solidly against her hips. "What the hell is that?"

"What?"

"Don't you hear it?"

"Hear what? Mere mortal without super powers here."

"It almost sounds like a beeper, and yet..." She quickly fumbled for hers, which had been clamped onto the belt loop of her jeans, examining it with a sudden curiosity, as her eyes further rose to scan the darkness around them, an eyebrow raising itself out of complete perplexity.

"Think someone's been hiding out?" he suggested.

"Possible, but it's obviously going unanswered, and I...you know, it could be a cell phone, too. Chase probably had one, didn't he?"

He shrugged. "Your point?"

"If he'd gone out, he would've taken it with him," she deduced, still very much in a state of puzzlement.

"Still not-"

"I don't know." She frowned, tossing him a random glance. " But what I do know, is that I'm supposed to be following a lead on Sandeman, and now it looks like we've just stepped into somebody's little horror movie. This spells trouble, no matter how you look at it."

"Yeah, and you can start with trespassing."

"Logan."

"We're not even sure that lead on Sandeman is going to pan out. I mean, New York of all places, Max. It's not...if we really had something to go on, chances are it'd be back in Seattle."

"Yeah, and I didn't ask you to come with me," she reminded him, "so if you're thinking about bailing-"

"I'm not," he cut her off. "But I think things could get real dangerous from here on out. And if we don't watch our step...the wrong place, the wrong time? Things'll get ugly real fast around here. Believe me, in twelve years, this city hasn't changed much- nor have the people, for that matter."

"You're telling me," she murmured. "I'm guessing we should just find a motel, knock off a few hours, and then come back here in the morning."

"Well, we can't exactly report him missing, can we?"

"No, but he might be back by then."

"And if he's not?"

She regarded him a moment. "What's on your mind?"

"Maybe we oughta check upstairs," he offered.

"Dammit, there it is again," she whispered.

"The sound?"

"Oh, c'mon, tell me you don't hear it."

"I do now," he concluded, turning his body from side to side, as he struggled to pinpoint a location. The briefest trace of movement flickered to his left, as he caught it out of the corner of his eye, a shadow dodging rapidly into the darkness it had quickly emerged from, cloaking itself deeper amongst the surrounding blackness. He cocked his head in the direction, motioning to Max, as he proceeded to take a quiet step forward. The air had delicately turned itself over to complete silence again. She only nodded, her eyes narrowing, as she zeroed in on the shape who now sat huddled out of view, possessing a slender back supported by a small coffee table perched haphazardly against the wall around the corner. Her hand carefully closed itself around the collar of a tattered blue jacket, immediately yanking the figure to its feet, catching her entirely off guard, as a strain of muffled protest rang out.

The young girl proceeded to utter a faint squeak, as she was roughly slammed up against the other side of the wall, long blonde hair flashing every which way across her face, as it inadvertently blocked her vision, her hands flinging out wildly, struggling to brush it free. Her feet continually struck out blindly from under her, citing failed attempts at injury, two big green eyes revealing themselves from beneath the disheveled pieces of light hair. At first glance, she looked to be no more than twelve or thirteen years old. "Hey, I didn't do anything, I swear!"

"Who are you?" Max snapped. "And what the hell are you doing in here?"

"Dammit, let me go."

"Who are you?" she repeated, giving her a brief shake, as she stepped an inch closer. "Look, we can keep this up all night. I'm honestly in no hurry all of a sudden, and you've obviously got some explaining to do."

"Yeah, well, so do you," she shot back, as she tried to bring a clenched fist forward, much to her frustrated dismay. "Like who's Sandeman, and why do you need to-"

"That's none of your business," Max retorted smuggly.

"This is Chase Goodwin's house," Logan volunteered, as he gently crossed his arms over his chest, his gorgeous face masked by traces of suspicion. "And I don't think he'd appreciate you doing what you were doing."

"And just what is it that you think I'm doing, if you can't exactly prove I was doing it?" she huffed.

Logan's eyes widened slightly from the short riddle, as he ran a hand through his brown hair. "Bottom line...it's wrong, and it's-"

"Yeah, and he isn't here," she breathed, "so what do you want me to do about it?"

"Gee, let's see," Max contemplated. "Such a tough one, isn't it? You can start by telling us how you got in, why you've been- no, you know what? A name might actually be good right about now, wouldn't it?"

"Go to hell," she simply added, her eyes erupting into tiny slits.

"Nice name, glad to meet you."

"The beeper isn't even mine!" the girl cut her off. "I found it, okay? These are hard times, lady! I was only looking for a place to stay, for crying out loud. It's not a damn crime."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Oh, please. You think I was actually going to take any of this crap? That's so obviously whack," she hissed. "Like I'd even have any use for it out in the middle of freaking nowhere."

"Why here? Why this place?"

"Maybe because it's the only one left on this block that's not completely trashed?" she returned, rolling her eyes.

"She's got a point," Logan sufficed.

"Look, lady, somebody obviously beat you to it, so why-"

"Beat me to what?"

"I didn't see their faces," she pressed. "All I heard were voices. Sounded like there were about to- look, would ya just let me go? I promise I'm not gonna run, okay? I just...I just don't see how I got to be the bad guy in all this. I might be a little poor, but I'm not a damn thief."

"We didn't say you were," Logan told her quietly, "but if it's all the same to you, we'd really appreciate some answers here."

"She's gonna make a break for it."

"Max."

"Logan, she's gonna run. You think I haven't been through this before? It's what kids do. It's what I did. She gets away, and we'll have nothing. If you can live with that, fine. I can't, and I want-"

"Let her go," he advised. "If she's going to trust us, we have to start trusting her."

"Yeah, whatever your boyfriend says, okay? Your grip is killing me."

"Oh, whatever," Max mumbled, releasing her hand, as she quickly stepped back, shifting from one foot to the other, her eyes never once leaving the young girl. "Well?"

"Like I was saying, there were probably two of them, though I can't honestly say that for sure, because it's too hard to make out much in here." She paused a moment, eyeing up Max with a renewed sense of interest, her gaze growing almost skeptical for an instant, her mouth situating itself into a slant of pure puzzlement. "But you did, didn't you? I mean, you knew where I- how'd you do it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Max scoffed, abruptly looking away.

"Yeah, you do. Those guys never even noticed me when they walked in here earlier."

"What'd they want?" Logan spoke up, his blue eyes intently trailing her green ones, as he ran a hand briefly over his unshaven jawline.

"You're changing the subject," she murmured. "Clever. So what are you guys? F.B.I., C.I.A., some kind of government cover-up?"

"Do you have a name?" he asked again, ignoring her.

"Jess," she mumbled. "And the beeper belongs to some dead guy upstairs, all right? I didn't touch anything, and when I saw what they did to him, I freaked. I ran down here, and I was...look, I thought you were them. I thought they'd seen me before, and one was coming back to finish the job. I know I shouldn't have removed the-"

"You said you didn't touch anything," he started.

"Nothing important."

"Yeah?"

"I wanted to see if I could find out who was trying to contact him so many times," she objected. "Obviously, he must have been someone real important and all, right? High class mob or something?"

"Was it Chase?" Max threw in.

"I don't know. I told you, I didn't think anybody was here. I don't know what they did up there, and who they were. If they tortured the guy, he never made a sound. I didn't hear anything except some of what they said, probably right before...well...you know."

"I know, what?"

"Killed him?"

"Maybe we shouldn't have ruled out White," Max whispered.

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Think we should call Alec?"

She quickly shook her head. "No. She's right. Whoever was here could come back, and we've gotta make sure the trail's as cold as possible. Like you said, it's better if we're not together. Bringing in him and Joshua on this...Mole? It's only going to complicate things more. And if we're lucky, we'll be up and out of here by first light, anyway."

"I thought-"

"Logan, stay with her."

"Max."

"I'm gonna go check it out."

"You won't know if it's him, especially if he doesn't have ID," he reasoned. "Let me come up."

"Might not be-"

"Safe?" he chimed in. "Don't think I need to remind you that this exoskeleton packs quite a punch."

"Did he have any kind of markings on him?" she asked her, as they began to climb the stairs, Logan bringing up the rear. His eyes never left Max's slender frame, a hand forming a loose and frustrated fist at his side, suddenly feeling entirely helpless at the moment. He watched her turn back one last time when they'd reached the top, shooting him the briefest of smiles, as she let Jess lead the way, her big brown eyes remaining only the slightest bit tainted in hope.

"Markings?" Jess repeated, confused.

"Runes? Something out of the ordinary?"

"Are you a witch, lady?"

Max frowned. "My name's Max. And no. Last time I checked, I took great pleasure in just kicking some good old-fashioned ass."

"Cool."

"Well, if you want, I could demonstrate-" But she halted as Logan's hand came out, gently pulling her back, her lips transpiring into a firm pout. "You're taking all the fun out of this," she murmured.

"It isn't supposed to be fun," he reminded her.

"I found him in here!" Jess called out, tugging a finger in the direction of a room that sat at the very end of a long and narrow hallway, its furniture bathed in numerous shades of shadow, the curtains flapping wildly in the breeze. "That window's on the other side of the house, see? It'd be easy to miss from the front. They probably anticipated that when they got here."

"Think you can get a location from that beeper?" she asked Logan, her hands grasping the small contraption she'd retrieved from the girl only minutes earlier, a thumb caressing its smooth surface.

"Might take some time," he advised, catching it, as she quickly tossed it his way. "But I think I might be able to do something with it, one way or another."

The body lay facedown on the floor, the arms and legs stretched out at impossible angles, the head twisted carelessly to one side, as a pair of blank eyes surveyed the room, the tattered brown hair coated with a dark splash of blood. Some of it had dribbled into the confines of his ear, drenching the skin in a slick red stain, as it filtered in and out of the small patch of light drawn from the open window. The man wore a brown leather jacket, and a white t-shirt, his bottom half clothed in a pair of worn out blue jeans with numerous holes, a pair of cowboy boots grazing his feet.

"Snapped his neck," Logan murmured, "which means it was a fast kill, no questions asked. Explains why he didn't cry out, at least. Probably never saw it coming."

"Also explains why she didn't hear anything," Max commented, shrugging. She turned to him then, placing a firm hand upon his shoulder blade, as her brown eyes clamly met with his blues, her beautiful face masked in seriousness, her mouth set in a firm line. "Is it Chase?" she asked softly.

"No," he added, letting out a breath. "But I wouldn't rule it out that Chase Goodwin probably got more than he bargained for. His past probably just caught up with him again. Son of a bitch."

"You don't think this was the work of-"

"I think this was the work of someone who falls into Eyes Only territory," he mused. "Your basic run of the mill thugs. Broke his neck, left him for dead...probably knew more than he was saying."

"They were onto him," she whispered. "Can't have that, right?"

"You'd be surprised at how these guys operate when there's a traitor in their midst," he reasoned. "Never looks too good for Benedict Arnold."

"I learned from the best," she whispered.

"Sometimes that's all you need."

"Where do you live, kid?"

"Huh?"

"Do you have a mom, dad, sister....a brother we can drop you off by?"

She looked at Max, never blinking. "What part of 'looking for a place to stay' didn't you understand before? This is all I've got. The only place I've ever known are the streets. Mom left when I was just short of three, and my dad ran off with some rich chick in Los Angeles. Haven't seen or heard from him since. Not that I mind, because both of them never gave a damn about me, anyway. But hey. If you wanna toss me out in the cold again, it's no big deal, right? Not like I haven't been there before."

"Look, I'm sorry you're in a jam, but I didn't come here to baby-sit a homeless klepto."

"Max," Logan warned, shooting her a look.

"Yeah, and I told you I didn't steal anything," Jess hissed.

"Sweetie, it only works on those of us who aren't pros," she filled her in, tossing her a sarcastic smile.

"Oh, get out. See, I knew you guys were into something big. I mean, how else would you know all the stuff you do? You've gotta be F.B.I. agents. Working undercover probably, right? So what'd this guy do? Assault, armed robbery..."

"We're just as lost as you are."

"Hey, they mentioned some kind of place before. I can't really remember what it was called, but it sounded like Manti something. They seemed real serious about it."

"Manticore?" Logan asked her.

"Coulda been. But like I said, they were already coming up here, and it was all kind of fading away." She thoughtfully bit her bottom lip. "Is that a bad thing?"

"What it is, is a long story," he filled her in.

"Great, I've got all night."

Logan simply stared at her in disbelief, as he calmly pursed his lips, struggling not to profess a small smile across his attractive countenance. "Think we've finally got the right job for Alec?" he asked fondly, shooting Max a quick wink.

"Oh yeah," she breathed, her lips suddenly forming a huge grin. "I think he's really gonna love this one."

"Good to know we're on the same page."

"Yeah, just let me get a hold of him, and we'll be on our way."

"Wait, who's Alec?" Jess put in, her face already donning itself in a fresh coat of fear. "Who's Alec?"

"Well, he's not child services, but he doesn't exactly get the prize for world's best dad, either," she explained. "You're gonna love Joshua, though, trust me."

"Joshua?"

"Yeah, he's the best."

"You're turning me over to two guys I barely know?" she sputtered, her eyes wide and perplexed.

"You barely know us," she casually pointed out.

"Yeah, but I already know you guys aren't gonna hurt me."

"Listen, kid, Logan and I have work to do," she offered. "It's work that doesn't include a little girl sticking her nose where it doesn't belong, and sure as hell doesn't include playing video games in an expensive motel with her while we wait this thing out."

"Look, you want the truth?" she asked, her frightened voice barely clinging to a whisper. "The real truth? I wasn't entirely honest with you. And hey, I'm sorry, all right? But I didn't really know what to say. Half of me is still freaking about what I saw, and the other half just wants to pretend it ever happened. I really don't wanna be alone right now, and you're not exactly giving me a choice here. I just...I saw what they did, Max, and it wasn't pretty."

"What are you saying?" Logan inquired, his brows peaking with interest, as his gaze once again settled upon her.

She blew a strand of blonde hair out of her eyes, frowning. "I was in the next bedroom over. I wasn't downstairs. I know I said I was before, but- look, I'm not making this up. I realize I broke in here at the wrong time, and I swear, as God is my witness, I will never, ever do it again. You have my word on that."

"Jess-" Max started.

"I saw them break his neck. I also saw this guy in some kind of fancy suit. Seemed real expensive and crap. He seemed to be the big head honch, and he just kind of stood there and let it happen. He was real calm about it, like he didn't think anything of it, you know? Real hardcore into feeling the no emotions thing. The one who snapped the other guy's neck, though...I'm thinking he had some kind of tattoo on his arm. Maybe it was fake, I don't know. I mean, it looked like it was some kind of a tiger or lion or something. Some kind of animal. Then again, it probably could have been anything, right?"

"You're positive?"

"As much as I'll ever be in the dark," she added, nodding.

"Any barcodes involved?"

"A barcode?" Jess repeated, rolling her eyes. "Wait, don't tell me people actually get barcode tattoos-"

Without hesitation, Max turned around, slowly pulling back her long mane of brown hair, to reveal the markings on the back of her neck, her free hand sliding against her hip, as she calmly shifted her stance.

"On their necks," the young girl finished, her expression clearly dumbfounded at the sight. "Whoa. Is that, like, real?"

"Did you see any or not?" she impatiently pressed.

"No. No way, honest."

"Somehow I don't think the Sandeman connection is what we thought it was," Logan said softly. "I mean, we've got one body unaccounted for, one dead, and what looks to be a bunch of guys who are presumably Manticore, or just happen to be living up to the Manticore legacy. But either way you look at it, they've grown accustomed to killing. Now, given what we've got, someone's onto us, or w-"

"Someone's trying their best to cover up what's really happening," Max noted, "by giving us little to nothing to work with."

"Best case scenario?" he managed. "These guys are just a bunch of amateurs who heard about the Seattle case on the news and want in on their own Transgenic Central."

"I don't know about you," she whispered. "But I think I liked the thugs part a whole lot better."

"Yeah, I'd say you're right."

"Trans what?" Jess squeaked. "What's that?"

"See, I told you we'd track her down!" an all too familiar voice echoed a short distance away.

Max immediately gritted her teeth together, as she haphazardly slumped her slender frame down upon the bed, her fingertips slightly brushing her forehead, as she professed a loud groan.

"Little fella in here?" Joshua rang out, as two distinct sets of footsteps could be heard coming towards them.

"Over here," Max mumbled tiredly, motioning with her other hand.

"Josh and I got all the way to that motel, and we realized a little somethin', didn't we, buddy?"

"No cash," Joshua proclaimed, shaking his head.

"Right. So I'm thinking, why don't we just bail and crash where Max is crashin' tonight, huh? I mean, we've got the whole gang waiting out-" He stopped, as his eyes roamed downward, catching the penetrating, cold stare of the corpse below, his tall frame nearly jumping back a foot, as he became entirely speechless. His entire body tensed, as a shiver wound its way down his spine, his green eyes hesitantly studying the gruesome sight with pure shock etched about his handsome face. He ran a hand smooth across his mouth, as his lips struggled not to twitch, the same hand reaching around to scratch the back of his neck. "Uh, Maxie?" he deadpanned. "Did you know that there's a dead guy in your room?"

read Chapter Two