Graceful Soldier
Chapter Three: The Past
She turned and carefully watched him in the dark, the shadows falling faintly over his handsome profile, as the night borrowed more time from the world around them. After countless minutes of wrestling with the mere prospect, she hesitantly allowed a hand to hover just above his head, inches away from letting her fingers travel through his hair. He stirred slightly, his lids revealing the slightest traces of movement, his lips slightly parted. She'd never actually seen him this content, and she took a strange kind of pleasure in observing how his chest rose and fell with such delicate ease. Despite the early revelations of flirting dangerously close to disaster, he seemed surprisingly willing and able to cope with what they were up against. Truth be told, even she wasn't exactly up to par on that right now, which was a first for her. The thunder crackled outside the single window, followed by a clasp of lightning, illuminating and slicing through the shards of silence. The rain was proving itself a continuous stream, as it pelted down in tiny droplets, moving clean across the flat surface.
Jess had decided on the sofa after all, and she was currently curled up in a small blanket, a bare foot hanging absentmindedly over the edge, her small face buried inward. She had been unable to sense the girl as quickly as she should've, and she still wanted to know why. It had hammered away at her conscience, nagging her at the core. At first glance, she was exactly as she'd told them. A kid who'd basically been cheated out of the good life with your typical set of parents and little dog named Spot. But maybe normal was much too vague a title for her at this point, despite the well-established facts. It was a stretch, even for a woman like herself, who had survived the most extensive conditions imaginable under Donald Lydecker and his torturous band of merry men. However, like it or not, she still felt there was a lot Jess refused to say. Of course, she'd rapidly denied the young girl access to her own secrets, and that included where she'd come from and what she'd been raised to do.
If she was lucky, she might just be able to chalk it up to nothing more than being in a certain place at a certain time, and Jess had the displeasure of seeing a lot more than she'd obviously bargained for. Then again, maybe it was the annoying, but meaningful meddling of fate that chose that precise moment to intervene and take precedence over Max's own reason for being in New York City.
She'd been lonely once, too. But it wasn't really something she had to worry about anymore.
"Can't sleep?"
Somewhat flustered, she yanked back the hand that still fell just short of confirming her intentions, and professed a deliberate sigh. "I guess I'm still just trying to figure out what's going on."
Logan Cale gently turned to his side, gingerly trailing a hand the full length of her cheek, his blue eyes wide and beautiful as they gazed at her in the dark. "You're wondering if it was worth it to look into this without the others," he pointed out. "You're feeling slightly guilty about it, because Alec didn't exactly tell them we'd be falling a step or two behind in the grand scheme of things. But he couldn't have done that when we didn't fully explain the information we'd gotten regarding Harrington in the first place. He only knows half of it, which is essentially only the basics, and not the really important stuff. How am I doing so far?"
"Pretty damn good," she confessed softly.
"It got to you more than you thought it would."
"Yeah, and normally I wouldn't even care. Before I let everybody out, I was used to working jobs by myself. I only had to worry about avoiding Lydecker, and trying not to get you killed."
"Which you managed fairly well," he told her, the corners of his mouth curling up into a half smile.
"Adrastos might turn out to be nothing, Logan, but I've still gotta know. I mean someone out there killed a guy in cold blood, stashed him in your friend's house, and didn't do anything to cover up the damage. We don't know what he did to end up like that, and we don't know who did it."
"It's scary," he acknowledged.
"The thing of it is, Alec could really care less. He's still on this Sandeman kick, and he's not stopping to think, you know? He just does as he pleases, and he expects me to go along with it."
"Alec's never been-"
"I know. But apparently I'm just supposed to stop and cater to his every need and want. He's like this great big giant crybaby who never shuts up."
"He's here though, right?"
"Logan, sometimes I think he only wants answers because I do. I mean, I'd like to believe I'm wrong. I'd like to believe anything other than the obvious right now, but he's certainly got nothing to show for himself." She shifted so that she lay flat on her back, her brown eyes grazing the dull hue of the ceiling. "Then again, neither do I. I've been spending time investigating this guy's murder, when I should be trying to find out who I am."
"Yeah, but he's not just any guy," he quickly reminded her. "Harrington might just be our lucky break, Max. We've been waiting for something like this for a long time now. He had that card on him for a reason, and that reason's going to tell us why he was murdered."
"You remember that guy at the diner?" she asked then, her lips pursed.
He nodded. "What about him?"
"Did him seem out of place to you at all?"
"Why? You think he might-"
"That's just it," she abruptly cut him off, clearly frustrated. "I don't know what to think. He could've easily been some boring little tourist who wasn't enjoying his trip and getting his money's worth. Not all men are compulsive gamblers, right?"
He laughed quietly. "No, I can honestly say I've never had that problem."
"You came into money, so your case is completely irrelevant," she concluded, strangely amused. "Something was off, though. I felt it. I thought it was just nerves before, you know? We're on the run and things are bound to be tense and all. This doesn't necessarily label him as one of White's guys or anyone connected to Harrington, but I probably wouldn't be surprised if he was."
"No, it...wouldn't exactly work in our favor, would it?" he agreed, abruptly attempting to try and change the subject as he unexpectedly pulled her close. She found herself barely suppressing a muffled giggle when she found herself on top of him, her hands resting firmly upon his chest and the thin, white fabric of his t-shirt, her eyes widening at the impulsive gesture.
"That's gonna cost you," she whispered.
"Oh yeah?"
The strap on her left had absentmindedly rolled down her shoulder of its own accord, the thinly woven material slipping dangerously close to revealing a great deal more than it intended to. They both caught it at the same moment, Logan's expression immediately tensing, as words and laughter ceased to exist, his attention having been entirely diverted to the obvious. She couldn't fool herself with the truth anymore. She'd honestly lost count of the times she'd wondered about him this way, tossing around potential scenarios in her subconscious that she knew would never make it to the light of day, much less find them escaping from her own mouth. She'd been with other men in her lifetime, but she couldn't bring herself to say she truly cared about any of them. Not like she'd come to care for him.
Max watched in silence, as he cradled the thin strap in his right hand, carefully easing it back upon her shoulder with a surprisingly steady grace, his fingertips lightly brushing her shoulder blade. They continued to drift upward with the same gentle motion, finally coming to rest upon the back of her neck.
"We don't have a reason to hide anymore," she pointed out, struggling to keep her voice calm, as her own fingers trailed themselves lazily across the stubble on either side of his face.
"And if Jess wasn't in the same room right now, I'd be inclined to agree with you," he managed, trying hard not to laugh.
"So we'll pick her up and carry her out," she suggested. "Shouldn't be too difficult, right? What is she, eighty...ninety pounds, at the most?"
"Then she'd be sleeping outside right now, wouldn't she?"
"Yeah, and tonight actually had potential," she reasoned. "Not a lot, I'll grant you, but enough. I just thought we'd finally have some time alone, you know?"
"This place isn't exactly a world class tourist attraction," he reminded her, grinning.
"Escape and evade," she murmured. "It's not really all it's cracked up to be anymore, is it?"
"Well, we could always go to a bar and drink ourselves into a stupor," he volunteered teasingly.
"Why, Logan Cale, I had no idea you were such a wild man," she lightly quipped, rolling her eyes.
He arched his brows, gently bringing his lips to hers for a kiss that quickly began to deepen. She responded without hesitation, effortlessly giving herself to him, as she became completely caught up in the moment. Her hands gently gripped the back of his head, her slender fingers sifting softly through his brown hair. Logan cupped each side of her face, his thumbs carefully grazing her cheeks, and felt everything around him start to fade away. It made him wonder how he had gone so long without physical contact when the virus had threatened them, wanting nothing more than to irretrievably break and shatter what they had worked so hard to build.
When they finally parted, she professed a small, contented sigh, leaning back a bit to stare at him, her eyes still plagued with a slight longing. He tossed her a hopeful gaze, giving her shoulder a calm squeeze, as he looked on with a faded reluctance, his visage indicating disappointment in the restrictions they'd been pressed with last minute. "Better get some sleep," he urged her, smiling.
She moved comfortably to his side, her face burying itself near his chest. "At least we can touch," she whispered, her voice almost trailing off.
"It's enough," he told her, his hand coming up behind her and resting upon her shoulder, his blue eyes traveling to the open window as the rain continued its dreary downpour, watching as the water dribbled noisily down the glass. "Good night, Max."
" 'Night," she mumbled, grateful that she was able to share his warmth.
8AM, the following morning "Where exactly are we going again?" a familiar voice demanded.
"Jess, this is serious," the other voice chimed in, its male tone plagued with just the softest hint of annoyance.
"I know, but it's stupid."
Logan Cale turned to face the young girl; a fork planted in his right hand, as he calmly scooped up a handful of eggs and shoveled them into his mouth. His blue eyes were intense and vaguely driven, his gorgeous, unshaven complexion still missing his glasses, as his lips formed a deliberate frown. "Think of it as a game," he managed, trying to stay level. "Think of it as pretend."
"Did it ever occur to you that both of you would seriously suck at playing the mommy and the daddy?"
"That's not the point," he told her. "We have to appeal to her, make her think we're just nor-"
"Couldn't you just come out and ask? I mean, is that so hard? If this Jennings guy has been a corpse for a couple of months now, you and Max shouldn't be poking around in this stuff at all. It's wrong, isn't it? Let his wife mourn in peace."
"So I guess letting yourself into an empty house in the dead of night is perfectly fine then, huh? The same house, mind you, that just happened to be occupied by a very good friend of mine who's still missing and entirely unaccounted for."
"And I already told you that I didn't know they were gonna kill anyone," she countered.
"Yes, and questioning this man's widow may actually help us find out why," he explained.
"Am I being held against my will, or do I get one phone call?" she demanded.
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to," Max stated indifferently, immediately sensing the sarcasm. She professed an equally careless shrug, as she hopped out of bed, her feet gracefully touching the floor. "Order me up any breakfast?" she asked with a tired yawn, as she stretched her arms high above her head.
"It's on the tray near the door," he advised. "But if you still want to get a head start on this, you might want to skip it. We can grab something else on the way."
"What time is it?" she mumbled.
"As of right now?" he responded. "Eight oh six."
"Then there's still time for breakfast," she insisted, tossing him an irresistible grin that touched upon the faintest hints of playfulness.
He tilted his head, quietly studying her, as his own expression was caught between bafflement and amusement. "Something you maybe want to tell me?"
But her attention had already wavered, and was reluctantly torn from the conversation they'd held. Her smile faded just as quickly as it had displayed itself across her pretty face, her entire body beginning to tense. Her line of vision lended itself to the tiny, cramped window, and she zeroed in on their surroundings, her brows creasing themselves with worry. "Um…you know, on second thought, I think I'll probably be skipping those eggs altogether," she said, her voice almost a whisper.
"Max?"
"We're being watched." She said it so naturally, so efficiently, so entirely without emotion, that it was clear her years of training at the hands of a madman had once again paid off. She hated to concede to that notion more than anything, but it would forever come back to haunt her- even though being dragged kicking and screaming back to Manticore was currently out of the question. She let her gaze travel to the door, her bare feet edging forward with fairly fluid movements, unknowingly gritting her teeth in response.
"No one knows we came here," Jess objected. "I mean, we were all alone last night, how could anybody know?" Her lower lip trembled somewhat. "Please tell me it's not the dudes from that guy's place who blew the other dude away."
"What?" Max echoed, clearly puzzled.
"Jess," Logan advised.
"Quiet," Max hissed, putting a steady finger to her lips.
Logan had already reached into his duffle, neatly drawing out the gun he'd placed there only days earlier, giving it a quick check for good measure, as he drew it swiftly into his right hand. "Doesn't anybody ever knock anymore?" he quipped.
"Knocking's a thing of the past," Max added, "especially if you've got cold-blooded murder on your mind."
"True," he sided.
"Take the kid into the bathroom and lock the door."
"Yeah, like that's going to stop whoever it is. Besides," he protested, "I'm not just going to leave you here." He raised himself to his full height, tossing her a rather intense look. "I'm not helpless anymore, okay? I'm perfectly capable of defending myself, and I'm not exactly bound to a wheelchair these days. So, all things considered, I think I can decide whether I stay or go, and I don't-"
"How are you going to feel if it's the hotel staff?" she countered, impatience growing inside of her. "You'll have scared the daylights out of some nerd who's just happy to have a job, and we'll probably be thrown out of this place for bad behavior."
He shrugged. "It's not like they pride themselves on five star service."
"I still want the girl gone," she insisted.
"He stays, I stay," Jess confirmed, her voice reflecting her uncertainty, and yet standing her ground at the same time.
The faintest trail of footsteps had come to gather just outside the door, their shadow slipping just far enough into the small room, to cast itself fondly under the crack, as the darkness filtered in of its own free will. The owner on the other side almost seemed to hesitate with a pause in movement then, as the silence suddenly overthrew the noise, with what could only be construed as a thought of pure contemplation and questioning. The doorknob jiggled a bit, noting the security on the other side, quickly remaining untouched once again, as the gesture connected with a profound sense of disappointment.
"You go in there, or I'll put you in there," she stated firmly, gritting her teeth.
"You're not my mother," she snapped back.
"No. I'm not. And if anything happens, I'm not going to be responsible for you, either."
She quickly turned her head back to the door, her eyes noting the commotion rummaging around in the lock itself now, hearing the softest click vibrate through the air. It reminded her of all the times Logan had sent her on one of his missions, and she'd had to crack the combos to safes and get him into the room of his choice, so they could continue their surveillance technique on whomever they'd needed Intel from. She knew it was wrong, but she always knew it was entirely different from what he actually stood for, and was willing to do for the people of Seattle, beneath the Eyes Only mask that shrouded his existence. She watched the knob turn rather slowly with the faintest trail of amusement plastered on her pretty face, her sleek figure flattening itself firmly against the wall, as she prepared herself for the attack.
He came in slow, a black cap plastered down over his graying blonde hair, a black leather jacket commanding his frame, a pair of matching black pants and shoes covering the bottom half. His hands were bare; no gloves intact, as he let the door swing completely open, never expecting the hand that came down hard across his back, throwing him roughly to the floor. Logan, who had shielded Jess from watching the blow take place, now stepped forward, the gun aimed directly at the stranger, who lay in a dazed and crumpled heap upon the carpet, a prolonged groan escaping his mouth, as he gripped the fabric below with a few tired fingers, his body clearly aching. Max tossed out her foot, gently turning the man around, as a bold sense of recognition hit her full force, her eyes almost widening out of the very surprise of being caught completely off guard, despite the fact that she'd already done a number on him. Her gaze touched Logan's, who merely shook his head, already securing the weapon in the back of his jeans, a notable look of disbelief plastered over his countenance as well. He shrugged, his brows knitting themselves together in a great concentration.
"Lydecker," she whispered, still not quite sure how it felt saying his name again. She'd been thoroughly convinced he was off the radar for good, especially when White had stepped in to proclaim ownership and death to all the remaining transgenics. Donald Lydecker had once been no different, and had intended to keep using innocent children as helpless lab rats, and worked to discipline them, building what he’d hoped was an undefeatable young army. But when Renfro stepped in, that had all changed. He loathed her for what she wanted Manticore to become, and rather than see himself and his work become a lost cause at her hands, he vowed to destroy his creation for good, putting an end to all of the experiments she'd already had in progress with the subjects he liked to call his kids, despite the fact that they seemed to be anything but. Her feelings for him had never completely healed themselves of all the pain he'd put her, Zack, Tinga...all of them through, refusing to give them the life of a normal child with a family and people who genuinely cared.
"Think you might've knocked him unconscious," Logan volunteered, scratching the back of his head, as he contemplated the current situation, noting that the man below had ceased movement.
"Do you always pack that much of a punch?" Jess asked in a tiny voice.
"Hey, I didn't know it was him, okay?"
"We thought he bought it at the hands of a higher power," Logan explained, tilting his head to the side, as his blue eyes continued to study him.
"So how do you guys know him, exactly? I mean...is...are you, like, from some top- you know, I just bet it's still government."
"Question is, how did he track us, and why now? I mean, he's got nothing on us now, and he's gotta know what went down in Terminal City, right? It doesn't make sense." Max calmly folded her arms neatly over her chest, pursing her lips.
"None of this is making sense," Logan reminded her. "But it doesn't give us cause to do anything rash here, until we know what he wants, Max."
"Something tells me that's not gonna be too hard to find out." She quickly shook him then, her hands on either side of his shoulders, her face a mask of determination. "Rise and shine, Donald, this is your wake up call."
"It's- it's not what you think," he pressed, his eyes struggling to zero in on her, while he lightly lay a few fingers to his head, struggling to shake away the fuzziness that began to cloud his mind from the blow to his back, his composure clearly still weak.
"Yeah, isn't that what they all say," she challenged.
"Goddamn it, it's the truth. Look, I heard- I...received word," Lydecker tried, as he slowly, painstakingly started to lift himself into a sitting position, gently smoothing out the crinkles in his coat, "that you were in the area. I've been tracking you for a while now, and I didn't want anyone else to know I was here. I've...I've been in hiding," he explained. "Barely escaping an attack on your life will do that to you. I'm sure you know that as well as anyone. They wanted me dead, Max, and they knew everything- the whole shot. You were smart to get out of Seattle when you did."
"Oh, and why's that?" she returned, still not believing a word of it, as she hesitantly shrunk back, drawing herself into an upright position, as her bare feet began to pace themselves mechanically across the carpeting, her fingers tapping themselves against her hips. "I mean, just so we're clear here, I more or less did it out of my own free will when I got a lead. Which, I suppose is more than I can say for you."
"Why would I be against you?" he snapped. "Why would I even think about it, when neither of us is far from being the threat in this? They want both of us, Max. All or nothing, and right now, I'd say the price for you just went up."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"White?" Logan spoke up, his eyes still skeptical as they concentrated themselves on the older man, his weight shifting from one foot to the other.
"Ames White might be scoring himself a nice profit on the side, but I can safely tell you he's not involved."
"You can safely tell us," Max mimicked, rolling her eyes. "But he's still in it, right?"
"I have no confirmation on that."
"Oh, c'mon. All you guys think alike. The goal might be a little different, but it's all the same to you. Hunt us and grab your trophies."
"White was under orders to destroy my work!" he snapped. "What makes you think I'd dream of joining sides with him, if I went so far to bring Renfro down? He was trying to destroy years of accomplishments, years of-"
"Making innocent children into your own personal brand of super soldiers?" she cut him off. "Yeah, see, when I look at it like that, I really can't feel sorry for you."
"You don't understand."
"Who's your source?"
"It doesn't matter. What matt-"
"Wrong. It does. It does to all the transgenics out there who still want to live to see another day, and I owe it to them to see that it happens. So whatever you've got, spill it."
"You've got exactly three full minutes before this place blows sky high," he said, ignoring her, his voice low. "Now, if you're going to sit here and grill me, fine. We can all die together. I've got nothing left to lose anymore, and my reputation's been compromised and shot to hell. I'm just as much on the run as you are. I didn't come in here armed, and I didn't plan on it. So if you're still with me, you'd start getting the hell out of here right about now, and continue asking questions later."
"He's bluffing," she told Logan. "It's a trap."
"No," he protested. "I'm serious. You have to get out of here. I've got a van waiting out back. I've been- we have to go, Max."
"I've got two others along for the ride, and I'm not leaving them," she stated firmly, but her voice was already starting to crack, her brown eyes finding Logan's blues, quietly holding them.
"Logan and the girl are more than welc-"
"No. I mean there're two others. In another room. Joshua and Alec. I'm not leaving them," she said again, "Transgenic or not, they're still friends."
"I'll get them," Logan volunteered, already swinging the duffel around his tall frame, quickly reaching for Max's to sling around the other. "C'mon, Jess."
"But Max-"
"She'll be okay. C'mon."
"You still have the address?" she called after him.
He nodded. "We'll get there, don't worry. Jess?"
The young girl reluctantly began to move her feet, trailing carelessly behind him, a feeling of pure helplessness nagging at her being. She fretfully turned around one last time to look at the young woman, still clad in her pajamas, and still walking around in her bare feet, her slender frame suddenly looking surprisingly fragile beneath all of that power.
"Jess?"
"Coming," she stated, her voice coated with just the briefest hint of impatience, as she quickly looked back the other way, heading after him.
"Don't worry, she's not one of us," Max told him, as she hurriedly slipped into a pair of black boots waiting at the foot of the bed, combing her fingers haphazardly through her hair, tossing a denim jacket over her shoulders, her hands tensing into light fists at her side. "It's all come back, hasn't it?" she whispered then, her eyes nearly watering.
Donald Lydecker had lifted himself to his feet with great effort, his body still almost too stubborn to move, the ache pounding in his ears, as he lightly cracked his neck, placing a firm hand behind it to stretch the tightened muscles. "I don't know," he answered honestly. "But someone obviously anticipated your visit in town. I'm willing to bet it's my source, but I can’t be a hundred percent sure right now."
"Then how do you know this place is going to-"
"Just trust me, all right?"
"Yeah, kinda hard, especially after you pulled your little Houdini act on us," she offered sarcastically.
"I had good reason for it," he snapped.
"You ready?"
"After you," he urged, very nearly smirking.
"And now he decides to go all gentleman on me, too. Gee, what a guy."
"Max, we need to move-"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm hauling ass as fast I can here, okay?"
"Try hauling it a little faster."
"We'll take the back way!" she yelled then. "How much time?"
"I'd say about thirty seconds and counting," he added, as they both began to break into a full-fledged run. "Staff's already been evacuated."
"What a relief," she quipped. "Sadly, it also means the bomb squad was probably called in, which is going draw more attention to us, which means you probably should've told me about this a hell of a lot sooner."
"Look, I don't even know what's going down here, all right? I'm as much out of the loop as you are. But if anything can be said for it, it'll draw out the guys who organized this little charade."
"There were more of us," she told him, keeping her pace nice and even with his, as they rounded a corner, picking up momentum. "We let them go on ahead, and just the four of us stayed behind. Well, then there's the girl, and she's a whole other story altogether. We were supposed to spend the night at...Logan's pal Chase Goodwin's house, but it turns out he wasn't home. A dead guy was."
"Dead guy?"
"Upstairs. We got ID, and it looks like he was from a company called Adrastos, which may...or may not, have a connection to Manticore. We’re thinking not. We were planning on going there this morning. Well, after dropping in on a grieving widow, that is."
"I'm not following."
"Chase Goodwin's still a no-show, which I think is the bottom line here, get me?"
"People vanish post-pulse all the time. It's not uncommon."
"Yeah, so what would the bad guys in all this be doing right in his house?"
"Maybe the guy who died was the bad one," Lydecker suggested.
"Yeah, I considered that, too."
"Max?"
"Yeah?"
"Jump!!!"
"What?" Looking behind her, her eyes immediately widened, her face a mask of pure and utter surprise, despite being well aware of the incoming consequences, her hair flapping wildly about her face. "Oh, crap."
She could feel the flames, as they crept up fast behind them, gaining on them with rapid intensity, as a rush of heat filled the once dank hall, coating it in disarray. She approached the exit sign, noting the remaining series of steps out back. Shutting her eyes, she leapt high into the air, careening over them, as she landed quietly on her feet, watching as Lydecker sprinted out not far behind her, flying down the steps as fast as his feet would carry him. The building exploded in a vibrant show of orange, red, and yellow sparks, as debris noisily scattered over and coated the parking lot with ash and smoke. She coughed, her face plagued with streaks of dirt, as she continued to kneel to the ground, her stance still very much on guard.
"Place is toast," she carefully remarked, noting the haze that lingered in the air, the vaguest sound of sirens beginning to echo into the distance, her muscles immediately tensing. "Gotta go," she simply stated then, falling into an upright position.
"Van's right over here," he added, directing an index finger to her right, where a black vehicle lay shrouded in the shadows, shielding itself from the heat and brightness of the morning sun.
"Logan! Alec!"
"Over here!" a familiar voice called back, as Alec appeared around the bend, followed by Joshua, Logan, and Jess, remaining untouched from the blast. A sigh of relief went through her, and she met Logan's blues with a smile, watching as his lips curved in return.
"You all right?" he asked softly.
"Made it just in time," she clarified, rolling her eyes. "There's definitely gonna be a news broadcast on this one, though. They'll probably be jumping all over it."
"Yeah, and now that you mention it, what the hell just happened in there?" Alec questioned, his brows raised with curiosity, his gaze meeting hers with complete and utter confusion.
"Your guess is as good as mine," she volunteered, throwing him a sarcastic smile.
"And the dude in Steven Seagal black?"
"Take a wild guess."
"Joshua," Joshua stated, quickly holding out a large hand to Lydecker, his expression beaming, as he eagerly stepped forward.
The other man hesitated a moment, seemingly frozen in place, as the briefest flicker of recognition and failure settled uncomfortably across his face, registering him somewhat unreadable. But he held out a hand of his own, quickly shaking the one that had been extended to him. "Donald Lydecker, but you can call me Deck."
"Deck," Joshua repeated, sounding it out. "Deck...Joshua."
"I see you're running with a new crowd these days."
Max just glanced at him, annoyance profoundly displaying itself on her profile, as she watched Logan shove the duffels into the back of the van. "Yeah, well, I guess you can chalk it up to discipline again, huh? Because it's safe to say he didn't pass."
"You kids were my priority, and I made you my goal for-"
"Yeah. See, now I remember- while the real mutants stayed locked up, right?"
"I didn’t kn-"
"Wait, wait, wait. Lydecker?" Alec cut in, running a hand the length of his chin. "You know, I think they tried to wipe my memory clean of this dirtbag, because I kinda think he did something wrong, but I still don't have the slightest idea what it is."
"You are so full of yourself," Max retorted, frowning at him.
"Maybe I am, but I really can't believe you'd let him in on this with no questions asked, Maxie. Jumping the gun a little here?"
"He's okay," Logan countered. "He's with us."
"Oh. Yeah. And I'm just gonna believe that because it's coming from you," Alec quipped, rolling his eyes.
"Ben's twin?" Lydecker asked.
"Ben's twin," Max confirmed. "X5-494, otherwise known as the wandering idiot."
"Hey," Alec protested. "I'll have you know I do not go on suicidal rampages and kill innocent people, let alone transgenics- nor do I have any fascination with the blue lady, or whatever the hell he called that thing. I was almost framed because of that whack job, and I'd appreciate it if you kept it between us, okay?"
"You tried to kill me one time, Alec," Joshua proudly volunteered.
"Hey, big guy. That was a mista- misunderstanding. No hard feelings, right?"
"Alec sold the paintings and I got some money."
"Right, right. See, there ya go, huh? Not so bad."
"Alec is trying my patience again," Max noted.
"So wait. Shouldn't we be hating this guy big time right now? I mean he has just admitted to the fact that he held us against our will and all, and I-"
"You didn't even want to leave at first, Alec."
"Yeah, but that was before I discovered America had so much more to offer a poor soul like me."
"You'll have to forgive him," she told Lydecker, as she hopped into the passenger seat, reaching for the seatbelt. "He never thinks before the words come out of his mouth."
Logan helped a very quiet Jess into the back, followed by Joshua and Alec, as Lydecker took command at the wheel. A crowd had already began gathering around the explosion, one woman pulling a bathrobe closer to her chest, as she tried desperately to get a closer look, despite her husband's persistent pleas and arguing to remain farther away. He recognized the man who'd brought their meal only hours earlier the other night, arms protectively thrown around him, as he merely stood there shaking his head, his hair tossing itself about from the breeze. The sirens seemed to be growing closer, and more intense, as the curious amount of individuals increased in number. A homeless woman tumbled out from beneath a rusted park bench, intrigued by the commotion, and yet still aware of her own status, keeping a good few feet away, as she tightened the gloves on her hands. An accident of these proportions in broad daylight, couldn't possibly be construed as an accident, and the very thought made him cringe inside; when he realized it had taken an old enemy to save their skin from such a thing. "We're going to need to aim for Leo Jennings' widow now," he added.
"It's...the floor," Alec uttered, rather disappointed, as he entered the vehicle, a firm line taking form across his mouth.
"What about the town?" Max responded to Logan, gazing back at him, her face appearing tired in the early hours, as she drew her hair into a loose ponytail.
"I'm not exactly sure it's such a good idea to spend any more time on Chase at this point," he filled her in.
She slowly nodded. "We need to target Adrastos."
"Okay, I have the feeling I'm missing a hell of a lot here," Alec insisted. "What happened to our dead man having a connection to Sandeman? Harrington, right?"
"Past that," Max confirmed. "It's much bigger now."
"Yeah, and I'm still drawing a blank. So spill."
"Sandeman?" Lydecker interrupted.
"We know all about Father," Joshua explained. "I was first. Can't find him though. Still trying."
"First..."
"Look-" Max started.
"You're heading down a dangerous road," Lydecker continued, his eyes briefly reaching the rearview mirror, as he met Logan's gaze, watching as the cyber journalist met it right on, barely flinching. "You kids just got yourselves into something that goes deeper than Manticore...deeper than White's cult. You'd be surprised at what a man can find out when he's not really looking. Didn't even know about it until I scored solid gold with our symbol and the burial ground."
"Manticore," Jess mumbled. "Yeah, see, there it is again. I knew you guys weren't saying everything."
"Who's your source?" Logan asked again, relaying Max's question from only minutes ago, a cold, hard edge seeping into his face.
"I've never met him," he replied honestly, "but I'm starting to get the feeling we may have been double-crossed."
"He wasn't the one who warned you about this?"
"No," he shook his head. "He helped me find you, and that's-"
"It was you."
He merely nodded, as he calmly edged the van out of the parking space. "I knew it didn't sound right by the time I got here. Looks like I was a little too right, because we've got some company now, too. Two men, far right, trench coats."
"You've never seen them before?"
"No."
"Maybe we should go out and introduce ourselves," Alec chimed in. "Find out what's going down."
"The only thing that's going to be going down, is you on your ass," Max concluded. "Especially if they know who you are."
"Could be the men from your friend's house," Jess spoke up softly, a hand tightening around the fabric of Logan's jacket. "It was dark, but I'm sure if you find that tattoo..."
"Yeah, and he's got a cell," Logan told them. "I was able to tap into White's little Familiar scam at the hospital not too long ago when Max fell ill. Shouldn't be too hard to get this guy if he receives an incoming." He quickly drew open his laptop, flipping it on, just as Max lay a firm hand over it, shutting it tight again, tossing him a look, her eyes on his, as she immediately shook her head.
"We don't have time to mess with their heads, Logan, we're on a deadline here, remember?"
"Yeah, and maybe they know where Chase is."
"Why risk it? Chase wasn't the reason we came out here. Sandeman is, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let those guys screw with our heads because of it."
"How I've missed these lovers quarrels," Alec quipped, "let me count the ways."
"Shut up," Logan snapped.
"Yeah, same old Logan," he added, shaking his head.
"Max and Logan talking. Quiet," Joshua sided, putting a large finger to his lips.
"Besides that, we don't even know if those guys are the perps. It'd be a lot easier to check out Adrastos and get to the widow."
"Max, I'm not saying I disa-"
"You said we're in this together, right?"
"Right, but I-"
"You have directions for Leo Jennings place?" Lydecker asked, as he again shifted the van into gear, much to Logan's dismay, carefully pulling out of the entryway, easing the vehicle onto the road. He vaguely glanced one last time at the mess that still lay scattered in pieces behind them, his eyes still and emotionless.
Reluctantly, Logan handed over the slip of paper, watching as the other man snatched it up, studying it. "We need to know who we're dealing with here, and we need to know who let them onto us."
"If it wasn't so dark inside that house, maybe I could've answered you back there," Jess whispered. "But I guess I'm in this for good now, too, so I only think it's fair that you finally tell me who you are and what you're running from."
"And you're still not ready," Max told her again, crossing her arms over her chest, as she lay her back against the seat, shooting a brief look in the mirror to her right. "Doesn't look like we're being followed, so I guess that's one good sign."
"So can we turn on the radio or something?" Alec inquired, raising a brow. "I mean for what it's worth, we really gotta jazz this place up, and right now? It ain't jazzin'."
"Max, c'mon," Jess pressed. "I think I've more than earned my badge in this little club."
"We're not a club," she stated simply.
"Now that you mention it, I think she's right," Alec carried on.
"What?"
"We're actually kinda like the Scooby Gang, minus the ghouls, right?"
"Scooby what?" Joshua echoed.
"The Scooby Gang," he repeated. "I mean, c'mon. Max is like Daphne without the sex appeal, Logan's like a really geeky computer savvy version of Fred, Josh here's Scoobs, I'm Shaggy, and the little one here could be Velma without the specs. Am I the only one seeing this?"
"Apparently," Logan countered abruptly, already resenting his title, as he casually rolled his eyes towards the genetically engineered young man.
"And last, but not least, our boy Lydecker here could be the Mystery Machine. What'd ya think, huh?"
"Where the hell did you find this guy?" Lydecker offered rather gruffly, the rarest trace of confusion finding him.
"Still hard to believe it's Manticore, isn't it?" Max replied.
"I think somebody watches too many old cartoons," Logan commented.
"Those are the classics," Alec protested. "They don't make the classics anymore, man."
"All club stuff aside, I'd really love to know," Jess demanded, slapping her hands roughly against her knees.
"Why they don't make them anymore-"
"Why you guys keep refusing to let me know what's going on. It's not like I'm five years old."
"Look. Now's not the-" Max stopped herself, taking a deep breath. "I'll tell you everything when we get to the house, kid."
"You better," Jess told her. "And it's Jess."
"Yeah, well, I wasn't exactly Max when we first met, and I'll leave it at that."
"Make a right at the next intersection," Logan interceded, sneaking in a brief smirk, as he quickly looked over at Max.
Lydecker merely offered a grin. "I know where I'm going, son."
Logan merely nodded. "Her name's Martha Jennings. She's a florist."
"See, now that's what I never get. I mean, okay. If this woman's husband was dabbling in the dark arts, how the hell did she end up as a florist?" Alec put in. "Maybe she really didn't know, but hey- if I had a job at some top secret facility, it wouldn't be too long before the little woman got curious and start snooping around."
"Little woman?" Max interjected, raising an eyebrow.
"All I'm saying, is that she's gotta know, okay? It's pretty much a given. Find her, solve your mystery."
"Yeah, well, contrary to popular belief, a deserted town, a dead guy, a widow of another dead guy, a facility that was apparently off the map to anyone who wasn't digging, and some guys of our own to contend with- who are most likely responsible for the first guy's death, kind of suggest we've got a lot more going on here than just your simple run of the mill Scooby Doo shindig," Logan added, tilting his head at him. "But hey, what do I know? I only covered the scum of the earth for a living."
"Oh, c'mon. Josh, you're with me, huh buddy?"
"Logan hunts scum of the earth," Joshua echoed, quickly offering Alec a short pat on the shoulder. "He knows what he's talking about. Right little fella?"
Max turned back to smile at him, her eyes finally lighting up. "Sure, big fella."
"Think I might know a shortcut," Lydecker advised. "There won't be too much traffic on the back roads."
"You came all this way just to find us?"
"I've been watching the news," he admitted. "Bits and pieces, here and there."
"A lot of them got out," she agreed. "Some harmless, some not so harmless. But I guess it goes to show you that if you play with fire, you'll just keep getting burned."
"I've learned from past mistakes, Max. I know it might not seem like it right now, but I have. I wanted what I couldn't possibly achieve, and now that dream is gone."
"You did something good when you abandoned the project though," she added. "We're free now, and that's all that matters."
"And Renfro wanted the goddamn trophy," he said quietly, nearly gritting his teeth.
"She's responsible for Tinga," Max whispered. "You can look at it any way you want, but sooner or later, she had to pay. And believe me, she did."
"So do florists do celebrity functions?" Alec spoke up.
"Huh?"
"C'mon, Max, think about it. If she shows and they're still inviting her to the parties in hopes of rekindling the business, wouldn't it make sense for us to check it out?"
"Yeah, except that doesn't make sense, Alec. She didn't work for them."
"Ever hear of putting in double time? Maybe she was planting devices inside the bouquets of flowers."
"And when people would go to dump them after they died, they'd know they were being bugged." She rolled her eyes. "Didn't you get enough sleep last night?"
"Oh, I tried, but Josh's snoring kept me up. Big guy could wake an entire city."
"Only natural to snore," Joshua added.
"I know it is, man, but you didn't have to be so loud."
"Yeah, and I've still gotta change," Max announced. "Not exactly feeling all that great when I'm covered head to toe in soot here."
"Wouldn't be wise to stop now," Lydecker told her.
"Kind of gathered that by the looks on their faces back there," she agreed.
"But what the hell are they trying to hide?" Logan murmured more to himself, than to her, as he considered trying to get a connection from his laptop again, the possibility of research suddenly overwhelming him.
"Maybe you could get Eyes Only back up and running, put out a message, get their asses on the move."
He looked at her, frowning. "It'd lead them right to you."
"Maybe I'm actually kind of hoping for it now."
"Max, you can't be serious."
"If we're going to try and pull up anymore leads on Sandeman, we're going to need them out of our way, Logan. I know we said it wasn't- look, whatever they want, whatever they think they need, they obviously think we've got it."
"Did it ever occur to you that it might just be you?" he asked her then, his voice almost softer than a whisper.
"I don't-"
"Deck here seems to be thinking along the same lines," he clarified, turning his head toward the older man. "Isn't that right?"
"I tried to tell her that earlier," he sided, his gaze trained on Logan. "Both our lives are on the line now."
"Kill the messenger," Logan surmised. "The one who was put here to save us. They know that's you, Max."
She just stared out the passenger side window, a blank expression taking form over her face, as she calmly folded her hands delicately in her lap, a soft sigh escaping her lips. She knew she could pursue as many leads as she wanted, and someone would always be right behind her. She knew it, and yet she chose to do it, chose to put herself out there and risk everything, because she thought it mattered. She'd defied the rules nearly all her life, and she'd always carried her own agenda- that wouldn't change. It couldn't. It just wasn't her way. She was sick and tired of having to slow down and have the odds play themselves against her, if only because she chose to find out who she truly was, despite the consequences. It was just another battle. A battle she could do without, she reminded herself, as she fought the urge to crumble under the fact that she'd never be a normal woman, leading an all too normal life. She remembered when Logan had pretty much said the very same thing to her, as she had prepared to strip Manticore of its power the night she, Zack, Krit, and Syl had charged onto the very grounds that bred them, determined to put it all of it to an end. "Maybe I don't want it to be me anymore," she said in a small, but concentrated tone. "And maybe this time we'll beat this thing."
Max Guevara slowly opened her brown eyes, straining them against the thin lines of sunshine that drifted in through the cracks of the single window in the cramped room. She let out a single, exhausted breath in response, nonchalently scrunching up her nose at the surroundings in the sparsely furnished room. She'd suddenly remembered exactly where she was, as well as where and why they'd had to improvise and take up shelter the night before. It still shocked her with how long she'd manage to stay conked out, let alone the total number of hours concerning the duration of the trip. It was something she was kind of starting to really get used to. She rolled over on her side, and extended a hand to her left, only to find the spot empty and surprisingly cold, suddenly finding herself on full alert once again. She shot up in the large bed, her fingers tensing slightly on the sheets, roughly clenching the fabric in front of her.