Cambridge, MA

He's too perfect, Max thought, researching her target, as she flipped through the dossier. A teacher, accused of raping his students…never brought to trial. Hmm…nothing about him online. Frowning, she began to search for Robert Mendelson, her instincts telling her something wasn't quite right with the easy set-up of this job. He raped little girls, she thought, studying the FBI case file and got off because his parents were diplomats. Bastard. No one should hurt kids. Smiling, she flipped the folder closed…this one I want to hurt. Not just a kill shot, but hurt.

She sighed, looking up at the ceiling in her loft, maybe it's time to move on from Leah Carson and Quinn Harper. Vanish into the night, I have more than enough to live on for the rest of my life. I can kill only when necessary, to scratch the infernal itch…I can be okay again. Settle down…no, I won't check in on them. Never. Maxine Lacos is dead…they'll never know me.

Chicago

"What?" Kenny said, as he passed Hannah off to his mom. "You found her?'

"We don't know," Jimmy said, filling Kenny in on what the FBI is planning. "They're pretty sure it's her."

"They think she turned herself into an assassin?" he asked flatly. "That she is just going around and doing this for money? What the hell is wrong with her? How much has she made doing this? Does she have any idea…this is what she abandoned our kids for? God damn it, Max."

"Morell wants you to come in on this."

He looked at his bandaged arm and Hannah with his parents. I'm not leaving them like she did. Hannah will never feel what Ella does. Damn it Max. "I'm not leaving. We just put Ella…She's in a school for troubled kids for six months. Outpatient therapy wasn't working anymore. Catch my wife. Lock her up, throw away the key. I don't care about the why anymore. She ruined Ella's childhood and she may have enjoyed her turn into a psychopath, but she's not dragging El down with her."

"He thinks Max will talk to you when they catch her."

"I have nothing to say to her."

"She killed Noah to save your kids. It might be the only way to…we can't save her. She's made her choices. She might have some insight into Ella."

"She's not getting near Ella. I don't care if she finds Jesus, cures cancer, or stops a dozen lunatics like her. She's not getting near my kids ever again. Ella bit me when I left her at the school swallowed my blood and skin. I needed 10 stitches. That's Max's legacy to her. If you catch her, great, we're not a part of this. I need to concentrate on El and Hannah. Good bye, Jimmy."

Cambridge, MA

Max sipped her wine on the patio, nodding along with her girlfriends. Her mind drifting to her upcoming trip, Robert Mendelson, who are you really? "It's going to be an amazing retreat. Guru Patterson is supposed to enlighten and free your soul."

Ciara refilled her glass. "I know. Leah, I brought a surprise for you."

She swirled the wine in her glass, locking down her dark thoughts away from a nice night out with friends. "If it's more wine, that would be fantastic."

"No. I was telling Mark about my amazing friend who hasn't had a date in months," Ciara teased. "Just meet him, please? How long, really, has it been, Lee?"

Max groaned, taking another sip. "I've been busy teaching, traveling, I haven't had time. Really, he's coming tonight?"

"You look great," Ciara said. "He thinks you're gorgeous…I showed him a pic from our last night out."

I need to stop having my picture taken, she thought, catching sight of herself. I don't look like Maxine Lacos anymore with this hair, make up and yoga shed whatever body fat I once had, but…if anyone looked close enough they might. She adjusted her flowing top over tight jeans and made herself relax into Leah again. I do enjoy this hair, she admitted, dark, tousled, and super short. Leah Carson, serene yoga guru. "Okay, I'll meet him. I've had some run ins with creeps lately…he's okay?"

"You'll love him. I promise."

Max smiled at that. Love may be a problem. I can handle the creeps.

Chicago:

"It doesn't matter. She doesn't matter," Kenny said, passing Hannah the box of crayons. "Max made her choice."

"I know," Charlie said, joining his wife and son in the living room. "The two of you spent plenty of time here. We have the best security. She won't hurt these girls, and once Ella is home? We'll do whatever it takes."

Kenny nodded, feeling a familiar twinge of guilt for not saving her. For letting her become this monster. What could have been, he thought, looking at Hannah. I loved her, I still love who she was, who we were together. "Thanks, Dad."

Rome, WI

"I can talk to him," Jill said. "You weren't down in that place. You didn't see Noah in action. Max did awful things, but he was in her head, guiding every step of the way. She's not blameless, she's a vicious killer, but I hope…Maybe she can't be rehabilitated, but we can bring some peace to her mind again. Kenny wants to protect his kids from that, but deep down? He'd still do anything…at least for the Max he knew."

"She's not her anymore."

"I know. She saved me from Noah, so I have to believe there is some sliver of goodness left in her."

Killing criminals, Jimmy thought, that doesn't absolve her. Even if it's Max, we don't know who she'll be when we lock her up.

Chicago: Kenny

"She is deeply disturbed," Dr. Harrison said bluntly, three weeks later. "Dr. Bailey sent me her file, and I've studied her history, Mr. Lacos."

"Kenny, please," He said. "Can you help her? Is she making progress?"

"She is. Her nightmares are horrifying her. Her mother," he said. "She loves her mother very much, and is conflicted about what Noah made her watch her do. She alternately asks for Noah and is terrified of him."

Kenny gulped at that. "What can I do?"

"Does she know that Noah Quinn is dead? She needs to understand about her mother."

"She knows Max, her mother, ran away. We told her it wasn't her fault, that her mom loves her, but…Noah. I hate that bastard. Okay. Whatever she needs to get well. She hasn't…she hasn't bitten or stabbed anyone here?"

"No. Shall we go, Kenny?"

I'm so sorry, El, he thought, we'll make this right.

Chicago: Max

Max smiled at the bartender as she sipped her drink in the Chicago dive bar. Old haunts, she thought, I've been here before. That one night we left Ella with Sarah and Charlie, we cancelled our romantic dinner, to do a pub crawl and spent the entire time making out in bars. Smiling, she sipped her beer and let the memory warm her a bit, when he wasn't an overprotective ass, we did have some fun. Of course, the job is in Chicago…I should have said no, the temptation is too great here.

"Hello, Gorgeous. Buy you a drink?"

"I have one," Max said, smiling slowly at him. "Why don't we finish these ones, and I'll give you what you really want."

He slid into the booth across from her. "I think I like you."

Max drained her beer, feeling reckless and out of control. "I'll be waiting for you."

Chicago: Kenny

"Kenny, we have company," Charlie called, hearing his son come in the backdoor. "How did it go?"

Ella screaming, attacking Dr. Harrison, he thought, sedating her. She wants her mom. Medication, anti-psychotics, she's seven. The FBI setting a trap for Max…no. I won't let Max near her when they find her. "Not great…Ah, crap. Now what?"

"Kenny," Jimmy said, as he and Morell stood up. "You weren't going to take our calls."

"My kid just tried to eat her shrink today. That's my only priority right now."

"She did what?" Charlie asked. "Is she okay?"

"They drugged her. She's getting worse," Kenny said, his heart shattered. "All she keeps screaming for is her mom."

"Who we're here to catch," Morell said. "The sting is set, we're just waiting for her appear."

"Here?" Kenny said. "You're bringing here?"

"Killing a child rapist and being in proximity of her own children? It's too tempting. She's coming. It's who she is killing, Kenny, rapists, pedophiles, which doesn't excuse it. In her twisted way, she's trying to make good with her skill set."

Ella's school is locked down. Mom and Dad have the most secure house in the state. Hannah is safe here. "You think she's here?"

"We haven't seen her yet."

I want to wring her neck. "I want to be there when she's brought in."

Chicago: Max

They're watching him, she thought, noting the unmarked cars by Mendelson's apartment. Do they know what he is? Or is this something else…are they waiting for me? Quinn Harper can't resist a child diddler who is so close to her former children? Kenny, she thought with a smile, are you trying to bring me home? Leaning against the tree, she stretched a bit, blending in with the other joggers around her. Quinn Harper finishes what she starts, she thought, but…he's here. My husband, kids, no, I promised myself never.

"They won't be like me," she said under her breath, fighting her dark thoughts. They need their father and grandparents…not me. I'm not their mother. Kenny…I need to meditate, center myself, I shouldn't be here.