DISCLAIMER: Dark Angel borrowed; as always, no profits realized.

Christmas in July Challenge: Gift for Insane Troll Logic

A/N: Please see Chapter 1 A/N to see the Challenge assigning this story and the requests made by ITL inspiring it.

(Sorry to be delayed in moving this along... at the rate I'm going, by the time I get this done, Christmas in July will be ... er ... Christmas. Or nearly. RL is a wicked stepmother sometimes...)

AS SIMPLE AS THAT

Chapter 4

The downside of leaving the car is leaving the vantage point it provided, Logan grimaced to himself as he pushed along the hard, grassy ground, Bling walking silently at his side. Since his arrival, Logan had been able to keep an eye on Max, even as she folded herself in and around the others in the crowd, always able to find her again as she moved along near the pale-haired Asha...

At least he had until he got out of the car and lost the height he had from the road and the Aztek's higher seat. Now all he saw, as he made his way toward the TV trucks where the media people were gathered, were the backs and shoulders of the nearest wall of activists. He shook off the frustration of not being able to track Max's movements now, reminding himself that not only was she able to watch out for herself, but she was in good hands with the S1W and even Matt's officers on hand, to counteract anything Lydecker might try. He would have to trust that it was enough...

The crowd was still building as a few more cars and trucks arrived, disgorging crowds of pumped up protestors, feeding the energy of those already there. So far, the chanting and movement was insistent but optimistic, as if they were calling for a rock star to come on stage. That won't last, Logan knew; they would need to move fairly soon or risk the crowd taking over. . At least Lief knows that too, and since he's volunteered to lead the group inside, he's in the best position to know when to make that move...

As they neared the trucks, they neared a noisy contingent of women, chanting and waving placards with messages making it apparent that they thought Cindy had been taken as a part of government conspiracy to eradicate the planet of lesbians. At the sound of Bling's chuckle, Logan glanced up to see his trainer grinning in satisfaction as he waved to one of the women. Suspicious, Logan tried, "you knew they were coming – what made them think they're out to get lesbians?"

Bling shrugged, his grin devilish. "Suppose they heard that in Eyes Only's hack?"

Logan's mouth opened a little in his surprise, and he protested, low, for only Bling's ears, "but I was really careful not to say anything that wasn't actually true – Manticore was designing personnel not only for combat, but power over everyone, a private police squad. And there was nothing about lesbians or any one group..."

Bling shrugged, clearly pleased that his 'suggestion' to Rosaria, a colleague at the hospital and one of the currently more vocal women at the head of the group, had been so successful. "Good thing that I wasn't doing an Eyes Only hack, then, just... speculating ... about what was meant," he smirked. "I suppose just as effective might be someone who knew someone with that particular hot button..."

At least their enthusiasm and noise is still positive, Logan noted. Nothing will be accomplished if it just turns ugly and the cops just start busting heads... He finally conceded, "everyone hears what they want to hear from a hack like that, anyway. Even the cops." he nodded toward them.

Logan had also kept an eye on the police presence, far less concerned once he saw that Matt had arrived, too, even though he was flanked by more than a dozen line officers in riot gear. Probably better to have them here for some crowd control, he admitted to himself, and they'd be more ready to react to an attack by Lydecker's people. Even if they were badly mismatched, a response from them might give Max just the extra moment or two to slip away unscathed...

Just as Logan reached the media trucks and the open view they established at one end of the perimeter, he heard a sudden roar from the crowd and his eyes snapped toward the old factory. Two soldiers had taken position on the steps, their rifles prominent, and Lydecker himself now strode out onto the entry's top step. Whatever he was trying to yell to the crowd was immediately drowned out in their response. Logan strained to look through the crowd now for a sign of Lief and the others, hoping they would confront Lydecker quickly and get inside before the crowd decided to take matters into their own hands. "Bling! Do you see Lief or any of the S1W leaders?"

"Not yet, but..."

Bling's words died as both he and Logan saw a shift in the line of police, who until now had merely held position after they'd fanned out along the edges of the growing crowd. The officers started to close in, curling around the far edges of the mass of people now straining forward near the entry, and as they brought their own weapons forward in a more ready position, Matt stepped forward in front of them all, and with his back Lydecker, yelled toward the crowd through a bullhorn.

"Everyone – stand back. We don't want anyone hurt--"

Logan frowned at Matt's sudden intrusion, not getting it. He'd known Matt far too long to suspect a double-cross, but Matt knew about their plan, and this was clearly a pre-emptive move to prevent them from getting inside – wasn't it? Hurriedly, Logan started running through ideas to regroup when a pissed off, nervous Max suddenly crouched at Logan's side.

"What the hell is he doing?" she demanded, in a low hiss.

"I don't know; he knew we were going to try and go in..." Logan saw the anxiety thrumming steadily through her now, and he stalled, "he has to think he's found a better way..."

"I'm going in..." she started to rise again, and Logan's hand shot out quickly to her arm to stop her.

"Just give him a minute," he urged, and felt a lurch in his stomach as he saw the detective turn and walk, alone, up the steps to face Lydecker, unfazed by the crowd or the two soldiers with their rifles now trained on him. At least Max had frozen in place, the unfolding events enough to make her wait. Logan fought to tune out the calls and rumblings all around him and focus on the two men, many yards away, as did Max, who, alone in the crowd, was actually able to hear the two as they spoke...

Matt's attitude was professional and unhurried as he sized up Lydecker. "So what is all this, Mr...?"

"Colonel." Lydecker corrected

"Colonel," Matt repeated with a faint nod, noting the man's unwillingness to offer a name. "Are they right?" he asked, tipping his chin briefly toward the throng. "Do you have a girl in there you're holding against her will?"

"Son, this is a restricted area," Lydecker's words were a sneer. " None of this crowd, not even you, has the authority to be here and..."

Matt interrupted, "the Seattle PD has no record of there being a government facility on this site, 'Colonel.' The papers filed last month with the land purchase, pursuant to local zoning regs, list this as a manufacturing plant for computer hardware. Now – would you like to show me your product line?"

Lydecker's eyes narrowed, immediately, reassessing Matt quickly, and countered, "Trade secrets. And you're on private property."

Matt nodded, and said, evenly, "You might want to make up your mind – decide whether this is government property or private. We have authority to search private property when we have probable cause to believe a felony or felonies have been committed, especially when they are still in the process of being committed on site," Matt's demeanor shifted, ever so slightly, to reveal a steel equal to Lydecker's, "and the federal prosecutor's office has provided us the same authority for Class A government facilities. Now, if you want to try for covert activity protection from a lawful search, you can, but even covert has to be listed with the Seattle PD under a special code. Check with your superiors if you don't believe me. And this site, Colonel, is not so listed."

Lydecker gave almost nothing away, but the little twitch in his jaw had always been a weakness of his. Across the grassy yard, Max's breath caught in sudden hope...

"Why don't you just leave, and take all of this human waste with you?" Lydecker's face took on a sudden, vicious smile as his words snarled vitriol. "No harm, no foul..."

"...no deal," Matt finished smoothly. "Looks like this is another case of 'the one with the most toys wins.' And at this particular moment – whether it's 'human waste,' or curious TV reporters, or even some dirty little secret in there you need to keep hidden from us poor dumb taxpayers – I seem to have the most toys. And it just so happens that Original Cindy is a friend of mine." Matt's cold smile grew slowly with his words. "So do you want to let some of these people inside to get her, or will you just bring her out here yourself?"

From where he sat, Logan could make out some of the facial expressions on the men, but could hear nothing of their conversation – Matt seemed unflappable, and Lydecker didn't look any happier as their conversation went on. Logan glanced to Max for a sign that she could hear them. Moments ago she had reacted, but just that once, and she hadn't said or done anything since. Now, though, Logan noted with some surprise that her face had lightened, slightly, her eyebrows raising in hope and surprise. Her lips parted as if to speak, but frozen as she waited, anticipating more.

Movement on the steps brought his full attention back to the men at the factory entry and Logan saw that Lydecker had suddenly turned to bark an order at the pair of guards behind him. One then disappeared inside. At that, Max turned to him suddenly, and she smiled in disbelief and nodded quickly, almost too subtly to be seen, and, without more, dashed off back into the crowd. Logan blinked, uncertain, but trusting that if Max was satisfied, Matt had gotten them over some hurdle. He relaxed a little, not sure what was coming next, but sensing that Mat might have made things a little easier for them.

It turned out that was an understatement.

It was almost anti-climatic: Matt stood by as they waited, in his professional mien not showing his own mistrust that things would be this easy. The more readily he gives up Cindy, the more he has to hide in there. What the hell are they up to? he found himself wondering. Another matter of Cindy being involved, again as a means to an end, with Max as the target ... Another shadowy, ultra-military outfit sniffing around Seattle with an unhealthy interest in Max? I sure hope Logan knows what he's doing, letting Max get so close ... the man's so smitten with her, can he even see straight, when it comes to Max?

Matt's hope for Logan's wisdom became stronger when, as simple as that, the soldier appeared with Cindy, who was wobbly, but moving more under her own power than not...

She clearly had no idea about what was going on; the apprehensive look on her face as she was shoved outside shifted first to confusion at the wall of noise that went up at her appearance, and then to relief and sheer joy at seeing Matt's familiar face. "Oh, sugah, Original Cindy has never been so happy to see the po-po in her life," she beamed, crossing straight over to him where he caught her in a one-armed hug of reassurance and physical support, still keeping his eye on Lydecker.

"Let's get you out of here," he smiled, and started to walk her toward the steps.

"Hold up just one minute," Cindy stopped, and, taking a deep breath, crossed the few feet back between her and Lydecker to face the Colonel dead on, her own eyes seething in anger at him, her voice deadly calm. "I guess I was wrong, Don – you did let me just stroll out the front door." Matt could only wonder at what could have been said between the two since her capture. "And Original Cindy appreciates all you've done for her, too, now, as well as for Max." She wavered another moment to let her point sink in, then, turning her back on him in dismissal, returned to Matt for his arm. Without more, they walked down the steps...

As if choreographed, one of the officers broke out of the line to meet Cindy and Matt, and quickly whisked Cindy into a waiting patrol car, ready to get on the road back to town before the crush of people slowed their progress. As Cindy disappeared with the officer, Matt turned back to the crowd, especially toward the reporters, and suggested, "Ms. McEachin will be fine – everything is over for today. Let's leave them now, folks; they said this is private property..."

"You can't let them get away with kidnapping!" A voice called.

"Is it over? Or is this a government facility like they said?" Another yelled.

One of the TV reporters, microphone extended toward Lydecker, walked toward the steps. "Sir, are you in charge out here?' Matt gently stopped his progress – but only after he made it to the bottom step. With a wry smile, Matt stood back to watch for the moment, unconcerned now about the growing insistence in the crowd around him.

More voices added to the questions pummeling Lydecker: "Is it true she didn't do anything? Why were you holding her?"

"Are you CIA? FBI? NSA?"

Matt turned away from Lydecker and, half smiling to himself, walked away, back toward his men.

"How do we know there aren't others inside? What are you doing to people in there?" Someone insisted.

Along with the other media people, Logan had moved forward toward the steps, his movement more in fascination with what was happening than anything else. Max had worked her way back into the relative anonymity she'd found with the small band of S1W to watch Cindy's rescue. But just as she'd been ready to follow her friend back to town she saw Logan moving closer in, defying the beast. Damn it, Logan, what are you doing? her thoughts yelled at him. Cindy's out! Why are you running back into a burning building?

Max stared at Logan as he stared at Lydecker, the Colonel silently scanning the crowd, making no move to respond to its demands for answers. Suddenly, his eyes lighting in recognition, Lydecker found Logan in the crowd. Unseen by either man as their eyes met, each staring back at the other defiantly, Max watched the stand-off as a new thread of nervousness grew. She shifted to move a little further behind two S1W members adding their voices to the crowd. Logan, don't go neanderthal on me! Playing 'chicken' with Lydecker is about as stupid a thing as you could do right now...

Lydecker now seemed to ignore all the others around them as his look stayed fixed on Logan, clearly believing he'd found the instigator for this mob attack on Manticore. In response, Logan's stare bore into Lydecker's. As the voices around them became more insistent, Lydecker's gaze finally flickered, and he involuntarily glanced at the throng of angry civilians, wanting a response. As Lydecker looked back to Logan, Max saw Logan's expression shift slightly and, with an intensity commanding enough to rival any Max had seen from Lydecker himself, she saw Logan lift an eyebrow and mouth silently to the Colonel, "No comment."

There was only the barest hesitation before Lydecker spoke. "No comment," the Colonel announced to the waiting crowd. "A statement will be released in the morning."

Matt, now also watching Logan, from the police line, took his cue from there. "You heard the man, people," he announced again with his bullhorn. "Ms. McEachin was released, now let's leave the property. The Commissioner and DA's office have already begun their investigation into this facility, and I promise you all there will be oversight if this facility plans to continue its operation here in Seattle." With his words, the line of police subtly and skillfully began moving toward the crowd, gently pressing them back, as the S1W activists fell away on their own, and the other more militant protestors took their cue from them.

Max's eyes widened as she barely noted the flurry of questions and goads for information that followed Matt's announcement, mainly those of the press sensing their time on the scene was ending. Why didn't we think of this before? she marveled, just go up to the schoolyard bully and call him on it? Admittedly, she was nearly as surprised to see Logan let Lydecker squirm out of it, help him out of it, even, when without much more prodding, the group would have been ready to tar and feather the bastard...

Max glared at Logan from across the grounds, willing him to turn her way, knowing he'd be wondering where she was, now that things were over. Just as she predicted, Logan had begun fading back through the crowd of media types as they were gently herded toward the back gates, and had turned toward where he'd last seen her, scanning the crowd. With a small shift in position she came around to the other side of a small knot of people, where he saw her and made his way over. Logan had seen Max's eyes burning in question, almost accusative, and he grimaced. She saw me tell Lydecker to back off, he reflected. Bet she's pretty pissed I helped him bail.

Max waited for Logan come back to the edge of the crowd, still amazed at what he'd been able to pull off so readily, but made crazy to know why he let Lydecker skate, once he'd arranged everything to out him once and for all. There's no one I trust more than I do this man, she reminded herself as he approached. But oh, Logan, you'd better have a good reason for this one...

To her surprise, Logan merely smiled privately, for her, and nodded her toward the road, speaking immediately. "Max, get on out of here while it's still disorganized. Matt's guys already have Cindy on her way back to town and away from all the reporters. I bet if you head to Matt's precinct you can pick Cindy up there – or get one of the officers to drive her home if she's not up for a ride on your bike. I'm going to find Matt and let him know you'll be there."

"Logan –" She blinked, remembering everything Logan had just accomplished – and why. Even with what he'd just done, she felt some sudden guilt for doubting him and a big rush of pride for how readily he'd beaten Lydecker. Still hoping he'd be able to explain his actions that would somehow make sense, for now, she relaxed into an honest smile of gratitude. "Thank you."

"Go on Max," he urged. " I'll see you later."

"You're okay out here?"

He finally smiled, and shrugged, "I've got Bling, Matt, S1W, all the media people I still talk to on occasion ... yeah, I'll manage."

She considered him for a moment before, with a final nod, she sprinted off silently toward her bike, hidden off the road. Logan watched her for only a moment, until she disappeared into the surrounding bushes and other vegetation left to help obscure the view of the facility. Losing no time, he pivoted to cross back toward the police vehicles, hoping to catch Matt, now away from the media types, before he and the others headed back. Logan saw Matt talking to the senior line officer as they continued to unobtrusively herd the now-disbursing crowd toward the gate and the road, and he deftly came around the long way, behind a couple of the larger TV trucks, so his approaching Sung wouldn't be quite so obvious to all those with cameras and a hunger for more information.

Matt had turned to head out toward his own vehicle. "Matt!" Logan called, pushing hard behind him to match the man's quick stride.

As Sung heard the familiar voice, he turned, and smiled easily, as if it had been a Little League game or a cook-out, and not a face off with a secret government kidnapper. "Hey, Logan," he offered.

"Matt, look, I ..." Logan offered his hand, still so taken with this friend's ready save he wasn't quite ready with his usual glib response. "... thank you. With everything going on, here – well, it was perfect, what you did."

"Negotiation skills 101. Part of the job," Sung minimized, but his eyes sparkled with the knowledge that he'd hit all the right buttons this time. It always felt good when things went smoothly.

"Yeah, but ... look, I've run into this guy before. He's the current poster boy for evil on earth. If you only knew how well you played this..." At Matt's shrug, still downplaying his success, Logan added, "all of your guys being here helped more than you know."

Matt grinned conspiratorially. "Actually, I owe you the thanks, for whatever this is – aligning the Seattle PD against the Feds, on the same side as the S1W, Eyes Only and all the rest of this crowd, just bought the Department more goodwill than we've had in a long time. For once we were seen as one of the good guys."

Logan looked surprised for a moment, but immediately saw Matt's point, and he slowly shifted into a grin. "Even better. But joining in isn't going to cause you problems downtown?"

"Logan, everyone above me in the chain of command, Commissioner on down, has been out in the line at one time or another. And anyone who's been a city cop for more than six months has had their toes stepped on by the Feds, cherry-picking cases, messing up a bust, stealing the credit – something. I suspect that the feelings toward our federal cousins will take the edge off any problem they might have with me."

Logan's grin settled in higher. "Glad to hear it. Thanks again, Matt," he offered, as Matt turned to move out with the rest of the police officers. Logan watched him leave, unmoving for the moment, as he considered again how everything had just fallen into place. Bling ambled up beside him. Eyebrow raised, Logan looked up at his therapist to drawl, "I wondered if you'd gotten lost."

Bling grinned, hearing amid his words Logan's eternal complaint that he was a mother hen in situations like this. "Just gettin' your back. Put a rear-view mirror on your chair, you can keep a better eye on me." The reaction of consternation was just the one he expected to see, and he smirked in success at the look. "You ready to head back?"

"I think our work here is done." As they headed out to the Aztek, Logan glanced up to Bling and asked, "do you think Cindy looked alright? She looked a little unsteady up there."

"Hard to tell that far away, but I think she's alright. I can take a look at her, if she'll let me, or we could get her into the clinic and see..."

"Thanks, Bling."

"You did good work today, Logan," Bling observed. "Calling out the devil. He sure wasn't expecting that."

"Maybe it was overkill," Logan post-mortemed. "Like swatting a fly with a grenade ."

"Lydecker's no fly," Bling opined. "You probably did need that grenade launcher." He frowned a little to add, "I saw that look he gave you. He knows it was your grenade launcher that did all this. I suspect you're on his list now."

Logan snorted as he opened the door to his car. "I've been on his list for a while, I think. Maybe this all will make it harder for him to do anything about it."

"We can hope." Bling took a last look at the protestors as they wandered back to their lives, apparently pleased that their little show of anarchy had seemingly done some good for Seattle and the woman held captive. As he climbed into the passenger seat, he considered what the afternoon might have brought for Logan. "What now?" he asked.

"Max is going to the police station to get Cindy. I suspect she'll want to spend the evening with her."

"And you?"

"Home. Work." Logan shrugged, then grinned. "Catch all this again on the 6 o'clock news?"

Bling nodded, and added slyly, "something to go with those reps you were supposed to be doing about now. What'd'ya think?"

Logan started the car, rolling his eyes with a long-suffering snort. "I suppose, if you insist."

"Like it's all about me."

"Like it's not."

Bling smiled softly, letting him yet again have the last word...

...to be continued...