"Got the location." Zack points out to a place on the map. It's an hour away and it's the only place that has buildings, so this has got to be the place where Lydecker is.
Logan pulls up a satellite image and it reveals a building with about 5 floors. "It looks like it has been abandoned for quite some time."
"Has Lydecker written all over it." Zack notes. "Let's go."
"Wait."
As Zack is about to go get the guns he is hiding away on the roof, Brin stops him in his tracks.
"Have you really become that naive? Do you really think that it is that easy to find Lydecker?" Brin's tone has a hint of criticism to it. "This is the man who taught us how to escape and evade and it is because of his training back at Manticore that we weren't captured for over 10 years. Do we really think that it'll be that easy to find him?"
"He is the man that taught you how to cover up your tracks." Logan notes after thinking about what Brin is saying.
Zack was about to say something when he remains silent and thinks about it. He was just about to say that Lydecker was concerned about Max that day when she was having that bad seizure and he would not have bothered to cover up his tracks, he just wanted to get here as soon as possible. So they can work on an hour…but if that is so, if Lydecker does care for Max like that, then this entire witch hunt is a sham. But then again on the other hand, what if Lydecker was just concerned about losing the one soldier that he has gotten on his side? The one soldier he had managed to recover and gain her trust?
A knock on the door draws their attention and they all almost jump around to find Tinga standing in the doorway of Logan's office.
"What's going on?" Tinga asks as she can see that something is going down here. "Never mind that." Before she gets an answer, Tinga dismisses the question and then steps into the office.
Everyone is intently looking at Tinga as she takes out a glass vial, a lab vial, and holds it up.
"What's that?" Logan asks.
"Is that hair?" Zack's questions as he leans a bit closer to see.
Tinga then takes out another vial.
"Lydecker's hair." Tinga declares as she puts the vial down on the desk. When they were moving Lydecker from White's base to that abandoned building, he was unconscious and who is going to know if he missed a hair strand or two?
"Max's hair." Tinga declares as she puts the other vial on the desk also. She got that from Max's hair brush.
"The DNA results." Tinga declares with emphasis as she takes out a paper and drops it in between the two vials with hair.
Between Logan and Zack they try to see who can grab it first but as Logan is the one sitting at the desk, he beats the X5 to it.
Logan looks up from the paper. "It's not a match."
An eerie cold feeling drops over the room.
He has been lying...
Max is cruising through the winding roads as she is heading back. Lydecker had convinced her to go and face everyone because 'the sooner you face it, the sooner it'll be sorted'.
She notes to herself that it is far more fun going down this road on her bike. Currently she is stuck with the car that she jacked and it is her only form of transportation. She'll dump the car just outside of the city limits when she gets there.
Max thinks back to when she woke up. Well when she was woken up by that dream she's had quite a few times now. The first time it happened she wasn't sure if it was an illusion or a dream or what. But she has been dreaming about it ever since every once in a while.
It's about that night when she got shot in the woods outside of Manticore. She was fighting an X7 and she won. She then returned to the van with everyone else. Everything was good, they were free and they were celebrating but then there was blood and then the next moment she was standing in front of the x7 again with a gun pointed to her and then she started falling over backwards.
But this time the dream felt different, it was like her senses has been heightened. She wonders if the visual components she was watching had anything to do with it.
She remembers when she was shot – she didn't even know that she was shot. But she remembers having this dream for that fleeting moment. A dream that they got out safely after bombing the DNA lab and they were at her favorite hang out with all her friends, Sketchy, OC, the others from Jam Pony, with Syl, Krit, Zack, Logan, playing pool, having drinks, making friends. They were celebrating that they no longer had to run, Manticore was gone for good. There was no need to split up and keep moving in enemy territory no more. They could just live, they were free. Zack was smiling and not so on edge, OC and Sketchy were bonding with her siblings. Everything was perfect.
But there is one part of that dream that has been stuck in her mind… Lydecker was there too. This was after she was disgusted with him about the whole keeping a part of his wife alive in her. It was long before she even knew that she would one day be on good terms with him like they currently are. She remembers in her dream him being there, in her hang out, with her friends, in her safe place. She called him her friend, in front of Zack and everything was good. She remembers smiling, she remembers Lydecker smiling, she was happy that he was there, he was happy to be there. She asked the bartender for another glass of water for him, almost like she was helping him stay away from alcohol. Just like when she emptied out his bottles of alcohol into the drain…
Clearly, somewhere in her subconscious she had thought of Lydecker as something else other than an enemy. And apparently she wanted it to be true of all of them, Zack, Syl, Krit and Logan.
Even though this was the man that they ran from, that she ran from. Ran away from Manticore and then ran away from being captured for years to follow…why would her subconscious place him there, in her safe place, closer to her in such a personal way…why would she think so of him?
She remembers that day when Logan told her about Lydecker's car that has been pulled out of a river.
"He's dead?" She asked with a hint of loss in her tone. She felt like she had lost something.
"They never found a body. The police say no one could've survived the crash." Logan answered.
Max rolled her eyes. "They don't know Lydecker." It was almost like she trusted him to be alive still. For some reason she was hoping that he was still alive.
"You sound like you're almost hopefully." Logan clearly caught it.
"Yeah well, you spend 10 years of your life running from someone, you kinda miss not having them around." Max used that as an excuse but it wasn't that. It was after finding out about Lydecker 'keeping a part of his wife alive in her', that for some reason made her feel like she was important to him, 'special' to him, and that made her feel like she had a special connection with him…in a family-kinda way.
"At least you still have White." Logan sarcastically commented.
"Good old Ames. Somehow it's not the same with him." Of course it's not the same with White. No matter what had happened at Manticore. No matter what Lydecker had done to them as kids, she had to admit that Lydecker truly did care for them in some twisted way or another. He called them his kids, in front of everyone. Everybody knew that they were his kids and they all knew that he was touchy about them. He cared, White didn't.
And then later when she found the burial site, - it was the same as the pictures that they found in the wreck of Lydecker's car.
"You don't think that he's behind all this?" Before Max realized, the words was said with clear disappointed attached to them. She felt such disappointment at the thought of Lydecker being involved.
Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she had somehow grown attached to him…
Max sighs as she turns her thoughts back to Zack, Logan, Brin and Tinga. Now to go face them.
Max wonders since when did she ever answer to anyone? She has always done what she liked, especially when it came to Zack. She always stood him up and kept on doing what she wanted, where she wanted and with whom she wanted. Then why is she so on edge about this?
Probably because it has to do with Lydecker.
The one person on this planet that haunts their dreams. The one person on this planet that they hate with a passion and probably want to kill. The one person on this planet that made their lives hell and the person that has been hunting them down to put them back into a cage for over 10 years. The person who is indeed shady and definitely dangerous. The person who has a twisted sense of survival and lacks compassion. The person who takes names, shoots first and does not even care to ask questions.
But not with her.
It's not like that with her.
But that's because she is family.
And she doesn't expect them to understand.
The only challenge is going to be to get them off her back about it…
"He probably took a detour somewhere." Tinga adds as she is standing with the others around the map.
"There's nothing out in this area." Logan points out as he has been going over satellite images.
"For all that we know he is right around the corner. He is sly like that." Brin notes as she is thinking to herself that Lydecker can just about be anywhere. She has absolutely no hope of them finding him but she doesn't even try to convince the others of it. They don't know him like she does.
The next moment their hearts all take a leap.
"I come bearing gifts." Max's chirpy voice rings out from the front door. "Well just pizza actually."
Max had decided to announce her arrival to whoever is in Logan's penthouse. Luckily it's only Logan but she knows better. That's why she has brought three pizzas with.
The four of them straighten up from leaning over the table with the map and they glance at each other. Clearly there is nothing to worry about as Max is back and she sounds like herself. Only thing now is…do they pretend like nothing is going on?
Logan quickly removes the map from the table.
Okay, so they are pretending…
"Max, where have you been?" Zack is on Max as soon as she gets into the living room with the boxes of pizza in hand.
Okay, they are not pretending…
"I have been out playing tennis." Max sarcastically throws back as she sticks the pizzas into Logan's hands and then enters the kitchen.
Okay, so they are pretending…
"Max, I am being serious." Zack's tone has already given that away.
"Zack, what difference does it make where I have been. I'm here now." Max gives him attitude as she brings out sauces for the pizzas. Isn't it obvious to them that she has been hanging around Lydecker? Are they thick or are they looking for a fight?
"Max." Before anyone else can say something, Brin's quiet voice draws their attention.
"We need to talk." Brin's voice is calm and soft but serious.
Okay, no more pretending…
Max turns to look at Brin. She has a friendly yet concerned expression. That together with her soft voice, Max is actually willing to talk. Zack is the one that is going to turn it into a fight, he always turns it into a fight.
Brin then proceeds to hold out a paper to her.
"What's that?" Max questions as she carefully takes the paper from Brin.
Everyone in the room clearly catches that Brin cares very much for Max and she knows that this will hurt her. But she must know the truth.
Max looks at the paper and frowns.
"DNA results." Brin has taken the lead in this conversation now. It's like she is the only one now equipped to deal with this.
Before Max can ask whose DNA results…
"Yours and Lydecker's." Brin's voice still calm and soft.
Max has already seen that the DNA's are not a match, so she doesn't need to look at the paper again. Instead, she pulls a puzzled expression as she watches them.
"You thought that we were actually related?" Max's tone has a slight dose of disbelief to it.
Those words catches them all off guard.
Wait…
What?
Huh?
They are all confused for a moment until the silence is suddenly broken.
"Max!" The cheerful voice of Tinga's son breaks the tension.
"Chase!" Max answers cheerfully also as she bends down and catches the boy who has run up to her. Besides Tinga and her husband, she is the only one who he does it with. Brin is far too silent and Zack and kids is a no-no.
"Hey everyone." Charlie walks in a moment later.
No one ever knocks…
Everyone is eating their pizza as they are wracking their brains trying to wrap it around the unexpected turn of events. But with Charlie and Chase there, they are back to pretending that nothing is going on.
"Where are you going?" Logan asks as Max had pulled her jacket on.
"I better get back to work. Normal is probably having a baby by now. See you all later." With that Max disappears from sight before anyone else can say something.
Zack has an urge to jump up and run after Max but he currently has no game plan, so he remains seated across from Charlie. The two of them still has not exactly warmed up to each other but they can pretend that's fine also.
As Max closes Logan's door behind her, she feels like running and she physically has to restrain herself from breaking out into a sprint.
Where the heck did they get DNA samples from? Dammit! Can they not just mind their own damn business? Why can't they just accept the situation with Lydecker the way it is? Why do they have to scratch?
Panic starts rising in Max. They are getting closer to the truth and the truth about how she is connected to Lydecker can never see the light of day.
If they are being this unaccepting of Lydecker at this moment, wait until they know the truth. The situation can only go to hell from here on out but she's not planning on letting that happen. So she is going to come up with a game plan and a good one at that. And that means that Lydecker and herself better get their stories straight.
After swinging by Jam Pony and pulling Normal her soft, sweet, completely innocent face, she then went past her apartment to pick up some stuff and her bike.
"What's there to smile about?" Max tone is full on disbelief as she looks at Lydecker.
After telling him the whole story about how Logan, Zack, Tinga and Brin ganged up on her with a paper with DNA results, their DNA, and how they do not match…Lydecker's response was to have a slight smile on his face.
"There's plenty to smile about." Lydecker's tone seems to say that he is impressed and that he was expecting it. "Just like I've taught them."
Max silently watches him. The whole 'being raised as soldiers at Manticore' is a sensitive issue and it's best to stray away from it but clearly Lydecker isn't planning on it as he keeps on bringing it up.
"Never take any…" Lydecker's tone changes to commander mode but then before he can continue, Max cuts him off.
"Never take anything at face value. Always look underneath the underneath." Max parrots out the words that Lydecker taught them as kids when they were being taught about evaluating possible situations and circumstances.
"They are doing exactly what they were taught to do." Instead of being alarmed like Max about them getting hot on the trail of truth, Lydecker sounds happily impressed.
"Never mind." Max rolls her eyes, clearly she's not happy about his response.
As Max walks past Lydecker where he is leaning against the kitchen counter, Lydecker takes hold of her arm and then pulls her back and positions her in front of him, he then crosses his arms again.
"Max, they are not doing this to hurt you. They are doing this because they care about you." Lydecker's tone changes to a soft, caring one.
Max pulls a face that says, I know but it's annoying.
"If some shady guy came along and claimed to be your father, I'd be very unhappy if they didn't get involved." His tone clearly tells that he'd be upset if such a thing were to happen.
There's a pause of silence.
"And because of our history and who they know me to be…" Lydecker's tone changes slightly to a dark one with those words.
"I'm glad that they are getting involved." His tone then suddenly changes to a relieved tone.
"What if I had some dark intentions? - What they certainly believe that I do." He knows they don't trust him. "What if they didn't get involved and you were actually in danger?" Lydecker gives a slight pause. "They care for you Max, that's why they can't leave it alone." His tone is still soft.
"They are not the enemy." Lydecker adds.
"I know." Max's tone is soft and understanding as she reaches out and places her arms around Lydecker in a hug. "But they think that you are the enemy." She places her head on Lydecker's shoulder.
"And I don't blame them for that." Lydecker understands why they are hostile towards him.
Max keeps her arms in a loose hug as she keeps his broken rib in mind. She doesn't even know on which side it is. But Lydecker on the other hand either doesn't feel any pain or he doesn't care about the pain as he tightens his grip on Max as he pulls her into a firm hug. He then brings up his one hand and strokes the back of her head in a comforting manner.
"But…" Lydecker's tone turns serious. "They can never know the truth." He whispers as if someone might hear it.
"O heck no, and they sure as hell ain't gonna hear it from me." Max agrees, they can never find out about what is really going on. If they knew about what connects her to Lydecker and his wife, they will do everything to keep them apart because that is creepy and it does make Lydecker a psycho who got into gene-splicing.
Max pulls out of the hug. "That's why we need to come up with a story and a good one at that."
"Hm." Lydecker gives a slight snort. "It doesn't matter how good the story is, they will never be comfortable with it."
That's true, that's very true…
Zack, Brin and Tinga are standing around Logan's computer as he pulls up the files he found of Lydecker's deceased wife.
When they first concluded that Lydecker is Max's father, they wondered if Max knew. Now that they have evidence that Lydecker is not her father, it appears that Max is completely aware that they are not related.
"You thought that we were actually related?"
Zack recalls Max's words. Now if that is so, then why was Lydecker calling Max his daughter right in front of him and Max?
Is both Lydecker and Max lying to them?
So here they are trying to figure out what is going on as they are sort of back to square one.
"There is a definite resemblance." Tinga notes as they are studying the photo of Lydecker's deceased wife.
"The face, the skin tone, the eyes, even the hair." Tinga speaks about the similarities between the photo of Lydecker's wife and Max.
"If Max is her daughter, then we all know what that means right?" Zack's tone is back to default accusation mode.
"It would mean that Lydecker used his own wife for experimentation to breed a genetically engineered soldier." Brin softly speaks. She was not ignorant of the things that happened when she was back at Manticore. She knows what happened in those labs.
"That is sick." Tinga's tone is laced with disgust.
Logan is not sure what to think of the situation. Sure Lydecker is dangerous but he cannot possible think such a thing of him. He cannot think that Lydecker would do such a thing to his own wife. He does seemed to have loved her very much.
That night when they were in that warehouse getting ready to take down the DNA lab. They were both sitting in the van…
"You must be pumped about tonight…this is what they were made to do right…" Logan stated to Lydecker.
"It's very gratifying watching kids realize their purpose in life." Lydecker answered.
"Do you have any idea how twisted that is?" Logan got a look at how twisted Lydecker's mind was that night.
"How about you? Why are you here? It's not your fight." Lydecker suddenly turned the tables. "But neither was the attack on the genetics conference…I remember you."
"It's all about her…you're in love with her."
Logan froze, that was not exactly the person he wanted to confess his deepest secrets to.
"May I have the screw driver, please." Logan tried to change the subject but then a moment later, Lydecker leaned forward and gave him a gentle push on his shoulder.
"I understand."
There was something in his voice that told him that Lydecker knows what you are willing to do for the woman that you love.
…but Logan can't help but wonder…
…when his wife died, it was just around the time when he became the director of Manticore…
And no person who goes to oversee a project like that can be sane in their minds.
TBC...
Max got shot in Season 1 ep 21.
Max had the dream about having Lydecker as a friend in her hangout drinking water also in Season 1 ep 21.
They discover Lydecker's car pulled out of the river and thought he was dead in Season 2 ep 9 'Medium is the message'.
Logan and Lydecker was talking in the van in season 1 ep 21 also.
Thanks for reading:) Reviews are welcome...