Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel. I do own possibly ninety percent of the merchandize they released for it. This story has been a fun ride and this is the second last chapter so let's answer the big question from the last chapter and get on with the story.
And if anyone doesn't realize what the big twist is yet, it's the chapter title.
Warnings: Character Deaths, Violence.
Chapter Twenty One
The Escape of May '21
The X5 Reunion - Las Vegas, Nevada
'This is the contact number- codeword Eva at the prearranged meeting point at the Saratoga- the room's set. No chatter to the fearless leader. Over and out'
Zane almost felt bad for conning his neighbor into loaning him her car. Almost- but then the blonde had insisted on coming along- saying she needed the vacation. She only let him drive because she talked so much. He had needed a different car than his own in case he needed to make a quick getaway- he liked his restored mustang too much to turf it.
He quickly glanced back to his younger sister who was doing a pretty good imitation of Zack. Like Jack, Rae had a few more wires than the others did loose- which made her seize most of the time and under threat of a neurological stroke. So when she seized- the neighbor nicknamed in his head Ditzy had asked if his sister was a 'special needs'… regardless, it had not gone down well.
"Just here" Zane said pointing to the casino in question. "I'd invite you but it's a family reunion, as in family only"
Ditzy looked confused and Zane took the chance to get out, his sister got out a moment later.
"Are you ever going to speak to me again?" Zane asked.
"Depends if Lydecker captures me and erases the last two days from my mind" Rae replied and the scathing undertone was not undeserved. It had been the road trip from hell staring Ditzy as Satan, the woman temporarily filling in for Lydecker.
But it still burned. Zane smiled in relief when he saw Krit and Syl at the desk pulling their 'couple' act. Those two were close- but not in the naughty way. Ever since the escape the two had only lived about fifty miles apart and broke Zack's no contact rule constantly.
He waved over at them and Syl smiled back, she looked excited. Truth was that even if Zane had no idea why Jondy had called this illicit meet, he was glad to be here. He felt more at home with the others than with any of the strangers that filled his life.
But as Zane watched Ben- no his twin, 'Alec' talking to Vada, it reminded Zane of who wasn't here.
Seth and Tinga were dead and then there were the siblings trapped in Manticore. Max, Kavi, Ben and even if the only time Zane had met Logan Cale was the cable hack- he counted him as part of the family along with Charlie Smith and Case. Not just for the Eyes Only save, but because he knew what Max was and still wanted her. Zane had been close with someone normal once, Kiesha. He had told her the truth and she couldn't run fast enough.
"Hey"
Zane turned around and Brin was right there behind him. He nodded, and tried not to show how much her being here and not one of them meant to him. It felt wrong to want one of his sisters but with Brin it had been different and she had even felt the same way. And now Brin didn't even meet his eye. Zane's only consolation was that sometime down the road- Lydecker would find out about this meeting and hopefully cry like a baby at missing the entire unit.
The last time, in memory that Asha could recall the others looking shocked like this was when Lydecker had shot Eva the night of the escape. She knew it was going to be hard to sway them, hell even she wasn't so sure on this one. But something was telling her that this was what they had to do. They were all sitting in the conference room that had been set aside and all it had taken was a thick wad of cash that she hadn't wanted to know how Alec had gotten his hands on.
Krit was the first one to speak. "The last time we broke in Manticore, the mission failed and that was without trusting them- no offense Alec, but this is insane"
"Insane" Vada bit her lip, "How about instead we all march up to the gate, wave and sit down with our legs crossed. I'm sure it's the easier way to hand all of us over to Lydecker"
Alec almost could put Kiron and Cece in the two siblings places because that was the dynamic that he was picking up. Maybe it was just a family thing or maybe it was just a Manticore thing. He cleared his throat. "I know it's hard to swallow but they really want out"
Across the table Rae who was sitting next to Brin laughed. "Yeah, you know whoever 297 is when they were trying to bring me in said that it'd be a waste of Manticore's time and instead of reindoctrination I should be dissembled" she held up her shaking hand. "Because I'm so defective, no wait- he said all of us because we are a stain that needs to be removed"
Quinn. Alec wondered if he would try and report to Lydecker on the plan… no that would mean hurting the unit and Quinn never put his personal feelings before their unit. But whether his younger brother would escape or not- that was a different matter entirely.
"If this went sideways like the attempt on the DNA lab we could lose everything, say we deal with the X7s- there are still the other soldiers who aren't us, and aren't your unit Di- Alec" Syl said, correcting herself. "They'd think nothing less of getting into it"
Krit nodded. "And we would be counting on your unit to disable the choppers and lock down the cells- and we barely trust you."
"You want to get into it?" Alec demanded, his hands curling into fists. "Because if they said they'll come through, that's what they're going to do!"
Asha felt like banging her head into the table when Vada sneered and muttered something about oversimplified brain cells. What had she been thinking- that somehow, someway they could all come to an agreement?
"We should do it" Zane had spoken softly but everyone stopped and looked at him. "We are the enemy, they are- what were they twelve years ago?"
Vada looked uncomfortable. "Our brothers and sisters, but then-"
"Then we escaped and they didn't" Brin hadn't wanted to come. To look them all in the eye and them knowing everything that had happened. That Tinga's death had been on her hands. She was the reminder of what they were scared would happen if they were recaptured. But Brin knew she was the one who could understand the most about this chance. "And they hate us for it- we left them behind, not just Jace and the others of our own unit but the other X5 units. The ones we tagged teamed with and the ones who were always left in the dust next to us… we lived the dream and they paid the price"
Syl smiled sadly. "They're right to hate us- I mean we got them thrown in Psy Ops, we got them simplified- they couldn't hurt us so they hurt them"
"I felt guilty after the escape" Asha admitted, and she felt shame that on some level she was scared of being Jondy and being attached to everyone in the room. "I had this great family, I could grow my hair, and sometimes all I could think about was that our brothers and sisters were trapped inside Manticore"
Krit looked at her. "It's really short now"
"Long hair gets caught places and it's a pain to wash"
Zane looked at Alec and then at his family. "We owe them and if Alec's unit wants out we have to help them do it- I mean this could have been us. Imagine if they had escaped instead, it was more likely than us"
Brin finally met him in the eye. "We were Lydecker's unit- he was harder on us than any other unit in Manticore, we were lucky we were able to want to get of there and until now there hasn't been another…family who wanted the same that we did"
"Okay, okay" Vada groaned, "All in favor of kissing our transgenics asses good bye on this suicide mission- raise your hand like first graders" She raised her hand first and then Krit's hand edged up. Brin did a mock salute with her middle finger and raised hers, followed by Syl and Rae.
Alec raised his quickly and noted how Asha hesitated and then raised hers. Zane grinned as he waved his hand in the air and the door opened. Caught.
"Who told?" asked Syl.
Asha shrugged. "I think he just found the message, I mean the whole point was to beat him here and talk- seems we finished just in time"
Zack was very talented at being a blank slate. He also seemed to have a temper that often proved to be the type of hindrance he lectured them all over on.
He didn't look happy now and Asha knew he was itching to yell at them. "Don't tell me you actually told the others 846's bull about wanting out- Max was obviously compromised"
"After what- a month of Psy Ops?" Asha asked, knowing at this point sugar coating it would do more harm than good.
"So what, you are going to 'storm' in?" Zack's voice was dripping in scorn and he looked at the others. "With what- you all keep saying you don't want to be soldiers and that you want normal lives. You've all let yourselves become weak and Lydecker would be laughing as he took you down one by one"
Vada started to bait him. "Big brother you sound like Lydecker but hell- you let Max talk you into running into Manticore outnumbered and blow up the DNA lab- this is not the same and it will do a lot more damage in the long run"
She then scrawled something on the notepad in front of her and held up the smiley face. "You know in school we send kids like you to the corner"
Not even the hint of concession. Zack shook his head. "If you do this I won't help you"
"Zack" Brin looked at him, "We need you, we'll do exactly what you need us to do- you're our CO and you are the only way we'll pull this off. The only thing we won't do is call you 'sir'- besides do you really want to say 'I told you' so this time?"
"And then there's really getting up Lydecker- we do this and the old man might just have a heart attack this time" Krit offered, "Besides- it goes sideways and you are the CO of what- rocks?"
His unit had never played him like this. Alec was used to the chain of command or his unit listening to his word over everything else. But this was different- it seemed to be more the 09'niners acknowledged Zack as their commanding officer but they would defy him if they had to. They covered their reluctance and doubts with jokes but they all clearly followed his lead most of the time.
All Zack had to do was put his foot down and at least half of them would follow suit and Alec realized this all was in Zack's hands.
And Alec really regretted the stuff he did in Manticore to Zack now. But how was he to know that the future of his own unit would lay with Stone Face a.k.a. Zack?
Zack looked at them all, Asha and Alec in particular. "You follow my lead to the letter and we plan this the same way- no improvisation, no 'I want to save the nomilies' and if I pull the pin a minute to zero hour- we abort is that understood?"
"Yes Zack" There was one 'yes sir' and it came from Vada- who seemed pleased with Zack's reaction to it which was for a split second fine and then the next was like storm clouds had crossed his face.
Alec could just tell this was a disaster in the making but even if it all went wrong and he never got to see Rachel again… at least he didn't abandon his unit.
Noatak National Reserve, Alaska- Manticore
May, 2021
From the moment that he had been told, Logan had wanted to believe that Max had not gone insane. He really did but this? Logan kept his eyes trained on the sparring match between X5 453 and another X5. Maybe it was Manticore or the result of the two weeks of Psy Ops that was telling him the escape plan wouldn't work.
His doubts were all coming from the soldier, at least the ones that told him that Command was omnipotent and that there was no possible way they could pull it off without detection. Colonel Lydecker was not… he wasn't all powerful. This all came from refusing to forget- and if the Colonel had gotten wind of the truth- Logan doubted he would have made it out of Psy Ops intact. Or at all and as it was, something other than Max and himself was occupying the Colonel and Logan knew with a sick feeling what it was.
It was sending Unit 5 to Psy Ops. Going over personality profiles and figuring out the best way to break them down into mindless soldiers.
X5 231 blocked the blow and sent them apart. Without an escape- he, Max and the unit were done. Lydecker would supervise the first few sessions and then focus back in on them. Logan knew Max was strong; she could handle herself at least for another few months. But Logan knew another prolonged session or two in his own case… he wouldn't want out anymore and after that Max would be alone, no allies at all.
Everything was riding on this. Logan caught Biggs making a slight facial twitch and read the friendly smile from it. Logan found it easy to forgive Biggs and not just because he didn't have to think whether or not he was the enemy anymore. Biggs didn't have the benefit of a past on the outside or someone who had made his question. What had happened with Rachel came from the only way Biggs had known to handle it and whether or not Alec would ever forgive him was something else.
"That's enough 453"
"Yes sir!" Logan found 453- the definition for her was a sociopath. All she knew was Manticore and she reveled in it and did everything to stand out and be the best. She craved the attention of the Colonel but never got it and it made her twisted. Or that was what Logan guessed was the root cause. He didn't quite know what had happened in between the time he had first met her pretending to be Max and now but something had changed for the worst with 453.
453 had enjoyed beating 231 into a pulp and Logan knew that if she ever got the chance, she would kill Max happily.
The Sergeant was mere millimeters from Logan's face. "X9 208, join X5 581 on the mat now!" And the guards were just waiting for him to object. It was good the possibility of escape was on his mind because that was all that kept him from taking a stand now.
Logan walked across at the same time Cece did. For this not to become suspicious Unit 5 had to have nothing but disdain and hate for him. He after all had been the one to put their CO in touch with Rachel which had made him go rogue.
"208. I'm surprised you can even look me in the eye without 452 holding your hand" Cece hissed softly.
Logan brought up a look of indifference. "Your CO is quite happy out of this prison and I can see why he would miss you"
"Cut the chatter soldiers" The reprimand was all it took to send Cece after him. Anyone who was watching, their impression of the fight would be Logan struggling against the blows from Cece, who was showing her Manticore 'loyalty'. In reality, Logan was holding his own just fine and Cece was forcing the feelings behind the blows.
Sometime into the sparring, the fighting became more instinctual for them both, they couldn't cause injury but they both still wanted to win. Logan recalled a move that Zack had shown him in the apartment and he waited for Cece to flip behind him. It was all about not trying to clear the space the moment they were behind him. Instead Logan waited for the blow to come and then grabbed the arm and sent Cece over his shoulder. The force would have injured a normal person but it winded her instead.
Logan stepped back, he hadn't expected that to work but it didn't stop the smile. He had never managed to best another X5 in combat. "Nice work 208"
Colonel Lydecker. The smile faded from Logan's face as the heavy feeling came back in full force. The Colonel was here to retrieve him and send him back to his cell after another round of what Max liked to call 'the mind screw'.
And the only way to get out of this place tonight was to be able to run. Logan needed his legs and for once it wasn't just a desire, something to make him complete. It was an actual need.
The unit was headed back towards the mess hall. Biggs took advantage of the guards talking and slipped next to Cece. "Did you let him do that?"
"Shut up" Cece said and her lips were barely moving. "You know I was holding back"
Biggs was silent as the guards full attention went back onto them. The anticipation, this waiting was unbearable. If they were going to fail, Biggs would rather have failed than to just be like this. He had asked 452, Max about the escape. It hadn't been planned and according to Max, she doubted even 599 had given it thought like this. It had been unplanned, after the Colonel had killed their sister. Max was holding back something about it but Biggs got the picture. The difference was the 09'ners had once had absolute faith and reverence for the Colonel in a way their unit never had for the late Director Renfro.
The betrayal had been on two sides that night and Biggs wondered if they still would have escaped if 'Eva' had not been shot dead by Colonel Lydecker. Then Max had asked if they still would want to run if they got to stay a unit after simplification. Sometimes not knowing the answer was better.
Jondy obviously had been so busy fighting everyone else's doubts that she had barely dwelled on her own. When Zack went looking for his sister, Jondy was inside the Kwik-E mart's bathroom. Her hands were on the sink and her knuckles were white.
"Jondy- if you're not up to this, tell me now" Zack asked, crossing his arms.
"It's Asha" Asha normally found it ironic that Zack of all people was asking her to hold onto something from the past but she always let it go. But that irony was a slap in the face now. Doing this, Asha remembered she was not human. And that part of her life was dragging her back in and she hated that part. "I'll be up to it- it's just hard, not that you would know"
Zack looked disgusted. "Five minutes- we're on a timetable here Jondy" Asha closed her eyes as he left and tried not to give in to the overwhelming desire just to run. Max needed her and she couldn't fail her again. Not like this. Asha knew if she ran now, then it would never matter how much she preached fighting the powers, corruption and fixing America. It'd be hollow- because she would be running from facing the embodiment of everything she was against.
Manticore
The room was one of the basements and Logan had been standing there at attention for the last twenty minutes just waiting. Usually this would be where a technician would be waiting, the Colonel would demand his designation or that was how it had been the last five days. Instead the Colonel had left and Logan could just see the medical technician setting up the tray. After a long moment, two guards dragged someone forward from the back and Logan recognized the man after the blindfold came off. Gerhardt Bronk.
Logan watched- all aware of how helpless he was. If he didn't tell Bronk- they were going to kill Matt. His secret- he knew how important it was to keep it from falling into enemy hands and that Bronck would probably just kill them both anyway. But Matt wasn't suffering for working for Eyes Only- this was all a show of him so he could watch his friend die.
Bronck wasn't restrained and he stood up after looking at the guards. "Well if it isn't Eyes Only, I never thought you would be working for the military"
"I'm not" Logan spat and fell silent. He had a feeling Bronck would enjoy the truth of the situation. After Max had swung in and saved everyone and when Matt had been taking Gerhardt Bronck in- he hadn't been able to look at the man without thinking about everything he had done. Led to the deaths of so many, trafficking young girls and all of that paled to seeing his old friend in pain because of who he was.
Max had been right. It was one thing to take the risks for him. It was another when it put someone else in the line of fire. Logan knew now that he never should have asked Max to risk her life, her freedom to help him.
The smug expression on Bronck's face was almost intolerable. "I was told to thank you for my early release, so thank you"
For the first time Logan could remember, he was relieved to see the Colonel. Colonel Lydecker had reentered the room and the guards moved Bronck to the far side.
"State your designation"
Logan dispassionately looked straight ahead, ignoring Bronk. "X9 208" The numbers felt horrible on his tongue but his main problem was now with the barcode on the back of his neck. Even if they were able to escape, there was nothing that he could do to get the brand off the back of his neck.
"I know you are just playing the game soldier" Colonel Lydecker moved besides him. "It took quite some effort to locate Mr. Bronk, your sources buried him in the prison system well" It was meant as praise and Logan didn't even think about how it made him feel. "He's a security risk- we haven't interrogated him and I am curious how many of your people he could expose if we did" The C- Lydecker pulled out his sidearm and handed it to Logan.
Logan looked at him. "What are your orders, sir?" He knew what they would be but Logan wanted to delay it as long as he could. He couldn't even hear what Lydecker said to him next but Logan knew the order. Even if he wasn't sent to Psy Ops for disobeying the order- he would be paralyzed. Unable to stand up or to leave and the escape- what if Max refused to run without him? And all because he couldn't do this, carry out an order that would be crossing the line. Murder was always against the rules and he would be doing this of his own free will. Being a soldier voluntarily and Logan didn't know if he could ever come back from that. Logan felt his hand holding the gun drop to his side.
Bronck started to laugh. "You hear the urban legends but you never believe them to be true. It is worth losing those months in prison now. Eyes Only… tell me how it feels to be the good guy now… I suppose I could always look up Detective Won-ton and-" The bullet was quick and the red patch spread out for a moment across Bronck's shirt before Gerhardt Bronck fell to his knees and then the ground.
A transgenic could bring up their weapon within a second. X9 208 lowered the gun and let it slip from his grasp.
Her former roommate had asked her once why she hated going to the gym. Every time Kendra hooked up with some loaded guy she always managed to get one with gym access. But there had been just something about running in the same place that reminded her of Manticore. That and it was a pain to pretend to struggle with weights and stuff when she could put body builders on steroids to shame.
Lydecker had been nowhere to be found all day but then he was putting her through all these tests for fitness and health. It was probably because as much as he wanted to devote time to breaking her, he got to do it to a whole unit. Or so the bastard thought.
Max knew this was far more ambitious than the failed DNA lab attempt or than when she rescued Zack, Logan and Brin. This was pulling off a reoccurrence Manticore had been guarding against for twelve years.
She stood as footsteps neared her cell and there were two quiet thuds. Gem was the most straight of all the unit's X5's so she was the one Max said that she would trust.
Gem opened the door. "We are committed…"
"Thanks" Max said and shook her head when the other X5 held out the weapon. "I don't do guns"
"Why not?" Gem asked bluntly.
"Just a rule and besides we need to be able to bluff in case we run into any guards" Max really didn't want to get into Eva. So far she hadn't seen a single ugly black bird and she wasn't going to invite disaster. "Let's go get Logan and then the others"
Gem nodded sharply. Any normal person might ask why she and Logan wanted to rescue a psychotic X5 serial killer or a new inductee to the hell that was Manticore. Max and Logan were in different cell sections, she was in solitary- he was in isolation. When they got to the isolation cells, Gem took out the guards without a moment's pause.
Picking the keys off the guard, Max stared at them and put the correct key into the cell door. It opened.
"Hey- Logan!" Max raised her voice slightly when he didn't answer. "Are you… can you-?"
Her voice cut through the soldier's and brought him back. Logan nodded and stood. He felt really distant. It wasn't that he had killed; it was more that he could almost justify it to himself and that sickened Logan more than anything else. "Max… I" he swallowed.
Max looked at him closely. "What did you do?"
"The only person I compromised was myself" Logan said and moved out of the cell. He wanted to never tell her- but he had to. But now was not the time for trying to sort out his mind. Right now he had to focus on the escape and nothing else. His legs had come with a horrific price tag- it was time to prove it was worth it or at least make it so he could live with himself after tonight.
She didn't push it. They moved into the medical division and Gem handed her the vial and a keycard. "Took a lot, that's the drug you need- I'll go and get the agent with Logan… you'll get it that I don't want to-"
"Noted" Max said, as she used the Manticore keycard to get into the laboratory.
The technician who had been taking notes at a computer jumped up and his hand reached for the alarm and Max intercepted it. "You don't want me to break it do you?" Max gave a grim smile as the technician nodded really fast. "Good boy, now I want you to turn off the bugs in his body"
"They… they are the only thing keeping him sane, it's fixing his brain"
Max shook her vial. "I have a tide me over, now do it or you are going to really wish you had been able to save this arm… insanity runs in the family and those teeth are just so white"
She deactivated the alarm and watched the technician get the small scanner device ready. Max wanted so badly to just hold Ben. His death had haunted her since that day and she never would have snapped his neck if she had known what Manticore could do. There was something wrong with Ben's mind but it could be managed like their seizures. Ben's eyes were so full of pain and hope and Max didn't want to think of what they had put her broken big brother through.
Once the nanites had been deactivated, Max made the technician back into the wall. "They will just pass out of the system, please don't kill me!"
"I'm not going to. I am destroying your research in here, I did my homework and it turns out without these files and notes it's going to be years before you can pick this up again"
"Don't… they can help-"
Max leaned in so her face was right in the technician's whose badge said Jorge Matthews. He was young, probably still bought the company line about this being for the greater good and all. He would lose that naiveté or die. "Help tear a kid's body apart? Because of those little metal bugs my sister handed herself to her death" She knocked Matthews out, and went over to Ben. Max injected the anti-psychotic first, and took out the gag as she begun undoing his restraints.
"Kill me Maxie; don't let them take me away… I killed all those people, I couldn't stop… I tried so hard… I'm just a mistake"
"I didn't mean that, you aren't a mistake Ben, you're just lost" Max removed the straps that held his arms down and hugged him. He was holding onto her just as tightly. "You can change Ben- you don't have to keep fighting yourself, you can get better"
Ben nodded and Max pulled away as she started to destroy the research. "Lydecker… he said I wasn't real… I was just a copy- that I wasn't strong enough"
Max paused. "Not real, how?"
"Get away from me you freaks"
Gem didn't look very happy about saving the special agent and Logan knew what she was stopping herself from saying. Was saving Ames White really worth the trouble? They had cut it close enough that the needle had been inches from his arm when they smashed into the room after disabling the surveillance and alarms. And they had fought off the guards in the room and had stopped the Psy Ops technician as well as freeing him.
Gem snorted. "Look at yourself, would you call that ordinary White? You have a barcode, just like us"
White had ripped out part of the metal chair and was threatening to brain them with it. Logan held up a hand to guard against that. "I know right now you have no reason to trust anyone- you were taken here against your will and they made you into something you weren't meant to be" The blunt weapon was lowered slightly and Logan took half a step forward. "But you are what you are now and the only way you can get home is to come with us"
The former NSA agent looked at him. "Why would you help me?"
"Because you are a person as much as I am and as much as Gem is" Logan gave a pointed look to where Gem was standing look out and he held out a gun to White. "And I think this would be easier to hold"
White dropped his blunt object and took the gun forcefully but didn't bring it up against Logan. "That twisted prick kept going on about how he was going to make me kill my wife and son- can we find him and kill him… slowly, please"
Gem was reexamining her choice of going with Logan over Max because White seemed a great deal more unbalanced than 493.
The vehicle they had commandeered for this was a retrofitted former prison bus. Alec had found Zane and Vada's suggestion of snatching a tank far more amusing than Zack had. In any case this vehicle had been repainted black and the windows were now sealed up and they were bulletproof. The windows were one way mirrors, they could see out but no one could see in.
"The satellite pictures show the X7's have just all went still, looks like they're not going to screw us" Krit said cynically.
Zack nodded. "We have five minutes, note the positions- take them all out and any guards you run across. If we miss even one of these things they'll signal back to base- let's move out"
The plan was to eliminate the X7 guards and if this had been a trap, the X7's would have been moving in on them. There was not a chance Lydecker would risk letting them escape if Manticore had been tipped.
Rae stared at the computer morosely. "Wish I could help you guys" The computer was set up to monitor everything by satellite. The extended link up was dangerous but it was the only way to monitor the situation as it happened- deployments and all.
"Hey, we all wish we could be waiting back here" Vada said as she moved out and along the perimeter.
Alec was close behind her as they came across the first set of X7s. "She could stroke out at any time, why hasn't she tried-"
Vada leaped over the fence and snapped the two X7's necks in quick succession. "They have to look like kids… do I have to do everything" As they moved through, moving down the rocky surface of the rock wall, she sighed. "Smart Aleck, when you're out here- death, anything is better than losing yourself and you'll pick up on that quickly" She refrained from telling him any member of his unit that was captured in this escape would show him why. It would be hard enough to face without getting told.
Standing in the shadows, Zack could see through the window Max sending her signal. Moment of weakness- this went beyond that. He knew that this made the strategic sense and every military reason and every reason as a soldier why the mission was necessary. But he didn't want to lose anyone tonight and Zack knew he would. In any campaign, losses were to be expected. But real soldiers weren't family like they were. He kneeled down and lined up his scope and checked the eight sentries and across the other side, he could see Syl send the ready signal. It was too late to end this now and the bullets came out, like coughs from the silencers. Manticore depended too highly on its X7 patrols to keep its facilities secure and Zack intended to exploit their error in judgment.
The room was some type of meeting room and Max recognized the design from the files McGinnis had gave her. This was where Command and its master the Committee met to decide everything about their lives. And it did have a nice large window.
She counted down the seconds in her mind and looked at the unit around her. They were all waiting to follow her lead and the others out of there.
A hand held onto hers and Max turned and looked at Logan. It was time.
As Max signaled, Logan readied himself and looked at White who seemed to have taken the fact he could leap down several stories of the building without harm easily. Better than not being able to kill Lydecker- Logan quashed the doubts as Max counted down.
Three, then two… and NOW!
Everyone smashed through the window pretty much instantly. Biggs could see Quinn and Eris hesitate for a microsecond and then followed straight after them. They hit the ground on their feet and ran straight for the woods, splitting up.
Max was holding onto Ben's arm as they slipped out of sight, Logan and White right behind them. And then the alarms all went off at once.
Twelve years ago, she hadn't been aware of the stakes. Max was very aware of every movement she made now, the way the twigs snapped under her boots, that she knew what she was getting out of here for this time.
Logan had gone a different route and she wanted nothing more than to stay with him. But she had to get them to the perimeter and one big group was easier to find. Ben looked as terrified now, as he had back then.
"You should leave me here… I don't want to be a nomilie Max… hurt people anymore"
Max stopped for a moment, aware that they were ankle deep in a puddle of water. "You're not…okay and we are getting-"
A movement, footsteps coming splashing towards them.
Max stood in front of Ben protectively and raised her fists as the person came into view. "Asha…?"
The first time Max had met Asha Barlowe was rescuing her from custody after word on the informant net came through that she had been taken by the Sector Cops. It was still burned into her brain the image of Asha on the bald guy's back threatening to 'kick his ass'… Max didn't know this Asha. Her blonde bangs were clipped out of her line of sight and the gun she held was in a practiced, learned way.
"Hey Max" Asha met her gaze. "It's a long story… so let's discuss it on the way home" she was looking with shock at Ben as they all moved forward "I just left Alec a moment ago and Ben's dead…"
How did Asha know about Ben? Max looked at Asha and saw that look on her face. It was the look she had remembered from her sister every time in Live Ordinance Drill and it was the look from the escape in '09. "Well this is Ben and he's alive Jondy, and yeah, we have a lot to talk about"
Max brushed past her sister and continued her progress onwards. Ben offered Asha a friendly smile and she had to force the smile in return. Max might never forgive the lie and that hurt a lot more than she thought it could.
"Hitting the switch!"
Syl's warning made them all go down. The claymores had been set in the tree line, just waiting for the pursuing TACs. The explosion was not huge, but it did what it needed to- sending the soldiers flying. Parts of them at least.
Logan didn't feel much for their passing. And it wasn't just the situation or trying to pull White away from riddling the soldiers with bullets so they could move out of there. But soul searching right now would get them killed. They were still taking fire, and Logan found it hard to move very fast with White fighting him the whole way. Ames White was no soldier and his temper made Zack look tranquil.
He threw his body on White to pull him down as a powerful searchlight shone through the woods. "Stay still" Logan whispered.
"You should know I'm not a fan of Eyes Only"
Logan looked at him. "You should know to be quiet" He wasn't going to get into this kind of debate with the former special agent.
There was some shouting and an object landed inches from their faces. Both men leaped up and ran as the grenade exploded. Logan found himself tumbling down a ledge and hitting the ground with his front.
He saw something in the edge of his vision and smiled, taking the hand up. "Thanks" Alec nodded and a form collided with him.
Cece held onto Alec.
"You idiot… see what you've done" The way Biggs spoke was not spiteful, more affectionate. "We're all traitors now" Logan tried to find where White had fallen but he couldn't see him. He must have still been up on the ledge.
Logan leaped up and held onto the edge as he pulled himself over onto steady ground. White had been caught in the explosion and a large branch had pinned him down in between rocks. The soldiers ahead were starting to move forward and Logan ran to the branch and struggled to push it off. The angle pining White in would take a forklift but Logan wasn't going to give up on White. The only reason Special Agent White had been pulled into any of this was because of him… Vertes had been his mistake. Other people shouldn't be paying the price for it.
The hand free of the position grabbed Logan by the collar. "You" White growled. "Go… heroes get killed- you get out of here and hide my family where that sadist can't find them…get out here or I'll kill you"
He let go and Logan stumbled back.
Syl slung the sniper rifle over her back and started to move away, Manticore fading out from sight. The Blue Lady had to be paying her back for something- the last mission with Manticore had been enough of a bad memory trip. She turned and saw Max coming. Funny, Max had been with Ben not five minutes ago and had been headed on a different path and then Syl saw the guns coming up and she jumped into the brush to dodge the bullets.
"I was almost tempted to let slip the surprise" 453 said and dodged. Bullets hit right where she had been standing. "Hiding, predictable… but handing you all in doesn't get me 452"
Holstering the guns with a fluidic motion, 453 caught Syl by the arms, removing the weapon from the rogue X5 and keeping hers tucked away. Never let the weapons fall into the hands of the enemy. "I don't care about your escape plans and you can all get away for all I care… I do care about 452… where is she?"
Head butting the clone, Syl flipped her finger at 453.
"I have twelve years of training on you" 453 drove Syl to the ground and drove her foot into her back causing a sharp crack. "I think I just broke your spine" She pulled Syl by her hair and held her Manticore issue blade to her throat. "Last chance..."
Syl spat blood in 453's face and laughed. "You know, you are a bitch-"
He didn't want to make Biggs suffer… he didn't. But every time Alec went to open his mouth as he, Biggs, Cece and Logan made their way to the rally point, all he could think about was how Biggs had lied… how he had put Rachel's life on the line.
"Sorry 'bout your new friend Logan" Cece said.
Logan snorted quietly as he glanced behind them towards the sounds of gunfire and the shouting back towards Manticore. "No you're not…it's okay, it's easier to like the people you save who don't call you a freak"
Gem hadn't had to tell the others that- White had made his opinion loud and clear. But leaving him behind, even as a last resort- Logan knew that no matter what this night would be nothing but a bad memory in the future.
A cry that came from the right made them all look up. "That's Kiron… come on" Cece and Logan moved to go assist him- their guns drawn.
Alec sighed and caught his brother's eye and gave a small nod and Biggs took the gesture.
"I love you" Biggs said batting his eyelashes.
"Don't push it- my gun has jealousy issues"
Lydecker moved forwards, the activity of the staff working hard to make up the ground the rogue X5s had gained. This was anything but not planned. Whichever guards and trainers missed the actions were not going to get warning on their dismissal.
His kids were all out here tonight and if they were recaptured in a small way he would be disappointed with them. But Lydecker was not going to let them pull this a second time.
"Sir… we have two recaptured, and one critically wounded"
The stretcher moved past and Lydecker stared at Syl's prone form. "Send her to the infirmary, until there is confirmation everything is to be done to save her life" Even Lydecker realized the words were hollow; the deep cut to the throat was a testament to that. If the two units were working together, that only left a normal soldier- but how had a normal soldier gotten close enough to hurt one of his kids?
Gem fired the last of her bullets into the three soldiers who had their guns raised on 471, no his name was Krit.
"Never thought I'd save an 09'ner"
Krit put a hand to his stomach and groaned as he pulled it away. "I think you're too late…" he rested on the log. The bullet hadn't hit anything at first but it was still in there and causing damage as it moved. "Watch out!"
She thrust her elbow into the first soldier's face as the second used his rifle to strike across the back of her head.
It just took one bullet.
The things that Alec would do to turn back time, number one turn himself in, number two instead of taking orders- snapping Sandoval's neck, number three… orders and rules had made sense in his life once upon a time. Before Rachel that was, before he realized that protecting his unit meant more than Command. Turn back the clock, so he wasn't struggling to move forwards, holding his dying brother and best friend.
Until the gun came into sight, she looked exactly like Max. But there was something in her eyes that defied that description.
Biggs just stood there for a moment and Alec saw the look of mild surprise as he fell backwards.
Alec couldn't go on. He fell to his knees and his brother looked up at him. "Come on… no crying, I screwed you… so don't…" He coughed violently.
"Don't give in you moron, come on… it's just a flesh wound" It had to be, it had to be just a flesh wound. Biggs- the hole in his chest, that was just his head, it was all in his head. Biggs was going to be fine. "I like Titanic… hold on to that… make fun of me, just don't kick the bucket on me!"
For the first time, Brin's presence had not been unwanted. She had disarmed 453 and they were circling each other. "Go" Brin yelled at him, the pity in her eyes- Alec hated her for it. It made it real.
Biggs smiled in a shadow of his usual attitude. "I never should have lied to you… should have screwed up their search, you have no idea how sorry I am Alec"
"I know and I-" His brother had gone still and Alec felt his insides turn into ice. "I should have explained it to you… I shouldn't have just walked away, I didn't understand how much you needed me to do that" His words were empty, Biggs couldn't hear them and his brother was dead in his arms. 453 was a product of Manticore- the brainwashing- their perfect weapon. And Alec knew he'd die before he let them turn him back into that.
It scared Brin how easy it was to hit her sister's clone. There were dark places inside of her where Manticore and X5 734 still held power on her. But she swallowed it…453 hadn't shown a moment's hesitation in shooting Biggs.
"You didn't have to kill him- Lydecker's going to have your head" Brin spat as they pushed away from each other.
453 smirked and it made her look less like Max somehow. Like all Manticore's cold cruelty reigned in that smile. "You don't get it… I don't care- 452 ruined my life, so I am going to ruin hers and if I have to kill to get to her then so be it"
She charged forward and caught Brin by the throat and got them down on the ground.
Brin wasn't afraid to die. "So what you blame Max for what Manticore does to you, that's on Manticore"
"On my last assignment, I was deep cover, two years- industrial espionage… now there was this family I got… that I got attached to that they would have left well enough alone but because of 452 being well, 452- the Colonel's figures that out and has them executed… by me… because of her I killed the only thing outside of Manticore that I…"453 tightened her grip but Brin had her hand around her throat as well.
Standing, Brin held 453 up, backing her against a tree. "You did that! Manticore only goes so far, if you care and you still go back you are just as responsible as they are" 453 disgusted her- Ben hadn't been able to help himself but 453- she chose to be this way… she chose to be the killer.
"I'm glad I killed 701… you think 'Max' will cry… I hope she-"
Brin snapped 453's neck and took out her guns. She shot the dead X5 in the head twice, once from each gun. From behind her, Zane emerged and stared at the dead copy of Max. "It's not her" Brin said. There was something in her voice that was cold and almost clinical. "We have to go"
Déjà vu. That was all Max could think about as she stood by the prison bus. She had been here before twice. The first was waiting for Jondy to emerge. Max looked over at Asha. Her sister was talking intently with an X5 from Unit 5. He couldn't be more than sixteen, seventeen. From what she could overhear- she was good at calming his fears. She saw Brin and Zane emerge from the fence, Zane holding onto Alec's arm.
Alec looked like somebody had just shot him in the chest. Somehow it was easier to be angry with Asha over the lies and deceit than him. Max didn't know why- Jondy had been the one helping her out… even if it was just as a friend.
Alec was the one who had been hunting her down, killed a dear friend and playing with Logan's head. And to top it all off- if not for some experiment, he would have been her brother and not Ben. But keeping the head in the game aside, Max knew that this wasn't the time to say anything. Because she knew that look. If there had been a mirror, Max knew that was how her face would have looked after seeing Tinga suspended in that extraction chamber.
Everyone raised weapons again and this time Zack appeared, followed by Eris, another member of Alec's unit. The weapons went down.
Zack stood next to her. "Manticore's forces are getting their act together… we have five minutes before we have to get out of here- what's our headcount?"
Vic looked around. "We are half a unit short… anyone seen Quinn or Lita?"
"I saw Gem and one of theirs" Skittles said, speaking up. "471- just before I crossed the stream- there was no way to get to them, he looked pretty bad"
"That's not your fault" Zane said but he looked worried as he stared down past the fence and rocky ledge. "Krit's good at getting out of tight spots but with Syl…" He could feel his family staring at him now and everyone knew what he hadn't said.
Max saw movement in the trees. She could see Cece and the other guy but all that mattered was that Logan was with them. Sharp relief filled her and Max couldn't help despite how much she just wanted to break down, the smile that spread across her face. The second he made it onto the ledge she held him tightly.
Logan moved away from Max after a few seconds and he looked at Zack. "The response teams are a minute behind us…there's no one else"
Zack nodded sharply and everyone started to pull in as Vic helped Brin arm the last of the mines. Alec sat down on a seat heavily and he felt someone sit next to him. He looked into his mirror image. Of all the times Alec had hated Ben throughout his life for Psy Ops, he couldn't hate his twin now or bring himself to tell him to get away.
A hand clasped his shoulder and Alec looked at his twin. "He'll go to the good place, where all good soldiers go"
"The good place?" There were a thousand references to Ben's psychotic state that had come to mind but Alec held them all back. Because for all his insanity- Ben's fantasies were something that made him younger and more vulnerable. Alec could only imagine how much Lydecker had tried to twist it around on him- drive him all the more insane. If anyone was crazy it was Lydecker.
There was a rumbling as the engine came on and the former prison bus tore away from Manticore, driving as fast as it could around the twisting side road.
Logan took over from Rae, and sat down, holding onto the bolted down computer's desk as they swerved around a corner. He hacked into the radio bandwidth and searched until he found the right frequency and channel.
"… it's not too later to surrender. You can't hope to get away…"
Zane stuck his hand up. "Does that creep have any idea that we are getting away?" His flippant tone had an undercurrent of venom in it.
"Unit Five- your violation of Command aside, return now and I will allow after reprogramming for you to retain your unit's structure"
"He created 453" Alec said his voice shaking. "Biggs is dead and so is your sister Syl because of that. He is just as culpable for their deaths and everyone else… Logan, turn it off"
Cece stood up and walked towards the radio as Zack held her back. "Just let me tell him to jump off a cliff, let me threaten to rip out his spine, 599… Zack, he killed my best friend" Alec made a motion to get up but Zack held up a hand. It had to be him.
"He killed mine twelve years ago" Zack shook his head and Alec sat back down. "Eva, never let me pull the CO card in Manticore and she was the best second in command- she was my sister and I thought if we just got Max to Lydecker that he would help and that was my worst moment of weakness"
He had never forgiven himself for thinking that Jack had just died. That the guards, everyone else was the enemy but Lydecker was some paragon he could trust. That he would save Max and while everyone else had been blinded by the light… everyone else missed the split microsecond that Eva started to move the gun down. "The best thing you can do for your brother now is to never forget the one lesson that will keep you alive out here, you can never trust him"
Logan had turned it off, and felt the sharp pain he had felt the day his mother had died. Right now he couldn't think about Biggs being dead. It hurt too much in a way Logan never thought it could.
Lydecker kept a fast pace towards the infirmary and the TAC commander had to speed up his stride to keep up. "We have five wounded and two killed… the problem was getting close enough to subdue"
"I don't want excuses- I'm ordering a full review" He didn't say another word. This never should have happened again. He opened the doors. The full staff on site was working to a high degree of efficiency. Lydecker walked to the corner where he could see Syl. The wires were still attached but the monitor was switched off.
A doctor was quiet by his side and Lydecker forced himself to detach. She was dead but indecision could cost him far more than just her. "Do it- every moment of delay decreases our chances of survival with 846 and 471"
He had to look at Syl now; her eyes were fixed and open. He closed them slowly and moved away to the next curtain.
"I like 452 better… she ain't crazy" Lydecker turned to look at 297, almost dispassionately. There was multiple organ penetration- a complete waste of what had once been an exemplarily soldier. "X5 453 killed your 09'ner… tried to get your favorite… we should have run when they did-"
It was only after the X5 died, that anger showed on Lydecker's face. This was a failure, absolutely and Lydecker was going to press the surveillance issues now. The Committee had been afraid that if every square inch was under surveillance- that much recording would be hard to keep under control. They wouldn't fight him now- it was obvious that if they had the complete control that watching every second of the soldiers gave them- an escape would have been impossible.
And the person responsible for X5 personality profiles was getting replaced. They had messed up on 453 and Lydecker was going to gain as much as he could from this utter failing. He moved past to the final open curtain just in time to see Vada spit on his training sergeant's face.
"Hiya Deck"
Lydecker watched the sergeant move away. "You will not cooperate"
Vada rolled her eyes, a trade off for her shoulder wound. "Duh… why would I want to… let's count now how many rogues are out in the world, maybe that'll replace counting sheep" She eyed the restraints. "You don't have to tie me up… I mean it's not like I tried to off myself rather than look at your face…oops I did"
"Trapped in here, while they leave you behind Vada…"
"Don't give me the betrayal card or even the pity one" Vada grinned. "You just lost another unit… no matter what you do to me- it was worth it"
And she could swear, just before Lydecker moved to leave there was a glimmer of pride in his eyes. Damn- what was that crybaby of Star Wars trying to off himself for? Some freak who breathed like a wood pigeon was definitely preferable to Lydecker.
She started at the ceiling and smiled. Even if there was no blue lady- Vada could swear Eva had been looking over them tonight.
Unknown Hospital, Vancouver
May 22nd, 2021
"It wasn't that it was a choice- it was that I could justify murdering Bronck in cold blood"
Max looked out onto the busy street below. This private hospital had been shut down for years and it had been an S1W safe haven for about as many years. It was good place to hide out and relocate from- she had to give Jondy that. "Like hell Logan, Bronck was a monster and if he had gone free he would have went after Matt and his family. We all do things we regret, especially where Lydecker is concerned"
"I know, it's just for a moment I forgot my name" Logan looked at the old broken wheelchair in the corner. "It's never going to go away is it- Manticore… you don't get over it"
"No, you don't but you don't let it rule your life" Max said and she looked at him. "Did you have any idea about Asha being-?"
Logan shook his head. "I would have told you Max… I know how much your family means to you, even back then- I knew that you were more interested in me finding her than anyone else"
Max joined him sitting on the end of the hospital bed. "She's not a fashion designer or an architect like in my made up version of her life but I could have accepted the fact she's more like you but she lied to me and she did it so well I don't know if I ever could trust her again"
"Maybe not" Alec was standing in the doorframe. "Sorry – I was looking for you to say goodbye but I listened in… Biggs died and I never got a chance to really make things right with him, don't screw this up Max. I know what it's like to feel like that believe me but the last thing you want is to miss out on a chance to make things right"
"Aren't you a smart Aleck" Max regarded him. "Why didn't you tell me about the thing with Ben and you?"
Alec went to leave. "Max- Ben's your brother… you don't have to pretend to like me or anything"
"I can't have two brothers?" Max had her answer now to why Lydecker had wanted Rachel Berrisford badly enough to go against the rescinding order signed off by Renfro with Committee approval. Alec gave his trademark smirk, in response. It would take time for them to have a relationship beyond the hunting and running… so much had been done and said on both sides "I'll see you round Max"
Max has left moments ago to go talk to her sister, and Logan noticed Zack entering the room. "Should I be concerned?" Zack asked bluntly and Logan realized he had been digging his nonexistent fingernail into the back of his neck trying to scratch the barcode off.
"No" Logan said. "I know it'll come back but after this I'm going to get it removed for awhile- how is the unit?"
Zack didn't push about the barcode further. "Following my lead- I almost forgot what it was like to have the people under me defer to my experience and to obey my orders… I should be grateful that you and Max are going to stay away from Seattle"
Logan looked at him. "After tonight… I'd never do anything like go back to Seattle and I don't think Max would either"
"I'm sorry about Biggs, I know that despite what I told you to do, you were attached to him" Zack said, sounding like he understood far too well. "I know I had to let this happen, even if you and Max hadn't been captured- our numbers were wearing down- it was only a matter of time before they brought us all in and we have held it back now"
Zack didn't want pity or for someone to validate his command choices, Logan knew that. This was just Zack validating the only choice he could have made for his own peace of mind.
Logan nodded. "The informant net should be able to prevent Lydecker from gaining the element of surprise ever again- whatever it takes"
He understood Max's fears now. Zack knew why he fought with Logan before this so much. For their different objectives and everything- they were very similar. "Good- you and Max are going to Colorado Springs" It wasn't in Zack to tell Logan to never let go of his emotions but it was in him to change his game plan. He had intended to get Logan to leave without Max and keep them both safe-apart. But chances were they'd do everything in their power including risking their freedom just to find each other again. That was how Zack justified keeping them together- it wasn't for the sentimentality. It wasn't.
Cece was holding her hair up and trying to line up the scissors with the right angle when Brin came into the bathroom.
"Some kind of statement?"
"They made me keep this long- so I was prettier for missions…everyone else was so happy when we could grow our hair… I hated it- it's all coming off"
Brin nodded once and came over holding her hand out. "Let me" Cece slowly released the scissors and the Korean X5 took Cece's hair out and started cutting it slowly, being careful not to accidentally stick into the back of her neck.
Sighing, Cece looked at the mirror to Brin. "Sorry about the drone comments"
"It's okay, I was a mindless Colonel's pet" Brin paused for a second. "You must be worried about the members of your unit you left behind"
"I am- but we've been able to reunite with the other part of our family- so it all adds up" Brin felt more at ease now. It wasn't just getting Ben, Max and Logan out that made this night- it was getting this unit out as well. At least there was one unit that had been in Manticore and could see beyond the brainwashing. The conditioning that made them hate anyone who went against Command. Maybe there was hope for every transgenic trapped in Manticore.
And hope that she could one day defeat 734 once and for all- and just be Brin.
"Jondy… Asha wait"
Asha turned around and almost ran anyway. She didn't want to have this conversation with Max now and she wasn't sure if she ever did. But she still waited.
Max had only one question. "Why?"
"Because I always end up alone Max" Asha looked at the ground rather than look at Max and even when she looked back up – she was looking into space and not her sister. "I got the family we escaped for and then they were gone…like it's the Blue Lady punishing me or something for leaving you behind in the ice"
"It wasn't your fault- Lydecker and his soldiers were right behind us, if you had stayed we both would have been caught- in any case I didn't want you to get captured on my account Jondy- I never blamed you"
Asha shook her head. "You should, everyone I love gets hurt in the end, like I'm sort of disease that destroys everything around me, I have to be alone, that way nobody else goes away" She backed away and walked towards the road. "Good bye Max"
Max caught up to her. "You don't have to be alone Jondy- none of us, we're human, you can't live your life this way, it will just catch up to you one day" She could see Asha pause and Max held onto her hand for the longest moment. Like in the escape of '09. Then Asha broke away.
And Max knew she had to let her sister go. Just like last time.
To Be Continued…
… for the last time.