Title: Father Figures
Author: aegean
E-mail: aegean11@hotmail.com
Genre: Angst, Angst, Romance, Action-- shippery
Rating: R
Summary: This is the sequel to Design. This takes place 4 months after the events in Design.
Disclaimer: Dark Angel is a Fox /Cameron/Eglee vehicle. I get no money. I do it for fun/practice Please don't sue me.
Notes: This is the sequel to Design. You really have to read that first to really understand where this story is coming from. Sorry this has taken so long to post. I moved and I just couldn't figure some of the story line out, and my beta has been bogged down with grad school work. I just can't seem to post without her tearing it apart first. Hopefully I'm back on track now. I really hope you like this. I've been working on it for a while. Please R&R. Good/Bad whatever. Advice. Anything works for me. Thanks to all those who have reviewed.
Chapter 3
Captured
Morning Day 6-8amBling was the first to show up at the penthouse after receiving Lana's call. He had been in the neighborhood picking up some food and sped over when he heard the urgency of the message. Cindy showed up ten minutes after him.
When everyone was situated around the computer, Lana began to fill them in on what had transpired. After the brief run-down, she set the video feed to loop giving Bling and Cindy a chance to see if they could find anything useful in narrowing down a location on Logan. They were so involved with the screen, they didn't notice the new presence in the room.
The three heads whipped around to spot Sam standing behind them. "Jesus girl make some noise when you come in a room."
"Sorry Cindy, the door was unlocked," Sam replied. Everyone backed down, relieved that it had just been her. Between the fresh kidnapping and Max out of the country, they were expecting another threat to reign down on them.
"I thought I locked that," remarked Bling, "must be slipping."
Sam disregarded his statement choosing to look at the computer screen, which had been the center of attention only seconds before. Her eyes narrowed. "When was this taken?" she asked, the inquiry filling her voice with a sense of urgency.
"Last night," replied Lana.
"Do we know his status?"
"No, and we don't have any leads on a location."
"There's nothing on the tape?"
"Nothing useful. We know one of the men is Geoffrey Tisch. He came in, he and Logan recognized each other, he took Logan." Sam nodded taking in the information.
"You mind," Sam asked pulling out the extra chair at the console. Lana moved over to give access, but wondered what the woman could possibly do. Sam noticed the glances between the three. "Maybe a new set of eyes will help." She turned back to the keyboard to replay the footage. "Lana does Logan have any video imaging programs?"
"Yeah," Lana replied slowly, "why?"
"Because we may be able to clean this picture up a little." Lana responded by loading and running the software.
"Try quadrant 4 first," Sam instructed. "Can you get rid of the fuzziness and reduce the shadows?" The images were tweaked for a few minutes before it was evident that the copy of a copy was simply too rough.
"The feed's just too grainy. I'd need access to the original in order to make this work. What are we looking for anyway?"
"Ya see the SUV in the street." Lana nodded. "As it pulls away, you can make out the plates."
"Yeah," Bling said, "but the car was probably stolen."
"Probably…but this is what a 2007 or '08 Expedition…"
"Looks like it," he replied.
"If memory serves, all of those models were built with the GPS tracking system installed. If I can get the plates, I can run it through what left of the stolen vehicle registry. We may be able to find a match."
"To a stolen car-registered to someone this probably doesn't involve," Bling replied shortly.
"I don't care who the car belongs to." Sam replied in a tone laced with building exasperation. "If we get a match the GPS code will be somewhere in the old files. Then Lana can hack the satellite and use the code to track the car. It's a long shot, but it's all we've got to go on." In theory the plan made sense, what didn't was how she seemed to understand the situation without questioning it. Bling had gone to great lengths to keep Sam away from Max and Logan's double life. However, by the way she was acting she would have fit right in. "Lana do you have the equipment for this at work?"
"Yeah, I can manage from there."
"Good. While you're gone I'll see if I can figure out which direction they went and whether or not they've left the city." Lana grabbed her bag and headed out the door without a word leaving Cindy and Bling to just stare at Sam and wonder exactly what had just transpired.
--
Day 6 (Logan)
The car slowly pulled up to a two-story office building just as Logan was coming out of his drugged stupor. The doors swung open and sunlight streamed in causing Logan to squint. He fumbled around for his glasses which had fallen to the floor during the car ride, finding them in time to focus his eyes on the two armed men exiting the building on their way to his door. There was little he could do but sit up and wait for them to arrive.
Logan was rushed from the car to the lobby of the building, and down a hallway and into a large office. As the guards left him, he surveyed the room for any indication of where he was, but the office was void of information. There was an imposing cherry wood desk with an accompanying leather chair and couch. On the walls hung prints of Monet's Waterlilies, and a flat paneled TV screen, which displayed an empty room.
--
Evening Day 6- San Diego
Max came to roughly twenty minutes before arriving at the destination. She found herself alone with three guards and immediately wondered what had happened to Zack. She was about to struggle with her captor, but the voice over the two-way radio stopped her.
"Gamma Team now approaching final destination…our passenger is still out."
"E.T.A.- ten. Do not proceed until we arrive Gamma Team."
Max knew that Zack was somewhere nearby traveling in the other vehicle. It would be easier to escape when the two of them were together so she decided to wait.
She was preparing to make her move as her transport pulled behind Zack's. However, when the doors opened two guards stunned her repeatedly, rendering her virtually incapacitated. Zack had received similar treatment. Consequently, between the drugs still residing in their systems, and the sudden electrical overload, they both needed assistance walking. They were escorted as far as the lobby before Jace and two new sets of guards came to take them.
"Jace," Max began slowly becoming more coherent," you don't want to do this." There was no response. "Jace, I know this isn't really you. Whatever they've said, it can't be worth this. It can't--"
"How would you know?"
"Jace, you have no idea what they're capable of," Zack snarled speaking for the first time since Mexico.
"Silence," Jace ordered.
"Why are you doing this?" Max snapped overwhelmed by anger. She began to struggle against the guards violently but fruitlessly.
"I said silence." Jace then turned back and continued to walk.
They passed five more halls before she stopped at an open door. She turned to look Max and Zack over for a moment then leaned against the wall. "You still want a reason?" Even as a child Jace recalled Max had no patience so she knew that toying with her by dangling the question in her face was sure to infuriate her. "They want me to do what you were supposed to. And you know what…I'll do it better." But, it was the truth that would cut both of them to the quick. "It's funny, you being so 'special'. You've always been special to Zack. His 'it' girl. But it's not because of anything you've done. I mean you're not the tactical expert. You're not a weapons or infiltration expert. You're not even the most skilled fighter out of all of us, but none of that seems to matter. Each and every one of us tried our hardest to be good at something because for a time our expertise was the only thing that could never be taken away from us. The only thing that distinguished one of us from another." She turned to Zack. "Even you…you tried to be the best of all of us." She looked at Max. "But I guess it's what--your emotional capacity, your ability to care, to disregard orders more skillfully and consistently than anyone else. Is that what you bring to the group?" Jace moved into Max's face. "The only thing that makes you special is your link to Zack."
"Jace, I never knew about that."
"That doesn't mean you never used it." Finally, truly telling off the woman whose weakness had instigated the escape that left her behind, was cathartic. Yet, it was also somehow very hollow. But, for better or worse, the choice had been made. She obviously could not return to Manticore under any circumstances and she had just burned some crucial bridges on the outside. 'I guess now I really am alone.' Jace cocked her head to discern an approaching sound. Well, almost. But at least I've got that situation under control,' she thought as she looked past Max to a figure coming down the hall. Without another word, she directed her siblings into the cell and proceeded down the corridor.
"Thank you Jace," Tisch remarked upon reaching her.
"Not a problem, but you still haven't told me why they're here."
Tisch smiled. "As you've probably surmised by now, they intend to hinder your success. It's better to keep them here and out of harms way." He touched her shoulder. "Now, if you'd like to see our other guest, he'll be waiting in the east wing." Jace nodded. She had asked for the opportunity to debrief Logan primarily for his Eyes Only information regarding the location of her siblings, but deep down, she wanted news of Victor. She headed off to debrief Logan while Tisch headed toward Max and Zack.
Geoffrey walked to the entrance of the room and nodded with approval when he saw their state. "I'm going to make this simple…you don't leave until I get what I want." His eyes locked on Max. "And if you try anything, Logan's the one to pay."
"Logan?" The name fell from her lips.
"He stays until you comply."
"He knows we won't help you," Zack retorted still woozy from the drugs.
"It's not you I want anymore Zack." Tisch left bolting the door closed. He turned to the guards, "No one goes in or out without my approval."
When they were alone, Max turned to Zack, "Do they all feel that way about me--hate me?"
"No one hates you Max. If anything they'd feel compassion. They'd never hold something Manticore did against you." Somehow it just wasn't the answer she was looking for. At one time or another, the x5's had probably all resented the relationship between Max and Zack, but getting away from Manticore had given them a sense of perspective. Jace had just been in a lot longer. Even Zack had silently berated himself as a child for letting Max get away with things, but he just couldn't help it.
--
Back in Seattle…"OK, all I've been able to retrieve from the plate is B3587. I can't read the last two places."
"A partial." Sam began thwaking a pen that was dangling between her fingers into the desk with increasing force. "Damn, that'll take longer. OK can you get your computer to run the plates through all east coast databases. I'll run the west from here."
"Already started. It should take about ten hours."
"Fine. Set your computer for remote access and come back here to work."
Sam disconnected the line and rolled back from the screen she had been staring at finally noticing that Bling and Cindy had left the room. Relief swept over her. She would be able to forgo the explanations for a little longer. Fifteen minutes later, Sam stood and walked into the kitchen for some tea and found Bling sitting at the counter reading through the files that Lydecker had sent. Sam went about making her tea.
After pouring the water and letting it steep, Sam turned to Bling who had started to stare, "In all the time we've been together, you never once asked me how I broke my leg." She grabbed her mug and walked out the room. Bling followed quickly. Her statement had raised at least ten questions without answering one. Just as he was about to speak, Cindy came in from the other room. Sam looked at both of them. "As soon as Lana gets back, I'll be happy to answer all of your questions."
"Then you may as well start now," Lana said from the door, "because I want some answers." More time had passed than anyone had realized.
Sam took a deep breath and moved toward the couch. She had hoped to have a little more time to prepare herself before dropping her story on them, but that wasn't going to be the case. She motioned for her impromptu audience to sit down. Once they had, she began.
"I'm gonna keep this as brief as possible." Sam inhaled deeply. "I work for the Committee, an organization which directs all activities in Manticore. I was sent to Seattle to confirm the identity of the men behind CFT. There was a rumor a few years back that the termination orders for some Manticore employees had been falsified. By whom we didn't know and still don't. The original report was disregarded, however recent activities matched the M.O of our former employees. The night I was to make a positive ID- the night of the riots, I was caught in the shock wave from the blasts near the waterfront and knocked unconscious. When I came to the next day, I realized I had a concussion, and a fractured ankle. But I also realized that I recognized the woman running into the building from the files at Manticore. I tracked her to Logan's and decided to keep watch since she was obviously involved with CFT and they had fallen off my radar. Max was my only remaining link. Anyway, one morning during surveillance, I ran into Bling, and you guys pretty much know the rest."
"Does the Committee know about Max's involvement," Bling asked pragmatically, clearly hiding his anger over having been lied to for months.
"No, I was going to make contact with them after the fire, but when I recognized Max as part of the rogue x series I decided to wait. I have a personal respect for those kids. Letting the Committee believe I was dead for a while would make bringing CFT in without her involvement much easier."
Lana, Bling, and Cindy sat around for a few minutes digesting Sam's history. It just wasn't as shocking as it should have been. The hard part was deciding whether or not to trust her loyalties in the days to come. Watching out for both CFT and the Committee would only complicate any rescue attempts.
"Let's get back to work," Bling said after only ten minutes in conference with Lana and Cindy. The decision had been made. And the fact of the matter was, they needed Sam and her knowledge, there was no way around it. Bling left the living room and headed for the front door. "I'll be back in an hour." Sam's eyes snapped toward his. He clenched his jaw when he saw her reaction. "If we do find anything, we're going to need some supplies." He resented having to explain himself to her. She was the one who had lied to him for months and still she had the audacity to act as though he was untrustworthy.
Sam reached into her pocket. "Here," she threw him a set of keys, "there's a safe under the window seat in my apartment. Take what you need." She turned her head back to the computer not wanting to absorb Bling's current disdain. The door closed and she went back to work.
--
Logan had been sitting in Tisch's office awaiting probable interrogation when he caught movement on the television monitor confirming his worst fears. Max and Zach had been captured and Logan was now watching the closed circuit feed to the room where they were being held. He couldn't hear a sound and that only served to make the images all the more disturbing. The fivers had been ushered into the room and placed on two adjacent mattresses. He assumed they had been drugged. It was the only explanation as to why they weren't struggling. He reached up to the screen and placed his fingers over Max's distant image, letting it linger there until he heard the door open behind him. Logan turned to the new presence in the room.
Jace's gaze immediately fastened on the sight of Logan's hand on Max's face and for one fleeting second it moved her. But as taught, she shook of the sentiment, and walking over to the desk, took the remote and turned off the screen gaining his undivided attention. "Hello Logan."
"Jace," Logan replied evenly.
"I suppose you're the one I should be thanking for my relocation."
"Anything for Max's family." Logan couldn't help but stare at the x5 in 'the family way' as he had so eloquently referred to her in the past. She was the curious embodiment of life and death.
"How many of us have you helped?" It was the first time she had come face to face with her sister's paramour and he was different than she had expected.
"Enough to know that no one tells any of you what your purpose is." Logan had never been more thankful for his years as a journalist. He only hoped his word-smithing wouldn't fail him as it had so many times before with Max
"Did Max drill that into your head? Or was it Zack?" The confidence with which he spoke on the nature of an x5 shook her. "It doesn't really matter. But, you do seem to know us well. I assume you know where the others are?"
"I used to, but I hear you can teach yourself to forget." Jace's jaw clenched at his response. Usually, her prisoners had been all too willing to give up information when they knew what an x5 could do.
"Tell me about Victor."
"Ah Victor. He's about to be a father--or haven't you heard." His face hid his fear and uncertainty over the situation.
Jace's hand closed around his throat. "Were you born a smart ass or is it something you picked up from her." She released him, the idea of causing him bodily harm suddenly seeming distasteful. She stepped away and heard Logan cough. She was angry that the pregnancy was making her emotionally weak. In retaliation against her wayward feelings, she turned and unsheathed a knife from a holder on her leg and hurtled it through the air at Logan. It landed in the soft tissue of his upper chest. "She's a bad habit for Zack." She walked over and pulled the knife from his chest. "She'll probably get you killed." Logan's face was still ghost white as she left Tisch's office to re-convene with Christianson and Franklin.
--
Afternoon Day 10You do realize what he's doing Daniel?" Christianson remarked pointedly as he paced across the main floor. "He's out of control."
"I'll keep him in line Robert. I always do."
"Forgive me but my faith in your abilities is waning." Christianson turned and continued to pace.
"Admittedly, he's becoming more difficult, but he will listen to me," Franklin replied firmly. However, his own hands exposed the true uncertainty of the situation, for as he placed his palms against the finely polished cherry wood desk, their clamminess left a slightly moist outline.
"Daniel," Christianson snapped, "in all the years we've been together, you've only been able to clean up after his messes—you've never prevented them." His usual reserved nature had finally been breached. "Now he's effectively got three x5's under his control, and you still think anything you say will have an effect on him. Your faith in your persuasiveness is remarkable." He turned his back and began to pace again.
"Robert, give it time." He stood and moved around the desk toward Christianson. "This may turn out better than we'd expected. Geoffrey's already broken Jace and we'll get the cooperation we'll need from Max and Zack soon enough."
A knowing laugh escaped him. "And here I thought you were supposed to be his mentor. Looks like it's the other way around." He looked directly into his friends' eyes; then turned his gaze elsewhere as a form of surrender to the situation. "You know it's only going to get worse." Christianson's head rose focusing on some imperceptible point in the wall. "Every time he gets this way, people die."
" We're dealing with x5's here. He'd have to go some way to cause any real damage-- and that wont happen. As I said…I can manage."
"I seriously doubt you can." Christianson retorted in defeat.
"As do I Robert," Tisch said entering the room. He sat in his chair and nonchalantly turned toward his compatriots. "Please…don't let my presence end the little symposium you were having."
Daniel rolled his eyes at Tisch's unsettling smile and sighed. "How are they Geoffrey?"
"Everyone's getting along quite well." He dialed onto the speakerphone pad.
"Sir."
"Bring in the most recent files." A few moments later a subordinate entered with several thick green file folders. Tisch flipped through the top files and set them in front of Franklin and Christianson. "In approximately one month we'll have at least one x5 back at our disposal." He opened the file closet to him them looked at his partners. "We'd better have something for her to do…so read up."
--
The cell…Max sat perched on the edge of her mattress in silence. It had been three days and they had only been provided food and water. Tisch hadn't returned and there was no news about Logan's status. She simply didn't know what was expected of her. It made no sense to keep her and Zack locked up. It had been nearly two weeks since she'd left Seattle and she was supposed to have been back three days ago. Then, the unimaginable hit her like a ton of bricks.
"I know why we're here," she said as her body stiffened. The shocking realization had overtaken her and she sat staring at her hands as if they held some sort of answer. "How could I have let this happen?"
"Are you planning on letting me in," Zack snapped when she failed to divulge her revelation.
"They knew everything about me. They've been watching for months. He knows. He probably knows."
"Knows what?" He was now fully exasperated with her cryptic ramblings. "What are you talking about Max?"
"I should have gone into heat two days ago." It was the point blank response Zack didn't want to hear. "I could go any minute." Zack was speechless. The thought just hadn't occurred to him and now the futility of the situation was being shoved in his face. He knew the minute her hormones kicked in neither of them would have any say in the outcome. Zack drew his hand threw his hair.
"They want a child."
--
Seattle…
Sam sat hunched over the computer screen in a state that only resembled consciousness. Her eyes were open, but her mind had shut down hours before. Three days waiting for a signal match to show up had made her weary, or at least that's what she told herself. However, if she had taken even a moment to reflect on things, she would have realized that it was the building anxiety of the situation that was worrying her. She had no idea how in the hell she was going to pull everything off.
"Sam…Sam wake up," Cindy whispered to no avail. "Sam get up," the sleeping woman's eyes cracked open at the loud shrill in her ear. "Girl either wake up or get yourself out of the way. We have a match." Sam's back straightened and her eyes darted to the screen. Sure enough the search had stopped at locator frequency that met the set criteria. The search field had been narrowed to GPS frequency codes for all listings containing the first five digits of the plate, cross-referenced with a reasonable search radius, which took into account factors such as max speed and time elapse since the abduction. It had been a long shot that paid off.
"They're in San Diego," Sam said as she brought up a regional map. "Looks like…they're…42 degrees longitude by 73 degrees latitude. That's about two miles inland."
"At least that's something. Where do we go from here?"
"Um," Sam buried her head in her hands as she improvised her plan. "Right now we just have to get down there before they relocate. We leave in twenty minutes so get ready." Despite their initial misgivings, everyone in the room made final preparations.
"What's the plan when we get down there?" Lana questioned as she packed the essential computer equipment they would need.
"I don't know right now. We'll have to work something out on the way." It wasn't her best response, but at least it was honest.
--
Every minute of the three hours Jace had to ponder the overheard conversation between her fathers had both confused and angered her. 'Freedom of choice…one of the many drawbacks to freedom from Manticore.'
In learning the full scope of their objective, Jace realized that she had never been in control of the situation or for that matter her own fate. All she had done was effectively jump from being the pawn of one fanatical father figure to another. In fact, the only decision that had been wise was keeping Logan alive. He would be much more useful with all of his fingers and toes in tact.
In the hours to come, Jace knew she was going to have to find a way to deal with the actions she had set in motion. The only question was how. A pregnant woman, two x5's in the throes of a hormonal overload, and an emotionally involved civilian—not the ideal TAC team. Quite frankly, it was a motley crue if there ever was one. But, the fact was she was an x5 so it was in her power to bend the situation to her will. She would just have to follow the mission plan of all x5's in a crunch. She'd make it up as she went along.
2hrs later
Zack sat tucked into the corner of the room staring at her. "How do you feel?"
"Still fine," Max replied as she paced the room. It was the third time he had asked and she was beginning to get annoyed. "Believe me you'll know if there's been a change."
"I'm sorry."
"It's alright." She paced for another ten minutes then turned expecting Zack to ask for another status report.
"Max, you should've told me you were this close before we left."
"You managed to wait two solid hours before the lecture," she retorted then plopped down on the mattress where her sarcasm quickly subsided. "I don't track it as well as I should. I never know it's happening until I'm already in it. Logan usually has to tell me before I realize I'm out of control."
"We have to get out of here."
"Unless you've developed some new abilities in the past few days and have found a way to break through solid steel, we're not going anywhere."
/
Tisch sat on the conference room desk flipping through information on the US cities under siege. He threw the papers down on his desk. "What is taking so long?"
--
Evening"Zack, he'll gloat. When he gets what he wants he'll come back to gloat."
"Sounds like something he'd do." He was carefully watching Max who was now sitting
in the opposite corner staring intently at him.
"We can use that."
"What are you suggesting?"
"We make him believe he's getting what he wants. We fake it for the camera and make it look real before it is real."
"That is not a plan."
"We do this now while I'm still in control." Max began to circle Zack inn a predatory fashion.
"This is control?" She lept toward him, her legs hooking around his waist and arms grasping his shoulders.
/
"Sir, I believe its beginning."
"Excellent. Have Logan brought to my office. I'll be there momentarily." He turned to face Christianson and Franklin. "Gentlemen, it's a second chance." He went to his office.
/
"We do this my way and we do it now. " He threw her off. She hit the wall and tumbled to the floor. Her eyes met his. "Good I see you're getting with the program." Zack looked away unable to face her plan. Max's demeanor softened momentarily as the full implications of what she was planning hit her, but it didn't matter. It had to be done. "It's the only hand we've got to play. If he thinks we've given him what he wants he'll come to claim his victory." She threw him a wicked smile. "With defeat so evidently painted on our faces, we'll strike."
/
"They are animals you know," Tisch observed after watching Logan watch the screen. "Look at them caged- no control." He walked toward the monitor and began to examine the drama unfolding before him.
/
Zack considered the situation. He needed more time. He was certain that if he had just a little more time he could have come up with another option. It wasn't so much that Max's plan was ill conceived. He knew it was, but what concerned him more was the role he would have to play in her little scenario. He looked to Max and his eyes caved.
Max took it as a sign of approval and lunged at him again with more force. This time she bit hard into his shoulder. She dragged her tongue along his neck and placed her hands on his cheeks. She drew her head back and got her bearing one last time before she delved into a deep albeit passionless kiss.
Zack grabbed her wrist twisting it behind her back. "Two x's fighting are harsh, two together is brutal." It was more a suggestion as to the appropriate course of action.
"Just try not to break any important bones," Max replied tearing open Zack's shirt and pushing him into the wall.
/
"Ever seen two x5's in heat? From what I understand it's…" Tisch turned of the monitor, "probably too much for you to handle." Tisch sat behind his desk. "We'll soon have two children who will both be better than their parents. Jace's child will be the prefect counterpart to the pure second generation x5 about to be created."
--
The claw marks that ran from his clavicle to his waist were just beginning to redden as he pushed her half nude body into the corner. All in all, things outwardly seemed to be progressing smoothly, but internally both Max and Zack were falling apart.
Nothing in their nine years of training had given them the emotional capacity to deal with the overwhelming flood of emotions. They were barely keeping it together. For Zack, the twisted scenario was torture. He couldn't allow himself any emotional acknowledgement of the situation because that meant forever being tied to the moments in the cell. As for Max, the soldier with a mission had taken over, and her eyes became startling empty.
Zack moved her back behind the view of the camera so only he could be seen. Then, dropping down to his knees he pulled her to him. It was time to finish the charade.
With Max beneath him he pressed his lips firmly against hers and threw one arm above her head. She effortlessly twisted her body into his grip in what looked like a previously choreographed move. He released her arm planting his hands around her waist. He drew his forced kisses past her neck and down the center of her chest ending just above her left hipbone. He rested his head momentarily on her belly. It was an unexpected sensation. Suddenly Zack released her body as his became rigid and icy.
Max looked into his eyes and saw their dazed appearance. 'Seizure.' The thought flashed through her mind and she moved from under him to call for help but Zack's hand found her wrist, successfully halting the motion. With the newly introduced momentum, her body jerked back toward his and she fell to her knees. Zack wasn't shaking but he still hadn't said a word.
Her hands moved to cradle his face. "Zack, what's wrong?" Her voice took on an unusually gentle timbre.
His eyes met hers. "I will not do this," he answered firmly through gritted teeth.
Max released his head with a jerk and fell to her knees in front of him abruptly surrendering for a second time to her frustration. "Stick to the plan and finish this before it's too late." She beat back against his chest with her fists.
Zack grabbed her wrists at her third volley. "You-are-not-going-to-go-into-heat." He threw her restrained figure back. Her returned glare at him was one of utter confusion. Then, in an instant, her body calmed to the point of absolute motionlessness. Even the hyper-senses of an x5 couldn't have discerned movement. And in that moment, all things became clear to her.