Well, I've been kind and haven't kept you in suspense for too long! Sorry about that! I've had a fabulous response to the last chapter. I'm glad you all enjoyed the spider. I hate them myself, so I can empathize with Logan on that one!

Chapter 8

"You know who's behind the letters?" asked Max breathlessly.

"I wish!" was Logan's sardonic reply.

"You wanna run this by me again?"

"I don't know who ... I don't even know why."

"Logan," said Max carefully, "this is not being real helpful."

"I know the methodology, and the intent, as it were."

He sat there, biting his lip as he did sometimes when he was deep in thought.

"Earth to Logan. You were saying?" Her patience was rapidly evaporating.

Logan took a deep breath. "Okay, let me run this by you. Firstly, I was sent letters, filled with a warning, right?"

"Uh huh."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"If you intend to kill someone, why warn them first?"

"To give them a chance to escape?" suggested Max hopefully.

Seeing Logan's look she said, "Okay, okay – just hoping!"

She then added seriously, "Manticore training: strike fear into the heart of your opponent."

"So," said Logan, leaning back, "firstly, I receive death threats."

Max winced inwardly as he said it.

"Secondly, the noble Jack Slater turns up with plans to scare me, rough me up a bit."

"He wasn't what you'd call a hard core criminal."

"That's right, small time crook, petty stuff. Not a murderer. He was just icing on the cake."

"Yuk!"

"Thirdly we had the delivery of our furry, dead friend on the floor there."

Max sounded skeptical. "You think this guy knows you because he sent you a spider? Seems a bit far- fetched. Sure he's not just some weirdo who gets his kicks by this sort of thing?"

"Well, I would assume he 'does' get his kicks by this sort of thing."

Logan leaned forward again, shifting slightly in his chair. "Actually," he continued, "there's more to it than that."

Max recognized the tone. "Should I sit down?" she enquired with a hint of sarcasm.

Reluctant to look at her, he swallowed hard. "It's about the fire yesterday."

Max had gone very quiet and still.

Logan now didn't dare look at her. For some reason he was finding the dead, (or dying as the case may be), arachnid, far less intimidating than her cold, hard stare.

The thought came to him that if by some stroke of luck the writer of the threats didn't kill him – there was a good chance that Max probably would.

"Bling and I were separated," he began. (Then in the manner of a reluctant horse being forced to take a jump) he said, "I waited in the lobby downstairs for him."(The horse was now rushing the fence, and scrambling over it wildly.) "Someone stuck a knife in my arm while I was there."

He waited for the blast.

"Were you hurt bad?"

Logan looked up. The concern, fear, warmth in her voice had been totally unexpected.

"I had a few stitches," he told her uncomfortably. "Anyway, the point is," (Well, he'd told her everything else, he might as well get it over and done with), the point is - I don't like needles either."

"How many?"

Logan looked at her surprised.

"How many what?" he asked confused.

"Stitches."

"Oh." Tossing his head a little to the side he said, "Forty-two."

"Yow!"

Seeing her look he added, 'They were small ... you know."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"No," he replied, nervously running his hand over his unshaven face. Stealing a quick look at her face, all he saw was disappointment. "Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time." He then added, "Not very bright huh?"

She seemed to be staring straight at him, but her eyes were focused on a faraway place. Wherever it was, Logan thought, it couldn't be pleasant.

"Max. I'm sorry."

His words brought her gaze back to reality – away from the specter of his blood stained body that she cradled in her arms.

"So," she said quietly, trying to pull herself together, and trying to hide the bitterness in her voice, "'The Great Eyes Only' is afraid of spiders and needles."

"And don't forget heights. I already told you that one," he added, as if that would get him back in her good books.

"Well, I guess we'll need to keep you away from the Space Needle while this guys around."

She walked over to the window.

It was easier to stare at strangers far below, than to look at the only person who had the capability of wounding her heart so effortlessly.

The irony of the situation wasn't lost on her. To think she'd kept her heart guarded all these years, and the one person who somehow managed to break through her defenses was the one who caused her the most pain.

Logan leaned forward, his head down, eyes regarding his feet, a small sarcastic smile playing on his lips as he looked at them.

His thoughts were bitter for a moment

He stole a quick look at Max. "You're doing real well here," he said to himself, "She comes over here, gives up her nights, her weekends to keep your sorry ass safe, and you can't even tell her the truth - great!"

The stubborn part of him said, "I never asked her to do that!" - another voice said, "She comes because she cares."

He wanted to believe the second voice. God knows he cared about her!

He felt like he was standing on the Space Needle – he could either stay up here, alone, untouched, or he could risk stepping over the edge and see who caught him. She'd caught him once before - he'd felt the security of her arms around him. It had felt good.

"Max."

He'd started now, he'd have to continue - safer to keep your head down, don't look at her.

"Max." he said again, with more intensity, his face displaying all the uncertainty he felt. He took a deep breath – had someone sucked all the oxygen out of the room? "I should have told you the truth. I'm sorry I didn't."

Max turned around to face him. She wasn't going to make this easy for him.

He risked looking at her, and then quickly looked away again.

"The thing is – I didn't want to admit that you were right." He couldn't help wincing a little as he said it. This was more painful than his arm. "And you ' were' right. I just don't see what I can do about it. I don't see 'running away' as an option."

"You don't have to do anything."

She let a hint of sincerity creep into her voice, saying softly, "Why do you think you have a genetically enhanced killing machine at your disposal?" With something of her sassy smile she added confidently, "We can beat this bitch together."

Logan risked a long look at her this time. The warmth was back in her eyes, and she found that same warmth mirrored in his.

Max came round and sat on the couch in front of him. "We just gotta figure this thing out Logan." Max was all business now. "Why March 13? There must be something you know about that date – in your past maybe? You 'do' have a past don't you. It's not like you ever tell me very much," she couldn't resist saying.

"I've spent days checking out March 13th, - haven't come up with a damn thing!"

"It's a date. People principally mark dates to remember births, deaths, special events – even marriages," she added in a dulcet tone.

He looked at her, wondering if he'd imagined the slight intonation she'd put on that last word. "Anyway," he said, slightly ruffled, "I've spent hours at the computer going over all those things, and the only thing I've got to show for it is a headache."

"Maybe that's the problem Logan."

He looked at her enquiringly.

"Don't you see, the answer's not in your computer, it's in your head."

"That's not very helpful."

"You said this was personal."

"And?"

"You're just going to hafta remember."

At her words, Logan looked more defeated. "I've tried! Still," he added, looking over at his computers and sighing, "I can always give it another try."

"Uh uh."

"Uh uh? I thought you wanted me to work this thing out!"

"We were taught at Manticore to remember something hidden in it by totally clearing the rest of the mind from distractions. It's like a filing system – you keep pulling out the top files until you get to the one underneath."

Logan looked skeptical. "And?"

"So, do you feel up to a drive?"

Logan looked at her quizzically, a smile beginning to grow on his face.

***********************************************************

They'd left the city behind them, and were heading out on a straight stretch of road.

"Your arm feel okay?"

It was throbbing slightly, but no worse than if he'd been at home. "It's fine," then he added, "thanks."

Max smiled a little self-consciously.

"Hey, do you really want to blow away the cobwebs?" she asked, her eyes glinting mischievously.

"I'm not sure," was Logan's cautious answer.

"Put your window down."

Logan pressed the button and put it down a little.

"Uh uh, all the way."

He narrowed his eyes at her, but did it anyway. A rush of freezing cold wind immediately rushed into the car. Logan made a face. Max then put her window down, and then reached up and did the sun roof as well. At the high speed they were traveling, the wind blew in wildly, whipping Max's hair back from her face. She grinned appreciatively.

"Almost as good as riding my motorbike," she yelled over at him.

Logan looked at her and couldn't help laughing. He felt himself beginning to relax.

"What do you think?"

"I've never seen anyone as beautiful as you!" was his immediate thought.

"Well?" she asked again.

"It's freezing. But kindah fun."

She suddenly looked over at him and warmly, "You know, we're gonna figure this out."

Logan shot a quick look at her again. With his eyes back on the road, he couldn't help smiling, that wide generous smile, the one when he was really happy.

"Yeah."

TBC

I know, but I couldn't give too much away, or it will all finish too quickly! I'm beginning to enjoy myself!!