Family Innocence
Part VI
The X5 group were around the ages of two and three.. Lydecker sat in the room with them, watching them as they socialized. He noted that though they were just toddlers, they acted more like adults and it was clearly noticible that 30417291559 (a.k.a. Zack) was the leader. It was also noticible that Lydecker was not the cold hearted man he sometimes seemed to be, for he had toys for the toddlers to play with.
Though some of the toddlers could say a few words, they all had their own language, that each of them could understand. Hand signals....that they taught themselves.
Lydecker became aware, when Zack suddenly called a meeting. He watched as the X5s gathered around Zack and intently watched his signals, then either nodding or adding their own. Lydecker suddenly felt uneasy and broke up the meeting. Their military handlers came and escorted them to the training grounds. Lydecker turned and noticed that Max hadn't followed the others, and he reprimanded her for not following orders.
"Make 'em really big, mom!" Stephanie announced from her seat at the kitchen table. Max was startled awake by the sounds and the smells.
Darlene flipped over a pancake and turned and smiled as Max walked in.
"Hey, glad you can join us. Have a seat at the table. Breakfast will be ready soon, Max!" Darlene instructed Max. Max moved to sit next to Stephanie.
Stephanie handed Max a glass of juice, "Good morning, Maxi!"
Max accepted the glass and intently watched as the pancakes were made. This was one thing she had never experienced. And the smell was intruiging to her.
Max then noticed that it didn't take long to make pancakes and soon the family was gathered round the table for breakfast.
Lydecker and his men worked an all night shift to get back to Billings. He realized that Max had led him on a wild goose chase and they weren't going to find her this easily. Lydecker instructed his team to be ready to infiltrate the home of 629 Guevara.
Lydecker was intent on successfully recapturing Max. He was very aware of the relationship between 332960073452 (Max) and 330417291559 (Zack). He planned on using Max as bait to draw out Zack. Lydecker knew that Zack planned the escape, and that being the leader, Zack would know where the other 10 X5 escapees were. Then he would have them all, just from capturing Max. Lydecker sat back, pleased with his plan.
In the middle of breakfast, Max got up from the table. The family looked at her.
"Max? What is it?" Darlene asked, her voice wavered.
No reply came, but Max gazed steadfastly at Richard.
Richard had been acting strange all morning. Constantly staring out the window, always being first to answer the phone, keeping an eye on her. She knew something was up, but couldn't quite figure it out.
Until now.
"You told." Max spoke to Richard.
He looked at her, clearly confused, "What are you talking about?"
Max didn't answer, instead she went towards the front door.
Darlene jumped up from the table, panick taking over, "Where are you going?"
By the time Max reached the door and opened it, Richard was right behind her.
The two detectives from the previous day, Phil and Sam, burst through the doorway, followed by Rawson, the chief.
Max had no time to react and the detectives held her down long enough for Rawson to inject a strong sedative into her. She was out immediately and Rawson moved to scoop the child up.
Phil and Sam moved to intercept a crazed mother.
"What the hell are you doing? Richard, stop them!!" Darlene screamed frantically.
Phil answered, "Ma'am, abide by the law or be arrested."
Sam added, "There were strict instruction to find this child, subdue her and bring her in."
The two detectives left, shutting the door behind them. Darlene slumped to the floor, ravaged by the scene. Richard did his best to comfort his wife, and Stephanie came in, "Where's Max? Where did they take her?"
"It's ok, Stephanie. There must be a reason for this." Richard used comforting words to his daughter.
Back at the station, Rawson placed Max in a cell surrounded by 5 security guards. Rawson exited the cell and approached Sam and Phil.
"Mr. Donald Lydecker should be arriving any moment now. See to it that he is given whatever he wants."
Phil answers, "Yes, sir!" All three of them leave the cell area, back to the main part of the station.
Later that day, Lydecker arrived at 629 Guevara. His men burst through the door, finding Darlene, Stephanie and Richard. They were brought to the main room of the house and bound and gagged the women, while Richard just got bound.
Lydecker approached Richard, "Where is the girl?"
No answer.
He asked again, voice higher than before, "Where is the girl?!"
"What do you want with her?" Came the slow reply, while Stephanies sobs could be heard in the background.
Lydecker was getting impatient and was about to backhand Richard when his phone rang. "State your name and reason for calling."
Rawson was on the other end, "Um, Mr. Lydecker, sir....I have the girl.....locked in a cell....here at the station."
Lydecker grinned victoriously, "Good job, Rawson. I see something good coming your way." And he hung up.
Lydecker turned to shout a command to his men, "Move out, we have the girl."
Richard, Darlene and Stephanie were left the way they were, while Lydecker and his men cleared out of the building.
Lydecker finally arrived at the Station. Rawson met him at the front door, with bad news. Lydecker frowned at the look on Rawson's face.
"What did you do?" He asked the chief.
"Sir, we are flabergasted."
Lydecker rushed passed Rawson, knowing something was wrong. He stopped and faced Rawson, "You lost her, didn't you?"
"Sir, we had five guards on her. We have no idea how she could've gotten past them all."
Lydecker wasn't shocked. He taught his kids to deal with situations like this. Though he was furious at Rawson for his carelessness.
Young Max was gone. She left Billings for good. No intent of returning. It was time to move on, she wasted to much time here anyways. One thing that can be said about her, 'You can take the girl out of Manticore....but you can't take
Manticore out of the girl.'
Max sat atop the space needle. Why now was she thinking about the family she met just after her escape? She wonders if they're still alive, and if they're still in Billings. Or could have Lydecker killed them, for being in the way?
She stood up. She should try to find that family. Maybe apologize to Richard. Just thinking about how she accused him of ratting her out, made her feel guilty. Stephanie wouldn't probably remember her. And has Darlene ever gotten over the loss of her? It was time to revisit the past.
**~~++~~**
END?
**~~++~~**
Note: Is this the end of Family Innocence? Should Max try and locate the family? You decide. Post your opinion and leave feedback!
Part VI
The X5 group were around the ages of two and three.. Lydecker sat in the room with them, watching them as they socialized. He noted that though they were just toddlers, they acted more like adults and it was clearly noticible that 30417291559 (a.k.a. Zack) was the leader. It was also noticible that Lydecker was not the cold hearted man he sometimes seemed to be, for he had toys for the toddlers to play with.
Though some of the toddlers could say a few words, they all had their own language, that each of them could understand. Hand signals....that they taught themselves.
Lydecker became aware, when Zack suddenly called a meeting. He watched as the X5s gathered around Zack and intently watched his signals, then either nodding or adding their own. Lydecker suddenly felt uneasy and broke up the meeting. Their military handlers came and escorted them to the training grounds. Lydecker turned and noticed that Max hadn't followed the others, and he reprimanded her for not following orders.
"Make 'em really big, mom!" Stephanie announced from her seat at the kitchen table. Max was startled awake by the sounds and the smells.
Darlene flipped over a pancake and turned and smiled as Max walked in.
"Hey, glad you can join us. Have a seat at the table. Breakfast will be ready soon, Max!" Darlene instructed Max. Max moved to sit next to Stephanie.
Stephanie handed Max a glass of juice, "Good morning, Maxi!"
Max accepted the glass and intently watched as the pancakes were made. This was one thing she had never experienced. And the smell was intruiging to her.
Max then noticed that it didn't take long to make pancakes and soon the family was gathered round the table for breakfast.
Lydecker and his men worked an all night shift to get back to Billings. He realized that Max had led him on a wild goose chase and they weren't going to find her this easily. Lydecker instructed his team to be ready to infiltrate the home of 629 Guevara.
Lydecker was intent on successfully recapturing Max. He was very aware of the relationship between 332960073452 (Max) and 330417291559 (Zack). He planned on using Max as bait to draw out Zack. Lydecker knew that Zack planned the escape, and that being the leader, Zack would know where the other 10 X5 escapees were. Then he would have them all, just from capturing Max. Lydecker sat back, pleased with his plan.
In the middle of breakfast, Max got up from the table. The family looked at her.
"Max? What is it?" Darlene asked, her voice wavered.
No reply came, but Max gazed steadfastly at Richard.
Richard had been acting strange all morning. Constantly staring out the window, always being first to answer the phone, keeping an eye on her. She knew something was up, but couldn't quite figure it out.
Until now.
"You told." Max spoke to Richard.
He looked at her, clearly confused, "What are you talking about?"
Max didn't answer, instead she went towards the front door.
Darlene jumped up from the table, panick taking over, "Where are you going?"
By the time Max reached the door and opened it, Richard was right behind her.
The two detectives from the previous day, Phil and Sam, burst through the doorway, followed by Rawson, the chief.
Max had no time to react and the detectives held her down long enough for Rawson to inject a strong sedative into her. She was out immediately and Rawson moved to scoop the child up.
Phil and Sam moved to intercept a crazed mother.
"What the hell are you doing? Richard, stop them!!" Darlene screamed frantically.
Phil answered, "Ma'am, abide by the law or be arrested."
Sam added, "There were strict instruction to find this child, subdue her and bring her in."
The two detectives left, shutting the door behind them. Darlene slumped to the floor, ravaged by the scene. Richard did his best to comfort his wife, and Stephanie came in, "Where's Max? Where did they take her?"
"It's ok, Stephanie. There must be a reason for this." Richard used comforting words to his daughter.
Back at the station, Rawson placed Max in a cell surrounded by 5 security guards. Rawson exited the cell and approached Sam and Phil.
"Mr. Donald Lydecker should be arriving any moment now. See to it that he is given whatever he wants."
Phil answers, "Yes, sir!" All three of them leave the cell area, back to the main part of the station.
Later that day, Lydecker arrived at 629 Guevara. His men burst through the door, finding Darlene, Stephanie and Richard. They were brought to the main room of the house and bound and gagged the women, while Richard just got bound.
Lydecker approached Richard, "Where is the girl?"
No answer.
He asked again, voice higher than before, "Where is the girl?!"
"What do you want with her?" Came the slow reply, while Stephanies sobs could be heard in the background.
Lydecker was getting impatient and was about to backhand Richard when his phone rang. "State your name and reason for calling."
Rawson was on the other end, "Um, Mr. Lydecker, sir....I have the girl.....locked in a cell....here at the station."
Lydecker grinned victoriously, "Good job, Rawson. I see something good coming your way." And he hung up.
Lydecker turned to shout a command to his men, "Move out, we have the girl."
Richard, Darlene and Stephanie were left the way they were, while Lydecker and his men cleared out of the building.
Lydecker finally arrived at the Station. Rawson met him at the front door, with bad news. Lydecker frowned at the look on Rawson's face.
"What did you do?" He asked the chief.
"Sir, we are flabergasted."
Lydecker rushed passed Rawson, knowing something was wrong. He stopped and faced Rawson, "You lost her, didn't you?"
"Sir, we had five guards on her. We have no idea how she could've gotten past them all."
Lydecker wasn't shocked. He taught his kids to deal with situations like this. Though he was furious at Rawson for his carelessness.
Young Max was gone. She left Billings for good. No intent of returning. It was time to move on, she wasted to much time here anyways. One thing that can be said about her, 'You can take the girl out of Manticore....but you can't take
Manticore out of the girl.'
Max sat atop the space needle. Why now was she thinking about the family she met just after her escape? She wonders if they're still alive, and if they're still in Billings. Or could have Lydecker killed them, for being in the way?
She stood up. She should try to find that family. Maybe apologize to Richard. Just thinking about how she accused him of ratting her out, made her feel guilty. Stephanie wouldn't probably remember her. And has Darlene ever gotten over the loss of her? It was time to revisit the past.
**~~++~~**
END?
**~~++~~**
Note: Is this the end of Family Innocence? Should Max try and locate the family? You decide. Post your opinion and leave feedback!