They followed Max to an abandoned warehouse. Max raised an eyebrow when she saw Alex, but other than that, said nothing. Together, she and Zack dragged Lydecker out of the car. Zack held him up while Max patted him down in a routine weapons check. She pulled a Hi-Power Browning 9 mm semi-automatic from his coat pocket and tossed it to Zack, who caught it deftly with his free hand and slipped it into his waistband. Max shoved him into a chair and held him in place while Zack produced rope and duct tape from who-knows-where and began tying him to the chair. Max scowled at the unconscious man in the chair, her hands on her hips, as Zack secured his wrists together. It was all very efficiently done, making Alex wonder just what they had been taught over at Manticore.

Finally, when Zack gave the signal, Max threw a bucket of cold water over Lydecker's head. "This afternoon men in black NTVs kidnapped a girl on Waverly Avenue. Your men. We want to know where they took her." Her voice sounded…different. Commanding.

"You must have me confused with someone else—" First rule of interrogation: Deny everything.

Zack hit him. "Stop lying, Lydecker, or you're going to have a very long day."

"I'm just a business man—"

"Stop lying!"

Alex winced as he hit him again. Half of her wanted to tell Zack to stop it, but she resisted the urge. It wasn't that strong, anyway. Time for her father to learn to do unto others as he would have them do unto him.

"Where's Brin?" Zack demanded.

"Brin?" Lydecker repeated, sounding as if he'd just made an important discovery. That or won the jackpot. From the look that Max gave Zack, she knew what was wrong in what he had just said. But Alex didn't.

"You're one of mine," Lydecker said. It wasn't a question, it was a fact. There was a note of undeniable pride in his voice. More than he ever had for her. "X5. Only you would know the names you kids gave each other."

Oh, God. So this is why he sounds so proud? Would he be proud of me if I kidnapped him? Jesus Christ.

"Where is she?" Max demanded.

"I don't have her."

Zack hit him. "Stop lying!" he shouted hoarsely.

Lydecker laughed. The sound made Alex cringe more than anything Zack's blows could have done. "Still so angry. You haven't changed much, have you, Zack?"

"Gee, wonder why," Alex muttered.

Lydecker turned to the sound of her voice. "And who might you be? Tinga? Jace?"

Try your own daughter, asshole.

"No, good guess though," Alex replied sardonically.

"We'll play Pin the Name on the Barcode later," Max snapped.

"Jondy? Max, maybe."

"Shut up," Max and Alex said in unison, although for different reasons. Max knew she was losing control of the situation; Alex, on the other hand, just really wanted Lydecker to shut up.

"That's right," Lydecker said thoughtfully, almost as if he were talking to himself. "You put your prisoner in a threatening environment, and then you use threats, and verbal abuse, to weaken him psychologically. Eventually, you employ nonverbal techniques, including torture."

"I said, shut up!" Max shouted again.

"Listen, you fucking asshole," Alex said calmly, carefully enunciating every word, "if you don't shut up," she took the gun from Zack and cocked it, aiming it at Lydecker, "we can make you. Got it?"

Lydecker was silent after that, for which Alex was thankful. She had enough on her mind without his psychological shit. She gave the gun back to Zack, who was looking at her with something Alex couldn't identify. Truthfully, she didn't even want to know what it was. Like she said, she had enough on her mind. She retreated back to her crate and sat down, never taking her eyes off Lydecker.

"Where is she?" Zack repeated, his stance tense.

"I told you, I don't have her," Lydecker repeated as well, sounding tired. Well, too bad for him. "Listen up." Alex raised her eyebrows. She didn't appreciate his tone. "I don't want to see Brin fall into enemy hands any more than you do."

"You're the enemy," Zack told him roughly.

Alex had to agree with him on this one.

"Why don't we just cut to the chase?" Lydecker suggested. With a grunt, he snapped one of the ropes binding his wrists. Alex glanced at Zack to see his reaction. He had the expression of someone who was thinking, 'Damn, we need more rope.'

"One down, nine to go." Lydecker laughed again, the irony of the situation thick in his voice. "What do I have to do to have you accept that I'm telling the truth?" While his voice didn't sound quite desperate yet, Alex could tell it was getting there. "I don't have her."

Max demanded, "Then who does?"

"Any number of foreign governments would love to get their hands on Manticore technology."

"You're saying that someone kidnapped her to sell her to the highest bidder?" Max asked, sounding, for the first time, naïve and innocent.

"Is that so surprising?" Lydecker wanted to know. "Each one of you is worth millions."

"Why should we believe you?" Zack cut in.

"A weapons system like Brin doesn't come up for sale every day," Lydecker answered. "Let me contact my people. We can find out who's brokering the deal. Think about it."

Max and Zack walked away to, presumably, think about it. Before Alex had time to think rationally about what she was doing, she leaned close to Lydecker and whispered, "Gee, Dad, were you always this good a salesman or was it just a skill you acquired after Mom died?"

Lydecker looked at her and for a brief moment, Alex imagined that he could see through the blindfolds, could see into her soul.

And what would he find? Whatever I've become, he made me. Although I'm not really sure he should take all the credit.

Alex shook her head and moved back to her nice, safe crate. Just then, Max and Zack walked back to them. "Come with me," Zack said to Alex. It sounded a little too much like an order, but she let it go. She wasn't about to get into an argument in front of her – in front of Lydecker. Just let him think that everything was under control.

When they had walked out of earshot and Zack hadn't volunteered any information, Alex asked, "Where are we going?"

"To Logan's," Zack answered shortly. "Max says he has contacts with the military."

"Why did you…ask…me to come?"

"You shouldn't be here."

"Is that an answer or are you evading me?"

Zack shook his head. "This isn't your problem. You shouldn't get involved."

"It's a little late for that, isn't it?" Alex tried to keep her voice light.

He stopped and looked at her, putting a hand on her arm. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"You should have thought of that before you left," Alex snapped. She stopped and shook her head. She didn't want to go there. "It's my problem now, too. You can't just expect me to walk away."

"I can. And I do," he told her.

"Well, tough," she retorted, pulling her arm away and continuing to walk. "You're not my mother, and while I appreciate the thought," ha, that's a lie, "I can take care of myself."

"Not with this," he said, catching up to her in long strides.

"Zack, get it through your head: I'm going whether you want me to or not." If he wanted to play tough, she could, too.

He grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop. Alex looked at the hand on her arm, then back at him. "You don't want to do that." Her eyes had turned to a dark obsidian green and blazed dangerously. He didn't want to see her pushed to her limit.

"Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it, huh?" His grip on her arm tightened, both hurting and angering Alex. "Oh, that's right, you can take care of yourself." His tone plainly said he thought otherwise.

Alex yanked her arm away. He let her. She started walking away, with him close behind. Then, without any warning, she spun around and faced Zack. She faked a low kick. When she saw him go to block it, she executed a sweeping kick and a swift upper cut simultaneously. The punch caught him in the jaw, but the sweep only made him stumble slightly.

He recovered his balance enough to aim a punch at Alex's midsection. She blocked it, using the same move she had used on the bodyguard the first day they met. When she twisted Zack's arm behind him, he used the force to flip her over his back.

She landed on her feet, the impact sending a shock of pain up through her legs. While Zack was still bent over, her knee met his ribs. He seized her leg and wrenched it from under her. As she went down, she grabbed his jacket, forcing him to either keep her from falling or fall himself. As they went down, she used the momentum to twist them around so she landed on top.

Alex started to get up, but Zack pulled her back down, their faces almost touching. She glared at him and got up, digging her knee into his ribs for emphasis.

"That's right, Zack; I can take care of myself."

She glanced out at the street, which was empty at this time of day, save for a few drunks, then back at Zack. Finally, she sighed and offered a hand to help him up. He stood up alone, dusting himself off. Obviously his macho male pride had been hurt. Alex shook her head and began walking again. She didn't need this on top of everything else.

"Alex."

She turned around, her hands on her hips. "What?"

"You're going in the wrong direction."