Scene 26, 2021, Later
Max awoke in a haze, her vision blurred. She could smell something vaguely medicinal. Manticore? Reacting to the threat hovering over her, her mind didn't stop to wonder why she wasn't in restraints.
Jumping up, she immediately lashed out with her foot, then spun around and caught the threat by the throat. A hand reached up and grabbed her arm, forcing it away from the throat. Twisting her wrist around, she grabbed hold of her attacker's arm. Using her own weight as momentum, she shifted her hips, throwing off his balance. As her attacker slid to the floor, he swept his feet out and sent her to the ground. Max landed hard, the effects of the drug still slowing her responses. She found herself pinned to the ground, someone leaning over her and panting.
"Max! It's me, Zack!" a voice said, "Zack."
"Zack?" Max mumbled. The force keeping her down shifted off of her. A strong arm grasped her elbow and helped her up to a seated position. Max shook her head, feeling groggy, but her vision cleared. Zack's concerned face swam into focus.
"Don't you ever pull a foolish stunt like that again, Maxie!" he yelled, "You could have gotten us killed. Or worse. All for that boyfriend of yours."
"Logan," Max garbled, "Tinga?"
Zack's shining eyes met hers. "I don't know . . . there was an explosion . . . . Oh god Max," he hugged her, "they're gone."
Max stared blankly ahead at the wall. Tinga. Logan. Dead. Gone. Her whole body was numb. Ice had been poured on her. Her sister and her . . . love. Gone.
"What happened?" Max finally managed to choke out.
"You were unconscious when we attacked. Tinga got shot, but she said she'd get Logan. I picked you up and took you out to the Jeep we commandeered. I went back, but it was too late. If they got out, I have no idea where they are."
"We have to go back," Max said, standing up, "We have to find them."
"Are you kidding?" Zack jumped to his feet and took hold of her upper arms. "That place will be crawling with soldiers looking for us even if Lydecker was killed. You don't think he hasn't got someone to replace him in a second? Max, it's suicide."
"I don't care," she growled, her determination showing.
"Well I do," Zack said, "I won't let you do it."
"You can't stop me," Max snarled, trying to pull free, but Zack held her too tight.
"I can Maxie. I gave you a choice before. This time I'm not letting you get yourself killed over phony sentimentality."
"We're not at Manticore, Zack, we're human."
"But we can't think like that now, Max, we've got to think like soldiers."
Scene 27, 2021, Crash, meanwhile
Cindy, Herbal, and Sketchy were seated at their usual table, drinking and unwinding after a hard day of delivering packages, sword fighting, and forging signatures. Cindy and Herbal were debating the 'all good, all the time' theory when Sketchy returned from a beer run.
"Guys, guess who's here," he said putting the pint down.
"Ummm, Sivapathasindarum?" Cindy guessed.
"Louise," Herbal suggested.
"No, you guys are both wrong," Sketchy grinned.
"Alright, out with it," Cindy said, "Who's the mystery guest?"
"Normal," Sketchy said.
Cindy snorted. "Normal? In here? At Crash? You pullin' my leg?"
"Nope." Sketchy pointed at the bar. Sure enough, Normal was at the bar, slumped over his drink.
"What is he doin' here? Doesn't he have a bar of his own to go to?" Cindy said.
"I hope this means we don't have to get a new bar," Sketchy whined.
"I don't know," Herbal said, "but man, he looks pitiful. . . even for Normal," Herbal said.
"Damn B, I've never seen him so . . . . pathetic," Cindy commented, "Let's go say hi."
Cindy, Sketchy, and Herbal trouped down to the bar. They surrounded Normal, who was hunched over his beer bottle.
Normal, realizing their presence, looked up, his gaze moving from Cindy to Herbal to Sketchy and back to Cindy. "Oh no," he groaned, "Chandler, Phoebe, and Joey," then raising his voice, "What do you want?"
"Well, we were wondering what was wrong with you, but since you mentioned it, who are Chandelier, Phoebe, and Joey?" Cindy replied.
"Chandler," Normal corrected, "before your time. I should have known a pub so aptly named 'Crash' would attract you slackers. Now, scat, go." He made half-hearted shooing motions at them.
"That's not working for me," Sketchy said, "It lacks it's usual bippy inspiration."
Cindy gave Sketchy a look. He shrugged.
"Bip," Normal responded weakly.
Cindy, Herbal, and Sketchy exchanged nervous glances. "Who are you and what have you done with Normal?" Cindy demanded.
"Honestly, can't you miscreants just leave me alone? You've done enough destruction for one day."
"Destruction? Normal, quit moping into your lite beer, and dish for Original Cindy. You've never been this mopey even when the Siva - Patha -Cinderella thing didn't work out."
"Sivapathasindarum."
"Whatever."
"If you must know, I was going to ask Better Bikes and Messengers to do a profile on all you morons, to thank you for your hard work recently. But no, someone had to sabotage it," Normal said.
Sketchy, Herbal, and Cindy exchanged guilty looks. Cindy pulled them aside.
"Guys, I feel majorly bad here," Sketchy said.
"Yeah, man," Herbal nodded in agreement.
"Original Cindy's gotta think on it. But we're gonna fix it."
Scene 28, 2021, Outside Seattle, Meanwhile
Logan sat in the Aztec, cursing Zack. Actually, the flat tire wasn't Zack's fault. It really wasn't anyone's, but Logan felt like blaming someone, and since Zack had disappeared with Max, Logan was inclined to blame him.
"Found the problem," Bling said, holding up a small shard, "This thing got stuck in the tread thanks to the explosion and then the air slowly leaked out."
"What is it?" Logan asked, taking the shard from Bling.
"Looks like a part of your wheelchair," Bling said. He disappeared behind the Aztec, "I'll have the tire changed in a jiff, and then we can get back to tracking our favorite Manticore."
"Yeah, sure," Logan replied, his mind on the fragment in his fingers. That danged chair. It was always an obstacle between him and Max. Where before it was because of his wounded pride, now it literally was an obstacle.
The Aztec tilted to one side as Bling winched the jack under it and began to change the tire. Logan pulled out his phone and dialed his penthouse. The machine picked up.
"Hi, you've reached the number you dialed," his voice greeted him.
"Zack, Max, it's me. Pick up if you're there." He waited. "Pick up." Nothing. "Alright. Call me as soon as you get this message."
Logan hung up and dialed Kendra's number. No answer. He tried Cindy's. Jam Pony. Zack's old number. Nothing.
His mind worked over all the possibilities. She was still unconscious and Zack was tending to her. Or maybe he was still driving, and couldn't respond. Or they were caught some where by Lydecker's back up troops, or the sector police. Or they were hiding out somewhere to evade capture. Logan hesitated calling Max's pager. If she and Zack were hiding, he didn't want to blow their cover. But he needed to find her.
Logan dialed. He got through. Now it was just a matter of waiting until she called him back.
Scene 29, 2021, Meanwhile
"We can't think like that now, Max, we've got to think like soldiers," Zack repeated in a softer voice.
Max knew that Zack was right. If Logan and Tinga were dead, she'd be no help to them if she rushed in and got herself killed right away. If Lydecker were also killed in the blast, there would be a new head of Manticore, with troops ready for her attack. And if Lydecker were dead, her chief target was already gone, making any kind of vengeance she would achieve empty.
Damn him.
Zack's grip on Max relaxed as her soldier brain took control. She sat down on the couch she'd previously been laying on. "What now?" she asked.
"We need to know if they got out before the blast. But it's highly unlikely." Zack sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "If Logan's gone, what happens to the informant net?"
"He wants it destroyed. He made Bling promise to dismantle it if anything happened to him," Max said.
"Call Bling, then and tell him to do it." He held a cellular phone out to her.
"Zack."
"Max, it has to be done."
She took the phone and dialed Logan's penthouse, where they'd left Bling. It rang until the answering machine picked up. The sound of Logan's voice made Max's bottom lip quiver. Finally, the machine beeped.
"Bling? Bling, it's Max. Please pick up. Bling?" She hung up the phone. "He's not there."
"Then we'll have to do it ourselves. Come on." Zack guided Max outside to the Jeep he had commandeered. He drove through town to Fogle Towers. They parked in the garage and took the freight elevator up to the top.
Max pulled out her keys and unlocked the door to the penthouse. She paused at the door, feeling Logan's presence wash over her. Zack gently pushed her inside and closed the door behind them. He walked past Max into Logan's computer room. Max followed, walking right by the answering machine, its red light blinking.
She sat down in front of Logan's main computer and typed in the passwords. A menu popped up on screen. Max scrolled through the choices, and then picked DELETE. Her finger poised above the enter key, she took a deep breath.
Her pager beeped. She grabbed it from her bag. The display showed Logan's cell phone number. Logan's cell phone number. Max dived for the phone, but Zack tackled her to the ground.
"ZACK!"
"Max, it could be a trap. They could have confiscated his phone."
"Logan didn't have his phone on him then. I gave it to Bling before we left for Sedro."
"I don't care. You're not answering that."
Scene 30, 2021, Logan's (continuation of previous scene)
Max wriggled free of Zack's grasp, kicking him in the face, and went for the phone. He beat her to it, ripping it out of the wall and throwing it down the hall.
"Max, it could be anyone," Zack yelled.
"It could be Logan!"
Max lashed out with a spin kick, hitting Zack squarely in the chest. He reeled back and stumbled, but quickly regained his balance. He lunged for her, grabbing her arm. Max turned and punched him.
Zack tasted blood, but he ignored it and flipped her. Max pulled on his arm and he tumbled to the floor with her. They rolled, and Zack tried to pin Max to the floor. She pushed him off and jumped up.
"Zack," she warned.
"You're too stubborn, Maxie," he said, but he backed off.
She looked at him. "You're bleeding." There was also an angry bruise where her foot had contacted with his cheek. "Let me get the first aid kit."
She found the supplies in Logan's bathroom. Grabbing them, she returned to the living room, where Zack was unbuttoning his shirt. Max could see a bruise that matched the sole of her boots on his chest. There was also a small cut where his skin had been broken.
Max sat down across from him and carefully applied peroxide to the cuts. Zack winced.
"Sorry," she whispered.
"It's okay. I'm the one who should be sorry. I just . . ."
"What?" she asked, looking up at him.
"I worry about you. I want to make sure you're safe."
"I'm fine. You don't have to take care of me."
"How could I not?" he asked. He was breathing hard and leaning close to her. They were inches from each other.
"Zack."
The door flew open, and Logan, leaning on Bling, walked in. "Max?!"
Max awoke in a haze, her vision blurred. She could smell something vaguely medicinal. Manticore? Reacting to the threat hovering over her, her mind didn't stop to wonder why she wasn't in restraints.
Jumping up, she immediately lashed out with her foot, then spun around and caught the threat by the throat. A hand reached up and grabbed her arm, forcing it away from the throat. Twisting her wrist around, she grabbed hold of her attacker's arm. Using her own weight as momentum, she shifted her hips, throwing off his balance. As her attacker slid to the floor, he swept his feet out and sent her to the ground. Max landed hard, the effects of the drug still slowing her responses. She found herself pinned to the ground, someone leaning over her and panting.
"Max! It's me, Zack!" a voice said, "Zack."
"Zack?" Max mumbled. The force keeping her down shifted off of her. A strong arm grasped her elbow and helped her up to a seated position. Max shook her head, feeling groggy, but her vision cleared. Zack's concerned face swam into focus.
"Don't you ever pull a foolish stunt like that again, Maxie!" he yelled, "You could have gotten us killed. Or worse. All for that boyfriend of yours."
"Logan," Max garbled, "Tinga?"
Zack's shining eyes met hers. "I don't know . . . there was an explosion . . . . Oh god Max," he hugged her, "they're gone."
Max stared blankly ahead at the wall. Tinga. Logan. Dead. Gone. Her whole body was numb. Ice had been poured on her. Her sister and her . . . love. Gone.
"What happened?" Max finally managed to choke out.
"You were unconscious when we attacked. Tinga got shot, but she said she'd get Logan. I picked you up and took you out to the Jeep we commandeered. I went back, but it was too late. If they got out, I have no idea where they are."
"We have to go back," Max said, standing up, "We have to find them."
"Are you kidding?" Zack jumped to his feet and took hold of her upper arms. "That place will be crawling with soldiers looking for us even if Lydecker was killed. You don't think he hasn't got someone to replace him in a second? Max, it's suicide."
"I don't care," she growled, her determination showing.
"Well I do," Zack said, "I won't let you do it."
"You can't stop me," Max snarled, trying to pull free, but Zack held her too tight.
"I can Maxie. I gave you a choice before. This time I'm not letting you get yourself killed over phony sentimentality."
"We're not at Manticore, Zack, we're human."
"But we can't think like that now, Max, we've got to think like soldiers."
Scene 27, 2021, Crash, meanwhile
Cindy, Herbal, and Sketchy were seated at their usual table, drinking and unwinding after a hard day of delivering packages, sword fighting, and forging signatures. Cindy and Herbal were debating the 'all good, all the time' theory when Sketchy returned from a beer run.
"Guys, guess who's here," he said putting the pint down.
"Ummm, Sivapathasindarum?" Cindy guessed.
"Louise," Herbal suggested.
"No, you guys are both wrong," Sketchy grinned.
"Alright, out with it," Cindy said, "Who's the mystery guest?"
"Normal," Sketchy said.
Cindy snorted. "Normal? In here? At Crash? You pullin' my leg?"
"Nope." Sketchy pointed at the bar. Sure enough, Normal was at the bar, slumped over his drink.
"What is he doin' here? Doesn't he have a bar of his own to go to?" Cindy said.
"I hope this means we don't have to get a new bar," Sketchy whined.
"I don't know," Herbal said, "but man, he looks pitiful. . . even for Normal," Herbal said.
"Damn B, I've never seen him so . . . . pathetic," Cindy commented, "Let's go say hi."
Cindy, Sketchy, and Herbal trouped down to the bar. They surrounded Normal, who was hunched over his beer bottle.
Normal, realizing their presence, looked up, his gaze moving from Cindy to Herbal to Sketchy and back to Cindy. "Oh no," he groaned, "Chandler, Phoebe, and Joey," then raising his voice, "What do you want?"
"Well, we were wondering what was wrong with you, but since you mentioned it, who are Chandelier, Phoebe, and Joey?" Cindy replied.
"Chandler," Normal corrected, "before your time. I should have known a pub so aptly named 'Crash' would attract you slackers. Now, scat, go." He made half-hearted shooing motions at them.
"That's not working for me," Sketchy said, "It lacks it's usual bippy inspiration."
Cindy gave Sketchy a look. He shrugged.
"Bip," Normal responded weakly.
Cindy, Herbal, and Sketchy exchanged nervous glances. "Who are you and what have you done with Normal?" Cindy demanded.
"Honestly, can't you miscreants just leave me alone? You've done enough destruction for one day."
"Destruction? Normal, quit moping into your lite beer, and dish for Original Cindy. You've never been this mopey even when the Siva - Patha -Cinderella thing didn't work out."
"Sivapathasindarum."
"Whatever."
"If you must know, I was going to ask Better Bikes and Messengers to do a profile on all you morons, to thank you for your hard work recently. But no, someone had to sabotage it," Normal said.
Sketchy, Herbal, and Cindy exchanged guilty looks. Cindy pulled them aside.
"Guys, I feel majorly bad here," Sketchy said.
"Yeah, man," Herbal nodded in agreement.
"Original Cindy's gotta think on it. But we're gonna fix it."
Scene 28, 2021, Outside Seattle, Meanwhile
Logan sat in the Aztec, cursing Zack. Actually, the flat tire wasn't Zack's fault. It really wasn't anyone's, but Logan felt like blaming someone, and since Zack had disappeared with Max, Logan was inclined to blame him.
"Found the problem," Bling said, holding up a small shard, "This thing got stuck in the tread thanks to the explosion and then the air slowly leaked out."
"What is it?" Logan asked, taking the shard from Bling.
"Looks like a part of your wheelchair," Bling said. He disappeared behind the Aztec, "I'll have the tire changed in a jiff, and then we can get back to tracking our favorite Manticore."
"Yeah, sure," Logan replied, his mind on the fragment in his fingers. That danged chair. It was always an obstacle between him and Max. Where before it was because of his wounded pride, now it literally was an obstacle.
The Aztec tilted to one side as Bling winched the jack under it and began to change the tire. Logan pulled out his phone and dialed his penthouse. The machine picked up.
"Hi, you've reached the number you dialed," his voice greeted him.
"Zack, Max, it's me. Pick up if you're there." He waited. "Pick up." Nothing. "Alright. Call me as soon as you get this message."
Logan hung up and dialed Kendra's number. No answer. He tried Cindy's. Jam Pony. Zack's old number. Nothing.
His mind worked over all the possibilities. She was still unconscious and Zack was tending to her. Or maybe he was still driving, and couldn't respond. Or they were caught some where by Lydecker's back up troops, or the sector police. Or they were hiding out somewhere to evade capture. Logan hesitated calling Max's pager. If she and Zack were hiding, he didn't want to blow their cover. But he needed to find her.
Logan dialed. He got through. Now it was just a matter of waiting until she called him back.
Scene 29, 2021, Meanwhile
"We can't think like that now, Max, we've got to think like soldiers," Zack repeated in a softer voice.
Max knew that Zack was right. If Logan and Tinga were dead, she'd be no help to them if she rushed in and got herself killed right away. If Lydecker were also killed in the blast, there would be a new head of Manticore, with troops ready for her attack. And if Lydecker were dead, her chief target was already gone, making any kind of vengeance she would achieve empty.
Damn him.
Zack's grip on Max relaxed as her soldier brain took control. She sat down on the couch she'd previously been laying on. "What now?" she asked.
"We need to know if they got out before the blast. But it's highly unlikely." Zack sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "If Logan's gone, what happens to the informant net?"
"He wants it destroyed. He made Bling promise to dismantle it if anything happened to him," Max said.
"Call Bling, then and tell him to do it." He held a cellular phone out to her.
"Zack."
"Max, it has to be done."
She took the phone and dialed Logan's penthouse, where they'd left Bling. It rang until the answering machine picked up. The sound of Logan's voice made Max's bottom lip quiver. Finally, the machine beeped.
"Bling? Bling, it's Max. Please pick up. Bling?" She hung up the phone. "He's not there."
"Then we'll have to do it ourselves. Come on." Zack guided Max outside to the Jeep he had commandeered. He drove through town to Fogle Towers. They parked in the garage and took the freight elevator up to the top.
Max pulled out her keys and unlocked the door to the penthouse. She paused at the door, feeling Logan's presence wash over her. Zack gently pushed her inside and closed the door behind them. He walked past Max into Logan's computer room. Max followed, walking right by the answering machine, its red light blinking.
She sat down in front of Logan's main computer and typed in the passwords. A menu popped up on screen. Max scrolled through the choices, and then picked DELETE. Her finger poised above the enter key, she took a deep breath.
Her pager beeped. She grabbed it from her bag. The display showed Logan's cell phone number. Logan's cell phone number. Max dived for the phone, but Zack tackled her to the ground.
"ZACK!"
"Max, it could be a trap. They could have confiscated his phone."
"Logan didn't have his phone on him then. I gave it to Bling before we left for Sedro."
"I don't care. You're not answering that."
Scene 30, 2021, Logan's (continuation of previous scene)
Max wriggled free of Zack's grasp, kicking him in the face, and went for the phone. He beat her to it, ripping it out of the wall and throwing it down the hall.
"Max, it could be anyone," Zack yelled.
"It could be Logan!"
Max lashed out with a spin kick, hitting Zack squarely in the chest. He reeled back and stumbled, but quickly regained his balance. He lunged for her, grabbing her arm. Max turned and punched him.
Zack tasted blood, but he ignored it and flipped her. Max pulled on his arm and he tumbled to the floor with her. They rolled, and Zack tried to pin Max to the floor. She pushed him off and jumped up.
"Zack," she warned.
"You're too stubborn, Maxie," he said, but he backed off.
She looked at him. "You're bleeding." There was also an angry bruise where her foot had contacted with his cheek. "Let me get the first aid kit."
She found the supplies in Logan's bathroom. Grabbing them, she returned to the living room, where Zack was unbuttoning his shirt. Max could see a bruise that matched the sole of her boots on his chest. There was also a small cut where his skin had been broken.
Max sat down across from him and carefully applied peroxide to the cuts. Zack winced.
"Sorry," she whispered.
"It's okay. I'm the one who should be sorry. I just . . ."
"What?" she asked, looking up at him.
"I worry about you. I want to make sure you're safe."
"I'm fine. You don't have to take care of me."
"How could I not?" he asked. He was breathing hard and leaning close to her. They were inches from each other.
"Zack."
The door flew open, and Logan, leaning on Bling, walked in. "Max?!"