Chapter Eight: Help?
Tima rode the elevator to the penthouse of Logan's building feeling more than a little apprehensive. She knew that he was not going to take the news well, but at the same time she knew she could not neglect to mention something this important. He would say that it was a set up and a trap, it was exactly what she was thinking.
But how would Kito know? And how would he have any clue about her connection to Logan at all? That was the other reason that she was doing this. She had convinced herself that this was for real, that Kito had actually stumbled onto this Max, Logan's wife, and unwittingly had come to Tima for help, not knowing who else to contact. Extreme coincidence to be sure. And so it was that Logan absolutely needed to know the information and had to be made to believe it. With the amount of defenses there at the base she was going to need Kito and Logan to even consider attempting a rescue.
She was still amazed about how easily Kito had found her here in the city. Not only was it some 15miles away, but Seattle was a big city with nearly 2.1 million people living in and around it. Sure it had taken him several days, but if he could do it in that short of a time with the limited resources he had, how much shorter a time would it take for a determined and much better equipped Manticore search party?
She had dropped Kito at the hospital sure that it was unwise to bring him. She was unsure how Logan would react to another X-10 paying a visit with her. She had done Kito the service of getting him lined up with a doctor for the bullet wound he had suffered at Lydecker's hands. She had also gotten him some clothes that would allow him to blend a bit better than the black ops suit he had showed up at her door with.
The chime of the elevator coming to the floor she requested broke her out of her thoughts before she was ready.
Tima's head came up as the door opened, and taking a deep breath she stepped up to his eloquent wood door. Feeling self-conscious she rang the bell rather than letting herself in as she normally would have. She just could not come up with a way to stroll in and announce to him that his wife was alive, at the base they had been before, being tortured by Lydecker. Somehow it just did not make for a good icebreaker.
Logan was on the balcony leaning on the rail and looking at the city enjoying the mid-spring day. It was starting to warm up finally, which had lifted his spirits. He had hit a low recently and was just coming back out of it. It was a sad anniversary today…it had been four years to the day since he had lost Max… and the baby. He had dealt with a very serious bout of depression, he shook his head thinking it funny to find that he still fought the "dark side" even after all of this time.
He closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the city, exercising his augmented senses when he picked up the chime of the elevator coming to his floor. His head raised slightly as he heard it and he smiled a small smile, Tima was here. He straightened and headed for the balcony door wondering how Tima's party had gone the day before. She had been so nervous about it; she had even wanted him to come just so she had someone there that she was comfortable with. He politely refused her, knowing that if he had come she would not have let loose with her friends, she'd have ended up hovering around him all night.
Logan got the distinct impression that she had the slightest bit of a crush on him. She hung at his place whenever she felt it appropriate, and that was a lot. She wanted to accompany him wherever he went and seemed to notice no one else when he was around her. He barked a short laugh; she was WAY too young for him, even if he was interested.
He was halfway through his apartment when the doorbell rang, and his brows furrowed. Had he been wrong? Tima did not ring the bell, even when she forgot the key that he had given her. If she did forget it, which was pretty often, she just let herself in through the skylight or the balcony. Then again who else would come to this floor? Bling? No, he had his own key as well, and he never forgot it. No one else but the manager had access to the apartment and if he had business here he would always call first.
Puzzled Logan moved to the door just as the bell rang again. He opened the door to find a slightly startled Tima, "Tima?" Logan asked, "Why are you ringing the bell? Did you forget how to fly?" He said joking as he always did about her materialization's in his place.
She smiled at him even though she looked as if she didn't feel like it, "No," she said softly, "I just felt like ringing the bell," He could tell that she was lying about her motivation, she looked apprehensive about something.
"Well don't just stand there, come in…" He stood aside and allowed her entrance, "How was the party?"
"Good," She said in monotone, "Better than I expected… and worse." Logan looked at her retreating form oddly.
Tima preceded him and went directly to the study, which was also odd she normally headed straight for the kitchen. Unlike Max, Tima wanted him to cook for her all the time, thought his cooking was the cat's meow, in fact, "So what's up you look like you have something on your mind."
She turned to face him, "I do, but I'm just not sure how to put it," God when she said stuff like that she seemed older than her sixteen years.
His brows knitted over his bright blue eyes. He sat down crossing his arms over his chest, "So?" He prompted her.
"Well," she started wincing, "I had a visit last night just before the party from a Manticore named Kito."
His eyebrows raised, "Are you OK?"
She waved his concern away, "Yeah." Playing off just how scared that she had been thinking that Kito was there to finish what Lydecker had started before Logan had rescued her, "He said that he needed my help with a problem."
"Oh? So are you going to help him?"
"That would depend on you. I am going to need your help," Tima said straightforwardly.
Logan looked at her dubiously, "My help?"
Tima nodded, "Y'know that base we went to when you tried to help me get back in?" Logan nodded, "That is where Kito came from, he is one of the Manticore's that is stationed there. He's X-10 like me. He told me that there is a woman being held there against her will. Lydecker is abusing her, to what extent he could not say, and he wants my help to spring her from there. Lydecker found him there with her and he was forced to flee. He was unable to help her get free from there. The problem is, as you know, that there are several Manticore's, four others to be exact, and a contingent of about 150 other soldiers. Making it difficult for just him or he and I to get back in and out. I figure with you're help we'd at least have a decent chance."
He just stared at her a moment, then finally blinking he said, "I'm sorry Tima, you know that it is not my style to play an action hero."
He turned away and straightened some of the workload on his desk, "I can see about getting some of the others to give you a hand… Zach or Jondie maybe…"
"But…" Tima interrupted, "He tells me her name is Max."
Logan wheeled on her anger flashing in his eyes, "That's not funny Tima!" His voice was deep with hurt and anger, "Max is dead, I told you that."
"I'm not kidding, Logan, I wouldn't kid you about that," Tima said sincerely, "I couldn't think of hurting you that way, not after all that you've done for me."
His jaw was clenched tight and she could see the muscles working, "It has to be a trick."
She nodded knowing he would say that, "I thought the same thing too. But think about it, how would he know?"
"Lydecker… he would have that information, most of it at least," He replied unwilling to give up on his fury.
"How would he know where I went, and how would he know that you were the one that had helped me that night? C'mon Logan, I think that he is on the level. I think that Manticore somehow managed to save her and they have her captive, right now at that base."
He snorted unhappily, "I still don't like it, Tima."
"At least talk to him yourself, then make a more educated decision about it."
Logan looked away a moment, closing his eyes against the pain he was feeling again. He didn't like false hope, and this sounded way too good to be true, especially considering the timing, "Are you sure that you can trust him?" He whispered.
"Yes," Tima replied without hesitation.
Holding his breath and then sighing he said, "I'll talk to him."
Kito watched the "Doctor" warily as he worked on his arm. Kito had never been fond of doctors anyway, he had been the subject of one too many experiments when he was younger to have any affection for them, no matter how willing to "Help" they were. He was tense and edgy anyway, way out of his depth in this outside world. He looked down at the gaudy clothes that Tima had picked out for him feeling very undignified in the loose black pants and the tight tank top he was now wearing. She had given him a bandana to tie around his forehead effectively hiding the bar code between his brows. She had dropped him off here at the clinic and said that she would be back soon. She muttered something about having to contact the person that she had mentioned might want to help. To be sure he drew no undue attention from the doctor or anyone else in the hospital, so he guessed she was a better judge than he about the dress code out here was.
Kito remained stoically silent as the doctor finished up extracting the bullet and began stitching the bullet wound shut, admonishing him all the while about letting it go for so long without getting it looked at. He only nodded taking the chastising in style. It was easy considering some of the lectures he used to get about his conduct in Manticore. When the doctor finished and wrapped the arm, he ushered him back out into the lobby finishing up with some advice on the care of the wound over the next several days.
Kito watched as the doctor turned away and called the next of a long line of patients into his office.
Kito wandered about aimlessly waiting for Tima to return. There was not much to the place and he was quickly bored. Movement caught his eye outside the door and he sighed his relief as he recognized Tima. His brows furrowed as he saw the man with her, and he looked as unhappy to see Kito, as Kito was to see him.