Alicia sat at the computer, logged into the on-line game under a new name and persona she'd just made up. The Dark Knight was there, waiting. He'd probably been there for hours, waiting for her. All it would take would be a click, two words, and then another click. Rendezvous Italy. He'd know exactly where, and would meet her at the hotel as he had before. She wouldn't even need to apologize.
Why couldn't she type the words? She couldn't stay here forever. Eventually they were going to come looking for her. They would always come looking for her, and not because they cared. The sixers cared. The ones here would think she was double-crossing them. Did Zack think that? She didn't know for sure, and that was why she was here, but not typing.
She supposed she could go back to the penthouse. Tell everyone she just needed to clear her head for a little while. Then what? Zack couldn't stay with her, even if he wanted to. He had other responsibilities. The others would always look at her like she was about to betray them at the slightest provocation. She was not, nor would she ever be one of them. She'd been Manticore for far too long. Hell, they should think she would betray them. Look what she'd done to the sixers.
The baby started to move around a little. If she went back, he was the lingering question. What would happen to him? And then there was the scariest thought of them all. Cole had asked her it. What did she want to happen to her son? He'd pushed her on that point. What did she want to happen to him?
She got up and left the café quickly. There were plenty of other things that she needed to do before she had to make a commitment anyways. There was a passport and ID to be arranged, transport needed to be taken care of, and a million other details that needed to be attended to so that she could go to Italy if she wanted. In any case, she needed to get out of this city. Maybe she could go to New York. She had liked it there the last time. Mexico was a possibility. Maybe it would be best to not be in the States when the baby was born. The Mexicans would be less likely to be looking for a baby with a black mark on the back of its neck.
She wasn't sure how long she wandered around the city. This time she avoided the docks and warehouses all together. Too many bad memories. She got some of the money that she'd transferred and got some new clothes. They made her look more overweight than pregnant, and that was fine by her. If someone were looking for a pregnant female, she'd be less noticed.
She did notice when the dark began to set in. She'd gotten the things she wanted accomplished. She'd been trained in how to decipher who could get things for her. It was in the way they looked and carried themselves that spoke volumes. She had ID now. They said a passport and sector pass would have to wait until the next day. That would be fine. Well, not really, but you can't have everything. So now what was she supposed to do. She finally noticed her surroundings.
Most of her day had been run on instinct and training. She didn't care where she was, but she'd kept moving, and stayed out of the way. She blended with the crowd. Once she thought she saw Jhondie, but then she was gone again. Seattle was a big city. It was easy to stay lost here. Now she realized she was at a familiar park. This was where she first rested at the last time she was in Seattle.
She sat down heavily on a park bench. She was tired, but too close to Logan's to feel comfortable. She would have to get moving soon. She sat there for a while, trying not to think, but the question kept circling her. How did she want this baby to be raised?
She closed her eyes and tried to picture the future. She could see him at twelve at Manticore. Coming home from his first successful mission that he'd done by himself. She'd be so proud of him. He'd know that she was his mother. His trainer. His support person. He'd have people around him that would be thrilled at his accomplishments. They would know what it was like through all of his ups and downs.
And what if she didn't go back? Zack couldn't stay with her. So, it would be her and the baby, running, and hiding. Would he ever have a home? She would have to train him to hide himself from babyhood. He'd never know anyone like himself. She'd be utterly alone for the rest of her life too. Would she be able to keep from taking that loneliness out on him?
She had never exactly been the nurturing type anyways. What did she know about taking care of anyone else? She could train him, but there was more to being a mother than that when you were outside. What did she know about comfort except what Zack had shown her? She knew for sure she didn't want to do this on her own. She knew for sure she wanted…wanted…wanted something.
Zack. Why did so much come back to him? He could not stay with her. Would he even want to? He didn't want to be tied down to anything. He couldn't be. The memory of his face when he felt their son move for the first time flashed in her mind. She could hear him tell her how much he missed her and loved her. Cole told him she needed him, and he'd come for her immediately. Did he not want to be tied down, or had there just never been a good enough reason in his life to stay connected to something?
She was contemplating her next move when she felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder.
Alicia tried to jump up and shake off the hand, but it jerked her right back onto the bench. She looked over her shoulder to see who it was. It had to be Manticore. There wasn't anyone else that could have held her in place with one hand. Jhondie was standing there, looking a little amused.
"Sit down," she said. She gestured behind her. "I'm all alone right now."
"Where are the rest of them?" Alicia asked, her eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"Logan and Max are at the apartment with Bryn, and I made Zack go crash," Jhondie replied. Alicia didn't say anything, but Jhondie noted the odd look of disappointment when she said Zack was sleeping. Interesting. Time for a little more digging. "Zack actually needs more sleep than me or Max," she said conversationally. "It appears he can only go two days on sheer determination before he crashes and burns." Alicia looked the slightest bit relieved to hear that.
Jhondie sat down on the bench, releasing Alicia. She didn't try to run away. That was a good start. Maybe it was because Jhondie wasn't there the first time, but she seemed different from Max and Zack.
"So how did you find me?" Alicia finally asked.
"I've been working for our mutual friend for three years," she said in a low voice. "You learn how to find people doing that." She shrugged. "Zack was too intimidating, so I had us split up. You know, cover double territory while searching." Alicia nodded. Standard tactics.
"So, I know how to look for people other than shoving them against a wall and demanding information. You noticed you been in this park for a while and you haven't been bothered?"
It was true, Alicia thought as she contemplated it for the first time. The last time she'd been here, she'd been attacked within maybe fifteen minutes. She'd been here for well over an hour this time, and Jhondie was the first person she'd seen.
"Five months ago there were two gang members killed here. One was named Immortal. He'd been shot, stabbed, and possibly hanged, and nobody could kill him. Until of course, you came along. The word is that you wanted this place for your own, so you took him out. This park is now your territory. A couple of guys saw you around here, and ran 'cause they didn't want to be next. I had the word out that I had some green for anyone who let me know if you showed up in your hunting grounds." She shrugged. Diplomacy tended to yield better results than force. If she'd learned one thing from her work, that would be it.
For a long moment, neither woman spoke. Jhondie didn't know Alicia very well, but she knew that Alicia had gone through Hell to help them. When she had left Justin in LA five months before, they both said it was for the story, but in her heart not knowing if she'd ever be able to come back, that was easily the most painful thing she'd ever done in her life. She could imagine what it would be like to turn him into the police or something. She knew without a doubt she didn't have the ability to turn on him like that, no matter what the reason. She thought about something Cole had said to Alicia about belonging.
"You know, I have a family," Jhondie finally said. "My father died a few years ago, but I have a mother and sister, and then there's Justin's family that I'm pretty much a part of. None of them are genetically enhanced, but they are definitely my family."
"How many of them actually know about you?" Alicia asked flatly. Sure, you could have a family, but you'd still have to hide all of the time.
"My parents did from the start," she replied. "My sister found out last year. I would have told her sooner, but since she didn't even remember that I was adopted, I left things the way they were. I had a normal life really. I went to school, had slumber parties, and went on dates, fought with my sister, the whole nine yards."
Was a normal life possible? Now Alicia could see why Jhondie was a little different. She had grown up as a normal person. She obviously had a steady home, and family, and a person in her life that cared for her. Was a normal life possible? True Zack would have to do a lot of "traveling", but he could always have a base of operation. Instead of seeing the future as bleak, she suddenly got a mental image of Zack, and a little boy that looked very much like him playing football in a back yard.
No, stop this now. Even if Manticore life wasn't the best way to raise this child, and who said it wasn't, she had to face reality. When she didn't come back on her own, the sixers were going to hunt her into the ground. The best way to survive would be to keep moving until she had the baby, and then send him to Max and Logan. They could take care of him, and Zack could see his son whenever he wanted. Then she could surrender herself, or at least make sure her body was found by Manticore. She promised she would keep their baby safe.
"But you still have to hide," Alicia said flatly. "No matter what, you're still Manticore."
"I've lived in the same city since I was twelve," Jhondie replied. "The only thing I have to actually hide is the barcode. I learned to leave the rest of Manticore behind me. It's a huge world you know. Cole said he couldn't pick up one your thoughts unless you're real close. How's he ever going to know where you are?"
The look on Alicia's face spoke volumes. "He said what?" she asked very carefully.
She didn't know? He had hid it that well? "You didn't know that he…he had some extra X-7ish abilities?"
She had suspected a little. Now hearing it confirmed, Alicia had to laugh. It made perfect sense. Dana had said some things to her about picking up on stuff that she shouldn't know. Cole had agreed with her. Dana had her yin-yang necklace before she'd gotten back from DC. And Cole…he always seemed to be able to pick up on people's real intentions. He knew she was going to be at the hotel the last time she was in Seattle. He knew when she escaped. How many times had she had him with her on a mission because he could tell her if someone was lying?
Jhondie was looking at her like she'd gone insane. "It makes sense," Alicia finally choked out. "He always was a little upset when I would push down thoughts. I guess I was locking him out. Son-of-a…it explains so much about him and…" she broke off, not wanting to go there.
They both sat there for a little while, not speaking. Alicia wondered how strong Cole really was. His ability to read people had become extremely accurate over the last couple of years. Could he manipulate people by now? He must be able to to have kept Dad from noticing. She had mentioned it once or twice, and he'd shrugged it off rather uncharacteristically of him. If he could catch her thoughts, then she was already sunk. Was he telling the truth when he said he couldn't from a distance? Taking that knowledge, he would expect her to stay on the move to keep away from him. He wouldn't expect her to stay in one place wherever it was she decided.
Jhondie finally broke the silence. She had something else that needed to be said, regardless of how angry Zack was going to be. "Zack loves you a lot," she said. "For him, to care at all is a big deal. When Bryn was taken he was able to hide it from me. When he lost you, he couldn't hide it at all. I could see how bad he was torn up over something, and he didn't have to say a word."
"No matter what you decide," she continued, "you owe it to him to tell him to his face."
Alicia nodded slowly. After everything, she owed him that much. "You know where he is now?"
Jhondie looked a little surprised. "Sure. You know what you're going to do?"
"No," Alicia said, standing. "But I'm Manticore. We're good at finding the answers on the fly. I think it's in the genes."