Max had been sitting silent for about twenty minutes

Max had been sitting silent for about twenty minutes. Lydecker stared at here. She stared back, stubbornly, unyieldingly. Finally, he broke the silence.

"So, here we are again."

"Here we are."

"How are you today, Max?"

"Fine, wonderful. Good sleep. Must be all those tranquilizers. And you, Don?" Max asked, bitingly.

"Good. Max, Max, it's unbecoming to be so cynical. So are you ready to talk?"

"About what?"

"Whatever you'd like. How about the others? Where are the others, Max?"

"I don't know."

"Come on now, lets be reasonable."

"I'm not stupid. I honestly don't know where they are. But you know, even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

"I would hope not. I trained you better than that."

"Oh, you trained me wonderfully. Let's talk about this," Max said, attempting to motion around the office, but forgetting her hands were still secured both behind her back and to the mahogany wing chair she sat in.

"How's everybody here at dear old Manticore? Here on the base?"

"Good. Anyone in particular?"

"Brinn. How's Brinn? Is she still here?"

"She was doing better, but she lapsed. But then, you're all flawed. Max, don't be so suspicious. She's not ill-treated. We're not cruel."

"Then what about Zack? Yes, that was quite the picture of hospitality you showed him."

"That's different. This is a case-by-case basis. He's the link to all of you." Max was surprised by Lydecker's willingness to share information.

"Let's talk about Ruth."

"What about Ruth?"

"She's the one, isn't she? She gave the tip-off."

"Smart girl. Yes, she did."
"And she's not really my mother."

"Verrrry astute."
"What about the others? It came to me that they were with families, too."

"Some of them. Some of them were more suited to the military still. But yes, they have families. The families don't know. It's like a foster kid."

"All the better to keep your secrets, perpetuate your lies."

"I gave them families."

"But not their real families."

"Max, don't be stupid. They don't have real families. None of you do. Your mothers are dead. They were worthless - worthless whores. They sold you out."

"My mother was not a whore."

"Come on Max, she just did it for the money. She was nothing more than a dirty slut, looking for some cash for a fix. She was a disgusting, grimy crack whore."

"Don't be ridiculous. You'd never use crack babies. That would compromise everything - the integrity of the project. You're just trying to break me."

"I forget how smart you are. But does it really make you feel any better to know that your mother was a beautiful woman, wonderful, smart. They all were. Which one…which was your mother? Ah, yes. I remember. She was an incorrigible flirt. She liked real silk, green, especially. Crazy about it. And we forced them to do this, she begged for mercy - begged that we wouldn't hurt you or the others, She never held you, Max. She never touched you. She barely saw you , and yet, she begged for you. And when it was all done, when Manticore was closed, we shot them all. Like dogs. And burned the bodies."

"You're horrible. God," she said quietly, tersely. "I hate you. You don't even know that." Lydecker seemed enflamed by this remark. He shoved his chair back and strode across the room.

"NEVER say that. You WILL respect me." He pulled back his arm and slapped her full across the face. Her neck snapped back, her hair whipped across her face. Her face burned as four distinct finger marks raised against her cheek.

"No." Lydecker made a move like he was going to slap her again. She instinctively winced backward. He paused and began to laugh.

"DAMN YOU! YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Eva's frame filled the doorway, legs spread slightly, head held high, with a silver Baretta trained on Lydecker's chest.