Disclaimer: They're not mine, I swear!

Freedom?

Part 3

"Max, is that you," Logan called out. He felt someone's presence and was hoping it would be her, but he had his doubts.

"So, you are calling for her too," the man replied. "Sorry to disappoint, but 'your lady' is not with you. Nor will she be again if I have anything to do with this. Which would be a bit hard for me not to since I do happen to run the brigade."

"What do you want with me? Or her for that matter," Logan inquired.

"I know who you are. She is mine, if she had paid attention during her training she would have realized that being with me is the safest for her to be."

Logan didn't respond. It was not in his best interest at the moment to be arguing with the man that he had grown to hate.

"I need some information from you."

'Great, torture for treasure,' he thought, trying not to flinch at the image that camte to his mind.

"How well do you know Max?"

"Why should you care? That probably doesn't have anything to do with the other questions you are asking me."

"Don't start that with me. I'm not going to ask you again so either you give me a straight up answer or I will make you tell me. Do you have anything you would like to share with me?"

'Besides the fact that you are a-I won't go there right now.' "I do in fact. I don't really feel like being tortured at the moment, so I will give you a quick update on her." He said smiling, "She has the best body in the world, which is probably why I did the whole 'one-night' thing. Only it turned out to be a bit more that one-night. I've only known her for about a week. She hasn't told me anything about her past at all. Not that I would care anyway. She has me too preoccupied in other matters, if you know what I mean," he said, more than satisfied with his response. Any idiot could see that Max's silhouette could draw in quite a crowd. And Lydecker was certainely an idiot. He just hoped that his front would hold.

~~

"Maxie," Lydecker began.

She cringed at the nickname. She only tolerated if someone she knew well called her that, but even then it was rare.

"You shouldn't have done that. I thought you knew what was good for you. Leaving yourself that vulnerable isn't something I trained my children to do."

"Your children?" She spat angrily, "we were more like your science experiments. In fact, we were your experiments. Sorry if I haven't been the 'good little soldier' you intended me to be, but I've had more important things on my mind."

"I don't appreciate being talked back to. You of all people should know that." He began to pace around the room.

"Vulnerable to what?" she asked.

"To love, to lust. To any sentimental emotion that will cause you to doubt your mission."

"How would you know if I was subject to that? Have you heard every phone conversation, met every person, stalked me that ferociously?" She wasn't about to give that much information away, not if she could help it. Such a man did not deserve anything she had to give.

"Would I have found anything useful if I had? I know about him," he told her, reaching his hand up to his chin to feel how clean a job he had done earlier while shaving.

For a brief moment fear passed through her eyes, replaced by a questioning look. "Who?" She didn't want him to know about Logan. Even though she had heard him talking earlier, she could only assume that was during each brief period of consciousness.

Disgust washed over his face, but he quickly regained his composure. "Don't worry, Max, we didn't harm him."

"WHO? I don't know who you would be talking about. I don't recall getting involved with any guy." She was getting increasingly angry by the moment.

"The man that followed you of course." His tone remained even.

"Who? I don't think that anyone would have followed me."

"Stop playing innocent, Max. I know you know him. You wouldn't stop saying his name while you were sleeping. You were begging for him to come rescue you. So he tried. Are you wearing some sort of wire or something that he would've heard you from? No, I had my men check. What did you do? Nobody has that type of connection with anyone. Not even those they love. Not that you would be stupid enough to find out." His patience was wearing thin as his voice trailed off.

"Are you remembering old times, 'Deck? Your wife perhaps? At some point you had to have a connection like that with her. Considering all the mistakes you made afterwards, I would have to conclude that you fell into the 'sentimental lie' yourself. But wasn't it fun while it lasted?" she taunted.

"Why would you want to compromise your mission? Didn't I teach you better? What would you know about my wife? You don't know anything." He was having an increasingly difficult time maintaining his temper. With his history, it wouldn't be long before he exploded with rage.

"You taught us of a life without love. You didn't say that there was a place far away where people would protect us from horrible people like you. If you had, we wouldn't have believed you, so why didn't you tell us the truth to make us stay? Why did you say that they are the enemy if they are more gentle that you will ever be?"

"Is he really your boyfriend?"

"Who? I don't know who I would be calling for anyway."

"I told you not to pull that kind of crap on me! You know who I'm talking about. Or are there too many of them for you to remember by now?"

'Why Logan? Why did you follow me? Didn't you know how stupid you were being?'
"I don't sleep with every guy I meet, okay? If I did it would only be because of the messed up DNA you gave us."

Lydecker ignored that last comment and continued his questioning. "Who is he? What is his profession, this 'Logan' character?"

"Like I would know. I met him at a bar. I haven't known him that long. I only suggested that I might be heading this way so he might've followed me when I didn't return any of his calls." 'I hope you are going aloing this story as well, Logan. Otherwise I'm dead, literally.'

"That's enough for now," he said and motioned for the guards to sedate her again. He didn't need any uncalled for distractions.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: It took me a bit longer than expected. I'm going to just hand this to you in snippets so that I will be able to satisfy your requests. Instead of writing an extra long bit that would take me forever. I hope to come out with them weekly, it may be sooner depending on how much time I get to work on it. Please review!!!