It's
like waking up from a painful sleep, or coming off a real good high. I ache all
over. The roll in the Humvee shook me apart, but I don't thing I broke
anything. Just lots of dislocated this and that.
When
I regained control, Logan's buddy was standing there white as sheet. A bad
thing for a black guy.
Of
course I can hardly blame him. I only have to face Spoilsport in our own head.
Spoilsport must be mellowing in his old age. Either that or I'm finally a
strong enough personality to drag him back into his cage in the back of my
mind.
Either
way. Bling has become one of about only 4 people alive to live after seeing the
first Alter.
Down
to business.
Tinga, Brinn and Lydecker are moving off through the woods.
I suck air over that tongue of mine.. The trail is still hot.
Tinga's
got a perfume on. There are still faint traces of Alcohol from Lydecker. I
guess the blood is from Brinn.
There
are patches of heat leading off through the woods. I can't imagine how people
live without infrared vision….
I
can also see the small brush animals forming the rough edge of a path. They
always get out of the way when some one takes off through the woods, but they
don't go that far.
Bling
was chattering at me and the nosey b1tch shows up as I'm about to leap after
them.
I have to comprise by jumping DOWN off the Humvee and running off through the
woods like a normal human.
After
all, if I kill her… who's going to babysit.
Bad
thought! Bad thought! Gotta real those in this close after a Spoilsport breakout!
Think
happy thoughts…
My Harley… Stolen and trashed.
Oh god... I don't have a single happy thought.
When
this is over, I need to go kill bad people some place sunny and tropical!
I
move quickly through the brush. Sunny tropical thoughts are buying the brain
f*cked Lydecker some time. If he's no use as a Zack wannabe, as an ally, I
might as well extract the information I need now, and throw away the rest.
But
what about the girls? They may be acting erratic, but hell… so did I.
By-product of an abused childhood. From what I was told, Brinn was recaptured,
reprogrammed. But she still flew off the handle. That in itself is a sign that
somewhere she's fighting her conditioning. She wants to be free. Not like that
killing machine I chased all over Rome after he killed last Pope. He didn't
know anything but what he was told, and didn't want to. What if they are bad?
I've caused immeasurable damage with only good intentions. What can these kids
do if they're let loose?
Evidently
not much, judging by this trail. Who trained these kids? Max runs around doing
cat burglaries with that pretty face of hers hanging out. Brinn does
predictable high jumps. Even though Lydecker has Zack's memories he still has
his own. He should know more about covering his tracks! Of course, he hasn't
caught the bulk of the escaped X-5's in over a decade.
Manticore
is such a Government project.
Speaking
of which… I come out of the woods near a rode. Up the road I see two new
members of this party.
Some
blonde guy is holding Brinn now. Tinga and some other chick are carrying my
Lydecker. A quick gust reveals a barcode on the neck of the new girl. Too far
away for my bleary eyes to read the numbers, but I can tell they're all
wounded.
Damn…
this complicated things. I HATE when things get complicated! I mean, they are
heading back toward the Cabin. I could stop. I could just follow and watch… If
I hadn't already closed the distance to pop out of the wood in front of them.
"Rooby
Rooby Roo! Lydecker would've gotten away with it too if it wasn't for you darn
kids."
The
blonde guy spins and carefully places Brinn with Tinga and Lydecker while he
and X-5 girl join together in a Sambo martial arts stance between me and them.
It's all real effective right up till the point where Tinga can't balance and
falls over with Brinn and Lydecker.
"Who
the hell are you?" the blond guy says. He's obviously somewhat in charge. The
other girl is looking to him for cues about what to do. They start to spread
apart and circle around me. I know she's X-5, so I can 99% predict that he's
X-5.
The
question is are they with Lydecker, or are they escaped.
"You
can call me 'Uncle Tread' if you've got the right barcode numbers."
"Sorry,
our family tree doesn't go that far back." Blondie answers.
"You
don't know enough…." I'm cut off mid sentence and the Blonde leaps at me.
I
was sort of ready for this. After all, if I popped out of the woods at me, I
would shoot first and ask questions later.
He's
slower, and his style is a little off. I grab his leg and spin him with his own
momentum. He glances off the other girl who was already moving out of the way,
just not quite fast enough.
She
stumbles a little with him, but never really goes off her feet.
"What kind of half a$$ed training did they teach you kids? I'm alone and out
numbered, and you attack before you have a clue as to what you're dealing
with.", I chastise.
"I
know you know Lydecker, and we have you outnumbered.", he comes back.
He starts making hand signals to the girl, telling her to attack me high while
he goes low.
When
they move I flip-roll into the air, grabbing the girl and spinning her right
into his path.
As they untangle from each other I cartwheel back a few feet and come up
clapping my hands out in front of me.
"Oark
Oark Oark! If you're gonna talk Navy Seal hand signals… I'm gonna have to throw
you some fish."
They
both flip back up onto their feet. I stand there and fold my arms.
They look at each other and this time there's some worry there.
At least their training was good enough for them to learn their lesson about
using hand signals around me.
"What
do you want?" Blondie finally starts talking.
"I
was going to try and bring Tinga and Brinn there back to people who can help
them."
"What
about Lydecker?" he glares at me.
"I was planning on torturing him for several months until I know enough about
Manticore to shut it down forever."
Lydecker
scrambles to his feet and charges at Zack. The X-5 girl calls out to him.
"Zack!"
He spins and kicks Lydecker in the breadbasket, and then follows up with a shot
to the head.
He collapses on the floor unconscious again.
The
girl looks at the blonde… at Zack!
"What was he thinking?" she asks him.
I answer.
"He thinks he's you… Zack. Thanks to a bag full of those Manticorny Gummies I
fed him."
The
two of them stare at me wide eyed.
Before
I can go any further we here a car coming down the road. A familiar dirty Blue
Aztec.
Point of View: LACEY****************************************
Bling
heads into the cabin and I suddenly find myself unable to follow. The events of
the day have all been too much. And too little. I have to try and piece things
together or I'll drive myself mad. I know I will. It's how I work.
I
stare out at the yard, at the wreckage, at the foliage still moving in the
slight breeze. I know I have to get a grip and figure things out. But they just
won't add up to anything that I could believe and make sense out of.
Shaking
my head, I enter the cabin. Oh well…might as well go inside, where things make
some kind of sense.
It's
chaos inside again. Several people are talking at once, and Logan is dropping
papers on the floor to fuss over his girl. She does look in rough shape, but
for some reason, I think she'll pull through. And my eye is caught by the red
"Classified" stamp on the pages.
"Let's
get her into a bed, someplace stable," Logan is saying, and carefully the group
moves down the hallway. Leaving me alone with the nice classified papers.
Without
really thinking about it, I scoop up a few of them, spin on my heel and head
back outside. I need someplace quiet to go over them, someplace out of the way…
The
Humvee we came in is trashed, but there's another vehicle nearby. Logan's
Aztec. I climb in the back and settle down for a nice read.
I've
barely gotten past the who-what-where blurb on the top of the page when I hear
the door open. Hurriedly, I hunker down and try to hide, thanking my lucky
stars for the blanket I find in the back. I give it a quick twitch before I
hear the door open and feel someone climb in. Damn. I'm not just hiding, I'm
along for the ride.
Well,
it wouldn't be the first time I've stumbled into something. I do what you're
supposed to do when faced with the inevitable, and relax and try to enjoy it.
Point of View: LYDECKER*************************
I
know I'm being moved, but I make no movement that would betray that I wasn't
out like they thought. Thanks for the kick Zack. I was out for some period of
time, but I'm back. Back in every way. My name is Donald Lydecker. Part of
what's happened is hazy, but I can remember enough. Enough that they're going
to regret it.
There's
conversation flowing, but my head is aching too much to really pick up on it. I
recognize the signs of a hangover and a$$-kicking. It's not the first time I've
felt that way, but it's been a long time.
Brinn
doesn't know who she is right now, I know that much. She'll be much more malleable
then. And right now, they don't know that I know who I am. Kids. They're so
predictable. Then again, I'm the one who taught them. They're trying to figure
out what to do, and where to go. I know where they're going. This time, there's
no escape. I've seen them, and this time, they're being hunted to the ends of
the Earth. The Manticorny getting out was a mistake, but there won't be any permanent
harm. The purpose is served.
The
director is currently in a padded cell calling herself Zack. She received a
full dose of the stuff. The acting director is under my thumb. He's scared as
hell he'll be the next. My kids can get to him anytime, anywhere, and he knows
that he'll be in the cell right next to the director.
And
then there's Tread. Tread, Tread, Tread. Do you know all your secrets? Does
Spoilsport? If he knows, have the two of you talked recently? You see, I know them.
And I know haw to control you. If I can live long enough, you all will be
brought home.
Point
of View: LOGAN*************************************
"Logan."
Max
is finally lying still, breathing evenly.
"Logan."
She's
been insisting that she has no internal injuries, that everything is minor. I
don't know if it's another Manticore trait, medical self-assessment, or she's
just trying to reassure us.
"Logan."
A
hand pats me on the shoulder, and it registers that Kendra's been talking to
me.
"Logan,
she's as patched up as she's going to get, here. I think she needs to get some
sleep."
I
shake my head. "Max..."
"Doesn't
sleep," Kendra finishes for me. "Under the circumstances, I think she
might make an exception."
She
has a point. "Right. Let's get her into a bed, someplace stable."
The
three of us move her down the hall, slowly, trying not to undo any of our amateur
bandaging. We get her onto the bed, as carefully as possible. Even so, she
winces and grabs my hand, hard, with her bandaged one. I sit that way, letting
her hold onto me, until she falls asleep completely. She doesn't let go even
then, and I'm not going to move.
I
could sit here and stare at her, will her to heal, but reality intrudes.
"Kendra,
could you get me those papers Max brought in?"
Kendra
nods and heads for the living room. She returns with a couple of folded sheets,
puts them in my unoccupied hand.
I
could have sworn..."Kendra, weren't there more of these?"
"That's
what I thought. But the rest are missing. And so is your car."
The
car is missing. My first thought is that if Max needs real medical help, there
will be no way to get it. It takes a split second for my less selfish side to
resurface, remind me that those papers are important to a lot more people than
Max. And they're missing, and we're stranded.
I
pull out my cel to call...who?...when the door opens. That kid, Sandy, sidles
in and makes a beeline for Kendra.
"The
nice lady left. How come?"
Kendra
shoots me a glance and kneels down by Sandy.
"The
nice lady that came in the car with you?"
"Mmmhhmmm."
Lacey.
"You
saw her leave?"
"Mmmhhmmm."
Lacey
left...I forgot to keep an eye on her. But where the h#ll could she go up here?
"Did
she take anything with her?"
"Mmmmhhhmmm."
Oh,
no, she didn't. I want to intervene, but...kids are scary. Let Kendra handle
it.
"Those
papers lying on the floor?"
"Mmmmhhhmmm."
That's
exactly what Lacey would do. Wonder how Kendra figured that out.
"Could
you explain a little more, sweetheart?"
"The
nice lady took them and drove off in the car."
Lacey
took the papers, my car, and is probably speeding back to Seattle to sell a few
million papers. Using information that could do us all in.
And I thought Lydecker was my biggest problem.
Point of View: KENDRA**************************************
After
we get done cleaning Max up as much as we can. I notice Logan just sitting and
staring at her. It's so cute; however, Max needs her sleep. I tell Logan that
she needs to rest. He seems reluctant to move her I think he would be happier
if she stayed where she was. After a little convincing we carefully pick her up
and carry her down the hall to an empty bedroom. We put her in bed careful not
to mess up any of the bandages.
Logan
asks me to go get the papers that Max had. I head into the living room and see
a few papers on the floor. I thought there were more of them, but maybe I
wasn't thinking clearly. After all, things were kind of hectic. I pick up what
I can find and look out the window. I say to myself,
"Where the hell is Logan's car; It was there a little while ago."
I walk over to the window thinking it just got moved, but no such luck. Oh
well, we can try and find the car later. I need to get these papers to Logan.
I
give the papers to Logan. He gives me a funny look and asks, "Weren't
there more?"
I answer, "That's what I thought but the rest are missing and so is your
car."
At this point Logan does not have a happy look on his face. He gets out his
cell phone to make a call when that kid barges in.
She
asks why the nice lady left. She must be talking about Lacey. I look over at
Logan, this kid is getting annoying but, I can probably get some information
out of her. Logan looks like he wants me to deal with this.
I
start putting things together, and I think Lacey might be the one that took the
papers. Bling is loyal to Logan and Original Cindy hasn't left my sight. Lacey
is the only other one that was around when Logan pulled out the papers.
I
kneel down so I'm eye level with the girl.
I ask her, "Lacey, you saw her leave?"
"Mmmhhmmm"
"Did she take anything with her?"
"Mmmhhmmm"
I knew it was Lacey that took those papers. I wonder if the girl can confirm
that. I ask her, "Those papers lying on the floor?"
"Mmmhhmmm"
Can't this girl say anything besides Mmmhhmmm. I guess I'm going to have to elaborate
more. "Could you explain a little more sweetheart?"
"The nice lady took them and drove off in the car."
Well, I got the information out of her. I can't tell what is going on in
Logan's head. I'm not sure whether he is mad at Lacey or just plain worried
about Max. Maybe it's a little bit of both.
We
all just stay there in silence for a little bit trying to decide what to do.
Max rolls over and says, "The papers, you have to get the papers. They
explain everything about the herbal gummies."
I tell her that we'll get them back.
I
have no clue what to do. I don't even know what is going on here. Someone is
going to have to fill me in on a little bit more. I'm not sure what these
herbal gummies are and I'm have no clue what is going on with Max and her
siblings. I was thrown across the room. No ordinary girl can do that.
I
turn to Logan, "I really want to help, but there are some things I would
like to know. What are herbal gummies exactly and how the hell was that girl
able to throw me across the room?"
Logan gives me a look like he's not sure what to do. He seems to be kind of
confused. My guess is that he thought Max already filled me in.
Just
then we hear a loud bang outside. "Dam it not again."
Point of View: JACE*************************************
It
was getting colder slowly, and Max could feel it. Looking around...no decent
places to take a kid into, the odd amount of drunk men, the homeless
crowd...damn.
I don't feel like wondering around all night...wait...this is, yeah, Max's work
place. Jam Pony...it is quiet...good sign..
The baby is silent, as if sensing the need for...there's someone here...a
man...closing the place.
"WAHHH!!!!!" The baby has had its 15 seconds of silent time...this is
going to be hard with more weight!
The guy wasn't prepared for the sudden attack, because one kick in the back and
he is...out! Better take him outside...I will be gone before he wakes..with
backache.
The
baby settles down, the backroom seems a good place to crash. I have to call
Max, I have that guys number...Logan. A friend's number, that's what she said.
Friend my a*s.
I
wonder how Max is doing now...probably with Logan at the moment. I hope she can
help me, well my kid anyway. I can't run all my life, first from over caring neighbors
and now from...well Lydecker for one. He maybe here, in Seattle at the moment.
Max's choice of places to live really needs fine-tuning. But I guess that
staying with a guy like Logan with connections works for her...
Again
little Max lets a huge cry for attention rip. How those little lungs produce
such a loud noise...tickling her cheek seems to calm her...she is so lucky to
have a mum on call for her...
I
need to find someone, whether it be Max or Zack or Logan. I need backup
sometimes, and as I look at my baby and my situation, this is no way to live. I
look at baby Max and I see no future for her when we have to run all the time
and hunt for food...I am even sorry that I have doomed this kid to a life like
this...like mine and Max's and all the other X-5 kids...maybe Manticore was a
better place...no. Not for a probably genetically enhanced kid.
Experiments..that is all they would do to her...I would survive, but she..might
not. Even this is better for her..and me.
Before
I can satisfy my sweet tooth, Normal calls me over to deliver a package.
"Waterfront," he said. "And this one is important."
"Normal,
my brother, all packages have their importance in our lives and in the web that
is our..."
"Go,
go..." Normal sank his head into his hands.
*****
When
I return, Normal is the last one, and he hands me the keys and tells me to
close Jam Pony. Something is wrong with him, but when I speak to him of sharing
with his brother, he shakes his head and tells me he cannot understand the
words from my mouth. I can tell that he has had a rough day.
As
I close up, a woman walks in, a woman of righteous beauty, carrying a tiny baby
crying at the top of its lungs. I ask her if I can help her in some humble way,
but she will have none of my speech, and with one kick, I am in the oblivion of
unconsciousness.
