Once
upon a time I got kidnapped by two of my kids. It ended well, I suppose, since
I got one of them back. But, I was completely helpless there for a time. That's
not something I like to feel, ever. A mistake is acceptable as long as you
learn from it. I am starting to think my kids slept through that class I gave.
Oh well, they'll learn.
I
started to carry around a tracking device within my boot. It's rather
ingenious. You pull away at the lining with your toe, and then press the
button. There's a wire along the sole, buried within the rubber to keep it
safe. It starts emitting an emergency beacon to base command.
I
have to wait until I know for certain where we are going. It looks like a
rather rustic little cabin. It tugs on my memory somehow, but I'm not sure why.
I don't think I've been there before, but the last several hours are quite
hazy. It's irrelevant at any rate. I send the signal. My men will be here
within a matter of hours at the latest. They'll keep track, and soon all of my
kids here will be coming home.
And
Tread wants to torture me. Not much I can do to stop it. Kids, kids, kids. I
taught you, remember? I know how to do what I taught. I'll simply make myself
forget. It's not terribly difficult, and does no real harm to me. Within
Manticore, there is a key object. We all have one in case we have to forget.
This object unlocks out memories. Mine is one that wouldn't be guessed, and
even if it was, none of them would have a copy of it. It's the one thing I
can't forget.
Point of View:
ORIGINAL CINDY********************************************
Hehehe! I am good. I am so good. 'Just friends' my a**. 'Not my boyfriend'
Screw that. I've been saying it. I've been saying it for like 6 freakin'
months. So I want to see Max try and talk her way out of this one. Like I am
not going to jump to conclusions after peeking in to check on Max and seeing
her and Moneybags practically getting busy.
The only person I feel bad for is the blonde dude. Sam, Zack, George W. Bush,
whatever his name is, the brother guy. He certainly looked a slight bit pissed
when he stormed out of here. Original Cindy is an expert on the male race, but
that is one dude I just can't read.
So after Max's brother stormed out of here in a huff, Max stared after him,
looking all sad and pathetic, and Logan looking at her all sad and pathetic,
which is overall just sad and pathetic, I felt bad for the two and left them
alone.
Max did not need to hear Original Cindy's victory speech.
Point of View:
KENDRA**************************************************
When
we hear the bang, we all run to the window to see what happened. Then I hear OC
telling Max to get back in bed, but she wants to know what happened. Logan and
Max just kind of stare at each other. They are so cute! Then someone barges in
the door and asks for Logan. She introduces her self as Jondie and then rushes
to Max's side just as she passes out. Logan and Jondie take Max into the
bedroom to give her a blood transfusion. I hear Jondie reassuring him that she
will be okay.
Bling
enters the cabin with Tinga and Brinn. Dam it, I really didn't want to see them
here again. And then what's worse is Jondie comes in telling us to patch them
up. Let me think, NO!! I try to disagree with her, but when Brin goes to attack
she stops it. And all I can think is, ... great another one. I figure I should
probably cooperate. This is not what I expected when I said I would come along
and help. Somebody better fill me in on what's going on soon. OC picks up the
med kit and starts to work on Brinn, I grab a few supplies out of it to start
patching Tinga up, Bling comes over to help me.
Jondie
is looking over our shoulders the whole time. I don't know why she isn't helping.
She's actually making me a bit uncomfortable. I look over at OC and she does
not look happy about this either. But just when I'm about to complain, more
people come in. Great who the hell are they. Bling seems to know who they are,
so I just keep my mouth shut.
And
look there is Lacey. I let Bling continue patching up Tinga and I head over to
her.
"Lacey, I know you took those papers. Where are they??"
"I have no clue what you are talking about."
"Yes you do. Your little friend told me about how you snuck out with
them."
She gives me a blank look.
"Dam it Lacey, Max said those papers are important now hand them
over."
Hearing
Max's name, the blond guy walks over to us. He gets lacey to hand over the
papers and then gives them to me. He then goes and checks on Max. He only gone
a few seconds then he storms back out. I can't help but wonder what that was
all about. He didn't look to happy. I walk into the bedroom and Logan is
sitting there staring at Max. Hmmmm nothing unusual is going on in here.
"Logan
here are the papers Lacey took. Blondie got her to give them back."
Logan
gives me a weird look and then takes the papers from me. I head back into the
living area to see if there is anything else someone wants me to do.
Point of View:
JACE**************************************************
Dammit!
Great,
no only Max and Logan are out-of-reach, so are their mates.
I
better make a move, I don't want to be walking around in broad day-light for
all to see.
Thanks
Max. No only am I stuck her without a contact number, 'lil Max is crying her
eyes out. There should be place nearby, where I can get some food. Shhh baby.
It
seems all the doorways down this street are taken. I am not taking my kid down
there. Surely there is some way to find Logan...last time I was here he was at
that medical center...maybe he left records...it's worth a shot...
I
work up into a sprint and take off down an alleyway leading to the surgery.
These back streets are difficult to navigate, but I am sure I'm going around
the right way. Turn...left...right, this is it.
It
is really dirty in here, and the filing cabinet looks like it has been broken
into. Damn, Max has taken his file...a smart move I guess...so Lydecker doesn't
track him down.
Okay
baby, we will settle down here for a while...then call that number again.
Point of View:
LOGAN**************************************************
"Where's
Jondie?" Max tries to sit up. I put a hand on her shoulder, holding her
down. It shows she's still ill, the way she forgets I couldn't hold her down
with a boulder if she really wanted to move.
"Shh,
don't try to move. You may be genetically enhanced, but I don't want to risk
you opening some almost healed wound." Her hair is in her face again and I
can't stop myself from brushing it off. Maybe I'm exhausted, maybe I'm just
tired of pretending to be her business partner.
"Max,"
I'm not even trying to control myself anymore, "If Jondie hadn't come, I
don't know . . . you were pretty bad."
"Logan,"
she starts. But I don't want to hear whatever she has to say. I almost lost her
and I'm taking this moment, now, for myself.
Before
she can finish her sentence, I kiss her, as lightly as I can manage. Until she
wraps her arms around my neck, deepening the kiss.
When
it ends we're both staring at each other in shock.
"Logan."
I
put a finger to her lips. She might make me feel like one, but I'm not a
teenage boy. I know what it feels like when someone kisses me back and means
it. "No. I'm not letting you try that again. You can't tell me that you
were just 'emotional'. You can't tell me that you don't . . ."
"Logan,"
she interrupts, before I can get any further, "I think this is more of a
moment of weakness."
"Max
. . ."
This
time she initiates the kiss. It starts slowly and grows deeper, expressing the
emotions of God knows how long. There's no more pretending.
When
we pull away, I realize I've gained the right to touch her, even if her hair
isn't falling in her face. I stroke her cheek, regaining some composure.
"So whose dream is this?" I ask, joking.
"It's
not a dream," she says softly. I never thought I'd see that look on her
face, at least not directed at me instead of her Ninja.
It
doesn't last. Her eyes are suddenly wary, and she looks towards the door.
I
turn to see my favorite GI Joe holding up the doorframe. "You're
awake," Zack announces with his usual brilliance. "Your first aid
kits have been wiped out by Tinga and Brinn. I'm going for more supplies."
And then he's gone.
Max
looks after him, close to tears, all the softness of the moment before wiped
out.
Zack
sure knows how to kill a moment.
Before
I can figure out what to say, Kendra walks in and drops the rest of the
Manticore papers in my lap. I can't believe she just took them back from Lacey,
the demon reporter who's scared off more officials, criminals, and rabid dogs
than I can count. I'm rapidly rethinking my opinion of Kendra as a Barbie doll
on herbal gummies. Before I can say anything else she goes back out and shuts
the door.
I'm
liking her more every minute.
I
turn back to Max, who's looking like her puppy just died. I drop those vitally
important papers to the floor again. I can't put her through this. I can't make
her choose between us like this. I know how she felt about me a minute ago, how
she'll feel again in the future. I hope. But I can't push her right now.
"Max,
this is the last thing I want to say right now, but I can understand if you're
confused."
If
anything, she looks more confused by my statement.
"I
mean, you've barely seen Zack all these years...and," I'm stumbling for
something to say, "Well, we both know he doesn't see you as his
sister..."
Can
she tell how much it's killing me to say this? At least she's looking a bit
less sad. Almost...irritated? That couldn't be, so I press on.
"It's
obvious that we--Zack and I--don't see eye to eye on what's right for you. Or
more selfishly, what we want for you...from you. And it's OK if you're confused
about you want..."
Max
nods slowly, comprehension dawning in her face.
"I
know you're feeling better, but you should stay in this bed for as long as you
can, at least another twelve hours. I'll...go out and help, so Kendra or Cindy
can come keep you company."
Her
eyes take on an evil glint, one I've seen in the past. Usually right before she
tells me off. So why do I suddenly feel so much better?
"Zack
is confused," she tells me . "I'm not. Eventually, he and I are going
to have to deal with that. In the meantime, I've worked too d@mn hard to have a life of my own, to let him come
along and rearrange things to suit himself."
"Meaning?"
I ask, my heart racing.
"If
you want me to stay in this room, you're going to have to make me."
I
laugh out loud for an instant before she kisses me again.
Point of View:
ZACK**************************************************
You know, there has never been a time in my life that I have more wished that
Manticore had just stayed a little fantasy in Lydecker's screwy little head. I
mean, really, I could be at a barbeque with a normal family, then going out on
a date with my normal girlfriend. But nooooooo....I am in the car of Eyes-Only,
guerilla cyber journalist driving out to get medical supplies for my fellow
killing machines while the woman I love, who in a way is my sister (like that changes
anything for me), is seriously injured, but the man I hate is busy hitting on
her and playing tonsil hockey when she should be resting.
Thanks
Dad!
And on top of everything else, there are a couple thousand people running
around Seattle think that they are me. Goody. That is all we need. More
tactical exposure.
So
now that Max is back at Cale's cabin, doing god's knows what with him, she is
definitely never going to leave his side, which is going to get her killed. She
barely left him behind when they were only friends, and she'd ran back to him
in a second anyway. So now that they were sucking face, how am I supposed to
get Max to leave everything behind? And how am I supposed to tell her I love
her?
Point of View:
SKETCHY**************************************************
Well, Now that I've checked in on Natalie, my baby, and I know she's alright,
I'd better kick my @$$ into gear and get to jam pony, and see what's up over
there.
I
walk in the door, my tricked out bike by my side. I see Herbal in a heap over
against a wall. I drop my bike and run over to him. and of course I ask him
what happened, like any good friend would do. Well, he's out cold. Kinda weird
for someone as buff as Herbal. Something bad must've happened here.
Well,
while I'm waiting for Herbal to snap out of it, I lean up against the wall, and
start to thinking. Where the hell are Max.. and Original Cindy.. they've just
about disappeared.. and with all this herbal gummy stuff going around,
something bad could be up.. or maybe OC turned Max to her lesbian ways..
After
I finished dreaming about Max and Original Cindy, I noticed that Herbal was
still out cold, so I just leaned back and decided to take a nice little nap.
Point of View:
NORMAL**************************************************
I
walk in to work and I see Herbal laying on the floor sleeping and Sketchy on
the table, ... I think to myself, "why does everyone have to be such
slackers??" Figuring I need to get there attention and get things moving,
I yell "Wake up you slackers and get to work, bip, bip, bip." Like
usual Sketchy just rolls his eyes. Herbal isn't even moving, he's probably
stoned again. I go to my desk and pick up the packages that came in the night
before.
"I
have a package that needs to go to Fogle Towers. Sketchy here you go."
"But something is wrong with Herbal, he's been out like that for
hours."
I throw the package in his face and say "Get movin!! Bip, Bip, Bip."
He takes the package from me and goes over to Herbal.
I wonder where everyone is, ... Max, Original Cindy, ... who else is missing.
I don't have time for this now. I've got a business to run.
"Get movin Sketchy!!"
"I can't wake up Herbal, I'm telling you something is wrong with
him."
