A little later...
Logan sat in his chair looking at Max. She was still digesting what he had said.
"So, you think the disappearance are connect with Lydecker?"
"It's very probable. Look at the similarities...no local family or no family at all. No one would miss them. The only way the police would know about these is because a neighbor or co-worker reported it. Each of them was between the age of 20 and 24. School records show either high intelligence or creative abilities. One was a child prodigy in music. Another was a prolific writer."
"What does this have to do with Lydecker?"
"What if he has taken his project to the next level? I've seen some movement of military personnel to a few small secluded facilities. There are few people but they are doctors and nurses transferred from other facilities to these new ones. I can't find a name for it but the security looks just right for another Manticore."
"But why would he want these girls? He can't train them for soldiers. What are they..." She trailed off and paled. "Good age for reproducing, aren't they?"
Logan nodded. "Probably one of the best scientifically. They are young and strong. Maybe Lydecker wasn't pleased with the woman he has used in the past. Volunteers weren't cutting it anymore. He didn't know what kind of psychological makeup they had. There must be a lot of accusations flying around about..."
"Ben." Max finished and nodded. "Yeah. They can't risk having another psychotic killing machine running around. At least, not in public. It could give them a bad name."
Logan heard the sarcasm in her voice but didn't say anything. He knew that it was covering a deep pain. A pain that Manticore had created.
"By hand-picking the mothers, they are producing a control group. They can pick and choose different talents and abilities and see what happens when this is mixed with other components."
"Instead of just being focused on a mission, these kids could blend in anywhere..." Max said thoughtfully. "They could open a whole new arena for themselves. Who would suspect a concert pianist of being a world-class assassin?"
"We don't know what they know about Miranda either. Was she abducted because she was intelligent in the medical field...I checked, she got all A's. or did they somehow find out about her other abilities? A second sense, even by dreams, would be a gold-mind for Manticore."
"How long has it been since Miranda disappeared?"
"A year."
"A year...then, if we are right..."
"If we are right, she may already be carrying a child."
Max closed her eyes. She couldn't bear the thought of someone else being subjected to the horrors of Manticore and then producing a child from it. She steeled herself and looked at Logan. Get me the addresses and layouts for the facilities."
"You know this is a dangerous mission Max. Are you sure you want to do it by yourself?"
"I don't see that I have any choice." Logan opened his mouth to say something and then shut it.
"I'll be careful but I won't sit back and do nothing. I have to know what's going on."
Logan knew that would be her answer but he had had to give her an out. He wanted to find out the truth about Miranda just as much as she did but he didn't want to lose her in the process.
"Logan, we have to tell Greg and Amaliya."
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. If they somehow find out about Amaliya, she and Cassi will both be in danger."
"You tell them and get me the information. I'll take care of the recon. We will find her."
Turning back to his computer his hands started flying over the keys. "If I have the information tonight, will that be soon enough."
She flashed a sly smile. "Of course. We cats love the dark." Then she disappeared leaving him with his computer and the beginning of the worst headache ever.
Logan sat in his chair looking at Max. She was still digesting what he had said.
"So, you think the disappearance are connect with Lydecker?"
"It's very probable. Look at the similarities...no local family or no family at all. No one would miss them. The only way the police would know about these is because a neighbor or co-worker reported it. Each of them was between the age of 20 and 24. School records show either high intelligence or creative abilities. One was a child prodigy in music. Another was a prolific writer."
"What does this have to do with Lydecker?"
"What if he has taken his project to the next level? I've seen some movement of military personnel to a few small secluded facilities. There are few people but they are doctors and nurses transferred from other facilities to these new ones. I can't find a name for it but the security looks just right for another Manticore."
"But why would he want these girls? He can't train them for soldiers. What are they..." She trailed off and paled. "Good age for reproducing, aren't they?"
Logan nodded. "Probably one of the best scientifically. They are young and strong. Maybe Lydecker wasn't pleased with the woman he has used in the past. Volunteers weren't cutting it anymore. He didn't know what kind of psychological makeup they had. There must be a lot of accusations flying around about..."
"Ben." Max finished and nodded. "Yeah. They can't risk having another psychotic killing machine running around. At least, not in public. It could give them a bad name."
Logan heard the sarcasm in her voice but didn't say anything. He knew that it was covering a deep pain. A pain that Manticore had created.
"By hand-picking the mothers, they are producing a control group. They can pick and choose different talents and abilities and see what happens when this is mixed with other components."
"Instead of just being focused on a mission, these kids could blend in anywhere..." Max said thoughtfully. "They could open a whole new arena for themselves. Who would suspect a concert pianist of being a world-class assassin?"
"We don't know what they know about Miranda either. Was she abducted because she was intelligent in the medical field...I checked, she got all A's. or did they somehow find out about her other abilities? A second sense, even by dreams, would be a gold-mind for Manticore."
"How long has it been since Miranda disappeared?"
"A year."
"A year...then, if we are right..."
"If we are right, she may already be carrying a child."
Max closed her eyes. She couldn't bear the thought of someone else being subjected to the horrors of Manticore and then producing a child from it. She steeled herself and looked at Logan. Get me the addresses and layouts for the facilities."
"You know this is a dangerous mission Max. Are you sure you want to do it by yourself?"
"I don't see that I have any choice." Logan opened his mouth to say something and then shut it.
"I'll be careful but I won't sit back and do nothing. I have to know what's going on."
Logan knew that would be her answer but he had had to give her an out. He wanted to find out the truth about Miranda just as much as she did but he didn't want to lose her in the process.
"Logan, we have to tell Greg and Amaliya."
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. If they somehow find out about Amaliya, she and Cassi will both be in danger."
"You tell them and get me the information. I'll take care of the recon. We will find her."
Turning back to his computer his hands started flying over the keys. "If I have the information tonight, will that be soon enough."
She flashed a sly smile. "Of course. We cats love the dark." Then she disappeared leaving him with his computer and the beginning of the worst headache ever.
