Backslide

The lights flickered on much earlier than either Max or Zack were used to. Zack grunted and held his arm above his eyes, creating a shadow until he could adjust to the piercing light. Max was attempting rise, the tiger in her returning. Zack was partially pleased to see this. Seeing that she hadn't given up after all that had been done to her made him feel better knowing that she was recovering.

She rose and stared at Zack. "Could you please turn?"

"Huh?"

"I don't intend on having you watch me while I use the bathroom, thank you very much." He laughed slightly as if it was funny, crinkling the skin of his cheeks. Max laughed slightly as well. Although what she had said wasn't extremely, or even remotely funny, they laughed nonetheless.

Max watched Zack closely as she sat down. He had indeed turned away from her and had his arms crossed over his chest. She was surprised he had listened to her. Zack usually only took orders from Zack.

Her pleased feeling turned to disgust as she stood up and attempted to flush the toilet. It gurgled and finally flushed. We've been reduced to prisoners. No privacy and a toilet that works like crap. What next?

Lydecker couldn't make them become his soldiers again. She wouldn't do it and the chances of Zack marching again for Lydecker weren't good. So, what was Lydecker going to do? Threaten to kill them? No, of course not, neither one of them were going anywhere, for good reasons. Zack was the most powerful of all and in Lydecker's twisted, sick mind, he could be used for producing more children. Max was carrying Lydecker's little key to destroying whatever he saw fit. And both were worth exceptional amounts of money. They wouldn't die. But, there were sentences worse than death, Max thought and realized that she had left Zack standing there, looking like a lost child.

"Zack," she called, "you can turn around now, nothing bad."

"That's good," he said and turned, walking towards the wall of bars closest to her cell. They stared at each other for some time. Just staring. They were different now. They certainly weren't kids anymore, and the sexual tension was starting to move in. Max wasn't sure what Zack wanted, heck, she didn't even know what she wanted.


There was always going to be that relative feeling between her and Zack. It just wouldn't go away. Yet, he shared most of her history, whereas Logan didn't. It's not that Logan could help it, he just wasn't there when Lydecker was torturing the kids.

Max liked Logan, she wouldn't deny it, but she surely wasn't going to tell anybody. Yes, he might get on her nerves and be sometimes just plain arrogant, but that really didn't matter. The chemistry was there. And, this child she was carrying-who would that upset more-Zack or Logan? Logan might try to help. Zack might just leave, like he always did. Or, Logan would become extremely upset with her, even though it wasn't her fault. And, Zack might just stick around.

Max turned and shook her head, trying to clear it. "You ok?" Zack asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she replied, waving him off. The door opened and both Max and Zack looked up, unsure of what to expect. A large number of men came in and turned off the wires. They said nothing to either Max or Zack. In the men's minds, Max and Zack were nothing but animals. They approached Zack's cell, guns drawn and opened the door.

Zack saw his chance and took it. He pushed and ran as hard and as fast as he could. Leaping over the heads of the men, he kicked three, sending them falling to the ground. He was an excellent fighter and had made it to the door unharmed. Just as he was turning the doorknob, a couple more men approached from behind. They obviously didn't want to shoot him, which would tranquilize him, but if they had to, they would.

Zack fumbled with the doorknob for only another second and realizing it was locked, stepped back to ram into it, hopefully breaking it down. He had just picked up enough speed when a bullet hit him in the shoulder. Screaming, he jerked awkwardly, but didn't fall. He swung his leg out and tried to kick the door open again. Bullets hit him and accidentally hit Max as well as they bounced off the walls. She toppled to the ground, unconscious, as Zack did as well.

The men grabbed Zack under his armpits and dragged him out. His eyeballs were still rolling madly in their shadowy sockets as the door closed behind him.