Backslide

Max gunned the engine of her motorcycle and zipped down the streets, weaving around the people and cars. Her adrenaline was flowing, like someone had just put a lighted match in a tank of gasoline. She saw only a couple of Lydecker's men, but was moving at far too fast of a speed for them to even see her.

The engine of the bike roared, sending the wind whistling through Max's hair. Again, she gunned the engine with one quick shot of her foot against the gas. The bike laughed its deep, throaty laugh and picked up the pace, eagerly devouring the power Max had delivered.


She arrived at her destination a couple minutes earlier than she had expected, but it wasn't going to be a problem. Running up the stairs and hurrying into the penthouse, she found Logan sitting in his wheelchair, examining what appeared to be files in the middle of the living room. "Max!" he said, obviously surprised and shocked by her disheveled appearance. "What's up?"

"Where's the building that I was kept in?"

"Huh? Oh, the old Manticore building?"

"Yes, that'd be the one," she snapped. She wasn't in the mood for his petty little games and such today. He had to be blunt with her and get to the point. Side-stepping just wasn't going to cut it. Zack could already be in Lydecker's clutches by now. Time was golden.

"Max, why do-"

"I have my reasons. Ok?"

He paused and wheeled himself over to her. He wasn't happy about the fact that he had to literally look up at her, but there was no more that he could do. "I won't give you the address. I'm not going to have you get killed."

"Look, Logan, I'm going with or without your help. Without will take longer and it'll be more dangerous, but I'll go anyway."

"You're going back to Manticore?" he echoed, startled by her decision, leaning back in his chair. "Max, they'll kill you! Or, if they don't, they'll most certainly never ever let you out again!"

"Logan, I don't care what you say. Give me the freaking address or I may have to hurt you," she said through gritted teeth.

Logan didn't flinch. He sat, staring silently up at her, examining every portion of her face. The wheels in his head were already moving, deciphering Max's real motive for going back to Manticore.

"Why?" he asked, although he had a very good guess as to why she was planning to go back.

"Not now," she replied and turned away from him and walked to the computer room. Logan followed, wheeling himself into the room and lingered in the doorway, as he watched Max sit down to the computer and begin to click and type.

"You're not going to find it," he told her.

"And why would that be?"

"It's called a locked file." Max stood up from the chair and walked around the chair to face Logan.

"Fine," she snapped, "you want it that way, you got it."

She turned smartly and began to leave. Logan's brain finally figured out that if she wasn't stopped, Max was going to Manticore with the threat of Lydecker resting on her shoulders. Quickly, he turned the chair around and pushed himself after her. She had just opened the door when Logan called out.

"It's Zack-isn't it?"