Chapter 2: Those Behind
Logan's Pent House
Seattle, WA
12:52 AM
Logan sat quietly in his wheelchair, watching the rain fall outside the living room window. He had powered down the exoskeleton, not wanting to inflict unnecessary wear on the rather delicate machinery. He didn't feel like walking right now anyway... Didn't feel like much of anything, really.
Calling Cindy had been difficult. It wasn't something that he had wanted to do, but there was no one else to do it. Besides, if he didn't call her it would mean telling her face to face. He knew he couldn't handle that. She had laughed at first, wanting it to be a joke, but she quickly turned to words of disbelief, and then ones of anger. Logan knew she didn't really believe it was his fault. She had said as much when she began railing on Manticore and how they had destroyed the only good thing they ever made.
"Why don't you try to get some sleep?" Lydecker walked up behind him. Logan had taken the three people in for the night. It was the least he could do for all their help...
"I can't sleep," Logan replied with no emotion.
Lydecker dragged a computer chair opposite the melancholy man and sat, "You can't spend your whole life grieving." He leaned back, interested in what Logan would say. Lydecker was a quick study. It didn't take him long to understand a person, their motives, their passions. Logan was harder to read than most, though. He guarded himself very carefully, and Lydecker didn't know much about his past. Logan Cale was a random element in the equation. Donald Lydecker didn't care for random elements.
Logan made a derisive noise, "So, what? I'm just supposed to forgive and forget?" He turned to look the older man in the eye, "It's just that easy? Get on with my life?"
"I didn't say that..."
"Well, what are you saying?" Logan was obviously agitated. His pain had no direction at the moment, and Lydecker had made himself an easy target, "I'm sure you could give me some great advice on dealing with lose, considering you spent ten years hunting for 'your kids' when they ran from you," He said acidly.
Lydecker's mouth kicked up at the corner, somehow amused at the other man's words, "Gives me a reason to get up in the morning."
"I just lost mine."
"You've got a new one."
"And just what, pray tell, is that?"
"Easy. Revenge," lifting a shoulder, he leaned in, waiting for a response.
Logan didn't speak for a moment, absorbing what the other man had said.
"Might not be the prettiest reason, but its enough when you have nothing else," smiling, Lydecker studied the weary man in the wheel chair. He recalled seeing the shooting that had crippled Logan on the news. It hadn't really caught his attention at the time, but after seeing Logan give himself up in exchange for the women hostages at the convention, Lydecker had made a point of looking the story over again. An unusual person... Rich without even having to work, yet putting his life on the line for people who had no connection to him.
"Enough..." Logan murmured. He locked eyes with the older man, "I'll do what I can. My... financial situation isn't what it was, but I have some resources I can still draw on."
"Good. I thought you'd come around. We'll probably need you're particular skills again too." Lydecker stood and turned to leave. He paused, though, and turned back to Logan, "I want you to know that I did care about Max... I care about all of them. I never wanted to see them hurt... I don't intend to let it slide either." With measured, military steps, he left him to his thoughts.
Logan turned his attention back to the rain outside. //Enough... for now...//
* *
Logan's Pent House
Next Day
8:54 AM
"So what's the plan?" Krit asked, his arms crossed over his chest. Though the loss of Max was still painfully fresh, the X5's had been drilled to force personal feelings away and focus on whatever mission was at hand.
"Obviously we need to find a way to get Zack out of there... There aren't enough of us to be able to fight our way in - not with the security they'll have called in," Syl said thoughtfully. Sitting in one of the kitchen chairs, she leaned her elbows on the table.
"We'll just have to find some other way," Logan commented. It was obvious from the dark circles under his eyes that he hadn't sleep the night before.
Lydecker, sitting across from him, reflectively studied a fork that was laying on the table top, "They have something we want... So we'll just have to find something they want."
"A trade?" Syl questioned, watching him with a cautious eye.
"They'll be hurting after yesterday... We took out their means of support. Without the DNA lab, they can't make any more soldiers. There's no reason for the syndicate to continue to fund something that isn't going to be productive," Lydecker smiled at some thought the others had missed.
"True... Sometimes the military isn't so different from a business..." Logan smiled grimly, "These people are obviously not immune to greed."
"So what do we trade? What do we have that they'd want? Besides you..." Krit turned his gaze on the man who had inspired such fear in him for so many years.
Lydecker grinned and leaned back in his chair, "Well, you've got a point now, don't you..?"
"No," Logan said firmly, calling attention back to himself, "We're going to need him if we want to pull this off. He knows the in's and out's of Manticore better than any of us. Besides, I doubt they'd be willing to trade one of their few remaining soldiers for a man they just want to kill. Our best bet is information."
"What do you mean?" Krit asked, "Like information about the genetics research?"
"Not exactly... I was thinking more along the lines of black-mail," Logan said.
Lydecker chuckled, "Well, well... Not bad. You've got some moves of your own, I see..."
Syl glanced at him, and then turned back to Logan, "Black mail... Do you think it'll work?"
Logan nodded affirmatively, "With everything they've lost, if they still have funding at all, it'll be tenuous at best... Bad PR on top of that would likely mean the end of their backing. Somehow I don't think they want that..."
"How do we dig up these secrets? We don't exactly have access to the inside anymore," Krit drummed his fingers on the marble table, "I'm sure we'll need proof... some hard evidence that we can hand them in exchange for Zack."
"That's where you come in, right?" Logan cocked his head and watched Lydecker's face, "I'm sure you've still got some people loyal to you."
"Hmph... Yeah, I think I can cash in a few favors... It'll be risky, though. I'm not entirely sure who all they've managed to turn against me. I'll need to be sure they won't go running to Renfro..."
Nodding, Logan stood, "Good point... Do you have anyone you think you can still trust?"
With a crooked smile, Lydecker said, "I think McGinnis is out... But Taylor's always been a loyal man... Saved his ass a few times when the company wanted a scapegoat... He owes me and isn't all that friendly with the Director."
"Any idea how to get in contact with him?" Logan asked.
"Cell phone," Lydecker shrugged as if it should have been obvious, "Need to make sure they can't trace the call, of course, but I doubt you'll have much trouble with that..."
Logan nodded again, "Good... Let's see if we can't get a hold of this Taylor..."
* *
Lydecker hung up the phone and turned to Logan, "That was the easy part... Taylor's going to meet me at the warehouse. He's managed to dig up some files that've been conveniently hiding for a while now... They should do nicely."
"Are we sure we can trust this guy not to blow the whistle and show up with a platoon or something?" Krit questioned.
"Taylor?" Lydecker made looked amused, "He's never been creative enough to betray anyone. Good man to have on your side, but not someone to guard your back. He'll do what I tell him."
"Even so, let's not take any chances," Logan looked at Krit and Syl, "You should go with him. Just in case."
"You sure? Shouldn't someone stay here to help hold the fort?" Syl's brow furrowed as she looked to Logan, "What if you need backup?".
Logan smiled faintly, appreciative of the concern for his safety, "I'll be fine here. There's no reason for anyone to come looking for me. What's important right now is that we get that information."
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A/N: Logan's got a plan and Lydecker's got some contacts on the inside. What's the next step?
