A/N: Yeesh... 10 chapters all ready? Wow... I've never written anything this long before... Well, besides term papers... and they weren't much fun. :) There's probably another four or so chapters left in this too... likely more at this rate. Hope you guys aren't getting too bored. Thanks for all the encouragement too! You guys are all great! With that said... On with the show!


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Chapter 10: Poker Faces


Unknown Location: Infirmary


//Where am I? What the hell happened? Why can't I see anything - Am I blind? No... I just have my eyes closed. Why does my head feel so fuzzy...? Maybe I should look...// Logan cautiously raised an eyelid but snapped it closed again when a piercing white light sent shooting pains through his head. //Ow...//

"Ah... Look who's among the waking..." a voice said, "Maybe you'd like me to dim the lights?"

"Yes, please..."

"The tranquilizer tends to cause some rather nasty headaches when it wears off... There. That should be more tolerable."

Logan opened first one eye and then the other, relieved to find the light level to be much lower than it had been. He slowly pushed himself up till he was sitting and glanced around quickly. He spotted Lydecker on a hospital bed to his right, still unconscious. Someone had dressed the wounded shoulder and bound it to his side in a sling and there was an dark, angry bruise that ran across the left side of his face. //Well, at least he's not dead... Not that I'd really mind at this point...//

"How're you feeling?" A man in his early fifties stood nearby dressed in the typical white coat of a doctor.

//Probably a military doctor.// Logan's beleaguered brain managed to take in the details of the doctor's stance and bearing, "That depends... For someone who was beat up and drugged, I guess not too bad."

The man laughed, "At least you have a sense of humor. Good thing in your position."

"Exactly what IS my position..."Logan's eyes caught the identification badge clipped to the man's coat, "Dr. Carlis?"

The doctor smiled but shook his head, "That's not for me to say. In here, you're my patient. But I really doubt that status will last long..."

A rattling sound followed by an almost inhuman growl attracted the attention of both men. Krit was struggling violently with his bonds, trying to push away the doctor and the guards who surrounded him. Logan frowned at the sight. It didn't surprise him that the X5 was reacting so poorly to being chained up - especially in an infirmary. Manticore's medical facilities had not been kind to its creations.

"Feisty one, isn't he?" Logan's head turned to see the new speaker. It was the man Lydecker had seemed to know... Philip. Dr. Carlis beat a hasty retreat after receiving a look from Philip.

"What did you expect?" Logan grated, quite sure that this was the man in charge of the operation, "You've got him chained up like an animal. I doubt you'd be too thrilled with that kind of treatment either."

Philip cracked a wry smile, "No, I don't think I would... But in this case, I'd rather not have HIM running around loose," he shrugged, "My insurance wouldn't cover it."

"Just where the hell are we?"

"Well... You don't waste time getting to the point, do you, Mr. Cale?" Surprise and a bit of fear flickered behind Logan's glasses. With another smile, Philip handed him one of the folders he had been holding, "I believe this is yours."

Leafing rapidly through the pages, Logan realized the file contained detailed biographical information... on HIM. A copy of his birth certificate, records of education, news clippings on his parents, the shooting that had crippled him... His life was neatly packaged into a tabbed file. Everything was there... except, of course, Eyes Only. //Thank God for that...// "You're thorough..."

"Always pays to know the people you're working with." Philip shrugged.

Logan's blue eyes narrowed, "Working with? I'd hardly count this as as working with someone. More like holding captive."

"Oh, come now... You're not a prisoner..."

"So... what? I'm a guest with limited privileges?"

Philip gave a snort of laughter, "Something like that, yes. By the way... That's a damn interesting contraption you've got there..." He tapped one of Logan's legs.

Panic hit like a hammer, and Logan reached out to touch his leg. Beneath the fabric of his trousers he felt the hard edges of the exoskeleton and relaxed visibly. //At least they didn't take it... Not that it's doing me any good. Jared must have damaged the battery when he hit me...//

Philip tipped his head to the side, watching Logan's movements, "I think it's broken. But most likely this is the problem..." He pulled the battery pack from his pocket. The casing sported a massive dent and a large crack ran down the side. The blow had practically crushed it.

Logan closed his eyes and took a deep breath to ward off any more frustration or fear. He certainly wouldn't be walking now... At least Sebastian had given him the spare battery. He had a big thank you card coming if Logan survived this. "What do you want with us?" Logan steeled himself for the answer.

"It's actually quite simple... But I'll wait till Don pulls himself together in a moment to explain..." Philip watched with obvious amusement over Lydecker's predicament.

Lydecker let out a hiss of pain as he tried to work himself into a sitting position. His eyes didn't seem to want to focus and all the bruises were really starting to hurt. Not to mention the shoulder... He glowered at Philip, "Son of a bitch... What have you got up your sleeve now? Who're you working for? You're obviously following somebody's orders... Never were smart enough to work on your own..."

Philip's cheek twitched in response to the insult. Logan sensed that there was some previous history to the comment, "Well, Don," Philip said with a biting tone, "Maybe you should be a little more appreciative. I DID save you. I'd hate to think just what Manticore was going to do with you when they got you home."

"Cut the crap, Philip. We know each other too well for that. Just tell us what you want." Lydecker's eyes glittered with animosity.

"Always so impatient... If you must know, I'm working for our government. Unlike some of us here, I didn't get booted because I couldn't control my drinking."

The remark hit home just as it was meant to, and Lydecker looked as though he was contemplating what method would be the most painful to shut the man up, "Bastard..."

"You're FBI?" Logan guessed, not wanting the situation to escalate into something more dangerous than it all ready was.

"Not quite," Philip smirked.

"CIA," Lydecker said flatly, "Military intelligence consultant."

"Ooh, you're still pretty damn sharp, Don." Philip shook his head with a smile.

"CIA? Since when are you guys allowed to even operate in this country?" Logan eyed the man suspiciously.

"A lot of things changed because of the pulse, kid," Philip crossed his arms over his chest, "We've got enough internal problems to deal with as it is. No sense wasting good resources on some other country, right?"

Logan wasn't convinced but pushed the conversation along. "What do you want with us?" he asked again.

"Cooperation. Its as easy as that," Philip hitched a shoulder, "Manticore's started to become a problem for us, and I've been sent in to eliminate it."

Lydecker stiffened, his jaw clenched, "What? Since when has Manticore interfered with government business? We've always been sure to steer clear..."

"Correction... YOU'VE always been sure to steer clear," Philip said, "The people who want your head, on the other hand, haven't. They might not realize it, but their experimental creations have already jeopardized several extremely sensitive missions. Manticore's gone too far with their little projects. As long as they were deployed only outside the US, it was one thing, but now they're running amok inside our borders. Washington is, needless to say, not pleased."

"This is ridiculous!" Lydecker huffed, "Manticore is a private enterprise. You can't just run in there and tear the place up!"

"You'd be surprised what I can do with the right authorization, Don. Besides, what do you care?" Philip cocked an eyebrow, "Why would you want to protect the people who want you dead?"

"I don't want to protect THEM," he snarled.

"Ah... You're worried about your... experiments."

"My KIDS," Lydecker emphasized.

"I hate to break it to you, Don, but they've got to go too. We have orders to destroy all of Manticore's resources."

"What?! Why?!" Logan jumped into the discussion, "Most of them really are just kids! It's not their fault..."

"Mr. Cale, I don't expect a civilian to understand," Philip said, exasperated, "With the state the current infrastructure of the US is in, we can't afford to allow a private conglomerate access to such advanced military hardware."

"Hardware?! They're people, for God's sake!" Logan shouted, "How can you justify killing CHILDREN?!"

"I don't have to justify anything," Philip stared at him levelly.

"Oh, I forgot... You're just following orders. That's different," Logan said acidly.

"Cale," Lydecker shot Logan a sharp glance to quiet him before turning back to Philip, "You don't have to destroy the X series. They're trained soldiers. If you can take out Manticore's administration, they'd be yours."

"I have orders, Don."

Lydecker licked his lips nervously, searching for a way to reason with the man, "Look, you obviously have access to some genetically engineered staff yourself. I saw how your guards took out my kids. But... Manticore has made a lot of advancements... They could be very useful to you. I can help you get in..."

"I'm not so sure as I'm going to want your help," Philip said frankly, "You've made it clear where your loyalties lie."

"Even with a fully equipped army, you're going to have a hell of a time getting in," Lydecker leaned forward on the bed, "Like I said, the X series are all trained as soldiers. By now, they'll have recalled a good number of them from their other assignments to protect the base... Without my help, they'll tear you apart."

Philip frowned, studying his former comrade, "The explosion... That was you..."

"Yes..."

"You realize you made our job a hell of a lot harder. You put them on alert..."

Lydecker didn't respond, instead trying to gage Philip's mind set.

"You really think we can't get in there..."

"Not with what you've got here," Lydecker's quick mind seized on Philip's doubt,"Talk to your superiors. I'll give you Manticore if you don't destroy my kids. Otherwise, you won't stand a chance. Just a handful of them could take out an entire army. I've seen them do it. I TRAINED them to do it."

Philip sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "You're a fast talker, Don. I think I might just believe what you say those kids can do," he nodded in the direction of Krit who had been motionless and watching them the whole time, "I saw what just one of them can do. Even cuffed, he nearly killed two of my best men. And the two that got away..." He paused for a moment before turning towards the door, "All right... I'll talk with command..." Philip spun back to face Lydecker, "No promises, of course... But I know you well enough..."

Lydecker nodded slowly and Philip stepped out into the hall.

//Shit... This is bad...//

Logan stared at Lydecker, "Start talking. Who the hell is he and how do you know him?"

Lydecker lay back down, covering his eyes with his uninjured arm, "Philip Roarche. He was a captain when I knew him. We fought together... Things went bad; ended up being a mess... Philip was told to 'clean-up'..."

"That was just a bit too brief for me... Care to elaborate?"

Lydecker rubbed his eyes tiredly and then turned his head to look at Logan, "Yes, actually, I would. You forget that the walls have ears."

Logan glanced around, spotting several security cameras partially burrowed into the walls, "And eyes... Damn it... What are we going to do?"

"It's not our ball anymore, son," Lydecker sighed, feeling defeated, "Right now we just have to wait..."

//I hate waiting...//

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Manticore Base



//I hate waiting...//

Max sat silently in the small interrogation room. She had been strapped into a chair nearly half-an-hour ago. At least four security cameras were stuck in the corners near the ceiling. A television monitor was embedded into the wall directly in front of her, and she had been staring at it for lack of anything better to do. So far it was just dark.

She casually tested the restraints for the sixth time. No good. It would take a concerted effort and some time to break them. By then, security would have spotted the attempt from the camera feeds.

//Damn.//

It was all a game. They expected her to sit there thinking of all the nasty things that they would do to her. The intent was to let her drive herself crazy. It would save them a hell of a lot of time and effort. Mind games...

//Like they didn't teach ME all of this stuff...//

The door swung open suddenly as Renfro strode into the room. Max spotted two armed guards flanking the entrance but no one else dared to come in.

"I hope you've been sleeping well," Renfro said with a too sweet smile, "You're going to need your strength to get back into your training."

"Fuck you!" Max spat.

"Now, now... You've been away for a long time... There's so much for you to catch up on. Don't worry, though," she purred, "We're here to help you."

"Help me? That's almost funny."

"You're part of the Manticore family, X5-452..."

"I'm MAX!" she cut in.

"You THINK you're Max. But now its time to stop pretending and to come back home..." Renfro tapped the screen on the wall with her forefinger, "I have something to show you..." The monitor flickered to life, static quickly turning into an image. "Something to remind you of what family is all about."

Max frown at the screen. It was a down-shot of the infirmary. She saw herself laying on an operating table, doctors in surgical garb frantically working over her body. Off to the side, someone wheeled in a cart with Zack strapped down to it. There was bright blood where he had been shot in the shoulder.

//Zack... No...//

She immediately knew what it was - a surveillance tape of when she had been brought in after being shot.

"Why are you showing me THIS?" Max tried to clamp down on the uneasy feeling that was rising in the pit of her stomach.

Renfro didn't answer.

She heard her brother calling her name, wanting to know she was all right.

"Max!"

The doctor, Wedler she thought, shook his head in defeat. Renfro on the tape sighed and told them to prepare her body for harvesting. Moving so fast, his image was a blur, Zack broke his restraints and clocked a guard. With the gun he had grabbed, he threatened the doctor.

"Bring her back!"

Wedler babbled about her left ventricle having collapsed and her heart being beyond repair.

"This is supposed to mean something?" Max said, not quite hiding the mounting fear.

"Then transplant her!" No spare hearts the doctors informed him.

Renfro smiled humorlessly as she slipped out past the door, leaving Max to stare at the screen in horror... alone.

Zack pulled Renfro towards him,setting the muzzle of the gun against her temple, "I've got a donor for you then."

"Zack... Stop..." Max moaned. //Blue eyes... remember blue eyes...//

"She's an X5... She needs an X5 heart."

//Blue eyes... filled with compassion...//

Zack hesitates, looking at her body on the table.

//Blue eyes... filled with strength...//

He violently shoves Renfro away from him.

//Blue eyes...// "No..."

"X5-599 has a heart for you..."

//Blue eyes... empty...// "No! Zack!"

BLAM!

Max flinched at the sound of the gunshot, her slender frame shaking as she tried to hold back the tears, "No... NO!... No..." She couldn't cry. Not here. They'd use it against her. She couldn't let them use Zack like that. She had to be strong or they would break her... break her like they did Brin...

The screen went dark for a moment and then the tape began to play again.

Renfro was now watching Max on the security monitor in her office, smiling still.

"Max!"

"Bring her back!"

"She needs an X5 heart..."

"X5-599 has a heart for you..."

Max choked, pulling desperately at the restraints as the scene started over again, "Stop it! That's enough!" Again, the tape began to replay. Why? Why did they have to choose this way? She knew she couldn't let it get to her...

"Then transplant her!"

"I said stop!" Max cried to the empty room, knowing that her captors were listening somewhere, just out of reach. If only she could wrap her fingers around that woman's throat...

"She's an X5... She needs an X5 heart..."

"Please! Please..." She moaned, squeezing her eyes shut. Though the picture was blocked, she could still hear the sounds, still hear Zack's determined voice as he made his choice.

"X5-599 has a heart for you..."


Sgt. Leaman glanced at Renfro who was totally engrossed in the young girl's reaction, "You edited the tapes..."

"Yes," came the distracted reply.

"I guess I don't need to ask why."

"No. You don't."


"Please... Zack... Don't go..." Max whispered, unable to stop herself, "Don't leave me..."

BLAM!

Max curled up as best she could in the chair, twisting her wrists in a vain attempt to free herself. All she wanted was to cover her ears, to make the voices stop. She didn't want to hear her brother dying over and over...

"X5-599 has a heart for you..."

He'd dedicated his life to protecting his brothers and sisters, to keeping them free. Out of all of them, Zack had been the one who cherished their new found freedom the most. Because of that, he had been willing to do anything to make sure his siblings got to enjoy it.

This hadn't been the first sacrifice he'd made for her. She'd never forget the look on his face when Lydecker and his goons were dragging him away. He'd confessed to a crime for her sake - because she wouldn't leave Seattle. If she hadn't been so stubborn. If she had listened to him...

//All my fault... Could have saved him...//

Her resolve caved under the pressure of the mounting guilt, and she began to sob violently. His heart... His heart... For her... He'd died because she wasn't fast enough, wasn't strong enough. He died because she made a mistake and hadn't been able to fight the X7. If only she hadn't been so slow. If only... If only...

//My fault... All my fault...//



Renfro touched the image gently on the security monitor, "Welcome home, X5-452... Welcome home..."

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A/N: How was that? Dramatic enough? Too much? Want more? I suppose it doesn't matter now... I don't know that I could just leave this unfinished. I think it'd drive me crazy! Even so, I'd like to think I managed to entertain a couple of people. :)

As for the CIA stuff, bare with me, if you will. I've been wondering what happened to all the government agencies and things since the pulse. I can't see them just going away. I figure they're probably hanging on over in the East Coast for the most part. Washington, D.C. is probably still a pretty happenin' place. But anyway, I thought they'd be fun to drag in and toss into the mix. Any body have some thoughts on the subject? I'd love to hear other people's opinions. Feel free to even email me if you like! (madartiste@yahoo.com)