Max calmly rode along a Canadian street, on the road was the only time she could be free. The thoughts of her life in Seattle that plagued her at night, all faded as soon as she hopped on her Ninja. She left Seattle a week ago and found no sign of her brothers and sisters. She knew it wasn't going to be easy to find them, but she didn't expect it to be this hard either. She had been getting tired more often and her reflexes were about an eighth of a second slower than usual. Blaming it on not eating enough, she stopped by a local diner.
As soon as the smell of the food hit her nose she wished she were back in Seattle, eating one of Logan's culinary feasts. She started to imagine the smell of baked chicken, hot from oven, and gloved hands grabbing the round handles of the pot. Her eyes left his hand and made a line up the arm to his beautiful smiling face, with a grin that was only for her.
No. This is not the time to think about …him. She sat down at the nearest red booth and waited for her waiter.
"Hello. I'm Matt and I'll be your server today. What can I get you?" said a young, brown–haired male. He looked like he was still in high school.
Max smiled. He was kind of attractive in a little boy sort of way, but he was no younger than Max. If he wore glasses and let his beard grow a bit…I'm not gonna go there.
"Hamburger. With pickles," she replied. He started to walk away when Max noticed her hand shaking.
"Some milk with that," she shouted after him. He turned around quickly, nodded, and went back to the kitchen.
"Perfect. Just perfect," she
muttered as she tried to hide her trembling hand. She had stocked up on
Tryptophan two days before she left Seattle. She reached into her jacket pocket
and grabbed it. When she opened the canister and found that she only had two
pills left.
"Not enough," she muttered, cursing at herself for not checking before. Her last seizure happened two days ago. It was one of the worst seizures she had experienced and if she wasn't careful, the same thing would happen here and now. And Max couldn't risk that.
She popped what was left of her pills in her mouth, wishing the waiter would return quickly with her milk. As if on cue a glass of milk was placed before her. She grabbed it instantly and gulped it down. She looked ahead and realized that her waiter was just coming out the kitchen. What??!! She tensed up, getting ready for a fight, and looked at the face of her milkman. She instantly softened her expression when she recognized the face of her benefactor.
"Zack?"
He looked at her with stone expression that could have intimidated anyone…except Max. She stood up and hugged him, while people looked at them, not sure what to make of it. Suddenly Max felt two hands on her back pull her closer to his body.
"We need to go. Now, Max," he whispered in her ear and released her. He turned on his heel and started to walk out the diner; leaving Max no choice but to follow him. He hopped on his motorcycle, and handed out an extra helmet out to Max
"Get on," He ordered in a monotone voice.
"I've got my own ride," she replied.
Now you're starting to piss me off, she thought.
"How you find me? I was looking for you," she asked.
" I know. And you were getting too close. I had to stop you before you endangered the others."
" Danger? When did I become The Enemy, Zack!" she spat and looked at him dead in the eye, challenging him to answer.
* * *
Zack was taken back by the sudden anger that blast through her body. All her muscles tensed up and her eyes blazed with intensity and pain. He thought that she might attack him if he made one wrong move. He returned her gaze, letting his eyes show his true emotions.
"Never," he replied letting a drop of compassion in his voice.
He put the helmet back under the seat and looked back at Max. She looks…different. He couldn't describe how, but she definitely wasn't the same Max he left in Seattle. He found her about two days ago when her seizures were starting to go away. She was shaking so rapidly he thought she might have head trauma. It took all his energy not to go and comfort her. He sighed.
"Follow me and I'll take you to the others," he stated and started up his bike.
"Now we're getting somewhere." Zack watched Max as she walked over to her Ninja. Stop looking at her butt. Stop looking at…Max just got on her Ninja and Zack finally revved up his bike to get out the parking lot.
They rode threw a practically deserted street for about an hour with only forest around them. Then Zack made a hard right into the wilderness on to a small dirt trail about two feet across. The leaves, stems and trees seemed to part as they rode threw the forest. Soon they came upon a rickety old barn. It was run down and covered in moss and vines.
"Any rats?" Max asked when they parked on the side of the barn.
Sorry if this is simple for your taste. Zack thought bitterly.
"What do you think?" he replied in an aggravated tone as he opened to door.
"I think, you should take that stick out of your ass." She said as she walked in behind him. Zack quickly turned around to face her and locked her gaze.
"Max?" a voice echoed before Zack could reply.
"Yeah." Max replied breaking the staring contest with Zack, " It's me." She searched for where the voice had come from.
Max spotted Tanga running to her about three
seconds before she hugged her.
Strange. Zack thought as the two sister embraced. Usually Max would have been able to locate a person by their voice, despite the echo. And now…well, she's probably just tired.
"Alright. Tanga let's Max scanned." He said interrupting the reunion.
"Scanned?" Max questioned looking back and forth between them.
"Don't worry, little sister. It's purely routine. We just have to make sure that it's safe."
"You mean, If I'm safe," Max looked at Zack. Typical. Zack thought. She blames me for doing something wrong when I'm protecting her. Max took a deep breath and faced Tanga.
"Aiight, Let's get this over with."
"Follow me." Tanga directed Max to a small room in the corner of the barn. Zack leaned on the wall while Tanga took her place behind a computer. There was a rectangular metal detector in the center of the room. It was 7 feet high and 3 feet across.
"How you get that piece of scrap metal in the middle of nowhere?" Max asked crossing her arms.
"We didn't," Tanga replied still operating the computer, "Javen built it. He modified it so that it can detect homing beacons."
"Okay. Max now step in the detector" She instructed.
Max walked in the detector and a red laser light went across her body. A image of Max's body came up the computer screen. Tanga looked at Zack.
"She's clean." She turned back to the computer.
"Let's get you set up," stated Zack and got off the wall. He took Max by hand and led her up a ladder beside the room to the loft. On the loft there were 12 makeshift beds on either side of the barn in rows of six.
" I see you were expecting me." Max said looking at the beds.
"Only hoping." Zack pointed to a bed at the end of the row. "That one's yours"
Max walked over to the bed and bent down beside it.
"So. Why did you leave Seattle?" Zack asked. It had been plaguing him ever since she saw on her bike two days ago. He wanted to believe that Max finally came to her senses and did the smart thing, but he'd be a fool he did. His Max wasn't like that so he knew something happened.
Max stood up, but didn't look at him. She folded her arms across her chest like she was cold. Zack noticed the muscles in her back tense up.
"I just had to get out." She replied leaving Zack mystified. He was about to ask her what she meant when she yawned.
"I'm a little tired, Zack." She said and laid down on the straw mattress. He looked at her rest. What happened Max? he thought and left the loft.
* * * * * *
Max felt someone shaking her and calling her name.
"Max. Max, wake up."
She stirred awake to find it was Tanga.
"What are you doing, Tanga." She faced her sister. Tanga had a worried look in her eyes.
"I have to scan you again," she said.
"Why?" Max inquired, confused.
"I can't explain now. Just come on." She got up and walked toward the ladder. Max looked at her for a moment and then followed. What's up with her? She thought and climbed down the ladder. When she walked in the room Tanga had already started up the machine.
Max looked at Tanga. "What's going on?"
"Just step in," She said still staring at the computer.
"No. Not until you tell me why." Max put one hand on her hip. Tanga looked back at her.
"Max. Please." Max saw the concern in Tanga's eyes and stepped in the detector. After she was scanned she walked over to the computer and faced Tanga.
"Now. What was that about?" She demanded.
Tanga turned her head to face Max and in a monotone voice she said:
"You're pregnant."