Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel, wish I did, but I don't. The only creations I take credit for are J.C, Paws and Sherena Khan. Again, don't sue me… it would be quite pointless, as I have no money.
Author's Note: Sherena Khan is the Siberian tiger. The Jungle Book's Shere Khan, the tiger, inspired the name.
Walking on Eggshells
Part 6
"Oh shit." Zack exclaimed as Max and Logan got into the back seat of the car. In the rearview mirror, he saw two black suburbans pull up in front of the warehouse. "Everybody in? We have to get the hell out of here." Zack jammed his foot on the gas and they tore away from the warehouse.
"Search the surrounding area and keep a watch on his apartment." Lydecker spoke into a small radio attached to his jacket. He turned and glared at the three teenagers standing in front of him. "Now I want to know how the hell one X5 can kick all of your asses in one go. Report."
"Well, sir, to be fair," The dark haired girl named Sherena Khan started.
"FAIR? You think life is fair? What have I taught you three? You are the only surviving members of the "Zoomorph 8" Group. We mixed X5 DNA with several species of ferocious cats and you can't beat ONE X5?" Lydecker's face was bright red and his lower lip was set in a scowl.
"Sir, there were two of them and the hostage managed to escape and incapacitate Paws." J.C. replied sheepishly.
"You three had better find the two X5's and bring them to me or there will be hell to pay." With that, Lydecker dismissed them with a grim look on his face.
"We can't go back to your apartment… they'll have men all around it." Max said as the car drove towards Foggle Towers. "Maybe you should crash at my place for a while… you know… until we can find these guys and find out what they want."
Max supported Logan as they took the elevator up to his penthouse. Zack stood by the door with his back to them, not wanting to see them holding each other. It pissed him off that even though Logan was weak and defenseless, Max still wanted him. He heard a sigh and turned around.
~Logan's POV~
I sat in my wheelchair, depressed about my inability to walk. It was bad enough before, but now I was sitting in front of the one man I felt threatened by.
"You really hate being in that wheelchair don't you?" I heard Zack grunt from behind me.
I narrowed my eyes, which was unnecessary as he couldn't see my face, but I narrowed them all the same. I wheeled into the computer room behind Max and started packing up my Eyes Only equipment.
I heard Zack follow me in and I wheeled around to face him. "Listen, I really just need some time to gather my things together and then we can get on our way, but can you please just leave me the hell alone for the moment?" I practically yelled in his face.
Zack looked shocked, I held back a smirk. He shrugged his shoulders, then glanced at Max before heading back out to the living room. I rubbed my hand over my forehead before turning back to packing my equipment.
I was just finishing up when I felt a hand on my neck, fingers tangling in my short hair. I was so surprised that I jumped and felt the hand pat my shoulder. "It's just me, Logan." Max leaned over and whispered in my ear.
I smiled, embarrassed and she stroked my cheek. "It's never been about you walking, Logan. Not for me anyway." She leaned down and quickly kissed me on the lips. "But if you act like this all the time, I'm going to have to kick your ass." She gave me a knowing smile and I returned it with one of my own.
The smile on her face disappeared and she grabbed the box from the table. "Logan, as much as I love your smiles, we really have to get out of here."
I wheeled into my bedroom to pack some of my clothes. "Are you sure Cindy will be okay with this? I wouldn't want to be trespassing in her crib." I watched as she leaned over my dresser and picked out some of my shirts.
"Mmm, Logan, I would love to see you in this sometime." She held up a black wifebeater and raised an eyebrow. She quickly threw it into the bag on the bed and pulled out some of my pants before throwing them into the bag as well. "Okay, do you need anything else 'cause we really REALLY have to go." She put the bag over her shoulder and held the box in her hands.
"Max! At least let me carry something!" I grunted as she practically threw the box of equipment into my lap. "Thanks."
We got to Max and Cindy's apartment half an hour later, ditching my Aztec on the way over. I phoned Bling as soon as we got in, so he would know where I was. I told him not to go back to the apartment for a while and he asked why.
"I don't want to get into the details right now. The gist is that there are some human hybrids who can change shape after me and Max." I told him calmly over the phone.
"Am I ever glad I don't have your life!" I heard a laugh at the other end of the phone. "It's like living in a video game knowing that girl. So… you staying with her now?"
I paused, confused as to why he would ask something like that. "Yeah. Nice place. Cindy's a bit peeved, but you know."
"I can imagine… so has anything happened between you guys yet?" I could sense a smile at the other end of the line.
I had anticipated this question and quickly thought up a witty response. "I don't think I need to remind you Bling, that Cindy doesn't play for our team, as she likes to put it."
"You know what I mean, Logan! With you and Max? How has she taken the whole you've-got-your-legs-back deal?" He had been pretty surprised that I had been able to stand on my own, and walk on my own. I didn't really want to tell him that I was back in a wheelchair after so many months of physical therapy.
"Fine… fine. Oh, I gotta go… I think Cindy needs to use the phone." I quickly hung up and turned to face Cindy. "It's all yours." I handed her the phone.
"If you weren't with my girl, I'd slap you upside the head for making me wait this long for my own damn phone!" She grabbed the phone out of my hands and went back into her bedroom. I heard the door slam a few seconds later.
"Ouch! What was that all about?" Max came up behind me and sat down on the couch.
I turned towards her. "I don't think she appreciated the fact that I'm taking up space in your apartment or the fact that I just called Bling from your phone."
"It's no big dealio. She'll get over it." She patted the couch beside her and I moved towards it. I lifted myself out of the chair and onto the couch.
I quickly looked around. "Where'd Zack go?"
Max shrugged. "I dunno. Probably checking around your apartment or whatever." She shifted closer to me and put her head on my shoulder. I wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her forehead. She looked up at me with shimmering eyes. "I thought I was going to lose you. When I woke up and you were gone… I almost lost it. I swear. As soon as I cleared my head though, I realized I had to get you back." A tear escaped her eye and ran down her cheek.
"It's okay… I'm okay." I wiped her tear away and kissed her. She put a hand on my chest and ran the other through my hair.
We carried on for a few long moments until we both heard a sort of "hmm" noise behind us. Max broke away and turned around.
"Well its about damn time Boo!" Was all Cindy said before grabbing her jacket and leaving the apartment with a 'See ya later!'
~Zack's POV~
I couldn't stay there. With them like that. It made my blood boil to see him touching her. It made me want to grab his neck in both my hands and just… No, I couldn't do that. As much as I hated the man, he had done a lot for all of us, a lot for Max. If I hurt him, I would hurt her.
I paced around the roof, glancing in the skylight every once and a while. I did a double-take when I saw a large shadow move across one side of the room. I dropped down on my stomach and peered down into the skylight.
It was a muscular black man. He seemed to know his way around the apartment. Then it hit me. It was Logan's personal trainer. I shook my head slowly, then decided I'd better tell this guy to get the hell out of Seattle before it was too late. I dropped silently to the fire escape and found the hole that girl made… J.C, that was her name.
I put a hand on the guy's shoulder and he whipped around, ready to punch me. He looked relieved when he saw me. "Where's Logan?"
"Get out of Seattle as quickly as possible." I said in an orderly tone, leading him to the door of the penthouse as I talked. "You're not safe. They know who Logan is and they'll soon know who his contacts are. I'm telling you, get out of Seattle tonight while it's still dark."
I think he must have sensed the urgency in my voice and he nodded. "Just tell Logan that I wish him luck." Then he shook my hand and left.
~Max's POV~
Blinding whiteness. I blinked my eyes a few times and the whiteness subsided. I saw that I was strapped in a large metal bed and my wrists were handcuffed to the metal bars. I looked up and was met by an all too familiar face. Lydecker. I gritted my teeth, then tried to lunge at him, but I was well restrained. "Where am I?"
"I think you know." He said, grinning for some sick reason.
"What am I doing here?"
"We found you at your apartment. We also found your little roommate too. That's how we found you, actually. We tortured her until she told us where you were. Then we killed her, of course. You're here to rediscover yourself, soldier. You've forgotten who you are and what you're meant to do." He paced around the room and I suddenly noticed there was a mirror facing the bed. It was obviously a one-way window to another room. I didn't think he'd be that stupid to think I wouldn't notice that with my enhanced vision.
"You son of a bitch. I'll never be a soldier again. EVER!" I spit into his face as he stopped pacing and approached my bedside. Before I knew it, I had managed to get out of my restraints and had Lydecker's gun in my hand. "Sorry to disappoint you, Deck, but I don't want to be all I can be." I switched off the safety and was about to pull the trigger when I saw the reflection on the mirror change. I gulped back a cry.
Logan was sitting in a chair with a gun to his head. He looked into my eyes and I felt a tear run down my cheek. I looked back at Lydecker. "Let him go and I won't kill you."
I was unnerved by the twisted smile Lydecker had on his face. "Come back to Manticore and he lives. Shoot me and he dies."
My fingers felt slippery on the cold metal of the gun. I looked back at Logan. "Don't hurt him… Please…" I whispered to myself. But obviously someone else had heard it.
"No!" There was a yell from behind the mirror and I saw Logan being held back by the two guards at his side. One of them still had a gun trained to Logan's skull. "Max, run! Get out of here!"
"I can't leave you, Logan." I whispered again.
He struggled against the guards and they punched him in the face. His head snapped back for a few seconds and I felt helpless. "Max go! Get out of here! I'll be okay! Max..go… now!" I saw the worry in his face and I pulled the trigger on Lydecker's gun.
He fell down to the ground, holding his chest. He was dead in a few minutes. I yanked the door open but stopped when I heard a gunshot. I looked back at the window to see Logan drop lifeless to the ground.
"NO!!!!!!"