Search and Rescue
Lydecker and I did not speak at all on the drive. I didn't care. I had my own problems. Besides, I would have been perfectly happy if he had dropped dead.
We drove for what seemed like forever and at the same time only a second. We arrived at Manticore that night, late. The cover of darkness would be my ally.
Lydecker pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to me. It was a map of Manticore. Weak spots in the defenses had already been marked.
Next, Lydecker produced a gun and handed it to me. Following the gun came an extra clip. I stared at them for a moment before tucking the two items into my clothing where I could easily reach them.
"That's all I can give you." Lydecker said.
I nodded.
"This is a stupid risk. Completely against everything I know she taught you." he said.
I shot a look at him.
"Do I look like I care?"
I got out of the car and stalked towards the fence. I paused only once to study the map and commit the useful information to memory. Then I ran for the fence and leaped over. I was back in Manticore. Back in hell. The place that had destroyed my family. But I had come back to try to save part of it. A big part.
I continued to run, using the cover that the brush provided. The only guards I saw were two that were headed into the complex. In a flash I was on them. Before they had a chance to fully open the door they were both dead. I hadn't wanted to kill them, hadn't set out to, but I couldn't risk leaving them alive. It was for Zack.
I stripped one and assumed the less conspicuous uniform. I pulled the soldier's cap low over my face and made sure that the identity badge was easily visible on my chest before re-opening the door and entering.
I tried not to think. I didn't want any flashbacks. I didn't want any reminders. So I let myself become an unthinking soldier within the walls that had trained me for it. My whole life revolved around the mission. Search and locate Zack. Rescue Zack.
With my entire being focused on that it was almost simple to pick up on Zack and follow the smell and the feeling of his presence to him.
It was a solitary wing of Manticore. I should know. It was where I had lived. Remfrough, Madame X, had put Zack in the same room that had been mine.
I looked in the small window positioned on the door to see Zack lying on a bed, my bed, heavily restrained. My badge pressed to an ID pad granted me access to the room. This was almost too easy.
"Zack." I said softly.
"Ty?" he asked, confused.
So he hadn't made himself forget yet. I went to him quickly and began to undo his restraints. He looked so horrible. I could see he had been tortured horribly. It pained me just to look at him. This was even worse than the last time Manticore had tortured Zack. He hadn't been able to hide that from me.
"I should be dead." he moaned and I wasn't sure if he was even talking to me, "They should have let me kill myself. They should have saved her. They should have let me save her."
Tears began to build in his eyes and run slowly and painfully down his cheeks. I think he had forgotten I was there.
"Oh, Maxy." he said, staring at something I couldn't see, "I love you so much. Why couldn't I save you?"
I was almost shocked into not moving. I guess I had always sort of known that Zack's feelings towards Max were different than the ones he had for the other X-5's and for me. I just hadn't realized exactly how different or how strong those feelings were.
I had to get him out of here.
Suddenly, I sensed movement behind me. I turned slowly. A shadow was stalking me. Something dark and stealthy and powerful was circling me. I tracked it with my eyes, tensing for an attack.
The shadow flew at me and I saw it was a she. Then I had no time to think, only react, as I blocked her attacks.
We broke apart and circled. I almost hate to admit that I truly felt like a predator then. Every fiber of my body was tuned into that fight. It was more intense than any fight I had been in whether training at Manticore or arguing with Zack. I was into it.
She rushed me again and we fought for another furious moment before breaking apart again.
"Welcome home, 599." she said.
How did she know me?
"Who are you?" I asked.
She didn't answer but attacked again. This time she didn't get to retreat. I threw her to the ground, pinning her. However, the second that happened I heard the door crack open. A soldier stood there with a gun in her hand. I rolled out of the way and pulled my own gun. The shadow retreated to the older soldier's side and they closed the door slightly for cover. I took the moment that gave me to yank off the last of the restraints on my brother and pull him down beside the bed with me. He still seemed out of it. I didn't think any of what was going on was registering with him.
I ducked my heard as they fired at us again. I fired a few shots of my own and ducked again.
"Snap out of it, Zack!" I said urgently.
Zack continued to babble about Max. I slapped him, hard.
"Zack, I need you!"
Zack's eyes focused on me and his face hardened. I began to see my Zack again.
A shot ricotched too near and I fired back. I heard a cry. I had hit. There was a lapse in the firing. I must have hit the shooter.
"Big brother, are you with me?" I asked.
"I'm here, little sister." Zack's hard voice came to me.
"Good."
I signaled quickly and Zack flew over the bed to cover the door. As long as the metal door was between us and them, that soldier's weapon would be ineffective. But that was the least of our problems now.
I joined Zack as he scanned the area outside the door through the window.
"That's Brin that was firing on us." he said.
An X-5. But who was the soldier, the shadow, I had fought with?
"What about the other one? Can you identify her?"
Zack looked again and froze.
"It's Max." he said.
"It can't be Max. What do you mean it's Max?" I demanded.
More tears appeared in Zack's eyes.
"She has Max in her." was all he said.
That was all the explanation I needed to hear. Facts seemed to come together and click in my brain. When Lydecker had spoken of Remfrough and the rumors about her special projects, he had used the plural. It made sense that after my escape, Remfrough would try again. But no, the soldier I had fought was too near my age for that. She must have been created very soon after I had.
No time to think about it. Had to get out. We were trapped in there.
"Zack! Zack! How do we get out?" I asked.
I knew Zack was in no condition for this, but I needed him to take command. He met my gaze and I knew that he knew it, too.
"Give me the gun." he ordered.
I obeyed. Zack kicked the door open and quickly opened fire on the soldiers that were now surrounding the door. I jumped one and took his weapon. I covered Zack's back. Brin and the SP-Max were gone.
Ah! Pain! I was hit! Couldn't let it affect me. Had to keep fighting.
A hole appeared in the enemy lines. Zack and I both saw it and ran for it. We could hear them coming after us, shooting after us. We managed to turn corners and dodge the bullets. We were almost out, I could feel it.
And suddenly Zack stopped. I spin and ran back to him.
"Zack, come on!"
"Max." he whispered and took off down a different corridor.
I followed. Max was dead. He had said so himself. His delusions were going to get us killed.
Zack spun on me and ripped the stolen badge off my uniform. He pressed it to another ID pad and burst into the room. I followed him yet again.
And there was Max. I had no doubts that it was her. She stared at Zack and Zack stared at her, both in shock at seeing the other. I broke them out of it by tearing the restraints off Max. A moment later Zack was doing the same. I could hear soldiers coming closer.
Zack tried to pick Max up, but she shoved him away and got to her feet. We all looked at each other and ran.
Run fast. Ignore the pain from the bullet wound. Turn the corner. Soldiers close. Enemy ahead of us. Take them out. Door in sight. Run faster.
We were out! But not safe. Not yet.
And then the shadow was back. And behind her was my creator with Brin at her side. We all froze.
The shadow had a gun leveled at us. Brin also had a weapon. Remfrough appeared unarmed, secure in the safety that her soldiers brought her. Bitch.
"Hello, SP-599. You've caused quite a bit of trouble. But now you're home. You can't escape. The X-7's are guarding he perimeter." she said.
"Bitch." Max hissed, "You told me he was dead."
"And I told him that you were dead." she shrugged, "And I had almost broken both of you, too."
I'd kill her. I hated her.
I lunged at the SP, taking another bullet, but getting her down. Max and Zack both reacted instantly. Max had Brin. Zack had Remfrough, a gun to her head.
The SP struggled viciously. I hit her solidly in the temple with both fists. She went limp. She'd be conscious again only too soon.
"Bring her." Zack ordered.
I blinked in surprise, but followed orders. I managed to heft her over my uninjured shoulder.
We left Brin unconscious. Remfrough came with us. She would be our clearance.
"You don't know what you're doing." she said.
"Shut up." Zack growled.
"This is..." she began.
"He said shut up." I snapped.
We were nearing the fence. Sure enough, X-7's stood poised along its length.
"Order them to stand down." Zack commanded.
Remfrough was silent.
Zack cocked the gun.
"Do it!"
Self-preservation won out and she ordered them to stand down. Zack signaled me to go first. Then, Max. I looked back at him from the other side of the fence, willing him to kill Remfrough. Please, big brother, kill her for me.
But the X-7's were watching. The second he pulled the trigger or released her they would shoot a million holes in him. So he took the only option left, he brought Remfrough over the fence with him.
Lydecker was where I had left him. He said nothing when I entered with my hostage SP. He did comment when Max climbed in followed closely by Zack and Remfrough.
"Max." he said in surprise.
"Step on it." Max snapped at him.
Lydecker's face hardened to the mask of a soldier again and we sped out of there.
Zack rendered Remfrough unconscious. None of us spoke.
By the time we were back at the building we had started from, my big brother, Max, and I were all nearing the point of passing out ourselves.
Mission accomplished.
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I know that I still have a lot of explaining to do. You'll get the full report in the next section, Torture Tactics. I hope this part came off as believable.