Chapter Two:
Max rolled, twisting the assailant's arm behind them, and grabbing him by the neck, she slammed him instinctively against the brick wall of the alley. "Zack." She breathed, her hand dropping to her side. "Do you always have to make a dramatic entrance?" She asked flippantly, trying to cover the sinking feeling that was settling over her, the feeling that always accompanied Zack's visits. Whenever Zack 'dropped by', something was always wrong.
Max walked to the mouth of the alley where she had dropped her bike, picking it up and pushing it down to stand in front of Zack who still hadn't spoken a word. "Look, if you have something to say, your going to have to walk with me, because I am late for work." Max took a step towards the street, and then glanced back at Zack who had crossed his arms and looked down at the ground. When he looked up, Max saw something so unfamiliar in her brother that she almost dropped her bike again. Unchecked, unbridled pain. "Zackie?" Max asked in a small voice, fearing the worst.
"They got her. They got Syl." Zack choked, his voice cracking weakly. "I wasn't fast enough and they got her."
Max leaned her bike against the wall and crossed to Zack in three steps to wrap her arms around him in a tight hug. She hadn't seen her sister in well over ten years, but this news was enough to break her heart.
At first, Zack didn't return the embrace, standing stiff as Max sobbed in his arms. Then he wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding on as if to prevent losing another sister.
"We're going to get her back." Max whispered after she had stepped back.
"Yeah, we are." Zack replied, his protective armor snapping back into place in the course of a second as he brushed the back of his hand across his eyes. "I found a computer tech inside Manticore who is willing to help us."
Max's jaw dropped. "You trust someone inside Manticore? Quick, someone turn on the weather channel and see if hell just froze over."
Zack stared at her stonily. "Yeah, I trust him."
"Why?"
"Because he's been working from the inside for two years and he still hasn't turned me in. He is a money hungry, greedy little bastard, but he's come through when I needed him."
Max contemplated this for a moment. Zack of all people trusted him, so it was pretty that he would help them. "Are you sure this is going to work?"
"I don't have the slightest idea." Zack said honestly. "I just know I am going to need your help."
"How is this going to work? What are we going to do?"
"I don't know, I have to get in contact with him. I just needed to get your agreement that you would help."
Max paused. "You knew I would, you wouldn't even have to ask." She whispered.
They stood in silence for a moment, completely overwhelmed by everything. "Look, let's go back to Logan's." Zack couldn't help the involuntary sneer. "He can set you up with whoever this contact of yours is."
Zack sighed and crossed his arms, falling into step beside Max as they walked towards the entrance of Foggle Towers.
Max rolled, twisting the assailant's arm behind them, and grabbing him by the neck, she slammed him instinctively against the brick wall of the alley. "Zack." She breathed, her hand dropping to her side. "Do you always have to make a dramatic entrance?" She asked flippantly, trying to cover the sinking feeling that was settling over her, the feeling that always accompanied Zack's visits. Whenever Zack 'dropped by', something was always wrong.
Max walked to the mouth of the alley where she had dropped her bike, picking it up and pushing it down to stand in front of Zack who still hadn't spoken a word. "Look, if you have something to say, your going to have to walk with me, because I am late for work." Max took a step towards the street, and then glanced back at Zack who had crossed his arms and looked down at the ground. When he looked up, Max saw something so unfamiliar in her brother that she almost dropped her bike again. Unchecked, unbridled pain. "Zackie?" Max asked in a small voice, fearing the worst.
"They got her. They got Syl." Zack choked, his voice cracking weakly. "I wasn't fast enough and they got her."
Max leaned her bike against the wall and crossed to Zack in three steps to wrap her arms around him in a tight hug. She hadn't seen her sister in well over ten years, but this news was enough to break her heart.
At first, Zack didn't return the embrace, standing stiff as Max sobbed in his arms. Then he wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding on as if to prevent losing another sister.
"We're going to get her back." Max whispered after she had stepped back.
"Yeah, we are." Zack replied, his protective armor snapping back into place in the course of a second as he brushed the back of his hand across his eyes. "I found a computer tech inside Manticore who is willing to help us."
Max's jaw dropped. "You trust someone inside Manticore? Quick, someone turn on the weather channel and see if hell just froze over."
Zack stared at her stonily. "Yeah, I trust him."
"Why?"
"Because he's been working from the inside for two years and he still hasn't turned me in. He is a money hungry, greedy little bastard, but he's come through when I needed him."
Max contemplated this for a moment. Zack of all people trusted him, so it was pretty that he would help them. "Are you sure this is going to work?"
"I don't have the slightest idea." Zack said honestly. "I just know I am going to need your help."
"How is this going to work? What are we going to do?"
"I don't know, I have to get in contact with him. I just needed to get your agreement that you would help."
Max paused. "You knew I would, you wouldn't even have to ask." She whispered.
They stood in silence for a moment, completely overwhelmed by everything. "Look, let's go back to Logan's." Zack couldn't help the involuntary sneer. "He can set you up with whoever this contact of yours is."
Zack sighed and crossed his arms, falling into step beside Max as they walked towards the entrance of Foggle Towers.