"MAX!"
She woke up with a start to see Logan burst in the door.
"We have a problem!"
Max dressed quickly, and gathered up the possessions left in the bunker. She sprinted out of the room, and locked it behind. Logan was in the Aztec, and he started up the engine as she piled into the car. Her neck had locked slightly, but that was the least of her worries as Logan pulled out of the derelict car park, and pointed at the highway.
"You see"
Max stared as she put her glasses on. There were three barricades blocking the road, and a helicopter swooped overhead. Over thirty soldiers were hanging around in groups, and Logan could see five SMS were in a jeep; none of them were familiar to him.
"It seems that they've sent out a welcome wagon," Logan said. He pulled the jeep over, and drove it to the back of the parking lot.
"How are we going to get past them?"
Logan grinned.
"Just watch"
Logan slammed his foot down on the accelerator, and the car leapt forward as if possessed. It ran towards the end of the lot where it ran into a steep slope, but at the last minute Logan slammed his foot on the brakes and pulled the car off to the left. It rolled down the hill, throwing Max around. She held on, and screamed as Logan again accelerated causing the car to spin around back onto its wheels. He headed down the now slight slope and the car roared as he threw it up into 6th gear. The car past the barricade on the other side of a row of trees, and as soon as they were far down enough Logan pulled the car back onto the main road.
"Logan!" Max yelled, "great. Now you've made the Aztec all dirty!"
There was an awkward silence in the car as it sped down the road. Logan was continually on the lookout, suspecting another blockade. They wouldn't leave it alone, he knew that. Out of the corner of his eye he could see that Max was staring out the window, craning her neck trying to get it working again. He wanted to apologise, but the words failed him.
LOGAN'S STORY
I think I've endangered Cindy by coming. They must know where I'm heading…they must know I'm meeting someone…
Well, we've come this far. Max would be really pissed off if we turned back…!
But when I reach far down inside, I know that she's still all right. There's a bond we all share and I honour that. I believe that one day we will all be standing on one of the lush green fields, watching the sun dip down below the horizon. Hand in hand we will be together for now and for eternity.
We will triumph over all adversity, fight our enemies as one, and die as one. If Manticore taught us anything, it's that we are meant to work as a unit, as one single mind. When I truly realise that that is when I find the strength to destroy the castle that is Manticore and all the knights that protect it.
The road rolls out in front of the Aztec as night falls once more. Rain falls everywhere, and streetlights illuminate the water that drips down outside. Max was awake, moving her neck slowly from side to side, as Logan pulled over to a service station. The Aztec was running dry, and as he walked into the shop he looked back at the strongly defined shape of Max, who was stretching her legs. He regretted the uneasiness that had made a void in-between them, and he realised his own feelings for her. He longed to hold her and tell her that it would be all right, that one day they both would be able to stand up and no longer hide.
Max breathed in the air of the night as she walked over to the edge of the petrol pumps. There was a sharp dip, and from here Max could see cars drive quickly beneath her and over the farthest point she could see. The moon was just peeking over the clouds, and it's light smiled upon Max who basked in its glow. Her eyes were closed, and she felt so light that the air might carry her up and take her to a place of safety and warmth.
There were animals scurrying around below, a fox poked its nose out over the bushes, and then quickly ran away as a bright headlight drove off the highway and onto the side. It was a large armoured car, but Max didn't wait to look who emerged. She ran over to the shop and removed Logan from inside. They got into the car in a fluid movement, and drove slowly down and back onto the main stretch of highway. There were five units coming up the road and Logan moved the car up into fourth gear. He drove smoothly away, until the headlights of the Manticore jeeps had ducked beneath the edge of the road behind. Without a word, he indicated to another gas station were two cars were parked, lights still on and the engine running. He looked into Max's eyes and whispered to her that they had to leave the Aztec behind them. She nodded, and took a bag out of the back. Logan parked the car in the bushes, well hidden from the road. They walked normally up to a large range rover, and got into it. Logan drove the car out of the stop as of it was his, and then as they turned onto the motorway again they saw the Manticore cars drive past.
"The hunters have now became the hunted…"
They followed the units until daybreak. By this time the people inside must have figured that the Aztec had moved onto a different byway, so they pulled off at the next town they past. The range rover passed them without provoking a response, and that's when the mood inside changed. Logan laughed with joy and smiled at Max.
"We are on our way, we've lost them!"
Max smiled, but something inside told her that this was only temporary…
"C'mon Max, you feel like a cooked brunch?"
Max and Logan were only a few hours away from Sandy Springs, and Max could see the excitement in his eyes as they eat pancakes at an out-of-town bar. She wanted to tell him that she shared it too, but something inside just didn't feel right…when she had first researched the articles the method of deletion had been the same on both of them, indicating that the same people did it. But why would they leave one only slightly damaged and the other completely ruined? Unless…unless they were walking into a trap!
"Logan," Max began and his bright eyes met hers, "what if, what if that article was planted there, so one of the SMS looking for it would find it and make their way there, only to find nothing?"
Logan's blue eyes dimmed slightly. He dropped his fork, and looked squarely at Max.
"What are you saying Max? That Cindy is in fact somewhere else and this is all a scam? Don't you think I know that? I have considered all the possibilities, and I can only come to one conclusion: That I have to try. If I do walk into a trap I will be alright, and I know that you have the sense to get out of there if it should turn out that this is all a lie."
Logan paid the waiter and walked out. He knew that Max was trying to help him, but sometimes she just got in the way.
She woke up with a start to see Logan burst in the door.
"We have a problem!"
Max dressed quickly, and gathered up the possessions left in the bunker. She sprinted out of the room, and locked it behind. Logan was in the Aztec, and he started up the engine as she piled into the car. Her neck had locked slightly, but that was the least of her worries as Logan pulled out of the derelict car park, and pointed at the highway.
"You see"
Max stared as she put her glasses on. There were three barricades blocking the road, and a helicopter swooped overhead. Over thirty soldiers were hanging around in groups, and Logan could see five SMS were in a jeep; none of them were familiar to him.
"It seems that they've sent out a welcome wagon," Logan said. He pulled the jeep over, and drove it to the back of the parking lot.
"How are we going to get past them?"
Logan grinned.
"Just watch"
Logan slammed his foot down on the accelerator, and the car leapt forward as if possessed. It ran towards the end of the lot where it ran into a steep slope, but at the last minute Logan slammed his foot on the brakes and pulled the car off to the left. It rolled down the hill, throwing Max around. She held on, and screamed as Logan again accelerated causing the car to spin around back onto its wheels. He headed down the now slight slope and the car roared as he threw it up into 6th gear. The car past the barricade on the other side of a row of trees, and as soon as they were far down enough Logan pulled the car back onto the main road.
"Logan!" Max yelled, "great. Now you've made the Aztec all dirty!"
There was an awkward silence in the car as it sped down the road. Logan was continually on the lookout, suspecting another blockade. They wouldn't leave it alone, he knew that. Out of the corner of his eye he could see that Max was staring out the window, craning her neck trying to get it working again. He wanted to apologise, but the words failed him.
LOGAN'S STORY
I think I've endangered Cindy by coming. They must know where I'm heading…they must know I'm meeting someone…
Well, we've come this far. Max would be really pissed off if we turned back…!
But when I reach far down inside, I know that she's still all right. There's a bond we all share and I honour that. I believe that one day we will all be standing on one of the lush green fields, watching the sun dip down below the horizon. Hand in hand we will be together for now and for eternity.
We will triumph over all adversity, fight our enemies as one, and die as one. If Manticore taught us anything, it's that we are meant to work as a unit, as one single mind. When I truly realise that that is when I find the strength to destroy the castle that is Manticore and all the knights that protect it.
The road rolls out in front of the Aztec as night falls once more. Rain falls everywhere, and streetlights illuminate the water that drips down outside. Max was awake, moving her neck slowly from side to side, as Logan pulled over to a service station. The Aztec was running dry, and as he walked into the shop he looked back at the strongly defined shape of Max, who was stretching her legs. He regretted the uneasiness that had made a void in-between them, and he realised his own feelings for her. He longed to hold her and tell her that it would be all right, that one day they both would be able to stand up and no longer hide.
Max breathed in the air of the night as she walked over to the edge of the petrol pumps. There was a sharp dip, and from here Max could see cars drive quickly beneath her and over the farthest point she could see. The moon was just peeking over the clouds, and it's light smiled upon Max who basked in its glow. Her eyes were closed, and she felt so light that the air might carry her up and take her to a place of safety and warmth.
There were animals scurrying around below, a fox poked its nose out over the bushes, and then quickly ran away as a bright headlight drove off the highway and onto the side. It was a large armoured car, but Max didn't wait to look who emerged. She ran over to the shop and removed Logan from inside. They got into the car in a fluid movement, and drove slowly down and back onto the main stretch of highway. There were five units coming up the road and Logan moved the car up into fourth gear. He drove smoothly away, until the headlights of the Manticore jeeps had ducked beneath the edge of the road behind. Without a word, he indicated to another gas station were two cars were parked, lights still on and the engine running. He looked into Max's eyes and whispered to her that they had to leave the Aztec behind them. She nodded, and took a bag out of the back. Logan parked the car in the bushes, well hidden from the road. They walked normally up to a large range rover, and got into it. Logan drove the car out of the stop as of it was his, and then as they turned onto the motorway again they saw the Manticore cars drive past.
"The hunters have now became the hunted…"
They followed the units until daybreak. By this time the people inside must have figured that the Aztec had moved onto a different byway, so they pulled off at the next town they past. The range rover passed them without provoking a response, and that's when the mood inside changed. Logan laughed with joy and smiled at Max.
"We are on our way, we've lost them!"
Max smiled, but something inside told her that this was only temporary…
"C'mon Max, you feel like a cooked brunch?"
Max and Logan were only a few hours away from Sandy Springs, and Max could see the excitement in his eyes as they eat pancakes at an out-of-town bar. She wanted to tell him that she shared it too, but something inside just didn't feel right…when she had first researched the articles the method of deletion had been the same on both of them, indicating that the same people did it. But why would they leave one only slightly damaged and the other completely ruined? Unless…unless they were walking into a trap!
"Logan," Max began and his bright eyes met hers, "what if, what if that article was planted there, so one of the SMS looking for it would find it and make their way there, only to find nothing?"
Logan's blue eyes dimmed slightly. He dropped his fork, and looked squarely at Max.
"What are you saying Max? That Cindy is in fact somewhere else and this is all a scam? Don't you think I know that? I have considered all the possibilities, and I can only come to one conclusion: That I have to try. If I do walk into a trap I will be alright, and I know that you have the sense to get out of there if it should turn out that this is all a lie."
Logan paid the waiter and walked out. He knew that Max was trying to help him, but sometimes she just got in the way.