Disclaimer: Don't own them, don't profit from them, just like to play with them.
A/N I suffered from some major writer's block –knew where I wanted to go but didn't know how to get there. Thanks to my Eye Spy friends at Fan Forum DA board – our fic project there inspired me and helped break through the block. I will be away for a week on vacation but when I return I will be continuing this more regularly again.
By the way I had this plotted out way before AJBAC so any resemblance to events there must be because the writers hacked into my humble pc and read my outline! (Only kidding about that last part).
"Logan, do you think there's a possibility this message is genuine?" Max turned to him suspiciously.
He sat for a moment lost in thought then slowly answered.
"Well, we do know there's some kind of power play going on in Manticore. The blonde woman iswatching Deck and he's watching her. "
"Why would he think we would help him? And how does he know you and I are together?" Max gave him an intense stare. Logan turned away and then taking a breath began to confess.
"Remember when that whole thing with Ben was going on?" she nodded and he continued "I was worried about you, afraid you wouldn't be able to handle it on your own. I set up a call with Lydecker."
"Logan." was all Max said, waiting for him to continue.
"I had him come to a safe house where I had a video screen set up and I spoke to him using the Eyes Only mask. But he guessed that I knew you, probably because of the broadcast I made to warn the X5's that time."
"Hmmm." Was all Max said. "We're gonna have to talk about this, Logan but for now what do we do about this message?"
"I can respond the same way he sent it to us. We can always set up a video meet like I did last time untilwe get a better feel for what he wants." Max nodded seeing no real choice and Logan quickly set to worksending off a response to Lydecker. Once that was done he called Bling and asked him to again setup the video for the conference with Lydecker.
"I'm going to replay all of the surveillance feeds to see if I can figure out more of what's going down. Sebastian sent them all to me." Max nodded as Logan engrossed himself in his computer equipment. Wandering around the apartment she found herself standing at the window staring down at the streets below. After a few moments she became aware of the figure of a woman who seemed strangely familiar.As she watched the woman ducked into the alleyway beside the building.
"Logan, heads up. I think we're about to have company." Quietly she walked over and positioned herself where she could watch the skylight. Pausing a moment, Logan glanced at her then reached to the drawer where he kept his gun. He pulled it out and checked to be sure it was loaded then waited to see what would happen. In moments there was the soft sound of the skylight sliding open and a rope dropping down. A figure dressed all in black slid down the rope and as it hit the floor Max pounced, The woman put up no resistance as Max pushed her to the floor.
"Max." Logan recognized the voice.
"Tinga. What are you doing here?" Max sat up and let her sister rise with her.
"There's something big going down. Zack found out. He doesn't know I'm here but I had to warn you."
"What did he find out?" Logan interjected. Tinga looked at him then continued.
"Lydecker is in trouble at Manticore. There's another player who has come in and is trying to take the project away from him. Thing is Deck always wanted all of us as his perfect soldiers. This new one seems to have some different intentions. Zack got word of some kind of experimentation going on involving the X series. Some type of extreme genetic manipulation. Besides Brin there are still our other brothers and sisters there – the ones who didn't escape that night. Zack doesn't want to leave them to be used like lab rats he wants to go in and get them all out."
"So that's in Wyoming. Why warn me here in Seattle?"
"Because Zack also found out that the new player intends to pick you up- something about an implant that can trace your movements." Tinga looked at both of them puzzled as they smiled and let out a sigh of relief.
"Been there, done that, sis." Max explained. "They already tried but thanks to Logan and his whiz kid friend Sebastian the implant is now history." Tinga nodded.
"We did however get a message from our friend Donald himself today. He wants our help or so he says." Logan informed her. "I'm reviewing all of our Manticore surveillance to try to see what else I can dig up. Why don't you and Max relax while I finish up in here. Then we can talk about what to do."
Max nodded and she and Tinga headed out to the other room where they settled themselves on the sofa and softly began to catch up on each other's lives over the past 10 years. Several hours passed without their realizing it but they were finally interrupted by Logan wheeling himself in.
"Just got a response. Deck will be at the meeting place at 8:00 tonight."