Author's note: Sorry this took so long everyone! My life got really hectic and crazy and I was unable to find time to write. Then, once I found the time, I wasn't sure where to go with the story. I'd had an arc, but it had changed slightly as I wrote each chapter. Anywho, I think I know where I want this to go. I hope you all like my decision. As always, the characters aren't mine, neither are any songs I might use. Thanks to Lady Callie and Evil Twin for being my betas. And now, on with the show...
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Max struggled against the restraints that imprisoned her to the four-poster bed. She clenched her teeth in frustration and growled when she discovered for the millionth time that they would not budge. She was afraid for the child inside her to fight to strenuously; she had no desire for her child to be born prematurely. Especially not here.
As far as she could tell, she had been held captive for approximately a week, give or take. She remembered the events of the past week with vivid and horrifying detail. She had awoken in the hospital from her nine day coma to find Logan exhausted yet delighted she was once again among the living. After he had gone to get a doctor, Lydecker had entered her room. She remembered the terror that had run through her veins at the sight of him. His face was scarred horrifically on one side, from the explosion, she assumed. One of his eyes was a mere slit, and behind the disfigured lid Max estimated there either was no eyeball, or very little of one. He wore burn gloves on his hands up to his second knuckles and walked with a noticeable gimp.
Despite these physical disabilities, the resurrected military psychopath had managed to kidnap her from the hospital. He had come at an opportune time, when she was weak and too tired to put up any kind of a fight; not that she would have, for fear of her baby's life.
With surprisingly little fanfare, good ol'Deck had unhooked her from her machines, tossed the IV bags in her lap, and deposited her in a wheelchair. He pressed a gun that was concealed in his jacket into her back and pushed her out of the room. Max looked over her shoulder as she was taken from her room, and saw Logan standing at the end of the hall, talking to her doctor and several nurses. Even though she had a weapon aimed at her back, Max took the chance and bellowed, "Looooooooooooooooooogan!"
Her husband had looked up from where he was standing and hollered her name. He ran after them down the hall, calling for security guards and help. Lydecker calmly picked up the pace, kicking a supply cart over behind him, and put Max in an elevator. Logan reached the doors right before they closed. The burned military man had pointed the gun at Logan's face and said, "You survived a shoot out once, Cale, but I don't think you'll be as lucky this time. Are you willing to risk the life of your family on it?" Max remembered the bone-chilling laugh that had escaped Lydecker's mouth as the doors closed, cutting Max off from her husband. The last look Max saw on Logan's face was one of terror and sadness. Somehow, Lydecker had managed to avoid the hospital security and they exited the hospital through a side door. Before she knew what was happening, Max was in an old, beat up car, and they were driving away from the hospital.
"You can't do this," she had said.
"Guess what?" he said coolly. "I am."
Frantically, Max tried to reason with him, "I just came out of a coma. I had the worst seizure of my life. My baby's in danger of being born premature. I need medicine to keep all of that from happening."
He looked over at her, his one eye glinting, "You'll get what you need, Max. You have my word on it."
He hadn't spoken another word to her since. He brought her meals, and stood there to make sure she ate them, but he never spoke. Amazingly, he had all the drugs she needed, making Max wonder if he had someone on the inside. Five days into her captivity, she got her answer.
"You bitch!" she cried as Abby walked into the room. "I remember you from the hospital. You betrayed us. If anything happens to my husband or my baby, I swear to God-"
Abby had smiled kindly and shook her head, "I assure you, no hard is going to come to any of you. Uncle Donald just needs your child to study how transgenics pass their genes on. When we discovered your child did not have the defective gene, he knew your child would be the one who could save the X-5s, and all the other Manticore flaws. The ones that haven't already been terminated, anyway."
Max's eyes had widened in shock, "*Uncle* Donald? You mean you're related to him?"
Abby had nodded as she checked Max's vital signs. "My parents died in 2009, not long after you and your siblings escaped. Uncle Donald took me in and raised me. He paid for my medical care, my education, everything. He's really been wonderful."
"So this is how you're repaying him?" Max had asked. "By aiding and abetting a known, and presumed dead, murderer?"
"He's not a murderer," Abby had replied sharply. "He's a soldier and a scientist. What you and the government did to him was shameful. If he can use your child to prove that there is a way to have all the benefits of X-5 genetics and none of the drawbacks, then he can try to get his project started again."
"That will never happen," Max swore. "My husband won't allow it. Do you know how many people are going to be looking for us? I have ten genetically enhanced siblings who all hate your uncle. Who, by the way, we though was dead."
"You thought wrong," Abby answered coolly, administering some drugs into Max's IV line. As she finished, Max had found herself growing drowsy.
"You drugged me," she slurred.
"You need your rest," Abby had replied, before Max slipped into a deep sleep.
Now, two days later, Max prayed that she would be found. She did not want to spend the rest of her pregnancy tied to a bed in a warehouse on the Seattle waterfront. Nor did she want her baby born within a thousand miles of Lydecker, let alone be delivered in his presence. She felt the baby move inside her and whispered, "Stay calm little one. We're not ready for you yet. You hafta stay in there as long as you can, okay? I'm gonna try to do my part, but you have to help. Daddy's gonna get us out soon." She sighed and heard footsteps approach, "I hope."
Lydecker entered her room carrying a tray of food. He set it on a bedside table and undid one of her handcuffs so she could eat. He sat in a nearby chair and watched silently as she ate. In a heavy silence, Max choked down the food after testing that there were not any "additives" in it. When she was done, she glared at Lydecker. "Why are you doing this?" He remained silent, stone faced. Angrily, Max swept the tray off her lap and sent it hurtling to the floor near his feet, "Damn you, answer me."
Slowly, Lydecker rose to his feet. He walked towards her and roughly grabbed her wrist, locking her back up. He then gripped both her wrists and leaned forward, his grotesque face mere inches from her own. He stared at her intently with his one good eye and slowly replied, "I'm doing this in the name of science."
Repulsed, Max hollered, "Bullshit! Let me go, you sick and twisted bastard, or I'll kill you!" She felt the baby inside her get restless and immediately, Max ceased her tirade. *Sorry baby. Momma will try to calm down, I promise* Max thought. Lydecker released her wrists and backed away from her. "At least say something to me," she muttered.
He stopped and looked at her as if he was trying to translate a foreign language he barely knew. "What's the matter?" she asked venomously. "Did you forget how to speak while you were lost among the supposed dead? How did you escape anyway?"
Lydecker returned to hit seat and folded his damaged hands in his lap. After a while, he spoke, "I chased you and Zach around the compound, trying to find you and capture you. When the explosions went off, I was thrown off a back patio where we used to entertain visiting high-ranking officials. I was half on fire, as you can tell, and I landed in the woods nearby. Abby worked in the infirmary and evacuated when she heard the gunfire. She found me and helped me escape before any of your damned sibs or the investigators found me and could finish me off."
Max huffed, "So where'd you go in the mean time. I mean, you've been MIA for nearly three years Deck. Not that you were missed. What'd you do, recuperate on some tropical island, all expenses paid with that hefty wad o'cash you'd been receiving from the old government to test and torture poor defenseless kids?"
"You were never poor and defenseless," he argued stoically. "I designed you not to be."
"Thanks for nothing," she muttered. "Maybe you should have triple checked the blueprints before you went around screwing with the children of confused young mothers-to be."
Lydecker leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, "That's why I want your baby, Max. Your baby is the key."
Maternal instinct took over Max and her temper flared, "You're not going to lay one finger on this baby, do you hear me? I'd rather kill us both then let her end up in those mangled stubs you call hands."
Lydecker chuckled, obviously unconcerned with her threat, and called, "Abby!" Seconds later, Abby scurried in like a trained animal. "I think Max needs a nap," Lydecker suggested, casting Max a bitter glance. "Why don't you help her get some rest?" He exited the room, not giving Max a second glance over his shoulder.
Abby pulled a vile and syringe from her pocket and silently injected the drug into Max's IV. Max felt the drug coarse through her system and tried to fight its effects. Abby smiled and said softly, "Don't fight it Max. Just get some rest."
Before she could formulate a reply, Max was forced into another deep slumber.
* * *
She found herself standing in a field. The significance to her was obvious-she knew she was asleep and this was one of her dreams. Looking down, she found she was wearing a long dress of white muslin silk; it tied corset-style in the back, had no sleeves, and lapped at her ankles as it was whipped by fragrant breezes. Her pregnant belly protruded from her body and Max rested a hand on it, feeling the baby move inside her. It seemed to be swimming, happily. Wherever they were, both mother and child felt safe. She was barefoot; her toenails were painted a light pink, as were her fingernails. Max frowned, because she had never been girly enough for nail polish. Not even in her dreams. Her hair was hanging loosely about her shoulders, dancing in wind, a crown of flowers upon her head. She felt something cool against her ankle and found she was wearing a silver ankle bracelet. Stooping, she removed it and read the inscription on the back of the silver heart charm: **'To the Mother of my Child, Who is Always and Forever in my Heart.'**
"I haven't given that to you yet!" a voice sounded over the hills.
Startled, she looked up and squinted in the bright sunlight. Coming up over the hill was her husband. Logan was dressed in khaki pants and loose button down shirt that was un-tucked. He had sunglasses over his eyes and a bouquet of wild flowers in his hand. When he reached her, he presented her with the flowers, kissed her deeply, and pulled her across his lap as he sat them down on the grass.
"You're going to get a stain on your pants." she remarked, running her fingers through his hair. The sunlight was bright and she closed her eyes, leaning against his shoulder. She dug her toes into the cool green grass and felt the ants run over them. Fingering his sunglasses, she asked, "You got any of those for me?"
Logan looked pensive, as if trying to make a pair of sunglasses appear for her. Dejected, he shook his head, "No."
Max smiled, "That's all right. I haven't learned to manipulate the dreamscape either."
He ran his hand up and down her back, "So is this your dream or mine?"
She held her ankle up in the air and examined it. The silver bracelet caught the sunlight and gleamed. "I'm thinking yours," she replied.
His hand snuck underneath the skirt of her dress and he ran it up and down her smooth leg, coming to rest on her knee. He applied pressure and brought it down from the extended leg lift she had been holding it in. "It's ours," he whispered huskily in her ear. His arms went around her waist and rested, as they usually did, on top of her pregnant stomach. She giggled as his breath tickled her skin. A slight gasp escaped her lips as he trailed kisses up and down the sides of her neck. She caught his mouth with hers and gave him a long and lingering kiss. The intensity of it left them breathless. When they parted, she turned in his lap and rested against his chest, listening to the gentle "thump-thump" of his heartbeat.
After a time, she pulled away, picking a dandelion from the grass. "So where are we?" she asked, turning the flower upside down and lazily running it up and down his arms.
"Here," he replied.
Max sighed, "If you don't stop this cryptic crap, I'm going to kick your ass when I wake up."
"I wish you would," Logan murmured, inhaling her scent.
"Kick your ass?" she asked, startled. She shook loose of his arms and turned to face him. She rested on her knees, the skirt pooling around her.
He took her hands and kissed her fingertips, "Wake up." He paused, amending, "Come back, actually. I'm trying to find you."
"I know," she replied, her voice tinted with sadness.
"How are you?" he asked, lightly nibbling her ear.
Max looked out upon the vast acres of open land. "I'm good enough, I guess. I want to come home."
"We're trying to find you," Logan replied. "Me, Matt, your sibs. Zach has been searching nonstop. So have I."
"And you totally wiped yourself out, apparently, otherwise we wouldn't be here," Max teased, squeezing his hand.
"How is he treating you?" Logan asked, his voice full of concern.
"Like a queen," she answered sarcastically. "He's got me handcuffed to a bed, and he brings me meals and stuff." She stopped, "Logan, you should know, that nurse from the hospital, she's in on it. She's his niece."
Logan sighed, "I wondered if he had someone on the inside to pull all this off."
Max nodded, "She's giving me all the meds we need, and she sedates me whenever Lydecker commands her to."
"You're sedated now, aren't you?"
"I tried pumping him for information and I guess he got tired of me, because he snapped his fingers and she came running. She's how he survived. She worked at Manticore too."
Logan smoothed her hair, "It's okay Max. You didn't know."
"Logan," Max said, terror filling her voice. "He wants our baby. He wants to study her to figure out how to control the seizures. He figures if he can prove that the flaw can be eliminated, the new government will let him reopen Manticore."
Max could have sworn she heard Logan growl, "None of that is going to happen. We're going to find you first." He kissed her neck, face, and forehead. "I love you Max."
"I love you too Logan. Find me. Fine me." She could feel them being pulled apart. One of them was waking up.
"I promise!" Logan said frantically, feeling them wrenched away from each other. He had a feeling he was waking up.
"Hurry Logan!" Max called before vanishing.
* * *
Logan Cale sat up with a start. He was drenched in sweat, and the bed sheets were knotted around his body. His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath. The dream had felt so real. Had he actually shared another dream with Max? Was what she had said true? Was Abby truly involved in this? He had to find out.
Logan propelled himself out of bed and hurried around his room to dress himself. Tugging a sweater over his head as he walked down the hall, Logan called, "Cindy? Bling? Tinga? Anyone still here?"
"Wassup boo?" Cindy asked. She was sitting in the kitchen with Tinga as Bling tried to make them some food. One of them had been staying with Logan, even though he had insisted he didn't need a babysitter. He figured they were worried he was going to do something rash and impulsive and get himself killed. They were right to worry. It had been Tinga who had made him lie down and get some rest. She had threatened to beat his ass in otherwise.
"Find Zach," he said to her. "Get the others." The determined look in his eyes told Tinga all she needed to know and she nodded, leaving quickly.
Bling set the half-cooked ramen noodles away from the heat and asked, "What's going on Logan? Why the call for the Avengers to assemble?"
Logan grabbed apiece of fruit out of the fruit bowl on the counter and munched on it, "I think I know whom the person was Lydecker had on the inside."
"Who?" Cindy asked, regarding Logan with a curious and strange look.
"Abby, that night nurse who told me Max was gonna be okay. She's related to this, I can feel it." Logan was aware at the irony of his choice of words.
"So what's the plan?" Bling asked.
Logan stopped eating his apple, "We find her and follow her. Hopefully, she'll lead us to Lydecker."
Cindy smacked the counter top with her palm, "Aiight boo, let's get operation Save Max underway. What are we waiting for?"
"Zach and the others," Logan replied. He glanced out the window and willed his thoughts to his captive wife.
*Hang on Max, we're coming. Just hang on. *
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Max struggled against the restraints that imprisoned her to the four-poster bed. She clenched her teeth in frustration and growled when she discovered for the millionth time that they would not budge. She was afraid for the child inside her to fight to strenuously; she had no desire for her child to be born prematurely. Especially not here.
As far as she could tell, she had been held captive for approximately a week, give or take. She remembered the events of the past week with vivid and horrifying detail. She had awoken in the hospital from her nine day coma to find Logan exhausted yet delighted she was once again among the living. After he had gone to get a doctor, Lydecker had entered her room. She remembered the terror that had run through her veins at the sight of him. His face was scarred horrifically on one side, from the explosion, she assumed. One of his eyes was a mere slit, and behind the disfigured lid Max estimated there either was no eyeball, or very little of one. He wore burn gloves on his hands up to his second knuckles and walked with a noticeable gimp.
Despite these physical disabilities, the resurrected military psychopath had managed to kidnap her from the hospital. He had come at an opportune time, when she was weak and too tired to put up any kind of a fight; not that she would have, for fear of her baby's life.
With surprisingly little fanfare, good ol'Deck had unhooked her from her machines, tossed the IV bags in her lap, and deposited her in a wheelchair. He pressed a gun that was concealed in his jacket into her back and pushed her out of the room. Max looked over her shoulder as she was taken from her room, and saw Logan standing at the end of the hall, talking to her doctor and several nurses. Even though she had a weapon aimed at her back, Max took the chance and bellowed, "Looooooooooooooooooogan!"
Her husband had looked up from where he was standing and hollered her name. He ran after them down the hall, calling for security guards and help. Lydecker calmly picked up the pace, kicking a supply cart over behind him, and put Max in an elevator. Logan reached the doors right before they closed. The burned military man had pointed the gun at Logan's face and said, "You survived a shoot out once, Cale, but I don't think you'll be as lucky this time. Are you willing to risk the life of your family on it?" Max remembered the bone-chilling laugh that had escaped Lydecker's mouth as the doors closed, cutting Max off from her husband. The last look Max saw on Logan's face was one of terror and sadness. Somehow, Lydecker had managed to avoid the hospital security and they exited the hospital through a side door. Before she knew what was happening, Max was in an old, beat up car, and they were driving away from the hospital.
"You can't do this," she had said.
"Guess what?" he said coolly. "I am."
Frantically, Max tried to reason with him, "I just came out of a coma. I had the worst seizure of my life. My baby's in danger of being born premature. I need medicine to keep all of that from happening."
He looked over at her, his one eye glinting, "You'll get what you need, Max. You have my word on it."
He hadn't spoken another word to her since. He brought her meals, and stood there to make sure she ate them, but he never spoke. Amazingly, he had all the drugs she needed, making Max wonder if he had someone on the inside. Five days into her captivity, she got her answer.
"You bitch!" she cried as Abby walked into the room. "I remember you from the hospital. You betrayed us. If anything happens to my husband or my baby, I swear to God-"
Abby had smiled kindly and shook her head, "I assure you, no hard is going to come to any of you. Uncle Donald just needs your child to study how transgenics pass their genes on. When we discovered your child did not have the defective gene, he knew your child would be the one who could save the X-5s, and all the other Manticore flaws. The ones that haven't already been terminated, anyway."
Max's eyes had widened in shock, "*Uncle* Donald? You mean you're related to him?"
Abby had nodded as she checked Max's vital signs. "My parents died in 2009, not long after you and your siblings escaped. Uncle Donald took me in and raised me. He paid for my medical care, my education, everything. He's really been wonderful."
"So this is how you're repaying him?" Max had asked. "By aiding and abetting a known, and presumed dead, murderer?"
"He's not a murderer," Abby had replied sharply. "He's a soldier and a scientist. What you and the government did to him was shameful. If he can use your child to prove that there is a way to have all the benefits of X-5 genetics and none of the drawbacks, then he can try to get his project started again."
"That will never happen," Max swore. "My husband won't allow it. Do you know how many people are going to be looking for us? I have ten genetically enhanced siblings who all hate your uncle. Who, by the way, we though was dead."
"You thought wrong," Abby answered coolly, administering some drugs into Max's IV line. As she finished, Max had found herself growing drowsy.
"You drugged me," she slurred.
"You need your rest," Abby had replied, before Max slipped into a deep sleep.
Now, two days later, Max prayed that she would be found. She did not want to spend the rest of her pregnancy tied to a bed in a warehouse on the Seattle waterfront. Nor did she want her baby born within a thousand miles of Lydecker, let alone be delivered in his presence. She felt the baby move inside her and whispered, "Stay calm little one. We're not ready for you yet. You hafta stay in there as long as you can, okay? I'm gonna try to do my part, but you have to help. Daddy's gonna get us out soon." She sighed and heard footsteps approach, "I hope."
Lydecker entered her room carrying a tray of food. He set it on a bedside table and undid one of her handcuffs so she could eat. He sat in a nearby chair and watched silently as she ate. In a heavy silence, Max choked down the food after testing that there were not any "additives" in it. When she was done, she glared at Lydecker. "Why are you doing this?" He remained silent, stone faced. Angrily, Max swept the tray off her lap and sent it hurtling to the floor near his feet, "Damn you, answer me."
Slowly, Lydecker rose to his feet. He walked towards her and roughly grabbed her wrist, locking her back up. He then gripped both her wrists and leaned forward, his grotesque face mere inches from her own. He stared at her intently with his one good eye and slowly replied, "I'm doing this in the name of science."
Repulsed, Max hollered, "Bullshit! Let me go, you sick and twisted bastard, or I'll kill you!" She felt the baby inside her get restless and immediately, Max ceased her tirade. *Sorry baby. Momma will try to calm down, I promise* Max thought. Lydecker released her wrists and backed away from her. "At least say something to me," she muttered.
He stopped and looked at her as if he was trying to translate a foreign language he barely knew. "What's the matter?" she asked venomously. "Did you forget how to speak while you were lost among the supposed dead? How did you escape anyway?"
Lydecker returned to hit seat and folded his damaged hands in his lap. After a while, he spoke, "I chased you and Zach around the compound, trying to find you and capture you. When the explosions went off, I was thrown off a back patio where we used to entertain visiting high-ranking officials. I was half on fire, as you can tell, and I landed in the woods nearby. Abby worked in the infirmary and evacuated when she heard the gunfire. She found me and helped me escape before any of your damned sibs or the investigators found me and could finish me off."
Max huffed, "So where'd you go in the mean time. I mean, you've been MIA for nearly three years Deck. Not that you were missed. What'd you do, recuperate on some tropical island, all expenses paid with that hefty wad o'cash you'd been receiving from the old government to test and torture poor defenseless kids?"
"You were never poor and defenseless," he argued stoically. "I designed you not to be."
"Thanks for nothing," she muttered. "Maybe you should have triple checked the blueprints before you went around screwing with the children of confused young mothers-to be."
Lydecker leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, "That's why I want your baby, Max. Your baby is the key."
Maternal instinct took over Max and her temper flared, "You're not going to lay one finger on this baby, do you hear me? I'd rather kill us both then let her end up in those mangled stubs you call hands."
Lydecker chuckled, obviously unconcerned with her threat, and called, "Abby!" Seconds later, Abby scurried in like a trained animal. "I think Max needs a nap," Lydecker suggested, casting Max a bitter glance. "Why don't you help her get some rest?" He exited the room, not giving Max a second glance over his shoulder.
Abby pulled a vile and syringe from her pocket and silently injected the drug into Max's IV. Max felt the drug coarse through her system and tried to fight its effects. Abby smiled and said softly, "Don't fight it Max. Just get some rest."
Before she could formulate a reply, Max was forced into another deep slumber.
* * *
She found herself standing in a field. The significance to her was obvious-she knew she was asleep and this was one of her dreams. Looking down, she found she was wearing a long dress of white muslin silk; it tied corset-style in the back, had no sleeves, and lapped at her ankles as it was whipped by fragrant breezes. Her pregnant belly protruded from her body and Max rested a hand on it, feeling the baby move inside her. It seemed to be swimming, happily. Wherever they were, both mother and child felt safe. She was barefoot; her toenails were painted a light pink, as were her fingernails. Max frowned, because she had never been girly enough for nail polish. Not even in her dreams. Her hair was hanging loosely about her shoulders, dancing in wind, a crown of flowers upon her head. She felt something cool against her ankle and found she was wearing a silver ankle bracelet. Stooping, she removed it and read the inscription on the back of the silver heart charm: **'To the Mother of my Child, Who is Always and Forever in my Heart.'**
"I haven't given that to you yet!" a voice sounded over the hills.
Startled, she looked up and squinted in the bright sunlight. Coming up over the hill was her husband. Logan was dressed in khaki pants and loose button down shirt that was un-tucked. He had sunglasses over his eyes and a bouquet of wild flowers in his hand. When he reached her, he presented her with the flowers, kissed her deeply, and pulled her across his lap as he sat them down on the grass.
"You're going to get a stain on your pants." she remarked, running her fingers through his hair. The sunlight was bright and she closed her eyes, leaning against his shoulder. She dug her toes into the cool green grass and felt the ants run over them. Fingering his sunglasses, she asked, "You got any of those for me?"
Logan looked pensive, as if trying to make a pair of sunglasses appear for her. Dejected, he shook his head, "No."
Max smiled, "That's all right. I haven't learned to manipulate the dreamscape either."
He ran his hand up and down her back, "So is this your dream or mine?"
She held her ankle up in the air and examined it. The silver bracelet caught the sunlight and gleamed. "I'm thinking yours," she replied.
His hand snuck underneath the skirt of her dress and he ran it up and down her smooth leg, coming to rest on her knee. He applied pressure and brought it down from the extended leg lift she had been holding it in. "It's ours," he whispered huskily in her ear. His arms went around her waist and rested, as they usually did, on top of her pregnant stomach. She giggled as his breath tickled her skin. A slight gasp escaped her lips as he trailed kisses up and down the sides of her neck. She caught his mouth with hers and gave him a long and lingering kiss. The intensity of it left them breathless. When they parted, she turned in his lap and rested against his chest, listening to the gentle "thump-thump" of his heartbeat.
After a time, she pulled away, picking a dandelion from the grass. "So where are we?" she asked, turning the flower upside down and lazily running it up and down his arms.
"Here," he replied.
Max sighed, "If you don't stop this cryptic crap, I'm going to kick your ass when I wake up."
"I wish you would," Logan murmured, inhaling her scent.
"Kick your ass?" she asked, startled. She shook loose of his arms and turned to face him. She rested on her knees, the skirt pooling around her.
He took her hands and kissed her fingertips, "Wake up." He paused, amending, "Come back, actually. I'm trying to find you."
"I know," she replied, her voice tinted with sadness.
"How are you?" he asked, lightly nibbling her ear.
Max looked out upon the vast acres of open land. "I'm good enough, I guess. I want to come home."
"We're trying to find you," Logan replied. "Me, Matt, your sibs. Zach has been searching nonstop. So have I."
"And you totally wiped yourself out, apparently, otherwise we wouldn't be here," Max teased, squeezing his hand.
"How is he treating you?" Logan asked, his voice full of concern.
"Like a queen," she answered sarcastically. "He's got me handcuffed to a bed, and he brings me meals and stuff." She stopped, "Logan, you should know, that nurse from the hospital, she's in on it. She's his niece."
Logan sighed, "I wondered if he had someone on the inside to pull all this off."
Max nodded, "She's giving me all the meds we need, and she sedates me whenever Lydecker commands her to."
"You're sedated now, aren't you?"
"I tried pumping him for information and I guess he got tired of me, because he snapped his fingers and she came running. She's how he survived. She worked at Manticore too."
Logan smoothed her hair, "It's okay Max. You didn't know."
"Logan," Max said, terror filling her voice. "He wants our baby. He wants to study her to figure out how to control the seizures. He figures if he can prove that the flaw can be eliminated, the new government will let him reopen Manticore."
Max could have sworn she heard Logan growl, "None of that is going to happen. We're going to find you first." He kissed her neck, face, and forehead. "I love you Max."
"I love you too Logan. Find me. Fine me." She could feel them being pulled apart. One of them was waking up.
"I promise!" Logan said frantically, feeling them wrenched away from each other. He had a feeling he was waking up.
"Hurry Logan!" Max called before vanishing.
* * *
Logan Cale sat up with a start. He was drenched in sweat, and the bed sheets were knotted around his body. His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath. The dream had felt so real. Had he actually shared another dream with Max? Was what she had said true? Was Abby truly involved in this? He had to find out.
Logan propelled himself out of bed and hurried around his room to dress himself. Tugging a sweater over his head as he walked down the hall, Logan called, "Cindy? Bling? Tinga? Anyone still here?"
"Wassup boo?" Cindy asked. She was sitting in the kitchen with Tinga as Bling tried to make them some food. One of them had been staying with Logan, even though he had insisted he didn't need a babysitter. He figured they were worried he was going to do something rash and impulsive and get himself killed. They were right to worry. It had been Tinga who had made him lie down and get some rest. She had threatened to beat his ass in otherwise.
"Find Zach," he said to her. "Get the others." The determined look in his eyes told Tinga all she needed to know and she nodded, leaving quickly.
Bling set the half-cooked ramen noodles away from the heat and asked, "What's going on Logan? Why the call for the Avengers to assemble?"
Logan grabbed apiece of fruit out of the fruit bowl on the counter and munched on it, "I think I know whom the person was Lydecker had on the inside."
"Who?" Cindy asked, regarding Logan with a curious and strange look.
"Abby, that night nurse who told me Max was gonna be okay. She's related to this, I can feel it." Logan was aware at the irony of his choice of words.
"So what's the plan?" Bling asked.
Logan stopped eating his apple, "We find her and follow her. Hopefully, she'll lead us to Lydecker."
Cindy smacked the counter top with her palm, "Aiight boo, let's get operation Save Max underway. What are we waiting for?"
"Zach and the others," Logan replied. He glanced out the window and willed his thoughts to his captive wife.
*Hang on Max, we're coming. Just hang on. *