Zack's Perspective
I go outside to holler at the others and tell them we have some information. Max isn't with them and they didn't see her come out. I start to worry about her; she better not get herself into anymore trouble.
The other's are anxious to see what we have, so I ignore my concern for Max right now and bring them inside to show then what I have. I figure I can give Max a private briefing later. I explain how I got the information and that it may be a trap. The others are aware of the dangers involved, but they are willing to take the risk. It seems they are to a point that they would do anything to get revenge on Manticore.
I leave the floor plans for them to memorize and I dial the contact number I have for Syl and Kurt; they didn't want to be left out of the action. I left the coordinates for them and told them to meet us there in 24 hours. By then I'll have a plan thought out and we'll be able to go in, get the baby, and blow up a few things. Hopefully this time it won't be as bad as before. I don't think I could survive being trapped at Manticore again.
Jace comes up to me and asks where Max is. I had almost forget that she was gone. I tell Jace I'll go find Max and not to worry. I walk out side and let my eyes adjust to the darkening skies.
I have no clue where Max would be. Her motorcycle is still here so I know she can't be far. I scan the surrounding area for any signs that may give me a clue towards the direction Max may have gone. As always, Max did a good job of covering her tracks. I head into the woods in the direction of the small cave we found earlier in the year. Max would go there sometimes to get away. Perhaps by chance, I'll run into her. Eventually, as I get closer to the small cave, I hear a faint crying sound. It has to be Max. I run in the direction of it and sure enough there she is. I find her sitting at the base of the cave. I'm surprised she didn't crawl up inside. She is curled up in a ball with her head on her knees. I walk up to her and sit down beside her. I hold her in my arms trying to give her any comfort she will accept.
If only she knew how I felt. If she knew she was loved, then perhaps she would be able to let go. As she cries on my shoulder, every part of me wants to show her how I feel. Nothing is more important to me then her. Of course the rest of my family is important, but Max is more than my family; she is the one I love. Once again, she is crying on shoulder about the man she loved. My heart aches with pain for her. I want nothing but happiness for her, but I also want her to love me. I need her to love me the same way she loved Logan. If only I could help her to think of me as more than a brother.
After Max is done crying, I help her up and tell her about the blue prints Vriel sent us. Max listened carefully. She told me that it was probably a trap. I assured her that I realized that and so did our brothers and sisters. I also made sure she knew everyone was willing to take the risk if it meant we could have revenge. I filled her in on the rest of the information and she asked about Syl and Kurt. I told her that they wanted to help and we would meet them in the prearranged place tomorrow night.
Max looked at me with a sparkle in her eyes. It was the same sparkle she had when Logan would send her out on missions to save the world. I could tell she was ready for her revenge and she was determined to enjoy every second of it.
I wasn't exactly sure what she had in mind for Lydecker, but honestly, I didn't care. As long as she would be able to relieve some of her anger, I would be happy for her. For some reason, I needed her to be happy in order to allow myself to be happy.
Tinga's Perspective
When Zack went after Max, I really wanted to follow. I was curious to find out what was going on between them. They were always off by themselves talking and it was like he was telling her things he didn't tell the rest of us. I hurt me that he would trust her more and tell her things he would tell no one else. I know they went through a lot together with Logan's death and all, but he favored her over the rest of us. I would have really liked to help Max out with her problems too. They don't need to keep secrets from us. We are all family and we're all in this together.
Before I had a chance to sneak out after them, Kladu hollered at me. I turn around to see him watching me with concern. I wonder if he knows how jealous I am or if he just thinks I'm worried about them. I ask him what he wanted and he replied, "Lets keep talking about the plan. I want to make sure I know what I'm doing." It seemed fair enough to me. I really did want to run and follow them, but we did need to know what was gong on for tomorrow and that was probably more important right now.
I walked back over to the table where everyone else was. I stood there listening to there conversation. They go off talking about the attack and the different teams. They are discussing who will do what. The lure of Kladu brings me closer to the table and I sit down in the seat beside him. I'm trying to concentrate on what everyone else is talking about, but for some reason, all I can think about is Kladu. I can't help but wonder why I never noticed before how attractive he is. He has deep brown eyes; almost black. His skin is a smooth dark golden brown. His hair is long and dark black; he has it up in a pony-tail. His face is clean without a sign of whiskers. His muscles are nicely toned giving him a really nice body.
As the door flies opens, my attention is shifted from Kladu to Max and Zack walking in. Max seems in a pretty good mood; she's probably happier than I've seen her in a long time. Zack also looks pleased. He too is looking quite attractive tonight. Damn, I really need a cold shower. It's almost like ... oh no! ... I'm in heat.
Kladu introduces himself to Max and Zack. Zack looks a little skeptical, but when isn't he. I use the diversion as my chance to get away. If I stayed in that room any longer, thing would have gotten really strange. I head off to take a cold shower and then I'm going to head to bed. I really wish someone could just lock me in my room for the next couple of days. I really don't want to wake up in the middle of the night an do something I'll regret. After I get out of the shower, I put my pajamas on and lay down in bed. I close my eyes and try and force myself to get some sleep; it just doesn't seem to come fast enough, but eventually darkness overcomes me.
Max's Perspective
When Zack found me, I wasn't to happy to see him, I just wanted to be left alone. I didn't want him, or anyone else for that matter to see me like this. I was having a moment of weakness, as Zack would say. I didn't have to hear him say it; I was sure it was on the tip of his tongue. At least I did until he sat down beside me and held me while I cried. Once again he is showing compassion towards me. Maybe he really does care, I just wish I knew how much. If he does think of me as more then a sister, ... My thoughts continued to fade from Logan to Zack. Logan is gone and I can't change that. Zack is trying to help me move on. I really want his help, but it's easier to reject him then accept the comfort he has to offer. I wonder if I could let myself love him if he wasn't my brother, but he is my brother and that's not changing either. I can't let it. I won't!
After I stop crying, Zack lets go of me and helps me to my feet. He tells me about the blue prints Vriel sent us. It sounds like it would be easy to me. In fact, a little to easy. This could be a deadly trap. Zack assures me that everything will be fine. He tells me Syl and Kurt will be meeting us tomorrow night. Everyone is willing to take the chance, and this may be the only opportunity we get for revenge that will be this easy. I am starting to feel a little excited. I'll finally be able to get my revenge.
As we walk back to the cabin, the excitement starts to build up inside of me even more. I think about Lydecker and how I'll tear him apart piece by piece if I see him there. I'll make sure the physical pain he'll feel will be worse than the pain I feel every time I think of Logan. Lydecker will regret the day he became involved with Manticore. No, he'll regret the day he was born.
Zack pats me on the back and interrupts my thoughts. I turn to see him smiling at me. He must know what is going through my head; he couldn't possibly realize that I am happy otherwise. I smile back at Zack and give him a hug. I may not have this opportunity if not for him. I owe him everything. I'm not sure what I would have done if he wouldn't have been here for me like he has been. I probably would have done something really rash and possibly gotten myself killed. I'm sure he knows this and that is why he is always following me around when I'm having a moment of weakness.
We walk inside the cabin and see everyone sitting around discussing the plan for the attack on the lab. Kladu gets up and introduces himself to me and tells me how glad he is to help. He seems sincere enough. I'm sure I can trust him. It's obvious Jace does. I look around, but I don't see Tinga anywhere. I figure she already went to bed and I don't think much more about it. I sit down at the table with them and continue talking about the plan. I want to see what ideas everyone has on how this is going to work. The more we talk about it, the better our plan will become.
