Logan looked at the screen in frustration. Normally, he didn't have this much trouble, but today just wasn't his day.
He clicked another time on the command button with success. "Bingo!" he shouted. A grin splayed across his face. On the computer screen, an x crossed out a row of numbers. This had to be the best game I ever downloaded!
"Bingo?" a question from behind startled him.
Whipping around he saw Max in the door frame with Alec behind her. "Oh, hey." A steady blush crept up his face.
"What's Bingo?" Max asked looking at his screen.
Quickly exiting the program, Logan explained it to her. "It's a very intense, strategy-"
"We don't have time for this!" Alec's harsh tone brought the other two back to reality.
"What's going on?" Something sure has gotten him riled up. He's normally so laid back and cocky.
Not letting Alec go off, Max jumped in. "Today a JamPony messenger was kidnapped by a black Manticore van. I'm pretty sure it was White."
"What do they want with this messenger?"
"She was..." Stealing a look at Alec, Max decided to keep it vague. "She saw something she shouldn't have. There's no telling what they'll do to her."
Logan didn't miss Max's hesitation, but decided she'd tell him when she wanted to. He began his search on the informant net. Worried and restless, Alec fidgeted rapidly, shifting his weight, wringing his hands, running his hands through his hair.
After a few short minutes, Logan spoke up. "I've got something on an unlabeled black van going through the north sector five entrance. Went through about half an hour ago."
"The only thing out there are abandoned warehouses. Let's-" Max started but stopped when she saw Alec was gone. "Damnit!"
"Max!" Logan brought her focus back to him. "Tell me what's going on here," he demanded.
She thumped down in a chair across from him. "The JamPony messenger's name is Satrina. Her and Alec are involved."
"Involved?" Shock went over Logan's face.
"Yeah, apparently they have feelings for each other. He's actually changed."
Logan's first instinct was to not believe that Alec could change. But looking at Max and not being able to touch her proved that anything was possible. "That's great," he murmured. "Really great."
The numbness was beginning to set in. Whatever they had done had begun it's magic. Satrina urged herself to move but her body refused to respond.
White sat across from her with a sneer on his face. It'd be so easy to smack that sneer off ... if only she could move.
"What do you want with me?" If her voice had held any more anger, it would have killed.
"My dear," he spoke smoothly and sickly. "You have to realize that it's not you we're after."
"And just who is it you want?"
"We want that pretty-boy trans-genic you've been sleeping with." Satrina's eyes went wide. "Yes," he continued, "we know that you've been with X-5494. Though why you would be with that freak is beyond me."
"He is not a freak. He is a good person." The steal in her voice was hard. She believed what she was saying.
White snickered. "A good person. He's not even truly human. And good? Did he even tell you what he did?" At her silence, her told her. "We captured him a while back but, before we killed him, he gave us a proposition. He would help us wipe out every trans-genic if we spared his life. He got two of them before he escaped from us."
Uneasiness seeped into Satrina. She knew he had killed but she never thought it'd be under those terms. But that wasn't him anymore. He had changed.
"He's not like that anymore."
His disbelief caused him to lean foreword. "Do you really think that they'll ever be anything more than murdering soldiers? They were made and conditioned to kill. They know nothing else."
"Ah, how can you say that after that night we went to the zoo together?" Alec appeared from behind some crates. "Oh, and you might want to get some new guards. The old ones are sleeping on the job."
"X-5494." Standing, White walked in a slow circle around Satrina. "I suppose you want your girlfriend back."
"That would be nice. The way I figure it, you can hand her over and we'll leave, or I can kick your ass and then we'll leave. Which would you prefer?" A satisfied smile graced his face.
"Either of those situations might be possible had we not injected her with a paralyzing agent." At his words, Alec's smiled fell. He knew perfectly well want Manticore was capable of. "Right now, it's coursing through her body. With every beat of her heart, more of her body is paralyzed, starting with her arms and legs, and ending with her heart."
Both Alec and Satrina's faces paled at that. "What do you want?" The anger in Alec's voice made it sound harder than even Alec had ever heard. Nothing had ever angered him so.
"I want you to turn yourself over to me and help me destroy every trans-genic. You said it yourself, who better to hunt trans-genics than another trans-genic."
"Are you gonna put another explosive in me to make sure I get the job done?"
White shrugged, "If it becomes necessary."
Alec glanced at Satrina who was strapped to the chair. She whispered so only he could here. "Just go. I'm dead anyway." He continued staring at her not being able to blink. Losing her couldn't happen.
Tired of waiting, White spoke in order to speed things up. "She has about thirty minutes before the agent reaches her vital organs. Hand yourself over and I'll inject her with the antidote."
Her neck starting to feel weak, Satrina struggled to keep her head up. She couldn't feel her lips anymore. Finally, she stopped struggling and her head fell.
That broke Alec. "Alright. I'll help you." In that short moment, Alec pictured every second he spent with her. His chest constricted; they wouldn't have that anymore.
White's face remained hard. "I knew you'd see it my way." Pulling out a knife, he slashed the restraints holding her to the chair.
Alec's heart broke as her body tumbled to the floor. Motionless, except for shallow breathing, Satrina felt death slipping nearer.
White brought out the syringe with the antidote. He put it in her neck and pushed and that was when Manticore's regular soldiers surounded Alec, each of the eight with a rifle pointed to his head.
"They're just a precaution. I had to make sure you wouldn't get the idea to leave." Finished with his work, he stood. "There. In two hours your girlfriend will be able to walk out of here. Now, gentlemen," he motioned to the regular soldiers. "Take our new friend to the van. We've got some hunting to do."
Shoving Alec, they forced him out of the building, not before he was able to get one last look at Satrina. Sprawled out unceremoniously on the floor, her frightened eyes met Alec's. A single tear descended her cheek and Alec had to fight every urge to run back for her.
Mentally, Satrina yelled at her body to move but it refused. Just move! I can't let him be taken away. Damnit, move!
The last thing Alec saw of her was her index finger moving. He knew she was struggling, but that made him feel a bit better. He knew she'd make it.
When Alec and his entourage were outside, they were met by a very angry Max on her motorcycle. "You guys can't leave before I get to join in on the fun," she laughed. The engine revved and Max drove into them knocking four down.
Alec took the opportunity to run back for Satrina as Max finished off the rest of the soldiers. He ran back in the building only to be met with a gun pointed at his head by White who was separating him from Satrina.
Alec smirked, "Do you really think a gun is going to stop me?" His Manticore speed took over and in a few seconds the gun was in Alec's hand and White lay unconscious on the ground.
In a rush, Alec was by Satrina. He lifted her head to look at him.
The corners of her lips curved up a millimeter. This made Alec's heart skip a beat and he left out a joyful laugh. Gathering her up in his arms, Alec spoke to her. "Let's get out of here."
