Chapter 9

            Max pushed the thoughts of Logan as far from her head as possible as she tore down the streets of Seattle and headed for the Space Needle.  On days like this she found climbing to the top not only got rid of the pent up energy she had but relaxed her as well. The physical aspect of the climb numbed her mind and made life easier to deal with.

            When she got to the top however was when she analyzed and dissected the issues that had struck a cord with her.  Mostly her time up on the Needle had been devoted to the differences that Seattle brought up, the conflicts of Manticore and the outside world. But sometimes other things popped into her mind.  Max didn't know what she would do when it was all over and she had to go back to Manticore, going back seemed more like a chore now.  Living at Manticore meant giving up all of this.  Max didn't understand why everyone always came back.  True her assignment was different from the rest of them.  None of the other x-5's had been out in the world for quite as long, the very nature of her mission however ensured that she would be "out" for longer then the others.

            Max wondered if it was all part of Lydecker's plan.  Taunt her with something she could never have, create a need in her that could never be fulfilled, then ship her back without another thought.  Max understood now why Tinga got that look in her eyes, why the others fought against going out; no one wanted out because they knew inevitably that one day they would have to come back.  It was just easier to never leave.  But still the envy remained.

            The world looked so small from up on the needle it was easy to imagine that life down there could never touch you if you were high enough.  But life touched Max that night and try as she might she couldn't deny it.

            Logan Cale had breathed air into her suffocating soul with his deep blue eyes.

            Max hated him for it.

            Life had been free of those unnecessary feelings and thoughts, and yet every time she locked those thoughts and feelings away and became that human fog bank, he was there to get under her skin and rip them unmercifully out into the open.

            No one else on earth could get to her like that.  It infuriated, frustrated and even tortured her.  But at the same time part of her wanted to get lost in his eyes.  Part of her needed his touch.

            Thinking about him brought a flush to her face and questionable images as well, so she fought the urge to no avail.  Logan Cale didn't seem like a person to be easily forgotten and put on the back burner, she didn't know what it was about him but Max knew that there was something that screamed he was there, making it impossible for her not to think about him.  Giving herself up to her hormones she recalled the evening.

            To her surprise Max found that she had memorized every detail, every look, gesture, word, and even point of pressure. Her hands on his well toned chest, his hands tracing lazy circles on her back daring sometimes to go further down her back then they should…  Max lost herself to the memories and when her mind finally let her let go of the evening she realized that she needed to get home before she ended up at his place doing things she knew would only get her into trouble.

            Climbing down released some of the built up tension the night had caused and as she made her way over to the bike she thought that she just might make it through the night without doing something she'd regret.

            "Maxie, How you been?" She knew it was Alec before she even turned around.

            "Lydecker send you to spy on me?" she asked turning around and facing not only Alec but Zack as well.

            "What do you know about Eyes Only?" Zack asked his eyes pleading with her to give him some quantifiable evidence.

            "Met him tonight actually." Max smiled sweetly remembering Logan's comment about her being a thief.

            "Does he have a name?" Zack continued.

            "Didn't catch it." Max lied.  She suddenly had a very real conflict with killing Eyes Only.  There was an inescapable connection between the two of them.  They could dance all they wanted but they couldn't deny that fact at least.

            "How do we know that you are telling us the truth?" Alec asked.

            "Oh come on Alec.  Why would I lie?" Max groaned.

            "To save yourself." Zack offered. "Listen Max, if you can't find him or you can't go through with it…" Zack started but stopped remembering they weren't alone.  Max hadn't seen this side of Zack before and she wondered where he was going with it.

            "I think what Zack is saying is that he doesn't want to be the one to drag you back to Manticore." Alec offered. "Neither do I, and neither do any of the others.  If you can't follow through, don't make us come for you.  Get as far away as you can." Alec finished.  Zack turned to Alec in surprise; maybe he wasn't here to spy on him after all.

            Max nodded.  The outside world did things to people she guessed.  That was more sincere emotion then she'd seen from the two of them in all the years they'd been together.  Getting on her bike she left the two standing in her dust.