Chapter 25
AN: for your information…writing these chapters is like pulling hair…I'm going to be bald when this is all over…Argh…Whoever kidnapped my muse better be returning her soon. Ick ick ick…I want to write about Logan and Max…I don't want to write big action sequences for the breakout of Manticore…I always get this way approaching the end of a fic though…I'm just not patient enough…especially with a huge project like this one…I know how it ends and I just don't want to write anymore of it. Whine whine…pissy pissy…sorry not in a good mood for some reason. I want to torture Max and Logan but the opportunity doesn't want to come. Maybe I'll just write the final scene now and work on the middle later. Yeah that's what I'll do…so know as you read this my final scene is already written. Why you would care…maybe some people care about things like that….Ok now that that is accomplished I think I can tackle this…
Max was an integral part of their plan. Lydecker knew that she had to be. So when he locked her up alone in a corner of the base, he knew that he would have to come up with a story to explain her absence. His story: Max was on assignment. Her unit wouldn't question it, and his escapees could still plan on her involvement.
When Tinga also went AWOL, Lydecker knew that his choice had been the right one. Now when Alec joined up with the rest of the group, for Lydecker was almost certain that he would, Alec could inform the others that Max was on a mission and that her loyalty wasn't in question. It would assure the others that Lydecker trusted her and that they could continue with their plans as soon as she got back.
They would have no problem continuing with their plans right away however, because when ordered to collect Tinga and Zack, Alec was also informed that Max was back but that she was currently being debriefed and then he was ushered out of Manticore before getting the chance to converse with his sister.
Things were going exactly as they had planned.
By this time Lydecker had deduced that they would be trying to break in, and the only reason they would break in would be to get something out. The something in this situation would most likely be the others.
Five days later a cable hack confirmed his thoughts.
"This is a freedom streaming bulletin…This message is sent to Bast. The hounds of hell are waiting. Don't assume your position secure. Eyes Only will find you and on the morn your flags of red will not stop freedom from storming down your door. Prepare as you must but know that freedom will prevail."
"Can you be sure she'll get it?" Logan asked pushing away from his setup, turning to Zack, Tinga and Alec.
"Lydecker has the whole base watching them now." Alec informed. "He feels it's important for us all to know of our fellow betrayers."
"I don't like it." Zack tried to shake off the uneasy feeling. "Things are going too well."
"It's a little late to do anything about it now." Tinga tried to reason with Zack. After the cable hack it was now or never. Max couldn't put herself at risk in the way they were asking again. The first time would be suspicious enough. And if Tinga knew Max, she knew that Max was already implementing the first steps in her distraction plan.
"Zack you might have mentioned your cold feet before the broadcast." Alec teased.
"Shut up Alec. I know okay. Lets just get this over with." Zack interrupted. The soldiers nodded and left to begin preparations.
Logan ran the broadcast again then went to join the rest of them.
"You shouldn't have come here Brin. If Lydecker found out…" Max whispered through the bars on her cell door. She'd been locked up ever since Lydecker had found out about her betrayal. Max had sustained some serious injuries in his punishment and as of yet no one seemed to care if she lived or died. Her mutated genes were the only reason she was still breathing, but even then every breath hurt.
"You're a mess." Brin, less then tactfully, informed her.
"Oh, I hadn't noticed." Max grunted.
"They sent anyone to look at you?" Brin asked, pressing closer to the bars to see her sister better.
"No. It will be another week before they even contemplate that I'm sure." Max moaned and turned her head to catch the light bounce off of Brin's bright pupils. "What time is it?" Max asked. In the back of her mind she knew that Zack and the others were still counting on her to fulfill her role but she had no idea how exactly she could. Forgetting the fact that she was currently locked up, there was also the compound fracture in her right tibia and the fact that her left shoulder was currently dislocated. She'd tried to fix her problems but with out any help she found it near impossible. She was just glad the stab wound in her back had stopped bleeding. Those x-6's were lethal.
"Almost 0100 hours." Brin informed.
"How did you find out I was here anyway?" Max asked suddenly suspicious of her sister. She could easily be a pawn in another one of Lydecker's mind games.
"Alec asked me to look for you. He was concerned when you disappeared all of a sudden. Lydecker had explained it away to all of us, claiming you were on a mission but I don't think Alec bought it. And when he was hurried out of Manticore he asked me to make sure you were alright." Brin explained. "I heard some guards talking the other day and so I decided to sneak down here tonight to see what it was all about."
"Did he give you any directions?" Max asked urgently. If she couldn't get out of here someone else would have to take over her role.
"No."
"Listen Brin this is important. Zack is going to break us all out but he needs help from the inside. I was supposed to distract the X-7's, somehow get them off guard duty…" Max cut off as another wave of pain rattled her.
"Max?" Brin questioned concerned.
"I'm fine. I need you to do this for me. Zack will somehow send a signal and I need you to be there to get it. I need you to order the X-7's to stand down or something…" Max's eyes started to blur again and she lost the will to fight it.
"Count on it." Brin affirmed. "I've got to get out of here someone is coming." Brin informed and disappeared into the shadows.
Max let sleep overcome her.
Brin had no idea what the signal would be. So three hours later when Zack, Alec, and Tinga arrived there was no one there to take care of the "guard dogs."
