Max, kneeling on the floor by Logan, whipped her head around in fury. "You lying son of a-"
"It will, of course, be for the good of Manticore," Lydecker argued.
"Manticore, my ass!" She tried to rise to her feet and attack Lydecker, but fell right back down due to the handcuffs around both her wrists and ankles.
"What do you want us to do?" Logan asked, trying to be in control of the situation. He wouldn't let Max die. He'd do almost anything.
"Logan!" Max pleaded. She couldn't believe that he was agreeing to work with Lydecker.
"Mr. Cale, it is not merely what is required of both of you. More or less it's what you have to do."
"Which is what?" Logan asked Lydecker.
"Set up an Eyes Only information hack that informs the remaining X5s that they are under extreme danger and need to report to a specific area to receive orders from their commanding officer."
"But, my equipment?"
"After I brought you here, I sent my men back to your penthouse to retrieve the remaining parts. I have everything set up in my own personal office down on the C floor. I trust that you'll cooperate?" Lydecker asked through slit eyes.
Logan glanced at Max, who was trying to push herself up off the floor. She glanced at him and shot him a glare that read, "If you do this, don't think of ever talking to me again".
Yet, Logan wouldn't put Lydecker to the test. Perhaps he really would kill Max. Then, what would Logan be left with? Nothing. Max would never again come into his life. It would be better than she'd be angry with him forever than for her to die.
Nodding blankly in his wheelchair, Logan answered the floor a meek, "Yes."
"Very well then," Lydecker responded and poked his head out of the door, looking for his men. They had all apparently gone somewhere else. He cursed under his breath and stormed out, leaving the door open.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Max hissed. "Helping that monster is the last thing that you need to be doing."
"I don't want to see you die."
"He's bluffing."
"You're sure?"
"No. But, why would he kill me just for the helluva it?"
"I don't know. To make his point?"
Max, by this time, had pushed herself onto her knees. She knelt, glaring evenly at Logan. "His plan will never work."
"What? The Eyes Only plan?"
"What other plan do I know about? Yes, the Eyes Only plan."
"Why won't it?"
"The others aren't stupid enough to go to a building for Zack to give them orders. If he needed to give orders, he would've reached them through his contact numbers. And, when he does see that message, he'll know that Lydecker's behind it. Then, he'll inform the remaining X5s not to respond to it."
"What if he can't get a hold of all of them?"
"Then he'll probably go there himself and keep a close eye out. That's the way he is, you know. Anybody dies, he'll assume that it was his fault."
"So, what exactly are you saying?"
"I'm saying," Max whispered, "go through with Lydecker's damned plan like he wants you to and watch it blow up in his face. He won't know what's hit him until it's too late."
At that moment, Lydecker came back into the room, followed by four of his guards. "You two, take Mr. Cale to my office. The rest of you take X5-452 to her quarters."
With those orders, Max was dragged to her feet and taken out of the door as she pleaded with Logan through her large doe eyes not to do anything that he'd regret. Logan, on the other hand, was wheeled down the opposite side of the room towards Donald Lydecker's personal office.
