I ride in the back of the semi the whole way to LA. When the truck stops and the workers open the doors to start unloading, I jump my bike right through them. 'What the he11!' Thats all I hear as I blaze away. I have to find a clue to where Jondy is. We had always agreed on hiding the clues in high places were norms couldn't reach. What places were that high in LA. i have never been here before so I'm lost.

As I cruise into the city, I look for the tallest building. I find it and go to the top floor. No one stops me on my way up the stairs. Probably going top speed up 93 flights of stairs would make any person evaluate thier mental health.

After a few minutes of searching, I find the clue. It was an old boot. No person in thier right mind would have wanted this ratty old thing, even in the depression that we faced now. I knew it was the clue because it wasn't just any kind of boot, but an Army style boot. Those aren't worn for comfort. It was in our own code that we used back at Manticore. We were supposed to do the opposite of what it said, just in case it was intercepted.

Ok so instead of west 43rd street, I was to go to East 34th street. Mailbox 897 so that would be 798. Ok.

I wonder how I'm gonna break this to Jondy. 'Hi Jondy its your long lost sister from 11 years ago. Can I crash at your place for a few days? We can have a nice girl to girl talk about what we've done in life.' Yeah right, a good way to get my neck broken. I should probably see her away from her home in case other people are living with her.

I blaze on down to east 34th street and find her place. Its a nice little apartment building and it looks clean enough for her. Jondy was always the neat and clean one. I stake out her place for a few hours untill I see a young women about my age exit on a motorcycle. She looks like Jondy, maybe I should follow her.

By the time she stops riding, its become dark. She pulls into a bar and walks inside. i figure why not go in. I have't had something to drink in a long time. Riding that long can make a person thirsty, even a genetically enginered one. I see Jondy sit down at the bar and order a drink. I sit farther down the bar and order a beer. I only sip it while I listen to Jondy make small talk with the barkeep. 'you know Jondy,blah, blah , blah.' So it was Jondy. Thank the Blue Lady that it was easy to find her.

I go sit closer to her and offer to buy her a drink. She polilty refuses. "Common, have a drink with your baby sister." That gets her attention. She gives me a scrutinizing look.

"Why don't we take a walk outside" she says to me. I agree. Its so good to finally get to see my sister after so long. She walks out and I follow.

As soon as I'm out the door, a pair of strong hands raps around my neck and pushes me against the wall. "Jondy what are you doing?"

"I'm the one asking the questions here, now who the he!! are you and what the he!! do you think your doing here?"

"Jondy its me, Max."

"Prove it."

"OK, but can ya let me down so I can breath a little?"

"Not until you give me proof." But she relaxes her grip on my throat.

"Look at my neck." She does and releases me when she sees the barcode.

"How do I know that you didn't have that done and your trying to take me back to Manticore?"

"Jondy, do you remember that sparing exercise with the guns and I fell down the hill and into the stream. Remember how I hit my head on the rock when I was rolling and I sliced the back of my left ear. It never healed right because it cut right through and it left that paper thin scar, take a look." Nobody else knew that had happened except for Me, Jondy, Zane, and Zack.

"Oh my God, Max its you!" We shared a moment of rejoice that we had finally found eachother.

"Common, lets go inside and have a drink, my offer still stands."

We had a wonderful night talking about what we had done since the escape.

Neither of us noticed the young strawberry blonde sitting at the other end of the bar, taking glances at us every now and then.