Chapter 4: Kidnapped
4 years later
"Mommy, Mommy!" hollered the energetic 5 year old.
"What sweetie?" Max answered, from her perch on a bench in the park they were visiting.
"Come push me!" Elizabeth begged while tugging on Max's arm.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming." she smiled and stood up slowly, for her 6 month pregnant stomach got in the way somewhat.
Elizabeth grinned from ear to ear. A grin remarkably like her fathers. Her looks were geared towards both parents though. She had Max's long curly hair, dark brown and soft. Then she had Logan's bright piercing blue eyes. Her attitude was definitely a mix of both, stubborn!
She continued to drag Max (she had inherited her mothers' abilities also) towards the swings, only to let go when they were half-way there, to go running to them, unable to wait, in her excitement. She had never been to a park before. This was one of many that the group, A Cleaner Seattle, were fixing up all over the city, making a clean place where kids could finally play safely.
Just then Max heard a noise behind her. Turning around, she saw the wind had scattered her newspaper all around. Glancing back at Lizzy, she said,
"I'll be right there honey, just a sec."
Elizabeth was already seated in one of the swings, slowly swinging back and forth, "Umkay!" she replied, content for the time being.
Max quickly gathered the papers, hearing Lizzy quietly talking to herself. Max began to smile softly, but she suddenly straitened. Silence. She whirled around, instantly alert. Nothing. Her eyes were wide and searching, and her heart was running wildly. As she frantically searched the small park, she called out, "Lizzy! Elizabeth! Come back here right now!" Still nothing. Fear surged through her.
((God no, not Lizzy. Anything but her!!)) Max's thoughts raced, imagining the worst of all possible scenarios. She hurriedly pulled out her cell phone, dialing Logan, willing him to answer.
((Logan...no, oh God no...Manticore, Case...Jude...not Elizabeth, it can't be!!!))
"Hello?" Logan's voice seemed unnaturally loud to Max, when he answered the phone, compared to the silence of the now empty park.
"Logan," she sobbed, "It's Lizzy, I'm at the park. She's gone, Manticore is back, Oh God Logan, she's gone! It's all my fault, I turned my back for just a minute..."
"Whoa! Slow down!" Logan interrupted, trying to stay calm, even though all his senses were directing him to do otherwise. "I'll come and get you. Stay there." he said, then added, "Max, it's going to be alright." ((Oh God let it be alright. Lizzy...my beautiful little girl...))
He hung up before the first tears began trickling down his face. Angrily, he brushed them away, grabbed a coat, and practically flew down the steps, not waiting for the elevator to climb it's way up.
"Max!" Logan called out when he got there, after slamming the car door.
Instantly Max appeared, as if from nowhere, her face tear stained, eyes red, and her expression, hopeless.
"I turned around for just a second..." she began.
Logan reached out for her and enveloped her in a warm embrace. They held each other, Logan kissing her head, murmuring,
"It'll be alright. We'll find her. No matter what, I promise you, we'll find her. Don't
cry angel, don't cry..." ((No matter what happens, I made a promise, and I will stick to it.))
They parted, Logan pulling back and gently brushing Max's hair out of her eyes. "Let's go look." They searched the park thoroughly, in fact, for hours, but to their dismay, they found nothing.
"Max." Logan said gently, "We can't do this by ourselves. Let's go home. I can make some phone calls, and see what we can do." Max nodded numbly at the suggestion, and Logan led her back to the car.
"But my bab...my motorcycle..." Max began weakly, slumped over in the passenger seat, as Logan settled himself behind the drivers wheel.
"I'll call someone to come and pick it up." he answered, starting the engine and pulling out of his parking space on the curb.
Max simply nodded, acknowledging she had heard. As she sighed in despair, a fresh torrent of salty tears began cascading down her already wet cheeks. Logan felt helpless as he looked at her.
"Max..."
"Don't." was the soft reply. Missing the usual biting tone.
He sighed and turned back to the road. ((She's always been so strong...it's just all too much. It IS too much!! Why Lizzy? What are they doing to her...))
Max's own thoughts were just as overwhelming. ((I'm never going to see my
baby again))
end of chapter 4
Like it so far? Much more to come.
4 years later
"Mommy, Mommy!" hollered the energetic 5 year old.
"What sweetie?" Max answered, from her perch on a bench in the park they were visiting.
"Come push me!" Elizabeth begged while tugging on Max's arm.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming." she smiled and stood up slowly, for her 6 month pregnant stomach got in the way somewhat.
Elizabeth grinned from ear to ear. A grin remarkably like her fathers. Her looks were geared towards both parents though. She had Max's long curly hair, dark brown and soft. Then she had Logan's bright piercing blue eyes. Her attitude was definitely a mix of both, stubborn!
She continued to drag Max (she had inherited her mothers' abilities also) towards the swings, only to let go when they were half-way there, to go running to them, unable to wait, in her excitement. She had never been to a park before. This was one of many that the group, A Cleaner Seattle, were fixing up all over the city, making a clean place where kids could finally play safely.
Just then Max heard a noise behind her. Turning around, she saw the wind had scattered her newspaper all around. Glancing back at Lizzy, she said,
"I'll be right there honey, just a sec."
Elizabeth was already seated in one of the swings, slowly swinging back and forth, "Umkay!" she replied, content for the time being.
Max quickly gathered the papers, hearing Lizzy quietly talking to herself. Max began to smile softly, but she suddenly straitened. Silence. She whirled around, instantly alert. Nothing. Her eyes were wide and searching, and her heart was running wildly. As she frantically searched the small park, she called out, "Lizzy! Elizabeth! Come back here right now!" Still nothing. Fear surged through her.
((God no, not Lizzy. Anything but her!!)) Max's thoughts raced, imagining the worst of all possible scenarios. She hurriedly pulled out her cell phone, dialing Logan, willing him to answer.
((Logan...no, oh God no...Manticore, Case...Jude...not Elizabeth, it can't be!!!))
"Hello?" Logan's voice seemed unnaturally loud to Max, when he answered the phone, compared to the silence of the now empty park.
"Logan," she sobbed, "It's Lizzy, I'm at the park. She's gone, Manticore is back, Oh God Logan, she's gone! It's all my fault, I turned my back for just a minute..."
"Whoa! Slow down!" Logan interrupted, trying to stay calm, even though all his senses were directing him to do otherwise. "I'll come and get you. Stay there." he said, then added, "Max, it's going to be alright." ((Oh God let it be alright. Lizzy...my beautiful little girl...))
He hung up before the first tears began trickling down his face. Angrily, he brushed them away, grabbed a coat, and practically flew down the steps, not waiting for the elevator to climb it's way up.
"Max!" Logan called out when he got there, after slamming the car door.
Instantly Max appeared, as if from nowhere, her face tear stained, eyes red, and her expression, hopeless.
"I turned around for just a second..." she began.
Logan reached out for her and enveloped her in a warm embrace. They held each other, Logan kissing her head, murmuring,
"It'll be alright. We'll find her. No matter what, I promise you, we'll find her. Don't
cry angel, don't cry..." ((No matter what happens, I made a promise, and I will stick to it.))
They parted, Logan pulling back and gently brushing Max's hair out of her eyes. "Let's go look." They searched the park thoroughly, in fact, for hours, but to their dismay, they found nothing.
"Max." Logan said gently, "We can't do this by ourselves. Let's go home. I can make some phone calls, and see what we can do." Max nodded numbly at the suggestion, and Logan led her back to the car.
"But my bab...my motorcycle..." Max began weakly, slumped over in the passenger seat, as Logan settled himself behind the drivers wheel.
"I'll call someone to come and pick it up." he answered, starting the engine and pulling out of his parking space on the curb.
Max simply nodded, acknowledging she had heard. As she sighed in despair, a fresh torrent of salty tears began cascading down her already wet cheeks. Logan felt helpless as he looked at her.
"Max..."
"Don't." was the soft reply. Missing the usual biting tone.
He sighed and turned back to the road. ((She's always been so strong...it's just all too much. It IS too much!! Why Lizzy? What are they doing to her...))
Max's own thoughts were just as overwhelming. ((I'm never going to see my
baby again))
end of chapter 4
Like it so far? Much more to come.
