Bling was idly examining the paintings that hung in the hallway when Max and Zack, all decked out in black, exited the apartment. Zack didn't give Bling a second glance, his face full of hatred. Max looked at Bling and smiled; still slightly embarrassed from that earlier meeting, but she did not explain what was going on. Probably something he didn't need to know about. All the better he didn't know. He had been exposed to some disturbing things working with Logan, but some of the things Manticore did were horrific.
Causally Bling reentered the penthouse and headed straight for Logan's room. He knocked on the door, quietly at first, then gradually louder, waiting each time for a reply. When none came he opened the door. He shook his head in quasi-disgust as Logan still lay there peacefully sleeping and, if Bling was not mistaken, with a slight smile on his face.
"Logan." Bling walked over to the blinds. "Get your ass out of bed, sleeping beauty."
The unrelenting morning light assaulted Logan's eyes. "Ah," Logan said in pain, lifting his hand to clamp down on his eyes. His body then relaxed when he realized Bling would not give up, "Good morning, Bling. You sound chipper this morning."
"As always."
"You know, you should try to take into consideration that some people don't wake up with little happy bluebirds chirping on their bedposts."
Bling smiled, "I'll take that as a compliment. You have twenty minutes to make yourself all pretty." With that last taunt he left.
Logan lay there, for another moment, his hand still shielding his eyes. He didn't want this moment of truth to come. He turned his head to the side and slowly lifted his hand. It was just like he thought it would be, though he had wished that he was wrong. Max did not lie beside him, his bed still cold and lonely. It was all just a sweet, haunting dream.
He lay there another moment then propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes still clenched. This was the time of the day he hated the most. Every morning he had to face the fact that his legs would never work. Small things he took for granted, like getting out of bed or taking a shower, now became monumental tasks that he never looked forward to.
Some mornings he didn't want to deal with it any longer. Suicidal thoughts always brushed his mind during the first few moments of consciousness. Some days he pushed them aside to think about putting another corrupt cop behind bars or seeing Max that evening. Last night he thought maybe he could have something to live forward too. But as he looked about his empty room, the dark thoughts nearly overrun him. Nearly.
He maneuvered his body to the side of his bed where his wheelchair awaited him. He slid into it, adjusting his legs, and rolled over to his dresser. After gathering his clothes and placing them on his lap he made his way to the washroom.
They had redone the washroom to suit his needs. Extra handles were placed in various places to help him get about easier. Despite Bling's urgings Logan refused to change anything else in his apartment. Logan didn't want to show any weakness, he wanted to show anyone who entered his home that he nothing had truly changed. But here in the privacy of his own washroom he had to admit defeat.
Logan took hold of a handle now, with one hand trying to take off his boxer briefs with the other. It was a struggle every time and when he finally pulled them off his limp legs he hurled them at the wall with all his strength. "Damn it," he cursed, his breath had quickened from the effort. He rubbed his face with his hands, then ran his hands through his hair in frustration. Calming himself down he wheeled to the shower and used more handles to pull his vulnerable body onto the plastic seat he had placed in the shower. He did not move, letting the water wash over him, dripping from his hair down his face, onto his immobile legs where he lost all sensation. He sat like that for a few minutes as if to wash away all the suicidal thoughts, closing his eyes to envision a world worth living for. But when he opened his eyes his legs were still there below him, immobile and useless. He ran a hand through his wet hair and faced up into the spray of the shower, letting the droplets of water cascade down on his face.
The only thing to think about now was that dream he had last night. It had been so real he could have sworn that it was. But the emptiness that welcomed him that morning had been a true testament to what had really aspired. He remembered how solid she felt pressed against him, how her warmth along his side felt so natural, as though his life had never truly been normal until that moment. Logan shook his head, 'It was only a dream. Don't fool yourself.'
He finished his shower, struggled with his clothes again, and went to the living room where Bling awaited him. He had hoped to see Max around, for any sign that his dream was true, but he was shot down again. The look on Logan's face told Bling to back off, which he did for the most part. They did the work out like any other day, Bling counting off the reps while spouting off encouraging remarks and visualizations that Logan never heeded. Every once in a while Logan would catch Bling out of the corner of his eyes, with a smile on his face and a "knowing" look on his face. In the middle of one of his reps he couldn't take it anymore.
"...three, four..."
"What is it?" Logan asked letting impatience seep into his words.
"What?"
"Why do you keep smiling?"
The grin returned to Bling's face, "I thought you would have told me by now."
"You're going to have to clarify for me." Logan was getting really confused now.
"Fine, if you don't want to tell me why I found Max in your room this morning, you don't have to. Now let's get back to your reps."
"Max?! In my room?" Logan's jaw dropped despite himself.
"Don't tell me it was so good you forgot." Bling bent down to get hold of Logan's leg again.
"What did you see?" he pressed, wanting to know what happened.
"I went you wake you up and when I opened the door Max was pulling her shirt back on. Now you can't deny something happened."
"I thought it was a dream," he said quietly as Bling started the reps up again. What did this mean? What was between him and max now? He was filled with elation at the idea that Max would turn to him. Her words, now real as opposed to a whisper in a dream, echoed in his mind, 'Don't change.' For her, he never would.
"Where is she?"
"I don't know, her and Zack left about thirty minutes ago." Despite the disappointing news, Logan's spirits were up and the normally strenuous workout went on without a hitch. The whole world would be worth waking up to so long as she was by his side.
*****
"Zack, what exactly is our plan here?" Max asked as they whipped down the streets in tandem on their motorcycles. They did not have to yell because the earpieces automatically filtered out the sound.
"You lead me to Lydecker. I kill him. Not too complicated, Max."
"I am aware but there are factors that must be taken into consideration."
"Like what?" Zack didn't like the idea of anything getting in the way of his original plans.
"My friends."
"What are you talking about? Where is Lydecker?"
"He was at my apartment."
Max could imagine Zack's eyes narrowing with hatred. "How did he know where to find you?"
"I don't think it was intentional," she responded quite truthfully, "My room mate met him at a conference…"
"That's sick."
"Tell me about it," she shuddered as the picture of Kendra in Lydecker's arms floated to the top of her thoughts.
"Suggested execution? Are your friends expendable?"
"No!" Max's voice was repulsed at the thought. Why was Zack being this way? And after all the kindness and concern he had shown the past few weeks. "There is a building across the way where we can monitor his movements. We wait until he is alone, then we strike quickly and efficiently."
"No good."
"What do you mean 'no good?'"
"I want to enjoy this." Zack's voice took on a vicious tone. And Max knew exactly what he meant.
After parking their bikes safely under some rubbage, they easily scaled the side of the building and found the best vantage point. In silence they waited, until finally Lydecker stepped out, a decidedly disturbing smile of satisfaction smeared across his face.
"I'll rip that son of a bitch's mouth off."
Max ignored his comment knowing full well that Zack would not hesitate to do so. "You follow him on your bike, since you have a helmet. You tell me where he goes and I'll find my way. I know the streets better then you do." She was tempted to mention power nibble, but this was not the time nor place to bring that up.
They wasted no time, jumping down the four stories to the alleyway below, uncovering their motorcycles and going their separate ways. Zack Followed at a safe distance according to his Manticore training, and gave Max frequent updates as to his position.
"North on Kingsway...East on Juniper Ave..." At any given time Max was well out of sight and three blocks away, adjusting her direction accordingly.
Forty five minutes later Zack finally gave her some good news. "He's pulling into an alley between a pizza place and a tattoo parlor on Jackson Street. What's your ETA?"
"Ten minutes. Some guy flipped his SUV on Milton..."
"I'm going in without you then."
"What?! No wait." She could hear him park his motorcycle, "What are you doing? You have no tactical advantage. We have done no recon on the area. You do not know what is in there."
"He's entering the pizza parlor, Max. It is a crowded area, and the apartments above would hold no more than ten men, including himself. I can handle it."
"ETA four minutes. Wait for it." Max poured ever ounce of authority she had into that one command. Yet still he didn't comply.
"I'm in the building, he is headed up some back stairwell. Hold on."
"Zack!" her cries were edging on pleading. She did not want to lose Zack. "I will be there in two minutes. Hold your position!"
"He's on the fourth floor. Come up when you can." Zack informed Max. He waited in the stairwell until he heard Lydecker enter a room and close the door behind him.
"Zack where are you?" Max's voice echoed in his ear, but he tapped it twice to notify Max he was going silent. With less sound then a stalking cat, Zack made his way to the door, behind which he could hear Lydecker, apparently talking to someone over the phone. He nearly tuned out Max's voice completely as thoughts of torture and revenge pushed all other thoughts out of his mind.
"Do not, I repeat, do not engage! ETA one minute..." Max's voice was nearly drowned out in the blood that raged in his veins. He couldn't wait any longer, Max could have her fun later. He wanted first dibs on the bastard, he wanted to draw first blood. With one punch Zack knocked down the door to find Lydecker standing looking out the window across the room.
"I'm disappointed in you Zack, you hesitated." Lydecker's calm voice seemingly echoed in the room. But the rage that filled Zack did not let him understand his situation and with his Manticore speed he leapt at Lydecker.
"Zack!! Do not to engage." He ignored her.
Something stopped him in mid air and threw him to the ground. He had no time to refocus his eyes when something kicked him in the face. A salty, iron liquid dripped into his mouth as his lip split open.
Who ever did this did it with such stealth that there were no sounds except for the sounds of Zack's grunts. Another blow to his head was so swift that it blew the two way radio out of his ear and stars exploded infront of his eyes.
Now Lydecker's voice was the only thing in his world and it mocked him, "My children heard you coming a mile away."
Causally Bling reentered the penthouse and headed straight for Logan's room. He knocked on the door, quietly at first, then gradually louder, waiting each time for a reply. When none came he opened the door. He shook his head in quasi-disgust as Logan still lay there peacefully sleeping and, if Bling was not mistaken, with a slight smile on his face.
"Logan." Bling walked over to the blinds. "Get your ass out of bed, sleeping beauty."
The unrelenting morning light assaulted Logan's eyes. "Ah," Logan said in pain, lifting his hand to clamp down on his eyes. His body then relaxed when he realized Bling would not give up, "Good morning, Bling. You sound chipper this morning."
"As always."
"You know, you should try to take into consideration that some people don't wake up with little happy bluebirds chirping on their bedposts."
Bling smiled, "I'll take that as a compliment. You have twenty minutes to make yourself all pretty." With that last taunt he left.
Logan lay there, for another moment, his hand still shielding his eyes. He didn't want this moment of truth to come. He turned his head to the side and slowly lifted his hand. It was just like he thought it would be, though he had wished that he was wrong. Max did not lie beside him, his bed still cold and lonely. It was all just a sweet, haunting dream.
He lay there another moment then propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes still clenched. This was the time of the day he hated the most. Every morning he had to face the fact that his legs would never work. Small things he took for granted, like getting out of bed or taking a shower, now became monumental tasks that he never looked forward to.
Some mornings he didn't want to deal with it any longer. Suicidal thoughts always brushed his mind during the first few moments of consciousness. Some days he pushed them aside to think about putting another corrupt cop behind bars or seeing Max that evening. Last night he thought maybe he could have something to live forward too. But as he looked about his empty room, the dark thoughts nearly overrun him. Nearly.
He maneuvered his body to the side of his bed where his wheelchair awaited him. He slid into it, adjusting his legs, and rolled over to his dresser. After gathering his clothes and placing them on his lap he made his way to the washroom.
They had redone the washroom to suit his needs. Extra handles were placed in various places to help him get about easier. Despite Bling's urgings Logan refused to change anything else in his apartment. Logan didn't want to show any weakness, he wanted to show anyone who entered his home that he nothing had truly changed. But here in the privacy of his own washroom he had to admit defeat.
Logan took hold of a handle now, with one hand trying to take off his boxer briefs with the other. It was a struggle every time and when he finally pulled them off his limp legs he hurled them at the wall with all his strength. "Damn it," he cursed, his breath had quickened from the effort. He rubbed his face with his hands, then ran his hands through his hair in frustration. Calming himself down he wheeled to the shower and used more handles to pull his vulnerable body onto the plastic seat he had placed in the shower. He did not move, letting the water wash over him, dripping from his hair down his face, onto his immobile legs where he lost all sensation. He sat like that for a few minutes as if to wash away all the suicidal thoughts, closing his eyes to envision a world worth living for. But when he opened his eyes his legs were still there below him, immobile and useless. He ran a hand through his wet hair and faced up into the spray of the shower, letting the droplets of water cascade down on his face.
The only thing to think about now was that dream he had last night. It had been so real he could have sworn that it was. But the emptiness that welcomed him that morning had been a true testament to what had really aspired. He remembered how solid she felt pressed against him, how her warmth along his side felt so natural, as though his life had never truly been normal until that moment. Logan shook his head, 'It was only a dream. Don't fool yourself.'
He finished his shower, struggled with his clothes again, and went to the living room where Bling awaited him. He had hoped to see Max around, for any sign that his dream was true, but he was shot down again. The look on Logan's face told Bling to back off, which he did for the most part. They did the work out like any other day, Bling counting off the reps while spouting off encouraging remarks and visualizations that Logan never heeded. Every once in a while Logan would catch Bling out of the corner of his eyes, with a smile on his face and a "knowing" look on his face. In the middle of one of his reps he couldn't take it anymore.
"...three, four..."
"What is it?" Logan asked letting impatience seep into his words.
"What?"
"Why do you keep smiling?"
The grin returned to Bling's face, "I thought you would have told me by now."
"You're going to have to clarify for me." Logan was getting really confused now.
"Fine, if you don't want to tell me why I found Max in your room this morning, you don't have to. Now let's get back to your reps."
"Max?! In my room?" Logan's jaw dropped despite himself.
"Don't tell me it was so good you forgot." Bling bent down to get hold of Logan's leg again.
"What did you see?" he pressed, wanting to know what happened.
"I went you wake you up and when I opened the door Max was pulling her shirt back on. Now you can't deny something happened."
"I thought it was a dream," he said quietly as Bling started the reps up again. What did this mean? What was between him and max now? He was filled with elation at the idea that Max would turn to him. Her words, now real as opposed to a whisper in a dream, echoed in his mind, 'Don't change.' For her, he never would.
"Where is she?"
"I don't know, her and Zack left about thirty minutes ago." Despite the disappointing news, Logan's spirits were up and the normally strenuous workout went on without a hitch. The whole world would be worth waking up to so long as she was by his side.
*****
"Zack, what exactly is our plan here?" Max asked as they whipped down the streets in tandem on their motorcycles. They did not have to yell because the earpieces automatically filtered out the sound.
"You lead me to Lydecker. I kill him. Not too complicated, Max."
"I am aware but there are factors that must be taken into consideration."
"Like what?" Zack didn't like the idea of anything getting in the way of his original plans.
"My friends."
"What are you talking about? Where is Lydecker?"
"He was at my apartment."
Max could imagine Zack's eyes narrowing with hatred. "How did he know where to find you?"
"I don't think it was intentional," she responded quite truthfully, "My room mate met him at a conference…"
"That's sick."
"Tell me about it," she shuddered as the picture of Kendra in Lydecker's arms floated to the top of her thoughts.
"Suggested execution? Are your friends expendable?"
"No!" Max's voice was repulsed at the thought. Why was Zack being this way? And after all the kindness and concern he had shown the past few weeks. "There is a building across the way where we can monitor his movements. We wait until he is alone, then we strike quickly and efficiently."
"No good."
"What do you mean 'no good?'"
"I want to enjoy this." Zack's voice took on a vicious tone. And Max knew exactly what he meant.
After parking their bikes safely under some rubbage, they easily scaled the side of the building and found the best vantage point. In silence they waited, until finally Lydecker stepped out, a decidedly disturbing smile of satisfaction smeared across his face.
"I'll rip that son of a bitch's mouth off."
Max ignored his comment knowing full well that Zack would not hesitate to do so. "You follow him on your bike, since you have a helmet. You tell me where he goes and I'll find my way. I know the streets better then you do." She was tempted to mention power nibble, but this was not the time nor place to bring that up.
They wasted no time, jumping down the four stories to the alleyway below, uncovering their motorcycles and going their separate ways. Zack Followed at a safe distance according to his Manticore training, and gave Max frequent updates as to his position.
"North on Kingsway...East on Juniper Ave..." At any given time Max was well out of sight and three blocks away, adjusting her direction accordingly.
Forty five minutes later Zack finally gave her some good news. "He's pulling into an alley between a pizza place and a tattoo parlor on Jackson Street. What's your ETA?"
"Ten minutes. Some guy flipped his SUV on Milton..."
"I'm going in without you then."
"What?! No wait." She could hear him park his motorcycle, "What are you doing? You have no tactical advantage. We have done no recon on the area. You do not know what is in there."
"He's entering the pizza parlor, Max. It is a crowded area, and the apartments above would hold no more than ten men, including himself. I can handle it."
"ETA four minutes. Wait for it." Max poured ever ounce of authority she had into that one command. Yet still he didn't comply.
"I'm in the building, he is headed up some back stairwell. Hold on."
"Zack!" her cries were edging on pleading. She did not want to lose Zack. "I will be there in two minutes. Hold your position!"
"He's on the fourth floor. Come up when you can." Zack informed Max. He waited in the stairwell until he heard Lydecker enter a room and close the door behind him.
"Zack where are you?" Max's voice echoed in his ear, but he tapped it twice to notify Max he was going silent. With less sound then a stalking cat, Zack made his way to the door, behind which he could hear Lydecker, apparently talking to someone over the phone. He nearly tuned out Max's voice completely as thoughts of torture and revenge pushed all other thoughts out of his mind.
"Do not, I repeat, do not engage! ETA one minute..." Max's voice was nearly drowned out in the blood that raged in his veins. He couldn't wait any longer, Max could have her fun later. He wanted first dibs on the bastard, he wanted to draw first blood. With one punch Zack knocked down the door to find Lydecker standing looking out the window across the room.
"I'm disappointed in you Zack, you hesitated." Lydecker's calm voice seemingly echoed in the room. But the rage that filled Zack did not let him understand his situation and with his Manticore speed he leapt at Lydecker.
"Zack!! Do not to engage." He ignored her.
Something stopped him in mid air and threw him to the ground. He had no time to refocus his eyes when something kicked him in the face. A salty, iron liquid dripped into his mouth as his lip split open.
Who ever did this did it with such stealth that there were no sounds except for the sounds of Zack's grunts. Another blow to his head was so swift that it blew the two way radio out of his ear and stars exploded infront of his eyes.
Now Lydecker's voice was the only thing in his world and it mocked him, "My children heard you coming a mile away."