Summary: Asha and Logan grow more intimate after the raid on the VA office.
Chapter Seven
Logan didn't sleep that night, but it was due to anticipation, rather than despair. He was up early the next morning, pacing impatiently in the exoskeleton. Asha came into the living room silently, listening to the whirr and click of the mechanism as he walked back and forth in front of the living room window.
"You're going to wear that thing out before we're ready to go. Chill out," she said by way of greeting.
Logan stopped, mid-step. "Sorry, I'm just impatient. I want this mission over."
"Don't work yourself into a lather. We're professionals, remember? I know patience was never a virtue of yours," Asha said, almost crossly, "but for once have a little."
She was trying not to think about Logan's behavior the previous night. All she wanted to do was focus on the mission. And as usual, he was too focused on the mission.
"What's for breakfast?" she asked, trying to defuse his impatient mood.
"Ah, I haven't made any yet. I was waiting for you to get up."
"Coffee then?" Asha asked hopefully.
"That's ready. Help yourself."
"OK. Thanks. Shall I fix something?" She went to the coffeemaker and poured herself a large cup.
"No, I'll do it." Logan quickly walked over to the kitchen and started to pull things out of cabinets and the refrigerator. Manically, he clattered around for a few minutes, chopping and mixing, while Asha sat on one of the stools, sipping coffee. She let him set the table, preferring to let him work off the adrenaline. She pulled up a chair at the table while Logan served up what he had cooked. As usual, the omelets were delicious, the bacon was crisp, and the toast was perfect. Logan fidgeted the whole time he ate, gulping down several cups of coffee. The atmosphere was tense.
"Logan, that was wonderful as usual. Now, you need to relax. We've got plenty of time before it all goes down."
"I've got a few more details to take care of, then I'll be good to go."
"OK. I'll call the guys later and make sure they're all set."
They finished breakfast. Then Logan cleaned up the kitchen while Asha showered and dressed. They still had four hours to kill before the mission went down; four hours to fight the jitters that always came with a job. Asha was used to it, but she wasn't sure that Logan was. He hadn't been on an Eyes Only mission in more than a year, as far as she knew, and his last one had resulted in his shooting and paralysis. No wonder he was nervous.
But she knew the plan was a good one, with little risk to Logan. It had been gone over, reconsidered, and gone over again. It was solid. She looked forward to completing the mission, if for no other reason than to soothe Logan's frazzled nerves and prove to him that he could do it. Once he had the necessary files, maybe his mood would lift; maybe he'd find what he was looking for; maybe she'd find out what was eating at him.
Drying her hair, she came back into the living room. This time, Logan was staring out the window.
"Logan, you should get some rest. You look tired."
"I'm OK. Really."
"If you say so. Did you get any sleep last night?"
Logan hesitated. "Not much. Too spun about this. I'll be all right once this is over. It's just that I've been working so hard on this mission and now it's only a few hours away."
"Logan, everything will be fine. We'll get the files and take down Manticore, just as Eyes Only wants us to do. At least sit down. You're making me nervous."
Logan walked over to the computer and sat down in the chair in front of it. He sprawled awkwardly in the exoskeleton, as if he didn't quite know what do with it. After a few minutes, he turned on the computer and became absorbed in checking his contacts for any more information about Manticore. Feeling ignored, Asha went back to the guest room to lie down. At least one of them should be completely rested for that afternoon's adventure.
*****
At 2:00, Asha emerged from her room, ready for the raid. She was clad in a black tee shirt with studs arrayed around the neckline, black pants and a leather jacket. As she entered the computer room looking for Logan, she loaded a clip into her gun and put it into a large purse. She glanced around the room, but Logan was nowhere to be seen.
"Logan?" she headed into the kitchen, but quickly turned around when she heard a noise down the hall. "Well, don't you just look the part," she said with amusement as Logan came out of his bedroom.
Logan laughed. "That's the point of the exercise." He was wearing baggy black pants, a black tank top, and a black and gray cammo shirt with the sleeves cut off. With his shaggy hair and extra-long stubble, he looked suitably disheveled. The exoskeleton could barely be seen over his black boots. "Ready?"
"As ready as I ever could be. Shall we?"
"One more thing," Logan commented as he plopped down in the wheelchair. "OK. Ready to roll, so to speak."
They left the apartment and went out into the hall to catch the elevator.
*****
When they got to Logan's car, he got out of the chair, opened the rear hatch, popped the wheels off the chair, folded the seat up, and stashed it. Then he clambered in behind the wheel while Asha got into the passenger seat.
"One stop, then we pick up your guys," he said as he pulled out of the parking space and headed toward the exit.
They drove off in the direction of the safe house, but a few blocks from its location, Logan turned right and drove toward a shabby commercial district. He pulled up in front of a drab print shop, its windows dusty and dim.
"Give me a few minutes," he said to Asha as he parked the Aztek.
"Sure," she replied. She watched as he got out of the car and headed into the shop. Ever on the alert, she surveyed the surrounding buildings, on the lookout for Sector Police, while Logan conducted his business. Five minutes later, he emerged, stuffing some cards in his wallet.
"ID," he said in response to her questioning glance.
"ID?"
"Yeah, you don't think I'm going in there as Logan Cale, do you? If I want to get near those files, I need to be legit - just in case the VA does have records. I was never in the Army and I sure as hell wasn't injured in action."
"The nature of the war was different. That's all," Asha said thoughtfully.
"Yeah, well." A flash of pain and gratitude at Asha's recognition appeared on Logan's face before he awkwardly looked away. "Had my guy track down a vet who was injured in combat. He died a few years ago. It was pretty simple altering the records."
"You are nothing if not thorough." Asha was impressed.
"Gotta be. You never know what records survived the Pulse."
"True." At the safe house, the other S1W members were waiting for them. Logan parked and they piled into the car, smiling and greeting him and Asha. At last, the final stage of the mission was underway.
*****
A short drive took them to the block where the VA office was located. Logan was careful to park the Aztek a suitable distance from the building. They all got out of the car to deploy; first Logan would enter the building, then one by one, the rest of the crew would drift in and wait for his signal. The fact that Logan got out of the car and walked to the rear to retrieve the wheelchair wasn't lost on the rest of them. The guys exchanged puzzled looks and Asha frowned at them, silently mouthing the word "later." They watched as Logan assembled the chair and situated himself in it. While Asha and the rest waited, he wheeled down the street and stopped in front of the office door. Before entering, he turned the chair and smiled at them. Then he was gone.
"Well, I'm confused," John said. "I thought you said Logan couldn't walk."
"He can't - not without help. He somehow got hold of a surplus Department of Defense exoskeleton. He's wearing it under his clothes. It enables him to stand and walk. He figured he should use it today just in case he had to get out of there quickly."
"Oh, OK. Just freaked me out there for a minute."
"Me too when he first used it with me," Asha admitted. "Well, time to go."
One by one, they sauntered into the building, each taking a number and sitting down in the waiting room. None of them acknowledged the presence of the others. They assumed bored poses, and waited.
In about 15 minutes, Logan's number was called. He wheeled himself to a desk at the rear of the room, nearest the cage holding the file boxes. Asha watched him carefully, knowing that his signal would start the next phase of the operation.
She couldn't hear the conversation between Logan and the clerk; however, she could tell that the clerk looked bored and Logan, exasperated. Every now and then, the clerk would consult his computer screen, then shake his head. Logan grew more animated; he gestured toward the cage full of old records, probably suggesting to the clerk that he should open the cage and look through the files contained there. Again, the clerk shook his head. Then he held up his hand and rubbed the thumb and index finger together, indicating that money should change hands. Logan looked toward the waiting room and nodded almost imperceptibly.
That was the signal. Quickly, Asha, who had been standing in the waiting room, rocking back and forth, climbed onto a chair, pulled out her gun, and fired a shot into the ceiling.
"All right, people, we're the S1W. We're here to set this thing straight!" she shouted. The vets in the waiting room burst into cheers. "Nobody's gonna get hurt, nobody is gonna pay for what they already have coming, and nobody is gonna leave here without their ration cards!"
The vets continued to cheer as the other S1W members drew their guns and entered the office area. Bill disarmed the guard and pushed him to the floor. "Get down!" he shouted.
The VA clerks behind their desks dropped to the floor, expressions of fear on their faces. Logan stood up and shot a mischievous glance at Asha. He walked over to the records cage as Asha joined him. She shot off the padlock and opened the door. Together, they entered the cage. Lee and Pete located the rations cards and began to distribute them to the vets.
Amid the semi-chaos of the VA office, Bill held his gun on the prostrate clerks and the guard. Pete continued the distribution of the rations cards while Lee joined Logan and Asha in the cage. He knew where to look for the files, so they quickly found the boxes they sought. There were three of them, crammed with papers.
"Pile 'em on the chair," Logan ordered. "It will be easier to carry them out of the building that way."
Asha smiled at him. "Good idea, Logan."
"I'll go get the car and bring it up to the back door," he replied.
Logan strode out of the VA Office, the exoskeleton whirring and clicking. He quickly got the Aztek and drove it around the corner into the alley, pulling up at the back door of the building. After he opened the rear hatch, he went to the door and knocked. A few seconds later, he heard a shot, as Asha destroyed yet another lock.
The door opened and Lee and Asha ran out, pushing the wheelchair, now laden with boxes. They loaded the boxes into the car. While Logan was disassembling the chair, Pete, Bill, and John emerged from the building. They shut the door after them and blocked it with a trash bin. The S1W members all high-fived each other and Logan.
"Confusion to the enemy!" Lee cried out and the rest echoed him. They climbed back into the Aztek, their mission completed.
*****
Logan drove back to the safe house. Everyone was still excited over the success of the mission.
"Well done guys," Logan said as he pulled up to the curb. The S1W members got out of the Aztek and headed for the house. "You want to stick around? I'm sure Eyes Only can use your help on other jobs."
"Hey, that would be great. We could use a break from Frisco and Seattle seems like as good a place as any to be," John said.
"Terrific. I'll be in touch. And once again, thanks."
"Our pleasure. We'll catch ya later, Logan."
*****
Logan and Asha returned to the penthouse and lugged the boxes into the dining room. They stacked them by the dining room table, so Logan could easily get to them. Asha went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
"I could use a beer. Want one?"
"Sure, why not? It's been a long day."
Logan sat down at the table and started to pull papers out of the top box. Asha handed him a bottle of beer and he absentmindedly reached for it. As she looked on, Logan went into research mode and soon became oblivious of her presence.
An hour later, papers were stacked all over the table. Logan began to emerge from his single-minded perusal of the records. He realized that Asha was standing next to him with an amused expression on her face. He looked up at her.
"You really thought you were gonna get into the file room pretending to be a vet?"
"I took a shot," he commented.
"So did I."
Logan chuckled at that remark. The understatement was so typical of Asha. "Appreciate you guys coming along."
Asha made some remark that Logan didn't quite catch. He rummaged through the stack of papers and pulled out a sheet. He waved it at Asha.
"This is Manticore's Wyoming facility. It's gotta be. Requisitions don't add up otherwise."
She leaned over him, her breath on his neck. Once again, the closeness felt good to him. "Think they're running their budget through the VA's books? Trying to cover their tracks?" she asked.
Logan nodded. "If I can follow the money, maybe I can find out where the main facility is."
Asha sat down at the table and looked at him questioningly. "Logan, how many jobs do you think we've done for Eyes Only in the past couple of years?"
Logan was startled by the question. When he had gotten Asha and the S1W involved in Eyes Only missions several years ago, he had decided not to reveal to her that he was Eyes Only. He figured that what she didn't know couldn't hurt her. He didn't want to further endanger her by having her know the identity of the bad guys' Public Enemy Number one. He still remembered the bitch-slapping session Gerhard Bronck had inflicted on him when Bronck thought he could get him to reveal Eyes Only's identity.
"I don't know. Why?"
Asha shrugged. "I've just never seen you get so caught up in an assignment before."
"It's not an assignment. Eyes Only is taking on Manticore as a favor to me," Logan admitted.
"You're messing with some powerful people. They play rough."
Logan looked down, avoiding eye contact with her. "I don't care what happens to me."
When she heard that remark, it suddenly dawned on Asha what this was all about; why Logan was so spun about this mission, what was causing his moods. "Said in his hacks some of those kids escaped back in '09. You knew one of them, didn't you?"
"Her name was Max," Logan said in a dead voice.
"They killed her, didn't they?" - and you were in love with her, weren't you? Asha added silently. That's what this is all about.
Logan said sadly, "I watched her die. The thing is, I can't really believe she's gone. I don't believe it. I know it sounds crazy, but I feel like . she's still out there."
Asha got up from the table and put her arms around Logan. She held him tightly, cradling his head against her chest. She stood there like that for what seemed like hours. Finally she spoke.
"I'm sorry that Max is dead. I really am, but you're not dead, Logan."
"I might as well be," Logan replied. The he got up from the table and retreated to his bedroom, shutting the door behind him.
Asha sighed.
*****
Late that night, Asha awoke abruptly. Once again, she heard noise coming from Logan's bedroom and realized that he was in the throes of another nightmare. As she had done the other night, she crept down the hall to his room, senses on the alert. She opened the door and tiptoed into Logan's room, this time without her gun.
The curtains were partially drawn, as if closed in haste. Light shone in from other high-rise buildings. Asha could see the exoskeleton next to the nightstand, eerie in the dim light. Logan's wheelchair was next to the bed. Logan himself was wide-eyed although deep asleep, an expression of horror on his face. Asha tiptoed around the bed to the far side. She closed the curtains, then climbed into bed next to him. As she had the other night, she put her arms around him in an embrace.
But this time, he did not stop his peculiar upper-body thrashing and he continued to cry out. It sounded like a name - Max. Asha held Logan tighter. He twisted around in order to return her embrace and held onto her desperately. His strength surprised her.
She shook him. "Logan! Wake up!"
Not quite awake, he looked at her with his out of focus stare. "Max?"
"No, Logan. It's Asha, not Max."
"Asha?"
"Yes, Logan. Asha."
He was thoroughly awake now, still clinging to her, but his body relaxed a bit. He buried his face in her throat, kissing her hungrily. Startled, Asha cried out. His mouth followed the curves of her throat upward. He found her lips and bruisingly pressed against them.
Asha returned his kisses. They were needier than she remembered; in San Francisco he'd never been needy. He forced her lips apart with his tongue, then thrust it into her mouth, exploring. Asha could feel the heat rise within her. She'd never known Logan to be like this. Their mouths were smashed together.
Finally, Logan broke off the kiss and took several deep breaths.
"Logan, are you all right?"
"Yes," he replied, his chest heaving. "I'm all right." He kissed her again, then his mouth found her ear. He nipped her earlobe, then thrust his tongue into her ear. She moaned; he must have remembered what that did to her. He held her tighter and kissed her lips again, her cheek, her eyelids, almost in gratitude, it seemed.
Asha tangled her hands in his shaggy hair. He responded to her, running his lips over her throat again, kissing the hollow there. She slipped out of his embrace, and reached down to slide off Logan's shorts, but he gently redirected her hands over her head and slipped off her tank top. He cupped her breasts in his hands and circled her nipples with his tongue, first the left, then the right. Once again, she moaned with pleasure. He nuzzled between her breasts.
He felt so good next to her, their bodies touching. She smoothed his hair, then ran her fingers over his neck, shoulders, and back. His muscles tensed. She could feel the scars from his surgeries and realized that below them, he had little or no sensation. So she ran her hands up his back to his neck, then lifted his head from her breasts, stroking his throat and chest. It was his turn to moan.
His eyelids fluttered. As Logan kissed her, his fingers explored her body. His long, strong fingers - how she had missed his touch! He moved his hands down her belly to her navel, then traced a finger even lower. Almost as a reflex, her back arched to meet his hand.
He found the spot that inflamed all her nerve endings and began to massage it, slowly and gently. Asha moved her hips rhythmically, in time with his ministrations. The speed and intensity increased; she wrapped her legs around him. He put one arm around her and rolled onto his back, so that she was on top of him, her legs still wrapped around his hips. She leaned over him, her face not an inch from his, then nestled her head next to his ear, breathing into it.
Asha was caught in a growing wave of sensation that washed over her. She found herself transported back to a simpler, happier place with the passionate, beautiful man beside her, reliving their nights together in his apartment overlooking San Francisco Bay. All the while, he continued his finger play, sending Asha into paroxysms of pleasure. Harder and harder, deeper and deeper he thrust, then faster until she was nearly dancing, moving back and forth above him. Finally, all movement stopped as she reached climax, then sank down on top of him.
A blissful eternity later, Asha buried her face in Logan's chest and slept, only vaguely aware of the fact that their session had no effect on him.
Chapter Seven
Logan didn't sleep that night, but it was due to anticipation, rather than despair. He was up early the next morning, pacing impatiently in the exoskeleton. Asha came into the living room silently, listening to the whirr and click of the mechanism as he walked back and forth in front of the living room window.
"You're going to wear that thing out before we're ready to go. Chill out," she said by way of greeting.
Logan stopped, mid-step. "Sorry, I'm just impatient. I want this mission over."
"Don't work yourself into a lather. We're professionals, remember? I know patience was never a virtue of yours," Asha said, almost crossly, "but for once have a little."
She was trying not to think about Logan's behavior the previous night. All she wanted to do was focus on the mission. And as usual, he was too focused on the mission.
"What's for breakfast?" she asked, trying to defuse his impatient mood.
"Ah, I haven't made any yet. I was waiting for you to get up."
"Coffee then?" Asha asked hopefully.
"That's ready. Help yourself."
"OK. Thanks. Shall I fix something?" She went to the coffeemaker and poured herself a large cup.
"No, I'll do it." Logan quickly walked over to the kitchen and started to pull things out of cabinets and the refrigerator. Manically, he clattered around for a few minutes, chopping and mixing, while Asha sat on one of the stools, sipping coffee. She let him set the table, preferring to let him work off the adrenaline. She pulled up a chair at the table while Logan served up what he had cooked. As usual, the omelets were delicious, the bacon was crisp, and the toast was perfect. Logan fidgeted the whole time he ate, gulping down several cups of coffee. The atmosphere was tense.
"Logan, that was wonderful as usual. Now, you need to relax. We've got plenty of time before it all goes down."
"I've got a few more details to take care of, then I'll be good to go."
"OK. I'll call the guys later and make sure they're all set."
They finished breakfast. Then Logan cleaned up the kitchen while Asha showered and dressed. They still had four hours to kill before the mission went down; four hours to fight the jitters that always came with a job. Asha was used to it, but she wasn't sure that Logan was. He hadn't been on an Eyes Only mission in more than a year, as far as she knew, and his last one had resulted in his shooting and paralysis. No wonder he was nervous.
But she knew the plan was a good one, with little risk to Logan. It had been gone over, reconsidered, and gone over again. It was solid. She looked forward to completing the mission, if for no other reason than to soothe Logan's frazzled nerves and prove to him that he could do it. Once he had the necessary files, maybe his mood would lift; maybe he'd find what he was looking for; maybe she'd find out what was eating at him.
Drying her hair, she came back into the living room. This time, Logan was staring out the window.
"Logan, you should get some rest. You look tired."
"I'm OK. Really."
"If you say so. Did you get any sleep last night?"
Logan hesitated. "Not much. Too spun about this. I'll be all right once this is over. It's just that I've been working so hard on this mission and now it's only a few hours away."
"Logan, everything will be fine. We'll get the files and take down Manticore, just as Eyes Only wants us to do. At least sit down. You're making me nervous."
Logan walked over to the computer and sat down in the chair in front of it. He sprawled awkwardly in the exoskeleton, as if he didn't quite know what do with it. After a few minutes, he turned on the computer and became absorbed in checking his contacts for any more information about Manticore. Feeling ignored, Asha went back to the guest room to lie down. At least one of them should be completely rested for that afternoon's adventure.
*****
At 2:00, Asha emerged from her room, ready for the raid. She was clad in a black tee shirt with studs arrayed around the neckline, black pants and a leather jacket. As she entered the computer room looking for Logan, she loaded a clip into her gun and put it into a large purse. She glanced around the room, but Logan was nowhere to be seen.
"Logan?" she headed into the kitchen, but quickly turned around when she heard a noise down the hall. "Well, don't you just look the part," she said with amusement as Logan came out of his bedroom.
Logan laughed. "That's the point of the exercise." He was wearing baggy black pants, a black tank top, and a black and gray cammo shirt with the sleeves cut off. With his shaggy hair and extra-long stubble, he looked suitably disheveled. The exoskeleton could barely be seen over his black boots. "Ready?"
"As ready as I ever could be. Shall we?"
"One more thing," Logan commented as he plopped down in the wheelchair. "OK. Ready to roll, so to speak."
They left the apartment and went out into the hall to catch the elevator.
*****
When they got to Logan's car, he got out of the chair, opened the rear hatch, popped the wheels off the chair, folded the seat up, and stashed it. Then he clambered in behind the wheel while Asha got into the passenger seat.
"One stop, then we pick up your guys," he said as he pulled out of the parking space and headed toward the exit.
They drove off in the direction of the safe house, but a few blocks from its location, Logan turned right and drove toward a shabby commercial district. He pulled up in front of a drab print shop, its windows dusty and dim.
"Give me a few minutes," he said to Asha as he parked the Aztek.
"Sure," she replied. She watched as he got out of the car and headed into the shop. Ever on the alert, she surveyed the surrounding buildings, on the lookout for Sector Police, while Logan conducted his business. Five minutes later, he emerged, stuffing some cards in his wallet.
"ID," he said in response to her questioning glance.
"ID?"
"Yeah, you don't think I'm going in there as Logan Cale, do you? If I want to get near those files, I need to be legit - just in case the VA does have records. I was never in the Army and I sure as hell wasn't injured in action."
"The nature of the war was different. That's all," Asha said thoughtfully.
"Yeah, well." A flash of pain and gratitude at Asha's recognition appeared on Logan's face before he awkwardly looked away. "Had my guy track down a vet who was injured in combat. He died a few years ago. It was pretty simple altering the records."
"You are nothing if not thorough." Asha was impressed.
"Gotta be. You never know what records survived the Pulse."
"True." At the safe house, the other S1W members were waiting for them. Logan parked and they piled into the car, smiling and greeting him and Asha. At last, the final stage of the mission was underway.
*****
A short drive took them to the block where the VA office was located. Logan was careful to park the Aztek a suitable distance from the building. They all got out of the car to deploy; first Logan would enter the building, then one by one, the rest of the crew would drift in and wait for his signal. The fact that Logan got out of the car and walked to the rear to retrieve the wheelchair wasn't lost on the rest of them. The guys exchanged puzzled looks and Asha frowned at them, silently mouthing the word "later." They watched as Logan assembled the chair and situated himself in it. While Asha and the rest waited, he wheeled down the street and stopped in front of the office door. Before entering, he turned the chair and smiled at them. Then he was gone.
"Well, I'm confused," John said. "I thought you said Logan couldn't walk."
"He can't - not without help. He somehow got hold of a surplus Department of Defense exoskeleton. He's wearing it under his clothes. It enables him to stand and walk. He figured he should use it today just in case he had to get out of there quickly."
"Oh, OK. Just freaked me out there for a minute."
"Me too when he first used it with me," Asha admitted. "Well, time to go."
One by one, they sauntered into the building, each taking a number and sitting down in the waiting room. None of them acknowledged the presence of the others. They assumed bored poses, and waited.
In about 15 minutes, Logan's number was called. He wheeled himself to a desk at the rear of the room, nearest the cage holding the file boxes. Asha watched him carefully, knowing that his signal would start the next phase of the operation.
She couldn't hear the conversation between Logan and the clerk; however, she could tell that the clerk looked bored and Logan, exasperated. Every now and then, the clerk would consult his computer screen, then shake his head. Logan grew more animated; he gestured toward the cage full of old records, probably suggesting to the clerk that he should open the cage and look through the files contained there. Again, the clerk shook his head. Then he held up his hand and rubbed the thumb and index finger together, indicating that money should change hands. Logan looked toward the waiting room and nodded almost imperceptibly.
That was the signal. Quickly, Asha, who had been standing in the waiting room, rocking back and forth, climbed onto a chair, pulled out her gun, and fired a shot into the ceiling.
"All right, people, we're the S1W. We're here to set this thing straight!" she shouted. The vets in the waiting room burst into cheers. "Nobody's gonna get hurt, nobody is gonna pay for what they already have coming, and nobody is gonna leave here without their ration cards!"
The vets continued to cheer as the other S1W members drew their guns and entered the office area. Bill disarmed the guard and pushed him to the floor. "Get down!" he shouted.
The VA clerks behind their desks dropped to the floor, expressions of fear on their faces. Logan stood up and shot a mischievous glance at Asha. He walked over to the records cage as Asha joined him. She shot off the padlock and opened the door. Together, they entered the cage. Lee and Pete located the rations cards and began to distribute them to the vets.
Amid the semi-chaos of the VA office, Bill held his gun on the prostrate clerks and the guard. Pete continued the distribution of the rations cards while Lee joined Logan and Asha in the cage. He knew where to look for the files, so they quickly found the boxes they sought. There were three of them, crammed with papers.
"Pile 'em on the chair," Logan ordered. "It will be easier to carry them out of the building that way."
Asha smiled at him. "Good idea, Logan."
"I'll go get the car and bring it up to the back door," he replied.
Logan strode out of the VA Office, the exoskeleton whirring and clicking. He quickly got the Aztek and drove it around the corner into the alley, pulling up at the back door of the building. After he opened the rear hatch, he went to the door and knocked. A few seconds later, he heard a shot, as Asha destroyed yet another lock.
The door opened and Lee and Asha ran out, pushing the wheelchair, now laden with boxes. They loaded the boxes into the car. While Logan was disassembling the chair, Pete, Bill, and John emerged from the building. They shut the door after them and blocked it with a trash bin. The S1W members all high-fived each other and Logan.
"Confusion to the enemy!" Lee cried out and the rest echoed him. They climbed back into the Aztek, their mission completed.
*****
Logan drove back to the safe house. Everyone was still excited over the success of the mission.
"Well done guys," Logan said as he pulled up to the curb. The S1W members got out of the Aztek and headed for the house. "You want to stick around? I'm sure Eyes Only can use your help on other jobs."
"Hey, that would be great. We could use a break from Frisco and Seattle seems like as good a place as any to be," John said.
"Terrific. I'll be in touch. And once again, thanks."
"Our pleasure. We'll catch ya later, Logan."
*****
Logan and Asha returned to the penthouse and lugged the boxes into the dining room. They stacked them by the dining room table, so Logan could easily get to them. Asha went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
"I could use a beer. Want one?"
"Sure, why not? It's been a long day."
Logan sat down at the table and started to pull papers out of the top box. Asha handed him a bottle of beer and he absentmindedly reached for it. As she looked on, Logan went into research mode and soon became oblivious of her presence.
An hour later, papers were stacked all over the table. Logan began to emerge from his single-minded perusal of the records. He realized that Asha was standing next to him with an amused expression on her face. He looked up at her.
"You really thought you were gonna get into the file room pretending to be a vet?"
"I took a shot," he commented.
"So did I."
Logan chuckled at that remark. The understatement was so typical of Asha. "Appreciate you guys coming along."
Asha made some remark that Logan didn't quite catch. He rummaged through the stack of papers and pulled out a sheet. He waved it at Asha.
"This is Manticore's Wyoming facility. It's gotta be. Requisitions don't add up otherwise."
She leaned over him, her breath on his neck. Once again, the closeness felt good to him. "Think they're running their budget through the VA's books? Trying to cover their tracks?" she asked.
Logan nodded. "If I can follow the money, maybe I can find out where the main facility is."
Asha sat down at the table and looked at him questioningly. "Logan, how many jobs do you think we've done for Eyes Only in the past couple of years?"
Logan was startled by the question. When he had gotten Asha and the S1W involved in Eyes Only missions several years ago, he had decided not to reveal to her that he was Eyes Only. He figured that what she didn't know couldn't hurt her. He didn't want to further endanger her by having her know the identity of the bad guys' Public Enemy Number one. He still remembered the bitch-slapping session Gerhard Bronck had inflicted on him when Bronck thought he could get him to reveal Eyes Only's identity.
"I don't know. Why?"
Asha shrugged. "I've just never seen you get so caught up in an assignment before."
"It's not an assignment. Eyes Only is taking on Manticore as a favor to me," Logan admitted.
"You're messing with some powerful people. They play rough."
Logan looked down, avoiding eye contact with her. "I don't care what happens to me."
When she heard that remark, it suddenly dawned on Asha what this was all about; why Logan was so spun about this mission, what was causing his moods. "Said in his hacks some of those kids escaped back in '09. You knew one of them, didn't you?"
"Her name was Max," Logan said in a dead voice.
"They killed her, didn't they?" - and you were in love with her, weren't you? Asha added silently. That's what this is all about.
Logan said sadly, "I watched her die. The thing is, I can't really believe she's gone. I don't believe it. I know it sounds crazy, but I feel like . she's still out there."
Asha got up from the table and put her arms around Logan. She held him tightly, cradling his head against her chest. She stood there like that for what seemed like hours. Finally she spoke.
"I'm sorry that Max is dead. I really am, but you're not dead, Logan."
"I might as well be," Logan replied. The he got up from the table and retreated to his bedroom, shutting the door behind him.
Asha sighed.
*****
Late that night, Asha awoke abruptly. Once again, she heard noise coming from Logan's bedroom and realized that he was in the throes of another nightmare. As she had done the other night, she crept down the hall to his room, senses on the alert. She opened the door and tiptoed into Logan's room, this time without her gun.
The curtains were partially drawn, as if closed in haste. Light shone in from other high-rise buildings. Asha could see the exoskeleton next to the nightstand, eerie in the dim light. Logan's wheelchair was next to the bed. Logan himself was wide-eyed although deep asleep, an expression of horror on his face. Asha tiptoed around the bed to the far side. She closed the curtains, then climbed into bed next to him. As she had the other night, she put her arms around him in an embrace.
But this time, he did not stop his peculiar upper-body thrashing and he continued to cry out. It sounded like a name - Max. Asha held Logan tighter. He twisted around in order to return her embrace and held onto her desperately. His strength surprised her.
She shook him. "Logan! Wake up!"
Not quite awake, he looked at her with his out of focus stare. "Max?"
"No, Logan. It's Asha, not Max."
"Asha?"
"Yes, Logan. Asha."
He was thoroughly awake now, still clinging to her, but his body relaxed a bit. He buried his face in her throat, kissing her hungrily. Startled, Asha cried out. His mouth followed the curves of her throat upward. He found her lips and bruisingly pressed against them.
Asha returned his kisses. They were needier than she remembered; in San Francisco he'd never been needy. He forced her lips apart with his tongue, then thrust it into her mouth, exploring. Asha could feel the heat rise within her. She'd never known Logan to be like this. Their mouths were smashed together.
Finally, Logan broke off the kiss and took several deep breaths.
"Logan, are you all right?"
"Yes," he replied, his chest heaving. "I'm all right." He kissed her again, then his mouth found her ear. He nipped her earlobe, then thrust his tongue into her ear. She moaned; he must have remembered what that did to her. He held her tighter and kissed her lips again, her cheek, her eyelids, almost in gratitude, it seemed.
Asha tangled her hands in his shaggy hair. He responded to her, running his lips over her throat again, kissing the hollow there. She slipped out of his embrace, and reached down to slide off Logan's shorts, but he gently redirected her hands over her head and slipped off her tank top. He cupped her breasts in his hands and circled her nipples with his tongue, first the left, then the right. Once again, she moaned with pleasure. He nuzzled between her breasts.
He felt so good next to her, their bodies touching. She smoothed his hair, then ran her fingers over his neck, shoulders, and back. His muscles tensed. She could feel the scars from his surgeries and realized that below them, he had little or no sensation. So she ran her hands up his back to his neck, then lifted his head from her breasts, stroking his throat and chest. It was his turn to moan.
His eyelids fluttered. As Logan kissed her, his fingers explored her body. His long, strong fingers - how she had missed his touch! He moved his hands down her belly to her navel, then traced a finger even lower. Almost as a reflex, her back arched to meet his hand.
He found the spot that inflamed all her nerve endings and began to massage it, slowly and gently. Asha moved her hips rhythmically, in time with his ministrations. The speed and intensity increased; she wrapped her legs around him. He put one arm around her and rolled onto his back, so that she was on top of him, her legs still wrapped around his hips. She leaned over him, her face not an inch from his, then nestled her head next to his ear, breathing into it.
Asha was caught in a growing wave of sensation that washed over her. She found herself transported back to a simpler, happier place with the passionate, beautiful man beside her, reliving their nights together in his apartment overlooking San Francisco Bay. All the while, he continued his finger play, sending Asha into paroxysms of pleasure. Harder and harder, deeper and deeper he thrust, then faster until she was nearly dancing, moving back and forth above him. Finally, all movement stopped as she reached climax, then sank down on top of him.
A blissful eternity later, Asha buried her face in Logan's chest and slept, only vaguely aware of the fact that their session had no effect on him.