Author's Note: For my dedicated reviewers, I LOVE you all, and the time frame is actually about 3-5 weeks into Season Two. (God, I hope Lydecker doesn't die)
Private Corporation, Part Three.
Max got out of the van on the outskirts of the city. She would have loved to have her bike, but it was in her apartment, where she should be if sha had any sense. Instead of running around with genetically engineered CIA agents, who were probably tracking every move she made. She swung around in a lazy circle to prove it. Yep, there they were. She waved as her pupils dilated, revealing their sheepish grins. They disappeared from the roof of the building.
She felt her palms curl slightly - nervousness, she supposed. She'd never really been nervous before, except at that wedding Logan had taken her to. But now she was pretty much breaking into her boyfriends house, to take files she thought she'd never need again. And then there was the thought of him catching her. Michaela wouldn't take the chance of him telling. she'd probably kill him if she knew that he already knew. But so could Max. Damn virus, she thought, hating herself for a moment. Focus, she said briefly. It's now or never. Probably for one of the first times ever, she wished for never. Or at least not now.
Logan's house was just ahead. She closed her eyes briefly, and entered to take the stairs. How original, she thought cyniclly. A cat burglar who uses stairs. She climbed carefully, metal stairs could make a hell of a noise if you weren't careful and she didn't need that at the moment. The door to the penthouse was in front of her. She was breathing slightly to hard, but from fear, nervousness or exertion she couldn't tell and realy couldn't be bothered thinking about it just now.
Right, she told herself. In and out. don't even think about Logan. In and out. Don't even think -
She opened the door noiselessly.
Max must have thought he was really stupid. Did she really think he'd just let her come and take off with files? Sure he trusted her, but he didn't think she was really all right and anyway, he wanted to see her. The Virus wasn't going to stop him from talking to her, or just seeing her. She was making too much of it.
So he was sitting in his kitchen, waiting for the light sound of footfalls that he would hear no matter how quiet Max tried to be. Sometimes he thought it was just her, everything about her that he could sense. He'd almost laughed at himself for that. He wasn't a fancfiful man.
She knew instantly he was there. It was one of the things about him, he always underestimated her X5/Manticore abilities. She supposed she underestimated him to, with the technology he had even in an economic meltdown. he could track her at any time, any where. Instead he'd used the old fashioned method of sitting up all night. He must be really pissed off, Max thought, to be up at three in the morning. She debated briefly just sneaking past and not turning any lights on. The computer screen lit up the room. Well, scratch that idea. The light from the screen would show her up anyway. She snuck towards the kitchen, and flicked on the lights.
And froze. The look he gave her was beyond pissed off. It was angry, and edging towards furious. But then again, she'd been off for two days without her cell or her pager, and had only called him for a favour. Plus she'd left without a word in the first place. Well, that couldn't be helped. She smiled, leaning slightly against the doorframe. "Hi."
Logan stared at her and she suddenly felt like laughing. He was so shocked that it took at least thirty seconds before he could think of anything to say. "Hi? You go missing for two days, then ring and demand files that you shouldn't need, and think you can waltz in and say 'hi?'"
Max sighed; he was taking this worse than she thought. "No. I thought I could waltz in and take the files, without you staying up for me. I mean, you idiot! I told you to do something, and I expected you to do it."
"And why the Hell wouldn't I wait up for you?! You can't just disappear when it suits you, and give me shitty excuses just because you don't want me to know. And what are you protecting me from now? The Virus? It's been there for weeks, and standing here like this isn't affecting me. There's something up Max, and, damn it, I want to know what the Hell you're doing!" Max stared when Logan had finished his speech. A wild desire to be sarcastic came over her, but she thought better of pissing him off further.
"Logan, I'm sorry. But this is something I have to handle by myself, with no interference. Do you want to end up dead? Because that's what'll happen if you don't let me do this one on my own. The people I'm working with aren't tolerable of screw-ups or people finding out things they shouldn't know. And if they know you're standing here now talking to me, and that you know why I'm doing this, they're not going to be happy at all. Don't you understand? I don't want you dead." Max willed him to understand. There was a pause while he thought about this, and he softened.
He said, in a slightly calmer tone, "They're CIA agaents, aren't they? I've been doing some digging since you called. Apparently it didn't disband after all, and became privately owned. You were right, but I don't see what they had to do with Manticore. Or you, for that matter. But I got the staff lists - as many as I could, anyway."
"Thanks, Logan," Max said. "I promise I'll tell you everything - just not now. It isn't safe. They might have tracked me." Logan nodded, and led the way into the computer. He sat down, and Max wandered the room. "You went to a lot of trouble for me," Max said, surprised.
"Not really," Logan admitted. "The files were already on my computer, all I had to do was open them. You want them printed?"
"Yep. This is great. Did you see Original Cindy and Normal?"
"I did. Normal's given you a week, upon production of your Doctor's Certificate. Original Cindy asked you to check in with her so she can tell you're ok, if you have time. By the way, he was very strict about a week, seeing as you only have a light bout of 'flu." Logan grinned at Max, who laughed quietly.
"'Flu, hey? Damn, that has to suck for me. Original Cindy knows different, doesn't she? I mean, seeing as she knows about Manticore and all." The thought of Original Cindy's acceptance compared to Sketchy's ridicule of 'genetic enhancements' made her think longingly of her friend. Sketchy didn't know the truth, and that's what made it worse. Half the problems in this world are ignorance, Max thought, and realised she'd spoken aloud when Logan nodded.
"Yes, she knows the truth. I suppose you're going now? Take this," he said, and passed her pager. "At least then I'll know you're alive."
Max laughed - then sobered. "I suppose," she said seriously. "Oh, speaking of life and death, if you get on to Lydecker, tell him to lie low and stay there." She walked to the door, turned, waved with one hand, the other in her pocket, and left. She didn't see Logan's confused glance, or his shrug. If that's what he had to do, then fine. He'd do it for her.
Outside, Max met up with Michaela and Mitch. "Did you get everything we need?" Michaela asked. Max nodded. "All of it?"
"Yes, all of it," Max replied imaptiently. "I just hope he doesn't kill me," she added, withdrawing the small tracking devices she'd stolen from her pocket. "I just pray he either doesn't notice or he doesn't need them. Are we really going to stick one of these on every Manticore technician?" She looked incredulous. There were only five of them. And Manticore had a lot of technicians.
"Yep," Mitch replied. "Well, no. Only the really important ones who are trying to set Manticore up again."
"Then I guess I should tell you the truth," Max said shiftily. "See, no technicians actually have the disk. It was taken a couple of weeks ago." She didn't add that she thought Lydecker had taken it.
Michaela and Mitch looked horrified. "I don't believe this," Michaela said angrily. "You lying little bitch. We trusted you."
"Hey, there's no need for that," Max broke in. "I can work this out."
"You'd better," Michaela said, drawing out a gun.
Author's Note: Come on, review me!!! Please? Oh, and I hope the formatting's better. Let me know if you prefer this one or Part Two...