A/N: Thanks for all reviews and recommendations. I'm having a lot of fun writing this. Oh, and in case anyone's wondering, this is NOT going to be Max/Alec. *shrugs* Sorry.
Private Corporation, Part Seven.
Logan
He wasn't actually sure whether he or Alec had come up with the original idea, but once they got going, the details were solved in ten minutes. Then the real problem had begun.
The idea was simple enough; Max had saved Jace on her bike, so it stood to reason they could do the same thing. Especially seeing as Alec had picked up Max's keys where she'd dropped them when she hit the deck at Joshua's. But now they had to look at more pressing matters. Who would do it? Where was Max? And, most importantly, what kind of guards did they have?
"I think I'd better go on the bike,' Alec said matter of factly. "If you look at it logically." Logan snorted, he didn't think Alec had ever looked at anything logically.
"What kind of logic?" he asked. "I can ride the bike, you know."
"Sure, but you can't share it," Alec pointed out. "How would you do it without touching?" He was right, he knew it and Logan knew it. "But how are we going to find her? That's the most pressing issue."
"No, it's not," Logan said, hitting on an idea. "We can trace her cell phone. Through the computer. If she gets a signal, we can get pretty close to her actual location." He grinned and Alec grinned back. All normal rules were suspened; they'd get along for now, and maybe they'd grow to like each other along the way. Or at least Logan hoped so. He didn't mind Alec, now that he'd shown himself capable of feelings.
"Not bad,' Alec said, leaning back in his chair. He was actually thinking that Logan wasn't such a bad guy after all, and he was really protective of Max. He could see what she saw in him now. Pity Logan only saw him as a playboy. "Good thing you're Eyes Only," he said with a grin. But he froze. There was someone there. Spying.
Creeping aorund the grass screen, he grabbed someone's wrist. Yanking on it, he pulled them around and into a chair, where he came face to face with Asha. "What - the - Hell - are - you - doing - here?" he asked, dragging every word out. By the look on her face, Alec knew she'd heard every word. Wonder and anger were both in her face.
Ignoring Alec, except for a bit of a nervous glance in his direction, Asha adressed Logan. "How come you never told me you were Eyes Only?" Oh, shit, Alec thought. He knew Asha hadn't known Logan's real identity as Eyes Only himself, and this one was all his fault. Logan was staring in surprise, and Alec acted instantly. If only logan didn't interuppt, he could probably save this.
"What do you mean, why didn't Logan tell you he was Eyes Only? Could it be because he's not? Or that you never give him a moments peace?"
Anger won in Asha's face. "Don't think I'm stupid," she snapped. "I heard you say to Logan 'lucky you're Eyes Only' and I do give him peace. It's Max that doesn't."
"You think you're a hot spy, huh?" Alec asked scornfully. She was, actually; he hadn't picked up on her for ages. "I said that it was lucky Logan's with Eyes Only. And do you want to leave Max out of this? Or are you pleased she's gone missing? Now you get Logan all to yourself. And at least Max can look after herself." Asha's hand shot out so fast there wasn't time to miss it. It connected with his cheek and his head snapped sideways. He could almost feel the red build up on his cheek.
"You," Asha said clearly, "are a bastard." She practically ran out of the apartment, and Logan, after an angry glance at Alec, followed her, calling out to her to wait up. Alec nearly took a leaf out of Joshua's book and started growling. As it was, he bared his teeth in a grimace. He'd been wrong. Logan was a bastard. He should either choose Asha or Max, and get over the other.
But he hadn't meant to lose his temper. It was just the pressure, that was all. He held his breath as Logan came back into the apartment. "Well," he said mildly. "I don't think Asha will be around for a while."
"Why?" Alec asked. "Because I said what I did?"
"Don't flatter yourself. She's embarrassed. Won't even talk to me. But," he said, changing his mood quickly, "we have to find Max. I'm going to run a trace on her cell."
"Does she still believe your Eyes Only?" Alec asked, unable to resist temptation.
"No," Logan said, "but she's probably still suspicious." He turned to his computer, wishing Max could see him and Alec getting along. Or even Alec and Asha's big fight. She'd have found it funny.
Logan grimly banished Max's deep brown eyes from his mind, and focused on work.
Max
Max was beginning to wish she hadn't run away. This room was worse than the hotel. An old farmhouse, with rat eaten floorboards and spiders in the rafters. It had proobably been a really nice house, before the Pulse and the CIA "disbanding" and so on.
The eyes that had been haunting Logan were moving restlessly about the room, looking for some way to get away while she tried to free her hands which were tied around a beam from the wall.
Two guards, possibly with guns, no make that definite, outside the room. Probably one at the entrance to the house. Maybe more on the perimeter. Not to mention a maze of rotten floorboards and holes in walls. Oh,and Mitch.
Max, mentally taking stock of the situation, deemed it hopeless. If there were two of her, maybe. But not without help.
Just as she was about to give up on her ropes, the one thing that could make her situation worse entered the room.
"Michaela." Shit.
"Ah, Max. Mitch told me about your little - joyride - tonight. That wasn't very wise, wouldn't you agree?"
"I'd rather work by myself. You knew that. If I checked in by phone every day -"
"You knew the deal. I didn't entirely trust you then, and I sure as all hell don't trust you now." Michaela had a smile on her face, like that damn cat that got the cream, Max thought furiously. Michaela was trying to goad her into an argument.
"I gave you a promise. I don't break them." Max wanted to hit her. Swear at her. Maybe choke the life out of her. All were appealing, and totally unsuitable while she was tied up.
"Just what I'd expect a Manticore to say," Michaela said, then laughed as Max tried to lunge at her. "Bit tied up, aren't you?"
"Michaela," Mitch said, skidding into the room, "we've got a disturbance in the north quarter. Explosions at that old shed."
Michaela swore. "Come on then," she shouted. She ran from the room, followed after a pause by Mitch. He looked at Max, who mouthed at him to take the damn ropes off, and he started back.
"Stay put," he said urgently. "She'll kill you next time." Max looked at his face, which already had a large bruise on it. Probably from letting her escape once. "Just stay here."
Max nodded, rubbing her wrists. But in her mind all she could think was yeah, right. Mitch ran off to join Michaela, and Max stood and ran for the door. Finding herself in a central hallway, she ran towards the light. Sprinting quickly out the front door, she was almost at the fence when she collided with a big dark shape.
"Max!" Somone was shouting. "Come on, we gotta go!"
"Alec?!!"
A/N-Reviews, both good and bad, are the variety and source of life. Hit that button! (No pressure or anything...)
Private Corporation, Part Seven.
He wasn't actually sure whether he or Alec had come up with the original idea, but once they got going, the details were solved in ten minutes. Then the real problem had begun.
The idea was simple enough; Max had saved Jace on her bike, so it stood to reason they could do the same thing. Especially seeing as Alec had picked up Max's keys where she'd dropped them when she hit the deck at Joshua's. But now they had to look at more pressing matters. Who would do it? Where was Max? And, most importantly, what kind of guards did they have?
"I think I'd better go on the bike,' Alec said matter of factly. "If you look at it logically." Logan snorted, he didn't think Alec had ever looked at anything logically.
"What kind of logic?" he asked. "I can ride the bike, you know."
"Sure, but you can't share it," Alec pointed out. "How would you do it without touching?" He was right, he knew it and Logan knew it. "But how are we going to find her? That's the most pressing issue."
"No, it's not," Logan said, hitting on an idea. "We can trace her cell phone. Through the computer. If she gets a signal, we can get pretty close to her actual location." He grinned and Alec grinned back. All normal rules were suspened; they'd get along for now, and maybe they'd grow to like each other along the way. Or at least Logan hoped so. He didn't mind Alec, now that he'd shown himself capable of feelings.
"Not bad,' Alec said, leaning back in his chair. He was actually thinking that Logan wasn't such a bad guy after all, and he was really protective of Max. He could see what she saw in him now. Pity Logan only saw him as a playboy. "Good thing you're Eyes Only," he said with a grin. But he froze. There was someone there. Spying.
Creeping aorund the grass screen, he grabbed someone's wrist. Yanking on it, he pulled them around and into a chair, where he came face to face with Asha. "What - the - Hell - are - you - doing - here?" he asked, dragging every word out. By the look on her face, Alec knew she'd heard every word. Wonder and anger were both in her face.
Ignoring Alec, except for a bit of a nervous glance in his direction, Asha adressed Logan. "How come you never told me you were Eyes Only?" Oh, shit, Alec thought. He knew Asha hadn't known Logan's real identity as Eyes Only himself, and this one was all his fault. Logan was staring in surprise, and Alec acted instantly. If only logan didn't interuppt, he could probably save this.
"What do you mean, why didn't Logan tell you he was Eyes Only? Could it be because he's not? Or that you never give him a moments peace?"
Anger won in Asha's face. "Don't think I'm stupid," she snapped. "I heard you say to Logan 'lucky you're Eyes Only' and I do give him peace. It's Max that doesn't."
"You think you're a hot spy, huh?" Alec asked scornfully. She was, actually; he hadn't picked up on her for ages. "I said that it was lucky Logan's with Eyes Only. And do you want to leave Max out of this? Or are you pleased she's gone missing? Now you get Logan all to yourself. And at least Max can look after herself." Asha's hand shot out so fast there wasn't time to miss it. It connected with his cheek and his head snapped sideways. He could almost feel the red build up on his cheek.
"You," Asha said clearly, "are a bastard." She practically ran out of the apartment, and Logan, after an angry glance at Alec, followed her, calling out to her to wait up. Alec nearly took a leaf out of Joshua's book and started growling. As it was, he bared his teeth in a grimace. He'd been wrong. Logan was a bastard. He should either choose Asha or Max, and get over the other.
But he hadn't meant to lose his temper. It was just the pressure, that was all. He held his breath as Logan came back into the apartment. "Well," he said mildly. "I don't think Asha will be around for a while."
"Why?" Alec asked. "Because I said what I did?"
"Don't flatter yourself. She's embarrassed. Won't even talk to me. But," he said, changing his mood quickly, "we have to find Max. I'm going to run a trace on her cell."
"Does she still believe your Eyes Only?" Alec asked, unable to resist temptation.
"No," Logan said, "but she's probably still suspicious." He turned to his computer, wishing Max could see him and Alec getting along. Or even Alec and Asha's big fight. She'd have found it funny.
Logan grimly banished Max's deep brown eyes from his mind, and focused on work.
Max was beginning to wish she hadn't run away. This room was worse than the hotel. An old farmhouse, with rat eaten floorboards and spiders in the rafters. It had proobably been a really nice house, before the Pulse and the CIA "disbanding" and so on.
The eyes that had been haunting Logan were moving restlessly about the room, looking for some way to get away while she tried to free her hands which were tied around a beam from the wall.
Two guards, possibly with guns, no make that definite, outside the room. Probably one at the entrance to the house. Maybe more on the perimeter. Not to mention a maze of rotten floorboards and holes in walls. Oh,and Mitch.
Max, mentally taking stock of the situation, deemed it hopeless. If there were two of her, maybe. But not without help.
Just as she was about to give up on her ropes, the one thing that could make her situation worse entered the room.
"Michaela." Shit.
"Ah, Max. Mitch told me about your little - joyride - tonight. That wasn't very wise, wouldn't you agree?"
"I'd rather work by myself. You knew that. If I checked in by phone every day -"
"You knew the deal. I didn't entirely trust you then, and I sure as all hell don't trust you now." Michaela had a smile on her face, like that damn cat that got the cream, Max thought furiously. Michaela was trying to goad her into an argument.
"I gave you a promise. I don't break them." Max wanted to hit her. Swear at her. Maybe choke the life out of her. All were appealing, and totally unsuitable while she was tied up.
"Just what I'd expect a Manticore to say," Michaela said, then laughed as Max tried to lunge at her. "Bit tied up, aren't you?"
"Michaela," Mitch said, skidding into the room, "we've got a disturbance in the north quarter. Explosions at that old shed."
Michaela swore. "Come on then," she shouted. She ran from the room, followed after a pause by Mitch. He looked at Max, who mouthed at him to take the damn ropes off, and he started back.
"Stay put," he said urgently. "She'll kill you next time." Max looked at his face, which already had a large bruise on it. Probably from letting her escape once. "Just stay here."
Max nodded, rubbing her wrists. But in her mind all she could think was yeah, right. Mitch ran off to join Michaela, and Max stood and ran for the door. Finding herself in a central hallway, she ran towards the light. Sprinting quickly out the front door, she was almost at the fence when she collided with a big dark shape.
"Max!" Somone was shouting. "Come on, we gotta go!"
"Alec?!!"
A/N-Reviews, both good and bad, are the variety and source of life. Hit that button! (No pressure or anything...)