Author's Note: Thanks to all my nice reviewers, you are the reason for this story.
***
Private Corporation, Part Ten.
Max, with Alec a few steps behind her, rounded the corner. The first person she saw was Mitch - and a quick check showed he was alone. Probably anyway.
She watched his face lighten a little as she approached. "What do you want?" she asked forcefully, stopping a few feet from him.
"I have to tell you something," Mitch began, hesitating. "It - involoves the CIA."
"I figured," Max said. "So are you going to explain, or maybe you were just sent out to kill me. How's Michaela? She can't be happy I've escaped - again."
"That's what I need to talk to you about. Michaela and I belong to the same unit, but we're - well, I respect Michaela, but-"
"Can you get to the point? For all your DNA is fancier than mine" - not likely, actually - "at least I can get to the point."
"Michaela's crazy." Oh, how articulate.
"Really? I wouldn't have noticed," Max said sweetly.
"No, I mean crazy. look, years ago, when we were about ten, a psychologist cam in to look at us. He said -"
"That you were unfit for outside missions, and only recommended for compound security measures," Max said, please that he was shocked into silence. "But your superiors didn't listen, and then they killed the guy and sent him down a river."
"How did you know that? It's classified information."
"You can find anything if you dig hard enough. Michaela only escaped being left on security by some insignificant IQ, and you're supposedly fine."
Her scorn hurt him. "I topped my unit," he said quietly. "Michaela - well, she's brutal. She doesn't know the meaning of pity. Her plan is to kidnap your friends, and then force you to do what she wants."
"I suppose you'll join in, then? After all, you don't want her mad at you, if she's so pitiless. You can go back now, and tell her I've actually gotten a lead on the files, and she can keep her threats to herself. I'll call in when I have them."
"You don't understand, do you? I have to join in. She'll be too dangerous if I don't. And whether or not you get the files doesn't mean anything; she intends on killing your friends anyway. You have to leave for a while."
"What?" Max asked. "She's going to kill them anyway?"
"I told you," Mitch said. "You have to leave. Get out of here for, say, a month. I can convince her that we'll find someone else."
"No."
"You could fake your own d-"
"No."
"Well, what do you suggest we do?"
"Nothing," Max said angrily. "If I leave, she'll take it out on my friends. If I "die" she'll take it out on my friends. You can't do anything because you're supposed to be my enemy. I'll find this disk, and I'll do it without running away or hiding. I'm going to kick her sorry ass when this is all finished, so she knows not to mess with me."
And Mitch could do nothing but let her go. Max walked off with her head high, and when she was far enough away, Alec joined her.
"What'd he want?"
"Warn me about Michaela. He thinks I'll put in a good word for him if he tells me his partner is insane."
"What are you going to do about it? See, in case you didn't notice, she's threatening to kill all your firneds."
"Then why aee you worried?"
"Oh, now that was a low shot. I've only just started enjoying life."
Max rolled her eyes, but was filled with a fresh waved of determination to show Michaela that no one messed with her, or her friends.
And we'll see how you like being on the other end of the insults, bitch, Max thought, and smiled.
***
Come on, give us a nice little review...
***
Private Corporation, Part Ten.
Max, with Alec a few steps behind her, rounded the corner. The first person she saw was Mitch - and a quick check showed he was alone. Probably anyway.
She watched his face lighten a little as she approached. "What do you want?" she asked forcefully, stopping a few feet from him.
"I have to tell you something," Mitch began, hesitating. "It - involoves the CIA."
"I figured," Max said. "So are you going to explain, or maybe you were just sent out to kill me. How's Michaela? She can't be happy I've escaped - again."
"That's what I need to talk to you about. Michaela and I belong to the same unit, but we're - well, I respect Michaela, but-"
"Can you get to the point? For all your DNA is fancier than mine" - not likely, actually - "at least I can get to the point."
"Michaela's crazy." Oh, how articulate.
"Really? I wouldn't have noticed," Max said sweetly.
"No, I mean crazy. look, years ago, when we were about ten, a psychologist cam in to look at us. He said -"
"That you were unfit for outside missions, and only recommended for compound security measures," Max said, please that he was shocked into silence. "But your superiors didn't listen, and then they killed the guy and sent him down a river."
"How did you know that? It's classified information."
"You can find anything if you dig hard enough. Michaela only escaped being left on security by some insignificant IQ, and you're supposedly fine."
Her scorn hurt him. "I topped my unit," he said quietly. "Michaela - well, she's brutal. She doesn't know the meaning of pity. Her plan is to kidnap your friends, and then force you to do what she wants."
"I suppose you'll join in, then? After all, you don't want her mad at you, if she's so pitiless. You can go back now, and tell her I've actually gotten a lead on the files, and she can keep her threats to herself. I'll call in when I have them."
"You don't understand, do you? I have to join in. She'll be too dangerous if I don't. And whether or not you get the files doesn't mean anything; she intends on killing your friends anyway. You have to leave for a while."
"What?" Max asked. "She's going to kill them anyway?"
"I told you," Mitch said. "You have to leave. Get out of here for, say, a month. I can convince her that we'll find someone else."
"No."
"You could fake your own d-"
"No."
"Well, what do you suggest we do?"
"Nothing," Max said angrily. "If I leave, she'll take it out on my friends. If I "die" she'll take it out on my friends. You can't do anything because you're supposed to be my enemy. I'll find this disk, and I'll do it without running away or hiding. I'm going to kick her sorry ass when this is all finished, so she knows not to mess with me."
And Mitch could do nothing but let her go. Max walked off with her head high, and when she was far enough away, Alec joined her.
"What'd he want?"
"Warn me about Michaela. He thinks I'll put in a good word for him if he tells me his partner is insane."
"What are you going to do about it? See, in case you didn't notice, she's threatening to kill all your firneds."
"Then why aee you worried?"
"Oh, now that was a low shot. I've only just started enjoying life."
Max rolled her eyes, but was filled with a fresh waved of determination to show Michaela that no one messed with her, or her friends.
And we'll see how you like being on the other end of the insults, bitch, Max thought, and smiled.
***
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