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" Fellow citizens of Seattle the first thing I want to do is thank you for your cooperation and assistance after the horrific events of this morning. As you all know one of the so-called transgenics, the mutant monsters released by the terrorist organization S1W, earlier this year, brutally murdered two young girls this morning in Sector 5. Thanks to concerned citizens the monster was caught…"
"Yeah right." Alec muttered. "Caught and butchered." Logan just listened as the politician went on about the subsequent riots and police crackdown, using skillful demagoguery to further inflame the citizenry against what he called the "mutants". Judging by the response of the media in attendance he would be getting a lot of assistance from them in the coming days.
When the broadcast finished the three sat soberly, even Alec silenced. Bottom line was that one of the Manticore nomalies had either killed two young girls or been caught with their bodies after they were killed by some other perpetrator. Based on the Sector where it had taken place the latter scenario was just as likely but Redmond had seized on the events to fan the fire he had been working to build for the last few weeks. The discovery of the nomalie with the bodies had resulted in a lynching by a group of hysterical citizens no doubt urged on by Redmond's agents.
The day's events had also sparked riots in various parts of Seattle as panicked residents turned on anyone and everyone who seemed even slightly different. A group home for the retarded had been burned and it's residents killed in the frenzy. Redmond had seized the opportunity and instituted barcode checks at every Sector checkpoint and hinted at random citywide checks in days to come. For the first time it was being made clear that the mutants included people who looked just like "real humans" except for a barcode on the back of their necks. Until the present the easily identifiable "mutant" transgenics had been the target of the politician – now he was stepping up his campaign to include any and all of them.
"Guess you're stuck with some company for a while Logan. Hope you've got some supplies laid in." Alec observed trying to put a lighter face on the problem.
"That's the least of our worries. White has obviously teamed up with Redmond – that's why the guy suddenly has a lot more information on what the transgenics are as well as about the X5, X6 and X8 series being the same as everyone else in appearance. He didn't know that before, I'm sure of it from his prior speeches."
"Do you think Redmond has been White's tool all along?" Asha asked. Logan shook his head.
"I doubt it. I know Alan Redmond from when I was growing up. His family was good friends with mine. Alan and I never got along. He was a politician from the time we were in grade school. Not terribly bright but very good at charming people into doing what he wanted. Probably the most dangerous kind of politician – easy picking for someone who wants to use him for their own ends."
"Someone in this case being Ames White." Max's voice startled the three of them as they sat there. Logan started to rise to go to her but she stopped him with a look and went to sit on the chair set at right angles to the couch. Logan sighed; she was still pissed at him for his comments earlier.
"Exactly." he simply agreed.
"It seems White has come up with a new tactic. He hasn't been successful hunting down and killing the transgenics, so he'll get the entire population of Seattle to do it for him. It's not going to happen Logan, I won't let it." Max 's voice was adamant.
"How are you going to stop it, Max?" Alec questioned. "We're scattered. There's no organization, no one to tell them what to do. You saw the X6's and X8's; they were designed to follow orders. They'll have no idea what to do in this situation. Then there are the ones like Joshua. They might get away with hiding in the sewers and basements for a while but with the whole city after them sooner or later they'll be caught. You ask me it's time to get out of Dodge."
"You would say that. Save your own skin. I thought you were an X5. We were supposed to be the officers, the leaders. Don't you have any sense of loyalty or responsibility to your team?" Max's words were harsh and Alec stiffened as they cut him like whip strokes.
"That was Manticore. Manticore is gone; we're all on our own in a big bad world now, Max. We have no assets, no organization, no way to even reach them. Where would we gather if we could? And what would we do? Go to war against the normal humans? There's too many of them and too few of us. Sorry but I'm not into suicide."
Max just glared at Alec furious at his response. She started to reply but Logan interrupted
"It's late, we're all tired and we don't have enough facts to go on. The X series are smart enough to lay low for now until we can figure out what to do. I can make an Eyes Only broadcast to them but there's no sense in doing it until we have a plan." He paused then went on "I really wish we could contact Lydecker. We don't know enough about White and who or what he works for. We need to know exactly what resources he has and how he's likely to use them. Lydecker could probably answer those questions for us."
Max was clearly unhappy with any delay when her family was in trouble but she couldn't think of a strong argument to refute any of Logan's points. Alec just shrugged.
"I'm not going anywhere for a few days at least." He looked at Max and quickly amended, "That doesn't mean I'm part of some crazy plan you come up with. I repeat suicide is not an attractive option for me."
"Whatever." Max was too tired and too upset to argue any further with him. Her wound had left her weaker than she wanted to admit and she needed to rest. Problem was that her fight with Logan earlier had kept her from resting.
"Max?"
She started, realizing that Alec and Asha had left the room and Logan was talking to her.
He had moved to the end of the couch closest to the chair she was sitting in and his hand was on her knee. He was giving her one of his puppy dog looks, the ones she could never resist but she tried to steel herself against him not quite ready to give up her anger from earlier.
"Can we talk?" Damn she hated when he used that husky tone of voice. It sent shivers down her spine and made her think of other, more pleasant things they could be doing besides fighting. She forced herself to reply coldly.
"Talk? Or are you going to jump all over my case again?"
"I was wrong." He paused then continued, "I was scared. The thought of you and bullets freezes my blood. For three months I thought you were dead, Max. I went through hell. Bringing down Manticore kept me going but that was the only thing that did. Next time…I don't know."
His words gave her pause and she softened her tone. "Oh. I didn't think of that." She was silent for a moment considering. "At least I knew you were alive. I guess in that sense it was a little easier for me. It's just that I wasn't raised for any of this." As she spoke she made a gesture encompassing him and his apartment. "I was supposed to be a soldier. No attachments. No house and 2.5 kids and white picket fence. No one to worry about or who would worry about me. Sometimes I feel like it's all closing in on me and I want to get on my bike and ride away." She felt Logan's hand tighten on her knee and looked up to see the brief flash of pain in his eyes before he quickly veiled it.
"It's okay Max. I understand. I'm not going anywhere. Even if you leave I'll be here waiting for you to come back. I promise you that."
Max laid her hand gently over his. "I can't leave Logan. Sometimes I can't live with you but at the same time I can't live without you. I don't know how it's all going to play out in the end with us. But I guess for now we're both in it for the ride."
Blue eyes met brown and for a bittersweet moment everything they each felt was open and exposed to the other. Love and fear and anger and confusion all mixed together along with the unmistakable passion that had been there from the first time they had met.
"Max there are times I don't know if I want to kiss you or kill you." Logan growled as he reached out and pulled her over to the couch next to him. "I still don't know what happened today. How in hell did you and Joshua end up in the state you were in? And why didn't you call me for help?"
Max leaned into Logan's arms, glad that the emotional upheaval was over for now.
"I swung by Joshua's this morning to drop off some food. When I got there, there was a mob outside his house chanting for him to come out. It was getting ugly. Those kids from Halloween must have talked to their parents about the strange dog guy in the abandoned house and when the other thing hit the news this morning I guess someone decided to check it out. I ducked around the back and got in. Logan the big guy was completely scared and confused – good thing I showed cause he didn't know what to do."
"We should have given him a cell phone Max. I'm sorry. I don't know why I didn't think of it."
"It's okay Logan I didn't either. Anyway we started out the back door and were almost to that sewer entrance near his house when someone spotted us. We had no time so we ran for my bike. Someone had a gun and I took a bullet in the leg. "
"That explains your leg but what about his head?"
"We hightailed it out of there and headed this way. We managed to make it around most of the checkpoints but there's that one at 6th – no easy way around it. Joshua doesn't have the climbing skills I do so I was afraid to try the roofs. I figured we could probably just run the checkpoint and we'd be close enough to here to make it to cover."
"Jesus Max tell me you didn't!" Logan exclaimed knowing she had.
"We got through the checkpoint fine. The cops were busy watching their television and the riots in Sector 6 and by the time they saw us we were through. Only thing is one of them had some kind of projectile weapon. He blew out a chunk of concrete overhang and when it came down it caught Joshua in the head. It also fell on their car so they couldn't come after us. Luckily we were only a few blocks from here. You know the rest."
Logan tightened his arm and pulled her closer for a moment biting his tongue. He wanted to ask Max why she hadn't just stopped somewhere and called him for help but he didn't want to disturb the fragile truce between them. Max wasn't ready to let him take care of her as much as he wanted to. It hurt but he was determined to be patient and give her time if that was what she needed.
"Max, you need some rest and so do I. Why don't we call it a night and maybe in the morning we can come up with out next move?" Max sighed hating to waste more time while her family was out there in danger but knowing the truth in Logan's words.
"You're right." She rose and held out a hand to Logan. He looked up at her teasingly.
"So am I out of the doghouse? " She gave him a mock frown then gave in and smiled back at him unable to resist the combination of sparkling blue eyes and killer smile complete with dimples.
"Damn it Logan that's not fair. You can't look at me like that."
He only intensified his look sweeping his eyes over her body causing her to suddenly feel tingles of anticipation. He noticed the way a slight flush stained her cheeks and the way her eyes had darkened and felt a surge of satisfaction. Taking her hand he rose and without further discussion headed for his bedroom pulling her along with him. He had learned that with Max there were times when actions were better than words. This definitely qualified as one of those times.
Alec was sitting in the kitchen with Asha and raised his eyebrows as the pair passed by without stopping for goodnights.
"Guess the lovebirds made up." He observed rolling his eyes. Asha shrugged.
"Well that leaves the two of us to keep each other company. Do you by any chance play chess? I know Logan has a set around here and I'm not tired."
Alec grinned. "Sweetheart you sure you want to get your pretty little butt whipped?"
Asha bristled at that. "You just might be surprised hot shot." At that she rose to find the chess set and Alec followed wondering what it was about her that piqued his interest.
Soon enough the apartment was quiet as Asha and Alec concentrated on their chess game. Joshua slept quietly in the guestroom and Logan and Max were busy making up their fight in the way only lovers can.
* * * *
Not too many miles from Seattle, Donald Lydecker pulled the car he was driving to the side of the road and considered how best to get back into the city without alerting the wrong people. He had important information and he needed the help of Max and Logan.Events were spiraling out of control and a disaster was looming. It wasn't too late to stop it but time was growing short.