This chapter was written last week but I didn't like it so spent the weekend on rewrites.Deck is a bit harder character for me – I hope I have gotten him down right. Feel free to let me know if not.

Fifteen minutes after leaving Logan's car Max and Alec walked into Sebastian's. They were greeted by one of the medical technicians Max remembered from her previous visit to receive the virus cure. Smiling the girl led them down a hallway. Each side was lined by a series of closed doors. Opening one to reveal what could have been an examining room in any doctors' office she indicated to Alec that he should go in and wait. Leaving him behind she brought Max down the hallway to a larger room, one familiar to Max from her previous visits. The room was filled with computers and monitors and Sebastian was there waiting for her.

"Hi Max. Where's Logan?" he asked in his synthesized voice.

"He should be here any minute. There was a roadblock and Alec and I took the aerial route around. Didn't want to involve Logan in case there was trouble with our barcodes." she responded.

Sebastian frowned. "I hadn't heard anything about any roadblocks in this sector today. That's strange."

"Maybe it was a last minute thing. You know how that goes." Max brushed it off. "Can we get started with this bitch? I've done this before and I'm not looking forward to it. I'd like to get it over with."

"Sure. My guy already started on Alec It shouldn't take him long. I'll have Serena show you to a room and get you ready." Sebastian nodded to the technician who had been standing there silently and she turned to lead Max out of the room. Sebastian continued to sit there thoughtfully for a moment then went to his computer and began to pull up police files. He had only been at it for a few minutes when his cell phone went off. Touching a button he listened as a series of tones sounded over a speaker. With a few voice commands to his computer a message slowly scrolled across the screen.

DETAINED BY SP. FINISH MAX'S JOB. DON'T TELL HER. LC.

Sebastian swore softly to himself. He glanced at the time and thought for a moment. A few more voice commands had the Seattle sector police records open to him. Scrolling down files he found the one he wanted and opened it, perusing the documents inside. He frowned and scrolled back through the list of files once more. After a moment he tried a new command and a folder marked 'Manticore" came up on his screen. Opening that one he repeated his previous search and again came up empty. Sighing in defeat he closed the file and sat thinking.

****

Logan looked at Lydecker for a moment and then slowly responded to his question

"Might have known it was you. I was pretty sure my paperwork was in order – there's no reason for the Sector Police to be detaining me. Tell me is that a real roadblock out there or something you engineered?"

Deck looked at him seriously. "Make no mistake it's a real roadblock but you're right. No one has any reason to suspect you of anything. Let's just say the officer in charge owed me a little favor. I had a feeling you might be heading this way so I asked him to keep an eye out." Logan didn't like the implication that Deck knew of Sebastian and his location but decided now was not the time to worry about that.

"What do you know about Ames White?"

"What do you want to know?" Deck countered.

"Who exactly is he and why is he so hell bent on getting rid of the transgenics? I assume you've seen the recent news and his sudden appearance as a part of Redmond's entourage." Deck nodded and regarded Logan seriously.

"Where's Max and the other X5, 494?"

"How about you answer one of my questions before I tell you anything?" Logan responded.

"I have every intention of answering but I want to know where Max is. I expected her to be with you. She needs to hear this as well. "

"She's safe. She didn't want to take any chances with the roadblock so she went around it." Deck nodded and Logan saw a faint smile cross his face.

"Either she's finally remembering all the lessons I taught her or 494 is rubbing off on her. He was one of the Seattle facility's star performers you know. Once certain ah, emotional tendencies were corrected that is." Logan winced inwardly at that remembering what Max had told him about the Berrisford mission and Alec's involvement with Rachel Berrisford. He could only guess at the methods of correction Alec had been subjected to knowing what they had done to Max just a few months previous.

"So now what?" he asked Deck.

"So now we go see Max and I tell you both what you want to know. Or at least what I know which isn't everything but it's a start." Logan thought a moment.

"How about I give you a safe house address where we can meet? I'm not taking you to where Max is right now. It's a friend's place and I want him as far out of this as possible." Deck nodded in approval at Logan's caution. Within moments Logan had given Deck the address and they had agreed on a time to meet. That done Lydecker escorted Logan out to his car. He was about to walk away when Logan held out his hand.

"My phone, please?" Deck chuckled and reaching into his pocket tossed Logan the phone. The patrol officer directing him to be on his way drew Logan's attention and when he looked again Deck was gone. Shaking his head, Logan quickly started his car and headed for Sebastian's punching is his number as he went. Sebastian answered on the first ring. After assuring Sebastian that he was fine and would be there shortly, and hearing that Max was just finishing up the procedure, Logan snapped the phone closed and proceeded on his way.

* * * *

Sebastian had just disconnected his phone when Max strolled into the room followed closely by Alec. Max looked around for Logan and was about to ask where he was but Sebastian forestalled her question.

"Logan just called. He was detained but he's on his way. Should be here any minute. How's your neck?" Max grinned at him ruefully,

"Feels like it was just sandblasted but other than that it's all good." Alec grunted at that but resumed his survey of the room and Sebastian's computer setup. "Anything new on Redmond?" Max asked Sebastian to pass the time.

"We can put up the news feed and see." Sebastian quickly brought up the news on one of the monitors scattered around the room and the three watched in silence for a few moments. Seattle appeared to be quiet at the moment. No new transgenics had been found and for the most part the citizens were staying low and keeping off the streets. The random street barcode and id checks had turned up two rapists and a murderer but all three were completely human.

The news was just starting on a new loop repeating the same information over again when Logan walked into the room. Max took a moment to note how well he was now walking using the exo-skeleton and in the process she caught her breath at his tall blonde good looks. Logan had always looked good to her, even in his wheelchair but she had to admit, there was a difference seeing him standing and realizing anew how tall he really was compared to her. Not to mention that he had obviously done some working out while she was away and the results were evident in the fit of his sweater. Their eyes met and he smiled at her as if reading her thoughts. Flustered she turned away to hide the slight flush on her cheeks as Alec sat taking it all in but not commenting on the silent by-play between the two.

"Logan, what happened? Sebastian said you were delayed." Logan came to stand next to Max as she leaned on one of the desks in the room. Lifting her hair he checked the back of her neck before answering and Max felt a quick jolt as she remembered the first time he had done that very thing. His fingers gently brushed her neck as he let her hair drop and she shivered at the thought of those same fingers doing other things to her the night before. She gave herself a mental shake and tried to concentrate on the business at hand deciding that Logan would pay later for what she was sure was a deliberate tease.

"Nice job Sebastian. Detained is more the word for it." He noted wryly. "Max, I knew you healed quickly but I'm amazed at how fast the red is fading. Alec how's yours?"

"Aside from stinging like a bitch?" Alec asked but turned his head so they could see the slight redness where the barcode had been.

"They have amazing recuperative abilities. Manticore did a good job in that respect." Sebastian observed.

"The better to get back up and keep fighting under combat conditions." Alec observed dryly. "After all the perfect soldier shouldn't have to spend days recuperating from wounds – what good would they be then?" There was tinge of bitterness in his voice and Logan wondered again what exactly Manticore had done to him in the way of corrections. Rapid healing abilities would certainly be convenient if you wanted to torture someone and keep doing it over and over again without actually killing them.

"Logan, what happened?" Max wasn't about to be put off. Logan casually dropped an arm around her shoulders before answering her question.

"Never say you missed me?" At Max's glare he relented and became serious. "At the roadblock the officer on duty stopped me and brought me inside a nearby building."

"Logan, they don't know anything about you do they?" Max asked quickly. He shook his head.

"Turns out the guy owed a favor to an old friend of yours. Lydecker was there. "

"What did he say? Did he tell you anything about White?" All three of the others had come to attention at Logan's mention of Deck.

"Said he wanted Max to hear what he had to say as well. He knew Alec was with us, but he called him by his designation, 494. We arranged to meet in a few hours at one of my safe houses."

"The redness should be gone by then and they'll be safe on the streets. Do you want to wait here rather than taking any more chances right now?" Sebastian asked. The three readily agreed and soon were settled in to wait for the meeting time. Logan borrowed one of Sebastian's computers and set to work to make sure the safe house was secure, Max called Joshua to check on his well-being and Alec wandered off to flirt with the attractive female technician he had met on his arrival.