Control of Cale Industries is up for grabs in a power struggle between two old friends, now enemies. Two assassins are missing, lost somewhere in the depths of Seattle. To top it all off, an X-5 from Manticore is drawing closer than she ever believed she would to Eyes Only. She is caught in the middle of a power struggle that will only leave her with more questions than answers.
Read and review and let me know your thoughts, good or bad. Part two of The Industrial Cycle continues.
What were you doing when Manticore Fell?
How many months have I spent out here? How much time have I wasted on one dead end after another finding something resembling a lead only to learn that no lead existed in the first place? How can I possibly make them understand that he just doesn't exist?
Sure. I've heard the stories. I've heard about him, what kind of a man he is. The rumors are out there, but Manticore understood the value of rumors and innuendo. They exist on them. Super soldiers? I mean c'mon. There are no such things as super soldiers. Genetically enhanced mutant killing machines just don't exist in this day and age. How can man create man?
But…
I was created, wasn't I? A little feline DNA here, some Chimp DNA there and just a smattering of Eagle DNA for the eyes and you have the recipe for a perfect assassin. My eyes are really my best feature, I think, although, the men don't exactly look at my eyes that often. They stare, sometimes too hard at other parts of my body, but that's the way I was made and its fun playing the games. They never get what they want. I won't let them. They try but they fail each and every time.
I had watched the others go out and come back. Each one of them had changed. Not so much that they needed to be fixed like 494 but they had changed. I could see it. They seemed wiser as if they had learned some dark twisted secret about the outside. They had gained knowledge the rest of us would never have. I wanted to have that knowledge. I was once in charge of my whole class. Zach was my second and little Maxie was being groomed.
I remember her. They tried to take her away from me. I wouldn't let them. I hid her away in a deep dark part of my soul. I refused to let her go. We never wanted to lose Jack but we didn't know any better. When they came for Maxie something inside of us snapped. We just bolted. Probably the smartest thing we had ever done. We were following standing orders to protect our own, but when the CO came in with his pistol and shot…
So here I am in the real world on my first and apparently last mission. I made my weekly reports over the secure link but in the last three months I have received no response. There was always a response, simple and meaningless to anyone that may have been listening in, but a response I understood. I haven't heard that code for weeks now. Should I or shouldn't I? I ask no one in particular. The thought that someone brought down Manticore is laughable. Only we would know how to do that. Only the Children of Manticore would accomplish that task. Maxie and the Rogues proved that Manticore was vulnerable. There was even a rumor that good Old Colonel Lydecker was in charge of their mission. There was another rumor that Eyes Only had been involved. Maybe he was. Maybe he did it. He could do it possibly. I've heard the stories.
They talked about him at Manticore. I listened. They talk about him out here every once and a while and I listen. They don't know I'm listening. They rarely know I'm there but I am. I listen. I hear the stories.
He sees everything. He can hack any satellite and not leave a trace. They say he can even control the hover drones. He has links to every security system ever developed and can get in and out at will. I laughed out loud at that one until I received a report in the field. They verified his involvement in the hit on the DNA lab. Apparently this guy has balls made of pure Adamantium.
Those say he is one of the best. So am I.
One of the best. That's why I'm here, right? I was put out here to find and kill this man. Ninja assassins on his payroll be damned. I'm better than any ninja alive. I'm better than any warrior alive. They made sure of that. They made me and they trained me. They wouldn't have given me this mission if I wasn't capable of finishing it.
But I'll be damned to the basement with the nomlies if I can't find this bastard. I found a man that claimed to be a member of the Informant Net. I killed him when he couldn't tell me what I wanted to know. I threatened him. I tortured him. He laughed at me. He told me that I would never find what I was looking for.
"Someone has to know."
"No one does." He said to me. I turned up the juice on the voltage regulator. He screamed. He splashed water out over the floor but he never gave up his boss.
"TELL ME HIS NAME!!!" I shouted at him as I cranked up the juice.
He laughed. "I don't know his name." He whispered. "No one does…"
At least he died happy. What did I know of happiness? What was I allowed to know of happiness? When in doubt, kill. That was the golden rule. They made us to be hunters… killers. They made us to take out the enemy and not have a second thought about it and right now I couldn't even find the enemy. That was the most frustrating part. Not having anyone to kill for my doubt…
I remember lying in my bunk thinking only of getting out of Manticore. I just wanted to prove myself to them. I wanted a mission and for my sins they gave me one. Now that I'm out here on the mission I just want to go back and tell them that I have failed. I know they would cut me up for spare parts probably, but I have been out here for a year trying to fend for myself and working the mission in my spare time and the only conclusion I can reach is that my target just doesn't exist.
Heading back to the woods outside of Seattle is depressing at best. They aren't going to like it and since I can't get in touch with them anyway, I need to do something. I have no contact. My handler is missing in action and I'm incapable of finding and removing my target. I've failed my mission.
My only mission.
As I top the hill and come out of the woods near the main fence I noticed the weeds growing over it. It must be some new directive to give the impression that this place is not what it is. We are a covert military base after all.
I headed through the main gate noticing the fence was trashed. It didn't seem like an accident. It looked more like a herd of elephants had run out of the place. Walking through the woods, I expected to run into a security patrol or at least an X-7 or two, but there was none. I could feel that old nagging wound in the left side of my chest as I draw closer to the place.
This was the facility where they rebuilt me. This was where they put me back together with parts from Jack, from whatever they kept in the basement. This is where they restarted my training. I remember the bullet. I will never forget it. I've never in my life felt so much lack of control. I don't know who I crashed into when the bullet ripped through me and I don't know if anyone behind me fully understood. As I fell, though, all I could think was how sorry I was that I had failed my platoon.
I failed my friends.
Then the black came. It was cold and dark and I was alone. I don't ever want to go back there.
The facility was gone. Some burned out walls and a few minimal reinforcements remained. The entire place was just gone. This couldn't be right. Everything I understood of Manticore was that they were working in secret. We were covert. The only enemy they had that I knew of was Eyes Only. He was their main operation. He was the reason they existed. We were created to take down enemies of the state and wasn't he THE enemy of the state?
He had to be.
Manticore didn't make those kinds of mistakes. Manticore existed for one reason alone. Take out enemies of the state. Protect the nation from its enemies. Eyes Only was one of the enemies…
And now?
Now. Manticore is gone.
What the hell do I do now?
Four months later
"Good Morning, sir." I said. He liked being called sir. I could tell every time I said it because it showed on his face. He nodded as I stood near his desk awaiting orders.
"Good morning, Bella. We will be taking the meeting with Bennett at two o'clock." He announced. "I have some work to do before then so go find something to do." He ordered. He was always abrupt and clipped but there was something else going on. I felt strangely like it was my fault. He watched me for a minute. "And you're still standing here why?"
"I'm sorry, sir. I… well, did I do something wrong?" I ask. I need to know because it's not like I need this job. Without Manticore though, there is nothing better for me to do. The pay is good.
He stared at me again as if noticing me for the first time. I watched him as he sighed and tried to smile. "No. It's just this thing has been dragging on for about five months now. I'm really getting sick of it."
"You are speaking of the takeover of Cale Industries?"
"Yes. I thought I had the entire thing wrapped up, but it turns out there's a new player in the field."
"May I ask who?" I ask. I had been filled in on the takeover. I had researched the project when I came on board. Bennett Cale had worked hard to maintain control of Cale Industries after his father had been found dead. It turned out that he didn't have enough money to pull it off.
"I don't know who."
"I could find out for you." I offer. He knew I could fight, but he didn't know my true abilities. My nature.
"How?" He asks me with a suspicious look in his eyes.
"You know I've had military training."
"Yes."
"I have worked industrial espionage before as well as deep infiltration." I lied. I've had the training and I was one of the best or so I had believed at one point. I can accomplish his task.
"What are you trying to say?" He asked. "Are you telling me that you can get into Bennett's place and spy on him?"
"That would be the easy part. It seems to me that if Bennett Cale has secured outside funds to maintain control of Cale Industries then he has to take meetings with this person." I explain. The logic is sound. "I could get in and wait until one of those meetings takes place."
"Then what?" He asks. "You would kill them?"
"I would find the information you want and that alone would give you the edge you need for the next negotiation."
"But you could take them out if the situation presented itself?"
"I could and no one would know who did it, but I don't believe that will be necessary at this point."
"Then I will get what information I can out of Bennett in today's meeting. You will do the meeting with me. Pay attention. Bennett is tough and knows business but he's not perfect." He said. "At least I'm not dealing with his brother Logan."
"Is this Logan a problem?" I'd heard the name before. It seemed to be a sour point with my boss.
"He's the wild card in the family. There are few men as unpredictable as Logan Cale." He said. "You be ready when Bennett gets here. Meet him downstairs and bring him up. He will be early. I'll see you in the meeting. Until he arrives though, check the database and find out what we've got on Bennett."
"Of course, Mr. Lempkin."
The research was tedious at best. There wasn't a whole lot of information on Bennett Cale that I hadn't see but there seemed to be volumes on Logan Cale. Up to a certain point at least and then the information just seemed to stop. I read everything. I scanned the family files noting the assassination and his apparent withdrawal from society afterward.
He was a graduate with honors from Yale when he was eighteen and passed on the family business to pursue a career in journalism. The journalism seemed to have dissolved when his mentor Nathan Hererro was murdered during an investigation of some local government goon with too much power.
His name seemed to have dropped off all records after that. He had been living in some high rise in downtown Seattle with little or no contact to anyone since. Family funds kept him in comfort. The files end mostly after the Hererro incident. He didn't appear to be a threat. Mr. Lempkin didn't seem to think that however.
I went down in the private elevator and awaited the arrival of Bennett Cale and his secretary. I was surprised to see his wife Marianne. They arrived in their own Mercedes not in a limo as I had expected. They held hands as they walked into the offices. I smiled as they approached.
"Good afternoon, Mr Cale. Mrs. Cale." I continue my smile. "If you would please come with me? Mr. Lempkin is waiting."
"Good." Bennett said. "I want to get this over as quickly as possible."
The ride in the elevator was quiet. It was pleasant and there was no hostility coming from either of them. It was obvious to me they were in control and had something up their sleeve. I tried to get them involved in idle conversation, but the woman was infuriating. She was so damn pleasant that I wanted to snap her neck and be done with it.
As we strode into Mr. Lempkin's office it was clear to me that Bennett and his wife were not going to stay.
"Please have a seat." Lempkin offered.
"We won't be staying, Pier." Bennett said. "I have secured some funds from an outside investor. I will be restructuring the R & D and continuing Cale Industries on my own. The announcements will be made officially in one week. I hope you understand my Uncle built this company from nothing and my Father turned it into the entity it is now. I will not lose it."
I watched Bennett nod and smile as he turned and walked out of the office. He had won the battle, but when I looked at My boss, I knew the war had just begun. Mr. Lempkin was already on the phone. I listened to the conversation.
"Hello?" It was a woman's voice on the other end.
"Logan Cale." Mr. Lempkin said. My shoulder ached suddenly. I didn't know why.
"He's currently busy. May I take a message?" She asked.
"No. Put him on the phone! Now!" He ordered.
"No." And she hung up.
He dialed the number again.
"Hello?"
"I want to talk to Logan Cale and I want to talk with him now!"
"May I ask who this is?" She asks in a pleasant but sarcastic voice.
"This is Pierpont Lempkin. I will not be treated as a fool. Put him on."
"He's currently busy with something. You'll have to call back with a better attitude." The woman said, snickering and again hung up the phone.
"Do not…" Mr. Lempkin slammed the phone down on his desk. I had not seen him quite this angry before. Again he dialed the phone and this time a man answered.
"Pierpont?" The man asked.
"Logan dammit, I know you're behind this."
"Behind what?"
"I made a bid for Cale Industries. Bennett was supposed to finalize the deal with me today. Instead he came in here and told me that someone else would be funding his restructuring of the entire company. You're involved."
"And what if I am? It is my family's business."
"You don't have any money. They took away your trust."
"They may have taken my trust but do you really believe that I just squandered that money?" The man asked.
"Yes." My boss said. "I would assume on booze and women. You loved living the life of the playboy. It suited you."
"People change, Pier. I'm not the playboy I once was."
"I want to talk about this."
"Then meet me for lunch tomorrow afternoon. I've got some errands to run. It's my treat." He said.
"Where?"
"Serantino's. One o'clock." The line went dead.
Mr. Lempkin looked at me. He was thinking and not really paying attention to me, but he was looking at me. I waited. I didn't want him to know I had heard the entire conversation.
"We're going to lunch tomorrow. Here's the situation. Logan has agreed to meet with me over this whole deal. The restaurant is one of the fancier ones in Seattle these days so you will need something afternoon chic but not restricting."
"Restricting?"
"Something you can move in. Logan has bodyguards. If something should happen you will need to be prepared for combat. Logan also understands beauty. You will definitely distract him so be sexy but practical. I don't foresee any trouble but one can never be sure around a man like Logan Cale."
"I understand, sir." I did understand. He wanted me to be prepared to fight if the need arose but otherwise I was meant to be a distraction. "You want me to pretend that I am just an expensive date without much happening upstairs."
"Exactly. Go get what you need from petty cash and be ready to go in the morning. I have to take care of a few things."
"Sir?" I ask. "May I ask a question?"
"What is it?"
"Why are you so sure that Logan Cale is behind this?" I ask. "If he lost everything and has no funds then how can he come up with the money to support Bennett's bid for the company?"
"Logan Cale is a dangerous man. He is unpredictable and lives his life practically as a recluse. He plays a mean game and understands business better than anyone I know. He learned from the best." Pierpont explained.
"Who would that be?"
"His father…"
Serantino's Bistro
"Tell me about his bodyguards." I asked as we walked toward the restaurant.
"What?" I noticed he wasn't used to being told what to do. "Oh, the bodyguards. Well, the facts used to be he kept ex-cops on his payroll as personal escorts but lately he's been seen around the circles with a girl."
"A girl?" I ask. I'm a girl. Girls kick ass. I saw that on a t-shirt once. It made sense to me. "What kind of a girl?"
"Kunoichi." He says. "The rumor is he has a little orphaned ninja girl protecting him these days. It is just a rumor but a man like Logan Cale… I would imagine the rumor is just that, though."
"Just what?"
"A rumor. He's been a playboy since we were children. He's probably just hired himself some little hottie to relieve stress and tension on. They are a dime a dozen these days."
"So you don't think I have anything to worry about?"
"Not at all." He assured me as they walked into the restaurant. The hostess recognized the boss immediately.
"Good afternoon Mr. Lempkin. Your table is this way. Mr. Cale has already arrived." The short man said. This bothered the boss.
I looked around the room. It was the usual assortment of rich snobby people who didn't seem to care the pulse ever happened. They had money and didn't need to fend like the others out in the world. Many of the men and a few of the women were watching us walk across the floor. I already knew most of the people here because they knew my boss. A few of them had seen me with him before, but usually in a less feminine capacity. I was a bodyguard and at least a few of these people had found out how good I was.
The main room was huge and I couldn't see anyone that fit the profile of Logan Cale anywhere. There were a few people around here that fit the playboy profile, but none fit the image of the man Mr. Lempkin's files described. He didn't read like a spoiled little rich boy, but more like a shrewd businessman with deep secrets and hidden meanings. I was looking for someone nestled in a shadow of his true self.
"There he is." My boss pointed to the balcony where the lighting was much more a commodity than down below. As we walked up the steps I studied the man or at least what I could see of him. He was so deeply nestled in the shadow it seemed he was a part of it. I could see two things moving in the shadow as I approached. One was obviously the man, Logan Cale. The other was a small woman. The man was lost in the darkness surrounding him and this put me immediately on my guard. It clung to him as if he had made an ally of it.
The woman was a different story. She was nearly invisible in the shadows next to him. I could detect nothing from her as I climbed the steps but when I got close I could hear definite purring. It wasn't the soft moans of a woman trying to seduce her man. It was actual feline purring, slow, low and continuous. I could see this one was attached in some fashion to the man. I could also tell that she was born into the shadow that enveloped her. The orphaned ninja girl…
I watched her for a reaction as we approached. There was none. She had no fear of anything around her. The man she was leaning against had no fear either. These two were very adept at what they were doing and I whispered in Lempkin's ear what I could see.
"The rumors may be true." I whispered. Boss looked at me like I was crazy. We stepped up to the table just as the man leaned forward for his wine glass. I got a look into one of his eyes at that point. It was deep blue in color and possessed of forbidden knowledge burning with an inner fire. I found myself wanting to know more but he leaned back into the shadows of the dark booth. The woman was still settled into the void surrounding her. She was obviously at home there.
"What rumors would those be?" The man asked as we stood in front of the table.
"What?" Lempkin asked.
"Your bodyguard. She said something about rumors being true." The man offered showing his control of the situation. I was stunned. I did not believe anyone could have heard me.
"I don't know what you are talking about." Pier said.
"Of course you don't, Pier. Please sit down before you draw any undue attention to us. Between us, we know most of the people in the restaurant tonight and everyone knows our history."
"Some know more than others, I think." Pier said. "So tell me Logan. How is it you can afford to buy out Cale Industries?"
"Right to business then is it?" This Logan Cale asked. His little ninja girl was still purring. She was tucked into his arm tracing little circles around his chest. I was closer now and the shadows played tricks with my enhanced vision but I could see her more clearly. So could Mr. Lempkin. He was falling for the same trick the boss brought me for. She is a beauty for sure and it was obvious by her movements that she would be a formidable fighter. I couldn't help thinking there was something familiar about her. I needed to see her face clearly to be sure.
"I was poised to take over the company from Bennett and he walked in to our meeting yesterday and told me where I could stick my money." I listened to Mr. Lempkin but I wasn't pay much attention. The woman of shadow interested me. I watched her. I know she was watching me. She did have the advantage as I couldn't see her face at all in the darkness surrounding her. She had planned it that way and was amused at my frustration.
She tilted her head up and reached for this man Logan's face and quickly stroked her hand down the side of his face. "I know Angel." He said. She hadn't spoken a word but somehow she had given him information he wanted. My mind was racing with thoughts of 494 and psy-ops. He told us stories once. They had telepathic soldiers there. They got into your head and nothing could be done about to stop it.
I watched her as she seemed to squirm next to her man. He reached out and put his arm around her. She did two things. She leaned up and nipped at his ear and she started to purring louder. I almost laughed when Mr. Lempkin noticed.
"Is she, purring?" He asked.
"Yes." Logan said. He seemed comfortable with it.
"She must be expensive." He said to Logan. I watched Logan lean forward replacing his wine glass in hand. There was a fire in his eyes. He wasn't happy about the statement.
"I have a feeling yours cost more than you realize." Logan said. I couldn't actually tell but I knew they were both looking at me. I wasn't expecting something to be said about how much I cost. I was stunned that he should say something like that about me. It wasn't offensive since I did actually cost several million dollars to create and train but that this man should know…
The wheels started to turn. The questions came fast with no answers because I couldn't actually ask them. I knew this Logan knew something but what that was remained to be seen. I wondered where he acquired such knowledge. My suspicions hovered around the little one of the shadows purring like a kitten at his side. Could she be…
"Its over. You're bid for Cale Industries has failed. I own the company now." Logan said.
"This isn't over." Mr. Lempkin said.
"Yes it is." Logan said. "My Uncle and your father conspired against my father. Because of that my Uncle gained control of my company. Now my Uncle is gone and I control Cale Industries."
"You don't have control of it yet."
"I can top any bid you make, Pier. I am in control here. Just accept it." This guy Logan seemed sure of himself. Almost too sure. "We're not friends Pier."
"Are you threatening me?" My boss asked. The man called Logan smiled. His woman pushed forward into just enough light for me to see about half of a still shadowed face. For the third time that day, I was stunned.
"Consider it a warning." She said. "We'll let you know when it becomes a threat." There was something in her eyes that I completely understood. She was a warrior. She had to be Rogue. I was certain she was Manticore but which one? Certainly not Tinga. Definitely not Brin. That left only Jondy or Max since I know Syl had blue eyes but it had been so long that I couldn't be sure.
Manticore had fallen though and some of them could have escaped in the Chaos that took the place. I would have tried to get out instead of being locked in those cells but would I have had enough time? She could be anyone I trained with in that hell. I doubted it. My memory is stable. She was Rogue and most likely she was 299 or 452, Jondy or Max. The question is which one.
"Bella." Said Mr. Lempkin. I ignored him and the name.
"BELLA!" He said again and I realized he was talking to me.
"Yes, sir?" I asked still staring at the woman. She was staring back at me. She was calculating odds and running scenarios. I could tell because she was staring directly into my eyes. Logan was sipping wine and gently stroking her hair.
"It is time to leave." He said. I stood up walking away before I noticed my hair had caught over my shoulder. My barcode was exposed. Quickly, I tossed my hair back to cover, but if she truly was a Rogue then she would know. And she should know who I am.
Rather, she would know who I was.
And the last time she saw me I was laying on the floor bleeding from one of Lydecker's bullets.
Later that night
I had checked Cale's file. I had his address. I knew I would be visiting him eventually when this whole situation presented itself but I wasn't sure why. Now I knew. I wanted to know which X-5 was pretending to be his bimbo and why.
He was rich. Apparently wealthier than the boss gave him credit for which would explain how he had an X-5 on his payroll. How he had access to Manticore technology is new to me. I assume the nature of Cale Industries and its involvement with surveillance and "spy" equipment gives him clearance on a federal level. The company once manufactured and launched its own satellites into orbit and then sold usage to various companies and government agencies. A company like that doesn't operate without inside information.
I headed silently into sector nine bypassing the sector checkpoint and made my way toward Fogle Towers running over the information I knew about Cale Industries. Jonas Cale, the CEO, had died in his home. Video surveillance showed a hover drone rigged with duel .50 caliber machine guns as the attacker. Within days the company was locked up by the government preceding an investigation into the nature of the 'Attack Drone' controversy.
Three weeks after the incident, Cale's number two man was found in an alley in South Market at the bottom of a rusted out dumpster. His body was riddled with bullets and beginning to show signs of decomposition. The company and all of its assets were seized by the government. All of this occurred because of a cable hack from Eyes Only.
In a strange twist of fate I have Eyes Only to thank for my freedom. If I hadn't been sent out on the mission to find and kill him I would have been locked down in the barracks with the rest of the soldiers and probably not made it out of the compound. I can't help but laugh about that. I was sent out to assassinate the man and in a way he saved my life by being my mission and keeping me out of the facility when it fell. It's funny how life works out here. There are so many variables that affect everything.
It was a long climb but I made my way to the roof. The world was so peaceful from up here. The high place was still a part of me simply because there were some things Manticore couldn't take away. Memories they didn't know about that would always remain a part of me. I savored the cool wind and the lack of sounds from the broken city below before moving to the sunroof and looking in.
I reached for my tools before I noticed someone had already broken the latch. The interior was dark out here in the hall, but I could see a glow coming from inside the central part of the penthouse. Gently, I lifted the sunroof and dropped silently inside backing into shadow along the wall.
Voices reached me immediately so I kept my place in the darkness and listened.
"I don't care Alec." I recognized Logan Cale's voice. "There has to be some accountability in this case."
"Don't give me your holier than thou crap Logan." The voice was familiar to me as if I had heard it before. "You now as well as I do that they will be watching you from this point on. You lose everything and then you suddenly step up with far more than enough funds to flat out buy your company off the blocks. They will eat that shit up."
"Logan's got moves." It's the X-5 that was practically ripping his clothes off at lunch today. "He's taken on more dangerous forces in the past. He's in a straight up battle against White and his inbred buddies as we speak. The feds don't measure up in this instance."
"Max is right, Alec." Logan said. Max? It couldn't be Max…
"That may be, but if you go public with this now before Biggs and I get a chance to find the smoking gun you've just dropped the ball."
"It's a small matter." Logan said. His voice sounded different. It was hushed as if doing something that took most of his concentration. I needed a closer look and just as I was about to move I saw someone else moving toward the front door. My jaw dropped.
It was 494 and 822. Right behind them was a tall lanky blonde designation 863. Logan Cale was surrounded by X-5 and for some reason they all seemed to be working for him.
"This mission was fubar'd before we started it." 822 said. "It's going to take an explicit surgical strike to accomplish the outcome you want." He said. "It's what we were made for."
"We won't let you down." 863 said with a nod to the small raven-haired beauty from lunch.
"There are no doubts." She said. "Get the recon and let us know what you need. Eyes Only will supply everything including security control when you go in."
I was stunned. Eyes Only? Manticore's worst enemy and here were some of the projects best soldiers pulling some kind of a job for him. I would have liked to sit quietly and listen, but a strange mechanical noise hit my ears and I turned to find Logan Cale standing five feet away from me. I cursed myself for not paying better attention to the trap they had set for me.
"I've been expecting you." Logan said. I primed my stance and prepared to pounce, but there were two others seemingly materializing from the shadows, standing on either side of him. One was a gorgeous blue eyed blonde and the other was a younger, dark haired man. I remembered them. Syl and Krit, 158 and 641. Rogues. I stopped moving and waited. He didn't disappoint me. "When Max told me you were X-5 today, I didn't want to believe her. I wouldn't believe that you would be stupid enough to work for a man like Pierpont Lempkin."
Stupid? That pissed me off. "I work for whoever can afford my services."
"A gun for hire, eh?" He said. "That's so not what I've come to expect from Manticore soldiers." The sarcasm was practically dripping from his lips as he smiled.
"Eva?" Max said. I recognized her voice. It was out there now. I hadn't used that name since Lydecker shot me. I was sure that Eva was only a memory. I wanted to turn and face Maxie but I couldn't. I stared at this man Logan Cale. "Eva… I know it's you. We all do. I saw your barcode today."
Slowly I turned. It seemed like it took hours but it was only a few seconds. There she was just a few feet away. She stood strong and proud, everything I remembered her being. She was beautiful. She was free in a way I could only dream of. I could see the power behind her eyes and I finally understood the shadows that worshipped her and this man called Logan.
