Smoke & Mirrors by Star24

Disclaimer: Dark Angel and its characters are property of Twentieth Century Fox and James Cameron and Charles Eglee. This original story is property and copyright 2003 Star24.

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Chapter Ten

The Crystal Palace Pavilion, Sector 9

The Children's Hope Foundation, Annual Charity Ball had just ended, and the street outside was crowded with vehicles as the attendees headed home. Outside the hotel entrance, a man and a woman stood conversing under the canopy that extended from the entrance to the street.

"Thank you so much for all of your support of the Foundation, Judge Jergens. You have always been a true friend to our cause."

The judge smiled, "Research that may someday find a cure for genetic disease is very personal to me, Miranda. Ever since my granddaughter was born with…"

His words were interrupted as several news reporters rushed up to them. They pushed their microphones toward him and clamored for some words from him about the upcoming election. The judge sighed and turned to answer their questions.

On a roof across the street a dark figure took aim with a rifle zeroing its sight onto the judge. As her fingers began to squeeze the trigger, Max hurtled out of the darkness, taking her down.  The shot went wide, and one of the reporters who were clustered around the judge, fell to the ground.

The sniper jumped easily to her feet and came into fighting stance. Max had done the same and the two circled each other looking for an opening. Tiring of the game, the assassin kicked out, hitting Max hard in the chest, knocking her backwards. Max staggered, but she regained her balance and with blinding speed she was on her opponent. 

For several moments the two exchanged kicks and blows, neither one seeming to have an advantage over the other. Finally, Max saw an opening and she jumped high in the air, twisting as she did so, and came down behind her opponent. She grabbed the other woman around her neck and slowly squeezed. Her opponent's hands came up and she tried to pull Max's hands off her neck but she was unsuccessful.

"Let up. I don't want to kill you. There's been enough of a show for anyone watching." Max hissed.  Even when her opponent ceased to struggle, Max continued to choke her until she went limp. Letting the limp body drop to the rooftop, Max reached into her opponent's pocket and pulled out a computer disk. She stuck the disk in her pocket and quickly left the scene, leaving the rifle lying next to her unconscious opponent.

On the street below someone had caught sight of the struggle, and the news crews turned in an attempt to film what was happening above. Police were already on their way to the rooftop, and only seconds after Max departed, they burst onto the scene. They found the unconscious body of the sniper and her weapon, but Max was long gone.

Fogle Towers

Logan paced impatiently as he waited for some word from Max.  Syl watched from her perch on the back of his couch, smiling as he checked his watch yet again.

"Logan, that's only the twentieth time you've checked your watch in the last 15 minutes," she laughed.

"The fundraiser let out half an hour ago. She should have checked in by now."

"She's an X5. I'm sure she's fine."

"Syl, I'm positive there are Manticore assassins involved in this. Max may not have as easy of a time as she thinks. I wish she'd taken a gun." He continued to pace.

Syl laughed, "Max and a gun? Never happen."

The television set suddenly caught Logan's eye and he picked up the remote and turned up the volume.

"…the would-be assassin has been taken into custody. Judge Jergens, who appears to have been the intended victim, is fine and was escorted home by a security detail. The reporter who was shot, is in critical but stable condition at Metro Medical Center, and we expect an update on her condition shortly. Police have not released any details about the identity of the shooter but sources tell us that it was a female in her early twenties. They are also continuing to search for a second person spotted on the scene, the extent of whose involvement is not yet clear…"

Logan sucked in a breath and looked at Syl, worry in his eyes. As he was about to speak his cell phone trilled and he quickly opened it.

"Hello? Max. Thank god. You're okay. Yeah I saw the news, and for a minute I thought it had gone sideways and they'd picked you up….Sure. I'm not going anywhere." He closed the phone and looked at Syl. "She's on her way here. You better get out of sight."

"I'll head to the roof. I've got the comm – I can listen in. I've got your back in case there's any trouble." Syl gave him a brief smile as she headed for the back service exit from his apartment, the one leading to the building stairwell. "Be careful, Logan."

Manticore

Elizabeth Renfro sat at her desk talking on the telephone.

"We have an operative in action as we speak. Eyes Only has been located and she is in the process of obtaining access to his files. The operation should be complete tonight and she will then eliminate him, and return to base with all of his information."

She paused for a moment, listening "No, I don't believe that she has given us that information yet, but she hasn't been in a position for secure communications. No sir, I'm positive she won't double cross us. X5-452's re-conditioning was entirely successful, I'm confident. We used new techniques, there's no way she could have resisted them. She'd shoot her own mother without blinking an eye. If she had one, that is." Renfro hung up with an evil laugh and sat back smiling to herself.

In the last six months she had re-acquired two of the renegade X5's and tonight Eyes Only would go down. Her star at Manticore was definitely on the rise. She glanced at the clock and reached over and shut down her computer. She buzzed her administrative assistant and left orders that she was to be called if any communication was received from X5-452.  That done, she switched off her office lights and headed to her quarters.

End of Chapter Ten