Breakdown 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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Seattle Street Corner, late afternoon
Original Cindy stood at a payphone, tapping her foot impatiently. It had started to drizzle, but she ignored the moisture, keeping her entire focus on her conversation.
"Hey, Bling. I got a page from Logan. Can I talk to him?" She listened intently. "Well where are they then? What went down? Do you think the black helicopter dudes got the two of them? You sure 'bout that? Yeah, I can make it over there. I'm on my last run for the day. Lemme drop off my signature sheets on the way and I'll be there. Anything for my girl and her boy, you know that."
She hung up the phone shaking her head, then hopped on her bike and headed toward Jam Pony, heedless of any traffic in her way.
Manticore
"What do you mean you can't activate the transmitter any sooner? I want X5-452 located now." Renfro's customary calm had deserted her and she was almost screaming into the phone. "Excuses are not acceptable. Find a way. Or you'll be doing latrine duty for the rest of your career."
She hung the phone up with a slam and rose from her desk. There was a light knocking on her door and she looked over impatiently. "Come in," she snapped out.
Joe, the computer tech, entered cautiously.
"Yes?" Renfro said, clearly annoyed at the interruption.
"Ma'am, do you remember that bogey in our system a few days ago?"
"Do you any have more information for me as to where it originated?"
"I've been working on the trace, Ma'am. I don't have an exact location but I've narrowed it down to within two sectors. It came from either Sector 5 or Sector 9."
"Is that the best you can do?" Her tone was clearly dismissive of the information and of him, as less than useless.
"I'm afraid so, Ma'am."
"Keep working on it." She turned in dismissal and the tech left her office, muttering under his breath over her treatment of him.
As soon as the door closed Renfro picked up the phone. "I have a possible location for X5-452. It appears she may be somewhere in Sector 5 or Sector 9. We're working to narrow it down, but I'm ordering the team mobilization now. I want you set up in Seattle by tomorrow morning. You'll receive further instructions once you're there."
Fogle Towers
"I think I've found where they might be. One of the informants managed to track down a report of screams coming from this location earlier." Bling pointed to one of the two flashing lights on the monitor.
"Why didn't anyone investigate? Do you think they're still there?" Syl asked.
"It's not the kind of neighborhood where screams are uncommon. Can't tell if they're there or not, or if it was even them, but it's the only lead we've got."
Syl thought a moment. "I'm going to check it out up close and personal." She forestalled Bling who started to speak. "You need to stay here and monitor the Manticore comm frequencies. If they start heading toward the safe house let me know immediately. Or if they start heading here, for that matter. If that happens, wipe the Informant Net and get out."
Bling pulled open a drawer and handed Syl a comm link. "It's voice activated. Just holler if you need me."
Syl took the link and started toward the door. As she opened it, Original Cindy who was standing in the hallway, dropped the hand she had raised to knock.
"Who are you?" she asked suspiciously.
"I'm Syl, one of Max's sisters. You must be Original Cindy."
"Turn around and lift your hair." Cindy ordered as Bling watched in amusement. Syl complied and allowed Cindy to see her barcode.
"Ok, so I know you're from the same place Max is, but how do I know you ain't one of the black hats in disguise?"
"It's ok. Syl's one of the ones who escaped with Max. She's cool." Bling intervened.
Original Cindy still seemed unsure, but she shrugged and came in.
"Where are they? What happened last night?" Her worry for her friend was clear in her voice.
Syl gave her a quick rundown of the situation. "Manticore managed to re-indoctrinate Max before they sent her back here. Last night she attempted to force Logan to download the Informant Net, and after that she intended to kill him. I stopped her and thought I had her secure for the night. I was wrong. When I got up this morning, she had freed herself and taken off with Logan. We think she's holding him in a safe house in Seattle. I'm on my way to their possible location now."
"If she was brainwashed, why didn't she take Logan straight back to black hat central?" Original Cindy cut to the heart of the matter. "Why would she still be hangin' around Seattle?"
"I don't believe the process was complete. Max is strong and she's fighting it on some level. The immediate problem is that they used some extremely strong psycho-active drugs on her, and she's very probably in the middle of a severe drug withdrawal even as we stand here. I need to get to her and Logan fast." Before she hurts Logan, was unspoken but understood by all three of them.
"I'm coming with you."
"No. You'd only slow me down. Stay here. Bling has some files detailing what they've done to Max. Read them. We need ideas on how to handle her when I bring them back."
Original Cindy looked like she was about to argue, but before she could say anything more, Syl was gone.
"Damn. She moves like my girl does." She turned grimly to Bling, "Bring on the reading material. If there's anything Original Cindy has experience with, it's helping bring down peeps from a bad trip. Seems like that might come in handy."
End of Chapter Five