Reaching for The Moon by ThePekingNoodle
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Chapter Fifty-One: On the Run Again
In which our hero and heroine realize that there are worse things than a heat wave…
Logan felt Max's hand, which was resting on his arm, suddenly tighten as his Aunt introduced one of his uncle's numerous investors to them. When he glanced down at her, she was smiling and acknowledging the man, but he noticed that she appeared paler than normal. He took a hard look at the man they had just met, committing his face and name to memory in case he was what had caused Max's upset.
His Aunt and Uncle had moved on with their guest, and Logan took the opportunity to pull Max along with him. The salon opened into his Uncle's library and that was where he headed with her, being careful to keep it casual. It took a few minutes, since they were stopped several times by friends and relatives who wanted to congratulate the two on their recent marriage, but he was finally able to pull open the door and pull Max after him into the cool dimness of the deserted library.
"Who was he?" he asked without preamble.
Max looked at him blankly. He realized that she was in a state of mild shock.
"Max?"
She appeared to shake it off, and she laughed bitterly. "If you think it's one of my numerous lovers you're wrong, Logan. You're the only one since I was sixteen. Don't worry about it."
"Max, stop it. I never thought that for a second. Why did meeting the Colonel upset you?" Logan had a sneaking suspicion that he knew why but he needed to hear it from her.
"It was…him." Max stopped. He saw her visibly take a breath and calm herself. "Colonel Donald Lydecker, Director of the Manticore X5 Project. He's the one responsible for all of it."
"Are you sure?" Logan asked her.
"Sure that he's the one who sent seven year olds out for training missions using live ordinance? Sure he's the one who ordered the murder and autopsy of one of my brothers so that he could find out why we had seizures? Sure that he's the one who shot my sister in cold blood the night we escaped from that hell?" She laughed but there was no mirth in it. "Yeah, Logan I'm sure. That's one face that's burned into my brain. I couldn't forget it if I lived a thousand years."
Logan was silent as he thought about the implications of Lydecker being involved with Cale Industries as an investor. "He hasn't seen you for over ten years. I doubt he recognized you. But we can't take any chances."
"We can't draw his attention to me either." Max stated the obvious.
"Which means that you and I need to get through tonight without doing anything out of the ordinary. Then we get out of here. A lot of people will be leaving first thing in the morning. We can leave tonight late. I'll leave my aunt a message that I was called back for a business emergency." Logan was thinking out loud. "In the meantime I need to find out what his involvement is with Cale Industries. I have to find my cousin Bennett and find out what the hell mess Uncle Jonas has created now."
Max looked at him as the implications of Lydecker's connection with his family sunk in. Logan felt a pang as he saw a certain wariness enter her eyes.
"Max, I never met the guy before tonight. I haven't been involved in the family business for the last five years. I got it on its feet with your father's help, and turned it back to my cousin and uncle. "
Max just continued to look at him. "I want to believe you, Logan."
"Dammit Max, if I was part of them I could have turned you over the night I picked you up from the cabin, and any time since. Including ten minutes ago."
Max sighed. "You're right. So what do we do now?"
"We go out there and smile and act the devoted honeymooners for all to see. Think you can manage it?"
"I have to." Max was quiet again. "Well there's one good thing."
"What?" Logan asked when she stopped.
"My heat seems to have passed. So you don't need to worry about that." She shrugged her shoulders.
"Max that's the last thing I'm gonna worry about, for now anyway. We have to get you safely away from here and not arouse his suspicions."
Max supposed she should have been happy with that, given the situation but his earlier words and actions still hurt. He was clearly helping her only because of his promise to her father. Nothing had changed from the afternoon. She looked away from him as she pushed her hurt aside. Logan was looking at her and she turned and gave him a brilliant smile. "Let's go give them all a performance then."
Despite himself and his lingering hurt over the events of the day, he had to admire her. He tried to remember his anger at her, but it was overridden by his very real fear that Lydecker's visit here wasn't as innocent as it seemed. Even though it wouldn't bode well for Cale Industries, he found himself saying a silent prayer that that was the only reason the man was here. If it wasn't, he doubted that Max and he were going to make it away from the mansion that night. But the priority was now in finding Bennett and confirming what was going on with the company and the Colonel.
He held out a hand to Max and when she took it he pulled her to him. Reaching down to her he tilted her chin so she was looking up at him. "Chin up." He smiled at her reassuringly.
Max smiled back and on impulse, Logan leaned in and dropped a light kiss on her lips. "For luck. Now let's go out there and put on a show, Mrs. Cale."
End of Chapter Fifty-One…TBC…
