Reaching for The Moon by ThePekingNoodle

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Chapter Fifty-Four: Cat and Mouse

In which our hero has an interesting conversation with a certain Colonel…

Max froze as she followed Logan's line of sight and saw Lydecker standing there chatting casually with the garage attendant.

"Now what?" she whispered. "Do you think he knows who I am?"

"I'm not sure. I do think that he wants something from you, or me, or maybe both of us." Logan considered for a moment. "Max, there're a few windows in the back of the garage, in the attendants sleeping quarters. If I distract Lydecker, can you get around and in, and into a car?"

"Not a problem. What car? We took a limo here remember?"

Logan thought a moment. "There's a keyboard on the wall next to the attendant's apartment. We can take one of the BMW X25s. My Uncle keeps a few extra for his staff to run errands in.  Get the keys, put them in the ignition, and leave the back left-hand door ajar so I know which car you're in. Give me ten minutes to get rid of Lydecker. If I don't come by then, get away any way you can."

Max looked up at him. "I'm not leaving you with him, you have no idea what he is or what he's capable of."

"Don't worry about me.  If he knows something, it's you he wants. I'll be fine." Logan reassured her.

"Whatever." Max muttered, secretly determined not to leave Logan in Lydecker's hands if it came to that.

Logan glanced back at the garage. "Go now."

Max was gone on the instant, vanished into the darkness of the woods around the garage without a sound. Logan took a breath, waited a moment and then casually strolled over to the two men.

As he approached, the attendant straightened up. "Mr. Cale. Did you still want a car? I'll bring it right out."

"I'll get it myself. Don't worry." Logan smiled casually at the young man.

"Bit late for a ride isn't it?" Lydecker observed as he gave Logan a hard stare.

Logan shrugged, "You know business, Colonel. I received an emergency call from one of my companies back east and I need to get back to Seattle, so I can deal with it first thing in the morning."

"What of your wife? Is she staying on here then? Aren't you still on your honeymoon?"

Logan laughed and winked, "Colonel, you know women. I may be able to just jump in the car and go, but she needed to get a few things together. Can't leave without her favorite lipstick or whatever it is she just had to have. I'm picking her up at the house."

Lydecker nodded. "Just as well. I was hoping to have a word with you in private but I was reluctant to intrude."

"Oh?" Logan responded. He indicated to the attendant that he was free to go with a nod of his head, and the young man headed back into the garage, yawning with tiredness.

"I understand from your Uncle that you are quite the businessman. In fact, he tells me that you were the one who managed to save Cale Industries from the aftermath of the Pulse. That was quite an accomplishment for someone so young at the time."

"I didn't have much choice in the matter. It was a case of do or die. Anyway, I'm sure some of it was pure luck." Logan shrugged it off, wondering where in the world this was leading.

"I'm sure it wasn't luck." Lydecker stated calmly. "Regardless, I have an interest in men of your caliber.  I represent a government agency that has a large budget for certain technologies. One of your companies has some components that I am very interested in. I'd like to discuss it with you in depth."

"One of my companies?" Logan asked. "Not Cale Industries?"

"You do own Millennium Microprocessors don't you? I understood it was separate from Cale."

"Yes I do, and it is. It's a small company I acquired years ago. They mostly do R&D work though, pretty obscure." Logan said slowly. Not many people were aware that he owned several smaller R&D operations that he had kept when he turned Cale Industries back to his Uncle and cousin. He wondered how Lydecker had found out and what exactly he was interested in.

"I believe that one of their chips, with a few modifications, is exactly what I need for one of my agency's current projects."

Logan looked at his watch. "Give me a call and I'll be happy to discuss it further with you. But my wife will be getting impatient if I don't pick her up. You'll excuse me?"

Lydecker smiled. "Of course."

Logan looked at him closely. "You knew I was leaving tonight didn't you? This…" he waved his hand to indicate their meeting, "…was no coincidence, was it?"

Lydecker shrugged. "I make it my business to know everything about the people I do business with. I'm sure you can understand, given the nature of the work I do. Give my regards to your lovely wife. I do look forward to that dinner with you both."

Logan smiled calmly and shook the hand Lydecker held out to him. "I'll be waiting for your call." He turned and walked into the garage careful not to hurry.

Lydecker stood watching for a moment then with a smile he turned and slowly headed back toward the house.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Logan entered the garage and quickly scanned the four BMW SUVs that were sitting in a row.  He walked over to one, opened the driver's door and climbed into it.

"Max?" he whispered.

"Here." Her voice floated from the back and he heard a soft click as the rear door was pulled completely closed. "I was about to come get you."

"I told you not to do that." Logan started up the car and touched the opener that was mounted on its interior roof. The garage door behind them slid smoothly open. "Stay down until I tell you otherwise." He pulled the car out of the garage and turned it on the wide pavement area. As he did he looked around, and as he suspected, Lydecker was standing in the shadow of some trees watching closely.

"What did he want?" Max wanted to know.

"To talk business with me." Logan responded. "He's watching now."

Logan steadily headed the car out the driveway toward the house. Just before he reached the front of it he pulled to a stop. "Max, can you slip out and around to the front? I need it to look like you just came out of the house for me to pick you up."

"Got it, Logan." She was out of the car and into the shrubbery that bordered the house.  Logan headed the car back to the front of the house. When he reached it, it was deserted and he pulled up to the bottom of the steps.

The front door opened and Max stepped out. She ran lightly down the steps and climbed into the car. As soon as her door was closed, Logan pulled away.

"Nice." He observed. "I won't ask how you got in the house."

Max smiled at him, then sobered. "What did he want?" she asked for a second time.

"He says he wants a component that one of my companies manufactures." Logan answered.

"Do you believe him?" Max wanted to know.

"Maybe. I need to find out more. He wants to meet in Seattle."

"Logan, I don't trust him. He's ruthless, you have no idea."

"I can't blow him off, Max. He knows where you are. We need to find out if he suspects who you are."

"If you meet with him I'm coming."

Logan looked at her. "We'll see."

Max stared back at him stubbornly. Like it or not Logan wasn't meeting with Lydecker without her. If he wouldn't take her she'd be there anyway.  She decided not to argue with him though. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They drove in silence for a few moments. Logan broke it with a completely unexpected change of topic. "Max, there's something we need to discuss."

She looked at him, waiting for him to go on.

"You know, we've been…kind of active together… I mean we…" Logan was floundering and Max looked at him in surprise.

"No I don't know. What are you talking about?"

"About us… about our…sex life."  Logan managed to get out.

Max just continued to look at him, not giving him any help.

"Damn it, Max. I mean that we haven't exactly been careful. You could be…"

"Pregnant? " Max asked calmly.

"Yes."

"Oh. Would you care?" Max asked curiously.

"Max! Of course I'd care." He was annoyed that she would ask.

Max giggled. Seeing the normally calm and cool Logan Cale flustered was amusing her no end.

"Max, it isn't something to laugh about. We haven't taken any precautions. You've been making me so…" he stopped, unwilling to admit to her effect on him.

"Insane with lust for me?" she teased.

Logan glared at her. "I wouldn't exactly word it that way. Anyway the point is…"

"That you don't want any Logan Cale Juniors running around?" Max said.

"I didn't say that. I just said…" Logan was frustrated at the direction of the conversation. "We need to be more careful if we're going to continue to…"

"Are we going to continue to?" Max asked curiously.

Logan let out a strangled growl. "Max, you make me crazy sometimes."

"Do you want to continue to?" Max asked him point blank.

"Do my wants have anything to do with it?" Logan asked her bluntly in turn.

"I would say they do." Max smiled at him. "It does take two you know." Logan's unease was making her feel much better about things between them than she had in days.

"I don't need Sex Ed 101 you know." Logan said.

"Have to agree there." Max smiled.

"Max."

"Logan."

"Answer my question."

"Which one? I lost track. Anyway was there one in there somewhere?"

"We need to take some precautions if we're going to keep having sex. Is that clear enough for you?" Logan had had enough.

Max laughed. "It's not a problem for about two more months."

"Is there something else I need to know about the X5 biology or something?"

"Does it matter to you if there is?" Max answered his question with one of her own.

"Max, would you please give me a clear answer here." Logan pulled the SUV over into a small lookout area on the side of the road. He turned to face Max, determined to get the subject straight for once and all.

Max looked at his face and gave in from teasing him. "After my first heat, I was afraid of what would happen if I lost control again. I was really lucky that time that nothing happened but I didn't want to be seventeen and pregnant with a baby from some random hot boy that I hooked up with.  I arranged to get one of the five year contraceptive implants they have available in Europe. It runs out in two more months."

Logan was surprised to feel a slight sense of disappointment that Max couldn't be pregnant with his child.  He wasn't ready for children, hell he was just getting used to the idea of being married to Max. He pushed the thought away and smiled at her.

"Okay, then."

"Okay what?"

Their eyes met and sparks flew, as had become the norm between them. Logan pulled her to him. "Okay to this." He realized that his adrenaline was pumping from the events of the night and the confrontation with Lydecker. He wanted Max again, and he wanted her immediately.  His hand found the knot on her shoulder as he began to kiss her neck. Within seconds the knot was untied and her dress fell from her shoulders to pool around her waist.

"Here?" Max asked weakly as he began to wreak havoc on her senses with his mouth and hands.

"You had your turn in the pool. Now it's my turn. Be quiet."  Logan pressed a button and Ma's seat slid back into a full reclining position.

"Logan…someone might come along…"

"At 2 in the morning? Don't think so…." Logan's mouth was traveling downwards following the path of Max's dress. His hands were busy as well. He lifted her gently and then her dress was gone, pushed down and off leaving her in only her sheer bra and panties. Logan paused briefly to admire her in the moonlight, and then went back to work.

There was silence except for soft sighs and the rustle of clothing.

"Oh yes…"

The sound of a zipper sliding down.

"Max…let me…"

The sound of Logan shifting over to Max's seat.

"Yes…there…"

"Like that…"

"Max…"

"Logan…"

"ohhhh….."

"Yes……"

"Sweetheart…"

"Logan…"

End of Chapter Fifty-Four…TBC…