Reaching for The Moon by ThePekingNoodle

Chapter Ninety-Two: On the Waterfront

In which things don't look very good for our intrepid heroine…

As the black SUV sped through the deserted streets of Seattle, the man in the passenger seat turned to look back at their rear seat passenger.

Max lay sprawled across the seat, her dress hiked up revealing the full expanse of her slender legs, hair straggling from its sophisticated updo, and one arm hanging down limply, touching the floor next to her small satin evening bag.

"How long's she gonna be out?" he turned to the driver.

"Long enough." The driver grunted uninformatively.

The first man let his admiring gaze wander over Max's unconscious form. "Nice piece. Wonder how those legs would feel wrapped around a guy?"

"Don't get any ideas. The Colonel wants her in one piece. No marks or bruises. That's why we used the spray. She'll have the mother of all headaches when she comes to, but nothing will show."

"What I have in mind won't show either." The first man leered.

"When the Colonel says hands off, it's hands off. Unless you want to lose a piece of your anatomy. You're new with us or you wouldn't even be thinkin' about it," the driver warned him. "No piece of ass is worth joinin' the soprano choir for."

"If you and me were to stop for a while and have a piece of her right now, the Colonel wouldn't even know about it. Hell, she wouldn't even know about it." He indicated Max with a nod of his head. "That stuff is just a concentrated spray form of roofies, right? Take it from one who knows, she won't remember a thing."

The driver snorted and concentrated on the upcoming Sector checkpoint. "Pull the papers out from the glove box," he directed.

Max lay perfectly still on the back seat. Her head felt like it was encased in cotton, but she heard the words of the two men and her brain was sluggishly processing them. She tried to concentrate on where she was and what had happened. Her last clear thought was of standing and watching Logan and Ashley with their lips locked in what looked to be a passionate kiss. She had barely managed to keep from snapping the blonde's neck on the spot. Instead she had stalked outside to get some fresh air and control her emotions.

Her fierce anger had distracted her so that she hadn't paid any attention to the black SUV at the curb or the two men until they had surrounded her. Before she could do anything, one had brought his hand up and sprayed her full in the face with a substance that had rendered her instantly dizzy. The other man had blocked the vision of the restaurant's valet and she had dimly heard him saying something about her having too much to drink and taking her home. She must have blacked out for a short period of time because the next thing she knew she was sprawled on the back seat of a moving vehicle, her skirt up around her waist, and her head spinning.

The SUV was cleared through the checkpoint and began to move once again. Her captors were silent and Max concentrated on overcoming the effects of whatever drug they had given her. She had a feeling that she was going to need to be in as much control as possible once they stopped.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Logan cursed as he disconnected from Max's cell phone. Whoever had her had either turned it off or taken it away from her. Either way she clearly wasn't able to answer. He kicked himself for letting Ashley distract him while Lydecker pulled off his kidnapping. He was several blocks from the restaurant on his way to Fogle Towers when he made a sudden decision and pulled his car to the curb. He punched in another number on his cell and waited.

"Sebastian? Thank god you're awake."

"What's up Logan?" Sebastian's metallic voice asked.

"Lydecker snatched Max about twenty minutes ago. I have to find her."

There was a silence. "Any idea of what kind of transport ?"

"The initial vehicle was a black SUV. In front of Antonio's Ristorante in Sector 9."

"This time of night there shouldn't be too many vehicles going through the checkpoints. Let me see if I can find out anything."

Logan waited impatiently for Sebastian to get back to him.

"A Black SUV went through Checkpoint Charlie ten minutes ago. They're in the waterfront district. The only way out of there is back through Charlie, on a ship, or by helicopter. Or they could have a set up in one of the abandoned warehouses down there." Sebastian informed him.

"Thanks, Sebastian." Logan said.

"Wait Logan, what are you going to do?"

"Go after her."

"Logan there are hundreds of buildings in that sector. You'll never find her. Not to mention she could already be on some kind of boat on her way somewhere else."

"I have to try, Seb."

"I'll try to do some satellite infra-reds on the area. The North American military command satellite will be in position in about another half an hour. I'm also monitoring the known Manticore comm frequencies. Maybe I'll pick something up."

"Or maybe they've been ordered to keep radio silence. Lydecker knows my hacking skills." Logan said grimly. "I'm going to boot up my laptop, Seb. Hit me on it if you come up with anything."

"Logan, did you ever think that Max could be the bait to lure you into a trap?"

"I have to take that chance, Seb. The Colonel wouldn't have her now if it weren't for my stupidity. The only redeeming factor is that he doesn't know who she really is."

"Be careful, Logan."

"Send me whatever you find out. I'm heading to the waterfront district now." Logan disconnected the cell phone and flipped open his laptop. He started it up and opened up his email and communications programs, letting them run so that Sebastian could contact him if he found anything out. He was about to pull the car away from the curb when his cell phone trilled.

"Yes?" he said shortly.

"Logan." The Colonel's voice said smoothly. "Did you find your wife?"

"You know damned well I didn't, you bastard. Where is she?" Logan snarled.

"She's perfectly safe. Right now she's just enjoying a little bit of a nap. When she wakes up she'll be treated with perfect care and consideration."

"Why did you take her?" Logan demanded. "She's nothing to you."

"Ah, but she is to you. Let's just call her my insurance policy. As long as you cooperate and complete the assignment I have for you, she'll be fine."

"And when I finish?" Logan's fingers were flying over his keyboard as he initiated a trace program on the call.

"She'll be returned to you in the same shape she was in when she left."

"What guarantee do I have of that?"

"Logan, you know there are no guarantees in life. You'll just have to depend on my word. I'll be in touch with your assignment. Good night."

The phone went dead in Logan's hand. He swore and shut down the trace program. There was a grim look on his face as he headed the SUV towards Checkpoint Charlie.

End of Chapter Ninety-Two…TBC