Chapter 9: For those who want the truth revealed…
Disclaimer: Please read chapter 1.
Bold=thoughts or Point of view
Italics=emphasis
~~~~~=Scene change
A/N: First of all thank you to those who have read and reviewed this story you guys are the best! For those who are wondering why I keep putting 'S.D.G. changed to Canidae' is because S.D.G. used to be the name of the place Jade escaped from then I changed it to Canidae so after this I won't put it anymore because all of you who are reading it are probably tired of it and I'm tired of putting it up so now on with the story.
Conner walked into the penthouse that he was staying at in the Foggle Towers building under Shane's name. He saw Vince sitting around watching T.V. but Gwen was nowhere to be seen.
Conner: Hey Vince.
Vince: Hey man, what's up?
Conner: Where's Gwen?
Vince: In the shower. She's been asking a lot of questions.
Connor: What'd you tell her?
Vince: Not much, just that you'd explain once you got here.
Connor: Okay, that's good.
Vince: So, anyways…
Connor: We've got a situation, looks like baby sis has been a very busy bee, she's got a connection with both Cale and the X-5.
Vince: Question is what are you gonna do about it?
Connor: It doesn't matter, we go ahead as planned.
Vince: Are you sure? Jade can be a major rift in your plans.
Connor (raising his voice): Yes I am sure! Don't tell me you are questioning my authority.
Vince: Look cool it alright, I'm just saying you should be careful, because last night that wasn't the Jade we all knew and loved. The girl I met last night was cold and vicious.
Connor: It doesn't matter because no matter how much Jade has changed in the last ten years she would never betray her family.
Jade (walks in quietly through the front door, then slams it shut so all eyes are on her): I wouldn't be so sure about that.
~~~~~Four hours earlier~~~~~
Jade had awoken in an unfamiliar bed yet again only this time she wasn't alone. She woke up in what she imagined was Logan's bedroom only to find that Zack was asleep in the chair across from Logan's bed. She was thinking hard about last night and she remembered leaving Logan's penthouse, running into Zack, and then collapsing. Now she was here in Logan's bed, he was probably asleep on the couch or something. She quietly got up, put her shoes on, grabbed her jacket, and was gonna grab her gun only she stopped when she saw the location of it. Her gun was in Zack's lap, she quietly walked over and when she picked it up Zack grabbed her wrist.
Jade: Morning.
Zack: What are you doing?
Jade: I was trying to get my gun so then I could go to work.
Zack: You sure you are up to it? I mean you were pretty out of it last night.
Jade: About that, any idea why I collapsed?
Zack: Logan called Dr. Carr when I brought you up here, he checked you out and apparently your stress level has been through the roof and it caused your blood pressure to rise very high which caused you to collapse. He injected you with some stuff which brought it down.
Jade: I guess I should thank you.
Zack: For what?
Jade: For saving me…again.
Zack: It was nothing.
Jade: If you say so. (Taking her gun.) I better get going or I'll be fired from my job for sure.
Zack: Before you go I think Logan had something to show you.
Jade (walking out): Okay, thanks.
She walked to the living room but there was no Logan, then she heard voices coming from the computer room and she headed there. Before she went inside she could hear Logan arguing with someone and from the sounds of it, it sounded like Max. After listening to the argument she noisily walked in.
Jade (both Logan and Max looking at her): Morning.
Logan: Hey.
Max didn't say anything to her she just looked at Jade coldly.
Jade: Zack told me there was something you wanted to show me, but before you do, I think its best that we cut our loses and head our separate ways.
Logan: What brought this on?
Jade: The fact that one person is dead and you're probably next, since you were the target to begin with, comes to mind.
Logan: You sure that's the only reason?
Jade: Pretty sure, what other reason would there be?
Logan: That in truth maybe you're scared, that just maybe whatever you discover is more then you bargained for.
Jade: Damn it Logan! This is all ready more then I bargained for, I signed up to find my family not to have someone's death on my head and another on the way. This whole thing got blown way out of proportion and now it's like a damn race to see who kills who and who survives in the end. So I just wanna end this here and now so we both can get on with our lives.
Logan: It's too late for that, your family started this and they're the only ones who can finish it unless you help me stop them.
Jade: God, do you hear yourself!? Do you actually think I'm gonna side with you, a person I hardly know, over my own family, well forget it because it will never happen.
Max (finally speaking for the first time since Jade had come): You know what Jade suck it up and deal cuz if you don't help Logan then I will get involved and trust me when I do you'll end up with no family at all. Is that what you want?
Jade: Oh please, is that supposed to scare me? Take your dumb ass scare tactics and shove 'em cuz I don't give a damn my family can take care of themselves they were taught that, and when it comes down to a certain point they'll kick your ass.
Max: If that's how you wanna go about it, then I'm sure you're ready to say goodbye to them cuz you see I'm not about to lose Logan to a psychotic maniac who only God knows why is doing this.
Jade: Whatever you gotta tell yourself Max to get you through the night cuz you see no matter what, family is family and you don't turn your back on them and not especially to what you think is the greater good. So whatever you're gonna do or you think you're gonna do to the 'psychotic maniac' as you put it, leave me out of it because I'm not gonna be apart of this "war" you guys have started.
She started walking out but Logan stopped her. He told her to come look at the computer monitor; there he showed her feeds of surveillance on Foggle Towers. The feeds were of the past week and some contained footage of Conner and others were of Vince, there were some of both of them together and the most recent one was of Vince and Gwen getting in last night.
Logan: I found out that they're staying three floors below me in penthouse five under Shane Black's name.
Jade (focusing on the recent feed): Whatever is going on, Gwen, she doesn't have anything to do with it.
Max (a little less cold now): How can you be sure?
Jade: Cuz last night when I almost slit her throat she honestly had no clue what I was talking about.
Max (letting out a breath): Gee you're one hell of a sister aren't you?
Jade (getting ticked): What? Not liking what you hear? Just five minutes ago you were the one hell bent on me going after them.
This earned her silence from Max and then she fixated on the different feeds till Logan brought her out of her trance by bringing up a picture with a man uncannily resembling Connor.
Jade: This is Shane Black? The real one?
Logan: Yes.
Jade: This is so unbelievable.
Max: What is?
Jade: Connor and Shane…they're twins.
Logan: It appears so, if you give me some time I can get more information on this.
Jade (nodding): I understand now.
Logan (confused): Understand what?
Jade: Last night, I asked Vince who sent him to kill you but he never told me, but now I know that it was Connor.
Logan: Why would he send someone to kill me? I mean I don't even know him.
Jade: Yea, but you knew his brother and somehow Connor found out and he probably discovered that you guys were working together or he was working for you.
Logan: What are you getting at?
Jade: Come on Logan think…he holds you responsible for his brother's death.
The were all quiet for awhile till Zack came in with the phone gesturing it towards Max and telling her it was Original Cindy. Max took the phone into the other room and Zack left Logan and Jade to themselves.
Logan: How do you wanna handle this?
Jade (cynically): You sure you don't want to wait till your girlfriend gets back, see what more 'great ideas' she has to 'take care' of my family.
Logan: Look Jade this is your family; me and Max, we've got nothing to do with it.
Jade: You sure about that? If someone was trying to kill me I think that would give the green light to get involved.
Logan: Yea but this is your matter and however you choose to go about it I trust you.
Jade (sincerely): Thanks. I guess I'll be seeing you.
With hat Jade left and on her way out she ran into Max and she just looked at her coldly and brushed passed her going back to the computer room.
Jade: Max, wait!
Max: What?
Jade: Look I understand your concern for Logan and wanting to protect him but I want you to know that no matter our differences and what may happen I will do my very best to see Logan stays safe.
Max: I appreciate that but why do I feel a 'but' coming on?
Jade: Because if you want to protect Logan you go right ahead and do that but I need you to stay away from my family and let me handle this on my own.
Max (genuinely concerned): Why don't you want us to help you?
Jade: I need to handle this myself, do things my way. Surely you could understand the predicament I'm in if it was one of your brothers or sisters.
Max: I could. Go ahead and do what you gotta do.
Jade (smiles): Thanks.
Max: You're welcome.
Jade: Dang was that us having a civilized conversation?
Max: You know, I think it was.
Both girls smiled at each other knowing they had both come to some sort of agreement and silent understanding; they both headed their ways, but Jade didn't know that Zack was coming after her.
Outside Zack finally caught up with Jade right before she was going to take off on her bike.
Zack: I'm glad I caught you.
Jade: Look Zack is this really important? Cuz I gotta be somewhere.
Zack: Just give me a second. I heard everything that went down between you, Logan, and Max.
Jade (embarrassingly): Dang were we that loud?
Zack: No that's just one of the vantage points of being a superior human.
Jade (smiles): Guess it is.
Zack: Well anyways I know you wanna handle this thing with your brother on your own but I think that I can help you.
Jade: Why would you want to help me?
Zack: Honestly, I don't know I just do.
Jade: That's not good enough. Zack I appreciate whatever it is you're trying to do but I can't get you involved, I just can't, I need to do it on my own, I hope you understand.
With that said she rode off on her bike not expecting what was to come next from her two best friends. When Jade arrived home she leaned her bike against the wall and tossed her keys by the answering machine. She walked into the living room and saw Maria and Lee both sitting and waiting for something.
Jade: Hey guys.
Maria: Hey.
Jade: What's up? You guys alright?
Lee: We're fine, question is, how are you?
Jade: I'm great.
Lee: Really, because how can I be sure you're telling me the truth.
Jade: What are you talking about?
Maria (cutting in): Lee called me last night, worried when you didn't come home. He was surprised to find me at home since supposedly we were gonna go out for drinks.
Jade: So I lied, so what, you gonna sue me or something?
Lee: We're worried about you.
Maria: Yea and you know that lying thing; you've been doing it a lot lately. We're just trying to understand so we can help you with whatever's going on.
Jade: What is this an intervention?
Lee: No this is just two friends trying to help another friend.
Jade: I see, that's really sweet guys but I've never needed anyone's help before, it's just not my style. 'Sides don't you guys have work?
Maria: Slow day.
Lee: Sick leave.
Jade: Well I need to go since I haven't been there the past few days.
Maria: Don't bother; Nick still thinks you're sick.
Jade: Okay then there's some place I need to be so catch you guys later.
Jade went upstairs, changed her clothes, reloaded her gun, took her knife, and headed back down. Downstairs she saw her best friends' faces and realized she needed to tell them something to get them off her back.
Jade: You guys want the truth?
Maria: Yea that'd be nice.
Jade (lying): Truth is I wasn't in very good state of mind last night and I did some things I'm not exactly proud of. The G-rated version is I had one too many drinks and ended up some place that wasn't exactly a place you'd find me when I was somber, and for now that's all I can really tell you so please accept it and don't be mad at me.
With that said she grabbed her keys and her bike and then she headed off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~Four hours later~~~~~
Connor: It doesn't matter because no matter how much Jade has changed in the last ten years she would never betray her family.
Jade (walks in quietly through the front door, then slams it shut so that all eyes are on her): I wouldn't be to sure about that.
Vince (getting up): What the hell are you doing here and how did you find us?
Jade (sarcastically): Whoa, down Kujo. Oh and to answer your prior question I found you with the help of my own personal genius or as you guys like to call him Logan Cale.
Connor: Hello Jade. It's nice to see you again.
Jade: I can't say the same about you Shane, oh wait, I mean Connor. How long did you think it would take me to figure it out?
Connor: Not long.
Jade (taking a seat): So Vince how's your shoulder?
Vince: Good, no thanks to you.
Jade: Just be thankful, cuz if I wanted to kill you I would have. Besides I got shot in the same shoulder a couple weeks back and look at it now it's as good as new.
Connor: What are you doing here Jade?
Jade: I know what you're doing and I know why you are doing it. I came to reason with you to make you see that it's wrong.
Connor: Why you so amped on putting strangers ahead of your own family?
Jade: I'm just trying to spare lives, yours and theirs.
Gwen (finally coming): What is she doing here?
Jade (looking at Vince and then at Connor): Still haven't told her I see.
Gwen: Told me what?
Jade (going over to her): Look into my eyes Gwen and see if you remember.
Gwen took a moment then before anyone knew what she was doing she gave Jade a powerful right hook in her jaw. Vince broke out in laughter and Connor gave him this 'cut it out' look which made him stop.
Jade: Guess I deserved that.
Gwen: Yea you did. So who the hell are you?
Jade: I'm your sister.
Gwen: Yea right try the truth.
Connor (stepping in): She is telling the truth Gwen, it's Jade.
Jade: I'm guessing you have no idea what our big brothers have been up to?
Gwen: No, enlighten me.
Jade: Long story short, Connor sent Vince to kill my friend Logan instead an innocent woman was killed. Connor sent Vince to kill Logan cuz he blames Logan for Shane Black's death who just so happens to be big brother's long lost twin brother. Shane and Logan were good friends they both worked for a mutual person and one of their operations went down wrong and Shane was killed now Connor is trying to avenge his death. (Turning to face Connor.) Did I leave anything out?
Connor: No.
Jade: Now you are all going to listen to me if you all value your lives. Max, Logan's girlfriend, isn't exactly your average human if I give her the word she will be up here in a heart beat and she'll kill all three of you except maybe Gwen since she's not apart of this but then again who knows. Thing is, if that does happen I won't stop it, so the way I see it is, you've got two choices: you either stop this or you continue it and lose your lives and the lives around you.
Connor: You'd actually turn your back on your family?
Jade: Well you should have thought about that before you weaseled your way back into my life by lying. See in the past few months since I've met Logan he's not lied to me once, so from that draw your own conclusions.
Connor: Give it time I'm sure he'll betray you along the way, it's what they do.
Jade: That's bullshit and you know it.
Connor: There's more to this then you're willing to realize.
Jade: I don't care; I'm just trying to spare everyone pain but if you want it then go for it. I'm just saying in the end you'll lose.
Vince: If you don't care then why you still here?
Jade: Don't worry I was just leaving. (Turning to Gwen.) I'm sorry for everything maybe in time you can forgive me. Just get out of here while you still can.
With all that said and done Jade left. She got on the elevator and headed up to Logan's penthouse; she was surprised to see that Zack had opened the door.
Jade: Is Logan around?
Zack: No it's just me.
Jade: Oh, well tell him I dropped by.
Zack (shutting the door): Okay.
Jade (stopping him): Zack wait.
Zack: What is it?
Jade: Could we go somewhere private and talk?
Zack (hesitant at first): Fine, any place in particular?
Jade: Yea.
So they headed out and Jade drove them all the way to sector eleven and there they entered a very high class looking hotel building. The bell hop smiled at her like he knew her and she smiled back. She led Zack to the elevator and once inside she pushed for the twentieth floor and once they were off the elevator she took her key out and they entered room thirteen-zero-four.
Zack: Come here often?
Jade: When I need to get away from my problems. You know I've never brought anybody here before, well that is until now.
Zack: Why did you bring me?
Jade (looking into his eyes): Because I trust you.
Zack (sitting on the bed): Really, you do? Well that's good to hear. So by the looks of that big bruise on your jaw I'm guessing your intervention project didn't go well.
Jade: The good thing is me and my sister worked out our problems, I think, but the bad news is I didn't change my brother's mind in the slightest.
Zack: I'm sure in time he'll realize that you're not trying to hurt him you're just trying to help.
Jade: I hope it happens before he gets all homicidal.
Zack: Can I tell you something?
Jade (seeing he was serious so she went and sat on the bed beside him): Sure.
Zack: The first night that I saw you when I was in Logan's car, something inside of me felt this connection with you, like we had met before.
Jade: I felt it too; I mean the connection between us, and all the other times I felt like I was drawn to you somehow.
Zack: You don't supposed Manticore and Candiae did something to us before we escaped.
Jade: Like what?
Zack: I don't know, forget I said anything.
Jade: You know I wouldn't put it past them, but if they did, the only person I could think of, to know about it would be Connor, but he's currently not talking to me. So I guess we're stuck.
Zack (looking at her with curiosity): Jade, before when you said you were drawn to me how did you mean? Like in a good way or a bad way?
Jade (smiles): Definitely in a good way but it's hard to explain and sort of embarrassing.
Zack: Come on there's nothing to be ashamed of it's just you, me, and the walls.
Jade (cracking a smile at his last remark): First of all when I look at you and I look into your eyes it's like this magnetic force keeps me locked onto them. They're so blue and deep just like the ocean and I love getting lost in them. When I'm not around you I long to be and when a day comes and I haven't seen you I go out hoping wherever I go you might turn up there. Other days I hope Logan calls me so it can give me an excuse to come over and see you. That morning when I woke up and we were together it didn't feel wrong it actually felt quite right and that night when we went to sleep together it felt like that's how things were supposed to be. (Getting up and pacing.) I don't know if this is just an excuse for me to express my feelings or maybe this is my body telling me I need to get laid; hell it could even be that Manticore and Canidae really did do something to us to make us attracted to one another. All I know is that nothing can happen between us cuz it would both put our lives in jeopardy.
Zack (getting up and looking into her eyes): Why do you say that?
Jade: Because you're on the run and I'm on the run and the last thing the both of us needs right now is to jump into something that can prove to be fatal.
Zack: Before you go on can I say something?
Jade: Sure.
Zack: Look, I'm not one to express my feelings, but I haven't felt this way about anybody in a very long time. So how can something that feels so right be so wrong?
Jade: It just is.
Zack: No, listen to me, I love spending time with you, you're fun to be with and you have this energy about you that's really great. You have beautiful eyes and a great smile not to mention your killer looks. I like the way you act all bad ass but yet you have this innocence about you.
Jade: Zack don't do this; don't make it harder for the both of us.
Zack: I'm not; I'm just repeating what your heart is telling you. Jade, you know you want this as much as I do. Just stop trying to build defenses and let me be with you.
Suddenly they were so close and their faces inches away from one another, and before Jade knew what she was doing she started to kiss Zack and he kissed her back. Then things were put in overdrive as Jade undid Zack's pants and lifted off his shirt. He took her tank top off and undid her pants as he lifted her up and carried her to the, bed everything fell to the floor, including Jade's gun and knife.
~~~~~A couple hours later~~~~~
Jade awoke only to find that Zack was already awake and just staring at her with a smile.
Jade: Hey.
Zack: Hey yourself.
Jade: Did you get any sleep?
Zack: Not really. Didn't feel like it.
Jade: So you stared at me this whole time?
Zack: Something like that.
Jade (looking at her wrist but realizing she hadn't worn her watch today): Hey Zack, what time is it?
Zack (looking at the clock on the night-stand next to him): It's five-thirty, why?
Jade: I gotta head out.
Zack (sort of in a whine-pout voice): Really, but why?
Jade (putting on her clothes and shoes): I gotta go fix my relationship with my two best friends.
Zack (seductively): If you stay, I'll be your best friend.
Jade (giving him a quick kiss): That's cute but be serious.
Zack (smiling): I was.
Jade: How 'bout we meet at seven and I'll take you to dinner? I know this really nice Italian place that's not far from here. What do you say?
Zack: Sounds good.
Jade (searching for something): Have you seen my keys?
Zack: Did you check on the table underneath my pants?
Jade (finding them and triumphantly yelled): Ah Ha!
When she put Zack's pants down something fell out of one of the pockets and Jade picked it up. It was a piece of paper and out of sheer curiosity she unfolded it only to discover that it was a printed out surveillance cam photo of Connor.
Jade (turning to Zack who was putting on his shirt): Zack what's this?
Zack: What's what?
Jade (tossing the paper to him): This.
Zack: Oh, I've been meaning to talk to you about that.
Jade: Alright let's start by you telling me why you have a picture of my brother, a guy you don't even know.
Zack: See, that's where you're wrong, I do know him.
Jade (confused): How and why didn't this come up before?
Zack: I honestly didn't know who you're brother was till I saw this picture.
Jade: Okay, I understand that but how do you know him?
Zack: I killed his girlfriend three years ago.
~~~~~TBC~~~~~