Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine. But the 'dleep is buying the rights to dark angel' fund is still open for donations… J
A/N: Please leave any nasty comments about the chapter delay in a review. Feel free to leave nice comments too. I really backed myself into a corner with the last few chapters of this story, it was a huge mess that's taken forever to write and repair. Thanks to my beta, Aimee, who pointed out that my 'hall' or 'centre' description didn't fit, and that I accidentally resurrected a character. Also, a world of thanks to Abregaza for being so pushy! In a good way!
Chapter 15
Emblanda
*** Building exterior, NIGHT ***
"Tell us what you know about Kia." Zane demanded as Max handed earpieces to Jai and Alec.
"She's not good. Barely breathing last time I saw her, and that was hours ago." Alec answered, avoiding the stares of the other Manticore alumni as he fitted his earpiece.
"What did they do to her?" Jai growled.
"Not sure. He kicked her, probably some broken ribs out of that. Used a taser on her, then hit her over the head with it." Jai's expression at hearing the words was murderous.
"He?" Max asked, sure that she already knew the answer.
"A scientist. He's working with a guy named White."
"Manticore." Jai grunted.
"White isn't. The scientist probably is. I haven't gotten around to getting their life stories yet, but hey, give me a few minutes and I'll-" He cut himself off at the sight of Jai, who was silently fuming. Zane looked at each of them, then turned to face the building.
"Let's move." The CO ordered, striding towards the back entrance.
"Wait," Alec called after him. The three X5s stopped and turned to face X5-494, each wearing a stony expression.
"I don't have much time left." Alec finished softly. Max and Zane exchanged looks, then Zane nodded at Jai.
"Let's get this thing out of your head." Zane said, looking around for somewhere to perform the procedure.
"In twelve minutes." Alec added.
"Ahh, deadlines." Jai muttered in a low, sarcastic voice.
Jai backed away from Alec slowly, letting the X5's hair return to its normal position. Alec rubbed at the back of his neck and looked at Jai, who was wiping a small amount of blood from his hands.
"I can't get it out," Jai muttered with disdain. "If I try, it'll kill you." Alec exhaled loudly, and looked at each of the three soldiers in turn.
"So I've got three choices. I can let you kill me, let my time run out and allow that to kill me, or let them see me with the three of you and get killed instantly. Wow. Gotta love the outside world." He grimaced.
"There's a fourth option." Max said quietly.
"Max." Zane warned.
"They want you to deliver me, so you deliver me. Then the chip gets removed. It's an option." She shrugged.
"No it's not." Zane argued, stepping in front of his sister. "I'm not offering you up as bait, Max."
"I have my big brothers to protect me. I'll be fine." She assured him. "Plus, they'll let Kia go." Max rolled her eyes as a loud and disapproving cough came through the earpiece. "It'll work, Logan. I'll be safe." She told the cough with a half smile.
"That would work," Alec began, "except we know what will really happen." The three X5s turned to him. "I'll walk in with Max, and they'll either blow my head off, or flat out refuse to take the chip out. Then they'll continue to use me to kill or capture transgenics, and kill X5-426 and sell her to scientists for a bundle."
"That's not necessarily what will happen." Zane said hesitantly, his tone betraying his true opinion.
"Yes it is. So I'm dead either way. Let me go in after her. Guns blazing, playing the hero," Alec quipped with a grin.
"At least let Jai try to get it out." Max argued softly.
"No real point, it won't work. Look. I did bad things. I delivered transgenics to the bad guys. It's my turn."
"Let's try something else first." Jai spoke up from behind the arguing trio, and looked from the building back to his family with a determined expression.
*** Emblanda Enterprises building, NIGHT ***
"That's the one?" Jai asked in a low voice, nodding towards Dickens.
"Yeah. He said he wanted to have some fun with her, and she attacked him. So he tasered her and knocked her out." Alec answered in a whisper, stepping backwards and giving the hallway a sweeping glance. The pair had entered the building separately to Zane and Max, who were working towards them from the back entrance. It hadn't taken Alec and Jai long to come across the scientist, who was busying himself in a small room filled with medical equipment.
"So he's the scientist?" Jai asked, not taking his eyes off the man in the room.
"Yes." Alec confirmed.
"Right." With inhuman speed, the two transgenics swept into the room, Jai reaching the scientist first and pulling his gun, aiming it squarely at the man's chest. Alec stepped up behind him and waved.
"Remember me?" He asked sarcastically. The scientist looked from one X5 to the other, and nodded, swallowing hard. "Remember the chip you put in my head?" Again, Dickens nodded.
"Remove it." Jai demanded. The scientist smirked.
"No." He replied simply.
"I will shoot you." Jai assured him, not breaking eye contact.
"If you shoot me, no one will help your friend." Dickens taunted, grinning at Alec. Jai gave him a smile of his own.
"He isn't my friend." His deep voice replied. The scientist flinched, but held his ground.
"Then it doesn't matter if I don't remove it."
"Not if you don't mind dying." Jai retorted. Alec smiled. Dickens looked around wildly before settling his gaze on Jai once more.
"If you kill me, who's going to remove chip I put in your friend's head?"
"I told you, he's not my friend." Jai repeated in a slow drawl.
"That's not who I was talking about." Dickens smiled. "I mean your other friend. You know. Tall red head, body to die for?" Jai's gun remained steady, but his mouth tightened slightly.
"He's bluffing." Alec muttered, his voice barely audible. "She was bait, there was no need."
"Funny how the world works, isn't it? You come in here with a gun trained on me, but it's really me that's in control of the entire situation. I find it hilarious." The scientist smirked. Jai's grip tightened on the gun.
"I've only got two minutes left." Alec whispered. "He's bluffing. Let me shoot him. Go find Kia." Jai turned his head to face Alec, and read the expression of determination on his face.
"He's all yours." Jai replied in his low, gravelly voice, lowering his gun and stepping aside. X5-494 raised his own gun higher and removed his earpiece, handing it to Jai with a nod. Gun trained on the scientist, Alec gestured for Jai to proceed through the doorway. The X5 jogged past the scientist, who was shaking, and tried the door. It was locked.
"494!" Dickens exclaimed in a panicked voice. Jai's head whipped around at the designation.
"494?" He repeated in a whisper, stopping dead. His mind flashed back to his examination of Alec's implant, and he wondered why the significance of the designation hadn't registered.
"494, please! Think about what you're doing!" Dickens cried. Alec walked closer to the scientist as the man pleaded for his life. "494, I'm the only one that can take that thing out! Please, you don't have much time left."
"Neither do you." Alec replied with a smile. He reached his target, who stood quivering. "In about a minute, I'm going to get a big pain in my neck. Then I'll die. You're going to experience all that too. But you're going first." He tossed the gun over his shoulder and reached out to the scientist, taking his neck in his hands. "Before you go, tell me if you really gave her an implant." Dickens' face was growing bluer, and his eyes bulged.
"No." He heaved out with a splutter.
"Good." Alec replied. "By the way, 494 is an extremely impersonal way to address someone. Why don't you call me Alec from now on?" The scientist clawed at the X5's hands. Jai, sick of watching, pushed his weight against the door until the lock gave way. He took a final look at the struggling pair, nodding at Alec again, then made his way through the door.
"Goodbye, Dickens." Alec smiled at the man.
"Alec-" The scientist began before being interrupted by the loud crack of his neck breaking. Jai paused just past the doorway without turning around. In his head, he counted down the final seconds to the end of Alec's timeframe, briefly wondering about the accuracy of it.
He began walking again as the sound of a small explosion reached his ears from behind.
Max walked slowly down the hall, eyes peeled for signs of White. Zane followed at a safe distance, covering her with his gun.
"Max, Zane." Logan's voice came through the coms.
"Clear." Max whispered back.
"Just got a message from Jai. Alec's dead." Max glanced over her shoulder at Zane, who was still following a safe way behind. He shrugged his shoulders lightly.
"Where's Jai now?"
"Heading toward you, as far as I can tell. That place is like a maze."
"Yeah, well we think that we're-" Max was cut off as White stepped boldly around the corner, attacking her with a taser.
"Max!" Zane exclaimed before dodging bullets. He returned a few of his own, before deciding the risk was too high.
"Zane? Zane!?" Logan yelled over the com. "What's happened? Max?" Zane pulled the distraction from his ear and focussed on the battle in the building, as Logan, outside, threw his headset off and abandoned the van, Brianna calling after him.
*** Emblanda Parking lot, NIGHT ***
"Logan!" Brianna yelled after him as he sprang from the van. "Logan, wait!" He didn't turn, and Brianna let out a nervous yelp before turning to face Logan's surveillance set-up. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the door of the van closed and put Logan's discarded headset in place, wishing she'd taken the time to learn more than basic computer skills.
*** Emblanda Enterprises building, NIGHT ***
Zane stayed in position, not moving, his ears trained on the room in front of him. He cursed his breathing, which had become heavier since White had appeared and taken Max. Concentrating, Zane held his breath, and immediately picked up the sound of footsteps nearing his location. He stepped out from his hiding place and trained his gun on the footsteps. He didn't move his gun as the source of the footsteps came into view. Zane let out the breath he was holding as he recognised the newcomer.
"Logan." He said, relieved.
"Zane." Logan answered, lowering his own gun. "What happened?"
"We don't have surveillance?" Zane asked, ducking the question.
"Brianna's still there. What happened?" Logan repeated, frustrated.
"You left her there on her own? Has she got a weapon?" The X5 demanded, shoving the earpiece back into his ear roughly.
"Zane! What happened?" Logan demanded, taking the X5 by the shoulders.
"Taser." Zane replied softly. "White took her. Alive." He added, watching the colour drain from Logan's face.
"Where is she?" He asked in a voice barely above a whisper. Zane nodded at the closed door across the hall.
"As far as I can tell, they're still in there." He answered.
"Not for long." Came a third voice from beside them. Logan and Zane both turned to face him.
"Jai." Zane muttered, not trying to hide his relief.
"Is this our eyes?" Jai asked in a gruff voice.
"Logan, Jai."
"We don't have eyes." Jai accused.
"We have surveillance." Logan responded, and Jai handed him the spare earpiece.
"I wouldn't call her that." Zane muttered.
"So limited eyes." Jai affirmed. "That's ok, I have something better." He stepped aside to reveal a pile of explosives.
"Looks like the scouts have been taking their motto a little too seriously." Logan dead panned. Zane gave him a puzzled expression before shrugging his shoulders.
"Whatever. You ready for this?"
"Are you clear on what to do?" Zane asked Logan for the third time, and Logan nodded again. Jai was leaned over the explosives he had 'borrowed,' wiring some together expertly.
"He knows, Zane. Shut up." Jai growled in annoyance. "These are ready. We should get through the door on the first blast. From there, it's just a matter of-"
"You know, if a girl relied on the three of you to save her, she'd be waiting all day." Max joked, interrupting from the opposite doorway. "Just how long were you planning on leaving me there?"
"Max!" Zane exclaimed with a grin, looking from Jai to the pile of explosives next to the door. "Shame, it would have been a pretty show." Jai shrugged and gave Max a smile of his own. She finally turned to Logan, who was looking as if he would burst. She raised her eyebrows at him and he gave her a relieved smile.
"Scare a guy to death." He said by way of explanation, taking her quickly into his arms for a hug. Jai coughed, and Logan and Max turned to face the other X5s.
"What did you do to White?" Zane asked Max.
"Taste of his own medicine. When he wakes up, he's going to have one helluva taser burn," she grinned.
"You didn't kill him?" Zane burst out, a look of utter disbelief on his face.
"No." She answered defiantly, putting one hand on her hip.
"Max…" Zane warned, looking from her to the door she had just come through.
"No. I'm not like that. I removed the danger, and now I'm-"
"You haven't removed the danger, Max! He's gonna wake up and come after you! He'll always come after you. This guy's a freak. He's seen the crap that Manticore scientist made up about you, and now he thinks you're his saviour or some bullshit." Zane lowered his voice. "He won't give up, Max. He's a danger."
"I can handle it."
"He took Kia this time. Who knows who he'll go after next? Krit? Jondy? Hell, he could even drag Logan into this." Zane's face was growing progressively redder.
"Zane-" Logan cut in.
"No." The commanding officer replied in a hard voice. "We've got enough enemies in our lives. I'm not losing the chance to take one out." He pushed past Max, only to be grabbed from behind by strong hands. He turned around angrily to face Jai.
"No." Jai's deep voice argued. "This one's me. For Kia. He's mine." Zane nodded, speechless as a result of Jai's stony expression.
"Take Logan with you." Zane ordered. Max looked at him in alarm. "Don't argue, Max. He needs backup, and we need to stay on alert. You won't carry a weapon, and I'm a better shot than Logan. It's an even match up." Max glared at him briefly before nodding.
"After you've done it, find Kia. We need to work fast. We don't know if guards will be arriving, or what kind of condition Kia's in. Call in, and then continue on. If you find her, call it in." Jai and Logan nodded, Logan quickly checking the weapon Jai handed him. He glanced up, catching Max's eye.
"Be careful." They each said at the same time, before turning in opposite directions.
Zane and Max walked steadily down the hall, stopping once in a while to check small rooms within the building.
"They've been gone forever." Zane complained, checking his watch for what seemed like the hundredth time.
"We know they're safe. Logan called in." Max argued, trying hard to convince herself.
"Jai just killed a man. I'd feel better if I knew where they were." Max continued walking, and Zane checked behind them, covering both directions.
"This was your idea, remember? We're covering more ground this way. We need to find Kia, and this is the quickest way to do it." At Zane's insistence, Max had drawn the knife, and now carried it as she walked along.
"We have no idea where she is." He complained, checking over his shoulder again before bumping into Max, who'd stopped dead in her tracks.
"We're closer than you think." She whispered, seconds before the smell hit him. With a shaking breath, Zane was dragged back to his childhood as he placed the odour. The smell was Manticore, or, more specifically, Manticore soldier.
Dead Manticore soldier.
*** Emblanda Parking lot, NIGHT ***
In the van, Brianna sat, listening in fascination to the operation occurring in the building, occasionally answering calls from the group inside.
You left her there on her own? Has she got a weapon?
You didn't kill him?
I'm not losing the chance to take one out.
Listening to Zane's voice over the coms only served to further confuse Brianna. She shook her head lightly and concentrated on the voices coming at her.
*** Emblanda Enterprises building, NIGHT ***
"Max, stop." Zane called, reaching out and grabbing her by the arm when she didn't answer. She turned, eyes wide, and waited for him to speak. "This may not be what we think." He said softly.
"Do you remember that smell?" She asked in a low voice. Zane stared back at her, nodding.
"I remember."
"What do you remember, Zane?"
"I remember rain." The CO mumbled. Max nodded in memory, eyes far away. "I remember rain and mud. Days of rain and mud. It didn't stop, and it didn't hide the smell."
"Endurance." Max whispered.
"Endurance." Zane repeated. "Three weeks in the rain, in the mud, ready to fire upon any sighting of the rival unit."
"And them upon first sighting of us."
"Three weeks in the rain, in the mud, with enemies watching, and a soldier rotting beside us." Zane continued, voice still low.
"Crux."
"Crux." He paused, lost in thought. "Zack told us to ignore him. Acceptable casualty. But the smell…"
"I hated Crux for that smell." Max cut in, feeling guilty as she uttered the words.
"I hated Zack for making us leave him there. He deserved more." Zane stared off into space.
"Endurance." She repeated softly.
"Some battles aren't worth winning."
"The Manticore leash." Max whispered. "That's the first time we really broke it, you and me." Zane nodded at the memory.
"First time I deliberately disobeyed my CO." Zane muttered back.
"Every second that we were burying him, I felt like I should be leaving him there. Following orders."
"We didn't follow their orders, Maxie." Zane reminded her, and she turned to face him.
"Did you ever tell Zack it was us?"
"No." He shook his head, as if shaking away memories, and turned back to Max. "Head in the game, soldier. We've got a different sibling to rescue." With sinking stomachs, the pair entered the room.
*** Emblanda Parking Lot, NIGHT ***
In the van, Brianna wiped away a tear as she listened to Max and Zane recalling the event from their childhood. The crackle of static in her ear pulled her out of her thoughts.
Do you remember that smell?
The smell? With a jolt, Brianna realised that the pair had been discussing the smell of the rotting soldier, and comparing it to something that was happening right now. Her hands shook as she smoothed her hair back, waiting for the call that would tell her whether or not it was her best friend's body that was rotting inside of the building.
*** Emblanda Enterprises Building, NIGHT ***
Max and Zane entered the room slowly, each dreading what they would find there. The smell was overpowering to their finely tuned senses, and Max walked with one hand held up to her face.
They didn't have to walk far.
To one side of the large room was a cage containing the dead Manticore soldier. Max held her breath reached for Zane's arm, not wanting to keep her eyes open.
"Female X series." Max whispered. "It's her, isn't it?" She stopped, unable to move forward. Zane continued on, moving steadily to the cage, stopping when he got close enough to examine the body. With a shaking hand, he reached into the cage and moved the soldier's hair, cut in Kia's style, to the side.
Visibly paler, he turned to Max, who was standing in the same place, watching his movements silently. He shook his head, the movement so small that she might have missed it had she not been studying him so intently. She let out the breath she had been holding.
"Zane, Max." Brianna's shaky voice came over the coms. "Logan and Jai found Kia. We're leaving." Max and Zane exchanged a glance before leaving the room, neither of them saying a word.
"Max! Zane!" Logan called, causing both soldiers to stop and turn. Logan and Jai were just rounding a corner, Jai carrying Kia, who appeared to be unconscious. Zane shook his head, as if trying shake the image of the dead soldier he'd just seen, and met Jai halfway down the hall. Max followed, reaching out and taking Logan's hand silently. Logan gave her a worried look, and pulled her a little closer to where he was standing.
"The bad guys are gone, the girl's saved, let's get the hell outta here." Zane muttered, giving the unmoving Kia a quick look.
"Don't know about saved." Jai muttered, looking worriedly at the figure in his arms. "She's not looking good."
"All the more reason to get out of here." Zane remarked tersely, leading the way to the exit.
*** Emblanda Parking Lot, NIGHT ***
Hearing the others approach, Brianna removed her headset and pulled open the door of the van, much to Jai's surprise, who looked as though he might drop Kia at the sight of her.
"Brianna!" Jai exclaimed.
"Is she…?" Brianna gasped by way of answer, staring at the unmoving Kia.
"Alive for now." Zane answered. "She'll need medical attention quickly." Logan nodded, moving to the driver's seat and handing Max his cell phone.
"Speed dial three." He barked out, starting the car. Max dialled the number.
"Sam? It's Max. We've run into some trouble, I need you to help my sister. Can we meet you at the clinic?" Max listened to the doctor's answer at the other end of the phone. "We're at least half an hour away." She let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Sam. We'll see you soon." Max cast another worried look Kia's way.
"Can I help?" Brianna asked, concerned.
"We can take care of our own." Max replied hotly, shifting so that she was facing Jai.
"Our own?" Jai repeated in his low voice. He took in Brianna's expression. "Oh, hell no. What happened?" He threw an accusatory look at Zane.
"Not me. It was…" He paused, looking at Max. "A friend. An accident."
"Kia's not going to like this." Jai said flatly.
"You sent her here. What did you expect would happen?" Zane said defensively.
"So what are you going to do about it?" Jai shot back, ignoring Brianna's stare.
"Don't I get a say in this?" Brianna burst out, looking at each X5 in turn. Jai was focussed solely on Kia, and barely acknowledged her. Max glared at her, and Zane stared out the window, avoiding her gaze. None of them answered her.
"I didn't do anything wrong, you know." She continued. "You guys are the ones that lied to me. I haven't done anything to deserve getting shut out of this."
"Have to disagree with you there and remind you of the 'freak show family' comment." Max muttered. Brianna turned to her, tears in her eyes.
"I was upset." She said softly, looking nothing like the fiery woman Zane had met at the martial arts school.
"Yeah, well now I am too." Max retorted. Zane leaned over and placed a warning hand on Max's arm. She looked up angrily, but he shut her down with his expression.
"Enough." He said simply, meeting her eyes and shaking his head. Brianna threw him a grateful look, which he didn't acknowledge.
"Logan, what's our ETA?" Max called instead, leaning forward to the front seat.
"We should reach Sam in just under twenty minutes." Logan replied, catching her eye in the rear view mirror.
"Can he be trusted?" Zane questioned. Max nodded and turned to Kia.
"She's not looking good." Max noted with a concerned expression. "How much longer do you think-"
"Not much." Jai responded bluntly. "At best, an hour. There's more to this than broken ribs and taser burns." Max closed her eyes briefly.
"At worst?"
"She may not make the trip to the good doctor." His stony reply came, and Max looked away.
"How can you say that?" Brianna blurted out, attracting the stare of the three conscious X5s. "You can't give up on her like that! She's strong. She'll make it." She looked down at her lap. "She'll make it. She has to." Max looked from Brianna to Kia, then scrambled over the front seat to sit next to Logan. Zane watched briefly as she leaned against Logan for comfort. He turned to Jai, who was stroking Kia's hair softly.
"She has to." Brianna repeated, tears streaming down her face. Zane watched her rocking gently and reached for her hand in the darkness of the car. He took it hesitantly, and she squeezed it tight, not looking at him, but not pulling away.