Thanks once more for all your wonderful reviews. I really appreciate them
and I'm so glad you're all enjoying this!!
To answer a question, this is set after Haven.
Many thanks again to my beta, Alaidh!!
Chapter 4
Logan woke with a start the next morning, his first thought being there was something he had to do. Rubbing a hand over his eyes, his impetuous decision came back to him like a slap in the face.
While he was comfortable with the idea of going with Max, Zack was another story entirely. Zack, who with his Manticore perfection, only seemed to highlight to Logan his own obvious lack of perfection.
He thought long and hard about his decision while he had his shower and dressed, viewing the whole trip with trepidation. "I can't do this," he said to himself, "I'll just go out there and tell Max I've got way too much to do here." Wondering why this momentous decision made him feel no better, he wheeled down the hallway and entered the kitchen just in time to see Zack say, "Here," and wipe a piece of egg from the side of Max's mouth with a napkin. In that split second his resolve went out the window.
"Well, you all set?" he asked brightly.
Max turned to him, a little surprised to see him so cheerful. "Wow, someone got up on the right side this morning." She didn't appear unhappy about it.
"Nothing like a drive in the country to sweep out the cobwebs," Logan grinned back at her.
"Morning Zack," he added.
"Yeah," Zack managed to grunt at him.
"Logan, I'm gonna need a doctor's certificate to get outta work."
"Can do," answered Logan, making himself some toast.
Max gave him a bemused look. "I've already dropped back to my crib and picked up a few things." She motioned to a backpack by the front door. "And, I was able to get us another two cans of gas."
Logan looked at her, impressed. "Great. I'll just clear up some things at this end. We should be ready to go by about ten."
Still unclear as to why Logan was in such a good mood, she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Zack, on the other hand, was positively morose.
Once at his desk, Logan saw, with dismay, that there had been an avalanche of information sent during the night, but not one positive lead that they could go on. He was beginning to regret his impulsive words that morning, and gazed at the computer unseeingly, resting his chin on his hand as he often did when he was thinking hard about something.
Max, returning after having delivered Normal her 'medical certificate' could see the signs.
"So, what's up?" She knew Zack would be listening from the kitchen, where he sat desultorily drinking a cup of coffee.
Startled, he looked up at her. He didn't immediately say anything, just raised both his hands in a gesture of helplessness. Looking down suddenly at his keyboard he said, "Maybe I should stay here."
"And do what? Sit around here frustrated all day because no leads are comin' in and this whack-job's smearing crap all over Eyes Only?"
"It's just possible that something 'might' come in, and I should be here for that," replied Logan, in barely disguised self-control.
"What happened to the enlightened world of cell phones and laptops? Besides," she added, "we might need you up there."
At that Logan merely looked at her. He hardly thought so with GI Joe accompanying her.
Max played her last card. "I want you to come."
He swung his gaze back to the screen. He couldn't remember when he'd been so double-minded about anything in a long time.
He found it hard to resist that note in her voice.
"Fine," he sighed. "I'll finish off here then go get packed."
"Sector passes?" she asked suddenly.
"Got that covered. Matt slipped me some this week in case something should come up."
"You know, you'll feel better about all this when you're not sittin' here gazing at that screen, willing something to go down." There was a gentle note to her voice now.
"Guess so." Logan didn't appear entirely sold on the theory.
"I'll go pack us some food. Is that big cooler you've got in the pantry somewhere?"
Logan made to unlock his brakes, but she stopped him with an outstretched hand. "I got it."
She then added with a mischievous look, "I'll pack - if you cook."
*************************************************
It was slow going getting out of Seattle itself. The sector police were particularly difficult, and several times Logan had to dip into his wallet to get some 'problem' resolved. Forcing himself to keep smiling and stay cool, they finally made it out of the sprawling mess that was once called suburbs, and onto the main highway traveling north.
The sun was even brave enough to show her face briefly, before having second thoughts and racing to the sanctuary of dark, forbidding clouds.
Eventually Logan turned off the main highway, and onto a smaller one running east.
There was little conversation in the car. In spite of herself, Max felt a certain amount of constraint with Zack's presence. It had been different when she'd traveled with Logan to Cape Haven.
Logan - She stole a look at his profile. He still seemed a little tense. It all seemed so unfair that some low-life journalist on the scam for a sensational story could taint the reputation of Eyes Only so easily. Logan had told her if you throw enough mud, some of it would stick. Well, she was gonna make sure 'none' of it stuck.
Suddenly, she sensed Logan's eyes on her. Perhaps aware of Zack too, he said nothing, just gave her a small smile.
"We should think about stopping somewhere to have some lunch soon," she suggested.
They'd started winding their way through a valley, surprisingly pretty and untouched by the events of the pulse. Here and there they'd passed disused cottages that had probably once been holiday shacks. Max thought it was sad to see them deserted. Following her gaze, Logan remarked, "This used to be a popular holiday spot. There's a beautiful river winding through this valley. We'll cross it in a few miles. I guess not many people can afford holidays any more."
"Most folks are just working to survive," she said quietly.
Unexpectedly, the river came into view at the next bend. It was wide and deep, flowing as it had for longer than she could tell, uninfluenced by wars, depression, or the pulse. "Logan, it's beautiful."
"You wanna stop here? We'll make it our lunch stop."
"We've still got quite a distance to travel," put in Zack. "I say we keep traveling."
Logan raised his eyes heavenward.
"This body's callin' out for fresh air, space and food," replied Max firmly. "Logan, anywhere along here'll do."
Logan traveled on a little further, then swung the car into what had once been a busy parking lot and picnic spot for the hordes of visitors to the river, stopping next to the solitary table that had not been chopped for firewood when the pulse hit.
"Nice," smiled Max, getting out and retrieving Logan's wheelchair from the back. "Zack, that cooler there has our food in it."
Perhaps not happy with their decision, but trying to make the best of it, Zack grabbed the cooler and placed it on the table, helping Max unpack the things they'd need.
Logan meanwhile had grabbed his laptop, and was intently checking through any new information that had turned up. Reading the slight look of disappointment on his face, Max said, "No news is good news, right?"
He didn't bother to answer, just poured himself a cup of coffee from the Thermos.
Max handed him a sandwich, and then one to Zack.
"Logan, it's gonna take time to sort through this bitch."
"Yeah."
"In the meantime, eat your sandwich," she smiled at him.
Zack watched the exchange with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew Max would never leave Seattle - not while Logan was there.
For a brief moment he asked himself what had induced him to come on this trip. He knew he had the answer in one short word.
Max.
*******************************************
Once they'd eaten, Logan and Zack packed away the remains of their lunch, and stowed the cooler in the back, while Max went for a short walk along the bank. She was unable to persuade either Logan or Zack to accompany her: Logan because he doubted the suitability of the path covered as it was with boulders and roots for his chair, and Zack because he thought they'd dallied long enough, and should be moving on.
"So where were you when you met this old man?" asked Logan, who hadn't really had a chance to talk to Zack about his lead. They didn't talk very much at the best of times.
"I was in another town, not far from here, met him in a diner. Everyone was talking about the Eyes Only rumour." He flicked his eyes to Logan's for a moment. It seemed incongruous that all of Seattle was desperate to know his identity, and here he sat in a park in the country. Eyes Only - it was an apt name; even Zack had recognized that altruistic intensity that burned in his eyes when he was championing some cause.
"And?" Logan prompted him.
Recovering from his uncharacteristic lapse, Zack continued, "He said he'd just come from a vigilante camp in the mountains. He'd been their cook. According to him it was all strictly guarded and the whole thing was treated with the utmost secrecy."
"Apparently they hadn't counted on a garrulous cook," commented Logan.
"Anyway, he'd been given time off because they were all off on their first mission."
"So how do we find him?" queried Logan, thinking it all sounded a bit vague, but he knew that Max trusted Zack's instincts, so he supposed in this case, he'd have to as well.
"He actually lives in the town we're headed to."
"Morristown."
"So the way I figure it, we ask in the town, find out where he lives, and pay him a visit."
Logan nodded. The X5 soldier made it all sound very cut and dried.
Zack looked ostentatiously at his watch.
Watching the motion, Logan smiled a little. "You know she'll take just as long as she means to, regardless of all else."
"When we have a mission, our objective is our sole aim."
A little nettled with his tone, Logan replied mildly, "You're not her C.O anymore, Zack."
He could see a look of frustration and something else cross the other man's face. "If I was," and now Zack spoke with a look that burned and an intensity to his voice that almost produced ripples in the water, "I'd have her out of Seattle and clear of all this."
Logan had the feeling that by 'all this' he actually meant Logan himself.
Feeling his own anger flare, he was denied the satisfaction of a reply by Max's return.
"You know, someday, Logan." began Max, only to stop as she looked from one to the other.
"Good. It's time to go," spoke Zack, getting in the passenger door as he spoke.
Wordlessly, Logan opened his own door and hoisted himself inside.
Feeling like she'd just walked in on World War 3, she didn't bother to complete her sentence. Stowing the wheelchair in the back, she then took her place in the front seat, as Logan accelerated, with a slight spinning of his back tires out of the parking lot.
The air in the car was decidedly chilly.
"Is it cold in here, or is it just me? " she asked innocently. "Logan, can you put the heater on?" she asked with meaning.
"I can't. It's broken."
Max looked at him with surprise. She wasn't particularly happy with this news. It was going to be very cold up in the mountains, which was not a problem for her and Zack.
"Why didn't you say something before we left. I probably could've fixed it."
"Compared to every thing else that's gone down in the last few days, it didn't seem that important," retorted Logan, fully aware of where she was going with this.
Not wanting to say anymore in front of Zack, she closed her mouth tightly, looking out her window as the car began it's long, slow winding way through the mountains.
It would take more than a heater to warm this car, anyway, was her final cynical thought on the matter. TBC
To answer a question, this is set after Haven.
Many thanks again to my beta, Alaidh!!
Chapter 4
Logan woke with a start the next morning, his first thought being there was something he had to do. Rubbing a hand over his eyes, his impetuous decision came back to him like a slap in the face.
While he was comfortable with the idea of going with Max, Zack was another story entirely. Zack, who with his Manticore perfection, only seemed to highlight to Logan his own obvious lack of perfection.
He thought long and hard about his decision while he had his shower and dressed, viewing the whole trip with trepidation. "I can't do this," he said to himself, "I'll just go out there and tell Max I've got way too much to do here." Wondering why this momentous decision made him feel no better, he wheeled down the hallway and entered the kitchen just in time to see Zack say, "Here," and wipe a piece of egg from the side of Max's mouth with a napkin. In that split second his resolve went out the window.
"Well, you all set?" he asked brightly.
Max turned to him, a little surprised to see him so cheerful. "Wow, someone got up on the right side this morning." She didn't appear unhappy about it.
"Nothing like a drive in the country to sweep out the cobwebs," Logan grinned back at her.
"Morning Zack," he added.
"Yeah," Zack managed to grunt at him.
"Logan, I'm gonna need a doctor's certificate to get outta work."
"Can do," answered Logan, making himself some toast.
Max gave him a bemused look. "I've already dropped back to my crib and picked up a few things." She motioned to a backpack by the front door. "And, I was able to get us another two cans of gas."
Logan looked at her, impressed. "Great. I'll just clear up some things at this end. We should be ready to go by about ten."
Still unclear as to why Logan was in such a good mood, she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Zack, on the other hand, was positively morose.
Once at his desk, Logan saw, with dismay, that there had been an avalanche of information sent during the night, but not one positive lead that they could go on. He was beginning to regret his impulsive words that morning, and gazed at the computer unseeingly, resting his chin on his hand as he often did when he was thinking hard about something.
Max, returning after having delivered Normal her 'medical certificate' could see the signs.
"So, what's up?" She knew Zack would be listening from the kitchen, where he sat desultorily drinking a cup of coffee.
Startled, he looked up at her. He didn't immediately say anything, just raised both his hands in a gesture of helplessness. Looking down suddenly at his keyboard he said, "Maybe I should stay here."
"And do what? Sit around here frustrated all day because no leads are comin' in and this whack-job's smearing crap all over Eyes Only?"
"It's just possible that something 'might' come in, and I should be here for that," replied Logan, in barely disguised self-control.
"What happened to the enlightened world of cell phones and laptops? Besides," she added, "we might need you up there."
At that Logan merely looked at her. He hardly thought so with GI Joe accompanying her.
Max played her last card. "I want you to come."
He swung his gaze back to the screen. He couldn't remember when he'd been so double-minded about anything in a long time.
He found it hard to resist that note in her voice.
"Fine," he sighed. "I'll finish off here then go get packed."
"Sector passes?" she asked suddenly.
"Got that covered. Matt slipped me some this week in case something should come up."
"You know, you'll feel better about all this when you're not sittin' here gazing at that screen, willing something to go down." There was a gentle note to her voice now.
"Guess so." Logan didn't appear entirely sold on the theory.
"I'll go pack us some food. Is that big cooler you've got in the pantry somewhere?"
Logan made to unlock his brakes, but she stopped him with an outstretched hand. "I got it."
She then added with a mischievous look, "I'll pack - if you cook."
*************************************************
It was slow going getting out of Seattle itself. The sector police were particularly difficult, and several times Logan had to dip into his wallet to get some 'problem' resolved. Forcing himself to keep smiling and stay cool, they finally made it out of the sprawling mess that was once called suburbs, and onto the main highway traveling north.
The sun was even brave enough to show her face briefly, before having second thoughts and racing to the sanctuary of dark, forbidding clouds.
Eventually Logan turned off the main highway, and onto a smaller one running east.
There was little conversation in the car. In spite of herself, Max felt a certain amount of constraint with Zack's presence. It had been different when she'd traveled with Logan to Cape Haven.
Logan - She stole a look at his profile. He still seemed a little tense. It all seemed so unfair that some low-life journalist on the scam for a sensational story could taint the reputation of Eyes Only so easily. Logan had told her if you throw enough mud, some of it would stick. Well, she was gonna make sure 'none' of it stuck.
Suddenly, she sensed Logan's eyes on her. Perhaps aware of Zack too, he said nothing, just gave her a small smile.
"We should think about stopping somewhere to have some lunch soon," she suggested.
They'd started winding their way through a valley, surprisingly pretty and untouched by the events of the pulse. Here and there they'd passed disused cottages that had probably once been holiday shacks. Max thought it was sad to see them deserted. Following her gaze, Logan remarked, "This used to be a popular holiday spot. There's a beautiful river winding through this valley. We'll cross it in a few miles. I guess not many people can afford holidays any more."
"Most folks are just working to survive," she said quietly.
Unexpectedly, the river came into view at the next bend. It was wide and deep, flowing as it had for longer than she could tell, uninfluenced by wars, depression, or the pulse. "Logan, it's beautiful."
"You wanna stop here? We'll make it our lunch stop."
"We've still got quite a distance to travel," put in Zack. "I say we keep traveling."
Logan raised his eyes heavenward.
"This body's callin' out for fresh air, space and food," replied Max firmly. "Logan, anywhere along here'll do."
Logan traveled on a little further, then swung the car into what had once been a busy parking lot and picnic spot for the hordes of visitors to the river, stopping next to the solitary table that had not been chopped for firewood when the pulse hit.
"Nice," smiled Max, getting out and retrieving Logan's wheelchair from the back. "Zack, that cooler there has our food in it."
Perhaps not happy with their decision, but trying to make the best of it, Zack grabbed the cooler and placed it on the table, helping Max unpack the things they'd need.
Logan meanwhile had grabbed his laptop, and was intently checking through any new information that had turned up. Reading the slight look of disappointment on his face, Max said, "No news is good news, right?"
He didn't bother to answer, just poured himself a cup of coffee from the Thermos.
Max handed him a sandwich, and then one to Zack.
"Logan, it's gonna take time to sort through this bitch."
"Yeah."
"In the meantime, eat your sandwich," she smiled at him.
Zack watched the exchange with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew Max would never leave Seattle - not while Logan was there.
For a brief moment he asked himself what had induced him to come on this trip. He knew he had the answer in one short word.
Max.
*******************************************
Once they'd eaten, Logan and Zack packed away the remains of their lunch, and stowed the cooler in the back, while Max went for a short walk along the bank. She was unable to persuade either Logan or Zack to accompany her: Logan because he doubted the suitability of the path covered as it was with boulders and roots for his chair, and Zack because he thought they'd dallied long enough, and should be moving on.
"So where were you when you met this old man?" asked Logan, who hadn't really had a chance to talk to Zack about his lead. They didn't talk very much at the best of times.
"I was in another town, not far from here, met him in a diner. Everyone was talking about the Eyes Only rumour." He flicked his eyes to Logan's for a moment. It seemed incongruous that all of Seattle was desperate to know his identity, and here he sat in a park in the country. Eyes Only - it was an apt name; even Zack had recognized that altruistic intensity that burned in his eyes when he was championing some cause.
"And?" Logan prompted him.
Recovering from his uncharacteristic lapse, Zack continued, "He said he'd just come from a vigilante camp in the mountains. He'd been their cook. According to him it was all strictly guarded and the whole thing was treated with the utmost secrecy."
"Apparently they hadn't counted on a garrulous cook," commented Logan.
"Anyway, he'd been given time off because they were all off on their first mission."
"So how do we find him?" queried Logan, thinking it all sounded a bit vague, but he knew that Max trusted Zack's instincts, so he supposed in this case, he'd have to as well.
"He actually lives in the town we're headed to."
"Morristown."
"So the way I figure it, we ask in the town, find out where he lives, and pay him a visit."
Logan nodded. The X5 soldier made it all sound very cut and dried.
Zack looked ostentatiously at his watch.
Watching the motion, Logan smiled a little. "You know she'll take just as long as she means to, regardless of all else."
"When we have a mission, our objective is our sole aim."
A little nettled with his tone, Logan replied mildly, "You're not her C.O anymore, Zack."
He could see a look of frustration and something else cross the other man's face. "If I was," and now Zack spoke with a look that burned and an intensity to his voice that almost produced ripples in the water, "I'd have her out of Seattle and clear of all this."
Logan had the feeling that by 'all this' he actually meant Logan himself.
Feeling his own anger flare, he was denied the satisfaction of a reply by Max's return.
"You know, someday, Logan." began Max, only to stop as she looked from one to the other.
"Good. It's time to go," spoke Zack, getting in the passenger door as he spoke.
Wordlessly, Logan opened his own door and hoisted himself inside.
Feeling like she'd just walked in on World War 3, she didn't bother to complete her sentence. Stowing the wheelchair in the back, she then took her place in the front seat, as Logan accelerated, with a slight spinning of his back tires out of the parking lot.
The air in the car was decidedly chilly.
"Is it cold in here, or is it just me? " she asked innocently. "Logan, can you put the heater on?" she asked with meaning.
"I can't. It's broken."
Max looked at him with surprise. She wasn't particularly happy with this news. It was going to be very cold up in the mountains, which was not a problem for her and Zack.
"Why didn't you say something before we left. I probably could've fixed it."
"Compared to every thing else that's gone down in the last few days, it didn't seem that important," retorted Logan, fully aware of where she was going with this.
Not wanting to say anymore in front of Zack, she closed her mouth tightly, looking out her window as the car began it's long, slow winding way through the mountains.
It would take more than a heater to warm this car, anyway, was her final cynical thought on the matter. TBC