Heartfelt thanks for all the positive reviews again – I really appreciate
them!!
A/N: I must apologize for unintentionally misleading some of you who have been hoping to see a Max and Logan 'getting together' type romance. I listed 'romance' as the third category just to say that there would be a hint of romance, with hopefully the subtleties found in Season 1, which I particularly enjoy, not meaning to imply that it was a romance as such. I try to keep it in the tradition of Season 1, so I'm very sorry if I have confused any of you!! I do hope you'll all still continue to read and enjoy!!
Chapter 18
Logan looked down at the picture with a growing dread.
Somewhere at the back of his mind, he had a particularly pleasant memory of Max coming into his bedroom, and whispering something in his ear.
"Where's Max?" he shot at Bling.
"Zack and Max went out earlier. As far as I know, she intended to meet the other brother, Phillip MacFarland, in your place."
Quickly looking at his watch, with some relief he saw that it was eight minutes before eight.
There was no time for niceties. "My phone, quick," he said to Bling.
Riley looked at him anxiously. "Is Max in some kinda trouble?"
Fearing exactly that, Logan replied, "'Max' is remarkably good at looking out for herself."
Logan grabbed his phone from Bling as soon as he returned, and dialled Zack's cell phone number.
"Pick up," he muttered impatiently, as he could hear the phone ringing.
Bling and Riley watched expectantly.
"Zack! It's a trap," said Logan into the phone without preamble. "Looks like Phillip MacFarland is in on the deal."
"Right," Zack replied curtly, ringing off.
Feeling only vaguely satisfied, he looked up at Bling and Riley. "Well, I got through and warned them," he said musingly.
"That's good then," answered Bling in a heartening tone.
"Guess so," replied Logan, sounding as if his thoughts were elsewhere.
Bob, feeling a bit left out at this point, hopped up on the bed and lay himself down contentedly, with his head on Logan's lap.
Looking at the dog, and not entirely sure he wanted it on his bed, Logan said in a slightly worried voice to Riley, "He 'is' house trained ... right?"
*********************************************************
Hearing nothing more from Zack, Logan got up and had a shower, while Bling fed Riley and Bob.
Riley looked about the apartment, impressed. "Wow, Max told me he was loaded!"
Bling smiled a bit at his artlessness.
"What else did Max tell you?" he asked amused.
Riley paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. "Nothin' much, but I think she's sweet on Logan," he stated matter-of-factly.
This made Bling smile openly.
"What's so funny?" asked Logan, coming into the kitchen just then.
"Riley here is just giving me his views on relationships," Bling told him straight-faced.
Logan had the sneaking suspicion the laugh had been at his expense, but Bling didn't look like he was going to be forth coming, so he left it at that, and headed to the fridge.
"So, you got your appetite back," commented Bling.
"I'm starved," Logan replied with feeling, taking out the butter and some salad items to make a sandwich.
"I'm having coffee if you want some," Bling offered.
"Great," answered Logan, making his sandwich.
Throwing a look across at Riley, who was sitting at the counter, he asked him curiously, "Just how 'did' you find this place?"
"When I couldn't get any answer here, I got a bit worried," he explained, self-consciously.
Worried about Max if I'm reading it right, thought Logan with an inward smile, briefly glancing at Bling to see that he too had the same thought.
"So Bob and I hitched a ride down here. I got in this evening and tried you from a local phone."
"You were asleep when Riley called, so I gave him your address," finished Bling.
"Just as well you did," responded Logan warmly, before taking a bite of his sandwich.
Thanking Bling for his coffee, his eyes went to the clock on the microwave, wondering why he hadn't heard from Max. It wasn't that far to the market.
Riley chatted on about life in Morristown, and his views on life in general, apparently feeling quite loquacious away from the stifling influence of his hometown. He certainly kept Bling entertained, but Logan only listened with half an ear as he ate.
He had resisted the urge to call Zack back because he felt sure the other would consider him to be worrying needlessly, then just as he had determined to call regardless, the phone rang.
Picking it up from his lap, and checking it was Zack before he put it to his ear, he said, "Hey."
"Logan?" It was Max's voice, sounding surprised to hear him.
"Yeah, what's happening?"
"I got you a present, but we'll need the car. Can you send Bling?"
"I got it covered," said Logan quickly. "Where are you?"
"Still at the market," she answered, "east entrance."
"Fine. I'll see you there."
*********************************************************
The market was dark and deserted at that hour, the only lighting in the area being one floodlight that was set up for safety purposes to light the area that had been devastated by the bomb.
Heading to the east entrance, Logan carefully scanned the area for Max or Zack, but there was no sign of anyone.
"Where are you Max?" he muttered under his breath, as he turned the car around and prepared to do another sweep of the area.
Seeing a movement to his left, near the actual entrance, he slowed down even more, staring intently in that direction, but the inevitable drizzle made it near impossible to distinguish who it was.
He had just pushed the button to let his window down, when he became aware of another figure, this time on the other side of the road, running towards him, followed by another two figures further behind.
"Logan!" yelled the first person running at the car.
Relieved, he slowed the car and stopped to let Max in as she came racing towards him.
"Keep down!" she yelled at him again as he pulled up, ducking instinctively as he heard the distinctive sound of a bullet hitting the car.
Doing his best to make himself less of a target, he looked to his right where he could see the other two figures coming towards them. They were both nearly at the car when one seemed to stumble, the other one grabbing at him, and literally pulling him the last few feet to the car.
"Get going," Max shouted tersely, as soon as the other two figures were in the car.
Concentrating purely on getting out of the area as quickly as possible, Logan roared into the night, his only thought to put as much distance between themselves and whoever was firing at them, as quickly as possible.
Logan did as many turns as he possibly could to throw a would-be pursuer off their tail, but he could see no sign of lights following and he was beginning to believe they'd got away unhindered.
Max had checked frequently behind as well for a telltale set of lights following them, but there was none to be seen.
"Why have we got Phillip MacFarland with us?" asked Logan, beginning to relax a little.
"He just couldn't say no to my invitation," replied Max airily, "And I think he has a strong desire to unburden his soul."
"Car, pursuers, bullets - this is starting to become a habit," she remarked to Logan, with a final look behind them.
"Well, I try to keep my hand in," he explained flippantly.
Max looked across at him, the hint of a smile on her lips, brows raised, voice silky smooth. "It's good to see you out and about," she said, in that playful, almost seductive tone she sometimes used.
Logan gave her one of his wide grins, bringing his thoughts back with some difficulty to the task at hand.
A quick glance in the back showed Phillip MacFarland slumped in the corner, a wary eye on a silent Zack, who watched him intently.
Logan shot a quick look at Max. Either he was imagining it, or there was a lot of friction between her and Zack that he hadn't remembered earlier. Then again, he thought wryly, he'd felt too awful to be aware of anything earlier in the day.
Logan tried to formulate a plan. He hadn't counted on Phillip MacFarland as a possible guest. "So, what do we do with him?" he asked generally.
"I say we should have left him behind," put in Zack immediately.
"Yeah, well, I don't remember saying it was your call to make," snapped Max.
Logan nodded to himself. This made it all clear.
"What are you nodding about?" Max jumped on him.
"Nothing...I'm just trying to think this out," Logan replied diplomatically.
"And you've now left your bike back there in your insistence on bringing MacFarland, who has not been checked for any tracking device," continued Zack inexorably.
"My bike was well hidden where I left it," snapped Max. "I can get it later."
Closer to an even tone, Max said to Logan, "We can't take him back to your place. His father's probably got someone watching it."
"I know."
"Safe house?" suggested Max.
Logan made a face. It was a damned cold night, and none of the safe houses he had set up were salubrious affairs.
"Motel," he answered decisively.
"My, we're going up in the world," smiled Max.
"Don't get too carried away," Logan replied sardonically.
Max pouted. "Couldn't we go a little up-market?"
"No," answered Logan unequivocally, stopping the car and getting out his cell.
Max listened while he made the arrangements for some rooms, looking around at Zack and Phillip MacFarland. Neither had spoken or changed their position, Zack intent on guarding the other man, and Phillip MacFarland looking too shocked about suddenly finding himself taken captive to know what to do.
Driving on another ten minutes or so, they came to a particularly seedy, run-down motel that proudly boasted 'TV in every room' on its sign.
"Is that the best they can do?" asked Max, getting out to retrieve Logan's wheelchair from the back where he'd had Bling put it to make way for possible passengers.
As she stood next to Logan while he transferred, a large rat came scurrying past their feet from the direction of the motel, and headed across the road to an equally tawdry looking establishment.
Max looked at Logan. "Even the vermin have better taste than to stay here."
Logan threw her an exasperated look, then said, "Come on."
************************************************
The interior of the motel was no more prepossessing than the exterior had been, smelling of stale beer and cigarettes.
Logan had booked a 'family room' on the ground floor, which consisted of one double and two single beds, all covered in dark brown chenille bedspreads that were liberally dotted with cigarette burns, a couple of uncomfortable looking chairs and a small table. A small kitchenette, and bathroom were the other amenities.
Their only luggage was Logan's laptop that he carried on his knee.
Zack escorted the silent Phillip MacFarland into the room, and made him sit down on one of the chairs that faced the beds, sitting down himself on one of the single beds. The blonde haired MacFarland sat hunched, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.
Logan looked at him, not quite sure how to begin. It was hard to know the other's frame of mind.
"Do you know where your brother is?" he tried initially.
Phillip looked at him with a slightly belligerent look, but said nothing.
"Did you know that he's not happy with your father's plans?"
Again, the same look.
Max stepped up to him at that point. "We haven't got you here to stare at your pretty face. We want some answers," she stated, with more than a touch of belligerence herself.
"What does all this matter to you?" Phillip said, looking at them in some confusion. "What does it matter to you if some scum are exterminated?"
"You've only been fed one viewpoint by your father: that to somehow make your mother's death worthwhile you eradicate other perpetrators of wrongdoing," Logan said to him quietly.
Phillip MacFarland nodded at his words, as if finding comfort in them.
Logan leaned forward in his chair and spoke intently. "Let me give you another viewpoint. 'Nothing' can make your mother's death worthwhile. It was a senseless, tragic event that your father is unable to deal with."
The younger man flinched slightly at his words.
"What your father is doing is 'murder' – pure and simple ... and it's wrong," finished Logan decisively.
"What is all this to you?" he spat out, looking at Logan. "You've been meddling in this for days."
Not being able to tell him the truth, he replied mildly instead, "I'm a journalist. I like to report the truth."
"Yeah, well no one reported the truth when my mother died. No one said that a wonderful, kind loving person was killed because two gangs were fighting over what side of the street they were gonna live in!" MacFarland stormed at them, standing abruptly, clenching and unclenching his fists and looking around wildly as if he wanted to bolt for the door.
Max and Zack watched him warily.
"We need to find out where Byron is. We're worried about his safety," tried Max.
"My father would never hurt Byron."
"Well, he was willing to kill innocent children at the market," retorted Max coldly.
Phillip MacFarland looked up at that.
Logan pressed their advantage. "That's why Byron gave the tip off about the bomb. He hates what your father is doing."
It was obvious that this was news to the other brother. Phillip looked at the floor, unseeingly. "Dad said we had an informer. He said that's who gave the tip-off."
Max and Logan looked at each other.
Hearing a noise outside, Zack went to the window to check, but it turned out to be just some other guests who were misguided enough to stay in the motel as well.
Watching Phillip MacFarland, Logan felt a genuine sympathy for him. MacFarland's sons, given different circumstances, would have grown up to be stable, honourable young men, if they hadn't had a nut case for a father.
"Phillip, I know this sounds trite, but what your father is doing is not gonna bring any glory to your mother's death." Watching the bowed head, he added, "These are hard times ..."
Max's eyes went to Logan's face. She could see him struggling.
Meeting her eyes briefly, he said quietly, "There are just some hurts we have to live with."
Something in Logan's voice made Phillip turn to him.
"Byron tried to tell me ... maybe I just let the grief eat at me."
He was silent for quite a while.
Zack came back from the window. "We need to make a decision," he prompted seriously.
Max looked at Phillip. "Zack's right. Your father tried to kill Logan last night after he heard him talking to Byron. We're worried for Byron's safety as well."
These new revelations made Phillip look up with a mixture of horror and dismay, and somewhere the realization that it was not all together a surprise. On the other hand, if their story was true, how was it that Logan sat there looking perfectly well?
Sensing a little of what was going through his mind, Logan said, "I take it your father has an interest in pharmaceuticals?"
Phillip nodded his head.
"Yeah, well he had one of his waiters inject Logan with a particularly nasty drug last night at your house," stated Max with an acid bluntness.
"Fleischer," nodded Phillip.
"Who's Fleischer?" asked Logan.
"Head of security. I did wonder why I saw him dressed as a waiter last night."
"Let's cut to the chase. Are you gonna help us find your brother?" asked Max, to the point.
Phillip MacFarland looked from one to the other. The evidence they presented against his father was overwhelming. He simply nodded.
*****************************************
After questioning Phillip for some time, they established that Byron was more than likely held at an old house that had belonged to his mother, and had once been the family home.
"What about the people your father trained – where are they being kept?" asked Logan.
Phillip shrugged at that. "All over the place. He's got them split up in places all over the city."
Logan looked at Max with a frustrated look. "No wonder we couldn't find them," he said bitterly, thinking of all the time they'd wasted.
Turning again to Phillip, he said, "I've got to get into your father's security files. Do you know his password?"
The other man shook his head apologetically. "Dad was always secretive about those things. He said, for our own protection, the less Byron and I knew, the better."
"Damn," said Logan with an annoyed sigh. "Short of you and Byron turning yourselves in, I need to get into those files to get the evidence to stop your father."
Phillip looked at Logan intently. "If that's what I have to do, I'll do it. I don't want my father to be responsible for any more deaths."
"Then perhaps we should think about doing it," stated Zack, "and this thing could be finished with now."
"The quickest way isn't always the most expedient," put in Max coldly, unable to forget how he had killed Vogelsang.
Logan closed his laptop slowly, looking carefully at Phillip MacFarland as he did so, both Zack's and Phillip's words setting off an avalanche of thoughts in his mind.
Putting Phillip and Byron in the hands of a highly dubious legal system, that could see them being sent to a witness protection program that had a very high failure rate in order to guarantee their safety from those in the underworld who'd happily see them dead as being a party to the deaths of family or colleagues ...well, he felt like he'd be signing their death warrant.
"I'd rather hold off on that if I can." Logan said seriously. "The reality is that you and Byron will probably have to face some charges as accomplices to your father's plan ..."
"I'm willing to do that," cut in the son.
"Be that as it may, I don't think we would accomplish a great deal if you go forward now, and it may not stop your father. It just might send him underground."
Phillip nodded. "I can't pretend I'm not a little relieved at your words," he said, with the smallest of smiles.
"Hey," said Logan, holding up his hands, "I'm just a journalist; what do I know?"
"What do you know about this house where your brother probably is?" asked Max.
"The usual place in the suburbs: two storey, white timber, picket fence, the whole deal."
Max smiled at him. "It sounds perfect."
Phillip stopped smiling. "Don't use that word," he said harshly.
"I'm sorry..." began Max, but he'd already turned and was headed for the bathroom.
Max looked at Logan. "What did I say?"
Logan wheeled toward the kitchen area.
"Well?" said Max, following him.
Speaking in a low voice as he looked for some coffee or tea, Logan murmured, "Haven't you wondered how both MacFarland boys look so perfect?"
Max shrugged. "I dunno, I guess I grew up with Manticore perfection."
Finding some coffee, Logan put the kettle on, saying, "Those boys are the result of a fortune spent on orthodontic work and plastic surgeons."
Max was impressed. "How d'you know?" Then added, "Up here," as she found the cups Logan was wanting in a top cupboard, and passed them to him.
"You want one? Have to be black I'm afraid."
"Sure," answered Max with a smile, then bringing him back to the point, "You were saying...?"
Getting back to his train of thought, Logan said, "It was one of the files I was able to find this morning. Something MacFarland said to me ...was it only last night?" he added, frowning.
Max nodded.
"Whatever," continued Logan, hardly able to believe he'd been at MacFarland's only 24 hours before. "Anyway, the man's a complete perfectionist, probably to the point of being manic."
Zack came up at that moment, interested in what Logan was saying.
"Coffee Zack?" Logan asked, taking the cup Max handed him as Zack said yes.
Max, whose manner had stiffened a little when Zack came in prompted Logan, "Go on with MacFarland."
"According to their records, they've been under the knife countless times in the name of 'perfection.'" He said the final word with disgust. Taking a sip of his coffee, Logan looked up at her as she leant against the rather greasy looking bench. "I gotta say, it made me feel sorry for them."
Max nodded. She knew first-hand what horrors could be performed in the name of perfection. It was how she had been made.
"Having said all that," Logan stated, "I don't feel right in simply turning them in."
Max thought about it. She could see Logan's point, but didn't think she was quite as altruistic as he was.
"What's our next move?" she asked.
Putting his now finished drink down, and unlocking his brakes, Logan headed back to the small table where he'd left his laptop, saying, "'Your' next move, is to release Byron MacFarland."
As Phillip came out, Logan called to him, "What suburb is this house in?"
"Mimi's house was in Gardenvale."
"Okay," murmured Logan, already busy with the keys. Suddenly he looked up at Phillip, as if having just registered what he'd said. "What did you say?"
"Mimi's house?" the other man queried.
"Yeah, what is that?"
"Mimi was my father's nickname for my mother."
Max turned to Logan, her expression hopeful. "The password?"
Logan returned her look, then busied himself at the keys, the other three watching him intently.
After several minutes, Logan looked up at them. "We're in."
"How does this help us now?" asked Phillip.
"Well," answered Logan, his voice sounding a little distracted as he concentrated on the screen in front of him, "firstly, we should be able to ascertain for sure where your father has Byron." His voice trailed off as he sought the information from the files.
Again the others watched and waited.
Frowning slightly, Logan's fingers stabbed at the keys with skilled precision, then paused as he waited for the screen to come up. "Got it," he said, unable to keep the triumphant note from his voice.
"Where is he?" asked Zack.
"Right where Phillip said, and they change the security over at 7 a.m. according to this." Logan pressed some more keys, then reading from the screen, he said, "Only two guards, one at the gate, and the other inside with Byron." Looking up at Phillip, he said with some surprise, "Your father doesn't appear to consider him much of a threat."
MacFarland's blue eyes clouded over. "Byron loves my father," he said simply.
"Well, I hope that won't be a problem," commented Zack. "because you're both gonna be responsible for stopping him."
"It's 'because' we love him that we want to stop him," said Phillip almost inaudibly.
Max, feeling vaguely uncomfortable at seeing the other man's pain, said to Logan, "So we should go in before the change-over. Catch the two guards while they're tired."
"If they're well trained, then that's when they would be expecting someone to go in," disagreed Zack.
"Or 'they'll think' that 'we'll think' that because they're well trained we'd be expecting them to expect us to think that," Max said decisively.
Logan looked at her twice. "Whatever," he said confusedly, wondering if there were still traces of the drug in his system. "I'm not exactly sure 'what' it is," he said to Max, "but we'll follow 'your' plan."
Max couldn't resist the hint of a triumphant glance in Zack's direction. "We'll leave here at 6am," she said smoothly.
"In the meantime, you should all try and get some rest," advised Logan, packing up his laptop and grabbing his keys from the small table where he'd left them on entering.
"Where are you going?" Max asked him suspiciously.
"I've gotta get back to my place..." began Logan.
"Will you excuse us?" said Max to Zack and Phillip, with one of her brilliant smiles.
Holding open the door she ushered Logan outside, where she immediately turned to him and said accusingly in a loud whisper, "You're not thinking of leaving me here?"
"Yeah," he replied, with a 'what's wrong with that?' expression.
Max's own expression should have warned him. "You're going back to the Taj Mahal and leaving me here in this hell hole all by myself?"
"I'd hardly say you were by yourself," he corrected her pointedly. "I thought you'd like to spend some time with Zack."
Max merely looked straight ahead.
"Am I to assume by that that all is not well in X5 land?"
"The only thing Zack wants to do is argue, and Phillip heads to the bathroom every time I speak to him."
"Don't you think that's a slight exaggeration?" he smiled, but seeing the detrimental effect these words had on her, he quickly tried another tack. "Max, it's only for a few hours."
"I traipsed around all afternoon covering your list for you, got shot at, left my bike behind, 'and' ..." she reminded him in a dangerously quiet voice, adding another wrong to the rapidly growing list, "I haven't even had dinner yet!"
Logan thought quickly. "I've got Riley and Bob waiting at my place. Not to mention Bling, who'll be wanting to go home."
"Riley?" asked Max, surprised.
"That's how I knew about Phillip being in on the set-up tonight. Riley had seen him in Morristown."
Max was looking at Logan and smiling a little now. "Did you say you have Bob in your apartment as well?"
"Mmm," replied Logan, not looking entirely happy about the arrangement. "All the more reason for me to get back there," he added, "and I really need some peace and quiet to work on MacFarland's files."
Max stood in front of him, arms folded, staring steadily into his green eyes.
Rocking his chair nervously, Logan tried a hopeful grin.
Max capitulated.
TBC
A/N: I must apologize for unintentionally misleading some of you who have been hoping to see a Max and Logan 'getting together' type romance. I listed 'romance' as the third category just to say that there would be a hint of romance, with hopefully the subtleties found in Season 1, which I particularly enjoy, not meaning to imply that it was a romance as such. I try to keep it in the tradition of Season 1, so I'm very sorry if I have confused any of you!! I do hope you'll all still continue to read and enjoy!!
Chapter 18
Logan looked down at the picture with a growing dread.
Somewhere at the back of his mind, he had a particularly pleasant memory of Max coming into his bedroom, and whispering something in his ear.
"Where's Max?" he shot at Bling.
"Zack and Max went out earlier. As far as I know, she intended to meet the other brother, Phillip MacFarland, in your place."
Quickly looking at his watch, with some relief he saw that it was eight minutes before eight.
There was no time for niceties. "My phone, quick," he said to Bling.
Riley looked at him anxiously. "Is Max in some kinda trouble?"
Fearing exactly that, Logan replied, "'Max' is remarkably good at looking out for herself."
Logan grabbed his phone from Bling as soon as he returned, and dialled Zack's cell phone number.
"Pick up," he muttered impatiently, as he could hear the phone ringing.
Bling and Riley watched expectantly.
"Zack! It's a trap," said Logan into the phone without preamble. "Looks like Phillip MacFarland is in on the deal."
"Right," Zack replied curtly, ringing off.
Feeling only vaguely satisfied, he looked up at Bling and Riley. "Well, I got through and warned them," he said musingly.
"That's good then," answered Bling in a heartening tone.
"Guess so," replied Logan, sounding as if his thoughts were elsewhere.
Bob, feeling a bit left out at this point, hopped up on the bed and lay himself down contentedly, with his head on Logan's lap.
Looking at the dog, and not entirely sure he wanted it on his bed, Logan said in a slightly worried voice to Riley, "He 'is' house trained ... right?"
*********************************************************
Hearing nothing more from Zack, Logan got up and had a shower, while Bling fed Riley and Bob.
Riley looked about the apartment, impressed. "Wow, Max told me he was loaded!"
Bling smiled a bit at his artlessness.
"What else did Max tell you?" he asked amused.
Riley paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. "Nothin' much, but I think she's sweet on Logan," he stated matter-of-factly.
This made Bling smile openly.
"What's so funny?" asked Logan, coming into the kitchen just then.
"Riley here is just giving me his views on relationships," Bling told him straight-faced.
Logan had the sneaking suspicion the laugh had been at his expense, but Bling didn't look like he was going to be forth coming, so he left it at that, and headed to the fridge.
"So, you got your appetite back," commented Bling.
"I'm starved," Logan replied with feeling, taking out the butter and some salad items to make a sandwich.
"I'm having coffee if you want some," Bling offered.
"Great," answered Logan, making his sandwich.
Throwing a look across at Riley, who was sitting at the counter, he asked him curiously, "Just how 'did' you find this place?"
"When I couldn't get any answer here, I got a bit worried," he explained, self-consciously.
Worried about Max if I'm reading it right, thought Logan with an inward smile, briefly glancing at Bling to see that he too had the same thought.
"So Bob and I hitched a ride down here. I got in this evening and tried you from a local phone."
"You were asleep when Riley called, so I gave him your address," finished Bling.
"Just as well you did," responded Logan warmly, before taking a bite of his sandwich.
Thanking Bling for his coffee, his eyes went to the clock on the microwave, wondering why he hadn't heard from Max. It wasn't that far to the market.
Riley chatted on about life in Morristown, and his views on life in general, apparently feeling quite loquacious away from the stifling influence of his hometown. He certainly kept Bling entertained, but Logan only listened with half an ear as he ate.
He had resisted the urge to call Zack back because he felt sure the other would consider him to be worrying needlessly, then just as he had determined to call regardless, the phone rang.
Picking it up from his lap, and checking it was Zack before he put it to his ear, he said, "Hey."
"Logan?" It was Max's voice, sounding surprised to hear him.
"Yeah, what's happening?"
"I got you a present, but we'll need the car. Can you send Bling?"
"I got it covered," said Logan quickly. "Where are you?"
"Still at the market," she answered, "east entrance."
"Fine. I'll see you there."
*********************************************************
The market was dark and deserted at that hour, the only lighting in the area being one floodlight that was set up for safety purposes to light the area that had been devastated by the bomb.
Heading to the east entrance, Logan carefully scanned the area for Max or Zack, but there was no sign of anyone.
"Where are you Max?" he muttered under his breath, as he turned the car around and prepared to do another sweep of the area.
Seeing a movement to his left, near the actual entrance, he slowed down even more, staring intently in that direction, but the inevitable drizzle made it near impossible to distinguish who it was.
He had just pushed the button to let his window down, when he became aware of another figure, this time on the other side of the road, running towards him, followed by another two figures further behind.
"Logan!" yelled the first person running at the car.
Relieved, he slowed the car and stopped to let Max in as she came racing towards him.
"Keep down!" she yelled at him again as he pulled up, ducking instinctively as he heard the distinctive sound of a bullet hitting the car.
Doing his best to make himself less of a target, he looked to his right where he could see the other two figures coming towards them. They were both nearly at the car when one seemed to stumble, the other one grabbing at him, and literally pulling him the last few feet to the car.
"Get going," Max shouted tersely, as soon as the other two figures were in the car.
Concentrating purely on getting out of the area as quickly as possible, Logan roared into the night, his only thought to put as much distance between themselves and whoever was firing at them, as quickly as possible.
Logan did as many turns as he possibly could to throw a would-be pursuer off their tail, but he could see no sign of lights following and he was beginning to believe they'd got away unhindered.
Max had checked frequently behind as well for a telltale set of lights following them, but there was none to be seen.
"Why have we got Phillip MacFarland with us?" asked Logan, beginning to relax a little.
"He just couldn't say no to my invitation," replied Max airily, "And I think he has a strong desire to unburden his soul."
"Car, pursuers, bullets - this is starting to become a habit," she remarked to Logan, with a final look behind them.
"Well, I try to keep my hand in," he explained flippantly.
Max looked across at him, the hint of a smile on her lips, brows raised, voice silky smooth. "It's good to see you out and about," she said, in that playful, almost seductive tone she sometimes used.
Logan gave her one of his wide grins, bringing his thoughts back with some difficulty to the task at hand.
A quick glance in the back showed Phillip MacFarland slumped in the corner, a wary eye on a silent Zack, who watched him intently.
Logan shot a quick look at Max. Either he was imagining it, or there was a lot of friction between her and Zack that he hadn't remembered earlier. Then again, he thought wryly, he'd felt too awful to be aware of anything earlier in the day.
Logan tried to formulate a plan. He hadn't counted on Phillip MacFarland as a possible guest. "So, what do we do with him?" he asked generally.
"I say we should have left him behind," put in Zack immediately.
"Yeah, well, I don't remember saying it was your call to make," snapped Max.
Logan nodded to himself. This made it all clear.
"What are you nodding about?" Max jumped on him.
"Nothing...I'm just trying to think this out," Logan replied diplomatically.
"And you've now left your bike back there in your insistence on bringing MacFarland, who has not been checked for any tracking device," continued Zack inexorably.
"My bike was well hidden where I left it," snapped Max. "I can get it later."
Closer to an even tone, Max said to Logan, "We can't take him back to your place. His father's probably got someone watching it."
"I know."
"Safe house?" suggested Max.
Logan made a face. It was a damned cold night, and none of the safe houses he had set up were salubrious affairs.
"Motel," he answered decisively.
"My, we're going up in the world," smiled Max.
"Don't get too carried away," Logan replied sardonically.
Max pouted. "Couldn't we go a little up-market?"
"No," answered Logan unequivocally, stopping the car and getting out his cell.
Max listened while he made the arrangements for some rooms, looking around at Zack and Phillip MacFarland. Neither had spoken or changed their position, Zack intent on guarding the other man, and Phillip MacFarland looking too shocked about suddenly finding himself taken captive to know what to do.
Driving on another ten minutes or so, they came to a particularly seedy, run-down motel that proudly boasted 'TV in every room' on its sign.
"Is that the best they can do?" asked Max, getting out to retrieve Logan's wheelchair from the back where he'd had Bling put it to make way for possible passengers.
As she stood next to Logan while he transferred, a large rat came scurrying past their feet from the direction of the motel, and headed across the road to an equally tawdry looking establishment.
Max looked at Logan. "Even the vermin have better taste than to stay here."
Logan threw her an exasperated look, then said, "Come on."
************************************************
The interior of the motel was no more prepossessing than the exterior had been, smelling of stale beer and cigarettes.
Logan had booked a 'family room' on the ground floor, which consisted of one double and two single beds, all covered in dark brown chenille bedspreads that were liberally dotted with cigarette burns, a couple of uncomfortable looking chairs and a small table. A small kitchenette, and bathroom were the other amenities.
Their only luggage was Logan's laptop that he carried on his knee.
Zack escorted the silent Phillip MacFarland into the room, and made him sit down on one of the chairs that faced the beds, sitting down himself on one of the single beds. The blonde haired MacFarland sat hunched, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.
Logan looked at him, not quite sure how to begin. It was hard to know the other's frame of mind.
"Do you know where your brother is?" he tried initially.
Phillip looked at him with a slightly belligerent look, but said nothing.
"Did you know that he's not happy with your father's plans?"
Again, the same look.
Max stepped up to him at that point. "We haven't got you here to stare at your pretty face. We want some answers," she stated, with more than a touch of belligerence herself.
"What does all this matter to you?" Phillip said, looking at them in some confusion. "What does it matter to you if some scum are exterminated?"
"You've only been fed one viewpoint by your father: that to somehow make your mother's death worthwhile you eradicate other perpetrators of wrongdoing," Logan said to him quietly.
Phillip MacFarland nodded at his words, as if finding comfort in them.
Logan leaned forward in his chair and spoke intently. "Let me give you another viewpoint. 'Nothing' can make your mother's death worthwhile. It was a senseless, tragic event that your father is unable to deal with."
The younger man flinched slightly at his words.
"What your father is doing is 'murder' – pure and simple ... and it's wrong," finished Logan decisively.
"What is all this to you?" he spat out, looking at Logan. "You've been meddling in this for days."
Not being able to tell him the truth, he replied mildly instead, "I'm a journalist. I like to report the truth."
"Yeah, well no one reported the truth when my mother died. No one said that a wonderful, kind loving person was killed because two gangs were fighting over what side of the street they were gonna live in!" MacFarland stormed at them, standing abruptly, clenching and unclenching his fists and looking around wildly as if he wanted to bolt for the door.
Max and Zack watched him warily.
"We need to find out where Byron is. We're worried about his safety," tried Max.
"My father would never hurt Byron."
"Well, he was willing to kill innocent children at the market," retorted Max coldly.
Phillip MacFarland looked up at that.
Logan pressed their advantage. "That's why Byron gave the tip off about the bomb. He hates what your father is doing."
It was obvious that this was news to the other brother. Phillip looked at the floor, unseeingly. "Dad said we had an informer. He said that's who gave the tip-off."
Max and Logan looked at each other.
Hearing a noise outside, Zack went to the window to check, but it turned out to be just some other guests who were misguided enough to stay in the motel as well.
Watching Phillip MacFarland, Logan felt a genuine sympathy for him. MacFarland's sons, given different circumstances, would have grown up to be stable, honourable young men, if they hadn't had a nut case for a father.
"Phillip, I know this sounds trite, but what your father is doing is not gonna bring any glory to your mother's death." Watching the bowed head, he added, "These are hard times ..."
Max's eyes went to Logan's face. She could see him struggling.
Meeting her eyes briefly, he said quietly, "There are just some hurts we have to live with."
Something in Logan's voice made Phillip turn to him.
"Byron tried to tell me ... maybe I just let the grief eat at me."
He was silent for quite a while.
Zack came back from the window. "We need to make a decision," he prompted seriously.
Max looked at Phillip. "Zack's right. Your father tried to kill Logan last night after he heard him talking to Byron. We're worried for Byron's safety as well."
These new revelations made Phillip look up with a mixture of horror and dismay, and somewhere the realization that it was not all together a surprise. On the other hand, if their story was true, how was it that Logan sat there looking perfectly well?
Sensing a little of what was going through his mind, Logan said, "I take it your father has an interest in pharmaceuticals?"
Phillip nodded his head.
"Yeah, well he had one of his waiters inject Logan with a particularly nasty drug last night at your house," stated Max with an acid bluntness.
"Fleischer," nodded Phillip.
"Who's Fleischer?" asked Logan.
"Head of security. I did wonder why I saw him dressed as a waiter last night."
"Let's cut to the chase. Are you gonna help us find your brother?" asked Max, to the point.
Phillip MacFarland looked from one to the other. The evidence they presented against his father was overwhelming. He simply nodded.
*****************************************
After questioning Phillip for some time, they established that Byron was more than likely held at an old house that had belonged to his mother, and had once been the family home.
"What about the people your father trained – where are they being kept?" asked Logan.
Phillip shrugged at that. "All over the place. He's got them split up in places all over the city."
Logan looked at Max with a frustrated look. "No wonder we couldn't find them," he said bitterly, thinking of all the time they'd wasted.
Turning again to Phillip, he said, "I've got to get into your father's security files. Do you know his password?"
The other man shook his head apologetically. "Dad was always secretive about those things. He said, for our own protection, the less Byron and I knew, the better."
"Damn," said Logan with an annoyed sigh. "Short of you and Byron turning yourselves in, I need to get into those files to get the evidence to stop your father."
Phillip looked at Logan intently. "If that's what I have to do, I'll do it. I don't want my father to be responsible for any more deaths."
"Then perhaps we should think about doing it," stated Zack, "and this thing could be finished with now."
"The quickest way isn't always the most expedient," put in Max coldly, unable to forget how he had killed Vogelsang.
Logan closed his laptop slowly, looking carefully at Phillip MacFarland as he did so, both Zack's and Phillip's words setting off an avalanche of thoughts in his mind.
Putting Phillip and Byron in the hands of a highly dubious legal system, that could see them being sent to a witness protection program that had a very high failure rate in order to guarantee their safety from those in the underworld who'd happily see them dead as being a party to the deaths of family or colleagues ...well, he felt like he'd be signing their death warrant.
"I'd rather hold off on that if I can." Logan said seriously. "The reality is that you and Byron will probably have to face some charges as accomplices to your father's plan ..."
"I'm willing to do that," cut in the son.
"Be that as it may, I don't think we would accomplish a great deal if you go forward now, and it may not stop your father. It just might send him underground."
Phillip nodded. "I can't pretend I'm not a little relieved at your words," he said, with the smallest of smiles.
"Hey," said Logan, holding up his hands, "I'm just a journalist; what do I know?"
"What do you know about this house where your brother probably is?" asked Max.
"The usual place in the suburbs: two storey, white timber, picket fence, the whole deal."
Max smiled at him. "It sounds perfect."
Phillip stopped smiling. "Don't use that word," he said harshly.
"I'm sorry..." began Max, but he'd already turned and was headed for the bathroom.
Max looked at Logan. "What did I say?"
Logan wheeled toward the kitchen area.
"Well?" said Max, following him.
Speaking in a low voice as he looked for some coffee or tea, Logan murmured, "Haven't you wondered how both MacFarland boys look so perfect?"
Max shrugged. "I dunno, I guess I grew up with Manticore perfection."
Finding some coffee, Logan put the kettle on, saying, "Those boys are the result of a fortune spent on orthodontic work and plastic surgeons."
Max was impressed. "How d'you know?" Then added, "Up here," as she found the cups Logan was wanting in a top cupboard, and passed them to him.
"You want one? Have to be black I'm afraid."
"Sure," answered Max with a smile, then bringing him back to the point, "You were saying...?"
Getting back to his train of thought, Logan said, "It was one of the files I was able to find this morning. Something MacFarland said to me ...was it only last night?" he added, frowning.
Max nodded.
"Whatever," continued Logan, hardly able to believe he'd been at MacFarland's only 24 hours before. "Anyway, the man's a complete perfectionist, probably to the point of being manic."
Zack came up at that moment, interested in what Logan was saying.
"Coffee Zack?" Logan asked, taking the cup Max handed him as Zack said yes.
Max, whose manner had stiffened a little when Zack came in prompted Logan, "Go on with MacFarland."
"According to their records, they've been under the knife countless times in the name of 'perfection.'" He said the final word with disgust. Taking a sip of his coffee, Logan looked up at her as she leant against the rather greasy looking bench. "I gotta say, it made me feel sorry for them."
Max nodded. She knew first-hand what horrors could be performed in the name of perfection. It was how she had been made.
"Having said all that," Logan stated, "I don't feel right in simply turning them in."
Max thought about it. She could see Logan's point, but didn't think she was quite as altruistic as he was.
"What's our next move?" she asked.
Putting his now finished drink down, and unlocking his brakes, Logan headed back to the small table where he'd left his laptop, saying, "'Your' next move, is to release Byron MacFarland."
As Phillip came out, Logan called to him, "What suburb is this house in?"
"Mimi's house was in Gardenvale."
"Okay," murmured Logan, already busy with the keys. Suddenly he looked up at Phillip, as if having just registered what he'd said. "What did you say?"
"Mimi's house?" the other man queried.
"Yeah, what is that?"
"Mimi was my father's nickname for my mother."
Max turned to Logan, her expression hopeful. "The password?"
Logan returned her look, then busied himself at the keys, the other three watching him intently.
After several minutes, Logan looked up at them. "We're in."
"How does this help us now?" asked Phillip.
"Well," answered Logan, his voice sounding a little distracted as he concentrated on the screen in front of him, "firstly, we should be able to ascertain for sure where your father has Byron." His voice trailed off as he sought the information from the files.
Again the others watched and waited.
Frowning slightly, Logan's fingers stabbed at the keys with skilled precision, then paused as he waited for the screen to come up. "Got it," he said, unable to keep the triumphant note from his voice.
"Where is he?" asked Zack.
"Right where Phillip said, and they change the security over at 7 a.m. according to this." Logan pressed some more keys, then reading from the screen, he said, "Only two guards, one at the gate, and the other inside with Byron." Looking up at Phillip, he said with some surprise, "Your father doesn't appear to consider him much of a threat."
MacFarland's blue eyes clouded over. "Byron loves my father," he said simply.
"Well, I hope that won't be a problem," commented Zack. "because you're both gonna be responsible for stopping him."
"It's 'because' we love him that we want to stop him," said Phillip almost inaudibly.
Max, feeling vaguely uncomfortable at seeing the other man's pain, said to Logan, "So we should go in before the change-over. Catch the two guards while they're tired."
"If they're well trained, then that's when they would be expecting someone to go in," disagreed Zack.
"Or 'they'll think' that 'we'll think' that because they're well trained we'd be expecting them to expect us to think that," Max said decisively.
Logan looked at her twice. "Whatever," he said confusedly, wondering if there were still traces of the drug in his system. "I'm not exactly sure 'what' it is," he said to Max, "but we'll follow 'your' plan."
Max couldn't resist the hint of a triumphant glance in Zack's direction. "We'll leave here at 6am," she said smoothly.
"In the meantime, you should all try and get some rest," advised Logan, packing up his laptop and grabbing his keys from the small table where he'd left them on entering.
"Where are you going?" Max asked him suspiciously.
"I've gotta get back to my place..." began Logan.
"Will you excuse us?" said Max to Zack and Phillip, with one of her brilliant smiles.
Holding open the door she ushered Logan outside, where she immediately turned to him and said accusingly in a loud whisper, "You're not thinking of leaving me here?"
"Yeah," he replied, with a 'what's wrong with that?' expression.
Max's own expression should have warned him. "You're going back to the Taj Mahal and leaving me here in this hell hole all by myself?"
"I'd hardly say you were by yourself," he corrected her pointedly. "I thought you'd like to spend some time with Zack."
Max merely looked straight ahead.
"Am I to assume by that that all is not well in X5 land?"
"The only thing Zack wants to do is argue, and Phillip heads to the bathroom every time I speak to him."
"Don't you think that's a slight exaggeration?" he smiled, but seeing the detrimental effect these words had on her, he quickly tried another tack. "Max, it's only for a few hours."
"I traipsed around all afternoon covering your list for you, got shot at, left my bike behind, 'and' ..." she reminded him in a dangerously quiet voice, adding another wrong to the rapidly growing list, "I haven't even had dinner yet!"
Logan thought quickly. "I've got Riley and Bob waiting at my place. Not to mention Bling, who'll be wanting to go home."
"Riley?" asked Max, surprised.
"That's how I knew about Phillip being in on the set-up tonight. Riley had seen him in Morristown."
Max was looking at Logan and smiling a little now. "Did you say you have Bob in your apartment as well?"
"Mmm," replied Logan, not looking entirely happy about the arrangement. "All the more reason for me to get back there," he added, "and I really need some peace and quiet to work on MacFarland's files."
Max stood in front of him, arms folded, staring steadily into his green eyes.
Rocking his chair nervously, Logan tried a hopeful grin.
Max capitulated.
TBC