A/N: Well, here's the long-over due update. Would you believe me if I said I got arrested for going to 10 item or less check-out line with 13 items, and that's why it's late? I don't believe myself either. So, if I ever take this long to update, e-mail me to get my ass in gear and post the update.

A/N2: Again, sorry about the confusion of re-doing the first two chaps!

Chapter 4

"You smell," Alec informed Max as she arrived at the teams meeting point.

Max glared at him. She had bathroom duty that day- and nearly every god- blessed toilet was blocked up!

Which was mainly due to the fact half of TC had gotten diarrhea last night, thanks to her. God knew what she had done to the food to give genetically enhanced people diarrhea when on kitchen duty. It was probably because those fish smelt off- and being too tired to even comprehend the fact.

Max needed sleep, but such luxuries were not possible when things needed doing. She would just have to be more careful in the future.

Though feeling guilty, Max was thankful she ate out last night instead.

"I can't cook- so sue me!" Max hissed.

****

Alec chuckled, hoping his distraction had worked, but knew it hadn't.

"What the hell are you doing here? Aren't you meant to on night command?" Alec avoided Max's glare by signing out in the logbook.

"And aren't you meant to take a break sometime?" He commented dryly, concentrating more than necessary on spelling his own name.

"Who's covering your shift?"

"Mole," Alec muttered, giving Mole an apologetic look.

****

"Mole!" Max shouted, turning on her heal.

Mole greeted Max with his per usual grunt.

"How many shifts have you pulled without a break?"

"How many cigars can I smoke in an hour?" Max simply glared at Mole, who pretended to be occupied in tapping the ashes off his cigar. Glancing up to see if she was still glaring, he sighed. "Four."

Max growled, and turned back on Alec. "You're staying. Cover your own shift."

"Actually, Max, you're staying," Alec said, looking anywhere but at Max, expecting to get punched.

"And who decided that?"

"I did." Max would have considered Alec's comment courageous if he had said it to her face instead to the floor.

Carpet-gazer.

"Care to tell me why?" Max asked in an ultra-calm voice.

"Because you've got little baggies under your eyes."

"Oh- alright. I'll go put my make-up on. That make you happy?"

"Max," Alec said, finally meeting her glare and shifting his weight. "You've not slept in over three days- Mole already told me you didn't get any sleep last night. And you're not as sharp as you should be."

"I can still kick your ass, sleep or no sleep," Max growled, not even bothering to deny the getting no sleep part.

And not being as sharp as she should be part? Well, the fish incident attested to that.

"Max," Mole said in Max's ear, causing her to jump in surprise. Alec gave her a 'you-see' look.

"Fine- point taken. Mole, get someone else to cover Alec's shift- and then get some sleep. Alec, I expect a full report when you return." A look of relief spread across both Mole and Alec's faces. "I'll be back in ten to brief you once you're completely kitted."

What kind of leader would I be if I couldn't admit when I was wrong? Max thought, defeated, as she walked away.

****

"I got a schedule outside waiting for you Max. After this I've got a hot-"

"Shut up."

"Touché," Alec muttered, falling in step beside Max.

Walking in silence for a moment- well near to silence, if you could count Alec rattling on about this hot chic he's got lined up silent.

"Alright, the warehouse is at this point-" Max handed Alec the co- ordinates- "You're picking up nineteen chained transgenics once the girls do their bit. The guards the girls don't take care of- use the air rifles containing a sleep dart, bearing in mind they may or may not be familiars'. So the dart may not last very long, depending. And there are two transport trucks waiting at the second co-ordinates.

"You got the plan?"

"Yeah- I can count twenty-nine transgenics, no problem."

"Alec!" Max roared, ready to lash out at Alec's grin. Instead she grabbed the front of his jacket "It's nineteen. And, no, you can't count to nineteen- you only got ten fingers."

"I also got my toes."

"You won't once I get done with you," Max replied, pushing Alec away.

As she was walking away, Max grew stiff with worry. There was no way she was going to get any sleep tonight.

Part of the plan had counted on her commanding the mission. There was so much about the mission she did not know about, did not have time to find out about. Max went to kit up that night knowing precisely where the holes in the plan were- and what to do to counterman every possible flaw in the shaky plan.

It was not that Max did not trust Alec's abilities as mission leader- she just doubted he knew the ins and outs of the plan as herself.

****

Alec watched from his vantage point as the three hookers strutted across the clearing to the warehouse entrance where three guards stood.

And, boy, it had to be illegal or something for girls to be that hot, Alec thought as his lower regions started speaking up.

Forcing his gaze away from the three transgenics, he continued to scan the surrounding rooftops and windows for a possible threat.

Hearing a soft 'thump', Alec glanced away from the surrounding buildings to the hookers. The guards were unconscious.

"Move in," Alec said into his microphone.

Keeping the warehouse insight, gun trained on the warehouse entrance, he moved steadily down the fire escape.

Keeping to the walls as he moved in, Alec noticed more than four other shadows moving in. Stopping to investigate, he saw the truck door to the warehouse slide open, and the three transgenics were being prodded out at gunpoint. And with them came half-a-dozen armed men.

Alec watched in horror as the knocked out guards stood up, guns trained on the hookers.

Familiars.

"Back up, and regroup," Alec breathed into his mike, taking cautious steps back, staying in the shadows.

Where was Max, and her suicide rescue missions? Alec thought grimly.

Something long and hard met his back, causing the hairs on Alec's neck to stand on end.

"Run," he said into his mike, knowing he was caught, but looking into the clearing, he knew they all were.

All seven members of his team were encircled in the clearing, guns aimed on the surrounding familiars. Doomed. They were all doomed.

"Drop your weapon," a voice said behind him.

Complying, Alec raised his hands slowly in the air.

This was definitely Max's cue to show up, Alec thought desperately.

Unrealistically, he felt let down that she did not show up to save his ass.

"Where the hell did these fuckers come from?" Alec growled, as he was led to join his team, who were now unarmed.

"Why, 494, that's not the way to greet someone who has the advantage. Especially someone who has something you want."

"Sorry- left my charming face at home. Wasn't planning on meeting a baby I needed to sweet talk into smiling for me," Alec spat.

"How ironic." White smiled pleasantly.

****

Grim faced, an envelope tucked into his waistband, Alec watched the truck drive off, leaving the transgenics shackled. He hurried down from his vantage point beside White.

Damn did they look bad, he thought. Alec almost did not want to rescue them fearing hearing what White did to them, but he needed to put a brave face on for them.

No matter what White had just showed him, he had to be brave.

"Alright, kids." Alec addressed the cussing transgenics as they weakly worked to get their shackles off. It was a pitiful site. "Hate to do this to you, but we got to get out of here incase those fuck-wits change their minds and want to become best-buds with you again.

"Now, if you'll be so kind as to follow me, I'll take you all home." Alec knew his carefree voice sounded slightly forced, but it seemed to reassure the freed prisoners.

Using Max's co-ordinates, Alec led nineteen hunched over transgenics to an abandoned warehouse about five-minutes away where two white vans were waiting.

"Right. Everyone in," Alec said, throwing open the doors of the vans. "Tight squeeze, but you can breath in. Come on, come on, this isn't a guided tour. Nothing to see, so keep packing in."

Everyone in, Alec drove one of the two vans back to TC, the envelope burning a hole in his pants.

A/N: so what do you guys think? Tell me- flames welcome too.

I can promise you guys that I'll keep writing this story with or without reviews, but I probably won't post them unless at least I know at least one person is reading. So just drop a review saying "reading" and I'll I keep posting – without fail.