Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
A/N: Many thanks to my friends and betas alaidh and catherder.
Chapter 6
Max put the phone down on the table. She'd tried Logan's number three times so far, without result.
"Max?"
"Not answering." She grunted as she leaned forward to pick up her coffee.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
She held up her sweater and rolled down the side of her pants to show the bruise. Alec quickly rose from his chair and snatched up the phone.
"What're you doing?"
"I'm calling Beverly Shankar. I don't want to be held responsible if something happens and you lose that baby. Logan would string me up."
"You have her number?" Max looked at him, impressed for once.
"Logan…" He grimaced as Max rolled her eyes.
"Right. While you're at it, better call Original Cindy and get her to bring over my backpack and let Normal know where I am."
This time, Alec rolled his eyes. "Any more orders?"
"Yeah, you got any food in this joint? Girl gets hungry when she misses lunch."
Alec dialed Beverly Shankar's number and walked into the kitchen holding the phone to his ear. Beverly answered quickly, and Alec succinctly explained what had transpired at the markets, at the same time examining the contents of his refrigerator. He dumped a loaf of bread and some peanut butter on the counter, and gave Beverly some directions to a meeting point nearby. When he finished the call, he tossed the phone back to Max, who had turned to watch him. "Here, you call OC and Normal."
Max dialed Original Cindy's pager, punched in Alec's number and waited for her to call back, while Alec quickly assembled a sandwich and handed it to her. He gave a cursory wave as he left the apartment to meet Beverly. Max thoughtfully munched on her sandwich while she waited, pulling a face at the dry bread, which had obviously been in the fridge for a few days.
Original Cindy called her a few minutes later. "Hey, boo," she answered.
"Max? What you doin' on Alec's phone? What happened? Thought we were gonna have lunch."
"There was some trouble at the markets."
"Oh-oh. What kinda trouble?"
"Never mind that now. Think you can make some excuse with Normal and bring my backpack over?"
"Where are you?" she sighed. "I guess I can do that."
"I'm at Alec's place."
Original Cindy rolled her eyes. "What's Logan gonna say 'bout that."
"Absolutely nothing. He had Alec watching me…and I'm real glad he did, just for once."
Cindy chuckled. "Ya think it's safe for me to go there?"
Max considered for a moment. "It'll have to be. Just be careful."
"Aiight, boo. You're the boss."
Max ended the call and again tried Logan's number. The phone rang and rang, and eventually just rang out for a fourth time. Max put the phone back on the table, suddenly feeling very tired. She lay down on the couch, resting her head on her hands. Within minutes, she was asleep.
*~*~*~
Original Cindy looked around before opening Max's locker. She stuffed the backpack inside her own, underneath the pile of packages she had to deliver, figuring that was a good cover, and pushed her bike up the ramp. She mounted the bike outside the entrance and rode off down the street, an innocent messenger out and about her business.
*~*~*~
Max woke with a start as Alec banged open the door noisily. "Any luck getting hold of Logan?" he asked, barging in ahead of Beverly.
She shook her head and sat up slowly. "No, none. I don't know whether to be worried or angry," she said ruefully. "Hello, Beverly," she added as an afterthought.
"Max."
Alec wandered into the kitchen, pulled a Coke from the fridge, and noisily opened the can.
Bev sat down on the coffee table in front of Max and pulled a blood pressure cuff from her black bag. "You want to fill me in on what happened today?"
"I was attacked in the markets. He," she looked over her shoulder at Alec, "got all worried."
Alec gave a quirky smile, then ignored the comment, hitting the power button on the TV remote control. Bev pushed up Max's sleeve until she saw the deep, bloody scratch where the needle had almost gone in. "What's this?"
"They tried to jab me with a syringe. Guess that happened when I pulled away."
Beverly clucked her tongue and proceeded to check Max's blood pressure using a battery-operated monitor. "Hmm…a little high, but I guess that's understandable."
"Compared to what? I'm an X5," Max added gloomily. "Who can say what's high and what's normal for me?"
"Max, I've done this to a few X5s before, including you, as you will recall, and their blood pressure was pretty much the same as mine," Beverly admonished gently.
"Max, show her your hip." Alec had found a news station and was watching from the kitchen as he drank his Coke.
Max gave him a pissy look and exposed her hip. "How did this happen?"
"I think I must have hit it on one of the market stalls as I ran out."
"I don't think that's anything to worry about." Beverly was reaching for her stethoscope. She tried a couple of places on Max's belly before smiling. "Got it." Max looked at her expectantly. "You want to listen in?"
"Sure."
"Hold this for me." While Max held the stethoscope in place, Beverly put the earpieces in her ears. She listened, an expression of wonder spreading over her face. She never tired of hearing her baby's beating heart. Beverly packed away the blood pressure monitor while Max listened, then held her hand out for the stethoscope. Max returned it to her with regret.
"I don't think there's any problem, but you can give me a call any time if you're worried."
"Thanks, Bever…" Max's voice trailed off and she blanched as she caught sight of something on the news broadcast from the TV. "Alec," she said tensely. "Look! Turn up the sound!"
"Max…" Alec said unhappily. "That looks like Logan's car…"
"…ripped apart the cabin occupied by Paul Eastman. Emergency services have been unable to enter the remains of the room to ascertain if he was in it at the time…"
"Where is this?" Beverly had turned and was watching as well.
…disturbed the quiet of the town in the region of Gray's Harbor at about mid-day…"
Max was on her feet. "Wait, Max!" called Alec. "I'm coming, too. Beverly?"
"I'll find my own way back. Max, the bike isn't a good idea. Take my car." She gave Alec the keys. "It's the gray Toyota SUV, just near where you picked me up, Alec." Alec nodded.
"Thanks, Beverly." Max hugged the doctor gratefully.
"Take care, Max."
Max gave her a watery smile and followed Alec out the door, nearly knocking over Original Cindy, who had been about to rap at the door.
"Sorry, OC, gotta jet."
"Max, your backpack…" Cindy handed it to her as she brushed past.
"Thanks, explain later…"
"Aiight…" Cindy looked on in confusion as they left her standing in the corridor.
*~*~*~
Logan groaned and blinked. His head pounded and there seemed to be the world's brightest spotlight shining right in his face. He lifted his hand to shade his eyes and immediately regretted the movement. Every part of his body seemed to ache. He could feel something hard digging into his shoulder, and on checking with his hand, found a metal bar. He deduced that he was lying on an army cot. He closed his eyes again and became aware of voices and noises in the background. A phone rang somewhere nearby. A gravelly voice answered it, and issued a curt command to someone else.
A shadow passed over him, and he cautiously opened his eyes to see Lydecker peering at him. "I see you're awake," the colonel stated.
"What happened?"
"Security was compromised. We had a cuckoo in the nest. It's been dealt with."
Logan absorbed that piece of information slowly. "Max…"
"Is fine, as far as we're aware."
Logan struggled to rise on the slippery cot. He was embarrassed to realize that someone had stripped him to his boxers and that the exoskeleton was gone. "No, you don't understand…she…they sent me something. I think they want her." Logan finally got a grip on the side framework of the cot and pushed himself upright, his head spinning. Lydecker left him for a moment. Logan heard him speaking to someone behind a screen, and then running footsteps and a door slamming. Logan took the opportunity to hook his legs over the side of the cot and sat there, cradling his head in his hands. Deck was back in a moment with a glass of water and a couple of aspirin. Logan looked up at him in amazement, but accepted the offering gratefully. "You get my computer?"
"Yeah, it's here. You remember what happened?"
"Yeah, I remember. What were you doing there?"
"Figured they'd go after you first. Sorry, I was too late."
Looking around the room, Logan became aware that the exoskeleton – a burnt out circuit clearly visible – was propped against the wall nearby, and that his wheelchair, already assembled, was beside the cot. Someone had folded his clothes and left them on the seat, along with his glasses. Lydecker made no objection when Logan reached for his jeans and started to put them on – not such an easy task on the slippery and slightly unstable cot. At least the pounding in his head was subsiding gradually. He got as far as his socks and then realized he had no shoes other than the boots he wore with the exoskeleton, and swore softly under his breath. He was certainly not going to wear those boots! He realized he was going to have to be very careful not to injure his feet. At least he had the thick wool socks for protection. Lydecker, apparently tired of waiting, left the room again. His voice could be heard issuing more orders.
Logan pulled the chair closer and made sure the brakes were locked before cautiously transferring. The cot rocked, but he managed to move across without landing on the floor. He thought briefly of Max, wondered if she had tried to contact him. Hell, Cale, be honest with yourself, you're worried whether she's okay. You should have told her about the surveillance video and now you got a big case of guilty conscience. He closed his eyes and sighed before leaving the room.