Caged Hearts
Part 7
The rain had stopped and the clouds had cleared leaving only the stars. From Max's perch on the roof she had an excellent view. She and Alec would sometimes race each other on who could point out and name the most. But Alec wasn't with her tonight, and she took no notice of the stars. All she could do was think about what Manticore did to him.
How could they think Alec was psychotic…crazy enough to do the things Ben had done? Wasn't his record in Manticore, alone, enough to prove that he didn't easily crack? And what? Did they think all of the missions they sent us on were relaxing and enjoyable! That couldn't be further from the truth.
Max pulled her knees closer to her chest from the sudden chill she felt as her mind took her back a few years to her first combat mission: the mission that completely changed her life.
The missionary school was a front. Oh the majority of the children there were really students and a few of the people teaching were really teachers. But those were only to disguise the fact that some of the children were highly trained soldiers and most of the so called teachers were actually Special Force soldiers put there to act as a liaison between the U.S. and a powerful group of rebels trying to overthrow the current regime.
Every Manticore-made prototype's initiation into real battle scenarios included doing time on that base so many time zones away.
At least it did when it had been there.
Max and Alec had been assigned to the same squad sent to do a detail at the base. Everyone had been excited including both Max and Alec. Being sent to Nibodia essentially meant that you officially passed inspection and were a true soldier. If you did well there, solo missions and long-term away assignments were just around the corner. And for a kid at Manticore, it didn't get any better than that.
But only a few days after they arrived something had gone horribly wrong. To this day nothing was ever fully explained, but Max had a few theories. Not that it mattered. There was no way she'd ever find out for sure if she was correct. And knowing the reason certainly wouldn't change the past or bring the dead back.
So many had died that day. There had been no warnings. One minute the compound was there, the next it was a pile of rubble. The school, the homes, the church, and all the other buildings were blown to smithereens.
At first Max believed she had been lucky that she had been sent to scout. She was far away when the sounds of explosions filled the air. The hilltop she raced to allowed her a clear view of the damage. But as she watched the fires burn and the smoke build little by little the thoughts of her predicament began to settle in.
Protocol was to go to ground and wait until the "smoke cleared" before checking back for survivors or a way to contact command. She couldn't trust the natives because they could be the enemy. Essentially she would be all alone until the ones responsible finished checking out their handy work. In the meantime, she had no food, water, money, or shelter.
There were a few moments of panic when she realized she had no way of knowing what would become of her and no how of getting back to Manticore. But she figured it out. She found a market to steal food and a brook nearby to get water from and during the day she stayed out of sight on her hilltop, all the while, watching the progress of the enemy looking through the wreckage.
She knew she shouldn't venture out at all, even for food, but she was hoping to run into some of the others who survived. It didn't dawn on her until three nights later that she might be the only survivor. She didn't think the civilians had made it out. They weren't Manticore or trained for such scenarios. Instead, she'd kept herself sane by thinking that once it was okay to go back to the base, the rest of her unit would be there to meet her. Alec would be there to meet her.
The thought that he didn't survive was not something she was ready to face at all. All though they started off on the wrong foot, they were now sort of like allies. Talking and being around him was the closest thing to family she had since 2009. He made Manticore more tolerable. If he didn't survive…
She couldn't complete that thought.
But he did survive. In fact he was the only other survivor.
She'd never forget the feeling that overcame her when she saw him standing on the other side of the brook staring at her as if he couldn't believe his eyes either.
They ran to each other and instinctively grabbed hold of one another, afraid to let go. But their bodies touching hadn't been enough. The need to get closer and feel each other everywhere was overpowering.
When their lips touched, the fire that consumed them fogged out all pain, uncertainty, and reason. They were lost in each other. She barely registered him lifting her and carrying her out of the water to the small shack he had been hiding in.
That first time there had been no words only passion and need. Even during the trek back to the base after the enemy soldiers had left, they didn't talk about what had happened. It wasn't necessary. They knew things had changed between them. But there were no regrets and they also knew that neither one wanted to go back.
Their coupling naturally made their bond stronger as did the two days they spent on the base huddled together in one of the lesser destroyed buildings.
The atmosphere being filled with the smell of charred flesh and the howling wind that could easily be mistaken for the sounds the surrounding dead made was hardly a romantic setting. Nevertheless being under these circumstances completely alone would have been intolerable, and that knowledge made them cling to one another all the harder.
Now as Max sat atop the rooftop reflecting on that time several years ago, she again hugged herself tighter; remembering his arms around her during those nights.
Manticore didn't know about any of what happened when they found each other. All they did see were the burnt and dismembered bodies of their unit and the civilians when they finally sent a rescue contingent.
And they got a full and detailed report on what we had to do to survive those days when we were on our own. Max reasoned. Yet that wasn't good enough for Manticore. They needed more 'proof' that 494 could remain 'intact' after the things he'd seen and done. They had to haul him away and subject him to month after month of different 'tests' and 'procedures'?
"Why?" Max whispered aloud even though she wanted to scream it.
***
The next day, Max was once again moving through the wooded trails of Manticore. However this time she wasn't racing nor was she alone.
Today she was tracking someone. She saw him jogging towards the trails when she was showing her squad a new striking technique. She knew if she could catch up with him in the woods, it would be the perfect place for them to talk without being bothered.
So after ordering the young X6s to first practice the new techniques and then to go run the obstacle course on the other side of the compound, Max took off after 494.
With the knowledge she gained recently, it was no surprise that her mind kept flashing back to the time she and her brothers and sisters hunted and killed the convict as she crept through the woods being careful not to alert Alec of her presence just yet.
But eventually, he must have sensed her approach because suddenly he slowed and stopped. However a moment before he turned around, Max had already made her move.
Alec instinctively caught the figure that leapt at him and together they tumbled down a small incline before coming to rest in a tangle of limbs.
"Max, what the hell are you doing!"
"You won't use words. You won't let me touch you." She yelled down at him. "Fine, I'll try another form of communication." She drew her hand back and punched him in the jaw. She then jumped up and squared off in a fighting stance.
Alec shook his head as he got to his feet.
"I mean it, Max. I'm NOT in the mood." He said while dusting himself off dramatically.
"Too bad." She launched a kick to his chest flooring him instantly.
Alec's expression was incredulous as he looked up at the brunette standing over him.
"What's the matter?" Max smirked. "Didn't think you could get taken down so easily by someone three whole weight classes under you?"
"Believe me, Max, you don't want to play this game." Alec warned as he slowly rolled over and started to get up again.
"Don't I?" Max said as she kicked him in his side making him land once again on his back.
"Enough!" He growled after kipping up. "You don't know what I'm capable of, Max."
"That's where you're wrong. I know you better than you know yourself." She said before launching herself at him.
Instinctively Alec fell into defensive positions as she came at him with kicks and punches from all different angles.
Was this another trick? He thought and began to panic a little. Why is she fighting me?
His distractive thoughts cost him and before he knew it, his lip was bleeding and his head throbbed from where her boot caught it.
"Well soldier," Max began as she danced around in front of him trying to decide where she'd strike next. "Looks like you're certainly capable of being a good punching bag. Maybe they should tattoo TKO over your barcode.
If she had known the images those words would conjure for Alec, she never would have said them. But she hadn't and it was too late now.
The wind left her as the ground met her back with bruising force. And she couldn't draw air back into her lungs because his hand was closed around her throat in a crushing grip.
Her eyes bulged and her hands pulled at the larger ones squeezing her throat. But just as swiftly as the attack began it was over.
"NO!"
Max hadn't even realized her eyes were squeezed shut until they snapped open after hearing his anguished shout.
"Alec." She got out between coughs.
"Oh Max!" He screamed. His face was twisted in horror at his actions while his eyes dripped tears. "Max, I'm sorry!" He continued to yell as he fell off of her and scampered back as far from her as he could get while on all fours.
"Alec, its o—"Max rasped as she rubbed her throat and slowly sat up.
"You see! You see what I am." His shouts cut her off. "You see why you have to stay away!"
"Alec, stop!" She yelled, her voice returning at last. "There's nothing wrong with you!"
"Yes there is. This proves it. Manticore cleared me, but they still knew I was capable of this. They were waiting for this. I hurt people. I torture people! Because I like pain. I like to give it and I like to feel it."
"Alec, no! That's not you." Tears were streaming down both their faces even though one was nodding and the other was shaking her head. "That's Ben, Alec, not you! I know they told you that because you were clones that whatever's wrong with Ben will happen to you. But that's because they only see us as numbers and sequences. They don't think of us as having our own thoughts and feelings. They don't know you Alec. They don't know you're more than just a number."
Max slowly crossed the distance to him, not even bothering to get up; just crawling on her hands and knees until she was eye level with him. She took his hand. Again he flinched and tried to pull away but Max held on with both of hers. She brought it to her heart.
"Please look at me, Alec." When he slowly raised his head she continued. "I know they hurt you, but they're not the only ones here who touch you." Max took hold of his other hand, this time Alec didn't resist. "And these hands," She placed a kiss on each one. "Manticore doesn't know the half of what their capable of. But I do Alec."
His wide hazel eyes moved from the small hands that grasped his own to the sad brown eyes that were imploring him to believe her.
"When they touch me all I feel is safe and happy. The only time I ever feel safe and happy is when I'm with you. You're not a monster." Her last words were whispered and Alec watched as a few more tears fell from their beautiful home.
This time when he crushed her to him, there was no pain or fear. The two clung together in a tight embrace relishing the warmth and strength they drew from one another even as tears continued to stream down each other's cheeks.
The kissed that followed was gentle and reverent as was their joining that followed after that.
TBC