Chapter 4
Max entered the penthouse and immediately saw Logan sitting in front of his computer. She knew this was going to be a difficult conversation, but it had to be done. Now that she'd finally convinced Zack everything was ready, the only thing left was saying goodbye to Logan.
She certainly wasn't looking forward to it but the truth was that after dealing with Zack she felt like she could take on anyone.
"No."
"Yes."
"Max..." The warning in Zack's voice was unmistakable. It was his 'do-as-I- say-or-else' voice. But this time she wasn't gonna take it.
"Listen to me, Zack, because I'm only going to say this once." She said looking him straight in the eyes. "I called you because you're... Zack, and I think I'm going to need your help if I'm going to be of any use to Ben. But make no mistake. I am not going to bow down and obey your every order. I want my brother's help, not a CO." She could see the shock in his eyes and her gaze softened. "Zack, he's really bad. I know you're worried about us and you've done everything you had to to make sure we were safe. And maybe you're right. Maybe before it was the right thing to do, you know, keeping us all apart? But that's not the case anymore. Ben is so lost..." her voice caught in her throat. "He needs us. He's found some kind of peace, or refuge, or... something, I don't know, with me. And I'm not gonna let him down." She lowered her gaze, trying to put some order into her thoughts. "And I think he's gonna need you too." She locked her gaze with his again. "It might be hard at first. I'm afraid he's feeling pretty embarrassed, but I'm sure if we give him a little time, it'll get better. And then he's gonna need to feel safe, and that's what you've always been for us, Zack, our big brother, the one who's always kept us safe."
They were silent for a long while before Zack spoke again.
"Where is he now?" He asked in a resigned voice and Max knew she'd won.
"I left him at my place, watching TV."
"Alone?"
"Yes, alone."
"And what makes you think he's gonna be there when you go back?"
"Me?"
"We." Zack corrected. "When we go back."
"I think if he's not there, then he's just saved us all a lot of time, because this won't work if he doesn't do his part. We can't tie him up and force him to 'get well soon'." She said sarcastically.
Silence fell over them again.
"He'll be there. I know he will." Max said, determination strengthening her voice.
"So... how exactly is this gonna work?" Zack asked her.
"I guess we bunk down with him and work on him. I don't know." She shrugged. "That's kinda where you come in." Max smiled engagingly at him.
Zack chuckled. "Ok, we'll work on the details later, but first of all, before we plan anything else let's make this clear, we're not staying here." He saw Max open her mouth and he cut her off. "I know you've made attachments here, and you consider this place your home, but you can't help Ben here. You already have a life, and the little time you could squeeze for him wouldn't be enough. And, besides, he's killed here, Lydecker will be close and I'm not gonna let you put him in danger the way you're willing to put yourself. If you don't accept that, I'll take him away and you won't see him again, Max."
Max's anger was reflected in her eyes. "First of all, I already told you that I'm sticking with Ben. No argument about it. And second, I'm not stupid, Zack, I knew when I called you that it meant leaving Seattle, and I called just the same. I know we have to go."
"Max?"
Logan's voice brought her out of the memory.
"Hey." She said.
"Where have you been? It's been three days. I was worried sick. You haven't answered my calls or my pages-"
"I'm sorry, Logan. I've been really busy." Max said, moving past him into the room, trying to avoid the look in his eyes when she told him. "I came to tell you that I took care of everything and..." she chanced a look at him out of the corner of her eye, he was studying her with a look in his eyes that she had never seen before. It made her falter for a second before she finished, "and to say goodbye."
"What do you mean? Goodbye? Where are you going?" Logan sputtered.
"I'm leaving, Logan. I'm taking Ben away."
"What?!" Logan was shocked, righteous indignation flashing in his eyes. "I thought you said you'd taken care of it. What did you mean if not that you'd kill him?" The moment he said the words he wanted to take them back. He'd never been afraid of Max before. Not even when he'd gotten those pictures Lydecker sent him. But the look she gave him right then had him terrified.
"Kill him?" Max's voice was dangerously low. "Tell me, Logan, in all the time you've known me, while I've been looking for my siblings, been reduced to your pet cat burglar so that you would help me, what exactly gave you the impression that I would kill one of them because he did something 'wrong'?" She'd been inching closer to him until she was towering over him, their faces mere inches apart.
"B-but..."
"What, Logan? But what?"
"He's killed people, he's a murderer."
Max stepped back, sighing. She'd come here dreading the goodbye part. She and Logan had been getting closer and she thought they might have something, but hearing him now being an ass she realized she didn't really know him and he sure as hell didn't know her at all. 'Kill him! Like I could ever do that.'
"He's killed people? So have I, and you make me dinners and take walks with me. You even gave me my first present, remember? A gun." She pinned him with her eyes and he lowered his gaze. "What makes it worse for him?"
Logan opened his mouth but the reasons that came to mind he knew instinctively she wouldn't appreciate, so he closed it again.
"Listen, I didn't come here to fight with you. I won't even bother to. I'm leaving and I'm taking Ben with me. You don't have to worry about him anymore." She turned around and went to the door. Right before she stepped out she said over her shoulder, "you better worry about finding a new tool for your missions." And with that she left, leaving a stunned Logan behind.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Max slammed the door behind her and leaned against it. Three pairs of startled eyes turned to look at her. Zack and Ben were sitting on the couch and OC was in the kitchen. They waited expectantly for some explanation from her but she felt too... she wasn't even sure how she felt.
"Hey guys." She said finally.
"How'd it go?" OC asked and the guys turned back to the TV, obviously thinking this was going to get too personal for them. Zack knew too well how things with Logan could get and he'd made no effort these past few days in hiding his opinion so Ben had picked up on it.
"Bad." Max said simply. She walked up to the kitchen counter and hopped on it. "He was so..." She trailed off, not knowing how to finish, she hadn't decided yet if she was more mad at Logan or sad for the missed chance.
OC, seeing her hesitation and thinking she knew what was going on, closed the distance between them and took her hand, squeezing it sympathetically.
"...arrogant and hypocritical. I could have strangled him." Max finished, finally deciding she was mad.
"Well, Original Cindy wasn't expecting that, boo, that's for sure."
The guys also looked up, apparently not so disinterested as they wanted to appear.
"I just... I don't know. I guess I expected more from him-"
"I don't know why you would." Zack muttered, earning himself a glare from Max.
"But it looks like I should have listened to smart mouth over there and cut my strings with Logan long ago. Specially after it became obvious he wasn't going to deliver his part of the deal."
Zack couldn't help his smirk and Ben chuckled. In the two days they'd been all together he'd witnessed no less than five arguments between those two about their last encounters. He was surprised at how many there had been.
"Zack." Max's warning tone brought Ben's focus back to the now. He exchanged a knowing look with Zack but neither said a word.
"What happened? I mean, I thought it would be hard to say goodbye and all that. I can't think of a reason for Logan to be an arrogant hypocrite over that." OC insisted. She'd heard over and over again how Max and Logan 'weren't like that' but she'd always thought it was a load of bullshit.
"We didn't actually get to the goodbye discussion. We got sidetracked on the way..." Max trailed off. She didn't want to go into it with Ben there. And she wasn't really comfortable with the idea of discussing it with OC. Logan's reaction had been an unpleasant surprise and she didn't think she was up to receiving the same look from OC. That would be so much worse.
"It was because of me, wasn't it?" Ben's subdued voice resounded in the suddenly silent apartment.
Max saw the understanding dawning in OC's eyes at Ben's words and she felt immensely relieved when she felt OC's hand tightening her hold on hers and she smiled warmly at Max, nodding her head in Ben's direction.
'Damn Logan,' OC thought, 'how could he do that?' She watched Max approach the guys and sit beside Ben, putting her arm around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. OC had been shocked when she'd heard Ben's story, but...
She watched him now, leaning into Max and her heart went out to him.
"Yeah, Ben. He doesn't understand..." Max wasn't sure what she wanted to say, "...but that's his problem. He's got nothing to do with us, Ben. We're all that matters." She finished ardently.
Ben looked at Zack, who was reclining on his side of the couch staring at the two of them, and then back to Max. "I'm not sure I understand either, but" he went on, stopping the objection Max was about to make, "it's enough for me that you do." He gave her a small smile. "I'm sorry about you and Logan, though." His smile became a little naughty when he added, "I didn't mean to come between you and your true love."
Max pinched him and Zack burst out laughing. "You know, I'm starting to regret calling you, Zack. You're a horrible influence on him." Max tried to keep the scowl, but hearing Ben's laugh was worth any Zackiness. She sighed. "We should really plan our next move, guys."
OC took the chance to interrupt. "Well, OC's going out for the night. I'll see you guys tomorrow?" She asked.
"Yeah-"
"I don't think so." Zack interrupted Max. "We should get a move on tonight. The sooner the better, Max."
"Yeah, you're right. I guess we'll leave tonight." Max said. She got up and went to OC. "So this is it."
OC opened her arms and Max hugged her. "I'm gonna miss you, boo. You better keep in touch with me or I'll hunt you down and put the smack down your ass." She heard Max chuckle and she added. "And don't think I can't, no matter how genetically tinkered with you are." She let go of Max an turned to the X5s sitting on her couch. "Take care of my boo, will you?"
"Like I need to be babied." Max snorted.
"You heard the girl." Zack said in a mocking voice and Max glared at him.
"We'll take care of each other, OC, don't worry." Ben cut off any further argument and Max smiled at him.
"Yeah, we will." She turned to OC. "See, I'll be fine. And you take care of yourself, you hear me? Don't let Normal work you too hard. And keep Sketchy out of trouble for me."
OC hugged her one last time and left the apartment. Max went to sit back down.
"So..." Zack started, but Max cut him off.
"Whatever we decide, wherever we go, I'm taking my baby with me so you better keep that in mind for any plans you make." She said in a tone that broke no argument.
Ben started at this. "Your baby?" He asked in shock. "What baby?"
"I'm guessing she's talking about her Ninja. Have you seen it? It's a beauty. I've had a few of bikes over the years myself, some really good ones, but Max's Ninja is the best I've ever seen." Zack's appreciation made Max smile.
"Exactly, she's my baby. And wherever I go, she goes. So you either find a big truck where she fits or I'll just follow you on my bike."
"You almost gave me a heart attack." Ben said. "So how come I haven't seen this 'baby' yet?"
"It's in my room. We haven't been out much these days, and I wanted to walk to Logan's, have a chance to... delay the inevitable I guess." She said rolling her eyes. "Wanna see it?" She asked excitedly, all other thoughts out of her mind.
Zack laughed at her. "Later, we really need to plan now." He said, finding amusing how Max's face fell.
Ben winked an eye at her and she smiled at him. "Have you thought about a destination?" Max asked Zack. "Any preferences, any places off limits?" She said, including Ben this time.
"Not really." Zack said. "I've been trying to decide between a crowded city where we can just disappear and a secluded location where we won't be bothered. I'm not sure what would be better for us. And of course it has to be somewhere you haven't been before, guys." Zack added, looking meaningfully at Ben.
Ben lowered his gaze for a minute and then looked back at Zack. "I've been thinking about that, too. And I'm not sure either which one would be better. And that made me think of a place that meets both requirements. I've been there before, but it was almost right after the escape, long before... you know. Does that count?" He asked his brother.
"Depends. Did you stay there or just passed through?"
"I spent three days there." Ben said. "That was the longest I stayed anywhere back then. It was too soon. 'Keep moving in enemy territory', right?" He asked them.
Max nodded, she remembered her first years on the run and it had been the same for her. She looked at Zack. Probably it had been the same for all of them. But Zack seemed to be the only one who had kept it up until now. "So where is it?" She asked Ben.
"Vegas." Ben answered.
"Ok, you got the crowds. How's that secluded?" Zack asked.
"Well, not exactly Las Vegas. It's a small village in the outskirts of the city. Big estates and lots of desert all around. But the city is only an hour away." Ben smiled at Max. "Maybe less in that bike of yours."
"You bet." She said.
Ben turned to Zack. "Hey, you think I can get one of those, too?"
"I'm thinking we're both gonna need one if we want to keep up with Maxie." Zack said. "It sounds good to me. Max, what do you think?"
"I like the sound of it, and Vegas sounds good too. It seems like the perfect place to accommodate our 'night jobs', don't you think?" She said with a glint in her eyes.
"Oh yeah! That settles it." Zack echoed her delight. Pulling jobs was a rush for all of them.
"I'm sure we'll find a High Place, too." Max said to Ben. "I always feel better at the Space Needle. I'm sure I'll want a new one wherever we go."
Ben smiled gratefully at her.
"Well, then we leave tonight. You better go pack whatever you want to take with you, Max." He turned to Ben. "Did you have anything with you?"
Ben thought about it for a second. "Nothing I want to keep. But maybe you will. I had quite the weapons collection, Zack, maybe there's something you want."
"I'll take a look. What about personal belongings?" Zack insisted.
"I didn't have much. We could just go 'shopping' before we leave, or on the way. I don't need much." Ben said and he and Zack turned to look at Max.
"What?" She asked. "You think I'm gonna need 4 bags just for clothes and bath shit?" She scowled at them. "I only need a travel bag myself. It's not like I can't just steal more clothes when we get there." She muttered.
"Ok, go pack then. I'll swing by Ben's place and take whatever I think we can use," Zack said looking at Ben who nodded at him, "and erase anything traceable." He stood and walked to the door. "I'll be back in an hour. Hour and a half tops. Be ready to leave by then. I'll bring a vehicle, too."
"Be careful." Max said unnecessarily. This was Zack, after all.
He just smiled at her and left.
"You coming?" Max asked Ben and then explained at his enquiring look. "Well, you can woo over my baby and keep me company while I pack." She smiled engagingly at him and he laughed.
"Sure, let's go."
TBC
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Please review