A/N: Here we go again. This time it's the betaed version! We hope it's "readable" now! Many thanks to our beta Alaidh!!! I hope I got all the comments out now! (Still trying to figure out my new WORD version ;-)
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Meeting Mad Eddie
Max leaned against the desk as Logan was furiously typing away on his computer, muttering to himself. Beth had gone out to do some grocery shopping, so he decided to grab the opportunity to do some research without having to answer any annoying questions.
"Are you getting anywhere?" Max asked impatiently.
Logan grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled something down, ignoring her question. Then he checked his watch and quickly shut down the laptop.
"It seems there is a deal going down tonight...downtown. I was lucky to catch a phone call to one of their local hideouts where the meeting was arranged. I got a time and place, even the working name of the guy we're supposed to meet there."
"Are you sure this is what we're looking for?"
Logan sighed. "Either that or we're going to witness a laundry exchange in a back alley."
Max rolled her eyes. "And you think we can show up there just like that? Won't they recognize us? I hate to break it to you, but we're not exactly inconspicuous."
Logan leaned back, shaking his head. "I doubt it. Those dealers are only a small piece of the bigger puzzle; I don't think they'd know about us. Their job is to sell the stuff and hand over the money to the bigger bosses. If they knew someone might be after them, they would only get nervous, and nervous guys make mistakes."
"Says Mr. Drug Dealer himself…" Max snorted.
"Do you think they pass around a newsletter every time something goes wrong? They can't give their subordinates the impression they make mistakes. They'd sooner or later lose their respect, right?"
Max frowned. "Okay then, so what exactly is your plan?"
"We'll collect some evidence against them. Maybe we can work our way back up and find the big fish. Plus, we'll get a sample of the drug, so it can be analysed. Maybe they'll be able to save some lives then, until we, or rather the police, can put an end to this. The problem is, we probably still have those guys looking for us, even though we haven't heard from them for a while. This might stir up their anger if they get word of it. The local dealers will pay for screwing up, and we'll be the target for revenge, once more."
"So the chase is not even close to being over." Max concluded.
"I'm afraid not. After the meeting we'll have to get out of here as quick as possible, then lie low until the police do their job – both here and in Seattle."
"How long are we talking here?" Max had been pacing but was now leaning against the wall next to the window, the sun making her dark hair shine.
Logan stared at the beautiful young woman for a moment before snapping back to reality and answering her question. "Two weeks, maybe three, if we're lucky. And those guys have nothing to lose."
"So we'd better get out of the country," Max said, matter-of-factly. Then, on second thought, a grin spread over her face. "Mexico, baby! I've always wanted to go there!"
"This is no vacation, Max," Logan warned her.
"Whatever," Max shrugged, one hand on her hip. "Girl's gotta have some fun."
Logan shook his head. "Suppose you get a chance to kick some ass, will that be enough fun for you?" he asked sarcastically.
"It's a good start," Max gave back.
Logan backed away from the desk. "They're meeting at eight this evening. If we want to be there in time we've gotta get going. Why don't you get our bags. I'll leave Grandma a note."
Max looked around. She was certainly going to miss this place. Shaking off the thought, she went to their room to get the bags they had already packed. They had told Beth earlier that they might have to leave soon. She grinned at the explanation Logan had cooked up.
"Grandma, we've gotta talk to you," he had started off. "I got a call this morning about a potetially hot story. We might have to leave very soon so I can get a jump on it." He had tried desperately to sound casual. "I hope you're not getting yourself into trouble!" Beth had replied, sensing her grandson's nervousness.
"Nah. Don't worry. It's just the kind of story that everyone wants a piece of. It could be any time now. " Logan had made an attempt to calm her, making it hard for Max to suppress a grin. Maybe he was letting himself get carried away a little too much, she had thought. However, Beth had bought it – or at least she hadn't asked any further questions.
Snapping back into the present, Max picked up the two bags and looked around once more. It was a shame that they had to leave so soon.
"Okay, you can put the bags in the car," Logan yelled from the other room. "I'll see if I can find everything else we need for this little operation." He quickly gathered his computer equipment and held them out to Max. "Make sure we don't forget these," he ordered nervously. Then he sped off in the direction of the living room.
Max grabbed the computer equipment along with their bags and ran outside. She quickly threw everything in the hatch, and then sprinted back into the house. "Logan? Found everything?"
Logan was rummaging through the drawers and looking in the cupboards. "I wish I knew where Grandma keeps her camera!" he exclaimed impatiently "We're going to need good evidence to nail them. I thought she might even have had an old video camera. Grandpa used to record us kids all the time, when we were young. I wonder where that is."
Max opened the upper drawers, and finally let out a scream. "Got it!"
Logan turned around to Max, relieved. "Great! Got a tape?"
"Wait a sec." Max rummaged around in the drawer again. "Yeah, here we go!"
Max was calm and controlled now, totally focussed on the task at hand.
"Can you check the batteries?" he yelled back while wheeling into the kitchen. He wrote a quick note for his grandmother and put it on the fridge with a magnet.
"Workin'." Max scanned the room once more, then headed for the pantry and grabbed two bottles of water, some apples and a couple of bananas.
"Max, I'm gonna need you to take pictures from a safe distance. If you think you might need a rope, go look in the garden shed; you'll probably find one in there.
Max hesitated. She had figured the meeting would be her job, but they could discuss that in the car, right now, she obliged.
Logan searched the kitchen drawers for some adhesive tape and came across a penknife. "Well, you take what you can get," he said to himself and threw both in his lap, then rushed towards the front door.
Max had just come around the corner of the house, carrying a rope and a flashlight she had found in the shed, as Logan made his way to the car.
"Ready to go?"
"I think so," Logan sighed heavily, casting another glance around.
"Let's go! And let's hope the streets are clear now!"
Max sat down in the passenger seat and waited for Logan to start the car.
"Okay, here we go."
Logan transferred onto the seat beside her and quickly dismantled the chair, storing it behind the seat. Then he started the engine and sped off. "There's a city map in the side pocket. Can you find out where this is?" he asked, reaching into his pocket and retrieving a crumpled piece of paper. "Somewhere downtown," he added, studying the road signs for the shortest way downtown.
Max unfolded the map and scanned it, looking for the street that Logan had hastely written on the paper. Then she rambled off directions to him before folding the map again and storing it away in the glove compartment. At his strange look, she explained, "I can visualize this; don't need the map, really."
"Okay, then can you lead me through this traffic, please??" He banged his hand on the steering wheel at the sight of a traffic jam ahead. "Shit! he exclaimed, frustrated.
"Turn right!" she insisted calmly. "How much time do we have?"
"I wish we could have organized this a little more in advance." Logan checked his watch. "40 minutes."
"Next left. This is gonna be fine, we make it up as we go along, always works for me. At the traffic light take a right again."
"So let's talk things through. First we need to get hold of the actual buyer before he can show for the deal, get him out of the picture." He turned and scanned the road ahead.
"Good choice. This street's practically empty. Then I'll go for the deal instead and you make sure we get it on tape."
She looked at Logan for a sec. "You sure you wanna go through with the deal yourself? I could do it," she carefully started.
Logan shot her an irritated look then fixed his eyes on the road again. "Positive!"
Max decided to try again. "But it's too risky. What if they realize what's going on? They could get pissy."
"That's why I'm doing it! I don't want you to get into the line of fire any more than necessary!"
"That's stupid! I can get this bitch over with in no time. And if anything goes wrong I'll be faster and stronger!" Max objected, her temper taking over.
Logan swerved to avoid a parked car. "Yes you are, obviously! Still I'm not letting you do this! It's too dangerous. Besides, I can't climb up buildings or crouch in some back alley quite as good as you can, right?"
Max frowned.
"Look, if you're after some action, you can take out the original buyer. I'm going in for the deal, though and that's final," Logan insisted.
"Fine, if being shot once isn't enough for you, do what you want!" Max snapped. She regretted it immediately, but she was scared and frustrated over his stubbornness.
Logan gritted his teeth and stared straight ahead. "Right. So maybe you want to have a go this time?!"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."Max bit her lip and stayed silent.
"Which way now?" Logan asked, a little calmer.
"Straight ahead." Max answered, staring out the window. "I just couldn't forgive myself if anything happened to you. I messed up once already," she said in a low voice.
Her words lingered in the air for a moment while they both let them sink in.
"You know what I think about that," Logan finally said. "But if it makes you feel better, I'll try not to get my ass shot off again," he added with an appeasing smile.
"I'd appreciate that," Max said,smiling back at him. Then she sighed, "So.What do you need me to do?"
"We'll need a close up picture of the dealer and a picture showing him handing the stuff over." Logan was back to business immediately.
Max reached in the back and grabbed a black sweater and her vest. Then she unfastened her seatbelt and changed. "Okay, no big dealio."
"And maybe you could make sure nobody disturbs the meeting...if that's not asking too much," he added.
"Whatever you say." She checked a street name. "The next turn left and then try to find a parking lot."
"As soon as I have the stuff we'll get the hell out of there and head straight for the border. Can you open the glove compartment, please?"
Max did as she was told.
"There's a small ledge at the back. Found it?"
"Yeah."
"Open it. It's a secret compartment...I keep some money there for, well, cases like this. We'll hide the drugs there later, until we can hand them to the police. Don't want to be caught at the border, do we?" He turned and started looking for a parking lot.
Max grinned in disbelief. "You think of everything, don't you? Over there!" She indicated a parking lot that was effectively covered by three large trees, in the dim light they would be hard to make out.
Logan quickly pulled into the spot and killed the engine. He put on his jacket and stuffed the bundle of bills into the inside pocket. Then he reached for the gun which he kept in the door pocket. Catching Max's disgusted look, he commented: "I don't like those things, either," Then he made sure the safety was on and slid the gun under the waistband of his pants, hidden by his loose shirt.
"You know where to exactly?"
Max rolled her eyes. "Not exactly the first time I've done this."
Logan raised his hands. "Okay, go ahead, then." He let her pass and wheeled after her, replaying their plan in his mind. He hoped that the guy would be just some jerk who would be overpowered easily, without too much fuss. They couldn't afford to draw attention to them selves, otherwise the deal would be cancelled before they were able to get proof of the transaction.
Logan followed Max through the alleyways, which were getting smaller and smaller while their stench grew stronger and stronger. They made their way across the littered ground, passing the heavy back doors of the questionable establishments that were common in this part of town. Any decent citizen would never have dared to come near this place. Out of the corner of his eye, Logan thought he saw a rat, which disappeared quickly into the nearest gutter as they approached.
Suddenly Max stopped and backed up against the wall, indicating for Logan to stay back. They had reached the alley that had been chosen for the deal to go down. She peeked around the corner, and then turned back to Logan, making a sign that everything was clear.
Max let her gaze roam around, taking in her surroundings. She felt her soldier training take over as she tried to concentrate on nothing but the task at hand. From now on she would not worry about Logan; she knew she wasn't supposed to. All that mattered was fulfilling the task; the costs were of secondary interest.
She let out a snort, knowing full well that what she had learnt no longer applied to her. She wouldn't be able to stop worrying; she wouldn't be able to forget about possible consequences. She had changed.
Logan looked around for a second. He noticed a couple of dumpsters, some boxes and garbage nearby, which would provide enough room for him to hide.
He waved at Max so she knew where he'd be hiding and disappeared behind the boxes. He hated to leave Max out there on her own, although he subconsciously knew that she could take care of herself.
Max nodded in understanding. Then she moved farther into the back alley and hid in the shadow of a doorway.
Logan peeked through a hole between the cardboard boxes he had piled up around him. Max was out of sight, hiding in the darkness of the alley. He checked his watch nervously. The buyer would be there any minute now if he didn't want to be late for the deal.
After what seemed like ages, he finally spotted a thin, dirty figure coming down the alley. The man seemed to sway a little, now and then struggling to keep his balance. Logan sighed inwardly. This looked like it might end up being an easy job.
With her enhanced hearing, Max had made out the person walking down the alley long before Logan had, but she patiently waited in the darkness.
Logan watched the man stop a few metres away from him. He peered around and looked at his watch nervously, then disappeared into the smaller alleyway, where Max was waiting for him.
Max acted immediately; with one precisely placed kick, the man was on the ground. She was able to knock him unconscious with a quick punch to the face. "Logan!" she hissed, shoving the unconscious man back into the shadow of the entrance.
Logan emerged from his hiding place and rushed into the alley, making sure no one was approaching them. "I should have known we wouldn't need the blindfolds," he commented, grinning. Max held out the man's filthy jacket and baseball cap to him. "You might wanna look like him. No need to make them suspicious," she said, pointing her finger at his brand new clothes. Logan wordlessly took the old, filthy coat and pulled it on over his own, then, with a grimace, put the old, greasy baseball cap on his head, pulling it down low to cover his face. The clothes smelt of sweat and liquor. Logan hoped that this guy didn't have any infectious diseases.
"Smelling great," Max teased him.
He looked up at Max and raised his eyebrows. "What about the rest?"
"You want me to undress him?" Max frowned and looked at the man in disgust.
Logan looked at the man, and then checked out himself with a quick look. "No, just the shoes, maybe," he said, pointing at his new shoes.
Max mumbled something, but obliged. "God, this is definitely the hardest part."
Max slipped off the man's shoes, then handed them to Logan. Not yet satisfied with Logan's appearance, Max looked around. The man had been carrying an old plastic bag which probably contained his most precious belongings. She pulled a face and pulled out a thin, dirty blanket. She put it over Logan's knees and stuffed it behind his back, then hung the bag over the back of the chair. "You look good now!" she winked and gave him a thumbs up. "Sexy," she teased him.
"Very funny..."
"No, I mean you really look like a totally run down druggy right now, "she chuckled, then stopped dead, putting her finger to her lips. Before Logan could turn around, she had leaped up to a second storey window. She crouched there, out of site to anyone passing below.
Logan twitched in his seat nervously. Showtime, he thought, trying to plaster an indifferent expression onto his face. He heard the voices of two men who were approaching the alley. They were not speaking English. He turned the chair around so he would be facing the men as they rounded the corner. He felt for the gun and the money in his pocket. Good. Everything was in place.
Max watched Logan from her hiding place. She could tell that he was nervous, but the men probably wouldn't notice. He was a good actor, Max realized.
The voices grew louder, and then she saw two dark haired men appear at the far end of the alley. The two men, dressed in black, their hair unkempt and greasy, slowly approached Logan. She frowned, Why do none of these guys ever shower??!?
Logan released the brakes of his chair and hesitantly wheeled closer, making sure he stayed within view of Max so she could get some good camera shots.
The men stopped a few meters away front of him.
"Whazzup,skidmark?" the taller one of them addressed him.
"I'm supposed to meet someone named Mad Eddie," Logan said, as calmly as possible.
"You think that's me?" the man snarled.
"Said he'd have something to make my day," Logan replied, eyeing the man in front of him. When the man didn't respond, Logan fumbled in his pocket for the money to show the two men. "So you tell me if I've got the right man."
"Well, you have a good point. Or should I say a lot of good points," the man said, with a sneer.
Logan stashed the money away again, backing up a little. Waving the money in front of them probably hadn't been the best idea.
"What the hell are you doing?" The smaller man glared at him furiously, ready to attack if he didn't get what he wanted.
Max tensed from her perch on the window ledge. She was ready to assist Logan immediately if necessary.
"Just making sure everybody gets what they came for. So do we have a deal here or what?" Logan said, with as much confidence as he could muster up. He was glad to know that Max was just a few feet away from him, ready to step in if need be.
"Alright," the taller man laid a calming hand on his companion's shoulder, then reached into his pocket and looked around suspiciously. "Here you go, grade A coke."
Logan reached into his pocket and pulled out the money again, putting it on his lap. "Let me see it."
The dealer handed him a small bag, showing him the shining blade of a knife when he leaned back again, just to let Logan know he'd better not try anything foolish.
Logan opened the bag and put his pinky finger in. He tasted the tiny bit that stuck to his finger just to make sure it was real.
Max quietly moved so she could take pictures of the transaction. She smiled to herself. "Good job so far, Logan."
"Okay," he finally said, and held out the money. The smaller man grabbed it from him.
Mad Eddie threw him a disgusted look and straightened his filthy suit.
He shot Logan a false, greasy smile. "Pleasure doing business with you."
He grabbed the money from the smaller man and quickly counted through it. "You know how to reach us. There's a lot more where that came from," he added, backing up to leave the alley.
"Yeah, I do. I'll get back to you then." Logan let out a silent sigh of relief and watched the two men leave.
Max waited another minute, then jumped down and landed gracefully in front of Logan. "Good job. I'd hug you, but..." She indicated his clothes.
"Yeah, right. I smell like a garbage bin."
"This is the price Eyes Only has to pay, no sympathy."
"Got everything on tape?" Logan asked.
Max looked at him open mouthed. "You're serious? Who do you think I am?"
"Good. Let's see where they go. They probably haven't gone too far. They're probably not expecting me to follow them."
"Right, and you're not going to. You go back to the car and get out of those clothes. I'm gonna follow them." Max was going to have it her way now.
Logan sighed. "Okay, okay. I'll get the car ready. But if you're not back within twenty minutes, I'm coming to look for you."
"Deal." Without another word Max disappeared, leaving Logan behind with the drugs.
Logan knew Max could do the job perfectly well on her own. Still, he felt bad for putting her in danger again. He pocketed away the coke and made his way back to the car, imagining all the bad things that could happen to Max. But then he reminded himself that she had been designed to be a soldier and could probably do the job better than three perfectly healthy men.
Max, on the other hand, was grateful that she had been able to get him out of danger. No matter how much he tried to convince her and himself that he was capable of doing his own legwork every now and then, Max felt more comfortable knowing he was safe.
***
Max didn't have a hard time following the two men; they didn't even think about looking over their shoulder. She almost wished it would get a little more exciting. It was going to be a piece of cake to find out where they operated from then disappear unseen.
***
As soon as Logan reached the car, he got rid of the old clothes. He realised he would have to throw his own clothes in the wash as soon as he got home. But at least the smell wasn't as intense anymore. He stuffed the clothes and the filthy blanket into the plastic bag and left it lying next to a garbage bin on the street. He then returned back to the car and climbed in.
Checking his watch he saw that almost 15 minutes had passed since he had left Max.
***
Max crept closer to the shack. She climbed up the downspout and looked through a grimey little window. From there she was able to film both the inside and outside of the small building.
***
Logan quickly stored the drugs away in the secret compartment, and then nervously scanned the street, waiting for Max to reappear.
***
All of a sudden, the drainpipe Max was hanging from came loose with a loud clank. She was able to grab hold of the window ledge to prevent herself from falling but one of the men inside was alerted by the noise. This had not been part of the plan. She waited a long moment, pressed close to the wall before she dared to take another look inside. The men had returned their attention to the money and Max let out a sigh of relief.
***
"Twenty minutes," Logan mumbled to himself. Still there was no sign of Max.
***
Max pressed record, so as to catch the two men and their surroundings on tape. She curiously watched the goings on inside the building.
***
Logan tapped his fingers on the steering wheel nervously. The time was up. He should start looking for Max. The problem was that he didn't know at all where to start. He had no idea where she had gone. Damn it. He shouldn't have left her alone in the first place.
***
Max watched one of the men lock away the money, while the other, Mad Eddie, got ready to leave. She should probably get out of there before Eddie saw her.
***
Twenty-three minutes. Logan reached behind his seat to set up his chair again. Then he thought better of it. He couldn't leave the car in case Max came back before him. Great! So much for good planning. She didn't even have a phone or her pager with her!
***
Max checked her watch. Twenty-five minutes! Realizing she had taken too long, she was suddenly in a hurry to get back. Logan would probably be looking for her soon. She quickly climbed down the downspout again. In the interest of speed, she jumped the last few feet. She hadn't, however, checked to see what she would be landing on. With a loud bang, she landed on a piece of corrugated iron.
Cursing her own stupidity, she jumped from the piece of metal she had landed on, careful not to make any more noise. The men insode had already been alerted, though. She could hear frantic steps and voices approach her. Max mentally prepared for a fight.
***
Twenty-nine minutes! Logan thought feverishly about what he should do now. Screw it! he thought. He checked his gun again, then set up his chair as quickly as he could and transferred into it.
***
Max was surprised to see nearly a dozen men come towards her, each of them armed with either a knife or a gun. She sighed. "Why do guys always need their toys?"
***
Turning back, Logan leaned into the car to insert the key into the ignition. In case Max came back, she'd at least be able to use the car. He checked his watch again, Thirty-one minutes. He looked around for Max but she was nowhere in sight.
***
Max had been able to take out half of her opponents, when she suddenly started to feel dizzy. Her head was spinning and her knees nearly buckled under her. Sweat formed on her forehead. "Damn it." She tried to remember her last seizure and was reminded of that awful day when Logan had been attacked in his apartment. She had to admit that she had felt weird every now and then ever since, but had shrugged it off, refusing to worry about it. Now it seemed to return in full force with perfect timing.
***
Logan pushed his way back through the alley as fast as he could. A few people threw him odd looks as he was racing by, but he couldn't have cared less.He had to find Max.
***
A shot rang out and Max felt something scratch her upper arm. "Damn it," she hissed, still trying to fight off the men attacking her. They had realized that Max had weakened and were now taking the time to plan their attacks better. Max realized that she wouldn't last much longer. "Sorry guys, but the game's over. Gotta jet, my boyfriend gets really pissy when I make him wait. I don't want him getting jealous of you guys!" she shouted over her shoulder as she sped off into the dark alley.
***
When Logan reached the back alley, he tried to remember which way the voices of the men had disappeared. He turned right, onto the street he thought the men might have taken, but there was no way he could be sure.
***
Max ran back down the dark alley as fast as her legs would carry her. Even in her weakened state she was faster than the men. She knew it was a stupid move which Lydecker would never have approved of to run directly to the car, but she felt that she didn't have the strength to take a detour.
***
Logan continued racing down the alley. Hadn't there been an Asian man back there? Maybe he would lead him the right way. All of a sudden, he heard the sound of steps and some angry men's voices coming closer. He stopped for a second to listen where the noise was coming from, but before he could detect the direction, he saw Max running directly towards him.
Max had to concentrate so hard on putting one foot in front of the other that she didn't see Logan until he was pretty close. "What the hell are you doing here? Go, run! Back to the car!!"
Logan turned on the spot and pushed his wheels as fast as he could. His shoulder started to hurt like hell, but he tried to ignore the pain. He just stared ahead, manoeuvring the chair through the small littered alleys, hearing Max's steps behind him, followed by the group of men who were still close on their heels. Suddenly, Logan could no longer hear Max's footsteps. He was shocked to see her fall back behind him, her steps becoming slow and unsteady. Their followers were closing in on her.
Max felt the world go black around her, the noises faded and she couldn't quite remember where she was and why she felt like throwing up.
Logan slowed down so Max could catch up with him. "Max! Come on. Just a few more steps," he yelled, seeing her stumble. Judging from the small distance that was separating them from the group of men he wouldn't have the time to turn back and get her before they got them.
Logan's voice, urging her on, cut through the darkness which was threatening to engulf Max. She looked up to see Logan's blurry form and took some more shaky steps towards him.
As soon as Max was within his reach, Logan grabbed her by the arm and pulled her onto his lap.
"Logan...I..." Max started, gasping for air.
"It's okay. Just hold tight!" Logan said between gritted teeth, pushing as hard and fast as he could back towards the car. Max was slumped on his lap, one arm hung limply around his shoulder. He could feel her body tremble slightly.
Max was able to feel Logan's quickly beating heart. She could feel his chest rise and fall as he gasped for air. She held on to him as tightly as she could, her strength ebbing away quickly.
She could hear people screaming in the distance, but, from what she could tell, the voices didn't close in on them. "Thank you," she mumbled.
After what seemed like an endless chase down the alleyway, they finally reached the street where the Aztek was parked.Logan tried to ignore the stabbing pain in his shoulder. Max's condition was worrying him but he couldn't think about it right now. Just a few more meters, he told himself over and over again. Just a few more.
Max finally opened her eyes and turned her head. Relief washed over her when she saw the car in front of them.
Logan was relieved to see Max open her eyes again. Then he saw another problem ahead of them. They wouldn't have the time for him to set Max down onto the passenger seat, then round the car and transfer into the driver's seat
"Do you think you can slide over from this side?" he asked breathlessly, approaching the driver's side.
Max looked at him confused, but then understood. "Yeah."
Logan jerked the door open and lifted Max onto the seat, ready to follow her as soon as she slid over.
She let him help her into the driver's seat then climbed over, fighting to control her trembling limbs. She sank down in her seat, eyes half closed, gasping for breath.
Logan quickly transferred onto the seat and dismantled the chair in a matter of seconds.
"Leave the chair behind if it takes too long," Max mumbled, not really aware of what she was saying.
Jamming the door shut, Logan started the engine just in time before the first of their followers reached the car.
Ignoring the men in front of the car, Logan shifted into drive and sped right through them. Then he raced down the street ignoring the red lights on their way. All he could think of now was getting away and finding a safe place where he could take care of Max.
Max tried to take deep breaths to calm down, sweat was pouring from every pore of her body and she could hardly form coherent thoughts through the stabbing pain in her head.
Logan glanced over at her worriedly. "What's going on, Max? Are you okay?"
"Dunno, gimme a sec," she slurred.
She obviously wasn't okay. Her whole body was shaking now. She was panting heavily. Logan frowned and checked the rear-view mirror, before he took a quick turn, only to see two of the men jump into a car and hotwire the engine so they could follow them.
Great, he thought. Good thing we're ready to leave. He cast a worried glance over at Max who was slumped against the window, shaking even more violently now. Her eyes were closed.
"Max! Can you hear me?!" he yelled, reaching over with one hand to pat her face.
There was no answer…
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Leaving you with a bad Cliffhanger-we know! But the chapter had to end somewhere after all! Hah!
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Meeting Mad Eddie
Max leaned against the desk as Logan was furiously typing away on his computer, muttering to himself. Beth had gone out to do some grocery shopping, so he decided to grab the opportunity to do some research without having to answer any annoying questions.
"Are you getting anywhere?" Max asked impatiently.
Logan grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled something down, ignoring her question. Then he checked his watch and quickly shut down the laptop.
"It seems there is a deal going down tonight...downtown. I was lucky to catch a phone call to one of their local hideouts where the meeting was arranged. I got a time and place, even the working name of the guy we're supposed to meet there."
"Are you sure this is what we're looking for?"
Logan sighed. "Either that or we're going to witness a laundry exchange in a back alley."
Max rolled her eyes. "And you think we can show up there just like that? Won't they recognize us? I hate to break it to you, but we're not exactly inconspicuous."
Logan leaned back, shaking his head. "I doubt it. Those dealers are only a small piece of the bigger puzzle; I don't think they'd know about us. Their job is to sell the stuff and hand over the money to the bigger bosses. If they knew someone might be after them, they would only get nervous, and nervous guys make mistakes."
"Says Mr. Drug Dealer himself…" Max snorted.
"Do you think they pass around a newsletter every time something goes wrong? They can't give their subordinates the impression they make mistakes. They'd sooner or later lose their respect, right?"
Max frowned. "Okay then, so what exactly is your plan?"
"We'll collect some evidence against them. Maybe we can work our way back up and find the big fish. Plus, we'll get a sample of the drug, so it can be analysed. Maybe they'll be able to save some lives then, until we, or rather the police, can put an end to this. The problem is, we probably still have those guys looking for us, even though we haven't heard from them for a while. This might stir up their anger if they get word of it. The local dealers will pay for screwing up, and we'll be the target for revenge, once more."
"So the chase is not even close to being over." Max concluded.
"I'm afraid not. After the meeting we'll have to get out of here as quick as possible, then lie low until the police do their job – both here and in Seattle."
"How long are we talking here?" Max had been pacing but was now leaning against the wall next to the window, the sun making her dark hair shine.
Logan stared at the beautiful young woman for a moment before snapping back to reality and answering her question. "Two weeks, maybe three, if we're lucky. And those guys have nothing to lose."
"So we'd better get out of the country," Max said, matter-of-factly. Then, on second thought, a grin spread over her face. "Mexico, baby! I've always wanted to go there!"
"This is no vacation, Max," Logan warned her.
"Whatever," Max shrugged, one hand on her hip. "Girl's gotta have some fun."
Logan shook his head. "Suppose you get a chance to kick some ass, will that be enough fun for you?" he asked sarcastically.
"It's a good start," Max gave back.
Logan backed away from the desk. "They're meeting at eight this evening. If we want to be there in time we've gotta get going. Why don't you get our bags. I'll leave Grandma a note."
Max looked around. She was certainly going to miss this place. Shaking off the thought, she went to their room to get the bags they had already packed. They had told Beth earlier that they might have to leave soon. She grinned at the explanation Logan had cooked up.
"Grandma, we've gotta talk to you," he had started off. "I got a call this morning about a potetially hot story. We might have to leave very soon so I can get a jump on it." He had tried desperately to sound casual. "I hope you're not getting yourself into trouble!" Beth had replied, sensing her grandson's nervousness.
"Nah. Don't worry. It's just the kind of story that everyone wants a piece of. It could be any time now. " Logan had made an attempt to calm her, making it hard for Max to suppress a grin. Maybe he was letting himself get carried away a little too much, she had thought. However, Beth had bought it – or at least she hadn't asked any further questions.
Snapping back into the present, Max picked up the two bags and looked around once more. It was a shame that they had to leave so soon.
"Okay, you can put the bags in the car," Logan yelled from the other room. "I'll see if I can find everything else we need for this little operation." He quickly gathered his computer equipment and held them out to Max. "Make sure we don't forget these," he ordered nervously. Then he sped off in the direction of the living room.
Max grabbed the computer equipment along with their bags and ran outside. She quickly threw everything in the hatch, and then sprinted back into the house. "Logan? Found everything?"
Logan was rummaging through the drawers and looking in the cupboards. "I wish I knew where Grandma keeps her camera!" he exclaimed impatiently "We're going to need good evidence to nail them. I thought she might even have had an old video camera. Grandpa used to record us kids all the time, when we were young. I wonder where that is."
Max opened the upper drawers, and finally let out a scream. "Got it!"
Logan turned around to Max, relieved. "Great! Got a tape?"
"Wait a sec." Max rummaged around in the drawer again. "Yeah, here we go!"
Max was calm and controlled now, totally focussed on the task at hand.
"Can you check the batteries?" he yelled back while wheeling into the kitchen. He wrote a quick note for his grandmother and put it on the fridge with a magnet.
"Workin'." Max scanned the room once more, then headed for the pantry and grabbed two bottles of water, some apples and a couple of bananas.
"Max, I'm gonna need you to take pictures from a safe distance. If you think you might need a rope, go look in the garden shed; you'll probably find one in there.
Max hesitated. She had figured the meeting would be her job, but they could discuss that in the car, right now, she obliged.
Logan searched the kitchen drawers for some adhesive tape and came across a penknife. "Well, you take what you can get," he said to himself and threw both in his lap, then rushed towards the front door.
Max had just come around the corner of the house, carrying a rope and a flashlight she had found in the shed, as Logan made his way to the car.
"Ready to go?"
"I think so," Logan sighed heavily, casting another glance around.
"Let's go! And let's hope the streets are clear now!"
Max sat down in the passenger seat and waited for Logan to start the car.
"Okay, here we go."
Logan transferred onto the seat beside her and quickly dismantled the chair, storing it behind the seat. Then he started the engine and sped off. "There's a city map in the side pocket. Can you find out where this is?" he asked, reaching into his pocket and retrieving a crumpled piece of paper. "Somewhere downtown," he added, studying the road signs for the shortest way downtown.
Max unfolded the map and scanned it, looking for the street that Logan had hastely written on the paper. Then she rambled off directions to him before folding the map again and storing it away in the glove compartment. At his strange look, she explained, "I can visualize this; don't need the map, really."
"Okay, then can you lead me through this traffic, please??" He banged his hand on the steering wheel at the sight of a traffic jam ahead. "Shit! he exclaimed, frustrated.
"Turn right!" she insisted calmly. "How much time do we have?"
"I wish we could have organized this a little more in advance." Logan checked his watch. "40 minutes."
"Next left. This is gonna be fine, we make it up as we go along, always works for me. At the traffic light take a right again."
"So let's talk things through. First we need to get hold of the actual buyer before he can show for the deal, get him out of the picture." He turned and scanned the road ahead.
"Good choice. This street's practically empty. Then I'll go for the deal instead and you make sure we get it on tape."
She looked at Logan for a sec. "You sure you wanna go through with the deal yourself? I could do it," she carefully started.
Logan shot her an irritated look then fixed his eyes on the road again. "Positive!"
Max decided to try again. "But it's too risky. What if they realize what's going on? They could get pissy."
"That's why I'm doing it! I don't want you to get into the line of fire any more than necessary!"
"That's stupid! I can get this bitch over with in no time. And if anything goes wrong I'll be faster and stronger!" Max objected, her temper taking over.
Logan swerved to avoid a parked car. "Yes you are, obviously! Still I'm not letting you do this! It's too dangerous. Besides, I can't climb up buildings or crouch in some back alley quite as good as you can, right?"
Max frowned.
"Look, if you're after some action, you can take out the original buyer. I'm going in for the deal, though and that's final," Logan insisted.
"Fine, if being shot once isn't enough for you, do what you want!" Max snapped. She regretted it immediately, but she was scared and frustrated over his stubbornness.
Logan gritted his teeth and stared straight ahead. "Right. So maybe you want to have a go this time?!"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."Max bit her lip and stayed silent.
"Which way now?" Logan asked, a little calmer.
"Straight ahead." Max answered, staring out the window. "I just couldn't forgive myself if anything happened to you. I messed up once already," she said in a low voice.
Her words lingered in the air for a moment while they both let them sink in.
"You know what I think about that," Logan finally said. "But if it makes you feel better, I'll try not to get my ass shot off again," he added with an appeasing smile.
"I'd appreciate that," Max said,smiling back at him. Then she sighed, "So.What do you need me to do?"
"We'll need a close up picture of the dealer and a picture showing him handing the stuff over." Logan was back to business immediately.
Max reached in the back and grabbed a black sweater and her vest. Then she unfastened her seatbelt and changed. "Okay, no big dealio."
"And maybe you could make sure nobody disturbs the meeting...if that's not asking too much," he added.
"Whatever you say." She checked a street name. "The next turn left and then try to find a parking lot."
"As soon as I have the stuff we'll get the hell out of there and head straight for the border. Can you open the glove compartment, please?"
Max did as she was told.
"There's a small ledge at the back. Found it?"
"Yeah."
"Open it. It's a secret compartment...I keep some money there for, well, cases like this. We'll hide the drugs there later, until we can hand them to the police. Don't want to be caught at the border, do we?" He turned and started looking for a parking lot.
Max grinned in disbelief. "You think of everything, don't you? Over there!" She indicated a parking lot that was effectively covered by three large trees, in the dim light they would be hard to make out.
Logan quickly pulled into the spot and killed the engine. He put on his jacket and stuffed the bundle of bills into the inside pocket. Then he reached for the gun which he kept in the door pocket. Catching Max's disgusted look, he commented: "I don't like those things, either," Then he made sure the safety was on and slid the gun under the waistband of his pants, hidden by his loose shirt.
"You know where to exactly?"
Max rolled her eyes. "Not exactly the first time I've done this."
Logan raised his hands. "Okay, go ahead, then." He let her pass and wheeled after her, replaying their plan in his mind. He hoped that the guy would be just some jerk who would be overpowered easily, without too much fuss. They couldn't afford to draw attention to them selves, otherwise the deal would be cancelled before they were able to get proof of the transaction.
Logan followed Max through the alleyways, which were getting smaller and smaller while their stench grew stronger and stronger. They made their way across the littered ground, passing the heavy back doors of the questionable establishments that were common in this part of town. Any decent citizen would never have dared to come near this place. Out of the corner of his eye, Logan thought he saw a rat, which disappeared quickly into the nearest gutter as they approached.
Suddenly Max stopped and backed up against the wall, indicating for Logan to stay back. They had reached the alley that had been chosen for the deal to go down. She peeked around the corner, and then turned back to Logan, making a sign that everything was clear.
Max let her gaze roam around, taking in her surroundings. She felt her soldier training take over as she tried to concentrate on nothing but the task at hand. From now on she would not worry about Logan; she knew she wasn't supposed to. All that mattered was fulfilling the task; the costs were of secondary interest.
She let out a snort, knowing full well that what she had learnt no longer applied to her. She wouldn't be able to stop worrying; she wouldn't be able to forget about possible consequences. She had changed.
Logan looked around for a second. He noticed a couple of dumpsters, some boxes and garbage nearby, which would provide enough room for him to hide.
He waved at Max so she knew where he'd be hiding and disappeared behind the boxes. He hated to leave Max out there on her own, although he subconsciously knew that she could take care of herself.
Max nodded in understanding. Then she moved farther into the back alley and hid in the shadow of a doorway.
Logan peeked through a hole between the cardboard boxes he had piled up around him. Max was out of sight, hiding in the darkness of the alley. He checked his watch nervously. The buyer would be there any minute now if he didn't want to be late for the deal.
After what seemed like ages, he finally spotted a thin, dirty figure coming down the alley. The man seemed to sway a little, now and then struggling to keep his balance. Logan sighed inwardly. This looked like it might end up being an easy job.
With her enhanced hearing, Max had made out the person walking down the alley long before Logan had, but she patiently waited in the darkness.
Logan watched the man stop a few metres away from him. He peered around and looked at his watch nervously, then disappeared into the smaller alleyway, where Max was waiting for him.
Max acted immediately; with one precisely placed kick, the man was on the ground. She was able to knock him unconscious with a quick punch to the face. "Logan!" she hissed, shoving the unconscious man back into the shadow of the entrance.
Logan emerged from his hiding place and rushed into the alley, making sure no one was approaching them. "I should have known we wouldn't need the blindfolds," he commented, grinning. Max held out the man's filthy jacket and baseball cap to him. "You might wanna look like him. No need to make them suspicious," she said, pointing her finger at his brand new clothes. Logan wordlessly took the old, filthy coat and pulled it on over his own, then, with a grimace, put the old, greasy baseball cap on his head, pulling it down low to cover his face. The clothes smelt of sweat and liquor. Logan hoped that this guy didn't have any infectious diseases.
"Smelling great," Max teased him.
He looked up at Max and raised his eyebrows. "What about the rest?"
"You want me to undress him?" Max frowned and looked at the man in disgust.
Logan looked at the man, and then checked out himself with a quick look. "No, just the shoes, maybe," he said, pointing at his new shoes.
Max mumbled something, but obliged. "God, this is definitely the hardest part."
Max slipped off the man's shoes, then handed them to Logan. Not yet satisfied with Logan's appearance, Max looked around. The man had been carrying an old plastic bag which probably contained his most precious belongings. She pulled a face and pulled out a thin, dirty blanket. She put it over Logan's knees and stuffed it behind his back, then hung the bag over the back of the chair. "You look good now!" she winked and gave him a thumbs up. "Sexy," she teased him.
"Very funny..."
"No, I mean you really look like a totally run down druggy right now, "she chuckled, then stopped dead, putting her finger to her lips. Before Logan could turn around, she had leaped up to a second storey window. She crouched there, out of site to anyone passing below.
Logan twitched in his seat nervously. Showtime, he thought, trying to plaster an indifferent expression onto his face. He heard the voices of two men who were approaching the alley. They were not speaking English. He turned the chair around so he would be facing the men as they rounded the corner. He felt for the gun and the money in his pocket. Good. Everything was in place.
Max watched Logan from her hiding place. She could tell that he was nervous, but the men probably wouldn't notice. He was a good actor, Max realized.
The voices grew louder, and then she saw two dark haired men appear at the far end of the alley. The two men, dressed in black, their hair unkempt and greasy, slowly approached Logan. She frowned, Why do none of these guys ever shower??!?
Logan released the brakes of his chair and hesitantly wheeled closer, making sure he stayed within view of Max so she could get some good camera shots.
The men stopped a few meters away front of him.
"Whazzup,skidmark?" the taller one of them addressed him.
"I'm supposed to meet someone named Mad Eddie," Logan said, as calmly as possible.
"You think that's me?" the man snarled.
"Said he'd have something to make my day," Logan replied, eyeing the man in front of him. When the man didn't respond, Logan fumbled in his pocket for the money to show the two men. "So you tell me if I've got the right man."
"Well, you have a good point. Or should I say a lot of good points," the man said, with a sneer.
Logan stashed the money away again, backing up a little. Waving the money in front of them probably hadn't been the best idea.
"What the hell are you doing?" The smaller man glared at him furiously, ready to attack if he didn't get what he wanted.
Max tensed from her perch on the window ledge. She was ready to assist Logan immediately if necessary.
"Just making sure everybody gets what they came for. So do we have a deal here or what?" Logan said, with as much confidence as he could muster up. He was glad to know that Max was just a few feet away from him, ready to step in if need be.
"Alright," the taller man laid a calming hand on his companion's shoulder, then reached into his pocket and looked around suspiciously. "Here you go, grade A coke."
Logan reached into his pocket and pulled out the money again, putting it on his lap. "Let me see it."
The dealer handed him a small bag, showing him the shining blade of a knife when he leaned back again, just to let Logan know he'd better not try anything foolish.
Logan opened the bag and put his pinky finger in. He tasted the tiny bit that stuck to his finger just to make sure it was real.
Max quietly moved so she could take pictures of the transaction. She smiled to herself. "Good job so far, Logan."
"Okay," he finally said, and held out the money. The smaller man grabbed it from him.
Mad Eddie threw him a disgusted look and straightened his filthy suit.
He shot Logan a false, greasy smile. "Pleasure doing business with you."
He grabbed the money from the smaller man and quickly counted through it. "You know how to reach us. There's a lot more where that came from," he added, backing up to leave the alley.
"Yeah, I do. I'll get back to you then." Logan let out a silent sigh of relief and watched the two men leave.
Max waited another minute, then jumped down and landed gracefully in front of Logan. "Good job. I'd hug you, but..." She indicated his clothes.
"Yeah, right. I smell like a garbage bin."
"This is the price Eyes Only has to pay, no sympathy."
"Got everything on tape?" Logan asked.
Max looked at him open mouthed. "You're serious? Who do you think I am?"
"Good. Let's see where they go. They probably haven't gone too far. They're probably not expecting me to follow them."
"Right, and you're not going to. You go back to the car and get out of those clothes. I'm gonna follow them." Max was going to have it her way now.
Logan sighed. "Okay, okay. I'll get the car ready. But if you're not back within twenty minutes, I'm coming to look for you."
"Deal." Without another word Max disappeared, leaving Logan behind with the drugs.
Logan knew Max could do the job perfectly well on her own. Still, he felt bad for putting her in danger again. He pocketed away the coke and made his way back to the car, imagining all the bad things that could happen to Max. But then he reminded himself that she had been designed to be a soldier and could probably do the job better than three perfectly healthy men.
Max, on the other hand, was grateful that she had been able to get him out of danger. No matter how much he tried to convince her and himself that he was capable of doing his own legwork every now and then, Max felt more comfortable knowing he was safe.
***
Max didn't have a hard time following the two men; they didn't even think about looking over their shoulder. She almost wished it would get a little more exciting. It was going to be a piece of cake to find out where they operated from then disappear unseen.
***
As soon as Logan reached the car, he got rid of the old clothes. He realised he would have to throw his own clothes in the wash as soon as he got home. But at least the smell wasn't as intense anymore. He stuffed the clothes and the filthy blanket into the plastic bag and left it lying next to a garbage bin on the street. He then returned back to the car and climbed in.
Checking his watch he saw that almost 15 minutes had passed since he had left Max.
***
Max crept closer to the shack. She climbed up the downspout and looked through a grimey little window. From there she was able to film both the inside and outside of the small building.
***
Logan quickly stored the drugs away in the secret compartment, and then nervously scanned the street, waiting for Max to reappear.
***
All of a sudden, the drainpipe Max was hanging from came loose with a loud clank. She was able to grab hold of the window ledge to prevent herself from falling but one of the men inside was alerted by the noise. This had not been part of the plan. She waited a long moment, pressed close to the wall before she dared to take another look inside. The men had returned their attention to the money and Max let out a sigh of relief.
***
"Twenty minutes," Logan mumbled to himself. Still there was no sign of Max.
***
Max pressed record, so as to catch the two men and their surroundings on tape. She curiously watched the goings on inside the building.
***
Logan tapped his fingers on the steering wheel nervously. The time was up. He should start looking for Max. The problem was that he didn't know at all where to start. He had no idea where she had gone. Damn it. He shouldn't have left her alone in the first place.
***
Max watched one of the men lock away the money, while the other, Mad Eddie, got ready to leave. She should probably get out of there before Eddie saw her.
***
Twenty-three minutes. Logan reached behind his seat to set up his chair again. Then he thought better of it. He couldn't leave the car in case Max came back before him. Great! So much for good planning. She didn't even have a phone or her pager with her!
***
Max checked her watch. Twenty-five minutes! Realizing she had taken too long, she was suddenly in a hurry to get back. Logan would probably be looking for her soon. She quickly climbed down the downspout again. In the interest of speed, she jumped the last few feet. She hadn't, however, checked to see what she would be landing on. With a loud bang, she landed on a piece of corrugated iron.
Cursing her own stupidity, she jumped from the piece of metal she had landed on, careful not to make any more noise. The men insode had already been alerted, though. She could hear frantic steps and voices approach her. Max mentally prepared for a fight.
***
Twenty-nine minutes! Logan thought feverishly about what he should do now. Screw it! he thought. He checked his gun again, then set up his chair as quickly as he could and transferred into it.
***
Max was surprised to see nearly a dozen men come towards her, each of them armed with either a knife or a gun. She sighed. "Why do guys always need their toys?"
***
Turning back, Logan leaned into the car to insert the key into the ignition. In case Max came back, she'd at least be able to use the car. He checked his watch again, Thirty-one minutes. He looked around for Max but she was nowhere in sight.
***
Max had been able to take out half of her opponents, when she suddenly started to feel dizzy. Her head was spinning and her knees nearly buckled under her. Sweat formed on her forehead. "Damn it." She tried to remember her last seizure and was reminded of that awful day when Logan had been attacked in his apartment. She had to admit that she had felt weird every now and then ever since, but had shrugged it off, refusing to worry about it. Now it seemed to return in full force with perfect timing.
***
Logan pushed his way back through the alley as fast as he could. A few people threw him odd looks as he was racing by, but he couldn't have cared less.He had to find Max.
***
A shot rang out and Max felt something scratch her upper arm. "Damn it," she hissed, still trying to fight off the men attacking her. They had realized that Max had weakened and were now taking the time to plan their attacks better. Max realized that she wouldn't last much longer. "Sorry guys, but the game's over. Gotta jet, my boyfriend gets really pissy when I make him wait. I don't want him getting jealous of you guys!" she shouted over her shoulder as she sped off into the dark alley.
***
When Logan reached the back alley, he tried to remember which way the voices of the men had disappeared. He turned right, onto the street he thought the men might have taken, but there was no way he could be sure.
***
Max ran back down the dark alley as fast as her legs would carry her. Even in her weakened state she was faster than the men. She knew it was a stupid move which Lydecker would never have approved of to run directly to the car, but she felt that she didn't have the strength to take a detour.
***
Logan continued racing down the alley. Hadn't there been an Asian man back there? Maybe he would lead him the right way. All of a sudden, he heard the sound of steps and some angry men's voices coming closer. He stopped for a second to listen where the noise was coming from, but before he could detect the direction, he saw Max running directly towards him.
Max had to concentrate so hard on putting one foot in front of the other that she didn't see Logan until he was pretty close. "What the hell are you doing here? Go, run! Back to the car!!"
Logan turned on the spot and pushed his wheels as fast as he could. His shoulder started to hurt like hell, but he tried to ignore the pain. He just stared ahead, manoeuvring the chair through the small littered alleys, hearing Max's steps behind him, followed by the group of men who were still close on their heels. Suddenly, Logan could no longer hear Max's footsteps. He was shocked to see her fall back behind him, her steps becoming slow and unsteady. Their followers were closing in on her.
Max felt the world go black around her, the noises faded and she couldn't quite remember where she was and why she felt like throwing up.
Logan slowed down so Max could catch up with him. "Max! Come on. Just a few more steps," he yelled, seeing her stumble. Judging from the small distance that was separating them from the group of men he wouldn't have the time to turn back and get her before they got them.
Logan's voice, urging her on, cut through the darkness which was threatening to engulf Max. She looked up to see Logan's blurry form and took some more shaky steps towards him.
As soon as Max was within his reach, Logan grabbed her by the arm and pulled her onto his lap.
"Logan...I..." Max started, gasping for air.
"It's okay. Just hold tight!" Logan said between gritted teeth, pushing as hard and fast as he could back towards the car. Max was slumped on his lap, one arm hung limply around his shoulder. He could feel her body tremble slightly.
Max was able to feel Logan's quickly beating heart. She could feel his chest rise and fall as he gasped for air. She held on to him as tightly as she could, her strength ebbing away quickly.
She could hear people screaming in the distance, but, from what she could tell, the voices didn't close in on them. "Thank you," she mumbled.
After what seemed like an endless chase down the alleyway, they finally reached the street where the Aztek was parked.Logan tried to ignore the stabbing pain in his shoulder. Max's condition was worrying him but he couldn't think about it right now. Just a few more meters, he told himself over and over again. Just a few more.
Max finally opened her eyes and turned her head. Relief washed over her when she saw the car in front of them.
Logan was relieved to see Max open her eyes again. Then he saw another problem ahead of them. They wouldn't have the time for him to set Max down onto the passenger seat, then round the car and transfer into the driver's seat
"Do you think you can slide over from this side?" he asked breathlessly, approaching the driver's side.
Max looked at him confused, but then understood. "Yeah."
Logan jerked the door open and lifted Max onto the seat, ready to follow her as soon as she slid over.
She let him help her into the driver's seat then climbed over, fighting to control her trembling limbs. She sank down in her seat, eyes half closed, gasping for breath.
Logan quickly transferred onto the seat and dismantled the chair in a matter of seconds.
"Leave the chair behind if it takes too long," Max mumbled, not really aware of what she was saying.
Jamming the door shut, Logan started the engine just in time before the first of their followers reached the car.
Ignoring the men in front of the car, Logan shifted into drive and sped right through them. Then he raced down the street ignoring the red lights on their way. All he could think of now was getting away and finding a safe place where he could take care of Max.
Max tried to take deep breaths to calm down, sweat was pouring from every pore of her body and she could hardly form coherent thoughts through the stabbing pain in her head.
Logan glanced over at her worriedly. "What's going on, Max? Are you okay?"
"Dunno, gimme a sec," she slurred.
She obviously wasn't okay. Her whole body was shaking now. She was panting heavily. Logan frowned and checked the rear-view mirror, before he took a quick turn, only to see two of the men jump into a car and hotwire the engine so they could follow them.
Great, he thought. Good thing we're ready to leave. He cast a worried glance over at Max who was slumped against the window, shaking even more violently now. Her eyes were closed.
"Max! Can you hear me?!" he yelled, reaching over with one hand to pat her face.
There was no answer…
**************************************
Leaving you with a bad Cliffhanger-we know! But the chapter had to end somewhere after all! Hah!