CHAPTER FOUR

Mid-Morning found Logan still at his desk, searching through files, and stealing a glance at the note every few minutes to reassure himself that it wasn't just part of the dream. From his desk Logan heard the front door open and allow someone entrance. "Hey Bling," he called, "I'm in here." Logan sat, re-reading the message from Max and Victor. It was his lifeline now, his one remaining connection to her. After a few moments he realized he was still alone in the room, getting up he walked to the doorway. "Bling?" Getting no answer, he stepped further into the living room, "Krit? Syl? Lydecker?"

Before he could retreat to his desk and retrieve his gun, he found himself being thrown up against the wall by a mysterious figure, clad in black. "Nice to see you, as always," Logan choked out as the figure lifted him off the floor by his neck.

Manticore

Max had just gotten back from her second session of the day. The images were frozen in her mind. Dr. Rhineheart. Lydecker. Krit. Syl. A pair of piercing blue eyes. And the words—kill, hate, destroy, traitor, enemy. She wanted to throw something; she needed to hear something shatter. That wonderfully refreshing sound of glass fracturing as it comes into contact with an unyielding surface.

She had two hours before her next session with Renfro and the doctors. Ten hours until she met up with Victor, and three days until her unscheduled release from this hellhole. She had been kept away from everyone at Manticore, so far. She had yet to see Brin and the X-7's. I guess this is a good thing, though, she thought. Brin would be able to see that I'm not being a good little soldier, and I'd have to kick her ass. Which right now, is out of the question, she said glancing down at the top of her chest where there was an angry red scar. Now I really am a freak of nature.

Max stalked over to the small round table in the room and lifted the cover off her tray. Her nose wrinkled with distaste, as she smelled what passed for spaghetti at Manticore. "And yet another good reason to get the hell outta this place."

Fogle Towers

"Where's Max?" the man questioned through clenched teeth.

"Max is alive," Logan gasped. "She's still at Manticore, but she's alive Zack."

"I told her you would get her captured. Are you going to just sit there?" Zack dropped Logan, watching with disgust as he crumpled to the ground. Suddenly he was assaulted by images. It won't do her any good. She's an X5 she needs an X5 heart, came the taunting voice of Madame X as he held the gun to her head. Pushing her away he went to stand next to Max. Fight them, Maxie. Promise me you'll fight them. X5-5999, I've got a heart for you, and then his world went black. Shaking his head he cleared his thoughts. He couldn't be sure what was real anymore. Manticore had pumped him so full of drugs that he couldn't see straight for two days.

Logan gingerly got to his feet, thanking God his exoskeleton hadn't been damaged. He watched Zack as he seemed to be in the midst of remembering something. "Are you okay?" After receiving Zack's patented glare Logan continued, "I got an email from Max today. Well, actually it was from Victor. You remember Victor, Jace's boyfriend?"

"You mean manipulator? She's just like Max in that department. Both of them allow any man who shows the slightest interest in them to run their life."

After slowly counting backward from ten in Latin, Logan felt calm enough to give a response to Zack. "Maybe they just know the difference between real love and phony sentimentality because they had—have—people who truly love them." Turning on his heel, Logan strolled into his office leaving a stunned Zack in his wake. A few moments later, Logan felt rather than heard Zack enter the room. "Pull up a chair and I'll show you the message and my research."

Zack read the message from Max and got hung up on the last line. I love you. Why couldn't you say those words to me, Maxie? Why him? Why Logan? And then in a moment of clarity, Zack realized the truth. Logan didn't expect anything from Max. He didn't want her to follow him around the world, or even to change her mannerisms. He simply accepted her unconditionally. Love is unconditional, who was it that told him that? Regardless, that was the answer. Logan had no conditions for Max, he simply loved her.

"…anyway, I guess that's everything I've been able to find out so far. What do you think?" Logan finished and turned to look at Zack.

"She really does love you," Zack said staring glumly at Logan.

"I know," Logan answered slightly confused, "and I love her."

"We may not ever be the best of friends, but from now on you are family. And from what I understand, family doesn't always have to be the best of friends—they simply are." Zack stated holding out his hand to Logan, "We'll make our stand brother to brother."

"Brother to brother," Logan said as he grasped Zack's proffered hand.

"Don't forget the sisters," called a voice from the doorway.