CHAPTER SIX
"Hey, how are you doing?" Logan asked as he cupped her face in his hand.
"Emotional overload," Max replied jumping slightly at his touch. "I thought I was better equipped to handle multi-tasking. How about you?"
"More determined than ever. I have good news for you," Logan said as he enveloped her in a hug. "Zack is alive."
Pulling away abruptly, Max looked up at him startled. "He's alive? You've seen him?"
"He's living with me," Logan responded slyly, his blue eyes dancing with mischievously. "Krit and Syl are waiting for you to come home, too."
"What I always wanted, an X-5 reunion," Max said with a weak chuckle.
"I can't wait to hold you again, and look into your eyes. Tell you that I love you."
"I love you, too." Max unconsciously tightened their embrace. "You know, I won't be me on Saturday night. They've already started my re-programming. The images and the words, keep running through my subconscious. I'm surprised our ballroom hasn't morphed into a war zone. Four sessions a day is a lot to process, but Victor is trying to keep me sane. And these dreams are definitely helping me remember what it is that I am fighting to get back to. You give me strength, more than you will ever know."
"I wish I could make it stop," Logan said sadly.
"You help me more than you realize right now. I was a mess when I showed up in the lab this evening." Max began, she could feel Logan tensing up beneath her hands. "But Victor kept talking to me. Telling me about Jace and how they met, asking me questions about you. He'll make a great brother-in-law, even if Zack doesn't approve."
Looking into her eyes, he smiled briefly. "Speaking of which, you'll never believe what he did."
"Logan, do we really have to talk about my domineering brother. This is our dream."
"Oh trust me, you want to hear this one," Logan said, with a sparkle in his eyes. "He called me brother. I think I've finally worn him down."
"I always knew you were more stubborn than him," Max said, laughing as Logan stuck his tongue out at her. "So he approves of you?"
"Yeah," Logan answered, stifling a yawn. "Guess it's almost time to wake up."
"Then let's not waste any more time talking," Max replied as she pulled his head down to hers. As their lips touched, Logan faded away and Max was vaulted back into the real world.
Genetics Laboratory Alpha One
Meanwhile, in the laboratory four floors below the dreaming Max, Victor was once again in front of Big Bertha. He was working on falsifying the data reports and medical workups that he "completed" on Max while she was under observation. Victor was so engrossed in the task at hand, that he didn't hear the door open or the sound of the shuffling footsteps approaching his work area.
"Dr. Galindez," Pete said, startling Victor out of his self-created world.
"Pete, how are you doing tonight?" Victor replied turning around in his seat to face the man. He didn't bother to switch the screen off, or even close down the window he was working in. After all, why bother? Pete didn't know anything about Manticore genetics.
"The director's not to happy with your work, Victor," Pete said as he placed a hand on Victor's shoulder. Lowering his face so that they were now at eye level he continued, "Not to happy at all. Falsifying data, tsk, tsk, tsk. Not even doing a good job at hiding it." Seeing the shock on the young man's face, Pete smiled. "Did you honestly think I was just a lowly security guard? I engineered the X3's and the X4's before Lydecker decided it was time for new blood. They kept me around to supervise the newbies and keep my eye on the last X4. Oh yeah, forgot to mention that didn't I? You're a Manticore reject."
"I don't know what you're talking—" Victor began.
"They wanted me to terminate you after your relationship with the X5, but I interjected on your behalf," Pete interrupted. "I said you would learn from your mistakes, so they made me your permanent shadow. Now look at what you've done. You've proved me wrong. Gotten yourself involved with another X5, and this time, there is no escape." Pete said coldly as he drew his gun.
Before the turn of events could register in Victor's mind, he found himself looking down the wrong end of a gun. I'm sorry I let you down Max, Victor thought as the bullet ripped through his head.
"Compassion," Pete said aloud to the room, "is a sign of weakness, and for that there is no justification." He walked across the room and picked up the phone, after punching in a series of numbers he spoke once more, "It's done."
Max's room"Love you, too." Max mumbled in her sleep. As she became more alert, she heard someone walking around the room. Tentatively she opened her eyes and saw Brin stalking about the room. I can take her, Max thought. She doesn't know I'm awake yet. I can catch her off guard, element of surprise and all that. With that thought in mind, Max literally leapt from the bed, flew across the room, and knocked Brin to the floor. At least that's what would have happened had Max been at top form. Unfortunately she was off her game by about a second; therefore, Brin was able to sidestep the attack and force Max to the floor.
"When will you learn baby sister? The more you try to escape, the more people you love will die. You. Belong. Here." Brin said enunciating each word carefully to make her point clear. "Just look at you. Covered in blood." Brin smirked, drawing Max's attention away from Brin to her hands and clothing, which were indeed covered with blood. "What would Jace say if she knew you killed her baby's father?" Without pausing Brin continued, "She would say that you're just a cold-blooded killer. And she'd be right."
No, Max inwardly raged, I am not a killer. Schooling her expressions, she fought to keep her emotions from betraying her cool façade. "I didn't kill anyone. I don't even know what you're talking about."
"Whatever you say Max," Brin said, standing up. She pulled Max to her feet and looked into her eyes. "But you did kill Victor. Right after the guards left the two of you alone. You shot him, point blank in the head. It's all on tape if you don't believe me. Poor little Max. She killed Victor, after Tinga and Zack died for her. Now you know where you belong," Brin said as she hit Max across the face.
No, I didn't kill him. I refuse to believe that. But I don't remember last night. Oh God, what if I did? No, I'm not a murderer. "No," Max spat the word at Brin.
"No?" Brin repeated smiling, and then pulled a syringe out of her uniform. "Maybe this will help you remember," she said as she injected Max with a hallucinogen. "Goodnight, little sister."
Logan's Aparment"You know Zack," Krit began as his mini-bomb once again flashed incomplete circuit, "Zane would be so much better at prepping the explosives. I'm more of an 'I-don't-want-myself-blown-to-hell-and-back' kind of guy."
After a few minutes of internal debate Zack finally replied, "He's in Kansas."
Logan tossed him the phone, "Call him, we need the best if this thing is going to work. If he says yes, tell him to charge the plane ticket to my account." He was having doubts about the magnitude of this mission, especially after the dream last night. Wouldn't it be better if I went in alone? What if it is all just a trap, and the place is crawling with Manticore soldiers who want to recapture the others? "I still think I should go in with you," Logan said after a minute.
"He'll be here in a few hours," Zack replied as he ended his call with Zane. "No offense Logan, but I really don't need anything else to worry about. You have to run communications from the van, not to mention interference if Manticore makes a show."
"Actually Jace is going to be running interference from here," Logan mumbled. "She should be here any minute."
Zack's expression suddenly turned cold as he stalked across the room to face Logan. Syl and Krit started to move in, to try to protect Logan from their big brother's wrath, but the look he flashed them froze them in their spots. "What did you just say?"
"Jace will be here in a few minutes," Logan said more forcefully than before. "You can stop with the intimidator attitude. And now that you know about Jace, you might as well know that Charlie and Casey are coming, too. They need closure, and Max is going to need the support of her family if she is to put this ordeal behind her."
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Zack spat out after Logan's little tirade. "You really are a moron, aren't you?"
"No, I'm just optimistic," Logan replied walking away from Zack to look at the blueprints spread out on the dining room table. Funny, he thought as he looked around his apartment. In just a few short months my apartment has gone from being the home base of Eyes Only to being the headquarters for my own personal army. Max and I ate so many meals at this table, he thought looking down at the sheaf of papers that now covered the table. And we spent so many nights together and apart, looking out of that window, and now there are guns there. Max hates guns, funny you know, I still don't know why. And over there, looking to where Krit had returned to working on the explosives, we shared our second kiss. Oh God Max, I just want you back. I just want you back.
"Question," Syl piped up as Zack seemed to be cooling down. "How did you manage to swing that?"
"Swing what?" Logan asked perplexed, as he was still in his own world.
"Getting Charlie, Casey and Jace on a plane. Not to mention Zane. I mean, didn't your corporation go broke or something?"
"No, it didn't go broke, they just froze our assets while the company was under investigation," Logan answered. "I'm not, as Zack would have you believe, a complete moron. I can't very well run Eyes Only without back-up funding—always plan for the unexpected. So I invested in other venues and I still have my money from my mom's trust. They can't seize control of my private accounts."
"Well, that's all very interesting," Zack sneered, "but you really should have told me that you were doing all of this before now."
"Sorry," Logan replied, but his expression plainly stated that he wasn't.
"Syl, Krit get over here," Zack called walking towards Logan and the blueprints. "Okay, we need to rethink these sectors if we're gonna have backup."
Later that night, after everything was relatively calm Logan once again found himself entering his dream world. He saw Max standing with her back to him, dressed in her fatigues. "Hey," he called softly when she remained motionless oblivious to his presence. "Tomorrow's the big day, you'll be home in eighteen more hours."
Max slowly turned around, her eyes burning with rage and hatred for the man standing before her. Traitor, enemy. Kill on sight. "I am home," she yelled as she lunged for him. "You're the enemy. You know where the others are. Tell me or I'll kill you and find them anyway." She said as she pinned him to the ground and wrapped her hands around his throat.
"Stop Max," Logan choked out, "Max stop."
"I am X5452, there is no Max."
"Then why am I still in your dreams? You are still Max. You're still the same person I fell in love with. You are—"
"Go to hell," Max gritted out, but dropped her hands as pain wracked her body. Memories suddenly assaulted her. She found herself in another time and place watching as this man led a woman—is that me?—to stand in front of a mirror.
"Come here. I want to show you something," Logan said as they moved to stand in front of a fancy gold mirror.
"American, neoclassic gold leaf detail, late 1800's. I could probably fence it for two or three grand," the woman replied sarcastically.
"No, I meant this," the man replied. "Probably the most singularly beautiful face I've ever seen."
"Expensive gifts, surprise late-night visits, over-the-top flattery. Do you always come on this strong?"
"Only when I meet someone I have to know everything about."
Something feels right about this place, this apartment. It's my safe house, my sanctuary. And then the scene before her changed again.
She remained in the same room, only now she saw the man bending over her while she laid on a couch. She struggled to hear their words.
"What can I do?" Logan asked quietly.
"Stay with me, please?"
"I'm right here."
"You won't leave?" the woman questioned in a child-like voice.
"I'm not going anywhere."
No, the place isn't my sanctuary, the man is, Max thought, trying desperately to remember her old life. And then there it was in front of her. The thing she had been fighting so valiantly to get back to—her whole reason for escaping. The two of them were sitting on the floor of his apartment. I remember this, she thought as she listened to the conversation.
"Will you look at us?"
"Pathetic."
"Hopeless."
"Lucky we hooked up."
"Happy anniversary."
She watched as Logan leaned over to kiss Max—herself. Pulling back slightly they moved in again for another kiss.
"Maybe, uh…maybe we should wait. You know, until you're yourself again."
"This isn't Manticore. This is me."
Then she found herself back in the darkened ballroom, staring down into Logan's terrified eyes. But it wasn't terror that she saw, it was love and worry and it was for her. Logan. Logan loves me. "Oh God, Logan, help me." Max whispered as a trace of her old self broke through the Manticore programming.
Logan moved to hold her, but as quick as her plea came she altered course again. "No, stay away from me. I am X5452, make no mistake I will kill you," she told him angrily, redoubling her efforts in attacking him as she shook off the memories.
"No, Max stop," Logan began but then his world faded to black as Max cut off his airway.
"Logan," Zack said shaking the moaning man awake. "You gotta wake up. Logan."
Logan sat up in the bed, gasping for breath. He looked around the room and saw Zack staring at him utterly confused. "New plan. I go in alone."