A/N- I was going to post this as one but it ended up at 39 pages which is WAY too long so the second part to this will be up on Friday to pace you out while my little fingers tap away.
Thanks for all the reviews to the last chapter- you guys rock.
One thing- I do not respond to threats and I know for a fact that I update faster than a lot of fic writers, coughsuecough so "update or else" doesn't really inspire me. Be nice- costs nothing.
Chapter 17 Shaking things up.
"That tickles," Tara giggled, as Carrot's hand trailed up her side.
He leaned down and rubbed his nose along the sensitive skin on her shoulder and she shivered.
"Hey, less of that, I have to get going."
His face fell as she reminded him of the reason that she had originally come to his cell.
Tara saw his look and sighed, pulling away from him. She threw her legs off the edge of the bed and grabbed her shirt, pulling it on and searching for her pants before turning to talk to him.
"I have to do this, you know that."
Carrot swallowed and sat up. "I know, doesn't mean I have to like it though."
"I'm a soldier as well as field medic and I am needed on this mission."
He raked a hand through his red curls and regarded his mate. "The last thing I want to do is to tell you what you can and can't do. You know that. I'm not like some of the other guys who want to be all macho. I know that you are a soldier and normally I have no worries about you doing what we have all been trained to do." He knelt on the bed and the sheet that had been covering him slipped down. Tara stared straight into his open and sincere eyes.
"But Tara, something about this mission feels wrong. Maybe it's just the timing, we have only just mated but-"
"I know," she interrupted, "and believe me I understand, it feels wrong to me too. But this guy's contacts are essential to our continued survival. We have to get into his files and to do that we have to get someone close to him. We have his profile and his past women have all been tall, slim, strict, smart strawberry blondes. I fit that profile more than anyone and it is vital to get close enough to this guy to get the information."
"Just as long as it's not too close," he muttered, looking down at their joined hands.
"I have to go," she leaned down and caught his lips in a deep, heart tugging kiss before pulling away and walking out.
The door slammed shut behind her and Carrot slumped down onto the bed staring at the blank walls.
Tara went on missions all the time; it wasn't like she was a rookie. In fact, due to her status as field medic, she had been going on missions even before Special Ops had been cleared. But, somehow, this one was different, this one felt wrong. He didn't like Tara having to go and 'get close' to this man. So what if he had some major contacts and was proving tricky for Manticore, couldn't he have been interested in short brunettes with an arrogant streak?
Why the hell did it have to be Tara?
Carrot sighed and spoke aloud to the empty room. "What the hell kind of name is Logan Cale anyway?"
------
Drew sat in the newly constructed sun room in Manticore; it was a beautiful room facing the training courtyards and was especially for the use of guests such as Foreign Dignitaries and the High Brass. It was a way to show off Manticore at its best and, thanks to Max and Alec, Special Ops were also permitted to use it when it wasn't needed.
Drew was completely engrossed in a book and for once it wasn't a course textbook. It was one that Max had lent her called 'Grimm's Fairy Tales' - an old dog-eared book that had been Max's first possession- and Drew loved it. The stories had her curling her legs underneath herself and getting lost in the spectacularly woven story.
She was enthralled by a world of magic slippers and faeries when she felt something tickle her foot.
She ignored the slight tickle and concentrated on the story but then something stroked her foot.
She squirmed, "Stop it."
"Come on Drew, I'm bored!" He looked at her with puppy dog eyes.
She eyed Dek over the rim of her book.
"Go away."
Dek pouted and poked her in the leg.
Drew hid a grin at his behaviour and ducked behind her book again.
She had, grudgingly, come to terms with the fact that she found her best friend attractive. Currently she was in- what Max called- stage two of denial whereby she was pretending that it didn't mean anything. That means she was about on the same level as Techie when it came to denial. She felt special kinship with the shy transgenic at the moment. Her lips twitched as she recalled the last time that she had seen him.
She had been in the computer room alone, going over some records when the door had slammed open and a figure had edged in and ducked down to the floor.
She peered at the figure in surprise, "Techie?"
He spun with a yelp and grabbed at his heart. "Dammit Drew!"
She laughed. "What are you doing?"
"Feen," he swallowed and Drew laughed harder.
"You know, she's not that scary!"
Techie slumped, "Yeah I know, I'm sort of hiding from her for a different reason now."
Drew's forehead creased. "Why's that?"
"The guys say that I'm in love with her," he looked petrified by the thought.
"Are you?" she asked curiously and he flapped his arms helplessly.
"I don't know. I think, maybe. Urgh!" He sat on the edge of the nearest table. "This sucks."
"Tell me about it!" She said as she sat next to him. "Everything was fine, all well and good and suddenly someone pointed out that Dek was a male, all nice and," she glanced sideways at Techie.
He gave a short laugh. "Feen's made me sit in on enough girl talks. I get the picture."
"But I was happy seeing him as sexless, just my best friend, who happened to be a guy."
"I know!" Techie nodded. "Feen was just an annoying friend. One who kept pushing and hanging around. I was okay with that, I actually enjoyed it."
"Then someone tells you that you like them and everything is just-"
"Frightening," Techie added
"Uncomfortable," Drew nodded.
"Wrong," they chorused commiserating in fellow feeling.
"The thing is, I kind of had something going on with Mets," Drew said. "We were kissing and stuff before the whole Max and Alec thing but then we fought and although we made up, since then we just talk and he glowers and I have no idea where we stand. And now I'm attracted to Dek. What is that all about?"
"Feen used to petrify me, and I mean truly scare me. Then she forced her company on me and I loved it…after a while. Now that the guys have said that I love her, I feel so damn uncomfortable around her. What am I supposed to say? Does she expect me to say something, to do something? Does she feel that way about me?"
They shared another perplexed look.
"This whole love thing is very, very bad for you," Techie decided. "My stress levels have gone through the roof."
"Mine too," Drew said, "I don't recall ever being this mixed up."
"Any ideas?" he asked.
She regarded him for a moment. "Feen knows that you're scared of her. She also knows that you like her and she's been waiting for you to make a move. My advice is to walk up to the girl and kiss her."
Techie's jaw dropped and Drew smiled sweetly, "Just trying to help."
He started to chuckle and as it grew into a full-blown laugh, he grabbed his sides. "Oh god, could you see Feen's face if I did that?"
Drew could see the abject shock on Feen's face as clear as if she was standing there in front of them.
"Damn it would be worth the heart attack just to see that!" Techie decided. "What about you?"
Drew shrugged. "Dek has always been my best friend and I would rather die than lose that. I won't say anything in case things get weird between us. As for Mets, I think I need to talk to him."
"Good decision." Techie said.
Drew eyed him. "You do realise that if you tell either of them about this conversation, I will make Feen look like the sweetest girl in all creation."
"Oh don't worry!" Techie waved her away. "You scare me way more than Feen has ever done."
Drew had been strangely pleased by his last comment and had grinned in satisfaction before answering, "Which is how it should be."
But even through the teasing she maintained the belief that she was in control. It was her choice to make. Of course, she wasn't sure that it hadn't just been face saving between her and Techie as she still hadn't talked to Mets. She remembered back when she had first gotten interested in him and had gotten good and mad before walking up and plastering her lips to his. Things had seemed so simple back then.
"Penny for your thoughts Drew?"
She glanced down to see Dek staring at her.
"Trust me Dek, they are worth a hell of a lot more than a penny."
"Ooh do tell," he urged and waggled his eyebrows. Drew opened her mouth to reply but the stomp of footsteps made her head turn to the door instead.
Max hurled the door open and stormed through, her wide strides making her cross the room in seconds.
"Max?" Drew began but it was as if Max didn't hear her. She walked through the outer door and slammed that behind her.
Drew looked at Dek who looked as worried as she was.
This was not good.
----
The outer door reverberated as it slammed behind her and Max felt a hint of satisfaction as she imagined it falling off its hinges. She had the overwhelming urge to destroy, to attack and fight and it was all Alec's fault.
He'd followed her on Lydecker's orders and stood in her way, his arrogant stance blocking her way out and he'd… he'd…. Max slammed her fist into the nearest wall and heard the crunch of her own knuckles as the concrete protested.
She strode across the complex, her whole body shaking in unbridled fury.
"Max, hey Max?" Techie called and came over. Max held up her hand, not even pausing.
"Seriously, not now Tech."
He was taken aback at her harsh tone. "Uh sure." He stared bewildered after her.
Max couldn't stop walking, her whole body needed to keep going, because to stop would be to have to think and she wasn't anywhere near prepared to do that just yet without giving way to hysterics.
She'd seen Ben, been this close to him, held her brother and she had to leave him. Hadn't even got to really catch up with him and now he was gone.
Her breath caught and she slumped against the nearest wall, her hands shaking badly.
"Ben," she gasped and felt her heart ache. She looked down at her hands as they trembled.
She'd lost him. Her face crumpled in misery and she grabbed her stomach as if she was in physical pain. Her head hit the wall and her eyes flew open.
"Not now, oh please, not now."
But her plea was in vain as another tremor swept through her, causing her to grit her teeth.
She hadn't had a seizure for months, almost years. Alec had been stealing her milk and they'd both picked up Tryptophan on the outside. He continued to urge her to go to the technicians about it and she still refused, her memories of what they did to her back in Wyoming colouring her view of them. She must have forgotten to take them and with her high emotional stress, it was too much for her system and the imbalance was making itself known in her fragile body.
"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Her frustration mounted as she couldn't do anything but stand there and shake. Her legs gave way and she dropped to the ground, her shoulders slamming her back against the stone wall and scraping it against her denim jacket.
It was enough to make tears stream unbidden down her cheeks. Her anger at Manticore and Lydecker, her pain at losing her brother, her frustration at her own body's defences and her fury and pain at Alec rose like a tidal wave through her spasm wracked body and she slapped the ground with her hands.
"I hate you!" She screamed, "I hate you!"
But whether she was talking to Ben, Manticore, her seizures or Alec she wasn't sure. All she knew was that she was coming to the end of a very short tether and she now had no one there to break the fall.
Glad that she had managed to get to a fairly abandoned part of the facility before she had collapsed Max just let go and let the seizures and tremors overtake her. Her hair was plastered to her forehead as she began to sweat and her palms rung damp. Max whimpered and clutched her arms tighter to herself recalling when she had last had a seizure. It had been on that bank mission in Oregon.
She remembered being hauled into Renfro's office just prior to the mission.
"Ah 452, glad you could make it." Renfro's chilling voice had grated on Max's nerves but she'd held her tongue and stood to attention.
Renfro went on to say. "We have a mission for you 452, you've been especially requested."
"Ma'am," Max knew better than to frown at that odd comment.
Renfro sighed "One of the main backers for the Manticore Project is getting cold feet and we need leverage to keep his toes toasty. We need a data chip found in a vault in Oregon. We already have some men on the job from a different facility; however they deem the vault impenetrable and request my best X-Series to aid in the retrieval of said chip. That would be you."
Max's training was the only thing that stopped her from jumping in surprise or smirking. She was the best of the best.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"You are to join the troops in Oregon and aid in the retrieval. You take over Command as you have been trained and get the merchandise, understood?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"We need a low key mission so you'll operate alone, however you may take a small skeletal crew with you for appearances sake."
Max nodded. It was clear that Renfro wanted this other team to know who was in charge and by sending several Special Ops it reinforced the message that Renfro was working with the best. It was the same principal that the FBI and CIA used on local law enforcement and Max couldn't help the smile that slipped over her features.
"I'll assemble a team of five to aid and assist. 494 to ensure protocol from the other team, 291 is excellent at schematics readings, 191 is detonations expert, and 633 had 100% test score at retrieval operations, and 810," Max smirked. "For appearances sake." She knew that while the others had skills that would be useful, Flex's imposing figure and large muscles would enforce the fact they were serious soldiers and not just teens. Although she was wondering at the wisdom of having Anna and B.J on the same team, the two of them seemed incapable of talking without fighting.
"Unfortunately 810 is needed here for testing, but the rest are fine." Renfro said, "Very well, take your team. Transport is waiting." Renfro had dismissed her with a wave and Max had saluted smartly and walked away smiling.
Of course if she'd known what the mission had entailed she would have told Renfro to take the job and shove it up her ass. She'd have had to go to Psy Ops but at least she wouldn't have had to put up with what she had.
As another tremor shook Max, she closed her eyes and recalled the mission of a few months ago…
#####
The girl in the baseball hat snapped her gum and smiled charmingly at the Guard. He gave her a small smile and puffed his chest out a little and she gave a small giggle, turning back to the form she was filling in.
Max glanced at the guard from under the rim of her cap and rolled her eyes, damn he was predictable, bat a little eye and he was putty in her hands. Her eyes flickered around the main lobby again and her feline eyesight intensified so that she could make out each and every detail of the room.
The Municipal State bank of Oregon was a fairly new establishment, Post Pulse anyway and boasted safer savings than any other bank.
The building had been fortified with bullet proof glass and panic alarms, there were metal shutters on the windows that locked air tight and the most elaborate security system that Max had ever seen. Trip wires, infrared beams, armed guards and 24-hour digital surveillance. There was even a guard stationed inside the vault all night with enough weaponry to comfortably take out an X-series. Even for a highly seasoned and trained cat burglar this bank would appear impenetrable and would be left well alone.
Unless of course, the main investor in the bank was a disgruntled ex-Manticore shareholder who had gotten cold feet and pulled his financial backing from the Project. He needed a little coercion to refinance and so the tiny data chip, hidden in this banks vault, which held all of his passwords and secret files, was needed; and it was Max's job to get it.
She had enjoyed being told by Renfro that she was the best of the best, but all the same, now that she was standing in the expanded lobby she wished she had told Renfro where she could shove this job.
It wasn't that the actual job was that hard, on the contrary it looked interesting, but she hadn't been prepared for the personnel that she had to work with.
Max clenched her fists and visibly tried to relax.
"Hey 452, you asleep?"
The harsh voice down her comm's made her teeth ache and she took a deep breath.
"Don't pop a fuse, McCarthy," she spat "I'm awake."
Lieutenant McCarthy grit his teeth as the girls voice filtered back to him. It grated more then he'd let on that he was under the command of the same 09er bitch that he had delighted in punishing back in Wyoming. It was due to that prissy little bitch that he had been taken off his rank at the facility and demoted to Lieutenant. Not even Lieutenant Commander, but under that pompous ass Evans. Excuse me, Commander Evans. Although why he hadn't been demoted too was beyond McCarthy.
Now that little bitch had sauntered in as Commanding Officer of Special Operations and had taken over, overriding his instructions and command with a sneer and leaving her band of merry misfits in charge as she waltzed into the bank like she owned it.
How the hell had the 09er made Special Ops? Oh he knew that, freaking Lydecker- that's how!
He always had a special place in his ice, cold heart for his 'kids', and had brought the bitch a free pass to comfort in Seattle. McCarthy snarled as one of her team tapped her fingers on the sideboard.
"Hey, Sir?" she called, tossing her dark hair over one shoulder.
"Yeah 633?" The tall kid that the bitch had left in charge walked over with a cocky grin.
McCarthy disliked him on sight. After all, any man that was under the command of the 09er had to have no pride…or no balls. Hah! Call them Special Ops? Oh there was something special about them no doubt, bunch of losers and degenerates.
He watched as the two of them leaned close and spoke in hushed tones and he glowered at them. This had been his frigging assignment and he couldn't believe that a bunch of green kids were taking over it.
What the hell was Manticore coming too? Pretty soon the animals would be running the zoo.
Max tapped her fingers on the desk and pretended to fill in the form. When she had seen McCarthy there in full view of her taking command it had taken all of her training not to cringe or hunch her shoulders and crawl into Alec's arms.
She'd never forget his face as he realised who she was, the mixture of horror, hate and disgust wasn't easy to ignore.
Alec had murmured something in her ear but she had only had eyes for the man who had been more of a nightmare than Lydecker had ever been.
Memories had swamped her.
"452, what the hell do you think you're doing? Get your ass to the brig now."
"Aw does the little traitor need a blankie? Suck it up bitch!"
"I can't see a broken leg, oh that one! Does it hurt? Good. Get the hell up and run bitch."
"Those shoes aren't shiny, traitor, an hour in the tank."
"You'll pay for that you prissy little bitch,"
"Bitch."
Max had swallowed and faced her nightmare.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he'd snarled and she had lifted her head up, ignoring the glances of her team, and smiled.
"Trainer McCarthy, I am here under Special orders from Director Renfro of the Seattle facility to commandeer your assignment." She'd allowed herself a slow sarcastic smile at his open-mouthed shock.
"Under whose frigging authority?"
"Oh didn't I say?" Max had arched an eyebrow. "I'm Commanding Officer of Special Operations, a branch of Manticore's finest. Say," she made a show of glancing at his stripes. "Doesn't that outrank you Lieutenant?"
The satisfaction that she got from watching his face turn beet red was something that would stay with her forever.
Max pulled the brim of her cap down further.
"Hey, 494, you with me?"
"All the way, 4-52," came Alec's cheeky reply and she smiled.
"Standard installation, one guard- heavily armed in bearing 2-5-0 circa 20 feet from main vault. Sensors are off."
"P.O.A?"
Max grinned as Alec asked her for her plan of action.
"Why my dear 494, I plan to break in."
She'd outlined her plan to Alec before she'd come in and he had agreed. The Bank was just too heavily guarded at night, what with the sensors and guards and all. But during the day the security was down to a minimum, the sensors would be off, as well as the infrared and pressure and heat sensors and even Guard detail was down from seven to two and the one in the vault went home for a nap. Yeah it would be that much easier during the day.
She heard him chuckle down the line and he muttered something to the others at his end.
"Be careful, darling."
Max was glad that he couldn't see her as she blushed. He was always doing stuff like that now, calling her nicknames and speaking in that soft hushed voice like it was designed only for her.
It was getting harder and harder to think of him as just a friend and not… head in the game Soldier.
"Always," She smirked and glanced back around.
####--
Max opened her eyes, feeling the tremors start to subside slightly and used the wall as leverage to get to her feet. Just a few weeks ago everything had been great, it had all been wonderful and now it was all gone. Her memories of the mission included Alec and they started to hurt her. Thinking of Alec hurt her. She dug her nails into the stone and stumbled across the main courtyard hoping not to meet anyone else on the way. All she had to do was to get to her room and fetch her supply of Tryptophan and she'd be fine. She needed a distraction; something to take her mind off the whimpers that were wrenched from her throat and the pain in her heart.
Almost unwillingly she was drawn back into her memories.
####--
"Always," She'd smirked and glanced back around.
The best thing for this scenario was to distract those guards there. If they thought that there was something going on then they'd be away from the main hatch and she could slip in and try to crack the safe.
Her hands trembled in anticipation and she opened her mouth to get Drew in here to provide distraction.
The front door opened and Max stopped eyeing them. There were four men all dressed in dark, nondescript clothes and they shuffled in unobtrusively. The one who came first looked like he had been squeezed into his polo shirt and his muscles were protesting, his thin hair was slicked down close to his head and he had a tight jaw meaning he was angry- or nervous. The other three looked alike enough to have been hired from Muscle-bound-thugs-r-us, two close enough in appearance to be related but all with light brown hair and shifty expressions. The leader glanced over to where a slim blonde woman was trying too hard not to pay attention to them and then in a corner where two men were arguing quietly, with their eyes on the door.
Max tensed.
"Uh, guys I think we have a situation here."
"Come again 452?"
Max paused and let her eyes scan the main man. His jacket hung loose over the polo neck but his shoulders were too high, which meant that he was either into shoulder pads…or wearing a shoulder holster. His pant leg was tight over his thigh but his hand was hovering too close to his pocket for it to be anything other than an inner pants holster. His three friends had their long coats wrapped firmly around themselves, sawn off shotguns maybe, semi automatic weapons?
Max spun to fix her attention on the blonde woman who was speaking mutedly with another woman on her left. Max could make out that she was holding something in her pocket.
"Shit," she said succinctly.
"Ma-452?"
Before she could reply to Alec the blonde woman took a deep breath and pulled out her gun, raising it to the roof she shot into the air.
"Nobody move,"
The lady with her pulled her gun and aimed it at the guard who had been too slow to get his own weapon out.
Several screams echoed in the lobby as the people in the bank realised what was happening. The three men pulled out semi-automatic weapons and the leader cross drew his gun. The two men in the corner had their own guns out, aiming at the crowd.
Max rolled her eyes.
"Why can't they get their own bank?"
Alec heard Max moan down the radio and his eyes widened, "452? What's going on?"
The man next to him rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me she's screwed up the mission already?"
Alec barely gave him a glance. When they had arrived Max's reaction to the guy told him all that he needed to know. He was a grade 'A' asshole.
"452?"
"Relax, we've just been pre-empted is all," Max said and Alec could hear shouts and screams coming down the sensitive equipment.
"What's going on?"
"Bank raid."
Alec exchanged glances with Drew.
"Huh."
Max watched as the polo neck guy walked into the centre of the room and handed his smaller gun to one of the men that had been arguing. He was tall and had close-cropped dark hair and a small goatee. He was dressed in a large black coat and stood tall. This guy was obviously the leader.
"Nobody panic and no one gets hurt," He said clearly and calmly. "Give us what we want and we'll be gone soon."
"I wish," muttered Max and snapped her gum with an insolent look in the direction of the robbers.
"You'll never get away with-" one of the guards stated but was stopped as he was pistol whipped by a tall dark man, his shaven head making him more menacing. He had been the other of those arguing in the corner. The guard slumped to the floor and was out cold.
"Everyone into the other room now!" The blonde woman called, waving her gun at them. She gestured to the quiet room where people went to talk personal banking. It was quiet and secluded and away from the main activity of the lobby. Max assumed it meant that the ringleader didn't have to see his hostages.
"Barlow?"
The blonde turned to the leader who had called to her. "Keep them quiet."
She nodded and gestured with the barrel of her gun for the people to go into the room.
Max walked with the rest of them taking a quick survey of the crowd. Thankfully, since it was early, there hadn't been too many people inside the bank. As well as the usual business section of ten or so smartly dressed men and women there was an old couple who were holding hands and looking anxious. There was a mother with her young daughter, a middle-aged man who was about 50 pounds overweight and about three meals away from a heart attack, and a young girl in a prep school uniform and her boyfriend.
Max shrugged and rolled her shoulders trying to get relaxed. Just because the mission had already gone sidewise didn't mean that they couldn't salvage the situation.
"What you got?"
Alec voice jolted her back to the real world.
"Eight party crashers, each packing more than beer," she pouted "And none cute enough to dance with."
Alec grinned at the pout in her voice; at least she was enjoying herself.
"Behave sweetheart." He ordered. "What do they want?"
"They just walked into a bank packing heat," was her dry reply. "I don't think they want candy. Maybe it's an extreme form of mortgage application, either that or they turned down his loan for a personality."
Drew laughed and B.J. rolled his eyes typing quickly into the keypad.
"Patching into security cameras. We'll get a read on you soon."
"I'm fine," she said, almost bored as she waited to go down to the cellar with the others.
She let her gaze drift to where the robbers stood gesturing to the vault, the cashier shook her head and gasped as one of the men pointed his gun at her. She shook it harder and started to cry.
One of the men had pulled out a duffel bag and was doing something to the door when Max's eye was caught by the guard that they knocked out; his hand was slowly making its way to a button on one side of the desk- A red panic button.
"No!" hissed Max but it was too late. With a scream of metal, a huge barrier swept down almost cutting the man at the vault in half as it slammed shut. Sirens began to wail and the metal shutters on the windows slammed down blocking off the light. There were screams in the darkness and back up lights flickered before the lobby was illuminated again.
"What the hell was that?!" The leader screamed.
"Someone tripped the alarm. Shit Darius, this just made our job twenty times harder. That alarm has a direct line to the frigging cops!"
"Shit!" Darius kicked the nearest table which Max noted with interest. The leader had temper issues, interesting.
"Sean, Donald," The two men that had come in with him, who Max had thought were brothers, turned to look at Darius.
"Man the front, if the cops show I want to know about it yesterday."
They nodded and headed for the shuttered doors peering out through holes in the sheet metal where the hinges were.
Max saw the vault guy kick the heavy metal with a curse and she smirked.
Darius walked over to the vault, leaving the Barlow woman with her gun trained on the hostages.
"Flynn, how long is it gonna take to get though that?"
The vault guy- Flynn- raked hands through his hair and growled.
"Gee Jon, it's reinforced frigging steel. What the hell do you think?"
"I need an estimate and not playing about Flynn."
"Half an hour, 45 minutes maybe."
"Can't we just blow it up?" the brunette woman asked and Darius turned to her.
"Alana, it'll take more than we've got to blast this. Go help Martini with the security override."
The woman smiled softly and walked past Darius letting her hand slide against his side. His eyes darkened and he let her go.
The man who had knocked out the guard stalked over.
"Darius I'll need to tie up the guards, they're antsy," His teeth gleamed white in his dark face and his heavy Irish accent came out thick. Max knew that he was one to watch out for.
"Do what you have to Murray," Darius nodded.
Max grinned and ducked her head under baseball cap. They were so damn stupid, they seemed to have seen the schematics for the place but they ignored the vents, which didn't lead to any air conditioning unit but a failsafe bank security system. If the alarms weren't turned off in ten minutes then gas would be pumped into the room rendering everyone unconscious enabling the police to arrive and take out the unsuspecting and comatose robbers.
Plus they were not too worried about letting the hostages know who they were. Max already had a bead on who they each were and where they were and what they were doing. It wasn't the way to run an operation at all! Of course they probably didn't get the same training as she had.
But then again, not even Professor Nick Pope had managed to cover this scenario, "What to do if someone else hijacks the bank you are trying to rob."
Max hated it when someone tried to steal her candy.
####--
"Max?"
Max could barely see, her vision was fading in and out with each tremor. This was a bad seizure, she couldn't recall having one this bad since Wyoming and it took her a few seconds to focus on who it was that was talking to her.
"Pixx?" Her voice was slurred as a wave of exhaustion hit her. She had been running on pure adrenaline and it was taking its toll.
"Whoa!" She fell into his arms and he hoisted her into his safe embrace. "Max, Max, Maxie? You okay?"
"M-m-my r-room," she stuttered before her eyes rolled back in her head.
####--
Anna keyed in some commands on the computer and pulled up the schematics for the bank.
"Ok Sir, here is where the main lobby is. This is where 452 and the rest of the civilians are right now and this is the security room, which was barricaded when the alarm was tripped. Now it should take them fifteen minutes max to get in there and shut down the security cameras and override the rest of the security precautions like the beams and sensors. Once they do that, it means that they can basically move anywhere and we won't know where."
Alec nodded. "Tell me about the vault."
"Triple layer enforced steel. Encased bolts and hinges. And that's just the outer door. Once the security device gets bypassed then the door will lift but they need to get some real muscle to pull it up, maybe a crane of some sort. Then there's the main door itself. Six double figured codes and three keys to unlock,"
Alec shook his head "Paranoid!"
"Or just drill holes and stick C4 in them. Poof! Pretty fire." Anna smiled blithely and Alec laughed.
"I like the way you think."
"Not just a pretty face," she teased.
"Me or you?" He shot back.
"Me of course!" B.J. butted in "Ma- 452 is on comm's." B.J. looked quickly at the rest of the military to make sure they hadn't noticed his slip.
Alec grabbed the headset "452?"
Max pulled her hair over her ear with trembling hands making sure that her earphone was covered. She took a deep breath before she spoke;
"Two gone to the Security lounge with firepower, basic dynamite seven minutes to blow the door. Eight before we get gassed." She snapped her gum as she noticed the little girl staring at her.
"Think they know about the failsafe?" Alec asked and Max stared at the furious Darius who was gesturing to the vault with an irate expression.
"I think our terrorist has other issues right now."
"Okay, lay low. The local cops will be there soon and then the party will start for real."
"Comforting," Max said sarcastically.
She was bored, it had never been in her nature to be pleasant and she was fed up to the back teeth of these amateurs.
Her eyes flickered to the woman that stood guard over them. Her feline eyes zeroed in on a transmitter in the woman's ear.
"I think our terrorists have eyes out there," She said quietly.
"Really?"
"One woman has an audio transmitter, long range. Probably monitoring radio frequencies. No more than half a mile range."
"We'll start looking, sit tight." Alec promised and clicked off.
Max sulked. She hated waiting.
Alec watched as the sirens alerted them to the fact that the local cops were on their way.
"Great," he sighed and Anna clapped his shoulder.
"Hey 452, local law enforcement is here," Anna said down the comms and half smiled at Max's succinct response to the fact that the police had arrived.
"Hey, do you report to your Colonel with that mouth?"
Seven minutes was an eternity for Max who was so bored she was contemplating just standing up and kicking all their asses so she could get out. But that would mean exposure and she wasn't about to do that.
Suddenly the Barlow woman put a hand to her ear and swore succinctly.
"Darius?" she called through the open door.
The leader stalked over to her and she lowered her voice so as not to be heard by the hostages. Too bad Max wasn't human and could hear every word.
"What is it?"
"Cops are here and Dylan says that they put in a failsafe. Gas pumped through the air con."
He smiled grimly, "Looks like we'll be using the gas masks after all."
"But the gas won't be safe for the civilians," she urged.
He glanced at them all sitting on the floor "There will always be sacrifices to any cause."
Max realised that the situation had changed. He was a zealot and zealots were more dangerous than terrorists. She suddenly knew that sitting here and waiting wasn't going to help matters any; he was going to let the hostages die.
Barlow seemed to have reached the same understanding and stopped him before he could walk away. "I didn't sign up for murder Jon,"
He wrenched his arm away from her grip "Oh really Asha and what did you think the guns were for, props?"
He stalked off leaving the blonde staring sickened after him.
Ooh, tension in the ranks. Max grinned, wiping her sweaty hands on her trousers.
"494?" she whispered.
"Yeah?"
"They're gonna pump gas into the area in less than a minute as part of the failsafe, but the terrorists have masks. Can you help?"
She could hear tapping from the other end as someone hacked into a computer.
"I've got 633 and 291 working on it, with any luck the gas should be diverted or stopped."
"Good, unconscious isn't a good look for me," Max watched the terrorists storm around the lobby getting things in place.
"I wouldn't say that," was Alec's smooth, soft reply, "I wouldn't mind watching you sleep, I bet you look so cute all-"
"Focus!" Max was glad that he couldn't see her blushing.
The little girl by her mother suddenly let out a cry and the mother hurried to hush it.
Barlow looked down at her gun and then at the small girl sucking her thumb and staring wide eyed.
Before she could do anything there was a loud call from outside.
"This is the police, you are surrounded. Come out with your hands up!"
"Oh brother!" Max said in distaste.
The mother of the young girl had been holding onto her sanity by a thread, but hearing the voice of the police, she seemed to break and went into hysterics, sobbing and calling for help from the police, from her fellow hostages and from god.
"You want to stay safe? Then shut the hell up!"
The small girl had started to cry again, fuelled by her mother's sobs and her mother clutched her tightly, wide-eyed and bawling.
Barlow couldn't take it, "Screw this, I can't baby-sit! Murray you watch them!"
"Asha?" he called, as she stormed away.
"Shit," Murray grimaced.
Max leaned back and peered out of the slightly open door to where the rest of the men stood arguing. Suddenly she fell off balance onto the floor; her hands and arms shaking.
"Hey kid, kid, are you okay?" a businesswoman dressed in a smart tailored suit hovered over Max's shaking body.
Max pulled herself upright and gave the woman a shaky smile.
"S-sure."
The lady looked at her suspiciously for a second and then smiled back.
"Oh god!" Max hissed as her hand cramped.
"Max?" the voice down the com link was curious and Max bit her bottom lip.
"I'm okay." She said forcing her voice to be calm.
####--
"I'm okay," Max mumbled and Pix peered down at her.
"Sure, you're unconscious and talking in your sleep. You're fine," he frowned. "And I'm talking to myself. This is bad."
He hefted her higher in his arms and practically raced towards her barracks. The feel of Max shaking in his arms was unnerving and he slammed himself into soldier mode so that his worry didn't overcome his sense.
He cradled her against as chest trying to still her.
"It'll be okay, Max."
"Hey Pix, we were wondering what…the hell?"
Pix half turned to see Steve and Aiden walking through the corridor.
They rushed over as soon as they saw who he had in his arms.
"Is she okay?"
Pix glared at Steve. Who looked suitable chastened.
"Ok, stupid question."
"She keeps muttering stuff, she'd delirious," Pix said quickly. "I need to get her to her room before someone sees her."
"I'll scout ahead and make sure it's clear," Aiden offered and walked in front making sure that no Trainers or Soldiers were coming down the hallway.
"S-s-scout ah-head," Max mumbled.
Steve exchanged worried glances with Pix.
"Why is she seizing?" Pix asked desperately.
Steve shook his head "Tara is away on a mission, maybe Mets knows, he's good at field med."
"Get him." Pix ordered as Max went into another shaking fit. She was getting harder to hold as her head thrashed about and her hands grasped at air.
"It'll be okay Max," he soothed, as he hurried faster.
####--
"It'll be okay, Max," she whispered to herself as she glared at her hands. Suddenly the idea of taking out these goons was the only option. She couldn't let herself get caught with seizures in case of exposure and had to get out of here.
Her mind made up, Max watched Murray closely.
His head wasn't in the game; he had dismissed the hostages as harmless which was stupid and reckless. He'd turned his back and was lighting a cigarette.
Max stood slowly, ignoring the hostages and crept up behind him. With transgenic grace she slipped her hand over his mouth and pinched the nerve at the base of his neck.
Alec called this one the Vulcan nerve grip after some ridiculous science fiction thing he had seen on the outside. Right now Max didn't care what it was called as she gently lowered the man to the floor.
She heard gasps from behind her as she lifted the gun from his pocket and tucked it into the waistband of her jeans.
"You'll get us killed!" a man hissed and Max turned to him with a smile.
"My name is Elizabeth Lydecker and I am a special agent with the FBI, you're safe."
The relief on the man's face was palpable and she hid a grin.
"Aren't you kinda young for an FBI agent?" another man said suspiciously and Max grinned.
"That's the point. Now I need you to shut up and everyone sit back in that room. Backup is on its way," Max placed her finger in her ear and ducked her head. She didn't need to do that to listen to the radio but she knew that it would calm the hostages. Her fingernails scraped her ear as her hands shook.
"Agent Alec, you there?"
"Elizabeth Lydecker?" she could hear the laughter in Alec's voice and hid a smirk of her own.
"One member of the troupe is down. I need to know positions of the others. She rifled one handedly through the man's pockets and came up with I.D.
"Got I.D here, Alec. Says the perp is one Murray Page. There's also a members card here for something called the May 22nd movement. Ring bells?"
"Yeah," came McCarthy's voice down the line. "Freaking loony brigade. The head is-"
"Jon Darius," Max interrupted. "He's here too. Along with Sean, Donald, Alana, Asha, Martini, Flynn and someone called Dylan on the outside."
"That would be Sean and Donald Mills, both heavily into the militia and arms wars. Both have rap sheets a mile long."
"M-452, I'm booting up the other names as we speak." B.J. could be heard tapping. "Uh, Alana Hart arrested for disturbing the peace, petty theft, grand larceny and grand theft auto- pretty tame. Dave Martini has a record for terrorism, same with Flynn O'Connor."
"Alana seemed to have something with Darius," Max said peering through the doorway.
"Yeah once his last sweetie, Rachel Holman, got iced, he would've wanted another bed warmer," McCarthy spat.
"What about Asha Barlow?" Max asked noting that the hostages were looking more impressed with her now that she was acting like their idea of an FBI agent.
"Clean so far, a few misdemeanours, some petty theft and suspicion of ties, I guess more than suspicion now if she's running with Darius. Ohh!"
"What?" Max urged.
"Just got a picture through," B.J said. "Yum."
Max rolled her eyes and heard Alec laugh.
"Cute if you like that kind of thing," he scoffed. "452 watch out for Darius, he's a zealot."
"Tell me where they all are already, I'm getting antsy," She demanded as her shoulders trembled.
She had to get out of here. Now.
##--
TBC..... Friday.
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Killer hand- hey there! Thanks for the review and I see what you mean, although at this time I have no plans to kill off Mets. But he is a cool character
Jade=K- Topless guys, its all off the good whether imaginary or not!
Kat461- More Pix/Chance moments coming up- im afraid I have been neglecting my fave pairing!
Geminangel- Things will be a little different from now on so just watch the pretty fireworks.
Willow98002- The previous chapter took place a few months before Max and Alec went to see Ben. They are close in respect to each other.
Jynx- I haven't forgot my loyal readers, you were on my mind all of my holiday- no really- it was scary!!
Talichernin- battle of the sexes- ooh great idea for a spinoff fic- no BAD FAYTH. Concentrate o this and the other million you have.
SGOU- Yeah that is something that I have planned, Anna and BJ moments. A group project? Hmm interesting! Im surprised at the various friendships that have formed as that wasn't my intention in the beginning- like the Dek, Aiden and Pix clique and Techie as a dark horse too! I started out with trying to make Zan and Max the best friends but as we see Pix is more Max-like. Max has blinkers on when it comes to Alec as we all know.
Moonlite- star- No, but this was so damn long I had to break it in two- talk about LONG!
Keekee- thanks darling, the continuation to this will be up by Friday.
Sigma1- my brain needed R and R trust me! I think they all needed some down time to chill before we get hit with the next lot of angst.
Fangedangel- Max is just too funny- checking out the guy she oh so doesn't have feelings for- roll eyes so you think more B.J/Anna and Dek.Drew- okay.
Restive Nature- nice and happy to contrast with the angst of Moving Ahead- after all I don't want to get labelled as the depressing author! Moon cycles. Okay I'll go with it, interesting theory.
Quinn- FanficAddict- Hey Isa! Drool isn't attractive but with all that Eye candy oh boy I can see it! Its not being shallow really tries to convince self
Crimsonshadoe- hey 1red1- Max and Dek do have great chemistry, but she is for Alec- I think. ONLY KIDDING. M/A all the way. Yeah Renfro is capable but remember she has Taras files on them all. the whole B.J/Anna thing will make a come back soon.
Chaosti- can be a word if you want it to be! I know it wasn't intentional- Alec was So. Damn. Close. and then poof- badness! Minimum 100 word review for sneak peaks? Has merit. I like that.
Acid Burn- 3 weeks- it was long but needed. Now I'm back. Glad you like my puns- I love little details like that. Drew has issues and that is all I'm saying right now.
Lynn- LOL, fanfic better than school? Surely not! Dek is funny isn't he but Pix hasn't had much of an appearance recently- we have to look out for him. I wish I got paid for every review that would mean that I could stay at home and write more ad not have to work- that would be so cool!
Pure insanity- Glad you had a nice meal- please dine here again and dont forget to tip your waitress!
Kim- hey Cynicism is funny in others and sad in ourselves. But Max and Drew are so damn funny with it! Youd like a brief Dek/Max thing? Ooh me too- but I think I'd get lynched!
Nora- Step back possibly but hey it keeps things interesting!
Barb- hi there! Thanks for the review more soon.
Arwen-amy- thanks pet, I like my sense of humor too, well it makes me laugh!
Lyndsay- angst and humour- my forte! 12 perfect male specimens- Fayth walks into walls and things just thinking about them!
Shasy- YAY I got tipped! snaps gum. LOL, glad you liked that. Yay Dek is "cute" understatement indeed. have the tissues back I had to buy my own supply!
Siera- Hi there! Sorry about the wait but I wasn't in the country- enjoy reading now im back.
Starr Light1- LOL, don't smother yourself too much! Passing out isn't attractive!
Tyna- My advice? Ice water and not thinking about Alec- like that would work! Glad you liked it pet.
Lynsey Moffit- what do you mean what's up with Biggs?
Ganko- evil ff.net- has anyone heard of this new nfiction.net? sent me an email yesterday. Anyway Zan has to take a back burner for a while I have Pix issues to deal with first! Had a great trip thanks! And I love reviews- especially long ones!
Mely-= hey doll, I'd liked to have been a fly too! Landing on Alec.
Poo- sorry I was in a different country so you had to wait!
Cazza- it is going to be continued- I was just away.
Stormvind- LOL- you are as obsessed as I am darling! Drew is cool, I love her! and of course Deka dn Techie both rock.
Elfie- Nah, well they needed to make a cameo. More on them soon. Sunny is usually more clued up but we all have our dumb days. Yeah so much for Alec and Zan sorting things out- Zan is gonna hit the roof when he sees what Alec has done to Max. Zan is funny and Steve needs a personality stat! Coco get a love thang? Who? In a show down I think Max would win- unless she let Zack- as her big brother. Dek/Max is fun to write. Feen asking Techie out that never occurred to me- now it has thanks!!!
Nat452- that's okay- you reviewed and that is cool. More couples and realisations come up.
Lanlie- LOL- 3 weeks isn't THAT long you know!!! Best chapter? Thank you so much I loved it too. Just love Alec that incorporates it all! separation anxiety- aww.
Nora- hey. more warnings and good luck on your exams!!