You Can Never Turn Your Back

Max sighed irritably and looked down at his watch.
"They're late," he growled.
"That's because they're dead," informed Jake walking up behind Max.
Max turned and looked at Jake in disbelief.
"What, Agents Reeves and Carmen are dead? But how?"

Jake frowned and looked at Max solemnly.
"Le Etranger." Max gritted his teeth.
"Le Etranger," he growled, "That French fagot has gone too far this time.
Jake shook his head slightly in agreement.

Max sighed at looked out at the ocean.
"So now what? They were our only contacts who knew anything about the…case." Jake was silent for a moment. He clicked his tongue as he came to a decision in his head.
"I have an idea," he said slowly.
Max turned and looked at him hopefully.

"Yeah what is it?" "I… have an old...uh... contact that always knows everything that's going on. Maybe we should go see her." Max smiled slightly and nodded.
"Berto, we need hawk," Max said through his bio-link.
"Already on its way, Hermano," replied the genius, "ETA, 2 minutes.

"Ok. Thanks Bro." Max then looked back at his for-now partner. A sudden mysterious smile spread across Max's face, causing Jake to back up a few steps.
"So Jake," began Max in his semi-playful, semi-curious voice, "This contact you have. What's her name?" Jake turned slightly red letting Max know he was on the right tract.
"Her name is Heather. Why?"

"No reason," replied Max, as he turned his back to Nez.
"Now arriving Berto Air," joked Berto, as Hawk landed a few short feet away.
"Hope the in-flight movie isn't looking at your ugly mug," shot Jake mischievously.
"Hey don't forget I can override the planes controls," Berto warned lightheartedly. "Yeah yeah, let's just go," snapped Max irritably.

Berto and Jake immediately fell silent.
Max sighed.
"I'm sorry guys. I just…." "Don't worry about it kid. We understand." "Yeah we do, hermano," agreed Berto.

"Thanks guys," Max said appreciatively. Just then Hawk flew down, and Max and Jake jumped in.
"Where are we headed?" Max asked Jake.
"Dallas, Texas." "Don't worry Rach," Max whispered to himself as they pulled off. "We are going to get that antidote!"

Location: N-Tek

After Hawk was in the air Roberto Martinez decided to check on Rachel.
It was party for Max. However, it was also for him. He was terribly worried about her even if he didn't necessary let on that he was. He felt it was his responsibility to stay calm and keep everything under control. It wasn't the first time he had and it wouldn't be the last.
He walked out of the Team Steel op room and into the hall.

"Hmm," he thought to himself after a few minutes. "It sure is quiet around here." The longer he walked without seeing anybody the more uneasy he became.
"Where is everybody?" he questioned.
His thoughts where cut short however as he had reached Rachel's room.
The door automatically opened and he walked into the room.

The sight that was before him as he entered was both unnerving and inconceivable.
"Madre de Dios," he muttered.
He gaped at the empty bed in front of him. Rachel was…gone!
Thinking fast, he ran over to the wall intercom.
"Attention! We have a code blue in the Med Bay, section B," he shouted into the microphone. "We have a missing agent. I repeat. Rachel Leeds is..."

Just then Berto felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. Before he could even think how to react everything went black and he crumbled to the ground.
A few inches away, a figure stood with a steel bar in its hand. The figured stared at the fallen agent for a few seconds then quickly moved over to him.
Grabbing his feet; the figure pulled the unconscious agent across the floor to a nearby closet. It then opened the door and pushed the body in, but not before grabbing a few items off of it.

Then mysterious person then pulled out a cell phone.
"Mr. Dread? Affirmative. I have obtained the item." Rachel looked down at the I.D. card in her hand.
"Yes sir. Stage 3 is complete."

Yep, I know this chapter kind of sucks. But I haven't written a Max Steel story in sooooo long. I can't believe ya'll started the party back up and didn't invite me! Lol. You know what to do! Read and Review!