Zack made an effort to concentrate. Piece by piece, the puzzle of his life was falling into place, but the flashbacks were impeding his ability to fly the chopper securely. Having Max drifting in and out of consciousness next to him didn't help, either. He had been able to quell the blood flow, but he couldn't even think of helping her while they were still in the air.
He remembered that he had saved her countless times, saved her from throwing away her freedom. He had even let himself be captured for her.
The noise of the chopper cut through the silence, enveloping him. Lydecker! Maybe they should have stayed at the base to find out more, but after everything the Colonel had done to him, to them, there was only one instinct left. Flight. Max had chosen to stay. But he couldn't. Manticore had taught him all about the moment when the risk is higher than the possible gain, when a CO needs to cut his losses and regroup. This had been it.
He yanked at the flight controls, turning their vehicle sharply to the left. He could hear only one pursuer, which meant they still had a chance, especially if they could make it to the woods at the outskirts of the city on the left.
„Max!" Zack tried to wake her. Adrenaline was quickly suffusing his system, making him dizzy with excitement.
„Where is Max? Why have you sacrificed yourself for her?" Lydecker's voice droned in his ears.
Damn Lydecker! „Go away! Leave us be!" He heard himself shouting at his CO. Or was it former CO? It occurred to him that something was off about the whole situation, but what was it?
Zack heard the other chopper coming closer. If he could only outmaneuver it over that hill...it might crash. He felt cornered and tried to control his anger, his panic. They couldn't get Max. No! Another sharp turn, now a drop, trees were suddenly closing in, on the left and on the right, in front of him, under him....above, the noise of the chopper hounding them resounded in his ears. Zack turned for the trees again. He would have to crash it.
"Max!" Why wasn't she waking up?
They were heading for the trees at a mad speed while the sound of the chopper hammered into his brain and Lydecker's voice came closer and closer, booming in his ears, mingling with other voices, desperate and beseeching.
„Where are they?"
„Status?"
*
Max was trying to fight off the lingering haze of sleep, the dizziness and the temptation to drift off again. She knew she had to get back, to get her act together. She was needed out there. But by whom? That was a mystery her brain hadn't decided to unravel yet.
And then she saw him, warm eyes gazing at her in concern, just like the time she had laid on his couch, seizing. Now he was standing in front of her as if nothing had happened, bending over to brush back a stray strand of her hair.
"You'll be okay," he volunteered, as if she wanted to know that. She'd have been more relieved if she had found out she wouldn't be. At least then she wouldn't feel the guilt anymore, the guilt that weighed her down and reduced the killing machine to a whimpering shadow of a woman. Who had died and appointed him as her doctor, anyway? And then she felt crushed down into the chair, heavy with the realization of it. He had.
Closing her eyes and opening them again, she questioned her sanity. He was still there, though, and she felt torn by conflicting emotions. She wished she could touch him, feel him, absorb him into herself, so that he could always be with her. But she also realized he didn't belong there anymore and wished he'd go away, to the place where he wouldn't have to deal with any of the mess she found herself in.
And then there was Zack…She could hear his voice somewhere in the distance. Adrenaline pumped through her limp body. If the X5 ever found out about Logan…
"You need to get up, Max." Logan's voice was low, demanding, and yet its firmness and lack of anger startled her. He sounded almost as if…as if he still cared. But he had always cared. About stray puppies, lost kittens and other assorted fauna, to which she surely belonged.
By now she could think more clearly, but for the life of her, she couldn't tell what was going on or even manage to form the simplest sound.
"I need you to run an errand for me, Max. Remember, our quid pro quo?"
Two years ago, she would have snapped back a biting reply about him holding up his part of the deal. Now all she could do was look at him and nod in agreement. But the frown never left his face.
"I need it now, Max! Get up!"
Her eyes widened at Logan's harsh tone. She blinked and found herself yelled at once again.
But this time it was Zack's face she saw, contorted in anger, mouthing something she could barely make out. That was one yelling match too much and she gathered all her strength to grab the X5 by his collar. Her hand was slightly shaking, pain radiated through her upper body, and to top it all off, she realized her raspy, unsteady voice resembled Lydecker's grim rumble more than anything else.
"Status?"
One look out the window told her everything she needed to know.
Still in a daze from the blood loss, Max had lost precious seconds thinking she was dreaming up fall-colored woods, but now she reached for the controls in a frantic attempt to keep the chopper in the air. „Zack, lift it, now!"
Zack reflexively pulled at the controls, finally letting his instincts override his muddled thoughts. But would they have enough time?
Trying hard not to panic, he yelled, „Jump, now!" The last thing he saw was Max reaching over to take the controls.
AN: Do I need to mention that there is a review button to your left? ;-)
