Chapter 13 - Alec

Alec is glad he had thought to screw the chair to the floor, with Logan looking ready to tear his throat out if he could get free, even if Logan would only hurt himself in the process. 'Well at least he is talking, that is a start.' Alec takes a step near and puts his boot one the seat of the chair between Logan's legs. He leans over almost taunting Logan with the nearness of his throat and with Logan's helplessness.

"You do know what I am capable of? What Max is capable of? Do you really understand what it is that I am trained to do in situations like this."? Alec eyes have a burning intensity to them. In a voice imitating Lydecker's tones "You put your prisoner in a threatening environment and then you use threats and verbal abuse to try and weaken him psychologically. And eventually, you'll employ non-verbal techniques, including torture. I am fighting it Logan. I keep having to tell myself over and over again that Psyop will be here soon to take over questioning. Psy-ops are very good at their job Logan. I should know, after X5-??? ( Beta volunteer anyone? ) Went crazy I got the full psy-op tour. Six months it lasted Logan, six very long, if instructional months. "

At Logan's silence, Alec steps back off the chair, moving to sit cross-legged, across from Logan, using the wall as backrest. Alec manages to do it in one single smooth motion a yoga instruction could appreciate. Alec sets his face to an expression of polite interest of someone about to watch television, and a rerun at that.

Alec notices that while he is waiting for Logan's answer, Logan's been busy systematically testing all the bonds. Alec lets his eyes rest on the straps holding Logan's right arm pinned long enough to be obvious "So Logan, do I get my boy scout badge in knots? Being Mr. Eyes Only mean you rank at least as an honorary scout master doesn't it."

Chapter 14 - Logan

Logan had thought things we bad enough, not knowing who it was. Knowing that he is being held captive whom one moment is talking about torture and the next about Boy Scout badges sends a shiver down his spine, and speeds up his heart rate. The annalistically investigative reporter side of Logan kicks in, his best chance at getting out is to know what Alec really is after. "Why Alec? Someone from Manticore offer a reward? Virus working to slowly for you? Why?"

Chapter 15 - Alec

Alec smile disappears at the mention of the virus. It was vindictive even by Manticore standards, and Alec was not sure how much Logan knew about his role in that mission. Alec takes a deep breath, in one motion finds himself standing then diverting the energy to pacing the floor. "Well, I had thought about getting you drunk. Then playing a little 20 questions, but in the end this was what I knew how to do. I had even thought about using certain drugs to get the answer I need, but it occurred to me that the great eyes only would have taken precautions." Alec leaves unsaid the simples precaution in military circles is poisons in the bloodstream designed to activate when combined with truth serum. The simple solution that dead men tell no tales.

Alec stills long enough to lean against the wall again, his arms crossed, and he mock sighs "Guess in the end Manticore training was through." Alec looks Logan directly in the eyes when he says, "I need answer Logan, NEED them, and you're the only one I can get them from." Alec half shrugs "There might be others out there, but you're the only one I know of. The only one within range, so it had to be you. " In a violent motion Alec pushes away from the wall and starts pacing again.

When Alec starts to pace restless back and forth Logan is left wondering if Ben displayed such erratic tendencies before he killed. Logan keeping his voice as gentle and low as if dealing with a dangerous animal says "Alec? Alec whatever our history, you should know that I would have offered to help you if you had just asked. If it is information about Manticore, I still have fairly extensive files. Just untie me, and we can go back and get this all straightened out."

Alec again goes and sits across from Logan, but this time instead of a smooth motion, Alec looks more like a puppet whose strings where cut. He draws his knees up and holds them close to his body. "There was only two. Only two I know of, Max and me. Yet you are alive and Rachel is dead. I can't ask her Logan." Alec raises his head from where his knees hide his face, and there are tears showing. "I need to know and she is dead."

Chapter 16 - Logan

Logan's mind works full speed, lucky for him never to be one to panic or freeze in a bad situation. His mind keeps absorbing the facts, sorting; bringing order to chaos. He wishes for a moment he was safely viewing Alec outburst on a security video. Partly because such measure had kept him safe in the past, and partly because he could go back and replay it till he understood what the hell was going on. The irony being the security cameras where mostly to protect his identify, only rarely did he need to deal with the truly mad. Now here he was helpless with genetically engineered, military trained assassin, who was making as much sense as some of the most conspirsy minded madman it had been his misfortune to meet.

With his voice still calm and earnest "Alec, it will be alright, just untie me and I will try to help you.". Logan mentally adds ' before you go on a killing spree starting with me, and she has to kill another of her X5 brothers.'

Chapter 17 - Alec

Alec looks at Logan trying to read the truth in the words. The urge to follow through with Manticore training of how to extract information competing with the knowledge of destroying the very thing he wants to understand. Alec for a long tense moment considers Logan's words, and considers 'Remember the mission objectives'. It gives him enough of a place to centre himself, to reply in a smart aleck manner "Still trying to save the world Logan? Do they give out a special badge for that? You know I never really got to go the boy scoots as a child." Alec stands slowly and takes a step towards Logan.

Alec almost manages one of his old smirks at the shocked look in Logan's eyes 'Sure couldn't win a poker hand, but maybe never cared enough about money for it too matter if he won or not.' as Alec frees Logan's legs then arms.

Alec carefully takes a step back, and while still looking down on Logan says "no exoskeleton and no sudden movements." Alec voice is almost drained of emotion when he continues "I don't have access to turn over a prisoner to the psi-ops anymore" Alec own eyes taking on a more haunted look "It will be easier for me to resist using the proper information extraction techniques if you are not tied up actually. Just don't try anything foolish Manticore reflects are deep. "

Chapter 18 - Logan

Logan nods watching Alex. His mind trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. 'Nothing happens by accident, so why? What are the facts and what do they point to.'

'One, Alec is definitely not stable.
Two this place was prepared, so must be some sort of plan it wasn't a momentary madness.
Three Alec is capable of killing'

Logan heart rate increases 'Result, An unstable killer wants something from me. Still I have been in worse spots. Think Logan treat it like an eyes only story. If can't solve the problem then keep breaking it down till you can.
Four, Someone named Rachael is dead, possibly another of the X5's and if that is so Max is going to take it hard as well Five Best option is to stall for help to arrive, that or figure a way out on my own.'

Logan pauses a moment surprised at how much he has started to rely on Max getting his bacon out of the fire.

'Think Man, Think,
Six, Alec seems obsessed about Max'

Logan pauses and considers the last statement 'About Max, or about Max and me? Either way going to have to tread pretty carefully. Don't have enough facts yet, ok, so keep stalling keep him talking till can figure a way out of this.'

Logan slowly nods and says, "Alright Alec, lets go through this step by step."

Logan slowly lets out his breath as Alec nods and again drops in a smooth motion to sit on the floor with hope and weariness battle in his eyes. He recognises the look, form his years of journalism particular as Eyes Only, the look of someone whose has made the decision to release their secret burden.

Logan waits for a moment for Alec to start then prompts him careful. "Alec can you tell me what you meant when you said Max and I were the only two?"

Chapter 19 - Alec

Alec looks up surprised at the gentleness in Logan's tone, finally Alec answers "There might have been more, I don't know. Likely I suppose especially now with so many freed. All those deep undercover who are no longer receiving orders. It is not the sort of thing that a solider would reveal. Not if there was any chance..." Alec voice drops off.

Chapter 20 - Logan

Logan kept putting the little bits of data together, to try to understand what was driving Alec to the brink of sanity and how best to survive it. Seeing that nothing much more was revealed by Alec's answer, Logan tries from a different direction. 'At least it seems to be looking less and less like a deep Manticore plot. I wonder if I should be relieved just get to deal with the devil I know.' "Why Alec?" 'Max is free to make up her own mind, Heck we can't even touch. What sort of life can I offer her anyway.' Logan's thoughts start darkening down his own private hells of self-doubt.

Chapter 21 - Alec

Leaning his head further back till it touches the wall, Alec looks into the distance. Not seeing the boarded up windows, or the cheep wallpaper, instead he sees Mac and institutional grey walls.

"Why Alec indeed? Max named me from Smart Alec, back when we were assigned as breeding partners." Alec focuses on Logan as Logan's face goes that little bit paler. 'Guess Max never got around to telling him. That answers one of my questions at least, Logan doesn't know everything that went on at Manticore. I could let him sweat about it, but if he ever asked Max she would know where the info came from. Not a good idea.'

Again Alec's mind drifts off into the past, convinced that even if Logan tried something, subduing him would only take seconds and his reflex would handle any direct attack. "It's how I got the intelligence on you. First she fount me rather then follow orders, then Renfrew commented about her boyfriend." Alec again looks into the present and at Logan "So I knew what you are to her, but what is she to you. You're an ordinary, a 100 pure human, you are not even military."

Chapter 22 - Logan

Logan takes careful note of the emotion creeping back into Alec voice. 'Do I try to push emotional buttons and get more answers, or keep trying to stall?' He is working on framing his next careful question when suddenly Alec is standing over him. Alec having moved so fast that one moment he was relaxing, resting against the wall, the next moment towering over Logan and it's too late.