Chapter 9
Logan was restless.
He never liked waiting at the best of times, and the fact that Max was in there and he didn't know what was happening made him all the more tense, but to the casual observer there was little indication of his mood – a slight frown at the most, but the rest seemed to be directed inward. Logan was always an individual more likely to implode rather than explode.
Max.
If he hadn't been there at Burke's detective agency, who knew what might have happened? The memory of their flight from the fire was beginning to dim, no longer as vivid as it had been that same night as he'd tried to sleep despite the coughing. In the end he'd tried sleeping sitting propped up with pillows, but every time he'd closed his eyes, it was as if he was back in the corridor, hands sweaty on the wheels of his chair, feeling the fear that had gripped him as he looked for Max in the pitch black hallway as it rapidly filled with smoke.
Now, three days later, if he closed his eyes and thought about that night, the overwhelming memory was the warmth of her hands as they'd rested on his shoulders, and the calm strength that flowed through her to him as she'd coolly navigated the rabbit warren of corridors to the blessed relief of the fresh air outside, and the concern in her eyes when she had eventually put both her hands to his face, lifting it so that she could look closely at him to check to her own satisfaction that he was okay, when he was still too overcome to answer her.
Logan pressed his lips together with a mild sense of disgust, adjusting his glasses once more so that they wouldn't rest on his bruised cheekbone. How desperate is that? he berated himself, reflecting on a time when a hand on his shoulder would have gone without notice, or maybe it was just that feeling, touching, even pain became more important to you when half of your body was dead to the sensations.
Logan looked at his watch again, and rolled his eyes, then sighed audibly in the quiet of the car. Only three minutes had elapsed since he'd looked the last time.
Feeling considerably uneasy, he'd watched Max disappear down the alley next to the warehouse.
He had no idea from his vantage point outside the warehouse that there were three cars parked down there – if he had, he would have had even more cause for concern.
Logan looked carefully around the immediate vicinity again, holding onto the steering wheel to brace himself as he twisted as far around as he could, vainly hoping that the warehouse was empty and Max would be able to do her thing undisturbed.
All hope of that vanished as a large, black SUV roared down the road at a fast pace, then to Logan's amazement, it turned at the last moment and headed full-on into the wooden double doors that protected the warehouse from prying eyes only some twenty yards in front of him.
The doors shattered with a huge crash of splintered wood and protesting metal hinges and locks, with a sound so loud in the still night air that Logan cringed instinctively.
He sat frozen for a moment, his mind that little bit slower in processing the picture his eyes had effortlessly captured, frowning at the unexpectedness of events. Then, as if making a conscious effort, he snapped out of his bewilderment with a slight shake of his head, opened his mouth a little as if he were about to speak, then closed it again quickly as he came to a decision. His first action was to start the car and cautiously bring it closer so that he could edge it in front of the shattered doors, trying to peer inside.
He could vaguely make out shadowy figures that appeared to be fighting, but he didn't dare bring the Aztek any closer in case he signalled his presence.
Dammit - where was Max?
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Max turned quickly.
The distraught woman had now been shoved into the car, despite having resisted with all her strength.
The two small figures were still shadowy forms in the doorway – Max could almost feel their uncertainty.
"Run, kids, run," she screamed at them.
She had no idea what the situation was, but something told her that these men weren't about to throw them a birthday party.
With relief she saw the figures turn and disappear, presumably down the alley, but now her own presence had been signalled to the remaining men – and it appeared that only two had gone with the woman in the car. At least six remained, and now with one accord they all turned and looked at her as she stood only feet away from them on the bottom step of the wooden staircase.
"Hi boys," she smiled with a coy wave before bounding over the handrail, and descending into the very midst of them.
For a moment there was a flurry of hands and arms and feet – mostly Max's – as she connected to the various parts of their body with alarming accuracy, but even she couldn't deal with six men simultaneously, and even as she was kickboxing everyone in sight, two of the men were able to avoid the wildly flying arms and fists, and continue their pursuit of the two small figures.
Max saw them go with dismay, but for the moment had the more pressing task of her own survival on her mind as in the half light she could clearly make out at least one silver blade gleaming ominously.
Denying the owner of the blade even the time to think, one black-booted foot kicked up and out, contacting with the owner's arm, and flinging the knife he had held into the air.
Another man tried to take her on, but once again as he brought his fist close to her she deflected it with scarcely a pause, and her own fist flowed through to slam into his jaw.
He was stunned for a moment, but not enough to be out of the fight.
Suddenly, as if realizing that they'd never overpower her single-handedly, they stood back as if gathering their strength, only to come at her all at once.
Max stood there, hands held out in front of her at the ready. "Bring it on," she snarled at them invitingly.
Logan, I'll kick your ass if your door isn't locked, was her last thought before they attacked.
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Some minutes had passed now since the SUV crashed through the doors, and there was still no sign of Max.
Logan rubbed a nervous hand over his mouth.
With no formal intention he unbuckled his seatbelt and looked for his chair, pulling a face when he realized it wasn't within reach.
There was nothing he could do but wait – he had forgotten that Max had put his wheelchair in the hatch when Martin had got in the car. Somewhere at the back of his mind he wondered if she'd left it there on purpose. Genetically engineered females weren't in the habit of forgetting things.
"Come on, Max," he murmured intently.
The sound of gunshots now carried clearly to him from inside, making his heart lurch a second time.
Unable to bear just sitting there and doing nothing for a moment longer, Logan released the brake none too gently, then spinning his wheels slightly, he took off past the broken doorway, and swung the car into and down the alleyway he'd seen Max disappear.
Logan didn't see the retreat of the SUV as it roared back out, taking its wounded with them.
Slowing a little in the hope of finding Max, or seeing where she'd gone, Logan suddenly braked really hard as he caught sight of two small figures in the brightness of his headlights, two small faces frozen with a look of terror as they ran up the alleyway, the older hanging tightly to the younger one's hand.
"Kids," muttered Logan in surprise. "What the ...?"
The next moment, two men in suits came rushing from a door Logan could now see half way down the alley. More confused by the minute, it looked to Logan as if they were chasing the two children who were now casting fearful glances behind them as they ran with as much speed as they could muster.
The two small figures were now almost up to Logan's door. Not really knowing why, he put his window down and called to them.
"Kids!"
Without looking up, and obviously considering him some new threat, they only looked all the more scared, and continued on by, trying to go even faster.
The two men following were almost up to them now, ignoring the Aztek in their pursuit of the girls. Logan frantically searched his mind for inspiration, concerned to see the men were approaching the car. It wasn't until they were virtually level with his door that an idea came to him with sudden clarity, and without hesitation, he put it into action.
As the first man was almost abreast of his door, Logan flung it open with as much force as he could muster.
The result was quite spectacular as the first man, running full pelt, hit the door with enough force to knock him completely backwards into the path of the man running behind him.
They both fell to the ground, momentarily stunned, the second man being the first to get up. Logan saw him hurriedly say something to the other, and then continue on his way after the two children.
Logan looked nervously towards the doorway – damn, still no sign of Max, and now the man who'd been felled by his trick with the door was beginning to get up – and he looked particularly unhappy about finding himself sprawled on the muddy road.
Logan reached out quickly to close the door once more, but he was too late – the man already had his hand on the handle, and wrenched it open all the way, and with it, Logan's gun.
His first instinct was to put the car into reverse and accelerate as fast as possible, but two things prevented that action. The first thing problem was that he didn't know where the two small figures had gone to, and he had no intention of running down children to save his own skin, and the second problem was that the man who opened the door seemed intent on pulling him bodily from the car. Logan briefly cursed the fact that he'd undone his seatbelt as the man grabbed the arm he'd instinctively put out to shove his attacker off. Logan barely had time to hook his right arm around the steering wheel, before the man started pulling on his arm with the intent, he presumed, of dragging him from the car, and what was going to happen after that he didn't want to even begin to think about.
His right arm and shoulder were beginning to protest, and he knew it was only a matter of time before his attacker changed his tactics, so Logan decided he had to do something – if he was going to be hauled from the car he was going to go down fighting.
Logan quickly let go of the wheel with the intention of trying to break the other man's hold on him. First mistake, his mind flashed at him warningly as the other man's momentum immediately began to force him slowly from the car. Logan shifted his hold to the man's neck and braced himself for the inevitable plummet to the ground, when he heard Max yell, "Logan, let go."
Without hesitation, Logan let go of the man, and somehow it was Max in front of him, the other man writhing on the ground in agony.
Taking Logan's weight, Max wrapped her arms about his waist, quickly bringing him back to his point of balance.
For the briefest moment of time, so quick as to be almost imagined, Logan's eyes locked with hers, mere inches apart, then Max was saying in a brusque manner, "You okay?"
As Logan nodded, she yelled, "We gotta find the kids," and before Logan could reply, she had disappeared from his range of vision, presumably after the two children.
Putting the car into reverse, Logan headed back up the alley, exiting just in time to see Max a little further down the road, catching up to the lone figure that was pursuing the children, and throwing herself at him to take him down in a flying tackle. The man twisted quickly on landing, kicking out with his feet and sending Max sprawling to the ground, which really made her mad. In a fluid movement, she jumped up, kicked the man's gun away from his reach, and then reached down to drag him up, only to punch him in the face with a blow that sent him to the ground again.
Logan meanwhile had turned the car and caught sight of the children as they now headed along the road, their pace slowing by the second. It wouldn't have been long before their pursuers had caught them.
Accelerating hard, he roared up, swinging the car carefully in front of them to slow them down a little, then watched anxiously as Max ran forward and scooped both children up, one under either arm, running hard towards the Aztek, very aware of the sound of running feet and shouts closing in on them.
Logan put an arm behind him and managed to open the door just as Max arrived at the car. Pulling it open the rest of the way, she shoved both kids in the car then piled in herself, unable to resist saying to her wheelman, "This is where I yell."
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Not needing to be told further, Logan roared down Branson St, then took a series of other turns to hopefully throw any would-be pursuers off their tail.
"We're clear," breathed Max at last, for the first time looking down at the two children huddled in either arm, too scared to cry, not sure whether they had met a saviour or an enemy.
Max caught Logan's eye in the rear-view mirror, then looked down at them again, gently squeezing them in what she hoped would be a gesture to comfort them that neither she nor Logan meant them any harm.
"Hey, it's all right. You're safe now," she assured them gently.
Getting no response, she added, "We won't let anyone hurt you. Promise."
At her words, the older child lifted her head and gave Max a penetrating stare, her eyes still wide-eyed with fear.
"Are you Genevieve or Monique?" tried Max, looking down at a girl of about ten.
"Genevieve," a small voice replied hesitantly.
"So this must be Monique," Max smiled, pleased to receive the smallest of smiles in return for a brief moment.
"I'm Max. This is my friend Logan. We want to help you."
When Genevieve didn't reply, she asked, "Was that your mommy back there?"
At the mention of the word 'mommy,' the young girls eyes filled slowly with tears, and the little girl in Max's other arm started to quietly sob, then say with heartbreaking earnestness, "I want my mommy."
Max shot another look at Logan through the mirror, then said, "We'll find your mommy for you, but first we'll take you to Logan's where you'll be safe from those men, okay?"
The older one nodded silently, quickly wiping away one of the tears that had cascaded down her cheek, and gave a small sniff, then put out her hands towards the younger girl, who let go of Max and threw two chubby arms around the neck of her sister, clinging to her tightly.
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It was already quite late by the time they got back to Logan's apartment, and both girls had fallen asleep during the trip, probably worn out by their earlier drama and lulled to sleep by the warmth and movement of the car.
Once she saw they were both asleep and she'd slipped a seatbelt around them, Max moved into the front passenger seat.
"This did start off as a missing person's case right?" Logan said wryly, nodding wisely as he murmured, "I always knew there was a reason Eyes only didn't do this sorta thing."
"I know," agreed Max, acknowledging his confusion, "but we couldn't just leave them there."
Briefly she filled him in on what she had seen inside the warehouse.
Logan looked horrified. "They shoved the mother into a car ... just who are these guys, Max?" he added in a worried tone. "Did you see anything in there to fill us in?"
Max shook her head and shrugged. "I didn't get a chance to do anything. I'd only been in there a few minutes before the foreign guys came in."
"Foreign, as in not from this ... town?" Logan asked hopefully.
"I mean foreign as in not from this country," said Max, putting him straight.
She looked into the back seat to check on the two sleeping girls, then turned back to Logan saying quietly, "I kinda had the idea that they were after the mother."
Logan raised his eyebrows at that.
"What are we gonna do with them, Logan?"
This time Logan shrugged. "Try and find out who they are and what they were doing in that warehouse, I guess."
"Maybe they've got relatives somewhere close by who can fill us in," suggested Max hopefully.
"Sure hope so, 'cause I know zip about kids," he admitted.
"It was horrible, Logan," Max told him quietly. "She was begging them about something ...'we don't know anything,' she said."
"We ...perhaps a husband?"
"Don't know ... and then they were going after the kids – and if you could have heard the way she yelled at them to run ... I just had to do something," Max finished, frowning as she remembered the desperation in the woman's voice, a sudden memory of that tone echoing in her own mind as she saw herself calling, "Logan ...Logan," then finding the gun on his desk.
Something flared suddenly in her dark eyes, and she turned her gaze quickly to Logan, now staring thoughtfully out the window as he drove, lost in his own thoughts.
Suddenly aware of her scrutiny, he glanced at her with a slightly enquiring look.
She paused a beat, then smiled, "Just thinking you weren't half-bad as a wheel man."
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Logan parked the car in the underground parking garage, and then turned to Max, nodding his head towards the two sleeping children.
"Got any ideas?"
"I can take them up one at a time," she suggested. "Why don't you wait here with ..."
"I'm awake," said a voice quietly from the back.
They both looked around to see Genevieve staring back at them, still looking a little lost, one hand protectively on her little sister's shoulder.
"This is where I live," Logan told her in a friendly manner.
The girl nodded silently.
Max smiled. "We're gonna take you up there and try to help you find your mom."
Genevieve nodded again.
Max threw a look at Logan, and then got out to retrieve his chair from the hatch. Couldn't blame the kid for being wary, she thought, feeling unusually out of her depth. What do you say to a kid who's just seen her mother abducted?
Logan had opened his door, and she placed the chair next to it, then opening up the back door, she turned to the child and said, "If I carry your sister, will you be okay to walk up?"
Once again, Genevieve nodded, but this time Max could see her previous blank expression subtly change to one of surprise and interest as she noticed Logan transferring to his chair, which made Max feel relieved as she'd been seriously worried the child may have been in a form of shock.
Hoping Logan didn't mind, and feeling a bit like she was stating the obvious, she said quietly to the girl, "Logan can't walk."
"Oh," the child replied politely.
"You all set?" Logan called to them, closing his door.
Max reached in and picked up the still sleeping Monique, and Genevieve hopped across to get out the same door, closing it carefully after herself, then keeping very close to Max, she followed her into the elevator.
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Logan swiped his security card, and then Max pressed the PH button.
"What does that button mean?" asked Genevieve.
"Penthouse," Logan explained briefly, her words telling him a little about her social standing, although he had to admit, not many kids would have been in penthouses nowadays.
"Oh," she replied, the same tone as before, that said, 'this is interesting, but...'
Logan gave her what he hoped was an encouraging grin. You couldn't blame the kid for being cautious, he thought, wondering at the same time if the wheelchair bothered her.
Once they'd reached the top, Logan led the way out of the elevator, and opened up the door to his apartment.
He sensed, rather than saw, the look of awe – the quiet, 'wow' gave her impressions away a bit, he noted amusedly, catching Max's eye as she came in with the younger child, before she walked through to the living room and put her down on the couch.
"Well, who do we have here?"
Logan looked up, surprised to see Bling.
"I thought you'd gone home."
"Had a few things to do ...thought I'd wait," the other replied easily.
Logan nodded, then introduced Genevieve to Bling, avoiding explanations of therapist and trainer and, even more complicated, bodyguard, by introducing him as a friend.
Bling held out his hand very seriously. "My pleasure."
Genevieve seemed to think this was all right, because she smiled suddenly – albeit a small one.
"Come on through here, Genevieve, and we'll see if we can get you something to eat," Logan smiled at her, pushing himself through to the kitchen.
"I made some soup while you were gone," Bling told Logan as he followed him through. "Had a feeling you and Max wouldn't be back till late."
Logan raised his brows in surprise, not unthankful. "Sounds good."
"What sounds good?" Max asked, coming through at that point.
"Some of Bling's soup," Logan told her.
Max smiled down at Genevieve. "You like soup?"
She saw the girl hesitate.
"Be truthful," she warned her playfully.
"If it doesn't have too many vegetables in it," was the final verdict, delivered a bit sheepishly.
"I don't blame you," Max responded, glad to see her finally starting to relax.
She was a pretty child – pale skin that was lightly freckled here and there, medium blue eyes, and long fair hair that fell in waves not unlike Max's, but much longer – almost half-way down her back.
Her sister was very similar, only hair and eyes both a little darker, and Monique's still toddler soft hair was shorter, and cut in a bob.
Both were dressed well, if not expensively, in jeans, sweaters and jackets to shield them from the still cold, autumn air. Children who had someone who cared for them, Max thought with a pang of envy.
"How old are you, Genevieve?" Max tried gently.
The child answered quite willingly. "I'm ten. Monique has just turned three."
Logan was helping Bling get some bowls out, resisting the urge to ply the child with 101 questions himself. It wasn't easy. They'd brought the two of them here on a whim; they had no idea if these girls were involved in anything about Emma Belding. To tell the truth, Logan would have been remarkably surprised if they did.
On the other hand, the thought of the two of them at the mercy of men who would appear to be quite ruthless in everything they did, well...Logan shrugged his shoulders mentally.
A sudden cry from the living room had Genevieve and Max hurrying through to where Monique was waking up, her face still crumpled with sleep, her legs and body stiff as she showed her disapproval with anyone who dared come near her.
Max looked at Genevieve.
"She gets like this when she wakes up, sometimes," was the knowledgeable reply.
The wailing was increasing in volume, and Max didn't want to pick her up and alarm her all the more that she wasn't her mommy.
Max looked towards Logan, quickly getting the message that there was little help from that quarter. She could see Bling and Logan both looking towards her from the kitchen, as if to say, "Can't you do something about that?"
Max looked back at the now increasingly upset figure on the couch, then looked about for something that Logan might have that she could use as a distraction.
"You could try chocolate," Genevieve suggested suddenly, after her own attempts to soothe her sister had failed.
Max's face lit up.
"Logan, you got any chocolate?"
Logan looked at her suspiciously. "What d'you want chocolate for?"
"Do you have any?" Max spelt out for him, ignoring his question.
Logan threw his head back a little as he thought about it. "I don't think so ..." he went to say, then with a sudden thought he added, "wait a minute," and went to one of the cupboards in his kitchen.
Max followed him, keen to see what ideas he could come up with, but instead watched in surprise as he brought out not one or two, but about half a dozen large, and very expensive boxes of chocolates.
"Logan this is Swiss chocolate," she told him, very impressed as she grabbed one of the boxes he'd placed on the counter. "You get this on the black market? I never tipped you as a closet sweet tooth," she added, surveying him as if in a new light.
"I'm not," Logan replied evenly. "That's why they're here."
Max raised her eyebrows sceptically at that, then realization dawned on her as she saw one of the boxes was still gift wrapped.
"Let's see if it really is a cure for all that ails you," Logan added cynically.
Max winced a little at his tone – she was sure that had not been the intent behind the gifts that people had given him while he was in the hospital. At least they'd tried to be there for him in some way, she thought, disliking the unpleasant sensation of guilt that she suddenly felt.
Putting on a sunny face she walked back to the children.
"Here," she said to Genevieve, who appeared to be quite the little mother.
"Want some chocolate?" Genevieve asked her sister cajolingly.
It was remarkable how quickly the tears stopped, and one small hand reached out palm up for one of the delectable items to be placed in it.
Monique inspected it carefully, then looked up with a pleased face and said with the tiniest baby lisp, "It's a shell," before popping it without further ado into her mouth, and reaching out for more.
"Told you," said Genevieve proudly, passing her another and eyeing the chocolates with interest herself.
Max nodded her assent, and the older girl's face broke into the first real smile they'd seen as she ate one too.
"Well it's certainly a cure for crying toddlers," Max couldn't help murmuring to Logan who'd followed her in as she walked past him to grab a facecloth to wipe ten fingers now covered in melted chocolate.
How could one small child get so little of the chocolate in her mouth and so much of it on every other part of her anatomy and clothes? Logan couldn't help wondering, hoping that Max would be back soon.
Well, at least the couch is brown, he thought resignedly.
TBC
Logan was restless.
He never liked waiting at the best of times, and the fact that Max was in there and he didn't know what was happening made him all the more tense, but to the casual observer there was little indication of his mood – a slight frown at the most, but the rest seemed to be directed inward. Logan was always an individual more likely to implode rather than explode.
Max.
If he hadn't been there at Burke's detective agency, who knew what might have happened? The memory of their flight from the fire was beginning to dim, no longer as vivid as it had been that same night as he'd tried to sleep despite the coughing. In the end he'd tried sleeping sitting propped up with pillows, but every time he'd closed his eyes, it was as if he was back in the corridor, hands sweaty on the wheels of his chair, feeling the fear that had gripped him as he looked for Max in the pitch black hallway as it rapidly filled with smoke.
Now, three days later, if he closed his eyes and thought about that night, the overwhelming memory was the warmth of her hands as they'd rested on his shoulders, and the calm strength that flowed through her to him as she'd coolly navigated the rabbit warren of corridors to the blessed relief of the fresh air outside, and the concern in her eyes when she had eventually put both her hands to his face, lifting it so that she could look closely at him to check to her own satisfaction that he was okay, when he was still too overcome to answer her.
Logan pressed his lips together with a mild sense of disgust, adjusting his glasses once more so that they wouldn't rest on his bruised cheekbone. How desperate is that? he berated himself, reflecting on a time when a hand on his shoulder would have gone without notice, or maybe it was just that feeling, touching, even pain became more important to you when half of your body was dead to the sensations.
Logan looked at his watch again, and rolled his eyes, then sighed audibly in the quiet of the car. Only three minutes had elapsed since he'd looked the last time.
Feeling considerably uneasy, he'd watched Max disappear down the alley next to the warehouse.
He had no idea from his vantage point outside the warehouse that there were three cars parked down there – if he had, he would have had even more cause for concern.
Logan looked carefully around the immediate vicinity again, holding onto the steering wheel to brace himself as he twisted as far around as he could, vainly hoping that the warehouse was empty and Max would be able to do her thing undisturbed.
All hope of that vanished as a large, black SUV roared down the road at a fast pace, then to Logan's amazement, it turned at the last moment and headed full-on into the wooden double doors that protected the warehouse from prying eyes only some twenty yards in front of him.
The doors shattered with a huge crash of splintered wood and protesting metal hinges and locks, with a sound so loud in the still night air that Logan cringed instinctively.
He sat frozen for a moment, his mind that little bit slower in processing the picture his eyes had effortlessly captured, frowning at the unexpectedness of events. Then, as if making a conscious effort, he snapped out of his bewilderment with a slight shake of his head, opened his mouth a little as if he were about to speak, then closed it again quickly as he came to a decision. His first action was to start the car and cautiously bring it closer so that he could edge it in front of the shattered doors, trying to peer inside.
He could vaguely make out shadowy figures that appeared to be fighting, but he didn't dare bring the Aztek any closer in case he signalled his presence.
Dammit - where was Max?
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Max turned quickly.
The distraught woman had now been shoved into the car, despite having resisted with all her strength.
The two small figures were still shadowy forms in the doorway – Max could almost feel their uncertainty.
"Run, kids, run," she screamed at them.
She had no idea what the situation was, but something told her that these men weren't about to throw them a birthday party.
With relief she saw the figures turn and disappear, presumably down the alley, but now her own presence had been signalled to the remaining men – and it appeared that only two had gone with the woman in the car. At least six remained, and now with one accord they all turned and looked at her as she stood only feet away from them on the bottom step of the wooden staircase.
"Hi boys," she smiled with a coy wave before bounding over the handrail, and descending into the very midst of them.
For a moment there was a flurry of hands and arms and feet – mostly Max's – as she connected to the various parts of their body with alarming accuracy, but even she couldn't deal with six men simultaneously, and even as she was kickboxing everyone in sight, two of the men were able to avoid the wildly flying arms and fists, and continue their pursuit of the two small figures.
Max saw them go with dismay, but for the moment had the more pressing task of her own survival on her mind as in the half light she could clearly make out at least one silver blade gleaming ominously.
Denying the owner of the blade even the time to think, one black-booted foot kicked up and out, contacting with the owner's arm, and flinging the knife he had held into the air.
Another man tried to take her on, but once again as he brought his fist close to her she deflected it with scarcely a pause, and her own fist flowed through to slam into his jaw.
He was stunned for a moment, but not enough to be out of the fight.
Suddenly, as if realizing that they'd never overpower her single-handedly, they stood back as if gathering their strength, only to come at her all at once.
Max stood there, hands held out in front of her at the ready. "Bring it on," she snarled at them invitingly.
Logan, I'll kick your ass if your door isn't locked, was her last thought before they attacked.
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Some minutes had passed now since the SUV crashed through the doors, and there was still no sign of Max.
Logan rubbed a nervous hand over his mouth.
With no formal intention he unbuckled his seatbelt and looked for his chair, pulling a face when he realized it wasn't within reach.
There was nothing he could do but wait – he had forgotten that Max had put his wheelchair in the hatch when Martin had got in the car. Somewhere at the back of his mind he wondered if she'd left it there on purpose. Genetically engineered females weren't in the habit of forgetting things.
"Come on, Max," he murmured intently.
The sound of gunshots now carried clearly to him from inside, making his heart lurch a second time.
Unable to bear just sitting there and doing nothing for a moment longer, Logan released the brake none too gently, then spinning his wheels slightly, he took off past the broken doorway, and swung the car into and down the alleyway he'd seen Max disappear.
Logan didn't see the retreat of the SUV as it roared back out, taking its wounded with them.
Slowing a little in the hope of finding Max, or seeing where she'd gone, Logan suddenly braked really hard as he caught sight of two small figures in the brightness of his headlights, two small faces frozen with a look of terror as they ran up the alleyway, the older hanging tightly to the younger one's hand.
"Kids," muttered Logan in surprise. "What the ...?"
The next moment, two men in suits came rushing from a door Logan could now see half way down the alley. More confused by the minute, it looked to Logan as if they were chasing the two children who were now casting fearful glances behind them as they ran with as much speed as they could muster.
The two small figures were now almost up to Logan's door. Not really knowing why, he put his window down and called to them.
"Kids!"
Without looking up, and obviously considering him some new threat, they only looked all the more scared, and continued on by, trying to go even faster.
The two men following were almost up to them now, ignoring the Aztek in their pursuit of the girls. Logan frantically searched his mind for inspiration, concerned to see the men were approaching the car. It wasn't until they were virtually level with his door that an idea came to him with sudden clarity, and without hesitation, he put it into action.
As the first man was almost abreast of his door, Logan flung it open with as much force as he could muster.
The result was quite spectacular as the first man, running full pelt, hit the door with enough force to knock him completely backwards into the path of the man running behind him.
They both fell to the ground, momentarily stunned, the second man being the first to get up. Logan saw him hurriedly say something to the other, and then continue on his way after the two children.
Logan looked nervously towards the doorway – damn, still no sign of Max, and now the man who'd been felled by his trick with the door was beginning to get up – and he looked particularly unhappy about finding himself sprawled on the muddy road.
Logan reached out quickly to close the door once more, but he was too late – the man already had his hand on the handle, and wrenched it open all the way, and with it, Logan's gun.
His first instinct was to put the car into reverse and accelerate as fast as possible, but two things prevented that action. The first thing problem was that he didn't know where the two small figures had gone to, and he had no intention of running down children to save his own skin, and the second problem was that the man who opened the door seemed intent on pulling him bodily from the car. Logan briefly cursed the fact that he'd undone his seatbelt as the man grabbed the arm he'd instinctively put out to shove his attacker off. Logan barely had time to hook his right arm around the steering wheel, before the man started pulling on his arm with the intent, he presumed, of dragging him from the car, and what was going to happen after that he didn't want to even begin to think about.
His right arm and shoulder were beginning to protest, and he knew it was only a matter of time before his attacker changed his tactics, so Logan decided he had to do something – if he was going to be hauled from the car he was going to go down fighting.
Logan quickly let go of the wheel with the intention of trying to break the other man's hold on him. First mistake, his mind flashed at him warningly as the other man's momentum immediately began to force him slowly from the car. Logan shifted his hold to the man's neck and braced himself for the inevitable plummet to the ground, when he heard Max yell, "Logan, let go."
Without hesitation, Logan let go of the man, and somehow it was Max in front of him, the other man writhing on the ground in agony.
Taking Logan's weight, Max wrapped her arms about his waist, quickly bringing him back to his point of balance.
For the briefest moment of time, so quick as to be almost imagined, Logan's eyes locked with hers, mere inches apart, then Max was saying in a brusque manner, "You okay?"
As Logan nodded, she yelled, "We gotta find the kids," and before Logan could reply, she had disappeared from his range of vision, presumably after the two children.
Putting the car into reverse, Logan headed back up the alley, exiting just in time to see Max a little further down the road, catching up to the lone figure that was pursuing the children, and throwing herself at him to take him down in a flying tackle. The man twisted quickly on landing, kicking out with his feet and sending Max sprawling to the ground, which really made her mad. In a fluid movement, she jumped up, kicked the man's gun away from his reach, and then reached down to drag him up, only to punch him in the face with a blow that sent him to the ground again.
Logan meanwhile had turned the car and caught sight of the children as they now headed along the road, their pace slowing by the second. It wouldn't have been long before their pursuers had caught them.
Accelerating hard, he roared up, swinging the car carefully in front of them to slow them down a little, then watched anxiously as Max ran forward and scooped both children up, one under either arm, running hard towards the Aztek, very aware of the sound of running feet and shouts closing in on them.
Logan put an arm behind him and managed to open the door just as Max arrived at the car. Pulling it open the rest of the way, she shoved both kids in the car then piled in herself, unable to resist saying to her wheelman, "This is where I yell."
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Not needing to be told further, Logan roared down Branson St, then took a series of other turns to hopefully throw any would-be pursuers off their tail.
"We're clear," breathed Max at last, for the first time looking down at the two children huddled in either arm, too scared to cry, not sure whether they had met a saviour or an enemy.
Max caught Logan's eye in the rear-view mirror, then looked down at them again, gently squeezing them in what she hoped would be a gesture to comfort them that neither she nor Logan meant them any harm.
"Hey, it's all right. You're safe now," she assured them gently.
Getting no response, she added, "We won't let anyone hurt you. Promise."
At her words, the older child lifted her head and gave Max a penetrating stare, her eyes still wide-eyed with fear.
"Are you Genevieve or Monique?" tried Max, looking down at a girl of about ten.
"Genevieve," a small voice replied hesitantly.
"So this must be Monique," Max smiled, pleased to receive the smallest of smiles in return for a brief moment.
"I'm Max. This is my friend Logan. We want to help you."
When Genevieve didn't reply, she asked, "Was that your mommy back there?"
At the mention of the word 'mommy,' the young girls eyes filled slowly with tears, and the little girl in Max's other arm started to quietly sob, then say with heartbreaking earnestness, "I want my mommy."
Max shot another look at Logan through the mirror, then said, "We'll find your mommy for you, but first we'll take you to Logan's where you'll be safe from those men, okay?"
The older one nodded silently, quickly wiping away one of the tears that had cascaded down her cheek, and gave a small sniff, then put out her hands towards the younger girl, who let go of Max and threw two chubby arms around the neck of her sister, clinging to her tightly.
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It was already quite late by the time they got back to Logan's apartment, and both girls had fallen asleep during the trip, probably worn out by their earlier drama and lulled to sleep by the warmth and movement of the car.
Once she saw they were both asleep and she'd slipped a seatbelt around them, Max moved into the front passenger seat.
"This did start off as a missing person's case right?" Logan said wryly, nodding wisely as he murmured, "I always knew there was a reason Eyes only didn't do this sorta thing."
"I know," agreed Max, acknowledging his confusion, "but we couldn't just leave them there."
Briefly she filled him in on what she had seen inside the warehouse.
Logan looked horrified. "They shoved the mother into a car ... just who are these guys, Max?" he added in a worried tone. "Did you see anything in there to fill us in?"
Max shook her head and shrugged. "I didn't get a chance to do anything. I'd only been in there a few minutes before the foreign guys came in."
"Foreign, as in not from this ... town?" Logan asked hopefully.
"I mean foreign as in not from this country," said Max, putting him straight.
She looked into the back seat to check on the two sleeping girls, then turned back to Logan saying quietly, "I kinda had the idea that they were after the mother."
Logan raised his eyebrows at that.
"What are we gonna do with them, Logan?"
This time Logan shrugged. "Try and find out who they are and what they were doing in that warehouse, I guess."
"Maybe they've got relatives somewhere close by who can fill us in," suggested Max hopefully.
"Sure hope so, 'cause I know zip about kids," he admitted.
"It was horrible, Logan," Max told him quietly. "She was begging them about something ...'we don't know anything,' she said."
"We ...perhaps a husband?"
"Don't know ... and then they were going after the kids – and if you could have heard the way she yelled at them to run ... I just had to do something," Max finished, frowning as she remembered the desperation in the woman's voice, a sudden memory of that tone echoing in her own mind as she saw herself calling, "Logan ...Logan," then finding the gun on his desk.
Something flared suddenly in her dark eyes, and she turned her gaze quickly to Logan, now staring thoughtfully out the window as he drove, lost in his own thoughts.
Suddenly aware of her scrutiny, he glanced at her with a slightly enquiring look.
She paused a beat, then smiled, "Just thinking you weren't half-bad as a wheel man."
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Logan parked the car in the underground parking garage, and then turned to Max, nodding his head towards the two sleeping children.
"Got any ideas?"
"I can take them up one at a time," she suggested. "Why don't you wait here with ..."
"I'm awake," said a voice quietly from the back.
They both looked around to see Genevieve staring back at them, still looking a little lost, one hand protectively on her little sister's shoulder.
"This is where I live," Logan told her in a friendly manner.
The girl nodded silently.
Max smiled. "We're gonna take you up there and try to help you find your mom."
Genevieve nodded again.
Max threw a look at Logan, and then got out to retrieve his chair from the hatch. Couldn't blame the kid for being wary, she thought, feeling unusually out of her depth. What do you say to a kid who's just seen her mother abducted?
Logan had opened his door, and she placed the chair next to it, then opening up the back door, she turned to the child and said, "If I carry your sister, will you be okay to walk up?"
Once again, Genevieve nodded, but this time Max could see her previous blank expression subtly change to one of surprise and interest as she noticed Logan transferring to his chair, which made Max feel relieved as she'd been seriously worried the child may have been in a form of shock.
Hoping Logan didn't mind, and feeling a bit like she was stating the obvious, she said quietly to the girl, "Logan can't walk."
"Oh," the child replied politely.
"You all set?" Logan called to them, closing his door.
Max reached in and picked up the still sleeping Monique, and Genevieve hopped across to get out the same door, closing it carefully after herself, then keeping very close to Max, she followed her into the elevator.
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Logan swiped his security card, and then Max pressed the PH button.
"What does that button mean?" asked Genevieve.
"Penthouse," Logan explained briefly, her words telling him a little about her social standing, although he had to admit, not many kids would have been in penthouses nowadays.
"Oh," she replied, the same tone as before, that said, 'this is interesting, but...'
Logan gave her what he hoped was an encouraging grin. You couldn't blame the kid for being cautious, he thought, wondering at the same time if the wheelchair bothered her.
Once they'd reached the top, Logan led the way out of the elevator, and opened up the door to his apartment.
He sensed, rather than saw, the look of awe – the quiet, 'wow' gave her impressions away a bit, he noted amusedly, catching Max's eye as she came in with the younger child, before she walked through to the living room and put her down on the couch.
"Well, who do we have here?"
Logan looked up, surprised to see Bling.
"I thought you'd gone home."
"Had a few things to do ...thought I'd wait," the other replied easily.
Logan nodded, then introduced Genevieve to Bling, avoiding explanations of therapist and trainer and, even more complicated, bodyguard, by introducing him as a friend.
Bling held out his hand very seriously. "My pleasure."
Genevieve seemed to think this was all right, because she smiled suddenly – albeit a small one.
"Come on through here, Genevieve, and we'll see if we can get you something to eat," Logan smiled at her, pushing himself through to the kitchen.
"I made some soup while you were gone," Bling told Logan as he followed him through. "Had a feeling you and Max wouldn't be back till late."
Logan raised his brows in surprise, not unthankful. "Sounds good."
"What sounds good?" Max asked, coming through at that point.
"Some of Bling's soup," Logan told her.
Max smiled down at Genevieve. "You like soup?"
She saw the girl hesitate.
"Be truthful," she warned her playfully.
"If it doesn't have too many vegetables in it," was the final verdict, delivered a bit sheepishly.
"I don't blame you," Max responded, glad to see her finally starting to relax.
She was a pretty child – pale skin that was lightly freckled here and there, medium blue eyes, and long fair hair that fell in waves not unlike Max's, but much longer – almost half-way down her back.
Her sister was very similar, only hair and eyes both a little darker, and Monique's still toddler soft hair was shorter, and cut in a bob.
Both were dressed well, if not expensively, in jeans, sweaters and jackets to shield them from the still cold, autumn air. Children who had someone who cared for them, Max thought with a pang of envy.
"How old are you, Genevieve?" Max tried gently.
The child answered quite willingly. "I'm ten. Monique has just turned three."
Logan was helping Bling get some bowls out, resisting the urge to ply the child with 101 questions himself. It wasn't easy. They'd brought the two of them here on a whim; they had no idea if these girls were involved in anything about Emma Belding. To tell the truth, Logan would have been remarkably surprised if they did.
On the other hand, the thought of the two of them at the mercy of men who would appear to be quite ruthless in everything they did, well...Logan shrugged his shoulders mentally.
A sudden cry from the living room had Genevieve and Max hurrying through to where Monique was waking up, her face still crumpled with sleep, her legs and body stiff as she showed her disapproval with anyone who dared come near her.
Max looked at Genevieve.
"She gets like this when she wakes up, sometimes," was the knowledgeable reply.
The wailing was increasing in volume, and Max didn't want to pick her up and alarm her all the more that she wasn't her mommy.
Max looked towards Logan, quickly getting the message that there was little help from that quarter. She could see Bling and Logan both looking towards her from the kitchen, as if to say, "Can't you do something about that?"
Max looked back at the now increasingly upset figure on the couch, then looked about for something that Logan might have that she could use as a distraction.
"You could try chocolate," Genevieve suggested suddenly, after her own attempts to soothe her sister had failed.
Max's face lit up.
"Logan, you got any chocolate?"
Logan looked at her suspiciously. "What d'you want chocolate for?"
"Do you have any?" Max spelt out for him, ignoring his question.
Logan threw his head back a little as he thought about it. "I don't think so ..." he went to say, then with a sudden thought he added, "wait a minute," and went to one of the cupboards in his kitchen.
Max followed him, keen to see what ideas he could come up with, but instead watched in surprise as he brought out not one or two, but about half a dozen large, and very expensive boxes of chocolates.
"Logan this is Swiss chocolate," she told him, very impressed as she grabbed one of the boxes he'd placed on the counter. "You get this on the black market? I never tipped you as a closet sweet tooth," she added, surveying him as if in a new light.
"I'm not," Logan replied evenly. "That's why they're here."
Max raised her eyebrows sceptically at that, then realization dawned on her as she saw one of the boxes was still gift wrapped.
"Let's see if it really is a cure for all that ails you," Logan added cynically.
Max winced a little at his tone – she was sure that had not been the intent behind the gifts that people had given him while he was in the hospital. At least they'd tried to be there for him in some way, she thought, disliking the unpleasant sensation of guilt that she suddenly felt.
Putting on a sunny face she walked back to the children.
"Here," she said to Genevieve, who appeared to be quite the little mother.
"Want some chocolate?" Genevieve asked her sister cajolingly.
It was remarkable how quickly the tears stopped, and one small hand reached out palm up for one of the delectable items to be placed in it.
Monique inspected it carefully, then looked up with a pleased face and said with the tiniest baby lisp, "It's a shell," before popping it without further ado into her mouth, and reaching out for more.
"Told you," said Genevieve proudly, passing her another and eyeing the chocolates with interest herself.
Max nodded her assent, and the older girl's face broke into the first real smile they'd seen as she ate one too.
"Well it's certainly a cure for crying toddlers," Max couldn't help murmuring to Logan who'd followed her in as she walked past him to grab a facecloth to wipe ten fingers now covered in melted chocolate.
How could one small child get so little of the chocolate in her mouth and so much of it on every other part of her anatomy and clothes? Logan couldn't help wondering, hoping that Max would be back soon.
Well, at least the couch is brown, he thought resignedly.
TBC