Stakeout
Logan's Apartment, Medtronics
December 30 2021
When Max reached Logan's apartment it was pitch black, she hesitated to turn the doorknob. The door opened a little and Max slid inside, she looked around then spotted a light on in the study. 'THUMP' Logan jumped two feet in the air when Max dumped the diary on the desk
"Max! I wish you had told me where you were going"
"I'm sorry I didn't know I needed to get your permission" Max said patronisingly "I got the diary for you"
"I was worried" Logan looked intently at Max
"It was nothin" Max shrugged and started wandering around the room
"Hmmm" Logan turned back to the diary and started flipping the pages, he began matching the names and the dates with the information he'd collected on the missing children. He flipped to the last page
Friday December 31st
N.R.
"What's that suppose to mean?" Max said as she looked over Logan's shoulder
"I don't know..." Logan said thoughtfully "Maybe it's a code"
"Or maybe..." Max looked at the diary "Have you managed to get a list of the orphans?"
"I can get into the national database" Logan started hacking into the system
"Do these missing kids have anything in common?" Max asked
"They're all around the age of 10, but that's about all I can find without having their full records. Go it" Logan brought the database up on the screen
"Can you do a search?"
"Yeah but the number of orphans around the age of ten... there would be hundreds..." Then Logan smiled "Initials" and typed in a few things in the search engine
"I've always had a thing for cryptic crosswords" Max said softly, a box came up on the screen flashing 'Match Found'
"Bingo" Logan brought up the file, both their faces dropped when the picture and details came up on the screen,
"Nicholas" Max whispered, she whirled around to rush out the door but Logan caught her arm
"Max wait!" Logan pulled her back to him, Max tugged her arm away
"We've got to get him out of there" She glared at him
"But we also have to get proof that the director is behind this and find out where the other kids are"
"So what do you suggest we do... use the poor kid as bait?"
"Lets just not rush in there head first, this thing isn't due to go down until tomorrow" Logan said calmly
"I'm listening" Max sat down
Outside the Orphanage Sector 7
December 31st 2021
"So whose idea was this?" Alec complained as he wriggled around in the seat trying to get comfortable
"Can you do anything without whingeing?" Logan asked and handed Alec some binoculars, Alec just looked at the binoculars
"It's called genetically enhanced vision. Why couldn't Max do this?" he turned and stared out the window
"She's watching the directors house" just then the radio cracked into life
"Logan you there" Max voice came through,
"Yeah, what's happening down your end?" Logan asked
"No movement" Max replied
"Nothing here either"
"Hold up" Alec raised his hand "The door is opening"
Logan raised his binoculars and looked towards the door "Max we have movement here, looks like Ms Hedgecoe and a few kids, one of them is Nick"
"They're heading towards the park" Alec interrupted
"Max, looks like they are going to the park, we're going to follow them. Check in if there are any developments" Logan spoke into the radio then started the car.
-
They parked the car just across the road from the playground where the children were playing. Ms Hedgecoe was sitting on a park bench reading the newspaper, a man came and sat next to her, Ms Hedgecoe waved to Nick and he came over
"It looks like she is introducing them" Alec said as he stared in their direction "The man standing up... he's talking to Nick"
Logan peered through his binoculars "Max, looks like we've got something here"
"I've lost visual. I'm going in" Alec flung the door open and ran across the road with Logan not far behind
"Logan what is going on!" Max's voice crackled across the radio "Logan! Logan are you there?"
"He's taken Nick" Logan shouted breathlessly into the radio as he tried in vain to catch up with Alec who was like a blur. Alec had stopped at the edge of the park gazing down the road watching the black van disappear around the corner when Logan stumbled up to him "Did you get their plates?"
"Yeah" Alec sighed and helped Logan back to the car.
"I've got a match on the plates" Logan called to Alec as he leant back in his chair in front of the computer, Alec joined him in the study "I've traced it back to a shoe manufacturer"
"A shoe manufacturer?" Alec looked at him in surprise
"Yeah one who is notorious for using under age children to work in the sweat shops"
"So he's kidnapping orphans to make shoes..."
"By the looks of it" Logan picked up the radio "Max, you seen anything yet"
-
Max was almost asleep, she was sitting wearily in a bush opposite the directors house when the radio cracked into life, it was Logan "Nothing, I've been sitting in this damn bush all day and seen absolutely nothing" She replied
"I've got a match on the plates, we're going to follow it up now"
"Did you get any evidence incriminating her?" Max asked
"Yeah I got some photos off the digital binoculars, it should be enough"
"Good"
Max watched the house through the leaves, the sun was beginning to set when a black sedan pulled up in front of the house. She sat up and paid a bit more attention when the director came out of the house, he was wearing a black suit and was carrying a brief case, he got into the back seat of the car and it sped off down the street. Max jumped onto her motorbike and pulled out the radio
"The director is on the move I'm in pursuit, they're headed for the checkpoint at sector 6"
-
Logan looked across at Alec "Sounds like they're headed here". They were sitting in Logan's car outside a warehouse in sector 6.
"Sounds like they are on the way to the old warehouse in the industrial park where we are, I'll meet you at the south gate" Alec spoke into the radio
"Yeah they just turned into the industrial park, see you there"
Warehouse in the Sector 6 Industrial Park
31st December 2021
Alec was crouched beside a 44 gallon drum when Max silently snuck around the corner and joined him.
"Got any ideas" she whispered
"The van is here, so the kid must be here too. There is truck coming down the north road, looks like they're going to join the party as well" Alec looked around the edge of the building just as the truck pulled up and two armed men jumped out of the cab
"Logan, you might want to give your detective friend a call and give him the 411, we've got company" Max whispered into the radio "You take the front, I'll take the window on the side" she whispered to Alec
"Why do I always have to be the distraction" Alec rolled his eyes and set off for the front door
Max leapt on top of a pile of crates outside the window to try and get a better look, inside the two armed men were piling wads of cash into the directors brief case, another two men appeared to be guarding what use to be an office. A door to the left of the men swung upon and Alec went waltzing in
"Hey fellers mind if I join in" the two men stacking the money looked up in surprise, they were just about to raise their guns when Max came crashing through the window. She landed gracefully behind them, they turned only to see Max's fists coming straight for them, they had no time to duck, a second later they were out cold on the floor. Max looked up to see Alec taking care of the other two men by the office, one guard coped a left hook in the side of the head his knees buckled and he melted to the ground. The other guard had his feet knocked from under him, he got up and took a swing at Alec, but Alec just ducked and rammed the guy to the ground, with a swift head butt the second guy was down for the count. While Max and Alec had been disposing of the guards the director had grabbed the brief case and snuck to the door.
"Alec where's the other guy" Max was tying up the guards with what rope she could find
"He was standing right there when I came in" Alec pointed to the now empty table in the corner. Max looked around and saw the door closing, she ran to the door and swung it open only to see the black sedan squeal out the driveway
"Damnit" she kicked the drum closest to the door
"Don't worry he won't get very far" Logan appeared from out of the shadows smiling Max looked at him curiously "I can't let you guys do all the work, while you were in there kickin butt I was out here disabling the vehicles"
"Disabling the vehicles" Max crossed her arms and looked him up and down
"I do know a bit about cars, beside the fuel line is not that hard to find. Detective Sung is not far away I'm sure he'll find him" Logan grinned, Max smiled back
"Umm Max, I might need your help" Alec called from inside the warehouse Max jogged back inside, Alec was standing by the office. Max came and stood beside him, she looked inside the office where six scared children were huddled together in the corner, the youngest looking girl had tear falling from her eyes and Nick was comforting her. Memories of Manitcore came back to Max, she saw her sister lying lifeless on the floor and Lydecker standing there with a smoking gun. She backed away and took off at a run.
"Max!" Logan called after her as she ran past him. She ran down the north road and saw the headlights of a parked car. The director had the hood up and was trying desperately to start it again. Max flung the door open and dragged him out, she pushed him against a mesh fence and lifted him by the neck
"Where are the rest of them?" She demanded as he struggled trying to pull her hands away "Where are they?" she yelled again, she didn't notice the flashing lights as a police car pulled up.
"Max, let him go" Logan's soft voice came from behind her, he walked up and put his hand on her shoulder "Max, let the cops take care of it now" he said calmly, Max slowly released her grip and let the man fall to the ground.
Detective Sung pulled him to his feet and read him his rights. Max turned and faced Logan, her eyes were filled with tears as she fell into his arms.
"How will we find the other kids?" she said softly
"We've got enough evidence to put this guy away for life. Detective Sung will find out where the others are and make sure all the kids get back safely."
Jam Pony
January 3 2022
"Happy New Year Boo" Original Cindy gave Max a huge hug
"Happy New Year" Max smiled as her and Cindy made their way over to the couch were Sketchy sat engrossed in the news broadcast
"So tell me how'd you figure out that they were going to that warehouse?" Sketch asked over hearing their conversation about the orphans, Max was just about to answer when a familiar red, blue and white logo flashed up on the TV screen
"Do not attempt to adjust your set. This is a Streaming Freedom Video Bulletin, the cable hack will last exactly sixty seconds. It can not be traced, it can not be stopped and it is the only free voice left in this city. Some people believe they can get away with exploiting children for cheap labour, I'm telling you your game is up" several photos of CEO's from various large manufacturing companies flashed across the screen "you know who you are. The American public will not stand by and let you waste our future in your sweat shops. You might want to rethink your current practices... This has been a Streaming Freedom Video Bulletin. Peace Out" The screen flashed back to the regular programming. Max and Cindy looked at each other and smiled.