"So, was there anyone 'special' in this so called life you had?" Alec asked.

Max looked back at the office. She wasn't sure how to answer that question. Before she was recaptured by Manticore she and Logan were getting pretty close, but she always said there was nothing between them. And now she didn't feel anything for him, will except for friendship. "No. No, there was no one. You have anyone special."

He smiled, but it was a distant smile as if remembering. "No. I mean there was someone, but that didn't work."

The two were quite for a while. Then the heat kicked in, but before anything could happen a car door opened and she heard the man who got out say, "Yes, Mr. Upholtz, I'm sure your complaint will be taken into court and I'm positive I'll win the case for you. Yes, I'll be right there." Click. Plop, and the cell phone case shut. He started walking up the stairs to the entrance with two bulky guys tailing him.

"We have to go," she said.

"What?"

"Gregory didn't drop his law suite he's still pushing for it," Max explained.

They quickly dumped the food into a trashcan and head for the back entrance to the building. Forcing the thick steel metal door open was easy. They dashed off to the stairs and ran up the five flights.

Max, in the lead, pushed the door open and ran down the hallway to office 518. Turning the corner she saw the door close behind one of the two bulky guys. She pushed back around the corner and began the military motions to tell Alec what she saw without talking. She told him what she saw and the two bulky guys. Alec nodded and grinned thinking it would be easy to take them down.

Max then lifted her hand and twirled it in a circle twice before pointing around the corner. With a nod from Alec they moved to door 518. Max stood straight and lifted her leg. With a thrust the door flung open.

Gregory and the lawyer were sitting at Gregory's desk. The two bulky guys were standing. They moved to the two X5's. Then she noticed the stiff heavy movements, signatures of the Red Series, from South America. Max froze then yelled, "Back! Go back!"

Alec didn't question her motives. Max knew that it was hard enough going up against a Red solider, let alone two. Even with Alec they would have trouble, and just as she thought three more Red Series solider moved into the hall and started after them and the two Reds that were already in pursuit.

Max heard the clink of a gun safety unlocking. Next she heard the 'bang' of a shot. It wasn't until she felt Alec pushing her into an unoccupied bathroom that she felt the shearing pain: the bullet had hit her.

She heard a lock click, but didn't register it. She looked down the see the wound in her right thigh, at least it missed the bone, she thought.


AN: Thanks to all of you who review, I really appreciate it! The next chapter will come out soon, but I have to think of more plot lines to keep the story moving first. If you have any suggestions or anything please fell free to put it in a review. Thanks.