Chapter Twenty - Storm
They found the warehouse with only a minimal amount of trouble. It looked just like every other warehouse Max had ever seen - crumbling, tarnished - but with one exception: "Daniel & Hook's" was painted on it in big, white letters that stuck out in the dirt and grime. When they reached the warehouse, Max had thought of asking Logan to stay in the Aztek just in case, but before she could say it, he was already preparing to get out of the car. They went to the door together and Max braced herself for anything. She opened the door and stepped inside first. When she saw no immediate threat, she walked in further and signaled for Logan to follow her.
There wasn't much in the building. There were a few stacks of crates, an old desk, and a shoddily constructed cubicle sitting in the far corner.
She heard something behind her and turned around quickly. She saw slide away from one of the crates and lower a gun. She let out a breath.
"Zack, what's going on?" she asked.
"What's he doing here?" Zack asked, nodding in Logan's direction.
"I was the ride," Logan said and clenched his jaw.
Max looked at him, wanted to tell him that he was never "just the ride" - but knew that it wasn't the time. She had to focus on the mission.
"Where's Jondy?" she said instead.
She heard another noise then a woman stepped from behind the crates. Max took in the sight of her sister for the first time in ten years.
Jondy was as tall as Max and had a similar build, but her face was different. Her skin was light and her face was slim with slight features - small lips, small nose, but wide green eyes. Her hair was blonde and cascaded to her shoulders. It looked like it was recently cut - a choppy at home job. She was dressed in ratty tennis shoes, black pants, a pale red shirt, and a faded jean jacket. She didn't look like what Max had pictured at all. She looked so sad, and even old.
Words escaped Max. She just walked over to her sister and pulled her in for a hug. "I can't believe this."
"Me neither," Jondy replied, patting Max lightly on the back. "I've been waiting for this."
They separated and Jondy cast a wary glance at Logan.
"He's as good as family," Max assured her quietly.
Jondy only nodded.
Zack scowled and said, "Next time get here on your own."
"Zack," Jondy warned.
"We don't have time for this," Zack finally sighed. "We've got to get you out of the city. You said Lydecker's men are all over the city?"
"Yeah," Jondy said. "I noticed some following me today and I lost them. I used the roofs after that and saw them everywhere."
"We've got to plan this out," Zack said. He holstered his gun, much to Max's relief. "We've got to get to the border somehow."
Max frowned and turned to Jondy. "What're you doing in Seattle anyway?"
"I heard this was the last place Zack was," she answered. "I needed to get in touch with him."
"Why? Wasn't San Francisco safe?" Zack asked.
Jondy bit her lower lip. "Not exactly."
"Did he find you there?" Zack pressed.
"Yeah."
"And you didn't come to me sooner?" Zack asked.
"I had to wait until the perfect time," Jondy explained slowly. "If I didn't wait until the perfect time, everything would've been messed up."
"The perfect time?" Max asked. "The perfect time for what?"
"This," was Jondy's simple answer.
Jondy grabbed the gun from the holster on Zack's belt and sprang back a few steps. She raised the gun and trained it on them.
Zack narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing?"
"Just what I have to," Jondy said and cocked the gun.
"What are you doing, Jondy?" Zack repeated. He took a step forward.
"Don't move!" Jondy screamed. "Don't move, Zack! Not you either Maxie! Just don't move!"
"Jondy…" Max was aware her voice sounded like a child's but she didn't care. Every moment they had spent together at Manticore, being sisters and best friends, flashed through Max's mind.
"I don't have a choice," Jondy said. Tears stung the corners of her eyes. "I have to do thi - I said don't move!"
Max turned her said and saw that Logan's hand was creeping toward his coat pocket. It fell limply into his lap.
Max stepped in front of him.
While Jondy's attention was focused on Max and Logan, Zack took a chance. He barreled at Jondy, ready for everything but the bullet that ripped through him and Jondy's scream afterwards. He hit the ground hard and rolled over onto his back. He clutched at the wound in his chest.
"Zack!" Max screamed out for her big brother. She wanted to cry out. Her big brother.
"Don't move," Jondy warned. She looked from Zack to Max. "I don't want to have to shoot you too, Maxie. I don't want to hurt anyone. I just want to live."
"Why are you doing this?" Max asked, allowing the tears to flow. Her brother was going to die and she and Logan would follow.
Jondy allowed her tears to trickle down her face. "It's the only way he would help me."
"Help you? Who?"
"Lydecker," Jondy said, spitting his name out like the curse that it was.
"Why do you want his help?" Max asked. She felt the anger coursing through her like never before.
"I'll die without him," Jondy told her quietly. "I have Progeria, Max."
Max's eyes widened. She looked so… old. "There's other options. You don't have to do this."
"I'll die if he doesn't help me," Jondy said. "I don't want to die. Brin didn't want to die and I don't either."
"Brin didn't betray us," Max yelled.
"Brin didn't have to!" Jondy screamed through her tears. "He took her back! He found me and he told me he'd let me die unless I brought him Zack! He wants Zack!"
"I'd die before betraying you, Jondy," Max told her. "Why would you do this?"
"I'm too scared to die," Jondy said and lowered the gun. "I'm weak, Max. You're stronger than I am. You always were."
Max slowly walked forward but Jondy raised the gun again and she stopped. "We can talk about this."
"Talking won't save any lives here today," Jondy said. "Talking won't save me, it won't save Zack. We'll both be dead without Manticore."
"I can take Zack to a hospital," Max said. "You can tell Lydecker he got away."
"It won't work," Jondy said sadly. "A hospital can't help him. Look at him."
Max looked down at his brother. His chest was still moving up and down, a good sign - but the only one. A large pool of blood was collecting under him and his shirt was soaked with it. He was going to die if she didn't do something immediately.
Suddenly, Jondy moved the gun under her chin.
"Don't!" Max screamed.
Jondy looked at her but didn't move the gun. "What's the point? Look what I've done. Lydecker's coming. Zack's dying."
"So that's it, huh?" Max said angrily. "You're gonna take the cop-out? You're gonna kill our brother, leave me to be captured and then do yourself in? God, what a brave way to go, Jon."
Jondy broke down in tears and fell to her knees. She let the gun fall. It hit the floor with a clatter that echoed throughout the warehouse.
Max raced over to Zack. She heard Logan open his cell phone and make a call. She looked down at Zack and put her hand over the wound. She could see him look at her - just barely, but he had. She began talking to him. She apologized for every time she was a pain in the ass, for every time she fought him in Canada, for every time she was a terrible sister. She began to cry again. The tears trickled from her face to Zack's blood-soaked T-shirt. She felt Logan behind her but couldn't say a word. She couldn't turn around. All she could think of was that her brother was going to die. And in the weird way of the world, it was her fault.
"I called Matt," Logan told her quietly. "He's going to meet us down the street with an ambulance. We have to leave now."
Soldier.
Max focused on the word. She ripped up the floorboards inside herself and pulled the little girl with the war paint on her face up from the dark hole. She ignored the impulse to cry. She was above impulses. Her face hardened as the little girl melded with her, became her guiding voice. She gathered Zack into her arms and stood up carefully.
She looked down at Jondy.
"Please kill me," her little sister begged quietly.
"You're already dead," Max replied in a cracked voice. "But I forgive you, Jon. Keep Brin company in there."
She heard Logan begin to wheel toward the door and turned to walk away. She stopped.
"Think of the High Place in there," she said, feeling Jondy's eyes on her back. "Pray to Her."
The words meant nothing to Max, but she could tell they might offer her troubled sister at least a little comfort.
She walked away, the little soldier telling her to ignore Jondy's tortured cries.
A/N: Well, anyway, yes, that's that then. Also, I know there's a reference in there about Jondy being Max's little sister - and yes, it is correct. Max isn't the youngest like so many people believe. Her birthday, Zack's, and Jondy's were officially released - Max was born in July 2000, Jondy in November 2000. Just thought I'd say that before I got messages about it. I'm always thinking ahead. And hey, we're almost done.