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Part Nine: Worse

"It's almost dawn. We should probably get moving. Have you been in Seattle long?" Ben asked.

"A couple of years, but …I need to leave." Max said.

"OK. I guess we have to go. I thought I saw military activity. I guess that explains how they found me so fast." Ben just smiled at Max and she hugged him.

"I don't know where any of the others are, but I was thinking heading down to Mexico. Jace got out a couple of months ago; she's pregnant too."

"You're kidding?"

"Nope."

"Good grief. Where is that father?"

"Stuck back at Manticore. He was, or is, a lab tech there. So, as I was saying, Jace went down to Mexico. I was thinking of hooking up with her."

"She's down there alone."

"Pretty much."

Ben let out a deep sigh and shook his head as he held the door to the stairway open for Max. "So you're going to go mooch baby clothes?" he asked with smirk.

Max rolled her eyes and tapped him playfully on the shoulder. "There's strength in numbers. Zack never should have split us up. How's your Spanish?"

"I'll learn," Ben stated simply. He helped his sister down the space needle, uncertain how the baby would handle the impact. His love and concern were evident in his over protectiveness. For the first time in a long time, Max felt like everything might be aiight after all.

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Logan knew that Lydecker was in town, in force. He knew Max hadn't returned his pages in days. He knew that there were a dozen corpses with barcodes that Lydecker had taken and they were not X5s. He knew Max had quit her job at Jam Pony. She packed enough of her personal belongings, from the apartment she shared with Original Cindy, that Logan didn't think she was ever coming back. He thought that meant Max left of her own free will, which meant that she was ok, right? He should have told her.

Every informant that Logan trusted implicitly knew he was looking for Max, that she was in danger and Logan was trying desperately go get in contact with her. When it came right down to it, that was a relatively small group of people that he really trusted, and he wasn't sure any of them would really hold up against the kind of pressure Lydecker could dispense. It would only take one slip to lead Lydecker right to his doorstep. Still, he had to at least try. It wouldn't be the first time he did his best and failed anyway. He hoped that it wouldn't be the last.

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They left the car that Ben had stolen at the space needle and took Max's Ninja to the counterfeiter's crib. Scott had been with Logan since before Eyes Only got started, and he had never seen him so rattled about anything. Whatever going down was bad and whatever Logan was spewing about Max being 'just business' was BS. This was personal. It may be in the best interest of the Eyes Only Informant Net to keep Max safe, and from what he had seen of her …accomplishments that was most definitely the case, but that was not why Logan was so anxious. This didn't mean Scott wasn't willing to help; he owed Logan Cale way more than that.

"Hey, Scott," said Max as she entered his 'office'.

"Max! You are alive. Logan is pulling his hair out!" Scott greeted her, wondering who the tall blond behind her was.

"I was afraid of that. Unfortunately, I have to bail on you guys. Seattle is too hot for me right now."

Scott nodded, he wasn't surprised. "That big, black something catching up with you?"

Max just nodded, tears glistening unshed in her eyes. "Logan knew it was only a matter of time. I don't suppose you have a set of tickets out of here just laying around, do you?"

"I do. For one or two?"

"Two. This is my brother. We both… need to go."

Scott looked at Ben skeptically. "On your mother's side or your father's?"

Ben actually laughed. "Probably not, but we didn't know any better when we were little and it's kind of stuck," he said.

Scott let the 'probably' slide. He was an intelligent man, some things a person just did not want to know. Scott starts sifting through papers in the file cabinet. He holds up one set of papers. "I just happen to have several options available right now. For her, I have a 'Jessica'?"

Max made a face.

Scott held up another set of papers. "Asha?"

"Yuck. Got anything else?" she asked.

"Marie …"

"Cool!"

"Mrs. Marie Jonsen and her husband Alex Jonsen. Reporters for the Republic, a small independent newspaper based out of Vancouver, British Columbia. These papers will get you just about anywhere."

"He's my brother," Max protested.

"You know that; I know that; but Max, let's face it, we don't look like we are related. And we don't want to be explaining. This will give us the perfect excuse to stay together." When Max just glared at him he continued, "It's not like this is going to be forever. I'm sure once we find Jace we will pick up some new id's."

Scott said, "Those are the three options I have for a female right now."

"Fine, we'll take them. How much do I owe you?" Max said.

"Actually, what I really need right now is for you to get this chip to Logan right away." Scott, brilliant man that he was, held up a small, blank microchip in a clear plastic case and offered it to Max. "I don't know where Logan's apartment is. I don't know anyone else that does. Let him know that too when you drop this off. …please?"

"I've got cash," Max offered.

"Me, too. Just rolling in it these days." Scott smiled.

"No problem," Ben, or Alex, said as he took the chip. "Anything else?"

"Nope, thanks." Scott watched them leave, hoping everything was going to be OK.

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Twenty five minutes later Max and Ben pulled into the parking garage. Max turned off the Ninja and just sat there.

"What apartment is he in?" Ben asked.

"I should take it up.…I can't," Max looked so sad.

"No problem. I'll drop it off and be right back."

"I should let him know I'm leaving. But I don't want him to see me like this. I feel so guilty running out on him."

"He's a grown up, right?"

"Yes, but …"

"No, buts. He can look after himself. You, WE, need to look after the little one," Ben gestures pointedly to Max's abdomen. Max nods. "I'll be right back. Which apartment?"

"The penthouse."

"He can definitely afford to take care of himself. Be right back." Ben walked to the elevator, looking forward to dealing with this 'Logan'.

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To Be Continued …