Disclaimer: Still not mine. Sadly.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed the last chapter, have the feeling it is not up to the standard of the first two. It gets better though. I finished this last night, so will be posting the chapters in the course of the next two days.
Chapter 3
"Thanks for the information. That limit's the prospective sites to six." Dix's voice was somewhat tinny through the phone.
Alec frowned. "Still not enough, It's been five hours since she called. Time is slipping through our fingers. She may be an X5, but we have to hurry."
"I know, We're doing - hang on a moment." Dix's voice was gone and for a long time there was silence, making Alec fidget more and more until finally.
"Hah! Had an idea. Visualising what Max described really helped. One of the sites is next to a fun fair. Still open, too. Called Space Invasion. Has a big roller coaster called Flight to Mars. Picture on the net. Get this. The tracks are painted green and blue and there are a couple of replica planets on the biggest looping."
"Which explains Max's spaghetti."
"Not so delusional after all."
"So where is the warehouse?" Alec was anxious to get going.
"Well that's the thing. Biggest site is next to the fun fair. Over one hundred warehouses in differing sizes and almost all of them overlook the fair. Can't even triangulate decently."
Alec sighed, once again thwarted. "Well, you keep on that: pass over the address and get a couple of transgenics to meet us there along with a medic."
"Will do. The site's not that far from where you are at the moment." Dix passed on the address and signed off.
Alec turned to Biggs, smiling grimly for the first time that horrible day. "Well, we're that much closer."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go and get Max."
Alec and Biggs pulled to a stop in front of the entrance to the warehouse district. In the distance they could see the funfair getting up to speed now that darkness was falling. As one they rolled their bikes into an alley and hid in the shadow of the building. Cooling his heels as they waited for their backup did not sit well with Alec. Now that he was so close he wanted nothing more than to storm in and get her out. Biggs had his hands full trying to keep his friend in check.
"Alec, will you quit pacing. The others will be here soon. I wont let you go in without more backup than little old me. It's almost certainly a trap and even if it wasn't, White will have posted sentinels. You can't help Max if you're dead."
Alec's shoulders sagged: "Logically, I know you're right. Aced Tactics after all. What if we're too late? What if it's the five minutes we spend standing here that would have made all the difference? The difference between a rescue mission and death?"
"I understand. Believe me, I do. But if you can't keep an eye on the bigger picture, I have to do it for you. If Max is -" he couldn't bring himself to say it. "-incapacitated, then you're the only one who can take her place. The only one the transgenics will follow."
Alec gaped at him. "You can't be serious."
"I am. Deadly serious. You're the only officer left. All the others either died in the escape or haven't turned up yet. And even if they did, you still have the highest rank."
Alec sighed. "I guess I know that. Don't know what Max will have to sayabout this."
Biggs gave him a scornful look. "God, you're thick. Yes, she rags you to no end. And she might not acknowledge it, but she knows. Who does she turn to when things need to get done? And who did she call when she was in trouble?"
"Me." Alec felt unable to deal with the implications of Biggs' statements and slid away to the matter at hand. "Doesn't matter. We're getting her back. I am getting her back and there is no-one who will stand in my way, up to and especially including White. He's dead man walking, he just doesn't know it yet. We are getting her back and he is going to pay." Quietly he added. "I'd never forgive myself if we didn't."
Biggs was slightly taken aback at Alec's vehemence, although he understood it. White had committed the cardinal sin and taken something Alec considered his. The Familiar would pay.
Both men jumped when Alec's mobile rang.
"Yeah?"
"Tell me I'm the best." Dix's voice rang out so loudly and triumphantly Biggs had not problem listening in.
"You found her." Alec stated.
"The amusement park got me thinking. They used to have fireworks displays to commemorate special days, for example the we've just cracked the million day, or we feel like it day, so I went through the city archive and one of the biggest producers of fireworks before the pulse in the Seattle area was a guy called Ray Fines. And his fireworks were sold under the snazzy title of Ray's Rockets. Reason why it didn't come up on the first cross-check with the warehouses was that business went bust long before the pulse and nobody bothered to update the files. How good am I?"
"Very and I am willing to say genius if you have narrowed it down to one warehouse."
"I can go one better. I have a number."
"Well hand it over. You're the best." Alec felt part of the weight on his heart lift and dissolve.
"What's the eta for the others?"
"Should be with you right about now."
Just as Dix finished Alec heard the sound of motorcycles up the street. Flipping his mobile closed he and Biggs came out of the shadow of the building they had been skulking in. Alec was going through the plan he had laid out in his head during the interminable wait, solidifying when he realised that two of the transgenics, Swoff and Jake had brought sniper rifles. From what he remembered of them at Manticore, they had been the best of the best in that department.
With a strong feeling of relief, he watched the eight transgenics get off their bikes and fall into an informal line-up.
"Listen up, people. Time is of the essence. Helen and Markus," Alec pointed at the two transgenics closest to him, "are going to sneek in and scope out the opposition." The two soldiers nodded and slipped away. Alec turned to the other six. "Swoff and Jake are going to go into position on the roof tops as soon as we get the all clear. Joey, Scooch, Bunny and Toby, you've got the back entrance. There shouldn't be more than one door back there. Make sure nobody leaves." The four nodded tersely. Alec decided to hammer the point home. "This is the last time White messes with one of us. It ends here. Nobody gets away with this and lives to tell the tale." Satisfaction raced across the faces of those facing him.
"Swoff, Jake, Biggs and I are going to play the distraction at the front entrance. As soon as the guards at the back are disabled, I want you to take out the people at the front. Maximum damage, if you please."
Moments later, Helen and Markus were back, confirming Alec's assessment. The campaign to get Max back and inflict some serious damage on White was in its final phases.