A/N: Family Guy reference in this chapter. If you can find it, well, you get nothing but a virtual high five.
Chapter Two - Sea Legs
Max awoke several hours later in a daze. She put a hand to her head and sat up to examine her surroundings. She wasn't sure if the room rocking was because she was on a boat or because of the drug, but she guessed boat. The room she was in was completely bare, but the floor was polished and, knowing Thomas, probably cost fourteen million dollars.
She got to her feet and leaned against the wall. The fog that surrounded her thoughts was starting to lift, but she didn't feel any better.
She searched her pockets for anything that could possibly be of use, but there was nothing. She looked around the bare room again.
"Logan," she croaked. Her voice was raucous and low, barely above a whisper. She needed water. She needed a lot of things.
She went to the door and tried to open it. To her amazement, it opened without a problem.
"Not good," she whispered then opened the door all of the way.
She looked around then stepped out into the hall. The hall was the exact opposite of the room she had been in. The floor was covered in deep red carpeting and picture frames lined the walls.
There was a door in front of her and she could hear a voice. She braced herself then pushed the door open.
All doubts of her not being on a boat were completely erased. Before her was a polished deck and a perfect view of lapping waves.
"Have a pleasant nap?"
Max turned at the sound of the voice. To her left stood Thomas, smiling widely and looking the perfect picture of comfort all bundled up in a jet-black pea coat.
"Where's," Max started, then stopped suddenly.
"David?" Thomas supplied and grinned. "I assume we're still laboring under the Cranton Industries delusion, Miss Stone."
"Where is he?" Max demanded, straining her voice even further.
Thomas chuckled. "No need to worry about him. He'll be just fine where he is."
"Where is he?" Max snarled.
"If I may be cliché for a moment," Thomas said, "he is… sleeping with the fishes."
Something within Max snapped. Her vision was suddenly clouded with red and she pounced on Thomas, intent on ripping him apart and tossing the parts overboard.
To her shock, he pushed her to the floor and laughed.
"You're mistaking me for someone who does not know about your… particular attributes," he said and kicked her side. "You see, my father was once a military man. He served many years with a genius man who stuck with the military. Later, when my father was at the pinnacle of his success, the genius man approached him, hoping my father could supply him with some chemicals for a very important project he was working on."
Thomas put his hands in his pockets. "My father agreed and was supplied with information, lots of information, which he later passed on to me. It seemed my father's old army buddy was looking to get into the gene splicing and modification game and he had money behind him, something my father never argued with. Long story short, I know all about you and soon your daddy will be here to pick you up."
Max pulled herself to her feet. "What are you talking about?"
"Mr. Lydecker always referred to you as his kids," Thomas said and grinned. "I've made it possible for him to take you without incident, you see, and he was very grateful for that. Maconick Chemicals brews up a little something called DT-40. In small doses it's a very useful muscle relaxer, but in large doses, such as the one I have given you, it slowly dehydrates the muscles to make them almost virtually useless. I suspect that you are only able to stand because of your - shall we say - breeding. I'll have to give Mr. Lydecker a kudos on that when he arrives."
Max let out a bitter, mirthless laugh. "You actually think he's going to let you live? You think he'll meet you here and you'll hand me over then get a fat check? You really don't know who you're dealing with, kid. He'll empty a clip in your skull and sink this little rowboat of yours and he'll make sure nobody asks any questions."
"What next, hmm?" Thomas said. "Are you going to suggest I let you free and make a hasty get-away? I should just let you go, is that it?"
Max shrugged. "It's always an option."
Thomas laughed. He opened his mouth to say something but his cellphone rang. He pulled the phone from his pocket and answered it. After a very short conversation, he hung up.
"You'll be happy to know Mr. Lydecker's ETA is twenty minutes," he said.
"And you'll be happy to know I don't have enough time to kill you," Max said and narrowed her eyes. "But I'll be back for you, that's a promise."
She turned around and took off running, full speed. When she reached the railing, she used all of her energy to leap over. As she flew through the air, she positioned herself in a swan dive and hit the water with barely a splash.
The freezing water was quite a shock to her body. She was frozen underwater for a moment, but as her body began to adjust to the temperature, she became more relaxed. She felt the odd sensation to fall asleep, but fought it and kicked her way to the surface. She couldn't spot Thomas on the deck of the yacht and guessed it was because he was about to come after her. She took an enormous breath then dove underwater and began swimming.
A/N: Another cliffhanger. Sorry. I can't stop myself from doing it.