A/N: These chapters seem more random and less forward moving every time I post them. Thankfully, I'm moving back home from university living today so will have time to work on the little things I'm finding annoying – good timing too because this is the last chapter that I am remotely pleased with! Hope it's up to scratch. Reviews welcome! (sorry, this one's pretty short compared to the others)

Chapter 7

Max spun, taking a few instinctive steps back. Her eyes widened at what she saw. Manticore was recruiting sooner than they thought.

"Renfro."

Even if she believed in ghosts, Max knew the figure standing only a few feet away, partially hidden in shadow, was too solid to be incorporeal. Besides, she was a walking testament to the advances of science. Still, that didn't stop her uttering what sounded stupid in her mind and even more so the moment the words left her lips.

"But…you're dead."

"Apparently not Max," Alec muttered beside her.

"Well if you two aren't quite the perceptive pair," their former Director commented wryly.

"How did you get out?" Max wondered.

"Does it matter?"

"Well yeah, I'd like to get me a few of whatever saved you from a bullet to the abdomen and a burning locked down Manticore," Max responded glibly, regaining her usual sense of daring in the face of potentially dangerous situations.

"I see you completely disregarded my final piece of advice."

Max tilted her head.

"Sandeman's good at hide and seek."

Alec turned to her questioningly.

"How does she know about Sandeman?"

Max shrugged without looking at him.

"Go ahead Renfro, I've been wondering that myself."

"He founded Manticore. Of course I know about Sandeman."

Max narrowed her eyes, thinking back to what White's brother CJ had said once.

"See, that's not what I heard. Seems Sandeman only came to Manticore after the government took over."

The white haired woman took a step forward, her head cocked and an unreadable expression in her eyes.

"You have wasted your time over the past three months and now you waste mine. I didn't come back from the dead to answer your irrelevant questions. You're coming back now."

Max raised an eyebrow.

"Lady, you must've hit your head on something on the way back if you think I'm going anywhere with you."

At that, five armed Ordinaries and four transgenics stepped forward. Max vaguely recognised their faces from a shared childhood.

"Deep cover operatives," Renfro explained by way of introduction.

The corners of Max's mouth tugged down in acknowledgement, nodding.

"X5s?" she pondered aloud.

Renfro's silence was her answer.

"Terminal City has two hundred and three of its own."

Renfro smiled.

"I told them you wouldn't come. They said I wasn't here to collect."

Alec turned his head slightly.

"I'm here to get a status check."

He suppressed a laugh and was lucky not to cough.

"Being put in the field now? Demoted much?"

Renfro ignored his remarks.

"So you failed to locate Sandeman, managed to get one of your own killed in a stupid incident which succeeded in exposing you all to the public and are now sitting ducks waiting for them to accept you."

She shook her head in disappointment.

"And to think we have such high hopes for you."

"Have…" Max repeated before everything fell into place. How she hadn't put it all together before she would never know especially now it seemed so glaringly obvious.

"You're with Sandeman's break away branch of the Breeding Cult," she breathed, almost accusingly. Alec looked at Max, then Renfro, the pieces falling together for him. He nodded appreciatively for not having to figure that one out for himself.

"Being on the outside has slowed you considerably it seems," Renfro commented with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"What do you want from me?"

Renfro tilted her head once more.

"I don't see how that's relevant seeing as how you won't give it to me."

Max frowned. Since when had Renfro been this forgiving in not getting what she wanted? She was an individual so strong willed and ruthless in justifying her means with her end that even Lydecker was wary of her.

Alec filled the silence between the two women.

"Question, how come Max gets to be the special no junk DNA super soldier. Thought Manticore created all folk equal."

At that Renfro let out a short laugh.

"I don't get, you don't get," she replied simply.

"And that survivor's guilt you tried so hard to run away from ten years ago? Are you ready for round two?" Renfro directed cryptically at Max before turning on her heels and fading into the shadows.