So today's the surrender…
Day Thirty - Continued
While the others gathered their meager belongings, Max walked toward Joshua. "Hey, Big Fella."
The older Transhuman looked nervous at all the commotion, but nodded in greeting. "Hey, Little Fella."
"Don't forget about me," Alec said, appearing at her side, smiling up at Joshua.
"Joshua never forget Medium Fella." He bent down slightly to be more on his level. "Medium Fella talk too much to forget."
"I see how it is. You joined Max's side." Alec had his hands in his pockets and bounced on his toes, all nervous energy now that they were surrendering. "You're ganging up on me now."
"Joshua love both," he said and made sure they believed it by grabbing them both and pulling them in for a bone crushing hug, followed by a kiss to each of their foreheads.
Alec cleared his throat, his eyes suspiciously bright. "Right back at you, big guy."
For her part, Max gave Joshua a proper hug. She knew it was goodbye, even if Joshua didn't. She and Alec had discussed the best thing to do. Now she just had to let Joshua in on the plan.
When they both stepped back, Max said, "Josh, once we head for the fence, you need to stay hidden."
"Hide? Joshua not going, too?" He cocked his head to the side in confusion.
Max shook her head in a definite no. "We can't risk it. I… I can't trust them not to hurt you."
"You think they shoot, like others," Joshua said sadly.
"I can't risk it," she said again. She had so much guilt weighing on her shoulders, she felt like she weighed a thousand pounds. Joshua's death would be the proverbial straw and she couldn't allow it to happen. "When we leave, you need to hide. They won't be able to come in to clear Terminal City. It's still toxic and they'll have to let it sit. You stay low until the soldiers are gone, make sure no one sees before you try to leave. You got it?"
Joshua nodded, although he didn't look happy about it. "Joshua talk to Tabitha. We stay hidden until everyone gone. Then go for food."
Max knew Tabitha was the only other Transhuman left and she nodded her assent. "Wait 'til they're all gone. They might leave a few guards just in case. Make sure you wait them out. I…" She shifted from one foot to the other. "You gotta stay safe, ok?"
"You, too," Joshua said gravely. "Get away soon. Come back."
"Josh, I don't know if we'll be able to come back," Alec warned. "Even if we escape," he shook his head, "I don't know if we'll be able to get back here, if we should come back here."
"Then… how…" Joshua didn't just look sad, he looked bereft.
"We'll get word to you," Max promised. "We will. We'll come to get you out if we have to."
"Joshua think this bad idea. No one should go."
Max stepped closer, craning her neck to look up at her tall friend. "We have to lose this round to win the next one," she explained. "We can't get away unless we get caught first."
"And hope they don't just put us down," Alec muttered.
Joshua let out a quiet whine and Max shot Alec a death glare. "Knock it off," she ordered. "We're gonna make it."
Alec glanced at her and then Joshua and finally nodded. Just because he was scared didn't mean Max would let him scare Joshua. They were already leaving him to fend for himself.
"Max take care of self," Joshua ordered. "Take care of Alec."
Max nodded, inwardly rolling her eyes at yet another person telling her to watch out for Alec. As if she wouldn't do that anyway? Especially after she'd seen how badly affected he was by Dalton's death. She had a feeling that was why Joshua was asking her to watch out for Alec now in particular.
"I will," she assured him.
"We need to go," Alec urged. "The others already left."
Max turned to see that he was right. Only Tabitha was left in Command, standing at a slight distance to give them some privacy. She was clearly waiting on Joshua though. Max supposed when you were the only Transhumans left, sticking together seemed like the best idea.
Joshua let out another whine of distress and once again gathered them into a fierce hug. He then hurried to Tabitha, grabbed her hand and hauled her in the opposite direction as if he couldn't bear to watch them go.
Following his lead, Alec grabbed Max's hand and dragged her toward the door.
Max stopped at the corner of the last building to give them any cover. This was it. Someone was going to have to step out first to see if the soldiers were just going to shoot them on sight. Since Max had dragged them into this, it seemed only fair that she take that first step.
"You sure this is a good idea?" Alec asked.
"Pretty sure this is the only idea we have left," Max replied. "The only other choice is to stay here and die."
"Manticore certainly wouldn't approve of their prize possessions rotting away in a prison." He sniffed in derision. "Oh wait, I think I just described my childhood."
"We're probably just trading one prison for another," Fido chimed in. "They're gonna lock us up for sure. They put the others in a truck when Mole's group tried to break out. They had to take them somewhere."
"And that's the plan," Max said, trying to sound confident. "We let them take us, hopefully to the same place the others went, and then we show them what a group of trained Transgenics can do."
Alec grunted. "I don't care as long as they feed us first. Now, can we quit stalling and get this show on the road?"
Max nodded, turned back toward the waiting soldiers, and took a deep breath. "I'm coming out!" she shouted. If this really was a surrender and not an arranged massacre, then she should give them a head's up so they weren't surprised. Surprised soldiers had a tendency to shoot first.
Max waited a few more seconds and then stepped around the corner of the building into full view of the soldiers. There were at least a dozen standing just outside the fence, their guns trained on her, but they didn't fire.
"Hands up!" one of the soldiers shouted.
Max complied, sure that any failure to do as they said would result in immediate execution. They looked nervous, and she supposed it was only fair. She was nervous, too. This could go wrong in no time flat. For all they knew, this was a last ditch effort to make a break for it. The soldiers didn't know that they were starving and out of ammo.
"Walk toward the fence. No sudden moves!" the same soldier ordered.
Max saw Colonel Glaze step out into the open, she supposed as a show of good faith. Max's phone conversation had been short and to the point. If there were any signs of a repeat of the Transhuman executions, then she and the others would fight until their last breath.
Thankfully, it seemed word had got out that they were surrendering because she could see several news crews already in place beyond the battle lines. She hoped it would be an extra deterrent to the colonel to simply order them all put down.
The news getting out also meant that the crowds were gathering again. As soon as Max came into view, the low murmuring of the mob turned into shouting. They were waving posters and placards of all sorts. "PUT DOWN RABID ANIMALS" and "HUMANS ONLY" were her favorites. The Sector Police had been called in to help and were keeping them well back, so they were more an annoyance than anything else.
Max stepped forward hands held high. "I'm unarmed," she called.
As she approached, one of the soldiers shouldered his gun and kicked open a section of fence to make a hole for her, only wide enough for one person to cross at a time.
Max licked her lips nervously and walked through the gap. The same soldier who'd opened the fence, stepped toward her, but hesitated, looking as nervous as she. "I need to check you for weapons."
Max nodded and the man moved closer to give her a quick but very thorough frisking, even running his fingers through her grimy hair to be sure she hadn't hidden anything there. Finally, she felt the cold steel of handcuffs against her skin. She tensed, but fought every instinct she had not to fight her way free. She had to allow this, allow all of them to be taken so they could fight their way free later.
The colonel approached. "Where are the others?" he asked, looking past her, clearly annoyed at the delay.
"They won't come out until they're sure you're not just going to kill us."
Glaze frowned. "I saw the video you threw over the fence. Eyes Only got it somehow and showed it to the whole country."
Max's heart swelled at the mention of Logan's alter ego. It meant he was alive, alive and still fighting. He'd recovered and, although she knew he'd been interrogated, maybe charged, they'd let him go and he'd gone right back to doing what he did best.
"What of it?" Max huffed. "You're the one who ordered them put down."
"I take it you haven't seen the news in several days."
Max looked up at him and tried very hard to keep her expression from showing what she was thinking, which was that he was an idiot. "Funnily enough, somebody cut the power a while back. Haven't seen much TV since."
"Yes, I suppose so." The colonel cleared his throat in embarrassment.
"What's that got to do with your men killing mine?" She knew her tone was strident, but she couldn't help it. "You gave the order."
Glaze immediately shook his head. "I did not. The men who shot the… people… who were already down have been removed from duty and the officer who gave the order is currently in custody awaiting court-martial. He was under my command, yes, but I will not tolerate men under my command killing simply because they can."
Max stared at him, studying him and wishing she could believe him. The lives of the others, at least until the colonel handed them off to someone else, were depending on it.
"I am a soldier," Glaze said. "I do my duty and I expect it of all my men. I was ordered to bring you in if I could or contain you in Terminal City if I couldn't. My men were only supposed to prevent anyone escaping. What they did was unacceptable."
"Hope you can control your guys better today," she said.
The colonel pursed his lips, as if discussing with himself whether he wanted to say something else. Finally he added, "I admit there are some under my command who would approve of a repeat of the… incident." He looked around at the soldiers surrounding him. "These are the men I trust most. They will obey without question," the colonel replied. "The others are guarding other points around Terminal City."
Max nodded. In truth, she had no choice but to believe him. "I need to signal my people. Don't shoot them when they come out." She waited for him to nod and then turned and let out a high pitched whistle.
There was a brief hesitation then finally the others began stepping out of their various hiding spots within only a few feet of the fence. They'd been perfectly camouflaged and prepared to fight in case it all went wrong. Their close proximity startled the soldiers and they quickly returned to a shooting stance.
"Hold your fire," Glaze bellowed. There were a few tense moments while everyone, human and not-so-human remained perfectly still. "One at a time," the colonel ordered, "and we won't have any problems."
Still no one moved until finally Alec clapped his hands together and said, "Guess I'll go first."
He stepped through the gap in the fence and was subjected to a frisking similar to Max's. When they pulled his hands back and slapped the cuffs on him, he clenched his teeth and it was pain she saw on his face and not just that he hated what was happening. Something was still badly wrong from the shot he'd taken. They might need to let themselves stay caught long enough for medical attention before they made an escape attempt.
"Sure those cuffs are tight enough?" Alec muttered. "I think I still have some circulation in a couple of my fingers."
The soldier roughly grasped him by the shoulders and turned him, then purposely shoved Alec a bit too hard to move him out of the way. Alec glared at him, but moved to where the man was pointing alongside Max.
One by one they were all searched and cuffed, standing in a line that looked perilously close to criminals awaiting a firing squad thanks to all the guns aimed at them. There were a few hiccups when they had to handcuff a ten year old and then when they chose to cuff Gem with her hands in front of her so she could continue to hold her baby. There had been a brief discussion about taking the infant, but Gem had looked murderous and that idea had been dropped.
"Is this everyone?" the colonel asked sternly.
"This is every Transgenic left in Terminal City," Max hedged. "Pace and Dalton died in their sleep last night. The others buried them while I called you."
Glaze looked up and down the line. "You all look…"
"Human?" Alec asked, smirk firmly in place. "That's because the guys who didn't look human knew you'd just shoot them if you caught them. They decided they'd rather die trying to get free. Guess what. They did."
Max wanted to yell at him not to be a belligerent ass while they were all cuffed and unarmed, but she immediately remembered how she'd awakened that morning and the look on Alec's face when he'd said Dalton was dead. He'd taken on the kid as his personal responsibility and he'd failed, or at least felt that he had. Max knew who was really at fault. She knew exactly where the guilt fell. Right now, all she could do was try to keep Josh hidden and the rest of them alive long enough to make a break for it.
"Most of the Transhumans died in the first escape attempt," Max explained. "They made up most of the second suicide run, too." She shook her head sorrowfully and didn't even have to fake how much it hurt. "They knew they wouldn't make it and tried anyway."
"Transhumans?" Glaze asked.
Max shrugged. "The kind you can spot on sight. Got a little more animal in the DNA cocktail than some. Soldiers bred for a specific purpose. Diggers, sniffers, climbers, cold weather, hot weather…"
Glaze nodded his understanding, his eyes traveling up and down the line. His gaze finally settled on Fido, and Max stiffened, fear coursing through her. Fido wasn't a Transhuman per se, but he was visibly different if one looked close enough.
The colonel moved closer, standing directly in front of Fido. Max turned her head just in time to see Fido smile, showing all of his pretty canines to his captor. "Colonel," he said, feigning respect.
"What are you?" Glaze asked, more curiosity than anything else. He didn't even seem to realize how insulting the question was.
"Sniffer," Fido answered. "Explosives mostly, bomb sniffing, but I can track pretty much anything." He turned his head to the side, looking exactly like an inquisitive pup, and took a quick sniff. "Nothing personal, sir, but I wish you'd back up a bit. We haven't eaten in days and I can smell your breakfast. Not partial to MREs, myself, but, uh… desperate times…"
Several others up and down the line nodded and the colonel stepped back, more out of surprise than anything else. The soldiers around them, however, tensed nervously, not liking the evidence of just how different their prisoners were.
"Sir?" one of the soldiers said. Max wasn't sure if he was asking if there was a change in plan and they should just put them all down, or if he was asking for an order in general.
Everyone waited, the shouting of the crowds the only noise as each side eyed the other. "Colonel," Max asked carefully, "you have any other questions for us?"
Glaze seemed to re-focus and shook his head. "No. In the truck," he commanded, and Max almost slumped in relief. They'd made it past the first hurdle and nobody was dead. She'd take it for the win it was.
They were lined up and herded toward a large closed personnel carrier with metal benches along each side. When only Max and Alec remained outside, they could see there wasn't really enough room for all of them, but they were ordered in nonetheless.
"Good thing we're all half-starved," Alec muttered, "or we'd never fit."
"Quiet," one of the soldiers barked, the same one who'd frisked Alec earlier. He gave him a sharp knock to the shoulder with the butt of his gun making Alec stumble.
Faster than most of the soldiers could see, Alec jumped through his cuffed hands so they were now in front of him. He grabbed the soldier's gun and shoved the muzzle beneath his chin, forcing the man's head back.
"Hold your fire!" Max shouted. She wasn't sure if she was yelling at Alec or at the soldiers who were about to shoot him.
"Nobody move!" the colonel roared almost simultaneously.
Every soldier had their weapon pointed at Alec, who looked calm, but determined. Max knew how angry and frustrated he was, she just hadn't expected him to blow up before they'd even left the parking lot.
Max could hear the clicking of cameras and knew the reporters were eating it up, catching every bit of the action on film. They'd be on the news shortly if they weren't being broadcast live already.
Max glanced at the colonel who gave a tiny nod to grant her permission to move. She sidled closer. She couldn't touch Alec since she was still cuffed behind her back and bumping a person aiming a gun was a bad idea, so she had to settle for verbally convincing him to back off. "Alec," she whispered, "stand down."
He glanced toward her, pain evident on his face. "I may have to surrender," he said, "but I don't have to let some half-trained, would-be soldier knock me around."
"You're supposed to be the laid back one," she whispered. "I was counting on it."
Alec sighed, never taking his eyes off his captive. "That was before Dalton died. And that was before this jerk decided to take a cheap shot."
"Doesn't matter. You have to stand down and you know it." She took in a breath before admitting, "Alec, I'm going to need your help and you have to be alive for that."
"You sure I can't shoot him?" His tone was conversational, pleasant even.
The man's eyes widened comically and everyone around them held their breath.
"Not right now," Max said, her tone just as unconcerned. "Besides, you've shown off and made your point, which I'm guessing is what you were trying to do in the first place."
"Fine." In a blur, Alec took the gun away, released the clip, locked the slide open, and tossed it toward one of the other soldiers, who caught it in surprise. "Guess we'd better get in the truck then."
The soldier he'd been threatening fell back in relief while Alec hopped up in the truck. Since Max was still cuffed, he turned and grabbed her beneath her arm to help her up.
"Close it," Glaze ordered and Max had the feeling he wanted it done as quickly as possible to prevent any sort of accidents from happening. Some of his trusted men were looking twitchier by the moment.
With far more caution, one of the soldiers approached and quickly slammed the rear doors shut. They were locked and only moments later, the truck was moving. The eleven of them sat silently. Max's mind was running through scenarios for escape while alternating with worrying about Joshua and worrying that all the escape plans in the world weren't going to save any of them.
Alec cleared his throat. "So… I suppose you're all wondering why I called you here."
"Very funny." Max bumped his shoulder with hers. "You already made your scene for the day. Put a lid on it."
"Why? You think they're listening in and they'll hear our super-secret plans for world domination?"
Max closed her eyes, hoping for patience. "Because I'm trying to think and I can't with you yakking."
"I'm sorry," he said, derision dripping in his tone. "I thought we'd had weeks of nothing to do but sit and think."
"I could let them shoot you again if you're that bored," Max offered sweetly.
Alec smirked, although to Max it looked almost sad. "Don't worry, Max. Pretty sure they'll get to that soon enough."
The truck hit a huge bump and it tossed them all a few inches off the metal benches they were sitting on and dropped them back down. Alec hissed and his face creased with pain.
"Alec?" Max asked nervously.
Alec shook his head, unable to talk. He bent forward, clearly in agony.
"We think he's got a piece of the bullet still in him," Fido said. "It's lodged somewhere and causing a blockage. He's been trying to go easy in case it moves and causes a bigger problem."
"What?" Max asked in horror. If the piece of bullet travelled to his lungs or heart… "Why didn't anybody tell me?"
"You got eyes," Fido answered. "Just look at him."
"I thought…" Max didn't know what she thought. Just that something was wrong or had healed incorrectly. "Somebody get me out of these cuffs," she ordered.
Bark was on the other side of Alec. She used her teeth and tongue to pull a piece of wire from her cheek where she'd pushed it underneath the skin to avoid detection. Fido turned and she dropped the wire into his waiting hands.
In a few seconds, he'd picked the lock on the cuffs and Max turned around for him to do the same for her. She then in turn grabbed the wire and made quick work of Alec's. He immediately pulled his arms back close to his chest in pain.
Max wrapped her arm around him and leaned forward. "Alec? Talk to me. What's going on?"
"Need a minute," he wheezed. "Give my body… a chance to… compensate."
"The truck is stopping," Fido said.
"What?" Max looked up in surprise. "Already?" It couldn't have been more than a few minutes.
Suddenly, Alec slumped forward, unconscious. Max swore. She handed the pick to Fido. "Help the others. This might be our only shot."
While the others worked in the cramped space, Max pulled Alec into her arms. She was horribly reminded of holding Ben. Maybe seeing Alec jump through his cuffed hands like she'd seen Ben do had brought it to mind. Or maybe it was that they were cornered and Alec was badly hurt.
She would not allow it to end the same way. Alec was… He wasn't Ben. She knew Alec better than Ben. She'd known Ben as a child, but as an adult, he'd lost his way so badly that she couldn't follow. Alec on the other hand, she hadn't known as a child, but over the past year or so, especially the past few months, he'd become one of the precious few she could count on. Their time trapped together in Terminal City had further cemented their understanding of one another.
"Quiet," Max ordered. There were voices now outside the truck, although still unintelligible. "If they open the doors, everybody pretend they're still cuffed." She wasn't sure what she was going to do with Alec though. There was no hiding that he was down.
Abruptly, the doors were thrown open and Max realized that it really was possible for their situation to get worse.
"Hello, 452. Didn't think we were ever going to smoke you out of that rat hole."
White. White had found them at the worst possible time.
Can't make it through a DA fic without White, eh? More soon…