A/n: Thanks again for reviewing, everyone.
Also I want to say hi to all the anonymous reviewers out there. I'm now set up to receive your reviews so please let me know what you think.
(Those of you who don't like to see Logan getting hurt or flirting with Thula might want to skip scene 5.)
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Chapter 9: Dreams And Reality.
"Max! One of the sentries just reported in. A black SUV just turned off the interstate onto the access road." Max looked up from her paperwork as Dix called across to her.
"Is the roadblock in place?" The transgenics had planted a fallen tree across the access road at its narrowest point that took a lot of effort to move. The idea was to discourage any inquisitive visitors.
"Yeah, but what could anyone want around here?"
"Fishing trip, or a quiet spot to make out, maybe. I'll get over there. We might need to discourage our visitor from sticking around."
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Max climbed the tree that held the lookouts over the access road. "Hey, Dalton, good to see you. What's the situation?"
"Driver is a male, big black guy, seems to be alone. He's just got out of the car to check out the roadblock."
Max zoomed in on this uninvited guest… and recognised him. "Bling…"
"You know him? Is he an ally?"
"Oh, yeah, Bling's an old friend. He can be trusted. I'll go see what he's doing here - and how he found us."
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"There you go, Ames, I told you I could do it." White matched Logan's smug smile with one of his own.
"Indeed you did, Cale. We're very impressed by your prowess, aren't we, Hammet."
"Oh, yes. Using the quaternary algorithm simultaneously with the tertiary one was inspired. Tell me, how would you apply that principle to decrypting…"
"But did you seriously think we wouldn't notice the email you sent?" White ignored the computer expert's enthusiastic babbling.
"No, I knew you'd spot it. That's why I encrypted it so heavily it'll take months to figure out what it said and who it was to."
"Then how will the recipient be able to read it?" Hammet enquired.
"It's one of the standard codes I use on emails I don't want intercepted."
"Shut up, Hammet, you moron. If you'd done your job properly Cale wouldn't have been able to send that email at all."
"Actually, that was your fault, Ames. Your meeting with him kept him out of my way for just long enough." His tone made White's fists itch.
"So now I'm going to have to torture the information I need out of you. Guards, take him down to Torture Room 3. I'll be along soon."
"I'm looking forward to it already."
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"Where is 452?" Logan's wrists had been manacled to the ceiling, forcing him to stand on tiptoe with his arms stretched above his head.
"I told you, I don't know." Logan replied calmly as he dangled there, the chains clinking slightly.
"Wrong answer." White punched him in the gut, and reflexively Logan's knees came up to protect his stomach. Ignoring the pain in his arms, Logan rolled back in mid-air and kicked out, both feet catching White in the sternum. The familiar went flying backwards and slid into a heap against the opposite wall. He picked himself up off the floor as Logan managed to stop swinging and come to rest. The manacles had cut into his flesh and narrow streams of blood flowed down his arms like tears.
"I'm going to make you very sorry you did that."
"I don't think so. Seeing you fall on your ass is worth a lot of pain."
White pulled a flick knife from his pocket and opened it with a click, smirking sadistically. "Not this much, Cale."
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When Thula sneaked down to the cells, she was appalled by Logan's condition.
Every inch of his skin was either badly bruised or crusted with dried blood. His face was particularly bad; one eye was swelled shut and his lips were split and bleeding. A nasty abrasion on his temple was probably the cause of his unconsciousness. His bare chest had had thin strips of skin sliced off it; they lay with a shredded shirt in a bloody heap in the corner.
"Cale? Logan, can you hear me?" His good eye flickered open.
"Thula?" He rasped, painfully. She stepped closer and touched the scab on his temple. He winced at the contact.
"What did he do to you?"
"Tried to make me tell him where the transgenics are. As if I knew. He gave up when I passed out. I can't tell him what I don't know…"
"I brought you some water." She held the bottle to his cracked and bleeding lips. He gulped it eagerly. "Not so fast. It'll make you sick." She wiped a trail of liquid from his chin.
"Thanks, Thula. You should go. I don't want to get you into trouble on my account." The familiar couldn't help but smile. White's tortured him to within an inch of his life and he's still more worried about my welfare than his own. He must like me too!
"You are so amazing, Logan," she whispered. Their faces were very close now. He smiled slightly, despite the obvious pain it caused him. A sparkle returned to the one eye he could open.
"You're not so bad yourself," he murmured.
Gently, Thula touched her lips against Logan's and he forced himself to respond.
"I'll be back soon," she said, breathlessly, her head spinning from the kiss.
When she had left, Logan tried hard to swallow the bile rising in his throat.
"I'm so sorry, Max, I had to…" he whispered, blinking back the tears stinging his bloodshot eyes as he slipped back into unconsciousness.
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"Hot run to 396 Eucalid! Bip bip bip, Skye, I don't pay you to sit around and do nothing."
"Mr Ronald? Normal looked up at the short, blonde, middle aged man standing on the other side of his counter."
"Yes, can I help you?"
"I hope so. I need to get in touch with Max."
"Max no longer works here. I fired her for bringing in a bad element. Sorry, I can't help you." The stranger looked unconvinced.
"Well, if you do hear from her, tell her Dad came looking."
"Dad? You're Max's father? Ok, whatever, I really don't want to know. Just go away, this is a place of business, not a family reunion service."
"I'll be back, in case she inexplicably decides to contact you. Although having seen this place, I think wherever she is now could only have been an improvement." He walked out, leaving Normal gaping after him. At the door, the man almost collided with Original Cindy. He stopped to let her through first and was rewarded with a wide smile. She noticed her boss' expression and went to investigate.
"Hey Normal, who was that guy?"
"He was looking for Max. He claimed to be her father."
"Max's father? That was Lydecker! He's supposed to be dead! What did he want?"
"I told you, to get in touch with Max."
"Damn, she's going to want to know about this. I'm taking an early lunch, I'll be back in an hour."
"Hey, it's only ten thirty! Get back here, missy! Oh, for the love of Mike…"
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"Hey, Bling, long time no see."
"Max! Hey, girl, am I glad I found you. I have a very important message."
"Before you say anything, there's something you should know." Max took a deep breath. "Logan's dead."
To her astonishment, Bling didn't react. Wordlessly, he pulled a piece of folded A4 from his inside pocket and handed it over.
Max read it, her eyes widening at every word. She scanned it over and over, not believing it was really in front of her. After ten repetitions, the information began to sink in. she looked up at Bling in total shock, seeking confirmation.
"It's true, Max. Sebastian got that message two days ago. He's ok."
Then Max, rocking, awesome transgenic biker chick, did the one thing no one would have expected.
She fainted.
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Max found herself in a white room, empty except for the figure sitting against one wall. Instinctively she knew it was Logan, despite the blood and bruises that covered him. The sense of his pain was so strong to her it was almost a physical presence in the room.
"Logan?" She approached him, knowing somehow that the virus couldn't hurt him here.
"Max? Oh, god Max, it hurts so much…" Logan reached out a raw and bleeding hand to her. Max knelt beside him and just held him as close as she could.
"I know, Logan, it's ok, I'm here."
"You won't leave?"
"I'm not going anywhere."
"I love you Max, I won't ever let go of that, I won't let White win."
"Hush, Logan. I'm going to come for you. I'll kill every familiar in the place to save you. I love you so much, it almost killed me to lose you…"
"I can do this, if you're with me, my Max, my love."
"Of course I'm with you, Logan." Tenderly, she planted a kiss on his forehead. Forever.
"White is coming for me, Max, he's pulling me away from you."
"White can't hurt us, Logan. Not if we don't let him."
Logan began to fade from her arms, growing more insubstantial every second.
"Max…" he whispered, before he disappeared.
Max sat bolt upright on her bed. "Logan!" She was surrounded by several transgenics and Bling.
"He's alive, my Logan is alive," she said with iron certainty. She stood with more purpose than she'd had since the destruction of Terminal City.
"And I'm going to get him back."
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Tell me what you think even if you hated it.
Yes, Thula and Logan kissing was vomit inducing, I know.
Did you like Lydecker's conversation with Normal?
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