Dog Will Have His Day
Summary: Alec is trying to catch the man who made him hurt Max, but he has to save her first... MA. Sequel to Loose the Hounds and Dogs of War.
Chapter Six
Alec held all of his muscles rigidly in control as they moved out of the office and as soon as they were within sight of the others, Max removed her support. If there was trouble brewing in the ranks, and Alec guessed there must be judging by Max's bellowed challenge earlier, then he and Max couldn't afford to look any weaker than they already did.
His body would heal. That's just the way they were designed. His only goal was to keep it together until he really was together because Max was in trouble and that meant his body could just get itself with the program sooner rather than later. They simply had too much on their plates for Alec to be on the bench.
Max and whatever they'd given her were first and foremost on his mind, but there was so much else. Just the everyday operations of TC were nearly enough to drive him and Max into early graves, but beyond that they were still going to have to deal with the fallout of their operatives who'd gone nuts, deal with any new disaster that had sprung up since so many jobs had been botched including nearly killing the mayor. That wasn't even mentioning that he and the others who'd been deprogrammed were a mess thanks to the methods required to root out Manticore's orders.
On top of that, Kincaid was still out there with all of Manticore's files at his disposal, the spy who had infiltrated the UN would have to be dealt with, that was if he'd been caught, and now Alec was going to have to knock down someone who was challenging Max's authority.
Alec sighed. With all of that, a few hundred stitches seemed kind of trivial.
Alec had to stifle a groan as he walked down the metal stairs to where the others were all standing around a bank of computer screens and a large table where there were maps and other papers spread out. He just had to hold it together. His stomach felt like it was on fire and his head was still a mess from the Psy-Ops people digging through his brain, and now he had the sight of Max kissing Logan firmly stamped in his memory to remind him how badly he'd screwed up.
Alec approached the others at the table and methodically packed all of his issues away, focusing on the most immediate problem. "Ok, people, let's hear it. What's going on?"
Mole glanced between Max and Alec, methodically chewing on his cigar, his glance appraising. Finally, he huffed as if despairing of his bosses ever not being idiots.
Alec stopped beside Max and as he usually did placed his hand at the small of her back. Normally, she would shift, leaning closer to him, but instead, she flinched, just enough for him to notice. Immediately, he dropped his hand as Max turned her head to look at him. For a second, she seemed as disconcerted as he was, then she turned back to the table, dismissing it and him.
It was like a sharp stabbing sensation near his heart. Max said it hadn't been anything, but Alec had seen her kissing Logan. Max was cured and no matter how much she protested, that had to change the game. And yet Alec knew she loved him. If he was absolutely certain of that, and he was, then he shouldn't doubt her. He wouldn't doubt her.
Which meant the flinching was something else.
Alec clenched his fists at his side. Of all the times he needed to be in peak condition, this was it, and instead he was a complete disaster. Something was wrong with Max and they were definitely being backed into a corner. This thing with Logan was a distraction that he had to put behind him. He trusted exactly one person in this world, and he wouldn't let a pencil-pushing, wife-kissing, cyber-journalist ruin that.
"So," Mole was saying, "the team grabbed the UN spy and turned him over to Secretary Gordon's people, so at least that's one problem off our hands. He had a few things on him when they picked him up and we've used the info to do a little more digging."
"You've got a lead on Kincaid?" Alec asked.
Mole grinned around his cigar. "We think he's holed up here." He pointed to a map in front of him. "He's outside of D.C. in the suburbs in a dumpy apartment building. We're going to have to move fast, because it looks like they're making arrangements to get him out of the country. They're having trouble because security's been beefed up since the assassination attempt on Secretary Gordon, and every law enforcement agency in the country has a picture of this guy."
"So let's go get him." Alec rubbed his hands together, already wanting to wrap them around Kincaid's throat.
"Oh, no, you don't," Max immediately countered. "You're not going anywhere until you're better."
Alec looked up and glanced at the group surrounding them. Most of them seemed to be in agreement, but a couple, their glance was almost predatory. They were like sharks scenting blood in the water. A big guy named Sig in particular eyed him appraisingly. If Alec had to guess, that was who had brought on the shouting session earlier. Alec made a mental note to deal with the situation before it got out of hand.
"Mole, I want everything," Alec said, "building blueprints, mass transit lines, every way in and out of that area, and info on every known familiar we might run across. Dix, will the passes we already have get us around D.C.?"
"I'll get Gordon's office to issue new ones," Dix answered, "but I wouldn't use them unless you have to. Passes like that will get people's attention."
"Alec," Max hissed, "you can't do this."
He ignored her. "Get those passes, Dix. We need to be on the move as soon as the team's ready to go." When Max opened her mouth again Alec put his hand on her arm and squeezed gently asking her not to yell at him in front of everyone else. Max grimaced in pain and Alec immediately released her. She rubbed at her arm where Alec had grabbed her.
"What was that?" he whispered.
"Nothing," she bit out. "You're the one with the gorilla paws."
"Max-" Alec could barely breathe. Just the thought of hurting her was almost more than he could bear. Only a few days ago, he'd almost killed her. It was sheer luck that she'd made it after he shot her. What if he didn't know his own strength anymore? His brain was practically Swiss cheese. But that didn't seem right either. It had to be part of what was going on with Max.
Alec needed for Dr. Carr to figure out what Kincaid's people had given her. First the flinch and now just grabbing her arm had hurt her. His wife was in trouble, but he was still going to have to leave her to make sure she and the others remained safe. He forced himself to calm down. Panic attacks didn't instill confidence in leaders.
"Alec?" Max said softly, something in his expression alerting her to some of what he was thinking.
"I have to go," he said at the same volume, although he let his eyes tell her how much he didn't want to leave her right now. "You need to stay here and let them see you being in charge, steady as ever. They also need to know that I'm still capable of leading a team and keeping everyone safe. You get that right?"
"Doesn't mean I don't think you're an idiot," she muttered. Max rubbed her arm, but when she caught him watching her, she quickly let her hand drop.
"Idiot or not, you still have to let me go."
"And it really pisses me off, too."
Alec couldn't help a grin. He loved this woman more than his own life and that was saying something. "You promise to have these people whipped back into shape by the time I get back?" he asked.
"Do you promise to bring Kincaid back trussed up like a turkey?"
"I was thinking hogtied actually, but I can be flexible."
"I know you're flexible," she said with a lascivious glint in her eye. "That's why I want you back here."
"Max," he shook his head, "I am in awe of your ability to motivate the troops."
"Just get this done and get back here. No running off. No getting hurt, well... more, anyway. Got it?"
"Got it."
The others were all watching their exchange, which wasn't really surprising. Their lives depended on the decisions he and Max made. As a result, the entire room was watching as Alec leaned forward and kissed her. It was a show of solidarity that Mama and Papa Bear were still in love and looking out for the kiddies, but it was also a promise that Alec would be back as soon as he could possibly manage it.
"Be careful," Max whispered. She reached up and brushed her cheek where Alec's stubble had scratched her skin.
The action worried him, but he nodded. "You, too," he said, eyeing the crowd behind him.
She smiled. "Always."
Alec held his position outside the two story apartment building. They'd been watching it for the past several hours and Kincaid had returned along with his escort of three familiars only a few minutes before. They would hit them before they had a chance to get really settled, but after they were away from prying eyes on the street or in the other apartments.
"Ready on my mark," Alec said, and heard a chorus of positive responses in his earpiece.
Alec took a deep breath and allowed his mind to descend into that quiet, centered place of pinpoint precision that was required for a mission. Everything else fell away except for his team and what they were doing. There were no other worries, no concerns, nothing except his team and his gun, which had become a natural extension of his hand.
In that hollowed out place, he was vaguely reminded that the last time he had been there, Max had been shot, but that too fell away as he focused on the task at hand. He had to get Kincaid before he could get back to Max and that meant no room for anything but the job.
"Move in."
The rest of the team immediately snapped into action. The two he couldn't see would be climbing the rear of the building to the balcony leading into the back of the apartment. Another was already stationed on the roof, ready to sneak in a window on the side, while Alec and another came in the front. Normally Alec would have been on his own, but his team had quickly vetoed that idea saying that Max would rearrange their faces if he came back with even one scratch on him that hadn't been there before he left Seattle.
Alec had slept the entire plane trip, but that was barely a dent in the downtime his body was begging him for. It didn't matter. He couldn't rest until Max was safe. Her wellbeing was his primary concern, so he ignored what his body was telling him and led the way into the building and up the stairs.
He stopped outside the front door to the apartment, knowing the two at the back were poised on the second story balcony while the man on the roof was poised to break out a side window.
"Go in 3… 2…"
Alec's companion kicked in the door and he simultaneously heard glass breaking as the others made entry. Alec led the way, his gun at the ready, and put a bullet in the first Familiar who was stupid enough to poke his head out. Alec had learned the hard way not to give White's people the chance to fight. They were ferocious and religiously dedicated to obliterating the existence of transgenics. They showed no pity and killed any of them they could, and Alec was taking the shoot-first-don't-bother-asking-questions-later approach to self-defense where the Familiars were concerned.
He heard several faint popping noises and heard two more bodies hit the ground. That was all of the guards. That left just Kincaid, who, unfortunately, they needed alive. Alec and the members of his team very carefully cleared the apartment, working their way through until only one room at the rear of the apartment was left. The door was open and Alec led the way.
Kincaid sat in a wingback chair, wearing an expensive suit, his legs crossed and his hands folded in his lap, looking as if this were no more than a pleasant social visit rather than an armed invasion.
"Shoot me," he said calmly, "and Max dies."
More soon...