Choices

by Mystic25

UPDATE CHAPTER 28 SUMMARY: Jessie finally asks Max about her past

13. DL in DC

Choices 14-"DL in D.C."
Author: Mystic25
Email: yellowrubberduck31@hotmail.com

Rating: PG13

Summary: A new street drug hits America, with trade ties all the way to Washington, and Eyes Only is enlisted in to find out how deep the cords run.

Disclaimer: James Cameron and his friends have toys, FOX wants to take them away, and I want to play with them.

A/N: I will not be taken down because those idiots at FOX canceled my show, take that you slime. This series will go on and on like the energizer bunny. Sorry for the kinda elusive summary. This idea came to me at 1:00 in the morning, and I decided to run with it. D.C. is a fascinating area b/c of all its governmental ties. And this allows for a good reason for Max and Logan to be in the Capitol. A vacation wouldn't be good enough.

A/N#2: In "Freak Nation" Logan's lil badass side was great. I like him when he's philosophical and romantic, but I also like it when he takes care of business. So I wanted to do more with that aspect. I won't go overboard and make it unreal, make sure and keep in his character scope.

A/N#3: The information on Washington D.C is taken from official websites, and is used only as a backdrop to my fan fic. Having said that please forgive any technical errors on any locations and/or protocols mentioned in here.

DEDICATIONS: Washington D.C. and the people there for inspiring this chapter, but more importantly for their survival of the tragedy suffered on 9-11; as well as those in the great city of New York and all passengers aboard the three airliners.

To the readers, I dedicate this to you as well, for wanting me to go on writing.

*****

SEATTLE
SOUTHSIDE MARKET
LOWER DISTRICT
1:35 AM

The base of a car shook the quiet neighbor hood, the man inside turning it up, but not as loud as he usually did or it would attract attention. As he neared his destination, he cut off the DMX song entirely, stepping out of his 2001 red Viper.

Through his yellow tinted shades the man caught the eye of several streetwalkers out on the curb.

"Some of this baby?" one of them, a wiry girl with an enormous cleavage line popping out of her leopard body hugging halter dress licked her lips in a sultry movement.

The man smiled /Love to do her. Put my thing down on a cat/ But tonight he had business to attend to. He continued his walk to the back of a closed shop booth.

"Transaction made bro?" the man asked in the shadows.

A shorter man wearing a blue jean jacket, carried over a large duffle bag "Taken care of man" he opened the bag, showing his neatly wrapped illegal contents in individual plastic bags. "Got more kilos in here then the British metric system"

The other man picked up one of the baggies, examining the white crystals housed inside "looks like coke"

"That's the beauty of it man" his companion explained, "Junkies out there won't ask questions bout it's unpleasantries if it's like their rock"

The other man did not like to hear about "unpleasentries" "Wrong with it?" he fingered the plastic bag

"Nothin' man" his friend reassured "Just gives a hell of a buzz that's all"

He opened one of the bags, sniffing the powder "Shit, fucker's strong" he snorted at the smell. After a minute the initial effect wore off, and like his boy said the buzz was incredible. He had done meth and coke in the same night and didn't feel half as high as he felt right now. "Good mess though. What's gonna happen? Gonna grow ears out my ass or somethin'?" he laughed drunkenly, but that died after a minute when he heard something pop.

He looked around for the source of the noise, wishing he had his gun, thinking it to be a bust.

Something wet fell down the side of his face. He looked up, thinking for a second it was rain, his hand brushing his check. But when he pulled back his fingers were red "What the fuck?" he jumped back, hearing his friend laugh at him.

"Told you brother, it's freak-kay" the other man approached him sticking one finger inside his ear, and when he pulled back it was drenched in blood starting at the bottom of the nail. "Ain't nothin' too bad happen to my boyz after they messed with the first batch. Just got a headache from the pop for an hour, then the buzz..whoo" he laughed again "Now this is what I'm talkin' bout 'pop off the line'"

*****

SECTOR TEN
FOGGLE TOWERS
5:45 AM

Logan's eyes opened, adjusting to the small stream of sunlight shining directly in his eyes from the slats in-between the closed blinds.

He looked at the clock /Damn it's early, why the hell did I wake up?/ He was surprised that he had even awaken earlier then Max, who was still asleep, her body spooned up against his.

/She looks good even when she's asleep/ he messed with some hair by her ear, tucking away loose strands from her face.

He heard a noise outside the room. He waited for a minute, trying to figure out what it was. After a few seconds he recognized the noise as the phone in his office. /Who the hell calls at 5:00 in the morning?/ He decided that it might be an Eyes Only thing, so he sighed and got up. Since Max was pressed up against him she shifted when he got out of the bed

"Phone" Logan told her, giving her a quick kiss, and hearing her muffled "What shit is calling this early?" before he left their bedroom.

He stretched on his way to the office, not having bothered to put on a robe since he had a t-shirt over his boxers. He sat in the swivel chair and reached for the black phone that was ringing incessantly by the computer. /there better a war or something/ "Yeah?"

"Mornin' merry sunshine" came the voice on the other line "You haven't forgotten bout our date now boy?"

"No-" Logan suddenly remembered about the pick up game he had said he'd come to. "Okay yeah, almost, I'm not use to waking up this early to do stuff"

The person on the other line laughed "Yeah sorry bout that man, but early's a great time for b-ball. No crowds, and you claim you're booked for a while after this-"

"I'll be there Chris-" Logan interrupted "Need a chance to get even from last time." he had played with Chris and his friends once before, and enjoyed it. He had always loved basketball, and Chris and his group played a fair game.

Chris laughed "Aiight boy, then get yourself down on the court in twenty so I can kick that white ass"

"Count on the first part but not the second" Logan returned "C-ya" he hung up and returned to his bedroom.

Max was still asleep, but this time she had his pillow to her chest, he guessed to get the smell. He smiled at the site of his super soldier wife looking so innocent, for all the world like a little girl with her teddy bear.

He shed his white t-shirt for a gray muscle tank and pulled on a pair of black track pants, and then snatched his prescription Oakley glasses off the dresser /Look like I could work at Jam Pony/ his reflection in the mirror would certainly shock his Aunt Margo, she didn't like the 'street look' But he personally didn't give a rat's ass about what his snotty Aunt thought of him.

Before he left the room he wrote a quick note to Max, telling her that he would be out, and set it on the alarm clock. He kissed her solidly on the mouth, and watched her smile in her sleep.

"Be back before you go to work," he whispered before heading out.

*****

SECTOR 10
6:25 AM

"Made it out for my victory" Chris greeted Logan with this when he spotted him as he entered the basketball court through the open space in the fence.

"Chris did anybody tell you you're full of shit? Logan returned

"Hey don't be raggin' on me like that man," Chris stated, slapping Logan on the shoulder "Enough wid the insults, like you to meet my brother. Hey Jamal, meet by boy here"

A young man about the age of 19 approached Chris and Logan. Jamal was a few inches shorter then his brother, wearing a black tank and white baggy track shorts.

"Names Logan, and this is my kid bro Jamal. He claims he got skills on the court"

Jamal blew his brother off "I do got skills man, you just need to recognize"

"Man whatever" Chris returned

"Chris tells me you're a ace on the court Logan" Jamal stated

"I don't know about that" Logan corrected, "I just like the game"

Jamal checked him the ball "Then how bout we get started?"

*****

"Downtown" Chris stated, stealing the ball and heading towards the basket. He was cut off my Jamal, who stole it back and passed it to his teammate.

The other man on the team landed the shot at the three-point line; to the cheers of his teammates "Mean uptown Chris" he leered.

"Get yours boy" Chris pointed at him as they set themselves up to play again.

"Run it through man" he told Logan wiping some sweat away with his shirt

Jamal handed Logan the ball and he checked it to him. Logan looked around for an opening, finding Chris guarded, but Lynx was wide open. He bounce passed to him and re-joined the game.

Lynx dribbled down center court, about to make the shot before a member of Jamal's team members stole the ball.

The ball was intercepted again by Logan, who moved passed the player blocking him and sunk the shot in at mid court.

"Believe that's game" Logan informed.

"Whoo boy!" Chris came over and high fived him "Hell didn't you tell me you could do shit like that?"

"Been a while since I practiced it" Logan returned, wiping the sweat off his face.

"Practiced?" Lynx sounded amused "You'd be ready for the NBA if they didn't become the Association of American Sports in '05. Brother can't make it in sports like they use to, all messed up with government regulations now"

"Shoulda called it the American Sports Society," Logan added, "Then the initials could be A.S.S"

Chris laughed at this "Don't sound like no white boy to me"

"Thanks for the compliment" Logan returned, patting down his upper body with a towel from his gym bag.

"Can it boy, you know I'm just messin'" Chris informed "Ever gonna tell me more bout yourself then what goes on in this court? Cause I hate bein' left out."

"Nothing much to tell Chris" Logan argued "Just an average guy"

"Average guy got a woman?" Chris asked

Logan was about to answer him, when his cell rang in his bag.

Chris found it before Logan did "Let me get that, wanna see the kind of peeps you associate with"

Logan didn't have a chance to object before Chris answered the call. /Couldn't be an informant, don't know the number. Only Asha, Tinga, and Max know it-Oh shit/ He looked down at his watch, which read 8:45 /Shit shit shit, I totally lost track of time. She's leaving for work in ten minutes, and there's no one there, and she can't just leave the kids alone/

"Who's this?" Chris responded to whatever Max has said on the other line. "Calm it girl, yeah he's here"

Logan cringed at how the conversation sounded /She's probably pissed at me/

Chris handed him the phone "For you, some chick, guess I got my answer" he didn't try to hide the fact that he was enjoying this.

Logan took the phone from him "Max-"

"Before work my ass" Max growled at him from the other end "I'm goin' along gettin' ready, thinkin' you'd keep your word, and bam, times up and I'm left holding the bag"

"You don't have a bag," Logan pointed out.

"Wanna push it with me?" Max snapped back

"I just lost track of time" Logan defended "Like it's never happened to you before"

"Logan-" Max's voice had a warning tone, telling him that if he went any further she'd verbally kick his ass over the phone.

"Hey I'm sorry okay?" Logan returned, "I can still make it back there"

"Don't have too" Max's voice softened, but not much "Got our neighbor across the hall to watch them"

"I just forgot to keep a time tab-"

"Forget it" Max interrupted "I'm not THAT upset about it. Just turn around"

Logan was confused at her request, but when he turned he saw her standing along the fence.

"What are you doing here?" Logan stepped over to her.

"Came to find you" Max returned, "Expect me to go out without tellin' you bye?" she shot him a look "Just gonna leave me with a note until five?"

"I already said I'm sorry" Logan defended

"I'm just messing Logan relax" Max offered him a smile to break the mood "Jerry didn't mind watching them, her and Chuck want kids so it's kinda a practice run." she looked him up and down "Play hard?"

"Something like that" Logan returned "Scored the wining shot"

"Cocky aren't you?" Max asked "I can still take you down remember?"

"Look forward to it every time" Logan returned.

"Hey Logan!" Lynx called out to him "Rude not to introduce a lady to your homeboy"

"Homeboy?" Max cocked an eyebrow at him

"Yeah apparently Lynx is cut of the same street mold as you"

"Scuse me? Nothing wrong with the way I do my business." she informed "C'mon, let's go kick it"

"Hey pretty lady" Lynx stated to Max when she approached him

"Hey yourself" Max returned, "Got a name besides Lynx?"

"You know it girl" Lynx returned, "Lynx is just my represent. My real ID ain't much of a name, know what I'm sayin'? You got one?"

"Max" she returned "And I represent my true ID"

"Can see that boo," Lynx returned, "So Max, you involved with my boy here? Cause if your not then we might have something"

"Not gonna happen Lynx" Logan let him know

"Chill Logan" Lynx stated, "I was just checkin' But hey, s'all good if Logan here found somethin' nice as you"

"Appreciate the props" Max returned, checking her watch "Hate to break up the party boyz, but I gotta blaze. My boss has a tendency to fire anything that comes through the door even fifteen seconds late."

"Understand that" Chris told her

"Regular time baby" Max kissed Logan in front of everyone

"Have a good day Max" Logan told her, kissing her back

Max pulled back "Hell hasn't frozen over yet for Jam Pony to be a haven of fun" she turned back to the others "Late boys"

She headed back over to where she parked her Ninja.

"Damn Logan" Lynx spoke up, watching Max mount the Ninja and drive off "That is a fine woman"

"Gotta agree" Chris added "Haven't seen that kind of fire in a while." he looped a towel around his neck and slapped Logan on the shoulder.

"Seems that my boy puts his thing down on more then just the b-ball court" Lynx crossed his arms over his chest, a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Guys Max and I are married" Logan pointed out "I'm not just with her to 'put my thing down'" he took a drink from the bottle of water he had placed on one of the benches. He looked at his watch again "It's been great and all but I really need to get back home-"

"Woman waiting for ya?" Chris shot him a raised eyebrow look.

"No" Logan objected, "Woman's working, and I need to go relieve the baby sitter"

"Baby sitter?" Lynx shot the look now "You have seeds boy?"

"I'll c-ya later guys," Logan stated to the group before turning and heading to his car.

"Man's got moves" Lynx said to Chris as Logan was leaving. He laughed out loud at his own remark. "Boy acts too cool with that hot of a woman"

*****

FOGGLE TOWERS
10:15 AM

"Thanks Jerry" Logan stated to his neighbor, who was snagging her house key off the kitchen counter.

"It's no problem" Jerry responded "These guys are great" she looked over at Jess playing on the floor with his toys.

"Sure you'll make a great mom one day" Logan reassured

Jerry smiled at this "Thanks, sometimes I lie around just picturing the idea" she pocketed the key "Better get going to my own job. Tell Max I said hi"

"I will" Logan promised, stating that just as the phone in his office rang.

He watched Jerry go out the front door as he walked to the computer room. He picked up the phone again /not even noon yet/

"Yeah?"

"Hey Logan it's Jeff"

"What's up?" Logan asked. Jeff was an informant and he usually didn't call just for pleasure.

"Got some information for ya" Jeff answered "A new street drug hit markets two nights ago, suppose to be triple the effect of marijuana and LSD combined"

"Sounds like good stuff" Logan broke in "I still don't see where you're going with this. Probably a dozen other hard drugs went on sale last night."

"Yeah" Jerry agreed "But they didn't have the backing of the Federal Government"

Now he had Logan's attention "You gonna quit being elusive and tell me the story?"

"Okay check this out. Seems that this shit isn't just a Seattle thing. One of my guys in Nevada says he saw at least a dozen dealers marketing. And it's apparently happening all over the Pulse U.S.A. Raising so much of a stink that Washington is holding a Senate sub committee hearing four days from now. And here's the big clincher. Big wigs in D.C. believe this new drug wave to be orchestrated from one of theirs, that's the reason for the hearing. Government funding to the extreme"

"And what do you want me to do?"

"The hearing was called based on really loose evidence. The speaker only allowed for it because of the party's involved past work in finding the terrorists who set off the Pulse. Both the chairmen and the speaker have made it clear that they will throw out the case unless concrete proof is established before the morning of the hearing. Someone up in D.C. called in a favor, asking to bring a connection to Eyes Only to help get the gears rolling"

"And you brought up me?" Logan asked basically a dumb question

"You are the closet connection to the Big Man I know" Jeff reminded, "But this didn't come from me. Whoever likes the man up in D.C. requested it, and I'm just passing along information. And let me tell you they want it bad. Tab has been picked up fully, two round trip air fares from here to Dulles, accommodations at the Hyatt, rental car"

"Two fairs?" Logan asked

"Yeah two" Jeff answered "I got the call and wheedled them into one more ticket. I thought you'd like to take Mrs. Cale. I mean how many times do you get to go to Washington now a days? You said your wife has family in Seattle, so you can leave the children with them for a few days. It would be a nice little getaway with just the two of you." Jeff was starting to sound more like a travel agent then an informant to one of the most influential underground infrastructures in Seattle. "So can I count on you?" Jeff asked after a minute "Cause I really don't want to turn down a Senate sub committee"

"I'm pretty much sold" Logan informed, "I just have to convince Max-"

"Shouldn't be a problem" Jeff analyzed "From what I've heard she's into defending the down trodden-"

"Where do you get your information from?" Logan broke in "But it'll be fine"

*****

JAM PONY

"What the hell are you doin'?" Max looked over at Alec who was roughly shaking a package in his hands.

"Content check" Alec informed, turning the box upside down. He picked at the tape that sealed the brown paper shut.

"Hey!" Normal shouted to him "Tampering with the mail is a federal offense pal, and if you go down it'll be bad for business"

"Just making sure it wasn't broken," Alec said in a fake reassurance, turning to Max "Ten to one it's drugs, hard stuff."

"Sure you would know" Max returned

"Nothing wrong with knowledge Maxie" Alec told her straight out, dropping the box into his messenger bag.

"So if it is some kilo action you're just gonna drop it off to the dealers and expect a lil green in return?" Max asked him

"You know me too well Max" Alec informed "All about supply and demand-"

"Isn't that the kinda business where they kill the messenger?" Max interrupted, zipping up her pack.

"No that would be the place you work at right now" Normal broke into their conversation from his desk. "Bip, bip, I'm not running a social hour here" he stopped the pissy tirade on Max and Alec to yell at Scott "Since when is that a fast pace?"

Scott just ignored him, and wheeled his bike out of the building.

"Slacker!" Normal called out after him.

Max pulled her bag on her shoulder, about to grab her bike when her cell rang.

"What's up?" Max had read the caller ID on her phone before she answered.

"Just checking to see how you are" came Logan's response.

"Yeah and I'm the Queen of America" Max moved to stand by the lockers.

"I'm hurt" Logan feigned a wounded voice "Okay you caught me. I just received a call from an informant of mine Jeff-"

"Let me guess, he wants you to save the world from the hell it fell into again" she interrupted

"Something like that" he agreed, "Only this world takes on the form of political power all the way to D.C. Apparently some street drug is causing quite a ruckus in the capitol because there may be an insider whose doing some private funding into its distribution."

"Kinda old story Logan" Max reminded

"Yeah" he broke in "but with a slightly different twist. Someone one from D.C asked for Eyes Only's involvement with this directly. Jeff asked for me because I am the closet "connection" to the boss that he knows. There's a formal Senate sub committee hearing in four days-"

"How can there be a hearing if there's no evidence?" Max asked

"It's being held together by loose evidence. The Speaker was feeling a little lenient. But unless something concrete is put together before the hearing the case is going out the window."

"So the infamous Logan Cale is going to be a live wire in D.C." Max did a slight subject change.

"Not without my wife" Logan notified "Jeff grabbed another ticket for you. His logic being good cultural slash away time for us."

"Added bonus that I can kick asses huh?" Max asked

"That's a fact" he concurred "So is that a 'yes I don't mind going?"

"No that's a "yes I'll do you're leg work, but only if we can do a little personal down time in between taking down the baddies"

"I'll try and work it in" his smile was evident on the phone. "Flight leaves tonight at nine. I've already called Lucia and she said it'd be fine to leave the kids with her for the time"

"What about Tinga?" Max asked. She didn't mind leaving her babies with Luc, but usually Tinga or Cindy baby-sat.

"She's gonna be a little tied up baby" he spoke elusively to his wife about her sister for a moment "Seems that she's in heat, and it'll be hard enough to take care of Case by herself for the next twelve hours. Plus it'll give Lucia more time with them."

"Charlie's in for a ride" Max said of his first remark

"Probably use to it by now" Logan stated "So I'll see you at home and we can get this thing underway"

"Are the seats in first class?" Max asked

"Congress is picking up the tab Max"

"Then God bless America" she finished.

*****

UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 34
FIRST CLASS CABIN
12:55 AM (PACIFIC TIME)

"Ladies and gentleman" the head stewardess came over the intercom "We are about to begin our descent. Please make sure your seatbelts are fastened, and your seat backs and tray tables are in their full, upright position for landing. We thank you for flying this United non-stop flight from Seattle to Washington D.C. The local time here in country's capital is 3:55 AM and the temperature is a brisk 64 degrees"

"How can anyone be so damn cheery this late at night?" Max asked Logan

"Comes with the job description," he told her, feeling the plane drop its altitude as it prepped for landing.

"If I was in the cockpit I'd pull this thing into a nose dive and see if the cheeriest chick in the freakin' universe would still hold onto her happy thoughts."

"I'm sensing you're a bit agitated" Logan teased

"Never liked long flights," she told him "Can't even fall asleep to pass the time with all this charged up DNA"

*****

DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
WASHINGTON D.C.
4:35 AM (EASTERN TIME)

Logan and Max collected their luggage from the ever-slow bag check turn style. After finally collecting the bags they brought they stepped outside into the crisp D.C. air.

An airport attendant approached them "Evening, need a lift to your car?"

"Actually we're on vacation, so we don't have one yet. But if you could call a cab that would be great" Logan informed him, his breath slightly evident in the air.

"Sure thing" the attendant flagged down a yellow taxi. After the cab stopped on the curb the attendant loaded the bags in the trunk. "Where to?" he asked the couple.

"It's the Hyatt Regency on Center Street" Logan informed.

The attendant repeated these words to the cabbie before ducking his head inside the passenger window "You're set here sir."

"Thanks" Max spoke out this time.

The man nodded politely to her "You and your husband have a good trip ma'am" he shut the door to the cab.

"Hyatt huh?" the cabbie began making small talk to his charges "Must be nice to afford a place like that in this crappy weather."

"We're use to the cold" Max informed

"Oh where you from?" the cabbie asked

"Seattle" Logan answered, while setting his Seiko watch to the time he had programmed into his cell on the plane.

"Damn" the cabbie cursed "I came from the Bronx originally, but my brother says that Seattle was one of the worst hit after the Pulse. Like extreme martial law above the other states"

"Something like that" Max agreed "Not so bad though"

"Guys here for a vacation?"

"Yeah" Logan lied "Always wanted to see government in action"

"Not what it use to be" the cabbie informed "But still, D.C. is a full of history and mystery." the cab finally came to a stop in front of a white cement high rise building with large decorative fountains lit up by recessed lights built under black marble.

"Here we are folks" the cabbie got out of the taxi and opened the trunk to take out the bags "Want a hand with these?"

"Thanks but I think we can handle it" Logan told him, handing him the cab fair.

"Thank you sir, have a good evening" The cabbie took the money and drove off.

Max and Logan walked up the white marble stairs to the risen platform, by-passing the bellboy who stood outside in a coat in the cold to assist with anything. All together they only had four bags, two were overnight bags with personal items, one had Logan's IMac laptop and portable surveillance equipment, and the third was Max's double sided black suitcase with her "cat burglar" gear.

Logan held the door open for Max, and the night clerk became animated at the potential guests. "Good evening, and welcome to the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Can I have you're name please?"

"Cale" Logan stated to the man "Max and Logan Cale."

The clerk checked his computer guest list for a few seconds "Ah yes, here it is. We had a gentleman just confirm the room this morning." he reached under his desk for a minute, and pulled out a bulking manila package. "The man who reserved the room left this for you."

"Thanks" Logan took the package from him "Does the room have a DSL connection port?"

"Can't tear him away from work for even one day" Max tsked to the clerk, trying to play the part of the neglected housewife.

"This is suppose to be 'our time'" Logan played along as well, making the desk clerk smile.

"I understand how that is Sir. You're in the business section of the hotel, so there is an Internet connection. But don't let the name fool you. The room is quite large, has a balcony with a view of the Potomac River and the Washington Monument." he laid the key card in it's small manila envelope on the counter. "Here's you're key, I'll have a bell boy take your luggage up"

"That won't be necessary" Max told him "We don't travel too heavy."

"As you wish ma'am" the clerk was a little disappointed at the loss of more tipping to the hotel, but he kept up his cheery attitude with the guests. "But allow the bell boy to at least show you to your room. This hotel has twenty-six floors, and it's easy to get lost"

"That'd be fine" Logan agreed. "Thank you"

The clerk smiled "Then have a good night sir"

*****

Room 834

"Here we are" the bellboy opened the door wide for the pair. "The bathroom is just to the left, and the balcony is straight forward just beyond the French doors"

"Thanks" Logan handed the man some money. Even though he didn't carry the bags he did them some service.

"Thank you sir. If you or your wife needs anything, just dial '253' on the phone and it will connect you to the front desk. Have a good night" the man left as fast as he came.

Logan dropped his bags on the large queen size cherry wood bed while Max threw her stuff on the high back dark red chair in the separate sitting area.

"Bet Jeff requested one bed on purpose" Max spoke out, looking at the bed covered by a golden yellow comforter. "Doesn't he know that it's business before pleasure?" she smiled when she said this.

"That's how it is really?" Logan returned the fire.

Max looked around the room. It was decorated in furniture that looked like it originally belonged in Louie XIV's palace. A half wall divided the "bedroom" from the sitting area complete with a plush, over stuffed burgundy colored sofa, and flanked on either side by two high back red chairs. Just beyond the sitting area the carpeted floors gave way to a small tiled section where a counter, mini fridge, microwave, coffee pot and the complimentary samples that existed in every hotel stood. Max stepped through this area, and opened the French doors that lead outside.

"Nice digs huh?" Logan sat in one of the chairs, and opened the package Jeff had sent.

"Place is poshed up" Max agreed "Might even live up to your Aunt Margo's expectations" The air was a little cooler then down on the ground because of how high up they were. The sky was a crystal clear midnight black filled with stars, and the air was rich with the sounds of the high-powered federal city that never slept. The tall triangle topped silhouette of the Washington Monument broke the pattern of stars where it met the sky, it's bottom slightly illuminated by the lights under it. And the waters of the Reflecting Pool that stood in front of the monument were a tiny bit visible from the vantage point on the balcony.

Max stepped closer to the French style railing, listening to the traffic below. /Not as high as the needle, but the Potomac could substitute for Puget Sound/ "Great view too" she came back inside, but left the doors opened.

"What did Jeffery send?" she flopped down onto the burgundy sofa.

Logan started to remove the contents of the envelope "Parking pass to the garage here at the hotel. Rental's already here, whoo, Mitsubishi Meada"

"Nice" Max agreed, "Just because we're in D.C. don't mean we have to get stuck with some black escort g-man crap."

"Also has a note" Logan pulled out a piece of paper, reading what it said out loud "Senator Richard Patterson wants to meet up with you tomorrow for a briefing. The appointment is at noon in his Washington office, parking clearance has already been taken care off. I've given you some reading material on this new drug, which Congress is calling "Narcotic X1", but that the street level dealers refer to as "pop grass" Do your homework, tonight so there will be something new to work with in the morning. Oh and you and Max enjoy the sleeping arrangements"

"He doesn't know a thing about me does he?" Max asked straight out. "What's sleep?"

"Got me" Logan returned with a smile, folding the letter and putting it on the oak coffee table. He pulled out the six-page file from the envelope "Guess I got some reading to do so I don't look like an ass tomorrow in front of a US Senator"

"You look like an ass?" Max raised her eyebrows at this "Somebody stop the world"

He threw a cushion at her.

Max pushed the pillow aside "You do know I have a first strike rule?"

"I'll give you a first strike" Logan dropped the files on the coffee table, and "attacked" her on the couch, throwing her on her back.

"Um baby" Max broke off from the kiss he gave her "I don't think this is what Jeff meant by homework"

"No of course not" Logan bent low and started kissing a trail from her neck to the ending cut of fabric in her v-neck blue sweater "This is extra curricular."

"You know it's homework before play" Max scolded lightly, finding it hard to keep her attention focused on the task at hand with what he was doing to her neck.

"It'll get done in due time" he analyzed "Not like I'm going to sleep tonight anyway."

*****

U.S. SENATE PARKING GARAGE
CAPTIOL DOME BUILDING
WASHINGTON D.C.
11:43 AM
THE NEXT MORNING

Logan drove the dark blue Meada into the basement entrance of the large government concrete parking garage. An MP dressed in fatigues stood at the erected gate, lowering the barricade to keep the car from entering. Even though there was a parking permit on the dash it was the MP's duty to clear every person who entered the capital building.

"Morning Ma'am, Sir. Need to see some photo ID please" the soldier leaned his head inside the window.

Logan pulled out his Washington State driver's license, handing it to the MP along with an ID Sebastian had made up for Max; who normally kept no documented evidence of herself because that would just be too easy to fall into the wrong hands. Even her ER records and OB files were sealed in Sam's office.

The MP checked both cards, handing them back through the window, and picking up a clipboard to begin to run through a checklist that had become standard procedure after the Pulse Attack of 2009. "Do you or the lady have any weapons on you or in the car at this time Sir?"

"No" Logan answered the question

"In accordance with the DOD Anti-Terrorists Jurisdiction of 2010 I am authorized to issue a full vehicle and/or body search of you and your passengers should I find anything in your possession that may be a threat to United States national security. Do you have any objections to this?"

"No" Logan repeated again

"Have you or anyone you know been arrested for, but not limited to exploiting the Federal Government of the Untied States, or plotting and/or committing acts of terrorism on U.S. soil?"

"I assure you no soldier" Logan reassured, answering the question, even though he knew it was a lie. /I wonder if harboring a known transgenic escapee from a secret government military facility counts as 'exploiting the Federal Government'/

"Ma'am, same question" the MP addressed Max.

"No sir." Max answered back/I also have a nice wooded area in Wyoming to show you/

"And what is the purpose of this visit to the Capital?"

"We have an appointment with Senator Patterson" Logan answered

"Is he expecting you?" the MP asked

"That's why we have an appointment" Logan pointed out again, slightly annoyed, but didn't show it, not wanting to deal with military arrest and interrogation this morning.

"This is all standard procedure Sir" the MP reassured, "I know it can sometimes be an pained process to wrap your head around all the regulations, but-"

"We understand Sgt." Max broke in "Rules are in place for a reason" she glanced at Logan briefly when she said this. "M16 Automatic?"

"Ma'am?" the MP responded to Max's remark.

"Your rifle" Max pointed out, nodding over to the black weapon that was strapped across the man's back in a holster.

"Yes Ma'am" the MP agreed "Army governmental issue." he patted the butt of the rifle "You in the service?"

"Use to be" Max informed

"What branch?" the MP became interested in engaging a fellow soldier in some verbal exchange "Army?"

"Special forces" Max stated elusively

The MP looked down at his clipboard for a moment "Everything checks out," he handed Logan a sign to hang on the rear view mirror "Put this on your mirror, says you've been through the checkpoint, and don't remove it until you've cleared capital hill sanction"

"Thank you Sgt." Logan took the sign from him.

"Have a good day Sir" the MP responded, pushing a button the black remote control he was holding to raise the barricade.

After the Meada cleared the checkpoint, Logan looked around for a place to park. Finding no available spaces on the basement level he went up to the second, and found a spot by an outer concrete wall with a sign that read:

VISITOR PARKING: Must clear permit at checkpoint to park anywhere this sign is posted. Permit must be visible on dashboard at all times.
The penalty for violation is a 300-dollar fine and possible detainment by Military Police.

Max stepped out of the passenger side, "Looks like we work here or something" she remarked to Logan. "If Normal could see me now he'd die a proud man."

Max's usual urban street attire wouldn't swing in the capital building, so she had donned a black single breasted pants suit, cleaned lined, but the pants were slightly longer then issued cooperate dress, ending just below the tops of her half inch healed black boots, creating a slight flair pattern. /Just because I'm in G-man capital don't mean I have to loose my style/ A grayish sliver lycra tank top peaked out from the 'V' the suit jacket made, showing a bit of Max's well tanned and toned body, but not enough to make her look like trash for hire.

She admired the way Logan's suit fit him. It was a deep black, single breasted topped with a medium blue shirt and gray silk tie that matched the gray in Max's tank top. "Apparently I got myself a g-man" she gave a slight eyebrow raise.

"No way" Logan disagreed "Underground's more fun" he locked the car door, opting to leave his coat inside the car because it wasn't as cool as it had been the previous night. He checked out his wife "You look great, very government issue" he realized what he had said after the words came out "I didn't mean it like that Max"

Max just shrugged it off "Not a big dealio Logan, didn't do it to 'break what's left of this frail spirit" she made a light joke of it.

"Frail? You?" he smiled "If that's what's left, then what was taken out?" he asked as they descended the stairs to the ground level.

They walked across the concrete, which was filled with people dressed in proper business attire, most with cell phones, walking briskly as they talked. There was a grassy area that flanked the concrete entranceway, and a few tourists had spread a blanket on the grass to enjoy the nice day. Some of the travelers, and a few men in power suits were seated on the benches that lined the area where the concrete met the grass.

After climbing the three levels of stairs Logan held the glass door to the Senate house open for Max

"Chivalry huh?" she questioned passing through the door

"You know it" Logan agreed, coming inside behind her.

*****

SENATE HOUSE
WEST OFFICE WING
OUTSIDE OFFICE OF SENATOR RICHARD PATTERSON
11:55 AM

"Senator Patterson is on a conference call, he'll be with you in one moment." Patterson's secretary informed the couple by her desk "Just have a seat please"

Logan sat on the two-person leather couch that was against the wall of the room. Max slid in beside him, doing a quick check of her watch. From outside the window above the secretary's desk there was the tail end view of the Lincoln Memorial, two white structure pillars visible from the angle.

Logan glanced through the files Jeff had left him. He had read them over late last night with Max, finding out more about X1 then he ever wanted to know. The drug was a hot seller on the black market, going for as much as 100 dollars a hit.

"Mr. Cale" the secretary's voice broke Logan away from his reading "The senator will see you now"

Logan thanked her and collected his files "Get this bitch started" he whispered to Max, borrowing her phrase as they stepped through the cherry wood door.

"Senator Patterson" Logan addressed the man seated at a large oak desk in a high back black chair.

"Mr. Cale" Patterson rose from his seat and came out from behind his desk. "I want to thank you for coming all the way out from Seattle. I hope it wasn't too much trouble to get here"

"Not at all" Logan assured "I'm grateful for the opportunity your office has presented me." Logan shook the hand Patterson offered "Senator this is my wife Max" he introduced her.

"Pleasure Mrs. Cale" Patterson smiled at Max.

"I can say the same Senator Patterson" Max informed.

"Well, now that the formalities are taken care off, let's get down to the nitty gritty. Please-" Patterson directed them to sit down.

"Thank you" Logan replied politely, pulling up an oak chair.

"Now Mr. Cale" Patterson leaned on his desk "I understand you are in close association with the president of the cyber journalist under grounder "Eyes Only"

"You're understanding is correct Sir" Logan answered, "I work in very well knit quarters with Eyes Only"

"How well knit are we talking about Mr. Cale?" the senator asked.

"Extremely Sir" Max broke into the conversation "No information is broadcast from the Informa Net mainframe without first being cleared through him"

"Are you an avid player in your husband's job Mrs. Cale?" Patterson asked her.

"Try to help when I can Senator" Max asked, briefly glancing at Logan /that's the understatement of the year. Ranks right up there with Renfro was just a little bitchy/

"This case" the Senator switched gears "Washington is in a very delicate situation with this. Any new drug presents a problem, but this new one, where it came from, you can understand our concern."

"Has the composition been mapped out?" Logan asked, "There wasn't any sheet in the file I received"

"That was my orders Sir." Patterson admitted "Sorry to hold back from you but the Department of Health was afraid of a security leak if the chemical papers left the lab. It would be too easy for someone to get a hold of the papers and make more of the drug."

"From what I know there is enough of this mess already on the streets Senator" Max broke into the conversation."Street dealers are dishing it out for a hundred a pop"

"Which is why I want to cut it off at the source Mrs. Cale" Patterson informed "We need to get a strangle hold on this before we see another narcotics rise like the LSD phase of the 1960's"

"The term the street dealers named X1" Logan looked down at the file "pop grass-"

"Most likely given because of an unfortunate side affect" Patterson sat on the end of his desk. "The drug is mostly made up of melted cocaine crystals, LSD powder and, belladonna. We're calling it X1 because it contains some kind of chemical component that acts as a catalyst with the narcotics to speed up the reactions, making it easier for users to get high. But the chemical also has a direct effect on the sensory organs, most particularly the ears. It wears away at the blood vessel that connects to the tympanic membrane, which doesn't have much of an effect after only one use except for a headache. But the chemical wears away at the vessel and after a while it ruptures-"

"Makes people go deaf" Max finished for him

"Does it affect both ears?" Logan asked

"Depends on how hard the user is" Patterson responded "Sometimes its only one ear sometimes it's both. But the last thing America needs now is deaf citizens needing medical treatment. DOH doesn't have that kind of setup for that level of treatment. This catalyst drug isn't from anything here. I don't have its chemical make-up, but it came from non-domestic suppliers. I have been appointed by my superiors to head the research on this case, and present it at the Senate hearing. However, as you read in the memo I gave you, the case against this isn't a very strong one, and my worry is that it'll fall apart beforehand, because my position as a senator doesn't count for shit in Narcotic research, which is why I asked for outside help. All my sources indicate that Eyes Only is on top of his game, and if you work as closely with him as you claim Mr. Cale then I'd say we've got the gears going"

"I agree Senator" Logan stated, "So what do you need?"

"With your connections Mr. Cale you can access places that even I can't, this job comes with power but it's only as strong as the government that created it. So I need you to cross reference department files here in the Senate, and conduct any private investigations you need to, only don't go too far from Federal Government jurisdiction. Congress granted sanction for these investigations, but any thing too far off the mark and they're not covering our asses anymore. And I don't think I have to tell you what it would do to your boss's network with full exposure of a failure from the Washington press corps"

"Right" Logan agreed "Then I'll get on it right away Sir"

****

Max pulled out her cell once she was out of the Senator's office. "Hi Rick, this is Max, from-" she paused "guess you remember. Can I talk to them? Thanks"

She waited for Lucia's husband to put one of her kids on the other line.

"Hey babe" she was now speaking to Jess "How ya doin'?" she smiled as he regaled her with the stories of what he did in the past day. "Sounds like fun. We'll be home in a few days baby. Yeah I miss you too-" she was about to go on with something else, when she realized she came out of Patterson's office with one less item. "Hey sweetie, talk to daddy kay? I'll call you again tonight, love you too." she handed Logan the phone, whispering "forgot the file" before heading back to where she came.

*****

Max stepped through the door the secretary opened for her, with a quick "Thanks" before entering the office. She spied the manila file folder on the seat of the chair where she had been sitting.

"Something else Mrs. Cale?" Patterson was seated at his desk typing on his laptop, and looked up when she came in.

"Just a little on the absent minded side today Senator" Max picked up the file from it's resting place, observing Patterson typing on his report, and took stock of the pictures that were on his desk. Even though she hated it, she was Manticore bred, taught to be very observant of new surroundings.

Patterson caught her looking at the photos "Cute aren't they?" he stopped in his typing to look at an image of three smiling kids, two of them long haired dirty blonde haired girls with green eyes, and the other a light brown headed little boy with brown eyes. "The girls favor my wife more. Austin's the one that looks like his daddy." he glanced up at Max "You have children Mrs. Cale?"

"Yes Sir" Max agreed, addressing him in almost military precision politeness. "We have one of each"

Patterson's lips gave way to a tiny smile. "Bet you miss them"

"As much as any other mother would Sir" Max answered back "But I'm getting by" she tucked the file closer to her body. "I gotta get going" she started to leave

"One more moment of your time please ma'am" Patterson's words halted her movements. He stood up and joined her where she came back in the middle of the room. "Tonight there's going to be a charity ball in the ballroom of the Watergate, the proceeds of which are going to help the World Aids Organization, one of the only remaining charities that's still on the level. But don't let the name fool you. There will be a lot of people there I feel your husband should meet, and the members of Congress would turn the dance floor into a bull pen at the mere wiff of something dirty. I managed to get two of the last remaining tickets, and I believe it would be a great asset for you to attend, get a sense of what's going on in the big picture"

"I accept the invitation Senator" Max informed "For both of us. But you might find me a little dressed down for this occasion. I don't come with much baggage when I travel, so I didn't bring anything ball room worthy"

"I can take care of that Mrs. Cale," the Senator informed, heading back over to his desk and picked up his phone. "There's a Giorgio Armani boutique on 32 Ave. My wife goes there all the time for her dresses and business suits, she's on the residency board at Georgetown hospital-" as he talked he dialed the number for the store "Hello? Yes this is Senator Patterson calling, may I speak to your head of sales please?" there was a few moments of silence as Patterson waited "Yes hello. I'm sending a Mrs. Max Cale down to your store today. She will be attending the World Aids Charity ball at the Watergate tonight. Now Mrs. Cale came all the way from Seattle and this invitation was sort of last minute so she has nothing suitable-" he smiled "I agree. What?" he took a glance at Max, seemingly sizing her up "about 5'7, Hispanic descent, very long dark brown hair, beautiful-yes." pause "I appreciate that. And anything Mrs. Cale purchases, have it charged to my account. Yes thank you. Good-bye" he hung up, looking back at Max "You're all set." he paused again for a moment "I hope I didn't overstep my bounds by my remark of you ma'am"

"I consider it a compliment Sir" Max reassured "And thank you, for sticking your neck out for this Sir. It was unnecessary."

"Well I feel that since you flew three thousand miles you should enjoy every minute of your time here." he smiled at her, handing her a small white envelope "It starts at 6:00"

*****

WATERGATE HOTEL
WASHINGTON D.C.
5:55 PM

Logan drove the Meada through the entranceway of the Watergate, driving up the manmade hill to the covered pass at the entrance to the building. A valet attendant beside the car, opening Max's door before even she could object.

Logan handed him the keys, and joined his wife on the curb. He silently admired the way she looked in a floor length dark navy Chanel evening gown, the neck styled so that it hooked around the back in a halter-top fashion, enough that Max didn't have to use makeup to conceal her barcode. The bodice was covered with hand sewn glass beads that made intricate patterns of spirals. Her shoulders and back were left bare. Her long was pulled into a loose French twist with two wisps hanging down to frame the sides of her face. At home she didn't wear much make-up and tonight was no exception even at this extravagant of an event. There was just a trace of wine coloring on her lips and a touch of eye shadow and mascara.

With the style of dress she was wearing Max's silver and black, slightly chunky, waterproof, sports style Fossil watch looked out of place on her wrist. It was the kind that gave military time one a smaller face inside the larger one. But to Logan it also said something about who she was, a down to earth female soldier, even under a chanel evening dress at a black tie gala. She was true to who she was, which was one of the things that first attracted her to him in the first place.

"You look great" he finally voiced his admiration out loud

"Since Patterson was footin' the bill, I thought what the hell" she returned in a quip. She had it in her mind to make the most of Patterson's offer, opting for the most expensive gown in the store; one that she could easily fence on the Black Market back home for enough green to help Ju-Yin buy the parts to get her clunker running; and also add a little to the bribe fund for her girl when the sector cops came by to shake the place down. Turns out the most expensive gown was a five thousand dollar fire engine red tango dress with the top and the bottom of the skirt decorated with tiny diamonds, but Max personally thought it looked too much like that hoochy number that she had worn when she and Logan had first hooked up. It had too many memories of Anselmo being all over her. Plus she wanted to look nice for this event, a little sexy, but not like a slutty whore.

So she had opted for about the fifth most expensive gown, cashing in at sixteen hundred. The sales lady and the owner gushed on anything she chose because of the powerful connection she had apparently made in the city.

"Hope you didn't break his account sweetheart" Logan commented when they reached the landing of the stairs.

"Have I ever been a high maintenance girl?" she asked, glancing at him briefly.

"I'm opting not to say anything to that," he answered, handing their tickets to the armed guard in the blue beret standing outside the hotel lobby. He really didn't want to wear a tux and look like every other g-man here, so he had chosen instead a black double-breasted suit and a dark blue vest over a white linen shirt and charcoal black silk tie; which all put together resembled a tuxedo, but was slightly more casual and a hell of a lot more comfortable.

The ball was in full swing when the couple stepped through the double-sided French door entryway. Servers in white dinner jackets carried trays of Champaign among men in tuxedos and women in formal gowns, and a few female members of congress in a well-tailored business suit. There was also a fair amount of military uniforms from Army generals, decked out with their metals and bars, and some with three stars on the shoulders.

"Posh" Max surveyed the scene before her, turning towards her husband "Nice to know with all the suffering in the world today the government still diverts tax dollars to these parties so their own can whoop it up because they claim they want to save stuff."

"They claim it's going for a good cause" Logan agreed "But then again this is the same government that was unaware that U.S. tax dollars were also being diverted into a secret military project to make transgenic super warriors." his voice got lower at the end, because standing in a room with senators and top military personnel was not a good place to blurt out about the existence of Manticore.

"So where's Patterson?" Max changed the subject, looking around for the man who invited them there.

They didn't have to look for long, because soon Senator Patterson, dressed in a black tuxedo waved them over.

"Some people I would like you to meet" Patterson first turned to the blonde woman on his right. "This is my lovely wife Dr. Regina Patterson, a resident with the pediatric ward at Georgetown."

Regina Patterson, an attractive early thirty something blonde in a red strapless gown, smiled "My husband talks about you all the time Mr. Cale. Don't worry its all good things." she gave a laugh, which was light, but not airy, a real indication that she knew how to make a joke.

"Senator Joseph Cain from Massachusetts" Patterson made the next introduction, addressing a middle-aged man, with fair skin and brown hair, which was thinning out in the back. "And Private First Class Aaron Kirkland with the Army's 95th Airborne" this time the introduction was made at a young man, not much older than Max, wearing a full army green dress uniform. His brown eyes were clearly visible with the minimal amount of crew-cut light brown hair on his head.

"Pleasure ma'am" Private Kirkland addressed Max

"Same Private" Max returned the greeting, her voice falling into the street style tone she used back home.

Kirkland smiled at her pleasant enough, but there was a lingering look towards her, a glance that was long past the normal unspoken rule of eye contact between two strangers. It was something that would easily be missed by someone not observant of such minute changes, but with what who and what Max was, she was always one to pick up on small things.

A second or two of silence passed between the transgenic solider and Boy Captain America First Class.

"Your husband tells me you're on the residency board" Max broke the quiet with this remark aimed at Patterson's wife, using a diversion technique to keep the others from having time to analyze the silent exchange.

It worked "I've been there three years Mrs. Cale" Regina informed "But I only just got on the board last fall, one of the senior members just became an attending so it left a spot open"

"Sounds like a demanding job" Max stated

"It can be at times" Regina agreed "And what do you do if you don't mind my asking?"

/Well by night I kick ass, and fight off members of this whacked out breeding cult who like to mess with me 'cause I kinda came from this transgenic solider family, but by day-/ "I'm a bike messenger Dr. Patterson" Max answered, honestly, but with no trace of shame. "Pay sucks a lot of times, but I was on the streets until I was about fifteen and I needed the cash flow, small as it was. Place just kinda grew on me after a while so I stayed."

"Sounds like a very interesting profession." Regina returned with this, completely sincere, not meaning it as a snub. "I wouldn't be surprised if you accidentally wind up handing off some of that damn new drug that's out now."

"Regina has seen her share of addicts pass through the ER" Patterson clarified his wife's statement

"At first it was just a few isolated cases" Regina went on "One or two young kids came into the ER. But then it was two more the next night. All together I've treated twelve separate cases, and it's only been two days."

"What did you outline for treatments Dr. Patterson?" Logan asked

"Cochlear Implants" Regina stated this to point out how much damage the drug actually did to the ear. "But most of the patients were street level addicts with no means of funds to afford such an expensive hearing aid. Nothing I could do but bandage them up and send them to the free clinics for antibiotics, but it's a time game with how long deaf addicts will survive on the streets."

*****

Max had moved out on the veranda, stepping over the marble floor, the heels of her shoes making a soft "clunk" where she stepped. A soft breeze tossed the loose tendrils of her hair.

The dome of the Capitol building was visible in the sky, and the waters of the Potomac River magnified the sounds of the nightly rush hour.

Logan was still inside to snag some Champaign. In reality he was doing people surveying, wanting to hear different opinions on this new drug wave. Max had decided on the change of scenery the veranda offered, wanting to do her own surveying on the layout of the building.

Max turned from looking at the view because she had a sensation someone was watching her. Her gaze quickly settled on the form of Private Kirkland leaning against the railing about four feet away from her, to the right of where she was standing. He wasn't staring at her, but she got the distinct impression he had followed her out there.

"Came out for the air Private?" she called him on his motives, wanting to see if her assumptions were correct on what he was doing out here.

Kirkland turned slightly to face her "Mrs. Cale" his voice was innocent, like he had just now realized that she was there. "Actually yes. I'm not too big on confinement indoors." he took a step towards her. "Always feel like a trapped bird, like a raven in a cage not being allowed to prowl"

Max looked at him funny for this, because it was an odd analogy to give for just a simple question about taking a breather.

"I have a unique way of thinking about things" Kirkland sensed her uneasiness from his statement. He slid his hands into his army issued pockets. "If you don't mind me saying so ma'am, how'd a good looker like you get mixed up with this Eyes Only fanatic?" after he said this he gave her a look that wasn't exactly a roaming one, but defiantly one that let her know he was checking her out.

At the word "fanatic" Max immediately became defensive /boy that's my man you're talkin' about/ "The Informa Net does good work in Seattle Private" she called him on his military status with emphasis in a display of hostility to what he just said. "Eyes Only wants to help, there is no fanaticism"

Private Kirkland effectively shut up about it after that, dropping the subject for whatever reason; somehow seeing her as a competitor with a game equal to his. "I apologize ma'am" the military crispness in his voice put Max's to shame.

Max didn't respond to his statement. There was no reply she could give that wouldn't have its fair share of cursing.

Thankfully Logan joined her a few seconds later before Max had the chance to test her theory.

"Here's to the cause" Logan held up his Champaign flute, saluting to the toast he just thought up.

"Make it sound like we're on a crusade" Max drank half of the light colored Champaign in one breath.

"We're fighting for a purpose" Logan remarked to her statement. He turned to the view Max had been taking in before her meeting with Private Kirkland. "Place is one of the few I've seen that seems almost unaffected by the Pulse" he sipped again from the flute in his hand.

Max stepped closer to him, close enough to his body that only an inch of space existed between them to let the cool wind blow through. "The broken effect is still there" she rested her right hand on the rail "They just do a better job at covering it up"

Max's view suddenly became not to her liking, and in a full length evening dress, she jumped over the veranda's railing to sit atop it's ivory surface, her feet clad in black stiletto healed sandals dangling freely in the thirty or so odd feet to the ground. "But if you look close enough" she continued on the same topic she had been on before her graceful maneuver "you can still see it, just takes a little longer."

"Think people like that concept" Logan again stepped closer to his wife, admiring the way she was so at ease on the railing, like a cat on a back alley fence. "If they can't see the broken parts then they can believe they don't exist"

"Their reality check" Max turned to face him, placing one arm behind her back to support her weight so she wouldn't fall.

"Speaking of reality" Logan went in another direction "Patterson's wife got paged when I was inside to handle another case of "pop grass" ingestion."

"Guess these people don't have off nights" she turned her body back around so that now her legs were above the veranda floor.

"Apparently not" he agreed "I mean not when there's snorting to be had"

She smiled at his choice of words "Maybe we should pay her a visit while we're here. Get a up close angle on this mess"

"You read my mind" Logan agreed

*****

SALAZAR DRUG CIRCLE
WASHINGTON D.C.
8:30 PM

"Yeah man" Pico Salazar spoke into his silver wireless sitting at one of the tables set up for his "business" in the abandoned warehouse

"Got a shipment coming in tonight" he leaned back into the aluminum-folding chair. "Good?" he laughed at the man on the other line "Man shit's the extreme." he listened for a few seconds "Deals legit boy. Meet up tonight behind Lincoln aiight?" Salazar made sure his courier understood where he was going "Aiight" he repeated again before hanging up.

He pocketed the wireless before returning to his previous task, filling small baggies with crystal meth to distribute at his Georgetown hang.

*****

HYATT REGENCY
1:02 AM

Max quietly zipped up her black leather jacket, grabbing her black leather gloves from her overnight bag. She kept the light off, using her night vision to see in the dark so she wouldn't wake up Logan. She moved to silently sit on the bed after she had pulled on her shoes. She stuck a hand written note on the mahogany end table by the bed, much like Logan had done to her when he had left early to play basketball. The note simply read:

Went on the prowl to scope out some of the monuments baby.
I'm on foot and I'll behave myself if D.C. does

Max

She kissed his neck on the spot where a barcode existed on her own before climbing off the bed and leaving through the front door.

*****

LINCOLN MEMORIAL
1:34 AM

The hotel was centrally located for all the museums and monuments, making it not that far of a trek to the memorial of President Lincoln, plus with Max's tracking ability she managed to get their faster then the average pedestrian. She was thankful for the late hours, which meant minimal people out except for those who only came out late to work.

She cut across the grass to the entranceway to the Lincoln Memorial glad to be out of view of the road. In the last twenty minutes she had to politely refuse three cabbies offering her a lift, and reassuring them that she could take care of herself, and knew full well of the dangers D.C. posed to lone women wandering the streets so late at night.

Her shoes were noiseless as she ascended the white steps to Lincoln Memorial. The large pillars that held up the structure stood like a surreal forest of concrete. Max stepped through the gap in them created as they gave way to the entrance, coming to a stop before the engraved statue of Lincoln sitting in the vast chair.

She silently read the inscription at the base of the statue, paying quiet respect to the slain president. Her soft footfalls now were the only noise that sounded in her ears as she slowly walked around the expanse of the memorial to take all of it in. She finally completed her circle and stood once again at the erected statue of Lincoln.

"Would've been coo' to meet you" she spoke to the statue, and Lincoln offered her quiet silence in return.

The calm atmosphere that the memorial brought was changed when her heightened sense of hearing picked up the sound of footsteps climbing the stairs to the monument.

/Who the hell comes out here this late? I mean besides me with my lack of needing sleep/ Quiet voices now echoed slightly through the open area of the structure.

"Glad you showed" one voice grew louder as whoever it was drew closer to where Max stood.

Without a sound Max climbed up the statue, moving higher until she finally came to a spot where she could shield herself behind Lincoln's right arm /Don't mean any disrespect, just not many other places to lay low/ Max pressed herself on her stomach, keeping her hearing on alert to find out exactly what was going down.

"Bring what I ask?" the same voice as before asked

Whoever he was transacting with didn't talk, but Max's ears picked up the sounds of a zipper being open. With cautious movements she lifted her head in time to see a lanky Hispanic looking man with a goatee peer into a blue duffel bag.

"Looks good," the man informed the other tossing him a paper bag "eight double zero's, what we agreed on."

Max honed in her vision to see the other man checking a rubber-banded stack of twenties that he had pulled out of the paper bag.

"Keep it comin' boy and the green will still be rollin'" the first man stated, before turning and heading out of the memorial, presumably to his car.

Max watched him leave, also keep one eye on the man's buddy. She watched him go the same way as the other before he disappeared from her range of vision. She wondered where the hell he went for about ten seconds before she felt the blow of something hard knocking her in her side, throwing her off balance. She had just enough time to grab a hold of the statue before she fell, her earlier maneuver angling her body so that she landed hard on her feet on the concrete floor.

She didn't have time to process what had just happened before she was thrown to the ground by the same man she had lost sight of leaving the memorial.

"Hell kinda first impression is that?" Max rebounded from the blow, facing her adversary, who like herself was dressed all in black, a ski mask shielding his face from view. "You and your buddy don't do the day job thing huh?" she side kicked him throwing him on his back.

The man rebounded with amazing ability, throwing a punch at Max, who dodged it expertly.

"Might actually survive my ass kicking" Max informed her unknown competitor "Still gonna make you scamper away in the night with your tail between yo' legs"

The man caught her leg before she could kick him and with hard force he threw her back into the statue.

Max felt the impact of the granite smack into the side of her head. The blow caused her to slide down the statue's base, too dazed to get back up. She felt rather than heard the man approach. His fist connected with her body, and with the effect of the other attack, it was enough to engulf her in blackness.

*****

He looked at the woman he had just knocked out. She had been spying on him and Salazar; he had sensed her when he was leaving. But there was something about her. She wasn't just some girl off the street, she had put up a hell of a fight; they didn't teach moves like that in a damn self defense class.

/Girl's almost my match/ he knelt down next to her, wanting to find something out. He started to lift up her hair when the sound of a car reached his ears.

*****

Logan parked the Meada on the curb. After reading Max's message, he had gone back to sleep since it wasn't uncommon for her to go prowling at night. But then a few minutes later he was wide awake with a strange sense that he needed to go check on her. At first he shrugged it off. Max was a super soldier after all, she could handle herself; but something kept nagging him. So he finally gave in. She had said she was going to check out the monuments, and he had already been to The Wall, the Washington Monument, and The Jefferson Memorial with no luck.

He climbed out of the car and locked it with the keyless remote. /Probably sitting on Lincoln's lap thinking, good substitute for the Needle/ He started to climb the stairs when someone smacked into him going the other way.

/Where the hell's he going to in such a hurry?/ Something tickled his hand. He pulled back, finding a hair stuck to his leather jacket. It was long, brown, defiantly not his /Probably Max's/ He looked closer for some reason this time noticing a faint trace of blood near the hair shaft.

"Max" he spoke these words just as a dark colored Camero pulled into the street. He ran up the stairs, taking them in twos.

"Max" he called her name again, before he found her on the ground.

She was lying motionless on her side, slumped against the base of Lincoln's statue. A gash an inch long was opened across her scalp, oozing blood. Logan was relieved to note that she was still breathing, but was worried that she still made no attempt to get up.

"Baby it's me" he gently shook her; being extremely careful, not knowing the force of the blow she had suffered. Head injuries were nothing to mess around with, even with hyped up Manticore genes. "You gotta wake up"

After getting no response he tried again "C'mon Max, don't you dare crap out on me"

"Logan?" this time he got a response from his wife as she came back into consciousness, opening her eyes to half slits. "What are you doin' here? Damn" she broke off to curse at the pain in her head. "Feels like I got hit with the moon stick"

"Just lie still for a second sweetheart" he ordered gently "What happened?"

"There were these two guys hangin' round here. Doin' a transaction, think for "P.G." one of them got a lil pissy for me listenin' in"

"What did he hit you with?" Logan asked, taking in the information she gave him.

"Nuthin' cept his body" she answered, "Bitch was when he landed me against Honest Abe" she grabbed a hold of her head with one hand and sat up.

"Slowly" Logan helped her into a sitting position, one hand behind her neck, directly over her barcode hidden by the collar of her leather jacket "Follow my finger." he held out his free hand in front of her.

"You my MD now?" she made a light joke as she did what he said

"Do you know who the President is?" Logan asked a question to test her lucidity.

"Hilary Clinton's half baked friend McKimson" she answered

"You know who you are?" he let go of her neck, resting his hand on her leg

"An idiot for letting some low life nail me one, when I'm the one with the hyper active soldier genes" she returned, looking him in the eye "Everything check out doc?"

"Good as can be expected" he returned, "I'd ask, but I already know a doctor's out"

"Defiantly" Max agreed "Ya know, exposure and all." she touched the laceration on her scalp, wincing slightly "don't feel too deep. Probably can just butterfly it, hotel should have a kit"

"You also should be watched for a few hours. Ya know make sure nothing broke upstairs, but I think I can do as good a job as a doctor at Georgetown."

"Man of a thousand faces" Max stated, pulling herself on her feet.

Logan put a hand on her shoulder to steady her "Can you make to the car on your own?"

"Think so" she informed. But as if to prove her wrong she tripped going down the stairs.

Logan caught her by the elbow "How about I get your back just in case?" he held an arm across her shoulders, helping guide her down the rest of the way to the parked car.

*****

HYATT REGENCY
1:55 AM

"You sure that's all you need Sir?" the night desk clerk came in the room with the first aid kit from the lobby. He took in the young woman seated on the bed holding a wet rag to her scalp. "If your wife needs a doctor I could call a cab to Georgetown-"

"It's good Sir" Max reassured him herself "I just tripped going down the parking garage stairs. It's nothing really" she switched the rag to a clean section, scalp lacerations tended to bleed a lot because of the close proximity of the blood vessels to the skin.

The clerk still looked uneasy at Max's reassurance, but had to take her at her word, mainly because he needed to get back to the desk because he was the only one who worked it this late at night. He dropped the hefty first aid kit on the sofa and left the room.

Logan headed over to the metal box after the door closed, lifting the aluminum lid to reveal scords of first aid tape, bandages, gauzes, splints, and even a few hypodermic insulin needles. After a few seconds of searching he unearthed a small pack of preformed butterfly bandages, and headed over to where Max was now sitting on the over stuffed burgundy sofa.

"How's the headache?" he sat down next to her.

"Don't feel like I'm gonna explode anymore" she turned to face him slightly "Been down graded to an ache I felt the time an X7 kicked me in the head with his combat boots on." She took the four 200 mg Tylenol tablets he gave her, downing them all with a half glass of water.

"Don't ever tell me this X7's whereabouts Max" he wiped of the dried blood that had coagulated on her scalp. "Cause if I find him I'll kick his transgenic ass." He didn't even raise his voice when he said this, but there was a quiet fierceness to his tone.

"Last time I saw him I was nine, and that was only long enough to kick me in the head" Max engaged him in his change of conversation, "He got called by Deck for bad execution." She was silently pleased at Logan's sudden stint into badass territory. Made her feel good to know he had her back that much.

"Guess whoever nailed you tonight didn't have that problem" Logan applied the last bandage.

"Life's a bitch sometimes" Max came back, flinching as he smoothed the bandage adhesive to her skin.

Logan didn't respond to that remark "Done" he pulled his hands back from her face.

Max felt along her skin at her husband's handy work. "Not bad" a second of silence "But you forgot to kiss it and make it better"

Logan offered a smile in response before kissing her lightly on the forehead where the butterfly bandages were. "Better?"

"Should become AMA certified," she answered, before he kissed her for real.

The kiss grew passionate. But Logan pulled back when he felt her hands sliding under the back of his sweater. "Sorry baby, but I don't think you're up for this tonight."

With any other guy Max would be pissed off at being told what she was up for, but Logan was right. She undoubtedly had a minor concussion, and he was just looking out for her well-being. "I'll stop if you will" this wasn't as easy as it sounded.

"I'm stopping" Logan pulled her hands down from his shoulders, kissing her quickly on the mouth. /She's tired and hurt/ he calmed his rise down /She's your wife, not like she's up and leaving after tonight/

"Bathroom" Max spoke one word before heading through its entrance on the left side of the room. Once in there she splashed some water on her face to cool off. /Damn looser screwin' up my evening./ She pushed her damp fingers through her hair and exited the bathroom, unzipping her leather jacket on the way out.

"Surprised no one asked about the ensemble" Max pulled the jacket and leather pants off her body, standing in her lingerie only long enough to slip back into the white tank top and gray drawstring PJ bottoms she had been wearing before she left the hotel.

"Can't say that I blame them," Logan informed "A beautiful woman wearing all black leather, who would complain?"

She gave him a slight look before climbing onto the bed, sitting cross-legged near the center atop the rumpled sheets and comforter. "Bugs me that I have no idea who I was fighting with tonight, under that ski-mask he could've been Shaft and I wouldn't have known it."

"The fact that he handed you your ass means he had skills in fighting." Logan pointed out. "Think it could be one of White's Familiars?"

"He didn't beat down the way I've seen White's freaks do, it was almost matched."

"So we're looking for someone about like you," Logan concluded.

"Means there might be some pissed off lil transgenic running around D.C?"

"It's possible," he agreed

"There goes the vacation." She sighed

"Right now I'd settle for some sleep" Logan looked at her "Think you could use some too."

"Since when do I sleep?" she asked straight out, a yawn contradicting her question "Okay maybe for a lil bit" she agreed.

"You're right about that." Logan looked at the alarm clock reading "2:15" "Senator Patterson put in a call to Lt. Mark Walsburn, one of the co-heads of bio and chemical warfare at the Pentagon, which apparently has some information on where this drug came from. Military officials are keeping a stranglehold on this case themselves because one of theirs brought up the term "bio-warfare" and scared this shit out of some of the higher ranks."

"What time does he want to meet up?" Max asked, arranging the pillows behind her back.

"9:00 Apparently Lt. Walsburn has to over see test runs of some covert operation in Nellis AFB tommorow afternoon."

"Did you know in 2008 Deck sent an X unit to the Pentagon to take out one of the Generals? He was one of Deck's old CO's when he when he was in the Army and he needed to make sure the General didn't talk about why the Cornel never came back from one of his cover assignments" Max said this in an almost perfectly executed detached voice, almost.

"Did they succeed?" Logan was surprised at Max's declaration. Not that for one second he believed that Manticore soldiers didn't have the capability to break into the Pentagon, even with all its high security. He just wondered why she never mentioned it before now.

Max shook her head "Mission was aborted due to error-"/FLASH: The structure of the Pentagon was dark and luminous. MP's stood poised at the front entrance and at the metal detectors.

Perched on the roof were three of the X series chosen to undertake this mission. The others were on the ground level, watching until General Ryad came out of his chauffeured car and entered the base. The MP at the entrance held the door open for the General, saluting him as he went inside.

The X sniper on the roof took aim with the laser sighted M16 automatic. But before the shooter could squeeze off one of the MP's picked up on a noise and took aim with his gun.

The shot rang out from the snipers gun, missing the General, but hitting the MP guarding him. Other MP's rushed to the area, shouting out orders.

"Abort" an X5 on the ground called into the receiver in her ear "Target is a miss"

A soldier, an X7 ignored the remark, dropping to the ground from his black rope about ten feet from the MP's, flying by him to take the MP's gun. Two shots rang out this time hitting the General and the second MP.

"Abort the mission soldier," the X5 sniper ordered to the X7, sliding down her rope to the Pentagon's ground floor "You'll get us all killed"

"I completed the mission" X7-241 spat back "We were not suppose to fail"

"Leave his weapon, lessen the suspicion," the X5 returned

The X7 suddenly executed a lock hold on the other soldier "You off centered your aim soldier, and it compromised the mission. You will be dealt with at base." He released the X5 and left the building, hearing the sounds of backup enter the Pentagon.

All X series regrouped thirty minutes later at the Black Hawk hidden in the Virginia forests.

"X5-452" Col. Lydecker's voice reached the intercom on the helicopter "Success of mission?"

"Negative Sir" 452 replied into the mouthpiece "Target is down, but so are two unintended, bullet ricoched."

"Pack it up at return to base." Lydecker ordered, malice in his voice "You will be dealt with on this matter upon touch down soldier"

"Yes Sir" it was all 452 could say.

The helicopter lifted off the ground and left D.C. air space, and headed for Gillette/

Logan noticed how Max's eyes changed when she said this, as if she were re-living in another time, most likely a memory from her less then normal childhood.

Max caught him looking at her "Guess we should sleep then, got an early morning"

Logan didn't say anything, not wanting to push this issue with her tonight. He switched off the light and lay down beside her.

*****

PENTAGON
WASHINGTON D.C.
8:45 AM

Max and Logan came through the glass door entrance of the Pentagon, two people admits about a hundred others, all moving around in typical military pace.

Max took in the military base. Almost nothing had changed since that night. She could remember exactly where everyone had been positioned. Before she came inside she caught sight of the vantage point she had been at as the sniper of the mission.
/FLASH: Max loaded the bullets into the M16, laying flat on a stairwell near the roof, dressed in all black. Two bullets went into the barrel, one main one for the single, fatal shot, but one other for back up./

Her eyes fell to the Pentagon's official seal painted on the floor /FLASH: the crimson red blood from the general and the downed MP's covered a portion emblem painted on the floor. X7-241 quickly placed the M16 in the dead MP's hand, careful not to leave bloody tracks in the puddle.

Max watched him, ready to move out to the hidden helicopter, hearing the sounds of more soldiers coming./

Max handed her cell to the MP at the metal detector, and headed through the device, which still beeped when she passed through it.

"One moment ma'am" the MP ordered, halting her with his hand "Do you have anything else metal on you?"

The alarm had been triggered by the Red Series implant embedded in Max's neck; but she couldn't very well tell the solider that. "I was in a motorcycle accident a year ago, had to have a pin put in my radius."

"Oh, okay then" the MP believed her lie. He couldn't very well X-ray her on the spot, some things he had to take at people's word. "You're clear then ma'am" he gave her back her phone.

After Logan went through the metal detector he turned to the MP "Sgt. Did Senator Patterson come in yet? We have an appointment with him and Lt. Walsburn-"

"Senator Patterson? Yes-" the MP interrupted with the answer. "He should be in the Lieutenant's office. Take the elevator to the second floor, go left, and Lt. Walsburn's office is the fifth one on the right."

"Thanks" Logan took back his phone and his keys when the MP handed them to him.

"Motorcycle accident?" he teased Max once they were out of the MP's earshot.

"Better then tellin' the truth how I nearly blew my brains out" she returned as they reached the elevator.

Logan went silent for a moment, thinking about how close she had come to dying, sticking that implant in her neck to save Cindy's life. He'll never forget the feeling of having to blow more then 200 volts of electricity into her to short circuit the device, or how it took nearly five and a half of some of the longest hours in Logan's life for her to wake up from the shock.

The elevator dinged open, and the pair got on with about six other people. The doors soon opened again on the second floor, and Max brushed passed a Navy Captain in full dress uniform, completely ignoring the way he checked her out when she got off the elevator.

/Pricks in every branch/ Max's half inch healed black boots clicked on the floor as the couple headed down the hall until they reached Lt. Walsburn's office.

"Can I help you folks?" they were greeted by the Lieutenant's secretary, a Staff Sergeant in an army dress uniform who was sitting behind a cherry wood desk.

"Senator Patterson set up an appointment for us with him and Lt. Walsburn for nine this morning"

"Your name?" the Sgt. Spoke out

"Cale" Logan responded and waited for the Sgt. to verify it.

"Here you are" the Sgt. announced, finding the name "The Senator and the Lieutenant are expecting you, go on in."

"Thanks" Logan stated

"You're welcome Sir." He responded "Ma'am" the Sgt. went on, addressing Max out of politeness as she passed his desk.

"Mr. Cale you made it" Patterson greeted Logan with this when he opened the door to Walsburn's office. The senator was standing beside the Lieutenant's desk, and the man himself was in front of his oak wood furniture, in his uniform, minus the hat.

"Lt. Walsburn let me introduce you to Logan Cale one of the trench diggers in this case; and his charming wife Max."

"Mr. Cale" Walsburn shook Logan's hand "Appreciate you're work on this" a pause
"Mrs. Cale, a pleasure as well" Walsburn's eyes moved up to the bandage on Max's forehead. "Forgive me for staring ma'am-"

"Had a moment of awkwardness last night Lieutenant, nothing to write home about"
Max reassured him

Walsburn smiled a this "Charming and sharp, a dangerous combination. But D.C. can never have enough of that." a pause "Well Mr. And Mrs. Cale, take a seat and the Senator and I will brief you on the information we've obtained"

After Max and Logan were seated Lt. Walsburn began speaking again. "There had been a development of new information on Narcotic X1. Further evidence now suggests that this drug was almost certainly manufactured domestically"

"That's a big feat in funds for that kind of supply and demand" Max spoke out

"That's correct ma'am" Lt. Walsburn agreed "Lab manufacturing doesn't come cheap, but if an individual were to present the right figures to a few techs, they might be tempted to engage."

"What about the catalyst Lieutenant?" Logan asked "Senator Patterson said DOH believed it to be non-domestic"

"The assumptions of the DOH would appear correct Mr. Cale" Lt. Walsburn agreed "Hell I believed it for a time, but some new digging into this drug's back drop brought up the name of a South African chemist who has had credentials here on US soil for the past thirty years. So it could be possible that the replication for this drug started across the Atlantic, but the manufacturing is all American. What with the Pulse and all everyone's trying to make a little extra money."

"Do you have the name of the chemist on hand?" Logan asked after hearing the Lieutenant's information.

Walsburn answered his question by handing him a folded piece of paper. Logan opened it to see a single name written on Lt. Walsburn's official stationary.

"Kind of an old fashioned delivery method, but we can't run the risk of people hacking into this information" Lt. Walsburn sat on the end of his desk "Keep that as close to you as you keep your wife Mr. Cale" a looked passed between Max and Logan as the Lieutenant said this.

"You have backgrounds on him?" Max asked after a few seconds had elapsed.

"No ma'am" Walsburn informed, "As I said this is a new development so we haven't been able to run a full check on them. Got two of our intelligence officers working on it now. You and your husband are welcome to do your own digging. This being the computer age and all, sure this knowledge is everywhere if you know where to look"

Max looked over Logan's shoulder at the names of the scientist Lt. Walsburn had written there.

Deret Mecheetah

There was something about the name "Mecheetah" that seemed familiar to Max, but she couldn't quite pinpoint where she remembered it from.

"Is there anyway to get in touch with your intelligence officers?" Logan asked Walsburn "Kinda get an idea on how far they've come?"

"It would require you being iris scanned for security measures and added to the department's lists of entrees, but I think the protocol can be met easily" the Lt. Informed.

*****

PENTAGON OFFICES OF MILITARY INTELLIGENCE
THIRD FLOOR

"Look straight into the device, no blinking" Captain Mara Reinhardt typed a few clicks on her keyboard, waiting as the iris scan completed on Logan. She typed in the blank data field for the new entry.

Reinhardt then began to do a background on Dr. Mecheetah. An official file came up a few seconds later.

"Deret Mecheetah-" Capt. Reinhardt read the information brought up on the computer monitor "Immigrated from Ghanti, South Africa in May of 99. Citizen the US since August 2000. Resident of the state of Maryland. Biochemist in the field of genetic research. Official operation 112"

Max's senses perked at the words the captain was saying. She drew closer to the computer screen.

"Think we have a hit" Capt. Rodgers notified the group

Max's eyes finally settled on the file photo of Dr. Mecheetah, and she finally realized where she remembered his name from.

/FLASH: The three doctors entered through the steel door, dressed in surgical gowns, caps and masks. One of them, the head geneticist approached the child strapped to the exam table.

The male doctor peered at the girl, only five years old, wearing a thin blue hospital gown. She was tied down in arm restraints with six tiny electrodes strapped to her head to record brain wave patterns. "Let's start of with three injections of the level two series."

Another doctor silently handed his collogue, Dr. Deret Mecheetah three pre-filled syringes, inserting one of them directly into the girl's auditory canal at the back of her inner ear. He waited after the injection was made, observing as the girl's expression became pained, trying to rip off her restraints to grip her head at the sudden extreme pressure in her ears.

After about another minute she eased up, and Dr. Mecheetah took out an otoscope, placing the device in her ear. "Tympanic tissue is intact," he observed as one of the other doctors made a note of it "No signs of bleeding or other trauma. Proceed with the next injection-"/

"Scuse me" Max turned and brushed past the officers, stepping out into the hall, leaning against the wall that faced away from the two large windows looking into the Intelligence office.

"Is she okay?" Capt. Reinhardt looked to Logan, curious as to Max's sudden departure.

"Yeah" Logan reassured "She's just not too big on confined spaces" he left the office to find out where she went.

"Max" he spotted her standing in hall, leaning against the wall. "What is it?" he sensed something wasn't right.

"Mecheetah-" Max tried to explain to him what she was feeling right now, but her brain wasn't working with her mouth.

"What about him?" Logan broke in, trying to get her going on what she was wanting to say.

"I remember him" she went on in a simple statement.

"From Manticore?" Logan asked another question

She nodded "He was one of the geneticists on base. Gave us body building injections every week, make sure all the transgenic stuff we had wasn't goin' haywire"

"You sure he's the same one?" Logan didn't want question her judgment, but there must've been tons of doctors on that base.

"Operation 112" Max answered with this statement "Manticore sometimes needed the expertise of other officials, geneticists, chemists, sometimes had to go through main channels to bring the people in. 112 was the cover-up to put on their official transcripts. Name of a side project Dr. Vertes had going, using synthetic DNA injections to treat children with genetic abnormalities. How Manticore got some of it's funding when their own green got a little seedy. Investors thought it was for the children." She looked at him "Never forget a face"

"So maybe we should track this guy down"

"Be the best bet" Max agreed "Sorry for going AWOL"

Logan put his hand on her shoulder "It's okay to stand down once in a while"

The office door opened, revealing Capt. Reinhardt "Got some bad news on Dr. Mecheetah"

Logan turned towards the Captain "What is it?"

"He's dead" Reinhardt watched the civilians' expressions change "Shot execution style at his high rise apartment three days ago"

*****

2:20 PM

"Bitch just keeps getting harder" Max looked out at the cars coming to a stand still in D.C rush hour. "Say whoever killed Dr. Mecheetah is the one continuing to market his work"

"But if what you say about him is true, then the average street dealer wouldn't know where this stuff comes from" Logan pointed out in the seat beside her.

"Maybe it's not the average street dealer" Max argued "Might be someone with trade ties to Manticore"

"That might explain how this catalyst drug is still on the market. Which means we've got less then twenty four hours to build up a case against this guy, whoever he is, and a drug from a top secret base that on any official channels doesn't even exist, and present this all with Patterson at the sub committee hearing tomorrow"

"Hey a lot can happen in 24 hours" Max argued

Logan turned to her "So how do we play this?"

"Say we do some recon with Patterson's wife, might come across someone who got strung out on the stuff, friend who knows a friend who knows the courier"

"It's not likely they'll divulge to total strangers about where they get their fix" Logan informed

"Will with the right kind of persuasion" Max stated straight out

*****

GEORGETOWN MEDICAL CENTER
EMERGENCY ROOM
3:30 PM

"What's his BP?" Dr. Patterson asked while checking the young man on the gurney with a stethoscope. He had been stabbed in the arm, which was seeping out blood from the gauze tapped to them

"180/70" an ER nurse answered her question, sticking an otoscope into the kid's ears
"Dr. Patterson, I'm seeing corrosion to the tympanic membranes"

Patterson came around to the nurses' side and looked through the instrument she was holding. "Run a tox screen, and let's do a blood work up"

"More pop grass junk?" the nurse asked a question

"Yeah" Patterson agreed "Looks like it" she spotted Logan in the hall outside the exam room "Start him on 20 cc's of saline and let's get an Ear, Nose and Throat guy down here to take a look at this" she came out of the room via the double doors, stopping in front of Logan.

"Mr. Cale" Dr. Patterson removed her protective goggles and placed them atop her head "Is there something I can help you with?"

Logan didn't answer right away, looking into the hustle of the ER "Is that a pop grass case?"

"Looks like it" Patterson agreed "He came in for a stab wound, some sort of back alley brawl, one of the nurses found the same wound patterns we've seen before"

"Did he tell you where he got it from?" Max asked

Patterson shook her head "We're still trying to get his name out of him"

Max looked at the man through the doors, not really a man, a kid, about seventeen
"Probably doesn't want to get rode for breaking out his dealers name"

"Bet your right" Patterson informed "All the cases we've had from this drug are all kids, all keeping their mouths shut for whatever reasons, fear of exposure, having their supply taken away if the dealer is arrested. They are actually the closest ones we have to catching the main man whose been funding this, and we can't get anywhere with them"

"Did your husband ever mention Dr. Deret Mecheetah?" Logan asked

"Once" Patterson answered, "Last night, he told me about his murder, but he wasn't too well known to me, even when he was here-"

"He was on staff at Georgetown?" Logan interrupted

Patterson shook her head "He mostly worked in the labs, but yeah he was here for about two months, then he said he got some offer from a private medical company, to go and work for them"

"Then his file should be in your system" Logan said

"Normally it is" Patterson corrected "But because of the murder investigation all records of him have been submitted to the local PD as evidence. Your best bet would be there"

*****

43RD PRECINCT
WASHINGTON D.C.
4:30 PM

"Dr. Deret Mecheetah-" Det. James Carmichael read the open case file on Mecheetah's death "Twenty year citizen of the U.S. after immigrating from South Africa. Doctor of genetics, unmarried, no children, found in his Maryland apartment shot once very cleanly in the back of the head, most likely from a small automatic hand gun" The Det. sat down at his desk.

"Pentagon worker claims it was execution style-" Max brought up

"Looks to be " Carmichael "There was a sign of a break in, but no finger prints were found at the scene. The lock had been picked by very precise and precision tools, all done with very little noise. Whoever murdered the doctor knew exactly what he was doing"

"Did they take anything?" Logan asked

"That's the shitty part, they took nothing to cause a paper trail. They only came to assonate the doctor, and that's all that they did" Carmichael answered "We got squat" he looked at Logan apologetically "I'm sorry we're not able to give you anything in time for that hearing tomorrow"

"Worth a shot" Logan reassured

*****

"Tick tick" Max looked to her husband once they were in the halls of the police station "Go time's gettin' closer and everything's dead ending"

"Excuse me ma'am" a police officer pushed past Max with a handcuffed man in front of him. The arrestee took a moment to look Max up and down

/FLASH: "Eight double zeros" Salazar threw the cash at the nameless man "what we agreed on"/

"Hey," Max's voice halted the police officer's movement "Where's your friend?"
She stepped closer to the man

Salazar scoped her out "Girl you could be my friend-" he was cut off when Max locked her hand around his neck

"You made an exchange at the Lincoln Memorial with some MIB courier" she stared him down, completely ignoring his lewdness "Who was it?"

The officer with Salazar yanked him away from Max's death grip "Back it off!" he looked to Max "What is this about?"

Salazar ignored the officer "Girl even if I KNEW, I wouldn't tell you shit-"

"So he didn't leave his card?" Max went on "How you suppose to connect with him when ya runnin' low?"

"Dealers have to keep things DL bitch" Salazar spat back "He gets in touch with ME, I go where he sets it up. Boy's like the army, all bout secrecy"

The word 'army' caught Max's attention for some reason

/"And Private First Class Aaron Kirkland with the Army's 95th Airborne" Patterson introduced Max to the young soldier/

/FLASH: "How'd a good looker like you get mixed up with this Eyes Only fanatic?" Private First Class Kirkland threw this out at her/

/FLASH: "Always felt like a trapped bird, like a raven in a cage not being allowed to prowl"/

"Better not be lying to me" she growled to Salazar, releasing his neck and storming out of the hall.

Logan started to follow her, but at the last second turned back to punch Salazar across the face and slam his back into a wall "Don't you EVER call my wife a bitch again, understand?" he backed off when the officer pulled them apart, and went in search of Max.

"Kirkland's the connection," she stated to Logan once he caught up to her in the parking lot of the police station.

"His army training most likely helped him be almost undetectable," Logan agreed

"Fact that he came from Manticore probably helped out more" she threw back, finally realizing why Private First Class Kirkland had such an interest in her.

"Lieutenant was right about EVERYONE trying to make a little money"

"So what's Eyes Only plan of action?" Max asked

"Private Kirkland's stationed somewhere nearby, probably at work still, I mean why blow his nicely backed up alibi?"

"So where would somewhere be exactly detective?"

"Kirkland's CO, Lt. Col Jamison was at the party last night." Logan notified "Told me he how proud he was of the work the Private was doing as a weapon's technician at Fort McNair."

Max raised her eyebrows "Impressive"

Logan smiled at her compliment "Just do what I can"

"Any suggestions on how we get to Kirkland before he scampers off into the night?"

"You have a thought right?" Logan asked her

"Yeah" she agreed

"And that would be-"

"Kick his ass," she answered

"Okay then" Logan said, "We got a plan" he paused "Just don't kick his ass too badly, he needs to be alive to face criminal charges"

"Not gonna make any promises" Max informed "But I'll see what I can swing"

*****

METRO DINER
14TH AND ARLINGTON
8:02 PM

Logan pulled up to the small restaurant "The Private apparently comes to this diner
Every Friday night at eight" he looked through the window, and into the building's window.

Max checked her watch "8:02, bet the creature of habit's chillin' right now."

"Feel like some coffee?" Logan turned to his wife

"Ya know suddenly I kinda do" she opened the car door and climbed out onto the sidewalk.

"I'll make the call in ten" Logan informed to her "Should be enough time to get things rolling"

"Get this bitch started" Max turned back and stuck her through the passenger's side window, and before he could say it she added "Promise I'll be careful" she flashed him a smile before backing out and turning to walk in the diner.

The entrance door squeaked slightly when she opened it. Booths lined the walls, where a few patrons sat enjoying a half decent looking meal. A large wall clock lit with green neon lights ticked away above the door.

"Something I can get for you?" the night waitress approached Max, wiping her hands on her apron from behind the counter.

"Just black coffee" Max told her.

"Sure thing" the waitress went to fill the order

While Max waited she scanned the room looking for him. A young man and woman sat in a far booth, and beside them a single middle-aged man reading a newspaper.

The waitress returned with Max's coffee, and set the Styrofoam cup on the counter.

"Let me get that"

Max turned at the sound of the voice, seeing that Private Aaron Kirkland had found her.

Kirkland paid for the coffee "Small world Mrs. Cale" he sat in an empty stool at the bar that she was standing at.

"Came for the coffee" Max sipped the steaming liquid in the cup. She turned to the man "You here for the same thing?"

Kirkland nodded "Yeah, it's cheap. I can't cook worth jack and it beats starving to death" he looked up at her "Your husband here?"

"I came out for some air" Max lied "Weather started bittin' my extremities so I made a pit stop" she took another swing at her coffee.

Kirkland leaned his arms across the counter, bare from where he rolled up the sleeves from his black v-neck sweater. He tilted his head to look up at Max from his now lower angle "So this is a time out session for the two of you"

"No I said I came out for the air," Max corrected, "My marriage is my personal business Private" there was almost a hiss in her voice

*****

OUTSIDE METRO DINER

Logan again looked at his Seiko watch. Eight minutes had elapsed since Max had gone inside the diner, leaving a two-minute gap of time from when he said he'd make the call. He looked up at the door and the face on his watch simultaneously.

/Shoulda had her wear a wire, like that would actually work/ his conscious interrupted his thoughts /Guy's from Manticore, he'd find it on her then it'd really blow wide open/ He checked his watch again /One minute, dammit, screw it/ he picked up his cell phone, dialing a number on the keypad that was glowing a translucent green in the darkness.

"Forty Third Precinct" there was a moment of silence as the dispatcher on the phone waited for a response "hello?"

"There's something going down at the Metro Diner-" Logan informed, hoping his lie sounded convincing.

"What's the address?" there was a clicking of keys in the background as the dispatcher began recording the information

"On the corner of 14th and Arlington-"

"And what's the problem?" the dispatcher asked

"Some looser won't stop harassing my wife. He keeps messing with her. Just get here-" Logan tried to sound upset, and unwilling to answer the dispatcher's question

"Sir can you tell me more about it-?"

"What?" Logan stuck a portable voice scrambler over the receiver, creating static on the line "Your breaking up-"

"Sir-" the dispatcher's voice spoke again before Logan ended the call. He implicated Max as the 'victim' side of things because he knew once Kirkland caught on to who she was, the shit would hit the fan, and the PD would arrest them both, not knowing the whole story.

*****

METRO DINER

"Sorry ma'am" Kirkland apologized to Max after her defensive snap back "Guess it's just my nature as a soldier to think that everyone has their secrets" he pulled back from his leaning position a little.

Max turned to look him full in the face "So what secrets are you hiding soldier?" her gaze was unwavering /FLASH: "The mission was sound up until the error made by the sniper, X5-452" X7-241 reported to Manticore's director Renfro.

"Was it in your opinion that 452's error was one that could have been avoided?" Renfro asked 241.

"Yes ma'am it could've" the X7 agreed.

"Return to your operations" Renfro told the boy, looking over at Max who stood beside him "We'll take it from here"

The X7 saluted her and then turned sharply on his heel and walked out of the room.

"We cannot abide fatal slips like this 452" Renfro glared at Max who stood at attention in front of her "Slips cause messes that we can't always clean up!" she was shouting at Max, who remained silent for the ordeal. Renfro went around to an intercom system "Unit 02 report to hall four" she turned back to face Max

"Maybe a week in VC12 will help clear this up" her words were ice cold.

A few seconds later a two-unit op group entered the room.

"Take 452 to the vise chamber" Renfro ordered to the ops that stood before her "Keep her on level three for one week"

The ops nodded, and hauled Max out of the room. She caught the sight of X7-241 watching her be dragged to the chamber/

"Sorry, but that's MY business ma'am" Kirkland answered, tilting back more to look at something behind Max.

"You don't have to look" Max stated, "You already know what you'll find" she flattened Kirkland's hand on the counter top that had been in her hair.

"Just wanted to see what the barcode of an X5 looked like" he yanked his hand back "Since I didn't get the chance to do it when I beat you down last night" he stood up to his full height, and Max did the same. "Been a long time" He looked her up and down very slowly "Years were great to you though 452-"

"The names Max" she growled back "Better get my represent right or I'm gonna take the "private" out of First Class Aaron Kirkland"

"Street life has corroded you into a bad ass MAX" Kirkland emphasized her name "Whyda think I joined the 95? To be more then just all talk"

"No" Max returned "You joined because you knew your shitty self could make it in blindfolded and become up enough in government ties to be allowed in the special rooms instead of having to steal the key"

"Hey I rather like being let into the special places" Kirkland agreed, circling Max to stop at a standing position behind her. "Beats the hell out of scalking around back fences"

"Then how come you were all secrete slinking over to the Lincoln Memorial for the shack up?"

"Cause these people expect that" Kirkland returned "No seasoned rock seller in his right mind would palm off the blings to some blue colored lookin' white guy even if I can lay his nuts. They want all the hype, black and little baggies. Keeps the skills from gettin' rusty."

"So does puttin' a bullet in your supplier's brain" Max returned, realizing that their conversation was starting to draw some attention from some of the other patrons.

"Mecheetah didn't want to play the game" Kirkland stated "So I took him out of it. Not like the man didn't deserve it with all the shit he laid out on us"

"Ain't our place to play God" Max spat back "And don't include me in your 'us group' I'm not like you"

"What did you suddenly wake up one day and ignore all that genetic junk in your body? You can't turn it off any more then I can." Kirkland looked her full in the face "You know the second you get an M16 or 30 off 6, or the grip of someone in your hands you have to be who you are-"

"The only thing I am is impatient" Max broke in, ignoring his remark about who she was

"Oh sorry ma'am" Kirkland suddenly addressed her politely "Didn't mean to keep you from the party-" he jumped up and side kicked her in the stomach, throwing her to the ground

"See your form hasn't improved at all" he taunted Max who rebounded from the blow a few seconds later.

She circled him, seeing a few of the patrons rise from their seats, but none bothering to help out, most likely too wary of getting caught up in the middle of something they think they'll regret later.

The sounds of sirens could be heard outside the diner, the Washington PD being alerted to the location after the cut off on Logan's phone call.

"You called the boys in blue?" Kirkland taunted Max, staring her down "You of all people should know that it ain't that easy. I'm not running a cake walk" he grabbed her by her neck a few seconds before the front door opened as two officers streamed in, guns at ready. Kirkland took out a hand held automatic, most likely the same one he used to take out Mecheetah, aiming it at Max's temple.

"Drop the weapon!" an officer screamed at Kirkland "Let her go!" the officer's partner called out the same thing.

"That the same thing you used to blow the doctor away?" Max threw over her shoulder, knowing that Kirkland was pointing his gun at her strictly as a show for the officers. He was so hyped on Manticore protocol that if he really wanted to kill her he would've done so already, plus the fact it wouldn't be this easy to take one of his own down.

"Shut up" Private Kirkland ordered

"Drop your weapon NOW!" the officer repeated

"Hope you wiped your finger prints off that Private" Max continued to taunt him

"Your out of line solider-" he dug the maw of his gun in her neck, his finger poised on the trigger.

"DROP IT!" the officer called one last time, aiming his gun to shoot Kirkland to prevent him from shooting Max. But before he could fire Max had whirled on Kirkland, knocking the gun out of his hand, pointing it at him

"No I'd say that was you" she dealt him a blow right across his face, knocking him to the floor. "Now we're even from last night" she stood above him from where he laid.

"Not completely" Kirkland reached into his jacket for something, getting cut off when an officer shot a bullet into his leg. The private retracted his hand, dropping a second gun to the floor.

"Clear!" the officer called out, moving more into the diner, kneeling next to Kirkland, and removing the gun from his side, checking the status of the downed man at the same time "Unit 12 requesting EMS to the Metro Diner at 14th and Arlington"

Max backed off the scene that was forming around Kirkland, throwing the gun she was holding to the officer's partner, quickly, wanting to get it's weight out of her hands. She hated with a passion what feeling its metal body brought back for her.

"Ma'am" the officer who had dealt Kirkland the shot was now talking to her "Did he hurt you anywhere?"

"I'm fine" she reassured the man

"Glad you got moves ma'am" the officer continued "Could've been a lot worse"

"Yeah" was all Max said, turning her head up at the sound of someone coming out of the crowd.

Logan touched her shoulder "You okay?"

"Piece of cake" she stated in a non-emotional voice

*****

CAPTIAL DOME BUILDING
WASHINGTON D.C.
CONGRESSIONAL SENATE HEARING (TWO HOURS INTO)
1:00 PM


"Senator Patterson" the Speaker removed his glasses for a moment to rub the bridge of his nose "All of the evidence you've presented to us is quite impressive. It is in the opinion of this committee that you and the team that you assembled were successful in finding the origins of this new narcotic, as well as the supplier. First Class Aaron Kirkland will be held under military arrest until a formal court marshal hearing can be conducted by the Pentagon." The Speaker paused for a moment "However, there is one question that neither you or any of your people have been able to answer Senator. How the former Dr. Deret Mecheetah was able to continue the work on Special Operations 112, the genetic therapy of children with abnormalities up until his death two days ago when the project had been disbanded after the murder of it's top researcher Dr. Angela Vertes in May of 2019."

"Respectfully" Senator Patterson began from his seat at an oak table with his notes laid out in front of him "That questions remains unanswered Mr. Speaker because I or any my people could not find a plausible answer ourselves. A search was conducted in Dr. Mecheetah's Maryland home, finding only one remaining reference to Operations 112, that notes the death of Dr. Vertes, but also names a successor to continue the project, even though official records state the fall out"

"And does this person has a name?" Chairman Jacobson asked

"Special Agent Ames White" Max spoke out from her seat beside Patterson, calling out the name of her new Anti-Christ "An employee of the Federal Government-"

"What branch is that Mrs. Cale?" Chairman interrupted

"I am unsure Sir," Max answered "Senator Patterson put in several calls but Agent White's official records have been sealed"

"And do you know what this Agent White motives were when he named himself as the head of this operation?"

"There were rumors that Agent White and several others were part of a secret government branch to find some escapees from a secret military base-"

"We've all heard the rumors Ma'am" the Speaker interrupted Max "But surely you don't believe that government tax dollars are being diverted to catch a bunch of mutant freaks that got out of their cages?"

"You'd be surprised what I believe Sir" Max returned into the microphone, her voice impassive.

From under the table Logan's hands moved from his lap to rest on Max's knee.
She slid one hand under the table and linked it with his.

"In any case" The Chairman broke in "The evidence presented, even minus the lack of information on this special project, is enough to launch a complete Congressional department investigation into Narcotic X1 and those behind its distribution." He turned to the Speaker briefly before looking back at Senator Patterson "Your work has hopefully now pulled us in a forward direction." A pause "I move we close this hearing."

"I second" the Speaker agreed, and after getting approvals from the rest of the panel he turned to Patterson "Your time on this was appreciated Senator" he banged his gavel down "This hearing is adjourned"

*****

OFFICE OF SENATOR PATTERSON

"Once again I thank you for your help on this" Patterson sat again at his desk, talking to Max and Logan who stood in front of it. "Except for that little thing about that Agent White character the outcome is almost flawless"

"Nothing in life is perfect Senator" Logan shook the hand Patterson offered, "I appreciate you giving me the opportunity"

"I wish you a safe flight home" Patterson shook Max's hand next. "Sure you're anxious to see those kids"

"Counting the hours" Max informed with a slight smile "Goodbye Sir" she turned and with Logan left his office.

"White seems to always be there to bite me in the ass" Max stated after they left Patterson's office "Along with my past"

"Wasn't a real bad time though" Logan argued gently, brushing the healing laceration on her hairline "get to go home with a souvenir"

"Settle on a White House soap dispenser" she returned.

Logan didn't say anything, giving her a soft kiss on the mouth "You ready to go?"

"Got one more thing to do before" Max informed

*****

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMENTARY
2:29 PM

"I didn't know you" she stared at the headstone, tucking her hands into her pockets "What I did was orders" she paused for several seconds "Didn't find out till later that I could've screwed them" she knelt next to the stone, laying a miniature American flag beside the inscription:

GENERAL EDWARD RYAD
UNITED STATES ARMY
April 24, 1979- May 2008
A DISTINGUISHED SOLDIER AND LEADER AMONG MEN

She stood back up after depositing the flag in the soft grass that grew around the headstone, a tiny momentum among dozens of red, white and blue flowers and other flags surrounding the general's grave.

She stood staring at the headstone for a few more moments. Logan came up beside her, his feel almost noiseless on the soft grass. He touched the back of her shoulder.

"They say dead man tell no tales" Max began, looking up to Logan "So why does it feel like he's trying to tell me something?"

"Maybe he is" Logan informed, not saying anything further to this, making the remark cryptic "Our flight out's at four, should get going"

She nodded silently "Let's go home then" she fell instep behind him feeling him slipping an arm around her waist as they walked back to the car.

*****

FORT MCNAIR
WASHINGTON D.C.
STOCKADE #24

"Got a visitor Kirkland" an MP opened the door to Private Kirkland's cell "On your feet"

Kirkland did as he was told, seeing a tall man in a business suit enter his cell.

"Good evening Private" Ames White addressed Kirkland after the door closed,
"I take it your mission failed"

"What mission was that Sir?" Kirkland had never seen the man before.

"Don't play games with me kid, it's not attractive for that whole disciplined soldier thing they taught you"

"All missions I undertake I've completed Sir" Kirkland went on.

"Except for the one preventing X5-452 from speaking out against me at a senate sub committee hearing this morning."

Kirkland looked surprised at the knowledge this stranger possessed.

"Don't looked so shocked Private" White went on "You should've seen this coming. There's a lot more at stake here then you being thrown out of the army, mainly the explaining you're gonna have to do to ME for killing one of my top researchers so you could rack it up"

"It seemed like something to do" Kirkland spat back

"Manticore always has mouth" White suddenly threw Kirkland into the wall of his cell and stuck him with a syringe, knocking him out. "Glad I brought something to shut it up this time" he pounded on the door to be let out.

Once out of the stocks White dialed a number on his cell "Yeah, the X7's being held at Fort McNair. 452's testimony did some damage. He's under now. Bring the transport tonight. I want him back at HQ asap" he disconnected, and climbed back into the car a driver held open for him.

*****

END

Sorry for the long wait, but this took some time to write. I researched on D.C. locations to make this more real. I don't know in DA's world of 2021 if the Federal Government is run the same as it is now, that's why I kept it mostly the same, except for the clearance checks in the capital. I apologize for any technical errors though.

The name of the diner Max met Kirkland in is taken from an X Files episode (so it might sound familiar) The ep was called "Kill Switch" and there was this whole scene at the beginning where this computer cranked called all these drug dealers who were all packing, and two US Marshals, telling them all that there was someone they had a score with at the Metro Diner on 14th and Arlington. After they all got there-fireworks hit. Also Pico Salazar was the name of a dealer in that ep. So that's why I put it in here.

Also I wrote this before MW went for the buzz bald cut..heh..he looks okay, but it's weird. Like when David Duchovny buzzed his hair after a season of looking good with it longer..oh well their life, their hair.

R/R please. Return to Innocence is coming too; I didn't update this one in a while, so I worked on it more.

peace