SUNDAY AFTERNOON
NORTHERN WASHINGTON

A few hours later they were pulling into the town of Littlerock, population one thousand. Most of the houses were old, but refurbished with scavenged materials, suggesting that the city had been repopulated after the Pulse. Despite that there was a certain charm to the highly colorful buildings tucked away in patches of forest, and the warmly dressed locals who eyed their car with interest. It wasn't the usual suspicion that Max was used to, but more of a general curiosity.

"Looks like a quiet place," Logan noted.

"You'd think a major human trafficking ring would get more notice," Max responded, looking out the window as the turned onto Main street. There was about a dozen small businesses, but the street was like a ghost town.

"What makes you think its human trafficking we're dealing with?" Logan asked in an amused fashion.

Max shrugged before answering. "No bodies, no police attention. If it was all about a grab and kill, more than likely it would have been someone working solo. Solos get sloppy. But this seems organized, which usually means there's a whole crew working behind the scenes."

"That's a lot of assumptions," Logan pointed out.

"I'm a multi-million dollar, military machine. You don't think that they added a strategy processor in there? If they're working logically chances are I'll figure out their game eventually," She responded, glaring at him slightly in an amused way. "I'm designed for it."

"Fair enough," Logan allowed. She was right though. She didn't say things flippantly. Manticore had molded her into the perfect soldier and sometimes she tried so hard to forget it, that he forgot too. "I suppose, on the bright side that means there's more of a chance that Pamela is alive."

"Hope you're right," Max sighed. They took another right and then they found themselves in a gravel-laden parking lot and Logan was killing the engine again. "This where we're staying?"

"One of the only B&Bs in town," Logan said with a shrug. He watched as Max inspected their surroundings and then her face went hard. "What?"

"You see any ramps around here?" She asked him. He looked and then cursed himself with a sigh. Normally he was so good about checking on these things but he was so excited about the lead that he had forgotten to. "I'll go ask about it at the front desk."

"I can get it," Logan said, grabbing for her seat belt as she shed it.

"Logan it'll take me five minutes. It'll take just as long for you to get up the steps." She hadn't meant to say it with her half smile, in a patronizing voice. It had just come out. She saw him almost flinch and her voice softened. "Be right back."

She sent him a look through the windshield as she crunched across the gravel and disappeared into the front of the building. Logan sat in the Aztec, and tried his hardest to keep the sourness out of his expression. Luckily she was back soon and slid into the seat beside him with virtually no sound.

"There's a motel a little out of town. Guy at reception said its all one floor," Max informed him. She was careful not to look at him, but she knew his jaw was popping as he started the engine and shifted the car into gear. "Just keep heading North."

"Should have checked," Logan bit out, mostly to himself.

"Don't worry about it," Max dismissed. "This place has rooms that are set back from the office. That might even be better for us if we're going to be doing surveillance."

"If you say so," Logan sighed. They drove for another fifteen minutes or so before they came upon a clearing that house a log cabin with a vacancy light flashing and a series of long trailer looking motel rooms. While the town's bed and breakfast had contained a certain North-West charm this motel simply looked haggard.

Logan didn't even say a word to Max as he started transferring out of the Aztec. She took the hint and slid out, to wait for him patiently. Once he was prepared they set off for the office. The made their way in, a bell dinging overhead as they did so. Once they were in an older woman came to the counter, a half eaten sandwich in her grasp.

"What can I do you for?" She asked.

"We're looking for two rooms," Logan said, catching Max's surprised look. "Or a double if you have one."

"Only got one room free," She said, with a shrug. "It being trucking season and all sometimes our rooms go quick."

"That's fine, we'll take it," Logan said with a smile. "Three nights for now, but we might stay longer."

"Why?" the woman asked, perplexed.

"Fishing," Max said, sliding her hands into her pockets. She remembered seeing a few decent sized rivers and creeks on their way and figured someone had to be using them for fishing.

"Off season," the lady noted, but then with a smile said, "but who am I to judge? It's fifty bucks a night, payment up front. We have limited laundry and maid service but we'll do what we can." Logan counted out the bills and put them on the counter, waiting for the woman to slide a book over so he could fill out their information. The whole time the woman was watching Max with an incredulous look on her face.

"Thanks," Logan said, waiting on the key. The woman stepped back and fetched it from under the counter, but her eyes didn't leave Max.

"Your friend a model?" she asked Logan, handing him the key.

"No," he sputtered, looking at Max in shock. The young woman' face was trained to neutral. "Why?"

"Looks familiar is all," she said, chewing on her sandwich again.

"I get that all the time," the girl called from across the room where she was wandering. "One of those faces." The woman nodded skeptically and then looked down at Logan, her eyebrows coming together. It seemed as if she was questioning just what the two of them were doing together.

"Thanks," Logan drawled, grabbing the keys with narrowed eyes. Together they left the office, Max sending the woman at reception an unforgiving look. They were in a companionable silence until they found their room, Logan unlocked it and they stepped inside.

The place was anything but luxurious. The decor was outdate, dusty and mismatched. It was big enough, with a small kitchenette against the far corner, a dining table that would fit the two of them, a single sized plush chair Then there was the bed. The bed. As in one. It was big enough, but it put them in a bit of an awkward situation. To put some of the awkwardness aside Logan wheeled over to the kitchenette and turned on the water. Nothing. He tweaked the handle again and all that they were met with was a groan of the pipes. Unable to contain her amusement, Max let out a bark of laughter.

"Travelling with you is always a treat," Max said, tongue in cheek.

"Oh I'm sorry, were you expecting a spa? Or perhaps we could sleep in the car? Hell, I already can't feel my legs so what does it matter if they fall asleep?" Logan demanded. Max took step back, shocked by the vehemence of his words. She must have struck a chord.

"Cool it Logan, I was just messing with you," She told him. "This place is fine."

"I'm glad it meets with your approval," He replied. He was still angry but the heat in his voice was beginning to dissipate. It helped that Max immediately jumped up to stride out to the car and began to unload everything they would need for the night. Once they were set up Max said she wanted to do some recon so she suited up and took off into the woods.

Sighing, and shaking his head at his own stupidity, he set up his mobile station, and unpacked his clothes. He went to work on some back logged cases, not seeing the sense in working on this one until Max was back. He might have underestimated just how uncomfortable he had made her because she didn't come back until after midnight, and he had plenty of time to think about how he had lost his temper. When she came through the door she stopped and stared at him, surprised he was still up and that he had already converted the small dining table into a surrogate of his one back home.

"There's still some left over pie if you want it," he said. The door closed with a loud click and he didn't have to look up to know that she was only walking into the room because of the promised pie. He smiled in spite of himself and tracked her with his ears as she rummaged through their stuff and pulled out the takeout container. "Find anything helpful?"

"Got the layout of the town and stopped for some dinner. Sorry, I didn't bring anything back," she said distractedly. He looked over to see her propped up on the bed, in her catsuit, and her legs spread out straight in front of her. The pie was on her lap, a plastic fork in her hand and the familiar book open in her hands. She was ignoring him.

"Right..." He breathed. He stretched his neck and noticed there was at least one crick in it. Suddenly the bed seemed really desirable but he didn't want to disturb the already distressed Max. "I'm kind of beat. What do we want to do about the bed?"

"I don't sleep," Max replied, still not looking at him.

"You have to sleep sometime," Logan disagreed.

"Not really," was her response. "I'll take the floor."

"We'll talk about this," Logan said, sighing. He grabbed everything he needed to get ready for the night and wheeled into the bathroom. Once he was showered and changed he came out only to see that Max had moved the bedside lamp to the floor. He wheeled over so he could look at her. She was still reading the book and had the extra blanket placed on the floor beneath her. She had changed while he was in the room and was now outfitted in a pair of athletic shorts and a white tank top. Logan stared at her long, smooth legs and gulped.

"Max?" He called.

"Take the bed," she told him, her dark eyes finally meeting his. They were narrowed, and hard but as they stared at each other they softened. "Like I said, I don't sleep. Shark DNA."

"Good night then," he said, wheeling back around so he could get into bed. He did so, taking his glasses off and setting them on the nightstand, above Max's head. He took one peak over the sit of the bed, at his friend, before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

Author Note:
Sorry this chapter is so out of character compared to the rest. I haven't really had time to work on it, since school has been kicking my ass. I wanted people to know I was still alive though, and hadn't forgotten about this story.
Next chapter Logan and Max will be in much better spirits and we'll meet some people from the town :)