"Ella, I need you to watch Ridge while we hit Itex.Don't let anyone in. If we aren't back in three hours, take Ridge and the

ATM card. Get all the cash you can. Here is a few hundred and an address of somewhere safe. Get there. Wait for three

days, if there is no sight of us then, tekk Ridge his mama loved him very much" I said.

"Don't talk like that. You will be back" Ella said.

"Damn straight she will. We all will." Iggy said, pulling on his backpack.

"Iggy, you and Gazzy got everything you need?" Ig nodded. :good. Set the bombs to go off in seven minute intervals. That

gives you guys just enough time to hit the next floor. Got it?" They both nodded.

"Nudge, you and Angel are a team. Set free anything not dangerous and looks like it is strong enough to survive. Be

careful. Remember you are on a timeline so hurry. Get in, get out. And DO NOT GET CAUGHT understand?" I said, helping

Angel put her hair up.

"What about you and Fang?" Nudge asked.I turned to face the door, taking a step. "We are going in straight through the

front door." Everyone stared at me. "U and A guys. Let's go." I kissed Ridge on my way out the door onto the balcony. In

seconds we were in formation.I glanced around at the flock, my flock. Their faces tight, serious. FAng's jaw set, eyes

narrowed. He looked at me, gave me a half smirk then turned back. I pointed to the roof of Itex and we landed near the roof door.

"Points of entry?" FAng asked.

"Nudge, Angel, through here. Move fast. Iggy, Gazzy down below, the side entrance. It isn't guarded in the daytime. Now,

go" I said. I gave the flock the signal and they tookoff.

"We find Jeb right?" FAng asked me as we approached the front door.

"No, you take out Rags. The others aren't strong enough. Jeb is all mine" I said.

"Max I --" Fang started, but I wasnt listening. I am not about to back down now.As I reached for the door, Fang leanded

down and kissed my cheek."Just be careful" he said.

Inside we were standing by the information board, looking for Jeb's office number when we were approached by a guard.

"May I help you?" he asked.

"You can get out of my way" I said as we brushed past him and headed for the elavator.

"I am sorry but you cannot go up there. This is a restricted building." the guard said.

"I looked at Fang and smirked. "And whose going to stop us?" I asked him. The guard started to draw his weapon. i gave

Fang the look and he reached out , punching the guy, knocking him out cold.

"Sucker" I mumbled and got into the elavator. Feb was on the sixth floor. As the doors opened, we were met by four

flyboys, one of them almost as huge as Rags.

"Well well, lookie Fang. It's the welcome wagon." I said as I took a step toward them.

"Hello boys."Fang said, reaching for the big one. Two more reached for FAng.Fang spun, kicking one making him fall into the

other.The fourth reached for me. I grabbed his arm, flipping him then taking my foot , crushing his throat. Fang looked at

me. A flyboy swung and hit him. He quickly turned, grabbing and slamming the fly freak into the wall Knowing FAng had

everything under control, I procedded to Jeb's office.

"Max, wait" I heard Fang call out. But I couldn't. I had to take care of this.I opened the door to find Jeb with his back

turned, typing on the computer.

"How dare you walk in without knock--" he started as he turned to face me. "Well, Max. This is a surprise. "

"Hello daddy dear. Miss me?" I askes sarcastically.

"Max, I always miss you. I must say, you have healed up nicesly. hard to believe you just had a baby a few weeks ago. i'll

have to take note of that."

"Well, you know, being part avian has its perks, like fst healing. Plus, Fang and I have been training for this day."

"Oh really? And how is Fang handling his new role of father?"

"Better than you ever did. He hasn't tortured, starved or beat Ridge at all. He doesn't lock him into cages or anything. You

see, FAng has heart."

"Ridge? A son. I bet he is a magnificent specimen. I can hardly wait to see him."

"Oh you will never see him Jeb. It's not allowed."

"Now Max, calm down"Jeb said as I took a step closer.

"But you see Jeb, I am calm. And now I am going to calmly kill your sorry evil ass."

"M-Max, don't do anything you will regret" Jeb said, standing up and backing away from my approach.

"Oh I don't intend to regret anything.I am doing the world a service. I owe it to mom. You remember her don't you? She

loved you. And you used her, then killed her."

"Max, things got out of hand. We had no other choice."I glared at him. I felt the anger rising inside. The rage.

"Now Max, remember, I am your father."

" I know exactly who you are.You are my enemy. You have made my life and that of the flock a living nightmare. You are

pure evil tht has to be stopped. And I intend to do just that, at all costs."

"You are not a killer Max. You cant do it. It's not in you"

"Guess we are about to find out" I said and drew back to punch him, but something grabbed my fist. Rags. Rags snarled at

me just before Fang jumped on him, kicking him in the head followed by a line of punches to the temple. Destracted for the

moment, Jeb punched me.

"You shouldn't have done that." said as I kneed him in the midsection, followed by an elbow to his chest. I glanced at Fang.

His lip was bleeding, sas was Rags' nose. Deciding that he had it under control, I turned back to Jeb. He lunged at me, I

sidestepped and he fell to the floor. I jumped on top of him, throwing puch after punch furiously. His face was bloody, nose

broken, still I kept hitting him. I stood, dropping a knee hard into his chest. Again. Hi dragged him to his feet. He swung

wildly, missing and I kicked him hard under the chin. he stumbled backward, landing on the desk. As I reached to grab him I

noticed the file laying by his head.' experiment 27-A: Human-Avain Offspring'. I glared at him. "You son of a bitch. You was

going to try to take my son. To experiment on him like the rest of us." I sneered, my jaws locked. A sudden burst of rage

shot through me. "Max, no I-" Jeb started, but it was too late. I wasn't listening to any more of his lies.I gave him one final

spin kick to the chest, putting every ounce of rage, anger, hurt I had in me into it.Jeb gasped a final breath."Max" his eyes

widened, then he went limp as his body slid to the floor. Fang finished off Rags and turned looking from me to Jeb.

"Max, come on. We gotta go. Max!" FAng yelled, pulling on my hand. We had two more floors to go when the first explosion

shook the building. The power flickered out and the elavator stopped. Fang opened the emergency hatch and we climbed

out into the elavator shaft. "Our wings are too big to fly up. We gotta climb." He called to me. I barely heard him. My mind

racing. "Max, let's go" He said.I followed him up the small ladder. Halfway up the second explosion went off. My hand

slipped and I was sangling there. FAng reached down, pulling me up to him. I got my footing, inches away from his face. he

leaned down and gently kissed me then turned to lead me out to the roof. We flew off to join the others just as there was

another explosion, causing Itex to collapse. Angel ran up, hugging my waist as we landed on the building rooftop.

"Max, you made it" she squealed. I rubbed her back, staring at the smoke rise.

"Did you see that? Awesome" GAzzy yelled , high fiving Iggy.

"What about Jeb?"Nudge asked. FAng looked at me.

"Yeah, we found him." Fang said, never taking his eyes off me.

"Did he get out?" Angel added. There was a long silence. Then I started to take off. I heard FAng respond to Angel."No, he

didn't. " I stopped, looking at him.

Suddenly Angel said"he couldn't . ahe was already dead. Max killed him" All eyes bulged and turned to me then.

"Whooa, Max. He was like you r father. you kille dhim?Man, that's-" Nudge started, but FAng cut her off.

"Let's go guys. Job's done" Fang said and we took off.