Thanks to all of you who read and review this story again, you're great!
452max: Thanks again, and special thanks for your compliment about my writing abilities. Means a lot to me, I mean, English not being my native language. Well, you'll get a glimpse about how Max will react to Logan or better, his actions in this chapter.
Divine Fighter: You'll know about what happens to Logan in this chapter, well, not everything but the beginning. Yes, I haven't forgotten Jace and I also know that I promised to write more about Brin and I didn't forget it. But I can't do it before we know how Max will decide in this whole Manticore-Unit-Loyalty-Freedom-or-Logan-or-somethingcompletelyelse-thing. I'll get it done and if I should forget give me a little kick ;) Glad you like Kyla, too. I wasn't sure if I would get her story right, thank you. Oh yeah, about Lydecker; I think we all know that when it comes to his kids despite his tough exterior he can be quite a teddy bear sometimes, right? Okay, not very often but it happens.
roseyangel: Thanks to you, too. Well, I know what Max did in the last chapter was not an 'nice' thing to read but I think it's just a necessary evil. Endgame? Who said anything about an endgame? :) Certainly not me because I have absolutely no clue where this story will take me *gg* I really can't tell you at the moment. How many chapters would you like?
Okay, no char list this time, you're not gonna need it.
Read and enjoy!
Max listened to Lydecker going over the few intel Manticore had on Eyes Only. They would leave the base in two hours and go to Seattle where they had only three days to find out who this Eyes Only was and neutralize the thread he posed to their operations. She saw how Wolf his frowned when he heard how little time they had. Sure, to find some common person three days would be more than enough but this cyber-journalist had proved in the past that he was capable of eluding even an organization as mighty as Manticore.
But it was possible. Until now Eyes Only had only been a minor annoyance way below the usual adversaries Manticore had to deal with. This time however they would get every support they needed and chances were good with the help of the several intelligence agencies working with each other and already looking out for the cyber-journalist the four X5 would catch him this time.
Max bit on her lip nervously, not knowing what to do. Sure, she had to be loyal to her unit and her mission but she still remembered Logan being a friend and she didn't know if she could endure being part of the team that had to eliminate him; she had barely recovered from her latest shock after killing Aaron Wittacker.
"Any questions?" Lydecker asked when he had finished his explanations. Max rose from her chair.
"Sir, X5-452!" She had made her decision; once they'd left the base there would be no going back, she had to try and save Logan's life now. "Permission to speak, sir?"
"Granted." Lydecker looked at her with not very friendly eyes. Sure, deep inside he felt something for her he had never experienced before but he had not forgotten yet who had caused all the trouble in unit two he had to deal with at the moment.
"Sir, I know who Eyes Only is."
Everybody in the room looked at her astonished and Max couldn't remember when she had seen the Colonel so lost for words the last time. If the situation hadn't been so serious his facial expression probably would have made her laugh. Finally he pulled himself together and shot her an almost angry glare.
"You know the true identity of Eyes Only?" She nodded. "Why didn't you tell us before?"
"Sir, you never asked, sir!" Max remained stoic, hands behind her back and her eyes straight. It was the truth after all; neither PsyOps nor Lydecker had ever asked her a single question about Logan or Eyes Only.
"Okay", Lydecker sighed heavily and she could tell it took him every sort of control he had not to lose his temper. "Tell us, what you know."
Max swallowed hard and after a short pause of hesitation started to talk.
"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Bling asked.
"I never did" Logan answered with a bitter chuckle, "But it's probably the only chance we'll get and besides that it's too late to run away. I'm sure they already know we're here."
They were waiting near the docks again for another mysterious man to meet them. This had become some sort of tradition by now and Logan caught himself thinking that he probably even looked like some kind of don sitting around in his wheelchair in a place like this at one o'clock in the morning with his bodyguard at his side.
He thought back to the phone call he had received two days ago.
"Hello?"
"Good morning, Mister Cale. Up already?"
"Who are you?" The voice sounded strangely familiar to him but Logan didn't recognize it.
"Oh, now I'm hurt. Weren't you saying you knew everything about me, Mister Cale?" The voice was almost taunting now but Logan could hear the barely restrained anger in it.
"I'm sorry, but whoever you are, I'm afraid you got the wrong number."
"Oh no, I certainly didn't, Mister Cale." If the voice had been taunting before it was cold as ice now. "Or do you prefer Eyes Only?"
When Logan didn't answer the male voice continued.
"This is Colonel Lydecker, Mister Cale. If you want to live to see another day you better listen now to what I have to say to you."
"How did you find out?" Logan finally said his eyes already frantically searching for an intruder in his apartment.
"Relax, Mister Cale, if I wanted you dead you'd have stopped breathing already" Lydecker assured him and Logan was sure he heard an almost amused undertone in the older man's voice this time. "Instead I'd like to make you an offer. Be at the docks the day after tomorrow at one a.m."
"Where exactly and how do I know this is not a trap?"
"You don't but I know who you are and I know what you look like", Lydecker snarled now clearly annoyed. "If I wanted to I could kill you anytime I want without the slightest effort. Just be there if you want to live, we will find you."
Without waiting for another answer the older man hung up.
After that Logan, Bling and Zack had left the apartment head over heels and got to another safe house where they stayed for the next two days awaiting an attack anytime. Surprisingly there hadn't been any and after making contact with Johannessen and his Red Cell they had agreed that they would go to the docks, not because Lydecker wanted them too, but because it was probably the only chance of getting to an X5 before the Colonel run out of patience and ordered his men to attack.
Until now the reds had reported that only one X5 had entered the city but it still was risky, very risky and they knew it but it was their only chance now; with an X5 in their hands Manticore would have to think twice before attacking them again.
So here they were, waiting for at least one highly trained super-soldier who certainly had observed them for some time now and hopefully really only was there to talk to Logan who shifted uncomfortably in his wheelchair.
But the look of a seemingly crippled and helpless man was deceiving; under the blanket covering his legs he wore the exoskeleton and felt ready to jump up and fight whatever would emerge from the darkness that surrounded the small illuminated area they were waiting in. Not that this was likely to be necessary: Johannessen's men were on their posts already only waiting for their target to walk into their trap. There were six of the Red Cell soldiers waiting in the shadows around them. Johannessen had asked his superiors for reinforcements when he'd heard about Manticore making contact with Logan directly.
And they still had their joker, Zack. The X5 was waiting in the car twenty meters behind them. They had agreed it would be better if the male transgenic kept some distance to the reds so he was waiting ready at all times to make his appearance if needed which they all hoped wouldn't be the case.
Suddenly a tall figure in black clothing emerged from the shadows and approached Logan and Bling slowly. Logan recognized him immediately but even if he hadn't he would have known he was looking at an X5: The calm and confident stride, the aura of danger that showed in every movement and the predatory yet almost amused look in his eyes, just like a cat would look at its prey.
It was Wolf. He approached the two men but stopped when he was about four meters away from them and Bling made a move like he wanted to reach for his gun. It was only a warning but the meaning was clear to everybody.
"You look better than the last time I saw you", Logan said when the silence became too awkward. The X5 smiled icily.
"Yeah, thank you. I heard you had something to do with it."
"My pleasure. What did you do to Max?"
"I have something Colonel Lydecker ordered me to give to you" the transgenic answered ignoring Logan's last question. "Can I take it out or will your oversized wardrobe try and shoot me?"
"Do it" Bling answered before Logan could take the little quarrel to a new level, "slowly."
"Whatever you say, big guy" Wolf grinned but Logan saw that his eyes still had the same dangerous look. The X5 reached into one of his pockets and took out a disk. Bling took a few steps forward and carefully took it, giving it to Logan.
"What's this?" the cyber-journalist wanted to know.
"The Colonel's offer, Mister Cale" Wolf said curtly and turned to leave. "Whatever it is, I suggest you accept it. Goodnight, gentlemen."
"I'm afraid this is not gonna happen" Logan called after him and the transgenic stopped dead in his tracks. As if on cue the six Red Cell soldiers appeared from everywhere surrounding the lone X5 blocking every possible way of escape.
At first Wolf just grinned. They had noticed the six men Cale had brought along long before he had even left Artemis who was now waiting on a rooftop several hundreds of meters away looking through her sniper scope. A simple scan had showed them that none of them except for Cale and his personal bodyguard carried firearms and until now Wolf had believed they were only there to provide further security to the great Eyes Only but now it seemed like they were here to hold him back. Six men, pathetic! Had that man learned nothing from the times when he had talked with Max?
When he eyed the six of them closer his grin suddenly vanished. They looked strong, okay, but usually that wouldn't have been a problem for him. But there was something else about them, about the way they moved and smelled. Suddenly it hit him.
"Those are Red Cell!" he shouted into the hidden micro in his jacket. "All units attack!"
In a fluent move he drew his gun and aimed at the first man attacking him. He dove to the right while emptying half of his clip into his enemy's chest. The red fell to the ground not moving anymore. At the same moment another foreign super-soldier suddenly threw his head back before Wolf could even hear the gunshot from Artemis' rifle. Before the second dead body hit the ground Wolf spun around but was too slow; one of the four remaining reds kicked the gun out of his hand and another one hit him in the side so hard he could feel his rips breaking.
Max and Kyla were lying not far away from their teammate and watched his reactions when the six men surrounded him. They wore the usual black battle dress and black masks making it difficult to see them in the dark night. In fact it almost made them invisible. They had approached one the six men while he had been waiting until they had been almost able to touch him and he hadn't noticed them. Suddenly there was a change in Wolf's behavior and the two women straightened up.
"Those are Red Cell! All units attack!"
Before the radio message had ended Max and Kyla had already left their hideout and sprinted towards the fight. They saw Wolf shooting one of his attackers and heard Artemis taking a shot and saw a second red fall but before the sniper could get another one the combatants were already too close to each other and she would have risked to hit Wolf by accident. The remaining reds started kicking and beating the X5 in their middle.
Without thinking the two female transgenics jumped at the reds who were surprised at first but quickly turned towards their new attackers; one kept trying to keep Wolf on the ground while two others went after Kyla and the last one turned towards Max.
The following fight was short but brutal: The Red Cell was stronger and could withstand injuries better than the X-series; until now Max had only read about them in a few mission reports but she was about to learn very quickly that they were deadly enemies.
She managed to dodge the red's first attacks until one of his fists connected with her jaw. She tasted her own blood in her mouth and stumbled backwards; her enemy was quick to follow her. She heard gunshots and looked around frantically.
"Max! Get down!" a voice sounded in her ear followed by a loud crack. Without thinking she let herself fall onto the ground. The red got hit in the head by something and fell to the floor; it was then that Max understood.
"Thank you, Artemis."
"My pleasure" was the sniper's grim answer.
Max looked around. The fight had only been going on for about a minute but already the place looked like a battlefield. Five of the Red Cell soldiers lay on the ground not moving anymore. There were the three Artemis and Wolf had shot and another one lay right beside her brother who held his now empty gun in his hand; apparently he had gotten himself a second kill this night, too. He was bleeding from a nasty laceration on his forehead but otherwise seemed to be quite okay considering the circumstances.
The fifth dead red had a battle knife in his chest and lay a little bit more to the right where Kyla was still fighting against her second attacker.
Apparently she'd dealt with the first one quite quickly but the second Red Cell soldier whether better trained than his unlucky comrade or angry because of his death kept attacking her with uncompromising harshness. She had managed to dodge most of his kicks and blows until now but just when Max and Wolf got back on their feet almost simultaneously he hit her in the gut. She winced and lashed out herself but he grabbed her arm and twisted it with the pure force the implant in his head gave him. There was a sickening crack and Kyla threw her head back screaming in agony. For a moment she was unable to defend herself and the red took his chance: He hit her again, this time against her throat and her scream was immediately silenced.
"KYLA!" Wolf screamed while he and Max were running towards the red who let go of the defenseless woman and turned around awaiting them with an expression of hatred and bloodlust on his face. Before the two X5 could even reach him he suddenly stumbled forward and fell to the ground when another crack of a rifle could be heard.
"Artemis three down", their sniper announced. "Look behind you."
The two X5 did as they were told and got aware of Bling and Logan still being there. Logan was standing on his exoskeleton and they both had guns in their hands but they were not aiming at the two X5. Not yet. But what really took Max aback was the third man suddenly standing there. Zack. She felt surprised at first, then she began to understand and felt the anger in her rise.
"Wolf, take care of…" she began but upon turning towards her brother she saw that he was already kneeling at Kyla's side. He had removed her mask and Max could see her pained expression and the rising panic; apparently she could still breathe which was almost a miracle considering the hit she had taken against her throat but still it didn't seem to be enough. She kept looking at Wolf seemingly not aware of anything else while frantically trying to breathe in enough oxygen to survive. They didn't have the equipment to help her; if she wouldn't be evacuated quickly she would die and she knew it. Her brother briefly looked up , first at Max, then at the three man and then back at Max.
"Go!" was the only thing he said before he returned his attention to the seriously injured Kyla.
Max nodded and turned around calmly walking towards them. "Artemis, signal Lydecker to send us a Med-Evac ASAP, Kyla's injured. And then I could use some cover."
"Consider yourself covered."
The three men waited for her not moving. She briefly looked at Bling but she knew he hadn't been the one responsible for the events that had just taken place. When she got closer Zack got into his fighting stance and Max stopped and looked at them for a few seconds in a mixture of anger, almost hatred and also something she would never have thought feeling when seeing Logan or Zack: Disdain.
Finally she took off her mask.
Okay, my cliffhangers are getting meaner again, that's a good sign, I'm on the mend.
For any of you who want to know how the three will react to Max well, you know what to do *looking around innocently*