Chapter seven – the mission part three
What if, in the escape of '09, Max hadn't escaped with the others? What if Jondy had tried to save her when she fell in the ice, but in the end they both got caught?
…
'10
"Now, what were you saying Alec?"
"What? Oh Max. Come sit down. 598 gave us the boring duty. We have to sit here and map where ever that criminal goes, using the transmitter to follow his movements."
"But aren't they supposed to have that? To keep track of him I mean?"
"They have another one. 598 didn't tell us that he had another transmitter, in case something happens and he needs to use two."
"But why do we have to stay here?"
"Because of what I said before. I'm sorry Max, I wasn't thinking then."
"Do you ever think?"
"You'd be surprised."
"Not much can surprise me Alec. Anyway, what are we going to do?"
"We're going to stay here and do what we were ordered to do, like the good little soldiers we are supposed to be."
"But that's boring."
"I know. Can't help that though. Come on, let's sit down."
Max watched as Alec sat down at the base of a tree. He looked so calm and... well... cute when he relaxed. Not that Max would admit that. She didn't even like Alec. Sighing, Max sat down opposite Alec, watching as he looked up at her. She had never noticed how green his eyes were. None of her other brothers or sisters had green eyes except for Ben and Cora. She liked green eyes. They were nicer than blue or brown or grey or black. They were even nicer than Gem's yellow eyes.
Alec stared into Max's dark brown eyes. He had never noticed how brown her eyes were. When he had first seen Max, he had thought that they were black, like Lea's. But he liked Max's eyes so much. They were enchanting. He felt that he could look at them forever.
Max and Alec sat looking into each other's eyes for more that five minutes. It was only when the transmitter gave a soft click that they remembered what they were supposed to be doing. Max turned away, her face turning red. Luckily, Alec didn't notice because he was too busy searching for the map they were supposed to be writing on. By the time he had found it and the pen he was supposed to be using, Max's face had gone back to it's normal color.
"Look," Alec pointed at the transmitter. "He's moving north-north-west along the river."
"So?"
"Just thought I'd tell you. We are supposed to be mapping where he goes you know."
"I know. But you can do the mapping. I had to place the bug on his neck. It's your turn to do something."
"Fine."
Alec looked back at the transmitter, and began mapping where the criminal was going. And so Max and Alec sat there for quite a while, Alec mapping, with Max just watching him. Watching how his forehead scrunched up in concentration, and watching the precise way he mapped out the criminal's path. When she caught herself watching him, she looked down at her lap and began counting to one thousand.
Max was half way through her third thousand, when she noticed that her left hand was shaking slightly. Worried, she balled it into a fist, and tried to concentrate on her counting again. She had only gotten to three hundred and two when she felt a tremor run through her body. Her right hand was shaking as well as her left, and even balling them up into fists didn't help. She could feel the tremor coming again, and looked up to see if Alec had noticed. Seeing that he hadn't, Max started to get up, to walk away, but she fell down before she could take a step.
Alec looked at her, wondering why she was curled up on the ground. It took him a moment to notice that she was shaking, but when he did, he dropped the transmitter and map, and went over to her. He gripped her shoulders hard, and gently shook her, trying to see if that stopped her. When it didn't, he got worried. None of his unit had done this.
Max felt Alec's hands on her shoulders, and tried to command her body to stop shaking. When it didn't, she opened her mouth to speak to him. No words came out at first, but slowly she formed the words she was trying to say.
"Alec...can't stop...have to try...and wait...for it to stop."
"What's happening Maxie?"
"Seizure."
"What can I do? Do you want me to go get a medic?"
"No. Don't leave me...please don't...promise you'll stay?"
"Maxie, you need help!"
"No. Stay with me, please?"
"I'm right here."
"You won't leave?"
"I'm not going anywhere."
Alec picked Max up, and walked back over to the tree they had been sitting under. He could feel her small body shaking against his, and wondered if she was going to be all right. Sitting down again, he kept Max curled up in his lap, as she continued to shake. After a while, the shakes lessened, and he felt Max relax. Sighing, she curled up in his arms, and fell asleep.