Chain Reaction

Chapter 25 – day 5

What if, in the escape of '09, Max hadn't escaped with the others? What if Jondy tried to save her when she fell in the ice, but in the end, they both got caught?

…

'13

Portland

Someone was watching Max. She had an idea as to who it was, but every time she looked around, there was no one in sight. It was frustrating her, knowing that one of her brothers was in the city, but not being able to find him. She still hadn't told Alec what she'd seen, afraid that he wouldn't believe her, and she didn't want to tell they were being watched, either.

Alec was, at this moment, chatting with a group of young boys. They had been playing some kind of game when Alec and Max walked past, and they had stopped to watch. Once the game was over, Alec approached one of the boys, trying to find out what the game was, and what the rules were. That had been almost half an hour ago, and Max was getting both bored and annoyed. Bored, because the boys refused to talk when she stood near them, and annoyed at the hidden watcher.

Looking around again, Max spotted a tall tree only a few yards from where Alec and the boys were. Even if she couldn't spot the watcher from the tree, she'd at least have something to do. Rubbing her hands together, she walked over to the tree, grasped the closest branch, and swung herself up onto it. It took her only a few minutes to climb to the top, and survey the buildings around the area. There was no sight of anyone suspicious, or anyone under the age of 20 apart from the boys in the street.

With a sigh, Max started to climb back down the tree. When she got closer to the ground, she picked a thick branch, and sat on it, her back against the tree trunk. Alec would see her, eventually, once he was ready.

…

After almost an hour of talking, the boys began to head off, and Alec walked over to the tree Max was perched in. He'd spotted her climbing it earlier, and felt sorry that the boys wouldn't allow her into the conversation. Reaching the tree, he grasped hold of a branch, and pulled himself up, climbing until he reached the branch Max was on.

"Sorry they wouldn't let you in on the conversation, Maxie."

Max stared at him. She didn't speak, or make any move.

"I really am, Maxie. I tried to get them to let you in, but they went on about girls being stupid and not knowing the first thing about anything and not wanting to be seen talking to girls. I didn't really understand much of what they were saying other than that."

Max still didn't say anything.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? But there wasn't anything I could do about it. And once I got them talking, they had some interesting stuff to say. You want to know what they told me?"

Max raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Alec, figuring two could play that game, offered up none of the information. They sat, staring at each other, for a few minutes, before Max broke the silence.

"Okay. Fine. You couldn't help it. That information had better be worth something good."

"It will be. They told me they'd seen a boy just like me, about a year ago. He was weird, they said, didn't know how to talk properly or do a lot of things. They just figured he was a bit stupid, and never asked him to play their game again."

"Ben?"

"I think so. They didn't tell me his name. But they said he definitely looked like me. They also told me of some rumors they'd heard. About a girl in the town, with a weird tattoo on her neck, who can beat any boy in a fight, even if he's older than her. They haven't seen her themselves, probably because they're afraid of being beaten by a girl, but they've heard lots of rumors about her."

Max closed her eyes, thinking of her sisters that had escaped. It could be any of them, really.

"The only other thing they could tell me about her was that she was dark skinned. Or at least, darker skinned than they were. They seem to think that anyone who isn't as white as they are can't be as good as them."

"Dark as in really brown skin, or olive/brown skin?"

"Not really brown. They called that something else. I don't remember what."

"It'd have to be Brin, or Tinga then. Cali's skin is almost black, and Star and Syl are both as fair as us. Alec..."

"You shouldn't call me Alec, remember. But what is it?"

"The other day, when we got the orders from Lydecker to stay here? I thought I saw a face in the window."

"A face? Who?"

"I think it was Micah."

…

Micah had been walking for almost an hour before he found a payphone that actually worked. Slipping into the booth, he inserted some coins, and dialed the voice-mail number. Star had promised she would check it at least once each day, in case trouble happened.

Counting the days off in his head, Micah reckoned that Star should be finished saving Brin, and halfway to Portland by now. If she got the message within the next few hours, she should make it before sunset tomorrow. If she didn't get the message until the next day, it might not be until the day after that that she got in.

Star's voice filled his ears, telling him to leave a message. After the tone, he spoke.

"Star, we have a problem. I spotted Max in the city limits yesterday, with another male. I followed them as best I could today, and confirmed it was her. The male looks like Ben, but that can't be right, can it? Isn't Ben on the other side of the country? Whoever it is, it means trouble. They weren't acting like they had escaped, which must mean they're on a mission. We need to let the others know that Manticore is using X-5s for missions now. They need to be wary. And you may need to get here fast. We'll have to relocate Tinga, and if Max and the male find out about us, it'll have to be soon."

After hanging up the receiver, Micah started walking back to Tinga's home, sending all his thoughts out to Star, in the vain hope that she would somehow hear him, and come quickly.

…