Joshua sat hidden in the shadows of the night watching the scene before him. Soldiers searching the darkness for something or someone, unaware that they were being so closely observed. Joshua could sense someone else watching from the shadows. Turning slightly so as not to alert the soldiers, he searched the alley behind him. A small movement caught his eye causing him to look up. Sitting above him on the fire escape was a man in his early twenties, watching the events unfolding before him. Joshua wondered for a moment if it was his fellow spectator that the soldiers were searching for.
Out of the darkness near the soldiers leapt a female form. She headed straight for the alley that Joshua was hiding in. Just as she came to the spot where Joshua was crouched, she bounced slightly before leaping up to the man's outstretched arms. Swinging the woman up onto the fire escape, the man unfolded himself back into the position he had been hanging upside down from. "Come on." He held his hand out to Joshua. "They'll want to catch you as well."
Joshua hesitated for a moment before reaching out to grab the man's hand. He was pulled onto the fire escape seconds before the soldiers entered the alley.
Quickly and quietly the threesome made their way across the rooftops putting some distance between them and the soldiers before climbing down the side of another building. The man gestured for the other two to follow him.
There was something about the man that rang familiar to Joshua. He sensed that he could trust him. Down the street they ran up to a van waiting for them. Joshua was a little surprised to find Max inside.
"Hey Joshua. Climb in. We'll drop you off on the way." Max beamed at her canine friend. "I see you met my big brother, Zane."
Zane stuck out his hand to shake Joshua's. "Not officially." He pulled Max into a bear hug. "Next time you can swing from the fire escape."
Max chuckled as she shut the door and the van started moving. "I phoned Jondy and let her know she has another family member heading her way." She turned to the frightened woman. "Logan's gonna organize some papers for you. Don't worry. Our sister will look after you."
"Thank you." The woman smiled nervously. "I don't know how I will be able to repay you or your family."
Zane smiled kindly at the woman. "Well, our sister Jondy recently adopted twelve girls all under the age of fifteen. Most of them don't speak English, although I think they are learning fast. I'm sure she and Devon could use some help. First though I think we had better give you a name."
"Kera." Joshua surprised himself when he blurted the name out and everyone in the van turned to look at him. "Heard it somewhere. Thought it sounded pretty."
"I like it." Max reached and squeezed Joshua's hand to stop his embarrassment. She pushed a speed dial number on her cell phone. "Hey. It's me. The name on those papers will need to be Kera." She rolled her eyes at the comment made down the other end of the phone. "It's spelt the way it sounds. Joshua picked it." She listened for a moment and then smiled. "Ok thanks. We'll be there in five. Bye." Max switched the phone off. "We just have to pick up some papers and a sector pass and then Bling will drive you to San Francisco."
"Jondy will probably be working when you arrive in San Francisco but Devon will be home." Zane chuckled to himself. "He's pretty cool. I helped them move last week. Devon was in full Father mode, organizing the girls into rooms, stopping arguments. The funniest part is what little English the girls can speak is spoken with Jondy's adopted English accent."
"That's our sister for you." Max giggled as Bling pulled the van into the underground car park of Logan's apartment building. "She has a habit of rubbing off on you." She slapped Bling on the back. "Doesn't she!"
Bling shot Max a filthy look as he helped Kera out of the van. "Don't start with me Max. I'm just playing chauffer. I'll be back in a day or two." Bling knew that the drive to San Francisco could be difficult considering that Kera was transgenic. There would be a lot of people looking for her.
Zane put his arm around his grinning sister's shoulders. "That's right Max. Bling here is just the delivery boy." He grinned as well. "It's not going to make a difference if Jondy answers the door dressed in a tiny towel." Zane teased. He knew as well as Max did that Bling had it bad for Jondy.
Kera watched Bling growing more and more uncomfortable with the subject. "If there is some sort of problem with you going to San Francisco with me, I'm sure that I can manage on my own." She preferred to travel with someone who knew Jondy rather than turn up on a perfect stranger's door and ask for a place to stay.
Bling smiled at Kera. "It's fine. It will be safer if we travel together." He glared at Max and Zane who were still grinning teasingly at him. "Ignore them. They're just teasing. Let's go and see if Logan's got everything ready."
When they got upstairs to Logan's apartment they found him pacing back and forth. He looked up when he heard them walk in the room. "Everyone alright?" His question was directed to all five people, but his look of concern was only for Max.
Zane walked up to Logan. "She drew the short straw." He laughed at the confusion on Logan's face. "Max never left the van." He walked towards the kitchen. "Got anything to eat?"
"Is that your family's motto?" Logan called after him. "Got anything to eat." Was something Max used to always greet him with. He suddenly noticed Joshua was with them. "Hey." He looked over at Max. "Any problems?"
Max shook her head. "No. Just picked up an extra passenger that's all. We were going to drop him off on the way here, but decided to get Kera's papers first. I'll drop Joshua off on my way home." She tugged on Bling's arm. "Get Jondy to call me when you get there." She waved goodbye and gently pushed Joshua ahead of her out the door.
"Careful." Zane's voice jerked Logan's attention back off of the now closed apartment door. "If you keep your feelings this well hidden, we might think you don't care about Max." He grinned at Logan.
"I'm that obvious?" Logan chuckled nervously when everyone nodded. "Here are the papers you're going to need." He handed Kera a folder. "Best get going before any check points get set up out of town."
Bling nodded. "Let's go Kera." He slapped Logan on the back. "See you in a couple of days." He held the door open for Kera and followed her out to the van.
Zane reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope for Logan. "Jondy asked me to give you this. She said something about it being rent money for the room she's got all of that medical equipment in."
Logan refused to take it. "She's like a sister. There's no need for her to pay for using that room."
"Take it." Zane's tone was firm but kind. "You're doing her a favor and this is her way of showing that she appreciates it."
Logan knew better than to argue with an X5. "Fine. How long are you staying in Seattle? Do you need a place to stay?"
Zane shrugged his shoulders. "A couple of days. Yeah, I need a place to crash."
Logan pointed to the spare room. "You can crash in there. I take it you're not like your sisters, so you need sleep." He walked over and sat in front of his computer.
Zane followed him and sat on the edge of the computer desk. "Max always jokes that she and Jondy must have shark DNA in them and that's why they don't need to sleep." He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think that's it. When we were kids at Manticore, Max and Jondy were too scared to sleep. Ben used to make up stories at night to try and stop the nightmares they kept having. I think after a while staying awake became a habit and then a lifestyle."
Logan grinned. "Sort of like the way you are so fiercely protective of Jondy and the way Zack was with Max."
Zane's brown eyes turned serious. "Zack was in love with Max, that wasn't a habit. When we first hooked up in Canada, Zack was convinced that you were holding Max back. He felt she was putting herself in danger for you." Zane rubbed the back of his neck. It had been a long day and the exhaustion was starting to sink in. "When he sent for Krit and Syl to help you guys get Max back, he admitted that he was wrong about you. He knew that you loved Max and would do anything to protect her. Just like he would." Zane gave Logan a tired smile and made his way to the spare room.
"Hey Boo." Original Cindy looked up from the book she was reading. "There's some leftovers in the fridge if you're hungry."
Max shook her head as she sat down beside her friend. "Nah. I'm fine. Zane's in town for a couple of days. He helped Jondy and Devon move into their new place with the girls."
Cindy put her book down. "How's Jondy coping with being a Mommy to twelve teenage girls?" She had thought Max had been joking when she first told her that Jondy and Devon had adopted twelve girls.
Max giggled. "It seems that they have all inherited Jondy's accent. Zane seems to think Jondy's a natural at being a mother though."
"Where's Zane staying?" Original Cindy hadn't seen Zane walk in with Max, but then she knew from experience that the X5's didn't use the normal entrances.
Max looked guilty when she heard Original Cindy's question. "I was in such a hurry to get Joshua home I forgot to ask."
Original Cindy rolled her eyes. "You mean you were in such a hurry to get out of Logan's apartment, so you didn't have to notice how damn fine you think he looks that you forgot to ask."
Max knew her friend was right. "Maybe. I guess I could call Logan and see if Zane's still there." She looked at the clock on the wall. It was getting pretty late. "I don't want to wake him though."
"Who are you trying to fool, Boo." Original Cindy couldn't contain the smirk that she was trying to hold back. "You always complain that Logan stays up all night working on his computer. Call the man. I don't think he's going to complain."
Everything in Max told her to phone Logan if only to hear his voice. "He's probably busy. I don't want to disturb him from saving the world, again."
Original Cindy snorted at her. "You know for a genetically engineered killing machine, you're a big wimp." She reached for the phone and dialed Logan's now familiar number. "Hey Logan. Is Zane still there?" She listened for a moment. "No, don't wake him. Max and I were just wondering where he was gonna crash. Thanks. Night."
Max was a little surprised. "Zane's crashing at Logan's? I guess I assumed he'd stay here."
"I guess that means you're going to have to go over to Logan's to visit with your brother." Original Cindy grinned. "Damn."
Zane took another sip of coffee. "So Lydecker's SUV was found upside down in the river outside of Amelin." He shrugged his shoulders. "So where's the body and what's in Amelin?"
Logan frowned slightly. "No sign of the body. The reports say it looks as though it washed down the river. You think he's still alive?" It seemed highly unlikely.
Zane poured himself another coffee. "Until I see that bastard's body with my own two eyes, I'll consider him alive and walking around, probably in Amelin." He shrugged his shoulders again. "Call me a skeptic if you want, but Lydecker doesn't strike me as someone who could be easily run off the road."
Logan had to admit, Zane had a point. "Well, I don't know much about Amelin except there's a prestigious college there. Maybe Lydecker knew someone at the college."
Zane thought back to when they were children at Manticore, all huddled together planning to escape the same fates that had taken Jack and Eva. "Jondy used to say Lydecker made her blood run cold. Not just because he was a sadistic son of a bitch. It was the way he looked at Max, like he saw someone else standing in her place. Lie an old girlfriend or something." He shook his head as if to clear his mind. "Must have freaked him out when Jondy and Max started taking on each others character traits."
Logan chuckled. "They still manage to maintain their distinct differences though. I sort of got the impression that Max was Lydecker's favorite in his own strange way." He frowned. "I keep remembering something I heard him say once. Know your enemy's enemy. What the hell is that all about?"
Zane remembered the saying well. "Several things. The enemy of your enemy probably already knows any weakness or advantage points. So it gives you a head start with less work. It means there's someone else to take the fall for you. Unfortunately, it also means there's someone else to protect your back from."
"That's a loaded saying." Logan raised an eyebrow. "Did Jondy find anything in the file Lydecker gave her on Max?"
Zane shook his head. "Nothing she didn't already know from the tests she did on the blood sample she took from Max."
Logan had noticed on his visit to San Francisco previously that Jondy was looking slightly worn out. "Maybe she's trying too hard to find a cure. You know, I don't think Max would hold it against her if Jondy wanted to take a break."
Zane grinned. "You noticed that Jondy's wearing herself out as well huh?" He had heard from Devon that his sisters had both gone into heat at the same time Max and Logan had both visited San Francisco and that Jondy had kept herself busy working to keep out of trouble.
Logan nodded. "Don't get me wrong, your sister's still a stunner, but she could be missing something that's right in front of her face because she's exhausted." He leaned forward to pour himself a cup of coffee. "I don't want her making herself sick trying to help us. Max and I will find a way around this."
Zane heard Max's bike pull up outside the apartment building. "Jondy loves a challenge. That doesn't mean that the rest of us are going to stop looking either. How did you get Jondy to trust you so quickly? She usually keeps at arms length away from new people for months."
Logan laughed. "I think I had a few things working in my favor that week. Not only had Jondy been shot, she was also in heat. She certainly has a switch in personality when that happens."
Zane joined in his laughter. "I know." He heard the apartment door open. "Morning Max." Logan had told him that morning that Original Cindy had phoned last night to find out where he was staying.
"Morning." Max sat down next to her brother at the table. "Jondy phoned to let us know Bling and Kera arrived safely. It took them a while to get round all of the road blocks though."
Zane poured his sister a cup of coffee. "Is Jondy alright?" There was something about the expression on Max's face that made him worry.
Max nodded. "She's busy what with being a mother to twelve girls and looking for a cure. She sounds happy enough."
Logan felt there was something Max wasn't telling them about Jondy as well. "She sounds happy enough but ....."
Max shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe it's just me, but I think she's lonely. I know she has Devon, but he's like another brother. It's not the same. I think she's working too hard."
Zane hugged his sister. "Let her work through it. Look, Jondy's bound to make Bling stay for a couple of days before sending him back to Seattle, so that it's safe. Maybe she'll figure out what a great guy he is and keep him in San Francisco."
Max looked doubtful. "You know it's not that simple, right." She chuckled at the grin on her brother's face. "Keep dreaming Big Brother. You know us X5 women never do anything the easy way."
Logan watched them joking with each other. He wished it was that simple for he and Max. He decided to switch the topic. "Jondy didn't mention Bling having any trouble with White?"
"No." Max helped herself to some of the breakfast on Zane's plate. "I noticed a few road blocks on the way here, that weren't there last night." She sipped her coffee. "The man sure has it bad for the transgenics."
"Why is that?" Logan frowned. "What is it about transgenic people that he has such a problem with?" It was something that continuously bugged him. "Apart from you trying to rob my place once." He looked directly at Max, his eyes sparkling teasingly. "Every transgenic person I've met seemed pretty nice."
Zack sniggered. "You're only saying that because we may end up being your in-laws." He refused to believe that they wouldn't be able to find a cure for the virus that Max had.
"Maybe he had a transgenic girlfriend who dumped him cause he such an ass." Max offered. She remembered how well he had fought with her. "Or maybe he is transgenic and wants to be the only special one."
"Or maybe he just considers the transgenic race another of Renfro's mistakes that he's suppose to fix." Logan pointed out. "Could be he's a perfectionist and feels he has to complete the job."
"Yeah." All of this may being was giving Max a headache. "I gotta blaze. Normal will throw a fit if I'm late again. Meet us at Crash tonight?" Max tapped her brother on the shoulder. "Logan'll bring you there if you can get him away from his computer."
"No problem." Zane tossed over his shoulder as Max walked out the door. He grinned at Logan. "I gather you don't go to Crash often considering my little sister didn't give you the opportunity to say no."
Logan was slightly confused. "Actually, Max usually tries to put as much distance between us as possible. We've got a lot of people working on a cure for us, but it doesn't change the fact that we can't touch."
Zane's eyes narrowed. "You up for a trip?" He saw Logan's questioning look. "Apart from anyone transgenic, the only enemy of White's that I know of is Lydecker."
Logan followed Zane's reasoning. "So what had Lydecker found out or who was he going to see? Why would White have him run off the road? I guess we'd better go find out." He grabbed his jacket on his way out the door followed by Zane. "Keep your fingers crossed that we can find out some of the answers."
Max wondered if she had done the right thing insisting that Logan bring Zane to Crash. She didn't know what she had been thinking. In some ways it was more dangerous than being at his apartment. There were more people, which meant there was a greater danger of accidentally bumping into him. "Stupid." She kicked her locker in frustration.
"You dent that locker, you're not getting a new one Missy." Normal bellowed from behind the counter. "I'm not paying you to have a temper tantrum."
"What's up Boo?" Original Cindy opened her own locker. "Big Brother not coming out to play tonight?" She looked up to see the look on Max's face. "Logan alright?"
Max nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah. He's bringing Zane to Crash tonight. That's probably a bad idea, right?"
"I don't think so." Original Cindy had nothing against Rafer, but she knew her friend was in love with Logan. "We'll just have you sit on opposite sides of the table. You can do that thing where you stare at each other while trying to pretend it doesn't mean anything and you're just friends." Her teasing was rewarded by a smile from Max. "It'll be fine. Come on, we'd better start delivering some packages before Normal fires us again."
Max felt a little better. "Meet you back here at lunch." She grabbed the parcel Normal was holding out to her and wheeled her bike out the door.
"You sure this is the right place?" Zane looked around him. There was no evidence to show that there had been a vehicle run off the road. No sign of skid marks or broken glass.
Logan nodded. "Your eye sight's better than mine though. If you can't see anything we may as well move on to Amelin, see if we can find something out there." Logan didn't know what he had expected to find there, he had just hoped there would be something to give Max some hope.
Zane walked along the bank of the river. Whomever had cleared up the mess of the car crash had be thougher. Then he spotted something further down the bank. Quickly he made his way to the speak of white amongst the brown stones. When he got closer he saw it was something jammed under a rock. Carefully he moved the rock to find a photo hiding beneath it. "Logan! I may have found something." The photo was hard to make out as it had been in the water too long.
Logan walked up to where Zane was standing. "It's pretty water damaged. We might be able to clear it up on the computer." He squinted at the photo. "Any idea what we're looking at?"
Zane shook his head. "I'd say we definitely need the computer's help with this." He glanced at his watch. "What time are we supposed to meet up with Max?"
Logan looked at his own watch. "I guess we'd better get back. I'll drop you off and get straight to work on this photo."
Zane looked at Logan as though he were insane. "You're standing my sister up for a computer." He gently shoved Logan towards the car. "I don't think so. You're coming out with me and we're going to have some fun. Tomorrow you can work on the photo and I'll drive into Amelin and ask some discreet questions."
"Your family doesn't know the meaning of discreet." Logan grumbled. "One of your sisters is a redheaded distraction for God's sake."
Zane snickered at his grumbling. "Yeah, I can see how you'd rather look at a computer screen than one of my gorgeous sisters. The hardship of it all."
Logan started up the car and tried to ignore Zane's good natured teasing. The truth was, as much as he wanted to start work on the photo in the hope that it would give them answers, he couldn't wait to see Max. After all, that's all he could do with her at the moment, look. "Fine. I'll go for a couple of hours and stare at your sister." He joked back. "Then you can threaten me later for harassing your sister."
"Sounds like a plan." Zane couldn't control the smirk erupting over his face. He had pretty much figured out Logan worked too hard and needed to have some fun, from what Jondy had been told by Max. "Who's knows, you may even have fun. Do you remember what that is?" He burst out laughing when Logan turned and glared at him.
Max was actually surprised when Logan showed up with Zane. She had sort of expected him to drop Zane off and go back to work on his computer. She had to giggle at how uncomfortable he looked amongst the crowd of people. "Hey." She disappeared into her brother's hug. "What did you do all day?" She tried to keep the conversation casual, but her eyes kept drifting back to Logan.
Zane didn't miss the spark between Max and Logan and he could tell by Original Cindy's face that she hadn't either. "Went for a drive to get Logan out of the house." He looked over at Original Cindy. "Want another beer?"
"Sure. I'll help you get it." Original Cindy eased off of her chair and followed Zane to the bar. "That wasn't exactly subtle Boo." She chuckled as Zane ordered their drinks.
"Subtle and discreet aren't exactly part of the Manticore work up." He glanced over his shoulder at Max and Logan deep in conversation. "At least they're talking. Max doesn't appear to be getting snappy. Yet."
Original Cindy frowned. "What do you mean?"
Zane sat down on a bar stool. "When the going gets tough Max builds up a wall around her to keep people from getting close. I've seen Jondy do it as well." He grinned. "Although these days she seems to just dangle irritations naked from the Golden Gate Bridge."
Logan shrugged his shoulders. "It may be nothing. Zane's going to drive into Amelin tomorrow. Could be someone knows Lydecker or at least why Lydecker was heading there." He smiled to himself. "You have a pretty terrific family."
Max beamed. "Yeah, I know. Not many families would pull together from all over the country like mine has. I guess I'm really lucky that way." She looked over her shoulder and saw Zane and Original Cindy trying not to look as though they were watching them. "I got lucky in the friends department as well." She turned back to find Logan staring at her. "What? Have I got beer froth on my nose or something?"
"No." He couldn't help staring at her. Logan tried to regain his composure. "I'll give Sebastian a call in the morning and see if he's come up with anything new." It wasn't the first time, it seemed so unfair to Logan that he couldn't even reach out and hold Max's hand.
Max eyed him suspiciously. "Just how did Zane get you to come in here tonight. Don't tell me my Big Brother can be very persuasive because that has never been his strong point. It's Jondy's."
Logan chuckled. "Actually he said that I could stare at his gorgeous sister all night as long as he could threaten me in the morning for harassing you."
"Ah. So you came to a mutual understanding." Max teased. "That sounds more like Zane." This wasn't as hard as she had thought it would be. "So tell me the truth since you know 'Eyes Only', are we really being invaded by little green men?"
Logan stared at her with mock seriousness. "Absolutely. Not only green ones, but yellow, pink, blue and purple ones as well. You know it's not even safe to walk the streets at night."
"Well, maybe I'd better walk you home then." Max joked. "Heaven forbid they jump you while getting a breath of polluted air."
"Rain check?" Logan laughed. "I actually drove tonight." He hadn't realized until the virus came along, just how often they had casually brushed up against each other just walking past.
Zane chuckled to himself. When he looked up he saw Original Cindy's puzzled look. "I'm sorry. I'm eavesdropping on those two. Max just offered to walk Logan home."
"It's unusual, but I don't see what's so funny about it." Original Cindy was still confused about the source of Zane's amusement. "Must be a Manticore thing."
Zane shook his head and tried to explain. "Logan turned her down cause we drove here." He pulled the car keys and Logan's cell phone out of his pocket. "Looks like he's walking home after all."
Original Cindy joined in his laughter. "Wait a minute. What about Max? She's still got her cell phone and beeper. Both numbers Rafer knows. I'd hate for him to interrupt their walk home." She shook her head in disbelieve when Zane pulled Max's cell phone and beeper out of another pocket. "In that case, come on I'll make dinner while you catch me up on what Jondy's up to in San Francisco."
Logan saw Zane and Original Cindy disappear out the door. "What are they up to?" He reached into his pocket for his car keys. "I don't believe this." He realized his cell phone was missing as well. "Looks like I'm walking home after all."
"What's up?" Max reached for her beeper to switch it off and discovered it was missing. Thinking it might have dropped on the floor she went to grab her cell phone to page it. "Damn it." She looked up to find Logan watching her. "Zane's lifted my beeper and cell phone."
"And my car keys and cell phone." He bit his lip to stop himself from laughing. "That offer to walk me home still open?" He didn't know whether to throttle Zane or thank him for giving him some time with Max alone.
"Sure." Max eased off of her seat and made her way to the door knowing Logan would be right behind her.
They walked comfortably beside each other and talked about everything from Max's family to 'Eyes Only' informants. It was almost like it had been before everything had gotten so complicated. Logan invited Max in for a coffee and so that she could call Zane to bring Logan's car back.
Instinct told her that her brother was at Original Cindy's having dinner. Sure enough Zane answered the phone. "I suppose you think that's funny, picking your own sister's pocket." She couldn't help but smile when her brother's laughter came bubbling down the phone. "When are you bringing Logan's car and cell phone back?" She watched Logan set a cup of coffee down for her on the coffee table. She rolled her eyes at her brother's answer. "Well, excuse me for interrupting your dinner. I guess I'll see you in an hour or so." Max hung up the phone and went to sit down on the sofa next to Logan, leaving a safe enough distance between them. "Zane said he'd bring your car back after he's finished dinner."
"That's fine." Logan watched her over the rim of his coffee cup. This was the most relaxed she had been with him in ages and he didn't want to ruin it. The photo Zane had found was lying on the coffee table, something in it caught Logan's eye. As faint as the photo was, due to the damage, he could almost make out a picture.
Max looked at what Logan was staring at. "Is this the photo Zane found?" She picked it up. "Can you actually make out what this is?"
Logan carefully took the photo off of her. "Let's have a look." He scanned it into the computer and started tapping at the keyboard to make the photo clearer. Every time he breathed in, he could smell her perfume from where she was standing behind him. He frowned as the photo became clearer. "Looks like photos from a dig. I'm no expert but those look like human bones to me."
Max nodded in agreement. "Deformed human bones." She noticed how Logan tried to conceal his surprise. "They made us learn all of the bones in the body at Manticore." She remembered the classes bitterly. "Makes us more efficient killers."
Logan looked up at her. "I guess Jondy found a way to use that knowledge for something more positive."
Max's face lit up at the mention of her sister. "Yeah. She's good like that. Jondy soaked up everything she was taught and turned it completely around on Manticore. The best thing is she's usually so shy and quiet, that Manticore pretty much ignored her and never figured out what she was up to." She giggled. "Jondy's still pretty embarrassed about groping your leg the other week."
Logan brushed her comment aside. "Tell her not to worry. I know that wasn't the real Jondy." He looked back at the screen. "What the hell was Lydecker doing on a dig?"
"I think I've seen this somewhere before." Max racked her brain to figure out where. "In the newspaper. Someone uncovered a Kiloma Indian burial site. They think it dates back to the early 1800's." She grinned triumphantly. "I knew my photographic memory would came in handy." She saw Logan staring at her. "What?"
Logan's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Nothing. Just admiring your photographic memory." His eyes drifted up and down her body.
"That's not where her photographic memory is located." Zane was leaning against the doorframe watching them with a grin on his face. "It's a bit higher." He continued teasing. He dropped the car keys and cell phone on the desk and headed for the room he was staying in.
"Hey!" Max called out to her brother. "What did you do with my phone and beeper?"
"Gave them to Original Cindy." Zane answered back over his shoulder. He closed the bedroom door behind him so that Max and Logan could have some privacy.
Logan tore his gaze away from Max and turned back to the screen. "So what has this got to do with you? When I last spoke to Lydecker he was looking into some information Renfro had on you. Where's the connection?"
Max shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe Zane can find out tomorrow when he gets to Amelin. I'll see if we've still got the newspaper that article was in at home. It'll save you searching a load of databanks." She grabbed her jacket and headed for the door.
"I'll give you a lift home." Logan grabbed his own jacket. "Sort of a pay back for you walking me home." He responded before she could refuse the offer.
"Thanks." Max replied simply. She walked out the door he held open for her.
Joshua moved easily through the shadows towards Max's apartment. It was unusual for her not to have stopped by and he was starting to feel concerned. Just as he got to the front of the building a car pulled up and Max climbed out, waved goodbye to the driver and headed inside.
Reassured that his friend was safe, Joshua turned to head home and came face to face with Max, a questioning look on her face. "Looking for me?" She sounded different tonight, happy.
"Got worried about you when you didn't visit." Joshua liked it when Max was happy, she seemed to glow. "Logan made you happy?" He sensed that was who had been in the car.
Max thought about it for a moment. "Yeah. Logan makes me happy." She hugged Joshua. "Thanks for worrying about me. Want to come inside? I'll make you some cocoa."
Joshua nodded. He became more determined to find Father in that moment so that Max and Logan could be together. So that Max could keep that glow about her. He followed her into the apartment building.
The drive to Amelin the next day seemed to drag for Logan. He wanted answers and he wanted them yesterday. He glanced over at Zane who was reading through the article Max had found and dropped off that morning. "Have you come up with anything?"
Zane looked up from the newspaper. "Well, it certainly looks as though Manticore followed the practices of the legend mentioned. The only difference is Manticore had the technology to take a more sciencetific approach. Lydecker was obviously on the right track otherwise he wouldn't have been run off the road."
"So where is he?" Logan knew Zane was positive Lydecker was alive. "There's no sign of him and he certainly hasn't tried to make contact. I guess for the moment it's safer to lay low."
"Do you always debate with yourself?" Zane chuckled at Logan. "That must drive Max nuts."
Logan laughed. "She thinks it's a guy thing." He pulled the car up in front of Amelin College. "Ok. Let's go and get some answers." He climbed out of the car and headed for the sign that said library, with Zane right beside him.
The clerk behind the desk at the entrance cast Zane an admiring glance. "Can I help you?"
Zane decided to work with his advantage. "I hope so." He gave the clerk a friendly smile. "There was an article in the paper a couple of months back. Something about a Kiloma Indian burial site. My friend and I were told that we could get more information on the dig and it's discoveries."
The clerk leaned forward towards Zane. "You know a lot of people have been asking about that article. Our college history professor would be the best person to ask. Just ask for him at the office, Professor Andrews." She leaned closer. "And my name's Kelly."
"Thanks Kelly." Zane was milking his advantage for all he was worth. "I appreciate all of your help. Maybe we could have a coffee before my friend and I have to head back."
Kelly beamed. "Sure. I'll be here." She waved goodbye as they walked out of the library.
Logan smirked. "Have you been taking lessons from Jondy?"
Zane looked back over his shoulder at Kelly. "It worked, didn't it? Bonus is, it's only gonna cost me a cup of coffee. Besides, she's kinda cute."
After getting directions to Professor Andrews whereabouts, Logan and Zane made their way to the block of classes the history department could be found in. They knocked on the classroom door to announce their presence.
Professor Andrews was a man in his early forties with sandy brown hair and a tan that obviously was not acquired from sitting in a classroom all day. He glanced over the rim of his glasses at his visitors. "Can I help you gentlemen?"
Logan stepped forward into the classroom and made his way towards the professor. "I hope so. We were told that you could give us some information on the Kiloma Indian burial site that was discovered a short time back."
Zane realized from the expression that crossed the Professors face that he and Logan probably didn't look the type who would normally be interested in Native American history. "We have a friend that thinks she may be distantly related some way to the tribe. We promised her we'd see if we could find out anything."
"It's always about a woman." The Professor shook his head and gestured to the chairs in the front row of the classroom. "I'll tell you what I told the others. There was a legend, until the burial site was found it was pretty much considered a fairytale."
Zane glanced at Logan before returning his gaze to the Professor. "My friend and I are always in the mood for a good fairytale."
The Professor still seemed surprised by their interest. "The story goes that a group of white fur traders took a girl from the tribe to have a child with a boy they had with them. The boy himself was only fourteen but he stood over six foot tall. The first two children didn't meet their expectations. Judging from what I saw of the bones, probably because they were deformed."
"You've been to the site?" Logan sat up straighter in his chair.
The Professor shook his head. "I was faxed some photos by a contact that never showed up with the originals." He missed the look that passed between Logan and Zane. "Anyway, it wasn't until the third child was born that they were satisfied. They killed the mother and took the child. As I said, it was always assumed that it was just a story until the site was discovered."
"So there's no information on what was so special about the child or the father." Logan's mind was running through the information they had just been given. He still couldn't see what the connection was to Max.
The Professor was impressed. Nobody had ever enquired about the father before. "No, but I'm still looking into it. I have a few contacts that are descendants of the tribe the girl was taken from. So far they haven't come up with anything."
Zane and Logan stood. "Thanks for your help. You've given us something to tell our friend." Zane reached out and shook the Professor's hand.
"You said others." Logan spoke up. "Any idea who the others were that you gave this information to?" He already had a sneaking suspicion who it was.
The Professor thought back to his last visit regarding the site. "A man arrived with a few friends. As I recall he said his name was White, which I found quite amusing considering he was dressed completely in black." He looked up at the two men in front of him. "Do you know him?"
"We've heard of him." Zane replied. "Watch your back Professor. He doesn't exactly have a warm and fuzzy reputation." He and Logan turned and walked out of the building.
Max looked around to check that nobody was watching Lydecker's house before beckoning Joshua to join her as she broke in. Somebody had obviously gotten there before them as the place was a mess. Papers and books were strewn all over the place. "Ok. Let's find what they didn't." Max was not going to give up that easily.
Joshua sat down on the floor and started going through the books and papers while Max checked the messages on the answering machine. They all seemed to be from Logan, bar one from a Professor Andrews asking why Lydecker had missed their appointment. Joshua looked up at Max. "What's that clicking noise?"
Max replayed a message to try and hear what Joshua was talking about. Turning up the sound slightly she could hear the clicking noise as well. "Somebody's put a tap on the phone." It seemed so strange Lydecker being the one tracked down like an animal.
"Somebody else wants to know what Lydecker found out." Joshua offered still flicking through the books. He carefully placed the books back on the shelf as he went through them.
Max smiled as she watched Joshua. It was quite a scene, the huge man sitting cross legged on the floor surrounded by books and paper. A thought occurred to her. "You know, I'm thinking Lydecker's probably too smart to leave precious information just lying around his house."
Joshua cocked his head to one side. "So where did Lydecker leave the information just lying around?"
Max shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Come on. Let's see if Logan and Zane found out anything." She had brought Joshua with her mainly to ease the guilt of Joshua being stuck in Sandman's house all of the time.
"Sounds like a plan, little fella." Joshua stood and followed her out of the house. He hadcaught onto some of the phases Max used, even though most of the time he didn't understand what they meant.
Back at Logan's apartment they all sat eating dinner. "So then we headed back once Zane had finished having coffee with Kelly." Logan smirked. "I'm amazed she didn't invite you out for dinner."
"She did." Zane struggled not to laugh. "I told her that my life partner had already got something out for dinner."
Logan pretended to be shocked. "That would explain the weird look she was giving me when I brought the car round."
"So we still don't know what the connection is between me and an Indian legend." Max wished she had been with them. It sounded as though they had, had fun. "Apart from Lydecker."
"Lydecker's phone is tapped." Joshua stopped eating long enough to add the occasional comment. "Somebody already searched his house for information."
Logan and Zane turned to look at Max. "What? You thought that you two were the only one's allowed to have some fun." Max got defensive when the two men looked at her as they were now. "I took Joshua with me as back up. Somebody had trashed the place. There were a few messages on the answering machine. Most of them from you." She looked at Logan. "One from Professor Andrews asking why Lydecker missed their appointment."
Logan's phone rang as they finished dinner in silence. Logan reached over and answered the phone as Asha walked in. She couldn't contain her surprise at the sight of the foursome eating dinner together. "Hi." She struggled to regain her composure. "I thought Logan might need a break from his computer, but I see you've all got that covered." She flinched at Zane's glare which was aimed in her direction. "So I'm gonna go and leave you to it." She turned and walked out of the apartment as quick as she could.
"Well, that was short and sweet." Max pretended not to notice her brother's obvious distaste for Asha.
"Asha scared of Zane." Joshua pointed out.
"That was Jondy." Logan put the phone down unaware of what had just happened. "She had good news and bad news."
"Better tell us the bad news first." Zane made the decision for the group. "Then at least we'll have something to soften the blow afterwards."
Logan took a deep breath. "Jondy found out the whereabouts of the Manticore lab tech that spliced the virus to Max's DNA. He's in the San Francisco city morgue."
Joshua didn't understand why everyone was so upset. "So Jondy can get the cure off of him."
Max shook her head. "No Joshua. I think what Logan means is that he is dead and that's why he's in the morgue." There were times she wished that she could see the world with the child like innocence that Joshua did. "What's the good news?"
Logan wasn't so sure everyone was going to see it as good news. "She found an antidote to my reaction to your DNA. She's sending it back with Bling. No more trips to the hospital. Devon seems to think that this little discovery might have brought them even closer to a cure. Plus they are also swapping notes with Sebastian."
"That's great news." Zane noticed that his sister still looked a little downcast. He squeezed his sister's hand. "We're nearly there, Maxie."
Max grinned at her brother's enthusiasm. "Yeah. Almost there. One step closer, right?" She stood up and tapped Joshua on the shoulder. "Come on Big Fella. Time I took you home." She waited for Joshua to get out of his chair. "See ya."
Zane waited for Max and Joshua to leave before he approached the subject of Asha. "Look man, I'm not trying to tell you who to pick for friends, so just hear me out. Jondy doesn't trust anyone, but I have to agree with her about Asha. Something's not right there."
Logan listened patiently. "Your concern is duly noted. Let me worry about Asha. Tonight let's just be grateful that we're one step closer to beating the virus."
Zane smiled at his friend. "Sounds good to me."
That night on the space needle, Max stared down at the city. It was still broken but her little piece of it was one step closer to being fixed. Until then she guessed she would keep helping Logan fix the rest of it. For the second time that week Max found herself thanking her lucky stars for having such a great family and group of friends. Now all they had to do was find Lydecker and just maybe they could find out what White's problem with the transgenic world was.
THE END
