Chapter 4: Visions of Manticore
"Logan? Logan where are you? Logan?" Max called as her voice echoed through-out the room. As she looked around her surroundings became painfully familiar. The large room was filled with cots, one for each sibling. The clinical grey paint was unchanged. Then she heard the cries and the screams. The ones that were audible to everyone were those of the nomlies. But the cries her heightened sense of hearing picked up brought back all the pain she tried to leave behind, were those of her brothers and sisters; the X-5's.
"No. No, no, no, no. I can't be back here. I can't." she whispered. "Logan!" Max screamed as she ran to the door checking for guards. As she stepped back to kick down the down a swift and hard blow sent Max falling down on her back, knocking the wind out of her in the process.
"Get up soldier!" the order came from the man standing above her.
"Lydecker." Max said in disbelief. When she didn't respond he kicked her in the side cracking a rib.
"Get up soldier! Don't make me say it again." Max slowly rose to her feet checking for any other guys that could be a threat.
"There's no one else."
"And why should I believe you? All you've ever done is lie to me, to us."
"Lie to you? I'm the only one who has actually told you the truth."
"Right. You are not human. You were created to be a superior soldier." Max mocked Lydecker's arrogant tone from her youth.
"Do you really think that you friend Logan never lied to you. Do you know what he thinks about what you are? What you really are? The man has a lot of secrets being Eyes Only. Lying is in the job description." Max's eyes changed from emotionless and empty to cold, deadly and worried when Lydecker mentioned Logan. He never knew Logan's name.
How does he know about Eyes Only? Logan, Bling and I are the only ones who know about Logan's alter ego. Oh God let him be okay.
"Where's Logan. What did you do with him." Max demanded trying to not let her fear show.
"That doesn't matter."
"What the hell did you do with him!" she screamed. The cold back of his hand connected with Max's face bringing tears to her eyes. Her tears weren't out of pain because she had dealt with worse, much worse. It wasn't out of fear for herself because she had done the impossible as a child along with 12 of her siblings, they broke out of this hell-hole. Max's tears were out of fear for Logan. Who knows what Lydecker would do to him just to et information he knew Eyes Only had. Her voice became dangerously low and throaty as she spoke.
"I swear, if anything happens to him, I will not think twice about ripping your heart out while it's still beating."
"Now there's the heartless killer I trained. Welcome home Max."
"Go to Hell."
"I thinks it's time to get down to business."Lydecker said as he push Max into a nearby metal chair. "Where's Zack?"
"I don't know." slap.
"Where is Zack." he said enunciating slowly as if she didn't understand.
"I don't know you sick son-of-a-" Crack! The butt of Lydecker gun came down hard on the side of Max's head catching her off guard as a line of blood trickled down her forehead.
"Fine. You don't want to talk." Lydecker banged on the door with his fist. Soon Brin came into the room dragging a badly beaten Logan behind her. Max flinched as Logan was roughly thrown in a chair placed about three feet in front of her own.
'Are you ok?' they mouthed to each other, both nodding in response. Max could see the fear in Logan's eyes, but she could also see his concern for her safety.
"Now listen carefully Max. It's very simple. Either you tell me where Zack and the others are or Eyes Only dies. Understand? Now where is Zack?"
"I don't know. I really don't know." she cried as tears fell down her face, wishing that she could somehow save Logan. 'I'm sorry.'
"That's too bad." Lydecker put his gun to Logan's temple.
I can't let him die. I have to do something.
"Commander Lydecker Sir!" Max stood at attention. It had been so long since she had addressed Lydecker like that and it shook her core more than she expected. Lydecker turned to her seemingly interested. Max took a deep breath to brace herself.
"Sir. I will turn myself in Sir and begin training once again Sir if you would let the hostage go free Sir." Max and Logan's eyes connected for what could very well be the last time.
'I'm not worth it Max. Save yourself.'
'I can't let them kill you.'
Lydecker nodded in agreement "Very well." Turning to walk out of the room he nodded at Brin with a secret order Max didn't catch. Brin removed the gun form it's holster and shot Logan in the base of the neck just as they were taught as children. Being shot in a small square inch area at the base of the neck insure a slow and painful death.
"NO!" Max screamed as her arm shot out grabbing Brin's gun and firing off two rounds killing both Lydecker and Brin in seconds. Brin was no longer the sister Max knew and loved. And watching her kill Logan proved it. As for Lydecker he had it coming. Dropping down to her knees Max gently picked up Logan's head and laid it on her lap.
"Oh God, Logan. Hold still for a sec, k."
"Uhhuh." Max leaded over to see the damage Brin's shot had done. Damn. Brin always was a good marksman.
"I don't know what to do Logan." Max said as she cried seeing his blood on her hands.
"Max."
"Logan I'm gonna get you outta here."
"Max, no."he rasped "it's too late."
"Don't say that." she commanded "You're gonna be fine." she lied trying more to convince herself more than Logan. He tried to shake his head but winced at the pain.
"You're free Max. Lydecker's dead. You don't have to run anymore. You can finally have a life."
"What kind of life is it going to be without you?" she said grabbing his hand holding it tight. Logan shifted some so he could see Max's face better.
"Max, can you send all my files.." he was cut of by a painful coughing spell. Max's tears turned to sobs as she watched Logan fading away.
'I can't believe he's thinking about Eyes Only.'
"Yeah Logan you know I will." she sniffed. "You can't die on me Logan. I have too much to say to you. I-" Logan quieted her with a finger on her lips. Max took a shaky breath as she looked into his blue eyes trying to burn them into her memory.
"I love you Max. I always have and always will." Logan's voice began to weaken as his breathing became labored.
"Stop it! Don't you dare say good-bye. I can't do this with out you. I can't do anything without you. I need you. Logan please don't leave me. Logan, I love you."Max sobbed unable to control her grief any longer.
A smile formed on his face as he began to say something, but Max silenced him with a kiss. Soft, gentle and desperate. A kiss that begged for more time, for Logan's life. A kiss that tried to say everything they never got a chance to tell one another and trying to say everything that they would have in the future. A few minutes into the kiss Max felt Logan's lips fall away and his hands lose their grip. Max slowly pulled away to look at the love of her life, her savior, her solace, her best friend, the greatest man she ever knew, her everything gone, leaving behind only and empty shell. Max pulled Logan's lifeless body towards her hugging him close as she cried from the depths of her soul. A howl that could only be described as complete and total agony echoed through the chambers of Manticore.
"I'm not going to leave you...."
"You're everything to me Max."
"I love you....." Were the last things Max heard before everything faded out to black.
