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 Chapter 4:  Found Him

Timeline: Post "Kids are aiight" but before "Female Trouble"

*Beep* Went Max's pager as she rode down the highway, wind blasting at her, bugs hitting her bike's small windshield. Damn, Original Cindy, wonder what she wants? Max wonders as she sees a nearby gas station, pulls over, goes to the telephone, and calls her back.

"Hey Cindy, its Max, whats up?" Max says.

"I just got some info for your search boo, seems your rich boyfriend hired a bodyguard and assistant, who happens to be an old friend of Bling's, your boy is in L.A., no address though." Original Cindy replied.

"Sounds good enough, he'll be staying in the rich area, anything else I should know about?" Max says to her friend.
"That boy he hired is 6'4", weighs 225, and packs heat, take care of yourself, killing machine or not, that man is a shoot first, ask later character." Original Cindy says.
"I can take care of one little bodyguard, just let me know if Logan decides to split or anything." Max said as she checked the road sign 160 miles, shouldn't take too long.

"Can do boo, go find your boyfriend, for whatever whack reason you may have." Original Cindy replied.

"By boo" Max says as she hangs up.

"This had better work, I ain't gonna let my homegirl get pissed on by any rich whiteboy who leaves her hanging." Original Cindy says to herself as she hangs up the phone.

"Got you now Eyes Only, time for answers." Max says as she mounts her bike and takes off, burning hard for Los Angeles. Time to tell the truth girl, why the fuck are you so hell-bent on seeing a man that almost got you killed? Because you deserve better than being dumped in some hospital in Vancouver, and left to rot as he runs and hides from what he did. Is that the Logan Cale I know, the high-minded protector of society that would leave me? No, he cares to much, but did he think that the best way for me to stay safe was for him to run, damn him, he fucked me over good on this, I can't even figure out what I want to do when I see him. Should I demand an apology from him, ask for money, ask why he left, snap his neck, or admit that I feel for him? Fuck, I did it again, you don't feel anything for this guy, you wouldn't even know love if you felt it I bet, just demand to know why he left you, get an apology, and leave him to wallow in Eyes Only crap. If you don't feel anything, then where's the energy coming from to fuel you on this crazy search of yours? Alright, you do feel for him, but you have to forget that now, he left you, he owes you, end of story. Max thought as she rode on, burning hard for Logan's newest broadcasting station.

********

"Do you have anything for me yet, or is it possible that this city is clean?" Robert asked as Logan opened the door.

"This city was as clean as the food down in East market before the pulse, it's just that everyone covered their tracks around here, zip, zilch, nada, didly shit for these city officials." Logan said as Robert walked in, towering over him.

"Damn, I was hoping to break some legs or something, it would be something to do around here." Robert said as they continued walking.

"You will soon enough, I just need to find some clandestine dealings, or a murder plot, but everyone around here is keeping their mouth shut." Logan replied as they came into what one could call his world, his computers and equipment.

"Just make sure you cover your own ass too, I can't stay around all the time, I need to go pick something up in the East end, do you need anything from there?" Robert asked as Logan sat down and tapped into his network, searching.

"If I need anything from East end, Eyes Only is coming to an end, cause I'll be dead of food poisoning, what are you picking up?" Logan replied.

"A Barrett .50 caliber sniper rifle, I had it shipped in, should keep solicitors away, or government assassins." Robert replied.

"I thought I told you, I don't need any hired killers, why do you need a weapon that could take the head off of a rhino?" Logan asked.

"I didn't say it was for you, some activists against the government believe in more extreme action, I'm one of them, just because you delivered the dirt doesn't mean this guy isn't getting his ass blown off." Robert said back, in a dead serious tone of voice.

"Just make sure when you use that thing, it won't turn the man on the other end of your scope into a martyr." Logan said as Robert walked out.

"It never has, just make sure you don't let any assassins in whilst I'm gone, I kind of need an employer who has challenging assignments." Robert replied as he walked out the door.

"Great, I have the male version of Max, who doesn't mind guns." Logan mused to himself. What are saying? She's not that cold, she's been doing better since she met you, actually caring about other people, you especially, aw fuck, who are you kidding? You left her all alone for most of a month while you ran away, she's never getting close to you ever again, she'd figure you just need her for leg work. Don't forgot, that's if she finds you, which would be quite hard in this world, you've got nothing to worry about. You may have loved her, you may still do, but you abandoned her, nearly got her killed, she'd never get involved with you after that. It's rather a moot point, she'll never find you, or love you after what you did, just move on, but you can't can you? You are still thinking about her, it's been a month now, one would think it would ease with time. IT never does, the wounds just deepen, and good fucking luck ever finding someone like Max, ever, you've really fucked yourself good on this one Cale. Logan though to himself as he worked, out of anger, he grabbed the Goddess Bast statue he had held onto for Max, he was about to throw it, but stopped. This is the very thing that brought you two together, you can't let go of it, you hopeless bastard, you'll be fifty and still have it. For no other reason than "it could have worked" between you and Max, give it up, you never could have been with her anyways. Logan thought as he set the statue back down and got back to work.

*******

"Damn, sector checkpoints are lazy around here, they must have a work ethic in Seattle." Max said to herself after she had deftly avoided a sector checkpoint with ease, and was now riding through the city. She stopped at one point, got a cheap motel room, and moved her bike into it, telling the clerk "I'll leave an extra fifty, which is worth more than what that room is." When he began to complain about her moving her bike in.

She knew Logan was hanging out in the tiny rich portion of the city, but she needed to look around first, get her bearing, she thought. Max was walking along passed a tall man, she realised this could be the guy from Original Cindy's description, so she followed him. He was carrying a long black case, he stopped, his cell phone rang, he took it out, and talked.

"I told you, you pay me, I find Cale, the deal is done, end of story." He said into the phone and shut it, put it back in his jacket, and kept walking.

Holy shit, someone put a hit out on Logan, better see where that guy goes with that case of his. Max thought as she shadowed him, she was pretty sure that he had not noticed her. A crowd of people went by, Max was caught up in it, and suddenly had lost her target, she kept going, hoping to find him, when a strong arm pulled her into an alley.

"I had two years of jungle combat, a fucking beetle couldn't sneak up on me, what made you think you had a chance?" Said the man, as he pushed her into the wall opposite him.

"Doesn't matter, you're not gunning down Cale, not until I get to him first." Max shot back.

"Who said I was gunning him down, I'd worry more about you turning him in for a pile of cash, he warned me about you." The big man replied as he drew a pistol from his jacket, and screwed on a silencer.

"Just try it." Max said as she kicked the gun out of his hand, then elbowed him in the face, followed up by a jump kick that smashed him in the head, he dropped down, but he came back up.

"He did not tell me you could do that, what are you going to do, beat the shit out of me for a location I won't give you cause your ex told you to piss off?" Robert said as he rubbed his forehead.

"I'm not his ex, he owes me something, I would never expose him, where is he?" Max said, her voice was commanding.

"I was trained to survive interrogation techniques that would drive men insane, you're not getting it out of me bitch." Robert said, but Max was still pissed, and kicked him again, knocking him against the wall.

"Just tell me, I'm not greasing him, I'm not exposing him, I just want to see him." Max said.

"Forgot it, not out of my mouth, not ever, but let's see if blood comes out of your mouth." Robert said, he had counted on the discussion distracting her, he landed a right kick that smashed her against the wall.

"Not bad, but I'm still ten steps ahead." Max said as she scissor-locked his legs and brought him down, then gave him a kick to the head.

"Seeing as how we're not going to resolve this through arbitrary methods, I have a game in mind, follow the Green Beret named Robert." Robert said as he flicked on a pair of glasses as he threw down a flash grenade and it went off.
Max shielded her eyes, but Robert had already left, she chased after, trying to find where he had left. Time to go topside Max thought as she leapt up to the fire escape, then to the top of building, she ran along the roofs until picking Robert out amongst the crowd. He was running, moving much faster than she would have thought he would have for such a big man, but nowhere near Max's speed. He ran down the street, checking over his shoulder, but never very high up, as she ran along the roofs following him. Robert entered the tiny financially fluent distract of L.A., and entered a tall building, perfect for Logan, he can look down on the downtrodden, see who needs help. Max thought as she scoped out the building that was presumably Logan's home, moving from building to building, until she reached one with the height of Logan's. a twelve-foot gap was present, but she easily leapt it, and looked in on the skylights to Logan's apartment, trying to see if he was there. Robert burst through the door, and called out, then she saw him, but he was much different. His spiked dark blonde hair was now red and flat, his glasses were gone, green eyes took place, color-changing contacts. The ever present fuzz on his face was gone, a clean shave was there instead, he walked unaided, no cane, and with fluid motion always knew he'd get back up one day. Max thought as she listened into the conversation.

********

"You never told me your ex had a black belt in kicking my ass!" Robert snapped at Logan as he rubbed his forehead from the blow Max had delivered there.

"I'm sorry, I had no idea she knew where I was, did she follow you?" Logan asked.

"Fuck no, I got her with a flash grenade and took off." Robert replied as he picked a bottle of whiskey out of Logan's cabinet and poured himself some.

"Are you sure, she is very good at remaining unseen when she wants to." Logan said.

"If she's that good, she deserves to catch me, now what's the entire fucking story, I don't want to hear any weakass ex story that a six-year old could have pulled out of his ass." Robert said as he downed some of the whiskey.

"It's simple, she was my last operative, I made a big mistake in not confirming the security for a job I gave her, she was shot four times. I managed to get her to a hospital before she died, I then left myself, I didn't want to endanger her anymore, I cared to much to send her on any more missions that could get her killed." Logan said as he sat down as well, both unaware that Max was listening in the whole time.
"I'd say you more than cared, god damn, you were in love weren't you?" Robert asked as he finished the glass, the fiery liquid dulled his senses, killing the pain,

"I was, but it doesn't matter anymore, I'll never see her again, I arranged it this way, she needs someone who won't send her on suicide missions." Logan replied.

"Sounds like a nobleman who has paid the ultimate sacrifice to keep the cause going, you used that incident as an excuse to dump her." Robert said, Logan started to object, but Robert cut him off. "You were afraid of emotional ties dragging you out of Eyes Only, that you would give up to keep Max safe from your problems. You dumped her so you could keep your self-righteous crusade going until America pulls itself out of the shithole that it's in, then you go back to writing expos��s on crooked cops. I've seen men like you before, generals, dictators, or soldiers, but never a fucking journalist, you turned down the most beautiful woman alive so you could keep Eyes Only going, am I reading that right?" Robert asked.

"Fuck off, it's my fault she was hurt, I can't let her risk herself again because of what I do." Logan said but he hit it dead on, what can I say?

"You're right, I gave Max up for Eyes Only, and because I loved her, I still love her, I couldn't let her get hurt, I cared too much for her." Logan said, admitting defeat.
"Relax, you're in privileged company here, I'm not telling her one word of what you've just said if she finds me again, just lay low, she'll give up in a week or two." Robert said as he got up.
"Going so soon?" Logan asked.

"I would rather go back to my place, and relax, I have two dislocated ribs, I would like to rest them." Robert said as he got up and leave Max and Logan alone, nice try Max, but my instructors taught me that surprise attacks are always from above. Robert thought as he caught a glimpse of Max near the skylight.

He left, as Logan closed the door, he cursed himself you love her, you sent her away, for her safety, or for Eyes Only? Had she stayed, you would have sent her on cakewalks, never any more danger. I guess I did do it for Eyes Only, it's not like Max is ever going to know anyways. She'll find someone who doesn��t throw her in the line of fire, and live a better life than what I could offer her. He thought as he turned around, Max was standing there, after dropping in silently from the porch light, she had crept up on him, barely six feet away.

"I never thought I'd see you again." Logan said, but he cursed himself for his words.

"Can it, I heard every word, let's dissect this shall we Mr. protector of the downtrodden, why the fuck did you leave me?" Max asked accusingly.

"I did it to protect you, but if you want money, I'll provide it, you want transportation home, it's yours, you want an apology, I'll hand it to you in writing and orally, but if you want anything else, too bad." Logan replied.

Max grabbed him, hauled him to a chair, and shoved him down in it.

"We're going to go over this bit by bit on why you left, what the fuck you were thinking and thinking right now, and why you think you could just give me the slip." Max said as she sat down, Logan knew he could just get back up, but she would simply sit him down again, so he prepared what he hoped would be a convincing argument, and started.

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Chapter 5