Chapter 7: Hiking In The Cascades
Logan enjoyed the sunshine. The day couldn�t make up its mind: sunny, rainy, sunny, rainy. The teenager who sold them hiking passes warned them about the fickle weather, but Max just shrugged and batted her eyelashes and off they went to the forest. The trails were impeccably groomed and it was easy for Max to push him up half the mountain, but eventually they came to a large section of craggy rocks and Logan gladly wheeled himself off to the side of the path, gesturing for her to continue alone. There was a small glade where sunlight dappled the pine needles; he felt welcomed there, peaceful. Besides, he had a rain poncho if the skies decided to open up.
"I�ll be fine," he assured her. "Got a lot on my mind that I�d like to sort out. Plus, the view is incredible."
He gestured over his shoulder at the ocean. It seemed very far away, a stripe of grayish-blue beyond the bustle of town.
"Okay," Max said reluctantly. She gave him a quick grin and headed for the easy rock climb. Logan watched her until she disappeared over the top, then settled back in his chair for some serious reflection.
He was in love with her, no doubt about that.
Consummating their relationship was better than he ever imagined, and he�d spent a fair amount of time on the subject. But he�d been in love with her before that. When did it happen exactly? When she shimmied down the rope and fenced the Bast statue? When she collapsed onto his couch, shaking with seizures? When she showed up in that amazing lace and satin dress and charmed the necktie off his uncle Jonas? Yes, to all three, and dozens of other moments. Logan couldn�t pinpoint one instance. She slipped in slowly, and now his heart was inextricably linked with hers.
He wanted to do something about it. Probably the guy in him. Max would laugh in his face if he suggested they get married. She didn�t even know if she�d be alive or captured on any given day, so how could she let her guard down enough to love him back, much less marry him? Tears sprang into his eyes at the thought and he mercilessly shoved the feelings as deep as they would go. He ached for her to love him back, to need him, to want him with the same force he felt for her, but Manticore stood in the way. There was no way he could tear down all the walls necessary for Max to feel completely safe. He�d have to be satisfied with what she could give, whenever she could give it. In the meantime, he could continue loving her wholeheartedly. Lavishly.
*****
Max hiked through the woods for about an hour before she stumbled onto a well-traveled access road. She stayed in the brush on the side of the road and soon came to the facility she knew had to be hiding up here. There were three SUV�s parked in the gravel driveway. The facility was made up of three small concrete buildings set in a U-shape, with a radio tower in the back, set on a small rise. She waited for an hour, but no one came in or out of the building. One of the buildings had a utility door with a rusty hinge. Max shook her head at the lax security.
Reluctantly, she jogged back down to where she�d left Logan, knowing she�d need to come back later that night, with her lock-pick tools in hand.
"Find anything?" Logan asked cheerfully.
"Found our headquarters," she reported. "It�s small, so they�ll notice any bold moves. I�ll sneak in after dark and stir things up a bit. The shipments I saw yesterday looked ready to be shipped out, so I�m guessing they�re preparing for a transport soon."
"Do you think people will notice if we sink the boat?" Logan teased as they began to descend the trail.
"They might," Max said, pretending to think about it. "No, we have to destroy this bitch at the source. Take out the muscle behind it, force the mastermind into the public eye."
"That�s a gamble. What if the police are in on it too?"
"I�ll try to find that out tonight. Eyes Only might power up his laptop and get on the informant net, too," Max suggested saucily.
"Do I even have to tell you to be careful?"
"Yeah, yeah, watch your back, we don�t know what we�re dealing with. I can take it."
"We know exactly what we�re dealing with," Logan quietly reminded her. "We�re dealing with a bunch of heartless, greedy bastards who created a drug that knocked an X-5 cold for over a week. I don�t want to lose you, Max."
Max stopped walking and came around in front of his chair, squatted down to his level. She meant to do so to give him attitude, but the haunted look in his eyes stopped her glib remark before it could reach her lips. He loved her, truly�she could tell. If he looked this way in bed AND out of it, it had to be true.
"I�ll be careful, I promise," she said, relishing the feel of his hand caressing her hair. She broke off the moment before he could say anything further and they continued the rest of their hike in silence.
