Episode 1
TO WHERE IT BENT IN THE UNDERGROWTH

Chapter Five
 WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?

< AZTEC >

Max and Logan are on their way to the meet.  Max looked ahead determined to get this bitch over with.  She knew she has to tell Logan now or else she might not be able to tell him soon.  Earlier, she had woken up after three hours of sleep to find Logan gone from the computers.  She walked towards the bathroom to shower and change into her catsuit before they left for the meet, noticing some new runes on chest, her arms and, after looking at the mirror to check, her back.  They seemed to be coming out more frequently these days taking about 3 days before they’d disappear only to be replaced by new ones.  She even noticed some as she shaved her legs.  Then she took a juicy looking pear from the fruit bowl in the kitchen and waited for Logan to wake up. 

Now in the car, Max knew that Logan has been meaning to ask her what had been bothering her.  She also knew Logan well enough to know that he’d wait it out knowing she’d be uncomfortable talking about it.  After all, their relationship had changed within a span of only a few months.  After lying to Logan about her relationship, or lack thereof, with Alec, he had been prepared to let her go.  However, this did not mean that he didn’t continue helping her throughout this mess.  After the stint with the sector police at Jam Pony three months back, she and Logan had developed another bond.  Though he tried not to “interfere” on her pseudo-“relationship” with Alec, they had been spending more time together these days.  Even having dinner together almost every night.  Still, the Latex gloves could not help but remind her during those moments why she had to lie in the first place. Now, looking out of the passenger seat window, Max sighed.  She HAD to get this bitch over with.  They were nearing the warehouse.

Hearing her sigh, Logan looked at his passenger.  He knew she had a lot of things on her mind.  Not to mention the transgenic-vs-human problem that the whole city of Seattle and the whole country faced.  It gets to him not to be able to do anything about whatever it is that was troubling Max.  And he knew something was troubling her.  She need not tell him, he saw it in her every movement.  But he had learned his lesson.  The last time he confronted Max… well… let’s just say things didn’t work out - He found out about Alec.  Not exactly the best time to find out about it, but at least he got it out of Max.  Still he knew and he learned first-hand that the antagonistic approach didn’t sit well with Max. She only walked away from him the last time he confronted her. Better wait it out.

They arrived at the meeting place and Logan brought the Aztec to the back of the warehouse.  Stopping the car, he waited for Max to get out.  They had a few minutes to spare. 

Max took advantage of this and turned to Logan, knowing that a FEW minutes is definitely all the time she had and needed.  She needed there to be ONLY a few minutes.  “Logan.”

“Yeah?”  Logan turned to Max.  He knew she wanted and needed to tell him something.

“There’s something I gotta tell you.” Max’s face pleaded with Logan, which in turn puzzled Logan.

“I know.  Something on your mind?” Logan asked, trying to ease her tension. “I know.  What’s up?” Logan asked, trying to ease her tension.

“I…” Max turned her eyes to look at the alley in front of them as she fidgeted with her hands. “Oh God, this is so hard.”

Logan reached his leather-gloved hands behind Max’s head to tilt her face so she was facing him.  He could see the worry, fear, self-recrimination, and apology in her eyes. “Hey. It’s okay. Whatever it is. It’s gonna be okay.”  His hands cupping Max’s face as his thumb traced her jawline.  “You don’t have to tell me this - whatever it is - if you don’t want to.”

Max looked pleadingly at Logan’s face, “No. I want to. Just give me…” she took a deep breath and met with Logan’s reaction head on, “The thing about Alec and me - ”

Logan immediately let go of Max’s face and looked ahead up the alley.  It was not exactly what he wanted to hear.  He shook his head -“It doesn’t matter -”

“No. Listen.” It was Max’s turn to tilt Logan’s face towards hers.  Her leather-gloved hands brushing his jaw, wishing she could feel his 2-days’ worth of stubble under her palm.  She looked pleadingly straight at Logan’s green eyes, wishing he’d be as understanding as he had always been. “The thing about Alec and me…” Logan’s eyes flickered for a moment, but went back and stared at Max.  She saw his jaw tighten as he anticipated what she was about to say, “…I …it’s not true.” He was about to open his mouth to say something, but she brought her index finger across his lips to silence him, “Let me finish… He… while you were in the hospital room, you needed blood.  I… I… I called Alec and well, he said he’d come by.  But… He… he didn’t,” Now that she had begun, everything came rushing out of her, “…and I had to find a way to save you.  You needed blood and Alec did not arrive at the hospital as he promised so I got Joshua… but it didn’t end there.”  Logan is still too stunned to say anything.  Max let go of Logan and turned to face the alley as she continued, “The sector police got to Alec when he was on his way to the hospital.  They thought he was Ben.  The DNA matched.  They didn’t have the equipment Manticore had to tap the each of the DNA strand. I bailed him out to prevent exposure.  And… and well, he needed a place to crash for the night so we ended up at my crib and talked.  For a while there he took off annoying me and asked about Ben.  Early morning, we thought it best that he go and stay at Joshua’s.”  With that, Max stopped.  She didn’t know what else to say, as she held her breath ready for whatever recriminations Logan would tell her.

Logan was also facing the alley by this time.  He could not believe what he had just heard.  They were getting ready for a meet for chrissakes! He looked incredulously at Max and turned back to look straight ahead as he let all the information Max gave him sink in. Like a patient who just received a blow on the head and not remembering what had just happened, Logan recalled, “I went to your place… that morning…  I saw you… with him… embracing him.”

“He was leaving.  Somehow he showed his brotherly side to me when we talked about Ben.  He had to know what crime he was supposed to be punished for.” Max explained, the pleading not gone from her voice.  She was silently pleading that Logan would forgive her, that he would try and understand.

“Then at my apartment… you never said… never denied…” Logan turned and looked at her incredulously. “You lied to me?” Logan could not help the utter helplessness and madness of the situation.  He could not believe max lied to him. Of all people, not Max. Not about that. His face hardened. He just could not accept what she did.  There was no excuse!.…Or was there? He still couldn’t believe Max lied to him.  Not just lied to him, but lied to him about THAT. Then, the realization hit him, “You lied.”

“Yes. I did.” Max didn’t know what else to tell him. After all, he had every right to be angry. She couldn’t blame him if he never spoke to her again.  She had done enough... ruining everything.  With a pained look on her face, she opened the door and stepped her right leg out. As she was about to go out, She felt Logan’s, more than heard Logan’s sigh and a tight grip on her hand still on the place where it was sitting a few seconds ago. She stopped and looked at Logan.

He was staring at her, his eyes filled with questions… and relief.  He looked intently at her, conveying his hurt, irritation, questions, and love on his eyes. Max’s eyes flickered for a moment, just as she always did when she tried to hide the way she felt. She looked at his hand on her arm then back at Logan. Seemingly from afar, she heard Logan’s controlled voice, “Thank you.”  Her eyes widened incredulously, “…For telling me the truth, Max.”

Not knowing what to say, she stared at his eyes, her face a mask of emotions.  She gently took her arm from his grasp as she whispered almost inaudibly, “I… I gotta go… the meet…” With that, she closed the door and climbed up the stairs to enter the back part of the warehouse.  She could not believe THAT was Logan’s reaction.  *Okay, right. The man is such a gentleman to even vent up his anger.* Still, she would have expected him blowing his top off, it was serious after all.  *Most guys would have reacted… different.*  Maybe even demanded right there and then the answers to the questions she saw in his eyes, but he just… accepted it.  She knew he didn't understand it fully well not yet, but she saw that he was prepared to wait for the explanation.  *Dang! Did I just see a smile lurking behind his eyes before I left?*

 ~ FLASHBACK ~

MAX: So you gonna tell me what happened?

ALEC: I didn't say anything.

MAX: Thanks. Why'd you change your mind?

ALEC: 'Cause you're right. I mean, you had to say something. Only, you didn't push him away. I'm not sure what could. He let go, because he wanted you to be happy… Now, don't start crying on me, 'cause he said I had to take care of you.

 ~ FLASHBACK ~

She muttered to herself, “He never gave up.” She had a distinct feeling of wanting to bang her head against one of the metal containers she was passing as she walked across the upper floor of the warehouse.  She groaned inaudibly, “Stupid!” Remembering the look on Logan’s face, Max grinded out, “This is on me 100 percent!”

Meanwhile, Logan stared at Max and saw her disappear before he let a slight grin cross his still confused face.  When he saw Max enter the warehouse, he got the car into gear and drove to the entrance of the warehouse. He turned off the engine, stepped out of the car and went inside the warehouse. He looked around to see that the warehouse was utilized as a laboratory. There were different types of equipment utilized for experiments. But he still thought of what Max had just told him. 

He could not believe she had lied to him. More importantly, he could not believe how ecstatic he was that she HAD lied to him. He should be angry! He is angry!  But why does he have the urge to laugh?! *Damn! I need mental treatment!*  How could she do THAT to him?  More importantly, why?  *Why, Max?* he almost groaned his frustration. This is one insane moment when he did not particularly want to meet an informant. All he wanted was to talk to Max, ask her why. He wanted to get back in the Aztec and drive back to his place and just hold her hand even if he had to wear 5 pairs of latex gloves with chlorine at hand ready for him to dip his latex-gloved hands in. Heck, what he’d give to even just touch Max. But he wasn’t dumb.  As much as he’d enjoy being able to hold Max, he knew the dangers. And they are here precisely to eliminate that danger. 

His jaw hardening, a determined look crossed Logan’s face.  The guy is supposed to be here by now.  Just then, the man his computer IDed stood before him.  He was about six-feet tall and was wearing a brown leather jacket over a shirt, a pair of worn out jeans and a dark blue cap.  “Logan? Logan Cale?”

“Yeah?”

“I have some information for you…”

Max watched as Logan talked to the guy.  Her sensitive hearing could not detect what they were talking about.  She knew he had another person with him.  She also knew she could take them out if Logan were placed in danger.

Logan looked around, “where’s your boss?”

“He’s here.”  From one of the room came Detective Ramon Clemente, “It’s hard to track you down, Mr. Cale.”

************

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