Episode Two
SISTA TWO

Chapter Seven

JUST WHEN EVERYTHING IS GOING AS PLANNED

< CABIN >

As soon as Max, Logan and Cyd had finished with dinner, Cyd was put to bed by Max due to the minimal seizures she had been having as an after effect of being out of medicine for nine months.

Frank knocked on the back door of the cabin.  Logan, who was in the living room scribbling some things in his notebook, went to answer the door.  Frank immediately headed inside the room and closed the door, much to Logan’s bewilderment. 

He was just about to ask Frank what the matter was when the latter, still out of breath, spoke, “The kid… she was seen headed this way … man came into town… people looking all over… have you seen her?”  At Logan’s cautious look, Frank said urgently, “If you have… got to hide her… got to leave… they’ll kill her…”

Max, who heard the door, went into the kitchen to see who the person may be.  It might have been Zane or Jondy.  When she saw Frank speaking with Logan, she hurriedly went over and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Logan turned and looked at Max intently, “Is everything in the car?” Max nodded, walking nearer Logan.  “Get Cyd, get your things, we’re leaving.”  Max’s eyes conveyed her understanding as she rushed into the bedroom to get Cyd out of there.  Logan took his bags and carried them to the car as Cyd walked into the car bringing Max’s things.  Frank was helping clean out the cabin for anything that may indicate that there was someone else in it besides him when the people arrive.  Logan started the car as Cyd slid in the back when Max came and sat in the passenger seat beside Logan. 

Hurriedly, they drove out of the cabin, when Max remembered something.  She turned and looked at Logan in alarm and said, “Zane and Jondy!  They don’t know.”

Logan was looking grimly at the road in front of him and said, “We’ve got to meet them, but the rendezvous point will have to change.”

Max nodded, “Drop me off and I’ll go warn them…  They’ll be searching all the cabins by the lake…”

“Their bikes will attract attention, Max… maybe even bring those people after us.”

Max nodded and Logan made a stop right at the turn towards Sandeman’s ranch cabin.  Before Max got out, Logan seized her hand and looked at her.  Before he could even say anything she said, “I know.  Be Careful.  Have I ever been otherwise?”  She got out of the car and ran into the woods towards Zane and Jondy.  Logan drove off, looking at Cyd in the rearview mirror and seeing the shaking child pop some pills into her mouth in the back of his car. 

Meanwhile, Max went through the forest using her heightened senses.  She could feel the earth under her vibrating as a mass of people ran through the trees and ranchland surrounding the lake.  She could almost feel them like horses’ hooves as they ran.  She had to get back to Zane and Jondy inside the ranch house.  She was nearing the house when a hand closed over her mouth.  She struggled, but she could not get away, suddenly, Jondy was in front of Max signaling her to be quiet.  Max immediately stopped struggling and Zane let go of her. 

People carrying torches, flashlights and baseball bats went through the woods looking for Cyd. They knew that the ranch-house was empty - it has been for years - which is exactly the reason why they went there right after Frank, who had stayed in his cabin, told them that he had not seen any girl within the vicinity of his property.  Frank had also told them that he signal with his gun if and when he saw the girl so as to inform the search party made up of the local townspeople to come and get her off his property.  Since Frank Forseblad was well liked by most people in their area, no one questioned his integrity. 

The people continued to search for Cyd, some entering the house, probably to check for any sign that the child passed through that part of town, looking for any indication of where she might have headed.

Max, Zane and Jondy were all perched on the large branches on three trees standing side by side.  They waited for the people to clear the area surrounding the ranch house.  As soon as the people took off in another direction, they jumped to the ground with Jondy signaling where they should head next. 

Near Frank’s cabin, under some branches meant for burning lay the bikes of Jondy and Zane.  The two carried these through the trees and went for the road, careful not to turn on the engine lest the search party volunteers were still lurking about.  Once they had walked the bikes to the highway, Max rode with Jondy as they headed for the new rendezvous point.

Meanwhile, Logan had kept driving the Aztec towards the rendezvous point. He had noticed how Cyd’s seizures were worsening as the pill container dropped from her hands.  He stopped the car, went into the back and got a syringe and another small bottle of liquid tryptophan. He pushed the driver’s seat against the wheel and then went on to apply the medication to Cyd’s system.  He observed as the medication took effect.  After one minute, he noticed a highway patrol coming towards them.  Logan immediately brought back the seat to its original position, sat behind the wheel and started the engine.  He started driving away then heard the police siren behind him.  Looking grimly at the rearview mirror, he saw a police officer get out of the vehicle and come near his side of the car.  He knocked on Logan’s window.

The lanky police officer asked, “Any problems here?”

Logan smiled a tense smile and said, “No. No problem at all.  I just wanted to enjoy the night air.”

“Mmm…” the cop took his flashlight and used it against Logan’s face.  Logan squinted at the light.  “You traveling alone?”  Logan shrugged and finally the flashlight caught the army boots then the army pants and fashed through the face of Cyd.  “Well, well, well, what have we got here?”

“Look, it’s not what you think…”

“Step out of the car, sir.”

Logan pursed his lips together.  “Really, it’s not -” He used his hands to get his sector pass from his breast pocket when the policeman, took out his gun, backed off and pointed it at him.

The police officer shouted, repeating himself, “Keep your hands right where I could see them and step out of the car!”

Logan placed his hands on the steering wheel holding onto his checkpoint passes.  He slowly opened the door and was about to step out of the Aztec when Zane’s bike ran straight onto the road and stopped dead right in front of the cop, who turned towards the bike in shock.  Zane punched the police officer as Logan looked on, his mouth gaping open at what Zane just did.  He did not know whether to thank the guy or not as he wondered whether this was a normal act of greeting for Zane. 

When he found his voice, all Logan could do was shake his head in wonder and amazement as well as try to keep himself from smiling, “You sure have a way with first impressions.”  At that, Jondy’s bike came to stop.  A few seconds after, Max got off the back.

Max smiled at Logan and teased him, “You sure know how to keep yourself busy.”  She looked at the policeman on the ground as Zane carried the unconscious officer to the bushes at the side of the road, while Jondy drove the police pickup and tried to hide it behind the bushes.  Max asked Logan, “You okay?”

Logan nodded, “Yeah, but we gotta get Cyd out of here fast.”

Max nodded and went towards the passenger seat.  She entered the Aztec and sat beside Logan.  She looked at Cyd’s sleeping form and then back at Zane and Jondy.  Zane bent to poke his head at Logan’s window.  “We can’t go to Seattle on convoy.”  He looked from Logan to Max.

Logan said, “I know, which is why I am furnishing you and Jondy with your own sector passes a few miles from Seattle,” as he took something from the glove compartment and Max had to back away a little to make sure no part of her exposed skin would touch his face. “Here you go.  My address and number, just in case.”  He handed them to Zane.

Jondy peered through Max’s side of the car to tell Logan, “Thanks, Logan.  You got -”

Logan smiled, “No problem. Meet you there at 5 am.”

Zane smiled his thank you and said, “You will.”  He looked at Max and said to her, “Hang in there, little sis.”

Max smiled and replied, “You too… both of you.”

Jondy poked her head again, “The kid… she looks like -”

Max cut in, “I know,” she looked intently into Jondy’s eyes, “I’ll tell you about it once we’re in Seattle.”

Jondy smiled, “This can wait.”

With that, Logan said his goodbyes and drove off followed by Zane and Jondy.  Each driving as though they did not know the other.  Knowing the exhilaration Max feels when driving her Ninja, Logan let Zane and Jondy go ahead and they saluted their thanks at that.  Max and Logan looked at each other and smiled before Logan turned his eyes back onto the road as Max checked once again on Cyd.

***********

Author's Notes here

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