6
Original Cindy missed her boo. She was only allowed to spend a certain amount of time each month in Terminal City before she got sick and she had already used up this months allowance because of one crisis or another and she still had three weeks to go before her body�s system would have built up enough immunity to withstand a few days at the toxic city. And it bit the big one. She was having a meeting Joshua on how to get her Boo and Alec together. She couldn�t believe she had missed the signs!
Max and Alec were actually perfect for each other, at least Alec didn�t want to keep putting her in danger, unlike some ridiculous cyber-journalists she could mention and whose ass she so wanted to smack down.
She had never gotten along with Logan and was so glad when he and Max finally gave up that ridiculous fa�ade of a relationship. That boy was no good for her.
But now that Joshua had pointed out that Max and Alec had a thing going on Original Cindy could see the attraction. They�d make such a cute couple and she was determined to do her part in getting them together- if she could be in Terminal City without heaving or turning into a pile of slush.
She pouted cursing the toxic city which kept her from her fantastic matchmaking abilities. From afar the only thing she could do was support Joshua and hope that the two transgenic lovebirds would realise their feelings for each other.
She grabbed a package from the desk and glared at Normal.
�You bip bip me one more time suga and I�ll smack your ass.�
Normal looked at her warily �I presume this new stance of employer aggression can be blamed by the absence of missy?�
�Max.� she corrected and leaned against the counter �Cindy misses her girl.�
�And Golden boy.� His tone was slightly wistful and O.C gave him a look.
�You still been having them gladiator dreams huh Normal?�
To his credit he didn�t blush �Never you mind girly girl, you just deliver those packages.� He walked away leaving O.C sighing.
�Hell even teasing Normal ain�t that much fun anymore.�
She pushed away from the counter and, in the absence of better things to do, went to do some work.
White was finally pleased with something that he had done. Otto laughed derisively, it had only taken three years of them being partnered together to make that happen but still, it was nice to finally have a seal of approval from the agent.
They had monitored all incoming radio and satellite waves and had found a high frequency wave hidden inside a sound wave that pulsed through Seattle for the media. It was higher than any human could hear and almost too high for their machinery. But they had caught it and it wasn�t just random digits, it had pattern and form and meant that somewhere tonight there was someone trying to make contact with other beings who could hear that high a frequency- transgenics.
Otto had narrowed down the emanation of the transmission and worked out that two transports had come in from the south today and not passed the rigorous sector checkpoints and only one had enough capacity to hide any transgenics.
It alighted three miles down the border and was waiting. White had actually clapped Otto on the back and smiled. It had almost been enough to give him a heart attack but he had resisted the urge to feel White�s head for fever.
They all had their orders and had moved into position hours ago. SWAT teams in the district and on one side of the checkpoint and from somewhere Ames White had managed to score some of those special Agents that had originally been in the Terminal City siege. They had a hard bitter look about them that Otto didn�t like and not for the first time did he wonder about his superior�s allegiances and hidden agenda.
But despite what White had going, Otto had his job to do. He spoke into his earpiece checking that all bases were covered and settled down in the centre to watch the screens for the oncoming retrieval attempt.
7
The ground was damp with dew and the whole place had an earthy musty smell that Max loved. She crawled across the ground as close to the fence as achievable so that the guards wouldn�t see her. She wanted to be as quiet as possible, because despite all their planning and details she had a bad feeling about this.
Her team were planted in strategic positions around the perimeter and she had her distraction all lined up waiting to drive through the checkpoint. The plan was to let the truck containing the new recruits up to the checkpoint. Depending on whether the guards stopped to check out the whole truck or let it pass they�d decide if they needed to intervene. If they made it through the checkpoint, there was a SUV waiting around the corner to transport them and a hefty check for the driver. If the guards actually tried to do their job and check out the rear then Max and the rest would move in to take over. Simple? Hardly. Backup were waiting in the wings and she had cover fire laid out in case anything went wrong. They were soldiers they knew the importance of�
� from the corner of her eye she saw a glint of metal in the moonlight and she enlarged her pupil to check it out and her heart stopped in her throat. There in the tree was a soldier- not in her unit, dressed in regulation black and camouflage with night vision goggles and a pinpoint sniper gun. If this was a trap she would expect to see another about sixty metres back which would mean in that tree. Her feline features caught the barest glimpse of a shadow moving independently of the wind- another sniper.
Shit it was an ambush.
�Alpha 1 abort.� She hissed into her mouth piece �It�s an ambush, fallback.�
She heard the truck holding the new transgenics coming up to the checkpoint.
�Dammit.� She cursed, their timing couldn�t have been worse. There was no way that they were going to get out of this without some sort of fight, even if the snipers didn�t actively see them, there was no way that they could take the transgenics out of the truck and deliver them to where the Beta team were waiting with more vehicles to take them back to TC without alerting everyone of their presence, especially now she knew they were being watched. The best she could hope for was for the truck to make it through the checkpoint and they could retrieve it further down the road.
�Beta team fall back down the road, the truck will come through intercept further along. Repeat move back.�
She began to edge her way backwards, back into the undergrowth but to her right she heard the snap of a dry twig crunching under someone�s weight.
The sector police turned faster that she would have thought possible and swung the heavy duty light towards her right. Max could see the light glare off the eyes of Ally, another girl in her unit.
�There!� they pointed their guns and started to fire and Ally shot forward in a blur and scaled the chain link fence like an acrobat.
�Fallback.� Max called into her head piece no longer worrying about being heard, their cover was blown anyway.
The sounds of firing began in the clearing as both police and transgenics started to fight.
�Beta team copy, ready to receive you.� The crackle from the phone meant that the backup were standing by to bring them back.
�Gamma team, we have fire, repeat we are under fire.�
The harsh sounds of a fire fight echoed all around her. Gamma team were bringing up the rear which meant that they were surrounded.
The truck was taking no chances and broke through the barrier sending the fence flying through the air in a shower of sparks. The snipers in the trees dropped to the ground and hurried forward, crouching low to avoid being targets themselves. Max counted at least thirty.
�Count?� she called.
�Sixty.� came the reply from Gamma team leader.
That was close to a hundred soldiers and their gear and the heavy fire that they were laying down meant that they weren�t just sector police or militia. These were either army or, she swallowed, White.
If they were White�s familiars then they would be that much harder to kill and her guys would go in thinking that they were just ordinaries. They would get themselves outnumbered without even knowing it. She had to make them leave.
�Beta team, once you have them get out of here. Gamma do not engage, I repeat do not engage. Targets are not what they appear. Back to base.�
�We have the command; repeat we have them and are falling back.�
She could hear the sounds of the rest of her team falling back under their cover fire from Zeta team but as she turned to go she saw Ally struck by random fire. She leaped forward and scaled the fence jumping the last few feet and hauling Ally to her feet.
She ran past the guards, blurring so fast she knew they didn�t see her and raced for the road.
SUV�s that had bought the three teams were waiting down the road about two miles and she knew that she could get there; she also knew that her team could get there as long as they kept on moving.
�Ally, go.� She pushed the young woman to her limits as they raced for the SUV�s and safety.
She could see three of the trucks missing and felt a shock of relief as she knew her teams had made it out.
That relief was short lived as a reign of fire haled down on her from above. She felt a sharp stab in her shoulder and she lurched forwards almost losing her grip on Ally. Dammit she hadn�t seen the snipers take new positions. There was no doubt that these were familiars now, they moved too fast for normal soldiers and their aim was uncanny. That thought gave her the extra burst of speed she needed to move faster to the waiting vehicle where her team mates were waiting. A bolt of blur sped towards her and she recognised Biggs grabbing Ally off her.
He was strong and even with Ally�s weight he sped ahead of Max and threw Ally in the waiting truck.
�C�mon!� he shouted.
Max could sense her blood loss and was relieved to be nearly home free when she ran head first into a block of solid muscle.
Training taking over she kicked out at the block who grunted and backhanded her right shoulder. Pain and bright lights exploded in her vision and she swept her legs around trying to knock her attacker off balance so she could get to safety.
She managed two steps before she was forcibly knocked off her feet by a taser bolt and when she looked up a ring of dark bodies surrounded her. She stood up and over their shoulder she saw Biggs� horrified face.
�Go.� She screamed and got into fighting stance.
�That�s an order.�
She was kicking out at one and punching another. She saw the van rumble into life and they took off as another familiar struck out at her with his hammer like fists knocking her back.
Without realising it her body surrendered to the soldier within and the flurry of kicks and blocks that Manticore had drilled in at age 9 came out in a torrent taking the guards by surprise.
But no matter how fast she could snap out kicks and how hard her punches were she was no match for eight familiars and certainly no match for eight familiars and their tasers.
The electric charge ran through her body making it shudder and shake harder than when she had seizures and she felt her vision grow dim.
As her vision grew hazy a blurry face stepped in front of her and knelt down until his features faded.
�Hello 452.�
And Ames White was the last thing she saw as she blacked out.
8
Alec was looking at some paperwork in his office. Okay so he was actually staring into space with a goofy grin thinking about everything that Max had said to him, but the important thing was that if anyone walked in- it looked like he was deep in serious thought.
Her words were still echoing around his head and Max�s sweet smile and sincere expression as she told him that she valued him and relied on him above everyone else.
She didn�t think he was a screw up.
It was the breakthrough that he had been hoping for but it was so much more than he had ever thought that it could be, it was a dream come true.
She trusted him.
She needed him.
He grinned inanely and sat back in his chair laying his arms high above his head as he basked in the memory.
It wasn�t that she had set his mind free on the fact that she actually did like him, although that was a relief in itself. It was more the fact that he was now in a position to know if she was likely to accept his advances. And the possibility was twice as great as it was this time yesterday and that was the reason for the enormous grin on his face and the distraction.
The door edged open and the blonde girl that Alec had suggested be called Ralph entered.
�Sir?�
�Hey Ralph.� He gave her a grin, feeling charitable to everyone right now, no matter how much he wanted to be alone and bask.
She blushed and looked down at her shoes.
�What can I do for ya?� he was used to his affect on women�most women anyway, there were a few that were immune to his charms.
�Uh 45-Max said that she drawn up a roster for us but we couldn�t find it.�
�Oh.� he rummaged through the piles of paperwork on his desk that had managed to accumulate during their stay in Terminal City. It was amazing what had crawled into here. He picked up a cell phone he didn�t remember buying�or stealing and tossed aside a week old box of pizza. �She gave it to me, I know its in here somewhere.� He vaguely heard Ralph giggling as he tossed books over his head and came up triumphantly with a typed sheet of A4 which looked a little worse for wear with coffee stains all over it.
�Uh,� he grinned sheepishly �You do encoded stuff right?�
Ralph giggled again and took the sheet off him. �Yes sir.�
�Just don�t tell Max.� he gave her another conspiratorial look.
�No sir.�
�Its Alec okay kid?�
�Alec.� She repeated dutifully and he knew full well that the next time he saw her she would still call him Sir.
�Thanks.� She motioned to the page seemingly reluctant to leave.
�Did you want to talk to me about something kid?�
She hesitated for a second before shaking her head and heading for the door.
�Are you and 452 an item sir?� the words rushed out and Alec tried not to choke.
�What?�
�Never mind.� She mumbled and opened the door. As fast as his X5 reflexes were she hadn�t even opened it few inches before he was closing it and looking down at her.
�Not so fast kid. Where did that come from?� he leaned against the door.
�Uh it was just something that we�� she was blushing hard this time her face a bright cherry red. �Back when you rescued us you guys were together and you still are and Bullet said that he had heard some of the other transgenics talking and I just wondered.� She shrugged.
Alec looked at her.
�Look kid, me and Max is complicated okay. We are just friends but if it gets about that people think we�re more, not only will she kick my ass. But she won�t want to be my friend anymore plus she�ll be pissed and that�s never good for anyone.�
�But you like her like that?� she asked curiously.
�Can you keep a secret kid?� he wondered if he should even be saying this to her.
�Don�t call me kid and I can.� She retorted �Its Ralph, you named me yourself.�
Alec let loose a broad smirk �So I did Ralph. Okay, I do like Max like that but I don�t want anyone else to know got it?�
Ralph beamed at being let in his confidence.
�I won�t tell a soul.� She promised and he moved to let her leave.
As she opened the door there was another of the kids standing there.
�There you are Ralph.� The dark haired lad glared at Alec �We were wondering where you had disappeared off to.�
�I was getting the roster Zero.� She said with an exasperated tone to her voice that reminded Alec of Max talking to him.
�Thanks Alec.� She turned to smile at Alec much to Zero�s annoyance.
As the door shut Alec had to put a hand over his mouth to keep himself from laughing. Oh things were definitely getting more interesting in Terminal City.
9
Max�s head was splitting; it felt like someone had taken a jackhammer and was pounding it right next to her ear. She shifted slightly and felt panic as her hands wouldn�t move. Her eyes snapped open and flew up to where her hands were handcuffed to a bar. She tried to get to her feet only to discover that they were shackled together as well. Being the soldier that she was her trained eyes took in her surroundings.
She was in a cage in a warehouse somewhere, if the dripping of a tap was any indication. Each drop made her brain thud loudly and she briefly wondered if White was employing Japanese water torture.
Her vision grew fuzzy as she got to her feet slowly glancing around noting her position and the general layout just in case she got a chance to escape.
The door opening to her left caused her to straighten as Ames White walked in flanked by several familiars in black ops clothing.
�Well, well 452, after all this time I spent looking for you and here you are.�
�Look Ames, you gotta get over this obsession you have with me and find another girlfriend.� She sassed and enjoyed the look on his face.
�I don�t date animals.� He sneered at her.
�Aw and there are some farmyard animals that are just crushed.�
�Comfy in your cage?� he ran his fingers over the bars.
�Couple of throw pillows, some soft lighting, call it home.�
�You belong in a cage.� He hissed as his hard brown eyes glared at her.
She shrugged �You belong in a mental institute�kinda like your brother. How is C.J?�
Direct hit. She knew as his jaw clenched.
�My brother is none of your business. The only thing you should be worrying about is how much pain you�ll go through before you die.�
�Is that all?� she waved a hand as much as she could with it being handcuffed to a bar �Here I was worried you�d try to hit on me.�
He turned to his entourage �Is the transport ready?�
�Sir.� The guy nodded.
�Are we going out to dinner?� Max�s apprehension grew as she realised they were going to move her. The more they moved her, the less likely it was that there would be a rescue from Alec and the gang.
He didn�t even glance at her as he moved away taking his boys with him and shutting her in darkness.
10
Alec was actually doing some work in main command. He was checking over the cameras with Dix and Luke, waiting for Max to get back which should be soon.
He looked into the camera which showed the back entrance of Terminal City and the industrial district which the police hadn�t got as well covered as they had thought. In the darkness he could see the outlines of several trucks.
�They�re back.� He said and a small smirk ran across his face. Max was back.
He let the others go set up med just in case there were casualties and he monitored the surrounding areas in case they had been marked or followed.
A burst of noise caused him to spin around as Biggs ran in holding a nearly unconscious Ally.
�Med.� He called and Cece and Lana raced forward to take the pale transgenic away from his friend.
�We have three wounded.� Biggs called as stretchers emerged from the med bay and they raced towards the exit.
Alec�s pulse began to pound as he turned to his blood soaked friend.
�It was supposed to be routine, what the hell happened?� he shouted.
�It was an ambush, somehow they knew we were coming, it was a professional job man. � Biggs panted �They were strong and a dead aim. It was like Manticore.�
�White.� Alec froze catching his friends arm before he could run off to help the team �Where�s Max?�
Biggs looked down and Alec�s heart stopped.
�Biggs where�s Max?� his voice caught as Biggs looked up at him with wide eyes.
�They surrounded her, eight of them with tasers.� Alec dropped his hand like he had a disease �We were in the van and she was shot.�
�Oh God.� Alec thought he was going to be sick.
�She ordered us to keep going. Alec she ordered us.�
�Is she-?� he couldn�t have finished that to save his life.
�I don�t think so, they weren�t shooting her.� Biggs swallowed �I�m sorry man.�
Alec waved him away. His vision swimming and his breath ragged.
White had Max.
~~~~
Ames White wasn�t taking any chances. He refused to let anyone go near the cage and refused to let her out even to be moved. Instead he had the cage transported to the truck for transportation. To Max�s annoyance and White�s amusement the truck was an old circus lorry that advertised the attractions with a huge sign proclaiming on its side �Don�t feed the animals.� Very funny.
In her mind she tried to detail all the twists and turns that she could feel whilst in the van so that if she managed to escape she could find her way back but after hours and hours it seemed like too many twists and turns and the rocking of the carriage of the truck finally lulled her mind and she fell asleep.
~~~~
Alec paced the headquarters feeling his frustrations bubbling just below the surface of his calm fa�ade. The three transgenics that had been hit were doing okay and Ally was going to be okay once the swelling went down. The debriefing had gone as well as could be expected with Alec grinding his teeth so hard he was getting a migraine.
Apparently they had walked into a Familiar trap. White undoubtedly had Max. Just the thought of that Psycho with his hands on her made Alec mad enough to spit nails and it was taking all his restraint not to scream at them for leaving her behind no matter what the odds were or what she had ordered.
Alec made his way into his office and shut out all the noise from Terminal City, he was going to have to do something that he knew would be hard and he didn�t want any witnesses.
He reached for the phone to make a call that he knew he didn�t want to make.
�Jam Pony.� Normal answered with his usual monotone. He was flipping through papers trying to get this ragged bunch up to scratch as a first class service. Not that he ever expected it to work.
�Normal? Its Alec.�
�Golden boy!� Normal�s enthusiastic cry grated on Alec�s nerves more than the apparent hero worship had ever done back when he was a bike messenger. Not that he would let that interfere, Normal was useful.
�Listen Normal I�d like to chat but it�s vital I talk to O.C something bad has happened okay?�
�Can I help?� Normal�s sincere tone would have shocked anyone who knew him.
�Get Cindy.�
�Girly girl!� Normal called the African who was talking to another of the messengers. �Original Cindy!�
�You talkin� ta me?� O.C wasn�t used to Normal calling her by her name.
�Phone.� He held out the receiver and her eyebrow raised, normally he wouldn�t let them use the phone during company time. That meant that it was probably her favourite transgenic.
She took the phone with a beam.
�Hey Boo!�
�O.C it�s Alec.�
�Oh baby boo wassup?� there was silence �Alec, what is it?�
�Max.� his whisper was heard like a thunderclap.
�Alec, Alec what?� her voice got louder �What�s wrong? Where�s Max?�
�God Cindy I don�t know.� She could hear the ragged edge in his voice. �She went on a mission and White and his familiars got her. She�s missing Cindy.�
Cindy dropped the phone and was surprised to hear a cry sounding like an animal was trapped. The surprising thing was that it was coming from her.
�No, no please not Max.� she felt arms touch her back and she spun into the embrace not caring who it was.
From his end in Terminal City Alec could hear the raw desperation in the cry from Max�s best friend in the world.
His heart was breaking as he couldn�t be there to comfort her and be comforted in return and the thought hit him hard that he shouldn�t have had to do that over the phone.
�Cindy? Cindy? O.C?�
�Sorry Champ Cindy�s gonna have to go home.� Normal�s voice was back on the line �If there�s anything I can do?�
�Take care of Cindy.� Alec managed to choke out and replaced the receiver fighting back tears.
He nearly slumped against the wall as he heard his ragged breathing sound harsh in the silent room. It was killing him, he knew that he had to find Max and bring her home but he had no idea where to start, they hadn�t covered insane snake cults hiding perfect transgenics in basic training. And he couldn�t even put himself in White�s shoes since, no matter what Manticore thought; he wasn�t a sociopath like his brother Ben.
He slowly crumpled to the floor allowing his grief to take him for a second. But only a second.
He stood up and straightened his back. He was a soldier and Max had trusted him to take care of Terminal City and its inhabitants and he couldn�t do that if he allowed himself to fall apart. Priority one was to find Max. He had to locate her and get her back.
His plan of action firmly in his head he turned ramrod straight in a motion that would have done Manticore proud and headed for the door.
In the back of his head, the part of him that was screaming noted that although Original Cindy was taking this about as well as he wanted to he still had no idea how to tell Joshua.