Escape and Evade

Chapter 4



"How you doing Max?" Alec called from below her. He watched her very carefully, watching for any sign that she was about to fall.



She looked down at him and smiled the best she could, "I'm alright...just...need to take a breather." She laid her head against the wall and closed her eyes. She was feeling a little light headed, but she wasn't about to tell Alec that for the simple fact he would want to get down and let her rest some more and she didn't want to stay down here any longer. Alec was being friendly and gentle with her and it scared her to no end. She didn't know what it meant, but it wasn't Alec's usual behavior towards her.



Alec looked below and laughed sarcastically.



Max opened her eyes and looked down at him, "What?"



He looked up at her and smiled, "Just thinking that if you do fall...at least you don't weigh anything it won't hurt me to much."



She rolled her eyes and muttered, "Big baby."



He smiled widened as he heard her words. He noticed she started to climb up again and climbed closer to her. They were only a few feet from the opening. Suddenly, a door could be heard shutting up above. They both froze and looked at each other. Footsteps could be heard going away from them and they relaxed slightly. "They must still be looking for us, " He whispered.



She nodded, "I think the coast is clear." She started to climb again until she felt him reach out and touch her. She looked down at him and saw concern in his eyes.



"You think this is such a good idea? You're still not a hundred percent. What if we need to fight our way out of here? You think you can do it?" he berated her with questions and all the while it sounded like he was trying to calm himself.



"If we stay down here there sure to find us. If we get out now and do the 'sneaky Manticore' way we'll be able to get out fine, " she whispered.



He was convinced, but nodded his head. "Lets do it."



She nodded back and started the climb again. A few moments later she was at the top and carefully looking out the whole to see if anyone was patrolling the hallway. "It's clear, " she said looking down at Alec. She pulled herself up and out of the whole and reached down to help Alec but he was already out and in radar mode.



"Which way, " he said.



"I don't know, " she said annoyed.



"Well we don't want me giving anymore directions do we. I might get us in another trapped room, " he said sarcastically.



"Fine, " she said tiredly. She pointed down the hall, "This way, the guard went this way so it may be a way out."

He nodded and started to lead the way. Max wasn't goio aro argue with him about. She wasn't feeling to good. He head injury was starting to get to her, but again she didn't want Alec to know because he would just get pissed off or go into gentle mode again.



They cornered the hallway and Alec looked to make sure the coast was clear. He signaled her with hand signals that the coast was clear.



Slowly and carefully they made there way through the many hallways of the old broken down prison. White pbly bly used this place to hold transgenics before they were shipped off to be dissected or killed. The whole they were in was probably a storage area for dead or weakened transgenics.



Finally, Alec spotted an exit from the building and looked back to Max and signaled her. She nodded and they made their way towards it. Carefully, Alec opened the door and looked out into the courtyard. There was no one to be seen. That worried him the place should be swarming with troops, but yet they hadn't encountered or heard a single one.



"Something's not right here, " he said worried. <>
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"No troops, " she corrected. She had the same worries he did.



"Exactly, this place should be swarming with them. Especially since they know you're here, " he said.



"You should be one to talk. White want's your head just as much as mine since you screwed him over, " she retorted.

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There was an uncomfortable silence between them.



"What do you think...should we go for it?" he asked.



Sookeooked over his shoulder into the courtyard. It was a ghost town. They both new it was a trap, but had no other choice but to run into it.



"What other choice do we have?" she stated more than asked.



"How's your head?" he asked checking her out.



"It's okay, " she said letting him look at it.



He finished and sighed. They had no weapons and no cover from here to the gate. They would be literally running for their lives.



"It's no or never, " he whispered.



"Lets go, " she answered.



As fast as lightening Alec pulled the door opened and they both made a run for it. As fast as they could they ran towards the perimeter. Max had flashbacks of escaping Manticore and that helped to fuel her need to get past the gate. Gunfire started and Max and Alec both pushed themselves to the limit. Max was ahead of Alec. She looked back and Alec motioned for her to keep going.



"Don't look back Max keep going dammit!" he yelled.



Max turned and noticed they were almost to the gate.



"Jump Max!" Alec commanded her and she did on command. She cleared the fence by a good six feet and landed solidly on the other side. She turned to see if Alec had made it across yet and noticed he was to the fence and hanging on it. She ran up to the fence and touch his hands through it.



"Alec!" she panicked. She noticed he'd been shot in the leg and he couldn't make the ten foot high fence. Visions of Ben filled her mind as she though of what she had to do to him in the same situation.



"Get out of here Max, " he forced out.



"You wouldn't leave me and I'm sure as hell not leaving you!" she yelled mad as hell at him. She was goingoing to leave him behind like she did Ben dammit. She reached as low on the fence as she could and pulled the bottom of the fence out of the ground. When the gap was big enough he crawled under it and was past the gate.



"Come on Alec, " she said reaching down to sut hit him on her. They made there way into the woods and out of danger...for now.