Escape and Evade

Chapter 5



'Oh God Oh God Oh God Oh God...we're gonna make it we're gonna make it Max just keep moving remember your training in Manticore. Keep moving in enemy territory even with the wounded.'



Max looked down at Alec's leg as she helped him move with her. It was bleeding badly and he was starting the falter. He may be an X5 but even an X5 needed to be taken care of even more so than a normal person. She pulled his arm over her shoulder tighter as he started to fall out of step.



"Alec, come on now stay with me, " she said patting his hand as his head drooped. "Let's stop I need to take care of your, ", " she said stopping to rest next to a tree. She helped Alec sit down and immediately started to scan the woods for anyone.



Alec noticed her behavior and knew she must be slipping into soldier mode. He rested his head against the tree and closed his eyes taking deep breaths. He felt light headed and cold as hell. Stay awake Alec stay awake.



Max turned back to Alec and began to examine his leg. She reached down and ripped his pant leg exposing the wound and at the same time getting a hiss out of Alec. "Sorry, " she muttered looking at the wound carefully. "I need to cauterize it do you have your knife on you?" she asked looking up at him.



He nodded and reached into his jacket and pulled out a knife and a lighter to heat it up. She took the items and opened the knife. She lit the lighter and began to heat the knife. Alec watched as the blade began to burn and turn red. He knew it would hurt like hell but if he didn't cauterize it soon it would get infected and they still had to trek back to the city. <>
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"Ready?" she asked putting the hot knife to his wound before he could respond. The blade sizzled against his skin and Alec's face retorted in major pain, but he didn't let any sounds pass through his beautifully shaped lips. He just clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. Max pulled the knife away and he took a couple of deep breaths.



"How did I know you were going to do that?" he asked blinking a couple of times.



"Training...sorry, " she said cleaning the knife and wiping his wound clean as best she could. "There...how's that?" she asked. When they were children the instructors used to tell them if one of their unit were ever injured to distract them from their injuries as best as possible. She finished cleaning the wound and patched it up the best she could with what she had. She wiped her hands on her jacket and sat down next to him. It was a fairly cold night and they only had the clothes on their backs.



"Thanks, " he said putting his hands under his arms hoping to warm them up.



Max stood and came to sit by Alec. After she'd sat down for a moment the pain in her head caught up with her and she began to fall over until Alec reached out quickly and grabbed her to keep her from hitting her head on the ground. "Max! You okay?" he asked concerned.



She nodded with her eyes closed, "Yeah...I...just everything's starting to catch up with me I guess." She noticed that he hadn't removed his hands and couldn't figure out if it was because he was concerned or he wanted to be warm. She could feel how cold his hands were through her clothes.



"Alec you're freezing, " she said turning toward him.



He laughed lightly, "Yeah, well it's colder than a witches tity out here Max and I've lost quit a bit of blood."

She sighed and closed her eyes, "We need to keep moving, but with your injury..." she trailed off looking around them.



"Yeah well, your injury doesn't help either, " he added for her. He hated the fact she was trying to ignore her head injury. Even for her falling fifty feet and hitting her head was taking it's toll and she was genetically perfect. He looked down at his watch and saw it was well after midnight. He pulled his cell phone out to see if he had a signal yet. Dammit, you'd think Logan would be freaking out because we were supposed to check in hours ago.



He knew that himself or Max weren't in a position to move but they had too soon. "Why don't we just rest for a little while alright, " Alec stated looking around.



"We can't White's on our ass, " she said leaning on her knees holding her head.



This didn't go unnoticed by Alec, "Max you've got a head injury and I've been shot in the leg we won't get far if we don't rest for a little while."



"We've gotta keep moving, " she said rocking herself. "It hurts, " she cried suddenly.



Alec reached out and brought her against his body wrapping his arms around her, "Shh...just rest Max...just rest okay."



She settled against his chest and closed her eyes. Alec let his head fall back against the tree. He needed to stay awake on guard in case White's people caught up to them. They'd been on the run for about an hour and he figured they had about another hour of ek bek before they reached the city. But, nonetheless they did need to move soon. White knew Alec had been shot so he knew they wouldn't be moving as fast as normal.



Alec felt another dizzy spell and closed his eyes trying to fight it off. I can't fall asleep I have to stay awake. He blinked his eyes a couple of times and looked down at Max who had fallen asleep. He was surprised she lasted as long as she did with having to help him move. He pulled some of her hair out of her face and just watched her. Even though she was Manticore and beauty was a given she had another beauty to her. She had a beautiful mind that kept him coming back for more.



Suddenly, his head shot up and behind the tree he and Max were propped against. He scanned the forest. He didn't see anyone but he heard them. They were about a hundred yards away and moving fast.



"Max wake up, " he said shaking her awake.



She snapped awake and looked around her, "What?"



"White's on our trail you've gotta move, " he ordered.



What's he talking about 'I've gotta move'? She stood and reached down for him, "Come on get up lets go."

Alec slapped her hand away, "No Max, you have to go on without me. They've probably got dogs on the scent of my blood and they'll be on us all they way so you have to go."



Max had a flashback all the sudden.



(Flashback)



"Don't leave me here. Don't let them take me, " Ben pleaded.



"Ben, I can't carry you. We'll both get caught, " Max pleaded back.



"I know, " he said looking at her pointedly and her face falls as she realizes what he wants her to do.



"Ben, I can't, " she said shaking her head about to cry.



"Please...you know what they'll do to me. They'll put me down there with them...the Nomlies......please Max, " he begged.



She looked at him with tears in her eyes as he continues to beg her with his pleading eyes.



"Tell me about the good place Ben, " she said getting a blank look on her face.



He smiled, "Where no one ever gets punished."



"No one gets yelled at, " she continued.



"And nobody disappears and when you wake up in the morning you can stay in bed as long as..." he is cut off when Max snapped his neck. She dropped his head to the ground and began to cry heavily.



(Present)



Max shook her head violently, "No, I will not leave you here not again!" She reached down to make him stand but Alec grabbed her by the face.



"Max! Listen to me! Both of us cannot get away...you have to go before they get here now GO!" he yelled and shoved her back making her fall to the ground in shock.



They stared at each other for a moment.



"Alec...I...can't leave you here, " she cried. "I can't do this again I can't."



Alec knew immediately what she was talking about...Ben. She had to kill Ben to keep him from being caught by Manticore.



Their attention was snapped back to reality when they heard White and his men getting closer. Their eyes met and Max began to cry harder. Alec wanted to comfort her tell her don't cry over him that he wasn't worth crying over.



"Get going Max you don't have much time, " he said slumping to the ground against the tree.



She looked between Alec and the approaching sounds a couple of times before she stood.



"I'll stall them as best I can so you can get ahead, " he said. When she didn't move he yelled, "GO!"



Suddenly, she ran over to him falling to her knees and hugged him tightly to her. "I'll find you, " she whispered in conviction then stood and ran as fast as she could.



Alec watched her retreating form disappear as he heard White and his men approach.



"I found one sir!" A man yelled.



"Where!?" White yelled coming to stand next to the soldier. White saw Alec propped against the tree and approached him carefully as about ten men surrounded Alec with their guns drawn knowing how dangerous he was.



"Well if it isn't 494. Where's 452?" White asked.



Alec shrugged with a smile, "Hell if I know."



White kicked Alec in the leg where he'd been shot making Alec grab it in pain. "I'll ask again. Where is 452?" White said kneeling at a safe distance from Alec. He may have been injured but White knew better than to underestimate any transgenic especially an X5 the most successful series from Manticore.



Alec began to laugh, "You'll never catch her...haven't you figured that out yet?"



W sto stood, "I thought it was just a 'summer fling' between you and 452?"



Alec didn't say anything.



"You transgenics disgust me, " he reached behind his back and pulled a tranquilizer gun out and shot Alec.

Alec passed out instantly.



"Take him back...I can use him, " White said walking off.