Escape and Evade

Chapter 7



Logan watched from the foot of the bed as Asha finished checking Max's head injury and leg injury. It had been an hour since Max had stumbled into Logan's apartment and passed out. Asha finished her assessment and stood up from the side of the bed. She motioned for Logan to follow her out of the room. He watched Max for a few moments then joined Asha out in the living room.



"How is she doing?" he asked looking back into the room.



"She's recovering quickly as far as I can tell. It s lis like she's put her body through hell hasn't given it time to rest. I think that's why she passed out, from exhaustion, " Asha said crossing her arms over her chest.



Logan sighed and removed his glasses. "What the hell went wrong and where's Alec?" he asked quietly.



Asha shook her head, "I don't know but, I'd take a wild guess and say it's not good." She looked back towards Max and Logan followed her gaze.



If Max was hurt this bad there was no telling how bad Alec was hurt or worse...dead.



"I'm going to call some contacts I can trust and see if they can locate him, " he said turning and heading towards his computer. Asha stayed where she was looking in on Max as she continued to sleep.



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Alec stared at the wall in front of him, blankly. He was so glad Max was able to get away. That was all the concerned him. He didn't care whether or not he died or whatever as long as she was safe. That's all he has ever wanted. He had come to respect and care for Max more than he should have let himself. Manticore taught them that feelings were a weakness and nothing more. He thought Manticore was right after what happened with Rachel. He loved her more than anything in the world and she died because of him. Hell he was the cause of her death. They took him back to Manticore for reindoctrination and before he forgot about her he swore to himself he would never love again.



As he hung from the ceiling staring blankly at the wall he realized he broke his vow...Max.



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"Logan!" Original Cindy called out as she waltzed on in his apartment like she lived there.



Quickly, Logan and Asha both stepped out of the computer room putting there fingers up to indicate her to be quiet. Original Cindy was about to give them hell when she followed Asha's gaze to a spare bedroom and saw Max sound asleep on the bed. She gaped and started toward the room when Asha touched her shoulder.



"Don't disturb her she's been out since she got here, " Asha explained softly so she wouldn't irritate her.



Original Cindy looked back at Max and that's when it hit her that she hadn't seen Alec. She took her gaze from Max and looked around the apartment. "Where's Alec?" she asked concerned.



Logan and Asha's faces fell.



don don't know, " Logan spoke.



Original Cindy glared at Logan. She really used to like Logan but as of late he was starting to get on her nerves.



"How did she get here?" Original Cindy asked nodding back to Max.



"Shortly a you you left she stumbled into the apartment and passed out, " Asha explained.



"God, " Original Cindy mumbled running her fingers through her hair and stepping into the doorway to Max's room. She looked over Max and noticed she was really hurt. She felt Asha step up behind her. "What happened to her?" she asked Asha quietly.



Asha stepped to stand next to her, "From the looks of it she took a hit to the head and a severely bruised thigh, but other than that she's okay. She just needs some rest for now." She put her hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently for comfort.



Original Cindy smiled, "Yeah, my boo always come through."



Logan stood behind them a couple feet listening to the exchange. He sighed putting his hands in his pockets. What the hell went wrong. It was an easy mission. In and out. Apparently, it wasn't as simple as he thought if Max came out of it with a head injury and Alec missing. That thought lead to another. Why did she come back alone? Even if she hated someone she wouldn't leave them with a bad guy. The only thing he could think of...was Alec sacrificed himself for Max.



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White walked down a long corridor of the compound he was set up at for the moment. He managed to capture 494 that morning, but 452 slipped out of his grasp.



"Sir, we've got a problem...it's 494, " Otto said catching up to White.



"What seems to be the problem, " White asked.



"He keeps yelling different things over and over he won't shut up, " Otto explained.



"Hello! Can I get some food and clothes in here please!? I require more calories inay tay than you do in a week!" Alec yelled playfully. For the past hour he'd been yelling something constantly just trying to get on their nerves. He knew some time soon they would start to inteate ate him about Max. Manticore trained him to withstand interrogation to never give anything away, but he didn't want to take the risk of slipping. White was methodical and persistent and wouldn't stop till he got what he wanted. Alec knew the only thing he could do is hoor aor a quick death before he even had the chance to slip anything about Max.



He...would...not...tell...White...anything...about...Max.



He was brought out of his revere when the door to his cell opened to reveal White, Otto and four other guards.



"Hey! I was wondering where my host went. You know I've been here a while and I haven't been fed and it's kinda cold in here if you know what I mean, " Alec commented with a cocky smile.



White smiled a lopsided grin, "What's the matter 494? Don't like your accommodations?"



"Alec, " Alec replied casually.



"Excuse me, " White replied.



Alec acted as casual as he could. "Alec, my name is Alec."



Suddenly White reached out and grabbed Alec around the throat squeezing tightly, "You don't deserve a name you're nothing but filth! You transgenics think you're so superior! You've got a number for a name from a barcode've've got on the back of your neck!" He continued to choke Alec as he started a line of questions, "Now, I want you too tell me every single place I can possibly find that bitch 452 or I will kill you where you hang." He released his grip on Alec's throat to allow him to speak.



Alec coughed, "Go ahead and kill me then...cause I'm not telling you anything."



White took a deep breath to calm himself and chuckled. He took out a handkerchief and wiped the hand he had around Alec's neck off. "You're quit protective of her. Yet you say nothing ever happened between the two of you back at Manticore during the breeding program."



Alec just stared strait ahead. Rule number one of interrogation was to blank out the interrogator to shut yourself off from them.



"Leave us, " White instructed to Otto and the guards.



Otto looked a little reluctant but ordered the guards out with.


As soon as White heard the door latch and lock he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a knife. He flipped it open and did a neat trick with it. "I know you were exceptionally trained at Manticore for interrogations such as the one you're about to get, but...this ones a little different. I'm the one doing the interrogation not some moron who doesn't know his ass from a whole in the ground." He walked till he stood directly in front of Alec giving him nothing else to look at. "I'll make a deal with you 494."



Alec snorted with a smile, "Yeah, last time you offered me a deal you stuck a mini bomb at the base of my skull."



"I don't trust transgenics, " White said.



"I don't trust you, " Alec replied icily.



White nodded, "At least we agree on something. What we don't agree on is 452. If you tell me where she is I promise to make your death painless and quick. If you don't tell me where she is I will keep you alive as long as I can and in as much pain as possible."



"She won't come for me, " Alec said dryly. "She can't stand me. Why do you think she left me in the woods?"



"I don't buy it, " White said bored.



Alec shrugged as best he could with being chained to the ceiling. "I told you, you don't know her as well as you think you do. You think she's gonna waste her time on someone who does nothing but mess her up at every turn? She's probably celebrating with a bottle of liquor right now." Alec stared White in the eye not letting him think he had him in the least. On the outside he looked relaxed and cool, but on the inside Alec was terrified. He only hoped White would buy into his story and just go ahead and kill him.



White shook his head, "I wish you had played along 494." He put his knife away and yelled for the guard. The door to the cell came open and White stepped closer to Alec face and spoke quietly, "How about this deal...if you don't tell me where she is, when I do find her I will make sure she suffers through hell. I don't think she'll like my kind of torture." He turned and left before Alec could reply. They shut and locked the door again and Alec let fear cross his face. For him and Max. There was no telling what he would do to Max, but he couldn't tell him where she was he would not doubt do the same thing anyway.



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"Have you found anything yet?" Asha asked quietly coming up behind Logan at his computer.



He sighed, "Nothing. No military convoys came in or out of the city in the past twenty-four hours. I think it's safe to say he's at the compound and most likely being held hostage as bait for Max." "Yeah, and she's going to fall for it sure enough, " Asha said crossing her arms.



"No she's not, " Logan said bluntly.



Asha looked down at him confused. "What do you mean?"



"I don't think she needs to be going after Alec in her condition. Besides I don't think Alec would want her too..."

From Max's room Original Cindy listened to the hushed conversation between Logan and Asha. She couldn't believe Logan was goto ato actually let Alec die. She knew what was going to happen as soon as Max woke up. She will want to go get Alec out of White's clutches. And when Logan tells her not to do it she is gonna let loose on him. Original Cindy had noticed Max and Alec growing closer but neither one of them noticed it. The relationship Max and Alec have is complex and subtle. Nothing happened too fast or too slow everything seemed to happen when it needed to happen.



She was brought out of her revere by Logan and Asha's voices getting louder and she quickly stood from the bed and walked out the room closing the door quietly.



"Would you two keep it down!" Original Cindy yelled quietly pointing to the room Max slept in.



Logan and Asha immediately got quiet.



"I need some air, " Asha said grabbing her coat and leaving.



A few moments of silence encased the room as Logan stared down at his feet.



"You really just wanna leave him there?" Original Cindy asked quietly putting her hands in her back pockets.



Logan shifted on his feet and repositioned his glasses, "I beginning to think this is pointless. Alec probably is alive but for how long. Why should Max risk her life for Alec when all White will probably do is shoot him dead as soon as he has Max? What would be the point?"



"That ain't the point Logan..." Original Cindy was cut off.



"...I will go back for him, " Max practically whispered.



Logan and Original Cindy both turned to look at her in surprise and thankfulness. Max stood in the doorway with the same clothes she had on when she got to Logan's. She tried to remember the past couple of hours. She remembered leaving Alec in the forest to be captured by White and running till she got to Logan's and then nothing.



"Max you okay?" Original Cindy asked stepping closer to her.



Max closed her eyes, "Yeah, my head hurts just a little. How long was I out?"



"All day just about, " Logan said stepping closer to stand next to Original Cindy. "Other than the headache how are you feeling?" he asked.



"I just left him there, " Max said with tears showing in her eyes. "I didn't want too but...he told me to go..." she closed her eyes and her tears fell from her eyes.



Original Cindy pulled her into a hug and whispered into her hair telling her everything would be alright.



Logan sighed realizing that Max would go after Alec no matter what he said. At that moment he realized Max and Alec had a special bond whether they knew it or not. All transgenics are bonded, he'd seen proof of that enough. He suddenly felt guilty for wanting to leave Alec to die. Maybe he was just jealous that Max really cared about Alec and that Alec cared about Max. But, that was no reason to leave him to die.