Title:  Project R (15)

Author:  Yih

Written:  March 8, 2002

Dedication:  To the "R" groupies, couldn't do it without you guys!  Thanks for all the encouragement, I do check every once and a while to find a review =). 

Here's my new website (old server died on me): http://seiki.envy.nu

Part 15

"We're almost there." 

"Yes," Zane responded, "we're almost there.  But we're not there yet." 

"True, but we're closer than we've ever been to safety." 

"It's too bad about Brin and Tinga." 

"Yes," Jhondy replied, "yet don't forget that you were caught.  We were lucky to get out of that box in.  She sacrificed herself for you.  You know how I hate having to make those critical decisions, Zack was always better than I was at it."  She sighed and leaned against Zane.  "I'll be so glad when we're across the border.  There are so many things I want to do and want to see without having to watch my back all the damn time." 

"I know what you mean," Zane murmured, hugging her to his side.  "We're lucky to have gotten pass those bastards." 

"There's no such thing as luck." 
"Not that crap again." 

"You know, there's only skill.  We've got the skill." 

Zane shrugged and moved away from her.  "You still have it bad for him, don't you?" 

"I'm sorry." 

"Don't be sorry.  I could never compete with him, could I?" 

"It's not like that," she protested, moving toward him but he just moved away from her touch.  "It's not like he even notices me." 

He didn't bother to disagree with her, but he said privately to himself: "How could he not notice you?"

"We should go," she told him, tugging his arms. 

"They still aren't here," grumbled Zack.  "We can't wait around this border forever for them." 
"Relax," Max told him, "they'll come.  I know they'd never disappoint you."

He shrugged, though he didn't brush her away when she placed her hands on his shoulders.  When she reached to encircle him with her arms, his body went rigid with feelings and emotions that he shouldn't be feeling he knew.  He gradually relaxed when her arms merely tightened around his waist.  "Max," he whispered hoarsely, "you don't—"

His voice stopped when he heard a rustling in the tall brush.  His eyes narrowed toward that sound, the faintest noise that was possible in the thick grassy field.  It was a sound only a Manticore X-5 was capable of making.  He disengaged her arms from around his waist.  He gave her the signal to be quiet and watch for what was coming.  She was instantly put to alert, making him proud of how quickly she had caught on to his teachings and instructions. 

They crouched down and waited for whatever was going to emerge to emerge.  Zack was about to take any chances, even if he thought he had a good idea who was coming toward them, who were coming toward them.  He braced himself for a crushing blow because he didn't hear four people moving through the grass, he heard maybe two people at most.  And perhaps, it might be only one. 

A slender silhouette appeared nearly in front of them.  He recognized the figure immediately and leapt to his feet, crushing the person to his chest. 

"You're here, finally." 

"I have information for you about that someone that you so desperately what to find, Eyes Only." 

"Tell me." 

"I went through much difficulty in finding these resources to divulge me the information that I'm handing over to you." 

"I understand." 

"And—"

"Just tell me where she is." 

"Oh, so anxious," the voice muttered with amusement, "she's in place of perfect safety." 

"Which is?"

"Where else?"

"Answer.  I didn't pay you $150,000 to play word games." 

"Canada." 

"She's in Canada?"

"I'm almost 99% sure.  I trust my sources, and they tell me they saw a girl matching the very picture you sent me heading in that direction.  I will confirm from my border sources whether or not she's actually in Canada.  But I have no doubts that she is.  If you still want me to bring her back, the price has to be doubled.  $300,000 at least if nothing goes wrong, it could cost much, much more." 

"If you bring her back, money won't be a concern.  If you fail to bring her back, I won't give you a penny." 

"I'll work on finding my Canadian contacts and I'll get back to you as soon as possible." 

"Yes, I want you to keep me posted." 

With that the line died and Logan felt the comforting touch of Alice as she massaged his aching shoulders.  "You know," she said with concern, "you shouldn't worry too much about her.  That contact of yours has never failed you before, even though he may be a greedy man.  He does his job remarkably well.  You should trust that he'll be able to bring her back in relative safety." 

She didn't voice her concerns of what Logan was going to do once he brought Max back.  She didn't like to think that Max might possibly be more important than she was to Logan.  After all, wasn't she his fiancé?  Wasn't she the one he had sought after for all these years?  She didn't like to think she was going to lose the most important man of her life to some chit of girl.  Yet somehow, and it worried her, she couldn't hate this girl because there wasn't a mean bone in her body. 

"I do trust that he'll bring her back.  But I still worry that there's the possibility that he won't." 

She didn't say anything, just continued to massage his shoulders with a concerned smile on her lips. 

"I was worried about you." 

"We're fine.  But we had a few problems." 

"I was worried about that," Zack told her, still clutching him to her.  "Where's the others?"

"Brin and Tinga didn't make it.  Zane's following behind.  He should be here in a few minutes," Jhondy told him. 

"Good, at least we'll have four of us."  He didn't like to admit it, but he thought he'd lost them all when they had failed to show up at the appointed time. 

"Four of us?" 

Max stepped out from the shadows and her pretty face was hiding the mixed emotions at seeing another woman holding onto Zack for dear life. 

"That's Max, she's one of us—the missing one." 

"I see."

It was then that Zane arrived.  His piercing eyes that so resembled Zack's own were kinder and sweeter as he moved to grab Jhondy and Zack in a big bear hug.  He broke away from them after a few seconds and turned to Max, staring at her. 

"That's Max, she's an X-5 too," Jhondy explained. 

"Max," murmured Zane, holding out his arms to him, "welcome home."

Author's Note:  Oh I'm wicked I know.  Too many innuendos in this chapter and really no answers =).  Next time I will explain and Lydecker will come back and bite =).  Hmm… Max and Zane, Max and Zack, Max and Logan, the possibilities are endless, especially if I find a way to throw Alec into the mix.  I'm having fun with the possibilities right now.  And why the hell am I back?  All thanks to CuddleBabe!  It was her review that got me off my lazy ass and type up a chapter in the middle of the night!  Not to say I've been lazy, it's just original writing projects have called me since my re-plunge into the short story contest world again.