21

8:00am

I have decided to proceed with my search for Zack and the other X5s on two fronts. I will continue to look for leads on each X5 and I will also look for indirect leads that Manticore itself may generate.

Direct Leads – Zack and other X5s

1. Continue to search prison records for identifying marks – specifically barcode tattoos.
2. Continue to search news reports for extraordinary human feats.
3. Search government records for Michael Hanover (driver’s license, passport, birth certificate, etc.) – May provide indication of past locations.
4. Review Manticore training with Max – Stealth techniques, travel patterns, etc.

Indirect Leads - Manticore and related

1. Determine current location of Manticore facility

2. Determine Seattle base of operations, if any.

3. Retrieve details of Donald Lydecker’s military record and current assignment

4. Look up former Manticore staff – Match Driver’s license records with SAC transfer and resignation lists. (Begin with Seattle DMV for easiest access)

5. Search informant net for additional reports on Manticore itself.

6. Review research on genetic engineering – track activities of key individuals in the field (possible connections to Manticore).

Definition: manticore, mantichora, manticora, mantiger – (a mythical monster having the head of a man (with horns), the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion or a dragon)

In Asian mythology, a manticore is a monstrous creature which inhabits the forests of Asia, especially in Indonesia, Malaysia and India. It is said to be the most dangerous predator to inhabit these regions. Its mouth is filled with three rows of razor-sharp teeth and its tail ends in a ball with poisonous darts. The monster fires a volley of darts at its human victim, who it devours completely, bones, clothing, possessions and all. When a villager has completely disappeared, this is considered proof of the presence of a manticore.

Manticore. Even its name suggests the work undertaken at that facility, the building of chimeras, monsters, part human, part animal, intended to fight and destroy. Yet Max has transcended the role Manticore intended for her. She is the most vibrantly human person I know.

1:00pm

Max is such a hothead. I warned her not to, but she decided to storm Sedro Island and seek out Hannah anyway. Despite all her stealth training, sometimes I don’t think stealth is her strong point. I tried to tell her yesterday that she should be patient, but she just came back at me about my own impatience. She has a point about me, but this is her safety and security we are talking about.

Of course, Lydecker was set up on Hannah and was waiting for Max. She was lucky that she brought her boyfriend, Eric, with her and I just happened to page her when I did. At least, I was able to run some interference for her.

I was concerned for a moment when Eric answered my page instead of Max. But after few semi-coherent comments from Eric, I realized Max was on Sedro Island and would probably need my help. It was time for me to go to work. I could even hear my own voice change as I shifted into operational mode. When Lydecker appeared a few minutes later, I was ready for him. These operations are what I excel at. It is for moments like these that I invested so much time and effort into Eyes Only. I had the skills and the resources today to provide the assistance that Max needed.

Eric caught on quickly and followed my instructions without question. It was easy enough pulling up a topographical map of the island from the Department of Defense archives. There was only one functional boat launch located on the south shore of the island, and I expected that Max would attempt to leave the island from that point. The key was getting to her before Lydecker. I had Eric hold the line while I secured a boat for him at a nearby marina, then I gave him directions to the south shore.

In the meantime, I tapped into Lydecker’s transmissions, standard military radio frequency, 30.99 Mhz, no scramblers, simple to monitor, intercept and provide a little misdirection. I managed to put some distance between Lydecker’s men and Max to give her the time she needed to get to the south shore.

The hardest part for me was waiting when there was nothing more that I could do on my end. I couldn’t help worrying about Max. The tension I felt was unbelievable until Alpha team’s transmission confirmed that Max had escaped. Eric came through for her. He retrieved the boat with no problem and picked up Max with time to spare before Lydecker’s troops arrived. They made it off the island safely and are on their way back to Seattle now. They even have Hannah with them.

Hannah’s presence indicates an entirely different challenge. If Hannah is with Max, it means her life is in danger. She will need a new identity and a new place to live. I’ll have a relocation kit prepared for her, passport, driver’s license, birth certificate, sector passes and five thousand dollars cash. It should be sufficient for her to relocate easily at a destination of her choice. I have prepared dozens of these kits in the last few years. The key to their effectiveness is the authentic documentation provided by my contacts. They have no idea how many lives they have saved by periodically providing me with a few clean docs.

Now that my work is complete, I have to admit that intercepting Lydecker today was the most fun I’ve had in ages. I do a wicked imitation of a unit leader. "This is Delta Two. We have the suspects. We are five miles from the rally point. Over." I could just see Lydecker’s face when he discovered that Delta Two did not have Max. His voice as he kept demanding "Who is this?" was full of frustration and fury. I remember my reflection on the computer screen as I hung up. I looked like the cat that caught the golden canary. In this case, I really had, in the form of one genetically enhanced girl. I should do this more often!

8:00pm

Max left a few minutes ago with Hannah’s new identification. It turns out that she doesn’t have a boyfriend after all. When Eric told me he loved her, I wasn’t surprised. Who wouldn’t fall head over heals for her? But tonight, she said they were never together. Which is it? Sometimes I can’t figure her out. I don’t know why I even asked her about him. I know I have no reason to be jealous of Eric or anyone else in Max’s life. She can see whomever she wants. When I told her I knew we didn’t have that type of relationship, she looked me right in the eye, and with an unexpected seriousness, confirmed it.

Then Max completely surprised me with one of her out-of-left-field questions. I never know what she is going to say or do. She asked me if I had ever been up the Space Needle. Uhhh…no. I told her I was terrified of heights, but she responded as if my fear was only a minor nuisance. If she thinks I will follow her up there, she is greatly mistaken. This is one area I have no qualms about disappointing her in. I prefer staying closer to ground level, my apartment notwithstanding. Unlike Max, I think it is unlikely that I would fall out of one of my own windows.

At times like these, though, I get the feeling that I’m somehow special to Max. She treats me like more than just a business associate. It’s those unexpected little things, like the question about the Space Needle and the hug she gave me yesterday. It was so warm. I can’t help feeling that there was more to it than just gratitude. That she might be beginning to think of me as a friend she can trust. I doubt that I could ever be more than that to her. How could she be interested in the man with the incredible shrinking legs? How could any woman?

In any case, I’m not going to concern myself with things that are not possible. I’m just happy that Max wants to work with me, that I am not invisible to her. I think having Max around, and having my Eyes Only work, may actually make this life of mine tolerable.