3:00 am

We’re one hour from the Manticore facility. We pulled out of Seattle at 8:00 pm last night. Once we made it past the city checkpoints, we were able to make excellent time. The X5s have been taking turns driving. With their reflexes and eyesight, driving at 120 mph is just a Sunday stroll. We will be pulling into the woods behind the facility at 4:00 am. Lydecker knows a well-concealed location. Once we arrive, I will need about fifteen minutes to loop the camera feeds before Max and the others go in. The attack is planned for 4:30 am.

Lydecker and I slept for several hours during the drive. We weren’t about to take the chance of letting sleep deprivation affect our performance. We’re already taking enough risks. Max and the others haven’t slept at all. They spent most of the time reviewing the plans of the facility. It’s been enlightening watching them work together. They don’t say much, but they have an intense unity. I can see it in their eyes. It’s there, that undeniable connection, just under the surface.

Then there’s Lydecker. He is perfectly in his element. He will finally get to see his perfect soldiers do what they were designed for. The X5s distrust and hate him, but it doesn’t bother him in the least. It means he taught them well. His comments to Zack still resonate in my ears. "There’s no ‘I’ in ‘team’, Zack." He sounded more like a proud parent than a sadistic commander. He’s even begun to treat me the same way.

"Why are you here? This isn’t your fight." He asked, already knowing the answer. My silence just condemned me.

"It’s all about her." He answered his own question. "It’s okay. I understand."

I almost expected him to say that he loves her, too. I still don’t know why he treated Max and the others so harshly when it’s obvious that he cares about them. The more I get to know him, the less I understand him.

Max does not have a great feeling about this mission. I can tell from her language. Words like ‘deathwatch’ and her intense concentration are a dead giveaway. I think she realizes that this mission can easily turn into a disaster. I already experienced a near disaster a couple of nights ago. The panic I felt when Max didn’t respond to my calls is still very fresh in my mind. It’s only been two days, and she’ll soon be setting out on the most dangerous mission of her life. I told her that everything would be all right, but I understand the risks she is taking and I’m not prepared to lose her. I just want her to come back.