What's Next? -- Chapter 26

Disclaimer:  The TV show Dark Angel, all of the characters that appeared on it (Max, Zack, Alec, etc.), and everything else that has to do with the show belong to their respective owners, not to me.  No money is being made off of this fic.  I only own the original characters (Becky/X6-405, etc.).

Caroline drove her borrowed Jeep down the dusty road, carefully looking around until she had finally found the small house that she had been looking for.  She pulled up to it and turned the engine off and got out and looked around the area for a few moments.  I'm not surprised that he stayed hidden for as long as he did.  This place is so out of the way it's almost ridiculous.  She adjusted her grip on the folder that she was carrying and walked up to the front door and rang the bell.  A few moments later, the door opened and a man in his early thirties stood there.  He looked at Caroline's uniform and looked like he was going to panic, but Caroline smiled reassuringly at him.  "Victor Ortiz?"

"Yes, that's me," the man said nervously.  "Can I help you?"

"Brigadier General Caroline Robinson, United States Military," Caroline said.  "May I come in?"

"Yes," Victor said.  He stepped aside and let Caroline enter the house.  He gestured to the small couch and waited for her to sit down before he sat down next to her.  "What is this about?"

"Mr. Ortiz, you are an American, correct?" Caroline said.

"Yes, ma'am," Victor said.  "I've been living in Mexico since March of 2020."

Caroline nodded.  "You were employed as a laboratory technician at the military research and training facility known as Project Manticore, more specifically at the project's facility in Gillette, Wyoming, from September of 2018 to March of 2020, about the time that you said you came here to Mexico.  You were released from your job when the facilities were consolidated following the destruction of the DNA lab and according to our records, you were told that there was a possibility that you would be receiving a similar job at a Veteran's hospital near Washington, D.C. and that you were to wait until you heard back from the government within the following two months.  Is this correct?"

"It's correct," Victor admitted.  "I didn't believe the job offer.  When I worked at Manticore, I would hear rumors through the grapevine about people, fellow lab technicians and doctors and other staff who would 'disappear' after deciding to leave Manticore.  I think you know what I mean by disappear, General."

"I do," Caroline said.  "Mr. Ortiz, are you aware of the events that have occurred within the last eighteen months concerning Manticore and especially the transgenics?"

Victor shook his head.  "We don't hear much here.  We're so out of the way that I feel lucky just to have electricity at all.  What has happened?"

"To put it mildly, a lot," Caroline said.  "Three months after the DNA lab's destruction, in June of 2020, Manticore was burned down to the ground because at the time, Eyes Only was apparently close to uncovering their location, which was just outside of Seattle, Washington, and the committee in charge decided that he was too close for comfort and ordered Director Renfro, who'd taken over the reigns of the entire project from Colonel Lydecker, to enact their fail safe policy of cauterizing the site, locking all the transgenics in their cells so that they would die in the blaze.  However, one of the transgenics, name Max Guevara and designation X5-452, was able to let the transgenics loose and most of them were able to escape.  About five months ago, Ms. Guevara, along several other transgenics, uncovered a plot by a cult to unleash a virus into the general population and were able to stop them.  As a show of their gratitude, the government opened negotiations with the transgenics and soon after, granted full citizenship and rights to every Manticore transgenic in the world."  She smiled.

"You look pretty happy about it yourself," Victor observed.  "Why?"

Caroline's smile never left her face as she reached into a pocket and pulled out a photograph and handed it to Victor.  "My son and my older daughter.  They're both transgenic."  She explained to him her story.  "And through my son, I was able to get in touch with somebody and give you this."  Victor handed Caroline back the photo of Zack and Becky and Caroline reached back into her pocket and handed Victor another photograph.  He took it and his eyes widened.

"Jace," he said softly.  "I never...I never thought that I would see her again."  He looked at the photo again.  "Who is that little girl with her in the picture?"

"Your daughter," Caroline said.  "Her name is Maxine, Little Max for short, and she's nineteen months old now.  I don't know if Jace had a chance to tell you why she disappeared, but that was why.  She realized that she was pregnant and she had to get away from Manticore before they found out about it."

"She didn't tell me, but I think she was going to," Victor said, recalling the last time he had seen Jace.  "We had snuck away to meet each other because she said she had something that she needed to tell me.  We met and she started to say something but then my beeper went off and I was needed back in the labs immediately and I got stuck there all night.  The next day, she went on that mission and she never came back."  He wiped his eyes.  "Where are they now?"

"In Seattle," Caroline said.  "Jace works for the security company that my son help set up with a fellow transgenic.  Oh, and before I forget, turn over the photograph.  Jace's number is written down on there."

"I--thank you," Victor said.  He turned the picture over and stared at the phone number that was written down on it for a few seconds before he looked back up at Caroline.  "My phone's out of service right now, can I...?"

"Be my guest," Caroline said.  She held out her cell phone and Victor took it and dialed Jace's number.

"Hello?"

Victor's heart jumped into his throat.  "Jace?  Sweetheart, is it really you?"

"Victor?  Oh my God!  I can't believe you're all right!  I..."  Jace had to pause.  "Where are you right now?"

"At my house in Mexico," Victor said.  "General Robinson is here.  She let me use her cell phone to call you.  I can't believe that you're fine!  I was so worried after I found out that you went AWOL on that mission."  He wiped his eyes.  "I can't believe...I can't believe that I'm a father!  How is our little girl?  Is she doing fine."

"She's doing perfect," Jace said.  "I named her after my sister Max.  I told you about her, remember?  Anyway, when I went on that mission to Seattle, Max helped me get away from Lydecker and everybody and got me down to Mexico.  I was living near the border between Mexico and Arizona until I came to Seattle last March and Max...Little Max, our daughter, is nineteen months old now and she's doing so well she's walking and talking and potty trained and she is so smart.  When I had her checked out after I got to Seattle, I was told that my transgenic genes were dominant in her so she'll be showing more and more of them as she grows up and she looks like you and...you're going to love her, Victor."

"I already do," Victor said.  "And I still love you."

"I love you, too," Jace whispered.  There was a pause before Jace started to speak again.  "Speaking of which, guess who wants to say hi to her daddy?"

Victor grinned.  "I'd love to talk to her."

"Hi, Daddy," Little Max said.

"Hey, big girl!  How have you been?" Victor said happily.

"Good, Daddy.  Mommy good too," Little Max said.

"That's great," Victor said.  "Do you have any playmates?"

"Yeah, but they're younger," Little Max said.  "I have a cousin but he's baby.  Gonna have new cousin in Spring.  Twins are too little to play with me right now.  Mommy says that I have older cousin in Canada who's like me."

"That's nice," Victor said.  "Don't worry, princess, it won't be long before your cousins will be old enough to play with you.  You can tell me all about them when I come home, okay?"

"Okay," Little Max said.  "When you coming home, Daddy?"

"Soon, I promise," Victor said.  "I need to take care of one or two more things, but I promise that I'll be home very soon."

"Okay, Daddy," Little Max said.  There was another pause and then Jace got back on the line.

"She's looking forward to having you home," Jace said.

"I'm looking forward to being home with the two of you," Victor said.  "I'll let you know the exact date of when I'll be arriving back in the States.  General Robinson said that you're living in Seattle, right?"

"Right," Jace said.  "I'll see you soon.  I love you, Victor."

"I love you too, Jace," Victor said.  "Good-bye."  He disconnected and handed the phone back to Caroline.  "Thank you so much."

"It's my pleasure," Caroline said.  "As for when you can return to the United States, you can leave as soon as you settle your affairs here.  How long do you think that will take?"

Victor thought about it.  "It shouldn't take too long.  Maybe a week.  I should definitely be in Seattle before Christmas."  He grinned.  "Christmas with my family."

Caroline smiled.  "I know the feeling."  She retrieved a card out of a pocket and gave it to Victor.  "The number for that cell phone.  I'll be in the area for an additional two days before my return to D.C.  If you need anything, you can reach me at any time."

"Thank you," Victor said.  "For everything."

"Like I said, it was my pleasure," Caroline said.  "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Victor said, grinning.

TBC