Half-mile outside of the Manticore complex:
The drive had been silent. Everyone was caught up in their thoughts and didn't feel like talking. When they arrived they all moved up to stand next to the van. All the X5's were now were fatigues and we gathering their gear. Liz and Kyle were taking automatic rifles in additional to the handguns they always carried. Liz didn’t like to use the weapons but she would if she had to. Logan handed then each a headset so they would be in constant contact. He had also set up a speaker so the others would be able to hear what was said. Liz went over to Logan and pulled him to the side to talk privately.
"I know we just met but I wondered if you could do me a favor?" Liz asked.
"What, Liz?" Logan asked curiously.
"If Kyle and I get captured, tell the others to keep Max here and once everyone is safe, detonate the charges." Liz and Kyle had talked about this while Max and the others had been asleep. They both felt the same way, they weren’t go back.
Logan’s eyes widened in shock. "What?"
"If I get caught they will do the same thing to me as they did to Bren, and I can’t stand the thought of that. I also don’t want Max coming in to get me and them get a hold of him. This will be the only opportunity we have to take out Manticore and I don’t want to waste the chance for my siblings to have a normal life without being hunted." Liz could see he didn’t like what she was saying, "We have the farthest target and we know the risks are higher for us. I don’t plan on getting captured as a matter of fact I going to do my best not to but I have to know that what I said will be done."
Logan looked at the smallest of the X5s and couldn’t believe what she was asking. It shocked him whenever he saw evidence of how loyal the X5s were. They would do anything for the ones they love. Logan nodded, "Yeah Liz, you have my word."
Liz smiled at him in thanks but Zack’s voice stopped her from saying anything.
"Move out." Zack ordered.
Liz gave a final glance at her friends before obeying. She could see the worried expressions on each of their faces. Max and Michael also had looks saying that they hated not being able to go. They were after all the leader and protector of their small group and didn't like that they couldn't help.
When the X5s disappeared into the woods Max and the others turned their attentions to the twelve monitors. Logan had tapped into the cameras so that he could watch and warn them of any trouble. Half of them showed what was really happening while the other half would show Manticore security nothing of their uninvited visitors.
Liz and her siblings followed Zack through the dark woods quickly with the aid of their improved eyesight. They moved as a unit just like they had been trained years ago. It reminded Liz of the many maneuvers that they had been on when they were younger. If she didn’t know better she would have sworn they were back at the facility in Wyoming but Manticore had burned it down after they had escaped and relocated to Seattle. It was weird but oddly comforting to see them all moving together in perfect sequence.
Max and the others watched through the monitors as the X5's reached the perimeter fence. They all were shocked when they watched the X5's jump over the fence with a single leap then ran off faster than their eyes could register.
"They're in." Logan said stating the obvious.
Within minutes the three groups had split and were in the building moving to their target. Max watched all three but focused mainly on Liz and Kyle. He had to make sure she was safe. Because of the late hour the halls were empty and so far they had not met up with any Manticore employees.
Everything was going to plan, Krit and Syl reached their targets first and started laying the charges. A moment later, Max and Zack were about to enter the genetics lab and Liz and Kyle were just down a couple corridors away from the computer room. It was then that their luck ran out.
Part 23:
Everything was going to plan, Krit and Syl reached their targets first and started laying the charges. A moment later, Max and Zack were about to enter the genetics lab and Liz and Kyle were just down a couple corridors away from the computer room. It was then that their luck ran out.
As the others watched the monitors they spotted a single guard on the monitors as he came down the hallway that Liz and Kyle were about to turn down. It was the hallway that would lead them to the computer room. Max could hear Logan warn, "Liz, one guard coming through on your left. Regular soldier, one gun."
"Roger." Liz quiet voice responded.
As the guard started to cross the hall juncture that Liz and Kyle were hiding in, Liz sprang into action. She grabbed the gun with one hand while she slammed her other elbow down on the guard's arms causing him to release his grip. She snatched the gun away and delivered a high sidekick to the guard’s head. She quickly swept his feet out from under him and used the butt of the gun to knock him out.
"The threat is down." She signaled to Kyle and they made their way to the computer room. They reached it quickly and started to lay their charges.
Max had watched along with the others when Liz had taken down the guard. After experiencing the flashes Max knew what Liz was capable of doing but it still shocked him as much as the others.
"Remind me never to piss her off." Michael stated. He thought back to when he stole her journal. He realized how stupid he was to try to intimidate her when he returned it. 'I'm lucky she didn't beat the crap out of me,' he thought.
"I can’t wait to see what Liz will do to Tess if we ever see her again." Maria said proudly. She thought her best friend’s abilities were awesome.
They watched as the three groups worked. They all jumped when the intruder alarm went off.
"Guys, they’re on to you. Get out of there!" Logan yelled into his headset. Max felt his heart start beating faster at the thought that they might be captured.
Krit and Syl had finished first so they were almost at the fence. Zack and Max were next out of the building but got separated when Max went back in to intercept a soldier who was going to defuse the charges. The soldier was no match for her and did nothing but slow her down. She didn’t see any of the others as she headed for the fence.
Kyle and Liz had just gotten done when the alarm went off. They grabbed their gear and headed back the way they had came. They had only gone about ten feet when a small squad of four soldiers led by a platinum shorthaired blond woman. There was something in the way that she carried herself that made Liz think that this was the woman that Lydecker had told them about.
"Ky, it’s her. The woman that killed Tinga, we have to go after her." Liz yelled as the soldier opened fire. Her and Kyle pulled up their weapons up returned their fire. They took out the soldiers but the woman escaped back down the hallway she’d come down.
"Liz, come on!" Kyle yelled back. "We don’t have time! If we’re going to get out of here we need to go now." Kyle grabbed her arm and went through the nearest door rather than wined their way back through the building. They were only a minute behind the others and saw Max heading for the fence. They followed but got held back by a couple of guards which they both took down quickly as their friends watched again amazed. Logan watched the monitors and let them know the best route to take.
Lydecker saw a group of young kids making their way outside and said, "Tell them that a platoon of X7’s on coming after them. They have the same abilities but are highly advanced who work as a hive. They’re very dangerous."
Logan relayed the information to them just as Zack and then Max both notified him that they were over the fence. Max held his breath and silently wished Liz to hurry up when he heard her voice.
"Kyle and I are clear of the fence." Max turned his attention back to the monitors and saw both her and Kyle landing outside the fence. He joined Michael outside the van and starting watching the woods, waiting for Liz to appear. He couldn’t relax until she was in his arms.
"You’re the lasts ones out. The X7’s are outside the fence pursuing you." Logan said as he acknowledged them and turned to Lydecker. "They’re clear. DETONATE."
Lydecker sat in the doorway of the van and looked between the control device in his hand and the direction of Manticore. He knew that by pushing the button that his life’s work would be destroyed and he couldn’t do it. Logan saw him hesitate and yelled, "What are you doing? They’re clear, DETONATE!" Logan’s yell brought Max and Michael’s attention away from the woods that they were watching.
"I can’t do it." Lydecker stated and jumped out of the van.
"Bastard." Michael yelled as he grabbed Lydecker, spun him around and punched him square in the nose knocking him to the ground almost unconscious. He reached down, grabbed the box, and hit the button. A second later they all heard the explosions and could see the light from the flames.
Isabel climbed out of the van and kneeled down next to Lydecker. Max and Michael saw a brief flash of light at the back of his head and looked at Isabel. "Don’t worry. I didn’t kill him. I just made sure he’ll stay unconscious for a couple of hours."
"I wouldn’t really care if he was. Liz was right when she told us to watch him." Max stated as they made their way back to van just as Krit and Syl ran up. They saw Lydecker on the ground and looked at the others. Once they explained, Krit dragged him into the woods out of the way and then joined them to wait for the others. Logan wasn’t sure where they were because after they went over the fence they were out of the camera range.
"What’s your ETA?" He asked over his headset.
Liz and Kyle answered first, "We’re still a few hundred meters away. The X7’s are thick."
Zack was next, "I’ll be there in two minutes. Aahh, I’m hit."
Logan responded quickly. "How bad is it?"
Liz cut in and asked, "Zack, do you need us?"
"No, it’s just a shoulder wound. Stay on course back to the van. I’m fine."
"See you at the van." They heard Liz answer then heard her yell, "NO!" Followed by the sound of a gunshot and then nothing.
Part 24:
Liz'’s POV
Liz followed Kyle through the woods trying to make their way back to the van without running into the X7s who looked like younger versions of themselves. They had just told Logan their status when they heard Zack say he’d been hit.
"Zack, do you need us?" Liz didn’t want her brother to be hurt and get captured.
"No, it’s just a shoulder wound. Stay on course to the van. I’m fine."
She had just told him that they would see them at the van when they spotted their sister Max. An X7 had a gun aimed at her and was walking up to her. When they were two feet away from each other the X7 fired. "NO!" As Max’s body fell back Kyle lifted his gun, aimed and fired hitting the X7 in the head. They ran up to their sister and tried to see how bad she was.
"Kyle, cover me."
Liz pulled Max’s jacket away and saw that she had been shot in the stomach. She was losing a lot of blood and Liz knew that she didn’t have long.
"How bad is it?" The worry in Kyle’s voice was very prominent.
"It’s bad, she got hit in the stomach and with no medical help she’ll die. But I can’t do anything here or all three of us are going to get captured." Liz wrapped her jacket tightly around Max over the wound in the attempt to stop the bleeding. "Kyle, come on let’s get her back to the van."
They each took a side so they wouldn’t have to jostle her much and hoisted their sister’s body up. When they did Max groaned, "Logan."
Liz looked at her sister’s face. "Don’t worry Maxie. Just hang on and we’ll take you to him right now."
As they headed for the others, Liz was able to turn her headset on and asked, "Guys, you still there?"
"Thank God. You two and Max are the only ones still out. What happened? You okay?" Logan said.
"Kyle and I are fine but Maxie was shot. We’ve got her but she’s pretty bad off. We’re moving slow but we’re almost there."
"We’ll be ready to leave as soon as you get here." Logan said. Liz silently prayed that they would be quick enough to save her sister.
Part 25:
Max’'s POV
It took Krit and Michael both to hold Max back from going out to look for Liz. He’d been going crazy ever since he heard her yell. It didn’t help when her radio went silent. A minute later they heard a noise in the woods and Zack appeared nursing his left shoulder. He noticed Lydecker was not among them and asked about him. When they told him, Zack walked over to the wooded area that Krit had drug him. Max followed and watched as Zack pulled out his handgun. He leaned down by Lydecker’s head and fired. He turned and saw Max standing there. Max said nothing, instead he turned around and headed to the others. No one questioned the two when they got back. They had watched them both leave then they heard a shot. When Zack and Max reappeared a minute later, they knew what had happened and none of them said a word. They had just reached the van when Liz’s voice came over the speakers.
"Guys, you still there?"
"Thank God. You two and Max are the only ones still out. What happened? You okay?" Logan answered.
"Kyle and I are fine but Maxie was shot. We’ve got her but she’s pretty bad off. We’re moving slow but we’re almost there."
"We’ll be ready to leave as soon as you get here." Logan answered. Everyone could see that he had paled when Liz said that her sister had been shot.
Zack looked at Isabel and Maria, "You two start the cars and be ready to get out of here." Isabel jumped up to the driver’s seat while Maria ran back to the SUV. He turned to Syl and Krit next, "Syl you take the SUV and Krit will take the van. Ride shotgun and be prepared to cover us if they start shooting while we leave."
Before Zack could say more Liz’s voice came back over the speaker, "Max, Michael can you hear me?"
Logan handed Max his headset so he could respond. "Liz, We’re here."
"Good, we’re only about a hundred feet away but I can hear someone behind us. Carrying Max is limiting our ability to shoot back very well. We’re going to need some cover when we get there." She said cryptically.
Max and Michael knew exactly what she meant. "We’re be ready."
Zack looked at both guys, "Hold the shield until you get the three of them in the SUV. There isn’t enough room for all of us so I’ll go in the van. I’ll wait until the last second to get in so I can add some addition coverage." He looked at Max and asked, "Take care them."
He knew how hard that simple statement was for Zack. Zack was the one who always took care of his family and for him to ask Max, was a big deal. Max just nodded. Zack yelled to Syl to open the back of SUV before he grabbed his gun and positioned himself just inside the van door.
Max and Michael watched the woods for sign of Liz and Kyle. They didn’t have to watch long. Michael spotted them first and signaled to Max. Max looked up and saw Liz and Kyle moving as fast as they could without jostling their injured sister. They ran up to help when the shots rung out. Max pushed Kyle and Liz behind him and threw up his shield. He’d been practicing the last couple of months so he could increase the size enough to cover the length of both vehicles.
"Get in the truck!" He yelled behind him.
Kyle and Liz lifted Max’s body into the back of the SUV. Kyle moved around and jumped in the back seat while Liz stayed in the back. Max was about to drop the shield when he spotted the X7’s he assumed had been firing at them.
"Michael!"
Knowing what Max wanted, Michael raised his hand and began to gather his energy. "Ready. Drop it!" He yelled. Right when Max dropped the shield Michael shot a large energy burst. He had aimed at the ground right in front of their pursuers making the blast act much like a bomb blowing them back. The combination of the blast with Krit and Zack’s shooting took out the pursuers. Michael jumped into the back seat with Kyle while Max jumped in the back. As soon as the hatch was closed Maria took off following the van. Max breathed a sign of relief that they had all made it out but it didn’t last long when he saw Liz trying to help her sister.
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