Manticore Gathering 
Part III


Outside of Gillette, Logan swerved the car to avoid hitting a figure. The figure jumped safely out of the way. Evan looked back, seeing the figure stand,
"Zack?!" Logan rolled his eyes as Zack walked over to the car.

"Nice to see you too, Logan." Zack turned to look at Evan, "Pleasant seeing you again, Evan." Zack paused, then questioned, "What brings you two here?"

Logan and Evan didn't answer. "C'mon, out with it soldier!" Zack commanded Evan.

Evan looked Zack in the eye, "Rescue mission attempt, Zack!"

"If you're planning on going back to Manticore, then abort! I'm not letting any of you near there-it's too dangerous!!"

"Too late." Logan piped in.

Zack turned his glare to Logan, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Zack...it's Max. Lydecker has her."

Zack turned in shock toward Evan, "He got Max?"



Max and Lydecker waited out in the training field for Graves. As they waited, Lydecker turned to Max. She noticed what he was holding.

NO! She thought. I can't fall to the Serum again. She could see the perimeter fence from her position. This may be the only chance to get out.

When Lydecker reached for her arm, Max jumped back, dodging his grasp. She then spun-kicked the Serum out of his hand. He shot her an angry look, just
as Graves came over.

"Ready to begin, Gen. Lydecker!" Graves spoke.

Lydecker nodded and before Max knew it, Graves's men had surrounded her.
Ok, Max, let's show them how this works. And Max, with a smirk, was the first to make a move.



Zack and Evan skowered the woods outside Manticore, leaving Logan behind in the car, ready for the fast getaway that was planned. Logan sat there and
kept watch, soon drifting off to sleep from boredom. As Zack and Evan crept closer to the perimeter fence, they could her shouting.

Max had caused a commotion, sending soldiers this way and that way, with all hell breaking loose. Max, meanwhile, took off for the perimeter fence,
planning on going over it. She left Lydecker and Graves behind to gather their men. She could hear Lydecker shouting to go after her. Too late, Max was
over the fence and gone.

Zack and Evan were close enough now to distinct the voice and the words. It was Lydecker shouting after Max.

"She must've gotten out." Evan quipped, Zack nodding.

Then, BAM! The three of them collided. It took them mere seconds to get their bearings.

"C'mon, Max, let's get out of here!" Zack stated as he helped her up. And soon all three took off again.


Minutes later, they reached their getaway car. Logan was awakened by the sounds of a car door slamming and Zack shouting, "MOVE!!" The three
enhanced siblings could all make out a helicopter closing in on them.

"Chopper incoming!" Evan quipped as Logan fired up the car and sped away.



After driving aimlessly for what seemed like forever, Logan spoke, "So where exactly are we going here?"

Zack thinks for a moment, then answers, "We can't go to my place."

"And I don't have one to go to." Evan added.

Zack turns to Logan, "How about yours?"

Max shakes no, "Can't go back there."

Logan adds, "Lydecker knows to look there for her. That's were he captured her in the first place."

"Then, Max, we'll go to your place." Zack states looking at her.


As Logan drove, the three 'siblings' talked about how and what they've been doing since the escape. Though, if Logan hadn't known about the kind of life
Zack, Max and Evan had lived, they'd look like a bunch of friends on a memory lane reunion. And that thought brought a smile to his face.


Meanwhile, Lydecker was busy at berating Graves' men for letting Number 33 slip out of his grasp. He contacted the science lab and demanded another
supply of the Serum.

While waiting for the dosage, Lydecker sat in his hummer screaming into his talkie, "I want an air and ground search! Leave no place unchecked! And don't
contact me or return until you've found her!!" He then tossed the talkie onto the dash and cursed.



Hours later, Lydecker was unable to close in on the escaped Max...or her accomplices. And the escapees had just arrived outside of Seattle. The group
easily got through the various checkpoints and by the time they reached Max's place, they were all ready to crash. 

All, except for Zack, who was so tense that he remained awake to keep watch. Max and Evan woke soon after, leaving Logan asleep in the bedroom.

Max and Evan joined Zack in the living room. They sat for a while, silent, enjoying each other's presence. The silence was broken; however, as Logan made
a grunting noise while changing sleeping positions, causing the three to snicker.

Zack then spoke, "We'll have to leave in the morning."

Max sat up, "Yeah. Then we'll wind up in the same state that Lydecker is looking in." Evan glanced at Zack. She had her sarcastic tone back, Zack noted.

"Ok, so we stay and then what?" Zack matched her sarcasticness.

"We can stay....for a while." Evan spoke, "Lydecker will be busy searching the other 48 states, then realize to look here."

"Fine, we'll stay." Zack said, not wanting to fight about it.



Later that night...actually, the wee hours of the morning, Max was atop her favorite place, the Space Needle.

She took a deep breath before pondering her recent situation:

"Good ol' Seattle air, what would I do without it? Probably go crazy or insane or something. I'm glad to have someone to share it with, though. Evan-it's
good to have him with us. I still can't believe how he managed to tolerate Manticore. Thank God for Evan and Zack and Zacks' planned escape. I don't think
I could've handled Manticore for any longer than I did. But now I know...what Lydecker thinks of me. I guess I've always known. Just never wanted to admit
it or accept it. God! That man is sick. Evan knew, he made me aware of it. I think Zack knows to. But won't say it. I figure Zack will split first chance he gets.
But will Evan stick around or leave as well? Guess I'll find out in the morning."


THE END