DISCLAIMER: All DARK ANGEL characters belong to James Cameron and Charles Eglee (Cameron Eglee Productions) and DARK ANGEL itself belongs to FOX.

ARCHIVE: No

Artwork courtesy of Valjean & Still Frame

"Max," Logan said as they took up positions around Pioneer Square -- the transgenics led by Mole assuming cover where they could see most of the area. "We'll get him back. I know how much Alec means to you. Hell, I'll even admit that I like the guy, too. Yeah, I've been a little bit jealous in the past, but it's plain there's nothing but sibling affection between the two of you, so why shouldn't I be fond of your brother?"

Max couldn't answer him. Sibling affection indeed ... She could still feel Alec's hot lips pressing on hers down in that basement, and here Logan was trusting her implicitly.

Asha moved up beside them. Dressed in a black jumpsuit that rivaled anything in Max's wardrobe, she was ready for action, including a semi-automatic tucked in the waistband of her belt. "So," said the blonde girl, "we just go up, knock on the front door, and hand over Max for Alec and my mother? What then? They'll kill her -- Max I mean."

"No, they won't," Max said firmly. "My people will see to my safety."

"Max, you can't let them get you inside the prison," Logan warned. "It'll be too well fortified."

"Which means we make 'em bring Alec and Asha's mom outside to us," Max said. "Easy. Only ... I don't think Clemente's gonna be pleased when a full scale war erupts in the Square tonight."

"They might kill you on sight," Asha tried.

Max shrugged. "Then I'll be dead. Hey, I was born to take chances, didn't ya know?"

"How do you suppose the Breeding Cult got mixed up with the Sector Police?" the other girl wondered as night's shadows began to dissolve in the faint light of the rising sun and the decrepit buildings of Pioneer Square started taking shape.

"How do they get involved in anything?" Max replied. "They've got their dirty little cultist fingers everywhere. It doesn't really surprise me they're in control of a super secret maximum security prison."

The first rays of the sun peeked over a low building, just as a woman came out the front door of the Dusty Sparkler's Tavern, the place where public tours of Seattle's underground used to originate, but now nothing more than a third class bar. Totally unafraid, the grey-haired matron dressed in an expensive, yet simple, tweed dress and coat, walked into the middle of the Square and said in a strong clear voice, "X5-452! Show yourself!"

"Not until I see Alec!" Max called out in reply. "X5-494!" she decided to clarify. "And we also want Margaret Curran!"

"That wasn't part of the deal!" the woman replied haughtily. "Now show yourself, or I'll be returning your breeding partner in pieces!"

Breeding partner? Max realized that meant they knew an awful lot about her and Alec ... probably had access to the old Manticore data base even. She shuddered at the thought that her enemy might know her so intimately. However, the time had come to make the leap. She'd never been very good at bluffing -- that was more Alec's forte -- but what the hell ...

"Then the deal's off!" she yelled. "Both of them for me or nothing!"

"You'd sacrifice his life so easily?" the woman wondered.

Max slowly stood up, revealing herself, even though Logan was shaking his head no. "Frankly," 452 said haughtily, "if 494 was idiot enough to get himself caught, he's of little use to me, and certainly not worth my life." She figured this cult priestess or whatever she was could relate to that -- incompetent underlings. "The real deal's for Curran! We want her back!"

This seemed to give the woman pause. Then, taking out a cell phone, she dialed and spoke to someone. After a long minute, she finally said, "All right! The male and Curran for you. Deal?"

"Deal," Max said. "Now, send them out. I want to see them."

Ten minutes later a stoutly built, middle-aged woman with long unkempt brown hair and wearing orange prison garb was shoved through the door followed by Alec, barefoot, and in jeans and a white shirt he hadn't been wearing before. He moved a bit gingerly, as if he was hurting, and then Max remembered the bloody t-shirt.

But at least he was alive ...

Now, the trick was, how to keep him that way, and herself as well, plus rescue Asha's mom.

Asha's brown eyes had grown wide at the site of her mother, but she remained admirably silent, crouched beside Logan just to the right of Max.

Get ready smart ass, Max silently thought in Alec's direction, knowing all hell was about to break loose.

The two prisoners were almost in the center of the square now, surrounded by four guards, Alec with his hands cuffed in front, Margaret walking free. Standing up straighter, Max made as if to come out and join them. But instead, she glanced over at Logan who nodded and pressed a small red button on the device he was holding.