It had been three weeks. No word from Fang and the rest of the flock, who were still out to rescue Dylan. I just kept getting bigger, and my mother informed me that I only had a couple more weeks or so until my son would be born. I slept a lot more, but it was a restless sleep. I missed Fang too much.
Today I was woken up by Jeb gently shaking me while holding a tablet.
"Wake up, sweetie. Someone wants to talk to you," he said gently, handing me the tablet.
"HEY MAX!" I heard shouted through the tablet's small speaker. Their faces appeared on the tablet, Fang's in the center.
"Guys! How's it going?"
"Pretty good. We've located Gunther-Hagen and Dylan. Nudge found what bunker he's in. We have a plan to go get him tomorrow. Besides, you'll never guess who the insider Jeb found is," Fang said.
"Who?"
"Ratchet, come over here, man." Ratchet had been a member of Fang's gang when the flock had split up. With heightened senses, the guy could be a huge asset and a great planner for a stealth-mode mission.
"Oh, sweet, bruh, this your girl? Wait.. she looks just like -" But Ratchet was cut off by Fang elbowing him hard in the gut. Max laughed.
"You keeping your legs crossed, Max?" Iggy chimed in, not looking at the screen. Max laughed again, but then her face grew serious.
"I'm trying but you need to come home soon. He's gonna come soon whether you're here or not."
"Oh shit..." Ratchet drifted off, covering his mouth. Fang's face hardened, and he nudged Ratchet again.
"Tell her the plan, Ratch."
"Right, right. Tomorrow morning at approximately 3:40 am they will be taking him to what GH likes to call the Aidan experiment. I'm not really sure what that means -" I cut him off this time.
"Little fire. They're going to burn him alive!"
"Oh, well shit. Anyway. I have disguises for Fang, Iggy and myself to pose as workers. We'll pretend we're taking him to the Aidan experiment when instead, we go into the hallway, say 'Oh shit' then cover him with a sheet like he's dead and take him out through the incinerator maintenance tunnel, at the end of which the girls will be waiting for us. I have no doubt that we will not be followed. Once he's 'dead', the underlings fail to care and go back about their business. After that, it's about a two-week flight considering we're taking an injured one and me back with us."
"We'll just barely be back in time for the baby, Max!" Nudge said excitedly. I involuntarily blushed.
"I'm gonna try to be there, okay, babe? I promise. Hey, listen. I stopped by a store while I was here. I have a feeling you're gonna like my surprise. Keep your leg's crossed. We're gonna go to bed to get an early start tomorrow. I love you," Fang said. He smiled and I smiled back. Then the screen went dark. I hugged the tablet to me and attempted to curl up, though my stomach created quite the obstacle. Jeb wrapped his arms around me and whispered in my ear.
"Don't worry, Max. He'll be back soon. I promise,"
---
Fang hung up on the video call, then shut his laptop and put it on the coffee table.
"Alright, two to a bed, Ratchet and I will take the couches. Angel and Nudge, Iggy and Gazzy. Go to sleep. We're up at 2 am tomorrow." Everyone nodded, and went into their pairs, got in bed, and went to sleep.
Ratchet put his sunglasses on and flounced down on the couch across the room as Fang carefully laid down on his own. He looked up at the ceiling, which was yellowed and had several water stains. While trying to go to sleep, his thoughts continuously drifted back to Max and his four children. He also remembered the fertilization device, which would have to be removed very shortly after the birth of their son if they wanted to just stick with four children for now. This whole situation is just crap, he thought, knowing that as soon as Dylan was brought back home, it would be a very short time before hell broke loose again for Max. But his third son would be arriving. And he couldn't wait.
"Hey Fang," Ratchet whispered. "You still up?"
"Yeah, why?" Fang whispered back.
"What was it that you ended up buyin' at that place on 15th?"
"A ring."
YOU ARE READING
Maximum Ride: Picking Up the Pieces (A Maximum Ride Fanfic)
FanfictionThey took her away two and a half years ago. As far as the flock could tell, Max had disappeared. But now, Max has returned to the flock with A LOT on her hands - more than just trying to rejoin the flock and move on from her past. What happens now...
