"Diamonds Are Forever" Part 5
Scene 21, 2019, The Aztec, meanwhile
Logan was becoming extremely worried about Max. He knew Lydecker was there and he knew they'd heard him sneeze. It had reverberated at him through the earpiece Max was wearing. He'd called to her, but she wasn't answering.
He heard gunshots. "MAX!" No answer.
If Max was harmed in anyway because he couldn't control his nasal passages . . .
"Max? Are you there?" he called.
A dark form landed on the hood of the Aztec, then jumped up and got into the passenger side. Max.
"Drive," she told him.
Logan obliged, quickly pulling out of the enclave of trees he'd hidden the Aztec in. "Are you all right?" he asked, turning to look at her for a second.
"Better than those dumbbells Booke hired," she grinned, "They're gonna wake up with nasty headaches."
"Did you get the Vesper?" he inquired. She nodded.
When they reached his penthouse, Logan insisted on checking Max for injuries. She stripped off her vest and shirt, revealing her black tank top. She had a few bruises, which were already healing nicely. There were a few scrapes on her hand where the shards from a glass case Lydecker had shattered while shooting at her had cut her. Logan carefully put antibacterial cream on them and topped it with band-aids.
"Are you going to kiss it and make it feel better, too?" Max asked.
"Do you want me to?" he asked in the same tone. Max stared at him before pulling her hand away.
"That's alright," she said hastily.
Logan leaned back in his wheelchair, "If you say so." They were silent for a moment. "The diamond," Logan finally said.
"Right," Max grabbed her bag and pulled out the rock, "Here it is," she handed it to Logan and went back to rummaging in her bag, "Or is this it?" she asked pulling out the other.
Logan groaned. "You were supposed to leave the fake there," he told her.
"Change of plans," she shrugged, "But I do know which is which," she assured him.
Scene 22, 2021, Aaron's Apartment, the next day
Max knocked on the door. "Delivery," she called.
Aaron opened the door, "Oh, Maria, it's you." He ushered her in, "I heard about what happened last night. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, it's all good," she told him, "and I got the diamond." She pulled it out of the bag and handed it to him.
Aaron's eyes grew big. "The Vesper."
Max nodded, "A girl's best friend."
Aaron lead her into the living room area, "Come on, there's someone here I want you to meet. Max, this is . . ."
"Max?" she interrupted. Then she saw who it was. Donald Lydecker.
"Donald Michaels," Aaron finished.
"We already know each other," Lydecker said, taking the Vesper from Aaron. "Hello Max."
Max narrowed her eyes and tossed her head. "Come to finish the job?" she sneered.
"Make it easy on both of us, Max. I can help you. And I can get the authorities to overlook this little incident."
"Right." Max took off at a run, with Lydecker right behind her. She managed to blend herself into a crowd outside. Realizing he'd lost her, Lydecker swore. He returned to Aaron's apartment, only to find it empty. Aaron had vanished. Oh well, he still had the Vesper and he could easily find Max again. The city wasn't that big.
Scene 23, 2019, Logan's, that evening
"Couldn't we have kept it?" Max pouted.
"It's on its way to the rightful owners in a diplomatic pouch," Logan told her, "Where it belongs. As for Aaron, my guess is he hightailed it out before he lost his ass permanently."
"He was running scared, and running deep," Max commented.
"Him being a rich boy like me, he's probably gone somewhere warm, and somewhere he thinks Lydecker can't find him."
"I wish I could find that place," Max said softly.
Logan looked at her. She'd put out her neck on this one at his request and it'd almost fallen in on her. "You've got to be more careful now. Lydecker knows you haven't left the city, thanks to Aaron," he said, giving her that even-genetically-revved-up-females-need-to-be-careful look.
"Lydecker thinks he got the Vesper, so he's probably off cutting it into pieces to sell off and doubling his repulsiveness as we speak," Max said, "He'll be busy with that for a while. And Aaron's long gone. I can take care of myself. Besides, I'd hardly consider him competition," she said, leaning down and looking him levelly in the eye.
Somehow Logan managed to hang on to his composure. "Max, I got you a present, as a thank you," he told her, digging in a drawer, "And as an overdue birthday present," he produced a box, "It's not an Eyes Only Decoder Ring, but I think you'll like it."
Max opened the box. A shining, shimmering diamond sparkled at her. It was small and heart-shaped, hanging from a silver chain.
"I know you're not one to wear jewelry, but," Logan bowed his head, blushing slightly.
"It's beautiful," Max whispered, carefully picking it up from the box and fastening the chain around her slender neck. She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks."
Logan looked up at her, and for one brief moment he saw the innocent girl Max was inside.
"I gotta bounce," she said, and the warrior woman was back, "I'll be at Crash, helping a friend."
"Be careful," Logan told her as she slipped out the door.
Scene 24, 2019, Crash, that night
Max and Sketchy were sitting at the bar. "Are you sure this is going to work?" he asked her.
"Of course it will," Max answered, "But it's the last time."
"Oh, of course! Max, if this works I will never ask you for another favor again." Sketchy looked at her with great big eyes and a serious expression.
Max rolled her eyes, "You will," she shoved him gently towards the men's room, "Now go hide before Big Joe comes."
"Right!" Sketchy fled for the bathroom. Max laughed.
A few moments later, a tall, muscular man sat down next to Max. "Hello
Sweet Thing," he drawled.
'Couldn't he come up with a better line that that?' Max groaned mentally. "Hello yourself, Big Boy."
Big Joe smiled a yellow, toothy grin. Max tried not to gag. 'What did women see in him?'
"What's your name, or should I call you Miss Thing?"
"Maxie," she giggled, "And who are you?"
"Name's Big Joe, Baby, and I'm the playa playa from the Himalayas. I got what you lookin' for," he said, his eyes roaming her body.
'Oh, gag,' thought Max. "Really? You know how to play the ching-chang?"
"Sure thing, Pretty Woman. Whaddya say we goes to my place?"
Max smiled. "I think not," she said, grabbing his arm and twisting it back, "Don't you have a girlfriend?"
Big Joe tried to deny it.
"Oh, shut up. I know you do. You were goin' to beat on my pal Sketchy for flirting with her. So you listen, and you listen good. I don't wanna hear 'bout you beating on any of my friends. And if I ever find out that you did, I'm not only going to pay it back on you, but I'll tell your girlfriend what sad-ass bag of scum you are, you got me?"
Big Joe nodded. Max let him go and he dropped to the floor. Joe scrambled up and ran, glancing back at her. Max calmly sipped the last of her beer and then went and knocked on the men's room door. "Sketch?"
The door flew open and Sketchy hugged her. "Thank you Max! You don't know how much this means to me," he cried.
"Save it," she said pushing him away, "And buy me another beer."
Scene 25, 2019, Space Needle, later that night
Max sat near the edge, her knees tucked up to her chest. She was playing with the necklace Logan had given her. She stopped and looked at it.
(Voiceover)
Such a small thing, but it means so much. Logan selected a good stone. Color, cut, clarity; the boy knows his diamonds. It's worth a lot of money. The old Max would have fenced it. But not me.
Aaron took it for granted, and it got him in trouble. He lost his father because of his greed and got mixed up with some crazy South Africans. Sketchy took it for granted and almost got his ass beaten.
If I've learned anything, it's that in this short, brutal life, money doesn't matter in the end. And not to take the other stuff for granted.
Won't Logan be proud of me?
THE END
Scene 21, 2019, The Aztec, meanwhile
Logan was becoming extremely worried about Max. He knew Lydecker was there and he knew they'd heard him sneeze. It had reverberated at him through the earpiece Max was wearing. He'd called to her, but she wasn't answering.
He heard gunshots. "MAX!" No answer.
If Max was harmed in anyway because he couldn't control his nasal passages . . .
"Max? Are you there?" he called.
A dark form landed on the hood of the Aztec, then jumped up and got into the passenger side. Max.
"Drive," she told him.
Logan obliged, quickly pulling out of the enclave of trees he'd hidden the Aztec in. "Are you all right?" he asked, turning to look at her for a second.
"Better than those dumbbells Booke hired," she grinned, "They're gonna wake up with nasty headaches."
"Did you get the Vesper?" he inquired. She nodded.
When they reached his penthouse, Logan insisted on checking Max for injuries. She stripped off her vest and shirt, revealing her black tank top. She had a few bruises, which were already healing nicely. There were a few scrapes on her hand where the shards from a glass case Lydecker had shattered while shooting at her had cut her. Logan carefully put antibacterial cream on them and topped it with band-aids.
"Are you going to kiss it and make it feel better, too?" Max asked.
"Do you want me to?" he asked in the same tone. Max stared at him before pulling her hand away.
"That's alright," she said hastily.
Logan leaned back in his wheelchair, "If you say so." They were silent for a moment. "The diamond," Logan finally said.
"Right," Max grabbed her bag and pulled out the rock, "Here it is," she handed it to Logan and went back to rummaging in her bag, "Or is this it?" she asked pulling out the other.
Logan groaned. "You were supposed to leave the fake there," he told her.
"Change of plans," she shrugged, "But I do know which is which," she assured him.
Scene 22, 2021, Aaron's Apartment, the next day
Max knocked on the door. "Delivery," she called.
Aaron opened the door, "Oh, Maria, it's you." He ushered her in, "I heard about what happened last night. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, it's all good," she told him, "and I got the diamond." She pulled it out of the bag and handed it to him.
Aaron's eyes grew big. "The Vesper."
Max nodded, "A girl's best friend."
Aaron lead her into the living room area, "Come on, there's someone here I want you to meet. Max, this is . . ."
"Max?" she interrupted. Then she saw who it was. Donald Lydecker.
"Donald Michaels," Aaron finished.
"We already know each other," Lydecker said, taking the Vesper from Aaron. "Hello Max."
Max narrowed her eyes and tossed her head. "Come to finish the job?" she sneered.
"Make it easy on both of us, Max. I can help you. And I can get the authorities to overlook this little incident."
"Right." Max took off at a run, with Lydecker right behind her. She managed to blend herself into a crowd outside. Realizing he'd lost her, Lydecker swore. He returned to Aaron's apartment, only to find it empty. Aaron had vanished. Oh well, he still had the Vesper and he could easily find Max again. The city wasn't that big.
Scene 23, 2019, Logan's, that evening
"Couldn't we have kept it?" Max pouted.
"It's on its way to the rightful owners in a diplomatic pouch," Logan told her, "Where it belongs. As for Aaron, my guess is he hightailed it out before he lost his ass permanently."
"He was running scared, and running deep," Max commented.
"Him being a rich boy like me, he's probably gone somewhere warm, and somewhere he thinks Lydecker can't find him."
"I wish I could find that place," Max said softly.
Logan looked at her. She'd put out her neck on this one at his request and it'd almost fallen in on her. "You've got to be more careful now. Lydecker knows you haven't left the city, thanks to Aaron," he said, giving her that even-genetically-revved-up-females-need-to-be-careful look.
"Lydecker thinks he got the Vesper, so he's probably off cutting it into pieces to sell off and doubling his repulsiveness as we speak," Max said, "He'll be busy with that for a while. And Aaron's long gone. I can take care of myself. Besides, I'd hardly consider him competition," she said, leaning down and looking him levelly in the eye.
Somehow Logan managed to hang on to his composure. "Max, I got you a present, as a thank you," he told her, digging in a drawer, "And as an overdue birthday present," he produced a box, "It's not an Eyes Only Decoder Ring, but I think you'll like it."
Max opened the box. A shining, shimmering diamond sparkled at her. It was small and heart-shaped, hanging from a silver chain.
"I know you're not one to wear jewelry, but," Logan bowed his head, blushing slightly.
"It's beautiful," Max whispered, carefully picking it up from the box and fastening the chain around her slender neck. She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks."
Logan looked up at her, and for one brief moment he saw the innocent girl Max was inside.
"I gotta bounce," she said, and the warrior woman was back, "I'll be at Crash, helping a friend."
"Be careful," Logan told her as she slipped out the door.
Scene 24, 2019, Crash, that night
Max and Sketchy were sitting at the bar. "Are you sure this is going to work?" he asked her.
"Of course it will," Max answered, "But it's the last time."
"Oh, of course! Max, if this works I will never ask you for another favor again." Sketchy looked at her with great big eyes and a serious expression.
Max rolled her eyes, "You will," she shoved him gently towards the men's room, "Now go hide before Big Joe comes."
"Right!" Sketchy fled for the bathroom. Max laughed.
A few moments later, a tall, muscular man sat down next to Max. "Hello
Sweet Thing," he drawled.
'Couldn't he come up with a better line that that?' Max groaned mentally. "Hello yourself, Big Boy."
Big Joe smiled a yellow, toothy grin. Max tried not to gag. 'What did women see in him?'
"What's your name, or should I call you Miss Thing?"
"Maxie," she giggled, "And who are you?"
"Name's Big Joe, Baby, and I'm the playa playa from the Himalayas. I got what you lookin' for," he said, his eyes roaming her body.
'Oh, gag,' thought Max. "Really? You know how to play the ching-chang?"
"Sure thing, Pretty Woman. Whaddya say we goes to my place?"
Max smiled. "I think not," she said, grabbing his arm and twisting it back, "Don't you have a girlfriend?"
Big Joe tried to deny it.
"Oh, shut up. I know you do. You were goin' to beat on my pal Sketchy for flirting with her. So you listen, and you listen good. I don't wanna hear 'bout you beating on any of my friends. And if I ever find out that you did, I'm not only going to pay it back on you, but I'll tell your girlfriend what sad-ass bag of scum you are, you got me?"
Big Joe nodded. Max let him go and he dropped to the floor. Joe scrambled up and ran, glancing back at her. Max calmly sipped the last of her beer and then went and knocked on the men's room door. "Sketch?"
The door flew open and Sketchy hugged her. "Thank you Max! You don't know how much this means to me," he cried.
"Save it," she said pushing him away, "And buy me another beer."
Scene 25, 2019, Space Needle, later that night
Max sat near the edge, her knees tucked up to her chest. She was playing with the necklace Logan had given her. She stopped and looked at it.
(Voiceover)
Such a small thing, but it means so much. Logan selected a good stone. Color, cut, clarity; the boy knows his diamonds. It's worth a lot of money. The old Max would have fenced it. But not me.
Aaron took it for granted, and it got him in trouble. He lost his father because of his greed and got mixed up with some crazy South Africans. Sketchy took it for granted and almost got his ass beaten.
If I've learned anything, it's that in this short, brutal life, money doesn't matter in the end. And not to take the other stuff for granted.
Won't Logan be proud of me?
THE END