James Cameron and Charles Eglee own Dark Angel. My use is in no way meant to challenge their copyrights. This piece is not intended for any profit on the part of the writer, nor is it meant to detract from the commercial viability of the aforementioned (or any other) copyright. Any similarity to any events or persons (either real or fictional) is unintended.
I
Now the elements of the art of war are first, measurement of space; second, estimation of quantities; third, calculations; fourth, comparisons; and fifth, chances of victory. – Sun Tzu, The Art of War.
Max impatiently knocked on Logan's door a second time, wondering what was taking so long to get an answer. An instant later, the door opened and she came face to face with Bling.
"Impatient much, are we?" he asked with a grin.
"I just hate waiting," Max muttered in reply. Bling stepped out of the doorway, and Max walked right on by, hardly waiting for Bling to move completely out of her way. "Logan?" Max called out. "Where are you?"
"Back here," he called in answer. "I'm in the computer room." Max walked back and found Logan preparing his equipment for one of his Eyes Only broadcasts.
"Oh, I didn't realize you were busy saving the world again," Max commented. "I'll wait for you in the kitchen."
"I'll just be a couple of minutes," Logan apologized, obviously starting to hurry so that he could get his broadcast over with and spend time with his guest. While he was busy on the air, Max began to scramble a couple of eggs and toast a bagel. By the time Logan had emerged from the computer room, Max was biting into an egg and cheese bagel sandwich while finishing brewing some coffee for her and Bling.
"I would have made some coffee for you, too," she apologized to Logan, "But Bling said you're cutting back."
"Yeah, that's what he says," Logan complained. "He thinks I have to cut back on the caffeine."
"Oh Bling, that's cruel," Max said dramatically. "You're going to force Eyes Only into caffeine withdrawal? What ever will befall our fair city?"
"I think Seattle will do just fine," Bling said with a smile. "I have some work to do in the back," he added pointedly, looking over both Max and Logan. "Just leave the coffee in the pot. I'll come out and get it in a little bit." Max smiled at Bling's back as he walked out of the room, and then turned her bright eyes on Logan.
"So to what do we owe the honor?" Logan asked, looking at his watch. "I would have thought you'd be at work."
"I quit Jam Pony," Max said absently. "It just didn't do it for me anymore."
"It didn't do it for you?" Logan responded. "So may I ask how you're getting by?"
"I do odd jobs here and there," Max replied evasively. Logan's brow furrowed and Max could only smile. There he goes getting all concerned about me again, she realized. That's so cute.
"Are you stealing?" Logan asked bluntly.
"I'm doing odd jobs here and there," Max repeated. "I think I'm going to make a few good investments and let my money work for me, rather than the other way around," she added. "Just like you do." Max could tell that Logan was deciding whether to push the issue, to try to pin her down to find out exactly what she had been up to. She hoped that he left well enough alone.
"Let me know if you need any investment tips," Logan finally said. Max released a slight sigh of relief as she realized her friend was delaying the inevitable conversation for at least a short while longer. Any time it buys me is a welcome reprieve, she thought. She did not want to lie about her activities to Logan, but she also knew he would likely never understand.
"Well, as a matter of fact, I do need a little information," Max said. "It's not about my investments, though, of which I have none." Logan smiled slightly, and Max eased her guard a slight bit more.
"What do you need?"
"Well, I've heard a lot of stuff lately," Max commented. "Lots of the small fries are talking about some guy who calls himself Justice or something. You know anything about that?"
"I've heard a few rumors," Logan admitted, "but there isn't much consistency to them. Why do you ask?"
"No reason in particular," Max said evenly, putting just the right tone in her voice to let Logan think there was something that was being left unsaid. Of course, that's exactly my point. He already thinks I've gone back to being a thief. Now he hears me asking about a vigilante. He'll put the two bits of information together and come to the conclusion that I'm concerned about getting pinned down by this guy. As long as he thinks that, he's not going to take the leap of logic that it's me out there roughing people up under the name of Justice.
"Just be careful out there, ok?" Logan asked, his concern evident in his voice.
"Of course," Max replied, satisfied that she had gotten Logan's thoughts to end up exactly where she had wanted them. Now to start pumping him for some info... "So, I also heard another little tidbit," Max said as she opened the refrigerator and reached in for some orange juice. And where in the hell does he always get fresh orange juice? she wondered. I just have to find his supplier.
"What else did you hear?" Logan asked expectantly. He already senses another story for Eyes Only, she realized. He's even cuter trying to save the world than he is when he's just trying to save me.
"Well, you remember about a month ago when we helped take down Norton Koch?" Max asked. Logan only nodded in response. "Well, I heard one of his cronies took over."
"Yeah, his name's Cameron Dean," Logan said. "Koch apparently had a run in with this same vigilante, Justice. Most of his guys got killed, but Dean took over the operation. He knew all of Koch's contacts and had just enough money to hire more muscle to replace the losses. He's actually #2 on my hit list."
"Your 'hit list?' " Max asked with a smile. "Did I just hear you say that you have a hit list?" Her amusement was written plainly on her face, and even Logan broke into a wide grin at her teasing.
"Well, journalistically speaking," Logan explained. "I just have my own version of a Top Ten Most Wanted."
"That's so cute," Max commented.
"Why do you have to be like that?" Logan asked. "This is very serious work."
"Of course it is," Max replied, suppressing a feigned laugh. There, now he's completely at ease with me again, she decided. Now to get the really important info.
"So is there anything you want me to find out about this guy?" she asked.
"Not quite yet," Logan answered. "Dean's apparently been busy recruiting cops, but he's not just using payoffs. He's also killed a couple of them that refused to play ball."
"You mean there are honest cops in this city?" Max asked, completely seriously.
"Yes, Max, there are still a few honest cops," Logan said. "Unfortunately, Cameron Dean wants to limit that number as much as possible. The only thing is that every time he kills one of them, some of the corrupt ones become a little less willing to work with him. The ones that get pissed off sometimes sell some of their information."
"So they're like double agents?" Max asked. "Wow, you even got the whole spy versus spy, cloak and dagger thing goin', don't ya?"
"It's a little more serious than you make it sound, but yes," Logan admitted.
"So how much do we know?"
"We?" Logan asked. "Last time I heard, you were only working with me because you wanted me to find your siblings. You saying that you'll consider working with me because you want to do it for its own sake?"
"I'm doing it because you're my friend, Logan," Max said, wondering even as she said the words whether or not she was lying. Well, I guess that's one reason, she rationalized to herself. Sure, he's one of my best sources of info, so making him believe I'm on board with this crusade of his in definitely in my best interests, but I really do want to help him because he's my friend. I like seeing him happy.
"Thank you," Logan said.
"Don't mention it," Max said coolly. "We don't have to make this into a conversation worthy of one of those old Hallmark cards or anything. I'm just saying I want to help you. So what do you know?"
"Not a whole lot," Logan said. "It seems Dean has dumped some areas of Koch's old criminal empire, streamlining it, so to speak. He got rid of the extortion, gambling, and industrial espionage, though he's stayed with drugs, gun running, and slavery. Of course, he's also had quite a few murders committed in order to get everything to run right."
"And this guy is only #2 on your hit list?" Max asked. "Who the hell is worse than this?"
"Councilman Gates," Logan replied. "He's been robbing the city blind, and he's also had some good men killed to clear the way for his crimes. From his position of authority he's been able to adversely affect every single citizen in the city."
"Ok, I guess he's definitely a bad guy," Max said. She still did not think a corrupt politician should be considered worse than Cameron Dean, but she kept her opinion to herself. That's the beauty of this situation, anyway, she mused. Logan knows about this Gates guy and all the white-collar stuff that he does. Eyes Only is in a position to take care of that effectively enough, but less so to do anything about Cameron Dean. That's where Justice comes in. I can pick up where Logan leaves off and eliminate the really vile people. "So you think you can get Gates?" she asked.
"Well, I just released some really nasty information about him just five minutes ago," Logan explained, revealing the reason for his latest Eyes Only broadcast. "We'll see what happens. If the police need more, I'll get it."
"And then we can deal with Dean," Max continued. "So who comes after him?"
"You want the whole list?" Logan asked. "We may never be able to finish off them all."
"No harm in aiming high," Max answered. "Fine, I'll look no farther ahead than Dean. So how many guys you think he's got?"
"You mean hired muscle?" Logan asked.
"Yeah," Max replied. "I mean, when you're gonna need someone to break into someplace for ya, you're gonna call me, right? I might as well find out now how hard I should start training."
"About forty soldiers, from what I can figure," Logan said with an uneasy expression. "The best of them are ex-military, just like with Koch," he continued. "I don't think there's many of those guys, though... maybe a half-dozen or so. I think he's using them primarily as his personal guards."
"Makes sense," Max commented. Forty guys, with only a handful having been trained enough to give me any problems... Of course, since they have no idea who I am, I'll always be able to control the time and place of any confrontations. Then again, as I'll almost always be attacking on their turf, they'll have the advantage of defense. She stood silently for a moment in though, smiling absently in Logan's direction, trying to make sure he would not guess what was going through her mind. Ok, this should be alright. I can do this.
"Well, I'm gonna get going," Max said suddenly, turning to leave.
"You just got here," Logan replied.
"Well, I have to meet Original Cindy and the gang at Crash tonight," Max answered. And before then, I have to take out one of Cameron Dean's warehouses, she added silently. I have a bit to do if I want to still have time to do my hair and look presentable when I go out.
"Any chance you'll be stopping by again, soon?" he asked.
"I'll come by tomorrow," Max said absently as she walked to the door. "See ya." She walked out without bothering to look back at Logan's confused face.
"See ya," he said to the closed door.
To be continued.............................