"So I tell my lickety chick that she needs to lay off 'cause Original Cindy does not go for that freaky male thing wanting a piece of her action," Cindy was proclaiming to Herbal and Sketchy. "Then she says she got a problem with the whole relationship dynamic and…"
"Am I paying you for relationship counseling or delivering packages?" Normal snapped as he tossed a box to Herbal. "Hot Run! 3rd and Western! Go!" He then made that whistling noise that had replaced the bip-bip-bip.
"So, is your new ex looking for a guy now?" Sketchy asked with some hope on his pitiful face.
She gave him the best you-don't-have-a-chance look she had, which was a pretty good one. Herbal jumped on his bike and looked at the package morosely.
"Dis one is bad for da karma," he intoned, as he started to pedal, still looking at the package. He didn't notice the blonde girl that had just walked in, and headed right into her.
Original Cindy had noticed her though. She was officially now on the prowl, and when you're prowling and a hot blonde walks through the door, you notice. She also noticed that the girl had reflexes like a cat, and leaped gracefully out of Herbal's way. Her hair bounced up for just a second, but Cindy saw a black mark on her neck. Was she? Could she be? Did Max know?
This was the second time today Alicia had been run down by messengers. Had she not been so pressed for time, she probably would have torn the guy a new defecation orifice, but instead she just accepted his apology and went to the guy running about with the headset. Time was short. The Reds could be here any minute, and Zack was getting worse by the minute.
"Hi," she said to Normal, brightly. You're eighteen, she reminded herself. You're just an average eighteen-year-old girl.
Normal eyed her carefully. Black leather jacket over a beige tank top with black pants and boots. He hoped she didn't want a job. She looked like a slacker and he had plenty of those already.
"Is Max here?" she asked with a big cute smile. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a black girl with Afro puffs wandering towards her. A skinny white guy was almost salivating over her. Everyone else seemed busy with whatever they were doing. Good.
"No," he replied, "She is working which is what the rest of you bums should be doing!" he said, directing the comment more towards the couriers. "You can come back after hours and see her then." He made a shooing gesture.
"Please, sir," she said, "I'm Max's cousin, and I just got in from LA. I want to surprise her."
Zack had told her that "sir" was Normal's hot button. She could see that he was immediately impressed by her politeness.
"Normal, you know Max never got the family hanging around under the windows so cut a girl some slack," Cindy said. She grabbed Alicia's hand. "C'mon, Original Cindy'll give you the full tour till Boo shows."
"Hey, you got a job too!" Normal shouted.
"It's lunch!"
She led Alicia into the women's locker room. "So you my home girl's cousin?"
"Yeah, I just got in, and wanted to give her…"
"Original Cindy already tagged that line!" She looked at Alicia hard. "Max explained her family situation, so unless you part of her special club, you out the door, you got that?"
She knew. Max was letting norms know about her? What an idiot. And Zack had risked everything to save her? She might as well send a letter to Manticore with her home address if she was going to tell norms what she was.
"Is Max going to be back soon?" She dropped the bright and bubbly. Time was getting away.
"Turn around," Cindy ordered. Alicia knew what she wanted. What the hell, she could easily be eliminated from the equation. She turned and lifted her hair, giving Cindy a glance at the barcode.
"There," Alicia said, "Identity confirmed? Max is in serious trouble, and I need to get her out of here now."
Cindy looked doubtful, and Alicia had had enough. She jumped at Cindy, pulling her gun from her waistband, and pinning Cindy to the wall in one move. Cindy felt a powerful hand around her throat lift her off of her feet. She couldn't scream. The gun was suddenly jammed under her chin.
"Listen up and listen good because I'm only saying this once," Alicia hissed. "There's something very big and nasty coming after Max. There's more to this then you know." She accentuated her words by pounding Cindy against the wall lightly. "How do you get a hold of Max?"
A sharp kick sent Alicia sprawling, but she held onto her gun. She recovered in a second, leaping to her feet gracefully. How had anyone snuck up on her? She looked at the newcomer, already in a defensive position.
"You find her by messing with her home girl!" The newcomer snapped. Dark hair. Dark eyes. Had the ability to sneak up on Alicia. Had to be Max.
"Max," she said, grateful to have gotten to her first. "Zack's in trouble and so are you."
Max looked surprised at that announcement, but didn't back down. "Who are you?" Was it Jhondie maybe? Had Zack brought someone here finally? She had never really thought he'd been killed in the crash, but now she was saying he was in trouble.
"Max, there's a group looking for any of us," Alicia said, ignoring the question. "They're called the Red…"
"Disposables," Max finished. "I already took care of them a few months back."
She had? No way. Not by herself.
"You didn't get them all. One of them got Zack already. He's hurt bad. The rest are on their way for us."
A loud crash from outside startled them both. There was a loud scream, and another crash.
The two women looked back at each other. The words 'not again' didn't need to be said. They both headed for the main opening, ready for battle.
Alicia and Max both skidded to a halt when they observed the main hall. One of the messengers had been tossed into a rack of bikes, and was lying in a crumpled heap. A Red had Normal by the throat, lifting him up to the Red's eye-level.
"Motorcycle's outside," Alicia said out of the corner of her mouth. If the Red's didn't notice them for a second, they could run and let the Reds get out their frustration on the norms, most of who had already run for their lives.
"Let him go!" Max shouted. Alicia wasn't sure if she should just kill Max herself right there. No wonder Zack said she wouldn't take an order. Did all the fivers care about norms as much as themselves or was she just a weird one? Too late for covert moves, it was time teach a few lessons to some Reds.
Her gun was up and aimed before they could even turn. Max caught the movement, and dropped quickly. Alicia unloaded the rest of the clip into the four men. She missed twice, but one of them went down. The other three were hit, but they kept coming. She heard a zapping sound, and three more with stunners entered.
The moment the last shot sounded, Max leapt into action. Her movements were hard to follow with a flurry of fast kicks and punches. The bullet wounds helped to slow the Reds somewhat, and she was able to hold her own.
Alicia glanced up and saw the sprinkler system overhead. In one jump, she cleared the distance to Normal's desk. One of the Reds had a hold on Max. Alicia kicked him in the face hard enough to break a norm's neck. He let go of Max as he staggered back, and Max was able to go after her next attacker.
Alicia jumped off of the desk, and grabbed the support beam on the ceiling. She yanked out her lighter, and held it up to the sprinkler. To her relief, it went off, soaking everything below. She swung off of the bar, landing directly in front of the newcomers. They were all soaked, but hoisted their stunners menacingly.
"Go ahead," she hissed as the water fell all around. "Light it up boys. I can take a little juice, how about you?"
The electricity from the stunners would do more damage to themselves with the water conducting it. They dropped them, and went after Alicia physically. She did a high jump and kicked one in the back of the neck as she got behind him. Without warning, he collapsed and began to convulse. For a second the fighting seemed to seize as they all stared at him.
The Reds looked up at Alicia, and a wicked smile spread across her face. Max had just tossed another one when she realized there was a sudden confused calm. The fallen Red stopped convulsing and went still. Alicia used the second of confusion to do a somersault to get to Max. She landed right beside her.
"Go for the implant," she ordered. The Reds heard her, and knew that they were too injured to fight two Manticores that knew their weakness. Alicia made a quick gesture that Max understood, and they both took off running. The Reds made a grab for them as they bolted for the door.
Alicia had the keys out, heading for the motorcycle. One of the Reds grabbed her, and the keys flew out of her hand. Max snatched them from mid-air, and made it to the door, while Alicia did a few kicks, and took the Red out at the knees. There was a satisfying crunch of breaking bone, and she was moving fast again.
Max had gotten the motorcycle started, and Alicia jumped on the back. They roared down the street, seeing the Reds getting into their van and taking off after them. Alicia told Max the address where Zack was, and then held on for the ride. She had always thought she was good on a bike, but Max made her look like an amateur.
They zipped through side streets, and then down alleys so narrow, another inch and the walls would scrape the bike. Max knew every inch of the city, and used it to her advantage. They lost the Reds, and ended up where Zack was.