4. The Rock Star
The next morning, Max looked for Alec at Jam Pony. She found him leaning against his locker, wearing dark glasses. "What's with the shades?" asked Max. "Never mind. I need you to cover for me. Normal doesn't have to know."
"Aw, Max," Alec groaned. "Can't Cindy do it? I feel like hell."
"Why? What did you do last night?"
"I picked up a foxy chick. We went back to my place and made sweet love all night long," he said.
"Ew," said Max. "Too much information."
"You shouldn't have asked," he said. "Anyhow, I have a headache. All that pillow talk."
Max looked over her shoulder. She took his arm and pulled him away from anyone who could overhear them. "What's going on, Alec? I don't believe you're sick. I didn't believe it yesterday, and I still don't buy it today."
He shook her off. "Look," he said. "It must happen, sometimes. I was just feeling low yesterday. But I really am sick, now."
"Even at half capacity you've still got it going on over everybody else. And I really need your help today."
He sighed. "At least tell me what's up. A romantic rendevous with Logan? You guys going to sit really close and not touch each other?"
"Yeah, that's it. You're a real bastard, you know?"
"Uh-huh," he said. "I know. So, what's up?"
"Logan has a big time lead on White and the breeding cult. A doctoral student at the university is studying weirdo religions, and apparently she's put together a pile of paper on White's cult."
"What does he need you for?" said Alec. "Can't Logan take a meeting without your help?"
"This is important, Alec," Max said, with what was for her, considerable patience. "Think about it. We finally get the whole story. From a third party. An educated, credible third party. We put that information out there, and maybe we neutralize White."
Alec nodded. "I like the sound of that. Logan always comes through, doesn't he? He must be leaking with joy, to give you this little present."
"Whatever," said Max.
"Why don't you stay at work, and I'll meet with the student," proposed Alec.
"No," said Max.
"Is she one of those bookish young ladies who've studied hard all their lives and never had a boyfriend?"
"I don't know," said Max, exasperated. "Where do you get this stuff?"
"Normal has educational magazines behind the counter. Does she wear one of those short kilts? I'll go with you."
"Not necessary! Just cover my runs!"
In the background, Normal said "Bip, bip, bip!" Max cringed.
"I want you to agree to do something for me," Alec said.
"What?" sighed Max.
It was Alec's turn to take her arm, and they moved even farther down the line of lockers. He whispered, "I need your help with a caper. Tonight." He held up his hand. "Major bad guy, so you don't need to get all moral on me. Pre-Pulse artifact. It's a two-man job. We get the loot, we split, no one gets hurt. We divvy it up, fifty-fifty."
"Why is it a two-man job?" she said. "They never go well. Not for us."
"We come in through the skylight, taking out the second floor alarm as we go. The alarm on the ground floor is one of those new jobs. You can't just defeat it once. You have to do a running bypass, keep changing the leads. A regular person couldn't do it fast enough, but you could swing it, no sweat. I'm told it makes a different sound when it's looking to complete the circuit. High pitched, but in your range."
Over Max's shoulder, he saw Original Cindy with an armload of packages. An ordinary girl, as fresh as a daisy, just getting started on another work day. He threw her a cheery wave, and drew closer to Max. OC shot them a knowing look, and headed out. "I'll open the case and lift our artifact," he continued. "You keep the alarm, which is in another room, busy. Then we hightail it out of there."
Max pondered the setup. Alarms were usually no problem; in fact, she found them amusing. She could use the cash, but she and Alec had a woeful rate of success in the cat burglar department. "Do I need to do this to get you to cover me today?" she asked.
He only paused for a microsecond. "No. No! Max, either way I'll take your packages."
"All right," she said. "I hope I'm not making a big mistake."
"Never," he said. "It's going to be great. The dream team, together again." He laughed.
"What's the artifact?"
"Can you believe it," said Alec. "It's shoes. Really expensive shoes."
"Weird," said Max. "Who cares about shoes? What shoes?"
"Ah, I wasn't paying attention," said Alec. "Ladies shoes. They're red. That's how we'll know."
"Don't screw up," she said. "I've gotta boost."
Max sneaked by Normal. Normal turned around. Like a lovesick teenager, he shrieked: "Rock star! Where's my rock star?"
Alec laughed again, entering Normal's line of sight. It had only been by accident that he had answered correctly about covering for Max. His other option had been to say he wouldn't do it unless she did the job with him. Close call.