By Valjean
Love You/Hate You
Alec knew he had to get away from the bike or else he'd be pinned beneath it when he hit the water. He waited until the machine was at its highest point, then pushed up and away, spreading his arms as if skydiving, slowing his own speed to allow the motorcycle time to fall away. Then he put both arms above his head, assumed a perfect dive position, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.
The impact of the cold water was brutal, almost knocking him out. But water was all he hit. He'd been right. The tide was high enough. He hadn't broken his neck on the bottom.
His belly skimmed the sand and he leveled off, opening his eyes and looking around as he tread water beneath the surface. The Harley lay on it side to his right a few feet away, a little too close for comfort. Getting his bearings, Alec began to swim. The tunnel was about four miles to the south.
He surfaced several times to look around and always spotted men at the top of the cliff using binoculars. Boats were appearing on the water as well, an all out search underway.
It seemed to take forever to reach the South Beach. Alec had forgotten how much he disliked the water. Probably his feline DNA, he figured. Afterall, cats could swim, but they usually didn't like to. At least he could hold his breath for four minutes at a time, lessening the chance of being spotted on the surface.
He felt the tug of the current before he saw the tunnel opening. It was completely flooded, and Alec tried to remember exactly how far in the floor had been wet. At least a mile, he recalled. Which meant he probably would have to swim a half mile without being able to come up for air. He surfaced and looked around. A Sector Patrol boat was cruising just a short distance away. White's men had to be nearby as well.
Alec took several deep breaths, went under, and swam the 50 yards to shore. Just in front of the tunnel, he surfaced again, filled his lungs with air for what could very be the last time, and dove into the darkness.
"They've only found one body," Logan said. He'd been monitoring the newscast while Max comforted Joshua. "They haven't said if it's White's man or Alec."
"Maybe Alec's still alive," Joshua said.
"Don't get your hopes up, Big Fella," Max said, stroking Joshua's long hair.
"I'm going down to the tunnel just in case," Luke said, getting up from where he'd been watching the news. "If Alec made it, he'll try and get back in." Luke was a young transhuman who'd been designed to dig trenches. His eagerness to help and pleasant personality had made him one of Max's most useful helpers. He also really liked Alec.
"He'd drown, wouldn't he?" Max said. "The tunnel's underwater now."
Luke shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. How long can you X5's hold your breath?"
"Four, maybe five minutes," Max said.
Luke did some calculations in his head. "It would be close. Depends on how fast he could swim, whether he's hurt again or not."
"Go down and check, Luke," Logan said. Luke looked at Max who nodded.
An hour dragged by, then another. According to the news, the search was widening. They said the other body had probably been pulled out to sea.
Noon arrived. "He's gone," Max said to Joshua, giving up all hope at last. "It's been too long."
"Maybe Alec's hiding, waiting for night to come through the tunnel."
Max looked at the television. "They're doing a real thorough search of the shoreline. I don't see how he could hide anywhere--"
"Max."
Max felt as if an electric current had just shot through her body. She turned around, almost afraid to look. He was standing at the bottom of the steps, dripping wet, but apparently in one piece.
She walked down to him slowly. Everyone in the room was watching. Alec swallowed hard. "I'm okay, but--"
The slap was brutal, an open-handed blow to his face delivered with every ounce of her transgenic strength.
Alec spit blood and backed away, shaking his head, a look of confusion in his wide green eyes. "What the hell was that for?"
"You son of a bitch," she hissed. She raised her hand again, this time making a fist.
Alec's arm came up, instinctively prepared to block. "Whoa, Max," he said. "I know you're mad but--"
"Get out of my sight," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "Get out. I don't ever want to see you again."
"Max ..."
Joshua stepped forward and put a hand on Alec's shoulder. "Alec," he said. "Come with me."
Alec looked around, suddenly acutely aware that everyone was staring at him. Without another word he turned and walked away.
"Alec, you need to get into dry clothes."
Alec looked first at Joshua, then at the half empty bottle of Scotch in his hand. "No I don't," he said. "I'm feelin' just fine." He was sitting slouched in an old arm chair in the apartment he shared with Joshua, one foot dangling over the armrest, his shoes dripping sea water on the floor.
"Max didn't mean it."
Alec laughed bitterly. "Max always means what she says. That's one good thing about her. She's straightforward. When she hates you she lets you know." Alec touched his cheek. The red welt was already turning into a bruise. Another swig of Scotch and he told himself he didn't care. Too bad that, in spite of his banishment, he'd still have to talk to her one more time. There remained the small matter of a debriefing about the mission. Then he remembered something else.
"Hey Sketchy," he said.
Sketchy looked up from the notes he was always taking.
"You been watchin' the news all day?"
"Sure have."
"Any mention of Jam Pony or Normal?"
Sketchy's eyebrows rose in surprise. "No. Why would there be?"
"'Cause that's where White's guys caught up with me."
"At Jam Pony? What were you doin' there, Alec?"
"Sayin' goodbye to an old friend, Sketch. Just sayin' goodbye to an old friend."
Joshua growled low in his throat, not pleased with Alec at this moment either. "If Max finds out ..."
"She'll take my head off," Alec said. "I know. I have no intention of tellin' her. It's just that I wanna make sure Normal's all right."
"You think White will go after Normal?" Sketchy said.
"Not really. I figure White's got Jam Pony wired so he'll know if one of us goes back there like I did last night. Normal's no threat to him, and if White kills him the trap's no good anymore."
"So, you think old Normal's safe?"
"As a babe in its mother's arms, my man," Alec said, taking another long swig of the warm liquor, enjoying the burn in his throat.
"Alec," Joshua said. "You've had enough."
"I'm a transgenic, Joshua. I can never get enough. And ya see, that's the problem." He regarded Joshua over the top of the bottle, his green eyes just a little bit crossed. "I can't get drunk. No matter how hard I try, all I ever get is a teensy tiny buzz. And sometimes I wanna get drunk really really bad."
"Your metabolism is too high," Sketchy said. "At least according to some of the scientists they've been interviewing. Your high body temperature means you burn up the liquor faster than you can drink it."
"Well, let's just test that theory, shall we?" Alec said, finishing off the bottle with another big drink and reaching for a second bottle that was on the floor beside the chair.
"Alec," Joshua warned.
"Don't worry, Joshua. Like Sketch says, I can't get drunk. Wish I could. Wish I could die drunk for that matter. What a pleasant way to go. But I can't. Can't do anything right, either. 'Least not accordin' to Max. I'm a screw-up. A stupid son of a bitch. She hates me and probably with good reason. Hell, she should've killed me herself a long time ago when she had the chance."
"Alec!" Joshua said sharply. "Stop."
"Stopping now," Alec said quietly as he took a drink from the second bottle of Scotch.
He half expected her to call him 494 as she faced him across the conference table the next morning with those hostile eyes. But she didn't. She didn't call him anything.
"Report," she said, her voice emotionless.
"Mission successful ... Sir."
Max glared at him. Alec glared back. Logan buried his face in his hands and sighed.