Eight weeks later
Two pool balls collided with a crack, the eight ball rolling directly into the corner pocket. With a smug look on his face Alec straightened and looked over at a distraught Sketchy.
"Pay up," he said, arm outstretched and palm open.
"You wound me Alec," Sketchy said. "I thought we were playing for fun."
"You're the one that started the bet, now fork it over."
Sketchy grumbled and reached into his pocket for the cash. He pulled out a small wad of bills and placed them in Alec open hand. Alec heard Max's cell phone go off and glanced over in her direction.
She and Original Cindy were sitting at the table near the end of the pool table, talking over the music playing in the bar where the four of them would hang out after work everyday. Max picked up the phone and looked to see who it was. Alec and Sketchy walked over to the table and sat down, finishing off their beers.
"Yeah," she said into the phone. Then nothing. "I'm at Crash. Why?" Nothing. "Yeah, he's here too." She said, looking over at Alec.
Inwardly Alec groaned. He knew it was Logan, and he knew they had another job that he needed done. He set down the glass when OC shoved him.
"What?" he said, but her only response was to roll her eyes.
"Yeah, we'll be there," Max said, and closed her phone. Then turning to Alec she said, "Logan needs us at his apartment."
"I figured as much," Alec responded.
"We'll see you later," Max said to OC and Sketchy.
"Sure thing, Boo," OC said, waving her off. Sketchy however looked devastated.
"But I didn't get a chance to win my money back," he said, nearly whining.
Standing up, Alec leaned forward and smiled. "I wasn't going to give you a chance." Leaving behind their friends, the pair of X-5's walked out the door and into the rain.
At Logan's apartment, Logan, Max and Alec were all crowded around his computer screen.
"See that," Logan asked, pointing to the picture on the screen. He had paused the security tape and zoomed in.
"Yeah," Max said, slightly leaning in. "I don't recognize it. Do you Alec?"
"X5-455? That barcode looks slightly familiar, but not really."
"What concerns me is that she is being so careless about it." Logan said, letting the tape progress. She disappeared and moments later she was leaving with a long tube attached to her back. She looked up at the camera, smiled and winked, then ran off the screen again. Logan rewound the tape and paused it when it showed her face.
Alec looked at the tape but could not remember anything that would clue him to who she was. He was staring at a tall, slender woman, slightly younger than he and Max. She had long light colored hair, pulled up in a ponytail, which allowed her barcode to be seen clearly when she was walking away from the camera. He couldn't tell what color her eyes were because the tape was in black and white. Since they were dark, he assumed they were brown. She was clad entirely in black, including the pack on her back with the long tube. There was something odd though, about they way she allowed herself to be seen on the security camera, but only this particular one. Logan said he had checked all the others and she was not on any of them.
"What did you say that she took?" Max said, looking at Logan.
"One of the paintings on display. The strange thing is, is that it was advertised in the paper the day before that it was moving to this particular museum. What I need you two to do is head over to the museum, because yesterday there was an article in one of the local art magazines about a new painting being brought in to replace the one that was stolen.
"She won't be that stupid." Alec snorted. "Obviously someone would be waiting for her."
"I told the police about my theory but they said it was a fluke, so it's up to us now. I need you two to bring her back here, so we can figure out why she's so careless." Logan said, turning around to face Max and Alec.
"I doubt she'll show, but we'll give it a try." Max said and strolled out of the room, Alec close on her heels.
After nearly an hour of waiting Max was getting bored. This is such a waste of time. She thought. Upon reaching the museum, Max and Alec decided that they should split up in case she went in a way they were not covering. In her mind's eye she could see Alec sauntering around in the dark, checking out each painting and what he could get for it. She couldn't completely blame him because she saw a couple paintings she wouldn't mind taking. Before entering, Logan, back at his apartment, had assured her that he had disabled all of the security cameras so they were free and clear.
Alec had decided that since he was at the museum he might as well take a look around. He was slowly walking around his section of the museum when he saw something drop from the glassed ceiling. Focusing his eyesight he saw a rope dangling from the middle of the large and ornate main room. Slipping behind a statue he saw a figure stealthily descend to the floor. He saw the figure move to the painting that was the newest addition and pull out two halves of a tube and set them on the floor. When she was just about to clip the security wires behind the painting Alec stepped out from behind the statue.
"Nice painting don't you think?" he said, startling the woman.
Max heard Alec's voice and quickly headed in his direction.
Quickly recovering she turned around and put her hands on her hips. She was in all black just like before, except this time her head was adorned with a black watch cap, allowing her hair to cover the back of her neck.
"I thought I took care of all of you guards last time." She said, shaking her head. "I'll give you a chance to leave if you don't want to get hurt."
"I'm not a guard," he said, stepping closer to her.
She shook her head again, but this time smiled. "That's too bad, you should be getting paid for the beating you're about to receive."
"No, I-" Alec began, but was interrupted with a punch in the face. He stepped back and grinned. "Well if that's how you want to play it, fine by me." And he ducked when she went for his face again, and kicked out his leg, catching her legs and sending her crashing to the marble floor. She quickly jumped back up, faced Alec and kicked him in the stomach, but Alec grabbed her leg and pushed up. She back flipped and landed on her feet. He saw recognition in her eyes and she stepped back.
"Who are you," she said, suddenly wary. "I won't go back."
Max stepped out from the shadows and looked at Alec. "That was a nice show you two put on."
"Why didn't you help?" Alec asked, looking at Max.
"Because you seemed to have it under control." She responded.
"What's going on? Who are you? What are you doing here?" The woman said, stepping away from Max and Alec.
"Hey, I'm Max, this is Alec." Max said, walking over next to Alec.
"You have names?" the woman said.
"Well, yeah, we kind of have to. Since we are trying to blend in, just like you should." Max said, a little bewildered.
"What do you mean blend in, you aren't here to take me back?" she said, slowly relaxing.
"Back where? Manticore? Where have you been, there's nothing to go back to." Alec said, raising one eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, since it blew up and all it would be kind of hard to take you back. Besides who would want to go back to that hell hole?" Max said.
"Wait, how long have you been out? What is your designation?" she said.
"For a while now, I was X5-452." Max said.
"X5-494" Alec said, hoping the woman would catch on soon.
"452, 494? I don't know any X-5's with those designations."
"Where did you come from?" Alec said, sighing and shifting his weight from one foot to another.
"East, that's all I know. I'm not exactly sure where. I only got out eight weeks ago." She said.
For a brief second Alec saw sadness sweep across her face and then it was gone. "Do you have a name?" he said, trying to speed things up.
"Oh, sorry, I'm 455, err Riley."
"Great," he said, then turning to Max said, "Can we get out of here?"
Shoving Alec, Max ignored his comment and smiled. "Nice to meet you Riley, what do you say we get out of here?"
"Finally," Alec mumbled.
"A friend of mine wants to talk to you first but then you can go back home." Max said.
"Home?" Riley said.
"Yeah, you know, a place to stay. You do have a place to stay don't you?" Max said.
"No, not unless you count behind the dumpster next to a place called 'Crash.'" She said.
"You can stay with Alec for now," Max said, with a devilish grin.
"Um, Max, can I talk to you for a sec?" Alec said, grabbing her arm and pulling her away from Riley. "She can't stay at my place!"
Max looked up innocently at him. "Where else is she going to stay?"
"Why not with you?"
"I can't with me and OC our place is already bursting at the seams. And no, Logan can't take her either, not with his whole secret and everything." She said, pointing at her eyes.
"Fine, but only for a little while."
Max shrugged and smirked saying, "Whatever you say Alec."
"Hey, Riley, get your stuff, we're leaving."
"Where?" she asked.
"You'll figure it out when we get there." Alec said and walked off, leaving Max and Riley behind.
Two pool balls collided with a crack, the eight ball rolling directly into the corner pocket. With a smug look on his face Alec straightened and looked over at a distraught Sketchy.
"Pay up," he said, arm outstretched and palm open.
"You wound me Alec," Sketchy said. "I thought we were playing for fun."
"You're the one that started the bet, now fork it over."
Sketchy grumbled and reached into his pocket for the cash. He pulled out a small wad of bills and placed them in Alec open hand. Alec heard Max's cell phone go off and glanced over in her direction.
She and Original Cindy were sitting at the table near the end of the pool table, talking over the music playing in the bar where the four of them would hang out after work everyday. Max picked up the phone and looked to see who it was. Alec and Sketchy walked over to the table and sat down, finishing off their beers.
"Yeah," she said into the phone. Then nothing. "I'm at Crash. Why?" Nothing. "Yeah, he's here too." She said, looking over at Alec.
Inwardly Alec groaned. He knew it was Logan, and he knew they had another job that he needed done. He set down the glass when OC shoved him.
"What?" he said, but her only response was to roll her eyes.
"Yeah, we'll be there," Max said, and closed her phone. Then turning to Alec she said, "Logan needs us at his apartment."
"I figured as much," Alec responded.
"We'll see you later," Max said to OC and Sketchy.
"Sure thing, Boo," OC said, waving her off. Sketchy however looked devastated.
"But I didn't get a chance to win my money back," he said, nearly whining.
Standing up, Alec leaned forward and smiled. "I wasn't going to give you a chance." Leaving behind their friends, the pair of X-5's walked out the door and into the rain.
At Logan's apartment, Logan, Max and Alec were all crowded around his computer screen.
"See that," Logan asked, pointing to the picture on the screen. He had paused the security tape and zoomed in.
"Yeah," Max said, slightly leaning in. "I don't recognize it. Do you Alec?"
"X5-455? That barcode looks slightly familiar, but not really."
"What concerns me is that she is being so careless about it." Logan said, letting the tape progress. She disappeared and moments later she was leaving with a long tube attached to her back. She looked up at the camera, smiled and winked, then ran off the screen again. Logan rewound the tape and paused it when it showed her face.
Alec looked at the tape but could not remember anything that would clue him to who she was. He was staring at a tall, slender woman, slightly younger than he and Max. She had long light colored hair, pulled up in a ponytail, which allowed her barcode to be seen clearly when she was walking away from the camera. He couldn't tell what color her eyes were because the tape was in black and white. Since they were dark, he assumed they were brown. She was clad entirely in black, including the pack on her back with the long tube. There was something odd though, about they way she allowed herself to be seen on the security camera, but only this particular one. Logan said he had checked all the others and she was not on any of them.
"What did you say that she took?" Max said, looking at Logan.
"One of the paintings on display. The strange thing is, is that it was advertised in the paper the day before that it was moving to this particular museum. What I need you two to do is head over to the museum, because yesterday there was an article in one of the local art magazines about a new painting being brought in to replace the one that was stolen.
"She won't be that stupid." Alec snorted. "Obviously someone would be waiting for her."
"I told the police about my theory but they said it was a fluke, so it's up to us now. I need you two to bring her back here, so we can figure out why she's so careless." Logan said, turning around to face Max and Alec.
"I doubt she'll show, but we'll give it a try." Max said and strolled out of the room, Alec close on her heels.
After nearly an hour of waiting Max was getting bored. This is such a waste of time. She thought. Upon reaching the museum, Max and Alec decided that they should split up in case she went in a way they were not covering. In her mind's eye she could see Alec sauntering around in the dark, checking out each painting and what he could get for it. She couldn't completely blame him because she saw a couple paintings she wouldn't mind taking. Before entering, Logan, back at his apartment, had assured her that he had disabled all of the security cameras so they were free and clear.
Alec had decided that since he was at the museum he might as well take a look around. He was slowly walking around his section of the museum when he saw something drop from the glassed ceiling. Focusing his eyesight he saw a rope dangling from the middle of the large and ornate main room. Slipping behind a statue he saw a figure stealthily descend to the floor. He saw the figure move to the painting that was the newest addition and pull out two halves of a tube and set them on the floor. When she was just about to clip the security wires behind the painting Alec stepped out from behind the statue.
"Nice painting don't you think?" he said, startling the woman.
Max heard Alec's voice and quickly headed in his direction.
Quickly recovering she turned around and put her hands on her hips. She was in all black just like before, except this time her head was adorned with a black watch cap, allowing her hair to cover the back of her neck.
"I thought I took care of all of you guards last time." She said, shaking her head. "I'll give you a chance to leave if you don't want to get hurt."
"I'm not a guard," he said, stepping closer to her.
She shook her head again, but this time smiled. "That's too bad, you should be getting paid for the beating you're about to receive."
"No, I-" Alec began, but was interrupted with a punch in the face. He stepped back and grinned. "Well if that's how you want to play it, fine by me." And he ducked when she went for his face again, and kicked out his leg, catching her legs and sending her crashing to the marble floor. She quickly jumped back up, faced Alec and kicked him in the stomach, but Alec grabbed her leg and pushed up. She back flipped and landed on her feet. He saw recognition in her eyes and she stepped back.
"Who are you," she said, suddenly wary. "I won't go back."
Max stepped out from the shadows and looked at Alec. "That was a nice show you two put on."
"Why didn't you help?" Alec asked, looking at Max.
"Because you seemed to have it under control." She responded.
"What's going on? Who are you? What are you doing here?" The woman said, stepping away from Max and Alec.
"Hey, I'm Max, this is Alec." Max said, walking over next to Alec.
"You have names?" the woman said.
"Well, yeah, we kind of have to. Since we are trying to blend in, just like you should." Max said, a little bewildered.
"What do you mean blend in, you aren't here to take me back?" she said, slowly relaxing.
"Back where? Manticore? Where have you been, there's nothing to go back to." Alec said, raising one eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, since it blew up and all it would be kind of hard to take you back. Besides who would want to go back to that hell hole?" Max said.
"Wait, how long have you been out? What is your designation?" she said.
"For a while now, I was X5-452." Max said.
"X5-494" Alec said, hoping the woman would catch on soon.
"452, 494? I don't know any X-5's with those designations."
"Where did you come from?" Alec said, sighing and shifting his weight from one foot to another.
"East, that's all I know. I'm not exactly sure where. I only got out eight weeks ago." She said.
For a brief second Alec saw sadness sweep across her face and then it was gone. "Do you have a name?" he said, trying to speed things up.
"Oh, sorry, I'm 455, err Riley."
"Great," he said, then turning to Max said, "Can we get out of here?"
Shoving Alec, Max ignored his comment and smiled. "Nice to meet you Riley, what do you say we get out of here?"
"Finally," Alec mumbled.
"A friend of mine wants to talk to you first but then you can go back home." Max said.
"Home?" Riley said.
"Yeah, you know, a place to stay. You do have a place to stay don't you?" Max said.
"No, not unless you count behind the dumpster next to a place called 'Crash.'" She said.
"You can stay with Alec for now," Max said, with a devilish grin.
"Um, Max, can I talk to you for a sec?" Alec said, grabbing her arm and pulling her away from Riley. "She can't stay at my place!"
Max looked up innocently at him. "Where else is she going to stay?"
"Why not with you?"
"I can't with me and OC our place is already bursting at the seams. And no, Logan can't take her either, not with his whole secret and everything." She said, pointing at her eyes.
"Fine, but only for a little while."
Max shrugged and smirked saying, "Whatever you say Alec."
"Hey, Riley, get your stuff, we're leaving."
"Where?" she asked.
"You'll figure it out when we get there." Alec said and walked off, leaving Max and Riley behind.