Chapter 12
this chapter went through several titles before I finally settled on this one
"Jack be Nimble, Jack be Quick"
*****
"Hey sweet thing" Jack Warren was camped out near a wall outside the checkpoint between two
sectors "Bet I can put a smile on your face" his eyes traveled up Max's frame with the speed of a fast
paced snail. He actually licked his lips, and arched his eyebrows, sending them up into his mass of
blonde hair
"Bet I can take yours off" Max snarled back to him, she showed the cop her sector pass, wheeling
her bike through.
"Keep it moving" the sector cop waved his hand at the line that had formed
"Nice ride for a nice honey" Jack threw out after Max was on the other side, mounting the Ninja
"Bite me!" Max spat back /dumb prick/ She revved up the engine and took off. /Guys like a
perverted version of Zack, and that's just NASTY to think about/
Max killed the engine once she pulled into the "parking lot" at Jam Pony, locking her baby up before
heading inside.
"Late-"
"Spare me" Max broke in before Normal could begin his morning tirade. She headed over to her
locker "Anyone seen Cree?"
"She's getting some java" Sketchy informed "I haven't needed any since she started working here"
Sketchy stated in a dream like voice, staring at Cree stirring her swill "that, is a nice looking woman"
"Boy-" Cindy approached him "If Natalie knew half the stuff that was going on in that warped
brain of yours she'd leave your sorry ass before you could blink. Now move" Cindy shoved
him "Need some time with Max"
After Sketchy left, Cindy turned to Max "So I waited up for my girl, but my little suga didn't come
home last night" she had an "I knew it" tone of voice "You and your squeeze do some late night
connecting?"
"No" Max put a damper on Cindy's thinking "That guy at Crash, he was a brothel scout, tryin' to
get Cree back, had to make a detour at Logan's 'cause he was tailing us. Almost crashed my baby"
Cindy's smile vanished at that remark "If I see him, gonna put a smack down on his ass, messin' with my
girls"
"This is about me isn't it?" Cree appeared from the back, taking one last sip of her coffee before
chucking the cup in the trash. She looked more rested then last night, but not any less on edge. She
had left Logan's early, even beating Max out the door.
"It's nuthin' bad" Max argued
"With me it's always bad" Cree pointed out
"Need to cut that out girl" Cindy informed "Don't diss where disses don't belong"
"Hey, Pippy Longstocking and Crew" Normal called out, referencing the old children's books because
of Cree's jet black hair pulled into two pigtails "Bip bip, we work not talk"
Cree caught the box Normal threw at her "Guess I better get started" she grabbed a bike, stuffing the
box in her pack.
"Hey honey" a guy called out after her, catching site of her slim figure, and liking what he saw
Cree ignored him, still moving out the doorway. /"Honey, c'mon, this is what you want"
"I'm not sure," Cree argued, looking out over the night sky. There were tons of stars, and
nothing but the sounds of crickets because of how far out into the boonies they were "I am" the boy argued
"Your so amazing, I just want to prove how much I feel that" he touched her hair, wrapping it up
in his hand/
"Jack" her words were just a breathy whisper, she ducked behind the wall, staring back inside
He was there, talking to Normal. Almost exactly the same as he had been three years ago,
except he was taller, and lost the crew cut. /He didn't recognize me, did I change that much?
I only grew about three inches/ Even though she couldn't think of why her sleazy ex didn't
know who she was when he saw her, she had changed from that innocent fourteen year old
that use to hang on him, she had grown up and become harder.
She turned and headed out again, moving very fast.
"My sistah" Herbal looked at her, when she nearly collided with him "In a hurry I see"
"Yeah, I'm late Herbal, sorry bout that" she didn't offer him anything more and pedaled her bike
away down the dirty street.
"This has to get out today" Jack waved a box at Normal's face
"You think I care what HAS to be done kid?" Normal shot back "This is the Pulse world,
nothing is fast anymore" he took the box from him "I'll hand it off, but I'm not promising you
anything"
"Appreciate it big guy" Jack pounded on the desk
"Punk" Normal mumbled when Jack left
"Whoa" Jack took a step back, when Max bumped into him "Hello again baby, this is fate
the way we keep meeting up, how bout you give me your name and we consummate that?"
"And who the hell let you out of your hole?" Max didn't even look at him "Blow off scuzz"
"Max keep your mind on your work" Normal interrupted "Or you won't have any"
he stacked three boxes on the counter for her "bip, bip, bip"
"Max," Jack tested out the name "Fit's such a FINE looker, mmmmMMM"
Max zipped up her pack, and grabbed Jack by his collar "Did what you came here for,
so get going before you loose the ability to walk upright" she let him go, and shoved past him
"Take my advice kid" Normal informed after Max left "Don't mess with her. She may look good,
but she has the biggest attitude, and the strength to match"
"I'm up for a challenge," Jack stated with a sly smile, heading out of the delivery service
"Why do these kids always hang around here?" Normal muttered, leafing through the papers on his
desk.
Jack climbed back into his yellow Gremlin, adjusting his rear view mirrors. He spotted Max, leaving on her bike
/She's damn fine, be great to mess with, bet she'd also be worth a lot/ He turned on the engine, and followed
her down the road
*****
Manchester Ave.
Max dismounted her bike, grabbing the box out of her pack and trudging up the stairs. She was starting
to feel a little off, which could only mean that she was about to experience a seizure, and she wanted to
get this thing handed off and go home /Screw Normal, I'll take a sick day/
"Thank you" Max stated tiredly to the elderly man who had signed for the package. She moved slowly back to
her bike, climbing on it, and heading back down the road. Her head was starting to buzz now, making pedaling
difficult /I'll drop this thing off tomorrow. Normal will be pissed but, who cares?/ As she continued her trip
home she noticed how a yellow Gremlin kept following her. /What's his deal?/ Max ignored the driver for a
few more yards, but when a light changed to red, the guy suddenly swerved in front of her.
Max was thrown off the bike /What the hell?/ she spit dirt out her mouth, standing up quickly in time to
see the driver right up in her face "What part of "blow off " don't you understand?"
"I just want to get to know you more" Jack spewed this out in one breath "Just give it a chance baby"
"Lemme think 'bout that" Max returned, going silent for all of one second "No"
Jack grabbed her by the arm "I didn't mean you had a choice"
/Uh uh, he did not just do that/ "Wanna let go of that?" she yanked her arm back, nailing him in the face with his own
fist. She moved to sidekick him, but found herself on the ground again, because of her seizure fogged brain.
Jack kneeled down next to her "C'mon baby, I can make a lot of a sugar like you" he stroked her face
Max head butted him "Get off me!" she climbed back to her feet, heading over to his Gremlin. With super
human strength she ripped open the hood, punching a hole in the radiator, making hot steam spew out of
the engine. This action burned her knuckles from the leaking fluid, but she was to up on adrenaline to feel it.
She climbed back on her bike, Jack coming up to her "Bitch! What the hell do you think you're doing?"
he grabbed the handles of her bike, but this time when she moved to kick him, she was dead on
"I said get off me prick!" she looked at him lying on the road "You might find it in your best interest to
stay the hell away from me" she pumped the bike down the road
*****
Max somehow wound up not at home, but at Logan's. But right now she didn't care where the hell she was,
and she wasn't about to truck it back to her place. She didn't even have energy to break the lock, so she
pounded on the door with one closed fist. Her headache had gone from a light throb to an entire 1812 Overture
run through, and she was sweating enough to start another Great Flood in the hallway.
"Max?" Logan opened his door, seeing her standing there, leaning against the frame "What is it?"
"Don't feel so good" was all she said, trying to focus on something other then the blurriness.
"Come in" Logan didn't hide the worry in his voice, moving aside so she could enter the apartment.
She took all of two steps before she lost her footing.
"Whoa" Logan caught her before she took a header into his hardwood floor. "C'mon, you need to
lie down on the couch" he felt her start to shake more violently, and supported her over to his couch
so she wouldn't loose her footing.
"Max?" he spoke to her worriedly, after she had sprawled out on her side. He offered her the meds,
which she took without water. He noticed the burn on her hand "Where did this come from?" he
examined the blistered flesh on the knuckles.
"Radiator" she responded cryptically, tucking more into herself as the tremors continued.
/I'll have to ask her about that later/ He watched her convulse, only being able to offer her
minimal support as her body went through hell. Her hand was locked around his in a death
squeeze the entire time. Eventually, she simply passed out from the strain.
After a few minutes of Logan sponging down her face and neck, she came around looking
at him bleary eyed.
"Welcome back" Logan tried to sound light hearted, but her seizures always scared the hell out of him.
During the time that she was unconscious, he had bandaged her hand to keep the flesh from becoming
infected "How you feeling?"
She shrugged "Not too bad, tired" she looked at her bandaged hand "Thanks doc"
This produced a smile from him "You got this from a radiator?" he stated, "You don't even own a car"
"Wasn't mine" Max informed "Some ass was following me home, nearly ran me off the road, so
I messed up his ride"
"Do you know his name?" Logan asked /so I can find him and beat that shit up for doing this to you/
he added in his mind.
"Never asked," Max went for honest "Just some random looser that I had to put straight" she shifted on
the couch "You find anything else about those losers that were looking for Cree?" she went for a different
angle.
"Yeah" Logan responded "There was some man asking people about the whereabouts of an Asian
"girlfriend" he wanted to reconcile with. He's been at three sectors already" Logan pulled something
out of his lap "Don't have anything to go on other then a hover cam shot that was snapped when
he was getting into his car" he showed her the picture
Max started at the photo "That's the same car that almost mauled me"
"Did you see the tags?"
Max shook her head "I was kinda out of it, after I kicked his ass I just hauled it"
"Maybe Cree knows something about it" Logan pointed out "If you can get her up here tonight,
we can ask her about it"
"Just hope it doesn't bring back bad memories for her" Max stated "Girl's been through a lot"
/Like you/ Logan looked at her "She might feel better getting it out. Had to be hell keeping that
in for three years"
"Maybe" Max said around a yawn "Man, looks like I'm gonna wind up sacking out here. Work
ends at five. I'll head down there in an hour and get her" she looked at him "You mind me here?"
"Close your eyes Max" was his answer.
*****
I finally got this out, it took a few run through ideas. There wasn't much of Cree in here, but I wanted to
establish Jack's character, and the idea of Max's seizure came to me so I ran with it. I'm suck a sucker
for things like that.
this chapter went through several titles before I finally settled on this one
"Jack be Nimble, Jack be Quick"
*****
"Hey sweet thing" Jack Warren was camped out near a wall outside the checkpoint between two
sectors "Bet I can put a smile on your face" his eyes traveled up Max's frame with the speed of a fast
paced snail. He actually licked his lips, and arched his eyebrows, sending them up into his mass of
blonde hair
"Bet I can take yours off" Max snarled back to him, she showed the cop her sector pass, wheeling
her bike through.
"Keep it moving" the sector cop waved his hand at the line that had formed
"Nice ride for a nice honey" Jack threw out after Max was on the other side, mounting the Ninja
"Bite me!" Max spat back /dumb prick/ She revved up the engine and took off. /Guys like a
perverted version of Zack, and that's just NASTY to think about/
Max killed the engine once she pulled into the "parking lot" at Jam Pony, locking her baby up before
heading inside.
"Late-"
"Spare me" Max broke in before Normal could begin his morning tirade. She headed over to her
locker "Anyone seen Cree?"
"She's getting some java" Sketchy informed "I haven't needed any since she started working here"
Sketchy stated in a dream like voice, staring at Cree stirring her swill "that, is a nice looking woman"
"Boy-" Cindy approached him "If Natalie knew half the stuff that was going on in that warped
brain of yours she'd leave your sorry ass before you could blink. Now move" Cindy shoved
him "Need some time with Max"
After Sketchy left, Cindy turned to Max "So I waited up for my girl, but my little suga didn't come
home last night" she had an "I knew it" tone of voice "You and your squeeze do some late night
connecting?"
"No" Max put a damper on Cindy's thinking "That guy at Crash, he was a brothel scout, tryin' to
get Cree back, had to make a detour at Logan's 'cause he was tailing us. Almost crashed my baby"
Cindy's smile vanished at that remark "If I see him, gonna put a smack down on his ass, messin' with my
girls"
"This is about me isn't it?" Cree appeared from the back, taking one last sip of her coffee before
chucking the cup in the trash. She looked more rested then last night, but not any less on edge. She
had left Logan's early, even beating Max out the door.
"It's nuthin' bad" Max argued
"With me it's always bad" Cree pointed out
"Need to cut that out girl" Cindy informed "Don't diss where disses don't belong"
"Hey, Pippy Longstocking and Crew" Normal called out, referencing the old children's books because
of Cree's jet black hair pulled into two pigtails "Bip bip, we work not talk"
Cree caught the box Normal threw at her "Guess I better get started" she grabbed a bike, stuffing the
box in her pack.
"Hey honey" a guy called out after her, catching site of her slim figure, and liking what he saw
Cree ignored him, still moving out the doorway. /"Honey, c'mon, this is what you want"
"I'm not sure," Cree argued, looking out over the night sky. There were tons of stars, and
nothing but the sounds of crickets because of how far out into the boonies they were "I am" the boy argued
"Your so amazing, I just want to prove how much I feel that" he touched her hair, wrapping it up
in his hand/
"Jack" her words were just a breathy whisper, she ducked behind the wall, staring back inside
He was there, talking to Normal. Almost exactly the same as he had been three years ago,
except he was taller, and lost the crew cut. /He didn't recognize me, did I change that much?
I only grew about three inches/ Even though she couldn't think of why her sleazy ex didn't
know who she was when he saw her, she had changed from that innocent fourteen year old
that use to hang on him, she had grown up and become harder.
She turned and headed out again, moving very fast.
"My sistah" Herbal looked at her, when she nearly collided with him "In a hurry I see"
"Yeah, I'm late Herbal, sorry bout that" she didn't offer him anything more and pedaled her bike
away down the dirty street.
"This has to get out today" Jack waved a box at Normal's face
"You think I care what HAS to be done kid?" Normal shot back "This is the Pulse world,
nothing is fast anymore" he took the box from him "I'll hand it off, but I'm not promising you
anything"
"Appreciate it big guy" Jack pounded on the desk
"Punk" Normal mumbled when Jack left
"Whoa" Jack took a step back, when Max bumped into him "Hello again baby, this is fate
the way we keep meeting up, how bout you give me your name and we consummate that?"
"And who the hell let you out of your hole?" Max didn't even look at him "Blow off scuzz"
"Max keep your mind on your work" Normal interrupted "Or you won't have any"
he stacked three boxes on the counter for her "bip, bip, bip"
"Max," Jack tested out the name "Fit's such a FINE looker, mmmmMMM"
Max zipped up her pack, and grabbed Jack by his collar "Did what you came here for,
so get going before you loose the ability to walk upright" she let him go, and shoved past him
"Take my advice kid" Normal informed after Max left "Don't mess with her. She may look good,
but she has the biggest attitude, and the strength to match"
"I'm up for a challenge," Jack stated with a sly smile, heading out of the delivery service
"Why do these kids always hang around here?" Normal muttered, leafing through the papers on his
desk.
Jack climbed back into his yellow Gremlin, adjusting his rear view mirrors. He spotted Max, leaving on her bike
/She's damn fine, be great to mess with, bet she'd also be worth a lot/ He turned on the engine, and followed
her down the road
*****
Manchester Ave.
Max dismounted her bike, grabbing the box out of her pack and trudging up the stairs. She was starting
to feel a little off, which could only mean that she was about to experience a seizure, and she wanted to
get this thing handed off and go home /Screw Normal, I'll take a sick day/
"Thank you" Max stated tiredly to the elderly man who had signed for the package. She moved slowly back to
her bike, climbing on it, and heading back down the road. Her head was starting to buzz now, making pedaling
difficult /I'll drop this thing off tomorrow. Normal will be pissed but, who cares?/ As she continued her trip
home she noticed how a yellow Gremlin kept following her. /What's his deal?/ Max ignored the driver for a
few more yards, but when a light changed to red, the guy suddenly swerved in front of her.
Max was thrown off the bike /What the hell?/ she spit dirt out her mouth, standing up quickly in time to
see the driver right up in her face "What part of "blow off " don't you understand?"
"I just want to get to know you more" Jack spewed this out in one breath "Just give it a chance baby"
"Lemme think 'bout that" Max returned, going silent for all of one second "No"
Jack grabbed her by the arm "I didn't mean you had a choice"
/Uh uh, he did not just do that/ "Wanna let go of that?" she yanked her arm back, nailing him in the face with his own
fist. She moved to sidekick him, but found herself on the ground again, because of her seizure fogged brain.
Jack kneeled down next to her "C'mon baby, I can make a lot of a sugar like you" he stroked her face
Max head butted him "Get off me!" she climbed back to her feet, heading over to his Gremlin. With super
human strength she ripped open the hood, punching a hole in the radiator, making hot steam spew out of
the engine. This action burned her knuckles from the leaking fluid, but she was to up on adrenaline to feel it.
She climbed back on her bike, Jack coming up to her "Bitch! What the hell do you think you're doing?"
he grabbed the handles of her bike, but this time when she moved to kick him, she was dead on
"I said get off me prick!" she looked at him lying on the road "You might find it in your best interest to
stay the hell away from me" she pumped the bike down the road
*****
Max somehow wound up not at home, but at Logan's. But right now she didn't care where the hell she was,
and she wasn't about to truck it back to her place. She didn't even have energy to break the lock, so she
pounded on the door with one closed fist. Her headache had gone from a light throb to an entire 1812 Overture
run through, and she was sweating enough to start another Great Flood in the hallway.
"Max?" Logan opened his door, seeing her standing there, leaning against the frame "What is it?"
"Don't feel so good" was all she said, trying to focus on something other then the blurriness.
"Come in" Logan didn't hide the worry in his voice, moving aside so she could enter the apartment.
She took all of two steps before she lost her footing.
"Whoa" Logan caught her before she took a header into his hardwood floor. "C'mon, you need to
lie down on the couch" he felt her start to shake more violently, and supported her over to his couch
so she wouldn't loose her footing.
"Max?" he spoke to her worriedly, after she had sprawled out on her side. He offered her the meds,
which she took without water. He noticed the burn on her hand "Where did this come from?" he
examined the blistered flesh on the knuckles.
"Radiator" she responded cryptically, tucking more into herself as the tremors continued.
/I'll have to ask her about that later/ He watched her convulse, only being able to offer her
minimal support as her body went through hell. Her hand was locked around his in a death
squeeze the entire time. Eventually, she simply passed out from the strain.
After a few minutes of Logan sponging down her face and neck, she came around looking
at him bleary eyed.
"Welcome back" Logan tried to sound light hearted, but her seizures always scared the hell out of him.
During the time that she was unconscious, he had bandaged her hand to keep the flesh from becoming
infected "How you feeling?"
She shrugged "Not too bad, tired" she looked at her bandaged hand "Thanks doc"
This produced a smile from him "You got this from a radiator?" he stated, "You don't even own a car"
"Wasn't mine" Max informed "Some ass was following me home, nearly ran me off the road, so
I messed up his ride"
"Do you know his name?" Logan asked /so I can find him and beat that shit up for doing this to you/
he added in his mind.
"Never asked," Max went for honest "Just some random looser that I had to put straight" she shifted on
the couch "You find anything else about those losers that were looking for Cree?" she went for a different
angle.
"Yeah" Logan responded "There was some man asking people about the whereabouts of an Asian
"girlfriend" he wanted to reconcile with. He's been at three sectors already" Logan pulled something
out of his lap "Don't have anything to go on other then a hover cam shot that was snapped when
he was getting into his car" he showed her the picture
Max started at the photo "That's the same car that almost mauled me"
"Did you see the tags?"
Max shook her head "I was kinda out of it, after I kicked his ass I just hauled it"
"Maybe Cree knows something about it" Logan pointed out "If you can get her up here tonight,
we can ask her about it"
"Just hope it doesn't bring back bad memories for her" Max stated "Girl's been through a lot"
/Like you/ Logan looked at her "She might feel better getting it out. Had to be hell keeping that
in for three years"
"Maybe" Max said around a yawn "Man, looks like I'm gonna wind up sacking out here. Work
ends at five. I'll head down there in an hour and get her" she looked at him "You mind me here?"
"Close your eyes Max" was his answer.
*****
I finally got this out, it took a few run through ideas. There wasn't much of Cree in here, but I wanted to
establish Jack's character, and the idea of Max's seizure came to me so I ran with it. I'm suck a sucker
for things like that.