Glory Days by Star24
Disclaimer: Dark Angel and its characters are property and copyright Twentieth Century Fox and James Cameron and Charles Eglee. This original story is copyright 2003 Star24.
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Chapter Six
789 6th Avenue
The two gunmen were pacing the store waiting for the phone to ring. Max and Original Cindy sat together in the back.
"How we gonna do this, boo?" Original Cindy whispered.
"We need a diversion. Then we take them down. Thing is I can't risk doin' too much. Not with those news crews out there. We have to work it so you get all the credit."
Just then Max's cell phone began to vibrate in her jeans pocket. She looked down at the display surreptitiously. "Logan." she whispered to Original Cindy. "Hey, I need to use the ladies," she called out to the gunmen.
They both turned to look at her suspiciously
Max shrugged her shoulders, emphasizing the tight fit of her T-Shirt. "C'mon boys, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Anyway, you be nice to me and my friend, and maybe we can be nice to you when we take our little ride." Her voice was sultry.
"Check it out and make sure there ain't no window or door out of it," said the first gunman.
"Come on." The second gunman led Max to the back and the door marked Restroom. He opened it and looked around to make sure there was no other way out, then motioned her in. "Hurry up."
Max threw him a smile as she brushed past him and closed the door behind her. Once inside she went into the stall and stood there for a few minutes. She pushed the redial button on her cell phone and it immediately tried to connect to Logan.
"Max, I'm outside. Are you okay?"
As soon as she heard his voice, she flushed the toilet. Letting the sound of the running water cover her voice, she whispered to him. "We need a diversion. Something to draw their attention outside for a few. Then we can take them."
"I got it covered."
"Gotta go."
"Max, be careful."
She switched off the phone and shoved it into her pocket. When the gunman opened the door to the restroom just seconds later, she was standing at the sink drying her hands.
"Let's go." he demanded.
"I'm coming" she said, sauntering past him.
As she started to pass him by there was a loud commotion out front. The gunman turned and Max made her move. She stuck a foot out to trip him and he stumbled forward and dropped his gun. Max shoved him hard into the wall. She kicked the gun across the storeroom and left him slumped on the floor, struggling to get up. Then she hurried out to the front.
The first gunman was staring out the window to where a fracas seemed to be taking place. Several bystanders seemed to be trying to push past the barricades the police had set up, and the police were busy containing them.
"What the hell?" he muttered to himself. While his attention was distracted, Max handed Original Cindy a wooden shelving support she had picked up in the storeroom. Then she sauntered over to the gunman.
"What's the dealio out there?" she asked him
"Huh? Where's Carlos?" He started to turn to look for his partner and Original Cindy brought the wood down on his head. He dropped his gun and slowly collapsed into a heap on the floor. In the meantime Carlos had managed to get up. When the girls turned around he stood in the doorway from the back room, holding his gun in a shaking hand.
Max sighed. "Don't you know when to quit?" she asked.
He aimed the gun in her direction and Original Cindy threw the wood she held in a deadly arc aimed right at his face. It hit him square on and he dropped the gun, bringing his hands up to his face.
Max walked back to him. She drew her foot back and delivered a well placed kick that finished him off.
"Nice throw, boo."
"Original Cindy used to be the star pitcher on her high school fast pitch team."
The two girls exchanged high fives. "Look, I don't want to be on any cameras. Think you can cover for me?" Max asked.
"How you gonna get out without bein' seen?"
"I have my ways. Anyway I need to take my dress with me. I bet this place is gonna be closed for a few days, and I'm not wasting all that trying on time for nothing."
"I got your back."
Max nodded and gave Original Cindy a brief hug. She ducked into the dressing room and came out shortly with a dress bag in her hand. "Just give me five and then let them in." She headed to the back storeroom, cell phone in hand. "Logan, I need the back alley cleared so I can duck out of here…gotcha…" her voice faded, and Cindy smiled to herself as she counted the time down before she could go to the front door.
Jam Pony
"Whoa. Hey everyone, come and look. It's Original Cindy on the news!" Sketchy yelled out. The employees who weren't out on runs crowded around the television screen hung over the break area.
"This is Kathy Krane of KPIS news outside of the exclusive boutique on 6th Avenue where a tense hostage situation has just played out. Earlier today two armed gunmen invaded this posh shop and took four women hostages when an alarm was tripped and the Police surrounded the shop.
"The gunmen released two of the women about thirty minutes ago when one of them suffered an apparent heart attack. They were rushed from the scene and we understand they are in good condition at a local hospital. But just minutes ago, one of the two remaining hostages came to the door and beckoned to the police to enter. It appears that she and her companion were able to overpower the gunmen and end the situation. I have here with me Miss Cynthia MacEachin.
"Miss MaEachin where is your companion? Weren't there two of you in there?"
"You can call me Original Cindy. My friend is shy, she left by the back door once we took care of those two goons."
"How did two unarmed women manage to overcome two armed gunman?" The newswoman held the microphone to Original Cindy's face.
"You lookin at a former special op in the good ole army of the US of A. Just used some of that training is all. They ain't exactly the brightest bulbs on the block, so it wasn't too difficult. Especially when my friend distracted them."
The reporter thanked Original Cindy and turned back to her audience, talking about the gunmen and flashing their pictures on the screen.
"Man, it had to be Max with her. Those two can kick ass for sure. I've seen 'em." Sketchy bragged.
"Bip bip bip. Back to work people, and I use the term people loosely. This isn't the neighborhood pool hall and rec center." Normal emerged from his back office just as the news cut off and an afternoon soap opera resumed in the middle of the show.
"Good thing Normal missed that, or he'd be on the warpath over Original Cindy and Max." Sky whispered to Sketchy as the messengers dispersed.
Logan's Car
"Thanks for the diversion, and thanks for getting me out of there." Max smiled at Logan as he drove them through the Seattle streets.
He shrugged, "Not a problem. It's a good thing a few friends of mine from the press corps were there and willing to help out, without too many questions asked." He glanced at the dress bag Max had placed in the back seat of the Aztek. "Is that The Dress?"
She smiled smugly. "Yes, it is and no, you can't see it. Not until the reunion. So don't even ask."
"Aw. Where's the fun in that, Maxie?"
"Maxie?" Max raised her brows at him and he grinned back at her.
"It's better than Logie."
"How's your friend doing?" Max asked him changing the subject.
"He's …okay." Logan answered slowly.
"How do you know him anyway? Were you two close friends in high school?" she asked curiously.
"We were on the basketball team together. Then we both ended up in Yale in the same fraternity."
"Wow, Logan Cale frat boy. Never woulda thought it." Max teased. "What other deep dark secrets are you hiding from me?"
Logan was quiet for a moment.
"Logan? I was only kidding."
"I'm sorry, Max. You
just made me think of someone is all."
"Someone? As in a female someone?" She looked at him closely.
Logan looked at her for a moment. "Gavin's sister, her name was Carly." He said reluctantly.
Max waited for him to expand on his statement.
"His younger sister. She's dead. They were close and I think he's pretty torn up over it, even though he hides it pretty well."
"What about you?"
Logan glanced over at her, struck by something in her tone. "Max , exactly what did Gavin say to you last night, when you were standing at the window with him?"
Max hesitated before she answered. "He told me that you and his sister were in love. That you were going to get married. That I…looked a lot like her."
Logan let out what sounded like a curse under his breath. "We were together for a while, but we never talked about marriage. Not in so many words."
"Why didn't you?"
"It didn't work between us. We broke up. End of story. Pretty common one, all in all. I don't know why Gavin would tell you that it was anything more than that."
"Oh." Max was quiet.
A few minutes later they pulled up in front of Max's building.
"Do you mind if I drop you here? I'd ask you to come over tonight…but with Gavin…"
"It's okay. I understand. Anyway it kind of creeps me out, the thing with him and me and his sister. Especially knowing that she's dead. He'll be gone in two days, right?"
"Right."
"Thanks again, Logan." She opened the door, preparatory to getting out of the car.
"You know I've got your back. But do you think you could maybe avoid any more trouble until after the reunion?" There was a twinkle in his eyes as he teased her.
"I could've just gone and picked the dress up after hours, you know. You were the one who insisted on me buying it the normal way."
"Can I ever win a point with you, Max?"
"No." she grinned. "That's what keeps you coming back for more."
"Maybe so." He took her right hand and squeezed it briefly, as she reached back with her left and grabbed her dress bag. "I'll talk to you tomorrow." Once she had the dress, he pulled her to him for a brief, hard kiss. "'Night, Max."
"'Night, Logan." She climbed out of the car, dress bag in hand.
Max stood there, staring thoughtfully after his car as he pulled away.
End of Chapter Six