"Ok, got it. Baxter Avenue. We can take Anna's car, she won't go anywhere."
Max agreed. "I'll go find her any get the key."
Logan waited in the parking lot when Max came through the frnt door.
"Want me to drive?" She grinned.
"Very funny." Max was glad they'd reach a point of understanding where she could joke around like that without him getting offended. Of course, there were days when he would, but she thought to know him well enough to be able to tell when it wasnot appropriate to joke like that.
She opened the passenger door of the small red Nissan and waited forhim to transfer, then she strored teh chair in the trunk. They's learnt on other occasions that there was pretty much only one way to get the chair into the small car.
"Ok, all set. Do you know which way..." she looked to her left and found Logan hovering over a street map. "Great idea!"
"Yeah, I think so. It's not that far."he gave the orders andafter less than twenty minutes Max parked the car in front of an ol three story building.
"Guess I'm gonna wait in the car. I wouldn't be very useful, huh?"
"The breaking in is my part." She gave him a kiss on the right cheek and then got out of the car.
Nobody answered th door, so Max decided to take it as an unspoken invitation. With practiced ease she opened teh doora nd let herself in. The place was a mess, but a pack of diapers immediately caught her attention. "Guess I was right..." She scanned through the kitchen and th living room before she found what she'd been looking for in the bedroom. "Bingo."
"Gosh, I was about to call the police and ask them to check on the burglar in that apartment."
"Better late than never." She handed him a piece of papare and waited.
"So?" Logan raised his eyebrows.
"Don't you ge it? Thos eare names and telephone numbers ofcouples who buy the babies."
"Max, you can't prove that..."
"I just know, ok?" Her face showed enough determination to convince Logan to give it a secon thought.
"Ok, let's say you aeright...we have no clue where they meet or..."
"Logan! Good morning! We have contact numbers!" She playfully slapped his thigh, figuring it wouldn't hurt him anyway.
"So you wanna call them and ask where and when they are going to meet a couple to illegally buy a child!"
"Kinda...of course you have to be a little more sensitive and convincing..."
"You...as n you want ME to call'em?"
"Yeah. I did the stealing part, now it's your turn."
Logan ighed, but still retrieved the cell phone from his jacket pocket.
"I don't think they'll buy it, but if you think..." He dialed the first number on the sheet.
In the next two minutes he cooked up a story not even Max could follow, but when he hang up the phone, he grinned.
"That poor guy hardly spoke any English, guess that's why he was so cooperative. Parking lot at the interstate, at the river. 2 pm."
"We've got them. You've been really good."
"I know."
As it already was past noon, they decided to drive staight to that parking lot.
"We can't stay here," Logan said. "Melissa probably knows anna's car and I told you before that it's hard to stay unrecognized when sitting in a wheelchair."
"There was a path leading into the forest a couple of minutes back. We leave teh car there and walk bac here."
"Ok, but please do that alone, I'll stay here."
Max nodded her agreement though she wasn't happy about leaving him alone.
"Why can't we just call the police anyway? We're not in Seattle, they are not corrupt."
"I have my rules.Besides, if there are masses of police men showing up around here, the girl might get suspicious. I can handle that much."
"Whatever you say."
Max unloaded the chair and waited until he had settled in it. Then she preceded him to a small shack. It was sealed shut, but within a minute she motioned him to wheel inside. "Wait right here. I'll be back assoon as possible."
Moments later Logan heard the car drive away. He leaned forward and put his head in his hands, waiting.
Suddenly there was another car, doors opened and shut. Carefully not to make any noises he wheeled to the wooden door and peeked through a small hole.
"Damn it, Max.Hurry up."
Melissa was nervously glancing around, a rather small, thick guy with tatoos on his exposed forearms and a bald head leaned against the car, smoking.
"They were supposed to be here at one." Logan checked his watch, it was five minutes to one.
"They will come." Mr Baldhead's voice was the complet opposite of his appearance, high and annoying
"What if they are late, we should have left more time between the exchanges."
Logan mentally slapped himself, why hadn't he and Max considered that they might nothave called the first couple to get a baby.
Right now there was nothing he could do though, he had to wait at least until it was obvious what hose folks were up to. Besides, there wasn't really much he could do. Sitting in a wheelchair didn't exacty help threatening criminals.
He nervously scanned the woods, at least as far as he could see them through the peekhole, hoping to see Max. But if she didn't an to be seen, he wouldn't discover her either. So Logan just prayed she was already back, watching and waiting aswell.
Max was grateful she'd carefully approached the parking lot, otherwise Melissa and that guy probably would have noticed her. Now she cast worried glances at the shack, hoping Logan's sense of justice wouldn't make him do anything stupid.
Suddenly another car parked on the lot, a young couplegotout and nervously walked over to Melissa and the poor excuse of a decent lover.
"Do you have the money?"
"Yes, where is the baby?" The man had a strong Spanish accent.
"In the car."
Suddenly another car parked on the lot and the four of them visibly flinched. The guy retrieved a cell phone, dialed a number and waited. Apparently nobody answered the phone so he put his car back in gear and pulled out of the lot.
"Let's go over there." Melissa motioned to the shack.
"Dammit." Logan desperately looked around, but there was nowhere to hide. He wheeled close to the wall, hoping the door would give him some cover, once it was opened.
Max heart fell, silenty she sneaked closer as Mr Baldhead preceded to the shack and kicked the door open.
When the four of them had all walked in, Max broke in a run, but before she could reach the door, there was a shot. "Logan!"
Max agreed. "I'll go find her any get the key."
Logan waited in the parking lot when Max came through the frnt door.
"Want me to drive?" She grinned.
"Very funny." Max was glad they'd reach a point of understanding where she could joke around like that without him getting offended. Of course, there were days when he would, but she thought to know him well enough to be able to tell when it wasnot appropriate to joke like that.
She opened the passenger door of the small red Nissan and waited forhim to transfer, then she strored teh chair in the trunk. They's learnt on other occasions that there was pretty much only one way to get the chair into the small car.
"Ok, all set. Do you know which way..." she looked to her left and found Logan hovering over a street map. "Great idea!"
"Yeah, I think so. It's not that far."he gave the orders andafter less than twenty minutes Max parked the car in front of an ol three story building.
"Guess I'm gonna wait in the car. I wouldn't be very useful, huh?"
"The breaking in is my part." She gave him a kiss on the right cheek and then got out of the car.
Nobody answered th door, so Max decided to take it as an unspoken invitation. With practiced ease she opened teh doora nd let herself in. The place was a mess, but a pack of diapers immediately caught her attention. "Guess I was right..." She scanned through the kitchen and th living room before she found what she'd been looking for in the bedroom. "Bingo."
"Gosh, I was about to call the police and ask them to check on the burglar in that apartment."
"Better late than never." She handed him a piece of papare and waited.
"So?" Logan raised his eyebrows.
"Don't you ge it? Thos eare names and telephone numbers ofcouples who buy the babies."
"Max, you can't prove that..."
"I just know, ok?" Her face showed enough determination to convince Logan to give it a secon thought.
"Ok, let's say you aeright...we have no clue where they meet or..."
"Logan! Good morning! We have contact numbers!" She playfully slapped his thigh, figuring it wouldn't hurt him anyway.
"So you wanna call them and ask where and when they are going to meet a couple to illegally buy a child!"
"Kinda...of course you have to be a little more sensitive and convincing..."
"You...as n you want ME to call'em?"
"Yeah. I did the stealing part, now it's your turn."
Logan ighed, but still retrieved the cell phone from his jacket pocket.
"I don't think they'll buy it, but if you think..." He dialed the first number on the sheet.
In the next two minutes he cooked up a story not even Max could follow, but when he hang up the phone, he grinned.
"That poor guy hardly spoke any English, guess that's why he was so cooperative. Parking lot at the interstate, at the river. 2 pm."
"We've got them. You've been really good."
"I know."
As it already was past noon, they decided to drive staight to that parking lot.
"We can't stay here," Logan said. "Melissa probably knows anna's car and I told you before that it's hard to stay unrecognized when sitting in a wheelchair."
"There was a path leading into the forest a couple of minutes back. We leave teh car there and walk bac here."
"Ok, but please do that alone, I'll stay here."
Max nodded her agreement though she wasn't happy about leaving him alone.
"Why can't we just call the police anyway? We're not in Seattle, they are not corrupt."
"I have my rules.Besides, if there are masses of police men showing up around here, the girl might get suspicious. I can handle that much."
"Whatever you say."
Max unloaded the chair and waited until he had settled in it. Then she preceded him to a small shack. It was sealed shut, but within a minute she motioned him to wheel inside. "Wait right here. I'll be back assoon as possible."
Moments later Logan heard the car drive away. He leaned forward and put his head in his hands, waiting.
Suddenly there was another car, doors opened and shut. Carefully not to make any noises he wheeled to the wooden door and peeked through a small hole.
"Damn it, Max.Hurry up."
Melissa was nervously glancing around, a rather small, thick guy with tatoos on his exposed forearms and a bald head leaned against the car, smoking.
"They were supposed to be here at one." Logan checked his watch, it was five minutes to one.
"They will come." Mr Baldhead's voice was the complet opposite of his appearance, high and annoying
"What if they are late, we should have left more time between the exchanges."
Logan mentally slapped himself, why hadn't he and Max considered that they might nothave called the first couple to get a baby.
Right now there was nothing he could do though, he had to wait at least until it was obvious what hose folks were up to. Besides, there wasn't really much he could do. Sitting in a wheelchair didn't exacty help threatening criminals.
He nervously scanned the woods, at least as far as he could see them through the peekhole, hoping to see Max. But if she didn't an to be seen, he wouldn't discover her either. So Logan just prayed she was already back, watching and waiting aswell.
Max was grateful she'd carefully approached the parking lot, otherwise Melissa and that guy probably would have noticed her. Now she cast worried glances at the shack, hoping Logan's sense of justice wouldn't make him do anything stupid.
Suddenly another car parked on the lot, a young couplegotout and nervously walked over to Melissa and the poor excuse of a decent lover.
"Do you have the money?"
"Yes, where is the baby?" The man had a strong Spanish accent.
"In the car."
Suddenly another car parked on the lot and the four of them visibly flinched. The guy retrieved a cell phone, dialed a number and waited. Apparently nobody answered the phone so he put his car back in gear and pulled out of the lot.
"Let's go over there." Melissa motioned to the shack.
"Dammit." Logan desperately looked around, but there was nowhere to hide. He wheeled close to the wall, hoping the door would give him some cover, once it was opened.
Max heart fell, silenty she sneaked closer as Mr Baldhead preceded to the shack and kicked the door open.
When the four of them had all walked in, Max broke in a run, but before she could reach the door, there was a shot. "Logan!"
