AS 2.06 Paper Caper by Star24

Disclaimer: Dark Angel and its characters are property and copyright Twentieth Century Fox, James Cameron, and Charles Eglee. This original story is copyright 2003 Star24

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Chapter Ten

Fogle Towers

"…so that's what I was able to find out from the brat. Her mother has, or rather had, the manuscript and was meeting some guy named Carl or Carlos a couple of hours ago to give it to him." Max finished explaining her encounter with Melanie to Logan.

She leaned her hips back against his desk, and crossed her arms as she regarded him. Logan was seated in his desk chair which was pushed back from his computer, legs spread wide in what she had come to recognize as one of his favorite positions. His brow was wrinkled in thought as he processed the information she had given him. Her mind wandered as she watched him run a hand through his disheveled hair, and she remembered how soft that same hair had felt under her hands the previous night.

"Max? I asked if Melanie was okay? You didn't…" Logan was saying.

Max grinned. "I didn't kick her ass, even though she deserved it. But let's just say she took an unplanned shower in a ladies room sink. To wash off some of that gunk she wears on her face." She pasted a look of innocence on her face as she met Logan's eyes.

Logan raised his eyebrows, but didn't comment. Max stretched and her top rode up, exposing a band of skin above the waistband of her jeans. It was Logan's turn to lose concentration as he remembered running his hands over that same silky skin only twenty fours earlier.

"Logan? What do we do now? It doesn't seem like we have much to go on. Do you want me to touch base with any of my old contacts? The ones I used to use?"

"You mean your fences?" Logan wasn't fooled. "And old? As in a couple of days or weeks old?"

"You know I gave all that up once I met you. I only stole stuff to finance looking for my sibs." Max retorted.

"If you say so, Max." Logan didn't appear to be convinced, but he didn't seem to be upset about her more questionable activities either, so Max surprised herself with her response.

"I haven't stolen anything from anyone since the whole Lemkin dealio. Anyway, I still don't see the harm in stealing from thieves. It's not like I've done any real B&E's, other than the ones I've done for Eyes Only in the last year."

Logan seemed surprised at her vehemence, and she flushed, annoyed with herself.

He regarded her silently and decided that it would be better to let the matter drop, even though a certain red dress came to mind. He didn't think that mentioning that would be a smart move on his part. "Thanks for the offer, and I may take you up on it, but I have some ideas of my own I want to try first." He straightened in his chair and rolled it over to the desk.

"What ideas?" Max wanted to know. She walked over to stand behind him and leaned over his shoulder to watch him work. Logan caught the scent of her shampoo, overlaid with her favorite cherry flavored gum, and was hard put to concentrate on the task at hand.

"I was contacted not too long ago by someone wanting to know if the manuscript was for sale. They worked for a firm that specializes in locating rare items for wealthy collectors." Logan's fingers were flying over the keyboard. Within seconds a website opened in front of them. "Got it."

"Sky Blue Collectibles and Rarities? That's the place that contacted you?" Max guessed.

"That's the one. I told them the manuscript wasn't for sale and they said 'thank you', and that appeared to be that. But now I'm wondering." Logan continued to hit keys, and pages rapidly opened and closed on the screen in front of them. "Ah, here we go. Sky Blue's personnel department. Now I just need to find the password." He punched more keys and a small window popped up in the center of the screen. A counter clicked as the computer worked. "This might take a minute or two."

Logan swiveled his chair so that he was facing Max. He reached for her hands and gently tugged on them. Max let him pull her onto his lap without protesting. His familiar scent tickled her nose and surrounded her. She leaned in and their lips met in a kiss. Logan stroked her back, as he took his time kissing her.

PING

The sound of the computer interrupted them, and Max sighed as she sat back, breaking their contact. Their eyes met and held. Logan ran a finger down her cheek and smiled at her.

"We can pick this up later?" His voice was low and husky and sent shivers down her spine.

"Sounds like a plan," she agreed. "So long as you don't have any more relatives dropping by." She rose from his lap, allowing him to turn back to his computer screen.

Logan didn't answer. He was already scrolling through a list of names. "Gotcha." He said when he was halfway down the third page. Max looked at the row that was highlighted on the screen.

Carlos del Valle. Hire date: 4/1/2018, Position: Senior Acquisitions Specialist.

"You think that's the guy your cousin is involved with?"

"It seems just a bit suspicious that a guy named Carlos turns up and blackmails her to get a manuscript from me right after I turn down Sky Blue's offer to buy it, and, coincidentally, Sky Blue just happens to have an Acquisitions Specialist named Carlos on their payroll."

Max smiled. "When you put it that way it does."

Logan looked at her. "How would you like to make the acquaintance of a certain Carlos Del Valle?"

"As in? " Max asked.

"As in making him think you're a bored socialite, with contacts among those people who might have items he'd like to acquire?" Logan answered. "And maybe searching his apartment while you're at it?"

"Why don't I just break in and steal the manuscript back?"

"A, he may not have the manuscript there any longer, and, B, as long as we're doing this, we might as well see if we can get the information to put Sky Blue out of business if it turns out that they're nothing more than a sophisticated theft ring."

Max sighed, "I don't suppose I can convince you otherwise?"

Logan shrugged. "It seems kind of selfish to help myself and leave them out there to prey on others."

"Protect the downtrodden…blah, blah, woof, woof…I know." Max responded with a hint of her usual sarcasm in her tone.

Their eyes met and they smiled at each other. Logan's smile faded after a moment.

"What else?" Max wanted to know.

Logan hesitated. "For this to work I need more information on Sky Blue and Carlos. Then I need to establish your cover. That's going to take some time. But you need to hook up with him by tomorrow night. Any longer than that, and I'm afraid the manuscript may be out of our reach."

Max looked at him. "So in other words, the rest of tonight is going to be devoted to research on Sky Blue?"

"Max…" Logan started to apologize. "I know I promised you tonight…"

Max shrugged. "If things ever worked out the way we planned them, I think I'd drop dead of shock. I won't say I'm thrilled but …"

Logan smiled in relief. "Thanks, Max. This means a lot to me."

"I know that, but I'd like to know why. What is this manuscript anyway?" Max wanted to know.

Logan flushed slightly. "I promise I'll explain. Once we get it back."

Max looked at him narrowly. "You better believe you will." She dropped back down into his lap. "I'm going to head out and hang at CRASH for a while, since I have a feeling you'll be buried in your computer. You want to remind me exactly why I'm doing this for you?"

"Other than the fact that you think I'm cute and charming and very sexy?" Logan teased as he slid his arms around her waist.

Max gave him a mock glare. "You better curb the ego, seeing as how this is two nights in a row you're blowing me off."

"How about this for a reason, then?" Logan pulled her to him and proceeded to kiss her very thoroughly. "Plus, once we finish off this job, I promise no Eyes Only work until after we take some time for ourselves."

"None?" Max asked. "For how long?"

"For at least twelve hours." Logan offered.

"Forty eight hours." Max countered.

"Twenty four hours now, and a weekend at my family cabin in a couple of weeks."

Max was silent and Logan felt a twinge of nervousness.

She smiled. "Done. But I'm holding you to it."

"Done."

They kissed once more, and then Max reluctantly rose from his lap. "You better get to work. I want to get this bitch over and done with tomorrow."

Logan smiled. "No more than I do." He ran his eyes over her, and she felt the familiar heat that he could generate in her with a simple look.

"I'm outta here." She returned his look and was pleased to pick up his immediate increase in pulse rate and respiration, things her enhanced senses easily detected. With a flip of her hair and a seductive swagger to her hips, she strode from the room, leaving him staring after her with a hungry look in his eyes.

End of Chapter Ten