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 Twelve
Odessa Social Club
Sketchy nervously smoothed his hair and checked his wallet, before knocking on the door of the Russian gambling club. He only had a couple thousand dollars of his advance money from the paper remaining, and he didn't have much more than what he had started with. He frowned, but then his native optimism kicked in and he thought about Galena's promise of a private supper. Surely he could get some information from her once they were alone. He lifted his hand and rapped sharply on the door. This time it opened without any questions from the bouncer and Sketchy strode into the club confidently.
He stood surveying the room for a moment, and then headed over to the cashier's cage to exchange his money for chips.
"Theodore." A sultry voice purred in his ear and soft hands wrapped themselves around him. Galena, clad in another form-fitting mini-dress that left nothing to the imagination, flowed up against him. She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him long and expertly. "I have been waiting for you."
Sketchy smiled at her, bemused. "So we're on for supper then?"
Galena smiled seductively. "But of course. But it will take a while to prepare. You must enjoy some of the gaming while we wait. I will go and order the supper and meet you at the tables, yes?"
Sketchy nodded, willingly falling under her spell.
Two hours later he watched blearily as the croupier raked in the last of his chips. Galena sat on his lap and had spent the time sharing numerous glasses of champagne with him.
"So how about supper? It must be ready by now." Sketchy looked at her.
"You do not want to game any longer? Galena will get you more chips."
"I didn't bring any more with cash with me tonight." He paused. "To be honest I have to be careful. My dad called today and was giving me a hard time about the cash I've been taking out."
"That is no problem. You just sign a slip and you have as many chips as you like." She beamed at him. "You pay for them in a few days when your father loses interest."
"Why don't we have our supper first?" Sketchy hedged.
Galena rose. "But of course. Then you game some more, no?"
"I think not tonight." Sketchy said. "Maybe tomorrow."
Galena took his hand and led him toward a stairway leading up from the rear of the room. Sketchy didn't notice her slight nod to a beefy bouncer. He followed her eagerly, intent on the sway of her hips in her short tight dress. When they reached the top of the stairs Galena turned to the left and opened a door to a room. Sketchy followed her inside. A table was set with gleaming china and to the side a chaise lounge wide enough to accommodate two comfortably, beckoned invitingly.
Galena maneuvered Sketchy so his back was to the door and pressed herself against him. His hands went around her as she kissed him with open mouth. Sketchy let his hands grow bolder and roam downward as the kiss continued. Galena made no objection and he felt himself drifting into what was surely heaven…
* * * * * *
"Ohhh." His head was pounding and he felt like he'd been run over by a truck. Sketchy gingerly raised himself to a sitting position. He was lying on a pile of trash in a deserted alley. He felt the back of his head and there was a definite bump.
"Damn it." Realization hit him hard. He'd been played for a fool. The advance money was gone and he had no story. He felt sick to his stomach. He tried to rise but when he did, the dizziness hit him and he leaned over and was sick. When he finished he staggered from the alley and slowly began to make his way home.
Aladdin Arms, Sector Nine
"I know this building." Max purred to Carlos as his limousine pulled up in front of Aladdin Arms High Rise. "I had a friend who invested in several apartments here. Aladdin Arms was supposed to be the crème de la crème of the new buildings until they built Fogle Towers."
"It does for a bachelor apartment." Carlos said smoothly. "I am only on a short tem lease until I decide where I wish to buy. You say Fogle Towers is the building to be in?"
"Everyone knows that. But I'm afraid the penthouses in Fogle aren't available. I wanted one but they were already taken and my husband refused to pay a premium to buy one out." Max pouted prettily.
"I can't offer you the penthouse here I am afraid, but my apartment takes up the entire 22nd floor. Perhaps that will do for tonight?" Carlos said as they stood in the lobby waiting for the elevator.
"That will do perfectly." Max said as he dropped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. He was leaning in for a kiss when the elevator pinged and the doors opened in front of them. She pulled away and walked into the elevator in front of him.
"Nice, Max. Aladdin Arms, 22nd floor." Logan's voice sounded in her ear. "I've got your back."
The elevator doors closed behind them and Carlos was moving toward her once more, but she pushed him back gently. "I get dizzy in elevators." She smiled at him, "There's no rush is there?"
"But of course not, Cherie." Carlos leaned back and contented himself with undressing her with his eyes, while Max mentally considered the various forms of torture she was going to inflict not only on him, but on Logan for putting her through this.
They reached the 22nd floor and the doors to the elevator slid open smoothly. They stood in a private hallway with a double wooden door facing them. Carlos walked over and punched in numbers on a keypad next to the doors, and then pulled one open for Max to precede him into the apartment.
The apartment that opened in front of her was clearly expensive. The floors were of black marble, and oriental carpets in shades of black and white were scattered across them. The furnishings were of black leather, and chrome and glass predominated. The entire facing wall was made up of floor to ceiling windows that overlooked Elliott Bay. Max strolled over and pretended to be enjoying the view.
Within moments Carlos was at her elbow holding a small glass containing an amber colored liquid. "I promised you my special Sherry."
Max took the glass from him. "Thank you." She turned back to the windows. "This view is wonderful. You must never tire of it."
"Ah, but the view in front of me is even better," Carlos said smoothly. His arm snaked around her waist and rested familiarly on her hip. He leaned in and dropped kisses on her neck.
"I need to make use of your powder room if I may," Max said after a moment.
Carlos stepped away. "It is down that hallway to the left."
"Perhaps you might find some music for us to…dance to when I return." Max smiled at him seductively. She turned and left, carrying her untouched drink with her as Carlos watched her eagerly.
Max found the bathroom easily and locked the door behind her. Her first order of business was to dump most of the drink down the sink. She left a fraction of an inch in the glass and filled it back up with water. The color was lighter, but she figured she could keep Carlos busy enough not to notice.
"Logan?" she whispered. "Are you still here?"
"I'm right with you, Max. Everything okay?" Logan responded.
"Everything is fine. I'm going to send him out for something, and while he's gone I can search this place. Anything in particular I should be looking for?"
"A briefcase, PDA, laptop. Anything that might have records of what he and Sky Blue have been up to. I doubt you'll find the manuscript."
"Will do. I'm heading back out now." Max made a production of flushing the toilet and washing her hands, and then unlocked the door and sauntered out holding her now watered down drink.
Carlos was seated on the leather sofa watching her as she returned. Soft music played in the background.
Max dropped down next to him. She made sure her skirt rose well up and he got a good look at her legs as she raised her glass. "To a profitable evening," she said softly and then she quickly drank down the liquid.
Carlos smiled as he watched her drink, and he drank from his own glass which contained a clear liquid. He took her glass from her and leaned in and began to kiss her. Max allowed it for a moment and then pushed him back.
"What?" He looked somewhat annoyed.
Max smiled and ran a finger down his thigh. "You'll think I'm silly but I have this…little quirk. It involves whipped cream and strawberries. You wouldn't happen to have any would you?"
Carlos frowned. "Not that I know of. Perhaps another time."
Max pouted. "Oh no. I want to show you my game. Please. I saw a gourmet market on the corner and it was open. It will only take you a few minutes to get some and while you go, I can make myself comfortable." She ran a hand over her leg pushing her skirt even higher as she spoke, and leaned back, arching her back. Carlos' eyes were glued to her.
"My bedroom is in there. Make use of what you wish in the master bath while I am gone." He leaned over and kissed her again, forcing his tongue into her mouth. Max forced herself to respond and smile when he rose from the sofa.
"Hurry back and be sure to bring several cans of the whipped cream."
She waited until the door closed behind him, and then she rose from the sofa and began a systematic search of the apartment.
"Max, I'm outside the building. I'll let you know when he's on his way back up." Logan said in her ear.
"What are you doing here? I said I could take care of myself." She hissed in annoyance.
"Good surveillance is a key to a successful operation." Logan said smugly.
"You're starting to sound like Zack." Max snapped.
Within moments she had finished the living room and moved on to the study. A quick search of the desk revealed nothing, but then she spotted a leather briefcase leaning in a corner. It was locked but that was no problem for her. She opened it and pulled out a PDA.
"Logan, I think I have what we need." She was already scrolling through the PDA. "His PDA with records of all his appointments. And there's an encrypted section I can't get into."
"I can. That's what we want. I think you're done there." Logan said.
Just then the door opened. "Logan, I thought you were watching?" Max hissed, slipping the PDA into her purse and hurrying to the master bedroom.
"I am. The bastard must have used a side entrance to get back in."
Max was in the master bedroom and she glanced around quickly, making sure there was nothing more she needed. She heard footsteps and quickly set down her purse, and turned to stand seductively as Carlos entered the room. Suddenly she was hit with a wave of dizziness.
"Cherie, are you all right?" Carlos set down the bag he carried, and walked over to her.
"I must have had a bit too much to drink tonight." Max said as she struggled to gain control.
"Here, lie down on the bed. I will get a cold compress."
She had no choice but to allow him to help her down onto the bed.
"Max, are you okay?" Logan's concern was clear in his voice.
"Whatever he put in that drink was stronger than I thought it would be. Even watered down it's hitting me hard. I'll be okay in a minute. Then I'm out of here," she whispered back to him.
Carlos emerged from the bathroom carrying a damp washcloth. He placed it on Max's head murmuring solicitously to her. Her dizziness increased, and then she felt his hands on her dress, beginning to slip it down. "Let me take this off of you, Cherie. You will be more comfortable."
"No. I'm fine." She struggled to sit up. Carlos allowed her to, but then his hands slipped to her back and she felt her zipper sliding down.
Max gathered her strength and managed to push the dizziness aside. She pushed Carlos back from her. Before she could do more, there was a loud banging on the door to the apartment.
Carlos frowned. "I will be right back. Lie down and rest. You will feel better."
He hurried from the room and Max reached back and pulled her zipper up. She rose and grabbed her purse. The dizziness was subsiding as her X5 metabolism kicked in and neutralized the drug in the drink. She followed Carlos to the living room, and arrived just as he opened the door to Logan.
"I think you have the wrong apartment." Carlos was saying.
"And I think you have the wrong woman. Where's my wife?" Logan demanded.
Max let out a theatrical gasp. "Oh my god," she said. "Logan! What are you doing here?"
"Max. You cheating little slut." Logan said angrily. "Is this your newest sugar daddy? Are you giving him your favorite story of how I refuse to support you in the manner you wish?"
Carlos looked from one to the other. When he turned back to Logan, Logan hit him hard in the face. Carlos staggered back, but then his hand went under his jacket and came out with a gun pointed at Logan.
Max had completely recovered and suddenly she was a blur of motion. The gun went flying and Carlos was lying unconscious on the floor.
"Max, are you okay?" Logan asked her.
Max glared at him. "I told you I had it covered. I'm fine. Now let's get out of here." She grabbed his hand and pulled him after her to the kitchen. "These tricked up places always have servant's elevators." The two found the servant's entrance and in moments they were on their way down.
"Damn it, Logan, he could have killed you. What were you thinking of?" Max glared at him angrily.
"He could have raped you. What the hell were you thinking of, drinking any of that crap?"
"I knew my metabolism would handle it. It just took a minute longer than I expected."
The two glared at each other until the elevator pinged and the doors opened to reveal a dingy basement hallway,
"My car's parked on the side. Come on." It was Logan's turn to pull Max along with him.
Within moments they were in the car. Logan stared at Max and then roughly pulled her to him and kissed her harshly. He let her go as suddenly as he had grabbed her.
"What was that about?" Max demanded.
"That was about you scaring me to death." Logan responded stonily, staring straight ahead as he started the car and headed toward Fogle Towers.
Max sighed. "I was fine, Logan. My body just needed a minute to process the drug." She waited but he didn't answer. "Logan?" Her voice had softened.
"Yeah?"
She waited a beat. "Thanks for coming to the rescue. It's good to know that a girl has her own knight in shining armor watching her back." She reached over for his hand. Logan didn't respond for a minute but then his fingers curled around hers.
"Max, don't scare me like that again. I don't think I can handle it." His voice was low and husky. "It brings back too many bad memories of when you were gone."
"Yeah, I know. But I can take care of myself. Really I can. Anyway, I got the PDA." She pulled it from her purse as they pulled into the Fogle Towers parking garage.
Logan looked at her and finally smiled. "Come on then. It's time for some Logan Cale hacker magic." He parked the car and climbed out. Max met him and the two walked to the elevators together, Logan's arm draped comfortably around Max's shoulders.
As they stood waiting, Logan really looked at her for the first time and let out a low whistle. "Damn it, Max. I have to say I can't blame the guy for wanting to jump your bones. Did you have to play it quite so…"
Max grinned at him. "Sexy? Amazing? Hot?"
"All of the above." He let his eyes wander over her blatantly, and smiled to see her faint blush.
The elevator pinged and she smiled at him sassily. "Come on, lover boy. You have work to do and I need to get out of this outfit and into some normal clothes."
"Don't do that on my account…"
The elevator door closed on the two of them, drowning out her response.
End of Chapter Twelve
