Dark Angel Revised
Summary: Max comes to Seattle in search of her brother Seth. Alec has also just arrived in Seattle on the Berrisford mission. They cross paths and stuff happens. M/A
Disclaimer: I don't own or have anything to do with the creation of the show or its characters.
Spoilers: Anything is subject to altering from both seasons as well as Max Collins' book Before the Dawn
For instance, in this reality, the stuff in Collins' book takes place a couple of years before it's written in the book in order to coincide with Max and Alec being in Seattle at the same time.
So, so sorry it's taken me this long to update. I've made this chapter extra, extra long as a way of making amends. Hope you like it.
Chapter Fourteen: The Beginning
Do not attempt to adjust your set. This is a streaming freedom video. This cable hack will last exactly sixty seconds. It cannot be traced. It cannot be stopped and it is the only free voice left in this city. Since the early 1990's millions of your tax dollars have been diverted to fund a secret project known as Manticore. Eyes Only has warned you that it was only a matter of time before you were exposed. If you thought you could cover your tracks, you were sorely mistaken. Recent documents have been recovered that illustrate the way in which some of the monies supposedly used for programs set up by the government were actually used as part of…
Max's eyes flashed from the television to across the crowded building to find Alec's boring into hers. An understanding passed between them in less than a second; after which, the two parted gazes and turned their full attention back to the television.
This latest broadcast was the first one pertaining to Manticore that the two X5s had seen since arriving in Seattle several weeks ago. There had been three others prior to this one. But they all had either been about political corruption or some scandal involving switching medicine war veterans needed with sugar pills making Max and Alec begin to wonder if it had been necessary to set up camp in the wet and gloomy city.
During the trip to Seattle they had reasoned that it would take considerable time to search the vast city for Eyes Only; and therefore, they would have to settle in for a while. Aside from the long search and the fact that they were trying to find a man that undoubtedly, Manticore was looking for too, there were other problems associated with coming to Seattle.
This city was the setting of Alec's first mission (his failed mission). Sure it had been months since being here, but it was still the last place Manticore had seen him and therefore they may still be keeping a close watch. Alec also knew there was a base just outside Seattle's borders. Furthermore, Max told Alec the reason she had originally come to Seattle was to search for Seth. Seth had already been spotted on the news in collusion with Eyes Only here in Seattle so that left yet another reason for Manticore to be watching the Emerald city. So with all those strikes piled against them, they decided to live separately for the first time in several months as a precaution. Manticore had a full description of Alec seeing how he was an adult when he escaped. He didn't want to risk, Manticore managing to spot him, follow him home and then bag not one but two rogue X5s. It was going to be hard after spending so much time together, but they decided it would be best to get separate places to stay.
Jobs were another thing they decided to try in an effort to legitimize themselves. The economy was in terrible shape and two young people that were essentially anonymous dropping big bills almost everywhere they went would draw too much attention. Not to mention getting close to Eyes Only meant getting close to the people the cable hacker seemed to look after, the downtrodden. What better way to mingle with such people than to become a working stiff like them?
Two days in the city, Max had lucked up with a job and a place to stay. Both were offered as a show of gratitude from Max's first friend in Seattle. Max had saved Original Cindy from a group of thugs one night when she had paused in her job and abode hunting for a bite to eat. Apparently one of the jerks had been hassling O.C. in the bar and his manhood couldn't take the blows to his ego Original Cindy's sharp tongue kept delving out whenever he made a crass comment.
Max had immediately sensed trouble when she walked outside and saw the guy and his Neanderthal friends following closely behind Original Cindy. Max watched as one of the men grabbed her, but to her credit, Original Cindy must have known they were behind her because the man got a dose of mace in his face the moment he spun her around.
Max quickly grabbed a plank of wood and ran towards a guy who grabbed O.C. by her hair from behind. She swung, making sure to pull her hit so that the man was left with only a concussion and not stump where his head should be. She knew better than to show any extraordinary feats of strength or speed, but if one of them was packing, she also knew she'd have no choice. Luckily, between the man screaming in pain from the mace, another one down for the count on the dirty street, and a female who showed absolutely no fear as she brandished the piece of thick wood like a baseball bat, the other three thugs decided this wasn't fun anymore and took off.
The two had become fast friends after that. Recognizing that spark of innocent sprinkled with naivety; Original Cindy saw a little of herself in the street smart femme fatale. Even though the beautiful kid proved herself quite capable of taking care of herself, O.C. saw a need for a certain kind of guidance that Original Cindy was definitely qualified to give. Big sisters were something Max was quite familiar with and her instincts also said that she should trust this sassy stranger. So she did. Original Cindy told her about her friend who was looking for a roommate to help with the rent. And by rent she meant a dirty cop who would bribe the squatters of the building she lived in during monthly raids. She knew it was nothing special but with no job yet, it would be a good temporary place to kick it until she could afford something better.
As for Max's job situation, O.C. informed Max that a few employees had been recently fired at the place she worked at because of selling drugs so there were a few openings. It'd be awhile before she could save enough money to find a legit place to live but work was work.
Max couldn't believe her luck with the job O.C. hooked her up with, granted no employee of Jam Pony would share her enthusiasm for a job that required riding around on a bike regardless of weather condition or gang warfare for minimum wage. Max, however, only saw the opportunity a job such as this presented. Not only did she get a sector pass, she would be getting paid to do what she would do any way; travel around the city.
With both she and Alec working there, they'd cover more ground. It took some time to convince him to take the risk of them being in the same place this close to the beef. But he eventually agreed. He applied for a job a week later. And they pretended not to know each other.
Alec had been doing cage fights prior to that (not wanting to spend their stash). Living so meagerly after being able to do whatever and go wherever for so long, had taking a lot of getting used to. His apartment was a dump; barely big enough to keep his motorcycle, the one luxury Max allowed them each to have while in Seattle. He'd bought his a few days after leaving L.A. Max kept her Ninja parked in her crib.
Living separate lives was hard for the couple. At work they didn't so much as stand on the same side of the room. They did see each other on nights occasionally. But only occasionally, seeing how even though Max didn't sleep, Alec did. Racing their bikes through the streets of Seattle had been one of their favorite late night activities followed by a passionate session of love making; the absence definitely made their coupling fonder. But the nights when they didn't see each other were becoming harder and harder to bare. Max didn't realize how much she'd miss him. Or how hard their separation, however temporary was especially since she was pulled back into the present by the sight of yet another Jam Pony chick hanging on Alec's every word and inching closer and closer to him.
"Thought you said he was too pretty for you, boo." O.C. said from beside her.
"Huh?" Max said turning to face her friend. She took a quick look back at Alec, her eyes narrowing, before turning back to O.C. again. "What?"
"You keep staring at hot boy." Original Cindy said knowingly.
"No I don't." Max denied. "I mean who do you mean?" She covered lamely.
"Nice try." O.C. smirked before turning back to what Max was desperately trying to get her eyes to stop being drawn to. "Why don't you just go and talk to him?"
"Cause I don't like him like that. Sides, he'd never go for me. He likes blondes." Max said in what she hoped was a dismissive tone even while the thought of marching over to her man and snapping the blonde's neck popped into her head.
"Trust me boo, Original Cindy knows about this type of thing, you ain't the only one that's been giving the la la eyes."
"You've…ugh…seen him looking at me."
"Thought you didn't care." Off Max's glare, O.C. continued. "Just playing, boo, I've seen him looking and I know he's into you."
Max almost burst out laughing; barely curbing it with a smile. If O.C. knew how right she was. He was into her all right; had been into her several times last night as a matter of fact.
"So check it, boo. When we all go to Crash tonight, I'll make sure Sketchy and Alec chill at our table. Then me, Sketch, and Kendra will give you two some alone time. Meanwhile I'll put it in Sketchy's ear to see if Alec's really feeling you or not even though I'm sure he is. It's mainly just so Alec will know you're curious about him cause let's face it boo; you got the boys here kinda scared. You being such a bitch to everyone that's tried to step to you got them with the 'look but don't touch' policy when it comes to you."
"Max! Hot run, fourth and chapel. Bip!" Normal bellowed in their direction.
"So Crash tonight." O.C. said ignoring Normal.
"Fine. But only cause we go there every night."
"Whateva you say, suga."
Normal's lips pursed together just as Max hurried away from O.C. preempting his need to shout out another "bip."
***
Max was halfway to her destination when her cell phone rang.
"Hey there stranger." She said smiling.
"Where ya headed?" Alec asked from the other end. "Maybe we can get together."
"High rise district." She reported back having no difficulty weaving in and out of people and traffic on her bicycle while talking on her phone.
"Awww sector nine, Normal's got me going all the way to sector two. No way we can hook up and be back in a reasonable time." Max could just see the pout Alec was wearing and it made her skin tingle.
"Well just so happens I know of a plot between a couple of our mutual friends; their plan is to hook us up."
"What?"
"For some reason they think we'd make a perfect match. So there gonna set us up at Crash in a way that we accidentally wind up being alone together."
Alec laughed. "Original Cindy thought this one up, didn't she?"
"Who else." She laughed back. Max then dampened her lips before beginning again. "So, ugh, what do you think?" She asked tentatively.
"Max--"
"I know we said that we shouldn't be seen together too often, but it's been weeks Alec. Neither of us has noticed anybody following us and there's been no military activity other than to stop that food riot last week."
"Yeah, but Max—"
"Don't you think it would be great if we didn't have to sneak around all the time? We'd be able to, you know, hold hands in public, kiss even."
"Baby, I hear what you're saying. I want that too. It's just…oh hell, let's do it."
"Really."
"Why not. We can handle whatever happens."
"Great. I'll see you tonight then."
"Count on it."
***
"So, Max, the plan is for me and Kendra to hype you up as a pool player during Sketchy and Alec's game." Original Cindy yelled to Max as she put on the last coat of her nail polish. Usually Original Cindy met Max and Kendra at Crash, but tonight was a special occasion. As the mastermind behind the scheme to get Max and Alec together, O.C. wanted to make sure everybody was adequately prepped for their role in tonight's festivities. "Then you come over just as Alec beats Sketchy's ass and then we'll volunteer you to play winner. Kendra, you and I will go with Sketch when he goes to buy the next round, and then we gotta keep him away from the game so that Max and hot boy are left playing pool by themselves. Then ya'll can get to talking and by the end of the game you two should be a few steps closer to some hot monkey loving."
"I don't know." Max said through the bathroom door in her best imitation of conflicting emotions meanwhile she was elated with the prospect that she and Alec could openly be together after tonight. But the excitement was tempered with the danger of them being together.
She'd practically begged Alec to go through with it earlier knowing he rarely said no to her. But should they really risk it? Manticore might expect for two rogue X5s to hook up if they crossed paths.
If Alec was spotted in the constant company of a dark haired female similarly built to the one that had been rumored to be the extraordinary thief back in L.A. that gave the Brood so much trouble, Manticore would know for sure that they were the two they had been looking for. What if they're being at Crash tonight was what Manticore had been waiting for all along?
Oh for crying out loud Max, you're being paranoid. Like there aren't a million other young dark blond male and dark haired female couples in this broken city. Do you really think Manticore has the time or resources to check them all? Even if they did, the rumor mill at Jam Pony would definitely tell the story that we were prior strangers only hooking up after meeting at Jam Pony. We've been careful. We've covered everything. So just calm down.
Max took a deep breath and smiled at her reflection after satisfactorily calming herself down.
"Boo, come on already." O.C. said banging on the bathroom door.
"Yeah we're gonna miss Sketchy falling on his ass doing tricks on the bar with his bike." Kendra shouted from the "kitchen."
"And I'm gonna miss my lickety-chick showing him up." O.C. added after joining Kendra back in the kitchen.
"Yeah and that hot guy you're trying to impress will have a hundred girls surrounding him by the time we get there."
Max came out.
O.C. and Kendra looked her up and down in silence. Kendra opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find the words. O.C. shook her head before breaking it down to her friend.
"You tickle me."
"How so?"
"I just told you Alec is sweating you. You already admitted you might like him too." Max opened her mouth to protest but O.C. held up a finger to silence her. "Too late to deny it boo, I saw the look on your face when we was talking earlier." Max rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulder but she didn't deny what Original Cindy was insinuating. "You know he's going to be at Crash tonight, you know we got a whole plan set up, but look at you."
"What?"
"I'm not saying you got to get all macked out. Even what you was wearing at Jam Pony was fine. But stuffing your hair in a backwards baseball cap?"
Off Max's confused look. Kendra contributed. "The plan is to let Alec see you and drool not see you and think of his younger brother."
"Thank you." O.C. concurred
Max's pep talk in the bathroom had convinced her to go but she was still worried enough that she decided that initially a small disguise might not be such a bad thing.
"Look, if I want him to like me. And that's a big if. I want him to like me for me, not cause of the way I look."
"Max."
"Boo."
Kendra and Original Cindy voiced simultaneously.
"No, this is where I draw the line. The hat stays. Now lets go." She said before grabbing her Ninja and heading for the door.
Kendra and O.C. turned to each other and shook their heads, but then they followed Max out the door.
***
Weak beer, sweaty bodies dancing off beat, loud laugher, grunts and overt gestures serving as conversation; Crash was the perfect place to lose oneself after a hard day's work.
Alec surveyed the familiar atmosphere with a pleased smirk. He'd never admit this to Max but part of him missed the daily routine he had back at Manticore. No he didn't miss the rigorous training or the course subjects and not that he didn't enjoy the spontaneity of his life with Max before coming to Seattle, but the idea of a schedule letting him know exactly what he'd be doing next was nice to have again. Granted the schedule consisted of working five days a week for a few hours a day at a menial job followed by kicking it for a few hours at a bar, it nonetheless added structure to his life.
The thought made Alec sigh mentally. Part of him would always be a soldier no matter how long out of Manticore he was. He'd cease to be able to function properly if he went too long without some kind of regiment. Perhaps that was also the reason that made the thought of life without Max so unbearable. All his life he'd been part of a unit. The idea of being completely alone was a terrifying one. Despite the terrible things that he had suffered at Manticore it still had been his home. And for a long time, it had been all he had known. But Max was Manticore, just like him; they were the same. He wasn't alone in this world with absolutely no one who could possibly understand him. Alec was almost positive that had that been the case there would be no way he could handle it. He'd go insane. Or he might have turned around and been pounding on the gates of Manticore to let him come back a long time ago. Of course he would have regretted that decision the moment he was strapped back in that chair about to face---Alec shuddered not wanting to let his thoughts drift that far a field. Better to think of how lucky he was. He was free of Manticore and the price of his freedom didn't mean a life of loneliness.
Alec looked up and smiled seeing that the reason for his present state of happiness had just walked through the door.
Max spotted Alec immediately and had to roll her shoulders like she was stretching in order to cover her body's instinctive reaction to his smiling face. Just then she sensed Kendra behind her. Grateful for the temporary distraction seeing as how she and Alec were supposed to be pretending to not really know each another for the time being, Max moved out of the way just as Kendra swiped at her head to try and take her hat.
"Sheesh! Do you have eyes on the back of your head or something?" Kendra blurted in frustration. She and O.C. were a few steps behind Max since Max drove her motorcycle and they came in Original Cindy's friend's sorry excuse for a car. She didn't think Max had seen them come inside let alone sneak up behind her while she was staring off into space.
"No." Max smiled. "I could smell you. You're the only one I know who can afford to douse themselves in Chanel."
"It pays to know the right people." Kendra shrugged. It was true. Kendra's jobs usually paid dirt like everybody else's in this Post Pulse economy, yet her rolodex of men included gents from all walks of life some with access to amenities that would be considered rare no matter what the state of the economy was. Kendra was by no means a working girl just that her flashy style was so loveable that her male friends often showed their appreciation with some of these "gifts."
"Speaking of right, you spot you're boy, boo." O.C. cut in nodding in Alec's direction.
"He's not her boy yet." Kendra said while staring hungrily in Alec's direction.
"Excuse me." Max nearly shouted as she turned sharply in Kendra's direction.
"You haven't made a move." Kendra shrugged still leering at Alec. "As far as I'm concerned he's fair game." Max's jaw dropped in surprise at the words of her former friend.
"Got it." O.C. shouted. She and Kendra then gave each other a high five an instant after Max noticed the hat that was formerly on her head was now secured in Original Cindy's manicured hand.
"You guys." Was all Max could say before laughing at her friends' antics. "Can't believe I fell for the classic distraction technique." Max chided herself.
"No worries, after just seeing those claws, pussy cat, no way I'd ever dare even think about coming between you and your man." Kendra said.
"No doubt." O.C. concurred remembering the gleam in Max's eye a few seconds ago. If those two ever did hook up, Original Cindy definitely pitied the poor hootchie who would try and put a move on Max's man.
"Ladies!" Sketchy gushed as he came up behind the trio and forced a group hug on them. "Come to watch me perform."
"Perform your own special version of stupidity? Wouldn't miss it." O.C. joked while removing herself from under Sketchy's arm.
"See how they play me, Max." He pouted while pulling her closer. "Why can't they be as sweet as you?"
"She's just being polite cause she got other things on her mind right now." Original Cindy said while pulling Max away as well. "Wait till she notices you exist." She continued.
"Tell 'em that's not true." Sketchy implored.
"Come on Sketch, I think your next." Kendra used his hold on her to pull him away. "Give it up. You know she's way out of your league." She added as they made their way towards the bar.
"After three pitchers, everybody's in my league. Even you." Sketchy said before inching closer.
"Awww Sketch, I stopped doing charity ages ago." Kendra replied while throwing his arm off her and turning away towards Alec.
"Hey Alec. It's me Kendra. Sketchy introduced us a while ago, I wasn't sure if you remembered."
"Of course I do." Alec smiled. "I never forget a face."
"You know my roommate Max too then right."
"Ugh yeah. She works at Jam Pony with me." He replied nonchalantly.
"Yeah well she thinks you're hot. What do you think of her? Why am I even asking? You're male and you're not blind. Anyways me and my friend Original Cindy. You know her too right. Of course you do she works at Jam Pony and everybody knows O.C. Anyways we had this great plan to get you guys to talk tonight over a game of pool, but Sketchy's already three sheets to the wind so I doubt you'll even want to waste your time playing that fool first. So instead of going through our whole plan, how bout you just come sit with us and then ask her to play so the two of you can talk. As long as you don't mention how I just came over and told you how she thinks you're hot. She'd so kill me. So what do you say, you'll come over and sit with us right. We're right over there. Oh wait, you're not seeing anybody are you?
Alec stared at Kendra. Sure he was trained to take in massive information instantaneously. But this was pushing it.
"Well?"
Okay so the last one had been a question she actually wanted him to answer. "Oh yeah, I mean no. No, I'm not seeing anybody."
"Great. We'll be over there." And with that, the bubbly female departed with not so much a backwards glance. Alec shook his head and smiled.
He waited until he was sure Sketchy was okay from his fall off the bar with his bike before sauntering over to the table with Original Cindy, Kendra, and Max.
"Maybe when he's cleaning them for the fiftieth time of the day we can get Sky to bump into him so he'll drop em and then Druid can roll over them with his bike."
"Am I over hearing a plot to destroy Normal's glasses." Alec asked. The three women turned to see him standing behind their table with a fresh pitcher of beer in his hand.
"Yeah we figure without them he's virtually blind." Max said. "He'll have to give us all the rest of the day off."
"You know he's probably got a couple of spares in his office though." Alec said as he placed the pitcher on the table and pulled up an empty seat next to Max. None of the ladies seemed to mind.
"Shit, you're probably right." Max responded while unconsciously moving closer to him. "Guess we're just gonna have to do the bomb threat." She added before turning to Alec with a smile. The two locked eyes in a sultry gaze full of promises until they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. Right, we're supposed to be pretending that we're not already sleeping together. "So, um O.C., have you talked to that biker girl Sketchy's always trying to impress?"
"Please that fool ain't no match for this Nubian princess."
"Sorry Cin, I think Sketchy might have better odds for once." Kendra said. "She's straight."
"You don't know that. Besides, Original Cindy ain't got no problem with turning a girl out."
Alec couldn't keep from grinning. He could get use to listening in on girl talk.
As if reading his mind and realizing she was in mixed company and that certain things should be left up to the imagination when it came to the different sexes, Kendra abruptly changed the subject to the mundane.
"So Alec, where did you grow up?"
"On a ranch in Texas." He responded a second before Max choked on her beer.
"Ooh I always wanted to go there." Kendra said before sending a concerned look Max's way.
"Why's that?" She got out after patting her chest a few times.
"You know how much I love cowboy boots." Kendra laughed.
"Ain't that the truth." O.C. said before taking a large sip of her beer. "How you managed to find a pair in each color of the rainbow, I'll never know. I liked those purple ones though.
"Oh yeah, you should see the ones I just got. There—"
"Texas." Max mouthed to Alec when she saw that Kendra and Original Cindy were deep in conversation about footwear.
Alec nodded to the table in front of them at the man wearing a faded Dallas Cowboys Jersey. Max shrugged thinking it was just a good a place as any to replace answering that question with 'a secret government facility.'
The conversation droned on in much the same way with Kendra asking Alec questions and then those questions leading to anecdotes from either Kendra or Original Cindy. Some elements of either of the women's stories, though common to each other, sailed right over the X5s' heads. Max and Alec covered those times well enough with a smile or nod only to look at one another a second later to confirm that they actually didn't have a clue who the Simpsons were or why it was fun to play a game where you poked the man that peeked at you. Luckily just as Alec ran out of Crash customers with adequate apparel to get answers for Kendra's questions, he noticed an empty pool table.
"Table just cleared." Alec said nodding towards the backroom of Crash. "Can I interest any of you ladies in a game of pool?"
"Not me, my lickety-chick just walked in, I'm gonna go say hi."
"I'll come and help keep Sketch away." Kendra said before throwing a wink Alec's way.
"Max?"
"Game of pool." Max shrugged. "Sure."
"Don't let her size fool you, my girl can play." O.C. warned Alec before excusing herself from the table with Kendra.
"Do you realize this is our first time playing each other in pool?" Max said as they grabbed a couple of sticks.
Alec mentally debated that for a moment before realizing how odd it was considering all the time they spent in bars and with each other that they never got around to playing one another.
This could be interesting.
"Humph you're right. Guess you've always been just too scared to play me."
"What!" Max exclaimed. "Why would I be scared?"
"Come on Max, you know you've never seen me lose."
"And are you forgetting that you've never seen me lose before either?"
"Well then I guess we got ourselves a game. What are we playing for?"
"Pride." She answered while furiously rubbing chalk on her stick.
Alec glared at her.
"Bragging rights?" She offered.
Alec pondered that suggestion favorably for a moment before rejecting it. Knowing he'd win, he wanted to make sure his reward would be well worth the time wasted on the number of games they were bound to play and hearing the litany of excuses Max was sure to give for why she lost every single time.
Alec snapped his fingers suddenly. "How bout if you win, I do all your runs plus mine for the next two weeks."
"Oh I like that." She smiled. "Normal always goes easy on you meanwhile I always manage to get sent to Guam." She added in disgust the thought of Normal usually provoked. But then she narrowed her eyes on him. "And if you win?" Max asked and then had to work hard not to laugh at the very idea of him actually beating her.
"I get your Ninja for two weeks straight."
"What! My bike!" She sputtered. "What am I supposed to ride? I know you don't think I'm getting on that lima bean you call a motorcycle."
"Hey, green's my favorite color. And excuse me for not having three years to modify my bike into the beast that yours is."
"Ahhh now I see why green's your favorite color. Jealousy's not a bad look for you."
"Fine I'm jealous that my bike's not as tricked out as yours. Do we have a deal or not?"
"No way. You know the rule, Alec. Nobody rides my Ninja but me."
"Okay fine." He put up his hands in surrender. "If you're so scared that I'm going to beat you that you're only willing to risk hearing me brag about it then so be it."
Max harshly blew out air from her mouth in frustration. She knew that Alec was trying to bait her. She knew that he knew that she knew he was trying to bait her. Yet every single time it worked.
"Fine. You're on, pretty boy."
"Yes!" Alec said while rubbing his hands together. "Flip to see who breaks." He beamed as he pulled out a quarter.
Max won the toss but after four games it uneventfully came down to a matter of who ever broke would win by clearing the table and not giving the other player a chance. They debated just solving the stalemate by going back to flipping the coin a few times. However both secretly wanted to win the game by them each having a turn in the same game---meaning one of them was going to have to mess up.
Max went on the offensive first. Knowing him like the back of her hand had certain advantages. Her man was good at almost everything like she was but he did have a weakness or two. And she knew his biggest.
She waited to her last shot before stripping off her long sleeve shirt and revealing a tight red tank top. She then leaned over the table much further than necessary giving him an eyeful of her cleavage. Alec didn't disappoint his eyes were immediately drawn downward. Max smiled ready to take the winning shot and hoping that now that she got him interested he'd be off for his next game due to other things on his mind. However before she took the shot she looked up at him to see if her chest still held his full attention. But instead he was staring directly at her; his eyes dilated almost as big as they got when they were alone together. He then licked his lips. The sight of his pink tongue slowly gliding over his full lips reminded her of just how talented that tongue was and how good those lips tasted, and then it turned out that sex was just as much of a weakness for her. She missed her shot.
Both their mouths dropped open as the cue ball veered off in the total opposite direction of its goal. Alec recovered first with a smirk as he sidled up to the table.
He quickly worked his way around the table a little unnerved that his hands were close to shaking with excitement over the fact that he was on his way to victory.
He knocked in his last striped ball and resisted the urge to do a dance especially since the cue ball rolled in to the perfect position for him to knock the eight ball in. He looked at Max expecting to see her full lips in that pout he always thought was so adorable. But to his surprise she was just leaning against the nearby table staring at him as she slowly stroked her pool stick up and down. Down and up. Up and down.
Alec gulped at the sight before leaning back down to take his shot and miss.
And I'm back in the game. Max mentally cheered.
"Your turn." Alec said in a husky voice that was the complete opposite of the whining or cursing she expected. But she quickly straightened and moved to the table.
Not gonna work pretty boy. She thought. Expecting him to either look or say something to entice her especially since he hadn't bothered to move from the place where she'd need to stand in order to take the shot, Max didn't make eye contact. Instead she pushed past him, making him back up a bit. She then bent over to line up her shot.
No runs for two weeks! Max decided to concentrate on instead of the smell and heat of the gorgeous man behind her. But just as she was about to shoot, her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed with anger that Alec would try such a blatant distraction technique.
Did he just bump me in the ass with his pool stick! That was so cheating. She turned her head around sharply to glare at him and that's when she saw that it wasn't his pool stick that had nudged her for it was resting on the table next to them.
Now her whole body seemed to flush. Alec was staring down at her with a look she knew she was beginning to mirror. She moved back to be sure and they both groaned softly.
And the game was forgotten.
The two were about to grab their jackets and head out when they were stopped by a feminine voice.
"So who won?" Original Cindy asked.
"Ugh," Max floundered for a second. "It's a tie." She threw out after sneaking another quick look at Alec.
"We'll I'll watch you break it." Original Cindy began as she grabbed a chair and settled herself on it. "My lickety chick is off somewhere preparing her fine ass for her next go round on the bar." She looked at her watch. "And she ain't up for another thirty minutes."
"Actually we were gonna go." Max told her.
"Really?" Original Cindy raised one dark eyebrow in surprise at how well things had progressed in such a short time. She only knew Max a little while but she had been around her a lot in that short time period. O.C. had witnessed Max blow off every male who'd tried approaching her; each way more rude than the poor sap before him.
For a little while, Original Cindy had began to wonder if maybe Max had batted for the right time. However Max set her straight, so to speak, during one of their late night gab sessions. It was actually kind of embarrassing in hindsight. O.C. had been feeling the effects of the late hour and the amount of alcohol they had consumed, but although a lot of details were fuzzy, Original Cindy did remember that neither of those factors had seemed to bother Max in the least. The next day at work, she pulled Max aside and began the long apology she had prepared the whole bike ride over, but Max had only laughed half way through and teased Original Cindy about being so plastered that she would have tried to kiss Sketchy if he'd been there. Their friendship remained solid and Original Cindy just deduced that Max may be bad ass and bold about a lot of situations she was just on the prudish side when it came to men.
So of course now Original Cindy couldn't help the surprise that colored her voice and facial expression to see Max leaving the bar with a guy after only just talking to him for a short time.
"Go break the tie I mean." Max continued. The somewhat flustered way it which Max clarified her earlier statement wasn't lost on O.C. "Just elsewhere."
"Yeah there's only so much pool I can take." Alec then looked down at Max and the look he was giving Max after he said that only accelerated the wheels in Original Cindy's head. A smile began to form on her face as she watched for what seemed like the hundredth time that night the two lock themselves in a gaze that pushed out the rest of the world for a few moments. She also remembered the look in Max's eyes when she thought Kendra was interested in Alec and her smile was completed. She watched the couple for a few more moments before cutting in with a suggestion.
"Alec's got a motorcycle like you Boo, why don't ya'll go race or something." When a few more second passed with neither of them responding to her, Original Cindy waved her hand in front of Max's face. "Max!"
Max turned wide eyes back to Original Cindy after having completely forgetting that her friend had been there. What had they been talking about? Oh right.
"So we're gonna go race. Turns out Alec's got a bike too." Max said confidently.
Original Cindy shook her head in amusement now that her suspicions were confirmed. Max wasn't gay or prude. "Alright sugas. Have fun." She just already belonged to someone.
Original Cindy then shrugged but didn't lose her smile as she watched the two quickly exit Crash; the why they pretended otherwise would perhaps be a story for a future late night gab session.
***
Max burrowed closer into Alec's warm body and sighed.
"Something wrong?" He asked while lazily running his fingers through her soft hair. They had planned to race to the Space Needle first; but when one of Seattle's infamous rain storms hit, they decided to just head to Alec's. They were drenched by the time they reached his building, so the two transgenics quickly shed their clothes the moment they walked through his door.
The brown out killed any options of kicking back in front of the television or cooking a nice meal so Alec set up candles around his mattress on the floor and the two spent a few hours worshipping each other amidst the warm glow of the candle light.
He had just started drifting off when he heard Max's sigh.
"No, not so much wrong." She answered. "Just thinking about that Eyes Only dude."
"What about?"
"Why is he going after Manticore? From the people I've talked to, he's basically just a muck raking do-gooder."
"Yeah, that's all I've heard too. Exposing police corruption, landlords saving money by not supplying their tenants with heat, orphanages full of rats while millions were spent on repainting the city hall building."
"Yep, those are the types of things I heard too. He supposedly has this huge ring of informants."
"You think some of the people in his informant net were the ones who fed him information about Manticore."
"Maybe. But he knows too much. It has to be someone way up in the food chain or someone like us."
"Like Seth?"
Max nodded. "I think he knew my brother, and I think something may have happened to him…something terrible that Manticore was responsible for."
"So you're saying this is all about revenge?" Max shrugged. "So what if it is?"
"Well, if Manticore recaptured Seth or…worse, then I want them to pay too."
"So you think that maybe finding Eyes Only and shutting him up shouldn't be our goal."
Max looked up at him. "I don't know. Maybe when we find him, we can make him tell us everything he knows about Manticore and then we'll be able to find away to stop Manticore for good ourselves."
"Sounds kinda like a long shot, but I'm game." Alec said before yawning. "And we better find him soon; I need some excitement." He said trying to stifle another yawn and therefore missing Max's eyes turning stormy from his words.
"Hey!" She yelled as she slapped him in the shoulder.
"Awww Maxie, you know that's not what I meant." He said before pulling her back down next to him. "You know you get me plenty excited." He growled in her ear before licking it. "What I meant was the kind of excitement we used to get from pulling jobs."
"Yeah that was a nice rush." Max said dreamily. Then they both took a moment to reflect in silence the thrills that came with any particular score. "You know," Max continued. "When I was delivering to an office building in the high rise district earlier, I spotted this nice piece in the apartment building across the street.
"What was it?"
"A gold statue of the Egyptian Goddess, Bast."
Alec gave a low whistle. "Gold statue, damn, if he had that just in his window." He began as the possibilities spun around in both their brains. But then he shook his head. "Mind as well forget it; it'd take too long to do enough recon to find a way inside."
"Well, out of habit, I kinda sort of rigged up a way into the stairwell to the roof of the office building. The apartment across the street was the penthouse and there was a skylight. Rappelling over would be no problem."
Alec raised his eyebrows in admiration. But then he thought of all the reasons they were keeping a low profile. "Yeah, but Max," Alec said doubtfully.
"But what?" She broke in.
"But why are you still laying here naked?" What could one job hurt? Alec mentally concluded. "Let's get out gear and go do a little B and E."
***
Black outfits: check.
Climbing gear: check.
Black gloves: check.
Knapsacks: check.
Yep, they were ready. Alec went over his list mentally one more time while staring up at the building they would soon be breaking into. The rain had turned into a light drizzle and the brownout left the office building guarded by locks easily picked by a couple of genetically engineered thieves. Sure seemed like the fates were on their side tonight. And why not? After avoiding this sort of activity for several weeks now, it would certainly be nice for everything to go well.
Max couldn't stop from grinning as she flew through the air towards Fogle Towers. The night sky, the danger of what they were doing, her lover waiting for her on the other side all added to the exhilaration this sordid activity usually produced.
Once she slid down the rope into the apartment, Alec held up his fist and then pointed to his ear. They both listened intently to the sounds of light snoring and heavy breathing coming from different parts around the spacious home; the sounds to be expected at three in the morning.
They turned to each other and nodded before heading off in opposite directions. Max spotted the prize that had drawn her to the building in the first place immediately. The half cat, half woman trinket resting on the podium gleamed and seemed to be beckoning to her. Before grabbing it, however, Max wanted to make sure there was no one in the room off to the podium's side.
Peaking into the dark room all she saw was a rather expensive set up of computer equipment as well as audio and visual devices. Too bulky to carry out. She told herself as she ran a mental tab of how much all that stuff could be fenced for. Turning away, she quickly grabbed her original prize and then moved along in search of other valuable possessions.
On the other side of the apartment, Alec was filling up his bag quite nicely. Whoever lived here sure was loaded. Then again, with the amount of money, he and Max had saved up if they wanted they could afford to be neighbors with this guy.
Alec came to a door and soundlessly turned the knob and looked inside. The room was pitch black but it didn't pose any sight problem for the X5. He easily made out the form of a sleeping little girl. Not thinking he'd find anything valuable in the room, he still scanned it anyway.
True enough there wasn't anything of value, however it didn't escape his attention that there was also nothing in the room that would identify it with that of a young girl. Must be just visiting. Alec concluded before shrugging and turning away.
Satisfied with his loot he was on his way to find Max when a noise in the kitchen he had passed before made him pause.
Max stood outside the kitchen completely immobile. Having finished stuffing her bag, she had planned to get Alec. She moved to the source of the noise she heard thinking it was him.
But it wasn't.
Peter Mard had dozed off in his chair an hour after everyone else had retired for the night. His nearly falling off of it was the only thing that had woken him up and it was a good thing too or else he may have missed the intruder or intruders who had entered through the skylight on the rope that still dangled from it. His job was to protect these people and his momentary lapse could have cost them their lives.
He punched the code alerting security the moment he had seen the rope hanging from the skylight, but he still wanted to take a look around because he figured being a 250 pound ex-cop bodyguard would allow him to diffuse the situation himself before security even got there.
As he crept around the silent apartment looking for whoever Sonrisa had sent to assassinate the witness, the last thing he expected to be met with was the sight of a small, shapely brunette.
Max couldn't risk moving. The man standing in the kitchen in his bathrobe chugging down water hadn't noticed her yet. But she was enough in his peripheral vision that if she tried to move he'd see that flicker of movement. She had to wait until he turned completely back towards the refrigerator to put back the pitcher of water.
Max prepared to make her move as the man finished his glass of water and moved towards the refrigerator.
"Freeze!" A voice said from behind her.
Startled, Logan Cale, dropped his glass and Max winced; not from the glass dropping but from annoyance at herself for being so focused on the man in the kitchen that she didn't notice somebody moving in from behind her.
The glass was forgotten as Logan turned and saw the dark goddess staring at him. With his body guard training a gun on her from behind, he felt he was in no danger.
"Well what do we have here?" Logan questioned in a sultry tone that made one of Max's eyebrows rise to her hairline as he unabashedly looked her up and down.
Now Max's face changed to mild disgust. When the man turned to her she could see that he was completely naked underneath the bathrobe since the strap was tied loosely. There was a faint gleam of sweat covering his body, and the smell was another dead giveaway. It was obvious what the man had been up to prior to coming to get a glass of water and yet here he was flirting with her; a thief who broke into his house no less. Men.
But then Max was reminded of the exceptions to the rule, when she noticed her man standing in the shadows observing everything and undoubtedly coming up with a plan of action.
"She came in through the skylight, Mr. Cale." Peter voiced from behind her. When Logan quickly looked to acknowledge Peter, Max used the opportunity to send Alec a smile to let him know she knew he was there. When Logan refocused his attention on the beautiful young woman he saw her smile.
Too keep him from getting suspicious, Max's smile broadened and she said in a sultry voice of her own. "Nice pecs." While eyeing Logan's exposed chest that was anything but.
"Why thank you." Logan responded looking her up and down yet again. "So mind telling me the reason for this late night visit."
"Girl's gotta make a living." She quipped while holding up her bag full of Logan's valuables.
"Ahh, so you're a thief."
"Among other things."
"Well I don't doubt that."
"Sir, I've alerted security. They should be here any minute." Peter broke in getting quite bored of the double entendres.
Alec thinking along the same lines as Peter straightened at the big man's words.
"I think you can put down the gun now Peter, our intruder doesn't seem to be concealing any weapons." Logan said with a grin all the while still leering. Max smiled back knowing the moment she and Alec had been waiting for had come.
The second Peter lowered his weapon, Max spun on him, grabbing the hand with the gun and twisting her whole body, along with his arm, around until he let go. She followed with an elbow to his face, breaking his nose. She then kneed him in the balls before taking him out with a blow to the head with the gun he had held on her only seconds before. Alec had blurred into the kitchen and taken Logan out the second Max had turned on Peter.
The two quickly gathered their bags not forgetting that security was on the way. And sure enough, the front door burst open less than a second later. There was no time to get out the way they had come in so the two exchanged a quick look before heading straight towards the large living room window. They crashed through it, landing on their feet on the building below before all the security guards made it pass the threshold.
And then they ran.
***
Peter slapped down the icepack next to Logan's keyboard making it jump a little. Logan sent him a quick glare as he picked it up and placed it on the back of his head before turning his attention back to his computer monitor.
Last night he had woken up naked save a bathrobe on his kitchen floor to find a building security officer kneeling over him and preparing to give him mouth to mouth. Enormously relieved with his timing in regaining consciousness he was dismayed a few minutes later when he learned that the intruders had not been captured. After standing up on wobbly legs and walking out of the kitchen, he then learned that he had to replace his living room window because apparently the thieves had evaded capture by using it as their escape route without bothering to open it first.
Peter was no help. The blow to his head with his gun had him muttering incoherently and babbling about locks and skylights; therefore, Logan had no information about whoever knocked him out. But he did have plenty information on the girl. He'd never forget her face or any of her other parts for sure. But her beauty was only the tip of the iceberg. The way she moved and the strength she possessed were far too extraordinary of displays of athleticism. If she was what he thought she was he wanted to find her. To that end, he spent the rest of the night downing coffee and Advil while he went over the security cameras from his building and all the buildings in its vicinity.
"Bingo." He exclaimed.
"What do you got?" Peter asked.
"Surveillance video from the building next door. I figure this is how our visitors last night got in."
Peter shook his head at how intensely Logan was studying the picture on his computer of the girl who broke in last night.
"We trying to ID the perp or your new girlfriend?" He stressed and sent a look towards the bathroom where Lauren Briganza was currently showering.
"Hey it's not my fault that some of the women I help feel the need to show me their gratitude in rather interesting ways. Who am I to turn them down."
"Well something tells me that won't be an issue with the firecracker from last night."
"That's fine with me." Logan shrugged. "But just out of curiosity why don't you think she'd be interested especially since you were there last night and had to have seen how she was flirting with me."
"Hate to break it to ya boss." Peter motioned towards Logan's head. "But I think she was just trying to distract you."
"I thought you didn't see who hit me."
"Well no I can't give an accurate description since I only saw the person for a couple of seconds and that was through the blinding pain of my broken nose and my crushed happy sack. I do know it was a guy though."
"That's good to know. At least I didn't have my ass handed to me by a size three."
Peter didn't respond. What could he say?
Logan smiled before turning back to the monitor. "It's okay Peter, if this girl is who I think she is two of you and three of me put together would still not have been a match for her." He leaned in to read the name on the badge Max was wearing. "At least now I know where she is so I can find out."
***
"Sketchy's tripping if he thinks Original Cindy's gonna put on some blue-lilied dress and pretend to be his main squeeze so he can keep pullin the wool ova Natalie's pretty eyes specially if the bitch he's been cheating on with is fine too." O.C. stated matter of factly. She and Max had come to Crash right after work. During the day they had barely seen each other and now they were catching up. "She'll know somethin ain't right if I'm scoping her ass instead of dropping the knowledge that me and Sketchy goin get married so she betta stay away from my man." O.C. shuddered at her last words. Whether it was the idea of being with a man or the idea of being with Sketchy that was the cause she wasn't sure, although she guessed it was the latter. "Kendra turned his ass down too. I think he's gonna ask you next, boo."
"Actually he already did." Max laughed.
"When?"
"Earlier at work"
"What did you tell him?"
"I said I'd think on it and then Normal bipped so I left."
"Wigga ain't got no type of shame. He hardly knows you and already askin for a favor. Like Original Cindy said you need to leave his ass out to dry." O.C. smiled suddenly. "And then maybe Natalie will come correct and step to the all girls team."
Max laughed.
"Speaking of teams, boo. How'd your one on one thing go last night?" Max's brow scrunched together in confusion so O.C. continued. "Don't front and act like you don't know what Original Cindy's talking 'bout. Kendra already told me you didn't come home last night. So spill it. What happened wit your boy?"
Max couldn't help it; she smiled. She'd never been in love before. She never had close friends to talk with about mushy things like relationships and love. It was so normal and therefore had no place in her crazy, freak show of a life. But in this short time period she had found both.
Now, gossiping and giggling over a boy with a friend was not something she had lain awake dreaming about doing one day, but she couldn't deny the longing she felt during her time alone on the streets as she moved from shadow to shadow to keep a low profile. Seeing kids her age gathered together on a corner laughing and joking or families sitting together at a diner were commonplace. Things were bad after the Pulse, but the poor economy didn't destroy those familiar bonds. Max didn't understand them when she first got out of Manticore—still didn't really—but over the years when she did observe such scenes a big piece of her wished she was apart of them.
Back with Moody's gang in L.A. she had some semblance of family. But she still mostly kept to herself. She didn't quite know how to reach out and connect with the other kids there and since she had been under Moody's wing and there from the beginnings of their clan, the other kids regarded her as sort of the queen and Moody their king. And their view had made her somewhat unapproachable to them as well.
Here in Seattle was different, however. Sure, she and Alec were on a mission to find Eyes Only, but in the mean time they got to be regular bike messengers just trying to get by in a broken world; a role she couldn't believe how happy she was to play. But Max's smiled turned into a frown as she realized that this couldn't be permanent. Once they found Eyes Only, after stopping him from making any more threats on Manticore, their mission would be over. They more than likely would have to leave. It sucked because they'd found some great friends here; Original Cindy being a prime example. But Max knew all too well the risk of letting ordinary people becoming enmeshed into her life. Unbidden the image of the massacre at the theater the Chinese Clan called home came to her mind. She pushed the thought away just as quickly as it had come. What was done was done. In the mean time it was best to just enjoy the part of a normal teenage girl she was playing now. At least now that she and Alec didn't have to pretend they weren't together so everything she said to Original Cindy wouldn't be a complete lie.
"Well boo, what happened?" O.C. asked again when she noticed that instead of answering her new friend had been staring into her beer mug. Max finally looked up and smiled again; it really did feel nice to hear a question from a close friend that she could answer like a normal person would.
"Nothing." Max shrugged.
Original Cindy rolled her eyes.
"Fine we ended up having a really good time." She added. "I might hang with him later."
"How come he's not here now?"
Max shrugged. Okay back to the lies. This was not a question she could answer like a normal person. Telling O.C. that Alec was off fencing the stuff they robbed from a penthouse last night would definitely shatter her image as the normal girl from next door.
But the fates had a way of blowing up people's spots at the most inopportune time because just then a familiar face walked in the bar.
"Who dat?" Original Cindy asked when she saw her friend suddenly locked in a staring contest with the older man on the other side of the room
"Disgruntled client." Max threw out as she rose from the table. "I'm gonna have to catch you later."
"Sure thing, boo." Original Cindy concurred before sending a wink to the red head in the corner she had been making eyes with throughout her whole conversation with Max.
"Fancy meeting you here." Max said halting Logan's approach in her direction. "You slumming or something?"
"Not exactly." He answered. "I came looking for you."
"Look I'm sorry about your window. If it makes you feel any better I spent the rest of last night picking glass out of my hair. But feel free to send me the bill."
"That's not what I had in mind." Max raised an eyebrow as Logan looked around. "Can we go outside and talk."
"My mom told me not to go anywhere with strangers." Max quipped before attempting to move past him.
Logan stepped in front of her and blocked her path. "She probably also told you not to accept candy either, but I have a feeling you'd take this." He then opened his hand to show her a pill bottle marked Tryptophan.
Her eyes sprang up to his after reading the label.
"Shall we?" Logan offered confidently.
Max was seething but she nodded demurely and led the way outside. They continued walking in uncomfortable silence until they found themselves on a deserted street.
"You got that from my apartment." Max stated calmly.
"Well after seeing you last night, I felt the need to know everything there was to know about you. Your boss told me where I could find you." Shit. Obviously this guy was extremely wealthy. But apparently he was also well connected if he had found her this quickly. This was not good at all. For months they had been ripping off places. They then decide to give it up for a little while in order to find Eyes Only. They come to probably the most dangerous city for them as far as exposure is concerned and the first job they pull they get caught by a guy who's undoubtedly insane. He had to have seen the ass kicking she'd given his friend and yet he had the nerve to break into her apartment and then find her and tell her he did.
"Why'd you bother with tracking me down? Besides being crazy. Why not just call the cops?" Then again, his insanity was actually advantageous to her.
Logan chuckled. "You'd be of no use to me behind bars. Besides from what I saw last night--"
He didn't see it coming. But he was fairly certain that it wouldn't have made a difference if he had. What he was most certain of was that in the blink of an eye he went from standing on his own two feet to lying on his back with a bloody nose. Not to mention there was also a very angry female staring down at him. She then reached down and Logan instinctively shrank back while putting his hands up to cover his face. But she didn't hit him. Instead she grabbed one of his hands and wrenched the bottle of Tryptophan out of it.
But Max wasn't through. No use to me. What the hell did that mean? This guy was a major creep. Yeah she broke into people's homes, but that was for commercial reasons. He said so himself. He broke into her place to rifle through her things so he could find out stuff about her. That was just bent.
She pulled her leg back to deliver a kick to his anatomy however a noise from above alerted her and thus saved Logan's parts. Damn hoverdrones. He wasn't worth the risk so with one more disdainfully look in his direction, Max sprinted off into the night. She was long gone before Logan had the courage to lower his hands from his face.
***
Alec shoved the rest of the cash into his duffel bag and reached for his gun when he heard his front door slam. But then his nose caught the familiar scent and he relaxed.
She was pacing in his living room obviously very pissed off. Alec smirked before coming out of his bedroom glad that because he hadn't seen her all day he couldn't possibly be the cause for her present state of rage.
"Ugh, Max?"
"That fucking bastard!" She answered making Alec wince. When no other explanation was given, Alec decided to venture a guess.
"Awww was Normal bipping more than usual today?
"No."
"Kendra leave her
underwear on your motorcycle again?"
"No."
"Then I give up."
Max stopped pacing and turned to Alec.
"That fucking bastard." Alec said after Max relayed everything that had transpired outside of Crash with Logan.
"What should we do?" She asked.
"What do you think? He's a threat." And with those ominous words Alec grabbed his coat and headed out the door knowing Max was only two steps behind him.
***
Max used her Jam Pony badge to get in the building while Alec used the way they came in last night. He waited until he heard the door knob ring before attempting to break the newly installed lock on the skylight. He smiled as he worked at the way Max was ringing the doorbell incessantly—mostly to block out any noise he'd make but also partly to piss off the apartment's occupant.
Damn Mrs. Morano. Logan thought as he hurried to open his door; the constant ringing already stirring another headache. But it wasn't the elderly woman who from time to time mistook his apartment for hers on the other side of the door.
Will wonders never cease. Logan thought when he was met with the sight of the familiar dark-haired beauty.
Alec crept through the apartment towards the voices on the other side. He was surprised to find the place empty of bodyguards considering what had happened last night. Then again it was still early; maybe their shift didn't start until later.
Hearing Logan invite Max in, Alec planned to make his presence known to the other man however a light in one of the rooms drew his attention. Peeking inside, his eyes were immediately drawn to the only source of light; a computer with a red, white, and blue banner flashing across the top and bottom of the screen.
Alec's eyes widened in disbelief. Maybe this guy was just a fan and that was just his screensaver he thought as he moved further into the room.
But further investigation proved otherwise. The camera set up, the character generator, the editing equipment, not to mention the bunch of other audio and visual knick knacks that were a must have for any cyber journalist all pointed to the same conclusion.
They had found Eyes Only.
"Can I offer you a glass of wine? It's pre-Pulse, and I'm going to have some." Logan said as he poured a generous amount into the glass on his dining room table. "Figure since you're probably here to kick my ass some more I mind as well start numbing myself."
"No." Max shook her head. "Wine that is, you're absolutely right about the ass kicking part."
Logan chuckled. "Don't get me wrong, you do pack quite a punch. I'm still pretty sore." He then looked her up and down lasciviously. "But fear is not the feeling I get when I hear those words coming from you."
"What about coming from him?" Max smiled as she spotted Alec entering the room from behind Logan.
Logan spun around to see a young, handsome man staring at him and suddenly the danger of flirting with the beautiful but deadly vixen wasn't fun anymore.
"You're Eyes Only." Alec stated.
"What!" Max exclaimed her previous grin gone as she turned her attention back to Logan. "He's Eyes Only."
"In the flesh." Alec replied calmly. "You know we've been looking for you for a while now. Who would've thunk the voice of the common people would be some rich guy living in a trick apartment."
"He's Eyes Only." Max asked again, still having a hard time believing the only free voice left in this city belonged to this asshole. "You're sure."
"Saw his set up in the other room."
Max's mind flashed back to the night before and all the computer equipment and audio and visual devices. Of all the apartments to rip off, they picked Eyes Only's. "Well that's great." Max smiled and looked at Alec. "Baby, remember how I said instead of killing Eyes Only we should just talk to him." Alec nodded. "Well I changed my mind."
"Wouldn't be a good idea to kill me." Logan said quickly looking back and forth between the two and finally deciding that the boy with the angelic face and deadly glint in his eye was not the one he wanted to turn his back on. "I've got a lot of enemies so taking necessary precautions has been something I've been doing for a long time." The two halted their advance. "After all, the good fight still has to go on even if I don't." Logan felt his nerves beginning to calm the more he talked. He had their attention and the ball was on its way back to his court especially with the knowledge he was about to lay on them. "Every now and then, as a precaution, I move certain files about certain people to one of my electronic accounts. If I don't log in to that account—which is untraceable by the way, after a certain period of time those files get sent to certain people who know what to do with them." Logan turned to Max. "After you kicked my ass earlier, well let's just say congratulations you've made that file list."
"Please." Max snorted. "You've got nothing."
Logan took another sip of his wine and smiled. "Follow me." He said and headed out the living room.
He led the two X5s into the room with all his computer equipment. They watched rigidly from the doorway as he clicked on different files and scrolled through information.
"Recognize these." The older man asked. Max and Alec stared blankly at the computer screen as Logan pulled up various newspaper clippings detailing different buildings that were broken into during the last several months. The locations were very familiar to the X5s because they had been at each and every one of them the night before the date of the article. "You should, they're the places you robbed." The two still didn't respond. "They came to my attention because one of the buildings you ripped off was owned by my family. I knew the guy who installed that security system and there was no way anybody should have bypassed it. First I figured it was an inside job but instead my research uncovered other similar break ins all with the same M.O.; valuable paintings and other such collectables stolen from highly secured buildings.
When you two broke into my place so efficiently and only went after the good stuff it reminded me of those other robberies. I also remembered reading how in one of the earliest robberies there was a witness who described one of the burglars as a young female." Alec cursed to himself knowing exactly who Logan was talking about and how he was right in wanting to kill that guy that night. Logan focused on Max again. "His description was fairly generally but you definitely fit it. Plus with the way I've seen you move, I know you're certainly capable of being one of the highly skilled burglars that's been puzzling authorities."
"You don't know shit about me." Max finally spat.
"I know that there's a barcode on the back of your neck. Probably yours too." He said after looking at Alec. "You're the right age, the right built. And the way the perps were described in these robberies, definitely not the kind of thing a couple of regular teen-age kids could've pulled off. You're both Manticore. Chimeras, technically speaking, genetically engineered to be advanced infan—"
"Blah blah blah." Alec cut in knowing it was pointless to stall with lies and denial. It wasn't a surprise that this man had figured out what they were considering he was Eyes Only and had been researching Manticore for quite some time. "You've done your homework and we obviously don't need a history lesson on who we are and where we came from. So let's just cut to the chase. There's a reason you haven't turned us in so what is it? What do you want from us?"
"Simple." Logan smiled. "I want your help." Logan let the two X5s digest this before going on. "There was a woman here last night, Lauren. She supervised workers removing cortodiazapine from gel caps by hand and replacing it with powdered sugar. Real drug was shipped out of the country. Placebos were distributed to the county V.A. Hospital and veterans' clinics in the area. . Lauren's prepared to testify that she was working for one of Edgar Sonrisa's managers. That man will go through whatever lengths to keep her quiet. That's why she and her daughter were staying here last night and also the reason for the bodyguard. I've arranged to put Lauren into witness protection and if you two were to go with her…with your background and training the risk goes way down. Peter's good at what he does, but he did not train all his life to be an infantry soldier like the two of you. If Sonrisa were to find out where I'm hiding Lauren anybody he'd send after her wouldn't be a match for the either of you." Logan stated. "And in exchange for your help, I'll help you take down Manticore."
"We came here to stop you from exposing Manticore, not put ourselves at more risk by looking for trouble." Alec stated. Max agreed but she was still more interested in another facet of Logan's earlier speech and decided to comment on that instead.
"How do you even know so much about us and Manticore any how?"
"Got a tip from a lab tech several months ago. He worked on Project Manticore."
"Uh uh. I don't buy it. These cable hacks you've been doing lately about Manticore couldn't all just be from a tip from some pencil pusher inside Manticore." Max said. "You know Seth, don't you?" Logan started to say something but stopped so Max continued. "And before you even think about lying let me just tell you how I saw a glimpse of Seth on the news not too long ago. He was here in Seattle and they also said that he was associated with Eyes Only."
"Fine, you're right about Seth. I did know him."
"Where is he?"
"I don't know. Honestly, I haven't seen him in months."
"Did he use to work for you?"
"He helped me from time to time and I helped him. He was hell bent on seeing Manticore stopped which is why I did those hacks. That's what the two of you want to isn't it; an end to Manticore so you don't have to look over your shoulder for the rest of your lives. I can help make that happen so clearly it's in both our best interests if you cooperate with me." Max looked at Alec and shook her head. She didn't like this and she especially didn't like how closed lip he was being about her brother. She could tell there was more to his story but he wasn't sharing. And for all she knew it was one of these Eyes Only missions that got Seth either captured or killed.
Logan sensed their reluctance and it was trying his patience so he decided to play his trump card. "Please, I don't want to have to do it the hard way."
"What that's supposed to mean?" Alec asked.
"It wouldn't be hard to expose you and connect you to the 'highly skilled' robberies that occurred over the past few months. You already know I'm not the only one that can identify you in the break in of my place last night. Plus I made sure to get your prints off your bottle of Tryptophan before informing you that I took it out of your apartment. That coupled with the file on these other robberies would be enough to have the F.B.I. searching for you, only a matter of time before Manticore catches wind and comes after you too."
"You son of—"
"Max!" Alec said grabbing hold of her arm just before she lunged at Logan. "Excuse us." He said to the older man before pulling Max out of Logan's immediate vicinity.
"Why didn't you let me kill him!" Max said after jerking out of Alec's grip.
"You heard what he said." Alec reasoned. "If that file gets out—"
"So what if he exposes us." She interrupted. "He'll still be dead and we'll have plenty of time to hop on a plane to Spain or wherever."
"Max, think about it. He's got contacts….more importantly he's anti-Manticore and you know what that means." Max rolled her eyes. "Come on say it with me, you know you want to," He cajoled while giving her that smile that always made her insides mushy. "What does it mean?"
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." She stated through clenched teeth. Alec nodded proudly. "Fine. He has his uses. But the moment he gets out of line again Alec."
"Feel free to snap his neck."
"Thank you. That's all I ask." She said before turning abruptly and strutting back into Logan's office.
"So you two come to a decision?"
"We're in just as long as you agree no more cable hacks about Manticore." Alec answered. "From now on we're in this together as far as taking them down."
"So any stuff you find on them, you will run by us the second after." Max added.
"Fair enough." Logan said amiably. He then held out his hand. Alec looked at Max and shrugged before reaching for it and giving him a firm handshake. Logan then extended his hand to Max, who took it reluctantly, but then let go just as reluctantly.
"Great." Logan said while trying to massage feeling back into his fingers. "Now let's get started."
TBC
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