Alec answered his cell phone with his usual "yeah." Anyone who dialed his number knew exactly who they were calling, and if they didn't, then he didn't want to talk to them. There was no need to identify himself.

"Alec." Alec fought hard not to roll his eyes. "Is Max there?" He mouthed the words as Logan said them. It was the only reason Logan would call him, after all.

"That's a negative," he replied as he drifted away from the small group he had been following through the science building. He had tricked Eve into a conversation and walked her to her meeting. At some point, his trick had backfired, sucking him into a small orientation group consisting of Eve's professors and fellow students. It would have been rude to cut and run, especially since Eve seemed to appreciate his presence. Ever shy, she stayed quite near him during the tour, desperate for a familiar face to give her confidence.

Now Logan's phone call gave Alec the opportunity to slip away and find that book for Dix. Alec very much doubted Eve would condone his stealing university property in her presence. Well, she wouldn't condone it in her absence, either, but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

"I've been trying to get a hold of her all morning," Logan went on.

"Who?" Alec asked as he gave a sharp yank on a door knob to break the locking mechanism. It slid smoothly open, and he slipped inside with one last look into the hallway.

"Max. Look, never mind. Asha's in trouble."

"Asha's still around?" Alec was amused. He entered an adjoining laboratory and began scanning for text books.

"She wants to meet me, but I've got a bad feeling about it. I'd appreciate some back up."

Bingo. A 2018 edition of "Advanced Organic Chemistry Applications."

"Alec?"

"What?"

"Wait, why are you whispering?"

"Because I'm trying not to draw the attention of the custodial staff," Alec peeked out into the hallway. All clear.

Logan sighed. "You think you could stop stealing things long enough to back me up at this rendezvous?"

"I'm not stealing, I'm borrowing," he explained in a low voice as he plodded down a stair case. Geesh. Even when he was doing favors for people he was somehow the bad guy. "And yes, I'll be there. SuperAlec to the rescue yet again."

Logan gave him the address and the time, and Alec drove off toward Terminal City.