The Light at the End of the Tunnel
Sequel to A Light in the Dark
Chapter 3: Home Decorating
"I can't believe you coudln't take him out."
"That damn animal DNA. He knew there was danger. Probably smelled it. Freak. It was a fluke. I won't miss next time."
"See that you don't. Or no deal."
"Fine. You'll be hearing from me soon, Mr. Cale."
Ames White hung up the phone and smirked. Humans were so predictable.
Tension was high in Terminal City a week after the election. In the time it took for one gun shot to sound, all the citizens of the city had lost their carefree attitudes. It was like the entire city had gone back in time to the seige. Everyone was looking over their shoulder, not associating much with the ordinaries; however, most of the citizens were worried about thier council representative. Only a select few knew that they had much bigger problems.
Alec paced in the apartment he and Max shared. Max refused to let him leave unless she left with him, or unless he took two bodyguards. Normally he wouldn't have a problem with staying in the apartment all day and night with Max, it was the principle of the thing. Now that he couldn't leave, he didn't want to stay.
"Alec, you're gonna fall right through the floor with all that pacing. Pick up one of my nervous habits?" Max asked as she stepped out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel. A small one. Alec stilled in his tracks as he saw the gorgeous woman in front of him, her hair dripping water droplets down her olive skin. No matter how many times he saw her like this, he always ended up breathless.
"You're perfect," he said, looking at her appreciatively.
"I know." she walked over to the bed, letting go of the towel. Before it had a chace to pool at her feet, Alec was behind her holding her. He kissed her neck lightly, nipping at the soft skin. She turned her head to capture his lips with her own. She leaned into him and moaned as one of his hands traced down her shoulder to he side. Just the barest touch of his fingers and she was shivering in anticipation.
"Oh!" Joshua yelped, immediately covering his eyes. The two transgenics hadn't even heard him come in. "Max, Alec stop gettin' busy. Find new plan." He turned away from the sight before him. "Joshua has something important..."
Max's face had turned a bright shade of pink, and upon noticing this, Alec had pointed and laughed.
"Shut-up pretty boy. One of us has to be modest. God knows you aren't." Shey smacked him on the chest, sending him back a few steps. Her clothes were already set out on the bed and she quickly threw on the baggy black cargo pants and -surprise- black tank top.
"I'm hurt, Max. Really." Alec mockingly clutched a hand to his chest, over his heart.
"Not yet, you aren't." She pulled her hair up into a loose knot as she walked over to Joshua. "Sorry, big fella. Maybe knock next time?"
Joshua turned around while nodding emphatically. "Joshua knock next time. Don't want to see Max and Alec gettin' busy again. Virgin eyes." Max laughed and Alec looked at him in shock.
"Who taught you that?"
"Mole. Mole said 'Stop that you two. My poor virgin eyes.'" Max rolled her eyes as Alec chuckled. That had been Mole's response to walking in on Max and Alec kissing in HQ.
"Figures. What was so important, Josh?" Alec asked.
"Joshua heard noise last night. Strange. From here," he replied, gesturing to the apartment.
Alec couldn't resist. "Oh, Joshua. That's just Max's way of saying I'm doing a good job-Ow!" Max cuffed him on the back of the head. "One of these days I'm going to get permanent brain damage. What then?" he said in mock fury.
"Can't hurt. Might help," Max said, smiling devilishly.
"Guys, Joshua talking now!" At the urgent tone in their friend's voice they went silent. "I heard noise then, and hear it now. Never noticed before. Too loud," he explained, glaring at his two friends. "Alec, pick up your dirty towels. Max how many pairs of shoes do you need. No wonder I didn't hear it!" Max glared at Alec.
"He learned that from you."
Alec smiled. "Learned what?"
"Sarcasm."
"Guys! Noise..." he whispered.
"I don't hear anything, Joshua. Are-" She broke off as the grasped what he was telling them. "It's in the upper registers, then," she whispered. Alec nodded as did Joshua.
"Ultrasonic. A signal?" Alec ventured loudly, looking at Joshua.
"Alec, there's a reason I'm whispering. There's nothing in the apartment that could give off high frequency signals. Nothing we put in here, anyway."
"Shit. A bug? How'd you know Joshua?" Alec said, realizing his friend had started whispering long before they did.
"Joshua not stupid," he said. As if that explained everything.
"Where?" Max mouthed, not wanting to risk being overheard.
Alec pointed in the same direction Joshua did-only two seconds earlier. Max eyed him questioningly.
"When did we get an air freshener? I don't remember redecorating," he whispered extra low. Max nodded, understanding. These days air fresheners were very expensive, not to mention sometimes overpowering to the transgenics' keen sense of smell. If they didn't smell anything, that wans't an air freshener.
When Joshua got close to the "air freshener" he clasped his hands over his ears. He pointed to the device and mimed picking it up and slamming it against the wall. Max and Alec had to suppress a chuckles, then Max shook her head. Joshua growled a tthe device before waling back over to his friends.
"Thanks Joshua, for telling us about the X7 situation. Much appreciated." Alec winked.
"No problem, medium fella, little fella. Should Joshua stay to help?"
"Naw, I think Max and I can handle it." He patted Joshua on the back and then leaned in close to whisper in his ear. "Look outside from your window for anything suspicious. Whoever's listening isn't far. Short-range bug." Joshua nodded and left the room after hugging Max.
"So who do you think could be responsible for the...X7 problem?" Max asked, sitting down on a stool at the kitchen counter, trying to keep up the story.
"One of two people. I think you know which two," Alec responded, coming over to sit with Max, putting an arm around her.
"The one with too much snake in his cocktail, but who's the other?" Max wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer to that.
"The one with too much ass-I mean rat-in his cocktail." Max almost laughed.
"What do you say we talk about this later? Let's go for a ride." She couldn't stand being in this apartment anymore. Thinking about someone listening to them talk and do tother things made her shudder.
"No problem. Let's go. I think I know just the place."
'I am so bored. If they aren't talking about stupid boring transgenic crap, they're arguing or they're...no...don't go there.' Logan made it a point to pretend that, even though he'd heard differently, Max and Alec didn't have sex. Every night. For hours.
He had been slightly worried at the silence and mention of something ultrasonic after Joshua's arrival, but he'd paaed it off as a temporarily bad reception. They were talking about the X7s so ultrasonic made sense.
'Great, they're leaving. That means in a little while I can go too.' He would send someone else to monitor the apartment. He had a very important meeting at 9:00...one that would hopefully change everything. Then tomorrow, it would be time to make his grand entrance.
Max closed her eyes and leaned into the warmth of the body next to her. The wind whipped at the couple, as if warning them that one false move would put them at its mercy. Max hand't been here, on top of the space needle, since she'd found out about Seth from Logan. It had been too painful. The reminder of Seth having died here brought memories of Ben as well.
But she knew why Alec had brought her here. He knew this place was hers, theirs and wanted her to have good memories to associate with it. The fact that the wind made it nearly impossible to plant a bug and hear anything was also a factor.
"Alec. Which one of them do you think it is? I mean...Logan doesn't have motive, not after this long. And White-he's supposed to be dead. Josh tore his head off for God's sake."
"I don't know, Maxie."
"Wow. Are you in any pain? 'Cause I know that had to hurt."
"What? Oh...smart ass. A wise man knows that he knows nothing," Alec retorted, grinning.
"Then you must be extraordinarily wise, huh?" Alec glared at her, the laughter in his eyes telling her he wasn't angry. He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and sighed.
"Truth is Maxie, you don't give yourself enough credit. If you left me for a more talented, much better looking man-not that that's possible-" he paued to throw a cocky grin in her direction. "I wouldn't be near over you, even after four years. It's possible that Logan planted the bug. But I'm thinking that since White was my would-be executioner, he's the more likely suspect." He felt Max's body tense at the mention of the attempt on his life. He tried to soothe her, running a hand across her back in circles.
"I love you, Alec. I don't think I could bear it if-"
"I love you too, Maxie. Don't worry. I'm hard as hell to kill. You know that."
"I believe you for now. Let's just enjoy the view, okay?" Max nodded and nuzzled closer to alec, looking out over the skyline. From here it looked so deceivingly peaceful. They let themselves believe the lie for just a little while longer.
Joshua hovered at his window, seemingly very focused on the painting in front of him. And he was. In a way.
A black van sat across fromt he apartment bulding in an alley. Joshua could barely see it from this high up, which meant that it was probably near invisible fromthe street. Joshua stepped back from the painting he'd just finished; the van, complete with license plate. He grabbed the phone as he saw the van pull away.
"Alec. Saw something suspicious. Come see."
Joshua eyed the painting apprasingly, then gave himself a pat on the back. he sat down in his recliner and waited for Max and Alec to come home.
"That's what you saw? How cliche," Max joked.
"Oh yeah. It's so original. How could we have missed that?" Alec mentally banged his head on the table. 'I must be slippin',' he thought.
"We'll get Dix to try to trace it with the plates. I'll get a team to scope out the alley, too, strictly on the DL. No use lettin' anyone tip to the fact we know they're listenin'." Max announced.
"You've been hangin' with OC too much. Boo." All three laughed. "We'll do all that in the morning. I have plans for us tonight." Alec grinned and suggestively raised an eyebrow.
"Alec!" She yelled. Then, lowering her voice to a whisper, "They. Can. Hear. Us." She emphasized each word menacingly.
"Oh, come on Maxie. You know you've always wanted to do it in a public place." He immediately raised his arms to fend of an attack. But it never came.
"Now that you mention it," she purred. Alec's mouth gaped open and his eyes widened.
"Really?" he managed to sputter. Max burst out in laughter.
"You're soo easy." With that she sauntered out of the apartment, leaving Alec to stare in disbelief.
"Women," he told Joshua and went to follow her.
4 hours later
"What else these transgenics got in their DNA 'sides feline? Rabbit?" the young man who'd come to relieve Logan of watch said to himself. Moans and screams filled his headset. 'It's gonna be a long night.'
Lemme know what you thought :) Email: or review me at Gumboot Mafia under my pen name "His Vampira." Thanks :)