Episode 3.20 – The Trouble With Max
The Penthouse – February 15, 9:00 AM
The announcer on Channel Three broke into the regularly scheduled program.
This is a Channel Three News special. Stand by for an announcement from the State House in Olympia.
The television on top of the wine rack crackled, causing Logan to look up from the banks of computers. He had been putting the finishing touches on an Eyes Only broadcast about federal excess and the public sentiment against the government because of it. The man in the street was shouting for secession louder and louder. Logan wheeled himself into the dining room so he could see the TV.
The scene shifted to a podium in front of the State House. Governor Savidge, the lieutenant governor, and several other state notables stood behind the podium. The governor, her eyes darting from side to side as if she were looking for something, began to speak.
Today, I have asked the State Legislature to pass a bill making National Guard service mandatory by all citizens of Washington State between the ages of 18 and 45, effective immediately. This conscription bill will greatly enhance the number of soldiers available to defend our borders. I ask that all citizens of Washington State cooperate once this bill passes. Thank you.
Jane Savidge abruptly turned her back on the cameras and strode off, followed by her entourage.
Logan turned down the sound on the television and went back to the computer, this time bringing up all the information he could find on Jane Savidge. He scratched his head, and a puzzled expression formed on his face as the data scrolled. After extracting the piece of information he was looking for, he reached for the phone.
“Hello, Alec? Logan. I’ve got a job for you. You just saw Governor Savidge’s announcement?”
The voice on the other end of the line acknowledged that he had.
“Well, don’t you think it’s odd that the governor is calling for compulsory service when she has a twenty-year-old daughter who would be immediately conscripted?”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Alec replied, “On the other hand, maybe she’s a really patriotic citizen who believes in military service. Or maybe her daughter wants to join up.”
“Trust me, Alec. My family has known her family socially for years. None of them are hawks, Jane Savidge especially. No, something’s going on. I know it.” Logan looked back at the computer screen and scrolled down a page.
“Okay, so we trust your instincts. Now what?” Alec asked.
“Well, here’s what I want you to do. Get down to Olympia as soon as possible and look around. I suspect the governor’s being coerced into making that announcement. She looked very nervous during that speech, and I’ve never known her to be nervous. If you find anything, call me. In the meantime, keep an eye on her. I’ll investigate further to see if I can find out what’s going on and who’s influencing her. Think you can track down the daughter?”
“No sweat,” Alec replied. “Should I stop by your place for anything on the way to Olympia?”
“No, I don’t think so. As long as you’ve got a weapon and a cell phone, I think you’re equipped. Keep in touch.” Logan hung up the phone and went back to hacking into Governor Savidge’s records, searching for clues to her sudden desire to strengthen Washington’s military.
The Committee’s conference room – 9:15 AM
After the news report, Kathryn Birman turned off the television in the elegant conference room. Her fellow Committee members leaned back in their chairs in satisfaction. She sat down at the head of the table, a smug smile on her face.
“Gentlemen, the governor has taken our…suggestion, as you see.”
“Too bad she needed more persuasion than the governor of California,” Rex Selkirk said.
“Well, at least she did what we – suggested. Our plan is proceeding…” General McKenzie agreed.
“Yes, it’s right on schedule…As long as Eyes Only doesn’t wreck it – again,” Kathryn grumbled.
“We have to…do something about him. He’s caused too much trouble already – exposing Project Manticore…”
“Revealing Stevenson’s death – We had to really hustle to limit the damage on that one – and delaying the Healthcorp deal…”
“Yes, he’s not only costing us time, he’s costing us money,” Kathryn stated. “We need to neutralize him as soon as possible.”
“Well, we had X5-452’s motorcycle fitted with a tracking device so she’d lead us to Eyes Only. She seems to know him very well.” Rex Selkirk said.
“Any luck with that?” asked Kathryn.
“Unfortunately, no. She apparently discovered the device. But we’ll keep monitoring her in other ways until she leads us to Eyes Only.
Kathryn looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “And how long do you think that will take? We’ve got a schedule to meet, you know, and we don’t need that interfering pain-in-the-ass crusader throwing a monkey wrench in the works. This needs to be resolved quickly.”
“Yes, Kathryn, it will be,” Harriet Short sighed. “It will be.”
Kathryn got up from the table. “It better.” She turned on her heel, and left the room.
END OF PROLOGUE
The Penthouse, 1:15 PM
The clock on the wall ticked along as the tapping of keys echoed through the apartment. Logan’s attention was focused on his computer screen as he opened file after file, reading reports from Olympia as well as from Austin, Sacramento, and Washington, D.C. He jotted down an occasional note on a pad sitting by his keyboard.
Finally he lifted his head, stretched a bit, and checked the clock.
The clock on the wall said quarter to eight as Max gathered up her backpack and her Jam Pony cap. She walked into the computer room where Logan was working on the exoskeleton. “That thing’s still not fixed?” she asked. “I thought you’d have it up and runnin’ in no time, like you usually do.”
“So did I,” he responded, his voice indicating his annoyance at the broken device. “That whack on the pavement screwed it up more than I thought it had. I finally found a replacement for the damaged actuator, got the wiring in place, went to repair some circuit boards…and ran out of solder. Haven’t been able to get my hands on any yet.”
“Economic breakdown strikes again,” Max commented, giving Logan a kiss and leaving the room. “Gotta jet.”
“Okay,” came his reply as he tightened some screws. “Hey, come back here for a second.”
“Can’t. Don’t wanna be late today.”
Logan raised an eyebrow at that. He set down the screwdriver he was holding and wheeled out to the door, where Max was headed with her mountain bike. “Since when are you worried about getting to work on time?”
“Hey, it happens now and then, you know,” she shrugged. She flashed him a lopsided smile. “Girl’s gotta get paid.”
He smiled back. She opened the door and was about to take a step when he playfully grabbed the rear wheel of her bike, halting her progress. Max looked at him with curiosity.
“You haven’t had lunch here in a while,” he told her. “How about it today? I’ll make those sandwiches you like and we can just hang out.”
She paused, looking slightly uncomfortable, then smiled again. “Is that all you have in mind?” she asked, eyebrow cocked.
“Well…I could be convinced otherwise…”
Max laughed. “I’ll bet.” She tugged her bike out of his grasp and started walking it out the door. “Okay. See ya at noon, assuming Normal doesn’t send me across town at ten to.”
“Let’s hope not. See ya.” Logan closed the door after her and then turned to answer his ringing cell phone. It wasn’t long before he was buried nose-deep in Eyes Only business.
Logan had lost track of time. The hour hand was well past the one now.
“Max?” Logan called. He turned to go look for her. He checked the whole apartment, in case she had sneaked in from a late lunchtime run while he’d been engrossed in work. He checked the kitchen first, then the living room, then the rest of the apartment, but she was nowhere to be found.
Logan picked up the phone and dialed her cell phone. It rang and rang with no answer, so he paged her instead and went back to work.
Jam Pony – 1:30 PM
“All right, you bums!” Normal shouted as he walked through Jam Pony, carrying his clipboard and a package under his arm. “Get to work! You,” he said to Sketchy, who was entering the building, “get this package to 3187 Arlington. The client wants it there in twenty minutes.”
“No can do,” Sketchy told him, walking right past the outstretched package and digging into his bag. “I just got back from Sector 11. Riders get ten minutes between long runs.”
“Yeah, and customers get their packages on time,” Normal shot back, irritated. “The customers? Remember them? The ones who hire us and keep us in business?”
“The ones who call up four hours after a delivery and ask for a pickup?” Sketchy countered, pulling a large padded envelope out of his bag and waving it at Normal as a told-you-so.
Normal ignored it. “Yes, those customers. Put the envelope down and take this to Sector 6.”
“Break time.” Sketchy made a big show of putting his watch in front of his eyes and checking the time. “Guess you’ll just have to find someone else.”
Normal rolled his eyes and sighed.
Sketchy dropped the padded envelope onto Normal’s counter. “That’s for Max,” he said, pointing to it as he walked away. “The pickup from Sector 11.”
“That slacker can get it when she comes back from her run…or whatever it is she’s off doing,” Normal grumbled. He left the envelope on the counter and went to find an available messenger.
The Penthouse – 2:15 PM
It was quarter after two when Logan put down his work, unable to wait any longer for Max to return his page. He picked up the phone and dialed her old apartment number.
“You got the one and only Original Cindy. I’m not home, so leave a message – ”
Logan hung up and dialed again.
“Jam Pony, how can I help you?” said a harried but agreeable voice on the other end. Normal was speaking into his headset while handing out packages and shooing talkative messengers away from the time clock.
“Logan Cale. Is Max there?”
“Well, I guess you were about due for a phone call, weren’t you? Haven’t heard from you in quite a while.” Normal bent underneath the counter to retrieve a form for a messenger. He resumed speaking when he straightened up. “No, she’s not here.”
Logan sighed and checked his watch. “When was she there last?”
“She hasn’t been back here since her first run this morning. Big surprise. This isn’t the first time she’s run off and left our customers in the lurch.”
“Be careful out there,” Logan told Max as she climbed out of the car.
“You know I will,” she agreed, closing the door and leaning through the window to grin at him. “I gotta get back to work in one piece, ’cause you know I’m Normal’s star messenger.”
“Is he aware of that?” Logan joked.
“Normal wouldn’t be aware of a snapping turtle if it bit him in the ass,” Max said, rolling her eyes. She flashed Logan a quick smile, then turned to complete the mission, her backpack-clad figure quickly disappearing into the crowd.
“All right,” Logan told Normal. “Thanks anyway.”
Sublime P.I. – 2:30 PM
Cody reached for the door. Entering the laundromat at the front of Sublime P.I., he spied Gem at a table near the back. She had two washers going, and seemed to be in the process of sorting a pile of whites from colors. Elfie was nearby, snoozing in her stroller. Quietly, Cody locked the door behind him. He called out, “Is that your underwear?” Playfully, he covered his eyes with his hands. “I’m not looking!”
“Cody!” Gem jumped, startled. “I didn’t hear you come in!”
“Business is booming, I see.” Cody sauntered down the row of machines. He passed a couple of laundry carts on casters. A few more steps took him past a bucket and mop. Overhead, one of the fluorescent lights flickered, and went out.
“Shoot.” Gem looked up. “Those are hard to replace.”
“I thought your boyfriend was good at scrounging things.”
“My what?” Gem’s forehead creased. “Alec? God, he’s not my boyfriend.”
“Ah,” said Cody. “So, that’s not his laundry.”
“Good grief,” Gem laughed. “That’s all for Elfie.” She pointed at a washing machine. “And that.” She pointed at another. “And that. A girl could lose her mind.”
“Where is he?” Cody put his hands in his pockets. He leaned back against a dryer. “Alec, I mean. Is he around?”
“No.” Gem turned back to her sorting. “In a minute I’m gonna tell you to hold your breath,” she said. “And when I say so, do it, because I’ll be putting these dirty diapers in to wash.” With her foot, she indicated a garbage bag under the table.
“Roger that,” Cody said agreeably. “So – Alec?”
“He’s on a job,” said Gem.
“And the dog that walks like a man? He around?”
Gem’s shoulders got stiff. “No – and you’re lucky, because if you insult him to his face again, I won’t be very happy about it. You know his name. It’s Joshua.” She looked up at Cody, all of her freckles standing out against her fair skin. “Here are your options. Refer to him by name, or get the hell out.”
Cody snorted. “You know what, Gem? You’re really kind of bossy.”
Gem was taken aback. “Excuse me?”
“That’s right,” Cody said. “And I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all.”
Gem shook her head in disbelief. “Well,” she said, pointing, “there’s the door.”
“Fine.” Cody turned as if to go. Out of the blue, he hit her sharply with a backward elbow strike. Gem staggered back against the table.
“What the hell?” Gem sputtered. “Why did you do that? Get away from me!” She pushed off from the table and charged him with a running kick. Cody moved forward to meet her, deflecting the kick with an inside block. He captured her kicking leg, and raised it upward, flipping her over backward. Gem landed on the table. She scuttled sideways, out of his reach, and fell on the floor. She rolled onto her back, and did a kip up. She advanced again, hitting him in the face with a palm heel strike to the nose. She followed that with a right hook. It was Cody’s turn to stagger.
Gem darted around him, to get some distance from the wall. Now her back was to the front door. She threw a worried glance at Elfie, dancing back to avoid Cody as he spun, throwing a punch. Gem took a step to the side, pivoting, and executed a double kick. Cody threw up his forearm, blocking the first thrust, and the second. He laughed. “Is that all you’ve got, 238?”
“I knew it!” Gem snarled. “I knew you couldn’t be a civilian!” Angrily, she threw a straight punch. Cody ducked and grabbed Gem’s arm, pulling her to him. He bent her hand back in a submission hold. Gem groaned, straining. Cody landed a full punch to her face, and immediately struck again, targeting her gut. He let go of her arm and the force of the blow carried Gem back a few steps. Cody whirled into a roundhouse, striking Gem in the chest. She flew into the air, and hit the floor hard. Cody strode forward. Coughing, Gem got to her hands and knees. Before she could get to her feet, Cody drew back his leg and kicked her. He kicked her again, and she fell on her stomach, wheezing.
Cautiously, Gem got to her knees. She hugged her stomach, and looked up at Cody. “Why are you doing this? What the hell is wrong with you?”
Cody threw up his hands. “You work in a laundromat! You’re better than that!”
“I do not work in a laundromat!” Gem said hotly. “The laundromat is extra!”
Cody made a dismissive gesture. “Oh…I can’t talk to you!” He turned away, snatching up the mop. He broke the mop handle over his knee.
Gem got to her feet in a hurry, but not quickly enough. Cody came at her, swinging, and that was the last thing she saw.
The Penthouse – 2:45 PM
Logan turned back to his work, trying to concentrate despite his growing worry. Max hadn’t stopped home as promised, wasn’t at her old place, hadn’t been seen at work since her first run, and hadn’t answered his phone calls or his page.
“Still haven’t heard from her, huh?” Bling asked. “Max can take care of herself.”
“Didn’t ease my mind before, and it isn’t working now, either,” Logan muttered. His usual rapid jump from file to file had slowed to a distracted crawl.
A few minutes after Logan had left Dr. Vertes’ examination room, while he was gathering his stuff and arranging his next appointment, he heard the sound of crashing glass from the other room. He made his way back to the door, opened it a crack, and peered through. Max was on the ground, holding an attacker’s knife inches from her own face.
Logan shook his head to clear the memory, but another soon replaced it.
The Aztek roared into the parking garage. Max was fighting the Reds, who were beginning to overpower her.
Logan shot at them, giving her an opportunity to run for the car and dive into the back seat. Later he looked at her burned shoulder and cut lip, and wondered what would have happened if he hadn’t made it there in time.
That did it. Logan shut off the computer, grabbed his keys and his gun, and wheeled out the door.
END OF ACT I
Jam Pony – 3:15 PM
Logan, wet from the rain that had started to fall, came down the ramp and approached the counter. Normal barely glanced up from the envelopes he was sorting. “I told you she’s not here. What, you had to come and see for yourself?”
“Maybe,” Logan said defensively. “She hasn’t shown up yet?”
“No. Imagine that. Got her check, took her first run, and hasn’t been seen since.” Normal handed a paycheck envelope to Sky as he passed by. “Here. Don’t let me catch you faking signatures again or you’ll be missing more than a few hours of pay.”
Ignoring Normal, Sky moved across the room to greet Sketchy. They began playing hacky-sack as Logan turned back to Normal. “Where was her last run to? Maybe I can track her down.”
“That’s confidential. Customers trust that we don’t give out their information.”
“I’m just looking for Max. Tell me where to look.”
Normal gave him a sideways glance and sighed. He turned around to check some papers on a clipboard. Logan glanced briefly to the side and saw the hacky-sack game moving closer to the counter.
Still facing the rear wall, Normal read from the clipboard. “833 Hamlin. Sector elev – Hey!” Normal had turned around and finally noticed the game. “No games inside! This is a place of business, not a park!”
“Come on, Normal, we’re going for a record here,” Sketchy protested, concentrating on the beanbag. He and Sky kept kicking it back and forth.
Logan pulled a notepad out of his pocket and jotted down the address Normal had given him.
Normal charged out from behind the counter. “Do I have to get in the middle of this again? You slackers don’t even know the difference between break time and work time. Gimme that!” He reached for the beanbag. Sketchy and the other messenger managed to play keep-away with it, grinning mischievously as Normal ducked this way and that in his effort to snatch the beanbag away.
“I told you, Normal, the record won’t be brok – AAH!” Sketchy tripped over one of his trailing shoelaces and fell headfirst. Arms flailing for balance, he accidentally knocked a huge stack of papers off of the counter as he went down. Sketchy crashed to the floor, and the papers floated off the counter like falling leaves. The wind from the rainstorm outside blew them farther around, sending some of them gliding across the room.
“You idiot!” Normal cried, stooping to grab some papers from the floor. “If any of these delivery slips get lost, it’s coming out of your pay!”
Sublime P.I. – 3:25 PM
When Gem came to, Cody was on his cell phone. “Yes, sir,” she heard him say. Hanging up, he turned, and seemed surprised to find her awake. “Rats. I should have hit you twice.”
Gem sat up. Cody was lifting Elfie out of her stroller. “Cody, no!”
“Stay back,” he warned. “If you think I won’t hurt her – you’re nuts.”
“What are you doing?” Helplessly, Gem put her hands on her thighs. “Leave her alone!”
“I’m taking her with me,” Cody said grimly. “And you’re going to do exactly what I say.” He balanced the baby on one hip, and reached into his pocket with his other hand. He extracted a pair of handcuffs.
“Oh.” Gem’s voice was tight. “Oh, God.”
Cody threw the cuffs at her. They bounced off her knee, and landed on the floor with a metallic thud. “Pick them up.”
Tentatively, Gem reached for the cuffs. “Why are you doing this?”
“Shut up!” he shouted. “Don’t make me kill you! Do you think I want to kill the mother of my baby?”
“What are you going to do with her?” demanded Gem.
Cody looked down at Elfie and broke into a smile. “She’s my ticket – back to a real life, the life I’m supposed to have.”
“You’re insane,” Gem breathed. “You’re going to sell her!”
“It’s more of a trade,” he clarified with a shrug. “I give her back, and I get what I want. It’s as simple as that.”
“Please don’t do this,” Gem begged. “She’s just a baby.”
“Get up.” Cody shifted his weight, watching her. Cautiously, Gem got to her feet, still holding the handcuffs. “Slow!” he snapped, and Gem froze. Stiffly, she held up her hands. “Handcuff yourself to the radiator.”
“Cody –” Gem started, but he cut her off.
“Do it! And be glad I’m not taking you back, too.”
“Screw you!” she said angrily.
Cody grinned. “You already did.”
“No,” Gem said. “I mean – screw you!” She threw the handcuffs at his head, and Cody batted them away. Gem ran forward. Dropping to the ground, she swept his leg. Cody fell, swearing, and Elfie started to cry. Scrambling, Gem pulled the baby out of his arms. Cody grabbed Gem’s leg, and she kicked at him. He made an angry noise. Gem bounced to her feet and took off for the exit. She snagged a laundry cart, pulling it alongside her as she ran. Cody was up almost immediately, right behind her.
Gem plopped Elfie into the cart just as Cody reached out. Cody grabbed Gem from behind, circling her waist. She twisted, kicking, and sent Elfie spinning back across the room, past the long row of washers and dryers. The laundry cart ended up in the far corner, next to the rectangular table and the bag of dirty diapers. Elfie peered over the side, her eyes huge.
Cody picked Gem up, and she gasped. “Crafty,” he whispered in her ear. “But now I’m going to have to mess you up.”
Gem twisted in his arms, struggling. She brought her own arms down, and broke his hold. She landed on her feet, in a crouch. “Someone’s gonna get messed up,” she panted. Cody threw a punch, and she blocked him. She drew her leg back sharply, and kneed him in the groin.
“Oh, jeez.” His face turned red.
“That’s right!” Gem pivoted on her back foot. She kicked. Cody’s eyes were wide with shock, his mouth hanging open. Flailing, he fell back against the edge of the washing machine.
Jam Pony – 3:30 PM“Gimme a break, Normal, I tripped,” Sketchy muttered, shaking his head and climbing back to his feet.
“Yeah, well, if you’d learn how to tie your shoes like any kindergartner can, you wouldn’t have to worry about it.”
Despite his worry, Logan was watching the scene with amusement. As Normal bobbed at the waist, picking up the papers scattered across the floor, a padded envelope caught Logan’s eye. He moved forward slightly to get a better look, saw that it was addressed simply to “Max,” and leaned down to pick it up.
Normal spotted it just as Logan started to open it. “Hey!” He rushed over and snatched it out of Logan’s hands on his way back to the counter. “Not for you!”
“Who’s that from?” Logan demanded, wheeling closer to the desk, attempting to look at the return address. There was none.
“Don’t know, don’t care,” Normal retorted, busy trying to reorganize the piles on the counter that had been disrupted by Sketchy’s fall. “None of my business. And it’s none of yours, either.”
“Don’t talk to me like that.” Logan raised his voice. “I’m not one of your messengers.”
“Well, you’re not a customer either, are you?”
“I could be. You never know,” Logan said, inching closer to the envelope while Normal was distracted.
“Yeah, right. The only pickup you ever come for is Max.”
“And this envelope,” Logan announced as he grabbed it. Normal looked up and reached for it, but Logan backed up out of Normal’s reach and quickly resumed opening the envelope.
Normal stood there for a second, as if making a decision. Then he muttered, “If the cops come asking about mail tampering, I had nothing to do with it.”
“You didn’t,” Logan murmured, reading the unsigned note he had pulled out of the envelope.
Eyes Only,
Your broadcasts have become inconvenient. You will cease to pursue your current topics and instead begin informing the populace as to the necessity of secession. To ensure your cooperation, we have taken Max. We recommend that you follow our instructions below if you do not wish to see her harmed.
“Who sent this?” Logan demanded again, looking up with renewed urgency. The worry in his voice was unmistakable.
Normal opened his mo...
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