Basketball
Court, Terminal City

The
streets of Terminal City were almost empty. Max passed a few
transgenics here and there as they walked by, intent on their business,
but the bustle that had become commonplace by the end of the siege
was missing.� She picked up the fancy lunch Ginger had asked her
to deliver to Original Cindy at work, and then wandered by the basketball
court on her way out of the complex.� The court was intact, but
no transgenics were shooting hoops on it; instead, about thirty
were using it as a military training ground.

Max
stopped in her tracks and watched from the cover of the building
she had just rounded.

Children
lined up, heads shaved, standing stock-still, with their eyes forward.
They held the barrels of their guns with the butt ends resting on
the ground.� The drill sergeant shouted as he walked down the line,
putting the young X5s through the same exercises that the transgenics
on the basketball court were performing.� Calluses had formed on
Max�s eight-year-old hands from the hours of work.� The whole unit
was forced to repeat the drills from the beginning whenever she
failed to perform fast enough.� The voice of the drill sergeant
echoed in her ears.

Lydecker
stood nearby, and young Max glanced over at him with the slightest
flick of her eyes.� His face was emotionless during exercises, never
changing even when one of the children dropped from exhaustion or
a seizure.� He simply indicated to the drill sergeant that the rest
of the kids should work even harder.� Then Max�s eyes were forced
front again.

The
transgenics in front of her now were as focused on the exercises
as Lydecker had been.� Disturbed, Max began to step into the open
area surrounding the basketball court, only to stop when she noticed
Mole and Zeri watching the proceedings and conversing.� She remained
hidden and listened in.

�Feels
good to be soldiers again, doesn�t it?� Zeri observed.

�You
got that right.� Sitting on our asses and waiting to be jumped was
a waste of talent,� Mole said around the cigar anchored between
his teeth.� �You�re sure Lydecker�s got a place for us in his new
X-corps? I heard he wasn�t too keen on the freaks.�

�Talked
to him myself, Mole,� Zeri reassured him. �He says he�s got room
for any soldier willing to obey orders. Personally, I never saw
him do anything against the freaks. He was always too busy chasing
the rogues from �09.�� She snorted and crossed her arms, never taking
her eyes off the transgenics on the court.� �I never did see what
was so special about civilian life.�

�Alec
and Max made it seem glamorous. That�s why most of the X-series
left, especially the ones who came here straight from hiding. They
never saw the outside world firsthand. Max and her boyfriend got
�em all hyped up on �freedom� and being �normal.� Hah.�� Mole laughed
bitterly.� �None of us will ever be normal, no matter what we look
like. Not even Max.�

�They�ll
find out, and they�ll be back, wanting to do what they were made
to do. You wait and see.�

The
conversation ended as Mole and Zeri joined the sergeant who was
training the soldiers.�

Neither
one saw Max.� She stood there for a moment, lowered her eyes in
contemplation, and then turned and left the way she had come.

Detective
Agency/Laundromat

Alec
walked through the swinging doors that led from the office to the
laundromat. Walking past the rows of washers, he approached the
front of the store and saw a woman peering through the large windows.

�We�re
not open!� he yelled to her through the glass.

�Oh,
please, I just wanted to come in for a quick load! Are you sure
you can�t open it, just for me?� the lady asked, batting her eyelashes
and pressing her body flat against the glass.

Alec
raised his eyebrows. The woman, in her early thirties, was attractive,
with big brown eyes and shoulder-length, dark brown hair.

�I
dunno, lady…you�re gonna have to give me a good reason,� he replied.

She
pointed to his crooked sign. �I have a job for you,� she said.

Alec
broke out in a wide smile. �In that case, come right in,� he said,
unlocking the door and ushering her in. �Let me show you to the
office.�

The
woman followed Alec to the back room. He burst through the doors,
startling Elfie into waking up. She let out a loud wail, and Gem
rocked her, attempting to calm the baby.

�Gem,
we have our first client,� he said proudly. �This is, uh…�

�I�m
Teresa Buckland,� the woman filled in, extending her hand to Gem.
�But everyone calls me Teeny,� she said, flashing a coy smile at
Alec.

�Hi,
I�m Gem, and that�s Alec.� Gem glanced at Alec, puzzled.

Alec
ushered Teeny to one of the chairs. �Ms. Buckland, here, take a
seat, tell us all about it.�

�Oh,
please, honey, call me Teeny,� she said flirtatiously. Gem raised
an eyebrow in amusement as Teeny raked her eyes over Alec. Shrugging
off her coat, Teeny sat down, suddenly becoming very quiet. Her
eyes filled with tears, and she whispered, �I think my husband is
cheating on me. I�m so ashamed, and I don�t know what to do.�

Alec
knelt beside her. �Don�t worry about it. He�s a bastard for cheating
on a beautiful woman like you.� Gem looked over Teeny�s head and
caught Alec�s glance, rolling her eyes. Alec continued. �What do
you want us to do for you?�

�Umm…uhh.�
Teeny began to squirm. �It�s kind of embarrassing to talk about,
especially with, uh…� she trailed off, glancing quickly at Gem.
�With your wife here and all.�

Alec
snorted. �Gem isn�t my wife, she�s my partner. You can tell us.
It�s okay,� he soothed.

Elfie
took the opportunity to once again let her presence be known, and
began crying in earnest. Gem sighed. �It�s time to feed her.� Casting
a glance at Teeny, she said, �I�m gonna step in the other room.
Alec will fill me in later, but don�t worry, we�ll get the job done
for you.�

Teeny
flashed Gem an appreciative smile. Once the door shut behind Gem,
Teeny turned her full attention to Alec and adopted a seductive
demeanor. Licking her lips, she leaned into him, whispering in his
ear. �Looks like it�s just you and me now.�

Surprised,
Alec jumped up and looked at her. �Uh, yeah. Now what exactly do
you want us to do? Tail him, beat him up, what?�

Teeny
rose from the chair, walking slowly toward Alec, her hips swaying,
until she had him backed up against the desk. Grinning, she trailed
her finger down the front of his shirt. �Why don�t I just show
you what I want you to do?� she suggested.

Alec
gulped. Before he could respond, she shoved him back onto the desk,
and swung her legs up and straddled him. The lamp clattered to the
floor, and Alec managed to squeak, �Hey, that�s the only one we
have!�

Teeny
ignored him, frantically trying to pull his shirt out of his pants.
She was breathing heavily and giggling, and Alec could only make
out fragments of what she was saying. �…Such a stud…�

Emerging
from his daze, Alec grasped both her arms, pushed up and stood,
keeping her at arm�s length. �Why don�t we just take a moment here.
You can catch your breath,� hopefully regain your sanity, and I�ll
just appreciate how bizarre this is.�

Teeny
responded by launching herself at his neck. �I�ll pay you, sweetie.
You just name your price,� she purred.

Suddenly,
the back door swung open with a bang, catching her off guard. She
turned to look at the intruder with a glare. He was in his early
twenties, with sandy blond hair and a well-built body.

Alec
pulled away from Teeny and turned to look at the man in wide-eyed
shock. �What the hell! Where are you people coming from?�

The
intruder responded tersely. �I�m looking for X5-238.�

�You
mean Gem?�

�If
that�s what X5-238 is callin� herself, then yeah. Where is she?�
the intruder asked.

Alec
crossed his arms. �Why don�t you tell me your name, and I�ll decide
if I want to tell you that information?�

Teeny,
perturbed at being ignored, gathered up her coat. �I�ll let you
boys work out your testosterone issues without me.� She brushed
closely past Alec on her way to the door. �I�ll catch up with you
later, sugar,� she demurred, sashaying out.

Alec
shook his head after her. Turning his attention back to the intruder,
he asked again. �So, pal, who are you?�

�X5-739,�
the intruder responded.

Alec
raised his eyebrow. �X5 huh? Manticore�s gone…what do you call
yourself now?�

�Name�s
Cody.�

�Cody,
huh?�

The
man shrugged. �Well, it�s �Cody Avenue East,� actually�that�s where
I happened to be when I realized I needed a civilian name.��

�Lucky
you weren�t on a rural route,� Alec snorted.� �What are you doing
looking for Gem?�

�Just
thought I�d come back and check on my kid. Heard all the transgenics
got out of Terminal City.�

Alec
couldn�t hide his shocked look. �You were Gem�s breeding partner
at Manticore?�

�Yeah,
that�s me, the one and only. And I want to see my kid. Can you tell
me where she is?�

�Sorry,
pal,� Alec told him. �Can�t do that. I don�t want Gem kicking my
ass for tellin� you. You didn�t see her in labor…she�s got a mean
right hook.�

�Fine,�
Cody said, clearly frustrated. �I�ll keep tracking her down. I got
this far, didn�t I?� Cody turned and stomped out, slamming the door
behind him. The force rattled the walls of the small office, sending
the dartboard crashing to the floor.

�Dammit,�
Alec said to the empty room. �So much for 60 percent fun.�

He
turned and saw Gem coming back into the office from the outer room.

�What
was all that noise?� she asked.

Alec
paused, unsure whether to tell her about Cody.� �Ah,� he said, �Teeny
just stormed out when I refused her offer of sex.�

Gem�s
eyes widened, and she started laughing. �On that note, I�m taking
Elfie home so Joshua can look after her. I�ll be back in half an
hour.�

Alec
grinned. �Catch ya later.�

Gem
strapped Elfie into her stroller and headed out the back door. Reaching
the threshold, she turned back to Alec.

�Sublime
P.I.,� she said.

Alec cocked his head. �You know, that could work.�

Fogle
Towers

Max,
wearing her Jam Pony work clothes and backpack, let herself in and
wove around the translucent walls of the penthouse.� She came to
a dead stop when she entered the computer room and saw Logan sitting
at the computer in his desk chair.� He had obviously just come from
the shower.� His hair was wet, and the excess water dripped onto
his glasses while he cleaned them; his T-shirt was a little damp
as well.� Max was entranced by the sight.

Feeling
her stare, Logan smiled and greeted her without looking up.� �Hey.�
Glad you could stop by.�

�Yeah.�
Me too,� she murmured as one side of her mouth curved into a smile.�
�Lookin� good.�

He
raised his head at that.� Blinking, he put on his glasses and looked
at her a second time.� �You got your hair cut.�

�Yeah,
well…� she responded jauntily, seeming to wake from her daze,
�I figured it wouldn�t hurt to lose a few inches and get Original
Cindy off my back.� She said now that I�m a free woman, I should
be doing somethin� with it besides lettin� it just hang there.��
She rolled her eyes.� �Her words.�

�Well,
it looks good,� Logan said softly, reaching up to play with the
ends of Max�s hair where it grazed her shoulders.� His fingers lightly
traced the gentle, soft waves.

Max
smiled, enjoying his touch.� She rested her own hand on top of his.�
�I came straight from Terminal City.� Not too many people stuck
around.�

�Everybody�s
ready for their own lives,� Logan commented, turning to his computer
and pulling up some files.

�Apparently
not everybody.� Would you believe Mole and the gang were doing maneuvers
on the basketball court?�

�Didn�t
know Mole played basketball,� Logan said, distracted. He began to
focus on the task in front of him.

�This
wasn�t dribblin� and passin�.� These were military maneuvers,� Max
snorted. She stuck her hands in her back pockets and leaned against
the desk with one hip.� �Heard him talkin� about hooking up with
Lydecker and going to work for him.� Can you believe it?� He and
the others don�t even realize they got a chance to live their own
lives.� It�s like we spent seven months fighting for nothing.�

She
paused to ponder for a moment.� �One of these days I�m going to��

�Look
at this,� Logan said at the same time, having taken her pause to
mean she was done.

Startled,
they looked at each other for a minute and smiled.

Logan
decided to speak first, nodding his head at the computer screen.�
�List of charities in the area that�re supposed to be receiving
food shipments.� Most of them haven�t been getting much of anything
for months now.�� He sighed.� �Trucks are being diverted at sector
checkpoints.� Somebody�s sending the cargo to the black market instead,
and the sector police have been looking the other way.�

�Bastards
as usual,� Max tossed off flippantly.

�I�ve
tracked most of the divergent activity to a few main checkpoints.�
I�m checking on some leads, and then I�ll need to get proof.�

�I
take it that�s where me and my skills come in?� Max said, leaning
down to peer more closely at the map on Logan�s computer screen.�
Her hands were still in her back pockets, and the way she leaned
over gave Logan a clear view of her rear end when he turned his
head.

�Nobody
else compares,� he confirmed appreciatively.� Max smiled, standing
up.� Then she noticed where his eyes had been and grinned even more
widely.

�Thanks
for the affirmation,� she said with a twinkle in her eye.� She wandered
out to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door.� �Feel like
making breakfast?� This female is starving.�

�Uh…I
can�t.� I�m pretty involved in this investigation and I want to
keep my momentum going,� Logan covered, discreetly rubbing a hand
on his knee while Max was out of viewing range.� Unable to think
of a decent excuse to wear the exoskeleton in her presence, he�d
been forced to leave it off.

�Your
loss.� I was going to entertain you with the uncut version of Original
Cindy�s standup routine,� Max said, reaching to the back of a lower
shelf.

�You
can come over tonight for dinner, if you want.�� Logan pushed on
the desk to swivel the chair so that he faced the kitchen.� Max
pulled out a can of soda and headed back to the computer room.�
�We need to talk then, anyway.�

�Tonight�s
no good,� she said, shaking her head good-naturedly and slurping
on the can.� �How �bout now?� I got a few minutes before I need
to be at work.�

�What�s
wrong with tonight?� he asked, ignoring her suggestion.

�I�m
workin� late.� What�s wrong with now?�

�I�m
waiting for a phone call.� As soon as I hear from this source, I
can get moving on this Eyes Only thing.�

�Fine,�
Max said, frustrated.� �I�ll just leave and get out of your way,
then.�

Logan
sighed.� �You�re not in the way.� I just can�t have a long discussion
now.�

�So
bring your cell and walk me down to my bike.� Won�t take long.�

�Can�t
do that either, Max.�

�You
can�t even come downstairs with me for two seconds?� Why the hell
not?�

�I
can�t walk you downstairs because I can�t walk!� Logan
burst out, slamming a hand down on the edge of the desk in frustration.�
�That a good enough reason?�

He
ran a hand through his hair.� For her part, Max stood silently,
surprised that he�d finally said it and not quite sure how to respond.�
She softly set the can down on the desk.

Logan
sighed and rubbed his eyes under his glasses.� He spoke more quietly.�
�Damn it, that�s not how I wanted to tell you.�

�But
you were gonna tell me, right?� Max asked gently, walking
over to him and sitting on top of the desk.� She reached for his
hand and squeezed it.

�Yeah.�
Tonight.�

They
sat in silence for a few minutes.� Logan, elbows on spread knees,
stroked Max�s fingers with his thumb.� Max crossed her ankles and
swung her feet back and forth.

�How
long�s this been goin� on?� she finally asked, curious.

He
raised his eyebrows briefly and tipped his head to the side.� �Found
out a couple months ago.� Kept tripping over my own feet.�

�And
you�re just now deciding I had a right to know.�

Max�s
comment made Logan look up into her eyes.� He saw some of the anger
he was expecting, but he also saw hurt.� �I�m sorry, Max,� he said.�
�You didn�t need this on your plate during the siege.�

�So
you thought it was better to lie to me than to let me decide,� she
said, her eyes narrowing.� �The man who says he loves me wouldn�t
tell me what he was going through.� Says a lot about his trust in
me, doesn�t it?�

�It�s
not a question of trust, Max.�

�Yeah?�
I think it is.� Last time, you blew me off to sneak out to see Vertes,
and for all I know, you never would have told me at all if I hadn�t
caught you.� Seems to me like nothing�s changed.�

�A
lot�s changed since then.� Logan was now growing indignant as well.�
�And you know it.�

�Yeah,
well, I�m not so sure,� Max retorted.� �I�m not even sure you have
any kind of faith in me at all.� Do you even realize how much this
hurts?�

Logan
was silenced by the uncharacteristic admission.� Tears brimmed in
Max�s eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

Her
grip on his hand suddenly tightened.� Taking that as a sign of anger,
Logan grew more resolute.� �I was making my own decision, too, you
know.� I had a chance to avoid this.� But it would have meant leaving
you in Terminal City, for God knows how long, and I wasn�t about
to � Max, I know you�re upset, but is crushing my hand really necessary?��
Her grip had been increasing the whole time he was talking.

Letting
go of his hand, Max slid off the desk, wavering a little as she
stood up.� �I gotta blaze.�� Her voice was as unsteady as her balance.�
She started to raise a hand to her stomach, but she caught herself
and lowered it.

�Max?�
What�s wrong?�� Logan�s brow furrowed as he noticed her turning
pale.

She
turned away from him and swallowed hard.� It was a few seconds before
she could respond.� �What you don�t get is that you did leave
me, by lying and pulling away.� All this time I thought the problem
was me, but it turns out you didn�t trust me enough to tell me what
was going on.� That�s what�s wrong.� Give me a call when you can
show me some respect.�

Then
Max walked out of the apartment, leaving Logan to stare after her.

When
the elevator arrived, she got in and frantically punched the buttons.�
She waited until she arrived in the lobby, then grabbed a nearby
wastebasket and started throwing up.

Detective
Agency

Gem
called out as she entered the office. �Alec, I brought the other
supplies that you left�� She broke off in surprise when she saw
a young man standing at the desk next to Alec. Her smile faded,
and her face lost all sign of emotion.

�He
came here looking for you,� Alec explained.� �I kicked him out,
but��

��I
knew you�d eventually return here,� Cody interrupted him, looking
at Gem.

�What
do you want?� Gem asked coolly, setting the bag of supplies on her
desk.

Cody
ignored her question.� �How�ve you been doing, 238?�� He followed
her to the desk, looking around at the walls of the agency.

Gem
glanced up at him briefly, as if making a decision.� �Name�s Gem
now.� Use it.�� Then she dropped her head again, shuffling some
papers and stapling a few.

�Gem,
huh?� What�s the baby�s name, Pearl?�

She
looked up suddenly to give him a withering look.

�Bad
joke,� he admitted.� �Sorry.�

�You
came here for something?� she asked briskly.� �Other than insulting
me and my daughter?�

His
brow knitted in confusion.� �Insulting?� Who�s insulting?� What�d
I say?�

�Try
reading a book sometime,� she answered without looking at him.�
�Friend of mine has quite a library.� I�m sure he wouldn�t mind
lending out his Hawthorne.�

Cody
stood there for a moment, trying to decide what to say.� The reference
was clearly lost on him. �Gem said nothing as she moved about the
room.� Alec, who had been watching this exchange in silence, broke
in.� �Look, Gem, I don�t know what that was all about, but��

�Don�t
worry about it.� It just reminded me of something,� Gem told him.�
Then she turned back to Cody briefly.� �Just don�t call her Pearl.�

�I
won�t,� he promised.� �Look, I came here to see you.� I�ve been
wondering how you�ve been.�

�It
took you a year and a half to care?� she said.� �You couldn�t have
been too curious.� Not like there was any reason for you to remember
it anyway.�

�That�s
not true,� he said.� �We had a daughter.� I want to see her.�

�We
had a daughter?�� Gem�s tone became incredulous as she turned to
face him.�That�s
a load of bull.� You had a Manticore-endorsed lay.� I
had a daughter.� There�s a distinct difference.�

�Look,
I didn�t know.��� He raised his hands in defense.� �Manticore burned
down right afterwards and I spent the next year and a half undercover.�
How was I supposed to know you gave birth?�

Gem
stood there for a minute, considering.� Then she seemed to relent.

�Her
name�s Elefteria.� You really came to see her?�� He nodded.� �Fine.�
I�ll take you by the house tomorrow.� But don�t plan on staying
there.� Can�t say I like being reminded of that week at Manticore.�

�Don�t
worry, I won�t be staying long anyway.� I�m hooking up with Lydecker.�

�You�re
kidding, right?� Alec asked.� �You want to work for him?� I mean,
I never spent a lot of time with the guy, but I�ve heard horror
stories that�ll curl your hair.�

�You
still want to be a soldier?� Gem asked after a moment.� �After everything
they made us do?�

Cody
shrugged.� �It�s a living.�

A
Street in Sector 2 � late that afternoon

Logan
walked with a folded newspaper under his arm through an especially
run-down part of town.� Litter lined the streets.� Stray newspapers
rustled in the wind; now and then a homeless person would grab one
and add it to the barrel fire he was using to keep warm.� A woman
caught Logan�s eye and smiled as he passed by.� He nodded and smiled
back.

He
entered a caf� with a sign in the window that announced �WE HAVE
SUGAR� and purchased a cup of coffee.� The voices of the patrons
on the first floor echoed in the narrow stairway as Logan ascended
to the upstairs seating area.� He shivered briefly, realizing the
second-floor radiator must be broken, and glanced around.

At
a table in the rear corner sat a man with a dark goatee.� He looked
to be in his forties, and he was obviously very nervous.� Logan
ambled over to the table and sat down, placing his coffee and newspaper
on it.

�Logan
Cale,� he said, offering his hand.� �Eyes Only sent me,� he added
in a quieter voice.

As
soon as Logan mentioned Eyes Only, the man�s eyes widened and he
looked around in fear.� �Shhh!� Do you have to say…�� He trailed
off, seeing that none of the other patrons had heard Logan�s words.�
Finally the man calmed down, though still nervous, and shook Logan�s
hand.� �Just call me Bob.�

�You
said you had some information?� Logan inquired, flapping a tiny
packet back and forth in his right hand to settle the sugar inside.�
He opened the packet and poured the sugar into his coffee.

�Yeah.�
Listen, you can not tell anybody you saw me��

�It�s
okay.� I�ve done this hundreds of times.� Once I pass it on to Eyes
Only, my lips are sealed.�

�All
right.�� Bob nervously sipped his own coffee, holding the mug in
both hands.� He set it down on the table and leaned over it to talk
to Logan, as if shielding his words from the ears of the other patrons.�
�I know who�s running the operation to send charity food to the
black market.�

Logan
listened patiently, leaning forward as well to indicate his concern.�
He wrapped his hands around his own mug, gleaning warmth from it.

�The
sector cops are acting on orders from John Milham.� He�s a sector-police
captain, in charge of the west end of the city.�

�I�ve
heard of him,� Logan said, nodding.� �How do you know this?�

The
other man seemed surprised.� �I�m a sector cop myself, mostly based
in sector 8.� Didn�t Eyes Only tell you?�

�Boss
keeps information to a minimum.� It keeps the informant net safe.�

�Yeah,
well, good.� �Cause I shouldn�t even be talking about this.� If
they found out, I�d lose my job, and maybe my head.� But I couldn�t
let this keep going on.� People are starving.�

Logan
nodded again.� �I appreciate your coming forward.�

�Milham�s
reinforcing the orders with cash,� Bob continued.� �The sector cops
don�t mind going along with the plan �cause it lines their pockets.�

�Same
old story,� Logan commented.� �Money talks, so people don�t.�

�He
offered me a cut, too.� I took it,� Bob said, dropping his head
guiltily.� �But I had to.� He would�ve been onto me otherwise.��
He raised his head, looking determined.� �I gave it to one of the
charities that got stiffed.� Anonymously.�

�They�d
thank you if they knew.�

Bob
fell silent, swirling his coffee to distribute the grounds.� He
finished it off with one swig.

�Listen,�
Logan said, putting his elbows on the table and leaning farther
forward.� �Do you know where he�s sending the food?�

�To
a warehouse outside of town.� After that, I don�t know where it
goes or who gets it there.�

�Can
you tell me where the warehouse is?�

�Yeah,
it�s��� Bob stopped in mid-sentence, hearing voices from downstairs.�
His eyes widened in panic.

Logan
heard a man and a woman loudly joking to each other, apparently
while they waited in line.� The woman suggested to the man that
they sit upstairs when they got their coffee.� The voices seemed
innocuous enough to Logan.� He turned to his informant with questioning
eyes, as if to ask what the problem was.

�I
work with them,� Bob whispered, the color draining from his face.�
�I told them and my sergeant that I was going out of town
this week.� They can�t see me here!�

�Okay.�
Calm down.� We�ll figure something out.�

Logan
looked around for a means of escape.� His eyes landed on the exit
door.�

�There�s
a patio out back.� Follow me,� Logan said quietly, standing up.�
�Quickly.�

He
and Bob slipped out a door and stepped onto the patio.� Built to
accommodate private parties, it held a long table and several chairs.�
The space between the caf� and the building behind it narrowed to
about five feet at that point. Logan looked down and saw a narrow
alleyway below; it appeared to be deserted.

�Okay,
we need to get you across,� he told the other man.

�I
can�t jump that far!� Bob exclaimed, panic in his eyes.

�You
won�t have to.� Let�s get this table turned over.�

As
quickly and as quietly as they could, they moved the chairs away
from the table and flipped it over.� Logan and Bob set the flat
edge on the low wall edging the roof and pushed the table across
the space between the buildings.� They kept the far end of the heavy
table from dropping below roof level by holding onto the table legs
at the near end.� Soon the table rested on the other roof�s low
wall, forming a footbridge across the alley.

�Go,�
Logan whispered urgently.� �Now.�

The
other man stepped onto the table and hurried across.� As soon as
Bob stepped off the table, Logan yanked on the table legs at his
end and pulled the table back onto the roof of the caf�.

�Use
the fire escape to get down,� he instructed his informant, while
righting the table and replacing the chairs.

Bob
paused, relieved.� �Thanks.�

�Thank
you.� Eyes Only and the people who need that food will be
grateful for your help.� Now go.�

Moments
later, the informant�s fellow sector cops climbed the stairs and
reached the second story.� They sat down at a table, chatting over
their coffee.� Neither one gave so much as a glance to the man with
glasses reading a newspaper in the corner.