Fortunately, the penthouse had been off-the-books, and in the many weeks of Logan keeping a low profile, White had apparently not been able to trace it to its true occupant. So both Logan — and his Eyes Only identity — seemed secure.
“It’s time,” Logan said to her, “to get Eyes Only up and running again anyway — we’ve been off the air too long.”
As she looked around Logan’s new quarters, she said, “This didn’t happen overnight.”
“I’ve been working on this pad for a while,” Logan admitted, “sort of having it as a backup.”
“Then you’ll move here, from Joshua’s?”
“The plan is, kind of hop back and forth. I think it’s probably wise to maintain two bases of operations, for Eyes Only — Joshua’s place gives us a sort of safe house, away from Terminal City.”
Smiling, nodding, she said, “You did really good.”
He liked hearing that. “Did I?”
“You couldn’t stay in Terminal City without risking a toxic backlash.”
“So I’ve left — but I’m still in your backyard.”
“Right. And we have a way in and out of here... starting with getting Sketchy and Original Cindy back to Jam Pony. We can use contacts in the outside world.”
From the far end of the room, by the boarded windows, Joshua said, “Cops.”
“Say what?” Max asked, coming over.
Turning to her, Joshua said, “Hole in one of the boards. I can see police.” He returned to his post, peeking through the tiny hole.
Logan joined Max and the dog man. They took turns looking through the spy hole, Logan first, then Max. She saw pretty much the same thing she’d seen on the monitor, only now from the opposite angle, from behind the barricade.
Stepping away, she said, “Looks like they’re digging in.”
“You knew they would,” Logan said.
She gestured to the window. “You better cover that hole at night — even a pinhole of light could give away your position.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Just remember, that tunnel of yours runs in two directions... Are you sure it’s safe here for you?”
He looked at her thoughtfully, and his answer was no glib comeback. “I wish I could say I’m certain, but that’s just not how this works. I can tell you, there’s no record of the building being anything but abandoned since my uncle ceased its use. And, thanks to his paranoia, there’s another tunnel down there that leads to another Cale-owned building on the other side of this block... well away from these barricades.”
“Good,” she said.
“I can use that to get in and out. The police are all concentrating on what’s in front of them. They don’t seem worried about what’s behind them. When we need to, we can even use the tunnels as a supply line.”
“You make a habit of it, don’t you?”
“Of what?”
“Coming through for me.”
He looked at her and she at him, and that would just have to do — no touching. Love didn’t just hurt, it killed.
“We better get back,” she said.
“Better,” he said.
On the walk back, down in the fluorescent-lit tunnel, Joshua seemed lost in thought and hung back even farther than before. When he finally exited the tunnel, Max asked, “What’s up, Big Fella?”
He shook his head, the mane bouncing. “Thinking.”
“What about?”
“The ones still outside.”
Logan frowned. “What ‘ones,’ Joshua... You mean the transgenics outside of Terminal City?”
“Yes,” Joshua said.
“What about them?” Max asked.
“Not sure yet. Still thinking.”
Without another word, the big man brushed by them and up the stairs to the first floor of the Terminal City branch of Medtronics.
Though Max wanted to, she didn’t press him. Joshua, like most men, only talked when he wanted to, and pushing him wouldn’t help.
“Maybe he’s wondering,” Logan said, “if we can safely bring any straggling transgenics inside Terminal City?”
“Through your tunnel, maybe? A sort of underground railroad?”
Logan lifted both eyebrows. “Frankly, they’re probably safer in the outside world.”
“Probably. But at least in Terminal City they have an identity... a ‘country.’ And they don’t have to ‘pass’ as ordinaries.”
When she and Logan got back to the media center, Dix greeted them with, “Nothing’s changed. They seem to be settling in now. They must think they’re going to wait us out.”
“All right,” Max said. “You know where Original Cindy and Sketchy are?”
Dix checked the monitors of their security system. “I think Sketch is asleep in the back of the ambulance... and Original Cindy is up on the roof.”
“Get someone to wake Sketchy, would you? And send him up to join us on the roof. I need to talk to both of them.”
She and Logan went upstairs. Since the police hadn’t sent up so much as a hoverdrone, the roof seemed safe enough. Original Cindy stood just this side of the flagpole, watching the barricade at the main gate. The roof gave them a pretty good vantage point to watch what the police were up to, at least at the main gate.
When she heard them, Original Cindy turned. “Whassup?”
Max took a step forward. “We were just talking about you.”
“Original Cindy’s always a popular topic of conversation.”
“Cin, we’re talking about you getting out of Terminal City.”
Original Cindy frowned and waved that off. “Girl, you ain’t gettin’ rid of me that easy. You just afraid with my natural leadership, these fools are all gonna gravitate to-ward me.”
With a light laugh, Max put a hand on Original Cindy’s shoulder. “You gotta go, girl — it’s for your own good.”
“My own good?” She shook her curly Afro. “This about your own good. See, you my Boo, and I ain’t walkin’ out on your puny ass while you’re in the middle of some heavy shit.”
Max felt a wave of affection for her attitude-filled friend. “You know you can’t stay here. Sooner or later, this bad bioshit’s gonna take a toll on you.”
“So if I feel sick, I’ll come up here on the roof and breathe the sweet Seattle air, smog and all. Right now I feel as fine as I look, and you know how fine that is. Anyway, this is about something bigger than feeling sick and shit.”
Logan stepped between them, a friendly referee. “The truth is, Cindy, you can do Max more good on the outside.”
She smirked and put her hands on her hips. “Why don’t you do her some good on the outside?”
“I plan to,” Logan said, his voice quiet but firm. “I’m leaving Terminal City tonight.”
“You bailin’?”
“Hardly. Cindy, we can do Max and her people more good — and be safer, ourselves — out there.” He gestured toward the city on the horizon.
“I ain’t worried about bein’ safe. Do I look like I’m worried about—”
Max stepped forward and touched Cindy’s shoulder. “I need live allies, not dead martyrs. You dig?”
As Original Cindy chewed on that, Logan pressed closer to her. “Look at her! Max is worried about both of us, and Sketchy too. And if she’s got us on her mind, she’s not keeping her eye on the prize.”
Her face creasing into a severe frown, Original Cindy said, “Well, hell — when you put it like that...”
“We do need you outside,” Max said. “You and Sketchy...”
“You rang?” Sketchy said as he ambled across the roof. Still wearing the SWAT suit, he looked like a lanky cross between a surf bum and a storm trooper.
“We were talking,” Max said, “about you, Original Cindy, and Logan leaving Terminal City.”