Doppelganger

Chapter 10

They found Logan and Max sitting in a staff lounge, neither saying anything as they both stared at the almost new magazines on the coffee table in front of them. Max looked like she was undergoing some internal torment and Logan had that pained look that he always wore when Max was being her often angst-ridden self. Alec shook his head. Yep, they were definitely having another emo moment.

"No, no one get up," he said as he and Quip walked toward them. The kid was still peeved, and she kept throwing glares at him for tricking her, but at least she hadn't kicked him yet.

"Did everything go well?" Max asked as she lifted her gaze from intensely staring at the opposite wall.

Alec shrugged. "Guess so. The kid isn't dying any time soon."

"Good to know," Logan said, half-smiling as he got to his feet.

"Hey, does the name Krenski set off your crime-fighting senses?" Alec asked, cocking an eyebrow as he looked over at Logan. If anyone was going to know the name of some obscure drug-dealer, it was going to be Logan. The thought made Alec smirk. Mr. Holier-Than-Thou knew some of the worst people.

"Yeah," said Logan, blinking back at Alec, "He's a Russian-imported drug lord that's been buying off sector police for years now. He sometimes dabbles in human trafficking, a little assassination on the side. Why?"

"He's the guy that shot Quip."

The kid shifted her weight and flicked her gaze up at him with a guilty look. He rolled his eyes at her. It wasn't like it was her fault or anything.

"What was she doing with Krenski?" asked Logan. He glanced from Alec to Quip and then back to Alec.

"More like wrong place, wrong time instead of something intentional," Alec said. He grinned at Quip. "Unless you've been working part time for a cartel."

Quip shook her head and frowned at the floor. Well, that was probably a no then.

"Did you hear anything, Quip, any details about their plans? Is that why they shot you?" asked Logan. He was peering down at the kid with an eager look, sort of like he was about to pounce and wring the information out of her. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to tell the Internet-vigilante about this particular incident. Would've been better if he had handled it himself.

"I don't know..."

Yes, she did. Alec could tell she did by the way she was stubbornly poking her lip out. She just wasn't sure whether or she wanted to tell Logan, but now that he knew, it was probably best if she went ahead and told him everything.

"It's really important," Logan said. He bit his lip for a second and then smiled at her warmly. "Can you try to remember?"

Quip rocked back on her heels and glanced up at Alec. He nodded to her, and she took a deep breath before speaking. "He said something about a new drug coming in Thursday night from Hong Kong. Landing at Mason air strip." She sounded like she was dutifully spitting out facts; at least that was a useful piece of leftover Manticore training.

"I have to call Matt about this," Logan said, straightening up and pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. He had started bending lower when he began talking to Quip. "This could be big. I've been wanting to put Krenski away for years."

"Wait, I don't think Quip should get involved in this," Max said, standing up. She shook her head as she looked down at the seven-year-old. "It isn't safe."

"But if she acts as a witness, the case is that much stronger," said Logan, "It means that Krenski's so low he'd kill a kid to keep his business underground."

"And if he finds she's testifying against him, he'll make sure she doesn't," Alec said. He folded his arms over his chest. This idea didn't sound like a good idea to him; there was nothing in it for Quip besides the guarantee of pissing off the guy that shot her in the first place and the possibility of having him find someone to finish the job.

"If she stays with you or Max, she'll be fine," Logan said, "I wouldn't put her in unnecessary danger, Alec. And nothing's settled. I have to talk to Matt first and figure out how to go about this."

"I know you're all revved about this now, but doesn't Quip get a say in this?" Alec asked.

"Well, yes," Logan said, "I mean, nothing's for certain yet." He looked down at Quip. "Are you willing to do it?"

"Do what?" Quip asked, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Don't worry about it yet," Alec said. He didn't want her to get freaked out or anything by what Logan was saying or suggesting. He knew she understood most of what they were talking about, and once she understood all of it, she might not want to do what Logan wanted her to do. And Alec wasn't going to let Logan guilt-trip her into it. He might have Max completely sold on his save-the-world attitude, but Alec wasn't buying it, not yet, and Quip didn't have to either.

Max looked down at her watch and then up at Logan. "We should probably get going."

"Why? You actually care if Normal fires you or not?" Alec asked as they started for the door. "Never seemed to bother you before, 'missy-miss.'"

Max whipped around and pointed a finger in his face. "Do NOT call me that!"

Alec grinned and shook his head. Sometimes harassing Max was just way too easy.

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After they got into the car, Quip nestled against Alec's side, her head resting against his arm and her dark blond hair flying everywhere, desperately in need of brushing. It was an oddly vulnerable position for the X8; Alec was pretty sure this wasn't her normal behavior. Visiting the hospital must have exhausted her. She was conked out before they left the parking lot.

"I guess you guys actually do want to go to work," Logan said as he pulled onto the road, his beat-up car navigating the clogged streets of Seattle.

"Not particularly," said Alec. He leaned back in the seat and traced a smiley face on the window next to him. "I'd be okay with missing a day."

"You already skipped work twice this week," Max said, throwing a frown back in his direction, "Normal really is going to fire your ass if you don't watch it."

"I have other asses to watch besides mine," Alec replied, a devilish smirk on his face. "Biking everywhere does wonderful things for the female anatomy."

Max gaped at him in disgust, her mouth open. "Ugh, Alec. You're such a perv."

"It's the truth," Alec said. He brushed some of Quip's hair off of his arm. "Why else would Sketchy work there in the first place?"

Max decided to glare out the window and pretend he didn't exist. Heh.

"I guess I can just take Quip back to the apartment with me," Logan said, interrupting their bickering.

"I have a feeling she's not going to want to go with you," Alec said. He glanced down at the pint-sized transgenic. "She's sort of anti-human right now."

"So you're just going to leave her at Jam Pony while you make your runs?" Max asked, whipping her head around to look at him.

"Normal will keep an eye on her," he replied.

"What? Normal will probably give her a stack of packages and tell her to go make herself useful. You can't leave her with him."

"Max. The man adores me in a weird, unfortunate yet entirely convenient way," said Alec. Seattle passed by outside the window and he tossed her a cheeky smile. "I don't think he'll mind babysitting my adorable little sister."

"Alec..." Max started, but she trailed off and then turned her head to look out the window again.

"What?" Alec asked.

"Never mind." She shook her head. "Just...don't get too attached."

Alec frowned at her and then looked back down at Quip. He wasn't getting attached. She was just some snot-nosed, ankle-biting, smart-mouthed X8 brat who he'd be glad to get rid of when the time came. He ruffled her hair and leaned against the door. Nope, he wouldn't have any problem when Max decided to send her away. But not to Canada. Damn Mounties.