Max Collins - Before the Dawn

He listened again, tossing a twinkling-eyed smile at his protégée.

“Splendid,” he said finally. “Where and when?” Moody jotted something on a pad. “A pleasure, as always. I like nothing more than a smooth transaction.” He hit END again.

Max’s eyebrows went up. “How much is fair?”

That white smile of his could have lighted up a much larger room than this. “Don’t concern yourself with details, Maxine. Suffice to say the Clan can move somewhere where we don’t have to worry about the ceiling falling in on us... though it will be hard to leave here. However shabby, it has come to be home, after all.”

That she understood.

“My dear... you’re not smiling. Is something wrong? Is the notion of leaving this palace a sad one to you?”

Suddenly, Max seemed unable to speak. All the way back from the restaurant she had rehearsed the speech, and now came time to let it out, and she couldn’t find a damn word.

“Do you believe you’ve earned a bigger share? Perhaps you’re contemplating heading up your own subclan?”

Max took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, just as she had in Manticore training. This felt a lot like defusing a bomb, though she would much rather be doing that. Centering herself, she started again. “Moody, I have to take off.”

He rocked back in his chair, tented his fingers, smiled gently. “For where, my dear, and for how long?”

Looking at the frayed carpeting on the floor, Max said, “I think for good.”

Moody’s smile disappeared. “Please don’t tease me, Maxine. Things are just about to turn around for us. You can be a queen here.”

She lifted her eyes to his. “I’m sorry. I’m grateful to you — you’ve taught me so much, but... I just never wanted to be a queen. I only wanted to be...”

“What?” he asked, his voice edged with irritation and something else... disappointment? “You just wanted to be what?”

This was getting hard again, emotions surging through her, stress gnawing at her guts.

“Free,” she finally managed.

His displeasure accelerated with the volume of his voice. “You’re not... free, here?”

She shook her head. “Of course I’m free here. That’s not it... this isn’t about you or the Clan. It’s about me. Moody...” She touched the back of her neck, indicating her barcode. “... you know I’m not the only one like me.”

“Yes,” he admitted, quieter now.

Max sat forward. “I came upon information this morning, about where one of my brothers may be. I’m not positive. But I need to find out for myself.”

Moody’s sigh was endless. “I always feared this day would come. I always... dreaded it.”

“You do understand, then?”

His dark eyes were sad as he gave her a little shrug. “You don’t have enough... family here?”

“I have a large family here. The Clan will always be my family, but...”

“But?”

Max looked at the floor, then up at Moody again, their eyes locking. “ They were my family first. Yours was the family I adopted.”

“And that adopted you.”

“That’s right. And you’ve been good to me. And I’ve done well by you.”

He nodded slowly.

She shook her head, dark hair bouncing. “We’ve talked about this, Moody. You know all I’ve ever wanted is to find my sibs.”

He looked at her for a long time. Then, wearily, he said, “I know I’m being unfair, Maxine... but I don’t want to lose you.”

“I’ll be back someday. If not to stay, to visit. Visit my family.”

That made him smile, but it was a melancholy thing, nonetheless. “The Clan has been strengthened by having you in it, Max.”

“Thank you,” she said, standing. “But with the payday you’ll get for the Heart of the Ocean, everything should be fine.”

Rising, he said, “That’s probably true... nonetheless, your absence will be felt.” He came around the desk and stood facing her. “Can you wait until after the exchange? I could use the backup.”

She shook her head regretfully. “I think he’s in trouble, my brother, and I need to find him as soon as possible.”

“Where is it you’re going?”

“I’m just going, Moody. Where I’m going means nothing, except to me.”

Moody accepted that with a nod. “You have enough money?”

“I have a stash. It won’t last forever, but it’ll get me where I’m going... Moody, I’m sorry.”

“Maxine, don’t apologize for following your heart... not ever. Such instincts are the only pure thing left in this polluted world.”

Her smile was warm, her gaze fond. “You have been a hell of a teacher.”

“Have I?” He reached for something on his desk: a photo. “Know this?”

She took it in with a glance, answered matter-of-factly, “ Trafalgar Square by Mondrian. Piet Mondrian.”

His smile was admiring — and she could tell the admiration was not just for her good looks.

Gesturing with the photo, her mentor said, “Most of the cretins who inhabit this city believe the Mondrian to be a hotel from the pre-Pulse days and nothing more. But you know his paintings, all of them...”

“... Most of them...”

“... all of them, and what they’re worth, and what they can be fenced for, and where to find them.”

“You taught me how to be a good thief.”

“I refined you, my dear. You were a good thief when you joined the Clan... Now, you are the best.”

He went back around the desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a wad of bills with a rubber band around it. He tossed it to her, she caught it, looked at it — damn, at least five grand! — and tossed the packet back.

“Moody, I told you — I got a stash.”

An embarrassed smile crossed Moody’s face. “You have some money, I’m sure; but I’ve always kept back part of your share... just in case this day ever came. To tell you the truth, I do it for all of you.”

“You don’t,” she said simply.

“Ah... no. But it sounded good.” He lobbed the bundle back to her. “In your case, however, I did... because I was grooming you to sit beside me.”

More than just sit, she thought; but said, “I don’t want this, Moody. Use it for the kids.”

He shook his head. “You’ll need it more than we will: you said it yourself, we’re about to have the biggest payday ever. We’ll be more than fine.”

Hefting the bills, she said, “No hard feelings, then?”

His eyes and nostrils flared. “Of course there are hard feelings, my dear, that’s what life largely is, hard feelings... but there’s no anger, and not a little love. You go, Maxine, you find your brother, and if you want, bring him back here with you. Then you will both have a family.”

This time Max was aware of the tears trickling down her cheeks. She rounded the desk and hugged Moody. They embraced for a long time.

When she finally pulled back, Max asked, “You’ll tell the... rest of the gang?” She gestured toward the theater. “I hate fucking good-byes.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to?”

She shook her head. “God no! I’m crying just telling you ... how do you think I’d do with them?”

He laughed gently. “Ah, Maxine, my Maxine... for a genetically enhanced killing machine, you don’t seem very tough.”

“Well then help me preserve my image. You tell the kids good-bye for me.”

A smirk dug a hole in one of Moody’s cheeks. “I guess this is one negotiation I’m destined to lose.”

They hugged one last time.

Before she left, Max called Fresca up into the projection booth and asked him to watch it for her until she got back from “a little trip” she had to take.