Tradewinds 09 CH 39“Shades!” Max turned from his conversation and headed his way, Justin hanging back.“There you are,” Kato said, then turned to Chase and George. “That’s the other guy.”“Max… and Bandit. It really was you on the intercom.” Shades tried not to sigh too openly.“You bastard,” Justin muttered, “what took you so long?”“Well, excuse me,” Shades replied. “If you recall, I was the one who warned you not to take that place lightly.”“Whatever,” Justin shrugged. At least now they wouldn’t have to go back into that demented maze for anyone; between Tranz-D and the Harken Building, he had had enough of such things to last him a lifetime.Kato held both of her partners in her gaze for a moment, Chase and George both nodding.“The important thing is that you made it,” Max told them, almost saying unlike Chad without thinkin
Tradewinds 09 CH 38Shades paused in the middle of the hall once again, fingering that strange key he had found on Bandit’s harness. As he had from time to time since their parting. At times, he wondered if perhaps he should have left it there, but even if Max and Bandit somehow managed to find each other again, he wasn’t so sure his friend would have any idea what to do with it.He, on the other hand, believed he may have just found its use.After a few hours wandering around the “outside” and stopping to rest his legs and have a snack, he came to the conclusion that there was no exit to be found out there, and all the ways beyond where he was led back down into that creepy nest of alleyways, so at last he reluctantly went back “inside” to try to find another way. Which left him standing in front of a box mounted in the wall, the other piece of this puzzle. It was part of an intercom system. There was even a keyhole that looked to fit the key.Perhaps it was just despe
Tradewinds 09 CH 37Max kept his and Bandit’s meal a short one, for he was loathe to stop for long anymore, now having witnessed for himself the true terror of the Harken Building.After their brief repast, Max resumed his quest, grateful simply for finding his friend. Still he tried to remember what Mom said that day, the key to how she found the exit. And still keeping his new power rifle handy, though he feared it didn’t have much ammo left, determined not to let anything in here reduce him to close-quarters combat again.He never imagined that a cemetery could be so big, but eventually it gave way to a courtyard, then small groups of offices, connected by concrete stairways that were completely incongruent with the designs of any of the offices.Max sat in one of those cushy, ergonomic chairs to rest his legs. Especially the one that thing had bitten, for his ankle was hurting still more. He didn’t have to sit there long before he began to worry that maybe he was g