"I don't sleep much, but that's OK." "It takes up an awful lot of time, and I can always find somethin'productive to do." "Sometimes I think "What's wrong with all you people, snoring your lives away?"" "Night is the best part of the whole day." "Can I see some ID, please?" "Step off the motorcycle, please." "What's the problem, Officer?" "Did you know that your taillight's out?" "It's working fine." "I'll get that looked at." " I'm impounding this vehicle." " What for?" " It's a hazard to public safety." " No way!" " Look, if this is about money..." " Impound yard opens at 7am." "The buses have stopped running." "How's a girl to get home?" "Somehow." "Then there are those nights that just plain suck." "Bling, I oughta rig this thing with an umbrella, but I'd look like something out of a Disney movie." "There's someone here to see you." "I put her in the living room." " "Her"?" "As in..." " She says she's your ex-wife." "Valerie, what are you doin'?" "That table's gotta go." "It's blocking the flow to your prosperity centre and trapping your chi." " My chi." " Your energy field." "Mmm." "Unlike most folks, prosperity is one thing I'm not having trouble with." "I heard what happened and I'm..." "I'm so sorry." "Me too." "I was thinking maybe some bagua mirrors would lower the yin force and let more positive frequencies into your experience." "It's gonna take more than feng shui to get me back on the dance floor, but thanks." "A water element on that wall..." "An aquarium maybe." "You didn't come here to rearrange my furniture, Val." "Um..." "I, um..." "I haven't had a drink in a year and a half." "That's great." "So you're on the programme?" "In a big way." "My primary activity these days is apologising to people." "And I'm on the short list." "No, actually you're at the end of a very long list." "I had to work my way up to you." "Cos I know there isn't anyone in the world I hurt more." "It's not a Nomad, a Nemesis, or a Nirvana." "It's a Ninja." "A Ninja 650, black." "Like my mood, thanks to you." "Ah, Ninja." "Ninja." "Ninja, Ninja, Ninja, Ninja..." " Ninja." "Right there." " Oh, Ninja 650." "Black." "Like your mood." " How much?" " $3,000." " Right." " In cash." "You're not serious." "That's ridiculous." "It's robbery." "It's wrong." "It's what you owe if you want your bike back." "In twenties preferably." "Just what the cops do to pass time when they aren't beating' on people." " It's extortion." " That is pure wickedness." "But it is also an opportunity to rise above the ways of Babylon." " Herbal, I'm not in the mood." " Hot run, 299 Kensington." "Whoa!" "Let the injustice roll off you like water." "I let Normal's screeching, I let cheating boyfriends roll off me like water." "I let everything wrong and lousy in this world roll off me like water." " But this is my motorcycle." " I hear you, but you don't hear me." "Jah have a lesson for I and I, you know." "Look upon I." "Last night my woman's friend come to stay with us." "Winston." "I know they were sweethearts from before, but you see how easy I take it?" "Even though she cook ital soup for him, but never for I." "Your shorty's just bein' a good host." "Check the classifieds, boo." "You could find a used ride for less scrilla than the po-po's jackin' you for." "I don't want a used ride." " I want my motorcycle." " It's just a machine." "It's an extension of my soul, if there is such a thing." "The one truth is exactly what I'm talkin' about." "I want you to key into that." "What's up?" "I don't wanna interrupt your social life, so why don't we just close down the business and live off charity, huh?" "So you really think my woman just bein' a good host to this Winston?" "I'm glad it's rollin' off you like water, Herbal." "Who would I talk to about working here?" "Well, if you're smart, no one." "But if you're desperate and male prostitution's out of the question, talk to that fool." "Excuse me." "I was wonderin' if you had any job openings." "Like I'm not warehousing enough deadbeat, no-good bums." "OK." "Would it be an imposition if I checked back, sir?" "I'm not afraid of hard work and I'd like to prove myself." "Did you just call me "sir"?" "Yes, sir." "I like that." "Here." "Fill this out and come back in the morning." " Thank you." " You're welcome." "A random series of numbers is significant, how?" "Those numbers are me." " This is your bar code?" " Black and white, for the whole world to see." "It's like opening the paper and finding my panties." "Who else knows this number?" "Only someone from Manticore." " Lydecker." " Or Brin..." "Jondy... 12 of us got away that night." "You could be walking right into a trap." "I'll be careful." "Promise." "You can't expect me to turn my back on this." "They were brothers and sisters to me." "When we escaped that night, Zack made us split up." "I've been looking for them ever since." "I know how much they mean to you, Max, but what if..." "Hey, Loogie." "It's me." "God, it was good seeing you." "And just so you know, you're the same beautiful man with the sly smile I fell in love with." "Hey, Val." "Hi." "Um..." "I'm kind of in the middle of something right here." "Yeah." "Call me back." "OK." "Bye." "So... where were we?" "I don't know." "Where were we?" "Uh..." "My ex-wife." "Oh." " What?" " Nothing." "So, this bar code business." "You're out of your mind if you go near this." "I never pictured you as the married type." "You're more the lone warrior." "You know, windmills, armour." "I don't want to talk about this." " Why are you embarrassed?" " I'm not." "Do I not have the proper security clearance to know about Mrs Eyes Only?" "Valerie doesn't know about that stuff." "Eyes Only came along well after we split." "All I'm saying is it's no big deal." "You were married." "There's stuff you don't know about me." "Including whether you plan to use common sense and stay away from Yesler and Viaduct." "Oh, Loogie." " What would be the fun in that?" " I mean it, Max." "It's dangerous." "Like that ever stopped you doing what you needed to do." "It's about time you showed up." "I've run that ad for a week." " Where are you?" " Turn around." "Well..." "It'd be nice if you used your pager once in a while." "I figured you'd hand my number to the people looking for me, the way you gave up Hannah." "Hey, I took precautions here." "We weren't followed." "I got new clothes in case the old ones are bugged." "It's you and me." "We're alone." " What do you want?" " About $15,000." "Oh, damn." "I left my wallet in my other pants." "In exchange for information about fugitives from a Project Manticore." "What's to stop you from taking my money and blowing me to Lydecker?" "Somebody keeps me in a cage for two weeks, does complicated, painful things to my body," "I want to stay away from that person, OK?" "As far away as possible." " How do I know what you got's real?" " I got your number, didn't I?" " There's more where that came from." " Like what?" "What if I were to tell you that a pal of yours from this Manticore is right here in Seattle?" " Who?" " 15 grand." "Here." "Be at this address, 3.30, day after tomorrow." "You're giving me less than 48 hours to come up with 15 grand." "Yeah, if you want the information." "As for me, I'm gettin' out of Dodge." "Good luck to you, kid." "Good luck to both of us." "Should've been at Crash last night." "The plot is thickening with my lickety-boo." "She said hello and told me her name." "Chrisette." "Is that a bomb-ass name for a female or what?" "Where would you go if you needed cash in a flash?" "Still jonesing over that motorcycle, huh?" " You could rob a bank." " I was thinking that." "Even in these dark times, you like to think the US Constitution still means something." " Apparently not." " He was taking drugs." "He was exercising his right to religion." "Smoking a marijuana cigarette in the men's room." "Herbal Thought happens to be a Rastafarian." "Ganja happens to be a sacrament in his religion." "Says right there in Genesis "Thou shalt eat the herb of the field."" "If Herbal was nibbling leafy vegetables in the men's room," "I would give my life defending his right to do so, but no, that's not the case." "He was breaking the law of the land." "You won't really deprive him of his livelihood?" "He's lucky." "I should be reporting his ass to the proper authorities." "Brothers and sisters, please." "Judge not this man." "He's only an instrument of the Most High, fulfilling the book." "I'm inspired by divine providence." "Good luck in your future." "Don't let the door hit your keister on the way out." "Enjoy your victory, Normal." "We're understaffed as it is and you just canned our best rider." "Here's the man of the hour." "Hey!" "May I present your new colleague" " Sam." "He's a fine young man." "He's got a good attitude." "I commend all of you to his example." "Why don't you grab a locker, my boy?" "I'll set you up on your first run." "Cheer up." " Hey, Max." " Hey, Bling." " His Crankiness in?" " He's out shopping with a friend." " The ex?" " Seems less cranky." " I'm glad." " They should be back soon." "You can wait." "Gotta bounce." "Things to do." "So... what's she like?" " Nice." " "Nice"?" "Nice." "As in a quiet, sweet, intellectual-without-being-pretentious, bookish, grad student kinda way?" "As in pretty, great body, very funny, outgoing'..." "Great body." "Phew!" "Never mind." " Do we know how long they were together?" " We don't." "But long enough for them to seem pretty comfortable with each other." "Tell him I stopped by." "Will do." "I don't think I've been to a street fair since..." " Actually I don't think I've ever been to one." " Not that I recall." "But then recall wasn't my long suit when we were together." " That's all behind you now." " By the grace of God." " Stay for dinner." " I'd better not." "I'd miss a bus and wind up sittin' on the kerb all night." " Take a cab." " It's too expensive." " I got you covered." " See, there's your caretaker routine again." "What?" "I'm finally learning how to be self-sufficient." "All I'm saying is there are resources available should you need them." "Thank you." "And I will if I need to." "OK." "Since you're handing out money, Santa, I've been a good girl." "Val, this is my friend Max." " Hi." " Hey." "Do you mind if I borrow your ex for two seconds?" " No." "I'll see you upstairs." " OK, yeah." "I'll be right up." "Turns out Vogelsang ran that ad." "He's lookin' to sell some information." "I need about $15,000." " Max..." " You know I'm good for it." " It's not about the money." " We made a deal." "I help you save civilisation, you help me find Zack and the others." "I've done my bit." "Yeah." "I don't recall agreeing to foot the bill for you to get yourself killed." "Fine." "I'll explore other options." "So that's the ex, huh?" "Not what I expected." ""And my roarings are poured out like the waters, for the thing which I greatly feared has come upon me."" " You'll find another job." " That is not my concern." "My woman tells me that, uh..." "She still have feelings for Winston." " No way." " Sometimes I wanna mash him in the face." " So you punched the guy's lights out." " No." "Jealousy is good." "Show my woman more love and overstanding." "Open up my heart to this, um..." "Winston." "Man!" "I gotta tell you, you're takin' all this a lot better than I would." "Jah never give a man more than him can bear." "That's deep." "Winston." "Let's get one thing straight." "I'm the leader of the pack." "Back off!" "That's a good boy." "Sweetheart, are you OK?" "Sorry, guys." "You're on your own." "Hey, boy." "Where did you get that?" "We've had Vogelsang under routine surveillance." "This is the first evidence of subsequent contact with the subject." "Play the tape." "What's to stop you from taking my money and blowing me to Lydecker?" " Why all the noise?" " It's a problem with micro-implants." "You put the equipment in the subject's ear, but it migrates." "I put this in Vogelsang's cochlea." "It went to his auditory canal." "Been filtering out the sound of ear fluid for hours." "I don't care how you do it, but clean up that tape." "I want to hear every word." "The girl..." "Are you sure it's her?" "Matches the voice signature from the phone tap that led us to the Braganza kidnap." " You want us to pick up Vogelsang?" " No, I do not." "I want you to keep visual surveillance, rotating teams." " Don't let him spot you." " Yes, sir." "He's gonna want to see her again." "And when he does, we're gonna be there." "I have 12 packages going to Sector Two, seven hot runs to Sector Four." "Let's go!" "People, bip-bip-bip!" "You've been gone three hours, my friend." "Got held up at a checkpoint, and I'm not your friend." "Funny how it all started falling apart when you canned Herbal." "Oh, I get it." "This is some sort of job slowdown." "Ooh!" "Payback for me tryin' to operate a drug-free workplace." "A sacrament-free workplace is more like it." "What about the customers out there?" "Don't they deserve some consideration?" "Or is this "Hey, man" philosophy that you all share more important?" "What about your joy boy Sam?" "I thought he was the great white hope." "He is worth the rest of you bums put together." "Hey!" "1535 Eagle." " Eagle Street is where, exactly?" " Past Wurlitzer, south of North Jesus." " Between Procter and Gamble." " Right across the street from Power Nipple." " Excuse me, sir." "Do you..." " I gotta be in Sector Two." "Got anything?" "Here, follow her." "She's headed that way." " Appreciate you helping me out." " Don't get used to it." "Normal's your mentor." "I didn't get your friend fired, OK?" "No." "But don't expect an outpouring of love from Jam Pony anytime soon." " I'm takin' a break." " Is this part of the slowdown?" "No." "Girl's gotta pee." " Expectin' a call?" " You never know." "All right." "Time's up." "There's another one down the block." "It's on me." " You seem nervous." " Compared to what?" "You don't know me." " Maybe we knew each other in a past life." " I don't believe in that stuff." " Doesn't mean it's not true." " Oh, tell me you're not one of those people." ""Because a raindrop fell in the ocean 10,000 years ago and a butterfly farted in India, you and I are sitting here right now, enjoying a cup of coffee that tastes like goat piss."" " Anything's possible." " Unravel this mystery, Grasshopper." "What is the sound of one hand hitting' you upside your head?" " Punkass here." " You got the money?" " I've got it." " 6pm." "Rooming house on Jackson and Third." " How do I know you're not setting me up?" " You don't!" "Then give me something else, to help your credibility." "A male adult had a bar code removed from his neck at a tattoo parlour in Chinatown two weeks ago." "Number 330417291599." "Zack." " What tattoo parlour?" " 6 o'clock." " Good news?" " Yup, and it's none of your business." "Let me get this." "I was thinkin' that maybe later..." " Don't even try to hit on me." " I was just..." "Don't." "You ever think that there are saints walking among us?" " No." " I mean Herbal." "His woman's ex moves in, eats his food, and sniffs after shorty." "But Herbal sees it as an opportunity to learn how to be more understanding." " I'm just not that good a person." " No one is." "Brotherman too naïve or too big-hearted to see where this is headed." "He not careful, he gonna get macked outta everything." "You think Winston is a real player, huh?" "Winston came back for a reason, and it ain't to help Herbal learn to be more understanding." "You better put some sunblock on, wigga." "You look ridiculous." "All up in there." " Where you goin', boo?" " Errand to run." "Bye, guys." "You're home early." " What, he didn't ask you to stay?" " He asked me." "I didn't wanna push it." "You're the bright one and I'm the pretty one." "Hon, I need a grand by the end of the week." "You're gonna make that happen, right?" " I don't know." " Come on, this guy's loaded." "And you... you are..." "You blew through my divorce settlement pretty good." "We gotta be more careful this time." "OK." "We'll be more careful." "How about 500?" "Anybody ever tell you that you are a bad boy?" "Yeah." "You wouldn't have it any other way." " You don't ever let rollerboy touch you." " Oh, no." "I save that for you, honey." "Me and him are strictly business." "Name's Vogelsang." "He's a private eye." "Shot through the head with a .38." "Looks like a professional job." "You gotta help me with this tattoo lead." "You can bet Vogelsang gave it to Lydecker before he took a bullet in the head." " With everything else he was gonna sell you." " I don't wanna go there." "There's one thing that doesn't make sense to me." "Lydecker should've known you were coming." "Why didn't he wait for you to show?" " Something went sideways." " Or someone else killed Vogelsang." "Vogelsang's dead." "Lydecker was there." "That's good enough for me." "Zack's in danger and it's my fault." "I've gotta get to Zack before Lydecker does." "Are you gonna help me or not?" "You might wanna think about having your bar code removed too." "Tried once." "Feels like someone's pouring acid on your skin after it's been sandblasted." "Came back in a couple of weeks." "It's etched into our genetic code." "The mark of Cain." "So why would this guy bother?" "Zack's the kinda guy that does whatever it takes as often as it takes." "All right." "There's four tattoo parlours in Chinatown." "At least, with phones." "Thanks." " Can't talk you outta this?" " Don't even try." "Be careful." "In case anything does happen, there's something you need to know." "It's about your ex." " Apologies, miss." "I have very little money." " How about I fatten your wallet?" "Your uncle at the tattoo parlour says you run a housing service." "He sent a young man to you about three weeks ago." "Oh, yes, I remember." "A nice young man." "He needed a place right away." "Here's his address." "Zack!" "It's me, Max!" "You?" "You're Zack?" "Why didn't you tell me?" "Lydecker." "Not bad." "How'd you find me?" "Vogelsang tipped me on your visit to the tattoo parlour." "You killed him, didn't you?" "Lydecker was set up on him." "You were walkin' into a trap." "You should've warned me, told me not to go." "Vogelsang knew too much." "You murdered an innocent man." "The night we all escaped, you put your lives in my hands." "I've been lookin' out for you ever since." "Every one of you." "Vogelsang was weak." "Lydecker would've gotten the information." "He would've hunted us down one by one." "I couldn't let that happen." "So you traded one life for 12." "Is that it?" "I stand by my decision." "It's not safe here." "Lydecker's men will be combing the city." "We have to leave tonight." "I can get us to San Francisco and we'll split up there." "Split up?" "What are you talking about?" "We can't stay together, Max." "It will compromise everyone's safety." "You know where the others are?" "Tell me!" "The less you know about the others, the better." "If anyone is captured, the others are still safe." " But they're my family." " They're soldiers." "And so are you." "The only person you can rely on, Max, is yourself." "Everything else is just a lie." "It's phoney sentimentality." "And it will get you killed." " Let's go." " No." "I'm not asking you, Max." "I'm giving you an order." "Are you gonna court-martial me?" "You stay here, you risk tactical exposure." "Or have you forgotten everything we learned?" "No, but I'm trying real hard at it." "You're still back at Manticore." "Maybe I'm chasing a sentimental lie, but at least I'm trying to get away from it." "I can't be responsible for you if you won't listen." " Zack, don't go, please." " I have to." "They did a good job on you, Max." "You turned out OK." "I hope you're hungry." "I'm gonna make us a fabulous dinner." "I've become quite the cook." "Not like when I'd polish off a bottle of wine and end up setting the kitchen on fire." "That's for you." "What's this?" "What you came for." " Logan, what's wrong?" " Val, don't." "I know what's goin' on." "I don't have any idea what you're talking about." "Valerie, please." "Don't make me run the math." "It'll just make things worse for both of us." "It wasn't my idea." "I know how tough things are out there." "God, Logan." "I'm so sorry." "Me too." "Please just go." "Can I get a pitcher, please?" "Hear the good news?" "Normal gave Herbal his job back." " So the slowdown worked." " That, and the fact that Sam was a dud." "Never made his deliveries, never came back neither." "Probably still out there lookin' for Power Nipple." "Come sit with us." "No, I think I'm gonna drink my coffee and go home." "I need my own head space." "All right." "See you at work, boo." "That's my girl." " Max OK?" " She's just thinkin' about things." "I must thank you all." "Because of you, Normal found it in his heart to give me my job back." " How's the war on the home front?" " No war." "I tell Winston "There is only one man in this house, and that is I."" " And he blazed?" " I escorted him to the door with my foot." " To Winston." " Yeah, all right." " And to Normal." " Let's not get carried away." "Hey, Bling." "Didn't know you kicked it here." "I don't." "Your roomie said this was where I might find you." "Logan OK?" "Yeah... considering the knowledge you dropped on him today." "I had to tell him the truth." "You think he didn't already know the truth?" "He was married to the woman." "So I'm the bad guy for saying it out loud." "Man's been through a lot." "Maybe he didn't mind pretending a little bit." "What am I supposed to do?" "Go over there and apologise?" "It's my strong sense he's feeling very much alone at the moment." "Wouldn't hurt for someone to let him know he isn't." "I'll go over there and read him a bedtime story." "Hey, bartender." "Give this gentleman anything he wants." "Doorbell's broken." "No." "I was just ignoring it." "So do you hate me now?" "I was pissed off at you for ten minutes maybe." "You know, kill the messenger." "Or in this case, the nosy messenger, rooting around in stuff that's none of her business." "The first time Val played me..." "Ended our marriage." "And it was shame on her." "This time, it's shame on me." "Well, at least she's sober." "Now she's really got to live with herself." "The truth is it's more embarrassing than anything else." "Having to face the fact that I keep wanting to believe in something that was never there." "I know the feeling." "Hooked up with Zack." "Sounds like it didn't turn out the way you wanted." "After all these years of waiting and wondering, I guess I expected..." "I don't know - ...that finding Zack would change everything." "My life would finally make sense." "Pretty stupid of me, huh?" "I just wanted somebody that was like me." "Someone I can connect with." "Basic human impulse, not wanting to be alone." "According to Zack, it's phoney sentimentality." "We're soldiers." "This is enemy territory." "We're constantly on the move." "That's one way to live your life." "I just don't know if I wanna do that any more." "And maybe he's right." "Maybe I don't have a choice." "There's some food in the kitchen if you're hungry." " Not really." " Me neither." " What time is it?" " Late." "You can crash here if you want..." "In the guest room." " Not tired." " Me neither." " Feel like goin' for a spin in the park?" " It's raining." "I don't mind." "Me neither."