Zette's Storybook

One


Apache suspected they probably should have called ahead to tell Mathews that they were coming...or at least to tell him that they were still alive.

When he came around the corner of his house the next morning and found them sitting on the fence he went ballistic. In all the years they'd know the man, Apache had never seen him get quite this irate just at the sight of the two.

"No! Absolutely not! There is no way you two are going to haunt me!" He tossed down his briefcase and faced them with hands on his hips. "I will not put up with it! Tell me what I have to do to get rid of you. Blood sacrifice at dawn? Join a monastery? Fine."

"You aren't Catholic," Baby pointed out.

"You think that'll stop me? What do I have to do to get rid of you?"

"Get us a good fast car?" Apache suggested.

He started to say something. Stopped.

"You aren't dead."

"Not that we've noticed," Apache said.

"Well, damn. Good. I think."

"Nevertheless, if you don't want us hanging around here, dead or alive, you might want to consider that car," Baby suggested.

"There's always a catch with you two, isn't there?"

"I know. But get us a car, and I can pretty nearly guarantee you won't see us again for a while. In fact, with luck, no one will see much of us."

"For two months I thought you were dead," he said finally retrieving his briefcase. His face had lost a lot of that nice bright red color he'd had a moment ago. "I thought you finally had peace and the rest of the world had a chance to survive. Why do I get the feeling that all the time I thought things were safe, it was really getting worse?"

"Probably since you know us so well," Apache said. "What else could have brought us back from the dead?"

"Major catastrophe, right?"

"Let's just say that if you have any vacation time coming, you might want to take it now," Baby suggested.

"I'll be too busy in the future?"

"That's optimistic," Apache said. "We're not sure there will be a future."

"Car," he said. He looked like he didn't want hear anything else they might say.

Just as well, since Apache didn't have any more answers and didn't want to tell him that. The poor guy seemed to think that she and her sister were going to save the world, which was obviously scary enough. Telling him that they hadn't a clue what to do next wouldn't have helped.

"Ride with me downtown. I'll see what I can arrange. I assume that you just don't want anything traced back to you?"

"Right. As far as most -- ummm, people -- are concerned, we've been fired from FUTURE," Apache offered. She slipped from the wall and Baby followed her, though a little slower. She still looked pale. Baby hadn't slept at all last night. She seemed absolutely determined to stay fully aware of what everything going on around her.

As though that would help.

Baby settled in the back seat of the car and Apache had to stop herself from looking back any time she thought her sister had been quiet for too long. That came from guilt, more than real fear, which made her so worried.

"That's Robert Sangre's car," Baby said as they passed the van. "He'll probably ask you where it is soon."

"Does he know you took it?"

"With his blessing, even."

"Ah. Anxious to get you off the Reservation, huh?"

Apache started to disagree -- but it occurred to her that he had probably pegged it exactly. Baby stayed silent, and Mathews looked absolutely determined not to ask any questions. He obviously didn't want to know what was going on -- strange reaction from a cop, but not from anyone who knew her and Baby.

"I've got a car in storage here in town," Mathews finally said, although he sounded reluctant to admit it. "I bought it from my brother a couple years ago, but I've never taken it out. It's unlikely very many people will notice it's missing."

"Sounds good," Apache said. She tried not to sound weary.

"You will attempt to bring it back in one piece, won't you?" he asked.

"We don't often lose cars," Baby said. "We just sort of leave them by the roadside and move on to something else. And that's why they do survive."

"I'll bring the car round to the alley behind here in about an hour."

Apache nodded her thanks. She and Baby climbed out of the car, slipping into the shadows as he pulled away. They went unnoticed in the early morning.

Baby sat down on a pile of wooden pallets behind the building and looked up at her sister. "So we get a car. What do we do with it?"

"Travel."

"I'm tired of traveling. Why not get in a plane and fly straight to New York and hand over the real disk?"

"Because by the time we even make reservations word's going to be out that Alan doesn't have the real thing. Do you really think Bart is the only one working in FUTURE who in on that deal?"

"No, I suppose not," she said and sighed. Apache wished she sounded a little more enthusiastic. One of them should be. "And Alan knows it, too, or he would have called us straight in. So we can't head directly for The Office. Where do we go?"

"You choose."

"I'm not up to it."

"You choose. I'm serious. For an entire month I couldn't find you. And if I couldn't, no one else had a chance in hell. So you choose where we go. I want to see if you can pull it off twice."

For the first time all day Baby looked up and grinned.

"I'm going to regret this," Apache said with a sigh. "I know I'm going to regret this."


Two


Mathews brought them a truly beautiful 1963 red Corvette. Apache stared in disbelief when he climbed out of the car.

"I know, I know," Mathews said. "I haven't even had the nerve to take it out. Just as well you two have it. It makes me too nervous to drive it from the garage to the street."

"Lovely," Apache said, running her hand over the curved front fender. "I'll do my best to bring it back in as good of shape."

"We'll try to get word to Alan to let you know when we're officially not fired, again," Baby said. "We do appreciate your trust."

"Trust? Ha! It was just the only car that would get you out of here quickly enough!" He tossed the car keys to Apache. "Besides, I do believe you when you say this is serious. I'm willing to do my part to save the world."

"Thanks," Apache said. She still looked bewildered.

"Let me know when the world is saved, will you? Or when you're not dead?" Mathews asked. "Is it safe for you two to use phones yet?"

"Probably not. We'll get word to you when we can. However we can," Baby offered. She tried not to sound too tired. Mathews looked worried though, that might only because he was giving them an irreplaceable car.

But he nodded, turned and walked away, leaving them with the treasure.

"This is crazy," Apache said.

"What? You just figured that out?" Baby stood and walked to the car, leaning -- gently -- on the top of the doorframe as she looked at her sister. "What now?"

"You tell me. You're the one plotting the course, Scout."

"Ha. You want me to drive, too?"

"I'm not that desperate or crazy." She opened the door and slid in and reached over to unlock Baby's door. By the time Morning Glory had climbed in, Apache had found the stack of money on the dashboard.

"Damn," Baby said. She looked back but Mathews was already gone. "Either he's really worried about what's going on, or he's really desperate to get rid of us."

"Both." Apache tested the engine and then put the car into gear, letting it roll toward the exit from the alley. "Which way do we head?"

Baby hadn't thought her sister was serious about that part until now. She settled back in the seat, fanning an impressive stack of money, and smiled.

"Car like this, all this money. Only one place to go."

"Vegas?"

"Disneyland."

Apache snarfed and turned right, heading the car toward the freeway. They had a nice, bright day without a sign of clouds or strange lightning. Baby thought the sooner they got clear of the area near the reservation, the better.

Nice that they traveled in style.

Baby laid her head back against the chair and relaxed, noting that her sister gave her a worried look, and decided not to pursue that problem just yet. Apache had to work back up to trusting her -- and she had to work at trusting herself. Although, when faced with Bart she had done all right.

She wanted to sleep -- but not quite yet.

"Do you think they'll look for us in LA? That is our home," Apache said.

"Couldn't have proved it by me," Baby said. "But no, I don't think they'll look for us there. They'll know that we know that Alan knows that they know that we didn't give over the right files."

Apache glanced at her again, eyes narrowed. "Right. And if they know we know that they know -- No, stop that. All right, so LA is the last place they'd expect us to go. Maybe."

"Maybe," Baby agreed. "I think our total lack of logic makes it easier for them. Logically, we should stay away from anywhere that we could be recognized."

"Doesn't matter," Apache said. She glanced up at the sky. "They've got the advantage in tracking us down no matter where we go."

Baby shrugged. "If they were that good, they'd have us by now. So it's our wits against theirs. And I like to think we have the advantage, this being our world and all."

"I hadn't noticed that helping much so far," Apache protested.

"Do you have to ruin my thin grasp at hope?"

"If that's the only hope we have, we are in worse shape than I thought." She maneuvered them through the main part of town. "Damn, this car drives well. This is going to be nice, even with you along."

"You want to hear something that will make you feel even better?" Baby asked. Apache glanced her way, her eyes narrowed again in a way that made it apparent she really didn't want to know what her sister was going to say. The look didn't stop Baby. "As far as I can tell, you and I are the last hope this world has."

"That's not funny."

"No, I didn't think so either."

Apache remained quiet after that. Baby felt herself start to relax again as soon as they reached the freeway. She felt safe with Apache driving. They weren't heading toward any snow, too, which meant she could sleep without fear of being dragged out of the car in a fit of white-out rage.



Three


Apache headed for LA against her better judgment, despite that being the whole point of this exercise. They crossed the border at Yuma, and she fought herself from turning around. Let Baby direct them. She'd done a good job of staying hidden.

Morning Glory Sangre slept again as they crossed from Arizona to California. So far she'd only managed to stay asleep for about an hour at a time before nightmares woke her back up. It bothered Apache probably as much as it did Baby. Morning Glory forced herself back to sleep each time, though, and the determination at least paid off with a few hours of sleep, even if they were interspersed with some time awake.

Apache had decided that being on the road in the car might be better than actually reaching their destination. For that reason she'd turned at Highway 85 and cut south to Interstate 8. A few more miles didn't bother her any, and coming at LA from the south might be preferable to going straight in from the east. Besides, it gave her a little more time to think about the trouble they faced.

As though thinking about it would make things any better.

She didn't like crossing the desert during the day, but by late afternoon they started up into the mountains to the east of San Diego. She only stopped for gas and snack food since Morning Glory didn't show any inclination to try and eat more.

On a whim she decided to head for the beach and drive up the coast toward LA. It was late March and only the true fanatics roamed the beach -- well those and the people from back east in the snow country who thought weather couldn't get much better than this. After spending a few short weeks in the Midwest in the middle of winter, she kind of understood.

Baby woke up again when they came within the view of the ocean. Apache glanced her way and saw how she sat up and grinned. Good.

"That Mission Bay?" she asked.

"Yup. I thought we'd drive up the coast, get a room somewhere along the way for the night, and hit LA bright and early."

"Like in the morning," Baby said sounding less enthused.

"You'd prefer High Noon?" Apache asked.

"Oh, I wouldn't mind high noon, so long as Bad Bart is there again."

Apache winced.

"You're going to have to stop doing that, you know."

She started to glare at Baby but changed her mind.

"You know, this probably hasn't occurred to you yet," Baby began, "but I kind'a messed up on that little trouble in Omaha, too. I let him walk right up to me. He had his slimy little hand on my shoulder before I even thought about someone behind me. Kind of unprofessional, don't you think?"

"I was supposed to be guarding you."

"I wasn't supposed to make it impossible for you to do so."

"Huh."

"Shall we call it even?"

"Maybe. We'll see. Why are we really going to LA?"

"Pick up some more cash, a few supplies, and look at places where they will be looking for us. It'll give us some idea if they already know about the files. We're no body, except for those files."

"True." That sounded like good reasoning, all the way around.

"Besides, I want to go to Disneyland. Someone, somewhere owes us some time off. They don't pay us enough for this kind of work."

"I don't know. They pay us a hell of a lot," Apache said.

"Well, yes. When we're actually employed. Which, now that I think about it, we aren't at the moment anyway. I want to go to Disneyland. Look at it this way, Apache, how many chances are you going to have to spend a day that isn't cramped into this car with me?"

"We'll go to Disneyland."

"I knew you could be reasonable."

"When? Prove it. Do you have witnesses?"

"Good point. No one would believe me." Baby stopped and looked up at the sky, mostly hidden behind the glare of San Diego's bright lights. Unless, of course, they're keeping an eye on us right now."

"I don't need your paranoia. I have enough of my own."

They discussed less pressing matters for the next hour of the drive -- world peace, nuclear war, whether disco could really make a comeback and if they could destroy the major music centers before it was too late.

Around ten or so Apache finally chose a no-name, but pretty, motel along the beach. It had little business this time of year, and even Baby thought the breeze off the ocean felt a little chill and brisk. The window from their room looked out over the dark ocean, illuminated intermittently by moonlight as the clouds parted.

"What are you looking at?" Apache finally asked.

"Looking for islands."

"There aren't any along this part of the coast."

"Well no, not yet."

Apache made another amused sound, glad to see her getting her sense of humor back. Riding across country with Morning Star Sangre in a bad mood was not something Baby wanted to experience.

"Do we need to take turns on guard?" Apache asked.

"Wouldn't hurt. You sleep first. I'm going to watch for islands for a while. Then you can just wheel me off to the car in the morning and drive me to Disneyland. I'll wake up for that."

"Huh."

Baby could see her sister's reflection in the glass. Mistrust showed in her face, along with the usual stubbornness that made Apache disagree with anything her sister suggested, just out of habit.

Apache slipped off her shoes and slid under the blankets, pulling them up over her head as she always did. Protection from vampires, Apache had told her as a child.

Tonight it was a sign of trust.



Four


When Apache came back from the store a couple blocks away she found her sister almost up out of bed. Baby looked like she usually did at eight in the morning -- something out of the Night of the Living Dead. At times like this she could look at her pale, red-haired younger sister and wonder how the hell they could be related.

"Good morning," Apache greeted her.

"Iawh."

"Yeah, it's raining. I listened to the weather report at the store though. Says it'll clear off by mid-morning. Shall we head up north first and check out a few sites before we go to Disneyland, or would you rather do that work tonight."

Baby looked up at her and snarled.

"All right, Disneyland, then. But you're going to get wet before the clouds blow off." She reached into her jacket and tossed a magazine to her sister. "Here, -- found this stuck in the windshield wiper of the car. Must be giving them away. Sharpen your mind for a change."

"Huh?"

It sounded almost articulate.

"Crossword puzzles. I got us some orange juice and rolls. No use hurrying."

Baby nodded and struggled to get her brace on before limping over to the table by the window. Wind blew hard against the glass, leaving a spatter of rain behind. Baby looked at it and snarled.

The sun broke through the clouds.

"Maybe you have your uses after all," Apache said.

"I am going to have this day off," she said. "I am going to Disneyland and I'm going to have fun!"

Apache decided she had better not get in the way.

They packed up their few belongings and headed out to the car in weather that already showed more sun than cloud. Baby stayed in the car while Apache went and checked them out. She glanced clandestinely back at her sister, trying to ascertain if Baby was looking any better than she had the day before.

Baby waved.

Damn spies.

By the time she came back out, Baby was digging through the glove compartment and came out with a pencil.

"Great!" She flipped open the crossword puzzle book and sat back as Apache pulled out onto the old highway, heading north.

Then Baby sat forward again.

"What's wrong?" Apache looked around with a start, trying to find odd cars. Then up at the sky to be safe -- and last out at the ocean in case an island had popped up.

"You're going to love this," Baby said. She waved the crossword puzzle book and grinned.

"What?"

"First question of the first puzzle: Series about two people traveling cross-country in a 60's Corvette."

Apache pulled over and grabbed the book.

That's what it said. Apache read it twice just to be sure before she held the magazine out.

Baby took it back. "Blank 66. Five letters."

"Well it's not Sangre, praise the Gods," Apache said. She forced herself to pull back out onto the road. Just coincidence.

"Route 66," Baby said and scribbled in the letters. "This is going to be more fun than I thought."

Apache shook her head. The trip had already started to turn bad. She could feel the hair on the back of her neck prickle. What had possessed her to bring in that damned magazine? Or to turn her sister loose as their guide?

"Seven across, series about two world-traveling spies. Two words, four letters."

"You're making this up," Apache accused.

"I Spy," Baby said and wrote the letters down. She wasn't making it up. Damn. "Twelve across: SF series with Tic Toc Base as HQ. Blank Tunnel."

"Time Tunnel?" Apache dared.

"Yeah," Baby said. She wrote down the word. She closed the magazine. "I think, maybe, that's enough for now. I'll just put this away."

"Good idea."

Baby dropped it behind her seat. But it sat there, waiting, and they both knew it. Corvette, travel, spies and time. She wondered when the aliens were going to show up.

With that in mind, she stopped at a store that specialized in camping and survival gear. They hadn't much room in the Corvette, but since they were traveling light, she managed to get a few essentials. Seemed like a good plan, given that she didn't know how long they'd be out on the road or where they were going.

Disneyland did turn out to be a good distraction. The cool, California weather kept the numbers down, and they were even able to get the Corvette a good parking spot, though Apache was afraid to leave it.

"We can't carry it around with us," Baby said, leaning against the car. "Come on."

"What if something happens to it?" Apache asked. "You know, I could tell Mathews it got wiped out by a meteorite. He'd expect that from us. But how would we explain that someone hit it in the parking lot of Disneyland?"

"Oh." Baby looked worried now, too. "Huh."

"We might as well live dangerously," Apache said. She stepped away from the car and dared not look back.

"I thought we already lived dangerously," Baby complained. She stopped after a couple steps and leaned down to readjust her knee brace. "The thing's given me trouble for weeks now. Must have lost enough weight that it needs readjustment. Might have to stop some place and have it done."

"Fine. You up to walking in it today?"

"Nothing is going to stop me from having fun."

They wandered down Main Street, buying a couple trinkets, sampling some food and drink. It turned out to be a lethargic, quiet day and even the workers didn't seem inclined to a lot of cheer and noise. The cloudy sky gave the place a less bright and ostentatious appearance than the last times Apache had been here. In a strange way, even the unreality of the place helped to settle her nerves. She wasn't sure anyone could look at the castle and not feel that if this was in the world, anything was possible. Even aliens.

Deciding between Adventure Land and Tomorrow Land proved a little hard. They agreed that they'd had a little bit too much of both lately.

Rides and attractions, shops and food... Apache decided that maybe her sister wasn't quite as crazy as she'd thought.

Well, until they saw the Vananadanians at Tomorrow Land.

She and her sister had wandered without a real destination when Baby made a little hissing noise, grabbed Apache, and pushed her against a wall.

Apache reached for a weapon. She had none, of course -- the mere idea of even trying to carry a weapon into Disneyland had sounded like sacrilege. But she did know, from Baby's reactions, that they had a problem.

When she looked around the corner, she plainly saw it, too. Van. Dark green faces, black hair, pale eyes. They drew the attention of some of the patrons who must have thought they were part of the Tomorrow Land attractions. They appeared to be going along with it, giving directions, pointing out sights, answering questions. Baby and Apache just watched.

"I don't get it," Baby finally said.

"I think they actually work here," Apache offered. She started to inch her way back out of the area, and Baby didn't argue.

"Work. Here. Why?" Baby asked, sounding more confused.

"I don't know. I'm almost tempted to go ask."

"You know, this is another one of those damned things that is going to be so hard to explain in a report. We left Disneyland early because the aliens had taken over."

"We don't have to do a report," Apache said. "We've been fired."

"Good. You know, I can kind of think of one reason the Van are here."

"Vacation?"

"Nah. Think about it. If you were going to do an invasion of Earth, and wanted to make your race seem friendly and harmless before then, what better place to start? Disneyland, Disney World, all the other amusement parks. Six Flags over Swamp Land probably has a few dozen of their own."

She hated to admit it, but Baby could be right. The thought of the Van just walking around was so ridiculous that Baby's idea sounded like the only thing that made any sort of sense. If anything did.

At any rate, they decided against spending more time in Tomorrow Land. In fact, it kind of put a bit of a damper even on Baby's enthusiasm for a day off. It was late Thursday afternoon by the time they got back to the Corvette. It hadn't been destroyed by a pack of elephants or anything.

"What now?" Apache asked as they pulled out of the parking lot.

"I think we need some more time to relax. Let's hold up somewhere until morning when we can get to the bank and get into our safe deposit boxes. Well, unless we do some bank robbing tonight or tomorrow. Might be a nice change of pace."

"We'd certainly please a few FBI people if we made their Most Wanted list."

"Oh damn. The best reason not to do it, then -- we'd make the FBI happy. So, where do you want to hold up at?"

"Somewhere near by. The Disneyland Hotel," Apache said. Baby looked at her as though Apache had gone nuts. "If we've been spotted by the Van, I want to know it. If we haven't, I want to be close enough to watch them. And I want a look at the employment records for this place."

"Hey, getting on the FBI's most wanted list for breaking into Disneyland records does have a lot more flair than for bank robbery. Good choice."

"Yeah, I was afraid you'd go along with it."

So they took a suite at the hotel and waited for the night. Baby kept looking at her as though she expected some sign of sanity. It was far too late to hope of that happening.



Five


The people at the Disneyland Hotel proved to be too damned attentive to their needs. The two tried to leave the room at one in the morning, only to have night porter scurry through the deserted lobby to ask if he could get something for them. He didn't seem to think anything out of place, despite their black clothing and the rope and grapple Apache carried.

Baby explained that they were going to go visit friends. He nodded and left, as though people always visited friends at 1AM with a rope and grappling iron.

"Well, it is LA," Baby said as they headed outside.

"And Disneyland is being overrun by aliens," Apache added. "Yeah, it does make sense."

Baby started whistling "It's a Small World After All" but Apache suggested that she stop. Right Now. And since she had the grappling iron in hand, Baby thought maybe it was a good idea.

The last several hours had been spent accessing various Disney computers, trying to track down unusual hiring habits. It came down to going after the actual paperwork, which they finally learned was kept in an office in the castle.

Breaking into Disneyland proved to be -- well, difficult. The place had security worthy of the White House, and even after they'd gotten within the walls of the Magic Kingdom they found unexpected problems. Like aliens, everywhere. Funny though, because the guards didn't appear to see them. In fact, the guards just walked past the group picnicking in the middle of Main Street as though they weren't even there.

"Do you think they're playing invisible vampires?" Baby asked.

"Maybe. They seem to be doing a real good job of it, too."

"Do you think we can play?" Baby asked.

"We need uniforms first."

It proved ridiculously easy to get uniforms, considering how hard it had been to get inside. The guards never saw them. Literally.

"I think they've been programmed to see nothing but other guards," Baby suggested. "Which means, if the aliens have done this here, they could do it anywhere.

"Good point," Apache said, stripping the pants off of one man who wasn't going to object for several hours. "I wonder how these two are going to explain what happened to their clothing."

"Huh. Maybe we'll want to get back and redress them before they wake back up," Baby said. "I don't want the aliens to realize we were walking among them. I don't want them suspicious or have the possibility of our names come up."

"Yeah. Good point." Apache pulled the pants on. Baby had a little more trouble and cursed the brace, but finally got it on. Then she frowned.

"I'm going to stay behind you as much as possible. The limp gives me away."

"Okay. Let's hope we learn something. I want to get back and sleep for awhile before morning."

"We could sleep in all day tomorrow, if we like," Baby said.

"Someone would notice. We're at Disneyland. How many people come here to spend the day sleeping?"

"Right. But I don't know if we want to wander around the park again tomorrow," she added. They slipped back around the wall. She shoved her hair up under the uniform cap and then peered around the corner. "Maybe we should check out some other tourists spots in the area and see what's going on."

"Maybe," Apache agreed. "Let's see if we can figure out what's going on here, first."

"I suppose you're going to insist on finding one of those answer things," Baby said with a sigh. "Well, we won't find it here. Lead on."

It proved kind of fun to march up and down the street ignoring the aliens as though they weren't there. Unfortunately, the Van spoke their own language. She tried to take note of anything that sounded at all familiar, but there weren't many words she could pick out. Sangre, of course, was one of them.

They walked down one side of the street, compared notes at the far end then marched back down the other side. Far too many Van sat around, joking and playing games. They appeared to like to party, though the partying tended to involve knocking each other down rather than dancing. Baby made note of that in case she found herself invited to a Van celebration. She'd fit right in. Baby hated dancing.

They only dared two rounds without fear of drawing unwanted attention. After that they went to the castle, found the room with the paper reports and made copies. Baby didn't stick around to find out what the employment records said. Even Apache seemed unconcerned after finding out that the Van used Disneyland for after-hours parties. Somehow what they did for work didn't seem quite so important.

She and Apache wandered back to the guards and replaced their clothing. With luck, that part of the activities would go unnoticed, and when the guards were found, the Van would just wonder where the intruders had gone. The Van would likely be worried about pictures turning up in National Enquirer. Good. It would keep them looking in the wrong direction for a while.

They reached their room by dawn. Apache grumbled and went straight to bed, but Baby settled at the desk by the window and looked through the copies they'd made. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. In fact, it was all so normal that it made her skin crawl. No one even seemed to notice the four Jane Smiths and the three Joe Jones who all went to work on the same day.

Why make reports at all, Baby wondered. Apparently the Van could do anything they liked and not be noticed. She finally re-stacked the papers and crawled off to her own bed.

And dreamt about computer codes wandering their way in and out of machines, linking and linking in a dance of data.

She had the answer when she woke up. Apache sat by the window staring out into a bright March morning.

"I figured some of the stuff out," Baby said as she sat on the edge of the bed. "They're using employment records to invade government computers. They're coded. And that's why they aren't on the local computers -- they're keeping these out of the net."

Apache looked at her, and then down at the papers sitting beside her, which she had obviously been looking through, and then back at Baby again.

"You might be right."

"I spent a lot of time studying their code," she reminded Apache. "I see the patterns. I don't know exactly what they're doing with them, but I can see them."

Apache's eyes brightened. "You can be damned dangerous sometimes."

"Thank you. Give me the paperwork. I'm going over them again and try to see what they're doing."

Apache had the files in front of her and handed them over. Baby started shuffling through them and didn't look up again until Apache called her name.

"I'm going out for lunch. You coming along?"

"Lunch?" Baby looked at her watch and shook her head. "No. Yes."

"Good answers. Which one would you like?"

"Yes. I need to put these away for a while and think about them again. You want to take another walk through the park?"

"Tempting fate? Want the Van to see us?"

"I am curious what their reaction would be."

"I'd be curious too, if living through it wasn't in question."

Baby said nothing as she began gathering her things to go out.

"Fine, fine. We'll go eat in Disneyland."

Baby just nodded. She'd found that not saying anything often won an argument better than words. Apache had a wonderful imagination and could usually run through the entire conversation without any input.

Lunch proved fun, but uneventful. Well, except for the band of Van who came in and sat two tables over before they noticed the Sangres. The screaming got to be terribly loud. Baby and Apache weren't the only ones to leave, especially when the weather turned odd. Weren't many cloudless thunderstorms in LA....

They put the top up on the Corvette and drove back to the hotel, gathered their few belongings, and left without checking out. They slept in the hills Friday night, cramped in the car, but feeling somewhat safer than checking into any hotel, no matter how much of a dive. They were, Baby admitted, rather noticeable.

Saturday remained a loud, stormy day, but no one found them. Sunday they moved the car, but they couldn't get to the bank -- unless they did break in.

Monday morning dawned clear and very bright, which elicited various rather rude comments from both sisters. They rose with the dawn because the damned birds were too loud, and drove out of their little hidden canyon and back down to the city, beating even the morning rush hour. They reached the parking lot of the bank a good half an hour before it opened, winning a few looks of worry from the employees when they showed up. A police car even swung past, taking note of them -- but apparently they weren't on any wanted lists this time.

Baby sent Apache in after the money in their safe deposit box while she kept watch. She did wish that they could call The Office and find out what was going on, though, since some people there did have certain advantages over mere Earth devices.

Not something she really wanted to think about. Apache took too long, though not long enough to worry about. Baby pulled up the damned crossword puzzle and did a few more answers, almost disappointed that they were totally mundane, and had nothing to do with the trouble they were in now.

Apache came back and shoved a paper bag under the seat -- Baby suspected she'd taken out the entire $80,000 they had stashed here, which seemed wise. They didn't want to have to stop at their various banks across the country.

Apache started the car and looked over at her. "Put down the silly puzzle and tell me where we're going now."

"You're taking the idea that I should point the way much too -- seriously." She stopped with the pencil held over the crossword and looked back at her sister. "Uh-oh."

"What now?"

"Eight down -- site of returning sparrows -- Blank Juan Capistrano."

"Well, hell. At least it isn't too far to go. And I would like to see Tedak again. He might not know we're alive. Maybe he'll give us something neat like a Corvette, too."

Baby jotted down the word San in the appropriate boxes and grinned. Then she carefully sat the magazine back behind her, and relaxed. Why not? If the crossword puzzle kept directing them, at least she didn't have to take responsibility for it.



Six


Apache pulled into the parking lot of the police department.

"I wonder if they still have our room available," Baby said, glancing at the area where the cells were. They seemed to have done some work on the place -- she saw a couple new walls and paint that didn't quite mesh with the older colors. "It might be a good place to get a few hours sleep."

"Huh," Apache said. She thought it almost made sense and that worried her. She never thought she could trust anything her sister offered, not without looking for the traps.

But she was tired. Amazingly so. And stiff after their wonderful nights out in the wilds. They couldn't take a hotel room anywhere near LA. She didn't want to drive very far to try and find one somewhere else.

Her apartment was out of the question, of course. So was Baby's place. She could not sleep in this damn car again --

"There's Tedak. Honk the horn."

Well, hell.

She did. The man turned around with a start and stared at the car, his hand hovering way to close to the place beneath his jacket where he probably wore a gun. Apache rolled down the car window and waved him over.

He looked as though he really thought very hard about heading the other way. Curiosity finally got the better of him.

"I don't want anything to do with it," he said as he neared. "You two are a curse."

"You know, it takes most people a couple visits before they figure that out."

"Do most people have meteorites hit their place of employment right after you leave? Or their phones all blow up?"

"Well, lately, yes," Baby said.

"I don't doubt it. I heard you two were dead or alive or something. Which is it?"

"This morning -- more dead than alive, I think," Apache said. "Tedak, can we sleep in a cell for a few hours? No one need know we're here and we won't make any phone calls."

"Whose car is this?"

"Mathews. We needed transport to get out of the Phoenix area."

"He wanted you gone that badly?" Tedak asked, his hand brushing along the car's door.

"Worse, probably," Apache said. She stretched her shoulders and tried to look friendly. "Yes or no, Tedak. If no, we need to get driving to get out of the area and find somewhere to rest."

"Oh hell, come on in. If another meteorite hits us we can try to make the Guinness Book of World Records."

Apache nodded her thanks and wondered why people kept helping them. She almost asked, but thought better of it. Tedak might tell her something she really didn't want to deal with right now.

"No, don't leave the car here. Someone might take a fancy to it. Come around to the gate and I'll be there to let you in."

She nodded and Baby didn't argue. Tedak turned around and headed right back into the building.

"Looks like he forgot he was heading somewhere else," Baby noted. "Amazing how people just forget everything else when we're around."

"Yeah, I noticed." Apache turned the car on and considered this action. She didn't mistrust Tedak, of course. It was those damned meteorites that she was worried about.

He let them in the gate, had words with the guard on duty there, and then led the two through the back door and down the hall. They did not go through the usual doors and in a few minutes the two found themselves in a rather inviting cell with beds.

"Get some sleep," Tedak said. "I'm going to go write a little note that says this room has been fumigated and can't be used for the rest of the day. It's quiet around here anyway, so it shouldn’t matter. But things will pick up around sunset. You might consider being out of here by then."

"Will, thanks," Baby said. She already had her head buried under the pillow on the bottom bunk.

Apache climbed to the upper one as the door closed. It locked automatically, of course. She looked back that way with trepidation, thinking they were fools.

"Go to sleep. If we want out, we'll get out," Baby said. "He didn't take any of our tools."

"Oh. Yeah." It really wouldn't take much to get out of here if they needed to. And Tedak knew it.

Safe. She slept well, only faintly aware that Baby tossed and turned, and didn't sleep much at all...

Later Tedak brought them dinner and ate in the cell with them, all three sitting on the floor in some mock ritual of a picnic. Baby even slipped off her brace so she could sit cross-legged in another sign of trust. She wouldn't be able to get away very fast if there was a problem.

He passed her a piece of chicken. "I had a call from Alan Orion today."

"He knows we're here?" Apache asked, stopping with potato salad half way to her mouth.

"I don't think so. I got the impression he knew you were in the vicinity. Something about a riot at Disneyland?"

Baby snarfed. "We didn't start it."

"You two never do start it, right? Anyway, he sent a fax in case you showed up. It looks like a garbled mess, and then I realized it had to do with you two and figured it didn't have to make sense."

He pulled the piece of paper out of his pocket and held it out. Apache took it and looked it over, frowning. "Looks like a mess to me -- oh, hold it. Baby, is this what I think it is?"

She passed the paper to her sister who looked it over once and grinned. "Yup. Van computer code. Excellent."

"Van code?"

"You don't want to know, Tedak," Apache said. Her sister already looked engrossed in the paper. "Did Alan say anything else?"

"Something odd about agents taking vacations to amusement parks."

"My," Baby said, looking up from the paper. "He picked up on that one real fast."

"That's why he's the boss," Apache said. She took a couple bites of the salad and looked at Tedak, who still frowned. "Something else, is there?"

"A notice from our favorite FBI agent, Willows, saying that you two are no longer employed by FUTURE, and if you should turn up, he would like to speak with you."

"Now isn't that interesting. I wonder who is reporting FUTURE's employment records to the FBI," Apache mused.

"So you aren't employed by them any longer."

"Not officially."

"Uh huh. If I asked you what the hell was really going on, would you tell me?"

Apache dared a quick glance at her sister. Baby nodded absently, but she knew her sister had listened well enough to know what was going on.

"Sure, I'd tell you. But I'm not sure how much you'd really want to know."

"Try me."

"Let's start by saying that I seriously doubt the meteorite that hit here was an accident."

He stared at her. He blinked. He looked at Baby and then back at Apache again.

"Oh hell. Well, you might as well tell me the rest, then."

So Apache spent a fun hour telling X-Files stories with a touch of Babylon 5 thrown in for fun. The only thing she left out was the psychic crossword puzzle. Some things were just too hard to believe.

By then Baby had apparently worked out much of the code. "He wants us to come to The New York office."

"That's not very helpful," Apache said.

"When has anything on this case been helpful? Any macaroni salad left?"

"Yeah, here," Tedak said, pushing the container toward her. "Finish it."

"Thanks. So, what's your feeling on all of this?"

"I would like to say your both nuts and have the people with the nice white jackets come in and take you away. But there is that damned meteorite."

"Exactly," Baby said, as though she could follow the man's reasoning without a problem. She folded up the fax. "I suppose Apache and I had better be on our way before there's another one."

"Anything else in that report from Alan?" Apache asked.

"He says that there is still some uncertainty in The Office. And what fools these mortals be."

"What?" Apache and Tedak chorused.

"Codes within codes. April Fools Day. That's when he wants us to show up."

"Oh. Today's the 25th. I guess that leaves us a week to kill."

"Yes, but kill what?"

"I'm sure we'll find something."

Tedak took that moment to suggest maybe they ought to get going. Quickly. He escorted them past police who pointed and whispered, shocked to see them there. Baby lingered at a TV till Apache caught her arm. Even Tedak started to look nervous by now. They went out into the lot where they found the Corvette, newly washed. Someone had taken very good care of the car.

Apache felt rather sorry to leave the safety of the jail behind. However, with the setting of the sun she could see a flash of lightning off to the north, and she hoped Tedak kept his eyes on the sky for tonight. She rather liked having their cell available for future rests. Maybe, if she worked things out right, she could take a nice long one there and have the government pay for it.

Right now it sounded very tempting.



Seven


Baby knew Apache had assumed they were heading off over the desert and was quite surprised when she said to head north, back to LA. Back toward that storm.

Apache pulled the car over to the side of the road and stared at her.

"I think we can get an idea of who's after us," Baby finally supplied. "And I want some faces -- some damned clues about what we're up against. The Van don't bother me as much as some of the others. We can spot the Van."

Apache looked up at the sky and said nothing.

"It's a storm, Apache. I checked The Weather Channel as we were leaving the jail. They seem to think there's nothing unusual about it. Look, am I leading this expedition or not? If you want to head out into the desert, just go. If you want to trust my feelings on this, we head back to LA."

"Trust?" Apache echoed. "Have I ever, even within shouting distance of you, uttered the word trust?"

She did have a good point. But Baby knew her sister's perversity, and Apache proved her right again. Having more than hinted that she didn't trust Baby's reasoning at all, she now turned the car around and headed north.

Baby didn't ask her why.

She did direct her sister to LAX, though. They hadn't been here since a few days before Christmas. Baby looked back over the last few months and shook her head as she considered all the changes in her world, and found herself thinking about that time of bombs in briefcases and double spies with the kind of nostalgia most people held for the good old days when life was simpler.

Aliens. She really could have gone through the entire rest of her life without knowing about the aliens, and not felt any poorer for it.

She did call her neighbor from one of the pay phones to ask about her poor, abandoned cat.

"Gained about four pounds," Maxie said, not at all surprised to hear from Baby after so long. She'd had other assignments like this. "I think she really likes the whole, shelled shrimp."

Well, obviously the cat had found a good home...

"What is that buzzing noise?" Maxie suddenly asked.

"Phone problems," Baby answered. "I'll call you again as soon as I can. Pet the cat for me."

"Sure thing, Morning Glory."

"Bye!"

Baby put down the phone and quickly walked away. She met up with Apache at the ticket counter. By then phone had already started to smoke and they cleared the building for a bomb alert.

"Get the tickets?" Baby asked as they walked outside with the other, anxious travelers.

"Yep. Non-stop straight to New York. How's the cat?"

"Eating better than we are." They were outside now and split up. No use making it that easy for anyone who might be watching.

However, it was barely half an hour before they were let back inside. Baby heard the phone repairman talking with someone in security about melting phones turning up here and there in the southwest.

Borrowing maintenance uniforms and with a judicious use of their combined makeup and hats, they easily wandered unnoticed up and down near the loading gates. Baby mumbled in Spanish now and then, her skin darkened, her hair pulled back under a scarf, and her eyes hidden behind tinted glasses. Walking with a cart in front of her hid the limp as well. Apache stuffed clothing inside her loose fitting suit, gaining several pounds. She tied her hair up, losing several inches off the length, and put on enough make up that she would probably have to scrape it off for the next few days. They spent more than an hour wandering in those disguises before people began to gather for the flight they had booked. Most of the passengers looked innocuous enough -- although, for that matter, so did Alan Orion. As the crowd grew, they drew farther away. It wasn't until the last boarding call that she actually recognized someone.

"Bingo," Apache said at the same moment.

"No, Bob, actually," Baby corrected. Bob had stopped to talk to a tall, dark-skinned woman in a sleek black coat. She looked like a model. "And I suspect that woman he's talking to must be another -- oh. Van. Contacts and makeup."

Apache made a slow turn, retrieving trash from the walkway and then looking back at the crevice where her sister sat.

"You're right. I suspect they're peeved we're not here. Bob joined FUTURE about two years ago, didn't he? Do you remember the particulars?"

"Not really. I think someone recommended him though. We can put Alan on that part."

"Yeah. Time to leave. They're starting to look around. Hell. More Van."

Baby dared a glance down the long path between the gates where a dozen dark-skinned people milled about.

"They walk funny," Baby said. "Wrong gravity. Must be new recruits."

"Ah." Apache watched as a group neared. "That helps. Time to go?"

Baby nodded. Apache went through the nearest maintenance door, slinging bags of trash in ahead of her. Van looked, looked away. Amateurs. That wasn't as comforting as Baby would have liked. Alien amateurs. It made her wonder where the professionals were, who would know Baby and Apache had never intended to take this flight. Baby felt an urge to go board it anyway, except it wouldn't do her any good since she didn't have the damned files. And until they put those files into Alan's hands nothing would be settled.

Not that this mess would be over at that point, but it would at least feel like an accomplishment.

She watched Bob board the plane at the very last minute, leaving a clutch of Van standing around, mumbling and glaring at anyone who came too close. Security guards eyed them rather nervously, Baby noted. It seemed like a good time to leave.

She left the cart near a bathroom and her maintenance jacket on a seat, and eventually stepping out into a cool, LA night. Apache pulled up in the Vette only a moment later and she slid in, grateful to be off her feet. Trucks and taxis half blocked the road, and Apache frowned, easing back on the gas though she obviously wanted to get clear of the area.

"I was doing the crossword puzzle while I waited for you," Apache said. Baby felt a little surge of worry. "I got to 36 across when I spotted you."

The puzzle book was between the seats. Baby gingerly lifted it and held the paper to the dim light coming from the building beside them. "Thirty-Six across: 1960's series starring Ben Gazzara -- Blank for Your Life. Three letters."

"Yeah. Run for Your Life."

Baby glanced in the car mirror. At last forty people poured out of the building. Dark people, and she could tell that some of them no longer even bothered to wear their contacts anymore.

"Sounds like a damn good idea to me, Apache."

Her sister glanced back. "No shit. Scrunch down. They'll be looking for two of us. If that taxi doesn't get out of the way I'm going over it. Or under the truck."

They might actually make that last one. In which case, sliding as far down in the seat wasn't such a bad idea. Baby even stayed there until her sister let her sit back up again, and Baby dared a glance back toward the airport. The storm seemed to have moved into the area.

"Think they spotted the Corvette?" Baby asked.

"I don't think so. They just stood around arguing with security people when I last looked back." Several police cars ran screaming down the opposite side of the Freeway. "Looks like another riot in our wake."

Amazing how normal that had begun to sound. Baby leaned back and relaxed, deciding she really would like a bit of peace for a few days.

"Head for the desert," she told her sister.

"You're sure this time? Don't want another run at Disneyland? We can go back and catch the next flight to New York. Or maybe we should just park the car and hitchhike back to The Office. That would probably be interesting."

"Well, if you want interesting --"

"Don't say it."

"Don't tempt me."

Apache conceded with a nod of her head. Baby didn't push her luck any farther. They were heading for the desert. Apache hadn't yet killed her. So far, that looked like as close to a win as she'd seen in awhile.

"Get some sleep," Apache ordered.

Baby looked back at Apache with a glare that surprised even her. She still felt a whisper of Bart's orders in her thoughts and Apache probably knew it. She didn't want anyone to order her right now. She didn't trust herself not to obey.

Apache didn't look back at her, which only annoyed her more. She had a very hard time fighting back the urge to argue just for the sake of arguing.

She closed her eyes and kept quiet -- not sleeping, but Apache, at least, considered it good enough for now. It was going to cause a rift between them. Problems. They didn't need any more problems.



Eight


They ran out of things to drink somewhere past the ZZYZX exit. Everything had gone well until then, their escape so near to perfect that Apache wasn't even surprised when they got two flat tires on the side road that said they were going to some town about four miles away. She could see the Golden Arches ahead, beckoning like the Gates of hell.

They both climbed out of the car and looked at the tires. The air hissing out sending little puffs of dust up on both sides of the car. Apache could see a stretch of barbwire fence, visible beneath the sand where they'd driven a moment before.

"Why the hell would anyone fence this area off? Even I wouldn't want to claim this!" Apache caught hold of a piece of old fence post and yanked it up, pulling the barbed wire with it. It was easy to break the wires off and pull them off the road so no one else suffered the same misfortune. By then Baby had gotten their canteens out and had retrieved some of their cash, burying the majority of it a few yards off the road and covering her trail there and back.

They said nothing as they started out on foot, heading to the town. It was not a pleasant walk in the cool, pre-dawn morning. Flat desert gave way to rocky outcroppings and then to narrow arroyos and a couple shallow snowmelt streams. Down one side of the banks and up the other -- even Baby began cursing and everything retreated in haste at their approach.

They finally topped a small hill and Apache could see the dim lights of a town and hear the distant whine of car engines as they raced across the freeway. She looked -- and cursed. The freeway had obviously taken a curve and come far closer to the town -- with a second exit -- than the first exit. Why anyone would have two exits to this hole in the ground, she didn't know.

Apache cursed again and didn't catch up with her sister until the door to the MacDonalds where Baby paused to pour sand out of her shoes. Despite the heavy traffic on Highway 15 heading for Vegas, she saw no cars in the lot and that looked half-covered in sand, like a mutant snowstorm had passed through. Tumbleweeds blew down the off ramp and across the deserted road, disappearing out into the desert again. Nothing else moved.

They found four people inside the building, two behind the counter and two at tables. Even Baby's enthusiasm for the place wavered and she ordered only cokes. They sat down, drawing a bit more attention than Apache thought they warranted, though perhaps they just weren't used to strangers walking in around here.

"You know, it looks unlikely that we'll find two tires for the car here," Baby observed.

She waved a hand out toward the street. The town clustered around the on and off ramps of the freeway. Apache noted the two gas stations, neither of which looked opened, and a bait and gun shop. Apache wasn't sure why they sold bait since she wasn't certain they could find enough water to fish in between here and the ocean. Three other businesses had been long boarded over, and four houses and two trailers stood huddled together at the dead end main street. The sign proclaiming the name of the town was so riddled with bullet holes that Apache could only make out three of the eight letters -- blank u blank x blank blank blank c. She stared at that for a long time before giving up.

"Maybe we should hitchhike after all?" Apache asked.

"I think there might be a quicker way to end this madness," Baby said. She opened her bag and pulled out the damned phone.

"I didn't know you had that with you," Apache said, eyes, narrowing.

"I thought that if it looked like we weren't going to make it, maybe we'd want to call Alan and take our chances."

"But we have made it."

"Have we?" Baby looked out the window. "We'll draw attention trying to get the Vette fixed here. We know the Van are looking for us. We sit here long enough and they're bound to catch up. If we call Alan, at least we know that there's a chance we'll have someone on our side. And I can pretty nearly guarantee that anything that happens will be quick."

Apache glared at the cell phone and then looked around at the patrons and outside. A gust of wind kicked up sand and dust, a tin can rolling across the lot -- everything so dead quiet they could hear it inside. Baby had a good point about wanting something to happen quickly. The thought of being stranded here in the light of day -- she thought they were playing Twilight Zone Muzak on the speakers.

No, she didn't want to stick around. Apache looked back at her sister and nodded. Both of them deciding this place wasn't safe indicated a sure sign of disaster about to strike.

Baby had punched one number on the phone when bright lightning lit the clear sky and thunder shook the building. For a moment Apache felt unaccountably dizzy and when she looked up, Baby had hold of the table as though she, too, had felt like she was falling.

"What the hell?" Apache mumbled.

The door to the place came open and an oriental man with long flowing hair, sunglasses and a dark coat came in. Baby had her knife out but Apache put a hand to her sister's arm.

"He's one of ours," she said.

"Really? That's a relief," Baby said. "He's too pretty to get all bloody. But I don't recognize him. I thought I knew all the FUTURE agents. Did I miss a FAX or something?"

"Alan sent him after Bart took you," Apache explained. Baby winced. Apache waved him over -- he must have been half blinded by the lightning not to spot them till now.

"Ah. There," he said in an accent that wasn't quite anything Apache could name. It occurred to her suddenly that he was one of them. She hadn't thought about that kind of stuff the last time they'd met. "Good you call before not now, yes?"

"I'm lost," Baby said and leaned back in the chair. She did carefully put the phone back away.

"We haven't called yet," Apache said.

"Yes, not yet this time, right?"

"Right. Whatever. What now?"

"Now go, avoid hunt," he said and smiled. Nice smile except that Apache wished she could see his eyes.

"Look, friend," Baby said. She stood. He took a step back and raised a hand. They might not know who he was, but he definitely knew about them. "I want to know what's going on. Why are you here? How did you get here before we called?"

"Before you called this time."

"Time machine," Baby said, putting a hand to the table as though she still felt dizzy. "We got the plans through?"

"Maybe, yes. Sometimes." He stopped and frowned. "Little -- changes make hard. Dangerous. Alan says need protect you from hunt, give best chance this time. Brought car first here, yes? Before call this time."

"Ah." Baby nodded as though that had all been perfectly clear. Apache looked at her, wondering if her sister had finally gone stark raving mad. "We called Alan. We got into trouble out in the desert afterwards. He's taken a very dangerous step and used the time machine to bypass that entire episode."

"Yes," the man said.

"Well, damn." Apache said. "What now?"

"You go round time this change," he said. "Go drive away. Sorry Van Death Squad. Maybe avoid time around next."

He reached into his pocket and tossed Apache the keys to the Vette. Then he nodded to the others and walked back out of the building. Lightning flashed almost immediately and thunder shook the building again. He was not in the lot.

"Death squad?" Baby repeated. She put a hand on her side and Apache could see the outline of bandages beneath her sister's shirt. That had not been there when they walked into this place. "I think, hermana mia, that we better leave. The Van very likely saw our friend's arrival."

"Leave," Apache repeated. She had the keys in her hand and looked out the window, nodding toward a car she found parked by the window. "Yup. There it is. Well, at least we don't have to walk back. I do wish I knew how I got this bump on the back of my head, though."

"I don't even want to know what happened to my side," Baby said. She moved slowly, limping worse as they headed for the door. "Apparently time doesn't heal all wounds, after all. Or maybe it does and that's the problem since we seem to have gone around time."

"Yeah, right."

The four people watched them leave. No one even looked particularly curious.

"Obviously we gave them more excitement than they could stand," Apache observed. The Corvette sat by the door. New tires all around and so shiny that Baby suspected a new paint job. Baby again felt at the bandages on her side and wondered what had happened to her and the car. Hopefully, Mathews would never notice.

Well, why should he? It hadn't really happened, right?

She carefully climbed into the car. The bag of money she'd buried sat on the floorboard. Good, they wouldn't have to go get it, either.. The crossword puzzle book was on the dashboard in front of her, and she picked it up as Apache gunned the engine and pulled the car out of the lot. They stopped beneath the bullet-ridden sign at the edge of the freeway onramp.

"Sure wish I knew what the name of the town was," Apache said, glancing up at it.

"Sixty-one across," Baby said, glancing at the puzzle. "Idealistic, but foolish and impractical. Starts with a Q and ends with a C."

"Quixotic," Apache supplied. She had started to inch the car forward but slammed on the brakes again. "Damn. It fits."

Baby looked up at the sign, noting the u, x and c. "Well, you're the one who wished for it."

"Put that damned puzzle away."

Baby didn't argue. And she certainly didn't complain when Apache sent the car racing up the ramp and heading for Las Vegas. It was, Apache thought, a good time for bright lights and crowds and the plastic unreality of Vegas. Far better than the unreality they'd been dealing with lately.



Nine


As was only appropriate, they arrived at Vegas near dawn when the magic glitter of the city had already started to fade before the bright light of day. It took a bit of doing, and some magic with Baby's portable computer and a phone line down the street, but they got their room, although the Star Trek Club from Wildtoes, Oklahoma would be a room short for one day. Chances were they'd be out enjoying the fun and games and wouldn't even notice.

They went up to the room, wandering past laughing people who all seemed too friendly. It was too much like a SF convention. Nothing was real -- but there was some weird stuff that was far too real outside the hotel. Baby decided she preferred this after all.

In the hotel room, Baby hooked her computer into the hotel's system so they could monitor registration and other activities. Having dealt with Van code quite a bit in the last few months, Baby thought she could probably recognize something unusual if it showed up on the computers. She just wasn't sure she cared. Baby wanted to sleep. Unfortunately, she wasn't certain she would get any, even now. Apache took the shower first and Baby gingerly settled back on the bed, her side aching and her head pounding. Just closing her eyes brought back the nightmares she'd suffered through since Bart's little mind games.

She was damned tired of them. The nightmares had nothing at all to do with anything that had happened. She knew that no one could order her to turn on Apache. No one could order her to destroy the San Zoticus Reservation and the only place where she (surprising even herself) felt safe.

She sat up with a start as Apache came out of the bathroom, and then fell back again with a hand on her side and a slight groan.

"Good reflexes, bad execution," Apache observed.

Baby growled a little and fought her way back up. Her legs hurt, indicating an amount of hiking and likely running she hadn't actually done -- or at least didn't remember doing. The hike into Quixotic had been long but not particularly difficult. This had to have happened afterwards. Trying to think about a time that hadn't existed didn't help her head any.

"I'm going to take a nice, long bath," Baby said, stripping off her leg brace and noting that the knee had swollen again. "If I go to sleep, don't wake me up. I'll gladly risk drowning for a few hours sleep."

Apache nodded and threw herself down on the other bed. She looked so comfortable and relaxed it actually annoyed Baby. She had to fight to keep from the slamming the door.

She carefully slipped out of her T-Shirt. The bandages on her side hid the wound and she didn't mess with them. A glance in the mirror almost startled her since she didn't tan very often. Her hair had lightened in the sun as well. Baby didn't think she looked much like herself at all.

It had been a damned long trip.

The bath proved perfect. She did sleep, and well.

And came awake damned annoyed when she heard the sound of a fight in the other room. She was so angry, in fact, that she surged up out of the now nearly cold bath water, forgetting that her leg wouldn't hold her, and had to grab at the towel rack to keep from going down. She caught her balance but the holder came off in her hand, the towel with it. That was when the door opened --

Van, of course. Not even in disguise this time.

"I was asleep, you stupid bastards!"

She swung the holder and knocked one down. And a second. Apache had two down as well and there seemed to be only three left, though Baby couldn't see clearly into the room.

Maybe seeing a dripping wet naked human startled them. Baby took out one more with her handy towel rack before they appeared to have recovered. She wondered if it might be a better weapon to carry than her knife.

Then she saw there was a fourth enemy in the room.

Bart.

"Baby, put that down," he ordered.

Did he honestly expect her to obey? The surprise that he even thought so amused her as she judged the trajectory. Or yeah, she'd put it down, all right --

And Apache, obviously misjudging her sister's intentions, threw herself between Bart and Baby -- and right into the hands of the Van.

"Damn!" Baby shouted.

Apache went down. Baby didn't even see who hit her. She did see Bart had realized his mistake and tried to escape, the Van taking Apache with them. Baby tried to leap for the door but her leg finally gave out and she sprawled on the floor. Someone kicked her hard in the side as they went past. Luckily, they were more interested in getting their own unconscious people out than in capturing another of the Sangres. Their mistake, of course.

When she looked up they were gone: Bart, Apache and all the Van.

She couldn't let them get out of the hotel. Baby almost charged straight through the door before she realized a far easier way to keep them in place. It was unlikely they were staying on the same floor and she had a link into the hotel's computers. She accessed the surveillance cameras, found the elevator that held the Van and Apache, and stopped it. Then she caught a bit of empty elevator video and overlaid it so no one would see what happened next. Let the hotel think the elevator was empty. They wouldn't be in a terrible hurry to get it moving again. Baby needed a little time and anonymity.

Unfortunately, Bart had taken the other elevator, and she considered holding it as well, but she really didn't have time to deal with him. The Van had computers capable of overriding the computers as easily as she did. She hoped they just hadn't set one up to do so yet.

Running out in the halls naked wouldn't help either. Baby dressed quickly, pulled on her leg brace, gathered her climbing supplies, and headed out. Three minutes.

She opened a maintenance door at the end of the hall and found the access to the elevator shaft. Several of the elevators moved up and down around her, but the middle one still sat three and half floors down. She scrambled over the edge, hooked her rope into the most convenient spot she could find, and repelled down, landing with a thump on top of the elevator.

"Ah," she heard Apache say. "That will be Baby now."

She tore open the service hatch and dropped down into a nest of four Van and her sister, who at least had the wisdom to step out of the way. One Van went down when she landed on her. The others started to draw weapons.

"You have to be mad to have come here," one of the Van said, drawing something that looked almost like a gun.

"Furious, actually," Baby said. And kicked at the same time her sister did. Two more Van went down, leaving one rather startled looking male standing by the far wall.

"Sit down," Baby ordered.

He obeyed.

"Now," she said, turning to Apache. "We need to talk."

"Now?"

"Now. Because if you're going to keep doing stupid things because you don't trust my state of mind, then I'm going to leave you with the Van. It'll save us both a lot of work in the future."

"It looked like --"

"It looked like I had Bart right in my sights, you idiot! I want him!"

One of the Van on the floor sat up, looking around with a sort of startled "What the hell is going on now?" stare. Then she saw the Sangres and reached for a weapon again. Baby took it first.

"Do you mind? This is an important conversation, and I don't want to be interrupted!" She waved the gun-like thing in the Van's face, who quickly retreated back beside the other one. They both, wisely, kept quiet.

"All right, so I reacted badly," Apache admitted.

"Are you going to do it again?"

"No."

"Good. Then let's go." She shoved the weapon into her pocket. Apache grabbed the weapons from the other Van and even the conscious ones didn't argue at this point.

Apache boosted her up to the escape hatch, did a nice double kick that stunned the two conscious Van, and followed her up. They'd barely grabbed the rope when the elevator began to move downward again. They made the arduous climb back up, Baby's side aching badly now as she pulled herself out and offered Apache a hand as well. They closed the maintenance door and moved back to the elevators. The one they'd just vacated had started back up again. They waited.

"I just don't think it would be a good idea for you to come after us again," Baby said when the door opened. She had a Van weapon right up against the head of the first Van leaving the elevator. It did get her attention. Apache alternately kept watch on the other Van and the other elevators. "Or would you like to come along with us so we can discuss what's going on?"

"We won't let the Terrans win," someone in the elevator said.

"Letting Terrans win is probably not in your control," Apache answered. "The Terrans, obviously, are going to have a few things to say about it."

"Your Alan has thrown aside the non-interference treaty. He used not only ships but time to stop us. Nothing is disallowed now."

"All's fair, huh?" Baby asked. She shoved the Van back into the elevator again. "Fine by us."

Baby reached in and hit the lobby button, keeping the weapon aimed until the door closed.

She and Apache raced back to their room. Baby threw herself down at the computer while Apache hastily packed their few belongings.

"There," Baby said. "The elevator is stuck between floors and it'll take more than a few computer commands to get it going again. Got everything?"

"Everything," Apache agreed.

"Well, at least we both got some sleep," Baby said. She pulled the cords on the computer and shoved it into the bag.

Several tourists stood at the elevator bank when they arrived again. Baby wasn't sure why she and her sister drew such attention in that crowd.

"Heard one of them has been stuck twice today," someone said. "They were going nuts down at the desk."

Two elevators appeared to be heading their way now, one having started at the lowest level. Baby suspected that one would have a Van or two aboard. The other elevator stopped at the floor below them, and it looked like the Van would reach them first.

Baby started to back up, ready to head out. Apache touched her arm, stopping her. Their elevator had started heading up again. It was going to be damned close.

One arrived. Two tourists piled high with bags slipped out. Baby and Apache went in past them just as the door opened to the other elevator. The other tourists had started to get in with them but stopped now. The other's filed in first.

"You know, those aren't Star Trek costumes," one of the tourists said. "I don't think they'll let you into the exhibit like that."

Baby managed to slide to the back of the elevator and lean against the wall, mostly hidden behind the others. Apache stood just inside the door, but not clearly visible.

The Van said something and the tourist shrugged and slipped into the elevator. A van looked inside. The door slid shut. She wasn't sure if they'd been spotted or not.

"Damn!" Apache cursed, startling everyone but her sister.

"Saw us?" Baby asked, peeking out from behind the others.

"I don't know." Apache scowled at the others and they apparently didn't think it wise to ask questions. They got out of the way when Baby slipped forward. "I want to know how they found us here. And how they got into our room since the door was shut and locked."

"I get the feeling Alan isn't the only one playing games with time," Baby answered. Then she decided it wouldn't be wise to say anything more about that little problem, not in front of witnesses who could testify at a sanity hearing. "You get the car. I'll cover the lobby."

Apache looked at her. They had two floors to go before they had to exit the elevator.

"Don't you trust me?" Baby asked.

"No. Of course not. You cover the lobby and I'll get the car."

"Good plan."

They were the first two out of the elevator. In fact, it looked as though the others might have changed their minds about getting out at all. The elevator doors closed.

The stuck elevator had begun moving again, heading down for the lobby. Apache headed outside, dodging between tourists and staff with a smile and nod. Baby had started to worry about facing the elevator full of angry Van by herself, but by the time the door opened a dozen members of hotel security had arrived on the scene. Baby watched with more than a little amusement as the hotel people read the riot act to the Van, telling them that they would have no more of these games with the elevators. Seemed they'd tracked at least one of the links to the computer controls to one of the Van's rooms. It appeared the hotel wanted the Van to check out. Now.

Baby saw the Corvette slip past the door -- Apache wasn't stupid enough to stop right in front where someone might see them. As she reached the door, Morning Glory Sangre looked back and waved good-bye to the Van, leaving them at the mercy of the hotel staff. Two police cars pulled up even as they drove away.

They drove away with a startling, storm-filled late afternoon. Lightning rent the sky a dozen times in quick succession.

"Someone isn't happy," Apache observed. "Where now?"

"I haven't a clue," Baby admitted. She settled back in the car, grateful to be on the move again.

"Get out the damned oracle then. I don't want to find out we have to go back to LA or something."

Baby fetched the crossword puzzle book. It fell open to the proper page -- she didn't even want to know about the puzzles on the other pages.

"One-Twenty-One across," she read. "Famous site of supposed UFO crash."

"Roswell, huh?" Apache asked. She didn't even sound upset this time. Amazing the kinds of things people could get used to, Baby supposed. "Well, we'll be there tomorrow sometime. Then what?"

"I'm sure something will turn up," Baby said. "Or drop in. Or something."

Apache made no comment.



Ten


They drove through the night, heading south back into Arizona yet again. Apache felt a temptation to head back to the Reservation, park the car, and disappear into the mountains. Let the aliens come to them.

And they would, of course. They still wanted those plans to the time machine.

So she kept going. Apache knew that they'd make good time getting to Roswell. She wasn't at all sure why they were going there.

Crossword puzzles. Aliens. Fools. Green Aliens.

None of it made sense. Nothing made any sense anymore.

"You know, you really shouldn't growl like that," Baby advised. She didn't flinch from Apache's glare. "Well, at least I now know why you were a better shepherd than me. One growl like that and you would have sent every wolf, coyote and wild cat in the state running for cover."

"Do you realize how maddening this entire assignment has become?" Apache demanded.

"Of course. I'm not that dense, you know." Baby shifted a bit in her seat and looked out the side window for a moment before she turned back to her sister. "Do you think I should have let the disks be destroyed with the bomb?"

"Hell, I don't know," Apache admitted. She eased back on the gas pedal. Did she really want to get anywhere that quickly? "Even if we didn't have the damned plans to the time machine there would still be those aliens working at Disneyland, wouldn't there?"

"Not to mention the fact that we work for an organization that is not part of the U.N. Or any other Earth-based establishment."

"I suppose we would have had to face that at some point," Apache said. "Maybe it's even better getting it all thrown at us at once. But damn, I hate all this travel. I want to go home. I want to have a real assignment again!"

"I want to watch a storm and not worry about who's behind it, so to speak," Baby added.

"Why are we doing this?"

"Because we have to save the world," Baby reminded her. "And because not doing it will not make it go away."

"Damn. True."

They drove in silence for a couple miles.

"What are we going to do when we get done with this?" Apache asked.

"What makes you think we will get done? I'm serious. Remember that little visitation we made to ourselves back at the Reservation? It's obvious that we were involved in more than just delivering the plans to the time machine. We were using it."

"I know. I'm starting to think there's no way out."

"Pretty desperate are you?"

"You aren't? Don't tell me you've actually liked this assignment, Baby. I don't want to know that you're really that crazy."

"There are parts of it I could have done without, that's true. But --" She paused and Apache started shaking her head with wonder. She had known her sister was insane for years, but she had never expected anything this serious. "But the truth is, Apache, I became a cop because I wanted to save the world in whatever way I could. Then I went to FUTURE because it looked like the only way I could keep at the work. And as it turns out, they're giving me the chance to do what I always wanted to do, and on a scope I never imagined."

"Huh." She didn't trust it. It sounded too sane. "But all this stuff -- aliens, time machines! --"

"They'd be there whether we worked for FUTURE and had this assignment or not. All in all, I prefer having some of the control in my hands."

"Damn it, Baby, you're not supposed to be making sense. Stop it!"

"You know, there are days when you're awfully hard to please."

"You do this on purpose, don't you? You pretend to be crazy most of the time so that when you tell me something sane it drives me crazy. No, hold it. That can't be right. I know you're crazy."

"Do you want me to be part of this conversation, or do you think you can work it all out on your own?"

"Stay out of it. You only complicate things."

So Baby sat quietly in the chair watching the scenery while Apache verbally worked through the entire problem and came, at last, to the conclusion that she was the only sane person left in the world, and that was why she had to be on this assignment.

"You really going to believe that one?" Baby finally asked.

"You bet. Otherwise we have to do some serious rethinking here. I'm close to home, you know. Going to San Zoticus is really appealing right now."

"You don't have to tell me that. I've had much the same feeling."

"You're shaking my faith in reality again. You never want to go home to the Reservation."

"Lately I've discovered it has some good points. I've even taken a sort of perverse joy in annoying Veronica. It's become one of the last sureties in my life."

"Well, I have to agree with that one. You will continue to annoy Veronica as long as you're alive, whether you're there or not."

"Probably long after we're both dead, in fact," Baby added. "I'm not sure what kind of afterlife I'm hoping for, but there is something appealing to the thought of continuing to upset Veronica's world."

"A worthy goal for the afterlife," Apache said.

"I knew you'd approve."

"So, now we have a plan of action for after we're dead. What do you think we should do for this life?"

"Go to Roswell. Play tourist. Who knows what we'll find out?"

"Yeah, that's my fear."

Baby didn't have any answer this time. They rode in silence for a long, long ways into the hot southwestern day, Apache feeling more and more inclined not to go where the crossword puzzle book told them they should. But it hadn't led them wrong so far. Hell, they hadn't anything better to do except head for New York and give over the files.

The files... Apache dared a glance at her sister. Baby hadn't asked about the computer disks yet, and Apache wasn't sure she should tell her where they were. So much had gone wrong on this case.

But if she didn't tell Baby and something happened to her --

No, that wasn't a problem. Baby would figure it out eventually, if she had to. And Baby didn't ask. That told her something as well.

They stopped and ate at a nice meal small, local restaurant in an otherwise forgotten town. Apache wasn't particularly hungry but she did need a break from driving. Besides, they were just killing time.

Odd concept, that. The line took on a whole new meaning when you knew there were people who could do things with time. She wondered, suddenly, what had gone so wrong out on the desert and why Alan felt it necessary to change history, even on so small a scale. Either they had screwed up so badly the entire Earth was in jeopardy and Alan had had to fix it -- or else she and her sister were so necessary to the future survival of the Earth that Alan had had to come in and save them.

Neither answer seemed very reassuring.

Apache started considering a new occupation. Writing for X-Files, maybe, except she'd have to come up with a more believable plot.

They arrived in Roswell late in the morning. UFO capitol of the world, famous in book and tabloid. It looked like a normal little southwestern town, bright in the spring sunlight. Apache wondered why they needed to be here. She considered stopping the car in the middle of downtown and standing out in the traffic just to see what would happen.

They found a little area of shops specializing in UFO materials with silly posters in the windows. With nothing better to do, Apache pulled the car over and suggested they go window-shopping.

"Yeah," Baby agreed. She grinned. "We can pick up some souvenirs for the guys back in The Office."

The idea sounded just warped enough that Apache agreed. They parked the car at the corner and began wandering back through the shops, looking for just the right gift, which turned out to be a wonderful way to spend the afternoon, moving from strange shop to strange shop, picking up glow in the dark alien dashboard figures and I Want to Believe Mouse Pads.

"I've found it!" Baby shouted from the back of another dusty shop. She startled the poor, gray haired shopkeeper who kept squinting nervously at the two. Apache followed the sound of Baby digging through boxes and found her in a back corner, just pulling out a gaudily framed picture.

"What the hell is that?" Apache demanded.

"A gift for Alan. Something really special."

She pulled it out and held the huge picture to the light. Apache felt -- well, she couldn't exactly say what she felt in that moment. Baby clutched a fake-gold gilt-framed velvet painting of President Nixon standing at the edge of a doorway into a space ship, and waving his infamous two-fingered salute back at the world. Except he only used one finger.

"Well?" Baby asked.

"Perfect," Apache pronounced. "But we'll never fit it into the Corvette."

"We'll ship it to him."

"Good plan. Then we don't have to be there when he gets it."

"Exactly." Baby nodded. She smiled at the shopkeeper who had followed Apache back of the store and hovered around a rack of Duchovney and Anderson pictures.

"I never forget a face," the man suddenly said.

"It's Nixon," Apache explained, pointing to the painting.

"You've been here before, you have," he said looking from Apache to Baby.

"No, this is our first trip to Roswell," Baby said. Then she frowned. "Maybe. Who knows?"

"Seen you two before. Kind of noticeable, you are."

Apache wondered if the guy had seen Yoda a few too many times. She really didn't want to deal with a Jedi Knight shop owner.

"Well, if you see us again, be sure to say hello," Apache said and smiled. She took the painting, heading up toward the checkout rack.

"Ha. Never forget. I been here since the week before the damned UFO crashed. Same location. Know everyone who ever came in, I do."

"Uh huh," Apache said with a nod. Lucky for them the little bell on the front door jangled again. He scurried forward to meet another customer.

"I seen you before," the shop owner said from somewhere in front of the shop. Apache felt a little wave of relief. The guy thought he knew everyone.

Baby had begun digging through more bins of stuff. Apache picked up the velvet painting and caught her sister's arm. She didn't want to stick around.

Baby pulled back.

"Come on --"

"What the hell is this?" Baby whispered.

Something in her tone made Apache step closer and look. Baby had pulled half a dozen pictures from a box with a tag that said "1947 Crash Site, the morning after."

The lighting was poor, but the black and white picture showed an indentation in the ground, and a crowd of people gathered around gawking. Apache shook her head and started to step back, until she saw Baby's finger move across three faces in the crowd.

She, Baby and the pretend-oriental who kept turning up on this assignment.

"Oh hell."

Baby grabbed up all copies of the picture. Apache made a quick look through the other boxes nearby, but couldn't find anything else that appeared to be taken at the same time or that had she or her sister in them. By the time they had gathered everything and made it to the front of the store, the other customer had already gone to the door.

But he stopped and looked back, smiling. Oriental, dark glasses, long hair. Apache started to speak. He held up his hand and stepped outside, waiting by the light pole for the two of them.

"Know that guy?" the shopkeeper asked.

"Sometimes," Baby answered, which got a strange stare. But then the guy saw all the stuff they intended to buy, and his eyes brightened.

"Where'd you get these pictures?" Apache asked. She kept her hand strategically hovering over part of the crowd.

"Took 'em myself," the man said. He grinned. "Don't sell many, though. People want more than a hole in the ground, they do."

"Uh huh," Apache said. He had started to slip back into Yoda mode. "It's a good picture. Nice lighting. And different. There are so many UFO pictures, but not many showing -- where they've been."

"Yeah. Exactly." He picked up the picture and turned it over, jotting down numbers off the back. "Negative numbers so I can print more of them. Got hundreds of these things around, though not many from that day."

Baby nodded. Apache could see that her sister watching the guy outside and she left her to it. The shopkeeper packed up their purchases, wrapping the velvet painting with more care than it needed. Apache made their farewells.

They slipped out the door.

"We'll have to come back for the negative," Baby said.

Apache nodded.

The man stepped away from the pole. He smiled. "Didn't know you might be here again."

"Don't start with us," Apache warned. "Just tell me what the hell you're doing here this time."

"Why is it time keeps coming up in our conversations?" Baby asked, and avoided a swipe of Apache's hand.

"Checking," he said. He held up a hand when Apache started to speak again. "Must make certain. Time unsettled. Things change. Get as much the same as possible, yes?"

"I don't know. Will it eventually make sense if we do?"

"No," he said, with a hint of something like frustration in his voice this time. "Never."

"Ah. Fine. At least I know what not to expect," Apache said. "Now tell me about this picture."

She pulled it out of the bag and held it under his sun-glassed face.

He said something that sounded very much like a curse in another language. He took the picture in his hand and actually pulled up the glasses. Nice, dark green eyes, Apache thought.

"How?" he asked.

"You think we know?"

"When?"

"1947, the day after the supposed UFO crash here."

He let the glasses drop back into place. "I take. Go talk to Alan, yes?"

"Yes, that sounds like a very good idea. Do you want the disks?"

He looked startled. So did Baby.

"I -- no. No. I am noticeable. And this is your world."

"Don't say stuff like that," Apache ordered.

He bowed his head as he slipped the picture inside his coat. "You do?"

"We have to get the negatives," Apache said. He nodded. "I'll see you in New York?"

"Maybe yes, this time."

She started to growl but he laughed and slipped away. They had drawn a little more attention than Apache liked, but it couldn't be helped. She did notice that the shopkeeper looking out the store window. Ah well, the poor guy probably could use a little excitement. Looked like they hadn't had much since 1947.

"We better find a hotel," Baby said. "I want some rest before we go to work tonight."

"Yeah." Apache cast one look back at the store. "You think the negatives are there?"

"Yes. Back room. I could see photo developing chemicals stacked by the wall."

"Good."

They found a hotel, rested until late afternoon, and then went out to look at the UFO crash site with a bunch of other gawkers. There was nothing much to see, though Baby did move around until she stood in about the same position as in the picture. If there found anything important in that spot, she didn't say.

They went back to the hotel and waited for night.

Breaking and Entering had started to become a bad habit, Apache thought. Then she looked at the picture again and decided there might be worse things in life.



Eleven


Baby held the pen light in place and made as little noise as possible while her sister muttered and cursed over the work.

"What the hell does this guy think he's protecting in there?" Apache finally growled. "He's got this place under more locks than we had to get through at Disneyland!"

Baby looked over her sister's shoulder and shook her head at the sight. She counted four locks on the outside of the backdoor and a couple more inside ones. They should have brought a crow bar. Or maybe some explosives.

They worked in the alley behind the shop. Not a quiet, peaceful dark alley, of course. That would be too easy. A biker bar sat on the other side of the alley and customers tumbled out at irregular intervals.

"Maybe we should have just offered to buy the negative," Baby said. "Or the entire shop. Offer to buy him a home in the Bermuda Triangle or something. Bound to be a bit more exciting than this place."

"A bit late for these brilliant ideas," Apache said. She got another of the locks open. Only four more to go. "At this rate, we might not have time to get the entire job done tonight. We might not even have it done before we're supposed to show up at The Office again."

The door to the biker bar popped open again. Baby and Apache threw themselves behind the dumpster they'd pulled up closer to the door. Baby watched as two men came out of the bar, leathers, tattooed, and half drunk. They stopped to light cigarettes -- or something similar -- and chatted.

"I've got to get home and bake a cake," one of them said. "My kid is turning ten tomorrow."

"Holy shit. Time really flies, doesn't it?" the other answered. "Hard to believe you and old Flame Bitch have been together for eleven years now. How's she doing anyway?"

"Sold another house yesterday. Ritzy place. She's only about a house short of the Million Dollar club. Hey, she got an option on a condo you might be interested in. You and the family stop by the house tomorrow and she'll give you the info. You can have some cake and ice cream with us. Dave would love that and Martha always likes to see you."

"Excellent. I'll see if Alice and the kids want to come by. See you."

"Yeah. Drive carefully!"

"You too."

They walked away. Apache scrambled out and Baby followed, although she'd had an urge to stay this time.

"I need the light, Baby," Apache said, offering her hand to pull her sister back up.

Baby sighed and stood. Her leg hurt. Her head hurt. Life in Roswell was too damned weird for her.

Apache finally got the door open and they slid inside a backroom filled with more boxes. They didn't need the penlight. The glow in the dark aliens provided enough illumination to see quite clearly.

One of the two bathrooms had been converted into a darkroom with file cabinets inside, and the negatives all nicely in order. Baby had memorized the file number when the shop owner wrote it down. It didn't take her long to find it. She carefully checked the other negatives in the same set but found nothing else that showed she and her sister.

"Apache, go up and find that sheet of paper where he wrote the number down," she said. "Change the last three digits to 556. With any kind of luck, he'll never even realize that this is missing."

"Luck. What an odd concept."

She quickly did the work. Baby went through a few more files but found no other pictures that they needed to destroy. Baby had to hope that she and Apache hadn't been there at some other time as well.

Life kept getting far too complicated.

Apache came back, nodding nervously. It was never good when Apache was nervous.

"Let's --"

Baby could hear the sound of a key in the lock, the little bell starting to jangle at the front of the shop. Baby peeked around the corner just as the owner turned the light on.

"Busy night, it is," he grumbled. "Have to get the damn books ready for the auditor. Get the pictures printed. Get the orders unpacked."

Baby and Apache said nothing as they turned and walked quickly past dozens of plastic aliens and out the back door. Apache threw half the locks back in place, but by then they could hear the guy coming into the back room. He'd heard something and they could hear him doing Yoda lines all the way to the door. And, of course, someone else came out of the damned bar.

Apache didn't have time to set all the outside locks again. Baby and Apache dropped behind the dumpster and waited while the biker staggered past mumbling about UFO's and naked women. By then the shopkeeper had started opening the back door, and they knew it wasn't safe to stay behind the trash where he'd see them.

"Hell," Baby mumbled. The biker headed down the short length of alley, of course. They could head the longer way and hope for more cover. Or -- "Head for the bar?" she suggested.

The shopkeeper almost had the door open. Apache nodded, grabbed her sister by the arm, and they darted to the bar's back door. Someone protested coming in that way. The guy made a grab at them, but Apache's snarl quickly changed his mind. He even headed out the door, leaving the way clear through the rather dingy hall, past a storage room, a cold locker, two bathrooms and into the bar itself.

...Where five naked ladies danced on the pool table. One had a particularly disgusting UFO tattooed to her butt. Another had a glow in the dark alien perched on her shoulder. Baby wondered how she kept it there. In fact, if the cops hadn't raided the place right then, she would have asked.



Twelve


Unlike their nice private cell in San Juan Capistrano, this one was rather crowded with the five formerly naked dancers, three biker women, two barmaids and the two Sangres. The drunken dancers kept trying to entertain everyone by doing a striptease act until the bikers and the Sangres teamed up to subdue them.

The barmaids and the police matron seemed very grateful.

Apache was not happy. Neither, apparently, was Baby who sat quietly in the corner most of the time, frowning now and then. Apache wondered what she thought about. She didn't ask.

They waited. Maybe the pretend oriental would come and get them out of this mess as well.

At some ungodly hour of the morning a policewoman took Apache and Baby out of the cell and down to a room filled with a half dozen policemen and the owner of the little trinket shop.

Baby didn't have her leg brace, and she didn't look happy as she leaned against the first available desk.

"Yes, yes. Those are the two, they are!" Yoda-kin said, nodding his head vigorously. "Came into my shop they did. Bought all the pictures. I will press charges, I will!"

"You have a problem with people buying things?" Apache asked.

He started to protest but the cop -- an older man who looked real tired already -- lifted a hand for silence. He sat behind a desk with a name plate that said Officer Romero.

"Someone apparently broke into his shop last night and stole the negative to the picture you bought."

"Really?" Baby said. "And he thinks we did it? Why? We have the pictures. We can make copies if we really wanted to."

"Huh," the cop said. "That's true."

"You took it! I saw you arrested at the bar!"

"Yeah, we were," Apache said. "Odd town you have here. I don't think I've ever seen such...different tattoos."

Someone guffawed.

"You took the negative!" Yoda-kin exclaimed, trying to get the conversation back on track. Tenacious little bastard, Apache thought. "You took it because you two were in the picture!"

"In the picture?" Apache asked. She didn't flinch. Spy training finally paid off.

"The one at the crash site!"

"Hey, lots of people took pictures of us out at the crash site yesterday," Baby said. "A couple people even had video cameras. Why should we take your picture?"

"Not yesterday! The picture from 1947!"

"Huh," the cop said.

Baby gave him a look and a little shrug. Romero nodded.

"I think you better go home and rest now, Mr. Straker. I'll have one of the others drive you there."

"But -- but --"

Another policeman came and took the protesting man away.

"I think someone ought to do this town a favor and replace his copy of The Empire Strikes Back with The Sound of Music," Apache suggested.

A man at a desk snorted his coffee and began coughing.

"Your tests show absolutely no alcohol," the cop said, leaning against a chair by the desk. "Why were you in the bar?"

"Just bad timing," Apache said. "We heard the noise and went in to see what was going on."

"Huh. Someone did break into the shop last night. Locks that hadn't been opened since 1960 were undone. Professionally."

"Really? Did he keep anything of importance in there?"

"Nothing but his pictures and those damn glowing aliens."

"Then why would someone break in?"

"I don't know." He looked at them for a long silent moment. "This town is known for odd happenings."

"So, you enjoy that kind of thing?"

"Not at the end of a night tour," he said. "You know, I have seen odd things in this town. It's not all hype. I'm going to tell you this straight out -- if you really are in a picture from 1947 I do not want to know about it."

That seemed fair enough to Apache. She was glad to finally find someone reasonable.

He picked up a piece of paper and looked it over, then looked back at them and frowned. "You two were cops?"

"Yes," Baby said.

"Huh."

"And yes, we are sisters," Apache added. "Is there anything else you'd like to know? It's been a long night for us, too."

"Why the FBI is interested in talking to you?"

Apache very nearly cursed aloud that time.

"Because we are in Roswell," Baby supplied.

"Could very well be. They don't seem to have any wants out on you -- just want to talk. And our local chapter isn't inclined to run errands for the boys in DC, so no one appears to be coming after you."

"We'll no doubt be talking to the FBI people when we get back to New York," Apache said. She certainly planned on it, though not exactly officially. "We've been on an extended vacation but we're going to report to our main office in a few days."

"This FUTURE place."

"Yes," Baby said. She leaned more on the desk now.

"Sounds like an odd place."

"Surprised they haven't moved their HQ here," Baby confessed.

He did grin this time. "We don't have any reason to hold you two now that Straker has -- dropped the accusation. Come on. I'll take you out front and get your belongings back. Next time, I trust you'll not go find out what all the noise is about, right?"

"Doesn't seem likely," Apache said. "But we are leaving town so it won't be your problem next time."

"Good enough."

They got their belongings including Baby's leg brace. Baby reached for it, but Apache got it first and settled her sister down on a bench.

"I'll get it. Your knee's swollen already."

"Yeah, so?" Baby asked, in a surly mood and frowned. "Just give it to me. I've had to readjust it a couple times. Thing doesn't want to fit right."

"You've been walking too much. No, sit still. I can do it. Shut up for once."

"You know, I really do believe you two are sisters now," the cop said.

Baby finally grinned again and stopped arguing. Apache did a quick examination of the brace and tried adjusting the fit before she pulled it up on her sister's leg. Baby still winced but then sighed.

"That is better," she said. She still let Apache help her up. "What do you say we go hold up at the hotel for the day and not go back out until after dark?"

"Sleep for awhile," Apache said. "Yeah, I like that idea. With any sort of luck, Officer, we will not see you again."

"Hope not. I'll be back on duty tonight."

He waved them out of the building.

"Call a cab?" Apache asked.

"No. Too easy to trace," Baby said. "And since we have to go back to the damned bar and retrieve the negative, I don't think we want any potential witnesses."

"Huh," Apache said.



Thirteen


They finally had a bit of good luck when they got back to the bar. No one stood in the alley discussing old times, and the only people inside stood in an office arguing about the police raid. They slipped past and into the front part of the building. Nothing had been cleaned. Baby quickly pulled the negative out from beneath a barstool cushion and they went back out. Just like that. Not a problem.

Except Yoda-kin had just stepped out of his store with a young man wearing a Lock Tight jacket. The storeowner took one look at them, his face went white, and he leapt back inside the building, slamming the door behind him. The man putting on the new locks looked a little startled.

"People sure do act strange in this town," Apache observed.

"You'd think he'd seen a ghost," Baby added.

"Interesting concept, when you think about it," Apache said. "Are we? Were we? Will we be?"

"It's too damned early in the morning for that kind of contemplation."

The man working on the door ignored them. They found Yoda-Kin by his front door when they walked back past. They waved. He darted inside and dropped behind a display.

They walked back to the hotel and slept blissfully through the rest of the day. Neither even suggested they check the news or the weather before they climbed back into the car. The night felt too cool, and the stars looked too bright -- but Baby refused to look at them. She would have been glad to leave Roswell behind if it hadn't been one of the saner places they'd been lately.

"We're about thirty hours from New York," Baby said as she climbed into the car. "Not that I'm really that worried about it. Which way are you going to take?"

"I don't know. Consult our damn travel agent," Apache said, waving a hand toward the back of the car.

Baby got the crossword puzzle book and flipped it open. It didn't even feel particularly strange to her any more. "130 Across. Series about Oil rich Texas family."

"Dallas," Apache said. "Fine, at least we'll be heading in the right direction. I wonder what we're supposed to do there."

"I can check," Baby said, filling Dallas into the right spot.

"Nah, it'll only make me nervous. We'll head for Dallas and then see what happens," Apache said. She sounded better now that they were in the car. In a moment she pulled away from the building. Leaving Roswell behind -- except that Baby had the negative in her billfold and knew that somehow they would be back again, later. Before. Sometime.

A cop car pulled up beside them at the last stoplight heading out of Roswell. Officer Romero looked and looked again. He signaled them over to the side of the road. Apache glanced a