Full Metal Panic Fan Fiction ❯ Blood From Metal ❯ Chapter 3

Blood From Metal

 

By: Alpha Zulu Mark II

 

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, I don't claim to own any of them, and this fic is meant only to explore an idea; so, bite me!

 

Chapter 3

 

Kana slowly opened her eyes, feeling weak and tired as she usually did in the mornings. After several deep breaths, she sat up, rubbing her eyes with the back of a hand. Looking at her surroundings, she scowled. Damn, and it was such a nice dream, too, she thought sourly. She had been dreaming of being in the apartment with Sousuke, the two of them doing their daily, common routine after a day at school. Funny, how the ordinary can be so important, she thought wistfully.

 

As she became more aware of her surroundings, she realized that the silk bra she had worn to bed was bunched up, leaving her left breast bare. How did that happen? she wondered. While not usually a restless sleeper, she had occasionally tossed and turned her way out of her pajamas. I slept good last night, so why would my clothes be like this? she asked herself. Throwing back the sheets, she froze, seeing her matching silk and cotton panties were crooked and sitting a good two inches below her crotch. Kaname's eyed widened as she suspected what had happened.

 

Sure enough, her panties were damp and she could see the signs that she had most assuredly had an erotic dream at some point the night before. She frantically checked her hand, sagging in relief when she found the confirmation that her kidnapper hadn't molested her in her sleep. I'd rather play with myself in my sleep than have him touch me, she thought resentfully. From the look and feel of things, she had done a first rate job on herself during the night.

 

Grinning slightly, she extracted herself from bed and made her way to the bathroom, discarding what little clothing she had on as she went. In the bathroom, she quickly started the Jacuzzi filling, brushing her teeth and getting a fast rinse in the shower before carefully stepping into the tub and starting the jets. Once she had tucked her hair up out of the way, she settled in, smiling as she let the warm water and jets massage her body.

 

She wasn't sure how long it had been since she had gotten into the tub when she heard the door to her room open. Blinking away her idle thoughts, she sat up and looked around, realizing that she hadn't brought a towel over to the tub. While the air in the jets gave her some measure of cover, she wasn't about to put on a peep show for Leonard. Swiftly, but carefully, she scrambled out of the tub and over to the linen closet, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her bare body.

 

Moving over to the door, she cracked it open, just in time to see the door to her suite close. After a moment of watching and listening, she moved out into the bedroom, seeing a fresh stack of clothes on the foot of her bed, and a breakfast tray on the table by the large window. Kaname's eyes narrowed. How could they have known that I had gotten up unless they are monitoring the room? Cameras? Bugs? Don't know, but the fact that they are watching me is important, she decided. “Perverted freak,” she spat, turning back to the bathroom. “I swear, he's no better than a cheap up-skirt picture perv in Tokyo,” she complained to herself and whoever might be listening. Although, the see-thru night gown makes more sense now, she reasoned.

 

It occurred to her then that he would likely have no compunction about watching the bathroom, too. Grimacing, Kana wrapped the towel back around her as she retrieved the clothes before retreating to the bathroom. She realized that she was at a disadvantage in this particular situation, and that there was a limit to what she could do about it. Recalling something she had once read, she adjusted her plans slightly. I'll just add this to what he owes me, she decided grimly, unwrapping the towel and quickly drying off before examining the clothes she had been given for the day.

 

She found herself looking at an athletic-type bikini top and bottom, a short skirt and top in fast-drying cloth and a pair of ankle socks. Also in the small stack were several hair bands. Well, I guess I'll be getting some exercise today, she concluded, swiftly dressing in the outfit. Hearing her stomach complain, she moved in the bedroom to see what she was getting for breakfast. As she sat down, she spotted a pair of running shoes sitting next to her bed.

 

As she finished her breakfast, she looked out the window. Even though the mist was gone, she couldn't see any sign of roads or a town. The estate was big; she had learned that at the party. How big, she wasn't sure. Maybe today I can find out, she thought, sipping the last of her coffee. “Might be nice to have a newspaper or TV,” she said to herself. Not that I think that they are that stupid, but hey, you never know!

 

She had been done with breakfast for about twenty minutes and had been reading the book she had selected the day before for ten when she heard the door to her room open. “Good morning, Kaname,” came Leonard's voice. “You rested well, I trust?” he asked her. Kana ignored him, not bothering to look up from her book. “Well, you look like you could do with some sunlight, so let's be off,” he said. Kaname heard the heavy footfalls of his AS units.

 

Sighing, she got to her feet, folding the corner of the page in her book before closing it. Glaring at Leonard, she stepped into the shoes and tied them before following him down the passage. Kaname didn't notice that Leonard was dressed in exercise wear until they were exiting the main house proper. Kaname found herself looking at a pool, tennis court and open grassy area, surrounded by walls on the far side.

 

She was just estimating the composition, height and thickness of the stone walls when Leonard interrupted her calculations. “Tell me, my dear, do you play tennis?” he asked her, removing his warm-up jacket and pants to reveal a pair of cotton field shorts and a tee shirt. As he banded up his long silver hair, Kaname found herself evaluating him.

 

He's got the same kind of slim, wiry build that Sousuke does, she noted. But on him, it looks more scrawny than dangerous, like Sousuke looks, she thought snidely. Is it me, or does he shave his legs? she wondered, seeing that the prick's legs were as smooth and soft as her own. Freak, she thought, wrinkling her nose slightly. Over all, however, she had to admit to herself that he was not the ugliest guy she had ever seen; physically, at least. Hey! Tessa is pretty much a klutz when it comes to sports, she recalled. I wonder if he's got the same failing? Maybe I can pay him back a little for what he's done to me, she thought vindictively.

 

“Sure! I love tennis!” she replied brightly, her smile edging on the maniacal. “How about we play a few singles matches?” she suggested almost eagerly. “After all, it's such a nice, sunny day,” she added, already moving toward the court. “What do you say, Leo,” she deliberately addressed him in a more relaxed way. The brother of Tessa smiled at the change in address.

 

“Sounds like an excellent idea, my dear,” he said. One of his AS units set down a foot-locker sized box, and Leonard fished out two rackets and a few tubes of balls. Kaname accepted one without question, examining it as she moved to the far end of the court and began to stretch. Well, this one is a bit wider than what I am used to, but a racket is a racket, she decided, carefully but quickly stretching her muscles and joints. It mildly surprised her that she was looking forward to some physical activity. Maybe I can make him eat some of those balls, she thought, he smile decidedly evil.

 

As she tested the swing of the racket, she watched as Leonard did some basic - and incomplete - stretches to warm up. As she watched, she opened the new tube of tennis balls, experimentally bouncing them a few times on her racket to get a better feel for the new gear. While she was not the best tennis player at Jindai, she was far from the worst, and had always been athletic. Wonder if he has a bat and some softballs or baseballs in that trunk? she wondered, daydreaming of driving her preferred sport's primary ball into the middle of Leonard's face with the kind of power that would put it over the fence at her old high school. Guess I'll have to settle for these for the time being, she concluded, seeing him finish up.

 

“I'll serve first, ok?” she called, tossing a tennis ball in her palm as her eyes narrowed.

 

“As you wish,” he replied, flashing her a toothy smile.

 

Oh, I'm going to teach you a few things about what I wish! she swore, focusing on her target. Taking a deep breath, she tightened her grip on the racket, tossed the ball high over her head, and served like she was a field cannon. “Ugh!” she grunted as her racket impacted the ball, sending it screaming toward her target. As she followed through, she watched her first serve scream toward her target, missing Leonard's head by less than two centimeters, causing him to duck away from the round, nearly tripping as he did so. “My bad!” she called, fighting not to cackle in crazed glee. “Guess I'm not warmed up yet,” she added, grabbing a fresh ball. “Second serve!” she called, lofting the ball.

 

-

 

“Captain Testarossa,” came the voice of Lieutenant Grouseaux. “You wanted to see me?” he asked her. Tessa looked up from her desk.

 

“Yes, Lieutenant,” she said, closing the file in her hands. “I wanted to tell you that I have received word through channels that your exemplary work in Tactical has been noticed, and you are receiving an early promotion,” she said, withdrawing a single sheet of paper and a small box from her top left drawer.

 

“Ma'am?” he wondered, blinking at her.

 

“You know as well as I do that an AS unit cannot have two officers in it, and I am sure that you are also aware that my command structure does not support any extra AS officers. As it happens, there was an accident at the MITHRIL Southeast Asia Recruit Training Center two days ago, and a senior instructor position is in dire need of being filled. With that in mind, you have officially been head-hunted, Lieutenant,” she said, handing him the sheet of paper.

 

As he read it, she continued her speech. “I had planned to have a formal presentation of this, but as you can see, you will be departing this afternoon, and there was no time to organize the official presentation,” she paused, hearing a knock on her door. “Come,” she called out, seeing Kalinin step into the room. “You are just in time, Commander,” she said.

 

“Yes, ma'am,” he said, moving over to the side and standing at attention. Tessa stood and addressed Grouseaux directly.

 

“Lieutenant Grouseaux,” she began, the man snapping to attention, “for excellent service and exceptional leadership, MITHRIL is pleased to promote you to the rank of Captain, ground forces, AS division, with the duties and responsibilities of that rank and position,” she said, opening the box to reveal Captain's bars. “Commander Mardukas, if you would?” she said quietly. The tall, white-haired Russian took the rank insignia, removing the butter bars and replacing them with railroad tracks. As the tracks were pinned in place, Tessa smiled at him. “Congratulations, Captain Grouseaux,” she said.

 

“Sir!” he replied, snapping a sharp salute at her. She returned it before sitting down and pulling a file from her right hand drawer. After glancing at it, she handed it to him.

 

“Your orders, Captain,” she said. “You will be catching a priority transport out of here at seventeen fifteen hours today. Good luck. That is all,” she said, looking back to the file she had been perusing when he came to her cabin. Grouseaux turned on his heel, parade ground style, and marched out of the office. Once he was gone, Kalinin looked at his boss and fellow conspirator.

 

“Now that is a novel solution to that issue,” he observed, smiling slightly. Tessa sighed, sitting back in her chair.

 

“Not at all, Commander,” she dismissed the compliment. “Mao told me back when I first met her that promoting troublemakers was the military tradition,” she explained, a small smile on her lips as she recalled the woman's exact wording of that bit of advice. Kalinin chuckled at that.

 

“I try not to be so cynical, though I can't argue the validity of that claim,” he concurred. Tessa closed her eyes.

 

“Besides, Grouseaux is a good soldier, and this way, we can be sure that the recruits and replacements we get are top-notch and capable,” she added. Kalinin considered her words.

 

“I noticed that you didn't list `trustworthy',” he noted. “You don't trust him?” he asked,. a little surprised.

 

Tessa considered that. “I trust him,” she said slowly, “just not as much as I trust others,” she added quietly. “After all, I trusted Guinn, and I trusted Blueno, didn't I?” she asked rhetorically. Get betrayed often enough, and you start to get paranoid about trusting people, she thought to herself.

 

“I just hope you don't become unable to trust,” he said softly. “You are in a position where a certain amount of paranoia is good, but too much will kill you,” he cautioned her. Tessa met his gaze.

 

“I know who I can trust completely, who I can likely trust, and those I can't afford to trust,” she replied evenly. That last list is by far the biggest, sadly enough… she didn't say. “In any event,” she continued, “I can't risk not acting; not again,” she murmured. Kalinin said nothing. Minutes passed.

 

“Did…the crew depart on leave?” he asked her carefully. Tessa nodded.

 

“Yes,” she said, unexpectedly smiling, “they did.” Beneath her blouse was a folded sheet of paper with a short, almost terse, message on it. Tessa had awoken alone in her bed, the scrap of notepad paper in her hand. She had read it, carefully folded it, and tucked it into her bra as she got dressed. Knowing that it was there, warm against her breast over her heart, she felt a lot better about the choices she had made. “I hope they come back safe; and soon,” she whispered, mostly to herself.

 

“I'm sure they will,” Kalinin tried to soothe her. “They are professionals,” he added, thinking of the two most certainly weighing on Tessa's peace of mind. Hearing Tessa sigh, he focused on her, finding her to be clasping her hands in her lap.

 

“Tell that the nine who have died under my command,” she said.

 

-

 

The door to the apartment opened silently, and three dark-clad figures entered, two of them with drawn guns. Silently, the lead figure moved from room to room, before finally returning to the other two. Nodding, he turned on the light in the hall. “We're secure,” he said simply, tucking the gun back into its holster. Behind him, the last of their group closed and locked the door.

 

“That was disturbing easy,” muttered a woman, pushing the baseball cap back on her head. “I don't know if that is a good thing, or a bad thing,” she observed.

 

“It is all a matter of perspective,” shrugged the young man. “Let's get this off you, Yu Fan,” he said, pulling out a small knife and carefully cutting the gauze off the head of the middle woman. She stood quietly as he worked, unconcerned with the razor-sharp knife near her face and neck.

 

Mao shrugged off her jacket, looking around. “You and Kana keep this place nice,” she observed, absently tapping a cigarette from her pack.

 

“Yes,” he agreed, busy with Yu Fan, “please don't smoke in here,” he added. Lighter poised to ignite her coffin nail, Mao blinked at him. “Kana dislikes the smell of cigarette smoke,” he explained. Shaking her head, Mao moved toward the balcony. “Any beer?” she asked.

 

“There is a six pack in the back of the refrigerator,” he replied. Mao's eyes widened.

 

“You and she drinking after school? Is that it?” she asked. Sousuke shook his head.

 

“Negative,” he supplied. “We got it for the planned visit of yourself and Tessa,” he explained. “Kaname occasionally uses some beer in her cooking, as well,” he added. Mao fished out a can, smiling broadly as she spotted the make.

 

“My favorite,” she approved. “Tell Kana thanks for me,” she added. Sousuke didn't take his eyes from Yu Fan as he finished removing the last of the `bandages' from her.

 

“Thank her yourself when we rescue her,” he said firmly. “There, done,” he said to the other woman. Yu Fan looked around the apartment.

 

“This is a nicer place than our old one in Hong Kong,” she noted. “How long are we going to be here?” she wondered. Sousuke considered that.

 

“Not long,” he said. “Six hours at the most. I have prepared a safe house not too far from here, but I need certain gear that I have here. I suggest we rest and gather supplies before moving out to the safe house,” he said. “Yu Fan, see if any of Kana's casual clothes fit you, and if so, pack your kit,” he directed. “Mao, we need to stay low-profile here. Keep the lights off when possible and be as quiet as possible. I have some gear to gather and some contacts to make. Can you keep watch?” he asked her. Mao nodded.

 

“Got it,” she said, casually leaning into the corner of the balcony. Sousuke left the sliding glass door open slightly in case she needed to move fast or alert him. In the bedroom, he saw that Yu Fan was systematically moving through Kana's clothes, selecting some, but leaving others. Satisfied, Sousuke moved into the kitchen, reached under the sink, and pulled out a secure cell phone in a plastic bag. Removing the protective bag, he turned the phone on, checked the indicator icons on the screen, and dialed a number.

 

Mao finished her cigarette, snubbed it out, and flicked the butt over the railing before moving back inside the apartment. She was just in time to see Sousuke close the call and begin to remove hidden supplies from all over the apartment.

 

“Neat trick,” she observed. “Kana know that her apartment was an armory?” she wondered. Sousuke nodded.

 

“Yes,” he said simply. Mao watched as more of his gear piled up on the dining room table. “Where did you learn that trick with the liver? And where did you find that liver, anyway?” she wondered.

 

“I once read a book where the technique was discussed,” replied Sousuke, briefly checking his workhorse shotgun. “As for the source of the liver, I retrieved it from a native bird on the island,” he dismissed the issue. Mao considered the day they had had.

 

She had found herself awakened in her quarters by Sousuke at oh four hundred hours. Expecting an early mission start, she had her bag packed and ready, and as soon as he tapped her shoulder, she had rolled out of her bed, pulled on a clean sports bra, stepped into her fatigues, took the black tee shirt that Sousuke offered her, laced up her boots, and followed the young man out of her room, her pack on her back. Sousuke had a similar pack by the lift loop. In silence, he had lead Mao toward a restricted part of the base.

 

Using an odd key, he passed them through several doors, finally reaching a door in a high-security section. Opening the door, he entered, Mao just behind him, finding herself face to face with Xia Yu Fan, one of the twin assassin girls who had nearly killed her. Tessa had mentioned that she had an ace up her sleeve, but Mao had not made the connection before. From the way that Sousuke acted, he knew this woman was there.

 

“Yu Fan,” he said directly, “put this on,” he ordered, removing a pair of coveralls like the mechanics used. Without a flicker of emotion, the woman did so. Mao noticed the scar on Yu Fan's belly, her souvenir from Gate's attack in Hong Kong. Sousuke dropped some simple canvas and rubber sneakers on the floor and Yu Fan stepped into them. “Now hold still,” he directed, withdrawing a roll of gauze bandage and a plastic bag from his pockets on his combat fatigues.

 

Using his knife, he had cut a length of gauze, then folded it to cover one of Yu Fan's eyes. Holding it in place, he had pulled a fresh, still-bleeding liver from the plastic bag and placed it over her protected eye. After that, he had swiftly wrapped bandages around half her face and neck, using the blood from the bag to color the bandage on her neck. When that was done, he had pulled a field cap out of his pack and situated it on her head.

 

“You are a MIRTHIL mechanic who suffered an accident while working on the De Danaan,” Sousuke had informed her. “You have suffered a nasty eye injury, and your throat was damaged, so do not speak under any circumstances, and try not to make eye contact with anyone,” he directed her. Out of his pocket, he pulled a sheet of paper, and after a glance at it, he tucked it into the breast pocket of Yu Fan's coveralls. “Your orders are there. Your last name is Smith, and you are going on medical leave. Remember that,” he ordered. She nodded.

 

Looking at his watch, he swung his pack straps over one shoulder and jerked his head toward the door. “We have ten minutes to catch our flight,” he muttered. In silence, the three had made their way to the hanger, finding that several of the crew of the De Danaan were sorting themselves out for their flights out for their three week leave. Sousuke and Mao did their best to avoid people who knew them well, but had to bullshit a few of their friends from the ship. All the time, Mao and Sousuke never let Yu Fan out of their sight.

 

The trio had boarded the transport plane for Japan without so much as a second look. Bracketing Yu Fan in a row of seats, they had made the flight in silence. Debarking at the far end of the airport's private plane terminal, the three had `acquired' a nondescript sedan from the MITHRIL-controlled transportation facility they maintained, and driven here by a wandering route.

 

The two heard the shower start. Mao looked over, finding that Yu Fan had left the door open to the bathroom, and was standing naked under the shower spray, shampooing her hair. The silent assassin made Mao jumpy, because she knew how closer the younger one had come to killing her in that underground tunnel in China. She opened her mouth to voice her concerns to Sousuke when she was interrupted by the phone ringing. Sousuke made no move to answer it.

 

“Um, Sousuke?” she prompted him. He glanced at her, the phone still ringing. “Aren't you going to get that?” she asked. Sousuke shook his head.

 

“No,” he said casually. “It is likely either the police or someone from school attempting to acquire information,” he explained. “I have more pressing matters on my hands,” he added darkly. Kana's machine picked up.

 

“Kana? Sousuke?” came Kyoko's voice. “Are you there? Pick up if you are there,” she begged. Sousuke made no move to do so. “Well, I'm out of the hospital and back from the police station,” she sighed. “Where are you two? Are you ok?” she asked. “The police are looking for you two, you know,” she added. “Some of the students talked to the police about the whole thing, and your history at school, and the like,” whispered the girl. “Well, when you get this message, please call me, ok?” she asked. A moment later, the phone went dead.

 

“That can't be good,” noted Mao. Sousuke shrugged.

 

“I suspected that some of them might break under interrogation,” he admitted. “That is one reason that we have to move fast,” he added. “I expect that the police will be here by morning to try and find more leads,” he added. “Give me a hand with this,” he said, motioning to the mound of ordnance.

 

Swiftly, the two had broken down the relatively modest pile of deadly tools. Sousuke's secure cell phone rang, and he picked up the call. Less than a minute later, he ended the call. “That was one of my contacts,” he said. “It will take him forty eight hours to assemble the requested equipment.” he said. “Mao, start packing up the digital communication gear while I get us ready to load out of here,” he said. Nodding, the woman swiftly and professionally broke down the meter-tall stack of gear Sousuke used to make his reports to MITHRIL. Sousuke meanwhile was staging the gear to be loaded into their sedan.

 

In the bathroom, the shower shut off. Moments later, Yu Fan paused in the doorway to the bedroom. Seeing the situation, she turned and stepped into a pair of Kana's panties, followed by one of Kana's skirts and a blouse. Tying her hair back in a pony tail, she laced up one of Kana's pair of sneakers. Emerging from the bedroom, she silently began to help where she could.

 

“Don't forget to grab the beer,” noted Mao. Sousuke nodded. Tossing his head, he indicated that Yu Fan should pursue that detail. She did so, setting the five-pack on the counter next to the comm gear. “That's the last of it,” noted Mao. “If we're ready, we should move out to the safe house; no point in risking a brush with the police if we can avoid it,” she suggested.

 

“As soon as we get Yu Fan's kit packed,” Sousuke agreed. Stepping into the bedroom, he pulled one of Kaname's backpack overnight bags from her closet and hurriedly, but neatly, packed the selected items into the bag. After a final check of the room, he moved back to the others, handing the pack to Yu Fan. Quickly, the three loaded up and moved out of the apartment.

 

After locking the door, they moved to the elevator that would take them to the garage where the sedan waited. As they waited for the elevator to arrive, Sousuke glanced at his watch. It was early morning, the flight having moved from Merida to Hawaii, then over to Tokyo. With fewer of the residents up and about, it was less likely that they would run into anyone. Hearing the elevator ping, he glanced at the other two to see if they were ready. Looking back forward, he found himself looking at a pair of men in cheap suits.

 

“Gomen,” he said, stepping aside. The two started to pass him, but one of them stopped, looking closer at Sousuke.

 

“Are you…?” he began, only to grunt and drop bonelessly to the group. Yu Fan had kicked him in the back of the head and was already on his partner before the man knew what was happening. Grabbing the man's arm, she twisted him around, up and across, throwing him into the frame of the elevator door head-first. Even as he slid to the carpeted floor, she grabbed his head, preparing to snap it.

 

“Yu! No!” hissed Sousuke, grabbing her arm. She froze, her cold, dead eyes on his. Releasing his head, she flicked his coat open, revealing his badge and gun.

 

“They identified you, and they are a loose end,” said the assassin with cold logic.

 

“There is nothing they can do, and killing them is more trouble than we need,” replied Sousuke. Though they do pose something of a problem, he admitted silently. Sighing, he glanced up and down the hall before grabbing the cop's bade, wallet, phone and gun. Doing the same with the other, he pulled the bodies into the elevator and rode down to the garage. Loading their car, Sousuke and Mao quickly stashed the police men behind the door to the elevator mechanical section, locking them in. It would buy them time without making their situation any worse.

 

Two hours later, Sousuke led his team into his safe house. It was a bare, stark apartment in a dying part of town near an industrial complex. There was nothing on the walls, the kitchen was a camping stove and mini-refrigerator. Black-out cloth covered the windows, and the bathroom was a three by three meter square with a toilet and shower head on a flex hose. Against one wall was a pair of surplus military cots. Other than that, the place was bare.

 

“Spoil us, why don't you?” muttered Mao sarcastically. Sousuke didn't react. “You know, it's probably for the best that you never brought Kana here,” sniped the former Marine, grinning at Sousuke.

 

“I had thought the same thing,” admitted Sousuke. “I initially set this up after the incident in North Korea, but since then…” he shrugged on shoulder. “Let's get some rest,” he said. Nodding, Mao dropped her gear and grabbed one of the cots, swiftly unrolling the thin mattress and settling it in place. Pulling out the folded wool blanket, she shook it out, tucking one side under the edge of the mattress, draping it across, then folding the extra down so she could pull it over her once she lay down.

 

Beside her, she saw Sousuke doing the same. Yu Fan stepped over to the bathroom while the two set up their beds. With her bed ready, Mao pulled off her shirt, draping it over her pack, followed by her fatigues and boots. Laying down, Mao pulled the blanket over her, the cot squeaking as she got settled in, making sure that her hand fell naturally to the gun tucked into her pack.

 

Sousuke folded his fatigues over the foot of his cot and lay down on the cot in his boxers, tugging the blanket over him. It occurred to him that these cots were less comfortable than he recalled. Pushing the pointless musing to the back of his mind, Sousuke settled in. Just as he was comfortable, he felt someone slip onto the cot with him. Yu Fan, he realized. The young assassin moved up against him, hugging herself to him in the narrow bed. From the amount of skin-on-skin contact, he surmised that she was naked. Easier to keep track of her this way, he thought, wrapping an arm around her as he shifted to balance the two of them on the narrow cot. It caught him by surprise that Yu Fan fell asleep within one minute of lying down with him.

 

-

 

Kaname groaned as she eased herself into the Jacuzzi. It had been a long day; even for her. Smirking, she recalled that Leonard was likely hurting more than she was. From her very first serve, she had punished him as much as she could possibly could short of beating him to death with the racket in her hands. And really, it was so tempting to try that, but I doubt that I would have been fast enough to beat those AS golems to him, she thought regretfully.

 

She had also discovered through their `game' that the Testarossa penchant for clumsiness was not a fluke unique to Tessa. While Leonard was certainly more balanced and athletic, Kaname had quickly ascertained that he was hardly a match for her. He might even be a little less athletic than Kyoko, she mused. Not that her friend was bad, per se, but Kaname's athletic ability was clearly superior to her captor's abilities. Leonard had suffered several tennis ball hits, and some scrapes from falls before he had given up and suggested that they catch their breath.

 

Kaname would have liked to keep punishing him, but she herself was covered in sweat, and her breath was approaching the labored stage, so she accepted the suggestion. Moving to the pool, she found that a tray of drinks was waiting for them. Seeing Leonard all but collapse into a lounger, she smirked behind a glass of cool water. By the time that she was finishing her second glass of water, her cardio levels and breath had recovered to the point where she was looking at the crystal-clear blue water of the pool with a speculative gaze.

 

“The pool looks quite inviting, doesn't it, my dear?” Leonard had interrupted her gaze. “Do feel free to enjoy it,” he prompted. Kaname smothered her grimace. Looking around, she spotted a hose, and after a quick rinse to rid herself of the sweat, she dove into the deep end of the pool, enjoying the invigorating feeling of the cool water on her warm skin. Leisurely surfacing, she rolled onto her back and slowly drifted in the pool.

 

The day was not excessively hot, but it was more than hot enough to make the pool an inviting place to relax for a while. Serenely floating on her back, she stared up at the clouds. Not like there is much to tell me where I might be up there, but still; it's nice, she thought absently. It's early May, so if it's this warm, then I must be somewhere in a more tropical location, right? she tried to determine a way to put more pieces of the puzzle her life had become in place. I should have studied botany in school, she thought wryly to herself. Though she hadn't had a chance to see the trees up close, she was certain that if she knew more about plant life, she could pin down the location a lot more precisely.

 

Her musing was interrupted by movement in her periphery vision. Turning her head instinctively, she saw Leonard taking off his designer warm-up gear. Seeing her watching him, he smiled at her as he stripped off the shorts. If he's planning on skinny dipping, I'm so going to drown him! she thought savagely. As he bent over, she didn't see any signs of swim trunks and braced for the worst. As he straightened, Kaname's eyes widened and she tried to gasp; which caused her to inadvertently swallow some water, resulting in a coughing attack.

 

Before she could get herself under control, she heard a splash and moments later, arms closed around her, steadying her in the just-deep-enough-to-have-to-tread-water part of the pool. Forcing the tickly coughing sensation aside, she caught her breath. “Be careful, Kaname,” came Leonard's voice. “I wouldn't want to think that the sight of me distracted you enough to cause you to drown,” he added, rubbing her back. Kaname angrily shoved him off her.

 

“The very sight of you makes me think about suicide,” she snarled, stroking away from him. Or murder, she left unsaid, putting water between them. Leonard smirked and began to follow her. Kaname resisted the urge to get out of the pool. No way do I let him dictate my actions, she vowed. Instead, she settled into a fast-paced lap cycle, ignoring the protest in her muscles. I hope he cramps up and dies, she silently bitched.

 

That evening, letting the Jacuzzi work on her sore muscles, she mourned the fact that he hadn't cramped and drowned. Even as she thought that, she found herself smirking. Who the hell did he think he was impressing with that Speedo? she wondered. “He should work out more if he's going to try that look,” she muttered aloud. While not exactly ugly, Leonard's slim build and rather girlish skin and grooming habits made the whole visual rather disturbing and freakish to Kaname's mind.

 

“Hmm,” she hummed, shifting slightly so the jets worked a new area on her back. You know, Sousuke wouldn't look half bad in a Speedo, she mused. Her mind instantly conjured up literally thousands of images of Sousuke in varying states of dress. Her lips curved into a smile, her nipples hardening as she pictured her lover in a Speedo. Sousuke's a lot more defined and darker skinned, she considered, and those scars on his body are oddly sexy, now that I think about it, she giggled quietly. “Mm, if you were here, lover,” she murmured, eyes closed as she enjoyed her little daydream of Sousuke.

 

In her mind's eye, she found herself imagining what she would look like next to Sousuke in her white bikini. Wow, she thought, considering the image. Still missing something, though, she noted. In her fantasy, she found herself looking at Tessa, on the opposite side of Sousuke from her. Much better, she approved, seeing him flanked by herself and Tessa. But, that swimsuit doesn't really go with the picture, she thought, her mental vision of Tessa wearing the fetish-like swimsuit she had worn the first time that she had come to visit her and Sousuke at Jindai High. It was no effort at all to change the suit Tessa wore in her mind to something more fitting. A racer-type one-piece in deep red isn't too bad, she thought, but I think a cross-top high-hip bikini in black is the better look for her, decided the girl.

 

Not bad at all, she approved, seeing the image of her, Sousuke and Tessa on a tropical beach in the setting sunlight. When they rescue me, I think I'll suggest a tropical island for our little vacation, she made a mental note. Maybe a private island, she considered, her mind ridding herself and Tessa of their bikinis. She began to giggle wickedly as the Sousuke in her mind reacted to the sight of her and Tessa naked, causing a kind of wardrobe malfunction that she thoroughly approved of.

 

Gasping, she pulled her hands away from her sex. Damn it, I've got to control that, she told herself sternly. Plenty of time for the real thing once he comes and gets me, she promised herself. Pushing her daydreams of Sousuke and Tessa aside, she tried to control herself by reviewing the rest of the day. It wasn't as rewarding as daydreaming of Sousuke and Tessa, but it was safer for her.

 

It was with some relief that she saw Leonard drag himself out of the pool after close to three dozen laps. Her own muscles were complaining about the day already, and she was glad to take a break herself; but not until she had made two more laps. Pulling her body out on the opposite side of the pool from Leonard, she selected a lounger and settled in, letting her muscles rest and taking in some sun.

 

She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep, but when she felt a cool hand touch her stomach, she snapped awake and slapped at the arm the hand was attached to. “Hey! No touching!” she screamed at him. Leonard had managed to avoid her swing. Sitting up on the lounger, she saw him offer her a cool frozen drink.

 

“I was just going to ask if you would like a cool drink, my dear,” he said, feigning innocent hurt. Kaname's arm twitched in time with her eye.

 

“No thanks,” she said coldly. Standing, she marched away from him, dove into the pool, stroked across it, and pulled herself out on the side with the drink cart. Selecting a bottle of water from the half-melted ice bucket, she cracked the top and took a cooling pull. “Ah!” she sighed happily. Glancing at the sun, she realized that it had been a while since she drifted off to sleep. Carefully feeling her skin, she decided that she hadn't burnt, being instead nearly perfectly exposed.

 

Speaking of exposed, she thought, her eyes finding Leonard's Speedo-clad form walking around the pool, I think that Leo boy is going to be uncomfortable for the next few days, she thought happily, spotting the streaks and spots where he had apparently missed applying sufficient suntan oil. He and Tessa really do share a lot of characteristics, she thought, eyeing his unbound, mid-back-length hair. Give me Tessa any day! she thought, hiding a grimace with her water bottle. I bet he'd be popular in prison, she found herself thinking evilly. What was that line? `You sure got a pretty mouth, boy!', indeed! And his ass isn't bad; if I were a man and a lifer, I'd make him my prison bitch, she thought, wincing at the implications. Well, maybe I'd pimp him out, instead, she amended her earlier thought. “Mao's a bad influence,” she mouthed into her water bottle, excusing her uncharacteristically crude thought of a moment before.

 

By the time that Leonard approached her, she was cackling softly to herself, a crazed gleam in her eyes. “I see you are in a better mood,” he observed, smiling at her. Her disturbing laughter stopped, her eyes narrowing into an annoyed look. “What do you say we retire to the house for the day,” he `suggested'. Kaname judged it to be late afternoon, and her whole body was feeling the effects of the previous morning and afternoon's activities.

 

“I suppose,” she shrugged, turning and moving off without waiting for him. It wasn't until she was inside that she recalled that she was still in the bikini. Mentally shrugging, she dismissed it. It's not going to make much of a difference, really, she told herself. Inside, she found that some of the unseen staff had laid out a light dinner of fruit, crackers and cheeses. Sampling some, she decided that it was pretty tasty.

 

“I see the refreshments are to your liking,” came Leonard's voice from her side. Kaname frowned.

 

“Unlike the company,” she replied with false cheer. He laughed along with her with just as much falseness.

 

“Well, what say we retire to the den and amuse ourselves with some more intellectual exercise?” suggested the man, Kaname feeling him settle a thick, soft robe over her shoulders, his hands stroking her shoulders through the robe in the moment it took her to step away from him. Swiftly she slipped the robe on, tying the belt.

 

“If it keeps you from touching me, sure; why not?” she spat back, glaring at him. He indicated the direction, and she shortly found herself in a richly-appointed den. In the middle of the room, she found a pair of chairs had been set up with a low game table between them, a chess board in the middle of the table. “Tell me, my dear,” came Leonard's voice, “do you play chess?”

 

Sitting in the tub, Kaname scowled at the memory of the next several hours. Chess was not her strong game, and she lost all but one game to Leonard. When she had suggested a change to something she was more familiar with, he had produced a shogi board. Kana fared better there, taking him three games to his five. Considering I haven't played that game since I was about seven years old, I think that's pretty good, she told herself. After shogi were some card games. Kana did even better there, winning more than Leonard did. Having practice with Tessa made that easier, she realized.

 

it wasn't until she was in bed that it stuck her ask one very important question of herself: what was he trying to accomplish with all that?

 

-

 

“That's the lot,” announced Mao, reassembling the entry shotgun in her hands. Spread out on a table was the result of Sousuke's little arms deal. The guns were a mix of makes, models, vintages and sources, making them nearly impossible to trace or pattern. The one common thread was that they were all reliable and tested workhorse models. Sousuke reflected that not one of them was MITHRIL common usage. Beside Mao, Yu Fan was checking the ammo they had gotten.

 

“Ammo count and type is correct,” said the assassin. Both Sousuke and Mao were very concerned about her being armed, but both knew that it was a mission necessity. Besides, as long as she could kill AMALGAM personnel, she would do so. It was after they had bagged whoever she had it in for that things would get dicey. Neither he nor Mao were taking any chances around the girl. Both made sure that they had a gun and knife at their fingertips at all time, and neither one of them let her out of their sight if there was any helping it. They also kept each other in sight, as well.

 

“Then, let's load out and go hunting,” said Mao. Sousuke and Yu Fan both nodded. For the next half hour, the only sound in the safe house was the click and clink of magazines being loaded, guns being prepped, and gear being organized, checked, and rechecked. When they were done, the three had working rigs for all of them, with a small amount of left-over supplies. Sousuke and Mao glanced at each other before securing the small amount of left over supplies with the cots.

 

“Yu Fan,” said Sousuke, seeing the assassin girl pulling on one of Kaname's light jackets over her borrowed skirt and blouse to hide the gear she wore, “where do we start?” he asked her.

 

“AMALGAM has several contacts in Japan. It was one of these contacts that my sister used to enter this country, find Chidori, observe her, and ultimately attack her,” said the older Xia twin dispassionately. “I know the location of this contact. I will take you there,” she said.

 

“That was a year ago,” noted Mao, suspicious. “Wouldn't he have moved on?” asked the Sergeant Major. Yu Fan didn't react to the tone of the question.

 

“Unlikely,” she dismissed the suggestion. “The contact would be easily missed. Besides, he enjoys his lifestyle too much,” she added. Sousuke just nodded.

 

“Guide us to him,” said the mercenary coldly. He had questions to ask, and `no' would not be accepted as a response.

 

Retrieving the innocuous sedan, the three loaded up and Sousuke followed the directions that Yu Fan provided. Eventually, she had him park on the side of a street in rich part of the suburbs of Tokyo. “The target house is at the end of the block,” she said, reaching up to the dome light and removing the bulb. “He is usually guarded by five to seven bodyguards armed with advanced weaponry and the alarm system is also tied to the local police station,” she shared.

 

“Layout?” asked Sousuke.

 

“Two-story western house,” replied Yu Fan. “Bedrooms and office on second floor, lower floor has the kitchen, dining room and entertaining rooms. Four car garage, and at least one armored or partially armored vehicle in residence. It is possible that he might have one of his mistresses over at any given time. The walls are eight feet high, topped with broken glass and razor-wire set in cement. Yu Lan reported the presence of a wide track of fine pebble around the base of the wall.”

 

“Entrances?” wondered Mao.

 

“Main entrance, two guards, hydraulic ram gate,” replied Yu Fan, “secondary entrance, one guard, solid steel bar and wood, recessed ten centimeters into the wall. Third entrance is through a short tunnel that connects to one of the buildings outside the wall. None of my intelligence reports said which one or how far away,” she noted.

 

“Great,” sighed Mao. “Well, frontal is out,” she noted. Sousuke was studying the street.

 

“Cameras?” he wondered. Yu Fan paused for a moment.

 

“Yes, pan capable, covering the walls and yard area. Yu Lan noted a few inside as well,” she recalled.

 

“You and your sister talk a lot about details like that?” wondered Mao.

 

“My sister and I were as one,” murmured Yu Fan. Mao frowned as Sousuke crouched down to peer up from inside the car.

 

“You got something, Sousuke?” she asked him. A moment later, he nodded.

 

“How are you at climbing?” he asked the two women.

 

Fifteen minutes later, Sousuke, Mao and Yu Fan were clutching the relatively steep roof of the house, determining a point of entry into the second floor. The angles were all bad, but they had penetrated the three lines of defense by climbing a cell phone repeater tower, then tossing a line to the arm of a street sign that was attached to a utility pole, and once Sousuke had shimmied along the rope to the pole and secured the line, it was a simple enough matter to secure a line to the brick chimney on the roof of the house.

 

Now, they were above the view of cameras, out of sight of the guards, and above the noses of two German Sheppard dogs being run along the perimeter. Sousuke knew how inconvenient dogs could be, so when he had spotted them from the utility pole, he had made sure that his Beretta pistol's silencer was secured and ready. Suspecting that he might need quiet firepower, he had loaded his first magazine with one hundred forty seven grain sub-sonic semi-jacketed hollow points.

 

Of course, if they could get inside without alerting the security system or guards, all the better. At the moment, they were looking for the best way in. A small widow's walk had been ruled out because it was in view from the grounds, and an inviting attic vent had been eliminated because there was a security camera just past it that might be able to check the wood vent. Yu Fan came up with the solution.

 

Finding a window that was in shadows from the lights illuminating the yard and wall, she tapped Mao and Sousuke on the arms, gesturing her intentions. With no better plan to offer, the two grabbed her ankles and eased her over the edge of the roof. Seconds passed. Yu Fan was doing something; the two could feel her movements through their grip on her ankles. A few seconds past one minute later, she gave them her signal to pull her up. Silently grunting, the two did so.

 

Her hands talked to them. We're in, she signaled. Secure rope, feet first, one meter off-set, she continued. Sousuke silently moved back to the chimney, re-routed the extra rope, and braced it off the meter satellite dish on the roof, before looping it through a carabiner on his kit's belt. Carefully situating himself, he stepped lightly off the roof, his brake hand locked, and dropped cleanly to the sill of the open window. Catching himself by relaxing his brake hand so his butt rested on the window sill, he unclipped the rope, tugged on it once, then drew his gun and moved out of the way. A moment later, Yu Fan was in the room, silent as a ghost. Mao arrived one minute later, accompanied by a muffled rasping sound. All three froze to see if the dogs or guards were alerted. Hearing no response, Sousuke moved toward the door the opened into the hall.

 

Due to the late hour, they had decided that they were very likely to catch him in bed. That was some good news/bad news. Good, because they wouldn't have to try and take down the whole target with just the three of them. Bad news, because they only had three of them to clear the entire second floor. Oh, and they had to do it without raising a ruckus. Easing into the hallway, Sousuke decided that things could have been better.

 

Their entry point was half-way down the hall, which meant that they had bedrooms in both directions to check and clear. Glancing at Yu Fan, he saw her minutely shake her head. She had no idea where the office or the bedroom for the AMALGAM contact was, just that it was on the second floor. Seeing two less doors to the left, Sousuke used one hand to signal, and the three moved down the short leg. They would start there, and work their way through the entire floor until they found their target.

 

The first two doors were dry holes, being nothing more than unused bedrooms. The third was a bathroom. At the first door past their entry point, they found it locked. Sousuke silently worked on it for a moment, before it opened. Moving in, they found a figure in the bed, snorting quietly. Moving up, Yu Fan used a pen light with a red lens cover to swiftly check the body. She shook her head. Mao withdrew a roll of surgical tape from her gear. Thirty seconds later, the figure was bound hand and foot, their mouth and eyes taped shut, and the top sheet tied around their body as an added challenge.

 

Moving onward, they found the contact's office, another bathroom, and the door that lead to the stairs. Sousuke attached a mini-grenade to that door before they moved to the last two doors. Taking the first of the two remaining doors, Sousuke moved into a bedroom, seeing a pair of bodies in the bed. One of them started to move, so he reacted swiftly, dashing forward and catching the figure behind the ear with the butt of his pistol. As the body collapsed bonelessly, the second figure sat up. Before Sousuke could react, he heard the inhale of a breath, which told him a scream or shout would follow quickly.

 

It would have, had not Yu Fan grabbed the mouth of the person with one hand and used the butt of her own gun to club the second much as Sousuke had. Not satisfied with the results, she repeated the process. With her target totally limp, she flicked on her pen light. Checking both of the bodies, she shook her head. Sousuke pulled out his roll of surgical tape.

 

Well, this has to be him, he told himself as the trio once more set up at the door. They made entry, and found the target snoring. Once more, the secured the target, only this time, they didn't give him a souvenir concussion. With tape across his eyes, and Yu Fan holding a sharp knife to his throat, they informed him that they were curious about AMALGAM and that they expected him to answer. Failure to answer would be unpleasant - and lethal.

 

He apparently did not understand the situation until Yu Fan whispered something in his ear. His face went pale as a sheet, and he pissed himself. He began to babble nearly incoherently. It took a little, but they finally made sense of what he was saying. As Mao and Sousuke realized what the implications of what they were hearing were, they dragged him out of bed and to his office. There, they seized his laptop and began to copy every bit of information out of the man's electronic files.

 

It was surprisingly easy, since none of it was encrypted beyond a log-in password. He was more than happy to supply that password when Yu Fan pushed the knife deeper into his neck. When they had it all, Mao ran a fast check on the laptop, and satisfied that it didn't have any tell-tales or tattle-tales on it, she packed it up. Glancing at Sousuke, she nodded. It was time to go.

 

Turning back to Yu Fan, they were just in time to see her pull her neck out of the informant's neck. She had sliced down and into the man's lungs when she saw Mao nod, and now, he was thrashing in his chair as his lungs flooded with blood. Yu Fan wiped her blade on his soiled pajamas and sheathed her knife one-handed. As the man's body went still, she moved past Mao and Sousuke without a flicker of reaction.

 

Shaking off their shock, the two swiftly withdrew. The climb up and out of the window was harder than the entry, but they withdrew as they had come, pulling their ropes back after them so there was no trail. Silently, they climbed into their sedan, and Sousuke drove off as quietly as possible. Once they were several blocks away, Mao turned to Yu Fan. “What do you think you're doing?!” she hissed.

 

“What is necessary,” said the younger woman reasonably. “He heard our voices, and he knew that we had taken data. Letting him live would have alerted AMALGAM to our project. His termination was necessary,” she reasoned. “And he was one of the ones who betrayed my sister,” she added.

 

“But killing him…!” began Mao. Yu Fan turned to stare at Mao.

 

“We are not police, Mao. We are not currently agents of your organization. We are mercenaries on a mission. Act accordingly,” she said coldly. “We should have silenced all of the enemy personnel we encountered, as well as setting a satchel charge to destroy the base,” she noted casually.

 

“We're not all assassins like you,” spat Mao.

 

“Which is why you will fail,” replied Yu Fan indifferently.

 

“Listen up, you…!” began Mao.

 

“Mao,” came Sousuke's voice from the front seat. “Let it be,” he advised her.

 

“What?!” gaped Melissa. “Sousuke, how can you…?!” she began again, only to be once more cut off by Sousuke.

 

“Yu Fan is correct,” he said. “We are on a black ops, Mao, which is much different from our normal operational parameters. You must expect a certain amount of collateral casualties,” he added. Mao started to speak, but then stopped herself.

 

“You agree with her, Sousuke?” she asked quietly a moment later.

 

“I do.”

 

“Then, I'll follow your lead,” she capitulated. I've only ever been a Marine and a MITHRIL solider. Sousuke has been a mercenary, insurgent and soldier for his entire life in the kind of war that MITHRIL tries to stop, she contemplated. The Xia sisters were raised by Gauron as his little experiment, and as much as I hate to say it, after Hong Kong, I can see some parallels between Sousuke and Gauron. Looking out the window, she found herself wondering just how deep the similarities between Gauron and Sousuke might be.

 

“Sousuke, find us a print shop somewhere,” she said after more than an hour of silence. “We have to make some printouts, and then, we need to send this to her,” she said, acutely aware of the assassin next to her in the back seat.

 

“Roger that,” said Sousuke. “I know of such a place,” he added, changing lanes. We're on our way, Kana, he thought to the girl. And nothing will stop me from rescuing you, he vowed.

 

-

 

“Admiral, what an unexpected surprise,” Tessa said, blinking at her uncle as the man entered her office on Merida Island. “What brings you here?” she wondered, standing and saluting her boss. Her uncle returned the salute and accepted a chair in front of her desk as she resumed her seat.

 

“I wish it were only a personal visit, Tessa,” he said, “but I am afraid that I have been sent here on official business, Captain,” he said. Tessa waited, watching him expectantly. “A formal accusation has been made by Intelligence that you are planning an operation to recover the Whispered asset code-named `Angel',” he said.

 

“You mean `Kaname Chidori',” Tessa said evenly. He sent her a disapproving look.

 

“I mean, `Whispered asset code-named `Angel', Captain Testarossa,” he repeated. Tessa met his gaze, but said nothing. “And because it is a formal accusation from Intelligence, I am here to investigate the claim, and if necessary, pull the plug on any such operation.”

 

“I see,” said Tessa. Silence filled her office. Minutes passed. Eventually, her uncle spoke again.

 

“Well?” he asked her.

 

“Well what?” she replied immediately. The admiral gritted his teeth.

 

“Are you planning, undertaking or supporting and operation to attempt recovery of Whispered asset code-named `Angel', Captain Testarossa?” he asked her.

 

“No.”

 

“Then you won't have any complaint about my speaking with your staff about it, I trust?” he said. Tessa shrugged.

 

“Please do as you feel you should, Admiral,” she said. Her uncle watched her, perhaps a little suspiciously.

 

“That's all you are going to say?” he asked her.

 

“Yes. What else is there to say?” she replied, pulling a folder from her `in' box and opening it. “Please let me know if there is anything else,” she said, picking up a pen, her eyes on the paper. Sighing, the Admiral rose from the chair. Moving to the door, he paused, looking back at his niece. “Tessa,” he began, shaking his head.

 

“Uncle, I have already told you how I feel about this, and I have already answered your official questions,” she said quietly. “There is no point in discussing Kaname Chidori any further unless you are willing to reconsider your stance on this issue,” she pre-empted him. “Now, if you will please excuse me, I have to address some issues concerning the De Danaan,” she hinted, eyes never leaving the folder in front of her.

 

“I see,” he said, opening the office door.

 

“Please coordinate with Commander Kalinin, Admiral,” added Tessa, still not looking at her uncle. “I will instruct him to cooperate with you to the fullest of his abilities,” she assured him, turning the page in her file. Nodding, her uncle closed her office door. Immediately, Tessa picked up her phone and punched an auto-dial number. When the other party picked up, she didn't waste time. “We've got a leak,” she said softly. “They have already moved, and the Admiral is here. Handle it as best as you can,” she said, hanging up.

 

Sighing, she tried hard not to think about it, but her mind kept going to her black ops team and Kana. I expected this to happen, but for it to happen so fast, there must still be a mole - or more! - in MITHRIL, she told herself. And the real question is: `what is driving this hell-bent persistence of Intelligence to abandon Kana?' I suspect that finding one answer will answer the other as well, she bet herself. Shivering slightly, she recalled the incident aboard her beloved De Danaan, and the loss of her men in China, and the Hong Kong incident. There is no doubt that AMALGAM is deeper in us than we are in it, she thought grimly. Damn it, Leo, how did you get mixed up with them, brother?!

 

Meanwhile, the Admiral was finding his way to Commander Kalinin's office, which was buried in the same base area as Tessa's, but was impossible to get to directly from her office. So, he and his assistance had to bounce from office to office as they were pointed and directed by ranking officers at the Pacific base. Almost ten minutes after he had left his niece's office, he entered Commander Kalinin's office. “Commander,” he said, stepping through the door.

 

Kalinin rose and saluted. “Admiral,” he said. “I have been directed to assist you to the best of my ability,” he said. “What would you like to do first?” he asked the man.

 

“I want to review any operational planning done in the last two months, especially those involving resource allocations of AS units, small arms or covert assets,” he said. Kalinin nodded.

 

“Yes, sir,” he said, beginning to type on his laptop and click with his mouse. “I have found eleven such operational plans,” he reported. “I can print you out the operational plan and equipment report, if you like,” he said. The Admiral nodded.

 

“Very well, Commander,” he said. Kalinin sent the commands, and his laser printer came to life. “Also, I would like to review the personnel files for the last six months,” he said. “In particular I want to review the fitreps for Urzu team,” he said. Kalinin nodded.

 

“Yes, sir,” he said, typing and clicking some more. “Anything else, sir?” he asked.

 

“Not at the moment, Commander,” said the man, taking the sheaf of paper in hand. “But I want Urzu team made available for me to speak with,” he said.

 

“That might take a bit,” said Kalinin. “Urzu team is on liberty along with the greater part of the crew, and have already departed for their destinations,” he said. Damn, this guy is sharp; or is it that he has info he shouldn't? thought Kalinin, his face not giving anything away.

 

“Then recall them, Commander,” said the Admiral. Kalinin nodded.

 

“That can be done, sir, but you will have to sign off on the orders, sir,” he said. The admiral frowned.

 

“What?” he said.

 

“The orders to recall them for a non-critical mission profile requires the signature of the originator of the order on the summary brief,” he reminded the man. “It is a measure to prevent frivolous use of transportation assets,” he explained. “And there is the issue of Captain Grouseaux. He is already posted to his next assignment, and any recall orders will have to be approved by the recruit training facility's commanding officer,” he reminded the Admiral. “I believe that is currently General Walwash, is it not?”

 

The admiral's face flickered a sour expression. “I believe it is, Commander,” he replied tightly. Walwash and he had a long, established animosity that wasn't hot enough to cause trouble, but was more than cold enough to make getting that signature for a recall of Grouseaux about as likely as getting Tessa to let some yuppie pilot her sub. “I'll get back with you about the others tomorrow,” he said.

 

“Very well, sir,” said the Commander. “Am I correct in assuming that you are going to be staying at Merida for the time being?” he guessed.

 

“Yes, Commander,” he said. “Until this accusation is settled, I'm going to be here,” he added, flipping through the pages. “Sergeant Sagara wasn't here at Merida, was he?” he asked, frowning.

 

“No, sir, he was in Tokyo with Chidori,” said Kalinin. “In fact, he was about to attend his graduation when the incident occurred,” he expanded.

 

“He was flown back here, wasn't he?” wondered the admiral. Kalinin nodded.

 

“Yes, he was. He was concerned about the injuries that Weber received, and as an asset, the decision was made to retrieve him in case the enemy made an attempt on him, as well,” said the Russian.

 

“And where is Sergeant Sagara now?” asked the Admiral. Kalinin typed on his laptop.

 

“His liberty form shows he stated a destination of New York City,” Kalinin relayed.

 

“Very well,” said the Admiral. “I'll give you detailed instructions tomorrow morning,” he said. “For now, I have some reading to do,” he said in parting, following his assistant out of Kalinin's office. Once the man was gone, Kalinin sat back in his chair, brooding.

 

After a moment, he sat forward, and began to type. Quickly forming his message, he sent it off, then picked up his phone. Dialing a number from memory, he spoke with the other party for few seconds, then cradled the handset, standing and moving toward Tessa's office.

 

-

 

Kaname silently got into the dark sedan. It had been two days since she got to punish Leonard on the tennis court, and that morning, she had awakened to find that she had been given a pair of designer blue jeans, a heavy cotton tee shirt and wool sweater along with a pair of sturdy boots and fresh underwear. She had barely finished dressing when Leonard had let himself into her room without knocking.

 

“Ah, ravishing, as always, my dear,” he had said. Kaname had sniffed disdainfully. “Well, let's be off, then,” he had said, taking her arm.

 

“Off where?” she asked. Who knows? He might slip up and tell me, she mentally shrugged.

 

“Why off to meet with some people, of course,” he smiled. In short order, she was being ushered into the dark sedan, the car departing immediately. Passing beyond the gate, Kaname looked for signs about where she might be, but there were no road signs and nothing that clearly gave her a clue. Maybe when we get to where ever we are going, she hoped.

 

Where they were going turned out to be a private airstrip on the opposite side of the mountain from the mansion. Idling there was a private jet, done out in mirror-polished aluminum, teal and black paint accents. Other than a mobile control tower, the strip was little more than a concrete strip carefully cut into the hillside.

 

The car glided to a stop practically at the foot of the boarding ramp. The door opened and Leonard climbed out, extending his hand to Kaname, who grudging took it; the seats were deep and too soft to stand easily on her own. Looking around as best as she could, she saw five trucks with obvious machineguns and one with what looked like a missile system around the perimeter of the strip, manned by men in black tactical gear. Leonard had not released her hand as he led her up the stairs. “Mind your head, Kaname dear,” he said, ducking into the cabin. Kaname ducked as well, seeing a woman in a business skirt and blouse bowing to Leonard and her as they passed.

 

Looking around the cabin, she saw that it had four captain's chairs in the main area, with a bulkhead beyond that with a door in the middle. Leonard handed her into a chair, and started to reach for the belts. Kaname slapped his hands away. “I don't need your help,” she hissed at him, fastening the belt herself. Leonard took the seat across from her, and two of his AS units sat on the floor by the hatch and passage to the cockpit, grabbing two sets of handles that were bolted to the floor.

 

The woman in the business outfit - Kaname noticed that the skirt was nearly mini-skirt length and the blouse was close-fitted and only had three small buttons on it, the final one directly between the woman's not-inconsiderable breasts - checked Leonard's belts, then Kaname's before taking a seat herself and strapping in. Touching a button she murmured a short sentence that Kaname didn't quite catch, and the plane lurched forward, the stairs and door closing and sealing automatically. Looking out the window as the plane accelerated and rose into the sky, Kaname had one thought: Sousuke, where are you?