Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Devil's Due ❯ - 56 - ( Chapter 56 )

— 56 —

March 23, A.C. 205. Zenica, Tanzania. 8 pm

“Hey, baby,” Jordan muttered.

“You’re in a good mood,” Xane returned warily. He and Mario had gotten supper and were getting ready to head down to a bar they’d seen a block over.

“Mm, and you’re just the man I wanted to talk to,” Jor noted happily.

“Okay, man, you’re scaring me,” Xane noted, leaning against the wall beside the door to the room he and Mario were sharing. Mario was out in the main living area. “Last time we talked I swore my innards were bleeding.”

“Oh, but you’re just where I want you to be, and, my sweet dear boy, you also know exactly where all the problems started from.”

“Do I?” Xane asked, thinking to the house he’d walked past.

“Oh my, yes,” Jordan agreed. “After I bitched you out last night I spent a couple hours playing hacker and tracer…crashed. When I woke up this morning everything just suddenly started making sense.”

“Okay?” Xane asked blankly.

Jordan laughed darkly. “See, darling, there’s this mean nasty colonel man who stole a whole bunch of these really big metal weapons from the earthsphere government…never a good move…and while it took a while to be noticed, after he’d been gone a few years, it became a high priority case.”

“That sent various soldiers to Spain, Germany, China, and Russia?” Xane asked, pretending curios. He knew his superior would get to the real point before the sun rose again, so making the man happy might quicken the process.

“Mm-hmm,” Jordan agreed in a dark and almost seductive tone. “And that brings us back to you.”

“Okay?” Xane asked, pressing his body away from the wall.

“I’m coming to you.”

Xane grinned slightly.

“You’re probably going to hate me for it, but you all need to stay at that building until we get there.”

“Uh…Jor?” Xane asked curiously. “I don’t see us being in any danger.”

“The last time shit started to really go down, you were grabbed and beaten,” all play was gone from the man’s voice. “I’m not dealing with that again. You’re ass is to stay, Xane Featihl. We aren’t connecting you to any damn thing with our movements…you gave me the address and it matches nicely with what I found. That’s an order. Confirm.”

Xane was focused on the far wall in disbelief.

“Confirm!” Jordan insisted.

“No!” Xane shot back, shoving away from the wall in irritation as the people in the main living area turned to give him confused looks. “No! Not now! Not after everything…”

“No,” Jordan cut him off, his tone going dark again. “You don’t have a choice. I’m not losing you over this stupid shit.”

“I’m not pussying out now, after everything we’ve done!”

“What’s up?” Mario demanded, moving closer.

“Call him,” Jordan snapped away from the phone. “You listen to me, Mouthy,” he added. “We aren’t going to have this conversation.”

Mario’s cell phone started ringing, and he blinked at it before looking back to Xane and opening it.

“We aren’t going to argue about this. I’m giving Judas the same damn order…”

“You can’t!” Xane shouted back, pacing away from the opening. “You can’t just ditch on us like this! We just spent…a year looking for this guy, and you just want us to stand back and watch? You want to bench us with five minutes on the clock? You can’t!”

“We don’t know that he’s still in charge of the damn weaponry,” Jordan half-snarled at him. “We don’t know if it’s five minutes or half-time…you are to stay in that damn building.”

Mario’s eyes were large as he moved to stand in the door to the room and look at the spy.

“You’re not doing this to me,” Xane protested. “You’re not seriously…you can’t….”

“I’ll tell you this once, Xane,” Jordan said darkly. “What we’re here to get is information, and that doesn’t include blazing-fucking-glory…that’s Chance’s department. Me’n you are just pawns and spies, we’re just on the board to mark the path. We did what we meant to do and we’re done. I’m not losing you because you want an adrenaline rush…that’s not in the script and I’m not adding it in the margin. You can be as pissed at me as you want, but Yuy gave the order that you are not to leave that building unless it’s the back-yard until further notice.”

Xane turned to focus on Mario again, who was staring at him with an upset sort of resignation.

“In a half hour, my resources will come to you, and you are not to interrupt them at all…confirm.”

“No,” Xane snapped back, pacing away from Mario backwards. “You can’t…”

“Xane,” Jordan said levelly, “Mario’s been trained by Wufei for something like seven years. If you honestly think it’s beyond him to handcuff you…”

“Jordan…” Xane started.

“We’re done,” Jordan cut him off. “Confirm my damn order.”

Mario moved into the room with his arms crossed uncomfortably.

Xane frowned and turned his back to the guy. “Jordan…”

“Featihl,” Jordan’s voice was made of steel.

Xane gritted his teeth as he looked to the ceiling, then started to shake his head. “Confirmed.”

…Jordan hung up on him.

- -

March 23, A.C. 205. Negamono, Mozambique. 8:10 pm

“Yo,” Judas muttered.

“Hey, chameleon,” Jordan greeted him.

“Jor?” Judas asked blankly. “What’s up?”

“We’ve found our man,” Jordan explained…though he did sound aggravated.

Judas’ heart skipped a beat. “What?”

“I’ve found him…in Zenica. Your orders are to stay inside the mission building until I come for you.”

“Uh…” Judas muttered. “How is that fair?”

“Fair and safe can be two different things sometimes,” Jordan returned. “Do I have to bicker with you? I just had to bicker with Xane. You don’t want me pissed at you do you?”

Judas hesitated, not sure what he wanted to say to that.

“That’s what I thought,” Jordan noted. “I’m going to Tanzania. After the issue is resolved I’ll pick up Mouthy and Allul, and then I’ll come across the river and grab you and Mor. You are not to leave that building.”

“I’m gonna go out on a limb and suggest that you can’t do this to us,” Judas noted.

“Oh, but I can,” Jordan agreed.

Morgan moved to the door to his and Judas’ room with a frown and his cell to his ear.

“See, I seem to have back-up. Mor is Wufei’s second…his second.”

Judas eyed the man warily, actually realizing the truth in that…even if Morgan didn’t look happy about it, he didn’t look about to argue.

“So, you stay put, do what help you must…and I’ll come collect you as soon as I can.”

“I spent six months living alone with those damn wolves,” Judas argued instantly. “You’re going to make me sit here while you go out and get our guy? After living as something I’m not for six months I don’t even get the gratification of watching you take him?”

“You’re getting a rank upgrade,” Jordan snapped.

“Rank?” Judas demanded in sickened disbelief. “Jordan…”

“Stay in the building,” Jordan growled at him. “That’s my order. Confirm.”

“Jor…” Judas started.

“Confirm!”

“Yes, sir,” Judas capitulated instantly, startled at the man’s tone.

He’d never known Jordan to actually…yell…like that.

Morgan looked slightly impressed.

“I’m heading for the god damn airport right now and my resources will show up at your building within the hour. You are not to leave, you already agreed you wouldn’t. You are not to let anyone in your group leave, either. I don’t care if you tell them what’s really going on, as long as they stay inside that damn building.”

“Yes, sir,” Judas agreed darkly, looking away from Morgan again.

“You played a good game,” Jordan reassured him. “You did more than I should have expected of you. Don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad,” Judas snapped irritably, pulling the phone away from his ear. “I’m disappointed.” He snapped the thing shut.

“Hm?” Morgan asked. “Yeah, he did.” The guy listened a second, then grinned. “Later, then…see you tomorrow.” He also closed his phone, then tucked his hands into his pockets to study Judas with interest.

Judas considered him a moment, but had a feeling Xane didn’t intend to follow the order anymore than he himself did. He didn’t care if it pissed Jordan off to high hell. After all the work they’d done to get where they were, he wasn’t about to miss the glory-moment. His aim had been to take down a bad guy, and he wasn’t ending it without doing just that.

He opened his phone and dialed up Xane’s phone–he didn’t keep any of his comrade’s numbers on it in case he got caught.

“I am so pissed!” Xane half-shouted instantly. “Can you believe this shit?”

“I know,” Judas agreed, glad that the irritation was really shared. “I can’t believe how unfair this is…it’s like…”

“I know!” Xane agreed. “And I haven’t even gotten to look into that damn house.”

“You aren’t leaving, and you need to hang up,” Morgan noted, moving at Judas quickly.

“What?” Judas asked blankly.

“You need to hang up now,” Morgan replied, starting to reach for the phone.

Judas shied back, his mind switching gears instantly. “Morgan’s trying to take my phone,” he noted in German.

“Shit,” Xane muttered. “What are we going to do?”

“If we can grab him before he knows they’re onto him, he won’t be able to call out his dogs, right?” Judas returned, still in the language Morgan didn’t know.

“Can you get away?” Xane asked. “We can meet at the bridge.”

“I’ll try,” Judas muttered.

“Stop,” Morgan muttered, moving into Judas’ personal space. “Just give me the phone.”

“I’ve got to deal with Mario,” Xane noted.

Morgan snatched the phone away and closed it.

“Hey!” Judas snapped, reaching for the thing…but Morgan avoided him easily. He frowned at the guy and moved to snatch it quickly…but Morgan moved. It was a sudden and abrupt shift of weight that suggested a tripping move. Judas stumbled back a step, agitated that he hadn’t avoided it, then moved to deck the guy…

Which was when the couple warnings about Morgan being Wufei’s second started to make a bit more sense. Judas hissed as the man caught his wrist with both hands, then cried out as he was thrown against the far wall.

“Don’t make me hurt you,” Morgan growled, following after to stand in front of the guy. “I have my orders, just like you.”

Judas cradled his forearm, though all but the memory of the pain had subsided. He considered the man a moment, glaring, then moved to shove past him…only to get slammed against the wall again.

“Hey…” Stacy protested, moving nearer the door.

“Don’t,” Judas snapped, shoving Morgan back a step as he grabbed his phone from the other. He tucked it away instantly, starting to shove around again…

“I’m serious Ifhera,” Morgan snapped, grabbing his arm. “No funny shit.”

“What are you talking about?” Judas demanded, trying to shove away, only to get pinned against the door. “Damn it…”

“What were you two saying?” Morgan demanded, pinning him there.

“Jordan’s an asshole,” Judas retorted.

“What are you doing…” Stacy was concerned, but didn’t know how to break between them.

Morgan grabbed his arm near the elbow and put pressure on the spot...which sent pain exploding along Judas’ arm. He cried out, trying to move away, but that only agitated the pain worse…

“Morgan!” Stacy moved forward to grab Morgan’s hand, but the man was ignoring her completely.

“Stop!” Judas snarled, trying to break away…it felt like his damn arm was about to fall off.

“I’ll have your word, Ifhera,” Morgan said in a level voice. “No funny shit.”

“Okay!” Judas snarled. “Okay!”

Morgan let off the pressure, and Judas cradled his arm as the ache remained strong.

“What’s going on?” Stacy demanded. “Why are you two fighting?”

“Judas is here on a mission,” Morgan noted, looking to her. “His superior sent him here to gather some information, and now they’re moving. Everyone in this group is to remain in this building, and in about a half hour the local I.E.C. branch of soldiers will be here to provide us all with protection.”

She was staring at him in disbelief.

“Let’s tell the others,” Morgan suggested, giving Judas a very dark look.

Judas looked away, following after as he tried to think of the fastest route to the bridge.

It was going to be harder than he’d imagined to get away from Morgan…and it was really his own fault he’d underestimated the guy. He’d just thought Morgan was a kinda heavier built man, not that the extra flesh was muscle…and he definitely had not thought the man could move that fast.

Also, he had to get out before the resources showed up. That many men could keep him from leaving, especially since Jordan probably wasn’t stupid enough to assume they’d be good boys.

Was Riley getting the same order?

He shook his head in disgust, moving to sit on a couch as Morgan eyed him. “Hey, everyone?” the man called around the living area. “Come out here, please…”