Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Family Ties ❯ Chapter 26 ( Chapter 26 )

Disclaimer: I don't own the G Boys, I just borrow them from time to time and return them a whole lot happier. I do own the plot line and any other characters that appear here that are not in the Gundam Wing Universe; please do not take them without permission. Written for pleasure not profit.

 

Warnings: Angst, sap, fluff, violence, Mpreg.

 

Rating: NC 17

 

Pairings: 1x2x1, 3x4x3, 5xS, HxOC

 

Summary: Sequel to Chimaera. Life in the Maxwell -Yuy household has undergone some big changes when Duo brings Keitaro home from the hospital. Hilde's wedding is approaching and the guys find there's more to this baby business than they thought. Struggling to raise a child, work at Preventer and keep the home happy is certainly a trial for both guys. Add an assassin's threats to prominent government officials' lives and both men find their lives are suddenly changed. Just how far will one go to protect the ones he loves?

 

Dedication: to all my lovely readers out there who enjoyed Chimaera and have since begged, threatened, pleaded, bribed and blackmailed me for a sequel. ^_^

 

 

 

"Family Ties"

 

January. 2007 ShenLong

 

Chapter 26

 

It was like picking his way through a minefield. The security now surrounding the ESUN database would have to be one of the most difficult systems he'd ever had to hack; and he'd hacked quite a few. Granted, during the wars it had also been difficult to get into the files of OZ, the Alliance and Romefeller, but he'd done it.

 

Since the wars, he'd not needed is hacking skills quite so much and it wasn't that he was rusty, no, rather technology had progressed in leaps and bounds and the systems in place now were far superior to anything that had been available in the war.

 

It still didn't stop him though, just meant he had to be extra careful.

 

Chang appeared in the doorway, Heero grunted.

 

“How's it coming along?” Wufei asked as he crossed the room.

 

“Slowly,” Heero replied.

 

“I figured it would take a while.”

 

“I'll say one thing, this security is a definite improvement to what used to be available.”

 

“I've had an idea,” Wufei said as he picked at his fingernails.

 

“And that would be?”

 

“We could try Relena and see if she can give us any of the codes to get in.”

 

“I already thought about that. No go.”

 

“Why not?”

 

Heero sighed and looked up for a moment. “Relena's codes will only allow me access to a certain point. From there I would still have to hack and it could be traced back to Relena, and I don't think she needs to be involved in this, if you get my meaning.”

 

“Good point.”

 

Silence filled the room again for a few minutes, then Heero began to type again.

 

“I'm through the first four levels and working on the fifth now. If my calculations are correct, I should only have another couple of levels to hack through and I'll be into the records. Then I can trace back to the date the guy was killed, pick up his trail and see where he was going.”

 

“That could take a while.”

 

“I know.”

 

“Yuy, it's knock off time in an hour. Can you somehow save what you've done so far and continue on tomorrow?”

 

Heero looked up, the frustration evident in his blue eyes. “I'd rather keep going.”

 

“I know, believe me when I say I'd rather you did too, but Une won't allow it, you know that.”

 

“Hai, I know,” Heero said and then a glimmer came into his eye. “I'll save where I'm up to onto a disc and then take that home with me. I can continue to hack this from home and Duo can help me. With the two of us on it, we should get through a little quicker.”

 

“Okay. I trust you not to get caught, Maxwell either.” Wufei straightened up. “I'm going to see Une, there's still the matter of the original police report on this case and the lack of information in it. There's something fishy there and I want to find out what it is.”

 

“I agree with you, Chang. It doesn't add up and I have a feeling there is more to it, and a possible link with this case of infiltration. Good luck with it.”

 

“Thanks. I'll let you know what Une wants to do, or if and when we find anything.” Chang turned and exited the room.

 

Heero glanced at the clock and grabbed a disc to download all he'd done thus far.

 

* * *

 

Stepping outside the diner, Duric motioned for Duo to walk towards a nondescript, blue sedan. “Get in,” he ordered.

 

Duo climbed in and waited.

 

Pulling the small device from his pocket, Duric pressed a couple of buttons and waited for the static to clear.

 

“Duric?”

 

“I have the bird in the hand.”

 

“Good. Any problems?”

 

“None so far.”

 

“Bring him in, the cage is ready.”

 

“Right. He's packing, don't know what though.”

 

“No problem. He will be frisked once you get here. Contact me again when you're five minutes out.”

 

“Roger. Duric out.”

 

“Nolen, out.”

 

Duric pocketed the small device and made his way to the driver's seat. Sliding behind the wheel, he glanced across at his passenger. “I repeat, do not try anything. I have to report in again just before we get to our destination. If I don't, the nanny and the kid won't see the sunrise. Am I clear?”

 

“Crystal,” Duo growled.

 

“Good. It's so much easier when you cooperate.” Duric started the car and drove off.

 

Duo's mind was cataloging all the different ways in which he could slowly torture the man to death. Maybe start with removing his fingernails, one by one, then his toenails. From there he could progress to breaking a few bones, there was always castration, maybe remove a few appendages as well...

 

Duric drove on, completely oblivious to the deepening purple of Duo's eyes as Shinigami lurked a little closer to the surface.

 

* * *

 

Wufei knocked on the commander's door and waited to be admitted. Permission was granted and Wufei entered. Une looked up from a sheaf of papers she was currently perusing.

 

“Chang? Any further developments?”

 

“Not as yet. Yuy is hacking into the database as we speak.”

 

Une nodded.

 

“Commander?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“About the original police report.”

 

Eyes narrowing, Une pushed the papers aside to give Chang her full attention. “What about it?”

 

“I've gone back over both reports and if I may speak freely...”

 

“You may.”

 

“The reports are sloppy. Not what I would expect from the police at all. There's missing information in them, not enough detail or investigating in certain areas. It's all very suspicious.”

 

“Are you saying the police have doctored the report, Agent Fire?”

 

“No, not at all. I'm saying that it appears that vital information was omitted, whether intentional or not.” Wufei raised an eyebrow.

 

The commander could see where the agent appeared to be going with this. “I take it you have a question for me?”

 

“I'd like permission to investigate the police report, specifically the officers who were involved with the case and the compiling of the report.”

 

Une closed her eyes, deep in thought and then opened them. “You know the police department isn't going to appreciate this?”

 

“I know.”

 

“I take it you have an idea on how to interrogate without the police being aware they are under investigation?”

 

“You could say that,” Wufei replied with a smirk.

 

“Okay. I give you permission to investigate the report and the officers involved in the case.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“I don't need to remind you that discretion is paramount.”

 

“They won't even know I'm investigating them.”

 

“Good. I expect a progress report tomorrow afternoon.”

 

“Roger, commander.” Wufei stood up. “I'll leave you now.”

 

“Good night, Wufei.”

 

“Good night, commander.”

 

* * *

 

Having left the commander's office, Chang stopped by his own to retrieve the police report and tuck it in his briefcase. He planned on taking another look at it that evening and planning out his method of questioning the police without alerting them to the real reason for his investigation.

 

With all he needed in the briefcase, Chang grabbed his jacket and called by Yuy's on his way to the elevator.

 

“Chang?” Yuy looked up as he waited for the last of the information to finish downloading to the disc.

 

“I have permission to investigate the police officers in charge of the investigation.”

 

“Good. I'm almost done.” The disc popped out indicating it was finished with the download and Yuy quickly pocketed it. Erasing all trace of his ever being inside the database, he shut down the computer. Picking up his jacket and bag, he walked with Chang back out into the hallway and towards the elevators.

 

“I hope Maxwell had some luck,” Chang stated as they waited for the elevator to arrive.

 

“I'm sure I will find out once I get home,” Heero replied.

 

“Call me with any developments.” Wufei stepped into the elevator.

 

“I'll be sure to keep you informed of whatever we find.”

 

The elevator doors swished shut and the car began its descent to the ground floor. Stepping out, the agents went through the usual security checks and then stepped out onto the sidewalk. Heero began to look around for a cab.

 

“Yuy? What are you doing?”

 

“Trying to hail a cab,” Heero replied in a tight voice. Surely it was obvious since he was waving frantically at anything yellow with the word 'taxi' emblazoned on it that happened to be in the vicinity.

 

“Why do you need a cab?”

 

“Duo took the car.” Heero began to wave again. “Fucking hell, what do you have to do to get a damn cab around here?”

 

“Yuy, it's rush hour. Every man and his dog are looking for a cab right now. I hate to say it but to quote Maxwell, 'You don't stand a snowball's chance in hell of getting one.' They will all be running flat out for at least another couple of hours.”

 

“Thanks for the confidence boost,” Heero snapped.

 

Chang snickered. “Come on, I'll give you a lift.”

 

“You sure?”

 

“Of course.”

 

A slightly relieved Heero walked beside his Chinese friend and into the Preventer parking lot.

 

* * *

 

“It always looks much easier in the movies,” Nurse Brown muttered to herself as she poked and prodded around the window sill. She was still trying to find a way out of this mess. So far, her investigation of the basement hadn't turned up much at all. There was a small sink with rusty taps and equally rusty water, the bed which Keitaro lay sleeping upon, a chair and rickety table.

 

They had given her a sort of 'chamber pot' to use when necessary. Nurse Brown had taken one look at the thing and resisted the urge to break it over her captor's head. Aside from the fact that it was degrading for a woman of her years to have to use such a thing, it was filthy. She had point blank refused.

 

An argument had ensued between the nurse and her captor and it soon became clear that her captor wasn't used to dealing with a woman of her nature.

 

Needless to say, Nurse Brown won the argument.

 

Her captor agreed, grudgingly, to allow her the use of the 'proper' facilities. When Nurse Brown had needed to use the facilities and saw the state they were in, she almost asked for the chamber pot back!

 

Her investigation of the room had only yielded the one door and a window. The door led back out to the main building so that was a no go, especially as it was kept locked; that left the window. She'd checked the sleeping babe before turning her attentions back to the small window. Even if she could manage to get it open there wasn't any guarantee it wasn't barred as well. If she were lucky enough not to have bars on it, there wasn't any way she would be able to slip through it.

 

“Maybe now would be a good time to start that diet I've been thinking about for a while,” she muttered to herself. She had a pretty good feeling the window was not only barred, but boarded up as well as there wasn't much in the way of light coming through.

 

Her fingers wandered over the masonry, feeling for any area that may be starting to crumble. She found a couple of spots that she was sure she would be able to scrape away at and eventually manage to get through enough to dislodge a few bricks and thereby force the wood around the window to give. The wood was starting to rot too, which was a bonus, only she didn't have the strength to break through it the way it was. The mortar was still holding reasonably firm and thus keeping the frame in place.

 

What she wouldn't give for her purse right now. Not that she carried any sort of tools around in it, but she did have a nail file or two in there.

 

The sound of the key scraping in the lock alerted her to the arrival of someone and she quickly moved away from the window and back to her seat.

 

* * *

 

Duric made several twists and turns with his driving, opting to double back, change course and thoroughly confuse his passenger - or so he hoped. Duo wasn't silly, he knew what the man was up to and ignored the attempts to confuse him. He kept one eye on the sun and discovered that despite the turns, they were slowly heading north.

 

After about half an hour, Duric pulled over to the side of the road and retrieved his communicator. Keeping one eye on Duo, he punched in the code and waited.

 

“Duric?”

 

“Yes. We're five minutes out from the change over.”

 

“Roger that.”

 

“Duric, out.”

 

“Nolen, out.”

 

Duric put the communicator back in his pocket and slipped the car into gear again.

 

Duo ran the name through his head, trying to match it with anything from his past and came up blank. He didn't know the man from Adam, so what the hell it was he wanted with him, Duo could only try to guess. But then again, there were many people out there that had a grudge against a former Gundam pilot and wouldn't hesitate to act on that grudge - providing they knew the pilot's identity, that was.

 

After the war, their identities had been a closely guarded secret with only a few people actually knowing who they were, but that didn't mean others didn't know. After all, they had all been seen at some stage during the war and despite the number of years that had passed, all five still retained their looks. Yes, they had matured and grown, but the basic features were still the same.

 

Duo's mind wanderings were brought to a halt as Duric turned and drove the car through a set of heavy, double doors and into what appeared to be a warehouse. Bringing the car to a halt, Duric turned the engine off and motioned for Duo to get out.

 

“Now what?” Duo snapped as he looked around.

 

“Time to change transport. This way.”

 

Duo felt the cold push of steel against the small of his back and he gave a low snarl as he started to walk. They passed through to another section of the warehouse, a black sedan waiting for them. Once inside, Duric again drove off and this time Duo was finding it harder to keep his bearings as the sun was starting to set and he couldn't get a good look at the stars through the window tinting in the vehicle.

 

After driving for another hour, Duric turned off the sealed road and onto a track. The car bumped its way along, trees thickening as they went deeper into the forest. Just when Duo was beginning to wonder if the shock absorbers were going to drop out of the car, the track opened up into a clearing, a stone structure lay ahead with pale light only just breaking through the drawn curtains.

 

Contacting his boss again, Duric parked the car a little way off and then with one hand on Duo's arm, he steered the man towards the house. As soon as they entered the building, Duo found himself pushed against the wall.

 

“Hands up where I can see them and spread for a frisk search!”

 

Resisting the urge to growl and just punch the guy in the face, Duo did as he was told, assuming the 'position'.

 

Nolen ran his hands over the slender form, locating and removing the gun and many knives, laying them to one side. Once he was satisfied he'd removed all the weapons, he spun Duo around. “I thought I told you to come unarmed,” he hissed.

 

Duo shrugged and kept his face neutral. His eyes began to take in the man before him, memorizing the face.

 

“I should give you a little demonstration of just how serious I am, Mr Maxwell. Believe me when I say I do not like to harm women and children, but you were told that no harm would come to the infant or the nanny so long as you cooperated.” Nolen gave an evil smirk. “And you don't seem to want to cooperate.” Nolen turned around and began to walk away, then spun back around. “What is it you need to see before you're convinced I mean what I say? Should I have the child brought up here and tortured before you? Or maybe have the nanny's arms broken?”

 

Duo visibly paled.

 

“Tell me, Duo,” Nolen began as he stalked over. “Besides the weapons, did you leave a note? Did you tell anyone where you were going?”

 

“No,” Duo snarled. “All I did was what any person would do in the same situation, try to protect myself.” // And the ones I love, // he added silently.

 

“I'm not convinced.”

 

“You harm either the child or the nanny and I swear I will take you apart, piece by piece.”

 

“Tisk, tisk, Duo. I don't think you're in any position to make threats.” Nolen turned around. “Take him to the basement and show him just how serious we are.”

 

A shove from behind had Duo stumbling forward.

 

“This way, Mr Maxwell,” Duric sneered.

 

~ * ~

 

tbc...