Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Family Ties ❯ Chapter 45 ( Chapter 45 )

"Family Ties"

 

January. 2007 ShenLong

 

Chapter 45

 

“Here's your coffee.” Agent Forrest put the steaming mug down on the desk by his partner's elbow and pulled his own seat across. He noted the distracted air and frowned. “What's up?” he asked as he sipped at his own, hot beverage.

 

“Dunno,” came the absent reply.

 

“I think you need to expand your vocabulary,” Forrest replied.

 

“Sorry.” Agent Oak removed the headset and ran a hand over his face. Picking up the mug of coffee, he took a few sips before speaking. “I was getting this really weird transmission coming through.”

 

“Oh? Weird? How?”

 

“It was certainly on the Preventer wavelength, but it was faint and I've never heard anything like it before,” Oak said as he thought more on the transmission.

 

“Let me have a listen.”

 

“Can't, it's not there anymore.”

 

“Eh?”

 

“I only just managed to pick it up and it didn't last for very long.”

 

“What did it sound like?”

 

“Like a tapping, a sort of coded tapping if you get what I mean.” Agent Oak tried to demonstrate by using his fingers and drumming them on the desk top.

 

“You're right, it is weird,” Forrest said. “What about the manuals?”

 

“Good idea.” Oak got up and fetched the Preventer communication code manuals and passed one over to Forrest. With coffees in one hand, the pair began to search through the manuals to see if they could find the code anywhere in them.

 

* * *

 

Une found the office of Evans and knocked on the door before entering.

 

“Can I help you?”

 

Une sized up the secretary sitting behind the desk. “I wish to speak with Senator Evans.”

 

“I'm afraid that won't be possible.”

 

“Don't tell me; the senator is on holidays?” Une questioned with a touch of sarcasm. This was starting to become tedious.

 

“How did you know that?” the secretary asked, the sarcasm going right over her head and Une had to look twice to make sure she wasn't blonde.

 

“It seems to be the norm right now for all persons of interest to Preventer,” Une muttered and then sighed as she informed the secretary that her agents would be removing all electronic items from the senator's office in relation to a current case. The usual protest was forthcoming, but Une cut it off and sent the returning agent into the office to collect all the senator's files and computer.

 

With everything now placed securely in a Preventer vehicle, Une gave her agents their instructions and then left to return to headquarters to meet with Yuy and Chang.

 

* * *

 

After having taken their showers and changed into clean clothes, Duo, Margaret and Keitaro were once again left in peace in the basement. Duo decided to do a little more digging at the mortar around the window and leave the radio for a little while; he wasn't sure how much power was left in the batteries and he thought he'd have another go at transmitting a little later, hopefully when there would be someone monitoring the wavelengths at Preventer HQ.

 

Nurse Brown tried to keep Keitaro amused, but it was getting more and more difficult as the youngster wanted to explore more and was getting bored with the small area he was confined to. He let his displeasure be known by crying in frustration from time to time when the nanny thwarted his attempts to bypass her.

 

When Murphy brought their lunch, Duo dared to ask if they could possibly have some toys for the child, something with which to keep him occupied. Murphy had scowled and not bothered to reply, simply dumping their lunch tray and leaving them alone again.

 

“I wonder what crawled up his ass and died,” Duo growled as the door shut behind their captor.

 

“Language, Duo,” the nurse chastised gently.

 

“Sorry.”

 

“Obviously they aren't having much success with whatever it is they're trying to accomplish,” the nurse continued as she propped Keitaro up on the bed with the use of their dirty clothing. “Can you sit with him for a moment?”

 

“Sure,” Duo replied and sat on the mattress next to his son, gently running his fingers through the fine hair on the baby's head that was starting to grow and thicken.

 

Lifting the lids off the plates on the tray, Margaret noted that lunch consisted of a thermos of soup, several slices of bread and a large salad. Obviously their kidnappers were not taking chances with Duo's stomach.

 

Carefully, she poured the soup out into two bowls, a small one for Keitaro and the other for herself. She left Duo's in the thermos for now as he would be feeding the child and she didn't want it to go cold.

 

Duo took the bowl and spoon, testing the soup first to make sure it wasn't too hot and then began to feed his son. Keitaro smiled as his food was brought towards him and opened his mouth wide - he was hungry.

 

Sitting at the table with her own bowl, Margaret decided to try and do a little fishing for information, carefully forming her words as she 'quizzed' Duo. “How is your stomach feeling now, Duo?”

 

Duo looked up, a surprised look on his face at the question. “It feels fine, why?”

 

“No nausea?”

 

“No. In fact, I'm feeling rather peckish. That toast was okay for breakfast, but I'm pretty much starving now.”

 

“Duo?”

 

“Yes?” Duo was wondering what the nurse was up to.

 

“If you don't mind me asking, when did you last menstruate?”

 

Duo turned a fetching shade of red and turned his blushing cheeks away from the nurse.

 

“I'm sorry, I know it's a personal question, but...”

 

“It's okay,” Duo frowned and searched his memory. “Hard to say,” he replied at last. “I was keeping a note in my diary; Sally asked me to so we could try to work out my cycle.” He paused for a moment and then turned with a shocked look on his face. “You don't think I could start to bleed whilst we're being held here, do you?”

 

“It's a possibility,” Margaret agreed, although that wasn't quite what she was fishing for.

 

“Geeze. Now that would really suck. How the fuc- hell would I explain that one?”

 

“Let's just hope it doesn't happen, but if you could try to remember roughly the dates of your last two - errr... bouts of bleeding, then it could give us a bit of a heads up,” said the nurse. //And give me a bit more of a clue as to what is really going on with you,// she added silently.

 

“Let me see.” Duo continued to feed his son as his mind tracked back, trying to remember when he'd last bled.

 

* * *

 

“Commander Une, the agents are all waiting for you in your office,” the secretary said as Une entered the smaller, outer office from her own.

 

“Thank you. I'll just be a moment.” Une turned back to the two agents that had accompanied her. “Get all the equipment we seized from the senators' offices and take it through to the data section. Do not, I repeat, do not allow anyone to touch any of it. I will have an agent assigned to perform the data search and recovery on it all shortly. Am I clear?”

 

“Crystal, commander.”

 

“Then why are you still standing here?”

 

The agents hastily saluted and disappeared to carry out their assigned task.

 

Turning to her secretary, Une spoke again. “Hold all my calls. I am not to be disturbed under any circumstance; unless it's an emergency.”

 

“Yes, commander.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Une entered her office. Four heads swiveled in her direction and she gave them all a curt nod before striding around her desk and taking a seat. She allowed her eyes to travel from one to the other, noting the haggard look of Yuy, the tired eyes of Chang and the worried expression on both Barton and Winner.

 

“Gentlemen, what have you got for me?”

 

* * *

 

“Yes, Zaheer?” Wainright asked as his loyal servant-come-bodyguard knocked and entered the room.

 

“Excuse me, sir, but there is a gentleman by the name of Sampson here to see you.”

 

“Fine. Send him in.”

 

“As you wish.” Zaheer turned and left, returning a moment later with an older man. Leaving the three alone, Zaheer closed the doors behind him.

 

“Sampson, good to see you again,” Wainright greeted as he stood, walked over to the other man and held out his hand.

 

Sampson shook the offered hand and then inclined his head towards Evans. “Who is that?”

 

“Ah, this is Evans. He's been helping me with the funding,” Wainright replied. “Evans, this is Sampson.”

 

Evans stood, placed his wine glass on the side table and shook hands with the man. “Pleased to meet you,” he said softly.

 

Sampson simply nodded and releasing the hand, turned his attention back to Wainright. “Zaheer passed on the information he found and traced on that laptop.”

 

“I see.” Wainright's eyes glinted.

 

“The boss found it quite interesting,” Sampson continued and helped himself to a glass of the wine. “As he said when we last made contact, there will be a slight detour on our drive.”

 

Wainright nodded but didn't press for further information, he knew Sampson would only tell him what he needed to know when he was good and ready.

 

“Are you all ready?” Sampson asked.

 

“Yes. Minimum luggage as requested and all set to leave whenever it's convenient,” Wainright replied.

 

“No loose ends?”

 

“No. Everything is taken care of.”

 

“Good.” Sampson turned back to his wine. “This isn't a bad drop,” he announced and refilled his glass.

 

Evans fidgeted, he wasn't feeling too safe right now and wouldn't until they were far away from here.

 

“Relax,” Wainright muttered. “All will be fine.”

 

Evans might not have liked it, but he had to accept that.

 

* * *

 

“I can't find anything at all in here to relate in any way to that signal,” Forrest said as he closed the manual and sighed.

 

“Me either,” Oak replied, also shutting his manual and tossing it to the desk. He slipped the head set back on and fiddled with the dials. “Well, it's not there now so it was probably some freaky thing going on with the lines.”

 

Forrest looked at the clock. “It's knockoff time in ten.”

 

“Yeah. I'll make a note of this in the log just in case,” Oak stated and pulled the transmission log across the desk so he could enter the data. Whilst he was occupied with the log, the relieving agents entered the communications room.

 

After a brief exchange and run down on the current communications occurring, Forrest and Oak took their leave, Agents Sky and Sun taking over the shift.

 

* * *

 

Nurse Brown managed to determine that it had been about three months since Duo had last experienced any form of bleeding. Given his irregular cycle, normally that wouldn't be out of the ordinary, but Margaret felt her suspicions grow. Other than coming right out and asking Duo when he'd last had sex and if he'd been the uke, she really didn't have any other way of learning if her suspicions were founded. And she wasn't about to step over that line! No, she'd either have to find some other way of finding out or simply continue to observe and keep her suspicions to herself for now.

 

Duo had gone back to fiddling with the radio, his lunch eaten and staying down, much to his relief. He really didn't need to be getting sick right now, or have the nurse on his case. Switching the unit on he began his coded message tapping again, knowing it was probably futile, but not willing to sit and do nothing.

 

“Someone's coming,” Margaret stated, watching as Duo quickly turned the radio off and slipped it under the mattress.

 

The basement door opened and Duric stood at the top of the steps. “You, come with me and don't try anything,” he said, waving the gun at Duo.

 

Duo's eyes turned to the nurse and his son. He had a pretty good idea of what he was going to be doing and whilst he didn't like it, he didn't have any choice in the matter either. Picking Keitaro up, he gave his son a cuddle and pressed several kisses to the child's face. “Be good for your nanny, Keitaro. I'll be back soon.” With a sad look in his eyes, Duo passed his son to the nanny.

 

“Be careful, Duo,” the nanny said softly, the concern evident in her eyes.

 

“I will. You stay safe too,” he returned in little more than a whisper.

 

Margaret nodded and smiled. “We'll be waiting for you.”

 

“Come on, I haven't got all day,” Duric growled.

 

“Yeah, yeah, don't get your knickers in a twist, I'm coming,” Duo snapped and with one last look at the pair, he turned and allowed Duric to escort him from the room.

 

They walked up a set of stairs and along a hallway that Duo was starting to become familiar with. Although he'd only been outside the basement five or so times, his quick mind was rapidly piecing together the layout of the building they were in. All too soon that arrived at the same room Duo had been in before.

 

“Sit,” Duric commanded and waved the gun in the direction of a chair beside a desk.

 

Duo sat and waited for the man to tell him exactly what was going on this time.

 

Duric sat opposite Duo on the other side of the desk, his gun trained firmly on the long haired man. “Just remember we still have the kid and the nanny. Any screw ups on your side and the only way they will be leaving here is in a body bag.”

 

Fists clenched tightly at his side, Duo fought to control his temper and the little voice that screamed at him to rip this asshole apart. As much as he would dearly love to rearrange the bastard's face, limbs and every other part of his anatomy, he couldn't, not whilst Nurse Brown and Keitaro were still being held. Once they were out and safe though - all bets were off.

 

And Duo had no doubts he would get them out of there - somehow.

 

“You studied the blueprints to the L3 ambassador's place?”

 

“Yes,” Duo snarled.

 

“Good.” Duric shifted and grabbed a few more pieces of paper, passing them over the desk to Duo. “I suggest you take a look at these, we have a slight change in plan.”

 

Frowning, Duo pulled the papers towards himself and noted the map, scenery and details of a vehicle.

 

Whilst Duo studied the paperwork, Duric gave a brief run down on the added 'extra'.

 

“Let me see if I heard you correctly. You want me to take out another person?” Duo asked, the distaste evident in his tone.

 

“That is what I said,” Duric snapped.

 

“No. All this killing is pointless, it won't do anything to sway the ESUN.”

 

“I don't give a flying fuck what you think, you will do as you're told. If you don't then the nanny and the kid will suffer and it will be on your head,” Duric reminded him, his voice cold.

 

Duo decided to change tactics and see if he could bargain. “Look, if I agree to take out this senator and the L3 ambassador, would you let the child and the nanny go free? I'll stay and do what you want, just let them go, they haven't done anything.”

 

“Out of the question,” Duric replied. “If we set them free then they will immediately talk to the cops; besides, having them here is insurance that you will comply with all our requests.”

 

“Requests?” snorted Duo. “More like fucking demands!”

 

Duric shrugged his shoulders. “I really don't give a shit what you think. We are leaving now and you have an explosive to set and a couple of assholes to take out. Get up and move.”

 

With no other choice but to obey, Duo swallowed his anger and stood, walking from the room and out to the car that was ready and waiting for them.

 

* * *

 

Une scanned over the information on the screen as Heero and Wufei explained what they had found. Quatre added his findings to the mix and Une suddenly found herself with information overload. Rubbing her temples to try and ease the headache that was beginning to make its presence known, she closed her eyes for a moment as the conversation continued on around her.

 

“It's obvious the money is missing.”

 

“It has to have gone somewhere - but where?”

 

“I'm sure this guy that was hacking found something more than this, but I can't seem to get any further.”

 

“We need to track what we can, see if we can locate exactly what has happened...”

 

“ENOUGH!”

 

All four men fell silent as the commander's voice exploded. Four sets of eyes turned to face the woman who was seriously contemplating the thought she was having a nervous breakdown.

 

“Commander?” Wufei ventured, only to be cut off by a glare. He promptly took the hint and shut up.

 

“Thank you,” Une sighed. “Now, without you all talking at once, let me see if we have all the facts here.” Une paused to take a quick glance at the two laptops and picked up her pen, jotting down things as she spoke. “Quatre, you have evidence there that the donations from WEI and the Sanq foundation are greater than the amounts recorded in the portfolio?”

 

“Yes, ma'am.”

 

“Yuy, you've followed the hacker into the ESUN database and after locating where he was headed, you came up against a brick wall?”

 

“Hai.”

 

“Whilst following the hacker's tracks, you went further into the files of a Senator Wainright and discovered there were two files in relation to the rebuilding portfolio? Both of which have rather large discrepancies between them in relation to the funding, expenditure and such?”

 

“Hai.”

 

Une contemplated the information for a moment before Yuy interrupted her line of thought.

 

“There's something else, commander.”

 

“Okay, Yuy, spill.” Une wasn't sure if she could take much more, her head was spinning as it was. Before Yuy could speak, the secretary knocked on the door and stuck her head around the jamb.

 

“My apologies for interrupting, but I thought you could use this,” she said and held out a mug of coffee.

 

“Fiona, you are an angel,” Une sighed gratefully. “Thank you.” The coffee was deposited on Une's desk, the secretary leaving immediately. Une picked up the mug and took a greedy sip, then another. She closed her eyes and smiled as the caffeine found its way to her system.

 

The four men continued to sit in silence and simply watch, none game to push the commander and possibly witness the psycho side.

 

“Ah, that's much better,” Une said and took a deep breath. Her head cleared and with the caffeine buzz, she felt more energized. “Now, Yuy, what was it you were going to say?”

 

“Commander, this terrorist group that is making the demands, we're positive that the perpetrator who hacked the database was a member of their group and that he pretty much discovered what we have, although I think he may have gotten further, was discovered and thus eliminated. I'm also positive that this group has kidnapped Duo, Nurse Brown and my son. The L1 ambassador's death, which we know from forensic evidence was an assassination done by Agent Night, and their demands for further funding for L2, all point to Duo, Keitaro and Nurse Brown being held by this group.” Yuy finished and sat silent, waiting for the commander's reaction.

 

Thinking over Yuy's words, Une had to agree; it all made sense. Her mind ticking over, she spoke calmly and with authority.

 

“I agree with you, Agent Day, and I also have some information of my own to add to all this.” The Senator in charge of the rebuilding portfolio and his second in charge, have both taken vacation leave from the ESUN.”

 

“How convenient,” muttered Wufei.

 

“That is exactly what I thought, Agent Fire. I have taken the liberty of seizing all computer equipment, data discs, files and the like from both senators' offices and right now they are being taken to Preventer lab three.”

 

Heero's eyes glinted and his fingers twitched in anticipation.

 

“Gentlemen, the way I see this is we have two investigations here - both linked. We need to try and track down this terrorist group, if and when we do I'm sure we will find your missing family, Yuy.”

 

Heero nodded.

 

“We also need to go through the material confiscated from the senators, I'm certain we will find more information there in regards to the missing funding. Something tells me we won't be seeing our two vacationing senators for a long time. Barton, Winner?”

 

“Yes, ma'am?” both replied in unison.

 

“May I ask how long you are both planning on staying earth side?”

 

“We're not leaving until Duo, Keitaro and Nurse Brown are safely home,” Trowa answered for both of them.

 

“Right. In that case, I am officially granting you both temporary Preventer Agent status.”

 

“We accept,” Quatre stated.

 

“Good. I have something of a trace on the call that came through from the terrorist. I'd like both you and Barton to head to communications and see how far they have managed to progress with their investigations. I'm putting you two officially in charge of the search and locate of this group and hopefully our missing agent and his family.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Yuy?”

 

“Hai?”

 

“You and Chang are to report to lab three and see what you can find off those computers and all other material we brought back. There has to be something in those circuits and chips that can tell us what is going on.”

 

Heero's face lit up into a feral grin and he cracked his knuckles. “It will be our pleasure,” he replied.

 

“Right.” Une looked at the four faces. “Then what are you all doing sitting here? You have your assignments, get to it.”

 

“Yes, ma'am.”

 

“Right away, ma'am.”

 

The four agents scrambled to gather up their equipment and leave, each heading for their allocated task and hopefully some answers.

 

~ * ~

 

tbc...