Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Family Ties ❯ Chapter 54 ( Chapter 54 )

“Family Ties”

 

January 2007 ShenLong

 

Chapter 54

 

Duo came out of his light doze as he felt the van slowing and then stopping. Once the engine was cut, he knew they'd reached their destination - wherever that might be.

 

The four climbed out and with guns visible, hauled the four hostages from inside the back of the van, cutting the duct tape around their ankles so they could walk.

 

Duo took a good look around as they walked from the van, along a pathway and into a typical, suburban type house. Once inside, they were ushered into a room that looked like a lounge of sorts.

 

“Sit,” ordered Young and three complied, Murphy already having been dumped into a chair by Tewson who had half carried, half dragged the injured man into the room.

 

Mathews, Peterson and Tewson left, Young remaining behind to keep an eye on the hostages. Whilst they were waiting, Duo took the opportunity to look around, his memory compiling what it could of the layout, filing it away for later use.

 

A new figure appeared in the doorway, Duric and Duo both turning their attention to the man and wondering if now they would get some answers as to what it was these people wanted with them and what they were up to.

 

“Which is the extra one?” the guy asked Young.

 

“Him,” replied Young and pointed his gun in Duo's direction.

 

Duo raised an eyebrow and stared directly at the man, burning the face into his memory.

 

“You claim you were being held hostage by this lot?” the guy asked and inclined his head towards Farrow, Murphy and Duric.

 

Duo nodded, his mind ticking over and on alert to keep up with what was going on.

 

“What for?”

 

Ah, now that was the question, wasn't it? Did he tell them the truth? Or did he twist it? Hoping with all his heart the Nurse Brown and Keitaro were safe, he decided to tell the truth, to a point; omitting a few things couldn't be construed as lying - could it?

 

“I asked you a question,” the guy snapped. “I suggest you answer or you'll be finding yourself in a similar situation as your friend over there.”

 

“He's not my friend,” Duo growled.

 

The man smirked. “He does have a tongue. Better start using it now before I lose my patience and cut it out,” the man stated with a glare.

 

“These guys took me hostage as I told you. They forced me to assassinate the L1 and L3 ambassadors.”

 

Duric was glaring daggers at him but Duo didn't care right now. He figured he could tell these idiots so much and bide his time. He hoped Duric would catch on and play along. The guy just might come in handy in an escape attempt, then he could dismember him later.

 

“Why?” Sampson knew about the assassination of the L1 ambassador, but had yet to learn of the L3 ambassador's death.

 

Giving Duric a glance from the corner of his eye, Duo bulled forward. “They said something about L2 not receiving the right proportion of funding and aid and wanting the ESUN to sit up and take notice. This was the way they intended for that to happen.”

 

“You must be very good,” Sampson replied as he stroked his chin in thought. “They never found any evidence at the scene of the L1 ambassador's murder as to who the murderer was. I still don't see why you would comply though, unless you're in cahoots with them and this is all some set up.”

 

“When there's a loaded gun in your face, you tend to do as you're told,” Duo snipped. The sweat was running down his back and he prayed his face was remaining neutral.

 

Duric sat to the side, his eyes never leaving Duo's face as he listened to the conversation. He wasn't stupid, he knew the nanny and child had been left behind and he had an inkling of what Maxwell was up to. For now, he decided to play along, after all, Maxwell was probably his best hope of getting out of this situation. He glanced at Murphy and Farrow. Murphy would be of no use in his injured state; and Farrow? It was all Duric could do not to snort. Farrow was nothing but a weak minded computer nerd. There would be no help at all from him.

 

“Really?” Sampson shifted slightly as another figure joined him. “Ah, Zaheer. I believe these are the idiots that tried to infiltrate the ESUN and break into the database.”

 

Zaheer looked over the group, the contempt clear in his eyes. “They look to be even dumber than the idiot I took out,” he sneered.

 

Duric's eyes flashed in anger and he gave a guttural growl behind the duct tape sealing his mouth.

 

Duo realized then that this must be the guy that was responsible for the murder of both the security guard and Cropp at the ESUN headquarters. He filed that information away for later use, along with the name and a mental picture of the man.

 

“Compared to the operation we're running, you guys are pure amateurs,” Zaheer stated. “Did you seriously think you could infiltrate the ESUN, attempt to hack the database and not get caught? You sure have a lot to learn. I'm so glad I don't have to work with incompetent fools like you.”

 

Duo could see the rage rising in Duric and was tempted to kick the man in the shins to get him to settle down. This was exactly what these guys wanted, to score a reaction from them. Duo wanted to use this opportunity to try and find out what this group was up to, and he couldn't do that if Duric went off half cocked. Besides, if he were to kick Duric, their captors would see too and that wasn't a good idea either.

 

“Just what is it you are doing, and what do you want with us?” Duo figured he might as well ask, one never knew, he just might get his answers, especially seeing as how this new guy, Zaheer, seemed to be a cocky bastard. In all Duo's dealings with criminals and opponents in the war, he'd learnt that the cocky ones tended to brag quite a bit; and that could, and most often did, lead to their downfall.

 

Duo hoped that it would be the case here too.

 

However, it wasn't the newcomer that answered, it was the other guy.

 

Sampson put a restraining hand on Zaheer's arm and gave him a cold look. “I suggest you go check that all is ready for our departure,” he said, voice tinged with ice.

 

“As you wish.” Zaheer gave the four a disgusted look and then left.

 

Sampson turned back to the group, eyes switching between Duo and Duric before addressing the pair of them. “What we are doing is of no concern to any of you right now. That, you just might find out later; if you live long enough. As for what we want with you? I guess you might say we're doing a little pest control. Your antics have endangered our project and that cannot be allowed. Your immediate fate is yet to be decided so you may want to enjoy what little time you have left.” Leaving them with the cryptic answer, Sampson turned and left.

 

Young taped their ankles together again and then placed a piece of duct tape over Duo's mouth too. “I'll be back soon for you. Stay put,” he added and then with a smirk, left the room.

 

Duo leaned back and got as comfortable as he could with his ankle and ribs still sore. He figured he might as well relax and let his mind wander in circles; hopefully that would help him in coming up with some way out of this new predicament.

 

* * *

Barton closed the communicator and looked to his lover. Quatre raised an eyebrow in question and Trowa answered. “Une said to secure the premises and wait for the Preventer team to get here. When they do we're to hand over to an Agent Flame and then head back to headquarters. She wants Keitaro and Nurse Brown checked over by Sally and then debriefed.”

 

“Fine, although if I know Heero, he's already started the debriefing.”

 

Trowa gave a soft chuckle. “How true. Come on, let's finish securing and let Yuy know what the orders are.”

 

“I'm right with you.”

 

* * *

 

In the basement, Heero was still holding his son and not about to give the infant up any time soon. In his usual, efficient manner, he'd taken care of changing the babe, annoyed at the state of his child. He didn't blame the nanny for Keitaro's lack of cleanliness, that rested solely on the bastards' heads that had abducted his son - and there would be retribution for that.

 

Once he was changed, Keitaro had gone back to sleep again, and that left Heero with the opportunity to talk to and check the nanny. He'd noticed the bandaged wrist and intended on finding out just what had happened there, as well as everything else.

 

Sitting beside the nanny on the ratty mattress, Keitaro snug and safe in his arms, Heero's heart ached for his still missing husband. Turning to the nurse, Heero reminded himself to keep his voice low and soft.

 

Ten minutes later, Heero had a basic outline of the kidnapping, the confinement and what the group had done, not just to Nurse Brown, but what they'd forced Duo into as well. His blood was boiling, despite the lack of facts - those he would learn in full later, once they were back at headquarters. The nurse and child needed to be checked by medical staff - then he would be able to listen to a full debriefing and decide his best course of action to bring to justice those who had dared to interfere with what was his.

 

They would pay, no doubt about that. Heero's blue eyes darkened with the promise of a very painful revenge.

 

* * *

 

Regaining her composure, Une was quick to leave the communications section, heading directly back to forensics. As she walked, she pulled her communicator from her pocket and punched in a frequency.

 

“Agent Flame here.”

 

“Flame, I need your team assembled now. You have an assignment. Be in the forensics briefing room in ten for details. You leave in fifteen.”

 

“Roger, commander. Flame out.”

 

“Une out.” Une disconnected and then punched in another frequency.

 

“Transport.”

 

“Une here. I need a chopper on standby. Team moving out in fifteen. This is a drop off and extraction.”

 

“Roger, commander. Chopper will be ready on the helipad in fifteen.”

 

“Thank you. Une out.”

 

“Transport out.”

 

Pocketing the communicator, Une found herself at the forensics section once again and headed directly for Chang.

 

* * *

 

“Commander at three o'clock,” Agent Cloud informed as he spotted the commander from the corner of his eye.

 

Chang looked up from where he was reading through the report on the findings to date in the study of the L3 ambassador's death. Seeing the look on Une's face, Chang dropped the paper to the bench top and with an order to keep working to his team, he aimed for the door.

 

Une reached the door at the same time as Chang. He opened it and stepped out. “Commander?”

 

“This way.”

 

Chang followed Une back to the office they'd used earlier. Closing the door behind them, Une turned and let her shoulders sag.

 

“You have information?” Chang asked. It was clear that something was up.

 

“I've just spoken with temporary Agent Air,” she breathed.

 

“Barton? What's happening. Have they found Maxwell, the child, the nanny?” Wufei's voice rose a touch as he spoke.

 

Seeing the agitation clearly in those onyx eyes, Une gave the agent the current information she had. “I won't know more until they arrive back here. I've ordered them to report straight to headquarters and notify me when they're five minutes out. I have Flame's team scrambling now and a chopper on standby to transport the team to the property. It will leave the team there and extract Yuy and the others, bringing them directly here.”

 

“Good. It will be much faster that way and a lot less risky than driving.”

 

“I agree.”

 

Looking at his commander, Chang's voice softened a touch. “No sign of Maxwell, you said?”

 

“No. Barton said that an immediate sweep of the building and surrounding area had turned up nothing. I will have Flame and the team do a much broader search though.”

 

“Good idea. Commander? Would you mind if I sat in on the debriefing? I will still work on the current assignment, but I'd like to be included on this one too.”

 

Knowing how tight knit the guys were from their war days and now as friends, Une wasn't about to tear that unity apart. “Yes, Fire. I've already decided I want you on this and I would have sent you with Yuy, however you were already occupied with your current investigation.”

 

“I'm hoping to have the major work on this assignment completed in the next twenty-four hours. What remains after that should only be trivial things that the team will be capable of taking care of.”

 

“They can't work unsupervised, they will need someone to oversee the last parts,” Une countered.

 

“I know. I am quite willing to continue to supervise, however, I do have another agent in mind that I think deserves some recognition and I also believe should be upgraded.”

 

“Oh?”

 

Chang filled Une in on Agent Cloud, the young man who seemed to have a knack for discovering things and thinking on his feet.

 

“I'll take that into consideration, Fire.” Une knew Wufei well enough to know he didn't put forward agents lightly. They had to be exceptional for Wufei to think they deserved promotion. “I have to go and brief Flame's team. I'll come back for you when I have word that the chopper is returning.”

 

“Thank you, commander.”

 

The pair left, Chang going back to his current investigation, Une to her briefing.

 

* * *

 

“That's all we can do,” Sally said as she removed her surgical gloves and tossed them into the bin. The orderly had pulled the sheet back up to cover the senator's body and was now scribbling notes on the clipboard. Sally washed her hands and then took the offered pen and clipboard. She scanned over the information and satisfied, signed the bottom.

 

“Have that typed up and a copy sent to my office within the next six hours,” she told the orderly.

 

“Will do, ma'am. Are you ready for the next one?”

 

“I need a coffee first. I'll go grab one whilst you get the body ready. If you should need me, I'll be in the cafeteria, I have my pager on me. Otherwise, I'll be back in about twenty minutes.

 

“Okay, doc. Enjoy your coffee.”

 

Sally exited the autopsy room and quickly shed the surgical greens, stuffing them in the bin marked `hazardous laundry'. Grabbing her bag from the locker she'd put it in earlier, she checked her clothing was neat and left to get the much needed caffeine boost.

 

Coffee in hand, Sally plonked down at one of the many vacant tables in the cafeteria. Preventer was quiet at this hour, although the cafeteria remained open twenty-four seven as there were always some agents on duty. It would be daylight soon and the building would slowly come alive as the night shift left and the day one took over.

 

Determined to enjoy her coffee before returning to do the second autopsy, Sally leaned back in her seat and let her eyes drift shut. Moments later she scowled as her pager went off. “Damn incompetent orderlies,” she muttered under her breath as she reached for the small device. “Ah, shit,” she added when she saw the number that was paging her. Fishing her cell from inside her bag, Sally hit the speed dial and waited. “You paged me, Une?”

 

* * *

 

Having finished her briefing with Flame's team and stressing the need for a thorough investigation to be conducted, Une watched them depart. Another sigh escaped her lips and she rubbed her tired eyes. She briefly contemplated getting another coffee, but there was only so much the drink could do to stave off the exhaustion that was slowly starting to claim her. It was almost dawn, a good sixteen hours since she'd last slept and heaven know how long since she'd last eaten.

 

Grabbing her communicator, she put in a page to Sally. She would need the doctor alerted to the current situation as she would require a full medical exam on the nanny and child once they arrived at headquarters. She also wondered if there was something the doctor could give her to allow her to continue to function for at least another sixteen hours.

 

Having placed the page, she sat back to wait for the returned call. It came within minutes. Knowing Sally was in the cafeteria, Une told her to wait there and she would be along very shortly. Hanging up, Une left the briefing room and was soon in the cafeteria. Spotting Sally sitting alone, Une grabbed a pre-packed sandwich and coffee, then made her way to Sally's table.

 

“What's up?” Sally asked with a raised eyebrow at Une's food.

 

Ignoring the unspoken question, Une kept her voice low as she filled Sally in on their locating of the nanny and child and still missing status of Maxwell. Finishing off her sandwich, she swallowed the coffee and waited for the questions.

 

Sally was both stunned, overjoyed and saddened at the news. She fired off a few questions, mainly to the state of health of Margaret and the child, but also a few cautionary questions relating to Heero an his current state of mind. Satisfied as she could be with the answers for now, Sally began to run a mental check in her mind regarding the checks she would need to do.

 

Seeing the exhausted state of her boss, she also advised a good, hot meal and sleep, not the cardboard shit they served in the cafeteria; and a proper bed, not the couch in Une's office. Knowing that neither would be forthcoming any time soon though, Sally offered her boss a vitamin shot and subtly hinted about a pill that would also help to keep her awake, coherent and functional for another twenty hours. Although she did warn that once the effects of the pill wore off, Une would need to sleep and rest as she would crash and crash hard.

 

Une accepted the offer, she already knew the effects of the pill Sally had suggested; quite often their field agents would take something similar if they were on a case that required their full attention for longer than the usual concentration span.

 

The pair left the cafeteria and went to the medical wing where Sally dealt with the commander and once finished, went back to the autopsy room to inform the orderly to put the body back in the cold storage facility as they would not be doing the autopsy now, but later.

 

* * *

 

The helicopter flew through the steadily lightening sky, the coordinates set into the computer. Flame and his team had continued to discuss the assignment on their way to the property and formed their plan. Each agent on the team was allocated a task and expected to complete that task with efficiency and thoroughness.

 

By the time they reached the property the team was all eager and raring to go. The chopper pilot put the craft down in a small paddock to the immediate left of the building, shutting the engine down to a low idle, the rotors slowing and finally stopping. The team exited, ducking low and running away from the craft to regroup at the side.

 

Flame checked all agents were present and ready, then turned to greet the other agents coming across the field to meet with them.

 

Barton had taken over temporarily, leaving Heero free to deal with his son and emotional distress. Trowa figured Heero didn't need the added burden of briefing the team coming in to scour the property and compile all the evidence.

 

Leaving Trowa to exchange words with Flame, Quatre assisted Heero and his son into the chopper, then gave Nurse Brown a hand before climbing in himself. Trowa joined them a few minutes later and the chopper pilot coaxed the engines back to capacity, engaging the rotors and lifting off into the dawn sky.

 

* * *

 

“Thank you. I'm on my way.” Une closed the connection and punched in another frequency. Waiting for the call to connect, she grabbed her cell and left her office.

 

“Agent Fire.”

 

“Chang, it's Commander Une. Chopper is five minutes out. Meet me at the helipad.”

 

“On my way.”

 

Une flicked the switch and grabbed her cell.

“Doctor Po.”

 

“Sally, chopper is five minutes out. I'm on my way to the helipad and so is Agent Fire. Meet you there shortly.”

 

“Will do, Une.” Sally disconnected and grabbed her bag.

 

Une put the cell back in her pocket and opened the doors that led to the stairs that would take her to the top of the Preventer building and helipad.

 

Within a couple of minutes she was joined by both Chang and Sally, the doctor having also had the forethought to bring a wheelchair with her just in case.

 

All three stood in silence, words unnecessary as they waited for the incoming helicopter and cargo.

 

“I hear it,” Wufei said and peered into the distance.

 

It was light enough now to see and below them the city was slowly coming to life as people awoke and began their day.

 

A dark spec appeared on the horizon, steadily getting larger and louder as it neared. The thump of the rotors increased and all three on the top of the building moved back into the alcove by the stairwell as the chopper made its final approach.

 

Moments later the aircraft had landed and the engines were shut down. The rotors began to slow and the door was opened. All three on the building roof came out of the alcove and headed for the opening door.

 

Quatre opened the door and stepped out, reaching to assist the nurse. Once she was safely out, Quatre remained beside her as they walked across the rooftop towards the greeting party.

 

Heero exited next, a gurgling Keitaro in his arms. The infant was wide awake and seemingly fascinated by the helicopter. Trowa was the last to exit and caught up to Heero just as Une, Chang and Sally reached them.

 

Sally's trained eyes scanned over the nurse and then darted to the child in Heero's arms. From there she switched her attention to Heero and frowned.

 

“Straight to the medical wing, now,” she barked and went to the other side of the nurse. “Come on, you're going in the wheelchair,” she said and then added in a quiet tone, “Margaret, it's good to have you back.”

 

Margaret turned to look at the doctor and gave a soft smile. “You have no idea just how good it is to be back,” she replied and then passed out.

 

~ * ~

 

tbc...