Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ For Myself ❯ Twelve ( Chapter 12 )

Twelve

Heero glared down at the town below him, moving to the airport as the first rays of dawn broke through the sky. If he was right, then Matty would still be here. It had been hard to get things organized between the bases, but he'd figured it out.

Now all he had to do was find them before they could leave again.

He climbed out of the car as Cardle and Jinli followed, looking less than awake.

He didn't really blame them. It was hard to sleep on a military plane.

They could sleep when they got home, and barring that, they could sleep when they were dead—he knew he could not sleep when he knew Matty wasn't safe.

"Coffee?" Jinli asked, looking between them.

Heero made a gesture for him to do that, and the man rolled his eyes before turning and moving away.

It was always refreshing to deal with civilians when he'd been throwing his rank around—at least, the civilians that didn't cow-tow to him for that rank.

He froze utterly when a familiar form moved from the airport entrance, then ran his hand under his shirt to loosen his handgun.

"Sir," Cardle muttered tiredly, "what are you..." he spotted the man as well, yanking his own weapon out. "ESA!" he shouted, moving forward instantly. "Deroy Hanager, put your hands in the air!"

Hanager looked up to him in confusion, then noticed that Heero had his hand gun and snarled. The cup he was holding fell to the ground, and he dove into the crowd behind him.

"Get out of the way!" Cardle shouted, weapon out as he started to run. "ESA! Get out of the way!"

They ran after the man, weapons ready...but he slid into a waiting van and the thing slid out from the waiting area.

Heero didn't stop moving before aiming his gun...and pulling the trigger. The back right tire blew on the van and it skidded out of control as people screamed, and the pair of them darted forward as the vehicle rolled onto his side...

And all hell broke loose as the men inside the machine broke out of it with guns of their own.

- -

Matty scrubbed at his eyes as he looked around the area he was in, then back to the map.

He'd gotten out of the hotel room with no issues at all...but the language barrier was proving an issue.

He'd thought for sure most people knew English, Chinese, or Japanese...he'd never been in any city and not been able to find at least one person who spoke some of that...but then again, he didn't know if anyone here did, because no one would talk to him.

A woman with two children in tow moved down the street as the children chattered, and Matty wondered what the hell they were doing out when dawn had barely broken.

"Excuse me..." he muttered, moving to her quickly.

Her expression turned wary and she stopped, the children stopping behind her.

"Excuse me?" he asked in Chinese.

She muttered something off that he didn't understand.

He ground his teeth together, then showed her the map. "ESA?" he asked instead, spreading it out so she could see it. "Earth Sphere Alliance?"

She gave him an interested look, then studied the map and pointed at a spot.

Matty's heart leapt. "Where are we?" he asked, looking around the area obviously, then indicated the area they were specifically standing.

Her smile broke across her face as she realized he was lost, then she started giggling and dug into her purse. After a moment, she came out with a pen and took the map. With that against the wall, she circled an area and said some random word, indicated him and her children, underlining that a few times, then looked the map over again before circling what was marked as a government building on the map. She considered that a moment longer, then drew a line from where she said they were to the building and offered it back to him.

"Thank you!" he muttered, smiling at her and wanting to hug her. "Thank you, so much!" he smiled again and looked at the map, then around.

She pointed at a road and smiled more at him.

He nodded at her, then turned and started for it, his heart feeling a bit lighter.

Now, if only his luck held.

- -

Jaden opened his eyes tiredly, looking at the ceiling as his stomach seized, rolling off the bed and darting into the bathroom. He heaved a few times, then started brushing his teeth before glancing at the room and Qingfu, who was just pushing up from his bed and looking around blankly.

He spat, turning to look the room over, then moved closer to the bed as he looked around again.

"Where'd he go?" Qingfu asked, groaning slightly. "What'd you do with him?"

Jaden reached into his pocket, his eyes on the end of the cuff still hanging from the post...then saw the key on the nightstand.

"Son of a..." he spat, looking around.

"What?" Qingfu asked, then noticed the key himself. "Shit!" he fell off his bed and scrambling toward the bathroom. "How far do you think he got?"

"I couldn't tell you...but however it ends up, we have to get the hell out of here and find him."

"What the hell...I thought you said you'd wake up if he moved," Qingfu added. "I wouldn't have agreed otherwise."

"I got drunk, Qing," Jaden snapped back, unhooking the cuff and starting to throw stuff in the duffel bag. "I drank more than I thought I would."

Qingfu made an irritated noise. "If you let Ranger get him, and we did all of this for nothing..."

"Just get ready!" Jaden snarled, shoving all the cans into the trashcan and looking outside. The sun had already been up for a while...he couldn't believe this.

. . . though really, he had to admire the kid's balls. He almost wanted him to get back to Yuy—Yuy was probably planning on killing the pair of them though...so he really hoped the kid didn't get back to the man.

This could end very very badly...and it would be his fault.

If Ranger got him, it would be his fault.

- -

"We chased Ranger into the town," Heero snarled to Duo, pacing up and down the sidewalk outside the police station. "We're looking for him now, though."

"You found Ranger? That doesn't do much good," Duo muttered, running his hands through his hair as Quatre looked up at him.

Heero laughed coldly. "You're wrong, you know that don't you? On one hand, getting Ranger would be getting Ranger...on the other, they've told me they'll give Matty back to me if I can get him arrested or kill him...and they're still here. I don't think any flights have left yet today at all..."

"Where is here?" Duo muttered, noting that his clock said midnight.

"Here," Heero noted, "is Sierra Leone...Freetown."

"Seriously?" Duo looked around blankly. "That's weird...you're in Africa?"

"You're so quick," Heero retorted.

"It's midnight here," Duo grumped. "You woke me up."

"Oh," Heero hesitated. "Sorry," he made a noise. "And thank you."

"Thank me?" Duo asked blankly.

"Wing," Heero explained quietly. "Thank you for stopping Wing."

"Oh...yeah," Duo made an amused noise, running a hand through Quatre's dark hair. "How are you feeling?"

"Violent," Heero returned easily. "I want to find Ranger and beat the holy hell out of him again—is it bad that that feels so good?"

"I think it's supposed to be, but I can't find a problem with it."

Heero laughed lightly, looking around. "Looks like the team is ready," he noted. "I'm sorry to wake you up...I'm sorry Quatre."

"Its fine," Quatre noted. "You're that much closer to having Matty back, right?"

"God, I hope so," Heero muttered. "Take care, Duo. Be careful."

"I will be," Duo returned, listening as the phone went to dead air.

"What's going on?" Wufei asked from the door to the room, blinking at the pair of them. "I know that's Heero's ringtone."

"He said he found Ranger," Duo explained. "They all seem to be in...in Freetown...in Sierra Leone."

"Africa?" Wufei demanded. "They're in Africa?"

"Don't look at me," Duo muttered in mild amusement, dropping back on the bed. "I can't wait to get the call saying they have him," he muttered, rubbing at his forehead. "I don't think I can take this too much longer."

"At least Jaden's keeping him safe," Quatre muttered quietly. "We have that, at least."

"I guess," Duo agreed.

"I'm so not sleeping," Wufei muttered with a sigh. "Do you care if I grab my blankets?"

Quatre and Duo blinked at him before Duo nodded and he disappeared.

"What?" Quatre asked blankly.

"I don't care if our apartment over there is a knee high wall," Duo noted quietly, "this place is huge. Having only the three of us here makes it empty. He hasn't had anyone to bed in a long time, so he's used to not sleeping in a room alone."

Wufei moved back into the room, tossing his blankets and pillow on the floor, then situated himself and sighed heavily.

"Ready?" Duo asked.

"Yeah," Wufei agreed, smiling very slightly at him.

Duo flicked the lamp back off, dropping onto the mattress as Quatre curled into him.

He doubted he'd get much more sleep, because he just knew they were either going to lose everything...or gain everything.

He just had to wait for the call.

- -

Matty wanted to cry as he moved onto the base, darting up to the windows and the man inside the security hut.

"Base is closed until..."

"I'm Mattox Williams," Matty returned, studying the man. "Please tell me you've heard from Brigadier Yuy."

The man stared at him a long moment, then nodded his head. "Can you prove your identity?"

"I could have," Matty returned, "if I'd remembered to grab my wallet before I got shot up with sedatives...stupid oversight, I suppose."

The man gave him a look, then slid a print-reader through the window.

Matty pressed his index finger to the thing firmly, watching as it scanned through information before a green check showed up.

"Holy shit," the man muttered. "Get over here..."

Matty moved into the hut with the guy.

"Get me Brigadier Yuy," the guy ordered into his walkie. "And get me some men down here...Mattox Williams is on the base."

The words sounded almost sweet to his ears as the remnants of radio-silence exploded to demands.

The man was shaking his head as he tore a piece of paper from a small machine and crammed it into a plastic sheath, tugging the necklace down around his head and shaking his own. "I cannot believe you just turned up here," he noted.

Soldiers started moving from the building, and Matty felt a moment of panic.

What if they worked for Ranger?

"Mr. Williams?" the man in charge asked, darting forward. "Please, come with us," he moved.

Matty moved into the center of the group at the other soldier's urgings.

"Here," someone muttered, shoving a phone into his hand.

"Matty?" Heero demanded. "Matty?"

"I made it to the base," Matty muttered, trying to fight the burst of tears. "I'm on the base."

"We found Ranger," Heero said. "But he got away...into town. I've given orders for you to be taken to a room and not messed with."

"Good," Matty whispered. "Where are you?"

"I'll be there in...in fifteen minutes," Heero returned. "Just fifteen minutes...sit tight, huh?"

Matty felt the tears come again. "All right."

"This way, sir," the man noted, taking the phone from him as they started up the stairs. As they worked further and further into the base, Matty's trepidation grew. A man they'd trusted had shot him up with a sedative when he'd been sure he was okay...and Heero hadn't even been fifteen minutes away then.

"Here," the man added, showing him a room with large windows. "The glass is bullet-proof," he noted. "Someone's brought you food and coffee," he indicated the table, where a coffee pot was perking along happily. "My name is Lieutenant Vond, and I'll stand outside this door until Brigadier Yuy himself orders me to move...all right?"

Matty nodded, looking around the little room again.

Was he safe? Or was this just a prison?

He didn't want to have to wait fifteen minutes.

- -

"Where's Ranger?"

Jaden blinked at the man coming out of the security guard's hut. "Williams is here...we had to obey Yuy's orders to put him in a room and stay away from him—but he's here."

"I don't..."

"Diery?"

Jaden's heart skipped a beat at Ranger's voice.

"I've got cops swarming around this damn town...and I really need something big now."

"Well, Williams is here," the man muttered into a walkie-talkie he was holding. "That should make Yuy pull out."

"Thank god...listen, have you seen..."

"Yuy is here?" Jaden demanded, looking up to the building. The man missed Ranger asking for him and Qingfu, but only just. "Where?"

"He saw Ranger in town," the man explained. "Ranger's about five minutes away from my best estimate...what do you want to do?"

"Get a helicopter ready," Qingfu ordered, staring up at the base. "Keep it quiet, but get us a helicopter ready."

"Right," the man agreed, moving back toward the hut. "Toit? I got a couple guys here who need your help."

A second man moved from the building itself, a firearm hanging casually around his shoulder.

"They need to get up to Williams," Diery hissed, indicating them. "And then to the helicopter I'm gonna get put down on 5. How much gas you need?"

"We need to get to Brazil," Qingfu noted. "I'll fly it myself, but we have to get that boy back there."

"We can't take one of these," he indicated the base, "all the way into Brazil."

"We just need to touch down and transfer," Qingfu returned, looking between the two men. If Ranger got the words out about he and Jaden, they were as good as dead.

"Go," the man hissed at Toit. "Quietly."

The man turned and led them into the base.

Jaden and Qingfu exchanged a look.

This could go to hell in a hand basket...and to keep Yuy off their backs, they'd have to use the boy. They'd never intended to hold him as a hostage...but the situation had changed that morning.

They had to get away before Ranger got them both killed.

- -

Ranger stared up at the building, hopeful. He wanted that Williams boy, he wanted to see Yuy's face when he realized he had his precious little piece of ass...and it would be damn easy to get a plane to Brazil.

Now the only thing stopping him was that he didn't know where Jaden or Qingfu were—and that still rankled.

He'd thought Qingfu was a friend.

He stopped at the gate, looking to the man with interest.

"Ranger," the guy hissed, looking around. "Yuy's going to be here any minute now! Hurry up to five," he pointed across the lot. "Timorre's getting the boy and they're going from there."

"Timorre?" Ranger shouted at him in disbelief. "You let Timorre at him? You idiot!"

"What?" the man gave him a confused look. "It's Timorre, Ranger...don't be bitchy because you want the glory."

"Timorre took the boy so I couldn't take him," Ranger snarled at him, slamming the back of his head so his face slammed into the counter, then turned and ran to the area the helicopter was already set up.

- -

Heero moved through the gates of the base, noticing the security guard was massaging his forehead, then seeing a helicopter on top of the building.

Damn Ranger.

Damn him!

Heero slammed the car to a stop in a way that jerked Jinli forward hard. Cardle was already out of the car before it'd stopped, and Jinli was only a moment behind when they both broke into the building.

"They'll be heading for that helicopter!" Cardle shouted as a second car slammed into the first behind them. They all glanced back to see Trowa sliding from the machine with Raymond. "You go for the helicopter, and I'll try to stop him on the way!"

Heero turned and ran as Trowa pelted after him.

"Ranger!" Heero shouted, jumping up the fence. He wasn't entirely sure how he got over the barbed wire, but Ranger wasn't all that far ahead of him.

"I'll kill him!" Trowa lunged, ripping his shirt in the process, and they both pelted after the man that had caused them so much trouble.

- -

"No!" Matty kicked helplessly at Jaden, staring at the man who had actually tried to protect him. They'd come on him too fast for him to draw his weapon—but at least they hadn't shot him. "No!" he tried to fight free, but nothing came of it as they broke out the doors.

Matty let his weight go entirely, and Jaden stumbled, cursing.

"I'm going!" Qingfu snarled, and darted forward.

Matty cried out in pain as the man pinched the back of his leg, then started moving again.

"Matty!"

Matty looked up, seeing Jinli. Hope blossomed in his chest as he saw Cardle a moment later...and Raymond.

That meant Trowa and Heero were here.

He fought harder until the pain came again, then they were going up.

He looked over his shoulder, seeing a helicopter with the blades starting to whirl, then looked to his right as motion caught his attention.

Ranger.

The moment of terror was chased by hope as he saw Heero and Trowa, sprinting after the other man like hunting lions, intent, faces set in sneers of hatred.

Just as long as he didn't get on the helicopter....

Jaden broke through off the stairs and jumped as the helicopter started to fly, and Matty saw Trowa slam into Ranger's body as Heero locked eyes on his.

The machine started rising as Jinli and Cardle shouted after him, and Jaden let him fall onto the floor of the machine gasping for air.

Matty had to trust Heero...they were still above the flight pad...

He rolled, feeling Jaden grab for him, saw the horror on his face as he shouted after him...and he started to fall.

He slammed into another body as the helicopter hesitated the briefest of moments, then saw Heero's gun raising up beside him, curling down into Heero's arms as the man pulled the trigger.

The sound was deafening, but it pinged, and he looked up...seeing Jaden staring back at him with wide eyes.

He was uninjured...he hadn't been hurt by that shot...had he?

"Hit the fucking runner," Heero snarled.

Matty turned, his chest screaming as he looked up into Heero's face.

"I didn't think we'd make it!" Jinli gasped. "Oh my god...are you okay? Matty?"

None of that mattered, though, because he was with Heero...he hurt like hell, but...

"Trowa!" he gasped, trying to struggle away from Heero. "Trowa and..."

There was a gunshot, then another...and a third.

Heero rolled, Matty still in his arm, and moved to the edge of the platform...to see Ranger pinned to the ground with blood all over his leg. Soldiers were coming up from...everywhere...it seemed like...and after a moment, Trowa stepped back, looking up to see Heero...and Matty.

He smiled.

He had blood all over his face, coming from his hair...his shirt was torn to shreds and he was standing gingerly...but he smiled.

Matty smiled back at him, feeling a sensation of relief floating through him as he turned to look after that helicopter.

He hoped they made it to Brazil and found their friends—things weren't over yet, and he had no doubts Heero would be highly willing to kill them next time he saw them...and even though Jaden had kidnapped him and put him through hell...he had been doing it to keep him safe.

"Hey," Heero muttered.

Matty looked back to him...and met the kiss eagerly...before groaning and trying to shove the other's arms away.

"He just fell like...twenty stupid feet onto you," Jinli noted dryly. "I have a sneaking suspicion he may have fractured a few bones."

Heero started laughing weakly.

"Oh, I know I probably shouldn't have been the one to call," Cardle noted, looking to the blue sky. "But I wanted to hear your sexy voice."

"What?" Duo demanded as they turned to look at him.

Matty snickered and took the phone from him. "Me'n Cardle wanted to hear your sexy sultry voluptuous voice, War...is there something wrong with that?"

Duo started laughing weakly, then harder.

"Hello?" Quatre demanded.

"Mm, poppi," Matty returned. "I miss you all night long, baby..."

Heero and Quatre both started laughing.

"Hello?" Wufei demanded.

"Hey, big daddy," Matty returned, starting to laugh even though it hurt. "I'm safe," he added in a more normal tone. "I'm with Heero...my ribs are screaming at me, but I'm with Heero."

"And Ranger?" Wufei demanded. "What about Timorre?"

"Well," Matty looked across the wide expanse around him...the bit of city and the ocean. "Jaden and Qingfu got away in a 'copter—almost had me. I decided to take a leap of faith, though."

"You jumped out of a moving helicopter?" Wufei demanded, his tone serious. "And you're not dead?"

"I don't think I am," Matty returned, leaning against Heero. "My ribs are arguing the fine-points though."

Wufei started laughing weakly.

"Sir?" a soldier moved to the stairs, saluting Heero. "What are your orders, sir?"

"That piece of shit," he indicated Ranger, "is to be shipped to 27 on the next flight out of here."

"Oh, so we're going to 27 again, are we?" Cardle asked brightly. "I must say I didn't want to."

"Maybe we shouldn't," Matty suggested, looking around to Heero. "Jaden said the main base is in Brazil."

"Brazil?" Jinli demanded, staring at him. "As in that really big continent sunk under eighty feet of jungle?"

"I'm not so sure about your measurements," Matty noted. "But it was something along those lines."

"Wonderful," Heero noted, popping his neck. "Hey, Trowa?" he called. "Wasn't there something in South America that caught your interest?"

Trowa cocked his head as he moved up the stairs, looking to Matty. "I can't say that there is...not that I can...think of."

"Mm, but I thought there was this base...this base full of rebels over there."

Trowa stared at him, a wicked grin slowly spreading across his face. "Oh, now that you mention it, I do seem to recall something of interest over there."

"Under eighty feet of jungle," Jinli noted dryly to no one in particular.

Matty moved from Heero to Trowa, hugging him tightly.

"How do you measure jungles?" Trowa muttered, realizing that Matty was wincing in pain and loosing his hug. "I think I want to know your formula, it sounds interesting."

Jinli gave him a look.

Trowa looked down to Matty, then tilted his head. "If you ever jump out of a moving helicopter again, I'm going to kick your ass, you understand that, don't you?"

Matty started laughing weakly as he was taken back by Heero.

"I thought I was going to have a heart attack..." he raised his phone to his ear. "Why isn't Duo answering?" he added.

"Oh, shit," Matty raised the phone again. "Hello?"

"If it's not too big an inconvenience," Duo muttered sardonically, "can you tell me what the hell is going on? I know you're busy, what with Heero groping you and all, but..."

Matty guffawed at that.

"Just for that," Heero noted happily, plucking the phone from Matty's hand. "Suck my dick."

"Any day!" Matty heard Duo retort...and Heero ended the call.

Matty started snickering.

"So," the officer near them muttered. "What are we doing?"

"We need transport back to North America," Heero returned easily. "To LA, specifically."

"Yes, sir," the man muttered, then turned and darted down the stairs again.

"Raymond?" Trowa muttered, "you ready to go home yet?"

"I think I am," Raymond agreed, looking around. "At least long enough to spend the night with my woman."

"I'll sub," Cardle noted, then smacked his hands to his mouth.

Matty started laughing again, then groaned as the tears dripped down his cheeks. "Don't make me laugh, Cardle...it hurts to laugh."