Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ In the City at Night ❯ Friends ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Friends

"No, Ma'am," Heero muttered as he watched Une pacing. "We were unable to get direct confirmation, but what intelligence I did receive indicated Terry Shifton."

The woman turned to look at him, wide-eyed.

He nodded.

"Can you verify?"

"I was the only one who heard it, Ma'am. From a secondary source."

She frowned, "These are serious allegations. If we don't have..."

"I'm aware, Ma'am," the soldier cut her off. "The contact we stayed with had a direct link to Breer. It was his girl who said the words to me when everyone else was sleeping."

"Who were you staying with?"

Heero glanced to the far wall of the office. In every base, there was a wall where the flag of the country was displayed. The flag of the United States shone in the direct middle and Heero grinned, "I plead the fifth."

"You have to be a private citizen," she snapped, "for the laws to apply. You're above citizenship; an entirely different set of laws apply to you."

Heero studied her with high amusement a long moment, then shrugged slightly. "Actually, Ma'am, I'm protecting the rights of a private citizen."

"Hm," she considered the information. "Very well. You do have that. We will have words over our conversation on the mobile, though."

"While I'm touched that you're so concerned about my safety," Heero murmured with a slight grin, "It has to be safety, you see, or else it'd be considered obsession…and I'd have to take steps. Anyway, as touched as I am, when I'm out on assignment—undercover, you are not to call me." She drew herself up and Heero made a gesture at her to wait, "What would you have done if I'd been with Breer, Ma'am? In that part of the city, no one has cell phones…except the drug dealers. As it was, the person we met up with is an old friend. He was able to get me in to see Breer within twenty minutes of arrival. Breer knows that the government is trying to get him. Since I was with who I was with, though, he didn't hesitate to accept me. He spoke openly about giving money to..."

"Doesn't that seem a little...too obvious?" she was starting for her phone.

"I said I was with an old friend. Breer wanted to make a deal with him. I gave him my word that he had my confidence, but yeah. He and my friend...we can call him Rico."

"Rico?" Une asked blankly.

"Suave," Heero explained with a laugh. "Anyway, Breer is friends with Rico and wanted his help. Rico reminded him that he'd said he wouldn't help if he fronted the cash. My assumption is that it's the cash used to pay the assassin. I wasn't able to confirm the suspicion."

She frowned more, "So what evidence do you have that it was Shifton?"

"Rico's girl commented that Rico had been pissed at Jon, Breer," he added, "because he'd fronted money to 'Terry'. She also said that Jon had picked Terry up a year ago. On our way back, I did some research. About a year ago, Shifton took a vacation to Remington. That's twenty minutes away from Angels. I asked Winner, Barton, and Chang to independently verify my findings."

The woman considered the information a long while in silence before nodding and making some notes on a notepad on her desk, "Send Winner in."

"Yes, Ma'am," Heero started for the door.

"And, Heero?" Une glanced up as he paused, "You can only tell him the name of your friend."

"That's all I need to tell him, Ma'am," Heero agreed, then left the room.

x X x X x
Jordan stepped into Jon's flat somewhat uncertainly. The man was on the phone and paused in his talking as he looked the tired laborer over.

Jor never showed up without a shower, announced or otherwise, and his bearing wasn't quite right. "Listen, Krane, I'm gonna have to let you go. Something's come up. I'll call you back later...all right. Bye." He hit the button and looked the other male over levelly.

"I need cash," Jordan explained unceremoniously, closing the door behind himself. "I need it fast."

"I'm sorry," Jon muttered, resting his hand on the empty pedestal where his vase had stood before Jordan had shattered it to thousands of shards. "As far as I'm concerned, you owe me," he shrugged as if to indicate regret.

"Don't be an ass," Jordan snapped, moving across the room.

"You're really dirty, Jor. Please don't sit down."

"I'm leaving," Jordan informed him, ignoring the jibe, "I'm not coming back, either."

Jon stared at him.

"I was military," Jordan added, "I busted. I have reason to believe they've scented me and I have better things to do than sit through a court-martial."

"Military?"

"I told you I wasn't going to let the government find me."

"You really couldn't have been my relay then," the idea seemed to startle the kingpin. He frowned, "I'd love to help you, but I have no jobs available. I gave you cash last night...what happened to that?"

Jordan sighed heavily and dropped onto the couch, covering his face with his hands. He was getting a headache...if only Une hadn't marked his account...

"Where are you going?" the man added uncertainly, moving to sit as well.

"Away," Jordan returned truthfully. "I'm buying two tickets, and taking the bus as far away as it will take me...we need an apartment, though. That means down payment...I don't have that kind of money, Jon," he looked up at the man. "I barely make ends meet as it is..."

"Why come to me?"

"Because you know I'm good for it," Jordan sighed. "Or you could understand my situation. If I get thrown in prison, my girl is left on the streets with no money of her own and no way to get it. I'm not letting her sell her body just to live."

"You worry about her too much," Jonathon protested, "She took care of herself before you showed up...she can do it if you go away."

Jordan raised his eyes to glare at the man.

"What's with you and that bitch anyway?" he snapped, "Why are you so worried about her when you go and sleep with any woman who'll spread her legs?"

"That's my business, isn't it?"

"If I'm giving you cash," Jon retorted, "I think I have the right to know. I'm saving her ass just as much as yours."

"More hers than mine," the former soldier agreed. He studied the man a long moment in silence, "I love her."

"So why fuck around on her?" the kingpin was offended.

Laughing evilly, Jor studied the man a long moment in silence. "I'm not going to answer that question. In light of the present situation I'd rather not offend you more."

"That has to be the most charming trait you possess, do you know that, Jordan?"

The man laughed again.

"Besides, if you're just abandoning me to the feds..."

"You know what you do? You admit that you were manipulated into giving the money. You can even claim blackmail. If you can get the information to the right people, you can get yourself off the chopping-block."

Jon stared at him a long moment in silence, then narrowed his eyes. "Who would the right people be?"

Jordan shrugged slightly, "I'm not entirely sure anymore."

"Where's Erin?"

"He doesn't live around here. He just came to visit for a day or so."

"You seemed startled to see him," he admired the effect the words had on his friend. "I was watching when you approached him," he explained, pointing at a window that looked over the club. You couldn't see in it from the outside. "What did he say that pissed your girl off?"

"He made an offer for a threesome that she didn't appreciate," Jordan shrugged. He rose to his feet and started for the door, "Have a good life."

"You're just leaving?" Jon snapped, rising to give chase, "How can you just leave like this?"

Jordan turned and stepped so they were eye to eye, "I hate being spied on, Jon. I'm not some common criminal, and I thought I had your trust."

"I was looking to see your mood," Jon grated the words from between clenched teeth. "I wanted to apologize about the way I reacted to my sister's bullshit."

"Regardless, I have to leave," Jor murmured. "I have to get out of here sooner than later, and if you can't get me any cash..."

"If you can wait a day, I need a shipment picked up from the docks," Jon snapped, pressing his hand against he door before Jordan could open it. "A large quantity of vrit I need delivered to a warehouse. You'll just need a gun or two. I can supply you with more."

"I have plenty of my own," Jordan returned, considering the information. "You know how I feel about vrit."

"It's not as bad as kaseen or meth, you have to give me that."

"Not much better," Jordan met his eyes, "It's against my religion and you know it."

Jonathon snorted, giving the guy a level look, "A quick four Gs. I don't imagine any hitches."

"Four grand?" Jordan demanded, blinking at him.

"It's padded to help you out," Jon agreed, narrowing his eyes. "If that's too long then we're probably both fucked." He studied the braided male with interested eyes for a long moment before smirking slightly, "Besides, you don't have a religion."