Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Road Not Taken ❯ Part IX ( Chapter 9 )

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


Disclaimer: Gundam Wing, I don't own it!


~*~*~

WEDNESDAY

A heavy rainstorm consumed the entire city that day with no chance of clear blue skies. Raindrops pitter-pattered against the windows and frightened the plant life outdoors. The vice foreign minister walked down to her home office on the main floor to finish the speech that she will be presenting in three days' time. On the way down the grand staircase, she noticed Victor on the phone with someone in the den, seeming quite upset and distraught. Curiosity got the best of her and she sneaked her way closer to the doorframe to see if anything was the matter. Before she reached the room, a deafening voice echoed through the halls.

"I don't care about your goddamn problems. It either happens on Saturday or it doesn't!" Victor hollered at the vid-phone, disregarding Relena's presence on the other side of the doorway. "I want no excuses. ... Fine! I'm giving you one last chance Mueller." He concluded before ending the connection.

Relena lost her balance somewhat and graced the wooden frame with her elbow, which stirred the door to creak inwardly.

"Who's there?" Sanchez commanded, facing the source of the sound.

"It's me, Victor. I heard some shouting and I wanted to see if everything was all right." Relena replied, walking confidently into the room. He remained silent and she too, had nothing else to say at the moment. Then, she broke the dead silence and asked, "Who's Mueller?"

"None of your concern!" He snapped. Then he tuned his voice down to a more respectable frequency, adding, "That is, he...he's just someone who owes me money."

She didn't believe him and didn't feel much for a verbal confrontation. Relena simply nodded at him and departed from the room and into her office. Without much effort, she was beginning to dislike her so-called bodyguard. 'What will happen on Saturday?' She thought. "Perhaps Victor was discussing the details in relation to Saturday's event."

"Yes, that must be it." Relena murmured to herself. She ignored all the unsettling negative thoughts in her mind and went to work. Hours passed and she hardly had any words written on her paper. Despite her efforts, her mental processes were clearly not on the speech. Instead, they loomed over her assailant, the prank letters, and Heero. "What's the connection?" Discovering that she could no longer sit in one place, she started pacing her office back and forth, trying to recollect the incident that night when she was attacked.

Blurry? And dark? That was all she could remember. But there had to be something else. '"Think Relena. Think!" She scolded herself. "Heero couldn't have been the one who attacked me." But she wasn't sure of anything anymore. Growing more frustrated as she attempted to replay the scene, she contacted Duo through the vid-phone.

"Hey Princess. Getting ready for the ball?" Duo asked cheerfully once he connected himself onto frequency.

"I've had other things on my mind Duo." She said jovially. "Can you look up something for me?"

He answered optimistically, "Name it!"

"Well, there's a person named Mueller who's had contact with Victor and..." Relena began explaining and was suddenly cut off by Duo.

"Sanchez? You mean your good-for-nothing bodyguard? It does seem suspicious that he's communicating with others." He replied, frowning. "I'll check him out. Hang tight, Relena."

Duo disconnected the line, without waiting for her response. She turned off the screen and sighed loudly, leaning her body against her oak desk. It seemed as if the nightmare would never come to an end.


~*~*~

THURSDAY

Early in the morning, two biological technicians stood in a genetic laboratory, analyzing the blood found in the crime scene. Wearing the standard lab coat and glasses, Sally Po gazed through the microscope to identify the compounds of the solution. Unfortunately she couldn't pinpoint a cell that related to Heero's blood type. Under detailed analysis and experimentation with her lab assistant, her conclusion was that the blood belonged to the assailant and since Heero had no scratches on him, he couldn't be the culprit regardless of what Zechs thought.

"Then, who is it?" Sally wondered. After completing the extensive procedure in genetic analysis, she reported her findings to her superior, hoping some valid information could come from her conclusions.




Thursday afternoon, Quatre contacted several sources without going through Milliardo and successfully gained assess into the cell, which Heero was held in confinement. The former Gundam Pilots needed to discuss a few important matters with the perfect soldier and they agreed to have the former pilot of Sandrock to represent their bodies. Being the extremely kind and caring individual that he is, he willingly volunteered.

Like Duo, when he walked into the restrained compound, Heero stood motionless, leaning against the far-side wall.

"Hello, Heero." Quatre began as he closed the door to secure their private conversation. He received the customary reaction, nothing.

He ignored Heero's response and continued, "We've been researching, specifically Duo, and he discovered something important."

Heero turned his focus over to the blond pilot and stared at him, as a signal for him to resume his thought process.

Quatre maintained his eye contact on his former colleague and said hesitantly, "You know about Victor Sanchez, don't you?"

"Bodyguard, hired by Zechs." Heero replied blatantly. "Let me guess. You've discovered the man named Mueller."

"What? How...how did you know?" Quatre stammered, clearly shocked by this turn of events. He thought no one else knew aside from the other four Gundam pilots. "Duo conducted a background check on Sanchez several times but the one he did most recently produced a colleague of his, Marcus Mueller."

"They graduated from the same military academy on the Earth Sphere Alliance twenty five years back." Heero added, uneventfully.

"Yes. You knew all along didn't you?" Quatre asked. "Then, you know their connection with Relena?"

"The day is drawing near, Quatre. You know what to do." Heero replied, obviously referring to the embassy ball.

"I know. We'll look out for her, so don't worry about it. Remember, you can't break out of here!" Quatre ordered adamantly. In fact, all four Gundam Pilots agreed that it would be for the best if Heero's presence were not found anywhere near the ball, especially anywhere near Milliardo.

"Does she know?"

Quatre answered, "No, but she suspects something. She was the one who contacted Duo and asked if he could perform the background check."

"Make sure it remains unknown to her. I don't want her acting different, in front of him. You know what could happen if she discovers the truth." Heero exclaimed, calmly.

"No one will talk, Heero. Do I have your word that you'll remain here during the event?"

Heero didn't respond. He lowered his head and closed his eyes, as if in deep thought. Quatre prayed that Heero's actions would prove in their favour but the perfect soldier had constantly been an unpredictable sort. Quatre bid his farewell and departed the room.

Several minutes after Quatre's departure, Heero spoke to himself, "If you all think I'll sit and do nothing while Relena's life is in jeopardy, think again."



TBC...