Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Witches Shoe ❯ Chapter 18
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: deathangel125 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Romance / Suspense | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 04.20.2016 | Pages: 8 | Words: 5.4K | Visits: 203 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Romance / Suspense | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 04.20.2016 | Pages: 8 | Words: 5.4K | Visits: 203 | Status: Work In Progress
Warnings and disclaimers in first section.
Peter and Betty Chastain are the owners and operators of the Ringman and people I’ve considered friends for a number of years. I’ve helped them out of sticky situations a number of times and would do so as many times as it was necessary to keep them safe from those in the PSP that would willingly imprison them. Lucky for me and Trowa, Peter and Betty had willingly put themselves in harm’s way to let me know the PSP had been actively looking for me in the area, something that wouldn’t have happened two months before that, proving how badly they wanted me away from the Shoe.
After boarding the Ringman through the airlock tube, we’d been welcomed by the couple with warnings of what was happening and an explanation of how they had gotten drug into our mess. Trowa looked like he was ready to shoot something, or someone, as Peter related what had happened to them, prompting them to find me, even though they could go to prison for a long, long time if they were caught helping me.
“Lieutenant Wing-ding, or whatever his name is, stopped us at the barricade. Me n’ Betty thought we were done for; our pictures are posted all over the ‘verse, you know. Said that if we could get the Hellion to those coordinates, our records would be wiped clean,” Peter told us with a shake of his head.
“What if you couldn’t get me there?”
Peter’s smile was a thin slash of pure maliciousness. Like me, he didn’t take kindly to being threatened. “Said if we couldn’t get you to listen, our status would be moved up to level one terrorists instead of level five murderers.”
I had never believed the PSP would go that far. Moving the Chastain’s from murderer level five, something most cops don’t even keep an eye out for, to terrorist level one, where every police force would actively be looking for them, would make a lot of people ask questions they wouldn’t want to answer. It proved how desperate the PSP was to stop me from making it to the Shoe and renewed my determination to get there. “I don’t want you guys getting in worse trouble. You have enough problems making a living now.”
“Don’t you worry that pretty head, not about us.” In contrast to her skinny husband, Betty was a full-figured woman that’s had a lot of work done to help her keep her…um…girlish figure. I imagine she paid quite a bit for those breasts before they became outlaws…and I’m referring to the couple, not the boobs. “We don’t mind the way we live and the people that matter to us know the truth about how we came to live in space. Those cocksuckers shouldn’t have threatened us.”
“Bets…” Peter winced, looking from me to Trowa. Guess he’d realized there was more between us than partnership, not that it wasn’t completely obvious from the hand that was resting on my thigh in a possessive manner.
“You know what I mean,” Betty waved a manicured hand around. The pretty nails might have fooled me if I hadn’t known her hands were rough and calloused from spending long hours repairing the ship’s wiring when it needed it. Under that bleached blonde hair was the brain of an electronics and wiring genius. “Those white pigs need to learn who they’re talkin’ to before they go and spout off orders.”
“What’s your plan?” Trowa had been silent since we boarded the Ringman, probably shocked by my assumption. Really, he shouldn’t have been. It was a damn good idea; there were no laws on the Shoe and no restrictions on travel other than a brief glance at what you’re carrying so the dock workers could decide if they wanted to filch something. Even if there was someone who planned to make sure I didn’t get on the Shoe, who would think to check a smugglers hold they didn’t know existed?
“You aren’t claustrophobic, are you?” Peter’s tone was brisk, like the banker he used to be before he and Betty decided to try something new and bought a ship so they could transport people from one outer satellite or colony to another. “We only have one hold big enough to hold a person, but it’s really only meant for one at a time. It’ll be tight fit.”
“I think we can manage.” Probably shouldn’t have said that so enthusiastically; Trowa’s face turned as red as Rudolph’s nose on Christmas Eve with a blizzard blowing.
“You already knew what we were going to suggest.”
I had to smile at Betty’s pout. “It’s a damn good idea, but what about the Hellion? I won’t just leave her out here for pirates to get. That would not make me a happy camper.”
“Barrett!” I turned in the direction Betty was looking, shocked when a man came into the galley. I didn’t have to ask who he was; he looked just like his father, thin, but holding his back straight with an inner pride for who he is. “This is our oldest, Barrett. He’s a damn good pilot, Duo, one that will take your Hellion to the coordinates the PSP gave us.”
“Bad idea, Bets. They won’t be happy when they find out I’m not on board.”
“It’s a good idea. We’re figuring they want to stall you for some reason. Anyone that knows you knows you won’t open your ship to the PSP unless it’s for a damn good reason, especially not after being arrested so recently. I don’t know what business you have on the Shoe, but it’s clearly important to you. You don’t usually stay long; how long do you think this is going to take?”
Considering the danger they were putting themselves and their son into, I thought it was best to tell the truth, or most of it. “We’ve been hired to find and retrieve a wealthy and respected businessman that’s been kidnapped and being held on the Shoe.”
Peter sighed heavily, “That’s what happened to Winner. I didn’t believe he would suddenly fall out of the spotlight and turn into a recluse, despite what the news is saying.” He shook his head, eyes somber, “The PSP hadn’t been pleased with his help in regards to the peace negotiations. This year, in particular, there’s been talk of revenge.”
I wasn’t surprised Peter figured this out; he’s a smart man. “Why now? Why is this year so important?”
“Winner and others like him are pushing for the PSP to be dismantled. I guess he heard about some of the dirty deals they’ve been making; the rumors are all over the Shoe and outland satellites and were bound to eventually work their way to the colonies under Sphere control. They were going to argue that the Preventers are more capable and unbiased. Dismantling the PSP would mean that each and every officer would have to go through an intensive background check before they are allowed to join another peacekeeping force.”
“With that kind of check, all of the dirty white pigs would be tossed in the stockade, not just left without jobs.”
Trowa’s hand on my thigh tensed. He’d just realized the same thing I had and of course, it was not good news. “If they want to ensure the topic of dismantling the PSP won’t be brought up again, they’ll want to make a statement no one will be lightly to forget. Duo, the best message they could send would be to…”
“Yeah. They won’t bother moving Quatre; they’ll just kill him on the Shoe once he outlives his usefulness.” It was beginning to make sense why the PSP were so determined to keep me off of the Shoe. Anyone that knew me knew that I would never allow such a thing to happen if I could stop it and I didn’t like the ramifications of what would happen if Quatre was killed on Witches Shoe.
Quatre being killed was a horrible thought to entertain, but when you considered that his death would give the PSP and Preventers a reason to do a cleansing of the Shoe, the possible future of all the people that lived and worked there became a very disturbing prospect. I also had to consider that a number of people there knew me and would be more than willing to rat me out if it meant a reduced sentence for them. For now, Une could ignore my business, but if it were brought out in the open, she would have no choice other than to issue a warrant for my arrest, along with hundreds of other smugglers that occasionally did business on the Shoe.
My veins were filled with ice as I turned to look at Barrett. It went against my nature to trust anyone else with my ship, but there wasn’t a choice in this. In my opinion, trusting Trowa with the Hellion wasn’t the same thing; he was my partner, if only for a little while. “If you’re going to be flying my Hellion, there are a few things you need to know.”
We worked things through and formed a plan while eating a meal that consisted of fruit and salad. I said it was a plan; Trowa said it was suicide. Guess we couldn’t agree on everything.
I took another bite of an apple that was only a little soft, can’t be too picky that far out in space, and nodded as I thought everything through once more. “I don’t see any real obstacles once we land. The whites will still be looking for me out here, thanks to Barrett. Our main problem will be getting Quatre off the colony before they realize what we’re doing.”
“If you can get him back to the Ringman, we’ll get him off the Shoe.”
“That’s dangerous, Betty.”
“We believe this is the best thing to do,” Peter took his wife’s hand, showing me that he agreed with her. “If something happens to Winner, the PSP will gain even more control than they have over the places where we feel safe. Nobody will be able to stop them once they begin to take over places like the Shoe; they already have a foot in the door, thanks to damn criminals.”
He’s right, as hard as it was to believe. They’d been telling us about some of the businesses that had sprung up on the Shoe, seemingly overnight. Those new businesses are where people working for jerks like Allbright buy people to work for them, consensual or not. Since I didn’t go to the Shoe that often, I paid attention to the changes they had told me about the colony.
Don’t get me wrong, the Shoe has always been a lawless place, but it sounded worse, with the PSP presence getting stronger. Their hands were in almost everything, from contract kills to murder in the streets, thieving and smuggling and everything in between. “Why hasn’t anyone tried to stop them? I can’t believe that the pirates and assassins just sat back and let them take over without putting up a fight.” Pirates have always been high on the Shoe’s totem pole, the closest thing to a mafia family.
“They tried, at first,” Peter shook his head, mouth in a disapproving line. “It’s hard to stand against someone when they can track you on the outside, Duo. This is the first time we’ve gone back to the Shoe since we saw someone being put in the maiden.”
“Maiden?”
“An old iron maiden that was brought here by the Shoe’s first settlers,” I told Trowa, trying not to wince when he squeezed my thigh. He’s fucking strong and had a hell of a grip on my leg. “They joked that anyone that tried to revolt on the Shoe would be put in the maiden. It was a joke because what the hell was someone going to revolt against?” I felt a little nauseous. “Someone was put in there? It wasn’t actually meant to be used. That thing was so old and rusted…” whoever was put in that metal torture device died a slow, agonizing death. “How did this get started? The last time I was on the Shoe, nobody would have allowed this to happen.”
“Barrett?” Betty was looking at her son with a questioning expression. “Barrett actually lived on the Shoe with his girlfriend, a pirate named Melis.”
“Melis Nastronova?” I knew Melis, a tough pirate that was proud of what and who she is. She worked on a ship called the Last Stop, a joke I understood. Come to think of it, I hadn’t heard anything about the Last Stop or its crew in a number of months. “How is she?”
“Dead, along with her crew.” Barrett stared at his bowl, food left untouched. Melis clearly meant a lot to him and I thought she was the reason there was a light of determination in his eyes, fervor to get revenge somehow. It’s something I could relate to. “The captain and crew of the Last Stop weren’t happy about the changes that were being made; the PSP was demanding a cut of each haul and taking whatever cargo they wanted. The crew, including Melis, voiced their opinions and was warned to stand down or they’d be made an example of. They kept talking and the white pigs waited until they left the colony and shot the ship down while it was still in sight of the Shoe. It made a sufficient argument to keep any more objections silent. Melis…was five months pregnant. She wanted to go on one last run before retiring.”
Christ. No wonder Barrett was so damn quiet. He lost his woman and his child at the same time. “Do you know who gave the order?” Let it be Allbright, please god. “Harrison. Rudy Harrison. He’s the one that runs most of the operations on the Shoe.” Damn, I had been really hoping for… “Most of his orders come from a bastard named Allbright. They’re close.”
“How close?”
“Not as close as you two, but they have a relationship.” Barrett turned red as his eyes met mine for an instant, “It’s obvious that there’s something special between you two, like what I had with Melis. With Allbright and Harrison, it’s only about pleasure.” He stood and gave us a stiff nod, “I’m going to go ahead and take your ship, Duo. If it sits still out here too long, someone might notice.”
“How long do you think it’s going to take to find Winner?”
Crap, I had been avoiding that question as long as possible, hoping to talk to the couple in private. Trowa was opening his mouth when I spoke, “As long as there aren’t any more major surprises, we should be able to get in and out in less than a week. I’m hoping it doesn’t take more than three or four days. That may be all the time we have to get to Quatre before they decide to take drastic measures.”
Beside me, Trowa went stiff and motionless, his hand tightening painfully. I didn’t know how he had been going to react, but I didn’t expect him to withdraw from me abruptly, both physically and mentally, his hand disappearing as he cleared his throat, “I’d like a few minutes to myself, if you don’t mind.”
“We’ve a room ready for you two to rest in until we get to the Shoe,” Peter was watching Trowa, eyes turning to me in sympathy after a moment. “Bets, will you show Trowa to the cabin?”
“Sure. Come with me, honey.”
Peter waited until they were gone before lifting an eyebrow at me, “Duo, I don’t usually meddle in other people’s lives, especially one I respect as much as you, but are you sure you should be taking Trowa with you? Obviously, he didn’t know how long you were going to be on the Shoe.”
“Why wouldn’t I want him with me?”
“You’re planning to take a Preventer agent into enemy territory when he has no working knowledge of Witches Shoe. If that wasn’t bad enough, this agent is as in love with you are you are with him. One of you is going to get hurt or killed trying to protect the other. I’m betting you’ll be the one to sacrifice your life to keep him safe after he does something to give himself away.”
“Trowa’s not an agent -”
“Don’t insult me.”
I had to smile. Peter has a way of being diplomatic, but he can really cut his way around the bullshit when he wants. “He isn’t an agent, not at the moment. For now, he’s my business partner and co-owner of the Hellion. He’s currently listed as a former agent and no longer on the payroll. How did you know?”
“The same way I know you work for the agency occasionally; you aren’t the only one that still has contacts on the outside. I’ve never said anything before because you don’t pursue our kind. What you do, you do for good reasons. Also, I like you and tend to give you the benefit of the doubt. Until you do something I see as wrong, I’ll keep what you do to myself.”
“I don’t want you keep secrets from Betty. You can tell her if you want.”
“That’s one reason I won’t tell her. You are an honest person to your friends, Duo. I’ll keep the information to myself for now. My point is…Trowa is a liability.”
“Trowa’s more than capable of doing -”
“You’ll die to protect him if you need to, or even if you think it’ll keep him from being hurt.”
“I have a healthy respect for life, Peter.”
“I’m aware of that, but I’m also aware that you don’t let people into your life easily. If you feel that Trowa’s in danger, you’ll put yourself in harm’s way. You shouldn’t take him with you. If you do, something might happen to stop you from saving Winner.”
“I’ll think about it, okay? You may be right.” It’s something I had been thinking about, but I didn’t know how in the hell to convince Trowa he needed to stay behind. It wasn’t likely, but I guess I had to try. “I’ll talk to Trowa and see what he says about it. He might have another idea.”
“You do that.” Peter’s tone told me his opinion: there was no way Trowa would agree to me going on my own. “We’ll be reaching the Shoe’s docking lanes in about six hours; I suggest you use that time to talk to your partner and get some rest.”
I was walking to the door when I stopped and frowned, “I get how you found out about my work with the Preventers, thanks for keeping that between us, but how did you know how I feel about Trowa?”
“Like Barrett said, it’s pretty obvious that there’s something between you. If we can see it, someone else will be able to and likely use that weakness against you. Either leave him behind or figure out a way to hide how you feel. If those don’t work, you need to find a way to use that weakness to your advantage.”
I didn’t go directly to the cabin where Trowa was, but took a detour to one of the large holds aboard the Ringman where clients would put their belongings during the trip. I spent a little time staring out at the stars that had been my home for years, yet I didn’t feel the peace I used to as I looked out. I never thought that bringing Trowa along on a reconnaissance mission would change my entire life, but it had and it was too damn late to go back and repair the damage.
If I could go back, knowing what I knew about the trip, would I have chosen Heero instead of Trowa to go with me? To protect myself and keep my heart whole, would I have decided Heero was the best choice in spite of his relationship with Quatre? Would I have let Trowa come along even knowing of the heartbreak I was going to feel when I said goodbye?
I should say I would have chosen differently, shouldn’t I? A person with common sense would choose the least painful scenario, wouldn’t they? I guess that means I don’t have any common sense because I would have made the same decision all over again. Did that make me a total idiot or a glutton for punishment? Either way, it was time to stop stalling and talk to Trowa.
He was sitting on the bunk, his arms crossed over his chest, feet flat on the floor and scowling at the wall so hard I was surprised there wasn’t a hole in it. As soon as the door closed behind me, he was talking in a voice so soft it was almost impossible to hear him. “You already knew we would only be on the Shoe for a few days, yet you let me believe we would have more time. Did you think it was funny to let me think that way? Is this fun for you; toying with me this way?”
I didn’t bother to tell him about the night I had attempted to tell him; it wouldn’t have been helpful. “I knew. I didn’t want to tell you. I might have been hoping there would be a reason to take our time, but that’s not possible now. We’ll have to move faster than I anticipated to get Quatre out safely. No, I don’t think it’s funny at all. I just…didn’t know how to tell you.”
Trowa looked at me and I flinched. He wasn’t just mad, he was also hurt. I still wouldn’t have changed anything. “You don’t like telling me much of anything, do you? Anything you’ve ever told me I had to hassle out of you. There hasn’t been a single time that you offered information without it having to do with Quatre.”
“It goes against my nature to share things, Trowa. In my life, offering information can be dangerous. It’s a habit.” I moved across the room and sat on the bed, but kept some distance between us. He didn’t want my touch; that was clear by the way he turned slightly away from me, a small motion that spoke volumes. “I don’t know how to tell you things.”
“Is it so hard for you to share anything with anyone? Do you like your solitary life so much that you have to keep everything to yourself?”
Swallowing hard, I stared at my hands, the syn-skin covering the worst of my injuries. “I’ve never had a problem being alone. If I was alone and taking care of myself, I didn’t have to take a risk by letting anyone close. If I didn’t let anyone close, I didn’t have to worry about getting hurt again. I liked my life, Trowa.”
“I’m sorry for - ”
“I said I liked it,” I interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. Whatever he had been about to say wasn’t going to be nice. “That was before you came with me on this messed up trip and turned every damn thing in my life upside down. I didn’t want anything to get in the way of our last few days aboard the Hellion, Trowa. I didn’t want to have to think about the end of this job. I wanted to be able to pretend, for just a little while, that nothing would change.”
He had turned toward me, watching me with sad eyes, “Nothing has to change. We can figure something out.”
“Trowa, I might not like to share things about my past, but I try my best to face the present. You know it’s impossible, you’ve already said it. There is no in-between in our lives. I’m a smuggler, you’re a Preventer. Where is there any room for compromise?”
“There has to be some way. I can’t accept that I won’t get to see you again.”
“It has to be that way. The only thing we can do is accept it. Searching for a different way won’t do anything but hurt us both. When Quatre is safely aboard the Ringman, you won’t see me again.” I wanted to blame the lump in my throat on the salad, but it was emotion that was threatening to choke me to death. “Promise me you won’t look back, that you won’t look for a way to see me again.”
“I don’t want -”
“Promise me. You have to promise me you’ll forget about all of this and move on with your life. Tell me you’ll find someone that fits into your life and makes you happy.”
“I can’t promise you that. No one will ever be able to make me feel the way I’ve felt with you. You are more than I could have ever hoped for, Duo, and I’ve felt more alive with you than I have before. Jesus, don’t do that,” he whispered suddenly, putting his hands on my face and swiping with his thumbs under my eyes. “Please don’t cry.”
“I don’t cry.” Normally, I didn’t. That thing earlier, while thinking about Milo, was months of pain and frustration combined with the raging emotions I had been fighting. I don’t cry, damn it, but the moisture on my face was coming from somewhere. “I don’t cry.”
“Then your eyes are watering really bad,” he smiled slightly at me before kissing me, not at all bothered by the tears I couldn’t seem to stop after they’d started. “It must be something on this ship that you’re allergic to.”
“Yeah, that’s it.” In truth, I had just realized how damn empty my life was going to be without him harassing the hell out of me with his constant questions. I’ll be alone in space, always searching for the next score while he went back to Earth and found someone that could give him what he needed. At least I wouldn’t have to see him with someone else.
I did manage to stop crying after a few minutes by putting my mind on what we had to do to save Quatre. Wanting to be closer to him I shifted, sliding into his lap and putting my legs around his waist. Trowa was surprised at the sudden move, but his hands were instantly holding me in place. “I don’t want you going with me.”
“I’m going, Duo. You need someone to watch your back. You aren’t going without me. I haven’t spent all this time learning slang not to use it at least once.”
He didn’t realize that he had been using spacer slang pretty often for the last few days. “I kinda thought that’d be your answer, but I had to try. Trowa…” there were a thousand things I wanted to say, but none were good enough. “You have to do what I tell you on the Shoe, okay? No hesitating, no arguing, no second guessing. Our lives will depend on you listening.”
“I swear I’ll do what you say, as long as you don’t tell me to leave you alone. That…I won’t do that.” His hands were on my ass, heat soaking through the leather as they kneaded my flesh. “I won’t leave you.”
“We only have a few hours left before we have to get in the smuggler’s hold. We should rest. Once we get on the Shoe, we’re gonna be busy as hell.”
“We’ll get some rest before we go,” he told me, but his mouth was already on my neck, nibbling in a way that had my eyes crossing. I swear that mouth should be registered as a deadly weapon.
Pushing worries aside, I let him lay me on the bed, his body pressing into me in a way that was erotic and comforting at the same time. “Well, since you put it that way, who am I to disagree?”
Peter and Betty Chastain are the owners and operators of the Ringman and people I’ve considered friends for a number of years. I’ve helped them out of sticky situations a number of times and would do so as many times as it was necessary to keep them safe from those in the PSP that would willingly imprison them. Lucky for me and Trowa, Peter and Betty had willingly put themselves in harm’s way to let me know the PSP had been actively looking for me in the area, something that wouldn’t have happened two months before that, proving how badly they wanted me away from the Shoe.
After boarding the Ringman through the airlock tube, we’d been welcomed by the couple with warnings of what was happening and an explanation of how they had gotten drug into our mess. Trowa looked like he was ready to shoot something, or someone, as Peter related what had happened to them, prompting them to find me, even though they could go to prison for a long, long time if they were caught helping me.
“Lieutenant Wing-ding, or whatever his name is, stopped us at the barricade. Me n’ Betty thought we were done for; our pictures are posted all over the ‘verse, you know. Said that if we could get the Hellion to those coordinates, our records would be wiped clean,” Peter told us with a shake of his head.
“What if you couldn’t get me there?”
Peter’s smile was a thin slash of pure maliciousness. Like me, he didn’t take kindly to being threatened. “Said if we couldn’t get you to listen, our status would be moved up to level one terrorists instead of level five murderers.”
I had never believed the PSP would go that far. Moving the Chastain’s from murderer level five, something most cops don’t even keep an eye out for, to terrorist level one, where every police force would actively be looking for them, would make a lot of people ask questions they wouldn’t want to answer. It proved how desperate the PSP was to stop me from making it to the Shoe and renewed my determination to get there. “I don’t want you guys getting in worse trouble. You have enough problems making a living now.”
“Don’t you worry that pretty head, not about us.” In contrast to her skinny husband, Betty was a full-figured woman that’s had a lot of work done to help her keep her…um…girlish figure. I imagine she paid quite a bit for those breasts before they became outlaws…and I’m referring to the couple, not the boobs. “We don’t mind the way we live and the people that matter to us know the truth about how we came to live in space. Those cocksuckers shouldn’t have threatened us.”
“Bets…” Peter winced, looking from me to Trowa. Guess he’d realized there was more between us than partnership, not that it wasn’t completely obvious from the hand that was resting on my thigh in a possessive manner.
“You know what I mean,” Betty waved a manicured hand around. The pretty nails might have fooled me if I hadn’t known her hands were rough and calloused from spending long hours repairing the ship’s wiring when it needed it. Under that bleached blonde hair was the brain of an electronics and wiring genius. “Those white pigs need to learn who they’re talkin’ to before they go and spout off orders.”
“What’s your plan?” Trowa had been silent since we boarded the Ringman, probably shocked by my assumption. Really, he shouldn’t have been. It was a damn good idea; there were no laws on the Shoe and no restrictions on travel other than a brief glance at what you’re carrying so the dock workers could decide if they wanted to filch something. Even if there was someone who planned to make sure I didn’t get on the Shoe, who would think to check a smugglers hold they didn’t know existed?
“You aren’t claustrophobic, are you?” Peter’s tone was brisk, like the banker he used to be before he and Betty decided to try something new and bought a ship so they could transport people from one outer satellite or colony to another. “We only have one hold big enough to hold a person, but it’s really only meant for one at a time. It’ll be tight fit.”
“I think we can manage.” Probably shouldn’t have said that so enthusiastically; Trowa’s face turned as red as Rudolph’s nose on Christmas Eve with a blizzard blowing.
“You already knew what we were going to suggest.”
I had to smile at Betty’s pout. “It’s a damn good idea, but what about the Hellion? I won’t just leave her out here for pirates to get. That would not make me a happy camper.”
“Barrett!” I turned in the direction Betty was looking, shocked when a man came into the galley. I didn’t have to ask who he was; he looked just like his father, thin, but holding his back straight with an inner pride for who he is. “This is our oldest, Barrett. He’s a damn good pilot, Duo, one that will take your Hellion to the coordinates the PSP gave us.”
“Bad idea, Bets. They won’t be happy when they find out I’m not on board.”
“It’s a good idea. We’re figuring they want to stall you for some reason. Anyone that knows you knows you won’t open your ship to the PSP unless it’s for a damn good reason, especially not after being arrested so recently. I don’t know what business you have on the Shoe, but it’s clearly important to you. You don’t usually stay long; how long do you think this is going to take?”
Considering the danger they were putting themselves and their son into, I thought it was best to tell the truth, or most of it. “We’ve been hired to find and retrieve a wealthy and respected businessman that’s been kidnapped and being held on the Shoe.”
Peter sighed heavily, “That’s what happened to Winner. I didn’t believe he would suddenly fall out of the spotlight and turn into a recluse, despite what the news is saying.” He shook his head, eyes somber, “The PSP hadn’t been pleased with his help in regards to the peace negotiations. This year, in particular, there’s been talk of revenge.”
I wasn’t surprised Peter figured this out; he’s a smart man. “Why now? Why is this year so important?”
“Winner and others like him are pushing for the PSP to be dismantled. I guess he heard about some of the dirty deals they’ve been making; the rumors are all over the Shoe and outland satellites and were bound to eventually work their way to the colonies under Sphere control. They were going to argue that the Preventers are more capable and unbiased. Dismantling the PSP would mean that each and every officer would have to go through an intensive background check before they are allowed to join another peacekeeping force.”
“With that kind of check, all of the dirty white pigs would be tossed in the stockade, not just left without jobs.”
Trowa’s hand on my thigh tensed. He’d just realized the same thing I had and of course, it was not good news. “If they want to ensure the topic of dismantling the PSP won’t be brought up again, they’ll want to make a statement no one will be lightly to forget. Duo, the best message they could send would be to…”
“Yeah. They won’t bother moving Quatre; they’ll just kill him on the Shoe once he outlives his usefulness.” It was beginning to make sense why the PSP were so determined to keep me off of the Shoe. Anyone that knew me knew that I would never allow such a thing to happen if I could stop it and I didn’t like the ramifications of what would happen if Quatre was killed on Witches Shoe.
Quatre being killed was a horrible thought to entertain, but when you considered that his death would give the PSP and Preventers a reason to do a cleansing of the Shoe, the possible future of all the people that lived and worked there became a very disturbing prospect. I also had to consider that a number of people there knew me and would be more than willing to rat me out if it meant a reduced sentence for them. For now, Une could ignore my business, but if it were brought out in the open, she would have no choice other than to issue a warrant for my arrest, along with hundreds of other smugglers that occasionally did business on the Shoe.
My veins were filled with ice as I turned to look at Barrett. It went against my nature to trust anyone else with my ship, but there wasn’t a choice in this. In my opinion, trusting Trowa with the Hellion wasn’t the same thing; he was my partner, if only for a little while. “If you’re going to be flying my Hellion, there are a few things you need to know.”
We worked things through and formed a plan while eating a meal that consisted of fruit and salad. I said it was a plan; Trowa said it was suicide. Guess we couldn’t agree on everything.
I took another bite of an apple that was only a little soft, can’t be too picky that far out in space, and nodded as I thought everything through once more. “I don’t see any real obstacles once we land. The whites will still be looking for me out here, thanks to Barrett. Our main problem will be getting Quatre off the colony before they realize what we’re doing.”
“If you can get him back to the Ringman, we’ll get him off the Shoe.”
“That’s dangerous, Betty.”
“We believe this is the best thing to do,” Peter took his wife’s hand, showing me that he agreed with her. “If something happens to Winner, the PSP will gain even more control than they have over the places where we feel safe. Nobody will be able to stop them once they begin to take over places like the Shoe; they already have a foot in the door, thanks to damn criminals.”
He’s right, as hard as it was to believe. They’d been telling us about some of the businesses that had sprung up on the Shoe, seemingly overnight. Those new businesses are where people working for jerks like Allbright buy people to work for them, consensual or not. Since I didn’t go to the Shoe that often, I paid attention to the changes they had told me about the colony.
Don’t get me wrong, the Shoe has always been a lawless place, but it sounded worse, with the PSP presence getting stronger. Their hands were in almost everything, from contract kills to murder in the streets, thieving and smuggling and everything in between. “Why hasn’t anyone tried to stop them? I can’t believe that the pirates and assassins just sat back and let them take over without putting up a fight.” Pirates have always been high on the Shoe’s totem pole, the closest thing to a mafia family.
“They tried, at first,” Peter shook his head, mouth in a disapproving line. “It’s hard to stand against someone when they can track you on the outside, Duo. This is the first time we’ve gone back to the Shoe since we saw someone being put in the maiden.”
“Maiden?”
“An old iron maiden that was brought here by the Shoe’s first settlers,” I told Trowa, trying not to wince when he squeezed my thigh. He’s fucking strong and had a hell of a grip on my leg. “They joked that anyone that tried to revolt on the Shoe would be put in the maiden. It was a joke because what the hell was someone going to revolt against?” I felt a little nauseous. “Someone was put in there? It wasn’t actually meant to be used. That thing was so old and rusted…” whoever was put in that metal torture device died a slow, agonizing death. “How did this get started? The last time I was on the Shoe, nobody would have allowed this to happen.”
“Barrett?” Betty was looking at her son with a questioning expression. “Barrett actually lived on the Shoe with his girlfriend, a pirate named Melis.”
“Melis Nastronova?” I knew Melis, a tough pirate that was proud of what and who she is. She worked on a ship called the Last Stop, a joke I understood. Come to think of it, I hadn’t heard anything about the Last Stop or its crew in a number of months. “How is she?”
“Dead, along with her crew.” Barrett stared at his bowl, food left untouched. Melis clearly meant a lot to him and I thought she was the reason there was a light of determination in his eyes, fervor to get revenge somehow. It’s something I could relate to. “The captain and crew of the Last Stop weren’t happy about the changes that were being made; the PSP was demanding a cut of each haul and taking whatever cargo they wanted. The crew, including Melis, voiced their opinions and was warned to stand down or they’d be made an example of. They kept talking and the white pigs waited until they left the colony and shot the ship down while it was still in sight of the Shoe. It made a sufficient argument to keep any more objections silent. Melis…was five months pregnant. She wanted to go on one last run before retiring.”
Christ. No wonder Barrett was so damn quiet. He lost his woman and his child at the same time. “Do you know who gave the order?” Let it be Allbright, please god. “Harrison. Rudy Harrison. He’s the one that runs most of the operations on the Shoe.” Damn, I had been really hoping for… “Most of his orders come from a bastard named Allbright. They’re close.”
“How close?”
“Not as close as you two, but they have a relationship.” Barrett turned red as his eyes met mine for an instant, “It’s obvious that there’s something special between you two, like what I had with Melis. With Allbright and Harrison, it’s only about pleasure.” He stood and gave us a stiff nod, “I’m going to go ahead and take your ship, Duo. If it sits still out here too long, someone might notice.”
“How long do you think it’s going to take to find Winner?”
Crap, I had been avoiding that question as long as possible, hoping to talk to the couple in private. Trowa was opening his mouth when I spoke, “As long as there aren’t any more major surprises, we should be able to get in and out in less than a week. I’m hoping it doesn’t take more than three or four days. That may be all the time we have to get to Quatre before they decide to take drastic measures.”
Beside me, Trowa went stiff and motionless, his hand tightening painfully. I didn’t know how he had been going to react, but I didn’t expect him to withdraw from me abruptly, both physically and mentally, his hand disappearing as he cleared his throat, “I’d like a few minutes to myself, if you don’t mind.”
“We’ve a room ready for you two to rest in until we get to the Shoe,” Peter was watching Trowa, eyes turning to me in sympathy after a moment. “Bets, will you show Trowa to the cabin?”
“Sure. Come with me, honey.”
Peter waited until they were gone before lifting an eyebrow at me, “Duo, I don’t usually meddle in other people’s lives, especially one I respect as much as you, but are you sure you should be taking Trowa with you? Obviously, he didn’t know how long you were going to be on the Shoe.”
“Why wouldn’t I want him with me?”
“You’re planning to take a Preventer agent into enemy territory when he has no working knowledge of Witches Shoe. If that wasn’t bad enough, this agent is as in love with you are you are with him. One of you is going to get hurt or killed trying to protect the other. I’m betting you’ll be the one to sacrifice your life to keep him safe after he does something to give himself away.”
“Trowa’s not an agent -”
“Don’t insult me.”
I had to smile. Peter has a way of being diplomatic, but he can really cut his way around the bullshit when he wants. “He isn’t an agent, not at the moment. For now, he’s my business partner and co-owner of the Hellion. He’s currently listed as a former agent and no longer on the payroll. How did you know?”
“The same way I know you work for the agency occasionally; you aren’t the only one that still has contacts on the outside. I’ve never said anything before because you don’t pursue our kind. What you do, you do for good reasons. Also, I like you and tend to give you the benefit of the doubt. Until you do something I see as wrong, I’ll keep what you do to myself.”
“I don’t want you keep secrets from Betty. You can tell her if you want.”
“That’s one reason I won’t tell her. You are an honest person to your friends, Duo. I’ll keep the information to myself for now. My point is…Trowa is a liability.”
“Trowa’s more than capable of doing -”
“You’ll die to protect him if you need to, or even if you think it’ll keep him from being hurt.”
“I have a healthy respect for life, Peter.”
“I’m aware of that, but I’m also aware that you don’t let people into your life easily. If you feel that Trowa’s in danger, you’ll put yourself in harm’s way. You shouldn’t take him with you. If you do, something might happen to stop you from saving Winner.”
“I’ll think about it, okay? You may be right.” It’s something I had been thinking about, but I didn’t know how in the hell to convince Trowa he needed to stay behind. It wasn’t likely, but I guess I had to try. “I’ll talk to Trowa and see what he says about it. He might have another idea.”
“You do that.” Peter’s tone told me his opinion: there was no way Trowa would agree to me going on my own. “We’ll be reaching the Shoe’s docking lanes in about six hours; I suggest you use that time to talk to your partner and get some rest.”
I was walking to the door when I stopped and frowned, “I get how you found out about my work with the Preventers, thanks for keeping that between us, but how did you know how I feel about Trowa?”
“Like Barrett said, it’s pretty obvious that there’s something between you. If we can see it, someone else will be able to and likely use that weakness against you. Either leave him behind or figure out a way to hide how you feel. If those don’t work, you need to find a way to use that weakness to your advantage.”
I didn’t go directly to the cabin where Trowa was, but took a detour to one of the large holds aboard the Ringman where clients would put their belongings during the trip. I spent a little time staring out at the stars that had been my home for years, yet I didn’t feel the peace I used to as I looked out. I never thought that bringing Trowa along on a reconnaissance mission would change my entire life, but it had and it was too damn late to go back and repair the damage.
If I could go back, knowing what I knew about the trip, would I have chosen Heero instead of Trowa to go with me? To protect myself and keep my heart whole, would I have decided Heero was the best choice in spite of his relationship with Quatre? Would I have let Trowa come along even knowing of the heartbreak I was going to feel when I said goodbye?
I should say I would have chosen differently, shouldn’t I? A person with common sense would choose the least painful scenario, wouldn’t they? I guess that means I don’t have any common sense because I would have made the same decision all over again. Did that make me a total idiot or a glutton for punishment? Either way, it was time to stop stalling and talk to Trowa.
He was sitting on the bunk, his arms crossed over his chest, feet flat on the floor and scowling at the wall so hard I was surprised there wasn’t a hole in it. As soon as the door closed behind me, he was talking in a voice so soft it was almost impossible to hear him. “You already knew we would only be on the Shoe for a few days, yet you let me believe we would have more time. Did you think it was funny to let me think that way? Is this fun for you; toying with me this way?”
I didn’t bother to tell him about the night I had attempted to tell him; it wouldn’t have been helpful. “I knew. I didn’t want to tell you. I might have been hoping there would be a reason to take our time, but that’s not possible now. We’ll have to move faster than I anticipated to get Quatre out safely. No, I don’t think it’s funny at all. I just…didn’t know how to tell you.”
Trowa looked at me and I flinched. He wasn’t just mad, he was also hurt. I still wouldn’t have changed anything. “You don’t like telling me much of anything, do you? Anything you’ve ever told me I had to hassle out of you. There hasn’t been a single time that you offered information without it having to do with Quatre.”
“It goes against my nature to share things, Trowa. In my life, offering information can be dangerous. It’s a habit.” I moved across the room and sat on the bed, but kept some distance between us. He didn’t want my touch; that was clear by the way he turned slightly away from me, a small motion that spoke volumes. “I don’t know how to tell you things.”
“Is it so hard for you to share anything with anyone? Do you like your solitary life so much that you have to keep everything to yourself?”
Swallowing hard, I stared at my hands, the syn-skin covering the worst of my injuries. “I’ve never had a problem being alone. If I was alone and taking care of myself, I didn’t have to take a risk by letting anyone close. If I didn’t let anyone close, I didn’t have to worry about getting hurt again. I liked my life, Trowa.”
“I’m sorry for - ”
“I said I liked it,” I interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. Whatever he had been about to say wasn’t going to be nice. “That was before you came with me on this messed up trip and turned every damn thing in my life upside down. I didn’t want anything to get in the way of our last few days aboard the Hellion, Trowa. I didn’t want to have to think about the end of this job. I wanted to be able to pretend, for just a little while, that nothing would change.”
He had turned toward me, watching me with sad eyes, “Nothing has to change. We can figure something out.”
“Trowa, I might not like to share things about my past, but I try my best to face the present. You know it’s impossible, you’ve already said it. There is no in-between in our lives. I’m a smuggler, you’re a Preventer. Where is there any room for compromise?”
“There has to be some way. I can’t accept that I won’t get to see you again.”
“It has to be that way. The only thing we can do is accept it. Searching for a different way won’t do anything but hurt us both. When Quatre is safely aboard the Ringman, you won’t see me again.” I wanted to blame the lump in my throat on the salad, but it was emotion that was threatening to choke me to death. “Promise me you won’t look back, that you won’t look for a way to see me again.”
“I don’t want -”
“Promise me. You have to promise me you’ll forget about all of this and move on with your life. Tell me you’ll find someone that fits into your life and makes you happy.”
“I can’t promise you that. No one will ever be able to make me feel the way I’ve felt with you. You are more than I could have ever hoped for, Duo, and I’ve felt more alive with you than I have before. Jesus, don’t do that,” he whispered suddenly, putting his hands on my face and swiping with his thumbs under my eyes. “Please don’t cry.”
“I don’t cry.” Normally, I didn’t. That thing earlier, while thinking about Milo, was months of pain and frustration combined with the raging emotions I had been fighting. I don’t cry, damn it, but the moisture on my face was coming from somewhere. “I don’t cry.”
“Then your eyes are watering really bad,” he smiled slightly at me before kissing me, not at all bothered by the tears I couldn’t seem to stop after they’d started. “It must be something on this ship that you’re allergic to.”
“Yeah, that’s it.” In truth, I had just realized how damn empty my life was going to be without him harassing the hell out of me with his constant questions. I’ll be alone in space, always searching for the next score while he went back to Earth and found someone that could give him what he needed. At least I wouldn’t have to see him with someone else.
I did manage to stop crying after a few minutes by putting my mind on what we had to do to save Quatre. Wanting to be closer to him I shifted, sliding into his lap and putting my legs around his waist. Trowa was surprised at the sudden move, but his hands were instantly holding me in place. “I don’t want you going with me.”
“I’m going, Duo. You need someone to watch your back. You aren’t going without me. I haven’t spent all this time learning slang not to use it at least once.”
He didn’t realize that he had been using spacer slang pretty often for the last few days. “I kinda thought that’d be your answer, but I had to try. Trowa…” there were a thousand things I wanted to say, but none were good enough. “You have to do what I tell you on the Shoe, okay? No hesitating, no arguing, no second guessing. Our lives will depend on you listening.”
“I swear I’ll do what you say, as long as you don’t tell me to leave you alone. That…I won’t do that.” His hands were on my ass, heat soaking through the leather as they kneaded my flesh. “I won’t leave you.”
“We only have a few hours left before we have to get in the smuggler’s hold. We should rest. Once we get on the Shoe, we’re gonna be busy as hell.”
“We’ll get some rest before we go,” he told me, but his mouth was already on my neck, nibbling in a way that had my eyes crossing. I swear that mouth should be registered as a deadly weapon.
Pushing worries aside, I let him lay me on the bed, his body pressing into me in a way that was erotic and comforting at the same time. “Well, since you put it that way, who am I to disagree?”