Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ New Rules, New Ruler ❯ Chapter 16

Part Sixteen

Schuldig was watching the building. They'd learnt already that she was generally the last to leave, working harder and longer than anyone else. Turned out she had a younger sister to feed.

It was the last light on, illuminating a tiny square about halfway up the building, occasionally a silhouetted flitting across it. Schuldig wondered if it would be kinder to seduce her out. She clearly had no life whatsoever.

He could hear her in his head, humming sadly. They'd been watching her for three days now, him and Brad alternating. Nagi needed the sleep and Farfarello couldn't be trusted alone. Schuldig frowned. So she'd brought Weiss in? She knew they were watching her.

No, Weiss had brought themselves in. Made more sense. Kritiker knew something then. What? Wasn't going to get anything out of them, no matter how long he tailed Birman or Manx. They hadn't been able to find out where their HQ was, either.

Schuldig sensed movement. A voice crystallised in the back of his mind. This is hell. This is hell. See you in hell, this is hell. Ah, Ken. Mourning Kase, again. Hmm, was that Yohji? Wonder if she's hot enough to date. She seems pretty lonely. I mean, she working here all alone. Wonder if she's a workaholic no-life virgin. One-track mind, that guy. Not unlike himself. Where were the others? Well, Omi could be there, but Schuldig couldn't sense him. Omi's shields were hard to break, but he could generally get a sense of the kid. And Aya? Well, he didn't seem to be there. No kill them, revenge my parents, revenge my sister, we are the white hunters, we avenge them, I am worthless compared to my sister…

Schuldig grinned. Ken was edging closer, utterly unaware of his presence. Suddenly he caught a new change of track in Ken's mind. I wonder where our neko went? Poor thing, I hope it's not lost and alone. Lost kitten. It was positively sickening, but Schuldig felt an odd sense of guilt fall on him. They'd have to take the cat back then.

Yohji was in the outer office now. Not good. If they got her out before Schwarz could reach her he hated to think what Tanya would do. Nagi had explained his suspicions, and they all agreed.

Schuldig made a snap decision. As Ken rounded the corner he leapt from his bush and grabbed window ledge, swinging himself up. As the assassin wandered about below him, Schuldig climbed the outside of the building, using window ledges, drain pipes, fire escapes and anything he could get his fingers and toes in. Half way up he kicked off his shoes to get a better grip. There was a yelp below.

Damn. Yohji appeared at a window just above him, gabbling into his radio. Schuldig could feel Ken staring at him from below. Nothing to do but continue up. Yohji's wire lashed out, missing Schuldig by inches. He speeded his ascent, carefully climbing around the reach of Yohji's wire. Yohji darted from window to window, room to room, but Schuldig continued to elude him.

He reached another sill and realised the window was actually open. Hauling himself inside he took off, hearing the pounding of Yohji's feet nearby. A swift game of cat and mouse ensued, both men ducking in and out of doors and corridors. It felt like a cartoon chase to Schuldig, as most offices had at least two doors onto the same corridor, some three. They'd go in one and come out another, sometimes on the opposite side.

Schuldig led Yohji through the maze of rooms, slowly drawing him away from the target by the most circuitous route he could find. As they neared the opposite side of the building, it all came down to who had memorised the blueprints for this floor better and could find the shortest route back.

Schuldig froze, back to a wall. He could see the corridor and could hear Yohji pounding along it. He could also see the open closet door. He'd never be able to lock the Weiss boy in there, but it would slow Balinese down long enough for Schuldig to get a head start.

He tensed. Yohji had slowed down, sensing something amiss. The wire wiped around the corner, and Schuldig jumped over it like a skipping rope. They soft pad of his feet landing alerted Yohji, however, and the blonde man rushed around the corner to slam Schuldig into the wall… except, Schuldig was no longer there.

Doors and windows flying past in a motion blur, Schuldig sprinted through the building. Past stairwells and fire escapes, past board rooms and meeting rooms, past photocopiers and fax machines and computer terminals, past room after room until he ran straight into the door of Elizabeth's cubicle.

He'd meant to burst the flimsy thing open, but fell back, stunned. He had maybe seconds before Yohji arrived. The bitch had put something in front of the door! So, two options: keep pushing, or climb outside again. Schuldig gave the door a quick shove, then opted for the later. Darting into another cubicle, he positively launched himself out of the window. Swinging from a drainpipe, one foot on some ornamental edging, Schuldig burst feet first through the window of the next door cubicle.

He stared at the girl, curled up in fright against a door. The desk and filing cabinet were in front of the door, Schuldig noted, overkill, really. She whimpered as he approached.

"Hey, you better come quick," Schuldig whispered urgently. "Someone's broken into the building. You're a hacker, right? God I hope I never find out what they want you for."

"The, the other guy said to wait here, for the same reason. He said he and h,h,his partner would sort it out," she stared wild-eyed at him. So, she'd only seen one of them? Security, Schuldig supposed. But letting on there were two? Not a smart move.

"I am the partner, hon. Status Quo's changed, we need to get you out." There was a thud at the door as Yohji slammed into it. Now, as long as he didn't call out, everything would be fine. "Quick!" As Yohji slammed into the door again, lacking confidence in his own human-fly abilities to follow Schuldig's route into the room, Schuldig wrapped an arm around the girl's slender waist and leaped out of the window. She screamed. From above them, Schuldig heard "Ms Hooker? I'm coming!" He couldn't stifle the grin.

Five stories down, Schuldig landed on his feet and careful set the trembling girl on hers. He could hear the crackle in Ken's mind as Yohji informed him of the situation, but he could also hear a much more familiar, and welcome, presence.

*Schuldig, main road. *

*Sure thing. *

Schuldig pulled the frightened lass with him as he bounded towards the bare tarmac strip that represented the day's busy stream of traffic. A single black BMW was pulled up on the hard shoulder. Schuldig didn't bother explain or lie to the girl as he shoved her in, she was only knocked out anyway. And she'd come around shackled to a computer, with Tanya and Tash watching her every move. They'd know if she lied, if she purposely played them false, and Schuldig would have hated to be the person who lied to Tanya.