I don't owned this but who really cares… Fumo says this words in the best of health
PG-13 - for so much fun, it will make you bleed!
The Wild Turks
--------
He leaned the rod against the wall as he calmly waited next to it, his sunglasses neatly shielding his gaze from the sun. Kalm was such a peaceful town, he thought as he tossed his finished cigarette to the pavement of the sidewalk under him. Brushing his hand through his spiky red hair, where it mainly fell back into the unkempt strands he kept it in, he eyed his target quietly, his cocky smile across his face.
His target, was a small, pleasant pub across the cobble stone street. Built of gray stone and adorned with red wooden shutters, it seem like a really nice place to enjoy a drink or a meal. Above the saloon style doors were the stylized words, 7th Heaven.
The man turned his head down the street, the small town was even smaller up close, barely anyone was on the streets this morning, this made his work all that much easier, but then again, if no one was around, then it would ruin the total effect. He felt confident though, he saw someone enter the bar a little while ago, a stout looking man with no hair at all, and there was the faint sound of conversation going on inside.
However, in the end, it really didn't matter, his job would go smooth no matter how many people were around, because that's just the kind of operator he was.
The man lifted his hand to his fancy, but rather ragged looking, suit's pocket, and pulled out a simple silver pocket watch. He lifted it up so he could see the ticking face, nearly time for him to go to work. Dropping it back in his pocket, he leaned back against the stone wall he was positioned in front of.
Soon enough he would see her again. He liked that thought, though their parting was a little less then friendly, it would still be a very fun meeting. Specifically, for what he was going to do to her, that made him even more delighted, his smile grew.
Almost compulsively, he checked his watch again, still not time. He searched the streets back and forth again, his partner still wasn't here. He decided not to wait, he was getting anxious, it's not like this plan required precision timing, besides, sticking to a plan just wasn't always his style.
Picking up the rod, he slung it over his shoulder, and set across the street. He set his sun glasses up to just above his forehead, where they belonged. Pushing through the doors, he spotted several people actually, sitting in various tables around the pub, enjoying morning eye openers and what not, but at the bar cleaning glasses was her.
Long brown hair trailing down her back, smooth white skin, ample endowments, all as he remembered. She had her head turned, using her delicate, but powerful hands to drying the water out of just cleaned shot glasses. A contented smile on her face.
Tifa Lockheart, or rather now Tifa Strife. That tough girl from the slums, the owner and bouncer of a high quality tavern, and the blushing bride of tough son of a gun, but that son of a gun was not here now. The man knew Cloud Strife wasn't going to be in town today, and that was better for this little reunion.
He walked in with purpose, smile still on the man's face.
Tifa looked up from her work to see the newcomer to her bar. Her smile of contentment faded to surprise, and then to horror and fear. Her eyes grew wider still as he continued to walk toward her.
"Reno…?" she muttered to him in a coarse voice.
The man now known as Reno smiled more, baring his teeth, eyes slanted evilly. She remembered him, that's good.
He began to chuckle slightly still stalking toward her, "Nice to see you too, Tif."
He lowered the rod off his shoulder and clicked the switch on it's handle on, making his way to the bar. Tifa, weary but unprepared, stepped back, but she was not reactive enough. Finally getting close enough, Reno raised the rod and shoved it head long into the soft flesh of Tifa's midsection, much to her dismay.
She stared down at the jab to her belly from over the bar, but could do nothing. The taser on the rod's end activated, sending waves of non-lethal electricity through her sensitive nervous system. She looked up in agony, her mouth a gapped but unable to utter a cry, her eyes wide but seeing nothing, as waves of lighting traced along her body. Fingers twitching and body trembling, she could do nothing but take the pain, and pray for the end. Reno just smiled.
He finally switched the nightstick off and pulled it from her body. Her mouth closed, her eyes grew small and dilated, and her finger's still twitched. Zapped of all strength, she collapsed face first over the bar, arms sprawled out knocking over a just opened bottle of fine Costa del Sol tequila onto her.
The rest of the bar patrons turned, stunned and shocked so that none of them moved.
Reno smiled at them as well. He reached over, grabbing her shapely body and dragging it over the bar. He held under and yanked her limp fame up onto his shoulder, steadying her there. He turned back to the patrons now moving uneasily contemplating on weither to help and maybe get killed, or just stay quiet. Reno smiled still, but he was really actually disappointed that no one would get off their lazy butts to help a pretty girl like Tifa, all because he had a taser, which wouldn't even leave a permanent scar.
Reno reached with the hand he wasn't using to steady Tifa over his one shoulder, into his breast pocket on the inner lining of his suit coat. He pulled out a present, it was a small rectangular object, wrapped in a festive wrapping paper, with a nice pink bow and a manila card attached to it. He waved it up in the air.
"See that Mr. Strife or any of his war buddies get this." he told them gingerly.
He tossed it to the bar, and walked towards the door. The spectators all shifted uneasily in their seats, looking to one another for answers. Reno simply walked out uninhibited.
As he entered the street, he noticed a car to the side that wasn't there before. An old, but well kept red sports car that ran off an old mako battery, it hummed quietly, ready to go. At it's wheel was a pretty blonde woman in a blue suit much like his, his partner, she franticly motioned with her hand for him to come over.
Reno admired the car as he strolled close, "Nice car, where'd you steal it from?"
She ignored his question as she turned to see him, "Hurry before Cloud comes, we have to get back to the plane!"
Reno's smile finally faded, "What have I told you about keeping your big mouth shut while witnesses are around?"
"But you talk all the time."
Reno tossed Tifa's limp body into the back seat, where it flopped and piled together, "That's because I'm smart and witty…"
He leaped over the front door of the car and landed smoothly into the passenger's seat. He reached up and put his sunglasses back over his eyes, "Drive."
-------
Barret walked grimly into the bar, now filed with town guards looking over everything clumsily, spilling glasses and checking the stupidest places for the clues to a kidnapping. Several were even taking a break to wet there whistles on Tifa's liquor, but when they saw the angry face of Barret, they quickly stopped and went back to their work.
From across the room ran a women in her mid life with brown hair and a cherry face now in a sad frown, toward him, "Oh, Mr. Barret, I'm so glad you could come!"
Marie Lamense, Tifa's and Cloud's neighbor and close friend.
Barret met her in a friendly, yet supportive embrace, "It's no problem Marie, I'm just glad you called."
Marie looked at him sadly, "Yes, if I left the investigation to these morons we'd never find poor Tifa."
Barret nodded, "What happened first off?"
"Well, I was doing laundry when it happened, but some witnesses said, a man came in and immediately shoved a taser into Tifa's stomach and knocked her out, then dragged her out to a car with a lady driver and drove off."
"Hmm, what can you tell me about the man."
"Well" she said, "I didn't see him, but some witnesses said he was tall… sort of thin and lanky, with red hair and a blue suit, they say she called him… Reno, I believe."
"Reno!" Barret gasped.
So, Reno had returned to plague Barret and his friends again. Barret should have known they simply wouldn't just walk away, this seemed a vendetta between the Turks and Avalanche. If it really was Reno, then this presented some problems, specifically dealing with a former Turk.
"Do you know a Reno, Barret?" Marie asked.
Barret sighed, "Unfortunately, yes. What did the girl look like, that could be important."
Marie shrugged, "A blonde, they said. That's it."
Barret frowned more. He knew it, but he needed it confirmed. Elena, another former Turk. It seemed that the former Turks were banding together again, this could mean that Rude was with them too.
"Did he say anything?"
"People said, that he said, it was nice to see Tifa, then that he wanted you to have something, then as he left, they heard the girl from the car say that they needed to hurry to a plane, because Cloud was coming back… I think that was it."
Barret used his new mechanical hand to stroke his chin, having long replaced the gun arm with it now that he was just a peacefully citizen again, "Hmm, did you say he wanted me to have something?"
"Oh yes, well, he said he wanted Cloud or any of his war buddies to have it, I'll get it." Marie said, then got up and walked over to where something shiny was sitting on the bar. As she brought it over, it looked more and more like a birthday present. When she handed it to him, Barret was almost completely sure he handed him a birthday present.
Taking it he examined the card attached to it. It was a grainy manila color, like in business cards. On it written in plain black letters it read "It's Just Business - The Turks".
Barret barred his teeth and growled quietly. It was the Turks all right.
Barret took the small thing and placed it in his vest pocket. Marie looked at quizzically.
"You're not going to open it here?"
"It may be dangerous."
"Right."
"Where is Cloud anyway?"
Marie shrugged, no one knows. We all just woke up and he was gone. Do you think he got into any trouble."
Barret turned to the door, "Knowing my man, Cloud, that's almost sure."
Marie nodded to herself solemnly.
"There's an air strip right outside this town, right?"
Marie's eyes brightened, "Yes, just to the north. It was a refueling station for plains returning from Wutia during the war, it's been closed for years. Do you think they took Tifa there?"
"If they really did leave by plane, that seems the most likely place." Barret turned to leave, "I think I've found every thing I need here, I'm going to go up north. Can you take care of the 7th Heaven for now?"
Marie nodded, "Of course. Thank you so much for helping, Barret."
Barret smiled slightly, "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't? Don't worry I'll get her back."
With that he turned and pushed through the doors out into the street. With purpose, he walked across to his blue van, until he was stopped by Marie running out to say something.
"Oh, and Mr. Barret, I just want to say I totally support your campaign for mayor of Midgar."
Barret turned and smile, "I appreciate it, now that Shinra's been dismantled, we can truly make Midgar a place of opportunity, I'm just hoping I can help it in anyway."
With that, he opened his van's door, hopped in, and drove off.
From behind him in the back of the van, something stirred, like something big and hairy was getting up, "Well, Mr. Mayor…" came a beastly voice.
Barret kept his focus on getting through the city and to the north as fast as possible, "Well, Red… it's the Turks."
Red XIII poked his big bestial head though the seats to look at Barret, "The Turks…" he said more interested then worried.
"Yep."
"And Cloud was…"
"Gone."
"Gone?" now he sounded worried
"They say he just wasn't there this morning."
"Could the Turks have had anything to do with that?"
"I don't think so, and from what I heard I'll tell you why. One, Elena told Reno, when they were here, that they needed to hurry before Cloud got back, and you know how Elena leaks info."
"All right…"
"Then that brings up another thing…"
"How could they have known that he was gone?" Red stated.
"Right. You catch on quick."
Red smiled as only a coyote beast could, "It comes from the company I keep. Where are we headed?"
"An air strip to the north, thanks to Elena's mouth again."
"The kidnapping took place several hours ago, I doubt we'll catch them."
"I know, still we might find something."
"Hmm, anything else…"
"Yeah," Barret reached into his vest pocket, pulling the gift from Reno out, "Open this."
"Oh how thoughtful." Red said, taking the thing in his mouth and carrying it back into the van where Barret couldn't see.
Barret finally pulled outside Kalm's main gates and on a country road to the north as he heard Red crumple up paper in the back. Soon the crumpling stopped and Barret waited patiently to hear what it was.
"Madre de dios, maldita sea este mierda!"
Barret managed a confused stare into the back, "What the hell are you talking about?"
Red came back up with a thin paperback book in his lips, "It's a guide to learning Costano."
Barret took the book from Red's lips and looked at it. On the cover was written "How to Speak the Language of Costa del Sol", and it's cover was strewn with pictures of beaches and the ancient buildings and the people of Costa del Sol. Barret thumbed through it, looking for anything maybe written by the Turks, but found nothing.
"Hmm… looks like we have a destination. I bet this is to tell us we can find her in Costa del Sol." Barret mumbled.
"Yes, it looks that way… So, we go to Costa del Sol?"
Barret growled as he put the book on the seat next to him, "No, we don't play by other people's rules. Especially, when they hurt our friends."
"Right on."
"What do you smell on that book, Red?"
Red gave it a quick sniff, "I smell Rude's stinky cologne, I smell Elena's… 'lady' smell, but I don't smell Costa del Sol."
"What?"
Red XIII sat back, "Everything that comes from Costa del Sol smells like salt and water… and some kind of spicy smell, but this doesn't have that smell. It may not be important, but they didn't buy this in Costa del Sol."
"Hmm… that could be useful later." Barret said as they rounded the bend around a hill. "There it is."
Nestled among the hills was a flat area that was paved in poor gray concrete. At one end was a small building and an antenna on top. By the building was a small red sports car.
Red leaned forward, "I think we found something…"
-------
Red strolled around the ditch he'd spent the last few minutes investigating, safely out of the way of the murky water around him. Before him, almost submerged by the muddy water, were several barrels. This strange smell had brought him down here, and now he was at the source.
The sound of foot steps through the forest drew his attention. Looking up at the hump where the drain pipe lead out, Red saw Barret, carefully examining the area he came walking through, strolled into view. As soon as Barret sited Red standing there his view shifted to the little discover embedded into the stream before him.
"Find anything in the office?" Red called up to him.
Barret's eyes stayed pasted to the drums in the murky water, "Nothing, but you seemed to have found something. What are those?"
Red looked back at his finding, "Fresh gas drums…"
Red saw a small smile on Barret's face, "Ahh, like in a gasoline plane."
Red nodded, "They must have thought they could hide them, but they can't hide anything from my nose. But how far can you get in a plane on three drums of gas?"
Barret leaped down into the ditch with Red, and started to stoke his chin, "Well, not very far. On a small gasoline-drive prop plane you couldn't even get off the continent without refueling, much less to Costa del Sol."
"So, they have to refuel if they want to get to Costa del Sol. Where could they go? Midgar?"
"No, Midgar wouldn't even need a full barrel… they could, however, get to Junon."
"Junon is a big city, they could get there, refuel quick and be off."
"Yep." Barret said stroking his chin. "We could maybe intercept them in Junon, or even get them on the way
"That depends, of course, on if they don't have any more fuel with them on board."
"Yes, but I doubt that, if they had extra fuel why wouldn't they just put it in, then they wouldn't have to stop."
Red shrugged as only a coyote beast could.
"And even if they did, that would just slow them down so we could catch them easier. It's like two more barrels to get across the Junon Strait"
"Sounds right. You know who we need now, don't you?"
Barret smiled again and nodded, "Cid, and his amazing Highwind. I'll go call him, now."
"Do you think Cid could get here from Rocket Town and then back towards Junon in time?"
"I know Cid will find a way." Barret said walking up the incline out of the ditch.
Red followed him, thinking. Though he kept a cool head about him, he was still very worried about his friend, Tifa. The Turks were certainly a surprise, though he didn't know why, he'd figured that the Turks would never bother them again, it was truly a blind sided way to think. It made him wonder about his other friends, how they could be effected by all the enemies they had made and defeated along the way. When would another past foe show up again and exact his revenge and on who?
"Say Barret, what can we reason about the Turks now?"
"Hmm?"
"Well, let's see, they've kidnapped Tifa, and are taking her to Costa del Sol. What for, was it revenge? Then, why Tifa? Why Costa del Sol? Then, why even kidnap her? Why not just kill her and move on, god forbid, why ask for a meeting at all?"
"Whoa!" Barret said stopping him, right as they stepped out of the forest and onto the run way, "Too many questions, fur ball. All I know is they've hurt one of my friends, and that's all I need to know, because now I'm going to find them and make them pay."
Red made a disappointed groan, but he also conveyed his agreement with it as well, "But what about Cloud?"
"Cloud… I don't know, but he's secondary now. He'll just have to catch up later. Come on, let's get to Midgar and call Cid."
-------
Cie la Vie!!
PG-13 - for so much fun, it will make you bleed!
The Wild Turks
--------
He leaned the rod against the wall as he calmly waited next to it, his sunglasses neatly shielding his gaze from the sun. Kalm was such a peaceful town, he thought as he tossed his finished cigarette to the pavement of the sidewalk under him. Brushing his hand through his spiky red hair, where it mainly fell back into the unkempt strands he kept it in, he eyed his target quietly, his cocky smile across his face.
His target, was a small, pleasant pub across the cobble stone street. Built of gray stone and adorned with red wooden shutters, it seem like a really nice place to enjoy a drink or a meal. Above the saloon style doors were the stylized words, 7th Heaven.
The man turned his head down the street, the small town was even smaller up close, barely anyone was on the streets this morning, this made his work all that much easier, but then again, if no one was around, then it would ruin the total effect. He felt confident though, he saw someone enter the bar a little while ago, a stout looking man with no hair at all, and there was the faint sound of conversation going on inside.
However, in the end, it really didn't matter, his job would go smooth no matter how many people were around, because that's just the kind of operator he was.
The man lifted his hand to his fancy, but rather ragged looking, suit's pocket, and pulled out a simple silver pocket watch. He lifted it up so he could see the ticking face, nearly time for him to go to work. Dropping it back in his pocket, he leaned back against the stone wall he was positioned in front of.
Soon enough he would see her again. He liked that thought, though their parting was a little less then friendly, it would still be a very fun meeting. Specifically, for what he was going to do to her, that made him even more delighted, his smile grew.
Almost compulsively, he checked his watch again, still not time. He searched the streets back and forth again, his partner still wasn't here. He decided not to wait, he was getting anxious, it's not like this plan required precision timing, besides, sticking to a plan just wasn't always his style.
Picking up the rod, he slung it over his shoulder, and set across the street. He set his sun glasses up to just above his forehead, where they belonged. Pushing through the doors, he spotted several people actually, sitting in various tables around the pub, enjoying morning eye openers and what not, but at the bar cleaning glasses was her.
Long brown hair trailing down her back, smooth white skin, ample endowments, all as he remembered. She had her head turned, using her delicate, but powerful hands to drying the water out of just cleaned shot glasses. A contented smile on her face.
Tifa Lockheart, or rather now Tifa Strife. That tough girl from the slums, the owner and bouncer of a high quality tavern, and the blushing bride of tough son of a gun, but that son of a gun was not here now. The man knew Cloud Strife wasn't going to be in town today, and that was better for this little reunion.
He walked in with purpose, smile still on the man's face.
Tifa looked up from her work to see the newcomer to her bar. Her smile of contentment faded to surprise, and then to horror and fear. Her eyes grew wider still as he continued to walk toward her.
"Reno…?" she muttered to him in a coarse voice.
The man now known as Reno smiled more, baring his teeth, eyes slanted evilly. She remembered him, that's good.
He began to chuckle slightly still stalking toward her, "Nice to see you too, Tif."
He lowered the rod off his shoulder and clicked the switch on it's handle on, making his way to the bar. Tifa, weary but unprepared, stepped back, but she was not reactive enough. Finally getting close enough, Reno raised the rod and shoved it head long into the soft flesh of Tifa's midsection, much to her dismay.
She stared down at the jab to her belly from over the bar, but could do nothing. The taser on the rod's end activated, sending waves of non-lethal electricity through her sensitive nervous system. She looked up in agony, her mouth a gapped but unable to utter a cry, her eyes wide but seeing nothing, as waves of lighting traced along her body. Fingers twitching and body trembling, she could do nothing but take the pain, and pray for the end. Reno just smiled.
He finally switched the nightstick off and pulled it from her body. Her mouth closed, her eyes grew small and dilated, and her finger's still twitched. Zapped of all strength, she collapsed face first over the bar, arms sprawled out knocking over a just opened bottle of fine Costa del Sol tequila onto her.
The rest of the bar patrons turned, stunned and shocked so that none of them moved.
Reno smiled at them as well. He reached over, grabbing her shapely body and dragging it over the bar. He held under and yanked her limp fame up onto his shoulder, steadying her there. He turned back to the patrons now moving uneasily contemplating on weither to help and maybe get killed, or just stay quiet. Reno smiled still, but he was really actually disappointed that no one would get off their lazy butts to help a pretty girl like Tifa, all because he had a taser, which wouldn't even leave a permanent scar.
Reno reached with the hand he wasn't using to steady Tifa over his one shoulder, into his breast pocket on the inner lining of his suit coat. He pulled out a present, it was a small rectangular object, wrapped in a festive wrapping paper, with a nice pink bow and a manila card attached to it. He waved it up in the air.
"See that Mr. Strife or any of his war buddies get this." he told them gingerly.
He tossed it to the bar, and walked towards the door. The spectators all shifted uneasily in their seats, looking to one another for answers. Reno simply walked out uninhibited.
As he entered the street, he noticed a car to the side that wasn't there before. An old, but well kept red sports car that ran off an old mako battery, it hummed quietly, ready to go. At it's wheel was a pretty blonde woman in a blue suit much like his, his partner, she franticly motioned with her hand for him to come over.
Reno admired the car as he strolled close, "Nice car, where'd you steal it from?"
She ignored his question as she turned to see him, "Hurry before Cloud comes, we have to get back to the plane!"
Reno's smile finally faded, "What have I told you about keeping your big mouth shut while witnesses are around?"
"But you talk all the time."
Reno tossed Tifa's limp body into the back seat, where it flopped and piled together, "That's because I'm smart and witty…"
He leaped over the front door of the car and landed smoothly into the passenger's seat. He reached up and put his sunglasses back over his eyes, "Drive."
-------
Barret walked grimly into the bar, now filed with town guards looking over everything clumsily, spilling glasses and checking the stupidest places for the clues to a kidnapping. Several were even taking a break to wet there whistles on Tifa's liquor, but when they saw the angry face of Barret, they quickly stopped and went back to their work.
From across the room ran a women in her mid life with brown hair and a cherry face now in a sad frown, toward him, "Oh, Mr. Barret, I'm so glad you could come!"
Marie Lamense, Tifa's and Cloud's neighbor and close friend.
Barret met her in a friendly, yet supportive embrace, "It's no problem Marie, I'm just glad you called."
Marie looked at him sadly, "Yes, if I left the investigation to these morons we'd never find poor Tifa."
Barret nodded, "What happened first off?"
"Well, I was doing laundry when it happened, but some witnesses said, a man came in and immediately shoved a taser into Tifa's stomach and knocked her out, then dragged her out to a car with a lady driver and drove off."
"Hmm, what can you tell me about the man."
"Well" she said, "I didn't see him, but some witnesses said he was tall… sort of thin and lanky, with red hair and a blue suit, they say she called him… Reno, I believe."
"Reno!" Barret gasped.
So, Reno had returned to plague Barret and his friends again. Barret should have known they simply wouldn't just walk away, this seemed a vendetta between the Turks and Avalanche. If it really was Reno, then this presented some problems, specifically dealing with a former Turk.
"Do you know a Reno, Barret?" Marie asked.
Barret sighed, "Unfortunately, yes. What did the girl look like, that could be important."
Marie shrugged, "A blonde, they said. That's it."
Barret frowned more. He knew it, but he needed it confirmed. Elena, another former Turk. It seemed that the former Turks were banding together again, this could mean that Rude was with them too.
"Did he say anything?"
"People said, that he said, it was nice to see Tifa, then that he wanted you to have something, then as he left, they heard the girl from the car say that they needed to hurry to a plane, because Cloud was coming back… I think that was it."
Barret used his new mechanical hand to stroke his chin, having long replaced the gun arm with it now that he was just a peacefully citizen again, "Hmm, did you say he wanted me to have something?"
"Oh yes, well, he said he wanted Cloud or any of his war buddies to have it, I'll get it." Marie said, then got up and walked over to where something shiny was sitting on the bar. As she brought it over, it looked more and more like a birthday present. When she handed it to him, Barret was almost completely sure he handed him a birthday present.
Taking it he examined the card attached to it. It was a grainy manila color, like in business cards. On it written in plain black letters it read "It's Just Business - The Turks".
Barret barred his teeth and growled quietly. It was the Turks all right.
Barret took the small thing and placed it in his vest pocket. Marie looked at quizzically.
"You're not going to open it here?"
"It may be dangerous."
"Right."
"Where is Cloud anyway?"
Marie shrugged, no one knows. We all just woke up and he was gone. Do you think he got into any trouble."
Barret turned to the door, "Knowing my man, Cloud, that's almost sure."
Marie nodded to herself solemnly.
"There's an air strip right outside this town, right?"
Marie's eyes brightened, "Yes, just to the north. It was a refueling station for plains returning from Wutia during the war, it's been closed for years. Do you think they took Tifa there?"
"If they really did leave by plane, that seems the most likely place." Barret turned to leave, "I think I've found every thing I need here, I'm going to go up north. Can you take care of the 7th Heaven for now?"
Marie nodded, "Of course. Thank you so much for helping, Barret."
Barret smiled slightly, "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't? Don't worry I'll get her back."
With that he turned and pushed through the doors out into the street. With purpose, he walked across to his blue van, until he was stopped by Marie running out to say something.
"Oh, and Mr. Barret, I just want to say I totally support your campaign for mayor of Midgar."
Barret turned and smile, "I appreciate it, now that Shinra's been dismantled, we can truly make Midgar a place of opportunity, I'm just hoping I can help it in anyway."
With that, he opened his van's door, hopped in, and drove off.
From behind him in the back of the van, something stirred, like something big and hairy was getting up, "Well, Mr. Mayor…" came a beastly voice.
Barret kept his focus on getting through the city and to the north as fast as possible, "Well, Red… it's the Turks."
Red XIII poked his big bestial head though the seats to look at Barret, "The Turks…" he said more interested then worried.
"Yep."
"And Cloud was…"
"Gone."
"Gone?" now he sounded worried
"They say he just wasn't there this morning."
"Could the Turks have had anything to do with that?"
"I don't think so, and from what I heard I'll tell you why. One, Elena told Reno, when they were here, that they needed to hurry before Cloud got back, and you know how Elena leaks info."
"All right…"
"Then that brings up another thing…"
"How could they have known that he was gone?" Red stated.
"Right. You catch on quick."
Red smiled as only a coyote beast could, "It comes from the company I keep. Where are we headed?"
"An air strip to the north, thanks to Elena's mouth again."
"The kidnapping took place several hours ago, I doubt we'll catch them."
"I know, still we might find something."
"Hmm, anything else…"
"Yeah," Barret reached into his vest pocket, pulling the gift from Reno out, "Open this."
"Oh how thoughtful." Red said, taking the thing in his mouth and carrying it back into the van where Barret couldn't see.
Barret finally pulled outside Kalm's main gates and on a country road to the north as he heard Red crumple up paper in the back. Soon the crumpling stopped and Barret waited patiently to hear what it was.
"Madre de dios, maldita sea este mierda!"
Barret managed a confused stare into the back, "What the hell are you talking about?"
Red came back up with a thin paperback book in his lips, "It's a guide to learning Costano."
Barret took the book from Red's lips and looked at it. On the cover was written "How to Speak the Language of Costa del Sol", and it's cover was strewn with pictures of beaches and the ancient buildings and the people of Costa del Sol. Barret thumbed through it, looking for anything maybe written by the Turks, but found nothing.
"Hmm… looks like we have a destination. I bet this is to tell us we can find her in Costa del Sol." Barret mumbled.
"Yes, it looks that way… So, we go to Costa del Sol?"
Barret growled as he put the book on the seat next to him, "No, we don't play by other people's rules. Especially, when they hurt our friends."
"Right on."
"What do you smell on that book, Red?"
Red gave it a quick sniff, "I smell Rude's stinky cologne, I smell Elena's… 'lady' smell, but I don't smell Costa del Sol."
"What?"
Red XIII sat back, "Everything that comes from Costa del Sol smells like salt and water… and some kind of spicy smell, but this doesn't have that smell. It may not be important, but they didn't buy this in Costa del Sol."
"Hmm… that could be useful later." Barret said as they rounded the bend around a hill. "There it is."
Nestled among the hills was a flat area that was paved in poor gray concrete. At one end was a small building and an antenna on top. By the building was a small red sports car.
Red leaned forward, "I think we found something…"
-------
Red strolled around the ditch he'd spent the last few minutes investigating, safely out of the way of the murky water around him. Before him, almost submerged by the muddy water, were several barrels. This strange smell had brought him down here, and now he was at the source.
The sound of foot steps through the forest drew his attention. Looking up at the hump where the drain pipe lead out, Red saw Barret, carefully examining the area he came walking through, strolled into view. As soon as Barret sited Red standing there his view shifted to the little discover embedded into the stream before him.
"Find anything in the office?" Red called up to him.
Barret's eyes stayed pasted to the drums in the murky water, "Nothing, but you seemed to have found something. What are those?"
Red looked back at his finding, "Fresh gas drums…"
Red saw a small smile on Barret's face, "Ahh, like in a gasoline plane."
Red nodded, "They must have thought they could hide them, but they can't hide anything from my nose. But how far can you get in a plane on three drums of gas?"
Barret leaped down into the ditch with Red, and started to stoke his chin, "Well, not very far. On a small gasoline-drive prop plane you couldn't even get off the continent without refueling, much less to Costa del Sol."
"So, they have to refuel if they want to get to Costa del Sol. Where could they go? Midgar?"
"No, Midgar wouldn't even need a full barrel… they could, however, get to Junon."
"Junon is a big city, they could get there, refuel quick and be off."
"Yep." Barret said stroking his chin. "We could maybe intercept them in Junon, or even get them on the way
"That depends, of course, on if they don't have any more fuel with them on board."
"Yes, but I doubt that, if they had extra fuel why wouldn't they just put it in, then they wouldn't have to stop."
Red shrugged as only a coyote beast could.
"And even if they did, that would just slow them down so we could catch them easier. It's like two more barrels to get across the Junon Strait"
"Sounds right. You know who we need now, don't you?"
Barret smiled again and nodded, "Cid, and his amazing Highwind. I'll go call him, now."
"Do you think Cid could get here from Rocket Town and then back towards Junon in time?"
"I know Cid will find a way." Barret said walking up the incline out of the ditch.
Red followed him, thinking. Though he kept a cool head about him, he was still very worried about his friend, Tifa. The Turks were certainly a surprise, though he didn't know why, he'd figured that the Turks would never bother them again, it was truly a blind sided way to think. It made him wonder about his other friends, how they could be effected by all the enemies they had made and defeated along the way. When would another past foe show up again and exact his revenge and on who?
"Say Barret, what can we reason about the Turks now?"
"Hmm?"
"Well, let's see, they've kidnapped Tifa, and are taking her to Costa del Sol. What for, was it revenge? Then, why Tifa? Why Costa del Sol? Then, why even kidnap her? Why not just kill her and move on, god forbid, why ask for a meeting at all?"
"Whoa!" Barret said stopping him, right as they stepped out of the forest and onto the run way, "Too many questions, fur ball. All I know is they've hurt one of my friends, and that's all I need to know, because now I'm going to find them and make them pay."
Red made a disappointed groan, but he also conveyed his agreement with it as well, "But what about Cloud?"
"Cloud… I don't know, but he's secondary now. He'll just have to catch up later. Come on, let's get to Midgar and call Cid."
-------
Cie la Vie!!