The Bounty
by: Scarlet Eve
Part 1: Heero Yuy - Bounty Hunter
Heero Yuy sat at his desk in his small, rented office. He was finishing up some paperwork from a previous case as the day wore on into the evening. Heero enjoyed working long, late hours. It kept him from his silent apartment and one person meals.
A curt knock at his office door alerted him to the presence of a potential client. Heero rose from his desk and walked across the worn wood floor, his thick soled shoes clumping loudly on the wood. He unlocked the ancient deadbolt and turned the doorknob to admit his visitor. On the other side of the door stood a middle aged man, with extremely long platinum blond hair and a scraggly five-o'clock shadow. In his left hand, he held a battered looking briefcase. His suit was pristine, however.
"Good evening, Mr. Yuy," the man said, holding out a hand to shake. Heero shook and bowed his head in greeting.
"Good evening. Your name is..." Heero said.
"Just call me Zechs," the man said, pulling his hand back to his pocket. Heero nodded and stepped back to allow the man into the office.
"Pleasure, Zechs. Have a seat." Heero motioned to the chair that stood opposite of Heero's own chair. The two men walked across the office today and took their seats. Heero leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. "How can I help you?"
"I need you to find someone for me," Zechs began. He produced a thin folder and laid it out on the table. "This person has been on the run for several years, and has used many aliases. Just a few of the crimes committed include currently running a ponzi scheme through a website, bank fraud and finding loopholes in casino procedures and making money off of those loopholes. It is a possibility that this person gets illegal tips for trading on the stock market. And may have also been involved in a murder, but nothing has been confirmed about that."
"Sounds interesting," Heero said, leaning forward slightly.
"It is important that this person be located before the police or the FBI catch on. I want to take care of the problem myself," Zechs added. Heero frowned.
"I cannot advise that," Heero said, narrowing his eyes.
"I understand that. That's why I'm counting on your discretion, Mr. Yuy," Zechs said.
"Of course."
"The last known location was Chicago, but there hasn't been a permanent address in several years. Like I said, been on the run for a long time. Do you think you can take on this case?" Zechs asked.
"I believe so. What is this guy's name?"
"Not a guy. A girl," Zechs corrected. Heero held up his hands in front of him.
"I don't take on female targets," Heero said. Zechs picked up a used envelope from Heero's desk and wrote something down on it.
"I will pay you this amount," Zechs said, sliding the envelope across the table to Heero, who glanced down at it, eyes widening. "Half now, and half later. Plus, I will pay for your expense while you search for her." Heero pursed his lips together in a frown. He didn't like this idea. Female targets were a subject of much confusion for Heero Yuy, bounty hunter.
But the pay from this long-haired stranger was more than Heero usually made in a year, minus expenses.
"Alright, I'll do it," Heero said. Zechs smiled and reached across the table to shake Heero's hand.
"Thank you," he said. Heero nodded, and they sat back down. Heero pulled out a stack of papers and began to go over the preliminary documents for this Zechs character and his female target.
The target was a young woman who went by the name Relena Peacecraft-Darlian. She'd been married to an older millionaire, who had a mysterious death several years ago, after which Relena disappeared from Chicago and from anyone's radar. Some thought that she'd murdered the man for his money, but there was no solid proof. She did get all his money, which only added to her trust fund that her parents set up for her, as she came from old New York money. The most recent picture Zechs had of this woman was when the girl was a teenager, just before she'd run away from home, he'd said. Her hair was a medium brown color, and she looked really young in the picture. Zechs gave Heero all the information he'd been able to dig up about her recent life after her marriage, which wasn't much. Heero vaguely wondered what part Zechs played in all this, and how he had this information about her. Heero assumed he must be family or an old boyfriend or something. That was not his concern or business.
The problem, however, would be chasing after this female target, when Heero knew it usually ended in disaster.
After Zechs left Heero's office, Heero packed up his things, including the Relena Peacecraft-Darlian file, and headed home. As he walked down the nearly empty sidewalks, he brooded about the case. Zechs had known quite a bit about this girl's childhood, but almost nothing after her seventeenth birthday. That was when she'd spirited off from home without a word. Zechs had also known that just after her eighteenth birthday, she'd married John Darlian in Chicago, then hyphenated her last name. They were married four years, until Darlian died under much suspicion. After the funeral and the reading of the will, Relena disappeared off the radar with a savings account to her name, bursting with the millions she'd received through the death of her husband. No one in her family heard from her after that, and if she was meeting people and using her real name, no one was making any connections.
Heero arrived at his apartment building. He didn't bother using his key in the security door; it was always broken anyway. He trudged up the three flights of stairs and stopped in front of apartment 303. He unlocked the door and pushed his way inside.
Heero Yuy had never been much of an interior decorator. He only kept a double size mattress on the floor in the small bedroom, a small table with two chairs, a couch, television and a few kitchen appliances. However, his apartment was always spotless and dress from dust and dirt. That he could take pride in.
Heero dropped his bag on the couch and set about making himself a pot of coffee and a microwave dinner. He hated them, but he had little patience to learn to cook. Once the coffee was brewing and his microwave meal was done, he sat at the table, pulled out his laptop and file on Relena, and set to work.
Several hours and several black coffees later, Heero had a stack of about twenty pages sitting on the tray of his wireless printer. Using several methods that might have frowned upon by his colleagues, Heero managed to dig up several aliases that were confirmed to be tied to Relena Peacecraft-Darlian. Seems she'd changed her name in several cities, but used her same social security number. Oops. In addition, he located two offshore bank accounts; one in Switzerland and one in the Cayman Islands. Heero could not determine the amounts inside the accounts, however.
Something strange continually caught his attention was the lack of photos of Relena on the web. He could find the same one Zechs had given him, a few from her younger years and one from her wedding to Darlian.
After a brief nap on the couch with the TV tuned to the weather channel, Heero continued his research. He knew the Peacecraft family was wealthy, but further digging revealed them to be on the same level as the Rockefellers, only the Peacecrafts were taking over the twenty-first century. They also had strong ties to the Winner family and Winner Mining Corp. Heero wondered if he his old friend Quatre Winner would know anything about her.
Heero dialed up his friend's number and waited. Finally, a sleepy voice answered, "Hello?"
"Quatre, it's Heero Yuy."
"Ah, Heero. I was about to ask if you knew what time it was, but you were always a night owl. How can I help you?"
"What do you know about the Peacecraft family?" Heero asked.
"Peacecrafts? My family has been tied to them for years through business and marriage," Quatre said. "The Mr. and Missus are still alive, and they have two children, who I think are technically my distant cousins."
"Two?"
"Yes, Milliardo and his younger sister Relena."
"So she has a brother," Heero mused.
"What do you need to know this for?" Quatre asked after a moment of listening to Heero tap away at his keyboard.
"I've been hired to locate this Relena Peacecraft-Darlian girl," Heero replied.
"Really? Who hired you?"
"Some guy named Zechs. Must be an ex or something. Except for his suit, he was pretty shabby looking," Heero explained.
"I don't know anyone by that name," Quatre said. "I remember a little bit about Relena from prep school, though we were never really close. We would talk occasionally at Peacecraft-Winner family gatherings. She could have been popular because she was so pretty, but she kept to herself. Then senior year, she ran off to Chicago."
"Interesting," Heero said, taking notes.
"She always seemed like she was living up in her head," Quatre added.
"Well, if what this Zechs guy says it true, then its probably because she was planning all kinds of ways to scam people out of millions of dollars," Heero said.
"I would never had though Relena to be capable of that," Quatre said sadly.
"Is there anything else you can tell me about her?" Heero asked.
"Not really. Nothing much else you can't find on the internet."
"Well, thanks for your help," Heero said.
"Of course. Anytime. And if you do find her, I'd like to talk to her."
"I'll do what I can," Heero replied. They made their goodbyes and hung up their phones.
Heero leaned back and digested this new information. He began to form a mental picture of her in his mind.
Just to make sure, Heero looked up Relena's last known address. It was at Darlian's estate in Chicago. After that, her trail of residences ran cold. He began to search for her known aliases, and added many more pages to his stack.
Katrina Weyridge was the sole proprietor of an LLC called Dove Ventures. The only public information available was an article which spoke of an angel investor doling out money to small businesses, and Dove Ventures, LLC was one of those businesses. Being a private company, they didn't have to publicize much information.
Starla Boynes showed up as the administrator for a website that seemed rather shady. All he could determine without entering his credit card information was that by signing up for the website, the user would be privy to information that most people, such as the government and large businesses, didn't want anyone to know. The information was available for "research purposes."
And finally, Miranda Jewells seemed to be an active trader on the stock market, but rarely actually spent time in New York, choosing instead to work through a few different brokers.
Heero leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms over his head. The web of connections surrounding this girl just kept growing. Heero grinned to himself. He almost hoped he'd get the chance to speak candidly to her about her various exploits.
He printed out a few more pages, shut down his laptop and collapsed on his bed, just as the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon.
Heero was woken up around noon to the sound of his phone ringing. His mind still groggy, he climbed out of bed and picked up his phone.
"Quatre," Heero answered after checking the caller ID.
"Afternoon Heero! I couldn't stop thinking about our conversation last night, so this morning at the yacht club, I asked around. Like most, no one has heard from Relena in a long time. But, there is a space here reserved for a young woman named Miranda Jewells. The yacht is named 'The Sailing Dove.' Everyone knows a dove is the Peacecraft symbol.
Several things clicked in Heero's mind at once: dove - Peacecraft - Sailing Dove - Miranda Jewells - Dove Ventures - Relena Peacecraft.
"Looks like she's not a careful as she thinks," Heero said.
"The bartender said she was at the club a few months ago. She had paid cash for the spot, and was talking about heading down to the Caribbean," Quatre added.
"Holy shit, Quatre," Heero said, flipping through his papers he'd printed. "You've basically done my job for me!"
"Well I can't be sure this information is accurate-"
"Accurate enough!" Heero said, cutting him off. "What you just told me fits into some other pieces of information, and would explain why I can't figure out where she lives. She must be staying on that boat."
"That's great then!" Quatre said.
"I'm going to go. If you run across any other information, let me know," Heero said.
"Sure! Bye Heero!" The called ended and Heero excitedly pulled his laptop into his lap. The hunt was on.
-/-\-
Heero spent much of the afternoon calling marinas in the Caribbean. Finally he got a hit.
"Yeah, the Sailing Dove has been here for about three months. Lady pays cash per month," the man said.
"Do you have the lady's name?" Heero asked.
"Calls herself Relena Darlian," he said after a moment.
"Thank you," Heero said, and hung up the phone. "Looks like I'm taking a trip to the Bahamas," he said to his empty apartment.
Heero contacted Zechs to get information for his expenses. Zechs seemed excited that Heero had a lead. He sent him over a credit card number and told him to use it for the big expenses. Heero bought a one way ticket to the Bahamas and booked a room at one of the beach front hotels closest to the marina where Relena was docking her boat.
Heero assumed price was no object, so he purchased the first flight down there from New York, which was a red eye flight that seemed ridiculously overpriced. The flight would be leaving in seven hours. Heero spent some time packing a suitcase and his carry on, then scheduled a cab to pick him up in a few hours.
He was feeling exhausted, but he wanted to wait until he could sleep on the plane. Instead, he drank some more coffee and scrounged around the kitchen for snacks to eat. He settled on a bag of tortilla chips and an apple.
A few hours later, Heero checked his bag and proceeded through airport security. He always left security feeling harassed and violated. When Heero finally boarded, he stowed his carry on and sat down to try and get comfortable in the airplane seat. Even though he was uncomfortable, the excitement of the chase was overshadowing any negativity he felt. It's why he chose this profession.
Soon, the airplane began to taxi, and Heero fell into a much needed albeit uncomfortable sleep.
Heero jolted awake when the plane touched down on the runway. He checked his watch and it read a little after 5am. At least there was no time change between New York and the Bahamas. It took some time to reach the gate, but Heero was finally able to leave the stuffy plane. He picked up his suitcase and headed out to hail a taxi to get to the hotel. It was nearing seven in the morning by the time he was able to pass out in his hotel room.
Heero woke up just after noon, the sun streaming fully through the windows of his room. He showered and changed into shorts and a t-shirt. He was anxious to get out and start looking, but his growling stomach made him change his plans slightly. Instead, he checked out one of the hotel restaurants. He had a quick lunch and headed out.
Using his phone, he pulled up directions to the marina. It wasn't a far walk, really, so he set out on foot. The summer tourism was in full force, and Heero ended up doing a lot of family dodging. As he neared the location via his phone, he looked up to see the mass of boats, yachts and other watercrafts all huddled together along the docks. He figured he should have found out where Relena's boat was docked, but he mentally waved it off. He would find it. He stepped onto the docks and began to wander, checking out the names of the ships. Heero wandered down one dock lined with jet skis, and when he looked up, he saw a flag attached to a pole. It was a black flag with a white dove.
"Gotcha," he said quietly, then changed directions to get closer to that flag. He finally got close, and saw The Sailing Dove written in curly script along the side. It was a decent sized yacht, and probably cost Relena quite a bit of money to purchase and maintain. Heero slowed his pace and looked around for any sign of his target. He tried to make himself look busy, until he heard a voice.
"Ahoy Miss Relena!" It was a male voice. Heero glanced around. He saw a portly man in a Hawaiian shirt waving from his own boat. Heero followed the man's gaze and eventually stopped at a young woman walking down the dock, a purse on one shoulder and a shopping bag on the other.
"Afternoon Charles!" she called back with a wave.
Heero's breath caught in his chest. Relena Peacecraft-Darlian was a tall, slim young woman, with blonder hair than she'd had a teenager. Her long tan legs showed out from a shirt skirt, and her arms and shoulders stood out against the white camisole she wore. He could see straps from her bikini top pulled around her neck. She wore a large, floppy sun hat on her head, shading her face from the bright sun.
Heero's mind went to the place he always tried to resist, but his mind screamed, "She's beautiful!" Heero's hands began to shake, so he turned on his heel and strode away as fast he could.
Heero hurried away from the marina, the heel of his shoes clacking against the concrete sidewalk. His hands remained clenched at his sides as he moved. Heero noticed a bar up ahead, sandwiched between two tourist shops. Feeling like a drink was a good idea, Heero ducked into the bar. Heero sat down at the bar and was approached by the bartender.
"What can I get you?" he asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Rum and coke. No ghost, just a beautiful woman." The man laid a hand over his heart.
"Ahh. I understand, my friend." The bartender made him a double and set it on the counter. "On the house, friend." Heero thanked him and absently drank the rum and coke down to the ice. After a few minutes, his head began to clear.
"Damn it, Zechs," he mumbled under his breath. This was exactly why Heero refused female targets. More often than not, they'd be beautiful, and Heero had seen more than one of his fellow bounty hunters fall prey to a beautiful, female target. Heero tried to keep himself from that and refused them all together. Perhaps if he kept his forthcoming paycheck in mind, he'd be able to just get the job done and drag her back to New York. Heero sighed and rested his forehead against the cool wood of the bar. It smelled faintly of stale beer and coconut.
The alcohol took effect, and Heero was able to recover from the incident of seeing his target for the first time. He pushed her face from his mind and thought instead about all the crimes she's supposed to have committed. He began to realize that he was having trouble believing that someone like her could pull off those crimes. As far as he was able to determine, she didn't even have a completed high school degree. Heero knew, of course, that his most useful skills were not learned in school.
Heero bought a second drink but sipped this one slowly, thoughtfully, trying to come up with some semblance of a plan. His gut was telling him that an impersonal arrest would not work with her. He'd have to get to know her and take her by surprise. Perhaps... just perhaps he could hijack that fancy boat of hers and drive it back up to New York. Heero grinned at the thought.
His second drink was soon gone, and he cut himself off. He thanked the bartender and left.
The sun was already beginning to sink. Heero didn't realize that so much time had passed. Heero wandered back in the direction of the hotel, mentally trying to steel himself from Relena- no- the target. She was just a job, a long time runaway that needed to return back to New York and her ex or whoever Zechs was.
Heero arrived at the hotel and went back to his room. He ordered room service for dinner and brought out all his materials for the job and poured through them. He noticed the information he lacked had to do with personal things- her favorite hang outs, favorite wine or drink, what she does when she's not stealing millions of dollars. Heero had plenty to accuse her of, but not enough to really know her. It could prove to be a problem. Heero doubted that a girl like her could live without having any friends, of course, Heero could relate to a solitary life more than he cared to admit.
Heero's room service arrived so he abandoned his work and spent the first night on the beautiful island by himself, watching television.
-/-\-
Heero woke up relatively early the next morning. After a quick shower, he turned on his laptop and sent an email to Zechs explaining the current state of the job. He left out the embarrassing parts, of course. He then spent an hour attempting to find anything new about Relena, but all he found was the same information he'd already printed off. The unfortunate truth was that he'd have to finish the job face to face and not behind his laptop. Heero closed it back up and left his hotel room in search of breakfast.
The concierge told him about a seaside diner that was close by and had delicious food. Heero thanked her and took the directions she offered.
It was another beautiful day, and the area was already busy. After about fifteen minutes of walking, Heero located the diner. When he stepped into the cramped space, he heard his name.
"Heero Yuy!" He looked around and spotted his college buddy, Duo Maxwell and his recently wed wife, Hilde. Heero raised a hand in greeting, and Duo waved him over. There were two empty chairs at their table, so Heero took one.
"What the heck are you doing in the Bahamas?" Duo asked.
"I'm on a job," Heero replied, stealing Duo's menu out from under his hands.
"Pretty nice place to go chasing after some John," Duo said.
"More like a Jean," Heero corrected, avoiding eye contact. He knew what was coming.
"A woman?" Duo asked.
"What's wrong with that?" Hilde asked indignantly.
"Nothing, except Yuy here vowed to never take on a female target," Duo explained to his wife. "Has Wufei returned to work after that Po chick?" Duo asked, returning his attention to Heero.
"No," Heero replied. "Last I heard he was shacking up with her somewhere on the west coast."
"He's a goner," Duo said. A waitress appeared beside the table. She'd brought coffee for Heero, and she took their food orders. After she wandered away, Heero spoke.
"I'm regretting this one. I tracked her down yesterday, and not only is she beautiful, she's the daughter of the Peacecraft family."
"Shit dude," Duo said.
"That rich family that owns like, half of New York City?" Hilde asked.
"You betcha," Duo replied. "Crazy rich. What the heck is the daughter doing here?" Heero shrugged.
"I haven't asked her yet," Heero said, then sighed. "What are you two doing here?"
"We had to postpone our honeynoon, remember?" Duo said. Heero did remember.
"Right." The waitress brought their food and they dug in.
"So why is this Peacecraft chick being hunted?" Duo asked around a mouthful of food.
"Financial crimes, bank fraud, et cetera," Heero replied.
"What would a rich girl need to do that for?" Hilde asked, aghast.
"I'm hoping I'll find that out," Heero said. They ate in silence for a while. The din of conversation and the sound of cutlery scraping on plates swelled around them.
"I still don't understand what the big deal is about a female target," Hilde said after a while. Heero and Duo glanced at each other.
"One of our professors at the academy explained it this way: the female targets and male bounty hunters can sometimes end up creating a special bond," Duo explained. "When they travel together, spend time together, prior to the arrest and after, sometimes the connection is too strong. And the bounty hunter might decide to not turn the target into the client. And most times, that's the end of their career."
Heero nodded. "We usually direct clients with females targets to female hunters," he added.
"Why don't hunters just not fool around with targets, then?" Hilde asked. Heero glanced at her, his eyes dark.
"Unfortunately, we are only human."
-/-\-
Heero wandered for a while after breakfast. He wanted to avoid going back to the marina. He wasn't ready to try and see her again.
Walking along the beach, Heero was able to take in the salt sea air and the warming rays of the sun. His attention was drawn to a semi-outdoor bar. It looked more like a pavilion, with each side open to the elements. Heero changed directions and crossed into the shade thrown by the pavilion roof.
The interior decoration looked like a bad attempt at a Hawaiian luau. There were white Christmas lights strung everywhere, and there was a loose tropic theme represented in cardboard cutouts and little statues. The music playing consisted of steel drums and what sounded like a ukulele. The pavilion was already packed with people, so early, but Heero figured they were here on vacation and could do what they wanted. Heero squeezed between a group of people and found a place to sit at the bar. He ordered a beer on tap and sat, his eyes shifting around the pavilion, looking over the faces of the people there. Heero was lost in thought for a while, when a tinkling laugh caught his attention from the other side of the U shaped bar.
Heero's head snapped up, and he saw a woman sitting across from him, her blonde hair swept up into a pile on her head, and she wore sunglasses over her eyes, even in the shade. There were several young looking men all vying for this woman's attention, but she was acting flippant, barely acknowledging the men. She seemed to have no problem accepting the drinks that they bought for her.
It was her.
Heero couldn't help but notice the prim way she sat on her barstool, her shoulders rolled back and her back straight, and the graceful way she rested her elbow on the bar and toyed with a few strands of her long hair. She had a curiously slow smile behind those red lips. Heero shook himself, mentally cursing Zechs for offering so much money for this target. Using his phone, he carefully took a flash-less photo of her after she'd removed her sunglasses to wipe a bit of dust or dirt off the lenses. He checked it, and it was a little blurry, but it would have to do. She'd already replaced her sunglasses over her eyes.
The bartender approached him when he noticed that Heero's glass was empty. "Another?" he asked. Heero nodded, and while the bartender was filling the glass with practiced precision, generating very little foam, Heero questioned him about Relena.
"Does that woman come here often?" he asked, discreetly pointing at Relena.
"Oh, Miss Relena? Yeah, pretty often for the last three months or so," he replied, setting the glass down on a paper napkin and sliding it in front of Heero. "You know her?"
"Not personally," Heero said.
"You want me to introduce you to her? She usually has a moment for anyone who asks," the bartender said. Heero thought this was strange, as she did not quite fit the profile of an accommodating woman. "You want me to get her?"
"No, no!" Heero called, but the bartender was already crossing over to the other side of the counter where Relena Peacecraft-Darlian was sitting. Heero's stomach sank to his feet. He watched as the large bartender leaned over and spoke to the target. He saw her reach up and slowly slide off her sunglasses and press them up on the crown of her head. Her mouth curled into a smile and she glanced around the bar, most likely wondering who the bartender was talking about. The bartender then pointed to Heero sitting there on the other side of the bar. Relena Peacecraft-Darlian, financial criminal, locked eyes with Heero Yuy, bounty hunter.
Heero watched Relena hop off the barstool and straighten the dress she was wearing. She pressed her hands to her hair to make sure all was in place and began to walk around the bar towards where Heero was sitting. Heero glanced at the bartender, who winked.
"Good luck, man," he said. Heero wanted to snarl at the man, but kept it inside. Instead, he smiled uneasily. She was getting closer, and there was no way to escape. Just when he was about to consider getting up and running, a waft of sweet smelling perfume filled his nose and he stopped. He turned slowly and saw her standing beside him, smiling, her light blue eyes glinting in the cheap white christmas lights strung on the ceiling. She extended her hand to him.
"Richard there said you wanted to speak to me?" she asked, her voice as sweet as her perfume. "My name is Relena Darlian, what's your's?" Heero reached out and shook her hand.
"Any relation to that millionaire Darlian in Chicago?" Heero asked, hoping to trap her. To his dismay, she laughed easily.
"I get that a lot, but no, sadly, no relation," she said. "Your name?"
"Heero Yuy," he said. She smiled and took her hand back.
"Pleasure to meet you Heero Yuy," she said. "What can I do for you?"
Heero's mind began to race, stumbling over itself. What could he possibly say to this woman? He cursed Zechs once again for bringing him this target. Women were so difficult. Could he use this moment as a chance to get some information from her, or should he use it to get to know her and get closer to her, which might make bringing her into Zechs easier. His mind flitted between to the two choices, and finally settled on the one that he liked the least. She was still staring at him, eyebrows raised in expectation.
"I just thought you looked really beautiful and wanted to speak to you," Heero blurted out, a little too quickly. To his surprise, Relena began to laugh.
"You men all use that same line," she said. Shit, Heero thought. "But I think I like you. Would you like to buy me a drink?" Heero nodded, and she hopped up on the stool beside him. Heero signaled to the bartender, who stepped up right away. He'd been watching the exchange interestedly.
"Get this lady a drink," Heero said, trying to pull together his courage and the tactics that his Duo tried to teach him back in college. The bartender grinned and began to mix a drink, already knowing the drink the lady preferred.
"So Mr. Yuy, where are you from?" Relena asked, angling her body towards him and resting that chin on one of her graceful hands. She crossed one leg over the other, baring her thigh.
"New York City," Heero said, averting his eyes from her.
"What a coincidence. My family is from New York City," she said. Heero nodded, and watched the bartender set the glass down in front of Relena. She grasped the stem of the martini glass and took a delicate sip. He already knew, of course, where her family had come from. He already knew much about this woman; some of her finances, where she'd lived prior to going off the radar, when she had been born and at what hospital.
"What brings you to the islands?" Heero had been lost in thought, but brought himself back quickly when she spoke.
"Vacation from work," he replied. She nodded.
"And what does a handsome man like you do for a living?" she asked, her lids low over her eyes. Time to lie.
"I work for a friend's mining company as a project manager," Heero lied, hoping he'd catch her interest. He was happy to see that Relena had raised an eyebrow.
"Which mining company?" she asked.
"Winner Mining," he replied. He knew Quatre would cover for him any day; he'd done it many times before while Heero was on a job.
"I see," Relena replied, and she appeared to be taking her own mental notes. Heero smiled inwardly. This could get interesting, like a chess match between two professionals. Relena took another sip of her martini. "And how long have you worked for Mr. Winner?" she asked.
"A couple of years, about since college," Heero replied easily. "What do you do for a living, Miss Darlian?" Relena shifted her eyes away from him and looked across the bar.
"Oh this and that," she replied. "Nothing special, as nothing really interests me for long."
"I can understand that."
"Can you, Mr. Yuy?" she asked smoothly, bringing her attention back to him. Their eyes locked once again, her blue eyes boring into him as deeply as Heero was boring into hers. She reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear, then took another sip of her martini. Heero's stomach was tightening. He was not prepared for this exchange at all. She was forward, so confident, and it made him feel like he was a teenager again, stumbling to speak with a girl. Her lips curled into that slow smile, her gaze remaining intense. She can see right through me, he thought to himself. Damn it Zechs.
"Where are you staying, Mr. Yuy?" Relena asked.
"Ocean Breeze Hotel," Heero said, answering truthfully, though he wasn't sure why.
"Lovely place," Relena replied absently. Her gaze had turned away again, looking off into the distance, though she looked to be deep in thought.
"And you?"
"Hmm?"
"Where are you staying?" Heero asked her, bringing her back down to his level.
"I stay on my yacht," she replied.
"Don't you get seasick?" Heero asked. He was never good at making small talk with strangers.
"Of course not. I've been on boats most of my life. It is soothing," she replied.
"Never tried it," Heero said, following that up with a long drink from his beer. Beside him, Relena gave out a yelp and she flew backwards. Heero spun around in his chair and saw that a large man had yanked Relena off her barstool and was dragging her through the sand to the outside of the pavilion.
"Relena!" Heero shouted, then jumped off the stool and began to run after the man. Relena was screaming and thrashing. The man lifted her by the arm and tossed her into the sand. All around them, people were stopping to watch. Heero pushed through the crowd. The man was standing over her, and she was lying prone on the ground, staring up intently at the man.
"You cheating bitch!" he roared at her. He raised his fist, but stopped when Heero punched the guy's neck, lost his balance, then fell over onto the ground, gasping for breath. Heero could tell that the guy was just a thug, not trained in any sort of self defense. Relena's expression became amused.
"You lose consistently. That has nothing to do with me," Relena said. The man didn't like that. He spun around and punched Heero in the gut, then whipped back around to Relena. He dove at her, and she tried to scramble away, her expression quickly dissolving into fear. He managed one good hit on Relena's cheek before he went flying off her from a solid tackle by Heero.
Heero yanked the man off Relena and threw him back into the sand. Two police officers arrived and they went for the man. Heero stood and crossed the sand to Relena's side. She had a hand pressed to her cheek and was frowning. Heero held a hand out to her, which she took, and hoisted her back onto her feet. To Heero's surprise, she remained close to him, her body pressed against his. Heero was slow to realize what he was doing, but he snaked an arm around her waist and held her close.
"This man attacked you?" One of the officers asked. Relena nodded.
"She cheated me!" the man roared. The officer looked skeptically at Relena, then back at the man.
"Sure she did," he said and forced the man into a walk away from the beach. Heero turned to Relena.
"What was that about, Miss Darlian?" he asked her. Relena shook her head and grasped Heero's hand. She pulled him along behind her towards the marina. One had was still pressed against her cheek. They soon arrived at The Sailing Dove. Relena leapt lightly onto the dock and gestured for Heero to follow. He stepped carefully onto the dock and followed. There was a door set into a small walkway. Relena unlocked the door and pushed it open. Heero stepped through the door and down a few steps.
The interior was expensively furnished, with modern black and white couches and chairs, lots of straight lines and black marble. A bar was set near one row of windows. A small ktichen was through one door and her bedroom through another.
"Wow," Heero commented as Relena stepped to the bar and opened a container with ice inside. She wrapped a few pieces in a towel and pressed it to her cheek. Heero walked towards her and took over holding the ice to her cheek.
"Do you often get in trouble with thugs?" Heero asked. Relena pursed her lips together.
"Sometimes," she replied. Heero raised an eyebrow, prompting her for more information. Relena sighed. "I played poker with him last night and he thought I cheated."
"Did you?" Heero asked.
"Perhaps," she replied a small smile on her lips. Heero nearly leaned in to kiss that smile, but he stopped himself. Heero removed the ice from her cheek and inspected it. There was a slight swelling but nothing too major.
"Your cheek should be fine," he said, pressing the ice pack to her face once again.
"I've been in worse scrapes before," she said, her voice low. The two stood silently, in close proximity, sizing the other one up. Heero's stomach was churning, knowing that one wrong move could compromise the whole job. But her desperately wanted to kiss her. The cunning mind she possessed and the intensity in her eyes were immensely attractive to him.
"Miss Darlian..."
"Please, call me Relena," she said.
"Relena then..." But Heero didn't have anything to say. He got some enjoyment just out of saying her name. Relena stepped closer to him. "I should go."
"Why?" A pout graced her lips. Heero sighed. He couldn't just say 'Because you are too beautiful and attractive, but I have to arrest you at some point.' To Heero's immense relief, his phone began to ring. It was Zechs.
"I have to take this call," Heero said, placing the ice pack in her hand.
"Girlfriend?" Was that a hint of sadness in her voice?
"Boss," Heero answered, then let himself out, and climbed off the boat.
"Zechs," he said upon answering.
"Yuy. How's it going?"
"I spoke to her, and saved her from a thug who claimed she cheated him at poker." He heard Zechs hold in a laugh.
"She used to cheat at cards when she was a kid. I have no idea how she learned it. It would probably be best if you brought her in soon, before she gets killed."
"I'm on it," Heero said, though he knew he was not "on it."
"Great, thanks," Zechs said, then hung up the phone. Heero shoved his hands in his pockets and began to walk back towards his hotel. He was lost in thought and didn't hear his name being called.
"Heero!" A delicate hand rested on his shoulder. He stopped and turned. Relena had run after him. Uh oh.
"I uh- forgot to thank you for helping me," Relena said, dropping her hand to her side. Heero looked at her skeptically.
"You're welcome," he said.
"Come back and have a drink with me!" she blurted suddenly.
"I don't know if that's a good idea."
"Is there someone waiting for you in New York?"
"No."
"Then what is it?" Relena persisted.
"I don't know," he said lamely. Relena tilted her head to the side and placed her hands on her hips.
"You don't do much dating," she concluded. Heero had lost control of the situation.
"My work keeps me busy," Heero said.
"Well, you're not at work- you're on vacation. Come on!" she snatched his hand and laced her fingers through his, then gave a tug. Heero followed, smelling disaster, and it smelled like lavender and roses.
Relena mixed the two of them a drink, and she sat down beside him on the couch. They chatted about the island, and Heero concocted ways to try and get her to talk about her crimes.
"How did you afford this if you don't work?" he asked, waving a hand to indicate the yacht.
"Working a nine to five job is not the only way to make money," she said with a grin. "I enjoy stocks," she added.
"Ah."
"What do you find so interesting about me?" Relena asked. "I can see it in your eyes."
"I should ask you the same thing," Heero replied. Relena shrugged her shoulders.
"You saved me, didn't you?"
"I get the feeling you would have sweet talked your way out if I hadn't been there."
"Or it could have been the end of me."
"You are too strong for that," Heero said, his voice low.
"What do you even know about me?" came the equally quiet reply.
Heero hadn't realized how close he'd gotten to her. They were inches apart.
"More than you think," Heero replied. His rational mind was shoved away and his carnal instincts took over.
"Hmm..." Relena slid her arms around his neck and jerked him forward until their lips met. Heero lost himself in her. She began to explore his chest and back with one hand and kept the other on the back of his neck. She pushed his shirt up, her fingers trailing over his abs.
"Didn't expect that," she said after breaking the kiss for a moment. She pulled his shirt off and forced him down onto the couch. She straddled his hips, and Heero wrapped his hands around her waist.
"Relena..." Heero moaned she ground her hips against him.
"Yes?" she asked playfully.
"This is not a good idea," he forced himself to say.
"You're right," she said. She reached towards the windows and pressed a button. All the shades went down, blocking out the daylight. "That's better."
"Relena..." he said again. She pressed a finger to his lips, then lowered her face to his ear.
"I lost my virginity to a seventy-year-old man. Let me have you," she said, her voice thick with lust. Heero had just one coherent thought before he succumbed to Relena- "She gave herself away."
When Heero opened his eyes, he realized he was lying on Relena's bed. She was curled up beside him, still naked. Heero carefully slid off the bed and went in search of his clothes. He found them scattered on the floor in the livingroom area. He dressed quickly and silently left Relena's yacht. When his feet touched the deck, he pulled out his cellphone and called Duo.
"Hey buddy," Duo said. "How's it going?"
"I've compromised the job," Heero said, trying to get away from Relena's boat as quickly as possible.
"What did you do?"
"I slept with her."
Duo heaved a sigh.