Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Some suggestive stuff, but nothing graphic. If you read my profile, you'll see why nothing has been updated for so long, and why I'm able to now. Thanks RedRiver04 for the review - this chapter is for you! Writing mystery/action/romance/whatever is hard - especially with the twists! My brain is getting a real workout, I'll tell you that right now. But it's fun.

Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism is welcome.


"So, what did you find out?" Kina asked over a salad. Trowa glanced up from his hamburger at her briefly, and then purposefully took a large bite, chewing slowly. "Are you sulking again?" she realized, and gave him a look. "Trowa, we have to work together – no relationship exists between us, okay? Boss put us together because we know each, so stop acting like a testosterone-teeming teenager and more like a man," she hissed, and he choked on his food with laughter.

"Try saying that last part five times fast," he joked, and then sighed. "I'll just ignore that lecture and get to the good stuff. Gregory Allistar, from what I can find of him, moved over from Britain almost fifty years ago. He's been accused of having connections with various mafia cliques for decades, but nothing can be proved beyond a reasonable doubt."

"So he's smart," she reasoned, spearing a tomato with her fork. "What else?"

"That guy – Louis? – has powerful friends in the police, as well as several business corporations," Trowa continued, and Kina was grateful for his photographic memory. "That…personality may not be an act, but he's not an idiot."

"I figured that out," she interrupted.

"Well, his connections are doing their best to take down the mafia, which apparently has the run of this town – and has for years," Trowa revealed, and she leaned back in her seat thoughtfully.

"Do you think he's here undercover?" she wondered, and he snorted.

"I highly doubt it. I said he has connections," he told her. "It's probably not coincidence that he was invited to that party – I'd say more like bait for them to rear their ugly heads."

"Let's try to avoid any casualties," she frowned, and he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. So, did you find anything, other than a sexually-challenged writer and a guy that does his thinking with his testosterone?" Trowa asked, and she shook her head.

"Unfortunately not. I got nothing from the staff," she shrugged. "I think most of 'em are clean, to be honest. And if they do know anything, they're damn good actors. Loyalty wins out, though."

"Hm," he muttered, and rubbed his chin with his hand absently. "That's a problem. Without inside information, it could get a lot trickier. I was hoping to keep this clean, but…"

"Let's wait a while for that," she interrupted his train of thought hastily. "Boss told us to take as much time as needed, and to keep it subtle, remember? That's hardly subtle."

"I know," he nodded, and resumed eating. They sat in silence for a while, until Kina smacked her forehead. "What?"

"Louis said his agent got his invitation," she remembered. "We should check that guy out – it should be easy enough to find. Maybe we'll get something from him."

"All right," Trowa agreed, and stood up. "I'll take care of that as soon as we get back to the hotel. Do you have anything planned?"

"Not much," she shook her head regretfully, as they paid the bill at the front desk. "Why?"

"Go check out that Louis guy some more," he suggested, holding the door open for her. Underneath his black jacket, he wore his usual outfit of black boots, blue jeans, and a mint-green T-shirt underneath an unbuttoned pale-blue dress shirt.

"If you think it'll do any good," Kina shrugged, buttoning her dark-brown jacket. Black boots showed from underneath her dark-blue flared jeans, and a pale-red shirt with black three-quarter sleeves was hidden by the jacket.

"Maybe, maybe not," he thought, and then glanced down at her. Even in heels, she barely reached his chin, much to her chagrin. "And stay away from Maxwell, all right? There's something about him I really don't like."

"Could it be the fact he's coming on to me?" she wondered teasingly, and he looked up at the sky in sudden interest.

"Just do it," he ordered, and she blinked in surprise. Nodding reluctantly as they reached the hotel, she sighed as he strode off to the elevator, and headed toward the front desk to find out where Louis was staying.


"Oh, I'm so glad you came to see me!" he exclaimed, opening his door after she had knocked on it. "I was just unpacking. Please come in!"

"Thanks," she nodded, and entered the hotel room with interest. Although there was no obvious flaunting of his preference, subtle hints lay everywhere, making her slightly uncomfortable. Taking it in stride, Kina took the offered chair as the blond man – in his late twenties, she guessed – took the edge of the bed, and peered at her.

"To be honest, I'm surprised you're here," Louis admitted, and she laughed briefly.

"I can see why," she agreed, "But my husband had to go out for a bit, so I decided to see how you were doing. By the way, how did you know I was married?"

"Besides the ring?" he pointed out, and she blinked – still not used to wearing it. "Well, the way you had to correct your last name, I'm guessing you're recently married. And I saw that the key you handed the clerk for your room was marked with a 'two' – meaning someone else had a copy as well."

"Very observant," she complimented him, and he smiled widely.

"As an author, I try to be," he said modestly, and then grinned. "A lot of people tend to think I'm an idiot, but it only helps my image, supposedly."

Kina remained silent, a little embarrassed that she had also thought the man was an idiot. "Obviously, first impressions aren't always important," she thought ruefully, and then blinked as he snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Sorry, I zoned out for a sec."

"Oh, that's no problem!" he said cheerfully. "I was just wondering if you'd like to tour the city with me for a bit – I get lonely, you see, and if your husband is going to be out for a bit…"

It only took Kina three seconds to consider, and she nodded, much to his delight.

"I'd love to," she smiled, and surprised herself when she realized the words were sincere. "Isn't the weather a bit…damp, though?"

"Is that a problem?" he asked anxiously, peering at her suddenly. "I could call a cab, or –"

"I was just making sure," she interrupted, waving her hands. "Just let me go get my jacket – I left it in the coat check – and we can go!"

"I'll meet you down there, then," Louis agreed, and began to ready himself after he showed his guest out.


"That's odd…" she murmured, glancing at her watch. Nearly thirty minutes had gone by, and Louis still hadn't arrived at the front desk. "It doesn't take me this long to get ready."

"Is something wrong, Mrs. Barton?" the clerk asked, and she jumped slightly. Turning around, she thought for a moment, and nodded.

"Yes, actually. Could you please page Mr. Neian for me? I was supposed to meet him down here a bit ago."

"Of course," he nodded, and she waited as he turned away to the phone. After several minutes, he returned, and she looked at him expectantly. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Barton, but it appears that Mr. Neian already left a short while ago, according the message he left for the phone service."

"I see," she nodded, and suppressed a shrug. "I guess I misunderstood him, then. Thank you."


"Something the matter, Mrs. Barton?" Duo asked her suddenly, stressing her marital status. Jumping in the seat she was in, she glared up at him as he propped himself on the arm of the chair.

"Get lost," she muttered, returning to the book she had, waiting for Trowa to return. His grin merely widened, and she wondered how she could get rid of him.

"That looks like some heavy stuff," he commented, glancing at the book she was skimming. Slamming it shut, she stood up and grabbed her jacket.

"I have to get going," she said stiffly, but he caught her arm, suddenly appearing serious.

"Hey, sorry if I offended you," he apologized, catching her off-guard. "I didn't mean anything by it. I'm just a nut – ask anyone who knows me. You gonna let me make it up to you sometime?"

"I don't think I like how you worded that," Kina peered at him suspiciously. He blinked for a moment, and then laughed nervously.

"I didn't mean anything by that either," he said with a shrug, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black jeans. Black boots matched his belt, and a black leather jacket was over his gray T-shirt.

"I'll have to think it over," she relented, and he grinned at her.

"Cool. I'm room three-forty, so give me a buzz if ya want," he offered, and then looked around. "Uh-oh – your husband's coming back, so I should probably make myself scarce. See ya!"

Kina felt an odd sense of guilt as the unsuspecting Trowa approached, and smiled to cover her feelings.

"I thought you were going out," he commented, and she glanced around before lowering her voice so he had to lean in to hear her.

"He's gone – supposedly left when I was talking to him," she whispered, and Trowa's eyes narrowed.

"Hm."

"Something's happening soon – if it isn't already," she continued. "I think we should lay low for a while, just in case. I've got a bad feeling."

"All right," he nodded, and straightened abruptly. "We'll keep to the room for the rest of the evening, then. Maybe we can pick something up in the meantime."

Kina followed him to the elevator, but not before noticing Allistar watching them intently from the barroom.


Trowa woke up abruptly from sleep late that night, and rubbed his eyes briefly before sitting up and looking around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but as he glanced at Kina in the other bed, he saw that she was tossing restlessly, and murmuring something under her breath.

"Kina," he whispered, sitting on the edge of her bed and placing his hands on her shoulders firmly. "Kina, wake up. You're having another nightmare." At this, he suddenly stopped himself, remembering her other ability. Through DNA testing, Trowa had astounding acrobatic skills no other human could even dream of doing, and his rate of success in missions was one-hundred percent, suggesting that he somehow could alter his luck. Kina, besides her ability to read auras, was able to reach out and pick up on experiences in her dreams, causing some unsettling nights.

Waiting as she continued to dream, Trowa forced himself to turn his thoughts away from her slender body outlined by her sheets, and shook his head firmly. After several more minutes, she stopped moving, and he peered at her in the dark curiously. Seeing tears running down her cheeks as she continued to sleep, he shook her gently, and she woke up with a start.

"Trowa!" she gasped, and then wiped at her face in embarrassment. Wrapping his arm around her shoulder as she sat up, he saw that she was wearing her usual pajamas of black bikini-cut underwear and a white ribbed tank-top.

"Another dream?" he asked quietly, and she nodded.

"I'm not sure who was in it…it took place in this hotel, though. I'm sure of it," she said firmly. "They were torturing someone…it was horrible. I felt everything – vinegar and salt in open wounds, bamboo shoots slid up the skin, fingers being systematically broken, boiling oil poured into his lungs with a cone…he's dead, thank God. It was…"

She broke down in tears, and Trowa held her against his bare chest as she cried – something which was rare.

"It must have been bad," he thought reflectively, and rubbed her back until she calmed down.

"I can't believe I did that," she laughed nervously, drying her eyes. "I've seen worse…it was just…I don't know. I'm going to go wash my face."

As she padded to the bathroom, she felt Trowa's eyes on her, and she flushed as she shut herself in the small tiled room. She splashed cold water on her face, and rubbed her face vigorously with a towel as she reflected on her rather-complicated relationship with Trowa.

In their mercenary group, they had only worked together a few times, and hadn't really known each other until they were the last ones left, and forced to live together during the years of DNA testing. They had grown close, and Kina thought of him as a good friend, but never really had romantic intentions toward him. Almost a year ago though, on a particularly stressful mission, they had broken their unspoken and self-imposed ban, and spent the night together.

She turned red just thinking about it, and shook her head to rid her mind of the memories. After that, Trowa had begun to act more protective than usual, and Kina – who had been used to their platonic relationship, where she could wear clothes like her previous ones comfortably, for instance – had grown exasperated with her partner. Due to tension, Boss had separated them after that.

Until this mission, that was.

Kina sighed and resisted the urge to wrap a towel to cover herself, and strode back into the bedroom. Trowa had returned to his own bed, but watched her as she slid underneath her covers, and rolled over so her back faced him.

"What?" she asked finally, feeling his gaze still on her. He didn't say anything, but she heard the springs shift as he moved, and almost jumped in surprise when she felt him get into the bed, pressing his chest against her back.

"Just in case," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to him. Suppressing a sigh, Kina ignored the part of her brain that enjoyed the physical contact with him, and forced herself to fall into a dreamless sleep.


Three days had passed, and Kina's fears were brought to life when no sign of Louis surfaced during that time.

"You don't think he was the one, do you?" Trowa asked quietly, as they sat in the room reviewing files. She glanced up briefly, and then shook her head slowly.

"I don't know," she admitted, and tossed the file onto the table in frustration. "This isn't helping! I hate just sitting around here!"

Trowa regarded her silently for a moment, and then returned to his files when she glanced at him.

"What?" she asked. When he didn't say anything, she huffed and stalked over to retrieve her papers. Sitting back down, they continued to review for a few more moments in silence, until a scream pierced the air.

"What on earth?" Trowa began, as they rushed to the door. Running out into the hallway, they saw a maid standing in the doorway, shaking visibly.

"What's the matter?" Kina demanded, taking her arm. Glancing in the direction the woman was staring, Kina suppressed a gag when she saw what had caused the scream. A woman's body lay on the rug, surrounded by a pool of blood. Her head appeared to have been hacked open, and pieces of brain and flesh spattered the walls and floor.

"Damn it," Trowa growled, grabbing Kina's arm. A crowd of people had formed in a matter of minutes, and many had begun to panic. Most rushed to the elevator, and Trowa pulled Kina in after them.

"Trowa?" she called, as he lost his grip on her arm. Looking around, she became caught in the mass of people, and someone started the elevator before she could get back out. They began to move down, and it suddenly jolted to a stop.

"We're all going to die!" a woman moaned, and Kina's mind raced. Shoving her way to the control panel, she pulled out a small electronic hacking device both agents carried, and managed to jumpstart it. The people fell as it quickly began to move downward, and became stuck once more. Luckily, it was near the door, and several men forced it open.

"Oh my god!" another woman shrieked, climbing out. Kina quickly scrambled up, and turned pale when she saw what lay in front of them.

"What happened?" she wondered, looking around. Bodies of both staff and guests littered the floor, but blood was nowhere to be seen. Quickly glancing around for her partner, Kina picked her way through the bodies and managed to reach the door – and promptly ran into Duo.

"You!" he realized, and grabbed her arm. "Come on, let's get out of here."

She nodded in agreement, and allowed herself to be pulled outside, and breathed in the fresh cold air deeply.

"You okay?" he asked, glancing at her. She peered at him, and then nodded once more.

"Yeah," she managed, and moved aside as people poured out of the building. "What the hell happened in there?"

"I wish I knew," he grumbled, and she narrowed her eyes at the tone of his voice.


"Get the fuck off me, bastard!" Trowa growled, fighting back his captors.

"Sorry," a light-blond young man shrugged, as another man with brown hair led them through the basement. "Can't let a government spy get out here alive."

"Did Duo get the chick?" the black-haired one holding Trowa grunted, and the speaker nodded.

"Yeah, he should've," he agreed, and then glanced at Trowa. "Maybe you should knock him out – it'd be easier at this point, wouldn't it?"

"Probably," the captor nodded, and the leader turned. The last thing Trowa saw was a fist coming toward him, before blackness overcame him.


Whee! Action - excitement - mystery! Please review if you read!