Disclaimer: This story was written by a fan only for the enjoyment of other fans, without any monetary compensation. Gundam Wing and its characters are registered trademarks of Bandai Entertainment Inc.™ and Sotsu Agency. All rights reserved.
The Raid
part 2
When he was certain that his target really was going to the pier Wufei sped up, leaving the BMW behind. He reached the corner of Canal and Green Meadow Street at about 9:25. Duo's dark pickup was parked about half a block away. Leaving his bike in an alleyway, out of sight, the young man looked around before he approached his partner's car.
"How long have you been here?" he asked as he dropped into the passenger seat.
"Two minutes maybe." Duo shrugged.
"Anything suspicious?"
"Not so far. Come on, tell me why we are here if I could be drinking beer and winning another poker game right now."
"Sorry to interfere with your social life, but I think this is a little more important than a missed poker game." Wufei told his friend and partner in as few words as possible about the conversation he had overheard at the Rainbow Grill.
Duo Maxwell frowned. "This sounds big, are you sure you don't want to call in for backup, at least let them know where we are?"
"No," the other young man shook his head. "I think this will be fine. If we are lucky there will be only two of them, and if we are really lucky..." Wufei paused briefly. "They will be resisting arrest. Besides," he gestured at a black car coming down the road. "It's too late anyway, there he is. The guy from the bar. Where is your camera?"
Gesturing toward the back seat Duo crouched deeper into his seat as the BMW passed them. He watched the car slow down and stop about a hundred yards away just at the corner where Canal Street met Green Meadow. Wufei grabbed the camera and took a few pictures of the BMW, zooming in closely on the license plate and the man in the driver seat.
"Do a ownership check on the vehicle for me." he told Duo. "The first name is Treize. I want to know everything we have on him."
As they waited the driver climbed out of the black car. He looked around, checked his watch then pulled his phone from his pocket. They could see him talk to someone; it was only a brief conversation. by the time he put his phone away they noticed a set of headlines approach down Canal. A small delivery track, gray with some kind of logo on the side, stopped at the other side of the street across from the BMW.
The camera in Wufei's hand was clicking away. He took close-ups of the truck and the young man exciting it, Trowa presumable. He was slender with brown hair that had fallen partially over his face, dressed in a pair of jeans and a blue shirt. Wufei snapped more pictures as he approached Treize. They two of them met in the middle of the street and exchanged a few words before Trowa gestured toward the back of his truck.
"Here we go!"
Having only waited for his partner's command Duo nodded as he turned on the engine. The truck came to life, bolting forward as the young man stepped onto the gas pedal. He turned the pickup sideways, bringing it to a hold right in front of the delivery truck. Both he and Wufei jumped out at the same time, pulling their weapons as they did so.
"Hands over your head and don't move! You are under arrest?"
Their entrance had clearly startled their targets. But they seemed rather calm as they obeyed Wufei's orders and raised their hands.
"Under arrest for what?" the tawny-haired man asked as he looked around. "Is this a no parking zone or something?"
"I don't think they are from the parking enforcement unit," his companion replied dryly.
"Smart boy," Duo huffed as he and Wufei pulled out their batches.
Finally the tawny-haired man seemed to recognize him. One of his eyebrows jumped up in a mixture of surprise and confusion. "Wait, you are the guy from the Rainbow Grill. What is this; some kind of prank? Did Milliardo put you up to this?"
Wufei just glared at him.
"Check the back of the truck Duo, make sure everyone is alright, while I cuff them," he told his partner. And then, directed at the other two men, he ordered. "Turn to face the truck. Place your hands on the hood and step back."
His partner nodded. Without lowering his weapon he stayed out the two men's reach as he moved around the delivery truck. The hatch in the back was unlocked but still closed.
"If this IS a joke, I think it has gone far enough." Treize's voice had taken on a irritated edge.
"Do I look like I am joking?" the young Chinese man growled. "Now do as you are told unless you want to add 'resisting arrest' to your charges?"
For a moment it looked like Treize was going to say something else but then he just shook his head and followed Wufei's orders.
He didn't have any steel cuffs with them but he had picked up a couple of plastic restrains Duo always kept in his truck. Cuffing first Trowa and then his companion Wufei pulled the plastic strip tight enough to make the man wince.
Wufei's gaze wandered fourth and back between the two perps and his partner. Duo had managed to push up the rolling hatch. He looked inside the truck, took a step back and scratched his head.
"Umm...I think you might want to see this, Wu."
The young man frowned. "Don't move!" he warned sharply before joining his partner. What he expected to find was a bunch of frightened young girls, huddled together in the back of the truck. But instead the bed was empty except for a few boxes and a couple of small crates filled with potted plants.
"Plants?"
"Vegetables I believe." Duo scratched his head again as he gestured toward the logo on the side of the truck. 'Winner Farms certified organic crops'.
Wufei's frown turned into a scowl. His head snapped around. "Where are the girls?"
The two men exchanged a look with each other. "Girls?" the younger one echoed. "What girls?"
"The girls you were trying to sell to him."
"What the heck? I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Neither do I," Treize added. "But I would like a good explanation of what's going on here."
"I overheard your phone conversation with him," Wufei gestured at Trowa. "So don't even try to play dumb with me. You told him that you had lost your 'stock' and asked him for a dozen young girls from Japan and the middle east. The younger the better I believe you said," he pressed through his teeth. "So they would be easier to train."
The tawny haired man looked at him in total surprise, blinked and threw back his head in an outburst of laughter.
Wufei's jaws tightened. "You think that's funny?"
"I am sorry," Treize replied but he didn't exactly sound too sorry, still trying to catch his breath. "Didn't your mother teach you not to eaves drop on other people's private conversations. And if you do, you should at least make sure to know both sides of the story."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Umm..." Duo spoke up. "I think I'm beginning to understand." He pulled out a little gardening label from one of the crates then another one from the other. "Your victims I believe," he announced with a gesture toward the crates. "Persian and Japanese...cucumbers."
Wufei stared at his partner, speechless for a long moment, then grabbed the garden labels studying them carefully.
"No," he snapped. "It can't be. It's some kind of trick. I know what I heard. What about the Raid on his property? There have to be records somewhere."
The tawny haired man sighed. "Not a Raid, Raid. As in weed killer. Unfortunately it doesn't discriminate between weeds and vegetables. Someone sprayed it in my garden killing my cucumber seedlings. That's why I called Trowa here to buy new ones." He paused, looked at Wufei and raised one eyebrow. "You really thought I am some kind of pimp?"
Wufei wasn't convinced yet. "If this was about nothing than a few vegetable plants why all the secrecy?"
"Maybe it would be better if I tell you the whole story." Treize suggested. "But you could take off those handcuffs; they are not exactly comfortable."
"I will loosen them, but they only come off if I like your story."
"Fair enough," the tawny haired man nodded.
Wufei told him to turn around, and adjusted the restrains.
"Thank you. Much appreciated."
He doesn't act like any criminal I have arrested before. Could it be that I am wrong? No, it can't be. It's some kind of trick I am sure. Mister Charming here is just trying to win brownie points, as Duo would say. He is trying to trick us into our guard down.
"At least you could point those guns somewhere else." Trowa requested as the agent loosened his cuffs as well. "What are you afraid we are going to do? Bite?"
Exchanging a gaze with his partner Wufei nodded. He secured his weapon and pointed it toward the ground while Duo slipped his gun into the holster and looked at the older man expectantly.
"We are all ears."
"I... work for a decent sized tech company..."
The tawny haired man had barely started his story when he was interrupted by an amused huff from his companion.
"Did I say something funny?"
"Don't you mean you OWN a decent size tech company?"
Treize shrugged. "I still work there, so what's your point. Now let me continue, unless you would like to do the talking."
"No, go right ahead. You are much better with words than I am."
"Well, thank you."
Wufei's brows furrowed again. "Can we move on?"
"Well anyway, my days are spent in board meetings, video-conferences and behind my computer. So when I come home I like to get dirty...in my garden that is. Several years back, some like-minded people I met at a gardening website decided to spice things up with a little competition. Every year we chose a flower or vegetable to grow. A traveling panel of judges then selects the winner. This year, as you might guess by now, we are raising cucumbers." Treize explained.
"I have won the competition three years in the row now," he declared not without a certain amount of pride in his voice. "First for my English tea roses, then for a delightfully scrumptious and colorful collection of Swiss Chard. And last year my Purple Runners put every other bean to shame. Of course this means everyone is trying hard to dethrone me and I have to make sure I keep at least one step ahead of my competitors."
"If you don't mind me asking," Duo wanted to know. "What do you win for all that trouble?"
"Win? Well, yes of course there is a small monetary award attached to the title but that doesn't compare to bragging rights. I mean what can be better than the knowledge of having beaten anyone else."
"And cheating is allowed in that so called competition of yours?" Wufei asked.
"Hmm." the tawny haired man put on a thoughtful expression. "I wouldn't go as far as say that cheating is condoned, but at least one of my opponents seems to live by the notion that all is fair in love and war. While I was out of town someone sneaked into my garden and sprayed Raid all over my vegetable patch. I came home this morning to find all my cucumber plants - and everything else nearby - dead. I had no idea what was wrong until I found the raid container in my trash can. Anyway the timing couldn't have been worse, because two of the judges have announced their visit for tomorrow. I could not possibly have them see my dead plants. So I knew I had to act fast. Trowa here, and his fiancé own a small organic farm outside town. They mainly provide fruits and vegetables to local restaurants - like the Rainbow Grill. But occasionally they sell some extra plants. And that's how I ended up calling Trowa...
:::Begin Flashback:::
A sigh of relief escaped him lips as the phone was finally picked up on the other side.
"Hello?"
"It's Treize. I need a huge favor, Trowa, I am in big trouble."
"You're talking about that little prank in your garden? Heard you are pretty angry."
"...ah, you talked to Quatre then. Yes, I am furious; wouldn't you be? That damn raid cost me my entire stock."
"How did they manage to get in anyway?" Trowa wanted to know. "Didn't you hear anything?"
"No, I wasn't home. But if I find out who is behind it I will kill him, I swear."
"Well, one person comes to mind who is well known for his love for pranks, and not to mention he does know his way around your place."
Treize knew exactly who the other man was referring too. But he shook his head. "No, I don't think Milliardo would pull a stunt like that. We have always been very competitive but there is a line we wouldn't cross. But on the other hand... I can't think of anyone else who would gain from me going down."
"He has a pretty good set of seedlings himself this year. The new hydroponic system he built seems to work great. No doubt in my mind that he has a chance to win with you out of the competition."
"I guess you could be right. Anyway, remember those little beauties you showed me when I came by your place last week? Do you still have them? I'll take them off your hands, all of them. Just make me a price, I won't bargain."
"What happened to 'I always grow all my plants from my seeds' ?"
"I know, I know, but I am desperate."
"Fine, come by the farm tomorrow. I'll be there until about noon."
"Tomorrow? No, tomorrow will too late. I need them tonight. Tomorrow I'll have people come in and if I don't have anything to show them I'm pretty much out of the race."
"Tonight? Where are you going to put them tonight? You can't possibly plant them in the same soil, the chemical residues would still kill them."
"No, of course I won't put them at the same place. I already prepared a new location for them, new beds and everything. They will love it. So, what is it; you got something for me or not?"
"I guess I could give you some Persian and Japanese cucumbers. But that's all I have right now."
"...Persian and Japanese that would be perfect. People love the exotic."
"Alright then, you can have a dozen each and I'll throw in some of our special compost."
"A dozen? That will have to do, I guess. How old are they."
"They are only about 3 weeks old, a bit smaller than yours were. Is that a problem?"
"No, that will be fine. The younger the better. Makes it easier to train them, you know."
"Fine then, I am on my way to the farm now. Still have one more delivery to make tonight. I will grab the plants and you can meet me along the way. Let's say by the pier, where Green Meadow and Canal meet. I can be there around 9:30."
"Green Meadow and where? By the pier...Wait, let me write that down." He gestured for the bar keeper to give him something to write and then scribbled down some directions while listening to Trowa repeating what he had said. "South Pier at Green Meadow and Canal, got it. Meet you there at 9:30."
::: End Flashback :::
"And that's all there is to it." Treize finished his account with a shrug. With a sparkle of mirth in his eyes one corner of his lips curved into an expression of amusement. "Do you still believe us to be public enemy number 1 and 2? I mean trying to pass bought cucumber plants off as my own might not exactly be very ethically, but if you guys start going around rounding up people for bending the truth, you would have to arrest every politician from here to Washington."
Wufei's yaw tightened as he wished for the ground to open up and swallow him right then and there. His ears were burning in embarrassment. How could he have made a mistake like this. Suddenly he was very glad that had decided to not call in reinforcements.
"I am sorry," he offered, what else could he do, as he released his 'prisoners'. One look into his partner's grinning face told him that his partner wasn't planning on letting him forget this any time soon.
Treize rubbed his wrists and checked his watch. "Are we free to leave then?"
"Yes of course," Wufei nodded stiffly. "Again I am sorry about the inconvenience. I take full responsibility and will make sure you receive a full, written apology."
"What time is it anyway, I promised Quatre to take him to the late show. If I don't get home on time I'll be sleeping on the couch for the rest of the week. Maybe I can make something like the truck broke down or so."
"Quatre always can tell if you are lying," Treize pointed out.
"Yeah, but what am I supposed to do; tell him the truth. 'Honey, it's not my fault, really. Treize and I were arrested for the unlawful distribution of cucumber plants.' He is never going to believe that."
"Well," the older man declared graciously but with a twinkle in his eyes. "If need be you can move into my guest house. My door is always open for my partner in crime."
Duo grinned and Wufei could feel his ears burn. I guess I deserve that.
"Is there anything we can do to help?"
"Thanks, but that's..."
"Actually, there is." Treize interrupted the brunette. "Those plants still need to be moved from your truck to my car. A little help from the strong arm of the law would be nice."
He is enjoying this way too much, Wufei thought even if he forced a polite smile. "Happy to help."
TBC
Author's Note: