Ch. 2 The Plan

'Great,' Heero thought as he stood in the middle of highly perfumed ladies and stern men. 'Another party for them to get a chance to gawk at us.' He moved carefully to the outer rim of the dancing people to stand by Trowa.

"I don't see Kate." Trowa stated without even glancing at him.

"Maybe she's had enough of these parties as we have." Heero answered.

"Maybe. And maybe not. Look." Trowa jutted his chin in the direction of the door. Kate had just entered on the arm of her husband.

"And the princess has arrived..." Heero answered sarcastically.

Quatre joined them just as everyone gasped.

"What is it? What happened." Duo came and stood behind them.

Quatre's eyes when wide and stared up the stairs in the direction of Kate but it wasn't Kate that had attracted everyone's attention. It was the girl that entered behind her. She gracefully stepped into doorway and glided over to stand beside Kate, she wore a soft blue dress that shined in the lighting of the room , it hung from her shoulders by two thin straps and fit her form generously down to her waist then belled out softly until it touched the floor. Her red-gold hair was caught up in curls and twists, and was accented with blue flowers. Two sun bleached-blonde tendrils hung down to frame her face. A silver necklace with a angel pendant hung around her smooth copper toned neck, and from both ears angels hung on strings of silver. She reached out one blue gloved hand and allowed an elderly man brush it lightly with his lips. She smiled but the smile didn't reach the blue-green depths of her eyes that where outlined lightly with silver on the upper lid. Every bit of skin showing glittered

ever so slightly when she moved. She looked all the world like an angel.

"Who is that!" Quatre asked while shutting Duo's wide open mouth.

Heero saw Kate catch sight of them and turn to take the girls hand. "Looks like we'll be finding out soon."

Wufie snorted as he walked up. "I don't know why they're all excited. It's just a girl."

"Because this girl is my sister. And no one has ever seen her before." Wufie jumped slightly then turned to face Kate who had just walked up.

He glanced over her shoulder at the girl, at least she didn't seem to care about what he had said.

"Gentlemen. This is my sister, Ajeya O'Brien." She lead her forward and Trowa though he saw a rebellious glimmer in her eyes at the fact that she was being led around like some prize possession. The look was erased from her eyes immediately when she realized that he was watching.

Ajeya bent in a small curtsy." Pleased I'm sure." Her voice was soft and warm and was like a soothing honey after a night of the shrill voices of the women already occupying the ball room.

Kate nodded in approval then introduced them one by one." Ajeya, this is Wufie, Quatre, Duo, Heero and Trowa. I'm sure you'll have a lovely time but you'll have to excuse me." She took her leave without waiting for a reply.

Quatre bit his lip." So, um, do you live with your sister?"

Ajeya smiled a little."No, that wouldn't be possible. We would end up killing each other."

He shuffled nervously. But his embarrassment was cut short when I elderly man asked her to dance, and sensing his discomfiture she accepted readily. And thus began her long night of dancing.

Trowa had watched her from a distance, never daring to approach her. But now the available dancers where few since a lot of guests had already taken their leave.

"Go ask her to dance." He raised his eyebrows in surprise, because Kate had appeared out of nowhere.

He shook his head. "She isn't going to dance with me. She has only been dancing with the elderly."

She smiled, "You're very observant, but not as observant as you think. She wants to dance with you, so go ask!" She gave him a light shove, so he just continued on. And before he had time to change his mind he was in front of her. He extended his hand in a silent invitation and was surprised when she took it. He placed his right hand on her small waist and clasped her right hand in his left. She steadied herself by laying her left hand on his shoulder. Around they danced never saying a word.

Kate watched them carefully while making her way to the orchestra. Standing casually by the uplifted stage she waited until she caught the director's eye then nodded and walked off. The director finished the song then went immediately into a slow relaxing melody.

Ajeya had seen her sister's clever move and nearly laughed out loud, she was trying to set them up! But unwittingly she had created the perfect conditions she needed to proceed with her plan. After releasing her hand from his grip she slipped both arms around his neck, then let out a small sigh of relief when he didn't pull away. But instead he pressed his hands to her back. Over his shoulder she saw her sister literally squirm with delight. She leaned in slightly and whispered softly into his ear. "I have something to tell you. Shhh! Don't say anything yet, just listen."

He nodded and she continued on." Tomorrow one your way to the spaceport you'll be intercepted, and the men that intercept you will either kill you or take you prisoner to kill you later. And this will happen on a deserted road you will take because the limo driver the Vice Foreign Minister has hired is in cahoots with the man that wants the five of you dead. Understand? But, this isn't going to happen anymore because you'll be taken away tonight. So, what I need to know is, will you go with us?"

She heard him take in a deep breath and hold it before finally letting it out. Then he whispered back. "How do I know this isn't a set up? And how do I know I can trust you? Relena wouldn't hire a hitman."

She rolled her eyes but answered calmly." Set up? No, if it were a set up I wouldn't have told you so much. And as far as trusting me I don't know you'll just have to find out. Relena doesn't know about this plan she's merely a pawn."

He waited until a couple that was dancing by them had gotten out of ear shot before he answered. "Okay then. We'll go." Trowa thought he felt a small sigh of relief.

"Good. Then this is what I want you to do. Tonight you'll leave the banquet and go back to your hotel and on the way you'll tell the rest of the guys the plan. And it's safe to do so because we made sure the rental car wasn't bugged. And this is what you are to tell them. Tell them that all of you need to be packed and ready to leave at a moments notice. You can leave a note saying you decided to leave early to avoid good-bye's or something that sounds natural for you guys to do but you can't say anything in it that might give away the fact that you went with someone. Got it so far?" She pressed her forehead to his shoulder so he could still hear her but no one would see her mouth move. "Good. Next, you can go to sleep but you all must stay in your rooms. We will wake you when the time comes. Can you do that?"

He felt a slight twinge of anger at her insult to his pride. "Of course."

She laughed softly knowing she got to him. "Good."

Knowing they might be thought suspicious they finished the song then split to join their companions.

About half an hour later a man got on the microphone and thanked everyone and asked that they all have a safe ride home. Then he went on to introduce the orchestra and the sponsors, but Trowa tuned him out successfully and watched Ajeya out of the corner of his eye. She had met up with Kate and was obviously being questioned as to what she could have possibly talked about so long with a former gundam pilot, he hid a smile she seemed to be doing quite a good job of lying to her.

"You ready?" Heero whispered out of the corner of his mouth. Trowa nodded and they slipped out the door.

Trowa stared out the window and ignored the curious looks he received from his friends.

"So Trowa," Duo leaned forward in his seat," got you a girl, eh?"

"No." He grunted back.

"I dunno you were gettin awful snugly there..." He started to laugh.

"We weren't that close. We were talking."

"It must have been really interesting." He winked stupidly.

"She wants us to go with her and a friend tonight." He stated quickly.

"Where?" Quatre asked.

"She didn't say. But she did say there was a plot to kill us or capture us on the way to the airport tomorrow." Trowa continued to stare out the window but could feel Heero's eyes boring into the back of his head.

Duo's jaw dropped. "What!"

"But she said that was why she was there, to warn us and get us away before it happened. She said she'd come for us tonight. I told her we would go with her."

"And you trust her why?" Wufie stared blankly at him.

"Because...because I just don't think she is lying. Why would she go to so much trouble to do this."

"Maybe because it's really her that wants us dead. You can't trust women." Wufie spat.

"What does she want us to do?" Heero spoke for the first time.

"Your going to do it!" Wufie nearly shrieked.

"Yeah."

"Me too! Not that I trust her or anything it's just that I'm curious. Ok?" Duo put in.

"Sure I'll go. I trust Trowa's judgment." Quatre smiled.

"Fine! Whatever! It's not like we can't handle ourselves. Girls are weaklings it'll be a cinch if she tries something." Wufie muttered.

Trowa nodded." Here's what we have to do..."

Trowa had gone to bed almost immediately after packing his bag and writing a reassuring note to who ever might worry about them. But now he was having trouble sleeping, in his dream he saw something crouched in the corner by the window. It moved stealthily around towards his bed, carefully avoiding the moonlight that streamed in the open window. He tensed and waited until it stood by his bed, then suddenly the figure pounced pinning his arms against the bed. He fought back and threw the person to the ground. It was a man! A big broad shouldered man stood and was framed by the moon light. Trowa lunged this time and caught the man around the waist successfully knocking him to the ground.

They wrestled and rolled on the floor neither wanting to let go, suddenly Trowa got the upper hand and grabbed the man's shirt pulling it over his head. The man stumbled a bit the shook himself out of the shirt and fell backwards onto the floor. The man was enraged. He rushed Trowa and slammed his fist onto the side of Trowa's face, stunning him, but Trowa had kicked out and sent the man back to the floor reeling in pain.

They both sat there and stared into the dark, both trying to see the other's face. Trowa looked down at the sweat shirt and tilted it to the moonlight trying to make out the bold letters on the front, it was too small for the big man Trowa had thought he fought and now Trowa was fully awake. The man had stood but it wasn't a man it was a girl, obviously a girl 'How did I miss that?' he thought while still staring at the out line of the girl. No wonder the waist was so small!

She finally spoke."I don't know what kind of dream you were having, and I probably don't want to know, but I think I might need my shirt back."

It was Ajeya, and he noticed for the first time that she was wearing nothing but a tank top and it was freezing outside. He blushed at her comment, and handed it back to her. And she quickly slipped it on.

"Are you ready? Or do you want to finish your dream first, because I can come back..." She put a hand on her hip.

"No. I'm ready." He stood and grabbed his bags ready to follow her to the door, but she went the opposite direction! She headed for the wall then stopped a few feet from it, and pulled out a knife. "This is the door we'll be using." She pried up a section of the wood and reached in, suddenly another section of the wood floor popped open like the trunk of a car. It was heavy, she lifted it higher with an obvious effort.

"Jump in and I'll throw you bags in after you." She gestured towards the dark square in the floor, then handed him a flash light. "It isn't far."

It wasn't. He landed soon after he jumped in, it was only a foot or so taller than himself. She wasted no time in throwing his bags after him, then threw herself in after them and pulled the door shut behind her. They where surrounded in pitch black, soundless, musky darkness. She groped in the darkness for a flash light then flicked it on. He did the same.

It was three way intersection cut into the between levels of the floors. She dropped to her hands and knees and pointed into the right tunnel. "That way is Heero's room. We head there next." Then she crawled off into the tunnel with the flashlight between her teeth. Trowa never thought he'd be so happy about packing light. He threw his few bags over his shoulder and crawled after her.

After a few minutes of doing nothing, but staring at the floor and doing his best to avoid hitting his head, he suddenly bumped into Ajeya's legs. She had stopped and was standing up in another vertical tunnel, and a panel was open at her side. She pushed the button and a square of light opened above them.

"Stay here. I'll get him." She whispered then climbed a latter that had been cut into the tunnel's side. Then with in a few seconds Heero dropped through the entrance and glared around him into the gloom. Ajeya dropped in beside him, and her flash light came on."This way." She continued down the right tunnel.

In thirty minutes they where all in the tunnels and where heading to who knew where. Everyone had lost there sense of direction after turning down this tunnel, dropping down another level, crawling through another series of tunnels. But finally they came into a larger tunnel and they all stood. Duo groaned loudly and rubbed his knees.

"How much longer?"

"Just down this tunnel."Ajeya called over her shoulder and kept walking.

"Good." They all followed.

Finally they found themselves standing at a heavy metal studded door. She pushed another button and it opened. They found themselves standing in the forest, somewhere around the hotel. She closed the door behind them and turned towards them. Quatre stared in surprise. Her back was to what looked like a normal cliff!

"Awesome!" Duo grinned. She grunted in return and shoved past them to the thicker part of the forest. They followed after a few moments of staring at the secret entrance.

When they finally came to a clearing they were met by a brunette that led them to the silver Montero sport and loaded their stuff. "Get in." She opened the door and crawled into the front seat. Ajeya was already there and was thumbing through a CD case.

"They all in Rayne?" She threw a glance at the brunette.

"Yep." Rayne answered then snatched the CD case from Ajeya, pulled out a CD and shoved it in the player. She shrugged." You were taking too long. Let's go."

Ajeya grinned and started the engine, but kept the lights off.

Another explosion lit up the night sky as a mobile suit reacted to being stabbed through the middle with a beam saber. The dominating suit sped throughout the army destroying each suit with practiced ease.

General! A transmission cut through the pilot's thoughts. "What?" The voice was low and dangerous but edged with glee. He was taking an entire army on by himself and winning.

The commander requests your presence as soon as possible. Icy blue eyes narrowed. "Fine. Out." He stretched out a battle scarred hand and flipped the transmission switch off. Just when things are getting good, he ruins it. He thought with growl of contempt for his superior. His mind reeled with the pictures and scenes of their last encounter.

"You fool! Insolent idiot! Why do I keep you around if you can't even keep an eye on a few boys!" A tall black haired man sat across the desk, letting out a stream of insults punctuated by slamming his fist on the wooden object before him.

Another person stood rigid on the other side of the desk. A young boy of about 19 with red tipped, spiked brown hair glowered at the older man his ice blue eyes snapped with a rebellious light. "I DID watch them! They got away sometime during the night."

"You didn't surround the place!" The older man's grey eyes burned with anger.

"Of course I surrounded the place! I've been doing this kind of thing for years!" The boy growled back, with one hand straying unbidden to his gun.

He slammed his saber into another mobile suit and shoved it away, not seeming to notice that it had ever been there. He was a killer, trained from birth in strategy and planning. He grabbed the head of another suit and squeezed, picturing his "great commander's" face on it. It exploded.

He wiped sweat away from his eyes and then traced the scar, that ran across his right eye, with a finger. He never failed, never! Until now. The blue eyed boy plowed his way through another section of the army. Stupid girls. They ruined everything! He always got his target, no one had ever been able to stop him. But what if he destroyed them...he allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction pass over his well defined face as he pictured how he was going to do it. He would be THE best warrior in the world. Invicible. A legend. He laughed madly and set at the army with a new will.

They had traveled for a night and a day. Heero had long given up trying to figure out where they were. He looked around him, everyone but himself and Ajeya were sleeping. He saw her blue-green eyes flash a glance at him in the rear view mirror.

"You should get some sleep too. We're almost there but you could at least get a little rest."

She was right and he knew it. They had spent a night dodging trees and driving on a road he didn't see, then a whole day open country. He hated to admit it but he had no idea where they had been and where they were going. He slumped in the seat and did his best to get comfortable.

It wasn't but a few minutes, or so he thought, since he fell asleep that Quatre was shaking him from the back seat. "We're here. I think." He tilted his head towards the window. Heero turned and looked, it was a large victorian house with pillars that held up the extended roof over the porch. They we're driving down a long drive way and could see the vast estate start to dim as the sun went down.

"What is this place?" He inquired with out taking his eyes off the house.

Ajeya nodded towards it. "That? That is our safe house that we'll be staying in for a little while. It's comfortable."

Duo spoke up from the back seat. "Does it have a bed?"

Rayne had just woke up. "It's a...yawn...bed and breakfast type place. So, yeah, it has a bed and you will all have your own rooms." She answered him drowsily.

They went around to the side of the mansion and parked in a little garage, that was most likely brought in just for this vehicle.

Ajeya parked it and shut off the engine. "This, guys, is The Dewdrop Inn. The owner and his wife are good people." Then she popped abruptly out of the door and appeared at the back window. She popped open the hatch and took on half the luggage by herself.

Quatre looked horrified and tried to scramble to help her but found himself being held back by Rayne. "Don't worry about her just get the rest."

He tried to protest but she looked full into his eyes. "Trust me." He blushed and averted his eyes nodding.

They all piled out and grabbed what was left of the luggage and followed Ajeya into the house. She walked through the kitchen then through a small dining room and up the stairs and started stopping at doors and throwing luggage in, calling out names as she did so. "Wufie."

Another door. "Quatre. Duo. Heero. And Trowa." She finally turned down another hall, her own luggage under her arm. Rayne came from behind and shoved them foward. "Follow her. She's going to give you the keys."

They finally stopped as Ajeya opened another door in a hall not far from their own and went in.

"Thats Ajeya's room." Rayne supplied, then she slipped into another next door to her friends and came out without her bags. "And that is mine."

They filed in after Ajeya and found themselves in a normal bed and breakfast type room. Heero looked around idly noticing that it had been redone slightly to fit it's owner. The walls were blue and the carpet white. There was a bathroom to the right but the door was closed. And to the left there was a door way with the shutters open leading to a tiled area that contained a jacuzzi, couch, chairs, and another T.V besides the one at the foot of the bed. Then across from the jacuzzi were french doors leading out to a small balcony. Pretty cozy. He then caught sight of a computer table with several different kinds of computers. It was very organized and clean. Easy to pick up at a short notice. His attention was regained as Duo nudged him. "We're leaving." He stated the obvious then followed Quatre and Rayne out the door. They were followed soon after by Ajeya.

After Ajeya had shut the door behind her she shoved her hand in a pocket to retrieve the five keys. "Good night. We'll wake you when breakfast is ready." She passed out the keys then returned into her room. The subject was closed.

Rayne shrugged and headed for her own room. "I dunno 'bout you guys but I'm beat! Check ya later!" She let out a huge yawn and lazily closed her door. Duo shifted from one foot to another, uncertain as to what he was suppose to do. But Trowa decided for him quickly when he almost ran to his room.