Chapter 8

WuFei burst into the bedroom, which he, Sally, Relena, and Heero were sharing early the next morning, ripping open a brown package. Heero instantly snapped awake, looking slightly annoyed with his own self that he had fallen asleep in the room's armchair. They'd decided to wait until morning to tell everyone about the disturbance last night. Some how everyone had slept through it; WuFei had just happened to be going to the bathroom when he heard the glass shatter due to Heero's silenced gun. Relena and Sally were still both sound asleep in the large king sized bed. Heero eyed the package in which WuFei was hurriedly opening.

"What's that?" he yawned

"Panic systems from the Preventers, you know what I told you about last night?" The young Preventer informed pulling out a small black object which looked much like a pager a doctor would clip onto their scrubs.

"Hai," Heero murmured, "how many have we got?"

"Enough for everyone, I've already handed them out to the others," WuFei said as he started his pager up. Grabbing another one out of the brown package he chucked one to Heero who caught it with one hand. Glancing down at the bleeper he noticed it told him the time, currently being 10am.

"God how long have I been sleeping for?" he muttered rubbing a hand over his tired eyes.

"It doesn't matter you needed it" WuFei replied before smirking his oxyn eyes twinkling with mischief, "Anyway, up playing with Maxwell until early hours will get you tired."

"What..."

"Shut up and put the thing on, to start it up you press the red button on the back" WuFei turned his round to demonstrate. "Then it's ready to go, when someone is in trouble it will come up with the persons name and how far away they are, I think it gives you North, South, East, West directions…"

"Hn. I get the point" the Japanese man answered moodily, "and we weren't playing, Duo was just showing me how to play the guitar…"

"Whatever you say." WuFei answered with an amused look on his face, Heero growled lowly as he got out the chair and left the room to check the shit security system they still had. In the bottom of his stomach he felt sick, not that he'd tell anyone. What type of person would be able to out run him and then wipe his security system within 5 minutes?

Stomping off down the corridor he came to a slow pace as watched the repair men fix the window he broke last night and then stopped outside the music room, remembering the night before. Through this time, it was a soft piano melody, which flowed from the room. Peeking through the crack in the door he found Quatre sat at the piano in a white shirt and cream trousers. The boy was hunched over the keys watching his fingers move around. Though Heero could tell something was up, Quatre used to tell them how he hated people who slumped over the piano keys when they played. Stepping into the room, his eyes lingered over the guitar in its stand for a second before letting them rest on his friend.

"Quatre are you alright?" Quatre's head jerked up, obviously he hadn't heard Heero come in, and the sound of his voice nearly made him jump out of his skin. The blonde's head snapped round to greet his friend.

"Heero, good morning, how are you?" he asked in a jolly voice, though Heero could tell it was a fake.

"I thought I asked you first," Heero replied strolling up to his friend. He stopped next to the stool in which his friend was sat in.

"I don't know," the blonde murmured, moving over a little so Heero could sit next to him. Quatre watched as the man next to him ran his fingers over the ivory keys of the piano.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he pressed a note.

"Well, it's not me, it's Trowa" Quatre noticed the way Heero stopped in what he was doing for a second as the name of his lover was mentioned.

"What's wrong with him?" the other asked in a small voice

"That's the problem, I don't know!" Quatre exclaimed throwing his hands up in frustration, "ever since we came here, he's turned quiet and depressed." Quatre sighed and turned towards Heero, "I don't know what to do Heero, I love him so much but he won't tell me anything."

"Have you tried asking him why he's acting this particular way?" the ex-Gundam pilot responded

"Well…I was thinking about doing that, but if something's wrong, shouldn't he be confiding in me anyway?" The blonde left out a long breath, "ever since my accident he's been different, I don't know if it was something I'd done, or seeing me in a hospital bed has effected him in someway but…" He dropped his head, "he's been different, and since we've come here it's gotten worse." The boy next to him remained silent, with his head bowed and his eyes staring emotionlessly at his lap.

The sound, which reminded them, much like an annoying alarm clock made the two jump as their pagers started to vibrate. Heero's heart began to beat wildly.

"Shit," he reached down to the black pager attached to his trousers to see who was in trouble and where.

"Hilde," Quatre whispered, the two jumped off the stool and ran towards the door. As they ran from the room, they met WuFei in the corridor.

"One of you guard Relena!" Heero called as he headed for the stairs. Quatre glanced at WuFei before taking off down the corridor towards Relena and Sally's room. WuFei ran as fast as he could to catch up with his friend. The two followed the co-ordinates on the pagers, which lead them down the stairs of the Great Hall, out into the downstairs glass corridors, through the lounge and out into the small garden in the middle of the house. Turning a left it led them into the Hammam(1), there they stopped in there tracks.

"Shit" WuFei breathed, taking in the horrifying scene, within the large bath was a dead body. The shallow water on the floor was stained a muggy red color from the blood dripping from the large lightening shape hacked into the back of the red headed girl. On the far wall from them, 'Next' was written in blood, no doubt to be the girl's.

"Drowned." Duo murmured from one side of the room were he was holding a sobbing Hilde, who was only dressed in a white towel, "Another maid."

"Did you find…" before he could finish his sentence, Duo was holding out a piece of paper.

"It was pinned to the wall," he told, as WuFei opened the folded piece of paper. It read.

Die without me,
Never thank me.
Walk right through me,
Never feel me.
Always watching,
Never speaking.
Always lurking,
Never seen.

"Air" Hilde suddenly spoke up from where her head was buried within Duo's shirt "It's Air"

"Walk right through me, never feel me," WuFei read out again. "I think she might be right guys"

"It doesn't matter if she's right we still have 3 fucking others to work out," Heero snapped as Rally and Trowa entered the room. Rally gasped as he noticed the body on the floor.

"Zechs…is checking the security cameras," he muttered turning to Heero who was still staring at the floor his fists clenched together.

"How could this of happened?" he spoke "I can't believe…arrrggggh!" He fell to the floor in a crouching position, his head in his hands. The others looked at each other, how could this of happened? They had upped their security to the highest in the world and still the girl was getting through and killing innocent people. Handing Hilde over to Rally, Duo slowly walked to Heero's side. Crouching down next to his friend he laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Heero…" suddenly their pagers went off again. Heero's hand snapped towards his. The name Zechs flashed on the small screen "Look after Hilde!" Duo called to Rally jumping to his feet and running out of the room towards Heero's study, WuFei, Trowa and Heero following closely up behind.

When they got there they found the door caved in, the room had been trashed while the guard Heero left on patrol in front of the door had been shot. Zechs was currently crouched over the laptop screen flipping through each camera. WuFei froze in the study doorway as he watched as Duo ran over to the guard on the floor and Heero went over to the laptop and took over Zech's position. Trowa stood closely behind Heero watching the screen as the boy flicked through each camera.

"Shot in the chest," Duo informed, "Looks like he's been dead for about half an hour." The braided man looked up towards WuFei, "done with a silencer gun, I never heard the shot." Wufei nodded in agreement when Heero let out a loud cry.

"Gone, the whole fucking tapes been wiped!" he yelled slamming his hands on the table in frustration. A second later the laptop had been chucked at the wall. The screen smashed, the small glass shards sprinkling over the floor. The others took a step backwards away from the sheathing boy hunched over the dark desk. Glancing at the others Duo took a step towards his friend. Touching the top of his back, the boy violently shrugged Duo's reassuring touch off. Trowa glared at the boys back.

"Leave me alone," he murmured

"Heero, we're not going to let her defeat us." Duo snapped in a warning tone "We're not going to let that bitch fuck with us!"

"Then what are we going to do?" Heero yelled whipping round to face his friend. "What the fuck are we going to do, I've just about run out of fucking ideas!" The room fell silent for a moment as everyone wondered over something they could do to delay the killing of Relena Peacecraft.

"We'll do what I do." Duo spoke suddenly.

"Details Maxwell, what exactly do you do?" Heero retorted in a sarcastic tone, he watched as a smirk formed on the braided boys face.

"Run and hide."

xXx

Sealing off Sally's bedroom so no one could over hear what anyone inside was saying, everyone sat around waiting for Heero and Duo to reveal their brilliant plan. On the large bed, Hilde, Relena, Katherine, Sally and Dorothy sat huddled together. Trowa and Quatre sat against one of the bedroom walls, while Zechs stood with Jamie in his arms and Noin at his side. Une, Rally and Mariemaia took up the seats round the room, while WuFei stood near the door with his arms crossed firmly over his chest. His dark eyes took in everyone's face. Duo reached up towards the camera in the corner of the room where he took out the chewing gum he currently had in his mouth and stuck it on the lens. Turning round his gaze swept along each of his friends faces before he started.

"We have to run," he spoke up in a hushed voice. "If we stay here, this girl is just going to keep fucking with us until she finally does get in and has the chance to kill Relena." Relena squeaked in her seat hugging tighter onto Hilde who'd gotten dressed in some loose blue jeans and a light blue top. "Last night just shows the potential she has. The guards didn't even know she was on the grounds." Everyone nodded grimly.

"Now we can't leave right now we need to put her off track."

"That's why we're going to do it tomorrow night." Heero took over, "We're not to pack anything, and everything is to be left in their normal places, if anyone acts suspicious and happens to slip their tooth brush into their back pocket before they go to sleep tomorrow, then our plan will be sabotaged." Everyone nodded in acknowledgement.

"We're all going to congregate at 4am sharp in the Great Hall." Heero ordered, "we are then going to sneak out into the garages where Rashid will be waiting to take, Hilde, Quatre, Trowa, Relena, Katherine, Mariemaia, Une and Rally in one car. I'll be taking, Sally, Wufei, Duo, Zechs, Noin, Dorothy and Jamie in the other. I'm afraid some of you will have to squeeze in, we cant afford to take 3 cars, we have 2 7 seaters in our garage."

"It is important you remember the people in which you are going to be travelling with, we do not want any commotion when we get there, everyone is to jump in their selected car and go," Duo added, "understand?" Everyone nodded, "any questions?"

"What happens if we're followed or tracked?" Dorothy asked, "There might even be bombs under the car's we're going to take."

"I already have guards checking the cars every hour since the incident the other day." Heero informed "The last check will be at 4 when we'll be gathering together within the hall, they will be checked just before we get there."

"If we are so happened to be followed out of the estate, Rashid has been trained to lose his follower, while so has Heero. Our destination is going to Jack's Motel just outside the Sanc," everyone nodded at Duo's instructions.

"Now I want everyone to go round and act normal, I've ordered the maids and servants to go home, I don't think its fair for them to stay here while their friends are being killed, and their lives are under treat," Heero told, as everyone began to get out of their seats. "Remember be careful, always wear your panic pager, I'm afraid we now have no camera system, but the assassin might have a link into them. She's hacked many times into my laptop."

"Myself and Trowa are going to go down to the servants quarters again to research the girl from the bath this morning." Quatre informed Heero and others as he got to his feet. "We'll be back for lunch." With that they pulled the pillows from around the bottom of the door (to keep the sound within the room) out of their way to open the door.

The two wondered out of the house again, their hands trained on their guns the whole time. By the time they reached the servant quarters many cars were pulled up and the servants were currently filling the cars with their belongings. Entering the house and dodging servants as they past, the two entered the lounge and searched each photo to find the girl who was currently being fished out of the Hammam. They stopped on a small red head with dark blue eyes.

"Her name was Jen Marland," a old croaky voice spoke up from behind, both boys spun round to find Mrs. Jenkins standing at the lounge door with a steaming cup of tea in her hands. The two could see she'd been crying.

"I'm so sorry Mrs. Jenkins," Quatre sighed reached towards his heart once again.

"It's not your fault child," the old woman replied, "I suppose you want to know a bit about her." Both boys nodded, "she was just like Daisy, but not as charming…she used to clean out the hammam every morning, before helping out with the swimming pool." Quatre nodded, he could faintly remember the girl help put the pink candles on the outside swimming pool at Heero and Relena's engagement ceremony.

"She was very quiet and shy I hardly knew her, she'd been working for Relena for about a year now."

"Was Daisy friends with her?" Quatre asked "Maybe their deaths were related in some way."

"No not really, they only knew each other through work," the old woman told them. "They only spoke if it was about work."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry to be rude, but I have to gather my things, feel free to wander around."

"Thank you Mrs. Jenkins," Quatre called as the old woman left, he turned back to his lover to find him staring at the picture.

"I remember her," the taller man said, Quatre could see his fists start to clench. "I remember her at the ceremony." Before Quatre could reply a new voice spoke.

"I think I have some information for you Sir Quatre." Quatre spun round on his heels to find a girl a little shorter than himself standing at the lounge door. She had shoulder length black hair and dark chocolate brown eyes. She was wearing a pair of black trousers and a white shirt, which she was currently fiddling nervously with.

"Carry on," Quatre urged, the girl glanced nervously round herself before stepping into the room and closing the door behind her.

"I saw someone," she spoke lowly to the two boys. "snooping round the house about 2 days ago."

"Where? About what time, what did they look like?" Quatre asked taking a step towards the girl. His heart sped wildly; did they finally have a lead?

"She was underneath Sir Yuy's office window, I was out helping my husband on the garden when I saw her."

"Are you sure it was a her?" Trowa asked anxiously, "and that it wasn't just another gardener?"

"I know all my husbands colleagues very well sir, and I'd certainly not met the person who was snooping round there," she whispered her dark eyes glancing over the rooms window's to make sure no one was listening in. "It was around about 10am, as that's when I normally go out into the gardens to bring my husband a cup of coffee," both boys nodded.

"She had long hair which was up in a bun, and was wearing black trousers and a black jumper…" She informed, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, I thought it might be a new maid since many left, but after I found no one new had been taken on I thought I might have just been seeing things."

"It's alright, you've told us now," Quatre said calmly. "Do you remember what color hair she had?"

"Brown." The woman stated, "It was definitely brown, but once she'd left I went over to see what she'd been doing. There wasn't anything that might look suspicious except for this." She held up a small clear circle which was tinted a red color. Quatre frowned and moved towards the woman; taking the fragile object from her hand he placed it on his palm and looked it over.

"This is a contact lens."

"Yes Sir. I found it within the flowers; this might be what she was looking for."

"Thank you Mrs?"

"Kate Quinny," Kate replied hesitantly

"Thank you," Quatre smiled firmly closing his hand round the lens. "This information is very valuable to us." The two boys went to leave, opening the lounge door Kate called out to them.

"I won't be…hurt will I?" Her voice shook with terror, "now that I've told you what I know, I won't be killed…will I?" Both boys stopped in their tracks. It was possible, and the two knew it. Quatre turned to the girl with a smile on his face.

"No, sleep sound Kate you wont be hurt."

"Thank god," she breathed a sigh, "I'd better get going." With that she squeezed past the two and ran to a car within the drive of the house with an older man in. She waved to the two before she jumped into the front passenger seat. The two boys watched as the car sped down the drive away from the house.

"Why did you say that for?" Trowa mumbled a grim look on his face

"Would you like to be told you had a 50/50 chance of being killed?" Quatre asked turning to his green eyed lover.

"She had the right to know" Trowa replied, "Everyone has the right to know if they have a chance of being killed, keeping secrets from each other is wrong." With that he turned and started towards the mansion. Quatre stared after his lover with a worried expression on his face. Ever since they came here the boy had been short with him and picking small fights. He'd just about stopped touching him, and they hadn't had sex since they'd been here. Maybe the reason Trowa was acting weird with him is because he is falling out of love with him. Maybe Trowa had fallen for someone else. Quatre felt his heart ache. No. Trowa couldn't be in love with someone else. He couldn't be.

xXx

The two entered the mansion library to find Heero and Sally sitting at one of the tables having a quiet conversation over the riddles laid out on the table in front of them. Quatre slumped in an empty chair at the opposite end of the table from the two while Trowa took a place against a wall, crossing his long arms over his broad chest.

"Did you find out anything?" Sally asked turning to the two

"We've got big news," Trowa replied, Heero turned all his attention onto the boy leaning against the wall with head bowed. "First of all, the girl killed was Jen Marland…" He started as Duo entered the room with WuFei each carrying 2 cups of coffee.

"Oops sorry guys I didn't know you were gonna show up or I woulda made you one." Duo said taking a seat next to Sally at the table.

"It doesn't matter Duo," Quatre answered wearily rubbing his tired eyes.

"Anyway as I was saying, Jen helped out cleaning the swimming pool and Hammam. That's all we could find out about her. Though we have a small lead, a woman named Kate Quinny noticed someone snooping round Heero's office window about 2 days ago."

"A girl?" Heero asked, Trowa nodded his head.

"She supposedly had brown hair up in a bun and wore black clothing," he informed, "but she was too far away to see what her face was like."

"Oh..." Heero sighed

"Though when she went to see what the girl might have been looking at she found this," Quatre continued holding out the contact lens, "It was in the flower bed." The others frowned and got out of their seats.

"A contact lens?" WuFei murmured, "So our assassin is half blind?"

"No," Duo spoke up taking the lens from Quatre's hand, holding it up to the light he noticed the tint of red within it. "She's hiding her real eye color, its tinted red see?" He held it up for everyone close enough to see, "when this is put into someone's eye it would more than likely turn the color red."

"Well done Duo," Sally smiled at her friend, "so we're looking for a brown haired, red eyed girl…hmmmm seems kinda freaky to me!"

"Who ever it is, thinks keeping their eye color a secret is very important," Trowa said from his spot against the wall.

"Hmmm maybe," Duo murmured placing the lens on the table with the other riddles. The room was left in silence for the guys to think over their latest lead on the assassin.

"You should take it into town," Quatre spoke up, "you can have a look round see if there are any places which might sell this particular contact lens."

"Good thinking" WuFei muttered

"I'll go tomorrow," Heero stated "First thing tomorrow morning."

TBC...

(1): A Hammam is a Moroccan deep cleansing bathhouse. For more information please go here: /wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/21/AR2006072100503.html