Chapter Two
Field Leader Graham Crole took a last drag of his cigarette before regretfully stubbing it out. Leaning out of the alleyway, he looked cautiously around. Still no sign of his contact.
'Probably somewhere warm, having a nice drink and a smoke,' he thought ruefully. 'Don't blame the bastard. No one sane would be out in this weather.'
He felt in his pocket for his cigarette case. He took one out, and groped in his pocket for his lighter.
'What did they used to say in Wutai?' he thought as his fingers closed around a hard silver shape. 'The snipers look for smokers.' He took it out and, lit it and held it up to his face, cupping it with his hands. 'And if you used the same light for three fags…first light, spotted, second light, aim, third light…'
The 'pop' of a silenced weapon sounded in the alley, and Crole fell onto the wet pavement of the street, dead before he hit the ground.
***
"Mom, I'm home."
Elmyra turned and smiled as Aeris came in. "Did you…"
"Don't mind me." Tseng walked in, his hands in the pockets of his blue suit.
"Er…Tseng…er…he kinda…rescued me, mom."
"Rescued?" Elmyra looked up at Tseng, alarm in her voice.
Tseng nodded gravely. "I'm afraid your daughter wandered into the territory of one of the slums gangs. I believe they call themselves 'Dukes'. I happened to be passing by."
Elmyra said stiffly. "Thank you. Would you like a drink of something?"
Tseng shook his head, and hesitated before saying, "Actually Ms. Gainsborough, I was coming to visit you anyway. It's about your daughter."
Elmyra stared and slowly let go of her daughter. "What about my daughter?"
"We…that is, ShinRa…we want you to return Aeris to us. We've been searching for a long time."
"No," Aeris whispered, backing closer to the door, "never."
Tseng moved over to the door and sat down beside it. He picked up a photo of a man in uniform. He blanched and set it down as if it were burning. Shaking his head, he turned back to Aeris. "You're of a very special blood Aeris. Your real mother was what we call an 'Ancient' Your mother, unfortunately, died before she had a proper chance to help ShinRa. You see, ShinRa just wants to help her people, and the Ancients will lead us to supreme happiness." He leaned forward. "You're able to bring happiness to all the people in the slums. All your friends and neighbours Aeris."
Aeris moved towards the door "I'm not an Ancient…I can't be." Her eyes darted from Tseng to Elmyra. "You're lying. I can't be. I'm not!" she screamed, and leapt for the door.
Tseng stood up to intercept her, but she ran past him and out into the slums. The door slowly banged closed behind her.
Elmyra stared at Tseng. "Get out of my house." She said in a flat voice. "Don't ever come here again."
Tseng shook his head. "It won't do any good. ShinRa will get her in the end. ShinRa always gets what it was. I'd have thought you'd have learned that with your husband."
"What do you know about Richard?"
"He was a fine general, and an honourable man. ShinRa doesn't have many of them. Goodbye Ms. Gainsborough."
Field Leader Graham Crole took a last drag of his cigarette before regretfully stubbing it out. Leaning out of the alleyway, he looked cautiously around. Still no sign of his contact.
'Probably somewhere warm, having a nice drink and a smoke,' he thought ruefully. 'Don't blame the bastard. No one sane would be out in this weather.'
He felt in his pocket for his cigarette case. He took one out, and groped in his pocket for his lighter.
'What did they used to say in Wutai?' he thought as his fingers closed around a hard silver shape. 'The snipers look for smokers.' He took it out and, lit it and held it up to his face, cupping it with his hands. 'And if you used the same light for three fags…first light, spotted, second light, aim, third light…'
The 'pop' of a silenced weapon sounded in the alley, and Crole fell onto the wet pavement of the street, dead before he hit the ground.
***
"Mom, I'm home."
Elmyra turned and smiled as Aeris came in. "Did you…"
"Don't mind me." Tseng walked in, his hands in the pockets of his blue suit.
"Er…Tseng…er…he kinda…rescued me, mom."
"Rescued?" Elmyra looked up at Tseng, alarm in her voice.
Tseng nodded gravely. "I'm afraid your daughter wandered into the territory of one of the slums gangs. I believe they call themselves 'Dukes'. I happened to be passing by."
Elmyra said stiffly. "Thank you. Would you like a drink of something?"
Tseng shook his head, and hesitated before saying, "Actually Ms. Gainsborough, I was coming to visit you anyway. It's about your daughter."
Elmyra stared and slowly let go of her daughter. "What about my daughter?"
"We…that is, ShinRa…we want you to return Aeris to us. We've been searching for a long time."
"No," Aeris whispered, backing closer to the door, "never."
Tseng moved over to the door and sat down beside it. He picked up a photo of a man in uniform. He blanched and set it down as if it were burning. Shaking his head, he turned back to Aeris. "You're of a very special blood Aeris. Your real mother was what we call an 'Ancient' Your mother, unfortunately, died before she had a proper chance to help ShinRa. You see, ShinRa just wants to help her people, and the Ancients will lead us to supreme happiness." He leaned forward. "You're able to bring happiness to all the people in the slums. All your friends and neighbours Aeris."
Aeris moved towards the door "I'm not an Ancient…I can't be." Her eyes darted from Tseng to Elmyra. "You're lying. I can't be. I'm not!" she screamed, and leapt for the door.
Tseng stood up to intercept her, but she ran past him and out into the slums. The door slowly banged closed behind her.
Elmyra stared at Tseng. "Get out of my house." She said in a flat voice. "Don't ever come here again."
Tseng shook his head. "It won't do any good. ShinRa will get her in the end. ShinRa always gets what it was. I'd have thought you'd have learned that with your husband."
"What do you know about Richard?"
"He was a fine general, and an honourable man. ShinRa doesn't have many of them. Goodbye Ms. Gainsborough."