1 Bodyguards: Part VI
Sally shook her head at her former partner and sighed. Wufei stared down at the man in the bed with disgust.
"He's dead. He didn't make it through the operation. Wufei—"
"Thank you, Sally." He turned toward the door, frustration causing his fist to clench. Sally touched his shoulder. "Onna," he sighed.
"What is it? What aren't you telling me?"
Since the Eve wars the two had experienced a very rocky relationship. They'd dated, but Wufei was insistent on marriage. If Sally could share his life and his home, then she wouldn't have a problem with being his wife. Sally, however, wasn't ready for a family just yet. They had ended it abruptly after Wufei had asked her hand in marriage.
Still experiencing the pain of it, and preoccupied with the current happenings taking place all around him, Wufei stiffened his shoulders and didn't turn.
"This man, and several others, were trying to kill Quatre and the other pilots. As Quatre's bodyguard, I am honor-bound to protect him. Excuse me, but I have to get back to my job."
He walked swiftly away, bristling. Every time he saw her a fresh flow of pain rushed over him. He wouldn't open himself up to that hurt again. He had other things to worry about.
One was telling the others about the dead man on Sally's operating table. Their one lead. This whole turn of events seemed maddeningly like someone was playing a very sarcastic joke on them all.
Angel and Mako were asleep, propped up against one another and the wall. Heero was checking the monitors, making sure all the cameras were still intact, and Duo and Trowa were taking care of the bodies. Quatre was kneeling before the girls, tucking jackets around their shoulders.
"He's dead. He didn't live through the operation," Wufei said, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
"I see." Quatre's frown deepened. Wufei shook his head and let out something between a sigh and a growl.
"That man was from a Chinese terrorist faction from Hong Kong," he muttered.
"What?"
"Only a few years ago it was a small gang in Hong Kong. It was nicknamed 'The Dragon Regime' by the English and American occupants of China. After the wars, they group, much larger, saw their change to take control. The Preventors had to face them more than once," he explained.
"How do you know so much about this group?" Quatre asked softly.
"One of our contacts was a part of the gang."
"You should get in touch with him," Quatre replied. "He might provide us with a few names and motives."
"It's not a 'him'," Wufei replied with a tiny scowl. "It's a her. Lian Nataku."
"N-Nataku?" Quatre replied. "Wasn't that…the name of your…"
"Late wife's family? Yes. She is Meiran's twin sister." His scowl deepened. "I didn't want to get her involved. Now we won't have a choice."
Mako rose, lowing Angel to the floor gently. "Lian. I know her. I'll give her a call at a more decent hour." She gestured to the clock, which read five a.m.
"Go to bed. Wufei and I will keep watch." Heero's voice was strictly stoic. "You all need rest."
Duo and Trowa finished cleaning up and nodded to the other Preventors that had come to help them take care of the deaths. They waved and left, some already writing reports. Quatre scooped up th slumbering little Angel. How fragile she looked as she slept! No wonder the attacker thought he could take advantage of her. However, he paid for that mistake.
Brushing her hair out of her face, he carried her to a guest room and tucked her in before returning to his own room.
~*~
Wufei and Heero sat, watching the monitors with wary eyes as they sipped strong, black coffee. Neither moved, accept to raise the cup to their lips.
"Your contact…will she cooperate."
"Depends. I suspect that if I mention her precious Quatre she'll be willing."
Heero glanced his way. "'Precious'?"
"She finds him to be attractive and charming." Wufei scowled fiercely. "And quite a bit more polite than I!"
Heero hid his amusement well. "I see."
"Hmph. She's part of the Proventor Reserve Corps. She met Quatre about a year and a half ago."
"I see."
"You're worried about my feelings clouding my judgement."
Heero nearly smirked at this choice of wording. He wanted to say, 'not so much, actually.' Instead, he replied with a simple. "I trust your judgement."
Wufei nodded, pleased.
~*~
Her phone was ringing. Lian Nataku snatched it up with a vengeance, mentally cursing any person brave enough to call her at this UNGODLY hour of the morning.
Well, five-thirty wasn't SO ungodly, now that she thought about it. Better than the calls that came at one-thirty in the morning. Still, she was supposed to be sleeping. The interruption was not welcome.
"Nataku," she snapped at the reciever.
"Lian." It was HIM!
"Chang Wufei, you better have a damn good reason to be calling me at five-thirty." She sat up, staring out of the half-uncovered window of her temporary flat. She'd just completed a training mission south of Liverpool, England.
"I need you to make a trip."
"What the hell for?" No coffee. That was making her impatience grow. She slammed the pot into the machine and snapped it on. Two hours of sleep. Two hours. The most she'd gotten in a month. And then this Chinese, chauvinist PRICK was calling her at five-thirty.
"Winner."
"Quatre?" Her ears perked up. If that Greek-god-of-a-man needed something, she was more than willing to offer her services.
"Yes. Thought that would get your attention. I need you to get back in touch with the DR."
Lian gaped at the phone for a second.
"What?" she gasped.
"The DR. I need you to be our link to the inside. We suspect they might be after Quatre's life."
"Wufei, you know that I can't just walk in the place." Her mood darkening once more. "Hell, I never want to go back again! Do you even remember the crap I had to go through?"
"I know." His voice was warm with something that sounded suspiciously like…sorrow and sympathy. "And I'm sorry. But I need…you help."
Chang Wufei…admitting that he needed her help. It was almost more than she could stand. She felt strong, powerful, and ready to take on anything. Funny how those words from his mouth could make her feel so invigorated.
"It'll take me a while. God, I don't know why I'm doing this. I'll let you know when I've got their trust. But Wufei…if I…if they catch me." She shivered in fear. Actual fear sent chills racing through her spine.
"You won't be alone," he replied.
"Really? But who will…?" she asked.
"I will be accompanying you."
Once again Lian was left speechless.
"But you're…"
"It's time a member of the Dragon clan was given a look at the interior dealings of the DR I will gain their trust. You will as well, by my side." There was a long pause. "I will not let any harm come to you, Lian."
Lian actually smiled at the receiver. "You've got yourself a partner, then."
Sally shook her head at her former partner and sighed. Wufei stared down at the man in the bed with disgust.
"He's dead. He didn't make it through the operation. Wufei—"
"Thank you, Sally." He turned toward the door, frustration causing his fist to clench. Sally touched his shoulder. "Onna," he sighed.
"What is it? What aren't you telling me?"
Since the Eve wars the two had experienced a very rocky relationship. They'd dated, but Wufei was insistent on marriage. If Sally could share his life and his home, then she wouldn't have a problem with being his wife. Sally, however, wasn't ready for a family just yet. They had ended it abruptly after Wufei had asked her hand in marriage.
Still experiencing the pain of it, and preoccupied with the current happenings taking place all around him, Wufei stiffened his shoulders and didn't turn.
"This man, and several others, were trying to kill Quatre and the other pilots. As Quatre's bodyguard, I am honor-bound to protect him. Excuse me, but I have to get back to my job."
He walked swiftly away, bristling. Every time he saw her a fresh flow of pain rushed over him. He wouldn't open himself up to that hurt again. He had other things to worry about.
One was telling the others about the dead man on Sally's operating table. Their one lead. This whole turn of events seemed maddeningly like someone was playing a very sarcastic joke on them all.
Angel and Mako were asleep, propped up against one another and the wall. Heero was checking the monitors, making sure all the cameras were still intact, and Duo and Trowa were taking care of the bodies. Quatre was kneeling before the girls, tucking jackets around their shoulders.
"He's dead. He didn't live through the operation," Wufei said, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
"I see." Quatre's frown deepened. Wufei shook his head and let out something between a sigh and a growl.
"That man was from a Chinese terrorist faction from Hong Kong," he muttered.
"What?"
"Only a few years ago it was a small gang in Hong Kong. It was nicknamed 'The Dragon Regime' by the English and American occupants of China. After the wars, they group, much larger, saw their change to take control. The Preventors had to face them more than once," he explained.
"How do you know so much about this group?" Quatre asked softly.
"One of our contacts was a part of the gang."
"You should get in touch with him," Quatre replied. "He might provide us with a few names and motives."
"It's not a 'him'," Wufei replied with a tiny scowl. "It's a her. Lian Nataku."
"N-Nataku?" Quatre replied. "Wasn't that…the name of your…"
"Late wife's family? Yes. She is Meiran's twin sister." His scowl deepened. "I didn't want to get her involved. Now we won't have a choice."
Mako rose, lowing Angel to the floor gently. "Lian. I know her. I'll give her a call at a more decent hour." She gestured to the clock, which read five a.m.
"Go to bed. Wufei and I will keep watch." Heero's voice was strictly stoic. "You all need rest."
Duo and Trowa finished cleaning up and nodded to the other Preventors that had come to help them take care of the deaths. They waved and left, some already writing reports. Quatre scooped up th slumbering little Angel. How fragile she looked as she slept! No wonder the attacker thought he could take advantage of her. However, he paid for that mistake.
Brushing her hair out of her face, he carried her to a guest room and tucked her in before returning to his own room.
~*~
Wufei and Heero sat, watching the monitors with wary eyes as they sipped strong, black coffee. Neither moved, accept to raise the cup to their lips.
"Your contact…will she cooperate."
"Depends. I suspect that if I mention her precious Quatre she'll be willing."
Heero glanced his way. "'Precious'?"
"She finds him to be attractive and charming." Wufei scowled fiercely. "And quite a bit more polite than I!"
Heero hid his amusement well. "I see."
"Hmph. She's part of the Proventor Reserve Corps. She met Quatre about a year and a half ago."
"I see."
"You're worried about my feelings clouding my judgement."
Heero nearly smirked at this choice of wording. He wanted to say, 'not so much, actually.' Instead, he replied with a simple. "I trust your judgement."
Wufei nodded, pleased.
~*~
Her phone was ringing. Lian Nataku snatched it up with a vengeance, mentally cursing any person brave enough to call her at this UNGODLY hour of the morning.
Well, five-thirty wasn't SO ungodly, now that she thought about it. Better than the calls that came at one-thirty in the morning. Still, she was supposed to be sleeping. The interruption was not welcome.
"Nataku," she snapped at the reciever.
"Lian." It was HIM!
"Chang Wufei, you better have a damn good reason to be calling me at five-thirty." She sat up, staring out of the half-uncovered window of her temporary flat. She'd just completed a training mission south of Liverpool, England.
"I need you to make a trip."
"What the hell for?" No coffee. That was making her impatience grow. She slammed the pot into the machine and snapped it on. Two hours of sleep. Two hours. The most she'd gotten in a month. And then this Chinese, chauvinist PRICK was calling her at five-thirty.
"Winner."
"Quatre?" Her ears perked up. If that Greek-god-of-a-man needed something, she was more than willing to offer her services.
"Yes. Thought that would get your attention. I need you to get back in touch with the DR."
Lian gaped at the phone for a second.
"What?" she gasped.
"The DR. I need you to be our link to the inside. We suspect they might be after Quatre's life."
"Wufei, you know that I can't just walk in the place." Her mood darkening once more. "Hell, I never want to go back again! Do you even remember the crap I had to go through?"
"I know." His voice was warm with something that sounded suspiciously like…sorrow and sympathy. "And I'm sorry. But I need…you help."
Chang Wufei…admitting that he needed her help. It was almost more than she could stand. She felt strong, powerful, and ready to take on anything. Funny how those words from his mouth could make her feel so invigorated.
"It'll take me a while. God, I don't know why I'm doing this. I'll let you know when I've got their trust. But Wufei…if I…if they catch me." She shivered in fear. Actual fear sent chills racing through her spine.
"You won't be alone," he replied.
"Really? But who will…?" she asked.
"I will be accompanying you."
Once again Lian was left speechless.
"But you're…"
"It's time a member of the Dragon clan was given a look at the interior dealings of the DR I will gain their trust. You will as well, by my side." There was a long pause. "I will not let any harm come to you, Lian."
Lian actually smiled at the receiver. "You've got yourself a partner, then."