Chapter 3
The driving beat of the music pulsed through Seifer's body as he stepped into the club. Looking around he could see the dance floor was packed with writhing bodies. The flashing lights glinted off his golden hair as he made his way across the dark room with catlike grace.
Seifer was stopped several times by people he knew and some he didn't. Numerous appreciative eyes followed his path, watching the tall, gorgeous, dangerous man dressed in black. Usually he loved the control and power he felt, at being treated with the respect and fear that went with being Franco's lieutenant, but tonight he had other things on his mind. Namely, one Quistis Trepe.
Seifer ducked down a side hallway and stopped in front of the private elevator. Keying in the correct code he waited for the doors to slide open. When they did he stepped inside and watched the doors slide closed.
Seifer brought a hand up and rubbed his forehead while frustrated thoughts ran through his mind. 'Why her? Why now?' He dropped his head and looked at the ground for a moment. He wasn't looking forward to this meeting.
All to soon the elevator reached it's destination and stopped. Seifer looked up, no emotion evident on his face. Now wasn't the time to doubt his actions. He stepped out and greeted the armed guard that stood at the only door, a faint smile gracing his lips.
"Hello, Mr. Almasy," the man addressed him.
Seifer stopped. "Hey, Kai, how ya doing tonight?" He pulled a 9mm handgun out of his shoulder holster and handed it to the other man. "Is Mr. Lladro in?"
"I'm good," Kai answered opening the door for Seifer. "Yeah, he's expecting you."
Seifer stepped into the entryway and heard the door close behind him. He walked forward and was met by another guard. He nodded to the man and continued into the next room. He ignored the opulence of the room that surrounded him, instead focusing on the man sitting off to one side.
Franco Lladro, the room's lone occupant looked up as Seifer came into view. He smiled at the blonde man, "Seifer. Please come in. Would you like a drink?" he asked indicating the bar in the corner with a sweep of his hand.
Seifer went over and made himself a drink then came back and settled in a chair opposite the other man.
Franco Lladro was a man who prided himself as much on refinement and sophistication in his home as he did violence and ruthlessness in his business. He had been born in the slums and clawed his way up from the bottom, until he ruled this city and beyond.
"So…what's the news tonight?" Franco asked. They talked about business for several minutes before he asked, "And our little problem…has it been taken care of?"
"The problem has been neutralized…for the moment," Seifer said looking at Franco.
"And this means?" Franco asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It means, that if we kill this SeeD they'll send someone else. We've already seen that happen…but if we keep her alive and use her as a decoy…" Seifer started to tell him.
"Do you think it'll work?" Franco interrupted, a small smile on his lips. Seifer was one of a few people he trusted, so that's all he wanted to know for now.
Seifer smirked "I was one of them."
Franco laughed, "I like your style, boy." He got up and went to the bar. Seifer could hear the clink of ice as it hit the glass. Franco turned half way around "Can you contain this girl?"
"Already done," Seifer responded.
"Fine, then I'll leave it up to you," Franco said returning with his drink. "Now what about Chaing and the Dragons? Are they going to cause us any more trouble?"
"I guess we'll have to wait and see. I sent Tucker over for a friendly chat but…" Seifer said sitting back making himself comfortable.
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**Ringgggg** Seifer pulled a slim phone out of his inside breast pocket "What." He answered then listened to the person speaking on the other end. "She's there now?" Seifer looked out the tinted window of the car while he listened. "Mm hm, is she still knocked out?" he questioned. "Ok, I'll be there soon." Seifer turned his phone off, and then sat there tapping it against his chin, lost in thought as the car stole through the night.
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Seifer sat watching the unconscious woman lying on the bed. Damn it why'd they have to send her,' he thought. Those other SeeD's, well it was easy to let them die. He didn't know them…but her… she wasn't just some faceless soldier… 'I had a past with her.'
He let his mind wander back to that shared past, images flashing behind his closed eyes…sitting in a classroom watching her teaching…that determined look in her eyes when he failed to do something that had been assigned to him.
No, he didn't hate her back then, that would come later. Much later when as a group Squall, Quistis, and the others rejected his attempt to return to Garden and make right all the things he'd done wrong. They turned their backs on him when he needed them to understand how bad it had been.
Seifer abruptly opened his eyes and sighed. 'Enough! What's past is past,' he thought shoving his memories away.
Quistis moaned. Her forehead creased into a slight frown as she tried to open her eyes. Everything felt so heavy. 'I must be really sick' she thought finally lifting her eyelids enough to see. She stared blankly at the shadowed room. 'This doesn't look like the infirmary,' she thought hazily.
"Welcome back." She heard a rough voice somewhere near her say. 'But who?' She knew there was something she needed to remember but whatever it was kept drifting just out of reach. 'Oh well' she thought as her eyes started to close again.
The voice spoke again, "Quistis, open your eyes," it commanded. Quistis's eyes fluttered open once again, 'I know that voice…Seifer?' Fuzzy images ran through her mind.
"Seifer?" she asked hesitantly. That's when it hit her. She remembered. Quistis sat up abruptly, adrenaline pumping through her body burning some of the aftereffects of the drug away. Then she wished she hadn't moved so quickly as her stomach protested and her head started pounding again.
"You bastard" she breathed, "You drugged me."
"What I did was save your pathetic life," he stated contemptuously. "Do you know where you'd be right now?" he asked harshly, "Dead."
Quistis was too mad to pay attention to the rest of what he was saying, "Pathetic?" she glared at him, "I'm not the one that's a criminal."
Seifer laughed cruelly "Wake up, Quistis. You're not one of the good guys, either. You're a mercenary. You don't fight for good, you fight for the highest bidder." He stood up and walked towards her until he was towering over her, "We're not so different, you and I." He knelt down so his eyes were level with hers, "So don't try to convince yourself otherwise."
Quistis shivered as she looked into his cold green eyes. She was at a loss for words. Swiftly he stood back up walked to the door, pausing he said, "Don't do anything foolish…like trying to escape." Then he was gone and Quistis heard the click of a lock.
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A/N: You guys really blow me away with all the nice reviews. All I can say is Thank You =0.0=
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The driving beat of the music pulsed through Seifer's body as he stepped into the club. Looking around he could see the dance floor was packed with writhing bodies. The flashing lights glinted off his golden hair as he made his way across the dark room with catlike grace.
Seifer was stopped several times by people he knew and some he didn't. Numerous appreciative eyes followed his path, watching the tall, gorgeous, dangerous man dressed in black. Usually he loved the control and power he felt, at being treated with the respect and fear that went with being Franco's lieutenant, but tonight he had other things on his mind. Namely, one Quistis Trepe.
Seifer ducked down a side hallway and stopped in front of the private elevator. Keying in the correct code he waited for the doors to slide open. When they did he stepped inside and watched the doors slide closed.
Seifer brought a hand up and rubbed his forehead while frustrated thoughts ran through his mind. 'Why her? Why now?' He dropped his head and looked at the ground for a moment. He wasn't looking forward to this meeting.
All to soon the elevator reached it's destination and stopped. Seifer looked up, no emotion evident on his face. Now wasn't the time to doubt his actions. He stepped out and greeted the armed guard that stood at the only door, a faint smile gracing his lips.
"Hello, Mr. Almasy," the man addressed him.
Seifer stopped. "Hey, Kai, how ya doing tonight?" He pulled a 9mm handgun out of his shoulder holster and handed it to the other man. "Is Mr. Lladro in?"
"I'm good," Kai answered opening the door for Seifer. "Yeah, he's expecting you."
Seifer stepped into the entryway and heard the door close behind him. He walked forward and was met by another guard. He nodded to the man and continued into the next room. He ignored the opulence of the room that surrounded him, instead focusing on the man sitting off to one side.
Franco Lladro, the room's lone occupant looked up as Seifer came into view. He smiled at the blonde man, "Seifer. Please come in. Would you like a drink?" he asked indicating the bar in the corner with a sweep of his hand.
Seifer went over and made himself a drink then came back and settled in a chair opposite the other man.
Franco Lladro was a man who prided himself as much on refinement and sophistication in his home as he did violence and ruthlessness in his business. He had been born in the slums and clawed his way up from the bottom, until he ruled this city and beyond.
"So…what's the news tonight?" Franco asked. They talked about business for several minutes before he asked, "And our little problem…has it been taken care of?"
"The problem has been neutralized…for the moment," Seifer said looking at Franco.
"And this means?" Franco asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It means, that if we kill this SeeD they'll send someone else. We've already seen that happen…but if we keep her alive and use her as a decoy…" Seifer started to tell him.
"Do you think it'll work?" Franco interrupted, a small smile on his lips. Seifer was one of a few people he trusted, so that's all he wanted to know for now.
Seifer smirked "I was one of them."
Franco laughed, "I like your style, boy." He got up and went to the bar. Seifer could hear the clink of ice as it hit the glass. Franco turned half way around "Can you contain this girl?"
"Already done," Seifer responded.
"Fine, then I'll leave it up to you," Franco said returning with his drink. "Now what about Chaing and the Dragons? Are they going to cause us any more trouble?"
"I guess we'll have to wait and see. I sent Tucker over for a friendly chat but…" Seifer said sitting back making himself comfortable.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
**Ringgggg** Seifer pulled a slim phone out of his inside breast pocket "What." He answered then listened to the person speaking on the other end. "She's there now?" Seifer looked out the tinted window of the car while he listened. "Mm hm, is she still knocked out?" he questioned. "Ok, I'll be there soon." Seifer turned his phone off, and then sat there tapping it against his chin, lost in thought as the car stole through the night.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Seifer sat watching the unconscious woman lying on the bed. Damn it why'd they have to send her,' he thought. Those other SeeD's, well it was easy to let them die. He didn't know them…but her… she wasn't just some faceless soldier… 'I had a past with her.'
He let his mind wander back to that shared past, images flashing behind his closed eyes…sitting in a classroom watching her teaching…that determined look in her eyes when he failed to do something that had been assigned to him.
No, he didn't hate her back then, that would come later. Much later when as a group Squall, Quistis, and the others rejected his attempt to return to Garden and make right all the things he'd done wrong. They turned their backs on him when he needed them to understand how bad it had been.
Seifer abruptly opened his eyes and sighed. 'Enough! What's past is past,' he thought shoving his memories away.
Quistis moaned. Her forehead creased into a slight frown as she tried to open her eyes. Everything felt so heavy. 'I must be really sick' she thought finally lifting her eyelids enough to see. She stared blankly at the shadowed room. 'This doesn't look like the infirmary,' she thought hazily.
"Welcome back." She heard a rough voice somewhere near her say. 'But who?' She knew there was something she needed to remember but whatever it was kept drifting just out of reach. 'Oh well' she thought as her eyes started to close again.
The voice spoke again, "Quistis, open your eyes," it commanded. Quistis's eyes fluttered open once again, 'I know that voice…Seifer?' Fuzzy images ran through her mind.
"Seifer?" she asked hesitantly. That's when it hit her. She remembered. Quistis sat up abruptly, adrenaline pumping through her body burning some of the aftereffects of the drug away. Then she wished she hadn't moved so quickly as her stomach protested and her head started pounding again.
"You bastard" she breathed, "You drugged me."
"What I did was save your pathetic life," he stated contemptuously. "Do you know where you'd be right now?" he asked harshly, "Dead."
Quistis was too mad to pay attention to the rest of what he was saying, "Pathetic?" she glared at him, "I'm not the one that's a criminal."
Seifer laughed cruelly "Wake up, Quistis. You're not one of the good guys, either. You're a mercenary. You don't fight for good, you fight for the highest bidder." He stood up and walked towards her until he was towering over her, "We're not so different, you and I." He knelt down so his eyes were level with hers, "So don't try to convince yourself otherwise."
Quistis shivered as she looked into his cold green eyes. She was at a loss for words. Swiftly he stood back up walked to the door, pausing he said, "Don't do anything foolish…like trying to escape." Then he was gone and Quistis heard the click of a lock.
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A/N: You guys really blow me away with all the nice reviews. All I can say is Thank You =0.0=
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