Chapter 9
Seifer was sitting in his dining room enjoying a cup of coffee and reading the morning paper when Kimo led Jaren into the room. Seifer looked up "Good morning, Jaren," he said dropping the paper on the table, "terrible crime wave we're having," he smirked, motioning to the paper.
Jaren sat down across from his boss, "Yeah, some parts of town are getting down right dangerous."
Kimo brought a tray with coffee and set it down on the table. Seifer looked up as he turned to go "Kimo, have you, by any chance, checked on our guest this morning?"
"Yes sir, she's having her breakfast now," Kimo answered before leaving the two men alone to discuss business. Seifer let out a small sigh. At least he wouldn't have to face her yet. "So Jaren tell me about last night.."
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Quistis sat outwardly calm as Kimo had brought breakfast in to her. She even smiled and offered a bit of small talk until he was out the door, but now she sat staring pensively at her food. 'I have to find a way out of here,' she thought, sighing softly.
During the long night, as she tossed and turned, she'd finally admitted the growing attraction between herself and Seifer. Standing up, Quistis walked to the window and looked down "Not good, Quis," she muttered, "Remember your duty. He's a criminal now.."
Lost in thought she wandered into the bathroom and absently picking up her brush began to sweep it through her hair. After a minute of this, Quistis sighed and set the brush down.
She stood there appearing to stare at the brush on the counter, as she tried to conjure up a plan of action. But when her eyes focused, Quistis found herself staring at one of her hairpins instead.
Smiling slyly to herself, Quistis realized that the one thing Seifer's men overlooked could be the key to her freedom.
....................................
The shrill ringing of the phone penetrated Seifer's sleep and he abruptly sat upright. He glanced at the clock as he picked up the receiver noticing it was 2:45 a.m. "This better be good," he barked into the phone, annoyed at being woken in the middle of the night.
"Mr. Almasy.we have your girlfriend. And if you want her back still breathing, I suggest you meet me at warehouse 51. You've got 45 minutes," the voice on the other end of the line said.
Seifer frowned. Girlfriend? "You must be mistaken. I don't have a girlfriend. Who is this?" he answered.
There was a laugh before the voice spoke again "You don't know me, but.let's just say this is a reply from my boss. As for the girl... I believe you know her... the beautiful blonde you were with at Black and White."
Seifer's heart began to pound, 'Quistis' he thought. "That's impossible....she's a guest of mine...and quite safe at the moment."
"Are you willing to bet on that.. maybe you had better check," the caller said "Oh, and come alone." With that the line went dead.
Seifer tore the blankets off and jumped out of bed. He rushed down the hall then stopped as he saw the door to the room Quistis was in standing wide open. "Oh Hyne, Quistis what have you done?"
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"'ello?"
"Harris, I need you up here right now," Seifer barked into the phone as he was pulling on his pants.
He checked the clock. 2:58. Grabbing a shirt and his shoes, he hurried down the stairs to let Harris in.
"What happened?" Harris asked seeing the furious look on Seifer's face.
"They've got Quistis" Seifer answered buttoning his shirt. Then he grabbed his shoulder holster and put it on. Next he picked up his handgun and pulling back the chamber he checked it.
"When? How?" Harris asked, watching him. He didn't need to ask who had her.
Seifer holstered his gun then looked back at Harris. Shaking his head he said, "I don't know. She must have gotten out somehow."
"What do we do?" Harris looked at his boss.
"They want me to come alone to.." Seifer started to say.
"No way, I can't let you go alone. It's not safe," Harris interrupted. "they're trying to draw you out so they can kill you."
"I won't let them kill her just to keep myself safe." Seifer sharply told the other man. He looked at his watch. 3:05. Not much time. "Look" Seifer said turning away from Harris to grab his trench coat, "They gave me until 3:30 to be there and I don't have time to argue."
"Where do they want to meet?" Harris interrupted.
"Warehouse 51," Seifer answered picking up his keys off the table. He started towards the door when Harris stopped him.
"Wait. Let me go first. Hopefully they'll be watching for you at the north road. Since It's the fastest way to get there. I'll circle around and come to the warehouse from the south. If I can slip behind them at least you'll have some backup."
Seifer listened to the hasty plan Harris was laying out as he checked his watch. 3:11. Looking up he nodded to Harris. "Ok, let's do it."
....................................
Seifer got quietly out of the car and ran at a crouch across the wet pavement until he could see the open space in front of the warehouse. He hoped Harris had been successful in his attempt to get in position undetected.
Pulling out his gun, Seifer crept closer keeping in the shadows to hide. When he got closer he stopped, his back pressed against a large wooden crate. Then chancing a look, leaned out fractionally to get a view of the open area in front of him.
Seifer could see two people standing together. They stood just out of the circle of light that fell from an overhead light on the front of the building. He saw the smaller of the two struggle as they stepped forward. 'Quistis!' he thought, dread washing over him. He'd held out some hope in the back of his mind that maybe it wouldn't be her.
"Mr. Almasy, I know you're out there," the man's voice pierced the silence of the night. "So, why don't you come out where I can see you?"
Seifer's hand tightened on the grip of his gun then laughing mockingly, he shouted out "So you can shoot me? I don't think so. Release the girl and we'll talk."
"Please, Mr. Almasy, don't take me for a fool," the other man hissed.
Seifer moved his position to another crate so the man couldn't trace his location from their conversation. Now he could see Quistis and her captor clearly. He noticed the man held Quistis very close with a forearm across her upper body, effectively making her a shield. "Damn" Seifer swore softly to himself, "no shot."
He leaned back against the crate to think. He knew Quistis was scared. He'd seen the look on her face as she tried to locate him in the darkness, but Seifer also knew her training would keep her from panicking and doing something stupid.
"Still there, Mr. Almasy?" the man holding Quistis called out.
Seifer took a deep breath of cold air then answered, "Yeah, I'm here."
"My boss..Mr. Chaing, wanted me to deliver a message to you," the man continued.
Seifer looked back out at the two figures standing in the light and noticed that the man holding Quistis had raised his gun and now held it against her head. Time seemed to slow down as Seifer saw the other man's finger move over the trigger.
'No' his mind screamed. He knew what this man was going to do and at that moment his instincts kicked in and he raised the gun he was clutching in his own hand and took deadly aim.
As his gunshot rang out in the silence, Seifer heard the report of another gun being fired. "Quisty" he screamed as he ran towards the two bodies that lay on the wet pavement, just outside the pool of light.
"Hyne, no!" he breathed as he fell to his knees beside them.
....................................
A/N: Thank you for waiting so patiently for this chapter.
....................................
Seifer was sitting in his dining room enjoying a cup of coffee and reading the morning paper when Kimo led Jaren into the room. Seifer looked up "Good morning, Jaren," he said dropping the paper on the table, "terrible crime wave we're having," he smirked, motioning to the paper.
Jaren sat down across from his boss, "Yeah, some parts of town are getting down right dangerous."
Kimo brought a tray with coffee and set it down on the table. Seifer looked up as he turned to go "Kimo, have you, by any chance, checked on our guest this morning?"
"Yes sir, she's having her breakfast now," Kimo answered before leaving the two men alone to discuss business. Seifer let out a small sigh. At least he wouldn't have to face her yet. "So Jaren tell me about last night.."
....................................
Quistis sat outwardly calm as Kimo had brought breakfast in to her. She even smiled and offered a bit of small talk until he was out the door, but now she sat staring pensively at her food. 'I have to find a way out of here,' she thought, sighing softly.
During the long night, as she tossed and turned, she'd finally admitted the growing attraction between herself and Seifer. Standing up, Quistis walked to the window and looked down "Not good, Quis," she muttered, "Remember your duty. He's a criminal now.."
Lost in thought she wandered into the bathroom and absently picking up her brush began to sweep it through her hair. After a minute of this, Quistis sighed and set the brush down.
She stood there appearing to stare at the brush on the counter, as she tried to conjure up a plan of action. But when her eyes focused, Quistis found herself staring at one of her hairpins instead.
Smiling slyly to herself, Quistis realized that the one thing Seifer's men overlooked could be the key to her freedom.
....................................
The shrill ringing of the phone penetrated Seifer's sleep and he abruptly sat upright. He glanced at the clock as he picked up the receiver noticing it was 2:45 a.m. "This better be good," he barked into the phone, annoyed at being woken in the middle of the night.
"Mr. Almasy.we have your girlfriend. And if you want her back still breathing, I suggest you meet me at warehouse 51. You've got 45 minutes," the voice on the other end of the line said.
Seifer frowned. Girlfriend? "You must be mistaken. I don't have a girlfriend. Who is this?" he answered.
There was a laugh before the voice spoke again "You don't know me, but.let's just say this is a reply from my boss. As for the girl... I believe you know her... the beautiful blonde you were with at Black and White."
Seifer's heart began to pound, 'Quistis' he thought. "That's impossible....she's a guest of mine...and quite safe at the moment."
"Are you willing to bet on that.. maybe you had better check," the caller said "Oh, and come alone." With that the line went dead.
Seifer tore the blankets off and jumped out of bed. He rushed down the hall then stopped as he saw the door to the room Quistis was in standing wide open. "Oh Hyne, Quistis what have you done?"
....................................
"'ello?"
"Harris, I need you up here right now," Seifer barked into the phone as he was pulling on his pants.
He checked the clock. 2:58. Grabbing a shirt and his shoes, he hurried down the stairs to let Harris in.
"What happened?" Harris asked seeing the furious look on Seifer's face.
"They've got Quistis" Seifer answered buttoning his shirt. Then he grabbed his shoulder holster and put it on. Next he picked up his handgun and pulling back the chamber he checked it.
"When? How?" Harris asked, watching him. He didn't need to ask who had her.
Seifer holstered his gun then looked back at Harris. Shaking his head he said, "I don't know. She must have gotten out somehow."
"What do we do?" Harris looked at his boss.
"They want me to come alone to.." Seifer started to say.
"No way, I can't let you go alone. It's not safe," Harris interrupted. "they're trying to draw you out so they can kill you."
"I won't let them kill her just to keep myself safe." Seifer sharply told the other man. He looked at his watch. 3:05. Not much time. "Look" Seifer said turning away from Harris to grab his trench coat, "They gave me until 3:30 to be there and I don't have time to argue."
"Where do they want to meet?" Harris interrupted.
"Warehouse 51," Seifer answered picking up his keys off the table. He started towards the door when Harris stopped him.
"Wait. Let me go first. Hopefully they'll be watching for you at the north road. Since It's the fastest way to get there. I'll circle around and come to the warehouse from the south. If I can slip behind them at least you'll have some backup."
Seifer listened to the hasty plan Harris was laying out as he checked his watch. 3:11. Looking up he nodded to Harris. "Ok, let's do it."
....................................
Seifer got quietly out of the car and ran at a crouch across the wet pavement until he could see the open space in front of the warehouse. He hoped Harris had been successful in his attempt to get in position undetected.
Pulling out his gun, Seifer crept closer keeping in the shadows to hide. When he got closer he stopped, his back pressed against a large wooden crate. Then chancing a look, leaned out fractionally to get a view of the open area in front of him.
Seifer could see two people standing together. They stood just out of the circle of light that fell from an overhead light on the front of the building. He saw the smaller of the two struggle as they stepped forward. 'Quistis!' he thought, dread washing over him. He'd held out some hope in the back of his mind that maybe it wouldn't be her.
"Mr. Almasy, I know you're out there," the man's voice pierced the silence of the night. "So, why don't you come out where I can see you?"
Seifer's hand tightened on the grip of his gun then laughing mockingly, he shouted out "So you can shoot me? I don't think so. Release the girl and we'll talk."
"Please, Mr. Almasy, don't take me for a fool," the other man hissed.
Seifer moved his position to another crate so the man couldn't trace his location from their conversation. Now he could see Quistis and her captor clearly. He noticed the man held Quistis very close with a forearm across her upper body, effectively making her a shield. "Damn" Seifer swore softly to himself, "no shot."
He leaned back against the crate to think. He knew Quistis was scared. He'd seen the look on her face as she tried to locate him in the darkness, but Seifer also knew her training would keep her from panicking and doing something stupid.
"Still there, Mr. Almasy?" the man holding Quistis called out.
Seifer took a deep breath of cold air then answered, "Yeah, I'm here."
"My boss..Mr. Chaing, wanted me to deliver a message to you," the man continued.
Seifer looked back out at the two figures standing in the light and noticed that the man holding Quistis had raised his gun and now held it against her head. Time seemed to slow down as Seifer saw the other man's finger move over the trigger.
'No' his mind screamed. He knew what this man was going to do and at that moment his instincts kicked in and he raised the gun he was clutching in his own hand and took deadly aim.
As his gunshot rang out in the silence, Seifer heard the report of another gun being fired. "Quisty" he screamed as he ran towards the two bodies that lay on the wet pavement, just outside the pool of light.
"Hyne, no!" he breathed as he fell to his knees beside them.
....................................
A/N: Thank you for waiting so patiently for this chapter.
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