Heero smiled. She was getting ever closer. After two hours of poring over
the information, he had come to the startlingly clear answer - it was all a
setup. Someone had sent her in a scandalous path- ending at Heero.
Someone who knew had known that his laptop was stolen and his intentions to
get her into an eight by ten. Someone in the same office as he.
*
"I don't know anything. I swear to you Midii."
"Well then why in Hell am I running around with the Gundam pilots to
try to find it?" she fumed, arms askew and pacing across the floor.
"Who gave you the job?"
"I don't know! He was an anonymous - a rich one at that. A quarter-mil in
a week."
"Is anyone after you?"
"I got picked up by a cop four days ago.but that was in Berlin."
"It doesn't matter. You probably got attention from a Preventor. They
don't go down easy. Believe me - I'm one of them." Midii sat down and
covered her face, then looked up at Trowa.
"Can I use your computer?" she asked.
No name. No statistics. No hint to the identity of the next target. Just
an address, the address that could determine so much. And it might cost
her life.
Midii wanted to fly solo. She had taken an encrypted disc buried in
the hard drive of Trowa's computer. And she had gone back to her own
hotel, alone. Now she was ready. This was the last job- for now. Once
again she was reminded of the e-mail she had gotten on the shuttle.
'Whatever intrigue you are in will result in your death.' Looking back,
she wondered why she had been so intimidated. She was obviously dealing
with an amateur.
She stood before the mirror, hoping that the double sidearms wouldn't show.
She smoothed the now red curls back, admiring the new look. Once again
she played the 'spy game', playing with an American accent.
"Who are you?"
"I am. Estee.Estee Lauren," she said, combining the two fragrance
gurus.
"What do you do?"
"I am a lawyer for Scott, Scott and McCormick."
*
She approached the stone building at quarter-till ten. Striding
freely up to the enormous office building, Midii tried not to think about
what waited for her in the building. Leaves stirred around her slender
ankles. She took the small, worn paper from her pocket and checked the
address, sighing and perfecting her accent. Her character as perfect
"It's all about playing the part."
Then she stopped in her tracks. The side of the building read
PREVENTORS faction 7. This could go two ways - one ended with handcuffs,
the other - could possibly end in handcuffs as well. But more pleasant.
This was the defining moment.
She walked to the front desk and handed the receptionist the address.
"Umm.I was given this address.but I didn't get anything else. Can
you help me?" she asked in a saccharin-sweet voice. The receptionist
looked over it carefully.
"Oh yeah.that's Yuy's hand alright. He thinks he can leave whenever
he wants - I see a lot of notes from him to his sup."
"Yuy?"
"Mmm-hmm! Heero Yuy, in 306. Would you like me to tell him you're here?"
"No. I'd rather surprise him."
She had given the performance of her life. Perfect. The girl on the phone
hadn't suspected for a moment. Now she had to find out who the person was
who was pretending to be Heero Yuy. She walked to the third floor and came
to room 306. She opened the door without knocking. Before she turned
white as a sheet.
"You've been a very bad girl, Miss Une."
*
Heero almost laughed at his own genius. A shocked Midii Une, with red hair
and glasses, stood before him. She repeatedly opened and closed her mouth
but remained speechless. He didn't know what to do as she just stood
there, still gripping the doorknob and the wall, oblivious to the fact that
she had lost a shoe. So then he got up and walked to her.
She was tempted to reach for her gun. Yuy stared her down. Neither one breathed. He reached out and pulled off her glasses. "Now I know you don't really wear these," he said, crushing the lenses in his fist. He picked up a file folder from his desk without leaving her eyes. She tried to see what illicit information the file kept. He then pulled out a picture, one of Trowa and her. "This is your dossier, Midii, and this is only after AC 195. There's no telling as to how much we have on the iron fist in the velvet glove, as you are referred to in the ESUN, or as we lovingly call you, the Bitch-Who- Refuses-to-Die. Now you and I are going to have a long talk about your.career." Maybe fatigue would wear her down. Nothing else would. All she gave was dead-end answers and fake references. Heero was about to try to use his gun to get something more constructive than name, rank, badge, and organization. Instead he posed a better question. "Miss Une, what is your involvement with Trowa Barton?" "Midii Jeanette Une, Colonel, 00396-4303, New Earth Alliance." "Miss Une." "Why are you.why are you so brazen to get me behind bars?" Her hand, out of his sight, touched the butt of her sidearm. "I ask you again, what are you doing running around with Barton?" "I was aware that Trowa Barton died several years ago. If I'm not mistaken, Barton was the brother of the also dead Lea Barton, mistress to Treize Khushrenada." "You know very well that I'm not speaking of that Trowa. This is the pilot of the HeavyArms gundam. Model 03."
Midii half smiled as she leaned in. Heero Yuy looked extremely uncomfortable as she played with a loose strand of hair. She sat in deep thought a moment before leaning back, satisfied. "Mm-hmm. I did him for a job one time." "He's dead?" "No. Just really mad at himself for leaving his computer out in the open." Silence reigned. Finally she spoke. " Do you know what this is?" "Define this." "This is entrapment! That file is bull. I can walk out of this office and start a new day tomorrow!" "In a cell, maybe. You could try - leaving. But I'm the one with the gun in this situation."
She also had a gun, two of them, actually. And already she was forming a plan - of how to get out. She couldn't believe it was all a fake. That she had gone back to Trowa for no reason. They were probably trying to get them both killed. But apparently - this Heero Yuy knew him - and that was when Midii recognized him. He was the one who had self-detonated the Zero prototype so many years ago.Trowa had told her about it. Her thoughts were interrupted by his voice. "So, Miss Une, what do you propose we do with you?" "I don't know, Mr. Yuy. What shall we do?" she asked mockingly. She heard a gun clip and immediately pulled both her guns.
He was just cocking it when he stared down the barrel of a pair of .38's. No longer was this potential problem. This was a full-blown incident.
Midii stood and walked around the oak desk, never moving her finger from either trigger. Now she had the upper hand; Yuy may have been good, but there wasn't a doubt in her mind she was better. The heavy breathing subsided. She pushed his chair back from the desk and slid onto the desk in front of him, never lowering the guns. "Now you're going to tell me everything you know about the people who are after us." She said. "Us?" "Me and the people I'm involved with," she spat, annoyed. "Involved?" he asked, obviously clueless. She stared at him. "You really have no idea about this job, do you?" "I was just supposed to get you to lockdown." Suddenly her beeper went off. "I have to make a call." * "Well?" Heero asked. He stared at her. She had made a very hushed, short call to someone and then buried her face in her hands. At his question she looked up, her ocean-colored eyes filling with tears. She set her jaw and stopped crying, sitting back. "I may have just caused the death of the first target of this operation." He looked at her strangely before she continued. "Marquis.was shot." "Zechs Marquis?" he asked. She nodded in agreement. "Someone followed him to his car and shot him. He's in the ICU, but there's no word on his condition." "Do you want to." "No. But I need to go to - I need to do something." "I can't let you leave," Yuy said. "Really? Shoot me then," she said, staying her guns and breezing out the door. Heero sat in shock. He had just failed the simplest job he had ever been given. * Her heels clicked on the pavement as she ran, stopping only to check the number she had dialed. Quatre's voice sounded from the other end of the line. "Hello?" "Quatre," she said before remembering her accent, "Quatre!" "Yes? Adrienne?" "Mm-hmm. Listen, I need you to do me a favor. Get to the last place anyone would ever expect you to be," she said before getting to the door of Towa's hotel and hanging up. As she climbed the steps she silently prayed that she would not see what she expected. * A gun clip kept the door from completely closing and locking. Trowa had done this before on other rendezvous', to let her in. Still, she pulled her gun and opened the door silently. It was certainly not what she expected. Rose petals scattered the floor. The television was playing horrible digital music. She could see an opened bottle of champagne and a pair of glasses. She chuckled. So all the sudden Trowa had become a classic romantic. He wasn't waiting for her here, though. All of this was waiting for him, a set up. Whoever was doing this was playing the two against each other. Trowa would come in, think Midii was making a move, and disarm himself. Then he would turn around and someone would put a bullet through his gut, just like Zechs. She took one of the empty flutes and poured herself champagne, sat on the bed, and waited. * Outside his room someone had stolen his thunder and put a gun clip in the door jam. He came in and an interesting sight met his eyes. Midii sat on the bed, which, along with the floor, was covered in flower petals. She wore her favorite fashion staple, a simple white button-down Oxford shirt, and a wool skirt. As soon as she saw him she went about getting him champagne. A three hundred bottle of freaking champagne! She kicked off her shoes and walked up to him, handed him the glass, and leaned into his ear. "I think you should know.we've been set up.and in about thirty seconds someone is going to come through that door and shoot the both of us," she whispered. He leaned over and kissed the side of her head. "Not if we have anything to do with it," he said, drawing his gun as she did the same.
She was tempted to reach for her gun. Yuy stared her down. Neither one breathed. He reached out and pulled off her glasses. "Now I know you don't really wear these," he said, crushing the lenses in his fist. He picked up a file folder from his desk without leaving her eyes. She tried to see what illicit information the file kept. He then pulled out a picture, one of Trowa and her. "This is your dossier, Midii, and this is only after AC 195. There's no telling as to how much we have on the iron fist in the velvet glove, as you are referred to in the ESUN, or as we lovingly call you, the Bitch-Who- Refuses-to-Die. Now you and I are going to have a long talk about your.career." Maybe fatigue would wear her down. Nothing else would. All she gave was dead-end answers and fake references. Heero was about to try to use his gun to get something more constructive than name, rank, badge, and organization. Instead he posed a better question. "Miss Une, what is your involvement with Trowa Barton?" "Midii Jeanette Une, Colonel, 00396-4303, New Earth Alliance." "Miss Une." "Why are you.why are you so brazen to get me behind bars?" Her hand, out of his sight, touched the butt of her sidearm. "I ask you again, what are you doing running around with Barton?" "I was aware that Trowa Barton died several years ago. If I'm not mistaken, Barton was the brother of the also dead Lea Barton, mistress to Treize Khushrenada." "You know very well that I'm not speaking of that Trowa. This is the pilot of the HeavyArms gundam. Model 03."
Midii half smiled as she leaned in. Heero Yuy looked extremely uncomfortable as she played with a loose strand of hair. She sat in deep thought a moment before leaning back, satisfied. "Mm-hmm. I did him for a job one time." "He's dead?" "No. Just really mad at himself for leaving his computer out in the open." Silence reigned. Finally she spoke. " Do you know what this is?" "Define this." "This is entrapment! That file is bull. I can walk out of this office and start a new day tomorrow!" "In a cell, maybe. You could try - leaving. But I'm the one with the gun in this situation."
She also had a gun, two of them, actually. And already she was forming a plan - of how to get out. She couldn't believe it was all a fake. That she had gone back to Trowa for no reason. They were probably trying to get them both killed. But apparently - this Heero Yuy knew him - and that was when Midii recognized him. He was the one who had self-detonated the Zero prototype so many years ago.Trowa had told her about it. Her thoughts were interrupted by his voice. "So, Miss Une, what do you propose we do with you?" "I don't know, Mr. Yuy. What shall we do?" she asked mockingly. She heard a gun clip and immediately pulled both her guns.
He was just cocking it when he stared down the barrel of a pair of .38's. No longer was this potential problem. This was a full-blown incident.
Midii stood and walked around the oak desk, never moving her finger from either trigger. Now she had the upper hand; Yuy may have been good, but there wasn't a doubt in her mind she was better. The heavy breathing subsided. She pushed his chair back from the desk and slid onto the desk in front of him, never lowering the guns. "Now you're going to tell me everything you know about the people who are after us." She said. "Us?" "Me and the people I'm involved with," she spat, annoyed. "Involved?" he asked, obviously clueless. She stared at him. "You really have no idea about this job, do you?" "I was just supposed to get you to lockdown." Suddenly her beeper went off. "I have to make a call." * "Well?" Heero asked. He stared at her. She had made a very hushed, short call to someone and then buried her face in her hands. At his question she looked up, her ocean-colored eyes filling with tears. She set her jaw and stopped crying, sitting back. "I may have just caused the death of the first target of this operation." He looked at her strangely before she continued. "Marquis.was shot." "Zechs Marquis?" he asked. She nodded in agreement. "Someone followed him to his car and shot him. He's in the ICU, but there's no word on his condition." "Do you want to." "No. But I need to go to - I need to do something." "I can't let you leave," Yuy said. "Really? Shoot me then," she said, staying her guns and breezing out the door. Heero sat in shock. He had just failed the simplest job he had ever been given. * Her heels clicked on the pavement as she ran, stopping only to check the number she had dialed. Quatre's voice sounded from the other end of the line. "Hello?" "Quatre," she said before remembering her accent, "Quatre!" "Yes? Adrienne?" "Mm-hmm. Listen, I need you to do me a favor. Get to the last place anyone would ever expect you to be," she said before getting to the door of Towa's hotel and hanging up. As she climbed the steps she silently prayed that she would not see what she expected. * A gun clip kept the door from completely closing and locking. Trowa had done this before on other rendezvous', to let her in. Still, she pulled her gun and opened the door silently. It was certainly not what she expected. Rose petals scattered the floor. The television was playing horrible digital music. She could see an opened bottle of champagne and a pair of glasses. She chuckled. So all the sudden Trowa had become a classic romantic. He wasn't waiting for her here, though. All of this was waiting for him, a set up. Whoever was doing this was playing the two against each other. Trowa would come in, think Midii was making a move, and disarm himself. Then he would turn around and someone would put a bullet through his gut, just like Zechs. She took one of the empty flutes and poured herself champagne, sat on the bed, and waited. * Outside his room someone had stolen his thunder and put a gun clip in the door jam. He came in and an interesting sight met his eyes. Midii sat on the bed, which, along with the floor, was covered in flower petals. She wore her favorite fashion staple, a simple white button-down Oxford shirt, and a wool skirt. As soon as she saw him she went about getting him champagne. A three hundred bottle of freaking champagne! She kicked off her shoes and walked up to him, handed him the glass, and leaned into his ear. "I think you should know.we've been set up.and in about thirty seconds someone is going to come through that door and shoot the both of us," she whispered. He leaned over and kissed the side of her head. "Not if we have anything to do with it," he said, drawing his gun as she did the same.
