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Tapestry - Chapter 9
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I sat at the table and watched Treize walk out of the room, hoping that I understood him correctly.
He was leaving me alone - alone - in his home, while he went off to God-knows-where to do God-knows-what ... and he was leaving me in charge of Wufei, of all things. Telling me to 'make sure that he doesn't overtrain.'
Make sure he doesn't overtrain? Heh - not a problem at all. There was no way he would overtrain while I was with him, because I was going to take Wufei and leave this lovely little prison just as soon as I could. In fact, if I could convince him, we'd be gone before Treize returned from wherever he went.
Once we were out of the house, we'd be moving through the countryside very quickly. Overtraining wouldn't be the issue. Finding shelter from OZ would be more to the point.
And damn, before we left, I was going to find some comfortable shoes.
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"Are we truly alone, Wufei?"
Actually, I didn't believe it. I was sure it was some trick on Treize's part; but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why. Spying on us? That would be a little extreme, even for him.
Heh. It wasn't as if we were going anywhere. At least not yet.
"Hai. Mrs. Grimm and Walter are around, and a few of the horse trainers - but they leave us alone." He considered for a moment, looking at his plate. "Unless we want or need something. Then they'll help us."
"I see." I nodded at him, smiling, encouraging. The poor boy needed to be gently prodded into talking, and no wonder - whom did he have to talk to, except for Treize and the people working for him? I needed to draw Wufei out slowly - I didn't want to spook him. "You said something last night about Heero Yuy being allowed to escape, Wufei. The last thing I saw Heero do was blow himself and his gundam up, over six weeks ago. I had no idea he survived that blast, let alone healed to the point where he was fighting again, and then was captured by OZ -"
Wufei was silent for a moment; then he nodded to himself, appearing to come to a decision. "I'm going to go train," he finally said, scowling, pushing his chair back from the table and standing in one graceful motion. "You might as well come with me and watch. Ask me whatever you like in the training room - I'll tell YOU anything." With that, he whirled and stalked away from the table, through the dining room and past the double doors toward the training room.
Speechless with surprise, I rose out of my chair and followed him as quickly as I could. "Thank you, Wufei," I belatedly called after him when I noticed the way he emphasized his words, as if to say, '..I'll tell YOU, but not Treize.'
His answering grunt floated back to me as he marched down the hallway.
It took a little while, but I caught up with him at the doorway to the training room. Questions were swirling around in my mind, questions about Heero and Duo and exactly how we were going to leave. The other gundam pilots had escaped, I reasoned; we should be able to do the same thing. I simply needed to know a little bit more about the surrounding area, and I needed to get Wufei to agree to leave. The first, I knew, was not going to be a problem; however, the second was going to be a little more difficult.
"Wufei," I began, following him into the room, "how did you know that Heero escaped - or, for that matter, was even here?"
"Because," he said, not looking around, "I saw them bring him in with the others. There was a news conference ..." He stopped talking and scowled at the floor, his slippered feet scuffing against the smooth wooden floorboards as he recalled a particularly bitter memory. "That wasn't too bad, but when I heard they also captured Relena Peacecraft, I knew - I knew - I couldn't allow her to stay captive. The world needed her free. I had to do something." He shrugged and walked to the far side of the gymnasium. "I went to Treize and told him that I wanted everyone set free."
"Everyone?" I repeated, trailing after him to the other side of the room. "Who else was captured, Wufei?"
"Duo, Quatre, you, Heero ... and Relena Peacecraft," Wufei replied, standing by the side wall and unbuttoning his shirt. Apparently, he wasn't going to bother with "official" workout clothing at this point; going shirtless seemed perfectly acceptable to him. He took his shirt off, folded it neatly and laid it on top of a narrow table against the wall, then walked into the center of the room, springing lightly on the balls of his feet. Wufei stretched, lifting himself up effortlessly on his toes, feeling his balance, finding his center. "They were here. You were in the prison hospital."
I frowned, kneeling on the floor next to the wall, thinking. "Right. But ... wait. That doesn't make sense. Do you mean to tell me that everyone who was captured was freed? That he let everyone go - except you? Just because you asked him to?"
"And you," he threw over his shoulder, stretching his arms in the opposite direction, his muscles rippling under smooth caramel skin. "He didn't let you go. But you were brought here from the hospital, terribly injured. And, no - not just because I asked. I had to give him something in return." He scowled, looking over my shoulder as he started to stretch in a different direction. "I gave my word to Treize that I would not leave. That was one of the deals I made."
I blinked. It was at that point that I started to feel really, really strange. Creepy. Cold in the pit of my stomach strange. Khushrenada had explained the situation to me in his oh-so-suave voice last night, but I had been tired, more than a little overwhelmed, and frankly, I hadn't really believed him. Now, however, the implications of what Wufei said were more than a little obvious. And frightening.
Khushrenada had been telling the truth. And that meant ....
"One of the deals," I repeated, pushing myself forward, looking at him intently. "How many deals did you make? Are you saying that - that you traded your own freedom for everyone else's? You gave your word to Khushrenada that you would not leave ... ever ... so that the other gundam pilots could go free?" I could feel the blood leave my face as I spoke. No, I must be wrong - I had to be wrong.
Wufei nodded in assent. "Correct. I made several deals with him; this was simply one I made. It was worth it."
"But ... but ... Wufei ..."
"What?"
" ... that means you'll never leave here."
"I will never leave him. Correct. Until he dies, or grows tired of the game and kills me."
Horror - pure, unadulterated horror - was the only emotion I felt moving through my veins at that moment. The only thing I was able to do was stare at him; I knew it, and I couldn't help it. How on earth was I supposed to get him away from here if he wouldn't leave Khushrenada's side? How could I save him from that nameless something I felt all around us if he refused to go? "Wufei - Wufei, please - explain. This bargain you made - what was it, exactly? Your freedom in exchange for ... for what?"
"Their freedom. Everyone's freedom." He looked at me, a sidelong glance. "I told Treize I wanted you free, too - but he brought you here instead. He said that he couldn't set you free, but that he could allow you to live here with us, as a sign of good faith." A dark look flew across his face.
I didn't even think about what he said regarding my own situation as I watched him for a long moment, stretching, his limbs sliding smoothly from one position to another. It was obvious he had been training; his body was shaped and sculpted - very slim, very taut, and very young, as beautiful in motion as a professional dancer's. He truly was a magnificent, exotic looking young man, just on the edge of adulthood. Fear for him knotted and twisted in my stomach the longer my gaze followed him.
You must get him away from here as soon as possible, something whispered to me. He's much too beautiful ...
"Wufei ... what if Treize dies before you get the chance to kill him? I mean, what if one of the other pilots comes back and kills him?" Or what if I can kill him first...
He paused for a moment, considering. "I don't know. I ... hadn't thought about it."
"Just an idea. I'm sure there are many people that want him dead."
Snorting softly, Wufei moved his body into position and started a slow kata. "Probably. But that doesn't really matter. If you have any questions, Sally, now's the time to ask. We won't be alone for much longer."
Absolutely true - we only had so much time. I thought for a moment. "Okay, Wufei - you're right. Um... let's see ... is there a regular schedule around here?"
"It depends," he replied with a scowl, moving slowly from one position to the next, thrusting his arms out, palms flat and fingers rigid. "He's trying different methods to see which way I accomplish more. Like ... like I'm some kind of damned pet." His gaze became hard, his ebony eyes snapping in anger and resentment.
"Wufei," I said rapidly, moving closer to him, earnest. "You only promised to stay here. That's all. You didn't promise to become a plaything, a toy. You don't have to give permission to anyone to do anything. They can force you to do things, of course, but that's a lot different than your giving him permission to do things to you."
"Un." Wufei grunted and turned to face the opposite wall, his profile to me, and performed what appeared to be a series of gravity-defying balance exercises. He continued, angrily punching the air in front of him, knife hand strikes slicing invisible opponents in two, deceptively slow movements rushing together to dismember unwary antagonists. I sighed and backed away, watching as he struck, his emotions harnessed and under control.
No, there doesn't seem to be a way out, Wufei. But by all means, keep looking, keep searching; I hope there's a path that I didn't see.
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I watched Wufei for another two and a half hours as he exercised, a thin sheen of perspiration covering his upper body. He held positions I never thought were possible. His physical conditioning, I realized, was far above anyone I had ever seen, barring Treize. That man, I thought with a small shudder, was simply inhuman. No one should be able to move at the speeds I saw that morning.
Long stretches of time came and went where Wufei and I were companionably silent - he felt no need to elaborate on points we had just discussed, and I felt no need to bring up new or old business. Somehow, though, a position he used reminded me of something else - which sparked another question from me about what he had seen during his captivity, or maybe what he hadn't - but every question was tinged with a strange undercurrent. Just what kind of deals Khushrenada want him to make?
I didn't understand it at all, and frankly, it was something that I didn't really want to understand. There was something about the entire situation that felt as if it bordered on the indecent and obscene: the only thing I wanted to do for certain was grab Wufei and tear him away from this place as quickly as I possibly could. Even my Romefeller commanding officers, as sleazy and corrupt as they had been, had never inspired this kind of fear and aversion in me. It was completely unnerving, to say the least.
And speaking of Romefeller .... I was suddenly reminded of Treize's preternatural knowledge of my history with that organization, and my involvement in Wufei's colony.
Such as how I could have been responsible for the death of Wufei's wife.
I swallowed and looked down at the floor, praying that I hadn't just turned as pale as I thought I had. Wufei had finished his katas a while ago, put his shirt back on and was seated on the floor across from me in a perfect lotus position, his head raised, face calm and serene.
Small rivulets of perspiration traveled down the side of my face and disappeared beneath my collar. I had to tell him - I had no choice. If I didn't do it now, I would lose any advantage I had. Honesty and speed were the only weapons I had against Khushrenada; he knew exactly what my role had been in the clearing of Wufei's colony, A0206. And somehow, God only knew how, he even knew how I pulled my men away before any extensive damage was done.
And honestly, I had no idea how he knew that - I certainly didn't tell anyone. My men didn't tell anyone, I was sure. It was yet something else that made my hands tremble slightly just thinking about it, and that made me angry. Cursing myself for showing that weakness, I clutched my hands together in my lap and hated Khushrenada even more.
"Wufei."
"Un."
"Did you know that I once worked for the Romefeller Foundation?"
Blinking slowly, adjusting his gaze as he came back from that purely meditative state, Wufei looked at me. "No."
Ah, this was hard. I sighed, trying to find the words. "Well, then, it's time you knew. I did - at one time - follow the orders of General Septem."
"Many did," he replied, frowning a little at me. He had stopped his meditation, turning his complete attention toward me, watching closely. "Zechs worked for the military at one time. He worked for OZ, once. Now he is gone."
I wondered who, exactly, he was referring to. I thought I knew, but I wasn't entirely sure. "Un. Ah ... I'm a doctor, but I was under orders to perform any tasks they deemed appropriate for my rank and experience."
Nodding, Wufei still looked at me. "Obviously. You were part of the military."
Oh, feh, feh; there he was, watching me with that amazingly candid expression of his, the sunlight from the windows shining in his hair. Distracting, that's what it was; he was completely open and honest, waiting for me to continue. I took a deep breath.
"You have a right to know, Wufei. You - you asked for me; you saved me from spending a good deal of my life in prison. There are - things - in my life, that, if I could, I would go back and fix. Redo. Or not do at all. One of those things would be working for Romefeller. When I joined ..."
I trailed off for a moment, thinking, bitter. Damn. I resented having to tell him this - I resented it and was afraid of it at the same time. He could completely reject me once he found out my part in his wife's death; that, however, was a chance I had been compelled to take, whether I liked it or not. Khushrenada had forced my hand by telling me how much he knew about my past. I knew he would use it against me at his first opportunity. At least I knew I would in the same situation. I couldn't afford to take the chance.
"...when I joined, I thought I'd be able to make a difference in people's lives. Little did I realize the kind of difference I would actually make."
"What are you talking about, woman?"
I looked him squarely in the eye. "I was ordered to kill people, Wufei. I was ordered to go to planets, asteroids ... wherever I was told they needed me to go. So - I did. And usually, my orders were to send out troops that would 'cleanse' the areas - meaning, kill all the people living there."
"Hai." So far, this was old news to Wufei, something he accepted when he realized I had been with the military. You join the military, you kill people. That was part of your job, the same as 'join the military and do what you're told' is part of the job.
Well, he didn't know it, but I changed that part of the job.
"I was ordered, by General Septem, to eliminate a 'dangerous element' on one of the colonies, about a year ago. That 'dangerous element' was on colony A0206."
And I waited. I hadn't changed my position; I was still looking him square in the eye, my head raised, waiting for his reaction. - but I felt so sad, so bleak.
He looked at me for a long moment. His normal, dusky complexion became pale.
".......A0......."
".....206. Yes."
We continued to stare at each other for a moment. It was awful - his eyes looked like they were getting larger by the second.
".....wh .... what?" he stammered, blinking at me. I could almost hear his thoughts - no, I must have heard wrong, she didn't say that at all ....
"I ordered my men to the colony, Wufei. But you must also understand this-"
"-YOU ... you ... you're the ....Septem ordered you to...." His voice rose and fell in volume, following the thread of his thoughts as he stared at me, several expressions, none of them good, chasing across his face.
I set my face into what I hoped was a stoic mask, waiting for him to finish. He had to get this out of his system, and I knew he hadn't made all the connections between the attack on his colony, the death of his wife and my presence yet. Guilt - that horrid emotion that just never seemed to leave, no matter what I did - camped out right in the middle of my chest, causing every breath I drew to become suffocatingly more difficult.
"Septem did that? He ordered the attack on my colony?" Wufei finally asked, his voice strident and harsh. He was still seated in his lotus position, but his hands were lying limply in his lap.
"Yes, he did. Septem ordered the attack." I didn't shrink from telling him; I couldn't - I owed him that much. "And I had no idea what that 'dangerous element' was, only that my superiors wanted it eliminated. I argued, but eventually, I followed orders, at least at first. I ordered my soldiers to start the attack on A0206. And they did."
It was easier talking to him if I didn't look at him, so I looked down at the training room floor. "But that was the same day I decided I was finished with Romefeller, because I found out what was really on A0206. When I had the opportunity - when the commander's Leo was blown out of the sky - I reported the mission a success, and recalled all the pilots." I raised my head and stared at him. "I - left. That was the last time I held a field commission. I came back to Earth."
".....Septem....... did this? It was ..... Septem? You're sure it was Septem?"
His voice was soft and a little too high as he stared back at me. He had lost his lotus position and was sitting on the floor, sprawled. Reaching up, he held his head with one shaking hand. "....gods...."
I reached out with one hand and touched his arm. "I'm sorry, Wufei," I whispered, feeling powerless to help or comfort him, knowing how much hurt he must have been feeling. "But I had to tell you. You deserved to know."
He seemed to be paralyzed, and was looking more and more upset. I leaned forward and looked into his eyes; alarmed, I saw his eyes grow simply enormous, and his expression turn from shocked alarm to completely horrified.
"Why ... why didn't he tell me...? Oh, gods, he probably did ... and I wasn't paying attention..."
I blinked, confused. "He? He wh--" I broke off, staring at Wufei, finally realizing who he was talking about; and now my stomach felt as though it was trying to push its way down to my toes, cold and as leaden as stone.
"I ... I don't think Treize would have mentioned this, Wufei. I think ..."
And then it hit me - he used me, that rotten bastard. With an angry shudder, I realized that I had been manipulated to do just this. "...no - now I'm sure he was expecting me to tell you everything I just told you."
Wufei's eyes were tightly closed. "I have been trying to kill an innocent man!"
I was completely taken aback. "What? Khushrenada? Innocent?"
"Oh, my gods ... and he ... he was going to let me .. because of my honor!"
Now I was at a complete loss. I would have preferred that Wufei rail and scream at me for killing his wife, or killing his people. "What are you talking about, Wufei? Treize - innocent? There were countless casualties during the last raid! You can't possibly believe that he's innocent!" I felt angry and desperate, as though he was slipping away from me. "Don't you remember what happened at Edwards? Don't you?"
He was silent, staring in front of him, concentrating on his breathing. "I ... I don't ... that's not the point ...."
"--that is the point - you were the only one who saw the setup, Wufei - the only one! You were the only pilot that saw the gundams were lured in there - lured! - and by whom?"
I couldn't stop; the memories were too strong, too overwhelming, and the feeling that I was losing him was too powerful. "What kind of honor is that, Wufei? Killing innocent people, and using other people to do your work for you? Not even acknowledging your part? That's not honor - that's the lowest form of cowardice there is! Please, Wufei, please, you can't possibly believe he's innocent!"
Wufei was silent, not answering me, putting both hands over his head as he bent forward, eyes closed.
Then a low, resonant voice, speaking in even tones, pierced the stillness from the doorway behind me.
"Why ... is everything all right in here?"
I froze, staring at Wufei with eyes wide with shock as my breath caught in my throat.
Oh dear gods. Khushrenada was back.
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I was numb. And scared. And one hundred percent sure the General heard me yammering about what a coward he was - after all, I hadn't bothered to lower my voice. Had I been able to hit myself in the head, I would have; I was such a moron. The first rule, when communicating with other prisoners, is never to forget where you are - always be aware of your surroundings.
Gods. And not only did I forget where I was, I ended up getting all emotional and exciting Wufei, which didn't help matters at all. What a mess.
So I did the only thing I could do. Still seated, I straightened up and turned around with a very unfriendly look in my eye, ready to stand and meet my enemy face to face. At least I didn't have to pretend to be angry at Khushrenada, that rotten excuse for a human being. He was the one who had used me to get to Wufei, after all.
Wufei, on the other hand, looked like a spooked deer in the headlights of an oncoming troop train, ready to bolt at any second.
"Wufei?" Treize said, a note of concern creeping into his voice.
Abruptly, the boy sprang up from the floor and took off, pounding out of the room and vanishing through the doorway on the opposite side.
"Oh, my," Treize said, watching him go, very calm.
Now I painfully unfolded my legs and clambered to my feet, following Wufei's example. My legs were still rather stiff and sore, as was my back.
"Do you need some help?" Treize asked me, looking puzzled.
"No!" I snapped, glaring at him. "....thank you," I added, muttering, as I briskly rubbed feeling back into my left leg. Blood rushing back into my knee and calf left me gasping a bit, that painful prickly feeling nearly buckling my leg.
"You're welcome," Treize replied, trailing off as he turned toward the rear doorway again. "Is he all right?" he asked, turning back to me, his gaze intense. "What happened here? He hasn't done something like that in ages."
I lifted my head and stared right at him. "I told him what happened on A0206."
"Ah ... sou." Now he had the grace to look sad. "Poor child. He hasn't come to terms with what happened there at all." He sighed, looking at me. "You were very brave to tell him. I'm sorry he reacted like this."
Not like I had a bloody choice in the matter, now, was it? I kept looking at him, but that anger that had stiffened my spine and narrowed my eyes - that heart pounding acrimony that pushed me upright - wasn't as strong now as it had been a few moments ago. It was very weird; the longer he spoke to me, the less anger I felt toward him. I didn't like that.
"Well, really - it was to be expected. It's quite natural to be upset when you believe one thing to be true, only to discover that something completely different is also true. His entire idea of what had happened to his colony was turned upside down."
Now Treize looked concerned again. "I'm not sure if I should go after him or not - it might make things worse."
"That's entirely up to you," I said, trying to make my voice sound even and calm. "But if, as you say, you'd like him to come to terms with his life, you might consider allowing him the space to sift the information himself. After all, he can always ask you questions later."
Treize seemed to relent. "Well, that is certainly true. Maa, the poor boy..."
I sighed and looked over at the opposite end of the room, where Wufei had disappeared, wishing that I could disappear over there with him.
"Would you like to sit down? You look ... pale."
I turned back, a pointed, impertinent remark dying on my lips as I looked at Treize. Sunlight glinted off his hair, making it golden; and he was looking down at me, his gaze very calm, very cool, and very much in control. It was one of the most powerful looks I had ever seen, directed entirely at me.
And it was affecting me, to the point where I felt nearly overwhelmed. "I ... I ...yes," I stammered, barely pulling myself together, "I'd like to go somewhere else, if I may ..."
"But of course, Ms. Po," he murmured. "Where would you like to go? My horses are in the mood for play, if you'd like to see them now." He smiled at me - a hypnotic smile that didn't reach his eyes - and said, "I have shoes for you now. They should fit, assuming, of course, that your military boots were the correct size."
I looked up at him quickly. "Shoes? Really?" And then I looked down and cursed myself for sounding so eager - just like some idiot farm girl who had never seen a pair of shoes before, I thought, thoroughly annoyed at myself.
His smile grew a little larger, and his eyelids moved just a fraction lower as he looked at me. "Yes, Ms. Po - shoes. Did you think I was always going to keep you in house slippers?"
And now I was completely flustered. I could feel my face getting hot again as I looked anywhere but at his face. "I ... I ... no, of course not. And - and I would enjoy seeing your horses -"
"Of course! They are lovely creatures," Treize said, putting his arm around my shoulders and escorting me out of the training room. "Forgive me, but I am somewhat proud of them. It's been a hobby of mine since I was twelve." He sighed as he maneuvered me through the doorway and down the hallway, lightly guiding me toward the main rooms at the front of the house, keeping his arm around me. "One must admit ... beauty in nature is lovely - but natural beauty that one has formed and shaped one's self carries an extra sense of glory ... don't you think?"
"Ah ... yes ...," I murmured, casting about in my mind frantically for something semi-intelligent to say. I felt this huge, physical presence from him that was incredibly disconcerting. I tried to surreptitiously move out from under his arm as I said, "I ... I noticed a roan out in the meadow this morning. He was quite handsome."
"He is my own," Treize purred into my ear, changing his position so that both his hands were on my shoulders as he steered me into the library. "Now - as to your shoes - of course, I wasn't certain what style you would like, so for the moment, there are two choices."
He gently directed me to the couch in the library, his hands still on my shoulders. I looked back at him and gave him a weak smile as I realized that I was not in control of anything - yet another feeling I didn't like.
"Well ... three choices, really, but the last isn't much of an option, I'm afraid."
Pushing down gently on my shoulders, Treize sat me down on the couch and sat next to me, his gaze holding mine, smiling right at me. "Those, I think, I will show you first."
He leaned down and dipped his hand into a bag next to the sofa, a bag I just noticed, and pulled out a pair of beautiful, strappy, outright sexy high heeled shoes. Black leather. Italian. I couldn't remember the last time I wore anything like those shoes, or had an occasion to go somewhere that required me to wear something like them.
"These are for Friday, at the opera," he said casually as he handed them to me. I accepted them, trying to be as casual and matter-of-fact as he was; but my gaze kept returning to them, admiring them on the sly
With a small smile, Treize continued to rummage in his bag and pulled out a pair of boots that nearly duplicated those that I wore when I was piloting the medical shuttle.
"Now, you may or may not want to wear these, but yours were ... quite ruined. So you have them, should you choose to wear them."
"Oh ... they look very nice," I said, relief evident in my voice as I took one boot in my hand and flexed the toe.
He pulled out a simple pair of dark brown leather loafers from the bag. "I thought, perhaps, you might prefer these - they will match whatever you wear. As long as you're not into ... ah ... what is the term?... 'grunge.'"
"'Grunge?' What is that?" I asked, confused.
Treize chuckled. "Youth. Some of them consider it quite pleasing to be as filthy and disheveled as possible. I do not particularly agree."
Well, no. Obviously, none of those people had ever spent any time out in the field during a war, either. You wore plenty of 'grunge' during war.
"Is there anything else you need?"
I looked at Treize, silent a moment, thinking. "How cold is it outside?"
"Fairly cold. You'll be borrowing one of my parkas."
I nodded. "That's why I was ..." I trailed off, looking at him. "But .. um ... the arms will be much too long," I protested weakly, feeling more than a little strange at wearing something of his.
Ick, ick, ick. Not what I wanted to do, really, thanks very much.
"Not at all," he smiled. "It belongs to me, but I don't wear it. Wufei does."
"Oh," I said, slightly mollified. "But .. but I don't want to take something away from Wufei-"
"Now, please, Sally," he said, raising an eyebrow at me, "Wufei is hardly wearing it right now, is he? At any rate, should he wish to, there are other coats available for him, as well."
"Oh ... of course," I said faintly.
Treize stood and looked down at me, a smile playing around his lips. "I think you're outfitted correctly. I'll make sure you have gloves before you leave the house. Now ... if you will excuse me for just a moment ..." He patted me on the shoulder and leaned down. Looking directly into my eyes, he said, calmly and firmly, "Stay here." Turning, he walked over to the doorway behind him and disappeared through it.
I watched him leave the room, feeling completely exhausted. Don't squander what time you have, I scolded myself - get those boots on and start breaking them in now. Abandoning the slippers and pulling first the left boot and then the right boot on, I stood and pushed my feet down into the soft leather, stamping into them.
Of course - a perfect fit. I swallowed and stared at the boots. Absolutely comfortable, just the right height, slightly wider where I needed it… perfect. Made just for me.
Perfect. Gods.
I was still staring at my feet when the insistent noise penetrated the fog around my brain. Frowning, I turned toward the back of the room and saw what appeared to be the third farmhand from the stables gesturing at me from the large window facing the paddock, looking as if his life depended upon it.
How completely ... bizarre. Shaking my head, I walked over to the large window; the leaded glass made a nice contrast with the traditional European pieces customarily found in that kind of house. Why doesn't he just come into the house? Unlocking and pulling the French window toward me, I looked at the bundled man with slight suspicion and said, "Ah … yes?"
The farmhand stared at me from under a huge muffler and hat, the collar of his coat turned up against the wind, shiny purple eyes regarding me triumphantly. "So you ARE here …"
Immediately, I grasped the windowframe to keep from falling into the shrubbery. "Ah!" I gasped. "Duo, it's you!"
"Shhhh!" he cautioned, his eyes darting right to left and then back again. "I don't have much time. Look - here's my number, okay? Try to call me." Duo passed me a small piece of paper. "I gotta get outta here before they figure out I'm NOT that other guy."
I nodded quickly, glancing over my shoulder as I stuffed the paper into my pants pocket. No one was coming back yet. "I'll call you, Duo, if I have to make my own phone-"
He snorted. "Nah. He'll probably give you one if you do what he wants. Works on the Pavlov principle - you behave, you get a treat." Abruptly, Duo's eyes slid to the left and right as he muttered, "All right, that's it. I'm outta here."
Duo leapt away from the window and ran around the side of the house. At the same time, I smoothly pushed the window closed and locked it with one hand and stamped my feet on the floor, pretending to break in my new boots, my heart beating faster. Anyone glancing into the room would have seen me leaning against the window, casually stamping my feet. At least, that's what I hoped they'd see.
Maybe, just maybe, something might go right. Something might happen so that Wufei and I can leave, and --
"My, it's certainly chilly in here."
I looked up quickly to see Treize standing in the doorway, watching me, his eyes glittering. I didn't say a word - but I did move, slowly, away from the window and toward him. His gaze didn't leave mine the entire time.
"Ms. Po, I'd like you to meet Dr. White. She will be checking you before we go riding, ne?" He moved to one side to allow a small, elderly woman with sharp blue eyes to walk into the room, a plain black bag slung over one shoulder, her bearing stiff and straight, as if from years in the military.
"Yes, of course, Treize," I murmuerd to him, dropping my gaze and looking at Dr. White. "How do you do, Dr. White?"
"I think the question is how you are. Please sit, miss," Dr. White said, nodding sharply to the chair on my right. Her entire manner screamed 'military doctor,' one of the no-nonsense, used-to-being-obeyed-instantly people I studied under in medical school and then worked with when I was with Romefeller.
"Yes, ma'am," I said quietly. No need in ruffling her fur any farther than I had to - she might even be able to give me a little information if I was careful enough ...
"Excuse me, ladies. I am going to try to find our delinquent," Treize said, nodding to both of us. He gave me a last, significant look before turning on his heel and walking down the corridor, presumably going to look for Wufei.
Dr. White chuckled softly, looking out the door of the library. "I will never know what possessed that man to be so generous."
Generous? I slid a look over to her as I concentrated on getting my breathing and heartrate under control. Oh, sure, he's generous. Just watch what he wants from the boy.
"You will be examining me here, Doctor?"
"Unless you prefer somewhere else, young lady, yes." I watched Dr. White warm her stethoscope in her hand; and even though I thought she was an old battleaxe from the oldest school imaginable, that small courtesy went a long way in redeeming her in my eyes. She didn't have to do that - but it was a small concession to my comfort, something that I appreciated. Not everyone would have done that.
She picked up my wrist and timed my pulse in a businesslike, efficient manner, then peered into my eyes and probed around my face and throat a little.
"Open your mouth, please."
Obediently, I opened my mouth and stared down, a little to one side, right into her open bag. I was thinking about Duo and his strange visit. He gave me his phone number, of all things - and now I needed to get to an untapped phone line. How could I do it? Wait for Treize to give me my own line, so he could listen in with impunity? Use the computer line? Or....
My gaze slid into her open doctor's bag - and there, sitting on top of her tongue depressors and other instruments, was her cellphone. It was cute, accessible, and portable .. and she'd never miss it.
My mind was racing. I could easily palm it, then use it outside when I was with the horses, then hide it somewhere else. I could -
"Wouldn't think of snitching anything, if I were you," Dr. White said casually. "I know to watch out for you. Why he has you here is beyond me."
I was shocked, and stared at her as she felt about my lymph nodes and throat.
"You have nothing of value for me to take," I said with all the asperity I could muster. "I don't need tongue depressors."
"Mmm hmm," she murmured, obviously not believing me as she peered into my eyes again, shining the light at my pupils.
"Didn't they dilate enough?" I asked, squinting against the light.
"Almost. Not quite. I'd say you're still a little under the weather, but well out of danger."
She started testing my reflexes, and I decided to see if I could get her talking a little. "I .. I don't believe we've met before. It must have been a long trip for you to come all this way."
"It's not that bad a trip by helicopter. I've been taking care of Master Treize for years, anyway - although," she added dryly, "he usually doesn't take criminals in. I swear, one day that conscience of his is going to get him killed."
Dr. White was silent then, pulling out a needle to take some blood while I sat there and digested what she just told me. A helicopter pad? Here? No wonder people could come and go so quickly. And 'Master' Treize? What could that possibly mean?
"I'm going to take some blood," Dr. White said, holding the needle in front of me and pulling out the large rubber band for my upper arm.
I sighed and pushed up my sleeve for her, to make it easier to put on the rubber band, hoping she would continue talking.
"....it is a long way out here, at that," she said, continuing as though she had never stopped. "But I'm glad I'm not staying out here for the night. Of course, it's better than that island of his." She chuckled at that. "Really, he came out here, to this house, for me. I didn't want to go all the way to that island of his to take care of you people."
"Really....," I said, struggling to keep my voice even and calm, "an island..."
"Mmmm... of course," she replied, watching the blood leap into the vial and loosening the tourniquet on my upper arm. "It's where he's spending most of his time now, the poor dear. I suspect it has something to do with that murderer he's taken in ... he's always too concerned about others, and not concerned enough about himself," she ended on a scolding note.
"Murderer?" I repeated blankly, not knowing who she was talking about.
She gave me a stern look that had me quailing in no time flat. "That boy, miss. Didn't you know he was a gundam pilot? Heavens," she sighed, shaking her head, "Master Treize is braver than I, trying to reform the world."
"Ah .. the boy," I said, looking at her.
Dr. White frowned. "Vicious killer." The doctor put a cotton swab on the inside of my arm as she took out the needle and pressed down on the wound, then folded my lower arm around the swab. "Responsible for the deaths at the Victoria base, I hear."
"I'm - I'm not familiar with that at all," I said, frowning. She was talking about Wufei...?
The doctor glanced at me. "Hmmm. 'Accessory.' 'Vigilante.' No, I guess that wouldn't give you too much information." Leaning close to me, she said, "That boy is the one who single-handedly wiped out the troops at the Victoria base in Africa. He didn't blow up the suits, even. Just the dormitories." Her lips tightened. "He was positively identified by witnesses."
I stared at her. "I find that hard to believe. He's just a boy."
She gave me another hard look, which had me wishing I could melt back into the chair. Bending down to eye level with me, she said, evenly, "Miss. You have a chance at life. Don't blow it because he looks like a boy. He's not. None of them are." Her voice hardened as she continued, right in my face, "He rigged explosives throughout the entire living quarters and killed almost two hundred young men with the push of a button."
She pulled back, more, I think, to assess the impact of her words than anything else. "If you have any sense at all about you, forget whatever you thought before and listen to Master Treize." Her voice softened a little. "He has a head on his shoulders, and a heart big enough for the world. He wants to reform you? I say, you let him." She touched my face gently, almost motherly, compassion stealing into her blue eyes. "You're much too young to throw everything away."
I looked down, blinking. "I ... I will think about what you said, Dr. White."
She shook her head at me again. "Much too young to be involved in all this," she repeated softly, sighing. "I hope you take your second chance and mend your ways, young lady. Not everyone gets that opportunity. You are fortunate." She started packing her supplies back into her medical kit, her weathered hands sure and steady.
"I will, Dr. White," I promised, sliding a last, longing glance into her bag as I watched the doctor pack her cellphone away with her needles and other equipment. "I want to live."
"You're ready to go outside," the doctor said, giving me one last assessing look. "Just don't overexert yourself. If you feel tired, stop. And don't fall off the horse," she added with a chuckle, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
"No, ma'am, I won't," I agreed with a smile.
She patted my cheek once, smiling back at me and nodding; it looked as though she had hope for me, whatever that meant. "Take care, Ms. Po," she murmured, turned, and left me alone with my thoughts.
I sat and stared at the doorway for a few moments, my sleeve rolled above my elbow, my arm still folded, and felt my new companion, slow horror, moving through me again. An island? How in hell were we supposed to get off an island?
All right - well, we weren't there yet, so there was still hope. Angrily I shoved my sleeve down my arm as I stood up, now more than ever determined to find a way out for both Wufei and me. I was not going to allow that man to take the advantage again.
"I'll find my own damn parka and our way out of here, thank you very much," I snarled to myself, and stomped off in the direction of the kitchen.
Tapestry - Chapter 9
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I sat at the table and watched Treize walk out of the room, hoping that I understood him correctly.
He was leaving me alone - alone - in his home, while he went off to God-knows-where to do God-knows-what ... and he was leaving me in charge of Wufei, of all things. Telling me to 'make sure that he doesn't overtrain.'
Make sure he doesn't overtrain? Heh - not a problem at all. There was no way he would overtrain while I was with him, because I was going to take Wufei and leave this lovely little prison just as soon as I could. In fact, if I could convince him, we'd be gone before Treize returned from wherever he went.
Once we were out of the house, we'd be moving through the countryside very quickly. Overtraining wouldn't be the issue. Finding shelter from OZ would be more to the point.
And damn, before we left, I was going to find some comfortable shoes.
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"Are we truly alone, Wufei?"
Actually, I didn't believe it. I was sure it was some trick on Treize's part; but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why. Spying on us? That would be a little extreme, even for him.
Heh. It wasn't as if we were going anywhere. At least not yet.
"Hai. Mrs. Grimm and Walter are around, and a few of the horse trainers - but they leave us alone." He considered for a moment, looking at his plate. "Unless we want or need something. Then they'll help us."
"I see." I nodded at him, smiling, encouraging. The poor boy needed to be gently prodded into talking, and no wonder - whom did he have to talk to, except for Treize and the people working for him? I needed to draw Wufei out slowly - I didn't want to spook him. "You said something last night about Heero Yuy being allowed to escape, Wufei. The last thing I saw Heero do was blow himself and his gundam up, over six weeks ago. I had no idea he survived that blast, let alone healed to the point where he was fighting again, and then was captured by OZ -"
Wufei was silent for a moment; then he nodded to himself, appearing to come to a decision. "I'm going to go train," he finally said, scowling, pushing his chair back from the table and standing in one graceful motion. "You might as well come with me and watch. Ask me whatever you like in the training room - I'll tell YOU anything." With that, he whirled and stalked away from the table, through the dining room and past the double doors toward the training room.
Speechless with surprise, I rose out of my chair and followed him as quickly as I could. "Thank you, Wufei," I belatedly called after him when I noticed the way he emphasized his words, as if to say, '..I'll tell YOU, but not Treize.'
His answering grunt floated back to me as he marched down the hallway.
It took a little while, but I caught up with him at the doorway to the training room. Questions were swirling around in my mind, questions about Heero and Duo and exactly how we were going to leave. The other gundam pilots had escaped, I reasoned; we should be able to do the same thing. I simply needed to know a little bit more about the surrounding area, and I needed to get Wufei to agree to leave. The first, I knew, was not going to be a problem; however, the second was going to be a little more difficult.
"Wufei," I began, following him into the room, "how did you know that Heero escaped - or, for that matter, was even here?"
"Because," he said, not looking around, "I saw them bring him in with the others. There was a news conference ..." He stopped talking and scowled at the floor, his slippered feet scuffing against the smooth wooden floorboards as he recalled a particularly bitter memory. "That wasn't too bad, but when I heard they also captured Relena Peacecraft, I knew - I knew - I couldn't allow her to stay captive. The world needed her free. I had to do something." He shrugged and walked to the far side of the gymnasium. "I went to Treize and told him that I wanted everyone set free."
"Everyone?" I repeated, trailing after him to the other side of the room. "Who else was captured, Wufei?"
"Duo, Quatre, you, Heero ... and Relena Peacecraft," Wufei replied, standing by the side wall and unbuttoning his shirt. Apparently, he wasn't going to bother with "official" workout clothing at this point; going shirtless seemed perfectly acceptable to him. He took his shirt off, folded it neatly and laid it on top of a narrow table against the wall, then walked into the center of the room, springing lightly on the balls of his feet. Wufei stretched, lifting himself up effortlessly on his toes, feeling his balance, finding his center. "They were here. You were in the prison hospital."
I frowned, kneeling on the floor next to the wall, thinking. "Right. But ... wait. That doesn't make sense. Do you mean to tell me that everyone who was captured was freed? That he let everyone go - except you? Just because you asked him to?"
"And you," he threw over his shoulder, stretching his arms in the opposite direction, his muscles rippling under smooth caramel skin. "He didn't let you go. But you were brought here from the hospital, terribly injured. And, no - not just because I asked. I had to give him something in return." He scowled, looking over my shoulder as he started to stretch in a different direction. "I gave my word to Treize that I would not leave. That was one of the deals I made."
I blinked. It was at that point that I started to feel really, really strange. Creepy. Cold in the pit of my stomach strange. Khushrenada had explained the situation to me in his oh-so-suave voice last night, but I had been tired, more than a little overwhelmed, and frankly, I hadn't really believed him. Now, however, the implications of what Wufei said were more than a little obvious. And frightening.
Khushrenada had been telling the truth. And that meant ....
"One of the deals," I repeated, pushing myself forward, looking at him intently. "How many deals did you make? Are you saying that - that you traded your own freedom for everyone else's? You gave your word to Khushrenada that you would not leave ... ever ... so that the other gundam pilots could go free?" I could feel the blood leave my face as I spoke. No, I must be wrong - I had to be wrong.
Wufei nodded in assent. "Correct. I made several deals with him; this was simply one I made. It was worth it."
"But ... but ... Wufei ..."
"What?"
" ... that means you'll never leave here."
"I will never leave him. Correct. Until he dies, or grows tired of the game and kills me."
Horror - pure, unadulterated horror - was the only emotion I felt moving through my veins at that moment. The only thing I was able to do was stare at him; I knew it, and I couldn't help it. How on earth was I supposed to get him away from here if he wouldn't leave Khushrenada's side? How could I save him from that nameless something I felt all around us if he refused to go? "Wufei - Wufei, please - explain. This bargain you made - what was it, exactly? Your freedom in exchange for ... for what?"
"Their freedom. Everyone's freedom." He looked at me, a sidelong glance. "I told Treize I wanted you free, too - but he brought you here instead. He said that he couldn't set you free, but that he could allow you to live here with us, as a sign of good faith." A dark look flew across his face.
I didn't even think about what he said regarding my own situation as I watched him for a long moment, stretching, his limbs sliding smoothly from one position to another. It was obvious he had been training; his body was shaped and sculpted - very slim, very taut, and very young, as beautiful in motion as a professional dancer's. He truly was a magnificent, exotic looking young man, just on the edge of adulthood. Fear for him knotted and twisted in my stomach the longer my gaze followed him.
You must get him away from here as soon as possible, something whispered to me. He's much too beautiful ...
"Wufei ... what if Treize dies before you get the chance to kill him? I mean, what if one of the other pilots comes back and kills him?" Or what if I can kill him first...
He paused for a moment, considering. "I don't know. I ... hadn't thought about it."
"Just an idea. I'm sure there are many people that want him dead."
Snorting softly, Wufei moved his body into position and started a slow kata. "Probably. But that doesn't really matter. If you have any questions, Sally, now's the time to ask. We won't be alone for much longer."
Absolutely true - we only had so much time. I thought for a moment. "Okay, Wufei - you're right. Um... let's see ... is there a regular schedule around here?"
"It depends," he replied with a scowl, moving slowly from one position to the next, thrusting his arms out, palms flat and fingers rigid. "He's trying different methods to see which way I accomplish more. Like ... like I'm some kind of damned pet." His gaze became hard, his ebony eyes snapping in anger and resentment.
"Wufei," I said rapidly, moving closer to him, earnest. "You only promised to stay here. That's all. You didn't promise to become a plaything, a toy. You don't have to give permission to anyone to do anything. They can force you to do things, of course, but that's a lot different than your giving him permission to do things to you."
"Un." Wufei grunted and turned to face the opposite wall, his profile to me, and performed what appeared to be a series of gravity-defying balance exercises. He continued, angrily punching the air in front of him, knife hand strikes slicing invisible opponents in two, deceptively slow movements rushing together to dismember unwary antagonists. I sighed and backed away, watching as he struck, his emotions harnessed and under control.
No, there doesn't seem to be a way out, Wufei. But by all means, keep looking, keep searching; I hope there's a path that I didn't see.
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I watched Wufei for another two and a half hours as he exercised, a thin sheen of perspiration covering his upper body. He held positions I never thought were possible. His physical conditioning, I realized, was far above anyone I had ever seen, barring Treize. That man, I thought with a small shudder, was simply inhuman. No one should be able to move at the speeds I saw that morning.
Long stretches of time came and went where Wufei and I were companionably silent - he felt no need to elaborate on points we had just discussed, and I felt no need to bring up new or old business. Somehow, though, a position he used reminded me of something else - which sparked another question from me about what he had seen during his captivity, or maybe what he hadn't - but every question was tinged with a strange undercurrent. Just what kind of deals Khushrenada want him to make?
I didn't understand it at all, and frankly, it was something that I didn't really want to understand. There was something about the entire situation that felt as if it bordered on the indecent and obscene: the only thing I wanted to do for certain was grab Wufei and tear him away from this place as quickly as I possibly could. Even my Romefeller commanding officers, as sleazy and corrupt as they had been, had never inspired this kind of fear and aversion in me. It was completely unnerving, to say the least.
And speaking of Romefeller .... I was suddenly reminded of Treize's preternatural knowledge of my history with that organization, and my involvement in Wufei's colony.
Such as how I could have been responsible for the death of Wufei's wife.
I swallowed and looked down at the floor, praying that I hadn't just turned as pale as I thought I had. Wufei had finished his katas a while ago, put his shirt back on and was seated on the floor across from me in a perfect lotus position, his head raised, face calm and serene.
Small rivulets of perspiration traveled down the side of my face and disappeared beneath my collar. I had to tell him - I had no choice. If I didn't do it now, I would lose any advantage I had. Honesty and speed were the only weapons I had against Khushrenada; he knew exactly what my role had been in the clearing of Wufei's colony, A0206. And somehow, God only knew how, he even knew how I pulled my men away before any extensive damage was done.
And honestly, I had no idea how he knew that - I certainly didn't tell anyone. My men didn't tell anyone, I was sure. It was yet something else that made my hands tremble slightly just thinking about it, and that made me angry. Cursing myself for showing that weakness, I clutched my hands together in my lap and hated Khushrenada even more.
"Wufei."
"Un."
"Did you know that I once worked for the Romefeller Foundation?"
Blinking slowly, adjusting his gaze as he came back from that purely meditative state, Wufei looked at me. "No."
Ah, this was hard. I sighed, trying to find the words. "Well, then, it's time you knew. I did - at one time - follow the orders of General Septem."
"Many did," he replied, frowning a little at me. He had stopped his meditation, turning his complete attention toward me, watching closely. "Zechs worked for the military at one time. He worked for OZ, once. Now he is gone."
I wondered who, exactly, he was referring to. I thought I knew, but I wasn't entirely sure. "Un. Ah ... I'm a doctor, but I was under orders to perform any tasks they deemed appropriate for my rank and experience."
Nodding, Wufei still looked at me. "Obviously. You were part of the military."
Oh, feh, feh; there he was, watching me with that amazingly candid expression of his, the sunlight from the windows shining in his hair. Distracting, that's what it was; he was completely open and honest, waiting for me to continue. I took a deep breath.
"You have a right to know, Wufei. You - you asked for me; you saved me from spending a good deal of my life in prison. There are - things - in my life, that, if I could, I would go back and fix. Redo. Or not do at all. One of those things would be working for Romefeller. When I joined ..."
I trailed off for a moment, thinking, bitter. Damn. I resented having to tell him this - I resented it and was afraid of it at the same time. He could completely reject me once he found out my part in his wife's death; that, however, was a chance I had been compelled to take, whether I liked it or not. Khushrenada had forced my hand by telling me how much he knew about my past. I knew he would use it against me at his first opportunity. At least I knew I would in the same situation. I couldn't afford to take the chance.
"...when I joined, I thought I'd be able to make a difference in people's lives. Little did I realize the kind of difference I would actually make."
"What are you talking about, woman?"
I looked him squarely in the eye. "I was ordered to kill people, Wufei. I was ordered to go to planets, asteroids ... wherever I was told they needed me to go. So - I did. And usually, my orders were to send out troops that would 'cleanse' the areas - meaning, kill all the people living there."
"Hai." So far, this was old news to Wufei, something he accepted when he realized I had been with the military. You join the military, you kill people. That was part of your job, the same as 'join the military and do what you're told' is part of the job.
Well, he didn't know it, but I changed that part of the job.
"I was ordered, by General Septem, to eliminate a 'dangerous element' on one of the colonies, about a year ago. That 'dangerous element' was on colony A0206."
And I waited. I hadn't changed my position; I was still looking him square in the eye, my head raised, waiting for his reaction. - but I felt so sad, so bleak.
He looked at me for a long moment. His normal, dusky complexion became pale.
".......A0......."
".....206. Yes."
We continued to stare at each other for a moment. It was awful - his eyes looked like they were getting larger by the second.
".....wh .... what?" he stammered, blinking at me. I could almost hear his thoughts - no, I must have heard wrong, she didn't say that at all ....
"I ordered my men to the colony, Wufei. But you must also understand this-"
"-YOU ... you ... you're the ....Septem ordered you to...." His voice rose and fell in volume, following the thread of his thoughts as he stared at me, several expressions, none of them good, chasing across his face.
I set my face into what I hoped was a stoic mask, waiting for him to finish. He had to get this out of his system, and I knew he hadn't made all the connections between the attack on his colony, the death of his wife and my presence yet. Guilt - that horrid emotion that just never seemed to leave, no matter what I did - camped out right in the middle of my chest, causing every breath I drew to become suffocatingly more difficult.
"Septem did that? He ordered the attack on my colony?" Wufei finally asked, his voice strident and harsh. He was still seated in his lotus position, but his hands were lying limply in his lap.
"Yes, he did. Septem ordered the attack." I didn't shrink from telling him; I couldn't - I owed him that much. "And I had no idea what that 'dangerous element' was, only that my superiors wanted it eliminated. I argued, but eventually, I followed orders, at least at first. I ordered my soldiers to start the attack on A0206. And they did."
It was easier talking to him if I didn't look at him, so I looked down at the training room floor. "But that was the same day I decided I was finished with Romefeller, because I found out what was really on A0206. When I had the opportunity - when the commander's Leo was blown out of the sky - I reported the mission a success, and recalled all the pilots." I raised my head and stared at him. "I - left. That was the last time I held a field commission. I came back to Earth."
".....Septem....... did this? It was ..... Septem? You're sure it was Septem?"
His voice was soft and a little too high as he stared back at me. He had lost his lotus position and was sitting on the floor, sprawled. Reaching up, he held his head with one shaking hand. "....gods...."
I reached out with one hand and touched his arm. "I'm sorry, Wufei," I whispered, feeling powerless to help or comfort him, knowing how much hurt he must have been feeling. "But I had to tell you. You deserved to know."
He seemed to be paralyzed, and was looking more and more upset. I leaned forward and looked into his eyes; alarmed, I saw his eyes grow simply enormous, and his expression turn from shocked alarm to completely horrified.
"Why ... why didn't he tell me...? Oh, gods, he probably did ... and I wasn't paying attention..."
I blinked, confused. "He? He wh--" I broke off, staring at Wufei, finally realizing who he was talking about; and now my stomach felt as though it was trying to push its way down to my toes, cold and as leaden as stone.
"I ... I don't think Treize would have mentioned this, Wufei. I think ..."
And then it hit me - he used me, that rotten bastard. With an angry shudder, I realized that I had been manipulated to do just this. "...no - now I'm sure he was expecting me to tell you everything I just told you."
Wufei's eyes were tightly closed. "I have been trying to kill an innocent man!"
I was completely taken aback. "What? Khushrenada? Innocent?"
"Oh, my gods ... and he ... he was going to let me .. because of my honor!"
Now I was at a complete loss. I would have preferred that Wufei rail and scream at me for killing his wife, or killing his people. "What are you talking about, Wufei? Treize - innocent? There were countless casualties during the last raid! You can't possibly believe that he's innocent!" I felt angry and desperate, as though he was slipping away from me. "Don't you remember what happened at Edwards? Don't you?"
He was silent, staring in front of him, concentrating on his breathing. "I ... I don't ... that's not the point ...."
"--that is the point - you were the only one who saw the setup, Wufei - the only one! You were the only pilot that saw the gundams were lured in there - lured! - and by whom?"
I couldn't stop; the memories were too strong, too overwhelming, and the feeling that I was losing him was too powerful. "What kind of honor is that, Wufei? Killing innocent people, and using other people to do your work for you? Not even acknowledging your part? That's not honor - that's the lowest form of cowardice there is! Please, Wufei, please, you can't possibly believe he's innocent!"
Wufei was silent, not answering me, putting both hands over his head as he bent forward, eyes closed.
Then a low, resonant voice, speaking in even tones, pierced the stillness from the doorway behind me.
"Why ... is everything all right in here?"
I froze, staring at Wufei with eyes wide with shock as my breath caught in my throat.
Oh dear gods. Khushrenada was back.
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I was numb. And scared. And one hundred percent sure the General heard me yammering about what a coward he was - after all, I hadn't bothered to lower my voice. Had I been able to hit myself in the head, I would have; I was such a moron. The first rule, when communicating with other prisoners, is never to forget where you are - always be aware of your surroundings.
Gods. And not only did I forget where I was, I ended up getting all emotional and exciting Wufei, which didn't help matters at all. What a mess.
So I did the only thing I could do. Still seated, I straightened up and turned around with a very unfriendly look in my eye, ready to stand and meet my enemy face to face. At least I didn't have to pretend to be angry at Khushrenada, that rotten excuse for a human being. He was the one who had used me to get to Wufei, after all.
Wufei, on the other hand, looked like a spooked deer in the headlights of an oncoming troop train, ready to bolt at any second.
"Wufei?" Treize said, a note of concern creeping into his voice.
Abruptly, the boy sprang up from the floor and took off, pounding out of the room and vanishing through the doorway on the opposite side.
"Oh, my," Treize said, watching him go, very calm.
Now I painfully unfolded my legs and clambered to my feet, following Wufei's example. My legs were still rather stiff and sore, as was my back.
"Do you need some help?" Treize asked me, looking puzzled.
"No!" I snapped, glaring at him. "....thank you," I added, muttering, as I briskly rubbed feeling back into my left leg. Blood rushing back into my knee and calf left me gasping a bit, that painful prickly feeling nearly buckling my leg.
"You're welcome," Treize replied, trailing off as he turned toward the rear doorway again. "Is he all right?" he asked, turning back to me, his gaze intense. "What happened here? He hasn't done something like that in ages."
I lifted my head and stared right at him. "I told him what happened on A0206."
"Ah ... sou." Now he had the grace to look sad. "Poor child. He hasn't come to terms with what happened there at all." He sighed, looking at me. "You were very brave to tell him. I'm sorry he reacted like this."
Not like I had a bloody choice in the matter, now, was it? I kept looking at him, but that anger that had stiffened my spine and narrowed my eyes - that heart pounding acrimony that pushed me upright - wasn't as strong now as it had been a few moments ago. It was very weird; the longer he spoke to me, the less anger I felt toward him. I didn't like that.
"Well, really - it was to be expected. It's quite natural to be upset when you believe one thing to be true, only to discover that something completely different is also true. His entire idea of what had happened to his colony was turned upside down."
Now Treize looked concerned again. "I'm not sure if I should go after him or not - it might make things worse."
"That's entirely up to you," I said, trying to make my voice sound even and calm. "But if, as you say, you'd like him to come to terms with his life, you might consider allowing him the space to sift the information himself. After all, he can always ask you questions later."
Treize seemed to relent. "Well, that is certainly true. Maa, the poor boy..."
I sighed and looked over at the opposite end of the room, where Wufei had disappeared, wishing that I could disappear over there with him.
"Would you like to sit down? You look ... pale."
I turned back, a pointed, impertinent remark dying on my lips as I looked at Treize. Sunlight glinted off his hair, making it golden; and he was looking down at me, his gaze very calm, very cool, and very much in control. It was one of the most powerful looks I had ever seen, directed entirely at me.
And it was affecting me, to the point where I felt nearly overwhelmed. "I ... I ...yes," I stammered, barely pulling myself together, "I'd like to go somewhere else, if I may ..."
"But of course, Ms. Po," he murmured. "Where would you like to go? My horses are in the mood for play, if you'd like to see them now." He smiled at me - a hypnotic smile that didn't reach his eyes - and said, "I have shoes for you now. They should fit, assuming, of course, that your military boots were the correct size."
I looked up at him quickly. "Shoes? Really?" And then I looked down and cursed myself for sounding so eager - just like some idiot farm girl who had never seen a pair of shoes before, I thought, thoroughly annoyed at myself.
His smile grew a little larger, and his eyelids moved just a fraction lower as he looked at me. "Yes, Ms. Po - shoes. Did you think I was always going to keep you in house slippers?"
And now I was completely flustered. I could feel my face getting hot again as I looked anywhere but at his face. "I ... I ... no, of course not. And - and I would enjoy seeing your horses -"
"Of course! They are lovely creatures," Treize said, putting his arm around my shoulders and escorting me out of the training room. "Forgive me, but I am somewhat proud of them. It's been a hobby of mine since I was twelve." He sighed as he maneuvered me through the doorway and down the hallway, lightly guiding me toward the main rooms at the front of the house, keeping his arm around me. "One must admit ... beauty in nature is lovely - but natural beauty that one has formed and shaped one's self carries an extra sense of glory ... don't you think?"
"Ah ... yes ...," I murmured, casting about in my mind frantically for something semi-intelligent to say. I felt this huge, physical presence from him that was incredibly disconcerting. I tried to surreptitiously move out from under his arm as I said, "I ... I noticed a roan out in the meadow this morning. He was quite handsome."
"He is my own," Treize purred into my ear, changing his position so that both his hands were on my shoulders as he steered me into the library. "Now - as to your shoes - of course, I wasn't certain what style you would like, so for the moment, there are two choices."
He gently directed me to the couch in the library, his hands still on my shoulders. I looked back at him and gave him a weak smile as I realized that I was not in control of anything - yet another feeling I didn't like.
"Well ... three choices, really, but the last isn't much of an option, I'm afraid."
Pushing down gently on my shoulders, Treize sat me down on the couch and sat next to me, his gaze holding mine, smiling right at me. "Those, I think, I will show you first."
He leaned down and dipped his hand into a bag next to the sofa, a bag I just noticed, and pulled out a pair of beautiful, strappy, outright sexy high heeled shoes. Black leather. Italian. I couldn't remember the last time I wore anything like those shoes, or had an occasion to go somewhere that required me to wear something like them.
"These are for Friday, at the opera," he said casually as he handed them to me. I accepted them, trying to be as casual and matter-of-fact as he was; but my gaze kept returning to them, admiring them on the sly
With a small smile, Treize continued to rummage in his bag and pulled out a pair of boots that nearly duplicated those that I wore when I was piloting the medical shuttle.
"Now, you may or may not want to wear these, but yours were ... quite ruined. So you have them, should you choose to wear them."
"Oh ... they look very nice," I said, relief evident in my voice as I took one boot in my hand and flexed the toe.
He pulled out a simple pair of dark brown leather loafers from the bag. "I thought, perhaps, you might prefer these - they will match whatever you wear. As long as you're not into ... ah ... what is the term?... 'grunge.'"
"'Grunge?' What is that?" I asked, confused.
Treize chuckled. "Youth. Some of them consider it quite pleasing to be as filthy and disheveled as possible. I do not particularly agree."
Well, no. Obviously, none of those people had ever spent any time out in the field during a war, either. You wore plenty of 'grunge' during war.
"Is there anything else you need?"
I looked at Treize, silent a moment, thinking. "How cold is it outside?"
"Fairly cold. You'll be borrowing one of my parkas."
I nodded. "That's why I was ..." I trailed off, looking at him. "But .. um ... the arms will be much too long," I protested weakly, feeling more than a little strange at wearing something of his.
Ick, ick, ick. Not what I wanted to do, really, thanks very much.
"Not at all," he smiled. "It belongs to me, but I don't wear it. Wufei does."
"Oh," I said, slightly mollified. "But .. but I don't want to take something away from Wufei-"
"Now, please, Sally," he said, raising an eyebrow at me, "Wufei is hardly wearing it right now, is he? At any rate, should he wish to, there are other coats available for him, as well."
"Oh ... of course," I said faintly.
Treize stood and looked down at me, a smile playing around his lips. "I think you're outfitted correctly. I'll make sure you have gloves before you leave the house. Now ... if you will excuse me for just a moment ..." He patted me on the shoulder and leaned down. Looking directly into my eyes, he said, calmly and firmly, "Stay here." Turning, he walked over to the doorway behind him and disappeared through it.
I watched him leave the room, feeling completely exhausted. Don't squander what time you have, I scolded myself - get those boots on and start breaking them in now. Abandoning the slippers and pulling first the left boot and then the right boot on, I stood and pushed my feet down into the soft leather, stamping into them.
Of course - a perfect fit. I swallowed and stared at the boots. Absolutely comfortable, just the right height, slightly wider where I needed it… perfect. Made just for me.
Perfect. Gods.
I was still staring at my feet when the insistent noise penetrated the fog around my brain. Frowning, I turned toward the back of the room and saw what appeared to be the third farmhand from the stables gesturing at me from the large window facing the paddock, looking as if his life depended upon it.
How completely ... bizarre. Shaking my head, I walked over to the large window; the leaded glass made a nice contrast with the traditional European pieces customarily found in that kind of house. Why doesn't he just come into the house? Unlocking and pulling the French window toward me, I looked at the bundled man with slight suspicion and said, "Ah … yes?"
The farmhand stared at me from under a huge muffler and hat, the collar of his coat turned up against the wind, shiny purple eyes regarding me triumphantly. "So you ARE here …"
Immediately, I grasped the windowframe to keep from falling into the shrubbery. "Ah!" I gasped. "Duo, it's you!"
"Shhhh!" he cautioned, his eyes darting right to left and then back again. "I don't have much time. Look - here's my number, okay? Try to call me." Duo passed me a small piece of paper. "I gotta get outta here before they figure out I'm NOT that other guy."
I nodded quickly, glancing over my shoulder as I stuffed the paper into my pants pocket. No one was coming back yet. "I'll call you, Duo, if I have to make my own phone-"
He snorted. "Nah. He'll probably give you one if you do what he wants. Works on the Pavlov principle - you behave, you get a treat." Abruptly, Duo's eyes slid to the left and right as he muttered, "All right, that's it. I'm outta here."
Duo leapt away from the window and ran around the side of the house. At the same time, I smoothly pushed the window closed and locked it with one hand and stamped my feet on the floor, pretending to break in my new boots, my heart beating faster. Anyone glancing into the room would have seen me leaning against the window, casually stamping my feet. At least, that's what I hoped they'd see.
Maybe, just maybe, something might go right. Something might happen so that Wufei and I can leave, and --
"My, it's certainly chilly in here."
I looked up quickly to see Treize standing in the doorway, watching me, his eyes glittering. I didn't say a word - but I did move, slowly, away from the window and toward him. His gaze didn't leave mine the entire time.
"Ms. Po, I'd like you to meet Dr. White. She will be checking you before we go riding, ne?" He moved to one side to allow a small, elderly woman with sharp blue eyes to walk into the room, a plain black bag slung over one shoulder, her bearing stiff and straight, as if from years in the military.
"Yes, of course, Treize," I murmuerd to him, dropping my gaze and looking at Dr. White. "How do you do, Dr. White?"
"I think the question is how you are. Please sit, miss," Dr. White said, nodding sharply to the chair on my right. Her entire manner screamed 'military doctor,' one of the no-nonsense, used-to-being-obeyed-instantly people I studied under in medical school and then worked with when I was with Romefeller.
"Yes, ma'am," I said quietly. No need in ruffling her fur any farther than I had to - she might even be able to give me a little information if I was careful enough ...
"Excuse me, ladies. I am going to try to find our delinquent," Treize said, nodding to both of us. He gave me a last, significant look before turning on his heel and walking down the corridor, presumably going to look for Wufei.
Dr. White chuckled softly, looking out the door of the library. "I will never know what possessed that man to be so generous."
Generous? I slid a look over to her as I concentrated on getting my breathing and heartrate under control. Oh, sure, he's generous. Just watch what he wants from the boy.
"You will be examining me here, Doctor?"
"Unless you prefer somewhere else, young lady, yes." I watched Dr. White warm her stethoscope in her hand; and even though I thought she was an old battleaxe from the oldest school imaginable, that small courtesy went a long way in redeeming her in my eyes. She didn't have to do that - but it was a small concession to my comfort, something that I appreciated. Not everyone would have done that.
She picked up my wrist and timed my pulse in a businesslike, efficient manner, then peered into my eyes and probed around my face and throat a little.
"Open your mouth, please."
Obediently, I opened my mouth and stared down, a little to one side, right into her open bag. I was thinking about Duo and his strange visit. He gave me his phone number, of all things - and now I needed to get to an untapped phone line. How could I do it? Wait for Treize to give me my own line, so he could listen in with impunity? Use the computer line? Or....
My gaze slid into her open doctor's bag - and there, sitting on top of her tongue depressors and other instruments, was her cellphone. It was cute, accessible, and portable .. and she'd never miss it.
My mind was racing. I could easily palm it, then use it outside when I was with the horses, then hide it somewhere else. I could -
"Wouldn't think of snitching anything, if I were you," Dr. White said casually. "I know to watch out for you. Why he has you here is beyond me."
I was shocked, and stared at her as she felt about my lymph nodes and throat.
"You have nothing of value for me to take," I said with all the asperity I could muster. "I don't need tongue depressors."
"Mmm hmm," she murmured, obviously not believing me as she peered into my eyes again, shining the light at my pupils.
"Didn't they dilate enough?" I asked, squinting against the light.
"Almost. Not quite. I'd say you're still a little under the weather, but well out of danger."
She started testing my reflexes, and I decided to see if I could get her talking a little. "I .. I don't believe we've met before. It must have been a long trip for you to come all this way."
"It's not that bad a trip by helicopter. I've been taking care of Master Treize for years, anyway - although," she added dryly, "he usually doesn't take criminals in. I swear, one day that conscience of his is going to get him killed."
Dr. White was silent then, pulling out a needle to take some blood while I sat there and digested what she just told me. A helicopter pad? Here? No wonder people could come and go so quickly. And 'Master' Treize? What could that possibly mean?
"I'm going to take some blood," Dr. White said, holding the needle in front of me and pulling out the large rubber band for my upper arm.
I sighed and pushed up my sleeve for her, to make it easier to put on the rubber band, hoping she would continue talking.
"....it is a long way out here, at that," she said, continuing as though she had never stopped. "But I'm glad I'm not staying out here for the night. Of course, it's better than that island of his." She chuckled at that. "Really, he came out here, to this house, for me. I didn't want to go all the way to that island of his to take care of you people."
"Really....," I said, struggling to keep my voice even and calm, "an island..."
"Mmmm... of course," she replied, watching the blood leap into the vial and loosening the tourniquet on my upper arm. "It's where he's spending most of his time now, the poor dear. I suspect it has something to do with that murderer he's taken in ... he's always too concerned about others, and not concerned enough about himself," she ended on a scolding note.
"Murderer?" I repeated blankly, not knowing who she was talking about.
She gave me a stern look that had me quailing in no time flat. "That boy, miss. Didn't you know he was a gundam pilot? Heavens," she sighed, shaking her head, "Master Treize is braver than I, trying to reform the world."
"Ah .. the boy," I said, looking at her.
Dr. White frowned. "Vicious killer." The doctor put a cotton swab on the inside of my arm as she took out the needle and pressed down on the wound, then folded my lower arm around the swab. "Responsible for the deaths at the Victoria base, I hear."
"I'm - I'm not familiar with that at all," I said, frowning. She was talking about Wufei...?
The doctor glanced at me. "Hmmm. 'Accessory.' 'Vigilante.' No, I guess that wouldn't give you too much information." Leaning close to me, she said, "That boy is the one who single-handedly wiped out the troops at the Victoria base in Africa. He didn't blow up the suits, even. Just the dormitories." Her lips tightened. "He was positively identified by witnesses."
I stared at her. "I find that hard to believe. He's just a boy."
She gave me another hard look, which had me wishing I could melt back into the chair. Bending down to eye level with me, she said, evenly, "Miss. You have a chance at life. Don't blow it because he looks like a boy. He's not. None of them are." Her voice hardened as she continued, right in my face, "He rigged explosives throughout the entire living quarters and killed almost two hundred young men with the push of a button."
She pulled back, more, I think, to assess the impact of her words than anything else. "If you have any sense at all about you, forget whatever you thought before and listen to Master Treize." Her voice softened a little. "He has a head on his shoulders, and a heart big enough for the world. He wants to reform you? I say, you let him." She touched my face gently, almost motherly, compassion stealing into her blue eyes. "You're much too young to throw everything away."
I looked down, blinking. "I ... I will think about what you said, Dr. White."
She shook her head at me again. "Much too young to be involved in all this," she repeated softly, sighing. "I hope you take your second chance and mend your ways, young lady. Not everyone gets that opportunity. You are fortunate." She started packing her supplies back into her medical kit, her weathered hands sure and steady.
"I will, Dr. White," I promised, sliding a last, longing glance into her bag as I watched the doctor pack her cellphone away with her needles and other equipment. "I want to live."
"You're ready to go outside," the doctor said, giving me one last assessing look. "Just don't overexert yourself. If you feel tired, stop. And don't fall off the horse," she added with a chuckle, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
"No, ma'am, I won't," I agreed with a smile.
She patted my cheek once, smiling back at me and nodding; it looked as though she had hope for me, whatever that meant. "Take care, Ms. Po," she murmured, turned, and left me alone with my thoughts.
I sat and stared at the doorway for a few moments, my sleeve rolled above my elbow, my arm still folded, and felt my new companion, slow horror, moving through me again. An island? How in hell were we supposed to get off an island?
All right - well, we weren't there yet, so there was still hope. Angrily I shoved my sleeve down my arm as I stood up, now more than ever determined to find a way out for both Wufei and me. I was not going to allow that man to take the advantage again.
"I'll find my own damn parka and our way out of here, thank you very much," I snarled to myself, and stomped off in the direction of the kitchen.