Chapter 9
Later that evening when the James' and Keiko returned to the mansion, Keiko pulled Relena aside.
"Something you need Syria?" Relena asked. The younger one nodded her head.
"Can I have Wednesday off?" Keiko asked.
"Of course." She blinked. She was slightly surprised at the request, but then figured it either had something to do with her "real" job or…Trowa. Relena thought gleefully.
"Do I need to tell you what I need it for?" Keiko asked hesitantly.
Relena shook her head. "No that won't be necessary."
Keiko sighed in relief.
"Now, get yourself home and eat something." The blonde said, giving the assassin/bodyguard a little shove.
Keiko grinned and excusing herself she made her way back outside and to her own car. Pierre had given back her keys while going to the meeting hours ago.
Unlocking the door she opened it and then slid down into the driver's seat. She found the envelope containing Trishot's weapons sitting on the passenger seat. Turning, she closed the door and started her car. Driving away from her employer's home she headed out to Assassin Head Quarters on the other side of the large city.
AHQ was in a different rich part of the city, but also the technology advanced part. No one but assassins knew that one particular very large four-story mansion, complete with attic and basement, was the HQ of assassins. The security system was unbreachable, and had high-wagered security guards (though no one ever saw the guards outside, but they were there). And there were lots of people inside the house, either running errands for higher up people, doing paperwork, taking messages, or helping assassins find suitable assignments. It was just like a regular office building, just add a lot of paranoia and WAY more weapons.
Nobody in the neighborhood had any idea what went on inside the house. And it would stay that way at all costs.
Keiko pulled into the driveway, stopping at a gate halfway up. The gate only opened by entering a code into the touchpad standing near the car. Rolling down her window Keiko leaned out and quickly entered her number.
The gate opened with a lurch, prompting Keiko to pull herself back inside her car and driving through. The gate was never open for long. She drove to the back of the mansion into a very small parking lot. It could hold eight compact cars, but no trucks, not even small ones. Turning off the engine she grabbed the manila envelope and without locking it, since this place was the safest anywhere, and emerged from the vehicle.
Five minutes later she was inside the mansion, heading up to the second floor, where assignments were mainly determined and things set aside for others, when one of the younger errand-runners stopped her.
He looked to be about thirteen years old; gangly and small for his age. But his brown eyes (he was Asian) looked older as if they belonged to someone around her age or even older. He obviously had been through hard times and working with AHQ forced people to become older anyway.
"Yes?" Keiko said.
"Name and business?" he said, clasping his hands behind his back, trying to make his expression blank.
"Keiko Assassin, here to drop something off for someone."
The boy looked at her with shock and then with awe. He had never seen the great assassin before and she was close to what he imagined. He was off on a few things, but not on that she was Asian or that she looked like she could wield knives and guns.
"If you want," he started, shaking out of his awe, "I could do what you had planned on doing for you," he offered.
Keiko gave him a smile, "Okay then." She handed him the envelope, "This needs to be put aside for Trishot Assassin. I told him that here at HQ was where he'd reclaim his hardware."
The boy nodded his head. "I will put them somewhere where he will be able to find them."
"Thank you. Now what is your name?" she asked.
"I am Soshki Runner, training to become Informant." He replied promptly.
"Then may your life be worthwhile." She said as she turned back around heading back to her car.
Once she was gone from HQ premises, she dug out her cell phone from underneath the passenger seat. She dialed Starlight's number.
"Sup Keiko?" Starlight answered her phone after the first ring.
"Would you by any chance know if Duo could tell me Trowa's phone number?" Keiko asked.
"Sure," Starlight replied. She gave her friend her new boyfriend's number. Before they hung up Keiko added, "What time do you want me over on Wednesday?"
Starlight paused a moment and then said, "About noon, and I'll feed you lunch." She added. "It'll give us time to plan and then mount up."
With a smile Keiko told her friend goodbye and then called Duo, after pulling into the parking lot of a fast food Chinese restaurant.
"Hello?" Duo answered.
"Duo? This is Syria," Keiko said.
"Syria? What's up babe?" he asked cheerfully.
"Babe? Wouldn't your girlfriend get mad if she knew you were calling other women babe?" Keiko giggled.
Duo chuckled, "Not very likely, since it's a habit of mine."
Keiko giggled again and then calmed. "Well anyway, would you have Trowa's phone number?" she asked.
Duo's voice was sly when he replied, "Of course," and then rattled off the number.
"Why do you need it?" he asked.
Keiko finished writing the number with a pen on her hand after carefully pinning the cell phone to her shoulder with tilting her head. She tossed the pen back where she found it—on the floor—and took hold of the phone again.
"I have a question for him, nosy." She retorted.
He chuckled, his cheerfulness unruffled, "Okay, you win. Well, I'll talk to you later, I have some work to do."
"Bye Duo." Keiko said. He echoed her before they hung up.
Keiko lowered the phone, taking a deep breath. Calmly she dialed the number for Trowa and listened as it rang twice.
"Hello?" Trowa's voice rang deeply over the line.
"Hi Trowa." Keiko said with a touch of cheerfulness.
"Syria! I wasn't expecting you to call so soon." He said, genuinely surprised.
Keiko couldn't help but feel her cheeks become flushed, "Yeah, well," she stuttered. She felt flustered now and it didn't help any when Trowa gave a short, very masculine chuckle.
Keiko was silent for a couple of minutes calming down until she could talk. Trowa patiently waited during her lapse, knowing she only would've called for a reason.
Sighing Keiko finally said, "I have a question and though I haven't known you long I thought you could help me better than Relena."
"And your question is?" he asked, still patient. It still astonished Keiko how patient the man could be.
"Do you know anyone who is very good with computers?" Keiko asked.
"Yes. Why?" he replied.
"How well can this person hack?" she inquired.
"No one can match his skills in that area," Trowa replied. "Now answer my question. Why do you need to know this?"
"I need him to help me." Keiko replied simply.
Trowa was silent as he pondered on the stated request. "He doesn't just help anyone; he has to know and what exactly he's doing this for." He said.
"Security reasons."
That made Trowa pause again and he slowly asked, "There was an attempt on Relena, wasn't there?"
"Yes, but no bullets flew and no one was hurt." She replied.
"Not even you?" he asked softly.
"No. I wasn't hurt." She replied, just as softly. "Thank you for your concern."
"So is there any way I can contact him tonight?" she inquired, getting back on track.
"How about I contact him and if he agrees, bring him to your place?" he suggested.
She considered it and said, "Okay. And by the way I'm ordering Chinese, want anything?"
Trowa chuckled and then gave her his order and something else for the other person if he agreed to go.
"If I can't get him, then I'll come anyway." He said.
"Thank you Trowa." She replied. "See you later either way."
"Bye," he said.
They hung up and Keiko lightly tossed her phone to the seat beside her.
TBC