"Fine, go get the others," Hiiro finally allowed, a scowl on his face. Shiris glared at him and ran into the store.
A few minutes later she reappeared, rubbing her collarbone.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit you!" Duo was saying, constantly feeling her shoulder to make sure it was okay. "I was expecting the man, you know? We were waiting for him, and then you came dashing around the corner—"
"Duo, its fine, it doesn't hurt at all. Don't worry about it," Shiris assured him, although the bone was killing her. He had hit hard, and his hard was very hard.
"So where is he?" Mayumi asked, immediately assessing the situation and finding it unfavorable. This was a perfect ambush spot for the stranger, and they were at a great disadvantage.
"He's down there. Now that we are all together, we can go get him," Julie explained.
"Good. Then lets go," she replied, starting forward.
A little splash, and the group saw a cigarette floating in the puddle in front of them, its tip smoldering.
"You won't have to go anywhere to find me," a male voice said lightly from the shadows.
The man stepped into the light and the puddle, his foot disturbing the smaller ripples created by the cigarette.
The three that had never seen him were surprised. He didn't look like a killer-in fact, he looked like he belonged in a band, or in a fashion magazine. Julie got a better look at him, and saw that he was taller than all of them, and looked about 23, 24. He smiled almost cockily at them, offering his hand to Mayumi.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Damian, and I'm here to help you get your laptop back."
The group was floored.
"To help us?" Mayumi said cautiously as she took his hand, which he shook once and then released.
"Yes. I work with the Alliance as part of the Japan sect."
"Japan sect?" Julie said, immediately distrusting the man. He may look nice, but she was getting a very bad vibe from him.
Mayumi, on the other hand, was willing to accept his help. She knew about the Japan faction, and when he produced legitimate credentials and the actual code of the base in Japan, she accepted him.
Shiris wasn't sure, but right then he was their best option. After the description of the base from Duo, she wasn't sure they could do it without help.
"So what do you plan to do?" Julie asked, trying to trip him up, to make him slip somewhere in his explanation.
"I know the codes of the doors to the lab, where your laptop would be held, as well as how to avoid the little traps they have set up. I've been here three years, all of which have been devoted to gathering information on this very base."
"Really. I've never seen you hanging around," Duo said with a slight tone, not trusting him either.
"Do you really think I would come here myself? I don't think so. I get my information from informants." Damian replied coolly, looking slightly condescendingly at Duo, who in turn disliked him even more.
"So lets get going then," Hiiro said.
"Good. But we can't go in there all together, they'll get suspicious. We have to go two pairs of two and one pair of three. You two, go in first," Damian pointed at Hiiro and Mayumi, who were standing the closest to the street. "When you get in there, go past the security guard, and head for the elevators. We'll meet up there."
As they turned to go, Julie ran up to them. "Are you going to trust this guy? Look at him! He's wearing a trench coat! Why did he have to lure as all the way out here to talk to us? Why have you never seen him before? Why is he here if Jane doesn't even know what happened to us?" She demanded, whispering fiercely under her breath. She gripped Mayumi's arm.
"Tell me that! Jane doesn't even know we are here!" she hissed slowly and pointedly.
"How do you know that? You know how news travels fast in the spy world; she could have gotten wind of the news report. She would surely recognize us, track us to Japan, and go from there. Think, Julie. He's even shown the proper papers. And the code! How could he know that if he isn't legit?" she returned equally as harshly, a little angry at Julie's outburst. Damian was the best thing to happen to them yet, and she wanted to act quickly.
Julie glared fiercely at Mayumi, her blue eyes icing up as Mayumi's stared coldly back.
"Just promise me you wont trust him," she muttered finally, letting her go. "Promise me."
Mayumi said nothing as she and Hiiro left for the building.
Julie turned back to the group, her fists clenched and eyes still icy.
During the argument the others hadn't moved, Trowa and Shiris being a little embarrassed and Duo gazing askance at Damian, who was calmly flicking his lighter on and off.
Shiris was still trying to place his face, but having no success. She would get little images, many flicking across her mind at once, but couldn't remember them. She watched him as he played with the lighter, a constant motion, never once stopping. She slowly felt that the lighter was used for something other than lighting cigarettes, and she shivered slightly.
Then he stopped with a click, and looked up.
"Okay, you three next," he ordered Duo, Trowa, and Julie.
"No way." Trowa said immediately, refusing to let Shiris go alone with Damian.
"Yes. Go, now," Damian replied in the same sure voice, with the same cool smile.
"Look, why don't you go in by yourself? I'll go with her, you follow alone." Trowa said, walking up to Damian, his eyes turning to solid emerald.
Shiris looked at Damian, trying to get a feel for him, if was legit. He seemed to have all the pieces put together for an Alliance agent, and he even knew the code to the base. But Julie mistrusted him so much. But then again, she was intensely curious about him and why he was so familiar…
"I'll go with him, Trowa, you go with the others," she said firmly, looking up.
"What? No, Shiris. We don't even know-"
"He had the code. He has the papers. He knows the base. I'll be fine." Something in her voice caused him to back down, if reluctantly. He knew she didn't trust him. So why was she going with him? Did she hope to find something out, something to prove he was an imposter? He hoped not. That could cause her to get killed.
"Trowa," she repeated when he didn't move away.
"Shiris, come on! You come with us," Julie said desperately, almost sure Damian was no good.
"Julie, go. And take Trowa with you. We should listen to him, he knows what he's talking about," she said, hoping to make Damian think she was on his side. Trowa realized that, and didn't push her anymore. With a glare at Damian and eyes that said DON'T HURT HER OR YOU'LL BE KILLED, he left with a frustrated Julie and Duo.
Damian watched as the three left, immensely pleased. He had hoped to get the girl, Shiris, to himself. Although he was surprised she had agreed so easily to his plan. It was completely unnecessary that she go with him and not him by himself, but that was all for the better.
Shiris stood a few feet away, not looking at him. She was afraid of his gray, swirling eyes.
"We'll wait a few minutes, just to be careful" he said, startling her.
"Sure," she said quietly, now unsure of why she had wanted to do this. He didn't show the slightest hint of knowing her, and she didn't know what to ask.
"So where are you from?" she finally asked, glancing at him quickly and then looking down at the puddle in front of her. She was facing the street, he next to her, and she could see the three others making their way across the street.
"From the US," he replied in his moderately deep voice, and smiling at her. "And you?"
"The same."
"Whereabouts?"
"The east," she answered evasively. He laughed at her answer, recognizing her hesitation to tell him too much. She was smart, this one.
"Still don't trust me?" he said, looking at her, a grin on his face.
"To be honest, I actually do trust you," she lied smoothly, smiling at him.
"Its always good to be honest."
"I think so too."
"So is that why you stayed with me alone? You're boyfriend was obviously worried."
She blushed at the mention of Trowa and turned away. "Yes. I think we should follow your orders, since we obviously need help with this mission."
"Good thinking. And I'm glad you trust me."
She sneaked a look at him, and saw he was looking out towards the street, no sign of suspicion on his face. Maybe she could get him to think she was on his side.
Damian was torn. She sounded honest, and she looked like she was telling the truth, but he knew she was a capable liar and a spy. But he also wanted to find out who she was and why he felt slightly nervous around her.
"We should go," he said suddenly, starting forward, Shiris following quickly. He moved quickly and surely, very light on his feet. She had to hurry to keep up with his long stride.
They reached the moldy-looking building and stepped inside to cool air-conditioning.
In front of them was a security guard stationed at his desk, a tough looking man of about 40, with long hair pulled back in a ponytail.
He nodded at them as they went by, both smiling kindly. Damian had turned down the collar of his trench coat and put the lighter away.
As they turned the corner into a corridor with plan gray walls, they could hear voices up ahead.
"…don't trust him…Shiris…worried…" it was Julie whispering, but the shape of the corridor provided excellent acoustics.
Damian smiled to himself. That one, Julie, he thought, was going to be a problem. She was the only one so far who didn't trust him at all. The one with the braid would have to go with her too. He smiled, wishing he could see their faces when they were caught. But that would come later.