Chapter Twelve

"You don't understand," Sasoli ground out, "If I leave you alone with them, there won't be enough left to bury."

"What's the point of going undercover if I'm not allowed to investigate?" Uub demanded.

They'd been having this argument for the last two hours.

Uub's police chief hadn't been impressed by his reports, which were beyond skimpy since Sasoli refused to let him room the building by himself. Apparently, she thought he wasn't competent enough to handle a building full of women.

"Why can't you investigate in my presence?" Sasoli glared at him.

The stupid, moronic idiot was going to get himself mobbed and it was going to be his fault!

"Because they run away from you!" Uub pressed his lips together in an effect to calm himself. "They put up shields and physically brace themselves whenever you walk into a room."

Sasoli's mouth snapped shut and she crossed her arms defiantly. After a deep breath, she was able to reply without violence.

"It's not my fault that they don't like me."

Uub blinked at her admission.

"Dumb people," she grumbled, "What makes them think they can get away with sexually harassing their boss? But that's not the real reason." Her eyes met his, "They don't like me because I'm a Briefs."

"Sasoli . . . " Uub shook his head slightly to indicate he didn't understand.

She shrugged carelessly.

"I would be, too, I guess. They worked so hard tot get into this company. Spotless work record and background check, not to mention all the hoops they have to jump through . . . and here I am."

She smiled and spread her arms out.

"A Briefs woman who was hired because she was a Briefs. Someone who can take away everything, their hopes, their dreams . . ." her eyes narrowed as she lowered her arms, ". . . their delusions. Someone who can casually make or break them on a whim and has a distinct dislike of them. I guess I'd hate me too."

Uub approached her quietly and raised a tentative hand to cup her cheek.

"Sasoli-"

"I've got to go," Sasoli was suddenly out of reach. "You want to investigate without me, fine."

Uub lowered his hand as he realized, belatedly, that her bracelet had turned black again.

Blowing out a breath, he decided to accept her words and headed to the one place she had forbidden him to ever go alone, the break room. Still, he couldn't help but wonder what Zarah wanted now.

Goten nodded into the phone, "All right . . . Yes, I'll go see him now . . . Yes, I know what package he wants . . . Yeah, ok."

He hung up the phone.

"What was that about?" Bra glanced up from her experiment.

"Trunks wants me to bring him something."

"Oh? What?" Bra set down her tools.

Goten shook his head at her.

"It's a surprise."

Bra pouted, "I can keep a secret."

Goten regarded her skeptically as he moved from her desk to her work station. He wanted to tell her but Trunks would kill him.

"What are you making now?"

"A better mousetrap. What are you and Trunks hiding?"

Bra's inquisitive blue eyes were probing his for answers.

"That doesn't look like a mousetrap?" Goten was genuinely clueless as he examined her experiment with a greater attention to detail.

"Goten," steel had entered her voice.

"I'm sworn to secrecy," Goten pleaded with her. He could never resist her for long when she wanted something.

Bra took pity on his panicked posture and turned back to her invention.

"It's not a mousetrap," she conceded, "It's a type of converter for computers. Most systems aren't compatible with each other and they're made that way. This converter works like a translator and makes it possible to move files from one location to another without worrying if the computer's compatible."

"Um, ok," Goten grinned at her, most of her explanation had went over his head.

"I'll be back later," he kissed her on the cheek and was out the door before she could utter so much as a good-bye.

"What are they up to?" Bra mused to herself and went back work.

"What is it?" Sasoli didn't bother to knock as she barged into Trunks' office.

"I need you to get doctor's note for Bra and then go to the prison with Maron. You're there to authorize a donation, and only authorize it, if they agree to it's conditions. Maron knows all the details, go."

Maron and Sasoli found themselves shoved from the office.

Sasoli gazed at the older woman confused, "A doctor's note?"

Uub didn't make it to the break room before he was surrounded by no less than then beautiful women.

"I thought she was never going to leave you alone," a redhead purred and leaned a bit too close for comfort.

"What's your name, handsome?"

"Uub," he answered as neutrally as he could, he didn't want to encourage them. They were already overexcited.

The group giggled around him.

"He's so cute."

"His hair screams rebel."

"But he's so polite."

"The others are going to be so jealous."

He needed to get control of this situation fast, they were already starting to close the distance, and, he remembered what they did to Trunks.

"Hey, can I ask you guys a question?"

He flashed a smile.

They went silent with breathless anticipation.

"I'm new-" Uub jumped as the women answered as one, "We know."

Uub swallowed and tried to remain calm as a feeling of dread started to climb up from the base of his spine.

"Um, well, I just wanted to know if there was anything to know about working here."

A blond narrowed her eyes shrewdly, "What do you want to know? Ghost stories or people to avoid?"

Uub nodded eagerly, "Both."

A brunette snorted.

"I guess we'll start with Ghost stories since you're already met the one person you should avoid."

Uub frowned confused.

"Sasoli," a red head supplied helpfully while the others tittered in agreement.

Uub's frown darkened, this can't be right . . .

"She seems nice enough to me."

"She's not," the blonde nearly spat, "She's the most ruthless female you'll ever meet. Plus, she hogs all the men in the building."

"She acts like she's god's gift to men and doesn't let us have a chance," a woman with blue hair nodded.

Everyone went silent when a random male employee walked briskly by alone.

"He doesn't count," one woman pouted, "Tom is just in charge of organizing the budget for President Trunks."

"So the low level employees are safe from Sasoli Briefs?" Uub probed lightly.

They nodded.

"So . . . who is she hogging?" He was completely lost.

"President Trunks and his cousin Zarah-"

"But that's her brother and cousin," Uub protested.

"-Goten-"

"Childhood friend."

"-You."

"I . . ." Uub stopped as it dawned on him what they had just said. "She's not . . . hogging me."

"Yes, she is," the blonde put in, "We are forbidden to ever approach her, for our safety, and if she makes sure to never leave you alone . . ."

". . . Then I can never be approached," Uub finished with a sigh. "Maybe I should hear that ghost story now."

A nervous trill sounded before a brave soul stepped forward. She was on the short side with a shock of orange hair but her voice was steady as she began her story.

"He first appeared when Bulma Briefs was still president. She must have resembled his past love for he would haunt the hallways, searching for her surrounded by a blue aura of the neither world.

"He became known as the Black Flame Ghost, for his hair resembled a lit match and his eyes burned with the fires of hell. His soul was so evil that it leaked into his eyes, turning them black, showing the taint from within.

"One day, the ghost went mad and was convinced his reincarnated love had left him.

"In his rage, he tore apart the building and he couldn't be stopped. Of course, that was until . . .

"He found her. She had been hiding futilely in a storage closet.

"She should have known, you can't hide from a ghost.

"Bulma fought him with every fiber of her being but, even though he was dead, he was just too strong.

"The security guards tried to save her from the demon's clutches but he used his supernatural powers to stop the bullets in midair and then drop like useless rocks at his feet. He summoned invisible hands to hold the guards in place as he made off with his prize.

"She was never seen again."

Uub lifted a brow.

"Bulma Briefs?"

The story teller frowned at him.

"Not the Bulma Briefs we knew. She disappeared for a month and returned a different person."

"Ok," Uub couldn't hide the note of disbelief in his voice.

"We didn't believe it either," a brunette chewed on her bottom lip nervously, "But he's made a reappearance recently . . ."

"Is that so? What happened?" Uub inquired curiously. What would Vegeta want in the company now that Bulma was gone.

"The Black Flame Ghost kidnapped President Trunks!" Sobbed a random woman.

Uub cocked a hip, "President Trunks is in jail."

"You don't understand," the orange-haired woman took a menacing step forward. "It was after Trunks was kidnapped that the murders started."

That made Uub pause, for this was an unusual coincidence.

"So what are you saying?"

"The Black Flame Ghost has possessed the president," sobbed another woman.

"So the ghost killed the women," Uub put together with the puzzled frown.

Several women nodded uneasily while glancing around at the empty hallway.

Uub was perplexed, what exactly was he supposed to do with this information?

His shoulders slumped, I guess the only thing I can do, question Vegeta.

He rubbed his brow, this was not going to be pleasant.

"Do you have a headache?"

"No, I . . ." Uub trailed off as he realized the women had gone eerily silent. He glanced up and wasn't surprised to find a glazed look in their eyes.

"I have a home remedy I'd be willing to let you in on," a buxom brunette reached for his arm.

He pulled away automatically and almost backed into another secretary who was reaching for him as well.

"The BLACK FLAME GHOST!" He screamed and pointed behind them.

They screamed and turned to find . . .

. . . an empty hallway.

Confused, as one, they turned back to the undercover detective only to find he was gone.

"The Black Flame Ghost has taken him!"

They scattered.

Uub lowered himself to the floor.

"I think I'll tackle the break room later."

Sasoli and Maron stood in front of Bra who regarded them with confusion.

"I'm not qualified to write a doctor's note," she shook her head slightly.

"But . . ." Maron ran a hand through her hair, frustrated with the world. "I thought you were a biological engineer and a chemist as well as many . . . other things."

Bra arched a brow, "Your point?"

Sasoli ground her teeth.

"Just write the damn note, Bra, they won't care if it's authentic or not when they see how much money we're willing to part with."

"Bra, please," Maron clasped her hands together.

Bra just gave them another skeptical look before turning to grab a piece of paper.

"You realize I can get into a lot of trouble if they check this for authenticity."

"Then make it official after the face," Sasoli snapped, "Isn't there a test you can take?"

Maron took the note gratefully, "Thank you so much."

Bra waved them away.

"Forget it, now, go save Trunks."

"Did you bring it?" Trunks squirmed in his seat as he whispered into his phone.

Goten regarded his best friend through a plate of glass. . . plastic . . . whatever the clear thing between them was, with bemusement.

"Do you know what I had to do to get it pass the guards?"

"So you did bring it!" Trunks whooped, "Where is it? Let me see it!"

Goten laughed and slipped off his right shoe while Trunks' excitement turned into horror.

"Goten, tell me you didn't . . ."

Goten glared at him.

"Did you want to see it or not?"

Trunks opened his mouth and then closed it with a pout.

Goten watched him for a moment to see if there were any further protests. When there wasn't he reached into his shoe and pulled out a tiny box.

Trunks breathed a sigh of relief.

Goten shot him a glare an started to put the box back in his shoe.

"I'm sorry," Trunks tried to muffle his laughter.

Goten held his scowl for moment longer before giving into a sheepish grin.

"It was the only place I could think of where they wouldn't search me."

Trunks nodded eagerly while eyeing the box.

"You'd better appreciate this, I got a horrible cramp in my foot because of this," Goten mumbled as he fumbled with the box, trying to find a way to open it.

"Goten!" Trunks whined unable to stand the suspense.

"Ok, ok," Goten chuckled and opened the jewelry box so Trunks could see it.

"It's perfect," Trunks breathed.

There nestled in black velvet was a two carat eight star diamond engagement ring.

"I would have thought you'd want something bigger," was Goten's mild observation.

Trunks shot him a look of mild disapproval.

"Maron wouldn't like a big ring, she's more conservative. This might not be a big diamond butt the . . . eight star cut . . . magnificent. . ."

Goten took a moment to reexamine the stone and was startled to note that the diamond sparkled fiercely at him.

"Subtlety is the key," Trunks smiled mysteriously and then frowned, "I wish I could see it better."

Goten glanced around the room nervously, "Um, Trunks . . . please tell me you're not going to-"

"Calm down, Goten, I doubt they'll notice a little hole."

"Trunks . . . please . . . don't . . ."

A foreboding crack filled the air.

End Chapter Twelve

AN: Ok, here it is! The promised chapter. I will probably update again this weekend so until then. Oh, and about the alternative version . . . I might have to do it as a companion piece which would include short stories about Trunks adventure in jail but, of course, that's only if anyone is interested. Michelle