The Last Call
She was going to die. Cathy brought a hand to her throat, her heart beat still frantic under her shaking fingers. She was going to die.
A warm hand slipped into hers and for a moment Cathy was self conscience of her sweaty, dirty hands worn by the work and practice she had endured. A voice whispered in her ears, sure and strong, "Hurry, get up, if you want to survive."
Forcing her stiff legs to move, Cathy nodded, choking back a gasp as the hand tugged her up and began jerking her away. She was forced into a run, and Cathy started panting, partly from fear.
The blond head, whiled around and Cathy was faced with a stern grimace. She swallowed. The blond was dressed in uniform. A soldier's uniform. Cathy quailed, her knees wobbling as his running speed increased, thinking of the dangers they left behind her.
Cathy almost yelled when she was jerked between two large crates. Her back was pressed against one and through her clothing she could feel the roughly cut wood pressing into her back. The blond man gave one final look around, before sliding in front of her. Cathy coughed, blushing and drew her knees close to her body.
"Tell me," the blond started, and was interrupted by gunfire. He cursed, near inaudible under the constant noise. Bracing himself, his lips near her ear, he murmured, "Tell me what you heard."
"About Une?" Cathy whispered, clenching and unclenching her hands nervously. "She threatened to kill me! I'm going to die, I've heard about her..."
"Une is here?" Quatre exclaimed, eyes narrowing with thought. "This is more serious than I had thought, if she is here, then that means - "
"The General! She spoke of him as well. And about a Queen. Something how the General had plans for the Queen, and - and she said that I was to be taken care of. She's going to kill me!"
"I see... I shouldn't have been surprised that General was involved in this somehow," he adds, more for himself, Cathy notices, than for her.
"What are we going to do?" Cathy asks, hating how pathetic she sounds. But she, as with any person who belonged to the Alliance nations, had heard about the Lady Une. The atrocities, the murders, the mayhem... surely all of it couldn't have been propaganda?
"I - What's your name?" The blond asks, his brow furrowed in thought.
"Cathy, Cathy Bloom. I work for the circus, I throw knives and I've done some acrobatics. My knife throwing is my speciality. Cathy of the Thousand Cuts." She knows she is rambling, but she can't help it.
"My name is Quatre Winner, I'm an Alliance soldier."
Quatre Winner? Surely he couldn't mean one of those Winners? But he did share the same name as the heir. Cathy decides not to comment and feigns ignorance, merely nodding.
"I don't want to see you die, Cathy," Quatre murmurs. "It would better if you could go some where... safer."
"I don't want to die either, Mr Winner," Cathy mumbles, "But Lady Une, she sounded so - so intent on me. I'm not sure how I can escape."
His fingers are thrumming on her arm. She glances down, but he doesn't appear to be noticing what he is doing. She takes a deep breath, slowly.
"This may not be best idea, but it's all I can think of at the moment. Cathy, I'm going to start a diversion. When I say run, please run."
"Mr Winner?" Cathy says.
"But please, for your own safety and to rely my... actions to my friends. We got separated earlier, and they won't know what happened. Can you do that?"
"Yes, but, I don't know what you're doing!" Cathy exclaimed.
"Cathy, please calm." He murmurs quietly. "Tell them what you heard, from Lady Une, about the General and the Queen. You must tell them, Cathy, understand that."
She nods, taken in by the intensity in his eyes. "Y-Yes, I promise. But what are you going to do?"
"A diversion..." He whispers. "You'll meet two people, just beyond those hills, a woman and a man. If I know them, they will be arguing. When you meet them tell the woman that I sent you." He frowns. "And tell her that I'll her again soon. I'll see all of you soon."
"Where is he? He should have been here before us. He knows this land better than us, he's studied maps..." Hilde murmurs, her tone becoming more frantic.
Duo decided not to add to her worries, but merely says, "He's not the best sneaker. We probably just managed to get out of there quicker."
Hilde is still fretting. "It's past nightfall. He should be here by now." She shivers, "It's getting cold. He doesn't like the cold. He spent much of his childhood in the desert, you know? His family originally comes from there, and his father didn't need him yet."
"I thought the desert was cold at night."
She purses her lips, and stills. "It is... he still hates it."
"You've know Quatre since before the war started, what was he like before?" Duo asked, curious about his commanding officer.
"He's always been cautious, he knows how strong he is and I think sometimes he wishes he didn't have the skills he does. But he will do what is right. He's better than me in that aspect," Hilde says, "Quatre - "
She stops, and stares intently into the near pitch black. Her breathing slows, and she places a hand on Duo's arm. "What is it?" He questions, his own eyes scanning the darkness. Duo doesn't see anything.
"I thought I heard something," Hilde whispers. They sit there, silent, waiting and crouching closely together. Duo doesn't shift when he gets a cramp, not wanting to alert anyone who might be listening.
"There's someone out there," Hilde mutters, "You go left, I'll go right and we'll capture them. I can only hear one. Okay?"
Duo nods, and stands up quickly. He offers a hand to Hilde, which she refuses. Or maybe she just didn't see it, he thinks. It certainly is dark enough. Hilde sprints to the right, her feet making almost silent sounds, as she makes her way to their spy.
He grins, and stalks quickly, hald crouched. It's an anxious moment until he hears a scream. Cursing, he runs over to the sound of the shout, trying not to fall down in the process.
"Please don't hurt me! I promise I don't know anything, I was just walking and - "
"Quiet! Who are you what are you doing here?" Hilde interrupts, holding a wicked looking dagger at the girl's neck. There's a cut of her cheek that Duo can barely see in the darkness.
"I'm Cathy! I was running away from that attack. I - I don't know what's happening." Cathy takes a deep breath, "Are you two Alliance soldiers?"
Hilde and Duo exchange glances. "Yes, more or less," Hilde says, cautiously.
"Do you know someone called Quatre? He's part of the Alliance, isn't he?" Cathy asks desperately.
There's a tense pause. Duo's hands disappear from sight for a moment and Hilde draws back, still with a dagger in one of her hands.
"I may know that name," Hilde murmurs carefully.
Cathy takes a hurried gulp of air. "He sent me here. He helped me escape. That I would meet two people, a man and woman, Alliance soldiers, yes, that's what he said."
"Escape?" Hilde questions.
"From Lady Une!" Cathy exclaims, her hands nervously moving in her lap.
"But, where is Quatre?" Duo suddenly says. He surveys the hills, where in the distance the burning Alliance camp still smoulders. Occasionally spot lights are directed over the hills, but Duo and Hilde are just out of range.
"Um..." Cathy looks away. "You're his friends? You should know." Her hands tear at her skirt. "He was captured, by Lady Une. He let me escape."
Hilde gasps, the dagger falling the to the ground with a dull thunk as she stares in horror at Cathy. Duo is equally alarmed. "Captured? By Lady Une?" He mutters, shaking his head.
"Yes. I'm sorry. But I have some secrets that I over heard, he said I should tell you. I want to help." Cathy wasn't sure of the consequences of her words, but she feels purpose renew her heart.
Slowly nodding, Hilde gestures towards Cathy, "Go on then."