Chapter 10: Talks
Cas scanned the large room. The delegations had taken the same places as the day before; the negotiations and discussions went on just like they had...he listened, translated, listened again. And watched.
He´d positioned his chair so he could check out Dean Winchester easily, without being noticed doing so, especially by Dean himself; and while his mind was turning Japanese into English – and vice versa – practically on autopilot, his eyes searched the beautiful face, the hands, shoulders, even the feet under the table ... for what exactly, he wasn´t sure himself. Time flew, and finally it was time for lunch break. Cas had scribbled down a few notes for McGee and was checking them, and putting an order to them, while everyone was already leaving; when he straightened up with a sigh, he realized he was alone in the room. He rubbed his eyes. Hopefully, they´d get most of the points off the list today, so they could finish tomorrow...but then, this would mean...he didn´t want to think about it. He packed his notepad, took his coat, and left the room; the building was unusually quiet. Obviously, everybody was glad to get out into the fresh air. It had rained in the early morning when he´d come in; now, a pale spring sun slanted in through the windows, bright stripes parting the long corridor. He hurried down the stairs, wondering if he couldn´t just skip lunch (and more translating) and go for a walk, as it was such a nice day outside... but of course, that wouldn´t be possible. He was needed there.
With a sigh, he turned the corner to the toilets. Well, at least HE would be at the restaurant, too, Cas thought, splashing cold water on his face, rubbing his tired eyes. Watching Dean Winchester was rapidly turning into an obsession... he straightened up, dried his face, eyes closed, and opened them to look into the mirror.
And gasped.
Someone was leaning against the wall, watching him.
Dean Winchester.
They stared into each other´s eyes...mossy green and dark blue.
Cas could hear a watch tick, probably Dean´s writstwatch... tak...tak...tak...tak...
Then Dean pushed himself from the wall, and took a few steps forward. He stood very close now, Cas could feel the other body´s warmth. Their eyes hadn´t broken contact for a second, they were like forced by a spell ...Cas heard Dean´s breathing, a little accelerated, and it turned him on in a way...then he saw Dean raise his hand, reach out as if he wanted to touch Cas´ arm, or shoulder... he shivered. If – when he touches me, I might explode, or melt down, or just – just give in completely, Cas thought. But the touch didn´t come. Dean´s hand hoovered over Cas´ arm...wandered up, to his shoulder, never touching, further up, followed the curve of Cas´ throat, Cas saw Dean´s hand was shaking, goosebumps ran down his back, his arms; the hand reached his cheek...or, the air above it, caressing, exploring the lines of Cas´ face, his cheekbones, temples, almost, almost touching his hair, Dean´s breathing was ragged now, heat, Cas could feel the heat the hand gave off, the face behind him, the whole body, touch me, touch me please...please!, he thought, begging the green eyes, and he saw they were struggling...struggling so hard...so much want in them, pure and raw, and something else again, a plea... the fingertips closed in on Cas´skin, right above his eyebrow, closer...he could already feel them, feel them without being touched, Cas realized he was trembling, and didnt care, he wanted this touch, wanted, wanted, wanted, this touch and so much more...and then, a shiver ran through the other man, and Cas saw the flash of fear in the green eyes, the remorse, something like...repulsion? And then...hopelessness, and Dean´s hand twitched, and he pulled it back...down...stared at Cas for another second, turned abruptly, and strode to the door. Cas stared at the broad back, Dean had stopped at the door, hand at the doorframe already, He is waiting for the other Dean to kick in, the cold eyed smartass businessman, Cas thought, and suddenly it made him sick, an unexpected anger flooded his body, hot and searing...and he turned too, and was at the door the next moment, grabbing Dean´s shoulder.
He was slammed against the wall so fast he hadn´t even seen Dean move, an arm was pressed against his throat, whole body blocked by the other man´s, a hand grabbed his hair and pushed his head back against the wall painfully, he couldn´t breathe, couldn´t move, and the eyes, the green eyes were cold, cold and murderous and without mercy for a second, staring him down, and Cas froze, fear washing over him, cold panic, he needed air, and suddenly the pressure was gone, and hands grabbed his face instead, shaky fingers digging into his hair painfully, and Dean was close, so close, lips hoovering over Cas´, they were both panting, Cas still gasping for air, but so was Dean, like two drowning, suffocating people, battling for air, both shaking, Cas felt the huffs of Dean´s breath on his lips, hot, desperate, he was desperate, his eyes were, needy and desperate and ...hopeless.
Kiss me...please, kiss me...let me save you, Dean.
But then the hands were gone, the face was gone, the heat, cause with a jolt, Dean tore himself from Cas, stared at him, mortified... he turned, and strode out of the bathroom, Cas heard his steps on the stone floor fade away, and he was gone.
Cas stood there, frozen, for a few seconds, legs trembling...then he glided down along the wall until he crouched on the floor, still shaking, the pressure of Dean´s fingers still perceptible on his skin, like the echo of a dark violent dream.
McGee shot him a slightly annoyed look when the delegations where filing into the room again.
„Where´ve you been? I don´t like sitting at a table and depending on the mercy of some Japanese translator I don´t trust... are you OK?" He frowned down at Cas, who was shifting around his papers nervously.
Cas looked up. „Yeah, I –sorry, I wasn´t feeling well, I – sorry."
McGee padded his shoulder in a fatherly fashion. „It´s OK, son ... tough days in here, I know." He sighed. „And I guess we´ll have to go on for the whole day tomorrow, too..maybe even longer. Trade companies are a bitch...by the way, I´d like to talk to you this evening after we´re finished here ...about what I told you yesterday?" He raised his eyebrows questioningly. Cas nodded. „Of course..."
McGee nodded too. „Let´s meet...across the street, the Tea House? I´ll have to wrap things up with the ambassador and Washington first, but that won´t take more than half an hour."
„I´ll be there."
It was torture. Cas hid behind the backs in front of him, not looking up, talking, listening, taking a few notes. When Dean spoke for the first time after...after lunch break, he involuntarily raised his head, and looked at him: He was pale, maybe even more controlled than usual, completely cool and ... like covered by some invisible coating, protected by a power field scaring everything, everyone away by its sheer existence. He didn´t look over, Cas couldn´t help checking now, didn´t show the slightest sign he´d ever spoken to Cas, had even noticed his existence.
Cas´ spirits sank.
Maybe we are deluding ourselves, he thought.
Maybe the only way bringing Yakuza down is by sacrificing everything ... and everyone.
And what´s the point in destroying the monster if you can´t save the victim...
There are more victims than the one you are interested in, a small voice in his head whispered. There are more lives endangered, many many more, and many more good people will be turned into... the monster´s teeth and claws. Don´t you forget that, Castiel Novak.
He knew, of course. There was a greater good involved.
But it was so much harder to see it when the one man you wanted to save ...the one you´d come for in the first place... was swallowed by the monster before you could reach him...and you knew he´d be blown up together with it.
„Come in."
Dean stepped into the large room, nodding briefly to the man holding open the door.
He stopped at exactly the right distance, and bowed deeply.
„Oba san..."
He saw the flick of the finger in the corner of his eye, and slowly straightend up.
Cool eyes viewed him. Katsuo Amaya had his chin resting on his folded fingers, slender figure relaxed and full of a hidden physical force at the same time.
„Junko."
Dean bowed again, and waited. It was a special honor to be ordered to the Oyabun, the family boss; in case of failure, the execution of any punishment would be followed through without any warning, so being summoned to the office at headquarters was a sign of approvement for itself. He stared at the floor, feeling Amaya´s eyes on him.
„Tell me about the negotiations", the other man finally said, in English, a slight British accent audible.
Dean cringed inwardly, but didn´t bat an eyelid. He gave a short, clear summary of the way things stood at the moment. Of course, his boss was already well informed about every detail... this was something else. This was a father summoning his child to give a subtle warning. He kept staring at the floor when he had finished. A minute passed, another.
„I understand the Americans employ a translator who is present at all the meetings."
Dean´s fingers twitched before he could control them.
„Yes, Oba san." His voice sounded rougher then before.
Silence again.
„Junko."
The voice was soft, and Dean´s stomach clenched, because it was way more dangerous that way. He looked up. A painful tension filled his body, every fibre of it.
„I want you to approach him. He plays a crucial role in this, and is but a tiny fish unseen by the big ones."
Dean bowed again. Amaya didnt have to say more; Dean knew exactly what was hidden in this one short request. I know what happened in that toilet, son. You will not do anything like that again without my approval. Your punishment will be to be forced to do what you tried without it. And you´ll go through with it, no matter the consequences.
„As long as he is useful to the family, you will get all the information he has. The tiny fish will bring us the whole swarm."
Amaya´s cool eyes still rested on Dean, unwavering, pensively, his posture elegant and calm. His voice was infinitely soft when he spoke again.
„And we will feed on them all."
Cas had been turning the tiny tea cup in his hands for half an hour already when Alistair McGee finally entered the small room inside the Tea House. His few notes were re-written and neatly ordered, waiting to be explained.
„Sorry, Castiel...the Department of Commerce is getting a little impatient..as far as they´re concerned, we´re behind schedule, and the big players are nervous...so."
He sat down on the floor, grimacing, and ordered tea and a snack.
„Did you get anything interesting out of their conversations?"
Cas shoved the few pages over to Alastair. He shrugged. „Not really... they are too smart to discuss anything important in public, and too controlled to let anything slip unvoluntarily."
McGee nodded. „I see... I must say, this Winchester boy gives me the creeps. How old is he, 25? 26? A cold fish if I ever saw one ... did you notice how his mood seemed down at south pole temperature this afternoon? I bet his boss gave him hell during lunch time, as he wasn´t at the restaurant...although I wouldn´t know why, the damn sly fox has us at the short and curlies already." He shook his head. „Never have been taken to the cleaners by anyone like that before ... I wonder how the guy endet up playing for the Japanese team. We could use him well on our side."
Cas stirred uncomfortably, and sipped his tea to hide the blush he felt on his cheeks.
McGee scratched his chin. „Maybe we could turn him? Address his patriotic feelings?"
Cas looked up.
„He´s part of a company here. That´s similar to being a family member. Leaving is – it´s usually not an option, not if you follow the Japanese code of honor. It would be a disgrace for him and for the company."
McGee huffed. „I have to admit...I´ll never get these Japanese ...rules. On the one hand, they have this ancient samurai stuff, and on the other hand, they seem to have no – no recognizable principles. No ethics, or...morals you can count on. One day they decide this, the other they seem to take a totally different path. It´s...frustrating."
Cas smiled. Common western mistake, he thought.
„They decide following policies, not principles", he said. „Everything should be done in a kind of stylized way ... not following our high-minded concepts of basic truths. And they do have ethics, very strong ones at that. They only dont always go alongside ours."
McGee eyed him a little sceptically. „If you say so...I guess that´s way too slippery philosophical ground for me. Anyway..." He sipped his tea.
„I´m still convinced we should try to get some extra information before the final signing...and as the Department of Commerce is already kicking my ass, I guess we´ll push things and it won´t be far." He studied Cas for a moment. „I want you to try and get into contact with one of their delegation. Winchester would be the best choice, but after his scary performance today I can´t possibly ask you to go near this guy. Try to find out as much as you can. I know it´s probably wasted time and effort, but...it´s our best shot."
Cas stared at his boss pretty shocked.
„You – you mean I - I should ... what exactly are you suggesting here?"
McGee looked up from his plate. He looked confused. „What? Well, just – oh." Cas watched a burning blush creep up the man´s cheeks. „Oh, no, no, it´s not – you can´t possibly think I – this is a misunderstanding. I never would – Christ, this is awkward."
Cas rubbed his front. His face felt uncomfortably hot.
„I...er...sorry. I – I shouldn´t... sorry."
Alistair shook his head. „No, it´s my fault. Now I come to think about it, the way I put it you were bound to take it that way. I – I apologize." He rubbed the back of his head. „Of course I´d never ask you to do anything...indecent. Just...just try to talk..chat..or listen, eavesdrop, whatever!"
Cas frowned. „But, wouldn´t you get the information you need from the Secret Service? The city must crawl of them. This treaty is a milestone..."
McGee shrugged. „They sure have their people here, but Japanese companies seem an unpenetrable fortress. And the CIA is...it´s complicated. Honestly, I´d rather have someone close to us try their luck..."
Cas was far from convinced all of this made any sense, and that his efforts should be more useful than those of the professional, trained spies. And the irony in McGees´request, after what had happened in the mens´ room this afternoon, was a whole different story.
He sighed.
„I´ll try...but I can´t promise anything. In fact, I dont think it will be of any use."
„Ok by me", Alistair said. „And, Castiel – thank you."
As soon as the door had closed behind Dean, Amaya pressed the little button on his desk.
„Hairu – come in."
A narrow door almost hidden between two simple cupboards opened, and a slender man walked into the room. He bowed, and straightened up again.
„You heard it?", Amaya asked in clipped tones.
The man nodded. „Yes, Oba san."
Amaya looked at his intertwined fingers on the desk´s surface.
„Keep an eye on him. The little translator as well. When we´ve milked him ...you know what to do."
The other man nodded again, and bowed. Then he carefully asked, „And...Junko?"
Amaya didn´t answer. He watched his own hands for a while, then he looked up, directly into the man´s eyes.
„We´ll see", he said.