Chapter 3 – Waking up and Meeting Cid
Rinoa awoke to a dull aching pain in her arm and head that felt that she had drank an excessive amount of alcohol. Her eyes were heavy, and it was only through sheer determination that she managed pry them open. Almost as soon as the room came into focus, somebody's face appeared above her.
"'Allo!"
Rinoa screamed, but this only caused her more pain.
"I'm Selphie, how you feeling? Do you want something to eat? Do you wanna use the bathroom? I'm watching TV, do you wanna join me?"
Rinoa felt she'd gone dizzy from all the fast questions and stared up blankly.
"What happened?" Rinoa asked finally.
"You got knocked down. We fixed your arm though." Selphie replied as though nothing she had said was out of the ordinary. Rinoa felt herself begin to get worried. Knocked down? But last night was nothing but a blur.
"I just remember pain, and someone carrying me." Rinoa said as she moved her limbs slightly to see if everything was working. They all seemed fine, except her arm which was feeling very heavy. Something was holding it down, and she was dreading seeing what it was.
"Oh yeah. That would have been Squall, he knocked you down." As soon as the words left the smiling girl, she suddenly grew pale.
"Selphie what are you doing?" Asked a more grown up voice from somewhere Rinoa couldn't see.
"She's awake!" Selphie said disappearing out of sight.
"Hello dear, don't be frightened you're in no danger here. Selphie help me to sit her up." Quistis instructed in a calm and collected voice. Selphie grinned, glad to be of use, and held her hands in support under Rinoa's back as Quistis helped her sit up.
"What's wrong with my arm?" Rinoa asked as she looked at it.
"You hurt it when you fell. We fixed it the best we could, and I promise it looks much worse than it is." Quistis said. "You should try and stay still, the splint should keep it from being knocked, but it is fractured and you should be careful."
"Fractured? How badly?" Rinoa panicked.
"I couldn't tell, but it isn't badly fractured. You've been very lucky."
"Um, where am I? This isn't the hospital." Rinoa said looking around for the first time.
"No, this isn't the hospital. I can't tell you where you are, but you can leave anytime you like. Although we will have blind-fold you so you can't find your way back." Quistis said seriously. Rinoa laughed.
"Yeah that's funny. No seriously, where am I?"
"I am being serious. You cannot know our location." Quistis said looking at Rinoa sternly.
"Oh cut it out Quis. You'll give the girl a heart attack." Selphie said from behind her, a yoyo going up and down in her hand. "I'm making spaghetti, do ya want some?"
Rinoa looked at her blankly, not sure who Selphie was talking to, but then realised it was her and nodded.
"Yes please, I am rather hungry." Rinoa said quietly.
"Great! I'll go boil some water." Selphie said before skipping off.
Rinoa wasn't sure what exactly it was these people were keeping her from finding out, but she didn't feel too threatened by it. In fact, the atmosphere felt rather happy and she found herself relaxing. The bright chipper girl in the yellow dress was now singing from the other side of the large warehouse, and Rinoa smiled as she tried to work out exactly what the building might have been used for.
"You get used to the decoration after a while. I'm afraid none of us are handy with a can of paint." Quistis said, following Rinoa's gaze.
"Oh no, it's very um, artistic." Rinoa said smiling. Quistis smiled back. This could hardly go any better; the girl was so calm! Even though they had told her basically nothing, she hadn't complained.
"My name is Quistis by the way." Quistis said holding out her hand.
"Rinoa Heartilly." Rinoa replied. Shaking it with the only hand she had working.
"I know, it's only rock and roll, but I like it..." Selphie sang over the hob as she stirred the spaghetti around the pot. "Yeaaah, I like it."
"You'll get used to that as well." Quistis commented making Rinoa smile.
"How many of you live here?" Rinoa asked.
"We don't live here, we just sorta hangout. Ya know." Selphie said from the other side of the room. How she had heard the question was anyone's guess.
"There are five of us. Me, Selphie, Zell, Irvine and, um...Squall."
"Squall." Rinoa mused. "Where are they all?"
Quistis opened her mouth to say something but was cut off.
"Honey I'm home! And I also brought in the shopping. Oh no, don't all rush to help me at once." Irvine shouted as he bashed his way through the door.
"Shut up Irvy. Besides you're being rude, say hello to Rinoa." Selphie ordered, stopping Irvine's rambling speech from continuing. Irvine almost did a double take.
"Why, hello there little lady." He said tipping his hat.
"Hello." Rinoa replied unsure.
"Is Zell up yet?" Irvine asked as he placed the bags he was holding onto the table by Quistis.
"No. I hope he isn't ill." Quistis said looking though the bag, good, no sausages.
"That's what I was wondering. You know last night wasn't exactly the right weather for a swim, if you know what I mean." Irvine said looking at Quistis as if letting her know some great secret.
"Squall isn't back either. He hasn't called or anything." Quistis said, sounding like a worried mother.
"Ah, but when isn't that the norm?" Irvine said brushing the concern away.
"I know but, this time I think it's different." Quistis said, looking purposely at Rinoa, who had the good grace to pretend not to be listening. "You saw how he was."
"Quistis don't worry. Squall's perfectly capable to look after himself, besides we've got bigger things to be worrying about."
"Yes you're right." Quistis said returning the smile to her face. "Sorry Rinoa, we've been ignoring you. I think Selphie's finished cooking, do you want to walk over, or shall I fetch you some."
"Oh I'll walk. No, wait I think I need a sling..."
A few minutes later Rinoa was given a scarf to use as a sling, and found herself serving spaghetti onto her plate with one hand.
"Need some help?" Irvine asked as he watched Rinoa struggle to wrap the pasta around her fork.
"No it's ok. I'm doing better than I usually do with two hands anyway." Rinoa said smiling.
Before they could begin to relax and eat, there was a commotion happening from behind them.
"Spaghetti! All right!" Zell shouted running to the pot and throwing it into a bowl.
"Zell, come say Hi to Rinoa." Selphie called over to him. Zell almost jumped out of his skin, he hadn't been expecting anyone else to be here.
"Hey, um hello Rinoa." Zell said looking shy.
"Hi." Rinoa said.
Zell slinked over to a chair and sat in it. He clearly wasn't ill.
"So, like where is Squall?" He asked after a pause.
"We don't know Zell. He left really early and hasn't contacted us since." Quistis informed him.
"Did he take the...you know?" Zell whispered. Rinoa strained to hear him, but she couldn't distinguish the words.
"Oh! I don't know." Quistis said feeling embarrassed. Why hadn't they checked the diamonds?
"Well, I bet that's where he's gone." Zell said convinced.
Squall parked his car so that it looked out across the river, from a secluded spot he had discovered once in a raid. The night's events played over and over in his head, but one in particular kept refusing to go away. The look on the girl's face before he had hit her was haunting him, pure terror, something he hadn't seen in a long time. He wanted to know if she was alright, but was too afraid to find out the answer. What if she could never walk again? Or worse if she died! Squall knew he'd never be able to forgive himself.
The bag of diamonds lay alone in the backseat of his car, and he gave them a fleeting glance before restarting the engine. He had been sitting there staring at the water for hours, but his thoughts were just as jumbled as they had been when he first arrived. But it had to be put aside now, he had work to do and he couldn't afford any mistakes this time.
Somehow, he needed to get the diamonds from Esthar to Balamb within in the next two days. But that was easier said than done with the entire police force on the lookout. He had known others that had smuggled things through the borders by cutting holes in their skin and hiding the stuff underneath. Squall's dedication to his job didn't go that far, but he was prepared to carry them on himself rather than send them in cargo. Today however, they would be flown.
He congratulated himself on this plan that, he himself had devised. A long time ago he had helped out an acquaintance with some financial difficulties, where the collector's of the money were a little too eager to get it back. Never one to pass up a good opportunity, Squall had discovered all he could about this new ally, and had struck a bargain in return for his help. His name was Marno Kabrand, and he owned a set of small aeroplanes that he taught people how to fly in. This was going to be Squall's ticket out.
Kabrand was busy cleaning one of his training planes when the engine of Squall's car caught his attention. His face changed from the happy smile it had wore moments ago, to a look of despair.
"I hoped I'd never see you again." He said dropping the sponge he was holding into a bucket of water.
"Now then, what sort of welcome is that for an old friend?" Squall asked sarcastically. "Listen, this isn't a social visit."
"Yeah? Well that's what I was afraid of."
"Hey you wouldn't even be standing today if it wasn't for me. Does your wife know yet?" Squall hissed annoyed. Kabrand became even paler.
"No, and she must never find out." He warned, picking up the bucket and clutching it to him.
"Relax, your wife won't ever find out about that, if...you cooperate." Squall said smirking. He had known from the day he had seen Kabrand snivelling and begging for help, that it was a great opportunity to acquire future blackmail material.
"What do you need?" He asked worried.
"I need to get to Balamb without being bothered by the police, if you know what I mean."
"Is that all?"
"For now." Squall said worrying him further.
"Fine. When do you want to leave?"
"Now would be good." Squall said opening the back car door and taking out the bag which held the diamonds.
"What? Are you nuts?"
"Well, you know I could always just go have a little chat with your wife. You know about how I found her husband in an alleyway after loosing all his money in a card game." Squall threatened.
"Ok, we'll leave now. Just wait there, I have to go tell the Misses." He said walking away with his shoulders slouched. Squall sighed and pulled out his phone and tapped in a number.
"Quistis, I'm going to Balamb. How is...?" Squall trailed off.
"Oh my god Squall we were so worried! Are you ok? Rinoa is just fine." Quistis replied relieved.
"Good. Now listen I don't know what you told her, but lets just keep it simple ok. I'm not sure when I'm going to be back, but it should be tomorrow sometime."
"Alright. Just be careful ok." Quistis cautioned.
"You guys just hang tight till I get back. See you soon." Squall said before snapping the phone shut.
Kabrand was busy starting the engine of his aeroplane now, and the droning noise of a slow propeller began to fill the air.
"Ready to go?" He called down from the cockpit. Squall nodded and climbed up behind him and shut the window over the top of them.
"Alright, lets go."
The plane's wheels touched back down on the ground three hours later, and Squall instructed the reluctant pilot to find a room for the night and meet him back on their makeshift airfield tomorrow morning. Kabrand had left quickly before Squall could order him to do anything else. However Squall had his mind on other things, he had to get to the main headquarters without anyone seeing him.
He wasn't supposed to be in Balamb, in fact he had enough convictions to put him jail for the rest of his days. He had been caught for every type of burglary imaginable in his younger years, and by the time he was 15 he was the most wanted man on the island.
Balamb was a quiet fishing town, and with a reputation of a gentle day out. It was the perfect place for the headquarters of all the thieves and criminals of the world. No one would ever suspect this town of harbouring the worlds most wanted.
Squall snuck around the alleyways and kept in the shadows until he came to an old pub. Carefully he opened the door and shut it behind him. Inside were many people enjoying a drink or some lunch, and catching up on gossip and news. It was always busy in here, and that was the way they liked it, it made it easier to walk around unnoticed. Squall made his way to the barmaid and spoke the secret password. He was then showed to a door.
"There you go love." The barmaid said opening the door for him with a key.
"Thank you."
Squall walked down the steps that he knew so well and tapped in a code to open the main door. There was desk at the end of the darkened room, and behind it sat a man talking happily on the phone. This was Cid, the brains behind the criminal world. When Squall appeared in the doorway, the phone was immediately hung up.
"Ah, my favourite person." He said grinning. Everyone was Cid's favourite person when it suited him.
"I have something for you." Squall said walking over to the older man, and tipping the content of the bag onto the table. Cid's eyes lit up when he saw the shining stones hit the desk.
"I knew I could depend on you Squall. I was right to send you to Esthar." Cid said smugly, counting the diamonds back into the bag. "But, now there is something even better than diamonds. Squall I need you to go after it."
A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed (Gosh there was lots of you!) I wasn't expecting so many. Ps, I'm without by beta and all alone. Please be gentle!
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Rinoa Heartilly