Part 18

Previously-

"You... I hate you!" She shrieked, and then ran off.

The man sighed, and then he shook his head sadly.

"I'm sorry, Anne, but what am I to do? What am I to do?"

With that, Chief-inspector Reyn walked back to the house, looking about 10 years older than he should have been.

Cagalli sat cross-legged on the sofa, eyes fixed ahead of her as she dazed idly into space. Ryo was somewhere in the background as usual, making sure that no one was going to charge into the house and attack her. She closed her eyes, making use of the peace and serenity of the morning to try to clear her mind.

Why are you still thinking about him, Cagalli? She asked herself, Didn't you say you were going to give him up? So do it! Be heartless, be cold, and just shake him off.

But he took that shot for me, yesterday…

Does that make any difference? How does that change the situation?

Cagalli sighed. This meditation wasn't helping one bit, if anything, it was making her head hurt even more as she argued with herself.

She opened her eyes slowly, and as she did, she found herself looking into a pair of gorgeous green eyes.

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Cagalli screamed in shock when she found Athrun's face just inches from her own. Athrun jumped back as well, obviously not expecting such an adverse reaction.

"Wh-What were you doing?" Cagalli finally stuttered after she had gotten over the initial shock.

"I was calling your name, but you didn't seem to hear me. I was just checking if you were okay." Athrun explained.

"Ah. Erm. All right then. Where's Ryo?"

"I told him he could go. I need to talk to you."

"What about?" Cagalli asked wearily. She was tired, and she didn't want to run anymore. Whatever Athrun had to say, she would just let him say it. But her mind was made up – it was impossible, and she wasn't going to let herself get hurt again.

"Us."

"Haven't we gone through that topic before?"

"Yes but, you never heard me out."

"What is there left to say, Athrun? We were once together, but now we're not there anymore. It's natural. Things like this happen all the time."

"But- But I don't want it to happen."

"Maybe we're just too different, you know?"

"How are we different?"

"You're a coordinator, I'm a natural."

"That's utter nonsense."

"Not really. I mean, look at Dearka and Miriallia."

"Cagalli, be reasonable. You know very well that that's not the real reason why you don't want to be with me."

"Athrun." Cagalli sat straight now, and she looked straight into his eyes. "Just stop. It's hopeless."

"Why?"

There was a pause as Cagalli looked down for a moment, and when she looked at him again, a sad smile played at the corners of her lips.

"I realize… I don't trust you anymore, not like I used to, not with all my heart."

Athrun felt his blood run cold she said the words, and they hung in the air, refusing to go away. Athrun clenched his fist, and then straightened himself.

"Is there… Is there anything I can do to make you change your mind?"

"I… Athrun… I… I don't want you doing things you don't want to do just for my sake. If you're doing something, I want it to be because you want to do it." Cagalli replied. "Do you… Do you understand?"

There was a long silence, and Cagalli found herself holding her breath as she waited for Athrun's response. Athrun's eyebrows were knitted, and his eyes were tightly shut.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, he smiled and his eyes flew open.

"I understand, Cagalli. But I won't give you up."

Cagalli stared at him in confusion and first, and then she frowned.

"Didn't you hear what I said?"

"Yes, and I understand perfectly."

"Then? Why aren't you giving up?"

"Because… Because I love you, Cagalli, and I know you still have feelings for me."

Cagalli's face flushed, and Athrun's cheeks were tinted with pink as well. There was an awkward silence between them as neither could find anything to say. Finally, Athrun gave a tiny cough and broke the silence.

"Well. Erm. I'll be going now. I'll erm… get Ryo to come back."

He got up to his feet, and walked away from the room. Cagalli's eyes followed his disappearing back and her ears strained to hear the fast fading sounds of his footsteps.

It was evening, and Ryo and Meyrin were out at the balcony talking, yet again.

The air was crisp and sweet, and the sky was vibrant with streaks of colour. Meyrin gazed out into the greenery around, and she gave a small sigh. Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly saw Ryo tense up and frown.

"Is something wrong?" She asked him gently.

Ryo looked like he was about to say something for a moment, and then closed his mouth.

"Is it something you could share with me?" Meyrin probed.

"I… Well… Meyrin, I just don't want to see you get hurt." Ryo blurted out. At that, Meyrin's eyes widened in surprise.

"Me? Get hurt?"

"Yes. I mean, about Mr. Zala."

"Wh-What about him?"

"I know this may sound hopelessly insensitive, but… Have you ever thought about giving him up and moving on?"

Meyrin slowly looked down, and for a while there was an awkward silence that lingered in the air. After what seemed to be an eternity, Meyrin looked up again and smiled at Ryo.

"I have. Countless of times. But I can't." She said simply, resignation plainly showing in her eyes.

"But… But why not?"

"Because… I love him." Meyrin said quietly. "I know he doesn't reciprocate my feelings, but I don't mind. It's hard sometimes, and there are times when I think it would be better for me to just pack up and move – but not before Athrun gets into another relationship. Before that, I still have hope that he'll love me."

"What if he doesn't choose you?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm willing to sacrifice my time."

"For what?"

"I… I don't know."

Ryo frowned, and then he gritted his teeth. "You're a fool, Meyrin." He said, his voice was strained, as if he was trying to control his emotions.

Instead of looking insulted, Meyrin just smiled wryly at him.

"I know, Ryo."

"Why don't you just leave him? Why don't you just give up on him?" Ryo said in an unnaturally harsh tone.

"Ryo…"

"You know that he loves the princess, and I'm quite sure the princess loves him too. It's hopeless, Meyrin, don't you see that? It's hopeless for you to wait for him." He continued.

"Ryo, stop…"

But he couldn't stop. It was as if a dam had burst within him, and he was letting out everything that he once took such pains to hide and control.

"Why do you continue to hurt yourself, Meyrin? Why can't you see that- that I care about you and that I can make you happier than Mr. Zala ever can?" Ryo was breathing heavily now, and after the end of the tirade, he had started to cry. He crouched down, hands covering his face, and to Meyrin, he looked more like a sad and vulnerable child than a bodyguard.

Meyrin bent down, and then placed an arm over his shoulder, and then helped him back up to his feet. She withdrew a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to him, all the while her facial expression remaining a blank.

Ryo dried his tears, and then took a deep breath.

"Meyrin, I… I love you. Will you-"

"No." She said abruptly, cutting his question short. She turned around and immediately started walking away from the balcony. Ryo reached out and grabbed her arm, halting her in her tracks.

"Why not?" He asked sadly.

"Because – love isn't something I can choose. I know I can be happier with you, but I don't love you, Ryo. I never will."

With that, she pulled her arm free from his grasp, and walked away.

Athrun sat upright at his desk, it was close to midnight, but he felt utterly awake.

There's something missing… He thought, closing his eyes and he probed deeper, the girl – who is she? Where does she fit in?

There are 2 possibilities, finding out who the girl is would solve everything, but then again, there's the question of motive. Why would any of the 2 men want to kill Cagalli?

Athrun flipped open the file before him, and re-read the summary of the case he had written.

"1. The mastermind was an inside agent, and someone who wields quite a lot of power. He had access to the palace employment files, and could insert one of his agents into the palace.

2. The mastermind is on this island (most probably in this very house), and hence the appearance of the girl and the comb, which someone had pocketed in order to avoid the fact that the girl was on the island from coming to light.

3. Ryo Handel was not the best candidate for Cagalli's bodyguard. There were a few other candidates that were much more suitable than him. According to the files that Kisaka had sent over before he was attacked, Ryo was about seventh or eighth in line for the job. It was Chief-Inspector Reyn who did the selection. Why did Ryo Handel get the job? Why?

4. Kisaka's attack – Reyn was in the room before he was thrown out of the window. Why did the attacker jump at just Kisaka, and not Reyn as well?

5. The fire in the hotel – Handel would have a very strong chance of setting the fire himself, and then pretending to be knocked out. Moreover, the fact that he could be stopped so easily is highly suspicious.

6. The progress of the investigation at the police bureau sped up so much right after Reyn had left. The slow progress before could be attributed to Reyn's old-fashioned methods and stubbornness, but Reyn is the head of the police force after all. The fact that he got the position shows that he is a man of high caliber. It is highly illogical, then, that he would be unable to find out who the mastermind is after such a long time, and despite all the clues and patterns.

7. Kira had confirmed my suspicions after carrying out a few interviews that there were a few times during the investigation when one of the men suggested probing deeper into something, and was refused by Reyn. It seemed as though Reyn wanted to keep the investigations on a superficial level.

8. Handel was from Orb University. Though he denied knowing the other 2 men (Aaron Dayes and Gerald Anars), old articles show that the 3 of them were in the school's track team. Kira had also confirmed my suspicion that the 3 were good friends – again, through interviews with lecturers and alumni.

9. Handel was once the target for attack. He was once poisoned – but then again, it could be merely a distraction to try to throw suspicion off him.

10. There is a question of motive. Reyn's eldest son died in the second war. Could that have driven him to want to kill Cagalli? And what about Handel? There is much about his past that remains unknown. Records only trace his life from after his foster family is murdered. Handel apparently went straight into a military institution and trained to work with the police. What about before that?

11. The girl – where does she come in?"

Athrun lay back in his chair. It was so close – just one more piece and the puzzle would be completed. He thought hard about the comb, and the initials engraved there…

A. R. … Who could it be?

Then suddenly he was rigid, and then he jumped up and extracted a file from a shelf. He opened it to Reyn's bio-data, and as his eyes scanned the page, he smiled in triumph.

Children:

Charles Reyn (Deceased at age of 3 due to measles)

Caleb Reyn (Deceased at age 21 during the Second Bloody Valentine War)

Anne Reyn

Just then, there came a loud shout from downstairs, shattering the silence of the night. A sound of a body hitting the ground followed, and then there came more shouts.

Athrun made sure his gun was loaded, and then stood up resolutely. He was going down to investigate.

Cagalli was awoken in the middle of the night by a loud sound. Her eyes flew open, and at first she thought it was a gunshot and that she was dead. However, as her senses came back to her and sleep faded away, she realized that it sounded more like a fight was in progress.

She lay in bed for a while; scared stiff and wondering if she should go down to see what was going on. At first, she had made up her mind to just stay in her room, but her inquisitive nature soon took over.

She swung her feet over her bed, unplugged the bedside lamp and carried it with her as she walked out of her room.

Before Meyrin could knock on Athrun's door, it swung open by itself and Meyrin jumped back in shock. Athrun tensed and looked as if he was going to shoot her for a second, but then his eyes adjusted to the dark and he realized it was only Meyrin.

"What are you doing here?" He asked in a whisper.

"I heard people arguing. It seems to be coming from the pantry. I thought it might be dangerous so I came to see if you were okay, or if you wanted to go and investigate the matter."

Just then, a floorboard creaked and both eyes flew to the direction in which the sound came from.

"Calm down, it's only me." Cagalli said hastily.

Athrun stifled a laugh as Cagalli walked forward to meet them. Cagalli scowled and poked him in the ribs. "What's so funny?"

"Why are you carrying that lamp?"

"It's for protection! I don't have my gun with me, after all."

"What a strange weapon choice."

"Whatever, Athrun Zala. And anyway, I suppose the two of you are on your way to discover what the racket is all about?"

"Yes, yes. I think you and Meyrin should stay here – I'll go alone." Athun said. "It might be dangerous after all."

"Nonsense, Athrun, I'm coming along whether you like it or not." Cagalli scoffed.

"And so am I." Meyrin said quietly. Athrun looked at her with some surprise, after all, Meyrin rarely disagreed with his judgment.

"But-But-"

"But what, Athrun? Now lets hurry up and get there before something bad happens." Cagalli said, poking him once again.

After much reluctance on Athrun's part to allow the two women to go along, the three of them started making their way down to the pantry, and when they finally made it, they were greeted with a scene that they least expected to see.

The door of the pantry was wide open, and there were two men fighting inside – the Chief Inspector, and Ryo Handel. A girl stood watching them, looking anxious and frightened. In her hands was a small metal device, which she fingered nervously, as if not knowing what to do.

"Wh-What is going on here?" Cagalli demanded.

Everyone turned to look at her, and the two men stopped fighting and got to their feet at once.

"Your Highness, I can explain-" Reyn started.

"Your Highness, the Chief-Inspector is the mastermind, he's been the one all along." Ryo cut in loudly.

"Don't listen to him! He's the mastermind, not me!"

"His son died in the second war, he hates you, Princess. That's his daughter over there, they've been working to kill you, they both hate you."

"Your Highness, I've served your family for almost all my life – I wouldn't do this, I wouldn't!"

"I caught him coming down to the pantry today to plant the bomb. Look! His daughter has the detonator! I overheard their plans – they were going to run away and detonate the bomb. He was going to kill all of us!"

"Lies! Lies! This devil is the one that wants to harm you – he thinks you're to blame for everything! He thinks you killed his brother!"

"Your Highness, he's the reason why you're living in so much fear each day. He's the mastermind! He and that wretched girl over there, they were planning to kill you. You have to believe me – Your Highness, Mr. Zala, Meyrin…"

Ryo looked at Meyrin pleadingly, and all of a sudden, something ugly flashed across Anne Reyn's features. She had been watching the scene quietly all the while, but now, it seemed as though something had become clear to her, and she didn't like whatever she had just discovered. She snarled and lunged towards Meyrin, dropping the detonator and whipping out a dagger from her waistband, carnal fury apparent in her eyes.

There came two shots. The first was from Athrun, and it caught Anne in the arm, causing her to drop the dagger, and it landed on the floor harmlessly. The second was from Ryo, who had managed to whip out his revolver from his holster in record time, and this one caught Anne squarely in the heart.

For a moment, Anne's body seemed to stand still in mid-lunge, and then her eyes went blank, as she landed on the floor in a crumpled heap.

There was nothing for a while as everyone watched in stunned silence. Suddenly, Reyn gave a cry of agony and then rushed toward Ryo, hands outstretched with the intent of strangling him. Ryo looked at the older man calmly and shot him in the chest before Athrun could stop him.

As Reyn hit the ground, something slid out of his jacket. It was a compact metal box, and it looked exactly like the bomb which Cagalli and Athrun found planted in Cagalli's office so many nights ago.