Notes: Thanks to Kaze and Lisa for plot help!

Chapter Three

Sephiroth and Cloud arrived home a couple of hours later, tired and discouraged--their search having been fruitless. They exchanged tales of their day with Angeal and with Zack, who was baffled over the police not having found anything unusual at the house across the street. Both Sephiroth and Cloud were much too exhausted to care a great deal, and after eating their dinners, they retreated upstairs to get ready for bed.

The night passed in relative peace, which was both a surprise and a relief. Everyone slept well, with Angeal being the first to rise as usual. By the time the other men were getting up, Tifa and Aerith were preparing breakfast and Angeal was returning from his morning walk.

Zack bounded down the stairs just as Angeal arrived through the door. "Hey pal!" Zack chirped. "How's the neighborhood today?"

"Just fine," Angeal answered.

"Nothing weird across the street?" Zack asked.

Angeal shook his head. "Everything looks normal," he said. "The police said nothing seemed to be wrong."

Zack frowned. "You don't think I was seeing things, do you, Angeal?" he pleaded.

Angeal gave him a look. Zack had been injured recently, but he had not been hallucinating. And his eyesight was still excellent. "No, I don't," Angeal admitted, "but I don't know what you did see."

Zack's hands went to his hips. "Well, I'm gonna find out what I saw!" he vowed. "Even if I have to go over there myself, I'll figure it out."

"Don't do anything unnecessarily dangerous."

Zack turned at Seph's voice. The older man was coming down the stairs, looking irritated as he combed out his damp hair with his fingers.

"If you honestly believe something there is amiss," he continued, "you shouldn't go there alone, either."

Zack shrugged. "Aww, I probably wouldn't be able to get inside anyway," he said. "I hope everything's locked up good!"

"Then what's the point?" Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "I doubt there would be anything in the yard."

"You never know!" Zack said with a wave of his hand. "Maybe there'd be a clue that'd break the whole thing wide open."

"I wish something could break this mystery wide open," Cloud muttered as he arrived at the top of the stairs. His spikes were sticking in all directions, a manifestation of chronic bedhair. "We were up for hours without any luck. I bet the smugglers saw to it that the woman's profile was deleted."

"I'm going to call the hospital and find out about her condition," Sephiroth said. "Hopefully she'll be able to tell us more."

"No investigating until after breakfast!" Aerith said lightly, coming to the kitchen doorway with a metal spatula in hand.

Zack's eyes lit up. "Fine with me!" he declared. "Is it ready?"

"Just about." Aerith turned to go back into the kitchen. "You boys can help set the table."

Zack hurried to follow her. Sephiroth looked to Cloud in semi-amusement. Zack's enthusiasm for food was predictable by now, but endearing. And of course, the women's cooking skills were not to be disputed.

Cloud smirked, turning to head for the kitchen too. "Well," he said, "let's get to it."

The meal was well worth the time and effort, as usual. After enjoying their fills, they cleared the table and rinsed the dishes to put in the dishwasher. Sephiroth then wandered back into the living room to place the call to the hospital. When Zack followed him a moment later, he blinked in surprise to see Seph stiffening in shock, his eyes narrowing at something being said.

"When was this?" he demanded. His expression only grew more dark from the person's reply. "If there had been better security to begin with, this wouldn't have happened," he said, his voice clipped. "Given the circumstances, I would have thought you would have put more effort into keeping her safe."

Zack was staring when Seph hung up. "What's going on?!" he exclaimed.

Sephiroth affixed him with a very perturbed look. "She's disappeared," he stated.

Zack's mouth dropped open. "When?!"

Cloud came in behind him, stunned at the news. The only lead to what was going on had vanished into thin air? How could that happen?

"No one knows when it happened," Sephiroth grunted. "The last time anyone checked on her was earlier this morning. I'm guessing that one of the smugglers disguised himself as a doctor or a nurse in order to remove her from the room without drawing suspicion. When she was found missing an hour ago the police were called, but they haven't found any clues. The room was completely spotless."

"That's awful!" Zack cried. "And there's no cameras or anything that they can look at to find out where they went?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "This isn't like the Shinra medical centers," he said. "For a long time I've been thinking that we need a private infirmary at Jenova Corp, something solely for us, the employees, and close family and friends. We shouldn't delay any longer in having that addition made." He turned, his hair swishing with the motion. "Unfortunately, it's too late for that idea to solve this problem."

It was obvious that Sephiroth was furious. The cold, clipped tone was what he adopted when he was trying to control his temper. And Cloud did not blame him. He was angry, too. What were they going to do now? And what would happen to that employee? If she had really been taken by the smugglers, they would make sure not to leave her alive this time. She was probably already dead--but in case she was not, they needed to immediately find where she was and rescue her. And at the moment that seemed next to impossible.

"Was Vincent at the hospital?" Cloud asked.

"I don't know," Sephiroth said, looking back to him. "If he was, he probably wasn't in that area."

"I'm going to call him," Cloud decided, pulling out his cellphone.

"You do that," Sephiroth said. "I'm going to look through the profiles we found last night that could be suspicious."

"I'll help!" Zack volunteered immediately.

"I will too," Angeal said, entering the room.

Sephiroth was grateful for the offers. He nodded, turning to go to his office. The others followed.

"I'll come in a minute," Cloud said as he dialed.

Vincent had not been at the hospital, but he was on his way there at the moment. He frowned in irritation as his cellphone rang. Now he would need to look for a place to pull over, and traffic was getting thick for the morning rush. Though on second thought, the cars ahead were barely moving, and the vehicles coming along either side of his own were preventing him from going anywhere. He would probably be late for work anyway.

Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, he dug into his pocket and removed his phone. He flipped it open, bringing it to his ear.

"Vincent?" Cloud's voice greeted him.

"What is it?" Vincent returned. The car just ahead of him screeched to a halt after what could not be more than two inches. Vincent slammed on the brakes.

"I guess you're not at the hospital," Cloud commented. The sounds of the oncoming traffic jam were going through the phone loud and clear.

"No," Vincent said. Nearby, a horn gave a loud honk, its owner exasperated.

Cloud sighed. ". . . We're having a problem at Jenova Corp," he said. "Some employee said we've got smugglers here, but she got beat up before we could learn any more. And now Sephiroth found out she's disappeared from the hospital."

"I don't know anything about it," Vincent said. "They didn't call me."

"Well, when you get there, can you try to find out more?" Cloud asked. "If the smugglers got her, they're probably going to make sure they don't mess up this time."

"Probably." Traffic began to inch forward again. Vincent followed suit. It looked like beyond the stoplight they were approaching, the cars were moving freely. Maybe he would be lucky enough to join them.

For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line. "Vincent, is the whole staff there trustworthy?" Cloud queried.

"There's some I like better than others," Vincent said. "I couldn't say whether any of them would be involved in something illegal." It would be naive and unrealistic to say he knew for sure that they were all upright people. There could be a bad apple or two in every barrel.

"Does anybody stand out?" Cloud persisted. "We were thinking somebody probably snuck in and carted this employee off, but what if it was somebody who was already on the staff?"

"Possible. Maybe you should start by finding out her attending physician and the nurse," Vincent said.

"Yeah. We're going to. I'm going to run this past Sephiroth and the others."

"Was she badly hurt enough that she couldn't have left on her own?" Vincent wondered.

"I don't know," Cloud said. "I'll have to find that out, too."

"Come to the hospital in thirty minutes and I should be there," Vincent told him. "I'll see what I can find out in the meantime."

"Great. Thanks." With that Cloud hung up.

Vincent folded the cellphone, replacing it in his pocket. Not a moment too soon; they were coming to the light and traffic was indeed getting better. The cars began to go their separate directions. Vincent continued going straight.

And without warning a strange man stumbled out of nowhere, slamming his hands on the hood of the car. There was no time to think. Vincent threw on the brakes as the person staggered past. Crimson eyes narrowed. The idiot did not look drunk, just exhausted. What was he thinking?

He rolled down the window. "You're going to get killed." It was a flat statement.

The man looked over at him, giving a shaky nod. "Yes, I'm quite aware of that," he said. "It was very good of you to stop, sir." He straightened up, adjusting his glasses.

Vincent grunted. The last thing he needed was to hit somebody. "Stay on the sidewalk," he said, moving to start the engine.

"A very logical concept, to be sure. I happened to be making my way in that direction when you suddenly appeared." The man shrugged broad shoulders, turning to continue his journey to the other side of the street. It was impossible not to notice that he was vaguely limping. It had not happened when he had nearly crashed into Vincent's car; it had contributed to the near-accident. He should not have been running so fast with such an injury.

Vincent was not one to meddle in other people's affairs, but the fact that he had nearly gotten involved in an accident, as well as now being a doctor, prompted him to speak again.

"Did you have your leg looked at?"

The man froze, looking back over his shoulder. "No, I didn't," he said. "But it's nothing that won't heal."

Vincent was not impressed. "If you're not going to see a doctor, maybe you should at least consider using a cane until it heals. And not to run like that."

"Perhaps. And while I thank you for your concern, good sir, I must be on my way." With a wave of his hand the stranger turned once more, at last arriving on the curb.

A frown crossed Vincent's features as he rolled up the window. He had seen that man somewhere, but at the moment he could not place it. And he was going to be even more late. Pressing on the accelerator, he sped off down the street.

Behind the vanishing car, the limping man wandered around the next corner. He had been traveling all night, ever since escaping from the basement of the old office building where he had been held prisoner. Apparently he had twisted his ankle at some point during his flight, but he had not wanted to stop to see about it. Any time he spent loitering was time that his enemies could catch up to him. He had made it out of the building without incident, but the blond would have told the others that he had departed. They were probably all looking for him right now.

His ankle rolled as he took the next step. Cursing to himself, he planted his other foot on the sidewalk and threw his weight onto it. Releasing the pressure helped--at least somewhat. As he went forward again, he looked to the half-useless leg he was dragging. He would have to keep a closer watch on that ankle.

So it was that he was not observing where he was going. As he approached the end of the block, someone else was coming from the opposite direction. They collided.

He stumbled back, adjusting his glasses again as he took in the odd person who had almost been knocked down. "You must pardon me," he said in a smooth voice. "I'm in a great hurry. Are you hurt?" He took in the stringy raven hair, thin lips, and ice-blue eyes. What a bizarre man. The tan coat with tufted fur on the collar and cuffs only added to the eccentric appearance. And . . . was that a fake hand?

The other stared. "Dalton!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

Instantly Dalton tensed. Whoever this was, he knew the same name that had been bestowed by the smugglers. Was he associated with them? Or had their acquaintance been made due to other means? Perhaps "Dalton" actually was his own moniker.

"I'm terribly sorry," he spoke, "but you will have to refresh my memory on how we know one another. I don't remember you at all."

The strange man frowned. "I think you'd better come with me," he said with a gesture. "I've been looking for you since the day you disappeared." His right hand was a fake. The rising winter sun caught the gleam from the flesh-colored material.

"Perhaps first you should tell me why I should come," Dalton retorted. He was not about to trust anyone. If this person did not seem to know of the smugglers, maybe he would be given a chance. On the other hand, that might be a deliberate approach in order to get Dalton to lower his guard.

The raven-haired man pondered on this demand. "We've known each other for many years," he said at last. "Together we started the Fragmented Triangle company." He crossed his arms. ". . . Besides, if you don't remember, where do you think you can go? You don't look like you have any resources."

Dalton really had no idea where he would go. "Even if we did start this company," he answered, "it doesn't make you trustworthy. There are many supposed allies who stab their comrades in the back. I don't intend to be on the receiving end of that."

A shrug. "If you'd rather go about things on your own." But the man narrowed his eyes. "You're limping," he proclaimed, observing the other's determination to keep throwing his weight onto one side.

"So I am," Dalton said, annoyed that he could not hide the injury. "It isn't serious."

"Even with that hindrance, you could most certainly overpower me if I turn out to be your enemy," replied the other.

Dalton smirked. "I could," he agreed. He would make a decision. Perhaps it was foolish, but for now he was going to try. "Very well then. I'll come with you for the time being. But you never did tell your name."

"An oversight," his companion smiled. "Azazel Rakesh."

Dalton raised an eyebrow. "Azazel? As in the Hebrew term translated as 'scapegoat'?"

"Something like that," Azazel responded. "Only where we came from, it wasn't Hebrew."

"How interesting," Dalton mused. "You will have to tell me about it sometime."

"Yes," Azazel said, "I will."

Sephiroth was already weary when they arrived at the hospital shortly following Cloud's conversation with Vincent. Dealing with doctors had never been one of his favorite things, and he intended to throw his authority as company president around in order to learn what he could. He was responsible for his employee's safety, especially when her identity was not known and her family could not be contacted. He was still furious that more had not been done by the hospital staff to protect her.

On the ride, he had been mulling over their next course of action. He and the others had compiled a list of the possibly suspicious employees and their departments, and when they went to Jenova Corp they would need to seek out every one of those people and form an opinion of them. The plan would be to eventually mention the mugging, without ever indicating it was more than that, and see how they reacted. Zack and Angeal would be the ideal ones to go about the task, due to Zack's talkative nature and Angeal's managerial position. It could look suspicious for certain if Sephiroth and Cloud randomly went to the employees--not that there was not some level of risk in any case.

Perhaps, Sephiroth mused, among the more honest-seeming workers he should describe the beaten woman and ask if they knew who she was. He could still play up the mugging angle for that. His only concern would be that the employees would not really be as trustworthy as they seemed, or that even if they were, something could get back to the real criminals responsible. If the smugglers thought for one moment that the woman had been able to tell anything, they could kill her--if she was not dead already. Yet on the other hand, things could potentially work in Sephiroth's and the others' favor. If the criminals knew that their employers were on to them, they might make foolish mistakes. And then the woman might be able to be rescued.

Holding people's lives in his hands was nothing new; he had held that responsibility many times as General of SOLDIER. But it never became any less of a concern. Every situation was different. He could never solve one case exactly the same way that he had solved another before it.

"Seph, you look beat!"

He glanced up at Zack's concerned voice. The brunet was preparing to open the door and step out onto the pavement, but now he leaned forward to better see his friend.

Sephiroth grunted. "It was a long night," he said. "This is starting out to be a long day."

"Yeah. . . ." Zack tried to grin. "But I'll be right here to share the load," he proclaimed. His determination last night had paid off, since they had agreed to let him come with them. He was not, however, to get into anything that would be without a doubt dangerous. And he was to stop and rest if he began to grow exhausted. Oh well, he was willing to make the compromise.

Sephiroth nodded. "I know," he said. And having Zack along would be a big help. They needed all the people they could get. He undid his seatbelt, shifting to the side in order to get out of the car.

"If I see anything weird at that house when we come home, I'm gonna check things out there, too," Zack vowed.

Seph's long legs enabled him to exit the limousine with poise and grace. In contrast, Zack simply hopped out, his shoes hitting the pavement.

"We have enough of our own problems without worrying over mysterious lights across the street," Sephiroth said, looking to Zack.

The brunet shrugged. "Aww, come on, Seph!" he pleaded. "Even if nothing's wrong, aren't you curious?"

"Not really." Sephiroth's response was flat and matter-of-fact. He began to walk towards the doors. Cloud and Angeal were already halfway there.

Zack hurried to catch up, his expression sobered now. "It's kinda weird that I saw those lights when all the other trouble was happening last night," he mused.

"I doubt the smugglers would be foolish enough to set up shop right across the street from us," Sephiroth retorted.

"Yeah, I know!" Zack said. "It probably wouldn't be that, but maybe it's something else important, anyway."

Sephiroth stepped through the doorway as the electronic doors pulled back. "Something not relating to us," he said.

Vincent was waiting for them in the lobby, as promised. In his hand he was holding a file folder. He regarded them with a deadpan look.

"Did you find anything out?" he greeted.

"Only the names of the physician and the nurse," Sephiroth grunted in irritation. "They weren't available because they were being questioned by the police."

Vincent nodded. "The attending physician, Daniel Sloan, is one of the most skilled men at the hospital."

"Do you trust him?" Sephiroth inquired.

Vincent nodded. "He said he did order a guard for the woman's room," he reported. "The nurse was aware of it, too. The guard was there for most of the night, but when he was supposed to switch places with another guard, the second one didn't come. And the first one disappeared."

Zack's mouth dropped open. "What the heck?!" he burst out.

Cloud's eyes narrowed. "And no one has any idea what happened there, either," he deduced.

"They don't." Vincent pressed the folder into Sephiroth's hands. "This is Dr. Sloan's report on the woman."

Sephiroth flipped it open. According to the physician, the damage had been serious, but not life-threatening. But his eyes still narrowed as he read the details.

Zack peered over his shoulder. "Yikes," he said, shuddering at the descriptions of broken ribs and some internal bleeding. Then a fist clenched. "Any sane person who'd treat a girl like that couldn't have any decency!" Her loved ones would be outraged.

"And unless she's got a secret life as Wonder Woman, she couldn't have gotten out of here on her own," Cloud muttered, reading as well.

Sephiroth lifted the sheet of paper to look underneath. Finding nothing, he closed the folder and handed it back to Vincent. "Where is the room she was using?" he asked.

Vincent turned to lead them down the hall. "The police have already been here and looked," he said. "They didn't find anything."

"Well, we'll try anyway!" Zack said in determination.

Arriving at the door, Vincent pushed it open. The room beyond was exactly as it had been left--clean and straightened, with no sign of its occupant or whoever had taken her away. Other than the bed and the standard equipment, the only objects in the room were a nightstand, the locker, and a television set suspended at the corner of the ceiling.

Sephiroth walked past Vincent to the locker. "What happened to the clothes she was wearing?" he asked.

"They were taken by her abductor," Vincent told him. "The police dusted for fingerprints, but there weren't any except hers, the doctor's, and the nurse's."

Sephiroth pulled open the door, examining the empty space. "What do you think of the nurse?"

"Her name is Ginger Lewis," Vincent said. "She's brusque, but efficient."

Zack wandered over to the bed. Hefting the mattress, he peered at the box springs underneath. "Nothing here," he reported.

Cloud was standing near the head of the bed. "Hey wait!" he said suddenly, as Zack was about to lower the mattress again.

Zack blinked, looking over to him. "What is it?" he said.

"Something's caught between the box springs and the headboard," Cloud said. "I can just barely see the top of it." Reaching down, he got his fingers on either side of it and began to ease it up by the edges. "It's some kind of rectangular card." Finally freeing it, he straightened up and looked at it, still holding it by the edges so as not to disturb any possible remaining fingerprints.

Thorton Books and Antiques

Come for the new, stay for the old.

Or the other way around.

Below that it gave an address in the older part of town.

"It's a business card," he announced.

Zack dropped the mattress and hurried over to look. "Weird slogan," he frowned. "Why not just come for both in the first place?"

Angeal studied it over Cloud's shoulder. "So it had to have been left since the Jenova Corp employee came here?" he said.

Vincent nodded. "It looks recent. And the nurse would have found it earlier if a different patient had left it."

"But this lady wouldn't have been in any condition to leave a clue, would she?" Zack blinked.

"Probably not." Sephiroth had come over to look as well. "But I doubt the smugglers would leave a calling card."

Cloud nodded. "It was stuck down there so far, it must have been done on purpose," he said. "Maybe she did leave it as a clue, and she had to push it far enough so that whoever carted her off wouldn't see it and take it away."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Zack exclaimed. "Let's go look at this place!"

Sephiroth nodded his consent. "It's the only possible lead," he said. "It might not even be connected with what happened, but we can't take any chances."

Searching the rest of the room did not provide them with any more clues. After writing down the address on the business card, they left the possible evidence for Vincent to give to the police and hurried out the door.