Naril: I added some dividers that I forgot about. I hope it makes more sense with them...
Reno: *shakes head at her*
Naril: I am so sorry that this took so long! Like I said, life... but you guys don't wanna hear that. You just want to read the next chapter. It's been quite long hasn't it? *smiles nervously*
Reno: *sits on sofa reading a comic**snorts*
Naril: You got something to say?
Reno:*ignores her*
Naril: Hey! You annoyed with me too?
Reno: *gives her a look* Just because you got lots of Christmas cookies does not mean that you can stop writing on this for ages. And this chapter is ridiculously short and...
Naril: Fine and I'm sorry. But I wanted a cliffie and it just ended up like that...Can I still get my disclaimer?
Reno: *flips over the page* Naril owns nothing and thank good because think what would happen if she did. *looks bored*
Chapter 7 -
Live & Let Die
When you were young and your heart was an open book
You used to say live and let live
you know you did you know you did you know you did
But if this ever changin world in which we live in
Makes you give in and cry
Say live and let die
Live and let die
What does it matter to ya
When ya got a job to do
Ya got to do it well
You got to give the other fella hell
You used to say live and let live
you know you did you know you did you know you did
But if this ever changin world in which we live in
Makes you give in and cry
Say live and let die
Live and let die
Guns 'N' Roses
This was one part of the job that he hated most, the redhead thought as he polished his EMR in a futile attempt to pass the time.
The room was barren apart from a few crates, one of which he was sitting on at the moment. Beside the only door stood his partner, silent and looming as ever.
This effect was not lost on the family crouched in the corner. The mother had both her children in a tight hug, lending what comfort she could. Her face was marked with tear tracks, eyes bloodshot and blotchy. She was pretty once, Reno could tell, and young. Most of the wives of Shinra employees were young. It gave them some financial security that was hard to come by in Midgar.
Kidnapping always was messy business, Reno had decided long ago. Yet, at the same time it also brought long stretches of pure sitting around, waiting.
A movement beside him had him look up curiously.
"You're a Turk, aren't you?" The kid asked, apparently not all that afraid.
Before answering, the redhead took in the fear-filled expression on the mother's face behind the boy. She clearly had not expected him to do this.
"Yea." Reno finally answered, turning back to his weapon, which he put back in its holster concealed by his sleeve.
"I've seen some of you on the streets to the Shinra-building before!" The boy's big eyes were drawn to where the EMR had disappeared into his sleeve. "That your weapon? What's it do?"
Reno sighed, taking his PHS out. "Go back to your Mum, yo." He told the boy without looking at him.
There was a short silence, but no footsteps indicated that the kid had left.
"My name's Aidan."
-"Go back to your Mum, Aidan!" The Turk repeated less than patient, whipping around to glare into huge hazel eyes.
The boy flinched visibly and did as he was told, throwing himself into the arms of his mother, who immediately pressed him tightly against her front.
Reno just watched, eyes blank. From the corner of his eyes he could see his partner shift uncomfortably. He felt the cool texture of the PHS in his hand more acutely.
Rude nodded at him and he simply gave a curt nod back, not in the mood to try and be his cocky self. They were both waiting anxiously for the call. The drill always was the same, they knew how it would end, but that did not make the waiting any less comfortable. Someone would try to betray the company, their office would be alarmed and the family would have to pay. It was the way things worked around here.
The gun holstered inside his jacket started to grow heavier. He clamped down resolutely on any feelings creeping up inside of him. They had betrayed Shinra. This was the punishment, end of the story. They had a job to do. The company had given him the chance to see the sky, to breathe fresh air; something had to be given in return.
The PHS rang.
With a glance made to appear casual, Reno looked over at Rude, hand traveling inside his jacket. Behind him, the woman had released a startled gasp at the sudden sound. Did she know what this meant?
He flicked the phone open and answered the call. "Yea?"
-"It's time."
"Understood." He got up as he switched the phone off, Rude next to him in an instant. In one swift motion both had their guns out.
There was no command, no visible sign and yet, both Turks started to fire simultaneously before the woman could do as much as scream. A shot to the head by Rude and she crumbled.
Reno's hand never shook; not when he pulled the trigger once, twice and not when he lowered his gun to check that they really had done their job.
He felt a slight tremor run through them though, when he looked into empty hazel eyes no longer bright with light. The small face was frozen in fear. He averted his gaze quickly, nonetheless managing to deliver one more well-aimed bullet into the back of the child's neck, to be completely sure, even though death was already a fact.
He walked out without even a glance at his partner, not waiting for the older man to finish up. The hand in his pocket already fiddled with the phone there. His supplies were running low and tonight he would definitely need to get trashed.
In his mind he still saw the fear-filled eyes of the boy just before the bullet escaped the barrel of his weapon.
Reno had a firm grip on her wrist as they walked down the back alleys towards the harbor. In a way, she was grateful for the contact, despite the fact that she hated being dragged along. It was still dark, only starting to dawn and there was a tension in the air that she did not like at all.
"Where is that ship going to?"
-"No clue. And it's better that way."
With a frustrated growl, Yuffie planted her feet into the ground then.
"Turkey, I've had it up to here! I'm not a kid! So just tell me what the hell your plan is!"
The redhead stopped in his tracks. It was not like he had much of a choice with his hand still attached to her arm.
"The plan is to NOT let them get to us, so that you stay alive!" He told her forcefully, voice icy cold.
Yuffie bit down on her lip, but said nothing at that. She let herself be dragged down the road by the ex-Turk with no resistance after that.
That was until somehow, she heard the cocking of a gun.
The ninja could not locate it but Reno suddenly stood stock-still.
Before she knew what was happening, she was pushed to the ground and barely heard the shot that rang out at the same time. She jumped into a crouch as soon as she found her bearings again and faced a man in a black balaclava.
The young ninja sighed. "Oh, please. Can you get anymore cliche?"
She had been woken by the sound of someone talking on the phone downstairs. It was still dark. Disorientated, she had palmed for her alarm clock only to find it not there.
Confused she had opened her eyes only to realize that she was not in her own room and the last night came flooding back to her. She could not stop her cheeks from burning.
Before she could dwell on how embarrassing it had been, she had caught a sentence from the conversation downstairs, realizing Reno was the one doing most the talking.
"I know what to do. Don't worry, Reeve. Let me know when you find that bastard." She had heard him tell the other line.
There was silence and then footsteps on the stairs. She had thrown back the sheets and made to climb out of his bed, when the redhead had already appeared in the doorframe.
"Pack what you need. We're getting out of here."
"What happened?"
Reno by then had already started to throw his own things into a bag. "Reeve's got reason to believe someone hacked into the records of his phone-conversations. It means they know he spoke to me."
He had switched on the little TV sitting on a table in the corner.
"And the media's not helping."
"The investigation against Shinra is still up and running, despite the fact that President Rufus Shinra has apparently fired the prime suspect of the Sector 7 disaster." The news-speaker's voice had been accompanied by an image of her and Reno on the beach, the man who had tried to attack him in front of them in the sand.
The ninja had sworn in her native language and gone to her own room to do the same.
There was a satisfying crunch as she hit the man square in the nose, but he barely staggered.
Frowning, the ninja went in for a roundhouse kick which the man caught to flip her into the wall behind her. She barely caught herself, staggering, more in surprise than actual pain.
Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Reno struggling with two more of their assailants. He had his EMR out, the electricity crackling in the air before him. The two men did not seem perturbed and simply kept advancing. The first got too close and the ex-Turk brought up his weapon sending a what she assumed to be a lethal charge through the man.
The ninja did not have time to help him with the second one because she had to avoid being tackled by her own attacker. He somehow managed to get a grip around her neck, squeezing her windpipe.
The man had her in a tight grip. arms crossed over her own front almost completely immobilizing her. Almost. She kicked her feet of the ground with all the leverage she could get and knocked him in the chin with her head. She twisted out of his momentarily weakened grasp and added a quick punch for good measure.
A small noise gave her pause. Chancing a quick look, she found Reno on the ground, spitting blood as he tried to push himself to his feet.
In front of him stood the man he had just felled not two minutes beforehand.
Her eyes widened, how could someone get up again this quickly?
She whipped back around quickly, checking on the man she had thought she had knocked out, now she was not so sure anymore.
He was nowhere to be seen. She gulped, and scanned her surroundings. Before she could make another move, there was a prick in her neck and her hand shot up to touch the small dart.
"Yuffie!" She heard a voice from far away, and as her eyes got blurry, she looked at Reno who attempted to fight the man still holding him down. She made to say something, but found that nothing came out before she was swallowed up by blackness.
She thought she heard Reno yell something and something like a crunch or bone breaking. Then silence and nothing else.
°TBC°
Naril: *looks out from hiding place* Reviews please?