Back Up Plans
Chapter 9: Family Ties
It's always dark in the alleys around the harbor. Azula steps confidently down the narrow passages marked with dirty puddles and garbage. Over the past several months her path here has become familiar. The initial risk had been worth the flood of information, and now she's guaranteed safety as she traverses the alleys around the warehouse.
She senses the air tremble right behind her, but a strong hand grabs her before she can react. Cold brick slams into her back as Jet presses his warm body against hers. "Gotcha."
"You know I always win our games in the end," Azula purrs.
Jet's muscles flutter beneath her warm hand as it plays at the hem of his shirt. Distant sirens drift down the silent alley as the pair greet each other in a battle for dominance. When they reemerge, breathless and agitated, Azula is the first to speak.
"You didn't tell me you caught up with an old, family friend last night."
She feels Jet tense as he steps away. "Zuko wasn't supposed to be there, though I'm not surprised he went running home to share the miraculous news."
A cold wind whips down the alley where the pair stand frozen. Azula's eyes narrow while her cropped hair crawls loose from beneath her coat. "Lucky for you, this early resurrection has distracted him from the family's latest move. Now we just have to make sure to keep the truth buried about his new obsession."
"Why not just feed him a story that'll turn him on our side?"
"I've told you. If he's going to be part of the family again, then we have to give up the stories," she explains harshly. "The truth will set him free from the naïve ideals he's being fed. We just have to time it right."
Jet's taught body presses against her once more. Nibbling at her jaw, he teases her quietly. "Beneath all that armor you're soft you know."
"Maybe," she whispers. "But if you're the only one who knows, then you should remember that two can keep a secret if one of them is dead." Her clawed fingers dig into his injured shoulder. He relishes the pain as he kisses her roughly.
"Advice for both of us."
The stack of pages in the passenger seat twitch impatiently as the car heater blows on them. Without removing his eyes from the road Zuko drops his cell phone on top of them, effectively weighing them down. The device vibrates atop the stack and lights up with a familiar face. He'd been dodging his Uncle's call since the other night at the hospital. His gut tells him not to involve his Uncle- both for his safety and to avoid a lecture about his new project.
After his visit to the family home yesterday, Zuko had spent the majority of his precious work time entirely distracted. Accounts wouldn't balance, forms were nonsensical and every copy machine was determined to be uncooperative. Finally, he'd given up and left early- bringing home some work of course. He had nearly smiled when Sokka stared at him with a dumbfounded expression. However, even the small victory of silencing his incorrigible coworker couldn't crack Zuko's gloom. One face had tattooed itself onto his mind and only the truth would erase it.
His car windows frame the world passing by- faceless strangers layered in autumn colors, apartments stacked on top of one another, streets clogged with taxis and always the smell of human exhaust clinging to every crevice. His uncle's car races through the scenery as he takes the short trip to the nearest police precinct. Soon, his shoes are padding across the tiled floor of the station until he stops before a young officer at the front desk.
"I need a copy of a police report."
The man, probably about his own age, looks up from his computer at the imperious visitor. As expected, his eyes move to Zuko's scar. "Is there a fee?" Zuko prompts when the officer continues staring.
"Here's the form. Just follow the instructions." The man offers Zuko a clipboard and points toward a row of chairs. "You can fill it out there and return it."
Zuko glances down at the form on the clipboard. When he looks up again the officer has already returned his attention to the computer screen. "Thanks for the tip," Zuko accepts the clipboard and retreats to one the worn chairs in the far corner. As he reads the dense, small print on the page he taps his pen against the clipboard. He has to scratch out and redo several lines of information before he's done, but in no time he's facing the officer again.
The man glances over the form and nods in approval. "There's a fee," he states.
Zuko grabs his wallet and puts the first card he sees on the counter. The officer inspects his visitor's scar once more as he begins processing the card. "Have you been in here before?"
"Why do you ask?" Zuko says warily.
"No reason." The officer returns his card with a receipt. "It takes four to seven business days to process your request."
Zuko glances past the officer into the relatively quiet offices. "Because clearly it's a madhouse," he remarks. "What does it take to expedite this?" The credit card goes back in his wallet but he leaves it open where the officer can see a few bills peeking out.
The man leans forward and asks, "Was it nine years ago? The last time you were in here?" Zuko grows very still as the officer continues. "In the academy we study old cases. There's this one from nine years ago- a car crash- that turned into a big gang bust. Real messy. Tragic death. It's pretty famous."
The silence in room seems to crackle with tension as Zuko stares at the young officer. Finally, he slowly reaches into his wallet and pulls out a large bill. He leans forward and places it in the man's front pocket. "I guess you'll just have to look it up," Zuko says through clenched teeth. "You can tell me tomorrow when I come back for the record. And I wouldn't bother fighting me on it, because the cameras in here just caught me bribing you. I'd hate for an anonymous tip to draw attention to today's security recordings of the lobby."
Back in his car Zuko flips through his pages of research. Requesting a copy of the police report was simple enough, but setting foot in a police precinct hadn't been something he'd planned to do today. He runs a hand through his hair as while the other flips absentmindedly through his notes. Eventually he tosses them into the seat next to him and shuts his eyes. The car heater breathes great sighs of warm air into the car. It settles around Zuko like a warm blanket while he thinks.
He commands himself to focus. The sound of screeching tires and the sudden crunch of steel creep into his thoughts. He remembers how the cries of fear had turned to screams of pain.
While a plush black sedan pulls away from the station, an officer inside pulls out his personal phone. He stares at the crisp bill just given to him while the line rings. "You told me to call when he came in," he says into the phone.
There's a moment of silence as the other line responds.
"He was in a hurry to get it too. He's coming back tomorrow to pick it up."
Another pause.
"I was planning to leave no paper trail since this could mess me up."
The speaker on the other line spends more time responding to this and the officer seems to wilt in his chair.
"I didn't forget about that," he mutters. "I'll let the trail lead to him."
Another brief interlude and the line goes dead.
"You are Sokka Delmar, correct?" Sokka recognizes the dark voice addressing him. He immediately rises from his chair in response to the company's president.
"Yes sir. I am. How's your day going? Only one more until the weekend heh heh," Sokka's babbling fades into awkwardness as Ozai peers down at him without endearment.
"Not everyone is ready for the challenge of hard work," Ozai agrees.
"Hard work? Who's not ready for hard work?" Sokka demands. In a flash he gathers up papers on his desk to appear swamped in it. "Nobody here. Nope everyone in these square cubicles love to work. Work, work, work. In fact, the last time I had fun was when I was-"
"Enough," Ozai silences Sokka. "I am looking for the intern assigned to the Phoenix File."
"You mean your son Zuko? Right, right, well I think he said something about….shaving." Ozai's displeasure seems to grow every time Sokka speaks. "I'll give him a call and have him head over to your office as soon as he gets back."
"You do that." With that, Ozai returns to his office.
Sokka plants his forehead on his desk in frustration while he reaches for the phone. Pulling it his ear he dials and waits for Zuko to pick up.
"Hello?"
"Zuko it's Sokka."
"How did you get this number?" demands Zuko.
"I went through your desk the other day and you're welcome because now I can get a hold of you to tell you that Ozai is looking for you. He wants to talk to 'the intern assigned to the Phoenix File.'" Sokka finishes his poor imitation of Ozai. He hears Zuko sigh on the other end before speaking again.
"I'm not far. I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Great," Sokka says enthusiastically. "You remembered to shave this morning right?"
The line goes dead. A few minutes later Zuko is climbing the stairs toward the office prepared to keep his private research secret.
"You were looking for me?" Zuko's knuckles rap on the open doorway of Ozai's office.
"Yes, close the door behind you as you come in." Ozai shuffles some papers into a pile as Zuko silently obeys. The young man stands in front of Ozai's desk expectantly. "I see you have a file with you."
"Yes sir. It's the Phoenix Project." Zuko places the file on Ozai's desk. "I've created the spreadsheets and presentation like you asked."
"And what do you think of it all?" Unlike the police officer from earlier that morning, Ozai does not condescend to ignoring a person. His perceptive gaze melts his visitors in their own insecurities. All he has to do is make no effort to hide his attentive observation.
Aware of his father's tactics, Zuko proceeds. "I think you'll need to rebrand the company before you can finish the project. Or are you not buying out the Noriko's shares?"
Ozai dismisses the veiled accusation with a wave of his hand. "This company is taking another major step forward in it's story. Sole ownership and a new record annual growth."
"I see you're also shifting the specialty of the company. District Attorney Zhao will be grateful for your continued support."
"Managing legal risk will continue to be the bulk of our specialty, but it's time for us to truly invest in our city. We've been operating on the fringe for long enough. As this project develops, we will go from a lukewarm simmer to a blaze of triumph."
Ozai's speech lights an idea. Zuko remember's Azula's clue from this morning. Don't ask who. Ask why. Ozai is eager for his company to progress unabated, but what were other 'big steps' his company had taken in the past. Could one of the have been somehow related to Jet's disappearance?
"You have my congratulations, President King." Ozai seems gratified by Zuko's insincere sentiments.
"How fortunate that you are the intern who can contribute your small role to this great endeavor."
"Yes," Zuko agrees "Have other interns been a part of previous "major steps" for the company?"
"If you're wondering if I gave you special treatment, Zuko- I did. We're nothing without family, right?" In an eerie coincidence, Ozai repeats the exact statement Azula made early that morning. Zuko wonders if this connection is another unintentional clue about whatever is going on. Either way, he'd been wondering if he got hired because of the family connection or for darker reasons than nepotism. Now he knows.
In another intuitive leap, Zuko remembers when his Uncle left the company nine years ago to become a law professor. It had been sudden and unexpected, mostly because Iroh had been the primary share holder and CEO of the family company. Zuko always assumed that Lu Ten's death was the reason Iroh shifted his priorities, but as he recalls the events with a fresh perspective, he realizes that Ozai had bought out Iroh. He remembers sitting outside his father's home office listening to his business calls. There had been endless conversations about major changes and the accelerated growth of the company. Was Lu Ten's death more complicated than it had appeared?
There's this one from nine years ago- a car crash- that turned into a big gang bust. Real messy. Only one survivor. It's pretty famous.
Was it a coincidence that every time his father succeeded in business a member of his family suffered? The hypocritical sentiment from his father and sister about family made no sense.
"I'd like for you to give your presentation to the executives on Saturday morning." Zuko's escalating thoughts are interrupted by Ozai's command. He struggles to refocus on the executive's words. "That way we can be familiar with it for when we present it to our shareholders. Be prepared to edit it. I'm sure we'll have comments."
"Yes, sir." Zuko manages a quiet affirmation though his mind is now on the pile of information in his car and the police report he'd requested. He realizes now that the report was more valuable than he had originally imagined. It wasn't just a report on Jet's death. The accident that had scarred Zuko and killed Jet, had also killed the driver- his cousin Lu Ten.
Thank you for your endless patience! Hope you're still enjoying this story! Expect new material soon!