"Tifa come with me to the vault please" asked Mr Mizaki.
"Yes sir" i replied.
Mr Mizaki is one of my clients. One of our top paying clients to be exact. Without him my bodyguard business would surely be in the red doesn't mean i have to like him though. I never really trusted him and i don't think ever will.
"Tifa i can't say how much i appreciate you accompanying me on these visits, i feel much safer with you by my side"
"Please sir its what i am paid to do, and please call me Miss Lockheart this is strictly business after all"
"Of course my apology's" he said respectfully.
We continued on to the vault in silence occasionally passing a secretary of another customer of the bank. As they all passed by i am on guard in case any of them have concealed weapons or intend to rob Mr Mizaki.
Reaching the vault Mizaki input a code on the keypad to open the vault door. The door itself was very thick, designed to keep everything out. If you didn't have the key code you would surely need to be a master thief to break into it. Mizaki walked in beckoning me to follow with us contained inside the door automatically closed behind us.
"Stand over there" he asked
"Sir?" quite puzzled by his strange request. usually he wants me to stand somewhere where i couldn't see what he was doing, what is he up to i wonder.
"Stand over there" He repeated with a impatient tone.
"Erm..sure" I did as he requested feeling a little uneasy
Opening his briefcase he pulled out some documents, some wads of money and a necklace box.
"Tifa i want to show you something"
"Sir its not necessary i am here to protect you nothing more" i said hoping he would take the hint and forget the whole thing.
"You see this" he said pointing to the necklace box on the table. i nodded just wanting him to get to the damn point "Well i want you, my loyal bodyguard to see it"
The look of my face must of been weird as he laughed out loud
"Now now TifaI mean Miss Lockheart i just want to show you it. it took me a while to obtain and i don't think anyone will see it again..at least for a few decades i just want to show you there's no harm in that right"
I nodded feeling a little bit of curiosity surge through me.
Mizaki opened the box and what i saw inside literally took my breath away. Inside that box lay the biggest gem i had ever seen attached to a very beautiful necklace. The gem if sold would be enough to feed a country for a lifetime. where had he got this? and why the hell is he showing me?
"its very pretty right"
i nodded feeling lost for words which wasnt like me at all!
"took me ages to find it" he stroked the necklace affectionately as it was a child. "This originated from Wutai you know"
i just smiled preying that this would end soon for some reason something about this whole visit set me on edge.
"Its about 200 years old you know" he said looking rather pleased himself.
What is this about? is he...gloating? Oh god it cant be. i felt dizzy as the answer came to me .
"Mizaki its very pretty and a deep shame that it will have to stay here but can you finish up soon i have other places i have to go"
"Of course i apologize i will hurry my work so you can be off"
No wonder i have felt so uneasy, everything about this visit has been normally wants me to his vault with him at the end of the week
But this morning he abruptly called and asked me to come with as it was urgent. he even offered me double to come with him!. The evidence has been staring me in the face but i refused to look at it for fear of my business losing money. How stupid i have been. A jewel that size must be well known that is why he is hiding it. Mizaki since i have known him has always been a suspicious guy and i have always wondered why he needed us. If it is what i fear then this could ruin everything i have worked for. I heard my cell phone ring glad to recieve a little distraction.
"Excuse me for a second"
looking at the caller id i saw it was Yuffie, which made me feel slightly relieved, just the person i wanted to speak to
"Teeeef! what ya doing, im going crazy outta mind girl i got nothing to do!"
moving as far away as i can from Mizaki so he couldn't here what i was saying i continued the phone call.
"Yuffs we have a very big problem, and i need you to do something for me"
"Ooooooh sounds like fun count me in!"
"Yuffs i want you to gather everyone and i mean everyone for when i get back"
"Whats happened Tifa?" she said sounding a little worried
"Ill explain everything when i get back, i also need you to call Godo as well"
"Pops? whats he got to do with this?"
"i need you to ask him about a gem that came from Wutai over 200 years ago and where it is now" i said nervously, glancing at Mizaki to check he didnt hear me
"Sure i can do that...i take it you want me to do that straight away"
"Yes its very important also make sure Cloud is at the meeting i have a feeling he knows about this"
"Erm ok, ill get right on it"
"ill be back in a hour i will see you then"
"Alrighty"
Cloud...What have you done now.
In the meeting room... which was just 2 sofas and a single chair, the group had gathered, minus Cloud. Which had left me angry when i heard. Yuffie had finished her call to her father Godo looking a bit annoyed.
"Yuffie where is Cloud?"
"He said he had something to do and will be a bit late"
Goddammit did he think this was all just a game. Lately he seems to not be working at all. Does he not take his job seriously im beginning to doubt his commitment to this whole thing. Sighing i took the whole the last remaining seat feeling the groups gaze following my every move.
"Alright so you are probably wondering why i asked you here"
"Damn right i am i was enjoying my day off when This damn kid here came and ruined it" Cid said indicating that he was talking about Yuffie
"Hey watch what you say old man!" Yuffie said shaking her fist in rage
"guys please this isnt the time" Aeris said
"Sorry" they mumbled feeling rather silly
"Yuffie give your cell to Aeris" i asked
"What? what the hell for?"
"So Aeris can call Cloud, she doesnt have a cell and if she used mine he wouldn't answer she is the only one he will listen to and i need him here no excuses"
Aeris blushed feeling a little shy at Tifa's comment.
"Ok" Yuffie said handing over her phone
"Make sure you get him here Aeris if he doesn't come he will not be welcome here anymore" this caused the whole group to gasp in suprise
"Tifa what the hell happened today" asked Barret feeling a bit shocked, Tifa never spoke like that about her childhood friend
"Is this about that gem?" asked Yuffie
"A little yes"
"what the hell is going on" Cid said lighting up a ciggarette
"You will know soon"
It took Aeris a lot of time to get Cloud to finally get his ass here. 3 hours of waiting and several cups of coffee he had finally arrived with me ready to kill him at any moment
"Yo" he said walking through the door noticing my glare he chuckled "You looking happy Teef"
"Don't give me that Cloud"
"So whats all the fuss about" he said leaning against the wall
i noticed he was wearing his battle gear, which only means he has been doing something that required him to fight
"Well as some of you know i was called out today by Mizaki, which is as we all know a little strange for him as he is normally so punctual and only sticks to his set appointment" Aeris and Yuffie nodded agreeing with Tifa
"This leads me to my next question Aeris?"
"Yes?"
"Why did you quit your high paying job to work here?" Aeris had been a highly paid executive, which had paid alot more then Tifa did.
"Erm..i wanted to help people i thought my job as a executive could do that but they dont care for workers or anyone at all....i joined to help others who cant help thereselves and when i heard of your business i thought it was perfect"
I nodded feeling satisfied at the answer
"So Cloud you understand what she is saying right?"
"I guess"
"Yuffie tell us what Godo said"
"Well...Pops said that 200 years ago Wutai was threatened by war and as a sign of peace they created 3 precious gems to give to the 3 major cites , the cites were Junon, Midgar and at the time Mideel. Junon was given a ruby one, Midgar a emerald and Mideel was given a Sapphire"
"And where are they now?"
"Junon's lay in the Mayor's office heavily secured, Midgars is in a vault and Mideels was given to the gold saucer for people to view after Mideel went into civil war several decades ago but.."
"go on Yuffs"
"A few months ago the sapphire gem was stolen, thought to be taken by a criminal organization though no proof of that was found"
"Do you understand now Cloud?"
"...Shit Tifa I'm so sorry"
"you knew what he was and yet you still set him up as my client"
"Tifa i really am sorry"
The only sound that could be heard was the sound of me punching him as hard as i could.
how can i forgive you for this ...you betrayed everything i have worked for i thought with a little sadness.