Author's note: Ooh, finally, Kira and Lacus cross each other's path!
Chapter 9:
The front entrance led to the vestibule of the Clyne Mansion where the party was already in full swing. A huge chandelier hung low from the ceiling, bathing the foyer in a warm orange glow. All around, people were gathered in throngs, laughing and talking. Wine glasses clinked. Music played in the background, barely audible.
A waiter swept towards them and offered two glasses of champagne on a silver tray. Kira snagged both glasses, handed one to Stellar and took a sip from his. The golden liquid coursed down his throat and made him feel alive. They wove their way through the crowd and emerged in a vast hall, designed like an atrium. Waiters and waitresses slid through the crowd lithely, balancing their silver trays. Guests congregated along the edges of the hall as they socialized, leaving the center empty for the couples dancing. Through the crowd, Kira caught a glimpse of the grand stairway which led up to the second and third floors of the Clyne Mansion.
And he didn't miss the hint of movement on the second floor. There was a team patrolling up there.
"Let's go," Stellar murmured. He glanced at her to see her amber eyes bright and alert as they swept through the crowd. She turned to smile at him reassuringly. They headed for the left wing and parted ways as Stellar entered the Ladies and Kira the Gents.
The restroom was lit by a warm glow that emanated from intricately designed lamps. It was empty when Kira entered it. No one at the urinals. He strolled past all the cubicles - all open and void – and slid into the last one, locking the door behind him.
Quickly, he ran his eyes over the walls, feeling with his hands. Then he stood on the toilet so that he could inspect the ceiling. With deft fingers, he felt around the ceramic bowl, behind the tank, and was pleased to find no hidden cameras or listening bugs.
Standing, he removed his black pen from his jacket pocket and unscrewed it. He emptied the ink cartridge onto his palm and dug into the empty metal shell, feeling for the little knob at the back. When he depressed it, a metal blade instantly flicked out. Holding the blade between his teeth, he reached into his trouser pocket for his wallet and carefully slid the inner leather lining. Hidden inside the pocket of leather were two tiny little gadgets, no bigger than the head of a pin. He slipped one of them into his mouth, pressing it firmly onto his molar tooth. The other, he put into his right ear. Immediately, a burst of static filled his ear and as it faded, he heard the faint sounds of breathing and background noise.
"This is K reporting. Testing 1, 2, 3. Do you copy?" He muttered, his lips barely moving.
"I hear you, loud and clear. Over. " Sting's voice replied.
"Welcome to the club, K…" Kira bit his lip as Orga Sabnak's arrogant voice filled his ear, dripping with sarcasm.
"Is Stellar online yet?"
"No. We haven't heard from-" Sting was cut off by another burst of static as Stellar's voice took over. "This is S reporting. I'm online. Over."
Bingo, Phase One complete. They were suited up and ready to go.
Athrun was standing on the third floor, gazing down at the swirling, shifting crowd. He lifted the collar of his tux and spoke into the hidden microphone. "Anything unusual, Team #1?"
Meyrin's voice was clear through the hearing device in his ear, "Nothing, Chief. Nearly all the guests have arrived. We only have a few more people in line."
"Team #2?"
"Negative, Sir. The front garden, backyard and grounds are all secure."
He glanced down at the dancing crowd below him, and spotted his blonde-haired subordinate leaning against a pillar. "What is Team #3's status?"
He noticed Dearka lifting his collar to speak. "Nothing unusual, Sir." Then a pause and a chuckle, "Except for this sexy woman who's so sexy that it's abnormal, Chief. Maybe we should bring her in and-"
"Just focus on your job, Elsman," Athrun snapped, "Team #4? Any updates?"
"Nothing, Chief," Yzak replied, "The second floor is currently empty. Most guests are bypassing us to head up to the rooftop pool. No suspicious sightings at the moment."
"Alright," Athrun said, "they may have already entered the Clyne Mansion so I want all teams on high alert. Keep everyone in the loop as soon as you see anything unusual. Anything at all, understand? Report first, question later. Got me?"
There was a murmur of 'yes, sir's. Athrun returned to watching the crowd. They were down there, he was sure. Those perpetrators who had infiltrated the Clyne Corporation. He could feel it - that rush of adrenalin and imminent danger in his blood. This time, he was going to nail them.
Kira eyed the crowd closely as he sipped his glass of champagne.
Anthony Russell, the CEO of PEG corporation - a pharmaceutical company based in Germany. Sylvana Dion, representative of LEX Company which supplied raw chemicals. Eleanor Jackson, Siegel Clyne's personal assistant. Michael Li, the vice-president of the National Medical Association.
He could identify and recognize nearly all the faces from the snapshots they had spent the past two days memorizing. He spotted Orga Sabnak, standing across the hall, with his female teammate by his side. Their eyes met for a second - Orga's arrogant and conceited, Kira's hard and challenging – then broke away again to skim the crowd watchfully.
A waiter brushed past, offering his silver tray. Kira raised a hand, about to smile and dismiss him, when he caught sight of the pale blue hair and the mischievious glint in his eye. Auel Neider grinned and winked, then wove through the crowd sleekly, balancing his silver tray with a single hand. Kira watched him go, his lips crooked in a smile. Our attempt at a normal civilized lifestyle. He remembered Stellar saying to him as they stood side-by-side under the harsh streetlight, his gentle fingers caressing her bruised and swollen lips. Auel would make a good waiter, Kira thought bitterly, if they ever got out of this dog-eat-dog world, or out of Rau Le Creuset's clutches. Maybe they they could all get a job, a normal kind of job.
Orga's voice emanating through the earpiece interrupted his thoughts. "S, Siegel Clyne is ten feet from you, on your right. Do your thing. K, watch her back. Warn us if you see anything."
Kira didn't turn around, but he felt Stellar push off the pillar and a glass of half-drunk champagne was slipped into his free hand subtly. He watched as his blonde-haired companion slid through the crowd, heading for a group of men huddled close to the cocktail bar.
"Hello."
Kira turned abruptly to face the speaker. She was tall and slender, in a cherry-pink, figure-skimming gown that accentuated her curves. Beautiful pink hair cascaded over her shoulders and hung down her back. Gentle blue-grey eyes were twinkling at him. He froze, like a deer trapped in the headlights of an incoming vehicle.
Shit. He knew this woman and he knew they were in deep shit.