Author's note: Okay! Here's the next chapter. Oh my, I enjoyed writing this chapter so much, especially the countdown, but I think the characters went a little OCC. Hmm… well, read on and let me know what you think!
Chapter 30:
There was a sharp intake of breath from Meyrin and Athrun silenced her with a hard glare.
"I don't know who you are," Siegel replied, his voice quiet and calm and he cast a glance at Athrun. His eyes betrayed the nervousness and tension in him and Athrun gave him a thumbs-up to signify that he was doing alright.
"Well," the voice said, "this call concerns your daughter Lacus Clyne."
"What do you want?"
"Let's talk about this privately, Mr. Clyne."
"I'm alone right now."
Laughter cackled through the speakers. "No, you're not, Mr. Clyne. I'm sure there are people listening as we speak. Turn off the speaker mode, Mr. Clyne. Then, let's talk."
Siegel glanced at Athrun who nodded reluctantly. He depressed a button on the phone set and indicated Siegel to pick up the receiver. The blonde-haired man did as told and cradled the phone to his ear. "It's just me now. Tell me what you want." He listened for a moment in silence. Athrun glanced over at Nicol who shook his head, frowning. He needed more time.
Turning back to Siegel, he mouthed silent, 'More time'. Siegel nodded his understanding.
"You took my daughter just for that?" he said into the phone, "We can do another transaction. Tell me how much money you want and I can give it to you. Don't hurt her…" A pause and Siegel was listening intently to what the man on the other end of the phone was saying. "But I don't have the serum. It was stolen… I really don't have it. No, it's true…" There was a long pause and Athrun watched as Siegel's face turned grey. Whatever the man was saying, it wasn't good news.
"No! Wait, wait… hold on! Yes, okay, I do have the serum and I can give it to you, just as long as you leave her alone… yes… yes, I can… Tell me the place…"
Athrun could sense the conversation coming to an end and he glanced quickly at Nicol who shook his head again, more vigorously, alarm written all over his face. Damn. He snatched the phone receiver from Siegel.
"What do you want?" He demanded, his voice hardening with contempt and loathing. He was speaking to the man responsible for Lacus' kidnapping. The man who was responsible not only for injuring Yzak but also for killing three of his men, and right now, Athrun wanted nothing more than to reach across the phone line, seize the man's neck and break it.
"Hello, Detective Zala. I've been waiting to hear your voice for a long time." The voice was smooth and calm.
"What do you want?" Athrun spat. He didn't miss the fact that the man knew his name and rank and had recognized him the moment he picked up the phone. The man knew more about him than he did the man and Athrun was aware that he was on the losing end.
"I've already told Mr. Clyne what I want, and I think you know it too, Mr. Zala."
Nicol raised a finger to signal that he needed another minute. "When do you want it?" Athrun asked, keeping an eye on Nicol.
"Thirty-six hours from now, Mr. Zala. You'll hear from me again as to the location."
"Prove that Lacus is alive," Athrun bargained, "let me hear her voice, then we'll arrange something."
There was laughter on the other end of the phone line. "Now, Detective, you're trying to be sneaky," the voice said. Athrun could sense the hint of amusement behind the words and knew the man was smiling. He glanced at Nicol who indicated that he needed thirty more seconds.
"I'm not an amateur and you know it, Mr. Zala. You're not stupid and neither am I. I don't make bargains with my enemies. You'll just have to trust me when I say Lacus Clyne is alive, and you'll have her back in one piece, completely unharmed. Just as long as you get me what I want."
"Like you said," Athrun dragged out, "I'm not stupid. What makes you think I'll let you walk away scot-free?"
Nicol raised both hands and spread out ten fingers. Ten more seconds. He began counting down.
"I know you'll try to stop me, Detective-"
Athrun watched as the fingers on Nicol's hands curled one after another. Nine. Eight.
"-but unless I let you, you won't even catch a glimpse of me-"
Seven. Six. Keep talking. Keep talking.
"-A game of cat and mouse, Detective. But I wonder who's the cat?"
Five. Four. Athrun held his breath. Come on, come on.
"Oops. According to my watch, time's almost up-"
Three. Come on!
"Till next time, Detective Zala."
Two.
The line went dead.
Kira leaned back against the filthy glass wall and closed his eyes. He realized that he was perspiring, the sweat beading on his forehead and slipping down his face. Was it the stress? The tension? He shook his head. He was just tired. Still weak.
He straightened, pulling himself together, removed a handkerchief from his back pocket and swiped the phone receiver, wiping it clean of his fingerprints. Then he hung it back in its cradle and ran the handkerchief over the payphone, rubbing each button clean.
While he was talking to Athrun Zala, the sun had risen and the sky was now tinted yellow and gold. The cold hadn't been chased away though and he pulled his jacket around his body tighter. He stepped back out onto the pavement and glanced down the street both sides and saw no one. No suspicious loiterers, no glints from sunlight reflected off the lenses of hidden cameras or binoculars. Safe. No one about. He glanced back down the right side of the street, the way he had come. He wasn't looking forward to the journey back and he didn't think he could make it either. He was too tired.
And then, as if on cue, he saw a familiar black van swerve out onto the road, heading in his direction. It pulled to a stop before him and the passenger door was flung open invitingly. Sting Oakley grinned at him from behind the wheel. "I thought you could do with a ride," the green-haired man laughed, "You look like shit."
Kira rolled his eyes at the comment, but he couldn't stop the smile that crept to his lips. He pulled himself into the van and Sting revved up the engine, pulling away from the curb.
Athrun slammed the phone receiver onto the ground. "Shit!" He growled, "Shit! Shit! Shit!" He thrust his hands into his disheveled blue hair.
"He knew we were tracing the phone," Nicol pointed out. A comment which was utterly un-helpful in Athrun's opinion, as he delivered a vicious kick to the coffee table. "I know that!" He snarled, throwing him an irate glare. "Tell me you got something, Nicol. Anything."
His subordinate exchanged a nervous glance with Lunamaria, then turned back to him and shook his head. "We were close to getting a location, but he cut us off at the last second. Literally."
"Shit!" Athrun gave the coffee table another volley of kicks. He wanted to sink his fists into something, anything. Better yet, into the face of the man he had just spoken to.
Damn! He had foreseen the call. He had pre-arranged everything, made sure Nicol's systems were up and running, made sure his men were all prepared to move out on a second's notice. He had been ready for the call, ready to take him out once and for all. But he had been outwitted again. Again!
All this while, he had watched their every move closely. He had tried to set up a trap in the Clyne Corporation and though he hadn't caught them, he had narrowly succeeded in keeping the vial safe. Then they had had the nerve to break in during Lacus' homecoming party but he had thwarted their plans with a fake serum, only to have one of his men killed and another injured during the process. Just as soon as he had found a chink in their armour, they had gone on ahead of him and covered up their tracks. He had lost two men because of that. And now, they had taken Lacus, his own family.
A cat and mouse game, the man had said, but who's the cat? Athrun threw his fist into the coffee table and the glass middle shattered, falling to the ground in shards. Well, he had no intention of being the mouse. He stooped, grabbed his car keys from the midst of the glass pieces and turned on his heel, heading for the door.
"Where're you going, Chief?" Meyrin called out.
He ignored the alarmed glances that his men were giving him and the concerned look on Siegel Clyne's face. Time to end it all. Time to go on the offensive.
Author's note: Yay, next chapter up! Well, what do you think? Review X3 and let me know!