Chapter 41
Athrun made his way into the kitchen and poured himself another cup of the strong brew from the machine. With the small of his back against the counter, he took a deep whiff and the strong scent of caffeine assaulted his senses. It smelt good. And the caffeine set his mind thinking.
Athrun remembered the first time he had set eyes on Kira Yamato. It was at the entrance of Copernicus Elementary School. He was but a boy himself, wide-eyed and curious, his small hand clasped in Siegel Clyne's larger one. He had been quiet, shy perhaps, and Lacus had been the one chattering and tugging at him. Lacus had been a sweet, adorable little girl with huge cerulean eyes and a wonderful voice. Athrun adored her from the start of their new siblinghood. She had been in Copernicus Elementary for a year; Athrun was new. Siegel, though busy, had taken an hour off to see to it that he was eased into his new school.
Lacus had been eager, if not over-zealous, in demonstrating the layout of the school. She dragged Siegel and Athrun all around, pointing out the classrooms, the garden, the play area, the library… Siegel grasped her little hand, attempting, in vain, to slow her down.
Until she began to hop from one foot to another and waved hysterically at a couple with two kids in tow.
"Kira! Cagalli!" She had shrieked, straining against Siegel's hold.
The couple had stopped and turned when their children came bounding over. A blonde girl and her brunette brother. They skidded to a halt and the girls began to chatter, their words quick and excited. The boy was quiet though, and Athrun had studied him with more than a little curiosity. There was a gentle smile on the boy's face as he listened to his sister's conversation. Then, as though sensing Athrun's gaze on him, he turned to meet it with innocent amethyst eyes. The boy's smile had widened a little but an expression of shyness had come over him.
The couple had strolled up to Siegel and exchanged friendly greetings. The woman had deep blue hair and when she glanced down at him, Athrun had felt a deep longing for the woman who reminded him of his mother.
Her voice was gentle when she spoke, "So this is your new charge, Siegel?"
Siegel had glanced down at him and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Yes," he smiled.
She bent, hands on her knees so that she was at eye-level with him. "What's your name?"
"Athrun," he had said, trying to put on a little smile so that he looked a little more likeable.
"And how old are you?"
"Four."
"Oh," the woman had said, "Kira and Cagalli are both four too." She took her son's little hand and led him forward. "Say hello, Kira."
The little boy gave a tentative smile. "Hello," he said obediently, showing small pearly white teeth.
"Hello," responded Athrun.
Later, Athrun had found out that he was in the same class as Kira. Kira was nice. He was gentle, sincere and quiet. Sometimes too quiet. Athrun quickly learned that there were people in class who took advantage of Kira's gentle demeanour. He stood up for Kira in cases like that, and Kira had returned the favour by being his 'listener'. He was the first person whom Athrun shared his past. Only Kira, other than Siegel and Lacus, knew his insecurities and his fears. Though young, Kira had been comfort, and they had remained best friends for more than three years.
Up until news of Kira's disappearance came.
Haruma and Caridad Yamato had been distraught. Someone had turned up at the police with Cagalli unconscious. Kira was nowhere to be found. The witness said he had seen someone making off with a boy but he couldn't be sure. No one called for a ransom, no body was found floating in the river. It was as if Kira had completely disappeared off the surface of the earth.
Lacus hadn't understood it then, when she saw Siegel's grim look and the Yamatos' tear-stained faces. She thought Kira had left temporarily and that he would come back soon. So did Cagalli. They thought it was impossible for anyone to leave for good. But Athrun knew better. His mother had left him, then his father, then everyone else he had known. He knew people could leave and never come back, and all you had left was a tattered photograph.
And fifteen years passed by, without any news, without any hopes or promises. Kira became nothing but an unspoken source of agony.
Fifteen years was a very long time…
Yet, it seemed as if things were changing. Fifteen years without a clue was like being stranded in a desert, the claws of thirst raking the parched throat raw. When a clue was suddenly tossed into the mix, it was like being offered a glass of water. But fifteen years of thirst, coupled with illusions, had cast doubts.
How could any of it make sense? How could a seven year-old boy simply disappear without a trace, then turn up fifteen years later? As a criminal, a murderer and a kidnapper, with a single-minded obsession to get his hands on the Clyne Corporation's new serum. What did the chemical trace, and genetic modification, as absurd as it sounded, and all that scientific jargon have to do with him?
If he really was Kira, did that mean that the guy he had spoken to on the phone, the man who had laid down the terms and conditions meticulously, was in fact the best friend he hadn't seen in years?
What was this? A game set up by some perverse psychopath?
Athrun took a long sip of his coffee.
Then Lacus would be in the hands of a psychopath. Or she could very well be in the hands of a friend they had all lost. What the hell was going on?
Lacus…
He prayed that she would be alright. Siegel would be crushed if anything happened to her. Athrun would never forgive himself if he let her come to harm. He had to get her out, and to do that, he would have to play their game and win. No way out. Winning was the only option.
And Athrun prided himself as a man who had won every game thus far.
Only, the stakes were much higher this time and he couldn't afford to lose.
He glanced down at the mug of coffee he held in his hand and suddenly felt repulsion towards it. Lacus had always insisted that excessive caffeine wasn't a good thing and unfortunately, Athrun was a self-professed caffeine-addict. He credited his addiction to the need for late hours that came with the job. Lacus hadn't bought his idea. But now, Athrun would give anything to hear her nag at him again.
Feeling ill, he headed for the sink and poured the remaining contents of his mug into it, watching as the brown liquid swirled and gurgled into the drain, light wisps of steam rising. He turned on the faucet and rinsed the sink out, then satisfied, he wandered back into the living room and paused in the doorway, shoulder against the doorframe as he gazed into the lounge.
Documents were strewn all over the carpeted floor and the glass table in the middle of the lounge was hidden from view by a toppling heap of files.
Cagalli was curled up in the couch asleep, her feet tucked under her and her head pillowed by a thick sheaf of papers. Light had snuck into the room through the glass window and cast a pillar of radiance across her upper torso. Her shoulder-length blonde hair, splayed out over the armrest, shimmered as it caught the light of the setting sun. Athrun glanced over at the only window in his living room. It faced out onto the main street and he could see the diminishing sunlight. One half of the street was now bathed in the reddish-gold hues of the setting sun, and the other half was shrouded in shadows – like darkness pursuing the light.
The pulsing red digits on the clock across the room informed him that it was already 6:12 p.m.
Athrun approached with feet silent on the carpeted floor, carefully treading his way amongst the strewn papers. Cagalli didn't stir even when he eased the sheet of paper she had clutched out of her hand. He glanced down at it and realized that Cagalli had prowled through the Missing Persons file starting in from the back. She had made it all through the 'Z' and was already half way through the 'Y'. No doubt she was heading straight for the name Yamato, Kira.
He laid the sheet of paper on the table, then headed for the bedroom, where he found a rolled-up blanket at the back of his wardrobe. With it tucked under his arm, he retraced his footsteps back into the lounge. Cagalli hadn't moved an inch. Must be the painkillers, he thought as he covered her lightly so that the cotton sheet was pulled up to her shoulders. Gently, he explored the bandage on her forehead, making sure it was snug before carefully smoothing the strands of blonde hair that had fallen across her face.
The insistent ringing of his cell phone caused him to draw back in a hurry. He fumbled the device out of his trouser pocket and silenced it quickly by pressing the 'receive' button. "Hello?" he muttered urgently with a hand cupped over his mouth to muffle the conversation.
Lunamaria's voice came through the line. "Chief?" She said.
Even as Athrun hurried out of the living room, careful not to trip over the piles of papers, he could detect the undercurrent of barely contained excitement. She didn't wait for him to reply.
"We've got a woman here asking about Kira Hibiki. Can you meet her now?"
"Yes," Athrun said without hesitation, already heading for his bedroom. "Where?"
"We've got her in the café two streets away. Dearka will meet you outside the entrance of HQ and arrange for you guys to meet."
"Right. And what about Seiran?"
"Nicol, Shinn and I are in the office. We'll keep him occupied."
"Okay. Thanks, I'll be there in five."
Athrun hung up just as he stepped through the doorway of his bedroom. He had been wearing a T-shirt and a pair of loose slacks, and now he threw them off in exchange for a button-down silk shirt and dress pants. He reached for the shoulder holster resting atop the dresser out of pure habit, then realised that he didn't need it.
He left the room, tossing his clothes into the laundry basket on the way out. Passing through the hallway, he glanced into the lounge and found Cagalli still asleep. He left her a note to inform her of his whereabouts before grabbing his car keys and jamming his feet into his shoes at the same time. Then he ran down the driveway, slid into the car, shoved the gear into drive and tore down the rapidly darkening street, feeling for the first time in days, more alive than ever.
The café was filled with the early-dinner crowd.
Dearka pushed his way through the queue at the entrance, signaling to the waitress that he was just looking for friends. Athrun followed him, eyes scanning the crowd.
"She's over there."
Dearka pointed towards the back of the café. Athrun followed his gaze and saw a woman with scarlet hair sitting in a booth alone. She was fidgeting with the clasp of her purse and didn't notice their approach until both men had stepped up to her table. She glanced up at them with curiosity, and a little sheepishness. Athrun could see why – she looked completely out of place. The red-headed woman was wearing a simple pale pink cotton dress with a shallow v-neck, a collar and sleeves. It ended an inch above her knees. The front looked a little frumpy, but it was evident that she had made an effort to smooth out the creases in her lap. There was a stain on her skirt. Probably steak sauce, or BBQ sauce. Maybe chilli or ketchup. It looked faded and washed out, like she had tried to scrub it out in the washroom to no avail.
A waitress, Athrun decided, but not a waitress of this café. She didn't blend in with the crowd because she didn't look like an office worker. Neither was she wearing the clean-cut white blouses and black skirts that the waitresses in the café were wearing. She was more like a waitress in a diner away from the suburbs, like a greasy spoon.
A very busy waitress who had caught a glimpse of the news, tore off her apron, tried to rinse the stain out of her skirt, gave up and hastened over to the police station.
Lots of fear, lots of paranoia, lots of anxiety.
"Miss Allster?" He said politely.
She nodded, head bobbing earnestly. "Yes." A tentative smile. "You're Detective Seiran?"
"No, I'm sorry," Athrun fixed a reassuring smile on his face. "I'm not. I'm Athrun Zala, Chief of the Special Unit. There was some miscommunication. This case falls under the Special Unit's charge, not Detective Seiran's team," he lied smoothly, at the same time marveling at how the lie could slip through his teeth so easily. Behind him, Dearka backed his tall tale with a firm nod and flashed his ID. Athrun set an air of professionalism around him, standing tall and poised with a quiet politeness in his voice, aware that his lack of ID could expose him right away.
Fortunately, the woman appeared not to notice that she had only seen one ID. "Oh, hello," the Allster woman smiled. Nervousness came over her as she began fidgeting with the clasp of her purse again. "I saw the news. Is Kira alright? Can I see him?"
"You mean Kira Hibiki?" Athrun asked.
She nodded again.
He gestured at the empty seat across from her. "Do you mind if we sit?"
"No, of course not. Please do."
Athrun slid across the bench so that his shoulder was pressed up against the window and waited for Dearka to sit down beside him, before saying, "Kira's alright. The doctors wanted to keep him under observation, that's all. He's also a key witness in this case so the police have put him under the witness protection program. So I hope you understand why we can't arrange for you to meet him."
The woman smiled. This time, it was a smile of relief. "He really is alright?"
"Yes."
"That's good. I was so worried when I saw the news. He was gone for so many days I thought something must have happened to him."
Athrun nodded reassuringly. "I understand. You mentioned he was gone for many days? Could you tell me what happened?"
Flay Allster shrugged her shoulders and began to pick at the hem of her dress. "I think it was a while ago, maybe two weeks or more when I asked Kira if he could come over to my house for a tasting session. My boyfriend and I own a restaurant, you see. But he didn't turn up and I haven't seen him since then. He used to come over to the restaurant for breakfast. Not every day, but whenever he could make it. But two weeks has been the longest time. When I went over to his apartment, he wasn't there either. I thought something had happened to him."
"He didn't call you, or inform you about his whereabouts?"
"No, he didn't. But then again, Kira and I don't talk over the phone."
"Why not?"
She hesitated, as though searching for a word to best describe her situation. "We… it's difficult to explain. Kira's a little secretive, a little anti-social. But he's a nice guy. We talk when he comes over for breakfast, and sometimes lunch and dinner, but we don't talk on the phone. In fact, I'm not even sure if he has a cellphone."
Dearka gave a snort. "No cellphone in the 21st century?"
Athrun silenced him with a hard glare, then turned back to the woman again. "Do you know anything about his family? Friends? His job?"
"No, not really," she shook her head. "I don't think he's got any family left. He's never mentioned them." She paused, head cocked to the side, "I don't know much about his career either. He's told me that he deals with 'dangerous' stuff, and he sometimes turns up bruised and beaten. I figured maybe he works in a security firm, or maybe he's an agent of some sort and he can't disclose any of the details to outsiders." Then she cast a look that was half-suspicious and half-amused. "He's not a policeman undercover, is he?"
Athrun exchanged a subtle glance with Dearka. But to Flay, he gave a reserved smile.
The woman caught on quickly. Nodding, she returned his smile and said, "I understand. Witness Protection Program, right? This must be classified information."
"You mentioned his apartment just now?" Athrun asked, changing the subject quickly. "Can you give me the address?"
"Sure, it's just a five-minute walk away from the restaurant." Flay rattled off an address which Dearka scribbled down diligently on a napkin from the table. He folded it neatly into quarters before handing it to Athrun, who pocketed it.
"Can you also describe this Kira we're talking about?" Dearka asked.
The woman eyed him strangely. "Why? You've seen him, haven't you?"
The blonde man paused, suddenly aware that the tall tale was falling apart, but Athrun interrupted smoothly. "This is for admin purposes. We always ask our witnesses and respondents to describe the person, whether it's a victim or a criminal. It's for the records."
"Oh, right," she nodded earnestly, "I understand. Kira's, well, good-looking. Brown hair, lean, a little taller than me-" She raised a hand and held it palm down an inch or two above her head. "-and he's got very striking purple eyes."
Athrun sank into the backrest. All that description. It was the first concrete description he had heard of so far. The rest had been bits and pieces. Lacus had provided the name, Cagalli had provided the eye colour. And this woman, Flay Allster, she had put everything together. Brown hair, purple eyes. It matched the Kira he had known fifteen years ago. Was this a coincidence, or was there much more to it?
He glanced up again to find the woman watching him curiously. "Kira," she began, then bit her lip, fingers finding the clasp of her purse again, "he's not in trouble, is he?"
"Trouble?"
"I mean, he hasn't broken the law or something, has he? It's just that all your questions are a little… strange."
Athrun fixed a smile on his face, forcing it to look as calm and encouraging as he could. "We wanted to clarify some things. Don't worry, Kira is fine."
"I see," she lapsed into a thoughtful silence, then glanced quickly at the watch she had strapped over her wrist. "Oh, it's 7:30 already. I've gotta run. It's almost closing time and I've already left the restaurant for a couple of hours. Do you need anything else, Detective?"
"No, it's fine," Athrun said as both men stood. He shook hands with Flay, assured her that he would call if Kira could meet her, insisted he would pay for her drink, then watched as the scarlet-haired waitress hastened out of the café.
"So, what are you going to do now, Chief?" Dearka asked. Athrun shrugged, eyes fixed on the outside of the window, watching as Flay Allster flagged down a cab and got in. The cab drove off and disappeared out of sight. Athrun retrieved the napkin from his pocket and scanned the scribbled address on it. "Guess I'll wait for dark," he said. Then he glanced up and met Dearka's eyes. He brandished the napkin in his direction. "Then I'll go and take a look at Mr. Hibiki's apartment."
Author's note: There's the next chappie… a little boring, because of all the emotional stuff, inner thoughts etc. but still… just wanted to set some history and background for the relationship between Athrun and Kira and why he might be skeptical and doubtful about the clues. I always felt Athrun was a little, little bit cynic in GSD, always believing what Durandal says, but always doubting anything to do with Kira. Hmm… now I'm making him sound foolish even though he's not… Oh well, just don't forget to review, review, review! Wonder what Athrun will be up to next?...