Author's note: Heyyy there! Here's the next chapter. So sorry for the delay. Had to take some time to work out the kinks in the story plot! Oh boy, so many people guessed it right; I guess I'm not all that good with this suspense thingy. But still, hope this chapter proves to be an enjoyable read. Much, much more to come. Shan't hold you up, so read on and enjoy while I get to work on the next chappie!

Chapter 55

A voice was screaming in Cagalli's mind.

She stared at the grotesque image of blood droplets fanning across the wall and found that she couldn't speak. Her eyes were glued to the puddle of blood on the floor and there was only one thought running through her mind. "Lacus…" she whispered. There was something squeezing her chest, icy-cold fingers tightening painfully around her heart, squeezing the breath out of her. How could someone do something like that to Lacus? What had she ever done to deserve it?

The room began to swim in and out of focus as tears blurred her vision. She couldn't believe it… She sagged against the doorframe, feeling as if the very life was being sucked out of her. Anytime now, her legs would cave in under her and she would collapse to the ground. Was that how Lacus had died? Collapsed against this filthy floor with the blood draining out of her?

Why?

"Cagalli."

A hand slipped under her forearm and held her up.

"Look at me."

She refused to. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the frightening murder scene. She didn't want to. This was where Lacus had died. Lacus… beautiful Lacus… her best friend, no, more than that… Lacus was more than that…

"Look at me, Cagalli." The grip around her forearm tightened and Athrun spun her around to face him. His facial features were distorted through the tears in her eyes.

"Listen," he said, "Lacus is alive."

She stared at him. The pounding in her head lifted by a fraction, just enough for her to hear what he was saying, but not enough for her to understand. "What?"

"Lacus is alive," Athrun repeated. Earnest green eyes were watching her closely, running over her features.

"But… how? What do you mean?" She whispered. Her voice was croaky, her throat dry. She clung on to Athrun's words like they were her lifeline, the only thing that could pull her to safety.

Athrun pointed at the bloodstains scattered across the wall, remembering the lessons Miriallia had taught him. "Look. The blood splatter suggests that the victim's jugular artery was cut. That makes the blood spurt, so you get a pattern like that. But the amount of blood" – he shook his head – "is too little. The jugular artery pumps blood from the heart, so when it's cut, the pumping action throws blood all over the place. This is too neat. And look here."

He gestured at the floor.

The thick layer of dust that coated the room had been all mussed up. In a corner, where the walls and floor were stained with blood, there was a patch of clear concrete, as if the dust there had been cleared. Or possibly, it was where Lacus had been seated. Though there were footsteps all over the room, there was a distinct set of footprints leading towards that patch of clear ground.

And the same footsteps led away from it, towards the door. But they weren't alone.

There was another set. Smaller prints. Daintier feet.

Two people had left the room instead of one.

"She's alive," Athrun said again, both for Cagalli and his own sake. "She walked out of this room."

The slight bump under the wheels of the vehicle caused Lacus' head, which had been balanced against her right knee, to slip off. She jerked awake, blinking in the dim light and found herself facing a blank wall of metal. Staring at it for a moment, she wondered where in the world she was, and why the ground beneath her was vibrating.

Then she remembered that she was in a van.

The memories came back to her sluggishly, seeping into her mind in little bits and pieces of fragmented images. It occurred to her that she hadn't had a decent sleep since her confinement in that tiny little room. Each time she had drifted into a 'sleep-like' trance, she had found herself woken up by little sounds and noises. Whether real or imagined, she had no clue. But right now, for the first time in days, she had fallen asleep. Really asleep. It was unbelievable, considering that she wasn't even out of danger yet.

Lacus stayed as still as she could, chin propped against her knees, pretending that she was asleep as she surveyed her surroundings from under lowered eyelids. The cargo compartment of the van was empty except for a Styrofoam box sitting quietly by the rear doors. The scuffed and filthy carpet felt scratchy underneath her bare legs. With nothing else in sight, Lacus' gaze began to drift towards the front of the van, beyond the meshed cargo barrier.

She could see him, with his dark hair and his lean frame, and she recalled the unexplainable fear that she had felt when she saw him explode through the door, the blade in his hand. She felt lightheaded just thinking about it. Who was he? Who exactly was he? What man could inspire in her such fear and… what was it? Joy? Trust? Familiarity?

Love?

Lacus stared at the stranger she thought she understood, yet at the same time, felt distant from. She wanted him to be the Kira she knew because she missed him so much. But then again, she didn't want that to be the case. Because if this man was indeed Kira, then… God, what had made him become the person he was now? It frightened her to think about what he had gone through, what monster had tainted him so.

The black balaclava was bunched around his neck, and she wanted so much to see his face in the rearview mirror. But from her position on the floor in the cargo compartment, she was too far away to catch a glimpse of his reflection and she was disappointed. So she stared harder at his back, as if the answers to her questions would materialize if she looked hard enough. As if she could conclude that this was indeed the Kira that she had known all her life just by looking at him from behind.

The engine hummed as the van began to slow down. It came to a halt, but the man didn't make a move to kill the engine. They were probably stopping at a traffic light, she thought to herself, watching him steadily. He sat where he was, both hands on the wheel, staring straight ahead even though the van wasn't moving. The sliver of hope in her began to swell. Where were they headed? Was he letting her go?

She had been shocked when he pointed his gun at her, but for some reason, he hadn't pulled the trigger. In fact, he had returned and cut her loose. And then, there were those words…

"Trust me."

When he had towed her out of that room, Lacus had ran after him, her legs moving faster than they had ever had in all her life. The two of them flew down the corridor and through the heavy iron doors of an elevator. The ride had seemed mere seconds as they stood side-by-side, sweat pouring down the sides of their faces and brows. She was staring at him, panting, bewildered, but he didn't look at her. His grim gaze was focused on the red digit, as if his very will and strength was what powered the lift. And just as the heat began to feel unbearable, the doors had grinded open and he dragged her after him. They ran across a vast empty space and burst out through a wooden door into the open. The first thing she remembered was her first breath of that fresh air, and the blinding sunlight overhead. She heard the clinking of keys and the rattle of a lock, then before her eyes had even adjusted to the light, a hand grasped her wrist and she felt the familiar tug. Stumbling, barely able to see, she ran on after him, trusting that he would catch her if she fell.

But she didn't, and the next moment, she found herself being pushed gently into the van with the same words repeated at her. "Trust me." And she did. She really did.

Now, as she watched him sitting behind the wheel, she saw him sag slowly and put his head down, brow pressed against the wheel. In that instance, Lacus realized that it was the first time she had seen him look so vulnerable, and the wave of sorrow that washed over her at the sight was so strong that her chest constricted and the breath caught in her throat.

A slight movement and she realized that his head was turning in her direction. Hastily, she lowered her face, shielding it behind her tucked knees and closed her eyes. Her heart was pounding. For a long frightening moment, there was no other sound except for the constant hum of the engine. She wondered, with horror, if he had seen her awake. If he had, what would he do? Would he see her as a threat now that she was so close to seeing his face? She wanted so much to see it, but she wasn't sure yet if he was a friend or foe.

She thought she could sense his eyes on her. Those eyes that were always hidden behind the tinted glass. Those murderous eyes. Those sad eyes.

And then the engine started up and the van began to move again.

She kept her head down and her eyes shut. All around, she could hear the rev of the engine but if she listened hard, real hard, she could hear his slow breathing. And for some unknown reason, tears began to slip from under her shut eyelids and trickled down her cheeks. Tears, not for herself, but for this stranger – the victim of some monstrous creature.

Cagalli put both hands together and blew into them, trying to keep warm. She was standing on the curb, leaning against a public phone booth.

She glanced right and left, up and down the street. The same sight met her. There were run-down shops lining both sides of the road. Racks covered with products spilled out onto the pavement and the pedestrians had to weave around them. Over the roofs of the shops, she caught sight of the hurricane fence with its barbed wire top. But there was no sight of the industrial warehouses that stood beyond the fence.

Stuffing both hands into the pockets of her jacket, she turned around and watched as Athrun cradled the phone receiver against his ear. He caught her eye and signaled to her that the phone was ringing.

Just at that moment, the phone clicked and the line connected. Miriallia's harried-sounding voice came through. "Hello? Who's this?"

Athrun didn't bother with introductions. "I really need the DNA report, Miri."

"Athrun?" The voice fell to a harsh whisper, "My gosh, do you have any idea how much trouble you are in?"

"Tell me."

"The Commissioner's arresting you for breaking-and-entering. There are dozens of officers out on the streets on the lookout. We've all been asked to notify AC Ramius if you contact any of us. What in the world did you do? And that incident at the safehouse. It's all over HQ. The forensic teams are scrambling to get to the crime scene. Is it true? Is Seiran really dead? Where in the world are you? Wait, hold on, don't tell me. I don't want to know."

Athrun scanned his surroundings but there were no uniformed officers around and no suspicious onlookers whose gaze lingered on him. "I wish I had time to answer your questions, Miriallia," he said, glancing round, "But I don't. I really need the DNA report."

There was a sigh on the other end of the phone as Miriallia made her displeasure known. "It's ready. But how am I going to get it to you?"

"I'll figure something out. Wait for my call," Athrun said. "By the way, there's another crime scene I need you to look at."

"What?"

"We've found the kidnappers' hideout, but Lacus is gone. I think they took her with them, but they've left behind some blood and other clues. I need you to tear the place apart and sieve out the clues. But with the current situation, this thing needs to be kept under wraps."

"That's insane, Athrun. How am I going to keep an entire investigation secret? Besides, the Commissioner should be appointing another detective to Lacus' case soon enough."

"I know. So you'll just have to do it before the next officer-in-charge is appointed. Now, listen carefully, this is the address." He rattled off the address to Miriallia, describing in detail the exact location of the warehouse within the industrial park. He was listening to the scratch of a pen across paper on the other end of the line when he felt an anxious tug at his shoulder.

Turning, he met Cagalli's frantic eyes. She was gesturing down the street, where a striped police cruiser was easing around the bend at a snail's pace. No doubt looking for them. Very carefully.

"I've got to go, Miri," Athrun muttered quickly into the phone, his emerald eyes following the vehicle, "Wait for my call." He hung up, swiped at the receiver and buttons with his jacket to remove his fingerprints and stepped out of the phone booth, moving swiftly but not hastily. Outside, Cagalli eased her arm through the crook of his and they melted into the crowd, looking just like any random couple. As soon as they came upon the gaping entrance of an alleyway, they slipped into it and disappeared into the shadows.

It was evening by the time Kira pulled into the carpark and killed the engine. He stared out of the windshield for a moment, feeling drained and tired from the drive. Outside, the sky was streaked orange and red, dusted with wisps of pale grey clouds.

With the heater shut down, cold air seeped quickly into the van. He glanced into the rearview mirror and saw, amidst the fading light, the pink hair cascading over her knees and legs. Lacus Clyne was still curled up, still asleep.

It would be getting colder soon.

He got out of the van and slipped out into the cold frigid air. The temperatures were dropping quickly. Adjusting the balaclava and the mask, he concealed his face again and hastily stepped around to the back where he manipulated the latch on the rear doors. The right one popped open and he stared into the dimly lit interior.

The click of the opening latch had awakened Lacus Clyne and she raised her head and unfolded her limbs gracefully. Grey eyes, bleary from sleep, blinked back at him. They brightened quickly as she became aware of her surroundings. He nodded at her, indicating for her to step outside but she didn't move.

"You're bleeding," she whispered.

Kira glanced down at his forearm. Jesus, he had forgotten all about the wound. He had bled all over his trousers, but in dim light, the blood hardly showed on his dirt-green camouflage, though he could definitely feel the stiffness of the material. That would explain his physical weakness - he had lost too much blood. For a second, Kira felt angry with himself. He had never been so careless, and so easily distracted.

"It's fine," he dismissed it quickly, before gesturing for her to get out of the van again.

The only reply he got was the sound of ripping cloth. Lacus Clyne reached for the hem of her dress and tore off two ragged strips. Then she crawled across the carpeted flooring and sat herself at the edge of the cargo compartment.

"Here," she muttered, reaching for his arm.

Kira was pretty sure that this was all wrong. He made to pull away, but found that he couldn't quite get his limbs to move according to his will. Her fingers were cool when they touched his skin and gentle when they prodded his wound. This was all wrong…

It wasn't a deep cut, but the blade had severed an artery and the wound had bled profusely. Lacus stared around her looking for water and finding none, she settled for flapping the strips of cloth in the air to get rid of the dirt and dust as best as she could. Gently, she swathed his forearm in the make-shift bandages, squinting in the light as she struggled to knot its ends. Throughout it all, Kira remained silent, even when the wound flared with agony at the tight efficient knot.

"There," she said. A weak smile graced her lips as she glanced up at him.

For a long second, Kira felt speechless. His throat and mouth were dry and he couldn't get his jaw to work properly. In the end, he managed to grind out what sounded like a very disgruntled "thanks". But Lacus Clyne didn't seem to notice. She just smiled at him, legs swinging over the edge of the van. The light from the streetlamps caught a slight twinkle in her eyes, as she eased a stray lock of dust-covered pink hair behind her ear.

Kira turned abruptly and stepped away. "Come on," he muttered, this time more gently.

Lacus pushed herself off the edge and stood up. It was cold and she had his jacket draped over her shoulders, so she pulled it closer. Looking round, she realized she was standing in a vast carpark, a large square lit by dim streetlights that stood along its perimeter. There were few vehicles around and they were scattered across the carpark. No one out and about in this frightfully cold weather. The only building in sight was a single-storey, plain-looking rectangle block, seated right in the middle of the carpark. It had large glass windows, from which light spilled out onto the asphalt road in regular squares. There were people inside; she could see two heads in one window and a head in another. The silence in the carpark was broken by the sound of clattering dinnerware and the clinking of utensils against porcelain.

He had brought her to a diner.

Miriallia got out of the car and stared at the building in front of her with a certain degree of hesitance. She was looking at what appeared to be a seedy motel, complete with a crude neon sign and a façade covered in red graffiti. Half a dozen smokers, drug addicts and drunkards loitered outside in the parking lots that flanked its front entrance.

"Are you sure this is the place?"

She turned and glanced at the green-haired detective who had got out on the other side of the car, and was gazing up at the building. There was a look of skepticism on Nicol's face.

"I guess so," she shrugged, "that would explain why Athrun insisted that I didn't come alone."

"Right," Nicol muttered. He glanced back at Meyrin and Dearka who had slid out the back of the car as well. "Guess we better get a move on. Dearka, you staying out here on lookout?"

The blonde-haired detective nodded and unzipped his jacket to expose the loaded gun in his shoulder holster. Then he shoved both hands into his pocket, leaning back against the side of the car. The loiterers took the hint and began to shuffle away. "I've got it under control," said Dearka.

The rest of them – Miriallia, Nicol and Meyrin - trooped off towards the lobby of the run-down motel. Inside, they found a youth behind the front desk, lounging in a chair that was tilting back on its two rear legs. The youth's own legs were propped up on the surface of the desk, his right foot twitching as his fingers flew across the buttons of a game device.

"Help you?" He grunted without looking up as they passed through the grimy front doors of the motel.

"Yes," Miriallia said, "we're looking for Alex Dino."

"Second floor, third room on the left," the youth snapped, a frown on his face as he tapped at the device.

They exchanged glances and the boy appeared to notice even though his eyes were still trained on the little screen in his hands. "We don't have many guests," he explained, "now are you going to go up or not? You're blocking the light." He glanced up just to give them an annoyed look, before going back to his game again.

This time, they exchanged shrugs and headed for the stairs on the right, mounting the steps and leaving the lobby and its grumpy young receptionist behind. The place was truly shabby; the wooden stairs looked frail and rickety and each step they took creaked and squeaked painfully in protest. By some miracle, they managed to get to the second floor landing without falling through. The second storey didn't look all that pleasant either. The walls were covering in stained and peeling wallpaper and the floors were laid with weathered wooden boards. They inched their way to the third door on the right and Nicol rapped at the wooden door with his knuckles.

There was no sound on the other side.

"Alex?" Nicol called out, using the pseudonym that Athrun had given them. "It's us."

They heard the sound of a bolt knocking back, then the door opened an inch, held in place by the chain, and wary emerald eyes peered out at them. "Give me a sec," Athrun muttered, and the door closed again. The sound of the chain swinging against the wood. The door opened up completely and he ushered them into the room.

The room Athrun and Cagalli had rented was a tiny little thing, large enough only for a single bed and a three-foot deep closet. But somehow, the motel owner had squeezed and shoved an overstuffed armchair into the room too and there was hardly any space for walking. Cagalli was curled up in the armchair when they stepped into the room. She had her legs tucked in, leaving only a narrow gap for their guests to pass through.

Exchanging solemn greetings, the team of three sat themselves on the bed and watched as Athrun bolted the door and slid the chain back in place again. He put up a finger before Miriallia could speak, and crept towards the single window that overlooked the carpark at the front entrance of the motel. The shutters were down. Using a finger, he lifted the metal strips a fraction and stared out onto the streets. Below, he saw Dearka leaning against an unmarked sedan.

No other potential threats in sight.

So far so good, Athrun decided.

He turned back to the room and sat himself on the arm of the chair Cagalli was in. "Alright," he said, keeping his voice low – he was pretty sure that the walls in a motel as run-down as this would be paper-thin, "First, the file on DEX enterprises?"

Meyrin nodded and handed over a huge ring file, that now contained a second copy of information on DEX enterprises.

"Thanks," said Athrun, "now, tell me what's happening at the safehouse."

"It's the worst crime scene ever," Nicol explained, "We've uncovered more than a hundred shells, from both police officers and snipers. The number is horrendous; there's no way we can trace them all back to the guns that fired them. We've got four dead and nine injured. No one identified the snipers. The forensic teams are still going through the forest with a fine-toothed comb, but let's face it, it's going to take a miracle for us to find anything among those bushes and trees." There was a tone of resignation in his voice, even though he added, "We're still working on it. We're doing our best."

"And the dark-blue sedan?"

Meyrin shook her head. "No information. The last that we know of those plates were that they were supposed to be on a lorry that got thrashed in the junkyard. There's been no reports of stolen cars that fit our description."

"What about the warehouse?"

Miriallia heaved a loud sigh. "I'll have you know, I had to pull a tone of strings in order to get that warrant just so that I could analyse the crime scene. I've had a million people asking me what proof I have that that is the place Lacus was held and I don't have an answer for any of them. But anyway, here's what I noticed in that short three hours you've given me. There are about seven different sets of prints in there. Four sets have been found on all levels of the warehouse. Three sets only in the basement and the first floor." She waited for Athrun's response.

The blue-haired detective nodded. "Those three sets would belong to me, Cagalli and Lacus. The four unidentified sets would have belonged to the kidnappers."

"Okay," Miriallia said, "I guessed as much. I'm having my people look more closely at the four unidentified prints. Meanwhile, let's talk about the blood splatter." She shook her head. "Whoever it was that bled in there isn't dead."

Athrun and Cagalli sank back in relief. Now that Miriallia had confirmed it, they were no longer making an assumption. Lacus was most probably alive then. They were not too late yet.

"There's not enough blood in there and if one of the prints belongs to Lacus, that means she left the room with her kidnappers. Wounded possibly, and alive, not dead. But I'll say, the blood splatter was designed."

"What?"

"It was created deliberately. The kidnappers know something about blood splatter analysis. They tried to make it look as if the victim's jugular artery was slashed – that means a sure death – but the amount of blood gave it away. Guess there were some limitations. These are definitely professional killers. I've got a blood sample sent back to the lab. I'll let you know the results as soon as I can."

"Right. And speaking about blood, the DNA report?"

The forensic scientist tossed a manila file in his direction. Athrun caught it in one hand and flipped it open. What he saw was a host of chemical and forensic jargon. He shut it again. "Do we have an identity?"

Miriallia shrugged, "Not yet. Shinn's running the DNA through the database in HQ. We haven't received any results yet."

Sheesh, Athrun groaned, time was running out. He was ripped out of his thoughts when Cagalli sat up straight in the armchair and stared at Miriallia, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "Miriallia, can you test it against my blood sample?"

Miriallia Haw did a double-take and stared at her as if she was out of her mind. "What's this about?"

"Cagalli-" Athrun interrupted smoothly, disapproval in his voice. But Cagalli seemed unfazed. She faced him directly and explained, "This is a chance to get proof once and for all. To find out if it's Kira Hibiki or Kira Yamato." Turning to Miriallia, she continued, "Please, Miriallia. Can't you compare the DNA results to mine? Perhaps take my blood sample, or my hospital records, whatever. It's a long story, and this experiment may not yield the results I hope to get, but I want to try this."

"Well," Miriallia drawled, "it's not impossible. Yes, I believe your hospital records could do the trick. I can get the hospital to send them over."

"How long would that take?"

"An hour or two. I'll let you know again." She paused and stared at them with narrowed eyes. "And how am I going to inform you of anything?"

Athrun snuck a cell phone from his jacket pocket. While waiting for the team to arrive, he and Cagalli had gone out shopping. The neighbourhood they were in had stores selling all sorts of products. They had bought themselves food from a grocery store, new cells from a second-hand electronic store, and a change of clothes. "New numbers," Athrun explained, brandishing his phone at them.

"Great," Miriallia got up and headed for the door. "Now, we've got to head back to HQ. There's lots more that needs to be done. Stay out of sight, got it?"

They exchanged goodbyes and cell numbers and Athrun and Cagalli watched them leave through the gaps in the window shutters. When they were alone again, they made themselves a quick dinner of sandwiches rinsed down with water, then made themselves comfortable, Cagalli in the bed and Athrun in the armchair. They began to pore over the details on DEX enterprises with solemn determination.

Author's note: There you go! How is it? Now, I must say, I am absolutely overjoyed to be receiving reviews! It is the best thing any writer can hope for! So do do do keep reviewing! Even if you're a new reader, don't be shy. I would love to hear from you too! And of course, to all present readers, thanks very very much for the support!

To hardcoseGSfan: Well, I am glad cliffhangers have an advantage! Do keep being excited, cos there's going to be more excitement to come! And well, yes, I guess you know now that Flay's the person he trusts, but whether she really is trustworthy or not… I guess you'll have to read on and find out *smiles cheekily*

To Seiba Artoria: Yup, I guess the answer as to who Kira trusts has been revealed! As for what will happen when Kira trusts her and if she's really trustworthy, you'll just have to read on and find out… Aww, I know, I know, the hero-come-too-late scene gets annoying, especially when you really, really, really want them to get together. But, Kira's got other stuff to settle, so I just had to delay Athrun and Cagalli… Oh well… Anyways, I'm working hard on the next chappie, hope it won't take as long as this one took!

To AAA: Well yeah, you guessed it! But as for whether Flay will recognize Lacus and if she does, what she intends to do, that'll just have to be revealed in the next chappie!

To sora555: Hello! Nice to hear from you! Yup, you guessed it right! But whether Flay is really worthy of the trust, I guess that will be revealed in later chapters! And of course, if I can help it, I won't kill of any of those characters. I love them too muc to do it!

To October Lynx: I do hope there'll be some time more to go before I end this story. Of course, I hope there'll be a very satisfying ending, but I'm not going to reveal anymore here! I'm really happy that this story is so enjoyable for you. It's what I hope to achieve by writing, so thank you for the compliments! That will keep me going for a long, long time!

To animedoshia: Hmm… a mother figure to Kira. I'll have to think about that.I hope there's enough suspense to keep you excited for the rest of the story! I'll love to hear from you again!

To raginwing004: Yep, it is Flay! I do try to make my chapters longer, but sometimes, it gets a little difficult because I get confused after a while. But I'll try my best. I hope this one, which is a littttle longer than usual will be a bit more satisfying.

To Mobile-Suits0605: I know, I know, the cliffhangies can get a little bit annoying. But I hope they keep you excited for more! Glad that you enjoy the story, do keep reading and reviewing!

To Rey de Piratas: Well, the answer is Flay, but whether she really is trustworthy, that'll be revealed in future chapters. Hope I'm not revealing too much… As for inner monologues, I love writing them too. And I hope you enjoyed the one in this chapter as well, the one from Lacus' point of view, evn though it's not very long!