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"With A Childs Heart"Written By: Dùlin
Disclaimer : Not mine. Just playin', will give
them right back, yadda yadda ... you know the drill. And I'm broke.
Really. Rating : R Warnings : Post-EW, humor, yaoi romance and sap, bit of lime and implied lemon, language, violence, child abduction Pairings : 1x2x1, 3x4x3, 5xS, references to past 6x5 and 6x9 Author’s Note : an extra-special thanks to
Lisou-chan, my little sister, who agreed to lend her physical six-year-old
looks and part of her character to the little Alice in the fic. Well,
the truth is she nagged me until I accepted to have her being adopted
by Trowa and Quatre, so everyone’s happy now !
"With a Childs Heart"
Part 6 The man in black slammed the phone on the desk, earning puzzled glances from his subordinates. “Wassup ?”, one of them asked. “The little piece of shit does not seem remotely afraid”, the leader answered. “Doesn’t give a damn what happens as long as we don’t harm her. And he threatened me.” The men turned to look at Alice. She shot them an awkward look before she turned to face the wall. “What do we do now, boss ?” “He told me he didn’t call the cops, but we can’t be sure of that. You five stay here with the girl, everyone else spread out in the building. Mehdi, you take the front door. You keep a detonator here and I’ll take the other. If there is any suspect movement … kill her.” Alice’s eyes widened. She felt a wave of fear overwhelm her. The bad men were going to kill her. But Daddy had said to be courageous, that nothing would happen to her. And Daddy never lied. Alice braced herself and looked into the room again. Only five men and the woman remained, talking in quiet voices and occasionally shooting a glance at her. The little girl got up from the sofa and went towards the window. This building was not very high, but she could not get out from here. Someone caught her by the arm. “Get away from here ! Don’t get near the window, okay ?” The man looked furious. Alice just nodded and went back to the sofa. “If only Ahmed was with us”, the man complained while going back to his seat, “we wouldn’t have fucked up everything.” “Yeah, well, Ahmed was caught by the feds. Tell me how this will serve the cause.” “I swore to die for him, not for that asshole of Kaleb. If there’s any way I’m getting my ass outta here alive, I’ll do it.” “You’d betray us ?” The man shifted uneasily. “Of course not, man, I’m just sayin’ it’s not worth being under Kaleb’s command. He’ll kill the kid anyway, and we’ll have the Winner family on our backs. How clever is that ? Ya really think we’ll live much longer if we do that ?” The other terrorists began to think. “Just do what ya’re told”, one of them finally growled. “That’s what ya’re paid for. And shut your trap!” Alice didn’t understand what they were saying, except for one thing. They were going to kill her. She tried to concentrate on the man who was complaining, and something hit her. Those men were scared, far more scared than she was. They had said they were ready to die, but in fact they didn’t want to. Alice snuggled herself in a corner and tried hard not to cry. Dressed in tight black suits with black jackets, the six young men were almost invisible as they run into the night. Heero was silently directing them. They stopped in front of a little building. It was not very high compared to those around, and looked completely deserted, except that some lights flickered from the fifteenth floor. “That’s here”, Heero whispered. “Oh my”, Quatre said. “We’re bad”, Trowa added. “This is the old library of the college”, Quatre explained. “The new building is finished and this one is supposed to be destroyed next week. The basement has already been packed with C4.” “This is suicide”, Wufei said. “It’s completely crazy. If one of them pushes the detonator, the only thing that will remain of us will be ashes.” “Ashes to ashes and dust to dust”, Duo said comically. “Kind of a nice way to die.” “We have to do it”, Quatre said firmly. “I won’t be able to live knowing I could have done something and I didn’t, anyway.” Wufei rolled his eyes. “You’re all crazy”, he said, “but I won’t let you down now.” “Thanks, Wufei”, Trowa said. “But please listen to me. They mustn’t know there is someone inside the building. Which means we will have to ‘silence’ the guards efficiently. I hope you’re up to this.” “I’ll do what I have to do”, Quatre said through gritted teeth. Trowa just nodded to show he had understood. Duo was almost dancing with expectation. Milliardo and Heero were both glaring at the building. “Alright”, Wufei kept on. “Trowa, you come with me, Milliardo, you go with Quatre, and Heero, try to keep ‘him’ under control” he said with a wave of his hand towards Duo. “Hmm.” “We must get to the fifteenth floor without being noticed. Or not too much.” “Fire ladders”, Trowa said pointing at something dark on the wall. “Good idea”, Wufei admitted, “but we can’t all go that way.” “Milliardo and I can use the back door”, Quatre said. “What about you two ?” he added, turning to Heero and Duo. “Well, I think I’ll get in through the front door”, Duo said with a manic grin. **** Trowa and Wufei walked silently to the left side of the building. The fire ladder was all rusty and refused to go down. Trowa jumped lightly to catch the lowest bar. He somehow managed to get himself upright and lent a hand to Wufei to help him come up too. The two of them began to climb the following ladders, very careful not to make a sound. They soon reached the fifteenth floor. Wufei shot a look through a broken window. The corridor looked deserted. He began to make his way inside, but Trowa stopped him. “I’m going one more floor up”, Trowa mouthed. Wufei nodded slightly. Trowa could come from upstairs by the window if needed. He watched as his friend crept up the next ladder and disappeared. Then, he took a deep breath and got inside the building. It was silent. Almost too silent. Wufei was on the lookout, ready to strike if anything happened. He went through what looked like deserted classrooms to another corridor. He held his breath, when he saw two men dressed in white apparently guarding a door. He hid in a corner and decided to let Heero, Duo, Quatre and Wufei deal with the people on the floors below before moving.
Trowa made his way towards the window that was just above the one in which there was a light. He had to know what was going on in this room, how many men were there, and most of all, if Alice was still alive. He sat on the window, and turned, using his feet to secure a hold on the windowsill before he leaned down against the wall. He was definitely high enough to reach the window below. Careful to avoid being seen he shot a look in the room. There were five men and a woman on watch. They were huddled in a corner and not really paying attention, or the upside down head of an unknown man would definitely have made them react. Trowa’s smirked. His green gaze scanned the room until he found what he was looking for. A blond little girl curled up on a sofa. Alice almost gave a start when she felt the friendly presence not far from her. She had been concentrating on Daddy, but that wasn’t him. She closed her eyes to try and locate where the good energy was coming from. She turned to the window, and met the green eyes of Trowa. “Papa”, she said under her breath. “What ?” one of the men snapped. Alice thought fast. “I want my Papa”, she whined, trying to draw the man’s attention away from the window. “Shut the fuck up !” “He will come to get me out of here, and you won’t be able to stop him !” “Oh, and why that, kido ?” “Because you are afraid to die !” This stopped the man who had been about to slap her. He stumbled backwards. Alice pushed her advantage. “You are scared”, she said in a low tone. The man looked at the little girl with a transfixed gaze, experiencing the fact to have someone telling you exactly what you feel. Alice’s eyes were piercing his as she was desperately trying to figure out what to do next. “I think I heard some noise outside”, one of the other men said suddenly. “Go check it !” The terrorist stood petrified and didn’t answer. The other man came to him and punched him. “Come on, now, do what I say ! Move your ass and go check on that noise ! And you”, he added for Alice, “you go back on the fuckin’ sofa and ya don’t move or I’ll make sure ya won’t.” Alice thought it would be best to obey. She crawled on the sofa again and pretended to be holding back some tears. She shot a discreet look at the window. Trowa gave her a smile. ‘Don’t worry’, he mouthed. ‘Soon.’ And he disappeared. Alice sat on the sofa and hugged her knees. Papa was here. Nothing would go wrong now. She wasn’t afraid anymore. She was going to be strong.
Wufei didn’t lose time wondering what it was all about. Once the man would turn around, he would see him. The young man flexed his muscles. The man in white seemed to relax a bit. He began to turn, but before he could achieve the move, a foot hit him hard on the side of the head. He tried to cry, but a hand caught him by the throat, forcing him to stay silent and slamming him into the wall. The man’s vision was blurred, but he saw the outline of someone slim and not very tall. His gaze focused on the young Chinese that was holding him with unexpected strength for someone that small. The jet-black eyes were looking at him with contempt. Wufei held out his right hand, and jabbed his forefinger and middle finger into the man’s carotid. The man let out a soft gurgling noise and fell on the floor, unconscious. **** Quatre pushed the back door and winced as it creaked loudly. So much for discretion. Quatre and Milliardo slid inside and began to search for a way to get upstairs. “Try not to use your gun”, Milliardo whispered. Quatre nodded. Shooting would attract attention. He checked the knives he was carrying in ankle sheaths, and on his wrists. It had been a long time since he had used them, he usually trained with pistols. Knives were Duo’s weapons. Quatre took a deep breath and turned around a corner … and bumped into someone in white. Both Quatre and the man fell on the floor, the man cursing in Arabian. Milliardo aimed a karate kick straight at the man’s head. Quatre heard the noise of bone creaking and watched as the terrorist fell lifeless on the floor, his neck broken by the violence of the blow. Milliardo reached out and helped Quatre to get up again. His face was very pale. “You okay ?”, Quatre whispered. “I’ll be fine.” “Don’t overdo it.” “Do I strike you as the overdoing type ?” “Actually, you do”, Quatre said with a nervous chuckle. “Watch out !” The young men dived behind a counter. Another man in white had come into the room, apparently looking for his comrade. He saw the limp body on the floor and got on his knees to look for a pulse. Both Milliardo and Quatre jumped out of their hiding place. The terrorist took out a revolver and shot. Quatre ducked, but heard Milliardo fall on the floor with a yelp of pain. A surge of hatred overwhelmed Quatre. He caught the man’s wrist. This time, it was Milliardo who winced at the sound of breaking bone. The man let out a muffled scream. His revolver fell on the floor. He didn’t have time to do anything else. The blade flashed in Quatre’s hand. The young man hesitated for a second, enough for the man to try and get him. Quatre dodged easily, and all doubt disappeared from his mind. He caught the man by the hair and cut his throat. He rushed to Milliardo. The blond man was clutching his left shoulder. “Milliardo !” “It’s okay. I’ve seen worth.” “We must stop the blood.” Quatre took his jacket off and tore one of the sleeves. He managed to make up a tight bandage around Milliardo’s shoulder. “We should get you out of here”, Quatre said. “No”, Milliardo answered stubbornly. “Milliardo, you’re green.” “I’m not dead yet. Don’t try to send me away, I will follow you whatever happens.” “You don’t have to do this just for me.” “I’m not doing it for you, you spoiled brat”, Milliardo said with a weak smile. “I’m doing it for a little girl who gave me hope, and who doesn’t deserve to die that way. I’m doing it because I believe it’s right.” Quatre smiled, but some tears rolled on his cheeks. “Thanks.” “Let’s not waste more time. That’s two down. How many do you think they are ?” “Just give me a moment.” Quatre closed his eyes and concentrated. “Approximately twenty”, he said after a while. “Eighteen or nineteen without those two. I think we can trust Heero and Duo to get ten of them. I don’t know how many are upstairs, but Wufei and Trowa can take care of that until we arrive.” “How can you count them that accurately ?” Quatre shrugged. “They’re afraid. It’s almost palpable. I’m sure Alice felt it too.” Milliardo got up slowly. “Let’s go. Aow !” “Are you sure you’re up to this ?”, Quatre asked seriously. “Well, only one way to find out”, Milliardo answered, and he led the way out of the room. **** Mehdi almost gave a start when he saw a dark figure come straight to the entrance door. A young man with a long chestnut braid was approaching. He tried to open the door, and when it resisted, he took a pin out of his long hair and picked the lock. To Mehdi’s utter bewilderment, the door swung open in about three seconds. The young man stepped in, joyfully whistling some old tune and looking around as if he were visiting some real estate. Mehdi loaded his machine gun and went out of his hiding place. “Hey you !” The braided young man turned around. Mehdi smirked when he realized how much he looked like a girl. Delicate features, white creamy skin almost glowing in the moonlight, that long braid swinging in his back and violet eyes. The young man saw the machine gun, and fear crept on his face. “Hey, easy, man !”, he said. “I had no idea there was already someone in here ! I’ll get straight outta here if ..” “Hands up where I can see them !”, Mehdi barked The young man obeyed, apparently too frightened to do anything else. His voice was slightly shaking when he talked again. “Ok, calm down ! I ain’t no damn robber ! Well, maybe I am, but if you tell me that’s your place, I move my ass outta here and tell my buddies not to come in here ! I ain’t one to wander one someone else’s territory, really not ! Don’t kill me !” Mehdi took a step in the braided man’s direction. He freezed when he heard a cold snort of laughter. “Nice piece of acting, Duo”, a voice said out of the shadows. The braided young man lowered his hands, put them on his hips and shot a bright smile at someone who was apparently behind Mehdi. “You really mean that, Hee-chan ?”, he said happily. “I’ve always thought I should be nominated for an Oscar.” He chuckled. Mehdi was completely puzzled. All traces of fear had deserted the man’s face. He was actually looking at him with a wild grin. Mehdi turned to see who the hell the man was talking to. He discovered another young man in the same kind of attire. He had unruly brown hair and cold Prussian blue eyes, and was aiming a gun directly at his head. Mehdi dropped his machine gun and ran for his life. No for long. Duo’s knife pinned him on the wall. Or more exactly, it pinned his djellabah to the wall, preventing him to move further. Duo came closer to the man, followed by Heero. The young American shot a pleading look to Heero. “Can I play, Hee-chan ?” Heero rolled his eyes. “Alright, but not too long we gotta get upstairs.” Mehdi tried to scream. Duo jabbed his hand forward and caught him by the throat, blocking all sound and slamming the man’s head on the wall. A ferocious sparkle flashed in his eyes. Mehdi suddenly noticed that they had turned a strange shade of blue. That did not seem to astonish the other young man, though. That one was watching the scene with an almost bored look. “We’re gonna play a game”, Duo said cheerily. “Do you like to play games ? I am gonna release your throat. Just make one sound and it’ll be the last you ever make. Did ya get that ?” Mehdi nodded. Duo eased his grip on his throat, allowing him to breathe a bit more freely. “Alright, buddy. Here are the rules. I ask the questions, you give the answers.” “Just kill me. I won’t betray my cause. I am not afraid to die”, Mehdi spat. This did not seem to bother the braided man. A strange glitter shone in his freaky blue eyes. “Glad to hear it pal, ‘cause I ain’t afraid to kill ya. Now we’ve cleared this matter, can we start to play ?” Mehdi shot a desperate look towards Heero. Heero just stared back , his face wearing a “you had it comin’” look. A long knife materialized in Duo’s hand. “Where is she ?”, Duo asked fiercely “I don’t know what you’re talking about”, Mehdi gasped, trying to gain some time. Unfortunately, that didn’t work. Duo’s face went very grim. “Wrong answer, pal.” Duo’s knife ripped the djellabah, cutting deep into the man’s chest in the same time. Duo’s hand gripped Mehdi’s throat again, preventing him from screaming. The man’s face became red with pain and his efforts to breathe. Duo held up the knife. He licked the blood from the blade and spat it in Mehdi’s face. “Hurry up, Duo”, Heero said. “Let’s try it again”, Duo told Mehdi. “It’s the last time I ask. Where is she ?” “Old boardroom”, Mehdi gasped. “See ? It wasn’t that hard ! Now do me a favor.” Duo’s grip tightened a bit more, almost strangling the man. The American leaned against Mehdi. He plunged his knife to the hilt into the man’s gut, and looked straight into the eyes of the dying man. He smiled madly. “Scream for me.” **** “Something’s wrong. Why hasn’t Abdallah come back ?” “Calm down ! Go check on him if you’re worried !” The terrorists were growing restless. “We’ll be fine ! Winner won’t risk for us to destroy all the building.” “How do you know he’ll pay for that street rat ?”, one the man yelled, pointing at Alice. “He will pay !” “Enough !” The big man who had sent Abdallah outside got up. “You go check on the bastard and tell him to bring his butt back here presto”, he said to the terrorist who had lost his temper. “NOW!” he yelled, when the other began to argue. The man went out with a gun. The three remaining men and the woman shot a look to the detonator on the desk. One of them began to get closer to it, but a little voice rang clearly through the room. “You’re not going to do this.” They all turned to Alice. The little girl was still hugging her knees on the sofa, her green and golden gaze on the terrorists. “You bet, kiddo”, one of them finally said. “We won’t hesitate to blow the place if something fucks up !” “You’re not going to”, Alice said again. She unfolded her arms and sat at the edge of the sofa. “You are far too scared to do this. None of you will be able to push that button. Because you want to live. You want to escape. You don’t want to die.” “Shut up ! We’re gonna do it !” “Okay then”, Alice said with a shrug. “Go
ahead.” ~ * ~ |
