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"Alternative Directions: Options "Written By: Karina Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the lovely
boys and their girls in the series. Wish I did. Please don't sue me.
I haven't even got a brass razoo to give you. Rating: Deffinately PG in Australia, at the moment,
but probably safer to say R for later chapters. Not sure about international
ratings Warnings: It will be 6x2, even though it does
not start out that way. After all, Zechs and Duo never met in Gundam
Wing and only spoke briefly over a com line in Endless Waltz. I've
tried to keep them in character as I saw them in the series. A bit
of language creeping in under stressful conditions. Pairings: eventual 6x2, past 2xH, 2+H,6x9, 1+R
Summary: Directions is set post Endless Waltz
and roughly 2 years have passed. Zechs and Noin are on Mars and Duo,
after spending some time with Hilde in a relationship leaves L2 to
join Preventers. Hilde was not happy about his decision. I guess enough
said. Here t'is, and I hope you like it. This is also AU for the standard
setting, as well as the series and Endless Waltz. Spoilers: Gundam Wing Series and Endless Waltz Many thanks to Dulin for volunteering to beta this. //... // thoughts
"Alternative Directions: Options" Chapter 165 Mars Colony Base Dome 2nd March AC 198 Time: 03:30 [approx Sanc time 01:20] Barker //What a mess this day has turned out to be. The best thing about it is that I can at least say I’m still alive to gripe about it.// They were still hours away from the bitterly cold Martian dawn. Hours from when he would have to face the prospect of immediate action to save the lives of those people sheltering in the caves beyond the dome. Hours in which the situation could yet turn around in a bitter twist to favour the unknown number of Sleeper agents loose in the base. With so much yet to accomplish he could not afford to become complacent. There had been copious quantities of blood on the floor from the injured soldier testifying to the severity of his wound. The drying blood was being mopped up by an orderly who seemed altogether too pale for someone who dealt with regular exposure to blood. //Shock. He may be used to blood but it’s the whole day and night and the butchery taking place that is getting to everyone. We have to end this before we all go down into screaming hysterics.// Shock could do odd things to people and he was only too aware of the need to watch everyone for telltale signs of distress. They were a hardy crew, these terra formers but there was only so much anyone could take. Shock would manifest in a multitude of ways and complications in dealing with people and none of it good given the seriousness of their situation. They could not afford to have too many of their active bodies go down into hysterics or into depression. Nor could they afford for anyone to start demanding answers he did not have. Frazier was gone now, rushed off to surgery as speedily as they could arrange. His condition had been stabilized as best they could in the emergency room but the tech was not looking good when Barker last saw him. The surgeon had been tight-lipped about his chances of survival even as he had worked on the man to stabilize his condition. He knew enough basic medical practice to know the tech had to be classed in a serious if not critical condition. The removal of a caltrop from the gut was not going to be an easy surgery and they had too many dead already. Broadham’s very vocal comments on seeing one of the caltrops, as demonstrated on request by Haydon Giles, would have soured milk and he had demanded to know where the vicious things had come from. The man had looked as though he could bend steel without effort so outraged was he. A surly and altogether wordless growl from Zechs had given Broadham pause and deciding discretion to be the better part of valour he had taken Frazier off to surgery. Before he had departed the room however he had given instructions to an attending doctor and two orderlies to retrieve Noin from the shuttle bay. //If Frazier makes it through surgery I doubt he’ll be taking an active role in proceedings for weeks to come. It is more likely to be months before he is declared fit for duty. While I would not wish it on anyone it is one less person I need to worry about slipping a knife in my back.// Personally he was doubtful the tech would ever be considered fit for active duty again but in his favour there were some very talented physicians on Mars. The designers of the project had insisted from the very beginning of the scientific outpost’s formation on quality personnel. Only the best medical equipment and the most talented medical professionals who could handle the rough and ready lifestyle had been considered. It had been known the range of injuries sustainable during construction of the colony would be broad and immediate action to save lives would be required. Out here you could not just hop an ambulance shuttle and fly in a few hours to a better equipped medical facility. In the fullness of time Mars would be made into a major medical center to service this region of space but realistically the planet was too far away from the asteroid belt to offer aid to any seriously injured personnel from the mining colonies. Mars was, however, months closer to the mines than Earth. Long term rehabilitation would be more comfortable on Mars than was currently available. Distance was proving to be the overriding factor in the expansion of man into space. The orderly caught his eye and offered a strained smile and brief nod which he answered in kind. The man might be stressed but he was holding up and he was not the only one who needed time to process the events of the night and was denied that grace. Now was what his father had called the ‘doing time’ and later would come the ‘wailing time’. His gaze flicked over the other men gathered around the bed dominating the room. It was not so much the bed that dominated the area as the man lying in it. Merquise was propped up with pillows and looked to be on the verge of collapse but had refused to rest while they had people locked out of the dome. It was not just the people locked out that kept him from taking the opportunity to rest. He was only too aware of that other danger, the Sleepers, and the unknown headcount that would inform them of how many they had yet to isolate and immobilize. //We have no idea if we have taken out all of the Sleepers here and how many there may be in the Alpha Dome is anyone’s guess. There could even be Sleepers in the group sheltering in the caves that were locked out and considered expendable by their controller. The truth is that anyone could be a Sleeper and until we find some kind of documentation we can’t clear up the issue of identity. There is also the matter of those who are agents for private concerns, like Polnar and Giles. I’m not satisfied with the explanation Polnar gave me. There is something more to this but I have no time to investigate further.// His opinion of the operations commander responsible for the upkeep of the Sleepers conditioning was extremely low. No doubt the distance between the Earth and Mars had some feature in the neglect which had resulted in the massacre on Mars and if this was intentional … He shuddered to think the massacre was a planned event. From the little he knew of such agents what had eventuated on Mars suggested the regular maintenance of the psyche conditioning had not been upheld. What he had thus far witnessed of the slaughter in the dome above and in the sub base suggested the agents may have been written off as expendable years ago, though some of them had not been on Mars all that long. It confused him. The creation of a Sleeper required considerable financial resources be spent in the conditioning process and such agents were generally not considered expendable. Psyche conditioning had advanced considerably in the last decade but still regular maintenance was required to maintain balanced psychological profiles. If that slaughter had not been caused by a breakdown in conditioning triggered by their orders to contain the situation then some sick puppy on Earth had a lot of questions to answer. //Without regular maintenance their conditioning might have broken down and they might have begun slaughtering the inhabitants of the domes in a homicidal mania at any time over the past few years. It would be easily enough explained back on Earth and written off as another lesson in colonization procedures. I don’t know, something is not right about this. This butchery just smacks of something foul.// To the uninformed such butchery might be explained as psychological disturbance caused through the isolation and stress of prolonged exposure to space. In his view too much was written off as a side effect of the conditions which colony life and long-term space travel imposed on the human psyche. What had happened this day would need to be explained as he doubted anyone could hope to cover up such a slaughter and keep it secret from the general population. Any passing ship calling into Mars would find the evidence … //Well, shit. That means the Wellington will be targeting anyone unfortunate enough to be in the area for a few days, not just until they get Merquise out of here. They can’t afford an inquiry to dig too deeply and that means no witnesses.// In the long term it all came, inevitably, back to politics. Politics was like the proverbial bad smell. You could not get rid of the stink and you could not escape it as it followed you relentlessly no matter where or how far you ran. //I don’t have time for this. One problem at a time and those bastards back on Earth have to move to the bottom of the list. I will need to implement Simpson’s plan, I suppose. Most urgently we need to take down any remaining Sleepers who may be lurking in the sub base. They are a constant danger to our operations and we need a clear field to operate in. There are likely to be people who have decided the prolonged alert is some kind of drill and gone to bed. No communications with anyone in authority should have kept them alert and wary but it’s been a long time and I know I’d sleep if I had the opportunity. If I could find somewhere I considered to be safe.// “… need to have the twins brought here so we can keep them adequately guarded.” His attention returned to the men gathered around the bed and to the stormy-eyed blonde who glowered at Polnar in a very unfriendly manner. Zechs had been largely silent during the treatment of Frazier and the clean up in the aftermath but the arctic glint in his eyes was enough to caution Barker to beware. Polnar seemed to ignore the silent warning though Barker did not miss the glance he directed at his partner. The man who had been introduced to him as Haydon Giles was seated on the bed and looked to be in no small amount of discomfort. The way he was hunched in on himself and had a hand pressed to his chest suggested he had taken some damage during the altercation, though he had made no move to have the medic examine him. Giles had gone down under the weight of the two big men and Barker suspected he had more than a mere bruise or two to show for that experience. Merquise was at least six foot two inches of solid muscle and Simpson was not far off matching him for size and weight. There was also clear indication of other injuries already having been treated from earlier in the night and Barker was waiting to hear what they had been up to while he had been locked out of the dome. From the look of Merquise neither man had been idle since the dome had been entered by Blue Squad. There was still so much to do and no clear indication of how long they had to perform the miracles that might give these people a chance. He was doubtful Merquise would last until they could dare to relax. The computer techs attached to the Emergency Response Team were working on accessing the main computers and regaining at least some measure of control over the base systems. He was not expecting it to be quick or easy to repair the damages done to the computers and he was not pleased to hear from Giles the computers in the shuttle tower were, in the man’s own words, ‘toasted’. Had the shuttle system computers been operational they might have been able to bypass the main system and run the base from the secondary support systems in the shuttle control tower. There would now be no bypassing of the main systems and Zechs had informed him he could forget the idea of acquiring spare components from the shuttle tower. He had received a ‘you really don’t want to know’ look when he had asked what had gone down in the tower and while he was curious the point was moot at the moment. They needed to clear the freight elevators of traps before they could access the base dome and use any of its facilities. //Something went on up there, in that tower that they don’t want to talk about and it worries me. Merquise is a battle veteran and so is this Giles if Polnar is to be believed. What would spook hardened veterans enough to cause them to avoid the issue as they have been? It’s almost as though Merquise thinks I won’t believe what happened. I want to get my backside up into the dome and begin work up there. There are people trapped in the buildings who need us and we need to work on the airlock systems to get those outside within the dome’s protection.// Perhaps that was what he needed to do next? Should he take a couple of men skilled in the use of explosives and check out the freight elevators for lurking nasties? If they could clear the elevators then they could at least access the upper dome easily even if they had to wear enviro suits to move around up there. It was true the dome could be accessed through the water recycling system but he wanted as few people as possible to be aware of that route for fear of the Sleepers using it. He had given instructions no one was to attempt to approach the elevators until they were checked out and cleared for use. There was, unfortunately, the possibility of someone from the dome feeling adventurous and attempting to come down to the sub base using the freight system. He only hoped they would sit pat for a while longer as they would have massive problems if they lost the freight system. Too many areas of the dome needed his attention and he did not have enough trained hands to manage everything needing to be done. Delegation of the duties was great so long as you had the skilled personnel to meet the requirements of the task and anyone of those he had set a task to might yet turn around and bite him on the arse. Who could he trust? How many Sleepers were still active? Who of those working to set right the domes’ life support systems might be surreptitiously sabotaging their efforts? He could trust Daniel Carter but he had sent him to meet with Ahmed Hawass in the shuttle bay after a brief conversation with Merquise. He was hoping Carter would get back to him soon with a report on the Chief’s progress working with the computers there. While it was too late to think about bringing the workers in to the dome at this time of night he wanted the dome open to them as soon as conditions permitted them to be active on the surface of the planet. If they could not get to the airlocks and repair whatever damage Simpson and his cronies had performed, then the shuttle bay doors were the only means of entry left to them. There was also the lure of a working radio in the medical shuttle and he needed to check in with Mako and inquire after the progress being made at the Alpha Dome. He wanted to check the remaining members of Simpson’s team and the suspected Sleepers currently in confinement had not escaped custody and on the progress of getting a shuttle up and working. //Suspected Sleepers. We have no proof of who is and who isn’t, that’s the trouble. Anyone of us could be a Sleeper biding his or her time, just waiting for the chance to blow us all to hell. They can’t all have been placed here at the same time and they might have different triggers to activate their missions. There could be more than one group and there is no saying all of them have been psyche conditioned. I’d daresay only the psyche conditioned agents are going around slaughtering everyone they meet, which makes the sane ones that much more dangerous. Sane rational agents know how to blend in and give a helping hand. With this shit going down they would be sitting quietly waiting, making certain they don’t become victims. Would I have a hope in hell of identifying one of the men supposedly helping us as a Sleeper? No. There is no way for me to tell.// This invasion of the dome by Sleeper agents could not have been set into place just because of Merquise’s survival. Some of these people had been on Mars for years before Merquise had appeared here. That suggested the former Alliance had had plans for Mars which was to have significant importance in the future development of the ESUN. He supposed that was reason enough for the Alliance intelligence agency to place one or two agents here long term. Past history had shown all too clearly new colonies, be they in space or on Earth, had a penchant for demanding independence from their parent country. With the expenditure in money and time that had gone into the project none of the government agencies or business concerns involved in backing the colony would be keen to see an early push for independence. Merquise’s presence here would have ensured a security detail of some kind was sent to arrive over the course of a few shuttle flights scheduled at regular intervals. Preventers had expected that but just how many of the personnel on those shuttles bound for Mars were there to keep Merquise quiet and how many of them had other instructions that had nothing to do with the Prince of Sanc? “No. We leave them where they are for the moment.” the low rumble of Merquise’s husky voice drew him out of his thoughts and back to the moment. Polnar was looking exasperated and Haydon Giles was rubbing at the bridge of his nose looking for all the world as though he wished to be excluded from the conversation taking place. “I’m doubtful that is the wisest course to take considering the situation at the moment. We have no way of knowing if they are safe, Mr. Merquise. Be reasonable about this.” Ice could have formed in the air with the chill emanating from Merquise in response. His voice was quiet, but nevertheless carried easily to the watching Preventer agent. Barker was thankful he was not the recipient of that glare and debated the virtues of quietly leaving until the budding argument was settled. “I am being reasonable. Where they are at present is safe and they will remain there. Moving them could expose them to unnecessary risk of discovery.” “You don’t know that, Zechs. It could be just as dangerous where they are now and at least here we can offer them security.” Glancing around at the sound of the door closing Barker realized the orderly had finished his work and made good his escape. No doubt he did not want to be around with the notorious Milliardo Peacecraft chilling the atmosphere and Barker almost wished he could join the orderly in his escape. With the man’s departure he was now alone with the other three men and he knew it was time they decided their next move. People could be dying while they delayed and that was not acceptable. Haydon Giles had decided to venture into the argument and Barker noted Polnar seemed to be content to step back and wait on his partner’s interaction with the man. Barker decided Polnar assumed Giles might have gained some appreciable influence with Zechs during the time they had spent together. Certainly if he was given a choice Barker would not be so casually perched on the bed near Merquise as Giles was. The man never so much as blinked under the arctic glare Merquise threw in his direction. Polnar seemed content enough to stand back and watch but his eyes were constantly moving between the doors and around the room. The Preventer had noted previously how Polnar had marked every person who entered the room the moment the door began to open. For all he had earlier been trying to reason with Merquise Polnar had not once taken his attention from the comings and goings of the medical team. In the aftermath of Simpson’s downfall Polnar had been one of the men to remove Simpson to a ward away from this treatment room but had not left the room after returning from that duty. Despite the assurance from Merquise the sedative would hold Simpson for hours Barker had ordered the Commander be placed under guard by an orderly. When Simpson had gone down under the influence of the sedative chaos had reared its ugly head for precious minutes. His bellowing for someone to open the vent had been ignored on the arrival of an orderly who had focused on helping Carter trying to stop the techs bleeding. Merquise was out of the events as was Giles trapped beneath both men and snarling and cursing for release from the vent had gotten Barker nowhere. Unwilling to distract Carter from saving a man’s life and aware Merquise and Giles were out of the picture he had determined it would be faster for him to crawl back to the first of the wards and kick in the screen to exit the air vent. By the time he had made his way to the treatment room there were people everywhere engaged in taking care of Frazier and restoring Zech to bed. Simpson had been removed from Giles who had briefly spoken to someone Barker presumed was a doctor as he had immediately turned to assist Broadham in his examination of the tech. The first order of business had been to remove as many unnecessary bodies from the room as possible. A quick word to Polnar and the drafting of two orderlies had seen Simpson removed to his impromptu prison. Returning to the treatment room they had found a huddle of medical personnel over the tech and Broadham raving about barbaric weapons and how hard it was to put a man back together. The tirade had drawn an impressive snarl from Merquise and expedited the removal of the tech from the room and the knowledge Broadham obviously had a healthy respect for the Prince and his temper. Giles had tossed the caltrop he had been holding onto a tray and while the medics fussed over placing Frazier onto a gurney he had taken the opportunity to gather Carter and Polnar and joined Zechs and Giles for an impromptu debriefing and conference on what was best to do next. Following due discussion they had decided Simpson had been on the right track and gathering in as many people as they could would lower the chances of the Sleepers taking out isolated pockets of residents. It would be harder for the renegade agents to wipe out groups of five or more people and almost impossible for them to do so quietly. By this time members of the emergency response team had been gathered at the door and he had given them the go ahead to continue with Simpson’s plan. Barker wanted the matter dealt with as speedily in the interests of preserving as many lives as possible. There had to be a limited number of Sleepers at work and they had already accounted for a number of them. He had instructed Carter to make his way to the shuttle bay and inquire after the activities and progress of the Chief Engineer and also to do a quick survey of the shuttle facilities for damages. His next order of business had been to catch an orderly before he could disappear after his fellows and requested the blood be cleaned up before someone slipped and broke their leg. Knowing his luck, he would be the victim, and an ounce of prevention was better than a pound of cure as his grandmother used to say. Deciding it was past time he stopped going over instructions already given and looking for faults in his own reasoning he moved to the bed. It was time to move events along and he nodded to Polnar who was quick to note his action. Coming to the foot of the bed he leaned his hands on the foot rail and determined to interfere. They did not have the time to argue after all. “The mothers in the nursery ward can care for the …” Barker clamped his mouth shut at the shift of Merquise’s attention from Giles to him self. //Shit!// He had no trouble interpreting that look. Quite clearly it stated if he finished the sentence he was a dead man. Where Zechs could be infinitely reasonable about many things the safety of his children seemed to be another matter entirely. Whether he would see reason after sensible discussion was another matter but they could only try. Surely the children would be safer surrounded by adults all on the lookout for trouble. Not that he actually knew where Merquise had hidden them. He might be right about their present location being safer but they needed to gather everyone into a central easy to protect location. “Okay … maybe not.” He sighed and rubbed at the bridge of his nose before he met the arctic glare with one of his own that was admittedly not quite so frosty. He doubted anyone could beat Merquise for chill factor. “Look, Zechs, it would be safer for the twins to be in with a group of people. There would be less chance of them being vulnerable to an isolated agent and it’s not just your kids we need to protect. There are others here too, newborns who have to have select care. Putting all of the babies in one place, under guard, is the safest option we have right now. Protecting the children would be easier to do if they were together in one place.” The blue eyes were just as cold and emotionless and there was no give in the man. Barker knew of his reputation and he wondered why the man could be so blind to his own children’s needs and so attentive to the needs of the others on the colony. In this situation there was safety in numbers and should they need to shut down sections of the sub base to make their life support systems more secure for a longer period of time then they had to have everyone in a central location. “At least allow us to bring the children to this ward.” Polnar spoke up. “You’d no doubt feel better if they were where you could see them and we could arrange satisfactory security.” “They are safe where they are.” The low rumble clearly portrayed his growing displeasure with the subject. “You can’t know that and in this situation there is safety in numbers. It’s only sensible to gather as many as possible and protect a smaller area.” Polnar waved a hand in the general direction of the accommodation blocks. “It is possible there are people dying out there in their rooms while we argue the point. Any remaining Sleepers could be getting closer to your children as we speak; may have already found them. We need to ascertain their safety and keep them secure.” “They are safe where they are.” His teeth were clenched and he subjected Polnar to a look that chilled Barker’s blood. “If they are moved they could become targets before they reach the medical center. He had not thought Merquise could get colder and Barker wondered what was driving the man. There had to be something he knew that others did not for him to be so unreasonably stubborn about moving the children to assured safety. Deciding speculation could wait until all that could be done had been done and it became a waiting game Barker stepped into the man’s line of sight, drawing his attention away from Polnar. Bitchy mood aside they were wasting time and they needed to act, not argue amongst themselves. “We need to make a move. It’s unlikely the Sleepers would target a moving group and I will not be sending out retrieval teams in ones and twos.” Barker moved around the bed to place himself closer to Merquise, certain if he appealed to the man’s training he could cut this argument short and move on. “I will be sending out the Emergency Response team, less the computer techs, plus a couple of medics and Carter.” he glanced at Polnar with an arched eyebrow, well aware the man did not work for him and claimed to be here to bodyguard Merquise. “Are you willing to go?” “I’m willing to go with the team to find and bring the twins to safety.” Polnar returned, meeting his partner’s gaze and then focusing on Merquise who was glowering at him. “I am supposed to guard His Highness from any threat but as I see it that instruction would include ensuring the safety of his children. My employer was quite specific in his instructions concerning the family. His Highness has been safe enough with Giles to this point and I think him capable of keeping the prince secure until I get back.” They all pointedly ignored the growl at the ‘His Highness’, each of them knowing very well how Merquise saw the uselessness of the title this far from Sanc. From the day of his arrival on Mars he had tried to interact as one of the team, just a skilled individual working toward a secure future for the colony. He had never placed himself above any of the terra formers and despite the over protectiveness of Lucrezia Noin he had managed to gain acceptance by his work mates. Barker thought Polnar was gutsy to deliberately remind the man of the distinction which separated him from everyone else on the colony and in doing so remind him of why they were in the mess they were. Haydon Giles stirred, one hand pressed to his ribs and there was underlying pain in his voice. “Zechs. If we need to move everyone out quickly we can’t risk delaying to find the twins. Noin will be settled in the ICU in a contained critical care unit soon. The doc and some orderlies have already headed out to the shuttle to bring her in. If we have to move out of here that unit can be made portable in minutes but having to run around the base looking for the twins could endanger not only the children but everyone else as well. We have no other choice at the moment. We need to consolidate our position and prepare for any eventuality. It’s only good sense. You can trust Chris to bring the twins to you safely. He won’t allow any harm to come to them.” Ice blue eyes met the hazel gaze of the man who had partnered him for hours and something moved in that exchange that Barker did not recognize. Something was happening between the two men he felt instinctively was important but he did not understand it nor did he understand Merquise’s quiet comment. “I don’t know him, Giles. I don’t know him any more than I knew you.” Why should he think there was a subtle emphasis on the ‘know’ in that comment? Confused and no little concerned by the comment a quick glance revealed Polnar had as little understanding of what was going on as he. The man looked bemused and meeting his gaze he shrugged to show he was as much in the dark. Giles sighed softly and lowered his head. Barker saw his eyes were closed and the pain lines around his mouth and across his brow deepened. The man was in a lot of discomfort but he was no quitter and after a moment he looked up and reached to take the Prince’s face between his hands and meet the blue eyes with an intensity that was surprising. “I know you don’t know him, Zechs, but I do. I know him. I trust him with my life and it’s not just me that trusts him. Raydon trusted him to come here and keep you safe and you know how good a judge of character Raydon is. Trust me and trust Raydon. Tell Chris where the twins are and allow him to bring the children here and I know you won’t be disappointed you trusted him. Hey, us random elements have our uses, don’t we? That’s been proven.” //Random elements? What the hell is he talking about?// For a long moment the stare held between the two, neither bending nor blinking and Barker stirred restlessly. It seemed the men had forgotten he and Polnar existed. They were wasting time they could not afford to lose but there was something in the intensity between the two that froze him to the spot and kept his mouth shut. Beside him Polnar seemed to draw a deeper breath, as though he saw something that escaped Barker. The Preventer turned to Polnar to find the man focused on Giles with sharp intensity, and now he was certain he was missing a great deal. //Alright, what is going on? This is something out of the ordinary …// A thought tickled at the edge of his awareness and he hesitated, not daring to entertain such flights of fantasy in so serious a situation. //No. No way. I need time to consider this but … Didn’t I overhear something about visions earlier? No, it can’t be. Shit, there is not time to sort it out now.// “They are all I have left, Giles.” It was a whisper, barely audible in the silence of the room. “I know. I know what they mean to you, Zechs and Chris will keep them safe. Trust him. Trust me.” Pale lashes dropped to cover the intense blue of his eyes and the tension bled slowly out of the air. Barker felt he could breathe again and beside him Polnar looked between the two as though he was unsure of himself all of a sudden. It was disturbing to say the least but he determined to get to the bottom of what he had missed. For the moment he had no choice other than to leave it and attend to more important concerns. “Alright. I trust you and that means I have to trust him but so help me, Giles, if anything happens to my children you can expect …” Giles smiled and it was a gentle smile, one free of rebuke or concern for his own safety as the blonde met his gaze. “Shh, I know. It’s okay. Chris will keep them safe and bring them to you. All you have to do is tell him where they are so he can bring them. With us all together we can give these people the best protection we can.” After a moment Merquise nodded and the fight seemed to have gone out of him. Giles looked up then, releasing the man from his grip and turned to Barker. “You can assemble the emergency response team, Preventer Eagle. Zechs will want his kids brought in as quickly as possible.” He felt Merquise shift in the bed and for once the man made no attempt to hide the exhaustion or the pain he was experiencing. Barker found it worried him Merquise was not trying to cover the condition that was excluding him from the action. “Wind?” “It’s okay. I only need a moment. You should remain here in the medical center and coordinate the operations. If you don’t delegate in this situation it will take twice the time to sort this mess out.” “Can I have a word with you, Chris?” Giles pressed a hand to his ribs and met his partner’s gaze. Barker acknowledged Merquise’s suggestion with a brief nod and glanced at Polnar as he stepped away from the bed. “Five minutes.” “I’ll be ready.” The man stepped back to allow him to pass. As he reached the door he glanced back to find Polnar pinned by those merciless blue eyes that could so easily freeze your soul. Not envying the man the attention he slipped out the door and into the hallway where he paused, glancing around. He would need to gather the emergency response team and appoint a team leader to each group. He would assign one large group to separate into two or three smaller groups to check every room in the accommodation sections and caution them not to lose sight of each other. “Try to understand. He’s Gifted, Chris. If not for the visions we would not have made it this far …” The door latched shut cutting off the soft flow of words and he spun, staring. Gifted? There was that word, again, ‘visions’ and all the mumbo jumbo they brought to mind disturbed him. He was missing something and he was going to need answers but he knew if he opened the door even the slightest bit they would hear him and he was unlikely to hear anything else. Five minutes he had told Polnar and he would need to get moving to coordinate the many tasks that needed to be done. He wanted to walk into that room and demand he be fully informed but Une had made it plain Wind outranked him. Besides, there was more important concerns but as soon as events quieted down he was going to want some answers. //Something is fishy and I will learn what is going on. I can be patient when I have to be but by God I will find out.// t.b.c.
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