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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 ShenLong for volunteering to beta this. //... // thoughts WARNING: This chapter contains GRAPHIC descriptions
of a VIOLENT NATURE. Many references to BLOOD and GORE so please be
aware when reading as some scenes may upset or disturb some readers. "Alternative Directions: Options"
2nd March AC 198 New Port City, Sanc Palace Time: 17:15 Wu Fei The luxury of vomiting on the sidelines was, regrettably, not a viable option for him at this time. Such uncomfortable and unprofessional activities would need to wait, though for how long he could fight down the gag reflex he was uncertain. This was not by any measure of standards an ordinary murder, and would require his full attention. He needed to focus his mind on professional matters in a bid to quiet his roiling belly. He was, after all, no raw recruit nor new to the sight of death. He was a seasoned professional and now above all times he needed to act the part, but ancestors!, he surely wanted to throw up his breakfast and crawl into a safe and hopefully very dark corner. Somewhere nearby a killer lurked. Not just a killer either, but one who killed in… horrifying ways. This had been torture. He turned on his heel, staring first to the left of the doorway, toward the staircase leading to the ground floor, and then to the right, along the landing with its many doors. In light of the discovery of the Senator's body he was now sure he had not been mistaken as they had approached the study. When he had neared the door he had thought he could feel someone watching him; someone who was no casual observer. Now he knew that feeling had been neither his imagination nor one of the security staff resenting his arrival and potential interference in the security arrangements. It was a warning, gifted by instinct birthed of his turbulent and violent past. Someone had been watching him. Someone malevolent. Someone who had had reason to glare; to wish ill to the Senator. To kill. He had sensed another hunter, one who could kill coldly and methodically. He had a growing suspicion his arrival may have interrupted the killer at work and had, therefore, brought relief to the victim by speeding along his death. How long might the Senator have survived if he had not been assigned by Une to speak to the man over his refusal to accept Preventer protection? At the time he had thought the watcher might have been someone on the Senator's security contingent; one of the team who was resentful Preventers might push into their territory, but now… He was of a mind to give that baleful glare the killer's identity, and if it was the killer then it was to his personal advantage, as the hunter. There had been insufficient time for the killer, now his prey, to escape from the house. He had a chance of apprehending the lunatic if he moved decisively and garnered the cooperation of the security staff. The Senator was dead; there was no shadow of doubt about that. The kill had been grisly. Grotesque. The method employed was unusual to say the least, and exactingly perpetrated. This was something one would have expected to find on a battle scene from the Dark Ages, or earlier, in a crueller and far bloodier world; from a time when punishment, even a death sentence, was prolonged, agonising and an abject lesson to the living. The Senator had not died easily, nor had he died quickly. What should he do in this situation? He was not officially the investigator; the decision might yet be made to hand this matter over to the civil authorities, to the police or even to the ESUN's Security Agency. Given the current uncertainty over jurisdiction, should he begin a detailed investigation of the crime scene? He should, regardless of who eventually was given jurisdiction over the murder, begin a search of the house in hopes of running the killer to ground. Might it be possible for a personal enemy of the Senator to have jumped at the chance to exact revenge for some real or imagined slight when the Senator's name chanced to appear on the execution list Une had generated? It was a disturbing thought and he glanced back into the study, frowning. Personal? A personal motivation behind the crime, perhaps birthed of some extreme political or personal difference of opinion? Powerful men attracted powerful enemies and no one said one's enemy had to be sane and civil. Ancestors! Might this birth a rash of such killings if those in positions of advantage sought to oust their opposition? Would that made up list of victims, a fictional death list for an equally fictional rebel faction, see a rash of deaths as private concerns employed the cover to their own advantage? Was this simply a coincidence? It had to be a grisly and macabre coincidence. But the method of the kill was so unlike the terrorist activities to date. Surely no one would think this kind of killing was random or perpetrated by a terrorist band? Terrorists hit hard and fast. This was… different. There were many possibilities to be considered and he had no time to entertain himself thinking them up. The clock was ticking and he was wasting precious time, time better used to hunt the killer to ground. How long had he wasted already standing in the doorway, weak stomached and sweating as he stared at the still bleeding corpse? "When you have finished making a mess, get your arse out of here and alert security. Have the house and grounds locked down. I do not want it possible for anything larger than a rat to leave the grounds. Put a call in to Police Headquarters and report the incident." Wu Fei glanced over his shoulder at the shuddering aide. "You will begin that to do list now, before the killer has the opportunity to elude us." Maraket was dry heaving, Wu Fei noted absently, his head pressed to the wall and his back pointedly to the study door. Not that Wu Fei could blame him; this was not, after all, your common, every day murder. This kill was… an execution? It did have the flavour of an execution, he decided, adding up the obvious details. Still, it was a particularly gruesome manner of execution. It was a method of killing designed to exact a high degree of suffering before the final killing blow was applied, to release the soul trapped in a body pushed to the limit of endurance. If the victim was not simply left to bleed out in agony. Swallowing down the bile that insisted on threatening to rise, Wu Fei entered the study, careful of where he placed his feet. His dark eyes searched for something which might suggest a reason behind the kill, and perhaps something to indicate the killer's identity. He edged closer to the corpse, his feet notably reluctant to move him closer and dip into that spreading pool of crimson. His mind kept gibbering at him to get the hell out of this house of horrors. Chang Wu Fei was no stranger to sudden death, but this was… different. It was not the sudden explosiveness of an explosion, or the sudden, final impact of a bullet to end a life. This was nothing so… clean. A quick demise was a clean demise that was what his instructors had taught him. Quick, efficient and go for maximum effect with the least risk. There was a morbidly creative flair to the process employed in this kill. The more he looked the more certain he became that someone had wanted the Senator to know he was being killed for a very particular reason, in a very particular manner. The victim had been required to suffer through many levels of agony… but how had the victim been silenced? Even with the gruesome step of sewing the man's lips together, the kill could not have been affected in total silence. "Maraket?! Is this room soundproofed? " He was well aware that he might not receive an answer, given he had not heard the sounds of the man dry retching for the last minute or so. It was possible the private secretary had taken himself off to follow instructions, or it was equally possible he was clinging to the wall, unable to do more than stare in horror and gibber to himself like an idiot. Or… paranoia equated to survival in his business. His scowl deepened as the seconds ticked away and he glanced behind him every few seconds, not inclined to leave his back open with a maniac running loose. Another step closer, another moment of ruthlessly grinding down on the urge to vomit and there was the growing itch developing along his spine that had him turning to the door yet again. Eyes. He was sure there were eyes somewhere near. Running steps warned him of others approaching and the sensation of eyes being focused on him faded with the sound of those footfalls. He was more certain than ever that the killer was nearby and they could contain him to the grounds, or to the house itself. The weather outside was atrocious, and with the snow on the ground there would be tracks if the killer left the shelter of the house. Maraket and another man, big, solidly built and dressed in a plain black uniform appeared in the doorway. Wu Fei watched the stranger intently, judging the mettle of the man by his initial reactions to the crime scene. On first sight he at least did not throw up and become a gibbering wreck. He stood in the doorway, staring for long seconds; it was certainly not what one would expect to find at a murder scene, before he swallowed hard, but that was the only concession the stranger made to the grim sight of the kill. "Is this room soundproofed? " Wu Fei repeated his query now that there were ears to hear him. "The Senator complained about constant disturbances by the household activity. Yes, it is soundproofed. " The big man shifted his attention from the body to Wu Fei and inclined his head. "Simon Burke, Security Chief for the household." "Preventer Agent Dragon." A brief nod of acknowledgement and the man's eyes flicked back to the body. He swallowed and ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head slightly, trying to come to terms with the unusual manner of the murder. Wu Fei knew exactly how he felt. "That's… not what I… expected… when Jon called me." Wu Fei glanced up at the body suspended over the desk, blood slowly dripping to the desk and fought down yet another surge of his rebellious stomach. He was a Preventer agent, a professional, and he would not give in to the urge to heave the contents of his stomach all over the carpet. He would not! "No. No, it is not listed as a common means to commit murder. I should think it might not even be in any manual printed after the Dark Ages." He was trying to lighten the atmosphere? This had rattled him more than he had assumed if he was trying to emulate Maxwell's glib attitude. The constant methodical drip of blood was steadily getting to him. There could not have been much of the precious liquid left within the Senator's body, he suspected, but the gore over the desk was far from dry. It dripped from the desk to the sodden carpet with rhythmic, soggy splats that he was sure he would hear in his sleep for weeks. "I don't… Jesus! We increased the level of security around the grounds when it was announced the Senator was on the death list. I… I just don't understand how access was gained to the grounds, let alone how anyone could access the house unobserved to do… this. I'll pull up the CCTV footage and have it examined. Every inch of the grounds is covered by cameras and the security station is never unmonitored. If we can spot how he got in…" It might give them a chance to stop him from eluding their hunt. Yes, the man was a professional, good at what he did and he was fast moving past the shock and beginning to think again. Wu Fei decided the man had to be either ex military services or perhaps ex metropolitan police. "Assemble a team and have the house searched, top to bottom and warn them to exercise all caution during the search. Who ever perpetrated this crime will not hesitate to take down another man, and I would think any future kills would be quick and silent." "A call has been made notifying the police; however, I am assuming this will be listed as a Preventer case?" Wu Fei dragged his eyes away from the corpse with an effort. It was incredibly difficult to take his eyes off the body, the unusual nature of the kill, while horrifying, was never the less fascinating for its oddity. It was a morbid curiosity; one he had not thought himself cursed with that kept his eyes going back to study every facet of the scene. He wanted to throw up, but something within him was fascinated with just looking. Ghouls, he had called bystanders to crime in the past. Ghouls, but here he was, staring when he should be working and he needed to attend to more than just… looking. He edged closer to the desk, mindful of where he placed his feet, only too conscious of the amount of blood soaking through the carpet. "Given that Preventers are handling the matter of the death list I'll call my Commander and report this incident." He was thankful that, although his voice sounded husky to him, he never the less sounded calm and in control of himself. "I expect she will claim jurisdiction over this murder." The smell was beginning to get to him, but he could well and truly understand why the Senator would release his bowels in terror at what was being done to him. And no one's intestines spilling out of their body would smell good. He had to get some fresh air… soon. Holding his breath for the duration of the inspection of the scene was simply not an option, and shallow breathing was not working, but he needed to have a look at the scene properly. He needed to thoroughly examine the crime scene and then he could cater to a steadily rebelling body. He might be pushing his limits, but he need not make an additional stinking mess for the household staff to clean up. "Where is the nearest bathroom to this study?" Maraket looked confused for a moment, hesitating and glancing at the Security Chief, who seemed to be as fascinated with the scene as Wu Fei himself, before indicating a direction over his shoulder. "Three doors down." "Good. I would appreciate it if you would see no one uses it. I will need to… refresh myself… after I finish here." The Security agent, if not the aide, would understand what that meant. He would hold out as long as he possibly could, in the interests of investigating the crime, and then he would make a run for the bathroom and throw up his breakfast. Unlike Markaet he had a personal objection to vomiting in hallways. A single nod in response, the man was no fool and he turned toward the door. "I'll supervise the search of the house and grounds and start scanning the CCTV footage." "See that no one enters the room." He did not need to say it; it was a foregone conclusion that he would want the scene undisturbed, but it delayed the inevitable for a few paltry seconds. Maraket departed with the Security Chief and Wu Fei sidled up to the desk, careful to keep far enough back that he did not stand in the pooling blood and spilled entrails. It was… gross. There had to be a word to describe the macabre means of death employed. He was inclined to believe the Senator was not meant to die quickly or cleanly. The combined components of the scene struck him as being carefully thought out, prepared and specifically arranged for maximum shock value, both to the victim and to the observer. The Senator was strung up by his wrists, the ropes tied to beams in the gothic arched ceiling. He was spreadeagled, arms wide apart, ropes taunt to hold him in place and his arms were red with blood; so much blood that it suggested his wrists had been slashed. His legs were spread wide, ropes circling his ankles, the ends tied off to the desk legs. And he was naked. Slashing the writs might possibly have been the final killing blow, Wu Fei mused. Another sign the kill was quite deliberately aimed at making the man suffer. It could have been done to bleed the man out quickly, weakened as he would have been by the other wounds, but given the nature of the torture, it would have been done last. How long might he have lasted if his wrists had not been slit? Looking about the study he could see no signs of a struggle in the room. Other than the gore spilling over the desk everything was neat and tidy. This torture had taken time to perform. It had taken time to subdue the man then to strip him. It required time to string him up over the desk and tie him securely against his struggles, and he would have struggled as he became aware of what was being done to him; and it had taken time to eviscerate him. There had to have been some manner of drug used in subduing the Senator. The man would not have simply stood there and permitted himself to be stripped naked and strung up for butchery to be performed on him. He was a big man, bull necked and not prone to suffer fools. He would have fought if he had had warning of what was about to happen. Some manner of short term drug had to have been administered to enable the ground work to be completed before the kill. The drug would need to be fast acting and equally quick to dissipate, because Wu Fei was certain the Senator was conscious during the kill itself. His arrival at the manor had been announced only a little over thirty minutes ago, certainly less than forty five minutes, meaning the entire murder had had to be committed speedily if the intent was to make the Senator suffer during the procedure. The look on the man's face was such that there could be no doubt he knew what was being done to him. It was… horrible. Abominable, inhumane, but it had been done and for purposes of investigation Wu Fei needed to determine everything there was to know. Anything, no matter how small, might hold a clue. The victim demanded justice and his family needed an explanation as to why their loved one had met such a terrible fate. A single, long incision had been made in his abdomen and his intestines had spilled from his body. They were now wrapped around the desk a few times before being left to spill over the desk with other organs that might simply have fallen after his intestines had spilled. Or they too might have been removed for gory effect. The medical examiner might be able to tell. Stepping back from the desk Wu Fei peered up at the ties holding the man. Thin cords, strong and light weight, wrapped around the wrists and… His thumbs had been sliced off, cut cleanly from the Senator's hands. He would have to find them… or rather the forensics team would need to find them. Taken as a trophy? Wu Fei was not inclined to play in the guts and gore if he could avoid it, and forensics would have his guts for garters if he messed up their crime scene. Swallowing back the rising bile, knowing he could not long keep this up before he had to lose his breakfast, he cast a quick eye over the desk. What ever paperwork the Senator had been working on lay under the bloody pile that was the man's guts. That would have to be worked out later, after the scene was properly processed; the scene photographed and all evidence duly catalogued. There was a picture frame set to one side of the desk that drew Wu Fei's attention and he arched an eyebrow at the oddity of the picture. Within the plain frame rested what he thought might be a Tarot card. Careful not to touch anything on the desk or step in the blood pool, he leaned as far forward as he could to better observe the picture. No, it was not a Tarot card… or if it was then the artist had made some subtle errors with the traditional depiction of the card. It looked remarkably like the card designated The Fool in the classic Rider-Waite deck. The classic representation of the card showed a young man depicted in a fancy medieval costume, dancing nonchalantly at the edge of a precipice with a dog running at his heels, but this card was different. In this representation of the card, if it was related to the Tarot deck at all, the figure of the fool was gagged; the smile on his face a warped caricature, stitch marks sewing the lips together. Another oddity was that the dog did not run about the figures feet, but was crushed under the foot of the man. Wu Fei straightened slowly, frowning. There had to be a message in that card, either for the victim or someone else who was somehow involved. The card was not behind the glass in the frame, merely propped up against the picture and he was almost certain it had been placed there by the killer. A calling card, but who had it been meant for? He doubted it was intended as a warning or message for the Senator. Might there be more of these gruesome kills in the future? Wu Fei glanced up, along the length of the tortured body and repressed a shudder. The Senator's mouth was stitched closed, though there was plenty of evidence he had been screaming enough to tear some of the stitches out with his final screams… It was too much. Wu Fei spun on his heel and made short time in getting into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him as he bolted for the toilet bowl. He would deal with his physical reaction and then he would call Une. She would not be amused. ——————————- Preventer Headquarters New Port City, Sanc Time: 17:45 Une She had known, before she had left the palace, that there would be a mess waiting to be dealt with, and on reaching her office she had learned she had not been mistaken. In fact what awaited her in her blessedly warm air conditioned office was worse than the assumptions she had entertained in transit to the office. It appeared the entire ESUN had gone to hell in a hand basket and landed in her inbox. Regardless of the surprises each day in her position could bring it was required that she deal with her usual workload, and the events of the previous day could not be considered merely an emergency. Not when one considered the influx of paperwork which greeted her. Anyone would think Libra had been resurrected and fired another crater in the planet. It appeared that everyone wanted a piece of Preventers over the attacks in the city and at the palace. She was Preventer Earth and the backlash from the day's events fell on her head. As a certain agent with a glib tongue would say, `Sucked to be her.' Did she not realize Preventers was funded with the specific intent of stopping these types of terrorist incidents before they happened? Just how many of the messages were word perfect reproductions of that one? The pile for that particular message was getting notably higher than the rest. How dare she not be aware of the terrorist cell, were not Preventers paid enough to know all? Well, now that they mentioned it, a little bit of extra money in the kitty might not go astray; she would have to suggest that to the esteemed Councilman the next time she saw him. Was she so utterly incompetent that she was incapable of running her division successfully? This from the man under investigation by his own department for incompetence. Charming. The more she had read the more the words ran into each other. Message after message couched in half a dozen different formats from every department in the government; and a few would be Councillor's attempting to be noticed. Different sources, sometimes word perfect, sometimes couched in flowery legalese… The result of which was the birth of that idiotic notion of something happening to distract her from the chore of reading and responding to them all. And then, of course, that `something' she had wished for to distract her had happened. God she could be stupid sometimes. She should know better than to flirt with such thoughts. Trouble invariably found its way to her desk; that was part and parcel of who and what she was. It was the price she paid to ensure Mr. Treize had not died in vain. If his death had no reason… if the peace should crumble… Une pressed her head into her hands, her fingers gripping long brown strands of hair and she drew in a deep breath. Patience, she needed patience. She could understand what the problem was and it just required a little patience on her part while they recovered from their respective panic attacks. They were running scared, thinking their precious and oh so comfortably cushy positions might be threatened. Of course they would be demanding answers and she had known it was not going to be a good day. And then Chang had called her. The result of her ill thought out flirtation with a desire to be distracted left her feeling decidedly unwell. In light of Chang's call, the bothersome tiresome day had progressed in a single bound into being revealed to be an absolutely rotten day. There were days when she entertained thoughts of stepping down as Preventer Earth and handing the mess to someone else; but who could she trust to maintain the peace `he' had died to achieve? Today was heading to be one of those days. No, this was her mess to clean up, purely and simply because she could trust herself to do the job properly. Of course, according to every politician who could reach a working vid unit, it was her fault. It was the fault of Preventers and revealed the organization to be grossly incompetent and therefore, by default, it was `her' fault. It amazed her how not one single politician who hounded her as the day progressed had pointed a finger at the ESUN Security Agency. Not one of them had accused that Agency of falling down on the job. Did none of them care to see that if Preventers should know about a terrorist group, then the ESUN Security Agency should have known about it too? But of course no one had mentioned that. How many times had she had the Security Agency rubbed in her face? How many times had she been told Preventers day was done; that they needed to be disbanded because the Security Agency was far better equipped and manned to service the needs of the ESUN? Preventers was treated like the rich man's poor cousin. But no one mentioned it now. It was so much more fun for them all to point the finger at Preventer and lay the blame there, and when the smoke all settled they would go back to spouting the virtues of their pet Agency. How right they were, though they did not know it, to blame her for this mess. It was her fault, she had instigated the whole terrorist incident, but the Station Alliance was another matter. There had not been one bloody whisper on the streets about the so called Station Alliance. Who ever they were they seemed more than capable of guarding their secrets, and now there was this newest complication. She had known there must be fallout. She had not made the decision lightly to resurrect the terrorist cell Mr. Treize had set up and, in the end, had not called in to duty. Unknowing of the imminent appearance of the Station Alliance it had been the perfect controllable distraction to the fiasco happening on Mars. Amidst the shouting from the politicians she had received two quietly voiced calls from cell members requesting confirmation they were to activate. She had expected contact from them, for them to seek confirmation and she had requested they stand ready should she require their services. Her warning they not react to any provocation from any source other than herself would keep them from acting. They were loyal to Mr. Treize and therefore loyal to her. Her controllable counter to the media storm about Mars now had such potential for disaster. Resurrecting the cell, generating the false death list, destroying her own home and putting a sizeable dent in the palace… it had all been for nothing. The appearance of the man who claimed to be a Khushrenda and his Station Alliance had been enough of a distraction to turn the media's attention from Mars. Hindsight was a marvellous thing, but she was not a clairvoyant. Throughout every government building on the planet politicians were scheduling meetings and demanding her attendance. She was supposed to be in four different places at once and the demand would only grow. Did no one in the government have a brain? Could they not think time zones? And there was also the small matter of a blizzard closing down half of Europe. It was a mess. And now this. This impossible complication adding yet another degree to the headache she already endured. What was she to do about the murder...no, it was nothing so simple as a murder. What had happened in that mansion on the outskirts of New Port City was nothing as simple as murder. It was an execution. Someone had executed an ESUN Senator. It would be a fine point of jurisdictional politics to see who actually investigated the death, but for the moment Preventers would lay claim to it. She had a top agent at the scene and he could handle matters until such time as the powers that be decided who would run the investigation. She would need to notify certain people and sit back while the squabbling took place. But for the moment she had no time to wallow in the misery of it all. Une sat back and smoothed her hair into place, glancing at the vid screen. Chang looked decidedly pale, no easy feat given his natural colouring, but the crime scene would not have made for pleasant viewing. He looked tense, lips pressed together as he waited for her to realize the implications and give her instructions. He was in the security room of the Senator's mansion, which meant there were likely to be other people in there with him. Whatever she said she had to guard her every word lest someone suspect the terrorists were not quite what they were reported to be. She needed to convey a message to Chang, to assure him that the kill was no part of the scheme she had cooked up and dragged him into. "I'll get a forensic team out to you as quickly as possible. The roads are improving so it should be no more than half an hour or so. For the moment you are to treat this death as being related to the terrorist cell. The method of the kill certainly does not ring true, given the actions of the group to date. However, the Senator was on the death list and we can not discount the possibility someone in the group has a sense of the macabre. Do not put yourself at risk, Chang. Whoever perpetrated the crime is one sick son of a bitch and I don't want my people falling victim to him. Is that understood?" Hopefully he would understand by her subtle distinctions that she had nothing to do with the kill and it was not part of the plan to distract the media. Chang Wu Fei was bright enough to catch her meaning and she could not afford to have him doubting her. They were treading a fine enough line as it was. "Understood, Commander. The area has been sealed and House Security is searching the grounds and house for any indications of the intruder. I doubt the killer could have left the grounds given the… fresh… condition of the body. He is likely to still be in the house; on the grounds at the very least." Chang sounded more than a little raw in the throat and it took a lot to disturb a Gundam Pilot. He had briefed her as to what he had found in the study and the spoken descriptions were graphic enough without having actually witnessed it. He had cause to be feeling somewhat ill and she was not eager to see the scene for herself. Une ignored the betraying tremble in her hand as she ran the fingers through her hair. She hoped Chang would not notice, or that he would have the grace not to mention it. Much as she would prefer not to think about it, the question begged asking. Did this have anything to do with her death list? What might she have started? It could not have been a member of the sleeper cell; they were never trained to kill like this. Mr. Treize would never order such a kill; never such a cold blooded barbaric execution. The team had been hand picked for mental stability and trained to be quick and silent; efficient. Get in, get the job done and get out. No, she was sure none of them had performed this chilling act. "Any thoughts?" It was too soon, of course, but Chang had proven repeatedly he was perceptive and he had good instincts. He flicked his eyes to something out of the camera's pickup and inclined his head slightly, turning his attention back to his Commander quickly. As she had suspected, he was not alone in the room, she had been wise to guard her tongue. "It… may have been a personal matter. The method of the kill…" He paled notably and Une wondered if he was about to vanish from the screen and make for a convenient bathroom, but he rallied, firming up his stance and hardening his jaw. "It was a very precisely executed kill. The method was very particularly planned and carried out, and there is that calling card left on the desk. I have yet to check with the Senator's assistant, but I will be surprised if he saw it before. I will take a photograph of it on my cell phone and forward it to you. It is… unusual." So Chang was suspicious it was a personal matter and had nothing to do with the death list. That was a relief, but what the hell had the man been involved in that, if it had turned bad, necessitated he be killed in such a fashion? It was not simply murder. From Chang's description this was an execution containing what was potentially a message to select other individuals. He led her to believe the card was important; if it was unique there would undoubtedly be certain people out there who would recognize it and its significance. Taken together, the morbid kill and the silent message suggested conspiracy behind some very select doors. This was a death that could lead to a shake up in the House of Representatives and potentially to the highest echelons of the government. This was one case she would not protest being handed over to a Federal investigation team, even to the Security Agency. She would like it taken from Preventer hands, they had enough politicians breathing down Preventer necks now; but her curiosity was aroused. She wanted to know why the man had been killed and if it had been coincidence it occurred with the release of the death list. What had the Senator been involved in that led to his grisly end and what might it mean for the peace of the ESUN? Was all of their hard work; was `his' death to be for nothing? "I'll send that team along. Have the security team move in groups, no less than two to a group, and none of the staff are to leave set designated safe areas until the house has been thoroughly searched. Guard your back and keep in touch with me." This was becoming personal. She had included that man's name on the death list and until she could be certain it was merely a coincidence she would look for answers. There was already so much to contend with, but this was not something she could leave to others. She would need to begin the necessary notifications and watch closely to see who reacted. Stabbing at the intercom Une stretched slowly, tilting her head back and working on the aching muscles. "Get me forensics. Have the com lines through to Brussels been restored?" With half of Europe under the storm, communications were sketchy. It was more than just Sanc who needed to work on services being restored. Much of the modern world relied on communications and when Mother Nature stepped in they might as well be back in medieval times. t.b.c.
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