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"Bounty Hunters: The Case of the Stolen Yacht"Written By: Yanagi Disclaimer: I do not own or hold any rights to
[Gundam Wing]. Those rights belong to [Bandai, Sunrise, and the Sotsu
Agency]. These fan fictions were written for fun, not profit. However,
this story does belong to me. Please don’t snitch it. Warnings: the usual Beta: rogue53 Pairings: 1x2 Authors notes: The next in the Bounty Hunters
series and my NaNo for 2009. "Bounty Hunters: The Case of the Stolen Yacht" CHAPTER FOUR They spent the next two weeks infiltrating Hidalgo's clique, following dead end leads. And actually having fun. One of the things the group did was fly; hang gliding on a colony was fairly easy. And these kids did it wild. Both Heero and Duo gathered a group of followers as they used their skills to stunt their gliders mercilessly. So it was a good day when Heero and Duo showed up at the hanger. “Hello! Who's ready to fly high?” Duo's cheerful call rang out around the hanger. Hidalgo came out from behind one of the gliders. “Sorry, no fly today. They're repairing something from this side and there's no flying in a repair zone.” Duo grumbled softly but said with understanding. “Sure, hate to get in the way of a repair crew and cause an accident. They've got it rough enough as it is. So Club tonight?” Hidalgo nodded and walked back behind the wing. “What's the problem? Can I help?” Heero followed Duo around the up tilted wing. The whole glider was set in a cradle which held it with one wing tip nearly on the floor and the other high in the air. “Only if you can figure out how to get this nut off.” Heero glanced at Duo and they grinned at each other. Memories of working on their gundams made them both snicker. “What's so funny? This is really stuck.” “Let me take a look. Heero?” Heero just bowed to Duo and stood back. Duo took a look at the nut, it was cross threaded. “Whoever put this on cross threaded it. Titanium?” “Yeah, and it's a bitch. Expensive enough that I don't want to get out the nut cracker.” Heero grunted. “Wouldn't work anyway. Can't crack titanium, that's the whole point of it in the first place.” Duo leaned over to examine the nut and bolt more closely. “Steel? Heero?” Heero leaned down next to Duo. “Yeah, steel. I think I can get it without cracking it. The bolt is done for anyway. Cross threaded and ruined. Hidalgo?” “I've got the right bolt. The only reason there's a steel one on there now, is the owner is an idiot. He wanted to use it last week, so he just jammed a bolt into the hole and screwed on the nut. Now he wants it off and the spec bolt installed.” Heero looked the mess over again then said, “Wrench.” Duo took the wrench from Hidalgo and crawled under the wing. He put the wrench on the bold and called, “Ready.” Heero took the other wrench from Hidalgo and put it on the nut. “I'm ready.” Heero used his wrench to unscrew the nut while Duo used his to keep the bolt from reaming out the square hole it was inserted in. Heero tossed the nut to Hidalgo, who caught it one handed and turned to accept the bolt from Duo. He examined the bolt and announced, “Yep, that's ruined. Glad it's only steel. Here's the new bolt, Duo, would you go back under there and stick it in?” Duo rolled his eyes. “Stick it, huh? Rude boy.” They all laughed, well aware that Duo was likely to take any opportunity to turn a casual remark into something dirty. “Just don't stick it where the sun don't shine. Ready?” “Yeah. Got it.” They worked in concert to reinstall the nut and bolt, which held one of the strut wire assemblies in place. “Thanks. That's that. I just hope the little fucker pays up in time. He's usually late and I have to nag like hell to get my money.” Hidalgo also owned the hanger where his group stored their gliders. Duo shrugged. “Don't let him have his ride until he pays up. It's legal.” “Hate to start that but you're probably right. I'll threaten to hold it, this time.” Hidalgo wiped his hands on a rag then handed it to Heero, who scrubbed at the grease on his palm, then passed it on to Duo. They settled at the battered table in one corner. Hidalgo grabbed some sodas from the equally battered fridge and handed them around. “Club tonight. There's a new one opening down the block from Adams. Club Inferno. If you could get more corny, I'd like to know it. But anyway, are you coming?” Duo nodded, gulped his soda and sighed, “Yeah. Not a peep of info yet so we need to keep up the pressure. I'd kill for a really good lead.” Heero swatted him on the back of the head. “What! I meant that in a metaphorical way.” “Ok. But you're right, this is getting old real quick. We've been here two weeks and not a thing. But it's the only lead we've got. Duo, have you checked all the docks.” Duo shook his head. “No, not yet. I've had some trouble getting into some. I've got to get my hands on a universal colony coverall. No one notices people wearing them. They all assume that they're wherever they are to fix something.” Hidalgo gazed off into the middle distance. “I think I know someone who can get one. She's a friend of my sister, works in a laundry. I'll ask.” “Thanks, man. That's a real help.” Duo settled back with his drink. Heero just put his can on the table top and said, “Better make that two coveralls. I'm not letting Duo go into a restricted area by himself. Not again.” Duo grimaced as he remembered the results of one of his war time escapades. The results of being found where he shouldn't be had resulted in a week of recuperation. And a furious lecture from both Wufei and Heero on not haring off on his own. So he laughed lightly and announced. “Ok, granny, two it is. And ... I'll need a tool box. You can hide a world of sins in a tool box and no one will ever think to check it. Especially if it's old and grubby.” Hidalgo nodded once. “I've got just the thing. I was going to throw it away but it's too good for that and just broken enough that I don't want it in my shop. I'll go get it. ... and some greasy rags. No one wants to touch stuff like that. Anything else?” Heero said, “A tool belt for me. One of the ones with all the little pockets. And some sort of cap or hat. This hair ...” he waved a hand at his messy bangs, “is sort of a give away.” Duo chuckled, waved the tail of his braid in the air and said, “And this isn't?” Hidalgo offered, “Well, stuff it down the back of your coverall and tie a bandana around your head, the tails of the tie will hide what your collar doesn't.” Heero laughed so hard he had to hang on to Duo. It wasn't like that wasn't one of Duo's favorite tricks. “And we better bring our shades too. Our eyes might give us away. We'll wear those Gargoyles that a lot of guys wear instead of safety glasses. The mirror will hide our eyes but won't interfere with our vision. Hidalgo suddenly looked excited. “Is this the way it always is? Planning, I mean.” Heero thought for a moment. “No, sometimes it's a giant argument. Especially if Wufei is involved. But we haven't had a mission with him since the war. With Duo and I, it's usually like this. Sometimes we don't even really talk about stuff, we just know.” “Oh, man. I'll call about the coveralls, and the tool box is over there. There's some secondhand tools around, help yourselves to them. I don't mind if you want the newer stuff but I think the old stuff is more realistic.” Duo agreed and went to rummage for tools that might actually be useful. Heero followed Hidalgo to find the box so that he could bring it back to Duo while Hidalgo made his calls. Things were finally starting to move again. Heero was glad. He wasn't much for clubs, noise and dancing. Duo loved it so he went, but after two weeks of nothing, it was nice to feel like they were getting somewhere. Even if he wasn't quite sure where the somewhere was. But that was the way this job went, days and days of boredom and an hour of pure adrenalin rush. He returned to Duo with the battered, worn box. Duo spent several minutes arranging things to his satisfaction, then he dumped a handful of greasy rags into it and closed it. “There, that's that. Tool belt? Why, may I ask?” “Grenades. I can hide several in the pouches, covered with other stuff.” Duo squawked. “Grenades? Jesus on a half shell. Heero, have you lost it?” “No, and not explosive grenades. Flash-bangs, concussion grenades, smoke bombs; that sort of thing. Major distraction, minimum destruction. I'll leave the blowing up gig to you.” He reached out and tenderly swiped a lock of bangs out of Duo's eye. Duo laughed softly. “Ok, but we're going to have to go back to the hotel to pick up our stuff.” Heero agreed, saying, “I know, but it's not like we don't have a bit of backup.” They'd both continued to carry a sidearm and Duo had a few bits and pieces of equipment with him at all times, but they had a lot more in their packs at the hotel. Hidalgo came back with the news that his sister’s friend could get the coveralls. And told them that, when she'd asked what they were wanted for, he'd told her it was for a costume party. Then remarked cheerfully, “And now we have to have one, because she wanted an invite for the favor. I'll plan it for next week.” Duo nodded absently as he thought about which dock to check out first. “Heero, we can sneak into that dock near the hotel easily. It's guarded by a couple of security men from the hotel. I think it's their private dock. I tried to use the 'I'm lost' bit but it didn't float. They very kindly escorted me all the way back to the main lobby.” Duo's disgusted expression made a listening Hidalgo snicker. “The lost thing doesn't float since someone we both know used it during the war. Stole a shuttle and crashed it into the com array. Put the whole thing out of service for nearly a week. Marquise had a fit.” Duo looked a Hidalgo with an assessing stare that made him say, “Absolve me. I couldn't manage the dumb blonde thing to save my life. She, on the other hand, does featherhead quite well.” Duo poked Heero and announce in a satisfied manner. “Told you.” “So you did. I agree.” And with that cryptic conversation, they headed back to the hotel, tool box and belt stuffed into a duffle. The coveralls would be delivered later that evening, hidden in a box from Hidalgo's store. ~ * ~ tbc... |
