|
"Witness Protection"Written By: Snowdragonct Disclaimer: Don't own any part of Gundam Wing
or the characters, more's the pity. This is for fun...no profit involved. Rating: R Warnings: Warnings: AU , yaoi, swearing (lots),
some OOC (probably), violence, drugs, sex, a naughty Duo (i.e. he
has a potty mouth and is a bit, er, slutty)…if you are wedded
to the “pure, chaste” version of Duo, he might be a bit
dark and crude for your taste…ditto for the other characters
in here…hey, Quat’s a lawyer…how much lower could he
get? Pairings: 1X2 eventually, 3X4 also eventually, (past 2X3, 6X2) A/N: I’ll apologize in advance that Zechs is, well, deceased right from the start. I like him a lot, and there’ll be mention of him…but mostly in the form of discussing/investigating his murder. Sorry. Summary: When Zechs Merquise is found murdered,
detectives Heero Yuy and Wufei Chang are tasked with the unenviable
chore of keeping the only witness to the crime alive long enough to
testify against the leader of the Oz syndicate, Treize Khushrenada. "Witness Protection"
We bid a reluctant farewell to Euphoria the next morning, and began the marathon drive back to the city. This time Chang and I were in the front seat, while Duo and Catherine had the back, and were talking quietly about Duo’s disguise and how he was supposed to walk and talk like a woman. I might have found it amusing, except I was busy getting back into the mindset of a working cop—running scenarios through my head to think up contingency plans and emergency exits. “—so if there are FBI agents at all the doors, and they decide to detain us, we’ll need Barton or Winner to be somewhere handy to meet up with Duo and Catherine—.” “Relax, Yuy,” urged Wufei, glancing over briefly before returning his gaze to the highway stretching before us. “Ultimately, we’re going to have to play it by ear. There’s just no way of knowing what sort of security they’ll have.” “But we can estimate—.” “It’s guesswork. Nothing more,” he interrupted. “Put it from your mind, and make the call to Captain Po.” “Right. The call.” I took out the cell phone rather reluctantly. We hadn’t been in contact with our boss since I called for the extraction from the amusement park—and we all know how well that went. I looked anxiously at my partner. “What if she’s in cahoots with the FBI?” “If she is—she’s convinced they’re on the up and up. I’m sure she’ll be shocked to hear that they tried to kill us.” “Unless she sent them.” “Jesus, Yuy—the woman has an exemplary record! Fifteen years on the Force, and five as Captain. You think she’d sell out to Khushrenada? Throw away a career she’s devoted her life to?” “I’m just not ready to rule anything out,” I asserted. “I mean, we judged Duo based on his reputation, and look how wrong we were. We could be just as wrong about Captain Po. They say everyone has a price.” “Well, I hope they’re wrong. I’d hate to think that of her. Not just because I respect the woman—but also because if she’s been bought—we’re seriously screwed.” “Well how else do you think they got wind of the meeting?” “A leak?” he said almost hopefully. “Just as before. The Captain’s office could be bugged—unless you think Winner’s messenger was bribed—.” “No. Quatre trusted the man implicitly. And I think all he told him was a place, date and time—not the purpose of the message.” “Just call the Captain and settle this. Find out what went wrong, and then feed her the story that Maxwell took a powder and we’re coming in empty-handed.” “Hey, speaking of ‘powder,’” Duo piped up, leaning over the seat. “Cathy’s making me wear makeup. Fuckin’ makeup, Yuy! This better be worth it!” My partner laughed unexpectedly, and I looked at him in surprise. “What’s so funny?” “He didn’t bitch about dodging hitmen and moose as much as he’s whining about wearing makeup,” Wufei pointed out. “It’s just—incongruous.” “In-what?” Duo demanded. “You’re blowing it out of proportion. It’s only a little makeup.” “And lipstick!” growled my lover. “Oh—give him nice, pouty lips,” Chang told the girl. “Why don’t you see how many offers for dates he can collect while you wait in line to get inside?” Catherine giggled happily, dragging Duo back from the seat and whispering more plans into his ear. I gave my partner a grateful sideways glance, knowing he was doing his part to keep Duo distracted and relaxed. “Call Po!” “Yes, sir!” I shushed our two passengers, and dialed the precinct, ready for almost anything. “First Precinct—Captain Po,” came a voice just tense enough that I knew she’d been waiting for our call. “Guess who?” I said flippantly, more than a little tired of the leaks and the games and the tension. “What happened?” she demanded sternly. “I’ve heard nothing for three days! Where are you? And where are Clark and Mason?” “Clark and Mason?” I asked, feeling as if I’d been sucker-punched. “That’s who you sent for us?” “Yes! You wanted someone you knew.” “They—never made it,” I told her, recalling that Chang and I had talked her out of using those two men for Duo’s security detail, citing the fact that one had three kids and the other had just gotten married. Now, they were both probably dead in a ditch somewhere—wherever the rogue FBI agents had dumped them. “If they didn’t make it, where are they? And where are you, and what’s happening?” “First off, if they were intercepted, it means someone overheard the message we sent giving you the time and place—so you’d better assume your office is bugged.” “What do you mean ‘intercepted’?” she asked warily. “I mean, instead of them arriving at the rendezvous, we ended up with a carload of guys claiming to be from the FBI.” “I’d never send the FBI!” she snapped in outrage. “I know how you feel about them. I sent Mason and Clark.” “Then I don’t feel so bad about shooting the guys who showed up, and blowing up their car,” I replied unrepentantly. “Shooting—blowing—. How’d you blow up their car?” “Long story,” I sighed. “But let me give you the condensed version. The leader called himself Agent Sims and told us to hand Maxwell over. We balked, and he brought out a hostage—the young lady who’d provided our last safe house. He wanted to trade her for Maxwell—said that Khushrenada had changed his mind and wanted Duo alive for some reason.” Come to think of it, I’d never pressed Duo for an explanation. I still didn’t know what Zechs might have passed along to him that Treize would want. “We pretended to make the trade, and then Sims told his men to kill us all. Maxwell got him with a switchblade, while Chang shot the man who’d been holding the girl. Meanwhile, she used a smoke bomb for a distraction, while Maxwell did the same and then dropped a real bomb on his way out of the limo.” “He got away?” came the breathless question. I chuckled, seeing an opportunity for a plausible lie. “Yes. As a matter of fact, he got away from all of us.” “He’s missing?” “I’m afraid so.” “What have you done to track him down?” “Nothing.” This time the slight irritation in my reply wasn’t feigned. “Honestly, Captain, what would you have us do? I was injured during the encounter, and Chang, the girl and I barely got clear. Maxwell’s probably on his way to Vegas by now—or nearly there. He was in an SUV he stole from the backup crew that came after Sims’ first team went down.” “Then why aren’t you on his trail?” “I said probably,” I pointed out. “He mentioned hiding out there back at the start of the trip—so I thought maybe he was still considering it. In reality, he could be anywhere.” “Or nowhere!” she blurted. “Jesus, Yuy—I’ve got the FBI crawling all over the precinct. The trial starts tomorrow. And you’re telling me our only witness has disappeared?” I could see where that looked very bad from her perspective. “What about forensic evidence?” I asked. “It won’t hold up on its own,” she insisted. “We need Maxwell!” “I’ll tell you what; have Noventa stall for time, and Chang and I will try looking for Maxwell a bit more. There are a few places he might have gone to ground, and we can at least check some of those out before we come in empty-handed. Okay?” “Like I have a choice?” My boss sighed deeply, and there was a long, pregnant pause. “Are you certain Mason and Clark were killed?” “Have you heard from them?” “No.” “Then they’re dead,” I said bluntly. “Couldn’t they have been diverted—or even bribed?” “If they were bribed, they’d have shown up for the rendezvous and then gotten the drop on us. No, Captain. They’re dead.” I felt a pang of genuine regret for both men’s families. “After all that,” Captain Po sighed wearily. “We left them off the protective detail to keep them out of harm’s way—and then a simple pickup went bad?” “There was nothing simple about it—it went bad because someone is listening to conversations that take place in your office, and passing the information along to Khushrenada’s people.” I frowned, thinking of Relena again. She was the likeliest candidate, except for having no reason to want to help Khushrenada. How could he have gotten to her? “And you think the FBI is among Khushrenada’s ‘people’?” “Not all of them—but some. Yes. And until we know which ones, you clearly can’t trust them.” “That’s rather a moot point, Yuy, unless you and Chang find our runaway witness.” “In his defense, Captain, he stuck with us until the ambush at the park. It would have been enough to break anyone’s nerve. I can fully understand why he’d be afraid to put his life in our hands any more.” “But if he doesn’t testify, Khushrenada will get away with murder. And you know he won’t give up on Maxwell, either. He’ll want him silenced permanently—to be sure he can never bear witness against him.” “I know that. And we’ll do our best to find Maxwell and convince him of that. But meanwhile, just tell Noventa to buy time.” “I’ll tell him. But unless you can produce Maxwell, I fully expect the judge to dismiss the charges.” She sighed deeply again. “I suppose that will at least leave an opportunity to file charges again at a later date—if Maxwell turns up alive. But what are the odds of that happening?” “Don’t write him off yet,” I urged. “He’s a resourceful young man, Captain. And he’s pretty good at landing on his feet when things go bad. I’m sure he’s still alive. We just have to find him and get him to see that his only way out of this mess is to face it head on, and take down Khushrenada.” From the back seat, I saw Duo nod in agreement, a determined look on his face. “Very well, Yuy,” came the weary reply. “Do your best to locate him. I’d tell you not to bother showing up without him—but maybe Noventa can use you or Chang to at least attest to the attempts at witness tampering. Besides, I’m quite certain I don’t want to face him alone, if you don’t find Maxwell in time.” “I don’t blame you,” I told her. “We’ll try not to let you down.” She gave a wry snort. “I’ll try to remember that when I send the team up to collect the bodies and evidence from the amusement park. Or should I say ‘clean up your mess’?” Her tone was bitter, but I understood why when I heard the next words out of her mouth. “I—I guess I’d better send someone out to look for Mason and Clark, while I’m at it,” she continued rather absently. “And I should call their wives—.” Her voice trailed off, and I thought I heard a slight catch at the end. “I’m sorry about them, Captain.” I didn’t have to feign the husky tone of my voice. I’d known both men and genuinely liked and respected them. It sucked that they’d given their lives unnecessarily—that a fucking information leak cost them so dearly. “So am I,” Captain Po replied somberly. “I’m starting to think it’s not worth it—two more lives for a single murder conviction—.” “It’s worth it,” I said fiercely. “It has to be.” I didn’t want Clark and Mason’s lives to have been lost in vain. I did a quick mental tally of all this case had cost—Winner’s assistant Rashid, two of his vacation homes as well as his vintage Harley, a bullet graze across my thigh, pulled muscles in my back and then a shot to the shoulder, Duo’s blistered feet as well as the graze across his back by the near-miss at the lake house, Wufei being spit on by a llama, treed by a bear, and having bullet holes in his shirt—not to mention sharing a bed with two homosexual guys—the list just went on and on. From Duo’s stitched foot to the trauma Catherine had endured by being kidnapped, we’d sacrificed so much that we deserved our reward. We deserved to see Treize Khushrenada brought low by the word of an ex-stripper. That would be true justice. And I damned well intended to see it brought about. “I just hope you find Maxwell in time to testify,” Captain Po murmured, sounding genuinely exhausted. “We’ll do our best. Yuy out.” I hung up the phone and glanced over at my partner, whose sober expression told me he understood the whole conversation, even while getting just my side. From the back seat I heard a heartfelt sigh, and I felt Duo’s hand settle on my good shoulder. “I’m sorry about your friends.” “They weren’t friends,” I told him. “But they were co-workers—good cops—with families.” “I’m sorry,” he repeated, sounding inordinately regretful. “Don’t blame yourself. Blame Khushrenada. Blame his crooked FBI agents. And blame whoever has been monitoring my Captain’s communications and feeding information to the enemy. Blame them, Duo. But don’t you dare try to take the responsibility on yourself.” He smiled crookedly at me, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Still knowin’ the right thing to say, huh?” “It’s nothing more than the truth.” We were a subdued group from that point on, taking turns at driving and sleeping, and pausing at empty rest stops along the highway to use the facilities and buy coffee or sodas out of the vending machines. It caused a strange sense of déjà vu—reminding me of our first road trip—with the same mingled sense of dread and urgency. Yet it was totally different, in that we were now emotionally invested in each other and the outcome of the trial. Even Wufei couldn’t claim to be unconcerned about Duo’s fate—not that he would at that point. We were a team—about to send our unifying factor into the lion’s den.
When we reached the outskirts of the city, we finally stopped at a hotel, opting for one night of uninterrupted sleep as well as a place for Catherine to work her magic on Duo before we headed to the courthouse. We made one quick call—to Winner—to make sure he’d be at the courthouse with a suit for Duo to change into once we were inside. Then we settled in for the night. The room had two queen-sized beds and a futon, which satisfied Chang’s sense of propriety. But it also meant there’d be no privacy—no chance for Duo and me to share an intimate moment. We had to content ourselves with being able to sleep in each other’s arms one last time—and I reveled in it as he curled up against me and promptly dozed off. Once he was in the courthouse, in police custody, Duo would be under Noventa’s supervision, rather than Chang’s and mine. I didn’t expect to be alone with him again until the trial was over and I’d tracked him down in relocation. Oh, it wasn’t as bleak as all that. I fully expected that no matter where he was spirited away for safekeeping, he’d contact me to join him. I just wasn’t sure if the relocation team would tell him his destination until he got there. So I steeled myself for a period of enforced separation. It was going to hurt like Hell. After spending every moment together for weeks now, we’d be completely out of contact for an indeterminate period of time. “You’re not sleeping,” came a rather weary whisper in my ear, accompanied by a tightening of the arm across my waist. “I’m—thinking.” “I can tell. Now stop.” “Can’t.” I rubbed my thumb up and down along his tattooed bicep. “I’m thinking about how much I’ll miss this during the trial.” “I’ll miss it, too. I’ll miss you.” “And I’ll miss my one chance at a decent night’s sleep if you two don’t shut up!” Wufei growled from his futon. Duo snickered against my neck, and I found myself smiling into the darkness of the room. “I’ll miss your bitching, Chang,” I said with amusement. “Really, I will.” He sighed theatrically. “Go to sleep, Yuy.” There was a quiet snicker in the dark. “Maxwell needs his beauty rest.” “Hey—!” I stifled Duo’s protest with a deep, lingering kiss, until he sighed happily and snuggled closer. And then I was finally able to relax and let myself fall asleep as well.
The next morning dawned far too early, and while Chang went after breakfast, I packed the car, and Catherine and Duo worked on his disguise. They made a bit of a production out of it, locking themselves into the bathroom and making Chang pass the coffee and breakfast sandwiches through a barely-opened door after he’d returned. “No peeking!” Catherine cautioned, quickly shutting us out again. I sat on one of the beds, wolfing down my meal and coffee before I had time to get too nervous to stomach food. And then I sat there and began to obsess. “Are we doing the right thing, Chang?” I blurted finally. “Or should we just buy him a plane ticket to Bermuda and tell him to disappear?” I was only half-joking, feeling the beginnings of panic. So much could still go wrong. Someone could recognize Duo even through his disguise. Or the security people at the courthouse could realize he wasn’t a woman and detain him for suspicious activity. Or he could suddenly fall ill—or get hit by a bus crossing the street—or—. Well, you get the idea. My imagination was running away with me, and we hadn’t even left the hotel yet. “We’re doing the right thing,” Wufei said firmly. “It’s the only choice we have. Maxwell will testify. Khushrenada will go down. And you will run off to live happily ever after with the man of your dreams.” “What a pretty picture you paint.” He smiled fleetingly. “I try.” “Speaking of pictures—I wonder what happened to Duo’s sketch book.” It suddenly occurred to me that he might have mislaid it in our travels, and I felt an unaccountable sense of loss. “I gave it to Tro’ to hang onto when he came to the farmhouse,” came a teasing voice from the doorway. Chang and I both looked up, and gaped in unison. Duo was fucking stunning. I don’t know if it was just because I knew it was him under the makeup and frills—but he just about took my breath away. Catherine had pulled his hair up on the sides and made cascades of curls that draped flatteringly around his shoulders and face. His wide, too-pretty eyes were highlighted with subtle touches of mascara and eye shadow, giving them a sultry, smoky look, and the hint of rouge sweeping across his cheekbones softened the angles of his face, drawing one’s eyes to the full, pouty (yes, pouty) lips accented in an earthy reddish color. “Holy fucking shit,” breathed my partner, clearly awestruck. Duo wore a simple blue blouse, with a collar just high enough to obscure his Adam’s apple, though the indigo shawl around his shoulders would have served the same purpose, draping over the very feminine-looking swells on his chest in such a way that it drew attention away from his throat. In fact, it led the eye towards the wide belt around that slim waist, and down to the snug black skirt ending just below his knees. “You fucking shaved your legs!” Chang blurted in amazement. Sure enough, Duo was wearing stockings—ladies’ stockings. And his legs looked damn fine in them—shapely calves leading to slender ankles and feet encased in round-toed pumps with tiny heels. Shit! She got him to wear heels. They weren’t “spiked” heels—or even very tall ones—but they sure flattered the Hell out of his legs. I gave a low wolf-whistle, and raised an eyebrow, giving my lover another head to toe look. He put one hand on his hip, and glared. “You don’t even like women, Yuy. So stop pretending this turns you on.” “It turns me on,” Wufei teased, smirking irrepressibly. “Or at least it would if I didn’t know you, and I passed you on the street.” “Oh really?” Catherine asked him archly. For once he didn’t get flustered, but gave her a warm, almost conspiratorial look. “Of course, the first thing I notice is a woman’s looks, Catherine. But you know me well enough to know that it takes much more than that to truly attract me. It takes intellect, and humor, and strength of spirit—.” She leaned over and kissed him quickly to shut him up. “Nice save,” she whispered. “But even I know how gorgeous I made him. You can go ahead and say it.” “You’re hot, Maxwell,” blurted my partner without missing a beat. “Fuck you, Chang,” muttered Duo, shifting restlessly and reaching up to adjust the hair curling around his chin. “Can we get this over with so I can get out of these shoes?” “Your feet are killing you?” I guessed with a grin. “No—I want the stockings off. They’re riding up in my crotch like there’s no tomorrow.” Wufei actually let out a belly laugh at that, leaning back and nearly toppling onto the bed as he let out what was probably a bit of nervous hysteria. We were all strung a little too tight—but the release of humor helped loosen us up enough to proceed with our plan.
As we drove into the city, towards the courthouse, Catherine coached Duo on putting a slightly higher tone into his voice, and she reminded him to act a bit shy and flustered, which would fit the demure outfit he was wearing and the look she’d created. At one point she slid forward in the back seat and cast an anxious look at my partner and me. “I didn’t make him too good-looking, did I?” she asked worriedly. “I mean—the idea is to be inconspicuous, isn’t it? I’m not sure I didn’t overdo it with the hair—.” “His hair’s gorgeous,” I said flatly. “And there’d be no hiding it. Putting it up in curls and ringlets like that sort of hides it in plain sight. You can’t help that it’s a flattering style.” “Is it?” Duo asked, pulling one curl out in front of him to examine it. “Yes—but I’d rather see it wet from the rain, or loose and blowing in the wind,” I told him reassuringly. “Don’t feel that you ever have to wear it like this again.” He chuckled, batting his eyes at me. “Aw, admit you love it.” “I love you,” I said firmly. “The hair is just a bonus.” I found my gaze drawn to the silken strands. “A very big bonus.” “Like I said, you’ve got a little hair fetish.” Duo preened in the mirror, fluffing his curls. “Next time I get you alone, I’ll show you some real fetishes, love.” “Promises, promises.” And then we were pulling up in the parking lot across the street from the courthouse, goggling at the crowd gathered out front and lining up to be admitted. The street directly in front of the building was cordoned off by police vehicles and news vans, and there were camera crews clustered by the steps getting their live footage for the noontime broadcast. Officers were conducting crowd control, and a SWAT vehicle and one labeled Bomb Squad were conspicuously parked at either end of the block—ready for any threat or emergency. “Holy shit,” Chang breathed in frustration. “It’s a three-ring circus.” I was too busy scanning the rooftops for signs of snipers to do more than respond absently to his observation. “Well—there’ll definitely be a long wait in line.” Catherine threw her door open. “Then Duo and I better get going.” “Not yet!” I snapped quickly, causing her to pull it shut again. “What?” Duo asked impatiently, his own tension no less palpable than mine. “Just—look there!” I pointed up to the roof of the courthouse, where two men in suits were patrolling with rifles. “See that, Chang? Even now they’re waiting for him—.” “Him being the operative word,” my partner reminded me. “They aren’t waiting for two lovely women in a crowd of reporters and gawkers.” “No—but if they spot him—.” “They’ll think he’s a she, and promptly move on to other things. Trust me, Yuy. This plan is sound. Else I’d never have allowed it to go this far, and neither would you.” I cast a pained and anxious look at my partner, seeing only calm resolve in the onyx eyes. “They will be fine,” he assured me. “Do you think I’d put Catherine in the line of fire if I thought there was a one in a million chance someone would pierce Duo’s disguise and open up on them? Do you think I’d put him there?” “Of course not,” I said promptly, knowing Chang’s sense of honor all too well. Remember I said he was the calm, cool one of our team? Well, he was proving it again. But I could think on my feet as well. “Drive around the corner, Chang. We’ll drop them off out of sight of the courthouse and let them walk from there. That way if someone spots us, we won’t draw attention to them.” “Smart move,” he agreed, throwing the car back into motion and pulling onto the street. We only went about a block away, and then he turned onto a quiet side street. “Will this do?” “Perfect.” I turned to face Catherine and Duo. “Just do this the way we planned. Get in line and make your way through security.” “You boys will meet us inside?” “Yes. After we check in, our plan is to leave the law enforcement area and work our way to the public entrance. Once you’ve gone through the metal detectors and been admitted, we can use our badges to escort you to the limited access area and the courtroom itself.” “And you’re sure Quat will bring me something to change into?” Duo nudged, looking down at his skirt with a frown. “Absolutely,” I assured him, knowing it was past the time for teasing—not that I could have managed it with my nerves so on edge. “He’s got a suit he had tailor-made, using measurements from one of your old striptease outfits Trowa dug out for him.” “Hope I haven’t gained weight,” Duo quipped mirthlessly. “I’m sure he made allowances for that,” I pointed out. “This is Quatre we’re talking about.” “Oh—right. Mister Tactical Genius himself. He would prepare for every contingency.” “I’m counting on it.” I leaned over the back of the seat to brush a quick kiss on Duo’s painted lips. “Go knock ‘em dead, lover.” “Like that’ll get me inside the courthouse,” he joked back. Then he and Catherine got out and walked off side by side, looking for all the world like two secretaries on their way to work, or a couple of chicks out shopping. The disguise was really, really good. “Well—this is it,” Wufei sighed, rubbing sweaty palms on his pant legs. “I guess we should go check in with the Captain and pretend we didn’t find Maxwell.” I reluctantly tore my gaze away from my lover, resisting the urge to go after him—to grab him and flee again. “I guess so.” We drove around to the restricted parking area, and were admitted by the gate guard as soon as we flashed our badges. Then it was a simple matter to find a spot for the car and head for the security office. I went first, setting my badge down on the table and signing the log sheet. “Detective—Yuy?” The man shot to his feet, eyes wide. “Holy shit. D’you know how many people are looking for you?” I looked up blandly. “Quite a few, I imagine. But my main concern is to locate Captain Po and check in with her. Would you happen to know where she can be found?” “Yeah—right here—about every five minutes,” he said dryly. “She’s been haunting this desk all morning.” “So—we should wait here?” “Oh no. I’ll page her,” he said quickly. “She left her number.” “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” While he’d been checking me in, the guard had also cleared Wufei, and so the two of us moved off into the hallway while he paged our boss. She came at just under the speed of light, striding around the corner so quickly she nearly mowed us down. “Yuy! Chang!” Her face registered instant disappointment as she realized we were alone. “You didn’t find him.” I shook my head. “Fuck.” Wufei and I both gaped at our boss, having rarely heard such language from the normally professional woman. “Noventa will have my head on a pike,” she sighed. “I promised him if anyone could produce his witness, it’d be you two.” “Sorry to disappoint you,” I shrugged. “Where would we find him? We may as well be the ones to explain the fuck-up.” She waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it—at least not right now. He’s in court already, arguing his case for a continuance until he can produce Maxwell.” “Ah. Our appearance without him might just complicate things for the D.A.,” suggested Chang. “Exactly. If the judge finds out Maxwell’s gone missing—.” “What is Noventa telling her?” “So far he’s just saying you were delayed on the way here, but that you’re coming. With Maxwell.” “How long do you think he can stall for time?” “Once he knows you’re here, he’ll probably call it quits,” she admitted. “If he withdraws the charges, he’ll have a chance to try again another time.” “I see.” I looked down the hallway leading towards the public viewing areas. “Shall we wait somewhere for him to get out of the courtroom?” “Yes—preferably somewhere the FBI won’t get wind of your arrival.” “Too late,” came a stern voice. We turned to see a scowling man wearing his FBI identification pinned to the front of his suit. “Agent Alexander,” sighed the Captain. “What excellent timing.” “So these are your renowned detectives? The men who’ve single-handedly kept your precious witness safe from all comers?” “No thanks to you people!” Wufei blurted angrily. “Your Agent Sims very nearly killed us all!” “Sims?” The man’s tone and expression changed dramatically. “What’s he got to do with anything? He’s not on this case.” “No? Well he must not have gotten that memo,” I said snidely, adding my own ire to that of my partner. “Explain.” “When we contacted the Captain about safe passage to the courthouse, someone must have tipped off your boy Sims. He and his crew waylaid our escort and showed up in their place, trying to get us to hand Maxwell over so they could take him to Khushrenada.” “Are you sure that was his name?” “He identified himself, when he thought he could fool us into trusting him.” “Sims?” he asked again, as if unable to digest the information. “You’re telling me Sims is dirty?” “Actually, he’s dead,” I informed him a bit gleefully. “Maxwell killed him with a switchblade when he and his boys opened up on Chang, me, and the hostage they’d brought along to barter with.” The man’s grey eyes widened. “I want the whole story, boys. And I want it now. I want you to describe the man who identified himself as Sims, anyone who was with him, and tell me every word they said to you.” “I’m sure you’ll have no trouble identifying them yourself, if you send someone up to examine the bodies,” I pointed out. "Bodies? How many?" "Several. And they were all killed in self-defense. Captain Po can tell you the location—though obviously someone in your department already knows it.” “Someone who’s dead, according to you. And I need my questions answered now!” “I’ll have our investigators fax down photos from the scene,” Captain Po cut in, clearly not enjoying having the FBI stomping all over her territory. Alexander turned an outraged look on her. “You knew about this ambush?” “Only since yesterday,” she replied coolly. “I sent a team to the area to find and retrieve two of my own men, and I expect news from them shortly.” “And when were you going to share this information with me?” demanded the pushy agent. “When I determined it was any of your fucking business!” she shot back. “All Yuy told me was that someone claiming to be from the FBI had tried to take Maxwell by force. We have no idea who the men really are—not until they’re fingerprinted and processed. Then, and only then, we’ll know if they’re from your department—and let me tell you, the possibility that they are, does not inspire me to trust you, or include you in the investigation!” Wow. She was impressive when she was all fired up. But time was slipping by, and I exchanged a glance with Chang, wondering how we might extricate ourselves soon enough to make the meeting with Duo and Catherine. “Could this pissing contest wait a bit?” my partner asked with an irritable tone that made me think he had a plan. “Yuy took a bullet in the shoulder a couple of days ago, and we were too busy chasing after Maxwell to provide more than minimal care.” “You were shot?” demanded Captain Po, looking at me in horror. “When you said ‘injured,’ I didn’t realize—.” “What do you mean ‘chasing after Maxwell’?” Alexander interjected. “I’m fine,” I insisted, giving Wufei a dirty look. “Chang dug the bullet out and patched me up.” “You need to have it looked at,” insisted Wufei, frowning at me before turning his glare towards Agent Alexander. “We’ll be happy to explain everything that happened. Later. But first, I must insist on medical care for my partner.” “What did you mean about Maxwell?” “He gave us the slip,” Chang explained, settling a hand on my injured shoulder and putting just enough pressure on it to make me wince. “During the confusion at the amusement park, he stole an SUV and took off. With Yuy wounded, and an innocent hostage to safeguard, we were unable to give chase until it was too late.” “Fuck!” snapped the FBI agent. It was a very popular word just then—one I was considering using on my partner, if he didn’t quit gripping my shoulder in a determined attempt to prove I was unwell. “Chang, take Yuy to a doctor,” ordered Captain Po, her concerned gaze on my taut features. “Don’t come back here until he’s cleared for duty. That’s an order.” “Listen here, Po—,” Alexander snarled. “Yes, sir!” Wufei said with alacrity, pulling me towards the door to the public part of the courthouse, before our boss could wonder which way we’d come in, or the FBI guy could try to detain us. And then we were in the stairwell, pattering up the stairs towards our rendezvous. “Quick thinking, Chang,” I complimented my partner, rubbing my sore shoulder as we climbed. “But you lay a hand on that spot again and I’ll shoot you.” “You weren’t playing along,” he pointed out. “I needed to make you express the severity of your wound, so that the Captain would see the need for medical attention.” “Prick.” “Stubborn ass.” We burst out into the main entrance to the courthouse and were confronted by a milling throng of people. There were several security lines, which expedited things. But with such a crowd, there was just no way to alleviate the congestion. “Do you see them?” Chang asked, scanning the passing heads for a glimpse of chestnut curls or Catherine’s auburn hair. “Not yet.” I let my gaze sweep across the room, searching. “You don’t suppose he really would cut and run?” “Not after all he went through to get ready,” I pointed out. “Besides, he couldn’t possibly move very fast in those heels.” Wufei chuckled, and shook his head—though he sobered quickly. “Look at all the badges in this place.” He nodded towards the heavily-staffed security booths. “I’m more concerned with all the guns,” I muttered unhappily. We were practically surrounded with cops and FBI agents—all armed and on edge. On top of that, there was no way of telling which of them might be on Khushrenada’s payroll—just waiting for a last chance to silence Maxwell permanently. Wufei pointed towards the security station. “There—just coming through.” We watched Catherine gathering her purse back from the uniformed guard who’d just finished searching her, and then she strode over to where Duo was waiting for her, looking decidedly pissed. “Well what’s got his panties in a twist?” muttered my partner with a smirk. “If I were you, I wouldn’t ask,” I replied, deeply relieved that our companions had made it inside. “At least—not in those exact words.” But he didn’t have to ask—neither of us did; Duo started griping the moment he spotted us. “What is it with you cops?” he demanded, stalking over and putting his hands on his hips, casting a glare back towards the security station. “Problem?” I asked, wishing he’d keep his voice down and not draw attention in that crowded setting. “Yeah—the fuckhead in charge of frisking women decided to cop a feel!” Wufei darted an alarmed look at Catherine. “Is that true?” “Well, not the line I was in. But I did overhear Duo’s officer make a comment about how pretty his eyes were—and ask if he was single.” “Yeah—right before he grabbed my ass!” “Oh really?” I looked over Duo’s shoulder, torn between wanting to defend his honor, and wanting to make sure no one noticed the male pitch to his voice. “Which line were you in?” Maybe I could come back later and thrash the stupid guard… He scowled at me, grabbing my arm. “Never mind. Just get me the Hell out of these clothes, would ya?” “Any time,” I grinned eagerly, starting to lead him away from the bustling crowd. “Lech.” “No—I just want more between you and a bullet
than a flimsy pair of pantyhose!”
tbc... |
