A Shifting of Fortune Part 11
Duo's frazzled nerves tensed as the bedroom door rattled. He involuntarily flinched when all the taut nerve fibers recoiled at once. Only when the opened door showed his returning comrades did his system return to some state of normalcy, whatever that was.
"Damn, it's about time." he announced rising from the bed, "What took so long?"
"We were worried." Trowa readily admitted wrapping his arms around Quatre for a much-needed hug.
Heero leaned his back on the wall, the pistol held against his chest. He took a moment for a long, cleansing breath. "We ran into the Mistress." he stated with another long sigh.
"Damn!" Duo exclaimed shaking his head in disbelief. "Here we were worried about avoiding Chang and it was Noin who caught us."
Quatre leaned into his lover's embrace his silky hair tickling under Trowa's chin, "It is all right Madam Noin is going to help us." he stated sure of his Mistress's pledge of alliance.
Duo's eyes widened at Winner's declaration of the Lady's apparent cooperation. "Is that so and how did you manger that?"
"I didn't realize she was already in the computer room when I began hacking into the system." Quatre began to explain, "I decided not to lie and told her of our plans."
"What were you thinking?" Trowa wondered with a clearly upset edge to his voice.
"I know the Madam she has been unhappy with her life here for quite some time." Quatre declared, "She is also afraid of Chang. She wanted to help for my sake, for us all.
Her need to rescue her soul, to make atonement for past sins, is more powerful than her fear of Chang. I know we can trust her I feel it in my heart."
"Well I hope your heart is right." Trowa replied placing a chaste kiss on his koi's forehead.
Quatre locked his wide sight with Trowa's green gaze, "You know my heart would never mislead me. Now let's not waste anymore time. We need to leave now."
Heero peered into the hall then move toward the basement exit. Each newly found friend followed closely on his heels. Again the side door was eased open. Everyone stood back as Yuy checked to make sure the way was clear.
The sun had almost completed its gradual descent enlarging like a fiery dragon's eye above the hazy horizon. Evening shadows elongated in the setting sun's waning light spreading out in bluish streaks.
*********
The shadowy purple "tag-a-longs" copied perfectly their host's movements as the fleeing quartet kept to the garden's edge for cover. The spotlights amber pools were becoming brighter as the sun's influence lessened.
Heero hoped, at that hour, the majority of the guards were at dinner in the staff dining hall. The few left on patrol were shattered their smaller number not nearly sufficient to cover the estate's massive grounds or the stone walls sealing up the borders.
Keeping to the concealing fringes the snaking line of humanity soon traversed the main section. They turned east towards the garage and the lesser gate setting just beyond a maintenance building.
There was one guard station they had to pass before reaching their desired goal. Heero knelt by a hedgerow skirting the path within sight of their final obstacle.
A wide window showed at least two watchers moving about inside. Another manned one of the communications links. If there were more Security Unit members besides the plainly viewed trio they were not visible.
Yuy wished he had been able to secure more weapons. Having everyone armed would have increased their chances of success.
"But then," he reminded himself, "Quatre didn't like guns they made him nervous. Duo, who had no previous experience, would be just as likely to shoot himself or someone else as the "bad guys". Trowa was primed for revenge and would probably prove to be trigger-happy."
"No," Heero reasoned to himself, "maybe it was better to have the one pistol in the hands of someone who knew how to use it."
Carefully employing his eyes and ears to pick out movement or voices in the immediate area Heero scanned for any stray watchers. Holding the pistol a little ahead of his body he slid along the grassy edges moving closer for a better look.
"What are you going to do if they see you?" Heero's inner voice inquired, "You can't shoot it would make too much noise." It informed in a most irritating fashion.
Heero shrugged to himself. "They won't see us." he answered knowing the group's undetected passage was the only option.
Satisfied that the way was clear Heero motioned for the other's to fall directly in line. "Stay close I don't want any stragglers." He whispered.
Trowa took Quatre's hand; Duo closed up the gap. Staying low they started forward as one solid unit. The sinking sun lent its support spreading out a dusky blanket to veil the fleeing silhouettes.
*********
One guard paused by the window leaning his weight on the sill. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the range expanse outside as it grew dimmer in the gathering night. His particular interest was centered on a swathe of ground outside the nearest spotlight's illuminated circle.
"What's wrong?" one of his counterparts asked as he noticed the other's increased scrutiny.
"I thought I saw some movement along the hedge."
"Do you think we should check it out?"
"I don't know. It was probably just the shadows playing tricks on my eyes." The guard responded straining to see through the thickening twilight.
*********
Just as Duo cleared the hedge's end a large shaggy battle-scared tomcat let out a loud mew then hissed at the intruders invading his territory. The sudden noise combined with the feline's darting from its hiding place caused Duo to lose his balance sitting down with some force on his trim rear end.
"Shoo you stupid cat." Duo hissed back picking up a small pebble and throwing it in the retreating cat's direction. The stone struck along the paved walkway striking up sparks in the encroaching darkness.
"Duo be still." Quatre called lowly over his shoulder.
"But that cat....." Duo began to explain his actions.
Heero raised up just enough to see past the pair to his side, "Forget the damn cat Maxwell. Shut up and come on."
Duo cast once last glance as the cat reappeared on the path's opposite side then caught up with his friends. With a most ghostly aspect they melted into the screening gloom beyond the spotlight's reach.
*********
"Maybe we should have a look." the guard decided, "It's probably nothing but I don't want to have to answer to Chang if we miss something that does turn out to be important."
"I'll go with you." his partner stated picking up a semi-automatic assault rifle.
As they pushed back the door and prepared to step outside the afore mentioned tom scurried from the shadows. Pulling up it arched its back bristling long fur in a most impressive defense display. Its threatening response was reinforced by another loud spitting hiss.
Both watchers peered down at the cat's fighting form with a certain brand of amusement.
"There is your intruder." one man laughed stomping his foot at the fierce feline. The cat spat once more ending the show with a high-pitched yowl before scrambling for more suitable cover.
"Yeah I guess. Let's go back in it's chilly out here." The other declared as a dew-damp breeze swept in from the North.
*********
"There is the garage." Heero whispered as the building materialize from the darkness. No lights showed from inside but Heero hadn't expected to find anyone there at that hour.
"Trowa you and Duo get the bikes." he instructed tossing Trowa three separate key rings. One key unlocked the garage door. The others were to the motorcycles.
"Kick them out of gear and roll them to the gate. Quatre use your code card to bypass the lock. I think we might just pull this off after all." Heero dared to believe that freedom was only minutes away.
*********
Trowa fiddled with the garage key finding it difficult in the dim light to line it up with the keyhole.
"Can you hurry up?" Duo sighed glancing anxiously around the immediate area.
"You want to try?" Trowa glared put off by Duo's lack of patience.
Duo nodded "no" keeping up his apprehensive vigilance.
Finally the key cooperated freeing the lock. With a soft click the latch came loose. The doorknob turned easily in Trowa's hand. Quickly the trespassing pair moved inside noticing that Noin's favor black car was missing from her expensive collection.
"I hope she got out all right." Duo wished moving towards the motorcycles.
Trowa nodded pulling a protective tarp from one of the motorized steeds. "Yeah if she didn't turn us in before she took off." he stated as the dusty covering slipped off. "Let's get these out of here."
*********
Heero walked with Quatre the first fifty yards stopping at the maintenance building's corner. Quatre ran the next fifty or so yards to the gate extracting a plastic code card from his pocket.
He paused before inserting it in the slot praying his hacking had been done correctly, that his electronic intrusion had not been discovered. Briefly the thought of Noin getting caught and being forced to give up her knowledge of their plan entered his mind. Just as quickly he pushed the question aside.
"If she had been found out," he reasoned, "we would not have gotten this far."
"Here it goes." he whispered holding his breath that alarm sirens would not sheik out their blaring call-to-arms.
The card slid effortlessly through the slot. A red lock-down light flickered as the code was read and confirmed then mercifully the light turned green. The lock unlatched with a pop. Tugging on the iron gate caused the seldom used hinges to groan in protest at the unwelcome disturbance.
All was silence. No alarms screamed out into the night. No border lights flared on. No voices raised in agitation yelled out the call to investigate. There were no growling dogs straining at their master's leads as they were spurred on by the thought of pouncing on any unlucky person who got in their way.
"Thanks be to Allah." Quatre offered a prayer of thanksgiving as he pulled back the gate as wide as it would go.
Leaving the opened portal he started back to help the others in their united bid for freedom.
*********
Heero tensely watched Quatre from a distance as he, too, held his breath that Winner's hacking had been successful. He let out the breath only after the night's silence was not disturbed by any activated alarms.
"Good job." Heero praised as Quatre joined him by the maintenance building.
The smile Quatre offered spoke volumes of his relief that all had gone well so far. "Thank you." he replied softly with his usual humility.
"Well what do we have here?" A husky voice inquired its bone-chilling tone shattering the night-borne silence.
Heero pivoted quickly bringing the pistol about at the same speed. But his searching sight found no one where the voice should have been. Only a blank expanse could be seen through the diffused twilight.
Yet Heero knew the phantom voice was not a product of his imagination or alert-heighten stress. The calling had caused Quatre to react the same way offering further proof of its reality as Winner stood wide-eyed and obviously shaken beside Yuy.
The voice didn't belong to Trowa or Duo that was certain. Besides they both knew of their tedious situation and even Duo would not play around in such tense and dangerous circumstances. No someone else was lurking out there in the darkness and Heero had an awful sinking feeling he knew exactly who that someone was.
"Chang." he breathed out the terrifying name as the implications of it struck like lightning.
"What's wrong, Yuy, not glad to see me?" the apparitional voice asked with a hauntingly familiar sneer ringing in its hollow tone.
"Show yourself Chang!" Heero yelled rapidly shifting his eyes, trying to see everywhere at once.
The stomach-wrenching click of a weapon being cocked sounded uncomfortable near Heero's ears. A sudden intake of breath from Quatre caused Yuy to spin about.
A man armed with an automatic pistol pressed the large caliber weapon to Quatre's temple while his other arm wrapped tightly around the frightened boy's neck.
It was immediately clear that Quatre was turning pale partly from fear but mostly from the decreased airflow brought on by the guard's crushing hold.
Winner remained still not fighting against the narrowing of his windpipe. It was as if he entire body was paralyzed by the unyielding encompassment.
"I said show yourself!" Heero demanded knowing the guard holding Quatre would not act without orders from his commander.
Chang walked slowly from the shadows where his black uniform had acted as perfect camouflage allowing him to keep up his stealthy observation until he knew he had the upper hand.
His ebony eyes flashed in the limited light adding a horrible gleam to their piercing sight. He held no visible weapon but Heero was not so foolish to believe the madly cunning Chinese man had come unarmed.
"You weren't going to leave without saying goodbye?" Chang inquired moving forward with the predatory grace of a great cat ready to pounce on its intended victim.
"Now if you would drop that pistol before my man breaks Winner's scrawny neck." he motioned to Heero's hand holding the "borrowed" weapon. "I do so hate to have my own gun pointed at me."
Heero loosened his grip letting the gun fall, with a slight thud, onto the thick carpet of grass. Yuy centered his best glare even though he knew his steely sight would have no affect on the insane Security Chief. Nothing had any affect on Chang for he had no emotions, no sense of fair play or what was right and good.
Chang Wufei was the devil incarnate with no mortal soul to interfere with his special brand of vengeance. No reasonable argument would dissuade the pure evil that possessed Chang or perhaps it was Chang that embraced that evil as his one true confidant.
Whichever way the wickedness had taken control only blood and pain would quench the madman's insatiable thirst. Only death would appease his utter lunacy.
"Get hold of yourself." Heero whispered under his breath shaking off the invading terror.
"Chang is human just like you and he can be beaten as any other human can be." Heero's inner council reminded with calming guidance.
Suddenly through his mounting fright the thought of Noin's betrayal stabbed through Yuy's guts. How else would Chang know where to find them?
"How did you know we were here, did that betraying bitch tell you?" he hissed as the anger gnawed inside.
Chang cocked his head at a curious angle momentarily taken aback by the out-of-the-blue question. Gradually a thin-lipped smile pulled at his mouth's corners.
"Noin?" he stated in a questioning tone, "Don't tell me that she is involved in this mutiny also?" The smile widened, "So that is why it was so important that I check out the Western border. Why I wouldn't have thought that mundane creature had the nerve to lead me astray. I suppose that proves you can't trust anyone."
Chang's heavy black eyebrows pulled together until they almost touched, "No your secret was not violated by that deceitful woman. It was by pure luck that I discovered you here. A simply decision to return by another route can be blamed for the failure of your escape. Yes it seems as though destiny and not the dear Madam has sealed your fate.
But I will have to compliment the Lady Noin on her intestinal fortitude when I see her again. Yes, I will have to be sure to give her due praise before I slit her pretty throat."
Another strangled gasp flowed from Quatre's throat. His ashen pallor was more clearly apparent as he struggled to breathe. The guard smiled seemingly delighted with his captured prey's slow suffocation.
Chang, too, displayed a certain satisfaction at the meek manager's suffering. But he still did not want Winner's life to be snuffed out, not quite yet anyway.
"Easy Captain, I don't want this to end too quickly." Chang ordered. "I think we both deserve a little playtime before we send these traitors to their final reward."
The constricting grasp was loosened but not removed altogether. Quatre coughed and sputtered as much needed air filled his starving lungs. Still his color did not improve as his face remained chalky and his eyes glazed over in a fixed glassy gaze.
"I have a question and you had better answer truthfully." Chang warned with still no visible means to back up his threat causing Heero to guess that his lackey's hold on Quatre was all the leverage Chang felt he needed.
When Heero offered no acknowledgment of the statement Chang continued. "I know you all run in a pack. Where is this milksop's lover and that smart-assed Maxwell?"
Heero took in a slow breath hoping Chang wouldn't notice as he prepared for his completely false reply, "They are not here." he lied doubting that Chang would believe the deception but feeling he had try anyway.
Chang smiled once more but this time Heero couldn't read its underlying meaning. "You are brave Yuy I will grant you that. I might be inclined to believe Maxwell would not have the stones to go along with this foolishness, but I know Winner would not leave his homo-lover behind.
Now do I get the truth or would you prefer Winner's prone body laid out at your feet?" the deceptively composed Chinese man offered the deadly ultimatum.
"He.....he doesn't know we.....are doing this." Quatre choked out the words between hard catching wheezes.
"I was afraid Trowa would get hurt so I decided to sneak out." he declared taking in a steadying breath, "I knew if he was aware of our plan he would insist on coming along but I couldn't take that chance so I didn't tell him.
After we were safely away Noin was going to arrange to send Trowa to me. You have to believe me Trowa has no part in this." Quatre finished as his voice trailed off in another battering breath.
Chang shook his head, "I don't really care where the others are. When I am finished here I will hunt them down and take care of them. I suppose you could say they are guilty by association. After all I can't allow any ideas of disobedience to develop, just too much trouble to deal with.
"Don't worry, though, they will die much easier than you two will. I have a very good sense of my enemies," he bragged, "and neither of them have the potential to cause much harm."
I will admit I am looking forward to completing my claiming of Maxwell before I do him in. Yes it seems as though you went to the trouble of saving him for nothing, right Yuy? But then I heard through reliable sources that the braided fool has taken a fancy to you but I can't see that. No he couldn't possibly choose you over me there is no contest at all to that."
Chang stepped closer leaning forward in a cocky manner, "You wouldn't happen to feel the same way, would you? That would be interesting. Perhaps I should spare you long enough to let you watch when I take the gutter-slut, would you like that?"
Heero offer no rely to Chang's taunting. Nothing he could say would help matters now, only give the madman the satisfaction of believing he had won. No, silence in this case, was the best way to go.
"No matter." Chang declared, " One way or the other this minor annoyance will be over soon."
Suddenly Heero hit upon an idea one that might just give him the advantage he needed. "You mentioned contest," he reminded Chang of his words, "Then I purpose a contest, just you and me, man to man.
I know a warrior like you would not turn down a challenge." Heero proclaimed knowing Chang could not decline. That he would do anything to save face in front of his employee.
"Yes why not make this a contest with the spoils going to the victor."
"You can not trust Chang!" Heero's inner voice proclaimed with urgency.
Heero ignored the stern proclamation pushing the invading voice aside.
"Spoils?" Chang inquired for further explanation.
"If you win I will surrender my life." Heero boldly proclaimed hoping his promise of unconditional surrender was strong enough to make Chang take the bait.
"And Winner?" the clearly interested Security Chief wondered.
"That will be up to you. But if I win you will not harm any of us, Trowa and Maxwell included, and you will leave the estate forever." Heero set up the rules of engagement.
Chang took a long moment to consider Yuy's words too long as far as Heero was concerned. Had Heero misjudged Chang and he fondness for the fight? Had all this been for nothing? Would it end here with no hope of redemption?
"Like I said before Heero Yuy you are brave but I fear quite foolish as well. If you think you are man enough to defeat me then we will fight. But I warn you now you will fail and, with that failure, carry the responsible of your friend's deaths with you to your grave."
"Move back so we will have room for the contest." Chang instructed his henchman. Pulling Quatre back with him the field of combat was opened up.
"Heero! No!" Quatre pleaded finding in the fear of losing his comrade the strength to fight his assailant.
Chang focused a narrowed frown in the Winner's direction as he struggled in the larger guard's firm grasp, "Perhaps you would not care to witness you friend's slaughter, perhaps I should silence you now."
Heero, too, focused his glaring attention on Quatre. "Be quiet Winner!" he growled not wanting Chang to have any reason to harm blond boy.
"Heero." Quatre called again not willing to give up.
"Winner I said shut up!" Heero shouted out of desperation to save his friend, "I said shut the hell up now!"
"Are you ready?" Yuy inquired of Chang turning away from the hurt in Quatre's as the pain nearly broke his heart.
"I am going to enjoy beating your pompous ass." Chang announced with the surety of an easy victory. "When I finish there will be nothing left."
"We will see." Heero answered as he squared off for the fight for not only his life but his friend's as well.
TBC...
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