Deliveryman Two Part 2
We couldn't find him.
We analyzed the security recordings from the hospital- they had obviously been messed with since in one shot Heero was there and in the next he was gone.
We questioned the hospital personnel. No one knew anything. Somehow no one had been near Heero's room when he'd vanished.
We figured that the docs had to have had outside help. There was no way that they could've made Heero vanish so quickly after their own escape. We investigated every pro-war, pro-military, pro-colony, pro-earth group that we could discover, trying to find a link.
Nothing. No trace, no lead, no Heero.
And that same feeling, day after day, that he was in terrible danger. My dreams were filled with images of Heero screaming, begging for me to help him and I could do nothing.
I didn't sleep much.
Days turned to weeks. Quatre had some of his people take over my business while I worked with the others to find Heero. Une had turned the case officially over to Wufei, with Trowa and I on as assistants.
My cell phone never left my pocket. I jumped every time it rang. I knew I was beginning to worry the others, but I didn't give a damn. So what if I couldn't sleep? So what if I could barely eat? How could I take the time to do those things when Heero was in those sadistic bastards' clutches?
Then, one afternoon, things finally fell into place. I almost wished they hadn't.
I was at my computer, running through all the companies that had the capability to produce a gundam. It was a faint hope, but we were clutching at straws now. There was a something at the back of my mind that was trying to get my attention, but I didn't want to acknowledge it. Couldn't acknowledge it. It was easier to bury myself in work and pretend that I didn't hear that little voice.
The others were there too, the weekly strategy meeting that I no longer stopped working to pay full attention to. I could listen with one ear and still look for a lead.
"We aren't getting anywhere," Wufei sounded frustrated as Trowa finished wrapping up his report on another dead end.
"It's worse than that," I heard Quatre sigh. "I'm afraid that it's stopped."
What stopped? I wondered, and then realized what he meant. What I had been trying not to acknowledge.
The nagging feeling of Heero in danger was gone.
"I can't feel him anymore," I heard Quatre say. "The pain's stopped. It was always off and on before as it was- but now it's been nearly a week..."
No pain. No danger.
No Heero.
I pushed myself to my feet. I couldn't stay here. Not now.
"Duo?" I heard Wufei's voice call after me as I fled from the room. "Duo!"
I... blanked out. Completely. I don't know what I did. It wasn't until the pain in my side forced me to a halt that I finally stopped and my thought processes started up again.
I didn't recognize where I ended up. A street corner somewhere downtown. I was panting and the sun was considerably lower in the sky than when I had left Preventers HQ.
It might not be bad, I tried to tell myself. Just because Quatre can't feel the pain and I don't sense that he's in danger doesn't mean he's dead.
It doesn't.
And... even if he is, then I won't stop looking. I still need to find the docs. And make them pay.
There had to be something I missed. Something that I overlooked.
"A new world order..."
I turned around. I was standing in front of a newsstand. The TV on the top was tuned to the Sphere news. Relena was on the screen.
"And so we must forget these disputes between the former nations. I once again move to restart our government, form our new world order..."
New world order. That was what G had said. A new world order was coming. I narrowed my eyes and stared at the screen.
Relena was on a podium, Noin and her brother behind her in their Preventer uniforms watching Relena speak with calm expressions, eyes moving over the crowd. Being good Preventers.
The Preventers always supported Relena.
No. No. I was paranoid. It couldn't be.
But she had used G's exact words.
And there was one military organization that I hadn't looked into, one that had held the doctors, one that had the resources to steal a man out of the hospital, one that had the resources to set the docs up in a lab. One that had access to all of our resources, our case notes, one that would be able to block us at every turn.
One that G might be resentful enough about working for that he would drop me a big fat hint.
But why? Why would the Preventers betray one of their own?
There was only one place to find that out.
"I need to see Commander Une now," I said to her flustered desk clerk.
"The commander is busy." He said snottily. "If you want to see her, you will have to fill out form 12-A and make an appointment..."
"I don't think you understand me." I pulled out my gun and aimed it at the clerk. "I said I need to see Une now." He paled.
"Maxwell," Une's voice was like a whip crack. I didn't move the gun away from her poor minion's head; I just turned slightly so I could see her. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Investigating a lead." I replied.
"You don't have any," she said, and I heard the faint quaver in her voice.
"Amazing how you already know that, isn't it, Lady?"
"I'm Chang and Yuy's superior, I've been keeping a close eye on..."
"Have you now? How close an eye Lady? Close enough to block our moves? Keep us from discovering the truth?" I saw the sheen of sweat on her lip. Une had once been able to lie through her teeth, but she was as nervous as all hell about something and it showed.
"Quit the game, Maxwell. Tell me what it is you want."
"I want you to tell me about Relena's New World Order." Her eyes went wide and I knew I had hit the mark.
"It's in all the papers... Relena is moving to centralize all power in the sphere. It's what the world needs. There are still too many petty arguments between the former nations. They are still struggling for power; still want what's best only for their part of the Sphere. Relena wants to change the government structure so that all former nations will act for the common good."
Okay, this I could understand. After the fall of Romefeller the government had been in complete chaos. It was supposed to be one government for the whole sphere, but that is not exactly what happened. Each country still had it's own government and each one of those still struggled for power. Relena's idea to try and centralize it all was a good one, but she had to be facing strong opposition. And if that was the case...
"I'm sure there are some places that are not cooperating."
"Of course, but we'll convince them eventually."
"How? By sending the Perfect Soldier in to either assassinate the instigators or maybe just to cause enough chaos that the people demand the new world order?" That didn't sound right though. Relena was a pacifist...
But- I heard the deep breath Une took. Saw her eyes dart to the side and back. She opened her mouth to reply and the phone in her office started to ring. I knew what that phone was- Une's private line.
Before she could move, I was past her and lifting the receiver.
"Une! What have you done about our problem?" The voice on the other end demanded and I grinned.
Bingo.
"Hello Dr. J. Perhaps I can be of assistance?"
TBC...
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