One Night Part 11
Trowa had to admire Une's competence. His sister's second in command had indeed increased the guards on Winner's base- a second unseen ring around Winner's own guards.
Une let Trowa have full access to her command center- something which he quickly realized showed her loyalty to Cathy- but not much sense...
Or maybe she had expected him to react the way he did... maybe she saw him as a potential rival for Cathy's ear... he didn't know and didn't want to speculate on it...
Because there was a more important problem to be dealt with: Cathy's people didn't want to be guarding Winner.
At first, Trowa thought the occasional grumble he heard was a complaint about the lateness of the hour... he didn't pay attention to the words- only the tone, and his attention was focused on the screens that showed Quatre's base- on the reports that came in every quarter hour...
He prowled the room when he wasn't reading reports. It went against his nature to stand back and watch others do a job that he wanted to do... He stopped behind a blonde-haired woman who was carefully monitoring the front gate of Quatre's estate. Trowa was silent on his feet; he doubted the woman even knew he was there.
And so he heard more than he expected to.
"I can't believe the Lady switched loyalties like this," the blonde muttered to her coworker beside her. "Even if Winner did return her brother, his goons killed Zack and Scott- knifed them down on the street!"
Trowa inhaled sharply.
"When was this?" He demanded and the blonde turned around, her eyes wide.
"Sir! I didn't..."
"When?" Trowa demanded.
"A day or so ago- outside a restaurant..." She stammered.
Trowa swallowed hard. So... it had been Cathy who had sent the assassins...
"They killed our men!" The brunette beside the blonde had more guts. "So why are we guarding him?"
Trowa heard the muffled sounds of agreement in the room and bit his lip.
This was not good.
"Stop!" Une ordered as she joined Trowa. "Do you question Our Lady?" She snapped, her tone cutting through the room, leaving silence in its wake.
"No ma'am..." The brunette said hastily.
"If it makes you feel any better," Trowa lifted his shirt a bit to show the bandage on his side. "They almost killed me too."
The two women gasped, and Une frowned. Trowa spun on his heel. Cathy's people didn't want to be on Quatre's side. What if one of them defected- or decided to take revenge? He couldn't risk it...
He ignored Une's plea to wait for her, and left the room as quickly as he could. This small command center was in a dilapidated building, not far from Winner's... he could get there easily enough...
He had to get to Winner and warn him that his allies were not the most reliable.
It didn't help his mood that he found it ridiculously easy to slip through his sister's patrols- either they were very incompetent- or they were not putting their best into guarding Quatre- Did Cathy know about the discontent in her ranks?
Or was it part of another plan? Another move on the board?
He vaulted over the wall and found himself beside the garage.
Something sharp touched the side of his neck and he almost sighed in relief. At least Quatre's guards were paying attention.
"It's late for a visit." A familiar voice said in his ear.
"Duo?"
"Trowa?" His shoulder was seized and he was pulled into the light. "Damn it! Why did you sneak in? You're lucky I didn't just kill you on principle! Haven't you heard of knocking?"
"I was worried someone would try and stop me."
Duo shook his head. "Mr. Winner said you were to be admitted at any time."
He had?
"I wasn't worried about Winner- it's my sister's people I had to avoid."
"What?" Duo blinked and Trowa explained. "Shit. Figures. You need to see Winner." He led Trowa towards the house.
Heero was by the front door.
"Trowa." He sounded totally unsurprised.
"Heero."
"Did you check him?" He asked Duo.
"He's not here to kill the boss."
"You've gotten trusting," Heero didn't sound disapproving. Duo snorted.
"Not like Winner couldn't take him out if he tried anything. We trained him after all." Duo grinned at Trowa. "No offense meant."
"Actually, I'm relieved to know you two trained him."
Before Duo could respond, Heero opened the front door and waved Trowa in. "Winner's in his office. Do you remember the way?"
Trowa rolled his eyes. "I think I can find it."
~*~
Trowa passed by a few Maguanacs on his way to Winner's office- all were armed and alert, and all gave him no more than a passing glance.
Did Quatre really trust him that much?
He felt a little better when he reached the office doors and Rashid frowned at him as usual.
"It's late for a visit."
"I need to see Mr. Winner. I discovered that my sister's 'protection' may not be very protective of Mr. Winner."
Rashid's frown deepened. "Explain."
Trowa did.
Rashid opened the door to the office. "Go in. I have to go act on some of this information."
Winner looked up when Trowa entered the room, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. "Mr. Barton? What are you doing here?"
"I have information." Trowa crossed the room, studying the man behind the desk as he did so.
Winner looked tired. Trowa wondered when he had slept last. Certainly not tonight- and the night before he had been watching Trowa...
Without thinking, he went to Quatre's side of the desk, one hand reaching out to brush Quatre's cheek. "You look exhausted."
"I never get any sleep at this stage of the game," Quatre's hand came up to cover his. "But I'm sure you didn't come visit at this hour of the morning to tell me that."
"No," Trowa shook his head, and explained what he had heard and seen among his sister's people.
Quatre didn't look surprised. "I figured she was behind the attack that day." He said, releasing Trowa's hand and reaching out to touch Trowa's side. "How is it?"
Trowa shrugged. "Fine. What are you going to do?"
Quatre looked at the clock. "Wait until a decent hour and call her I suppose. Ask her if she's sure she wants to hold to our agreement since her people are set against it." He took a deep breath. "It would be better to know that before the final gathering today."
Trowa knelt down beside Quatre's chair. "What can I do?"
Quatre smiled. "You don't have to help me. I meant what I said- I wouldn't take you from your sister- she's been looking for you for a long time. You saved my life at the risk of your own- you don't owe me anything now..."
Trowa frowned. But...
"What if I want to help you?" Trowa looked down at the carpet, wondering if Quatre was going to send him away...
Quatre bent forward, his fingers reaching out to cup Trowa's head, tilting it up so he could meet Trowa's eyes. "Then you'd have to be very careful, because I might not let you go again."
Relief flooded Trowa. He reached up and pulled Quatre's mouth down to his, kissing him fiercely.
"I wasn't sure you'd want me..." he said and Quatre laughed.
"Quite the contrary- let me show you..."
~*~
Trowa looked out the window again. Only an hour, he told himself, just this last final part of the game, the declaring of allegiances for the year, and then the game would be over.
He looked at Winner on the seat opposite, calm, cool and collected, studying spreadsheets on his laptop. He looked up and smiled at Trowa briefly. "Almost over," he said, and Trowa nodded.
He looked back out the window. Cathy had called Winner, first thing this morning, and told him the alliance still held. She'd said her people hadn't realized it was her brother they'd injured, that bit of news had shaken some of them out of their attitudes.
Trowa wasn't sure if he believed it- not that he thought Cathy was lying, but it wasn't that easy to change an attitude. She might be loyal- but her people would have to be watched. Rashid had backed him up on that one, and so the Maguanacs were told to regard only each other as allies.
The car stopped in front of the building, and Winner closed his laptop before he glanced outside.
"Odd."
"What is?"
"They usually have an awning."
Trowa tensed. That meant someone decided to leave the path from the cars to the door open and exposed.
"Stay here."
He got out of the car and found that Heero and Duo had already realized the problem. They were beside the car, binoculars out and scanning the buildings.
"I don't see anyone, but that doesn't mean anything. They could try going out as easily as in." Duo frowned.
"Should we call the Maguanacs back outside?" Heero asked.
Duo thought for a moment. "We could move faster without them- but..." He looked at Trowa.
"Whatever you think is best," he said. "For all we know- this is the distraction and there is something more serious inside..."
Duo nodded. "Okay- fast then. Keep your eyes open."
He opened the door to the car and bent to look at Winner. "Ready Mr. Winner?"
"Of course." Winner sounded amused. "I take it we're going fast?"
"As fast as we can, without running," Duo answered. "Shall we?"
The three of them surrounded Winner- Heero and Duo to either side, Trowa behind them.
They almost made it to the building.
Trowa had kept scanning the area as they moved, and right before they reached the doors, he saw a glint in one of the windows of a building to the left.
He shoved Winner forward, calling out a warning as a shot rang out. Heero pushed open the door, pulling Winner inside, even as Duo and Trowa went for their guns.
Trowa felt pain explode in his chest, but kept firing until Duo grabbed his wrist. "We got him!'
Reaching up to feel the wetness spreading across his chest, Trowa met Duo's eyes. "I think he got me too..."
TBC...
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