[I'm worse at what I do best
And for this gift I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will until the end]
--- Lyrics to 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' performed by 'Nirvana'
A Silver Lining Part 46
"Shit!"
The pilots gathered at the round table laughed as Zechs threw down the cards in his hands. At his left, Wufei lowered his bare feet from where they were propped up on the table as he laughed, "Finally got him on a round."
Duo shook his head with a smug smirk, "My how the mighty fall." Looking to the pile of clothes beside him than included his black ball cap and shoes, he was silently grateful that he didn't have to remove his shirt yet.
Even though he did not believe his friends would make him uncomfortable, Duo still felt subconscious with the scars and abrasions on his chest and body that remained after his ordeal with the White Out Organization. Thankfully, no one gave him a hard time over the extra layers of clothing that he wore to the announced game of strip poker.
Sitting across from the tall blonde in a deep green bra and gray jeans, Sally wiggled her eyebrows and smirked, "Come on, Zechs. Shirt off."
Beside her braided friend, a fully clothed Noin chuckled deeply, "That's right, sweetheart. Rules are rules." With a quick once-over, she grinned, "Besides, that's the first hand it's not like you couldn't afford to lose anything."
With a good-humored snort, Zechs relied, "I just don't like losing." Raising a long eyebrow at his wife, he smirked and warned, "And I wouldn't be so smug. Your time is coming, lover of mine."
"Enough talk!" Anna, clad in only a violet bra and lack boy-shorts, ordered with a loud clap of her hands. "Strip!" Trowa, Duo, Sally and Noin nearly fell out of their seats laughing before their voices rose in chants of 'Strip! Strip!'
Rolling his eyes, the tall blonde rose from his seat and removed his red T-shirt to reveal his muscled torso. As he dropped it to the floor while taking his seat, the girls cheered, whistled and clapped while the young men just laughed at finally getting revenge at the previously undefeated card player.
Across the large room, on the couch in the corner, Heero looked up from the book that he was reading. With an amused chuckle, he shook his head before focusing back on his reading. While another round began, Duo looked over his shoulder to watch his lover and grinned, "Hey, Heero, it's still not too late to join in if you want."
Their eyes meeting, the Japanese pilot raised a hand and smirked, "Thanks, but I think I'll stay out of this one. Thanks for the offer, though." Duo gave him a pout that just made him laugh again as he returned to his book.
"Okay," The braided pilot finally relented with a wide smile. "Your loss." That said, he turned back to watch his hand.
Heero was not a few lines further along before he heard Noin, "Goddamn it!" The room filled with explosive laughter once more along with chants of 'Strip! Strip!' Just as she rose from her seat and reached up to unbutton her white blouse, the young woman stopped when the sound of static rang over the speaker system.
After the sound of a clearing throat, Quatre's voice announced, "Sorry to have to interrupt your game, everyone, but we'll be arriving on L6 sooner than expected. We will be landing in an estimated twenty minutes."
With a deep sigh of relief, Noin smirked, "Not a moment too soon." The others at the table grumbled in disappointment as they retrieved their piles of clothing.
"Next time, Noin," Sally warned with a deep chuckle as she threw her deep blue T-shirt back on. "We'll have to pick this up another time. I still want to find out who is wearing boxers and who is wearing briefs."
All around, heads nodded in agreement of a promised game in the future as the pilots laughed at the unexpected comment from her. Heero approached the table to collect his partner while Duo took up his sneakers and cap. As they dispersed into their respective pairs when they were in the hallway, the team went about their needed preparations for landing.
On the way to their room, Heero checked his watch. "It'll be about noon when we leave the shuttle port," he thought aloud. Lowering his arm, he nodded in satisfaction, "At least we'll have a better part of the day to start searching once we get there."
Duo nodded. Taking his braid into his hands, he fiddled with the end in his nervous gesture and inquired, "Any game plan as to how we're going to go about search?" With a deep frown, he raised his braided head and commented, "I took a good look at the satellite images of the cities we're responsible to look into. Their populations are also mapped out in that packet Lady Une passed out."
Running a hand through his long bangs, the American sighed deeply, "You do realize that we're going to be looking for a needle in a haystack, right? Even if there is a chance that Collins is in one of the areas closest to the shuttle port that he arrived in, we have one of the largest sections of the Colony to check out, compared to the other teams that are being sent in."
Gently resting a hand on his lover's shoulder, Heero squeezed it and said quietly, "Well, the fact that he won't be permitted to leave L6 works to our advantage. He won't be able to hide anywhere on the Colony that we won't eventually check out. Besides, you and I, alone, have pulled off searches in the past where we faced worse challenges than the one that we're dealing with here."
The 'swish' of announced the door to their quarters opening and pair stepped into the room. With a deep sigh, Duo sat at the edge of their shared bed. His violet eyes staring out and losing their focus, he rubbed his hands together.
"I'm sorry that I'm being so negative right now in regards to this whole search, Heero," the ex-Deathscythe pilot began quietly, "But after all of the set backs that we've had to endure throughout this investigation, it's very hard for me to be optimistic that this lead will pan out where every other opportunity he had evaporated before us."
Kneeling before his partner, Heero rested his hands on either shoulder and waited patiently until the other pilot's eyes focused and met his. With a small and reassuring smile, he whispered, "Yes, but we have to get lucky at some point, right? You said yourself years ago that all it takes is one good break."
At that, Duo swallowed hard and rubbed his arms. "I'm trying to think that way again," he managed in a small whisper. "Those words were from someone that I'm trying to be again, but it's hard sometimes."
Gently cupping his lover's face, the ex-Wing pilot frowned in concern and whispered back, "I know it is, Duo. And I haven't told you enough how proud I am of you for the leaps and bounds that you've made in recovering over these months. Having to deal with what happened every day we follow a lead like this can only make the progress more difficult for you, and I understand that."
Heero smiled sadly as he reached up to brush away a few stray tears that began rolling down the braided pilot's face. "But do you want to know what keeps me going in this investigation?" he asked softly.
Biting his lip, Duo nodded fervently, "What is it?"
"Our friends," the Japanese agent answered. "They've been with us in this every step of the way and put themselves in danger just as we have. And despite all of the close calls and set backs that we've been through, not one of them is about to give up yet."
His shimmering eyes widening in realization at that, Duo breathed, "You're right." Blinking his wide eyes, he gave a watery grin and wiped at the last of his tears away. When their gazes met again, he said sincerely, "I'm proud of you, too, you know. You've come a hell of a long way from how you were during the war."
Shrugging nonchalantly, Heero smirked, "I had some help. Even I slip up sometimes, though." Slowly rising to his feet, he placed a soft kiss on Duo's forehead and suggested, "We better get ready for landing."
With a firm nod, Duo took a deep and calming breath and rose from the bed. His movements were made with more confidence as he made his way to the small dresser to remove the few clothes that he had used to sleep in during the trip. Efficiently folding them, he packed them away with the rest of his attire. Watching him quietly from the corner of his eyes, Heero smiled to himself before focusing on his own packing.
* * * * * *
Jack was sitting on his rundown couch, watching the old television set in the grimy living room of his temporary living arrangements when there was a brief knock on the door. Sitting up straight with his blue eyes narrowing, he turned his television off with the remote in his hand and slowly turned his head towards the door. After a long pause, there was another brief knock, bit a bit louder this time.
Funny, he thought to himself.
With a dark smirk, the well-build assassin reached beneath the couch to remove one of the many weapons he owned. Licking his lips in anticipation, Jack quietly checked that the pistol was still loaded. Ever since killing that prostitute, he was hoping for a little action again. Life certainly was dull without it. His confinement to the small apartment since Blake's call certainly was making him... edgy.
As he stalked to the door, his footsteps never so much as made a sound. Knowing his surroundings, he avoided the parts of the floor that creaked. Pressing his back against the wall beside the door, he called, "Who is it?"
Instead of a voiced answer, a folded note slid under his door to stop at his feet. His eyes narrowing at the paper, he bent at the knees and unfolded it. The simple note, etched in black ink and written in bold letters read, 'Blake sent us.'
Right to the point, Jack thought to himself in amusement, Just like Blake.
Since the Preventers would not have known the name of his new contact through the White Out Organization, he understood that Blake's goons would not want to draw any attention to themselves by announcing that they were sent by someone while in the hallway of a very crowded apartment building. Pity. His hopes of a little excitement were for naught.
With his free hand, he reached over to turn the door knob. From outside, a strong hand gripped the side of the door when it was cracked and roughly pushed it open fully. Three tall and muscular men in dark attire quickly filled the living room before all but slamming the door after them.
Each of the 'guests' made an intimidating presence, but Jack remained tall and proud in knowing that these men needed him. A dark smirk tugged his lips as he lowered his pistol onto the small table beside him and asked, "So, tell me, how can I help you good gentlemen on this lovely afternoon?"
The first of the henchmen to enter the apartment returned the smug grin. Without a word, the two men at either side of him quickly grabbed the assassin by either arm. His mouth opening in a sharp cry at their rough grasps, Jack's voice was cut off before it even left his throat as a wide strip of duct take gagged his mouth.
Growling and swearing through the tape, Jack kicked out and tried to fight off the men that held him to no avail. Again, without a word, the man obviously calling the shots of the three moved into the kitchen and returned with a wooden chair from the table in there. Dropping the chair in the center of the floor with a loud thud, he stepped back as his accomplices dragged their struggling captive across the patchy carpet.
Roughly shoving Jack into the chair, the two that had held him quickly tied ropes around his arms, painfully tightening them to the armrests and his legs to the thin posts of his seat. Glaring fiercely up at the cocky man before him, he continued to shout and growl as he tried to shift himself in the chair.
Slowly bending at the waist, the brunette man ignored the muffled argument and warned quietly, "That's enough from you. We don't need the neighbors to call the police with a report of trouble here, do we?"
Warm sweat rolling down his brow, Jack swallowed hard and eyed the tall blonde to his left and the bald man to his right. The two henchmen had their arms folded with looks of amusement as they watched him. Either one of them could easily snap his neck with one hand and not even the slightest bit of effort on their part. Finally, he sagged in the chair that he was confined to and stilled.
The man before him smirked, "Very good. Now, I am going to remove the gag. Don't think that we won't hesitate to kill you if you give us any trouble."
His blue eyes widening, the frightened assassin nodded in agreement. At that, the brunette quickly pulled the tape away from his mouth. Despite the sharp pain as blood rushed back to his lips, Jack roughly bit his lip and winced back the cry that threatened to explode from him.
Once his eyes focused on the head goon before him, Jack glared threateningly up at him. "What the hell is all of this for?" he demanded in a low growl as he gestured to his trapped arms and legs.
Chuckling deeply, the blonde to his left answered with a deep voice, "Blake said that with the call he had with you yesterday, he got the impression you are a little too confident in your position. He said that this would be a good way of making you listen and remind you who is in charge here."
Jack was careful not to make his gritting teeth obvious as he turned back to face the man standing before him. Opening his hands in the best gesture of surrender he could make with his arms tied down to the chair, he nodded, "Okay. You made your point. Now cut me free."
As he folded his own arms, the brunette shook his head, "Not yet. You see, there is still something that Spence, Alton and I have to take care of. And you can call me Damien." Walking over to one of the windows, he looked down to the busy street below as people moved about in their daily routines. "You see," he spoke without looking away from the scene below, "we have a bit of a problem on our hands."
Finally looking back at his captive, Damien straightened and announced, "The Preventers know that you are here on L6. They have already notified all of the shuttle ports of your image and ordered that you are not to leave the Colony for any reason."
It felt to Jack as if a train hit him. His skin turning pale as the realization sunk in, he breathed, "Then they're coming here to find me." Frantic, he looked up with wide eyes to the brunette and cried, "What do I do!"
Raising a hand, the tall man answered, "We're going to take care of that." Slowly, the side of his mouth tugged up in a smile as he said quietly, "There is nothing that a quick change of identity can't fix. We can have a new driver's license and all other identification cards made up in a matter of hours before your flight to Earth in two days, the morning of the President's televised conference with the public."
His throat suddenly going dry, the assassin frowned deeply, "Identity change? But a change in name will only help so much. You just said that the shuttle ports have my picture passed along to their staff."
"Ah," Damien grinned with a wiggle of his index finger in the air. "And that, my friend, is precisely why we are here." Something about the way that the man spoke the word 'friend' in such a callused way made the hair on the back of Jack's neck stand on end.
The brunette walked towards the captive and bent at the waist again. Taking hold of the assassin's chin, he turned his head right and left as he examined his profile highlighted by is long nose. With a satisfied smirk, he stated, "You know, the nose is a funny thing. It is one of the defining characteristics, yet so easy to change if broken and reconstructed the right way."
With a sharp gasp, Jack turned his head to meet Damien's brown eyes with his own wide ones. The cry that he was about to make was cut off when the tape was secured back over his mouth. Both Spence and Alton held down his already pinned arms to see that he could not shift the chair at all.
Lowering his left hand on the captive's shoulder to balance himself, the brunette henchman took the long nose in his right and grinned darkly, "Now, try not to make too much noise. With any luck, the pain will knock you out before I have to reconstruct the bones." Panting heavily, Jack closed his eyes tightly as he braced himself.
The air was filled with a sharp crack followed by a muffled and shrill cry.
* * * * * *
"Preventers, huh?" the apartment manager frowned deeply as he examined the badges and identification cards presented to him by the casually dressed pair. Looking to the agents after adjusting his glasses on his thin nose, the old man folded his hands on his desk and nodded, "Well then, what can I do for you? I certainly don't want to cause any trouble for you law enforcers."
At that, Trowa removed the image that he held securely under his light leather coat. Handing the picture to the manager and stated, "We're in search of this man, Jack Collins. He arrive on here on L6 recently and we were hoping that you might have seen or heard of him in these parts. Perhaps a client of yours here in this complex may be giving him residence at one of their apartments?"
Taking the picture in his hands, the old man carefully examined the finely framed face, reddish hair and blue eyes. Finally, he shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I can't say that I've ever seen this one before, and I certainly don't have anyone staying here under that name. But perhaps someone on my staff may have dealt with him if he came in to check our prices. I could pass this off to them. If anything, it'll keep their eyes open in case they happen to run into him."
Satisfied with that, Anna nodded, "We are trying to keep this search as quiet as possible. If you could only circulate that image to those staff members that you trust and not mention it to anyone else, that would be most appreciated." Reaching into her pocket, she removed a business card and handed it over.
Carefully taking the card in his possession, the white-haired man smiled sincerely, "You have my word." Raising the business card, he reassured them, "And I'll be sure to get in contact with you as soon if I find anything out."
That said, the pair nodded and extended their appreciation before stepping outside as the artificial sunset began. "Well," Anna sighed deeply as they walked towards their rented car, "At least the word is getting out there. We covered every hotel, motel and apartment for three miles in five hours."
Sliding into the driver's seat, Trowa waited for his lover to close her passenger door after her before replying, "Yes. It's a good start, considering the amount of territory that we have to cover." Taking up the transportable two-way radio that they brought, the tall pilot announced, "This is Barton. Anna and I have covered the residents from North Willow Street to South Fountain Drive. No luck yet."
After a brief pause, a familiar voice came over the radio to reply, "This is Chang. So far, none of our teams have come up with anything, but we're covering a lot of ground and quickly despite not even having a full day to dig into this. We're going to take a brief break to eat before meeting up at the Carpenter's Hotel to catch up at 0600 to check out the map before moving on."
"Got it," Trowa responded. "We'll see you then." Turning off the radio, he ended the call and faced his partner as she examined her reflection in the small mirror of her blinder. As she removed her small compact from her pocket to reapply a thin layer of powder makeup to hide the long scratches that ran down her face, he smiled, "They're starting to fade away quite a bit."
With a small nod, Anna finished her touch up. Sealing away her compact, she commented, "Thanks to that ointment Sally gave me. I'll be happy when I don't have to wear this damn makeup anymore." As she leaned back in her seat, she sighed deeply, "I feel like I'm wearing a damned mask when I have this stuff on."
Leaning over, Trowa gently kissed her lips and whispered sincerely, "You're still beautiful, scratches and all."
The redhead chuckled deeply, "Aw, you're just trying to get in my pants as soon as we get a break in this search."
With a shrug, the Latin agent played along and smirked, "Is it working?" Her head falling back, his lover laughed and playfully slapped his arm. With a wide grin, Trowa started the ignition and pulled out into the street.
From the hotel that they just stopped at, a tall blonde woman in a suggestive dress ran through the front door and out into the street just as the car pulled away. With a deep frown, Dawn watched as the two agents that she had overheard as she made her way down towards the lobby disappeared in the traffic.
As quickly as she descended the stairwell and made her way outside, she was too late in trying to talk to them for help. Sighing deeply, Dawn made her way into the alley and walked back to her lonely apartment as she kicked small pebbles with her heels in frustration at missing an opportunity to have someone listen to her.
Regardless of all of the roadblocks she had come across, she never lost her determination in getting someone to look into Celeste's murder. Someone had to help her.
* * * * * *
Appraising himself in the mirror of the men's bathroom of the bar that he visited that evening, Jack still could not believe the change in his appearance, His once long nose was nearly half its original length. While there was a slight bump in the middle of his shorter nose now and his nostrils were a bit larger, he was still impressed with Damien's handiwork. Once the blood was wiped away and the pain subsided, it had all been worth it.
Between the new nose, the green contact lenses and his now black hair, the assassin could hardly recognize himself. He had to thank those bastards for their help in changing his appearance. He finally had freedom to walk about again, as no image that the Preventers had could be compared to how he looked now.
With a satisfied grin at his reflection, he turned and made his way from the bathroom. Along his way through the crowded bar, he lit a cigarette before stepping out into the cool night, enjoying the simple pleasure of being free of his apartment. With a long drag, he slowly exhaled a long snake of smoke into the air.
"Hey sweetheart," a sultry voice greeted as the clicking of high heels approached. Turning to face the young woman, Jack smiled warmly. She certainly was a pretty little thing. Asian features and long, dark hair swaying around her slender frame dressed in a short red dress that hardly covered her large breasts.
Tilting her head, she asked, "Looking for some company tonight?"
With an amused smirk, the assassin nodded, "Why, yes. As a matter of fact, I am." His left hand already in his black, long coat pocket, he made sure that his switchblade was where he left it. Already, the thrill of the hunt was pumping through his veins, his head thumping in his chest.
Cigarette in his mouth, Jack draped his free arm around the young woman's shoulder's and smiled, "Come with me." She smiled brightly and obeyed, taking his hand in hers as she giggled and followed him into the night. All the while, she remained oblivious to what he had in store for her that evening.
Oh, he certainly could get used to this.
TBC...
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