Touched and Bound Part 5
Not even two full days and I was already becoming accustomed to this office building and all its secretive ways. I watched as Mari swiped the card in the elevator and the door closed on us so we stood in silence. I took the moment to glance at Mari and wonder about her. This child was brilliant for her age, that I could easily tell from just spending half the day with her. She was young and brilliant, and yet I was beginning to suspect, that like Duo, she had something deep within her that was hidden. At moments her eyes showed the same darkness as his purple orbs. And somehow, I suspected that those two weren't the only ones who shared that particular look in their eyes here at Branch 2.
The doors opened and we stepped out into the familiar blue hallway. My mind immediately counted down the doors, pinpointing which ones led to Quatre's office and the door Dorothy disappeared behind the day before. We stopped at another one of the identical doors and Mariemeia gave a light knock, before opening it a bit for me. Then she smiled and took a step back.
"I'll tell you if Fei and I find anything else."
With that she turned and walked to the elevator, an obvious bounce in her step. It was quite clear she looked forward to talking to Captain Chang and hearing what information he had. I wasn't surprised at her behavior either, considering her demeanor. Anything to learn more information and gain more knowledge, she seemed to be addicted to learning. And it only made things better for her that I'd provided her with a particularly difficult puzzle to solve, namely myself.
I pushed open the door in front of me and walked in to find myself in a small conference room. Not surprisingly it was the exact same dimensions of Quatre's office which led me to believe that all the rooms on this floor were the exact same size, they were just decorated for different purposes. While Quatre's office walls were covered with bookshelves, this room simply held a large redwood table and a modest amount of video equipment, naming it as a briefing or conference room of some sort. The overhead light was left neglected and off, in favor of the large bay windows on one side of the room, which allowed every surface to be covered with natural sunlight -- even with their secretive, musty tint. Quatre sat at the head of the table, wearing a business suit, with a casual colored tie and a welcoming smile on his face.
Duo stood out next to him, in his usual manner, sitting in black jeans and a midnight blue shirt. Like the first time I met him, the golden cross around his neck glinted in the sunlight, standing out against his unusual casualness. And, as usual, his ever present well-natured and slightly mischievous grin was turned to me, silently greeting me as I stood there. He was obviously attempting to make me feel more welcome at what looked like an important corporate meeting.
The third member of the meeting wasn't nearly as welcoming as her companions though. Dorothy sat stiffly in her seat and yet looked completely comfortable in the corporate setting. Her icy blue eyes glared at me, lending no illusions to how she felt about my presence in that room, the coldness adding to my already growing discomfort. Severe clothing completed her look, consisting of a perfectly pressed suit jacket and lacy blouse, complete with a tie and black sleek skirt. Her arms were crossed and pressed against her chest, further communicating her obvious disgust at my presence. To say she didn't approve of me as a horrible understatement. She made that perfectly clear.
"Come in and have a seat, Trowa." Quatre's voice came out as warm and welcoming, working to counter the blond woman's effect. I spared Dorothy one last glance before placing her expression at the back of my mind and stepping forward. Pulling out the nearest chair, I took his advice, and slid into the seat, watching him.
It was quite clear to me that Quatre was in control of this situation, and of the whole company, if that was even the right word. Despite the apparent lax in dress-code and formality, there was no doubt that the young man was in charge. It wasn't so much communicated in his manner, but rather in the manner of those around him. Had he not been in control, I doubt Duo would have stayed quiet this long. He hadn't even raised his hand in greeting, which must be something significant considering what I knew of his social nature. On the same note, Dorothy was also keeping her mouth shut. I had no doubt that, had Quatre not been in control, she would have made her disapproval of me very vocal. She looked about ready to burst in anger but was making no movement to act on her emotions; so the blond man held considerable power over both of them... and probably Branch 2 as a whole. He certainly wasn't just a figure head, and that bore remembering. Power and respect were present in this room and there was no question about it.
As I sat down, Quatre leaned back in his chair, making the atmosphere significantly less formal in a simple movement. I immediately felt more at ease, much to my own surprise. "Duo has told us of your whole situation and I've come to a decision."
I nodded, noticing his phrasing which supported my thoughts. He was in control; it was his decision and no one else's.
"I would like to offer you help with getting your identity back."
I frowned and glanced at Duo, wondering exactly what he'd said of me. What had he told them? Had he spoken of my actions before I'd lost my job? Had he spoken of my peculiar action that morning with the letter opener? What impressions had he shared... for that matter what were his impressions of me? My frown deepened a bit and I looked back to Quatre, directing my question to him.
"Why?"
Quatre nodded, as if expecting my inquiry. He folded his hands together, atop the table in full view. Every move he made, every expression that seemed to pass across his face and body was exact and precise. He had a natural talent for expressing himself in words and actions, to the point that his feelings and words were crystal clear for all to see, and beyond that he commanded even the atmosphere in the room with the single flexing of a muscle. Everything in his movements was aimed to make me feel more at ease, and it might have worked on anyone else, but not me. I noticed his intention and my unease only grew. One couldn't trust people who held that much control over their every action and breath, because it only hinted at how much control they might have of other things. Such control was only harnessed for purposes of deception and leading others to believe what you wanted them too. Not to mention that his very manner seemed almost... familiar to me.
My frown deepened a little more as I listened to him, carefully taking in all his words for what they said, and what they actually meant under the surface.
"I don't believe in pity or charity and thus I don't offer it to people. Now, I could be wrong, but I doubt it. As a person with amnesia, I'm sure you are curious about your past, most would be. We have the resources here to help you, if you wish, but I frown on free rides. So, I'm going to offer you a job, so to speak. Duo seems to have taken an interest in you so it would involve helping him with his current investigation into the deaths of Middi Une and the real Trowa Barton. This investigation could easily pull up extra information on you as well, given your choice of names. So it only seems to make sense that you two should be placed together as a team."
"You seem pretty confident that I've already decided to stay or that I even care about my past."
Duo blinked at me for that and even Dorothy seemed surprised at my response. The only one in the room I didn't faze was Quatre, and to be honest I hadn't expected to . Rather than reacting with surprise, he merely looked amused at my response.
"You think I sound over confident?"
I nodded, resisting the urge to smirk. I liked the deceivingly young blond who owned this building. He was a born leader, or had been trained very well in his life. He took to the role well, not nervous at all. And, like Duo and Mariemeia, he has that same light in his eyes which hinted at someone who was much older mentally then his biological traits portrayed.
"Overconfident yes," I conceded. "But not without reason. I would like to find out who I was, especially considering the information just discovered today."
"So you're staying?" Duo's voice seemed a bit excited and I couldn't help but glance at him in question. He flashed myself and Quatre an embarrassed little smile. "Excuse my outburst," he added quickly and quietly. Quatre gave him a very small nod, silently dismissing the slip.
"What is the exact offer, if I agree to stay and... become a part of Branch 2?"
"Dorothy?" Quatre looked to her, and I took her to be in charge of such things as expenses and other such related business. But there was no thought in my mind that she was any more a 'simple secretary' than Milliardo was. Dorothy held a significantly more important position in Branch 2, I was sure, even if I didn't know what that was yet. It just seemed to fit her severe manner.
The young blond woman took a moment to glare at me as she gathered her papers together and gently tapped them against the table to straighten out an already perfect pile. "You would receive a salary, like any other employee, but we currently have no room in the employee dorm. Thus you would have to stay with Mr. Maxwell or another one of our associates. You would help with his current investigation and in repayment you would have access to as much of our resources as we could offer to assist you in your... unique case. And, in the future, should you find out who you are and or receive enough information that you are satisfied; we will re-evaluate your case if you wish to remain here with us as a member of Branch 2 or if you wish to move on." She paused and frowned more. "And let me say, right now, that I hope you do move on. The sooner the better."
"Dorothy." Quatre's voice held a deep tone of disapproval. "That's enough."
For a moment she glared back at him, some old disagreement seeming to appear in her eyes. I got the distinct feeling that had Duo and I not been in the room, this small comment would have grown into a full blown yelling match between the two. But since we were present, Dorothy conceded a few minutes later by looking down and concentrating on her pile of papers. Quatre, meanwhile, turned his attention back to us with a calm smile, as if nothing had happened. He folded his hands together as he waited for my answer.
I didn't respond right away, still weighting out all the options in my mind. I wasn't blind, I'd caught the hidden meanings behind their words. Branch 2 wasn't a place you could just walk out of, no matter what impression they were trying to give me. The level of secrecy and professionalism made it seem like a secret society with only a one way door leading in. Despite the young age of the employees which I'd met, I had no illusions. Dorothy had laid out clearly that my position would be re-evaluated, obviously meaning that when this was all over they would decide if I would stay with the business or just never step out again. Judging what I knew about all of them so far, I doubted I would be killed if I left with all the information I could gather, but there were worse things people could do then kill you, and despite the painted innocence of the blond who ran the show, I didn't disillusion myself as to what he was capable of.
Membership in Branch 2 was final. No matter how friendly they seemed or how welcoming their expressions, that one fact could not be hidden from sight. And yet, I still met Quatre's eyes and gave him a nod, signaling that I agreed. Willingly I fastened those chains around my wrists, even if they were invisible. I agreed willingly to become a member of Branch 2, because right now it was the only clue I had to who I was. Once I discovered that, then I would concentrate on picking the locks, which I knew I was perfectly capable of. I'd disappeared from that hospital in a half-conscious state, I could disappear from Branch 2 easily enough.
I watched as a smile crossed Quatre's face, a welcoming and warm smile. He stood up and walked over to me, clasping his hand on my shoulder. I didn't like the contact, but I allowed it, there were some times when it was appropriate to let others touch you.
"Welcome to the team, Trowa Barton."
~*~
I felt another hand rest on my shoulder as I stepped out of the room with Duo. My instinct kicked in this time and I let it, jerking away and whirling around to face Dorothy with a narrow glare. Her icy eyes reflected the glare back at me with just as much anger and hatred.
"I don't like you here. I object and disapprove in every possible way. You are not welcome here, and I want to make that very clear. I will personally make sure that your every move is watched with the most detailed attention and scrutiny. I disapprove of our presence here and do not presume that I will not make every attempt to make sure you leave as soon as humanly possible."
"You're entitled to your opinion."
My answer was short and sweet compared to her long string of threats. It only resulted in her glare narrowing more and her hands clenching into fists around that pile of papers, which were now wrinkled at the sides. I kept my face blank of all expression as I watched her anger surge through her body. We stood there for a few minutes before she finally gave up.
Turning with a huff of frustration and fury she headed down the hallway to the same door that she'd disappeared into a day earlier. Mentally I noted that room as her office, considering how she slammed the door loudly, signaling her anger and frustration in a childish manner. End of conversation.
I turned back to Duo, not surprised to find him standing there with a look of confusion. He blinked at me a few times and glanced back at Dorothy's door, then back to me. A nervous smile crossed his lips as he relaxed and ran a hand over his braid. "Man, how the heck can you do that? She scares the shit out of me. That must be some glare you've got there."
I shrugged and headed past him to the elevator. Duo recovered and quickly caught up to me, nearly dropping the small folder of papers Quatre had handed to him at the end of the meeting. He stepped up beside me as I hit the down button.
"Wait, where are you going?"
"I'm assuming that we're headed somewhere else. This hallway is obviously only used for official business, and since we were just dismissed from the meeting and you didn't lead me into another room to talk, I'm assuming that we are going to discus that folder in another place."
Duo grinned at me. "You could come in useful with those psychic visions of yours."
"Hardly," I shrugged again as the elevator doors opened and we stepped in.
Duo pressed the button for the lobby and leaned back against the wall as the small car began to move. "I figure we should go get something to eat and then Ican explain all this stuff to you about this case. Then, maybe, you can share with me what the kid found while you were downstairs."
I nodded. That seemed like the best course of action, so I wasn't about to object. In fact, I was curious what he had to tell me about everything.
Passing through the lobby, with the required teasing of Milliardo by Duo, we stepped out into a busy, bustling street, alive with men and women in business suits, moving back and forth. Ties, suit jackets and brief cases flowed in and out of buildings and restaurants with their owners, all hoping to make it through the crowd with enough time to eat before returning to dive back into a desk full of paperwork. Duo and I waded through the sea of cell phones and pagers and palm pilots, the young man expertly leading me through the crowd with a definite direction in mind, and I easily followed.
Two streets down, and located in an alley-like side road, was our destination. Sheltered from the noise and crowd, it was hardly noticeable and would have been easily missed, even by me, had Duo not been leading me. No sign adorned the front door; neither were there flashing lights or even a white board with a hastily written menu. The only front decoration attached to the dark red door was a small bar-light proclaiming a simple word: 'open'.
Inside, the small restaurant contradicted itself on a fairly regular basis. Small tables pressed to cluster around each other and pulled away from the secluded booths gave the place an air of elite-ness while the cheap menu of simple foods made the place seemed more like a claustrophobic café. The majority of the tables were empty, leaving us with our choice of seats. Aside from us there was a younger man in the corner with his laptop, unfinished sandwich and half-full cup of coffee which had stopped steaming hours ago. Across from him, against the other wall, was a group of young women speaking in hushed and calm voices as they relaxed in their perfect business outfits and pointed high heels. Other then them the café was empty, and I had a feeling that this was one of the café's busier days.
Duo beckoned me to a booth toward the back, away from the other two occupied tables. We both sat down and he took the menu in his hands.
"Hungry?" He asked me as he flipped through the pages and glanced at the choices, avoiding my eyes. "We don't have to worry about time, there's nothing pressing we have to be back for."
"Is Branch 2 always so lax on rules?"
Duo's eyes flickered up to me in question. Then a smirk crossed his face and he set down the menu, pushing it across the table toward me. "It's not that the rules are lax. More that Quatre knows the stuff we look into and work with requires a very long leash. The leash is there, like any job, ours just lets us sneak into the neighbor's yard down the street." He ended with a grin, apparently amused with his own metaphor.
I nodded a bit, not picking up the menu yet. "But it's a hidden and concealed leash as well, which explains the fake lobby, the mirrored hallway and the police contact meeting with Mari right now."
"Fake lobby?" Duo nods. "Yep, complete with a dolled up secretary who isn't nearly as helpless as he looks. But don't call him fake to his face, he'll knock your jaw to the other side of your skull." He rubbed his own jaw in emphasis and I took a venture to guess that he'd made the same mistake once before. It wasn't hard to imagine his joking going a step too far and setting someone off.
"Note taken." I frowned down at the menu, decided I wasn't that hungry, and looked back up at him. "Duo, what exactly are the details of this 'case'? Middi Une died months ago. The police don't care anymore. Why do you?"
"Can I help you?"
I frowned as the voice interrupted my question and train of thought. I turned that frown to the young lady who now stood at the edge of our table, a writing pad poised in her hand. She seemed completely unaffected by my glare, since her eyes were focused right on Duo. She was dressed a little too well for this job and her entire outfit begged for attention that she probably never received thanks to the sparse patronage. A tight button down white shirt and black skirt that was cut a little too high on her legs. She had her plum tinted hair pined up despite its short length and two pens tucked behind one ear. Duo, always the gracious guest, returned her bright smile and leaned back in his chair.
"Just some drinks and privacy, we'll call you over when we're ready to order." Duo responded easily. The young woman nodded and didn't even bother writing that down on her pad. Obviously having been brushed off, she returned to the back with a sour expression. Duo, meanwhile, turned back to me, smirking.
"Now, you were asking about Middi Une, and the real Trowa Barton for that matter, right?"
I nodded and waited for him to continue. Not to my surprise he pulled out the folder he'd brought with him and opened it, sliding two pictures toward me.
I recognized the one of the female within a second. Her long blond hair which had a soft curl to it and dark colored eyes were exactly the same as the female the cops had flashed pictures of after she'd stopped coming in every morning. It wasn't a surprise that I remembered the exact thing she ordered every morning, and not surprisingly I remembered she'd sat at the exact same table that Duo had occupied those two days at my previous place of employment. A frown crossed my face as I looked at the picture and pieced my own memories together.
Using a single finger I pushed her photo aside to reveal a photo of someone who was apparently the real Trowa Barton. Once again, I had no trouble recognizing him. Granted, when I had found him, he wasn't nearly as clean-shaven as he looked in the picture. I remembered him being dressed hastily in a torn jacket, with smudges across his pale face, along with evidence of not shaving for a day or two. Auburn hair fell over the front of his face in long bangs, while the rest was cut short, giving him a very noticeable style. Of course, I hadn't noticed much of that when I'd stolen his wallet. And people tended to look quite different when they were dead.
"He's the one." I slid the photos back to Duo. "I remember finding him slumped in an alleyway. I didn't realize he was dead until I'd managed to retrieve his wallet and determine if I could use the contents." I glanced up at him. "What does he have to do with all of this?"
"Trowa Barton was on our list of potential employees. See, Branch 2 isn't exactly your normal run of the mill organization, but I'm sure you've noticed that already. We're sort of an extension off the local police and because of our unique talents we take over the cases that would be too much for them to handle, or cases of special interest. Chang, who I'm assuming you met with Mari, is the one who passes on the information and he also is in charge of making it disappear at the local stations. Middi Une is one of those cases. Her profile is in the folder if it interests you, but in short, she excelled in her forensics classes and would have been a great asset, not to mention," he added with a grin. "She's not too bad looking."
"After Middi's death we couldn't find any information, and neither could the police. But then, just by chance, Mari crossed over a small bit of tidbit. Apparently she was secretly engaged... to Trowa Barton."
I frowned and leaned back in my own chair, musing at the pictures from a distance. "So you think that someone killed Trowa because Branch 2 was interested in hiring him. And as for Middi... am I correct in assuming that she was found dead after you found out about their engagement and started searching for her whereabouts?"
"Correct." Duo's expression took a more serious turn. "After a background check, we realized that she's also the type of person Branch 2 would be interested in hiring. I'm not in charge of the employee rosters, but you get the idea. Branch 2 isn't exactly the type of company to go just on grades and degrees. Personality takes a huge role, Dorothy and Milliardo of course being the exceptions. They have no personalities."
"It just may be me, but telling a so-called new employee that your other prospective employees are being murdered the minute you start looking into them is not an effective hiring solution."
Duo blinked at me for a moment, then a smirk crossed his face. "It's a high risk job, I guess, and don't you feel special. So, what did the kid find out about your past?"
"Not much worth mentioning. She confirmed that there's nothing wrong with me and there's no reason why I should have such a huge blank spot. Other than that, we found the location of the hospital which I was apparently at prior to my so-called escape."
"This is the same hospital by the alley you found Trowa's body in right?"
I nodded. "It's across the street."
"Think your memory's up for the challenge of finding the street if we head over there?"
"As long they haven't remodeled the entire neighborhood it shouldn't be a problem."
Duo grins and pulls his cell phone out of his pocket, hitting an auto-dial button. "Then I'll get the address from Mari and we can head over there. I'll let you read the file in the taxi."
I took the folder as he spoke on the phone to Mari. A glance at the profiles and my thoughts were confirmed that I wouldn't need to do much reading. I'd guessed pretty correctly about their backgrounds and there wasn't much else new except for details that wouldn't help too much at this point. Perhaps they would be important in the future, but not currently.
I closed the folder and we headed out, after Duo waved to the disappointed waitress, telling her we didn't need the drinks anymore. She seemed to shrug it off and I guessed this was a common happenstance with Duo visiting the place. Tucking the folder under one arm, I followed him out the door and waited for him to hail a taxi.
TBC...
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