Author's Note: I'm going to say this at the beginning of the next few chapters, and then not repeat it again, okay? Just for the record, I DON'T do death fics. Please keep that in mind.
Witness Protection Part 49
Rabid Moose...
Since we set out from the circus property in the middle of the afternoon, we knew we couldn't cover a substantial amount of ground before we'd need to find a place to camp for the night. Thus we didn't set a grueling pace so early in our forced march.
In fact, as we walked along the cliffs, and Duo paused frequently to watch the seagulls ride the breezes, or to point out a distant sail on the horizon, both Chang and I stopped with him, allowing him the time to enjoy the scenery while he could.
And by the time we reached the wooded trails and Chang picked up the pace a bit, our witness seemed content to match strides with him. He also seemed a bit too quiet, having given up the moose debate early on.
"Is your foot okay?" I finally asked, wanting to draw him out of whatever bleak thoughts he might be entertaining.
"Yeah, fine."
"How about the rest of you?" Chang asked, glancing back over his shoulder. I was relieved to know he'd also picked up on Duo's silence.
Duo sighed. I think he realized we were concerned. And then he looked back at me and smirked. "Ask Heero."
It took me a moment to backtrack in the conversation, and then I had to chuckle aloud. "The rest of you is--fantastic," I said warmly.
It was Wufei's turn to sigh. "I meant his emotional state--but obviously it's just fine as well."
"Yeah, Wuffers, it is," chided my lover. "You've both gotta realize that just 'cause I'm quiet, it doesn't mean I'm depressed. Despite popular opinion, I do think sometimes."
"What were you thinking about?" I asked.
He shook his head, glancing back again. "How I'm gonna phrase things for a jury...what I have to do to convince them I'm telling the truth...shit like that."
"For starters," Wufei pointed out. "If you wish to be convincing, don't use words like 'shit' while on the witness stand."
"Oh yeah," came the sheepish reply.
"Noventa will explain it all when we get to the courthouse," I told him. "He'll tell you what questions he plans to ask, what sort of questions the defense might ask on cross-examination, and what to expect from the judge."
Wufei picked up the conversation then. "He'll brief you on courtroom protocol, and appropriate language and behavior, as well as how to dress."
Duo looked down at his faded jeans and hiking boots. "Guess this isn't exactly formal wear," he noted.
"I'm sure we can procure a suit and tie prior to your testimony," said my partner.
Duo chuckled ruefully. "I fuckin' hate ties. Even Zechs only got me to wear one once or twice in all the time we dated."
"Noventa will insist on it," I assured him. "He'll want you to look as respectable as possible."
My lover laughed aloud at that. "Respectable? Didn't you once tell me I'd never be respectable?"
"I was wrong."
He turned around then, and flung himself into my arms, kissing the breath out of me right in front of Wufei.
When he finally pulled back, his eyes were so full of emotion they practically glowed. "I don't ever want to let you down," he swore quietly. "I'd do anything for you, 'Ro."
I cocked my head, wondering for a second if he was only testifying against Khushrenada because I wanted him to. But that made no sense, since he'd agreed to it long before there was an "us". It had seemed like simple self-preservation on his part at the time; but then, he also said he'd wanted to earn my respect from the moment he laid eyes on me. Had it really mattered that much to him?
"Y'know what I want you to do?" I asked quietly. "I want you to live a long, healthy, wonderful life. I want you to do what makes you happy."
He smiled widely. "You make me happy," he said firmly. "Does that mean I can 'do' you?"
"Later," I whispered, glancing over his shoulder at Wufei's back.
My partner had walked a short way up the path and was studiously not looking at us.
"I think we're making Chang uncomfortable," I pointed out. "He hasn't got Catherine here."
"Aw, yeah." Duo pulled away reluctantly. "Not fair to flaunt it, is it?"
"We'll have plenty of time after the trial," I promised.
"Something to look forward to." He turned and jogged to catch up to Wufei, while I walked doggedly up the rocky trail to resume my place at the end of the line.
We made camp at dusk, stopping when we found a thick grove of pines that would keep the evening chill off us. And while Wufei hung a tarp over a rope strung between two trees, I gathered rocks to build a small fire pit, and Duo broke out the roast beef sandwiches and bottled water to make instant coffee.
He paused when he found a paper bag in the rucksack, and then held it out in Chang's direction. "Hey, Wuffers--there's a love note for you."
Wufei turned sharply. "A what?"
Duo shook the bag impatiently. "Cathy wrote you a note."
My partner took the bag rather gingerly, and sat to read the brief message she'd penned, his expression intense.
"So--what's in the bag?" Duo pressed, shoving a sandwich in to my hand.
"None of your business," Wufei growled. He opened the bag and peered at the contents. "Tea." He looked a bit nonplussed. "Green tea. Where on Earth could she have found this brand? It's not carried in stores outside of Chinatown."
I patted his shoulder as I took a seat beside him. "She had the man at the store in town special order it."
When he looked up in surprise, I nodded confirmation. "It was there when I went for supplies today, and Edgar had me bring it to her."
Wufei looked back at the bag in his hands, a small smile lingering on his lips. "She's very thoughtful."
"Hell yeah!" Duo blurted out. "Look what she packed in my stuff!" He held up two throwing knives in wrist sheaths. "A girl after my own heart; I almost wish I was straight."
Chang cast a chilling glare in his direction. "Well, you're not, Maxwell! So give it up. She's mine."
Duo smirked at him, even while strapping on his new toys. "Cool your jets, Wuffers. You can have her. I just think she's damn cool, for a chick."
"So do I," Wufei agreed, getting up and preparing to make his tea.
My lover sauntered over and plunked down next to me, holding out an arm so I could examine the shiny blade strapped to it.
I ran an appreciative finger over the sheath, and across the bare skin of Duo's wrist, enjoying the way his lips parted and his eyes lit up at my touch. "You're right--she is cool, for a chick. I'll have to thank her for thinking of your safety."
As a matter of fact, there was no reason not to thank her right away. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed the farmhouse.
"Whatcha doing?"
"Calling her."
Duo blinked in surprise. "Hadn't even thought of that. Yeah, it should be safe, huh? No one's gonna tap a line to a farm in the middle of nowhere."
"Hello?" came Catherine's familiar voice.
"Hello," I replied. "There are a couple of guys here who'd like to thank you for your thoughtfulness."
She laughed aloud. "It wasn't much," she demurred. "I'd ordered the tea before finding out you had to leave so soon, and as for the knives, I've got plenty to spare, and I think Duo needs them more."
"It was still a wonderful thing to do," I assured her. "I'm grateful."
"Well, you're very welcome," she assured me.
"Let me pass the phone around," I suggested, before holding it out to Duo. "Keep it short, so Wufei can have a few minutes?"
"'Course." He took the phone. "Hey, Cath! Thanks for the cool blades, sweetie. You're the best." His gaze rested fondly on his gleaming weapons as he spoke. "Yeah, we're fine. No moose yet. Not even a rabid hit man." His laugh brightened the darkness of the clearing. "Long story. And I don't wanna take away from your loverboy's time."
"Maxwell, you may not call me 'loverboy,'" snarled my partner, holding out his hand for the phone. Duo relinquished it, and Wufei murmured a quiet greeting, and then, "Well, yes, you can."
Chuckling smugly, Duo went back to rummaging in the packs, pulling out some of the chocolate-coated protein bars. "S'pose this is as close to dessert as we've got," he sighed.
"I'll buy you a hot fudge sundae the minute they convict Khushrenada," I promised.
"Would that be before or after they drag me off to relocation?"
"Doesn't matter. I already said I'll find you," I shrugged, accepting a protein bar and biting into it.
"You will, too. Won't you?" he said wonderingly. "Gotta love that kind of determination."
"As much as I love yours."
Wufei kept his call short, handing me back the phone before he could deplete our limited battery power. "She said everything's quiet at the farm--no sign of anyone snooping about. And she'll be leaving by noon tomorrow. Edgar's going to stop in once a week to look over the property; he's done it before when it was unoccupied for a length of time."
"Good. Then even if they connect all the dots and show up there, no one will be in danger. It will merely be a dead end."
He nodded, looking relieved. "Coffee or tea, Yuy? The water's ready."
"Tea, I guess. So I can sleep while you take first watch, if you would."
"Glad to. It's my turn, since I slept last."
We had a quick cup of tea, while Duo swigged down his much-beloved coffee, insisting a little caffeine wouldn't keep him from sleeping like the dead after all the walking we'd done.
He was right. Curled up next to me under the makeshift tent, he slept like a log, snoring quietly, with one hand fisted in my shirt front and the other tucked under his cheek. He was fucking adorable.
~*~
Chang and I traded shifts in the middle of the night, and we broke camp at dawn, pausing only to heat more water for hot drinks to wash down our protein bars. Then we set out at a much more determined pace than the previous day, eager to cover ground.
The trail was rugged, winding over rock ledge much of the time, and through scrub pines the rest. While we could still smell the salty tang on the breeze, we were no longer close enough to hear or sea the ocean, a fact Duo lamented at least once an hour.
Only after I promised for the third or fourth time to find us a cottage on the shore once the trial was over, did he subside into a sort of grudging silence on the subject.
By noontime, we'd descended into thicker forest, with fewer rocks and more tree roots and streams. If the map we'd studied was correct, we'd be entering a swamp before nightfall. I just hoped we could cross it and get to higher, and dryer, ground before we had to make camp.
"Hey, 'Ro?"
"Hn?"
"What's a moose look like?"
I shrugged, keeping my gaze on the uneven trail. "Kind of like a really ugly cow," I said with a vague wave of my hand.
"Only bigger," Wufei added. "Much, much bigger."
"Oh."
"Why do you ask?" my partner added.
"'Cause that thing across the path up ahead kinda looks like one."
Chang and I stopped in our tracks, raising our eyes to see a very large moose, antlers still in velvet, standing crosswise on the trail maybe a hundred yards away.
"Holy shit!" Chang blurted, and the huge creature turned its head in our direction, sniffing the breeze.
"Shhh!" I hissed in warning. "Nobody move."
"Wrong answer," Duo whispered. "I'm thinkin' 'run like hell.'" He'd backed up into me at Chang's expletive, and I could feel the tension running through him.
"No. They have mediocre eyesight--but catch movement very well," I breathed back. "And they've got excellent hearing."
"What'd you do--take notes from Catherine?"
"I looked them up on-line."
The animal stamped one front foot in agitation, and Duo flinched so hard that I slid an arm around his waist from behind, to keep him from bolting. "Shhh."
"I'll give ya five bucks to act as a decoy, Chang."
"Maxwell--I swear to God if you don't shut your mouth--" hissed my partner.
The moose had turned its attention in another direction, casting about for--whatever it is moose look for. And then, apparently detecting something more enticing than us, it moved slowly off--its pace totally unhurried. But then, why should it hurry? It was at the top of just about every food chain I could envision in that part of the country.
"Y'think he's rabid?" Duo asked.
I tightened my grip, tempted to shake him in frustration. "Jesus fucking Christ! No!"
The moose paused, glanced back, shook its head from side to side as if lamenting my lover's abominable lack of animal savvy--or my abominable language--and then continued on its journey away from us.
Duo started to move, and I all but crushed him in an unbreakable embrace, putting my lips up against his ear. "Do not move, or I will tie you up and leave you here until that thing comes back."
I heard a little squeak, but nothing more, and Duo froze into complete immobility.
We waited for several minutes, until the bulky animal disappeared from sight and the crunch of its footfalls had faded into silence.
When I finally released Duo, he drew a deep breath, rubbing at his rib cage. "Jeeze, Yuy, ya didn't have to crush me!"
"Apparently I did," I replied unsympathetically. "You wouldn't hold still and/or shut up."
"There's other ways to shut me up," he said with a suggestive lilt to his voice.
"Not in front of a bull moose," I growled back.
"Or me!" Chang added firmly.
Duo's worried gaze turned in the direction the moose had gone. "Y'think he'll come back?"
"Well let's not stand here all day and find out," I urged, looking around us and choosing a sturdy branch to make into a combination walking stick and moose club. (And, no. The term "mooseketeers" never crossed my mind...really.)
Wufei looked at my new security blanket and sneered. "Do you honestly think that would even slow a creature that size down, Yuy?"
"Nope," I replied smoothly. "I was planning to use it to trip you, so that while he stopped to gore you, Duo and I would have more of a head start."
Duo laughed aloud at my joke, though he quickly caught himself and muffled it, looking anxiously after the departed moose.
"Let's just keep moving," Chang grunted irritably, choosing a path that skirted the moose crossing and yet kept us going in the general direction of the amusement park.
"This trip just keeps gettin' better and better," Duo mumbled, close on my partner's heels.
In spite of being predictably jumpy the rest of the day, we made good time, and actually got well beyond the swamp before stopping to choose a campsite.
Just like the night before, we made a minimal supper, mostly relying on our remaining peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and protein bars for nourishment. And then we settled down for a few hours of sleep, huddled under the tarp with our wool blankets.
As usual, Chang and I took turns on guard, though the forest night remained soothingly tranquil.
And of course, in the morning, it started to rain.
~*~
It rained all day, while we slogged doggedly onward, the plastic ponchos keeping our heads and upper bodies somewhat dry, while our pant legs gradually became soaked.
By the time we spotted the amusement park, it was nearly nightfall, and we were damp, chilled and cranky. But the promise of dry shelter was enough to make us pick up the pace and trek the final distance to the stockade fence and chain link gate.
"Padlocked," Wufei concluded, examining the heavy chain around the gate.
"Catherine thought there'd be a place to slip through the fence," I reminded him, looking through the gathering gloom for the aforementioned opening. "Or maybe we could scramble over it somewhere."
"Screw that," Duo muttered, stepping up to the fence and fumbling in a pocket. He produced a slim piece of metal and began working on the lock.
"This is considered breaking and entering--not to mention trespassing," Wufei pointed out.
"Just what I'm best at," Duo shrugged, continuing to pry at the stubborn lock.
I opened my mouth to argue that there were things he was even better at, but decided not to. It was far more important for us to get inside, find shelter, and contact the Captain to arrange our transportation.
"Voila!" Duo crowed, dropping the chain free, and pulling open the fence.
We piled in after him, looping the chain around the gate again and putting the lock on the inside, before setting about searching among the buildings to find one where we could seek shelter, or turn on a bit of power and maybe some lights.
The guard shack was too small, and the ticket booth too open. But the cinderblock power station seemed very promising.
"Can you get that unlocked?" I asked Duo, pointing to the heavy metal security door.
He grimaced slightly. "Not so sure. They've got a deadbolt up above--no lock to manipulate."
"Fine." I pulled out my gun, gesturing the others to stand back, and fired into the deadbolt at a safe angle. There was no point in risking being taken out by a ricochet.
It took two shots, but then I was able to yank open the heavy door and shine a flashlight inside. "Dry," I concluded with relief. "Let's get in and warm up."
We dragged our shivering bodies inside, and quickly found the main power circuit. I flipped it on, hoping the electricity to the place hadn't been turned off at the source.
It hadn't, and a pleasant hum filled the air, even as I flipped on the lights and scanned the list beside the circuit breakers.
When I turned around I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of Duo, looking very much like a drowned rat as he struggled out of the poncho, his braid a bedraggled mess.
He glared up through the bangs plastered to his face. "Laugh it up, Yuy. You're this close to not gettin' any tonight."
I swallowed the laughter, but couldn't suppress my grin. "You wouldn't cut me off, Duo. You'll need someone warm to snuggle up with."
He glanced sideways at Wufei, who gave a very firm shake of his head.
"Assholes--both of ya," muttered my lover, digging in our backpacks to see if anything had remained dry enough to wear.
He finally gave up, sitting back on his heels. "Is there a fuckin' laundromat around here? I really, really need a clothes dryer."
"No laundromat," I informed him, studying a wall map of the power grid and buildings. "But there's a dormitory--probably for the security staff, when the place is operational. I'll bet it's heated." I searched the list on the circuit box, locating the switch for the dormitory power, and flipping it on. "Let's head over there and get settled for the night. We can call Captain Po after we dry off and eat."
After turning out the light in the power station and pulling the damaged door closed so it appeared more or less intact, we made our way across the sodden amusement park. I was pleasantly surprised to find the walkways paved, and everything in good repair. It really was well kept up, and beat the heck out of stumbling through the woods risking broken ankles and trying to shelter ourselves under a tarp slung between trees.
Duo picked the lock on the door to the dormitory, and I entered first, flipping on the lights and looking around. "Not bad."
There were beds along one wall, each mattress rolled up and tied for storage. Lockers lined the opposite wall, a unisex bathroom took up one corner, and a kitchenette occupied the other, though the refrigerator was open and unplugged, and the cupboards were bare.
"Not the worst place we've stayed," Duo conceded, walking over and untying one of the mattresses, jumping back with a startled oath as it flopped open and a panicked field mouse scurried for cover.
"For fuck's sake, Maxwell," chided my partner. "It's just a mouse. Surely you've seen rats in your lifetime. Lots and lots of them."
"Doesn't mean I like sleepin' with 'em," Duo retorted, poking at the mattress to make sure there were no other residents.
Chang just shook his head and spread out two more of the mattresses, while I strung a piece of rope across the room and began hanging some of our clothes up to dry.
There was electric heat in the building, and I cranked up the temperature to speed the drying process.
"How long will it take your boss to send someone?" Duo asked, sitting on the edge of his chosen bunk to unlace his boots.
"If I call tonight, she can probably have someone here by noon tomorrow."
Wufei paused in the middle of stripping out of his soggy shirt. "How secure do you suppose her line is?"
I shook my head. "No idea."
"Maybe you should call Quatre instead," Duo interjected, walking over to set his boots near the heater. "Give him the place and time, and have him deliver it to your Captain in person."
"Good idea." I had Winner's cell phone number memorized; it would be simple enough to ask him to relay the message. One less call to the precinct.
"Maybe he'll know if Tro' is okay?" Duo added, his back to me.
I could read the tension in both his tone and his posture, and I stopped what I was doing and went over to slide my arms around him from behind, leaning in close. "Don't worry, love. He's fine. But I'll ask about him anyway."
"Thanks."
"First though, we're going to warm up and eat. Do you think you can use that stove over there to make anything better than ration bars and peanut butter sandwiches?"
"Sure," he said, sounding more relaxed already. "I think Cathy put in some packets of soup mix. We can have a hot meal at least."
He set about cooking, while I finished hanging the clothes, and Wufei made up three beds with blankets he found in a locker against a wall. We'd all stripped down to just tee shirts and damp jeans, unwilling to wear less in the chilly room. But by the time we'd eaten, the small building was comfortably warm, and our clothes were drying quickly.
"Time to make that call," Chang pointed out, as we put away our little cooking pot and mugs.
"Yeah," I replied, a bit nervous at the thought of revealing our location. I pulled out my cell phone and fingered it restlessly. Then, before I could have second thoughts, I dialed Winner's number.
He picked up on the third ring. "Quatre Winner speaking."
"It's me, Heero."
"Are you okay? What's happened?" he asked in rapid fire.
"We're fine. We'd like an update on Trowa, for starters."
"He's--safe. He called me after he talked to you and told me he was going to stay with friends. I suggested he join a certain group of kids at their current location, and so he did."
I covered the receiver with my hand and gave Duo a reassuring smile. "Winner had Trowa go where the orphans are staying."
Relief flooded the indigo eyes, and Duo smiled. "Tell him thanks."
"Duo says thanks."
"He's welcome," came an amused response.
"Now, are you in a safe place?"
"I'm in a veritable fortress, with servants and sisters galore," he assured me.
"Good. I need you to relay a message for me. Is there someone trustworthy and unrecognizable you can send to the precinct right away?"
"Oh yes. Definitely."
"Tell the Captain we're ready for pickup. Acadia Amusement Park. Thirty miles south of Flanders, on route one. Noon tomorrow."
I heard a sharp intake of breath. "So soon?"
"The trial's less than a week away. I don't think this is soon at all," I retorted a bit sharply.
"I suppose not. It must seem like it's been forever for you."
"Just do me a favor. Tell your messenger that the instructions are for Po only. He's not to give them to any secretary or officer. Only the Captain herself."
"Understood."
"And in the message, remind her I better recognize whoever she sends--and the car better be equipped with the extras she promised."
He chuckled at that. "Bullet-proof glass?"
"And armor plating in the doors."
"I like you, Yuy."
"Don't get all mushy on me, counselor. You know how I feel about lawyers."
He laughed longer and louder. "Me too, Yuy. Me too. Give Duo and Wufei my best."
"I will." I snapped the phone shut and looked at my partner's worried face. "Let's hope that for once, everything goes according to plan."
"And if it doesn't?"
I gave a feral smile. "We'll be prepared."
He darted an appraising look at me, and then nodded, realizing I had plans. For once, we were in a location that gave us an excellent vantage point. From what I'd seen of the park, there were plenty of high spots, as well as a long, wide open approach. We could see who was coming well ahead of time.
Granted, if a whole fleet of cars came charging up the road, we'd still be vastly outnumbered; but we'd also have a bit of home court advantage. It had helped us escape the lake house, and it would help us escape the amusement park, if it came to that.
I didn't realize I'd drifted until I felt Duo's weight settle next to me on the mattress, and he threw a blanket around both of us. "Penny for your thoughts?"
"I was just working on strategy," I admitted. "At first light, I think we should explore the park, locate all possible exits and entrances, and--"
"Shhh--" He silenced me with a kiss, his tongue gently coaxing its way between my lips, before beginning a leisurely exploration of my mouth.
Predictably, my mind went blank as all my blood headed south, though I managed to suck in a quick breath when he pulled back, his teeth gently catching my lower lip and teasingly tugging at it.
"Duo--"
He shook his head. "Not tonight, 'Ro. Give that brain a rest, would ya?"
I looked past him at Wufei, who'd apparently decided to take first watch while I'd been pondering the next day's plans. My partner was standing by the window, just off to one side, his stern gaze scanning the darkness outside. "I suggest you two kill the lights and get some sleep," he said conversationally. "I'll wake you for your shift in five hours."
I did as Chang said, shutting off the lights so he could see outside more clearly, and heading for bed. I didn't protest when Duo abandoned his own bunk to curl up beside me and wrap a blanket around us both. I wanted him that close--and closer.
But he didn't try to initiate anything physical, merely tucking his head under my chin and throwing an arm across my waist, before settling in to sleep. And I don't think I was very far behind in dozing off.
~*~
When my partner shook me by the shoulder sometime later, I had to ease a deeply slumbering Duo off my chest and onto his own pillow before sliding out from under him to take my turn at guard duty.
"Anything suspicious?" I asked in a hushed whisper as I pulled my boots on.
"Not a thing. The rain is letting up though. I'm hoping at first light we can explore the grounds to familiarize ourselves."
"Absolutely. I want to have hiding places and escape routes planned long before our ride gets here. If they're followed..." I let my voice trail off ominously, not needing to fill in the blanks for my intelligent partner. He knew what would happen as well as I did.
I took his place at the window, which gave me an excellent view of the walkway outside. But the blackness was deep and undisturbed; we really were far from city lights and traffic out here.
Far from help, my mind pointed out.
But then, we couldn't trust any help we might get, so maybe that was a good thing.
My shift passed quickly, and as night faded into pre-dawn, I went to the kitchenette to start water for coffee and tea. We'd need all the energy we could get.
I was cleaning and inspecting our guns when Duo stirred and sat up, looking around in confusion for a moment, until his gaze settled on me. Of course, a slow smile spread across his face, crinkling the corners of his eyes with amusement. "You look really hot cleaning guns, 'Ro," he told me, throwing off the covers and sitting up.
"I do?"
"Yeah," he purred, his voice still husky with sleep. "Love the way you stroke your barrel--"
"Really?" I raised an eyebrow in response to his teasing leer. "Wait'll you see me lubricate my hammer."
He let out a low groan and then flopped back on the bed, gazing up at the ceiling. "Here we are about to come out into the open and put our lives on the line--and all I can think about is how you're leaving me sexually frustrated just before the most stressful event of my life!"
"You started it," I pointed out, finishing wiping down my gun and carefully checking the action before reloading it and putting it into the holster.
"And I'll finish it!" came Chang's stern voice. "It's all business today, Maxwell. We have no time for games. Our transportation will be arriving at noon, and we must be prepared for the worst."
Duo groaned again. "Y'mean we're watching for helicopters and SUVs again?"
"We're watching for anything."
Now that Chang was awake, we ate a quick breakfast of protein bars and stowed away the blankets and mattresses. We wouldn't be spending another night at the park, no matter how the meeting went down.
It was daylight when we left the dormitory to start exploring our surroundings. I'd made sure Duo was checked out on the two handguns I'd given him--one in a spare shoulder holster I fitted him with, and another in the pocket of his leather jacket. He'd wanted to tuck it down the back of his pants, but I pointed out that it was the first place anyone would look, and that if there was a mishap, his lovely ass might be at risk.
I got the laugh for that one, and saw my lover relax fractionally.
We set out to walk every square inch of that amusement park, locating the control booth rather quickly, and having Duo pick the lock so we could check it out. It was the nerve center for the whole place, with video monitors at each ride, giving whoever was in charge the ability to shut down a ride at a moment's notice in case of emergency.
Chang slipped back to the power station to turn on the control room power, enabling us to experiment with the equipment and get a feel for just how much surveillance it provided. And that was a lot.
"I say we leave the power on in this room," I suggested to Chang, after he got back and we thoroughly tested every device. "If we have any trouble, we can use the cameras to locate enemies."
"Agreed."
Duo, meanwhile, had his nose practically pressed up against the glass, staring at the roller coaster. "Sure we can't squeeze in one ride, guys?"
"No!" we said in unison.
"Aw, but--"
"No!"
He gave up amazingly quickly, sighing and absently fingering the wrist sheaths Catherine had provided. "S'pose I'd be too distracted to really enjoy it anyway..."
We left the control room unlocked, just in case, and headed out to explore the rest of the park. But aside from some concession stands, public restrooms, and maintenance sheds, there wasn't much to see. All the buildings had standard locks we could easily kick apart if we needed access, so there was no reason to open them. It would be tough enough explaining to the owners that we'd appropriated the place for police business. But that would be Po's problem, once we were safely back in the precinct.
"It's eleven o'clock," my partner pointed out, gesturing towards the front gate. "Time to set up?"
"Affirmative," I said curtly.
After having Duo reopen the lock on the chain link fence, we stashed our backpacks and duffels near the main gate, inside a ticket booth, where we could retrieve them quickly, or leave them safely.
Duo rummaged through his gear, pocketing what I guessed were spare nutrition bars, and I shook my head, wondering how he could be hungry at a time like this.
"Ready for your limo ride?" I asked him, looping my binoculars around my neck and preparing to take a position near the gate.
"I've been in limos," he said a bit curtly.
Oh, right. His boyfriend had owned a whole fleet.
"Sorry." He stood up and turned to face me, his expression tense. "I'm just--"
"Scared," I said quietly, seeing genuine dread in his eyes. "It'll be okay," I promised. "I won't let anything happen to you."
"What about you?" he answered back.
"Don't you worry. I won't take any chances." I pulled him close, using his belt loops to drag him up against me. "Y'think I'd let myself get killed and let some other guy have a chance at this body? No way in Hell."
He smiled rather wanly. "I don't think I could stand to let another guy touch me--after you." He wrapped warm arms around me, and I could feel his heart pounding.
"God, you really are scared," I whispered.
"Only of losing you."
"You won't."
Chang had been watching at the gate, and now walked back to where we were embracing. "I'm going up on the bleachers over there," he told me, gesturing with the rifle he carried. "When the limo shows up, if the wrong guys get out--you give me a signal and I'll start shooting."
Duo pushed back from me, looking at Wufei in surprise. "You'd just open up on 'em, Chang? No 'freeze--police' or anything?"
Chang shook his head, some of his dark hair slipping free of its usual ponytail. "No warnings, Maxwell. If they are not who they are supposed to be, it's us or them. I will not waste time and give them an opportunity to outmaneuver us."
"Wow."
I smirked at Duo's stunned expression. "C'mon, Maxwell. We've been dodging bullets for weeks. You expect us to get sloppy now?"
"I just didn't expect you to be so--ruthless."
"This isn't a game," I assured him. "They've been ruthless, and now it's our turn. I told the Captain who to send. If I don't recognize the men, they'll have about two seconds to explain why before I give Chang the go-ahead."
"And I'll use it," my partner said with a rather evil grin. "Might be nice to be the ones on the offensive for a change, hm?"
"Shit, yeah!" Duo agreed, brightening perceptibly.
Wufei gave him a firm squeeze on the shoulder. "Stay out of sight, Maxwell. And do as we say. We'll get through this together."
He headed off to his vantage point, and I gestured Duo to get behind the ticket booth. "Like he said--stay under cover until I tell you it's safe to come out."
"Be careful!" he cautioned, leaning in for a quick, hungry kiss before taking his position behind the shelter of the small structure.
I slipped up to the gate, sliding it open just a few feet, and training my binoculars on the farthest point of the road.
It didn't take nearly as long as it seemed, before a sleek, black vehicle came cruising up the gravel drive, splashing through the puddles from the previous night's rain.
"Showtime," I muttered, taking my own rifle and tucking it in the crook of an arm before waving to the driver so he'd see where we were waiting.
TBC...
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