Seventy-Six

Old Wounds

      “Mr. Winner, the media is here.” Miss Sheel popped her head in then disappeared.
      She was acting a bit pissy, I’d noticed.
      I sighed, looking at Nikki. It hadn’t taken long for what happened to come to light...the cafe owner had called the police because of gun-fire...we’d left the area before we could be asked any questions...but someone had recognized me.
      “Ready?” I asked her. She’d been depressed since she’d watched Heero disappear around the corner.
      Heero had put her to bed, then joined us in the living room. We had all put the girls to bed...except Sally. We stayed up talking until midnight after that...
      Nikki was partially depressed because someone had tried to kill her...because Heero had gotten shot instead of her...and because Nikol was trying to kill her.
      It had been a long night...and probably even longer for Heero.
      Nikki sighed, “Sure...Why not.”
      I shook my head and offered her my arm.
      She slid off the desk and accepted it, “What do you want me to tell them?”
      I sighed, thinking about that, “I have enemies. That’s a given. Let’s just say that we have no idea who might have done it, or why they’d targeted you.”
      Heero stepped out of the shadows, causing Nikki to jump.
      “I’ll be your body-guard.” he didn’t even hesitate to fall in step.
      As we entered the lobby I realized Nikki had changed from my arm to his...the pictures started.
      Nikki didn’t say much...but Heero and I openly discussed possibilities like they weren’t supposed to hear.
      We had decided that we didn’t want to publicize “Romefeller’s” actions.
      It didn’t take long before Wufei, Trowa, and Duo came in with the girls. They stood at the back of the crowd, their clothing making them obviously not media.
      A security guard approached them and after a minute Sam waved her arms frantically at me.
      I signaled the officer and started to ignore the media as I gestured for them to join me.
      Our plan was working.
      Sam joined us and I hugged her, kissing her briefly before turning to the silent and startled crowd, “Please excuse us. We have matters to discuss...”
      There was an outburst of questions and I looked them over with a raised eyebrow.
      “This meeting is closed.” I replied with a gesture to the security, who grinned, then turned and started back out the doors we came in.


      Nikki was clinging to me like she was scared I’d disappear if she let go. I held her to me without saying anything to anyone. She’d been subdued since...well, since it had happened.
      I knew she felt it was her fault...and knew just as well that it wasn’t. She’d be dead if I hadn’t seen the man as he aimed his sniper riffle. She’d be dead...a wound in my shoulder was a small price to pay for her life.
      I crushed her further to me. We were sitting on Quatre’s desk, she was in my lap. Quatre and Sam were similarly established in Quatre’s chair. Sally and Wufei stood by the door. Kitty and Trowa were sitting beside each other on a couch to one side. Duo and Kris were on the couch on the other side.
      “Can you close the curtain, please?” Quatre asked Sally and Wufei.
      Sally nodded and turned while Wufei walked over and sat beside Kris.
      We watched Sally as she went to the center of the room, “We did some research.” she explained, meaning the Preventers. “We found that the person who set that up had no association to Neo Romefeller.”
      I shook my head, not even surprised at how quickly that organization could get their facts.
      “His name is Kyle Price...a business associate of yours...” she looked to Quatre, but I didn’t hear the rest of what was being said.
      Kyle Price.
      I’d known I’d recognized him...but hadn’t placed him...and neither had Nikki.
      She had sat up at the name, then looked to Quatre...when he didn’t seem to notice the group tense she looked to Sam...then me. I could feel her heartbeat start again.
      Finally Quatre noticed the tense...as well as Wufei, Trowa, and Sally.
      “What’s the matter?” he asked, looking us all over.
      “Kyle Price.” I returned when no one said anything.
      Quatre shook his head in an affirming sort of way, his look asking for an explanation.
      “Quatre...” Duo’s voice was pointed as he glanced at Nikki.
      Quatre looked at Duo, then at me, then at Nikki...realization dawning in his startled face.
      Nikki had lost focus and it was obvious she was thinking.
      “What?” Sally asked, confused. Wufei stood, gesturing to the hall with his head. They were silent as they went out.
      “So Kyle got some balls after all...” Sam muttered.
      They didn’t shut the door and I could hear Wufei telling her the story...her startled protest...and the rest of their muttered conversation...
      “Mr. Price...” Quatre mused without seeming to hear any of them.
      “It’s possible that he was doing it for revenge.” I noted.
      Duo nodded, “I’m sure he was ecstatic when he heard you were shot. I’m sure it made up for the bastard missing Nikki...”
      I nodded, shifting my shoulder slightly and feeling the effects of the pain reliever. I briefly wondered why I’d let Nikki talk me into them...it was messing up my perception... “I’m sure it made his day. Too bad the asshole didn’t realize that assassination attempts near Quatre wouldn’t settle...especially when dealing with us...not even mentioning the choice of target.”
      Duo nodded, “I know, after what happened I’m surprised he had the gull to show his face...”
      “He may not have realized it was you guys.” Quatre noted.
      Wufei and Sally came back in. Sally’s lips were pursed as she studied Nikki briefly, then threw herself in the chair across from Quatre...in front of us.
      “As I was saying...” she muttered as Wufei sat next to Kris again, “Price hired some men and had you two tailed from here. I think I understand, now, why he tried to shoot her instead of Quatre...”
      I nodded, “I think we’ll have to monitor him...all of his movements...”
      There was a collective nod.
      “Do you want me to contact H.Q.?”
      Sally shook her head, “No, I can do it...”
      “They’ll react quicker to Heero.” Duo informed her, “He doesn’t order them much...”
      “Order?” Sally was verging on amusement.
      “I ask...Trowa asks...” Duo managed a tight grin and shrug, “Heero orders.”
      She nodded slowly, mulling it over.
      I got tired of waiting and pulled out my cell, dialing the number...ignoring the pain that had appeared suddenly. Either the medicine had run it’s course, or holding my arm up was too much.
      I wasn’t letting go of Nikki.
      “Preventers main office. Please...”
      “Yuy here. Connect me to Une.”
      “I’m sorry, Sir, but...Yuy?”
      “Yes.”
      “Just a moment please...”
      The line fell silent and I waited. Sally had given me a raised eyebrow look, but now was staring toward her feet.
      “Mr. Yuy?”
      I smiled, “Lady Une.”
      She laughed slightly, “What’s going on, Heero? Why are you calling me?”
      “I need you to monitor Price.”
      “Why?”
      “Because he might not stop. He has a personal grudge against Nikki, Duo, and I.”
      “From what?” she seemed surprised.
      “Events. He used to live on L-1.” I had no intention of explaining anymore than that to her. Not over the phone.
      “All right. Will do. Do you just want his home interactions, or abroad?”
      “Abroad.”
      “Phones?”
      “All.”
      “Computer?”
      “Of course.”
      “All right...You have to realize this will take time and money. Do you really think it’s worth it?”
      I snorted, “I don’t really like the idea of a bullet in Nikki’s head...how about you?”
      That brought her up short.
      “That’s what I thought. You have a good day.”
      There was a sullen silence, “You too.”
      I could tell she didn’t like being bested.
      I hung up flinching at the pain as I lowered my arm.
      Nikki nuzzled me reassuringly.
      Sally shook her head, still not looking up, “I hope she doesn’t bite my head off for that...”
      “All she knows is that you were giving us the information they told you to. Besides, it’s not like you had a choice. If she tries to snap at you shove it off on me. See what she can do with that...besides, when do you have to see her again?”
      She gave me a level look, glancing at her watch, “Twenty minutes.”
      I smiled slightly at her, “Oops, sorry. I’ll take the heat. Was there anything else?”
      She thought about that, “No. Not that I can immediately think of. You guys gonna be all right?”
      I nodded, noticing similar moves from around the room.
      She made as if to stand, but changed her mind.
      Suddenly Quatre laughed and we all turned to him.
      He checked his laughter and resided to a grin, “I remember when he was introduced to me...Price...He had a black eye and his arm was in a sling...and a limp. When I asked him about it he told me that he’d had some trouble. That his ex was cheating on him and the bastard she was with had attacked him.”
      I smiled, then looked at Duo, “So was that you?” I was surprised how un-annoyed I was with that.
      Duo searched my face for a moment, not sure how to take that and I could see slight guilt in his eyes.
      I grinned at him, “Just kidding. Only fucking with ya...What an ass...” I turned back to Quatre.
      People were watching me.
      I went to crush Nikki to me, barely managing not to flinch...the pain reliever had worn off. I sighed, they killed the pain effectively, but made it twice as bad when they were done...not to mention the dizzy feeling...
      People started talking to each other again quietly.
      Nikki offered me the next dose.
      I shook my head. I needed my senses, and I could deal better with a little pain...besides, I liked my light-headedness to be natural, not self-inflicted.
      “Heero...” she protested.
      “Nikki, I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
      She snuggled against me and I could feel her relief.
      “Do you think he will?” she asked suddenly.
      “Who?”
      “Nikol.”
      I thought about that, “I don’t know. It does seem likely...but he didn’t even pull his gun...” She meant what he’d said about hostages.
      “Couldn’t be because he had snipers trained on you now, could it?” her tone was a bit snide.
      “Nikki, had he tried anything like that, he would be dead and his men would be dead or wounded. I didn’t live this long to let some bastard make a gesture and have me killed.”
      She sighed and I held her closer to me, feeling he wound start to bleed. I ignored it, but she noticed.
      “Come on.” she muttered, sliding off my lap onto the floor. When I didn’t move, she grabbed my wrist and pulled gently, “We need to change it.”
      “I can do it in a while.”
      “Just go with her, Heero.” Duo sounded a bit exasperated or something.
      I looked at him and allowed myself to be led into the hall.
      She helped me take off the shirt after we reached the bathroom. Before we were finished, her cell phone started to ring. She paused what she was doing long enough to open it, “Hello?” she switched it so both her hands were free.
      It was Brendon. I could hear him. He was demanding if she were all right...and surprisingly...if I was.
      Nikki sighed and finished cleaning and changing the bandage as she talked.
      To point out that I was fine, I put the shirt on without flinching...but God did it hurt...I wasn’t intending to let her know that, however. I didn’t want her coddling me like some invalid...not that I minded the attention, of course. But I was fine.
      Her entire manner had changed when she’d realized who it was and she was acting like everything that’d happened was nothing.
      “Nikki...” I started.
      I could hear him demand to talk to me.
      I shrugged when she looked to me.
      “Fine...” she muttered, passing me the phone.
      “Yeah?” I asked as she started back to Quatre’s office.
      “What did I tell you, you son of a bitch? What did I say would happen if you didn’t leave her alone? Are you happy someone’s after her life now? Does that make you happy?”
      I sighed, “Brendon...” there wasn’t much I could say to that...this man was part of Nikki’s life so I couldn’t just dismiss him...no matter how badly I wanted to...and it was partly true.
      “You gonna give me that bullshit line that you’ll protect her? Because if my sources are correct, you’ve failed at that already.”
      “What?”
      “Remember, Asshole, she was kidnapped?”
      I sighed, “We’re on the brink of a war here, buddy.” I informed him as I shut the door behind me.
      “How? I thought we were just dealing with a few terrorists...”
      “No. We’re dealing with a madman and the entire armies worth of people who are following him.”
      “So why haven’t the Preventers stopped him yet?”
      “Because they haven’t acted yet. I know you remember that they can’t act without the appropriate amount of evidence...unfortunately for us, kidnapping and threats aren’t enough for them to step in.”
      Nikki settled on the edge of the desk and I stepped up to her, wrapping my bad arm around her and leaning against her, refusing to acknowledge the pain.
      Brendon sighed finally, “What are you gonna do, then?”
      The brief possibility of him being in league with the enemy crossed my mind, “What I’ve been doing.”
      “Damn lot of good that does!” he was about to work himself up again.
      “Brendon...”
      That cleared things up for a lot of people.
      “...You’ve heard that they were trying to kill her, right?”
      “Why the hell do you think I called?”
      “...If I hadn’t seen them, that bullet I took would be in her head and we’d all be wearing black. So yeah, damn lot of good it does.”
      He was either swallowing replies, or trying to think of them.
      Finally he sighed, “Thank you. I really do appreciate that and I’m sorry you got shot.”
      I sighed, “Well, I couldn’t very well let her get shot.”
      He sighed, “Listen, I know you care for her...it’s just...well...she’s my baby sister...she’s really vulnerable no matter what show she puts on...I...just...don’t want people taking advantage of her...”
      That amused me...the idea of someone taking advantage of her...in a normal situation...that is.
      “When you first started hanging around I thought you just wanted to fuck her...but then I realized you were a pilot...and...then the danger that put her in hit me. I know I haven’t been very nice to you...but...”
      “Mm-hmm. I understand, I’d feel the same way...” and had done things about it any number of times in any number of ways...but he thought of her as a child, so I couldn’t very well tell him that. “But you need to trust me...us. We won’t let anything else happen to her...but you have to understand what being on the brink of war is like for us. We have to constantly keep up our guard and there’s no telling if they’ll lure us out to get them...”
      “Exactly...”
      “You also have to trust your sister.” I cut in before he could go off on a rant. “I know you know what rank she had in the war...I know you understand what she’s capable of...she can take care of herself. That’s how she got out of her kidnapping. She fucked with their computers, she flew the suit...she gave us all the information we needed...”
      He sighed, “I know. I just don’t like that she’s involved in this...I mean...she had so much to deal with before...”
      I snorted, “She was bored. She made up challenges for herself, but she was getting bored.”
      He sighed, “Can I talk to her again?”
      “Of course.” I offered her the phone.
      She accepted it wordlessly and started talking to him in a reassuring tone.
      I didn’t catch all of that because I was focusing on relaxing my shoulder and relieving the pain...
      I hated bullet wounds.

<--

-->

Kyeian