Final Mission Status 11

[zapenstap]

How did I not upload this here?.?




Final Mission Status

Chapter 11

By Zapenstap

Edited by Mizaya


Duo heard the click of the gun as Dorothy unlocked the safety, but the bullet never came. With both hands raised, he opened his eyes. ?Well??

The word hung in the air between them. Dorothy smirked. ?You really are a fool, Duo Maxwell.?

?Huh??

?I?m not going to shoot you.? Her lips twisted in a smile. ?At least not yet.?

She didn?t explain. Instead she began barking orders at the men she had brought with her into the tunnel. ?Search the premises!? she said. ?Make sure you?ve rounded up their whole party. Take anyone you find directly to the break room, no contact, and hold them there until you hear from me. I?ll need to question these two??she smiled down at Duo,??and it may be necessary to have some collateral.?

Duo rolled his eyes toward Sally. The brutish bloke was still holding her immobilized, his beefy arms trapping her wrists behind her back, but she didn?t appear to be in pain. Duo?s leg was throbbing from the gun wound.

Dorothy?s men bound Duo?s leg tightly in bandages. They were lifted to their feet?Duo wincing in agony and hobbling on a limp?only to be stripped of their weapons and their hands bound behind them. Dorothy?s other men fanned out. It didn?t take them long to wrest the two miners out of the pit and bind them likewise. Four soldiers led Duo?s two miners away.

Well, at least they hadn?t been shot dead. As long as they were alive, there was hope. Still, it didn?t look good, especially not when they were to be separated this way. The break room was probably some kind of barracks where the soldiers kicked back between shifts. It wouldn?t be easy getting in or out.

?Have the bombs been disarmed?? Dorothy asked what appeared to be the lead lieutenant coolly. Two dozen men appeared to be awaiting her orders in the tunnels. Six of them surrounded her like bodyguards.

?It appears so, sir.?

She would have them call her ?sir?, Duo thought sourly.

?Fantastic,? Dorothy muttered without bothering to restrain her sarcasm. ?No matter. They needed to hold this position for this little ploy to do them any good. We can still blow the canisters manually if we?re given the order. Where are you supposed to be posted, soldier??

?Fourth quadrant, sir. Are you going to leave anyone to guard this place??

?Of course. A whole platoon will be sent directly. I?ll also send some technicians down to re-rig those explosives. In the meantime, your quadrant is wide open, isn?t it? You had better return there. More of these fools are lurking around the perimeter.?

Like Noin?s teams. Duo stifled a groan and tried to remain poker-faced. Maybe she was already inside. Then again, maybe she was already caught. If not, was there any way to warn her about that platoon? Looking at his leg, at Sally, at the dozens of troops with the guns, and at Dorothy?s evilly confident face, he couldn?t think of a damn thing.

He could only hope that Heero?s team had been given some warning before Cole?s people could react to their discovery. It didn?t seem that Cole was dead, but he could hope that they had escaped somewhere safe with Relena.

Under precisely delivered orders, Dorothy?s guard split into two organized groups while Dorothy herself marched Sally and Duo back along the main tunnel. She didn?t march them alone. Her small entourage of six followed her: men who looked like veterans, some of them with scars, all of them grim-faced and stoic as they marched through the gloom of the mine. The lieutenant led the rest the opposite way, to wherever the fourth quadrant was?probably a defensive place from which they could head off Noin?s perimeter teams.

At least Dorothy?s soldiers didn?t know where Noin?s teams were coming from. They had entered under dark cover?no radio signals?just to give them that advantage, at least until the bombs were dismantled and Noin was able to reactivate the signal to give them the orders to move in. If his flare had worked, it was just a matter of time before those troops made it to the compound.

Of course, it might be too late for Duo and Sally?they were only good for one thing now. Duo hobbled as he walked, gritting his teeth, and wondered if Dorothy intended to doctor him further before resorting to interrogation and torture.




The prisoners were being difficult.

Cole frowned at the man Miss Relena said she had married. Even tied up, he looked a little wild. He was conscious, breathing heavily now, and staring at Cole with dark blue eyes that seemed?incredibly?to challenge him. Cole supposed he was the sort of rebellious bad boy that young girls were said to fall for before they wised up to the importance of maturity and security.

Such aimless, irresponsible young men were generally nothing but a drain on society.

Cole had ordered his men to constrain all three of Miss Relena?s treacherous bodyguards as soon as they had been brought to the basement. The blonde man and the Chinese man he had had lashed with rope to a chain-link fence bolted to the wall. That man he had strapped to a heavy metal table in the center of the room.

The basement was a square, concrete, low-ceilinged, rather uncomfortable hole in the ground Cole had outfitted with various instruments: hooks, chains, poles, rope, straps, and bits of metal of various lengths, shapes, and purposes. It was a secret room, and would remain safe from discovery, even if the Preventors? forces did manage to make it past his militia, which he doubted.

His alliance with Miss Catalonia had proven most profitable and hadn?t cost him anything he cared about in the scheme of things. Dorothy would predict and outmaneuver the Preventors, and this little game would soon come to an end. Of course, it would be helpful if they were able to listen in on the enemy?s communications. That was the information Cole wanted most now. If Dorothy captured the enemy, he was certain she would also do her best?or her worst?to obtain the frequency; he would do likewise.

Interrogation had always been fascinating to Cole. It was not because torture was horrific?Cole abhorred meaningless entertainment?but because it was practical. He had long been a proponent of what he liked to think of as ?tough law.? Criminals should not be allowed leniency, and confession was the most efficient means of procuring proper justice. Juries and trials were so flawed, and so many bad people let free through the ?system?. People lied at trials, but a man whose choice was to confess his misdeeds or have his fingernails ripped out usually told the truth.

Cole had tested it himself.

Miss Relena?s so-called husband was oozing blood from a gunshot wound an inch in from the left side of his torso. The wound was not administered as part of the interrogation. The man had received it only because he had turned his attention from the shooting in the hallway long enough to lock Miss Relena in the honeymoon suite. The bullet had gone right through him, missing major internal organs, but leaving an ugly hole that had gushed blood.

Blood made Cole queasy. He rarely resorted to slashing or shooting during his interrogations. Upon entering the dank confines of the basement, he had ordered the man stripped to the waist and the wound dressed with gauze just to avoid looking at it. There was another reason too, of course: he didn?t want this traitor to faint from blood loss before he had time to question him.

The man had thrashed wildly as he was laid out on the table. He didn?t appear to thrash because of pain or fear, but to free himself. Aside from the red-darkened circle of blood marring the pristine white of the bandage wrapped around his middle, Relena?s soldier-husband did not look or act like someone who had been shot. He showed surprising strength and it took three men to hold him down long enough to secure the leather straps.

The man now lay quietly, breathing hard, muscles flexing ineffectively against his bonds. The blood was just beginning to seep through the bandages. Cole frowned at the growing spot of red. He might have to make this quick.

But not too quick.

?Give me the name of the leaders who have infiltrated my mines,? Cole requested in a calm, controlled voice. ?And the frequency of their communicators.? He would have liked to ask this man some other questions?personal questions?to see what he was made of, but that would have to wait. He could take his time with that later. First, he needed to take care of business.

The man didn?t answer.

?Did you think you would be able to stop me?? Cole asked, more to make conversation and set the tone for the future proceedings. ?Did you not think I would suspect you people to double-cross me??

The wounded man lay still, staring at Cole with hard, intense eyes that would have frightened him if the traitor hadn?t been restrained. As it was, Cole found it a little fascinating, like looking at a lion in a cage.

Cole didn?t know much about soldiering from personal experience, but he recognized competence when he saw it, even in traitors. Miss Relena?s three bodyguards had taken out twice their number in a matter of seconds before his reinforcements had managed to overwhelm and disarm them. For a moment, he had seriously feared for his life and was grateful he had employed so many bodies to jump in front of bullets in his defense. It was a shame to lose those fellows. Personal bodyguards weren?t cheap.

?Not too chatty yet?? Cole asked Relena?s soon-to-be-disposed-of husband. ?This is clearly a break in our agreement, you know. Don?t you feel you owe me some answers??

While speaking, Cole?s real attention was focused on preparing the instruments he would use to encourage this taciturn interloper to answer his questions. His favorite instruments were a series of shock treatment devices and burners. He had discovered that blood made other people as faint and queasy as it did him, which made it harder for them to answer questions and more likely to pass out. Pain was the way to go. Burning was easy to set up and produced good results, especially where the nerves were sensitive. Shock treatment was sometimes even more effective, but also more dangerous and difficult to set up, since it could cause organ failure and other problems if administered incorrectly.

He decided to start with burning. His instruments of choice were a series of wires, rulers, and pinchers, all with rubber handles, and all baking to a luscious red glow in a bronze pot of searing hot coals. These were old methods, with long, prestigious traditions dating back to ancient times. His instruments were already turning red, hot enough to singe the skin on the surface, even from a distance, and burn deeply if held in place. One of his favorites was a thin strip of metal, like a ruler, but longer and more flexible, that could be swung with effective force. His other favorite was the sharp poker, but that couldn?t be used until the end.

He reminded himself that he had to be quick.

?This is a waste of time, you know.?

The comment came from the Chinese man hanging on the wall behind him. He hung from the chain-link fence by the wrists. Much like in crucifixion, it would be hard for him to draw breath with his arms extended and gravity pulling his chest forward and down. He had to lift himself with the muscles in his arms in order to get enough air to speak with any energy.

?He won?t tell you anything. Neither will we.?

Cole chuckled. The man was only talking as a means of distracting him. He was probably trying to buy more time for rescue. ?I suppose you expect to be rescued?? he chortled. ?Don?t. This room is quite hidden. I was alerted to your people in the mines, and I know they are not the only ones that commander of yours would have sent.?

The Chinese man was silent. Cole turned back to the man on the table.

?Care to tell me more about them before I kill you??

The man did not answer.

Cole smirked. ?There?s no point protecting them, you know. I was prepared for your offensive, you see. I had forces standing by, just waiting for your people to show up. I know your operations well. Miss Catalonia has been most helpful.?

The man still did not react.

Cole frowned. ?It may help you to know that your friends in the mines have been discovered. If there are any survivors, they will have been apprehended. They will be disposed of shortly, as will the rest of your group.?

?Bastard!?

Cole turned. It was the Chinese man again. This time, his words were not meant to distract. He looked eye-blazingly angry.

?Don?t let him speak to me that way,? Cole said dismissively to the guards standing by the door. One of them rushed up to bludgeon the Chinese man in the head with the butt of his semi-automatic rifle. The thud echoed in the small concrete room. The guard who did the clocking grinned, bouncing on his toes with the excitement of permissive violence, and held the weapon at ready as the Chinese man spat blood out the side of his mouth.

?Just once, thank you,? Cole said, reigning in his hireling. ?Unless he interrupts again so rudely.?

Cole turned back to the man lying stretched out of the table?Heero Yuy was his name, Cole knew; he just refused to acknowledge it?and reached for the rubber handle of an instrument like a strip of metal one inch-wide and several inches in length. The end was burning red from its bath in the coals.

?I didn?t know the members of the government?s Preventors unit were so rude and treacherous,? he said mildly. ?It doesn?t improve my temper. Now answer my questions: how many are on your backup team, who are their leaders, and what signal are they on??

He allowed his prisoner to get a look at the metal as he lowered it slowly toward the man?s chest.

?What are you going to do with Relena??

This came from the blonde man, who hung from the fence in a manner similar to his compatriot. Another distraction question. Cole smiled. They must care about each other. That could be useful. The guard with the semi-automatic raised his weapon to deliver another blow, but Cole halted him with a gesture.

?Marry her, of course,? Cole replied.

?What if she doesn?t want to marry you??

Cole couldn?t conceive of a reason why that would be true. ?She will.?

?Do you think this is the kind of life she wants?? the blonde man pressed. There was no emotion in his tone, neither sarcasm nor criticism nor approval. ?Do you think she wants to marry a torturer??

?Oh, she won?t know about this,? Cole explained. ?I?ll tell her you were all shot trying to kill me. Line of duty and all that. She?ll understand. You can?t think I?d let her know about this. These are affairs for men, not women! Realities like this must be kept from women. They are delicate. They must be sheltered.?

?She doesn?t love you,? the blonde man said.

Cole frowned at him. ?I don?t imagine it will be difficult to persuade her to that.?

He thought the soldier made a sound like a snort, but dismissed it as his imagination.

?I just hope she learns before the altar,? he added. ?And that none of your people do anything stupid. Just so you know, I?ve left guards outside her door in case she tries to escape.? He smiled. ?I?ve given them the command to kill her if something should go wrong and your people somehow manage to make it into my compound.? He sighed. ?Or if anything happens to me. I know it seems harsh, but it?s only a last resort.?

It was regrettable, but he had made up his mind. After today, Miss Relena would be his. Or no one?s.

The man on the table did not react to this news. His wife in danger and he said nothing! Could Relena really love such a stoic and emotionless individual? Preposterous.

?I am constantly checking in with them,? Cole said, and patted the comlink he carried at all times in his pocket, just to make sure it was still there. ?If something should happen to me, however unlikely, they will know it because I will stop reporting. See how easy it is? That way I do not even need to give the order. I confess: it would be hard to command the death of such a beautiful creature.? He sighed wistfully. ?However, I do not expect there to be difficulties. Miss Catalonia will contact me when your people are all accounted for, and then there will be no use keeping the three of you or any of the other hostages alive any longer.?

It was so simple really. Handicap everyone with fear. He had learned long ago that the only thing you needed to do to control someone?anyone?was to make them afraid. The catch was in having no fears yourself. Therefore, he had to condition himself to only care so much about anyone. Everyone was expendable, even Miss Relena, should it come down to his life or hers.

Cole turned back to his victim, deciding to start out delicately so as to show that he was serious without marring him too much. After all, he was not a monster. At least, not unless he was forced to be.

With careful precision, he slowly drew the hot metal strip across the man?s chest from shoulder to shoulder, just below the collarbone.

The reaction was interesting. The man?s muscles tightened beneath the straps. He flexed his arms, shoulders, stomach, and legs, buckling slightly on the table. He did not shut his eyes. He kept them wide open, glaring at Cole like a rabid dog. He was gritting his teeth, jaw clamped shut. The sound that came from behind his closed lips was not quite a scream.

Cole set the instrument aside. It was time to be a bit more serious.

The Chinese man spoke, the words falling slowly but tensely from his mouth, as if his emotions were tied to strings he had to clench his hands into fists to control. ?Shouldn?t you be worried about our people finding you??

Cole smiled. ?Oh, I don?t think so,? he said. He used a pair of pliers to lift a circular metal piece from the coals. This he would lay on the man?s skin and leave there until he was ready to talk. ?Miss Catalonia anticipated this. She?s told me a great deal about your operation. I suspect her people will meet yours before they get within a hundred yards of this compound.?



Noin knew something was wrong even before she saw the signal from Duo?s team. She felt it intuitively and wondered abstractly if Zechs was all right.

The signal only confirmed that something had happened. First there was the flare alerting them that the nuclear waste was disarmed, which was met with cheers by the specialty forces on Noin?s team. Then there was the second flare, triggered by either Sally or Duo, indicating discovery. That both went off almost on top of each other could only mean?.

?Keep it together,? she told the men with her, and hoped the captains of the other groups spread throughout the area would do likewise. ?Duo?s team may be compromised, and the nuclear waste is most important. I?m taking the advance backup team in to secure the mines. Those of you with orders to secure the perimeter and advance to the compound know what to do. We don?t have much time. Prepare for resistance. Keep your radios on the ready and wait for my signal.?

Her best and brightest rallied to the shift in priorities, grimly organizing their people to carry out her instructions.

The contingency plan rolled smoothly into motion. The backup team followed her lead as commander across the desert terrain to the excavation entrance of the mining shaft?the same one Duo?s team had been scheduled to breach. The desert sun beat hotly on their backs, but there were no incidents. By luck or skill, they seemed to have avoided outward notice.

However, when they arrived at the mines, Noin felt only a minimal amount of relief. Two of Duo?s men were guarding the entrance, but they were both sweating, gripping their weapons with callused fingers when Noin?s party met them at the entrance. Seeing it was Noin, relief flooded their faces,

?Commander! They?re not back. They should have sent someone by now at the very least. Something may have happened.?

?Yeah,? Noin said heavily. ?We?re going in. Can you hold this position??

They nodded.

?Turn on your communicators. We need to move fast, and if we move fast enough, they won?t have time to locate and unscramble our signal. Everything depends on speed. If anything happens, alert us immediately. Shout if you have to.?

Noin?s team filed past, groping their way through the tunnels with their heaviest hitters leading the charge for an anticipated frontal assault. They were prepared for anything: gunman, melee fighters, explosives, anything but what they found.

The main tunnel of the mineshaft was deserted. Noin and her team stumbled into the area with guns ready, poised for bloodshed. The tunnel walls sloped up over their heads in a dome twenty feet high at least, sheltering several lines of train tracks leading from the deepest part of the tunnel all the way to the desert. It was an enormous cavern, capable of holding several hundred men, but it was empty, and ominously silent. Even the pit where the nuclear waste was kept seemed to have been left unguarded. Noin?s men reported only a mess of footprints and all the canisters of nuclear waste efficiently disarmed.

?Duo?s team succeeded,? Noin muttered. ?Why isn?t anyone here??

?Commander, there has clearly been gunfire,? one of her subordinates informed her after conducting a sweep of the area. ?The evidence suggests that Duo, Sally Po, and their team have been killed or taken. What are your orders??

It had to be taken. Noin?s first thought was to go after Duo and Sally, to free them from whatever fate might befall them in enemy hands, but she knew she couldn?t. Everything depended on securing the nuclear waste first, and then the compound, and finally Cole. What she didn?t understand was why none of Cole?s men were here if they had discovered Duo?s team and knew the Preventors were trying to get at the waste.

Perhaps it was a trap. Noin bit her lip, casting a glance back at the soldiers she had brought with her, soldiers who trusted and depended on her leadership. It had to be a trap, but even so, they had to hold.

?We stay here to keep this area secured,? she said.

Her soldiers swallowed, but nodded. They understood, of course. She had personally handpicked the best for this part of the mission, soldiers who knew what was at stake and would obey her orders no matter what. They had to hold. Duo and Sally might very well be dead already. Besides, even if they were alive, she had no way of knowing where they had been taken.

Now that they had control of the nuclear waste, the next step was to start the perimeter teams moving in. This was the most dangerous part of the mission if the original plan went awry and Heero?s team was unable to take out Cole from the inside directly. It was most dangerous because there was no way to coordinate an offensive without using signals to communicate, and it was likely that Cole?s people would be searching constantly for signals to intercept. If they found theirs, they would be able to listen in and head them off.

But she couldn?t worry about that. This was it: end game. They had to take down Cole, and to do that, they had to get inside the compound?fast?before his forces could overwhelm theirs. Since Cole?s men were mercenaries that relied on Cole for payment, they might very well capitulate if he was arrested. Taking down Cole was also the fastest way to help Duo and Sally?and the others too, if they were in trouble.

Noin didn?t waste a second. She ordered the radio frequency activated and contacted the captains of the first, second, third, and fourth teams directly. As she told them to tighten the perimeter, she sent a prayer to heaven that somehow they would all get out of this alive.




Relena lay completely still with her stomach pressed to the floor, trying to peer beneath the doorframe into the hallway where Heero, Zechs, and Wufei had been ambushed. She estimated the number of pounding boots to indicate the militant presence of half a dozen armed guards at least.

There was only emptiness now. Silence. She couldn?t see anything beneath the doorway, not since the body that had blocked her view had been drug out of sight. She had watched, horrified, as the heels of his boots slid out of view. All she could see now were the hallway tiles.

Don?t leave the bodies. Bring them below.

She was alone.

Pulling her face away from the door, Relena pushed up to her knees and got to her feet.

She wouldn?t believe that Heero or any of the others were dead. She couldn?t believe it. She would help them somehow.

The frilly decadence of the rooms Cole had made up for her seemed twice as claustrophobic. She eyed the puffy coverlet, the gaudy knickknacks, and the lace doilies with a growing feeling of revulsion. Between the queasiness in her stomach and the panic in her breast, it was an effort not to vomit.

Tying her hair back with a ribbon from her pocket, she looked around for something she could use to escape this birdcage. The bars on her window were made of gold. She knew very little about working with metals, but she knew gold was soft. Perhaps there was a way she could cut them, heat them, or bend them? She would need something very hard or something very sharp. If she couldn?t get out of the window, then maybe there was something she could use to pry open the door?

Relena began by flinging open the closet door. Ignoring the hideous dresses?frilly, little girl tea party attire?she pulled everything off the top shelves. Finding nothing of value in the closet, she turned to ransack the rest of the room. Nothing was spared. She even pulled her bedding and mattress apart. She rifled through every box and drawer in every dresser and chest in the room. She even pounded the walls for secret niches or cupboards.

In her search, she found a pile of extra lace doilies, fragrance oils and incense, a ceramic elephant from India, and a hardback book about marriage, children, and the keeping of house and home. On her knees beside the hope chest, she stared at it for at least a minute in disbelief. The review on the back cover was mesmerizing:

This book is a wonderful addition to the traditional school of thought on love and marriage. With insightful prose and undeniable logic, this book will reaffirm your belief in love and the intrinsically valuable roles men and women assume for each other in keeping a happy home, rearing children, and setting a positive example for others under the eyes of God.

That wasn?t so bad. There was a handwritten note on the inside cover, addressed to her from Cole.

My dearest, Relena. I picked this up for us. It is a testament of the kind of meaningful life I hope to have with you. If you should find this, please read chapter three. I have annotated the passages I find particularly?

She flipped to chapter three.

A husband?s duty is to love and care for his wife, to see to her needs, to encourage her in all her domestic pursuits, and to protect her from the world. A wife?s place is to see to the needs of her husband, to defer to him in all matters, to keep silent when he speaks, and to make his home a sanctuary.

Relena hurled the book across the room. It hit the wall beneath the window with a thud. It wasn?t just the audacity of the text, it was the mind-numbing boredom, the uselessness of a life that was a doll?s life. She wanted what she had with Heero?even the fake marriage she had had with Heero?over that garbage.

Relena scrambled to her feet and flew to the bathroom. She threw open the cabinets, one after the next, scanning the contents for something, anything. Lotion. Soap. Dental Floss. Toothpicks. Towels. A nail file. Lubricant?

She paused for a moment. Maybe she could use the dental floss to release the catch on the door somehow? Or maybe the nail file, if she worked hard and long enough, would cut through gold. Doubtful. If she could just find something heavy?. Relena flung open the doors beneath the sink and eyed the piping with careful consideration. She would need tools to work that apart?a screwdriver, a wrench?never mind the water. Unless?. Maybe the lubricant could be useful.

Relena was contemplating how she would deal with the water filling up the room if she did manage to take apart the piping when she heard a loud bang against the wall just below her bedroom window. The thud hit approximately where she had thrown the book, but this time from the outside.

Leaving the contents of her bathroom where she had found them, Relena crept through the mess on the floor to the outside wall. Glass window shutters with crystal knobs kept the evening air from the room. Relena flung them open. Behind them, separating her from freedom, were the four golden window bars. She pressed her face against them and peered down at the grounds below.

She gasped at the sight. ?Thank god!?

Duo waved at her, limping on one leg, the other bandaged around the thigh with white gauze. Sally stood beside him, her face covered in dust and grime, but her eyes glowing with the red-gold light of the desert as she stared up at Relena?s window from the grass lawn below.

But wait. With them was?

?Dorothy!? Relena gasped. What was Dorothy doing here?

And it wasn?t just Dorothy. It was Dorothy plus six heavily armed soldiers, all gruff-looking men in their mid-to-late thirties who looked like they had seen action in the past and were grimly prepared for more of it. By the look of it, it wasn?t Dorothy that had been captured by Duo and Sally?s team, but the other way around. Relena felt as if her heart had sunk right out of her chest.

The soldiers stood around Duo and Sally like guards, each clasping a weapon in two hands, with more strapped to their persons. Dorothy stood out in front of them, garbed head to toe in desert camouflage with a handgun held in one hand. She smiled up at Relena, a fox-like gleam in her eye.

?Duo, Sally! Are you all right?? Relena called.

?So far!? Duo shouted back, eyeing the guards around him warily, as if concerned one of them might shoot him for speaking. They didn?t move, though. They didn?t even look at him. They appeared to be under Dorothy?s command. ?Good to see you?re alive, princess,? Duo called up. ?Where are Heero and Wufei and Zechs??

Relena pressed her face against the bars and closed her eyes. ?I don?t know,? she said. ?They were taken by Cole?s men, somewhere below. I don?t know where. It?s all happened so fast! Cole received a warning on his phone, and then there was shooting. It happened in the hallway outside this room. I?m trapped in here.?

Dorothy seemed to be ignoring their conversation, consulting instead with one of the older men with her in tones Relena could not hear from where she stood. After a few moments, she looked up.

?Miss Relena,? she said. ?Please stand away from the window.?

Relena blinked. ?What??

Two of Dorothy?s soldiers withdrew grappling hooks from the bags they wore on their backs. Relena immediately understood. Were they going to climb up here?

?What are you doing?? she demanded.

?Rescuing you,? Dorothy replied blithely.

Duo and Sally both swung their faces to stare at Dorothy, eyes wide in obvious shock.

?We haven?t time to waste, Miss Relena,? Dorothy continued. ?I insist you stand back.?

Relena did as Dorothy directed, but only because she had no other choice. The soldiers were preparing to launch the grappling hooks by the look of it, and in a moment the heavy metal claws would come hurling toward her face. She retreated several paces away, tripping over the mess she had made of her room until she was safe on the other side of the bed.

It took the soldiers a couple of tries to catch the lip of her window with the grappling hooks, but once they did, she heard Dorothy?s voice once again calling up to her.

?Relena, if you could adjust those so that they catch those bars from the inside, we should be able to yank them out. That would be the easiest thing, I think. As I recall, they aren?t in there too deeply. Cole was a little cheap with them.?

Relena didn?t understand. What was Dorothy playing at? How could she possibly be here to ?rescue her? after betraying all of them? What would she do once she had Relena in her custody? After a moment?s thought, Relena decided that she didn?t care. If Dorothy planned to kill her, she would die, simple as that, but she sure as hell wasn?t going to hide in this room while Cole tortured or killed Heero and the others. She would rather take her chances with Dorothy.

Relena moved back to the window and twisted the two grappling hooks until she managed to wiggle them to her side of the window and turned them so that each hook grabbed two bars. Below her, Dorothy?s men were waiting.

Relena leaned through the window. ?Ready,? she called, and then pulled her head back.

The men below operated some mechanism and the grappling hooks retracted with such astounding force that all four bars flew out of Relena?s window, spinning end over end in the air to fall like lead on the grass. One landed at Duo?s feet.

He picked it up and examined it. ?Is this gold?? he exclaimed.

?Leave it there,? Sally hissed at him. ?It?s not yours.?

Duo silently stuffed the gold bar in his pack with a sidelong look at Sally.

?All right, Relena,? Dorothy called up to her, ignoring Duo. ?We?re going to toss you a rope ladder. Find something to secure it to and we?ll be right up.?

?Why are you doing this?? Relena demanded.

?No time for questions, Miss Relena. If you value Heero?s life, you need to hurry.?

Still bewildered, Relena caught the end of the rope ladder as it was tossed up and tied the long ends of the ropes to the bottom of the bedposts between the mattress and the floor. As a precaution, she pushed and pulled the bed across the room, all the way to the window so that the mattress was level with the windowsill, just in case the bed was not heavy enough to support the weight of a person. She didn?t want it to flip up against the wall.

Meanwhile, Dorothy?s men were nailing pegs into the ground, securing the other end of the ladder to the earth. As soon as that was done, the first of them began to climb up, his rifle slung across his back. Another followed. Relena sat on the bed, watching until the men got close enough to climb through, and then scooted aside to allow them admittance. As each person came up, they clambered across the bed and found a place to stand elsewhere in the room. They pointed their guns at the bed, the window, and Relena.

Dorothy ordered Sally and Duo up next. Duo struggled to make the climb, cursing his leg and gritting his teeth as he forced himself to work through the pain of whatever injury he had sustained. Relena helped him over the sill when he reached the top, and Sally next, who hugged her once she was through. Two more guards followed them. Four of Dorothy?s soldiers lined up on the other side of the room, between them and the door, facing the three of them on the bed like a firing squad

?It is good to see you?re all right!? Sally exclaimed, pointedly ignoring the guns. ?We were terrified that you might have been killed when we were discovered.?

?What happened?? Relena asked.

?We were ambushed in the mining tunnels,? Duo explained. ?Dozens of soldiers, all armed. We managed to disarm the explosives and send the signal to Noin, but barely. Then Dorothy took us captive. She was leading the ambush. She must have called Cole to alert him. We can only assume that Noin is next.?

?Not exactly,? Dorothy said, climbing through the window last of all. She bounced across the bed and into the room to side with her soldiers, kicking aside the mess Relena had strewn across the floor with a steel-toed boot. The ceramic elephant Relena had found shattered into pieces. ?I wasn?t leading the men who attacked you. I intercepted them after they began their strike. I merely told them what to do after they had you cornered.?

Sally, Relena, and Duo sat side by side on the bed like bumps on a log, staring at Dorothy as she tossed her blonde hair. ?Cole trusts me,? she said. ?I am, after all, a Romafeller. Our families go way back, and he believes that we have a mutual stake in helping one another out. Which we do.?

?What are you talking about?? Relena demanded. ?What are you after? Why did you betray us? Is it just a game??

?Of course it?s a game,? Dorothy snorted. ?Everything is a game, and in all games there are winners and losers.?

?And what do you win?? Sally asked.

?Something I consider to be of inestimable value,? Dorothy replied. ?Did you know Cole has the deed to on space factory capable of manufacturing gundaniam alloy? It used to belong to my family, years ago, but he bought it following the end of the war when so many Romafeller families scrambled to dissociate from anything militant. He and I have been talking about it for two years. I couldn?t get him to seed it over to me, not for any price. It has been quite frustrating.? She smirked. ?But he finally did promise it to me, Miss Relena, if I promised to help him make you his bride.?

Relena felt sick. She knew about the kind of factories Dorothy was talking about. In fact, she had read a report on one earlier this week. While the government had seized and dismantled most military bases in space, some powerful nobles and businessmen had managed to keep a few under private ownership. They were treated like memorials for the most part, and reaped a little profit as tourist attractions or museums, but it had irked her that they could potentially be used to manufacture weapons in secret, without anyone being the wiser. She had not known that Cole had gotten his hands on one.

?But now it?s they?re mine,? Dorothy continued. ?He signed the papers when we confirmed that you were en route to meeting him here. So you see, no matter what, I win.?

?This isn?t a game, Dorothy!? Relena exploded. ?Heero might be killed! He could be dead already. And my brother, and Wufei too. Everyone who risked their lives to protect me, to protect the whole world from madmen like Cole and? and??

?Greedy, traitorous bitches like you,? Sally spat.

Dorothy made a sound like a gasp, but a mocking one. ?And here I thought you knew me better!? Dorothy said.

?What are you talking about?? Relena demanded.

?Don?t you see, Miss Relena? I?m on your side. I told you so before.?

Relena stared at her. ?On my side??

?That?s correct.?

?I have no idea what you mean.?

?You?ve been leaking information to Cole about our operation,? Duo interjected. ?He was prepared for us because of you! How can you say you?re on Relena?s side? She?s with us! Were you thinking you?d get us out of here alive and that would be enough? It isn?t!?

?Certainly I gave Cole information,? Dorothy said. ?He was quite prepared. He was prepared to deal with you, all of you, exactly as I instructed,? Dorothy said, ?rather than in his own way, which, I assure you, would have been most unpleasant.?

Relena could scarcely breathe, much less think. ?But??

?I kept him from killing everyone as soon as they set foot on his property, for example,? Dorothy said smoothly. ?And convinced him to appoint me as lead general of his hired militia, which has enabled me to give them orders like, oh, leaving the mine shaft unattended.?

Duo?s mouth was hanging open. ?You said you were sending technicians to rewire the bombs and guard the shaft against our other teams!?

?Yes, but I didn?t mean it.? Seeing the disbelieving expression on all their faces, she sighed. ?I don?t have time to argue about it. You can ask me all the questions you like later. Right now I need you to tell me the frequency signal your people are using to communicate. I need to know what your people are doing so I can keep Cole?s away from them. We have to move fast. There isn?t much time.?

Relena?s thoughts whirled. If Dorothy was playing double agent for the Preventors and directing Cole?s troops away from places where they might intercept Noin?s, then that meant Cole?s entire compound could fall without resistance. It could be theirs much faster, and with fewer casualties on both sides. But if she was lying and this was another manipulation, then she would use the signal against them, the body count would be horrific, and Dorothy would not only have control of Cole?s men, but the nuclear waste, a space factory, and the Vice Foreign Minister.

How could they possibly determine if she was lying?

?What about these guys?? Duo demanded, pointing at the guards with Dorothy. ?If you?re telling the truth, shouldn?t they be shooting you right about now??

?Don?t be stupid. Cole didn?t hire them. I did. They?re veterans from the war, which means they?ve had enough of fighting, just like all of you, just like me. They?ve been with me on this for months.?

Months?

Relena was speechless. Duo?s mouth was working, but no sound was coming out. Dorothy was claiming that she had secretly been scheming against Cole for months?

?But??

?No more questions,? Dorothy snapped. ?You don?t have a choice. If you want Heero and the others to survive Cole for long, we need to coordinate our efforts. Give me the signal!?

Relena, Sally, and Duo all exchanged glances.

?You have to make a choice whether to believe me or not,? Dorothy said. ?You can trust me, or we can just wait until your people do their thing, but it will take longer than if we coordinate and I tell my people exactly where to go so that yours can get through. Heero and the others were not supposed to be captured. That wasn?t part of the plan. If we wait too long, they will die. Cole is not a pleasant person. He will interrogate them, rashly if he feels pressured, and if he learns enough, he will counteract my orders and undo all that I have done. You will probably still win, but you will lose a lot more people, starting first with Heero. I guarantee it.?

Relena couldn?t breathe. The safest thing to do as far as the original mission was concerned was tell Dorothy nothing and hope that Noin?s teams found Cole on their own. But if Dorothy was right, they would need help getting there in time. They would need help just finding him. Where was ?below??

?I think we should trust her,? Sally said abruptly.

?You?ve got to be crazy!? Duo exclaimed. ?She?s working with the enemy. They shot at us! I have a hole in my leg to prove it!?

?If we don?t, the others are as good as dead, and we?ll be next,? Sally retorted. ?This way, everyone has at least a chance. If she?s lying, we all be dead, sure, but if she is, we will be anyway. Even so, our soldiers are better trained than Cole?s. They?ll succeed in the overall mission objective and Dorothy can be dealt with later, even if she escapes. However, even if she?s guilty, she?s also right: Heero and the others will die if we have to search this place top to bottom to find them. But if she is telling the truth, and is on our side, we might just be able to save Heero, Zechs, and Wufei.?

Oh God, Relena thought. This was no choice. This was insanity. Still? She didn?t even know the signal, but she did have a vote. She lifted her chin and looked Dorothy straight in the face. She wasn?t going to be afraid. ?Everyone, especially Heero, is always risking their lives to save mine. This time? This time I will do it. It?s a risk, but there are no rewards without risks. I agree with Sally.?

?Ah, hell,? Duo said, squeezing his eyes shut. ?Two against one. Damn it! I hate these kinds of decisions.?

?Time is of the essence!? Dorothy hissed.

?Fine,? Duo said, ?but Heero?s going to punch me in the face for breaking protocol!?

Dorothy scowled. ?At least he?ll be alive long enough to have the pleasure. The frequency??

?We?re on channel four.?

Dorothy whipped a cell phone out of her pocket and dialed a number. They could all hear it ringing.

Someone answered almost immediately.

Relena tried to concentrate on breathing, wondering if these were the last moments of her life, if she would ever see Heero again, if she could ever tell him all that she really had loved him, that she was sorry for all the misunderstandings, and that really she wanted him to be happy. She could feel her heart beating.

?Cole?? Dorothy said. ?It?s Dorothy.?

?Hey!? Duo cried. ?Why are you calling him??

Sally shushed him. Relena strained her ears.

?Dorothy, at last!? Cole?s voice came. It sounded small through the phone?s receiver, but excited. ?Where are you??

?In success,? Dorothy said. ?Where are you??

?In the basement.?

?Are Relena?s guards with you??

?Yes.?

Relena could hear her heart beating in her chest. ?Heero!? she cried, hoping to be heard through the phone. ?Heero, are you all right??

There was a pause and then the sound of Cole laughing. ?Finally!? he chuckled. ?A response from him! He?s been most resistant.?

?Is that so?? Dorothy murmured. ?Tell him something for me. I want him to know how thoroughly he?s lost.?

?I will,? Cole said, sounding gleeful. ?Right before I kill him. But first you need to hold up your end of the deal. What?s the frequency? Did you find out??

?Of course,? Dorothy said smoothly.

No, Relena thought, but in vain.

?It?s channel four. Your turn. The great Mr. Yuy and I have some unfinished business. Tell Heero I have secured the mines as well as the nuclear waste.?

?You lied! You did send people!? Duo gasped.

Dorothy ignored him, but there was a smile on her face as she spoke. It was the look of triumph. ?Tell him also that I have his friends Duo and Sally here with me right now. Finally, you can let him know that I have Miss Relena in my absolute control.?


TBC




There?s really only about one chapter left, unless I?ve miscalculated how long I think the next scenes will take. Please review! I luv them. Even though I?m slow, I?m not REALLY as slow as it seems. It?s just that I have like eight writing jobs. I write for a living. Then I come home and write more (also on weekends). I crit for a writers group. I?m writing two fanfics, one novel, and also Naruto essays. It just?takes time.

Even so, I will try to update faster! After all, it?s almost done.

[Wingnut]

And with that move, Dorothy has signed her own death warrant.

[matisleonhart]

You are the master of the twist Zapenstap. I bow to you.

[kandidy]

Forgot to comment here, but I read at ff.net and it was superb!

[lilac310]

woo finally! it's been posted ...this has been a long journey ...for you and your fans.but well worth the wait...now, on to the next chapter. Cheers!

[Gundam Girl]

Fun chapter. This is my first post here in ages, and look what I come across!

[miz_lou]

Holy... Oh it makes my heart hurt... wow, not a response from Heero until Relena yells and we're not even in the same room "scene" as him and I could still feel their hearts breaking

I adore your story and your strength for being how busy you are and still managing to find time to foster such a lovely creative flourish for Gundam Wing. Please do keep it up!

Totally worth the wait every time.