worth a lifetime - chapter 3
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 11:41 am
AN: I do not own Gundam Wing.
I know it has taken quite some time but here it is :p
And I'd like to thank NenaKR, Ice_Vixen and stormwind16 for their comments ^^. You're keeping me writing.
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WORTH A LIFETIME
CHAPTER THREE - STEALTH
Her heart was racing. Pounding loudly inside her chest, deafening her ears until they rang with a high-pitched sound. She could feel the proximity of capture and the following consequences crushing her shoulders, like a sword hanging above her head that would drop anytime soon. She tried to remember how to breathe properly. She was hurrying enough to be panting anyway.
Sweat was threatening to break free on her forehead. Stress, she presumed. Feverishly, she tried to wipe the moisture away, hiding her face deeper beneath her hood as she did so. Her hair was pulled up, kept from eye sight inside the cloth. Thank god it was sunny, so she had an excuse to be wearing sunglasses as well.
She allowed herself to hope that she was unrecognizable. At least enough to not catch the closer attention of those around her. If they were to scrutinize her, focus on looking at her alone, they would be able to have a guess at who she really was. She had to look casual. It would cause too much suspicion if someone so familiarly looking went inside a crowded bank, shaking with anticipation. She willed her hands to stop fidgeting around with her shirt.
Breathe, she reminded herself again. There was the sweat again. The heat didn?t make it any easier. It made her more nervous. And harder to breathe on top of that. Cursing the sun, she inhaled deeply to steady herself. She could miss this weather like a tooth ache. Furthermore she had to force herself not to take her hood off. It was simply too warm, but she couldn?t afford the risk. She should?ve dyed her hair to be able to walk around without needing to hide it. Unfortunately she was in too much of a hurry to escape to think of it, and she didn?t have any in the house anyway. Waiting for dawn to go to a shop was just too long. She should?ve waited another day and planned properly. But she just couldn?t stand another minute in that mansion. Stupid, she thought but knew her heart was currently in control of her body. Mind muted to a great extend.
She stared down at the pavement, avoiding as much eye contact as possible. Every time someone passed her too closely, her heartbeat would speed up and her breathing became sharper. Hopefully the sound wasn?t too wheezy to hear. She was too suspicious already, she acknowledged that. She wasn?t good at this at all. As a matter of fact she had never dreamt of even getting so far into the city without anyone suddenly pointing at her.
But could she get to the airport? Possibly.
Would she get to the shuttle? No.
In her anxiety to escape she had forgotten one tiny detail. Passports and identity checks. They were practically everywhere and the chance that she would be able to take a shuttle anonymously was quite small, close to the edge of impossible. All her security had to do was to look for her name and they would find Relena Peacecraft boarding the 10AM shuttle to colony XY008. Probably the farthest away from the earth, but closest to the sun. It was slightly warmer there, but she tried not to ponder too much on that detail, it was hot enough as it was already.
The heat in the colony was the least of her problems. Getting there was on top of her list. There was only a slight chance of passing security without too much trouble. She shivered at the thought. False papers. She would need to do something illegal. Plus she had no connections whatsoever that would be able to provide her those papers. Or did she? Yes, she had a slight hunch of where she might get her hands on them. But the question was, how was she going to get them from him?
However she knew she had no other choice. First he was the only one she could trust not to rip her off. He was still, undoubtedly, a trustworthy person. The problem was gaining that trust. She had no idea how to convince the man at all. Secondly the papers had to be professionally forged if they needed to deceive top security.
Or maybe Heero Yuy.
She didn?t really dare count on the soldier to go looking for her. If he would, it would be because her absence threatened peace. But she decided she couldn?t be as careless as to not consider that possibility. If he was going to search for her, she was going to need the best cover there was. Otherwise he would have caught her in no time.
There was another problem as well, along the huge list of trouble awaiting her. A shuttle wasn?t cheap, neither was starting a new life at the colonies. Naturally she had enough money. Being a vice foreign minister with family background didn?t leave her with nothing. Definitely far from nothing. But that stock was safely kept at the bank. Banks had cameras. Banks checked your identity. Banks were currently a huge disadvantage for her. She had never realized before how little privacy one had. Your name was checked and flashed in several ways. Whether you were paying with a credit card at a store or getting on a bus equipped with security cameras. What a strange and hostile world we lived in. She wouldn?t last long. It was so easy to find someone these days. Being on ?missing? status had never been so hard before. Stupid modern technology, she fumed silently.
There was no option of avoiding recognition in the bank. She barely had enough money to pay for her journey to the colonies, she would be completely penniless once she got there. Furthermore she couldn?t afford going to the bank at the colony itself. First of all she would have a new identity by then and she could not take money from the account on that name. Second, if Relena Peacecraft was registered on that colony due to her withdrawal, it would lead the preventers dangerously close to her hideout.
Relena knew what was to happen now. She would have to enter the bank and make herself known. The clerk would have to know her name in order to give her access to her well fed account. The amount she would draw out, would cause some commotion. An acceptable reason would be needed to cover it up. Yes, people would know who she was and the bank would notice her withdrawing a lot of money. The news would leak out, the preventers would catch word soon. Her face was going to be on camera as well, including the clothes she was wearing. Why don?t they just put a neon sign above her head right now, screaming ?she?s here!?. She had to get her papers fast after her visit to the bank. And hopefully some new clothes. She had to get in that shuttle which was due to leave in two hours. It seemed little time left for her to get everything done, but it was more than enough for the camera to pick up her image and the preventers finding out. Even enough time for them to get here and catch her. She tried to push the upcoming anxiety away. It would be a close call. And who said the person she needed was home right now? But without him, she would never be able to leave Earth. Some luck would come in handy, she prayed looking up at the cloudless sky. Yes, that would probably help a lot, a sarcastic voice mumbled in the back of her head.
She couldn?t recall how long she had been walking through this city by now. She wasn?t even sure if she was heading the right way. But after rounding several corners and ending up blank, she knew her photographical memory had let her down. Panicking, she realized she didn?t have a clue where she was. Nothing appeared familiar to her. The street she was in, was big and crowded. Apartment blocks towered around her like walls trying to lock her in. The signs at the corners didn?t bring her any useful information. She knew she was going to have to ask someone.
Risky. Hopefully that person wouldn?t pay too much attention to her face and just answer the question. She caught a glimpse of a busy bakery at the end of the block. The customers were lined up till the last in the queue were standing outside. Surely the baker would have too much on his hands to bother too much. It should work.
Relena ran to the shop and pushed past the queue, ignoring the angry glances. Grabbing her hood closer, she stared at the floor, aiming for the counter. She caught someone talking. ?That war has been raging for two years now, she?s simply selfish if she keeps refusing to send forces?? Relena didn?t need to follow the conversation any further to know what they were talking about. In some sort of way she was angry at the man. Let them solve all these problems. It was harder than they thought. They didn?t need to lecture and criticize her like that. But it didn?t matter, she thought sadly. She was sort of stepping aside. They wouldn?t need to complain about her anymore. Let someone else take better care of them, if she was doing such a bad job anyway. Her eyes suddenly landed on deliciously looking cakes and pastries, she was where she had been aiming for. Cautiously she pulled her head up, enough to see the baker quickly throwing a curious look at her, cocking one eyebrow in surprise at her boldness. But she was careful enough not to let him see her properly.
?Sorry for crossing the queue, but I?m merely lost.? she informed him, hoping her voice wasn?t too much of a give-away. ?I am looking for the Grandetch bank.? She prayed it wasn?t too far off. She had a feeling that she wouldn?t be able to keep up much longer. She was too much of a rooky for that.
?Oh, sweetie, you must?ve missed it by an inch.? The voice came from the queue. Sugary sweet and overly helpful. Her old fashioned shoes made Relena presume it was an elderly person. Probably the kind that overwhelmed you with lemonade and cookies. The woman continued with her extreme goodwill. ?It?s just around the corner, turn left at the end of the street. Are you sure you?re able to find it on your own, dear??
?Oh I?m capable enough.? Relena tried to smile convincingly, looking up only slightly so the woman could see her appreciation. Did she look like a tourist who lost her way? ?Thank you very much.? She added before turning to run for the exit.
?You aren?t from around then, are you? I thought I?d seen you before somehow.? Relena?s heart started to pound furiously. Old ladies and their nosiness, she sighed sadly. She had been at the doorframe when the customer hadn?t been able to stop her curiosity.
?No.? Relena replied quickly, ?I?m on holiday, but I never realized it was so expensive here.? She tried to put some humor in her response, making it more realistic. Why had she turned down those acting lessons that Dorothy had offered her on Christmas. Yes Dorothy, as cunning as she was, would have been able to lie herself out of this. Relena, on the other hand, was a terrible liar. She had charisma, and that did help her to some degree.
?Oh yes! You?re quite right, prices have been rocketing here.? The sugary voice responded enthusiastically. She sounded like she was on the brink of desperate socializing. ?Unfortunately the paychecks haven?t.? she added as a matter of factly, a slight edge of irritation in her tone. This woman, Relena concluded, must be one of those seniors who bothered with everyone?s life without permission and got easily upset by society, happy to complain about it afterwards. And everyone would hear about those objections, obviously. Relena rolled her eyes beneath her hood and turned around. She forced an unwilling smile at the lady. ?Well, what else do you expect from the government.? she tried to mean it, but it stung a little. It was probable that her voice had sounded a little angry but it seemed the woman hadn?t noticed. She was beaming, excited that she had been able to speak her mind and that someone had actually listened. But Relena didn?t linger. She hastily pushed through the last of the queue to escape. The fresh air that hit her when she was finally outside felt extremely good. The muscles in her arms and shoulders relaxed and she inhaled a good amount of oxygen. Her head was starting to sway from all this thrill she had had since last night.
Right, she told herself, it was time to get to that bank. She had a schedule to attend to. Her feet were starting to protest. There was a good possibility she was developing blisters already. It had been a long time since she had walked this much. Mostly she was moved around in a limousine. Three quarters of the day were spend sitting down as well. It was only her small appetite that kept her from gaining too much weight. And stress, naturally.
Demanding her legs to cooperate, she followed the instructions the old lady had given her. Sure enough, she found the bank in less than a minute. Only she was incapable of finding a colossal building like this less than 600 feet away. It stood out because it was an old, but well kept amongst the modern apartments. ?Grandetch Bank? was etched in golden letters above the automatic doors that were spread across the entire front wall. It was swarming with people, as she had expected. She was sure there would be a scene as soon as someone caught her name. There were a lot of well dressed men and women carrying suitcases entering as well. Politicians were probably among them. And politicians knew quite well who she was.
She took a deep breath and crossed the street, aiming for the doors. A gentleman frowned at her in disregard, clearly stating his class. In this clothing the difference was indeed striking. She almost wished she were to be recognized in the bank. That would wipe the smugness off.
Once she was in, a gust of wind coming from the air conditioning struck her, almost blowing her hood off. She grabbed at it quickly, pulling the cloth back in its place. Straightening up, trying to look confident, she made her way to the closest available office. Fully aware of the camera on the right, she let her eyes wander left, pretending to check the time on the big metal clock hanging above another line of office windows. The female bank clerk smiled politely, gesturing Relena that she was allowed to come forward.
?How may I help you?? it sounded very routine, almost bored. The woman hadn?t recognized her. Obviously, who would expect the vice foreign minister in these clothes. Relena rummaged through her purse, fishing her wallet after a few seconds. ?I?m here to withdraw an amount of money from my account, cash?. She couldn?t simply transfer it into a new account with a false name. When she arrived at the colonies with new papers she would open one and deposit her savings there.
?On what name is that account registered, please?? the clerk turned to her computer screen, preparing to enter the data. Relena grimaced, hoping the woman wouldn?t be too shocked and cause attention. ?Relena Peacecraft? she answered casually, eyeing whatever reaction was to follow. The bank clerk had frozen, her eyes were wide with
disbelief. ?Please, I came here anonymously and do not wish to be recognized.? Relena whispered quickly. At first the woman didn?t move as she blinked a couple of times. But then her eyebrows furrowed in a deep frown. She almost looked offended.
?I?m going to need some ID, miss Peacecraft.? Relena could?ve sworn there had been an edge of sarcasm when the clerk spoke her name. ?Of course.? she breathed, smiling while opening her wallet to fetch her identity card. When she handed it over, she noticed the clerk inspecting her closely. Even when she was looking at the ID, her expression did not change. She remained very doubtful. Relena bowed slightly forward, lifting her sunglasses with one hand so her eyes showed. The other hand reached for her hood and pulled it a few inches backwards. A part of her bangs fell loose and covered her forehead. That was all she needed to do.
?Oh!? The clerk gasped loudly, letting the identity card slip from her fingers. Relena quickly composed her cover again before anyone else could see. That?s when the woman started babbling. ?My apologies Ms. Peacecraft! I merely needed to check if it wasn?t a fraud.? she sounded nervous now, instead of annoyed. Her fingers worked anxiously on the keyboard. ?We wouldn?t want anyone pretending to be you, withdrawing from your account, now would we?? the last part was shrill, hysteric even. Relena needed to assure the woman that she wasn?t insulted before she fainted on her. ?Of course not, I am absolutely pleased to see how much this bank cares for her clients.? she added a soothing smile and the clerk seemed to relax a little. ?Now if you would please withdraw a quarter from my account savings.? But the minute the question was out, the woman tensed up again.
?A quarter??. Relena knew it had to be a lot. Enough to cause suspicion, enough to make the bank worry if she wasn?t opening an account at their competitors. ?Yes, I?m investing in a charity program.? she quickly lied. ?Anonymously of course.? The clerk seemed to buy it as she flashed an admiring smile. ?My lips are sealed.? she winked and entered more data into the computer. ?If you would please sit down, I?ll be back in a few minutes.? she said motioning to the seat in front of the office. ?Thank you.? Relena responded sweetly before sitting down, trying to appear comfortable.
She wasn?t comfortable. The clerk had grabbed a key before disappearing behind a door. And she hadn?t been back for almost fifteen minutes. What was taking so long? The clock was ticking and Relena simply didn?t have time. Still one hour and a half left before her shuttle took off. She still needed those papers too. Before she realized, her fingers started to fidget again. Her eyes were fixed on the giant clock. How she wanted to grab that long iron arm and pull it counter clockwise with all her might. Finally the clerk returned with a gigantic black suitcase. Relena had never been conscious of her savings but it had to be a lot. The suitcase was the size of a trolley. And that only contained a quarter of her account. The clerk pushed it through an opening at the bottom of the office window. Relena fetched it, putting it beside her seat. God, it was heavy. She didn?t really look forward to carrying it around. A paper was handed to her, the clerk pointed at several margins. ?If you would please sign here, here and? here?.
A few minutes later all paperwork seemed to be finished and the clerk eagerly shook hands Relena was to leave, carrying the nineteen pound suitcase with her. ?Just one last thing miss Peacecraft, the suitcase is imprinted with a tracking device. In case it gets stolen, call us immediately and we will inform the police of its whereabouts. If the thieves haven?t switched to another bag yet, that is.? she had given this information quite quickly, as if it were just a matter of detail. ?Oh, brilliant.? It was supposed to sound as if this type of security was invented by a genius. But it had sounded the way she really felt: irritated.
A tracking device? just what she needed. The neon sign above her head was now accompanied by a gigantic red arrow pointing downwards. ?Thank you for all your help.? Relena smiled and the clerk seemed incredibly pleased with herself. ?And please remember, I came here anonymously and I wish it remained so. If I find the press on my doorstep asking me about my part in charity, I know where to look.? Yes she was threatening the poor lady. But the chances she would start boasting about meeting Relena Peacecraft were too big. ?Oh, certainly! It is our duty to protect our client?s privacy. Oath of secrecy, technically speaking.? the clerk responded, nodding fiercely to convince Relena of her honesty.
Relena cocked an eyebrow, warning her in some way of the consequences if the woman decided to blabber away eventually. She gulped in response, her face turning into slight uncomfortable fear. That was satisfying enough for Relena. She got up and nodded casually before heading for the exit, the suitcase on her right arm trying to slow her down. The heat was radiating through the glass door. It was tempting to remain inside where it was cool, rather than to be fried outside. The air conditioning stroke her cheeks, attempting to persuade her. But then it caught on a strand of hair and it blew loose, pulling several other locks along. Out of a panic reflex and surprise ? more than an actual calculated move ? she grabbed at it, trying to force the hair back into the hood. The jerky movement of her hands however did more damage than good. The cloth slipped away as she pushed the hair back in. Bad luck was on her side when she quickly pushed through the door, away from the crammed bank. The air conditioning was no longer harassing her but a strong draft of wind finished the job. The hood fell off and her hair was pushed from its hiding place. The breeze made it stretch like a short veil behind her.
Relena didn?t even know she could move so fast. She presumed adrenaline could be counted in. Her fingers worked rapidly to clutch her hair into a knot, holding it in one hand as she used the other to pull the cloth back into place. She had turned towards the wall, trying to hide the last blond strands of her bangs before she was able to tug them from eyesight. It had all happened in less than five seconds but she realized she was panting nervously and a distinct flush was burning her cheeks. When she tried to inhale and calm down, she noticed something was in the way and she swallowed against the lump in her throat. Nobody had probably noticed, she tried to convince herself. And as she looked around ? casually ? it seemed as if it wasn?t a lie at all. Some had turned around because of her frantic reaction but not because they had recognized her. Slowly a smile spread across her lips. She was still safe.
?Mommy?? Relena whirled around. The sound had been faint but she had heard it. Her eyes widened in shock as she stared across the road. There, on the sidewalk was a small girl tugging on her mother?s arm, pointing excitedly at where Relena was standing.
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Damn, this one was terribly long :O bored yet?
I know it has taken quite some time but here it is :p
And I'd like to thank NenaKR, Ice_Vixen and stormwind16 for their comments ^^. You're keeping me writing.
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WORTH A LIFETIME
CHAPTER THREE - STEALTH
Her heart was racing. Pounding loudly inside her chest, deafening her ears until they rang with a high-pitched sound. She could feel the proximity of capture and the following consequences crushing her shoulders, like a sword hanging above her head that would drop anytime soon. She tried to remember how to breathe properly. She was hurrying enough to be panting anyway.
Sweat was threatening to break free on her forehead. Stress, she presumed. Feverishly, she tried to wipe the moisture away, hiding her face deeper beneath her hood as she did so. Her hair was pulled up, kept from eye sight inside the cloth. Thank god it was sunny, so she had an excuse to be wearing sunglasses as well.
She allowed herself to hope that she was unrecognizable. At least enough to not catch the closer attention of those around her. If they were to scrutinize her, focus on looking at her alone, they would be able to have a guess at who she really was. She had to look casual. It would cause too much suspicion if someone so familiarly looking went inside a crowded bank, shaking with anticipation. She willed her hands to stop fidgeting around with her shirt.
Breathe, she reminded herself again. There was the sweat again. The heat didn?t make it any easier. It made her more nervous. And harder to breathe on top of that. Cursing the sun, she inhaled deeply to steady herself. She could miss this weather like a tooth ache. Furthermore she had to force herself not to take her hood off. It was simply too warm, but she couldn?t afford the risk. She should?ve dyed her hair to be able to walk around without needing to hide it. Unfortunately she was in too much of a hurry to escape to think of it, and she didn?t have any in the house anyway. Waiting for dawn to go to a shop was just too long. She should?ve waited another day and planned properly. But she just couldn?t stand another minute in that mansion. Stupid, she thought but knew her heart was currently in control of her body. Mind muted to a great extend.
She stared down at the pavement, avoiding as much eye contact as possible. Every time someone passed her too closely, her heartbeat would speed up and her breathing became sharper. Hopefully the sound wasn?t too wheezy to hear. She was too suspicious already, she acknowledged that. She wasn?t good at this at all. As a matter of fact she had never dreamt of even getting so far into the city without anyone suddenly pointing at her.
But could she get to the airport? Possibly.
Would she get to the shuttle? No.
In her anxiety to escape she had forgotten one tiny detail. Passports and identity checks. They were practically everywhere and the chance that she would be able to take a shuttle anonymously was quite small, close to the edge of impossible. All her security had to do was to look for her name and they would find Relena Peacecraft boarding the 10AM shuttle to colony XY008. Probably the farthest away from the earth, but closest to the sun. It was slightly warmer there, but she tried not to ponder too much on that detail, it was hot enough as it was already.
The heat in the colony was the least of her problems. Getting there was on top of her list. There was only a slight chance of passing security without too much trouble. She shivered at the thought. False papers. She would need to do something illegal. Plus she had no connections whatsoever that would be able to provide her those papers. Or did she? Yes, she had a slight hunch of where she might get her hands on them. But the question was, how was she going to get them from him?
However she knew she had no other choice. First he was the only one she could trust not to rip her off. He was still, undoubtedly, a trustworthy person. The problem was gaining that trust. She had no idea how to convince the man at all. Secondly the papers had to be professionally forged if they needed to deceive top security.
Or maybe Heero Yuy.
She didn?t really dare count on the soldier to go looking for her. If he would, it would be because her absence threatened peace. But she decided she couldn?t be as careless as to not consider that possibility. If he was going to search for her, she was going to need the best cover there was. Otherwise he would have caught her in no time.
There was another problem as well, along the huge list of trouble awaiting her. A shuttle wasn?t cheap, neither was starting a new life at the colonies. Naturally she had enough money. Being a vice foreign minister with family background didn?t leave her with nothing. Definitely far from nothing. But that stock was safely kept at the bank. Banks had cameras. Banks checked your identity. Banks were currently a huge disadvantage for her. She had never realized before how little privacy one had. Your name was checked and flashed in several ways. Whether you were paying with a credit card at a store or getting on a bus equipped with security cameras. What a strange and hostile world we lived in. She wouldn?t last long. It was so easy to find someone these days. Being on ?missing? status had never been so hard before. Stupid modern technology, she fumed silently.
There was no option of avoiding recognition in the bank. She barely had enough money to pay for her journey to the colonies, she would be completely penniless once she got there. Furthermore she couldn?t afford going to the bank at the colony itself. First of all she would have a new identity by then and she could not take money from the account on that name. Second, if Relena Peacecraft was registered on that colony due to her withdrawal, it would lead the preventers dangerously close to her hideout.
Relena knew what was to happen now. She would have to enter the bank and make herself known. The clerk would have to know her name in order to give her access to her well fed account. The amount she would draw out, would cause some commotion. An acceptable reason would be needed to cover it up. Yes, people would know who she was and the bank would notice her withdrawing a lot of money. The news would leak out, the preventers would catch word soon. Her face was going to be on camera as well, including the clothes she was wearing. Why don?t they just put a neon sign above her head right now, screaming ?she?s here!?. She had to get her papers fast after her visit to the bank. And hopefully some new clothes. She had to get in that shuttle which was due to leave in two hours. It seemed little time left for her to get everything done, but it was more than enough for the camera to pick up her image and the preventers finding out. Even enough time for them to get here and catch her. She tried to push the upcoming anxiety away. It would be a close call. And who said the person she needed was home right now? But without him, she would never be able to leave Earth. Some luck would come in handy, she prayed looking up at the cloudless sky. Yes, that would probably help a lot, a sarcastic voice mumbled in the back of her head.
She couldn?t recall how long she had been walking through this city by now. She wasn?t even sure if she was heading the right way. But after rounding several corners and ending up blank, she knew her photographical memory had let her down. Panicking, she realized she didn?t have a clue where she was. Nothing appeared familiar to her. The street she was in, was big and crowded. Apartment blocks towered around her like walls trying to lock her in. The signs at the corners didn?t bring her any useful information. She knew she was going to have to ask someone.
Risky. Hopefully that person wouldn?t pay too much attention to her face and just answer the question. She caught a glimpse of a busy bakery at the end of the block. The customers were lined up till the last in the queue were standing outside. Surely the baker would have too much on his hands to bother too much. It should work.
Relena ran to the shop and pushed past the queue, ignoring the angry glances. Grabbing her hood closer, she stared at the floor, aiming for the counter. She caught someone talking. ?That war has been raging for two years now, she?s simply selfish if she keeps refusing to send forces?? Relena didn?t need to follow the conversation any further to know what they were talking about. In some sort of way she was angry at the man. Let them solve all these problems. It was harder than they thought. They didn?t need to lecture and criticize her like that. But it didn?t matter, she thought sadly. She was sort of stepping aside. They wouldn?t need to complain about her anymore. Let someone else take better care of them, if she was doing such a bad job anyway. Her eyes suddenly landed on deliciously looking cakes and pastries, she was where she had been aiming for. Cautiously she pulled her head up, enough to see the baker quickly throwing a curious look at her, cocking one eyebrow in surprise at her boldness. But she was careful enough not to let him see her properly.
?Sorry for crossing the queue, but I?m merely lost.? she informed him, hoping her voice wasn?t too much of a give-away. ?I am looking for the Grandetch bank.? She prayed it wasn?t too far off. She had a feeling that she wouldn?t be able to keep up much longer. She was too much of a rooky for that.
?Oh, sweetie, you must?ve missed it by an inch.? The voice came from the queue. Sugary sweet and overly helpful. Her old fashioned shoes made Relena presume it was an elderly person. Probably the kind that overwhelmed you with lemonade and cookies. The woman continued with her extreme goodwill. ?It?s just around the corner, turn left at the end of the street. Are you sure you?re able to find it on your own, dear??
?Oh I?m capable enough.? Relena tried to smile convincingly, looking up only slightly so the woman could see her appreciation. Did she look like a tourist who lost her way? ?Thank you very much.? She added before turning to run for the exit.
?You aren?t from around then, are you? I thought I?d seen you before somehow.? Relena?s heart started to pound furiously. Old ladies and their nosiness, she sighed sadly. She had been at the doorframe when the customer hadn?t been able to stop her curiosity.
?No.? Relena replied quickly, ?I?m on holiday, but I never realized it was so expensive here.? She tried to put some humor in her response, making it more realistic. Why had she turned down those acting lessons that Dorothy had offered her on Christmas. Yes Dorothy, as cunning as she was, would have been able to lie herself out of this. Relena, on the other hand, was a terrible liar. She had charisma, and that did help her to some degree.
?Oh yes! You?re quite right, prices have been rocketing here.? The sugary voice responded enthusiastically. She sounded like she was on the brink of desperate socializing. ?Unfortunately the paychecks haven?t.? she added as a matter of factly, a slight edge of irritation in her tone. This woman, Relena concluded, must be one of those seniors who bothered with everyone?s life without permission and got easily upset by society, happy to complain about it afterwards. And everyone would hear about those objections, obviously. Relena rolled her eyes beneath her hood and turned around. She forced an unwilling smile at the lady. ?Well, what else do you expect from the government.? she tried to mean it, but it stung a little. It was probable that her voice had sounded a little angry but it seemed the woman hadn?t noticed. She was beaming, excited that she had been able to speak her mind and that someone had actually listened. But Relena didn?t linger. She hastily pushed through the last of the queue to escape. The fresh air that hit her when she was finally outside felt extremely good. The muscles in her arms and shoulders relaxed and she inhaled a good amount of oxygen. Her head was starting to sway from all this thrill she had had since last night.
Right, she told herself, it was time to get to that bank. She had a schedule to attend to. Her feet were starting to protest. There was a good possibility she was developing blisters already. It had been a long time since she had walked this much. Mostly she was moved around in a limousine. Three quarters of the day were spend sitting down as well. It was only her small appetite that kept her from gaining too much weight. And stress, naturally.
Demanding her legs to cooperate, she followed the instructions the old lady had given her. Sure enough, she found the bank in less than a minute. Only she was incapable of finding a colossal building like this less than 600 feet away. It stood out because it was an old, but well kept amongst the modern apartments. ?Grandetch Bank? was etched in golden letters above the automatic doors that were spread across the entire front wall. It was swarming with people, as she had expected. She was sure there would be a scene as soon as someone caught her name. There were a lot of well dressed men and women carrying suitcases entering as well. Politicians were probably among them. And politicians knew quite well who she was.
She took a deep breath and crossed the street, aiming for the doors. A gentleman frowned at her in disregard, clearly stating his class. In this clothing the difference was indeed striking. She almost wished she were to be recognized in the bank. That would wipe the smugness off.
Once she was in, a gust of wind coming from the air conditioning struck her, almost blowing her hood off. She grabbed at it quickly, pulling the cloth back in its place. Straightening up, trying to look confident, she made her way to the closest available office. Fully aware of the camera on the right, she let her eyes wander left, pretending to check the time on the big metal clock hanging above another line of office windows. The female bank clerk smiled politely, gesturing Relena that she was allowed to come forward.
?How may I help you?? it sounded very routine, almost bored. The woman hadn?t recognized her. Obviously, who would expect the vice foreign minister in these clothes. Relena rummaged through her purse, fishing her wallet after a few seconds. ?I?m here to withdraw an amount of money from my account, cash?. She couldn?t simply transfer it into a new account with a false name. When she arrived at the colonies with new papers she would open one and deposit her savings there.
?On what name is that account registered, please?? the clerk turned to her computer screen, preparing to enter the data. Relena grimaced, hoping the woman wouldn?t be too shocked and cause attention. ?Relena Peacecraft? she answered casually, eyeing whatever reaction was to follow. The bank clerk had frozen, her eyes were wide with
disbelief. ?Please, I came here anonymously and do not wish to be recognized.? Relena whispered quickly. At first the woman didn?t move as she blinked a couple of times. But then her eyebrows furrowed in a deep frown. She almost looked offended.
?I?m going to need some ID, miss Peacecraft.? Relena could?ve sworn there had been an edge of sarcasm when the clerk spoke her name. ?Of course.? she breathed, smiling while opening her wallet to fetch her identity card. When she handed it over, she noticed the clerk inspecting her closely. Even when she was looking at the ID, her expression did not change. She remained very doubtful. Relena bowed slightly forward, lifting her sunglasses with one hand so her eyes showed. The other hand reached for her hood and pulled it a few inches backwards. A part of her bangs fell loose and covered her forehead. That was all she needed to do.
?Oh!? The clerk gasped loudly, letting the identity card slip from her fingers. Relena quickly composed her cover again before anyone else could see. That?s when the woman started babbling. ?My apologies Ms. Peacecraft! I merely needed to check if it wasn?t a fraud.? she sounded nervous now, instead of annoyed. Her fingers worked anxiously on the keyboard. ?We wouldn?t want anyone pretending to be you, withdrawing from your account, now would we?? the last part was shrill, hysteric even. Relena needed to assure the woman that she wasn?t insulted before she fainted on her. ?Of course not, I am absolutely pleased to see how much this bank cares for her clients.? she added a soothing smile and the clerk seemed to relax a little. ?Now if you would please withdraw a quarter from my account savings.? But the minute the question was out, the woman tensed up again.
?A quarter??. Relena knew it had to be a lot. Enough to cause suspicion, enough to make the bank worry if she wasn?t opening an account at their competitors. ?Yes, I?m investing in a charity program.? she quickly lied. ?Anonymously of course.? The clerk seemed to buy it as she flashed an admiring smile. ?My lips are sealed.? she winked and entered more data into the computer. ?If you would please sit down, I?ll be back in a few minutes.? she said motioning to the seat in front of the office. ?Thank you.? Relena responded sweetly before sitting down, trying to appear comfortable.
She wasn?t comfortable. The clerk had grabbed a key before disappearing behind a door. And she hadn?t been back for almost fifteen minutes. What was taking so long? The clock was ticking and Relena simply didn?t have time. Still one hour and a half left before her shuttle took off. She still needed those papers too. Before she realized, her fingers started to fidget again. Her eyes were fixed on the giant clock. How she wanted to grab that long iron arm and pull it counter clockwise with all her might. Finally the clerk returned with a gigantic black suitcase. Relena had never been conscious of her savings but it had to be a lot. The suitcase was the size of a trolley. And that only contained a quarter of her account. The clerk pushed it through an opening at the bottom of the office window. Relena fetched it, putting it beside her seat. God, it was heavy. She didn?t really look forward to carrying it around. A paper was handed to her, the clerk pointed at several margins. ?If you would please sign here, here and? here?.
A few minutes later all paperwork seemed to be finished and the clerk eagerly shook hands Relena was to leave, carrying the nineteen pound suitcase with her. ?Just one last thing miss Peacecraft, the suitcase is imprinted with a tracking device. In case it gets stolen, call us immediately and we will inform the police of its whereabouts. If the thieves haven?t switched to another bag yet, that is.? she had given this information quite quickly, as if it were just a matter of detail. ?Oh, brilliant.? It was supposed to sound as if this type of security was invented by a genius. But it had sounded the way she really felt: irritated.
A tracking device? just what she needed. The neon sign above her head was now accompanied by a gigantic red arrow pointing downwards. ?Thank you for all your help.? Relena smiled and the clerk seemed incredibly pleased with herself. ?And please remember, I came here anonymously and I wish it remained so. If I find the press on my doorstep asking me about my part in charity, I know where to look.? Yes she was threatening the poor lady. But the chances she would start boasting about meeting Relena Peacecraft were too big. ?Oh, certainly! It is our duty to protect our client?s privacy. Oath of secrecy, technically speaking.? the clerk responded, nodding fiercely to convince Relena of her honesty.
Relena cocked an eyebrow, warning her in some way of the consequences if the woman decided to blabber away eventually. She gulped in response, her face turning into slight uncomfortable fear. That was satisfying enough for Relena. She got up and nodded casually before heading for the exit, the suitcase on her right arm trying to slow her down. The heat was radiating through the glass door. It was tempting to remain inside where it was cool, rather than to be fried outside. The air conditioning stroke her cheeks, attempting to persuade her. But then it caught on a strand of hair and it blew loose, pulling several other locks along. Out of a panic reflex and surprise ? more than an actual calculated move ? she grabbed at it, trying to force the hair back into the hood. The jerky movement of her hands however did more damage than good. The cloth slipped away as she pushed the hair back in. Bad luck was on her side when she quickly pushed through the door, away from the crammed bank. The air conditioning was no longer harassing her but a strong draft of wind finished the job. The hood fell off and her hair was pushed from its hiding place. The breeze made it stretch like a short veil behind her.
Relena didn?t even know she could move so fast. She presumed adrenaline could be counted in. Her fingers worked rapidly to clutch her hair into a knot, holding it in one hand as she used the other to pull the cloth back into place. She had turned towards the wall, trying to hide the last blond strands of her bangs before she was able to tug them from eyesight. It had all happened in less than five seconds but she realized she was panting nervously and a distinct flush was burning her cheeks. When she tried to inhale and calm down, she noticed something was in the way and she swallowed against the lump in her throat. Nobody had probably noticed, she tried to convince herself. And as she looked around ? casually ? it seemed as if it wasn?t a lie at all. Some had turned around because of her frantic reaction but not because they had recognized her. Slowly a smile spread across her lips. She was still safe.
?Mommy?? Relena whirled around. The sound had been faint but she had heard it. Her eyes widened in shock as she stared across the road. There, on the sidewalk was a small girl tugging on her mother?s arm, pointing excitedly at where Relena was standing.
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Damn, this one was terribly long :O bored yet?
