Warnings and disclaimers on first part.
THE END OF THE MUNDANE – PART 3
Une starts the meeting as soon as we find our seats, thankfully not mentioning my flushed appearance. I can still feel my heart beating hard from the close contact with Duo and it takes a great deal of effort to keep my breathing normal. I can see Duo watching me from the corner of my eye and sigh when his attention finally focuses away from me and on the people speaking about the case.
It isn’t long until the arguments begin to fly back and forth between opposing sides. I sigh, realizing this meeting is going to end the same way all the others before it had, without a resolution. Scott Carls, one of the team leaders chosen to aid in this case, slams a meaty fist on the table, “Once he gets in the public eye we can begin a campaign against him.”
His main opposition and leader of the second team, Fiona Kits sneers as she responds, “He already has enough power behind him, and getting more every day. We need to send in a team to take him down.”
“A team’s too risky,” Scott counters. “Trying to get a team into Castillo’s operation is impossible because of how tight he keeps security.”
The war continues for another twenty minutes, long enough for me to feel a kind of helplessness I’m beginning to grow accustomed to. Catching Une’s eye, I shake my head, a signal to stop the meeting before it becomes more personal; it’s something that’s happened before.
Duo’s voice breaks into the shouts before Une can speak, soft enough so everyone falls silent so they can hear what he says. His reputation as one of the best agents is well-known and he is respected by both sides of this argument. “Why don’t we just take him out and get rid of the problem?”
“A team is too dangerous,” Scott reiterates.
His eyes thoughtful, Duo shakes his head, “Not an entire team. Either a one or two-man team would be better suited for such a task.”
“You mean a hit?” one of the other agents asks, seemingly appalled at the idea.
Duo’s brows raise, “It’s no different than sending in an entire team, just a lot more subtle. The Preventers can legally sanction a hit and have done so before in order to uphold peace if no other resolution can be found. ”
“Name one,” Scott challenges.
“Hector Gillette, another ‘businessman’ that was preparing to run for election,” Une speaks into the shocked silence. “It was common knowledge he had a number of connections to drug cartels and would use his position to gain power. We sanctioned the hit with the approval of the board.”
Several minutes pass, each side talking amongst themselves. I’m stunned at the option Duo has offered, and worry about it while not knowing why. Eventually, Scott speaks up, “If we agree to this option is there anyone capable of taking on this assignment? Gillette was over two years ago.”
I can only watch in horror as Une’s eyes fall on Duo. His shrug is a reply instead of an empty gesture, “If I hadn’t been willing I wouldn’t have suggested it.”
Blood rushing in my ears prevents me from speaking as Une nods her acceptance of his offer. “If everyone is agreed I will bring this matter to the board. We should know within two weeks if they agree with this decision. Maxwell, how long will you need to prepare if they accept the proposal?”
“I can make some tentative arrangements now, just in case. After the confirmation I’ll need three days to make sure my affairs are in order.”
The meeting breaks up around me as I sit in shock; by the time I can think clearly I discover myself in the room alone with Duo, who is watching me with concern, sitting in the chair beside me. “You okay? You look like you’re gonna be sick or something.”
“You just volunteered for what will probably end up a suicide mission and you have the nerve to ask if I’m okay?” I spit, too stunned to plan what I’m going to say. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“I was thinking it’s a dangerous situation that needs to be fixed as soon as possible and then I came up with a solution. It’s what Une brought me in for, remember?”
“Why did you have to volunteer to do it yourself?” I rise to pace, feeling more freaked than I had when Duo had said Sally needed to go to the hospital.
“Who else could do it?”
The calm question has me spinning on my heel and glaring at the man I’m hopelessly in love with. “There has to be someone else qualified to take this on.”
“Do you know of anyone else with the skills to break into the compound, make the kill and still have a chance of getting out alive? I can think of three, but they’re all out of the running, which leaves me.”
The suggestion of others has me narrowing my eyes. “Who else could do it?”
“Heero, who has a family. Wufei, who is currently at the hospital with his wife and bringing his first child into the world, and you. You’ve sat behind a desk for the last four years, Trowa. That leaves me and you know it.” He doesn’t mention Quatre and I can understand why; our blonde friend couldn’t have successfully completed a hit during the war. There would be little chance he would even get into Castillo’s compound now without being captured or killed. Leaning back, Duo crosses his arms over his chest, a posture of defiance, but I see the hurt in his eyes, “What exactly is your problem? I’ve done this before, you know.”
“Two years ago.”
“You doubt I can do it,” Duo’s eyes flash in anger. “Is this because of what happened last night?” You think I can’t cut it in the field anymore?”
It has to be my love for Duo that has me noticing how beautiful he is when he’s angry, although I doubt he would appreciate hearing that. Forcing myself to concentrate on what he’s saying, I’m baffled by the verbal attack. “I hadn’t even given that any thought since hearing you accept this assignment. I don’t want you getting killed, damn it.”
Abruptly, Duo’s anger dissipates. Standing, he studies me closely for a moment, his eyes narrowed. Wary of the light that comes into his eyes, I wait to see what he’s going to say, my heart beating as fast as it did when I held him in my arms. “How about a demonstration?” he asks unexpectedly, his tone smooth.
Though suspicious, I can’t ignore the challenge in his eyes, “What kind of demonstration?”
“If I can catch you completely off guard and unaware, you stop arguing.”
“Tell me exactly what you mean,” I request, not agreeing to anything until I know for sure what I’m agreeing to.
“Simple. If I can follow you and …well, attack you without you being able to catch me in the act, you stop objecting to me taking this assignment. If you catch me before I can attack you, I’ll tell Une I changed my mind.”
Clamping my lips together to avoid agreeing right away, I actually consider the possibilities. There’s no doubt Duo is better at subterfuge and outwitting him will be a difficult task. What he doesn’t know is that I’m hyper-sensitive to his presence. I might be rusty from sitting at a desk, but I think I can use this particular skill to my advantage. “So if you don’t capture or attack me, you’ll walk away from this assignment without argument?”
“Exactly,” Duo’s face lights with excitement, leaving me at a loss for an instant at how alive he is. “We need to have some rules, though. This needs to be just like an actual assignment instead of a lark. What are the parameters?”
Understanding what he’s trying to say, I deliberate. “Basically we need a time frame and places that are off-limits for various reasons, right?”
“Just like an actual hit,” Duo nods, his brow creasing in thought. “Obviously, work takes precedence, so nothing can happen here. Is there anywhere else you need to be left alone?”
I consider making my home off-limits, changing my mind because getting past the high security will be almost impossible. “Just use common sense. I don’t want someone to think I’m being assaulted while I’m in the grocery store, but everywhere else is clear for me. As for anything else, we need to establish an end date for this experiment. If it was a real hit I’d say a minimum of a month, but we seem to be pressed for time,” I add, surprised to discover I’m having fun planning this.
“Five days,” he says abruptly.
Letting my disbelief show in the form of a smirk, I say what I’m thinking, “You think you can pull this off in five days, even with me being aware of your intentions?”
“That’s what we’re trying to prove or disprove, right?” Standing, Duo gives me a cocky grin, one that brings to mind the teenager he was during the war. He seems as excited about this as I am. “We’ll say if I haven’t captured you by eleven-thirty Saturday morning, you win and I’ll tell Une I’ve changed my mind. Work is off-limits and everything else is fair game.”
“If I lose, I won’t say anything else about you going and will even help you prepare,” I say, so confident I’ll win that I add the extra incentive. Shaking hands on it, we seal the deal.
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