Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Chimaera ❯ Chapter 108 ( Chapter 108 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Please see previous chapters for disclaimer, notes etc.
 
"Chimaera"
 
October. 2003 ShenLong
 
Chapter 108
 
[The Glasshouse]
 
Quatre glanced nervously around the large table at the other members sitting there. The politicians were looking rather pale, sweat beading on a few of their brows. Two were looking decidedly green as they eyed the corpse of their fellow senator on the floor. The military people were a little more composed; the Major appearing to be deep in thought and Quatre had a pretty good idea what the Major was thinking. Quatre's own mind was trying to figure out a way to get out of this mess with minimal damage to the remainder of the group; unfortunately he wasn't having much luck.
 
He couldn't see the government bowing to the demands of the terrorists and he had no doubt that Jackson would carry out his threat to shoot them all one by one. Somehow Quatre had to keep them all alive for as long as possible and hope that help would arrive in some shape or form.
 
"Fifteen minutes." Jackson's voice permeated the still air as he continued to watch out the window.
 
Studying the man and his fellow terrorists, Quatre could see that this entire process had been well thought out. There were noted politicians as well as high ranking military in the room; people the government couldn't afford to lose. How the hell had this group managed to get past the security? Quatre worried his bottom lip with his teeth as he continued to run different ideas though his mind, discarding them one by one.
 
* * *
 
[Television Crew]
 
The television station STW9 had at first thought the call they'd received was nothing more than some crank looking for exposure, it wasn't uncommon. The shots and screams they'd heard down the line though convinced them otherwise and the company quickly scrambled a mobile unit and dispatched it to the site. If it did turn out to be a crank call then they really hadn't lost anything other than a few hours wages; if it turned out to be genuine though...
 
The van pulled up outside the tall, glass building known affectionately as the 'Glasshouse' to the locals. The driver noted the people being evacuated and his instincts told him they were onto a major scoop. He managed to guide the van onto the large sidewalk area and stopped by one of the ornamental gardens that led up to the main entrance of the building. No sooner had he cut the engine than the reporter with him had the door open and was in the process of getting out her microphone and barking orders at the tech that had come with them. With a sigh, Paul climbed out and went to the side of the van to fetch his camera equipment.
 
"Eager bitch, ain't she?" muttered Phil the tech with a nod in the direction of the reporter who was clearly studying the building.
 
"Yes, she is but she's a damn good reporter." Paul picked up the camera and checked it over before hoisting it onto his shoulder and heading in the direction Jasmine had taken.
 
Phil snorted and climbed back into the van, settling himself into his chair in the cramped space and turning on the monitors.
 
Jasmine had spied a security officer guiding some of the people away from the building and headed for him. Before they could begin to broadcast she needed to get some background information mainly to confirm what the caller had said. "Excuse me. Excuse me, sir," she said as she approached the officer.
 
The young officer looked up as he heard someone calling him and spotted a rather pretty brunette with a shapely figure heading his way.
 
"Excuse me, sir. I believe there is a situation inside the building, can you give me any more information?" Jasmine asked as she batted her eyelashes at the security officer.
 
Her charms worked and the young officer found himself succumbing to the pretty brunette. "Well now, ma'am. We've only been told to evacuate the building at the moment. I'm not completely sure what the situation is."
 
"I believe there is a hostage situation, someone demanding the release of certain influential prisoners from the war?" Jasmine pressed forwards undaunted and hoping that Paul was getting this all on tape ready for their broadcast if the studio decided to go ahead with it.
 
"I believe it is something along those lines," replied the security officer. "This way, people, please keep moving."
 
"Is it true that Quatre Winner, the head of WEI, is inside the building and also one of those hostages?"
 
The officer turned back to the reporter and the woman could clearly see the debate going on inside his head. He wasn't sure if he should divulge that information.
 
"Sir, the public has a right to know. If their peace is being threatened in any way then they should be told." Jasmine could see the officer's resolve weakening and went in for the kill. "It's only fair that the public be kept informed of issues that could threaten their peaceful existence."
 
The officer sighed. "Yes, it's true. Mr. Winner and several influential people were having a meeting and have now been taken hostage by a group of terrorists. All I know is we have been told to evacuate the building and wait for further instructions. What the demands are I cannot tell you as I don't know myself. Now, if you will excuse me, I have work to do." The officer turned back to guiding the occupants of the building to a safe zone.
 
Jasmine spun around and found Paul right behind her. "Did you get all that?"
 
"Yeah, I did," replied Paul as he lowered the camera from his shoulder.
 
"Great! Let's go back to the van so Phil can edit the tape and push it through to home base, once they've looked at it we should be ready to roll and go live." The woman began to walk back towards the van, Paul following behind her and glancing up at the building.
 
/I hope they're all okay in there,/ he thought to himself.
 
* * *
 
[Preventer HQ]
 
Heero looked up from his computer, sensing a presence in the doorway. "Something you want, Wufei?"
 
Wufei shoved off the door frame and into the small office. "Une wants us in her office now."
 
"Aa. Any idea what it's for?" asked Heero as he shut the computer down and snagged his jacket.
 
"No, but she sounded pretty agitated so I suggest we shift our rears and get in there as soon as possible."
 
"Right with you."
 
The pair walked down the hallway and into the elevator that would take them to the twelfth floor and the Commander's office. As the elevator hummed and took them upwards the pair inside remained silent. Wufei didn't know what was going on, he'd simply had a call from Une demanding his and Heero's presence in her office immediately. Heero's mind was similarly trying to figure out what had happened for the commander to summon them so abruptly. He guessed they would soon find out. The doors opened and Heero followed Chang out and they walked side by side to the commander's office. Wufei knocked on the door and entered, the secretary nodding to them as they stepped inside.
 
"Go right in, Commander Une is expecting you, Agents Fire and Day."
 
"Thank you," Wufei acknowledged and opened the dark, mahogany door to enter the commander's office.
 
The first thing to hit Heero when they walked into the room was that the usually calm facade of their chief was missing. The woman seemed on edge, something highly unusual. Heero felt the hairs on the back of his neck begin to prickle; he wasn't sure he was going to like whatever it was that was obviously agitating the commander.
 
"Ah, Agent Fire, Agent Day, come in, please. Sit." Une motioned to the seats in front of her desk.
 
Warily the pair sat and then turned their expectant eyes to the commander.
 
"I'm afraid we have a situation, gentlemen, a situation that I cannot trust to anyone else."
 
Wufei raised an eyebrow. "What sort of situation?"
 
"I have received word from Relena and the Government regarding a terrorist invasion. It would appear a group of terrorists, as yet unidentified, has taken several well known politicians and some military personnel hostage. They are demanding the release of certain OZ officials currently serving time for war crimes in return for the release of the hostages. If the demands are not met they intend to shoot a hostage each hour upon the hour until their demands are complied with." Une rubbed her temples.
 
Wufei snorted. "The Government is not going to give into these demands, I hope?"
 
"They have already shot one person, identity as yet unknown."
 
"It is inevitable that there will be casualties in such a situation," stated Wufei. He wasn't being difficult, simply stating a fact.
 
"Quatre Winner is one of the hostages..."
 
Heero suddenly felt the room spin as the air was sucked out of his lungs.
 
"Yuy?! Are you okay?"
 
Heero shook himself, the words from Chang seeming to come from a long way off. "Quatre is one of the hostages?" he managed to breathe out.
 
"Yes. In fact it was Quatre that made the call to the Governor General's office with the demands from the group. The Governor wasn't there so the Deputy took the call and relayed the information on to Relena at the ESUN. I have a copy of the call here." Une reached over and pressed a button to a recorder. The machine hummed into life and the sound of Quatre's voice came out of the speaker, relaying the information he was obviously being fed by whoever was in charge of the terrorists.
 
"How long ago was the message received?" Heero asked.
 
"Twenty minutes."
 
"Has any contact been made back with the terrorists?"
 
"No."
 
"Fuck!"
 
"Agent Day, watch your language!" Une scowled at the Japanese man.
 
"If they've already killed one person then they won't hesitate to kill again as they have said they will," said Wufei. "Contact needs to be made back with them now to avoid that happening."
 
"Do you have Quatre's cell 'phone number?" asked Une. "And what are we supposed to tell them? Whatever it is will need to be convincing."
 
"No, I don't have Quatre's number." Wufei frowned. "As for what to tell them..."
 
"I haven't got Quatre's number either, but Trowa will have it. I can call him and get the number," said Heero as he fished in his pocket for his own cell 'phone. "Problem is though he's going to want to know why I want the number and once he knows what's happening he will be heading straight down there to rescue his partner."
 
"Fuck!"
 
Both men stared at their commander in shock, Une shrugged her shoulders. "Stress," was all she offered by way of apology for the expletive.
 
"Anyone else know what is happening?" asked Wufei, attempting to divert the subject back to its original course.
 
"Only the ESUN and the Governor General's office that I know of, and now Preventer, of course."
 
"What exactly is it you want us to do?" Heero asked as he pressed the 'phone to his ear, willing Trowa to answer.
 
"I'm getting the blueprints of the building now. I want you two to find a way into the building, up to the floor that's currently under siege and take out the terrorists," replied Une.
 
"Just another walk in the park," muttered Wufei under his breath. "Do we know how many terrorists? What fire power they are packing, and any other information on them?"
 
Une shifted her eyes. "No."
 
"Fuck!"
 
Heero's eyebrows shot up into his hair line and he stared at the normally polite Chinese agent. Une elected not to say anything at all, having had her own momentary lapse into the colorful language, she really couldn't comment.
 
"Damn, Trowa's not answering," snapped Heero and hit the re-dial.
 
A tentative knock came at the door and the secretary stuck her head inside the office. "Sorry to interrupt you, Commander but I think you should take a look at this."
 
"What is it?" replied Une curtly.
 
"The television, ma'am. Put it on to Channel 9," the secretary said and then beat a hasty retreat.
 
"Now what?!" muttered Une but obediently switched on the television. The screen came to life and three people collectively scowled at once.
 
"How the hell did they find out?" snarled Une.
 
"That's the media for you. They have noses like bloodhounds," growled Wufei.
 
"Great! Just great! Now we have the media turning this whole thing into a circus. Gentlemen, we're going to need to move as quickly as possible on this one."
 
The three stared at the screen and listened as the female reporter droned on. "... downtown outside the Glasshouse where we have it on good authority that several politicians, military personnel and important figures are being held hostage by a group of terrorists. As yet we don't know what their demands are or what they intend to do if those demands are not met."
 
"That's one blessing I suppose," muttered Wufei.
 
Heero hit the re-dial again as he continued to watch the screen.
 
* * *
 
[Outside the Glasshouse.]
 
"As you can see, the police have arrived and are cordoning off the area but rest assured, we will continue to report to you the events as they unfold."
 
The camera panned across the grounds and then up the side of the glass building. The police tape could be seen strung between trees and officers were dotted about. Beyond the tape people stood watching, the morbid curiosity of the human mind not wanting to miss anything. The camera turned back to the reporter again and the woman raised her microphone to speak.
 
"We will try to speak with someone in charge and see if we can identify who the terrorists are and what their... Oh SHIT!!!" the woman suddenly yelled and dived to the side. The sound of shattering glass was heard and the camera swung immediately to the Glasshouse.
 
Glass began to rain down, causing the public to scatter and seek shelter. Something large also came hurtling down and landed with a loud thump on top of the television van frightening the living daylights out of Phil who was inside monitoring the live broadcast and sending it through to their home base. Phil scrambled from his seat, noting the large dent in the roof as he stepped outside to see what the hell had happened. As he looked up to the roof of the van so he was met with a pair of sightless gray eyes and a neat, round hole in the forehead.
 
"Aw, crap." Phil turned to the side and proceeded to dump the contents of his stomach into the garden bed.
 
* * *
 
[Preventer HQ]
 
"Those fucking bastards!" snarled Wufei as he watched the body fall through the air and land on the top of a van.
 
Une sat in mute shock, watching the drama of the falling body unfold, desperately trying to identify who the victim could possibly be. It had on a military uniform and she gave a small sigh of relief. Hopefully Quatre was still alive but it now meant they had two victims. These terrorists certainly meant business and she would need to act quickly to prevent any further loss of life.
 
Heero sat in stony silence, relieved in one way that the victim wasn't Quatre but pained none the less that someone had died. He felt his mission instincts kicking in and growled softly under his breath. Before he could add a comment though, the 'phone was suddenly answered. "Barton?" Heero barked.
 
"Yuy? What the hell is going on?"
 
* * *
 
[Inside the Glasshouse]
 
"Time is up," snarled Jackson as he looked to his watch.
 
"Now see here," began the Sergeant as he stood up.
 
"Sit down!" snapped Jackson. "They were told to take my demands seriously and it would appear they have not."
 
Quatre took a deep breath and then turned his eyes to the head terrorist, speaking softly. "Mr. Jackson, the demands you are making will take time to organize. The Governor cannot make the decision on his own, he has to go through the proper channels and have this done..."
 
*Wham* Jackson's fist connected with the top of the table causing the water glasses to jump and several of the present members as well. Jackson put his face within centimeters of Quatre's and spoke. "Don't give me that bullshit! The Governor can simply pick up the 'phone, call the appropriate institutions and have those people released. There isn't any necessity for all this red tape shit you keep on sprouting."
 
Suppressing the shiver that wanted to tear through his body, Quatre tried to ignore the rancid smelling breath that wafted over him and keep his face neutral. "I'm sure they are doing everything possible to speed things up but it will still take time."
 
"They don't think I'm serious. Well, I think we will have to rectify that," Jackson muttered.
 
"What Mr. Winner is saying is the truth. The Governor cannot make those decisions on his own, there are proper channels that this has to go through..." The sergeant stopped his flow of words and swallowed.
 
"For a sergeant you sure seem to know a lot about procedures and such. I suppose you're quite important to the military," stated Jackson as he eyed off the sergeant. An evil glint came into his eyes.
 
"Err..."
 
"Time to let them know I meant what I said and to stop fucking with me." Jackson spun on his heel and looked to one of his followers. He jerked his head in the direction of the sergeant and gave a nod. "Show them how serious we are."
 
The terrorist raised his semi automatic.
 
"Wait! There's no need..." Quatre's voice was cut off as the sound of a gunshot tore through the small room causing everyone to place their hands over their ears and look wildly about.
 
The sergeant never stood a chance, standing with his back to the glass window the bullet pierced his forehead, sped through his brain and exited leaving a much larger hole through the back of his skull and splattering the glass with bits of blood, brain and bone. The eyes blinked once and then the corpse began to fall backwards. The body crashed against the glass causing it to shatter and then fell through, plummeting to the ground below.
 
The room was silent as the horror registered. No one moved.
 
Jackson strode over to the missing pane of glass and glanced downwards. "Maybe now we will see some action."
 
Minutes later Quatre's cell 'phone began to ring.
 
* * *
 
[Mansion]
 
"Quatre..." repeated Trowa as his eyes remained glued to the screen. Trowa was oblivious for the moment to the words the reporter was saying, his attention was focused solely on the picture of the building.
 
"Shit!" muttered Duo. "Isn't that where the conference meeting is being held?"
 
Trowa nodded mutely.
 
"I'm sure everything is okay with your partner," said Nurse Brown softly as she placed a gentle hand to Trowa's arm.
 
"This is Jasmine Marshall coming to you live from downtown outside the Glasshouse where we have it on good authority that several politicians, military personnel and important figures are being held hostage by a group of terrorists. As yet we don't know what their demands are or what they intend to do if those demands are not met."
 
"I should have gone with him," Trowa stated, his features paling significantly.
 
"He will be all right, Trowa," said Duo as he tried to comfort his distraught friend.
 
"No! I have to call him, I have to know if he's okay." Trowa began to frantically search his person for his cell 'phone. "Where the hell is my 'phone?" he all but screamed in frustration.
 
"Is that it over there?" said the nurse, nodding towards the small china cabinet.
 
Trowa jumped up and shot across the room, retrieving the 'phone and flipping it open. His eyes blinked as he noted two missed calls and a third currently trying to contact him. He cursed the fact that he'd put it on 'silent' and quickly hit the receive button. Duo's sudden cry diverted his attention back to the screen for a moment and his heart plummeted to his boots.
 
There on the television was the image of a body falling from an upper story of the building.
 
"Bastards!" cried Duo.
 
Heero's voice came down the line. "Barton?"
 
"Yuy? What the hell is going on?"
 
~ * ~
 
tbc....