Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Perfect Assassin ❯ The Suspect ( Chapter 13 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
PERFECT ASSASSIN

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or its characters in any way.


CHAPTER THIRTEEN: THE SUSPECT

Sitting and leaning against the headboard of her bed, he couldn’t fall asleep and neither could she. Heero held her between his legs as she rested her head on his chest. With a swift motion of his wrist, he pulled the cover over them in a welcoming cocoon of warmth. Neither had the effort nor the desire to switch the light on so they remained motionless, as they were in the darkness of night. Beyond the floor to ceiling window, the moonlight showered some semblance of brightness through the thin-layered curtains and they were able to see faint outlines of the other person in bed.

Shortly after her outcry from sleep, Relena managed to calm herself and controlled the regulation of her breathing to a normal and steady pace. “Still dark…” she whispered.

“Hn…won’t be long before the sun rises.” He replied, both arms cradling her small form. “Try to get back to sleep.”

Using his right hand, he slowly took the pins out of her hair, to free the gentle golden waves down her back. Even now, he couldn’t imagine how someone could possess such soft and silky tresses of magnificence. Once he finished with the task, it took great amounts of effort from brushing his fingers through her hair. Instead, he simply smoothed the waves of hair and caressed her head to his chest. No question about it, his actions were strange to him, yet he couldn’t prevent the great sensation traveling through his entire body.

“Heero?” She could hear the soft beating of his heart in his chest and was able to count the constant rhythm. The sound felt so comforting and she only wished that she would never part from the bearer of that steady pulse.

“What is it?”

Relena paused before saying, “Thank you.”

He was sure she wasn’t thanking him for putting her hair down. Something must have really frightened her during her sleep.

“Do you… want to talk about it?” He asked.

She didn’t respond but only held onto him tighter. From her lack of comment, he left it unanswered and they both drifted off into their own thoughts as the peak of dawn slowly ascended from the eastern horizon.

Minutes later, Relena broke the silence. “We’re on Quatre’s estate, aren’t we?”

“Yes. He thought you didn’t want to be disturbed in sleep.” He answered. “You looked so tired.”

She gave a silent thanks to Quatre and thought about what needed to be done for the day. She didn’t want to think about the work ahead but it was unavoidable.

“I have to go back to Earth today.” Relena said, making a mental note to herself.

“I’m going with you.”

Suddenly feeling weary of her situation, she asked, “Why?” She didn’t want Heero in such close proximity to her should the moment arise for the assassin to resurface once again.

“Something’s come up and I need to be there to protect you. Une’s orders.” He merely stated.

She sat up abruptly and left his embrace. With hard eyes, she looked at him and asked, “What’s come up? You told me yourself that there are no longer any threats to ESUN and the government, Unified Earth Sphere Alliance. You told me, Heero!”

“Two have been murdered already, Relena. Preventers have been assigned these cases as priority number one. I’m certain you are familiar with Dominic Sackheim and William Smith. They both died needlessly just these past few days. What if you’re next?”

She turned and got off the bed, feeling ill from his information. ‘So, it was true that the murders were under investigation.’ Relena began pacing the room, not sure what to do next. At this rate, they would be able to find the culprit sooner than she thought.

“Trust me, Heero. I’m not on their list. Look, I don’t need you by my side. I’ve already relieved you of your duties. Furthermore, you couldn’t stand the thought of being near me before. Why the change of heart?” Her voice increased an octave in her frustration.

Noticing her discomfort, he decided not to argue with her for now. “Relena, you’re trembling.”

Realizing that she lost control, she took three deep breaths before saying, “Please, Heero, I’ll be fine. I have Alexander with me at all times. You know that!”

She looked ghastly pale and he thought it would be the best for her to think what she wanted to think. He couldn’t figure out what was troubling her. Heero took his time getting off the bed, walked to the door and opened it without so much as a creak. “Very well, Relena. Get dressed. Your shuttle’s waiting for you.”

~*~*~

She didn’t know what to make of Heero’s sudden reappearance back into her life. Was she glad, thankful, or lucky to be near him again? Or did she feel the slightest pinch of angst and regret whenever she thought of her misfortune in not being able to be with the one she loves? Sometimes it hurt so much that she thought her heart would implode and swallow her whole.

Reclaiming her seat as the Vice Foreign Minister on Earth, Relena felt confused with her life: almost lost. How could she possibly maintain a balance working between the contracts, the meetings with other delegates, and her hidden agenda of treachery? The stress weighing on her shoulders was shadowing all mental logic required in her position and she didn’t know how much more of this she could take. ‘It’s only a matter of time before everything crashes.’ She thought.

Somehow her office looked a lot smaller to her as she sat idly behind the mahogany table, attempting to finish off the reports that waited for her return. Suddenly the phone rang and she jumped at the incessant ringing that engulfed her silent workplace.

A chill worked its way through Relena’s spine as she continued staring at the receiver and still refusing to answer it. The ringing continued…

“This is silly.” She coached herself. She knew she had to answer it. If it were a call of the utmost importance, she would definitely regret it later. Shaking off the final jitters of fear and anxiety, she reached for the phone. “Relena Darlian speaking.”

~*~*~

He knew he could have returned to Earth with Relena but she needed some time to herself. Shortly after her departure, he bid farewell to Quatre and thanked him for his hospitality and then he was off to the shuttle port, on the next flight right behind the Vice Foreign Minister without her even knowing about it.

Now on earth, he glanced down at his wristwatch and noticed it was past 10pm. Unlike other average adults with regular working hours, Heero knew she hasn’t returned home yet. In fact, he would bet she was still at the office hacking away files and writing up the remainder of the paperwork.

Once he arrived at Preventers HQ, he climbed the stairs two steps at a time, instead of waiting for the elevator to reach her floor, not quite sure why he was in such a hurry. Perhaps the murders intensified the uneasy feeling at the pit of his stomach. From the previous night he couldn’t stop thinking about her but continued to convince himself it was an emotion of mutual friendship, nothing more. He could still feel the remnants of her smooth skin on his and the way her hair spanned the length of her body, enhancing her distinct features in the moonlight.

Finally, he reached the fourteenth floor. He walked through the main corridor with ease, not even breaking a sweat from the trek up the long flight of stairs. Relena’s door to her office was left ajar and there was a dim light emitting from the small lamp on her desk. He inhaled a deep breath, preparing himself for their next encounter. Heero knew she wouldn’t want to hear what he came here to say. Regardless of her reaction, he must inform her of his true intentions: his mission to guard her from the threat, of course, and to work undercover in hopes of trapping the killer.

He knocked gently on the door and was slightly surprised when no one answered and permitted his admittance into the room. “Relena?”

His right hand found his 9mm glock, tucked in his jacket pocket. With quick reflexes, he used his left hand to swing the door wider and walked into the room, aiming the weapon at anything that didn’t belong. The room was empty of life. He grew worried at the prospect that something already happened to her and he wasn’t here to stop it. ‘Where the hell is she?’

Heero strode back out into the hall and set his instincts on high. Suddenly he heard muffling sounds that came from a few doors down. He crept closer to the door with his gun prepared to fire. The voices became slightly clearer but they were still muffled from the walls. A man and a woman…

“You don’t…this” was all Heero could hear from the man. The other words faded into the background and he couldn’t decipher the entirety of the conversation. Then the woman spoke.

“….have no… but to do…” came the woman’s share of the dialogue.

“Put the … down, Relena.” Pleaded the man.

Heero was shocked to hear Relena’s name in the conversation. Was she in danger? Without another thought, he charged into the room, pistol aimed at the ready. Regardless of his training with Dr. J, despite the atrocities of war, nothing prepared him for the scene frozen in front of him.

“Relena… what are you doing?” Heero asked firmly. He raised his gun with both sweaty palms and aimed the weapon at the woman he thought he knew. Lucas Pavilion sat unarmed behind his oval desk, staring straight ahead at the pistol pointing directly towards him. Relena stood a few feet away from the most respected politician with her gun fully loaded and aimed at Pavilion. Heero had never seen her with such intensity shown on her face.

“You shouldn’t be here, Heero.” She replied softly, never leaving her eyes from her target.

“Please, Relena. There’s no need for violence. What’s the meaning of this?” Pavilion asked gently, still maintaining his calm façade.

“I’m sorry but your services are no longer needed, sir.” She answered sadly, putting her head down slightly.

“Drop it, Relena.” Heero warned. She never flinched or moved a muscle. He was simply shocked by the event, beyond words. How was he going to get through this?

“Listen to the young man, my dear. I don’t want to see you get hurt.” The old man cajoled. Despite the pleading around her, she remained fixed in her position.

“Don’t make me repeat myself. Drop the weapon or I will shoot you.” Heero commanded louder as he knocked the safety off the pistol and aimed his gun to her chest. He already envisioned pulling the trigger and piercing her heart at the moment of impact with one bullet.


TBC…