Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Midvalley's Serenade ❯ Out of Reach ( Chapter 40 )

Out of Reach

I walked home in a thoughtful mood, concerned about my father. I had not missed the threat implicit in the phrase Legato used. "Master Knives is aware of your activities and he is not pleased."

Perhaps Knives' was angry that my father had used the agents for his own purpose. I wondered how he had found out about the inquiries.

Next morning, I went into town with what little luggage I had and met Legato at the Maytime Hotel.

Despite how much he'd drunk the night before, he showed no trace of a hangover, but looked at me expressionless, and asked, "Have you finished what you came here to do?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Then let's go," he said and led the way to the armored car reserved for his use.

Once we were settled, the driver, one of Leonof's puppets, started the engine and the vehicle rumbled slowly onto the road that led out of town.

Legato's pulled out a couple of fairly thick briefing packets from a box on the seat next to him and handed one to me.

"These are some of the strategies worked out by Master Knives and myself with input from our agents in place," he said. "You'll need to familiarize yourself with the contents . These are our best guesses about the probable reactions of Vash the Stampede when presented with various scenarios . We need to be flexible in our responses as he has shown himself to be unpredictable in the past."

As I skimmed through Master Knives' plans, I noticed that there was an element in each of them that involved a choice for Vash the Stampede of whether to kill or be killed. The scenarios reminded me of the moves in a chess game. I looked at the geographical locations on a map--Kasted City, Little Jersey, New Oregon, Sky City?

"I've never heard of Sky City," I said aloud.

Legato looked up from the documents he was reading and said, " Knives and his brother were on one of the ships that fell onto this planet over 130 years ago. Other fallen ships were the seeds of the seven great cities. Most people are unaware that one ship never crashed and is still in orbit above us. That ship is Sky City."

"Fascinating," I said and then I gestured at the document I was reading "This scenario calls for Hoppered, Grey Nine-Lives and Leonof to work as a team there. How are they going to get up to the ship?"

"After I have linked with Master Knives, there is generally a boost in my abilities," said Legato. "I will have more than enough power to teleport them."

As intriguing as Legato's information was about the ship in the sky, I was far more interested in what he had let slip about the boost in power after linking with Knives. That was why my music had killed the members of my band, I realized, and why my playing had caused the thunderstorm out on the weapon range.

The realization that Knives had more to do with the deaths of my friends than he had let on riveted me, and eased my guilt. I gave a sigh of relief, raised my head and saw Legato looking at me.

"Have you seen the notes about Carcassus and Tonim Town?" he inquired.

"I was just starting that section," I replied putting aside my thoughts about the band.

Tonim Town and Carcassus were towns where "preparations" were to be made by Legato himself.

"It seems that the population of Carcassus has disappeared without a trace," he told me with a faint smile.

I had read of the phenomenon in the Mei City Times and I had no doubt that Legato was responsible.

I began to reexamine the plans. I plotted the points of the cities and towns involved in the planning sheets on a map and the data made it clear to me that Knives was attempting to channel his brother in a southerly direction. My finger followed the trail until it came to rest on the name of a small city at the southernmost point of Southern Cornelia--Demethri.

"Knives is in Demethri," I said.

Legato said, "Just for the time being. I must congratulate you on your analytical skills, Midvalley. You're more gifted than Knives gives you credit for."

He put his papers aside and said, "So what do you think of our plans, Hornfreak?"

"Very neat. It looks like you'll have him trapped like a rat in a maze. It looks tidy enough on paper, but I know it's going to get bloody."

"Most likely," said Legato, as he stood up and opened the door of the vehicle which had come to a stop.

He stepped out and I followed him.

"This is Warrens City," he said. "Let's eat at the café, then I have business."

I ordered a couple of donuts and coffee, Legato ordered two slices of raspberry cheesecake, "Care for a slice, Midvalley, " he asked me.

"No, thank you," I said as calmly as I could but my face flushed as the memory of what had happened the last time he'd made that offer flamed in my mind.

When my order came, I went outside to get away from him. I couldn't tell whether he'd ordered the raspberry cheesecake to bait me, or just because he liked it. Was it a mind game? After agonizing for a few minutes, I ended up laughing at myself. I dunked my donut in the coffee and enjoyed my meal.

Legato came out of the café a few minutes later.

"I made some inquiries inside," he said. "Walk with me."

We went to a shop at the edge of town. Frank Marlon, Gunsmith, read the sign outside.

We walked in and Legato asked the man who was polishing an engraved revolver, "Are you Mr. Marlon?

"Yes," said the man.

Then Legato, with all his hypnotic skill put the man into a trance.

"You had a customer, a priest," Legato said to Marlon in a voice like spun silk.

"Wolfwood," mumbled Marlon..

"What did he want?"

"I repaired a handgun for a friend of his."

"What friend?" asked Legato smoothly.

"Vash," said Marlon, "Vash the Stampede."

"That's all I wanted to know," said Legato. We left the gunsmith asleep on his feet and returned to our vehicle.

"Marlon seemed to think that your former partner was a friend of Vash the Stampede. I wonder how he got that impression?" he asked in a bland tone, but I felt sure he was baiting me again. First the raspberry cheesecake, now the snide comment about my "former partner."

I was tired of his games and decided to play one of my own.

"That last minute business that Knives had to discuss with you before you came to Mei City, what was that about," I said in a conversational tone as I got into the armored car.

Legato had no response for that. All I had to do to shut him up was remind him of Knives, I thought, and indeed, he was quiet the rest of the day. That evening, we arrived at the outskirts of Kasted City, where my agent had first sighted the Humanoid Typhoon.

"Vash the Stampede knows who I am," Legato told me, "and he must not see me as it is vital to keep our plans a surprise, so you'll be staying on here without me. After I rendezvous with the other Gung Ho Guns in this area, I'll be traveling to southern Cornelia again to arrange more disappearances. In the meantime, your mission is to observe the way the scenario in town plays out and keep Master Knives informed on the success or failure of our enterprise. He also wanted news of his brother. I could think of no one more qualified than you to make the assessment of his brother's physical and mental state.

Make no attempt to contact other agents in the area for any reason. We don't want to arouse the suspicions of Vash the Stampede. Though he may play the fool, I assure you he is anything but."

I took my luggage from the armored car and headed off on foot towards the town. I heard the vehicle rumble away.

My first stop was at a tavern that also served meals. I got my first glimpse up close of the humanoid typhoon while I ate a late dinner there. He was in the company of a young girl, about twelve or so. She was dressed in jeans and a shirt and vest. He looked like a bumpkin with his homespun clothes, scuffed shoes, long unkempt hair and unshaven face. The girl called to him, "Ericks, now stay out of trouble. I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

So Vash the Stampede was calling himself Ericks, now.

One of the drunks in the tavern got rowdy and shoved another of the patrons off the barstool next to him. Then he smashed the bottle he'd been drinking from and tried to gut the man with the pointed shards of the bottleneck.

No one lifted a finger to help or even showed any interest in the drama. The drunks kept drinking and the diners kept eating. I think I was the only one watching and what I saw happened so fast, I almost wondered if I'd seen it.

Ericks was walking over to say something to the bartender, but he tripped over his own feet and accidentally bumped heads with the violent drunk. He and Ericks ended up on the floor both of them out cold. Ericks came to a minute later and acted groggy. I could tell that he was faking it, but there was a deep cut in his wrist where the jagged bottle had sliced it.

"How clumsy can you get, Ericks?" taunted a burly man at the bar rail, but he threw him a bar towel.

Ericks missed the catch, picked it up and tried to staunch the bleeding. A minute or so later, the girl returned and saw the bloody towel.

"Ericks," she scolded him, "I told you to stay out of trouble. Oh, now, you're hurt again. Let's go to the doctor's and get you sewn up."

"There was going to be a fight, Lina. They might have gotten hurt if I hadn't stepped in," whispered Ericks.

"And you're the one who ends up bleeding, as usual," she answered. "What am I going to do with you? You don't take care of yourself."

She took him by the hand and after they left, the bar was peaceful again. I heard grumbling about how stupid, clumsy, and careless that Ericks was. The Humanoid Typhoon had disguised himself well. No wonder it had taken so long to find him.

But I had seen his amazing speed. Vash the Stampede had prevented a death with his quick action. The only person I'd ever known capable of matching him was Nick.

After dinner, I rented a room on the second story of a boarding house across the street from the tavern.

I went to bed, and the next morning, at breakfast in an outdoor café, I saw the Humanoid Typhoon make another appearance, this time in the company of an old woman driving a wagon pulled by a pair of tomases. She went to the General Store, with Ericks and Lina in tow. I walked over and took a seat on a bench outside the store. I lit up a cigarette for something to do and listened to her banter with the owner of the store. He called her Cheryl.

She was frank and outspoken with a mental toughness that reminded me a little of Miss Adelaide at the White Cat Saloon. I sensed that beneath her gruff exterior lay a kind heart.

She bought wire fencing, groceries, and some big sacks of tomas feed. After Ericks loaded the wagon, they left town.

I saw no need to follow them for Legato told me that Caine and Hoppered were conducting the surveillance on the ranch that Cheryl owned.

There wasn't a lot going on in the town. Certainly no music to speak of. I'd asked the tavern owner if he ever had live music, and he flat out told me, no. Just a choir on Sundays at the church.

I didn't have a lot on my schedule at the time, so I decided to lavish Silvia with attention. I changed out the felts on her stops and polished her up.

I was never bored when I played Silvia, and after what Legato had said the day before, I thought that I might be able to play Silvia freely again. I'd had no intimate contact with Master Knives in months, and had played the gig at the Bedbug with no sign of the destructive power I'd shown at the White Cat Saloon.

I sat by the window and picked up Silvia and held her close to my heart. I blew my first notes on and let the music flow through me…..

I lost track of time, but eventually I stopped, feeling a sense of peace. A little later, I brought out the music paper I'd purchased and starting writing down some of the phrases Silvia sang.

I quit late in the afternoon and went to bed a few hours after dinner.

I observed Ericks in action again the next morning, breaking up another altercation between two punks. He ended the fight between the boys, but not before he got punched by both a few times.

I wrote my observations and wired them to Knives

"The subject appears to have a horror of violence to the extent that he would rather be wounded himself than allow others to be hurt. It almost seems that the destruction of the two cities and the act of crippling his brother were aberrations from his normal way of conducting himself. I looked for signs of mental instability but found none."

I didn't think that Knives would like my report, but I filed it anyway.

That afternoon, a gang of outlaws showed up in the town. The leader was a swinish man almost as wide as he was tall. His behavior disgusted me and I was tempted to use Silvia against him, but the scenarios warned against interfering in any way since some of the people involved were actors hired for the occasion. It was important that everything appear natural and unrehearsed.

By the next morning, the town was in an uproar. The Pigman's gang was causing so much destruction that people were eager to leave the town. From my room in the boarding house, I watched the action in the street. A bus arrived and let off one passenger. My heart was in my throat as I recognized Nick. Though he appeared tired and thin, he looked good to me. I was so agitated that I almost called out his name from the second story window but remembered I was to make no contact.

My face heated and my heart beat fast just from seeing him again, and only the chatter of automatic rifles roused me from my fevered memories Out in the street, I saw people in panic, screaming and running for cover.

The bus that Nick had just stepped off filled up with passengers while the ones left outside, fought over the last few seats and standing room. The driver finally closed the door, and rumbled off. It traveled barely two city blocks when an explosion rocked the vehicle, dumped it on its side, and the fuel tank exploded filling the air with thick gray smoke. The panicked passengers screamed and those who could, scrambled out of a jagged opening on the side and ran for shelter.

Every so often, I would get a strong surge of feeling wanting to be with Nick again, but I didn't dare go down to the tavern. It wouldn't do to have a reunion with Nick and get caught by Vash the Stampede. He'd be suspicious for sure then, and all of the scenarios depended on the element of surprise. Vash must think that his movements came from his own free choice. He must never know that nearly all his movements were being orchestrated by his brother Knives.

I picked up a sandwich from the kitchen in the boarding house and returned to the window in my room to observe. I hoped I'd get a glimpse of Nick again, but he didn't appear.

It seemed like the town was getting peaceful again, The I saw Lina and Ericks arrive in a wagon pulled by tomases. The Pigman and his gang of outlaws appeared just as Lina was stepping down into the street. From my vantage point, by the window, I watched the Pigman tease her and grab her by the waist, "What's your hurry, girlie," he rasped. The girl was disgusted by his touch, even more when she pulled away and felt his hands on her buttocks. She whirled away, kicked high with her right foot and left a bootprint in the middle of his face.

I laughed out loud.

The outlaw uttered a high pitched squeal of rage and moved to paw her again but she wheeled out of his grasp and ran, weaving in and out of alleys and past ruined vehicles in the street. I saw her duck into the tavern followed by Ericks.

The outlaw didn't know where she disappeared. He stamped up and down in frustration, and threw a headlock on a man passing by. He threatened to shoot his hostage if the girl wasn't surrendered. I shook my head as I wondered what person in his right mind would give in to that kind of feeble blackmail? And who was he addressing anyway? Ericks?

I waited to see brains splattered in the street.

"Just shoot him and get it over with, " I mumbled to myself. "Nobody cares."

Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised when Ericks left the bar, came out on the street with his hands up, then begged on his hands and knees to have the hostage released and for the girl to be left unharmed. But I was.

The Pigman surprised me by saying that he might let the hostage go, but only if Ericks stripped naked, got down on all fours and barked like a dog.

"That hostage is as good as dead," I said to myself and waited to hear the gunshot that would end the man's life.

I truly did not expect it when Ericks stood up and stripped off his clothes. Even though I already knew about the vast network of scars on his body, still I was shocked to see them in the cold light of day. The man had been through hell, it was clear. But whatever hell it had been, still he got down on all fours and started barking, even scratching like a hound dog with fleas. I heard groans of disgust from the men on the street at the sacrifice of dignity.

I found myself admiring the courage that he showed. I doubted my own ability to do the same, no matter what was at stake. I was surprised when the Pigman seemed to honor the bargain and got in his armored truck which sped away down the street. The drama was over, but then a machine gun barked and rocked the body of Vash the Stampede with the bullet's impact. His bleeding body toppled slowly to the ground.

"That wasn't in the script," I said.

Lina ran out to him from the tavern. Nick followed after with a tablecloth in his arms. He covered Ericks with it, picked him up and set him in the bed of the wagon. Lina got up and took the reins, while Nick ran back into the tavern. I saw him come out with the Cross Punisher. He got in, while Lina urged the tomas team into motion and the vehicle set off in a hurry, to a hospital I was sure. Ericks looked gravely injured.

"Now what?" I wondered.

I went downstairs and asked the landlady at the boarding house where the hospital was and she pointed in the direction that Lina's wagon had traveled.

I worried for a while that Vash the Stampede might die and knew how angry Knives would be if that happened, but then I had a thought that made me confident that the Humanoid Typhoon was still alive. If the blast that leveled July couldn't kill Knives, one bullet certainly wasn't going to finish off his brother.

I was tired of being cooped up and decided to go for a walk. I couldn't say for sure whether the desire to see Nick again if only from a distance had anything to do with it, then again, probably a lot. Still, worry for my father made me veer away from the hospital.

As I walked, I couldn't help thinking about Nick. Having him so close to me and unable to contact him was agony. My nerves were in shreds. I must have walked for at least an hour or more. I was on the edge of town, when I saw a large mansion in the distance. It looked like it was heavily guarded. I had passed by a church with a bell tower just minutes earlier. I walked back to the church and quickly scaled the steps that led to the belfry. I had a bird's eye view of the terrain.

I saw the Pigman at the mansion make a signal to his men. They were armed to the teeth with automatic weapons. I heard the sound of massive gunfire and looked to see their target. My view was blocked by another building as the gunfire continued without letup. Finally I saw two men emerge into my line of sight--- "Ericks" and Nick. The blonde had made a quick recovery.

They walked slowly towards the mansion while bullets whizzed past them. I estimated they were outnumbered 100 to 1 and was concerned for Nick, but then saw him flick the clasp on the canvas that covered the Cross Punisher. With a graceful move, he hefted the massive weapon as if it were a child's plaything and pulled the trigger. Heavy fire from his .50 cal raked the building, his bullets taking out assailants with pinpoint accuracy.

The humanoid typhoon in action was equally impressive. He carried the pistol that I had seen at Augusta. I never saw anyone, who could shoot faster, and every bullet the Stampede fired found a target though his shots had no killing power. It finally dawned on me, that he wasn't trying for a kill. He did just enough damage to stop the violence.

Minutes later, the battle was over and to my relief, Nick didn't have a scratch on him and Vash the Stampede looked as good as new.

I returned to town after that and listened to the shocked comments of the townspeople who never knew that The Vash had been living in their city for months and months. They all wished he would leave as soon as possible.

He'd just saved their town, and this was how they paid him back? It didn't give me a lot of respect for the townspeople when I heard them talk. Not that I was a fan of the guy. But he deserved better than that. I was fairly certain that The Humanoid Typhoon would leave.

I reviewed the packet of plans when I got back to the boarding house.

Knives predicted that his brother's next move, once he was pulled out of retirement in Kasted City, would be to visit Southern Cornelia, where Legato had gone.

I went to the wire office to check for messages. Hoppered's note informed me that Vash was making plans to leave the next day, so I made arrangements to purchase a car and a couple of trucks. I was going to need to follow him and continue observing. The car was for me and two of Hoppered's agents were to drive the trucks. After my preparations were finished, I sat in vigil by my window.

The next morning, Vash the Stampede showed up sporting his trademark spiked haircut. Nick walked beside him. They seemed friendly, and I tried not to let that bother me. When they left town on a second-hand motorcycle, I wasn't far behind them with the two trucks following me.

We followed the motorcycle south, careful to keep out of sight and knew where they were at all times because of the dust trail they raised, but some three hours later, when the dust trail stopped, so did we--- just outside of Little Jersey. They weren't in town long, but an hour later, I heard the sounds of sustained gunfire. I told the truck drivers to wait and drove into town to see what happened.

It was a repeat of the drama at Kasted City. Outlaws had taken over the town, threatening death and destruction. By the time I got to the city center, the fighting was over and the city was a shambles. I asked a deputy what had happened

"Vash the Stampede happened. That's what it was, but it was the damnedest thing--the outlaws are in jail and no one got killed."

I made a note of my findings for the report I would file and then got back in my car and watched to see what would happen next.

Nick and Vash the Stampede left town shortly after, escorted to the outskirts by the less than grateful citizens. I have to admit I was stricken with jealousy again when the blonde outlaw got on the bike behind Nick and encircled the priest's waist with his arms.

"Keep your hands to yourself, dammit," I grumbled though there was no one to hear my complaint.

After giving them a headstart, I gave the signal to the truck drivers and we followed the motorcycle south towards Southern Cornelia, but as before, the dust trail stopped.

I got out of my car, took a pair of binoculars with me, stood up on the roof, and looked to see what happened. I saw Nick with a wrench in his hand, wrestling with the air filter on his motorcycle. I watched Nick's fruitless attempt to repair the cycle with a smile. I was sure that the breakdown was staged.

Nick and the Vash the Stampede sat in the hot sunlight. I didn't know what happened to their canteen. They were thirsty, but the plans called for me to wait two hours before sending in a rescue truck . The second truck and driver were for back-up in case anything unforeseen occurred. I watched the truck approach the two stranded men and saw the driver offer a ride. Nick and his companion climbed into the bed of the truck and the vehicle took off. I followed at a discreet distance. I looked through the binoculars from time to time and saw the two of them rough-housing like school boys in the back of the truck, fighting over the canteen of water I had supplied to the truck driver for them. When the contents spilled out, I shook my head. Nick was right when he said the humanoid typhoon was a lot of trouble.

The truck driver reached the spot where the road forked, but instead of heading south he came to a complete stop. Now what? I spied through my lenses and saw Vash pointing at a sign post. New Oregon lay Northwest, Kansas, to the south. The two passengers got out of the truck. Nick seemed to be vehemently protesting the change of plans for all the good it did him. The outlaw appeared adamant.

The truck driver was under orders to continue to Kansas to avoid arousing suspicion, so it was time for Plan B. I waited an hour, to allay any suspicions that Vash might have about the fortuitous rescue and sent in the second truck.

I watched Nick and his companion climb in the back of the truck bed and the driver headed his vehicle northeast towards New Oregon and I followed them all the way in my car.

A cavalry trooper stopped me outside the city.

"You shouldn't go into New Oregon if you don't have to," he advised me. "There's a feud going on between the Polo and Fris families. Both families are fighting over rights to the satellite broadcast system. Some girl got killed, not sure what faction she was in, but I can tell you that both sides are out for blood and money. It's a war and they don't care who gets hurt. I just heard on the wire that the Polo family hijacked a sandsteamer and it's headed this way. They've taken hostages. I'm warning you to turn away. It's going to get bloody. Lots of travelers have already been killed by mistake."

"Thanks," I told him, "but I've got urgent business in town."

"All right, Mister, but don't say I didn't warn you."

I drove after the truck. There was enough traffic that I didn't worry about getting close. The truck stopped by the satellite broadcast station and Vash the Stampede and Nick got out of the vehicle. I parked my car and watched to see what they would do next. They walked down the street and into a restaurant.

That reminded me how hungry and thirsty I was myself.

I went to the wire office to see if there was any new information from other agents and picked up a couple of messages. I stopped in at a diner and ordered a tomas burger to go and a bottle of beer. I went back to my car and read my wires while I ate the burger.

One of the wires announced that the Bernardelli insurance agents, Meryl Stryfe and Millie Thompson had been assigned to follow Vash the Stampede again in an effort to minimize the destruction of property that always seemed to occur when he was around.

"I wish you luck, girls," I said to myself, "but I just don't think it's going to work."

I was even surer than ever when I re-read the strategic plans that Knives and Legato had developed for the Polo/Fris scenario.

This operation was Leonof's brainchild. He had long been aware of the blood feud between the Polo and Fris families. It was just the kind of situation that would create opportunities for human death and destruction, the kind of situation that caused Vash the Stampede so much pain.

I knew that the satellite station was central to Leonof's plans, so I found myself a good place to view the action on the roof of one of the taller buildings in the area. I watched with my binoculars, musing over the events of the day, when the hijacked sandsteamer came into view. It was moving too fast. The massive vehicle didn't stop when it reached the depot but instead plowed on until it piled with a horrendous crunching sound into the building that held the broadcast booth for the satellite.

For a while nothing happened, but I saw passengers fleeing the stopped steamer. I heard the sound of explosives and gunfire coming from inside the giant vehicle.

It wasn't long before I heard the loudspeaker in the transmissions booth broadcasting everything that went on in the room. I heard angry threats and then the voice of Vash the Stampede pleading for a man's life. I heard the hard smack of fists on flesh, and the agonized pleas of the Humanoid Typhoon and then the sobs of a man about to execute the man who had raped and murdered his daughter. I waited for the shot to ring out that would signal the murderer's death.

"I can't do it. Why can't I do it?" I heard the man sob.

This was not what Knives had planned. Not at all. He expected that one death would bring another and another and another in a cascade chain reaction that would turn the streets of New Oregon into rivers of blood---but that's not how the scenario played out.

When I thought of Vash the Stampede's actions in the past three cities, I began to see a pattern. In Kasted City, in Little Jersey, and now in New Oregon. Massive life of loss was expected, but after the outlaw arrived, no one died. Vash the Stampede had surprised me again.

A few minutes later, the blonde outlaw emerged from the broadcast station, his face swollen and bloody. I must admit that he puzzled me, but I was beginning to feel a grudging admiration for his strength of will. I had to respect that. He didn't seem to care when property got damaged, but he was obsessed with preserving human life.

It confused me though. He wanted to protect the lives even of good-for-nothing scum and murderers.

"Just like me," I said to myself.

I scanned the crowd around the crashed sandsteamer and saw Nick squatting on the ground, eating a bowl of ramen. Vash the Stampede was gone for the moment. I was seized by an irresistible desire to be with Nick, to let him know I was there, and then my thoughts ran wild, to embracing, to kissing, to---God, Nick---but I remembered what Legato said---"Make no attempts to contact other agents for any reason…"

For my father's sake, I didn't want to violate that prohibition, but it was killing me seeing Nick so nearby and unable to contact him. I tried to be professional about it. "You'll live longer, Midvalley," I told myself. Another part that grew in strength with every second that passed said, "Go to him now!

But then I saw Vash the Stampede again. There were two women in the outlaw's company. I was amazed that the insurance girls had made the trip so rapidly. My heart fell as Nicholas joined them a moment later, the Cross Punisher on his shoulder. Nick exchanged a few words with the Vash the Stampede and then left. Miss Stryfe stayed in the company of Vash.

The strangest feeling of joy took hold of me. I could go to Nick now while he was alone. With trembling knees and my heart in my throat, I got to my feet and started to climb down from the roof. I was half-way down when I saw the other Bernardelli agent, Millie Thompson, follow Nick and call to him. He turned and waited for her to catch up.

I'd missed my opportunity. I felt a crushing weight on my chest as I watched them walk out of sight.

As I finished my descent, I felt no need to continue following the outlaw for the moment. Leonof was in command of this operation and I knew he had Vash the Stampede under close surveillance.

I also knew that Knives would want to receive my assessment of events, so despite my depression over being unable to connect with Nick, I pushed my feelings aside. I had a report to write.

I went to a café and while I sipped my coffee, I wrote my impressions of the mission. I wondered if Knives or Legato would consider Leonof's gambit a success. I was fairly certain that Legato would call it failure and I would have agreed.

Despite all our planning, Vash the Stampede had altered events through the sheer force of his will and no one had died. It took me two hours and three pages to come to that conclusion.

I finished the report late that evening and walked to the wire office to send it. With nothing else to occupy my mind, I began to feel my frustration over having lost my chance to be with Nick. I was disappointed and began to get angry as I waited for confirmation from the wire operator that my message had been safely received. "Fucking Knives," I thought to myself as I pushed through the door carelessly and stumbled into the man just coming in .

"Watch where you're going, Mister," he said and caught me before I fell.

"Midvalley!"

It was Nick.

…to be continued…