Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.
I do own Terry Spindown.
Beyond Betrayal: The Lavender Files
Chapter 3: The Wind
Relena ran towards the house as the rain came down harder, an explosion of wind tossing the air into an icy twirl. As she gazed towards her destination, the girl noticed the window to Dave's office was still wide open from when she had opened it earlier that morning. She would have to close it before the water had a chance to flood his desk.
Bursting in the house she and Dave shared, Relena rushed to her boyfriend's office, horrified to see that the wind had already made a mess of the papers, which had been so carefully arranged on Dave's desk. After moving quickly to latch the window shut, Relena let out a sigh as she began to retrieve the damp papers that were now scattered about the floor.
At first, she mechanically began retrieving each one, her mind drifting to other matters, but a certain document caught her attention and Relena stopped her cleaning spree as she studied it intensely. After her first glance through, she hesitated as she listened to see if Dave had come home. Hearing only the wind and rain amidst the silence of the house, Relena fished up the rest of the papers and sat down behind Dave's desk, still holding the document tightly in her hand. She had run in his office so quickly because of the open window; it hadn't occurred to Relena that she had never been in the room without Dave present. She knew he did not like her creeping around his private quarters alone.
Pushing aside her guilty feelings of trespassing, Relena stared widely at what she had discovered, rereading the material to make sure what she had seen was correct.
"SPECIFICATIONS: PROJECT LAVENDER" read the heading on the memo addressed to Dave. Underneath, there were a variety of numbers matching up to what looked to be nonsense. But Relena was not easily fooled.
"Code names," she said under her breath, and studied the page further. Code names to Relena only meant one thing: trouble.
A handwritten note was at the bottom of the document:
Dave-
Here is the latest revision to the specs. The auditors are coming in next week, so make the changes to our "special" account ASAP.
~Terry
"No, it can't be…this can't be right," Relena breathed as the name seemed to scream at her from the page.
Vowing to investigate the matter further before jumping to conclusions, Relena quickly rearranged the papers on Dave's desk the best she could and flew out of the office, her mind racing.
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"Damn," a tall figure in a steel gray overcoat whispered to himself as the wind shook the tiny phone booth in which he was huddled.
"What?" the voice on the other line questioned.
"Nothing," David Bowman said to the speaker, trying to button up his coat. "A storm's coming, that's all."
"Well, Mr. Bowman," the man on the other line began, "it looks as though I have another assignment for you. We just received a new, large shipment of titanium for the 'colony'. I need that amount to be halved in the computer before anyone notices."
"I told you, Terry," Dave spat into the phone, "I don't do that kind of stuff anymore. We're through, ok? You told me after the last one, it was over."
"David, David, I made a mistake. We just need you on board for a little while longer. Lavender is almost complete. You'll receive your due payment in full, just like the last time." Terry Spindown assured the other man in a honey-coated voice.
"No. I mean it. I can't afford to be doing this anymore. Not now, anyway. I'm thinking of having a family, Terry. Go get someone else you can manipulate. I'm done working for you."
"That's not smart, David," Terry hissed, still trying to sound sweet. "You know I was the one who made you who you are today. Just think of yourself, living off of the streets before I found you. My charity to a poor boy that caused him to become one of the richest men in the world hardly qualifies as manipulation."
"You used me, Spindown. I can't believe I didn't realize it sooner, but it's all very clear now. Count me out of your little plan. I'm drawing the line."
"Not if you want your reputation to be shattered. I can ruin you, David. I can expose your dealings to your little princess and then where would you be? What of your family then?"
"I don't care anymore, I really don't care, just don't get her involved. She's not a part of this," David said wearily.
"Oh, but she is, you caused her to be a very large part of this operation," Terry cornered him.
"I'm tired of these games," Dave averted Spindown's verbal trap. "Don’t ever call my home again, I'm not your puppet anymore. This ends now!" And with that, David slammed down the phone, desperately trying to push the mistakes of his past behind him.
"That's too bad, Mr. Bowman. It’s been a pleasure," Terry Spindown cooed to no one in particular after hearing the receiver click. He looked out the large window of his SpinTech Inc. President's office, smiling at the darkening clouds streaming over the horizon. Rolling his shoulders, he called to his assistant and leaned back in his chair.
"Tell my men that Mr. Bowman doesn't like us anymore," Terry said in his most pitiful voice. "That will never do," he then informed his assistant seriously. "This is too big of a deal to afford any slip-ups. I want him out of the picture, immediately. He holds far too many secrets."
The assistant nodded, eyes frightful, and rushed out of the office to deliver the message. Spindown merely chuckled at his timid subordinate as the wind gave a furious holler.
"Yes, there will be pain tonight," Spindown agreed and the wind continued to scream.
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"I told you, I can handle it," Heero mumbled through a clenched jaw. Wufei seemed to think otherwise.
"Look, you idiot. I know Lady Une lets you frolic around the universe wherever and whenever you damn well please, but I will not," Wufei yelled.
"She is your superior, Agent Chang. Be careful," Heero warned.
"You could have had the decency to inform us of the situation yourself. It is a potentially threatening case, which requires you to report it. That is what you're paid for, Yuy."
"And it was reported…"
"By Winner, who hardly shows his face around the organization anyway. What's going on?"
"I have told you," stated Heero, quickly growing irritated, "many times before, if you would just listen for two seconds. By hacking through various records and calling in a few favors, I have located the position of SpinTech's informant. I am going to the address now."
"Why won't you let me get a team of agents together? You're just being stupid by going there alone," Wufei scolded him.
"This mission is hardly above routine. I'm just doing a little spying, that's all. I shouldn't encounter a soul."
"Any mission with you is a potential danger," Wufei said, shaking his head. The Chinese agent often grew annoyed with Heero, but his respect for the reckless man as a soldier always won him over. "Is there anyone who you would be willing to work with on this assignment?"
"I've already contacted Trowa," Heero told him calmly. "He's going to infiltrate SpinTech. He was always good at that undercover stuff."
"Well nice to inform us, Yuy," Wufei said growing angry again. "You only broke a million protocols when you assigned Trowa a mission without Lady Une knowing."
"You'll let her know for me, won't you?" Heero asked, amused. He could see the steam fuming out of Wufei's ears. "I'm going now, Agent Chang," Heero told him.
Wufei let out a big sigh. "Just don't get into any danger, Heero, and don't blame me if you get yourself killed," he said in angry defeat.
"Roger that," Heero confirmed with a smirk as the vidphone switched off.
"Why me?" Wufei yelled, shaking is hand to the ceiling, before his head drooped, knowing he would soon have to face a very irritated Une. He then scowled, remembering his pride, and with chin up sulked into the office from Hell. Heero would pay for this…
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Alright, everybody ready? That was the last of the set up chapters, so next time, be prepared for the good stuff! Are we going to have some H x R moments? You bet we are!