3. The road to hell is paved with good intentions*

"So…are you willing to take up my offer or are we going to trade insults all night?" The seedy informer asked Knight nervously as the blond Kritiker agent paced around the shabby motel room looking more and more like a caged tiger every moment.

"Are you absolutely certain of this information?" They couldn't any take chances that this was just a rumor. It would make finding Ran much, much harder if they alerted whoever was keeping the redhead.

But then do we even have a choice? This is the only lead we have and time is running out…

"Hai. Quite sure, I saw a redhead of that description being taken into the house by several well armed men."

"Hmmm, here's your pay."

"Hai, arigatou, Haaichi-san." The informer said insolently. He slunk into the shadows of the hallway, leaving a very pensive Yuushi in his wake.

Yuushi walked to and fro across the room in a frenzied pace, hovering on the brink of indecision.

We have to take a chance on this and hope that this doesn't blow up on our faces… The thing is, it's Ran who will pay the price if it does…

***

Come on little fishie… Take the bait for Uncle Schu-schu...

Schuldich looked up at the cracked plaster ceiling as he projected his consciousness into the room of the motel where the Crasher was in. Nudging, nudging…

:You have no choice. This is the only lead you have. While you're doubting, Ran could be in serious trouble.:

Schuldich didn't even need to add images. The thoughts were enough. The blonde had a healthy dose of imagination and enough experience to know what could be happening to his friend as he dallied.

It's always easier to play with imaginative people. I don't even have to provide you with pretty pictures that might make you suspicious… You've provided them all…

Schuldich was not doing this out of charity. He had his own agenda. After trying several failed ploys to get into the room where Oracle kept his little boytoy without any results, he had come to the conclusion that the only way he was going to have a chance at Abyssinian was to get the man loose from the American's clutches. And Kritiker was just too lame to get the address by itself, so…

It's Schuldich to the rescue. Ah, there you go… Good you’ve taken the bait…

Schuldich waited until he was sure Knight was completely convinced before leaving the motel room. The seedy informer hung from a beam in the ceiling, the newest victim of Schuldich's power. He wanted no traces of his handiwork for Crawford to find.
 
 

I actually did Kritiker a favor… How about that…?

***

Thebes, Greece

"Would you and Eutokles spar with Lysandros and me this afternoon?" Makheon asked Aristaios innocently. The elder of the Peleucides didn't seem to find the question intrusive as he nodded at the suggestion.

Good, he's interested. I've never seen anyone fluster Lys before as much as he does. But then why shouldn't he? He's an intelligent and handsome man. I wouldn't mind having him as my erastes myself. Down Makhi, remember you're doing this for Lys, you can have anyone you want as a bedmate but you have only one true friend.

Makheon wasn't blind; he knew that most of his age mates shunned him because of his acidic wit and quick temper. Though it seemed the men it seemed didn't mind and treated him with some interest, only Lysandros had shown him patience and caring. The other boy had more than once proven himself to be a true friend to Makheon…

-*-

"Makhi, what are doing in the streets this late?" Lysandros Oinomides asked Makheon. His gentle surprise made Makheon uncomfortable.

"Nothing." Makheon knew what they called him at his back, blue-blooded slut, noble whore. He was a disgrace to his bloodline but then…who cared? Certainly not his drunkard of a father, drinking away his cares in one debauched party or another, nor his mother who died bearing him nor the commoners who served his family: they who were worth less than dirt. They didn't care; nobody did.

"Hn." Lysandros just looked at him thoughtfully and started to walk away.

"Aren't you going to ask any more?" Makheon was startled by the easy acquiescence. He usually got more of an inquisition, followed by a leer and painful teasing. He had gotten use to it.

"Hn, if you didn't want me to know, it probably isn't my business anyway." Lysandros said with a soft smile as he turned to Makheon. Startled, Makheon told him the truth grimacing as his stomach grumbled loudly, he hadn't eaten since noon meal.

"I've been locked out."

"Come home with me? I'm sure Mother won't mind if you come to dinner. We have plenty of room."

"Pitying me, Lys?" Makheon said with a curl of annoyance on his lips.

A man had some pride after all…

"It was just a thought…" Lysandros said, voice faltering.

Makheon looked into the other boy's face and saw no trace of pity, only a pensive smile that practically begged to be answered.

"Oh well, I'll come with you. It's not as if I got anything else to do or anywhere else to go."

From that tentative beginning, their friendship had thrived. Lysandros was a quiet stabilizing presence in Makheon's life while he gave the former spontaneity.

-*-

They'll be good for one another… They'd make a great couple… Even if you want Aris yourself…

***

"Knight, are you sure that this was a good idea?" Rook asked over the comm. for the nth time and he wasn't the only one to ask that question. Every member of the Crashers had asked the question at least once in the preceding hour. Yuushi didn't blame them, even he wasn't quite sure that it was.

Yuushi had entered into the Crasher safe house as if his tail had been on fire. He demanded that they mount a rescue immediately on the elite whorehouse where Ran was situated. He brooked no argument and had practically dragged the rest of the team into a car to drive them to the place. Now they were sneaking in the well-guarded complex with only the barest knowledge of what lay ahead.

Baka!

Yuushi could almost hear Ran reaming into him for this one. Running around in the dark into a hastily planned mission…what a way to go.

Yuushi remembered the conversation he had with the rest of Crashers that evening and winced. It was only that he knew they were running out of time. That's why he had hurried. There was no telling what went on in these houses. And he remembered what had happened in the mission to take down Riot… Ran could be dead by the time they got there.

But that was no excuse to behave the way you did. Besides you nearly gave away Ran's secrets…

***

"Damned, Reiichi, haven't you found him yet? It's already been a fucking week!" Yuushi burst out, frustration and worry warring on his face.

"I have been doing my best, Knight. There are no records and virtually no trace of the identity of the buyer or buyers. . It's like he just vanished off the face of the earth. Whoever did this is very good. It's going to take either more time or luck to find him."

"Fine! While you're taking time some perv's been playing with Ran, and we can't do a thing about it."

"Yuushi, just can it. If Bishop says he's making his best effort, then he is. We can't do anything until the buyer is located." Naru said, looking about to explode himself but holding onto his self-control in the face of Knight's anxiety.

"That's fine for you to say! You don't know what Ran's gone through!"

"And what has Ran gone through that's involved with this mission?" Bishop asked, wondering what Kritiker didn't tell them about their former teammate that might be relevant to his investigation.

"Ah…nothing. Maybe I should go out and make some inquiries." Yuushi said, backpedaling out of the room before they could think of asking him.

Oops, slip of the tongue. There are secrets that Ran entrusted to me that he never divulged to another… I must remember that; it's more important now than ever… I nearly betrayed his confidence there…I must have more self-control…

***

Thebes, Greece

"Lys, what's wrong with you today? Your fighting's off, and you barely dodged the last two slashes." Aristaios said while he and Lysandros took a break from their sparring. They had paired right off since both were better swordsmen than either Eutokles or Makheon and enjoyed sparring more than the other two of their established quartet. He had recently become appreciative of the young man's gentleness…so foreign to the consummate fighter the boy seemed at first. Lysandros was like an onion, peeling the outer cover only exposed several layers underneath, a boy of untold depths and diverse interests. Still, Aris prided himself on knowing Lys well enough to know that something was bothering the younger man, something personal.

"Hn."

"You've been very distracted lately…"

"Hn."

"Somebody on your mind."

"Hn."

"Somebody special?" Aris hoped it was what he was waiting for. He didn't really want to have to trust his courtship to Makhi's judgement.

What would he know of someone so virginal as Lys?

"Hn." Lysandros blushed as he grunted, and Aristaios knew he had Lysandros where he wanted the younger man. The elder Peleucides leaned forward to put his lips on Lysandros'.

The younger man tasted of autumn berries just ripe off the bushes, of innocence and deep stillness. He deepened the kiss, wanting, no needing more of the intoxicating sweetness. In the end it was Lysandros who broke off the kiss, gasping, eyes wide with surprise, stumbling away and mumbling incoherent phrases. Aris let him go, eyes narrowing in thought. It wasn't how he'd thought it would go. True, the younger man was a shy virgin, but wouldn't he have warmed up to a kiss? And certainly from the one he was infatuated with?

This is certainly a puzzle… He is interested in men… I know he is… and there was certainly a response, but why did he break off when he did?

-*-

"Little thundercloud, what is it this time?" He said, absently getting an annoyed humph for his pains. Deep within his contemplation of Lysandros, Aristaios barely noticed his younger brother Eutokles walk by with a gloomy countenance.
 
 
 
 

What frog got into his sandals? Anyway, I need to know what's going on with my Lysandros...

It was something Aristaios hadn't certain of until today. That he definitely wanted Lysandros. Not for his fighting skills, though that made it practical, but for the latter's silent gentle self. It was so obvious now that he thought about it… How good Lysandros was to them, often sharing his homemade lunches and his loving family with them… The way he treated Makheon. That boy had the reputation of a whore and a sharp-tongued asp. It was a marvel Lysandros had put up with him for so long.

Patience and caring aplenty, that's what he has hidden in that silent, shy exterior…

-*-

"Lys, I've been meaning to talk to you…" Aristaios said as he sat on the couch where Lysandros was sitting.

He sure is shy…

"Aris…" Lysandros began uncertainly. Aristaios had caught him alone in the room with Makheon. The other boy had excused himself when he saw Aris' intent expression, earning a glare of reproof in the process.

"Why are you avoiding me?" Aris moved a bit closer, trying to gauge the boy's feelings from his expression.

"Ummm…"

"What does that mean?"

"Well…about the other day…" Lysandros moved uneasily away from the man advancing upon him.

"Yes?"

"Ummm…" Lysandros mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that again?"

"I-don't-feel-that-way-about-you." The words tumbled out of Lysandros' mouth so fast that it took a moment for Aris to understand.

"You don't feel that way about me?" Aristaios asked, dumbfounded.

Huh, but Makheon said…and he was wrong…

"Yes."

"You're very certain."

"Yes, I…I-like-your-brother-that-way-though." The words were said in earnest in an effort to convince Aristaios.

It makes a sick kind of sense… He always did hang around when Eu and Makhi spar. Hah, to criticize Makhi's form he says. If he was commenting at all, it was probably on my brother's physique…

"You like Eutokles? Do you want me to tell him…?" Aris wondered what he was going to do if the boy said yes. He was almost certain his younger brother had a thing for Lys as well, given the latter's reaction a couple of days ago.

But I want you myself…how can I make you see that you'd be better off with me than with him…

"No…it's-improper-to-but-you-can-hint." Lysandros was clearly embarrassed at propositioning an older man. Although it wasn't really that indecent, Lys was blushing red enough to rival a tomato. Clearly his shyness was getting the best of him.

"Of course." Very obliquely if at all; I have no intention of ruining my own chances, thank you…

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

You will be mine. I swear it. I will court you until you forget Eutokles. Your mutual infatuation is nothing to my feelings for you. You will forget each other soon enough.

***

Maybe I should have told them… Maybe it would have been better for them to know. Then they would have hurried their own investigations… And I would have died by Ran's sword when we got him back. Ran always did have a temper.

They rounded a corner and came into a hallway full of suites.

No time for thought, time to hunt…It's too much to ask that you have remained unmolested Ran, but hopefully, you'll be relatively undamaged. Relatively undamaged, how cold that sounds… I just hope they haven't broken your spirit… Oh stop it Yuushi, pay attention to your surroundings…

A shot came within two inches of Yuushi's head ,and the immediacies of the situation snapped him into awareness. He looked at his current opponent. The latter was brunette, he wore a suit and glasses and was damned more competent than the rest. The man was infuriatingly, dodging his whip-sword with embarrassing ease, as if he knew where every attack was going to be.

Ah, a cold-eyed professional, not one of the ordinary bodyguards…

The man dodged Yuushi's feint to the left as he moved toward that direction to cut the latter off. Their eyes met and a peculiar sort of recognition went through him. Recognition…and mutual dislike so great that it was almost hatred…