Yohji felt his temper rise as another unconscious child was unloaded from an unobtrusive and unmarked Ford Transit van. That was the third today. They had to do something and soon. Although none of the children had left the house yet, there was always a chance that their 'buyers' would turn up in the near future. Then it would be too late. A light touch on his shoulder heralded Chloe's arrival.
"What's happening?"
"It's definitely the right place. That's the third child today."
Chloe nodded. "Recon is nearly over, then. Yuki sent an e-mail earlier. They're unloading movie-making equipment at the Welsh house."
"Are they coming home?"
"No, not yet. They might need to rescue a victim before we can reach this bitch."
Yohji was still unhappy. "And if some of those sicko's turn up to buy the kids when we're not here?" he demanded.
Chloe's icy blue eyes narrowed. "She won't have the time," he said quietly. "Come on, Yohji, go home for now. My turn to get cold."
Yohji took another look at the pathetically small child being carried into the house and sighed. "I hope you're right."
"Looking at her MO, and as long as she doesn't deviate from it, she will 'collect' another dozen or so children before having a 'sale'. Seemingly she likes to offer her sick and twisted customers plenty of choice."
Yohji stood up and glared at Chloe. "How can you be so fucking calm?"
"I'm anything but calm inside but we need to keep our heads. I know this is an emotive issue and none of us want to see anymore children hurt but we can't help them by losing our temper."
He sighed. Chloe was right, of course. It was just so damned difficult for him to detach himself emotionally having seen three helpless and innocent kids carried into that house. "You're right, I'm sorry."
Chloe gripped his shoulder. "It's okay, Yohji. It's been over a year since you did this so it's hard for you to switch off. I understand."
Yohji shook his head. "No, Chloe. Don't make excuses for me. I always did have the tendency to get emotionally involved. It was my biggest shortcoming as an assassin."
Chloe shook his head and smiled ruefully. "You�ve just watched three helpless children be carried into that house and you�ve had all day with nothing to do but think. Go on home and annoy Aya with this shit."
Yohji smirked in response. "And you know exactly what would happen if I did."
"I imagine he would try to persuade you of the error of your ways�one way or another�"
Yohji actually spluttered and blushed at that comment. He did not, however, refute it in any way. "That�s it," he said instead, "I�m out of here! Have fun!"
"Thank you so much." Chloe�s voice dripped with sarcasm as he handed Yohji the car keys before making himself as comfortable as he could for his stint of watching. "Just tell Aya to bring me a flask of hot tea when he relieves me in the morning. By then I�m going to need it! March is not the best month for outdoor night shift!"
Yohji grinned and promised he would mention the flask before holding up his hand in a cheery wave as he headed back to the car.
* * * * * * *
Chloe settled himself as comfortably as he could and sighed. The night watches were always the worst as nothing ever happened and the house stayed quiet and dark.
He should have equipped himself with a torch and a good book for all that he was going to have to report to Aya in the morning.
Thoughts of the redhead and the pissed off and disgusted blonde that he�d just relieved made him sigh again. He could see why they cared so deeply for each other. They were both very special men and had shared a lot of history, much of it really difficult. There was a connection between them that was almost electric in its intensity. They needed nobody else and yet both of them seemed to go out of their way to include him in things.
If they were going to the movies, out to dinner or to concerts or art galleries, they always made a point of inviting him. Not Ken, who shared some of their history, but him. At first he had refused, not wanting to be in the way, but they had persisted and he�d found himself enjoying those evenings.
It had been a surprise to find that they shared a lot of tastes in music, movies and books. Yohji was almost as well-read as Aya or himself, although in different areas of interest, and brought a quick wit to his critiques of books and movies.
He chuckled softly to himself at the memory of the first concert they�d persuaded him to attend with them. He was expecting some loud and raucous rock band but instead found himself at the Royal Festival Hall watching a good orchestra perform a selection of Beethoven symphonies. The following evening Yohji had suggested a club he�d found and again he�d been surprised to find himself enjoying a fine combo and excellent singer of sultry jazz.
So deep was he in his thoughts that he didn�t even notice the van that pulled up quietly not far behind him. It was the cracking of a twig that made him look up just in time for a fist to come out of nowhere and connect with his jaw.
He struggled to his feet only to be overpowered and injected with some form of sedative. His last coherent thought was that Aya and Yohji were going to be so mad at him for his sheer stupidity. Then darkness swallowed him.
* * * * * * *
Aya frowned at the latest e-mail from Yuki. Apparently, as something to do whilst not watching the Welsh house, he had done another search on property sales in Angela Roderigues� name. Seemingly she had purchased an old warehouse in the New Cross area as well as the houses. It would bear checking out.
"Whatcha looking at?" Ken asked as he bounced down the stairs for his breakfast.
"E-mail from Yuki. There�s a warehouse that we need to check out."
"Yohji and I can get onto it once Chloe gets back."
Aya nodded. "I�m just off to relieve him. Make sure Yohji doesn�t spend all day in bed."
"I heard that!" Yohji was heading down the stairs while at the same time rubbing sleep from his eyes. Aya�s stomach did a flip flop at sight of him, but he squelched the urge to kiss him and picked up Chloe�s car keys instead.
"I�ll see you this evening. And you might want to read Yuki�s e-mail."
"Yeah, yeah! Oh! Have you got the flask of tea that Chloe requested?"
Aya nodded and picked up a small duffel bag. He waved a hand and left Ken and Yohji to it.
An hour or so later he was at the vantage point overlooking the Hertfordshire house but there was no sign of Chloe. He searched around the area and found signs of a struggle and tyre tracks that were not made by the car they�d been using. He stared long and hard at the house, but it was quiet with no arrivals or departures. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach and headed back to the car. He drove for a few miles before pulling over and reaching for his mobile.
Yohji answered and he quickly told him what had happened. There was a gasp and then silence for a moment. "That warehouse�she only bought it two days ago. Maybe they�d already spotted us."
Aya thought about that. It would be the perfect location for any dirty work that they wanted to carry out. "Meet me there as soon as possible. I�ve got a really bad feeling about this!"
"Okay. We�re leaving now. Do you want us to wait there for you or go straight in."
"How long will it take you to get there?"
"In London traffic? A good hour."
"Okay. If I skirt round as much as possible I should be able to get there in an hour. Yohji�don�t take any risks, okay? You and Ken are to wait for me."
"Understood. You be careful too."
He cut the connection and pulled back onto the road, his hands gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles were white. If anything happened to Chloe�
He took a deep breath and forced his mind to concentrate on his driving. They couldn�t afford any mistakes not with Chloe at risk.
* * * * * * *
Ken didn�t wait for Yohji to get off the phone before he was upstairs collecting his mission gear. A few moments later he heard Yohji pounding up the stairs and entering the room he shared with Aya. They met back on the landing no more than a minute later and raced down the stairs two at a time.
"I�ll lock up while you get the car started and the garage open," Ken said. Yohji nodded, grabbed his car keys and disappeared into the garage. Ken set the security and locked the door before sprinting for the garage and jumping into the passenger side of Yohji�s car.
Yohji drove them out of the garage and Ken used the remote that had been left on the dashboard to shut the door. Their home was as secure as they could make it. Now all they had to do was drive to New Cross as quickly as they could.
Ken would be the first to admit that Chloe irritated the hell out of him most of the time but the thought of something happening to the Romanian turned his gut. He was one of them. Side B. And nobody messed with them and got away with it. Ken wouldn�t allow it. Then another, darker thought occurred. "What if he�s not there?"
"He�s got to be there! If he�s not�"
Ken didn�t miss the fear in Yohji�s voice and suddenly realised something. "You really like Chloe, don�t you?"
Yohji nodded. "Anyone who had the greatness to give Aya up after being his lover for a while gets my vote, Ken-Ken. I couldn�t have been so selfless. I�d have really pissed Aya off by fighting to keep him, you know?"
Ken thought about that for a while and realised that Yohji was right. "Well, I�ll be damned," he said slowly. "It seems like Chloe has some redeeming features after all."
Yohji smiled slightly at Ken�s epiphany but it was obvious that his heart wasn�t in it. Ken played with his bugnuks and hoped they found some of the bastards who had taken Chloe just so he could kill them.
~TBC~