Aya made sure that Brad was comfortable and had another cup of coffee in his hands before dropping his shields to let Schuldig in.
*You’re to come back to the house now. Tell the others.*
*Yeah, I felt the new talent arrive. We’re on our way and I’ll get the others moving.*
Aya sent satisfaction over the link before raising his shields again. “Schuldig is getting them on the move,” he told Brad. “They should all be here in a few moments.”
He wasn’t prepared to talk about any possible relationship between himself and the pre-cog. The thought of Yohji’s reaction to that idea still freaked him out too much for him to voice any thoughts on the issue at all.
He knew the American wanted him, had done for some time, and part of him was intrigued enough to want to explore the idea further but Yohji was hurt enough by sharing him with Zeshin even though he would never agree to do the things that Zeshin did for him.
Even that was bothering him. He felt he was using the boy in exactly the same way as Takatori Mamoru had, for his own ends. The thought didn’t sit well with him and he was trying to wean Zeshin off his emotional dependence on him.
Brad acknowledged Aya’s comment with a brief nod, then took a sip of the hot coffee. He was feeling the leaden weight of tiredness that always followed a very powerful vision like the one he’d just experienced. A vision he was still trying to sort out in his mind, mentally tracking the web work of possibilities he’d seen unfold.
“It’s imperative that we manage to bring this man to us, before Everette can enlist his help. He’s dangerous and he has a powerful and rare talent that makes him even more deadly.”
“Does he know how to use it?” Aya asked, knowing from his own experience that it was rare for an untrained talent to be able to use their gift, curse, whichever it was, effectively. He had managed to use his only in extreme situations before he’d started to train and learn exactly what he could and could not do.
“Unfortunately, yes. And he uses them to very good effect and with a level of control equal to Nagi at his best.”
“Them? He has more than one then?” Having accepted what he was, Aya was now very curious about other talents and their particular skills.
“Yes. He has some ability as a telepath, which helps him to outguess other gunmen. His most dangerous power, however, is his ability to become incorporeal. He has such perfect control of it that he can manipulate any part of his body so that he takes no damage from, say, being stabbed, or shot.”
Aya’s brows shot up at that news. Very dangerous indeed and extremely hard to kill. He opened his mouth to say as much but shut it as Kai slid into the room.
“Schuldig said you wanted to see us all,” he said.
Aya nodded and motioned for the younger assassin to sit down while they waited for the others.
Nagi and Ken were the next to arrive and the telekinetic immediately found a seat without saying a word although he did shoot a worried frown at Brad before relaxing slightly. Aya supposed he was used to Brad’s briefings after his visions and, although obviously tired, the pre-cog looked a hell of a lot better than he had when they’d first joined Schwarz. And they had joined Schwarz, he realised.
As he waited, he mulled that over in his mind. It was almost liberating to be unashamedly black rather than pretend to be white. The targets still seemed to consist of the scum of the earth and at least now they had some choice.
They had considered Schwarz their enemies for so long and yet they had, in reality, probably been one of the only reasons that Weiss had survived at all. After all, where had his talented bodyguards been the night that Takatori Reiji had died? And they’d almost fought as a team against the Elders. It had been after, when they’d tried to take Aya-chan, that the fight had broken out.
That led to another mental question. Was Manx really that bad a shot or had she intended Crawford to live? So much that he’d never questioned before…
He was brought back to a sense of his own surroundings by Zeshin’s quiet arrival.
The boy paused just inside the door, then went to sit at Aya’s feet.
Yohji frowned but refrained from making any comment.
“Good. Now that everyone is here,” Crawford began, “there are a few things we need to discuss.
“First, is the new talent in town. A man of considerable ability. A dangerous biokinetic that can manipulate his physical body and make himself insubstantial. As I was telling Abyssinian here, it makes him very dangerous. Couple that with some telepathic ability and he’s proven lethal to any normal he’s gone up against.”
“Has Everette recruited him already?” Nagi asked, while Schuldig, noticing the frown on Yohji’s face sent him a mental reprimand. *You’re hardly in any position to be jealous, Kudoh, not when you consider the events of earlier this afternoon.*
The blonde’s jade eyes regarded Schuldig, Yohji letting his thoughts flow naturally, *Why not just announce to the room that we were exploring one another’s tonsils? I’m sure everyone but Aya heard you just now. And it’s not jealousy, either. I’m just wondering how long before Aya either gets bored with him, or regrets what he did.*
Brad frowned at Schuldig, *Not now, please, either of you. This is not the time,* but he knew Schuldig would pick up on the slight amusement as the American pictured Schuldig locked in mouth to mouth exploration with Kudoh. The idea interested the dark-haired man, but, it really wasn’t the time for them to discuss the newly emerging sexual dynamics of Schwarz.
“Everette has approached him yes. The man has a reputation that has followed him from San Francisco and points east of California. He’s called the Phantom Gun, but his real name is Cole Randall. He’s half white and half red.”
“So not likely to fit in too well with Everette’s bigoted bunch,” Aya observed calmly. He knew some sort of mental conversation was going on but kept his shields firmly in place. Whatever it was, he didn’t want to know, at least not until they’d sorted out the problem at hand.
Schuldig was unrepentant and merely winked at Brad while smirking at Yohji. *Actually, no, only Brad overheard us. I’m not that lacking in finesse! Now concentrate before Vater gets mad at us both.*
“That is the one advantage we have,” Crawford replied. “It’s our ace in the hole. Some of Everette’s men, even Everette himself, won’t treat Randall as an equal and that will irk him. So, between the time they manage to irritate him, and the time he considers the money worth the annoyance is our window of opportunity to approach him and make a better, less annoying offer.”
Crawford pushed his glasses up, and none of them could miss the smirk on his face as he said, “And that’s why I’m sending Abyssinian and Schuldig to enlist him.”
“Thus showing him your propensity for redheads?” Schuldig enquired sweetly before becoming more serious. “It should prove that we don’t give a tinker’s fart about colour or race at least.”
“Actually what it will show him is that, despite the fact I’m an American, I trust my foreign associates to carry out business arrangements for me. You have to admit that, the fact my second and third in command are not American, and one isn’t white, should do a lot to impress him.”
“That rather depends on what he’s looking for in any arrangements,” Aya pointed out, “but then, doubtless you’ve had a vision or two regarding the way we should proceed.”
Brad only smiled, “Yes, doubtless I have.” There was a pleased glitter in his dark eyes. “Why don’t you take Aya-chan with you? I’m sure she’d like the chance to get out of the house.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Yohji remarked. “I caught Everette’s gunman slinking around here today. Schuldig saw him too.”
Aya narrowed his eyes as he frowned suspiciously at Crawford. “My sister is not part of the deal, Crawford.”
Brad blinked, “Deal? What are you talking about, Fujimiya? She’s been asking to go out, and I thought now would be a good time for it. Her presence isn’t necessary, but,” he shrugged, “she has been complaining about being cooped up.”
“He’s right about that, Aya. Your sister is very unhappy,” Zeshin added very softly. “She’s up in her room crying.”
Although still eyeing Crawford suspiciously, Zeshin’s words struck Aya like a knife and he realised just how hard this time and place must be for his sister and just how lonely the outgoing girl must be. He had a twinge of guilt as he finally grasped the fact that he hadn’t even thought about her well-being until now. Well, not in any other but a slightly possessive, big brother knows best way.
“Okay,” he said, “we’ll take her with us.”
Crawford paused, gaze sweeping the men in the room, “Aya is officially my second in command. Should something happen to both myself and Fujimiya, Schuldig is in control of Schwarz, with the assistance of Yohji. These are my orders, and you are to obey them. Is that understood?”
Farfarello shot a worried glance at Schuldig, *I don’t like this.*
Schuldig shrugged. *It makes sense. The kitties are more likely to take notice of Abyssinian than they are of me. Besides, I don’t really want the responsibility so we’re going to make damned sure they both stay alive and their usual ‘friendly’ selves. Or is something else on your mind?*
*He’s up to something. Think about it. Why would he even tell us this unless he was planning for something?*
“Why am I hearing no answers?” Brad asked.
*You could have a point, Farf, but I think it’s the right decision.*
Nagi raised a tentative hand. “I’ve no argument with your decision,” he said, “but it already works that way, anyway. Why bring it up now?”
Yohji shook his head and reached into his pocket for a smoke, “As if that will happen.”
“He’s a precog, Yohji. Not a god,” Ken remarked.
The former Weiss snorted, “Could have passed for one in ancient Greece.” He reached over to touch Ken’s shoulder, “I’m out of matches, give me a light?”
“And let you smoke in the house? Nor a chance, Kudoh.”
Schuldig sniggered. “Enough response for you, Vater?” he asked while Nagi sighed as he waited for an answer to his question.
Kai remained silent but there was a slight frown on his face.
“Yes, I suppose it will do since I’m not likely to get more than that,” Crawford replied, as he watched the brunette Weiss actually cuddling with Nagi.
He sighed. Everyone had what they wanted but him.
“Well that’s all for now. We’ll be meeting later tonight over dinner.”
Nagi sighed as he realised that Brad wasn’t going to give them any reasons and Kai’s frown deepened.
Aya unfolded himself from his chair with his usual grace and headed for the stairs and his sister. *We’ll be ready to go in five minutes, Schuldig,* he sent as he went.
Zeshin got to his feet the second Aya stood, the boy just as graceful as the older man. He followed Aya out.
“Do you want to take the buggy for Aya-chan, or are you going to walk?” Farfarello asked as he followed the pair of red-heads out with Yohji right behind him.
“I’ll ask her what she wants to do, but I’m guessing she’ll prefer to walk,” Aya told the Irishman.
“Nagi, I’d like to talk to you,” Brad began then looked pointedly at Ken, “alone if you don’t mind.”
Nagi sighed, not wanting to keep things from the now very sensitive jock. “Okay,” he said, then to Ken, “I won’t be long.”
Kai seemed to have been forgotten as usual so he stayed where he was. If they wanted to kick him out they would have to actually acknowledge his existence for once.
Crawford looked at Kai, “Could you refill my coffee for me. When I’m through talking to Nagi, I think it’s time for us to have a private chat too.”
Kai rose obediently to his feet and took Crawford’s cup. He left the room quietly, shutting the door behind him.
Nagi waited until he had gone before frowning at Crawford. “Ken’s sensitive enough as it is at the moment and I don’t like keeping things from him.”
“Some things aren’t for open discussion. This is one of those things.” Crawford regarded the boy for a moment, “To keep you from worrying about what I might be planning that would cause me to firmly state the chain of command, I want to assure you that I have no intentions of leaving, nor do I foresee anything fatal in my immediate future. For that you can thank Kai.”
Nagi smiled one of his rare smiles. “We thought you seemed a lot better,” he said, “but I admit to curiosity about why you chose Fujimiya over Schuldig as your second. I admit he’s a lot less annoying but… are you certain you can trust him that far?”
Brad actually smiled, “Would I have given him that authority if I wasn’t certain about him?” he asked. “And I’m sure you know why I didn’t give it to Schuldig, or at least I would hope you understand our German well enough by know to know.
“Think about it Nagi, I’m sure you understand why.”
Nagi did think about it and finally he nodded. “Schuldig isn’t that good under real pressure and a lot about Rosenkreuz still terrifies him,” he said, “whereas Abyssinian remains focused no matter what. He’s actually a lot like you in that respect.”
“Yes he is, which is why I’ve named him as my second, with Schuldig and Yohji as our backup. Now, can you tell me why I named the pair of them as a contingency, rather than one or the other?”
Nagi shook his head, rather hoping that it never came to that at all. Both Schuldig and Yohji had their problems. “All I can think of is that neither of them are strong enough alone.”
“You are correct. Think about it. If they are leading that means that both Abyssinian and myself are either out of commission, or dead. What sort of shape do you think either of them would be in at that point?”
Crawford’s expression turned very serious. “And that is why I want you to start considering what you will do in the event that something does happen to both Fujimiya and myself. While I’ve named them contingent leaders, it will really fall on you to see everyone out of danger.”
Nagi nodded his understanding although he believed, and fervently hoped, that it would never come to that. As things were, his adoptive father had made good choices. “I won’t let you down,” he promised just as a tentative knock came at the door. “Kai with your coffee, I guess. I’ll leave you to it and… thank you for telling me this. It will go no further.”
The American thought about something, then decided it was time.
“Nagi?”
“Yes?”
“I know I’ve never told you this, and I’m sure some of the things I’ve said and done have been less than pleasant...” he paused, then forced the words out, “I want you to know that I’m proud of you.” He gave the boy another of his own rare smiles, “And I’m glad you’ve got Ken. I think the two of you are good for each other.”
Then as if he’d never spoken, he turned his attention to the papers on his desk.
Nagi took a deep breath before smiling to himself. Crawford had just answered a question he’d asked himself for some time now. Suddenly their argument, and the blow he’d received, over Tot no longer mattered. He left the room, holding the door open for Kai to carry Crawford’s coffee in then closing it behind him.
Brad watched Nagi go, pleased with how the boy was turning out. A killer had managed to raise a boy who was reluctant to kill, and he’d managed to avert a tragedy for the boy by keeping him away from Tot. The girl would have betrayed him in the end, and that was a sort of pain the teen didn’t need in his life. He’d had more than enough already.
Kai crossed to the desk and placed the coffee on the little lace-trimmed coaster there before straightening up and waiting for Crawford to say whatever he wanted to say to him.
“I’m going to need a few things from you today, Kai,” he said as he picked up his steaming cup of coffee. “First I have an errand for you. I want you go to Porter’s hotel and tell him the money for his newest venture is in the bank. Give him this letter of credit,” he said as he pulled a large envelope out of a desk drawer. “You are to take Zeshin with you as I want none of us on the streets alone.”
Kai sighed and picked up the envelope. If that was the extent of Crawford’s ‘private chat’ it meant that he still didn’t know either where he stood or why he was even here. He had no real talent that could help them and felt like so much excess baggage most of the time.
“You’ve been wondering why I’m keeping you,” the American said. “It’s simple. You have a very rare talent, Kai. One that Rosenkreuz would try to warp into something they could use.”
He reached out to brush his fingers across Kai’s cheek in a gentle caress, “You’re a biokinetic, Kai. What in the more common parlance would be called a psychic healer.”
Kai’s eyes widened at the revelation. He’d been told he could pick up images by touching things and, since Schuldig had started training him he’d found that to be true. He’d just not considered it important when compared with what the others could do. And apparently he helped people to sleep better. Big deal!
But now, if he could learn how to use this talent he could be of real use to the rest of them. He wasn’t arrogant enough to believe that they could win every fight without so much as a scratch and then he would really be needed.
“Could I heal actual wounds?” he asked.
“With practice, yes, I think you could,” Crawford replied. ‘As it is you’ve kept me from dying, Kai. So don’t worry that I would ever discard you. Being alive with my t...” he paused, shook his head, “with my family means a great deal to me.”
He put his cup down, pulled Kai into his lap and held him close, closing his eyes. He wouldn’t insult the boy by pretending he was Fujimiya, but Brad couldn’t help the fact that he wanted to be holding the sleek form of the former Weiss swordsman rather than the smaller teen.
Kai wound his arms round Crawford’s neck, knowing that he wasn’t the one that their leader wanted and also knowing that Crawford wasn’t really what he wanted either, although he wasn’t certain exactly who or what that was.
Crawford set his lips to Kai’s, kissing the boy. It wasn’t what he wanted, it wasn’t what Kai wanted.
But they didn’t have many options that wouldn’t cause too much strife. Kai wanted Yohji. Brad wanted Aya.
Unattainable desires.
It was better to have what could be theirs than to have nothing. And Brad was tired of having nothing.
The Schwarz leader broke the kiss, sat there holding Kai, saying nothing.
"I’d better find Zeshin and deliver your letter," Kai said after a long pause.
“I want you to come to my bedroom tonight. Will you?”
Kai blinked. Was Crawford lonely too? And was he the answer to that loneliness? To his own?
“If you want me to,” he found himself saying. Wasn’t something better than nothing? Better than the limbo he felt he was existing in?
Crawford touched his lips to the boy’s mouth in a quick kiss. “Yes I want you to, but only if you’re willing. I might be a bastard on occasion, but I’m no rapist.” He actually smiled as he said it.
“I know that… or at least I think I do. But… I’m not sure that I’m what you really want,” Kai stuttered, not sure what to make of this. “I’m willing but…” He shut up finally, not wanting to make things even worse.
Crawford sighed. “I’m also not going to lie to you, Kai. I want Abyssinian, but I’ve learned that sometimes the things we want most aren’t attainable. Aya is, unfortunately, one of them. At least for now.”
He traced the hard line of the boy’s cheekbone with one finger, “You on the other hand, aren’t out of my reach.”
Unlike a certain, tall blonde who is out of mine, Kai thought bitterly. He made his decision and nuzzled into the caress. “I’ll come to your room tonight,” he promised. Yohji would never even look at him while he had Aya, even if he did have to share him.
“Well it’s settled then,” Crawford remarked as he set the boy on his feet. “Go see Porter and when you have that done go by the tailor’s shop and see if they have my new suit ready.”
He pulled a five dollar coin out of his pocket, and tossed it to Kai, “Then you and Zeshin can go by the general store and get some candy to refill the jar in the living room.”
Kai smiled as he caught the coin and climbed off Crawford’s lap. Decision now made he felt oddly at peace. Crawford wouldn’t hurt him and they might both actually enjoy the experience.
Brad was smirking as he said one last thing, “Find something we can use for lube with the change.”
* * * * * * *
Aya followed Schuldig as the German telepath followed the shielded mind of the new talent on the block. He wondered what the man would make of them and whether someone who was prepared to sign up with Everette was really what they were looking for. Then again, better to have him as a friend rather than an enemy.
The man they were following was tall and lean, almost the same build as Kudoh, but his hair was jet black and pulled back into a tail that fell nearly to his waist. His skin also showed his heritage, being a warm reddish colour. Unlike most of Everette’s men, he was clean, even if his shirt and jeans were a bit thread bare and frayed. The gun belt he wore and a revolver strapped to his right thigh were well taken care of, the gun riding low at his side, almost in the same position that Yohji himself had adopted.
Cole didn’t even turn to look at the pair of men he knew were following him. Probably just another pair of Everette’s men following him to see what he was going to do.
It didn’t matter.
He ducked into the first saloon he reached and headed for the bar.
Aya and Schuldig followed him into the saloon and approached him once he had a drink in his hand.
*Cole Randall, The Phantom Gun. Come to sign up with that asshole Everette. What if we could offer you something better?*
As Schuldig sent the thought Aya studied the man they had come to recruit. Attractive, was his first thought, then, oh damn another good-looking man. Life was complicated enough as it was.
Cole regarded the pair of red haired men with a cool appraisal, ignoring the mental contact.
“You boys want something?” he asked them, his voice deeper than Aya’s, his gaze dark as obsidian, and just as hard.
“No,” Aya said at his most icy. “We want to offer you something. We have everything we need but Mr Crawford seems to think you might actually be worth employing.” His gaze let the gunslinger believe that he wasn’t so sure.
“I might add,” Schuldig said aloud and in a more conciliatory tone, “that you’re the only one of the locals that Mr Crawford has even considered employing. He recognises talent when he sees it.”
Cole was taking note of the accents the pair of men spoke with, at the same time he was sizing them up. The one with the darker red hair had very unusual eyes, violet, and he couldn’t recall ever seeing their like before. While he wasn’t sure about violet-eyes’ accent, he immediately placed the other red-head as being German. He’d heard the accent enough when he’d worked for old man Schultz at the general store where he’d grown up to know it immediately.
“That’s nice. But, if you’ll excuse me, who in hell is this Mr. Crawford you’re talking about, and why should I want to be employed by him?”
“Mr Crawford is an entrepreneur,” Schuldig said carefully, “who sees the potential in providing luxury goods to a one-horse town like this.”
“As to why you should consider being employed by him, well just take a look around you,” Aya said. There were one or two of Everette’s goons further down the bar muttering to each other about ’more darned furriners’ and ’half-breed injuns.’
“I didn’t say I was working for Everette, or had even talked to him. In fact, I don’t recall telling either of you boys I was looking for work at all. Now why don’t you just go on about your business.”
“Right now, my friend, you are our business,” Schuldig said. He would have said more but Aya turned away.
“It seems to me that we’re wasting our time here. Perhaps Randall-san prefers beating up helpless Chinese laundrymen and bullying store-owners to a real challenge. If so he’d be better working with the likes of the two at the end of the bar.”
“And how, exactly, do you know my name?” he asked, watching the pair of foreigners.
*Cut to the chase,* the man thought, aiming the clearly formed words at Schuldig, proving not only that he’d heard the prior communication from the telepath, but that he also knew from whom it had come.
There was a mental chuckle from Schuldig. *Well done, I am the telepath although my companion can also ‘hear’ you if he so wishes. We know your name because Crawford’s a pre-cog, he sees the future and he saw you. As to why we want you, that’s simple. Unlike the great unwashed at the end of the bar there, you are a talent, clean, intelligent and you seem like the sort of man who relishes a challenge.*
Aya dropped his shields and continued the story. *Everette and his thugs dislike anyone who isn’t white American although the man himself does recognise and use talents like yourself. He already has a telepath and a gunslinger who is more than he appears.
*However, when it comes to a showdown between us, and it will, they will not stand a chance as we are all talents. The reason it will come to a showdown is simple. They are bully boys who prey on the weak. We are trained killers.*
*So bullying local shopkeepers is what he does? Thanks for passing on that information, cause, see, he told me he was a businessman who’d run into a bit of a ruckus with some folks who were trying to jump claim on one of his businesses.
And as far as his outfit goes, I’ve already noticed a certain kind of odour about Everette’s boys, and we aren’t talking about the kind that goes away with a bath, though most of them could use one of those too.*
He looked from Aya to Schuldig, *This Mr. Crawford of yours, is he an Englishman? I seem to recall Everette telling me about an Englishman that was getting too smart for his britches.*
*That would be Porter-san,* Aya supplied. *He and Crawford have gone into partnership over the transportation and supply of luxury goods. Everette is not pleased about that. Crawford himself is American and although he can be a sonofabitch at times, he doesn’t give a shit about race or religion. He also doesn’t look too kindly on Everette’s bullying tactics.*
Aya frowned as he realised something. In his own way, Crawford supported the underdog as much as he did.
Schuldig’s mental chuckle sounded again. *Took you long enough, Aya. All we’re asking of you, Mr Randall, is to meet Crawford and make up your own mind about who would make the better employer.*
Cole glanced down at his drink, knocked the shot of whiskey back and set the glass down on the bar along with a few coins.
*I’ll think about it,* he replied to Aya and Schuldig, then motioned to the bartender. “Refill it.”
The man gave Cole a sour look, but walked over with a bottle just the same.
Everette’s men left the bar and headed for the door, careful to keep their distance from the pair of Crawford’s men.
*Off to inform their master of our little talk, no doubt.* Schuldig’s mental voice was scornful but Aya was frowning. Cole Randall had actually impressed him enough that he was hoping that he would join Schwarz and not just so they didn’t have him as an enemy.
Cole downed the second shot, dropped another coin on the bar and turned to regard the two strangers.
“All right, let’s go meet this boss of yours.”
Aya nodded and led the way out of the saloon and down the street towards their house, hoping that there wasn’t too much mayhem going on at present. They were still getting used to each other and even now fights would break out over stupid things. Walking in on one of those would not make for a good first impression.
Luckily the house was quiet, most of them appearing to be out running errands or simply watching the opposition. Aya-chan was sitting on the porch, her face now free of the tears that had marred it earlier when she had refused, point blank, to go with them because she looked ‘a fright‘.
She glanced up at their approach and smiled until she noticed the stranger with them. The smile slowly died as she simply stared at him, eyes wide.
Cole saw a young woman on the porch and gave her a polite nod and a tip of his hat. She was a real looker, and women like that didn’t come on the cheap out here. She also didn’t have the look of the saloon girls or the occupants of the bordello either.
In fact, he gave her another look, there was some resemblance between she and the man with the violet eyes, though she had glossy black hair and the most beautiful large blue eyes.
And now that he was really looking at her, she was the prettiest girl he’d ever set his eyes on.
“Afternoon, miss.”
Aya-chan flushed prettily when the stranger spoke to her. Although she lived with so many men, none of them affected her the way this one did. He was gorgeous with hair and eyes of the deepest black. She forced herself to stop simply staring at him.
“Good afternoon,” she managed to say.
He didn’t give a damn about Everette and his deal. Not if working for Crawford came with getting to lay eyes on such a rare beauty.
“Name’s Randall, Cole Randall. I thought I’d introduce myself since I’m going to be working for Mr. Crawford.”
“Pleased to meet you, Mr Randall,” Aya-chan said although her gaze met that of her brother in silent question. Could they really take someone from this time back to the twentieth century or beyond?
Cole waited for the young lady to give her name, or for one of the two men he was with to make the introduction. When they didn’t he glanced in the German’s direction, *Don’t you know it’s not polite for a lady to introduce herself? What sort of manners do they teach folks in Germany anyway?*
*Actually the lady is from Japan and you wouldn’t believe the codes of politeness they practice there!*
Aloud he said, “May I present Fujimiya Aya-chan. She’s Aya’s sister.” And that was really going to confuse Randall!
Randall blinked, *Fu... Tell me how you say that again, and go slow,* there was a mental smile coming from Cole as he added, *I’m just an ignorant savage after all and these Chinamen say their people invented civilization. Fussy as they are about bathing, and being clean, I can believe it.*
*Fu..jim..me..ah. And please, don’t call them Chinese! They might look like them to you but there’s a world of difference between the two races and both take offence at being mistaken for the other. And, yeah, they do like hot baths!*
*Fu... jim... me.. ah, got it. I’ve never heard of a place called Japan, but I suppose there are lots of places the likes of me hasn’t heard of.*
Cole took off his hat and gave another polite nod to the girl, “I’m pleased to meet you, Miss Fu...jim...me...ah, and please forgive me if I didn’t say your name right, I have trouble with names like Schultz much less a pretty sounding name like yours.”
He was rewarded by a surprisingly deep chuckle from Aya-chan although, if he had glanced behind him, he would have seen a cold glare on her brother’s face.
“You say it very well, Mr Randall, if a little slowly,” Aya-chan said. “But, please, call me Aya-chan.”
Aya’s glare became even more arctic. “We’d better go see Crawford,” he growled out, much to Schuldig’s amusement.
Cole smiled, “Sure thing, Miss Aya-chan.” He nodded his head politely, “You have a nice day now, Miss Aya-chan. I expect we’ll be seeing each other again.”
With the beauty dazzled grin still firmly on his face Cole followed the pair of men into the house, but not without a backward glance at the vision of perfect beauty seated on the porch.
Aya rapped on the door to Crawford’s study, having the strongest feeling that they should have sent his sister out to recruit Randall. The man seemed to be smitten and, even worse, so did his idiot sister.
“Come in, Fujimiya,” Crawford called as he put aside the poor excuse for a newspaper Farfarello had brought to him earlier. Like the others he was sorely missing modern methods of communication like his computer and cell phone.
Aya opened the door and entered the room. “Randall’s here,” he said tightly, his expression forbidding.
Crawford’s mind reached out as well as it could for Schuldig, *I take it our Mr. Randall as met a certain younger sister?*
There was a mental chuckle from Schuldig. *Oh yes! Talk about something at first sight. Just not sure if it was love or lust. Trouble is, neither is Abyssinian.*
Out loud he said, “So I see. Please, have a seat Mr. Randall. Would you care for some coffee or would you prefer something stronger?”
“Coffee’s fine,” Randall replied as he dropped into a plush, padded armchair in front of the man’s desk.
Both chairs and desk were very expensive.
Crawford met Aya’s gaze, “If you would get us some coffee, please, Aya?”
Aya snarled quietly and stomped out of the room, almost bumping into Schuldig as he went. “Get out of my fucking way!”
His mood was not helped by Schuldig’s wide smirk.
Cole couldn’t miss the outburst from the man Crawford had just treated like a personal servant and assumed the red haired man was mad at being treated that way.
His opinion of Crawford teetered on the edge of dropping considerably until he noticed that both the remaining men, Crawford and the German were smirking, amused by something.
Then it hit him, the man was being protective of his sister because he’d been mooning over her like a love struck school boy.
“Guess I’d better walk light around Miss Aya-chan or he’s likely to give me a trip up to boot hill I’d rather not take.”
“Yeah, he is very protective,” Schuldig agreed, “but when you consider their history, it’s hardly surprising.”
Aya chose that moment to return with a tray, four cups and a large pot of coffee which he all but slammed down on the desk. He glared at Crawford. “You ‘saw’ this coming, didn’t you?” Then the glare was turned on Cole. “You hurt her and I’ll kill you!”
Cole sat there watching the red-haired man toss a fit, “Take it easy, Mr. Fujimeeah,” he said, struggling with the name, “I swear I won’t touch her or do anything to compromise her virtue. You’ve got my word on that.”
Aya still glared at Cole but something in the man’s eyes seemed to reassure him that he spoke the truth and the glare went down a notch.
*This is going to be quite amusing I think, Schuldig,* Brad said. *Aya is finally going to have to let go and admit she’s no longer a child. It’s is going to be rather traumatic for him to realize she’s a woman, not his baby sister.*
*She’ll always be that, of course, but she does need a life of her own, just as he does. Oh, and it helps that he seems quite impressed by something in Randall.*
While Crawford was telling Schuldig how things were falling into place for Schwarz, a certain gunslinger in the employ of Everette was watching a pretty dark haired girl he’d taken a fancy to, and telling his companion, “Most of them are gone, so this is as good as it’s likely to get.”
“Well, I’ve dulled their minds enough that they’ll stay engrossed in whatever they’re doing,” his telepathic companion told him, “so they shouldn’t even notice until it‘s way too late.” He glanced at the porch where the girl was sat seemingly in a pleasant dream world. He skimmed the surface of her mind and frowned. How had she come to know Cole Randall?
“Good, keep them that way, I’ll get the girl,” the man said as he kicked his horse to a fast canter, dismounting and jumping onto the porch he grabbed the dozing girl and was about to swing her over his shoulder when he heard a sound.
Yohji had just opened the door to the porch, the blonde still half asleep from his afternoon nap when he saw the gunslinger standing there. His hand dropped for his gun, but he was afraid to shoot for fear of hitting Aya-chan.
The gunslinger had no such compunction.
There was the loud crack of a gunshot.
Jade eyes went wide, shock, the impact of the bullet as it hit his chest staggering the lanky blond.
“Bye blondie.”
Yohji dropped to his knees as the gunslinger tossed Aya-chan over his saddle. He touched his chest, his hand coming away covered in bright crimson.
Blood. He knew the smell of it.
Aya-chan was being taken. He reached for his harigane, pulled, felt it bite skin as it slipped from between his blood coated fingers.
There was a second loud boom, something hitting him. Yohji found himself staring at the ceiling of the porch, unsure how he’d gotten there.
Inside the house Aya froze at the sound of gunshots so close to the house. He left the others talking and made his way to the porch, hearing Aya-chan scream on the way. He broke into a run and heard her scream again, this time from further away.
He opened the door onto the porch and drew up short in shock. His sister was slung over the back of a galloping horse, held in place by Everette’s gunslinger and Yohji… Yohji was lying in a thick pool of his own blood which was dripping off the edge of the porch.
Yohji coughed softly, blood running from his mouth. “Aya... ‘m sorry...”
His jade eyes closed, his breath rattling like Death’s fleshless bones.