A Candle for the Future - (18/?)
Title: A Candle of the Future - Chapter 18/?
Author: Silverserpent
Pairings: 1x5
Rating: R
Warnings: yaoi, slash, swearing
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. If you are not 18 you should not be reading this. You have been warned.
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Ch 18
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Heero slid into the seat of the Limousine next to Wufei who was glancing through a file, and shut the door quickly. The car began moving and Heero felt tenser by the second as they approached the gate with the crowd of reporters. There were less news reporters now and the main group appeared to be from the accursed tabloids that were initiating reports of Wufei and himself.
Heero's hand were itching for his gun as the crowd began shouting at the tinted window, 'Mr. Chang' 'Ambassador a momen-' "Please Ambassador Chang'. Wufei sighed softly at the crowd. He was used to this sort of publicity. Heero didn’t see how he could ever become use to the manic crowd that was currently surrounding the vehicle.
After pressing through the crowd, the car headed quickly down the road the gates closing automatically behind them. Cong would make sure that no one snuck onto the property while they were gone. At the highway the car made a left turn instead of the normal right to head into the city. Heero turned to Wufei quickly in his confusion.
Wufei spoke quietly, "The other party wanted to move away from they city setting. We're heading to the suburbs."
"Who is going to be at this meeting?"
"The former Ambassador Chao and the associate of his we are meeting. You heard him. He suggested that there were several business opportunities."
Heero frowned, "But he didn’t say what the business opportunities were."
"No."
The car was silent for another moment, "Then why are we going?"
Wufei chuckled slightly, "In order to take down politicians that are corrupt Yuy, we need to identify who they are and gain their trust. Therefore I will be taking this meeting to encourage the possibility of an alliance between me and the men behind it."
"Do you know who they are?"
"Yes Heero, I have an idea." Wufei pulled out a file and handed it to him. "There are six members on the ESUN security board. Here is a history and Preventer background report on each of them. Tell me if you recognize any of them."
Heero quickly flipped through the pictures, a woman red hair, and curly, bright lipstick, "She was at your Orphan banquet." He flipped to the next one. Blonde hair, crew cut, square jawed man, "He was also there." He flipped the page again and froze on him. A heavy set, chubby man with brown hair that was balding slightly...he had seen him somewhere..."This man."
"His name is Gregory Halifax. He was at one point Ambassador for the Eastern Europa sector. He stepped down after a scandal that was covered up with money laundering. It is a not well known event, but still allows him to be qualified to be on the board."
"You've seen all of these officials on the board at the orphanage benefit, as it allowed me to talk with each of them.” Wufei took the folder from Heero’s hands and started scanning the profiles again, “But Mr. Halifax, you saw when you were doing surveillance on Ambassador Chao previously."
Heero remembered. It was the meeting to get blackmail against Chao. There was Chao and Halifax and the blonde muscular gentlemen at the random high-priced restaurant chain that Wufei bought.
"Who was the blonde at that meeting?"
Wufei shrugged, but was smirking, "That is what I've been trying to find out since then. Unfortunately, I have been unable to identify him or where he is based out of. I've been calling him Blondie and I hope today's meeting will help with that."
Heero nodded and scanned over the rest of the members in the file. No one else rung a bell when it came to Preventer files or places other then the Orphanage Banquet. Heero glanced over at the file Wufei had in his lap. "What are you currently working on?"
"The profiles we pulled based off the letters from earlier." Heero nodded.
After Wufei had gotten off the phone earlier with Ambassador Chao he explained that they were both going to be attending a meeting at 18:00. He then picked up the letters in the bribery stack, threat stack, and meeting stack, and had Heero follow him to the computer banks to start composing dossiers on each of the letter writers that they could identify. It went rather well as each person that could be identified from the letters now had a photo and a basic history composed, some of the writers for the threat letters had chosen to remain anonymous. It was a rushed job, but it appeared that they had gotten the basic information.
The car began to slow and Heero began to tense again. Wufei looked at him in warning, "You need to calm down. You are here only as my bodyguard. Nothing more. Therefore you need to maintain a calm alert manner, but not interfere in the business meeting itself."
Heero nodded. He understood. Primary objective, secrecy. Secondary, protect Wufei. He exited the vehicle, once he made sure his gun was safely tucked into its holster under his jacket. Coming around to the other side of the car, he opened the door for Wufei, who slid out gracefully, looking once more like a calm and powerful politician.
Heero turned and followed Wufei into the small grimy diner that had the tinted windows. It was more like a pub then a dinner. The inside was less then pristine, with flies buzzing through the dim lighting and the smell of grease perforating the air. An older lady with graying hair and slight roundness about the middle came over, "How can I help you two?" She appeared to think that they were lost.
Wufei was still in his suit where as Heero was just in his jeans, the black jacket and his T-shirt, but neither would normally be in a place such as this. Wufei spoke up smoothly, "I'm here on business. Someone should already be waiting." Her eyes widened slightly and she smiled a little broadly.
"Let me show you to you're table." With that she turned and Wufei and Heero followed here back down a hallway off the main room to a door. She knocked twice and waited a second before entering. It was a small parlor, better lit then the main room of the place and definitely cleaner, but there were no windows. There were two leather couches facing each other and a small coffee table between the two. Two men were already in the room seated on the couch facing the door, Ambassador Chao was the first, and the second was unknown. "If I can get you all anything just let me know and I'll bring it for you right quick."
The woman left and Wufei turned quickly to Heero and whispered into his ear, "Stand by the door." He then turned to the two on the couch.
Chao stood up with his hand extended. "Ambassador Chang! I'm so glad you could make it on such short notice." Wufei flashed a small smile, "As am I Ambassador Chao."
"Please just call me Chao.” The other man sitting on the couch arose next to the Ambassador with his hand extended as well. He had short black hair and looked vaguely Asian in decent, but had pinkish hues to his skin like he had been out in the sun to long.
Wufei reached forward to shake his hand, "Dian Tran, Mr. Chang. A pleasure to meet you." Wufei nodded and seated himself on the couch before the other two. Chao sat down when Wufei took his seat, but Tran kept standing looking at Heero cautiously who was standing silently next to the door.
Wufei glanced up at him and stated calmly, "Please it is just my body guard. He comes standard with my position for safety reasons and I enjoy taking him everywhere as my companion. Do not concern yourself with his presence."
Tran sat down and immediately Chao sprang into conversation, "So Mr. Chang, as you know I wished you to have contact with Mr. Tran. I have had business deals with him in the past, while I had been an Ambassador and thought that you and he would both benefit from a new potential business relationship."
Wufei nodded, "Yes, I can see how business ties would be very lucrative, on his part, but what I came today to see was how it could benefit me."
The Ambassador laughed, "Yes of course, eager to get down to business. You are not the CEO of the second most powerful economic empire in the world for nothing." Wufei nodded in agreement and smiled.
Tran sat forward on the couch now and spoke quickly, "Before you were elected as the Ambassador, we had an understanding with Mr.Chao." He smirked at the gentlemen beside him, "We recieved any military contracts that the government was currently enlisting for that sector and in exchange...Chao was benefited in a fitting matter."
Wufei tilted his head at this, "You say 'we' what is the name of the company behind this?"
Tran's eyes narrowed slightly, "Well sir. No offense, but we would prefer it if we were able to keep our company name private, until we can strike a bargain of some form."
Heero, focused on the man. He obviously had information that was not to be discussed at the time. Wufei had found it. Two days as ambassador and he had already, located a major, hole of corruption. They'd be at the Preventers soon.
"Understandable." Wufei nodded. "Is there anything else you wished to obtain from me?"
Tran hesitated... and Chao glanced at him for a moment, "We are interested in the means that you have been completing the large scale construction projects." Heero felt his breath catch in his lungs. They were interested in the mobile suits. "You do understand what I'm talking about, correct Mr. Chang?"
Wufei nodded, "Yes of course. Now what would I gain out of this?" He leaned forward on the couch, "What would I gain from relinquishing my military contracts to another unnamed company instead of rewarding them to myself? What would I gain in relinquishing tightly controlled equipment that the Preventers carefully monitor?"
"Money is always-"
"Money is not a good incentive. I am, as you stated, in charge of the second most powerful company in the ESUN. I need… something else." Wufei leaned back into the couch, meeting Tran’s eyes freely.
Tran studied him for a moment calculating. "And what would entice you?"
Wufei studied his hands for a moment, "Well, every man dreams of power. Perhaps if a higher government position was to open… say on an important Security Board to the ESUN."
Tran sat up straight, betraying his shock, but his voice was calm even if slightly tight. "You believe that to be a fair trade?"
Wufei leaned forward casually and shrugged, "I believe that is the only thing that interests me. Perhaps you should think it over." Wufei stood and shook Chao's hand, "Always a pleasure" and nodded to Tran who was sitting on the couch. He turned and left with Heero close behind.
They left the dingy dinner and entered the limo once again, which started moving once they were seated. Heero spoke quickly as Wufei was thumbing through the file he just picked up again, "You found the man who could elevate you. Why did we leave?"
Wufei handed Heero a sheet out of the folder, it had a man named Curtis Vu, but a picture identical to the man that had been sitting next to Chao. "We left because 'Tran' was nothing, but a lower leveled peon. He was also one of the letter droppers, I assume in case Chao couldn’t have convinced me to see him on such short notice. Tran or Vu has no actual power. I didn't think we would be able to pull information from him anyways."
"So what was the point of the meeting?"
"It lets whoever he works for know that I am interested in the position of Security Board member." Wufei looked over at Heero, "It also lets them know that I am possibly corruptible."
Heero frowned and wanted to contradict the words, but remained silent. He was alluding to his character being corruptible, not himself. "So what is the plan?"
Wufei sighed and took his hair out of its ponytail running his hands through it. Heero focused on the gesture, it was rare to see Wufei with his hair down. "Well we need to do a more in-depth analysis on the backgrounds of the six ESUN SB members, because it has to be more then just Halifax controlling the panel. I just don't know how. And then find a company name to tie to the military contracts...which I doubt we will be able to find through conventional means...so...."
Heero was quiet as Wufei's looked up at him, "Feel like an infiltration mission with me?"
Author: Silverserpent
Pairings: 1x5
Rating: R
Warnings: yaoi, slash, swearing
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. If you are not 18 you should not be reading this. You have been warned.
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Ch 18
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Heero slid into the seat of the Limousine next to Wufei who was glancing through a file, and shut the door quickly. The car began moving and Heero felt tenser by the second as they approached the gate with the crowd of reporters. There were less news reporters now and the main group appeared to be from the accursed tabloids that were initiating reports of Wufei and himself.
Heero's hand were itching for his gun as the crowd began shouting at the tinted window, 'Mr. Chang' 'Ambassador a momen-' "Please Ambassador Chang'. Wufei sighed softly at the crowd. He was used to this sort of publicity. Heero didn’t see how he could ever become use to the manic crowd that was currently surrounding the vehicle.
After pressing through the crowd, the car headed quickly down the road the gates closing automatically behind them. Cong would make sure that no one snuck onto the property while they were gone. At the highway the car made a left turn instead of the normal right to head into the city. Heero turned to Wufei quickly in his confusion.
Wufei spoke quietly, "The other party wanted to move away from they city setting. We're heading to the suburbs."
"Who is going to be at this meeting?"
"The former Ambassador Chao and the associate of his we are meeting. You heard him. He suggested that there were several business opportunities."
Heero frowned, "But he didn’t say what the business opportunities were."
"No."
The car was silent for another moment, "Then why are we going?"
Wufei chuckled slightly, "In order to take down politicians that are corrupt Yuy, we need to identify who they are and gain their trust. Therefore I will be taking this meeting to encourage the possibility of an alliance between me and the men behind it."
"Do you know who they are?"
"Yes Heero, I have an idea." Wufei pulled out a file and handed it to him. "There are six members on the ESUN security board. Here is a history and Preventer background report on each of them. Tell me if you recognize any of them."
Heero quickly flipped through the pictures, a woman red hair, and curly, bright lipstick, "She was at your Orphan banquet." He flipped to the next one. Blonde hair, crew cut, square jawed man, "He was also there." He flipped the page again and froze on him. A heavy set, chubby man with brown hair that was balding slightly...he had seen him somewhere..."This man."
"His name is Gregory Halifax. He was at one point Ambassador for the Eastern Europa sector. He stepped down after a scandal that was covered up with money laundering. It is a not well known event, but still allows him to be qualified to be on the board."
"You've seen all of these officials on the board at the orphanage benefit, as it allowed me to talk with each of them.” Wufei took the folder from Heero’s hands and started scanning the profiles again, “But Mr. Halifax, you saw when you were doing surveillance on Ambassador Chao previously."
Heero remembered. It was the meeting to get blackmail against Chao. There was Chao and Halifax and the blonde muscular gentlemen at the random high-priced restaurant chain that Wufei bought.
"Who was the blonde at that meeting?"
Wufei shrugged, but was smirking, "That is what I've been trying to find out since then. Unfortunately, I have been unable to identify him or where he is based out of. I've been calling him Blondie and I hope today's meeting will help with that."
Heero nodded and scanned over the rest of the members in the file. No one else rung a bell when it came to Preventer files or places other then the Orphanage Banquet. Heero glanced over at the file Wufei had in his lap. "What are you currently working on?"
"The profiles we pulled based off the letters from earlier." Heero nodded.
After Wufei had gotten off the phone earlier with Ambassador Chao he explained that they were both going to be attending a meeting at 18:00. He then picked up the letters in the bribery stack, threat stack, and meeting stack, and had Heero follow him to the computer banks to start composing dossiers on each of the letter writers that they could identify. It went rather well as each person that could be identified from the letters now had a photo and a basic history composed, some of the writers for the threat letters had chosen to remain anonymous. It was a rushed job, but it appeared that they had gotten the basic information.
The car began to slow and Heero began to tense again. Wufei looked at him in warning, "You need to calm down. You are here only as my bodyguard. Nothing more. Therefore you need to maintain a calm alert manner, but not interfere in the business meeting itself."
Heero nodded. He understood. Primary objective, secrecy. Secondary, protect Wufei. He exited the vehicle, once he made sure his gun was safely tucked into its holster under his jacket. Coming around to the other side of the car, he opened the door for Wufei, who slid out gracefully, looking once more like a calm and powerful politician.
Heero turned and followed Wufei into the small grimy diner that had the tinted windows. It was more like a pub then a dinner. The inside was less then pristine, with flies buzzing through the dim lighting and the smell of grease perforating the air. An older lady with graying hair and slight roundness about the middle came over, "How can I help you two?" She appeared to think that they were lost.
Wufei was still in his suit where as Heero was just in his jeans, the black jacket and his T-shirt, but neither would normally be in a place such as this. Wufei spoke up smoothly, "I'm here on business. Someone should already be waiting." Her eyes widened slightly and she smiled a little broadly.
"Let me show you to you're table." With that she turned and Wufei and Heero followed here back down a hallway off the main room to a door. She knocked twice and waited a second before entering. It was a small parlor, better lit then the main room of the place and definitely cleaner, but there were no windows. There were two leather couches facing each other and a small coffee table between the two. Two men were already in the room seated on the couch facing the door, Ambassador Chao was the first, and the second was unknown. "If I can get you all anything just let me know and I'll bring it for you right quick."
The woman left and Wufei turned quickly to Heero and whispered into his ear, "Stand by the door." He then turned to the two on the couch.
Chao stood up with his hand extended. "Ambassador Chang! I'm so glad you could make it on such short notice." Wufei flashed a small smile, "As am I Ambassador Chao."
"Please just call me Chao.” The other man sitting on the couch arose next to the Ambassador with his hand extended as well. He had short black hair and looked vaguely Asian in decent, but had pinkish hues to his skin like he had been out in the sun to long.
Wufei reached forward to shake his hand, "Dian Tran, Mr. Chang. A pleasure to meet you." Wufei nodded and seated himself on the couch before the other two. Chao sat down when Wufei took his seat, but Tran kept standing looking at Heero cautiously who was standing silently next to the door.
Wufei glanced up at him and stated calmly, "Please it is just my body guard. He comes standard with my position for safety reasons and I enjoy taking him everywhere as my companion. Do not concern yourself with his presence."
Tran sat down and immediately Chao sprang into conversation, "So Mr. Chang, as you know I wished you to have contact with Mr. Tran. I have had business deals with him in the past, while I had been an Ambassador and thought that you and he would both benefit from a new potential business relationship."
Wufei nodded, "Yes, I can see how business ties would be very lucrative, on his part, but what I came today to see was how it could benefit me."
The Ambassador laughed, "Yes of course, eager to get down to business. You are not the CEO of the second most powerful economic empire in the world for nothing." Wufei nodded in agreement and smiled.
Tran sat forward on the couch now and spoke quickly, "Before you were elected as the Ambassador, we had an understanding with Mr.Chao." He smirked at the gentlemen beside him, "We recieved any military contracts that the government was currently enlisting for that sector and in exchange...Chao was benefited in a fitting matter."
Wufei tilted his head at this, "You say 'we' what is the name of the company behind this?"
Tran's eyes narrowed slightly, "Well sir. No offense, but we would prefer it if we were able to keep our company name private, until we can strike a bargain of some form."
Heero, focused on the man. He obviously had information that was not to be discussed at the time. Wufei had found it. Two days as ambassador and he had already, located a major, hole of corruption. They'd be at the Preventers soon.
"Understandable." Wufei nodded. "Is there anything else you wished to obtain from me?"
Tran hesitated... and Chao glanced at him for a moment, "We are interested in the means that you have been completing the large scale construction projects." Heero felt his breath catch in his lungs. They were interested in the mobile suits. "You do understand what I'm talking about, correct Mr. Chang?"
Wufei nodded, "Yes of course. Now what would I gain out of this?" He leaned forward on the couch, "What would I gain from relinquishing my military contracts to another unnamed company instead of rewarding them to myself? What would I gain in relinquishing tightly controlled equipment that the Preventers carefully monitor?"
"Money is always-"
"Money is not a good incentive. I am, as you stated, in charge of the second most powerful company in the ESUN. I need… something else." Wufei leaned back into the couch, meeting Tran’s eyes freely.
Tran studied him for a moment calculating. "And what would entice you?"
Wufei studied his hands for a moment, "Well, every man dreams of power. Perhaps if a higher government position was to open… say on an important Security Board to the ESUN."
Tran sat up straight, betraying his shock, but his voice was calm even if slightly tight. "You believe that to be a fair trade?"
Wufei leaned forward casually and shrugged, "I believe that is the only thing that interests me. Perhaps you should think it over." Wufei stood and shook Chao's hand, "Always a pleasure" and nodded to Tran who was sitting on the couch. He turned and left with Heero close behind.
They left the dingy dinner and entered the limo once again, which started moving once they were seated. Heero spoke quickly as Wufei was thumbing through the file he just picked up again, "You found the man who could elevate you. Why did we leave?"
Wufei handed Heero a sheet out of the folder, it had a man named Curtis Vu, but a picture identical to the man that had been sitting next to Chao. "We left because 'Tran' was nothing, but a lower leveled peon. He was also one of the letter droppers, I assume in case Chao couldn’t have convinced me to see him on such short notice. Tran or Vu has no actual power. I didn't think we would be able to pull information from him anyways."
"So what was the point of the meeting?"
"It lets whoever he works for know that I am interested in the position of Security Board member." Wufei looked over at Heero, "It also lets them know that I am possibly corruptible."
Heero frowned and wanted to contradict the words, but remained silent. He was alluding to his character being corruptible, not himself. "So what is the plan?"
Wufei sighed and took his hair out of its ponytail running his hands through it. Heero focused on the gesture, it was rare to see Wufei with his hair down. "Well we need to do a more in-depth analysis on the backgrounds of the six ESUN SB members, because it has to be more then just Halifax controlling the panel. I just don't know how. And then find a company name to tie to the military contracts...which I doubt we will be able to find through conventional means...so...."
Heero was quiet as Wufei's looked up at him, "Feel like an infiltration mission with me?"