A Race
The soldier that was standing guard at the gates of Central Headquarters stretched in a tired manner and then resumed with his duties. The night was quiet, albeit cold, and he could clearly see everything because of the unusually bright moonlight.
“Hey.”
The guard almost jumped at the sound of a human voice so close to him. It turned out that there was no need for alarm, however, because he recognised the man that was now approaching him.
“At ease, Hudson,” Havoc said with a chuckle, holding his palms up in a gesture of surrender.
“My apologies, Lieutenant Havoc,” Hudson replied, saluting cordially. “I didn’t expect to see you here at this time of night.”
“You didn’t?” Havoc asked, blinking in surprise. “Didn’t Lieutenant Colonel Hughes tell you then?”
Hudson looked at Havoc with mild surprise. “Tell me what, Sir?”
Havoc huffed in a dismayed manner, muttering under his breath. “He forgot, the idiot.”
“Sir?” Hudson said, bemused.
“I was supposed to come and pick him up right about this hour so we could go have a drink at the bar nearby,” Havoc explained. “But if he didn’t tell you that I’m expected, then he forgot and went to his home to sleep!” Havoc huffed again in frustration.
“Well… he’s still inside,” Hudson ventured after contemplating matters for a few moments. “Maybe he’ll come down shortly.”
“Yeah, maybe,” the lieutenant said. He got a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it, as though trying to forget his problems. “Want one?”
“No, thank you, Sir.”
Havoc just half-shrugged at that, then took a couple of drags and exhaled them deeply. A few moments later, he decided to speak again.
“You know, this is taking forever. Do you mind if I use the phone inside your post?”
“Sure, no problem,” Hudson answered with a nod.
“Thanks.” Havoc stepped inside and located the phone up on the wall. He dialled the number that Roy gave him but, moments later, he realised that something wasn’t right. Hughes was taking too long to answer.
Keep your cool, Havoc reminded himself. No one’s to suspect something’s off.
Finally, there was a hesitant, almost apologetic answer. “Hello?”
It was a woman; Hughes’ secretary, from the sound of things. He berated himself for forgetting such an important detail like that.
“Scieszka?” he asked, even though he wasn’t sure if he had said the correct name.
“Yes, who is it?”
“It’s 1st Lieutenant Jean Havoc; a friend of Hughes.”
“Yes, of course… He mentioned your name… You’re also Sarah’s friend, right?”
“Well… yeah.” Havoc quickly squashed the giddy feeling at the thought that the woman who had captured his heart was talking about him to her friends. Staying in focus was far more important now. “Anyway, I wanted to talk to the Lieutenant Colonel. Could you…?”
Havoc’s voice trailed off, because his ears suddenly picked up a most unexpected sound from the other end of the line.
“Scieszka? Are you crying?”
“I’m sorry!” the girl said, sniffling. “It’s just that… I’m not the Lieutenant Colonel’s secretary anymore…”
“What are you talking about?” Havoc asked, taken aback. A moment later, he felt a creeping suspicion settling on the back of his mind. “You… got fired?”
The sound of more sobs was enough answer.
Great… What am I supposed to say to that? Havoc thought.
“Um… how did that happen?” True, it was kind of an insensitive way to ask that, but he couldn’t afford any time for courtesy.
“I don’t know!” Scieszka said. “He just got a call from the Führer’s secretary and next thing I knew, he told me I was fired!”
All right, Havoc certainly didn’t know Hughes as well as Mustang, but this behaviour was very unusual for such a considerate man. And if Havoc still had any doubts that there was something very wrong, they dispersed in thin air after Scieszka mentioned Douglas.
“Look, I’m sure he didn’t mean it,” Havoc said in his attempt to calm the woman. “He was probably tired or something. Just go home and I’ll talk to him, okay?”
“Okay,” Scieszka replied, her hitching subsiding significantly. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Do you know where Lieutenant Colonel Hughes is now?”
“The Führer asked to see him in his office.”
“I see. Thanks. Bye for now.” And with that, Havoc hung up.
“Any problems?” Hudson asked curiously, sensing that the telephone conversation had reached to an end.
“Yeah,” Havoc said, stepping out. “Looks like Hughes and I are gonna have to put off the visit to the bar.”
“Tough luck, Sir,” the guard said sympathetically. “There’s nothing better than some liquor to warm your insides on such a cold night.”
“Things are already heated enough.”
“What was that, Sir?” Hudson said, not catching Havoc’s muttered words.
“Nothing. Have a good night.”
“You too, Sir.”
Havoc just made a small hand motion in goodbye and walked away, allowing the black veil of darkness to swallow him. He didn’t have to go very far away though. He crossed the street and walked to a park nearby, taking cover in the shadows.
“What happened?” Roy asked, frowning. “Why didn’t you get him out?”
“He wasn’t in his office, Sir.”
“But you lit your cigarette. That was the signal that he was in.”
“He’s with the Führer, so I couldn’t contact him to get out. But that’s not all.”
Roy looked at Havoc with an impatient manner. “Well?”
“The Lieutenant Colonel fired his secretary. I’m not sure why, but it happened right after Douglas called him.”
Roy cursed through his teeth.
“He knows something. That’s why he fired her; he doesn’t want her in any danger.” He locked his eyes on the building, his hands fidgeting slightly as he held a pair of binoculars. “What did you tell her?”
“That she should go home,” Havoc answered.
“Good call.”
Suddenly, a pebble landed close to Roy and Havoc’s feet, making both men immediately look upwards. Fuery was up in the tree close to the other two soldiers, and he was pointing in the direction of Central Headquarters. Realising that something was happening, Roy brought up the binoculars and looked in the same direction.
“Havoc… Is the secretary a young girl with brown hair and glasses?”
“Yes,” Havoc said. “Why?”
“She’s just walked out of the gate.” Roy lifted his head just slightly so that he could glimpse at the offices. “Hmm… only three lights are on now,” he mused. “The one is at the corridors… The other is in the Führer’s office… But what’s the other room?” Roy lowered his head and, to Havoc’s alarm, a gasp of shock escaped his lips.
“Sir, did you see that?” Fuery asked, still perched on the branch. He looked as though about to fall of the tree in his startled state.
“I’m afraid so,” Roy replied.
“What is it?” Havoc asked, not really understanding.
Roy lowered his binoculars. And though Havoc had to admit that he had witnessed his superior angry and frustrated and ready to incinerate everything in sight a lot of times during the time he had served under that man’s command, this was the first time that he ever saw the Colonel’s cheeks lose their colour.
“That shape-shifting Homunculus you told me about… the one Ed fought in the lab…”
Havoc felt like his heart missed a beat. “Did you see him?!”
Roy nodded weakly. “He’s just walked inside Headquarters in the form of a female officer.”
“What about the guard?” Havoc said, surprised.
“He was the guard.”
It took a lot to unnerve Havoc, it really did. But the idea that he had only minutes ago talked so casually with the enemy without realising was quite unsettling, to say the least. It was no wonder Ed was so tense when he described his encounter with that… thing.
“So that means they’re making their move, right?” he asked Roy.
“It seems so.” Roy was gripping the binoculars so tightly now that it was a wonder that they hadn’t broken yet. His face was the epitome of cold-blooded calculation, but Havoc could still see the anxiety reflected within them.
“Sir, the target’s moving!” Fuery exclaimed at that moment.
Roy reacted at once, bringing the binoculars up again. What he saw through them Havoc didn’t know, but the string of curses that his ears managed to pick up told him that things didn’t look good at all.
“He’s leaving with the Homunculus!” he said. “Tell the others!” he commanded Fuery and, without missing a heartbeat, he grabbed Havoc by the arm and they started giving chase. As they still ran, Havoc could see from the corner of his eye flashes of light; the signal Fuery sent to Hawkeye, Breda and Falman. Nevertheless, Havoc didn’t have the luxury of time to think about it much. He focused instead on the pursuit of Hughes and Envy, still running side by side with the Colonel.
They didn’t have to run for long. Seeing that their targets had come to an abrupt halt next to a phone-booth, both Roy and Havoc stopped on their tracks as well and hid in the shadows of an alley nearby. They both watched with bated breath as Hughes stepped into the booth, frantically dialling numbers; crying out in frustration and finally placing the receiver down; and they both saw him slashing the ‘lieutenant’s’ throat.
When the Homunculus arose and changed his form, however, Roy instantly jumped forward.
No! Havoc immediately grabbed the Colonel and pinned him face down on the ground.
“Let go!” Roy hissed, struggling to get up.
“He’ll recognise you from your alchemy, Sir!” he hissed back near Roy’s ear.
Just then, the sound of a gunshot ripped through the air like a knife; just when the great clock-tower of Central, the sole witness of those strange events, ticked over to midnight.
Or rather, two gunshots. They were simultaneous, but Havoc was still able to tell the difference in the sound. One shot was directed at Hughes, who fell in a heap on the ground, but the other shot got the Homunculus on the head. Blood spilt everywhere and the creature staggered on his feet… yet he didn’t fall.
All Havoc could do was stare in numbing surprise at the scene before him. That kind of a wound should have killed any man instantly but, apparently, it wasn’t so for the Homunculi.
That didn’t stop Roy from drawing a circle on the ground and triggering an alchemic reaction. A flash of yellow light lit up everything for an instant, and then a huge fist sprang from underneath the Homunculus, encasing him tightly. Both Roy and Havoc watched with widened eyes, dreading that the fist wouldn’t be able to hold the Homunculus, yet hoping that it would.
Finally, everything grew quiet once more. It was Roy who broke the silence first, glaring in Havoc’s direction.
“I may be called the Flame Alchemist,” he said with a scowl. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t know any other arrays, Lieutenant.”
Havoc could easily tell that he was blushing in embarrassment. “Sorry, Sir,” he mumbled apologetically. But Roy was already on his feet, hurrying at Hughes’ direction, so Havoc followed close to his heels.
The Colonel was already kneeling beside his friend and trying to check his vital signs when Riza and Hayate came running towards them.
Havoc clearly saw some smoke in the woman’s gun, something that made him smile inwardly. The eyes of the hawk were sharp indeed.
“Are you two all right?” she asked, her breath firm in spite of her sprint.
“Yeah,” Havoc answered. “Unfortunately, so is that,” he added, pointing where the Homunculus was cocooned.
At those words, Riza immediately pointed her gun towards the fist, expecting at any moment the Homunculus to jump out. Soon enough, Breda and Falman also arrived and, knowing what to do after years of training, they totted their own guns in case there were any other unwelcome surprises.
That gave Havoc the opportunity to approach Roy, watching apprehensively as the man opened the lieutenant colonel’s shirt. It was sickening to see how quickly the white was replaced by crimson.
“How is he?” he asked.
“He’s alive, but I don’t know for how long,” Roy whispered hoarsely. “The bullet hasn’t exited and there’s the damage inside his heart and lungs…” he swore in frustration. “He needs a doctor…”
“And a nurse…” Havoc breathed out.
Roy stared at him, eyes widened. “Do you know one we can trust?”
Havoc didn’t get a chance to answer. At that moment, Fuery arrived in Roy’s car and parked beside the phone-booth.
“Right on time…” Roy murmured. “Falman, Breda… help me put Hughes in the car; you will be coming with me. Riza, you know where we’ll be going, right?”
“Yes, Sir,” the woman answered with a nod.
“Stay with Havoc. Once he finds the nurse, bring them both there, understood?”
“Yes, Sir.” With that, they all rushed into action, hoping that they wouldn’t be too late. Fuery started the engine and frantically drove off, whereas Havoc and Riza ran to find the second lieutenant’s car.
By the time Envy managed to break himself free from his stony prison, enraged and swearing revenge on whoever did this to him, everyone was already gone.
Roy still paced up and down the living room, hardly paying attention to anyone or anything. Hawkeye and Havoc were still with him, seated on a couple of chairs nearby, no word coming out of their lips. The place was quiet, but all three knew that in the next room two people were giving their own battle to save a man’s life.
Roy sighed and rested his back against the wall. His hands kept fidgeting and he tried all kinds of tricks to stop them from shaking, but it was to no avail. The image of Maes covered in all that blood was nerve-racking and dark thoughts about what would have happened if he hadn’t come in Central when he did to save that idiot entered mercilessly in his mind.
The way things stood now, it was more than a probability that Maes would die anyway.
Is this how you would work under me and help me on my way to the top? Taking the bullets and getting yourself killed?
“Idiot…”
“Sir?” Hawkeye asked, not really understanding what her superior had just muttered under his breath.
“Nothing,” he answered. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was sure that he had been unnecessarily snappish, but he couldn’t help it. He was tired, he had a headache, and just a few hours ago he discovered that the country for which he had sworn an oath to become Führer and change it to the better was manipulated to enter into a world of anarchy.
The sound of a door opening made him and the two lieutenants turn around. But as it turned out it was the exit door that opened and the people who stepped in were Breda, Falman and Fuery.
“Well?” Roy asked, unable to keep the weariness off his voice.
“We saw a couple of military men exiting the Hughes’ residence,” Breda answered. “Mrs. Hughes seemed fine though.”
Roy nodded his acknowledgement. “That means they probably just informed her about her husband’s disappearance.” He made an almost absent-minded movement with his hand, beckoning his newly-arrived subordinates to have a seat as well.
“With all due respect, Sir,” Falman said, “Maybe you should sit down too.”
But Roy wouldn’t have it. If he sat down, then his body would probably betray him and he’d break down. Even now he could feel his heart luring him into blinding feelings of despair and he couldn’t allow that. He had to be strong for his men and especially for Maes; the time when he would put a gun under his chin, struggling with himself to pull the trigger or not, was over.
Another door clicked open and this time it was Sarah Abbot who entered the room. Roy noticed that Havoc was the first to stand up, looking at her with a concerned expression. Her lips just tugged to a small, reassuring smile and then she turned to Roy.
“We’ve managed to remove the bullet and stop the bleeding. However, he has lost a lot of blood which needs to be replaced if he’s to pull through.”
“You can have mine,” Roy said at once.
“Mr. Mustang, it’s not that easy. We’re talking about a lot of blood,” Sarah said with a shake of her head. “Still, I have some good news. Maes’s blood type is AB positive. That means all of you can give blood, as long as it is positive.”
“Then I’ll go first,” Hawkeye said.
“I’ll go second,” Fuery said.
In a matter of moments, everyone else had volunteered as well, and Roy now knew that everything would be all right.
When Falman stepped out, it was Roy’s turn to walk inside where Maes was. Dr. Knox and Sarah were in the room too, but he hardly paid attention to them. His eyes locked on his friend’s wan face and heavily bandaged torso. Maes’s glasses were removed and carefully placed on a table nearby, and Roy almost chuckled to notice how different Maes was without them.
He also nearly cried when he realised how different Maes was without that optimistic life-force which annoyed Roy so much in the past. If he hadn’t seen Maes’s chest rising up and down in such a steady, albeit slow, rhythm, he would have thought that Hughes was already dead.
“You okay?” Dr. Knox’s voice sounded close to him.
“I’m fine,” Roy answered in a steady tone, rolling up the sleeve of his right arm. He didn’t sit at once, as another thought suddenly occurred to him. “Knox?”
The doctor regarded Roy curiously. “Yes?”
“The other body… is it still labelled ‘unknown’?”
“Yes,” Knox said.
“Well, not anymore,” Roy said. “Can you arrange that?”
Knox didn’t answer at once, clearly contemplating matters. “Guess I can no longer pretend I’m not involved. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks.”
The doctor just settled with a pat on Roy’s shoulder and then turned to Sarah. “I need some air. If there’s any change, let me know.”
“Of course,” Sarah said. As soon as Knox left, she put on a pair of surgical gloves and told Roy to sit.
Roy complied, now keeping his eyes on Sarah. “Thank you for coming. And I’m sorry for putting you through this,” he said politely.
She smiled a bit and carried on with her work. “It was the least I could do,” she said.
There was silence for a few moments, during which Sarah patted Roy’s arm to find a large enough vein to put the needle in.
“Does your daughter know you’re here?”
She shook her head. “She’s quite the heavy sleeper, so I won’t be missed.”
“I see.”
There was silence once again.
“Maes poked his nose into something that he shouldn’t have, did he?” Sarah asked, still working.
Roy caught himself nodding.
“Do you know how many other military men are involved besides the Führer?”
This time Roy stared at the woman wide-eyed, something that made her chuckle.
“It’s only logical,” she said, shrugging a bit. “A lieutenant colonel has been shot and yet you didn’t take him to a military hospital or inform the Führer. It can’t be anything against the State itself, because I know Maes well enough that he would never be a part of such a scheme. So that leaves one option: you’re working against the military, which, in turn, has secret agendas of its own. Though I have to admit that everything I figured was mere speculation, your reaction confirmed things for me.”
Roy closed his eyes momentarily and leaned back when Sarah asked him to. He had to admit that he was bested.
“You have quite the shrewd mind,” he said. “The job of a librarian doesn’t suit you.”
“You make it sound as though it’s degrading I have that job,” she mused before asking Roy to clench his hand into a fist. “Yet it still gave me the things I wanted when I wanted them.”
“Such as?”
“A steady income and a chance to forget.”
“That’s right… I think I heard Havoc mentioning something about your husband,” Roy said. At the next moment, he shook his head. “I suggest that you forget your deductions as quickly as you came up with them. That’s what almost cost Maes’s life.”
Sarah regarded Roy in a steadfast manner, green eyes locking on obsidian-coloured ones.
“Did Mr. Havoc tell you that my husband was killed in action in Ishbal? And that I served there too?”
Roy stared wide-eyed at the woman for a second time. “That explains some things, I suppose,” he finally said.
“So I hope you’ll forgive my straightforwardness,” Sarah said. “All these years I believed my husband died in the name of the peace which King Bradley declared he wished for this country. If what you say is true and this man has some secret agenda of his own at the expense of Amestris, then that war was nothing but a travesty; the real war is here and I don’t want to live in fear that maybe I will mourn someone else because of it. Not if I can do something to make sure that that doesn’t happen. I want… to make a difference this time…”
Roy watched Sarah in mild consternation as her face grew lines of anguish and her lower lip started trembling so violently that it was impossible for her to talk any further. In the end, she gave up and just removed the needle from his arm since she had taken enough blood. “That’s all,” she concluded, composing herself once more. She turned on her heel quickly. “You should call Mr. Havoc inside.”
Though Roy arose, he didn’t walk out just yet. He remained frozen, contemplating matters and weighing his desire to protect her, a civilian, against her desire as a mother to protect her child at any cost.
“Mrs. Abbot… I’ll tell you everything I know.”
She didn’t say anything, but her nod was thanks enough. He started talking.
Neither noticed Havoc stepping quietly away from the door, pondering on the conversation he had just overheard.
When Dr. Knox was back inside the house, he seemed to have realised at once that some kind of understanding was formed between Sarah and the soldiers. So, when Roy and the others decided to gather into the living-room once again to talk, he told her that she could join them as well and he would stay with Hughes. Feeling grateful, the woman thanked him for that and went to sit beside Havoc.
But Havoc pretended as though he didn’t acknowledge her presence. He wasn’t sure if he could look at her at this point. Instead, he kept his gaze stubbornly locked downwards, the thoughts that were plaguing him right then proving too powerful to disregard in order to focus on what really mattered at this point: how they should proceed next without the Führer or any of his accomplishes figure out that something is up.
One of the things that Havoc did manage to pick up was that Maes’s funeral would be done. If the enemy believed that Hughes died anyway, they would become more confident in their movements. Meanwhile, Sarah would take care of Maes with Dr. Knox’s help until he was fully healed. On the other hand, Gracia wouldn’t be informed about her husband for the present. Sarah would keep an eye on the woman and be on the ready to warn the others if something were to go wrong. Havoc was also sure that Hawkeye mentioned Alice’s name, even though he still couldn’t bring himself to pay much attention. But Sarah said something to the likes of she could stay with Gracia and Elysia – Maes’s daughter would certainly need the company for the first few days, at least.
“That settles it then,” Roy said with a sigh at that moment. He looked at his watch and let out a small whistle. “4.30. We are supposed to ‘arrive’ in half an hour.”
“I’ll get the car ready,” Falman said and he walked outside.
“When is your appointment with the Führer?” Breda asked.
“9 o’clock. Although something tells me that he’ll be very sad to inform me that Hughes has been found dead in an alley and our debriefing will be postponed yet again.”
“How’s that supposed to happen?” Fuery asked curiously.
“Knox will see to that.”
And that, Havoc thought, was the end of the discussion. He caught himself saying to the Colonel that he would drive Mrs. Abbot back to her house, to which Roy nodded his permission. So it was that, five minutes later, Havoc drove away with Sarah next to him.
Havoc didn’t know whether she noticed that something was wrong when he still wouldn’t talk to her in the car. He still didn’t try to make amends for that silence, nor did she attempt to engage him into any conversation either. That is, until they arrived at her house and she asked him to come inside.
“Maybe I should go…” Havoc started, but his voice trailed off as he kicked himself mentally. Honestly, he didn’t know if he could sound any lamer than that.
“Not before we talk,” she said, her tone quite adamant.
Havoc sighed.
“All right. We need to talk anyway.”
He followed her inside without saying another word. She took off her shoes so that their clicking sound on the wooden floor wouldn’t upset her daughter’s sleep, and he followed suit. He ruefully watched her go upstairs to check on Alice while he waited patiently into the living-room. A few minutes later, she returned and told him that the little girl was sleeping like a log just as Sarah suspected, something that made him smile, albeit wanly.
Sarah crossed her arms. “So… what seems to be the problem? You’ve been awfully quiet since we left Dr. Knox’s house.”
Only then did Havoc force himself to look at her in the eye. “I heard you talking with the colonel.”
She looked at him in a bemused manner. “What about that?” she asked, clearly unsure as to what Havoc was trying to say.
“Are you sure about the decision you made?”
“Of course,” she answered without hesitation. “I want my daughter to grow up in a safe world.”
“Even if she risks losing you?” Havoc asked softly. He took a bold step forward, bringing himself closer to her so that he could take one of Sarah’s hands and bring it close to his chest. “Even if I risk losing you?” he asked in barely a murmur, feeling hurt and a bit betrayed.
She sighed sadly.
“Jean…” She used her free hand to gently prod him even closer and touch her forehead with his. “If Bradley isn’t stopped, then everything will be lost anyway,” she whispered, her eyes still locked on his. “You understand that, don’t you?”
“I do, don’t get me wrong,” Havoc answered, closing his eyes in defeat. “But I…” His grip on her tightened without realising it; he was too caught up in his attempt to explain to her, to make her understand. “I…”
“I know,” she said.
Havoc couldn’t tell if it was his imagination or her breathing really quickened as she said those two words. Nevertheless, the air that tickled his lips brought him even closer to her and now he could almost feel every inch of her body against his. A strange twinge stirred his insides, making his heart beat frantically. It hurt him, but not enough to make him scream in pain. It numbed him, but not to the point that his legs would give way under him. It dizzied him enough to make him feel like he was floating in water and he had to wrap his arms around her so he wouldn’t fall.
“Don’t you?” she breathed out, her own grip just as strong now.
Yes, Havoc knew. And that knowledge was that made him claim her lips with his own. It was the reason he parted his lips in order to drink more of that sweet essence that was all her, trying to quench that unbelievable thirst that suddenly settled within his very core. That was why he loosened her ponytail, feeling her long black hair cascading down her back and brushing against his hands; why he moaned at the touch of her fingers on his hair.
It was because of that knowledge that he let her guide him upstairs into her bedroom and he locked the door behind him.
TBC…
“Hey.”
The guard almost jumped at the sound of a human voice so close to him. It turned out that there was no need for alarm, however, because he recognised the man that was now approaching him.
“At ease, Hudson,” Havoc said with a chuckle, holding his palms up in a gesture of surrender.
“My apologies, Lieutenant Havoc,” Hudson replied, saluting cordially. “I didn’t expect to see you here at this time of night.”
“You didn’t?” Havoc asked, blinking in surprise. “Didn’t Lieutenant Colonel Hughes tell you then?”
Hudson looked at Havoc with mild surprise. “Tell me what, Sir?”
Havoc huffed in a dismayed manner, muttering under his breath. “He forgot, the idiot.”
“Sir?” Hudson said, bemused.
“I was supposed to come and pick him up right about this hour so we could go have a drink at the bar nearby,” Havoc explained. “But if he didn’t tell you that I’m expected, then he forgot and went to his home to sleep!” Havoc huffed again in frustration.
“Well… he’s still inside,” Hudson ventured after contemplating matters for a few moments. “Maybe he’ll come down shortly.”
“Yeah, maybe,” the lieutenant said. He got a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it, as though trying to forget his problems. “Want one?”
“No, thank you, Sir.”
Havoc just half-shrugged at that, then took a couple of drags and exhaled them deeply. A few moments later, he decided to speak again.
“You know, this is taking forever. Do you mind if I use the phone inside your post?”
“Sure, no problem,” Hudson answered with a nod.
“Thanks.” Havoc stepped inside and located the phone up on the wall. He dialled the number that Roy gave him but, moments later, he realised that something wasn’t right. Hughes was taking too long to answer.
Keep your cool, Havoc reminded himself. No one’s to suspect something’s off.
Finally, there was a hesitant, almost apologetic answer. “Hello?”
It was a woman; Hughes’ secretary, from the sound of things. He berated himself for forgetting such an important detail like that.
“Scieszka?” he asked, even though he wasn’t sure if he had said the correct name.
“Yes, who is it?”
“It’s 1st Lieutenant Jean Havoc; a friend of Hughes.”
“Yes, of course… He mentioned your name… You’re also Sarah’s friend, right?”
“Well… yeah.” Havoc quickly squashed the giddy feeling at the thought that the woman who had captured his heart was talking about him to her friends. Staying in focus was far more important now. “Anyway, I wanted to talk to the Lieutenant Colonel. Could you…?”
Havoc’s voice trailed off, because his ears suddenly picked up a most unexpected sound from the other end of the line.
“Scieszka? Are you crying?”
“I’m sorry!” the girl said, sniffling. “It’s just that… I’m not the Lieutenant Colonel’s secretary anymore…”
“What are you talking about?” Havoc asked, taken aback. A moment later, he felt a creeping suspicion settling on the back of his mind. “You… got fired?”
The sound of more sobs was enough answer.
Great… What am I supposed to say to that? Havoc thought.
“Um… how did that happen?” True, it was kind of an insensitive way to ask that, but he couldn’t afford any time for courtesy.
“I don’t know!” Scieszka said. “He just got a call from the Führer’s secretary and next thing I knew, he told me I was fired!”
All right, Havoc certainly didn’t know Hughes as well as Mustang, but this behaviour was very unusual for such a considerate man. And if Havoc still had any doubts that there was something very wrong, they dispersed in thin air after Scieszka mentioned Douglas.
“Look, I’m sure he didn’t mean it,” Havoc said in his attempt to calm the woman. “He was probably tired or something. Just go home and I’ll talk to him, okay?”
“Okay,” Scieszka replied, her hitching subsiding significantly. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Do you know where Lieutenant Colonel Hughes is now?”
“The Führer asked to see him in his office.”
“I see. Thanks. Bye for now.” And with that, Havoc hung up.
“Any problems?” Hudson asked curiously, sensing that the telephone conversation had reached to an end.
“Yeah,” Havoc said, stepping out. “Looks like Hughes and I are gonna have to put off the visit to the bar.”
“Tough luck, Sir,” the guard said sympathetically. “There’s nothing better than some liquor to warm your insides on such a cold night.”
“Things are already heated enough.”
“What was that, Sir?” Hudson said, not catching Havoc’s muttered words.
“Nothing. Have a good night.”
“You too, Sir.”
Havoc just made a small hand motion in goodbye and walked away, allowing the black veil of darkness to swallow him. He didn’t have to go very far away though. He crossed the street and walked to a park nearby, taking cover in the shadows.
“What happened?” Roy asked, frowning. “Why didn’t you get him out?”
“He wasn’t in his office, Sir.”
“But you lit your cigarette. That was the signal that he was in.”
“He’s with the Führer, so I couldn’t contact him to get out. But that’s not all.”
Roy looked at Havoc with an impatient manner. “Well?”
“The Lieutenant Colonel fired his secretary. I’m not sure why, but it happened right after Douglas called him.”
Roy cursed through his teeth.
“He knows something. That’s why he fired her; he doesn’t want her in any danger.” He locked his eyes on the building, his hands fidgeting slightly as he held a pair of binoculars. “What did you tell her?”
“That she should go home,” Havoc answered.
“Good call.”
Suddenly, a pebble landed close to Roy and Havoc’s feet, making both men immediately look upwards. Fuery was up in the tree close to the other two soldiers, and he was pointing in the direction of Central Headquarters. Realising that something was happening, Roy brought up the binoculars and looked in the same direction.
“Havoc… Is the secretary a young girl with brown hair and glasses?”
“Yes,” Havoc said. “Why?”
“She’s just walked out of the gate.” Roy lifted his head just slightly so that he could glimpse at the offices. “Hmm… only three lights are on now,” he mused. “The one is at the corridors… The other is in the Führer’s office… But what’s the other room?” Roy lowered his head and, to Havoc’s alarm, a gasp of shock escaped his lips.
“Sir, did you see that?” Fuery asked, still perched on the branch. He looked as though about to fall of the tree in his startled state.
“I’m afraid so,” Roy replied.
“What is it?” Havoc asked, not really understanding.
Roy lowered his binoculars. And though Havoc had to admit that he had witnessed his superior angry and frustrated and ready to incinerate everything in sight a lot of times during the time he had served under that man’s command, this was the first time that he ever saw the Colonel’s cheeks lose their colour.
“That shape-shifting Homunculus you told me about… the one Ed fought in the lab…”
Havoc felt like his heart missed a beat. “Did you see him?!”
Roy nodded weakly. “He’s just walked inside Headquarters in the form of a female officer.”
“What about the guard?” Havoc said, surprised.
“He was the guard.”
It took a lot to unnerve Havoc, it really did. But the idea that he had only minutes ago talked so casually with the enemy without realising was quite unsettling, to say the least. It was no wonder Ed was so tense when he described his encounter with that… thing.
“So that means they’re making their move, right?” he asked Roy.
“It seems so.” Roy was gripping the binoculars so tightly now that it was a wonder that they hadn’t broken yet. His face was the epitome of cold-blooded calculation, but Havoc could still see the anxiety reflected within them.
“Sir, the target’s moving!” Fuery exclaimed at that moment.
Roy reacted at once, bringing the binoculars up again. What he saw through them Havoc didn’t know, but the string of curses that his ears managed to pick up told him that things didn’t look good at all.
“He’s leaving with the Homunculus!” he said. “Tell the others!” he commanded Fuery and, without missing a heartbeat, he grabbed Havoc by the arm and they started giving chase. As they still ran, Havoc could see from the corner of his eye flashes of light; the signal Fuery sent to Hawkeye, Breda and Falman. Nevertheless, Havoc didn’t have the luxury of time to think about it much. He focused instead on the pursuit of Hughes and Envy, still running side by side with the Colonel.
They didn’t have to run for long. Seeing that their targets had come to an abrupt halt next to a phone-booth, both Roy and Havoc stopped on their tracks as well and hid in the shadows of an alley nearby. They both watched with bated breath as Hughes stepped into the booth, frantically dialling numbers; crying out in frustration and finally placing the receiver down; and they both saw him slashing the ‘lieutenant’s’ throat.
When the Homunculus arose and changed his form, however, Roy instantly jumped forward.
No! Havoc immediately grabbed the Colonel and pinned him face down on the ground.
“Let go!” Roy hissed, struggling to get up.
“He’ll recognise you from your alchemy, Sir!” he hissed back near Roy’s ear.
Just then, the sound of a gunshot ripped through the air like a knife; just when the great clock-tower of Central, the sole witness of those strange events, ticked over to midnight.
Or rather, two gunshots. They were simultaneous, but Havoc was still able to tell the difference in the sound. One shot was directed at Hughes, who fell in a heap on the ground, but the other shot got the Homunculus on the head. Blood spilt everywhere and the creature staggered on his feet… yet he didn’t fall.
All Havoc could do was stare in numbing surprise at the scene before him. That kind of a wound should have killed any man instantly but, apparently, it wasn’t so for the Homunculi.
That didn’t stop Roy from drawing a circle on the ground and triggering an alchemic reaction. A flash of yellow light lit up everything for an instant, and then a huge fist sprang from underneath the Homunculus, encasing him tightly. Both Roy and Havoc watched with widened eyes, dreading that the fist wouldn’t be able to hold the Homunculus, yet hoping that it would.
Finally, everything grew quiet once more. It was Roy who broke the silence first, glaring in Havoc’s direction.
“I may be called the Flame Alchemist,” he said with a scowl. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t know any other arrays, Lieutenant.”
Havoc could easily tell that he was blushing in embarrassment. “Sorry, Sir,” he mumbled apologetically. But Roy was already on his feet, hurrying at Hughes’ direction, so Havoc followed close to his heels.
The Colonel was already kneeling beside his friend and trying to check his vital signs when Riza and Hayate came running towards them.
Havoc clearly saw some smoke in the woman’s gun, something that made him smile inwardly. The eyes of the hawk were sharp indeed.
“Are you two all right?” she asked, her breath firm in spite of her sprint.
“Yeah,” Havoc answered. “Unfortunately, so is that,” he added, pointing where the Homunculus was cocooned.
At those words, Riza immediately pointed her gun towards the fist, expecting at any moment the Homunculus to jump out. Soon enough, Breda and Falman also arrived and, knowing what to do after years of training, they totted their own guns in case there were any other unwelcome surprises.
That gave Havoc the opportunity to approach Roy, watching apprehensively as the man opened the lieutenant colonel’s shirt. It was sickening to see how quickly the white was replaced by crimson.
“How is he?” he asked.
“He’s alive, but I don’t know for how long,” Roy whispered hoarsely. “The bullet hasn’t exited and there’s the damage inside his heart and lungs…” he swore in frustration. “He needs a doctor…”
“And a nurse…” Havoc breathed out.
Roy stared at him, eyes widened. “Do you know one we can trust?”
Havoc didn’t get a chance to answer. At that moment, Fuery arrived in Roy’s car and parked beside the phone-booth.
“Right on time…” Roy murmured. “Falman, Breda… help me put Hughes in the car; you will be coming with me. Riza, you know where we’ll be going, right?”
“Yes, Sir,” the woman answered with a nod.
“Stay with Havoc. Once he finds the nurse, bring them both there, understood?”
“Yes, Sir.” With that, they all rushed into action, hoping that they wouldn’t be too late. Fuery started the engine and frantically drove off, whereas Havoc and Riza ran to find the second lieutenant’s car.
By the time Envy managed to break himself free from his stony prison, enraged and swearing revenge on whoever did this to him, everyone was already gone.
Roy still paced up and down the living room, hardly paying attention to anyone or anything. Hawkeye and Havoc were still with him, seated on a couple of chairs nearby, no word coming out of their lips. The place was quiet, but all three knew that in the next room two people were giving their own battle to save a man’s life.
Roy sighed and rested his back against the wall. His hands kept fidgeting and he tried all kinds of tricks to stop them from shaking, but it was to no avail. The image of Maes covered in all that blood was nerve-racking and dark thoughts about what would have happened if he hadn’t come in Central when he did to save that idiot entered mercilessly in his mind.
The way things stood now, it was more than a probability that Maes would die anyway.
Is this how you would work under me and help me on my way to the top? Taking the bullets and getting yourself killed?
“Idiot…”
“Sir?” Hawkeye asked, not really understanding what her superior had just muttered under his breath.
“Nothing,” he answered. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was sure that he had been unnecessarily snappish, but he couldn’t help it. He was tired, he had a headache, and just a few hours ago he discovered that the country for which he had sworn an oath to become Führer and change it to the better was manipulated to enter into a world of anarchy.
The sound of a door opening made him and the two lieutenants turn around. But as it turned out it was the exit door that opened and the people who stepped in were Breda, Falman and Fuery.
“Well?” Roy asked, unable to keep the weariness off his voice.
“We saw a couple of military men exiting the Hughes’ residence,” Breda answered. “Mrs. Hughes seemed fine though.”
Roy nodded his acknowledgement. “That means they probably just informed her about her husband’s disappearance.” He made an almost absent-minded movement with his hand, beckoning his newly-arrived subordinates to have a seat as well.
“With all due respect, Sir,” Falman said, “Maybe you should sit down too.”
But Roy wouldn’t have it. If he sat down, then his body would probably betray him and he’d break down. Even now he could feel his heart luring him into blinding feelings of despair and he couldn’t allow that. He had to be strong for his men and especially for Maes; the time when he would put a gun under his chin, struggling with himself to pull the trigger or not, was over.
Another door clicked open and this time it was Sarah Abbot who entered the room. Roy noticed that Havoc was the first to stand up, looking at her with a concerned expression. Her lips just tugged to a small, reassuring smile and then she turned to Roy.
“We’ve managed to remove the bullet and stop the bleeding. However, he has lost a lot of blood which needs to be replaced if he’s to pull through.”
“You can have mine,” Roy said at once.
“Mr. Mustang, it’s not that easy. We’re talking about a lot of blood,” Sarah said with a shake of her head. “Still, I have some good news. Maes’s blood type is AB positive. That means all of you can give blood, as long as it is positive.”
“Then I’ll go first,” Hawkeye said.
“I’ll go second,” Fuery said.
In a matter of moments, everyone else had volunteered as well, and Roy now knew that everything would be all right.
When Falman stepped out, it was Roy’s turn to walk inside where Maes was. Dr. Knox and Sarah were in the room too, but he hardly paid attention to them. His eyes locked on his friend’s wan face and heavily bandaged torso. Maes’s glasses were removed and carefully placed on a table nearby, and Roy almost chuckled to notice how different Maes was without them.
He also nearly cried when he realised how different Maes was without that optimistic life-force which annoyed Roy so much in the past. If he hadn’t seen Maes’s chest rising up and down in such a steady, albeit slow, rhythm, he would have thought that Hughes was already dead.
“You okay?” Dr. Knox’s voice sounded close to him.
“I’m fine,” Roy answered in a steady tone, rolling up the sleeve of his right arm. He didn’t sit at once, as another thought suddenly occurred to him. “Knox?”
The doctor regarded Roy curiously. “Yes?”
“The other body… is it still labelled ‘unknown’?”
“Yes,” Knox said.
“Well, not anymore,” Roy said. “Can you arrange that?”
Knox didn’t answer at once, clearly contemplating matters. “Guess I can no longer pretend I’m not involved. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks.”
The doctor just settled with a pat on Roy’s shoulder and then turned to Sarah. “I need some air. If there’s any change, let me know.”
“Of course,” Sarah said. As soon as Knox left, she put on a pair of surgical gloves and told Roy to sit.
Roy complied, now keeping his eyes on Sarah. “Thank you for coming. And I’m sorry for putting you through this,” he said politely.
She smiled a bit and carried on with her work. “It was the least I could do,” she said.
There was silence for a few moments, during which Sarah patted Roy’s arm to find a large enough vein to put the needle in.
“Does your daughter know you’re here?”
She shook her head. “She’s quite the heavy sleeper, so I won’t be missed.”
“I see.”
There was silence once again.
“Maes poked his nose into something that he shouldn’t have, did he?” Sarah asked, still working.
Roy caught himself nodding.
“Do you know how many other military men are involved besides the Führer?”
This time Roy stared at the woman wide-eyed, something that made her chuckle.
“It’s only logical,” she said, shrugging a bit. “A lieutenant colonel has been shot and yet you didn’t take him to a military hospital or inform the Führer. It can’t be anything against the State itself, because I know Maes well enough that he would never be a part of such a scheme. So that leaves one option: you’re working against the military, which, in turn, has secret agendas of its own. Though I have to admit that everything I figured was mere speculation, your reaction confirmed things for me.”
Roy closed his eyes momentarily and leaned back when Sarah asked him to. He had to admit that he was bested.
“You have quite the shrewd mind,” he said. “The job of a librarian doesn’t suit you.”
“You make it sound as though it’s degrading I have that job,” she mused before asking Roy to clench his hand into a fist. “Yet it still gave me the things I wanted when I wanted them.”
“Such as?”
“A steady income and a chance to forget.”
“That’s right… I think I heard Havoc mentioning something about your husband,” Roy said. At the next moment, he shook his head. “I suggest that you forget your deductions as quickly as you came up with them. That’s what almost cost Maes’s life.”
Sarah regarded Roy in a steadfast manner, green eyes locking on obsidian-coloured ones.
“Did Mr. Havoc tell you that my husband was killed in action in Ishbal? And that I served there too?”
Roy stared wide-eyed at the woman for a second time. “That explains some things, I suppose,” he finally said.
“So I hope you’ll forgive my straightforwardness,” Sarah said. “All these years I believed my husband died in the name of the peace which King Bradley declared he wished for this country. If what you say is true and this man has some secret agenda of his own at the expense of Amestris, then that war was nothing but a travesty; the real war is here and I don’t want to live in fear that maybe I will mourn someone else because of it. Not if I can do something to make sure that that doesn’t happen. I want… to make a difference this time…”
Roy watched Sarah in mild consternation as her face grew lines of anguish and her lower lip started trembling so violently that it was impossible for her to talk any further. In the end, she gave up and just removed the needle from his arm since she had taken enough blood. “That’s all,” she concluded, composing herself once more. She turned on her heel quickly. “You should call Mr. Havoc inside.”
Though Roy arose, he didn’t walk out just yet. He remained frozen, contemplating matters and weighing his desire to protect her, a civilian, against her desire as a mother to protect her child at any cost.
“Mrs. Abbot… I’ll tell you everything I know.”
She didn’t say anything, but her nod was thanks enough. He started talking.
Neither noticed Havoc stepping quietly away from the door, pondering on the conversation he had just overheard.
When Dr. Knox was back inside the house, he seemed to have realised at once that some kind of understanding was formed between Sarah and the soldiers. So, when Roy and the others decided to gather into the living-room once again to talk, he told her that she could join them as well and he would stay with Hughes. Feeling grateful, the woman thanked him for that and went to sit beside Havoc.
But Havoc pretended as though he didn’t acknowledge her presence. He wasn’t sure if he could look at her at this point. Instead, he kept his gaze stubbornly locked downwards, the thoughts that were plaguing him right then proving too powerful to disregard in order to focus on what really mattered at this point: how they should proceed next without the Führer or any of his accomplishes figure out that something is up.
One of the things that Havoc did manage to pick up was that Maes’s funeral would be done. If the enemy believed that Hughes died anyway, they would become more confident in their movements. Meanwhile, Sarah would take care of Maes with Dr. Knox’s help until he was fully healed. On the other hand, Gracia wouldn’t be informed about her husband for the present. Sarah would keep an eye on the woman and be on the ready to warn the others if something were to go wrong. Havoc was also sure that Hawkeye mentioned Alice’s name, even though he still couldn’t bring himself to pay much attention. But Sarah said something to the likes of she could stay with Gracia and Elysia – Maes’s daughter would certainly need the company for the first few days, at least.
“That settles it then,” Roy said with a sigh at that moment. He looked at his watch and let out a small whistle. “4.30. We are supposed to ‘arrive’ in half an hour.”
“I’ll get the car ready,” Falman said and he walked outside.
“When is your appointment with the Führer?” Breda asked.
“9 o’clock. Although something tells me that he’ll be very sad to inform me that Hughes has been found dead in an alley and our debriefing will be postponed yet again.”
“How’s that supposed to happen?” Fuery asked curiously.
“Knox will see to that.”
And that, Havoc thought, was the end of the discussion. He caught himself saying to the Colonel that he would drive Mrs. Abbot back to her house, to which Roy nodded his permission. So it was that, five minutes later, Havoc drove away with Sarah next to him.
Havoc didn’t know whether she noticed that something was wrong when he still wouldn’t talk to her in the car. He still didn’t try to make amends for that silence, nor did she attempt to engage him into any conversation either. That is, until they arrived at her house and she asked him to come inside.
“Maybe I should go…” Havoc started, but his voice trailed off as he kicked himself mentally. Honestly, he didn’t know if he could sound any lamer than that.
“Not before we talk,” she said, her tone quite adamant.
Havoc sighed.
“All right. We need to talk anyway.”
He followed her inside without saying another word. She took off her shoes so that their clicking sound on the wooden floor wouldn’t upset her daughter’s sleep, and he followed suit. He ruefully watched her go upstairs to check on Alice while he waited patiently into the living-room. A few minutes later, she returned and told him that the little girl was sleeping like a log just as Sarah suspected, something that made him smile, albeit wanly.
Sarah crossed her arms. “So… what seems to be the problem? You’ve been awfully quiet since we left Dr. Knox’s house.”
Only then did Havoc force himself to look at her in the eye. “I heard you talking with the colonel.”
She looked at him in a bemused manner. “What about that?” she asked, clearly unsure as to what Havoc was trying to say.
“Are you sure about the decision you made?”
“Of course,” she answered without hesitation. “I want my daughter to grow up in a safe world.”
“Even if she risks losing you?” Havoc asked softly. He took a bold step forward, bringing himself closer to her so that he could take one of Sarah’s hands and bring it close to his chest. “Even if I risk losing you?” he asked in barely a murmur, feeling hurt and a bit betrayed.
She sighed sadly.
“Jean…” She used her free hand to gently prod him even closer and touch her forehead with his. “If Bradley isn’t stopped, then everything will be lost anyway,” she whispered, her eyes still locked on his. “You understand that, don’t you?”
“I do, don’t get me wrong,” Havoc answered, closing his eyes in defeat. “But I…” His grip on her tightened without realising it; he was too caught up in his attempt to explain to her, to make her understand. “I…”
“I know,” she said.
Havoc couldn’t tell if it was his imagination or her breathing really quickened as she said those two words. Nevertheless, the air that tickled his lips brought him even closer to her and now he could almost feel every inch of her body against his. A strange twinge stirred his insides, making his heart beat frantically. It hurt him, but not enough to make him scream in pain. It numbed him, but not to the point that his legs would give way under him. It dizzied him enough to make him feel like he was floating in water and he had to wrap his arms around her so he wouldn’t fall.
“Don’t you?” she breathed out, her own grip just as strong now.
Yes, Havoc knew. And that knowledge was that made him claim her lips with his own. It was the reason he parted his lips in order to drink more of that sweet essence that was all her, trying to quench that unbelievable thirst that suddenly settled within his very core. That was why he loosened her ponytail, feeling her long black hair cascading down her back and brushing against his hands; why he moaned at the touch of her fingers on his hair.
It was because of that knowledge that he let her guide him upstairs into her bedroom and he locked the door behind him.
TBC…
Subtitles
- Brother's Debt
- Fullmetal Body, Fullmetal Heart
- A Quiet Day
- In The Night
- Two Men's Faces
- Transfer
- Making Plans
- Shadows Of The Past
- Underworld
- The Price Of Immortality
- Departure
- The Key
- Enemy Revealed
- A Step Back
- A Step Closer To The Truth
- A Race
- Rush Valley
- Responsibility
- Izumi
- Time To Stand Still
- Wild Child
- Encounter
- Riddles In The Dark
- In Search For Answers
- A Teacher's Mistakes
- Complications
- Visits
- The Nature Of A Homunculus
- Dante Of The Deep Forest
- Kidnapped
- Fight At The Devil's Nest
- Innocence Lost
- Blood Spilt
- Recovering
- Bearers Of Ill News
- The Flame Alchemist
- True Colours
- Markings On The Ground
- The Mission
- Heading To Liore
- Change Of Plans
- The Scar
- Holy Mother
- A Mother's Face
- Final Moments