Desha's Reno of the Turks Fan Fiction

Chapter 90: Keeping Secrets is Hard

Reno stretched as he climbed out of the helicopter and hopped down onto the concrete landing pad that sat a short distance from the beach. The flight to Costa del Sol hadn’t taken terribly long, but being trapped in the pilot’s seat for a couple of hours with little opportunity to move around had been starting to make him a bit stiff. He was glad they were stopping for a little while. Shay wasn’t long in joining him in the humid, tropical air.

“You know… in all the years I’ve been coming here, I don’t think I’ve ever arrived in bad weather,” the senior Turk commented with a slight grin.

“Heh… seems like a nice place,” Reno agreed, and the other man paused.

“You’ve never been?” he queried, surprised.

The redhead shrugged. “Not for real… Passed through it when Tseng ‘n me had an assignment in Gongaga. And we stopped to eat on the way back from the Gold Saucer on my birthday once… That’s about it, though. I… kinda missed out on the one shot I had at actually stayin’ here awhile back ’cause… uh…”

Shay suddenly laughed. “Oh, I heard all about the reason for that… I hope your joyride in Tseng’s car was worth giving up a free vacation…”

“Yeah, not even a little,” Reno deadpanned. He sighed softly and shook his head. “I seriously thought Tseng was gonna kill me for that one. Or worse… send me back to the slums.” He suddenly looked up at his fellow Turk and grinned. “One of these days I’m gonna be here for more than a couple hours, though.”

“Well… that’s not going to be today, I’m afraid. But it is going to take the dock crew a little while to refuel us. Feel like an early lunch?”

Reno cocked an eyebrow, and Shay snickered.

“Alright… I’ll admit, that was a rather silly question,” the senior Turk laughed. “Come on… My family owns a small vacation home just past the main resort. We’ll order in, and enjoy the view for an hour or so.”

“Uh… Okay, don’t take this the wrong way, but… just how fuckin’ rich is your family that they got their own beach house?” Reno asked, as he hurried to follow Shay down the wooden walkway that led towards the resort town proper. The Turk glanced back at him, smirking slightly.

“Not even remotely as rich as the Shinras,” he replied, with a grin, “But we’re certainly not hurting for funds. My family’s company has had an exceptional profit margin over the past decade or so. Even better than when my grandfather ran it.”

“So… I don’t think I’ve ever asked. What is your family’s business, anyway?”

“Real estate, mostly,” Shay replied. The pair reached the main street of the town and turned left down a small side street. “Von Haus Holdings owns and operates almost 15% of Midgar’s apartment complexes… which doesn’t sound like that much until you realize just how massive the Midgar housing market really is. We also have investments in land and establishments at various tourism destinations… like Costa del Sol, for example. The company owns several beachfront properties, and has some minority-share stock in the main resort. I think Dad recently said something about buying into a mythril mine somewhere near Cosmo Canyon, and Mum dabbles a bit in other things on her own, as well. She owns one of the restaurants here, and another back in Midgar. The Midgar location, as I understand it, is really only breaking even, but the one down the beach from our cabana is doing quite well.”

Reno shook his head and hurried to keep up with his partner for the day as Shay took a right, out towards the beach. The made their way along a crowded boardwalk for a ways before descending a stone staircase and heading down a cobblestone path that led into the shade of a grove of palm trees. It took him a moment to realize that there was a little house back there… and a moment longer to realize that it really wasn’t as “little” as he’d initially thought. The palms camouflaged its size to such an extent that, as they approached the front door, Reno was half-convinced it had expanded in the time it had taken them to reach it.

“This is your idea of a ‘small vacation home’?” the redhead queried as Shay ushered him inside. The interior was tastefully decorated with a floor tiled in polished stone and island-themed artwork. Wide glass doors opened onto a veranda overlooking the ocean. As he peered around a corner, he caught site of a large, bright kitchen, and beyond that, a swimming pool sparkled in the sunlight behind the house.

“Well… by Costa del Sol standards, anyway…” Shay replied, “Trust me… there are much bigger ones. The Shinra Villa is at least three times this size.”

Reno snorted in quiet laughter. “I think I could fit my whole damn apartment into this room.”

Shay glanced around, as if trying to measure the space to determine whether or not the rookie was serious, and frowned slightly when he apparently realized that though Reno had been exaggerating, it wasn’t by much.

“That doesn’t… er… bother you… does it?” he asked, somewhat hesitantly. The redhead glanced up.

“Tch… Nah,” Reno said, dismissively, “Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I wish I could afford my own personal beach palace ‘n shit like that… but from what I’ve seen followin’ Rufus’ ass around lately, havin’ too much money’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Think I’m probably better off just bein’ happy with what I got. Which is way more than I used to have…” He flashed the other Turk a wide grin. “Why? You think I’m gonna get all jealous or some shit?”

Shay snickered. “Er… well, it’s just… that time I got stuck with Tres in the mountains for three days? We stopped off here that time, too. It put him in a sour mood before we even got there. I wasn’t really trying to show off, but I think that’s how he took it.”

“Heh… long as you’re willin’ to share, you can show off as much as ya want, far as I’m concerned. Just don’t forget the map this time ‘n I think we’ll be fine,” the redhead teased. Before Shay could respond, Reno suddenly remembered Cissnei’s request from earlier in the day. “Oh, yeah… Before I forget, I got a favor I gotta ask ya…”

---

Tseng scowled at the ugly little fountain as the water trickled down into the basin at the bottom. He was beginning to think that the more time he spent here, the more aggravating that damned thing became. Or perhaps it was just that he was feeling unusually raw today and the sound of flowing water was grating on his nerves more than usual.

His conversation with Kai had been… difficult. But in the end, he was glad they’d talked. It was the first time they’d done so like that in a very long time. Over the years, he’d simply come to accept that they’d never be able to see one another in the same light they once had. Now, though, he was starting to hold out a rekindled hope that perhaps some vestige of their old friendship still remained.

Kai had been one of his closest friends back when they were rookies. She had come on board about a year and a half after he’d been promoted to the Turks and they’d hit it off immediately. He’d even – very briefly, before learning that she had a distinct preference for women over men – entertained a bit of a sexual attraction to the diminutive Turk. When he’d met Viridia, Kai had been the first person he’d told about her.

Alyssa’s death had all but destroyed that closeness. In fact, Kai refused to even speak to him about anything other than Turks business for nearly six months afterwards. And though, eventually, tempers had cooled and apologies had been made, things between them had never been quite the same.

After all, how could they be? Alyssa had been the love of Kai’s life. They’d met and begun their romance in the recruitment program nearly two years before either of them were even being considered as a rookie, and though Kai had been made a Turk first, Alyssa hadn’t been far behind. The pair had complimented one another perfectly – both personally, and professionally – and the depth of their feelings for one another was blatantly apparent any time they were together. Tseng’s order had taken that away from his friend in the most abrupt and cruelest way imaginable. And just to make it worse… Tseng has spent the ensuing years justifying it to her, convinced that he’d done the right thing.

And perhaps he had, in the grand scheme of things… Her death had saved more than a dozen others from the same fate, a worthy sacrifice for any Turk. But he honestly couldn’t say for certain what the “right” choice would have been anymore. Were the lives of strangers worth more than hers had been? Certainly not to Kai, but to their own families, absolutely. Still… that didn’t change the fact that his decision had irrevocably and deeply scarred someone he cared about… or that he had spent so long brushing that pain off and expecting her to simply understand and move on. He knew now just how difficult moving on from so profound a loss could be.

“Tseng? Dr. Hildebrand is ready for you,” the receptionist called out to him, breaking in on his thoughts.

The Turk lieutenant sighed and cast one final glower at the irritating fountain, before standing up. He had a feeling his session was going to run a bit longer than usual today.

---

“So… What’s so special about that rum, anyway?” Shay asked, “I’ve certainly heard it’s one of the better varieties available in Costa del Sol, but why the sudden need to pick some up?”

Reno grinned to himself as he wrapped the bottle in a blanket from the emergency kit and tucked it into the safety of one of the helicopter’s storage lockers.

“Sorry, Shay… I’m sworn to secrecy,” he responded, and climbed into the cockpit alongside him.

“Well, now I have to know…” the other Turk stated, but the rookie only shook his head. “Come on, Reno… I did help your underage self get it, didn’t I? You could at least tell me what the big deal is. Who swore you to secrecy?”

“Tch… No way. Everyone on the team knows you can’t keep a secret to save your life,” the redhead teased, “And it’s definitely a secret. Can’t have that shit gettin’ out before it’s announced.”

“If it’s going to be announced, then it’s hardly a secret, now is it?” Shay countered, as he quickly went through the aircraft’s pre-flight.

“It is ’til it gets announced,” Reno shot back. Shay apparently had no answer for that, and instead opted to sink into a somewhat dejected pout. The redhead rolled his eyes. “Quit lookin’ at me like that, will ya?”

The senior Turk finished the checklist and started the engines.

“Flight time to Nibelhiem is going to be about three hours.” Shay glanced up at him, a sad, pleading look on his face.

“That’s fuckin’ pathetic, Shay,” the rookie snickered as he slipped his headset on.

“Come on… I promise I’ll keep my mouth shut. What’s the big secret?”

Reno sighed. “You gonna be like this the whole way?”

“Three hours of puppy dog eyes and sad, mournful sighing,” the senior Turk confirmed, “And trust me… I’ve had a great deal of practice at it.”

“Yeah… fuck that,” the redhead laughed. “Fine… but seriously, you can’t fucking tell anyone else. I’m not even s’posed ta know yet.”

“You have my word.”

Reno made a show of furtively looking around the otherwise empty aircraft. “Cissnei asked me to get it for her. She’s givin’ it to Rude as a congratulations on gettin’ your ass promoted present.”

“Rude’s up for promotion?!” Shay asked excitedly.

“Not officially. Yet. So keep it to yourself. Cissnei finds out I blabbed, she’ll probably skin me alive…”

“Of course… of course. No one will hear a word from me,” the senior Turk quickly assured him.

---

“Hey… Got a minute?” Tres asked, after double checking to make sure that the woman was presently alone in her office. Saya glanced up from the interrogation transcript she was working on.

“Aye… Yeh need somethin’?”

Tres quickly slipped into the room, closing the door behind him. “Yeah, I do, actually. First, though… where’s that Ifrit-forsaken cousin of yours? I don’t need him overhearin’ shit ‘n repeatin’ it to everyone ‘n their mother.”

“Sato went out ta pick up some lunch fer the both of us a wee bit ago,” Saya chuckled, “Should be gone awhile yet. Said he was goin’ ta that Costan place three blocks over. Hmph… Personally, I think he’s already sick ‘n tired of bein’ cooped up, and just wants out of the office fer a bit… even if it means hobblin’ ’round on crutches. What’s up?”

“I… need a little help plannin’ somethin’. For Rude. I’m recommendin’ him for promotion, and once Veld approves it, I wanna have a little party to celebrate. Problem is, if I go disappearin’ over the next few days to set up this shit, the kid’s gonna start gettin’ suspicious in no time flat. You think keepin’ a secret from me’s hard, try keepin’ one from Rude. Think I mighta taught him a little too well.”

Tres cringed slightly at the excited squeal from Saya and hurried shushed her.

“For Shiva’s sake,” he lamented, rolling his eyes.

“Sorry… it’s just… the wee rookies’re growin’ up…” she chuckled, giddily. “Well, then… what is it yeh need me ta do?”

“Not lookin’ for anything fancy. If all goes accordin’ to plan, his promotion should be official on Friday. I’m thinkin’ we keep it quiet ’til the very end of the day ‘n surprise him with a trip over to the Phoenix Next. ‘Course we’ll have food ‘n shit waitin’ for us.”

Saya scoffed and shook her head. “Yeh want ta take ‘im ta the bar. That’s yer big celebration,” she deadpanned. “Nevermind that we’ve got three rookies, guest of honor included, not of legal age ta drink yet, ‘n one more that only just barely qualifies.”

“Tch… as if that ever stopped either Reno or Rude…”

“Right… That settles it, then. Off yeh go, ‘n leave all the party plannin’ ta me. I’ll handle it myself,” Saya declared, shooing him towards the door, muttering, “Hmph… an evenin’ at a bar, indeed… ‘n ta celebrate a promotion, no less…”

Moments later Tres found himself ejected from the office and standing on the opposite side of the door, trying to figure out how in Ifrit’s name he’d gotten there so quickly. He blinked and gave a soft sigh. Whatever… if Saya wanted to take on the whole thing, he was fine with that. The less involved he was, the less likely Rude was to find out about either his promotion or the party ahead of time. Shaking his head, he turned… and found himself somewhat unexpectedly face to face with a familiar grin.

“Well, now… What was that I heard ’bout a wee promotion bein’ in the works?” Sato queried, as his grin widened mischievously. Tres groaned in dismay.

“Alright… What’s it gonna cost me to get ya to keep your goddamn mouth shut?” he asked, opting to skip any pretense of denial and work on immediate damage control instead.

---

“Cissy… I really don’t have time for this,” Rodney protested as the other rookie forcibly pulled him along the Sector 4 sidewalk.

“Yes you do. We’ve got a whole hour for lunch. Now quite dragging your feet and come on.”

“Did you ever stop to consider that maybe… just maybe… I have better thing to do with my personal time? Why can’t we do this after work, anyway?” he complained, “And besides which… you’ve already asked Tseng’s golden boy to pick up a gift in Costa del Sol!”

“But he might not be able to… Reno’s not there to shop. He’s on assignment. And since I don’t know for sure when Veld is going to announce Rude’s promotion, I want to have a backup, just in case.”

“So why does that require literally dragging me down the street?”

“Well, duh…” Cissnei replied with a little laugh, as she finally came to a halt outside of one of the stores. Rodney rolled his eyes when he saw the sign. That certainly explained her sudden need for him. “Now… I know he likes whiskey, so I want you to go in and ask them what the best one they’ve got is.”

“… You do know that some kinds of liquor can sell for a couple thousand gil, don’t you? Especially at these high end shops in Four?” the rookie replied, an eyebrow rising in challenge. Cissnei’s face fell slightly and Rodney sighed. “Fine… I’ll ask them for the best they have for under… say… seventy-five?”

“Perfect!” she replied, her smile quickly returning.

“And I get to use it for my gift to Rude if Mr. Rookie of the Year comes through with your first choice,” he added.

“Deal,” Cissnei readily agreed. Rodney snorted softly and pushed the door to the spirits shop open.

“Why the hell do I let you talk me into so many favors, anyway?” he muttered as he disappeared inside.

---

The sky had grown gray and drab the closer they got to the towering mountain range of the western continent. Shay kept them much farther north than the path Reno and Tseng had taken to reach Corel and eventually Gongaga. That trail had looked tame by comparison. These peaks were rugged and a little intimidating, even from so far away. More so when they were finally flying over them.

“Hey… is Nibelheim really that close to Rocket Town?” Reno asked, glancing up from the map he’d been studying while Shay handled the controls. He’d wanted to try and get the lay of the land before they reached their destination, and had noticed the little marker denoting Rude’s hometown not far from the one for the mountain village. It didn’t look like much more than the distance between Midgar and Kalm.

“Er… as the crow flies, I suppose,” Shay chuckled, “I guess it probably wouldn’t look too far on the map, but keep in mind that there’s a line of mountains sitting in between them. Kind of rough travel by land. I’d imagine it would take two or three days by land. At least. Why?”

“Eh… just curious. I still just… kinda have trouble gettin’ my head around how fuckin’ huge the planet really is sometimes. Startin’ to think it’s gonna take forever to see it all…” the redhead sighed, “I mean… I’ve seen more in the year ‘n change I’ve been a Turk than I did in the first sixteen damn years of my life,but it’s like I’ve barely scratched the surface.”

“Well… the only way to see it all is to plan it out,” Shay declared. “Where are you going on your next vacation?”

Reno blinked somewhat owlishly, and pondered the question for a moment. He hadn’t really given that much thought, to be honest. Particularly since none of them were likely to be taking a vacation any time soon. Not with a war going on. There were certainly plenty of places he could go. Costa del Sol, for one. For a real visit, not just passing through. Or, like Shay had suggested, Icicle Inn when the weather wasn’t conspiring to freeze him solid. Or… maybe Rocket Town, to see where his best friend had grown up. Or Wutai… Mideel… Cosmo Canyon… The list of possibilities just went on and on.

Shay snickered quietly from his seat. “I’d suggest you decide on one and then work towards planning that trip. And once you’ve seen it, pick somewhere else and start all over. Far more efficient than just saying ‘I want to see everything’.”

“Heh… not a bad idea. Thanks, Shay,” Reno replied, “So where are you goin’ on your next vacation?”

“Oh… probably Mideel and the southern isles. Mum has been hounding both myself and Estefan to join her and Dad on their trip this winter, and it’s hard to say no to her. Assuming we’ve wrapped up the situation with Wutai by then, of course.” He paused a moment, his attention focused on something ahead of them, and grinned. “But for now, you’ll have to be content with checking Nibelheim off your list. That’s it over there.”

Reno set the map aside and followed the other Turk’s gaze. Sure enough, he could just make out the tiny town nestled in one of the high valleys, towering ridges flanking it on either side. It might have been a cozy little view… had it not been for the ominous dark clouds moving towards it from the west. Judging by their movement, they’d be crossing the mountain range right around the time the two Turks were landing. Shay sighed and shook his head.

“Oh, wonderful… there’s a storm moving in.”

“Eh, what’s wrong with a little rain?” Reno shrugged.

“Hmph… a little rain? You’re clearly unfamiliar with late summer storms in the mountains. They can get pretty intense. We’re not going to make it up to the reactor today, that’s for sure,” said Shay, “… Though, to be fair, we probably wouldn’t have anyway. By the time we get there, there won’t be much daylight left. Ah, well. An evening off will be nice.”

Reno snickered. “Thinkin’ of slackin’ off?”

“No… but there’s only so much we’re going to be able to do tonight if the weather’s bad. Unless you want to load the helicopter in the pouring rain. I don’t.”

“Good point,” the redhead agreed. “So what’s the plan, then?”

“We’ll see where the lab staff are at with preparing our cargo, help them out where we can, and then, I think a nice, quiet dinner at the tavern. They serve an absolutely luscious shepard’s pie. Get a fresh start on things in the morning.”

Reno peered through the windshield as the town grew closer and closer. There wasn’t much to it really. Some quaint-looking houses, the comparatively huge Shinra mansion, a well in the town’s center… all set against the backdrop of the somewhat foreboding Nibel mountains – though that may have just been an effect of the coming storm. Beyond the town, he could just make out a few well-worn trails winding their way up the rocky slopes, and vaguely wondered which of them led to the mako reactor. He couldn’t see it from their current position.

Shay set down in the wide swath of flat space behind the manor, just as the first raindrops had begun to fall. By the time he’d finished shutting down the engines, however, the light shower had become a raging downpour. Reno jumped at the first clap of thunder. It was loud enough to shake the ground.

“Holy fuck…” he breathed, “You weren’t kiddin’ about the storms bein’ intense up here…”

Another echoing boom reverberated off the sides of the mountain as lightning lit up the sky in dazzling streaks. One of them struck a tree near the road, splitting it straight down the middle into two smoldering halves. The redhead’s eyes widened at the sight.

“… Um… Let’s go enjoy this lovely weather from inside the manor, shall we?” Shay said, with a note of nervousness in his voice.

“Yeah. I like that idea,” the redhead replied, and scurried to grab his travel bag from the back and haul open the door. The pair of Turks leapt from the aircraft, pausing only long enough to close things up behind them, and then made a mad dash for the back door of the mansion. It wasn’t an especially great distance they had to travel, but the torrent falling from the sky still managed to partially saturate them both before they made it inside. They all but fell through the door and into a darkened kitchen.

“Fuck that shit’s cold,” Reno said, shivering. “They forget it’s s’posed to be summer?”

“Higher altitude, cooler temperatures,” Shay responded with a shrug, before turning towards the interior of the house and calling out, “Hello? Is anyone here?”

The only response he received was silence, and Reno took the opportunity to take a quick look around. It was nice little kitchen… but chill and dark at the moment, and the storm raging loudly outside didn’t exactly help. He ran his hand along the smooth polished wood counter top as he made his way over to the stone hearth tucked into one corner. A fire had been burning there recently, but little more than embers remained of it now. Still… it was enough to warm him up after his unwanted shower.

The whole place had an air of stillness to it that felt almost otherworldly… and as much as he hated to admit it, he was starting to wonder if maybe his response to Rodney’s claims that the old mansion was haunted had been a bit premature. It certainly had a bit of a spooky aura. The empty, abandoned feeling wasn’t helping one bit.

But then… as he understood it, the upper floors were really just for show. The lab in the basement was where the real action was… and probably where the staff was, too, for that matter. Reno caught sight of a another door on the north side of the room and snuck a quick peek inside. It seemed to be a storage space, filled with barrels and crates, jars of preserves and pickled foods, canned and dry goods, and so on. Obviously the pantry. He grinned slightly. At least they wouldn’t starve while they were here…

When he turned back to the kitchen again, Shay had crossed the room and poked his head out into the hallway beyond. Apparently satisfied that it, too, was empty, he pressed a button on a small panel on the wall by the door – one of several, Reno noted. Upon closer inspection, he saw that they were labeled with the names of various rooms. Shay had press the one tagged “Main Lab”.

“What’s that do?” he asked, curious.

“Lets anyone downstairs know we’re here,” the senior Turk replied. He gestured to the panel. “It’s essentially a doorbell system. Press a button and a buzzer goes off somewhere in the manor.”

The Main Lab button suddenly lit up, flashed twice, and then went dark.

“And there’s our response,” Shay said, grinning. “Someone from the research team should be up to meet us shortly. Come on… the lab entrance is upstairs. We’ll meet them out in the front foyer.”

The redhead trailed behind the other Turk as he led him out into the hallway, and then took a quick left. Reno had the briefest of glimpses of what looked to be a very large room at the far end of the hallway… maybe a dining room or something… before he emerged in the spacious foyer at the front of the manor.

The ceiling of the room towered so far over him that it was lost in the shadows… though he could make out the silhouette of a chandelier hanging high above. A curved wooden staircase arched up to the second floor, and tall windows looked out into the storm outside. The lightning, every once in a while, would light up the entire room, casting eerie shadows over the space.

“Nice place,” Reno commented, and then jumped in fright as the huge grandfather clock he hadn’t noticed when they’d walked in suddenly chimed the hour in a deep, reverberating tone. It was followed almost immediately by more lightning and a clap of thunder. “Great place to set a fuckin’ horror flick…” the redhead muttered, glaring at the offending piece of furniture as he willed his heart to stop hammering in his chest. Shay proceeded to do a terrible job of hiding his laughter at the rookie’s expense.

“Hello?” a quiet voice called out, and Shay’s attention was, mercifully, directed away from the redhead. Reno glanced up the staircase and saw a young woman gazing down at the pair of them.

“Ah… There you are,” Shay said, smiling widely, “We’re here to see to the materials transfer.”

“Oh, yes… of course. We’ve nearly finished. Everything should be packed up and ready to go by tomorrow morning,” the woman replied. She descended the stairs and stopped in front of the two Turks. “I’m Dr. Monroe… project lead.”

The doctor was short and plump, though by no means unattractive for the extra weight. Her long, curly hair was tied up in something of a messy bun, held in place with a pencil, and several small metal instruments could be seen peeking out from the various pockets of her lab coat. Thick dark-rimmed glasses gave her eyes a slightly magnified look.

“I’m Shay, and this is Reno. Is there anything we can do to help out?”

Dr. Monroe shook her head. “No… No, I don’t think so. We’ve got things under control downstairs, and no offense, but some of the samples do require special handling. I’d prefer to keep the transport prep in-house. Though we may need you once we’ve finished… My staff can package them up with little difficulty. Getting things upstairs and loaded, however…”

“Just let us know when,” Shay replied. He glanced back at Reno. “In the meantime, we’ll just… find somewhere to make ourselves comfortable, shall we?”

“The sleeping quarters are upstairs to the left,” Dr. Monroe said with a nod. “If you’re hungry, there’s plenty in the kitchen…or the tavern should be serving dinner by now, too.” She glanced over at the rain-spattered windows. “Though I’m not sure I’d brave a trip outside right now, even if is is just down the main road.”

“I’m sure we can manage something. Thank you,” Shay assured her. With that, the scientist took her leave, returning upstairs and disappearing into one of the rooms to the right.

“Thought the lab was downstairs,” Reno commented.

“It is. But the entrance is behind a false wall on the second floor. Don’t ask,” he said, shaking his head. He grinned and rubbed his hands together. “Well. It would seem we’re not needed right this second. I don’t know about you, but I for one would like to put some dry clothes on and then go see what that kitchen has to offer.”

“Heh… Shay, ya read my mind,” the redhead replied.

~end chapter 90~