Desha's Reno of the Turks Fan Fiction

Chapter 76: Resolutions?

Reno glared at the TV, irritated. There was nothing worth watching on Saturday afternoons to begin with… and this particular Saturday afternoon, the last thing he wanted to be doing was sitting around his apartment, “relaxing”. Not when just about everyone else was finally putting an end to the Zenshou situation.

He felt slightly cheated. He’d been working this investigation as long as anyone – well, except Rude… the number of hours he’d put in on it put the redhead, and pretty much everyone else, to shame – and now he was basically being told to sit this one out. But… orders were orders, and he’d seen firsthand just where refusing to follow orders got you.

Besides… Tseng really wasn’t wrong. Despite his protests to the contrary, he was pretty beat. Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to matter to his Ifrit-forsaken brain, which utterly refused to allow him to relax as ordered. It was still going a mile a minute, trying to piece together what the deal was with Vasquez. Tseng had filled him in on some of the details during the trip back to his apartment. So the guy was an old friend of the the president… who had apparently been fucked over a long time ago. He could certainly see how that might cause one hell of a grudge, but in Reno’s mind, that just… didn’t explain it.

Sure, the guy got shafted… but the way Tseng told it, it was kind of his own fault, plus he was still making bank off the shares he now owned in Shinra Company. Why compromise that? Not to mention put your life at risk to do it? Everyone knew that Shinra Company didn’t fuck around with people who tried to fuck with them. That alone was half the reason for the Turks’ existence, and it was no secret why people were afraid of the Turks.

The guy had a kid, a decently successful business of his own, and a bank account that made Reno’s look like pocket change, even on a Turk’s salary. He just couldn’t get his head around throwing that all away for petty revenge. Especially when the payoff didn’t really match up with the risk. Every instinct he had was telling him that they were missing something… but he couldn’t for the life of him figure out what.

The redhead sighed and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands, groaning softly as as the TV announced that coming up next on the Midgar Broadcasting Network was the Chocobo World Cup Semi-Finals. He rolled his eyes and pointedly shut the TV off. He’d managed to suffer through the last hour of some shitty made-for-TV rom-com… but he drew the line at chocobo racing.

“That’s it… I gotta get out for awhile…” he breathed, hauling himself upright. He couldn’t stop thinking, so he couldn’t settle down… and if he couldn’t settle down, he couldn’t really relax. He needed to burn off some energy, and as much as he usually hated wasting his weekend exercising, he was pretty sure a nice long run would do the trick. Plus… no Shiva-be-damned chocobos. He’d hit up the park a few blocks down from his apartment complex. It had a nice, paved pathway that circled the whole space, and was perfect for running or walking or biking or whatever.

That thought in mind, he changed into something a little more comfortable for such activities, shoved his keys and a few gil – there was usually an ice cream vendor that made the rounds in the park on the weekends, too – into his pocket and walked out the door.

---

Tseng answered his PHS on the first ring. He hadn’t even needed to check the caller ID… he’d been waiting for this call for hours now.

“We’re twenty minutes out. I trust everything is ready?” Veld’s voice queried over the background noise of the helicopter’s engines.

“Yes, sir. Holding cells have been prepared and both the President and Vice President are on standby to greet our… guests. Shall I update them on your expected arrival?”

“Do that,” the Turk leader replied. “Also notify Medical to expect a minor injury. Miss Vasquez was not overly enthusiastic about accompanying her father, and Petra had to… convince her. I doubt it’s anything more serious than a sprain, but the woman insists her wrist is broken.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll have medical staff meet you on the roof,” said Tseng.

“How are our own casualties doing?”

“Remy is resting comfortably at Midgar General. They will be discharging her tomorrow, most likely, to recuperate at home. I sent Reno home, as well. He’s more than earned a break.”

“And Kai?”

“I informed her that she was to report to Medical on Monday for evaluation. She was… not happy.”

Veld snorted loudly over the phone. “Did you expect her to be?”

“No, sir. Not in the least.”

“Alright… We’ll see you shortly,” Veld replied.

“Yes, sir,” the Wutaiian Turk responded, before ending the call. He tucked the phone back into his pocket and stood up from his desk, making his way out into the hallway, crutches clicking softly against the tile.

Turk headquarters was silent and still. He rather liked the solitude of an empty office at times… but today was not one of those days. Tseng had been strongly tempted to give in to Reno’s demand to return to work with him earlier, but the younger Turk had looked so tired by the time he’d finished with Kai. He just didn’t have the heart to drag him along for what was likely going to be a presidential audience, followed by an interrogation, and, quite likely, an execution and body disposal.

He’d briefly considered sending Rude home the moment he arrived as well… after all, he and Remy had been on assignment for weeks without respite. But he had a feeling he’d be in for a fight if he so much as suggested it. Rude wasn’t generally the most confrontational member of the team… but he had dedicated months of his life to this investigation, and Tseng doubted he’d appreciate being pulled at the last moment. It was only right that he be able to see it through to the bitter end.

Tseng pressed the button, calling the elevator to the floor, and when it arrived, he stepped inside. He pulled out his PHS once again, and pressed the contact for the President’s direct line. It rang four times before he answered… as expected. The President never answered any call on the first ring. It was strictly a power play. A way to inform whoever was demanding his attention that “I’m far more important than you… You can wait until I am ready to speak to you.”

“Yes?” came the clipped reply.

“Mr. Vasquez will be arriving within the next twenty minutes, sir,” Tseng informed the senior executive.

“Bring him directly to me,” President Shinra replied.

“Yes, sir.” The call abruptly ended, and Tseng had just enough time to summon the promised medical staff to the roof before he the elevator arrived on the sixty-sixth floor. He put his phone away, stepped out, and headed down the plushly carpeted hallway that led to the executive offices, showing himself into the little reception area of the office of the Vice President. As there was no one at the desk, he bypassed it and went directly to Rufus’ office door, knocking sharply.

“Come in!” came the slightly muffled reply. Tseng let himself in, and found Rufus flipping through a newspaper.

“Sir?” he prodded. Rufus snorted softly.

“This morning’s paper from the western continent…” he said, closing and folding the periodical before tossing it onto his desk with a sigh. “Gongaga is still reporting new cases of mako poisoning from the reactor explosion. Monday is going to be… very trying.”

“Mr. Vasquez will be arriving shortly,” the Turk informed him.

“Ah… finally some good new,” Rufus said, brightening. “I assume Father has instructed you to bring him straight to his office?”

“Yes,” Tseng replied, “Will you be joining us?”

“Oh, I have no plans to miss this,” he chuckled.

“Miss Vasquez will also be in attendance.”

Rufus paused in his bid to join Tseng at the door, and gave him a slightly puzzled look.

“Serena?” he clarified, and the senior Turk nodded, “Why in Ramuh’s name did you detain her as well?”

“We’re not entirely certain of her role in all of this… if any,” Tseng explained, “And Veld felt that leaving her behind would invite unwanted scrutiny of father’s sudden absence, as she would almost certainly go to the authorities immediately if she’s not involved.”

Rufus shook his head, but said nothing further. He merely gestured to the door, allowing Tseng to escort him to the elevator.

---

Reno slowed to a walk and took a moment to catch his breath. He’d done almost four laps at this point, and he couldn’t help but grin slightly at what awaited him about another fifty yards down the path. The familiar sound of that repetitive jingle in the distance was more than inviting. He didn’t know why, but ice cream from those cheap little carts always tasted way better than what the grocery store carried.

Chocolate. He was definitely getting chocolate.

Although… the more he thought about it, cherry vanilla sounded awfully good, too, right now. Those little chunks of half-frozen cherries were the best! Why couldn’t they just put them in chocolate ice cream instead? Fuck it. He was just going to get a scoop of each. Best of both worlds.

He didn’t get far, however, before a quiet, and somewhat hesitant, voice called out to him, stopping him in his tracks.

“… Reno?”

He paused and turned, eyes seeking out the source of the summons, and blinked in surprise when he spotted the owner of the voice sitting on the grass beneath a large tree a short distance from the path. He abandoned his quest for frozen dairy goodness for the moment and changed course.

“Hey,” he said, perhaps a little more coolly than he really intended to. Kai ducked her head, flinching in response.

“You’re mad at me, too, huh?” she said quietly. “I guess I can’t really blame you.”

Reno huffed, slightly annoyed, and joined her on the grass. The spot was shady, almost to the point of being chilly in the relatively warm fall afternoon. It wouldn’t be long, he silently mused, before the ice cream vendors packed it in for the season. Not many people interested in frozen desserts once the weather turned as icy as what they were selling.

“I’m not mad,” he replied, and then paused a moment in thought, “Well… okay, I am kindamad. I did end up gettin’ shot ’cause of your bullshit, ya know…”

“I’m so sorry, Reno…” Kai said, swallowing sharply, and it suddenly clicked that the senior Turk was very much on the verge of tears.

Crap.

“Look, Kai, I get that you’re pissed at the Zenshou… I’m not exactly real fond of ’em either at this point. I mean… they shot me twice now. And also knocked me out ‘n threw me a goddamn drainage ditch, but that’s beside the point. What you did coulda royally fucked us over. And just leavin’ Remy on her own for us to find? Not cool.”

“I know,” she whispered, her voice thick with unshed tears.

“… And… ya know… not to be a dick about it, but… it kinda sucks that ya just straight up ignored the very first order I ever had the authority to give ya…” He glanced over at her. “I’m scared enough about this whole second in command thing, wonderin’ if anyone’s ever actually gonna take me seriously… and I’m not exactly off to a great start.”

Kai wrapped her arms around her knees and let her head drop into them. Reno cringed slightly. He definitely wasn’t making her feel better. But then… he hadn’t really been trying to. There were some things he’d just… needed to say to the senior Turk. Whether she wanted to hear them or not.

“Look… you screwed up,” he continued. “Been there… done that. It’s not the end of the world. Like I said, I’m kinda mad at ya. So’s Tseng. Heh… and I think Veld’s more than kinda mad right now. Just… we’re not gonna be pissed forever, ‘kay?”

Kai sniffed softly and raised her head up, quickly wiping her eyes.

“That’s… sweet of you to say.” She glanced over at him with a smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes. “For the record, you’re going to do just fine at the whole second in command thing.”

Reno snorted in quiet laughter. “Yeah… well… I think I’m gonna need a couple more years on that one before I’m as sure as you are…” he said, before getting to his feet and grinning, “Come on. Ice cream guy’s gonna be leavin’ soon. You wanna get back on my good side? Buy me some.”

Kai glanced over at him. “Hmph… I’m pretty sure that would be considered bribery, Baby Turkling…”

“Oh, it’s totally bribery,” the redhead agreed, “Get your ass up. Sugar makes everything better.”

The senior Turk shook her head, but obligingly got up and joined him as he made his way over to the little cart parked farther down the path.

---

The downdraft of the rotors made an already somewhat gusty fall afternoon even moreso, but Tseng ignored the gale and watched as the military helicopter touched down a short distance from the Turks’ own helicopter. He could see a Junon airman in the pilot’s seat, Veld sitting beside him as copilot. A moment later, the cargo door slid open, and Rude and Petra emerged, escorting their prisoners.

Tseng nodded to the young man who’d been on duty in the Medical suite – apparently Ward had left for home for the day after seeing to Reno and Remy – and he obligingly stepped forward to check over his patient’s wrist under Petra’s watchful eye. Veld, too, disembarked the aircraft, and as soon as all were clear, the helicopter lifted off again, leaving them behind as it headed for home.

“The President is expecting you,” Tseng said to his mentor, making sure that Vasquez heard him clearly. The man was decidedly pale, to the point of looking ill, and he swallowed sharply at the Turk’s words. Tseng escorted the group to the elevator, and pressed the button for Sixty-nine, delivering them to the presidential reception floor. The space was abandoned, but, in Tseng’s opinion, that fact only served to make the overall effect even more intimidating.

By then, the medical staff had finished tending to the younger Vasquez’s wrist and left, leaving only the Turks and their captives to make the long walk up the winding staircase to the President’s office. Vasquez stumbled slightly near the top, and looked as though he might actually pass out before they even got inside… but Rude helpfully dragged him upright and marched him through the doors.

“Ah… Silas…” President Shinra greeted his old friend, and icy tone to his voice. He was seated behind his mammoth desk, hands folded pensively in front of him. Rufus stood to his right, the somewhat smug look on his face quite clear.

“Bertrand…” Vasquez replied, shakily clearing his throat.

“You disappoint me, Silas,” the President continued, “And you know how much I hate to be disappointed.”

“Please… Bertrand… We-we’ve been friends for years…”

“We have indeed,” he agreed, smiling coldly, “And that’s why I’m going to order my Turks to make it quick and painless. You never should have crossed me, Silas. I saved you from financial ruin. Gave you a very generous stake in my company you never even had to work for. And you repay me by stealing from me?”

“Saved me from financial ruin?” Vasquez choked, suddenly slightly more enraged than frightened, “You were the one who drove me out of business in the first place! I had to rebuild from nothing!”

“Which, I must say, you did quite expertly. A pity you couldn’t be happy with that accomplishment,” President Shinra replied with a dismissive wave, before turning to Veld, “Take them away. Dispose of them.”

Serena gasped loudly, her eyes going wide.

“W-wait!” Vasquez cried, fighting against Rude’s restraint. “Please… please Bertrand, spare my daughter. She had nothing to do with any of this, I swear! She didn’t even know about the thefts until your Turks showed up!”

President Shinra was silent for a moment, eyeing the younger Vasquez.

“Well… I suppose it would be a shame to remove such a lovely young woman from the world. And perhaps I might still convince my son that she’s a suitable match for him,” he mused, and sighed as if put upon, “Very well. Never let it be said that I’m incapable of mercy.” He looked over at Veld again. “The girl is free to go. See her back to Costa del Sol. Execute her father.”

“Father!” Serena cried, as Rude began to drag him away. Now free of Petra’s grip, she rushed to him, throwing her arms around him.

“I’m so sorry, my darling… I love you,” Vasquez whispered, before Rude finally pulled him away, and walked him out the door. Petra moved to take charge of the now sobbing girl, but Rufus waved her off.

“I’ll see to Miss Vasquez’s accommodation personally until transport home can be arraigned,” the vice president said, with a casual glance back at his own father… who now wore a very approving expression. Tseng resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The man was probably already planning the wedding. The President nodded in dismissal, and the remaining Turks took their leave, Rufus and the man’s daughter trailing them out of the office.

---

Rufus guided Serena to the privacy of his office, leaving Tseng and the other Turks to their gruesome task. Almost as soon as he shut the door behind them, the quiet sobbing inexplicably ceased. Serena pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and gently dabbed away the tears before turning to him with a thin smile.

“I’m afraid I still won’t be marrying you, Rufus,” she said, conversationally, “I’ve just suffered a terrible loss, and I simply can’t see myself with you after this.”

The younger Shinra snorted softly.

“So you did know, then…” he commented.

“Of course I knew. Father has never been very good at keeping secrets. I also knew this idiotic scheme of his would get him killed eventually. That’s why I encouraged it, and made absolutely certain he didn’t back out when he began to worry you were getting too close. Subtly, of course. I’m sure he truly believes I was completely in the dark about it all until the moment your Turks stormed our estate.”

“How very cold and calculating,” he commented, though truthfully, he was vaguely impressed by her resolve.

“Well… Father shouldn’t have tried to interfere in my engagement,” she said, simply. Cold as ice, this one, Rufus mused.

“Why reveal yourself to me like this? Aren’t you concerned I’ll let slip your little plot? You did, after all, use my father to murder yours.”

Serena smiled and sauntered up to him, gently griping his hand in her own.

“Not concerned in the least,” she replied. “We’re very much alike, you and I…”

“Hmph…” Rufus snorted, but didn’t deny the accusation. There had certainly been times when he’d, at least, fantasized about what it would be like to finally be out from under the yoke of his father’s control. To have that freedom. The only real difference between himself and Serena was that he had never been pushed far enough to consider acting on those dark fantasies.

“In any case… I suppose your father will want me to sign over Father’s shares in Shinra Company before he lets me leave. Loose ends, and all that,” she said with a tone of disinterest.

Rufus chuckled. “Oh, I’m sure it’s crossed his mind by now. I… believe I’ll talk him out of it.”

“Oh?” Serena queried, sounding surprised.

“I never much cared for your father’s presence at our quarterly shareholder meetings. I think I would find yours far more agreeable,” he replied, with a knowing smirk, “Consider it a wedding gift.”

Besides… Rufus was quite proud to say that he was no fool. That old adage about keeping one’s friends close and one’s enemies closer was an old adage for a very good reason. He wasn’t quite sure just which side Serena fell on just yet… but he intended to keep her close, either way.

---

The gunshot had been surprisingly muted from out in the hallway. Rude had always suspected that the rooms in the basement had significantly more soundproofing than they appeared, but this confirmed it. He leaned back against the wall and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. It was over. Finally.

No more break-ins. No more thefts. No more risking their lives to prevent the Zenshou from robbing the Company blind. He would have liked to have done it himself, truth be told… but that honor had gone to Veld. Rude wasn’t about to complain, though. His hard work had paid off… even if, in the end, it hadn’t been one of his leads that had brought an end to it.

As ordered, it had been quick and clean. Vasquez was dead, and with him died the Zenshou’s only real motive for harassing Shinra Company. There was still some clean-up work to be done – disposing of the body… tracking down the people Vasquez had sold their stolen property to and retrieving it… and of course, ensuring that no one else got any similar ideas in the future. But that was the easy part. He was glad to finally be able to wash his hands of the situation. He’d been getting just a little too obsessed with the assignment lately, and was looking forward to his life returning to normal.

Well… as “normal” as a Turk’s life ever got, anyway. Tseng joined him in the hallway a moment later.

“Go home,” the Turk lieutenant said, “Veld and I can handle things from here.”

“…”

“I’ve already had this argument once today with Reno. Don’t make me have it a second time,” Tseng, somewhat teasingly, warned. Rude chuckled softly.

“Wanted to stick around and help, huh?” he asked.

“In spite of being hungry, sleep deprived, and recently shot… yes,” the Turk lieutenant confirmed. “Go home, Rude.”

“Hmph.” The bald Turk gave a snort of laughter, but pushed himself upright. “See you Monday,” he replied with a wave as he turned to head for the elevator that would take him from the sub-basement up to the parking deck.

His truck had been there since he and Remy had left for Wutai, and he found it waiting for him, undisturbed, right where he’d left it. He quickly climbed behind the wheel and let his head drop back against the driver’s seat headrest with a groan of relief. A few seconds later, he was reaching for his phone. He had his finger poised over Reno’s contact and was just about to dial when he remembered that his friend’s phone had met with yet another unfortunate accident… and he probably hadn’t gotten a new one yet. The requisitions office tended not to work on the weekends. The redhead was going to be phoneless until Monday at the earliest.

He debated just showing up. Though… more often than not, when he did that, Reno already had… company. But, then again, it was still fairly early… It was only just approaching five in the evening. There was a pretty decent chance that, if he left now, he’d catch up to his friend before he made plans with someone of the fairer sex. That thought in mind, he started the engine and backed out of the space before circling around to the parking deck’s exit. Minutes later, he was on the freeway headed for the Sector 3 exit.

---

Reno jerked awake, startled from the light doze he’d fallen into almost immediately upon arriving home from the park and looked around the room in confusion as he tried to figure out what had woken him up. He stretched slightly as he sat up on the couch. The TV was on, showing the evening news… but the volume was turned down low, so he doubted that was it.

After a few seconds, a knock sounded at his apartment’s door, and he snorted softly. That explained it. Must’ve been the first knock that woke him. He stood up with a yawn and made his way over, opening the door to his visitor, and grinned at the sight that greeted him.

“Hey… Finally made it back, huh?” he said.

“Finally,” Rude agreed, returning the grin and offering up a six pack of beer. “Got plans for tonight?”

“Yeah. I plan on gettin’ to know at least half that six pack real well,” Reno snickered, ushering Rude inside, “Come on in.”

Rude laughed quietly and followed his friend into the living room, setting the drinks on the coffee table, and making himself at home on the couch. Reno pulled one can from its plastic ring and tossed it to his fellow Turk before taking one for himself.

“So how’d shit go in Costa del Sol after I left? Any more problems?” he asked, and Rude shook his head.

“Couldn’t’ve gone smoother, actually,” he replied, “It was kind of a nice change of pace, after what we’ve been through lately.”

“Heh… Always nice when nothin’ goes horribly wrong…” the redhead chuckled, before taking a swig of beer and flopping down in one of the arm chairs.

“How’d things go here?” Rude asked, pointedly glancing he his friend’s chest.

“Subtle,” the redhead snickered, “I’m fine. Doc just told me to go easy on the stitches. No other restrictions.”

Rude looked visibly relieved and cracked open his own beer. It occurred to the redhead that his friend had largely heard about the injury second-hand, seeing as he’d been staking out Vasquez’s place most of the night.

“Petra showed me the pictures after you left this morning,” he commented with a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. “How in the Nine Hells does that happen?”

Reno choked slightly on the sip he’d just taken, laughing.

“No idea, man,” he replied, grinning widely, “But it just fuckin’ figures it’d happen to me… Plus now I gotta request another damn phone.”

“What’s it look like now?” the older Turk asked, a hint of morbid curiosity in his voice. Reno pulled the collar of his t-shirt down enough to reveal the now badly bruised skin that surrounded a rather ugly bunch of stitches.

“Real nice, huh?” he snickered. “I hope the scar at least ends up lookin’ cool.”

Rude snorted and drained the rest of his beer from the can.

“Hmph… So you want to get something to eat before we’re too drunk to stumble out of your apartment?”

“When’s the last time you heard me turn down food? I’ll drive,” the redhead laughed, finishing off his own drink. “Go shove the rest of those in the fridge while I find my keys.”

“Forget the keys. There’s a new food truck I’ve been wanting to check out. It’s supposed to be parked three blocks from here in fifteen minutes.”

Reno cocked his head to one side. “You – our resident food snob – wanna eat stuff some random guy’s serving outta the back of a truck?” he asked, somewhat incredulously.

“No… I want to sample a new culinary trend that’s on the rise and gaining popularity all over the city.”

“Tch… Whatever. Long as I can eat it,” the younger Turk shrugged, still snickering. He grabbed his shoes and a light jacket and hurried to follow Rude out of the apartment. An elevator ride later found them walking down the street, just as the mako-powered streetlights were coming on. The wind, that had picked up a bit earlier in the afternoon had calmed by then, giving way to a pleasant, if still slightly cool, evening.

“Man,” Reno breathed, “Can’t believe it’s already time to start thinkin’ about Halloween again.”

“You know it’s still over a month away, right?” Rude replied, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah? And?”

Rude chuckled and shook his head. “I take it that means we’re pranking the rookies again this year?”

“Of fucking course we’re prankin’ the rookies! It’s practically tradition. We got it back when we were rookies. Sykes ‘n Petra got it last year. Only fair we keep it goin’ with Liam ‘n the newbies,” Reno declared. He sighed contentedly as Rude put his arm over the smaller Turk’s shoulder. “… I really missed havin’ you around, Partner. You ‘n Remy were gone way too long.”

“Hmph… missed you, too,” the bald Turk grinned, “By the way… I paid a little visit to our office while I was at headquarters.”

The redhead cringed, suddenly remembering that he had promised to have their shared workspace cleaned up and back to normal by the time his officemate returned… and though he’d briefly made an attempt at starting to clean… it hadn’t happened yet.

“Uh… heh… ya did?” he asked, hesitantly, and Rude nodded as their destination came into view a short distance away. “… This isn’t like a last meal kinda situation… is it?”

“Haven’t decided yet…” Rude teased.

---

It was dark by the time Kai realized that she’d been staring out at nothing for hours. The sun has long since set, and it wasn’t until the chill of the evening made her physically shudder that she finally managed to drag herself back to reality.

Suspension. Evaluation. Shiva only knew what else. And the worst part was, she had no one to blame but herself.

She glanced down at the photo album in her lap and sighed. She’d put it away years ago. They were photos of a happier time. A time when she still felt whole. Alyssa smiled up at her from the pages, and she turned away, blinking back tears. Aly never would have approved of what she’d done, either. In fact, she’d have probably let her have even worse than Tseng had.

And then there was Reno, who had more reason than anyone to be absolutely furious with her… and her little Baby Turkling was just his typical sweet self about the entire mess – which, in a way, made her feel even worse for betraying him the way she had. He’d been right to send her back. She could see that now. Her being there had been a liability. That they’d managed to complete their mission was not thanks to her, but, rather, in spite of her.

And she hadn’t even accomplished what she’d set out to do. The Shiva-be-damned Zenshou had walked away unscathed and unpunished. Hell, she was fairly sure the only injury incurred during the entire ridiculous debacle had been Reno’s… for saving her sorry ass.

He’d let her off the hook for Wutai – didn’t fault her for letting herself be seduced by the enemy and compromising security for the whole trip – and she’d let him convince her that it wasn’t her fault. She had no easy way out of this one, though. This was all on her.

It was going to be a long time before she could show her face in Turk Headquarters again. Not that that was an issue. Suspension meant a temporary revocation of her security clearances. She wasn’t even allowed in the office for the time being. In fact, she wasn’t permitted above the floors open to the general public until Veld said otherwise. Assuming he decided to say otherwise. It was entirely possible she’d finally gone too far and managed to fuck up her entire career.

A stray tear made its way down her cheek and landed on one of the pages of the album. Kai gently brushed it away and sighed.

“I don’t know what to do, Aly…” she whispered, “I really don’t.”

~end chapter 76~