Gone

Not mine. Never will be.

 
Gone

Chapter 2

 
 
 
Hilde sighed as she placed the last stamp on the last bill. They were all paid, finally. Now if Sally called she could go, worry-free. Howard could handle the work end. For that matter anyone in the junk yard could. Not much too it. Keep track of the shipments coming in and going out. Get the money from the customers and pay the bills. No wonder Duo always wanted to go on missions. It was really rather boring.
But it was a job , it put food on the table and paid the bills.
She leaned back and looked at the dark computer screen. Should she check her e-mail? What there was a dear Jane letter from him? What if there wasn’t? What if there was an order? What if Sally e=mailed instead of called? She reached out and hit the on button. Might as well see, if he was gone and he said so then she could finally let gone, maybe in 5 or 6 years. She sighed, so pathetic.
She typed in her account and looked at the messages coming up. Nothing from Duo, but two for orders. One from Sally.
She opened the two orders and wrote down the information, then opened the one from Sally.
It was a simple request, asking her to be prepared and that she would be calling in a day or two. She wanted to know if Hilde had a lap top and other computer supplies. Hilde smiled and e-mailed her back with a yes.
After she deleted all the mail she stood and packed, knowing that the call would come soon and someone would be there to pick her up.
As she packed her clothes and her computer things she ran a cross a picture. It was a picture of her and Duo. It wasn’t a typical picture, silly and all goofy. It was a nice serious picture of them. He was standing next to her with his arm behind her back. She smiled as she remembered the cause of that picture. He had seemed jealous that day. They were in the park, and this man kept flirting with her. He had suddenly become extremely possessive, pulling her away from the park and the man. As they walked through the park, hed sd stopped by a small mom and pop store, buying a camera. He paid a kid to take a couple of pictures of them and they went on there way. Then he had snapped pictures of her all day, until the camera was empty. She frowned. He had given her this one but where had all the others gone? As she gazed at the photo she noticed the look on his face. He hadn’t even looked at the camera, he was looking at her. Maybe Sally was right! She blinked , then looked at it again before stuffing it in her bag. She still wondered where the rest of the pictures went. He couldn’t have kept them all, could he?
She adjusted his hat on her head and stood, pulling her bag with her. It seemed strange, that neither one of them had that many possessions. It was like they were ready to move on in a heart beat. She walked through the house, remembering her walkman. She picked it up and tossed it in her bag, thinking about grabbing a few CDs. As she rummaged through the box she found one of Duo’s favorites. She smiled and stuck it in her bag. Then she chose two more of hers . As she looked around the room she sighed. She didn’t know how long she would be gone, but this was home to her and always would be. She would miss it, just like she missed him. She went back to the CD box and pulled one they both liked. As she put it in the stereo, she flopped down on the couch and closed her eyes, letting the music wash over her. All she could think of was him. He filled her mind. What if he was doing something stupid? Putting himself in more danger than the rest? What if he got killed? Her hands clinched into fists. She would have to kill him. Her eyes popped open. Well, that was a rational thought! She giggled at herself despite her sadness. Maybe Sally could tell her more.
An hour later the call came, and Hilde was ready. She had ran to tell Howard she was leaving at the shop was in his hands. He had nodded and hugger, tr, telling her to keep an eye outr thr the baka boy. She had smiled and told him she would do just that, if she didn’t kill him first, which caused Howard to laugh.

 
A few hours later she was settled in at The Preventer Headquarters. Sally had greeted her and lead her to her room. It was a comely room, just a bed and dresser, a closet and a small bathroom with a shower and toilet. Sally apologized for the smallness, but Hilde waved her off saying it was just fine.
After she had put away her things and gone to find a bit of lunch, Sally took her to the computers and set her to work, Hacking and decoding messages.
As she worked a short garbled message came in. It was addressed to Sally.
She looked at it and wondered for sure what it said.

 
Hilde frowned as she started to decode it.
It was an easy code so it only took her a few minutes. As she finished reading I t and printing it off, her heart began to pound in her chest.
What was going on, what were they doing that Duo felt he had to put himself in danger?
“Baka!” she muttered under her breath as she hurried to Sally’s office with the paper in her hand.
She looked down at the message as she walked.

SALLY,

MAXWELL HAS DONE SOMETHING RASH. HAS PUT HIMSELF IN GRAVE DANGER. NEED ADVISEMENT.

WUFEI
“Damn it all to hell. Duo, when I get my hands on you…….”
She tapped on sally’s door, then pushed it open. Sally looked up, noticing the look on her face, waved Hilde in.
“Hilde, what is it?”
Hilde handed her the message and stepped back.
Sally read it and hissed, “Damn it ,Maxwell! Why can’t you follow orders!?” She crumpled it up and stepped from around her desk. “Come on, let’s reply.”
Several of the other Preventers stepped aside as the two woman passed them, seeing the determined looks on their faces.
Hilde sat the computer and brought up the code.
“Ready, Sally.”
“Ok, here’s the message.

 
“WuFei, get him back all costs. Do not.. I repeat, do not leave him behind. We can not afford prisoners at this time. And don’t get yourself or anyone else killed. Reply to this message as soon as you can.
Sally.”

She looked at Hilde as she finished typing. “Got it?”
Hilde hit the send button and nodded. She looked Sally. “Ok, now will telltell me what’s going on?”
“After we hear from WuFei.”
Sally turned and left the room. Hilde glared at her bas tas the door shut. Her hands clenched in fists of rage and she closed her eyes. She was angry with Duo for not telling her goodbye or anything else, and at Sally for keeping it all a big stupid secret.
She opened her eyes and looked at the computer. She was a good hacker. She would get to the bottom of this with or wiut Sut Sally’s help.
She would have her answers.

 
To be continued……..

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