Gundam Wing/AC 1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of the original characters from the series.

Enjoy the story!

**Precious**

Duo Maxwell sat in a bar waiting for his new best friend, Miles Taffert. It was slow tonight, not many people visiting this particular bar on a Monday night. He liked this place, it was quiet and no one asked questions. The door opened and he saw Taffert walk in and head towards him. This was their usual table and neither bothered to look for the other anywhere else.

Taffert, his reddish brown hair slicked back with hair gel, sat down signalling to the bartender that he wanted a drink. The man was wearing his usual garb, a suede zipper jacket, black dress pants and a red dress shirt. The dress shirt was never fully buttoned up revealing his smooth muscular chest. To say he was attractive was an understatement. Women fell all over this guy.

The waitress brought his usual drink – Guiness and left them alone. Taffert waited until she was well out of ear shot before he greeted his comrade.

"Max, seen anything interesting tonight?" It was Taffert's usual greeting to Duo. He was an overly cautious man and even kept Duo, who was considered the man's best friend under a microscope.

"Nah man, it's quiet," he drawled in his L2 street accent. Even after a few years of being off the street, the accent slipped easily in place and Duo found his former life served him well in such circumstances. Taffert knew Duo only as Max, a mysterious street kid who had special skills that he could use to his advantage. The pair had met when Duo bumped into him on the streets, lifting his wallet without the man even knowing. The London native hadn't even noticed until he was several blocks away. Duo had smirked when he saw the man come barrelling down the street yelling thief! Duo took off and the chase was on.

He had led the man throughout the back streets in the city and had conveniently led them into a dead end. He had pleaded with his target, who was pointing a gun at him, telling him that he was new to Earth and that he needed the money to survive. He was a street rat from L2 who, looking for something better, had hitched a ride on one of the freight shuttles bound for Earth and had wound up in London. Taffert had been intrigued by him, as Duo had known, and had offered the kid a job. Slowly Duo worked his way up dirtying his hands with minor tasks until he had managed to show Taffert his natural smarts and had won his affection. It had taken months to win the man's trust and there wasn't anything Duo was going to do to jeopardize it. He wouldn't get a second chance if he screwed up.

Miles Taffert was using Max, and Duo knew the man wouldn't hesitate to get rid of him if anything serious happened. Duo wasn't worried though. He had planned every possible outcome, every possible angle he could think of and had been satisfied that he was prepared. Even if something came up that he hadn't anticipated Duo was confident his street smarts would get him out safely.

"Is everything ready?"

"Yeah, man, everythin's ready ta go," Duo assured him, before taking a gulp of his Newcastle Brown Ale.

"Good. I knew I could count on you."

Duo, knowing that Taffert was indeed happy with his response, needed to confirm that everything was on track. It was important that their plan proceeded; he didn't want any unnecessary delays.

"Then we're on schedule?" Duo pressed taking another sip.

Taffert looked up at him suspiciously. Duo smiled. "I'm anxious s'all. We've been plannin fer months now. Time ta get what's owed t'us."

"Patience is a virtue, my friend," Taffert replied with a smile. "Rome wasn't built in a day."

"Rome?" Duo questioned, playing the uneducated street rat.

Taffert laughed at his ignorance. "Never mind." The man liked to keep Duo in the dark. He never explained his references and Duo never pressed, logging in his brain the references catching on to most of what Taffert was hinting at.

They stayed in the bar until well after midnight, stumbling out both drunk and supporting each other. Taffert called a cab and Duo wandered aimlessly in the street, heading in no particular direction. After an hour he wandered down an alley way and headed into a side door.

The lights were off and Duo made no move to turn them on. He closed the door and locked it before even turning around. He waited for a few moments and then opened his eyes, his violet orbs adjusting quickly to the darkness. Two figures waited at the back wall. Duo moved to the table in the middle of the room and lit the lamp that was standing on the table.

"Were you followed?" A male voice demanded as the lamp lit up. Light was cast about the room.

"Nah man, no one followed," he replied, still sporting his street accent.

"Maxwell," another voiced warned him.

"Relax Chang," he spat back in his normal voice, turning around to face his friend. "If anyone should be asking that questions it's me. Were you followed?"

"No." Duo looked to his partner, Heero Yuy standing next to Wufei Chang. The Japanese youth was wearing jeans and his green tank top with a jean jacket to keep out the chill. It was October and the temperature was dropping quickly. Winter was only a few weeks away. Chang was dressed in a leather jacket with black slacks and a blue dress shirt on.

"Good. Now tell me that you guys are ready."

"We are. Are you still on schedule?" Heero demanded.

"Yeah, we're right on track. Just keep to the plan. I can't have ya spookin Taffert too early. If he's spooked this whole mission could get wrecked and ain't no one getting close to him again. Not even me."

"We know Maxwell. That's why Une has assigned only top level agents to this case. We can't have any mistakes. Just keep to your part."

"We've planned this carefully Duo," Heero reminded his partner. "But if you feel you need to back out –"

"There ain't no going back, Heero!" he snapped. "Dun matter what I feel now. Dun matter," Duo whispered turning away from them. "If there ain't nuttin else I gotta get some shut eye."

"Duo," Heero began, he paused though and thought better of it. Instead he said, "Watch your back."

Duo woke up; sunshine streaming into the large windows of the warehouse he was sleeping in. Taffert had found this place for him, one of his many warehouses of stored goods. It wasn't bad, it kept out the rain and Duo had a mattress and blankets to use. It was a hell of a lot better than a lot of the places he had stayed in as a kid and he had told Taffert that much.

The deal he and Taffert had set up would go down today. Taffert was importing illegal weapons, many of which were already out on the streets killing kids and cops alike. Duo had volunteered for this mission, wanting more than anything to get the guns off the street. Too many innocents had died already in this so called peace time.

After the war Duo had returned to L2 to open the salvage business with Hilde. Things had been going so well at first. Hilde met someone to share her life with and they were engaged to be married. Business was booming and Duo was finally doing something he enjoyed. But good things never lasted. Business slowed down as the may salvage business cleaned out the mobile suits and good metal parts from space. Rent increased, and additional taxes were forced on business owners of L2. Duo and Hilde were up to their ears in debt and nothing would be able to save them. It wasn't that Duo was a bad business man. In fact their salvage yard was one of the few remaining on L2.

One day some punks came to the door, sent by the main gang boss of L2, a Japanese business man from L1 named Kozen. Kozen had started making several offers to buy the salvage yard, all of which Duo had refused to accept. Hilde had tried to convince Duo to sell and start over somewhere else, but the teen once determined rarely ever gave up anything.

Duo had been off-site with a client when the thugs had shown up and Hilde had been taking care of the shop. They threatened her and when she had told them off they had roughed her up. Hilde had been scared but Duo had convinced her everything would be ok, vowing to get back at Kozen for hurting her. They hired a few additional hands for the salvage yard and for a while Duo thought everything would be ok. But Kozen hadn't left them alone. He sent his thugs back again. This time Duo was there to meet them. A fight had broken out with Duo beating the men to a bloody pulp before the cops came and broke up the fight.

Duo had been taken down to the station and would have been put in jail, charged for assault, if Hilde and the other hired hands hadn't stuck up for him and posted bail. Kozen hadn't pressed charges, denying his knowledge of who the men were.

Hilde and her finance Dan were scared. They sold Duo their share of the business and moved to L3. Duo didn't blame them. Hilde may have been ex-Oz but Dan wasn't a soldier. He kept to the business, being wrapped into the yard almost 24-7. Things seemed to have settled after Hilde and Dan had left. Duo was lonely, but that hadn't been anything he hadn't faced before. He kept at it. He had to let one of the guys go not long after but he refused to sell the place. This had been his baby, his first real life since the war, since ever. He wouldn't go back to being a nobody. He wouldn't give up on a dream.

But that stubbornness that Duo possessed had very nearly gotten him killed. A fire had been set to the house. Duo had been in the scrap yard, his attention fully engaged in the search for a very rare part that a client had ordered. He hadn't heard the fire, being a few minutes out from the house. He hadn't heard the footsteps behind him, but long honed instincts had screamed at him. He whipped up and around suddenly, coming face to face with a swinging metal pipe.

Duo had woken tied up gagged and caught in the large utility shed with smoke all around him. The whole place was on fire, his house, the yard, and the shed he was currently trapped in.

Whether it had been sheer luck or fate working for Duo, Wufei Chang, Preventer agent and ex Gundam Pilot had decided to visit his old comrade while he was staying on L2. If it had not been for Wufei accepting the posting and deciding to visit his adopted brother, Duo would have died in that fire.

As it was Wufei had burst into the house looking for said friend and his business partner Hilde. Finding neither in the house he had run out to the junk yard to search for them. He had stumbled on Duo by chance and had rescued the almost unconscious American from the destructive flames. After confirming that no one else was on the property, Wufei had taken Duo to safety and called the fire fighters and paramedics.

The scarp yard, house and all had burned to the ground. Firefighters had fought to contain the fire but it had been apparent that the salvage yard could not be saved. And though Duo had suffered only minor burns and smoke inhalation, he had lost everything. There was no chance of Hilde and Dan ever coming back now. He had nothing left but the cloths he had been wearing that day. Duo had quickly fallen into a fit of depression, and though his job needed him to return to Earth, Wufei took a short leave and remained with his comrade.

Wufei had stayed; had picked up the pieces of his comrade's broken life. He had arranged for Duo to return to Earth with him, and offered to put the American up for a few months until he was able to secure his own place. He had convinced Duo to accept a position at Preventers Headquarters and had arranged the sale of the barren lot still tagged to Duo's name.

It had been apparent to the police, who investigated the fire, that it had been arson; deliberately set to destroy the building. But the police couldn't touch Kozen and refused to do anything about it. They wrote it up as unsolved and tossed the file with the many other unsolved cases. Duo wouldn't leave well enough alone. He wanted revenge for what the man had done to Hilde and to his life. Wufei, despite his current job, could not and would not stop the American from exacting his justice. Wufei put family and friendship before career and hadn't hesitated in helping Duo coordinate the effort. Wufei had been vital to the success of Duo's mission.

And a mission it was. Lady Une knew Duo well enough as well to know that the ex-pilot could not leave well enough alone. She had sanctioned Wufei to stay with him and had even assigned Preventers from the L2 office to accompany them as back up. Wufei refused to send them in unless Duo truly needed it. Kozen was dangerous and if Duo could get to them they would be able to lock him up for a long time. Duo succeeded in his mission with little difficulty and as a result Kozen was sentenced to jail for 25 years.

The mission had given Duo the drive he needed. He sold the yard to the first buyer, getting a decent price for the lot and had moved back with Wufei only a week later.

Duo's first day on the job found him standing in front of his old war buddy, Heero Yuy, the newest addition to the force. It seemed Heero had learned about the incident on L2 and had come out of hiding, joining the Preventers that very day and requesting he be assigned as Duo's partner. Things had been looking up since then. Duo counted his blessings for what they were. It seemed he was destined to be with Heero and Wufei for the rest of their lives – it seemed too much of a coincidence that Wufei had saved him and that Heero had returned from the void to work with him. Fate worked in strange ways and Duo wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

When Duo learned of this assignment he signed up immediately. He wanted thugs like this off the street. Gun smuggling wasn't normally the business of the Preventers – it was usually left up to the cops but this was a unique case involving not only guns but gundanium enhanced weapons and mobile suit parts. This wasn't a simple weapons smuggling case.

And Taffert was the brains behind it.

Duo slipped his communicator into his ear, a small device that was undetectable to all types of detectors. He heard a car pull up outside and heard the driver's door slam closed. "Show time," he announced out loud, adjusting his jacket and taking one last glance in the mirror. "Wish me luck." 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or much of anything really; except my computer.

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**Precious - Part 2**

Their buyers had shown up at the scheduled time. Discussion ensued immediately and the deal was almost to its conclusion. "We're in position. Operation will commence in one minute," Heero informed him through the communications device that he had provided to Duo at their last meeting. The American Preventer had activated the unit earlier that morning. They both knew it was risky, but Duo needed to be in contact with them in order to not be caught off guard.

"All units go!" Wufei's voice piped up loud and clear over the com link informing Maxwell that they were coming in. The alarms triggered and blared as everyone scrambled to leave. Duo looked around startled and scared, looking to Taffert for orders.

"Wha' the fuck's goin' on?" Duo yelled over the sounds of the alarms. Taffert didn't seem worried and Duo's instinct screamed that something was wrong. It could be that the man was too cocky but Duo had a sinking suspicion that Taffert had something planned. "Cops," he announced casually, looking directly at Duo as the Preventers came in sweeping the area.

"Shit!" Duo swore, keeping his act going. "What're we gonna do now?" he asked, already following Taffert who was heading to the back of the warehouse.

"Make a run for it."

Duo didn't have time to think with the commotion behind him. He glanced back and saw Heero and Wufei at the lead, targeting their buyers. He followed Taffert determined not to let the man out of his site. The American Preventer didn't try to stop Taffert yet, he needed to know what the man had planned.

Heero's eyes swept across the warehouse trying to locate his partner. But hi partner and the target of the operation was nowhere to be found. He moved away from the main group and scanned the area for an escape route. "Maxwell, report!" he demanded as his eyes scanned for his partner. He saw the exit, hidden in the shadows and moved towards it, gun aimed. Wufei saw Yuy moving towards the back end of the warehouse and decided it wise to follow him. Maxwell and Taffert had disappeared and he had no doubt that Yuy was on their trail.

"Duo, status!" the Chinese Preventer heard Yuy bark through their com units. Duo's lack of response was a bad sign. They could hear labored breathing suggesting that Duo was running. Wufei caught up to Heero and followed him through the exit. The door led to a narrow alley between several of the warehouses. The alley branched off in four directions and became a maze.

They ran as fast as they could, swerving through the back alleys, in between all the other warehouses and heading towards the docks. Duo knew he had to do something soon or Taffert would get away. It would be months before they would be able to make their next deal and Duo was worried that this would be his last chance.

Heero's voice sounded in his ears trying to establish where the American was. He heard the chatter of the other officers disappear, the slamming of the metal door they had used minutes before and a Chinese curse muttered between clenched teeth. Duo ignored it all, not able to respond anyway without fully blowing his cover.

They were heading towards the docks. Duo slowed down. "Where we goin?" he asked, pretending he was out of breath and needing to stop for a moment while they were still in between the buildings. A jeep liberty was parked at the end of the alley, in front of the docks. He needed to stall Taffert until Heero and Wufei were able to catch up.

"We're taking a little ride," Taffert replied, pointing a gun at him. Duo wondered where the gun had come from.

Duo's eyes widened as he played scared. "What the hell, Miles!" he screamed, lacing his voice with fear. "What're you doin?"

"Get in, Max!" Taffert ordered nodding to the jeep.

"Ok Miles just don't point that thing at me."

Duo moved towards the jeep and as he passed Taffert, heading towards the small boat, the man shot him. Duo fell to the ground clutching at his shoulder which was bleeding heavily.

"Maxwell, status!" Wufei demanded, panic in his normally calm voice. "Duo, answer me!"

Duo heard the pair arguing but could not concentrate on what they were saying. Instead he turned his attention to Taffert and focused on maintaining his cover. He looked up at Taffert his eyes wide and showing pain. "Do you think I'm stupid?" the deranged man demanded. "Do you think that after all this time I would fall so easily?" Taffert pulled Duo roughly to his feet, gripping his collar and nearly chocking him. He slammed him into the wall, forcing a scream out of the American as his shoulder connected with rough brick. "You thought you could fool me, didn't you?" he demanded, his eyes full of mirth. "But I knew all along, Max," Taffert hissed.

'Duo we're on our way, keep him busy!' Heero instructed.

"I dunno what yer talkin' about…" Duo began, still trying to hang on.

Taffert laughed. Duo turned his face away, eyes closed in pain. "You can drop the act."

"Taffert, please, man, I dunno what yer talkin' about."

Taffert looked down the alley, spooked by some noise in the distance. He hauled Duo off the wall and shoved him to the ground. "Get up!" he yelled. When Duo didn't oblige, he hauled him to his feet and shoved him away. Duo's head was spinning and he felt nauseous. He tried to get away from the man but Taffert wasn't taking any chances. A fist collided with his nose and Duo found himself surrounded by nothingness.

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To be continued… 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing and all that jazz.

Yay, the next chapter is up! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed!

**Note:** I've been watching a lot of CSI lately and thought it would be cool to add in a Preventer CSI unit. I hope you enjoy!

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**Precious – Part 3**

He woke up, bound and gagged in the back seat of the jeep Liberty. The doors were locked and Taffert was in the driver's seat, the jeep bouncing every now and then. He had no idea where they were or if the others had managed to follow behind them. He couldn't hear anything through his earpiece and he wondered if he was out of range.

It was all he could do to keep conscious, the bouncing of the jeep jarring his shoulder constantly. He groaned, grabbing the attention of his captor. "Finally awake, are we Max?" the man greeted, a disturbing smile on his face. "We're far away from them. No cops will be finding us here."

Duo ignored Miles and tried to come up with a plan. If what Taffert said was true, then the others hadn't reached him in time to get to them or chase them. If Taffert was right then the guys had no idea where to find him and he was shit-out-of-luck. At least there was no one else here to get hurt.

They stopped at a rundown cottage stuck in the middle of the woods far away from civilization and Duo couldn't help but laugh at the irony of it; Taffert had a safe house. The paint was pealing and the porch was falling apart. The place looked as though it had been abandoned for years. What used to be a garden was an overrun mess of wild flowers and weeds. The forest had encroached on the cottage's small yard, overtaking it and nearly burying the house in grass, weeds and shrubs.

Taffert pulled Duo out of the jeep, allowing him to fall heavily to the ground. Duo's vision blurred and he stifled a scream. Then he was hauled roughly to his feet and shoved towards the safe house. He stumbled, managing to catch himself only to have his captor shove him again through the open door. This time Duo was unable to save himself from falling and he hit the floor hard. The boards shifted and creaked under him.

"Home sweet home!" Taffert happily announced, slamming the door behind him and Duo began to wonder about the man's sanity. "Do you like what I've done to the place Max?" he asked walking by the fallen American. "Or would you prefer I call you Agent Maxwell?" His captor turned around and Duo glared at him; Taffert smile more. "Oh don't worry Maxwell, I won't kill you yet. I have plans for you." Taffert laughed maniacally and then knocked Duo unconscious.

'Maxwell! Can you hear me?' Wufei's voice penetrated the haze of Duo's mind. Pain registered as the Preventer woke. His eyes finally came in to focus and he took in his surroundings. He was still in the safe house, in a small bedroom on a bed. Duo didn't know how much time had passed by or where Taffert was. He heard Wufei's voice again. 'Maxwell, can you answer?' Duo could hear the concern in the Chinese man's voice, could hear the anxiousness in it. Wufei was worried. Duo looked at the slightly open door and strained to hear any noise from the other room.

"Fei," he replied, his voice quiet in caution and lack of energy.

'Maxwell,' came the relieved reply. Duo winced from the volume.

"Shit, not so loud," Duo whispered.

'Where are you?' Wufei demanded, dropping the volume of his voice to a loud whisper.

"Safe house in the woods."

Heero's calm and steady voice took over the conversation. "What's your status?"

"Bullet in the shoulder; broken nose, pounding headache; other than that I'm just peachy," Duo joked, panting heavily from the pain.

'We'll find you Duo. Just hang on a little longer.'

"Hey no problem; take your time."

The door banged fully open and Taffert came in, eyes blazing with anger. "Who are you talking to?" he demanded. He grabbed Duo, hauled him up and slammed him into the wall.

"No one! There's no one here."

"Don't lie to me!" Taffert slammed him against the wall again, jarring Duo's shoulder wound and causing it to bleed again. Duo screamed out in pain. "I'm only going to ask you this one more time. Who are you talking to?" Duo didn't respond; he knew the man would hurt him again whether he told him or not so he chose to keep silent. Taffert loosened his grip on Duo and shoved him to the ground. Duo moaned in pain and Taffert pinned him to the ground. He pulled Duo's head back by his hair and found the communications device the L2 street rat had been hiding from him. "What's this?" he snarled. "Got your buddies on the end, don't you?" Duo closed his eyes against the pain and refused to answer. He let his mind drift away from Taffert, willing the darkness to take away his pain. The crazed man granted his wish, pulling his fist back and slamming it down on his left temple.

Taffert turned his attention to the com device he had pulled off Duo's ear and spoke into it. "Let's play a game, shall we?"

Heero and Wufei paused at their end. Wufei gave him a look that indicated he should be the one to respond. "What kind of game?" Heero asked.

"Hide and seek. You're it."

"What is the goal?"

"Max's life is on the line. I can't guarantee his safety. But the sooner you find me, the less he suffers."

"You're only making things worse for yourself Taffert," Heero informed him in his cold soldier voice. "Turn yourself in. If you harm him you won't get out of there alive."

"Is that a threat, Yuy?" Heero paused and looked over at Wufei. Both Asian preventers wore surprised expressions. "You think you're smart, don't you? But I'm one step ahead of you. I knew who Max was from the start. I let him in; I let him get close to me. I even set the whole deal up to lure you in. I'm in charge here, Yuy. Don't forget that or your partner dies. You have six hours." Communications was terminated and Heero growled in frustration.

"How the hell did he know that Maxwell's a Preventer?" Wufei demanded, standing next to Heero. They were in the alley with a team of crime scene investigators, trying to figure out where Taffert and Duo had gone. They didn't have much to go on at the moment and Wufei could feel Heero's frustration. "There is more going on here than a simple arms deal. He knows who we are and he wants something from us."

Trowa and Quatre approached the pair standing behind the yellow tape to allow the investigators do their job. "Any luck," Quatre asked, alerting the pair to their presence.

"We spoke with Taffert," Heero informed them.

"He's playing with us!" Wufei growled in frustration. "Maxwell's alive but he's injured."

"We have six hours to find him and all we know is that he's in a safehouse in the woods. What do you have?" Heero demanded.

"Taffert was a civilian during the war. His family was killed in a small town in Syria in 195." Heero waited for Quatre to continue and raised his eyebrow when the blond hesitated.

"The town was destroyed when Oz forces engaged Pilots 01 and 02," Trowa continued, watching Heero's reactions closely. The Japanese teen's eyes widened in surprise. "What happened on that mission, Heero?"

"We were trying to retreat but Oz had us outnumbered. Duo was trying to maneuver us away from the town but Oz kept forcing us back. There was nothing we could do to protect it. As a result the town was destroyed and a lot of civilians were killed."

"Taffert's out for revenge on you and Duo. There's no telling what he will do to him if we don't find Duo soon. You need to be careful too, Heero. Duo's not the only one in danger."

"I know Quatre."

"It's been five hours since they disappeared. Which means they can't be far." Wufei spoke into his earpiece. "All units, this is Dragon, we have confirmation that the targets are in a safehouse in the woods. Increase the search radius to 5 hours in all directions and search all wooded areas."

Billie Seres, a young CSI fresh out of university, analyzed the tire tracks she had found only two warehouses up from where they had found blood smears. There was a pot hole filled with wet mud where the main street met with the alley. The vehicle she concluded had been travelling at a high speed and had turned left onto the main street, Libertine, from the alley. As the vehicle turned it the front wheel hit the pot hole, followed by the back wheel and skidded around the corner, leaving mud tracks on the left side. She checked the depth of the pothole and studied the indentation the tire made in the mud when it hit.

"Excuse me, sirs" Billie interrupted approaching the four agents. They turned their attention to her. "I've identified the vehicle the target used. I found tire tracks two warehouses up. The target was driving at high speed and turned left on Libertine. He hit a pothole just before turning and left a muddy tire track. From the impression in the pot hole and the width of the tire track I've concluded that the vehicle was a Jeep Liberty."

"How certain are you that's our target?" Heero demanded

"The tire tracks are only a few hours old. I'm sure."

"All units, this is Dragon, Target is driving a Jeep Liberty."

"Dragon this is Water. A Jeep Liberty was seen leaving the warehouse district approximately 5 hours ago. Target was heading North on Libertine. Pursuing lead."

"Understood Water." Wufei turned to Heero who had at some point grabbed his laptop and was typing away. Heero pulled up a satellite map of the surrounding area and followed Libertine north. The road ended with a turn off to the highway. But road blocks had been placed on the highway as soon as Taffert had disappeared and no one had reported seeing a jeep liberty try to pass.

Heero back tracked and followed each possible route, finally narrowing it down to one road Highway 4. There were farms just outside the city along that highway and it would take someone two hours to reach any forested area. He zoomed in on the forested area and found a lone dirt road off the small highway.

Heero smirked. "Target located."

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To be continued… 

Taffert's out for revenge and the guys have 6 hours to find him. Will they find him in time to save Duo or will Heero be his next target? Stay tuned for the thrilling finale of Precious!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing and all that jazz.

Taffert's out for revenge and the guys have 6 hours to find him. Will they find him in time to save Duo or will Heero be his next target? This is the finale of Precious!

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**Precious – Part 4**

Duo Maxwell woke to a fist striking his stomach. He gasped for breath and hunched in on himself. Taffert grasped his braid and pulled his head back "Wake up Maxwell or you'll miss all the fun!" Duo glared at the man. "The mighty Gundam pilot 02, Duo Maxwell; not much to look at, are you?" He released Duo's braid.

"What do you want?" the American preventer asked, pushing himself up onto his knees. His hands were tied in front of him.

Miles crouched in front of his captive and looked at him for a moment before speaking. "What do I want? What I want, Maxwell, is to have my family back. What I want is to be with my wife and daughter. Can you give them back to me? Well, can you?"

"No, I can't."

"No, you can only take lives. The self proclaimed God of Death. " Taffert stood up and towered over Duo. "Do your victims haunt you at night? Do you hear them screaming as they die? You bastard!" Taffert slammed his fist in Duo's cheek. "I can hear them at night; sometimes I dream that my daughter is screaming for me to help her. That she's crying over her mother's dead body. Sometimes they're killed quickly by a saber beam or by the house they were in collapsing." Taffer punched him again and Duo fell to the floor. "Do you know how many people you killed? Four hundred seventy six people died when two Gundam Pilots, 01 and 02, attacked an Oz facility ten kilometers from the town." Duo's eyes widened in surprise and he felt sick to his stomach. "You remember." Taffert kicked him. "You bastard! You killed my family! You killed my little girl; my precious little girl!" Duo did the best he could to protect himself from the kicks he was receiving from his captor. One foot connected with his side and he felt several ribs crack under the pressure. He kept his arms covering his face and tried desperately to curl in on himself to protect his rib cage.

"Not so tough now are you?" the man growled. He spat on Duo then stormed out of the cottage. Duo couldn't move; he lay there trying to breathe through the pain. One of his cracked ribs had penetrated his right lung and he was having a hard time breathing. Duo looked around, assessing his situation. He couldn't wait for Heero and Wufei to find him; he had no way of knowing how close or how far they were and he knew he couldn't survive another attack like that from Taffert. He was injured and wouldn't get too far. But all he needed to do was get away from him long enough for Heero and Wufei to arrive with the cavalry.

He pushed himself up and chocked on a scream. His left arm was broken, having taken the full brunt of many of Taffert's kicks. With much effort he kneeled, his hands tied firmly together. He stood up and stumbled forward, managing to catch his balance. He moved forward slowly and looked out the window beside the door. He couldn't see his captor so he opened the door and stepped outside into the bright light. His eyes darted around for the man before he started to move forward again. His vision blurred and the world tilted suddenly; his legs gave out beneath him and Duo fell to the ground unconscious.

After Heero had located the dirt road the four comrades had rushed out, calling the teams in and reorganizing them for back up. Trowa and Quatre followed in a separate car and kept in contact with the medical team and their back up unit. When they reached the dirt road, Heero ordered radio silence and turned the sirens off. They drove slowly up the dirt road, parking off the road and heading the rest of the way by foot when the cottage came in site. Both Heero and Wufei had their guns drawn and were slowly approaching the cottage through the woods. They stopped at the edge, taking in the condition of the place. Trowa and Quatre joined them. "Back up is waiting for us where you parked," Quatre informed them.

Heero signaled for Quatre and Trowa to circle around back and find a way in. Heero and Wufei approached the front of the cottage and stood on either side of the door. Trowa and Quatre found a window and couched down. "We're in position," Quatre whispered.

Taffert looked down at the unconscious teenager. "You're friends will be here soon. Too bad you won't be alive to see them again." He raised his gun at Duo but the teenager had been faking unconsciousness and he took this chance to surprise Taffert. Duo kicked out, sweeping the surprised man's feet from below him. Duo lunged at him and managed to kick the gun out of Taffert's hands. Duo struggled up and headed towards the door. But Duo's captor wouldn't let his victory be stolen from him. He grabbed the gun that hadn't made it very far and pulled the trigger. The bullet found its mark and Duo went down in a limp heap. Taffert made his way over to the Preventer, grabbed his bleeding body and dragged him back, his gun against Duo's temple. Heero and Wufei barged in then guns aimed at their target. Taffert's crazed smile only widened."The infamous Heero Yuy, 01; pilot of the Wing Zero, always coming to 02's rescue. And Pilot 05 Wufei Chang."

"Taffert, you're surrounded. There is nowhere for you to go. Put down the gun and let him go."

"Cold and calculating as ever. But I know you won't risk his life." Duo was nearly unconscious but he managed to let out a pain filled whimper, Taffert jolted him to keep him awake. "Don't fall asleep on me now Maxwell. The party's just beginning."

Quatre and Trowa slipped in through the window when Heero had given the order to move in. The window led into the bedroom and they slipped in on either side of the slightly open door. Trowa was on the left side of the door and was able to peer out into the living room. He saw Taffert holding Duo and Wufei and Heero aiming their guns at him. He looked over to Quatre and nodded.

"This is revenge 01. Revenge for you and 02 taking away my family! If I have to take everyone down with me to get my revenge, I will." Taffert pulled his gun away from Duo suddenly and shot at Heero. Trowa moved then, taking that as his cue and rushed in from the bedroom. Taffert started turning around, hearing Trowa approach but it was too late. Trowa took the shot.

Taffert jerked as the bullet entered his brain and he fell sideways taking Duo down with him. Duo cried out in agony as his body was jarred from the impact. He was pinned to the floor by Taffert's body and unable to move due to the pain. Wufei was beside Duo in moments hauling the dead body off of his comrade. Heero moved over to them, grasping his left arm where Taffert's wild bullet had hit him. Wufei rolled Duo on his back and inspected his wounds. "He's bleeding badly," Wufei announced. Quatre knelt next to Heero and checked his arm, giving him a small smile to let him know it wasn't serious.

"The Paramedics are coming in," Trowa informed them.

"Taffert?" Duo rasped.

"Taffert's dead," Trowa replied, coming into Duo's line of vision.

"Good," he sighed. "Mission accomplished," Duo smiled weakly allowing his eyes to close just before they released him to the medics.

* * *

Duo Maxwell sat at his desk at Preventer's HQ in a wheel chair – a temporary requirement while his ribs and bullet wounds healed.The door opened and Heero Yuy entered the office, his left arm in a sling. "The guns have all been accounted for," Heero reported to his partner, taking his seat across from Duo. "Taffert's body is being transported to Syria where he will be buried next to his family." 

"He'll be with them now; that's what he wanted," Duo muttered.

"You did well, Maxwell," Wufei stated, entering the office. Quatre and Trowa followed him in.

"Thanks Fei," Duo beamed, happy by the very rare comment from Wufei.

"We're going out to dinner tonight, Duo. Are you up for it?" Quatre asked him, moving to stand beside the brunette.

"You bet Quat!" Duo exclaimed with a little more joy than he felt. "Good! We'll meet you there. Trowa and I have a few things to do before we leave." Quatre and Trowa left the office and the trio behind.

Wufei smirked. "Dinner is at 7 pm. Don't be late, Duo." The Asian sauntered out the door leaving Duo staring surprised at the now closed door. "Did he just call me Duo?"

Heero snorted. "He was worried about you, baka. You stopped breathing twice on the way to the hospital."

"Yeah, well you can't kill death now can ya?" Duo's smile didn't quite reach his eyes and his lavender pools showed how disturbed he was. "We killed 476 people, Heero. How could we let that happen?"

Heero was silent, his eyes starring off in the past. His mind raced over the tragic events and he tried his best to come up with another solution. "There was nothing either of us could do. It was war."

"That's unacceptable!" Duo shouted. "How can you be so cold? We killed innocent people! Maybe Taffert was right."

"I don't believe that. Revenge isn't the answer," Heero shook his head. "We tried our best Duo and we failed. All we can do now is live and stop it from ever happening again. Think of the lives we saved stopping Taffert. He sold weapons that killed people. How many innocent people have died because of him?" Duo took in a deep breath and let it out. Heero was right. Taffert had been selling weapons by his own choice.

"You're right, Heero, as always." Duo smiled, brushing off his depression. "I better get home and get ready. Don't want to be late for dinner." Duo wheeled himself towards the door and grabbed his jacket, wincing slightly as he forced his left arm through the arm of his jacket. "You coming?" he asked looking back.

Heero smirked and stood up, grabbing his jacket and fishing the keys out of his pocket.

"So where are we going for dinner?

"Marco's."

"Is that the place with the cute waitress you keep flirting with?"

"Baka!"

Duo laughed and followed his partner out of the office.

* * *

_Owari_


End file.

Gundam Wing/AC, Adventure, Angst