Disclaimer: This story was written by a fan only for the enjoyment of other fans, without any monetary compensation. Gundam Wing and its characters are registered trademarks of Bandai Entertainment Inc. and Sotsu Agency. All rights reserved.

Happy 13+5 Day!

Following my own tradition here is another story from my "Fortunate Misunderstandings" series
_

The Raid

"Building secured," a voice reported into his left ear. "There is nobody here."

Wufei cursed as he secured his gun and pulled out the earwig. He was one of about two dozen agents involved in this raid. Beside him his partner, Duo Maxwell shrugged as he too slipped his gun back into the shoulder holster. The two of them had been part of the back-up team, ready to jump in if the first team was going to encounter any kind of resistance. Obviously that didn't happen.

Several agents were already taking off their bulletproof vests, ready to leave when he and Duo entered the house. The young Chinese man looked around. There was a large living area downstairs and a kitchen. Duo Maxwell poked his nose into one of several pots on the stove.

"Someone was here, not too long ago. And they left in a hurry it seems."

Reaching out carefully Wufei touched one of the metal curls on the electric stove top. Duo was right, whoever had been cooking here couldn't have left too long ago. The stove hadn't even completely cooled off.

"Dammit!." With an angry growl he slammed his fist down on the table top.

"We will get them eventually," Duo replied nonchalantly as he held the pot under his partner's nose. "Hungry?"

Wufei recoiled with a grimace of disgust, throwing his friend an angry glare. He was in no mood for jokes right now. Three months of hard work, stake outs and surveillance all for nothing. The two men living here were supposed to have close connections to one of the king pins in one of the biggest international sex slave rings. They had hoped with their 'cooperation' to finally be able to take out the group.

"Someone tipped them off." Duo's voice sounded like he was talking about the weather or yesterday's sports results. But he was right. Only a handful of people had known about today's raid, and it was disturbing to think that one of them might have leaked the information.

"Since you didn't go for the home cooked meal, how about a burger and a couple of cold ones?" The young man with the long braided hair suggested as he slapped his friend on the back. "I found this new place..."

"Thanks but no thanks."

"Come on, Wu, live a little. Do you know what happens to people who never have any fun?"

"Bite me, Maxwell." The young man walked out if the house without another look back, but waited in their car for Duo to catch up with him.

"You are grumpier than usual, that's rare even for you," his friend and partner remarked as he strapped himself into the passenger seat. "I would guess you are either overworked or sexually frustrated. When was the last time you got laid?"

Wufei nearly swallowed the piece of gum he had just put into his mouth. "What makes you think I would discuss my sexlife with you, or anyone else for that matter?"

"I do have some single friends, you know. We could call someone up..."

"Maxwell!" The young man growled dangerously low. "Shut up unless you want to hitchhike back to headquarters."

###

By the time Wufei Chang had changed into his street clothes and climbed onto his motorcycle most of his anger had began to dissipate. The same couldn't be said for his frustration, though. He flipped down the visor of his helmet and let the engine roar as he headed toward the freeway. There was nothing like feeling the force of the wind against your body while speeding down an empty road to clear your mind. He drove for a good hour or so without any sense of where he was going, and when he finally stopped he found himself in a part of town that didn't seem familiar at all.

His stomach was growling, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything since lunch. He looked around and pulled the bike into a parking lot outside the Rainbow Grill where a colorful sign beckoned customers with the promise of fine burgers and exotic drinks.

The smell of smoking woodchips filled the parking lot and only got stronger as he entered the restaurant. His stomach gave another growl at the prospect of food.

There was no hostess, only a bartender who looked like he could easily double as a bouncer. His round head was clean shaven and as shiny as the glasses he was polishing.

He looked up, greeted Wufei with a nod and gestured for him to find himself a place to sit.

The young man picked a seat at the bar, where in his experience service was always faster.

The restaurant was pretty empty. Quiet music, Jamaican or Caribbean he couldn't tell, was coming from a set of speakers located throughout the room. Palm trees and exotic flowers gave the impression of being somewhere in the tropics. The back of the bar was open allowing a view into the kitchen where a team of four was working around a large grill and wood burning stove.

The bartender put down his towel and looked at his guest. "Menu?" He asked. Wufei shook his head. "I'll take your special of the day. Just make it fast."

Apparently the chef of the house was blessed with a set of good ear, because he popped his head into the room and barked with a heavy French accent.

"We do not do fast, if you want fast there is a McDonald at the next corner. Here we serve real food."

"Antoine, put your nose back into your pots where it belongs," Mr. Clean told him. And then in Wufei's direction he added. "Don't mind him, he got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. So, how about a Kobe burger with a Caribbean flair, pineapple and mango chutney, and a side of fried plantains?"

"Sounds good," Wufei agreed with a nod.

He was checking his phone while he waited when a tall glass with a tri-colored cocktail was pushed under his nose.

"I don't remember ordering a drink."

"It's on the house." The barkeeper told him. "Hopefully it will clear up that gloomy look on your face. You are scaring away my customer."

Wufei turned his head, studying the room with a huff. "What customers?"

"Exactly my point."

Mr. Clean went back to quietly polishing his already spotless glasses. At least for a minute or two he did. Then he turned back toward Wufei. "What's with the long face, anyway, Sweetheart? Trouble with the boyfriend?"

Wufei's eyes darkened. "I don't have any," he snapped.

"Trouble...or boyfriends? Now that might exactly be where your problem lies."

"Maybe you could go and check on my burger." The young man suggested before the conversation could get any further.

The bar keeper shrugged.

Wonderful; here I drive more than fifty miles only to end up at a gay hangout. Maxwell would probably tell me about the power of subconscious and laugh his ass off. Hope he never finds out. Why does anyone think my love life is any of their business, anyway?

The door to the restaurant opened and Wufei turned his head.

The man who entered was tall and handsome, maybe in his mid twenties with tawny brown hair and prominently arched eyebrows. He was wearing a sports coat over a pair of jeans that had probably cost more than Wufei's weekly salary. The way he carried himself he looked like he had just stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine.

He didn't look around but headed straight for the end of the bar from where he nodded at the bar tender.

Mr. Clean returned the greeting. It seemed the two knew one another.

"What can I get you?"

"Trowa," the tawny-haired stranger replied. "I was told he was here."

"Was would hit the mail right on the head. You just missed him. He left about 15 minutes ago, said he still had clients to see."

"Damn it." The man dropped onto the barstool next to him, about 5 or 6 chairs away from Wufei. "He didn't happen to mention where, did he?"

"Not that I recall." The bartender told him. "You don't have his phone number?"

The other man shook his head. "Never needed it. I usually know where to find him if I need him."

Mr. Clean turned toward the bar, rummaged in one of the drawers and then handed the tawny haired man a folded piece of paper. "He told me to not give it out unless it's an emergency, but from the look on your face I'd guess it qualifies."

The man opened the paper. "Thanks. I owe you one, big time. Oh, can you have Antoine make me one of his famous truffle burgers to go?"

While the barkeeper relayed the order to the kitchen the man pulled out his cell phone, apparently dialing the number that was on the note.

Wufei was beginning to wonder if the cook had gone all the way to Japan to personally slaughter the cow he was going to use for the Kobe burger, when Mr. Clean finally set a large plate in front of him.

"Enjoy!"

The burger was large enough to comfortably feed at least two people and the plantains looked perfectly done. After just the first bite the young man decided that the food was well worth the wait.

At the other end of the bar the tawny-haired guy was now talking to someone on his phone.

Wufei wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but the close proximity - even though the man had turned his back toward him - made it difficult not to.

"It's Treize. I need a huge favor, Trowa, I am in big trouble."

Wufei could of course not hear the other side of the conversation but whatever was said made the man - Treize as he now knew - huff in amusement. Since he felt awkward listening to someone's private conversation, intentionally or not, the young man tried to concentrate on his food and put everything else out of his mind.

But it didn't take long until Treize said something that roused his attention.

"...ah, you talked to Quatre then. Yes, I am furious; wouldn't you be? That damn raid cost me my entire stock."

"No, I wasn't home. But if I find out who is behind it I will kill him, I swear."

Pretending to be preoccupied with his burger, which suddenly didn't taste quite as good anymore, Wufei tried to pick up every word that was spoken. His guts told him that he had stumbled onto something big... really big.

"No, I don't think Milliardo would pull a stunt like that. We have always been very competitive but there is a line we wouldn't cross. But on the other hand... I can't think of anyone else who would gain from me going down."

"I guess you could be right. Anyway, remember those little beauties you showed me when I came by your place last week? Do you still have them? I'll take them off your hands, all of them. Just make me a price, I won't bargain."

"I know, I know, but I am desperate."

"Tomorrow? No, tomorrow will too late. I need them tonight. Tomorrow I'll have people come in and if I don't have anything to show them I'm pretty much out of the race."

"No, of course I won't put them at the same place. I already prepared a new location for them, new beds and everything. They will love it. So, what is it; you got something for me or not?"

"...Persian and Japanese that would be perfect. People love the exotic."

"A dozen? That will have to do, I guess. How old are they."

"No, that will be fine. The younger the better. Makes it easier to train them, you know."

Wufei nearly choked on a piece of hamburger while a wave of cold anger washed over him. He had to force himself not to jump up and arrest the tawny haired man on the spot. Pimps and sex slavers, some of the worst scum in the world in his opinion. Oh, how he would have liked to wipe that grin off that arrogant face.

Stay calm; if you pick him up bow you have nothing against him. And those girls might just be sold to someone else.

"Green Meadow and where? By the pier...Wait, let me write that down." The man gestured for the bar keeper to give him something to write and then scribbled down some directions while still listening to the person on the other end of the line. "South Pier at Green Meadow and Canal, got it. Meet you there at 9:30."

Wufei quickly took a few more bites from his burger and finished most of the plantains to not make his sudden departure seem overly suspicious. He pulled a few bills from his pocket, enough to cover his bill and a decent tip, and put them down on the bar. With a nod at Mr. Clean to rose to his feet. "Great food, I'll have to come back some day when I have more time."

As soon as the door to the restaurant closed behind him, the young man pulled out his phone. He had Duo Maxwell's number on speed dial. His partner picked up at the second ring. "This is Duo Maxwell's answer machine. Sorry I am not here right now..."

"Maxwell, stop that." Wufei growled.

"I see your mood still hasn't improved."

"You got your gun on you?"

"Does the bear shit in the forest?" The other man huffed.

"I suppose that would depend on the bar, but I'll take it as a yes. Do you know where the south pier is?"

"No."

"Google it." Wufei told his friend. Through the restaurant window he saw the barkeeper hand the tawny-haired man a takeout bag. "Meet me at Canal and Green Meadow...before 9:30."

"9:30? That doesn't exactly give me a lot of time, does it? You still got a lot to learn Wu. You can't just invite a guy on a date and not give him enough time to make himself a little presentable." Duo teased.

"Maxwell I am in no mood. Just be there." Wufei pulled his helmet out, while he kept his eye on the restaurant. Treize had paid for his burger, exchanged a few more words with Mr. Clean and was about to leave.

There was only a handful of cars in the parking lot.

"Wanna tell me what's going on?" Duo was finally growing serious.

"I stumbled across a deal, sex slaves. I'll fill you in when you get there."

"You want me to call for backup?"

"No, the last thing I need is for someone to spill the beans again."

"No, the last thing I need is for someone to spill the beans again. I got to go. I'll be following one of the bastards. He is about to leave."

"Wu! Be careful man."

Pressing the off button Wufei slipped the phone back into his pocket just as the tawny-haired man walked out of the Rainbow Grill. The man looked at him and for an instant their eyes met.

Treize gave him a friendly nod. "Nice bike."

Forcing a soft smile onto his face Wufei thanked him. He put on his helmet and closed his leather jacket deliberately slow while he watched the tawny haired man climb into a black BMW parked only a few spaces away. He made sure he was ready to leave b y the time the car pulled out of the parking lot His eyes caught the license plate in front of him and he kept repeating it in his mind until he was sure that he would not forget the number.

As they got onto the freeway Wufei pulled ahead of the black luxury car but made sure he dint loose it out of his rear view mirrors. Knowing where they were going helped even though he wasn't familiar with the area. He felt comfortable enough to stop at a gas station just long enough to check the GPS on his smart phone and still managed to catch up again with his target a few minutes later. You are not getting away from me. _

TBC

Author's Note: