***One More Year
***
Jigen watched Helena from a rooftop, smirking as she snidely put down some minor hitter in the local syndicates and taught him better manners. She was strong, his girl. Strong enough to do it without him it seemed. He shouldn't have worried about her. He followed her as she got back onto her bike, letting the memories of tooling around with her, teaching her how to ride, and riding behind her flow through his mind. She seemed so strong now, so much stronger than before. He noticed she paused before taking off, checking a pager she wore, then she zipped off. He shook his head, climbing down to follow her discreetly. He didn't have to worry. Lupin had been wrong about this one. She was doing good without him. He was miserable and had a rotten temper but she was doing all right. He watched as she pulled up outside a hotel and helped a pregnant girl onto the back of her bike, giving them a stunned look. "She went after women?" he asked. She was so gentle with her. Then again, the girl was pregnant. Young, younger than she was, and very rotund now. He followed her as she took the girl home and escorted her to her door, watching as she came back down the stairs.
Now he saw it. The slump of the shoulders. The tiredness she was exuding through her every joint. She still sped off but this time she was a bit more careless. He frowned and got a bit closer, hoping she'd notice. If she was paying attention she should have. Instead she went home and up to her apartment, going out onto the balcony to lay on the cool stone. It was September, the temperature was around sixty today but that stone still had to be cold. Maybe she was sick? Hurt again? He slumped down, watching her balcony for movement. She didn't and he eventually fell asleep there. When he woke up it was nearly three and some cop was tapping on the window. He looked at him and unrolled the window. "What?"
"Why are you sleeping in your car?" he demanded.
"Because I'm checking on someone for someone else."
"You a PI?" Jigen shrugged, letting him make his own conclusions. "You take infidelity cases?"
"Nah, I check on heirs. I'm waiting for one ta come home."
"Oh. Know anyone who does at a reasonable rate?"
"Used to be Rodney down on eighth did."
"Thanks, buddy. Have a good watch." He strolled on.
Jigen put back up his window, shivering with the cold. He looked up, her doors were still open. "Stupid woman," he sighed, wanting to go up there and walk her inside, check on the animals for Goemon, and maybe warm her up a bit, but Lupin had made him promise to just watch this time. At least until something brought him back to the city for more than two days. He was only flying through, stopping to watch his angel from afar. Around dawn he finally saw her get up and walk inside, but the doors stayed open. "No pets?" he mumbled, looking up. He could barely see two cats staring down at him. No signs of the dogs or the other cat. Until he looked on his hood and the other cat was sitting there cleaning his paws. He got out and went to put her cat back inside the building, shutting the door again. He left, heading for his hotel to shower and change. There were some people he wanted to use to check on her. The least of which was the Fed who was overtop of her. That would require a midnight visit.
***
A few months after her unknown visit, Helena walked into one of her bosses' office swinging a bag. "Do you know that the homeless people of the city are very pissed at you?" she asked conversationally. He slowly shook his head, looking very confused. "That whole beating the snot out of your nephew thing? It was justified. You might want to stop your guys from going down there and stealing what little they have."
"They're drunks," he snorted.
"They may be, partially, but they're also mental patients and families. They were stealing what little those kids had for shits and giggles. Those kids don't have enough of a chance as is, I'm not going to put up with them being abused further."
"Fine, I'll talk to my guys," he agreed, knowing she'd do something about it if he didn't.
"Good, I was hoping you'd say that." She dumped out the bag, lining up the heads. "I caught them ripping into a young girl, about twelve and just barely hitting puberty, for fun. You're paying her hospital bills and will intercede with the mayor so they can have those unusable tunnels Chicago built twenty years ago as a enclave. You'll make sure that they're not harassed since it's your part of the city. Then you'll see that every now and then things get down to them." She looked down at him until he nodded, looking sick, confused, and horrified. "Thank you, quite kind of you."
"Do you know what you did?" he shouted. "That was my daughter's intended!"
"Then find her someone who doesn't rape and mutilate for fun. I doubt you want her with someone like that," she said dryly.
"I can't! They have to get married!" he said warmly.
She put her hands on the desk and leaned down. "Then either find the baby a quick step- daddy from among your guys and explain it away as a wedding done out of the city against your will, and the big one is a formal acknowledgment, or do what they did in the old days. Send her on a year-long trip to Europe to see the sights and learn about the world, then have her find a baby that needed her help and adopt him." She stood up again. "I don't care either way. I'm not letting shitbags like these four cut up little girls for fucking fun!" She walked out, heading back to clean up. It had been a long three weeks undercover in the homeless community. On her way back, she stopped in to talk to her building's manager. "How much more would it cost me to rent another of the garages?" she asked him.
"Two hundred a month," he said, giving her a look. "Why? You look nasty by the way."
"I just did an undercover in the homeless community. Those supposedly helpful places are understaffed, undermanned, and don't have shit for donations because some of it's not getting to the people who need it."
"Then start a charitable organization," he noted.
"I am, that's why I want a second garage. Two hundred?"
He sighed and nodded. "Move your stuff to the end one. That one connects to the one next to it. That way you can have overrun." He accepted the check. "Have fun shopping."
"I plan on it." She went out, going back to shower and change, then went to the local discount store to buy stuff that she knew they needed. When she got back she found the old owner moving his cars and tools. "Thanks."
"Welcome," he said gruffly. "What's all that stuff?"
"I'm working with a charity organization. We're helping the homeless. I'm storing stuff so they can have supplies this winter and things of that nature." He looked disgusted and shook his head as he walked away. "If I don't, then they could easily come begging you," she called after him. He waved a hand, one finger raised, and finished moving his stuff. "It's not like this neighborhood hasn't seen bad years," she said bitterly. "Hell, half the tenants had to leave for cheaper places this year thanks to their credit cards." She stored the stuff then went to go grocery shopping. Those cases went in there too. She went up to her apartment and wrote out a sign, taking it down to tape on the door of the garage. Then she moved her stuff over. By the time she was done, one of the kids she had met was there to talk to her. "Hey, Richie." She patted him on the hair. "You okay?" He shrugged. "Needed something?"
"You told Old Man that you'd have stuff for us," he said, giving her a big-eyed look as she raised the garage door. He whimpered. "All this?"
"All this," she agreed. "Now or later, kid."
He nodded and ran off, going to get them some help. They had expected a few bags of her old clothes, nothing like this!
She tinkered with her bike, shining the metal and checking the leather while he brought back help. They moved the stuff out quickly, taking it to a truck someone had borrowed for a few hours. "Be well, my friends," she told them. "You tell me if you need anything. Got it?" They nodded and left, going back to their new tunnels. She closed the door, smiling at the little girl. She walked through the connecting door. "Hey. What's your name?" The girl cowered. "I'm not mean. I'm Helena." She held out a hand and the girl batted at it. "Okay. Do you speak?" The girl nodded. "Got a name?" The girl nodded again. "Can I know it or is it some secret?"
"I'm Helen," she admitted quietly. She glanced around but didn't see anyone and the door was closed. She inched away and Helena put up the door. "What are you doing?" she asked, looking confused.
"Sweetheart, I'd never touch a kid and I'd never hurt one. I'm not like that. I'm one of the good guys." She stood up and walked out, finding the father. "She's in there," she said, nodding behind her. She stopped him. "Is she okay?" He nodded. "Really okay?"
He shrugged. "We don't know what happened," he admitted.
"I do. Someone touched your little girl. I don't know who, but she needs some help. Do you want me to find a doctor?" He shook his head quickly. "Seriously. They won't take her."
"Yes they will, they've tried before. Me and Bill don't always get along," he admitted, going in there to pick up his girl. She looked terrified but went with him.
Helena watched him go, then called Don Herman, who she had been working for earlier. "It's me. Yes, I know I cut off their heads. Watch out for the one that smells funny, I think I dropped him into the harbor while I was looking for a bag. Yeah, him. Oh, I did? Vinegar? Really? Must have been a runoff. No, there's a reason. I know you've agreed to help them. There are little kids down there, man. They need their shots. They need someone to check on them now and then. Taking them from their parents and putting them into a home where they won't have anyone would be worse in a lot of ways. Can I do anything about that?" She leaned against the wall, listening to his wise ideas. "Can we do that?" She smiled. "Sure, I've got a solution. Ask Don Ignlia's older brother who to pick. He's a smart guy and has connections everywhere. No, I didn't think you wanted that sort of scum near your daughter. No, man, I just saw a little girl who was scared of people, even me," she said tiredly. "The girl was hurt and I'm not sure it won't happen again." She nodded and hung up, putting her cellphone back into her back pocket. She closed both garage doors and locked them, heading up to her apartment to have a long cup of ice cream. This new weight of hers wasn't much but it made some things easier. She had lost a good thirty pounds in that three weeks. She was nearly back down to the size she had been when she took on this assignment.
***
Don Howard looked at his guest. "This is very delicate. My daughter decided to... hold her relationship sacred before it was time. The wedding was a bit rushed." He handed over a picture of the heads he had someone bury earlier. "They were found harming a little homeless girl." The Don's older brother grimaced. "Her fiancé was in there."
"Now you're out of luck with a pregnant daughter," he finished. The Don nodded. "You wanted what from me?"
"Helena suggested that I talk to you. You have a lot of contacts, may even know of a decent boy who wouldn't mind being a step father? I can always say he was eliminated for harming her. She's only six weeks along. We can even hurry the wedding faster if we have to."
"I do," he admitted. "You mind a gay son-in-law?" The Don grimaced but he shrugged. He couldn't be picky. "Dolune, over in Europe, has a grandson that's as gay as anything on Broadway. Decent enough guy. Said he'd go for a political marriage and produce an heir somehow. Say he was infertile and the doctor had to do it or some such." He smirked. "I can call over there. It'll take an hour to arrange things if he'll agree. Then you send them to Vegas for a quickie marriage and bring them back, using that same story to say that he brutalized your daughter. Say this one stepped in to save her." The Don gave him the most grateful look, like he was a terrier that had just been handed a t-bone steak. "Let me call."
"Use my phone, please. I've still got to tell my daughter. She thought she loved the asshole." He left, leaving him alone.
The older brother walked around the desk, pushing the photo aside. He called the only contact he had over there. "Hey, it's Dean. Is Dolune able to talk? I found a bride for his problematic grandson." He smirked. "That's fine. You got Caller ID?" He snorted. "No, I'm with Don Howard in Chicago. His daughter's former intended got dumb. He attacked a homeless girl and irritated our city's angel of mercy, Helen of Troy." He sat up. "I'd heard that. That would be perfect. No, she's six weeks along. Yeah, if he'll consent she will. Her father said so." He hung up and relaxed, waiting while the secretary took it to the old Don and he made a decision after finding her picture in the papers they kept on archive over there. He heard a female run past crying and shrugged. "Should've kept your knees tied together, girly," he said smartly. His daughter or his nieces would never do things like that. They knew the consequences of their actions.
***
In Europe, Lupin picked up his phone. "Lupin's hou...." He trailed off after hearing the voice on the other line. "Sure I can come see Don Dolune. What's wrong?" He sat up from his lounging. "Really? That gay one? Cool. Where's he getting married?" He smirked. "Oh, we are so your people for the job. Sure, we could use the trip to Chicago, Norbert. Tell the Don I said hi and I'll bring him pictures of the beautiful bride and groom. Have him at DeGaulle in a day?" He laughed as he hung up, getting up to walk through the house. "Pack! We're escorting Dolune's grandson to his wedding!" he yelled, going to do that himself.
Jigen came into his room. "Which one?"
"The gay one. He's marrying Don Howard's daughter. It seems your girlfriend took the head of her first one and she's a bit pregnant." He smirked. "We're escorting him and are under orders to take many pictures since he'll be prettied up."
Jigen nodded. "Sure. Give me ten."
"We're meeting him at DeGaulle tomorrow morning. They're paying airfare and we can handcuff him if we have to."
"Good." Jigen went to finish his packing. He had time to sit and stare at his angel's picture. He hoped she hadn't moved again. He liked that place she had last time. Plenty of room to roam and stare around when he wanted to.
***
Helena met the groom at the plane, shaking his hand. "Morning, Pietro. Welcome to Chicago. I'm Helena." Someone grabbed her and she reached for a knife but they kissed the back of her neck. "Jigen," she squealed, struggling until he let her down so she could kiss him. "You're back for a few days?"
"Until a week after the wedding," he promised, kissing her again. "Pietro, don't watch, you won't like it."
"I don't know, you two look very nice together. Quite artistic." He grabbed the picture she held out, smiling at the sight of his bride. "She's pretty." He handed it to Lupin, who nodded. "Shall we? So they can do whatever you sort do?"
"We should," Goemon agreed, pulling Helena until they unstuck with a wet sucking noise. "How are the pets?" he asked.
"You three know her?" Pietro asked.
"She's Jigen's girl," Lupin told him. "That's Helena, known locally as Helen of Troy. People want her so much they try to do stupid stuff to attain her."
"I'll have to remember that," he agreed, nodding politely at her. "What is my future wife like?"
"Not too bad. She's fairly upset with me at the moment since I took off the guy's head for what he did." Jigen gave her a look then looked around. "This is the private air terminal and the FBI cleaned it earlier because the president is coming later today," she said patiently. "If they arrest me for snarking at someone, then that's their problem, not mine." She led Pietro out to the limo. "Don Howard sent it for you." She got in last, nodding at the driver as he closed the door. "So, give. You're an artist?"
"As a hobby. I'm actually an accountant with a minor in engineering. I adore math."
"Cool. Your new wife adores fashion so at least two of those will come together. She's also very active in the local hospitals and their neonatal comfort programs. She loves babies of all sorts, even sick ones with AIDS."
He nodded. "I've had a few friends who have died of it. I'll be happy to help her with that sort of thing. Is she bright?"
"Very, but she pretends to never use it. She can wheedle the last cent out of her father's wallets but doesn't really seem to care that she's doing it. She puts on a real good act. It took me nearly six months to figure it out." He looked impressed. "If you're going to adopt this one, you're close enough in looks. However you decide to do that should work." She got comfortable. "Let me warn you that this is my town. Your grandfather doesn't rule here. I'm a freelance, I work for all parties, but I won't put up with the abuses of the old days. I beheaded her fiancé and his buddies for trying to cut up and rape a young teen. They were making shit with the local homeless people and causing a problem. I was hired to look into it when the enclave started shit back. I won. That's how it usually goes."
"Then I'm sure Mr. Jigen has found himself a formidable mate. I have no issue with you."
"Thank you. That's good to know." She smiled, then beamed at Lupin. "I got your card. You naughty shit you."
He smirked at her. "Thank you, my dear. How are the animals?"
"Mostly good. The poor little doggie, Homer, got really sick last year and I had him put down so he wouldn't suffer." She squeezed Goemon's hand. "I called him after that happened. He was having these huge pustules all over and they kept getting infected. The vet said it would be kinder. The other three are pretty good and the new one's an adorable little brat. Likes my hair."
"I noticed it was longer," Jigen said, playing with a strand. "I like it."
"Thank you, dear." She gave him another kiss. "I've got to introduce you to the not-you. She was quite happy to see me go since I wore her out constantly."
"Her?" Jigen asked.
"Her. I wasn't going to sleep with a guy but sometimes you need a cuddle and you were in China I think." Jigen nodded, he could accept that. "I've got a vacation planned this year. Want to join me?"
"If I can get away," he promised, smiling at her. "Where?"
"Mexico."
"Sure." He smiled down at her. The limo turned onto a private street. "Which one is Howard?"
"He was Charlie's old bodyguard, the one who made it past the explosion because he set it. He's got a few neighborhoods and generally rules well. He didn't even try to ask me to kill anyone making him trouble, just asked me to find a reason so he could fix it." Lupin looked impressed. "He's an asshole most of the time, but then again he did set up his boss, blow his boss's body and nearly all his coworkers to hell and back. I guess he's entitled to it since I know he can't sleep at night." They pulled through a gate and a guard opened the door, so she waved. "This is Pietro," she said, waving at him. "The new son-in-law from Europe."
"Thank you, Helena. The boss is in the back garden with his wife and daughter. He requests your company during this meeting." He shut the door and let them go on.
Helena got out first, taking Jigen's arm to walk him back. "Follow," she ordered. "The house was renovated." She led them through it, letting Lupin look all he wanted, just in case of course, and through the kitchen to the gardens. "Reporting as ordered," she said, saluting him. The Don gave her a look. "What? You expected me not to have my own reunion? He surprised me, it was incredibly sweet and about the only sweet thing in my life these days." She sat Jigen down and gave him a gentle pat. "Don Howard, his wife Camile, and his daughter Paige, this is Piertro. His escorts are, of course, Lupin the Third, Goemon, and Jigen." She sat down, settling in between Jigen and Goemon. "Sit, talk," she ordered. "Time's wasting. I've still got to find a dress."
Paige looked at her. "Wear purple. You look good in purple."
"Only certain shades but I could do that," she agreed. "If I can find something." Paige handed over a catalog. "Cool, I love these guys."
Pietro walked over and kissed the young woman's hand, smiling down at her. "I'm honored to make your acquaintance." He nodded at her father and mother. "May I sit as well?"
"Go ahead," Camile said with a slight french accent. "Lupin the Third?"
"The third," he agreed smugly. "Your grandfather and mine used to play poker."
"Ah, that's where I know that name from. Thank you." She nodded politely at him and caressed her husband's hand. "We have done some checking on you, Pietro. Besides that one thing, you have an excellent qualification and many good things said about you. How do you plan on explaining the child?"
"However she wished. If she wished to say it was a fling one night, then that we can do. If she wishes to say that she agreed behind your back to help my grandfather to have an heir, he said he would not mind and would agree as well." The mother looked impressed. "Many in Europe know of my ways and don't care but I know that America is a bit more...provincial in such matters. I'm sure we can work out manners of taking care of those things together."
Paige looked at him. "I picked the biggest asshole I could find to prove I liked guys," she admitted. "I've always thought Helena was cute."
"She is rather adorable. Mr. Jigen's picture showed a much thinner her though." He gave her a polite look. "Were you ill in that one?"
"No, just thinner," she admitted. "Long story, kid."
"That's fine," he said with a smile. "This new weight suits you."
"Thanks. I'll tell my thyroid that you appreciate it's hard work."
"Thyroid?" Goemon asked. "Still? Did they not fix that?"
"They did fix that, I'm on medicine for that, but it still acts up. I was heavier until they found out what it was. I looked like a damn cow."
"Only in the suede outfit," Paige said dryly. Her mother swatted at her. "She did!"
"That is not polite, Paige."
"No, it's the truth, I like the truth about such things. Tell me next time so I can change."
"Sure." She smiled at Pietro. "Did you consider living arrangements?"
"My grandfather is nearly dead now and I'm his last heir." Lupin shook his head. "That he acknowledges," he amended. Lupin shook his head again. "No?"
"No, you have a fellow grandchild in Morocco named Lara, but she's a princess."
"Wonderful. Did you seduce her?"
"Not after I figured that out. Don Dolune would have skinned me," Lupin reminded him.
"Anyway, that house is nearly empty," Jigen offered.
"My grandfather generously offered it to us if we wanted to live there," Pietro finished. "It's in the country and no one there will know much of anything about your home city, but we can always travel back often."
Her father nodded. "I like that idea. Helena, take your young man and go walk. I doubt you need a chaperone but please do respect our grass."
"Sure." She stood up and helped Jigen up. "Come on, he's just put in a new copse of trees and a pond." She walked him that way. "He wants to complain about me to Lupin, I know he does," she shared.
"Probably," Jigen agreed, giving her a squeeze and a kiss on the forehead. "Thyroid?"
"I've got the brochure at home," she said patiently. "It's nothing. It's under control and I'm fine."
"Good." He walked her around the paths.
Back at the table, Lupin and Goemon were both rolling about the stories the Don had just told them about Jigen's girlfriend and her impetuous nature.
"Really. No clothes at all, just a big gun and a pair of bunny slippers. She caught all three kidnapers, beat them senseless for daring to break up her private time, and then handcuffed them to a pole rear up with holes in their pants until the cops got there. One of them tried to arrest her but she kicked his ass too, then went back to what she had been doing. I hear it was a beautiful sight."
His wife gave him a tolerant look. "You knew Helena was wild when you chose to favor her with the occasional contract," she said patiently. "Your spies said she nearly had him in the airport. Did you not expect her hand to try and sneak onto his thigh, husband?"
He smiled at her. "No, I did. I expected a more obvious move." Jigen bellowed. "Either the beaver got him or she just did."
Lupin snickered. "It was probably her. She's like that. Has been for as long as we've known her."
"She keeps saying she used to be a good little girl," Goemon said once he had calmed himself down.
"Was that before the academy or afterwards?" Paige asked. Everyone stared at her. "Everyone knows, father. Even you."
"I did, I didn't think you did."
"She's undercover?"
"Her people hung her out to dry. She's kind of in limbo. She's officially out here to take out some cartel people," Lupin told him. "She's damn nice if she likes you."
"That means that if you hurt me, she'll kick your ass for me," Paige offered.
He nodded. "I can believe that. She is one fierce woman if she can hold a man like Mr. Jigen. He is rather forceful and strong willed."
"We'll find you a secretary and me a maid," she offered. He blew a kiss. "Thanks. Can you do sperm transfer?"
"I can and everyone over there knows that I've offered to do such anyway. Just in case something happens I've had some frozen already. Grandfather was quite concerned about certain things coming my way," he said delicately.
She nodded. "I work with babies like that."
"I understand. I've had friends die of it."
She smiled. "I think we can at least be friends."
"Good. I would appreciate that. My mother nagged my father constantly and I hated that in their relationship."
"I hate nags. If you have to nag, they're not listening to you anyway."
The father nodded. "It's a good match then. We'll have a quick wedding and explain it as you decided to help him carry on his family line without consulting us. As soon as we found out, we made you do the right thing. Your other husband was found to be doing what he was doing and was sent away before we could kill him." He clapped his hands. "Helena, you may go," he called.
"Fine. I left my bike in the yard," she called back, leading Jigen through the gate to the next estate. She held a finger up and helped him sneak closer to the house, showing him the showroom. His eyes widened and she winked, then led him back to where her bike was stashed. "Want front or back?"
"Front. You can hold on this time." He got on, letting her sit behind him and hold on tightly. "Mexico?"
"I've always wanted to go," she reminded him. "I invited you a few years ago but you never came and I found the most darling place down there that I want to go to again." She nuzzled his back as they sped up. "You smell good."
"Thanks. Same old spot?"
"Yup. Until I can leave the life." She frowned and pulled her gun, turning and hitting the car following them in the tire. It crashed and two men got out, hopping and cussing at her. "I hate his people." She put her gun back up and went back to cuddling. Jigen was wearing a proud smile but his eyes were sad, she knew they were. "I only got their tires," she promised in his ear. "I'm still a good girl most of the time, dear." He nodded, patting her hand as they stopped at a red light. A cop car pulled up beside them and she made a very unsubtle grab for Jigen's crotch, making him blush and speed off, running the red light. He tapped her hand and she moved it. "Sorry, always hated him."
Jigen snickered as they sped off, getting back to the house first for some privacy. Living with two other thieves was not conductive to having privacy.
***
The wedding went off without a hitch and Lupin had already sent pictures. It had been a beautiful sight, she and Jigen had been bride and groom attendants so they wouldn't have to be split up. It wasn't the society wedding they had originally planned but that was fine with everyone involved but the newspapers, who were cheated out a story so decided to make up their own about Helena getting married and the other couple opting in spontaneously. Lupin teased Jigen by humming the wedding march all that day and into the next until Helena had yelled at him about it. He had taken that brochure to read as soon as Jigen had, going over it very carefully. Then he did a discreet search around the house, coming up with the more technical information, which he shared with the others. She wasn't in much trouble but it wasn't healthy for her. They all watched as she took her medicines and went about her day. Lupin even decided to be nice and cook for everyone. It seemed to be his job while they were there.
Her job was apparently to go out and get shot at, twice, and to fix that problem in a fast and effective manner. She came back from grocery shopping without the milk that had been shot from her hand, but with two new severely injured people to her credit and one cop that was left scratching his head at the note left on them in lipstick.
Jigen got quite pissed about it when he heard, the next day, and she defended herself. Lupin sat there and watched them have their first real fight and kept chuckling at all the things Jigen picked up from him arguing with Fujiko. At least until Jigen pulled a gun and tried to shoot him, then Helena had soothed him and gotten him calmed down by pointing out rationally that she hadn't had a choice. That she was fine, the other guys weren't, and that they had lived to be arrested and were spilling their stories when the cop had found them, not just their guts.
Goemon of course sat and played with the animals. Someday they were going to have to find him a chore to do in the group besides brushing them bald.
***
Helena opened her door, accepting the delivery from her contact. "Who sent this?"
"Your man. He's not exactly happy with his boss at the moment." He walked inside, nodding at the cat that hissed at him. "Yeah, hi to you too, cat." He watched as she opened it, pulling out a new handgun. "That's pretty."
"Thank you." She patted it gently and read the card, then shook her head. "Asshole."
"What?"
"Lupin just found a great treasure and the caper's running long. He promised if he was in this part of the world we could go out to dinner around my birthday, even if he was only on a layover. Instead he's in Cairo somewhere and headed for Athens." She tossed the card down, stroking the gun. "What's wrong?"
"How did they get my office address?"
"You're asking me how Lupin the Third gets anything?"
"Nah, I know better than that," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "We've got a problem," he announced. "And you're gonna hate it."
"Am I going to kill someone?"
"No, but someone wants you to come help them make a major buy and I can't tell if the guy's a good Fed or not. It's one of the guys on our Top 5 list. We can make a major bust but he wants you and only you as backup because you're supposed to be lucky." He started to pace behind the couch. "I don't know what to tell you about this. It's a bad thing as far as I can tell. If you don't go, then we lose the bust. If you do go, we could still lose the bust, you, and the agent who may or may not be dirty." He looked at her. "He's another like the one who drugged you before we met, Helena. I'm not gonna lie. This is more dangerous than you going to bust that whorehouse last year. He could turn on you. He does know who you are. I can't prove it but I think he turned on someone last year during a bust. She ended up dead of an overdose. The thing is, it's tonight. He just now got contacted and they both want you there."
"Who?"
"Riviera."
"Fuck," she sighed, going back to stroking her new weapon. "Odds?"
"Even for you dying of an overdose or cappin' 'em both according to me. Not that high to others. If I were a bookie, I wouldn't even bet on it. He's bad. All our guys are out of the city. I don't have *anyone* but I'll be there personally. I haven't done this in a while though."
"Damn it."
"Very." He shrugged. "So I'll leave it up to you. I'll need at least an hour's warning. I do want you to live. I think you're neat enough, or narly as they're saying on the other coast." He left, going back to his office to do a thorough check of his bulletproof vest.
She sighed and picked up her phone, dialing the number on the card inside. "It's me. I got asked on a very important bust tonight but it's dangerous as hell. So I'll call tomorrow? I'll be fine. I'll have direct backup but just in case I miss you. I love the gun, it's beautiful. My wishes are in the weapons' cabinet in the first drawer, in a large envelope. Tell Goemon he can have my pets. Love you." She hung up on the communal answering machine and went to get ready. Her vest was a bit tight these days but she had that new one she hadn't broken in yet.
***
Goemon picked the lock on the apartment when he didn't get an answer. She hadn't come to see who it was but he heard movement inside. He walked in carefully, moving around the broken things to find her laying in a puddle of moonlight in the middle of the hardwood floor in front of the patio doors. He checked her pulse, noticing it was fast and thready, then looked her over. He sighed and pulled out his phone to call for someone to come help her. She was obviously not all right this time either. He had a moment of deja vu, but there hadn't been an assassin this time. He noticed something in her left hand and grimaced at the needle. "That is not her style," he noted. The paramedics rushed in. "Watch out for her cats. She's not left handed either." He got out of their way and called Lupin's phone. "Put Jigen on. Because I said so," he said firmly, watching as they looked her over. "Jigen, we may have a problem. Helena is not left-handed, correct?" He sighed. "That's as I thought. No, I walked in and found a needle in her left hand and drug paraphernalia around her. I'm quite sure of it. I'm going to the hospital with her again. Me as well." He followed them out, making sure none of the cats had strayed. "I'll be back later," he called to the cats.
***
Fujiko walked in on the massive hissy fit Lupin was throwing two days later. "You'd think, with all the gadgets that you have lying around, that you could figure out how to check your answering machine from a payphone."
"Go away, Fujiko," he said bitterly.
"Not yet. Not until you listen. Jigen, you too." He glared at her and continued to drink. She flipped on the tape and played it for them, then gave them both a long look. "I have a friend in the diamond business."
"Mines?"
"Smuggler. Anyway, he heard that it was a setup from the word go. Her boss is in an ICU ward. She was injected, not by her own hand. They're scared of her and they wanted her out of the way because she's a speedbump in Chicago. Congratulations, you have a girlfriend who not only worries syndicates, but also scares cartel lords." She walked out, heading to relieve Goemon his watching.
Lupin replayed the tape, slumping. "We need to go."
"I doubt she'll want us there," Jigen said bitterly.
"Since when has someone not wanting us somewhere stopped us?" Jigen gave him a heated look. "They tried to kill your girl and you're going to stay *here*?"
"Not much I can do there!"
Lupin walked over and slapped him. "Fine, then I'll go in your place until you come to some sense. It'd be different if she had done this to herself." He grabbed his jacket and left, going to see if he could do anything, even feed or brush the cats.
Jigen finished his present drink and sat down, letting himself drift off. Maybe he wouldn't be pissed in the morning.
***
Lupin came off the plane and noticed a newspaper lying around, sighing at the headline. He called Goemon's cellphone. "What happened? No, I'm in the city. What happened?" He moved out of the path of traffic, leaning against a wall. "Tell me you're kidding. How did Pops do that?" He listened to the gruesome details. "Has he said anything else? Fine. No, I've got to do that. Is she awake?" He winced, he didn't want her to wake up alone. "We can come back," he decided. "Jigen needs us more, even though he was a drunken and surly bastard. I don't know what his problem was. I can honestly say I didn't listen to him. Maybe I should. Sure, meet you back there." He went to take a flight home, raising a few eyebrows, but the drug dog didn't even bat an eyelash at him.
***
Helena woke up with a splitting headache and blurry vision. She was obviously in a hospital, nowhere else on the planet could be that white.
"Helena Nichols," a male voice said. "Undercover operative with the FBI now for nearly two years isn't it?"
She forced herself to sit up, holding her head. "What do you want?"
The cop leaned forward, looking at her. "Your boss was buried yesterday. You've been comatose for nearly a week."
"Huh? What happened?"
"That's what I want to know," he said firmly, glaring at her.
She glared back. "What the hell are you talking about? What happened to him? The last I knew we were at a bust. It was a trap and we both knew it but we had no fucking choice in being there. We both had on our vests." She looked down at her body. "I wasn't shot?"
"No, you weren't. He was. Vests don't protect heads," the officer said quietly. She slumped and groaned, then grabbed her head again. "You were found in your apartment with drug paraphernalia. You had a needle in your left hand."
"I have a weak and shaky left hand since my thyroid started to slip out of control," she told him, still looking confused. "I've never done more than test, maybe a half a line on a compact at most." He relaxed some. "What the hell is going on!" she demanded.
"You were apparently drugged nearly to death. Who was Agent Riviera?"
"The Fed we weren't sure about. He may or may not have been on the take. It was his bust with Pedro what's-his-name, number three on their cartel lord's list." He nodded, taking that down. "We couldn't be sure if he was dirty or not. Ronski was my boss."
"We know." He looked up at her. "He died." She groaned again, laying back down. "So did Riviera. He was shot less directly and left to die there. You two were apparently taken out another way." He coughed and stood up, looking down at her. "The nurses and doctors know you didn't do it to yourself. The mark on your arm was off to the back of it. Your doctor said you couldn't have reached that."
"I want out," she told him.
"I have no doubt. Who are you really?"
"Officer Kathy Schepaniwitz, aka Nichols, twenty-ninth. I got a whole six weeks on the street before they sent me out the first time, and Chicago hung me that way without anything to help me. Then I got free, got four whole days back, got sent back out to clear up one last problem, and got shot. Then the Feds decided to step in. I've been with them since. They've guarded my back very well."
"I'm glad. I have no idea who's over you now. They're not feeling like answering questions."
"Palentine. He was Michael's assistant." He wrote that name down. "Am I okay otherwise?"
"The rape kit came out negative. The forensic exam didn't find anything either." He handed over an envelope. "I was told to give you that by a nurse. I'll leave you alone now. Some of us won't let you hang that way."
She snorted. "Really? Where were you when I was so far out there I couldn't even get my own paycheck? When they had me stripping for not only money to live off of, but also for information?" He looked pained. "Chicago can fuck itself. I may love the city but the department fucks us all. You can tell your boss I said that."
"I will. He wanted to know."
"Henders was my boss originally. Have him ask him." He nodded and left. She looked at the handwriting, looping and precise. "Goemon?" She opened it, taking out the clipping. She sighed and shook her head. "Poor Jigen." She turned it over then looked in the envelope, coming up with a single line on a notepad sheet. "He knows you didn't do it to yourself?" she read. "He thought I did?" She balled them up and tossed them aside. "I hate this shit." She started to get up but the world started to spin again so she had to lie down again, buzzing for the nurse. "I'm dizzy, can I go to the bathroom?"
"Of course." She helped her up and into the necessary. When she put her back into bed and checked her vitals, she glanced at the paper. "Not good news?"
"No. Not good news in the least and I'm not in any shape to help. Can you get that for me?"
"Sure, or I could answer questions," she offered. "I noticed who your caretaker was when he was lurking here."
"Was he captured too?"
"No, and Jigen was broken out three days later. The cop on the news said he thinks they were headed to India or over that way." She tucked her back in. "How do you feel?"
"Strung out, limp, dizzy, and nauseous. Did you guys check my bloodwork for my thyroid?"
"We've only been able to draw a clear sample in the last few days," she admitted. "It was showing fairly normal responses for what happened to you. Do you remember anything?" Helena shook her head. "That's probably better then. I'll get you some soup to start off with, that should help the others." She left her alone, going to do that and bringing it back personally. That was the beauty of small, private hospitals.
***
Helena walked into her apartment and found the mess, groaning at it. "Damn it. I don't need this shit." She sat down, looking around. "Here, kitties. Mommy's home." Two of them came running and the other more-or-less leapt onto her from somewhere. "Hey, guys. Did the nice people feed you?" She stroked the soft fur, comforting herself. She saw a blinking message on her machine and pushed the button.
Beep. "Helena, it's Fujiko. Jigen's fine. We just got him out and we're headed for Jakarta and Indonesia. I know you won't be well enough to join us but don't worry about him. Lupin's got him sober and thinking again. He knows you didn't do it to yourself." Beep.
"I didn't do this to myself!" she yelled. "I'm not suicidal!" She kept in the 'yet'. She looked at her cats, then the mess, then made three phone calls. The first to a realtor she knew. "Find me something with at least two bedrooms and some safety," she requested. "Yes, this is. No, price isn't an object. I've got money stashed away. Just find me an apartment, a loft, something with some space and some safety. At least two bedrooms and I like lofts. So do the cats. Then have my current place packed up and moved. I'm going on vacation for the next month." She smiled. "No, I went on a bust and got shot full of cocaine. They tried to kill me, I'm in bad shape. They just released me from the hospital. So I don't want to be here anymore. Oh, there's a cabinet upstairs that's got weapons. Either lock it and move it that way or have someone who has a clue move it. Yeah, that's fine. Make sure I've got a lot of storage space, I'm still running that stuff from my garage. Thanks. Yeah, that neighborhood is great really. I loved living there. Thanks. I'll have my cell with me." She hung up and called her boss's former office. "This is Helena," she told his machine. "I'm alive, I'm going on vacation for about a month to heal. I want out. Start working on getting me out before I have to do it myself."
She hung up and called Don Howard. "It's Helena. No, I didn't do that to myself, thank you!" she snapped. "That was a bust. He shot me full of it. It was not something I did to my own goddamned self!" The other side went silent. "Thank you! I'm many things, suicidal isn't one of them at the present moment. Going on vacation is one of them however. Then I'm moving. No, I don't want a job! I just got out of the fucking hospital after being given nearly six times the lethal dosage of cocaine. Normal humans would be dead by now. I don't care! Spread it through the network? Tell others? Who cares. Why do I even bother. I'm not taking any more jobs from you even if I can't get free of this hellish existence." She hung up and went to pack, grabbing her cats and their carrying cage for the back of her car, plus some luggage. Then she hefted it down to the car she had hidden in her garage. She went to the bank and changed her savings plan for the money she had been left the first time, having them cut a hefty check so she could hand it to her realtor friend and taking a third with her as she drove out of the city. She passed the border and went to the little town on the west coast of Mexico that always soothed and calmed her. It was ancient and beautiful and almost no tourists in sight.
Her second day there, she felt someone watching her and glanced around, carefully undoing the safety on the gun beside her on the towel. "If you're staring at me, the only privilege you have is to come out and oil my back for me," she announced. "I don't take supplicants."
A man in a mustard yellow trenchcoat walked out of the shadows, looking her over. "I'm looking for Jigen Diasuke."
"So am I, but I don't know where in the hell he is," she snorted, going back to her book. "Leave."
"I don't think so. I think I'll watch you. I don't know what sort of crook you are, but it's obvious you are one. At least for smuggling animals across the border." She stood up before he could move and he found himself pressed against the low retaining wall against the beach with her gun in her chest. "You don't want to do that, miss."
"I don't want to do many things, but I have to keep doing them because people like you won't leave me the hell alone. I'm recovering from someone nearly killing me again. Jigen's not here and I'm not expecting him to come here. He's made it pretty clear he doesn't think I'm worth it anymore. If you want him, you can track him down again. I don't play that game and I never have. Now, unless you want to become the latest in a series of victims I quit counting long ago, I'd leave." He slowly slid to the side. "I mean it. I'm healing and I'm not very rational at the moment. Go, before I decide to make Jigen's world a bit safer."
"You're her."
"No, shit, I'm female. That's a very good guess. Did the tits give it away?" she said condescendingly. "Leave. Now!" He ran off. She laid back down, her gun back beside her as she went back to her book. She found she couldn't concentrate and went back to her rented suite, packing everything up so they could go somewhere else. Maybe further down the coast? She got everything loaded into her car but her missing cat and went to do one last search for him. "Here, Morris. Come on, mommy's heading home," she called. "You don't want sand, you'd miss the snow!" A small meow came from some bushes and she dug in there, finding him laying in a shallow pit. "There you are, damn cat." She picked him up to look him over. "You look as rough as I feel. I put some food in the cage." She carefully inserted him inside without letting out the others, then got in to drive. Maybe she should keep going. She could clear out a whole town and take it over the way some cartel lords did. She'd be much nicer to the villagers as well. No, that would be too much work.
***
Lupin broke into the apartment where he knew Helena should be. "Helena?" he called as he walked in. Some old woman gasped and he looked at her. "You don't live here."
"I do so!" she snapped. "Who are you?"
"I'm looking for Helena. She's a close, personal friend. Where is she?"
"She moved a week ago," she said dryly. "Now go away. We don't have a forwarding address. I'm having the locks changed as well!"
"Thank you." He walked out, heading down to the car. "She moved a week ago." Everyone looked confused. "I don't know, the old woman said she moved a week ago. Left no forwarding address." He started the car. "Jigen, Chicago's your town, where are we heading for information?"
"Smith's Bar. Sixth street." Lupin nodded and headed that way. "She moved without letting us know?"
"I told her you knew she didn't do it to herself," Fujiko told him.
"As did I," Goemon agreed.
"I haven't gotten to talk to her," Lupin admitted. "I turned around at the airport when I saw the news." He frowned. "Is she mad at us for not taking her with us?"
"No, she thinks we believe she did it to herself," Goemon corrected. Jigen groaned and hit his head on the seat. "She's fine. I'm sure she's fine."
"She may be, but I'd like to talk to my own girlfriend before she's no longer fine," Jigen told him. "Next left." The car took that turn and they found themselves in front of an older bar, one that was well-loved. Jigen walked in and grabbed the bartender, walking him back into the back room. "Where's Helena?"
"On vacation," he snorted. "What? She not talking to you? Think she did it to herself?" Jigen shook him so he laughed. "Let me guess, you're upset that someone stuck your girl with something lethal and you couldn't protect her?"
"On vacation where?" Jigen growled. "And where is her new pad?"
"No one's sure yet. We know she moved, nothing further. As for vacation? I heard she headed south, then your cop buddy found her and she moved on. No one's sure where she is. She said a month." He shrugged and got free. "Anything you need before I turn you in for that bounty?" Jigen handed him a twenty. "What's this for?"
"For the information, what little you had." He stomped out, pushing someone out of his way. Then he walked back and stared the man down, making him wet himself. "Where's Helena's new apartment?" he asked slowly and clearly.
"The old 'hood. Ask any of the homeless people. She watches out for them," he pleaded. "She's not there though! I swear, word was sent around that she went on vacation."
Jigen nodded. "Thank you." He walked out, getting back in. "She moved back toward the old place. She's still running a supply closet for the homeless out of her garage. If we can find them, they'll probably know."
"The enclave was moved into the old tunnels," Fujiko offered. "It was in the papers before the wedding that the city deeded that whole useless system to them so they wouldn't have to sleep on the streets."
"Which one?"
"There's an entrance near the harbor," Jigen told him. "By the shipping docks." Lupin nodded, heading that way this time. "How could she have been so careless!"
"What careless?"
"Pops found her. She moved on after telling him off," Jigen told them. "No one knows where she is."
"She wouldn't leave her cats boarded," Goemon pointed out gently. "She adores them."
"I'm betting she took them with her," Fujiko offered. "That way she wouldn't have to worry about them being boarded. If she drove it should be easy enough to slip across the border."
Lupin pulled up beside the cleanest of the shipping docks, looking around. He nudged Jigen, nodding at some guy polishing boats. "Him?"
"Maybe, but there's a tunnel entrance around here somewhere." He slid out and looked between the warehouses. Then he smirked and pointed at a kid hiding in the shadows, then motioned him closer. He pulled out another twenty. "I need to see Helena. I'm Jigen."
"She's way mad at you," the boy told him, giving him a once over. "Some say you abandoned her because of that."
"I didn't, I was in jail at the time or I would have been beside her in that bed. Where is she and where's her new place?"
"She and the fuzzy monsters are in Mexico somewhere. No one's sure where and she might have moved lower down the continent to Panama or somewhere. For her place, you remember Max's market?" He nodded. "Remember Old Woman Cordelia?" He nodded again. "She's behind Cordelia's place up the alley. Her garage is up that way too. Can you get it open?"
"I'm a thief, of course I can."
"Cool. Can we get stuff out of it?"
"Sure. Give us a few to find it."
"For another fifty I'll show ya," he offered. "Let me tell my dad." He ran off, going to tell one of the workers, who looked at Jigen, then nodded. Jigen paid him and let him into the front between him and Lupin. "You remember the old 'hood?"
"Not real well, but I mostly remember where she used to live," Lupin admitted, heading that way. The kid led them right to her new garage and they opened it for him and his old man, taking out the boxes of food. Lupin sprung for some medical supplies too, just in case, and they said they'd watch the place for them. Then they went to try and find the irritating woman.
***
Fujiko walked up to the lone woman on the beach, sitting next to her. "Jigen wants to see you."
"I'm not that invisible," Helena said bitterly. "Go away, Fujiko."
"I can't do that. Lupin said I can't."
She looked at the thief. "Since when have *you* followed orders?"
"Since Jigen's gone back to being a miserable prick because he's a sorry bastard," she told her. "He wants to apologize. He knows you didn't do it."
"The way you keep saying that makes me think differently." She went back to her book. "Goemon already found the flat?"
"Yeah. He wanted to know what happened to Morris' back."
"He decided to run away one night while I had him out for some air. He got stuck in some bushes. I only found him before I left." She shrugged. "He's fine, just a little skinned. The hair will come back soon."
"Good," Jigen said as he joined them. He sat down on her other side. "Thanks, Fujiko." She nodded and moved farther away. "You okay?" he asked quietly. Helena glanced at him then nodded. "Then why are we fighting?"
"Because you honestly believe I could do that to myself." She went back to her book. "It showed in how everyone keeps stressing that you don't believe it."
"I did at first, until Goemon told us the needle was in your left hand. It'd be a painless end if things got too bad and you couldn't get out." He reached over to touch her but pulled back before he made contact. Her body was stiff and he knew he was still being judged against. "I'm sorry, Helena."
"I'm sure you are."
"Hey, I was in jail."
"I saw that when I woke up."
"Woke up?" he asked, glancing around. No Goemon to question. "What waking up?"
She rolled onto her side to look at him. "Jigen, they shot me a lethal dose and then some. I woke up." His back slumped and he moaned. "You gonna live now?"
"No." He pulled her over by the back of her head, kissing her gently. "I'm sorry."
"So am I." She pulled back. "You still think I could do that though." She went back to her book. "I'm many things, suicidal isn't one of them. Homicidal I am."
He nodded. "I understand. All I'm saying is that I understand if things get to be so bad that you can't stand it. I hadn't heard from you in a while. You never write."
"You said that was for emergencies."
"It is, but I can consider a postcard an exception," he assured her. "I never know what's going on unless I have someone check on you, and this time when I tried everyone yelled at me for not being with you." She shrugged. "That doesn't upset you?"
"They're fucking idiots up there. Why would I care what they think."
"Good point," he agreed. He stroked her back. "Are you free?"
"No, I'm very expensive actually, Jigen," she said bitterly. "I require people who believe in me still being somewhat good."
"I do."
"You don't."
"Reading my mind now?" he asked dryly, glaring a bit at her. She glared fully at him and he sighed. "I'm trying, woman. I really am. You keep getting hurt." She pulled something out of her bag and handed it over, then got up and walked off. "What's this?"
"Read it, find the fuck out," she called. She found someone on her car and walked around him. "Go away."
"No." Lupin moved to stop her. "You hurt him."
She got free. "And he didn't?" He backed down. "I'm going to get fucking drunk. Tell Goemon that the beasts were fed last night." She walked off, heading for the nearest and only bar. She put her wallet onto the bartop and her keys into the held-out hand. She pulled out two hundreds and put them in front of him. "I don't wanna think any more."
"Go sit in the corner. That way you can pass out in private. Anyone I should call if you die?"
"They'll find me." She took the bottles of beer and bottle of tequila back to a corner table, tucking her wallet into her top before she sat down. One beer, one open bottle. She was good for a bit longer. The first gulp was always the worst with this stuff, but it was better quality than she usually got. That's what you got for being in the land where they made nature's memory eraser. Around shot five she noticed someone joined her with their own beer. "Go away."
"I won't," Goemon told her. He poured his own shot. "The cats were fed again when I got in."
"Thanks. I like you. You're nice. You still believe in me." She took a longer gulp, finishing the bottle and then opened her next beer since he had it in his hand. She couldn't taste it any more, it was all good. She felt strong arms catch her as she slid to the side but didn't really care. She hoped they killed her. She heard a grunt of annoyance so figured she must have said that out loud and swatted at him but he continued to help her out and down the street. She briefly realized that someone was putting her onto something soft, then the world went dark.
Goemon looked at Jigen, tossing him the bottle. "She's still got a fifty dollar credit at the bar if you wanted to join her." He went to find Lupin, he was partially being reasonable. "She's just stated she didn't care if she lived anymore," he reported. "She's passed out on the couch."
"Good. Let Jigen deal with this. This is his fuck up."
"All of us had some hand in the matter," Goemon corrected. "Had Jigen not had one of his days where everything went wrong, he wouldn't have been drinking that heavily. We could have gotten him onto a plane. Then he could have been beside her instead of in a jail cell."
"If you hadn't found her, she'd be dead," Lupin noted.
"In the morning she may wish she were. She drank an entire fifth by herself with beers."
"Wonderful. That's why natives found aspirin though," he sighed, tapping some ashes off his cigarette. "They'll fix it, even if we do have to lock them in a closet together. She looks at him like I look at Fujiko and he does it right back at her." He took another drag and then put it out, going to check on the couple. He found Fujiko tucking Jigen in. "Kicked his ass?"
"Just the back of his head. He'll wake up next to her. I'm hoping for some common sense." She moved away from the couch, looking at her handiwork. "Seem natural?" Lupin nodded and smiled at her. "Thanks. I'll be back in a few days."
"Why?"
"Because they're going to smarm each other to death once they make up and I don't need to see that." She grabbed her purse and walked out, heading for an appointment she had made earlier.
Lupin shook his head, sitting down across from them to make sure they both woke up. Fujiko wouldn't have been kind in her kick to Jigen's head. He noticed the poor male cat and picked him up to look at his back. "Did you run away and get hurt?" he asked, stroking across his head. "You poor thing. I bet you just wanted the big kitty box on the beach." The cat settled down to be petted until Goemon got free from the others.
***
Lupin watched from the sitting area as Helena and Jigen had a quiet, strong, deadly argument. He had caught them both stopping themselves from reaching their guns. It was amusing. They were a lot alike in many ways. He nodded as she came in. "It fixed?"
"No. As usual, you're always welcome in my apartment." She grabbed her stuff and her cats, heading out to the car.
"Moving without telling anyone isn't usually considered a polite invitation," Lupin said as she came back. He had her wallet, she'd have to. She held out her hand so he sighed and handed it over. "Helena, let him apologize."
"I did. Then we decided it would be best if we didn't date. So we're friends and nothing more." She walked out, heading for home. Maybe she could rest up there without everyone and their brother barging in to 'talk' to her.
Jigen came in off the patio area, smoking harder than usual. "Stay out of it, Lupin."
"I wouldn't dream of making you happy, Jigen," he said dryly. "Why would I want to do that?"
"Yeah, well, I don't make her as happy as I used to. So leave it alone."
Lupin stood up, getting in his face. "It's a reaction from the drugs, Jigen," he said quietly, making sure he couldn't move. "She'll come back."
"Some day she will. Right now, she needs people who can believe she's still really a good guy at heart and I know what she's done." He shrugged and went to pack. "Where are we heading next?"
"I was going to head for a sanitarium to commit you," Lupin said, following him into the bedroom. Jigen shot a glare his way. "Seriously! She's still good! I don't care if she's become some sort of serial killer, the woman is still partially that cheerleader she used to be."
"Not anymore." Jigen sat down, looking at him. "She gave me her latest log. There's shit in there that I wouldn't dream of doing."
"You're not a cop," Lupin pointed out. "Cops are different. We can go capture Zenigata again if you want his opinion," he offered at the head shake.
"Lupin, she chopped people up for touching a kid. She stated she horrified herself by liking it a little bit."
"Yeah, well, that happens when you do it so damn often. She probably shoots at more people a year than you do too."
"Yes, but she quit going for wounding them," Jigen told him.
Lupin gave him long look. "Wouldn't you? Each person she wounds back in Chicago is one more that can heal and come after her again. Each one is someone who will add more people when they tell how she only wounded them instead of going for a killing blow. Someone probably thinks she's soft. For that matter, I still think she's soft."
"She shot an innocent."
"That happens sometimes, Jigen. You and I both know that. Sometimes the split second judgement is the wrong one. Was the kid in the way?" Jigen nodded. "With the bad guys?" Jigen nodded again, looking at his hands. "Obviously a kid?"
"How do you know it's a kid?""Do you honestly think I don't know what's been going on?" he asked, shaking his head. "Jackass, I watch her more closely than you do. You do a monthly check."
"Then why don't you date her, Lupin?" he asked bitterly.
"Because she's your woman, stupid! She's like my sister. I couldn't touch her that way. Not that she's not pretty but she wants things I can't give right now. She wants someone to talk to in the middle of the night and to work out problems with. I can't help her investigate stuff."
Jigen stood up. "Yeah, well, neither can I," he pointed out.
"You can and you do. You don't do it often enough but you do help her. You spark ideas in her head. That whole whorehouse bust came after talking with you."
"What whorehouse?"
"Ah. You only got the most recent one." He nodded. "Let me tell you what your dear woman has accomplished, Jigen. She's netted over sixty criminals, major criminals in our class of life, over the last two years. That's not counting all the petty dealers, whores, and assorted people like that. That's not counting what happened to topple Chicago's power structure. It says something when everyone wants her to be on *their* side because she doesn't turn in her own side. One of the detectives up there came to take her statement while she was healing over a few days. He was so impressed at her work he asked her opinion on another case, one that was outside her area. The Don's up there listen to her opinions and they're still scared of her. This whole setup thing was because the drug lords are scared of her. She's not a speed bump, she's a major toll booth on the drug highway into Chicago. She's working alone again too," he said more quietly. "Your girl is so damn strong. She's tough, she's competent, she's fundamentally good. But even good guys have got to play hardball sometimes. She has to live up to the image or things get harder. Her reputation is one of being fair and investigating before deciding how to punish people who the law can't or won't deal with, and she still trusts them enough to give them a chance before she does anything. It's sad that the one person she was holding onto so she could stay good just dumped her for being good."
Jigen shook his head. "You don't know half of it."
"I do."
"You have no idea," Jigen snorted, starting to laugh. "You have no fricken' idea what's been going on, Lupin. All those informants don't tell you more than surface things. She cracked last year. She almost couldn't pull the trigger. She's close to snapping and she dumped me."
"Sure she did. You don't believe she can still be a good cop," Lupin said patiently.
"She can't be a cop like that!"
"She's doing the same job, just as a vigilante," Lupin argued. "She's still letting the law arrest them if possible."
"She didn't turn in her last four."
"Could she have?" Jigen nodded. "Are you sure of that?"
"They were arrested while they were healing."
"Good. Then she didn't kill them." Jigen frowned at him. "Think about it, Jigen. Were they ready to be arrested then? I know the four you're talking about. They didn't touch that girl. They touched Helena pretending to be that girl. She kicked their asses for it and put them into the hospital, then called the cops. The cops didn't want to do anything about it because it was a rape case, nothing else. Then the nurse overheard them talking about going after her again to kill her. That got the cop's attention. I know every thing she does in Chicago. Each time she forgets to eat. Each time she manages to cook for herself. All of it. You have no idea what I know and how I know it, but I do know that your girl will go back to being a cop some day. She'll be a damn good one. The urges will stay but she'll be able to control them. Plus, she's already started to sue the city." He left him there to think.
Jigen pulled up the log, reading through it again. Maybe be was dense.
***
Helena walked into her new apartment and nodded. "I like it," she admitted. There was a loft over the kitchen, a smaller living room area. There was a hidden room that had an open door, that was furnished with another living room set and an entertainment center. The bathroom was huge. The garages downstairs were all hers. She smiled at the realtor. "I love it. How much and did I buy it?"
"You did and I'm sorry I couldn't get you more bedrooms. The housing market is stupidly high right now," she admitted, handing back the extra. "I left the invoice in the other room in case you didn't like the leather. They'll let you change it out for another two weeks." She glanced around again, then looked at Helena. "Where's the man?"
"I don't know," she admitted bitterly. "He doesn't believe in me. I can't have that." She shrugged and headed into the kitchen. "We good on food or should I go shopping?"
"Shop all you want. I transferred everything that wouldn't rot. All your closets are on this side of the loft," she said, pointing at where it went over top of the door. "It's a walk-in closet and it's huge. I kept your old system and your weapons' cabinet is next to it. You okay?"
"No. Thanks." She smiled at her. "Let the cats out?" The realtor did so and waved, leaving her alone to get settled in. "Come on out, guys. This is the new home." They went to investigate. It wasn't as spacious, but it was fairly nice. She walked over to look at the wall switch that led to the hidden room, liking that one a lot too. Then she went to look at the bed, finding a small bouquet of daisies on her pillow. She smiled and sniffed them. "Thanks, guys," she called. She waved at one of the homeless guys waiting on the fire escape, opening the window to talk to him. "I haven't gotten a chance to go shopping yet. How are things?"
"Pretty decent. Old Man had another stroke and he died. Herman's in charge." She grimaced. "That won't last long. We think Momma's gonna take it over. She did good with those kids of hers and the orphans." He handed over a list on an old envelope. "She said they needed this stuff before winter if you could find it, if not let her know." He nodded politely then left.
She sat down, looking at the list. It was mostly clothes. Warmer shirts, t-shirts, socks, extra underwear. Stuff she could easily find and stock up on. There was also a people count for her at the bottom, broken down into children, men, and women. Yes, the mother that took in all the kids would be a good leader. She closed the window and went to check the garage, frowning at the empty state, but she found one of Lupin's cards on the floor so she guessed he must have let them clean the place out. She grabbed her wallet and went out to take that extra and do something useful for it. The local area had just gotten a Sam's Warehouse Club and it was a nice thing. She pulled the manager into his office to talk to him about what she could do for them, getting his help for this important task. She paid for the membership cards, hers and theirs, then went to do some major shopping. She saw a computer on sale and considered it for all of a minute before putting it into a spare cart that had been down the aisle. It was well padded with packages of socks and t-shirts.
***
Lupin looked up as his computer beeped at him, frowning at it. Then he snickered and opened the message, ignoring his porn surfing for now. "Well," he said happily, writing her back. "Wonderful job, Helena." He sent it and then went to tell Jigen his girlfriend was online. It was nearly the nineties, she was moving on with technology. "Jigen." Jigen looked up from his crossword puzzle. "Helena just wrote me her first email. She said it took her a few hours to find me but she did." Jigen grunted and went back to his puzzle. Lupin stared at him, then nodded. "Fine. Be that way. It's not like I can't find dozens of men who'd like to date my little sister. I'm sure I can find one good enough." He walked away, going to get Goemon to help him with this plan. Those two needed to talk this out. Jigen was quieter than usual and Helena was slowly being shifted into a more dangerous assignment without anyone realizing it.