New Blood

Shortly after noon, Elena went to Tseng's office to get Kerri.  The girl shocked her by grabbing her for a hug the moment Tseng's door was closed behind them.  Laughing, Elena asked, “What was that for?”



“For rescuing me.  I miss Rude training me.  He doesn't lecture me for ten minutes if I make a mistake.  Tseng is so exacting.”



“Hmm.  Exacting?  Most people would say anal.”  Kerri's jaw dropped for a moment in surprise at Elena's words, then both women burst into laughter.  “Come on,” Elena said.  “Let's go to the cafeteria and get some lunch.  I'm starving.”



***



Once they had been served and were seated, Elena reached into her pocket and brought out Reno's note.  She handed it to Kerri.  



“What's this?” the brunette asked, reaching over her fruit salad to take the paper from Elena.



“It's from Reno.  He asked me to give it to you this morning,” Elena answered, noting the flush that rose in Kerri's cheeks at the mention of his name.  Reno wasn't the only one who had it bad, apparently.  Kerri opened and read it, her eyes going soft as she finished the last line.



Kerri,

Sorry I didn't get to see you before I left.  I had fun last night.  How about you?  Maybe we can do it again when I get back?   Give me a call tonight if you want.  

I'll miss you.

Reno



He had written his cell phone number underneath his name.  Kerri smiled and refolded the note.  After she slipped it in her pocket she looked up to meet Elena's knowing gaze.  “What?” she asked, attempting to look innocent.



Elena shook her head.  “It's none of my business.  Just...well, just be careful of your feelings, Kerri.  That's all.”  It was all she felt she could say without being disloyal to Reno's friendship.



“I will,” the younger girl answered, but the way she bit her lip and averted her eyes made Elena wonder if her advice wasn't already too late.  



***



Reno and Rude had spent most of their day trailing around after Rufus while he inspected the old reactor site.  It was in the process of being dismantled, and Rufus wanted to make sure it was going smoothly; also that everything that had the potential to be dangerous was being accounted for before being destroyed.  The two Turks were there mainly for show, as the only group brave or foolhardy enough to go after Rufus himself was GALEFORCE, and they were based mainly in Edge.  As they had expected, everything had been quiet.  After some early morning meetings tomorrow, they would be on their way back home.



Now Reno sat alone in the hotel room, waiting for Rude to get back with their take-out.  The television was on but he barely glanced at it, instead spinning his cell phone idly on the couch beside him.  He wondered if Kerri would actually call him.  It would be a good sign if she did.  His mind drifted into thoughts of last night.  How she'd felt resting in his arms, the sound of her laughter, the sweet scent of her hair, the way she caught her breath when he'd licked her earlobe.  He shifted slightly as he felt himself growing hard.  



His phone ringing startled him out of his thoughts and he almost sent it flying across the room before he was able to pick it up.  “Reno here,” he answered.



“Hi, Reno,” came Kerri's voice.



“Babe!  You called!” Reno said, delighted.  “I'm glad.  I was getting pretty bored, yo.”



“How did your day go?” she asked.



“Not bad.  Same old shit.  Follow the boss, make sure people see he's well protected, be polite to the executives.  I'd almost be glad to have someone to beat up.”  He settled back comfortably on the sofa.  “How about you?”



“I miss Rude,” she said mischievously, knowing how he'd react.



“What!”  



Kerri laughed.  “Only because he's easier to work with than Tseng.  Rude doesn't lecture.  I don't think I learned much if anything new today because every time I screwed up, Tseng took ten minutes to tell me how and why.”



Reno sounded calmer when he answered.  “So you miss Rude?  Anyone else?  Rufus, maybe?”



“Maybe just a certain loudmouth redhead.”  



“Really, Kerri?” His tone was seductive now.  “The loudmouth redhead misses you, too.”  



“Yeah?” she nearly whispered.



“Uh-huh.  I was hoping to spend the evening with you instead of in a hotel with a big bald guy.  I keep thinking that at this time last night, you were practically lying on top of me.”  



“I was not!” she protested.



“All right, so I'm exaggerating, yo.  It was still pretty nice, you being that close.  Wasn't it?”



She was silent for a few seconds before saying, “Yes, it was.”  She sounded a little breathless, and the sound of her voice like that got him hard almost instantly.  



“I wish you hadn't left, babe.  I wanted you so much.”  He paused and looked down at his tented trousers ruefully and continued, “I want you right now.”



She laughed nervously.  “I know, Reno.  I'm...I'm thinking about it.  I just need some time.”



“I'm not trying to push, Kerri,” he assured her.  



“I know that.  You're trying to convince, right?”



Reno had to laugh.  “You got it.  So you think I can?”



“I think you're pretty convincing when you want to be.” she answered.  “In fact...you almost had me convinced last night.”  



Before he could answer, he heard the key rattle in the lock and Rude opened the door carrying the bags of takeout.  He took them over to the table and began to lift the containers out.  Well, there goes any hope of phone sex, Reno thought.



“Baldy's back with our dinner, Kerri,” he said, earning an irritated look from Rude.  “I better go.”



“All right.”  She sounded disappointed.  “When will you be back?”



“Should be tomorrow.  I'll see you then, ok?”



“Bye, Reno,” she said, and he heard the soft click of her hanging up.



He flipped the phone closed.  “Bye, babe,” he said under his breath, but Rude had sharp ears.  



“Babe?” his partner said.



Reno looked up at him.  “Yes, sweetie?” he answered, grinning.



“Oh, fuck you.”



“Oh, so you think just because you bought my dinner that I owe you sex?  You men are all alike!”



“I wonder how upset President Rufus would be if I just shot you.” Rude remarked.



*****



Finally!  It had been a long morning for Reno.  They'd had to attend two meetings with Rufus, standing behind him and staying alert as the talk droned on and on.  It was especially difficult for Reno to keep his mind from wandering during Rufus's meetings, but the Turks were not only Rufus's bodyguards, they were also supposed to be his eyes and ears, even when he was present.  He kept telling them that there might be a time when they heard or saw something suspicious that he might miss.  Not fucking likely, in Reno's opinion.  The boss had a mind like a steel trap.  He didn't miss a trick.  But orders were orders.



Now finally they were on their way to the makeshift chopper pad, walking inside the roped off aisle that led to the helicopter that had been set up for President Rufus's visit.  Rude was in front of the boss, Reno bringing up the rear, both of them with their Electro Mag rods at the ready.  Reno's eyes automatically scanned the crowd of excited workers gathered to see them off.  He highly doubted they were so excited about seeing Rufus; probably the main reason was a break in the usual routine.  He could certainly relate.  He spotted the uniforms of Shin-Ra's military, innocuously referred to as the Department of Public Safety Maintenance, dotted here and there throughout the crowd.



The man in the front row caught Reno's eyes, put his wind up.  The Turk couldn't have said just why, but he didn't fit in with the rest of the workers.  A slight difference in his stance, maybe, or something missing in his expression.  Whatever it was, it made Reno come completely alert.  When he saw the man reach inside his coat, he didn't bother waiting to see what was coming out.  



“Boss, down!” he yelled, leaping over the ropes at the same instant.  Behind him, Rufus dropped like a stone, and Rude dropped as well, shielding the President from the crowd with his body.  Reno leaped at the suspicious man, his EMR raised and ready to strike.  The man brought something out from his coat; Reno saw a glint of sunlight on metal.  Time seemed to slow as Reno followed through with his strike.  The instant before his weapon connected with the man's head, he heard two shots ring out, felt flares of heat, one in his right thigh followed a split second later by one in his left shoulder.  The second one spun him halfway around, but he still landed a blow on his intended target, stunning him.  The would-be assassin staggered for a moment.  Reno landed on the ground hard enough to feel the breath driven from his body, an instant later he heard another shot.  This one, however, came from Rufus's own gun.  Reno knew the sound of it well.  



The injured redhead struggled to his feet.  The crowd was panicking, people running in every direction, so it was easy to see the dead man laying a few feet away.  He turned, searching for the boss, and saw him kneeling with his handgun still raised and smoking.  Rufus had fired from over Rude's shoulder and taken the gunman out.  He said something to Rude, then ran for the chopper as Rude sprinted towards Reno.  “Come on, let's go, let's go!” Rude yelled.



Reno tried, but his leg flared with white agony when he put his weight on it, and he would have collapsed if his partner hadn't caught him.  “I can't!  Go!  Get the boss out of here!” he said, but Rude didn't listen.  He picked Reno up easily and ran with him towards the chopper.  “I can't fly, Rude.”



“I know, but the boss can, remember?”  They reached the chopper, and Rufus was already at the controls, ready to take off.  He could indeed fly, he just preferred not to.  There was no choice now, however.  



“Get him in!” Rufus ordered, and Reno groaned as Rude nearly threw him in the back and lunged after him.  The craft lifted, attained the safety of the air.  Rude was already on his cell phone to Tseng, informing him what had happened, and that Reno was injured.  Reno closed his eyes, listening, knowing that Tseng would waste no time mobilizing the members of Shin-Ra's military who were stationed in Junon.   Yeah, much good had the ones who were there already had done.



Rude flipped his phone closed.  “Tseng is informing the military,” he told Rufus, “and he will have a healer waiting at the landing pad for Reno.”  He turned to his friend.  “Where were you hit?”



“Shoulder and leg.  I don't think it's too serious, but it hurts like a bitch, yo.”  Reno winced as Rude began prodding at his wounds, trying to determine how bad they were.  “Fuck, Baldy, just wait!  It hurts bad enough.”



Rude stripped off his jacket and shirt.  Folding the jacket quickly, he placed it on the wound on Reno's shoulder to slow the flow of blood there, then whipped his shirt into a makeshift rope, tying it above the wound on Reno's leg as a tourniquet.    “Just hang on, Red.”



“You're not getting rid of me that easy, partner,” Reno answered.



“How is he?” Rufus asked from the pilot seat.



“Just superficial flesh wounds, I think,” Rude said.  “I don't think the bullets hit an artery, but I put a tourniquet on his leg just in case.  It shouldn't stay on long, though.”



“Keep an eye on it.  We'll be home shortly.” Rufus replied.



“Sir?” Reno said.



“Yes, Reno?”



“Don't crash my chopper.”