Yasuke was leaning against an old beat up black pick up truck, that looked to have seen the worse end of a few tsunamis. Hannibal gave the vehicle, then Hunter a look.
“No one would think twice when they see this old thing.” He patted the hood fondly. “Don’t let her deceive you, she’s filled to the brim with weapons.”
“I like the old gal already.” Hannibal smiled, clapping his hands together. “Okay so let’s burn this thing down.”
Yasuke gripped his shoulder, making Hannibal cringe slightly. “Patience, even after these years you still need to learn some.”
“Yeah yeah.” King gave him a half smile, though still vibrating to get going. “I’m an energetic guy what can I say?”
“You’re hyper.” Paul tossed him a kevlar vest. “More than usual.”
“Got an itchy feeling.” He shrugged, but made an effort to take a few calm breathes and center himself. Even he had gotten dragged into the open field to listen for the sound of a butterfly’s wing, only to find out later there were no butterflies.
Sifu was a bastard.
Hannibal came to the conclusion that all the Hunters in Shogun were bastards.
Yasuke studied him for a moment. “What type of itch?”
“Not the private type, Blossom makes sure her girls and boys are clean.” He winked at the Hunter, who rolled his eyes but chuckled. “Anticipation. Like something big is going to happen, and not just the big boom we’re plotting.”
“After we burn these drugs to the ground, we should sit and meditate.”
Hannibal whined loudly, exaggerating his body into a slouch. “Do we have to?”
Paul chuckled at the theatrics. “Just get him drunk and leave him with Blossom.”
“The drinking part is a good idea.” He slipped on the vest, and checked his weapons. “The leaving me with Blossom, not so much. Do you have any idea the damage she can cause, just with her fan. FAN.”
“You got the shit beaten out of you by a fan?” Yasuke slapped the back of his shoulder. “You are a pathetic white boy.”
“But I’m your pathetic white boy.” He laid his head on the Hunter’s shoulder, batting his eyelashes at him.
He kissed the top of his head then pushed him away. “Paul what do you need out of this?”
“I’m going for the office, to get information off the hard drive, and anything in the safe. After that, I say we just burn it all down.” He gave the shark smirk, as Hannibal called it. “Chang has been very good at keeping low profile, only way we’re going to hurt him is in the wallet.”
“Are we going to make it look like a rival gang went after some of Chang’s stash?” Yasuke secured his own weapons and vest. “I have stolen weapons we could use to plant around the place.”
“Do they deserve it?” Hannibal asked, not that he really cared if a rival drug gang got taken out by Chang, just one less drug dealer in the world.
“They use fifteen year old girls to mule, then sell them to the highest bidder.” Yasuke gave him a pointed look.
“Frame the bastards!”
Yasuke tossed him some of the stolen weapons, then left a few in the truck before parking it conveniently up a street as suspiciously as possible. “Local cops aren’t going to investigate to hard, well a few may be upset as they’re on the take. In the end, they’ll just blame the rivals.”
The three finished suiting up, then headed for the main gate, with a flick of Paul’s wrist the padlocks fell to the ground, along with the chains. “One day you’ll have to tell me how you do the Jedi tricks.”
“Didn’t I tell you…” Paul gave him a wicked smirk. “… I am a Jedi.”
“I knew it!” He teased as they made their way up the paths to the deserted warehouse. Hannibal and Yasuke put their backs to the wall, and let Paul do his thing. “Okay, Jedi, do your thing.”
Paul knelt down, closed his eyes and felt using his gift to feel the metal with in the locks, humming slightly as he slid each turn until they were all unlocked. He gave them a smirk, as he pushed the door open.
Yasuke moved in first, followed by Hannibal then Paul taking up the rear. They eased through the quiet building, until they came up on a set of offices that were tucked into the back. Hannibal lowered his weapons. “Where the hell is everyone?”
“Intel said the place had a least a rotation of five guards.” Paul frowned as he entered the office the door unlocked. He sat down at the computer, and with a few computer strokes broke through the password and started downloading everything..
“There’s fresh coffee in the pot.” Yasuke stated as he came back from doing a sweep of the other rooms. “And a variety of personal effects.”
“Ambush?” Hannibal sounded a little too excited at the prospect.
“I’m thinking shift change.” The Hunter gave him a look, then checked on Paul. “Got what you came for?”
“And some.” He pocketed the small drive, and the papers from the safe. “Let’s take advantage of no one being here, and plant the charges …”
Voices were heard just before all the lights of the warehouse came on. The three men were clearly visible in front of the offices. There was a moment … just a moment, when the guards looked at them in shock, not quite sure what they were seeing.
Then everything erupted into gunfire.
Hannibal was calm.
He pulled his weapons and started firing towards the guards, taking out at least two in the first run. He ended up behind a wall of heroin, the irony wasn’t lost on him. Automatic gun fire flew past him, ripping into the packages of drugs, kicking it up into his face.
He sneezed, then dove back into the fray taking out at least three more.
By the time the drug dust settled, the guards were dead, and the place was in shambles.
He glanced over to see Paul brushing off his clothes. “That was fun.” He bounced on his toes hyperactivity.
“Great your high and hyper.” Paul shook his head, and motioned for the door. “Yasuke is going to set the detonators, we got five minutes to get halfway down the road.”
“Why aren’t your high?” He asked while being pulled from the warehouse. “There was enough drugs flying around that place that the local rat population is likely high.”
Paul stopped in front of him. “Vampires don’t have to breath.”
“Ohhhh.” Hannibal nodded, then shook his head. “And?”
“So I didn’t breath in the heroin like a moron.” He tried to dust the both of them off again, but gave up and shoved Hannibal into the car.
The two were about halfway down the road, when the warehouse exploded. Hannibal turned in his seat, and stared wide-eyed at the cloud of debris and fire. “That was so cool!” He shifted to sit back down, bouncing around in his seat like a sugar high two year old. “Chang is going to be sooo pissed.”
“We need to get you Fed.” Paul shook his head, taking all of it with his usual aplume. They dumped the car two miles out, then walked through the outskirts of town, making their way towards the train station. They were soon lost in the crowd of tourists looking to get back to their hotels.
As they approached the train station, Hannibal grabbed Paul and shoved him against the wall, in a darkened section of the train station, as not to be seen, yet could be seen. Before the spy could react Hannibal took his mouth into a kiss, hand slipped into the red hair holding him in place as his tongue swept through the open mouth deepening the kiss. His other hand gripped the narrow hip, pulling him closer, until his leg was wrapped around Hannibal’s thigh.
“Sir.”
They ignored it.
“Sir!”
Hannibal turned slowly, blinked at the pair of cops standing there, giving them a nasty look. “What?” He frowned then, stepped back and pulled out a translator book, then asked what again in Cantonese.
The cops sneered at the display. “Get a room. This place is public. Go. Before we arrest you.” Then shooed them away from the wall towards the trains.
Hannibal smirked at them, ignoring the one who looked ready to teach the American’s a lesson. “Good idea.” He grabbed Paul and dragged him away from the wall, down the platform onto the nearest train, before they were arrested for being two men in a compromising position.
“What was that?” Paul asked, glaring at him as they took their seats. “You’re lucky we’re in Singapore, being gay is still very illegal in most of these countries.”
“It was for the cops.” Hannibal shrugged, head motioning towards them, who were still glaring at them as the train left the station. “They were watching everyone, looking for something suspicious, so I gave them something to be suspicious of. They were more interested in getting rid of us, then asking why two America men covered in heroin dust was wandering in the slums. They now think we were looking for ‘those’ clubs.”
Paul nodded in understanding, it would seem Hannibal was listening to his Spy 101 tips. He gave the Hunter a small smirk to defuse the tension. “You just wanted to get into my pants.”
“Well, yeah!” He waggled his eyebrows at him. “And god damn that kiss was hot, but you got nothing out of it did ya.”
“Nope.” He gave him a half smile. “But if you kiss your Mate like that he’ll be goo in your hands.”
They got off the train a few stops down, grabbed a taxi, and ended back at the high end hotel, Paul had booked them into, after leaving the resort a few days earlier. Hannibal was planning to play up that they were on their honeymoon, just to annoy Paul … when his phone rang. He glanced down to see Blade’s number.
Everything froze around him.
He hadn’t talked to Blade in a few years. The two rarely communicated, a few texts here about what was going on in New York versus his Hunt for Chang. The bastard hadn’t even called him to tell him the Clan had been attacked, instead he got that information from Katsumoto. Hannibal had called Nick, to check in, the Clan Leader assured him that everything was fine, and asked when he was planning on coming home. He hung up on the 1600 year old general, not the smartest thing he had done.
He barely felt Paul take the phone from his hand.
“Hannibal’s phone.” He paused nodded a few times, ended up with one of the rare soft smiles that King liked on him. It softened him, he seemed to always have it when he watched the lizards play, and a few times when he talked about Charles. “Hannibal…”
“What is it?” He looked at the phone and back at Paul. “I’m going to have to spend the next fifty years in Asia, might as well move to Tokyo become a monk, work for Katsumoto. Or I can be your bodyguard, bodyguard of a bodyguard is that a thing. Hell, I’ll herd your lizards. Lizard bodyguard. I can do that…”
Paul pulled the phone away from himself, leaned forward and kissed Hannibal. It was slow, deliberate and damn it was hot. And the moment Hannibal was distracted he handed the phone over. “It’s time for you to go home.”
“Blade?” Hannibal’s voice cracked slightly, though he’ll deny it to his dying breath.
‘Get your ass to New York.’ The voice was gruff as usual, but held a welcoming warmth. ‘Don’s asking for you. Plus I got some crazy new Vampire Hunters to train, and could use the help.’
“Really?” He took some deep breaths, trying to calm his shattered nerves.
‘Yes. I want you to come home.’ It was Don’s voice, he knew it. ‘Please Hannibal it’s time.’
“I’ll be on a plane as soon as I can…” He paused not sure what to say. “See you soon.” He then hung up, bent over hands on his knees as he tried not to have a panic attacked. Hannibal never expected this day to come. He honestly thought Blade would tell him, that Don married Tanya, who popped him out a few kids. “He wants me home. Don. He wants me home.”
Paul maneuvered him into the hotel, setting Hannibal in one of the seats. He asked the Doorman to keep an eye on his friend, telling him he had just got shocking news from New York, and needed to get home fast. The doorman smiled, and then went to get some water for the American.
Paul stepped up to the Concierge requested a one way ticket to New York, First Class. The next flight available left in five hours. He paid for the ticket, then asked him to pick up a nice Navy Blue suit, handing over Hannibal’s measurements, and bring it up to his Suite.
Hannibal was calmer when he reached him, the young doorman having kept him entertained with stories of people he saw come through the hotel. King was pretty sure he was going to be one of those stories.
Paul got him upstairs, into the shower and told him to trim his wild beard, he looked like an idiot. By the time the Hunter stepped back out into the bedroom, the suit was laying on the bed. King looked at it and then at Paul. “Dude, how do you know my measurements.”
“I’m a spy it’s what I do. Besides it’s not like you wiggled naked ass in front of me enough times.” He gave him a cheeky grin. “Get dressed.”
He sighed when he had to fix his tie for him. He slipped the plane ticket into his pocket along with his passport, extra paperwork, some cash, and his phone.
“Thank you.”
“There was no way I was going to let you go to your Mate looking like something the cat dragged in.” He patted him on the chest, stepping back to look at his handy work. “You look presentable, don’t open your mouth you should be able to fool him into think you’re a decent guy.”
“Fuck you,” Hannibal laughed.
“If he turns out to be an asshole, my offer still stands.” He gave him a small smile. “I’m good at what I do, and no one would see me coming.”
“I think I’ll be okay.” Hannibal took a few deep breaths, then headed for the door before stopping and moved back to Paul and pulled him into a hug. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“Be happy.” He held him for a moment, then chuckled into his shoulder. “Get your hands off my ass.”
“I’m going to be a married man soon, had to get one last squeeze in.” He stepped back, looked at his friend. “Don’t be a stranger, Paul. Come to New York, meet Don and the rest of the gang. Or I can bring him to you. He can meet your lizard army.”
“I promise to keep looking for Chang…”
“No.” Hannibal reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t care about that, well I do, but you know what I mean. You’re my friend, and I want you to meet my Mate.”
“You never did tell me his full name.” Paul nodded, not sure what to do with his own emotions over the situation. He was happy for Hannibal, but not sure how to handle it at the moment. His own fears of having a Mate more on the surface, than ever before.
“Donald Flack, Jr. Detective for the NYPD.” Hannibal said with such pride in his voice. “Besides Blade will want to know who kicked my ass into respectability, let alone the one who taught me all the cool spy tricks.”
“I’ll make sure to send him flowers with my condolences on your Mating.”
“You’re such an ass.” He laughed, then took one last kiss before heading for the door. He paused, turned and looked at Paul. “You’ll do fine you know.” Paul gave him a confused look. “When you find your Mate, you’ll be fine.”
“Go. You only have a few hours for your flight.”
With that Hannibal left, he was finally going home.
About time Hannibal ‘s mate sends for him!! Great chapter
—Naj 😀