Guilt’s Cost: Part LXXXVIII

Deal

Tifa opened her eyes, realizing that she was lying on the floor next to the toilet. She had passed out there the night before after Hojo had left, from a combination of her pain and anguish. Someone reached out and rocked her gently. "Mrs. Valentine, it’s time to go now."

She blinked off the last of her sleep and struggled to sit up. Her body was incredibly sore from having spent untold hours on the cold concrete and her abdomen still was cramped from the procedure. She felt a strong arm around her and was lifted easily to her feet. Tifa turned to see who was helping her. Her brow furrowed upon seeing that it was the Turk that Hojo had shoot Vincent the other day. "You!"

Porter raised his hands in defense. "I’m just here to get you to the train station, that’s all. I won’t hurt you."

She shoved the man away from her. "You hurt Vincent! Get away from me!"

Upon seeing his master touched in such a manner, D leapt up from Porter’s side and stood between Tifa and his owner. D’s lip was curled and his rumbling growl filled the room.

Porter was touched by his pet’s defensiveness but knew this wasn’t the time for it. "D! Stop it and lay down."

The dog quickly did as ordered.

"Mrs. Valentine, please." Porter crossed his arms over his chest. He needed to get her to trust him so that she wouldn’t give him any trouble, and so he could ask her something important. "I have to do what I’m ordered. You know the Professor is insane. If I disobey something terrible will happen."

"And shooting an unarmed and incapacitated man isn’t terrible?" Tifa narrowed her eyes at him, her words laced with venom.

"I didn’t want to do it, I had to." Porter let his arms fall back to his sides, his face donning an expression of remorse. "Let’s go, there is something we need to discuss."

Tifa was intrigued at what there could possibly be for Hojo’s lackey to talk to her about. The realization that he wasn’t a cold-blooded Turk was becoming clear. She could see something very painful hidden behind his green eyes. For some reason, she was going to give him the benefit of the doubt, but the second he did anything to make her suspicious she would turn on him. "Hojo is really letting me go?"

Porter shrugged. "Yes, and it’s not like him to do so but he said that Vincent had bought your escape. I don’t know what that means and I don’t think I want to."

Tifa felt bile rise up in her throat at the memory she carried from the day before. "He gave me Vincent’s arm in a garbage bag."

"I said I didn’t want to know." Porter’s gaze dropped to the floor and his lips turned to a disgusted frown.

Seeing that Porter was actually disturbed by what she had related, Tifa’s empathy deepened for him slightly. She truly started to believe that she was leaving the lab with the Turk’s escort. Only by escaping from here and getting a hold of Tseng or Reno would she be able to help Vincent. "If you’re getting me the hell out of here, then let’s go."

Porter grabbed her lightly by the arm and started walking. His attempted pace was just slightly faster than she could manage in her current state and to all those who saw them pass down the hall it looked as though she was being forcefully dragged.

They got onto the elevator and found themselves alone. Porter released his hold on her. Tifa rubbed where he had been gripping her. "You said you wanted to discuss something?"

Porter looked down at his dog, feeling ashamed at what he was about to request. "I need the help of ASRIO."

The thought that he may be trying to lead her into a trap crossed her mind briefly but was dissolved as she saw the look on his face. "Why?"

"Hojo’s done something to my girlfriend." Porter looked up to gaze into Tifa’s eyes, hoping that she would see his sincerity. "He’s put some sort of implant into her and if he dies, she will too. Vincent told me that you might be able to help me."

Tifa narrowed her eyes in thought. She wasn’t immediately inclined to rush to this stranger’s aid. "And if we do help her?"

"Once I don’t have to worry about anything happening to Rayna if Hojo is harmed, I’ll do whatever your friends want in order to help free Vincent." Porter made his offer flatly.

Tifa was silent as the elevator made the rest of the trip to the bottom floor. She knew that it wasn’t beyond reason for a Turk to be trying to manipulate her and she didn’t want to respond prematurely. Then again, he could be their best chance at getting Vincent out of Hojo’s grip alive if he was telling the truth. Somehow Tifa knew that he wasn’t trying to fool her.

***

Reno and the other team members managed to get a car and drive into Midgar. Angel as he had expected had protested his unilateral change of plan, but after he explained how this would give them a chance to stake out the building before invading she reluctantly agreed. They made the several hour drive to town in the sedan that Reno had rented. He wanted to get another sports car like the last time, but in light of the fact that he had to transport four other people besides himself forced him to get the larger auto. Reno was driving of course, and Angel was in the front passenger seat. From right to left Morris, Ericson, and Jaras took up the back seat. Jaras was still absorbed in his book and was crunched up into the corner as best he could, trying to avoid all contact with the man next to him.

It was early morning by the time that they got to Midgar. Reno knew that there was a large hotel cattycorner to the Shin Ra building and that is where he drove to. He and his entourage walked into the lobby of the hotel and he requested a room facing the Shin Ra building. Fortunately, they had such a room available on the second floor and they went up to it.

Reno assigned everyone a two-hour watch out the window to keep count of the number of Turks and guards that both entered and exited the building. This way they would have at least some idea of what they were up against come nightfall. Naturally, Reno assigned the first shift to Jaras, and the last to himself.

Jaras sat straining his eyes to see those that passed through the distant doors of the large building, occasionally making a mark on the notepad he held in his hands.

When the two hours were up, Reno looked over to find that Angel who had volunteered for the second shift had fallen asleep on one of the two beds in the room. Knowing that she was exhausted from being up all night while in the car, Reno decided to be a bigger man and accept her term at stakeout.

Reno stood up slowly from the edge of the bed, not wishing to jar Angel awake. He had been watching some terrible low budget action movie on the television and was reluctant to miss the ending, irregardless of how obvious the ending would be. Reno walked over to where Jaras sat and plucked the notepad from his hands. "My turn."

Jaras cocked an eyebrow. "I thought you were intentionally going last in hopes that it would be dark by the time your shift came around so you wouldn’t have to do this."

Reno was a little irked at Jaras’s correct assumption. "Shut up and move."

Jaras shrugged and got up from his seat, moving over to a chair in the corner where he could resume reading in peace.

No sooner than Reno had looked out did he see a Turk walking from the entrance. He was intrigued to see that he was pulling along a female behind him. Suddenly, he recognized the woman for who it was. "Holy shit! It’s Tifa!"

Jaras ran over and looked down to where Reno was staring. "It is… Where is he taking her?"

"I don’t care. Come on." Reno threw down the notebook and moved toward the door.

Jaras followed as ordered.

Angel managed to sleep through the occasion, but Ericson and Morris jumped to their feet in an attempt to follow.

Reno waved back at them. "No, you two stay here. If anything happens to us, you’ll have to carry out the mission tonight."

The two men grudgingly agreed to stay behind, but went to the window to keep an eye over the situation.

Reno and Jaras ran down the hall, opting to take the stairs as opposed to waiting for the elevator. They were still dressed as Turks, and drew leery glances from those they passed as they bolted through the lobby and out onto the street.

They spotted Tifa and her escort not too far from where they had seen them from the window. Tifa was still in a fair amount of discomfort and was making her way behind Porter rather slowly despite the fact he still held her by the arm and tugged her along. He was trying to get her away from the Shin Ra building as quickly as possible, fearing that at any moment Hojo would change his mind. Reno and Jaras finally caught up with them at the corner.

Porter looked at the two would be Turks in confusion. "Do I know you?"

Tifa brought her gaze up and realized who they were. "Oh God, Reno! I thought you were dead!"

Reno smiled widely at her, relieved to see she was more or less all right. Jaras stood next to him in silence, somewhat hurt that she hadn’t even seemed to notice him.

Porter was stunned as he recognized Reno. Being confronted by two ASRIO agents on the street in broad daylight was something he had never imagined. In his shock he released his grip on Tifa.

She ripped away from him and threw herself into Reno’s arms. "I’m so happy you’re here…"

Porter stared on, knowing that he still needed to negotiate for their help. "Mrs. Valentine, about helping me…"

Reno scowled at the Turk. "Help you? Fuck off."

Tifa looked back over her shoulder at Porter. "Where is she?"

"Bullshit, quit talking to him, Tifa." Reno huffed, pulling Tifa closer to him.

Tifa could see the desperation in Porter’s eyes and her heart went out to him. "We can get the implant out of her. They got one out of me."

Reno started to turn away, attempting to cut off the conversation. He pulled Tifa along with him. "Fuck him, Tifa. Let’s go."

Tifa couldn’t risk losing this chance to help Vincent and she wrenched herself free of Reno’s hold. "No, if we help him he’ll help us!"

"No way, Tifa." Reno furrowed his brow and looked down at her. "He’s a fucking Turk."

"So were you." Tifa narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. She wasn’t going to give up.

Her simple yet true statement hit him hard and he was dumbstruck as she turned back to Porter. All Reno could manage to do was look back at Jaras who gave him a strange grin. Jaras was pleased by her win of the showdown with Reno.

"Porter, where is she?" Tifa took a step closer to the Turk.

"She’s up in her office. I drove her to work today." Porter looked up at the skyscraper as if he could spot her from the ground, and a blush came to his cheeks as he recalled why he had brought her.

"Get her to come with us." Tifa didn’t know what she would do once they had Rayna, but getting her away from Shin Ra would be better than anything.

Porter reached into his pocket and tried to grab his phone. He found the end of Reno’s night staff placed lightly beneath his chin before he could get it.

Reno frowned, his finger hovering over the button that would send an incapacitating shock through the Turk. "Watch it."

Porter felt a cold sweat break across his skin. "I’m just getting my phone."

Reno let the staff fall away, not trusting the man before him. "Don’t try anything."

Porter looked at Reno with annoyance as he finally managed to retrieve his phone. He hit a speed dial button and was relieved when Rayna answered on the first ring.

"Shin Ra, Rayna in accounting speaking."

"Hey, it’s me." Porter turned away from his watchers, wanting at least some measure of privacy. He knew he needed to watch what he said as it was certain that Hojo would be able to listen in on this conversation if he so chose. "I need you to come outside for a minute. Some friends of mine just came into town and I literally ran into them. I want them to meet you."

"Uh, okay. It’s time for my break anyway. Where exactly are you?" Rayna asked, she could be heard shuffling papers in the background.

"The corner west of the door." Porter smiled that she was coming.

"Okay." She hung up.

Porter tucked the phone back away. "She’s on her way."

Tifa turned to Reno. "Is Angel here?"

"Back at the hotel." He replied, wondering what she was up to.

"Porter, there is someone here who might be able to get Rayna’s implant out if it’s simple enough." Tifa was hoping that the implant wouldn’t be buried too deeply.

Reno reached out and pulled Tifa back to him. "What are you doing? He could be setting us up! For all you know he just called up thirty guards to come down here and make up nothing more than stains on the sidewalk!"

Tifa’s eyes blazed. "Reno, please! I know what I’m doing!"

"For your sake I hope you’re right." Reno said, letting go of her.