O'Doul's call came three days later. Heero had been studying every shred of evidence he had endlessly. (Isn't this what he's been doing the entire fic? Talk about a passive role. *boots self out of fic*) Something about Relena's failed assassination bothered him, but he couldn't decide what and lack of sleep wasn't helping his cause any either.
When the Irishman called, Heero answered with a yawn. "Yeah?"
"I've got 'im!" O'Doul exclaimed. "Mickey DeFazio. I overheard 'im in a bar. He attacked Dottie. I even found out where he's hidin' out."
Heero, suddenly awake, smirked. "I knew it! She was wrong after all!"
O'Doul tilted his head to the side. "What?"
Heero shook his head. "Never mind. Where is he?"
"Headed to France. I've booked tickets already. I'll meet you at the airport in an hour. But do yourself a favor. Get some sleep, man! You look like shit!"
Although Heero tried to sleep on the airplane, his nerves were so taut in anticipation of whacking DeFazio's face into the ground that all he managed to do was annoy his neighbors with his restlessness. Consequently, by the time the plane landed, Heero was as tired disembarking as he was boarding.
Fighting to keep his mind alert, he followed O'Doul without bothering to pay attention to the path they took. An hour of wandering through the Parisian streets brought them to the base of a sizable hill surrounded by a wrought iron fence. The sun nearly blinded him when he peered up at the top of the hill and the Victorian-style cathedral sitting there.
Blinking away the spots dancing before his eyes and completely puzzled, Heero followed his guide through the gate and up the narrow stone steps leading to the church. "He's hiding in a church?"
O'Doul nodded. "The nunnery, more specifically, but yes, a church." They proceeded in silence up the hill. The Irishman crossed himself as he entered the cathedral and confidently strode down the aisle between the pews, stopping next to a nun kneeling in front of the altar. He bent down and spoke softly to her, too softly for Heero to hear.
The nun replied and pointed to a door to the right of the altar. O'Doul stood, murmuring a thanks, and beckoned to Heero as he crossed to the door. Heero opened the door to reveal a stairwell leading up.
O'Doul informed, "DeFazio's hiding on the third floor. All we have to figure out is where."
Heero nodded and bounded up the stairs, drawing his gun from his waistband as he neared the third floor. The stairway ended, and he pushed open the door at the top. He stood at the end of a hallway. Doors were placed unevenly down the corridor. Without hesitation, Heero walked to the first door on his left and pulled it open.
A startled nun glanced up from the open Bible on her lap. Heero turned away and proceeded to the next room. O'Doul apologized to the young woman and shut the door before hurrying after Heero. This was repeated several times until they reached the last quarter of the hallway.
As usual, Heero yanked open the door (O'Doul was half-expecting the door to go flying off its hinges). However, this room was filled with furniture entirely different from the others. A desk stood in the center of the room, a leather chair behind it facing away from them.
Heero raised his gun to shoulder level when the chair slowly swiveled around. Its occupant hissed, "So you're finally here."
Heero glared at the bald man calmly smoking a cigarette, Mickey DeFazio. "Yeah, I am."
"And why? Because I want Catalonia dead?"
The lines around Heero's mouth tightened. "Basically."
DeFazio stood. Heero warned, "Don't move!"
DeFazio ignored him and walked around the desk to stand directly in front of him. "Shoot me."
Heero sneered and pulled the trigger. "Gladly."
The bullet flew through DeFazio's chest and embedded itself in the wall. DeFazio didn't even flinch. "Really, you must watch that temper of yours. I'm innocent. And happily deceased."
Heero lowered his gun.
DeFazio grinned. "Besides, even if I weren't, I'm still a hologram. There's nothing you can do to me. But you, my friend, you should watch your back."
The cold metal of a gun barrel settled against the side of Heero's head. "Drop the gun, Yuy."
Heero obeyed and rolled his eyes towards O'Doul. "So it was you after all."
DeFazio chortled. "Told ya so!" The hologram disappeared.
O'Doul jerked his chin towards the door. "C'mon, Yuy, I refuse to shed blood in a church."