Chapter 1: Fresh Hell
She hurriedly stuffed the last of the cash into her duffle, looking around her nervously every few seconds just to be safe. Her father wouldn't be home for hours, she knew that. But living the life she had lead, with the father she had, the friends and associates she had come to know, had made her more cautious than she probably needed to be. None of them suspected she would ever do anything to jeopardise them. Even at eighteen years old, Usagi had been through more than she deserved. And she had had enough. Many months had been spent going over this moment in her head, the repercussions of such a betrayal. But she could not live like this anymore, in constant fear of those who might do her harm. Her father would be unimaginably livid to learn of how she had turned on him. If her actions did not bring about his death, he would come after her. That was why she needed to be fast. If he came home early and discovered her attempting to leave, the consequences would be far worse. Rahul had been a good father once, back when his daughter was a young girl no older than ten. But recent years had changed him. His association with the less reputable members of society managed to poison his soul. Whether for power or money, he now served the darker forces at work. His actions put him and his family in considerable danger. Usagi was not prepared to deal with his poor decisions. If rival criminals did not discover where he lived, the authorities would. Usagi wasn't sure which situation was worse, in all honesty. Time behind bars in a horribly unsecure prison or a short period at the mercy of Hong Kong's gangs were her options. So she chose neither, content to witness the downfall of her own father for this of it made him realise how dangerous the world really was. He was a dangerous man, though not nearly as well-equipped for the criminal underworld as he liked to think. If not for his connections, he would have been killed long ago. Usagi finished packing her things, slung her two duffle bags around her shoulders and left the house. It was darker than usual tonight, as if to reflect the path the young girl had started herself on by doing this. Money in her shaky right hand, she flagged down a taxi, hopped in with her bags and directed him to the harbour. She could see him giving her scrutinising looks out of the corner of her eye. She chose to ignore him, more out of a desire to avoid a confrontation than anything else. If she could get to the harbour without being noticed, she would have no trouble leaving the country. There were people there who specialised in smuggling people in and out of the country, most of them contacts of her father's. As soon as they saw her face, they would be happy to oblige, despite the fact that she was alone. Even if they were utilised by her father, that did not mean they were friends with him. It was none of their business what matters his family was going through. That was one of the perks of Hong Kong's selective crime that would save Usagi tonight. The taxi pulled up at the pier she specified to the driver. She thanked him and exited the taxi awkwardly, unintentionally slamming the door behind her. That provoked a confrontational look from the driver. Nevertheless, he left once he was satisfied his rude gaze had done enough damage. Usagi struggled with the two duffle bags. They were quite heavy, after all, considering their contents. The man she sought was just up ahead. Officially, he was a fisherman, organising trips for families and work colleagues. Unofficially, he was the man to go to if you needed to disappear. Usagi needed just that right now. She strode up to him and dropped her bags at her feet. She was soaking wet, the rain seeping through her thin black jacket to dampen her sleeveless red turtleneck. She had forgotten to bring a hat. At first, the man ignored her. He was good at that. It usually deterred unwanted glances from inspectors and policemen. Once he noticed who it was, however, he immediately looked in her direction and started towards her.
"Miss Matsumoto!" he blubbered. "I didn't see you, there. Out late, aren't we?" She offered him a smile, though it was very much artificial. She was not in the best mood, understandably. He gestured to her feet. "Help with your bags?"
"Please," she said to him. "Thank you, Han." He lifted the two duffle bags from the ground without much effort and led her inside. She was eager to get in out of the rain.
"Where are you headed, then?" She was glad he did not mention Rahul. Out of the four known smugglers her father used, Han was on the best terms with the man. Usagi squeezed the rainwater from her jet-black hair and attempted to straighten it, to no avail. Her curious brown eyes looked up at Han, who produced a cigarette now that he was indoors. She did not really have to think about it. There was one place she had been in the past, a city filled with the vilest of vile and the worst scum humanity had to offer. Her father had taken her there the year her mother died. Not on a holiday or anything, naturally. It was not even close to passing off as a tourist location. No, Rahul had been on business, it seemed. That was where she would hide from him, where it would be harder to track her down if he managed to discover where she had gone.
"Roanapur," she told him, swallowing hard as if the word hurt in her throat as she said it. "Take me to Roanapur."
(*)
"Rock, take that damn thing off!" Revy ordered immediately, disgusted at his fashion sense. It was not so much a case of him having any affinity for the ridiculous straw hat that now adorned his head as it was an attempt to keep the sun out of his eyes. He emerged on deck at midday, a beer in his hand. "You look like a retard."
"Oh, I don't know," Benny disagreed, cracking open his own beer and propping his legs up on the side of the ship. "I think it's nice. Keeps the sun at bay, right?"
"I wouldn't take advice on how to dress from you if I was naked at the bottom of a well," Revy snapped jokingly.
"I suppose he should throw that shirt away, then," Rock suggested playfully. Revy's eyes narrowed at that. Rock took a seat and lay back in his chair, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. It was nice to relax, now more than ever. Despite everything that had happened over the last year or more, Lagoon Company hadn't taken any time out to really let their hair down. Drunken nights at the Yellowflag were no longer counted as downtime due to the fact that they often led to more bloodshed than they should have. Today had been a refreshing exception from the usual trip to the bar and drunken walk home. Dutch had taken the boat far out into the ocean, several miles from Roanapur's coast. All they had taken were their weapons, more out of habit than anything, and several crates of beer. Granted, they would probably still get drunk, but it would be far from the city and out of the way of danger. Dutch himself hadn't emerged yet, likely still keeping his eye on Benny's computer screen to make sure the radar was clear. They had all been on edge this last while, understandably paranoid and cautious in case anything happened. It was a given seeing as how two individuals had almost destroyed the city and two others caused unnecessary strife just by being there. But that was all over. Lagoon Company would enjoy this well-earned break from fighting. Even Revy, who could barely contain her restlessness at the fact that she had not been provided a target to shoot at, was visibly enjoying this. She had her head resting on the back of her chair, her amber eyes closed, the sun flooding over her face. It was a rare sight, like watching a bloodthirsty lion sleeping minutes before it awoke and mauled a small antelope. Rock enjoyed the taste of the cold beer as it hit the back of his throat. He was overjoyed more than any of them to have this opportunity to just hang out with his comrades and enjoy the day without having to worry about the next job. He never truly admitted it to anyone, but the last three months had been trying for him. The memory of his journey to the darkness that still left its traces in his soul to this day was fresh on his mind. He spent many nights sleepless and panicky from the thoughts of who he had almost become. Now, those concerns were basically gone and he had just about returned to normal. These people, these terrible, murderous, scummy people that had been his colleagues for a long time meant more to him than any other individual in his life. He had no close family that loved him, no acquaintances that made any effort to build up a relationship with him. No, these three pirates were his best friends and he would not trade them for anything. Dutch, the pragmatic leader of these renowned smugglers; Benny, the technological genius who never failed to amaze with his skills and knowledge of the web; and, of course, Revy, the silent gunslinger who manifested her feelings in the most frustrating yet flattering ways. He loved them all, more than they knew. More than he would ever admit to freely. Dutch finally emerged from below deck with a cigarette in one hand.
"Come to join the party, Dutch?" Benny asked, untying his ponytail and letting the wind have its way with his hair.
"If this is a party, I might as well hop overboard drown myself now," Dutch retorted, looking at the three of them splayed out in their chairs, as calm as ever. If they relaxed any more, they would be dead, he thought to himself. He walked out between Rock and Revy's chairs, leaning against the side of the boat. The sunlight shining off the blue waters caught the lens of his sunglasses, sending a sprinkling of reflective light across the ground below him.
"Gotta say, Dutch," Revy began, "this idea wasn't half bad." He chuckled.
"We needed this," he told them, his tone more serious now. "Besides, if I had to watch you and Rock try and outdrink each other one more time, I was going to have to buy the damn bar just so I could tell you both to get out."
"What's say we make this a weekly thing?" Benny suggested. "Few beers, maybe a fishing rod or two. We could make a day of it." Dutch smirked.
"If you're willing to pay for gas, sure," he agreed. "We can come out here as often as you like, Benny-Boy."
"Let's face it, Dutch, with the money we've been raking in lately, we could sail out to Australia and back every day for ten years and we'd still have money left over to buy Rock some better clothes." Rock frowned belatedly once he heard that, sitting up in his chair.
"That was uncalled for," he told the blonde man. "Besides, that's not a lot of money left over."
"Considering you're wardrobe consists of that same fucking outfit, we'd need a few thousand bucks to clothe you," Revy sniggered. Rock laughed sarcastically before laying back in his chair.
"I still have that Hawaiian shirt back at the apartment," he told her, a smirk forming on his lips in anticipation of what was to come.
"Yeah? Why the fuck don't you wear it, then?!"
