Disclaimer::
SW takes no claims, what so ever, on the Card Captor Sakura characters. They belong to the creators of CLAMP.
Lock n' Load
Chapter Two: Smoke in the Sky
Duan Mining Corporation, was a business in mining. Dealing with all sorts of minerals from emeralds to quartz with there base of operation in Beijing, China - not Hong Kong. However, although it was the perfect ploy for government officials, minors, and probable buyers, to the underground world of sex, drugs, fights, guns, and violence, every gang new it was run by Tiger and his minions.
Ever so slowly, Masaru Duan grew in his power, and pushed himself passed the long set boundaries of his gangs jurisdiction. Spreading throughout parts of Asia until he reached Hong Kong - seemingly his destination. For once here, a sky reaching tower of a building was constructed in a matter of year, with 'business' up and running shortly after.
With it, came drive by shootings, bar fights, territory wars, and blowing up building tag with the Wolves - Hong Kong's owners. A powerful gang that stretched through the Eastern half of Asia keeping streets safe all the while causing havoc at the same time. A gang that after a few years of finally getting over a great devastation bounced back with as much force at they were able.
But that, is history that dates back thirteen or so years give or take a few. While the past is what pushes the rivalling gangs and there alliances forward, it's the present that holds the next steps in there plans.
"Miss. Rae?"
Fire hot ruby like eyes glanced at the speaker attached to the overly large phone upon her hard oak desk. Upon the large black thing was a series of green, grey, and orange buttons that did a various number of things from the fifty or so phone lines, paging system, answering machine, so on and so forth.
"Yes Mr. Duan?"
As much as the woman wanted to drawl her words, she knew it wouldn't at all suit her purposes. Getting fired wasn't exactly on her to do list as of yet, and although swearing and possibly kicking the man on the other side of the speakers ass passed the seventh hells would make her life slightly easier it wasn't the right time.
"Please come to my office, I have someone I wish for you to meet."
Letting out a soft sigh, and few choice muttered words under her breath, the woman saved the current things she was working on, and placed away a certain set of files before lifting herself from her chair.
Smoothing out the wrinkles in her black pencil skirt and adjusting her black jacket over her red blouse, the woman tucked a piece of stray black hair behind her ear before crossing the hall that distanced her desk from the office door which her 'boss' hid behind.
"Boss my ass. This stupid fuck better have a bullet between his eyes soon."
Clenching her fingers into a light fist, the red eyed beauty knocked twice before opening the door, stepping through it, and closing it once more behind her.
"You called for me Mr. Duan?"
Irises looked at a relatively handsome looking man in his late twenty's. Isamu Duan wasn't ugly, but he wasn't anything godly either; but the proportions of his face fit well with the contours of the rest of his body making him nothing but average looking.
"Ah, Miss. Rae. I would like you to meet Miyako Tsumini, she is going to be part of our team working on Foreign Exchanges as she is well fluent in not only Japanese and Chinese, but French, Italian, English, Spanish, and is in the process of excelling her German. Ms. Tsumini, I would like you to meet Mei-Lou Rae, my secretary."
Eyelids blinked as they focused themselves for the first time on another female sitting in one of chairs before the mans large desk, taking in black hair pulled back in a messy bun with a set of chopsticks. She was dressed much like Mei-Lou was, save her skirt and jacket were a navy blue with a blue blouse that brought out the blueness in the females eyes.
"Pretty little thing, young looking too."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss. Rae."
Mei-Lou watched as the girl gracefully rose from her seat and extended her hand along with a bright warming smile that left Mei-Lou's heart flipping once before relaxing. The feeling almost had her rooted to her spot, because nothing of the like had ever happened before, and she was sure the feeling of distant recognition was a mistake.
"Like-wise Ms. Tsumini."
"Miyako please. I know it's not at all business like, but you shall be a co-worker not a client, and as we will be working together it will set the grounds of acquaintance."
It was slightly forward, and it caused Mei-Lou's brows to raise ever so slightly as she turned to look at the amused expression on her 'bosses' face.
"Figures the cub is becoming controlled by his pants."
"Very well then Ms. Tsu - I mean Miyako."
"Wonderful, Miss. Rae, please show Miyako dear the building then direct her to the empty office down the hall. From there get yourself acquainted with your surroundings Miyako, once done, report back to me and we'll get you started."
To say she was shocked, that would be an understatement for Mei-Lou, never before had she seen Isamu Duan sound so familiar with an office worker or client or anyone - save those who were closer to him. What surprised her even more, was what happened next.
"Thank-you Isamu-san, I'll be sure to do that."
Miyako then picked up a woman like briefcase, bowed slightly and proceeded to make her way to the door. For which then Mei-Lou snapped out of stupor, nodded in the mans direction, and followed the young woman out of the room.
"So, where should we begin?"
Mei-Lou looked at the female thoughtfully for a moment, before thrusting all curiosity to the back of her mind. Time was not provided for a detailed inspection, she would just have to get what she could from the hopeful mindless chatter the two would share on this tour.
"How about we start on the first floor and work our way up? As we are at the top now and there isn't much to see."
"Works for me!"
For some reason, Mei-Lou couldn't help but smile, the girl's easy smiles and radiating energy was rather infectious. Dissipating the unease she felt everyday coming to 'work' and having to be right next to the cub roughly twelve hours a day.
"Call me Mei, Miyako, all my friends do."
In response to that, came a small nod and an even brighter smile. Thus the tour commenced, and any questions she had about the girl beside her was easily answered. For Miyako was giving them easily.
Miyako Tsumini was a girl of twenty-one, who lost her parents at the age of nine and then went to live with a relative in Canada. There her cousins became more like brothers, and she grew up with having various tutors for different subjects and traveled around the world. Thus explaining her prefect speech in various languages.
It was easy to understand why she earned her Business degree in a matter of a year and a few months, Miyako was bright, and from what Mei could tell, picked up things quicker then anyone she personally new, save for two. It was no wonder there conversation came to a halt upon reaching the door to the girls new office quicker then either expected.
"Well, I guess that is that. Thanks for the tour Mei-chan!"
"No problem Miya, let me know if you need help with anything. Although I'm sure you got everything, it's a lot to take in at first."
"Will do, although I think I got it for now."
Nodding her head, Mei bid a 'See you later' in Miya's direction before returning to her desk. Where she then began to analyze her long previous conversation with Miyako Tsumini.
As much as Mei wanted to believe the girl was good, something about her set something off within her. A feeling for which often was correct.
Nibbling her lower lip, ruby red orbs glanced around the office before pulling out deep red blackberry purl. Pressing two single buttons, the dial tone went to that of a ring, and it wasn't long before it stopped.
"What is it Meiling? You know you shouldn't be calling."
"I know, I'm sorry."
Came her hushed reply as her eyes continued to dart around as she heightened her senses.
"But a new girl arrived today, and she was acting oddly familiar with the cub."
"Hmm…"
She waited for him to think it over as her own mind was in a whirl. Picking out the pieces of her conversation with the sapphire eyed beauty.
"You know, there are a couple similarities between her and Kura…"
"Kura is dead Meiling, and I think everyone needs to realize that. The occurrence of last month not with standing."
Meiling rolled her eyes as she remembered the hit that had popped up while Takashi was doing a routine check up on various gang files and there activities. It had given the male quite a start at seeing the all to familiar name on a flight to Pairs. Needless to say some were sent to investigate only to come across a girl trying to get out of the reaches of her family.
Sighing, the woman rubbed her temples, maybe it was time to let go of that bit of hope that someone had survived the devastating explosion thirteen years ago. Maybe it was time to let go of the fact the little girl that was her friend was long gone.
"Maybe you're right Xio Lang, but I still got an odd feeling about her."
"Give me her name Mei, I'll have Tak check her out."
Full red lips twitched in a small smile as she heard the slight defeat in her cousins voice. He maybe an arrogant, cold hearted jerk for the most part, but he learned long ago to trust a woman's intuition.
"Miyako Tsumini."
"On it."
Then the line went dead, for which Meiling let out a deep breath before tucking away the phone and proceeding with work she was working on prior to meeting the mysterious new girl. Lunch was only a half hour away, and the cub would have her hide if she didn't have these reports done by the end of it.
Fingers soon began clicking away, as a slow smirk made its way across her red lips. A year and six months she had been Mei-Lou Rae, secretary for Isamu Duan. Trying to gain as much inside information as she could - like where Isamu's Father was hiding.
Masaru Duan, or Tiger, had all but disappeared once the Corporation was well underway; and for the Wolves to gain the upper hand, they needed to find his whereabouts and then learn of his plans.
"Things maybe going slow, but someone is bound to slip in my favour."
Lunch had come and gone, and the day for Meiling as Mei-Lou Rae was almost at its end. There was a few times she ran into Miyako, already running about doing whatever Isamu had tasked her. Within those few times, Meiling found the girl oddly flustered upon being seen, which had the undercover Wolf puzzled and wondering.
However, every time, the girl recovered so quickly, that Mei wasn't at all sure if she had seen the expression. Until it occurred more then once, on seemingly each floor, in front of some empty office. It came to the point that Mei wanted to check one out, but only shook her head and carried on with her work.
"Miss Rae?"
"Hmm?"
Flicking her gaze from the computer, Meiling looked up into the hard face of man she slightly recognized from the Foreign Exchanges.
"Miss .Tsumini wanted me to give you this. She says it needs to go down to the main floor of security as soon as possible."
He hadn't left her time to argue, because he was already making his way to the elevator at the end of the hall. Which then left her frowning, only then to glare at the folder now of her desk.
"When did I become her secretary?"
It was all mumbled words as she spent twenty minutes finishing up a file for the next day, before she got up, grabbed the file, and walked towards the office of the new Foreign Exchanges head.
However when she knocked on the door to get no answer, as let out a sigh and decided to deliver the thing anyway. Not at all knowing why she was bothering to do such a thing.
"Might as well take my things too, I'm done for the day."
Walking back to her desk, she collected her purse and was about to shut down her computer before it suddenly did it itself.
"Weird…"
Shaking her head, Mei then proceeded to the elevator, only then to find the thing being tied up only for the small 'Out of Order' sign to light up seconds after.
"The stairs it is…"
Her black heeled stilettos soon echoed around her as each step down a stone stair carried her closer to the exit. She had reached the fourth floor when the slamming sound of a door echoed rather loudly causing Mei to wince - which was then followed by hurried steps of shoes much like her own.
As the sounds grew closer, Mei turned just in time to see a familiar face that was once again surprised to see her.
"Mei? What are you doing here? I though you would have left right by now! Never mind that, we need to go."
Once again, Meiling felt shocked, thus causing her body to freeze as she tried to voice her questions.
"Not NOW Meiling Li! This building is going to blow in exactly thirteen seconds!"
Ruby eyes widened, and before her lips could even part, Miyako was grabbing her arm, and pulling her down the stairs as fast as she could. Once the words the girl had said caught up in her head, Meiling kicked herself into gear and picked up her pace which Miyako seemed pleased to see.
"You so need to tell me what hell is going on."
"So long as you keep moving. We've done two flights and have two more to go with six seconds."
Mei looked at the girl who was a head of her, wondering how on earth she could move so fast in heels when she still had the odd troubles with them. Something she should have learned by then seeing as she was in a gang and was two years older then the girl beside her.
"Explain?"
"Right. Well, simple to say the building is about to go sky high. With a bomb place on every single freaking floor."
Well at least she heard the building's going to blow part, well actually heard it with her mind registering it. And as they both reached the first floor, it clicked in Meiling's mind that Miyako's surprised expressions every time Mei saw was now explained.
"Now everything makes sense."
"Really now?"
Was Miya's smart remark as they raced across the marble floor ignoring the looks they were receiving.
"No, you still know my name. My actua-"
It was that moment the building began to shake, and windows began to shatter. Meiling felt her eyes widen as she realized the bombs were going off one by one, and the door was still a foot away.
She wasn't the only one that realized it either, because Miyako had gain some speed seemingly out of no where and hauled Meiling with her as they passed through the glass doors.
"Mei-Mei watch out!"
Whatever the warning was for, Meiling wasn't at all sure, all she felt was the familiar sense of peace the sound of the nickname brought before she felt her body soaring into the air and everything around her going dark.
"You will be there won't you Mei-Mei?"
"Of course I will Kura-chan! We're all going to be there!"
"I so can't wait Mei-Mei, were going to have so much fun! Maybe Oni-chan will take us out for a ride…"
Her cheeks felt oddly hot as her friend mentioned her older brother.
"Come on Kura-chan, no need to tease me."
"Tease you about what Mei-Mei? That you like my annoying big brother, and would probably die of a heart attack if you got to sit beside him in his car?"
Meiling stuck her tongue out, although there was no way the girl she was talking to would be able to see it, unless Kura could see through her phone.
"I bet you're all red and have your tongue sticking out."
"Shut up Kura."
A giggle was the only answer she got in return.
"Oh I can't wait to see Kura-chan!"
"Meiling, shut the hell up! You've said that over and over again since we got on the plane from HONG KONG!"
Looking at the boy beside her, she stuck out her tongue before humming to herself and looking out the window at the passing scenery.
Her cousin may have sounded annoyed, but Meiling was more then one hundred percent positive he was excited too.
"Wow, look at the sky! It's so smoky!"
Catching her cousins attention, he leaned in her direction and looked at the sky with his keen amber orbs before looking to the front of the car and seeing the direction for which the smoke came from.
"I don't think that's just regular smoke Meiling."
"What do you mean Xio Lang?"
In response, he pointed out the front window, in the direction of there destination.
Meiling felt her eyes widen, as her heart seemed to sink to the pit of her stomach. It was then she realized her Aunty Yelan had there driver, Wei, speed up the vehicle as they talked of what could have happened in worried voices.
"Kura-chan…"
"Kura-chan…"
Eyelids snapped open to reveal scared ruby red orbs as torso rose from the bed in a jolt while her breathing came out heavy. It didn't take long before her world began to grow all fuzzy as she got dizzy and felt her body sear with pain.
Lowering herself back down into the comforts of what she realized was her bed, Meiling glanced around, and took in towering figure leaning against the wall across from her.
"We were wondering when you'd wake up."
Meiling looked into the worried amber orbs of her cousin, and wondered if it was because he was worried over the fact she'd been asleep for who knows how long, or that he'd witnessed her having a dream that brought back a painful past.
"How long?"
"Only a day, we found you about this time yesterday."
Letting out a sigh, Meiling closed her eyes, hearing her cousin leave his place against the wall to make his way toward her bed. For which he then took a perch on down by her feet.
"What do you want to know?"
"Everything you remember."
It was one of those silly questions she could have gone without asking, because she knew he'd want to know all that could be remembered - and what she did even amazed her. But it was just one of those things that couldn't be helped, for the question just rolls forward.
"Well, the day went by it normally did after I talked to you. Delivered some folders here there and everywhere - speaking of which, tell me you found me with my purse, cause there's some stuff I got to show you."
Seeing him nod, Meiling leaned back into her pillows before recalling everything to her mind and repeating it. From when she randomly would bump into Miyako, having to deliver a folder for her, the funky thing with the computer and elevator, to running into the female again in the stairwell.
"I was so surprised to see her, that it took a moment for me to register the fear in her eyes. Fear for me. Then she went on about the building about to blow and all but hauled my ass out of there… We almost didn't make it, but she pulled strength from somewhere and pushed me out of the doors only to scream-"
Meiling let out a gasp, before looking up into the questioning eyes of her cousin.
"She called me Mei-Mei, and pushed me out of the way of something. Then I felt a great heat, and that was it. But Xio, she did it just like, just like…"
For the first time in years, Meiling felt tears sting her eyes, and it wasn't long until the male in her company wrapped his arms around her. At which point she let her tears fall freely.
They stayed like that for awhile, well long enough for Meiling to compose herself, which came at good timing because her door was suddenly pushed open.
"Meiling! You're awake!"
Smiling softly, Meiling was taken into the arms of a dark haired female with purple highlights and violet shaded eyes.
"I hope you're okay. We were so worried when Tak found you on the doorstep all bruised and cut up."
"Speaking of Tak…"
Three pairs of eyes looked at a man entering the room with messy navy hair with matching colour eyes set behind a fitting pair of glasses.
"What you find Eriol?"
"That name Meiling gave you Xio Lang wasn't a real one. At the first few glances everything seemed to be in order, until the regards dealing with the girls parents was looked at again. Turns out, the name of Tu-Luan and Laisu Tsumini doesn't at all exist."
Each of them fell into silence for a few moments, although the exchanging of glances between the two males may have been perceived differently.
"None of this explains how the Miyako or whoever it is, knew my name, or where my home is."
Three pairs of eyes focused on her at that point, and it was then she realized she forgot to mention that little fact to Xio Lang. Looking at him, she smiled sheepishly clasping her hands together atop her covers.
"Weird, although, that letter that was left with you didn't explain much either."
"Letter Moyo?"
Violet eyes looked into that of amber before they rolled in slight annoyance.
"And you were about to give her heck for keeping information."
"It's not like it gave us much either Tomoyo."
Was Xio Lang's cool comment as his hand dived into a pocket of his slightly baggy black cargos.
"Here."
It was all Meiling was given before a piece of paper was stuffed in her face.
And smoke has filled the sky.
Cast your eyes to the news a week today,
and a weight you once had
will lift itself from burdened shoulders.
-WB
Yeah, I know - it's been awhile. But I did say that I wouldn't be rushing this story along. Although, I shall update far sooner then nine or so months XD Thanks to the few of you have actually reviewed - for those of you who haven't, maybe I'll earn one for this chapter. Until next time.
SW.