"His heart is still beating, Lahti." Sana stood in doorway of Lahti's office almost two days later.

"Close the door," he ordered. Sana did as she was told and moved into the office, sitting down in the chair across from Lahti. "Are you sure it's him?"

"Yes." Sana nodded. "Everyone's heartbeat is different – unique to them just a little bit. If the necklace had been switched to someone else, I would know; if the rhythm stopped, even for a second, I would know. Lahti, they haven't killed him, they haven't even tried, the beat isn't weak; a little slow, but nothing serious."

"I don't like this, Sana." Lahti shook his head. "I don't understand why they haven't killed him yet."

"Yes you do," Sana said softly. "You know exactly why he's still alive. You know why they took him and you know what you have to do to save him, but you're not going to, are you?"

"What do you mean?" Lahti asked.

"Don't play innocent with me, Bara." Sana shook her head. "It's insulting. Why would they attack Kai and not Judd – a much easier target, or me, even? The simplest of all." She tilted her head to the side. "They took Kai for a specific reason, and you know what that is."

"Sana -"

"Don't 'Sana' me." She rolled her eyes. "Kai is your right hand man, he's your second in command as well as your lover – now there are two things that they may be trying to get from him, perhaps both." When Lahti didn't speak, Sana continued. "They could be after you, Lahti. They could be under the impression that Kai means something to you, something more than anyone else who works for you. They might think that you would trade yourself for Kai, or perhaps that you would attempt to rescue him and they could kill you in the process."

"Then they're wrong," Lahti stated. "I've said it once and I'll say it again – I won't sacrifice my life for him."

"In that case, Lahti, he shares both your bed and your trust. As both your lover and second in command, he is privy to more information than anyone else around you. If they can't get the leader, why not go for the second best thing? All of the information that the leader is fighting to keep a secret."

"He doesn't know everything," Lahti objected, though his fist clenched noticeable against the top of the table.

"He knows enough and they will torture him for it." Sana's voice was clear, but Lahti could tell that she was frightened. It was true, Kai knew enough about Sarte, the workings of the group and of Lahti himself to compromise everything that they were fighting for by giving up the information. If that happened, Lahti, Sarte and everyone else within the Sarte network was as good as dead. Death didn't scare Lahti, but losing the city, his city to the Mynah did.

"He won't tell them anything," Lahti objected. "He won't tell them anything for the same reason that he won't ever leave me. He loves me, Sana. Unlike me, he is capable of loving someone enough to give up his for them – he has already risked his for mine on numerous occasions. Kai Kouda is tough, Sana. He won't tell them anything; no matter what they do to him, he will die before he betrays me."

"You have a lot of faith in him," Sana mused. "Are you sure that this faith isn't misplaced? He believed Bihaan's disguise, after all."

"That's because he met her and knew her as the doctor Maria who had patched up his head; he didn't meet her as Bihaan and believe her anyways; Kai is young, but he isn't stupid." Lahti bowed his head. "When Kai came here, after everything with Maria, I told him of the dangers that this city possessed; I told him that his work here was done, that if he stayed he would be choosing to lead a dangerous, and almost definitely shortened life. He knew the risks of staying in this place, Sana, and yet he chose to stay with me. He will not betray me or Sarte. He will not tell our secrets and he will not expect me to surrender myself in his stead. There is no way to rescue him that benefits anyone other than him, and he alone is not enough to take the risks that would be required."

"Lahti-"

"No." Lahti cut her off. "He knew the risks and now he will live with them, just as you and I will if the same were to befall us. Individual attachment may be present, it is no secret, I do not view Kai as solely a commodity the way that I used to, but I am not blind. I see that the city, the people of this city, his life isn't worth all of theirs, and furthermore, if he were here, he would agree with me." Lahti paused to take a breath. "If I wasn't needed here any longer, I would trade myself for the boy, but that is not the case, so it will not be done." With that, Lahti finished, letting his hands slide off of the table and into his lap. He looked up at Sana, his blue eyes meeting her brown ones, a painful finality in both his expression and the tone that he had used.

"What if there was another way?" Sana asked hesitantly, her voice quiet as she tore her eyes away from Lahti. "What if there was a way to save Kai without sacrificing yourself or the secrets and wellbeing of the city?"

"Depending on what it did risk, I may or may not accept it, but I would look into it." Lahti nodded, his voice steady and clear. "Why? Are you saying that you have found something?"

"I'm not saying that I have for sure," Sana bit her lip. "But I am saying that I have found a possibility. If you would like me to pursue it further, I will, and then bring my findings to you once I am more certain one way or the other."

"Yes." Lahti nodded. "Kai is an asset both to me and to this city – if there is a safe way of securing him, I would like to know about it."

"Then I will look into it." Sana stood up, bowing slightly before exiting the room, leaving Lahti sitting alone, wondering if their truly was any way that he could get Kai out of this without risking too much. After all, he did care for Kai, just not the way the Kai cared for him, or so he would convince himself until the city no longer needed him to be heartless.

A/N I got a twitter, hit me up if you're interested! Username is EmilyAnn24601.