Disclaimer: I will be having a hard time updating this story. College write-ups and reports are cutting down on my schedule, which sucks. I might be updating this once a month until then. And BTW, I don't care if this story doesn't get many hits and reviews. I continue because I believe that I finish what I've started... Rest assured, I will be completing this story in time. Anyway, a few hits is enough to motivate me to keep up with this little 'hobby' of mine...


An Offer You Should Have Refused

(Wednesday Night; 6 Days Ago, Back in the US…)

He had just awakened from a sleep as he can put it. And he was greeted by a bright light. Nathan blinked; he couldn't make anything out of what he is seeing. There seemed to be a white fog. And he is in a darkened room. Nothing else to mention except the table in front of him and the light bulb that blinded him; hanging in the ceiling, which seemed to illuminate only him and the chair he's sitting on. But Nathan could only focus on these for a short while. His head was in chaos, as if there was a wrestling match pounding at his brain. He felt dizzy, and he can only see in obscurity. He doesn't even know where he is. He is lost. The darkness of the room seemed to further the eerie atmosphere of weakness that he's feeling right now.

The last thing he remembered was blurred. He can recall being chased by people, jumping over a car, a gunshot and then being tackled… Then his eyes went shut when he felt a spark in his neck, like a dozen hypodermic needles thrust at the exact same spot in one of his nerves. And then everything spiraled down into nothingness. He knew he was zapped out cold by a tazer. Presumably he was then hauled into a car and driven off somewhere. The rest was blank.

He could try to figure them out. But suddenly, there were noises. Footsteps. He heard somebody enter the room. A clang of a knob later, then he heard a door shut. And there was a man. A round one. He tried to see who it was but Nathan couldn't mask his face. The light bulb's radiance doesn't seem to reach even the other end of the table. A shadowy figure is all that he could see. He settled to lean forward and get a closer look. But then he paused. Looking at himself, he realized that his entire upper body is constricted by a long nylon rope wrapped around his torso. He struggled to move, but to no avail. His hands were bound behind the chair. The chair itself seems to be welded firmly into the ground. He is a captive. Escape, he realized, is impossible.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Akahashi?" The man spoke in a low, elderly voice.

He instantly got Nathan's attention. His train of thoughts suddenly stopped.

"Who are you?" he asked out. "What am I doing here?"

The man, whoever this guy is, ignored him and sat leisurely at the chair in the other end. His entire body was silhouetted by the darkness of the room, as far as Nathan's eyes permit him to see. Judging at the shade this man's body formed, he seems to make up the shape of an old obese man. Then he heard more footsteps. A couple of men entered the room. One of them was menacingly tall. But still, the darkness restricted his vision. Nathan couldn't even see the reflection in the eyes of the people now with him in the room. They stood behind the old man sitting in the chair. He presumed that they are his aides or bodyguards.

"Unfortunately, there's no time for formalities." The old man cleared his throat. "So let's just cut to the chase and-"

"Wait a minute! I asked a question first! What am I doing here?"

"Heh. You're under arrest, remember?" He snickered.

Under arrest? He can't mean… And then came to Nathan like a sudden gush of forgotten memory. Those people chasing him… they were FBI agents. Mr. Stewart's place, the alley… It all became clear to him now. He was caught when the deal went… No. The deal didn't happen. The FBI were already in the building before he could even enter. They were obviously waiting for him. They had set a trap; and he fell to it.

"Wait! What did I do wrong?"

First things first, the most important question has to be answered: 'why'.

"Hmm. Well, you are an accomplice in illegal transactions by major crime figures to start with. You help circulate countless illegal imports and millions of dollars worth of drug money. We came up with a list actually…"

Nathan tried to sputter, but he can't. He is guilty. Those allegations were true after all.

"…But we will not spend all night because of that."

The old man gestured his hand. One of his men brought out a backpack, judging at its contour. He then placed it on top of the table, revealing every detail thanks to the faint light. Nathan was stunned. It was the same bag that he had when they caught him. It was the bag where he placed Mr. Pacelli's merchandise, to be delivered to his friend, Mr. Stewart. He knew that the contents of the bag might be used against him. It could be contrabands or smuggled goods. He doesn't know. Nathan never asked what he will deliver to his boss's clients.

"Whoa, wait a second." He spoke. "Look, whatever's in that bag, I have nothing to do with it. I'm just-"

"A delivery boy." The old man cut in. "I know."

"…"

"But you should explain this…"

He unzipped the backpack and let the contents…roll out. It was a shock. It didn't contain any illegal goods. None at all. Nathan's eyes went wide. There were no plastic bags of cocaine, smuggled appliance parts, not even stashes of drug money. Little did he know, that night, Pacelli only gave him a bunch of rocks. Shards and slabs of marble, to be exact. No wonder they were heavy. But how?

"Holy…" Nathan was dumbfounded. "Look…I…I…don't know how those…those things-"

"You broke my nose with those you prick!" One of the old man's subordinates growled out.

"Wha…What?"

One of the old man's aides, the tallest one, stepped out from the darkness; revealing himself. He was wearing a black suit, with a matching tie. He has an ID, but Nathan didn't even bother to glance at it. His attention was immediately caught by the cruel eyes the tall man gazed at him. Those were the same eyes that greeted him when he knocked at Mr. Stewart's door. Those from the 'watcher'. Nathan remembered that he shoved that backpack he had at his face when he tried to arrest him. There was a plaster over his nose, and reddened, possibly by blood. His hands clenched into fists.

"And I haven't even made you pay for-"

"Don't start, Nelson. Calm down." The old man sighed. "Zapping him out cold is enough for a payback."

Immediately he stepped back, following his boss's orders. But his gaze remained focused to Nathan's green eyes. Clearly he isn't satisfied by merely putting the young man to sleep with a few electrocuting sparks. He made his way back to his place behind the old man, and resumed his gesture of standing in attention, with hands behind his back. Nathan remained intimidated though, now knowing that this Nelson guy was the one who got him here.

"As I was saying…" The old man resumed, "…can you explain those, Mr. Akahashi?"

"No. No! It must have been a mistake! Look. Whatever it is that you're looking for in me, I don't have it!"

"It's not that, boy. I mean what can you conceptualize on this?" He asked. "Do you have any idea why those stones are in your bag?"

"Wait a minute." The young man replied. "Is this an interrogation? Or are you guys just going to torture me like what you always do in the movies?"

Quite frankly, he has seen enough of the brutality any law enforcement agency in the world are capable of doing. He has seen the scars, the lumps, blues and blacks and patches of scorched skin. And no, he didn't see them in the movies. People in Nathan's line of work do exchange stories of being busted, sometimes, quite literally by police. And they have the wounds to prove the fact that torture is never missing in the work ethics of cops or feds.

The old man snickered again. As if to mock him. It gave Nathan a sudden shrill of fear. He hinted that they can indeed torture him on sight. Sweat suddenly beaded in his forehead. He felt his heart starting to beat faster with fear. A little blood in their hands won't hurt them or their careers after all. These guys really mean business.

"Well we can go to that if you want to."

"But then I'll scream." Nathan spoke. "And people outside will hear it. I bet we're just in an empty room in a back alley, am I right, old man?"

A sudden faint sound of a car screeching along the road confirmed that. The interrogator was surprised to know that this young man has correctly guessed the location as to where he is right now. His intelligence reports were right. This Nathan Akahashi does have some street smarts. Smart, but not enough to get him out of his current predicament. Still he is worthy of some respect. The old man stood up and began to make his way towards the young man; finally revealing himself to him.

"Very much correct, boy."

Nathan was partly surprised to see this man's face. He was wearing a black suit, much like his aide Nelson. He is indeed a bit obese as his shadow hinted. A wrinkled and round face with a pair of dark eyes met with Nathan's youthful one. His suit had a shiny black nametag; "Victor E. Corwin"

"And I'll ask you again. Do you know why those rocks are in your bag?"

Nathan had had enough of that question.

"I told you, I don't know!" His tone gave out that he is infuriated.

"Hmm. Is that so?" Corwin uttered. "Well, I must say that I'm very disappointed that you left out an obvious detail tonight. I though you were as smart as my intelligence branch said you were."

"What? What are you talking about?"

Corwin settled nearer to him, a mere foot is all the distance that separated them, "Your boss, young man. Your boss. Mr. Pacelli has sold you out to us."

Nathan was stunned to hear that. No, that can't be. He was like a father to him. He even took care of his sister as if she was his own daughter. Mr. Pacelli turning his back from him now and ratting him out is simply incredulous. These guys are lying.

"Heh. Nice try old man, but Pacelli won't just-"

"Sell you out? laughs You haven't seen Angelo's nasty habits of bargaining his safety in exchange for one of his lackeys, kid." Corwin grinned. "He's been eluding and bribing authorities for 7 times now across the country for the past few years just to save his own sorry hide. And now's the 8th, in your case."

Sell him out to the FBI? No. That's impossible. But then, the mere fact that the FBI knew about the where and when about the deal with Mr. Stewart to be made tonight gave him questions. But still…

"You can't convince me…" Nathan rebuffed, turning his head aside.

"Yeah, yeah. He's your hero I know that…" Corwin walked beside him.

"If he would've sold me to you guys, then why did he drag Stewart and his proles along with me?" Nathan reasoned out. "Would he do that to his long time friend?"

"Well if you're really desperate, yeah." The old man replied, "I would."

"You can't prove it. You're just wasting your time."

"Am I?" Corwin replied, "Look. I know he's like a father to you. 'Adopting' you and your baby sister when you were kids and all. He showed you the ropes himself. You were in debt to him because he saved you from being eaten alive in the streets. But like any father, raising children is a pain in the ass sometimes. But knowing Pacelli, he doesn't want any pain in the ass. He removes it even before it surfaces."

"What do you mean?"

"Simple..." Corwin gestured his hand. "…medical bills."

"Huh?"

"Can I ask you, how long has your sister been ill? As I can recall, Emphysema is quite difficult to treat, considering her age and standing in society…"

"Hey! What have you done with her?! Keep Lena away from this!"

"Relax, boy." Corwin clenched Nathan's shoulder "She's in good hands. But considering the quality of treatment you can get in regular hospitals these days, I don't think she won't be fine after a few months."

"What are you talking about?" The young man asked.

"Pacelli has had enough. Spending 10 grand a month is something that you'd better start worrying about if you were a businessman. 10 thousand just to treat a chronically ill girl like your sister is sounds painful to somebody's wallet, now doesn't it?"

"You're telling me that he's cutting her off? No! No, that can't be! He promised me that he will help her get treated!"

"How much do you think he has left?" Corwin raised an eyebrow. "Ever since DOATEC stopped sponsoring his cartel recently, his business is quite in limbo; not surprising because he lost the protection he once had from the authorities. Am I right?"

"But…"

"And to think that a couple hundred dollars is enough every night for your little deliveries... You don't even know that he's not paying you enough!"

"No, wait! Lena was like a daughter to him! He wouldn't just abandon her like that!!"

"Do you think he's even interested to her? Have you ever seen him kissed your sister in the cheek?" Corwin raised his voice. "Do you really think she's his 'little princess'?"

He did he know all those things? But then Nathan realized that they were true. Years ago, Pacelli found him and his sister wandering in the streets. He couldn't recall how long has it been. All track of time seems to elude his memory. He clothed them and treated them like his own children. One thing he was very keen to was the fact that he and his sister were half-Japanese, as Pacelli would put it. Not only do they look like one, Nathan and Lena know how to speak the language fluently too. But all the tender love and care began to fade. As they grew older, Nathan became one of his henchmen, albeit the one whom he has a closer bond with. He even allowed him to go to Japan at least twice; while making 'friends' along the way. In the back of his mind, however, Nathan knew that this was all just meant so that his cartel would become stronger and would span a greater influence in the underground.

He became more distant from him and Lena. Eventually, the once lively father-children relationship deteriorated to that of a boss and his subordinate. Nathan didn't ponder about this, but looking back at it now and in a much wider picture.

"The only thing he's engrossed in is his interests and those in DOATEC paying him as their own lackey!"

DOATEC's interest with local cartels is something off-the-record. But it is a fact that they do hook up with criminals as a sideline. Not that they needed a dozen more or so pair of hands to do their bidding, but the connections crime syndicates have in the locales seems to fuel their interests. Pacell's group is one of the eyes and ears of DOATEC because of his collection of informants and spies. His lackeys have contacts almost all over the world. This web runs so deep that even the most elusive characters aren't always able to evade their radar. And DOATEC wants to keep track with all of these persons of interest. And a certain girl named Kasumi is one of them.

But ever since DOATEC fell apart, the ties were cut and many of those who began to rely on the world-grasping enterprise for asylum and help were easily hunted down by the law. Those who escaped arrest either changed their identities or simply just disappeared like ghosts, never to be seen again. Pacelli is among those who managed to survive somehow, but not for long. Corwin was right. His coffers are slowly dwindling, and he needed to cut costs. Nathan's 17 year old sister, Lena, will not be spared.

Lena was born with Asthma. It was something Nathan only realized when he played tag with her when they were still kids, and then she started wheezing and gasping for air. He thought an inhaler was enough to alleviate her condition. But then when the occurrences got more frequent, as well as the cases getting worse and worse, it dawned to him that this was no ordinary disorder. It was Emphysema. It was more appalling than the shortness of breath experienced by many kids of her age. But unlike Asthma, the damage much is very permanent.

She's been fighting the disease for 7 years. But, the costs were too great. She is absent in her class at least once per week, and the game of softball she used to be good at was now out of her routine. She suffers an attack every now and then, but often she ends up writhing on the floor, coughing and gasping for air. And that's why Nathan never had a daytime job. But amidst all her pain, that lovely smile she still tries to put up on her face was all her brother needed to still cling to the hope of her getting better. Therapy, though costly, keeps her on her; well at least as long as Pacelli still 'donates' to her medication.

Corwin was right. All of these boiled down to Nathan's mind into one thing…no, it can't.

"But he said-"

"Face it kid. There was never any affection for you or even your sister. Lena's going to die because of him."

The more Corwin stressed it out, the more Nathan realized that it was true. The care and pampering were all just a façade so as to hypnotize him into his circle of thieves, low-lifes and thugs for his own gain. The promises of a future for his sister were all false.

"However, considering the predicament you and your sister find yourselves into, I'm here to propose something." Corwin said. "So let me do this formally."

Nathan looked up to him, wondering what he meant. The old man waved his hand, and immediately, his other aide stepped out of the darkness and began to untie him. The young man was surprised. Are they letting him go? Questions fade away as the restraints finally freed his body formerly confined to the chair he's sitting on. It gave him a sense of freedom, but an afterthought reminded him that this might be at a cost. Or maybe a start of something grim that he'll regret. But he threw those aside. His heart was wrenching, knowing that his 'father' was nothing more than a fraud. Maybe even worse.

"So as I first said to you when I stepped into this room…" Corwin cleared his throat, "Let's cut to the chase."

Nathan sighed. He has nowhere else left to go. "OK. What is this about?" He was very much eager for him now.

"Simple. You do something for us, we do something for you. Give-and-take, so to speak. We know that your sister needs a complete medication to alleviate her bed-ridden condition, and of course we know that you may find the complete removal of your criminal records from every law enforcement agency's archives to be very interesting. Not to mention payback with Pacelli after 'failing' you in every conceivable point of view…"

Nathan clenched his fists. The father-figure of his youth was finally shattered. A father would fail his children. But to abandon them, that would go too far. He will pay…

"I would like you to do an errand for us in Japan, kid. Why? Well you spent a considerable amount of time there making friends, so you know how to blend in. Am I right?"

"Yeah…So what do you want me to do?"

Corwin grinned. Finally, they're getting somewhere. He handed the young man a small parchment, lacquered and sealed. Nathan opened the envelope, and he found a picture of a beautiful young woman, with crimson hair and scarlet gazes for eyes. He was stunned to see this and, of course, what this picture entails to him. He looked up to Corwin, who was seemingly amused by his reaction. And then, clearing his throat once more, he asked.

"Tell me, Nathan. Have you ever…killed a girl before?"