AN: Hope you enjoy this one too, made it up to you guys by writing 2 chaps at once. Had to watch the movie again at some popint to get the inspiration and not go off context :) ;). enjoy and review!

Mika clutched her mouth with shock tears falling from her eyes. She had rewound the footage over and over again hoping she would see an inconsistency or a mistake somewhere. She was so desperate for it to be false that she had wasted a lot of time trying to convince herself that the man who had visited Alexei Sabatin was not Raizo. She tried convincing herself that most oriental people looked alike but she knew it was not true. She knew Raizo's features like the back of her hand, the way his jet black hair fell on his face, the same unrelenting eyes that always seemed faraway yet always aware, the height, and his lips.

It seemed like a lock had just unlocked somewhere in her heart. Was she really so blind that she had failed to connect everything? With her now deep knowledge of the clans how had she failed to notice that Raizo's lifestyle matched theirs. She had always known from the back of her mind that Raizo was something much more but it never dawned to her that he was an assassin. She needed answers; something that could explain all the madness, the coincidences. How had she ended up living opposite to Raizo, knowing him and loving him? How did Raizo fit into all this, must they have known all about her and sent him to keep an eye on her? Had Raizo known all along whom she was, had he deliberately planned on falling for her and seducing her? So many questions, yet so little answers.

All this while she had been living with a killer, she had let him in her life, in her heart and her bed. How could such a caring guy like Raizo be one of those people? It just wasn't making sense at all; it felt she had been living one big lie all this time or that one big joke with a missing punch line had just unravelled before her.

Before she had time to collect the chaos that was becoming her thoughts Ryan burst into her office and his face was red with undisguised anger.

"Okay Coretti, this is it. You're now officially off this case, any—"he stopped when he realized she had been crying, he sighed for a moment trying to simmer down then spoke.

"What's wrong Mika, why are you crying?" he had a slight frown on his face.

"I—uh want out of the case Ryan" Mika couldn't tell him she had been compromised and neither could she tell him that one of the criminals was the guy she was in love with. She needed answers from Raizo first before taking any action; it was one big mess within a mess,

"Took you long enough to say that huh?" Ryan tried to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

"I'm sorry—"she began

"Sorry doesn't even begin to cut it kid, do you have any idea how many hellhounds you have set lose here on us?" Ryan questioned, she had a big idea, and she had just set another hound loose in her own backyard.

"What are we going to do" she burst out in frustration.

"There's no we Mika, this case is bigger than any of us, I had an inquisitorial squad on me this afternoon, I have no idea what's going on but I can see danger 20 miles away"

"Fine, I'm going to find a way to prove this-" Mika began resignedly, as if she had an option,

"No, no you're going to go home, pack your suitcase and go for an effing holiday, do you understand me?"

"Holiday?" Mika said in a high pitched voice

"I hate to say this but you're no longer safe here, if what I've heard about these pyjama boys is true you better get a head start because they'll come for you"

"But—"

"No buts Mika, I can no longer protect you here. You need to leave. Here's a phone and a plane ticket to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, you have to be out of the country by 9pm do you understand?"

"I'm sorry Ryan, for this mess—"
You wanted the truth, now you got it…..a word of advice Mika, in this profession some doors are kept locked, it's best for everyone. Now, I've investigated mobsters, drug cartels arms' dealing but this is effing unbelievable for ninjas!" Ryan laughed dryly.

"Hey Raizo, it's me, just saw your missed calls, I'm on my way now—um we need to talk" Mika said on the phone trying to keep her shaky voice steady. Raizo's phone was now going on voice mail. Had he also suddenly got wind that she knew the truth now and he was probably halfway out of town fleeing or waiting to silence her?

, "Damn! Damn dammit" Mika hit the steering wheel with her hands, tears of anger frustration and pain flooding in her eyes. As she drove she was debating on what to do. She knew she needed to talk to Raizo and get some answers. That was if he was willing to give them but she also knew she needed to stay alive. Self-preservation versus getting closure. She was willing to take that dangerous chance that Raizo wouldn't kill her; that after all they had been through together he was still the guy she knew. But also she had just found out that she didn't know the man at all and she could possibly face a charge of obstruction of justice. She decided she was going to listen to Ryan this time, she had learnt her lesson on what happened if she didn't. She was going to pack her bag and run as fast as she could then she would call her sister and pour out her heart.

When she arrived the whole apartment block was cast in darkness, fear gripped Mika, had they already found her. She knew the ninjas' method or eliminating their victims, darkness and shadows made them almost invisible to their prey. However there a couple of people outside some were sitting down and some were smoking and having jolly conversations and seemed unaffected by the blackout.

She slowly walked to a plumb man who was comfortably sitting on a garden hair reading a newspaper.

"Hey, what's going on here?" she inquired casually.

"Hey, the lights are out, our block, the one next to us and the one across the street" the man replied in a laid back manner that showed that he was not bothered in the least.

"Uh, does this usually happen?" she pressed further just to be sure.

"Yes, once every month the lights just bang! Out!' he tried making a joke out of it.

"Okay" Mika felt a little relieved and began to make her way to the entrance,

"Hey, where are you going, you'll bump into people in there or worse, miss a step. I suggest you chill out here" the man called out to her. Mika ignored him; she knew she had no time at all. She took out her phone and hoped the light would be enough to work as a torch. She went up the stairs cautiously looking around just in case someone was hiding and waiting to ambush her or following her silently.

Mika was relieved to get into her apartment without any disruptions, she felt so relieved that she could just weep. Her door was locked as usual and when she entered everything seemed to be the way she had left it. She half ran into her bedroom then thought she heard a movement somewhere; she jumped and shined her phone around nervously. Her bedroom window was wide open and there was a draught blowing it, she convinced herself that it was the wind. She remembered leaving the window closed though, but her brain wasn't working right for the past few hours. Mika dragged her suitcase from the closet and threw it on her workstation breaking a water glass and crashing some books in her haste. She ran back to the closet to take a few clothes and toiletry. She thought of Raizo as she gathered an armful of her clothes. What would he do when he found her gone, would he also feel his heart breaking just like hers was breaking? Would he also feel a sense of loss like the one she already felt? She felt tears sting her eyes.

A white origami envelope she was hundred per cent sure had not been there a few minutes ago now rested on her red suitcase. She remained frozen staring at it for a moment contemplating on what to do. With visibly shaking hands she reached for the envelope and black sand fell out of it. They had come for her; that was definite. She was going to die, that was also a given. She felt one of her full-fledged panic attacks grip her. She found it hard to breathe with each passing second. Then she a sinking feeling that someone or something was watching her and that someone was in this room. The unmistakable whistle of blade slicing the air made her turn momentarily; a sword seemed to have surfaced from the shadows and was now aiming for her neck. Mika couldn't even scream; time seemed to be suspended; she had met her end now.

She was jolted back to life when the unmistakable sound of metal against metal rang the room. Sparks shot out and she realised the sword had met resistance from a chain. There were two people in her room, one trying to kill her and the other trying to stop her killer.