Chapter 9: Divide and Conquer
High above the Pacific Ocean, a large commercial airplane flew eastward towards the vast continent of North America. The markings on the tailfin of its long metal body identified it as belonging to the United Kingdom. Around the plane the skies were crystal clear as it passed through the bright yellow sunshine that marked the start of a new day. It was both a beautiful and surreal image for all the passengers inside.
Inside the metal tube that constituted the main frame of the jetliner, the small group of young people began to stir and wake from their much needed sleep before beginning to carry out each of their daily morning. This particular morning was especially important because they were going to land in Edmonton Alberta, Canada in a few hours. According to Gordon, the total flight time from Tokyo to Edmonton was approximately ten hours and they were just passing the halfway point of their trip.
Sean had not slept at all, as his mind was so focused on their mission that his brain had refused to allow his body to relax. He had chosen instead to go over the contents of the file folder he had taken from the Illuminati Council building before it had been destroyed. The shocking revelation of Rei's politician father being involved in a meeting with a Dark Kingdom representative had made him want to take a closer look at the other photos that showed similar gatherings of other seemingly important people. As he flipped through the numerous photographs he recognized several other high-ranking political figures, as well as many highly decorated military officials from several different countries across the world. Each surveillance photo was accompanied by a corresponding infrared image that showed who the specific nonhuman individuals were in each photograph.
This deeply troubled him as he continued to struggle to figure out exactly what the Dark Kingdom could possibly be planning. To the best of his knowledge, they had never worked with humans willingly before. They preferred to brainwash turn them into monsters that were completely loyal to them. They had also never shown this level of organization before. With the elements they had uncovered so far it showed a radically different and much more elaborate level than any of the previous operations under the leadership of Queen Beryl. If she had indeed been revived as Usagi had feared she had clearly learned from her previous failures and was now more dangerous than ever.
He read through the field reports from the various agents that had conducted the surveillances on the seemingly innocent looking business meetings. Each of the reports were very detailed in describing the scene and the body language of the various people involved. However, there were no written transcripts for any of the meetings documented in the folder. This was a fatal hole in the overall reconnaissance of the Dark Kingdom and one that didn't make even the smallest bit of sense. Why would the world's powerful defence organization not have any records of what exactly was being discussed between a group of powerful public officials and the agents of a known enemy of all humankind?
As he pondered that single vital question Minako, Hotaru, and Ami appeared in his peripheral vision as they joined him in the common room of the plane. He had heard each of them get up and begin to move around the sleeping area on the far side of the jet about a half hour ago so their arrival had not surprised him. Haruka and Michiru entered the room a minute later. They appeared to be much more awake than their younger team mates. Sean had seen the two older women about an hour ago in the library section of the plane which was located between the sleeping area and the area they were in now. He had observed them as they looked through the collection of occult books and magical items that were on display in the wooden cabinets that lined the walls. He was a little skeptical about whether they were both fluent enough in the English or Latin languages to fully understand the text in some of the books but they were definitely smart enough to be suspicious of the unusual artefacts that were present inside the cabinets. He remembered thinking to himself that he believed, when this crisis was over, he would become good friends with those two as their personalities seemed to be very much like his own.
All of the young ladies took seats in the open pieces of furniture around the room. Artemis leapt into Minako's lap after she had settled down into one of the spinning chairs. Sean lifted his head up before addressing them with a warm and friendly tone.
"Good morning ladies. Were you able to get comfortable and get some sleep in our current surroundings?" Sean replied with as much warmness that he could come up with given their current situation.
"It was better than I thought it would be, but then again, I doubt other airplanes are designed quite like this." Minako replied with a stretch.
Sean looked at Minako and gave her a friendly smile. Even through she didn't say it, he could tell that she wasn't too thrilled that the Illuminati had spent such a large amount of money on such an elaborate interior for their private airplane when that wealth could have been put towards a much greater cause. Ami's facial expression when Minako spoke confirmed to him that she shared her friend's view point. Haruka and the others remained in their current stoical demeanour and showed no emotion to Minako's comment.
The three youngest members of the group had shared the king sized bed while two smaller beds were brought up from the storage area of the plane for Haruka and Michiru. The beds that had been stored away were high-end portable beds that were easy to assemble. They had been placed in specific locations around the sleeping quarters so that they could be secured firmly to the floor to ensure the safety of the bed's user in the event that the airplane experienced a bout of turbulence while the passenger slept.
"What about you Sean? Where did you end up sleeping?" Ami inquired.
There had been only two extra beds stored on the plane, and with the addition of the two smaller beds in the sleeping area, it would have been very cramped if another person was added to the mix. When they had realized this he had volunteered himself to sleep in the common room to give the girls their personal space.
"Actually I didn't end up sleeping at all, but I am happy to hear that all yours were enjoyable. I spent most of the night going over the contents of the file that the Illuminati had on the Dark Kingdom." Sean politely replied, gesturing with hand to the large file on the table beside him.
"Hold on. Just what exactly is this Illuminati Council? You haven't told us much about them at all since your return to Tokyo. Why are we all putting some much stock into a single file that you supposedly found in their headquarters?" Haruka interjected.
Sean sat back in his chair and looked directly at Haruka. He had been expecting some sort of challenge from her and wasn't at all surprised that she had chosen now as the time for it. He had suspected that the only reason she and Michiru had agreed to come with them in the first place was strictly because their princess had ordered them too.
After Rei had identified her father in the photograph, the team had discussed what the correct tactical response should be. Ami had proposed the idea of using the strike team protocol that she and Sean had put into place during their first war with the Dark Kingdom. Understandably, not everyone liked the idea at first, because they were stronger as a group and didn't want to separate. However, they were also very much aware that they now had two different objectives that they needed to investigate. One was to find out what Rei's father's connection to the Dark Kingdom was, and the second was finding the location of the base in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. This had made everyone reluctantly agree to Ami's suggestion of dividing into two teams.
Sean's knowledge of the Canadian culture and landscape made him the obvious choice to lead the team going to Canada. Ami's supercomputer's ability to pinpoint the exact location of the negative energy being emitted by their enemy's base made her involvement in the overseas operation another easy decision.
Due to her personal connection, Rei was put in charge of confronting her father about his connection to the Dark Kingdom. Makoto's severe aerophobia made it obvious that she would be one of the members of Rei's team. Usagi decided to stay with Rei to personally support her friend since Rei had supported her during those painful months when Mamoru had left for America when in actuality he had been killed by Galaxia before being restored to life following her defeat at the hands of Sailor Moon.
The team headed to Canada needed to have some tactical support in case they were discovered or became engaged in a fierce battle with the base's main forces. It was no secret that the Outer Sailors had been gifted with stronger attacks and more power than the Inners due to their sacred mission to repel any invasions from beings outside the Solar System. As the Sailor team's sole leader, Usagi had ordered Haruka, Hotaru, and Michiru to go with the Canadian-bound team, since the potential for battle was much greater for them. Setsuna was asked to stay with Rei and the others to avoid sending all of their strongest warriors to one location. That left Minako as the last remaining unassigned person. She had argued that her abilities would be better suited towards the Canadian team as her powers could put the odds slightly more in their favour if they did become engaged in a firefight or were out-numbered by the Dark Kingdom's minions. Naturally, Artemis would go with Minako while Luna would stay in Japan with Usagi.
"Ok then. It's only logical and fair that you all understand and know about the source of this information since we are all risking our lives based on it. To put it simply, the Illuminati Council is, or was, the largest global protection organization in the world. Its power and influence in the public arenas and world events was bigger than the CIA in America, or even the United Nations. Officially, it was founded in 1776, though many scholars have speculated that it has actually been around for far longer than that.
"They have gone by, or been associated with, many names throughout history, The Enlightened, and the Free-Thinkers being some of the more well-known. They originally started with only five members, but grew to a size of tens of thousands. Their political power and corporate influences have increased to immeasurable levels over the past three centuries of their official existence. They are and were believed to be a major driving force behind many of the global events that we have seen recently. These events include such examples as the partial unification of the European continent or the frequent fluctuations in the global economy. Many of the most brilliant minds in history have been thought to have belonged to the Council at some point, including such respected figures like Leonardo Da Vinci and Sir Isaac Newton. "
"But Leonardo Da Vinci and Isaac Newton lived and died long before the Council was officially founded."
"That is correct Ami. If it could ever be proven that they were in fact members it would confirm the theories surrounding the actual age of the Council. However, regardless of when exactly it was created and who its members were in the past, it is undeniable that the organization grew into the world's most powerful entity. It has, or more appropriately had, the largest occult library on the planet as well as the most extensive collection of magical items, including some of the objects that some of you were looking at earlier."
He looked over at Haruka and Michiru to let them know that he had been aware of their activities before they made their appearance a few minutes ago. Neither of them gave any sign that they were affected by his revelation. They chose to remain silent and continue to listen to his description of the history of the Illuminati Council.
"As all of you are now aware, there are super-powered humans out there and dozens of other heroes scattered around the world. Most of them share the same goal as us, which is the protection and preservation of this planet from the forces of darkness. Some of them only protect their home countries while the rest and, until recently, myself, travelled around the globe to hotspots where the fragile peace this planet enjoys was threated. Every single one of us has at one time or another done the work of the Illuminati Council either directly or indirectly, including the Sailor team. For the nomadic or travelling heroes, the Council will often send a liaison to act as a guide and mentor to these champions to ensure that their particular mission requirements are met and completed in an efficient time span. Alistair, who Minako and Ami may remember, was one example of a liaison."
Ami and Minako exchanged a look between them. They both clearly remembered meeting Alistair on the roof of their junior high school, just after they had defeated the demon prince Gaap. His aura of superiority had not sited well with either of them, and they were glad when he had left after recruiting Sean for his supposedly last mission. The brief conversation he had with them reiterated what Sean had said about the Council being fully aware of almost everything that went on in the world and, more specifically, their activities as Sailor warriors. It was that very fact that he had not only known their civilian identities, but where exactly where to find them, led ample credence to Sean's other claim that the Council's vast knowledge and information gathering abilities were not something to scoff at. It had taken their past enemies months to learn their identities if they ever learned them at all.
Feeling like they were getting off topic, Sean quickly brought the conversation back to their current mission. Now was not the time for an extensive history lesson when there was a potentially strong threat looming just over the horizon. He had a feeling that they were entering this crisis late in the game and they needed to desperately catch up if they were to have any hope of stopping whatever the Dark Kingdom was plotting.
"If the Council was keeping tabs on any identified Dark Kingdom members that were left following its collapse, we cannot ignore the threat they still present given our shared history with them."
"What do you think they could be trying to do?"
"I am not sure yet Michiru. At the very least, they are trying to revive Queen Metalia, or Beryl, or perhaps both. In the worst case scenario is that they are trying to destroy the world again. Either way, we can't allow them to succeed."
"They won't. We will find them and completely destroy them once and for all."
Sean nodded at Haruka as she clenched her fist and raised her voice to emphasize the determination she possessed. Michiru and Hotaru nodded to show that they supported their partner's vow. Minako and Ami remained silent. It was clear from their facial expressions that they were not thrilled to be facing the Dark Kingdom again, as the memories of their deaths were still fresh in their minds, even after a couple of years had passed.
Sean turned to look out the small window beside him and glanced at the large orange-gold sun that shined through the thick glass. He closed his eyes and let the image of Makoto flash across the back of his eyelids. His brain recalled the memories of her long curly brown hair, the shine of her light green eyes, and her beautiful smile filled him with a strong and renewed sense of purpose and strength.
'I will come back to you my love. I will come back and I am going to bring everyone home safely. After we stop them, you and I can finally have our life together.'
Later that day, back in Tokyo, Rei, Makoto, and Setsuna approached the main doors of the Peninsula Hotel. They had just gotten out of the black limousine that had been sent to escort them to the hotel's location.
It had taken a lot of convincing from Usagi and Makoto for Rei to swallow her revulsion towards her father and call his office. To no one's surprise her father's secretary, Kaidou, answered the phone. Kaidou had been her father's personal assistant for many years and was often the only real contact she ever got from her father. His pleasant attitude towards her and being the only constant in her life for many years made him something of an older brother. He had been there for her when her mother, Risa, had become seriously ill and eventually died when she was a young girl. He had then helped her through the ensuing emotional turmoil that followed in her father's absence. Every year since her mother had passed away he and her father, Takashi, would spend time with her on her birthday where the same gifts were always exchanged: a white dress and a bouquet of white Casablanca lilies. Rei had come to realize, through the many subtle hints from Kaidou over the years, that he had actually been the one to select the style dress and flowers for her and not her father. This had served to only increase the negative feelings she had towards her father and facing him now all the more difficult.
Kaidou had been delighted to hear Rei's voice when he picked up the phone. Rei and her father had a severe falling out years ago. When her mother had fallen ill with terminal cancer she had spent every minute she could at her bedside. Her father, however, was too busy with his work at the time and seemingly ignored any request by her or his wife to come visit them at the hospital. When Risa finally passed away Rei had been the only one with her. Being forced to face this traumatic event by herself and the absence of her father during this painful period had caused her to hold a deep resentment towards him. It was at that point that she moved in with her grandfather at the Hikawa Shrine and severed all ties to him. Over the years that followed, Takashi had made several infrequent attempts to have public dinners with his daughter to maintain the appearance of a happy family man to his political constituents. Rei would often refuse his offers because she did not want to be a mere prop in his illusion to the world just so he could maintain his all-important political position in the Democratic Liberal Party of Japan. However, there had been a few times where she gave in and make an appearance out of respect for her deceased mother since she had once loved him and given Rei the gift of life. But every single time she ended up regretting it as their time was often spent in quiet and awkward silence and ended in some sort of argument or verbal altercation.
Rei was confident that this time would be no different but at least this time she would have her friends there to support her. She had insisted to Kaidou that her friends be allowed to come or she wouldn't meet with Takashi. Kaidou had been silent for several minutes as he had run the terms of Rei's ultimatum past her father, who she assumed was in the room with him. When she heard his voice again Kaidou's vocal tone remained cheerful hinting her in that her terms had been accepted.
"That is fine. We have an opening tomorrow morning if you are free on such short notice." Kaidou calmly stated.
"Yes, the sooner the better. Tomorrow morning will be fine." Rei replied flatly.
"Splendid. We will send a car over to the Shrine at 11am. Please be ready. " Kaidou informed her.
It turned out Usagi's family was going to a resort and had insisted that she spend the day with them. So only Makoto and Setsuna would be able to accompany her to the lunch meeting. Rei sighed when she heard the news, but thought it might actually work out better with Usagi not there. She was already going to be in an emotionally high strung state of mind because of her father's presence, and since Usagi lacked the required meal time etiquette that was necessary when dining with someone that thought so highly of themselves, her brash attitude might offend Takashi and thus lead to a disruption which would prevent them from learning his connection to the Dark Kingdom. This might then cause Rei to lose her temper and make their current situation even worse. Makoto and Setsuna were both respectful enough that they could easily adapt to the high society level of protocol long enough for them to, hopefully, get the vital information they needed.
As they stood in front of the super luxury hotel their eyes moved in all directions as they took in the expensive and glamorous building and its grounds. Behind them, a simple flat fountain stood in the centre of the roundabout that served as the drop off for guests. Its base was made up of many irregular shaped plates and tiles bringing to mind images of the dried and cracked sections of land of an arid desert. Several jets of water shot upwards into the area with some shooting as high as six feet into the air. Each water spout had a light built into its core that caused the water to be illuminated with a beautiful glow as it danced upwards.
The front doors of the hotel were equally impressive. On either side of the main entrance there stood a large white marble statue of a Chinese lion with a large potted Japanese Bandai tree situated next to it. Two men dressed in full white uniforms, which included matching hats and gloves, acted as the doormen.
Inside the lobby was a large desk. Its length was long and extended almost the full length of the lobby. Three hotel employers were behind the desk and dressed in formal black jackets and white dress shirts. The lobby's colours were a mixture of soft browns and tans, using earth tones to create a calming atmosphere. Several pot lights and lamps placed around the space added to the artificial light that seemed to increase the tranquility of the room's design.
The three girls were unsure of what to do at that point. Were they supposed to go up to the desk and ask where the party for Takashi Hino was to meet? Kaidou had not given them any special instructions for when they arrived, and they had naturally assumed that he would be waiting for them in the lobby. They highly doubted that the hotel employees were going to tell them where Takashi was, since there were privacy guidelines they had to follow. However, they didn't really have a choice in the matter either. They had an assignment from their princess to complete and they wouldn't be able to do it unless they made every attempt possible to proceed. Rei slowly approached the desk and waited patiently for one of the hotel employees to look at her. When none of them did, she decided to get their attention.
"Excuse me... we are here to see Takashi Hino. We spoke with his secretary, Kaidou, and they are expecting us." Rei said when she caught the attention of one of the staff members.
"Of course madam. Can I ask what is your name?" The desk clerk asked as she looked at the trio of young girls.
"These are my friends, Makoto Kino and Setsuna Meioh. I am Rei Hino, Takashi's daughter."
"Ahh yes. Mr. Kaidou did leave us a message indicating that you would be coming this morning. Please right this way." The hotel employee said as he walked around the desk.
The hotel employee walked out from behind the desk and gestured with for them to follow. He led them down a narrow hallway to a private dining area. The dining room was the size of an average restaurant. It was made almost entirely of dark stained wood that Makoto guessed was oak. Tan-coloured panels and beige coloured fabric coverings extended between the wood frames and pillars that made up the numerous small sections of the walls. There was no one else in the dining room with them making the room more than a little unsettling.
The hotel employee directed them to a private booth located along the back wall. It was a small cozy table that was surrounded by three walls. To the left and right of the table, the two divider walls had the tan coloured fabric that ran from the top of the seat to the ceiling and stretched along the length of the bench seats. Both of the wall dividers continued past the end of the seats for another two feet before stopping at a rounded wooden end with a white plaster foot. The tan upholstery material seamlessly ran to the floor and ceiling as it had from the top of the booth benches Light beige fabric that complimented the dark wood that surrounded them covered the bottom cushions of the booth seats.
As they approached the table, they could see that there was a large wooden frame that resembled a window positioned three feet away from the end of the table. On either side of the structure was a large square panel of wooden lattice that could swing open and close. This would enclose the occupants inside and give them more privacy from any other patrons. By its very design, the center of the frame remained open which was what gave it the appearance of a window. Carved designs and shapes were etched into the square frame and a small square of lattice was built into the base of the frame to increase its visual appeal. In the darkened hall the only lights inside the dining area were a single medium-sized wall mounted that looked a little like a Chinese lantern, and several small pot lights built into the underside of the table's rim.
The three friends sat down along the right side of the table. Rei sat in the middle with Makoto on her right and Setsuna on her left. She kept her head down to let everyone know that she was not happy at all to be there. Off to the side, the sound of a door opening caused both Makoto and Setsuna to abruptly turn their heads from Rei. Rei made no such movement as her heightened intuition had already told her that her father had just arrived.
Takashi Hino was a man of medium height and weight. The resemblance to Rei was clear in their similar facial structures and hair colour, although his hair was starting to show small signs of greying. He wore an expensive double breasted elephant grey suit and navy blue necktie. He slid into the private booth and positioned himself at the far end of the table directly across from Makoto. His assistant, Kaidou, joined them and sat across from Setsuna, leaving a open gap in the middle between them. He looked over and gave Rei a small smile that she slowly returned to maintain the friendship between them.
As Rei had predicted, the tension that surrounded the table became very thick and awkward. No one was speaking other than to answer the waiter's questions or to make a special request. Makoto and Setsuna waited patiently for Rei to speak since this was a family affair and they were merely there as her guests. However, they needed to get the ball rolling or they were going to miss this important opportunity to gain some possibly vital information about their enemy. Kaidou must have been reading their minds because he spoke first and addressed Rei in the hopes of sparking some sort of casual meal conversation.
"Rei. I trust that school is going well?"
"Yes it is. I am a member of the music and glee clubs. They are helping me to prefect my singing and song writing."
"That is excellent to hear. I am sure you will succeed in reaching for the stars someday."
Rei didn't give any response to Kaidou's compliment and the conversation quickly fell flat as the tense atmosphere returned. Makoto leaned her body back and glanced over Rei at Setsuna who was quietly sipping her tea. Feeling her friend's stare she turned her head to look in her direction. No words were exchanged between them but just a clear and silent look. Rei's distaste for her father was clouding her senses and they couldn't afford to lose this opportunity if they waited for her to initiate the conversation and talk to her him. Setsuna nodded her head which Makoto took as her support for what she was about to do.
"So Mr. Hino. How is your work for the D.L.P. going?" Makoto calmly asked.
Rei turned to look at her and gave her a twisted expression that screamed 'What are you doing?' Makoto ignored her friend's questioning stare and remained focused solely on Mr. Hino as she awaited his response. Setsuna continued to sip her tea and kept her eyes down so that she was not rudely staring at Kaidou who was sitting directly across from her.
Mr. Hino finished swallowing the piece of bread he had been snacking on before wiping his mouth with a napkin. He cleared his throat as he prepared himself to politely answer. When he felt he was ready, he lifted his chin and looked directly at Makoto. He gave her a smile that was clearly forced across his face as he tried to give her the impression that he was delighted to be chatting with her.
"Quite well my dear. We have just finished implementing the final upgrades to our nation's computer defence systems. Our great country is now much more protected against any kind of foreign attack currently in existence. You can all now rest easier knowing that your government's officials are watching over you and doing everything possible to keep you safe."
Makoto, acting on reflex turned her head to look at both Rei and Setsuna. Without hesitation, the look she gave appeared to Kaidou and Mr. Hino as an expression of deep confusion as if she didn't understand what he had just said. In actuality, she was asking both of them if the meeting he had been photographed in was connected in any way to the military upgrades he had just informed them about. Unbeknownst to the two older gentlemen, the silent conversation between the three friends brought up some interesting and important points.
Mr. Hino had only been in one of the many photographs contained in the Illuminati Council's file so that either meant that it was a one-time event, or he was only a small cog in a much larger machine. There hadn't been anyone dressed in any sort of uniform so there was no clear evidence that the assembly had anything to do with the military or national defence. Added to that, was the reality that he was a busy politician and had no way of knowing what was said during the meeting it could have very well been the Dark Kingdom cashing in a political favour of some sort or getting permission to acquire some piece of land that Mr. Hino had control of.
The Dark Kingdom's presence at the meeting was something that they just couldn't ignore. If they didn't need Mr. Hino for some specific purpose, they wouldn't waste their time meeting with him. Perhaps they were trying to get a politician on their side to influence public policy towards their own ends in some way? That could very well be the reason why there was only the single known encounter with them and Mr. Hino. If that was indeed the case it would be something of a relief to them since this would mean that Takashi Hino was just another innocent pawn used by the Dark Kingdom and not an active member of it.
Makoto turned her head back to face Mr. Hino. She decided to push her luck a little farther and see if they could get another clue as to his connection with their enemy or another of his current projects that might hold some interest.
"What else have you been working on Mr. Hino?"
Mr. Hino gave her another forced smile as he again met her gaze. His body language noticeably shifted as it became more closed off before he broke eye contact and looked down at where his lunch would be placed when it arrived. He cleared his throat again and very politely addressed Makoto.
"I am very sorry but I cannot talk about my work anymore than I already have with civilians. We can't be lax in letting vital information potentially fall into the wrong hands. I hope you all can understand that."
Makoto slowly nodded her head in response. It seemed that was the end of their fishing expedition. He was not going to willingly reveal any more pertinent information to them. They would have to figure out another way to learn about his recent activities and dealings until they heard from their friends off in Canada.
It was then that two waiters approached the table as they carried five plates of salmon shioyaki. This was a traditional Japanese dish that involved fish fillets being rubbed with a generous amount of salt before being broiled or cooked over very hot coals.
After the waiters gave them their meals, they all proceeded to eat in silence as it was clear that the one topic the girls wanted to discuss was no longer an option for conversation. Makoto and Setsuna decided it was best to remain silent, as they didn't want to create anymore tension between them and Mr. Hino than was already present. They both could also feel the interior pain radiating from their friend, and it saddened them to no end. Rei hadn't said anything since answering Kaidou's question about twenty minutes before.
As they continued to eat, Rei purposely avoided looking in her father's direction, as she could tell that he had closed himself off and was now merely focused on his food. She hadn't felt her father's gaze on her at any point since he had sat down, which only affirmed to her that he wasn't going to make any attempt to bridge the gap between them either. This infuriated her as it only proved, once again, that he didn't care about her and made her question whether he had ever really loved her mother.
When they had all finished their meals, the waiters returned and quickly removed their empty plates and dirty utensils. A few seconds later, the ringing of a cell phone cut through the silence that still hovered over the dinner guests. Kaidou reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small black iPhone. He excused himself from the table and walked a short distance away. After about a minute, he came back and leaned in towards Mr. Hino.
"Sir we have to go, or we'll be late for the opening of the new cancer ward at St. Luke's Hospital."
He turned his head to look over at the three young women sitting across the table. He gave them an apologetic smile that appeared genuine.
"My apologies for our abrupt departure ladies but we have obligations that need fulfilled. I hope you can understand."
Makoto and Setsuna nodded. Rei looked up at Kaidou but her facial expression was blank. She had been through this situation many times in the past. Work always came first when it came to her father.
Mr. Hino slid out of the booth and quickly nodded towards the ladies without saying a word. Makoto and Setsuna bowed their heads out of respect for his simple gesture while Rei remained motionless. He turned and walked towards the door that led out towards the lobby. Kaidou watched his departure before spinning around to look at the ladies who remained at the table.
"Don't worry about the bill. We will cover that. Please stay and enjoy yourselves."
He then turned and hurried out the door to catch up with Mr. Hino, leaving the ladies by themselves in the large dining area. They took their time in finishing their cups of tea before getting up to leave the hotel. When they exited the main doors the black limousine that had taken them was parked outside. They got back in and began their ride back to the shrine.
"Well that was somewhat pointless. I knew he wasn't going to open up to us." Rei coldly said under her breath.
"That may be true, but, we did at least get something to investigate while we wait to hear back from the others." Setsuna replied, trying to sound positive.
"You're right Setsuna. We should go see Mamoru as soon as we can. Maybe he will know a way for us to find out more about those military computer upgrades." Makoto added.
"Sounds like a plan. Let's get to it then." Rei said, glad to be leaving the hotel and the negative aura it radiated out to her now.
End of chapter 9