When I woke, I didn't recognise my surroundings. It was a plain room with shut curtains and a dim light from the bulb above. There was no air con either. I could feel my clothes sticking to my skin.

"Himeko."

I sat up and stared around. Where was my baby? Where was she?

"Himeko?" I begged the room. But before I could get out of bed, the door opened and someone talked in.

Someone I recognised.

And she was holding Himeko.

I instinctively reached out my arms, but the woman held Himeko close.

"She's a beautiful baby," the woman said. Where did I know her from…?

"I know," I agreed slowly. That party. The Christmas meeting thing. What had her name been? But hadn't they all been fake names?

"You can call me Igarashi," she said. It was as if she'd read my mind. Though I supposed it wasn't hard to guess what I was thinking.

"Can I have my baby back?"

She didn't answer me.

"I want a certain someone dead," Igarashi said. "Can you guess who?"

She looked up from Himeko and into my eyes. I nodded. What name had he used at that time?

"Narumi Kazuo."

"Quite," she agreed. "Do you know where he is?"

"No…" I shook my head as Igarashi walked around the bed towards the window. I watched her open the curtains.

"That's a shame." She stopped to bask in the sunlight pouring in through the window. "Do you want to know what he's been up to?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well while you've been pregnant with this little darling and moving from safe house to safe house, do you want to know what he's been doing?"

I didn't really think I could trust this woman's words, and yet I was very curious.

"Yes," I whispered.

"Well I think he must have missed you," she said silkily. "I have reports of him visiting a brothel on multiple occasions."

I frowned.

"No…" I whispered. He wouldn't. Not after what happened with Hara Masako.

"No? You think I would lie?" she asked. "I have no reason to lie to you. And I can prove it. Suzuki!"

Another woman I recognised walked in a few seconds later. She was dragging a young woman with her.

"Here you go," Suzuki said. She turned to look at me. "Go on, question her."

"What?"

"Well, in order to satisfy yourself, you can question this girl. Though I warn you, her Japanese is not so good."

I looked at the woman. I would guess she was Thai, maybe?

"What's your name?"

"Mali," she whispered. Her body was barely covered and she was shaking.

"Come here," I said. I patted the bed. Mali looked at Suzuki for approval. Suzuki only shrugged. Mali shuffled to the bed and sat down. "What do you do?"

"Make men happy," she said. She looked away from me, as if disgusted with herself.

"Who are you protecting?" I asked. She frowned so I tried to elaborate. "You have someone you want to keep safe? To keep from harm?"

She nodded.

"Little sister."

"I see," I mumbled. I placed an arm around her shoulders. Suzuki produced a photo and threw it onto my lap. I picked it up. It was Naru. "Do you know this man?" I showed it to Mali.

She studied the photo for a moment and then looked up into my eyes.

"Nice man," she said, pointing. "He not hurt me."

A softness appeared in her eyes and I realised they were the same shade of brown as my own. I studied the girl more closely. She was petite and her hair was only a fraction darker than mine.

"What did he do?" I asked. I didn't want to hear it.

"He gentle. Not hurt me."

"The rumours go that Shibuya Kazuya was looking for a replacement for the girl he lost," Igarashi said calmly. "But we both know better I think. Suzuki, take her away."

Suzuki led Mali away. I watched her go.

"Know better?"

"I know that Narumi Kazuo or Shibuya Kazuya, whichever you prefer, is the Scientist. I think you know this too. I think you know he's part of the MI6."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said automatically.

"Yes you do," she countered. "Don't you realise it yet? You were just a cover."

"What?"

"A deep cover, setting up Shibuya Kazuya as the perfect person to infiltrate the smuggling rings under the guise of looking for a replacement. He used that girl to find out what he needed and has taken down at an entire operation."

My mouth fell open.

"How do you know this?"

"It's my job to keep in the know," she said. She was still staring out of the window and holding Himeko in her arms. "He wouldn't come back for you, you know?" I didn't say anything. "But he would find you if he got wind of your child."

"What…?" I mumbled.

"It would be considered a weakness. He would be ordered to kill your baby."

"He wouldn't!" I burst out and scrambled out of the bed.

"Really?" she asked with a tone of scepticism. "He's never done something you didn't like because of his orders before?" I could not deny this one. "He would find you and kill you both."

"So why am I here?" I demanded.

"I want to keep you safe," she said. I blinked and stepped back.

"What?"

"It works for both of us," she continued and finally turned to face me. "We protect you and if he does turn up, then we get to kill him."

I stared at her blankly. She handed Himeko back to me. I stared down at her tiny sleeping form.

A cover? Was that all I was?

But I couldn't think of my feelings now.

Himeko.

Himeko was all that mattered.

"Okay," I whispered.

"Good," she said briskly. "Of course, I cannot have you staying here for free, you'll have to work."

"Work…?" I repeated. She couldn't mean…

"Cleaning, cooking, that sort of thing. You're in no state to join the other girls. You're too recognisable after all the media attention."

I sighed.

"Okay."

"Get some rest, I'll have Suzuki bring you some food soon," Igarashi said as she walked out of the room.

I took a seat on the bed and held Himeko tighter.

"I'll protect you, okay?" I whispered. "No matter what."


"I should have you both fired," Yasuhara muttered.

Takigawa and Matsuzuki both had the grace to look thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

"Sorry," Takigawa muttered.

"And you're honestly telling me there was nothing? They managed to take a mother and a week old child with no mess or anything?"

"Forensics found nothing," Matsuzuki said in a low voice.

"They were good," Takigawa said. "Almost as good as…"

"As him," Yasuhara finished. "You're both dismissed."

He watched the two detectives leave and pulled out his phone. He dialled a number, knowing that if Martin found out, it would be the end of his career.

"Hello?" a voice answered. But it was not the voice he expected.

"Who is this?"

"Who is this?" the voice replied.

"I'm looking for…" he said before pausing. How could he word this? "Naru."

"He's indisposed right now. Is this…" The voice seemed hesitant. "Is this Yasuhara?"

"Perhaps."

"It's Lin."

"Ah, well that makes things easier." Yasuhara let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. "Yes, it's Yasuhara. Are you alone? Where is Noll? Surely he's finished the mission by now?"

"About that," Lin's voice said. He sounded reluctant. "The raid was a success."

"Good, does that mea-"

"There was an accident."

Yasuhara felt his blood run cold.

"What happened?"

"He was hurt. Badly," Lin said quietly. "He's in a coma."

"And?"

"They don't know if he'll wake up."

Yasuhara swore under his breath.

"And he never knew…" he mumbled.

"Knew what?" Lin asked. Yasuhara didn't reply immediately, so Lin went on. "Was the girl pregnant?"

"She was. Kid was born a few weeks ago."

It was Lin's turn to swear.

"I had suspicions from things I had read but…"

"Mai and Himeko were kidnapped."

Lin swore again.

"What are we going to do?"

"I wanted his help with finding her but…" Yasuhara trailed off.

"I can look. I have been demoted to desk work now, there will be rumours somewhere."

"Do what you can, keep it quiet. Let me know when he wakes."


Author's note: So last night, I went to bed and lay in the dark and tried to sleep. As you do.

Then I burst into evil cackles at the thought of what is going to happen.

Oh dear.

I should not be allowed.

I think there may only be two chapters left...

Not sure.

But that would make 13... Unlucky for some :D

Please review :)