Shan-Kun: thank you so much for helping me with Erika's behavior last chapter.

At this point, since there have been no other suggestions, I'm probably going with SupportTech for the name of the company Arlua works for.

Disclaimer: I own only Arlua, Natsuki, and a new OC who will be introduced this chapter. See if you can guess who it will be before the name is revealed!

Chapter 11

Arlua stepped out of the station in Shinjuku and started toward her company's building. She glanced around, trying not to be too obvious. She'd had an itch between her shoulder blades since she left Kadota in Ikebukuro, like someone was watching her. The technician was conscious of the flash drive in her pocket as she walked. That little flash drive held the files she had managed to get before her hack was detected. She should have taken it in first thing that morning.

But no, I was too confident. I thought I hadn't been followed, and since there was no trouble last night, I figured I could relax, she thought. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Arlua turned a corner and subtly looked back as she did. Several people had made the whole trip from Ikebukuro with her and had followed her out of the station: a man in a suit, a woman who looked like she hadn't slept in a week, a teenaged boy in jeans and a T-shirt. Was one of them following her on purpose, or were all three just coincidences?

Arlua wasn't taking chances. She considered taking a route to the building that would throw off any pursuers, but decided against it. It she took too long, they could just decide to beat her to the building; after all, she had to go there sometime.

Or they could go to my house and wait for me there if they don't think I plan on dropping the drive off yet, she realized.

"Excuse me," an unfamiliar voice called. Arlua paused and looked back. The teenager who had ridden with her from Ikebukuro jogged toward her.

"Can I help you?" the technician asked politely. The young man shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I'm looking for a friend of mine who lives around here. I wanted to pay her a surprise visit, but I don't know how to get to her house," he explained. "Could you give me directions?" Arlua considered for a moment. She didn't want to make any detours, but she also remembered over three years ago, when she had been just learning how to navigate Shinjuku.

"Sure. Where does your friend live?" she asked. He told her, and she smiled. "That's not too far from my apartment. I'll show you how to get there." The boy grinned.

"Really? Thank you!" he exclaimed. Arlua laughed.

"It's this way," she told him. Together they started walking. The man in the suit, Arlua noted, kept going the direction she had originally been going – toward the company's building. The woman who looked like she hadn't slept in a week was watching the two of them tiredly, but didn't follow them. There was no sign of her fifteen minutes later as Arlua and the boy approached the neighborhood where the technician lived. "Now, where did you say your friend lived?" she asked. The boy didn't answer right away.

"I'm sorry, I just realized I didn't ask you what your name was," he said instead of replying to her question.

"I'm Arlua Teki," she told him. "And you-"

"I thought so," he murmured. She frowned. What was he talking about. "I thought that's what you told that man back in Ikebukuro, but I couldn't be sure. So I decided that even if you weren't, I'd at least make sure I was in the right area. And then, if you lied about who you were, and went to the house I know she lives in, I would know you were her." Arlua took a step away from the boy, apprehension churning in her stomach.

"What are you talking about? Aren't you looking for your friend?" she reminded him. He nodded calmly, an oddly serene expression settling over his features. His black eyes were deep and dark, fathomless shadows as he gazed at her. He reached up and brushed his brown-black hair out of those inky eyes.

"Yes, I am. And I found her," he said quietly. "I said it was a surprise visit, right?" He took a step toward her. "I'm known as Malcolm, and I've been watching you. It was difficult to wait for the perfect time to bring this up, but since there's no one around at the moment, I'll be confiscating that flash drive in your pocket. Surprise." Arlua glanced around. It was true. The whole way from the station, there had been one or two people in sight. Now there was no one but them. The technician and the teenager who knew about the drive.

I can't give up the flash drive. I need to deliver it to the company or I'll be in trouble. He's between me and my house, no way I'll get past him and inside.

I need somewhere to run to.

Somewhere secure, and closer than the company's building.

Arlua bolted.

The boy watched her run away from him calmly for a moment. He knew he could beat her to her company's building; he would take the shorter route, since it looked like she was taking the slightly longer way. He smiled serenely to himself and set off at a brisk jog.

Let her wear herself out. By the time she reached her company to hand over the drive, he would be waiting for her.

Arlua keyed in the security code, opened the door, and slipped into the room, which was lit by the wall of windows overlooking the city street below. She sighed and walked over to the couch that rested off to one side of the room, ignoring the desk and the computer on it. She kicked off her shoes and carefully lowered herself onto the couch, exhausted from her run.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the flash drive. Her eyelids grew heavy as she wondered how long she should wait here before going to deliver it. How long before Malcolm and his strange calm gave up?

She yawned and lay back. Sleep washed over her, sweeping away her worries. For now, the security code on the door would keep him out. Besides, who would look for her here?