DAY 29

Ren stood silently in front of the door for several moments with a blank stare. His eyes remained fixed on the painted surface, and his hair fell into his face as he lowered his head. His body remained still; he appeared to be contemplating something but made no gesture to suggest his mood. In an almost abrupt action, he raised his hand swiftly and heavily knocked on the surface. As the silence resumed, he waited with his hands buried into the pockets of his black trousers and bit his bottom lip.

The door opened very slowly; there seemed to be brief hesitation. A woman emerged from the dark house and stood in the doorway with pause. Her long, black hair fell into her face slightly, covering one of her hazel eyes, and she twisted her supple lips into a bashful smile. His eyes traced her frame momentarily as the black dress she was wearing cinched her waist and enhanced the shapeliness of her breasts and hips. She wasn't wearing any shoes and looked as though she was preparing to leave. After the initial moments of silence elapsed, she pulled her hair out of her face and revealed the flushed skin of her full face.

"Hi, Nami." He greeted her with a gentle voice and smiled warmly.

"Mr. Tao," she replied sheepishly, "what a surprise."

"How many times have I told you? Call me Ren."

"I'm sorry," she nodded with embarrassment. "Um...my brother isn't here. I can tell him-"

"I wasn't looking for him," he replied seductively. "I came here to see you."

She made no attempt to conceal the redness that quickly filled her cheeks and said softly, "Me?"

"Have you eaten?"

"Well, no," she replied nervously. "I mean, not yet-"

"Let me take you to dinner," he interrupted and smiled at her again.

"That's very kind of you Mr. Tao," she blurted, "I mean...Ren, but I don't think I can accept this invitation."

"Please," he said softly, "I insist. You don't want that lovely dress to go to waste, do you?"

"I'm not sure," she mumbled reluctantly. "I'm not sure it's appropriate."

"Nami," he reassured her, "let me decide what's appropriate and what isn't. I want to take you to dinner; I'm absolutely sure Shintarou won't mind."

"Okay," she smiled, relieved from his assessment. "I'll leave him a note."

"That's not necessary," Ren added quickly, "we'll talk to him on the way."

Horo sat on the edge of the bed staring at the floor. He was fully dressed complete with a pair of running shoes, and his wound was hidden beneath the blue t shirt he was wearing. Lyserg approached the bed very slowly and stood in front of him without speaking. He didn't know what to say and was worried about angering him in some way.

"Are you ready, Mr. Usui?" Shintarou asked abruptly. They were aware he was in the room, but he seemed to startle them anyway.

"I guess," he replied weakly.

"What do you plan to tell Pirika?" Lyserg asked worriedly. He took a step forward but paused before sitting down beside him.

"I don't know," Horo sighed. "I'll just have to wait and see."

"She's home now," Shintarou reported, "and, Ms. Kyōyama was released this morning."

"Good," Lyserg replied.

He was about to add something else when his cell phone began ringing. He pulled the phone slowly from his pocket and stared at the display. Horo and Lyserg watched him as he closed his eyes briefly and frowned.

"It's Daisuke," he announced gravely. "I should take it. It would seem suspicious not to."

"Go ahead," Lyserg replied weakly.

Shintarou nodded and exited quickly into the hallway. Horo stared at the door with a frown, and Lyserg released a heavy sigh.

"There's something we need to talk about," he said gravely.

"Okay," Lyserg replied with an exhausted expression. "Let me give you a ride to the inn."

Shintarou waited a few more rings before answering his call. He raised the phone to his ear and paused before saying, "Yes?"

"Shintarou! I-"

"Nami?" His voice melted as he spoke her name, but shuffling noises in the background increased his worry.

"Hi, Shintarou."

"Daisuke!" He clenched his teeth. "What are you doing with my sister? Where-"

"Mr. Tao wants to see you," he interrupted coldly. "Now."

"What?" He whispered the response and swallowed hard as his hands began to tremble.

"I've sent the address to your phone," he continued without fluctuating his voice. "If you tell anyone about this call or where you're going, she dies."

Shintarou held the phone as shock and fear overwhelmed his senses, but as he opened his mouth to speak Daisuke continued.

"You have fifteen minutes."

When the call abruptly disconnected he flinched and held his hand over his chest. Lyserg and Horo entered the hallway slowly, causing him to gasp audibly, and Lyserg frowned at him.

"What did he want?" he asked with concern.

"I have to go," Shintarou said quickly and began walking abruptly down the hallway. "I'm sorry, Mr. Diethel. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"He's weird." Horo's statement didn't seem like a joke since he wasn't smiling, but Lyserg laughed at him anyway.

"Come on," He smiled. "let's go. We can talk on the way."

"Fine," Horo sighed.

"Ms. Tamamura, we'll be leaving the hotel soon."

She was standing in front the window leaning against the wall with an expression of exhaustion. His reflection was seen very clearly in the glass, and she waited several moments before turning to face him.

"You shouldn't keep the windows open like that," he added. "It's not safe."

Tamao blinked her eyes slowly before running her fingers through her hair and leaning her back against the wall.

"I cut a few inches off while you were asleep," he said apologetically. "It was necessary for this to fit."

The man reached into the blue gym bag he was holding and pulled out a black wig. She stared at it with a frown but didn't reply.

"It's temporary," he explained. "Just as a security precaution. I also have a pair of brown contact lenses I need you to wear before we check out."

"Rizu," she said finally, "I don't want to do this."

"You have to," he replied. "We've talked about it, remember?"

"I don't want to run away," she continued as tears quickly filled her eyes. "I should go to the police and turn myself in. I don't deserve to be free. I should be in prison."

"The police are not looking for you, Ms. Tamamura."

His reply visibly caught her off guard, and she bit her lip in confusion. He paused, taking a few steps toward the large bed she was now sitting on, then moved quickly to the window to close the curtains.

"What are you talking about? They have to be looking for me. After everything I-"

"There was no evidence of a crime taking place," he interrupted.

Her eyes widened as he spoke, but she couldn't respond.

"The Asakura house was thoroughly searched," he continued, "and, so was your house. They didn't find anything so they decided not to pursue the case."

"But...she-" Tamao tried to respond, but he interrupted her again.

"Ms. Kyōyama has amnesia, and Ms. Usui couldn't identify her attacker. She said he wore a mask. There was nothing else the police could go on."

"That doesn't make any sense," she said as her voice elevated slightly. "She's lying! There was blood everywhere! And, the box in the back-"

"I have to ask that you refrain from saying anything else on this subject," Rizu interrupted sternly. "The evidence you speak of simply doesn't exist."

Tamao stared at him with her mouth slightly agape and didn't speak. There was something about his tone that shifted some of her confusion into fear, and he matched her gaze with a vague expression.

"Here is your passport," he quickly changed the subject. "Once we leave this room, only use the name listed."

"Elizabeth Warren?" She glanced over the contents and held her hand over her mouth.

"You were born in Japan but adopted by James and Victoria Warren as an infant." He began reciting the words by memory, ignoring her confusion. "You lived in Denver, Colorado of the United States until seventeen years of age when they died in a car accident. That's when you moved to the address I gave you."

He paused for a moment as if waiting for her to respond.

"You must assume this identity or I can't protect you," he added.

"I can't do this," she whimpered weakly. "I can't."

"Everything is in place," he replied. "This is for your protection."

"I'll only go with you if you let me see Lyserg," she shifted her focus suddenly and scratched her neck nervously. "I want to talk to him or I won't do it."

"That can be arranged," he said blankly.

Shintarou struggled weakly against the tightly knotted ropes securing his wrists on the arms of the hard chair. He had allowed himself to be restrained, and decided not to be combative. The dark room was cold with concrete floors and brick walls; there were no windows, and one door revealed the only exit and entrance into the room. He tried twisting his ankles to relieve some of the pressure, but this only seemed to cause the ropes to dig deeper into his skin.

"You should stop that. It'll just hurt more."

Daisuke was leaning against a table in front of him. Shintarou didn't look in his direction, deliberately staring at the floor, but he could feel his grin.

"What are you doing?" he asked weakly. "Why are you doing this?"

"You're kidding, right?"

"Where is my sister?"

"She's having dinner with Mr. Tao." His sarcasm increased Shintarou's anger. "They'll be back soon."

"Where is she?" he repeated through clenched teeth. "I want to see her."

"You know what your problem is? You're disloyal. You're a disloyal rat."

"Do you really think this is justifiable?" Shintarou shifted slightly in the chair. "You don't think this is wrong?"

"I told him not to hire you," He ignored the question. "but, he saw something in you I didn't. I knew you would eventually betray him. He trusted you, and this is how you repay him?"

"I just want to see my sister," Shintarou said dismissively. "There's no point in having this conversation with you. You have no mind of your own."

"What?"

"You'll do anything that man tells you, no matter how terrible or illegal. I'm not disloyal, Daisuke. I just haven't been brainwashed."

Daisuke frowned and opened his mouth to respond to his bitter accusation but was interrupted when the door swiftly opened. Ren entered the room with enraged eyes, and his gaze burned through Shintarou's skin. His hair rested wildly over his head and fell in and out of his face several times. Shintarou wasn't staring directly at the man. His bitter expression shifted into unfiltered terror when he noticed his sister on the floor behind him.

Nami wasn't exactly lying on the floor. She was being dragged into the room; he was holding a large section of her hair tightly in his hand and ignored her kicking and screaming attempts to escape his grasp. He released her near the chair Shintarou was sitting in with a violent shove, and she curled her knees tightly into her chest when she landed onto the floor. Her face was hidden by the black strands of her hair, but it was obvious from her hysterical crying she was terrified.

"What did you do to her?" Shintarou's demand floated into the air as a frightened whisper, and he couldn't seem to say anything else.

"Wait outside." Ren's cold order stung Shintarou's ears as Daisuke stood from the table.

He knew what this meant. Ren always sent Daisuke out of the room so he couldn't be a witness to-

"Rizu didn't sell you out, by the way," he growled. "You did that all by yourself. Do you think I'm stupid?"

Shintarou didn't reply but was unable to conceal his fear as Ren pulled out his handgun and held it tightly at his side. Daisuke was still standing in front of them but seemed caught in a trance.

"Daisuke!" Ren yelled at him. "Now!"

He walked out of the room much slower than anticipated and reluctantly closed the door behind his exit. This definitely wasn't good. Ren saved this type of anger for special occasions most of the time. There would be no way to talk him down, and from his experience, Daisuke knew what was coming.

Someone was going to die.

"So, who else is involved in this?" Ren demanded and waved the gun in his face briefly. "Rizu's men? Yours? I'm sure there's at least six more."

"My sister has nothing to do with this," Shintarou pleaded. "Please let her-"

Ren pointed the barrel of the gun directly at Nami and pulled the trigger in the middle of his sentence. The bullet pierced her arm, and the blood surfaced rapidly from the jagged wound. She screamed, holding her arm swiftly with her other hand, and slid back against the floor in terror.

"No!" he screamed, but tears began to quickly choke his voice. "Please stop! Please don't-"

"I asked you a question," Ren interrupted, pausing briefly to punch him hard in the face.

Shintarou began weeping like a frightened child and closed his eyes. He could no longer keep his composure and feared for his sister's safety. Nami was still crying and moaning from the pain, and she screamed a few times as her body began to tremble.

"There's no one else," he said finally.

"You're lying, Shintarou. Why are you lying to me?"

Ren's elevated voice frightened them both, and Nami screamed again as she noticed him approaching. Shintarou squirmed in his chair and sniffed loudly before moaning something incoherent.

"Do you think I won't kill her, Shintarou?" Ren asked as he grabbed Nami's hair and pulled her head back.

"Please, Mr. Tao," he moaned. "Please."

"She's bleeding to death because of you," he replied impatiently. "She's about to die because of you."

"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?" Shintarou didn't intend to scream at him, but he couldn't control the overwhelming feeling of helplessness.

Ren released Nami quickly who backed further away and leaned against the wall behind Shintarou's chair. He stood in front of him and noticed his wrists had begun to bleed from the stinging ropes.

"You're Lyserg's assistant," he sighed, "but, you answer to me. I think you've forgotten that. I know he put you up to this. He convinced you it was important?"

"He was trying to help her," Shintarou blurted. "He was just trying to help her."

"Help who?" Ren knew the answer to this question but seemed content with making him say the name.

"Ms. Tamamura. She needed his help."

Ren folded his arms over his torso, pointing the gun toward the floor, and smiled at him as he continued.

"She's in a hotel with Rizu."

"What hotel?"

"I don't know! But...they're leaving soon. He's taking her out of the country."

"Where?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Ren growled, dropping his hands abruptly at his sides. "You don't know, Shintarou?"

He approached Nami again; she tried to crawl away, but he grabbed her hair and dragged her back in front of Shintarou's chair, leaving a trail of blood along the floor. She began screaming again and pleading something indecipherable, and Shintarou began rocking his body weight in the chair.

"The address is in my phone!" he screamed. "It's a locked message! Please, just check my phone!"

Ren released her brusquely and grabbed the cell phone with his free hand that was resting on the table. Daisuke had confiscated it when Shintarou first arrived so he couldn't make any calls. He stared at the display for a few moments then frowned at him.

"The code is 6857," Shintarou whimpered.

"I really appreciate your emotion," Ren replied warmly. "I don't think I've ever seen you this passionate before. It makes me think you're telling the truth."

Nami began coughing randomly and sniffing as her trembles were more noticeable.

"Nami?" Shintarou whimpered.

"Brother?" Her reply sounded like a question, although unintentional, and her wound made moving increasingly difficult.

"Mr. Tao," Shintarou pleaded, "you have what you want. Please let her go. She needs a doctor."

Ren wasn't listening to him. He was reading the message, and he clutched the gun tightly in his hand. After several moments of silence he placed the phone in his pocket and took a step forward.

"Thank you, Shintarou," he said finally. "You've been very helpful."

"Let us go," he whispered. "Please."

"But, every choice has a consequence," Ren continued as if he didn't hear him. "And, for every action, there is a reaction. Your betrayal will not go unpunished."

"Please," he whimpered as new tears rolled down his cheeks.

"You have to accept responsibility for your actions." Ren's vague expression suddenly revealed no rage or any other emotion. He stared into Shintarou's eyes without hesitation, and Shintarou's limbs began to tremble.

"Mr. Tao," He couldn't stop crying. "please don't do this."

For the first time Shintarou suddenly feared for his life. He was so focused on his sister he didn't consider the possibility of Ren taking this action. He stared helplessly as Ren pointed his gun at them, and he gasped as his sister began screaming.

"You have to accept this," Ren repeated coldly and tightened his grip on the handle.

Shintarou didn't notice until that moment that Ren wasn't aiming at him at all. The barrel was much lower than he first calculated. And, in a split second everything was suddenly clear.

He was aiming at Nami's face and pulling the trigger.

"NO!"

Shintarou's cry was abruptly accompanied by the terrible sound of Ren's discharging gun. The haunting silence that followed tortured his senses and overwhelmed his body with shock. He was staring at Ren's stomach; there was no ability to remove the gaze, and after the initial seconds faded he began screaming.

Daisuke reentered the room but stopped abruptly after taking a few steps forward. Nami was lying awkwardly at her brother's feet and wasn't moving. Her hair covered the grotesque wound Ren inflicted upon her, but he could tell from the increasing pool of blood beneath her it was fatal. Shintarou was still screaming with his hands clutched into tight fists. His hysterical wails were involuntary; he didn't notice Daisuke's return or Ren's approaching steps.

Ren ignored Daisuke's hesitation and hit Shintarou brutally in the face with the butt of his gun. The blow stung initially but immediately knocked him unconscious, and he slumped forward in the chair.

"Take him to his house," he said calmly, "and, let him sleep it off."

"Sir..." He clutched his sweaty palms against his pants. "...you said if he cooperated, you would let her go."

Ren turned around and matched his weary expression with apathy. He walked passed him and said on his way out of the room:

"I changed my mind."