Mika had to admit it. She kind of liked the feel of the sun beating down on her skin. She tried to work up a little shame at the fact that they were both lying bare ass naked on the beach. Considering how good she felt at the moment, Mika couldn't even summon a blush.

"We should probably get up and put our clothes on."

Raizo groaned in disapproval spooning up behind her to prevent her from rising by resting a leg over her thigh. His lips were cool against the sun baked skin at her throat and a clever hand was skimming lightly over her stomach. The wanton purr that rumbled in his throat and her immediate ready response had her eyes popping wide.

"Again? What's gotten into us? We're like a pair of horny monkeys."

"Not sure, all I know is I can't seem to keep my hands off," he admitted exhibiting the fact by propping up on one elbow and skating a hand up to cup her breast.

"You better or we won't have the strength afterwards to move when the tide comes in. Plus if the children find me passed out naked, you will be in a shithouse. Who taught you that one, Ivan or Alexi?"

Abruptly, Raizo lifted his head and went still in a way that told her his sensitive ears had been alerted. Mika rose automatically and retrieved their clothes shaking off the sand.

"What? Is it one of the kids?" Mika asked pulling the dress down over her hips.

"No," he said pausing in the act of putting on his shirt. "It's Ivan … something's wrong."

They'd crossed the beach and were passing through a field of small shrubs that grew alongside the road when Ivan pulled up in the jeep. The vehicle had barely come to a stop before he'd leapt out.

"Mika, you left your phone in the lab. Maslow called. He didn't sound good."

They quickly piled in and Ivan took off at such speed that Mika promptly fastened her seatbelt. He performed a skillful two point turn on the narrow road then accelerated back towards the house.

Gripping the shoulders of the front seats, she leaned forward and asked, "What do you mean? How did he sound?"

"I don't know. Father talked to him, said he was ranting and swearing about a crime scene and to find you both."

Raizo turned slightly askew in the passenger seat his eyes finding hers. Within reflected the same anxiety she felt grinding in her gut. They journeyed in silence until reaching the house. Mika heard strange voices echoing off the stone walls as they walked into the lab. Mikhail who was manning his usual station before the computers pressed a finger to his lips. Confused, it gave her pause long enough to make out Ryan's voice, a little muffled but definitely him. She heard a litany of murmured voices as if he was passing through a crowd of people then the sound of retching grew loud.

"No worries, Gunterson, at least you didn't puke on the scene," jeered a high pitched nasal voice.

"Good job, newbie."

"Uh … Sir, the forensic unit is already upstairs," sputtered another voice.

"Rough scene?" Ryan asked his voice unusually gruff.

"Sir, Gunterson wasn't the only one to lose his dinner," was the reply accompanied by the sound of hard soled shoes crossing a stone floor.

"Has the coroner arrived yet?"

"Ten minutes ago. The man was a right bastard but even he didn't deserve that. Watch your step up there, Maslow. It's a bloody mess."

"Thanks for the warning."

After the swish of metal, Mikhail tapped a few keys then announced, "Detective, Mika and Raizo are here now."

"Ryan, what's going on?" Mika interjected.

"Got a call…," he paused. With a mad half laugh half sigh, he said, "Its Jameson, Mika. He's dead."

"What?"

"They got him at his flat. I'm on my way up to the scene."

The group in the lab exchanged shocked looks. Mika was unable to speak, a flurry of questions tumbling around in her brain. Over the speaker, the faint ding of the elevator could be heard followed by Ryan talking to someone, the sound echoing around what sounded like a large space. Alexi was the first to find his voice.

"What do you mean by 'they', Mercenaries or Clan?"

Ryan's sharp inhalation was replaced with a disquieting silence. Then, Mika felt her blood run cold as ice listening to her old friend while he fought to catch his breath.

Wetting her lips, she called softly, "Ryan?"

"I'd say it was Clan," he answered with a ragged inhalation.

"How do you know?" Ivan retorted unconsciously shaking his head in denial.

"It's …uh, hang on."

They heard muffled noises for a few minutes before Ryan continued.

"Mikhail, I just sent…"

"I've got them," the old man said cutting Maslow short.

"What?" Mika interrupted her nerves ready to snap.

"He's sent us shots from the crime scene. Sweet Zeus"

As the photos filled the monitors, Mika felt bile rise up in her throat. Pressing one hand to her mouth and the other to her stomach, she fought the urge to heave. The opulent room where Jameson had died or rather been butchered was splattered with blood. The once cream colored sofa was now completely crimson and amid the stained cushions was what remained of the man, a torso. His hands, arms, feet, and legs were stacked atop the coffee table like cordwood. The frozen expression of abject terror on Jameson's face made one thing clear. He'd survived to witness the separation of each of his limbs. The burgundy blossom on his white shirt directly over the heart was most likely the final killing blow.

Ryan said, "I'm guessing Clan. What do you think?"

"I'd agree," Raizo said with a nod.

"That doesn't make sense though. Why would they go after Jameson?" Ivan fumed. "What for? He was under investigation and probably about to be fired."

"Don't forget. The man was a loose end. Maybe they were worried he'd talk to save his ass, give up information on them," Alexi offered.

"They've remained in obscurity for hundreds of years. I doubt Jameson would have known anything to endanger them."

"Mikhail's right," Ryan added, "he was a supplier of info. Not someone they would have trusted with anything."

"You don't go through the trouble of cutting a man into pieces while he's still alive unless you want him to talk," Ivan said throwing up his arms. "They wanted something from him. Or else why not stab him in the heart to start with? Why torture the bastard?"

"That or they wanted him to suffer. I'd say whoever it was more than accomplished that," Alexi replied.

Swallowing convulsively, Mika turned away from the monitors. Taking deep breaths, she placed a hand on the desk to steady herself. Mikhail gave her a curious look but she waved his concern away before he spoke. Her regained composure was shattered by Raizo's next words.

"Maslow, did Jameson still have access to active case files or was it revoked?

"Bloody Hell, Ryan," Mika shouted. "Tell me his clearance was cancelled when he was brought up for internal investigation."

"Uh, it's standard procedure, of course," Ryan stammered his voice filled with uncertainty.

"But he was a Section Chief, Head of the damn Task Force, would they still enforce that procedure," Alexi probed rushing around to sit next to his father at the computer console.

Ryan's silence was heavy with implications. It seemed Mika's heart was racing at the same speed as her brain.

"Mikhail, slip back into Europol's network and check to see if Jameson accessed any files in the last few days."

"Shit, anyone could have done it for him as a favor," Ryan added. "Check if anyone has accessed the files for the Ozuno children."

With a nod, Mikhail began banging away on his keyboard his face growing tight with dismay.

"Nothing under his access code, looks like procedure was followed …but …the files were accessed, yesterday. The login was for a Cybil Ballard."

"That's Jameson's fucking admin. She had to have done it at his request," Ryan spat in a harsh whisper. "Which files?"

Reading over his father's shoulder, Alexi said, "Relocation order 581-2715 was accessed."

"Wait, that's … the one I submitted … to relocate last the group of children," Ryan said numbly. Then repeated, "I submitted that."

"Oh my God," Mika uttered, "he's still going after them."

Black poppies of rage blossomed in Raizo's brain obliterating thought and logic. All he could see in his mind's eye were the children's faces he recalled from childhood bloated in death and beaten or lashed to a pole.

"No"

The voice was as quiet as it was menacing and took him a few seconds to realize it had come from him. The others were staring at him but his eyes sought only Mika. Tears sparkled in her eyes but there was steel in her gaze as well.

"Where are they now, Ryan?" she asked.

Breathing heavily as if running, Ryan replied, "Taipei, they should've arrived a few hours ago and already met up with the additional security detail. I'll check their status. Call you back."

The next several minutes were the longest of his life. Unmoving, they stood in silence each dreading and praying the phone would ring. From above came the sound of the elevator. He could hear Kimiko and Cheng chatting as the pair rolled food carts into the cab. The trio of younger children laughed racing down the stairs to beat the others to the lab below. Yusa was the first to sense the mood of the adults. She skidded to a halt at the base of the stairs, the grin on her face disappearing like smoke on the wind. Fazid and Gustof nearly ran into the back of her stopping on the last step looks of worry replacing their smiles. Valentina, Kimiko, and Cheng were exiting the elevator when the call finally came. Mikhail hit the button and the sound of Maslow's choppy breaths came through the speakers. Instantly, Raizo knew they were too late.

"Ryan"

"Christ, Mika… they were in transit when the attack happened."

"What happened …are they…?"

Mika trailed off unable to voice the fear that was also at the forefront of Raizo's mind.

"The fuckers blew the tires on the transport vehicle, opened fire in broad daylight in the middle of rush hour traffic. We lost half of the escorting agents. The survivors are being triaged at the scene now. I'm waiting on more info but it was confirmed …we lost two kids. They were loaded into a van during the fire fight. I'm sorry Mika. They're gone."

"You think it was mercenaries," Alexi interjected.

"Definitely," Maslow replied. "It was a blitz attack, kidnapping, and it fits the pattern."

"Mitsuro couldn't have made it to Taiwan that soon," Ivan mumbled to himself, a distant look on his face as if he were calculating flight times in his head.

Alexi snorted, "He didn't have too. Once he had the location, one phone call would be all it took to activate his fellow mercenaries."

Clearing his throat, Mikhail interrupted, "the question now is to what location were they taken?"

"He's right," Mika agreed. "This Mitsuro will have to meet with the extraction team to retrieve the children. If it fits his prior pattern, we have only a few days before…"

Though the words were left unsaid, an unsettling quiet descended as the full impact of the situation struck them all like a hammer blow.

"We need more information or maybe we overlooked something," Mika continued while wringing her hands anxiously. "We need to review the forensic reports from the two scenes, check for any hits on the EUROPOL watch list of any known associates for either Petrovsky or Maldovo as well as any bank transactions or wires, uh, any info gathered from the scenes in Bangkok. There's something we're missing."

She continued listing reports and naming various sources they could tap for useful intel, the look of stark terror transforming into one of uncompromising determination. Her commands activated a rush of motion as if her will were fueling the others. Maslow hung up promising to call back with any updates. Ivan pulled out a crate and began loading assault rifles and magazine clips into a large duffle. Alexi snatched up his cell to have the plane prepped and ready to fly. Mikhail was nodding vigorously as he tapped into cyberspace hacking into secured networks for anything that would help. Fazid and Gustof joined Ivan watching closely as he dismantled a few of the machine pistols for cleaning. Cheng and Kimiko assisted Valentina with the food cart passing out plates and silverware at her insistence.

For the first time since he'd claimed his life as his own, Raizo felt truly helpless. The feeling left a foul and bitter taste in his mouth. He watched his family scrambling around with shared purpose and tried to slow his rapidly increasing heartbeat. The conversation with Lady Ozuno kept replaying over and over in his mind. He had to have known this boy possibly before he was twisted into a sadistic killer. Ozuno had liked to pit his favorites against one another. So the monster's spawn was in his memory somewhere. He knew what needed to be done. It was the only thing he could do. Regardless of what it did to him, he would do it. Raizo spied Guy sitting atop a stool at the table in the far corner. The bespectacled man shifted nervously as he approached.

"What did you learn from the scroll?"

Guy gave a little sigh of relief then smiled cautiously.

"After careful study, I determined the document was primarily a procedural document on rules and … their subsequent punishments as deemed by the Clan. Nothing you have not lived through."

"Anything about a location?"

His posture straightened at the question. With an inquisitive lift of his brow, Guy shook his head. Razio had known the answer but cowardice had made him ask anyway. He took a deep breath squaring his shoulders.

"I don't remember all I've lived through. That is a problem. Can you help me?"

All movement and chatter ceased within the lab. Raizo didn't need his senses to feel everyone was now focused on him. Guy glanced anxiously at the others, no doubt concentrating on Mikhail. With an audible gulp, he agreed. Raizo pivoted to face his family taking in their apprehensive expressions.

"I want to remember this bastard's face. I need to remember."

Mika couldn't stop fidgeting so she switched to pacing the lab her attention centered on Guy as he prepared Raizo for hypnosis. She wasn't sure how she felt about the idea. On one hand, she was a little pissed off that he would subject himself to this right now considering the strain she knew was already weighing on him. On the other hand, he had a point. They'd thought the other children were safe in Europol's hands now that the organization knew about the threat. Mika finally understood something that Raizo had probably known from the beginning. The only blanket of safety they could provide came in the form of body bags for anyone involved. Shocking her to know that not only was she strangely comfortable with it, she demanded it.

"Uh, you are uh …familiar with meditation?" Guy asked in a tremulous voice jittery eyes casting Mikhail a sidelong glance.

At Raizo's nod, Guy seemed to steady himself. He removed a handkerchief from his back pocket and swept it over his sopping forehead before continuing.

"Alright then, this is how we will proceed. Put yourself into a meditative state. I will assist you into a deeper state of consciousness."

Raizo nodded. He immediately began to remove his shirt and shoes. Dropping a pillow to the stone floor, he sat in a kneeling position.

"Valentina, would you check pulse and heart rate then note the results during the procedure?"

The matriarch promptly grabbed her kit. Passing her husband, she dropped a kiss on his cheek before attending to the task. Mikhail merely grumbled under his breath as he had since they'd all been stunned by Raizo's request. The old man sighed and returned his attention to the computers. Mika joined him at the desk pulling out her old research notes on Petrovsky. She started reviewing every scrap with the hope that she had overlooked something, anything that would help them. After several annoyed sighs from Guy and a chuckle from Mikhail, Mika looked up to see Guy staring professorially at Raizo like he was a perplexing problem to be solved. One of the prepaid cell phones rang and Mika snatched it up.

"Anything new?"

Maslow sounded like he'd been a victim of an assault and battery case. She could barely recognize his mumbling voice let alone comprehend a single word he was uttering.

Trying not to disturb what was happening across the room, she whispered harshly into the phone.

"What!"

"Hang on, switch to vid."

A few seconds passed before the image of Ryan at the wheel of his car filled her screen. He had obviously mounted the phone on the dash and was still driving without the use of his hands. He was holding a bucket of chips to his mouth while eating and texting on a different cell phone with the steering wheel gripped between his thighs.

"What the Hell are you doing? Are you trying to get in an accident?"

"Mika, you don't need to worry about me," Ryan said after completing the text. "I don't have anything new on a location but I've got more info, thought it was worth a call."

"Of course but … where are you driving to like a maniac hot out of the asylum?"

"Part of why I called. First, there might be a hit on that name, Peter Maldovo. Appears someone from the CIA was viewing security footage of a checkpoint out of Songshan Airport and noticed him. I'm awaiting the video but I'll pass it on when I do."

"No need Dectective, I'm watching it now," Mikhail added cheerfully.

On screen, Ryan shook his head but there was a weary smile on his face.

"Anyway, he slid through security and boarded a flight to Tokyo International under the name Peter Morton. Also, the reason for my creative driving techniques, I got a call from the morgue. Former head of Europol gets a push to the front of the dead line, a fucking disgrace or not. It seems he was alive through most of the … cutting. Cause of death was a fatal stab to the heart with a long bladed weapon. Some of the wounds were cauterized so the poor bastard wouldn't bleed out too soon. His wife just left the morgue. Poor woman had to identify that body as her husband. For fuck sake Mika, I didn't see this coming. I never thought they'd go after Jameson."

"Neither did he apparently. Now he's dead. There was nothing you could have done."

"I know. You're right. There was one strange finding. His wife couldn't ID the watch he was wearing. By the light bruising around the wrist, the coroner doesn't think its Jameson's watch at all. I was on my way to a flight to Taipei to interview survivors when I got his call. I'll send you the picture he took."

"Okay, thanks. How are the survivors? Have you figured out who was taken?" Mika asked trying to keep her voice low despite her frayed nerves.

"All of them have various cuts and scrapes from the explosion but there are a few severe cases. The older male sustained two gunshot wounds but is listed as fair. One teenage boy suffered a broken arm, another one, a dislocated shoulder. Those kids fought when the shit started flying. A teenage girl and a boy, maybe nine years old, were the ones taken at the scene. Sadly, that's all I've got on my end. What about you?"

Mika was about to tell him about the plan to hypnotize Raizo. There was a mournful bay like a cross between a wail of pain and cry of despair. She bolted out of her chair her eyes fixing on him.

"What the bloody Hell was that?"

Mika distantly heard Ryan's question but her next word served as both answer and plea.

"Raizo"