True Manipulation Chapter 25: Behind the Scenes
The moment she and Ritsu entered the car she knew she was in for an unhappy ride. Ritsu would not stop glaring in her direction. Having Huni, Chika, and Akito drop in on her wasn't the highlight of her day either.
She seemed indignant; she couldn't control what other people did: "This isn't my fault, you know!"
His eyes darkened, "Believe me, I know you aren't to blame."
"Can you stop glaring at me then?"
"I am not glaring at you; I am merely disgusted with my own damnable luck."
She looked puzzled over what he was complaining about, "Eh?"
"My security allowed three people to get close to you that shouldn't have been able to get into the building, let alone within speaking distance of you."
She thought it prudent not to mention the fact that at some point Huni might be "dropping in" on them in the future. "I'm sorry that our 'dates' never seem to go well."
He punched the seat and shouted, "Bloody Ootori's!"
She gave him a pointed look. She was an Ootori and one of those 'bloody Ootori's' was her husband. He still glared in her direction, "I can't even get proper payment out of you, this time I want cold, hard, cash!" He started to mutter to himself incoherently and she decided to leave him alone.
She called Kyouya in the morning promptly at 10, thanks to her new clock.
"Ootori Kyouya."
"Hello Kyouya."
"Ah Haruhi, how are you this morning?"
"fine." I haven't stopped thinking of you since I left. I can't sleep at night, and I'm constantly afraid something is going to happen to you. Being away from you is killing me, but other than someone wanting to murder me, I am tip-top. Her melancholy thoughts were growing more impatient by the minute when she was not with him. At least when they had been fighting she had her anger to hold onto, now there was only emptiness and worry.
"What did you do last night?"
"Oh it was a quiet night, some soup and that kind of thing." Great; that definitely didn't make any sense. There had been soup at dinner but that seemed like an odd detail to tell your husband. She didn't want him to know she had gone out somewhere, since that was the entire reason she could not be in hiding with him. "What did you do?"
"Yesterday I went back to our house to have it cleaned from top to bottom. I checked the mail and noticed that our wedding photos were finally here. That idiot of a man should be put out of business. Do you know how many months it has been? So I sat in front of the fire place looking them over, and …wait a minute, are you lying to me?"
Oh no. May-day! "Why do you say that?" Haruhi sounded nervous to her own ears and realized she had just reinforced his suspicions.
"I just remembered what a horrible liar you are and that normally you would defend yourself. 'No Kyouya I had some damn soup and I did work, what else could I be possibly be doing while I have been in hiding?' Do you have anything to say about this?" She could hear the anger and accusations in his voice.
"I definitely had soup for dinner."
"More like with dinner Haruhi, where did you go?" He was hissing his answers, this was not a good sign.
"Why would you say I went somewhere? I can't really be seen out in public."
"That is a very evasive answer, counselor. Try again." His words were no longer angry but controlled, too controlled. When Kyouya seemed indifferent something was very wrong.
"I had dinner with Ritsu." Her answers were becoming more clipped, not with irritation because she knew Kyouya's sharp mind had already picked up on things she didn't want him to know.
"That doesn't tell me where."
"I'm not sure where." she sighed, she was tired but not able to sleep. She never resorted to lying until now, this was not who she was and she would say no more.
"But you did go somewhere?"
She said nothing, refusing to try lying to her husband anymore.
"DAMN YOU HARU!" He slammed the phone down, and she caught the bite of the dial tone.
A Room with a View
Central Tokyo
10:30 pm
"So you are telling me that I need to wiggle my way back into the spotlight?"
The tall man paced in front of their bed. "She is being kept very well hidden and I need to draw her out."
"I thought you said she was with Kasanoda-san."
"Yes, she is, but he has nearly 7 men at any moment in time watching her like a hawk, and besides he owns 10 houses in Japan and another 3 outside, she could be anywhere." He made an impatient noise at her lack of competency. Naoko had her amusements, but they were wearing thin. Men coveted her body, but there was nothing pleasurable about a pretty package that had no vast intelligence to speak of. Naoko Yamalina had become increasingly clingy, and those who lived by unethical practices understood you needed a partner who could just as easily think their way out of trouble; going on a 3 million dollar shopping spree to ward off any further suspicion; not the brightest crayon in the box. Now, Kyouya's wife, she had much to be desired: above average intelligence, a willowy figure, an excellent education, and grit. She had grown from nothing. It was unfair really that Kyouya had been able to steal that from him as well. If only she hadn't drawn Kyouya's notice, she might be on his arm instead. There was only one thing he couldn't stand about Fujioka Haruhi and that was her sense of decency. She was cunning, but would step on no one. She had far too much character in his opinion, if only he could corrupt her. There would be no sweeter victory than to watch the pedestal Kyouya Ootori put his wife on, crumble. He smiled faintly at the idea.
She noticed his faraway expression and spoke louder than necessary just to irritate him, "So tell me how risking myself in close proximity of Kyouya, helps you?"
Must you ask questions? "If we can stir up enough media attention we can bring her out of hiding."
"How do you know she even cares enough to be bothered?"
You haven't seen the way he looks at her, as if she is the only woman in the world. But when she looks at him the ordinary leaves her eyes, they tend to take on a brilliance I can only describe as fiery. She is passionately drawn to Kyouya and she looks at him with interest when every other man only invites normalcy, no spark. "The last rift you caused with those hastily put together photographs nearly caused them to split indefinitely. I can't explain how they reconciled again shortly after, but we had enough ammunition to keep Kyouya fired up, but she reacts differently with ice and indifference, when she is in question. She is hard to play, but she is devoted to Kyouya. The claws will come out when you place him in a similar situation."
"Haruhi never publicly reacts to anything. She is really just an icicle; I honestly don't see the attraction."
You wouldn't, stupidity is a trait you display more and more in my presence. Perhaps instead of permanently taking care of Fujioka I could take her out of legal existence. If a person disappears without a trace she could potentially, be forgotten. He smiled wickedly at trading in Naoko for a much, much better model; a person who would be more resistant to his charms. The mental and physical acceptance is always much sweeter, after a long, hard battle of wills.
"I don't see why you just don't kill her and be done with it."
"It is not that easy as you have seen. Besides, she has so much more potential serving under me. A quick death would not serve my purpose in any case. Granted, she is the most important piece in Kyouya's world but death may not be the slowest agony he can face. Death may just be much too easy for him."
Naoko was aghast at the thought of him favoring another. She had been in love with him for far too long to let another woman be allowed into his bed. What was so special about Fujioka Haruhi anyways? This would not do at all; perhaps, she could covertly make sure that instead of being kidnapped Haruhi received a bullet. A person does not like to be usurped in their own kingdom. "What do you need me to do?" Obedience had always won him over. He liked his women to be firmly in the background when he was plotting. She had already stepped on far too many people to be the only object of his adoration; another person would not be tolerated.
"Make it seem like you and Kyouya are long lost lovers, if would be really nice if you could find some definitely compromising ones. We need to attract some definite attention. I will take care of everything else."
"Have you thought of the possibility that she may be diseased?"
He turned around so sharply to look at her lazing in their bed. He was completely focused on her, "I am listening."
"I have heard a rumor that Haruhi was found after fainting next to her desk. Her secretary is worried that she may be sick since she has not been seen for many days."
"It's flu season, that doesn't mean anything…could she…Hmmn that is definitely a twist. My, My Kyouya. It's just too perfect; I will want to be absolutely sure."
She watched him fascinated. His whole demeanor changed, he actually looked happy. "What are you on about now?"
"A child; not just any child, but Kyouya's child. What better force is there than a mother's love for her child? A woman who will do anything you ask of her to save that child. What greater loss is there than a man's wife and his child. It's perfect!" He was laughing and doing a little happy dance.
Break down: Kyouya loses wife and child, he gains Kyouya's wife to do what he pleases with. This new picture was not working out for Naoko Yamalina. She liked being Queen Bee, and there was no room for second best in her master's bedroom. She wasn't one to sit around and wait for scraps. She'd be damned to bring a child into this mess as well. She did have some principles. It appeared she had her own planning to perform.
Haruhi's day had started off with little excitement. Other than an angry phone call with Kyouya, and two shorter clipped reportings she had little to do with anything but work. She found herself going on day 4 without sleep, and it was wearing on her. She was dizzy and eating was not solving the problem. She was encouraged to sleep, but the minute she let herself slip off she relived the terror. She pulled herself awake and kept working. She had two days before trial and there was still too many holes in the case unaccounted for. She printed documents, she faxed documents it was all a haze. She called her secretary briefly to tell her that she faxed over the documents that needed to be filed and brought to the court clerk's for the Tetsyu case. She sent out Ritsu's agents with some other documents to the Toyko courthouse to be seen only by the judge preceding the case. Haruhi had faxed a permission that was granted to allow all evidence to stay at the courthouse until trial. She needed to make one more phone call before she went to sleep.
"Moshi, Moshi Kashoda."
"Hello, this is Haruhi."
"Oh Hello." Polite, controlled, not especially happy to have a call.
"You do not sound happy to hear from me."
"It depends on what you are going to ask me to do now." Still polite, more wary of what this conversation might entail.
"I just wanted to make sure you were well rested for trial on Thursday."
"Well Rested?! I just had to sit down my wife and tell her I might lose my job."
"Surely not?" Her naivety to her husband's work ethics are astounding.
"Kyouya blew his top when he found out I was allowing the company to be dragged through the court system against his express wishes, it was extraordinary you told me to take that vacation and he actually approved it!"
"You needed to be inaccessible if he started asking questions."
"I am telling you Ootori Kyouya Fires people for less provocation."
"We could always start our own practice."
"ABSOLUTELY NOT! I'm nearly 50 years old right now, and I'm strung so tight I'm bound to die of a heart attack if I continue to work with you."
"I will figure something out; your service to me will not go unrewarded."
"I'm entirely afraid of that."
"Listen things are only going to get worse…"
"Worse? Worse?! What the hell have you done now?" The accusation stung, but was not unwarranted in her opinion.
"Listen I was nearly…assassinated the other night. Have you received any type of death threats against you?"
"No why?" His voice was starting to panic.
"That means he knows exactly what is going on, his intelligence rivals my own." Before she could start analyzing what this meant he cut in.
"What does this mean Mrs. Ootori?"
"Listen I can't tell you…"
"Shinque! I need an anacid! I think I'm dying, SHINQUE!" He was yelling for his wife in the background. Why did men have to be so dramatic?
"Kashoda-san is there someplace safe you can keep your wife and family while we are at trail in Tokyo? Preferably outside Japan?"
"Outside…OUTSIDE! I should never have listened to you." His mind was reeling a hundred miles a second. All the horrors were crashing over him in waves.
"Be that as it may. You are safe for the time being, until you become privy to the information that I hold. This will not happen until trial. I need you to take your family someplace safe."
"I don't?..." He couldn't make too many coherent thoughts as his brain went into overload.
"What if I find someplace and get back to you?"
He was silent, so she plowed on, "Kashoda-san I wouldn't tell your wife about this."
"As Always Mrs. Ootori." His words barely concealed his rage.
She hung up with him, feeling guilty for dragging so many people into this. She wanted to call and check on her father, but his phone may be tapped. Ritsu thrust open her door with a big grin on his face. As soon as the door opened she could hear the partying noises from down the hallway.
"Are you drunk?"
'Perhaps. The men and I are celebrating our good fortune."
Men really never did need a real reason to drink to excess, "What did you do now?" Mori and Huni were right to have serious safety concerns. At the moment this house was supposed to be unoccupied, so as not to draw attention to itself. Did no one think the neighbors wouldn't notice the loud noise in a vacant house?
"Not too much, but we have located a few prisoners…the special underground Ootori kind." His eyes danced in drunken glee as he began to sway and whistle.
She wasn't sure she should be pleased by this. "And?"
"Well you are going to help us spring them and then we can interview one about 'he who shall not be named."
"I can see a lot of flaws on this."
"I haven't even told you the plan yet." He was exasperated by her less than gracious reply.
"I'm not so sure I want to hear it." She sighed and sat down asking him to ring for some calming tea first.
Double Chapter, My apologies on the wait.