Chapter 26: Clintflaire's Demand
After talking with Hidoshi, Rock went to the wide stair, now full of dust and concrete crumbs from the cracked ceiling. Nicole was wrapping bandage around Roberta's torso. Roberta was half-naked, the upper part of her maid's uniform down to her waist. The dim lighting did not render the complete appearance of her breasts, but their size was visible in silhouette. Rock accidentally glimpsed at them, believing that she was wearing something beneath her blue uniform. He slightly panicked, quickly turning around, unsure how to react.
"I-I'm sorry," Rock said. "I didn't mean to see."
Roberta's usually blank face registered uncertainty. With a look, she urged Nicole to hurry up, turning away a little to try to hide her body. Nicole did not know where to place Roberta's reaction. She looked at Roberta, inquiringly. Roberta held her gaze. Nicole took it as a pleading than a warning and went a little faster. She finished. Hastily, Roberta fixed herself and cleared her throat. She rubbed the remaining glass of her bifocal with the hem of her uniform's skirt. As she secured the bifocal on her nose ridge, she said:
"I apologize that I've appeared vulgar in front of you, Okajima-san."
Rock felt his spine straighten as if her voice induced current through it. "No, no. It was my mistake."
Roberta remained firm. "I promise not to be indiscreet again." She loudly beat at her skirt with her open palms to shake off dust even though there was none. "Again, I apologize."
Rock gulped. "If you must hit me, hit me. I think—" He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked behind him and—
Roberta slapped him so hard it left his ear ringing. Nicole cringed as if feeling the pain herself.
"Ooh," Nicole groaned. "That should hurt."
"I'm sorry I had to do that. I was so embarrassed."
Rock forced a smile, but it turned out looking goofy. He waved his hands in front of him as he said, "I think it was necessary."
Roberta nodded. Rock, with his eyes, asked Nicole what to do. Nicole opened her mouth, but the only thing that came off it was the sound of fast intake of air as Alesha suddenly poked her head, her white hair cascading over her face, out the basement door, yelling:
"Guys, in here!" Her call broke the tension. "I know how we can get out."
"Hidoshi just told me about a backdoor. Is that what you've found?" Rock said.
The excitement on Alesha's countenance vanished. "Hidoshi. So he knew."
"What?"
"Let's get going. I'll show you where it is."
"Wait," Nicole said. "We haven't been introduced, yet."
Alesha stared at her. After a few moments of consideration, she came out and faced her. She was now wearing white T-shirt, tight jeans, and boots, explicitly showing her excellent proportions and posture.
"I'm sorry. My name is Alesha Donovan." She offered her hand.
Nicole took it. "I'm Nicole Greene. Nice to meet you."
Alesha turned to Roberta, hand still raised. "Alesha Donovan."
Roberta took it and squeezed it. "Roberta."
Alesha faced Rock. "I think I don't need to get acquainted with you, anymore. I know you like the back of my hand." Rock did not react. Alesha faced the women. "Okay. Now that we're properly acquainted, let's go."
"Wait," Nicole said.
"What now?" Alesha asked.
"Only us?"
"What do you mean 'only us'? Of course, it's only us."
"Are we leaving the children?" Nicole asked this to Rock.
"They're in bad condition." Rock said. "Besides, Hidoshi said help is coming. They'll be here any minute."
"What if the enemy came first? Rock, I can't leave them alone. Please. We should at least wait until help arrives."
"That's the reason why Hidoshi and his companions are staying behind. Trust them."
"Miss Green, there's also the risk that Okajima-san and I will get in trouble if the police sees us. We are internationally wanted criminals," Roberta added.
"You will be a burden, anyhow, however deep is your concern for them," Alesha said.
"No. You don't understand what you're talking about. I'm staying." Nicole turned around and stomped away.
A blur of motion and Roberta was in front her. Roberta punched her in the stomach. She gaped at the pain; the punch drained her of strength. Her knees buckled and she fainted.
"I'm sorry," Roberta told Rock.
Rock shook his head. "Don't be. I would have done that myself. Give her to me."
Roberta heaved Nicole's limp body over her shoulder. "I'll carry her. It's the least I can do to make up to what I've done."
"You're injured."
"As you are. Please, Okajima-san."
It took Rock a moment to reply. "Okay."
"So? Let's go?" Alesha said.
Rock and Roberta nodded.
The stair looked dim because only the 10-watt emergency lights were on. But, the dead bodies that Roberta had left behind were still visible in the semi-darkness. Roberta's eyes were burning with cold flame. In that place, her earlier captivity forced her to use a method she would have never used otherwise to escape if she had had a choice. She didn't understand why it now mattered to her so much. In her younger years, it could have been just a normal method. Her eyes trailed off towards Rock's wide back.
Rock glanced at her over his shoulder. "Is she heavy?"
Roberta was startled. "Huh? What was that?"
Alesha pinched Rock on his side.
"Ow!"
"Even though I don't like her much, it's not polite to ask that of a lady."
"I didn't mean to be rude. I'm just concerned about Roberta."
Roberta felt the beginning of panic. Her heart rate slightly increased.
"You could have just said 'Are you okay?' or 'Won't you really change your mind?'" Alesha said.
"Okay, fine." He turned to Roberta. "If you're tired or your injury starts to hurt, tell me, okay?"
Roberta avoided his eyes. "Sure." Unexpectedly, she stepped on a large pebble on a step and lost her balance. She tried to regain it, but Nicole's weight made it harder for her. Rock got to her side, lifted Nicole off her shoulder, and hooked his free arm around her waist. She felt her ears getting hot, and there was no way of denying that embarrassment caused the reddening of her face. Her face was so close to Rock. Roberta pinched Rock's arms off her. "I'm all right, thank you. I don't want to think that you're taking advantage of me, and it's not that I'm new to it since Master Garcia has tried naughty things to me before. However, it's not morally acceptable for a man a girl doesn't have a relationship with to be overly intimate with her. Please keep that in mind." She straightened up. "Since you're that concerned about me, I might as well grant what you wished."
Rock could just gape as she walked past him.
Alesha noticed something in Roberta's actions, but she decided to keep quiet about it. Rock, on the other hand, fixed Nicole on his back piggyback style.
They reached the basement. The door of the room where Roberta had been imprisoned earlier lay ajar. She felt her hair standing up on its end while looking at it. She looked away and gritted her teeth. In front of them, a junction.
"There's an elevator, right turn, but power is too low," Alesha said. "We take the stairs. Pick up some weapons."
"Would you mind, Roberta?" Rock said. He indicated that he couldn't bend over because Nicole was on his back.
Roberta threw him a ferocious look. Rock flinched. She went to the dead thugs, rummaged for a gun and some ammo for Rock and herself, came back, and handed over one pistol to him.
Rock gingerly collected the gun from her hand. "Thanks."
Alesha cocked her pistol. "You two are seasoned fighters so you already know what to expect. Roberta and I will cover the front, you stay behind us, you understand?"
Rock nodded and they were off. They spent the whole fifteen-minute climb up the stair in silence.
They emerged into a large tunnel fifteen meters in diameter. Wastewater flowed down a wide canal that branched out into a T in the distance. Dim golden lighting cased in rectangular wire mesh poorly illuminated the place. The place stank of human excretions.
"This way," Alesha said. She started walking towards the direction of the canal intersection. "This place used to be my playground when I was younger. I won't lose my way here even in darkness."
Ten minutes passed. Alesha turned into a narrow alleyway. They emerged into a large wide space that was completely dark.
"I can't sense any presence," Alesha said. "Wait here." Alesha ran into the darkness.
Rock stood still, not relying on the silence of the place. Roberta's eyes were closed. In the distance, on the ceiling, a blue speck of light glowed. Rock heard a fast transition of single beeps in the stillness. He was sure the blue light came from a keypad. Then there was a loud hissing and groaning of metals. A line of white light appeared on the ceiling. It grew in width and finally ended up being a big, square hole. Its size was enough to accommodate a car. The light of the moon rushed in, revealing an inclined pavement.
"Come on!" Alesha mouthed, beckoning them forward.
Roberta and Rock ran crouching, pistols ready at their sides. They stopped at the top of the pavement and nodded at Alesha. Alesha nodded back.
"Okay, let's go," Alesha muttered.
Rock remained behind. Alesha and Roberta came out from the hole, quickly moving into position, arms extended, eyes extremely alert for movements. Alesha sprinted towards a column. Roberta did the same but towards the opposite direction. They waited.
They were inside an empty building. The light of the moon entered through a long set of small windows twelve feet high. The ventilation fan slowly rotated on its axle. It was cold.
Alesha whistled twice, calling for Rock. Rock came out from the opening.
"I guess there's no one—" Alesha cut herself. It was unmistakable. There was someone in there.
Roberta was instantly in front of Rock, killer's eyes glaring. However, Rock was already on the move. He put Nicole down and went for who it might be behind the darkness. He was fast.
"Okajima-san!" Roberta called out, but, abruptly, she became distracted by an incoming danger. She turned about and raised her gun. She saw a bullet hole on the floor just beside Nicole's face.
The sound of the shot stopped Rock on his tracks.
"Yes, that's the wise thing to do." Rod Clintflaire came out from behind a column and faced them. He had his hat on. He was wearing a black trench coat and holding onto the tip of his cane. He was black, making his dangerous eyes more prominent under the silver light of the moon. "I can take you on, but you won't be able to protect them. Snipers surround this place."
Rock held the point of his pistol at Rod's face. "I can kill you—"
"You won't try, I know. Bluffs are pointless, Mr. Cold Knife. Those people are important to you, don't they?"
A beat and then Roberta dashed to grab Nicole. However, before she could succeed, a bullet went through her right upper arm.
Rock stood still. He was thinking. The glint of the moon was like blade in his eyes.
Rod matched that glare with his own fearsome eyes. "One more wrong move, your sleeping beauty will die."
They had stared off for a couple of seconds more before Rock threw his gun away. He raised his hand and Alesha lowered her pistol. "What do you want?"
Rod grinned. "Before anything else let me introduce myself. I'm Rod Clintflaire, one of the Black Arms Society's Board of Directors. I'm in-charge of an upcoming transaction we will have with the American Mafia's McLennard Court. I'm here for the disk Nicole stole from us. Just the disk. I know you have it, and you know what significance it has for her and for us. However, I assure you that for her it will only serve as her father's keepsake, nothing more, while for us it will ensure peace in the whole New York City. Compared to what she has already done, this is too humble a price for her to pay."
"If I give you the disk, will you leave her alone?"
"I will leave her alone."
"That means she will not be entirely safe."
"Listen, Mr. Cold Knife. Black Arm Society is a large, powerful group. Nicole did something without regard to its consequence. The entire organization already had knowledge of this. They have been really itching to make a move, but I told them I'd handle this myself. If you give me the disk, I will give you enough time to escape. That's the best I can do."
"How can I trust you?"
"I know you can't, but you should."
"Give me time."
Rod grinned. "I understand. The transaction will take place two weeks from now. I need the disk two days before the date. A day later, the deal is off. You know what will happen afterwards. And keep this in mind. When we do things, we do things thoroughly. I don't care who they are as long as they have been with you. Remember that."
"I understand."
"Good. Oh, by the way, I have to thank you for the job well done. Claire is not my jurisdiction so I can't really touch it. I wanted to crush this branch myself. Thank you."
Rock snorted. "I never thought you'd think of destroying a profitable business yourself."
"I had saved lives before as a soldier. I can tolerate helping people who want to destroy themselves, but I can't stand destroying the innocence of children." A pause. "I'll contact you before the deadline."
"I'll be waiting."
When he was sure Rod was gone, Rock sprinted towards Roberta. He knelt beside her. Seeing her wound, he ripped the sleeve of his shirt. "Let's stop the bleeding." He noticed that Roberta had already wrapped her arm with a part of her skirt. It had been a bad job.
"I'm okay," Roberta said. She pushed herself up against the column. Blood trickled on the floor. "Go to Nicole."
"I got her," Alesha said. She was beside Nicole.
"Roberta, you're not okay," Rock said.
"I'm okay—"
Rock pulled her left arm to make her sit. Roberta's butt hit the concrete with a thump. Rock quickly started wrapping her wound.
"This is not a big deal. I'm okay."
"You're not. You might be an assassin and you're used to these kinds of wounds, but you can't tell me you're okay when I know you're not."
"I don't want your help! I can take care of myself! I don't want to burden you more than I already do! Do you understand that?"
Rock put pressure on the makeshift bandage. Roberta let out a soft cry. "The hell with what you think! You're wounded and I can do something about it. That's all I think about."
"I will not be able to repay your kindness. I don't want that feeling."
"Then pay me with what you can. Hell, pay with your body for all I care!"
Alesha threw a rock at his head.
Rock looked over his shoulder. "What was that about?"
Alesha glared at him. "Mind your words, asshole."
"What?"
"Hmph!"
Grunting, he turned back at Roberta. He secured the end of the cloth in place. "There—"
Roberta collared him and pulled him into a kiss. Rock's eyes widened in surprise. Roberta deepened the kiss until Rock could barely breathe. Alesha was in shock.
"I know it's not enough, but please be patient," Roberta said. "I need to prepare myself for the remaining balance."
Rock could only stare as she stood up and walked away. Slowly, he returned his gaze to the column where Roberta had been leaning. Still in shock, he looked up at the ceiling and asked, "What the hell was that?"
To be continued…