Misaki stared blankly out into the wooded area that bordered the Hokkaido expressway, wondering where Abo had escaped to. Kouno was still questioning the cab driver; maybe he would have some answers, but for the time being, the invisible contractor was still on the loose. She shivered in the chill spring air, and wrapped her jacket more tightly around herself.

The Toyota's rear window rolled down a couple of inches, revealing a pair of brown eyes beneath curling dark hair and a pink baseball cap. "He wasn't in the car?" Aisha asked.

"No." Misaki glanced over at her. "I'll think some more about letting you have a service weapon, so that you don't have to stay behind next time."

The contractor's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'll take one for protection, but I think I'll stay behind anyway."

"What? Why?"

"I'm a wall mouse, not a striker."

Misaki frowned. "What does that mean?"

The window rolled all the way down as Kouno joined them, hands shoved glumly in his jacket pockets. "It means that my power is useless when it comes to either offense or defense," Aisha said. "Strikers are the ones who can fight - they can walk right up to someone who's pointing a gun at their face and not be worried."

"Like BK-201," Kouno commented off-handedly.

Aisha shrugged. "He's more of a shadow-striker; the most dangerous when you don't see him coming. Like Abo. I mean contractors like gravity users, or air manipulators. People who can kill you where you stand without hardly moving a muscle. Then there's the wall mice, like me. In a fight we're no better than any average human." She pulled her feet up onto the seat and rested her chin on her knees. "So we stay in the walls, where it's safe."

"So, what, you won't try to kill someone who's attacking you?" Kouno asked. "That doesn't sound much like a contractor."

"Oh no, I'll do my best to kill you, don't worry," the contractor said blandly. "I'll just have to use a gun or a knife like a normal person; but I'd rather run."

"I guess that's fair," Misaki sighed. "It's better than you being a liability, I suppose. Kouno, did the driver give you anything else?"

Her subordinate shook his head. "He didn't see anything. With that back window open, I'm guessing our guy climbed out the window; probably jumped as the cab slowed down to pull off tollway. Gutsy."

"That's far more than ordinary precaution and paranoia - he must have known we were on his tail." A guilty look crossed Kouno's face and she added quickly, "But not because of the surveillance; I was watching the monitors whole time, and he never reacted to anyone's presence. I think we still have a leak on the inside - someone tipped him off."

"Shit," Kouno swore. "Who? One of the Sapporo guys?"

Misaki's brow furrowed. "He was on the eleven forty-five flight from Tokyo; we landed at eleven. He was on his way here before we even met with Tou, before she sent that text to her handler. It had to have been someone at home." She sighed again. "Well, for better or worse, the Syndicate knows we're here."

Her stomach gave a loud rumble, reminding her that she hadn't eaten anything all day. All she wanted to do at the moment was eat a Hei-sized lunch, and follow it up with a long nap.

But she couldn't. There was too much work to do.

"So what's next, Chief?"

"Let's debrief Murai; we'll need his help tonight."

"We tailing Officer Tou to her meeting?"

That would be the logical next step, Misaki knew. The officer had probably been working for the Syndicate for years; she'd told them about Misaki and Kouno's interview. She was hardly an innocent bystander in this, and continued surveillance would give them the evidence that they needed to make a move on Tamade's warehouse - could get them those servers. It was the rational move.

It could also get Tou killed.

Misaki stared hard at the gravel shoulder of the highway as she made her decision. "Yes. But we're bringing her in first."

Her subordinate raised an eyebrow at that. "What charge can we arrest her on? We don't have any legit evidence -"

"We're bringing her into the operation."

"But, uh, Chief, she's been working with the Syndicate…"

Aisha was eying her shrewdly. "A contractor would agree to work with you, just to save his own skin. But humans are irrational; she might not want to cooperate."

"That's true," Misaki agreed. "She was working with the Syndicate, and we don't know where her loyalty lies. Trying to turn her back to our side could blow the whole operation. But Abo is most likely here to tie up loose ends. That might simply mean destroying the server subnet; or it could mean Tou." She took a deep breath. She wanted to find those servers, badly. But… "I can't take that risk."

"Right, Chief," Kouno said, still looking uncertain. Aisha didn't comment.

~~~~o~~~~

"My apologies, Director," Officer Tou had said when Misaki phoned, "but I - I haven't had any time to start looking through my old notes yet."

"I understand," Misaki replied, in as friendly tone as she could manage. "There's actually something else that I need your help with - I've already cleared it with your captain. I'll pick you up outside the station in ten minutes." Without waiting for an answer, she'd ended the call.

Now, she was escorting a very nervous and confused Tou up to the hotel room that they were using as an impromptu headquarters.

Misaki wasn't exactly feeling calm and collected herself. She had no desire to admit to her fellow officer the steps that she had taken to get to this point in the investigation; but there was no other way around it. Understanding was the only thing that she could hope for.

"You remember Detective Kouno," Misaki said as she ushered Tou into the room that she was sharing with Aisha.

Kouno, who sat at the desk hunched over one of Aisha's laptops, returned Tou's formal bow with a casual nod.

"And this," Misaki gestured to the woman who was lying on one of the two queen beds, blinking muzzily, "is Aisha. She's a contractor who my department has recently hired."

Tou froze mid-bow. "She's - she's - what?"

"A contractor. I apologize for her rudeness; we've been using her power liberally all day and she's exhausted." In truth, Aisha had sprawled out on the bed and fallen asleep as soon as they'd returned to the hotel. Misaki had felt too guilty to wake her; apparently she'd been too noisy entering the room. "I'd appreciate it if you would keep that news to yourself," she continued, perching stiffly on the edge of the other bed and crossing her legs. "I don't want it to become public knowledge just yet that Section Four has hired a contractor."

The contractor in question yawned widely and stretched; Tou took a reflexive step backwards. If Aisha noticed, she didn't say anything.

"I - of course." Tou glanced around the room. Kouno was seated in the only chair, one bed was occupied by the contractor - her only other option was to sit down next to Misaki. She chose to stand, Misaki noted with interest, leaning awkwardly against the bureau.

"I'm afraid I have to apologize for myself as well," Misaki said.

"Director?"

She took a deep breath, wondering what reaction her confession would yield. "I've been using Aisha's power to illegally tap your phone."

At first, the older woman's brow wrinkled in confusion. Then her eyes widened. "So…you saw…"

"Your text alerting someone in the Syndicate about our interview. Yes."

To Misaki's vast relief and uncomfortable sympathy, Tou's expression turned horrified. It was better than righteous indignation; but not by much.

"I - I can explain -" the officer began, but Misaki cut her off.

"I'm really not interested in your reasons at this point. These are the facts: The day before the Tokyo explosion, your phone received a call from Hourai Yoshimitsu, a member of the Syndicate's hierarchy. Your late husband did IT work for Tamade Shipping Company. Tamade has links to the Syndicate. Today, immediately after I questioned you about Tamade's connection to the Syndicate, you texted an unknown number about my visit. We haven't yet been able to identify the owner of that number - but whoever it is was frequently in contact with Hourai before his arrest. We have the call logs to prove it."

Tou was standing with her hands clasped, not meeting her eyes. Like a schoolgirl at first visit to the principal's office. But at Misaki's last statement, she glanced up, and Misaki saw a flash of understanding - and sudden defiance - cross her expression.

"You have logs to prove that Director Hourai called my phone once," Tou said, "and that he called this other number. But you just said that you've been tapping my phone…illegally."

Misaki nodded. "Yes. I need to find those servers, and all I have so far are conjectures and tenuous connections. So I resorted to a - a grayer area of the law." Before Tou could grab onto that lifeline, she continued, "My plan was to use this more…unorthodox method to gather enough evidence for a legal warrant to raid Tamade's warehouse. Unfortunately, someone tipped the Syndicate off about my trip here, before I even talked to you, and they've sent one of their cleaners."

"One of their…"

"Cleaners." Misaki had heard Hei use the word once - to describe himself. "Someone who cleans up loose ends."

"So this contractor is here to destroy these servers that you're after?"

"It's likely."

Tou's brow furrowed. "So you called me to try and coerce me into admitting some kind of criminal aiding and abetting, so that you can get a warrant to get into the warehouse ahead of him?"

"Yes," Misaki said. "Detective Murai has a detail keeping an eye out for the contractor outside the warehouse where we suspect the servers are located; but you're right, we can't legally do anything without some kind of probable cause. So I need you to tell me what exactly it is that you do for the Syndicate, and if you have any knowledge of the use of that warehouse."

The officer folded her arms. "I'm not admitting to anything, not unless you formally charge with something. And even then, I'm speaking to a lawyer first!"

"See?" Aisha said to the room at large. "Irrational."

Shit, she'd pushed to hard. If Tou decided to make a formal complaint, Misaki's ability to run the investigation would be seriously compromised.

Mind racing through her options, Misaki decided to play her Good Cop card. It had worked in the station. "I'm not going to charge you with anything," she said, firmly but gently. "And not just because I don't have any evidence that's admissible in court. The cleaner may be here to destroy the servers, but that's only one possibility. You have a meeting with your handler tonight; I'm afraid that this contractor is going to use the opportunity to kill you."

A look of panic crossed Tou's face. "What - me? Why?"

"If you could potentially tell me where the servers are, you're a liability to them. If they destroy the servers, you no longer have any use. I suppose it all comes down to how much you know - but the Syndicate didn't stay hidden for so long by being sloppy."

All of the fight seemed to drain from the officer, and she sagged visibly.

"Sit down," Misaki said, not unkindly, patting the spot next to her on the bed. After a moment, Tou took a few weak steps to the bed and sat lowered herself down.

Misaki picked up the folder that was resting on the bedside table and removed a paper printout of the airline's ticket information. "This is HG-139, code name Abo. He arrived in Sapporo two hours ago."

Tou took the paper and studied the poor color photo. "What's his - his magic power?"

"Invisibility." Misaki gave a frustrated sigh. "He was able to get away from us at the airport using it."

"Are you sure he's here to kill me?"

Her voice was calm and steady, Misaki noted with approval. "No. He may be here to destroy the servers. But it's a very high chance that you're his target as well."

"If he's invisible, how can I protect myself?"

"He'll be visible until he activates his power. When he does, we'll receive an alert from Tokyo. You'll stay here in protective custody while we stake out the meeting with your handler. If Abo shows up, visible, we'll catch him. If he activates his power, we'll know, and take steps to keep you safe. So here's the deal: you tell us everything that you know about the Syndicate, your handler, the servers - you'll still be charged with criminal activity, but you'll get off light. And we'll be able to use whatever you give us to take action."

"And if I don't tell you anything?" There was no defiance left in her voice, only a note a quiet defeat. "They - the Syndicate - told me once that if I ever talk, they'll - they'll kill Renji."

Misaki had anticipated that; even so, hearing the words from Tou sent a wash of cold fear over her. "Your son will be safe, I promise. The information that you give us could be the key to taking down whatever's left of the organization. There won't be anyone to come after either of you if this goes well. And if it doesn't, we can still protect you." Tou still looked doubtful, so Misaki added, "You've heard that I arrested my father for his involvement with the Syndicate?"

Eyes widening slightly, Tou nodded.

"Do you think they didn't make the same threats to him? Do you think that I would have done it if there was even a chance he'd be in danger?" Misaki ignored the sour twisting of her stomach. The two situations weren't at all comparable; as far as she knew, the Syndicate hadn't made that threat to her father. But she needed Tou's cooperation. A little white lie would be worth it, to find the servers and keep the woman safe. "Well? What's your decision?"

"It's not much of a choice," Tou said bitterly. "You'll still charge me, even if I cooperate fully? I'll lose my job - how can I ever explain that to Renji?"

"I can't make exceptions. You have been taking money from the Syndicate in exchange for whatever it is exactly that you've been doing for them. But at least you can tell your son that you did the right thing in the end."

The other woman was silent for a long, long moment. Then at last, she nodded. "Alright. I'll tell you what I know. I just - I'm afraid it won't be much."

Misaki smiled in grim relief. "Anything helps. First, and most important: can you confirm that the Syndicate is storing servers in one of Tamade's warehouses?"

"I - I can't."

Kouno's head snapped up from the laptop. "Hang on! You just said -" but Misaki raised her hand and cut him off.

"What do you mean?" she demanded.

Tou shook her head. "I don't know where the servers are; not positively. It's possible that they're in one of Tamade's warehouses, likely even. But I was never told. I only access them remotely."

"Alright," Misaki said, struggling to keep her impatience from showing. "Let's start at the beginning. When and how did the Syndicate recruit you?"

"They actually recruited my husband first," Tou said softly. "He'd just started working for Tamade, setting up their inventory tracking system. Someone from the company said he had a friend who was willing to pay for a private project. It was a lot of money, which we needed at the time. So he agreed. My husband died in a car accident a month after he finished the project; at his funeral, a man I'd never met before approached me and said that he needed someone who could check up on the system occasionally. Maintenance tasks, basic debugging. Things I knew how to do. He told me how much he was willing to pay, and, well, I had Renji to think about. I had just joined the police, but the entry level salary was so low…"

"Car accident, huh?" Aisha spoke up abruptly, her tone mild.

Misaki narrowed her eyes. "Does that detail mean anything to you?" she asked the contractor, though she thought she knew what she was getting at.

Aisha shrugged. "Not really. Guy finishes an important project for the Syndicate, then dies in an accident. They do that kind of thing a lot."

"Are you saying that the Syndicate had my husband killed?" Tou snapped, jumping to her feet, hands clenched at her sides.

Aisha flinched back. "I don't know. I just wouldn't be surprised if they did."

"Those - those bastards!"

"That's an investigation for another time," Misaki said firmly. "This man, the one who recruited you. Is he the one you texted this morning?"

The other woman nodded. She was breathing heavily with anger, but she sat back down on the bed and crossed her arms. "He's the only one from the Syndicate I've ever met. We rarely meet in person; I don't even know his name."

"Can you describe him?"

"One seventy-one centimeters in height, about seventy kilos," Tou answered in the immediate, sure tone of an experienced cop. "Middle-aged, probably early forties. Keeps his hair hidden under a baseball cap. No facial hair or distinguishing marks."

Baseball cap. An icy shiver ran down Misaki's spine. That didn't mean anything. Tou's description was of a completely ordinary, average-looking man. It could simply be a coincidence that this matched the description that Hei had given her of the man who'd been keeping an eye on his team; the man who'd taken those photographs. And for all she knew, all the Syndicate's handlers wore baseball caps. Aisha wore one, for god's sake. Coincidence.

But Misaki had long since stopped believing in coincidences. "Kouno," she said, "do you have the log from the handler's phone?" Aisha had downloaded it on their drive back to the hotel; the phone had turned out to be in the name of an elderly Korean woman. A stolen identity, no doubt.

"Sure, Chief."

"Check and see if any of the numbers contacted belong to someone named Kuno Kiyoshi."

"Who?"

"Just check."

"Right. I, uh, might need Aisha's help though, if you want it fast. Not all these numbers have names listed on the accounts."

Misaki glanced over at the contractor. Priorities, she reminded herself, with great difficulty. This one could wait. "Make a note of it; we'll get to it when we have time." Turning back to Tou, she said, "So you accessed the servers remotely. What exactly did you do?"

"I…did whatever they asked me to. Usually it was just running the usual maintenance programs, or installing a patch - that they would provide me with. I never needed to visit the site, so I never found out where it was."

"And the day before the Tokyo Explosion, when Hourai called you - what did he want?"

"I didn't know it was Director Hourai, actually. I'd never gotten instructions from that number before, but he had the right passcodes so I didn't question it. He told me to take the servers offline - indefinitely."

Misaki's heart sank, but she forced herself to ignore her emotions. "Indefinitely? Can you bring them back online?"

Tou shook her head. "I only had the commands to shut them down. To bring them back online - as far as I understand it, anyway - someone would have to do it manually."

"From the site, you mean," Misaki said dully. She turned to Aisha. "Can you -"

"Nope. Not if they're offline. I could talk to them if I was physically touching them," the contractor shrugged, "but there's nothing I can do remotely."

"Shit - so we're back where we started. No confirmation that the servers are in the warehouse, and no probably cause to raid it." It was times like these when Misaki especially missed the freedom that had come with working with Hei, taking those little shortcuts around the law that were necessary and justifiable, given the circumstances. It had rankled at the time, true, but now that she no longer had that freedom it was more aggravating that she would have expected.

"Time to go back to plan B, Chief?"

Misaki glanced up at Kouno. "Plan B?"

Her subordinate shrugged. "The meeting with Tou's handler. A good old-fashioned stakeout."

Misaki sighed. "Unfortunately, that does look like our best bet. This guy will probably have something useful for us, and if Abo does show up to try and kill Tou, we may be able to nab him as well. The only problem is that both of them might bail when she doesn't show. Tou, do you -"

"What do you mean, when I don't show?" Tou demanded. Misaki narrowed her eyes at the woman's tone, but she didn't back down. "Of course I'll be there - it would compromise the operation, otherwise!"

"Your safety is my priority," Misaki said. "If Abo is here to kill you, he'll most likely attempt it at that meeting. So I can't let you anywhere near it."

Tou stood up, drawing herself up to her full, shorter-than-Misaki height and holding her arms stiffly at her sides. "I'm an officer of the law. It's my duty to protect the innocent from people like the Syndicate. I accepted that risk when I joined the National Police Agency. Besides," she added, her voice a little quieter, "this is partly my responsibility. I took money from them to protect my family, against what I knew to be right. If I have to lose my job because of that, even go to jail, I want my son to know that I at least tried to do the right thing in the end."

Misaki gave her a long, hard look, considering. It was a serious risk - more than Tou probably understood. It was also their best shot at gaining any leads in this case. "I'll leave the choice up to you," she said at last. "If you're sure you want to do it, then fine. If not, you are in no way obligated. In fact I would prefer it if you stayed here, in protective custody."

"I'm doing it."

"Irrational," Aisha commented to herself as she leaned back against the pillows, arms behind her head.