XXVII – White
Early morning on the first day of winter, at the reception of the largest hospital in the area, a woman walked with a worried look on her face. In truth, her expression was natural – it would be her first mission of this kind. The woman looked ordinary, not drawing anyone's attention. She had her platinum blonde hair in a careless ponytail with some shorter strands framing her square face. Her eyes were small and green, her nose a little too big to be considered elegant. Her lips were thin and bare, bitten a couple of times just enough for them to swollen slightly and give her a pout. The white of her eyes was covered in thin red lines, not because of crying but because of the late night meeting with her newest associate.
"Hello, excuse me, could you please help me?" she addressed one of the three women at the reception. "Is there… Is there any chance you have someone unidentified in this hospital? My fiancé had a car accident last night. He fell off the bridge just outside town. Oh, please! I'm desperate! I've been searching for him in every hospital. I don't even know if he's alive…"
"Calm down, miss, please. I am going through the database. Please wait…"
With her heart trembling in anxiety and joy, Bianca waited to hear the room in which she would find her target. It seemed her act had been believable so far. Only one problem…
"Miss? It seems the man had some papers with him. Can you give me his name and birth date?"
Turning pale all of a sudden, the woman was left without an answer. She had been told her target would be unidentified…
"Danny Stanford," she spat out the first name that came to her mind, "July 23rd. Is he here?"
"I apologize…" the one at the reception shook her head.
Bianca already knew the answer, though this was only a distraction meant to get her out of the hospital. She needed to know that man's name and birthday… Cursing the Snake for not giving her enough information, she walked out and immediately called him.
'Already done?' he answered.
"Like hell I am! You never mentioned I needed to know his name and birthday! They won't tell me the room. And now my disguise is spoiled!"
'Calm down and return to me. We are going to fix this.'
Around the same time, the Dragon was waiting for Namikawa Reiji to join him for breakfast with his final answer. Although tired, he still hoped to look like his usual self – strong, calm, and perfectly in control of any situation. He had twice as many guards scattered through the area, most of them in the restaurant of the hotel and at the entrance, disguised as civilians.
The waiter led his possible associate to the table and took their order. The Dragon had bought this waiter's loyalty, he was his personal waiter whenever he entered the restaurant. The man agreed immediately – who wouldn't? The Dragon gave him three unofficial salaries a month and being someone's personal servant meant he didn't have to run between six to ten tables of moody, arrogant clients. It also meant that at the end of the month, the lucky waiter would be paid by both the hotel and the Dragon.
"Good morning, sir," his younger possible associate greeted him, to which the Dragon responded with a nod.
"Good morning. I hope the room service was to your liking?"
"Impeccable, as expected," the younger responded. "I have made my decision. Of course, I had discussed this with my father."
The Dragon waited patiently for the other to continue. It seemed none of them appreciated useless small talk. He was pleased to see the other cutting to the point so soon.
"I will need a complete analysis of the current situation and of every company's progress over the past two years. I also wish to see reports from every company's sales responsible, who I suppose will be my subordinates…" Reiji Jr. stopped for a moment, waiting for the approval of his superior.
"You will have everything you've asked so far by the end of the following week. Anything else?" At last, the Dragon had some reason to feel calm.
"I will wish to see the hierarchy in the corporation. At a first glance, it seems there are incapable people in leading positions, making unprofitable decisions. I believe if I will be allowed to replace those under-qualified, preferably with others from the corporation who are already familiar with the environment, we shall see results as soon as the end of the trimester."
The Dragon noted how calm Namikawa was, already demanding respect and authority. He was more than pleased to hear his newest asset already planning his first moves. Reiji promised success and nothing less, though the Dragon was a little skeptical about his ambition. "The end of the trimester is in one month…" he warned him.
"Yes. I am aware of that. However, if it will take about one week for me to receive these reports, I will need some time to look over them, draw my conclusions and make the changes I plan. This means the useless will be replaced immediately after the western New Year, which is also the beginning of my first trimester working in the corporation."
The Dragon relaxed, confirming his high expectations from the future vice-president of sales. "Of course. You said you have spoken to your father. Can I know his response?"
After a moment, Namikawa put on a small smile, enough to show he was growing more comfortable with the other's presence and felt more at ease now that the important matters had been clarified. "He agreed. May I ask why do you seem so concerned over my father's response? I also know you have not discussed the details of this offer prior to my departure from the United States."
With their food being brought to the table, the Dragon decided he should allow him the question. He needed competent, reliable and loyal subordinates, so trust was essential. He could not afford to count on money alone in situations of this sort.
"As you know, I have been collaborating very well with your father. I also came to know him through the years, enough to guess he will want you to take over the United States division of the corporation. I could not know for sure if he will allow you to occupy a high position in the Asian division. We both knew for years that you would have the potential to surpass your father – and perhaps, not only him…"
Namikawa could agree with everything he heard to that point. His father always had high expectations from him and encouraged him to be the very best in everything he did. What he couldn't be certain of was whether the Dragon wanted him to take over the entire global corporation, or just the Asian division. The later would have meant for him to equal his father, but the first option sounded much more tempting.
"Naturally, your father could turn down my offer in order to keep you as his right hand man, while it was in my better interest to have you here, in the Asian division. You see, thanks to your father and his management, the United States division is currently the most stable of all, raising profits every year. It would be easy to work under him – perhaps too easy for someone with your potential," the Dragon continued, "while the Asian division is slowly collapsing. This, Namikawa Reiji, is the best opportunity for you to prove your abilities. If your ambitious plans prove successful, I can assure you a very bright future ahead of you, at least from a professional perspective."
The younger thought about it for a moment. Indeed, the offer was extremely tempting. He had the opportunity to rebuild the Asian division if he could prove his worth in the Sales department. Sales and Finances were possibly the two most important departments, responsible for a company or a corporation's profits.
"I can see what opportunities you are offering me, sir, and I accept the challenge. After I will have seen the analysis and reports I have requested, I can estimate the progress you can expect by the end of March. From what information my father had given me, the Asian division has had no profit over the past year, after a decline of two years. I cannot promise any significant profit for my first year in this division, and I believe it is self understood."
The Dragon nodded. "Very well. For now, the goal of you and the new team with which you will be working is to minimize the spending. In other words, this division will go into a survival mode, where we will be paying the debts of this year."
"This is exactly what I have in mind. Once the debts are paid, we can think of new investments." After a moment, Reiji thought he should ask something he had been discussing with his father. "Please allow me to ask, sir… During the year prior to this, have you supported this division personally?"
Although he had not expected that question so soon, the Dragon answered it anyway. "I have. The reason why I have decided to come here myself was to supervise the Asian division. I have reasons to suspect many of the hierarchy had been corrupted by someone, which I suspect is the cause of its pitiful state."
"Is this suspicion linked to the apparently inexplicable fires and explosions all over Japan during the same time period?" Namikawa asked.
No matter how much the Dragon wanted to count on trust though, he could not yet trust Reiji's son with this kind of information. There was a select group of very few of his associates who knew about his less orthodox ways, but he could not yet include Reiji the younger in this category. "Theories are nothing without any evidences. Do you happen to know anything, or have you simply drawn your own, personal conclusions?"
The younger understood quickly. "My personal suppositions, Sir. I apologize if I sounded threatening. My father assured me of your strict moral values and you can be certain, sir, I naturally agree to them. As for your ways, I stand indifferent. We shall do whatever is necessary to assure the success of the corporation."
The last phrase surprised the Dragon the most. It all seemed to be going well – a premiere in the past year. "Very well, then I suppose you will not have any moments of hesitation when reforming the Sales department."
"For now," Reiji decided to push his luck a little further.
"For now," the Dragon agreed. He knew what the other was trying to ask, but avoided making any promises. The man had always rewarded performance and loyalty, and Namikawa had most likely heard of his habits. To both of them, it sounded like the beginning of a long and very profitable partnership.
In the mean time, Caterina was waiting for Light. Just before her father walked out of Yagami's office last night, they set the time – 9:30 the next morning. After the shooting, both of them had grown a little paranoid about being followed, overheard, and so on. Talking on the phone was no longer a safe bet and it should be seen as an emergency option only.
The girl waited in the living room, going to the kitchen and coming back again. She was not hungry – at least, not hungry enough to allow herself to eat. Rather, she felt nervous, anxious, maybe even a little scared. When she heard someone at the door, she jumped.
Light had been surprised to see so many guards in the area. They were as far as two or three streets away, openly wearing the uniforms of a private security company. He knew there had to be a few others dressed as civilians while secretly reporting anything suspicious. The Voice was impressed – if not even a little jealous.
When he entered the hotel, he was required to tell his name and one of the guards compared him to what Light assumed to be a profile on a mobile device. He had been inspected for weapons or guns before he was finally allowed to enter. Even on the floor rented entirely by her father, Caterina was guarded by two armed guards looking at least twice as big as him.
Eventually, Light knocked at the door. Her father may already know he was there, but Light hoped the incidents from last night could make the man feel grateful to him. When the girl opened the door though, he didn't expect to see her like that. She was in a loose tee and shorts, with her hair messy and carelessly thrown over one shoulder.
He looked down for a moment. The girl had no intention of going anywhere else, or that's what he understood from her careless look. It seems they were at the point where she no longer cared much about how he would see her, as long as she was covered.
"What?" Caterina raised an eyebrow at him. "You've never seen me in shorts before?"
Light smirked. "I don't think so."
"Well, stop staring and let's talk." She sighed. Light could tell she felt stressed lately. Perhaps it was why she seemed to prefer staying at home – it must be the safest place in all Japan.
After leaving his shoes, Caterina thought he would pass her by and go into the living room, but instead Light wrapped his arms around her waist loosely. "Sure, let's talk. What got you like this?"
Accepting the closeness, she seemed to relax a little. "Remember I said I felt hunted before…? He got a phone call last night."
Light nodded, waiting for her to continue. "And? Who was it?"
"That's the problem, you see… The SIM card must have been changed immediately after, it can't be tracked down this way. Someone threatened to kill him."
The Voice was paying close attention. So there was somebody else who had thought of killing the Dragon, which could show him how Caterina would react. On the other hand, her being left on her own now would be inconvenient. Light should be at least eighteen in order to take over anything, that is what the law said. He would also have to marry her in order to gain legal rights over the fortune of her father. Besides, he would be an easy target considering he still did not know the Dragon's associates and allies – if he had any.
"But didn't he hear the voice?" Light asked, both sides of him concerned.
"No. He said he only heard someone's breathing and funeral music. It's…" She sighed, turning away and taking a few steps down the hall. "I don't know. My father is in a very tangled situation. I can't handle it on my own, even if I've been by his side for a year – it's not enough… Besides, I think he wants to arrange my marriage."
Her last phrase hit him like a bullet. Her father wanted her to what? To who? And when? She wasn't even seventeen yet… though an arrangement could be made now for the future.
"…I guess that's my problem, huh?" she asked, feeling betrayed by his silence.
Waking up, Light walked in front of her. "No…! Caterina, I just… I wasn't expecting that. Are you sure? I mean, did he say anything certain, or…?"
Crossing her arms over her chest, the girl rolled her eyes. "Right. As if you'd care."
"I mean it! Are you sure that's what he wants?" Light asked again.
"He said he wants me to meet someone, after going on about him aging and so on… It must be about his newest associate. My father knows his father very well, it seems they helped each other a lot. Now Padre brought his guy from the States and I heard him talking on the phone to the driver. Diego called him a 'pretty boy'. He's one of the youngest and… my father seems to trust him a lot."
That meant even more bad news for Light. Neither side of him wanted that to be true, though… "It would make sense," he mumbled, only making the girl drag her feet to the couch and throw herself on it.
"I would have loved you more if you destroyed my theory…" she mumbled, curling her feet beside her.
Light sighed. "I hate it just as much. I mean, what about me?" he tried with a smile, sitting on the coffee table in front of her.
Caterina held back a smile. "I don't know… This guy is most likely older, rich… Some arrogant bastard who needs company at night and a doll to smile in pictures. That's what my mother was and I despised her for that. She never really had a word in anything but that vacation on the yacht, and then…"
He would have joked about it if she didn't look on the verge of tears. Light thought that must have been the situation with her mother, but the thought Caterina could end up in the same kind of situation disgusted him. She would never agree to that, right?
Taking her hands in his, he tried to warm them up. "You're not like her. Decline and he can't force you, it's not legal."
"Light, how exactly is the law protecting anyone? It's illegal to kill, but there are hundreds if not thousands murdered every day all across the world. But no, just because it's illegal, it can't happen." She looked at him in hope to see anything she could use to get back on her feet because emotionally, she had been knocked down.
Thinking about it, he became thankful he now had the Death Note. It was more effective than passing a law on capital punishment.
"Decline anyway! Try to slow everything down until you turn eighteen. Then, you will have full rights and you can decide for yourself, you won't need anyone to represent you. Until then, I'm sure we can find a way though…"
Nodding, the girl gave his hands a gentle squeeze and leaned in her seat. "I suppose that's all that I can do… I'm worried for him, too."
"Let's take this from the beginning. Is the one who chases you two the same who arranged the… yacht incident?" Light asked, eager to confirm his theories.
"I think so. Vincent worked for this guy, who was an associate of a guy on the west coast of the United States." Caterina needed to think this through with someone and her father was too stressed lately to listen.
"Do you have any names?" Light knew the apartment was safe for any kind of talk, so she shouldn't avoid these. He also hoped to use the internet and find these criminals in some data base. That way, he could help Caterina and keep her father alive for a little longer. Though that wasn't the case. Light soon found out Caterina had no sufficient information.
"Ross. That's all I know of the guy in the States. The one Vincent worked for is known as the Snake, he owned a bar called the Green Snake, or something like that. Padre killed Vincent and hunted down the Snake, but it seems he had survived and has his mind set on killing him and taking me." The girl was curious why Light wanted the names, but she assumed that, with his father being the police chief, Light could give the police a few clues.
"What about last night? Did he send any threats?" he asked. Soon enough, Caterina stood and stepped over his legs. His knees were so close to the couch, she had no other way of getting out and Light didn't move. At least he got a nice feeling of her being that close.
His happiness ran out like water from his hands as soon as she returned. Caterina handed him a picture of the two of them talking at the White Elephant tea house, him holding her hand. It was taken from the bar, from where their attacker came out with a shotgun. On the back, Light read out loud. "'Sinners.' What have we sinned?" he asked her.
Caterina sat on the arm of the couch and let herself fall on her back. "No idea. But if you look at that first S, what does it look like?"
Light saw the top end a little thicker and the lower end thinner. "…Like a snake. Do you think he is behind it?"
"I'm sure of it. And you know what worries me? My father avoids the question when I ask where Diego is. That's not like him…" She turned her head to look at Light.
"What do you think happened to him?" he asked, cautious. The girl's situation was bad, and if he wanted her to be his back-up, he obviously needed her alive.
"…I don't know. I'm afraid of the worst. He was close to us both, our closest employee. Maybe he's being tortured for information, you know? Or maybe he's… dead. I don't want that, I grew up with him, but I… Well, I have to accept reality… He doesn't answer his phone, either."
Light looked at her calmly. He knew she needed that. "No matter the outcome, I'm sure they won't find out anything from him." When she nodded, he continued. "And they wouldn't get anything from me, either." This was the Voice that came up with the idea and Caterina seemed to have fallen for it, frowning in worry.
"I don't want to risk that… You have no reason to get involved in all this mess. It will end badly."
"I know," he began, to which she sat up and looked at him closely, trying to read his expression. "And you are my reason. I can't leave you alone to deal with everything. It would be selfish, heartless. I don't want you to face these problems on your own." His eyes softened, quietly asking her to believe him.
"But I won't be alone…" she mumbled in a weak voice.
"No, I'll be by your side," Light finished her sentence for her, leaning in and kissing her gently. "I'm not leaving you alone." The Voice has been gaining more control in the year when they've been apart and was now acting on its own for longer periods of time. Light was still there, but he was weak and easily talked out of everything by his darker side. To him, knowing he could be safe and close to his auburn-haired girl was enough – as long as the Voice didn't make any grave mistakes, he had nothing against it.
Caterina had no idea of the changes. These were so subtle and her mind so scattered between everything that had to be done, she could only accept the peaceful moment and return the affection.
But it was an illusory moment, it was the calm before the storm. Bianca returned into the Snake's office, frustrated at him for not giving her the information she didn't even know she will need.
"Calm, breathe, have a drink, and sit." The man was tired of drama and angry women.
"I will not calm! What do I do now? They know me, I can't return there." she tried to explain, waiting with one hand on her hip to hear the man's solution.
The man gestured towards the couch with his left, scarred hand. "Will you? Or do you need flowers and champagne for that?"
"Oh, spare me your irony!" the blonde spat back and eventually sat down. "Do you have anything without alcohol?"
"Why? Do you tolerate it as well as the rumor has it Brits do?" the Snake smirked.
"I don't drink. That's all." Bianca became alert when she noticed the man trying to get up. So far, she had no idea how the accident had been that left him with his hand and his face covered in scars.
The man had two crutches beside him. He turned his chair to the side, took the crutches and carefully got up. One of his legs was missing from above the knee, as the blonde noticed. He had his dark brown tailored pants so it fit his shorter leg like a sleeve, just a little bit longer than his actual leg.
"I know, no need to stare… Believe me, I despise it as much as I despise the Dragon for what he did to me." Clearly, he was still angry at the loss and needed more time to accept the way he looked.
"What exactly happened?" the blonde insisted.
The Snake sighed in frustration. "My fucking car exploded! That's what happened!"
After the sudden outburst, Bianca wished she had at least one means of defense against him. The man didn't look very stable, from an emotional point of view. He went to another room which Bianca hasn't seen yet and returned with a small syringe. It seemed to be already filled with something. The needle was covered by a plastic cap, making it safe to handle.
"What's that?" she asked, trying hard to remain calm.
"It's not for you. If I can't question that guy, I want him dead. Tonight, when the shift changes, I want you to find the man and kill him." Approaching her, the Snake passed her the syringe. "Poison."
The woman took it and studied it in the yellowish light of the lamp. It looked completely transparent, though it was obviously different from water. The way light traveled through the liquid reminded her of oil.
"I still have no idea of his room," she reminded him, though on a much calmer tone.
The Snake noticed the change. It was a fake calm – she feared him, that was the reason of her sudden change of attitude. "I will find out by noon."
Bianca nodded. "I've never done this before. What do I do after that? Do I keep this? It will have my finger prints on it."
"I don't care, get rid of it…" but the look of confusion and fear of the woman made him reconsider his answer. "You inject it in a perfusion or something. It needs to get into his blood system, if you do that then it won't leave any sting mark on him."
Bianca nodded. "I thought so, but what's next?"
"From the moment you do that, you have about a minute before his vital signs alert the medical staff. His throat will tighten and he will suffocate quickly. Try to get out of there as soon as possible and do not, under any circumstances – and I mean any – touch the needle. You put back the cap, hide it, then get out."
The Snake went to sit in an armchair. He let his crutches on the side and turned on the TV. Even so, he turned to look at the British woman from time to time.
"Once you're outside, act normal and return here as soon as possible. I will have someone burn that syringe. It's the only way to destroy it completely."
"Are you sure about that?" Bianca asked.
"About what?" the Snake asked back. He said many things, he didn't know which part she considered uncertain.
"That it will be destroyed," she clarified.
"'Course. Even if not entirely, it will be impossible for the police or anyone else to guess what it contained or who used it." In the corner of his eye, he saw Bianca nodding. The man was watching the news. They were going on about another few criminals that recently died of heart attacks. He couldn't care less – none of those were working for him.
"Tell me again, lemon pie…" he began.
"Bianca," she corrected him, but the man ignored her.
"Lemon pie. Why are you doing all this? First, you went out of your way to work for me. Now, it seems you have no experience at all in this kind of business. I don't believe your 'oh, poor me, my uncle died, I want to play Wonder Woman and avenge his death' bullshit."
After a long moment of silence, the woman eventually decided to collaborate. She already got herself into the game and the only way out was death, if she was to believe the movies and the general ideas sold by the media.
"Because he ruined me. This Dragon, or whatever his name is, used to pay my uncle for keeping his wife entertained, to take her mind off her situation."
"Yes, I figured," the Snake nodded, waiting for her to continue.
"I depended on the money my uncle sent me. My mother, too. She had only one kidney left and it was failing her. My uncle used to send us money every two months. Lately, I began asking him for more because I wanted to go to college."
"And study what?" the Snake asked while changing channels.
"Medicine. And my uncle helped me for one semester, but after that, he was killed. Shortly after, I dropped out and tried to work, but I had no qualification and the salary…" The woman stopped.
"I know, I know. So what happened? Mommy died and you woke up next morning, all alone in the big world?" the Snake began to mock her. "I heard more than enough of these soap opera stories."
"Then, you know. I needed something to do, so I tracked down my uncle and found out about this Dragon."
"And about me, his latest employer," the Snake finished her sentence. "Correct, Queen Liz?"
Bianca was annoyed, but knew she was in no position of demanding anything. "Correct."
"So basically, Vincent's money paid for your mother's life while I supported your college, or something like that," he concluded.
Sighing, Bianca put the syringe in her purse and leaned in her seat. She crossed her legs. "I suppose. Anyway, you can't ask him now – none of us can."
Laughing, the Snake shook his head. "I suppose you supposed right. Stay with me for lunch, if you aren't too disgusted by how I look."
Author's Notes:
Thanks to my favorite beta with a new username, AbandonedSock, you now have another update.
If you want any references, note that Bianca means white. It's why her hair is platinum blonde and also why she's dressing up in white. Also, notice her using the "That's all" expression that most people will associate with the main white-haired character in the film The Devil Wears Prada. And because it's the first time she gets the spotlight, the chapter is also called White.
I know some of you always will love the bad guys more (most of you, I suppose, since Light is kind of the bad guy), so I decided to keep the Snake alive. He had to take some damage... and, well, since we never got to see him kill anyone, I figured his signature kill would be poison.
Also, I'm really glad to see you like the way I portrayed Misa. When watching the series, it's easy to see her as a "one dimensional dumb blonde" and get annoyed by her - however, I don't know anyone like that in real life. It's still a bit difficult writing for Misa, though. She makes me glad I chose this story format; I don't think I can write in first person for her.
And... it's just a thought, but do you think there's a chance for a bit of... damaged romance in this, too? A bit of Joker and Harley kind of romance? I'm just leaving this here. I don't know a lot about them, just have an idea, but I like the concept of that relationship and I'm wondering if we could slip this somewhere.
As for Diego... he definitely got more action that the character that inspired his concept in the first place. By the way, can you guess who inspired Diego's character?
