PART FOUR

Ken and the boy had been taken to their customer's room, all decorated in animal skins, and left there. Alone. To wait.

Finally Ken spoke up, "Where is he? Why did he leave us here alone?"

"Nervous? You are new, aren't you? What's your name beautiful?"

"Ken." If either of the two young men had been near a heating duct they would have heard a disbelieving Omi cursing up a storm. He hadn't meant to give his real name.

"Well, Ken, you are new, right?" The blonde asked, turning over, calmly, on the bed.

"Yes. How can you look so calm just lying there?" Ken couldn't help but ask. Besides being stuck in a kinky sex palace with a young male prostitute waiting for their client to arrive, Ken still had the mission to think about. And his teammates.

"I'm used to it." The boy answered, but Ken had already forgotten asking the question. "Look, have a seat." He patted a space beside him on the bed, "There's no need to be so edgy. Sometimes customers like to keep us waiting, sometimes they don't, it's up to them. We don't really have a choice, do we Ken?"

"I guess not." He sat down on the edge of the bed as well as he could in the confines of his typical-Youji-chosen leather pants.

"Those look uncomfortable." The boy noted calmly, "Why don't I help you out of them?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Aya's customer's plan for seduction was going just as he wanted it to – with one hitch – it was HE who was supposed to be holding AYA down on the ground, hands locking him to the floor under his intense gaze. "Your name." Aya said again, "This is the last time I'll ask."

"It's Omori." The man answered, starting to wish that he HAD chosen someone a little less spirited.

'Omori.' Aya, thought, 'Not Tannai. That is if this scum is telling the truth.'

"Prove it."

"If you let me go, I can show you my identification pass, you can't get in here without one…"

Aya loosened his grip, and seeing as how the older man didn't seem to be playing any tricks, let him retrieve the pass. Sure enough, it was as he said. Aya's customer was not the target. Now what?

"Is… is it OK now?" Omori asked, now timid.

"I want to go to the courtyard." Aya stated.

"But that's not what I want…" the man placed a tentative hand on one velvet clad thigh before Aya quickly snatched it away, re-stating his control.

"We're going."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Now that Aya and his customer had moved to the main courtyard – the center area of the building where customers and their workers were free to roam about in public, Omi would have a harder time keeping track of them. But that was the least of his worries. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't seem to break through into the customer information files. This place really did have tight security. Omi scratched idly at his tiny shirt, before deciding to check and see how the others were doing. Aya had already figured out that his client was not the target… and Youji's wasn't a man… so that meant if any of them got the target (he was known for liking new boys, so it was possible) it was Ken.

Omi swallowed hard.

Maybe he would check on Youji first.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"So, do you or do you not like women?"

"I've had my share." (And the award for understatement of the year goes to…)

"And men?"

Youji edged closer across the floor, "Wanna know a secret?"

"I like secrets."

"Men too."

"Oh really? But I'm not that surprised."

"Oh?"

"After all, you do work… here."

"But, as you said yourself, I'm new."

"Still, you must have known what you were getting into… I mean, there aren't many female customers around here, are there?"

"There's only one customer here that matters to me."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"I don't think that's a good idea." Ken told him, standing up again. "What if the customer comes in here and finds… us…"

"Oh, I don't think he would mind, do you? After all, he did pick us because we seemed so… friendly. But if it makes you uncomfortable, forget it."

"I'm not uncomfortable."

The boy shrugged.

"Besides," Ken noted, "You never told me YOUR name."

"It's Reiji."

"Really?"

"Yes, really, Ken."

Ken looked at him. Well, HE had given his real name after all, and he was an assassin.

"What do you suggest we do while we're waiting, then?" Reiji asked.

"For starters, you can tell me everything you know about the customers in this place."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Omi had almost cracked the data base when he heard some strange noises… that is, that WEREN'T coming from his earpiece. He took the earpiece off and listened. 'No one would be USING the heaters at this time of year…' He thought to himself. He edged down to the nearest vent and took a peek out. The vent was in one of the walls of the courtyard and Omi got a perfect view of Aya, with his customer obviously under control, chatting it up (well, for Aya anyway) with some of the other workers for information. Good for Aya. Omi only hoped that Ken and Youji were doing as well.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

If his customer was a regular, Youji thought, he might be able to get some information out of her about Tannai if he could earn her trust. And what better way to earn her trust than to just play along? Besides, the sight of first Ken and then Omi and Aya… gods, Aya!… in those outfits was enough to drive Youji crazy. Not to mention that kiss. If he didn't get some release soon, he'd…

"So, what are you waiting for?" His customer asked, waking him from his fevered reverie. Youji skid over next to her and onto the bed, pulling her down with him. He kissed her mouth first (not as good as Aya's, he realized. Would he ever be able to go back to women?) and then made his way down to her throat, when he met with something unexpected. He stopped and looked up at his customer.

"I told you I liked secrets."

END OF PART FOUR