"So they usually don't hurt you much… unless you want them to. It's part of the rules anyway." Reiji explained.
Ken was getting impatient, and their customer might arrive at any moment, upon which he would lose his opportunity to get information from Reiji. "That's not the kind of information about the customers I was thinking of."
"What then, Kenken?"
The unknowing endearment caught Ken a little by surprise, "I was thinking more like, who are the regulars?"
"But you ARE inquisitive for someone so new, aren't you?"
Ken said nothing.
"If you mean, is that fellow who chose us a regular, I suppose he might be. I've never seen him before, but that doesn't mean he's new. Regulars aren't all bad, if that's what you're thinking."
"So you have… had… some regulars?"
"Of course."
"Like who?"
"No one you would know, right?" Reiji took a long hard look at his companion, "Why all the questions? You're so nervous… Ken… this isn't your first time is it?"
"No!"
"I mean… with a man?"
"Well…"
"Don't worry. There's nothing to be afraid of. Here. Let me show you…"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Mr. Tannai?" The tall muscular young worker asked Aya as they sat in the courtyard, "Yes, he's here – somewhere. Why?"
"Do you see him? Here in the courtyard?" Aya asked.
He looked around, "No. Not right now. He's probably in a private room, if you know what I mean. That's the way he likes it."
"What does he look like?"
But Aya's question would go unanswered as the chain around the worker's neck was pulled slightly, the gray haired man at the other end of it waiting impatiently. "Sorry, I've got to go. Don't worry about Tannai, you'll get to meet him eventually… everyone here does." And with that he left.
Aya sighed. At least he was able to determine that Tannai was really there, now he just needed to figure out how to find him before it was too late. Tannai, the infamous killer, had left more than his share of attractive young men dead in his wake, and Aya was getting more than a little worried about Youji and Ken. If one of them had Mr. Tannai as a customer then…
"Hey, can't we go back to the room now?" his customer whined. Aya had almost forgotten him.
"Shut up." He said, "I'm thinking."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As far as Omi could tell, Aya was getting on all right. He decided to crawl back to where his laptop was and finish cracking into the system. If they could just figure out which of the customers was Mr. Tannai, then they could lure him out of the way somewhere, finish him off, and get the hell out of this seedy place, he thought (not to mention getting Ken out of bed with that little blonde tramp). It would be as easy as that… they just needed more information, they didn't even know his first name!
That's when the boy saw him. As quickly as they had made eye contact Omi turned away, but it was too late to run now, and the boy approached the vent.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"An Adam's apple?"
"Surprise."
"So you're not a woman." Youji wasn't actually THAT surprised (or that disappointed). His customer DID seem to be the only woman in the place – which had been a little more than suspicious. "Why the…" he tugged at the dress.
"That's just the way I like it." She… HE answered playfully, "Have I upset you?"
"No. But I suppose this means your name isn't really Ann, is it?"
"You're only right."
"Then what is your name? Really. Or is that a secret, too?"
"I've got no secrets now, baby."
Youji fingered his wire, "That's exactly what I want to hear."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ken had never kissed a man before… well, except for a few times with Kaze, and then there was that time with Omi, but they had been drunk. Still… "I'm not sure about this." He said, flatly, as soon as Reiji's lips left his.
"Your body says something different." The blonde told him, lifting Ken's gold shirt over his head.
"But our… our customer…"
"I told you not to worry, Kenken. What's the matter, don't you like me?"
Ken actually felt a little sorry for the boy – a life like that couldn't be easy (not that being an assassin was a exactly piece of cake). But the sway of his hips, and those eyes that seemed to burn right through him, those eyes… so like Omi's… this time it was Ken who initiated the kiss.
"That's the spirit."
But one thing kept pounding over an over in Ken's head as the blood seemed to rush from it to other places, 'If I don't stop Tannai now, he will keep killing boys like Reiji. I have to stop.'
"Reiji… wait."
"What is it, Ken? You were just getting into it."
"I really need you to tell me something, it's very important."
"What is it?"
"Do you know of a regular customer by the name of Mr. Tannai?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Yes, the perfect cover. Dressed to kill in the green outfit Youji had selected for him, the young man who approached the vent immediately assumed Omi was a worker just like him. "What are you doing?" The dark haired boy whispered through the large grate, "Are you hiding from someone? Your customer? You know you can get in a lot of trouble…
"I… I'm not. I just…"
"Who IS your customer?" The dark haired boy asked suspiciously.
Omi had to think fast, "Mr. Tannai."
END OF PART FIVE