Hi everyone. The new installment of Nighttime Activities is right here. In this chapter, lots of stuff is happening, so I hope you'll enjoy it.
I think everything is well explained, but if you find it too confusing . . . well . . . re-read it.
Disclaimer: There's a squirrel in my backyard.
Quote of the Day: "I love these tomatoes." "Seriously."—CM and SW, while eating . . . tomatoes.
Warning: None. Maybe a tiny bit of language. I wouldn't know.
And now, without delay. . .
Nighttime Activities
Part 3: Enter the Bad Guys . . .
By CM
Link shifted in his seat. His shoulders were against the wall, as the low and one place bench he was sitting on didn't have a back. He was facing the large, airy hall, made of a cream colored marble, sparsely furnished and well lit.
A few maids scurried around. Link assumed that a party was in the making, but his thoughts didn't dwell on that too much. He was tense. To his left, large, dark wooden doors muffled voices. He could recognize two: a young, feminine one, and a burly but old male one. Link held back a sigh. He didn't even strain to hear what was being said. Although his job was to be aware of everything, he just didn't think that an angry reunion between a father and his daughter would be of any interest to his current work.
Though he sure felt bad for the loser of the battle.
An annoyed scream was heard, and at this, Link looked up.
"DAD, I ALWAYS DO WHAT I WANT ANYWAY!"
'Dad's voice was then barely audible, but it seemed that what he said enraged his daughter. Link winced, knowing it wouldn't be pretty.
"I have the right to be free, don't I?" She was saying, angry. "I never got hurt before, why should it change? Dad, just let me keep my jobs! It's my only way to meet people! Malon and Sheik have two jobs too!"
"Malon and Sheik are not you, are not rich, and are not important!"
An enraged gasp broke the silence that followed. "They're my friends! Dad, you're so mean!"
Link knew that any minute now, she would pull her trump card. Him.
"And besides―" Here it goes. "― Mister Kokirin is there to keep an eye on me, right?"
"Ah― . . ." Link held back his chuckle and grin. 'Daddy' was stumped.
"Exactly. Dad, he's capable of protecting me, if you insist. Just don't make me give up my jobs, please?"
She was pulling out the big guns, Link heard. He knew that soon, she would be using the ultimate power of daughters and women in general. Teary eyes and supplication.
"Please, Dad?"
There was a long silence. Link couldn't help but lean in closer to the doors curiously. He shot back when a happy cry was heard.
"Thanks Dad! Thank you, so much!"
Link sighed, leaning back against the wall again. He smiled. A short minute later, the door opened and out she stepped. Without any traces of tears in her eyes, she turned to him and grinned. Link shook his head, standing and stretching.
"Mister Kokirin, may I have a word?" Harkinian's voice spoke calmly from inside the office. Link shot Zelda a glance, before stepping inside. Harkinian was standing, hands joined behind his back as he faced the large windows facing the side gardens. It was bright and sunny outside.
"Close the door and take a seat, please."
Link obeyed quietly, dragging a chair back and sitting. He leant back and waited.
Harkinian turned to him and examined him attentively, taking in his loose business suit, the untucked shirt and relaxed stance. He cleared his throat, not letting any thoughts appear on his face.
"Mister Kokirin," he started, "My daughter insisted that I let her work at her two jobs. Dare I hope that you'll accept a job as her bodyguard? I know it isn't really in the traditional job description, but it seems that my daughter has come quite fond of you, and it would truly relieve me to know that she is with someone mature."
"Sir, she is twenty-three," Link dared respond. "I am only one year older than she, and she is, I assure you, very capable of defending herself. May I inquire as to why you wish to keep her sheltered?"
In that instance, Link found that Harkinian looked very old. His traits had aged by ten years in a few seconds. The old man pulled a hand over his face, and sat heavily in his office chair. He looked at Link, whose expression had shifted to grave instantly. Harkinian leant over one of his drawers and pulled out a manila folder. He opened it, took out a sheet, and handed it to Link, who carefully read it.
Link's eyes shot up suddenly, and met Harkinian's grim ones.
"Why didn't you tell her?" He asked, steady but intense.
Harkinian let out a long, tired sigh. "She is not concerned by business. She wouldn't know what to do, and I don't wish to aggravate her."
Link nodded, though he didn't seem convinced. He handed the paper back, contemplating the situation.
"I'm not really a financial know-it-all," he started, "but may I suggest something?"
Harkinian waved him to go on, looking defeated. Link placed his hands flat on the desk. "As it is," he began, "your company is about to be bought by Dragmire corporations. Is there a way to slip around the inevitable?" He paused, searching for the proper wording. "If you acquire new shares, perhaps the value of your company would be boosted, just enough for you to resist his offers. And why should Dragmire force you to accept?"
Harkinian was back to business mode. "He has influence, but I could resist him. If it weren't for other factors that cannot be ignored."
Link lowered a brow, standing, still bent over the desk. He was watching Harkinian intently. It was obvious that what was really weighing down on him had yet to come out.
"He's ready to hold my daughter hostage, if he ever gets to her." At Link's inquisitive stare, he explained. "Zelda is my only daughter, the next sole shareholder of Hyrule Marketing Inc. Should Dragmire get to her, he could― I don't want to know what he could do."
"So it's not just financial," Link summed up grimly. "There's no way to escape it?"
"I was hoping you could keep her safe until she gains complete authority over the company. It should have been in a few years, once she's done with her studies, but with the current situation, I'm afraid I'll have to hurry things."
"I thought you said she didn't care about business."
"She doesn't," Harkinian confirmed. "It's only a title. She would take simple decisions. The real work goes to my assistants, whom I would trust with my life."
"So that's not an issue," Link noted to himself. He sat again. "I have to protect your daughter against Dragmire until she takes over the company. Once it's done, Dragmire won't be able to do anything against your company, because?"
Harkinian showed him a new document. It was a copy from a book. Link's eyes skimmed the text. He finally smirked. Harkinian looked satisfied as well.
"By law of Hyrule, shares handed down in a family are locked on the market until the death of the previous shareholder, myself. That is why I must hand it to her. I don't like leaving my company at the mercy of economical changes, but if it's what I need to gain a few years of mental preparation . . ."
"I understand."
"Protect my daughter, and I will pay you twice your wages. Should she be caught by Dragmire and killed . . ."
The word made shivers run down Link's spine. He nodded, before standing.
"I give you my word, sir. Consider your daughter already owner of that company."
They nodded, as though to seal their deal. Harkinian handed Link a small appointment paper. He spoke as Link took it.
"This is the date of the ceremony for passing down. At 7:30, in two weeks, my daughter is to be at the city hall's entrance."
Link nodded gravely, flicking his fingers to wave, and exited the office.
"So," Zelda started, twirling her plastic straw in her cola lazily, "I didn't hear what that meeting with my father was all about. Care to explain?"
Link shrugged. He'd remained silent ever since he'd come out, speaking only to answer with one syllable words. Zelda scowled, sitting back and glaring at him. Sunlight made her ponytail gleam behind her.
"You know, it's hard to have a decent conversation when one of us is stubbornly silent. What's so grave about the situation anyway? Don't tell me my dad scared the living hell out of you?"
"He didn't." Link sounded miffed.
Zelda sighed. "You're not working with me, here. What's going on?"
Her companion sighed in turn. He chose to vaguely answer her questions, otherwise she wouldn't relent. He played around with his leftover fries, not really hungry anymore. She patiently waited.
"We discussed security measures, and your near future."
Zelda blinked, before frowning. She crossed her legs under the table, and Link held his breath as one of her knees brushed his. He swallowed a lump in his throat, before opening his mouth to continue.
She interrupted him.
"So he told you about the passing down of the company to me? Oh, great."
Link knew he was treading on thin ice. He had to be careful, or he might reveal more than what Mr. Harkinian intended. Still, he had to know the extension of her knowledge.
"You know how the ceremony is inevitable, right?"
She sighed, pouting as she put her chin in her palm, watching him nibble at a fry. "Yes. Though I don't see why my father is in such a hurry." She stole a fry from him and dipped it in his ketchup.
The moment the bit of food was in her mouth, they both paused. It was a shock how they had come to be comfortable in each other's company so quickly. Zelda's cheeks heated up. She shot a glance at Link, who had gone pale.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't steal your food." The silence that followed was awkward.
Link averted his eyes. "It's nothing. I'm not really hungry."
"Oh." Zelda sighed. "Alright."
In fact, Link's mind was running at a hundred miles an hour. Zelda didn't seem to understand that she was threatened by Dragmire. She could not understand, of course. She thought it was just a whim of her father's. And then, Link thought, he had to protect her both from learning this too soon and from Dragmire. He'd keep her out of his reach for two weeks, after which she'd be safe for a while.
The idea that money could threaten her life made Link shudder lightly. Zelda didn't seem to notice. She was too busy finishing her drink. Finally, she stood, throwing her cup in a nearby garbage can. Link snapped awake, looking at her. She was staring off into the distance, out the window. He turned, curious, and saw that she was looking at a tall, rather handsome man, with fiery red hair and sharp, almost golden eyes, dressed in a clean, well-cut suit.
Link frowned, seeing the man stepping out of his limousine and walk into the cheap fast-food they were seated in. His gaze turned from the tall, broad shouldered man to Zelda. She hadn't taken her eyes off the newcomer, and her face seemed a bit flushed.
In fact, Link noticed, quite a few women were watching this stranger attentively.
The detective was not pleased.
He stood, grabbing his rumpled jacket― which wasn't as perfectly pressed and fitted as this other man's― and instead of putting it on, he kept it over his arm. He knew that he looked unkempt, unlike this newcomer, and that his dress-shirt was untucked, that his tie was loose and that his first few buttons were undone. He wasn't perfect like this― this guy!
Feeling something he didn't like bubbling in his chest, he held back a scowl, plastering on his face a calm, unburdened look. Zelda was still staring at the man while he sat down and took out a cleanly folded newspaper, opening it to the business section. There was like a wistful sigh that could be heard from a few women all through the restaurant. Link fought not to roll his eyes.
At least, until Zelda sighed under her breath. And as if on cue, the stranger turned to smile at her, uncovering a set of perfect, pearly white teeth.
Link was not amused.
Not noticing his now obvious distaste for her choice, Zelda smiled back, shyly, stepping forward. Link watched her slowly make her way to the man's table, dumbstruck.
She'd completely forgotten about him!
The realization stung, for some reason. Link scowled, watching as his companion abandoned him and sat at this complete stranger's table. From all around the restaurant, he could feel the sympathetic gazes of other men, who were glad to have their own companions' attentions back.
Well. Link felt both slightly angry and defeated. Resigned, he flicked two fingers goodbye to Zelda, who was so engrossed in her conversation with the handsome businessman to notice.
He walked out. What else could he do? Zelda had to go to the restaurant in a few hours, he'd meet her there at the end of her shift. He wasn't too worried. At least not for her safety, but rather for . . .
Link heavily sat on a bench, waiting for the city bus, feeling dejected. A lonely homeless man moved over, sniffing, and extended a hand for money. Link glanced at him, shaking his head.
"Sorry, I'm currently broke."
Looking just as resigned, the man nodded, taking his hand back. He stared at his used up shoes in a fashion similar to Link's, before frowning and looking at his richer neighbor.
"You ain't scared of me?" He suddenly asked, breaking the silence.
Link blinked, staring at him as though he didn't understand, and then his gaze changed, as though finally the meaning registered. Then, once again, he shook his head, shrugging.
"You're not a bad guy, I'm sure."
Surprised, but pleased, the beggar nodded, looking forward again. He glanced at Link again after a minute.
"You don't look so happy. Look atcha, you ain't got nothin' to be sad about."
Link sighed, silent, not really willing to have a chat with anyone. As though he understood, the man scratched his neck and stood, off to find friendlier people. Link was left on his own, sitting where he was.
He'd have a talk with Zelda later.
She didn't come.
As soon as Link realized this, he panicked. He'd left her all alone with that stranger and just because he'd felt angry and it was on the day he'd been warned, and what would he tell her father and where the hell was she and what was he going to do???
His tense pacing stopped as he took a decision. First, call Kafei. Make him run a background check on Dragmire. He already knew the man in the fast-food was affiliated to him. That was for sure. Who else would kidnap her?
And then, he'd call the fast-food to ask if they had witnessed anything suspicious in the course of the afternoon. Or something.
If the press learned of anything, he was in deep shit.
Kafei. Link speed-dialed.
"Hnnnm?"
"Kafei! Get your ass off your chair! I've got a major problem!"
"Uh, yeah, I know."
"What?" Link incredulously squeaked. "How the hell do you know?"
On the line, Kafei immediately went down to business. "Ganondorf Dragmire called."
Link closed his eyes, feeling weaker and weaker. Ganondorf Dragmire had been way, way ahead of him. This was a catastrophe.
"What did he say?" Link feebly asked, letting himself fall on a chair.
"He wants the Harkinian business. And he says the girl isn't harmed."
Something in Link sighed with relief, though he was still tense. "And?"
"If Harkinian doesn't consent, he says, and I quote, 'that the girl may disappear'."
Link brightened up, though not at the news, but rather at a possible solution. "You recorded that, didn't you?" There was a long silence. Kafei cleared his throat. Link felt himself fall even lower. "The machine is still broken, right?"
"Yeah."
Link felt something twist in his gut. "Are there any deadlines?"
"Three days."
A heavy, tense silence followed that. Inside, something snapped. Link shut his phone without so much as a goodbye to Kafei and ran out of the restaurant where he should have met her. He'd wait before calling Harkinian.
Unless Dragmire had already done so?
His phone ringing answered his question. He anxiously opened it and pressed it to his ear. "Yes?"
"Kokirin."
Fuck.
"Uh, sir?"
"Dragmire called me. I think you know why."
Link gulped. "Yes, sir. I'm already on the move."
"I'd hope so."
He was in deeper than anyone had ever been. He was so dead.
"I don't suppose, Miss Harkinian, that you are aware of the great status I possess. Don't you and your father understand how wonderful your life would be if you just gave up?"
Zelda didn't answer. She was starting to think of the man as a monster. She was sitting in the back of a Jeep, and her wrists were uncomfortably tied in her back. She was feeling cramps in her upper arms.
She wanted Link to kidnap her. Not Ganondorf Dragmire.
Well, at least she hadn't lost her sense of humor, she thought wryly. At her side, Ganondorf was smirking, running his fingers through her hair, a motion only Link would be allowed to do.
Oh. Wait. That's right. Link wasn't there. He'd abandoned her. He'd walked out of the fast-food where they had eaten.
And in the next ten minutes, Dragmire, because it had been him, had offered her a ride to work.
Only she wasn't at work right now, quite obviously. And Link was not waiting for her.
She was in so bad.
She flicked her head away from his tanned hand, glaring at him before turning her attention outside. For and hour now they'd been driving on the highway, and she was finding it hard to keep up both with her location and with the phone calls Dragmire was placing.
He wasn't even driving. In the front seat, a slim, sickly man was driving, his frighteningly happy smile about as creepy as Ganondorf's attempts to touch her. Though he hadn't gone beyond proper boundaries, the way he spoke and the way he was acting told her he was ill-mannered and would not hesitate in crossing the boundaries.
She supposed he was just making sure she couldn't accuse him of harassment.
Oh, that's right. Kidnapping was harassment.
Something wasn't right, here.
"Why," she asked, haughtily, "did you kidnap me, then proceed to call the police and detective agencies, all the while identifying yourself?"
"Because," Ganondorf answered in a sickeningly-polite voice, "then they'll put pressure onto your dear father for him to sell to me, and therefore save your life."
"Excuse me?" Zelda snorted. "My dad isn't that weak. And besides, once I'm free, you'll be wanted for kidnapping."
Ganondorf snickered, his true nature shining through. "Not in Termina."
Zelda's assurance crumbled, and panic welled inside of her. "What?" She squeaked. "Wait! Wait! where are we going??"
"In Termina," Ganondorf explained, "Hylian laws are not applicable."
Her eyes widened, understanding with every passing second in just how much trouble this was getting her. They were abducting her and forcefully taking her to another country!
She was in deeper than anyone had ever been. She was so dead.
And now what's happening??
Zelda is taken by Ganondorf to another country! Link is in trouble! The company is the verge of being sold in exchange for Zelda! And what about Kafei's love life? Malon? Sheik? What's going on with them?? Find out in the next chapter.
In the meantime, please give me some time. My midterms are coming up in a matter of days, and I can't afford to write. I have to study. Wish me luck!
Thanks for reading.
Love,
--CM