The next two days it was Holiday time once again. Kyouki headed to her aunt's for Turkey Day. One of her favorite times of the year, Kyouki could eat like a pig. Except this year she had not had an appetite. Carlos was awake, barely. Her worrying over him was obvious. Her holiday comprised false smiling and just absorbing the family setting.

Her mind was more focused on knocking Maero out. To be honest; it had been days since Jessica's death. She read the obituary section. The warm weather, considering the time of year, let Kyouki get many things done. She continued to have territories swept up in her storm, wiping out several businesses Maero had set up.

They had blown the protection racket to hell along with anyone who was idiot enough to stop her.

Plowing through "abandoned" warehouses and factories she could, cheers from the oppressed men and women who once bowed to Maero's fear mongering tactics. Gladly supported the Saints. Leaving a sound message to the Brotherhood leader;

Wrong Bitch to fuck with.

Bobby came in on a comfortable Tuesday morning with Donnie. Sitting at her desk raised a curious eyebrow. "What's up?"

"He gave me a call. Said he would like to speak with you."

Kyouki looked behind her cousin at the shorter man, who had his head bowed. "That true?"

"Yeah." Donnie said softly.

Ky nodded, and Bobby left, closing the door behind him. "Have a seat." Ky gestured to the two empty seats across from her. "So. What's up?"

Donnie took a deep breath. "I know some locations of Maero's hideouts."

Kyouki pulled the map that Pierce had brought in before. Already territories were marked off that were now theirs. The Brotherhood held the south of the city and the Saints a quarter of that.

Donnie went to work. He proved to be more useful now that he no longer served the rival gang. Kyouki closed her eyes for a few, then broke the silence with an ambiguous question.

"Donnie, why?" Kyouki opened her eyes slowly, watching the mechanic as he marked the locations of several hideouts he had visited from his former employer.

"I don't know. I guess you are less likely to kill me." Donnie shrugged as he circled the locations.

Ky snorted. Useful people are always useful in her eyes. Anyone can be brought or persuaded. "That's not what I meant.'' Ky leaned back in her chair, folding her hands on her stomach.

Studying the now third best mechanic in Stilwater, he had a few wrinkles—obviously from worry and stress, going from one temple to the next across his forehead. He looked much older than he actually was.

He put the marker down, looking up at the Saints leader, sighing. "Oh, that. I'm sorry for everything, for you, Lin, especially Lin. She was my girl." He smiled briefly before hanging his head. Taking a breath, he sighed again, muttering his apologies.

Ky nodded as she pursed her lips in thought, remembering vividly the only woman who taught her a bullet wound ain't shit but a tiny scratch. "She really did like you, didn't really say it, but her last words were, 'Did you hear that? He called me his girl.' You could of fucking saved her, so why the hell didn't you? You had to have known she was with the Saint's. Why the fuck did you not stop Sharpe?" Ky stared at Donnie as the man slumped further into his chair.

"Sh- she…. I don't know. I was in shock. I drove off after you two were shot. I panicked. I never killed anyone. I work on cars, I... I didn't know what to do, so I dropped flags that night!" Donnie was angry and hurt gripping the fabric of his now black jumper.

Ky just looked at him. She couldn't see how he didn't beat the shit out of that old dickhead William. Granted, it wasn't much time to react, but after Lin was shot would have been his time to step up. She shook her head. It wasn't worth going. Over, he and she still mourn the loss of the first badass female mechanic of Stilwater.

"Yeah." was all Kyouki could say.

"Thank you." Was almost whispered in the quiet room.

"For?"

"Not killing me."

Ky snorted with a smirked. "Hurry the hell up and get out of my office. You'll work with Ramon until things are clear."

Donnie nodded excitedly. He smiled as he circled more of the hideout locations.

"Alright Mr. Mendoza, you are all changed. We are done for today. You can go back to resting now." The nurse said during one of Carlos' dressings change.

Kyouki was standing reading a magazine in the hall with Ramon. "Hey Jefa. I don't think I can ever stop saying thank you." He nodded to the nurse that left the private room.

"I really wouldn't thank me just yet." Kyouki admitted. She was far from finished. Maero was crippled, but she still needed to bring him down.

For far too long, he held an iron grip she would have considered working with him. But seeing him in his new light. Kyouki could guess she would have been muscled out, eventually.

Carlos smiled at them as they came to sit with them. "Jefa. Hi."

"Hey kid. How you feeling today?"

"Good, they say I still need a month or more."

"Whatever it takes to get you on your feet again." Ky smiled.

Ky dialed on her phone and looked out the window. "Hey, someone wants to speak with you." She put the phone on speaker and Ren spoke up.

Carlos lit up. A smile on his face made her feel better about switching gears. She excused herself and Ramon did too.

"Ro, I'm going to move your family closer to HQ. For a while. Just until I can get rid of our pest problem."

"No, we good." Ramon walked with Kyouki down to the first floor.

Ky nodded. "If you say so. But just so you know. I have no idea what he has planned. Just be careful." Ky looked up at Ramon.

Ramon gave her a head pat, and she shooed him off. "Jefa, thanks."

"Call me if you need me. I will send some grub to eat. Hospital food won't get him out fast enough."

Ramon laughed his agreement as they said their goodbye.

An impromptu lunch with the immediate crew, they all hit the restaurant Ky had a real craving for. They sat around the table and Ky remembered she needed to tell them about her uncle, more like the Ronin and her connection to them. Pierce had brought it up. But Ky never let on that she was there to get more people on their side. And that she was thinking about her place with them.

Aisha reached over for a piece of chicken from the big bowl of chicken and broccoli. "Something on your mind. You are quiet."

Kyouki raised her eyebrows. "Yeah. There's a few things."

"Like?" Pierce chimed in.

"Well… For one, I can say that this has been the most fun I have ever had while taking someone apart piece by piece."

The others nodded, chuckling as they ate.

Ky popped a fried wonton in her face before raising two fingers. Chewing and talking around her food, swallowing. "Two, what I need to say we will have to talk about later, and three… I forgot to ask Jessica about the shipment." She stated after finishing the pork filled wonton. "Oh no, she didn't have time to answer." Kyouki chuckled and grabbed a bowl of rice.

Pierce chimed in. "That car crushing thing was pretty tight. The bitch is dead. Why worry about this shipment?" The others nodded in agreement.

"Maero wants it bad. I want it more. Fuck you going to question my wanting what I want?" Ky flicked some rice on Pierce's face. Wiping it off, he tossed a piece of cabbage in her hair.

Shaundi swatted at Pierce. "You talked to Donnie, didn't you? He has to know something."

Johnny plucked the food from Kyouki's hair and glared at Pierce.

Ky nodded again with a shrug. "Yeah but, he said he didn't know much because he was always working on their rides."

Ky's phone rang, and she answered with everyone else chuckling quietly, "Right, I will make arrangements, mmm, bye."

"Everything aight?" Gat placed an arm behind Kyouki and Aisha's chairs.

"Yeah, just the thing I need to talk to everyone about." Ky sat quietly, eating her chicken and broccoli.

Pierce was thinking about this for a while. Jessica is dead, can't ask her. Donnie was a no go. The one guy Carlos talked about meeting, he would know. Pierce snapped to get everyone's attention. "Hey what about their tat-."

"Tattoo artist?" Shaundi said over Pierce, "Oh yeah, I have tickets to the Feed Dogs concert tonight. Care to go?" Shaundi asked the group.

Pierce's face fell and said he wasn't interested, then muttered as he ate. "I told you about that shit!"

Johnny had no interest and didn't want to go, Aisha said she'll go cause she hadn't been out for a girls' night in a while.

When they finished eating. Ky ordered food delivery to the hospital and Ren's, along with Purgatory as a treat. Then, with goodbyes all parted with the girls leaving for a spot tucked away, the college kids hung just off of Frat Row.

The thirty-minute drive to the University was nothing but four young women singing loudly to the modern takes of Christmas music that played on the radio. Loudly and as silly as they could. Picking Ren up, Kyouki wanted her present. So all four ladies had a very agreeable ride.

The street was full of young adults playing in the streets, drinking, playing hacky sack while the music the local bands played as they got out a block from the Frat House was, by Kyouki's standards, horrid. The kids these days would literally listen to anything and like it. Dodging a few footballs and tackling boys, Ky covered her nose briefly when they walked into the large frat house.

Man, the party left no breathing room. The place smelled so awful. It reeked of weed smoke, armpits, ass, and awful body spray. It was packed with kids moshing and banging to the group on stage.

Drugs going on in one corner, while Frat Boys getting blow jobs out in plain view on the other, Aisha covered Ren's eyes as they walked through. With a raise of her eyebrow, Li slipped away from others, sneaking around back off the side entrance of the stage.

Ren saw Ky creeping from behind the curtain and the gleam of the pistol off the house's lights moved Aisha and Shaundi out of the way.

Li pulled her pistol from her jacket pocket and pulled the trigger towards the ceiling. The kids screamed, running out, caring not who was trampled or shoved in the process. The bandmates, startled, jumped up and started toward her. Brotherhood, Ky, aiming the pistol at each of their heads.

"Back the fuck off. I need a word with Matty." She said with a low growl.

Warning shots fired as she nicked their cheeks. They scrambled out of the door as well. Stashing the pistol back in her pocket, then turning her attention to Matt, she took the mic stand, smacking him across the back, then picking up the cymbals tossed those as well. When he backed away, Ky sent a kick to his stomach that sent the man flying into the heavy equipment on stage.

"Where's the shipment!" She bellowed, her voice echoing.

Matt stumbled to get his footing after he crashed into the equipment he landed on. Pushed some of the equipment away from him with his arm outstretched. "The fuck are you talking about?" He turned his head for the briefest second, not seeing the guitar flying at his shoulder.

With a questionable look of annoyance, Li stepped over a stool to him. "You have a lot of gear up here I haven't played with yet." Pulling the gun once again, aiming right at his crotch, she watched as he scooted back towards the front of the stage.

Aisha, Ren and Shaundi watch Kyouki stalk Matt like prey. "I don't k-know anyth-thing, I-I just tat, they don't tell me anything!" he blurted out.

Kicking Matt's leg out of disgust. "Don't lie to me. You think I'm stupid? The whole time you were covering Maero with ink, you didn't once hear your bro talk about a shipment with that tick?"

He slowly inched further back. "I swear, I don't know!" He looked terrified. If there was a God, he prayed hard for her to leave and let him go. "Please don't kill me. I won't say shit to Maero. I'll just go. Please!" His eyes widened as he looked at the gun positioned at his delicate neither region.

Li tilted her head to the side, and she squatted down in front of him, rubbing the barrel of her gun pressing against his jeans up his leg. She looked like a living ghost. She didn't blink. The way the lights hit her eyes made her pupils near nonexistent. Matt was past terrified. The clicks of the hammer being pulled back made his eyes bulge.

"OK! Ok, I heard it was coming by boat. They tried to keep me out of the loop and mixed up in their shit! After Donnie they talked together only!" Ky shifted herself, and Matt flinched. "Oh god! I told you all I know!"

Li came face to face with Matt, she rub her nose against the side of Matt's face; the man let out a suppressed sigh. She slid the cool steel down his sweat slick shoulder, hearing him whimper. She hummed softly in his ear. Laying her gun on his chest like a weight, it paralyzed Matt.

"I love it when men are afraid of me. I feed off of fear. It lets me show how sweet I really am." Her fingers rubbed his lips. "Put your hand over the hole, Matty."

"N-no… P-p-please." Matt whimpered.

The girls watched as Kyouki slowly reached down and up Matt's shirt. With her other hand placing her hand in Matt's right, interlocking her fingers with his ever so slightly, moving it to the circular opening on the stage.

Whispering in his ear, sending oddly aroused chills through his body. "Your friends should have tried harder." She smiled seductively. Shifting, she sat up on her knees, rubbing the gun on Matt's cheek. "I will, however, let you go with a warning. Ok?"

She took the hand that held his and seductively scratched up his arm. She watched as his eyes lulled closed. Li crooked a finger at Shaundi and the others. 'Hold him.' She mouthed.

Then placed her foot on Matt's wrist. His eyes flew open with the look of horror when he felt the extra set of hands. Pain written across his face with the weight holding his wrist in place. The barrel of the gun was aimed right between his baby blue eyes.

Kyouki smiled. "Enjoy your retirement Matt." With a sickening crunch she stood her full weight, slamming down on the pedal releasing the pyrotechnics all along the stage. The girls let him go, jumping back with their faces covered. While one by one the flame tubes lit, Matt screamed in pain as the fire encased his hand, the smell of charred flesh filled the air.

The flames in her eyes died down, emotionless. Li hopped off the stage, using Matt's scrunched, writhing face to get down.

"Let's go. Shaundi, Do you have any friends that work at the docks?"

Shaundi cringed as she watched. "Not that I know of?"

"Well, looks like you will be making some new friends. Maero has the shipment coming in, and I want to get to it before he does."

Walking backwards slowly from the former lead guitarist, Shaundi just shook her head. "Yeah, I'll get on that."

"Fuckin sick…" Ren breathed out.

Aisha numbly agreed. "Watch your mouth." She had not expected this on their girls' night out.

Maero was done. He had gone to visit with Jessica's parents to pay his condolences. They rejected him at their home like they rejected his attending her funeral services.

Dejected, he mourned for days in his area, but mourning would have to wait. His crew went after the Saints for Jessica. When the cops busted them, the Saints gladly got caught. When the red boys requested their call, they left Maero a shit-ton of messages.

Though when Matt came to get some of his things the next day, he was in a cast that covered his entire hand. When asked what happened, Matt said nothing. But the bandmates snitched. Matt tried to stop him, but it was no use. Maero stormed off and the sound of the monster truck of his roared off into the distance.

Enough was enough of the defiant Li.

High on the 71st floor of the Phillips Building, that silently stood watch over Mission Beach. Dane was busy making plans for the Black-Tie affair to generate more funds into the city. He would also use the opportune affair to announce publicly his engagement to the Ronin Heiress.

Looking over a few pictures of the leader of the Saints. "Damn, you are proving to be very, very useful, my lady."

No matter how she treats him, he shudders with lust. Power turns him on. Sure, she is in the way of his ambition for Ultor. Certainly she has the backing of one of their biggest clients. The only reason the Akuji's are still high on the list is because of Kyouki, his fiancée. He wants to take her to Steelport for a weekend of play in the romp room he spent the week in with Ms. De Wynter.

But she is low on the rung ladder of power. Mr. Loren may be a mogul in his own right. But Kyouki. Dane unzipped his pants. The thought of turning her over his knee made him hard. He needed a release. His perverse thoughts filled with ravaging his soon to be bride.

At the ball. He will forcefully take her. She is his, after all. Images of her sprawled, her legs wrapped around his waist against his desk after they'd slipped away. He tugged and jerked himself faster. Imaginings of his hand at her throat while she moans for him to fuck her harder. "Yes, Kyouki… Yes… anythin- ahh." he hissed as he came. He shuddered, his hot seed spilled on her pictures across his desk.

Spent, he slumped in his chair with a satisfied grin as he cleaned himself and his desk, making it tidy once more.

Tossing balled tissue into the trash, his intercom buzzed. "Mr. Vogel, there's a Mr. Maero is here to see you."

Sighing his frustration at the interruption. "Jamie, I am busy downsizing here…" Adjusting his soft erection, thinking of Kyouki.

The young woman interrupted shortly after. "Mr. Vogel… I'm not sure I am… um… I am adequately conveying Mr. Maero's size… Wait, you can't…" She tried to stop him but it was no use. The massive man slammed his hands down on the secretary's desk, skulking straight to Vogel's office.

"Get him out of here!" Dane shouted. He desired his privacy, especially when it dealt with Kyouki. The loud bang of his oak doors being kicked in with Maero stomping up the small flight of stairs to the blond's desk. "Or... send… Wow… Thanks Jamie."

Dane rolled his chair back. "Hello, you must be Mr. Maero." In awe of the size of this man who barged into his office.

Maero pointed a thick, indigent finger at Dane Vogel. "I heard about the connections Ultor has… You will get my boys out of jail, as well as help me destroy the Saints."

"Your bargaining posture needs some refining." Even from his position behind the desk, he was still looking up at the disfigured leader of the Brotherhood. "Wait. The Saints?"

"They killed my girlfriend and crippled my best friend. I want them dead."

Dane smiled as if he cared. "And that's unfortunate, but Ultor is a business and there's no profit in revenge. Don't worry about the door though, that one's on me." Dane motioned his hand to where the door one stood.

Maero came around to the other side of the large marble desk. "Money is it, I have a shipment coming in a few days –"

Dane cut him off with a wave of his hand, while evacuating his chair to put distance between himself and Maero. "Mr. Maero, nebulous shipment or not, I think I have made myself perfectly cl- shit!"

Maero flipped the marble desk over as if it were made of Styrofoam. Dane's eyes went wide as he jumped back out of the way. Maero just as quickly grabbed him by the throat with one hand. "Let's try this once more. You will help me destroy the Saints." Shoving Dane Vogel through the thick glass window, dangling hundreds of feet over the stone courtyard of the mighty tower, with just his bare hand.

"Ultorwouldlovetobeofassistance." Dane garbled, sputtered out quickly, holding on tight to Maero's arm.

"Good." He tossed the thin man aside politely, leaving the office.

Dane hit the floor hard, gasping for air. Hurriedly reached for his cell. Shaking, he looked at the window behind him. He slowly got up, waiting for the first ring. He saw a picture he once gladly satisfied himself with, ripped.

The receptionist picked up. "Stilwater Police Department."

"Put me through to Troy Bradshaw."

"Who should I say is…"

"JUST DO IT NOW!" Dane screamed into the phone.

The receptionist rolled her eyes when she clicked over, calling Bradshaw with just two clicks more. "Chief? There's a Mr. Vogel on the line."

Troy looking over new recruits to put to work for the Saints. The phone buzzed, his brow furrowed. "Put him through."

"Hello Troy..."

"Eh? Whaddya want Vogel?"

"It's not what I want, it's what I need..."

Troy could not stand the smugness in this man's voice. He is worse than Johnny. "Which is?" Troy flipped pages as he listened.

"You are going to release all the Brotherhood you have locked up."

Troy stopped mid page flip looking at the phone next to him. What did this stuffed shirt just say? He had heard, though he wanted to pretend he didn't. "And why the fuck would I do that?"

"I'm looking after my clients." Dane said glibly.

"Your uh, "clients", are a bunch of criminals."

Dane snorted. "Guilty before a trial, nice. Is that the kind of mentality you like to instill in your subordinates?"

"Spare me, alright? They're not getting released, and that's that." It was Troy's turn for smug retaliation.

Dane ground his teeth. This man was infuriating. This is who Kyouki had to deal with? "This is where we're gonna have to agree to disagree. These men are going free. The only question is if you'll let this be settled quietly, or if you want a media circus that will make you look like a joke for helping the Saints. You were once amongst them. Right?"

Troy was really not liking the true insinuation. "I thought Ultor wanted order? Cause letting these assholes out is gonna only make shit worse."

Dane smirked. "Troy, in order to maintain the ecosystem, sometimes the rangers need to start forest fires… You should know that better than anybody. I suspect I'll hear from you soon. Twenty-four hours. Tick Tock." He hung up.

What Dane needs, wants and lives for. He will watch his fiancée topple Maero. Will get the property from under her, while she will be under him. It was perfect in its chaotic execution.

When the line went dead, Troy blinked. "Muthafucker!" Almost everything on his desk met the floor. Now he had Dane Vogel ordering him around. Kyouki was gonna be on his ass, and not in a way he would like.

Kyouki was at the Downtown loft curled up in the bed sound asleep. Aisha would poke her head in. Or Gat would every couple of hours. Ky had been working too hard. When they moved to the loft from the Penthouse in Wardill, they left out together most of the time. She left nothing to chance with a possible lurking cousin.

Ky asked Gat to go check on profits for her. She heard them leave. She threw the covers off her and ran to the bathroom, spilling the contents of her stomach into the porcelain throne.

She felt like hell. Paybacks for what she did to Jessica? Kyouki was sweating, freezing. There was a stomach bug that she had. She was certain. She dragged herself back to her room. On the tv was a current news report from Jack Armstrong.

"Today, the city descends into chaos. Stilwater is trying to piece itself back together as the conflict between the Third Street Saints and the Brotherhood spilled into the streets. Witnesses reported multiple incidents of Brotherhood members assaulting Saints' property throughout the Barrio. Numerous shops were destroyed in the resulting chaos, and even the police were unable to prevent the fighting from escalating before the Saints apparently gained the upper hand and forced the Brotherhood members from the area."

Kyouki frowned as she laid back down. Her head was hurting, happy the Saints had the upper hand, miserable she felt to enjoy it. Turning the volume down, she checked on Ramon. His mom and aunt were safe. The Brotherhood never made it to their block. She drifted back off to sleep.

Johnny took Aisha with him and said after they were going to do a little shopping. Johnny had wanted to do something special for his girls. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

Gat wasn't romantic, maybe the occasional dinner together, but nothing serious. He just wanted something solid that let them know how he feels.

"Ish babe, listen… I'm not sure if I'm doing this right or not. Ky said that thought it would be cool if we got matching bracelets or something. You know, cause after the accident. She blamed herself. I mean, I did too. I just don't want her to think I'm mad still." Johnny took a deep breath before continuing. He felt stupid for saying this, this serious relationship they have found themselves in. It feels right. He understands now what Ky had been saying. Do a little more than what you've been doing. He isn't trying to screw it up.

"What you've been doing is fine. Granted, before you were pretty ass about taking me out."

"Aye!" Gat whipped his head to Ish.

She chuckled. "Listen. We have a second chance. Not many get that. She was dead set on not coming between us. She needs us as much as we need her. If she said a token is fine, let's go get something for us."

Gat sighed. "Babe, I love Ky. You know I always have. I love you too... I feel this is right… hell, when we thought explosion got her... that memorial service for her when we thought she died. I never told you how that hurt me more than getting shot." Johnny placed both hands on the steering wheel and rested his head on his knuckles.

Ish rubbed his back. "To be honest, she is a beast. What she did to that guy the other day. How anyone caught her long enough to kill her. She.. Johnny. She is… I don't know how to describe her. I'm happy as hell we are not on her bad side."

Johnny looked up at the building in front of him, chuckling. "I should've protected both of you better… Got her doing all the work again. You really good with this?"

"Yeah. Kiss me, you have things to do."

Gat rubbed Aisha's cheek and gave her the kiss she wanted. He would get something for them. Aisha was cool with it. The wedding may be postponed, but they don't need one. He thought about Dane. "Fuck. Ky is getting married."

"Oh. Damn." Aisha sat back. They forgot. "We can still do something for us. Let's talk about it later. She's waiting for us." Aisha pushed Gat's shoulder for him to hurry with business so they could go back home as soon as possible.

Gat went into the building, then not long after Pierce stopped and knocked on the car window.

"Aye, where's G?"

Aisha startled as she was playing a game on her phone."Inside."

"Aight thanks." He went jogging into Technically Legal.

Pierce quickened his steps up the plush corridor, nodding to the Bouncer that was on duty. Seeing Gat when he rounded the corner trotted over he was standing, arms folded waiting. "There you are. I was looking all over for you. Boss said you were making runs today. We got a serious—Damn, those are some nice shoes…" He paused, his thought derailed by the heels the dancer had on.

"Sup?" Gat asked when he heard Peirce stop talking.

Pierce stood with his mouth agape. "Yeah… We got a serious issue." His train of thought was back on track.

"Why? What's going on?" Johnny took the bag from one girl, making his way back to the car.

"Brotherhood are retaking our turf."

"So, we got the numbers to fix it." Gat nodded to several people as they left.

"Not possible. They got these big ass trucks and blowin' shit up along the way." Pierce followed on his heels.

Johnny groaned. He had other shit to do besides talk to Pierce. "Again, we have the numbers, so it's aight."

"About that…"

Gat turned to face him once they made it to the door, with his eyebrow raised.

Pierce broke in with the bad news. "They got locked up."

"Shit, you say?!"

"Tattooed freaks, big ass trucks, runnin' around burnin' shit and you care the cops show up?"

Gat growled, rolling his eyes, pulling out his cell, rushing to the car. "Yeah, I care the cops showed up. One of them was supposed to look out for us!" He called over his shoulder as Pierce was on his heel.

"Gat, take care of it, I can't right now." Kyouki said. He heard her puking again.

"Yeah, I talked to her already. She told me to tell you." Pierce chimed in.

"Shit." Gat hung up. He had to get Ish home.

The day of the nebulous shipment, Kyouki was less queasy. She sat sipping warm water and broth. She had been calling Troy for two days to find out what was going on. He had not returned her calls.

Aisha wanted to have Ky look at, she didn't like how her girlfriend was suddenly so weak and ill. They had gone to the clinic Downtown. Puking her brains out for a full day left her weak.

Ky had to leave Gat in charge. And he couldn't take her. He was busy getting their people out of holding, like Pierce suggested. The only problem was, they couldn't get them released. Suddenly, the mandatory hold was restricted. Pierce couldn't even talk to one of theirs.

Kyouki and Aisha sat in the waiting room. Kyouki felt so bad she couldn't fill out the paperwork for the check-in. She rocked and groaned. The television that was on, blaring, had Jane Valderamma reporting the news. She watched, with no interest, until she paid attention to what was being said.

Jane Valderamma, the popular news reporter, was front and center, live. "In a surprising turn of events, several members of The Brotherhood are being released today. A previously thought open/shut case turned into a fierce legal battle as several high power attorneys, who fought tooth and nail over the past few days for their client's freedom. Chief Troy Bradshaw. May I have a word?" Footage of them being released onto buses was pre recorded. At what time, from the looks of it early in the morning, as it was still dark out.

Troy was live that very moment.

He looked irritated, sounded irritated. "I heard you. My personal opinion on the trial doesn't really matter. A jury of their peers found them innocent."

"So you think they were guilty?"

Troy was booking it out of there. "I'm sorry Jane. Listen, I have to get back to work... hey, why don't you try talking to Dane Vogel?"

Kyouki sat up straight. Dane and the Brotherhood. Ky saw it was live, meaning right now. That shit is happening now. Her calling Troy, he was… Helping Dane who was in cahoots with Maero? Kyouki no longer felt weak, she felt fury. A fraction of a second after seeing Troy, her phone rang, and she looked down at the screen… Troy.

"Kyouki, before you go off on me, I had no choice, just take care of the situation. I owe you one." He hung up before he got cussed out.

Ky heard the reporter and Dane speaking still. Aisha had checked several times if she filled the paperwork right before handing it to the nurse at the desk. Coming back to sit, Kyouki was rigid.

"You ok? Need to puke again?" She asked, concerned.

Kyouki was piecing together what was going on. All the while wishing she had powers to smite Dane where he stood.

Dane smiled at Jane. "Ultor has no interest in the trial other than to see criminals get put behind bars."

"So there is no truth to the speculation that the Brotherhood's lawyers are in Ultor's pocket?"

"Jane, we've donated millions of dollars to the Stilwater PD as well as rebuilt the shattered community of Saint's Row. And we will continue our goal. Now, I understand that everyone likes to pick on the big corporations, but this latest groundless attack on Ultor's integrity is just ridiculous." Dane smirked.

With that, Dane excused himself, and the camera was back on Jane. What he was saying was creeping into her subconscious.

"Behind me, the men and women who are still loading up onto these buses are being given another chance at freedom… But the question remains, are we also giving them another chance at a life of crime? I'm Jane Valderamma, Channel 6 News... back to you, Jack."

"Thank you Jane. Wow, is all I can say…"

Kyouki checked out. Li looked at the phone in her hand. 'Why are they being released? Why is Dane working with Maero? What the fuck is going on?'

"Ms. James, Key-o-uki James?"

"Babe. Come on. You're up." Aisha said, shouldering her purse.

Li looked back at the screen, flying into a silent rage. Calling Johnny. "Handle it. I'm heading to speak with Dane."

In that tone, when Aisha first heard it, she didn't know what to make of it. She found herself dragged by her wrist; they left the clinic, flooring it to meet with Dane.