(A/N: this will probably be the last chI put in. I dunno why... but I don't like it much nemore. oh well. you guys don't say nething on it anyway... so no dissapointment!)
Alexandra, Ramziel and Azaré ran into the lab where Riza was kept. Alexandra looked around the room in astonishment. She had never been in here before. The lab was out of her jurisdiction and she wasn't allowed to have anything to do with it. And it seemed that Ramziel had never been in the room either. He seemed just as shocked as Alexandra felt when looking at all of the strange devices scattered around the room.
In the center of the room was a huge hollow bulb that was big enough for a person to stand in comfortably. Azaré approached the glass bauble and placed her hand on it mournfully. "She's not here." She said quietly, "Riza's… gone…"
They all stood in silence before a few soldiers came into the room and looked around. Upon spotting the three, one of the officers spoke up, "Excuse me, but nobody is allowed here until the entire room has been searched thoroughly."
"You work for Shiraya." Azaré said quietly, looking at their uniforms. "She sent you here to make sure Riza was all right."
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we're not permitted to disclose such information." The same officer replied without sounding the least bit sorry.
"I work here!" Azaré said suddenly, "Lady Shiraya hired me to research Riza. Any information you have about her should be given to me as well!"
"If you want to get any information," He said savagely, "Then you're going to have to get it from the lady on your own. We don't have permission to speak to you on this matter… or allow people in here at the moment. So if you will please leave now, we will not be forced to take action."
Alexandra took stage at that moment, "You have no right to threaten me." She pulled her badge from her pocket, "I'm a detective, working for Lady Shiraya, and of higher rank than you no doubt are."
The officer looked at her angrily. After a moment's hesitation, he replied tartly, "We were instructed by Lady Shiraya herself to make sure nobody is in here. Whether you are of higher rank than me or not, I am under the commands of the lady, not you. So, detective, if you will please leave now, we will not be forced to take action."
"You can't tell me what to do!" Alexandra replied angrily. "You don't have-" but she cut herself off when she saw the officer raise his automatic gun and aim it at her. "…so, you'll fire on me, then, will you?" She asked in a whisper.
"You are currently forcing us to take action." The officer replied solemnly, "If you will leave now, I will not fire."
Alexandra hesitated, but Azaré placed a hand on her shoulder and the three left the room. Azaré knew that staying there, arguing with the officer wasn't going to help them find Riza any faster. It just wasn't helping at all.
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Lord Jiraiya slammed his fist into the wall. His breath was hard, his throat hurt from shouting, and his hands were sore from hitting and breaking random things. He stood alone in his study. He had sent Surrey away to search for Riza. He had to get her back. He had to get to Paradise. He had to find Harmony.
Sinking into an overly cushioned chair, Lord Jiraiya buried his head in his hands. He could almost see Harmony in his mind's eye. He could see her smiling, laughing, talking to him, running through a field of flowers like and angel soaring through the clouds. He had to find his love. She was all he had left. She was what drove him to survive every day of his life. If he could not have her; if he could not find her, he had no reason to live. He would be nothing.
"Harmony," Jiraiya said in a whisper, knowing she could hear him, "Do not worry. I will be there, my love. I will get to Paradise." He closed his eyes as a solitary tear trickled down his face. He missed Harmony with all his heart.
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Anya sat in a chair next to her bed. She and Shayne had led the two other wolves back to their home. The soldiers had no right to enter their home. They were doctors of the highest ranking. Only by the specific orders of Lady Shiraya could they enter. But there was no reason for it. So the wolves were safe with Riza for now.
"How's she doing?" Shayne asked as he walked in with a hamburger for Anya.
She looked down at Riza, who was sleeping in her bed. "Fine, I guess. She's still breathing. So she's not dead… I guess that's all we can ask for at the moment." Anya took the food Shayne offered her.
Shayne nodded, "yeah. Look, one of the wolves, the girl, wants to see Riza. Her name's Iris. She claims Riza had called to her." He shrugged, "I dunno. But if we want to keep them around, we should probably let her come in."
"Yeah. She can come in." Anya agreed, "As long as she doesn't disturb Riza."
Shayne left to tell the wolf.
Iris came in, looking cautiously around the room as she walked closer to Riza. She kneeled next to the bed and looked at Riza. "She's sleeping." She said quietly. Anya just watched, unsure of how to respond to this bland comment. Iris turned to Anya, "How long have you known the flower maiden?"
"I haven't actually known her." Anya replied after a moment, "Shayne and I became doctors so we could stay close to her. But she's never actually been awake or active until you were shot."
At that, Iris' eyes hardened, "How long have there been wolf hunters in this city? I've never even heard of them before, until I came here. I thought all the humans thought we were extinct."
"They do." Shayne said from behind them. He and the other wolf were standing at the door. "From what Anya and I understand, there was a human who thought we were real. He hunted wolves, practically told the whole world too, dumb kid." He added under his breath.
"But the human that attacked me wasn't a kid." Iris said, standing up. "He was an old man."
"That doesn't make sense." Anya said, looking back at Shayne, "Didn't Detective Ravina say that it was a kid they were supposed to look at?"
Shayne nodded.
"Then there must be two." The other wolf replied with a shrug.
"You haven't heard of any wolf hunters before, Leon?" Iris asked him earnestly. Before Leon could reply, though, there was a knock at the door and everybody fell silent.