Delivery
Chapter 9
Xia-Long Miao looked at the damage, the situation, and realized that while they were still under contract, going straight for the prize would be foolish. The best option would be to have something those on the ship wanted. He realized that not taking one of the crew when he had the chance had been a mistake. The girl would have been problematic, the man possibly would have been easier, but he respected his calm nature under pressure. Human or not he respected the fact that he was willing to come to an agreement based solely on the information at hand.
It had been a brilliant strategy, giving themselves a head start, and it was obvious that they knew about a weapons stash in the area. The island they passed was likely the place. Of course there was a chance that it belonged to an organized crime syndicate, and if that was the case then they would be answering for raiding it at some point. Still, the action had obviously taken courage and determination, both of which were traits that he admired.
He hadn't been kidding when he suggested introducing monster blood to them both. The mana, the magic, the power in the blood would corrupt their human bodies, transforming them into something far more suitable. It would take time, and they would need something that would suppress the power enough that the transformation would be gradual instead of instantaneous. That was the mistake with too many would be alchemists and sorcerers. They looked for a quick, instant change and not something that took time. Time was the ingredient that couldn't be left out. It was the bonding agent that ensured that everything happened accordingly and perfectly. Leaving it out was foolish to the extreme.
The man would mix nicely with oni blood. That was something he was sure of. His calm, calculating nature would be enhanced, and it would only prove to be a perfect fit. The girl had a temperament that would fit something more beastual, but honestly he believed that mixing her with succubus blood would give a perfect specimen. There was no doubt in his mind that they were a couple. While he couldn't smell them on each other, at least not from any intimate activity, he could see the way they acted toward one another.
That told him that they would work well together. They would be a perfect team, and he was certain they would be lovers. Having them transformed and made part of the Miao family would be a bonus, but of course he would have to sever their human ties. Not remove their memories, but have them realize that the world they would be leaving behind was worth leaving. That could be a problem. Not that he believed for a moment that they would be too tempted when they realized exactly what they had to look forward to.
Power had a way of tempting those who hadn't truly had it before. The girl was obviously skilled with weapons, and as a human it gained her some semblance of power, but she obviously hadn't had real power. The kind of power that put her above humans on the food chain. The kind of power that would make her an unstoppable force. The man, his power was in his nature, his mind, and his diplomatic nature.
He wasn't an amature, not by any stretch of the imagination, but given the power of an oni he would have basically an eternity to improve. He would have more strength than a typical mortal, and he could help defend his chosen woman with more than words. Xia-Long considered that for a moment. A woman, one that he held above others, he'd met such a woman in Roanapur. She was a halfbreed. A mixture of human and monster, a hold over from the ancient times. She'd nearly died in an attempt to claim a bounty, apparently she had been after a counterfeiter that some gang had hired to create perfect hundred dollar bills.
Those bills were nearly indistinguishable, even to the most trained eye. It would take looking at them under a microscope to see the true differences, and even then it was likely that the discrepancies wouldn't be found. She was part of the Thailand chapter of the Triads, and watching her was like watching living poetry. Her skills with bladed weapons was nearly orgasmic, and her control was beyond that of merely mortal hands.
He courted her, getting to know her, to taste her, and he discovered her secret. She had some demonic blood. Behind that wonderful toned body, beautiful black hair, and gorgeous brown eyes was the blood of a demon. She talked about her mother, and it was someone else he knew. A wolf demon, one that had taken the form of a human woman, and had found a human consort. A man that had amazingly captured her heart.
Of course she could exist in both worlds, he could not. His life was one of a mercenary, and his home port was where she made her home. His lovely obsession told him of the day that he left for the last time. He was to help guard some coke lord in Columbia. She was twelve when she learned that her father was killed in a raid by some guerilla warriors. Men and women devoted to fighting those that subjected their people to growing the ingredients that would become desired designer drugs around the world.
One of his own, an early comer to Roanapur, had saved her. Shenhua, his Twainese lover, a woman that had nearly met her end at the hands of one protecting that counterfeiter, was proof that an amazingly skilled assassin could come from the joining of human and monster blood. Of course he planned on coaxing that blood of hers, of getting it to take full form, to fully turn her into the demon she was meant to be.
He wanted to exist in the world that would be crafted once she was free of her mortal constraints. He had no doubt that it would be a world of beauty, a world of dangerous carnal delights, and it was a world he needed to see. Of course he was also content to exist among the humans. He enjoyed running his small empire, and fulfilling a contract. Naturally, part of any contract was knowing that all client information was private.
He smiled thinking of the letter that came from Gyokuro Shuzen herself. She was crafty, far more than her husband, and she had worked out the details that would allow her to stop what was being delivered. They weren't to kill anyone, simply deliver them to her instead of their intended port. For her to make such a contract, to request such a thing, meant that she wanted leverage over someone. But it wasn't his place to ask. His place was to make sure that the contract was upheld.
And his prey had ensured that fulfilling it would be a challenge. It was now time to think outside of the box. Destroying all of the mines through this area would be foolish. After all, it was obvious that the area enjoyed freedom from normal patrols. But it would either be destroying all of the mines, or finding a way of stopping their ship. With them speeding away conventional methods would not work.
The only option was to be unconventional. He looked at the two Loa that had been created. The former human children would work wonders, and they could be dropped onto the boat from a height that would ensure that the ones delivering them wouldn't be hit. The problem was that they may decide to kill everyone on board, and that would be bad for business. Their client, Gyokuro Shuzen, wanted those being transported alive. She hadn't been so specific on those transporting, but then he had his own reason for wanting at least two of them alive.
Still, if push came to shove he would use the twins. It wasn't the best answer, but with them having an unknown assortment of weapons, including explosive rounds that could punch a hole through an inch of steel. Of course looking at it now he realized that it would have been better to have added another layer of protection for the yacht, but regardless it was a miscalculation that he regretted making. Still, regardless of what his thoughts were, the end result remained much the same. He had to ensure that they were caught, and he had to deliver them to Gyokuro Shuzen.
Beyond that his contract was fulfilled. Part of him considered taking a contract from Fang Fang Huang the moment they were delivered to get them away from Gyokuro Shuzen. The contract would technically be complete, and he followed the letter of the contract. But then it was likely that Fang Fang wouldn't do it. No, he believed that his cousin would instead attempt to free everyone himself.
It would be a matter of pride to him, and he could certainly understand that. There was another option. Okuto Kotsubo had come to them. His being released from Yōkai academy had placed him in a bad way. The fact that he preyed on young women, both human and monster, had put him on the outs with most communities. The former gym teacher had fallen no longer resembling the man he had been. His human disguise was ragged, his once cropped blond hair was bushy, unruly, his nose had developed a crook in it from being broken multiple times, and of course he had lost an eye. The eye patch made him look like a pathetic pirate.
He'd found him in Roanapur, careful not to alert to his presence, but still perving on young women. His tastes, lewd and desturbed as they were, finally led him to the kind of trouble that he no longer could escape from. He had gone after a young woman that wasn't just another conquest. She had been connected to a crime syndicate that had the ability to stretch far and wide. The fact that had hurt her, broke her mind, left her a gibbering mess was enough for the Italian crime family to lay two choices.
Pay retribution for what he'd done with cold hard cash, pay it with his life and spend what was left of it in agonizing pain. Perhaps he would have believed it to be nothing more than the idiotic threats of humans, but they had been prepared, and to be perfectly honest a wielding generator hooked up to one's testicles tended to make anyone, human or monster, realize how much of a threat the person operating the generator could be. Xia-Long found the opportunity too tempting to not take advantage of. By purchasing Okuto's freedom he secured his loyalty by explaining either he would work off his debt through various jobs, or he would find himself once again hooked up to a welding generator.
Now would be a perfect opportunity to allow him to pay back some of the massive amount of money he owed, which of course grew every day with interest. Ultimately Okuto was given a place to live, an allowance to live off of, and access to working girls that had angered their employers. He walked toward the upper deck, and he saw Okuto standing there. His one lone black eye looking down at the twins, then toward Chu Hua. Xia-Long almost lost his composure, but instead he cleared his throat causing Okuto to look at him.
"Yes, boss?" the word sounded as if it tasted dirty coming out of Okuto's mouth, "Something you want?"
He studied him, "Yes, you are to go into the water, transform, and do what you can to stop that boat."
Okuto looked at the ship that was leaving, and then he looked back at Xia-Long, "You do realize that I won't be able to sink it. I might be able to get aboard, kill the engines, but I'm not able to drag it to the bottom of the ocean."
Xia-Long laughed before looking at him, "I don't want you to sink it," he said simply, "I want you to stop it. Do what you can to kill the engines, and then wait for us to catch up to you."
He nodded, walked toward the edge of the deck and fell off. Halfway down his body transformed into a mess of tentacles. He hit the water and once again he was in his natural element. He found the ease of moving, enjoying the moment, the feeling of the freedom in it, and then he moved ahead. Dodging the antique mines was beyond easy. Oh, if he were covered in metal it would be a different story, but instead he was merely organic.
He could see each mine, covered in age, barnacles, sea cucumbers, and other creatures had moved toward them, calling them home. Entire colonies were created in the absence of a war that ended so long ago. Below him he could see the wrecks that weren't so lucky. A few ships, long since sunk, some were from the same war, but most seemed to be those fool hearted enough to attempt to navigate this area without caution.
He could feel the change in the current, the feel and direction of his target. Of course he'd noticed the human woman, her toned body, the way the sweat glistened off of her skin. Surely his employer wouldn't mind if he enjoyed a small benefit of his position. He could practically hear the screams, feel the way she would fight, and then how he would enjoy every inch of her. She'd be lovely, a wonderful conquest, and when he was finished he could just toss her away.