Hello loyal readers,
Thank you so much for bearing with me! Here's this week's chapter! A friendly face makes a quick return, revealing how the assassination attempt went down, and we get a little time with the Heel sibs. Also, I decided it would make more sense for the story if Cain Heel was a "bounty hunter" instead of a "mercenary". Ignore all the references in the previous chapters!
Thank all of you who have been reviewing, favoriting, and "alert"-ing – I'm really grateful for the support! If any of you loyal readers have the time, I'd love to read your thoughts, predictions, and encouragements in the reviews! Getting all of your support really keeps me motivated! So thanks in advance~!
-x-
CH18
-Tokyo Yamate Medical Center-
The young woman in the white nurse's scrubs walked briskly down the hall of the hospital, carrying a small metal tray with a capped plastic syringe on it. Her nametag read: Isao Hanako. Her shoulder-length black hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail at the nape of her neck. She waved her badge in front of the electronic sensor on the wall and waited patiently for the heavy doors to swing open on automatic hinges before entering the ICU.
None of the other nurses gave her a second glance. It was less her uniform and more her confidant air that kept the questions away. These nurses were busy and didn't have the time to waste interrogating someone who might have just been a floater nurse from an outside agency. After all, there were still nursing shortages, and thus, always new faces around.
However, if the nurses had taken the time to note her name and badge number, taken the information downstairs to the administration office, and convinced the security officer to run a hospital-wide database search for this particular nurse, they would have found that the ICU nurse named Isao Hanako had actually died in 1997.
Reaching her destination, the woman pretending to be Isao Hanako paused at the door to a patient room. Then she smoothly turned around and busied herself at the hallway sink, washing her hands. Immediately, the door slid open and shut behind her. She listened as the nurse exiting the room muttered something that sounded like, "Gross!" before stalking down the hall. Hanako listened as the woman found a colleague, and the two began gossiping in hushed tones.
As soon as the two nurses turned the corner, Hanako dried her hands off and casually entered the patient room. Sliding the door shut behind her, she locked it, grasping the tray with the syringe in her other hand.
The soft blipping of a cardiac monitor and the sharp scent of disinfectant greeted her as she slowly turned. A large man groggily rolled over in bed to watch her. By his bedside, pendulous fluid-filled bags hung on tall metal poles. The bags were attached to IV tubing that snaked wildly toward the bed, hooking into the man's inner elbows and the backs of his hands.
The young woman's eyes took in all the details. So this was how someone looked two days after they'd had coronary artery bypass surgery. Sleepy, pale, weak. She tucked that knowledge away, just in case she would need to use it in a future role.
"Oh, another nurse?" Yamashita chuckled, his voice raspy with fatigue. "Did my little antics scare the other one away?"
Ew… This was definitely going in her poison notebook as soon as she got back to HQ.
Trying to remain professional, the Hanako impersonator merely set her tray on the bedside table and met the man's gaze coolly.
"Yamashita Sadao, accountant and bookkeeper to the famous, infamous, and illegal. Clearly, you've bitten off more than you can chew with Delta. Tell me what you know about your client."
The shock on Yamashita's pudgy face, in her mind, was hilarious. But it was quickly replaced by a ruddy, grim expression. "So, you're not a nurse. Not the cops either, I'm guessing. You're too cute. PSIA?"
Amamiya Chiori bit back her sarcastic, Wow. You must be a genius! Instead she replied, exasperated, "Just tell me about Delta. What's he after? What was he using his money for? What's his next move?"
"You don't scare me, little girl," the accountant slurred through a morphine-induced haze. "I don't even need my lawyer to deal with you. Now, get out of my room."
Chiori smoothed back the thunderous look that threatened to cross her face. Instead, she took a step away from the bedside.
"You know… All these tubes and machines look so important…" She said unconcerned, as she swept a hand across the plastic IV lines. "You never quite know which one might just be keeping you alive…"
Suddenly, her hand shot forward, and she ripped one of the IV catheters out of his arm. The flimsy paper tape holding it in place provided hardly any resistance. It was just his morphine drip, but Yamashita didn't need to know that.
"Oops!" Chiori innocently batted her eyelashes.
"You crazy –!" Yamashita thrashed away from her on the bed, horrified. Instantly, he grimaced in pain as he moved his still-raw surgical wound. "What the hell do you think you're doing! I'll sue!"
"I wouldn't be so loud if I were you," Agent A mused, her slender fingers reaching to take the syringe from the metal tray. She deftly popped the plastic cap off the syringe's needle and squirted a thin arc of clear liquid into the air.
Theatrics – it was all about the theatrics…
Making a show of it, she approached the IV bag attached to one of his intact lines. But she also made sure that the label on the syringe reading, "Normal Saline" was hidden from view.
"Now talk."
Yamashita bit back a weak scream, his arm trying and failing to push his girth away from Chiori and the mystery liquid in the syringe. Chiori could almost see the options churning through his brain behind his beady black eyes.
Fight? Too weak. Run? Too weak – and might have another heart attack. Lie? Possible, but unlikely to succeed if the PSIA was good enough to corner him like this. Tell the truth?
Clearly calculating the risk of his treachery, Yamashita eventually slumped back, looking up at Chiori with pleading eyes.
"I can't tell you anything. Delta would kill me," the grown man nearly whined. "And you can't promise me protection from someone like him."
"Protect you…" The nurse imposter chuckled wickedly to herself. "Oh my goodness. This fool still thinks his heart attack was an accident."
"Wha-?"
"Look at you: your teeth suggest at least a 30 year history of tobacco smoking. The size of your ass says you like to sit more than anything. And you eat more than you sit. Your blood is probably the consistency of lard. You attempted to initiate extreme cardiovascular exercise after being forced to climb four flights of stairs. Also, you were idiotic enough to take a double dose of Viagra on top of your daily nitroglycerin pill in the morning..."
Yamashita looked at her blankly. In awe or shock, she could not tell. Idiot.
Rolling her eyes to the heavens, Chiori tapped her foot impatiently against the floor.
"Someone, probably your former employer, just tried to kill you. With a method that was meant to be unsuspicious and untraceable. I can just imagine the newspaper headline, can't you? 'Man found dead of heart attack after tragic medication mix-up,'" Agent A said dramatically. She raised an eyebrow at Yamashita. "Clearly, you're not going to need protection. You already need protection, even if you don't tell us anything."
The accountant suddenly looked a pale, nauseous green.
"He told me that instead of meeting with that creepy assassin group, he was going to send me a reward…" Yamashita trailed off.
"How'd that work out for you?"
Yamashita's eyes flicked nervously around the hospital room. The young woman watched him think; he was close to cracking.
Perfect.
With a theatrical sigh, she lowered the syringe from his IV bag. "The math is simple enough, especially for an accountant like you, Yamashita-san. You give us what we need to know, and we'll keep you alive."
Failing at the valiant attempt to steady his quavering voice, Yamashita insisted, "Delta is smart. A couple of body guards isn't going to stop him or the Vie Ghoul."
"You underestimate us," Chiori gave the man her most winning smile. Time to make the sale.
"Your hospital records have been changed; this room is for a 58 year-old salaryman with complications due to gallstones. No Yamashita Sadao was ever admitted here. According to records, security footage, and eyewitness accounts, Yamashita Sadao passed away tragically from a heart attack on the fourth floor of the Kabuki Chou Hotel two days ago. You haven't noticed but two of your doctors and three of your nurses are our agents. The patients in the room to your right and left are also ours."
Yamashita was shocked speechless again. Agent A wanted to shake her head and roll her eyes. 'What? You think we're a bunch of amateurs?' was what she wanted to say.
Instead, Chiori smiled again and said, "Like I said. You underestimate us. Now. What was Delta's last big transaction?"
-x-
-Yokohama-
Setsu pouted as Cain emerged from the store, shopping bags in both hands. He had bought her far too many clothes. It was that damned deadly puppy dog pout.
"Nii-san is so manipulative," the blonde griped, arms folded over her chest as she followed him down the sidewalk. The chilled sea breeze blew in from the bay and tousled her hair. Setsu flipped it out of her face with an irritated toss of her head.
"Heh," the bounty hunter replied over his shoulder with the scarcest hints of a smirk at her.
Ignoring passersby who were staring openly at the oddly dressed duo, Setsu merely stalked forward and smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "Baka Nii-san… You just do that because you know I'll always fall for you."
Cain Heel, uncharacteristically, almost stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk.
Unaware of her brother's near slip-up, Setsuka uttered another harrumph and strode onward down Motomachi Street. Sure, this was one of the most renowned shopping areas in the greater Toyko area – which Setsu loved – and sure, she got to spend quality time with her brother – which Setsu also loved – but that receipt had far too many zeroes on it!
She had picked out so many clothing items just to bother her brother, but that had backfired in the end when he just grabbed the armful of clothing she had presented and brought it straight to the cash register! Setsu swore that she could see little yen signs in the store employee's eyes.
After all, Setsu and Cain were only staying in Yokohama for less than a week before heading back to the UK. How many clothes did her careless older brother have to buy her anyway?
A warm hand brushed hers, and unbidden, Setsu felt her ire melt around the edges. She glanced up to see that Cain had slung both shopping bags over his shoulder and was reaching for her hand with his free one.
"Silly, Nii-san." Instantly placated, Setsu smiled smoothly as she felt his large hand close around hers.
Inside, Kyoko was attempting for the nth time over the past two days to invoke a bolt of lightning to descend from the heavens and fry her to a crisp. Maybe the lightning could also strike the President for forcing them to remain undercover for the week after the Yamashita incident – 'Just in case.'
Unfortunately, the lightning didn't come in time as her partner decided to squeeze her hand and then bring it up to his lips to kiss the back.
'Tsuruga-san, maybe toward me… he feels… is what some other girl might say,' Kyoko thought, wryly. 'If it wasn't me that Tsuruga-san was doing these things to, then it would have definitely ended up in tragedy for some poor, naïve maiden.'
Trying to hide her wavering Setsu-mask, Kyoko stopped at a shop window to peruse the wares. Cain stopped behind her, very much inside the bounds of her personal space.
'It's a good thing I've guarded my heart against his unfortunate tendency to create misunderstandings. No wonder all of his other partners were so misled…'
DING.
An internal chime from their comm link earpieces caused the duo to shoot a knowing glance at each other. If it were any other couple, they would have been startled by the sudden auditory intrusion. But Cain and Setsu Heel didn't do startled. Instead, the siblings continued calmly hand-in-hand down the shopping district's sidewalk.
Yashiro's tenor sounded in Kyoko's ear. "Ren, Kyoko-chan. New update. Is this a good time?"
As Setsu, she glanced up at her brother. His eyes were fixed firmly ahead as they continued walking.
"Nii-san," Setsu asked slyly, wrapping a hand around his upper arm. "What do you want to eat for lunch when we get back to the apartment?"
Cain merely grunted, "Setsu, we still have a bit of a walk to get back to the car."
Picking up on the cues, Yashiro replied, "Maybe I should wait until you are both somewhere private?"
"But I guess lunch can't wait," Cain intoned unhappily.
"That's right, Nii-san," Setsu lightly chided. "You can't get nutrition from just cigarettes and booze. We should get groceries now."
Yashiro spoke up again, "Are you sure?"
"Mmm," her brother responded, clearly uninterested at the thought of food.
"Ah, understood," their tech support replied, catching their implications. "Four things to report."
Setsu trailed off, hand still wrapped around her brother's arm.
"First, still no information on the female suspect from the Yamashita incident. We re-watched the lobby footage and saw her disappear into the bathroom, but she never came out. Also, apparently, per the hotel's maintenance logs, the elevators were not supposed to be out of order that day. The signs were posted in the morning by one of the employees who received a fake work order."
Kyoko's mind continued to race. She had gone near the bathroom to grab the defibrillator that day, but hadn't seen anyone who looked remotely like the hooker she had chased into the lobby. Also, apparently this new suspect had planned the whole elevator incident to further tax Yamashita's heart.
After the woman had given him the Viagra, it would have just looked as if the accountant had had an accidental prescription medication overdose while engaging in intercourse with a prostitute. And this overdose would have lead to a heart attack.
Untraceable. Innocuous. Unsuspicious. The perfect assassination.
An uncomfortable knot of worry had worked its way into Kyoko's gut. Was it the Vie Ghoul? But Reino had never mentioned any women in his group… Was this a new threat?
Yashiro was continuing his report. "Secondly, we ran the photo I obtained from Delta's server through facial recognition software. It was slow going because the picture is such poor quality. But judging on the background, it was likely in front of the National Diet Building in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Do either of you know Councilor Toudou Shoichi?"
"Hmm, Nii-san, do we have any more beer for you at home? I don't think we do."
"No, we don't Setsu."
"Toudou is… I'm sorry Kyoko-chan. He works with your mother. They're in the same political party and are often seen in each other's company."
Kyoko felt her Setsu mask almost slip clean off her face. The knot of worry instantly transformed into a sudden, gravid weight that plummeted straight to the bottom of her gut.
What was her mother doing working with someone who had been found on Delta's server? Was this Toudou guy Delta's accomplice? A victim? Was there a connection between Mogami Saena and Delta?
"It gets worse…" Yashiro trailed off, uncertain. "Are you sure you want to continue now?"
"Setsu," Cain's strong, steady baritone cleared Kyoko's mind. She felt a warm pressure over her hand. Kyoko didn't know when it had happened, but they had stopped walking. Closing her eyes, she breathed in a shuddering breath, and when she exhaled, she was Setsu again. The younger Heel sibling's sharp amber eyes glanced up coolly at Cain.
"Setsu," her brother repeated as his concerned brown eyes bore deeply into hers. "We don't have to go to the store today if you don't feel well."
Kyoko couldn't quite stop the unease that slipped into the smile she had meant to be reassuring. "Silly Nii-san. We have to go to the store regardless."
Cain nodded and started walking again.
Yashiro breathed out a reluctant sigh. "If you insist… The third thing is that, Kyoko-chan, your mother today announced her intentions to run for the office of Prime Minister against PM Ogata in two months."
Kyoko closed her eyes, feeling Ren's black leather glove close over her hand again, protectively. She couldn't stop her hand from squeezing his back on reflex. Desperate, like a falling climber clinging to a lifeline.
'Keep walking. One foot in front of the other. Setsu's face. Setsu's face.'
"And finally," Yukihito continued, warily. "Amamiya-san has gotten back to us about Yamashita. It turns out that the last transaction Delta placed was a withdrawal. 200 million yen… for… for the assassination of Fuwa Shotaro."
-x-
Notes
Toudou's first name – At first I was going to make up a name for Toudou, since even the Skip Beat wiki doesn't list a first name for him; however only two days ago I saw a translated omake chapter in which Nakamura-sensei actually revealed that his first name is Sho! (Which is how Kyoko remembered his name in order to contact him all those years later, due to her childhood Sho obsession) But… I just couldn't go along with that, so I ended up making up an elongated version of Toudou's first name instead.
Normal Saline – Did you know that if you give someone regular drinking water in their IV line, you could kill them? The body is slightly "salty," so any intravenous fluids need to be slightly salty as well or else the body's cells will basically explode due to osmolarity differences (or some other science-y stuff).
Baka – "dummy"
-x-
MAILBAG
Knight Patisser – Oh no! Haha, I didn't mean to give off the impression that the woman at the end of Ch17 was actually Delta. She was just talking to him on the phone. ;) As for fluffy scenes, we might have a few moments here and there, but the major fluff is on hold for a little bit. Also, soup can definitely burn… I've definitely ruined more than one pot in college in this manner. Hahaha
MWEH – HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope you had a good one! Despite, yknow, not having a Skip Beat chapter this month… I don't know about you, but I'm seriously going through withdrawals D: As for the villain for this arc, surprise! Haha, I'm glad that I'm able to write a good twist here and there. But apparently I give away huge plot points in the A/N's on accident… WHOOPS! Thanks as always, MWEH!
Shizuhoe – Hmmm indeed…. Who is Kappa? I have laid a trail of breadcrumbs in a couple chapters leading up to this one, but maybe they will only become apparent after her big reveal. ;) Hehe, you have good intuition! As for how Kappa escaped Setsu, she did have a big head start going downstairs, then she pulled a bait and switch on Kyoko at the bathrooms. Can you see the moment where Setsu brushes right past her in Ch17? ;) Glad you enjoyed the chapter and thanks as always for the encouragement!
Guest – Thank you so much! It's always exciting to hear that people are excited for my story and don't absolutely hate the way I'm writing the characters/scenarios haha. Thank you for your very encouraging review! It's like coffee to my fatigued soul! :3
Thanks again for all of your support! And again, if you haven't added an alert or a fave or left a review, every little bit helps! Thank you loyal readers all so, so much!