Here are a few definitions to help clarify a few Japanese words that are used in the story.

Zōri: Are thronged Japanese sandals made of rice straw, cloth, lacquered wood, leather, and later rubber and synthetic materials. Similar in form to flip flops in modern times.

GONE

Chapter Five – Evil Plans Come to Light

I want to thank everyone for the words of encouragement. As promised, here are another two chapters coming your way!

This is a warning to anyone who is faint of heart. This chapter contains some adult content of a serious kind. I won't take things to that extreme, but I would recommend not continuing to read if you can't tolerate it. For those who aren't bothered, please feel free to continue. Onward to the story…

Day 4 - The Coastal City of Sendai - about 12:35pm

Hirohito returned back to Ryota, he was glad to see that Takashi had also returned from sending a telegraph to the Chief. "Anything new?" "Nothing more than we already know Ryota. That Ono guy took 30 minutes to show up again though. They confirmed that his partner would have a ship ready ahead of schedule in 3 days."

"Well, the Chief hadn't heard of that guy Satsu Ono either. But he said he'll look into it and let us know more later. I did let the Chief know that we might be headed back to Niigata after this."

"Great job Takashi. Did the shop owner give you any trouble reporting this info directly to the Chief yourself?" "No sir. I just told him it's a police matter."

"Hey, it looks like that guy Ono is moving out." "We better follow at a distance like before." The trio headed back to the horses that were being looked after by a stableman and set out to follow Ono wherever he went.

Day 4 – Kamiya Dojo – 1:10pm

Kenshin, having found a new sense of hope, made lunch for everyone assuming that Sano, Megumi, Chief, and Saitō were joining. 'Ms. Kaoru, hopefully the Chief and Saitō can give us some hint to where you are.' His mind drifted and he noticed Kaoru's basket outfitted with the ribbon sitting on the counter still filled with plums. 'When did this get here?' He reached out to the ribbon missing its owner.

The gate opening brought Kenshin's attention from his thoughts. 'The ramen still needs some time to cook.' Kenshin left the kitchen to greet the others.

"Mr. Himura," the Chief called. "Ms. Takani filled me in on what she might have found. I do hope Ms. Kamiya is indeed still alive." "Thank you Chief. I hope so as well. Please join the others in the common room. I have lunch almost completed." "Why Mr. Himura, you are too kind." "You are welcome to join too Saitō." Saitō just nodded as a response and followed Sano and the Chief.

"Sir Ken, perhaps I can give you a hand with lunch." "Thanks Ms. Megumi."

"Hey everyone, I brought the Chief and Saitō. I didn't get any news from them though." Aoshi and everyone else greeted the Chief and Saitō. "Sagara," Saitō addressed, "We'll tell everyone what we found out all in due time. We're just waiting on Himura to join us." "Ah, so you did find out more from the officers tracking the suspect." "Yes we have Mr. Sagara. The news we found out is troubling. But I would rather explain things once."

Saitō whispered something to Dr. Gensai whose expression turned to a frown. Dr. Gensai nodded in response to Saitō. Dr. Gensai pulled Yahiko to the side to ask him to take Ayame and Suzume from the room after lunch so that they could nap. At that moment, Kenshin and Megumi brought various bowls of ramen out for everyone. The group wasted no time digging in and devouring the delicious meal.

"Thanks Himura for the delicious meal! I didn't know you could cook like that." "Thank you Misao." On cue, Yahiko addressed the girls, "Ayame, Suzume time for a nap." "I don't want to nap, Ayame protested. "No nap," Suzume repeated rather sleepily. The girls followed Yahiko nonetheless to one of the guest rooms.

"Now that the kids are gone, we can get right to the point of our visit." Everyone remaining gave Saitō their attention. "As you're all aware, some of the Chief's men followed a horse and carriage's tracks north. But what you may not know is that the tracks led them to the town of Niigata and the Coastal City of Sendai."

The Chief jumped in, "We were in the dark for a while until my men reported in this morning. Three of them stayed in Niigata to observe the Fujita Estate and three followed the horse and carriage after they supposedly stopped at the Estate to the City of Sendai. On the surface, the Fujita Estate allows women who have escaped a troubling past, to learn of new cultures, etiquette, and other skills. These women also take care of the Lord Akui Fujita and his son Masaru Fujita."

Saitō took control of the story, "We believe that this Estate is being used to traffic women." Everyone either gasp or exclaimed what or are you serious to Saitō's statement. Kenshin was calm, "Saitō please explain more."

"The Chief's man…" "Hirohito," the Chief added. "He tracked a guy named Satsu Ono to the City of Sendai. There he listened in on one of Satsu's contacts Jūrō. Apparently, Hirohito's assumptions were right. The guy told a fellow collaborator that the new merchandise of women is due to be shipped off soon. Apparently, there are a few girls there that have been purchased. One in particular, was bought by some rich asshole from the Hungarian Empire."

"These buyers in question want exotic young women who can cook, clean, and satisfy their…desires." Megumi was quiet for a moment knowing what the Chief was hinting at. Megumi wasn't very vain but knew she was considered pretty. 'I've been trying to avoid that type of life after my family was killed.'

"I'm not sure what you mean Chief." "How can I explain this Ms. Makimachi…He wants an innocent girl to be with." Misao was still confused, "Huh?"

"The guy wants to be the first person to satisfy his sexual desires with a virgin." Misao finally understood from Saitō's explanation. The whole room grew quiet for a long moment.

"What kind of sicko would do such a thing!" "Elegantly worded Makimachi. From what we know, a number of women have already been sold. Those that aren't virgins are sent to brothels or something similar. While others who are, fetch a high price from these buyers."

"So, it is your belief that Ms. Kamiya was abducted and is in the process of being trained to be a wife before being sold to this rich buyer because of her innocence?" "That is correct Mr. Shinomori," the Chief answered.

Kenshin was unsettled by the news that was just given. Anger started to resurface, "Do we know who's in charge of this…operation?" "From what we do know is that Mr. Fujita is the one that's in charge and provides the training for each girl. The wealth that he gains from his nefarious endeavors, he uses to support his power over the Niigata people and government. I'm not sure how much of his influence has spread. But Saitō knows more about Mr. Satsu Ono."

"Satsujin Ono is his full name. He was hired as an assassin during the Bakumatsu. He is as ruthless as they come, indiscriminately killing anyone who gets in his way. After the war ended, he offered his skills for hire and eventually met Akui Fujita. Fujita became lost after his wife died. At some point, he started his trafficking scheme which allowed Ono to relive his thrill for blood lust. Ever since I received the report, I've only known him to kill. I had no idea he was a part of the trafficking until now."

"So, you're saying a very skilled assassin similar to Kenshin exists but likes to kill people for fun?" "Yes Sagara. From what I've seen though, he likes killing those who are helpless to defend themselves. Very seldom does he fight someone of equal skill."

"So," Dr. Gensai began, "He killed a woman similar to Ms. Kaoru to make us think that it was Ms. Kaoru and tried to cover up the remains by setting them on fire." "He would have succeeded if not for Meg's sharp eyes." "We hope that to be true Mr. Sanosuke. We still don't have proof who the young woman is that was burned."

"The only thing we can't figure out is why the women that are there are not trying to escape. Are they going along with this?" "Well Chief, perhaps these women are being held captive against their will until they're sold." "That is a theory Mr. Shinomori. But we can't get in to investigate we need some sort of proof. What we have is just hearsay."

Kenshin stood angered, "Quite frankly I have heard enough. Where is this Fujita Estate?" The Chief stood up as well, "It is northwest of Tokyo. From what my men mentioned, it'll take 1 and a half to 2 days to get there by horse. Unfortunately, tracks for the train are not completed yet. But Mr. Himura, I'm not sure what you can do once you get there."

"Well Chief, I will get the proof that we need."

Day 4 - Fujita Estate Interior – About 3:00pm

Kaori was doing her best to become a perfect lady but she was having trouble with cooking. True that she's being kind of hard on herself, it's only been one day. The cleaning was a breeze; she was told what to clean and excelled at it. Learning the new Western customs and manners, she was getting the hang of it. But for whatever reason, she just couldn't grasp cooking.

She had no idea that boiling water could be such a challenge. On the first attempt, she added salt to the water to make it boil faster. How was she supposed to know that half a cup of salt was too much. Everything was fine until Sakiko added that washed rice to the pot. She even went as far as tasting the rice once it finished cooking and immediately spit it out rushing to fill a glass of water to rinse her mouth out. 'She told me to boil water. She didn't say what it was for. If I'd known, I would have used less salt. I think 1/8th of a cup is enough…?'

Her second attempt wasn't any better. She took Sakiko's advice and didn't add any salt this time. After 2 minutes of waiting, Kaori got so bored that she left to dust the library. After an hour, there was a pungent burnt smell coming from the kitchen.

Everyone rushed to the kitchen alarmed to find that the water that was boiling had boiled down. There was a blackened film at the bottom of the pot that was impossible to scrub out. Kaori felt ashamed and embarrassed when she had to explain to the Head Mother that she got distracted with other chores and forgot about the boiling water. Needless to say, the pot was thrown out.

'They haven't banned me from the kitchen yet. I will try hard this time and ask Sakiko for full instructions on how to boil water.' "Sakiko," Kaori bowed in apology, "I'm so sorry about the damaged pot. Can you show me how to boil water step-by-step?"

Sakiko just stared at Kaori for a while, 'How in the world is boiling water so difficult! You pour water into a pot and watch it until it boils. I never knew water could destroy a pot like that either. How did she ever eat before this? Is this why her husband tried to kill her?' Sakiko shook her head, 'Be nice Sakiko, cooking doesn't come naturally to everyone I suppose. Maybe if I demonstrate everything..?' Sakiko breathed in and out slowly, "Ok." Kaori stood again, "What do we do first?"

Trying to keep a straight face and prevent the urge to laugh, Sakiko bit her tongue slightly and demonstrated what to do slowly. "First, you take the pot and fill it with water." "Oh, but how much?" "Well, it depends on what you want to make after the water has boiled. We are going to attempt to make green tea."

Kaori nodded enthusiastically. "Instead of the pot, let's use the tea kettle," Sakiko had a thought that came to her. She grabbed the kettle, "Just turn on the cold water and fill it." "But how much? Do you fill it all the way until water starts spilling out of the kettle?" 'Wow, this is a serious case of not knowing how to cook…' "Well Kaori, you don't want to fill it to the brim. When it starts boiling, water will start spewing out of the kettle creating a mess on the stove if you do."

Sakiko thought for a moment, "To make things easy, fill it to the brim." Before Kaori could interject about not filling to the brim based on what was said earlier, Sakiko held out her index finger indicating to hold the question. "Then pour some water out so it won't boil over later." "Ok, how many cups?" Sakiko blinked not expecting the question. "Well, I suppose measuring will help you to learn. So pour 2 cups of water out of the kettle before boiling it. Now you try."

Kaori took the kettle from Sakiko that had a little water in it and filled it to the brim as instructed. Kaori then poured water out of the kettle carefully into the measuring cup and dumped it in the sink. She looked to Sakiko for more instructions.

"Now, place the kettle on the stove surface." Kaori did just that. "There's wood already in the hearth, so light the hearth how you would normally." Kaori nodded her head and used the flint she grabbed from the nearby ledge to start a fire in the hearth. "Now give it about five minutes and the water should start boiling."

"So, we don't do anything else?" "That's right. We wait for it to boil. It usually takes 5 to 10 minutes since the hearth was originally cold." The two sat in silence for a few minutes.

"So Ms. Kaori, did you never get the chance to learn cooking from your mother?" "No, she died when I was young." "I'm so sorry to hear that…" It took a moment to reflect for Kaori, 'Wait, how do I know that? I can remember a detail such as that but not what happened a few days ago…' Kaori thought critically for a moment, 'Scratch that, I can't remember 3 years ago. Is that normal?'

Sakiko could see that Kaori was frowning and really contemplating something. 'I hope I didn't stir up old wounds making her think of her mother.' "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you by bringing up your past." Kaori shook her head, "It's ok. It's just…" "Yes?" Sakiko asked after a moment of waiting. "I can't remember 3 years ago, but I remember my past. Well, sort of…"

"What do you mean?" "I can't recall any details about my parents, just vague memories. Is that normal?" "Well, you should probably speak to the town's doctor. But yes, some of the girls here can't remember their past lives to some extent either. But I remember the doctor explained that due to some of the tragic events that led each of them here, they chose not to remember."

"That's odd," Kaori was playing absentmindedly with the gem on her choker. "Do you think…" Before Kaori could finish, the whistle from the tea kettle grew louder. "Ah. And there you have it Ms. Kaori. You have successfully boiled water." "Does it always whistle like that when the water has boiled?" "Why yes," Sakiko answered, "As long as it's in the tea kettle anyway."

Kaori was ecstatic, "Is it ok to use it from now on to boil water?" Sakiko smiled and chuckled a bit at her excitement, "Of course you can."

Day 4 – Niigata Inn – about 8:00pm

Lt. Rin had just received an update from the Chief. "So Lieutenant, you said something about Mr. Himura is on his way here?" "Yes. Not just Mr. Himura, apparently Mr. Hajime, Mr. Sagara, Mr. Shinomori, Ms. Makimachi, Ms. Takani, and young Mr. Myōjin are accompanying him." "Wow, that's some major backup Lieutenant. I would just be content if Mr. Himura showed up."

"Kyō, they might not know what to expect based on what we just heard of the Chief's briefing." "Lt. Rin, what happens if the guards at the Estate see them coming? I'm sure they know of Mr. Himura's past."

"You may be right Junichi. Well, we have one full day and a half to figure it out." "Is that how long it's going to take them Lieutenant?" "Yes. We need to scout the best way to breach the manor. Once Mr. Himura and his friends arrive, we'll be pressed for time to rescue Ms. Kamiya and the other women inside. If it's true that this Satsu Ono assassin works for them, then we have to be careful. Their lives might depend on it."

Unknown to Lt. Rin and his men, a shadowed figure lurked outside of the window to their room. 'So my hunch was correct. I felt someone following us to Sendai. Now I know who. I'll have to deal with that worm Jūrō later. But now we have a problem. The police are on to our operation.' Satsu stood and creped along the shadows to the river's edge.

He took the hidden pathway that was obscured by water falling from the lake nearby. He traveled the underground tunnel back to the Estate. The tunnel opened up to a bay that led to the ocean. Fujita has built a hidden dock in the natural cave there. Satsu inspected the small boats tied up to the dock.

'We might have to use these sooner than later.' Satisfied that the supplies in the boats were still there, Satsu began his ascent to the basement of the Estate. He navigated through the entryway making a note that the woman who recently tried to escape was still alive in her cell.

"Please, can I have some water?" Satsu passed by the cell, 'She's the reason for this whole mess. I should just put her out of her misery. She's a liability. Maybe I'll get the opportunity after speaking with Lord Fujita.' He passed a number of similar empty cells 6 on the right and five on the left. After leaving the prison area, he passed by a laboratory on the right before reaching a hallway. There were no entries of any kind in the hallway, at least not to a stranger.

He looked for a chipped brick among the brick wall. He pressed one side of the brick inward and removed the brick to reveal a hidden switch. He pressed the button and some interlocking bricks separated on the wall opening inward to form a crude passageway. Satsu placed the loose brick back and entered through the doorway.

He shut the hidden door behind him and was now in a room that looked like a training hall for soldiers. The once opened door now has a heavy weapons rack attached to it on the other side. He crossed the training hall making his way to a door. He went through the door and up the stairs into the manor's lower floor. Upon reaching the last step, he bumped into Ms. Kaori who was carrying laundry to be sorted.

"Excuse me sir. I didn't see you coming." 'I didn't think anyone used that basement door.' The man before her just started narrowing his eyes at her. She stepped aside to allow him to pass. Satsu passed by the girl wordlessly and proceeded to climb the stairs of the manor.

'Was that the Lord of the manor? Something about him scares me.' Kaori couldn't shake an unsettling feeling about the man. 'I'll have to ask Sakiko about him.'

Upon reaching the 3rd-floor landing, Satsu headed to his left towards Lord Fujita's room. Upon reaching the door he paused for a second hearing talking beyond the door before knocking. "Come in," he heard Lord Fujita call on the other side.

"Ah, Mr. Iwasaki, nice to see that you're back." "I apologize for the intrusion Lord Fujita, Lord Masaru," he bowed briefly towards the Lord and his son. "Nonsense Mr. Iwasaki." "Excuse me my Lord but we need to talk. It's an urgent sensitive matter."

Lord Fujita looked at him closely, "Masaru, please excuse us for a while." "Yes Father." Masaru stood up and left the room obediently. Satsu locked the door behind Masaru as Lord Fujita had already risen from his chair and made his way to his overly large portrait of Mrs. Fujita, her beautiful long dark hair and brown eyes forever captured on the canvas. Satsu caught up to him as the hidden door behind the portrait opened revealing a small but well-decorated room. The room housed many of the Lord's prized possessions.

The two walked in and the door closed behind them. "What is it Satsu?" Lord Fujita dropped his false name now that his son was not nearby. "Akui, the operation has been compromised." "What do you mean? Everything seems to be going smoothly. You worry too much Satsu."

"Akui, I found out that the police knows of our operation a short while ago." "What! How? I thought we were being so careful using…" "It was Jūrō. He told one of his men our entire operation. I found out too late that the police were following me to Sendai. I saw three of them when I was about to leave Sendai in the carriage. So when they left, I told the driver to take a scenic route north before heading home. I hurried back here and begun looking around here for any strangers that were out of place. I followed the one guy to an Inn and overheard everything."

"How much do they know?" "They know about the trafficking and the abduction of the women. They assume they're being held captive." "So they know the majority of it. Dammit!"

"Worst yet, the Battōsai and his friends are on the way here." "You've got to be joking?" Akui stared at Satsu in disbelief until Satsu shook his head no. "So they want to rescue the Kamiya girl?" "Yes." "How long until they get here?" "One and a half days maybe two tops."

Akui started pacing back and forth, "I thought there was no way that they'd figure out about her." "Apparently one of her friends is a doctor. She found out that the body that was burned had been dead prior to being burned and couldn't have been Ms. Kamiya." "Satsu there's no way I can take on the Battōsai. Can you?" "I haven't had an even match in quite a while. And I'd prefer not to. I knew it was too risky going after her."

'I'd much rather slit her throat or watch as her life's blood drain from her body slowly,' Satsu licked his lips. "I could get rid of the Kamiya girl. The Battōsai might be distracted in a fight if she actually dies."

"No. Holzer is paying handsomely for her. I'll just double the price. As for the Battōsai, he's going to try and stop us regardless. Many strong opponents have failed fighting against him, so we have to be cunning. Is that girl still captive?" "Yes," Satsu was rather disappointed.

"Why are the feisty ones the ones that cause so much trouble? Keep them both alive for the time being, her and her replacement. We'll go over the plans to best the police. If the Battōsai wants to fight, use the girl as leverage and kill her then." This earned a wicked smile from Satsu.

Kaori finally located Sakiko in the library with a guy. She stood there for a moment unsure whether to leave them alone for a few. "Lord Masaru, it's so good to see you," Sakiko gushed at Masaru. "Ms. Sakiko it's a pleasure as well."

'I'd better go, I can talk to Ms. Sakiko later.' Ms. Kaori turned to leave, "My who is this young lady?" Kaori stopped in place turning back around, "I'm so sorry Master Masaru. I was going to ask Sakiko something but it can wait until later." Kaori turned back around in a rush. "Now wait a moment. I don't believe we've met."

Kaori turned back around and could see the angry look she was getting from Sakiko. "Umm, hello Master Masaru, my name is Ms. Kaori Mayaki." Kaori extended her right hand poised for a handshake. Sakiko in the background smacked her hand to her forehead at the gesture.

Masaru merely laughed heartily at Ms. Kaori. Kaori was a bit perplexed, 'I thought I mastered saying hello using the Western custom. Did I forget something?' Kaori started to blush fiercely. "My, you must be new Ms. Mayaki. Very pleased to meet you," Masaru bowed in the traditional manner.

'Idiot! He's not from the West.' "I'm so sorry Master Masaru," Ms. Kaori returned the bow. "It's quite alright," Masaru waived it off with a hand gesture. "How did I ever manage to miss meeting an adorable woman such as you?" "'What!'" Kaori and Sakiko both exclaimed mentally.

Kaori laughed a bit, "I'm sorry Master Masaru, but I'm actually a mess last I checked." 'You got that right!' Sakiko voiced to herself. 'I mean look at her, her hair is sticking out everywhere and coming loose from her bun. Not to mention her clothes and face have dirt smudges here and there.'

"Nonsense Ms. Kaori," Masaru approached Kaori. He loosened her hair from the messy bun to free the long strands. He then rather affectionately, used his thumb to wipe the dirt smudge from her cheek. This of course earned a rather red blush from Kaori and an angered expression from Sakiko.

There was a brief pang in Kaori's heart. 'That feeling? Does it have something to do with my husband..?'

Kaori took a step back and gave Masaru a small smile, "I'm so sorry Master Masaru but it is getting late. I wish you a good night." Before he could protest Kaori had already turned around and dashed out the door. "Good night Ms. Kaori," he mentioned rather dreamily.

"Ms. Sakiko I should be going as well, it's already after 10:00pm. Goodnight," Masaru bowed and turned to leave leaving a baffled Sakiko behind. 'What just happened? Does he actually like Ms. Kaori? I have to put an end to this.'

Kaori rushed into the hallway towards the staircase. Upon reaching the stairs she was panting lightly. 'I guess I'm not ready to be with another guy.' She started up the stairs and heard footsteps from above. She glanced up to see who was descending the spiraling square-like stairway.

'Not him!' Kaori instinctively backed down the three steps she had taken on the stairs. Something about the man clad in all black unsettled her. She reached the 1st-floor landing unsure where to go and saw Masaru leaving the library in the distance speaking to she assumed Ms. Sakiko briefly.

Kaori looked to the descending staircase to the basement and without thinking thought it was a good place to stay until both men had gone their separate way. She descended halfway on the staircase and waited.

After a few moments, she heard talking, "Mr. Iwasaki, I take it you've finished speaking with my father?" "Yes Lord Masaru." "Where are you off to this time? To finish your dinner from the looks of it?" "Oh yes, I'm going to head to the basement for some training. I'll finish my dinner there."

A sudden wave of panic struck Kaori, 'Shoot. I can't stay here. If I go up I'll run into Master Masaru and that guy…' Kaori looked to the basement door and descended the rest of the staircase quietly. She opened the door and was relieved it wasn't noisy like she feared. She dashed in and closed the door.

She briefly scanned the room before her, 'Got to hide.' She started to panic as she heard footsteps descending the staircase. Her eyes ran across a changing screen on the other side of the room. She wasted no time and dashed to it. Just as the door opened, she reached her hiding place.

It was a dark corner so she doubted that the man clad in black could see her. She strained to see in the darkness that was illuminated by a few torches on the walls. 'Is he carrying a bowl of food, a bread roll, and a cup of tea or water?' She recalled the dinner she had consumed earlier consisting of Teriyaki chicken over fried rice with a dinner roll that was a Western thing. 'But where is he going?'

The man in question passed by the tables she assumed the guards used to eat on and approached a wall at the far end. She stuck her head out slightly to see better. The man was facing a large weapons rack that had torches on either side of the rack and one torch centered above it. He pulled the torch in the center above the rack and she watched in awe as a door formed out of the brick wall.

The man walked through the doorway and it was shut behind him. Curiosity got the best of Kaori. She was finally brave enough after 2 minutes had passed and approached the weapons rack as well. The torch overhead was rather high. She hiked up her yukata a bit and stepped on the lower rack of the weapons rack. The lower shelf of the rack gave her the height needed to reach the torch.

She pulled on the torch, lost her balance, and fell to the ground. 'Oww…' she rubbed her tush trying to ease the pain. She stood up after a moment and was greeted with the hidden door. She crept closer and peaked her head in, 'The coast is clear.'

She steeled her nerves and tiptoed in the bricked hallway. She took off her zōri to avoid making any noise. The door slowly closed behind her with a soft thud. She snapped around not seeing any way to get back, 'Dammit Kaori, what have you gotten yourself into?' She inspected the wall and fumbled to locate a handle or something in the dim lighting. 'Great, I'm stuck here.' She turned back around her heart beating quickly in her chest.

Kaori had an odd feeling that if she were discovered by that man, he seemed like the type to kill her without question. Gripping her zōri tightly, she proceeded forward. She peeked her head around the corner seeing the hallway lined with prison cells. 'What?'

She noticed the man in black kneeling to the last cell on the right. 'Do they have prisoners down here?' She noted that the bowl of food and cup was no longer in the man's hands. 'He seems to be talking to someone…' She observed and saw the man stand again and continued down the hallway on the other end out of sight.

After five minutes of waiting, Kaori worked up her nerve again and walked quietly down the hallway. 'Most of these cells are empty. Does that mean there's only one prisoner?' She peered into the last cell and saw a woman with long dark hair sitting against a wall eating or more like devouring the food with her hands.

After she had finished the meal, she downed the drink and leaned her head back against the wall. It took a few seconds, but she finally realized she had an audience and turned to face the newcomer.

"Who are you?" She asked. Kaori was a bit wary and tiptoed quickly to the other end of the hallway. 'He's nowhere in sight…' She walked back to the woman in the cell, "My name is Kaori Mayaki. Who are you?" "You have to get me out of here," the woman urged.

In the dim lights, Kaori could make out her light-colored eyes. She could tell she was somewhat pretty but couldn't make out her features quite clearly due to the dirt that obscured her face. "Why are you here?"

She breathed exasperatedly, "Because Lord Fujita and his pet assassin are crazy. I retaliated and wouldn't go along with their charade. So they locked me up after I tried to escape." "How long have you been here?" "I don't know. It's hard to tell from in here. Wait, so that means you're new if you don't recognize me." "Yes. I got here about 4 or five days ago now." "That sounds about right. I think I saw them bring you here when I was trying to escape."

Kaori inched closer a bit intrigued, "You saw them carrying me? Please tell me more, my memories are a little fuzzy." The girl in the cell inched forward, "Please help me get out of here." "I don't know how." "The guy in black, the assassin, he has the key," she explained hurriedly. "He's an assassin?" Kaori crouched down placing her hands on one of the bars on the cell. "Yes, but you must hide and wait till he sleeps. Please, if you don't he's going to kill me."

Kaori looked to the empty hallway where the man disappeared to a short while ago. 'I knew he was dangerous.'

Out of nowhere, the girl's hand reached forward startling Kaori scratching her cheek with her fingernail, a small amount of blood escaped the wound. She instinctively yelped and fell backwards on her rear. At the same time, the girl in the cell managed to rip the choker from her neck. "What is wrong with you!?" The girl withdrew her arm.

"Helping you." Kaori stood abruptly, "You lashed out at me. Were you trying to claw me or something?" Kaori took a staggering step backward feeling a wave of nausea and dizziness. She heard footsteps approaching rapidly.

Panic rose in her chest. She stumbled to her hands and knees and forced herself to get up again using the wall behind her for support. "You!" Kaori heard the man's voice at the end of the hall. 'Was that woman trying to get me caught too? Is this the end?' She fell again and crawled away backward while still facing the man's direction, 'Everything is spinning…'

The man clad in black was upon her. She managed to stand once more. She caught the light glimpse off a metal object before she was met with darkness.

I would appreciate any comments or reviews about the story. Until next time…