-Oxford - Saturday: Part 7-

Ruto sat in the back of the car on his way to Oxford, he would be there within an hour but it seemed to be taken far to long at this point. More so with the news that Kendi had just given him. Kyoko was missing, her location was unknown. Kendi was heading back to the hotel to start the search using the Ankou resources, but it wasn't as if the Ankou had a real headquarters. It was more of wherever the 3rd Eye was that was the headquarters and that meant at this point and stage it was Kendi. Regardless at this very moment, Ruto found a small part of him wishing he had never been given the task of being the Banshee for the Takarada family but at the same time he knew he would not care in the same manner if he had been chosen.

Ruto was trapped at the moment, there was little he could do other than be ready the moment he was back at the hotel. Jelly Woods had already changed his outer look, contacts of silvery gray and reddish-brown hair that fell down his back in a long ponytail. It was far from the first time he had his hair like this but it was the first time as Ruto. His eyes trailed towards the window as Kendi went on. Her tracker wasn't offline, it just wasn't sending a signal that was a good thing but also a bad thing at the same time. They both knew that the chances were high that it would be discovered soon enough and long before they even got a ping on that little application of theirs. The point was for her to be taken in a car by that Officer, not be kidnapped. The part that bothered him the most was the fact that the Officer according to King was still in the building with her. It meant that there was someone else but the cameras in front of the building and in the building were in a loop, yet the only thing they could say for sure was that it wasn't that man. For several people had eyes on him during that time. "Unless it was a program already set up."

Kendi paused for a moment before realizing that Ruto had been thinking about something else and it hadn't taken him long to catch up. "That is a possibility... I'll have someone check their systems. The question is how far back does it go..."

Ruto eyes narrowed slightly, "Start when he joined the force, a few days even prior might be useful." He knew he didn't really need to say it, Kendi was at this point just trying to ease his already troubled mind for not protecting a member of his family. A way to feel useful when he was far from being useful. The silence drew on and Kendi sighed heavily.

"It's my own fault, I should have gone with her regardless of her insistence on the fact she would be fine within the police station." Kendi paused as if waiting for him to say something and when he didn't he went on, "We will find her and bring her back."

Ruto didn't doubt that much at all, Queen Mary was fond of the girl. As long as the Crown adored her, the Ankou would be put into full force to assure her safety. What troubled him, truly was the fact that there was someone, anyone out there with enough power to go up against the Ankou. The only force of nature that he knew could have been able to go against them was the Russian Mafia and even then he couldn't be sure of the outcome. "Who besides the Russians can equal the Ankou abilities?"

Kendi, "There isn't anyone to my knowledge, no one still remaining anyways. Not with her still being here..."

Ruto mentally nodded his head, though that force wasn't so much on the same scale they were a force of nature regardless he was right. As long as that woman lived among them, loved her family an as long as the next in line also loved the family. They would never become a problem, as for the Russian Mafia, they understood to not stand against the British Empire, to tread carefully among them. When they didn't do this, bodies were sent back. For years this had been the case and for what he could see this would remain so. The Russians wanted power in the world and they could get it without upsetting the only other power that could destroy them, along with themselves. 'So who is this new power and how did they so easily get inside without either of us noticing?'

Kuon couldn't believe it when he answered his phone. Normally he wouldn't have bothered, but there was only a handful who even had his number, to begin with, and thus he hadn't really thought about who it could be. His parents wouldn't have called him, though his father did send him text messages. Keiji had his number and so did Kyoko everyone else worked for LME and even that was a very limited number of people to have access to it and most of the people at LME still would call Yashiro instead of him. A much higher chance of getting through that way. So, he was completely shocked when he heard Tomi's voice on the other line.

"Kuon, what have you done?" Tomi's voice held the hint of pain in but for the most part he just seemed tired and bored to Kuon.

"I'm unsure what you are referring too..." and that wasn't a lie. Kuon had no idea what this man was talking about, he hadn't done anything and most of all why was he calling him under the belief system that he had? 'I haven't had any problems really since I became Ren Tsuruga... sure people still throw themselves at me when they realize who I am but as I spend most of my time in Japan under my alias.' He frowned slightly, 'Could he be talking about that image? No, he would have called me that day if he was troubled by it.' His eyes narrowed, "Actually why have you been in so much contact with me lately?" If you could count, two phone calls and a personal visit in the last half a year to many.

"Think about it carefully." There was a slight warning in his tone.

There wasn't many Kuon was fearful of, Tomi, however, that man was a total wild card even if he had always seemed to be on his side for some strange reason. That made him hard to judge for Kuon, he knew the stories about the man and in many ways, he knew this man had some medical training. The image of the woman he had given a shot too, the first time he had ever met him. The way he described her was all imprinted in his mind. Yet, each time it had been to aid him, to protected him. 'He did save Kyoko... but she still lived through it.' His eyes widen slightly, "Kyoko..."

"Correct, she's mine." The words were simple and to the point and for some reason they brought an anger out of him. The chuckle on the other line caused him to pause, "Don't be jealous you are mine still as well."

Kuon mentally groaned, before choosing to address the question he asked when he had answered his phone. "I didn't do anything."

"Where is she?" The hint of worry in his voice told him something was wrong, seriously wrong.

"So, something is going on." He moved across the room towards the window looking down towards the city, 'and I need to leave in a few hours...' he leaned his forehead on the glass allowing the coolness to wash over him. 'How much can I tell him? The matter with Heth might not be able to speak about. Yet the rest, the rest should be fine right?' He didn't have an answer all he could do was tread carefully, "I'm not sure where she's at, but she left this morning. We stopped at this club called Bien Fleur."

"Fine Flower... interesting."

Snake watched Officer Patterson, before turning his head in the direction of King a small smile playing across his features. It didn't take a genius to understand that King and that black guy thought he had taken Lady Kyoko. The truth of the matter was, he hadn't. No Cinderella had taken her, to the Carp. Not what he wanted to have done but he had to fix that little rose screw up. Not that Carp would see it as one, no he had already been in a bad mood. Ren Tsuruga was apparently no longer in the country, back in Japan. It would be harder to take him to Japan, but not impossible. That was saying of course if the Young Master really desired to have him. Which a Snake himself was starting to doubt.

He moved forward placing a hand on Patterson's shoulder, it was time to stir a bit of trouble. He needed to get that woman's purse, the information had to be stored somewhere. It would also be best if he didn't have to be the one to be caught, and what better use for a man so distress and feeling completely helpless to do the job? Patterson looked up towards him and he dropped his hand from the man's shoulder. "Sorry..." he mumbled almost as if he was regretting the choice.

"No... no, it's alright Mianju..." his eyes darting back towards the room that they all knew that young man that not only King but Tyler afterward had gone to speak with. "What do you think that's about?"

"Not sure, I felt something off about him the first time he was here." He sat down next to Patterson sighing heavily as he rested his forearms on his legs. "That feeling... it hasn't changed at all." He ran a hand over his head some before chuckling nervously, "I... I'm sure it's nothing..." his eyes dropped and so did his hand "Yeah... I'm sure it's nothing." He muttered more to himself but loud enough for Patterson to hear. "More worried about that woman... she seems to know something, even the Boss can't get her to give up her information or sources." He lifted his head up almost as if he was sweating

Patterson stared at him, he could already see the wheels turning, he just needed to throw in the right sort of pieces. "It seems she knew that there was a serial kidnapper but didn't say anything to any of us. Is it because now they can't ignore it? Could this not have been prevented if... if they had just told us before? Then... your daughter... I mean..." he lifted his head shaking it back and forth in almost a panic as his eyes darted around the room. "Forget I said anything, it's... it's just an overworked old man rambling..." he rose from where he was sitting his eyes still showing signs of fear and panic.

"Where's your daughter?" Patterson said looking back towards the door where the young man was.

"She went home, I can't... exactly keep her locked up... and I don't want... with that woman here. I just thought..." he said looking down sighing heavily. Patterson looked back towards him resting his hand on his lower arm slightly before nodding his head.

"How about we get grab a coffee... you can tell me why you think that woman knows something."