III: Damsels in Distress?!
Suddenly, something really heavy seemed to have dropped from the ceiling, and everyone turned their attention to the source of the loud noise. The bartender had leaped out from behind the counter and dropped a heavy looking spike club onto the floor, leaving permanent damage on it. She looked very angry and the men quickly withdrawn their weapons, nervously they smiled while sweating heavily as she dragged the things behind her.
"I don't care what or who you are, but once you step through that door, you're mine. The lot of you, just because you see a cute girl, doesn't mean you have the right to grope her or so much as touch her. Do we understand each other?" the bartender said glaring at everyone in the room. "Yes ma'am…" they all whimpered like a whipped puppy. "Good," she smiled her charming smile that got everyone let out a sigh of relief.
"You ladies, come with me…" her eyes turned slit again as she turned and headed for the back of the bar as a few people rushed out to took over her job. The others followed, Sachiko put her guns away and pulled Yumi along with her, her hand on the girl's waist as a sign of protectiveness. Yumi didn't dare to look up at her savior as so she tried her best to keep up with the other woman's pace while keeping her eyes on the floor the whole time.
"Mizuno-sama, I would expected you to be briefing them about starting trouble in here. This place isn't heaven, and it's far from the well-mannered civilization. And you," the girl eyed Sachiko angrily. "Yoshino-chan, calm down please." Rei tried to make peace with her cousin. "You're too soft Rei-chan; remember that I run this place. So do not speak without my permission on this matter," Shimazu Yoshino said in a slightly loud voice causing Rei to cringe lightly for reminding her of their position in this place.
"Well, you're a beautiful girl. What's your name?" Yoshino asked once she took notice of Yumi and approached her. The girl is a total tomboy even though she looked very girly and a bit distracted when something caught her eyes which were rarely. "Fu-Fukuzawa Yumi…" Yumi said meekly hiding behind Sachiko.
"Yumi-san isn't it? What would a girl like you doing in this part of the world, hm?" Yoshino asked with a mischievous glint in her hazel eyes. "Heheh… Could it be that you're running away with this scary lady here?" she smirked seeing Yumi's cheeks colored a bit while her protector got all tensed.
"Yoshino," Rei reprimanded the other girl. "Relax Rei-chan," Yoshino waving her hand at her cousin as she turned her gaze back to Sachiko. "You're Ogasawara Sachiko, I've heard a lot about you." Yoshino paused seeing the tense look on both Yoko and Sachiko's face. "Let's get down to business, shall we?" Yoshino turned dead serious suddenly as she moved behind her oak desk and flopped down on the chair. "After all, Yoko-sama rarely comes here if it's not business. Don't you agree?" the girl was sharp and definitely preferred to go straight into business.
"As simple as always," Yoko smiled warmly at Yoshino. "You're as complex as usual," Yoshino snorted. "We need transportation to Japan, can you do it?" Yoko said grabbing a chair and sat down elegantly. "For the right price," the girl was cunning. "Yoshino…" Rei interrupted. "Business is business Rei," Yoko said raising her hand up to silence the blonde woman.
Reaching into her vest's pocket, Yoko pulled out a thin green looking credit card with a hue blue strip on it. Adjusting the strip, Yoko set it to the number five-hundred before adding on another strip in the thousand digits. "Half a million now and the other half when we reach Japan," Yoko said slipping the card across the smooth surface of the table. "Deal, head up the stairs and shower. We'll get the foods deliver to your room, and I will let you know when the transportation will be available to take you four to Japan. Don't worry; the boarding fees are waved since we've known you for sometimes Yoko-sama." Yoshino grinned as she took the card and pocket it without examining it.
"Wait, you're not going to check if the amount is right?" Sei finally said as she had been quiet since the shooting. "I trust her, besides…" Yoshino paused again. "This money doesn't go to me but the person that will be transporting you guys, and believe me it's not wise to cross her." Yoshino spoke with seriousness.
"Come on, I'll take you to your room before Yoshino going into her tales of horror." Rei injected as she opened the door disrupting the eerie tension in the room. "N-nice to meet you," Yumi gave a bow before leaving with the others. Yoshino burst out laughing once everyone left the room, "Yumi-san, you're such an interesting character, but hidden behind your innocent is a weapon that could destroy mankind. After all," Yoshino rested her elbows on the table and laced her fingers together. "You are the key and she is the weapon," Yoshino said as her face darken hiding half of her face behind her hands.
"So uhh… what is it that your cousin was going to say?" Sei asked some times after they left the room, her curiosity wanted to know what Yoshino was talking. "When you entered the bar, did you notice a skull hanging on the very first window on the right?" Rei asked leading the way up the steps. "That? I thought it was a toy," Sei said dismissingly. "Oh it's from Teeder, you remember Naveliz Teeder, Yoko-sama?" Rei asked in a soothing voice.
"You mean the scamming Teeder?" Yoko asked with a raised brow once they made it to the second floor and into the large hallway. "He double-crossed our business partner, and well… we got his skull as a souvenir." Rei shrugged. "She boned him?" Sei injected again sounding a bit surprised. "She fed him to the piranhas, saying something about killing him would dirty her ship." Rei nodded her head and Yumi couldn't help but clung onto Sei's arm nervously.
Under Yoko's ruling, Sachiko and Yumi stayed in the same room as she and Sei shared the room across from them. Sei totally didn't mind it a single bit, who would mind when you're rooming with a woman who got a sexy body, not Sei. Yumi showered and then Sachiko, neither so much talked to one another, Sachiko being a loner while Yumi being the timid and shy girl.
"A-are you a professional hitman?" Yumi squeaked while watching Sachiko cleaning her guns. "I'm a mercenary by trade," Sachiko replied looking up at Yumi's eyes. Those big mocha eyes captured her soul; unconsciously Sachiko licked her lips that suddenly went dry for some unknown reason. "I'll pour us some water then," Yumi took noticed as she got up and pour them both some tea. "Thank you," Sachiko softened her voice a bit and it relaxed Yumi some.