Alana's World Tour: Roanapur
Chapter 7: Getting Down to Business
Disclaimer: I do not own Black Lagoon
Alana still wasn't sure about all of this as she sat in what was once Abrego's office and mused over what brought her to return here but for a relatively peaceful reason. She looked to her right and Baldomero stood there, as Boris did with Balalaika, and to Alana's left was Shenhua, with an amused Revy sitting in a chair and looking the room over after Alana had the desk replaced with a spare that was on her yacht as well as one of her throne-like chairs. That hangover she was suffering from wasn't making things any easier.
Flashback Start
Their arrival at the Yellow Flag proved to be quite confusing as Mr. Chang waved Alana over and she sat beside him with Balalaika on the other side and Chang got right to the point. "Ms. Helsing, Balalaika and I held a meeting to determine how to replace Abrego and the best idea we could come up with was to ask you to take his place as leader of the Cartel. You don't have to but, without the Cartel there are holes in our routes that need closing up, and with new leadership in the Cartel it could enable things to stay relatively peaceful here. Will you accept?"
Alana couldn't believe what she was hearing. They want me to lead the Cartel? I am part of a Cop family as well as one of the 13 Masters, they can't be serious! She thought to herself but the expressions on Mr. Chang and Balalaika's faces told her they were dead serious so she mused over the possible advantages of the position.
First, as leader of the Cartel she could investigate possible Vampire activity by sending out subordinates instead of going herself, which would be a boon for the mission she received from His Majesty. Second, she could keep the more troublesome members of the Cartel under control so that things remained as peaceful as possible. And third, the holes in Balalaika's and Chang's routes would be fixed. She couldn't see a downside to it aside from how her parents might react to the news of her becoming a crime lord. Being from a cop family makes becoming a criminal or part of internal affairs rather hazardous career choices after all, but with a few added bonuses if you were smart.
After she thought about it some more, she nodded to them and said calmly "I accept your proposal. I will lead the Cartel in order to keep Roanapur relatively peaceful. But now, did we naught come here for drinks?" then she waved to Bao and told him she would stand good for any drinks purchased by her and those who accompany her. The people in question were Dutch, Benny, Rock, and Revy from Lagoon company with Jane next to Benny. Balalaika and Boris of Hotel Moscow, Mr. Chang and Shenhua from the Triads, and Baldomero from Alana's new Cartel. With that much of the criminal power in Roanapur in one room, the regular customers were understandably terrified of what might happen.
Luckily the night was rather peaceful. Revy drinking her rum and trying her damnedest to convince Dutch and Benny about the appearance of the inside of Alana's yacht while Rock just smiled as he kept his drinking as under control as Balalaika, Mr. Chang, and Alana did. Boris with his vodka was a mix between Revy's hardline drinking and the more casual drinking of the others save Baldomero, who had joined Boris at his table and the two started casually swapping stories.
Things took a nose dive late into the night when Alana, attempting to stand up to speak with Dutch, turned the wrong way and tripped, and her fangs accidentally sank into Rock's neck, though she caught herself enough to keep from hurting him. Dutch, Benny, and Revy had looks on their faces that said 'Aw fuck!' as they watched Alana's throat move as she swallowed a couple of times before breaking away. Her eyes glassed over and she forgot all about Dutch. Dutch looked at Balalaika and remarked wryly "What was that you said before? That Alana's family having something to do with vampires was just a load of bullshit? What do you think now?"
Balalaika was going to answer until an unsteady and obviously blood drunk Alana slumped over and draped one arm over Balalaika and the other over Mr. Chang as she said with slurs "why don't we get to know each other better, what do you say?" and before Balalaika could agree to it Alana had already sank her fangs into Balalaika's neck, the enzymes in Alana's saliva reducing any feelings of pain and acting like an anti-coagulant.
Mr. Chang watched in abstract fascination at the sight before him though he said calmly "Well, it looks like Balalaika can't deny vampires exist anymore" causing said woman to snap "Oh shut up babe!" although Alana had finished feeding on the Russian and looked at the Triad man with the same drunken but hungry expression and he put his hands up as if to ward her away but all it did was cause her expression to turn predatory as she, amazingly, leapt from where she was opposite Balalaika and knocked Chang onto his back as she sat above him before knelling down and sinking her fangs into him.
As the patrons watched in shock, Rock unsteadily went over to Balalaika and gently placed two fingers over her bite marks and brought them to his nose as he sniffed and said "Even drunk she's taking care not to spread vampirism." then he fell over onto his back, causing Alana stop feeding and stumble over to him as her blood drunk took full effect and she fell face first to the floor, her hair pooling around her as her left hand ended up on Rock's face.
Dutch and the others looked at each other and Dutch had only one thing to say to the sight of the out cold Dhamphir and Rock "Damnit, not again!"
End Flashback
Luckily for Alana, the blood that she took in the previous night, though it made her completely drunk off her ass, held all the information she needed to get started on taking care of running the Cartel. Unluckily however, was all the work that needed to be done to get the Cartel back in order. Slaughtering forty of the Cartel's best the day before had left them critically underpowered as she grabbed her cell phone and flipped it open to make a phone call to a contact in her homeland, the city-state of Argall.
Listening to the ringing, Alana was pleasantly surprised to hear an answer on the other end after the first ring, and the vampire she called, one of the most loyal servants under her mother's command, greeted her politely and with respect. After a short stint of regular conversation, she got the point and said "I am in need of some men."
"Yes, I understand, are you desiring a certain group?" can the reply and she answered "Yes. I am in need of forty men to be sent to Roanapur. Choose only those who are trustworthy and not well known. This must be done as far outside of my regular channels as possible."
"But of course, Lady Alana, how soon will you be needing them there?"
"As soon as possible. Let us just say that things are different, here" Alana remarked and she heard a wry chuckle as the vampire on the other end said "Yes, I understand your meaning. Roanapur is well known to be the single most criminally active city in the world. I will gather the requested men and send them to you. Expect them within the next twenty-four hours."
"Alright. Thank you for helping me." Alana said over the phone and she heard on the other end "No, it is I who should be thanking you for gracing me with your request."
Alana gave a refined laugh before saying "I needed that. Well, I had best naught keep you. Bye for now." and she heard the vampire on the other end reply before she hung up and closed her phone, sighing in relief and sitting back in her chair, almost falling asleep before she slapped herself awake, igniting a headache all over again as she clenched her teeth from pain and said to Revy "please remind me not to partake of Rokuro-kun for a while, these headaches are murder."
Revy's response was to look in surprise before bursting out in loud laughter that quickly got a subdued reaction from Baldomero as he chuckled to himself and Alana didn't seem to care as she laid her head on the desk and tried to subdue the headache by pure mental force. While Revy laughed her head off she managed to say "Okay, Alana, I'll try to keep you from drinking of him" then her face turned the color of a tomato and she suddenly stopped laughing, prompting Baldomero and Shenhua to look at her quizzically as Alana looked up and said "arigatou, Revekka-san."
Alana calling Revy by her full first name and in Japanese complete with an honorific caused Baldomero to look at his boss in confusion though Shenhua seemed to understand. Alana was childhood friends with Rock, thus she could have picked up a speech quirk or two, such as referring to those she cared for with an honorific and in Japanese. It left Shenhua wondering when Alana would do the same towards her, seeing as how Shenhua had been maintaining an active friendship for longer than Revy had, although she, and Shenhua felt she could use the term loosely in regards to Revy, had met Alana first.
Baldomero still hadn't figured out what was going on but his ruminations were cut short when Alana said into his mind "I have accepted Revekka-san as a friend the same as Shenhua-san as well. With this, I will refer to them using Japanese from now on. My fledgeling, Baldomero-kun." and Baldomero replied back telepathically "I get ya jefe, and gracias for explaining things to me."
Alana smiled warmly up at him like a mother would a son and she telepathically told him "your welcome. Oh, I know it isn't proper to say this but I feel so tired, trying to run a Cartel is nothing like being a Bodyguard for the King." then she fell asleep where she sat as Baldomero looked at her in confusion. Bodyguard for the King? What the hell did she mean by that? He thought to himself and decided to ask her later as he walked out from behind her desk, picking up her schedule as well as her phone and thumbing through her contacts in search of her uncle's number.
Revy and Shenhua looked at him wondering what was going on as he motioned for them to follow him as he left the office. Once they were out of the room he softly told them "Let her sleep, last night and the effort of trying to run the cartel wore her out. We are going to take care of things while she sleeps, okay?"
The two women looked at him like he'd grown a second head but they understood what he was getting at as they said softly "Sure" and began looking at the schedule as Baldomero held it out for them to look at. The hiring of new men to replace the thugs killed yesterday was taken care of already, Alana herself had done that. The biggest thing on the agenda for the moment was testing the loyalties of the remaining men, they needed to weed out the disloyal men and kick 'em to the curb at best, kill them at worst.
They also needed to get new doors for the office put on, the others were still splintered all over the office floor and would make loud crunching sounds every time someone carelessly stepped on them. Other repairs had yet to begin either so they were definitely on the agenda too from what Baldomero saw on the schedule. The rest of the schedule was mainly taking care of the routes opened up by Abrego's death and beginning the search for that rogue vampire.
The Rogue vampire would require Alana's direct attention since she was one of the only people who knew the vampire's name and appearance and thus could direct the investigation properly. Damn Baldomero hated that word, reminded him of the police outside of Roanapur way too much.
While Baldomero, Shenhua, and Revy went about their decided upon duty, Alana slept peacefully as she dreamed about the past, namely when she first began training in how to use the sword under her grandmother on her father's side.
Flashback Start
Argall Estates – Training Room
An eight year old Alana sat on her ankles in the Seiza posture in front of an attractive woman who had brunette hair flowing down to mid-back, emerald-green eyes and wore a white blouse with a royal blue skirt, and brown riding boots with a sword on her left hip sitting in an extravagantly engraved scabbard that bore blue and gold detailing and all of the sword's haft twinkled with diamond sparks. Myriads of topaz-lights and jacinth-work of subtlest jewelery.
Alana wore a blouse and skirt herself but the skirt was brown to signify Argall Academy and her shoes were off, revealing her black socks. Her daishō sat in her lap and she was unsure of herself as she looked at the woman who sat on the floor in front of her with her knees bent to the right side. When those emerald-green orbs centered on the young girl, she knew she was in for it as she heard a subtle English accent coming from the woman's mouth "Alana."
"Yes, Audrey-obaasan?" she replied nervously as her paternal grandmother, Audrey Cathal, looked her in the eyes and said calmly "So you wish to learn how to wield a sword, do you? I cannot say it is unexpected for you to want to know of such things." the swordswoman said warmly before her tone took on a mentor like tone "The first thing you must learn is that your sword is far more than just a weapon, it is an extension of your very soul. It is your partner, in a way that no man or woman, human or creature, can ever hope to be."
"Hai, obaasan" Alana replied as she began listening even more intently to the lesson.
Flashback End
Alana sat up and found to her shock that the clock on the wall said "4:30 PM" and she looked around to find the room was picked up and cleaned, someone had managed to sweep the wood splinters out of the room without waking her up and she chastised herself for sleeping so hard as she stretched and stood up, liking how the new doors looked and she stepped through the doors to the sight of Baldomero holding a clipboard with her schedule on it and with him were Shenhua and Revy, Revy in a wide footed, belligerent stance that suggested she was rather upset and looking to beat the daylights out of someone or kill them.
Rokuro-kun has certainly decided on a dangerous woman in Revekka-san Alana thought to herself as she put one hand on the railing and found that the railing was repaired as well as the whole inside of the building. She couldn't see a bullet hole anywhere in the room as she rested her hand on the railing and silently hopped over it to land on the floor.
Baldomero and his two companions didn't hear a thing until suddenly a dark chill shot down Baldomero's spine a split second before he felt a hand on his shoulder and he jumped from surprise, catching Revy and Shenhua's attentions as they turned around to find Alana standing there looking refreshed and ready to start taking care of things.
"Baldomero-kun, Revekka-san, Shenhua-san. Arigatou." Alana told them as Baldomero gave her back her schedule and she noticed that everything that didn't require her direct involvement was taken care of. "Jefe, the boys have been tested and repairs completed." Baldomero told her and Alana instinctively knew that Revy's former belligerent stance was due to roughing up men who had the rather unfortunate idea of doing something that pissed her off, an idea that Alana felt only someone who was either very highly skilled or had taken total leave of their senses would have.
As she stood there a thought came to mind and she looked to Baldomero and said "Baldomero-kun, have you had a chance to check on your home?" his eyes widening in surprise before he said "Chingada! I forgot in all this excitement." then his tone turned a little dark as he said "Those cabrónes better not have touched my guitarra or there will be hell to pay if there is even one scratch on her" then he walked out with his purpose in his step. He had to check on his apartment and do it fast. He really didn't want to think about what could have happened to his guitar in the last couple of days.
A little while later Baldomero came back with a guitarra in his hands and skillfully playing in the Son Huasteco style.
As he finished playing, he threw in an artful flourish of notes on the end and gently held the guitarra as he said "Bueno, they did not touch her. Now I can get back to my passions." then he looked up and said "My brother who lives in La Huasteca gave me this guitarra that he made. She is dear to me and I play when I can."
Revy would have started laughing but she understood why the guitarra was so dear to the Spaniard. She was just as careful with her cutlasses as he was with that guitar and his Archangels, she'd seen him tear them down and maintain them at the same time Alana was doing the same with her two pistols. Just thinking about how the two of them seemed to love their weapons brought a smile to Revy's lips.
After standing around and getting caught up on everything, Alana mentioned it would be a good idea to go ahead and get started on the big assignments. Namely re-securing the South American drug trafficking routes as well as finalizing the non-aggression pacts with the Italians, Hotel Moscow, and the Triads.