Kimiko tried to control her breathing and wasn't very successful.
"Move forward," Raimundo commanded and for a moment Kimiko didn't respond. "Kimiko," came Raimundo's warning tone. Still Kimiko didn't move so Raimundo stepped forward and pressed the gun lightly between her shoulder blades. That got Kimiko moving quickly but Raimundo move with her into the first room of the suite, a very spread out living room. "On the couch," Rai said as he scanned the room. Kimiko immediately sat on the couch and stared at him with hard eyes. Raimundo moved close to her and stared down hard at her.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked loudly. Raimundo didn't answer her immediately and that angered her even more. "Well?" she challenged standing up. Raimundo dropped the gun onto the coffee table surprising her, and surprised her further by grabbing her and slamming into the wall next to the couch. The action didn't hurt so much as surprise and his grip on her was solid but not painful.
"You've got some explaining to do," he told her.
"If you don't let me go right now I'm going to scream my lungs out," she warned. Raimundo released her after a moment, looking conflicted. Kimiko didn't move an inch, just watched him and his tense body.
"I know we're the only ones on this floor Kimiko," he spoke finally in a tight, controlled voice. "And I know you aren't who you say you are so you have got some explaining to do."
"I, I have no idea what you are talking about," Kimiko managed out. An open palm slammed on the wall next to her head and Kimiko fought hard not to flinch too noticeably.
"Yes you do," he hissed, "it was on the envelope and it was on the card you gave the banker and the kid at the front desk. Your name isn't Tomney, its Tohomiko. I want to know why you are lying to me and I want the full truth, right now." Her blue eyes met his and burned with an inner fire that impressed Raimundo in spite of the situation.
"What about you?" she yelled at him surprising him when she brought both hands up to shove him away. Raimundo allowed her and let her storm past him. He kept his eyes on her and the gun he'd discarded but she never made a move for it. Instead she turned to face him, folding her arms over her chest and glaring at him hard. Had it been a different situation he might have found her amusing, impressive, or even attractive but at the moment he could only think of her as a possible threat.
"What about me?" he asked raising a thick eyebrow.
"You get thrown into an absurd situation with a complete stranger and get shot at you take it all in like it is a normal day! I don't care if you are a retired cop or whatever! Normal people don't react to things like that! And I find it hard to believe that you have no idea why you are involved with this. So you need to explain a few things as well before you go pulling a gun on me!" Raimundo took this all in with a stunned silence, not expecting her to turn the tables on him. She took a breath, closing her eyes, opening them again when she spoke. "We have to be honest with one another here," she paused, "if not for us then for our loved ones. We have to be able to trust one another or else we and our families are screwed."
Raimundo watched her through all this, studying her intently and knowing that she was completely right. They had to be honest with one another or else there was no way they could save his sister and her father. But how in the hell could he tell her what had been going on in his life the past few months, let alone his life story? She'd said it herself she was a complete stranger and for all he knew, anything that she might tell him now could be a complete lie. Trust was not something that could be achieved easily with him and here was this woman, barely a woman, asking him to trust her completely. And the truth was he had no real choice in the matter. Without her he had no hope of rescuing Amelia, he was completely dependent on her.
"You're right," Kimiko said surprising him out of his musings. "My name isn't Kimiko Tomeny, my real name is Kimiko Tohomiko. My father, and this could mean absolutely nothing to you, is Toshiro Tohomiko."
"Should I know him?" Raimundo asked. Kimiko sighed and fiddled with the watch on her wrist.
"He isn't as well known in America, that's half the reason I came here, but as soon as I explain it I'll bet you'll know." She took another deep breath and started up once more. "My father is Toshiro Tohomiko, the owner and CEO of Tohomiko Electronics."
"That Toshio Tohomiko?" Raimundo asked surprised. "If he's your father then you're the heiress to the whole Tohomiko Electronics fortune!" Kimiko gave him a look that bordered on sour.
"Now you see why I go by Tomney," she told him looking away. "My whole life I lived in Japan, just trying to go to school and hang out with my friends, maybe have a boyfriend or two, I don't know. Normal stuff." She was looking away so she didn't see the flare of jealously across his face at the mention of boyfriends. He didn't know where it was coming from, just that it seemed to be a natural reaction around this girl. Kimiko continued on not noticing his odd reaction. "I begged my father to let me go through school like a normal kid, not be bought into the best schools because of my father's name and money. And he did, for the most part. I was privileged but I always had to work for what I wanted, he tried hard not to spoil me. Maybe that's why I wasn't expecting him to have me followed. I didn't notice it until I was in junior high that I had bodyguards following me everywhere. I never told my father that I knew but I think he knew that I knew. I only had one person I considered a completely true friend. Keiko was the daughter of my mom's best friend and we were like twins growing up. Other than that, I couldn't honestly say that anyone was really my friend because they like me, or because of my money.
I was known in Japan, well known mostly because of my father's charity work and inventions and because of the scandal that hit the company a few years back. My father found out that his Vice President was stealing money, lots of money, and cheating a lot of hard working people out of what was rightfully theirs. It was a huge disgrace for the family who was close to mine but my father took a stand for what was right. He tried to keep me out of the social scene and even though I liked following all the trends and was a J-pop girl I had no desire to live my life in the spotlight. That's why after high school ended I begged my father to let me come to America for college, without his help and without his name. I knew I wasn't as well known in America but there are fanatics everywhere. If I went by a different last name others might never know. So I convinced him to let me come to NYU. There are company ties here so if I ever needed help someone would be there in a minute. So for the past four years I've been known as Kimiko Tomney, in everything and anything I've done. That's part of the reason I was so freaked out by the envelope under my door. It was written to me, my real name, and slipped under my door. Someone was right outside the door; someone has known where I've been for a while."
She looked back at him finally. There was no hint of lying in her eyes and Raimundo knew that she was telling the truth. That put a whole new spin on everything. Someone had discretely kidnapped one of the wealthiest men in the world and the media had said nothing about this. 'What does the bureau know, if anything, about this?' Raimundo wondered as he continued to hold Kimiko's gaze. She'd been honest with him, or at least as much as he could tell, and she only deserved the same.
"I'm originally from Rio," he started to say as he sank onto the room's couch. "Most of my family is still down there but when I was very young my grandparents moved to the states which was a real lucky break for me. I started to get into things, bad things, at a pretty young age. I was on my way to living and dying in a gang and I'd been busted by the cops more then a few times. When I was twelve I got into some real trouble but got off easy cause I was so young. The judge told my parents that that was my last chance though and my parents got scared. None of their kids had done anything like I had before and I can't still concretely say why I did what I did. I was a part of a big family, maybe I just wanted attention, I don't know. Either way my parents took drastic steps and sent me to live in New York City with my grandparents. I was totally objected to it at first and started to get into trouble again, nothing major but my grandparents were on the verge of locking me in my bedroom. All I wanted to do was get back to Rio. And then I met Omi and things started to change.
My grandparents signed me up for martial arts lessons and Omi was practically obsessed with it. He really bugged me at first, he was two years younger then me and was so full of himself I was determined to knock him down a peg or two. I became consumed with that and slowly, instead of being rivals we became friends and I realized how much of a stupid kid I'd been, I continued my friendship with Omi and studied hard at school and at martial arts. I went to college in DC and was offered a job in the FBI even before I graduated, something I'd wanted for a long time. I wanted to give back and make up for things I did in my past, make my family proud of me. I started out as the lowest of the low field agents but I rose through the ranks very fast. I'd made a good friend in college, a kid from Texas named Clay Bailey and he and I were a great team. But then the FBI needed something from me and I had to lie to Clay for a while. I got in deep as an undercover agent in an organization called The Heylin. Mafia ties, arms deals, smuggling, you name it there people were either a big chunk of it or running it. I got close enough to put one of the top ranking officials away but around that time my cover got blown.
I was welcomed back to the FBI as a hero and had the world at my fingertips. But I just wanted my life back again and luckily, or so I thought, I got it back. I had a mentor, a guy by the name of Charlie Owens, who had also been involved in undercover stuff when he was younger. He was helping me get back to life in the real world and I was grateful for everything. But then I found he'd gone dirty, really dirty, and had been for years."
"Dirty?" Kimiko interrupted. Raimundo looked at her grimly.
"In laymen's terms he was a bad guy pretending to be a good guy and had been making a lot of money off of it. He'd warn his buddies in multiple drug rings he was involved with whenever a sting or a bust was about to happen and ratted out a few undercover agents who paid with their lives. I couldn't believe it and was convinced it must be a mistake. I did a stupid thing and approached him about it. He tried to convince me to join him and after I refused things escalated from there. Clay, my buddy from college, had had an inkling that something was up with me and Charlie and had been following me. He came to my help and ended up getting shot," Raimundo paused heavily, "by me. It was a complete accident but I had shot my best friend I couldn't deal with that. And to make matters worse, I ended up killing Charlie as well. It was just too much for me to deal with. Everything I thought that I'd wanted was going to hell and I had to get out. The FBI wanted to promote me and congratulate me but all I wanted was out. I was cleared of everything but that didn't matter to me. I'd killed a man that I considered a mentor and shot my best friend as well." Raimundo closed his eyes and took a moment before continuing as if it were painful to do. Kimiko watched him through this, fighting the urge to reach out hold him tight and somehow reassure him that he had done right and that everything would be ok.
"I've been on leave for over a month now," he continued on. "I've been given so much leave cause the bureau is desperate to have me back, calling me a hero or something like that but I just can't believe that. I came back to New York to visit Omi and was going to head to Orlando next week. My grandparents moved down there and Amelia was visiting at the time, as you obviously know." He looked back at her and Kimiko could see the hurt he'd brought up by just talking about his past. She wanted to hug him, hold him close and assure him that everything was ok but couldn't seem to manage it.
"I'm so sorry Rai. That's pretty awful. I guess I understand now why you weren't very open about your past," she admitted.
"And I guess that I can understand why you didn't want to give me your real name," he told her. "But everything makes a whole lot more sense now."
"It does?" Kimiko asked surprised.
"I think so," Raimundo nodded, "now we just need to figure out how this all connects us together."
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"I'm not sure if I should be surprised or not," Chase murmured looking as impassive as ever. He looked out off the balcony he was on and took in the site of the city below as Wuya shrugged indifferently next to him.
"So she got a little over excited," the woman shrugged and joined him as he gazed on the landscape.
"People in her line of work aren't supposed to make such mistakes," Chase corrected.
"I can't blame her," Wuya said still looking indifferent, "if I had Pedrosa in my sights I would not hesitate to cut his throat."
"Had Kimiko been hurt," Chase growled out lowly and Wuya raised an eyebrow wondering just how important that girl was to him and his plans.
"Katnappe knows that the Tohomiko girl isn't to be hurt," she then paused and added softly, "fatally."
"More and more you prove your incompetence Wuya," Chase answered still looking out at the city. Wuya frowned at that, silently planning ways to have Chase killed but knowing that doing so would be fatal to her as well. Her reputation and power had been too cut up by Agent Raimundo Pedrosa's meddling and she needed Chase right now to keep her power in the Heylin Organization. And she knew that Chase needed her as well. With her back his take over was no longer valid so he needed her by his side as a partner to maintain the hold he had. They were openly using one another but Wuya knew that it couldn't last forever. She needed Chase right now to enact her revenge but after that he was expendable. He was too preoccupied with the Tohomiko's to see her plans.
'And by the time he does figure it out,' Wuya thought hiding her smirk, 'it will be far too late.'
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Amelia Pedrosa didn't want to cry. She didn't want to show whoever these people were fear. Her brother was brave so she could be too. She was trying so hard but she wasn't sure she could hold out much longer. She'd been traveling in this car with tinted windows since she'd woken open. How long she'd been asleep she wasn't sure but she felt drowsy and disoriented like when he mother would give her cold medicine and she'd been drifting in and out of consciousness since she'd first woken up, unable to keep her eyes open for very long. The men who rode in the car with her didn't seem to notice she was awake which was to her advantage. Though only nine Amelia was a smart girl who had been taught well not only by her parents and siblings but also her oldest brother whom she idolized and aspired to be like. Training for that goal had helped her in the past and it was helping her now.
She'd been working on the knot that bound her hands in front of her since she was coherent enough to do so. The men in white and black suits didn't seem to notice the change in the ropes but still Amelia kept her movements to a minimum. The road had changed from smooth to bumpy and Amelia's body was slowly inching toward the edge of the seat and if she didn't move herself soon she'd fall onto the floor of the car. She nearly did when the car finally came to a stop
"Grab the girl," one of the men said in a rough voice. Amelia tried to make her body as limp as possible though she knew fear was making her body tight. The man who grabbed her, none too gently, didn't seem to notice and carried her out of the car. Amelia cracked an eye open and realized that she certainly wasn't in Orlando anymore. 'Is that pine?' she wondered and closed her eyes again, stealing her courage.
'Now or never,' she concluded completely undoing the knot and leaping from the man's weak hold on her. Surprise helped her escape and as soon as her feet were hit dirt she was off running. She had no idea where to go but she knew that anywhere was safer as long as she was away from these two men who had taken her from her grandparents the night before. Amelia could hear shouts behind her but didn't bother to look back. She hit the tree line and began navigating through a thick growth of trees, leaping over fallen branches and protruding roots. To fall now would certainly mean recapture and the possibility of never having an opportunity such as this again.
Keeping low Amelia could hear people pursuing behind her, crashing through the underbrush and dared a look back, paying for her troubles by slamming into and bouncing off a chain link fence. Scrambling to her feet Amelia lunged at the fence and began to climb up as swiftly as possible. But Amelia knew it was already too late, her mistake of looking back had cost her. Her fingers had just brushed the very top poll of the fence when she felt hands grab roughly on her waist. Amelia let out a scream and tried to maintain a hold on the fence while kicking out at the man who had grabbed her. Another set of hands grabbed her and ripped her from the fence.
"No! Let go of me!" Amelia screamed, tears finally breaking the barrier of her eyes and pouring down her cheeks.
"Just calm down," one of the goons said in a rough voice.
"No! Let go of me!" Amelia screamed again and continued to thrash about, trying to break their hold. "Help! Somebody help me!" Amelia yelled as the two men held onto her hands and legs and carried her back the way she'd come.
"No one can hear you," the man in white told Amelia but that didn't stop the girl from screaming with all her might.
"That's what all the bad guys say!" Amelia yelled back at the man as they broke out of the woods. Amelia continued her thrashing and saw the car she'd been driven in parked next to a warehouse she hadn't noticed before.
"We're out in the middle of Upstate, no one around for miles," the man in white told her again and was immediately hushed his partner in black.
"Don't tell her that," he yelled never breaking stride as they continued on toward the large grey building.
"Who's she gonna tell?" the man joked poorly and kicked opened the door they'd come to. Amelia just kept screaming and fighting through all of this.
"Did you two run into some trouble?" a new voice asked and even Amelia stopped to look at the man. In front of her, paw like hands fisted at his sides, was a stout almost bearish looking man. Amelia's eyes widened at him and the spectacle he made. Was this man behind her kidnapping? Fear and dread crashed over her system, making her feel nauseous and eyes sting with renewed tears.
"Let me go!" Amelia screamed again breaking the silence, her voice loud as it bounced off the walls of the warehouse. There were a few others in the obviously nonproductive factory. It looked more like a storage facility then anything else, packed randomly with wooden crates and various other items.
"That screaming will end this instance," the bear like man snapped at her and Amelia found it hard to take him seriously.
"Who the hell are you! What do you want with me!" Amelia yelled even louder. The man holding her feet dropped them but the hold on her arms tightened so even with her feet underneath her Amelia couldn't free herself.
"That is none of your concern," the short man told her. Amelia could guess that he was the one in charge so she kept her attention on him.
"None of my concern?" she repeated in a normal tone before screaming out. "I've been kidnapped! How is that none of my concern? I think that's my only concern at the moment!" The man smirked coldly and Amelia felt her stomach bottom out again.
"You are very much like your brother." The simple sentence stopped Amelia cold.
"Wha, what?" she barely managed out her eyes wide and scared. The man smiled wickedly again, seeming to enjoy her terror.
"Put her in with the other," he finally said turning and walking away. Amelia, still fairly horror struck at the mention of her brother, let herself be dragged away and didn't become aware of where she was being taken until they stopped dragging her. Amelia looked up and saw the ominous door in front of her.
"Don't put me in there!" she yelled. She had no idea what was on the other side and didn't want to find out. The two men ignored her and she was shoved into the hold of the man in black while the one in white pulled out a gun. Amelia froze at the sight of that, wide green eyes watching his every movement. Luckily the man didn't act as if he was about to use it on her. Instead he withdrew a key and unlocked the door, shoving the gun in first.
"Stay back," he ordered and then motioned his partner forward. The man holding Amelia dragged her forward and then shoved her into the dark room, resulting in her tumbling onto the floor.
"Enjoy your stay," came another horrible pun as the door shut and most of the light disappeared. Amelia didn't move, shock finally overcoming her body, causing her to curl up tightly and sob almost uncontrollably. A voice suddenly spoke in a language she didn't understand. Amelia gasped and shot up, trying to control her sobs.
"Who's there?" she asked lapsing into her native tongue. She'd been speaking English since she'd been captured, guessing that she was still in America and that English would attract more attention then Portuguese.
"Do you speak English?" the voice asked again, moving and suddenly a weak light illuminated the room. Amelia's eyes immediately turned there and to the man standing beside the beat up lamp. He was even shorter then the man she'd encountered in the factory but struck no fear in her. Amelia blinked at him, still afraid to answer, but relaxed slightly when she took in his kind and concerned face. Amelia nodded weakly to his answer and stood, wiping tears from her cheeks as she went.
"Who are you?" she asked in a shaky voice. She was surprised to see an adult in this room. She remembered now the goons talking to someone before she'd been thrust in but it hadn't really registered until now.
"My name is Toshiro Tohomiko," he told her offering a smile. "What is your name?" his voice seemed so kind and soft but at the same time made her feel a little bit safer. He reminded her of her father.
"Amelia, my name is Amelia Pedrosa."
"Are you hurt at all Amelia?" he asked stepping a little closer.
"No," she answered, "at least I don't think so."
"You don't think so?"
"They knocked me out," she told him. "But I feel ok."
"That is good."
"Do you know what's going on? Why we're here?" Amelia asked desperate for answers. "They mentioned my brother. I wanna know if he's ok."
"I'm sorry Amelia," Toshiro said stooping slightly so he was at her level, "but I do not know why you are here."
"Do you know why you are?" Amelia immediately asked.
"I have a few people that are not happy with the way I run my business," he told her. "I believe that that is why I am here."
"But then why am I here?" Amelia repeated desperately and started to cry again. Toshiro's heart went out to the young girl. The father in him immediately wanted to hug her and promise that everything would be alright even though he had no way of assuring that. Hesitantly he reached out for her, slightly surprised when the mysterious little girl practically dove into his arms. Amelia knew that she was mature for her age but that didn't mean that was completely grown up either and crying seemed to be the only thing she could manage at the moment. And this man, he seemed like someone she could trust and she needed that comfort at the moment more then anything. After a few minutes of crying her eyes out Amelia drew back and the man let her.
"Are you sure you are ok little one?" he asked again when her tears started to subside. Amelia nodded and rubbed at her eyes.
"I'm sorry," she apologized.
"There is nothing to apologize for," Toshiro assured her. "Now come," he motioned toward a cot in the corner, "and tell me your story."
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Kimiko couldn't look him in the eye. It was no use; she just couldn't be comfortable around him at the moment. She'd just told him things she hadn't told people she'd known and trusted for four years. Kimiko dared a glance at him as he worked the edge of a pocket knife into the lid of the box. It had been sealed shut somehow and now Raimundo was working to pry the top off. When it became clear that neither seemed very inclined to talk more about their pasts Raimundo had suggested that they should get to work on the next clue that was supposedly hidden in the box they'd dug up. Kimiko knew she should be concentrating on the clue and working together with Raimundo but she just couldn't bring herself to be within arms reach of him at the moment. Her eyes wandered to the gun he'd pulled out of nowhere that was still lying on the table and wondered what else he had hidden.
"I'm going to go freshen up," Kimiko announced suddenly standing up. That brought Raimundo's attention to her. He opened his mouth to protest but Kimiko was already walking toward the bedroom, stopping briefly to grab her discarded bag and then shut the door deftly behind her. Rai held back a curse as he watched the door close behind her. He'd taken a chance on confronting her about her real identity and granted he hadn't really handled it as well as he could have but he didn't think it would end like this. He had predicted that she would either correct him and merely confirm that she had a name change or something logical or else she would be an enemy- an option Raimundo didn't like. He didn't expect her to be some Japanese heiress hiding out in the US in hopes of having a normal life. And now he'd gone and ruined any chances of being able to work with her and solve this clue.
'I can't let this sit,' he concluded putting down the box he'd just about opened and stood up. He took a breath and walked to the door Kimiko had disappeared behind and knocked firmly but softly.
"Kimiko?" he called to get her attention. When he didn't get an answer he tried again but still got no reply. Raimundo tested the handle and found it unlocked so he cautiously pushed it open and glanced around. "Kimiko?" he asked again stepping in and finding what was obviously the master bedroom empty. He heard running water and looked to his left and noticed another door closed in the back corner of the room. When he approached he realized that it wasn't completely closed and he could see Kimiko's head bent over the sink, splashing water onto her face. He knocked and pushed the door open as he spoke.
"Kimiko we need," he started to say but didn't manage. His eyes went wide and his mouth hung open at the sight of her. No coherent thoughts came to mind as he took in Kimiko dressed only in her jeans and bra. Kimiko however reacted instantly, covering herself with a towel on the counter.
"What are you doing!" she screamed and grabbed the first thing she could, a sizable bottle of lotion, from off the sink and threw it at him with all her might while try to cover herself as best she could. Raimundo, still in his state of shock at the sight of her, didn't even try to avoid the bottle and was pegged squarely in the head. That woke him up enough to jumped back and avoid loosing a limb as Kimiko slammed the door closed. Raimundo heard the lock click into place and he couldn't say that he blamed her.
"What the hell is wrong with you!" he heard Kimiko yell through the door. "Don't you know how to knock?"
"I did knock," Raimundo said weakly but loud enough that she could hear him.
"Apparently not very well," Kimiko snapped back.
"I'm sorry?" Rai tried and could hear a heavy sigh issued from Kimiko. He could hear her moving around on the other side and waited expectantly.
"Well?" Kimiko pressed after a moment. "What do you need?"
"Um," Rai tried to remember why he'd followed her into the bedroom. "I think we need to talk."
"It couldn't wait?" Kimiko snapped.
"I thought you were avoiding me," Raimundo confessed. In the bathroom Kimiko paused as she pulled her shirt back over her head. That was partial true she had to admit.
"I was freshening up," Kimiko finally answered. Raimundo sensed her hesitation in answering.
"And avoiding me," he added. He was surprised when the bathroom door was suddenly wrenched open and Kimiko's face reappeared.
"Can you blame me?" she asked seriously and then shut the door again. Raimundo was a taken aback and then sobered and stepped closer to the door to speak again but again Kimiko beat him to it.
"You pulled a gun on me," she said softly and Raimundo could imagine her pressed to the door as well and he wished the piece of wood away.
"I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely. He was also secretly relieved that she wasn't focusing on what he'd told her about the past few months. "I know it probably won't make you feel any better but there were no bullets in the gun." The door suddenly was opened again but Raimundo made no move to step back. Kimiko's head peeked out meekly and seemed a bit surprised to have him so close to the door.
"Really?" she asked skeptically.
"Took them out in the elevator," he told her and Kimiko suddenly remembered his distracted air.
"Did you really not trust me that much?" Kimiko asked him.
"Trust isn't something that comes easy with me," Raimundo admitted, "and with Amelia's life on the line I had to be sure."
"I guess I can understand that," Kimiko admitted begrudgingly leaning against the doorjamb and looking at the floor. Raimundo knew she would understand, after all she could easily relate given the current situation. Kimiko opened the door fully. "Trust doesn't come easy to me either," Kimiko told him looking up into his eyes. "But given the circumstances I have to trust you," she paused, "I do trust you." Raimundo was softened by her admission and wanted desperately to return one but he didn't want to lie to this girl.
"Kimiko," he started to say but Kimiko sensed what was coming and cut him off.
"I understand Raimundo, its ok. All that I'm asking is that you don't distrust me."
"I think I can manage that," Raimundo told her with a weak smile that Kimiko returned.
"Good, now get out of here so I can finish freshening up."
"You were serious about that?" Rai asked surprised. Kimiko sent him a look.
"Girls aren't like guys who just walk around randomly with their shirts off," she said dryly, a slight blush betraying her. Raimundo tried to think of a response to that but Kimiko had already shut the door and he heard water running again. Sighing Raimundo did as he was told and returned to the living room and continued to work the top off the box. It slid off easily after a little more prodding and Raimundo peered inside, drawing out the tiny object inside. It looked like a metallic golf tee, larger and thicker though and obviously more complex. He looked up when he heard Kimiko enter, digging into her bag in a distracted manner.
"Here," she said tossing him something but Raimundo's hands were busy with the strange object from the box so he was unable to catch what Kimiko had thrown. Raimundo watched it fall to the floor between his feet and looked down, his eyes widening at the sight. Quickly but carefully Raimundo replaced the item in the box and scooped up the wad of money that Kimiko had casually tossed at him. He quickly thumbed through it and looked back at Kimiko who had pulled up a chair and was looking at him curiously.
"There's gotta be five thousand dollars here," he blinked a few times in disbelief. Kimiko tilted her head to the side and watched him questioningly.
"Not enough? Do you want some more?" she asked completely deadpan. Raimundo realized that she was completely serious and shook his head.
"I figured you were getting some cash out when we were at the bank but I didn't guess this much," he ran a hand through his hair and have a tiny laugh. "I'm not used to being around people who can throw around cash like this." Raimundo broke the paper wrapped around the money, divided it down the middle, and then handed half of it across the table to her. Kimiko shook her head and pushed it away
"I've got my own on me," she told him and then pointed back at his money. "I suggest you keep at least some of it in your shoe or something, in case you lose your wallet." Raimundo snorted out a laugh.
"Some? Most of it I think, my wallet would explode if I tried to put that much cash in there." Kimiko shrugged and looked away, uncomfortable suddenly. She hadn't been Kimiko Tohomiko, a girl that didn't need to worry about money, for four years now and it would take a little getting used to. "Are you sure you don't want some more?" Rai broke into her thoughts and Kimiko turned back in time to see him slip some money into his shoe, catching a glimpse of the smaller gun strapped near his ankle. Kimiko's eyes shifted to the coffee table and saw the gun from earlier still there. Suddenly Kimiko felt as if she had something large and solid lodged in her throat. Rai must have noticed her expression because he cleared his throat suggestively. Kimiko brought her attention back to his face.
"Two guns?" she asked. "Isn't that a little over kill?" She paused as if realizing something, "no pun intended."
"I don't intend to use them unless absolutely necessary," Raimundo assured her making sure he held her gaze. "They're both for your, our protection." Kimiko looked away as if considering something.
"They won't do you any good if they aren't loaded," she told him softly and Raimundo's eyebrows went up at that. He had just pulled a gun on her less then a quarter of an hour ago and there were no real guarantees, at least that Kimiko knew of, that he wouldn't do it again. And yet she was telling him to load his guns.
"I guess you're right about that," he tried to give her a smile but failed miserably, the air too heavy between them so he tried another tactic. "Are you sure you don't want to carry this money?" Kimiko shook her head no.
"I've got my own five thousand on me; I think that should be enough. What?" she asked when she saw him shake his head.
"That's just unreal to me that you just walked out of a bank with ten thousand dollars in cash, in your messenger bag."
"It's a special account," Kimiko explained, "that my father set up in case of an emergency."
"Ten thousand seems a little much. I can't imagine you needing that much money unless you need to buy a boat or something."
"Better safe than sorry. It's obviously coming in handy now," she said narrowing her eyes at him. "If you're planning on poking fun at me now for being 'daddy's little rich girl' then you need to get that idea out of your head right away." Raimundo held his hands up defensively.
"Thought never crossed my mind," he assured her and then changed topics, "take a look at this." He slid the box across the table at her and Kimiko looked inside, frowning when she pulled the mystery object out.
"What is it?" she asked turning it over in her hands to inspect it at every angle.
"Not sure," Rai admitted watching Kimiko set the metallic peg on the table and then pulled out her laptop and booted it up.
"I wasn't really thinking," she said with a sigh, "I should have just brought my PDA but the laptop has a lot more on it and more reliable internet access."
"What are you looking for?" Raimundo asked her as he stood to come around the table and stand behind her to look at the screen.
"Well, we found this thing," she reasoned as the internet connected, "we're supposes to get a new window." Kimiko pulled up the original page, with the clock and mentally grimaced as she watched the seconds tick away, and then went to the second page but nothing had changed.
"No new link?" Raimundo asked as her mouse dragged across the white space of the page.
"No," she frowned. "Damn, I was sure about that."
"What's that in the corner?" Raimundo asked and Kimiko brightened but realized he was pointing at an icon in the lower right hand corner of the screen, not the webpage.
"Just a new email," Kimiko waved it off.
"Why don't you check it?" Rai suggested someone eagerly.
"Why?" Kimiko asked.
"A hunch," Rai said placing his hands on either side of the chair. "Give it a shot," he urged. Kimiko sighed and clicked on the icon to activate her email and punched in her password. There were a few unread messages but all that Kimiko reasoned could wait to read later. The newest email's subject caught her attention though.
"Strike one?" she questioned with a tilt of the head.
"Who is it from?" Rai asked leaned slighter closer so their faces were nearly parallel.
"Don't recognize the sender," Kimiko whispered as she opened the email and inhaled sharply at the message.
Three strikes you get, three mistakes to make
But if more you choose to take
Then lives will go to waste
STRIKE ONE
Return to where you've came
Hurry! Its time you waste
Go back to resume the game!
"What, what the hell is that suppose to mean?" Kimiko almost yelled.
"It means you were right and I was wrong," Rai told her his expression dark.
"I don't get it," Kimiko confessed. Rai stood and walked past her, pacing a bit before stopping and taking a deep breath.
"You were right," he repeated, "We shouldn't have left the park."
"But what does this three strikes thing mean?"
"We get to make three mistakes in the game, three wrong turns, wrong guesses, something like that. More then three," he ran his hand through his hair as he paused, "then Amelia and your father are dead by default."
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A call to the front desk before they left the suite had a taxi waiting for the two before they even stepped off the elevator. The driver moved skillfully through the traffic but not nearly fast enough for Kimiko's liking and she couldn't help but grip the bag in her lap nervously. She snuck a look at Raimundo whose eyes were hard and staring unblinkingly straight ahead. She was guessing that he was blaming himself and she didn't want him to carry that guilt. Tentatively Kimiko took a hand from her bag and laid it over one of Raimundos's that gripped his knee. She felt him flinch under her touch and he turned to immediately look at her. Kimiko tried to give him a reassuring smile and lightly squeezed his hand, fingers automatically slipping between his.
"Don't blame yourself," she told him and Raimundo wondered if she could read minds. "You got us both out of a dangerous situation before, you did what was right and I never really thanked you for getting me out of there. So thank you." Raimundo looked at her disbelievingly but smiled a moment later.
"Thank you," he told her in a soft voice and Kimiko found she couldn't look away from his eyes, "that really does mean a lot to me." He generally didn't get too many 'thank yous' in his line of work despite the nature of it. Hearing it from her made his heart ache in a good way. He was surprised when her cheeks lightened with a blush and was it just his imagination or was she leaning closer? Or was he leaning closer? Before he could figure it out though the taxi came to a stop.
"Here we are folks," the driver said in a rough voice. Raimundo paid the driver and slid out of the car, helping Kimiko out as well.
"Should we head back to the dig?" Kimiko asked and looked at Raimundo who nodded.
"But keep a low profile," he cautioned and Kimiko nodded. They moved quickly back toward the mock dig. "Walk by," he said quickly as they approached the site. Kimiko didn't question just followed him as they walked by. "That hawk of volunteer lady is still there and looks like she's yelling at the police." Kimiko shot a glance over at mock dig and saw what Raimundo was talking about. "Here," Raimundo directed her down another path and sat them down on a bench. "Do you have internet here?" he asked once they sat. Kimiko started up her laptop and logged onto the internet.
"Check the website again," Raimundo suggested when she looked at him for directions. Kimiko did so silently and pulled open the page that had the first clue and was surprised by the change.
"Look a link," she said sliding her mouse over to it and clicked on it. The page redirected and Kimiko frowned. "I thought a new window was supposed to show up."
"Let's just wait a second," Rai suggested. "It's not a clue," he whispered in surprise.
"What is it?" Kimiko asked looking at a collection of numbers on one line and then directly underneath were two words 'bury it'.
"They're coordinates," Raimundo said immediately.
"Huh?" Kimiko asked confused and looked over at Rai who had pulled out his phone.
"Damn messages," Rai said as he navigated his phone.
"Should you listen to them?" Kimiko asked.
"Later," Raimundo told her distracted.
"What are you doing?" Kimiko said curiously looking over at his screen.
"Punching those coordinates into my GPS," Rai explained leaning a bit closer to Kimiko so she could see better. "Its probably close by since we got that warning to head back here."
"I'm lost," Kimiko confessed.
"That thing we found," Rai went on as the GPS was locating the coordinates, "I bet we're supposed to bury it."
"But why?" Kimiko asked with narrowed eyes.
"I have no idea and that worries me," Rai admitted. "I was right though," he said standing up, "the spot is just over this way." Kimiko followed him as they cut across a few paths and grassy patches and stopped in a totally inconspicuous spot next to a trash can that was chained to a tree. "You have a camera on your phone?" Rai asked her when they stopped.
"Who doesn't these days?" Kimiko scoffed.
"Here take a picture of this," Rai said reaching into her bag and pulling out the box they'd found and fishing the mystery object out of it. Kimiko flipped open her phone and started clicking picture of every angle.
"Happy?"
"Yes," Rai told her with a smile and then sighed. "I guess nothing left to do but bury this thing."
"I guess," Kimiko agreed reluctantly. "Does this feel right?"
"Not really," Rai said looking at the ground and then back up at here, "but do we have a choice?"
"Not if we want to save our families," Kimiko said and they locked eyes and Rai nodded before stooping down and digging into the earth with a stick near his feet.
"How deep should we go?" Rai asked and Kimiko chewed her lower lip nervously.
"Umm," Kimiko struggled for an answer. "I have no idea." Rai decided to make an executive decision.
"I'll keep it shallow," Rai said digging the hole a little deeper and a little wider, "but still buried deep enough so that it won't get disturbed."
"Sounds like a plan," Kimiko said watching him closely as he worked and stepped back once he'd finished. Rai dusted his hands off and looked over at her.
"Should we check the website?" he asked. Kimiko nodded and pulled the laptop out, starting it up as they made their way to another bench.
"This is getting annoying," she said with a sigh.
"Necessary evil," Rai watching the screen. Kimiko sighed again but didn't say anything more as she went to the website.
"We've got a new link," Kimiko grinned and then sobered. "It's kinda bad that I'm excited about that, isn't it?"
"Given the current situation," Rai considered and then blew at some hair on his forehead, "no. What's it say?" Kimiko read aloud.
In a hidden world, away from the sun
You'll find a place where only people run
You're crossing the wrong side of the track
A new society, new rules, so watch your back
Go beneath where the bell tolls
From there you'll know where to go
"Well," Kimiko said after she finished reading the riddle, "we're screwed." Raimundo made a neutral noise in his throat and cupped his chin in his hand. He was rolling the words of the newest riddle in his head when Kimiko caught his attention again. "Rai?" she asked softly.
"What's up?" he asked glancing over at her.
"It's my turn to be paranoid," she said her eyes darting around. "I don't like sitting in the open in a place that we were recently shot at."
"Ok," Rai told her standing up. He didn't 'want to tell her that this was actually probably a pretty safe place since it was crawling with cops and the chances of the shooter hitting the same place twice so early was slim. Instead he wanted that analytical mind of hers thinking on the riddle, not her safety. "Anywhere specific you want to go?" he asked as they started moving.
"Actually, yeah, there is."
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"Hmm," Rai mused, "back to your place and on the fist date." Rai grinned wolfishly at her as she fumbled with her keys. "You easy or something?" Kimiko's face grew dark.
"You may die," she warned and pushed into her apartment. Rai watched her take her shoes off and followed suit. Kimiko noticed it and smiled back at him. "You don't have to do that, it's just a force of habit for me."
"No problem really," he told her with a shrug. "Force of habit?"
"Did it all my life in Japan, five years in America isn't going to change that." Raimundo nodded in agreement thinking of the many habits he had from Brazil that his friends sometimes found odd. "Make yourself at home," Kimiko told him moving into the apartment and out of sight down the small hall off of the living room. Raimundo glanced around noticing how neat and homey the place seemed. One picture hanging on the wall caught his attention and he moved in for closer inspection. He recognized Kimiko immediately despite the fact that her hair was died an outrageous shade of pink and styled in what Raimundo could best describe as spiked pony tails. She was clinging to the arm of an African American boy who looked about her age. He was blushing like a fool as Kimiko planted a kiss on his cheek, the photographer capturing just the right moment. Directly below that was another picture of the two looking younger, this time Kimiko's hair was blonde and long, pulled back in a slim ponytail and both were posing with the peace sign and smiling in front of a dorm on the NYU campus. Another glance around the living room showed off similar pictures but usually shots with family and friends. Rai noticed one of Kimiko with who Raimundo guessed must be her father but the man with her in the photo was conveniently wearing sunglasses.
Curious as to what Kimiko was up to Raimundo abandon his photo hunt and followed where Kimiko was. He found her easily just by sticking his head in the first door he came to and saw her leaning over her desk, blocking his view of what she was doing. She'd stripped herself of her jacket again so Raimundo got a view of her natural curves and his mind went back to the taxi when they'd started leaning unconsciously toward one another. Raimundo could admit easily that there was an attraction between them, or at least there was on his end. As much as he'd like to inspect it more closely now was not the time.
"Nice place you got here," Raimundo told her as he stepped fully into the room. Kimiko jumped at the sound of his voice and spun around.
"Shit Rai, you scared me."
"At least you're on your toes," Rai shrugged sticking his hands into his pockets and looking around the room. Kimiko looked around as well to make sure there was nothing embarrassing laying out in the one and she thanked every god that was listening that she'd spent her yesterday cleaning the apartment thoroughly. "What are you doing?" Rai asked coming closer to her and looking at what she was doing.
"Transferring everything that I'll need from my laptop onto my PDA. It'll be easier then lugging the laptop everywhere. And," she motioned to a printer on the corner of the desk, "making copies of everything we have so far."
"Smart girl," Rai said with a nod that caused Kimiko to blush slightly. Rai missed it though because he'd gone back to exploring her room. He glanced at her queen bed and chanced a tricky question he was itching to ask. "So you live alone?"
"No," Kimiko shook her head from where she continued copying, "Jermaine lives here too. He's the one that actually found the place. Thank God for rent control." She then paused as if considering something. "I should probably call him," she mused mostly to herself, "tell him I can't make lunch." Rai was so wrapped up with inspecting the many books on her shelf that he answered automatically.
"He can't make lunch," Rai told her and immediately froze at what he said.
"Um what?" Kimiko said too sweetly and looked back in his direction.
"I ah, meant to tell you that there was a message on your phone."
"And you just decided that it was ok to read my messages and then not to tell me about them?" Kimiko asked in her same controlled sweet voice and Rai decided that he was extremely frightened by this side of her.
"Umm," Raimundo struggled for an answer. He was saved, for the moment at least, by the binging of Kimiko's PDA.
"Everything is uploaded," Kimiko said disconnecting the two machines. Raimundo let out a breath, thinking she might be letting the message thing slide, but another second later he realized he was wrong. Despite the fact that Kimiko had only hurled a pillow at him it was still enough to send Raimundo teetering over. He looked at her, more irritated at himself then her, thinking that despite the fact that he was a highly trained FBI agent this girl always seemed to get the jump on him.
'It's because you let your guard down around her,' a voice in his head reasoned, surprising him. It was completely true and that was enough to send a mixture of chills and thrills up and down his spine.
"Come on," Kimiko said with a wave of her hand as she crossed the room toward him, "we need to try to figure out this clue." When he made no move to get up and planted her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. "We are not doing it in my room."
"Why not?" Rai asked standing up and settling on her bed. "It's nice and comfy in here."
"Its private," Kimiko muttered looking annoyed. When Raimundo still made no move to get up Kimiko rolled her eyes and reached out, grabbing his upper arm and hauled him up, impressing Raimundo with her strength again. "Come on," Kimiko dragged him out, PDA in her free hand, "I'll make you coffee."
"I thought you didn't like coffee," Rai observed grabbing the strap her bag to bring with them as they left her room.
"I don't," Kimiko said releasing him once they were back in the kitchen/living room area of the apartment, "but Jermaine drinks the stuff like its water." Raimundo made an indistinguishable noise in his throat and wandered into the living room. "What?" Kimiko asked looking over her shoulder at the noise he made.
"Nothing," Rai said under his breath. He then changed subjects. "Is this your Dad?" Kimiko looked over at where he was looking.
"Yup," she said with a sad smile and then changed topics again. "The picture next to it is me and Jermaine during Senior Week."
"You two close?"
"Joined at the hips since Freshman Year," Kimiko smiled at the memories. "He dated my freshman roommate for like a week. It didn't work out but we stayed really close."
"Close?" Rai dared to ask.
"The closest," Kimiko answered automatically not thinking anything of it and missed Raimundo's slightly crestfallen face. "Can you read me back that clue again?" Kimiko asked as she busied herself with the coffee. Raimundo picked out her notebook and read the clue again.
"Any ideas?" he asked once he finished.
"Many, each one more unlikely then the last," Kimiko sighed.
"Keep trying," Rai encouraged, "in the meantime can I send those pictures you sent to a friend?"
"Go for it," Kimiko told him. She watched him scoop up her phone from the coffee table. "Just don't hide any more messages from me," she added with a grin. Raimundo looked up, saw her grin and returned it.
"Wouldn't think of it."
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Jack Spicer liked to keep busy. Despite his pale complexion and scrawny body he was hardly inactive, constantly moving about his various labs doing things with electronics and technologies that most people couldn't even fathom let alone do. He was also a very in demand man which is why he'd developed a unique messaging system along time ago. It filtered through his phone and email messages and pulled out things that he considered important. Very few people and things were set on his immediate alert list so he wasn't very accustomed to hearing the siren that went off across the lab he was currently working. Jumping up in surprise and giving a little screech Jack looked frantically around for the source of the noise. It took him a solid minute to figure it out.
"Computer on," he said voice activating the monitor he had mounted on floating robotic disk that followed him around.
"Good morning Jack," a computerized voice that sounded vaguely like Marilyn Monroe greeted him back.
"Messages," Jack commanded next watching a new screen appear that listed his many waiting messages and not for the first time Jack weighted benefits of some sort of human secretary. There was only one message highlighted in green but he didn't recognize the sender.
"So why'd it get marked as urgent in the system?" Jack asked himself. He then noticed the subject line and became slightly intrigued. Jack tapped the screen to pull the message up wondering what the sender wanted with him now. The message was short: take a look at these and get back to me. Jack rolled his eyes and opened the file attached to the message. The pictures loaded quickly but Jack's eyes were widening before they even finished.
"Shit."
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Kinda long for a chapter huh? Maybe I need to cut these things down some…this one was seventeen pages long and I think that might be pushing the boundaries a bit. Its just I get writing a chapter and I can't stop myself! And this story is still only really getting going! Its going to be a long one but I'm hoping to have it done by the end of the summer. And guess what!?!?!?! I'm heading back to Japan for a whole year in September!! I'm beyond, beyond excited!
Alright, back to story stuff. Thanks to those who read my Father's Day fic. So glad you liked it! I've started the sequel to "Ever the Same" but I'm trying to get ahead on this story before I start publishing that. This story is going to start getting very good soon with some cute RaiKim moments coming up. The sparks are going to fly!
That's all for now, love you guys for loving this story. Please review!