I debated long and hard about where I should end this chapter. Like the last it is technically still being written, now up to a whopping forty pages. Think I need to bite the bullet and start on a new document? This method seems to be working so I think I'll stick with it for now. I might but out another chapter tonight or tomorrow if I get ambitious enough. Let me know what you think!
P.S- again, sorry for crappy editing but I wanted to get this out so I only proof read it maybe two times and even then I was half asleep, so yeah….sorry!
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Kimiko kept hearing odd noises from outside the office and with the windows boarded up she had no idea what was going on. Whatever it was Kimiko knew she was running out of time and freeing herself with the letter opener just seemed to be getting her no where. On the floor of the office Snaggle Tooth was beginning to stir and Kimiko sawed harder at her restrains. She wasn't sure if she could take the man on again if she was still tied up. Gun shots and shouts stopped her for a moment as she looked at the door, waiting for something to happen.
'What the hell is going on out there?' Kimiko wondered, worrying about Raimundo more and more. She heard another groan from ground and Snaggle Tooth's eyes were starting to open. 'Fuck,' Kimiko silently scream and sawed harder, thanking whoever was watching out for her as the restrains finally broke. Kimiko didn't hesitate, rushing to the door as Snaggle Tooth made his way to his knees. Her hands were on the knob and on the lock as more gun shots went off the wood in front of her exploded and splintered and Kimiko let out an involuntary scream as she hit to floor and covered herself. Something burned across her upper arm but it was fleeting when she felt hands curl around her neck. Kimiko struggled for a second but managed to throw Snaggle Tooth off of her.
"I'll kill you," he muttered murderously and Kimiko didn't doubt that if given the chance he would follow through on the threat.
"You wish," Kimiko muttered back and crouched ready to defend her self as more shots went off. "Please be ok Raimundo," Kimiko whispered softly and sent out a prayer with the same wish.
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Jermaine's eyes and lungs burned as he slid the door open to let out the smoke of the bomb that had been set off. He could barely see but as the smoke rolled out and his vision cleared he saw Omi and Clay standing over the three men they'd been fighting with all, three successfully knocked out and Jermaine was in a bit off awe over it. Clay and Omi looked over at Jermaine and the three nodded in a silent show that they were alright. Clay's eyes then scanned the room and located Raimundo.
"Fuck! Raimundo!" he yelled seeing the state he was in. Producing a knife from his boot Clay quickly cut the rope around Raimundo's neck followed by the tightly bound gag and for a horrifyingly long moment Raimundo didn't react before giving a few hard coughs followed a few shaky breaths. "Raimundo, you ok buddy?" Clay asked as Raimundo continued to struggle to breathe normal. Jermaine and Omi were beside them now, undoing the ropes that tightly bound Raimundo.
"Where's Kimiko?" Jermaine asked at the last ropes fell away. Raimundo, who was still lying on the floor, seemingly unaware that he was free suddenly sprung to life. His eyes flew open in a panic as he shot up and gave a hoarse shout.
"Kimiko!" he yelled and took off for the office, bullet holes now dotting the side. His fingers had just touched the doorknob when it was wrenched out of his grip and Kimiko was staring back at him, looking a little roughed up but otherwise no worse for the wear. Both were frozen for a second, shocked to see one another but in the next instance both moved, Kimiko diving against Raimundo's chest, her arms going around his waist as Raimundo took her in a tight hold. He savored the feel for a second before pulling her back and looking at her.
"Are you ok?" he asked as his eyes frantically swept over her for a more through examination.
"I'm fine," Kimiko almost laughed and looked back over her shoulder and Raimundo, following her line of vision, saw the man who'd taken Kimiko into the office sprawled out on the floor looking like he'd been put through the gauntlet, bleeding from a few uncomfortable looking spots and his face was almost unrecognizable thanks to a flattened nose. "Ultimate move to the rescue," Kimiko said looking back at him with a weak smile and it took Raimundo a moment to process what she'd said. When he remembered he resisted the urge to laugh and kiss her senseless and settled for pulling her back into his arms and kissing the crown of her head. Kimiko buried her face in his shoulder before her senses returned to her.
"I know where they are," she said pushing back and looked at him in the eyes.
"They?" Raimundo repeated slowly and then realization dawn on him. "How?"
"Brains were not a gift that piece of shit was born with," Kimiko said venomously. Rai agreed silently and turned, holding her hand.
"Let's go," he urged as his eyes suddenly settled on the three who'd come to their rescue, they'd been completely forgotten when he'd remembered Kimiko. Kimiko seemed equally surprised to see them.
"Jermaine? What are you doing here?" she asked taking in the state of the warehouse. Three of the four goons she remembered seeing from before were knocked out on the floor and Omi, Jermaine, and a man she didn't recognize stood looking at her.
"Kimiko, thank god you're ok," Jermaine said coming to Raimundo and Kimiko and almost forcefully pulling her away from Raimundo who didn't seem keen on letting her go. Jermaine hugged his friend who was still shocked to see him and then held her at arms length. "You are ok right?" he asked again when she was slow to respond.
"Yeah, fine," she said shaking her head to get it straight and then pushed his hands away. "What are you doing here?" she asked again and moved closer to Raimundo who was already moving closer to her.
"I saw you get thrown into that van," Jermaine explained as Clay and Omi joined them. "You told me not to go to the cops, who probably wouldn't believe me anyway, and I remembered that Omi guy you mentioned so I went to look for him and met Clay when I got there." Kimiko looked over the man who was supposed to be one of Raimundo's best friends, who'd gotten caught up in the crossfire between Raimundo and his mentor, who was also an FBI agent and who was supposed to be in DC. Raimundo must have been thinking along the same lines.
"What are you doing here Clay?" Raimundo asked.
"That's the thanks I get for saving your sorry ass?" he asked and his tone was somewhere between joking and serious.
"Yeah, thanks," Rai thanked him in an off hand sort of manner before growing serious, "but what the hell are you doing here?"
"Trying to figure out what's going on with you," Clay answered folding his arms over his chest. "I know something's up."
"Yeah well, obviously you were right," Rai said sounding annoyed not liking that fact that Clay and most likely the FBI was now involved. Kimiko was thinking the same thing.
"You can't be involved," Kimiko said firmly surprising Clay.
"You must be Kimiko," he said looking the girl over and noticing Raimundo's protective stance next to her.
"And you're Clay," Kimiko replied thinking there'd be time for formal pleasantries later.
"This has something to do with Amelia doesn't it?" Clay asked turning his attention back to Raimundo. The mention of Rai's little sister had both Kimiko and Raimundo back in motion.
"We need a car," Kimiko said looking at Jermaine. "Did you drive?" she asked.
"Yeah but my car's back a ways," he answered her. "We took the ninja's car."
"Ninja?" Kimiko asked confused and then remembered Tubbimura and Vlad.
"Where is it?" Raimundo asked.
"Parked around the corner," Jermaine answered and moved aside when Kimiko and Raimundo immediately moved forward. "Wait a second," Jermaine called after them but the two were moving with determined strides, talking to one another, seemingly unaware.
"Hang on," Clay said forcefully but the two didn't look back. "Raimundo I need some answers." Swearing under his breath Clay followed Raimundo and Kimiko as they exited the warehouse, Jermaine and Omi following behind him.
"I too would like to understand some things as well Raimundo," Omi called after his friend who only paused to locate the car.
"We'll have to stop somewhere to figure out where to go," Kimiko was saying as they moved to the SUV parked a few feet away.
"Would you two just knock it off for a minute," Jermaine yelled.
"Cynthia's dead!" Clay called and Raimundo stopped dead in his tracks, Kimiko stopped half a second later.
"What?" Raimundo asked spinning around. "How the hell did she get involved in this?"
"She's not dead," Clay paused, "not yet at least. She might be now. It was touch and go the last time I called. I've cut off communication though because I know that you don't want other people involved." Raimundo's eyes narrowed.
"Exactly," he said looking grim. "Now where are the keys?"
"Raimundo!" Clay barked out in shock and anger.
"I'm sorry Clay," Rai said looking his best friend in the eye. "I know how you feel about her but this is exactly why no one should be involved and all three of you should be walking away right now." Kimiko nodded in agreement.
"We can handle it," Kimiko assured them.
"What is it?" Clay asked looking annoyed.
"We can't say," Kimiko answered, "but you all are already too involved."
"Maybe they're right," Jermaine said sticking his hands in his pockets and everyone turned their attention to him. "I've known you for a long time Kimiko," he shrugged, "I've got to trust you on this."
"Thank you Jermaine," Kimiko smiled at him gratefully. Raimundo gave a nod of thanks as well and was surprised when Jermaine handed over the keys.
"We'll need to remove the baggage first though," Jermaine said before Clay or Omi could interrupt.
"Baggage?" Kimiko asked.
"A KGB guy, a ninja, and a man that I hope natural selection takes care of," Jermaine explained.
"Vlad, Tubbimura, and an idiot lackey?" Raimundo guessed.
"There is no way in hell I'm letting you go on alone Raimundo," Clay argued, not to be forgotten.
"I agree," Omi added.
"Hey!" Kimiko protested. "I'm standing right here."
"No offense Ms," Clay started but Kimiko huffed.
"What is it with FBI agents and calling me Ms?" Kimiko asked and then shook her head. "We're wasting time Rai."
"Let's go," Raimundo agreed but paused when they reached the car and saw the back doors open.
"Shit," Jermaine muttered and ran ahead and confirmed his fears. "They're gone."
"Either way," Rai said shutting the back door on the driver's side as Jermaine stepped back, "we need to go."
"Raimundo," Clay gripped the driver's door as Raimundo climbed in and tried to close the door after starting the car up. "You aren't leaving here without some explanations." Rai glanced at Kimiko who was in the car and gave him a tiny nod.
"I'm sorry Clay," Rai apologized and hit the gas, the car jumping backwards thanks to Kimiko slipping it discreetly into reverse. Rai slammed his door shut and put the car into drive, swinging wide to avoid Omi and Clay as they tried to stop them.
"Why did you let them go?" Clay asked Jermaine.
"Kimiko's cell is still in the car," Jermaine told him evenly as Clay shook his head and decided not to underestimate Jermaine anymore.
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"All of our stuff is here," Kimiko said as she looked over the back seat and leaned back to scoop up her PDA. Rai glanced over and noticed her pale complexion.
"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked again, it was the first quiet moment they'd had since they'd been thrown in the back of the van and Raimundo's concern was growing.
"Nothing happened Raimundo," Kimiko assured him, not meeting his eyes as the PDA started up, "I was awake before I was even taken in the office. Though if I get tasered again I might start forgetting the alphabet." The last sentence was a joke that she weakly laughed at but only made Raimundo more concerned so he pulled off to the side of the road as soon as he was able. "What are you doing Raimundo?" Kimiko asked as he put the car in park and turned off the engine. Seeming to ignore her question Rai climbed out of the car and moved to Kimiko's side, opened her door, and pulled her out. Kimiko didn't fight him as he pushed her against the car and studied her as he held her upper arms firmly and he noticed Kimiko wince. She seemed to be surprised by the reaction as he was and glanced at her right arm. Raimundo pulled his hand back and looked down at her jacket, only now noticing the stain, barely visible on the dark material.
"Take you're jacket off," he ordered in a tight voice and Kimiko had no reason not to listen to him, being curious herself. When she pushed the jacket off she finally noticed the tear in the sleeve and winced when she pulled her arm free. Before she could examine the wound herself Raimundo's firm but gentle hands were there prodding and inspecting. "Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?" Raimundo asked tightly, trying to contain his anger now that his panic had subsided I seeing that the wound wasn't life threatening.
"I didn't know," Kimiko answered truthfully.
"How can you not know?" Raimundo almost snapped at her but managed not to lash out.
"I don't know, there was a lot going on," she shrugged and felt
the wound pull slightly. "I do remember feeling something when the
door got shot at," her eyes widened as she spoke. "Oh my god! Did
I get shot?"
"Grazed," Raimundo explained.
"Grazed?"
"The bullet grazed by," Rai answered, "it cut your skin but the bullet isn't in you."
"I guess that's a relief," Kimiko sighed but Raimundo didn't look relieved at all. "Raimundo," Kimiko said softly to gain his attention and placed her free hand on his upper arm, "I'm ok Raimundo. Honestly."
"No you aren't," Raimundo argued. "I promised you I wouldn't let anything happen to you, and look what happened."
"I'm ok," Kimiko repeated and made him look her in the eye by gently touching his face. "Please, don't beat your self up about this," she pleaded and then frowned when her eyes settled on the mark stretching around his neck. "But what happened to you?" Raimundo just shook his head in an answer but relented when she pressed.
"They tied me to a wall by the neck cause I was getting a bit too rowdy," he shrugged and then his eyes were serious. "I was trying to get to you." Kimiko's eyes narrowed in concern and before she had a chance to really consider her action Kimiko rose up on her toes slightly and placed her lips to a section of the mark in a tender sort of kiss but it still made Raimundo's whole body do rigid. Her gentle fingers replaced her lips, massaging the skin, when Kimiko pulled back but Raimundo moved with her and now had her pressed between him and the car. Their eyes locked and for a moment Kimiko thought he would kiss her but he sighed instead and touched their foreheads together.
"We need to go," he said almost reluctantly and Kimiko managed a weak nod of agreement before Raimundo sighed again and pulled away. "We'll stop and get a first aid kit," he said once they were back in the car. Kimiko opened her mouth to argue that she was alright but immediately closed it under a look from Raimundo.
"Fine," she consented, "but I'm patching you up too."
"Fine," Raimundo answered as he pulled back onto the road.
"Fine," Kimiko repeated and couldn't help but smile as she watched Raimundo's own lips twitch into a smile as well.
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"Move Tohomiko immediately," Chase told Pandabubba over the phone only moments after he'd been called by Vlad and Tubbimura to tell him that Kimiko and Pedrosa had gotten away.
"What about the girl?" Pandabubba asked.
"I don't care," Chase replied and then hung up. He wanted to kill Vlad and Tubbimura for messing up. He didn't mind that it was out in the open that he and Wuya were at odds; the secrecy around it was more of an annoyance than anything. But now there was a chance that this could all be linked to him before the timing was right. He wanted Kimiko and her father in the dark until the very last moment. And if the opportunity to kill Pedrosa personally presented itself then so be it. He should have just ordered the two buffoons to simply kill Raimundo first and bring to Kimiko to him. It would have ended everything quickly, but then where was the fun and that? And there was a certain amount of security in stretching the whole ordeal out longer, it made it more complicated and when Spicer's invention went off his tracks would be completely covered.
"Heard you had a little trouble," Wuya said as she sashayed into Chase's office unannounced.
"What do you want Wuya?" Chase asked in an annoyed voice.
"Rumor has it you've been interfering in my little game," Wuya said loftily as she inspected a nail.
"Since you hired that incompetent assassin I decided to take matters into my own hands," Chase answered not letting his voice betray anything.
"Seems your choice in hired help wasn't much better," Wuya replied as she sat on the corner of his desk.
"Didn't it?" Chase asked and Wuya looked at him oddly but quickly recovered, not wanting to show that Chase had gotten to her at all.
"Hmm," she mused. "What do you say we put aside our difference, whatever they may be, and finish this?"
"How many times have I told you that I didn't even want this to begin?"
"And yet you're involved," Wuya quipped back. "I know your game Chase."
"Do you?" Chase asked sounding amused.
"Yes," Wuya said confidently, "so let's make this pleasant for both of us and finish this quickly and painlessly."
"The way you talk Wuya I'd think you aren't as confident in your revenge as you once were."
"Thanks to your interference the set up won't be completed," Wuya said annoyed looking over her shoulder at Chase and narrowed her eyes slightly, "which I don't get. That was one of the only reasons you agreed to this in the first place."
"Maybe I had a change of heart," Chase shrugged and Wuya thought that it was very unlikely.
"Whatever," Wuya shrugged as she tried to feint indifference. "In the end as long as Pedrosa is dead I don't care."
"Hmm," Chase mused as his phone rang and he answered silently, listened for a moment before hanging up looking a little smug.
"Do I even want to know why you're smiling like that?" Wuya asked not sure if she was really intrigued or dreading the answer.
"An old friend is in town and it seems like he's trying to get involved in our little game," Chase answered vaguely.
"Oh?" Wuya tried to press for more but Chase waved it off.
"It's none of your concern," Chase told her, "it's just an added bonus for me to see him dead." Chase gave Wuya a predatory grin. "It seems like today is going more in my favor than yours."
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He'd known Kimiko for years and hadn't really been surprised when her father asked him to follow her, discretely, to New York. He wasn't supposed to interfere with her life at all. Toshiro had just wanted to know that help was there for Kimiko if she ever needed. In short, he'd had what seemed like a four year vacation. He'd been allowed to take odd jobs, mostly to keep himself busy since Toshiro was still paying him for his bodyguard duties to Kimiko, and had joined up at Omi's gym. Though he was significantly older than the owner of the gym, he'd like training there. He and Omi often spared and it kept him sharp as the two learned from one another.
And then Omi had mention Kimiko and the foreboding feeling he'd been getting due to the lack of communication with Toshiro was justified.
In just a few short hours Kimiko had shown up twice on his very sensitive radar thanks to a blanket of sources he had all over the world. And both times it involved her being shot at. And each time, from what he could tell, this man, this Raimundo Pedrosa, an FBI agent on sabbatical, had taken care of her through it. He'd set out feelers on Raimundo and had come back with mostly that he was a great FBI agent but had spent significant time under with the Heylin and some people thought that he was a double agent. He didn't know exactly what Kimiko was involved with but for some reason he trusted the Raimundo Pedrosa could and would take of her. He'd be waiting in the wings, knowing his interest in the two had alerted him to whoever was pulling the strings. And he had a pretty good idea of just who that was.
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"Are you tired Amelia?" Toshiro asked as the girl tried to cover another yawn.
"I shouldn't be," she replied.
"Why not?" Toshiro asked curious. Over the course of the day he and the young girl had talked a lot and Toshiro had gotten the impression that the girl was unnaturally mature, and always tried to be.
"I slept a good part of the day, or at least I was drugged," she reasoned. "I shouldn't be tired." Toshiro shook his head and suppressed a laugh.
"It wasn't a very fulfilling sleep then," he told her. "Please sleep."
"But," Amelia struggled with the next words.
"Yes?" Toshiro prodded.
"I'm, I'm afraid to go to sleep," she admitted, her cheeks growing read at having to admit she was scared of something. She tried to justify her admission by adding that it wouldn't be safe for both to go to sleep at the same time. Toshiro seemed to understand that and realized that the girl would not accept that he would remain awake and watched her, not wanting to be coddled or seen as weak.
"How about I stay awake for the first half of the night," Toshiro offered, "and I will wake you later." He watched Amelia chew her lip and nodded.
"That's fair," she decided and settled on the cot she'd been sitting up on. "You sure you don't mind?"
"Not at all," Toshiro assured her and a smile that Amelia returned as she curled up against pillow under her head, completely asleep in just minutes. Toshiro didn't move until she was sure he was asleep and then moved to the door and pressed his ear to it in hopes being able to understand the conversation and noise coming from the other side. He knew that something was up, the increase in activity and the obvious rush of it had him worried. Glancing over at Amelia Toshiro grew even more worried wondering how he could protect the girl from something he had no clear grasp off. He was determined to do all he could though but still worried that it wouldn't be enough.
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They were out of the city limits and in Long Island before Raimundo finally found a place he liked enough to stop and pull over. Kimiko had urged him to get out of the city before they stopped, claiming again she was fine. Raimundo didn't care if she thought that, he wouldn't feel fine until he could get her patched up. He debated finding an emergency room to see if she needed stitches but knew that they didn't have the time and predicted that Kimiko would adamantly refuse.
He pulled at a truckers' rest stop just off an exit on the interstate and made her wait while he ran inside. Kimiko didn't object because in truth her arm was beginning to throb slightly and she didn't mind sitting in the car and letting the air conditioning roll over her. In the silence and the solitude of the roomy SUV Kimiko began to feel the effects of what had transpired since she was first tasered. The only thing she could remember was that it hurt like hell. She'd been lucky the second time, the taser had just nicked her compared to the first and she'd woken in time to stop anything that might have happened. Kimiko couldn't help but shudder and she knew it didn't have anything to do with the temperature of the car. Keeping her eyes trained on the door of the store, waiting for Raimundo reappear Kimiko's mind wandered again.
It had been drilled into her head endlessly throughout college, and most of her life for that matter, that the chances of being attacked or sexual assaulted were great. She'd heard it so many times that each lecture was predictable and most people, herself included, had just zoned out. She knew that she was a part of extenuating circumstances but the fact that it had nearly happened still sent chills up her spine. What if she hadn't woken up in time? What if Snaggle Tooth had some how overpowered her or had a weapon? Her hand subconsciously wandered to touch the slash on the side of her arm and thought that things could have been much worse. She and Raimundo had come out of the whole thing relatively unscathed and in the events of the day she was certain it was a good thing.
But they'd barely talked once they were both back in the car except for Kimiko to read out the directions she'd found to the Lawson Paper Factory. She wondered what was going through Raimundo's mind and if he was as ok as he claimed to be. What if something had happened to him in the short amount of time they'd been separated? Rai had of course been worried about her, having heard what the boss of the pathetic group announced he was going to do to her. Kimiko was now wondering if that mark around Raimundo's neck, already disappearing and invisible in the current nighttime light unless you knew what to look for, was really from what he'd said.
She saw the doors open and Raimundo walked out with his confident stride, clutching two bags and Kimiko wonder just how much first aid he'd bought. They'd recovered everything, including the money that Vlad and Tubbi had taken when they'd been searched during the captivity.
"What did you buy?" Kimiko asked when Raimundo slid into the driver's seat after dropping the bags in the back seat.
"You'll see," he said as he drove them from where they were in front of the store to the side of the parking lot. "Come on, climb in back," he urged opening his own door. "Come on, there's more room in back." Kimiko sighed and complied, leaving the front seat climbing back. "Let me see you're right arm," he asked as he dumped the contents of one bag out and pulled out a few things.
"Is all this really necessary?" Kimiko asked.
"Yes and when was the last time you had a tetanus shot?" he answered as he poured some liquid onto a folded square of cotton.
"Before college I think," Kimiko answered and then hissed as the liquid stung against her cut. "Why?"
"You should probably get another one once this is all over," Rai simply said as he continued to clean the cut in a variety of ways, making sure there wasn't anything unpleasant stuck out of sight inside.
"You're not very good at this," Kimiko commented through gritted teeth.
"What do you mean?" Rai asked.
"You're making it really hurt, I feel like you're pulling it apart farther," Kimiko said studying the pattern of the fabric on the back of the headrest in front of her in an attempt to distract herself from the pain.
"I'm just making sure there isn't anything in there I need to be worried about," Rai shrugged and smeared some gel over the cut and Kimiko almost sighed at the cooling sensation.
"I just need a band aid," Kimiko comment dryly and Raimundo paused as he placed a square of gauze over the gash.
"Honestly I'd rather have you at a hospital right now," Rai admitted as he took some bandaging tape and wrapped it around Kimiko's arm snuggly, "you could probably due with some stitches."
"I am not going to hospital," Kimiko answered quickly and tried to spin to face him but Raimundo's firm grip on her arm didn't allow that so she settled on turning her head to glare at him. "Get that idea out of your head."
"I said that's where I'd like you be," Rai went on as Kimiko watched him finish up, "but I'm not going to make you. Not that I could make you anyway." He looked up and met her eyes once he was done. "I wish you'd go somewhere safe while I go get your father and my sister. But I know that wont' happen." Kimiko didn't respond for a moment as her intent eyes studied him.
"Raimundo? Are you ok?" she asked concern laced in her voice. Something about the way he was acting had her deeply concerned. Rai didn't answer but busied himself with cleaning up all he'd pulled out, thinking they might need it later. "Rai," Kimiko pressed again and placed a hand over his, "what's going on in your head." Again Raimundo didn't immediately answer but when he finally did look up and meet her eyes they were intense and Kimiko could tell he was on the brink of something, something she decided she had to pull him back from. "Rai," she said almost breathlessly as her free hand went to his face and as soon as it rested on his cheek Raimundo's hand went to cover it.
"I would never have forgiven myself if something happened to you," he said through gritted teeth. "Hell, something did happen to you and I couldn't keep you safe."
"You can't blame yourself for that," Kimiko told him adamantly. "I'm fine, nothing happened."
"But," Rai started to protest but Kimiko cut him off.
"Stop it Raimundo," Kimiko said forcefully and would have carried on but Raimundo moved, gently but quickly shoved her back against the door and hovered over her.
"Understand this Kimiko," he told her in a soft but serious voice, "I'm a man who keeps his promises and I promised that I would die before I let anything happened to you." He stressed the next words when he saw he had her attention completely. "I want to protect you," he said sounding out each word firmly. "That doesn't make you any less of an amazing independent woman who is totally capable of taking care of herself. This is about me, me wanting to keep you safe from idiots like those sorry excuses from humans we were just with. And I failed Kimiko; I don't take failure well at all so you'll have to excuse my bad mood."
Kimiko was wide eyed and speechless by the time that Raimundo was finished with his passionate, impromptu speech. No one had ever spoken that way about her before. She'd had body guards her whole life but Raimundo, a man that she'd known less than twenty four hours, made her feel safer than she'd ever felt in her whole life. And here she'd been hurting him by insisting she was fine when she really wasn't. He could help her; she realized, with the fear welled up in her chest but at the moment it was ignored and all her focus was on him. She leaned up slightly, having slid slightly beneath where he'd originally pinned her, and rested her hands on his shoulder. She let her kiss tell him what she was thinking, how he made her feel safe and protected in a way she didn't know was possible and moments later Raimundo was kissing her back with equal passion. There were promises in both kisses, that Kimiko would let him protect her from the things she'd always just avoided or stowed away because she somehow couldn't handle before but knew now with him she could. Raimundo's kiss promised that unconditional protection, promised that he'd be there to protect her in mind, body, and spirit no matter what. And Kimiko whole heartedly believed him. When the kiss broke Kimiko buried her face against his shoulder and he held her.
"I was scared," she admitted, "but I knew I could handle it because you were only a few feet away." It had felt a million miles away to Raimundo but he let her continue. "I knew I had to get through it and get back to you. I won't lie and say that I'm all ok but we've got a job to do right now." She pushed back and met his eyes with her own determined look. "We need to get my father and Amelia back safe and sound. We need to focus on them more than anything. I'm ok enough to go on." Rai studied her for a moment before kissing her tenderly on the forehead and Kimiko couldn't help but blush.
"I'll be waiting and ready," Raimundo promised and Kimiko nodded in acceptance. "This will all be over soon," Rai said tracing her face with his index finger, "and then…" he let the promise trail off and Kimiko nodded though she didn't know for sure he knew what he was going to say.
"Then lets go finish this," Kimiko said as Raimundo sat back straight.
"Damn right."
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"Chuck you're phone out the window," Raimundo said out of the blue about fifteen minutes after they were back on the road. They were nearly to their destination and Kimiko felt a nervous tingle start at her toes and reach up her whole body.
"Why?" she asked confused.
"That's how Clay found us I think," Rai explained, "and I don't want doing it again." With a sigh Kimiko reluctantly agreed and pulled her SIM car out before chucking the phone out the window off into the woods the grew thick on the side of the road.
"What about yours?" Kimiko asked skeptically when she noticed he made no move to get rid of his.
"Mine's blocked up nice and tight," he assured her. "The only people that can track it are two people in the FBI that knew about me going under and I'm not worried about them." Kimiko made a 'huff' noise and Rai looked apologetic. "Its better this way you know," Rai added.
"Yeah," Kimiko agreed as she searched in her bag for some safe place to put the tiny chip.
"Put it in my wallet," Rai offered and Kimiko did so thinking it was probably safer there than any other place she could think off.
"We should be there soon," Kimiko said after a moment of silence.
"Yeah."
"Any plans?" she asked.
"You haven't realized by now that I wing everything?" Rai asked with a cheeky sort of grin that Kimiko shook her head at. "But in all seriousness I have a few thoughts but we won't know anything until we get there and can scope things out."
"It would be better in the daylight," Kimiko said.
"Yeah, in some ways but they're also at a disadvantage too," Raimundo reasoned.
"Do you think they know we're coming?" Kimiko asked. "Maybe Vlad and Tubbimura tipped them off?"
"I wouldn't put it past them but we can't take chances by not checking it out," Rai said squinting to read a road sign in the dark.
"Agreed, but daylight would still be better."
"Yeah," Rai agreed, "daylight would be better." There was silence again as Raimundo thought of something. "I know you can take care of yourself but take my mace, please," he added when he saw her open her mouth in what he thought would be protest.
"I was going to say ok," Kimiko told him as she reached back into the back seat and scooped the mace up. "I've never used this stuff before," she said inspecting the handheld device. "A girl in my dorm had pepper spray on her key chain and accidentally sprayed herself in the face once. I've kinda been turned off to it since then." Rai fought down a laugh.
"Well I bet you can handle it," Rai assured her. "I saw the number you did on that pig in the office, and I remember how well you fought with your arms bound. You said earlier today that you knew how to take care of yourself, took a few lessons and self defense classes." He looked over at her for a long moment. "What you were doing was a lot more than just a couple of self defense classes. Where did you learn that?" Kimiko looked at the dashboard sheepishly.
"Yeah well," she trailed off before sighing. "Like I told you I had body guards when I was younger?" Rai nodded in affirmation and Kimiko continued. "Well there was one, a man name Guan who had been like a part of the family for as long as I could remember. He was kinda like my personal bodyguard but he was more of a friend than anything. He thought the best way to take care of me was by teaching me to take care of myself. So he trained me in martial arts, how to use my environment to my advantage, stuff like that. So I wasn't technically lying when I said I'd had a few lessons."
"No, I guess you weren't," Rai agreed with a smile. "How did you get your ties off?"
"Letter opener," Kimiko answered, "I wouldn't have wasted time on it but I couldn't get the door open otherwise." Rai nodded.
"Its kinda a relief," Rai told her.
"What is?"
"To know you can defend yourself that way," Rai explained.
"I told you I could," Kimiko said softly looking out the window.
"And I believed you," Rai assured her, "but hearing you say that and seeing it are two completely different things." Kimiko grinned.
"So I'm good huh?"
"Yeah, you're good," Rai admitted with his own grin.
"Better than you?" Kimiko asked.
"I wouldn't go that far," Rai laughed.
"Well one of these days we'll have to spar and figure it out," Kimiko said with a shrug as Raimundo's stomach and mind flipped again, wondering how such simple words could turn him that hot. He looked over at her with careful eyes that made Kimiko turn when she felt them on her. Their eyes locked and Kimiko swallowed hard, relieved when Raimundo put is attention back on the road.
"Yeah, one of these days we will."
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Amelia knew she hadn't been sleeping for very long when Toshiro talking woke her up. Cracking an eye discretely open she saw the goons in black and white towering over the tiny Japanese man who was talking in a hushed voice, standing between the goons and Amelia.
"Come quietly and we won't hurt the girl," the one in white said and a cool panic swept over Amelia.
"I demand to know what is going on," Toshiro insisted.
"You don't get to make commands," the one in black responded and in the blink of an eye Toshiro was unconscious on the floor due to a hit from the man in black.
"Mr. Tohomiko!" Amelia yelled as the man went down. Leaping off the bunk she went to the kind man's aid but was knocked back roughly.
"You're staying," the man in white told her as the black on dragged Toshiro out.
"No!" Amelia screamed at the thought of being separated from the fatherly man. Somehow Amelia managed to duck past the man in white and ran after Mr. Tohomiko but she was very quickly snapped up but someone else. "No! Mr. Tohomiko help! Wake up!" she pleaded as she screamed, kicked, and punched for her freedom to no avail. But her words reached Toshiro who woke up and quickly took in the situation.
"Release me!" Toshiro ordered and thanks to the element of surprise was able to jerk free for a moment before being grabbed again.
"Is there a problem here?" a new voice asked. Amelia recognized him from earlier but apparently Mr. Tohomiko knew who he was.
"Pandabubba," he hissed out the name like venom. "What is going on here, I demand explanations."
"My fine men didn't tell you what was happening?" Pandabubba asked and then gave an annoying, broken up laugh. "If you want to know so badly Mr. Tohomiko I will tell you. You are being relocated, simple as that."
"And the girl?" Toshiro dared to ask.
"She will remain here," Pandabubba shrugged and Amelia let out a scream.
"No! Don't leave me alone!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. Toshiro watched with some horror as he watched Pandabubba give some sort of signal.
"Stop it!" Toshiro shouted loudly and amazingly the goon did. "I will go without trouble. Amelia," he turned his attention to the girl. "Be good and stay strong. I promise things will be ok and this will be over soon." Amelia gave a hiccup but nodded as she fought down tears.
"Good choice," Pandabubba said as Amelia was unceremoniously locked back in the room.
"If one hair on that girl's head is harmed Pandabubba I assure you that I will make you pay tenfold," Toshiro promised as he was dragged out to a waiting car.
"Well you'll never know now will you?" Pandabubba replied though Toshiro couldn't hear him and then gave another annoying laugh.
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Two wrong turns later that cost them a half an hour, Raimundo swearing impressively about the lack of road signs in the hicks, Kimiko and Raimundo turned down the road that Lawson Paper Factory was supposed to be on.
"You ready?" Rai asked as he studied the tree lined dirt road. It seemed only wide enough for one car but was supposedly a back, rarely used rear entrance and Rai was counting on that. It looked like it hadn't been driven on in ages.
"As I'll ever be," Kimiko nodded looking straight ahead. Raimundo glanced at her and then grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. Kimiko grinned over at him and squeezed back. "Let's do this," Kimiko said more confident now. Raimundo nodded in response and pressed lightly on the gas, navigating over the rough road and hoping that their approach wouldn't be heard. Five minutes of silence later the trees broke and gave way to a cleared out area as they pulled up to the back of factory, faded letters declaring in the Lawson Paper Factory. Killing the lights and staying parked in the tree line Raimundo checked his retrieved guns and made sure Kimiko had taken the mace.
"I know you can take care of yourself but still, I'll feel better if you promise me you'll use it if need be," Rai said almost urgently.
"Sure," Kimiko promised slipping it into the pocket of her jeans. "Do you have any ideas?" she asked looking over the back of the building.
"I'm going to go and do a quick sweep of the place, see what we're dealing with," Rai answered getting out of the car, and added when Kimiko reached for her own door handle, "and you're staying here."
"Why?" she asked indignantly.
"Just please sit tight for a minute," Rai pleaded. "I'll be back in ten, fifteen minutes tops. And if I'm not come looking for me. Sound good?" Kimiko nodded reluctantly and Rai grinned thankfully before slipping off into the darkness, and Kimiko had to admit as he disappeared from sight that he was good at the stealth thing because she lost sight of him until he reappeared pressed against the white washed wall of factory. He slipped away out of sight again and Kimiko waited nervously, literally, on the edge of her seat until Raimundo reappeared again suddenly, scaring her to death.
"You do that too well," she told him putting a hand to her heart.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Rai told her and then told her what he'd found. "The place is pretty much cleaned out. There are between half a dozen and a dozen people still in there but no sign of Amelia or your father. But that doesn't mean they aren't there. There were a few doors along the back of the building, this wall," he said pointing at the wall they were facing, "that were all closed. I don't know what's inside them."
"No windows," Kimiko murmured as her eyes scanned the wall. "But what's that?"
"Probably an air duct," Rai said and saw the glimmer in her eyes. "No," he said firmly.
"Then you go," Kimiko urged, "it seems to be the best way to get inside, at least to check things out initially." Rai signed and consented. To keep things as quiet as possibly they threw the car into neutral and rolled the SUV forward to use it as a sort of makeshift latter. Standing on the hood Raimundo was able to pry the grate off the opening and then pulled himself up only to find he couldn't fit in. He landed silently on the hood and glared at her watching him innocently from the ground.
"You planned this somehow," he accused.
"How could I?" Kimiko asked innocently and with a tilt of her head but there was a glimmer in her eye that told Raimundo she guessed all along he wouldn't be able to fit in the air duct but she would be able to. Rai just scowled again as he watched her climbed onto the hood of the car and looked at her oddly when she held her hand out.
"What?"
"I want to see Amelia's pendant," Kimiko told him.
"Why?" Rai asked as he pulled the sterling necklace out of his pocket.
"I've just got a feeling," Kimiko said taking the necklace and tucked it securely in her own pocket, "that I might need it." Rai just shook his head and offered her a boost up to the air duct.
"If you aren't back here in fifteen minutes I swear I'm coming in after you," he promised and Kimiko shook her head.
"I promise I'll be careful," Kimiko promised Raimundo.
"You better be," he warned her as Kimiko put her foot in his cupped hands and grabbed at the opening, pulling herself up. "Be careful," Rai called after her as she began to crawl away. Kimiko took the warning to heart, hoping that this wouldn't end badly, or she wouldn't meet anything creepy and crawling as she moved along. Aware of where she was going and the amount of time she'd been moving Kimiko still moved slowly, trying to be as silent as possible. Coming to a 'T' Kimiko turned left because she was sure that she'd heard something coming from that direction. The noise grew louder and Kimiko peeked cautious through the metal gate that looked down into a room. All of the others had been, empty, silent, and dark. This room was bathed in weak light, dotted with a few pieces of ratty furniture and a muffled sob. Kimiko looked closer and noticed a small form huddled next to the door on the floor across the room from where she observed.
"Amelia," she whispered to herself but suddenly realized that she had idea what the little girl actually looked like. Either way a little girl wasn't supposed to be in a place like this and Kimiko knew she couldn't leave her. Taking a chance Kimiko pushed the metal gate open and stuck her head out and motioned to the girl who gasped in surprised but luckily, for both, she remained silent. With a little difficulty Kimiko pulled back into the vent and then worked her way out, feet first, hanging precariously for a moment before dropping to the cement floor.
"Who, who are you?" Amelia asked.
"You're Amelia aren't you?" Kimiko asked with a smile, trying not to frighten her any.
"Who are you?" Amelia repeated.
"A friend of your brother," Kimiko answered and pulled out the necklace she'd stowed away.
"That's my necklace," Amelia said her eyes locking on the metal pendant.
"Yes," Kimiko said offering it to her, "the men who took you sent it to me and your brother as proof that they had you." Amelia hesitated and then took the necklace hooking it around her neck. "Your brother is waiting outside," Kimiko went on, "so we need to get you out of here."
"Why didn't he come?" Amelia asked suspiciously.
"He couldn't fit in," Kimiko said pointing back at the air duct she'd crawled through. Amelia blinked, apparently considering something, and then her eyes widened.
"You're Mr. Tohomiko's daughter!" she realized with a gasp.
"My father is here?" Kimiko asked her breath catching in her throat.
"Was," Amelia said earnestly. "They took him away a little while ago. I'm worried about him."
"Me too," Kimiko agreed looking at the only door out and then back at the metal air system she'd crawled through. "But right now we need to get you out of here."
"How?" Amelia asked.
"Same way I came in," Kimiko answered. "Come on, I'll give you a boost. Once you get in go to the right, and then the first chance you get, take another right. Go as far as you can and that will lead you out. Raimundo will be waiting." Amelia nodded silently and Kimiko could tell she was nervous and desperately trying to hide it. "It'll be ok," Kimiko tried to reassure her and laid a gentle hand on the girl who still hadn't moved from the spot Kimiko had found her in. To her surprise Amelia wrapped her arms around Kimiko's waist. Kimiko gave the girl a hug back with one last reassuring squeeze before pulling back. "Come on," Kimiko smiled at the young girl. "Let's get you to your brother and get you home."
Amelia nodded adamantly and followed Kimiko back underneath the air duct. Realizing that she wouldn't be able to get Amelia up by herself Kimiko picked up the flimsy card table and used it as a boost and managed to get Amelia up and in and knew that she wouldn't be able to follow.
"Go Amelia," Kimiko urged, "don't wait for me."
"But," Amelia protested but Kimiko cut her off.
"Get to your brother," Kimiko order and Amelia seemed to understand, nodding and then disappearing off into the darkness. Kimiko waited until she could no longer hear Amelia crawling before she got off the table that was threatening to buckle underneath her. There was only was out and that was through the door that held God only knew what on the other side. Raimundo had painted only a vague picture. Trying to collect her thoughts Kimiko almost missed the noise of someone approaching from the other side of the door. Quickly she ducked to the side of the door cast in shadows, deep in the corner. She saw the shadows of at least two men stream in and decided not to give them any sort of advantage. Kicking out Kimiko's foot connected with the door and slammed it back in the faces the two men standing in the doorway. She then spun around into the doorway, intent on knocking them down, if they weren't already. The two, in matching black and white suites were already in a heap on the floor so Kimiko simply leaped over them, sprinting across the factory floor toward the open entrance and had nearly made it there when the remaining people became aware of what was happening.
Kimiko supposed that it should bother her that gun fire didn't' seem to faze her anymore as she dove for cover behind a pile of wooden crates stacked near the entrance of where she guessed trucks would drive in. She'd been heading for the open door but was now stuck, at least until the gun shots stopped. Her attention was diverted from the gunshots when a short of mechanical groan filled the air and the door, her only exit, began to grind close. Taking her chances Kimiko dove for the rapidly closing door and roll underneath it before it slammed shut. Breathing heavily Kimiko pushed herself up, knowing she didn't have time to waste but didn't make it a single step before she was knocked roughly down again.
"Going somewhere Ms. Tohomiko?" an annoying voice asked and Kimiko looked up at a somewhat familiar face holding a gun at her. She figured she wouldn't be able to forget the bear like face the man in front of her possessed. Glaring Kimiko started to discretely reach for the mace in her pocket when she was suddenly pulled up and restrained. The two men she'd kicked the door in on were holding her, both sporting bloody noses and didn't seem pleased at all to see her. Realization suddenly dawn on Kimiko.
"You're Pandabubba?" she said mostly to herself. He was a well known Hong Kong crime boss that had to be one of the most sought after criminals in Asia.
"I see my reputation precedes me," Pandabubba said with a flourish.
"The only thing I know about you is that you look like a circus, man-bear, freak show reject that's supposed to be passing himself off as a crime boss. I'm just guessing that since you look like a mutant panda that you must be him, otherwise you wouldn't be so ugly voluntarily," Kimiko snapped back earning a chuckle from the goons holding her but they silence quickly under glares from the boss.
"I would not be laughing so if I were you Ms. Tohomiko," he said icily, "your fate is in my hands."
"Is it?" Kimiko asked sweetly. "Maybe this is all a part of some elaborate plan I have to lull you into a false sense of security."
"Highly unlikely," Pandabubba responded waving the gun carelessly at her. "Take her inside. I must call Mr. Young, he'll be quiet pleased to know we have Ms. Tohomiko back in, safe, hands." Kimiko glared as she was dragged back into the factory and Pandabubba's words really sunk in.
"Young?" she whispered in disbelief. "Chase Young?"
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There will be another new chapter out very soon if all goes according to plan so please read and review. I love hearing from you guys. I'll also be putting out the sequel to "Ever the Same" very soon, hopefully the first chapter will be up this weekend.