Chapter 18

Unorthodox

"(You need the Master CD?)" Ritsuko asks quizzically.

"Yes, it's imperative that we get this going!"

Ever since the end of the interview, Jordan has been anxious to get moving. Longer did it take than he expected, and to make up for lost time he now wanted everything twice as fast and without question.

As a matter of precaution, and because previous sabotage from 961 warranted, a Master CD was to be on-person of the manager at all times. This was likely true with every music production company. If Jordan knew this or not was unknown, but by all rights he looks as if he wants the disk right now.

"(Why do you need it?)" she was still a bit sour over the Cat Lady comment.

"Look, this is why I'm sticking with you guys. It's already afternoon and we only have a couple more hours of daylight left. My next couple plans are very time-sensitive, so I need your full cooperation. That means I don't have the time to explain every single thing. I need the Master CD, and the girls to pick one of their costumes."

Obviously something felt off. Their next scheduled event was handing out fliers on The Strip. Already were they going to change into their costumes, but by Jordan's explanation they were going to do something else. So what was it? He explained his lack of explanation due to lack of time, but that didn't seem to be the issue. So why was he hiding it?

"(Okay,)" she hesitantly agrees.

Iori kept silent as she watched their exchange, but she couldn't bring herself to get too involved. Something else was plaguing her mind. Back at the interview, just as everything was wrapping up and they were leaving, Michelle asked Jordan, "Have we met before?" Did she not recognize him without the beard, or was this mistaken identity? Jordan denied that they had, but who knew if this was the truth. Michelle was a professional journalist and must have met a multitude of stars, so it was unlikely that she was someone who forgot a face. But Jordan didn't seem to be lying. So what was throwing Iori off-kilter?

"Iori," came the concerned voice of Azusa, "(what's wrong?)"

Since she herself didn't know how to explain it, all she could say is, "(Nothing.)"

"Alright," Jordan said after the CD was in his possession. "Ritsuko, I'm going to need you to drive. There are a few things I need to set up. I want you to take us to-" and he gave her a destination.

"(Okay?)" it was easy to tell that Ritsuko was confused.

When they got into the big SUV, Jordan joined the idols in the rear. Ami and Azusa were startled at first, but didn't throw an objection. As they were pulling out of the magazine parking lot, Jordan was already pulling his laptop out of his backpack and turning it on. Also did he retrieve a external disk reader. Plugging the two together, he inserted the Master CD and began to work. Naturally the girls huddled over him to try and see what he was doing. Because they've seen it themselves time and again, they knew he was working with an audio mixing program, but that was about it.

"(What is oniichan doing?)" Ami asks.

"(I'm not sure,)" Iori replies.

Azusa was to the left of him, Iori to the right, and Ami from behind. Jordan was surrounded by beautiful women on all sides and his sights were squarely glued on his computer monitor. From Iori's position it looked like Azusa was trying to nudge in especially close, but the man was oblivious to it all. At least she might have been trying to get close, until looking at the screen while inside a moving vehicle made her sick. Quickly did she turn to face the widow.

Iori sat back in her chair and nestles Usa-chan in her lap. By stroking the doll's head it helped comfort herself a tiny bit. Something really was bothering her. Was it that moment between Jordan and Michelle, or something else? Could she have missed anything, something that she should have noticed but didn't? Or was this some kind of premonition that these next turn of events were going to be critical?

Looking around she saw Azusa focused on the view outside the window, Ritsuko busy driving, Richie looking somewhat tired and bored, and Ami hanging over the seat to watch Jordan. Everything seemed normal. So why this foreboding?

While working on his laptop, Jordan crosses his legs to sit more comfortably. His left leg sits above his right knee, and his big black boots are a few centimeters from Iori.

"Boots?" Iori unconsciously says. Now that she thinks about it, she never once looked at Jordan's feet.

Ritsuko, who was paying extra close attention to what was going on behind her as much as the road, asks Richie, "(What did she say?)"

"(Boots,)" he answers.

After maybe 20 minutes, Jordan reaches for his cellphone and dials a number.

"Hello? It's Jordan Huntsman, we spoke earlier. We're going to be at Bally's in about half an hour. Can you make it? Yeah, cool. Try not to miss us." And hangs up.

Everyone's attention was on Jordan, but he shirks it off like it was nothing. For now his preparations seem to be complete, so he leans back and takes a breath. In a moment he powers down his laptop and puts it back in his bag. Putting the Master CD back in it's case, he hands it towards the front of the vehicle.

"You can have it back now," he tells the driver.

After hearing the translation from Richie, "(You better not have made a copy of it.)"

"That's exactly what I did."

Aghast, Ritsuko didn't know how to respond. Merely was she being fickle, as she didn't want copies of her idol's songs to be pirated over the internet (not that she had any power to stop it), but never did she think he'd actually do it. Even more so admit to his crime. Actually, however, she didn't believe he would. For a moment she was mad at herself for not giving him the benefit of a doubt, but she knew he wasn't the kind of guy to steal their music. Even so flagrantly. He copied the CD to have it on his laptop. What he planned to do next wouldn't be dishonest.

"Who did you call?" Iori asks, knowing before Ritsuko that he wouldn't steal.

He opens his mouth to speak, but then closes it. His face cringes as if he's having trouble thinking of how to explain. After a moment he says, "The smut press."

About ten minutes later they're in front of the hotel, and Jordan directs them to some alley leading towards the loading dock.

"Park here."

This was a seedy looking place, but as it was still broad daylight there wasn't much cause for concern. Jordan heads for the door and lets himself out. The girl can only sit and wait as they don't know what's going on.

"Okay," he tells them through Richie's translation, "those fliers that you were going to hand out, get them ready. Also, change into one of your flashy stage costumes. We're going to need them. I'll be back in ten minutes, so I want everything prepared."

As he slides the door closed, "Wait!" Iori shouts.

Sticking his head back in with a questioning glare.

"I'm going with you!"

"Excuse me? I need you to get ready."

"It'll just take me a second to get changed!"

Iori wasn't sure why, but she felt she couldn't let him out of her sight. Or maybe, she couldn't stand not being in his presence. Something was scaring her, and she felt that if she left his side this creeping feeling might gobble her whole.

After insisting that be translated, Ritsuko says, "(Iori, you should just let him go. He'll be back in a minute.)"

Jordan didn't hear the translation, but he figures, "Sure, I guess so. Just, come on, we got to hurry." And as he steps away from the SUV, "I swear she's like a puppy."

Iori flies out of her outfit and into a pink and white glittery costume. Mainly it consists of a tight pair of pants, and a midriff exposing, sleeveless hoddie. There were accessories, but she left them behind. A little over 30 seconds passed.

"Ready!" and she was out of the vehicle.

Jordan and Richie were standing in front of the SUV facing the street (so they couldn't see the girls changing), and when he was joined by Iori he waved the translator "bye" and took off again with his original companion.

Their destination was obvious, as they were heading towards the main traffic flow of The Strip, but there was still a distance to walk. In that time there was something Iori wanted to say, but she didn't know what. Maybe it wasn't a want as much as it was a need.

"Just like old times," he says, breaking her out of her nervousness. "Me leading you and you following dutifully behind. This is the first time we've been alone since we got you back to your friends."

Now that he said it, he was right. This was the first time Jordan and Iori had been alone since Ryuuguu Komachi had been reunited. Only one day ago, yet it seemed much longer.

"You're right. Things have been going at a hundred kilometers an hour that it's hard to feel that it wasn't long ago."

"You are," and he pauses, hesitates, "glad that you found your friends, right? I can't imagine you had that much fun following an old man around."

"You're not that old!"

"You thought I was a grandpa!"

"I-" and Iori bit her tongue. "Ow!"

"Heh, that's what you get! But, you don't need to say anything, I think I know what you mean. It's been fun for me too, but it can only go on for so much longer. In a little over 24 hours, you'll go on that stage and all our hard work will be staring you right in the face. A packed concert hall with thousands of newly drafted fans all cheering for you. Or at least that's the plan."

It was fun, and still is. Not everyone might be having as much fun as her, but there's something to be said about how he can lighten the mood simply by being there. Ami certainly seemed to brighten considerably, and even Azusa is attracted to him in one way or another. Ritsuko would come around most certainly. Everything was going smoothly, so why did it feel so fragile?

"Do you really think we can sell out the concert?"

"It won't be easy," Jordan puts it honestly. "The key is to draw attention, start rumors, and put your guys' faces out there. The people who live here in Las Vegas have seen just about everything. If we want them to come out to see us, we need to show them something new. Well, show them something new and win them over with your charming personality."

And he was insinuating she hadn't one? "Ha! Cute and charming Iori has only to give a slight bow and the masses will certainly recognize her regal elegance! That will be a piece of cake!"

Jordan snorts, halfway humored and halfway condescending, "Well, that's what we're betting on. Then again, if you weren't you'd never had made it to Vegas."

"It was a matter of inevitability."

Oh-so-matter-of-factly she placed her hands on her hips and sticks out her chest.

They arrive at the main sidewalk and are welcomed by hundreds of pedestrian shuffling to their next location. Somewhat does this remind Iori of Tokyo, but in Japan those busy crosswalks are filled with people who march with the near-lifeless drive to make it to work. Here is much more relaxed. People of all ethnicity are taking their time, seeing the sights, talking and enjoying the company of their companions. There are couples, families, large groups, and the occasional single all heading this way and that. Before Iori wondered how the two of them looked to others, but now with his beard shaved and profile cleaned, how would they look now? Iori stopped before she got too far ahead of herself.

This street was immediately familiar. Directly ahead was the casino with the massive fountain, to the right was the Roman Forum, and to the left a mockup of the Eiffel Tower. She hadn't been there yet, and hoped she had the time.

"What are we doing back here?"

"Well, from what I can tell this is the busiest intersection of Vegas, so it's not a bad place for a PR stunt. Anyway, it's best to start with what's familiar."

Leading the way, they climbed the steps up the bridge and crossed the street, once again briefly entering the hotel in the same manner as yesterday. They turned a corner and made it to the bridge leading to the Roman hotel. Outside of the normal masses walking to and fro, there was a brown-skinned man sitting on the floor next to an ice chest.

Retrieving money from his wallet, Jordan hands him $20 and says, "Dos aguas para mí y la niña, por favor."

At first Iori didn't know what he said, but the words came as incredibly familiar. It took a second, but she realized he was speaking Spanish, one of the many languages she understands.

"(Here you go,)" the man responds, handing them two bottle waters.

In the next moment he shuffles around for their change, but Jordan waves it off.

"(Keep it. I want to ask you a few questions.)"

"(You a cop?)"

"(No, but that's what I want to ask you about. It's illegal to sell up here without a permit or license, right? What do you do when they come around?)"

"(They fine us about a hundred bucks, but they can only fine us once a day. After that they have to leave us alone.)"

"(What about casino security?)"

"(The bridge is public property, they can't do nothin.)"

Jordan rubs his now hairless chin as he thinks. "(I've seen you guys before, pulling out of that van at the bus stop, you guys move like SWAT. Why do you keep moving around?)"

"(We don't just work this corner, but a bunch of them. $100 is still a lot of money, and we might not make a profit if we get caught too often. So we move around.)"

"(How do you know when to move?)"

"(The cops here are lazy. They move like clockwork. We can time it, about 10 minutes here or there, and we know they're close. On the busier weekends, we'll have a lookout.)"

"(Do you have a lookout right now?)"

"(Normally we don't on a Thursday, but it's the Marine's birthday, so there's a lot of extra traffic around. This is like a holiday for us. We got people all throughout The Strip. I don't think we need them, though. This crowd isn't rowdy so their isn't a lot more cops than normal.)"

"(Can you keep an eye out for us too?)"

"(Yeah, I guess. What are you going to be doing?)"

Jordan stands up and points to the hotel across the street, "(We're going to be dancing and singing over there.)"

The man leans over and looks, "(Yeah, I see, like those costume guys. But nobody really bothers them. I don't think you need us.)"

Chuckling, "(Oh, we're going to be causing one heck of a ruckus. I'm sure we'll draw a lot of attention to ourselves, and we don't want them asking us any questions.)"

"(Yeah, I see. Give me your cellphone number; we tell each other by text. I'll let you know when they're getting close. You'll have about three minutes to move.)"

After doing as he was instructed, "Muchas gracias. Adiós."

What was Iori supposed to do at this moment? Clearly he wouldn't know she spoke Spanish, and least of all understood the entire conversation. Was he planning on doing something dangerous or illegal? Was that why he was keeping everything hush-hush? Knowing that much, how was Iori supposed to respond?

"Come on Iori," Jordan was already a few steps ahead of her.

She had to do something, else he would become suspicious, "Wow, what were talking about with that nice man?"

Jordan hands her a water, "I was asking him where I could sell a little Japanese girl into the Slave Market."

Iori's expression at the moment was a mixture of confusion, surprise, panic, and understanding. He was lying, outrageously so, but he did so to make light of the shady conversation that was taking place. It was a joke to ease her nerves.

"Oh, funny. Ha ha."

Jordan stops walking, allowing the girl to run into him. Iori backs away in shock, rubbing her face in slight discomfort. The look on his face is accusing.

"That wasn't the response you were supposed to make."

Sighing, he opens the heavy door into the casino.

"I saw you, you were following our conversation. You speak Spanish, don't you?"

Iori went red from ear-to-ear as if she'd just walked in on her parents arguing over a lipstick mark on her dad's collar. It wasn't her intention to overhear anything, but she couldn't turn her brain off to not understand something she normally could.

"It's alright I guess," Jordan surrenders. "You at least understand why I'm doing this, right?"

There was no mention of her being in trouble, but Iori still felt guilty, "I think so. You want to give us as much publicity as possible."

"That's right. With our constraint on time, we can't exactly do everything by the book. I didn't think you'd have a problem if I out and told you, but I'm worried about Ritsuko."

"Ritsuko?"

"Yeah, she's wound up so tight, she'd start a fire if she sat down. If I gave her too much time to think about what I planning, she'd flip. We can't have that in this stage of the game now."

Iori understood. Ritsuko has had it out for Jordan the moment those two met. Knowing that they were unknowingly being led into a crime wasn't good reconciliation. A smart girl, she'd eventually figure it out, but better so after the fact.

As she's led back out to the bridge, "What have I gotten myself into?" she whines to herself.