Chapter 19
Alive and unharmed
The room was dark. It was an eerie, sort of controlled blackness. There was a long, light grey table in the center. A single overhead light, hanging low from the ceiling, was shining above it. The lamp illuminated one circular spot of the stone top, the edges of its ray's expanse swallowed by shadows. Despite the cold outside as Republic City transitioned into winter, the dungeonesque area was warm.
They sat in silence, each of their minds focused on the task at hand. One held absolute control while the other had weak spots filled with trepidation.
"I trust you know why I'm here. You've done well with orchestrating and executing the prison break. Now, I have a new task for you. A much more important task." A man's voice echoed against the empty stone walls. The scraping sounds of a small piece of paper being removed from a sleeve of some sort were a faint follow up. "I need you to find someone for me." He slid a yellow, red, and black cuffed hand across the table, a photograph under his fingers. "I assume you have seen her before."
A black gloved palm reached into the light and retrieved the picture. The paper disappeared into the blackness and lifted from the surface. "You want me to locate Asami Sato?" A woman replied, a bit of confusion in her tone.
"Yes." Though she couldn't see it, the man folded his arms over his chest. "I need you to find her."
"May I ask why, sir?"
"I've come to believe that she's in danger in her current situation. I will be offering a reward to whoever can bring her back to the City, alive and unharmed."
"So, you've told others." It wasn't a question. The woman tossed the photo onto the table and leaned back into her chair, still hidden from sight.
"No, I haven't. Not yet, at least. I do intend on making this offer public."
"Why tell us in private, then?"
"Because I trust you. Your training is superb and you've risen through the ranks with ease. You're the best operative here; that's why I've made you the highest in the chain of command – other than myself. I know you'll get the job done the way it needs to be done, the way I want it done."
Her face scrunched in determination; nothing could stop her if she had a damn thing to say about it. She examined the picture again and traced the edges with her fingers. "Do you have any leads?"
"You tell me."
"Of course, sir." She adjusted herself in the chair and crossed one leg over the other. "The reports first spotted her at the shoreline of the western docks about two days ago, travelling with two Water Benders and a polar bear dog."
He sat back in his chair and adjusted his hidden collar. "Continue," he replied, well aware of whom Asami was roaming with; it was one of his main reasons for concern.
"She was seen next at the police station. She and the Water Benders joined Lin Beifong and saved Zhang, a Metal Bending police officer on the Cabbage Corp. Bridge and one of the targets in a recent attack. They were unsuccessful in saving Lee, though."
"Yes, I heard about that incident. An unusual failure on Warship's part to neutralize the Benders."
"I don't believe he was expecting the Water Benders."
"Is that why he attacked them?"
She raised an unseen eyebrow. "So, you know about that." Her statement was laced with a subtle disbelief; usually, information goes to him through her, not around her.
"Is it that shocking to you? It's no surprise to me, really. The man hates Water Benders more than anything. He takes pleasure in killing them and anyone from the Tribes. Makes a hobby out of it. It's not hard to put two and two together, considering you were short men for the prison raid and half the guard was missing at the docks." He squirmed in his chair, attempting to control his anger. "While I don't necessarily approve of his actions, he did open up an opportunity to strike. But tell me, did he lay a hand on Asami? A single finger?"
"From what I heard, no. Technically. But his entire mission –"
"Mission? That was no mission. It was a misuse of his power and influence on others and a direct disregard to your previous orders." He shifted in his seat, arms folded across the rests. "Now, explain to me the 'technically' portion of this matter."
She wasted no time in ousting Warship. "He struck her with his baton, the one you gave him."
He growled under his breath and clenched his fists.
"I told him that the group was off limits because Asami was with them –"
"Clearly, he didn't give a single damn about what you had to say."
She frowned in anger, though it went unseen.
"I'm assuming he was not successful in killing the Water Benders?"
"No, he wasn't. I plan on removing him from the organization for disobedience and endangering several lives of our comrades."
He held up an invisible hand. "That's not your decision to make. I've already had you execute several of our own for their defiance concerning the police, but only by my command. No. Don't kill him just yet. You'll need him." He rested his arms on the table but remained out of sight. "As much as you two might dislike each other, he's a seasoned fighter with a real passion for killing Water Benders. Passion leads to knowledge. Knowledge leads to expertise. If anyone is going to know how to beat them, it's him."
"What is your proposal?"
"A boat of mine has gone missing, undoubtedly not unrelated. The reports that I have heard tell me that it's heading south. Now," he leaned back and rested his ankle on the opposing knee, "where do you think it could be heading, if it's full of two Water Benders and a tamed polar bear dog?"
"The Southern Water Tribe."
"Exactly. I'd be in a state of shock if the Water Benders were capable of stealing the ship on their own. It would take a good electrician to rig the controls."
"Or a good engineer."
"Exactly. Now, I don't know why Asami is working with them – though I do have my theories – but I want her found and returned, alive and unharmed."
"After Warship's mishap, do you really think she's just going to go willingly with us?"
He crossed his arms, one of his hands holding his chin in the shadows. "Then give her a reason to surrender. Threaten the safety of the Tribe and the girl."
"The Chief's child?"
"Yes. She's your bargaining chip. Asami cares for her, so hurt her; make it so that the only way she can save her little friend is by leaving, forever."
"What of the Water Benders?"
He flicked his hand upwards. "I couldn't care less what you do with them. Kill the unimportant ones, capture any we can use to advance our position, or kill them all. All I want is Asami. And ensure that Warship stays away from her. If I hear that he lays a single hand on her, I will slit his throat myself."
"Do you not feel that some sort of punishment is in order? For his betrayal?"
"Of course there is. No one touches Asami in a violent way and lives to tell about it. This mission is his reprimand. It's his trial. Should he return with Asami unharmed, he will be allowed forgiveness and to keep his life. He'll be a vital instrument for you to use in planning and executing this mission; I have no doubt that he's studied up on the Water Tribes, especially the Southern Water Tribe. But the only circumstance in which he is to return alive is if you have delivered Asami to me. Otherwise, he can perish with the rest of the Water Benders." He placed his hidden hands on the arm rests of his chair. "I do not tolerate insubordination."
"Yes, sir." She rose from her spot and stepped forward, the faint green glow of her eyes coming into view. "How many Strikers should I bring?"
"Not all of them, that's for sure; we don't want to eradicate our organization on a single assignment. Take as many as you see fit. Consult Warship on the matter. I would suggest that this remain as secret and stealthy an operation as possible. The Water Benders are in their natural environment. It will not be an easy fight. I will not supply you with a ship or any further assistance; it would be much too risky, should Asami recognize anything that looks familiar. Use the technology you already have. I believe Warship has a supply of chemical explosives that he made that you can bring with you, should you choose to use them. Spear appears to be knowledgeable on the matter as well. Your only instructions from me are to return Asami safe to me – without her knowing about my involvement with you – to claim your reward. No other ties should be revealed to anyone, especially Asami. Kill anyone who threatens to do so."
She nodded, though there was turmoil within her.
An awkward silence fell between them.
He was the first to speak. "I haven't heard from her in three days, Ruby." He leaned forward until a small amount of light illuminated his face. His dark grey mustache, which extended down the front of his cheeks to the underside of his chin, and his gold rimmed glasses were the only color on his somewhat-pale skin. "It's not like her to just disappear without contact." His deep red eyes burned with a mixture of worry and ire. "I don't like whatever sort of relationship she has with these Water Benders. I want it to end. Find her and bring her back to me – alive and unharmed."
She took a step and paused, contemplating her question. "Sir, wouldn't it be easier to just write to her? Tell her that you're concerned for her safety and that you're worried about her? Or file a police report?"
"And what if the Benders don't allow her to see the letter? What if they read it and decide to hold her hostage as a means to gain wealth? They aren't exactly the richest Nation, that's for sure. As for the police: they're busy enough dealing with those Triads and your eliminations. Besides, what good would a Republic City police force be for this situation if Asami and the rest aren't in Republic City?"
She hesitated. "You could always just give the Southern Water Tribe the reward money in exchange for Asami. You don't have to attack the Southern Water Tribe. You could spare them. Besides, what business do we even have in the Southern Water Tribe? Aren't we supposed to be helping people here, in Republic City?"
He paused for a moment to consider her. "Giving the Southern Water Tribe the reward money? No, that wouldn't work. She would hate me for that, think that I'm trying to control her. Plus, doing so would reveal that I know of her location. She's to believe that I am under the impression that she's missing, hence the purpose of the reward I am offering. And when it comes to Asami, no place is too far or off limits. She is important to me, and I won't have her under the hands of these Benders if I can do anything about it. So no, I won't give them any ransom money or reward."
"But if she's being held against her will – unless you believe she's there by choice and would refuse to leave because she's choosing the Water Benders over you…"
"It's not the Water Benders winning her over that I'm concerned about."
"Is it the girl?"
He closed his eyes and gave a single nod. "I've seen the way she looks at her. And ever since she's met this Water Tribe woman, she's been in danger. She tried to hide it from me, but I know something isn't right. I want Asami back where she belongs, where she's safe. By assuming that I don't know where she is and simply putting a reward up for her safe return after not hearing from her for three days and filing a police report for a missing person, it will feign my ignorance and lack of involvement. The means by which you choose to go about this are yours and yours alone, as in they belong to the Strikers, not myself. She'll believe that you took up the opportunity because of what she thinks you are: cold-blooded killers. And if you show her that you are, give her only the choice to surrender or watch her friends perish, then it's a bit more believable, isn't it?"
Ruby blinked several times, putting the pieces together in her mind. "You certainly know how to deceive and cover your tracks, don't you?"
"I am the leader of this organization, aren't I?"
"Yes, sir."
"I will tell you now that it wasn't by luck."
"And how will this convince Asami to join you and the Strikers after this? Isn't killing her friends a bit of a – deterrent?"
He leaned back into his chair, hiding his face once more. "She'll come around once she sees what we really do. But now is not the time to reveal such things. As of right now, her recruitment is not your concern. Your top priority is her safety. I want her brought back to me, alive and unharmed."
"I will do everything in my power to fulfill your wishes –"
"That's not acceptable. You will return with her, or you'll not return at all. Understood?"
"Sir –"
"Understood?"
Ruby inhaled, anxiety riddling her; this was the first time she had ever felt doubt in her ability to succeed in one of her missions with the Strikers. "Understood, Mr. Sato."
He rose from his position and adjusted his collar. "I'll expect to hear of your departure within the next day. It will take several to get to the Southern Water Tribe. Plan wisely."
She nodded and bowed to her leader before exiting the dark, stone room, lost in nervous and hesitant thought.
Hiroshi crossed the table once the door was shut and retrieved the picture of his daughter. He examined it in the light before holding it up to his chest.
Asami.
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