Authors note: Finally, another chapter! Hope whoever is reading this will like it!

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Angel yao: Thank you so much for leaving another review, it really means a lot. I hope you´ll like this chapter as well, and I am delighted to hear that you are liking this so far. If you have any ideas or suggestions do not hesitate to present them :)


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When the sea turns crimson

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Chapter 7

-June 2012, present time-

I studied the computer screen with grim satisfaction, ignoring a small stab of guilt when Max Tate slammed the front door, leaving Mr and Mrs Tate looking rather star struck in the kitchen. He had just told them about his decision to quit Harvard, and as expected they had not taken it well. With a sigh Thomas Tate quickly grabbed his things and hurried outside after Max. Not that I blamed him for escaping Dr. Tate. She was furious, no doubt because of the exposed affair. I smirked, pure glee rolling of me in waves.

There was only one more thing I had to do, and then Judy Tate´s life would be in ruins. Just like she had taken everything I ever cared about from me, I would do the same to her, only in a much more sinister manner. I caught Kenny´s sardonic smile from the corner of eyes, and with a scowl I turned to look pointedly at him.

He was far from forgiven after the Tyson incident at the party two days ago, and I still hadn´t decided on a fitting punishment. This being mainly because Tyson was still here, to my growing frustration. He was currently staying with Kenny, much due to Hillary´s more frequent presence at the beach house, and I was unsure exactly what to do about him. After getting him undetected out of Voltaire Hiwatari´s mansion I had been occupied with Hillary, and today was the first time I had seen him since the incident.

"Pleased?" Kenny wondered, grinning.

He was obviously proud of his hacker skills, which I would admit that I found very useful. As of today we had eyes on most of the individuals on my list, mainly because Kenny had hacked into their security systems.

"How long are you planning on staying?" I asked Tyson, leaning back in the sofa, closing the computer.

He shrugged, looking at me with admiration from where he was sitting in one of Kenny´s designer chairs opposite me. We were currently at Kenny´s summer residence, a grand yet minimalistic place built from glass and steel and located in a steep slope which made for a magnificent view. Everything considered Tyson looked much better than he had done two days ago; at least now he was clean, and Kenny had gotten him some proper clothes.

"Well", he mumbled uncomfortably, reverting his eyes elsewhere while uncomfortably shuffling his feet.

"About that…".

I suppressed a flare of intense irritation. Of course, I knew what was coming. How could I not?

"I don´t really have a place to stay".

He looked hopefully at me, awkwardly biting his lip. It was incredibly tempting to say something inconsiderate, but I knew from experience that if I intentionally hurt him when he was desperate it would only cause unnecessary complications.

"You can stay with Kenny", I said, smirking wolfishly.

Kenny looked at me.

"Punishment?" He wondered.

"You said you´d do anything for me", I responded easily, flashing him a content smile.

He shook his head, before looking at Tyson.

"Yeah, I suppose I did".

Tyson seemed to think that this new development was almost to good to be true, and beamed at me. Sometimes his behaviour reminded me about an over enthusiastic church goer who thought I was Jesus Christ, or someone equally important. Unfortunately for Tyson I was pretty much as far from Jesus as one could get.

"Kai, you really are the best, and thank you Kenny, thank you!"

Kenny was rewarded with a bone crushing hug, while one look from me made it clear that they both better keep their distance.

"While you are here, do not use your last name", I said, eager to put an end to the emotional gibberish.

"Your name is Kai, no last name. You are a friend of Kenny´s".

Tyson nodded vigorously.

"No stealing, no acting out of place….", I paused, considering.

"And try to stay away from the Hiwatari´s".

He looked expectantly at me, like he was waiting for me to say something more, and when I didn´t he stood up.

"I want to help you", he said, looking first at me, then at Kenny.

"Just tell me what you need and I´ll do it. Those bastards deserve what is coming anyway! And, it is not like I have anything better to do".

Kenny sent me a questioning look. This was exactly what I didn´t want. Tyson being her was a complication in itself; I didn´t want him involved, preferably not at all. Then again he did have a valid point. What else was there for him to do while here? Perhaps if I gave him something to do he would be too busy to get into trouble. It struck me that whatever I chose to do about him he would always represent a risk, so why not utilize him while he was willing.

"You can work with Kenny", I said, smirking at said persons comical expression.

"Kai, come on…"

I stared frostily at him.

"Hey! I can be a great spy!" Tyson insisted, looking offended.

I stood, stretching leisurely before walking out on the patio, leaving the two of them to work things out on their own. Hillary had texted me, asking if I was still accompanying her to the charity event tomorrow. Sure thing little Hillary, I´ll come. Actually I have great plans for your event. Correction; Judy Tate´s event. It was her annual charity lunch; arranged every summer under the pretence of collecting funds to support children with psychiatric problems. Most of the Hamptons elite were attending, many of whom were her patients, which was exactly why I had agreed to be Hillary´s date.

It was getting dark, and I checked my watch, before turning to stalk inside. Kenny and Tyson had opened the computer again, busy following Judy Tate´s movements around the house. She was currently applying some makeup, struggling to get the red lip stick exactly right, before quickly grabbing her coat and purse, taking some time deciding what car to drive.

In the end she settled on the silver Mercedes, and moments later she was out, starting the car and disappearing around the corner. She was going to dinner with a couple of girlfriends, probably to try and contain Thomas Tate´s indiscretions. Perfect timing! The only thing I had no control over was Thomas Tate himself, who was most likely working late.

"You ready?" Kenny wondered, watching as Tyson respectfully handed me a rectangular wooden box.

I just looked at him.

"Of course, of course you are", he mumbled sheepishly.

With swift, easy movements I opened the metal clasps on the box, pausing to admire the object inside. It was a gift from Kinomiya Ryu, one I valued almost above all else. I lifted the katana carefully from the sheet of deep blue silk it was resting on, enjoying the feel of the darkly lacquered scabbard underneath my fingers. The balance was perfect, distribution of weight just right, and it was razor sharp. A leather strap was expertly attached to both ends of the saya, and I threw it over one shoulder, an eerie calm settling in my mind as I felt the familiar weight against my back.

Good. I was ready. Dressed in dark jeans and t-shirt, black leather jacket and with a switchblade in one pocket I felt almost eager to get going. Judy Tate wouldn´t realize what had hit her.

"Okay, coast is clear", Kenny chirped.

And, moments later I was on my way.

I drove the Porsche, parking at a local beach and walking the last hundred meters up to Judy Tate´s upscale Hamptons home. It was newly renovated, built in old Victorian style, with loads of gleaming wooden surfaces and hand made furniture. This was the first time I was here in person, and I had to admit that it looked better in real life than on the grainy footage of their security cameras. I approached guardedly, jumping the fence and wide hedge in one agile leap. Instead of turning the cameras off Kenny was merely deleting the footage with me in it, replacing it with that from a week before.

"Alarm is off", Tyson declared, his voice booming in my left ear.

With an irritated growl I adjusted my ear-piece, before putting on a pair of thin, black gloves.

"Tyson! Lower your voice", Kenny insisted somewhere in the background.

"This is sensitive equipment!"

With practised ease I retrieved my switch blade from a pocket, carefully sliding it in between the window and the wall. One easy flick of my wrist and the opening was big enough for me to slide the rest of my arm inside, unlocking it. A slight click was heard, and then I could slide soundlessly inside, landing with cat-like grace on the floor beneath the window.

"Nice!" Tyson commented, whispering this time.

Inside it was dark and silent, and I looked around, silently making my way through the living room. It was expertly furnished, and I paused to look at the collection of family photos on one of the walls, the old, bitter fury returning full force. Max as a kid, Mr and Mr Tate holding him in their arms and smiling, the family on vacation…..I gritted my teeth, turning to proceed with the task at hand. Every part of this home, from the family photos to the post it notes on the fridge reminded me about the things that had been taken from me. I wanted those memories, those experiences, but I knew I would never have them. It made me furious, and deep down also a little sad.

My childhood was not a happy one. The few memories I have are mostly unpleasant ones, with the exception of a handful of flashes of my parents. Life with them had been uncomplicated, made for an easy-going and carefree existence. Looking at Max Tate I envied him that, because like most people I felt inclined to think that this was something every child deserved, rather than years upon years spent locked up in a mental institution.

What had happened would never leave me, I knew that with an almost disturbing certainty. Grandfather´s betrayal had taken something from me, leaving a gaping black hole in its wake. One that was currently eating away at me, pulling me apart from the inside. This thing that I lacked, it was what kept me from being able to lead a normal life, what had steered me onto the stony path of revenge in the first place.

Perhaps it should have frightened me, I don´t know. Either way it was irrelevant now. At the present there was only one thing that meant something, and that was my reason for being her; The destruction of a select group of people.

I found what I was looking for in a matter of minutes. After all I knew the layout of the house like the back of my hand. Judy´s office was located on the second floor, a large, grand room facing the sea and sporting huge, gleaming pieces of furniture. That she hadn´t thought to protect her things better seemed strange to me, but then again success often make people sloppy. In her mind there was no way anyone would dare coming after her, with all her wealth, power and influence. A slight smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. She would soon be proven wrong.

She filmed all of her sessions with patients on a regular basis, like most psychiatrists do. It is a practice I have come to appreciate, mainly because it would make things much easier for me. At the back of my mind I knew with certainty that she had recorded our sessions as well, all those years ago, but at the present this was of no interest.

Here I was Tyson Granger, Kai Hiwatari was a long lost memory, and he wouldn´t return for a while still. I used the switch blade to open the cabinet where she kept all the CDs containing her session, smirking when I noticed the labels. They were sorted in alphabetical order, a name written in a neat hand on ever cover. I already knew which I wanted, and quickly put them away in a small sports bag I had brought with me inside.

"You got everything?" Kenny asked, my earpiece crackling slightly.

I gave the camera a thumbs up. It seemed Tyson had been put of duty for a while, for which I was grateful.

Just then I picked up the sound of a car approaching, freezing on the spot, gaze fixed on the nearest window. Shit!

"Kai, you need to get out of there, someone is coming".

Kenny of course, giving me information I already had.

I looked around, considering my options. There weren't many. With quick, trained movements I proceeded to lock the cabinet. It was vital that Judy didn´ discover that anything was missing before the event tomorrow. Nothing could look out of place, especially not in her office.

"Kai? It is Emily York!" Kenny exclaimed, sounding just as surprised as I felt.

Emily York? What was she doing here? I put the last cabinet door back on its hinges, exhaling deeply as the last lock clocked into the place. There, done! Otherwise everything looked like it should. As an afterthought I straightened out the carpet underneath her desk, before I quickly left the room, jogging silently down the stairs. I could hear Emily York outside, knocking on the door twice, before trying the door bell. And then, to my immediate surprise, I heard a key turn around in the lock. Thomas Tate

had given her his key? The key to the Tate´s family home? Had Judy Tate been someone else, anyone else, I might have felt sorry for her. Right now I didn´t, not one bit.

I reached the base of the staircase just as she opened the door, and her eyes widened in fear when she realized there was someone there. It was dark, which meant that she only saw the outlines of another person. In other words; there was no real reason for me to do anything but escape right then and there. However, being the one I was I instantly saw the possibilities when Kenny informed me that Judy´s car was 5 minutes away.

"Who….who is there?" Emily York shakily asked, taking a few hesitant steps inside.

Perhaps she was not wearing her lenses? Otherwise she should have seen at least something. I smirked. Well, if Judy found her here…..lets just say that it would serve my plans excellently. With movements like liquid steel I slid up behind her, slamming my elbow into the back of her head with a muffed thumb. I let her fall to the floor, pausing only to check that she was still breathing before I took my leave. Judy´s car rounded the corner just as I disappeared down the road. A small, unsure part of me questioned whether it had really been necessary to involve Emily York any further, but I quickly dismissed the idea.

I had chosen this path, and even if it was a dark one I felt determined to see it through. Regardless of the consequences.

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-Shikoku Island, Japan, December 2009-

I bowed my head, forehead pressed against the cool stone surface. My clothes were soaked with sweat, and I stood as soon as he dismissed me, headed for one of the warm ponds nearby. Training had been harsher than usual, and I had endured Kinomiya Ryu´s flinty eyes on me since early in the morning. That being said I valued the physical challenge, even if I went to sleep my entire body aching every night.

Finally being able to sink into the warm water was a relief. It was cold this time of year; a thin layer of snow covering the ground, enveloping everything in a fine sheet of white. It was funny how that worked. How the first snow always temporarily covered up all the imperfections, turning everything into something clean. Small snowflakes settled in my hair as I swam further out into the pond, enjoying the feel of the warm water. It was somewhat of a surreal experience, being engulfed in hot, steaming water while snow was falling all around.

The sudden sound of footsteps made my attention shift elsewhere, and I looked up, startled. A girl around my age was stepping daintily on the steps leading into the water, a thick, white towel wrapped around her body. She was pretty, with a chiselled, heart-shaped face and large golden eyes. To my surprise her hair was hot pink, which on anyone else would have looked strange or ugly. On her it looked great. She momentarily looked up, our eyes locking. I could already feel some sort of strange indefinable tension between us, and she regarded me almost coldly, before she suddenly and without warning let go of the towel.

She just stood there, leaving me to stare for a few moments. I took in her slim, tanned limbs with a certain appreciation, noticing how goose-bumps were already rising on her arms. There was something distinctly pleasing about looking at her, and my eyes travelled from her bare feet and up to those striking, slanted eyes. Her arms were by her side, and I noticed the firmness of her breasts and her toned, flat stomach. She was beautiful I decided, feeling somewhat disappointed when she finally decided to join me in the water.

"I am Mariah, Konomiya Ruy has agreed to take me on as a student", she said, keeping her distance, although something in her eyes told me that she was tempted to move closer.

"You must be Kai".

I felt…..strange. For so long I had only been thinking about my quest for revenge. Her presence represented a shift of some sort, although I couldn´t quite define it properly. I could feel the spark between us. It was like an invisible string of some sort, pulling and tugging at us both, daring us to move close to one another.

I gave in.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance Mariah", I said, voice dark.

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They say "let he who is without sin cast the first stone." And to be without sin requires absolute forgiveness. But, when your memories are freshly opened wounds, forgiveness is the most unnatural of human emotions...