Dressed in the uniform of a Japanese school girl, ten year old Sei sat at the kitchen table in the home of another ten year old girl, Mitsuyo, who had a chef's apron on over her school clothes and was carrying a plate of brownies to the kitchen table.

"Here you are, Tamiko," Mitsuyo said nervously, using Sei's cover name. "I've tried very hard to make them just right-"

At the kitchen counter, Mitsuyo's mother turned and laughed. "She's been agonizing over that recipe for weeks. All she'll talk about is whether Tamiko will like them. Please have mercy on me and tell my youngest what she wants to hear."

Mitsuyo looked at Sei with wide, pleading eyes, as she put the plate on the table. "Just be honest with me, Tamiko. Whatever you think of them, just tell me."

Sei nodded, then cautiously picked up a brownie and took a bite. It was delicious!

"Mmm…." Sei swallowed and smiled. "These…Mitsuyo, this rocks!"

"You mean it, Tamiko?"

"Yes!" Sei ate another one. "These are great."

Mitsuyo hopped onto a chair next to Sei. "I'm glad. I love cooking; I'd cook all day if I could. And I'm going to tell you something. When I grow up, I'm going to go to France and become a patissier."

(Mitsuyo's mom kept her back to the girls but smiled.)

"What's…what's a 'patty-say'?" Sei asked.

"Patissier - a pastry chef. Makes cakes and things. Don't you know anything, Tamiko?"

"I never heard of that, Mitsuyo. But that's what you want to be - a pastry chef?"

Mitsuyo grinned and nodded. "I will work very hard and become a world renown patissier, the best ever. And when I'm famous, I'll become part owner of a bakery and invite you to France. And I'll serve a special pastry made just for you. I'm already thinking about the recipe."

"I…Mitsuyo…you don't have to do that…"

"Of course I do, Tamiko. You're my best friend, and you've been so nice to me. I want to do something nice for you, even if it takes forever."

"That's…that's great, Mitsuyo. All right. That's what we'll do."

Mitsuyo nodded. "As long as we're friends, we can do anything. Promise me we'll always be friends, Tamiko."

"I promise, Mitsuyo."

/

/

Sei had long since stopped paying attention to the blood on her dress as she pressed the small metal box to the wall keypad. The house's panic room door slid open. Sei pocketed the box and pulled her handgun out of her belt as she entered the room. Mitsuyo screamed as Sei dragged her out into the hall.

Sei pressed the gun under Mitsuyo's chin. "Enough! Everyone else is dead; I even killed the dog. You're going to die, too, and there's nothing you can do about it. So you might as well face your end with a little dignity."

Mistsuyo's scream faded to a whimper as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"That's better," Sei said. She let go of Mitsuyo and stepped back. "On your knees."

Mitsuyo slowly dropped to her knees. "Why are you doing this, Tamiko!?" she cried. "I love you!"

Sei kept her face a mask of stone as she aimed at Mitsuyo's head and pulled back the hammer. "My name isn't Tamiko," she said coldly.

Sei squeezed the trigger.

There was a sound of thunder.