Bullet XXXVI

Chang stood up slowly, as surprised as the others by Lagoon Company's unexpected appearance.

Although Shenhua had not completed her work, she had done well. Dutch had two large bloodstains on his shirt, on his chest and right shoulder area, where Shenhua had stabbed him with knives. And judging by the way he was holding his shotgun with only one hand, it looked like the other was useless.

Revy hadn't had it any better either; she had visible cuts all over her body, a few, especially on her arms, were deeper than others and still bleeding. She swept her gaze around the office, as if assessing which of them would be the biggest threat.

Finally, her gaze stopped on him.

'Ah, hell. She's REALLY pissed.' -Chang thought with some nervousness, however, he didn't show it and said something else that was running around in his head at the moment. "How the fuck could they get out of the elevator?"

It was very difficult, if not impossible, to open the doors by sheer brute force without the aid of a crowbar or a strong, sturdy tool. And if stopped at the right moment, the elevator became a steel coffin hanging several stories high without even an opening in the ceiling to get out.

If Balalaika, or in this case, Chang, did not press the button again to get the elevator working again, then it was possible to let the people locked in there until they died of dehydration or starvation.

Fry Face had made a fairly simple, but incredibly deadly trap.

"Thanks to the blackout.". -Responded Dutch, calmly. "When the power came back on, it made the elevator resume running and, well, here we are."

Chang pursed his lips and shot an accusing look at the young gun dealer and her bodyguards. "What?" -She said.

"Thanks to your little military games, you freed a very pissed-off homicidal psychopath who was locked in a perfect trap." -said Chang, deadpan. "Bravo."

Koko pointed at herself, indignant and incredulous. "Are you blaming me?"

"And whose fault would it be if not?"

"Maybe yours for locking her up in the first place, you crazy bastard!?"

"It was self-defense."

"And who defends themselves with a fucking elevator!? You must be the only person crazy enough to do that kind of thing!"

"Cool."

"Don't be proud!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, cut the bullshit talk.". -Interrupted Revy, not lowering her guns at any point. Chang was the one being targeted, though. "I don't give a fuck what's going on here, but that drive is coming with us and I'll put a bullet in the head of any idiot who tries to stop it."

"Tell that to the girl, I'd already given up." -Chang made a gesture of washing his hands. "Make up with her."

"A teenage girl defeated you? That's pathetic."

"Fuck off, Revy."

"We're on the same side here, you tattooed slut." -interjected Koko, joining the conversation and frowning. "Balalaika sent us too, didn't she tell you?"

"No... I guess that asshole Rock forgot to mention that part." -She clicked her tongue. "Whatever. I had to go through hell to get here, fighting that skinny Chinese bitch and getting stuck in that fucking elevator."

"That was fun." -Commented Chang, grinning.

She ignored him. "I'm not leaving without the disk, you... uh..."

"I can't believe you don't remember me!" -Koko exclaimed. "Literally a week ago you and that blonde bitch almost killed me and half my squad! I got arrested because of you two!"

Revy looked at her with a scowl on her face, clearly not remembering her. Then her partner, Benny, nudged her to get her attention. "I think it's Koko Hekmatyar.". -He whispered, but clearly audible.

"No, not a 'I think'!" -Koko put a hand on his chest, to emphasize his point. "I AM fucking Koko Hekmatyar!"

"Oh, well, I'm Benny."

"I don't care!"

"Now, that's rude, missy."

"Shut up!"

While that discussion was going on between them, Chang took a quick glance, which was not noticed thanks to his cool dark glasses, trying to find some weak point to get out of this complicated situation, but he couldn't find any.

He could have had a small chance to escape through the door, like the first time he was cornered by the brat Hekmatyar, but that idea went down the drain when the Lagoon company appeared, who were now blocking the only exit from the office. There was also the window... but a seven-story high free fall was something even he couldn't handle.

Balalaika was very astute to send those two groups at the same time to retrieve the disk.

'However.' -Chang thought, watching the discussion silently, as he couldn't make any suspicious moves with those two Koko bodyguards aiming at him and Biu Yue. 'These idiots isn't exactly cooperating... that in itself is a good weak point to exploit.'

With that in mind, Chang decided to risk a move and grabbed the case containing the disk. In doing so, the discussion quickly ended and all eyes and guns in the office focused on him. Chang was not flustered by this and spoke calmly. "Things have changed, a new negotiation must be made."

Koko looked at him suspiciously. "What are you proposing?"

However, he wasn't addressing her, so he ignored her. "Dutch, Revy, let's join forces and-!"

"Hell no."

"That ain't gonna happen, man."

Chang froze for a moment, his mouth still hanging open mid-sentence. Then he finally reacted. "Oh, come on, don't be such pussies! Can't you see that we have a golden opportunity here? What could a few simple military men and a spoiled brat-"

"Hey!" -grunted the two bodyguards and Koko in unison.

"-against the coolest and most dangerous gun team in Roanapur?"

Benny timidly raised his hand. "Me you didn't name."

But he was ignored.

Dutch scratched his bald head in discomfort. "Listen, boss, we don't have a problem with you, other than you stealing our puck and kicking our asses, but I want to get this shitstorm over with for good and relax on my boat, drinking a cold beer, without having to worry about some Russian psycho who wants to turn us into soup. Getting us on your side is definitely not the way to that, so no."

"Fuck you, Dutch."

"Just give up and let's get it over with."

Chang ignored him and rested his gaze on Revy. "I expected something like that coming from your boss, I mean, he'd sell his own mother to save his own ass, or for profit."

"Just like you." -She replied.

He ignored her. "But from you, Revy? You disappoint me. When you were just a brat roaming the streets of New York like a rat, stealing and killing for pleasure, I recognized your potential and brought you to Roanapur. I trained you, taught you to be the killing machine you are now, even introduced you to that asshole Dutch to work with. If it wasn't for me, right now you'd just be a cheap whore for a living, or you'd be dead." -Chang pointed accusingly at her. "This is how you repay me for that favor, Two Hands, by turning your back on me?"

Revy could be a serious and ruthless killer who was willing to jump into a fight without hesitation, but Chang knew all too well that underneath it all was someone mentally unstable and frustrated by the shitty life she had. Something that was normal to find in many individuals when one devoted enough time to mob business.

She was not unbreakable. If pressed correctly on her emotional points, Revy could be swayed or manipulated beyond her rough facade. Of course, that was easier said than done, and even harder to put into practice without taking a bullet to the head in the process, but Chang had some experience dealing with her.

"Yeah.". -Said Revy with a grin that showed all her teeth. "Now shut the fuck up and hand over the disk, bitch, maybe that'll keep me from putting a bullet in your head for saying so much bullshit."

"...What if I ask you nicely for help?"

"You should have started there, you piece of shit."

Chang sighed, it seemed he had no choice but to surrender, so he raised both hands above his head in surrender. "All right, all right, damn it, you win."

'Not exactly.' -Koko thought, casting a sidelong glance at the Lagoon company. Even though they had refused an alliance, that didn't mean they were any less of a danger. 'These idiots can screw everything up if they try to do something crazy, a shootout is the last thing we need here.'

It would be a real bitch to lose Chang and the puck just when they had him well and truly by the balls. Any misstep, and he wouldn't hesitate to run like a rat.

Fortunately for her, Dutch seemed to be in line with her thoughts and lowered his weapon, then nudged his partner. "You heard him, Rev', it's over. Put your guns down."

"We still don't have the disk." -She said.

"Does it matter? Balalaika sent you too.". -interjected Koko quickly. "This is not a basement of a French bar, nor are any of us German or Jewish, so there is no need to set up a gunfight that ends in everyone's death."

"..."

"..."

"What?"

"Hey, that sounds familiar."

"What is this brat talking about?"

"Speak English, bitch."

Valmet and Lehm sighed in unison, and, along with the responses from the mercenaries and the mobster, this made Koko's face slowly turn red. She folded her arms and turned her gaze away. "Have they never seen Inglourious Basterds? Unbelievable."

"What this girl means…" -said Lehm, in a tired voice. "That, apparently, we're on the same side."

It took a moment for everyone else to catch on, and then they tilted their heads as if to say "'ah."

"Not you!" -Koko exclaimed, pointing at Chang. "You're public enemy number one!"

"Cool."

"Don't cheer up!"

Dutch cleared his throat. "Anyway, I agree with the little gun dealer, Rev'. She and her bodyguards seem to be better prepared, and less injured than we are. They can keep the disk safe and give it to Balalaika. That's what we're after, remember? End the shitstorm, not go on and form an even bigger one."

Revy kept his eyes fixed on the disk, then looked at his boss and finally sighed, lowering his guns. "All right, but I'm not satisfied. You better, little bitch, inform Balalaika that we held up our end of the bargain."

Koko let out a sigh of relief that she had been holding back, her shoulders were stiff with tension and she felt like she was carrying a backpack full of bricks. But now that Chang had surrendered, and those mercenaries had no intention of fighting, she was finally able to release some of that tension. But only a little.

He had gone through a lot of trouble and headaches, but the disk was secure. It was time to retire.

"No, I don't think so." -Chang said. "I still have my last card left."

As if that had been a signal, Biu Yue, who until that moment had been silent and observing everything from his position behind the desk, suddenly moved and pounced Valmet. She reacted a second too late, as her attention was on Chang, and was knocked down, firing a volley of bullets in the process that hit the ceiling of the office.

The two began to grapple.

Lehm was distracted for a moment by the abrupt commotion, Chang wasted no time and made his move as well. He ran straight at the bodyguard and gave him a sharp shove, knocking him off balance. At the same time, Chang pulled out one of his pistols and fired at Benny, Dutch and Revy.

But he deliberately missed, as his intention seemed to be that they could dodge the shots, which they did, thus clearing the only exit from the office. Chang obviously wanted to use the sudden chaos to escape with the disk.

However, the glass of the office window exploded at that instant, and Chang fell to the ground on one of his knees, letting out a growl of pain.

Koko blinked a couple of times, everything had happened so fast that she didn't even have time to react.

Valmet was able to cut down Chang's bodyguard, beating him and leaving him on the ground, aiming his machine gun at him. On the other hand, Lehm stood up and took a few long strides to Chang, kicking him in his back and leaving him on the ground. He then pushed the Chinese mobster's pistol away with his feet and rested a knee on his back, pinning him down.

"Somebody want to explain what the fuck is going on here?" -Demanded Revy, finally standing up, pointing her gun at the fallen Chang. The sudden commotion had also confused her along with the rest of her team.

Then Koko remembered, that had been Lutz. She had forgotten that he was on sniper duty to support them in case something went wrong or if Chang tried to escape.

"A sniper." -She said, after recovering from her initial surprise. "I warned this guy that there was one watching the office just in case."

"So that wasn't a fucking bluff!?". -Chang exclaimed. "It hit me in the ass!"

"Well you should have thought of that before you tried to escape! Now hold still, or the next shot will be in your spine and you'll end up in a wheelchair, motherfucker!"

" So?". -Rock asked, sitting beside Balalaika in her hotel room, separated only by a small nightstand, where there was an ashtray filled with half-finished cigarettes; all of them his.

It had been a very tense and stressful few hours, and that was the only way Rock could express his nervousness without panicking. It was already late in the early hours of the morning, but Rock had been too anxious to stay in his room, let alone sleep, so he had been pacing around the hotel's ground floor.

Hansel and Gretel had stayed with him for most of the night, which he appreciated because it had distracted him a bit from the situation, but in the end, the waiting had become too much for them, and they retired to their room to rest. Rock felt a twinge of envy that they could sleep without a care in the world.

Balalaika had been the same, maybe even more so. If he had been nervous and stressed, then she had been twice as much.

Then, a Russian soldier approached him to inform him that Balalaika had received a call from Dutch to update her on the situation regarding the disk.

She was kind enough to invite him to her room, as she had remained there since contacting Koko Hekmatyar, to hear what the leader of the Lagoon company had to say. Rock had no reason to turn her down, after all, he'd been in the dark since the moment he'd contacted Revy to goad them into participating in his mad bet against Chang, to see whether or not they could take the damn disk from him, without dying in the process.

Although he could only half hear things from Balalaika's side, so he didn't know exactly what had happened, nor what had been discussed, but he had a general idea.

Balalaika didn't answer right away, just set the phone she had been using down on the table and rubbed her eyes wearily. But from the satisfied smile on her face, at least it seemed to be a good thing.

And something good to Balalaika meant "victory" or "benefits".

"First of all, the damn disk is in the hands of Koko Hekmatyar, and she will keep it for me until I return to Roanapur.". -Said finally the Russian leader. "Secondly, Two Hands is alive, with so many cut wounds that make her look like a teenager with depression, but alive. So you can relax your ass now."

"What happened to Mr. Chang?"

"He surrendered after getting shot in the ass and was taken hostage."

Rock raised both eyebrows. "In the ass?"

She shrugged. "Well, technically in the left buttock, but come on, that's still part of the ass. Thing is, Dutch said the Chang now wants to make a cease-fire agreement between us."

Rock perked up; those were truly good news. As expected from Mr. Chang, making the right decision at the right moment, and it seemed that Dutch agreed with it. "I guess it's so that neither of us tries to kill the other indirectly, or steal very valuable items, or even-"

"He was the one who started with the indirect kill attempts.". -Balalaika interrupted him, a bit defensively, holding up a finger. "I don't buy that shit about him trying to hand me over to your brats as an act of goodwill, or any of his stupid reasons that I don't even remember because I don't care, it was deliberate. He knew they were unstable homicidal psychos who were going to kill me out of boredom."

"Yeah, well, at least he was a lot more subtle.". -Rock replied, expressionless, but with a certain tone of scolding in his voice. He didn't like them talking about his children that way, though she wasn't entirely wrong. "Not like a certain Russian who casually informed a certain spiteful gun dealer of the location of where Mr. Chang was and the, shall we say, vulnerable situation he was in at the time."

Balalaika said nothing, just folded her arms and averted her gaze. He noticed how she moved her jaw slightly, as if she was chewing before spitting against the wall; a sign that she was irritated, and it would be best if he shut his mouth. Naturally, Rock wasn't planning to do that.

"You might as well have put a sign on his back that said KILL ME."

"How about I kill you instead? Or better yet, why don't I rip out your tongue and make you lick your balls?"

Rock smiled, pleased with his reaction. He'd gained a couple of years of life on that one. "So you'll make the cease-fire agreement with Mr. Chang? We both know that a prolonged fight between Hotel Moscow and Mr. Chang's triad would not be beneficial to anyone but other organizations. "

"I didn't know you were now my fucking war advisor."

"Consider it a little extra, besides, a third party opinion is never a bad thing." -He gave her a few playful taps on her shoulder. "Come on, come on, it costs you nothing, do me that favor."

Balalaika looked at him in silence for a long moment, and Rock began to regret getting carried away and treating her so informally, even if she had previously admitted she didn't mind. However, just as he was about to apologize, she snorted in annoyance.

"Hmph. I can't argue with your logic. Fine, I'll make that stupid deal you're so insistent on, but don't expect much from it, it won't last long."

"Does that mean no grinding-grinding, slicing-slicing? And I'm not just talking about Mr. Chang."

"From the beginning I had no intention of killing Two Hands, she a useful working tool, and I owe Dutch a few favors. The most I'm going to do to them, because letting them go unpunished wouldn't be appropriate for all the headaches they've caused me, will be to scold them and give them low-paying drudgery for a season."

"What about Benny?"

She raised an eyebrow. "...Who?"

"Blond male, hacker, who wears a horrible Hawaiian shirt."

"Oh, yeah, I guess I won't do anything to him either."

Only then could Rock let out a sigh of relief. He wasn't entirely sure, but for the moment, she had set aside, forgiven in quotation marks, Lagoon Company's betrayal.

This was at the top of Rock's priority list. He had given his word to Revy that he would try to ease the tensions between Balalaika and the Lagoon Company, to prevent her from cutting ties with them and affecting the business of those three idiots.

Besides, it was the least he could do for unleashing that shitstorm that accidentally involved them along with Mr. Chang.

Although now that he thought about it... wasn't it his bad luck that caused all that mess in the first place? It wouldn't be the first time a plan, or something he actively got involved in, veered completely off its original course and headed into an unknown and chaotic direction with violent and random results.

Terrifying.

Rock shook his head, setting aside that idea for the moment. He could worry about it later; there were more important matters to attend to. "So... When and where will they do it?"

"You're not going to be involved."

"I know, it was enough of a headache for me, thanks; I'm just curious."

Balalaika seemed satisfied with that response. "It will be immediate. I don't intend to give that Chinese bastard any more time to make his dirty moves; all we need is for Dutch to find a suitable place for the deal. A neutral zone to reduce risks." She pulled out one of her cigars and lit it. "Now, while I handle that, bring me a good bottle of alcohol. Something strong. God knows I need a damn drink if I have to deal with Chang."

The brat Hekmatyar succeeded, and with her, so did the Lagoon company. Although of all of them, they did the most, with the exception of Benny who did nothing, fighting off that knife-throwing Chinese bitch.

Then, Dutch phoned Balalaika, informing him that the disk was secured and asking him to cancel the job for the other mercenaries, or else, someone might attack them, and the story of the damn disk would repeat itself. Also, at Chang's request, he called for a ceasefire.

They were all stubborn sons-of-bitches who were out of their minds, and they were tired. There had been enough craziness for one night.

Surprisingly, Balalaika agreed to almost everything. The problem was that she didn't trust the Chinese gangster's word. If the two of them were going to negotiate a ceasefire and surprise attacks, she wanted a good guarantee that this guy wouldn't break his word.

For his part, Chang agreed to that as well.

Revy suggested going to Bao's bar to seal the deal, with her, Dutch, and Benny, as well as the brat and her bodyguards, present as witnesses. But Dutch didn't want to conduct the negotiation there because they had already caused enough trouble for the poor guy, and he didn't want to involve him in even shadier affairs than he was already mixed up in.

So, Revy suggested going to Rip Off Church.

The church had a good reputation; Eda and Yolanda were respected for not doing business with just one specific organization and for not messing with anyone who didn't mess with them. They were also feared because Eda was a psycho bitch who wouldn't hesitate to shoot someone just for looking at her funny. And Yolanda had a beautiful gold Desert Eagle in addition to good aim.

It was a good neutral ground for this kind of business.

"So you want to borrow my church, a holy place, to make a ceasefire agreement between a Chinese gangster with a bullet-holed ass, a Russian psycho bitch, a fifteen-year-old brat and her crew, who holed the Chinese guy's ass in the first place?" -Eda asked, raising an eyebrow.

Eda was standing at the entrance to the church with the door half open, barely poking her head out like a wary turtle. She seemed perfectly active at that hour, almost 3 a.m., showing no signs of having been asleep or tired, and had listened to her attentively in silence.

Revy, folding her arms, nodded.

She was the one to go and call in the favor, since, strange as it was, there was no one else qualified to do so.

Although Dutch and Benny were acquaintances from church, they had more of a business relationship and avoided dealing with Eda as much as possible. The brat and her bodyguards were not a good choice either. Eda didn't know them, and had almost killed her that time, so there was no way she would agree to let them in.

Chang would have been a good option, since he was one of the leaders of Roanapur, maybe he could convince that bastard nun. But he was not available because he was wounded in the ass and could not walk. Besides, he and his bodyguard were locked in the trunk of one of the cars they came in and were still stuck in there.

No one had any intention of letting them out.

"And you want to witness that...". -Continued Eda. "Even though you were the ones who caused all that huge mess in the first place by stealing the disk from that psycho Russian bitch?"

"Yeah. So do me a favor and let us settle things here."

Eda gently closed the church door.

Revy immediately kicked it open, then, she pulled out both her guns and pointed them directly at the nun. "Let us in or I'll send you to the morgue!"

"No! I told you I want nothing more to do with you and your poisoned business!" -Eda replied, undeterred. "Get the fuck out or I'll call the police!"

"I'm asking you for a favor!"

"Threatening to kill me!?"

"I don't know how else to do it!"

"It's because of things like that that you're a fucking tomboy!"

"Go to hell, you fucking Buddha-abandoned nun!"

"I'm Catholic, and call me sister, bitch!"

"Shut up! I want to talk to Yolanda! Call her, call her right now!"

"It's two in the morning!" Eda took a step forward and started poking her on the forehead repeatedly. "What do you think an old, horrible, grumpy, and bitter woman like Yolanda would be doing at this hour of the night!?"

"I was sleeping until a couple of noisy assholes woke me up.". -said a quiet voice from inside the church. Eda and Revy stopped shouting at each other and looked in the direction of the voice, bumping into Yolanda. She, with her one healthy eye, examined both of them blankly. "Why don't you two get a room and sort out whatever it is between you two frigid bitches?"

Revy decided to ignore his taunt. She wasn't someone skilled with words, but she could manage to convince this old shit. "Hey, geezer, let us have a business meeting between Mr. Chang and Balalaika here."

"…Why?"

Just as she expected, naming those two was a good way to avoid a direct rejection. That and because Yolanda seemed to have more sense than Eda. "Neutral zone and witnesses to the agreement."

"Then why don't you do it in Bao's bar, or some other neutral place in town, and not in my fucking church?" -Yolanda replied.

"Hey." -Said Eda.

"Oh, right, holy church."

Revy snorted. "Because Yellow Flag's been destroyed a lot of times for doing shootouts and Bao doesn't want anything to do with us. Same with Rowan and his club, and I don't feel like spending all damn night looking for a place just so some assholes can agree not to kill each other. Besides, I'll make sure Chief Chang and Sis keep this favor you did them in mind."

Yolanda grunted thoughtfully. She wasn't convinced, but being owed a favor by two senior leaders of Roanapur was a very tempting offer for anyone. "Is everyone who is going to participate in the meeting here?"

"Yes. Chang is stuck in the trunk of a car with a bullet in his ass, and Sis is in Japan, but we can contact her."

"You're going to destroy my church with a shootout?"

Revy, as much as she wanted to, didn't answer right away. She turned her head to where her two co-workers were, and the brat with her bodyguards, near the car where Chang and Biu Yue were locked up. There were 13 people in all, not counting Yolanda, Eda and the priest Rico if he was around.

It was a lot of people, and almost everyone had a gun on them, they knew how to fight and were pretty easy to piss off. Only Benny being the only exception when it came to weapons. Balalaika was only going to be talking on the phone, but her sharp tongue was more than enough to get tempers flaring.

It was times like this when Rock was needed, that guy could somehow always take the venom out of the situation.

"Probably not?" -She said Revy at last, shrugging her shoulders.

Yolanda snorted. "I guess that's the best I'll be able to get. Whatever, you guys can get together and play for a while. But I don't want guns in my church-"

"We sell guns." -Eda pointed out, deadpan.

Yolanda rolled her eyes. "I don't want guns that aren't ours. I don't want them to break anything, and no fucking way will that whole battalion in there, each side will pick two people at most."

"Relax your ass, you old sack of bones, no one is going to destroy your fucking church." -Said Revy, getting more and more pissed off at so many restrictions. "None of those assholes feel like fighting, and I'm sick of the whole fucking disk thing. This whole day has been complete shit, I just want to get drunk and sleep, so cut the bullshit and let's get it over with."

The old nun seemed satisfied with that and nodded. "Good, now come on in, make yourselves comfortable and try not to kill yourselves while I make the arrangements."

Chang was seated rigidly in a chair, in the middle of Rip Off Church's living room, with his hands and feet firmly bound with ropes. His lips were tightly pressed together in disgust.

The rest of the meeting's attendees were seated in armchairs, while others remained standing.

Koko Hemkatyar was accompanied by an old soldier, her second in command. Dutch was with Revy, and Chang had his bodyguard, Biu Yue. As for Yolanda, she was alone. Eda wanted nothing to do with this matter because it was too bothersome.

"I think this is excessive," Chang said. "I'm not a terrorist or anything."

Yolanda was seriously considering taping his mouth. But Yolanda didn't want to go to the effort of taping his mouth and then untaping it when necessary. That would be a waste of tape.

There was also the option of shooting him in the head, which was more tempting. While the latter would give her momentary satisfaction, the hassle and explanations she would later have to give would be too much of a nuisance, so she dismissed that idea.

Dutch had also insisted on this subject. Balalaika might not be too afraid of that, after all, she had the strength and resources to back it up. But even so, Hotel Moscow would have a hard time in a direct fight against the Triad and its allies, just as it had several years ago.

It was also no wonder that she agreed to the ceasefire.

The Hekmatyar girl had it a little better, even if she had some discomfort, she wouldn't be as affected. That's because her business base was only weapons and she wasn't limited to a specific territory. She really didn't care, she was probably there to make sure they wouldn't come after her anymore as long as she had that disk in her hands.

Revy may have known a little about how things were run in the city, but that knowledge was only superficial. She was really ignorant of the "politics" in Roanapur and the extent of the consequences, but that was normal for a money-loving, thrill-seeking muscle head.

She was only involved because Dutch and Chang were there. Besides, after being so involved, she would definitely want to see the end of this mess. Even if Yolanda wanted to kick her out, she wouldn't have been able to do it without raising a ruckus or a shootout.

As for Chang...thanks to the amount of business and connections he had, inside and outside Roanapur, he was too important a player to be killed so casually. His death would lead to an imbalance in power, which is why the different factions in Roanapur had been at a stalemate, limited to a competition of business and expansions.

And Chang knew it, which is why he was calm despite being at such a disadvantage.

To make matters worse, that dirty bastard had an agreement with Eda about who-knows-what, Yolanda wasn't a moron to go around asking that kind of thing, and that meant a CIA agreement. Without Chang's presence, Roanapur would probably be nothing more than a banquet of some of the world's most wanted criminals, ready to be devoured.

That was another reason why Yolanda had agreed to let him and Balalaika make a deal at her church. Still, the benefits of that hardly outweighed the risks and inconvenience.

In short, Chang could be defeated and injured, but not killed.

`Fucking plot armor.' -thought Yolanda tiredly. "It's for your own safety, Mr. Chang, as well as ours. Nothing personal."

"He's surrounded, unarmed, and with a bullet in his ass.". -intervened the bodyguard, Biu Yue, jumping to his boss's defense. He was in the same condition as his boss, bound hand and foot, only without a bullet in his ass. "What could Mr. Chang do in a situation like this?"

"I don't know, no one knows what's going on inside his Korean head, probably not even him. That's why I prefer to keep him as restrained as possible."

"You're overreacting, and we're Chinese." -Chang said.

"It's the same shit." -Yolanda replied, raising an eyebrow. "The two of you will remain bound and that is non-negotiable. If you continue to insist, I remind you that sealing your mouths with mine is not a particularly difficult thing for me to do."

After hearing his threat, both men immediately fell silent.

"All right, let's not waste any more time with nonsense.". -Said Balalaika into the church phone, on speakerphone so that her voice sounded loud and clear. "I haven't slept in almost 24 hours and I'm not in the mood for games."

"You're not the only one who hasn't slept at all.". -Revy pointed out, from a corner of the main room. "We're all tired."

"You and your mentally retarded buddies were the ones who started this, Two Hands. But I agreed to this ridiculous arrangement because it's the best way to resolve this matter. If it were up to me, I'd let the hired mercenaries kill you. So you better shut the fuck up, or the deal is off and their asses will be soup, got it?"

Revy let out a long, low growl, but finally complied, taking out a cigarette and lighting it.

As awkward silence had settled in the church, Yolanda decided to intervene, clearing her throat. "All right, as Miss Balalaika said, let's not waste time with nonsense. The ceasefire implies that both sides withdraw from this matter. Chang and his men will no longer pursue the disk, and Balalaika will withdraw the hired mercenaries and not retaliate. Both sides agree?"

Chang bowed his head, seemingly thoughtful. "And if I refuse?"

"You die." -Balalaika replied instantly, deadpan.

He let out a short laugh. "Do you miss our verbal duels as much as I do?"

"Not at all."

"But what a cold, cruel bitch you are." -Chang sighed dramatically, but no one believed that for a second. "Anyway, I accept those terms."

Yolanda nodded and then turned her gaze to the young gun saleswoman. "What about you, little girl?"

"Little girl?"

"Can you find a peaceful side to that ruthless heart of yours and forget about this business? You already put a piece of lead up Mr. Chang's ass, and Lagoon Company had a real hard time during this night, I think that's more than enough to restore your damaged reputation. Besides, I'll take care of spouting exaggerated rumors."

The Hekmatyar girl didn't look very convinced, but in the end she nodded curtly. "Whatever, I just want to get the hell out of this shitty city."

"Wonderful." -Yolanda turned her gaze to the phone... and frowned. It really lost the desired effect if the other person couldn't see you, that's why she liked face-to-face business. "How does that sound to you, Miss Balalaika?"

"Who will pay for the damage to my base? Because I was told that a certain brainless gunwoman and a Chinese acrobat fucked up my first floor, and that some retard kept throwing grenades all over the place."

"Oh, that." -Chang laughed sheepishly. "¿50-50? I only threw one grenade, those fucking Yakuza who are allies of yours did the rest. And as for Shenhua and Two Hands' fight, you sent Lagoon Company, but I'm willing to pay for half the mess Shenhua made."

"Hmph. I suppose that's fine... I already have someone in mind to hold accountable for those damages."

"But, Fry Face, I want to remind you that this doesn't guarantee a lasting alliance. It's just to restore the previous balance. If at any point I feel your actions threaten my interests, I won't hesitate to put a round of bullets in your head."

"Same here, Mr. Chang."

"So, that's the end of a stupid complicated situation that could have been solved with a simple phone call.". -interjected Yolanda, before the discussion escalated. It was the middle of the night and she would rather be sleeping comfortably in her bed, not dealing with these homicidal assholes. "Communication, people, communication. You're all big enough kids here to know that not everything is solved with revenge, fights and shootings."

"It's just that it's more fun that way." -Chang said. Two Hands grunted in response as she agreed with that.

Balalaika let out a loud yawn. "Whatever. Miss Hekmatyar, if you could do me another favor and...?"

"I'll hold the record until you come back, yes.". -said Koko, standing up, impatient to leave. "I thought that was already implied."

"Just making sure." -Balalaika sounded pleased, you could almost see her smile. "Then that's it, goodbye for now and don't call again unless it's an emergency. And if possible, don't screw up again."

With that said, the Moscow Hotel leader abruptly cut off the call. Yolanda rolled her eyes and shook her head. "These fucking kids."

"That went well." -Said Balalaika, finally relaxing and leaning her back against the back of the chair she was sitting in. "At least as well as it can be solved by a phone call. That's why I like to settle business face to face, it's easier to intimidate and know what the other person is thinking when you can see them."

Although it wasn't his intention at first, Rock ended up joining her with the drink, a Jack Daniels without ice, as Balalaika detested putting ice in strong drinks, in a little "victory" celebration.

It was quite a headache for all involved, but now that damn record issue was resolved. And it was resolved in the stupidest and most unexpected way, yet he was grateful that it was. Rock would definitely have to go to Rip Off Church and properly thank Sister Yolanda for her cooperation.

Without her help, everything would not have been resolved in such a... peaceful manner.

"I wasn't referring specifically to him, but to those other jerks. But I think they'll be able to behave themselves, at least for the moment.". -Said Balalaika. "Now, what do you plan to do?"

"I don't know, I guess think about the next step once we get back to Roanapur."

And that would be... dealing with Chang and the debt the children owed him. Although the gangster never mentioned it or reminded him of it, Rock knew full well that Hansel and Gretel had murdered a handful of his men. Also, Chang had been the one who helped him convince Balalaika to spare the twins' lives.

The man was a leader of a fairly powerful criminal organization with many domains around the world, as well as being an experienced gunman who had the same, or perhaps more, level of dangerousness as Revy. However, the real problem, as was the case with Dutch, was that Chang was someone quiet and deceptively laid back.

Someone very reasonable.

Rock had no problems with people like Revy, Matsuzaki or Balalaika, even though the latter had very similar characteristics to Chang. The open aggressiveness of these three individuals, in a sense, made them more honest, transparent people. Rock felt he had more control over situations with people like them.

They were easier to understand and predict because of their impulsive or aggressive reactions.

In contrast, with people like Dutch and Chang, Rock didn't feel that same kind of security because of the unpredictability that they had by being calm and rational.

Dealing with people who are so secretive, or who hide their intentions behind a facade of calm, was something that made him feel vulnerable. That was why he had always feared and respected his former boss, Kageyama, because he too was like Dutch and Chang; Rock couldn't read them, couldn't know what they were thinking or what actions they would take in certain cases.

With them, Rock was not in control.

"Do you want to work for me?" -spoke Balalaika suddenly, snapping him out of his musing. "I'd pay you better than that poor bastard Bao, and you'd have protection against anyone trying to do anything to you... although with those psychopathic brats you've got there's not much need for the latter."

"I asked Bao for a job because I didn't know anyone in that town, and because I didn't want to get connected to any criminal work." -Said Rock, carefully. A little surprised. "Besides, I'm not particularly interested in money."

"I'm beginning to wonder what you're interested in... though I think I get the idea." -She lifted her glass and swallowed the liquor whole. "Anyway, I don't need an immediate answer. When you get bored with the game of being a good guy, the doors of the Moscow Hotel will be open to you. And for your brats too, as long as they know how to control themselves, I guess."

Balalaika tipped the bottle toward him in a mute offer of a refill. Rock waited for a moment and then decided to accept the bottle, pouring himself a drink. He wasn't agreeing to work for her, but he wasn't denying it either. He and the twins may no longer have a debt to repay, but he didn't see the need to sever all ties or connections with Balalaika.

It never hurt to have options available. After all, a cunning rabbit always had two lairs.

"I appreciate the offer."

"I don't do it to just anyone, only to those who are worth it.". -Said Balalaika. "Anyone can pull out a gun and make a «bang», but not everyone has the brains and intelligence to do business."

With that said, Balalaika stood up, stretching a little. She then began to unbutton her red business suit, tossing them onto the bed, at the same time as her shoes, remaining on only her skirt, long stockings and a black bra.

Rock nearly choked on his drink, coughing a little, quickly looking away. "What the hell are you doing!"

Balalaika put a hand on her hip, looking at him with amusement. "I've been through a lot over the last few hours and couldn't I use a little relaxation. So, you want to fuck and relieve the tension?"

Rock was still looking firmly away, his face burning. That must have been the most direct offer he'd received in years. "Y-You're taking this recruiting me thing too far!"

She let out a laugh at his nervousness. "Not at all, my wanting to fuck you has nothing to do with me offering to work for me, pleasure and business are totally separate. I don't offer this to just anyone either, you know, only when I find someone, male or female, interesting enough. Besides, you're totally in my range of attack."

Much to his chagrin, Rock gave her a look. Even with the burn scars on some parts of her body, Balalaika was still an attractive woman. Tall, with good legs, large breasts and slim athletic build. Her hair was long, too, although he didn't particularly like blondes.

Only then did Rock realize that she met all his tastes. Hell, she even had that strong personality and self-assurance.

Nah, he'd always known Balalaika was his type, he'd just played dumb so far, preferring to ignore it.

While waiting for his words or his reaction, Balalaika removed the rest of her clothes, skirt and panties, being left with only the black stockings wrapping around her legs. Rock felt awkward and annoyed, aware that he was now gawking at her and with a pressure in his pants was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

Balalaika had totally won him over by taking the initiative.

"So?" She asked, without losing her smile. She was sitting on the bed, crossing her legs provocatively and tapping the one of her thighs. "Do you want to do it or not?"

"..."