TEKKEN: THE COLD AND THE WARM
ACT 6: Stop Loving You
At a fashion show in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates
The city of Dubai was the largest of all in the United Arab Emirates. As one of the largest cities in the Middle East, Dubai was a popular tourist attraction, as well as an important business center in Western Asia. To its north was the Persian Gulf, where ships always traveled from Dubai to other cities, as well as other countries.
But if there was one thing Dubai was known for, it was not just its spectacular skyscrapers. The city was considered a fashion capital in the Middle East, and it hosted a fashion exhibition every year. This exhibition drew in models from not just the Middle East, but from across the globe as well. It was called International Fashion Week Dubai.
Right now, a model was currently walking on a catwalk as the cameras snapped. No matter the blitzes, this girl remained unfazed. It was as if she was used to the lights and cameras.
"Gosh, it's been a long time since I last did things like this" the model thought as she looked at the crowds of people lining up near the catwalk.
Dressed in a red silk dress while also wearing, red heels, a red bandana and a couple of pearl earrings, this model continued walking, showing off her beauty and style to the astonished audience.
"AND HERE SHE IS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! ALL THE WAY FROM THE PHILIPPINES, DRESSED IN ROSEY RED! THE LOVELY MISS JOSIE RIZAL SHOWING HER COMEBACK IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY!" the side commentator could be heard from the loudspeaker.
Yes, this was the young Filipina, who had previously joined the Tekken Force to become a squadron's second-in-command. But a betrayal from the Mishima Zaibatsu's higher-ops had completely ruined her confidence in her former employer. As such, Josie had disavowed the Mishimas, eventually becoming allies with Yggdrasil and other ex-Tekken Force members.
"Alright, Josie. You can do this! Just keep it steady and don't let the cameras or the lights distract you" Josie encouraged herself on the inside as she continued showing herself on the catwalk. She walked past a model who appeared to be of European descent.
As she reached the end of the catwalk, Josie stood by the ramp, smiling as she looked at all directions of the large audience. Besides the sound of photos snapping, she could hear what appeared to be whistling. Josie almost frowned, yet she withstood the temptation. Right now, she couldn't afford to mess it up in front of the cameras.
"Seriously. Isn't catcalling supposed to be illegal here? This is a fashion exhibition, not a strip club!" Josie wondered, turning around to walk back on the catwalk.
She walked past a model who appeared to be of Arab descent. But she remained focused on her destination. No matter the cheers or noises, Josie didn't so much as look at the line of crowds. The young Filipina just wanted to return to the backstage. She had grown tired of the cameras, as well as the few alluring eyes belonging to the womanizers.
Still, Josie never forgot how modelling was her current source of income. While her hopes of getting payment from her service in the Tekken Force were dashed, Josie had never quit her career as a model. As such, she had partaken in trips across the world ever since her return to the Philippines. Her family was very pleased with Josie's new line of work, seeing as they abhorred her previous membership in the Tekken Force.
When arriving at the backstage, Josie was immediately approached by several models who looked at her with somewhat envious faces. This made the young Filipina sigh.
"What do you guys want now?" Josie asked them.
"You think you're such a hotshot, don't you, Rizal? All because the talent agents speak so fondly of you!" a blonde-haired woman spoke to her in such a sassy manner.
"Well, we don't! So no matter what they or those biased judges says, you will never rise up to our levels" a curly-haired woman suddenly began badgering Josie.
Normally, being scolded like this would've made the usually emotional Josie cry. But surprisingly, the Filipina stood her ground, even shrugging off their harsh insults and criticism.
"Fine by me! Because I've no interest in becoming a stuck-up jerk like you, anyway!" Josie roasted them and took her leave.
But the blondie model didn't like the way Josie spoke to them, and she forcefully grabbed the girl by her right arm.
"Now you listen here, bitch! You don't get to…" the blondie model snapped once Josie quickly turned around and grabbed her wrist.
The very feeling of the grip was so firm. Before the model knew it, she could feel Josie tightening her grip so hard. Needless to say, she felt pain.
"Ow…" the model winced, much to the indifference of the girl before her.
Josie glared at her, not letting go of the model just yet. "Don't you ever touch me like that again!" she told the blondie before finally letting her go.
With that done, the blondie model backed off in shock of Josie's action. She was joined by her curly-haired friend, who seemed awfully ticked off at what Josie had just done.
"What the hell's wrong with you, stupid flip!?" she rudely asked with a derogatory slur aimed at the Filipina, only for her to be intimidated by Josie holding up her right fist. The rude model backed away as a result.
"You want a knucklesandwich or something? If so, I'll be more than happy to shove one down your bigoted throat" Josie warned the curly-haired model.
Seeing as how tough Josie was behaving, the group of models walked away from her. None of them had any intention of picking a fight with Josie.
"STAY AWAY FROM US, YOU TRAMP! YOU'RE NOT WORTHY OF BEING ONE OF US!" another model insulted her as she too backed away from Josie, joining her friends.
Seeing as how she had managed to scare off her supposed "rivals", Josie smirked at her success at making them go off her.
"Tch, cowardly losers. Acting all tough and bitchy until someone puts them in their places. I still don't get why they consider me as a competitor. Like, I've never even claimed to be the best model. If I was, I would've been on the frontpages of Vouge already" Josie remarked, taking her leave.
It wasn't long before the Filipina entered the backstage, taking notice of other models standing and chatting amongst themselves. Unlike the ones before, they didn't show any antagonism towards Josie, much to her relief.
Josie sat by a dressing table, looking at her reflection in the mirror. With some eyeliner, lipsticks and makeup, Josie looked so beautiful. But while sitting there, the young girl sighed as she started reflecting on her recent life choices.
"It's a good thing that nobody knows about my brief membership in the Tekken Force. Because if they did, I would've been disqualified from this exhibition for sure" Josie remarked as she put on some lipstick.
Something good had happened to her family while Josie had been busy dealing with the Tekken Force drama. They had managed to earn more money and gotten back on their feet financially. As such, Josie felt very relieved. She remembers how her parents had encouraged Josie to follow her dreams for her own sake, not just her family's. This had managed to loosen the weight on the Filipina's shoulders.
"I'm very glad that my family's situation has gotten better. I no longer need to worry about them anymore" Josie was satisfied, only to think about something had had been bugging her mind lately. "While I do love being a model, I'm still keen on not giving up my Eskrima. Heck, I should perhaps start my own dojo back home" she then mused to herself.
That's right. No matter what changes she had undergone, Josie had never given up on her training. Recently, her Eskrima had helped boost her confidence as a fighter.
Along her journey, Josie had made plenty of friends, both in positive and negative ways. By the positive ones, she was thinking about the group of girls she had met during her stay at Violet Systems' HQ in Kyoto.
"Hope you girls are doing okay, Julia. Leo. Xiaoyu. Asuka. Lili. Alisa. I should probably email them soon" Josie decided while praying they were alright.
With the negative ones, however, Josie had managed to befriend a man who had previously resented her due to her affiliation with the Tekken Force. But after overcoming many challenges along the way, the two had eventually started a bond of friendship.
"Miguel…please stay safe from all harm. I know you're better than this" Josie thought about the man she had slowly begun developing feelings towards: Miguel Caballero Rojo.
In the beginning, the two couldn't stand each other. But recently, Miguel had started to sympathize with Josie being betrayed by her former employers. At the same time, Josie had begun realizing how truly wicked the Tekken Force really was, not to mention how they were responsible for the death of Miguel's sister. After the incident on Hawaii, Miguel and Josie had gone their separate ways, yet still vowed to keep in touch with each other, no matter how far they were apart from one another.
"I hope to visit Spain someday. Perhaps I can meet you, depending on where in Spain you live, of course" Josie giggled as she thought about what she wanted to do.
"You did very well out there on the catwalk, Mrs. Rizal" a voice could be heard behind Josie.
The Filipina tensed as she looked in the mirror to see who was standing at the corner of the backstage. She could see someone. It was a man dressed in a grey suit. Judging by his ethnicity, he was an Arab. In addition to his fancy sunglasses, this man wore a red and white shemagh. Josie watched as the man started to approach her from behind.
With that said, Josie quickly turned around, even getting up from her chair to get a better look at this individual. For some reason, this man seemed awfully suspicious, yet there was an aura of kindness bursting all around him. She had never seen this man before.
"Ummm….I guess you could say that. Still, thank you so kindly for those words Mr….." Josie tried to politely respond, yet found herself feeling awkward at saying things like that to a man she didn't even know the name of.
In response, the man with the shemagh removed his sunglasses, thus exposing his gentle-looking brown eyes. To look into those eyes filled Josie with so much astonishment.
"Call me Shaheen. That is what my friends usually know me as" he replied as he put his sunglasses by the pocket square. Shaheen then reached out his hand to the young Filipina. "It's a great pleasure to meet you in person, Josie Rizal. As-salaam 'alykum" he then told her while speaking in Arabic at the end.
Without trying to make a fool out of herself, Josie reached out her own hand to Shaheen's and gently took it. As they shook hands, she couldn't help but to feel how soft this man's grip was, despite his hand being bigger than hers.
"Likewise….eh….how do you say that in Arabic?" Josie asked, feeling so embarrassed over not knowing how to respond to him in his native language.
Shaheen chuckled at what he saw, finding amusement at seeing the Filipina's awkwardness.
"Don't worry. I understand English perfectly. But if you wish to respond back to what I just said in Arabic, then the right word to use is "wa 'alaykum as-salaam". But of course, there are other words to choose from" the man with the shemagh answered.
"Oh…..I see….." Josie responded, starting to grow a little curious about this man. "I take it you were among those in the audience watching me" she told him.
He nodded. "Of course. Many models wore spectacular outfits. But yours was very extraordinary. And I say this as a humble bodyguard with no knowledge about the fashion industry" Shaheen then praised the girl.
Josie's eyes widened a little. "A bodyguard? You mean you're working under someone? Gosh, I thought you were some kind of producer or something given your fancy suit…...no offense to you, of course!" she tried her best not to sound to impolite towards this man.
"None taken. And yes, I do work for plenty of people across the Arabian Peninsula. Right now, I'm working for an Emirati businessman who's one of the many sponsors of this exhibition" Shaheen responded, feeling the need to explain more of myself. "But before becoming a bodyguard, I was in the military. That is where my reputation started" he then revealed.
"You were in the military? Wow, what was it like working for the Emirati military?" Josie inquired, feeling interested in this man.
"Actually, I was in the Saudi Arabian military. You see, I hail from Saudi Arabia, which is one of the UAE's neighbors along with Oman" Shaheen corrected her. "As for my experience in the military, I would say it was both pleasant and tough at the same time. I did gain quite a reputation among my peers as a master of hand-to-hand combat" he then added.
The more Josie kept conversing with this man, the safer she became by being near him. And not only that, something was so off about this man that seemed so positive.
"My, you sure have an impressive career, Mr. Shaheen" Josie remarked in astonishment.
"I appreciate your admiration of my accomplishments. But please, drop the formalities. Calling me Shaheen is more than enough" the Saudi Arabian man told her, only to reach for something in one of his pockets.
Josie watched with curiosity as Shaheen held up a small piece of paper for her to see.
"What is this?" she asked while accepting the paper from Shaheen. As the young Filipina read the paper, she was so stunned that she almost dropped the paper on the floor. "You're kidding me…...is this an…." Josie was almost rendered speechless.
Shaheen nodded his head weakly with a smile. "It is. Josie Rizal. You are hereby invited to the gala dinner at the Burj Khalifa, hosted by my employer. You, along with a few lucky models, have been selected by us to attend this gala dinner as honored guests" he confirmed what Josie had thought all along.
Josie felt so gleeful like never before. This man, who represented one of the many sponsors for this exhibition, had given her an invitation to a fancy gala at one of the tallest buildings in the world.
"ALRIGHT! THIS IS GREAT!" the young Filipina jumped in the air, only to calm herself once she realized Shaheen still standing there. "Thank you so much for this, Shaheen! It means a lot of me!" Josie said, getting touchy once again.
Shaheen was somehow surprised to see how quickly emotional this young model became. Still, he had to laugh at it out of amusement.
"It was only my pleasure. You see, my boss has taken a great interest in your performance. That's why he wishes to have you present at the gala dinner, alongside other models. Think of it as a chance of investment" he told her.
This made Josie snap back into reality. "Oh crud. I gotta tell my manager about this!" she was about to lose into confusion, only for Shaheen to calm her down.
"It has already been done, Mrs. Rizal. Your manager seemed more than happy to let you participate. That's why my boss sent me to hear your answer to this invitation. And since you've said yes, I'll report back to him" he told her.
Josie was acting like a child who had just opened her present. Never in her life would she imagine her modelling career taking off to new heights.
"Y-yes! I'll be on my best behavior as possible, t-trust me!" the Filipina insisted, struggling to not stutter between her words.
Shaheen, baffled as he was to see Josie overreacting, mused to himself, actually feeling glad on this girl's behalf.
"Then we will see each other later. My employer looks forward to see you. Now as for dress code, anything that you may like….by modelling standards, of course" Shaheen told her before turning around. But he was not leaving just yet. "It was a pleasure to speak with you, Josie Rizal. Hopefully, we will get to know each other a lot better at the dinner. Munthu fatrah taweelah jidan" Shaheen bid him farewell in Arabic before leaving.
Josie didn't have enough strength to open her mouth, let alone wave back at him. For some reason, she blushed a little. Clearly, this man had left a great impression on her.
"Wow…..can't believe I actually met a bodyguard with military experience….he looked so handsome…" Josie admitted, only to snap when she realized what she was doing. "Hold on! This isn't the time to be thinking of such things! I can't believe that I got invited to the gala dinner! That means….they're obviously interested in hiring me for future exhibitions or something…" Josie didn't hold back her excitement.
But while Josie kept celebrating her chance encounter with Shaheen and the invitation she received, the Saudi Arabian man himself stood by the curtains, briefly overhearing her words before finally walking off the backstage.
Judging by the look on his face, however, Shaheen looked qute somber. It was as if he took pity upon the Filipina. But nobody knew for what reason.
"From what I could tell based upon your body language, there were a lot of information you held back. Even so, I understand why you did it" Shaheen admitted, summarizing his conversation with Josie. "Yes, you were once a second-in-command of the Tekken Force, much to my dismay. But on the other hand, I know that you never participated in any of the Zaibatsu's global war effort. Being associated with that is very dangerous these days. Still, it is clear to me that you are no longer associated with them. That fills me with a sense of relief" he then concluded, forming a weak smile as he kept walking.
With that taken care of, Shaheen looked forward to get to know Joise better. But he knew that he had also hidden something from her as well. Truth is, there was a motive for Josie being invited to this gala dinner. But what could it be?
On a boat in the Tai Tam Bay, Hong King, China
The evening was descending over the city of Hong Kong. Still, there were lights everywhere as far as any eye could see. Even the areas outside the city had those as well.
The large Tai Tam Bay was no exception. Despite not being as populated as the city itself, there were lights and signs of activity in this outskirt.
"Being given free boat ride to where the celebration is at? Talk about luxury" a familiar voice blurted out in the dark.
On what appeared to be a speedboat, Lei Wulong currently sat on a ferry bench. Two men dressed in black were driving it. Lei was headed towards somewhere out in the bay.
"Man, there's a lot of superyachts docked here in Tai Tam Bay. I wonder which is hers" Lei wondered as he tried guessing which of those he would go onboard.
Yesterday, at a bar in the city, Lei had a chance encounter with an enigmatic "businesswoman" by the name of Lana Lai. With her seductive smooth-talk and promises, she had managed to win Lei over. The conversations between them had been pleasant, and Lei was more than happy to have been invited to this celebration. But what flattered him more was how someone like Lana took an interest in him.
"Okay. Gotta make myself look good before I get onboard" Lei said as he looked at himself in the camera's selfie modus. "At least I don't have any cuts on my face. But who am I kidding, Lana's not the type who values appearances so much" he then realized and stopped looking at his phone.
After work, Lei had headed straight back to the apartment and changed himself for the evening. As a matter of fact, the detective had opted for a fancy tuxedo with a black tie and shoes.
He had driven from the city to To Tei Wan Tsuen, where the security guards had been waiting to pick him up with their speedboat.
"I can't help but to wonder what kind of people will be there. Lana did say she was a businesswoman, so she's probably invited popular folks from across the world. But I don't expect any CEOs to be there, of course" Lei concluded.
After driving out in the bay, Lei spotted what appeared to be a large superyacht docked near the opening of the bay itself. The policeman was in awe of the size of that thing. Despite the dark atmosphere, Lei could see all the details of the yacht thanks to the lights coming from it.
"So THIS is Mazu? Unbelievable" Lei uttered out in astonishment.
Mazu appeared to be a model belonging to the Italian brand Fincantieri. It had two helipads, one on the front and one on the back, not to mention an outdoor pool, something Lei could barely see at the top of it.
"Lana wasn't bluffing about the yacht being huge. She's definitely loaded" Lei was still astonished by the size of Mazu.
Even now, he could hear the sound of music and loud noises coming from that floating mansion. Obviously, the party was already in full-swing.
Lei grinned cheekily. "Damn. I hope I'm not too late. Things seems to be going wild already. Hopefully none of them have gotten drunk" he hoped.
The speedboat docked by Mazu's back. Surprisingly, the water around the superyacht was rather calm, all the easier for Lei to get onboard. Once he got on deck, the policeman waved at the pair of security guards piloting the speedboat.
"Thanks for the awesome trip, guys! You take care!" he thanked them, yet neither of the guards responded, proceeding to speed the boat away from the superyacht. His made Lei raise an eyebrow. "Geez, what's with them? Can't even say "you're welcome"? Ah well, I guess they're probably busy driving guests through the bay" Lei concluded, turning around to see what was upstairs.
Walking up, Lei was greeted to the sight of several people already hanging outside in order to watch the view from the terrace. These guests seemed to be in the middle of a conversation, so Lei saw no reason to join them. Furthermore, he wanted to see Lana.
"Alright. I suppose the rest of the guests inside. Heck, I even hear the music" he noted, looking at the opened door which led him to what appeared to be a living room. There appeared to be a lot of people inside.
With that said, Lei headed inside. The music being currently played was the song "Demons" from Imagine Dragons. As Lei went inside, he was being greeted by the view of so many people hanging inside this superyacht's interior. Everywhere he looked, visitors were doing something, from socializing to drinking and even somebody playing pool. Needless to say, there was so much activity going on.
"Man. I'm not sure what to do now. Perhaps I should go over and talk to at least one of these groups" the policeman was thinking of mingling with the guests.
"Lei Wulong! You finally came!" Lei's attention was brought to the right by the sight of a familiar face. He smiled.
Standing there was Lana Lai, the woman already dressed in a traditional Chinese silk dress. It was red, while having golden dragon patterns on it. Despite each of her eyes having different colors, they didn't ruin the bewitching beauty seen on her face.
Lei was completely taken aback by this, seeing Lana standing there smiling while holding a glass of champagne in her right hand. Still, he mustered enough courage to respond.
"I sure did! No way I was chickening out on this" Lei remarked with a chuckle, the policeman still feeling the attraction towards Lana. "Gotta say…..that silk dress suits you, Lana. I mean…..gosh…..I don't know what to say" he blushed, feeling embarrassed to have not the rights words to say.
Lana giggled. "Why thank you. You're not looking bad yourself, Mr. Super Cop" she responded, calling Lei by his usual nickname as she approached near him
Hearing that made, Lei feel so enamored. "I don't believe it! She's calling me Super Cop as a term of endearment" this feeling was too much for the poor man to handle.
Without him even realizing it, Lana gently touched his right hand and started dragging him. In other words, she wanted to guide him.
"Come. Let's go over to the lounge. There are several important guests that I would like you to meet" the Chinese woman told him.
Lei did absolutely nothing to stop her. He let Lana lead her as if the two of them had already tied the knot. In another note, he wondered what kind of friends Lana had. He was looking forward to this.
At a lounge sat a group of several people, both men and women. They seemed to be already engaged in different conversations. But as soon as they saw Lana with Lei in tow, each these individuals looked at them.
"Everyone, I would like to introduce you to an esteemed guest of mine: Lei Wulong of the Hong Kong Police" Lana introduced them and all eyes were on him.
Awkwardly, Lei tried to wave at them in a kind manner. But some these guys, who seemed to be from Hong Kong like himself, didn't necessarily look like the friendly bunch.
"H-hello. I guess none of you have heard of me…..eh?" Lei asked, trying to make a good impression on them.
"Oye! I've heard of you!" the voice came from Enrique Ortega, who sat between two ladies with a smirk on his face. "You're that guy with all those kick-ass moves I've seen on TV! Yeah, you gotta be him" he added.
Lei felt dumbstruck. "TV? I'm not an actor playing a cop, if that's what you're saying…" he responded to Enrique's words.
Lana put her hand on Lei's left shoulder, once again bringing tense inside the poor guy.
"Don't listen to what Enrique says. He has a habit of saying certain things that are out of context" Lana insisted to him, only to look at the Cuban man. "Come up here and introduce yourself, please" she told him.
"Claro. No necesitas apresurarte" he replied in Spanish before reaching out his hand to Lei. "Nice to finally meet a cop in person. Me llamo Enrique Ortega. I'm a sugar baron from Cuba. The pleasure is all mine" Enrique introduced himself.
When hearing that name, something transpired within Lei's mind. Still, he managed to hide it on the outside. As such, he shook hands with Enrique.
"Likewise, señor" Lei tried to put up a smile as he looked at the Cuban guy.
"Why don't you have a seat with us? We got all the refreshments you need at this table" Lana suggested to Lei as she stood on the sidelines.
Her smile was more than enough for Lei to respond back, his cheeks reddening a little.
"S-sure thing, Lana! I'll be happy to" the policeman agreed.
With that said, Lei found his seat right between Enrique and Lana. As awkward as it felt for him, being near Lana was something he really liked. But on another note, he didn't like being seated near Enrique.
"Say, amigo. How many cases have you solved in your career?" Enrique suddenly asked him.
Seeing that Lana was also keen on knowing the answer, Lei felt obligated to respond to him.
"To be frank with you, more than I can count" Lei answered, yet he felt the need to add more details to his answer. "But hey, I was the one who managed to uncover the Syndicate and it's operations" Lei pointed out to him.
Lana giggled. "Oh, we know that. All the more reason why your reputation is well-deserved" she told him.
But Enrique found himself scoffing at hearing what was being said. "Tch, those cabrones weren't even that big of a deal. What made them so feared was how they built alliances with every group in the criminal underworld. The Italian Mafia, the Chinese Triads, the Japanese Yakuza, the Russian Bratva, hell, even the Colombian cartels. Without those connections, the Syndicate would've been nothing" he expressed his open opinion of them.
This made Lei look at him with a raised eyebrow. "Woah, you sure possess a lot of information for being a sugar baron" he was intrigued.
Enrique smirked back at him. "Let's just say that my homeland tolerates those kinds of people doing business there. Cuba allows almost every illegal activity to happen. Comunistas codiciosos. Pretending to be for the people when in reality, they serve only themselves" he explained.
"Enrique here owns not just sugar plants on Cuba, you see. He owns some of them on Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Needless to say, he makes millions selling them to companies such as Coca-Cola" Lana chimed in, looking at Enrique.
Lei whistled in amazement. "Man, that's quite a profession you've got there, Señor Ortega" he remarked.
Enrique sat there, happily accepting the praise as if he had deserved it.
But inside Lei himself, something was beginning to take hold on him. Apparently, he seemed to know Enrique from somewhere.
"Enrique Ortega…..I recognize that name from the Interpol files. From what I read, he used be involved in not just the drug cartels of South America…..but the Syndicate as well" Lei summarized on what he knew about this individual. "But after the Syndicate's downfall, he went missing in action. Nobody knew were Ortega had run off to….until we heard rumors about him having joined a new criminal enterprise…." Lei gathered the pieces.
"So this is where you guys have been, eh?" the voice spoken in an Australian accent could be heard before those in the lounge.
All eyes were turned upon the muscular man dressed in a suit, his hair having been dyed pink. Lana smirked, as she was looking at Bryce Adams.
"Brycie, dear. Where have you been?" she asked him.
Bryce held up a can of beer in his right hand, taking a slurp from it in the process.
"Ah! Sorry, sheila. Just wanted to find myself a coldie. You know how much I detest champagne and all that stuff. Nobody beats Toheeys New!" Bryce responded to her.
Lana giggled in amusement. "Fair enough. Whatever you think it's best for you" she told him, only to point her finger at Lei, who snapped. "Speaking of new, we appear to have an important guest here tonight. Please say hello to Lei Wulong" she told him.
With that said, Bryce walked over to Lei, reaching out his hand to him. Lei looked up to him, feeling surprised at seeing the face of this man.
"So, you must be the jackman I've heard so much about. Name's Bryce Adams. I'm the bodyguard of Lana there. Great to meet ya, bogan" he said.
Unwilling to draw suspicion from anyone, Lei shook Bryce's hand, yet he remained seated on the couch.
"The pleasure is mine as well, sir" Lei said, only to snap when he heard what Bryce's role was. As a matter of fact, he looked at Lana. "Wait. Is he your bodyguard?" he asked her.
"Why of course. Is there something wrong with that?" Lana asked him while confirming his question.
"N-no! Not at all! It's just that…I wasn't expecting someone from Australia to work for you…..that's all…" Lei lied, hoping it would convince her.
To his surprise, it did. "Well, I have a certain taste for foreigners, if you know what I mean" Lana responded, her enticing eyes never leaving sight of him.
But even as he was given that look, Lei had far bigger problems to think about right now. He watched as Bryce took his seat besides Lana. It would seem that he knew something about this man.
"Bryce Adams? The same homicidal gunman Interpol has been searching for all these years!? I can't believe he's being employed by the likes of her!" Lei thought, watching as the gunman laughed with Lana. He then glanced at the Chinese woman herself. "That says a lot about you which I don't really know of, Lana" he added to his observation.
Unbeknownst to him, Enrique had been following Lei's movements as he sat beside him. Still, he had not said a word to either him nor Lana.
"I see that you're starting to grow a little suspicious" Enrique noted to himself as he puffed out some smoke from his Cuban cigar. "But have no fear, amigo. Because I have no intention of harming you" he smiled mischievously beneath the cigar.
"Brycie, dear. Do you happen to know where Kamiya and the doctor is?" she asked if she was petting him or something.
"Nah, last time I checked, our Japanese cobber was out in the balcony getting some fresh air. But as for the good doctor, no bloody idea" Bryce responded.
This made Lei awfully curious. Was there another wanted criminal onboard this superyacht? And more importantly, who was this good doctor Bryce spoke of? The policeman had somehow strong suspicions that the doctor could be the person he thought it was.
"If I may interrupt you for a second. But who is this good doctor?" Lei asked them.
Bryce looked at him with a frown, yet Lana smirked, seeing as she didn't seem as hostile as the former.
"You're probably assuming that we're having Dr. Bosconovicth onboard Mazu. Sadly, he isn't" Lana playfully shut down Lei's assumption. "However, this doctor is someone whose projects I have personally financed" she went on explaining.
Now, Lei was growing more intrigued by this. "Another scientist? But if not Bosconovitch, then who? Please don't tell me it's Dr. Abel. I know that he's dead, but there's always a chance that twisted bastard has managed escape it!" he mentally prayed it wasn't that mad scientist.
However, Lei would be given an answer once he and the others on the lounge could spot a person approaching them. It was the scientist Dr. Lukas Hayes. The timid man didn't neccesarily possess much courage to wave his hand at them.
"Ah, speak of the devil. He's finally here" Lana said as she got up from her seat and stood beside the black-skinned man. "Lei. Allow me to introduce you to Dr. Lukas Hayes, a scientist with great experience in climatic science. Dr. Hayes, Detective Lei Wulong of the Hong Kong Police" he introduced them to one another.
Lei got up from the lounge and shook hands with the scientist, even though Lukas seemed a little hesitant in doing so. Still, they did greet each other.
"It's nice to meet you, doc" Lei smiled.
"L-likewise, detective" Lukas replied back, stuttering with the first word.
As they greeted, Lei started to mentally summarize what he knew about this man.
"Dr. Lukas Hayes. From what I read in the files, he seemed to be involved in certain illegal activities when it came to researching. But I wonder…did he have some connection with Bosconovitch or Abel?" that was the question that popped into the detective's head.
All of a sudden, something happened inside the hall of the living room itself. All the guests, both men and women, were finding themselves a dance partner. The music had also changed. Right now, the song Home Videos by Blu Mar Ten was being played. This could only mean one thing for Lei.
"What the….is there a dancing coming up now? I didn't know…" he was lost in confusion.
That was until he saw a hand reached out to him. It belonged to Lana. The Chinese woman smiled sweetly at Lei, who could not bring himself to disregard it as fake.
"Shall we, Lei?" she actually asked him for a dance with her.
As speechless as Lei was, he mustered enough courage to respond to her request.
"Sure thing! I m-mean, it would be a pleasure to have this dance with you. Although I should be the one asking for your permission" he tried to put some humor in this talk.
Lana giggled, finding it amusing. "Then let's get on with it. I can't wait to see how good your dance moves are" she told him.
Lei then held hands with Lana, and they joined the other guests in dancing to this music playing in the background. Neither one seemed to be experienced dancers, yet they managed themselves just fine.
As they looked at one another's faces, Lei was smitten by the mysterious beauty from Lana, no matter how different her eyes were. He managed to look past them and see the person for what she was. All his previous suspicions about Lana had all but vanished.
"No….I refuse to believe it. There's no way that Lana is somewhat connected with all this madness…." Lei thought to himself.
His dance partner had her own thoughts in her head, something which Lei never managed to read.
"This is going perfectly" Lana remarked, feeling so much satisfaction building within her.
Lei, although too focused on watching his every step, had enough confidence to get comfortable with this dancing. He also felt the need to comment his dance partner.
"Gosh, Lana…..you've got great moves…..better than mine" he told Lana without breaking a sweat.
Lana giggled, feeling flattered at Lei's comment. "No need to feel so ashamed of yourself, detective. Everyone has their strength and weaknesses" she assured him.
Lei chuckled in return. "Yeah. Can't say I disagree with you on that" he agreed with Lana's words.
Back at the lounge, Bryce snorted in disgust at what he witnessed. But it was not necessarily the dancing which made him do it.
"Lucky copper. Lana's never said yes to dancing with me" the gunman muttered, still watching the dancing in jealously.
Enrique took notice of it and chuckled lightly, something Bryce didn't take kindly to.
"What's the matter, Adams? Green with jealousy?" he teased the Australian man.
"Rack off, greaser" Bryce hit back with a racial slur directed towards the laidback man.
Despite being spoken to like that, Enrique didn't seem to mind. Having known Bryce for quite some time, he was perfectly capable of not letting his insults get to him. Instead, he looked sideways to see Lukas. He sat by himself on the lounge, not even daring to by near them.
"Hey, doctor. Why the long face?" Enrique casually asked him, still surrounding himself with women. He had an idea on how to cheer the scientist up. "If you want, I can bring you some lovely muschachas over here to cheer you up. Always work for me" he offered Lukas.
Despite being asked this, Lukas meekly shook his head. "Thanks, but I'll pass. You know me, I'm much more reserved when it comes to socializing" he told Enrique.
The Cuban man shrugged his shoulders. "Suit yourself, then" he replied in an easygoing manner, only to devote his attention to the women around him. "Oye, mamacitas! Would you like some other refreshments? I've got drogas that will make your heads go loco! So what do you say?" Enrique then tried luring the ladies to get high with him.
As he sat and watched Enrique try charm the ladies, Lukas felt sick to his stomach. Quite frankly, being on this superyacht himself made him feel that way. Ever since he discovered his employers' true intentions with having him onboard. All this time, they had never planed on using Lukas' research for the good of humanity.
"How….how did it come to this?" Lukas wondered, only to look across the dancefloor, past the dancers.
He saw a minibar and noticed a certain man sitting by one of the stools looking straight at him. Lukas knew who he was. It was Shin Kamiya, another executive belonging to Kometa.
For some reason, the Japanese man had been looking at the scientist in a quite odd manner. It was as if he was watching over him. Still, once Lukas' glassed eyes caught a glimpse of him, Shin nodded his head weakly.
The scientist gulped, feeling that he had just swallowed an uncomfortable lump. Clearly, Lukas knew the reason Shin had just done that.
"Damn it…..I just had to end up in this…..conundrum" the scientist lamented, realizing that he was in deep trouble.
Flashback, one day ago, inside a cabin, onboard Mazu
Lukas didn't know for what reason why he had been brought to this fanciful cabin which belonged to Shin. Considering how he was one of the many executives at Kometa, he was given such luxury one could only dream of.
But right now, Lukas was uncertain about why he was inside this cabin. Truth be told, he and Shin had barley communicated at all for as long as he could remember. Still, the attitude coming from the Japanese man hinted to something important.
"So…..was there anything you needed h-help with, Kamiya?" Lukas started the conversation by asking him that question.
Shin looked at him rather conspicuously, leaning against the desk while crossing his arms.
"Not really. You see, I have other motives for bringing you in here" he answered.
Lukas shivered a little, seeing as Shin's gaze never left sight of him. There was something going on here, and he didn't like it one bit.
"W-what do you mean?" the scientist responded by asking him once again.
Shin shook his head out of annoyance. "There's no point in playing dumb before me, Doctor Hayes. I know everything about you" he bluntly told Lukas.
This sent a chill down the scientist's spine, and Lukas could tell that Shin knew exactly what he was getting at.
"Everything a-about me!? I d-don't understand what you're….." Lukas tried to deny it, but it was too late.
"Yesterday, while Lana and her close associates were having that secret "meeting" with the leader of those deranged cultists, you managed to sneak up and spy on them" Shin explained, but he was not finished. "In other words, you managed to hear everything that were said in that room, without them knowing of your presence, of course" the Japanese man then summarized it all.
Lukas was sweating intensively as he realized what Shin was getting at. "So that means you've been….." he didn't get to speak as the man before him answered.
"Yes, I witnessed you doing that while standing around the corner" Shin revealed, only to see how desperate the scientist was getting. "Calm down for a second, doctor. I didn't bring you into my suite for an interrogation" he shot down whatever opinions the scientist had.
This helped ease the stress within Lukas a little. "You really mean it?" he asked him, wanting to know if he hadn't misheard anything.
Shin nodded his head. "Correct. You see, the reason I wanted you here….is because I have a proposition for you" he revealed in a quite smug manner.
Despite hearing his words, Lukas hardly felt compelled to trust the man before him to the fullest. In his own mind, all the executives at Kometa were scoundrels, even Shin Kamiya. Or was he?
"And what makes you think that I will agree to it?" Lukas asked, looking down on his lap to face the floor between his shoes. "The damage has already been done. Lana has completely changed my inventions into weapons of mass destruction. It won't be long before her plans com to fruition" he was already a defeated man, knowing well how they would all end up dead.
"Or maybe there is still a chance of averting it" Shin suddenly blurted it out.
Lukas looked at him confused, watching as Shin paced around in the bedroom. He stood by the windows, gazing out to the view of the ocean.
"Even as we speak, I've already left some breadcrumbs for Interpol and the UN to find. That includes Kometa's recent activities, as well as the type of people associated with the group" the Japanese man revealed, taking a brief glance at Lukas.
The scientist was speechless. "You've leaked info to the UN? But why!? Why would you even…" Lukas stopped once he saw Shin approach him aggressively.
Still, Shin didn't seem too violent, as he just wanted to make him silent.
"Shut up and start listening. This is something you can't speak of so loudly!" Shin reprimanded him, yet he realized that nobody had listened to them so far. "Anyway, it won't be long until the UN sends one of their agents to capture you. Clearly, they will demand some answers out of you about Kometa's operations, seeing as you've been involved with them for some time" he lowered his head.
Lukas didn't know what to believe or not. This man, whom he didn't know all that much, had probably arranged for his rescue. Still, the scientist knew better than to be so thankful, seeing as Interpol wanted him as well.
"But make no mistake. I'm not doing this because I feel sorry for you, let alone your petty research. Quite frankly, I'd say you're little different from Lana and her ilk when it comes to illegal activities, Dr. Hayes" Shin then revealed.
The scientist narrowed his eyes at him, finding it hypocritical that someone like Shin was standing there judging him. After all, Shin had himself been involved with plenty of wrongdoings, so it seemed illogical for him to be acting like a goody two-shoes since he'd willingly joined Kometa.
"Then why go to such lengths, Kamiya? Would reason could you possibly have for wanting to free a meekly scientist like me from the clutches of a dragoness?" Lukas wanted some answers.
In response, Shin stated to slowly left up the left sleeve of his dress. The scientist was surprised. It seemed that his entire left arm was bandaged, not just his hand. Lukas had always wondered why, yet never paid much attention to it.
"Because I'm not doing this for free either. I want compensation. And because of you being a man of science, I figured you could be of great use to me with giving me information about this" Shin revealed, starting to remove his bandages.
Lukas sat and watched in awe as he witnessed what Shin was about to show him. Once the bandaged were gone, he was given the sight of a long black tattoo running across his arm.
"This cannot be…that's not a tattoo…" Lukas stammered as he got a closer look at it. He looked up at Shin. "You…you're one of the…" he couldn't find enough words to say it.
Shin gritted his teeth in anger. "Not anymore. My days with those bastards are over. Still, their experimentation upon me has changed my body forever. Somehow, I feel as if I don't age at all" he bitterly told the scientist.
"But I don't understand…..to my knowledge, the M-Cell Project had been deemed a failure….due to every test subjects dying" Lukas said.
"Well, I'm standing here, being the opposite of that" Shin reminded him, clutching onto his left arm tightly. "That said, your prize for getting out of Kometa….will be you digging into files of the Mishima Zaibatsu's research…..including those of Dr. Abel" he then told him.
Lukas looked rather dumbfounded. "What do you mean by that? Have you not heard the news? Abel is dead! As is Heihachi. That means all the Zaibatsu's operations have ceased to exist" he pointed out.
"That's not what I'm talking about" Shin interjected him. "If you think that the Zaibatsu is the only ones who are experimenting with such messed-up research, then you're dead wrong. Where do you suppose those Rippers are coming from?" he pressed on, forming a smirk in the process.
This was a nail in the coffin for Lukas to hear. For he knew what Shin was getting at.
"Those bastards….they've been using dead bodies for the Rippers!?" the scientist was in disbelief.
"Exactly. Now, if you really have remorse for being instrumental in furthering Kometa's ambitions, the least you can do is to do what I ask of you. However, this researching of yours is something you must never tell anyone…not even the UN" Shin was adamant on letting Lukas know every term.
Lukas had no words to utter out, yet he did nod his head as a yes to his terms. Still, the very thought of working with someone like Shin brought him so many questions.
"Just what is your endgame in all this, Shin Kamiya?" he wondered as he looked at the Japanese man.
Back to the present
Lukas, still recalling the conversation, felt so conflicted right now. Amidst this dancing and wonderful music, the scientist was unsure of what he would do.
"Even after hearing Kamiya willing to bust me out of this place…I don't feel like I deserve to be rescued…." Lukas admitted, looking down at his lap.
From the sidelines, Bryce had managed to caught a glimpse of Shin giving eye contact with Lukas. While it didn't raise any suspicion from him, Bryce still found it strange, seeing as Shin and Lukas barley knew each other.
"Since when did Kamiya and the doc become mates all of a sudden? Not that I really care, seeing as that dingo pup being too scared to do anything" Bryce remarked, shifting his attention between his fellow executive and the scientist on the lounge. It didn't long before he looked back at Lei and Lana dancing. "Blimey. Perhaps I should've been more submissive towards Lana. That sure would've won her heart" the gunman grumbled.
In the middle of the hall, the dancing still continued. But the song was almost over and the couples started taking it slowly. The same could be said for Lei and Lana.
They had done it splendid so far. At the same time, Lei had felt himself growing more comfortable being so close to Lana.
As the pair looked at each other in the eyes, Lana boldly embraced Lei in an intimate hug, though not before giving him a kiss on his left cheek. She proceeded to place her head on his shoulder blade. Lei, already getting used to Lana's sensational touching, held his arms around her waist.
"Mmm…..you're so good with your hands, Lei. Please don't let go" Lana "begged" him, yet she could still feel them on her silk dress.
Lei chuckled lightly. "Whatever you say, ma'am. Your hands are not so bad themselves" he complimented her hands that were already exploring his back.
The two went on like this, only for Lana to place her right hand on her own thigh. For some reason, it looked as if the two were deeply in love with each other, at least from Lei's point of view.
"Since we're now getting to know each other so much…..I feel that now's the time for me to tell you something….something….I've been meaning to tell you specifically" Lana informed him.
As confused as Lei was, he actually felt very interested in hearing it.
"Alright. Then let me hear it. I'm all ears, Lana" Lei responded, still not letting go of the woman.
Smirking, the Chinese woman turned her head so that it her lips was very close to Lei's ear. This indicated that he would whisper something to him. Yet Lei didn't seem to mind it, finding it amusing how Lana was trying to be a secretive lover or something.
Since her voice often brought such a wonderful sensation within him, Lei closed his eyes, hoping to hear what he had hoped to hear. The detective, despite knowing Lana for just a day, was willing to spend the rest of his days with her. The very thought of that brought him so much joy.
But as Lana kept whispering words into Lei's ear, his eyes suddenly opened wide. Instead of being filled with hope, they were filled with fear. Still, he held his hands around her.
After 5 minutes, Lana finally pulled herself away from Lei, watching as blood ran from his lips. In complete shock, Lei looked down and saw a wound in his stomach that was bleeding. He quickly held onto his wound, watching the one responsible for this.
Lana looked at Lei in a sadistic manner, her eyes only hinting to how it pleased her to see how wounded Lei was. But that was not all. She held a Chinese dagger in her right hand. It seemed apparent now.
While Lana had whispered those things to Lei, she had secretly managed to pull out the dagger underneath her dress. That's when she stabbed Lei.
The other dance partners had taken notice of Lei's wound, so they quickly distanced themselves from the dancefloor. Instead, several men in black, as well as Bryce and Enrique, appeared before Lei and Lana, surrounding them in a ring. But this looked more like they were trying to prevent Lei from making a run for it.
Lana chuckled, her eyes never leaving sight of the distraught detective before her.
"Now that you know everything about my plans, I can't allow you to leave here alive. That's why we will make sure that you meet your end here" Lana said, holding the bleeding blade of the dagger near her lips. She licked some of the blood, enjoying the taste in a twisting manner. "Still, I will openly commend you for being willing to become my friend so far, Lei. Surely you won't take this personally" the Chinese woman continued.
Lei watched as he was completely surrounded. He couldn't believe it. All this time, he had been played a fool by a woman who had used her feminine charms to sway him over to her own lair.
"You evil bitch…." Lei still possessed enough strength to speak, albeit calmly. "Is this really how you want the world to remember you!?" he then demanded some answers out of her.
Lana watched his anger unfazed. "The world? Idiot. What's the point of seeking their recognition when they will meet their end sooner? Quite frankly, I couldn't give a rat's ass about their feelings" she responded with such remorselessness.
Lei gritted his teeth in frustration. "Damnit…...I should've known….that I was one of Kometa's many important persons of interest. I have to get out of here…..but how!? I'm stuck in the middle of the Tai Tam Bay. With this wound….there's no way in hell that I can swim back to the mainland…." Lei tried to find an exit to this problem, yet it was difficult for him.
Bryce smirked, pulling out a gun from one of his pockets. He stepped forward besides Lana.
"Hey, sheila. How about I end his life by putting a bullet between his eyes? That'll send a clear message to them Interpol-yobbos I reckon" Bryce asked her superior.
"No tan rápido, amigo" Enrique interjected him in Spanish. He had already unsheathed his katana, resting it on his right shoulder. "If there's one who gets to play executioner tonight, it's me" he expressed his desire to finish Lei off.
Despite seeing how assertive her subordinates were, Lana seemed to have other ways in mind when it came to Lei.
"While I do appreciate your offers, gentlemen, I believe there is a better way to end this cop's miserable life" Lana said before snapping her fingers.
Without warning, the Chinese men in black pulled out their handguns, all of them aiming at the wounded policeman. Lei was completely at their mercy right now.
"Be thankful, Lei. Because few are given the privilege of being executed like this" Lana spoke as if she was looking forward to see this.
Feeling that the bleeding on his stomach never stopped, Lei felt his entire body weakening as a result. At this rate, he was prepared to face the terrible truth, he had been trusting Lana so blindly.
"I'm sorry, everyone…..this is all on me" Lei silently apologized to his friends and loved ones.
Amidst this, neither Lukas nor Shin had removed themselves from their spots. They remained where they were and watched as Lei was about to be shot by his surrounding enemies. While Lukas seemed worried, the same couldn't be said for Shin. He looked so unfazed that he even held up a glass of champagne near his lips.
But his lips surprisingly changed into that of a smirk.
"Heh. Party's over now" he thought.
In that very moment, the unexpected happened. Out of nowhere, two individuals appeared in the hall, taking out the men in black in the process. They performed their attacks rather well, as Lei struggled to catch wind of who they were.
In time, however, the two strangers stopped attacking, enabling everyone to see who they were. Lei was so surprise that he was almost rendered speechless.
"You gotta be kidding me…." Lei uttered out those words.
The ones who had just caused this mayhem were the agents from the UN's intelligence bureau: Master Raven and his subordinate/younger brother Raven. Master Raven stood there brandishing her sword while Raven already held onto his daggers.
Master Raven smirked as she looked at Lana and her entourage. "Sorry that we're late, but we stumbled upon a few hindrances along the way" she spoke, mocking the event.
Scowling, Lana was understandably not pleased with this interruption the two agents had just caused.
"What is the meaning of this? Who the hell are you!?" she demanded, holding onto the dagger in her hand.
Bryce seemed to already have the answer, given that he saw Raven. "It's him! That's him, Lana! He's the Blade-wannabe who tried sabotaging our operations at Papua New Guinea!" he pointed his finger at the ninja.
Raven looked at him completely nonchalant. "Blade-wannabe? Your choice of words is terrible, even for you" he rebuked the Australian gunman.
"I see. So that means you are those meddling agents from the UN, am I right?" Lana questioned them, her lips curving into a devious smirk. "How delightful. I'd been considering pursuing your whereabouts. But it appears that's no longer the case, seeing as you two will die here!" she declared, pulling out a war fan that seemed to have sharp blades on it.
Master Raven remained far from fearful, her eyes staring right back at the Chinese woman.
"So it was true after all? People on Interpol's most wanted list had joined this Kometa. Bryce Adams, Enrique Ortega and…Lana Lai" she commented, pointing her blade the woman before her. "The daughter of a Hong Kong triad's Dragon Head, linked to illegal activities in both Hong Kong and New York" she added.
Lana didn't seem to mind Master Raven spilling the truth about her. "Nice work digging up the info. But there is more to me than just that" she pointed out.
Enrique licked his lips as he looked at the female agent. For some reason, he seemed to like her.
"Mmm hombre…..I never knew the UN had such delicious muchachas in their ranks. Not to mention a swordswoman" Enrique remarked, holding out his blade for Master Raven to see. "Oye, mamacita! Wanna see which of us are better with the sword? I'd like to see you swing that thing" he spoke as if he attempted to impress her.
Not surprisingly, Master Raven paid no heed to him. "We have no time for this chit-chat. Me and my subordinate came here for business….tough business" she told everyone.
Bryce had to laugh at hearing her say that. "So what? You came here to rescue this fragile copper here?" he asked them while aiming two guns at her and Raven. "Sorry, love. But I reckon he's on his way to the devil himself as of now. No point in rescuing him" he said.
Raven seemed to grow tired of listening to Bryce. But instead of attacking him, he stood at Lei's side, making sure he was close to the detective.
"For the record, we didn't come here just for that. We're here for another business" Raven sternly told Bryce.
"And what would that be?" Lana asked, feeling as if she held the upper hand in this game.
Master Raven smirked. "You'll know soon enough" she said and looked at Raven. "Go! Now!" she commanded her subordinate, who quickly grabbed Lei.
With his quick ninja skills, Raven carried Lei out of the hall, and out of the yacht itself. Bryce chased them with his handguns, yet he was too slow to catch up to them.
"Hey! Get back here!" Bryce could be heard yelling while firing his weapons.
In the meantime, Master Raven used her extraordinary ninjutsu to vanish from Lana and Enrique's eyes. She appeared at the table before the longue, right before Lukas himself.
The scrawny scientist, who had been little surprised at the appearance of Master Raven and Raven, remained speechless as he looked up at the woman. Her piercing eyes only indicated that she was looking for him.
"Dr. Lukas Hayes…..you're coming with me!" she told him.
Lukas was barley mustering enough strength to open his mouth, when he was grabbed by his shirt and lifted up to the athletic woman's level. He grew uncomfortable, wondering whether Master Raven would do something to him, not that he didn't mind of course. She clearly knew all about him.
"You're not getting away from here!" Master Raven looked over er shoulder to see Lana holding her war fan ready. "Whatever you and your pathetic superiors at the UN have found it, it won't help you! Soon, the entire world will fall to its knees before me! China. Russia. Britain. India. Even the United States. They will all feel my wrath!" she explained her ambitions to him.
"Not if the Earth's free people stand against you" Master Raven hit back.
Angered, Lana threw her war fan at the agent.
"DIE, YOU BITCH!" she yelled, desperate to have Master Raven killed.
In response, the agent held out grenade in her hand. She subsequently dropped it on the table. "Consider yourselves lucky this time, Lana Lai. Because sooner or later, justice will come for you" she said and vanished with Lukas before the war fan it her.
Still, Lana and Enrique saw the grenade and they both reacted by getting out as soon as they could.
"COÑO! GRENADE!" Enrique cursed.
Outside, Mazu exploded as a result of the grenade. However, one couldn't be certain whether everyone onboard had died. Still, plenty of guests were out in the water, desperate to remain floated.
But on a nearby speedboat driving out of the bay, Lei was sitting there, still holding onto his wound. Lukas sat beside him. The one driving the speedboat was Raven. Master Raven stood up, looking at the pair with her arms crossed.
Lei, despite feeling the pain, chuckled. "Man…..never would I've guessed that you would save my hide once again. Still…..thanks….." he thanked then, only to wince once he felt the pain.
"Don't speak anymore, Lei Wulong. It will worsen your wound" Master Raven scolded hm, only to turn her attention to Lukas. "And as for you, doctor. You have a lot to answer for" she informed him.
Lukas faced his lap, knowing that she spoke the truth with regards to his contribution to Kometa's goals.
"I understand…." Lukas said, not possessing anymore strength to speak.
Master Raven looked back at the destroyed yacht, watching as it burned in the middle of the bay like a large bonfire on an island. Knowing that they were safe from now, she felt it was right to let the passengers know of their next plan.
"We'll take you in for questioning soon. But first, Detective Lei needs medical treatment. That's why me and Raven will bring to a undisclosed location for that" the agent informed them.
Lei, finding Master Raven's tough love to be amusing, agreed. But on the other hand, this evening had probably been one of his worst nights ever. He still couldn't shake off the fact that Lana had taken advantage of him. Lei's naivety had almost cost him his own life.
"Man, Interpol's definetley gonna kick my ass now" he thought.
"We know what you're thinking" Raven suddenly interjected Lei and he looked at the agent driving the speedboat. "Just to let you know, we informed Interpol about this before we came to pick you up. So you don't need to worry about a thing" he added.
Hearing that made Lei gulp. "Great…..just when I thought my life couldn't have gotten more complicated" he lamented.
To be continued…
