Chapter 7 The Emperor and Empress

When fear of life keeps crawling in

she wipes it all away

Day turns to night repeats the sin

I'm in lust so let love reign

In Lust, Poisonblack

Tags/Warnings: Eventual explicit sex, profanity

1230 Monday, Howard Tower

"Boss you're doing enough-"

"Billy, have I ever done anything," Geese paused for a moment. The past six months had proved, unexpected, was what he allowed himself. "Other than getting married again, that wasn't planned and for a purpose?"

"Ow many times did'ya fight Terry Bogard?" Was Billy's response and Geese had to admit that the man was, as usual damn him, right.

"...fair. It was fun though. However, look at this from a strategic viewpoint." Geese countered. "You and Joe's relationship is neither advertised nor exactly secret. Attacking Joe might have been a method at getting to you, or me. If this is the start of another coalition attack we need to head it off before more of our people are hurt or killed."

There was a long pause as Billy chewed that over. "You got a point Boss, but I'm supposed to be your bloody bodyguard, and I'm doing a right fucked job of it yeah?"

Geese smiled again, allowing expression because no one was around to see. He was glad Billy was on his side, and while he sorely missed the man's input, he trusted the people around him. "I'll dock your holiday pay. Now, what did you find out about the men you and Joe killed?"

The fact that Joe had crushed his attacker's face so thoroughly the thug was considered brain dead on arrival impressed even Geese, who had done similar things in his past. Higashi was not a man to be underestimated, if he survived.

"If Thailand had Rent-a-thug these two would be mid range at best. They were just competent enough to pass for hired staff. They've got records, armed robbery, assault, did time, but kept quiet, and got hired again. Cheng's sergeant at Bangkok PD said they've hit Thai fighters who wouldn't throw matches before, but always in alleys, in private. This time someone gave them a cocktail of heroin and crank that they likely would 'ov died in an hour if we hadn'ta put the fuckers down." Geese considered for a moment.

"You think they were distractions." He surmised. There was an affirmative grunt on the other end of the phone.

"Mid level thugs with enough junk in their veins to end 'em anyway, whoever sent 'em didn't expect the bastards ta be strollin' off the mat yeah? The other cunt, the one who did Joe's liver? Less signs o' 'im than the bloody Holy Ghost." Billy's accent got consistently stronger the more frustrated he got. Geese tried to massage the tension out of his jaw.

"Get Cheng's sergeant to look over John Doe's from yesterday, maybe today. The murder weapon will be in the Gulf. It's a long shot, but see if there were any flights from Bangkok to Progreso, Mexico or here." Billy cursed for a moment.

"Bloody hell Boss, I think you're right. If we wanted something like this done we'd hire through shams and make sure they couldn't bloody testify." Billy had in fact been the man to pull a few hits like that when they were first starting up. Geese was no benevolent angel, but he also would have never conceived of something like this. Too public, too attention grabbing, too-

Geese sat up, his brow furrowed intensely.

"Too fucking obvious." Geese growled.

"In the words o' the virgin Mary, Come again?" Billy said, his voice puzzled.

"I don't know that it's Blood, if what we've learned about him is true I'd be surprised if that idiot could plan a meal, but someone wants my attention on you and Joe. They want me off balance and weaker. This has Bernstein written all over it." Howard snarled in a low voice. "It would explain how Krauser was getting so many weapons shipped here. Bernstein and him were working together."

"Fuckin' 'ell." Billy cursed. "I'll get Cheng's boys to move Lilly and my stuff. You think Mai'll be safer in South Town or Japan?" Even knowing he was a target Billy Kane kept focused on his job.

"I'll get a team to Japan to protect her, she'll be out of the line of fire. My wife is not going to be a casualty this time. I'll die before that happens again." Geese Howard vowed.

A few hours later.

"I've got a meeting with the mayor and chief of police in the morning, I'm going to make sure they stay out of our way." Geese said on his dedicated satellite phone to Heidern. There was a grunt of agreement on the other end.

"I don't often operate in the US, so that is welcome. We're here to shut down whatever plot Bernstein is cooking up, not get in shootout with LEOs. By the way-one second." Geese took on a bemused expression as he heard Heidern snarling at his troops. "I don't care how you make it happen, make it happen, we leave nothing behind, everything needs to go to the primary site and all the safehouses! I will make you walk if you can't figure this out corporal!"

Keeping his chuckles silent as Heidern sighed loudly and came back on the phone, Geese asked innocently, "Problems Commander?"

"I should have brought Whip with us and given this bloody task to her." Grouched the mercenary leader. "I swear they're more scared of her and Lieutenant Leona than they are of me."

"Well," Geese observed. "With Whip it's obvious, 'on the tin' as Billy would say. As for Leona, on a guess Commander, they believe that while you'll give them extra duty, she might just kill them." Geese said, glad the other man couldn't see his smirk. Hein entered with a bento lunch and coffee, Geese could nearly have given the man another raise for his perfect timing. He motioned to his butler to wait.

He heard another frustrated sigh. "If they don't fix this transport situation that may change. Look, I'm going to make sure my people are moved in and set up. Leona met with your team and gave the go ahead to start recon. I still want to meet face to face. We're on the same side this time Geese, but I know what the Howard Connection is. And regardless of your marital status I know how you got where you are. I don't trust you."

This time the dark chuckle that rumbled out of Geese's chest couldn't be restrained. "I'd say that I was hurt but we both know that'd be a lie. I don't trust anyone I haven't been eye to eye with either so fine. 1300 tomorrow, parking garage I own, I'll bring three personnel and send you the address."

"1300, three personnel. Will it be required to assign a protection detail for your significant other?" Geese's jaw flexed; she wouldn't like this. Or maybe she would appreciate it. Either way he knew what he was going to do.

"Family emergency in Japan, her flight leaves tomorrow. Do you have anyone in Tokyo?" Howard asked.

"I have a team I can redirect there in four hours." There was a long pause from Heidern. "Just cover logistics on that one, just like this. No extra charge."

It was a small sign, but it was a sign of a peace offering. Geese recognized and took it as such. "Done, appreciated. Your first day's payment and bonus are in your account now. Be interesting seeing you, and not fighting you, Heidern."

"Don't tempt me Howard. 1300." The Commander hung up unceremoniously. Geese grinned at Hein.

"Too bad he's got that morality stick up his ass so far it's his entire personality. If he was on our payroll full time, we'd have the entire eastern seaboard under control." Geese laughed, picking up a nigiri roll and popping it into his mouth. He chewed blissfully, half closing his eyes. "I've no fucking idea what I'd do without you Hein."

"Miss more meals sir." The slim man responded with a faint smirk. "Mrs. Howard told me that she is stopping at the Blue Moon to ensure there are no issues between Yamazaki and the Ikari team. She recommended Heidern's men go there because she trusts the staff."

Geese fixed Hein with a baleful glare and reached for his phone. The butler raised a single finger. "She also told me that she messaged you first, however, as she knew you were in meetings and terrible at checking your personal messages, she informed me as well."

Blinking in surprise, Geese checked his phone and saw that Mai had indeed messaged him an hour ago.

"Well," The King of South Town said lamely. "Shit."

"Indeed sir." Hein said concealing his amusement.

Geese finally approached their room in the evening, massaging the bridge of his nose to get rid of the lingering headache coordinating operations in four different countries was causing him. Progress had been made however, so the pain was not without a point. Mai's family dojo was only about fifty percent a ruin, apparently making homes fire resistant had been a ninja clan tradition since Oda Nobunaga burned the Iga clan's mountain homes. According to the information his contacts had gathered, the blaze had been started by some fireworks in the woods outside the dojo, although no one responsible had been caught yet. He was going to make sure that Ripper had access to a firearm once he landed. Having Heidern's team in Tokyo made him slightly less edgy about letting her go tomorrow, but only slightly.

The man who had stabbed Higashi with a poisoned knife had been identified. What was left of him anyway, as Geese had foreseen, the man was dead, his neck snapped. Scavengers had gone to work on the body, but his face was intact enough that Billy had identified him. Joe's condition was stable but not improving, the Thai doctors weren't able to identify what had been used on him, and Geese was calculating how much it would cost to fly a specialist from Japan or Europe. The fact he wasn't calculating IF he should acquire one wasn't lost to him.

Not two years ago he wouldn't have bothered to do that for anyone but maybe Billy himself.

Getting sentimental, he thought to himself as he opened the door to their room. And heard a strained moan.

It was Mai, he could tell, and it wasn't the moaning he preferred to listen to, but it wasn't panicked either. Curious more than concerned, Geese slid out of his suit coat and walked to the bedroom. Mai was in a bathrobe, though her loose hair looked dry and he didn't smell any soap on her, and although her posture and the loose robe gave him a welcome sight to come home to, her facial expression made him suppress a laugh.

Her eyes were screwed tight and face going back and forth between relief and pain as she used a massage gun on her foot.

"Hard day at the office love?" Geese Howard asked, again suppressing laughter. She stuck her tongue out at him and turned the massager off.

"I had to go see so many people today in those awful shoes, I hate them!" Mai pouted, pointing a disdainful finger at the offending footwear, her professional low pumps. Nodding, keeping his amusement strictly off his face, Geese crossed his arms.

"Weren't those the ones you custom ordered when you took over Blue Moon?" He asked innocently. Her brown eyes narrowed, she was very good at reading body language, and he wasn't positive he was controlling his laughter entirely.

"I wasn't pregnant when I got them, and I didn't expect to be walking laps around a warehouse filled with soldiers, as well as going to my club." Mai answered grumpily. Geese knew how to solve the situation.

"Mrs. Howard, did I mention the plumbers finished hooking up the jets in the new tub?" He said carelessly as she stood to help him undo his shirt. Mai froze, then looked up at him slowly, a small, impish smile tugging her lips up.

"You in fact did not mention this Mr. Howard." She said, pulling his dress shirt off and looking at his solid physique slyly. Geese stripped off his undershirt and pulled her to him, scooping her up by her toned bottom to straddle him and kissed her fiercely. Mai moaned into his mouth as she locked her ankles at the small of his back, wrapping one arm around his neck and slid her other hand through his slicked back hair, pressing her curves against him.

"Well, allow me to demonstrate some of the features." Geese said, his voice low and deep with desire. He carried her to the bathroom, managing not to trip himself and ruin the mood. The bathroom was a large affair, with a separate shower and a massive jacuzzi tub that only rose a foot from the floor. Mai did her best to make the journey difficult, kissing along his jaw line to his ear, letting her robe fall open to press her full breasts against his chest, the smooth softness of her sex brushing his abs. It was the most delightful torture Geese had ever went through, he thought, as he let her down so he could finish ditching his pants.

For this stolen moment only the two of them existed.