NISHIMURA FAMILY COMPOUND - HONOLULU HAWAI - TWENTY THREE HOURS LATER.

SHE sat on the bed once more; though eyes rolled back in her head, she was calm, composed, seemingly relaxed. Still, her head was almost uncontrollably drifting from time to time to a seemingly empty corner of the room.

Before the queen sat Rene, Lara, the seer; Carter stood back just to Lara's left, hand on a taser he didn't want to use.

Himiko/Sam smiled at him playfully, then looked to Lara, "Good choice for breeding. MY daughter's father was just such a one... skilled as a warrior, AND lover. She turned out VERY well - yours will too," she glanced at the seer, "isn't that right... MARTY?"

"WOW pulling my NAME from the either... I'm trembling," the seer sighed, "Let me play... Your daughter's father? Yeah... I'd defiantly call him a good breeder. Guess you don't want to mention the fact you liked it when he took you from behind as you bit into a gag, and he called you 'bitch'?"

She just stared at him.

He grinned back, "Want to go for bonus points? I can keep this mystic shit up ALL NIGHT!... granny."

Himiko smiled, "I like you..."

"So my death will be quick and painless?" he responded, his tone almost bored.

"Who said you'll die?" Himiko sighed playfully, and winked at him.

"Good one," the seer muttered, "Bitch."

"Flatterer," the Sun Queen giggled.

Rene cleared his throat, "So... you lied last night? Sam is still your prisoner? I'm not surprised."

"I kept her alive," she responded, "her soul was going to leave her body had I not taken control of it... given her MY resolve. I can let her have control, and lie... or let you know the truth of who you face... who WE face, AND keep her safer than any man can as well."

"Well," he grumbled, "at least you favored one girl."

Lara took his hand.

Himiko stared at his bowed face, studying it closely, "Your features," she all but whispered as she searched her memory, "I know them... HER features."

Rene looked up, eyes red with threatening tears, "WHAT?"

"A little taller than my savior here," she said, indicating Lara, "black, red-tinged hair; lovely blue eyes... defiant?"

"YES!," Rene sobbed, "WHAT WAS LACKING IN HER!?"

"I would have happily chosen her... had she let me. But there was no fear in her of death; no weakness in her desire to be her own woman. I like being in-charge... SHE was my equal in this. The other girls were broken... no will to live, no desire to see the next day. THEY had been ravaged by the men... brutally." She turned to Lara, "YOU did them honor by dispatching their defilers in so horrific a fashion... THAT was why I spared Sam. Also..," she gestured to the letter, "HE trapped me... this 'RIPPER'. He came centuries before... to give me the honor of joining his master... his 'Fortress on the sea - Lord Trinity' The price being I wear a ruby for him, imbued with a spirit of nature. I never lost it... till they brainwashed Hoshi to kill herself, then, as I was dying within her... HE came, stripped me of the ruby, and confined me till a woman, in an act of love... destroyed her heart. "

"Wait... 'fortress. on the sea'," Lara muttered.

"What?," Rene asked her.

The seer grinned.

"'Fortress on the sea' it's a name in Welsh... dad told me once."

"NOT the name given this 'RIPPER'," Himiko sighed, "a preistly dressed one called him 'LITTLE BOOTS,' it enraged him to the others delight."

"Odd," Rene remarked.

"He bedded you," Lara said directly, "Made you like it rough... didn't he?"

Everyone was silent. Himiko sat... stunned.

Lara leaned in, "Had at your priestesses too... didn't he? Liked to make them scream... didn't he? RAPED THEM! BEFORE SLITTING THEIR THROATS... DIDN'T HE!? "

Himiko trembled as she nodded, "made me watch..." she began crying.

"Who else could he be..., " Lara gasped out, " 'LITTLE BOOTS'... in Latin: Caligula"