"Patriarch Takayama." A light smirk danced on Akira's lips as she stood at the top of the stairs.

  "Akira-san." The fat balding bastard made his way up, away from the music and the clamor below. "Isn't this an honor tonight!"

  "Likewise," she lied. "Allow me to show you to your room." Akira strolled down the small hallway with him in tow. Red lanterns hanging from the ceiling cast their deep glow on all in sight. "How are the accommodations? Everything to your liking?"

  "Of course, of course. Good drinks, perfect service… I wouldn't be coming back again and again if it were any less than the best!"

  "Wonderful to hear," Akira lied again. "We hope to rely on your patronage in the future as well."

  "Ahaha, about that…"

  Sharp gold eyes glanced to her side, towards the man at her back without turning around.

  "It all depends on what Patriarch Kirigami wants! Pulling us this way an' that way all day every day, I could be missing out a while!"

  "What a shame indeed. We will be sorry to see you go."

  "Yes, yes, you know me so well. In fact, while we're here, why don't we take this occasion and—?"

  Akira's hand shot out and seized his wrist, stopping his wandering hand dead in its tracks.

  "Dear customer," she said quietly. A glare as cold as ice smoldered from over her shoulder. "If you would kindly remember who is currently rendering services tonight."

  "Aha, yeah, I get it!" He drew the offending hand back, waving it in the air lazily. "Hard to keep track of you all sometimes, I'm sure you understand."

  "Of course," lied Akira. His breath reeked of alcohol. Well, sales were sales. "Here is your room, sir. Enjoy your stay."

  The pig scum. Akira resisted the urge to slam the door behind him.

  She returned from the gaudy halls to the grungy back offices, closing the door behind her with a sigh. Shimizu was there and several of her men; she could tell they had hastily vacated their seats as she came in. Helping herself to whichever sofa chair she liked, Akira snapped her fingers.

  Her golden eyes opened to the sight of a wine bottle and a champagne glass. "It's business tonight," she said.

  This time, they brought out a beer in a cold bucket of ice. She cracked it open and reclined as Shimizu lit her cigarette for her. It was all just the motions. Her eyes remained locked on the clock, watching the seconds tick by.

  "Sir," said Shimizu.

  Akira held up her hand, and let out a breath of smoke to the side first. "'Kay, let's hear it."

  "About the girl you acquisitioned recently…"

  "This again?"

  "I respectfully stand by my original assessment, sir. There is too much threat in involving an outsider in such important assets."

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  "Damn," muttered Akira. "Guess we ain't never recruitin' a soul again." She said aloud, "And what do you propose we do with her?"

  "From what we have seen, she has made few connections. There would be no shortage of ways to dispose of her without raising suspicion. Out in the mountains, or a concrete barrel—"

  "Lemme ask you something back, Aoi. Do we really gotta off her?"

  "Of course not, if it goes against your wishes. I only advise you to reconsider her standing."

  Akira laughed and took a swig of beer. "Oh, so first it was about putting her six feet under, now it's just demoting?"

  "The laboratory has become our greatest asset," said Shimizu. "Regardless of how advanced the technology is, this is a surefire source of income to cement our position. By depending on the girl to interpret the laboratory for us, she is a weak link—a walking trove of information that could be taken at any time. And if her own body contains anything akin to the laboratory's advancements, even her corpse could be a starting point. We need to minimize opportunities for the other families to intervene."

  "You've read her docs, yeah?"

  "Enough to be acquainted, sir."

  "And did you process even half of what she jotted in there? Or did it all fly over your head?"

  Shimizu shifted on the spot.

  "C'mon, be real with me," said Akira.

  "It would only be a matter of time for us to—"

  "Don't you always go rattling on about present value of cash, or something? Getting that info today is worth a hell of a lot more than getting it in five years' time."

  "But—"

  "And if it's about security," continued Akira over him, "I ain't worried. Why? Why else?" She thumped her chest with the beer can, an audacious grin on her face. "'Cause I'm here. So long as I'm around, no dipshit's making off with anyone under my wing without opening a fat can of asskicking on themselves. I mean, hell! Ain't that what I told you too? Back then?"

  Aoi pursed his lips, but ultimately deflated. "If those are your wishes, sir. I apologize for overstepping my boundaries."

  "Hey, I'll take it over brown-nosing any day. Now, I'd say it's about time, ain't it…?"

  She got up and went around to the other door. It opened into a thin hallway barely wide enough to fit a grown man's shoulders, crammed in the gap between the guest rooms and the exterior wall.

  The door closed behind her. Thin strips of red light filtered through the blinds as Akira moved past them. There was no other lighting in this back hall. She could hear the creaking beds, the muffled voices of the men and women through the walls, but no sound would return the other way.

  She folded her arms and leaned against the wall where she knew Takayama was being hosted. Sounded like he was still having his fun. She'd given it a few minutes' leeway. Akira knew they'd wrap up and move on to pillow talk soon.

  She licked her lips—a perfunctory habit. Her icy gaze on the blinds in front of her, lit only by the dim glow of the red-light district with a fading cigarette in hand, Akira rolled her shoulders and waited in the dark.

  "He's going to Mount Hakusan in the west highlands," said Akira, legs swinging idly atop the streetlight.

  Erina dropped off a large black bag for garbage collection day, wiped her brow, and looked up. She didn't expect to see Akira loitering outside her apartment as soon as she got up. "Excuse me?"

  Akira grinned. "Goukei. I've found him."

  "It's been less than twenty four hours. How…?"

  "Let's just say I run a business that makes good connections."

  "I see. What is he doing?"

  "Great question! Let's find out." Akira hopped down from her high perch. "You in?"

  Erina's eyes flicked away to the side. "Um…"

  "Huh?" Akira leaned in. "Was that a no?"

  "It's not that," she said weakly. "I feel as if I… might not contribute much."

  "Mm. Yeah, yup, for sure, mhm." Akira turned away with her hands behind her head. "Tough luck! Wrong answer. You're coming along anyway."

  "Eh? Why?"

  "Erina." Akira glanced over her shoulder. "Are you going to disobey a direct order?"

  Erina shrank down. "…No, sir."

  Their car pulled up moments later. Evidently, Akira never considered taking no for an answer from the very start. Erina guessed she had to cancel her plans for today.

  Akira hopped into the car first and looked at her expectantly. Why did she even want her to come? She couldn't seriously expect Erina to do anything meaningful when they inevitably ran into Goukei again. But right here in front of her apartment, there wasn't a thing Erina could do. She forced her reluctant joints to move and carry her into the car, and they set out once more towards the mountains.