Nicholas Stone
21st June 2005, 08:25 AM
Chapter Nine
Ukyo’s alert brought Nabiki quickly to the door where she found
Ranko taking Tatewaki’s coat and gloves. Two of Maeda’s men waited to
take the scion of the Kuno Industries to their master, but she
interceded moving up to wrap a friendly arm around his.
“Oh, Nabiki,” said Tatewaki feigning surprise, “Did not see you
come in?”
She smiled up at him. “Oh I’ve been here for a while, Mister
Kuno. Ah, you boys can go back to your duties. I’ll take Mister Kuno
to see the boss.”
The two men bowed and left leaving them alone for the moment.
“Tatewaki,” whispered Nabiki from the corner of her mouth as she
slowly led him to the party. “You, mister, are late.”
Tatewaki, giving a nod to those persons he recognized, chuckled
lightly. “It’s the ‘in’ thing to do, Nabiki. ‘Fashionably Late’, if
I’m not mistaken.”
“Well your ‘fashionably late’ almost cost me a trip to the ocean
floor amongst other things.”
“He’s threatened you already? The cur.”
Ahead they spotted Okura and Vicky with Sachi in step behind,
making their way towards them. Maeda held a bright smile on his face as
they closed and Nabiki forced back her urge to sneer.
“And thus approcheth the wolf ready to devour his prey,” she
said.
Tatewaki patted her hand lightly and she looked up at him.
“Faith,” he told her with a wink.
“That’s all I have, and remember; stay away from that back room…
Mister Maeda! I do believe introductions will not be needed for you?”
Okura greeted Tatewaki with a bow. “Tatewaki Kuno. So, we meet
again after such a long time.”
“Yes. In Osaka if I recall. When the Kuno Industries out bided
your shipping firm for the rights to transport all commodities coming
into the southern ports. A very lucrative deal I must say.”
A stutter, Okura catching himself lost for words. He blinked
while maintaining his composure, cleared his throat before answering.
“Uh, yes I recall too. This is my secretary; Victoria Saffron.”
“Nice to meet you, Mister Kuno,” she said.
Tatewaki’s mouth dropped slightly open with awe. He bowed taking
her hand in his. “It is my pleasure, I assure you, Miss Saffron.”
“Oh please, call me Vicky.”
What? thought Nabiki, giving Tatewaki the evil eye. A slight
step brought the heel of her shoe down on the top of his foot and his
brows rose up.
“Yes, yes. Vicky it is,” he quickly said, letting her hand go.
“Um, I hope I was not too late for your party, Okura?”
“No not at all, Tatewaki. In fact I was just thinking how much I
am looking forward to talking with you.”
“I’m sure there are others around you could hold intelligent
conversations with. Plenty of familiar faces I see.”
Maeda laughed. “But none like you, Tatewaki. Why… let me
suggest we find a more comfortable place to chat. I know… my sitting
room next to the main lounge. It’s quiet and away from intrusions.”
He’s not waiting around, thought Nabiki. Great, this is going to
make things difficult. I am going to need some serious help here.
Just then, Kurenai appeared carrying a tray of assorted drinks.
“Sir,” he said offering them to Tatewaki.
“Ah, refreshments,” said Tatewaki. He looked them over then
selected one filled with a light amber colored liquid and ice. Taking a
sip, he sighed. “Scotch on the rocks. Perfect, except I could use a
cube of sugar?”
Kurenai hesitated briefly before nodding and went to fill the
request.
“Excellent service, Okura, and I must say eloquently dressed
service as well.”
“That’s your girlfriend’s idea,” Sachi blurted out.
“Nabiki? So, Okura. Not only do you steal away my leading
accountant, you also have her arranging you parties as well. Shrewd.
You know that hurt hiring Nabiki from me.”
Maeda arched a brow, casting an uncomfortable gaze upon her.
“You don’t say?”
Don’t be telling this man those things, raged Nabiki’s mind! Her
heel pressed down again forcing Tatewaki to stop while gritting his
teeth behind closed lips.
“Tatewaki just says some of the funniest things!” exclaimed
Nabiki, laughing.
“He certainly does,” commented Vicky, arching a brow.
Okura started to usher Tatewaki towards the sitting room when
Tsubasa appeared between them again. “Your ‘cube’, sir,” he said
dropping the lump into his drink.
“Ah yes, thank you. Now could you bring me a stir stick my fine
minion?”
The corner of Tsubasa’s lip curled slightly up at the remark, but
he nodded and went off again.
“You really have done a good job here, Nabiki,” said Tatewaki
watching him go.
Nabiki found it hard to control her growing annoyance with him.
Another slight twitch of the heel brought his attention back to them.
“Tatewaki, would you like to go and see the rest of my party?” she
asked.
Maeda’s eyes narrowed at Nabiki. Trying to thwart my efforts are
you? Well, that will not work young lady.
“I think Tatewaki and I will go and chat first, ‘Nabiki’,” he
said. A slight motion with his hand and Sachi casually made his way
around to stand next to her, a glimmer of malice filling the air.
Nabiki tensed sensing her new shadow and carefully let her arm
drop from around Tatewaki’s. Maeda smiled reaching up to place a
friendly arm around Tatewaki’s shoulders when another maid appeared on
Tatewaki’s other side.
“Would you like something to nibble on sir?” said Konatsu. He
held a tray full of finger sandwiches and sushi rolls up and Tatewaki
calmly looked them over before selecting one.
“Oh yes, I would recognize this food anywhere,” he said between
bites. “Kasumi Tendo?”
Maeda nodded with a slight smirk. Tatewaki finished the roll
taking another. Konatsu curtsied and moved on.
“You really have gone out all the way here, Okura,” said
Tatewaki.
“Anything to please my guests, Tatewaki.”
“Yes, but to take away Nabiki and my access to her exquisite
sister’s cooking. Painful indeed.”
Nabiki could only roll her eyes.
“Well, if you are interested then maybe we could go and chat
privately about future arrangements with her, hmm?”
Oh no, he’s going to get Tatewaki alone. I’m doomed!
A tap on the arm suddenly interrupted Tatewaki. “Your ‘stir
stick’, sir,” said Tsubasa.
Tatewaki held out his glass and Tsubasa tossed it in with more
than enough of a toss, storming off. “Thank you,” he said after him
then paused as he caught sight of a familiar guest across the room.
“Why is that the venerable Mister Tadekei Kosaburo I see?”
“Uh, Tatewaki—,” said Okura.
“You will have to excuse me, Okura, but I must go and pay my
respects. I learned most of my skills from him.”
“But—?”
It was no good, Tatewaki heading across the room. Maeda watched
him go and his expression dropped down into a mask of anger and
frustration. He turned shooting Nabiki a quick glance and she cringed
drawing back.
“What? I didn’t do anything,” she said.
He let out a low growl and stalked angrily away from them.
Nabiki thanked the stars that had not ended in complete disaster. She
noticed Sachi’s dark stare and looked up at him with an innocent shrug.
“Playing with fire, Miss Tendo. Remember, it can burn you,” he
said and went off after his boss.
I got some burn for you, jerk, thought Nabiki. She looked to see
Vicky staring at her with a suspicious gaze before letting out a light
chuckle as she left. Now she might be trouble. I do hope the others
are not having as much difficulties as I am…
* * * * *
Ignoring the myriad of bugs fluttering around his face, Doctor
Tofu felt his way around the branches of the tall pine tree he was in,
careful to find safe footing as he made his way back down. Bad enough
he had to hump that damn satellite dish up to the top, but it was even
worse when Hikaru told him he needed to put it up on its stand for extra
height.
Of course the boy told him this after he got down the first time,
which meant climbing back up enduring another of Mother Nature’s natural
sand-paperings of his face and arms with pine needles and bark. Not to
mention that darkness had now set and the light from a flashlight might
be seen, he had to do much of the tying and positioning by sense and
feel.
Suddenly, one of the branches he stood on snapped and Ono
frantically grabbed for the nearest ones barely catching himself before
he fell. Tofu sighed looking down. Not much to see with all of the
blocking limbs, he continued making his way down.
Well, I guess Hikaru is only Hikaru, he mused with a smile.
Can’t really find any fault in him or—.
SWACK!
Ono barely held back his cries as a thick branch smacked the side
of his left leg sending streams of pain coursing through him. He waited
until the sting faded and them let out a grunt easing his weight over to
his good leg and pressed up against the truck of the tree.
Oh, I am going to so kill that boy, he whispered. With this tree
as my witness… I am going to kill him… bad.
Continuing down, Ono could begin to see the ground and the dim
light coming from the van. Hikaru’s shadow could be seen shifting
around the inside and Ono felt some relief flow through him. “I can’t
climb, I can’t climb, he says,” grumbled Tofu as he reached the ground.
Several cuts and scrapes decided to remind him of their presence and he
drew in a few breaths to fight back their sting.
“Kasumi is going to be all over me with Lanocane and alcohol when
she sees me. That is going to hurt even worse,” Tofu said as he started
limping over to the van. “Can’t climb… I am so going to kill this boy.
Hikaruuuuu!”
“Doc!” came a low whisper in reply.
Tofu stopped. He smirked watching as the shadowy figure in the
van moved towards the front. He could hear things being knocked around
then a few small boxes tumbled out. What is that boy doing, Ono thought
making his way towards the van again.
“Doc!” came the whisper again.
“Hikaru, will you stop whispering? No one is going to hear us
this far out.”
A low grunt came from the van then Doctor Tofu’s name was called
again.
“Hikaru, what are you doing in there? We need to be getting
communications established with the others at the estate, so stop
fooling around!”
Tofu reached the side door and paused. “Doc!” he heard again,
but this time it did not sound like it was coming from inside but from
the brush across the clearing.
What the—?
He looked around and even in the dim light from the van; Hikaru’s
eerie pale face rose up into view. They stared silently at each other
for a moment then Ono said, “Hikaru?”
“Doc!” whispered Hikaru.
“What?”
“Bear!”
“Bear?”
“Bear!”
“Where?”
“There!”
Slowly, Ono turned his head towards the front of the van and it
was then that he made out the shaggy brown fur of a good sized Brown
Bear draped over the front seats ripping and tearing the upholstery in
search of an evening snack. His blood went cold, chest tight and Tofu
looked back at Hikaru. He let out a squeak and then said, “Hikaru!”
“Yeah Doc?”
“Bear!”
“Yeah, Bear.”
“H-Here!”
“Yeah, there.”
“B-Bear!”
“Ah-huh.”
Ono chanced another look back over his shoulder again. The Bear
was still busy ripping the seats apart and he took careful steps away
heading towards Hikaru and the relative safety distance would provide.
Half-way, Tofu broke into a run and dived headlong into the brush.
“Hikaru, Hikaru!” Ono frantically whispered as he thrashed about
trying to right himself up. Gosunkugi helped him and they sat quietly
waiting for Doctor Tofu to regain his composure. The good doctor
suddenly grabbed Hikaru by the shoulders.
“How long has that Bear been in there?” he asked.
“Oh, I’d say since about the time you went back up to the top of
the tree.”
Tofu shook him around for a second. “What do you mean since I
went back up?”
“Th-that’s about how long, Doc!”
Another hard shake, Ono pulled Hikaru up close to his face. “You
couldn’t think to warn me or something, Gosunkugi?”
“Well, you were up there kind’a high and I was too busy running
to think about it!”
Couldn’t fault the man for thinking about self-preservation; Ono
and Hikaru looked at each other for a moment. They turned and pushed
their heads back up through the growth and stared at the van. There
were more items flying out the side now. Tofu knew that if left to its
own devices that Bear will have the entire interior strewn about in no
time.
“We’ve got to get it out of there fast,” said Ono.
“Yeah, I’ll bet Nabiki is having fits right now. Say, why don’t
you call her and tell her our situation? You’ve still got the ear piece
right?”
“Two problems with that idea, Hikaru. One, we’re still out of
range and two; I left it in the van!”
“You took it off? Gee Doc that wasn’t so bright.”
“D’oh!” grunted Ono, placing a hand to his face. “Happy
thoughts, happy thoughts, Tofu. He’s still needed.”
Ono looked down at Hikaru. “I took it off so I would not lose it
while I was playing TARZAN!”
“Ooo, better keep it down, Doc. Bear might hear you.”
A tense moment followed and then Ono sighed. He shook his head
and stared out at the van again. “This just can’t get any worse,” he
said.
A few more seconds passed then Hikaru said, “Yes it can.”
“What do you mean by that, Hikaru?”
“Well, this stuff, these plants around us… uh, some of it is
Urushi.”
Ono’s jaw dropped and he cut his eyes over at Gosunkugi. He
could only shrug and Tofu clenched his eyes tight. “D’oh!” he muttered
again covering his face with his hands.
“I’m surprised I even remember that much from camping,” continued
Hikaru. “Oh well, looks like I won’t get to finish my dinner now.”
Ono’s finger’s parted. “What dinner?”
“The one I was enjoying until I was so rudely interrupted.
Kasumi fixed me up a Bento box before we left. You know I swear your
wife could prepare a full course banquet in less than two seconds. You
are a lucky man, Doctor Tofu.”
A tight grip latched up around Hikaru’s throat, Ono glaring at
Gosunkugi with death in his eyes.
“Uh… should I have gotten you one too, Doc?” gasped Hikaru.
Doctor Tofu said nothing as he pulled Gosunkugi back down into
the brush…
* * * * *
It took careful moving but Ryoga Hibiki managed at last to get
him and Akane over to the north side of Maeda’s home. The guards
patrolling the grounds seemed to be more interested in the front than
the sides and rear and except for the occasional passer, the two
would-be burglars slipped quietly into the surrounding brush.
Well, almost quietly.
Ryoga could barely manage carrying both the equipment they needed
and Akane; whose now thoroughly inebriated person could barely stand
upright with out his support. How she still managed to navigate there
way around the grounds was beyond him, but there came several times when
he had to place a hand or arm across her mouth to keep her silent. Now
they stood, or at least he stood staring up at the third story window
trying to figure out how to get them up and inside without being
discovered.
“Ranma… gonna need my Ranmaaa,” sang Akane, slumped up against
his back.
It’s a wonder I’m not bleeding to death, thought Ryoga as he
surveyed the scene. Suddenly, he felt Akane sliding down and turned
just in time to catch her before she could drop.
“Akane, Akane, please don’t pass out on me now!” he frantically
said as he held her up.
Akane giggled, draping her arms around his neck. “I wasn’t about
to pass out, RRRanmaaaa,” she slurred.
Ryoga stared at her smiling face and then gulped. “Oh, oh this
is not good.”
She giggled again and began to pull herself up closer, but Ryoga
pushed her gently back. “Akane, it’s me, Ryoga, your partner in crime
here.”
Akane frowned. “Ryoga?” He nodded. “Ryoga? Ryoga, where is my
Ranma?”
“Inside with the others.”
“Inside?” She glanced past him at the building and Ryoga could
see a small pout forming on her lips.
“Oh no, oh no, Akane please don’t start crying. This is not the
time too be crying!”
“He doesn’t love meeeee! BWAAAAA—murph!”
Ryoga clasped a hand over her mouth and not a moment to soon as
around the corner one of Maeda’s men appeared. Quickly Ryoga pulled
Akane down and he watched him hoping he did not hear her cry. The guard
stood looking around then took a few steps in their direction. Ryoga
tensed as he looked around again then reached into his jacket and pulled
out a cigarette and lighter.
The guard stood smoking his cigarette for a few minutes, looking
up at the star and around the dimly light grounds before tossing the
butt down, stamping it out. One last gaze in their direction, he turned
and headed back out of sight.
“That was close,” whispered Ryoga, standing up.
Akane leaned up against his back again with her chin pressing
playfully against the crease of his spine. “RRRanmaaa, gonna need my
RRRammaaa,” she sang again.
“No, stop it, Akane!” She did but he could sense her pout
returning. “Okay, I’m sorry. Uh stay there while I get this grappling
hook out, okay?”
“Sure, Ranma.”
Saotome, you definitely need to address this problem, Ryoga
thought, shaking his head. From the black bag he pulled out a coil of
rope with a three pronged metal grappling hook secured to one end.
Several woven loops were spliced into the rope at even intervals to
allow a climber purchase as they climbed up the rope. It looked sturdy
enough but would it support both of them at the same time?
No sense in waiting, Ryoga set Akane up against the building and
took a few steps back. He twirled the hook around in the air allowing
the momentum to build and then with a light toss let it fly. The hook
sailed up and over the top of the roof. Ryoga heard a dim tap as it
landed and he pulled taking up the slack until the points finally dug
into something and stopped.
Ryoga made a few more strong pulls and it looked like the hook
was firmly attached. He let out a sigh of relief and looked at Akane;
who had slid down to the ground and sat smiling at him.
“YEA!!!!” she suddenly exclaimed, clapping her hands. Ryoga
dashed over pleading for her to stop as he grabbed her wrist.
“You don’t want me to cheer for you, Ranma?” she said.
“No, Akane… darn it, I’m Ryoga! We don’t want the guards to
hear, okay?”
Sadly, Akane nodded.
“Now, we have to climb up. Do this for me, please?”
She nodded again and Ryoga helped her up.
“So, since you know how to open locks, you go first and… Akane?
Akane?”
Akane was not paying attention to Ryoga. In fact she was not
paying much attention to anything as her legs buckled like a ragity-ann
doll, slumping back down towards the ground. Ryoga stood her back up.
“Oh great, you can’t even walk by yourself yet alone climb.
Akane it was only one gulp!”
“Mmmm, and it was warm too.”
Ryoga felt like crying himself not believing this was happening.
This is why Tom Cruise always worked alone! He drew in a breath and
stopped to reexamine the situation. Okay, Hibiki, you’re a police
officer. That means you have to be resourceful and patient. Your
partner is wounded and you can’t leave’em behind, so what do you do?
‘Speed’… no this is not the time to be thinking about trivia! Okay,
think man, think!
He looked at Akane. Tiny Woman, should be no extra weight,
thought Ryoga. He eyed the rope then looked up at the window. Rope,
Drunk Girl, bag, window, me. Climb! Got it!
Taking the end of the rope, Ryoga tied it around Akane’s waist,
made a secure loop then tied the rest around his linking them both
together. He draped the bag over a shoulder and after a short prayer,
leaped up grabbed the rope, pulling them up.
“Wait a minute,” he muttered between his grunts and strains.
“This girl ain’t light! No wonder you sink like a rock in water. Where
is it all at?”
Higher and higher they went, Akane giggling with each pull much
to Ryoga’s distress. Without warning, she suddenly let out a laugh and
twisted her body sharply to one side causing them to spin.
“What! Akane, stop that!” said Ryoga.
“Oooh, look at me! I’m Jane!”
“Akane, stop it!”
She looked up. “And Ranma, Ranma, you’re Tarzan taking me up to
his loft in the trees! Climb, you big wild beast of a man! Take me,
take me up. Ravage me with wild reckless abandon!”
Ryoga managed to stop their twirling and braced his body up
against the wall to keep Akane from repeating her action. He stared
down at her noting the lewd leer she gave him and quickly turned away.
“Akari. Akari is my wife, Akane is the wife of my best friend,” he
reminded himself. “My thoughts are pure, my thoughts are clean.”
Akane’s playful pawing at his back made Ryoga pause.
“And the Devil is working overtime tonight too.” He continued to
climb up ignoring Akane’s advances. “I still wonder why I’m not
bleeding to death. Good thing Akari has one advantage over Akane. She
doesn’t weigh eight billion tons.”
Finally, they reached the bottom of the third story window.
Ryoga grabbed on to the sill and pulled himself up to rest on his arms,
the rope still tucked between them. He let out a sigh of relief pausing
to regain his strength.
“A good fall if there is one,” he thought gazing back down.
Akane oddly enough hung with arms and legs spread out to either side,
her head up eyes closed with a strange smile on her face. Ryoga smirked
and then asked, “Akane, what are you doing?”
“I’m Tinkerbelle!”
…
…
…
“Okay. I got ‘a get you inside and sobered up somehow.”
Ryoga grabbed the rope and climbed until he stood precariously on
the window ledge. Carefully, he reached into his pocket and pulled out
a pocketknife, selecting the thinnest blade and opened it up. Okay,
they taught us this stuff in training at the academy, he thought.
Running the tip along the window’s frame, he found the seam that
separated the two sides, sliding the blade between them. All too easy,
joked Ryoga, but then Akane wanted to prove him wrong.
“Fluuutter, flutter, flutter, flutter!” she said, flexing her
shoulder back and forth.
Ryoga lost his grip falling away from the window leaving the
knife wedge in place. His arms flailed, and a desperate last grab
caught the rope before it too went out of reach. They fell back then
stopped with Ryoga’s heels on the ledge, hanging out at an odd angle.
“Akane, what are you doing?”
“I’m flying!”
“No, you’re about too kill us!”
“But I’m flying, see? Flutter, flutter, flutter, flutter,
flutter!”
“Ah! Akane, you’re not flying, you’re a lead balloon… literally…
so, so, so stop it!”
Akane did letting her arms and legs hang free. That wasn’t good,
the added weight bearing down on Ryoga. He let out a grunt and reached
up pulling them back towards the ledge. Suddenly, there came a short
sharp jerk as the hook briefly slid from position a short ways before
digging in again. It stopped and Ryoga waited for a moment and then
resumed his pull. The hook held and they were back upright once more.
“Don’t-do-anything-Akane,” Ryoga said. He found the knife again
and carefully slid it down the seam until it stopped on the interior
latch. Carefully, Ryoga slid the blade out probing until he found the
bottom of the latch and then slid the blade back in.
“Okay, let’s hope this window’s not alarmed.”
He slid the blade up and was rewarded by the sound of the latch
scrapping up out of the holder and falling free. Ryoga pushed both
windows open and stepped down into Maeda’s office…
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Ukyo’s alert brought Nabiki quickly to the door where she found
Ranko taking Tatewaki’s coat and gloves. Two of Maeda’s men waited to
take the scion of the Kuno Industries to their master, but she
interceded moving up to wrap a friendly arm around his.
“Oh, Nabiki,” said Tatewaki feigning surprise, “Did not see you
come in?”
She smiled up at him. “Oh I’ve been here for a while, Mister
Kuno. Ah, you boys can go back to your duties. I’ll take Mister Kuno
to see the boss.”
The two men bowed and left leaving them alone for the moment.
“Tatewaki,” whispered Nabiki from the corner of her mouth as she
slowly led him to the party. “You, mister, are late.”
Tatewaki, giving a nod to those persons he recognized, chuckled
lightly. “It’s the ‘in’ thing to do, Nabiki. ‘Fashionably Late’, if
I’m not mistaken.”
“Well your ‘fashionably late’ almost cost me a trip to the ocean
floor amongst other things.”
“He’s threatened you already? The cur.”
Ahead they spotted Okura and Vicky with Sachi in step behind,
making their way towards them. Maeda held a bright smile on his face as
they closed and Nabiki forced back her urge to sneer.
“And thus approcheth the wolf ready to devour his prey,” she
said.
Tatewaki patted her hand lightly and she looked up at him.
“Faith,” he told her with a wink.
“That’s all I have, and remember; stay away from that back room…
Mister Maeda! I do believe introductions will not be needed for you?”
Okura greeted Tatewaki with a bow. “Tatewaki Kuno. So, we meet
again after such a long time.”
“Yes. In Osaka if I recall. When the Kuno Industries out bided
your shipping firm for the rights to transport all commodities coming
into the southern ports. A very lucrative deal I must say.”
A stutter, Okura catching himself lost for words. He blinked
while maintaining his composure, cleared his throat before answering.
“Uh, yes I recall too. This is my secretary; Victoria Saffron.”
“Nice to meet you, Mister Kuno,” she said.
Tatewaki’s mouth dropped slightly open with awe. He bowed taking
her hand in his. “It is my pleasure, I assure you, Miss Saffron.”
“Oh please, call me Vicky.”
What? thought Nabiki, giving Tatewaki the evil eye. A slight
step brought the heel of her shoe down on the top of his foot and his
brows rose up.
“Yes, yes. Vicky it is,” he quickly said, letting her hand go.
“Um, I hope I was not too late for your party, Okura?”
“No not at all, Tatewaki. In fact I was just thinking how much I
am looking forward to talking with you.”
“I’m sure there are others around you could hold intelligent
conversations with. Plenty of familiar faces I see.”
Maeda laughed. “But none like you, Tatewaki. Why… let me
suggest we find a more comfortable place to chat. I know… my sitting
room next to the main lounge. It’s quiet and away from intrusions.”
He’s not waiting around, thought Nabiki. Great, this is going to
make things difficult. I am going to need some serious help here.
Just then, Kurenai appeared carrying a tray of assorted drinks.
“Sir,” he said offering them to Tatewaki.
“Ah, refreshments,” said Tatewaki. He looked them over then
selected one filled with a light amber colored liquid and ice. Taking a
sip, he sighed. “Scotch on the rocks. Perfect, except I could use a
cube of sugar?”
Kurenai hesitated briefly before nodding and went to fill the
request.
“Excellent service, Okura, and I must say eloquently dressed
service as well.”
“That’s your girlfriend’s idea,” Sachi blurted out.
“Nabiki? So, Okura. Not only do you steal away my leading
accountant, you also have her arranging you parties as well. Shrewd.
You know that hurt hiring Nabiki from me.”
Maeda arched a brow, casting an uncomfortable gaze upon her.
“You don’t say?”
Don’t be telling this man those things, raged Nabiki’s mind! Her
heel pressed down again forcing Tatewaki to stop while gritting his
teeth behind closed lips.
“Tatewaki just says some of the funniest things!” exclaimed
Nabiki, laughing.
“He certainly does,” commented Vicky, arching a brow.
Okura started to usher Tatewaki towards the sitting room when
Tsubasa appeared between them again. “Your ‘cube’, sir,” he said
dropping the lump into his drink.
“Ah yes, thank you. Now could you bring me a stir stick my fine
minion?”
The corner of Tsubasa’s lip curled slightly up at the remark, but
he nodded and went off again.
“You really have done a good job here, Nabiki,” said Tatewaki
watching him go.
Nabiki found it hard to control her growing annoyance with him.
Another slight twitch of the heel brought his attention back to them.
“Tatewaki, would you like to go and see the rest of my party?” she
asked.
Maeda’s eyes narrowed at Nabiki. Trying to thwart my efforts are
you? Well, that will not work young lady.
“I think Tatewaki and I will go and chat first, ‘Nabiki’,” he
said. A slight motion with his hand and Sachi casually made his way
around to stand next to her, a glimmer of malice filling the air.
Nabiki tensed sensing her new shadow and carefully let her arm
drop from around Tatewaki’s. Maeda smiled reaching up to place a
friendly arm around Tatewaki’s shoulders when another maid appeared on
Tatewaki’s other side.
“Would you like something to nibble on sir?” said Konatsu. He
held a tray full of finger sandwiches and sushi rolls up and Tatewaki
calmly looked them over before selecting one.
“Oh yes, I would recognize this food anywhere,” he said between
bites. “Kasumi Tendo?”
Maeda nodded with a slight smirk. Tatewaki finished the roll
taking another. Konatsu curtsied and moved on.
“You really have gone out all the way here, Okura,” said
Tatewaki.
“Anything to please my guests, Tatewaki.”
“Yes, but to take away Nabiki and my access to her exquisite
sister’s cooking. Painful indeed.”
Nabiki could only roll her eyes.
“Well, if you are interested then maybe we could go and chat
privately about future arrangements with her, hmm?”
Oh no, he’s going to get Tatewaki alone. I’m doomed!
A tap on the arm suddenly interrupted Tatewaki. “Your ‘stir
stick’, sir,” said Tsubasa.
Tatewaki held out his glass and Tsubasa tossed it in with more
than enough of a toss, storming off. “Thank you,” he said after him
then paused as he caught sight of a familiar guest across the room.
“Why is that the venerable Mister Tadekei Kosaburo I see?”
“Uh, Tatewaki—,” said Okura.
“You will have to excuse me, Okura, but I must go and pay my
respects. I learned most of my skills from him.”
“But—?”
It was no good, Tatewaki heading across the room. Maeda watched
him go and his expression dropped down into a mask of anger and
frustration. He turned shooting Nabiki a quick glance and she cringed
drawing back.
“What? I didn’t do anything,” she said.
He let out a low growl and stalked angrily away from them.
Nabiki thanked the stars that had not ended in complete disaster. She
noticed Sachi’s dark stare and looked up at him with an innocent shrug.
“Playing with fire, Miss Tendo. Remember, it can burn you,” he
said and went off after his boss.
I got some burn for you, jerk, thought Nabiki. She looked to see
Vicky staring at her with a suspicious gaze before letting out a light
chuckle as she left. Now she might be trouble. I do hope the others
are not having as much difficulties as I am…
* * * * *
Ignoring the myriad of bugs fluttering around his face, Doctor
Tofu felt his way around the branches of the tall pine tree he was in,
careful to find safe footing as he made his way back down. Bad enough
he had to hump that damn satellite dish up to the top, but it was even
worse when Hikaru told him he needed to put it up on its stand for extra
height.
Of course the boy told him this after he got down the first time,
which meant climbing back up enduring another of Mother Nature’s natural
sand-paperings of his face and arms with pine needles and bark. Not to
mention that darkness had now set and the light from a flashlight might
be seen, he had to do much of the tying and positioning by sense and
feel.
Suddenly, one of the branches he stood on snapped and Ono
frantically grabbed for the nearest ones barely catching himself before
he fell. Tofu sighed looking down. Not much to see with all of the
blocking limbs, he continued making his way down.
Well, I guess Hikaru is only Hikaru, he mused with a smile.
Can’t really find any fault in him or—.
SWACK!
Ono barely held back his cries as a thick branch smacked the side
of his left leg sending streams of pain coursing through him. He waited
until the sting faded and them let out a grunt easing his weight over to
his good leg and pressed up against the truck of the tree.
Oh, I am going to so kill that boy, he whispered. With this tree
as my witness… I am going to kill him… bad.
Continuing down, Ono could begin to see the ground and the dim
light coming from the van. Hikaru’s shadow could be seen shifting
around the inside and Ono felt some relief flow through him. “I can’t
climb, I can’t climb, he says,” grumbled Tofu as he reached the ground.
Several cuts and scrapes decided to remind him of their presence and he
drew in a few breaths to fight back their sting.
“Kasumi is going to be all over me with Lanocane and alcohol when
she sees me. That is going to hurt even worse,” Tofu said as he started
limping over to the van. “Can’t climb… I am so going to kill this boy.
Hikaruuuuu!”
“Doc!” came a low whisper in reply.
Tofu stopped. He smirked watching as the shadowy figure in the
van moved towards the front. He could hear things being knocked around
then a few small boxes tumbled out. What is that boy doing, Ono thought
making his way towards the van again.
“Doc!” came the whisper again.
“Hikaru, will you stop whispering? No one is going to hear us
this far out.”
A low grunt came from the van then Doctor Tofu’s name was called
again.
“Hikaru, what are you doing in there? We need to be getting
communications established with the others at the estate, so stop
fooling around!”
Tofu reached the side door and paused. “Doc!” he heard again,
but this time it did not sound like it was coming from inside but from
the brush across the clearing.
What the—?
He looked around and even in the dim light from the van; Hikaru’s
eerie pale face rose up into view. They stared silently at each other
for a moment then Ono said, “Hikaru?”
“Doc!” whispered Hikaru.
“What?”
“Bear!”
“Bear?”
“Bear!”
“Where?”
“There!”
Slowly, Ono turned his head towards the front of the van and it
was then that he made out the shaggy brown fur of a good sized Brown
Bear draped over the front seats ripping and tearing the upholstery in
search of an evening snack. His blood went cold, chest tight and Tofu
looked back at Hikaru. He let out a squeak and then said, “Hikaru!”
“Yeah Doc?”
“Bear!”
“Yeah, Bear.”
“H-Here!”
“Yeah, there.”
“B-Bear!”
“Ah-huh.”
Ono chanced another look back over his shoulder again. The Bear
was still busy ripping the seats apart and he took careful steps away
heading towards Hikaru and the relative safety distance would provide.
Half-way, Tofu broke into a run and dived headlong into the brush.
“Hikaru, Hikaru!” Ono frantically whispered as he thrashed about
trying to right himself up. Gosunkugi helped him and they sat quietly
waiting for Doctor Tofu to regain his composure. The good doctor
suddenly grabbed Hikaru by the shoulders.
“How long has that Bear been in there?” he asked.
“Oh, I’d say since about the time you went back up to the top of
the tree.”
Tofu shook him around for a second. “What do you mean since I
went back up?”
“Th-that’s about how long, Doc!”
Another hard shake, Ono pulled Hikaru up close to his face. “You
couldn’t think to warn me or something, Gosunkugi?”
“Well, you were up there kind’a high and I was too busy running
to think about it!”
Couldn’t fault the man for thinking about self-preservation; Ono
and Hikaru looked at each other for a moment. They turned and pushed
their heads back up through the growth and stared at the van. There
were more items flying out the side now. Tofu knew that if left to its
own devices that Bear will have the entire interior strewn about in no
time.
“We’ve got to get it out of there fast,” said Ono.
“Yeah, I’ll bet Nabiki is having fits right now. Say, why don’t
you call her and tell her our situation? You’ve still got the ear piece
right?”
“Two problems with that idea, Hikaru. One, we’re still out of
range and two; I left it in the van!”
“You took it off? Gee Doc that wasn’t so bright.”
“D’oh!” grunted Ono, placing a hand to his face. “Happy
thoughts, happy thoughts, Tofu. He’s still needed.”
Ono looked down at Hikaru. “I took it off so I would not lose it
while I was playing TARZAN!”
“Ooo, better keep it down, Doc. Bear might hear you.”
A tense moment followed and then Ono sighed. He shook his head
and stared out at the van again. “This just can’t get any worse,” he
said.
A few more seconds passed then Hikaru said, “Yes it can.”
“What do you mean by that, Hikaru?”
“Well, this stuff, these plants around us… uh, some of it is
Urushi.”
Ono’s jaw dropped and he cut his eyes over at Gosunkugi. He
could only shrug and Tofu clenched his eyes tight. “D’oh!” he muttered
again covering his face with his hands.
“I’m surprised I even remember that much from camping,” continued
Hikaru. “Oh well, looks like I won’t get to finish my dinner now.”
Ono’s finger’s parted. “What dinner?”
“The one I was enjoying until I was so rudely interrupted.
Kasumi fixed me up a Bento box before we left. You know I swear your
wife could prepare a full course banquet in less than two seconds. You
are a lucky man, Doctor Tofu.”
A tight grip latched up around Hikaru’s throat, Ono glaring at
Gosunkugi with death in his eyes.
“Uh… should I have gotten you one too, Doc?” gasped Hikaru.
Doctor Tofu said nothing as he pulled Gosunkugi back down into
the brush…
* * * * *
It took careful moving but Ryoga Hibiki managed at last to get
him and Akane over to the north side of Maeda’s home. The guards
patrolling the grounds seemed to be more interested in the front than
the sides and rear and except for the occasional passer, the two
would-be burglars slipped quietly into the surrounding brush.
Well, almost quietly.
Ryoga could barely manage carrying both the equipment they needed
and Akane; whose now thoroughly inebriated person could barely stand
upright with out his support. How she still managed to navigate there
way around the grounds was beyond him, but there came several times when
he had to place a hand or arm across her mouth to keep her silent. Now
they stood, or at least he stood staring up at the third story window
trying to figure out how to get them up and inside without being
discovered.
“Ranma… gonna need my Ranmaaa,” sang Akane, slumped up against
his back.
It’s a wonder I’m not bleeding to death, thought Ryoga as he
surveyed the scene. Suddenly, he felt Akane sliding down and turned
just in time to catch her before she could drop.
“Akane, Akane, please don’t pass out on me now!” he frantically
said as he held her up.
Akane giggled, draping her arms around his neck. “I wasn’t about
to pass out, RRRanmaaaa,” she slurred.
Ryoga stared at her smiling face and then gulped. “Oh, oh this
is not good.”
She giggled again and began to pull herself up closer, but Ryoga
pushed her gently back. “Akane, it’s me, Ryoga, your partner in crime
here.”
Akane frowned. “Ryoga?” He nodded. “Ryoga? Ryoga, where is my
Ranma?”
“Inside with the others.”
“Inside?” She glanced past him at the building and Ryoga could
see a small pout forming on her lips.
“Oh no, oh no, Akane please don’t start crying. This is not the
time too be crying!”
“He doesn’t love meeeee! BWAAAAA—murph!”
Ryoga clasped a hand over her mouth and not a moment to soon as
around the corner one of Maeda’s men appeared. Quickly Ryoga pulled
Akane down and he watched him hoping he did not hear her cry. The guard
stood looking around then took a few steps in their direction. Ryoga
tensed as he looked around again then reached into his jacket and pulled
out a cigarette and lighter.
The guard stood smoking his cigarette for a few minutes, looking
up at the star and around the dimly light grounds before tossing the
butt down, stamping it out. One last gaze in their direction, he turned
and headed back out of sight.
“That was close,” whispered Ryoga, standing up.
Akane leaned up against his back again with her chin pressing
playfully against the crease of his spine. “RRRanmaaa, gonna need my
RRRammaaa,” she sang again.
“No, stop it, Akane!” She did but he could sense her pout
returning. “Okay, I’m sorry. Uh stay there while I get this grappling
hook out, okay?”
“Sure, Ranma.”
Saotome, you definitely need to address this problem, Ryoga
thought, shaking his head. From the black bag he pulled out a coil of
rope with a three pronged metal grappling hook secured to one end.
Several woven loops were spliced into the rope at even intervals to
allow a climber purchase as they climbed up the rope. It looked sturdy
enough but would it support both of them at the same time?
No sense in waiting, Ryoga set Akane up against the building and
took a few steps back. He twirled the hook around in the air allowing
the momentum to build and then with a light toss let it fly. The hook
sailed up and over the top of the roof. Ryoga heard a dim tap as it
landed and he pulled taking up the slack until the points finally dug
into something and stopped.
Ryoga made a few more strong pulls and it looked like the hook
was firmly attached. He let out a sigh of relief and looked at Akane;
who had slid down to the ground and sat smiling at him.
“YEA!!!!” she suddenly exclaimed, clapping her hands. Ryoga
dashed over pleading for her to stop as he grabbed her wrist.
“You don’t want me to cheer for you, Ranma?” she said.
“No, Akane… darn it, I’m Ryoga! We don’t want the guards to
hear, okay?”
Sadly, Akane nodded.
“Now, we have to climb up. Do this for me, please?”
She nodded again and Ryoga helped her up.
“So, since you know how to open locks, you go first and… Akane?
Akane?”
Akane was not paying attention to Ryoga. In fact she was not
paying much attention to anything as her legs buckled like a ragity-ann
doll, slumping back down towards the ground. Ryoga stood her back up.
“Oh great, you can’t even walk by yourself yet alone climb.
Akane it was only one gulp!”
“Mmmm, and it was warm too.”
Ryoga felt like crying himself not believing this was happening.
This is why Tom Cruise always worked alone! He drew in a breath and
stopped to reexamine the situation. Okay, Hibiki, you’re a police
officer. That means you have to be resourceful and patient. Your
partner is wounded and you can’t leave’em behind, so what do you do?
‘Speed’… no this is not the time to be thinking about trivia! Okay,
think man, think!
He looked at Akane. Tiny Woman, should be no extra weight,
thought Ryoga. He eyed the rope then looked up at the window. Rope,
Drunk Girl, bag, window, me. Climb! Got it!
Taking the end of the rope, Ryoga tied it around Akane’s waist,
made a secure loop then tied the rest around his linking them both
together. He draped the bag over a shoulder and after a short prayer,
leaped up grabbed the rope, pulling them up.
“Wait a minute,” he muttered between his grunts and strains.
“This girl ain’t light! No wonder you sink like a rock in water. Where
is it all at?”
Higher and higher they went, Akane giggling with each pull much
to Ryoga’s distress. Without warning, she suddenly let out a laugh and
twisted her body sharply to one side causing them to spin.
“What! Akane, stop that!” said Ryoga.
“Oooh, look at me! I’m Jane!”
“Akane, stop it!”
She looked up. “And Ranma, Ranma, you’re Tarzan taking me up to
his loft in the trees! Climb, you big wild beast of a man! Take me,
take me up. Ravage me with wild reckless abandon!”
Ryoga managed to stop their twirling and braced his body up
against the wall to keep Akane from repeating her action. He stared
down at her noting the lewd leer she gave him and quickly turned away.
“Akari. Akari is my wife, Akane is the wife of my best friend,” he
reminded himself. “My thoughts are pure, my thoughts are clean.”
Akane’s playful pawing at his back made Ryoga pause.
“And the Devil is working overtime tonight too.” He continued to
climb up ignoring Akane’s advances. “I still wonder why I’m not
bleeding to death. Good thing Akari has one advantage over Akane. She
doesn’t weigh eight billion tons.”
Finally, they reached the bottom of the third story window.
Ryoga grabbed on to the sill and pulled himself up to rest on his arms,
the rope still tucked between them. He let out a sigh of relief pausing
to regain his strength.
“A good fall if there is one,” he thought gazing back down.
Akane oddly enough hung with arms and legs spread out to either side,
her head up eyes closed with a strange smile on her face. Ryoga smirked
and then asked, “Akane, what are you doing?”
“I’m Tinkerbelle!”
…
…
…
“Okay. I got ‘a get you inside and sobered up somehow.”
Ryoga grabbed the rope and climbed until he stood precariously on
the window ledge. Carefully, he reached into his pocket and pulled out
a pocketknife, selecting the thinnest blade and opened it up. Okay,
they taught us this stuff in training at the academy, he thought.
Running the tip along the window’s frame, he found the seam that
separated the two sides, sliding the blade between them. All too easy,
joked Ryoga, but then Akane wanted to prove him wrong.
“Fluuutter, flutter, flutter, flutter!” she said, flexing her
shoulder back and forth.
Ryoga lost his grip falling away from the window leaving the
knife wedge in place. His arms flailed, and a desperate last grab
caught the rope before it too went out of reach. They fell back then
stopped with Ryoga’s heels on the ledge, hanging out at an odd angle.
“Akane, what are you doing?”
“I’m flying!”
“No, you’re about too kill us!”
“But I’m flying, see? Flutter, flutter, flutter, flutter,
flutter!”
“Ah! Akane, you’re not flying, you’re a lead balloon… literally…
so, so, so stop it!”
Akane did letting her arms and legs hang free. That wasn’t good,
the added weight bearing down on Ryoga. He let out a grunt and reached
up pulling them back towards the ledge. Suddenly, there came a short
sharp jerk as the hook briefly slid from position a short ways before
digging in again. It stopped and Ryoga waited for a moment and then
resumed his pull. The hook held and they were back upright once more.
“Don’t-do-anything-Akane,” Ryoga said. He found the knife again
and carefully slid it down the seam until it stopped on the interior
latch. Carefully, Ryoga slid the blade out probing until he found the
bottom of the latch and then slid the blade back in.
“Okay, let’s hope this window’s not alarmed.”
He slid the blade up and was rewarded by the sound of the latch
scrapping up out of the holder and falling free. Ryoga pushed both
windows open and stepped down into Maeda’s office…
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