This was not good.
This was in fact, the single farthest thing one could get from good short of being dead.
The cool fall evening meant that many people would not be out at a time like this. Just as well, Rasteva would hate to be seen like THIS. Leaves rustled wildly as something small and dark zipped over them. A cloud of smoke so black that it absorbed all light coiled and darted across the ground. This in and of itself was already odd. Even odder that the cloud of smoke was TALKING.
"Absolutely unacceptable! to think that I, Rasteva would be degraded in such a manner!" The Cloud darted across the ground erratically, all the while a deep voice bellowed from within. "Such an embarrassment, that is all this is. To be laid to ruin by WEAKLINGS, my power stolen by the unworthy. How could I allow such a thing to happen?" Only the wind answered the cloud of smoke, and it was an unwelcome answer at that. The cloud began to thin, almost in danger of dissipating completely.
Needless to say, the voice was not amused.
"Unbelievable! To think that I would be stricken down by a mere breeze! I must hurry if I cannot find a form I-"
The voice stopped short, footsteps echoing towards them. Someone was coming.
This was good, better than their current predicament. Whoever it was that approached was sure to have something on them that Rasteva could use as a temporary form. Once there they could make plans to regain their former strength.
But they had to act quickly.
The wind was beginning to pick up tremendously and Rasteva cursed themselves internally. Each gust of air only dissipated their smoke form further and they were getting dangerously close to falling apart altogether. The Daemon tried to collect their form as much as they could only to have someone walk straight through their body, causing them to unwind once more.The Daemon let out a sound of irritation as the Human rushed past "How rude! If I had a good and proper body, you'd be regretting that!"Rasteva silenced themselves, realizing that the human had long since left and wouldn't have heard the Daemon anyway. And what could have Rasteva done if they had? Given them a severe coughing fit? The Daemon's ego shrunk a few sizes, the realization of how powerless they were fully hitting them. When they had a body they were strong, but now they were nothing.
Less than nothing.
But that could all change.
Shaking off the intrusive thoughts Rasteva resumed their previous course of action. "A body. I need a body. Any body will do. And once I am strong enough I can begin regaining my former glory. But until I have a physical form-" The Daemon cut themselves short, taking notice of a human idling nearby.
Perfect.
Or at the very least, better than nothing. The wisp of smoke darted towards the unwary Human, quick as a Viper hunting their prey. All the while the Daemon was hoping, praying, that the Human held the one thing they needed.
Only then could the real work begin.
This was in fact, the single farthest thing one could get from good short of being dead.
The cool fall evening meant that many people would not be out at a time like this. Just as well, Rasteva would hate to be seen like THIS. Leaves rustled wildly as something small and dark zipped over them. A cloud of smoke so black that it absorbed all light coiled and darted across the ground. This in and of itself was already odd. Even odder that the cloud of smoke was TALKING.
"Absolutely unacceptable! to think that I, Rasteva would be degraded in such a manner!" The Cloud darted across the ground erratically, all the while a deep voice bellowed from within. "Such an embarrassment, that is all this is. To be laid to ruin by WEAKLINGS, my power stolen by the unworthy. How could I allow such a thing to happen?" Only the wind answered the cloud of smoke, and it was an unwelcome answer at that. The cloud began to thin, almost in danger of dissipating completely.
Needless to say, the voice was not amused.
"Unbelievable! To think that I would be stricken down by a mere breeze! I must hurry if I cannot find a form I-"
The voice stopped short, footsteps echoing towards them. Someone was coming.
This was good, better than their current predicament. Whoever it was that approached was sure to have something on them that Rasteva could use as a temporary form. Once there they could make plans to regain their former strength.
But they had to act quickly.
The wind was beginning to pick up tremendously and Rasteva cursed themselves internally. Each gust of air only dissipated their smoke form further and they were getting dangerously close to falling apart altogether. The Daemon tried to collect their form as much as they could only to have someone walk straight through their body, causing them to unwind once more.The Daemon let out a sound of irritation as the Human rushed past "How rude! If I had a good and proper body, you'd be regretting that!"Rasteva silenced themselves, realizing that the human had long since left and wouldn't have heard the Daemon anyway. And what could have Rasteva done if they had? Given them a severe coughing fit? The Daemon's ego shrunk a few sizes, the realization of how powerless they were fully hitting them. When they had a body they were strong, but now they were nothing.
Less than nothing.
But that could all change.
Shaking off the intrusive thoughts Rasteva resumed their previous course of action. "A body. I need a body. Any body will do. And once I am strong enough I can begin regaining my former glory. But until I have a physical form-" The Daemon cut themselves short, taking notice of a human idling nearby.
Perfect.
Or at the very least, better than nothing. The wisp of smoke darted towards the unwary Human, quick as a Viper hunting their prey. All the while the Daemon was hoping, praying, that the Human held the one thing they needed.
Only then could the real work begin.
Xander was sitting down on a bench, scrolling through his phone absentmindedly. He was browsing the news, hopefully trying to find an interesting read to capture his mind as he waits for his bus to go home, finishing a day up at work.
Squawk!
Xander jumped a little, peering to his side. He glared at the parakeet sitting next to him fluttering about in its cage. He did not event want this stupid bird. He was the unfortunate caretaker of it, a family friend stopping by and unceremoniously giving it to him for the week. Now, Xander likes animals; this one in particular has been annoying him the past few hours.
"Can you be quiet for just a bit longer?" Xander pleaded to the bird. "Th bus'll be arriving soon and no one wants to deal with a noisy bird." The two have a stare down, and Xander believed it was going to comply before is screeched again. He sighed, and slumped down. "Stupid bird," he muttered.
He resumed looking at his phone to ignore the bird, unbeknownst to him that something was lurking nearby.
Squawk!
Xander jumped a little, peering to his side. He glared at the parakeet sitting next to him fluttering about in its cage. He did not event want this stupid bird. He was the unfortunate caretaker of it, a family friend stopping by and unceremoniously giving it to him for the week. Now, Xander likes animals; this one in particular has been annoying him the past few hours.
"Can you be quiet for just a bit longer?" Xander pleaded to the bird. "Th bus'll be arriving soon and no one wants to deal with a noisy bird." The two have a stare down, and Xander believed it was going to comply before is screeched again. He sighed, and slumped down. "Stupid bird," he muttered.
He resumed looking at his phone to ignore the bird, unbeknownst to him that something was lurking nearby.
The screeching of the bird irritated Rasteva more than words could ever hope to express. For a split second, the Daemon reconsidered approaching at all, sure that the creature's squawking would alert the human sitting next to it. The man did not seem at all aware of his surroundings, face buried in one of the small glowing devices that Human's were so fond of carrying around. He only broke his attention from it once to scold the bird sitting in the cage, and promptly resume staring at the object in his hand. Had Rasteva been at all capable, they'd have breathed a sigh of relief but instead focused on the task at hand.
The cloud zipped forward, surging into the cage that the bird resided in. The creature's squawks took on a terrified note for a brief moment before the cloud of smoke enveloped the creature and silenced it abruptly. The little Parakeet was helpless to stop the Daemon from entering its body, and Rasteva was pleased with how easy it was to overtake it. The creature was simple minded, lacking the self-awareness to struggle against the invasion put upon its mind. Rasteva could sense the creature's fear and confusion, the Parakeet simply unable to comprehend what was happening to it.
It was a simple matter to snuff it out.
Rasteva stretched their wings, testing their new body carefully. The bird....Or what had passed for its consciousness, no longer existed. To all outward appearances, the feathered creature was no different from any other member of its species, and indeed internally it possessed all the biological functions of any other animal. But its mind had been overtaken and replaced by Rasteva. The bird's head turned to stare at the Human on the bench with beady eyes. It did not seem as if he'd noticed what had happened, and so Rasteva allowed themselves to relax for the moment.
Their new form was small. It was weak. But it was the best that Rasteva could do on such short notice. They simply lacked the power to channel and project a form of their own, though they hoped that they would be able to discard their current body for a more dignified one later one.
The colors really did not suit the Daemon.
The little Parakeet hopped closer to the edge of the cage to stare up at the Human. Rasteva was not sure what to make of him, never having observed a Human up close. He was odd looking, but the Daemon was of the opinion that ALL Humans looked strange. They could sense no power coming from him either, so Rasteva was safe under the assumption that he'd not come across any other Daemons. This was good, thus far. In their present state, Rasteva could not afford to clash with another of their kind. Especially after what had happened.
The Daemon felt a surge of rage at the thought, their feathers poofing out from their small body in barely repressed anger. Their power had been torn from them, unrightfully so. And now it rested in hands that didn't deserve them, scattered all over the planet. Rasteva was not sure HOW they would go about locating even the smallest fraction of it. But the Daemon would not rest until they'd regained their former strength and glory.
But how to go about wrenching it from the unworthy?
The Bird stared at the Human again, eyes betraying a keen intellect that went beyond animal understanding.
The Human. He was the key. He would be the one to uplift the Daemon.
There was only the small matter of convincing him.
Richard watched the digital display over the Elevator's doors in silence, the numbers on it changing at what felt like a Snail's pace. He wasn't late for his meeting with the CEO. He was never late. But that didn't make the wait any more bearable. The Chief of Security grumbled softly, a gloved hand coming up to fiddle with his tie. These meetings were not uncommon, Lorette took the safety of the building and all inside of it as seriously as she did the rest of her duties. However, she rarely called Richard to her Office so late in the evening, especially without making sure to schedule an appointment with him beforehand. He knew that the matter had to be serious if Lorette was willing to go off schedule and mentally prepared himself for the worst.
The Elevator dinged softly as it finally reached the top floor, and the doors had barely opened before Richard stepped through them. The floor was eerily silent, the Receptionist's desk empty in the dimly lit area. The Chief of Security set off at a brisk pace towards the imposing double doors situated just beyond the large desk, his footfalls muffled by the plush carpet on the floor. He didn't even make ready to knock as the CEO's voice rang loudly from within her office. She had expected him to arrive on time as he always did and wasted no time in bidding him to enter. Years ago, Robert had found her perception and timing unsettling, but now he could only appreciate the efficiency it afforded him. The massive office was as dimly lit as the rest of the floor and Richard could make out Lorette's form as she stood facing the floor to ceiling windows at the opposite end of the room. The many lights illuminating Arnvista cast a soft glow around the room, and for a moment the CEO was silent as she stared out at the busy streets.
"Lorette, do you think you can skip the dramatics this time and tell me why you called me up here?" Richard closed the heavy wooden door with a small grunt before turning to face the woman once more. Lorette pivoted sharply on a heel to face Robert, a stern glare leveled on him. A lesser man might have shrunk back from her gaze, but Robert had found himself under it for many years now and it had long since become exhausting to constantly cower before her.
"I will be leaving for Tokyo in a few hours. Ms. Oshiro will be accompanying me there. As you are well aware by now, Sato-Yamasaki Genetics will be doing business with us going forward and I will be visiting their Headquarters to finalize our agreement." Richard sighed and sank into the chair seated in front of Lorette's imposing black desk. "I'm going to go ahead and assume there's more. I can't imagine that you'd call me all the way up here for something you could have told me in a text message." Richard leaned back in the plush chair, spinning it side to side as he eyed the CEO carefully. As was usual, her face betrayed none of her inner thoughts, but the man was not stupid enough to believe that she had nothing else planned for him. "This is a very crucial time for us Mr.Solberg. Sato-Yamasaki will, of course, be sending some of their own people overseas to assist in future projects here in the States. And while I have the utmost trust in them you are well aware of what is at risk should we allow anything to slip past our notice."The Chief of Security nodded silently, waiting for her to continue. "I need you go about finding a security force for our new Research facility. Nikhil will give you the details on what he needs specifically."
Richard leaned back in the chair to stare up at the ceiling in silence for a moment, not quite ready to voice his thoughts. He could feel Lorette's gaze continuing to bore into him and knew that she would not wait all night for a response. "So, you're taking the Lieutenant on a vacation overseas and leaving me to round up some new people along with maintaining the security of this building AND a Research Facility out in the middle of nowhere with Nikhil?" Robert looked back at Lorette, his blue eyes narrowed. "Did you know that I own a home, Lorette? I have a house, with a roof and a bed. At some point this year, I'd like to sleep in it." Lorette's expression and tone did not change, seeming unbothered by the man's quips. "Junior Officer Kinnaird is more than capable of carrying the workload with you Robert. Her....exuberance aside, she's proven to be more than effective at her job. She can handle things here while you are out with Nikhil. Allister will be staying behind as well and I'm sure that he can keep an eye on things while we're both away."
Lorette moved away from the windows, her footsteps ringing loudly on the polished stone floor as she approached the sulking Chief of Security. A gloved hand settled gently on his shoulder and gave it a small reassuring squeeze. "It will be fine Richard. I know that I'm asking a lot from you right now, but you that it's only because I know you're capable of doing it." Richard glanced up at the woman, the small smile gracing the edge of her mouth not escaping his notice. "And besides, it's not as if I sleep in my own house any more than you do in yours. Sometimes I wonder if I'll forget where it is one day." The hand moved away along with Lorette as she walked away before coming to pause before the double doors of her office."I will contact you when we land. Please turn the lights off when you leave." Robert didn't bother watching her as she left, and once the doors had slammed shut the Office descended back into silence.
Richard rubbed tiredly at his face and resigned himself to his fate, knowing there was no point in crying over things as they were. Reaching into his jacket he pulled out his phone and tapped at the screen, pulling up a familiar number. The phone rang twice before the person on the other side picked up. The voice on the other end was thick with exhaustion, no doubt its owner had been asleep before Richard had called, but he wasted no time on that. "Kinnaird. I know you're off but I need you back at the Office. Something has come up-Are you crying? If you want to cry, then do it on your way over here. Now move your ass." Richard ended the call to loud tearful protests on the other side before tucking his phone away, muttering balefully to himself. "At least she can say that she got some sleep tonight...."
Matsuko grinned stupidly at her phone's screen, a string of expletive-riddled messages displayed prominently on the backlit surface. "Audrey is PISSED. This is wonderful, she's probably going punch the first person to start with her.....Oh God, I hope it's Allister. I would pay any amount of money to see that." She looked across the aisle towards Lorette, the CEO's expression as unreadable as always. "Tell the Junior Officer that if she plans to assault Mr. Schoen, that she needs to do it when she's not on Company time and property." Matsuko let out a short laugh, tapping idly at her phone. "So what's the plan once we get there? I'm not sure that I'll be of much help, Allister usually goes with you to these things and I don't like leaving Richard and Audrey alone unattended." Lorette continued staring out the plane's window, her voice even as she watched the clouds roll by. "Don't be ridiculous Ms. Oshiro. Your presence will be indispensable at this meeting. I will need you to remain observant once we arrive at Sato-Yamasaki Headquarters. Pay very close attention to their Security measures, and keep a close eye on the people that they choose to present to us. We are there to forge an agreement with them, but I'd feel better knowing how they operate."
A gloved finger tapped idly at the armrest of her seat, and Lorette pressed on. "And I need you to translate for me." Matsuko lofted a brow, eyeing the CEO quizzically. "You speak Japanese pretty decently if I remember. What do you need me to translate for?" Lorette's gaze slid over to the Lieutenant, her voice remaining even. "I speak the language well enough, but not enough to catch any subtle nuances in everyday conversation. Something that is quite important when conducting business."Lorette resumed staring out the plane's window. "And as far as they know, I don't speak it at all. I want them lulled into enough of a false sense of security that they might think me ignorant of everything that's going on. They may very well let slip something that they don't want me to hear."
Matsuko pursed her lips, brows knitted together. "You think they might be up to something?"Lorette did not make any movement to confirm or deny the other woman's question. "Hanshiro Sato does good business, but I hear that he enjoys gloating. He has no love for Americans either, though you wouldn't know it. Currently, I don't know if he plans to make the same offer that he's giving us to any of our competition. But I do know that if given the opportunity to gain the upper hand, he will take it. I want you to keep your eyes and ears open while we are there Ms. Oshiro. Is that understood?" Matsko nodded silently, knowing that Lorette would see it one way or the other. "You've got it." Matsuko grinned at Lorette. "I hope you aren't keeping tabs on me like this, you know."
"No, I am not. I've seen how you live Matsuko and the thought of having to watch you depresses me."
"That's pretty rude coming from someone needing my help as much as you do!"
"If you thought that by leaving Audrey and Richard behind, that you'd be free of any suffering, you were wrong Ms. Oshiro."
Right...Great."
The cloud zipped forward, surging into the cage that the bird resided in. The creature's squawks took on a terrified note for a brief moment before the cloud of smoke enveloped the creature and silenced it abruptly. The little Parakeet was helpless to stop the Daemon from entering its body, and Rasteva was pleased with how easy it was to overtake it. The creature was simple minded, lacking the self-awareness to struggle against the invasion put upon its mind. Rasteva could sense the creature's fear and confusion, the Parakeet simply unable to comprehend what was happening to it.
It was a simple matter to snuff it out.
Rasteva stretched their wings, testing their new body carefully. The bird....Or what had passed for its consciousness, no longer existed. To all outward appearances, the feathered creature was no different from any other member of its species, and indeed internally it possessed all the biological functions of any other animal. But its mind had been overtaken and replaced by Rasteva. The bird's head turned to stare at the Human on the bench with beady eyes. It did not seem as if he'd noticed what had happened, and so Rasteva allowed themselves to relax for the moment.
Their new form was small. It was weak. But it was the best that Rasteva could do on such short notice. They simply lacked the power to channel and project a form of their own, though they hoped that they would be able to discard their current body for a more dignified one later one.
The colors really did not suit the Daemon.
The little Parakeet hopped closer to the edge of the cage to stare up at the Human. Rasteva was not sure what to make of him, never having observed a Human up close. He was odd looking, but the Daemon was of the opinion that ALL Humans looked strange. They could sense no power coming from him either, so Rasteva was safe under the assumption that he'd not come across any other Daemons. This was good, thus far. In their present state, Rasteva could not afford to clash with another of their kind. Especially after what had happened.
The Daemon felt a surge of rage at the thought, their feathers poofing out from their small body in barely repressed anger. Their power had been torn from them, unrightfully so. And now it rested in hands that didn't deserve them, scattered all over the planet. Rasteva was not sure HOW they would go about locating even the smallest fraction of it. But the Daemon would not rest until they'd regained their former strength and glory.
But how to go about wrenching it from the unworthy?
The Bird stared at the Human again, eyes betraying a keen intellect that went beyond animal understanding.
The Human. He was the key. He would be the one to uplift the Daemon.
There was only the small matter of convincing him.
Richard watched the digital display over the Elevator's doors in silence, the numbers on it changing at what felt like a Snail's pace. He wasn't late for his meeting with the CEO. He was never late. But that didn't make the wait any more bearable. The Chief of Security grumbled softly, a gloved hand coming up to fiddle with his tie. These meetings were not uncommon, Lorette took the safety of the building and all inside of it as seriously as she did the rest of her duties. However, she rarely called Richard to her Office so late in the evening, especially without making sure to schedule an appointment with him beforehand. He knew that the matter had to be serious if Lorette was willing to go off schedule and mentally prepared himself for the worst.
The Elevator dinged softly as it finally reached the top floor, and the doors had barely opened before Richard stepped through them. The floor was eerily silent, the Receptionist's desk empty in the dimly lit area. The Chief of Security set off at a brisk pace towards the imposing double doors situated just beyond the large desk, his footfalls muffled by the plush carpet on the floor. He didn't even make ready to knock as the CEO's voice rang loudly from within her office. She had expected him to arrive on time as he always did and wasted no time in bidding him to enter. Years ago, Robert had found her perception and timing unsettling, but now he could only appreciate the efficiency it afforded him. The massive office was as dimly lit as the rest of the floor and Richard could make out Lorette's form as she stood facing the floor to ceiling windows at the opposite end of the room. The many lights illuminating Arnvista cast a soft glow around the room, and for a moment the CEO was silent as she stared out at the busy streets.
"Lorette, do you think you can skip the dramatics this time and tell me why you called me up here?" Richard closed the heavy wooden door with a small grunt before turning to face the woman once more. Lorette pivoted sharply on a heel to face Robert, a stern glare leveled on him. A lesser man might have shrunk back from her gaze, but Robert had found himself under it for many years now and it had long since become exhausting to constantly cower before her.
"I will be leaving for Tokyo in a few hours. Ms. Oshiro will be accompanying me there. As you are well aware by now, Sato-Yamasaki Genetics will be doing business with us going forward and I will be visiting their Headquarters to finalize our agreement." Richard sighed and sank into the chair seated in front of Lorette's imposing black desk. "I'm going to go ahead and assume there's more. I can't imagine that you'd call me all the way up here for something you could have told me in a text message." Richard leaned back in the plush chair, spinning it side to side as he eyed the CEO carefully. As was usual, her face betrayed none of her inner thoughts, but the man was not stupid enough to believe that she had nothing else planned for him. "This is a very crucial time for us Mr.Solberg. Sato-Yamasaki will, of course, be sending some of their own people overseas to assist in future projects here in the States. And while I have the utmost trust in them you are well aware of what is at risk should we allow anything to slip past our notice."The Chief of Security nodded silently, waiting for her to continue. "I need you go about finding a security force for our new Research facility. Nikhil will give you the details on what he needs specifically."
Richard leaned back in the chair to stare up at the ceiling in silence for a moment, not quite ready to voice his thoughts. He could feel Lorette's gaze continuing to bore into him and knew that she would not wait all night for a response. "So, you're taking the Lieutenant on a vacation overseas and leaving me to round up some new people along with maintaining the security of this building AND a Research Facility out in the middle of nowhere with Nikhil?" Robert looked back at Lorette, his blue eyes narrowed. "Did you know that I own a home, Lorette? I have a house, with a roof and a bed. At some point this year, I'd like to sleep in it." Lorette's expression and tone did not change, seeming unbothered by the man's quips. "Junior Officer Kinnaird is more than capable of carrying the workload with you Robert. Her....exuberance aside, she's proven to be more than effective at her job. She can handle things here while you are out with Nikhil. Allister will be staying behind as well and I'm sure that he can keep an eye on things while we're both away."
Lorette moved away from the windows, her footsteps ringing loudly on the polished stone floor as she approached the sulking Chief of Security. A gloved hand settled gently on his shoulder and gave it a small reassuring squeeze. "It will be fine Richard. I know that I'm asking a lot from you right now, but you that it's only because I know you're capable of doing it." Richard glanced up at the woman, the small smile gracing the edge of her mouth not escaping his notice. "And besides, it's not as if I sleep in my own house any more than you do in yours. Sometimes I wonder if I'll forget where it is one day." The hand moved away along with Lorette as she walked away before coming to pause before the double doors of her office."I will contact you when we land. Please turn the lights off when you leave." Robert didn't bother watching her as she left, and once the doors had slammed shut the Office descended back into silence.
Richard rubbed tiredly at his face and resigned himself to his fate, knowing there was no point in crying over things as they were. Reaching into his jacket he pulled out his phone and tapped at the screen, pulling up a familiar number. The phone rang twice before the person on the other side picked up. The voice on the other end was thick with exhaustion, no doubt its owner had been asleep before Richard had called, but he wasted no time on that. "Kinnaird. I know you're off but I need you back at the Office. Something has come up-Are you crying? If you want to cry, then do it on your way over here. Now move your ass." Richard ended the call to loud tearful protests on the other side before tucking his phone away, muttering balefully to himself. "At least she can say that she got some sleep tonight...."
Matsuko grinned stupidly at her phone's screen, a string of expletive-riddled messages displayed prominently on the backlit surface. "Audrey is PISSED. This is wonderful, she's probably going punch the first person to start with her.....Oh God, I hope it's Allister. I would pay any amount of money to see that." She looked across the aisle towards Lorette, the CEO's expression as unreadable as always. "Tell the Junior Officer that if she plans to assault Mr. Schoen, that she needs to do it when she's not on Company time and property." Matsuko let out a short laugh, tapping idly at her phone. "So what's the plan once we get there? I'm not sure that I'll be of much help, Allister usually goes with you to these things and I don't like leaving Richard and Audrey alone unattended." Lorette continued staring out the plane's window, her voice even as she watched the clouds roll by. "Don't be ridiculous Ms. Oshiro. Your presence will be indispensable at this meeting. I will need you to remain observant once we arrive at Sato-Yamasaki Headquarters. Pay very close attention to their Security measures, and keep a close eye on the people that they choose to present to us. We are there to forge an agreement with them, but I'd feel better knowing how they operate."
A gloved finger tapped idly at the armrest of her seat, and Lorette pressed on. "And I need you to translate for me." Matsuko lofted a brow, eyeing the CEO quizzically. "You speak Japanese pretty decently if I remember. What do you need me to translate for?" Lorette's gaze slid over to the Lieutenant, her voice remaining even. "I speak the language well enough, but not enough to catch any subtle nuances in everyday conversation. Something that is quite important when conducting business."Lorette resumed staring out the plane's window. "And as far as they know, I don't speak it at all. I want them lulled into enough of a false sense of security that they might think me ignorant of everything that's going on. They may very well let slip something that they don't want me to hear."
Matsuko pursed her lips, brows knitted together. "You think they might be up to something?"Lorette did not make any movement to confirm or deny the other woman's question. "Hanshiro Sato does good business, but I hear that he enjoys gloating. He has no love for Americans either, though you wouldn't know it. Currently, I don't know if he plans to make the same offer that he's giving us to any of our competition. But I do know that if given the opportunity to gain the upper hand, he will take it. I want you to keep your eyes and ears open while we are there Ms. Oshiro. Is that understood?" Matsko nodded silently, knowing that Lorette would see it one way or the other. "You've got it." Matsuko grinned at Lorette. "I hope you aren't keeping tabs on me like this, you know."
"No, I am not. I've seen how you live Matsuko and the thought of having to watch you depresses me."
"That's pretty rude coming from someone needing my help as much as you do!"
"If you thought that by leaving Audrey and Richard behind, that you'd be free of any suffering, you were wrong Ms. Oshiro."
Right...Great."
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