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CHAPTER TWO

Dust still hovered in the air of the broken house on West Court Street as two figures took a seat on hole-blown sofas by the window. Feathers from torn up pillows silently drifted and eventually took place on the wood shaving-covered carpet. Everywhere you stepped there was a risk of getting a splinter or a glass shard in your foot. The dead bodies of the ex-employees of William Jensen still lay motionless on the floor in pools of their own blood. They would be taken care of later. The neighborhood was tiny and insignificant beside the loud and busy city and there were only a few houses on the block, most occupied by elderly couples or single mothers. Chances were slim that anyone would have heard the gunshots.
Rin Morioka took no notice to his battered-up surroundings as he laid an arm across the top of the cream-colored sofa he was sitting on. His cousin, Reno, was beside him. Dakota was in the kitchen attempting to bake some breakfast croissants on what was left of a steel pan. Almost everything in their kitchen had a pretty new hole in it.
"I think you've got some explaining to do," Rin called to Gabriel Del Marco who was in the main hallway. It had been only forty-five minutes ago that he had no idea who this man was, and now he had practically become their new accomplice.
Gabriel returned to the living room with a square-shaped briefcase. "You're probably wondering who I am and what I want to do with you hooligans."
Rin examined him then gave an obvious nod.
Gabriel sat on the sofa next to the other, against the wall. He began to unzip the briefcase, sitting it on the table in front of him, and it was then that Rin realized it wasn't a briefcase at all, but instead a case to hold a laptop computer. As Gabriel pulled out a sleek and thin black computer, he spoke. "Dakota found out about my business being here when I intruded this morning. I already told her the basics. See, I used to be involved in an underground crime organization just like the two of you. Unlike you guys, I wasn't my own boss. I worked for a man named Jonathon Becker, a real prick if you ask me. Someone shoved a stick up his ass fifty years ago and he's been stiff ever since. A few short months ago Becker took me off the job and quite literately kicked me out on the streets when we got into a pointless tiff." He ran a hand over the laptop but continued speaking and refrained from opening it up for the time being. "I know you're probably wondering what this has to do with you lot."
Reno showed no signs of impatience but Rin shifted in his seat, curious.
"The truth is, I love what I do. And I'm not going to stop because some jackass told me I have to."
"I like the way you think," Rin muttered.
"I've been investigating in some of your work and I must say, I like the way you think too. So I came to your Blood Moon organization with a proposition. I'd join your team right now if I could. Only I know that isn't how it works. I'd have to earn my place as a rightful member of the team."
Rin exchanged a glance with his cousin.
Before Gabriel could continue, Dakota entered the room holding a tray of croissants and jam, stepping over a few dead bodies along the way. She placed the tray on the table in front of the two couches, then silently grabbed a pillow from the couch and placed it on the ground and sat on top of it.
"They're fresh," she said, taking one for herself. All of their plates had shattered in the shooting and she figured the house was already messy enough, so what would a few more crumbs make any difference?
Rin was the first to grab one, swiftly picking it up off the plate and kicking his knees up to his chest on the sofa as he munched.
"Therefore," Gabriel continued. "I have an interesting mission in need of someone like you. I think you'll find it rather enthralling, and the reward is beyond anything you could ever imagine."
"Alright, what's the catch?" Rin said while swallowing down a mouthful of pastry. "Is the target some giant boss of an oil company with a million guards surrounding him twenty-four seven and the only way we can get to him is by crossing a pit of burning lava and seventy-five hungry crocodiles?"
"Not exactly," Gabriel finally booted up his laptop and turned it around on the table to face Rin and Reno. He shifted from one sofa to the other so that he was sitting next to Rin. "In fact, there isn't only one target. There are many."
Rin examined the screen. It showed various photos of a tropical island resort: beaches, caverns, lush rainforests and tourist hotspots. For a minute Rin thought this was Gabriel's screensaver or that perhaps he had left his vacation plans open on the desktop. But when Gabriel spoke, he realized this was indeed what he wanted them to see.
"The location is Chiapas, Mexico. Cayo Peligro to be exact. It's a tiny island just off the coast. Home to a few hundred vampire bats and millions of wasps and Dobsonflies. The only humans found here are our targets. And of course, our targets' victims."
"Victims?" Reno repeated with uncertainty.
"That's right. The Mexican government is doing some things that a few of the locals don't agree with. Nothing in particular as far as I know, but there is a certain group of anarchists that have taken things a little too far. They've started taking people as hostages in camps on the island, including a few American citizens on vacation or leisure. The government doesn't want anyone else knowing about this more than they already do. They're trying to keep it hush-hush while they attempt to sort things out. Families want their loved ones back, government wants the innocent unharmed. This is where we come in. A group of assassins looking for some extra cash."
"I thought you said the reward was beyond anything imaginable?" Rin cut in.
"It is."
"Then…"
"You're saying we'd be working for the government?" Reno interrupted.
Gabriel gave a nod and a shrug. "In a way… See, the government would never order something like this to solve their problems, though we know they're definitely thinking it. Even if we do solve everything by eliminating the anarchists ourselves, they would never say it's us."
"Then how do we expect to get the cash?" Rin asked.
"Oh they'll give it to us. Just make sure nobody's around to catch a glimpse."
"Are you sure about this?" Rin asked, his voice almost merging with his cousin's who spoke right after him.
"You've spoken to the Mexican government I'm guessing?"
"It's a tiny affair. They came to Jonathon Becker, my old boss, for help. He turned them down, not wanting to get involved. This was what our embroilment was about, you see? I wanted to take the job while he did not. That is why I've come to you. So, what do you say? You want to help the poor little innocent locals and get a giant sum of cash in the process?"
"I'm in," Rin said with hardly any thought.
Reno, however, was a tad more sceptical. "How exactly are we going to get all the way down there? We can't exactly afford plane tickets."
"We don't have to. It would be too suspicious if we just waltzed in there from the airport, too." Gabriel opened a new browser and pressed on a few keys. A different window now popped up which showed an immense ship taking up the entire screen. It wasn't any ordinary ship. It was a vacationing spot with thirteen glorious levels and over eight thousand rooms. It was a cruise ship.
"Sweet!" Was Rin's first reaction.
Reno, however, was less enthusiastic. "And how is this cheaper than a plane ticket?"
By now Dakota crept around the table to see what everyone else was oohing and aahing at.
"Because," Gabriel started. "You get a special deal if you're more than three people, and not to mention Dakota and Rin still count as children. The age the offer stops at is sixteen. Plus, it is far less suspicious if we come in as tourists with a large group." Gabriel seemed pleased with himself.
"Oh, that's fantastic." Reno said sarcastically. "Except for one thing. Dakota isn't going."
There were three "what's" that followed in unison after that.
"And why on Earth not?" Gabriel asked.
"I don't want her getting into any of our business. This doesn't involve her. I won't be responsible for anything that happens to her. Just look at what could have happened today if Rin hadn't come in to the picture. Those men would have devoured her."
There was a long pause and nothing was said.
"May I remind you of the reason why those men were even here in the first place?" Gabriel reasoned. "You think she is any safer here, alone, with more of her father's men after her?"
Reno showed no signs of reconsideration, but his eyes seemed to flicker with something dark. "How do you know so much about us?"
"I already told you," Gabriel laughed, "When I was back with Jonathon we did a lot of looking into you folk."
"He's right, Reno." Dakota tried to reason with Reno gently. "You can't just leave me alone here. I want to come."
"Come on, man," Rin cut in. "This is a cruise we're talking about. I don't think anyone in the world would want to miss out on a chance like this. When it comes to the dangerous bits we'll leave her out of it."
Reno eyed the ship on the screen. He waited before planting his eyes back on the little blonde girl in front of him. She was just staring back letting him decide. He could tell there was a glimmer of gloom in her eyes, yet she was still hopeful.
It took a lot before Reno finally said "Alright." The heavy atmosphere of the room was lifted when he did.

Gabriel continued informing the group of what would need to be done for this mission as they all sat back and munched on the pastries Dakota had made.
"We're going to need to be ready for physical combat. These guys aren't too shabby at it themselves. You two aren't just good at your aim, are you?"
Rin gave a strong laugh. "Clearly you haven't been watching us close enough, Mr. Del Marco. I take it as an insult that you would even think of such a thing. What do you take us for?"
"Alright, alright. Just checking."
"You know, four seems like an odd number, don't you think?" Rin asked.
Everyone looked at him quizzically.
"I mean, I'm just saying… Wouldn't five seem more… complete?"
"What are you on about, Rin?" Reno asked suspiciously. By the tone his cousin was using, he knew he was up to no good.
"I know a special someone," Rin started in a sing-song voice, then stood up and whipped out his cellular phone.
Reno seemed to catch on to what Rin was doing so he stood as well, cutting in to Rin's words like daggers. "Don't you dare do what I think you're going to do. I'll sooner have you chopped up into a million pieces before you call her."
"Wait a second, who?" Gabriel asked from the couch.
Dakota turned to Gabriel and informed him. "Reno's twin sister," she said matter-of-factly. "They don't get along."
"Rin, I swear to god…" but even if Reno tried to stop his cousin any further, it was too late. Rin had already punched in a number on his phone.

Somewhere in the middle of California a woman in her mid-twenties kicked a black high heeled foot over her head to collide it with the face of sweaty man with black scruff going down to his neck. The collision was so forceful it knocked him off of his feet and out cold. She was in an old warehouse that was as large as a football field. More men who looked almost identical came at her and still she used swift moves that resembled Kung Fu on the unsuspecting men. A few kicks, leaps and thrusts later and all of the fifteen men were either dead or would be soon. As she walked away from the scene with profound contentment, her heels clanged against the cold stone floor. She reached in her pocket and pulled out a tiny device. After pressing a button on it, she casually tossed in behind her where the men lay and continued walking. Her long jet black hair burst forward from the force of the explosion but she didn't seem fazed or even slightly off balance. She simply smirked and kept right on her way out of the warehouse.
A ringing sounded underneath the clatter of the bomb debris, and soon it stopped as the woman whipped out a cell phone and opened it.
"What do you want?" Was her form of a greeting.
"Anna? This is Rin."
"Oh! Hey little cuz." She nonchalantly glanced back at the mess she had made but that was about it. She was rather pleased with herself. "Why're you calling me?"
"We need you for a job. It involves a cruise ship and vacationing in Mexico. You up to it?"
"Sounds pretty sweet. What's the catch?"
"Tell you what, Anna. If this sounds like your type of adventure come to the house and we'll explain it all to you."
"You misunderstood, Junior. I'm all the way in California. Just got done doing a job, actually."
"I thought you were your own boss?"
"Oh, yeah. I am. This was a job that I assigned to myself. Anyway, the point is, I was just about to enjoy this giant wad of cash that'd bulging out of my pocket right now. Was thinking about going shopping and then heading down to the beach. So you see, I'm rather booked."
Rin laughed from the other line. "Suit yourself, Anna. But I'm telling you, you're missing out."
Anna considered her options. She didn't really have another job in the works, and there had to be a reason Rin was calling to invite her to join in on this particular assignment. He never did. Nor did her brother, for that matter.
"What's the pay like?" She asked.
"Let's just put it this way. You would never need to assign yourself pity jobs ever again."
"Hey, they aren't pity jobs…" Anna said, defending her pride.
"Later, cuz." Rin clicked his phone shut.

"She coming?" Dakota asked once Rin was off the phone.
"Yes, she is." Rin said with a smirk.

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