“Holy fuck,” he said to himself, turning his attention back to the gruesome scene. He watched the guy’s eyes roll back into his head. Then, he fell limp onto the bar.
Violet let go of the wire’s beaded handle, releasing the dead man where he stood. Unfazed, she nonchalantly reached for the nearest towel and wiped off her hands. Next, she planted a hand on the bartop and smoothly leapt over it, landing with ease.
It was another example of her “ninja feet.” He was amazed that someone so ruthless could move so silently.
Did all the Dragons move like that?
Roman groaned when Violet approached the dead woman, gripped the wakizashi’s hilt, and yanked it free. As if she was cleaning a pair of eyeglasses, she proceeded to wipe down the blade. He approached, eyes wide, heart racing.
“Hot damn, girl! You’re a ferocious little lioness.” He had yet to see her in action without a gun, apart from the hand-to-hand takedown in front of Yao’s apartment.
She shrugged. “You had them pinned down, so I made my move before they could get off a clean shot.”
He waved away the comment. “No, I ain’t complainin’ or nothin’. Just impressed is all.”
“Be impressed later.”
He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “He gives the lady a compliment. She rewards him with a swift kick to the balls.”
Violet patted his cheek as she passed, making him flinch. He wiped his face a few times, looking for blood but found none. Her only response was a smile, enjoying herself at his expense.
Violet headed for the elevator.
“Hang on there, killer,” Roman said, heading back to the front desk. She stopped and watched him from afar. Roman took up position behind the closest terminal and typed furiously, looking for any information on Kyoko’s potential whereabouts. He found it a few seconds later.
“Shoulda figured. Looks like she owns the uppermost penthouse. There’s no name listed, but I’ll bet you anythin’ that’s our girl.” He looked up at Violet. “The problem is that there’s no way to get the elevator that high without a special key.”
She grinned.
“What?” He asked, walking back to her.
“Obviously, you’ve never climbed an elevator shaft before.”
He cocked his head to the side and tried to remember. “Huh, guess not.” He shrugged. “Well, now’s as good a time as ever to pop that cherry.”
She shook her head and stepped away, pulling free one of her pistols. Like him, she was opting for the more accurate approach too.
They both reloaded in unison and looked for anyone that was a threat. By now, the police were surely on their way. They would need to move fast if they wanted a chance to escape. He knew Violet had no shot in hell at release if she got arrested.
But I might.
If they could take down the single most influential human trafficker in Japan, the CIA brass would have to come to his rescue and bail him out under the rug—make a deal with the local government. Unfortunately, he would most likely be kicked to the curb afterward, though.
Well, here’s to that retirement I wanted.
They quietly entered the elevator and Violet pushed the button for the second-to-last floor that didn’t need an access key. Technically, it was the third to last floor if you included the penthouse level.
“We’ll access the elevator shaft from the floor above and then climb to Kyoko’s level.”
Roman nodded. “Sounds good.”
The ding of the elevator felt out of place with the warlike atmosphere downstairs. It startled Roman as he mentally drifted away. He was exhausted and starting to crash. What little sleep they did get when they were here earlier was long gone. Violet looked all right, but her slouched posture gave away her weariness. Since he’d first met her, besides being tied up and unconscious, the woman was rigid and on edge. Now, she looked less raring to go.
Her face was as still as a statue’s and determined, however. Never in Roman’s wildest dreams did he think he’d ever meet a woman tougher than Willy, yet, here she was, the Violet Dragon herself. She wasn’t just a myth or local legend. Violet—Rio—was real.
The real deal.
The doors slid open, and they quickly moved to the end of the hallway. Roman marched forward, laser-focused on the task. Until he saw room 1504… It was the room in which Darla had successfully subdued the now dead Koji. The thought of Darla and Freddy came back to the forefront of his mind.
Roman, like them, planned on disappearing.
Hopefully with Violet too.
The corridor ended at another elevator doors.
Having no key, they pried them open, Roman using his thicker body as a wedge. Violet wiggled through, just barely fitting. Beneath their feet was only darkness. If they fell during their ascent, it would unquestionably be a fatal one.
Clumsily, Roman slipped free of the heavy doors, getting his arm caught in the process. With one final yank, he freed his right wrist and leaned out over the drop. But before he did fall, a hand shot out from his left and shoved him hard in the chest. There, on a three-inch ledge, he balanced and caught his breath. He leaned back against the closed doors and glanced in the direction of the hand, seeing a smiling Violet.
She had already begun her climb and saw him struggling to regain his equilibrium. Her right hand was above her head, clutching a metal beam. Both of her feet were planted firmly on another, acting as oversized ladder rungs. Following suit, he moved to his right and climbed up the opposite side. After another ten feet or so they arrived at their destination.
“Won’t be as easy to get these things open from this side. No leverage. And then there’s that…” The that was the empty elevator shaft beneath them.
“But you’re so strong,” she teased. “I think you can handle this after everything we’ve been through.”
He shook his head. “From charmin’ government agent to sweaty doorman. Not exactly the career path I envisioned.”
Violet chuckled as he pressed himself up against the sixteenth-floor doors. For good measure, Violet climbed higher and behind him. Then, she hung from her hands and planted her feet on his back. He used the back support and leaned away from the doors a little, gripping them hard. As he attempted to pull them apart, Violet shoved into him more, grunting. He needed to get them open fast. She wouldn’t be able to hold on forever.
Almost out of breath, he finally got his hand between the doors, sliding his arm as far in as he could. Pausing for a moment, he let it shut in his forearm.
“I’m in…sorta.”
The pressure on his upper back released and he looked up and watched Violet climb back down next to him and stop. She braced herself in the corner and leaned back and took in a couple of long, deserving breaths. He did the same, using his stuck arm to his advantage. He relaxed and allowed it to hold him in place, flexing his legs and back as much as he could.
“Give me a hand, will ya?”
She grinned. “Again with the jokes?”
He squinted but realized what he said. “Seriously, though,” he returned Violet’s grin, “I only have one right now.”
Coming up from the left, she squeezed the tip of her boot under his arm and shoved hard. He pulled with his free hand and successfully squeezed his arm through more. Two more times and he got his shoulder and right pec through. Once he had the use of his other arm again, he braced himself and drove his back into the door behind him, pushing the other one at the same time.
Now able to stand next to him, Violet added her own strength and shoved until she could once more slip through.
“All right, on three, let go and dive right.”
He nodded as she clasped his right hand with both of hers.
“One…two…three…”
As he dove, Violet pulled. Together, they fell to the ground, the doors clipping his foot in the process. Roman did his best to avoid landing directly atop Violet but failed miserably. His two-hundred-pound frame squished her, causing her to wheeze from the blow taken.
“My bad,” he said, quickly getting to his hands and knees. Violet didn’t respond, instead, focusing on catching her breath. “Thanks, by the way.”
Her nonverbal reply was a tired middle finger. Then, she grinned and held up a hand. Standing, Roman hauled her up and held her steady until she was breathing normally. Nodding, she motioned to the doors before them.
“End of the hall,” he instructed. “It dead ends at her room.”
Drawing their guns, they set off, keeping their movements light and slow. They had no way of knowing if any of Kyoko’s men were in the nearby rooms or not. They could be walking right into an ambush, and they wouldn’t know until it was too late.
No one greeted them, however. Luck was on their side, apparently.
Which rarely happens in this biz.
“Ready?” Roman asked, leveling his gun at the door lock.
“No, but, we’re here aren’t we?”
He knew how she felt. You didn’t need to be ready for what was to come to proceed with the plan. Agents like him, and professionals like her, tended to think on their feet, adjusting to whatever the situation gave them. Just because Violet had some history with Kyoko didn’t change that.
I just hope Violet can handle it when she sees her again.
Violet proved she could handle a lot but Roman was afraid that seeing her former mentor would be what finally broke her.
28
“Do we knock?” Roman asked eyebrow raised.
Violet wasn’t sure what to do either. They planned to fight their way through the entirety of the mission. Since the initial conflict in the lobby, it had been quiet. The only thing between the people below and where they were now was their death-defying climb up the elevator shaft.
She raised her fist. “Why not? By now, she’s expecting us.”
She didn’t get to knock. The door opened, freezing her in place. They didn’t even get to bring their weapons up all the way. They weren’t attacked either, well, not in the usual meaning of the word.
Instead, they were attacked by normalcy. Violet and Roman also got attacked by the calm and pleasant demeanor of Ms. Cho. She, not Kyoko, answered the door.
Violet reflexively bowed, showing her keeper the respect she’d shown her for nearly twenty years. Only this time, she paused mid-bow, snapping her eyes up to the traitor. Ms. Cho took a cautious step away from the seething assassin. With a shaky hand, she motioned for them to enter.
They did, Violet shattering the daze with the memory of her dead sisters. Gun up, she looked for someone to shoot. She found her at the rear of the room, standing in front of a large fireplace.
Even from behind, Violet knew she was looking at Kyoko. She approached her former friend and teacher slowly, aim never wavering. If she took too much time, she’d lose her nerve. Violet knew she wouldn’t have the ability to pull the trigger if that happened. Even now, she did her best to backseat the onrushing wave of emotion.
“Hello, Rio,” Kyoko said, softly, turning.
Ten feet from the previous Violet Dragon, “Rio” stopped. Kyoko was dressed in a simple kimono, much like the ones Ms. Cho had worn over the years. Hers was different than her older sister’s, though. Instead of having the traditional Japanese artwork often associated with the garb, Kyoko’s was black with vibrant purple accents.
“You don’t deserve to wear that color,” Violet hissed, squeezing her gun harder. “You’ve brought shame to what it stands for.”
Kyoko laughed softly. “Still so naive, are we? You tell me that I don’t deserve to wear it, even though I’ve done nothing different than when I wore them as a Dragon.” Violet flinched. “My goals were never as noble as yours. I was a killer before I joined, unlike you. When Fumiko was chosen by her predecessor to be the next keeper, she quickly brought me into the fold, seeing an opportunity that neither of us could afford to let slip away. We’d do anything to further the wealth that followed our actions.”
Fumiko? Learning Ms. Cho’s first name was a revelation in itself, but it would have to wait. It was nowhere near as important.
She paced in front of the fireplace and continued. “We grew up together on the streets, much like you. But unlike you, we did whatever we needed to do to survive. You were a good-natured thief, Rio.” She stopped and eyed Violet. “We weren’t.”
“You did all this for money?” Violet asked, sickened.
“And power, yes…” Her face softened. “I’ve never been an honorable person, not like you. Call it a weakness of mine. I love to be in control—and I was until you came along. Even my sister couldn’t look the other way when you showed up. We were hoping you would follow in our footsteps. Instead, your deep love for family and bettering the lives of others was too much for us to…break. We decided that operating from the shadows was a better alternative than forcing change.”
Violet glanced to Ms. Cho and was about to question her but decided to wait for Kyoko to explain.
But it was Ms. Cho that spoke next.
“Kyoko had no choice but to step down once you showed up that night. The Dragons have a long history of doing things a certain way. You changed all that in one night.”
“Why not kick me out then! Why keep me around to screw everything up?”
Ms. Cho looked at Kyoko, turning Violet’s attention to her.
“Not all of the Dragons under me agreed on my dealings. Most weren’t even aware. If I was to keep my true intentions a secret and keep the family civil, I needed to play the part and do what any other elder would do and retire.” Kyoko smiled. “It was the best thing that could’ve happened to me.”
“You're nuts, lady,” Roman said, speaking for the first time since entering. “That’s the worst explanation I’ve ever heard.”
“I never said it was anything other than crazy. We’re all crazy in the end.”
Violet looked at Roman. They had just said the same thing to one another. Their similar way of thinking was so chilling that Violet could almost picture Kyoko teetering on the crazy fence. On one side of it would be the “good crazy,” including Violet and Roman. On the other side was what Kyoko and Ms. Cho—Fumiko—had become.
Now, it was Kyoko who looked nervous. Violet studied her silently, finally seeing what she was missing.
Looking away from Kyoko, Violet turned her gun on Ms. Cho. “It was you the whole time, wasn’t it?”
Roman looked confused but stepped away from the small woman. “Come again?”
“Ms. Cho, the calming presence of the House of Dragons, leader of the sickest slave ring in all of Japan.” Violet continued before Ms. Cho could accept or deny her involvement. “Ever since becoming our keeper, she’s been using the family as her personal army.” Violet looked at Roman. “Just like you said.” She returned her attention to Ms. Cho. “Except we suspected the wrong woman. Kyoko was the face of the group, the intimidating aura of it all. All the while, Ms. Cho ran things from the safety of our home.”
The room went silent.
After an uncomfortable couple of seconds, Violet stepped towards the old woman. “Answer me!”
Ms. Cho didn’t react.
“She doesn’t need to say a word, Vi,” Roman said, stepping up next to her. He drew his gun, likewise aiming it at the motionless, straight-faced woman. “Plus, this ain’t the court. We don’t need a confession or any substantial proof to carry out judgment. We can just end it and walk away.”
Roman’s words must’ve stirred something within her, because she, Kyoko, blurted out a response.
“No, she—we—only did what we needed to!”
Cho’s face hardened, showing the first hint of emotion. She also physically reacted, flinging a hidden dagger through the air, plunging its tip into Kyoko’s stomach. Then, like lightning, she lashed out with another, clipping Roman’s gun hand. The weapon went flying, and his injured hand, flailed into Violet’s face, knocking her back.
The savagery that came from Ms. Cho was something that Violet had never seen. Sh
e screamed like a banshee and slashed at them both like a feral animal. Neither could get off a clean shot and they were forced to backpedal and go on the defensive. Every time Roman went to draw his other gun, Ms. Cho attacked him, and each time Violet tried to bring her gun up, Ms. Cho reacted and went after her.
All with a single blade.
Ms. Cho’s ability with the weapon had been severely undersold. She was even more dangerous than Kyoko.
Shouting in frustration, Violet kicked out, taking the blade across her shin. She dropped her gun from the sting of the strike but was far from defenseless. Shoving Roman aside, Violet reached over her head and unsheathed both of her wakizashi blades.
Holding one in a backhanded grip, she used it to deflect Ms. Cho’s attacks. When she was given an opening, Violet lashed out with the other sword. She stayed between Ms. Cho and Roman, keeping him out of harms’ way.
“Those blades,” Ms. Cho hissed between clangs of metal. “Where did you get them!”
Violet grinned. “They belonged to a friend of yours.”
Ms. Cho’s eyes widened slightly. “That’s impossible!”
Not wanting to give the woman the satisfaction of a real answer, Violet stayed vague about where she obtained them. “Believe what you want.”
Roman got closer, whispering into her ear. “I’ll come up from behind and—”
Shouted voices interrupted Roman from Kyoko’s open doorway. He backed away from the dueling women and pulled out his second gun, trying to aim over Violet’s shoulder but stopped and, instead, went for the incoming voices.
Violet only got a glimpse at what Roman did after that, concentrating on Ms. Cho’s attacks. Even though Ms. Cho had just the one dagger, Violet knew not to underestimate her.
Gunshots erupted from the hallway, a few of the rounds entering the room. Violet and Ms. Cho were forced to the ground as Roman returned fire down the hall.
“Armored police!” he shouted. “Good guys, I think. Either way, the shit just hit the fan, Vi.”
Rolling to her feet, Violet saw that Roman was kneeling just inside the door, sending volley after volley back towards the newcomers. It was a lost cause, however. Violet knew the gear the Japanese version of the American SWAT team used. Roman’s simple handgun rounds wouldn’t make a dent in their full-body shields and Kevlar armor.
Beautiful Dragons Page 18