By the time I regrouped with everyone, I was exhausted. Plus my face stung and I could feel blood smoothing out the cuts of ripped skin on my cheek and near my eye. When I got back to headquarters, Jun was sitting in the lobby with Toki, Toki on the sofa, Jun on the coffee table, his medical supply behind him as he had just finished stitching up Toki's palm. He leaned down, biting off the last of the surgical thread as he tied a small noose at the end and then turned slightly to set the needle back in it's proper place. Some of the North Star were there, Kurid and Inamie as they watched Jun work. Toki was silent for once, smoking his cigarette as Floran, who was looking over Jun's shoulder with morbid interest, looked up as he saw me and waved. I gave a slight nod as Kurid and Inamie saw me too. Kurid said,

"How'd it go for you?"

Jun and Toki looked over at me as I said,

"Good enough I guess."

"Shit, Ghosto you're all fucked up!"

"It's nothing."

And it was nothing other then those scratches. Jun looked at me for a moment as he said,

"Once I'm done with Toki's I'll take care of you."

"It's nothing."

Jun glared at me, hating to hear that when he was the doctor after all. I said nothing else as Jun turned back and finished wrapping Toki's hand. Once he was done, Jun said,

"Try not to get it wet. That's about the only thing I can tell you."

Toki nodded as he moved over and I sat down as I tied my hair back and Jun turned my face slightly. He then said,

"Where's everyone else?"

"On their way back. I called Akio to let him know I went after Mei Ling."

"That bitch did that to you?" Asked Toki.

"Yes."

"Where is she now?" Asked Jun.

"I shot her in the subway not too far from the hotel."

"In public?"

"In a maintenance room. I asked Akio to let the Yuuki twins know so they could get her body."

Jun nodded as he said,

"I don't want these getting infected."

Jun moved his hand from my face as he went back into his medical things and looked for something. As he did that, I heard Akio, Jo and Aoki come back in.

"Yuuki twins went to take care of Mei Ling." Said Jo.

I flinched slightly when something touched my cheek as Jun said,

"Hold still, it's antibacterial cleaner."

"It burns."

"I know."

He cleaned the cuts on my cheek and then near my eye as he then said,

"Anything else?"

"No...just a bruise on my arm. But that's it."

Jun nodded as Floran said,

"Wow..you're a real doctor."

Jun nodded as he started putting everything away.

"You had your license?"

"Yes."

"How'd you end up here then?"

"Long story."

"See Kurid, you should be a doctor."

"I know enough to be one."

Jun looked at him as he said,

"Med student?"

"I tried my hand at it."

The kid had an attitude I'll give him that. But it was enough to make Toki want to strangle him. Jun only looked at him, then nodded as he snapped his briefcase shut and then looked at me as he said,

"Call me if you feel any differently later."

I nodded as I then leaned back on the sofa. The North Star sat down across from us as Jia and Kumo then appeared. The Owners of the Game not too far behind them as Jia said,

"What happened?"

"Well...we found Mei Ling." Said Toki.

Jia nodded as he waited for him to go on.

"Got into a fight, the bitch stabbed me so now I got a hole in my hand. Lots of people got into the fight. Ghosto followed her, killed her and we waitin on the Yuuki twins to come back now after they dispose of her."

Jia nodded as he said,

"Mikkie you okay?"

I nodded as Kumo said,

"That was quick."

"I like to accomplish things like this quickly."

Kumo then looked at Kurid as he said,

"When did you people get back?"

"Boss-san. Neesa and Haku aren't back yet." Said Floran.

Kumo nodded as he said,

"They'll be a minute. Anyway, is there something we can do for now Jia?"

Jia shook his head as he reached inside his coat and said,

"For now, we'll be settled. Once the twins get back, we'll probably pack it up, head home and Hong Kong is all yours again Kumo."

Jia took out his cigarettes as he opened up the case and then removed a single cigarette. He snapped the case shut, putting it back inside his coat as he leaned over the sofa close to Toki and Toki it lit for him. Kumo then said,

"What of the mess Mei Ling made?"

"You can clean it up. It's why I trusted you to take care of Hong Kong while I was away. Besides, I doubt the mess is that bad."

Kumo nodded, black hair falling around his face as Xiao Tien walked through the small crowd and sat down on the single love seat as he crossed his legs and said,

"You think it's safe to continue with business as always Jia?"

"Yeah China Doll. Just do what you always do."

After about an hour, everyone returned back to Jia's building, everyone sitting, tired as they smoked and said nothing. Around the same time after Tai and Gabriel came in, the Yuuki twins arrived, Jun making his rounds, checking if everyone was all right while Kurid did the same for the North Star that just arrived. Once the twins came in, Jia said,

"Everything go smoothly?"

"There was no body." They both said at once.

We all stopped and looked over at them as Jia said,

"What do you mean there was no body?"

"We went where Mikkie-san had said. But when we arrived, there was no one there." Said Yasuhiro.

We looked at each other as I said,

"There was no way she could have gotten up and walked away. Her pulse was weak." I said.

"Someone else could have grabbed her." Said Jo.

"Or her body." Said Jun.

Jia sighed, pulling his hair back as he said,

"We'll have to do some digging tomorrow."

He checked his watch as he continued.

"Now it's too late. They might have moved...there's nothing to dig for now. They'll be too careful."

We were all exhausted anyway. The job would have been half as good if we did it now. Luckily Jia knew that and allowed us to go home for the remainder of the night...which wasn't much.

It was three in the morning as I walked into my apartment. I closed and locked the door behind me as I went to my kitchen, made some tea and went to shower. By the time I was done, the kettle was boiling. After getting my pajama pants on, I ran a comb through my hair, which was now falling to the middle of my back as I then picked up an elastic band, twisted up the wet heavy locks of black and snapped the band on it as I went to make my tea. As I started walking back to my room, I felt the sting on my cheek, my arm now starting to feel tender from where I hit it earlier. After a few minutes, I finally went to sleep.

Ten in the morning. It was ten when I heard my cell phone ring. I looked at it for a moment, seeing it was Tai and I answered.

"Hai?"

"I'm sorry to wake you I know you went to bed late."

"Hai, hai...it's okay."

"Listen, I did some work earlier and I need to know what you know."

"About...?"

"When you followed Mei Ling where did you follow her?"

"Down a subway...near her hotel."

"I know where hotel was. What was in the subway?"

"Nothing. She missed the train and went to a maintenance room. I shot her there."

"It seems that room lead her somewhere."

"I imagined so. Did you find out where?"

"I got in touch with the Yuuki twins and with Neesa, Kumo's intelligence. They went their earlier this morning and said the room eventually gave way to some massage place."

"You think maybe she was taken there?"

"It's possible. I can't rule anything out."

"The possibility she may be living is out there."

"Hai...it hangs over us."

I sighed as I said,

"I really doubt she could have survived. Maybe her people just took her body."

"That's what I'm thinking. But I can't rule anything out yet."

"If she is alive Tai...you know that I'll take care of it. It was my mistake. I'll finish it."

"I know. Anyway, I'll contact you if anything new is discovered."

"Hai."

I hung up as I laid in bed for a few minutes and began to think. If she had somehow been picked up in between the time I left her dying body and the time the Yuuki twins went to get her, then she must been suffering somewhere. There was no way she could have lived. I was so sure of it. I yawned and eventually sat up as I went to make another cup of tea before I went to shower again. I was on my way out the door around eleven thirty that morning. I adjusted my tie as I closed the door behind me and went to the elevator as I began to be on my way to Jia's building. Another hour went by as I got to Jia's building as I went to Tai's office.

"Ohayo."

"Ohayo. How are you?"

"Tired. But I couldn't sleep anymore. Did you find anything out?"

"Neesa said the massage parlor owner seemed nervous."

"Male of female?"

"Female. The woman was scared but she didn't give away anything."

"Maybe someone else should approach her."

"Someone more persuasive perhaps?"

I nodded as Tai said,

"I'll ask Akio once he comes in."

"Anything else?"

"Neesa says he's pretty sure that Mei Ling was or is in there."

"Then we should move now."

"Akio won't be in for at least another two hours."

I sighed, sweeping my hair from my face as I said,

"Anyone else around?"

"If we want guaranteed success we'll need one of the trio."

"What about Jo? He inherited more then his father's genes."

"Good point. Jo should be here soon."

Tai then sighed, leaning back in his chair as he said,

"You should go with him."

I nodded in agreement.

Later in the early afternoon, once Jo came in, Tai let him know of his assignment. Soon afterwards, we were on our way to the massage parlor called Eden. Jo walked ahead as I made note of the surrounding. The place reminded me of Mizui's house. Once inside, the hostess looked at Jo as she smiled and said,

"Welcome. How can I help you gentlemen?"

"We'd like to talk to you for a moment."

The girl smiled, leaning on the desk as she began to flirt with Jo. After a few minutes, she lead Jo and myself to the opening doors where many more girls sat. Jo and I picked one out as we were then lead to another room. After changing quickly, we sat down and received a massage. I was uncomfortable with having some scantily clad woman touch me...considering how much I hated to be touched. I looked over at Jo who was leaning away from it, looking around as he looked at me and said in Japanese,

"Where do you think she would be?"

"Somewhere in the back rooms."

"How we gonna get away?"

I finally moved back as I grasped the girl's hands and said,

"Please, one moment."

I got up from the chair, tying my robe back securely as I left the room where all the other clients were and went to look around. I peeked around the back rooms where much older men were being rubbed down and stroked by young girls. I walked around for a while until I noticed one of the rooms was empty but had a sheet on the massage bed. I went inside, lifting up the sheet noticing huge blood stains. I looked around the room as I dropped the sheets and kept looking, seeing there was used bandages in the waste basket, most of them stained with blood. Dried stains on the polished marble floors. I went to the small closet, opening it as I looked and saw Mei Ling's leather coat hanging inside. I took it off the hanger and went through the pockets, checking for anything that could be of use. But I found nothing and hung the coat back up as I closed the door and left again. I went back to Jo as I sat down again, the girl still waiting for me as I said to Jo,

"She was here. The room was filled with signs."

"You think she might be around?"

"I think so."

The girl who Jo was with, leaned down and put her arms around him as she said,

"Would you like to go to a private room sir?"

Jo looked at me as I nodded and he agreed to it. Once he left, the girl I was with made me the same offer. I agreed to it as we got up and went to the back rooms I searched earlier. Once there, the girl closed the screen door and asked me to lay down on the table. As I did, I heard a shout as I looked up and the girl only smiled as she said,

"Your friend must be good at what he does."

I laid face down as I rested my head on my folded arms. As I did, I saw the girl removing her shoes, and felt her hands on my back. I looked at the wall, seeing her shadow as she then reached around behind her. I felt suspicious and turned my head a little more to see her raising a knife at my turned back. I tossed her off me, as she went crashing to the floor, knocking off everything from a small table beside us. I opened my robe as I reached to the back of my boxers as I removed my gun and aimed at her. She had started to get up as Jo came in the room suddenly as he said,

"Shoot her. Her friend tried the same."

She begged for only a moment before I shot her and then Jo and I looked at each other as I said,

"She's gotta be around here."

Jo and I looked around carefully as we heard panic going on. It seemed our defense called attention and girls were running about and clients were hurrying and leaving as security began to come in and look around. It was a rush and Jo and I checked rooms quickly, watching were clients left and which rooms remained empty. As we reached the end of the hall, we saw one man dressed in a suit and he looked at us for a moment before turning and running. We followed him as he slammed the screen door shut behind him. We reached for it as it suddenly opened again and another young man stepped out.

"Stop."

With that single word, Jo and I stopped as he said,

"Please don't."

"Who are you?"

"I want you to know that Mei Ling is dying. She won't live another night."

Jo looked at him, trying to read his face as I said,

"Why are you telling us?"

"It's what you want to know."

"I don't believe a word you say."

He frowned slightly as he said,

"You don't have to. It's a fact."

Jo sighed as he grabbed his arm and moved him out of the way and opened the door. We went inside as we saw there was nothing there. We figured the guy was stalling for them to make their escape as Jo went back out and grabbed him, slamming him against the wall as he said,

"You better start talking!"

"I work for Mei Ling...and I wasn't lying when I said she wouldn't make it through the night. She is dying."

"So if she dies, what's it to you?"

"Nothing. I just work for her."

Jo looked at me as he said,

"It's the best we got."

"He should talk to Jia."

Jo nodded as we then brought him along with us.