Justice at Delphi - The Fall of Sibyl

Chapter 10

her walk is like

a shot of whisky.

neat and strong

and full of purpose.

and so many

underestimate her

punch.

-JmStorm

The shot of whisky burned down Rio's throat. She squinted in disbelief at Akane as her head began to swim. What was that tiny girl made of? How was Akane not affected by the five shot challenge she had issued? Rio gripped the table to keep herself from toppling off her chair.

"Hoooow....?" Rio slurred, pointing an accusing finger at Akane.

Akane smiled and shrugged. "I just don't get drunk that easy." Emphasizing her point, Akane ran a finger around the inside of her shot glass. She put her finger to her mouth and licked the excess whisky. She offered Kogami a coy smile. Akane was pleased to see his attention focused on her mouth. She could get used to seeing his eyes go wild for her.

Kogami leaned close to her ear. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

A giggle slipped from her lips. "Maybe."

Rio dramatically rolled her eyes. "Get a roooom!!" 

Akane laughed. Rio was starting to grow on her. She wasn't pleased with the idea of someone trying to get into Kogami's bed, but holding grudges wasn't her style. Rio had been right about one thing. The food had been amazing. The meat was melt-in-your-mouth tender, the spicy soup had just the right amount of heat, and the vegetables were crisp and juicy. She'd been completely stuffed when Rio decided to issue her whisky shot challenge. Akane had readily agreed despite Kogami's protests. She'd had a feeling it was Rio's way of accepting her.

Rio's surprise at her tolerance for alcohol reminded her of Kagari. The memory rose leaving a bittersweet pang in her heart. A sad smile curved her lips. She missed Kagari. For all his bluster, he'd been a decent person. He had remained a decent person despite having society turn its back on him. For him and all the people like him, she and Kogami had to succeed.

Kogami, sensing her sudden change in mood, slipped an arm over her shoulders. "Are you okay?"

She looked up at him and smiled. "Yeah...I was just thinking of the past."

Before he could reply, Rio swayed dangerously off her chair. Akane reached out and steadied her. "Maybe we should get you home."

Rio nodded. "Gooood idea...but firsssss....the reesdiroom..." She frowned. That sounded wrong even to her. The room started to spin. Rio squeezed her eyes shut. It didn't help. Her stomach lurched rebelliously. "Laaaad-i-e-ssss roooom." She repeated carefully. It had been a stupid idea to challenge Akane. She was dimly aware of how much she would regret this in the morning.

"Why don't I go with you?" Akane rose, helping Rio to her feet.

Even through the fog of inebriation, Rio could see Akane's genuine concern. Not many women would be so kind after the way they'd met. If it were the other way around, Rio would have tossed Akane out on her ass. She definitely wouldn't be helping her to the bathroom. Rio leaned on the table and pointed at Kogami. "Sheee's a reaaaalyyy nice giiiiirl. You beessst...treat her...riiiight." Together, she and Akane staggered to the bathroom at the back of the small restaurant, weaving around the other patrons.

Kogami watched them go. Rio's parting statement brought a smile to his face. He intended to do whatever it took to make Akane happy. He was relieved Akane's jealousy was short-lived. He wasn't sure if he could be so gracious in a similar position. If they successfully made it back to Japan, meeting Akane's politician was a definite possibility. He'd be hard pressed not to lose his temper seeing them together.

***

Akane held Rio's hair back as she crouched in the narrow bathroom stall. Rio groaned as dinner made an encore. "Never again...I'm never drinking again!" She wailed into the commode. 

Akane chuckled. "That's probably a good idea."

After her stomach stopped torturing her, Rio leaned back against the stall. The taste of acid and bile fresh in her mouth. She regarded Akane carefully. "You're a good person, Akane."

"Thank you?" Akane replied uncertainly. Rio sounded almost surprised.

"What are you doing here in a place like this?" Rio asked bluntly. 

"I came for Kogami." Akane replied simply.

Rio nodded. Makes sense. If she'd had a man like Kogami in her life, she'd follow him to the ends of the earth. "I'm guessing you're a part of that mysterious past of his."

Akane helped her to her feet. "You could say that. We have some unfinished business back home."

"Don't we all?" She replied, leaning heavily on the graffiti-ed stall. Rio refused to think what else could be on that wall aside from S <3 Y 4 EVA. Thoughts of her own past were interrupted by the bathroom door slamming open. It cracked the tile wall, startling both women.

Two armed men stormed in waved 9mm Glocks fitted with silencers. Reacting faster than Rio, Akane wrested the 9mm from one man's hand and rammed the toe of her combat boot into his crotch. He uttered a strangled yelp and dropped like a sack of potatoes. The gun skittered across the floor. The second man lunged for Akane. Rio, only slightly less drunk, stuck a leg out and tripped him up. He fell forward against the sink. Before she could ram his face into the cracked porcelain, he spun around.

Rio spotted the taser too late. He jammed the metal prongs into her already abused abdomen and pressed a red button. Rio felt her body seize up in agony as an electric current arced through her body. Groaning, she crumpled to the floor. Her limbs refusing to respond. Rio could only watch in horror as the second man overpowered Akane in the tight quarters and tased her. Akane slumped, limp against the bathroom tile. Her eyes fluttering with fear and confusion. Rio watched powerless as the man hefted Akane over his shoulder and carried her out of the bathroom.

***

Rico cursed as he dodged another kick from Kogami's woman. He'd managed to get her to his jeep parked around the corner in a dark alley before she'd regained control of her body. Rico had just neatly tied her hands behind her back when she'd started struggling. He was glad he'd thought of the gag first. She looked like a screamer. Her eyes were filled with fury.

Getting her into the jeep and back to Mason was going to be difficult. She was a handful. He pinned her writhing body against the side of the jeep. He grunted when she tried to knee him in the crotch. Instead she caught his upper thigh. Not debilitating, but it still hurt. He grit his teeth. The taser would need longer to charge before using it again. Otherwise, he would have stunned her into unconsciousness.

Dealing with her was really a two man job, but there was no way he was going back for Jay. He didn't want to end up like Steve either. He had no doubt that what this hell cat started, Kogami would finish. Growing impatient, Rico drew his gun and fired a silenced round into the ground next to her booted foot. 

She froze. Her eyes wide.

"Glad I have your attention." Rico growled.  "I don't want to hurt you, but if you keep struggling I will."

She seemed to think it over. Her eyes flicked from the gun to him. Under other circumstances, he might be amused. He could practically see the cogs in her mind turning. "Whatever you're thinking of doing don't. You couldn't disarm me or run away fast enough."

She glared at him, but some of the fight went out of her body. 

"Good." He patted her cheek with the barrel of his gun. "Besides, the boss isn't after you. He's after your man Kogami."

She lunged against him, eyes wide with anger.

"Hey!" He raised the gun to her face. "What did I say?"

She went motionless, eyes narrowed. 

"Don't give me that look. Your boyfriend brought it on himself. You don't mess with a guy like Mason King and hope to get away with it." Opening the back door of the jeep, Rico waved the gun, gesturing for her to get in. 

With a final glare at him, she climbed in the back.

"Good girl."