Justice at Delphi - The Fall of Sibyl

Chapter 12

There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.

-Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Alone at last. Akane took her time surveying her surroundings. What kind of twisted luck did she have to rent a room next door to Kogami's enemies? Shaking her head, she squinted into the darkness for anything that could help her. The only illumination came from the street lights outside. The small apartment was the mirror image of hers. Which meant...aha! She grinned. There was a vent near the ceiling that fed into her room. If she could get out of the zip ties that bound her wrists and ankles, she could escape into her old room. She doubted any of Mason's men were paying close attention to her room. She'd only seen five men aside from Mason and Jay. 

Their attention was going to be divided between guarding this apartment and keeping a watch for Kogami. She doubted they would pay much attention to her until they caught him. Akane was relieved to be left alone. It gave her time to plan. Kogami had to know she'd been taken by now. If she knew him as well as she thought, he was not going to follow whatever ridiculous plot Mason laid out. If she had to guess, Kogami was probably in the process of getting her location from Jay. She didn't like to think of what methods he would use to get that information. However, now was not the time to worry about it.

Instead, Akane focused on getting out of the zip ties. She felt along the back of the chair with her fingers. She winced as her index finger caught on a sharp screw protruding from the wood. The jagged edge pierced her flesh. Ignoring the blood seeping from her finger, Akane gently probed the length of the nail. She smiled grimly in the darkness. It would serve her purpose. Shifting her weight forward, Akane rubbed the plastic zip tie against the edge of the screw. Once she got her hands free, she could get to the compact utility knife in her boot. It would make short work of the other zip tie around her ankles. She could shimmy through the vent and escape out of one the windows in her room. 

So focused on freeing her hands, Akane almost missed the sound of Mason's footsteps outside the door. She froze the moment he swaggered into the room. He smirked at her. Akane resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She hoped this wouldn't be a long conversation. Spending any length of time in his presence was unsettling. The lamp he turned on bathed the room in a weak yellow light. 

"Comfortable, kitten?"

Akane grimaced. The term of endearment felt wrong coming out of his mouth. It turned her stomach and sent a shiver of disgust up her spine. As much as she wanted to snap at him, she couldn't afford to push him. The last thing she needed was for him to realize what she was up to. She needed to keep him distracted and there was no better distraction than the sound of his own voice. 

"Hello, Mr. King."

He arched a brow and sat opposite her on the bed. He leaned back, his smirk widening. "It's 'Mr. King' now? The hell cat can be taught."

Akane swallowed her retort and shrugged. "Being tied up will do that."

"Sorry kitten, but your hands stay tied. I saw what you did to Rico. He's still a bit sore about it." 

She sighed, off-hand. "Fair enough. I am curious about one thing."

"Oh?" He leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees.

"What did Kogami do to make you so angry?"

The pleasant expression slid off his face. She wished she hadn't asked. "The bastard ruined my life!"

Akane flinched at the fury in his voice. Kogami did have a knack for getting under people's skin. Not always in a good way. 

"He does have a way about him." Akane replied neutrally. Maybe asking him about Kogami was the wrong move. 

Mason smiled stiffly. "That he does."

Before she could change tactics, Mason spoke. "How did the kitten meet the stray dog?"

Suppressing the instinctive anger she felt rising in her chest, Akane forced herself to appear relaxed. "We were in the same line of work."

When she didn't elaborate, Mason chuckled. He tapped her knee with the tip of his boot. "It's not the time to be cagey, kitten. What kind of work was it?"

"Bounty hunting." The lie rolled off her tongue easily. It wasn't too far off the mark. They did bring in people who committed crimes. While she doubted Mason would give a damn if she was a government official in Japan, Akane didn't want to give him anything he could use.

He snorted. "I don't buy it."

"What?"

Mason leaned forward and grabbed her chin with his hand. He scrutinized her face carefully, his gaze lingering on her lips. "Kogami...maybe, but you? Never. You just don't have that killer vibe."

Akane narrowed her eyes at him and jerked her head out of his grasp. "Looks can be deceiving."

"Yes, they can." Mason's hand shot out and wrapped around her throat. Akane gasped in surprise, fear knifing through her heart. Mason's blue eyes were so cold. There was a detachment in those icy depths that terrified her. He lightly squeezed her throat. Akane squirmed, trying to get away from him. Panic rose in her chest. 

"You talk a good game, but I'm not buying it. There's just something too..." He leaned close to her neck and inhaled deep. He put his lips to her ear, whispering. "Wholesome about you. I know what Kogami sees in you. There's a certain satisfaction killers like us get from tainting something as sweet and pure as you." His other hand slipped between her legs and squeezed her thigh hard.

Akane's lungs burned. She struggled against the zip ties that bound her wrists. It was futile, but she was desperate to break his hold. A cruel smile twisted Mason's lips. He released his grip on her throat. Akane coughed, gasping for air. Hot tears ran down her face. She could feel her body trembling in fear and revulsion. She wanted nothing more than to bury herself in Kogami's embrace and forget all about Mason King and his poisonous words.

He rose from the bed and circled her. Panicked, Akane closed her fist around her bleeding finger. She didn't want to call attention to what she'd been doing. Now more than ever, she wanted to get free. She wanted to get free and give Mason a dose of his own medicine.

Akane winced as Mason yanked her head back by her hair. "Maybe I'll keep you, after I kill Kogami. I haven't had a toy as sweet as you in a long time."

"People aren't toys!" She snapped, unable to keep silent. She cried out when Mason tugged sharply on her hair.

"You must be feeling confident. Are you sure your stray dog will rescue you?" He mocked, staring down into her bruised and reddened face. He paused. The beautiful look of fear in her eyes had been superseded by something else. Something firm and resolute.

"He'll come for me. I don't doubt that." Akane bared her teeth in a threatening smile. "He's not some ordinary stray dog. He's a wolf...and he's going to eat you alive."

Mason growled and drew his 9mm. He pressed the cold barrel to her temple. "Coming on a bit strong, aren't we, kitten?"

Akane forced a laugh through her sore throat. "If he doesn't get you, I will."

"I'm really going to enjoy breaking you." Mason scowled, holstering his gun and releasing his grip on her hair. He stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Akane blew out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She hung her head, eyes closed. Taking a deep breath, she focused on Kogami. His worldly eyes with their gentle expression. His husky voice. His comforting smile. His warm embrace.

She opened her eyes. Leaning forward, she continued working on her escape. Mason felt brave dealing with someone whose hands were tied. Let's see how confident he was when she wasn't at his mercy. She grinned as she felt the plastic of the zip tie start to give. Better watch out Mason.