SNAKESKIN (Tangerine) ✓

二

The Cobra

Even though I could hear the muffled sounds of a fight breaking out, I remained in the gangway. The doors were closing and I still didn't have the briefcase, so I was stuck. I would just have to get off at Oniya Station. If I didn't, it would be an hour before I reached Sendai.

"Shit," I cursed under my breath, when my phone rang from my pocket. I retrieved it and held it to to my ear, not taking my eyes off the door to the first class lounge. "Yes?"

"Did you get off the train?" Amelia sounded tense. There was obviously a lot riding on the success of this job.

"No," I grunted, creeping forward to the doorway. The two men were engaged in an all-out brawl in the lounge; throwing bottles and smashing windows. Yet, despite the ruckus, Glasses was still clutching the briefcase firmly in his grasp. Clearly he didn't give up easily.

"What happened?"

"Turns out everyone on this bloody train wants this briefcase," I muttered darkly. "What's even in it?"

"Money, obviously." Glass smashed loudly just as Amelia answered. "What the fuck was that?"

Glass smashed again. "Some guy tried to leave the train with the briefcase at Ueno, but another guy boarded and now he's trying to kill him." My tone was so nonchalant I could have been describing my day.

"Wait," Amelia said. "Who's killing who?"

I peered through the window in the door. "Uh.. New guy's trying to kill briefcase guy."

"We really need to learn their names." I chuckled at that. It was true. "But you need to break it up and get the case before the train gets to Oniya Station. If you don't get off soon, the owner is going to realise it's gone and come looking for it."

"Yeah, I got it." The fighting was slowing down a little but Glasses seemed like he was losing. "I gotta go."

"Get off at Oniya." The line went dead.

Fuck off. I was beginning to get sick of Amelia's lack of faith in me. I had never failed a mission before and I had always completed jobs with ardour and—of course—style. And this was just a simple snatch and grab job. I had a ticket to Kyoto. Even if I got off at Nagoya, I would still have completed the job.

It seemed the newcomer was beginning to overpower Glasses. He was hovering over him with a knife, trying to stab him with it.

"What the hell." I pulled out my signature knife from my jacket, holding it over my shoulder. I took a step forward and the doors opened at my approach. As soon as it was clear I threw the knife. It whistled past Glasses and immediately found its home in the new guy's chest, buried deep enough to be fatal.

He stared at me in the doorway, the other turning around in shock as well. I stepped forward, just as the newcomer dropped his knees. The all-too-familiar blade fell at my feet and I gasped in recognition. He seemed to recognise me as well, for he grunted in anger, holding a shaky hand up to the wound, which had begun to bleed, staining his pristine white jacket crimson.

"The dog," I taunted him, knowing his ego was too fragile for it. "I mean a wolf wouldn't let some little girl ambush them like that, would they?"

The Wolf glared at me in anger, his eyes wide with insanity. "Ellos te encontraran," he growled, his lips curled back in a wolfish snarl. Then his eyes rolled bak in his head and he fell to the ground in front of Glasses, dead.

I looked down at his pitiful body, the life completely drained from it. He looked like nothing more than a regular man. Which he was. But he made everyone think otherwise.

"What the hell was that?" Glasses looked completely taken aback, the scuffed case clutched to his chest for dear life. "Why is everyone on this train trying to kill me?"

I chuckled, choosing to play it cool.He had the case after all, and I needed to get it before the train arrived at Oniya Station in twenty minutes. Time to butter him up. "The Wolf is known to hold grudges," I said casually, stepping over the body. "What did you do to annoy him so bad?"

He looked shocked. "I don't even know him." He scrambled to his feet, glancing at his watch as if he was in a hurry. "What do we do with him?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I guess we should clean up before anyone else comes in here."

"Right," he agreed. He placed the case by the gangway door and started picking up pieces of broken glass and stuffed them into the rubbish bin behind the counter. I followed suit, finding a broom behind the counter as well and sweeping up the smaller pieces into the bin. I didn't take my eyes off the briefcase the entire time.

Last but not least, we both heaved the Wolf into a chair by the window, seating him on the plush cushion. I pulled the knife from his chest, wiping it on the inside of his coat, as Glasses draped a blanket over him, covering the wound. He positioned him with a bottle of wine in a way that made him look like the was just black-out drunk. It was convincing enough. But all someone had to do was get a close look to see he wasn't really passed out at all.

Glasses was leant over the body, making small adjustments when I took my chance. Rummaging around in my jacket pocket, I pulled out a taser. I could have killed him in the same way as the Wolf, but I honestly pitied him. He seemed like his day wasn't going too well and I didn't really want to make it worse.

"What's your name?" I asked politely. His back was still turned, so he didn't see the weapon in my hand. "And what are you doing on the Hayate?"

"I'm Ladybug," he responded, still busy with the Wolf. "That's what my handler calls me."

"Lucky," I mused at the nickname. "You must be good at your job."

"Ha!" He laughed humourlessly. "It's ironic actually. She calls me that because I'm hopelessly unlucky." He brushed down the Wolf's suit, standing back up and turning around. "Something bad always happens to me-"

He stopped dead when he saw my raised arm. The defeated look flipped to surprise instantaneously. "What are you...?" He glanced at the briefcase, then back t me, realisation dawning on his face. "You're after it too?"

I nodded, flicking the switch on the taser. "Sorry about this, truly." Before he had the chance to respond, the electric current surged through him and he fell back onto the floor with a dull thud.

Without further thought, I reached down and picked up the case, glancing around for a place to stash it. I wouldn't be able to carry it with me until Oniya. It would be too obvious. Then I looked in the kitchen. There was a trash bin, but upon closer inspection I noticed that the whole panel came open. I quickly stuffed the bag in the space behind the trash bag and sped back to car 2.

A/N: What was your favourite song in the movie/soundtrack? Mine are Kill Me Pretty and Couple of Fruits!