Immunity Hunter

Chapter Nineteen - Sasame Kai

Thanks to my connections—well, cashing in favors some of the other agents owe me—I managed to get the only public sauna and spa house to myself for the morning. The building has three large hot tubs and two smaller ones in the main room. To the left are two doors leading to the locker rooms. Six saunas line the right side of the main room.

I sit in one of the smaller hot tubs made for less than six people. Soaking nude would be impossible with a crowd of random people splashing around me.

The hot water soothes my tired body as it relaxes every muscle. I close my eyes and sink into the calming liquid. Just as my ears begin to enter the water, a soft noise comes from the lobby. I stand up out of the water and reach for my shortsword, which is sitting on the bench a foot behind me.

"Who's there?" I ask with sword in hand. I quickly remember that I'm butt naked and sink back into the water for cover.

Omi walks up to me from behind a corner. "Don't be so scared, dear."

The tall, well-dressed man stands next to the bench where I have my belongings.

"What do you want?" I turn to face him and lay my sword on the wet tiles. My body stays under the bubbles to avoid giving him a show.

"I need you to fill me in on a few of your new friends," he says, taking a seat on the bench. He runs his hand through his short, spiky hair.

I turn away from him, pressing my back against the hot tub wall. Slowly I sink neck-deep into the suds. "What do you want to know that you can't read in my reports?"

Omi moves from the bench and kneels down beside my head. "Let's start with Jeiku. What can you tell me about him?"

"No threat, just an eager Okamikiin that's worried about Rin." My voice is calm and my eyes stay forward. I refuse to look at him.

"Rin huh...why is he so worried about her? I always thought she was Dante's girl."

"You idiot, Dante is with Lin Ming," I snap as I move away from the tub wall to the other side. Coincidentally, the bubbles from the jets make it hard for Omi to see things he shouldn't. I know he's looking, he's such a pervert.

"Who is Lin Ming? Is she on your team?" he asks.

I'm getting impatient, this man is ruining the only alone time I have. "She's the one with the rainbow pigtails and the crossbow. You know the one that's marked in my report as another target. I added her name to her photo since someone on your staff was too incompetent to do so."

Omi raises his eyebrows in realization. "Oh, so that's Lin Ming, she's nice." He laughs to himself before continuing to ruin my afternoon. "Still, Jeiku started snooping once Rin was injured. I thought his trip to the hospital would've taught him to stay in his place, but he's more hardheaded than the rest of those wolf people. We may have to take him out for good. And by 'we', I mean you."

I keep my eyes forward, avoiding any eye contact with Omi.

"That's unnecessary," I say with a stern voice.

Omi stands up and walks around the tub closer to my new location. "Just because you changed your appearance doesn't mean your duty has ended. I still own you until our job is done."

I sigh. "I understand, but as I said before, Jeiku is not a threat. I already know who my target is and Jeiku is not the hazard. End of conversation."

He smirks at me. "Understood entirely." He begins to head for the door, but turns around to give one last remark. "Oh, by the way I have something I want to show you. I once promised that I would show you how we harvest the immunity strain. Now is your chance. That is, unless you want to just sit in here and relax."