The Darkness Before Dawn

Surgery

Yukiko watched as Umiko made the first incision into the body. The scalpel glided across the skin smoothly, little beads of blood dotting the incision line and Yukiko wiped them away. Taking a pair of scissors Umiko severed the final pieces of tissue that prevented her from opening the body cavity.

"You wanted organ pieces, correct?" She asked, not looking up from her task. "Yes, please. I'd like to put his profile into the database in case we need to plant a red herring" Yukiko responded.

Nodding, Umiko continued to dig around in the cavity, snipping precise pieces off of his liver and kidney and removing one of his kidneys entirely. "No one expects missing parts" she said wickedly as she sliced off his genitals. Yukiko placed the organ pieces into small specimen jars, sealed them and wrote the collection date and time on them. "Don't mess him up too much. He needs to be identified eventually."

"I'm leaving his prints intact. That should be enough" she said as she stitched each layer of tissue closed, ending with the skin. The sutures were tiny and the incision line was faint. Yukiko injected a blue serum into the body, "that should prevent DNA identification for a few days, a week tops."

Removing her bloody gloves and washing her hands, Umiko said "we still need to perfect the virus. It's still doing too much damage. Oh hi, Tenno!" She took the proffered towel from his arm and he began cleaning up the surgical suite. "Dinner is served, Mistresses. Please don't worry about this mess as I'll clean it up". "Ok!" Yukiko said as she followed Umiko up the steps, out of the dark basement and into the bright foyer of the house.

They could hear the evening news playing on the tv in the living room. Grabbing their plates from the marble covered kitchen island, they joined Kay and Shinju in the living room as they watched the news, on alert for any mention of their mission.

"Nations News has been given this exclusive breaking story! Going now to Konan, who is live at the police department...Konan?" "Thank you, Akira. Behind me, as you can see, is a hive of activity as the police struggle to make sense of a brutal double slaying in the South Block last night". A purple haired woman with amber eyes faced the camera with uniformed police officers, detectives and lab techs moving around in the background. Some were running, some were walking, some were bent over desks analyzing reports.

"Police have released the identity of the woman found, Mia Tenanashi, who was found dead in a pool of blood in the apartment. Detectives are certain that there is a second victim but they have not located that victim yet".

Hidan scowled as he sipped his coffee. "She's fucking releasing confidential information". Kakuzu sighed and rubbed his eyes, "the Chief agreed to this so just let it be". "The Chief is a fucking idiot, only thinks with his dick! I could be a better Chief!" Kakuzu looked at his partner for a long time in silence before saying "I didn't know you wanted to be Chief. Are you thinking of your future?" "Fuck no! But this...is bullshit!" He said as he gestured to Konan.

"This is Konan for Nations News" she signed off and the screen returned to the newsroom and the anchors.

Umiko was laughing and crying as she gasped out "they're looking for him! And we have him! It's like a circus of idiots!"  "Yukiko? Are you not hungry?" Shinju asked her. "Hmmm? Oh! I'm fine! Just got distracted..."  Kay stood and collected the empty plates and as she passed by Yukiko she said "don't let her pretty face fool you. Reporters are the first to throw you to the dogs."

"Lady Kay!" Tenno gasped as he entered the room. He snatched the plates out of her hands. "I'm so sorry for making you dirty your hands, Mistress! Please, let me do the dirty work" he said, bowing deeply in apology. Kay held her hands up in surrender, "ok! Jeeze. You act like you're going to be punished" as she left the room.

At the mention of the word 'punishment' Shinju had turned to look at Tenno, her eyes taking in his body and his submissive demeanour. She licked her lips as she decided he would be her first toy in this new city.

Her heels clicked on the concrete walkway that lead to her front door. She slipped her key in and frowned when she found the door already unlocked. He should still be at work, she thought. She pushed the door open, entered, closed the door behind her and removed her heels. She sighed in relief as her sore feet stood on the cold marble tiles of the foyer.

"Oh. It's you" a male voice said. Amber eyes looked at her husband, the Chief of Police. "I made dinner. Come, while it's still warm" he said holding his hand out to her. She took it and felt a little flicker of the old love and passion they had shared.

He lead her to the table, pulled her chair out for her and placed a napkin on her lap. White wine sat in a glass and she took a sip of the cold sweet liquid. Pein sat himself at the other end of the table and began eating.

"Did you see my report?" Konan asked, ignoring her food and focusing on her wine instead. Pein grunted noncommittally and swallowed his mouthful before he spoke. "It was fine until you mentioned the second body. I told you that was confidential!" She sighed, "the people need-" "DON'T GIVE ME THAT HORSE SHIT ABOUT THE PEOPLE! THE PEOPLE KNOW ONLY WHAT WE TELL THEM!" he roared as his fists smashed against the table.

Food, plates, silverware, glasses all went flying off the table as Pein vented his rage. Konan sat in her chair, leaning back, smirking while twirling the wine in her glass. "As I was saying, the people need all the information they can get if this situation gets out of hand. Tell me, do you have a suspect? A motive? Or are you flying blind like you have for much of your career as Chief?" She taunted her husband cruelly.

Pein strode over to his wife and grasped her chin in his fingers, forcing her to look at him. "You disgust me" was all he said before he left the room. "Same goes for you" Konan replied before she grabbed the wine bottle and went up to her separate bedroom. Pouring herself a fresh glass, she changed into her pajamas and sat up late editing her story for tomorrow.