My pulse is steady, my breathing even as I assess the high walls that surround their home.
Even those look Japanese, with rough, natural stone forming a slanting wall that tapers into a narrow, shingled roof.
From what Miko told me about the layout inside, the entire compound was built in classic Japanese style with a modern touch.
That means I won’t have too high of a climb once I get past the walls—but I’ll have a lot of ground to cover in my search for Kenji’s room.
I’ve done this before—slipped into enemy territory like smoke and left only bodies behind.
But tonight, the stakes feel higher, like a silent time bomb is ticking down, and I don’t know when it will go off.
But if it does, that will be the end for Stephanie. Which is why I have to get this done tonight.
The compound is quieter than usual as I wait for the change of guard.
And when it comes, I scale the wall near the southeast corner, boots silent against stone, and drop into the courtyard like a shadow.
Every movement is calculated. I slip by one guard, then another—quick, clean, without leaving a trace.
Then I slip inside a sliding glass door that leads to and from a koi pond. The halls inside smell of sandalwood and old blood.
Knife in my hand, I creep forward, my gun holstered but within reach if things go south.
From what I’ve gathered, Kenji’s room should be in the east wing.
I move that way, keeping to the edges of the hall, avoiding light. I’m thinking about how I’ll do it—how slow, how messy—when I hear voices in the next room.
“…on a hunting expedition now.”
I pause, pressing closer to the wall.
“When will Kenji be back?” another voice asks.
“Hard to say. He’s after a woman and her brat. Someone connected to the Chiaroscuros.”
The air in my lungs freezes.
My grip on the knife tightens until my knuckles ache.
Woman, brat, Chiaroscuro connection, they could be talking about anyone, but my gut tells me otherwise.
They’re talking about her.
About them.
In an instant, my mission changes.
I’m already moving, retracing my steps through the halls, slipping back into the night.
The kill I came for is irrelevant now—and that ticking time bomb just went off.
By the time I’m clear of the compound, I’ve got my phone out as I dial Miko.
He picks up on the second ring. “You done already?”
“They’ve gone after her,” I say without preamble, my voice like gravel. “I heard someone say Kenji’s on a hunting trip for a woman and her kid connected to us. You tell me who the hell else that could be.”
“Merda,” Miko breathes.
