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“One last stop on the way,” she said.
The door was opened, and she stepped out. Eden heard an exchange similar to theirs; other girls were paying to get inside the car and work for the Red Temple. The whole exchange was most likely in Japanese, but Eden’s translator was working for her. Jack and Rose could understand too; to work on the Dragon’s territory, translation software was a must... Rose let out a very faint sigh.
“...Ayame is basically a pimp for the Yakuza,” she whispered. “She gathers girls and lets them try out with the Japanese. If they like them, they keep them. If they don’t, they kill them.”
“They kill them?” repeated Jack in a squeaky voice. “Couldn’t you have mentioned that before we got on the ride to hell?”
“How is that relevant? It’s not like we plan to get killed, right? Moreover, I’m rather confident in my skills... Aren’t you?”
She had said that while smirking Eden’s way. The young woman sighed. Rose wasn’t wrong. In a way, they had come with a do-or-die mission in mind to begin with. This meant the Japanese would be harder and crueler than they had anticipated, but it wasn’t like they had actually planned to stay anyway. She gently tapped Jack’s leg and took a deep breath to stay calm. She would reactivate her SIN once they were inside the Red Temple, so her connection to Loir would be their eyes inside. Eden didn’t have synthetic eyes, but Loir would be able to follow her position and vitals very precisely through her SIN, so it would be about the same. This way, they would know immediately if anything went wrong, and if she was killed, they would be notified in real-time too...
The new girls entered the vehicle, and everyone had to scoot over a little, as there wasn’t much space left. Actually, once the five of them had been seated, it was clear there was no spot left for Ayame. She appeared in the doorframe and gave them a bright smile.
“Alright, that was our last stop, ladies. Get ready for the show!”
She gave them a wink and closed the door right after that. They heard her giggle from the outside until the car started.
“What a show, indeed...”
Eden frowned, and turned to the woman who had spoken. She was visibly different from the other girls. While the scared, mute, young girls were all very reserved and obviously nervous, this one was clearly standing out with her amused smile, haughty attitude, and relaxed pose. Her outfit was slightly different too. She was only wearing dark colors on her kimono. It was luxurious, in black, purple, and silver. Actually, her hair and lips were both purple too. She had a straight fringe above her eyes and a complex hairdo with many hairpins. She actually looked like a goth version of Rose or Ayame... More intriguing were the freckles Eden noticed under the concealer, and the silver hoops in her ears. This woman visibly had Asian-inspired makeup, but something felt off about her.
She caught Eden staring and, to her surprise, gave her a bright smile.
“Hi,” she said, extending her hand. “I’m C.”
Eden shook her hand after a slight hesitation. She could see the tip of a tattoo on her wrist, hidden under the fabric.
“Eden...”
“Just C.?” asked Jack, raising an eyebrow.
“Just C.,” shrugged the woman. “And you are...”
“Call me Jacquie, honey. And girl, those earrings are bombastic!”
“Right?” smiled C. “A gift from a customer. I love them.”
The two of them began to chat casually as if they were in a salon rather than on their way to a sex-inclusive and life-threatening situation. Rose and Eden exchanged a glance, both equally suspicious. C. was a bit too enthusiastic and relaxed, in a strange contrast with the rest of the girls present. From what Eden could see, she was probably not much older than them, and on her own too. Eden began wondering what a young woman like her, with no shortage of customers from what she was chatting with Jack about, was even doing here. Even more intriguing were the tattoos she had tried to cover. Not only with her clothes, but Eden could notice something like concealer coming off in her cleavage... Who was she really? It could have been as simple as an escort girl trying to change camps and her former alliance, but the way she spoke of several customers from different backgrounds meant something entirely different...
Eden forced herself not to stare too much, and watch elsewhere instead. For now, C. was probably the least of her worries, and at the bottom of the list of people to worry about. There were more than a dozen girls lined up at the rear of this vehicle, and they were all on the way to the Red Temple. Eden knew that Ayame’s visibly joyful attitude couldn’t be trusted either; anyone who worked close to the Zodiacs was potentially dangerous...
She remained quiet for the rest of the trip, trying to mentally think about each step of the plan. She’d have to leave as soon as the men were distracted enough, or find an excuse to leave, and search throughout the Red Temple for an access point. From there, Loir would be able to take control, and Dante’s men would attack from the outside as soon as the door was open... There were many unknown parameters in the plan, but Eden had something else in mind. If they managed to take control of the Japanese territory, perhaps she could find some money stacked. Where else would a Yakuza boss hide his money but in his most secure house? Yes, perhaps this was an opportunity. With the urgent need for a huge sum hovering over her mind, Eden couldn’t pretend to chit-chat with Jack, C., and Rose who had now joined in the conversation. She simply locked her fingers together on her lap and tried to focus.
“We’re almost there, bitches!” resonated Ayame’s voice suddenly.
Eden tried to look out of the car’s window, which was obviously reinforced glass. Was this car owned by the Japanese Mafia too? If Ayame was in charge of regularly bringing new girls, it wouldn’t have been surprising.
She couldn’t see much, however. Only a very tall, dark brown wall the car was driving toward. A wooden fence? She felt the car slow down until it wasn’t going faster than a normal person’s walking pace. Still, it kept going. Eden had a vague idea they might be passing some sort of scan, as they were about to enter the domain. Perhaps they were scanning with some sort of X-ray, thermal vision, or bug scanner... They would find nothing on them though. They wouldn’t have been so foolish as to bring actual weapons inside.
Yet, the car suddenly stopped. Eden, a bit nervous, lessened her grip on her knee, and sat back, ready for action if needed. She glanced aside. Rose was frowning and, a couple of seats down, C. wasn’t smiling anymore either. She probably wasn’t as light-hearted as she pretended to be. From her tense posture, she was probably expecting something too… Was she a fighter of some sort? Eden could usually recognize people with some sort of ability, either from the way they moved, the muscles of their body, or their attitude. C. didn’t seem to exactly fit the profile, but there was definitely something about her lean body and swift reactions.
The door opened without warning, and Ayame’s bodyguard suddenly grabbed one of the girls in the same movement. It all happened very quickly. She was dragged out and the door was slammed closed behind her before they could even hear her scream. Everyone exchanged surprised glances until they heard it. One single, clear gunshot. The screaming stopped at the same time. A few seconds passed in awkward silence. Then, the door opened again to show Ayame this time, smiling.
“Alright. Can’t make an omelet without breaking a couple of bad eggs, can we? Everything’s alright, and we’re almost there. So exciting! Get ready, ladies!”
She closed the door again, and next to Eden, Rose began breathing again, having completely lost her earlier composure. Eden, however, was still a bit stunned. Behind Ayame’s arm, farther back on the grass, she had clearly seen a pool of blood...
The car began driving again, a bit faster this time. They were probably almost there, and indeed, it soon stopped again, probably parked. Ayame came to open the door and stepped aside. For a second, no one moved, until C. stepped outside first. Rose followed, then Eden, and everyone after them.
