Nabiki-New Horizons Chapter 10 - Return of the Cold Moon Clan by G.L. Sandborn "Jeffrey! JEFFREY!" Nabiki's frantic voice rang through the Tendo compound like an alarm bell as she charged through the gate. Akane had been tasked with finding her sister and bringing her home. After much hunting, she found Nabiki shopping for gifts to bring back to her friends in Hawaii. Quickly relaying the bad news about Sodoshi, it was all Akane could do to keep up as Nabiki immediately set out to find the one person she loved, trusted, and depended on for support; her husband. Exploding through the front door of the Tendo residence, her shoes coming detached as if on their own and clattering off the walls, Nabiki dashed towards the main room, constantly calling her husband's name. She collided abruptly with Jeffrey as he emerged from the kitchen. Clinging to her husband, Nabiki poured out her anguish over the realization that her daughter, her only child, had been kidnapped. "Jeffrey, they took her! They took my So-chan - my baby!" she angrily sobbed, clinging to her husband. The sense of indignation and fear mixed and burned in her chest. "I know, honey," Jeff murmured as he held his trembling wife and stroked her brown hair. "They brought Kasumi home a half hour ago. She's pretty shook up." "Why, Jeffrey?" she whined. "She's just a baby. What do they want?" Before Jeff could answer, another voice spoke out of the darkness of the kitchen. "They want you, little one." Nabiki's body jerked taut at the familiar sounding voice. She knew that voice. Instinctively, her mouth curled into a snarl as a figure stepped into the light of the hallway. "YOU!" she hissed, dripping with venom. "You're responsible for this!" Master Sato's face went blank as he stared at Nabiki and prepared to receive, for the second time in his life, the just chastisement of Jeff's wife. "How dare you show your face here!" Her sudden shift into attack mode caused Jeff to change from consoling to restraining as she tried to lunge at the old shinobi master. "You promised protection! You promised we'd be safe! You had all the shinobi clans at your disposal." She practically screamed the last, her face crimson with anger. "I HATE YOU!!" Jeff wrestled briefly with Nabiki as she again tried to disengage herself and attack Master Sato. Only Jeff's superior strength and knowledge of leverage kept her in check. "Sodoshi's in no danger, Nabs." Jeff tried to reason with his wife. She might have been emotionally upset but she still had a mind as sharp as any Jeff knew. She would listen to him even as she continued to struggle. "How do *you* know?" she snarled, her attention only briefly diverted from her principal target. "Because they want us." "He's right, little one. Fukoono the elder wants the secrets of the monk's cave." Sato's timing as to when to inject himself into a conversation left something to be desired. Nabiki glared at Sato as she tried to decide whether to listen to him too or just tear him apart with her bare hands. For now, rationality prevailed and she listened - but just barely. "What secrets? There *are* no secrets of the cave. You know that," she growled, her eyes still filled with her hatred for Sato, ninjas, and anything shinobi. "True enough, little one," Sato acknowledged with a nod. "But Fukoono does not believe the truth. His madness insists you know some secret that is dangerous to the shinobi people - a secret you shared with Jeffrey and your own clan members." "Clans, clans, clans," Nabiki moaned in anger, her eyes tightly closed as she shook her head trying to dislodge her entire shinobi heritage. "I'm sick of clans! I'm sick of the shinobi! And I'm sick of *you*! I just want my baby back!" "Nabiki, we'll get her back," Jeff reassured his wife. "The police have already interviewed Kasumi and Tofu. If the police know, the Japanese government knows. And if the Japanese government knows, *our* government knows. We also have other allies. The shinobi clans have assured me...." "The police?!? The government?!? THE SHINOBI CLANS?!?!?!?" Nabiki stared at her husband in horror. She had little faith in the police *or* the governments. As for the clans... She already held them in low enough esteem. "Under the circumstances, the police and governments will not be able to effect a rescue without endangering the child," Sato thoughtfully noted as he stroked his chin. "Their methods are too clumsy." Jeff stared at his old shinobi master, certain there was more to what he said or didn't say that was most important. "Master Sato, you know something," Jeff accused with narrowed eyes. The venerable old shinobi master's silence convinced Jeff he was on the right track. "You know where they've taken her," Jeff said in a flat, accusing voice. Even Master Sato had to take note of its approach to malevolence. Slowly, he turned to look Jeff deeply in the eyes. He could tell Jeff was straining to control himself - and his wife. Sooner or later, he would do something rash. Sato decided to try and direct some of Jeff's anger in a way that would allow him to proceed with his own rescue. "Yes, I know where Fukoono and your daughter are." Sato sounded almost like a grandfather describing a family outing - calm, measured, and totally devoid of emotion. "Where...?" Nabiki hissed, her patience clearly wearing thin. Jeff could tell she was gathering herself for a lunge and instinctively tightened his grip on his wife. Sato shifted his eyes from Nabiki to Jeff. He could tell his adopted son was as determined as Nabiki to recover their child. That was exactly as Fukoono had hoped. He also knew Nabiki was most skilled in ferreting out information. Sooner or later, she would discover the location of Fukoono's lair. Then, one or both would attempt a rescue, where one or both would be taken captive. Sato knew what Fukoono was capable of. He also knew Jeff and Nabiki were not good enough to rescue Sodoshi on their own. He *had* to convince Jeffrey that such a task would be better left in the hands of his people. "The lady asked a question." Jeff sounded even more determined than his wife. His look backed up that assertion. "You are not good enough, my son. Neither of you are." Sato turned away and shook his head. "Without the other clans, you could never hope to defeat Fukoono and rescue your daughter. The place is too remote and the obstacles too formidable. Your lives would be wasted." Jeff stared at Sato in shock. "I had no idea you thought so little of me." "You are no warrior, my son," Sato lamented with a sad shake of his head. "You were never trained as such. I think nothing less of you for your courage but I did not train you to throw your life away foolishly." "Nevertheless, do you think I would not make such a sacrifice for my daughter?" Jeff sounded almost sad - disappointed at his master's assertion. "Some sacrifices are necessary. You told me that yourself." Sato snorted and shook his head again. "I trained you too well. You understand our ways better than I thought - even better than I hoped. But your sacrifice would be worthless - a waste - an action without hope, without meaning." Sato turned once again to look at Jeff and Nabiki. He could see and sense no hesitation or fear in either - just fierce determination to recover their daughter. Perhaps knowing how far away and remote an area their child was being held in would convince them to allow him to deal with this through the clans. Besides, there were other considerations. "You *must* allow the clans to rescue your daughter. You have no idea how important it is they do this." Jeff and Nabiki exchanged glances. He was up to something. "Why?" Nabiki finally snarled. "Why should I place the life of my only child in the hands of those.... other clans?" Sato didn't really like the way she said 'other clans'. It sounded to him too much like Nabiki was already distancing the Cold Moon Clan from the others. A slight frown briefly flashed across his face. "The prophecy..." he began only to be cut off by Nabiki's finger in front of his face. "DON'T - ever use that word in my presence again." Her eyes betrayed her anger at being reminded of all their earlier troubles - troubles that almost cost her Jeffrey's life. "Forgive me but your daughter's kidnapping was prophesied as the catalyst to bring the clans together. It will unite them to a common cause, reminding them of their common heritage." "I don't care about the clans. I want my daughter back." Nabiki's eyes practically burst into flame with her anger. "That is unfortunate," Sato said to his shoes. "You and your daughter were the last hope recapture the spirit of our people." "Nabiki's right," Jeff said ominously. "Our daughter's life is more important to us." I can see there is no sense in keeping the truth from you." Sato looked directly at Nabiki while addressing Jeff. "You would have found out yourselves - eventually. Your wife is most... resourceful." "Where." Jeff sounded most demanding, his voice low like the growl of a cave bear. "Hokkaido." "Where." "The ancestral home of the Snow Fox Clan." "Where." "The Kitami Mountains. Near Asahikawa. There is a cave under a shrine to the shinobi people near the Teshio River. It is the traditional home of the Snow Fox Clan elders - long since abandoned. Very remote. Very hard to get to. Very easy to defend. *That* is why you must allow the clans to rescue the child." Akane, who had been listening carefully from the hallway, silently repeated the location to herself; committing every detail to memory. She was a protector of Sodoshi. It was her job to rescue the girl - hers and Ranma's. As she turned to find her wayward fiance, ignoring the remainder of Sato's impassioned plea for Jeff and Nabiki to remain on the side-lines while the combined clans worked to rescue Sodoshi, she noticed Officer Watanabe entering the house. Quickly she moved to confront him but was surprised at his response. "One side, young lady. Police business." He dismissed Akane's attempts to block him with a wave of his hand as he continued towards the stairs. Years of conditioning regarding Japanese police and the liberties they were allowed to take caused Akane to hesitate enough for Watanabe to slip past her and gain the stairs. Akane quickly moved to rectify her mistake. "I told you, young lady, this is police business. Kindly stay out of my way." He sounded official and condescending as he, again, dismissed young Akane while ascending the stairs. For a few seconds, Akane was torn between following her sister's would-be suitor and remaining behind to listen to more of the conversation in the kitchen. The sight of Watanabe purposefully striding up the stairs broke her indecision. Quickly, she scrambled to follow the officer, saying nothing but determined to remain nearby. She halted at the bend in the hallway, just outside Ranma's door. Watanabe's progress was checked at the entrance to Kasumi's room as Dr. Tofu was quietly exiting, closing the door behind him. "Is Kasumi Tendo in there?" Watanabe asked in an official sounding voice while reaching for the door knob. Tofu's hand quickly shot across in front of the officer, slapping against the door frame. "Out of the way, sensei. This is police business." Watanabe growled at Tofu's arm. "Kasumi Tendo has experienced a severe shock. I have prescribed complete rest for her." Tofu sounded almost as official as Watanabe. "Sensei, you are interfering with a police officer in the performance of his duties." Watanabe slowly turned his head to look Tofu squarely in the eyes. "There are severe penalties for such." "As her doctor, I must insist on her rest." "There are some questions I need to ask her." "Your people have already questioned her. There is nothing else she can tell you about the kidnapping." Tofu was sounding every bit as determined as Watanabe. It was clear to both men that Watanabe only wanted in the room to be with Kasumi in this time of crisis - something Tofu was determined to prevent. "That 'girl' in there is the only link we have to the kidnappers." Watanabe stepped back slightly as he growled at Tofu and waved his hand at Kasumi's door. "As an investigating officer, I insist on speaking with her." "That 'woman' in there has undergone severe emotional trauma." Tofu held his ground. "As her doctor, my decision must take precedence. She is not to be disturbed." "I intend to talk to her." "Another time, perhaps." Tofu's face was totally without emotion. Akane could tell the two were rapidly approaching the limits of their individual patience. So, as Ranma stepped out of his room to see what was going on, she grabbed him by the shirt and demanded he do something to prevent the two men from coming to blows. "Akane, I only know how to start fights - not stop them," Ranma protested as his fiance shook him violently. "Unless you expect me to hit a police officer." Before she could answer, Jeff and Nabiki, drawn by the sounds of loud voices, arrived. Nabiki, too, grabbed her husband and insisted he do something. "Nabiki, that's a police officer," Jeff pointed out while indicating the uniformed Watanabe. "Interfering with a Japanese police officer is not a good thing. Especially for a gaijin." The two sisters continued to press their respective males to intervene with little effect while Watanabe and Tofu grew louder and angrier in their battle of wills. The conclusion was reached when both girls yelled: "Ooooh! You men are WORTHLESS!" Jeff and Ranma stared incredulously as Akane and Nabiki stomped up to the arguing men. Getting between them, Akane confronting Watanabe and Nabiki fronting Tofu, they proceeded to deliver blistering declarations and pronouncements concerning the men's behavior in the Tendo home - each punctuating their points by jabbing fingers into the men's chests, backing them away from Kasumi's door. Jeff just crossed his arms and watched in amazement as his wife poured out all her anger and frustration at Tofu. Ranma kept casting nervous glances between Akane's assault on the police officer and Jeff's placid reaction to Nabiki's performance. He could tell Watanabe was flustered by the ferocity of Akane's attack but continued to watch, always ready to react, as she backed the officer against the wall opposite Kasumi's door. All arguing came quickly to a halt at the sound of Kasumi's door unlatching. Slowly, hesitantly, Kasumi Tendo opened the door and stepped into the hallway. She looked like death warmed over; her hair a mess, her eyes red, her general complexion pasty - a few wrinkles from her pillow had marked her otherwise flawless face. "Forgive me," she almost whispered at the floor as she held her hands tightly down the front of her wrinkled dress. "I have been neglecting my duties too long. I need to start dinner." "I've got dinner covered, Kasumi," Nabiki said firmly as she fixed her sister with a serious look. The sound of Nabiki's voice caused Kasumi to look up suddenly with a startled - almost frightened expression on her face. Seeing Nabiki for the first time since the abduction, caused fear of her sister's reaction to surge forth and claim her now trembling body. With eyes big as saucers, Kasumi slowly backed towards her room - her mouth silently working as if to offer apologies or explanations to her sister for losing Sodoshi. The serious look on Nabiki's face caused Kasumi to start crying again, covering her face with her hands and stumbling back into her room. With obvious irritation, Nabiki quickly followed with Akane close on her heels. The two men tried to follow as well, only to be stopped short by the slamming door in their faces. "I believe that ends this afternoon's activities, gentlemen," Jeff dead panned, his look growing harder with every passing second. "Officer, I believe your presence here is no longer required." "My investigation...." Watanabe began. "You were asked to leave," Ranma shot sharply, his posture giving strong indications that this was more than a request. Watanabe looked between the three who faced him before abruptly starting for the stairs. He paused beside Jeffrey and glowered at the American. "Just who *are* you?" he growled as he reached for his pocket notebook. "I'm going to remember this." He flipped open the notebook to a blank page and punched his pen open with his thumb. "Well, I'll certainly lose sleep over *that*," Jeff answered sarcastically while returning the officer's glare. He had already sized up Watanabe and concluded he could, if necessary, take the officer - providing Ranma didn't get to him first. "The name is Lawrence. Jeffrey Lawrence." Watanabe's face twitched visibly at the sound of Jeff's name. He glared at his notebook as his mind sorted through the mess he just made of his grand plan. "What was your name?" he asked, his voice sounding less demanding than before. "I'll spell it for you," Jeff snarled, feeling confident he now had the upper hand. "D-I-P-L-O-M-A-T-I-C I-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y" He finished by flashing his old embassy card. He remembered some of the embassy staffers calling it a 'Get Out Of Jail Free' card because it guaranteed the local police would treat you with kid gloves. He displayed it now like it was a pass from the Emperor himself. Watanabe instantly recognized the little blue card and a slight chill ran through his body. Not only was he facing one of the richest persons in America but someone who could, with a simple phone call, bring down the wrath of the officer's own government on him. This would not do. This would not do at all. Watanabe shut his notebook with a snap, abruptly bowed and stomped down the stairs. He would deal with all involved in his report. Ranma stared at the retreating Watanabe before turning to Jeff. "How did you do that?" he asked in bewilderment. "Never throw away something that might be useful in the future." Jeff waved the little blue card in front of Ranma. "Then... it's a phoney?" "Oh, it's real. But it hasn't been any good since I married Nabiki." Jeff grinned his best 'Nabiki' grin. "I was counting on the officer being too flustered to examine it closely." "I would have just slugged him," Ranma lamented while shaking his head. "Well, I'm not as good at slugging people as you are." Jeff turned to return to the kitchen. Ranma and Tofu followed. Ranma thought with some awe. Inside Kasumi's room, another drama was taking place. Kasumi was on her bed, her face buried in her pillow, sobbing. Akane was trying to comfort her sister while Nabiki stood looking out the window, her face stony and cold - just like the day they buried her mother. To all observing her, she looked totally in control. Inside, however, she was fighting her mother's instinct, her sorrow, and her feeling of helplessness. "Oh, Nabiki, I'm so sorry," Kasumi moaned into her pillow. "It's all my fault. I was thinking of myself instead of your baby. I only turned my back for a moment. It's all my fault." She finished by dissolving into another round of sobs as her small fist slapped against the pillow in frustration. She still couldn't understand how this could all happen to *her*. Nabiki showed no reaction to her sister's declarations - her expression never changing - her inner struggles yet resolved. Akane continued to rub her sister's back and talking soothingly in a low voice while casting nervous glances at Nabiki. She feared another family fight - one that couldn't be resolved through a trip for ice cream. As the clock ticked off the minutes, Nabiki continued to stare emotionlessly out the window. To all in the room, Nabiki seemed unconcerned of her sister's plight and equally unwilling to acknowledge Kasumi's apology. The only outward sign of her struggle was a single bead of sweat slowly working its way down her face. Akane, still trying to comfort Kasumi looked questioningly at the back of Nabiki's head. Eventually, Kasumi's sobs died down and she slowly pushed herself almost to a sitting position. She stared at her younger sister while she fought for the right words to say. In the end, all she had to offer was emotion. "Why don't you say something?" Kasumi finally demanded in an anguished voice, the tension of her sister's silence becoming too much to bear. "Yell at me! Curse me!" Her voice changed to barely a tiny squeak as her chin dropped. "Hate me." She paused before once again looking at her sister and demanding angrily: "But don't just stand there!" Kasumi started blubbering again, still punishing herself harder than Nabiki would ever consider doing. "It's not your fault," Nabiki finally said to the window, her face hard and solemn, her voice strained but firm. "It could have happened to any of us. Me... Akane... you... They were determined to take her." Nabiki continued to stare out the window as Kasumi hid her face in her hands, beginning another round of tears. Nabiki's eye caught on another young mother as she pushed her stroller down the street, waving to those she knew and stopping occasionally to allow people to make a fuss over her baby. Nabiki's face seemed to melt as she thought of her own baby in the hands of others. She bit hard on her lower lip trying to maintain her anger at the kidnappers; fanning hard to keep the flame of indignation burning hot. They had taken her baby - HER baby. No one takes things from Nabiki. No matter how hard she tried or where she looked, all she could see was *her* baby - scared, alone, and crying. Nabiki couldn't hold out for long as the feeling of helplessness finally broke through and claimed her. With a pitiful whine, Nabiki collapsed back onto the bed. "I just want my So-chan back!" Her eyes were screwed shut, leaking their tears as her hands balled into fists of anger. Her whole body shook with her frustration. Kasumi, whether for her own purposes or out of pity for her sister, instinctively gathered her little sister into her arms and held her tight. Nabiki, grateful for someone to hold on to, clutched desperately at her oneechan as the full holocaust of her emotions broke free and claimed her body. The two cried together; Kasumi out of regret at her actions and Nabiki for the life of her baby. Akane tried to resist the wave of emotions flooding the room but quickly succumbed to her own anguish and joined her sisters in their cleansing deluge of sorrow. For the next half hour, all that could be heard coming from Kasumi's room were the sounds of three sisters sharing their grief and providing comfort to each other. ***** 1 ***** Fukoono's cave echoed with the sounds of a baby crying. A young woman, still casually dressed in the same clothes she wore during the abduction, proudly carried the squalling infant to just in front of her master's darkened enclave. With only a glance at the crying child, she held the baby out towards her master. "I have brought you the child, master," she proclaimed with some pride, her face a study of childish innocence. Fukoono remained silent while Sodoshi's cries echoed throughout the cave. The remaining gathered ninjas looked at each other as the child's cries became more frantic. Clearly, they had no idea of how to quiet the baby. "Can't you shut that child up?" Fukoono growled from the darkness. "I can't stand all this racket." With a startled look, the young woman held Sodoshi to her chest. Sodoshi, did the predictable thing; started rooting around the front of the woman's blouse while crying less. "If I didn't need that child alive..." Fukoono lamented out loud. The woman's horror at such a thought was clearly evident as she clutched Sodoshi closer in a protective embrace. "But you promised no harm would come to the child, master," she moaned over Sodoshi's cries. Fukoono paused only a moment to consider his answer. "You're quite right, my dear. I would never consider harming such an... energetic young child." He paused again. "As you've grown so attached to the little brat, I place her in your custody. Take the child to the village. Feed her. Clean her. Prepare her for her mother. We don't want anything bothering the poor little... child." The woman smiled briefly as she rocked the baby and talked softly in soothing tones to the distressed child. She had developed an attachment to Sodoshi - an attachment that caused her to secretly question this whole plan. She liked the baby, her maternal instincts causing her to sympathize with the baby's mother. Such was dangerous to Fukoono's plan. Feeling dismissed, the woman walked purposefully to the cave entrance. Fukoono's next warning caused her to pause apprehensively. "Remember girl, that baby is most important to our plans. Should anything happen to her...." It was unnecessary for Fukoono to complete his warning. All knew the penalty of failure. The woman bowed abruptly and scurried out of the cave. "Master, surely you don't intend to allow the child to live," a chonin begged in shock. "For there to be any survivors of the Cold Moon Clan..." "Of course not, you fool!" Fukoono's voice boomed off the sides of the cave and filled all who heard it with renewed fear. "But I need that child alive and in good health until I have her mother. She is the bait for Nabiki Tendo." He grinned evilly to himself. "I will deal with them all at the appropriate time - *after* I have the information I seek." Fukoono's attending laughter caused all in the cave to shudder at the foreshadowing of the bloodbath to come. The young woman carefully carried the fussing Sodoshi down to the small village, talking in hushed tones to the child trying to keep her from crying. She was young, in her early 20's, almost as tall as Nabiki with a similar short hairstyle. She might have even been considered pretty. Her eyes radiated her compassion for the abducted child as her mind whirled with regret at having been the instrument of the child's abduction. Still, her master had promised that no harm would come to the child or her parents. Fukoono just wanted the mother long enough to get the secrets of the old monk's cave from her. All would be free to leave once Master Fukoono had what he wanted. After all, why harm them if they cooperate with the master? Convinced that she was doing the right thing, the woman entered a small house and set about satisfying Sodoshi's needs. ***** 2 ***** "I said: I want to speak to the ambassador himself!" Jeff shouted into the phone. He was clearly having language problems with his own embassy. "NO! I do NOT want the Traveler's Aid department! I said the ambassador!" It was plain that whomever he was talking to either was not understanding his request or was purposefully deflecting the annoying caller in some misguided effort to shield the ambassador from nuisance phone calls from traveling Americans. Whatever the case, Jeffrey Lawrence was clearly losing the battle *and* his shinobi-taught control. Across the room, Tofu talked with Master Sato in hushed tones. Ranma, while quietly listening nearby, thought it odd Tofu and Sato talked more like old friends than recently introduced strangers. True, they were talking mostly about pressure points and various herbs and drugs, but the fact they were using words and phrases that were usually reserved for conversations between close friends raised Ranma's suspicions. He knew little about Tofu other than he had been the family doctor for many years. He knew even less about Sato but what he did know, he didn't like. Still, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think of a logical reason why the two would be so familiar towards each other. With a shake of his head, he quickly dismissed any connections between the two as he recalled how they worked together the night Jeff was ambushed in the dojo and shared an interest in shinobi medicine. Perhaps that was all. "I must be going," Tofu said softly while gaining his feet. "I've been away from the clinic too long." He cast a quick glance at the ceiling and smiled lightly. "I'm sure Kasumi will be alright now. She has her sisters for support." The others nodded their agreement. They'd heard how the family pulled themselves together before under the cloud of tragedy and were convinced they would do so again. "IDIOTS!" Jeff uncharacteristically yelled as he slammed the phone back into its receiver. "My daughter has been kidnapped and all they can say is: 'We can do nothing until the police issue their report'." He finished with a withering glare at the phone, his hands balled into fists. "Patience, my son." Sato suggested from across the room. "Put a sock in it, Sato!" Jeff grumbled in English while continuing to stare at the offending communications device. Jeff's remark drew only a raised eyebrow on the part of his shinobi master. He had not heard such language from Jeffrey since they started training together so many years ago. It was clear that Jeff's anger had taken control of him and this worried his aging mentor. "She is in no danger, Jeffrey." Sato's soft assurance seemed to have no effect on his young adopted son. "So you say!" Jeff spun around and confronted his master. "Can you guarantee that?" His look was as piercing and confrontational as Sato could ever remember. "No," Sato said softly after some thought. He knew such guarantees were impossible when dealing with someone as mad as Fukoono. "Can you guarantee the clans will help in the rescue of my daughter?" Jeff's anger now had a new focus. "No." "Can *you* rescue my daughter?" "No." Sato seemed to shrink slightly as he openly admitted the obvious. He knew even he was no match for Fukoono in his own lair - nobody was. And without clan help.... "The police are no help...." Jeff began listing the failures of 'the system' when he was interrupted by a voice from the hallway. "What about the police, young man?" Jeff spun angrily and faced an older police officer, dressed in an Inspector's uniform. "Who, the hell, are you?" Jeff growled, obviously unimpressed at the sight of another 'uniform'. "I'm Inspector Abe and I'm here about an abduction," the police officer calmly replied while removing his gloves. "Well you're a day late and a dollar short, pal," Jeff was displaying a disgraceful amount of disrespect in front of the police inspector. "Your people have already been here and left with NOTHING!" "Mr. Lawrence, I understand your anger over this..." "Do you really?" Jeff snarled. Abe only drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, obviously attempting to control his own emotions. "Inspector, do you have any children?" "Two. But they are both grown now." "Any grand-children?" "Yes." "And you'd be just as calm and analytical if it were one of them?" "Yes." Abe calmly replied. "Anger, undirected, can harm you more than the blow from an adversary." A flicker of a smile crossed Master Sato's face as he stared at the table. To him, at least, the Inspector hadn't changed. "You sound like that old man over there," Jeff growled painfully while indicating Master Sato with a wave of his hand. "You police are worthless, the shinobi clans are cowards and my own government seems to not care that a small child is currently in the hands of a madman." "Mr. Lawrence, we are doing the best that we can." That was all Jeff could take. With a snort of disgust, he stomped out of the room, pausing only to add: "I'm sure all your reports will be properly filed and cross-indexed." All heard Jeff's noisy exit from the house. Each suffered the embarrassment of his emotional display quietly in their own way. "If I can just find pop and Mr. Tendo..." Ranma mumbled just loud enough for the older men to hear. "That would be a mistake, young man." Ranma looked up quickly to see Master Sato staring at him. "Even together you are not good enough to...." "I'm pretty good, old man." Ranma bristled. "My pop's not bad either." "I'm sure you're both quite accomplished in the martial arts," Sato calmly replied. "But I believe Mr. Tendo has already encountered one shadow warrior and was lucky to come away with his life." "He's out of shape - out of practice." Ranma dismissed the assertion with a shake of his head. "Pop and I can take those... bandits." "If it were simply bandits we're dealing with, I'd agree." Sato continued with his calm, reasoning voice. He knew full well what Ranma and his father would be up against. He also knew Ranma would be a clear underdog in such a confrontation - a tragic underdog. "I can take care of myself," Ranma growled while abruptly standing. "I'm supposed to be Sodoshi's protector." "A noble and honorable position, young man. But that doesn't address the foolishness of getting yourself killed for no reason." Ranma wasn't buying Sato's calm assessment of the situation. "I'M RESPONSIBLE for the rescue of Sodoshi and no one is going to stop me!" As if to emphasize his point, Ranma bolted out the open engawa and over the compound wall, bound for where no one could say. Abe disturbed the quiet vacuum left by Ranma's departure by clearing his throat. "The impatience of youth," he sadly noted. "Quite so," Sato replied with a nod. "Can I offer you some tea?" He began pouring tea into a fresh cup. "Yes, thank you." Abe calmly seated himself across from Sato and accepted the cup with a slight bow. "My men are searching for the fathers now. Do you have any idea how many bars and shogi parlors there are in Nerima alone?" "I'm afraid not." "Too many." "Yes, I suppose so." Sato sighed. "I fear they're most popular among this generation as diversions from the pressures of city life." "And generating a few pressures of their own in the process." Abe lifted his glass in a toasting gesture before taking a sip. "Do you have anything more on Watanabe?" "Yes, of course," Sato answered while reaching inside his yukata and retrieving a carefully folded piece of paper. Sliding it across the smooth surface of the table he added: "Mr. Watanabe is a most ambitious person." "I've been finding that out," Abe acknowledged while retrieving the piece of paper and depositing it in the inside pocket of his coat. "And dangerous." Sato nodded thoughtfully. "Still, I have found no connection between his activities and the disappearance of Sodoshi Lawrence." "Of course, that doesn't mean our young friend won't try to take advantage of it." Abe scowled slightly. "I have to admit, he's most resourceful." "Quite so," Sato answered. "I trust you're aware that young Jeffrey is likely to do something... rash." "Yes." Abe stroked his cup of tea thoughtfully. "He is, after all, an American. What about the mother, Nabiki?" "I doubt she would be foolish enough to attempt to confront Fukoono without help." Sato sighed and shook his head. "Unless I can rally the clans to effect a rescue...." "Agreed." Abe sounded emphatic. "Without the clans, I fear, there can be no rescue." Sato nodded his agreement and took another sip of his tea. "As long as we can keep Jeff and Nabiki from Hokkaido..." Jeff didn't go very far. Finding a phone that accepted both his credit card and would dial long distance proved to be surprisingly easy. His anger clearly showed to all who cared to watch as he slid his card through the slot and dialed his office. "Rachel?" Jeff's voice was calm but forceful. "Patch me through to Jamie. Yes, *that* Jamie." Jamie Wilde was a former Navy SEAL who had retired from the service to work for Lawrence, Inc as a security specialist. It was no accident that Jeff hired the highly skilled former special forces commander. Fearing situations that governments and local authorities would be unable to handle, Jeff had set about hiring a small team of hand-picked specialists who could be called upon for 'special' duties. Men who could work quietly inside hostile or potentially hostile environments to accomplish certain necessary tasks. The often politically sensitive situations sometimes required such intervention to rescue or protect Lawrence, Inc personnel or corporate assets. Jeff had never had to call upon their skills until now. "Jamie? I want you and a small team, a very small team, here in Tokyo within 24 hours." As he listened to Jamie's answer, Jeff looked around to see if anyone was listening or showing any particular interest. It took only minutes for Jeff to outline the situation, being careful to use phrases and critical words that would be meaningless to an eavesdropper but conveyed exactly the information Jamie needed to pull his team together and plan the necessary 'equipment'. Before terminating their conversation, they agreed upon a 'smuggling' technique to get their equipment into the country and a place to meet. Jeff Lawrence hung up the phone, knowing full well he was about to break the laws of more than one country but convinced he was his daughter's last chance. "What are you doing?" Akane asked in shock as she entered Nabiki's room unannounced. She had noticed her sister wasn't down in the main room with the others through dinner and became suspicious when her initial search of the first floor turned up empty. Nabiki Tendo-Lawrence was throwing a few items in a small travel bag, like she was leaving for a trip. It was obvious what she was planning to do. "You're not going alone, you know," Akane warned as she crossed her arms and assumed a blocking position in front of the door. Nabiki halted her packing only long enough to shoot a 'warning look' at her younger sibling. This was *her* problem, not Akane's. Jeffrey was busy trying to work within the system, knowing full well his efforts were wasted on a bureaucracy that had so many other matters they considered more important than the abduction of a child in a foreign country. "Jeffrey has his ways and I have mine." She paused as if to reconsider her next statement. "I'm getting my baby back and I'm not endangering you or anyone else in the process." Nabiki straightened up and glared at Akane like her sister was preventing her from doing what she knew had to be done. "I'm going to get my baby." Akane looked between her sister's packed bag and her sister's face. She knew there were times when trying to talk Nabiki out of something was a waste of time. This was obviously one of those times. "Then I'm going with you," Akane flatly declared. "Oh, no you're not." Nabiki picked up her bag and started for the door. Akane made no move to get out of her way. The two glared at each other, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Akane knew she would be able to physically detain her sister, if it came to that - but only for the moment. She couldn't watch Nabiki forever. The first time Akane's back turned, Nabiki would be gone - off to rescue her daughter. Faced with a 'no-win' situation, Akane decided to try reason. "Nabiki, when you named me Sodoshi's protector, you put upon me a requirement I never asked for." Akane crossed her arms and locked eyes with her older and taller sister. "One thing father taught me well was that such a requirement was an obligation that demanded fulfillment. I cannot prevent what's already happened, but I can do something to make things right." Nabiki seemed to deflate slightly in the face of her sister's commitment. Perhaps, deep down, she really wanted Akane to accompany her. "I just don't want you hurt too," Nabiki said to the floor. "That's my choice, Nabiki." Akane held her position and her posture. "Besides, I know as much about this cave as you do. So even if you don't let me go with you, I can just follow on my own." Nabiki considered her sister's points carefully before, with a heavy sigh, agreeing they would travel together. "You'll need a few things," Nabiki noted softly. "Got them right here," Akane chirped as she reached into the hallway and produced a small 'Hello Kitty' back-pack. Nabiki made a face at the sight. "We've *got* to get you some more adult looking things," Nabiki lamented as she shook her head. "Why? I like 'Hello Kitty'." With another shake of her head, Nabiki pressed past her little sister and out into the hallway. "You know, father will be furious when he finds out we've gone." Nabiki scowled at the floor as they approached the stairs. "Oh, I don't know," Akane thought out loud. "We're going forth to do battle with evil. I suspect he'd approve." Nabiki snorted her response. Both girls knew better. Their father would be beside himself if he knew what they were up to and would do everything in his power to stop them. Escaping the residence proved surprisingly easy, as did working their way to the front gate. Akane quickly slipped through but Nabiki hesitated, looking instead back the way they had come. She noted each detail of the Tendo homestead, recalling with each a treasured memory or momentous occurrence. There was the old house and all the times she passed through the old front doors. The koi pond with its numerous underwater explorations by Ranma and his father. The dojo with all its patches where Jeffrey had almost been killed and later, where she had fulfilled her promise to Kasumi for a Shinto wedding. The old cherry tree she used to climb as a child (much to her mother's displeasure). With every noted aspect of her home, she was struck with the same depressing feeling; that this was the last time she would ever see them. "Nabiki, come on!" hissed Akane from the street, snapping Nabiki out of her melancholy. With a dismissive shake of her head, she slipped through the gate, taking careful note to latch it behind her, and followed her sister. They had gone only a short ways when a familiar figure dropped from the wall, landing in front of them. Both girls groaned. "Goin' after Sodoshi too?" Ranma solemnly asked shifting his backpack. Nabiki just threw up her hands in frustration. "I don't believe this," she snarled. "Where Akane goes, I go." Ranma sounded most insistent and unlikely to change his mind, whatever the argument to the contrary. "Besides, you made me Sodoshi's protector," Ranma pouted out loud. "That makes it *my* duty to help rescue her." Unwilling to hold a debate on the subject in the middle of the street, Nabiki just pushed past the posturing Ranma and headed for the train station. The two young 'protectors' fell in behind, each casting wary eyes at each other. Ranma feared Akane would not be good enough in a fight and Akane worried that Ranma might do something stupid - like get himself killed. Both knew how dangerous this was going to be. Good thing Nabiki had a plan - at least, they *hoped* she had a plan. None of the trio noticed a shadowy figure as it slipped from a darkened doorway and began trailing them as they made their way through the dimly lit streets of Nerima. Inspector Abe continued to sip his tea calmly as he listened to the chirping cicadas outside punctuated by the ticking wall clock across the room. Master Sato had departed, noting that he had much to do to rally the clans to their cause. With Kasumi and the other girls safely upstairs, Abe felt he had everything under control. All he had to do now was wait for one of his men to find the fathers. His patience was rewarded as the fathers stumbled through the door and into the residence. Abe sensed the party's arrival in the hallway, his confirmation made by the escorting police officer. "I've returned Mr. Saotome and Mr. Tendo as directed, Inspector." The young officer smartly saluted before quickly departing. Abe nodded his acknowledgment while he assessed the unsteady patriarchs as they tried to support each other, all the time eyeing the uniformed Abe sitting in their main room sipping tea. "Mr. Tendo, I believe I have some bad news for you." Abe always hated having to convey news like this and his sudden nervousness bore out his feeling of unease. "There has been an abduction." Both men stared at the inspector, oblivious of what the police officer was saying to them. Genma finally thumbed his nose drunkenly and snorted. "What? Shampoo finally get lucky and grabbed my son?" The two drunken men collapsed together snickering and trying to hold each other up. "I'm afraid it's more serious than that." Abe adjusted his collar and cleared his throat nervously. "It would appear someone has abducted your granddaughter, Tendo-san." The snickering immediately stopped and both fathers stared at the inspector, blinking and wrestling with the pronouncement. Soun Tendo was first to connect everything. "My... So-chan?" he weakly ventured, knowing full well he heard correctly. His only grandchild had been kidnapped. Abe could only nod, his face a serious scowl in anticipation of what was to come. The alcohol induced euphoria quickly fell out from under the elder Tendo, leaving him nowhere to go but down into the depths of despair. As he slowly slid to the floor, mumbling about how impossible this all was, his best friend in the world carefully kept him from falling. "There, old friend," Genma softly comforted. "We'll get her back." "Steps are already being taken for the child's rescue," Abe quietly added as he stood and faced the fathers. "There remains one thing that only you two gentlemen are qualified to do." "Anything." "Yes, anything we can do." The two men seemed to echo each other as they grasped at the possibility of helping. "It would seem the kidnappers have also threatened the lives of your daughters." Abe nervously adjusted his coat. He knew all this was only a partial truth - the whole Tendo family had been indirectly threatened. Still, he hated partial truths but it was necessary to keep the fathers here. "I would recommend that you two men take charge of protecting your daughters here." "You hear that, Tendo?" Genma tried to sound optimistic. "They need our help protecting the girls." Soun ,still in shock from the news about his granddaughter, could only nod weakly and stare out the engawa. Jeff had warned them about some kind of danger but was not specific enough for any to take measures to insure their safety. Soun always thought Jeff or Nabiki were in the greater danger - Jeff because of his wealth and Nabiki because of the role she had played in the last shinobi trouble. He never considered their only child would be a target. Now his own children were in danger. Deep down, the tiny flame of anger he always kept carefully hidden began to burn brighter. "We will protect the rest, inspector," Soun said darkly. "No one will get past us." At first, Genma looked apprehensively at his friend. He'd never heard him talk like this before. It worried him slightly but energized him at the same time. He knew how good his friend was at their particular brand of martial arts but had never experienced fighting alongside him when really inspired. Genma smiled to himself. This might be a great adventure after all. Perhaps one that would bear telling to his grandchildren - how he took on ninja assassins in the home of his best friend. In fact, he could guarantee it would be a tale of epic proportions. "Then I'll leave you two to your duties," Abe bowed and started for the door. "Be sure to stay close to the phone in case the kidnappers call. We need to know all the details of any demands they might make." Abe knew that no ransom demands would be forthcoming. The abduction was not for money. He just wanted to give the fathers another reason to remain home. With a respectful bow, the good inspector departed. "Well, my friend," Genma said with a slight smile. "It looks like we need to be making some preparations." "First, we need to make sure the girls are safely in their rooms," Soun answered seriously as he regained his feet. The two fathers were shocked and dismayed to find that only Kasumi was still at home. Convinced that the two younger daughters had left in an attempt to rescue Sodoshi, they noisily debated what to do next. They couldn't follow as they had no idea where the kids had gone. They had no idea where Jeffrey was. Ranma was also missing. Calling Inspector Abe proved fruitless as he had not returned to the koban and the officer on duty thought he had gone home for the evening. After leaving a message, they resigned themselves to the fact that there was little they could do for Nabiki or Akane. Over a light meal prepared by Kasumi, the fathers made their plans for protecting the remaining Tendo daughter. ***** 3 ***** Jeffrey Lawrence spent the night in a capsule hotel near the airport. He knew Jamie would be on time and would come prepared. Sure enough, the next morning, Jamie was the first to arrive. Dressed like an American tourist, the powerfully built former SEAL team leader blended in well with the flood of other Americans that queued up in customs. Fearing they were being watched, Jeff had arranged for them to meet in one of the airline's private club rooms. "Any word from the authorities?" Jamie asked as he dropped his carry-on bag and sat down. Jeff just shook his head and grumbled about the relative worth of working within the system. He had spent much of the night on the phone trying to get someone - anyone - in authority interested in pushing ahead and doing something about his daughter. All sympathized with his plight but insisted they couldn't move until authorized by some 'higher authority'. Jamie pulled a CD out of his bag and slid it across the table. "A little gift from your friend in California," Jamie chuckled as he sat back and crossed his legs. Jeff noted while picking up the small disk that Jamie's eyes were constantly moving, evaluating and assessing every person, every feature, every potential threat. Somehow, that reassured him. "What is it," Jeff finally asked as he turned the unlabeled CD over in his hand. "It's a detailed topographical representation of the area you said we'd be going to. It's rendered in 3-D with resolution so good you can read what time it is from someone's watch in the area." Jeff's incredulous look caused Jamie to chuckle out loud. "It's from Joe Palmer," Jamie grinned. "He pirated it off a Russian spy satellite yesterday, tweaked it some of those computer gizmos he's so fond of and crammed the whole lot onto that CD." "It'll come in handy," Jeff admitted. "What's more," Jamie pulled a small black device from his bag and held it up for Jeff to see. "He sent this along." "Looks like a simple global positioning device." "Partly right." Jamie activated the small box and watched as their position came up in latitude and longitude. "It also allows JP and his team to relay items of special interest to us from back in the states." Jamie punched a few buttons and grunted with satisfaction as the display changed. "He'll continue monitoring the spy satellite's downlinks and relay anything of interest to us by piggy-backing the scrambled signal on the international CNN link bounced from one of our communications satellites. It's not instantaneous but should keep us from running into any 'big' troubles." Jeff just shook his head in amazement. He had no idea there were such devices available. Jamie must have known what he was thinking. "It's a prototype of a device designed for American military. His company is working on it and figured it needed a little 'field test'." Jamie shut off the device and repacked it in his little bag. "Ted Hsu is the communications genius who worked out all the little details, scrambling the signal, using civilian communications links, that sort of thing." Jamie's face grew serious as he looked at Jeffrey again. "Rachel's done a real good job of pulling together the help we needed. Real discreet too." He shook his head and chuckled. "She must have gotten it from her father." "Her father?" "Her dad was a former SEAL who became a private investigator in Hawaii. Good one too." Jamie chuckled again as he watched a hostess deliver some mixed drinks to a small group of businessmen at a table across the room. "Rachel Magnum's dad was a SEAL?" Jeff mumbled trying to fit all the parts of his business life together. He thought he knew all there was to know about the people who worked for him. Obviously, there were some gaps in his knowledge. "Come on, skipper," Jamie said, getting to his feet and picking up his bag. "The other members of the team are due to touch down any time now. I've arranged to meet in a small bar across from the air cargo office. By the way, we're using a warehouse that belongs to your Japanese farm implement company down in Yokohama. That's were we'll have the weapons and equipment delivered. We'll assemble the weapons there and finish making our plans." Jamie slapped Jeff on the back. "Don't worry, kid. We'll get your daughter back." Jeff smiled painfully and started to reconsider all he had set in motion. What they were about to do was so illegal that he doubted even the embassy would be able to bail him out should they get caught. Bringing violent mercenaries along with their illegal weapons into Japan was the kind of crime the local authorities tended to lock up folks and throw away the key for. ***** 4 ***** In a small clearing near the edge of his clan's ancestral territories, Master Sato faced representatives of the various clans that had come to the aid of Jeff and Nabiki over the last week. The gathering darkness of the night pressed in on the group as it surrounded a small fire. Sato could tell something was wrong. In spite of their recent willingness to cooperate, Sato could detect a curious sense of reluctance about them. "The battle lines have been drawn, my brothers," he opened somberly. "Fukoono has presented us with a simple choice." He could tell he had the complete attention of his audience as none uttered so much as a grunt of recognition to his pronouncements. He knew he was dealing with the highest ranking chunin of their clans, their staffs were bedecked with as many rings of learning as his own. These were men of great importance in the shinobi community - and ones not to be trifled with. "We can aid Nabiki Tendo with the rescue of her infant daughter..." Sato paused dramatically. "Or we can shrink from our responsibilities and hand over the girl and her child to one consumed with his own madness." There was much exchanging of glances among the gathered as each hoped the other would speak of their concerns. Finally, one stepped forward. "Is she not the one who entered the monk's cave?" he asked in a most serious tone. "Yes, she and her clan sister entered the cave. Only Nabiki survived the encounter." Sato scowled at the questioner like his own honor had been questioned. "And did she read the scroll of the prophecy?" Sato squirmed slightly as he suddenly understood why the gathered clans were reluctant to commit themselves any further. They now feared not only Fukoono but Nabiki Tendo, as well. They feared that she, indeed, knew secrets that could be used against them and their people. "She claims she did not read the scroll," Sato flatly declared. He suspected she had not told the truth at the time but was so determined to end the 'blood hunts' of the Cold Moon Clan that he accepted her word without question. Apparently, some of the gathered chunin as well, now suspected she was lying. "And you believed her?" "I have no reason to believe she would hide such from either myself or her husband." Sato stood his ground. "Jeffrey has *never* kept a secret from me - nor do I believe him capable of such a deed." "You are too trusting, Sato," another of the gathered stepped forward. He was an older chunin, one who stood with Sato the night the Snow Fox Clan tried their takeover at the site of the monk's cave - one who had known Sato for many years and who's opinions would carry much weight amongst the gathered this night. "We have had time to consider the ramifications." "I understand your concerns, but can assure you there was nothing in that cave that could harm the shinobi people." Sato began to feel himself losing control of this meeting. Like a man attempting to stand on shifting sand, his resolve was unshaken but his footing questionable. "So you say." The old chunin looked and sounded unimpressed with Sato's assurances. "You doubt my word?" "Sato, we have discussed the situation and, as a group, have decided we cannot interfere." A third chunin, perhaps the youngest among them, stepped forward to confront the venerable Sato. "We fear Nabiki *does* know the secrets of the prophecy, secrets Fukoono will surely rip from her. If we attempt to intervene, he will use those secrets against us." "All the more reason to rescue the child," Sato insisted. "If we rescue the child, Nabiki will have no reason to go to his lair. Whatever secrets she may know, will remain safely locked in her mind." "There is a problem with your argument, Sato." The old chunin noted with an impatient stamp of his staff. "It is already too late. My sources tell me she departed for Fukoono's lair earlier this evening." Sato openly displayed his dismay at the news. All present knew Nabiki would be no match for Fukoono in his own lair and he had the girl's baby, assuring that she would be forced to face him on his terms in the one place he was at his strongest. Even if she did know something, it would be no match for an elder in his own cave. "So you see, brother Sato, we must do nothing to anger Fukoono least he use those new powers against us." Slowly and in silence, the gathered chunin turned their backs on Master Sato and calmly slipped away into the night. Only the oldest chunin remained. "I'm sorry, brother," he said with a heavy sigh of resignation. "But surely you can see that we stand to lose either way this comes out. Even if Nabiki is able to escape Fukoono with her baby, there is still the matter of the Cold Moon Clan rebuilding upon the secrets of the monk's cave - a clan with every reason to hate us for 400 years of persecution. Better to let Fukoono deal with her, then *we* can make our peace with Fukoono." The old chunin turned his back on his old friend and started to follow the others. Pausing, as if he remembered something important, he spoke without facing his old friend. "Let the Cold Moon Clan die, brother. It is better this way." Sato stood alone in the clearing while he recalled a famous essay on a similar situation. Sato shook his head sadly. ***** 5 ***** In the gathering darkness, three figures cautiously departed the train in Asahikawa. Few paid any attention to the trio as they wound their way through the small station and out into cool evening. Their presence attracted no attention as it was the height of the tourist season and was quite common for Tokyo people to be seen in town attempting to escape the heat. But this trio was different. Unlike the usual tourists, joking and laughing, these three were solemn and quiet - like people on a mission. Over Nabiki's abbreviated objections, Akane insisted they spend the night in a local inn. No sense wandering around in the dark, she noted. Ranma, hungry as usual, concurred only because he wanted to fill the void left by the lack of regular meals. It took the better part of an hour to find a small inn just outside of town. The elderly lady who ran the place cheerfully tried to make them feel at home and seemed to go out of her way to make them comfortable in the one small room she had available. She was most proud of the way the shoji slid back to reveal the mountains beyond. While Nabiki was quiet and brooding, Akane picked up the slack and presented a cheerful face for the group, thanking the lady for her hospitality and assuring her the accommodations were quite acceptable. At dinner, they ate in silence, only occasionally remarking for their host's benefit how good the food was. Ranma, as usual, attacked his meal like a starving wolf while the girls ate quietly and said little to each other. Back in their room, Akane helped her fiance prepare the futons. Nabiki, oblivious to her companions' efforts, silently crossed to the open shoji and leaned lightly against the wall, staring out at the mountains beyond. Somewhere out there in those forbidding mountains was her baby. Nabiki shuddered as a cool breeze caressed her body, heralding the chilly night to come. Ranma insisted he needed a snack before bed, so left the girls alone while he hunted an open eatery. Akane fussed with the futons a few minutes longer before casually wandering over to stand near the open shoji, glancing between the beautiful scenery and her stony faced sister. "It sure is a beautiful view," she offhandedly commented with a big sigh. Nabiki gave no indication she even heard her little sister as she continued to stare at the mountains without blinking. This worried Akane. She'd seen her sister deep in thought before but this was far beyond that. It was almost as if Nabiki was not really there. As if part of her was already up in the mountains searching for her daughter. "I'm sure glad you have a plan, Oneechan," Akane sighed as she thrust her hands into the pockets of her bib overalls. "I'd hate to go out there tomorrow without a plan." Nabiki remained motionless, staring at the mountains and saying nothing. What was there to say? This whole rescue mission was nothing more than the first impulsive thing she'd done in ten years. She had no plan. She didn't even know what she was going to do once they got to the cave. All she could think of doing was storming in, demanding her baby back, and leaving with Sodoshi in her arms. It wasn't a plan. It was emotional insanity. With Ranma's return, Akane reluctantly prepared for bed, noting that her older sister, now seated, continued to stare out at the mountains. Certain Nabiki would soon be to bed, Akane snuggled under the covers and tried to sleep. The last thing she saw before sleep claimed her was Nabiki sitting in a patch of moon light, still staring off in the distance; unmoving except for the slow, rhythmic rise and fall of her breathing. An hour later, with Ranma snoring lightly, Akane woke from her slumber with a jerk. It was as if someone had jostled her lightly to wake her up. Sleepily, Akane looked around but saw no one else in the room. Looking towards the open shoji, she noticed Nabiki was still seated in the opening her head bowed. With a silent sigh, Akane crawled out from under her own covers and softly padded over the fresh tatami mats with a blanket in her hands. As she stopped next to her sister, she could see Nabiki wasn't asleep; her eyes open, still fixed on the mountains beyond. She could only guess what was going on in Nabiki's mind. She hoped it was the refinement of a really clever plan. With a slight wince of apprehension, Akane carefully draped the blanket around her sister, making sure to tuck it carefully around her sister's body, before retiring to her warm futon. Nabiki's mind was indeed working; working on how stupid it was to be doing this. Sato had warned her that there was no chance to rescue Sodoshi without the combined help of the clans. In spite that, Nabiki had stubbornly struck out on her own in an instinctive attempt to get her child back. She had no plan. She really had no idea what she was going to do when she got to Fukoono's lair outside of walking in and demanding her baby. All evening she brooded in silence, the pain in her chest growing and gripping her heart. Indignation fought a pitched battle with something else - something Nabiki had no real experience with. It wasn't as if someone had never tried to take something from Nabiki before - it had happened many times while she was growing up. Always, it resulted in her feeling the white hot flame of anger, resentment, even revenge. That anger fed her mind the fuel it needed to plot ways to extract vengeance on the perpetrator. It was always so easy to feed that anger and give it free reign in her plans; then harvesting the fruits of her machinations. She became legendary in Nerima for her schemes. Nobody takes things from Nabiki Tendo and gets away with it. NOBODY. But this was different. This time Nabiki found her usual pattern just refused to work properly. Oh, she felt anger alright - anger beyond anything she ever experienced. But there was something else alongside that anger, something that made the crime all that more painful. It was something Nabiki couldn't put her finger on exactly, or perhaps didn't want to. Nevertheless, it blunted her anger, redirecting it inwardly flooding her with feelings of helplessness, panic, and sorrow she had to constantly fight against. For they made her feel like a blubbering, female victim. And she *refused* to be anyone's victim. Her heart was crying in anguish over the loss of her child while her mind fought back fiercely, refusing to shed more tears - refusing to allow her emotions to rule. Still, she knew the truth - her heart clearly was in charge of this trip. It had seen them travel from Nerima to within a few miles of their goal. Only her mind now intruded itself and chastised her for such impulsive and foolish actions. While it scrambled for a plan, her heart continued to mourn. In spite of all this, Nabiki couldn't escape one important fact; this trip had been a mistake - a big one. Four hours later, she was still sitting in the opening and still staring at the mountains beyond. Tiredly, she shook her head at her own stubbornness. she finally lamented to herself. She sniffed and rubbed a corner of the blanket across her nose. It was getting cold. So cold, she could almost see her breath. She sniffed again and sighed softly. Nabiki shifted her position slightly and leaned against the edge of the open shoji panel. For the first time in over 10 years, she looked for help. Cocking her head to look at the full moon overhead, Nabiki paused, as if to consider the wisdom of what she was about to do. After taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out, Nabiki closed her eyes and reached out to the one person she thought she would never want to talk to. Nabiki shook her head with some irritation, just like she used to do whenever her mother told her a simple truth. Nabiki froze in fear. As she reconstructed what just happened, it scared her more than anything she could think of. She was talking to her mother - her dead mother. This was impossible. She had accused Kasumi of being sick for thinking she could talk to their departed mother. Nabiki thought as her heart rate and respiration slowed back down with her reasserted sense of logic. her mother's voice soothingly echoed in her head. Nabiki's panic leapt forward and totally claimed her body. Her mother had, for the first time, spoken to *her* - not Kasumi - but *her*. Frantically, Nabiki grasped at anything to continue the conversation. Nabiki pleaded. It had been years since she asked for anything from her mother. It felt so strange doing it now - for more than the obvious reasons. The last of her mothers cryptic message seemed to fade away. Nabiki's exhausted mind screamed in panic. The feeling of helplessness and fear that dominated a terrified 7-year-old the night her mother died returned with a vengeance. Having denied her feelings for so long only intensified their return as her panic surged forward and overwhelmed her control. Nabiki, tired, scared, and unsure, found herself grasping for her mother unlike anything she'd done in the past. Throwing off her covers, the cold air biting at her bare features, Nabiki stumbled to the edge of the room and, without hesitation, stepped off into space, falling five feet to the hard ground below and landing with enough force to drive the breath from her. Stubbornly, with added bruises and scrapes, Nabiki scrambled to her feet and charged off through the trees. "Mommy!" she yelled, her voice shrill with her panic, as she stumbled down the wooded hillside. Her mother had returned only to abandon her again. The confusion, fear, and panic was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. Exhausted, hungry, and almost delirious from worry about her daughter had driven her over the edge. She wanted help - real help. She wanted her mother. Stumbling through the trees, Nabiki angrily pushed their branches out of her way, only to be struck in the face by the next branch or bush, scraping her skin and bruising her body. Small animals disturbed by her flight, scurried from their cover, further frightened Nabiki, adding to her panic. Over the rasping sound of her own tortured breath, she could almost hear their laughter as they mocked her attempts to press on and get to her mother. Some branches reached out and clung to her clothing, holding her back temporarily, until she broke free only to stumble into another tree or bush. She called for her mother again, without results. She knew her mother must be only a few meters ahead. Mother wouldn't abandon her. In tears, she stumbled through another set of bushes, her feet becoming entangled in the foliage throwing her head first into the shallows of a small lake. Landing with a mighty splash in the ice cold water, Nabiki paused in shock. She could still hear the laughter, including her own, as voices mocked her for believing in talking to her dead mother. Her own voice was the most malicious of all, sneering at such a possibility and taunting her efforts. On her hands and knees, covered with mud, leaves, and twigs, Nabiki dug her fingers into the soft mud of the lake and cried out for her mother once more, her tiny voice echoing off the far shore, before collapsing back on her heels and crying in frustration. She was alone - under a blanket of stars and the cold light of a full moon - so totally alone. Morning found Akane up first, stretching in her pajamas and shivering slightly at the cold air coming through the open shoji. Irritated that Nabiki had left it open she glanced at Nabiki's futon and paused. It had obviously gone unused. With concern etched on her face, Akane slowly walked towards the opening. Looking over the edge, she saw Nabiki's blanket hanging on a small bush, a light morning breeze causing its corners to sway like a ghost. She quickly surmised what had happened. "RANMA!" she yelled without taking her eyes off the blanket. "Mhff... what?" he mumbled rolling over slightly. "Nabiki's gone!" "Probably gone to breakfast," Ranma slowly climbed out from under his comforter and grimaced at the cold. "BAKA!" Akane yelled. She had no time for his usual banalities. Nabiki was in trouble - she just knew it. Without hesitation, she jumped to the ground below and grabbed her sister's blanket from the bush. Ranma was instantly at the opening, staring incredulously at his fiance. Nabiki missing and Akane acting strange - this mountain air does odd things to Tendo women. However, seeing Akane holding a discarded blanket and looking down the hill prompted him to look as well - now convinced there really was something wrong. His height advantage allowed him to spot first what they were both looking for. "There's something down by the water," he called, spying a small, dark shape curled in the bushes along the shoreline. "Oh no," Akane muttered in panic as she dashed through the underbrush towards the lake, her mind a whirl of potential disasters. Ranma quickly joined her and the two made a bee line for where he saw the dark shape. Reaching Nabiki's side, Akane quickly found her sister alive but freezing, having spent the night partway in the icy lake. Akane wrapped the blanket around her sister's body and Ranma hefted her in his arms - mindful of the droplets of icy water that ran from her bare legs. Together, they struggled up the hill to the inn with Nabiki's trembling body. All the way she kept calling softly for her mother - her voice sounding delirious, her words not making any sense. Back at the inn, they found the lady innkeeper and quickly arranged to get Nabiki into a hot furo. As Akane and the lady undressed the frozen Nabiki, they noted all the scrapes and bruises on her body. It looked like someone had beaten the girl and left her for dead. "Who would have done such a thing?" the innkeeper gasped as she looked at Nabiki's injuries. "Perhaps I should call the police." "No!" Akane's sharp response was loud and emphatic enough to cause the innkeeper to flinch slightly. Akane's voice quickly recovered her calmness. "No police... please." The innkeeper stopped helping with Nabiki and looked at Akane suspiciously. She suspected something improper or possibly illegal was going on. "Is the girl in some sort of trouble?" the innkeeper asked in a low voice, her eyes narrowed into suspicious slits. Akane struggled with an explanation. She didn't want to tell the truth, fearing that the lady would simply call the police anyway. So, she answered the best she could without revealing anything important. "She lost her baby a couple of days ago," Akane tried to avoid telling an outright lie, willing to settle for a convenient rearrangement of facts. "She is still adjusting, you understand...." The innkeeper, embarrassed at her previous thoughts, instinctively covered her mouth in shock and nodded understandingly. She had seen women in her own town, who's babies suddenly died, slip into a short period of 'madness'. Her suspicion abruptly changed to compassion as she willingly finished helping Akane with the shivering mother. As they guided Nabiki into the steaming hot water, Nabiki came alive with a loud gasp, her head thrown back, her eyes screwed tightly shut. The sharp pain of a thousand little abrasions and cuts in contact with the hot water was enough to snap Nabiki back to reality. Akane was quick to hold her sister in the steaming water, struggling slightly as Nabiki's natural instinct to escape the pain caused her to try to crawl out of the water. Under Akane's firm hands, Nabiki shivered a few more times before settling down. The innkeeper figured Akane could handle it from here and left the two sisters alone - apologizing once again for her suspicious nature and promising to return with some warm sake to help with the 'inner chill'. Alone, neither girl had much to say; Nabiki because she was still trying to sort out everything that happened the night before and Akane because she didn't really know what to ask. After scooping a few handfuls of hot water over her sister's still icy cold shoulders, Akane finally resorted to the age old question. "What happened?" Akane's voice sounded almost like a mother inquiring about her daughter's latest indiscretion. Nabiki cast a quick glance her sister's way before scowling at the water. It was all coming back - the despair, the panic, the taunting laughter - everything. Nabiki closed her eyes and rolled her head back when she got to a very painful part; a part she would never have believed if it didn't happen to her. "Kasumi's right," was all she offered to the ceiling. "Right? Right about what?" Akane stopped scooping water and stared at her sister. "About mother." Nabiki sounded sad at having to admit, once again, she was wrong. "What about mother?" "Last night something happened I wouldn't have believed any time before," Nabiki sighed without looking at her little sister. She wasn't sure she could tell this looking her in the face, considering all the fuss she made earlier about the issue. "Last night mother spoke to me." It took Akane only a moment to accept Nabiki's word. She'd been raised on stories of Japanese spirits and always, secretly, envied Kasumi's ability to communicate with their dead mother. To have a skeptic as Nabiki confess to such a communication only proved their mother's spirit was still about, guiding and protecting her family like she always did. "Mother told me that I would have to climb the mountain alone." Nabiki started scooping water herself, like she was already climbing the mountain. "She promised to be waiting for me at the top." Akane backed away from her sister slightly at the revelation. It sounded to her almost like a invitation to her sister's death. The mountain clearly must refer to the passage into the afterlife where their mother would be waiting. Akane suddenly had reservations about this whole trip. Nabiki, however, had a totally different take. "What I think she means is that you and Ranma cannot go with me. I must do this alone." She turned to Akane with a painful smile. "This inn is as far as you two go." "No, that... that can't be right," Akane replied shaking her head. "You'll need us..." "I'm sorry, Akane," Nabiki cut her sister off. "But mother said I must do this alone." Suddenly, Akane didn't want to believe her sister's revelation - it was suicide to go alone. "Nabiki, maybe you were just so tired you imagined the whole thing. Mother wouldn't send you into such an obvious trap. It had to be a trick of some kind. Maybe it wasn't mother." "It was mother alright," Nabiki answered with a sad shake of her head. "She sounded the same as she did in Hawaii before Jeff and I were married." Nabiki paused at the sound of her husband's name. Was it really only a couple of days since she saw her husband - held him in her arms? It seemed like a lifetime ago. Her mind quickly scrolled past her life with Jeffrey; it seemed like something that belonged to someone else. It took so long for her to find happiness in a man - most had been little more than children to be used and exploited for her own personal gain. Jeffrey had proven to be the only man who could tame her heart *and* offer her the fulfillment of all her dreams. She was suddenly filled with regret at having to leave him behind. "And there's no doubt as to her message. I must do this alone." "I'm not letting you go alone, Nabiki." Akane sounded firm in her resolve, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Don't make this difficult, Akane." Nabiki patted her sister's hand. "I don't want father to have to bury two daughters." Two hours later, Ranma and Akane stood outside the inn and watched as Nabiki trudged off towards the old shinobi shrine. Neither waved or said anything as they parted, all that could have been said had. Nabiki was following the instructions of her mother. For the first time in her life, she was doing something totally without a plan of any sort, just her mother's instructions, and it felt totally right. "I can't believe you agreed to this lunacy," Ranma groaned as he watched Nabiki turn off the main road and out of sight. "She doesn't stand a chance against those cut-throats." "I agreed she could go alone. I did not agree we wouldn't follow." Akane grinned at her fiance. "Now get your pack and lets get going before she gets too far away." ***** 6 ***** Jeff nervously glanced from his drink to the various patrons of the little bar Jamie had chosen as their meeting place. Each stranger looked like a police informant in disguise to Jeffrey - an informer that could put the whole group in Japanese jails until they were too old to care anymore, for what they were planning to do. Jamie, on the other hand, continued with his 'tourist' act, looking totally unconcerned with his surroundings and the potential legal entanglements he was flirting with. A young looking Japanese male cautiously entered the bar and looked around the room until his eyes caught on Jeff and Jamie. Calmly, the young man walked up to their table and handed a folded note to Jamie. Accepting the paper with a friendly nod, he proceeded to open it as the young 'messenger' quickly departed. "Slight change in plans, skipper," Jamie said in a low voice. "Chris and Pat will meet us at the warehouse." "Trouble?" Jeff asked as they rose to leave. "Possibly, but both are very cautious people. If either suspects anything is wrong, they'll take measures to ensure they're not being followed." Jamie grinned like all this was just a game to him. Jeff suspected that was not too far from the truth. "If they *are* being followed, they won't do anything to endanger either of us. Standard Operating Procedure, skipper." As they left the bar and headed for the nearest train station, Jamie pulled out what looked like a common personal pager and held it up for Jeff to see. "If either of them gets caught, they'll activate a small transmitter they keep on their belts, like this pager, and we'll know immediately right here." He tapped the blank display with a finger. Jeff scowled again at the prospects of one of them being caught. Even *he* was unprepared to pay someone to take the heat for his actions. The feeling that this was all a big mistake began to build again. "Another one of Palmer's little toys?" Jeff asked absently. "Naw, former KGB stuff," he flipped the pager over to show the Russian lettering on its back. "They're selling everything but Lenin's body over there. I just picked up a few, charged them to your South American operations fund, and changed the frequencies for our own use." As Jamie chuckled at his own cleverness, Jeff silently worried about how Sean Gaffney was going to take all this - having his operations account so cavalierly used for covert purchases from former Iron Curtain countries. He also began to worry about what else Jamie had bought using his money. The train trip to Yokohama was a nightmare for the increasingly paranoid Jeff. He saw police informants everywhere - the salaryman near the door - the athletic looking young lady across the way - the 'teenager' listening to his radio. Every stop brought a new change of 'suspects' and a new round of 'guess the informant'. Finally, Jeff resorted to closing his eyes and pretending he was asleep. If he didn't see anyone, he reasoned, he wouldn't suspect anyone of following them. It didn't work. Closing his eyes just made the whole thing scarier. Finally, at Yokohama Station, Jeff practically bolted from the train in his haste to get away. Jamie continued his calm, tourist act as if he was unconcerned with the eventuality of getting caught. One look at the implacable ex-SEAL, caused Jeffrey to shyly slow down and tuck in quietly next to his team leader. His eyes continued to investigate each suspicious person, but his shame at acting like a kid breaking into his parents liquor cabinet was enough to keep him in check. Outside the station, Jamie hailed a cab and shoved Jeff into the back seat. Handing the driver a card with the address, Jamie followed, stashing his bag carefully between himself and the worried looking Jeffrey. Conversation was limited as they wound their way around the various warehouses until stopping in front of a tidy little building apart from the others. After dealing with the cab driver, Jamie stood for a minute looking carefully around until satisfied they were not being watched. Jeff, however, strode briskly up to the warehouse and quickly entered without regard to who was watching or what might be waiting for him inside. With a sigh and shake of his head, Jamie followed, his bag casually draped over his shoulder. Inside, Jeff was surprised at how empty the place was. He looked curiously towards the small receiving office, unable to tell if anyone was inside or not. One thing was for sure, there was no sign of the other members of his team. "Where is everybody?" he asked Jamie from the middle of the warehouse. "What concerns me is where my shipment is," Jamie replied softly. As if to answer him, a young man in a spotless white dress shirt and dark tie came scurrying out of the receiving office, clipboard in hand. "Konnichiwa," he pleasantly called as he approached the pair. "May I help you gentlemen?" "I'm Jeff Lawrence and this," he turned to the suddenly cautious Jamie. "Is my chief of security." The young clerk clearly knew who Jeffrey was and suddenly shifted into the usual bowing and corporate-type greeting routine Jeff found so embarrassing when dealing with his Japanese companies. Being so young and treated like a much older person always made Jeffrey uncomfortable. "Perhaps you could tell us where a shipment of experimental tractor parts would be located? They would have arrived this morning," Jamie asked casually as he approached the young clerk. Stopping in front of the clerk, he seemed to tower over the younger man, giving him the full 'self-important' treatment. The young clerk looked stunned at the question and nervously checked the invoices on his clipboard. After a few seconds, it became obvious that the clerk was totally at a loss. "Perhaps it was mis-shipped, Lawrence-sempai," he stammered nervously while bowing continuously. "I will trace it immediately." "Yes, do," Jeff offered, still nervous but recovering fast now that he was playing a part he was more used to - corporate big-wig. The clerk nervously bowed once more and scurried back towards his small office. Jamie began to drift slowly towards the side of the room. Something wasn't right about all this. Something about the absence of both his equipment *and* his missing team members. "Perhaps the items you are looking for were sent elsewhere," came a voice from the doorway leading to the offices of the warehouse. Jeff groaned softly and closed his eyes. He knew that voice. Slowly, he opened his eyes again and looked at the speaker to make sure. The man was no longer wearing his policeman's uniform, dressed instead in a simple dark blue suit, but still conveyed all the bearing and mannerisms his office demanded. "Inspector Abe," Jeff noted out loud, his voice betraying his surprise. "A little out of your district, aren't you?" "Funny thing about my work, young man. I find it sometimes requires me to travel." Abe calmly walked towards the shaken Jeffrey. "Beastly weather we're having, isn't it?" Jamie had just reached the door that led to the warehouse toilet when the Inspector turned to address him. "Come, come, now Mr. Wilde. Don't stand on ceremony. We're all friends here." He smiled like a cat who had a mouse cornered as he casually clasped his hands behind his back. "Do join us. I'm sure we can have a most... interesting discussion." "About what?" Jamie asked almost too casually. He had slipped back into his innocent traveler act again. "Oh, I don't know," Abe said to the floor as he scuffed a perfectly shined shoe against the smooth concrete of the warehouse. "How about mercenaries?" "Mercenaries? Disgusting people. I wouldn't have anything to do with 'em." Jamie was back in character again as he halted near the other two men, setting his bag lightly on the floor in front of him. "I'm glad to hear that." Abe glanced briefly at the bag. "I'd hate to think such a distinguished and important person such as Mr. Lawrence here would be mixed up with such people." Jeff began to sweat much harder than was necessary in the hot warehouse. He suddenly saw the inside of a Japanese jail very clearly. "What have you got in the bag, Mr. Wilde?" Abe was acting so cool and coy, Jeff wondered just how much he knew about this little operation. Quite a lot, he imagined. "Personal items." Jeff had to hand it to his partner, he wasn't going down without a struggle. "Come now, Mr. Wilde or should I say: Lieutenant Commander Wilde." Abe smiled at the ex-SEAL like he knew everything about the man. "You're in Japan now. I can look in any bag you have." Jamie just shrugged and held out the bag's shoulder strap to the Inspector. "Suit yourself. I passed through customs and airline security with this bag. I doubt you'll find anything out of the ordinary or illegal inside." "I'm quite sure I won't." Abe smiled again. "Perhaps you'd like to explain what you're doing here in Yokohama." "Mr. Lawrence pays me as a security consultant. We're here following up suspected security problems." "Oh?" Abe feigned surprise. "We've had no reports of problems at this facility." "We don't report everything to the police." "I'm quite sure you don't." Abe was so completely in control here Jeff was tempted to throw himself on the mercy of the authorities in hopes of convincing them that the loss of his daughter had caused him to go crazy. Jeff almost jumped as the Inspector turned to him. "Mr. Lawrence, would you happen to know where your wife is?" "At the Tendos, I presume." Jeff sounded like he was less than sure about that himself. "Unfortunately, no. She, along with her younger sister and her sister's fiance have disappeared. You wouldn't have any idea where they might have gone, would you?" Jeff reaction was so blatant it caused even Jamie to wince. Slapping his forehead he groaned out loud. "Oh no." "It would appear that your wife and her family members have gone and done something... rash." Jeff quietly walked a little way from the others and lamented the possibilities. Sodoshi in the hands of madmen, Nabiki uncharacteristically rushing off to... do what, he had no idea, and now his only plan to rescue his child was being thwarted by the police. Jeff stopped and leaned against a large packing case as he tried to think of a way out of all this. The clerk's reappearance waving a packing slip interrupted Jeff's morbid thoughts. "I've found them, Lawrence-sempai," the clerk excitedly shouted as he scurried up to the young American. "Most were mis-shipped to another location. But we *did* receive one box." He hurried over to where a stack of smaller boxes were stored and quickly found the one he was looking for. Jamie materialized by his side with a pry-bar and popped open the 4 foot square wooden case. He wasted little time in digging through the various pieces of obvious machine parts until he found what he was looking for. Packed in plastic, disassembled, was the obvious parts of an automatic weapon. Like a child on Christmas morning, Jamie removed the package and ripped open the outer covering. Inspector Abe was less than pleased. "That, is an illegal weapon," he flatly declared. "You will kindly hand it over." His look was that of a person that expected immediate compliance. Jamie's reaction was pure malevolence. "In your dreams, pal," he growled. "I'm here to do a job and this little piece of American craftsmanship is going to help me do that job." Inspector Abe was about to respond when Jeffrey, fed up with all the meddling - the delays - the backside covering - and the outright cowardice he'd seen, suddenly turned and snarled at the Inspector in terms that made his displeasure abundantly clear. "I've HAD IT with your national sensibilities, your bungling police force, and everything else that goes along with your pathetic existence!" He fronted the slightly startled officer. "First you tell me you can't help return my daughter." Jeffrey's face was only inches from the inspector's now. "Then you tell me my wife is most likely engaged in some foolhardy expedition of her own, obviously putting her own life at risk to rescue her baby from the hands of madmen *you* and your government seem intent on avoiding." Jeff stepped back slightly, picked up a two foot long piece of metal tubing and threw it across the warehouse to demonstrate his frustration. As it clanged off the wall, a gathering group of curious warehousemen ducked and cowered back the way they came. Obviously, this was one gaijin they were content to let someone else handle. "I'm sure, some day, a Tokyo resident on holiday will stumble across the remains of my long dead daughter and will dutifully report it to your police force who will be most grateful in being able to finally close their books on this case. Of course the hiker will be all over your television telling just how traumatic it was finding Sodoshi's little body and how it ruined his holiday. And everyone will cluck their tongues at how the country is going to hell because such acts of madness take place. Committees will be formed, the Diet will debate various aspects of my daughter's death, and a small placard will be erected to her memory by some local citizens. And EVERYONE will go home feeling really good about themselves. Everyone except my daughter - my poor departed DEAD daughter!" Jeff paused gasping for breath, his anger reaching new peaks with every passing second. "I don't want to hear about how what I'm about to do offends you or your country because, frankly, I don't give a damn any more. I'm going to get my daughter back." The two men stood toe to toe facing each other, each daring the other to make a move. It quickly became apparent that Jeffrey wasn't through. "For the last three years, I've lived in the shadow of others; listening to their advice, deferring to their wishes, and generally acting like a poor little rich kid who needed the guidance of others to get along in the world. Well, by God, no more! I may be so far over the line now that I'll spend the rest of my life behind bars, but if I can free my daughter, I'll not regret a moment of it." Jamie casually leaned against a stack of packing crates as a slow smile spread over his face. This was the kind of person he hoped he was working for, not the scared little boy he encountered at the airport. he happily thought to himself. "Commander Wilde, do you have another of those little pop guns of yours in that box?" Jeff asked while still staring down the Inspector. "Just so happens, I do." "Then retrieve it and let's get out of here." Jeff continued to stare angrily at the Inspector. "I suddenly need to be with real men." Jamie quickly retrieved the other bundle and headed for the door. Jeff soon followed, but only after issuing one last warning to the police officer. "Don't get in my way, Abe. I'm in too deep now to let the harm of a police officer prevent me from rescuing my daughter. If stopping me means that much to you, call out your 'army'. Just be sure to tell them to pack one thing - a good supply of body bags." With that, Jeff turned on his heel and strode purposefully towards the door, his stride clearly indicating his resolve and sense of purpose. For the first time in his life, he felt like a man. Abe stared at the floor, pursing his lips in thought. Things had clearly spun out of control faster than he anticipated. Jeffrey was not reacting in the way Sato said he would when confronted with authority. Perhaps it was because this all involved his daughter. Perhaps it was because he's an American. Maybe Jeffrey just found his own manhood. In any case, what Jeffrey had said was quite true, the Japanese government was unusually reluctant to aid in the return of Sodoshi Lawrence. Abe thought back to the Tendo house where Jeffrey asked him if he would be equally calm if it were one of *his* children. He knew the real answer to that question and it wasn't what the one he gave to Jeffrey at the time. He had lied to Jeffrey, just as he had been lied to by his superiors. There was no effort afoot to rescue the American child, there was never even plans to institute such a rescue. Someone wanted the child dead. Someone who had something to gain from Sodoshi Lawrence's demise. As all the parts added up, a bit of anger forced its way to the surface. He had been used - used by people he formerly respected. "Just a moment, Mr. Lawrence," Abe called, pealing off his suit coat and tossing it along with his tie on the open packing case. "I'm going with you." Jeff never broke his stride as he shouted back: "I *don't* need a chaperone." "Nothing of the sort, young man." Abe started towards the door as well. "I too sometimes feel the restrictions my government places on me. You have to forgive me, I've spent all my life on the force. I've lived so long under the discipline of my profession, I've forgotten what it's real purpose is; to protect honest citizens from harm, to serve their needs in time of despair. Forgive me for having forgotten that. My late wife used to say I was sewn into my uniform." He stopped in front of the two men and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "You know, I really can be of help to you." "You can be of most help by telling me where the rest of my team is," Jamie said in a low, threatening voice. "Commander," Abe looked apologetically at the floor as he struggled with his answer. "Your men have been followed since they got off the plane - by more people than mine." "What!?!" Abe hesitated, as if he was debating how much to tell the Americans. In the end, he opted for the truth. "There is something going on in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Force that, I fear, involves more than just the Tokyo area. Your team has walked into, what may turn out to be, an internal struggle for control of both the police and our JSDF. There are those who feel it could be the work of militarists." "I don't believe this is happening," Jeff yelled, throwing up his hands. "I thought you people got rid of all those kind after the war." "There has always been a tiny underground movement of those who feel we are no longer a mighty nation because we have abandoned our samurai/military heritage in favor of a more peaceful existence." "How big is this 'conspiracy'?" Jamie asked with some concern. Having once been assigned to SEAL Team 5 based in Japan, he'd heard all about such stories but never took them seriously - Navy bases always being a hotbed of rumor and such. But if what Abe told them was true, this could have far reaching consequences. "It's hard to say, exactly," Abe scowled at the far wall. "I've been working on this for six months - longer if you count the amount of time I took to determine just who I could trust." "Then the average policeman in the koban..." "Could very well be a member of the conspiracy, yes." "Damn shadow conspirators," Jamie sneered like the very words were distasteful. "What? I'm lost." Jeff looked between Abe and Jamie. "In any conspiracy, there are active and passive participants." Jamie shifted his load nervously. "Picking out the active ones is the easy part. But the passive ones.... Well, they're the ones that'll get you every time." Abe solemnly nodded his agreement before adding: "What's more, many of them are simply 'opportunists' who are members only to the point where it benefits them." Jeff got the feeling there was more the Inspector was not telling him. Cocking his head in a questioning manner prompted the officer to finish his thought. "I believe your Officer Watanabe is one of those 'opportunists'. I fear what he's capable of doing to obtain his personal goals." Slowly, the realization of just what the Inspector was warning him about sunk in. Jeff's face clearly displayed his sudden understanding. "Kasumi..." he said in a horse whisper. "Yes, Tendo Kasumi is one of his 'goals'," Abe added casually. "While the eldest daughter of Soun Tendo is unlikely his primary goal, her relationship to you could push her acquisition up in his agenda." "Then he might just favor the kidnappers," Jeff noted as he stepped slowly away from the others while fitting all the pieces together. "With Sodoshi out of the way, he would marry Kasumi, then..." "Then you better watch your back, kid." Jamie shook his head as he, too, realized just where all this was going. With Jeff's only heir out of the way, the elimination of Jeffrey would leave everything to Nabiki. If Nabiki were to meet with an unfortunate 'accident', Kasumi would stand to inherit, at least, a part of Jeff's fortune. Certainly enough to satisfy one such as Watanabe. Of course, he would be unlikely to stop at the elimination of Jeff and Nabiki. Jeff's hands slowly balled into fists. Once again, he and his family were being hunted - this time, for their money. Instead of his calm, rational Shinobi-taught personality getting shoved aside in favor of his emotional Americanism, it was brutally mugged. "Wilde, let's grab us a train north," Jeff barked as he turned once again to the door. "We have work to do." "Welcome aboard, Inspector." Jamie held out a hand to Abe with a grin. "I fear you've fallen in with renegade mercenaries." "I believe you're right," Abe responded taking Jamie's hand and returning his smile. "I'm glad to say." With a renewed sense of purpose, the small multinational team slipped quietly out of the warehouse and headed for the train station. ***** 7 ***** Soun and Genma had spent the entire day planning for the ninja onslaught predicted to come. Like two schoolkids planning an elaborate prank, they scurried about the compound, giggling to themselves and laying their traps. To ensure Kasumi's safety, they had her spend the night with an old school friend. Collateral damage was always a possibility whenever the Anything Goes school of martial arts practiced their craft. Soun, naturally, didn't want Kasumi to get caught in the cross-fire. In spite of their arguments, she proved surprisingly resistant to leaving her home for the evening. This bothered Soun as he could tell there had been a change in his eldest daughter - she was less peaceful, less assured, less cheerful. In the end, she reluctantly departed, but only after the fathers agreed they would not make a mess. Come nightfall, everything was set and the fathers retired to the main room to play shogi and drink tea. Shortly before midnight, six ninjas silently took shelter outside the walls of the Tendo compound and plotted their strategy. Their leader, a survivor of the Show Fox Clan, burned with his hatred for the Tendos. They were the cause of his own clan's destruction. They were the ones who destroyed his comfortable corporate life. They were the ones who would pay for such treachery - pay with the coin best known to the shinobi shadow warrior; their lives. With him this night were not the best the new clan had; most were failures in their own clans. Still, they were eager for their first 'taste of blood'. With a nod, he sent two scouts over the wall. "I wonder just what's taking them so long," Genma pondered out loud as he watched the shoghi board closely. He was paying such close attention because whenever he turned his head, Soun would rearrange a few pieces to improve his overall position. Of course, Genma would return the favor whenever Soun's attention was similarly diverted. "Patience is a virtue of our martial art," Soun replied as he shifted his position slightly, never taking his eyes off the game. As if to reward their patience, the first ninja scout encountered Genma's snare trap. To be more precise, he discovered the snare and snorted his disdain at the simplicity of its construction. Shaking his head in disgust, the ninja carefully stepped around the snare and directly into a hidden bear trap that snapped painfully shut around his ankle. Screaming in pain, the ninja scout hopped away, the trap still painfully grasping his leg until he stumbled into Genma's 'primitive' snare. Triggered, the snare grasped the ninja's legs together and snatched his body from the ground. His scream was cut short as his body made a graceful arc through the air, impacting on the roof of the Tendo's storage shed. One down. Slapping a 50 yen coin on the shoghi board, Genma made a wager. "I'll bet the next one comes in upstairs." "Not so, old friend. He'll come in through the bath." Soun countered with a 50 yen coin of his own. Both listened carefully as the second ninja scout slipped in Akane's window and touched down softly on the floor. Drawing his katana, he slowly approached the covered figure in the bed. Without making a sound, he viciously hacked at the covered form, ripping the bed sheets to pieces. Pausing, he discovered the deception and angrily tossed aside the, now shredded, pillow and wig. Both fathers heard the ninja creep down the hallway towards the stairs. "Almost there," Genma whispered as he collected his winnings and grinned at Soun. "About now," Soun noted impassively. As if on queue, the ninja encountered black fishing line stretched ankle high across the top stair. With a shout of surprise, the ninja tumbled down the full length of stairs, ending with a final groan as he passed out at the bottom. "Well, I suppose they'll be coming through the engawa next," Soun sighed. "They're not very imaginative." He sounded disappointed as they prepared for the next attack. Two more ninjas crept up to the edge of the engawa. They could see the two fathers silhouetted on the closed panel. With sly smiles, the ninjas selected their blowguns, loaded them with pencil thin darts and took careful aim. Firing simultaneously through the paper thin panel, they were delighted to see the figures collapse from the impact of their projectiles. With silent smiles of victory, the ninjas crept up to the panel and slid it open. Their smiles disappeared when they discovered the targets they had just eliminated were nothing more than cardboard cutouts propped up next to the shoghi board. Growling to himself about sly old foxes, one ninja angrily motioned for his companion to search for the fathers in the kitchen while he crept down the hallway towards the bath. Pulling his black katana, the ninja paused when he heard the door to the bath close. With an evil grin, the ninja crept to the door. Carefully opening it, he looked around the outer room before exploring the bath itself. Inside, he checked the drained furo and the only window. Soun quietly crawled out of the laundry basket, calmly crept to the door, wrapped a bare wire around the handle, slammed the door shut and flipped a switch. The banging of the door as it closed, caused the startled ninja to spin around and strike an aggressive pose. Seeing no one there, he splashed his way to the door not noticing the thin layer of water on the floor of the bath. He *did* however notice the doorknob when he grabbed it. The full impact of 240 volts caused his hair to stand on end, his toes to curl, and his katana to glow like a light saber. His body continued to jerk and smoke as his screams echoed throughout the neighborhood. thought Soun as he flipped off the switch and quietly left the changing room. A sickly sweet smell seemed to fill the bath. In the kitchen, the second ninja carefully examined every dark corner until a small rubber ball, bouncing across the floor, attracted his attention to the small pantry. Creeping to the partially open pantry, he pulled his tanto out and carefully took hold of the pantry door's handle. With a sudden jerk, he swung open the door and started his attack only to be brought up short by the sight of a grinning skeleton staring back at him - its eyes glowing unearthly yellow and its jaw wiggling to the sound of ghoulish laughter. With a scream of surprise, he jumped back on guard only to land on all the jacks Genma had spread on the floor. With a painful howl, the ninja hopped across the room as the pointed little objects stabbed at his tender stockinged feet. Genma, hiding in the trash cupboard, pushed open the cupboard door as the ninja passed and sprayed him full in the face with a can of insect repellant. Another howl of pain accompanied the ninja as he stumbled back into the center of the room, clawing at his eyes. Genma just pulled a lanyard and every pot and pan Kasumi owned dropped on the startled ninja. Stumbling blindly across the room he collided with the door holding back Kasumi's ironing board which immediately swung open, releasing the heavy board. Weighted by Kasumi's iron on its end, the board swiftly swung down, knocking out the assassin. "Gotta hurt," Genma mumbled with a grin as he crawled out of the trash cupboard. "That's four." The fathers met again in the main room to ponder their next move. Fortunately, one of the remaining ninjas made everything simple for them. Jumping onto the engawa, the ninja brandished his gleaming katana. "Ah HA!" he crowed as he assumed a swordsman's position. "Oh HO!" Soun responded as he pulled another lanyard, releasing the pins that held four large springs in place under the section of engawa the ninja was standing on. With a shout of surprise, the ninja was catapulted upward through the section of roof that hung over the engawa. The fathers listened carefully as the assassin's body crashed into the roof twice on its way down - the dazed ninja landing in a heap on the grass outside. "Well, Saotome, I believe that's all of them," Soun glowed with pride. "We did a pretty good job, if I do say so myself." "Agreed, old man," came a nasty voice from the open engawa. Both fathers turned slowly to see the ninja leader holding a small pistol. "I thought you said there were only five," Genma accused his friend with a quizzical look. "I never said there were only five. Besides, how should I know they'd bring a sixth," Soun replied with a sad shake of his head. "A most unlucky number, you know." "Unlucky for you," the ninja growled. "Hey! Pistols are not fair." Genma said as he noticed the ninja's weapon. "Hardly the weapon of a noble warrior." "Yes, I agree. Most outside the rules, old boy," Soun noted with a sad look. "Very well," the ninja leader replied with an evil grin as he slipped the pistol inside his yukata and slowly drew his katana. "This is more fun anyway." "Do we know how to defend against a katana?" Soun asked his friend with a quizzical look. "Not sure it's ever come up in our training," Genma replied with a grin. The ninja, however, was not amused. With a yell, he attacked, bringing the blade down with clear intent to do bodily harm to Genma. Both fathers easily leaned away from the attack as the blade bit deeply into the wall behind them. Simultaneously, both fathers kicked viciously at the ninja's midsection, landing blows hard enough to raise the assassin several feet off the floor. The fathers had to agree the ninja leader was a tough customer as he took the blows well, even to the point of spinning around and clumsily striking at Soun with a drawn tanto. Missing the elder Tendo, he dove to attack the retreating Genma, who was backing quickly towards the open engawa. Figuring he would get the ninja outside before finishing him (less collateral damage that way), Genma retreated towards the opening leading outside. Unfortunately, he forgot they 'ejected' that section of the engawa earlier and the rotund martial artist tumbled to the grass outside in a most undignified manner. With a roar of victory, the ninja prepared to strike. Soun, seeing his friend's plight, pulled his last lanyard, releasing a heavy four foot section of steel sewer pipe they had rigged to the ceiling. With a low hum, the two hundred pound metal bludgeon swung down and smacked the ninja leader's head with a loud 'bong' that echoed like a temple bell, sending him tumbling out onto the grass. His unconscious body collided with Genma, sending him towards the koi pond. For a few comical seconds, Genma teetered on the very edge, his arms and legs wildly flapping in a vain attempt to avert the inevitable. With a final shrug of resignation, Genma Saotome took another underwater exploration of the pond - with the predictable results. "Just as we planned it, eh Saotome?" Soun chuckled from the opening to the main room. Genma's response was lost in his sputtering attempts at dislodging the last of the koi from his now useless pants. It took the next hour for the two to retrieve and stash the comatose ninjas in the darkened dojo. While Genma-panda patrolled the compound, searching for other potential threats, Soun dealt with the bound ninjas in a manner that almost guaranteed they would not escape. Soun had just finished with the last ninja when Genma reminded him of is little 'problem'. "What about me?" Genma-panda's sign read. "Of course, old friend," Soun noted as he rubbed his chin. "How you must suffer in all that fur." "Only in the summer," Genma's other sign read before he flipped it around. "Fleas!" "In that case, I'll go heat up some water right away." Soun's departure allowed Genma-panda time to waddle slowly across the lawn, stretching the kinks in his joints. He couldn't explain it but in his panda form, he always felt more lethargic - like he constantly needed to stretch and yawn. It was to this scene Officer Kenji Watanabe arrived. Responding to a phone call from a concerned citizen about ninjas invading the neighborhood, Watanabe handled it like he did all those 'UFO' calls - namely, it could wait until after his tea. Shining a flashlight around the compound, Watanabe quickly came to the conclusion that all was as it should be - for the Tendos anyway. The light from his flashlight caught on the staring Genma-panda. "Oh, it's you," Watanabe grumbled as he walked up to the stationary panda. "I don't suppose *you've* seen any ninjas?" Genma-panda continued to stare blankly at the officer. "I suppose not." Watanabe looked at the house, noting that only the lights in the kitchen were on. "It looks like everyone is in bed." Genma-panda continued to stare blankly at the officer. "Is your master at home?" Watanabe irritably asked as he bent over and stared directly in the panda's eyes. Genma-panda continued to stare blankly at the officer. "You really are a stupid animal, aren't you?" Watanabe straightened up and adjusted his coat. "You know, you're the first thing I'm going to get rid of when Kasumi and I are married." Genma-panda broke his pattern by blinking at the officer and twitching his ears. He couldn't believe what he just heard. Soun Tendo, kettle of warm water in hand, stopped in the shadows of the main room at the sound of Watanabe's voice. Ordinarily, hospitality would demand he invite the officer in for tea but what Watanabe was telling Genma-panda gave him reason to pause. "Yes, you, your master and those idiot Saotomes are all going to have to go." Watanabe punctuated his pronouncement with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Then all I have to do is convince the senile old father that *I'm* the rightful heir to the property." He reached over and grabbed the panda by it's fur so he could stare directly into his eyes. "And you know what happens next? I have the father committed to an old folks home." He ended his plans with a hearty laugh. Genma-panda felt the plan needed something, something special - perhaps his 'panda' touch. Shifting his weight, the heavy panda brought his front paw down directly on the officers foot. "OW! You stupid, clumsy beast!" Watanabe howled as he pushed on the panda's broad shoulder to no avail. "Get off my foot!" Instead of releasing the officer, Genma-panda only seemed to grind his paw even harder into the poor policeman. "That's it!" Watanabe turned to beating on the panda with his flashlight. "It's the zoo for you, buster!" Genma-panda figured he had enough and released the yelling officer. With a little satisfied grin, Genma-panda turned and started to waddle away from Watanabe. The officer, his face purple with rage, took the opportunity of the panda presenting his broad backside to deliver a final, vicious kick to the panda's fleshy flank - which elicited a surprised 'woof' from Genma-panda. Watanabe turned away and bent over to examine his injured foot. Genma-panda, indignant at being kicked with his back turned by the arrogant Officer Watanabe, slowly rose onto his back legs and sized up the properly positioned officer. In his mind, he became the hero again. Genma fantasized as he approached the bent-over officer. The next scene was that of a screaming Watanabe, arms and legs flailing wildly, flying over the far wall of the compound. A loud crash marked the officer's landing in Mrs. Suzuki's heaping garbage mound next to the street. "Well kicked, my old friend," Soun applauded as he stepped into view. "I believe that's two points in that American game Jeffrey is so fond of." "3 points!" read Genma-panda's sign as he heard the roar of 100,000 screaming fans in his head. "Are you sure?" Soun struck a contemplative pose. "We'd better ask Jeffrey-san when he gets back. In any case, here's your water. We have a lot of cleaning up to do." Across the street, Officer Kenji Watanabe was crawling out of a disgusting smelling pile of garbage. "Assaulting a police officer; keeping a dangerous animal in the city; interfering with a police officer..." he ticked off the offenses he was going to file on the panda, the Tendos, and anyone else he could think of. As he got to his feet, he quickly discovered he wasn't alone. A very large mongrel dog was only a few feet away, its head lowered and its hackles raised. Officer Watanabe was about to meet 'Baby', Mrs. Suzuki's new dog. She got 'Baby' right after the last ninja incident, thinking an old woman needed protection from all the ruffians that seem to concentrate on the Tendos and anyone else who stayed there. "Now dog, I *order* you to disperse." Watanabe waved a finger at the growling dog. "I'm a police officer. Do you know the penalties for interfering with a police officer?" Apparently Baby didn't as she only growled louder. "Let's calm down now, dog." Watanabe picked another orange rind from his uniform shoulder and started backing away from Baby. "Let's not do something we'd regret." Baby, convinced there was nothing to regret in assaulting the person who just woke her up, immediately launched herself at the officer. Narrowly evading the first lunge, Watanabe decided to postpone his lecture on 'being a good citizen' to the dog and began sprinting down the street like his life depended on it. Baby helped him along by noisily biting chunks out of the breeches of his pants. Early the next morning, Kasumi returned home and prepared breakfast for the fathers. She had had a quiet evening with an old friend who listened to her troubles and consoled her about the kidnapping. A few tears, a shoulder to cry on, and a night of doing 'girl' things was exactly what Kasumi needed. As the two men feasted on a full 'Kasumi' breakfast, they discussed in hushed tones their activities of the night before. Everything seemed to grow in proportion with the passage of time; there were now 12 ninjas attacking; the fathers were sleeping at the time; and both escaped with only minor injuries - although each would insist he rescued his best friend, pulling him back from the jaws of death. "Well, if you two are going to linger for awhile, I'll just start my morning cleaning," Kasumi politely commented. She had almost totally recovered from the kidnapping - relying on her learned ability to screen out that which was most distressful leaving only those things she was certain she could handle. Tofu had indicated she would be quite alright so long as she didn't receive another severe shock too soon. With bucket and mop in hand, Kasumi passively strode out of the house while the two fathers sat back and chuckled out loud about the night before. "We sure walloped the whole bunch, eh Saotome?" "Yes, old friend, it will be some time before the ninjas attempt another such attack." Genma sipped more of his morning tea. "By the way, what *were* you doing out in the dojo last night with the ninjas we captured?" "I took their clothes and tied them together, naked in the middle of the dojo's floor." Soun chuckled. "Even if they get themselves untied, they would still have to escape through Nerima naked." The two men laughed heartily until a thought occurred to Genma. "Ah... Tendo," he ventured apprehensively. "Where did you say you tied up the ninjas?" "Out in the dojo. Why?" "Where does Kasumi usually start her cleaning?" The two stared at each other, blinking, as all the parts fit into place. The pair winced as Kasumi's scream tore through the neighborhood. ***** 8 ***** Ranma and Akane trailed Nabiki through numerous back trails as they all made their way towards the old shinobi shrine. Several times, Nabiki became suspicious and turned around. Only Ranma's superior tracking sense kept the pair from being discovered. However, Ranma, too had the odd feeling *they* were being trailed. Each time he paused to look back the way they had come, he saw nothing suspicious. With increased uneasiness, the pair pushed on, continuing to shadow Akane's older sister while casting suspicious glances behind themselves. By noon, Nabiki had arrived at the site of Fukoono's cave. Standing in the clearing behind the approach to the shrine situated high above, she looked at the solid appearing wall and hesitated. "Well, mother," she mumbled looking around the clearing. "I made it up the mountain. So where are you already?" She seemed to stiffen when she spotted Ranma and her sister coming out of the woods. "I thought I told you I was doing this alone," Nabiki growled, her arms crossed and fixing the pair with her best 'look'. "We just wanted to see the shrine," Akane offered as she huffed and puffed up the trail towards her sister. "The innkeeper said it was most impressive." Nabiki knew it was a lie but wasn't about to reveal her relief at seeing them again. She secretly felt comforted that her sister disobeyed and followed. She was especially glad to see Ranma. "So, is that the mountain you have to climb?" Akane chirped as she pointed to the sheer cliff that rose almost a hundred feet above their heads. There was a winding path off to the right that climbed around to the other side where the ground was almost level with the shrine. Most visitors wouldn't even approach from this side, as the main road from the village passed nearby on the other side. "No, this is where the cave is," Nabiki shook her head and pointed to the solid looking wall of stone. "But I don't see an entrance." "Maybe it's around the side or something," Ranma offered as he dropped his pack and started to look for an opening in the rock face big enough for a person to slip through. Akane duplicated her fiance's actions on the other side of the cliff, examining carefully every likely crack or crevice. Nabiki continued to stare at the stony surface, like she was willing an opening to occur, when a sound caught her attention. While faint, like it was coming from deep inside the mountain, she could distinctly make out the sound of a baby crying - her baby crying. Instinctively pulling her clan amulet from beneath her blouse and holding it out in front of her, she slowly started towards the solid looking rock surface. As she approached the wall, her amulet began to glow blood red and, to her, there appeared an opening. For a moment, she hesitated; her warning senses tingling with alarm. Entering alone could be more dangerous than even *she* was willing to risk. The renewed cry of her child made her mind up for her. Without waiting for her sister or Ranma, Nabiki passed through the wall and into the cave itself. Akane was the first to notice Nabiki passing into the mountain, her shout for Ranma accompanied her headlong charge to get to the spot where her sister disappeared only to be brought up short by a solid rock surface, just like the monk's cave. Ranma quickly joined her and carefully checked every inch of the rock face looking for some indication of a door or secret latch. Akane tried her own amulet but it did little more than glow dimly, refusing to open the way as her sister's amulet did. Either she was not doing something right or there were forces at work that neutralized hers. Ranma was still examining the rock wall when Akane noticed something important. "Ah, Ranma," she said cautiously as she tapped his shoulder. "Not now, Akane. I'm busy." He brushed off Akane's hand and continued to look for a way in. "Ah, Ranma. There's something I really think you should know." "What is it Akane?" Ranma finally stood up and turned to his fiance. "That." She pointed to, what looked like, all the ninjas in the world approaching menacingly. Both gulped loudly. ***** 9 ***** Kasumi awoke to find herself laying on one of Dr. Tofu's treatment tables. For several minutes, she was content to lay still and stare at the ceiling - images from earlier in the day whirling around in her head. She had thought the smell in the bath was a bit odd, the strange hole in the roof over the engawa a bit unusual, and the naked men tied up in the dojo.... the naked men in the dojo.... the naked men in the dojo.... Her mind reviewed the scene over and over again. "How are you doing now, Kasumi?" Tofu wandered over while drying his hands. "You had another episode." Kasumi stared at Tofu while the images of the naked ninjas overlaid his smiling face and undressed him in her mind. With a distressed whimper, Kasumi covered her face with her hands and turned towards the wall. "Hey, it's alright, Kasumi," Tofu cooed softly as he knelt next to the treatment table. "You're safe here." Kasumi had never considered the sexual side of her nature. In fact, she was never sure she even *had* a sexual side. Growing up without her mother to guide and support her in such things, she naturally pushed all such thoughts aside, hoping they would work themselves out on their own. Oh, she had all the high school required 'sex education' courses but she never paid much attention to them as she was always doing her homework in the class trying to stay ahead in the areas that really mattered. In life, her sexual feelings were so deeply buried that she forgot where to look for them. In the last week, however, *those* feelings quietly slipped out of their hiding place and began to manifest themselves in most confusing ways. First, she had been confronted with the scene of