"Tokyo," I repeat, hours later. "What the hell do we do now?"

                      We are parked on the side of a long desert stretch, the road ahead lined with red dunes. Where are we? Probably somewhere in the outskirts of California.

                       It strikes me, then, that I said we. 

                      Veah gives me a coolly raised eyebrow. 

                      "I have classes, and lectures, and━" I bury my face in my hands. Sitting on the hood of the convertible, Veah leaning up against the side, the realization hits me.

                      Just yesterday, it was Halloween. And now━and now━

                      Now I've been handcuffed to someone from the Yakuza. We've been shot at, chased, and you know what's even better? They have orders to bring us back to Tokyo. 

                      The iron links rattle between us.

                      I still can't even remember how, or when, or why I handcuffed myself to a stranger.

                     "My sister," I say. "I have to━"

                     "Cassie?"

                     My eyes snap to her. My words come out as more of a squeak. "How do you know that?" 

                     Her face betrays nothing, but I swear I see the faintest touch of pink. "I heard you in your sleep."

                    This dangerous, terrifying Yakuza assassin, hesitant to admit she heard me talking in my sleep? 

                   I want to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

                   "What do we do now?" I ask instead. "We can't keep these handcuffs on forever."

                   Veah's face betrays nothing as she says, "There is . . . one thing."

                   "What?" I say. "Mass murder? Cow slaughter? Offering to the gods? Listen, we can flip a coin to choose who gives up their firstborn."

                   A small, cocky smile tugs at her mouth, and she bites her bottom lip. "I'm not planning on having any biological children."

                  "You're not planning on having any . . ." It takes me a moment to get it, and stupidly, I blush. "Well, neither am I."

                  Did we just come out to each other?

                  "It looks like offering up our firstborn children is out of the question," she says, and I almost want to smile with her. At the surprising fact that she's actually . . . funny.

                 Her lips curve again, her teeth catching on her lower lip. Don't look, Kaya. Do. Not. Look. 

                 I can resist the charms of a rogue Mafia assassin. I can resist the . . .

                 My eyes fall on her mouth again. The tender pink of her soft lips. I imagine closing the distance between us and kissing her until I see stars.

                 Damn it. You looked. 

                I swallow. Nervous━I'm nervous. I am not a middle-school teenager in the girls' locker room. "So━what was your idea?"

               "You're going to have to hold still."

               Fifteen minutes later, I am trembling from head to toe.

               "Is this really our only option?" Bravery is great and all, but when my hand is laid out and there is a sword raised high in the air, every instinct in me yells Run! 

               The crescent-shaped blade glints under the hot Californian sun in the instant before she brings it down between us.

              "That's going to leave a dent," I mumble.

              The hood of the car is now scarred with a long, sword-shaped slice. But the handcuffs━the handcuffs are broken. 

             "It worked," Veah says, as though she can't believe it.

             "You didn't think it would work?" I demand. 

            "There was no way to be one hundred percent━"

            My wrist is still chafed and raw, but I'm free. I'm free. I'm━

            The sound of a vibration whistles through the air. A steady, pounding sound that comes closer, roiling the air.

            "What's that?" I whisper.

            Veah is ice-still. She doesn't even look up. Her eyes meet mine and she yells over the growing sound of the engine. "Get in the car!"

           "But we━" We just got these handcuffs off! 

          Overhead, I can see the source of the sound. A helicopter. 

          A goddamn helicopter. "Shit," I swear. "Oh, hell no."

          The Mafia has a helicopter?

          The black wings of the sleek craft become sharper as it surges forward. From the other side of the red California desert, it is speeding fast━way too fast.

          There's no time. But still, I hesitate. "We were just freed."

          What I mean to say is, I don't have to do this anymore. I don't have to be chased because of you anymore. 

           I should have known better. We're in the middle of the desert.

           If the helicopter comes closer, it will be able to pinpoint me. And if they have an order for both of us, then I'm still in danger as long as they can associate me with Veah.

           I have to lose myself in a crowd━in the city.

           But to do that, I have to get in the car with her first.

           "Come on!" Veah calls. "What are you waiting for?"

           A bloody miracle, I think, but I get in the car with her anyway. It seems it's becoming a pattern now. 

           I exchange a glance with Veah. She's so beautiful it hurts━even when she seems furiously determined. Her eyes narrow, her full lips tightening, and she concentrates on the road ahead. Slamming on the gas pedal.

          "Can we outdrive a helicopter?" I ask, gasping as we fly past the red desert.

          "Have you ever been in a car with me before?"

          And to that, I think, Sure. Okay. I mean, you did murder a truck driver and cause an explosion. But yes, please, let's continue. 

          "By any chance," I say, panting as she swerves dangerously in a circle, "do we know where we're going?"

          She licks her lips. She should definitely not look this happy while we are being chased by Japanese mob bosses. "The airport."

           I send up a quick prayer to the sky. Once we get to the airport, I'm getting out of here. 

           Whatever it takes━even if it means ditching her━I have to run.

          And now that I'm free of the handcuffs, there's nothing holding me back.

          Once I get the chance, I have to take it.

>>>

I am so ready to write the next chapter. That's going to be a rollercoaster.

From the moon and back,
Sarai