Despite the ability to choose the path to the crossings, Virgil's selected GPS points led Kogami on a meandering route through the city of Los Angeles. Kogami was growing ever more concerned that the overlapping back and forth travel would be his undoing and even considered pulling into the Los Angeles Police headquarters the second time a crossing led them passed the station.

He was still bleeding, and the Enforcer knew that he would not last out the hour without proper medical care. This forced him to consider Akane's safety. That was when he noticed the first tail in the rearview mirror. It was the first sign that he was on the right path. Touching Akane's thigh, he nodded for her to look behind them.

"Is that who I think it is?"

"There can't be too many lavender Supras, even in this city," he replied. As they drove through the third checkpoint, the Supra was joined by a blue Nissan Skyline. Within moments, a black RX-7 fell in line behind them. "Luda reinforcements? Vigil?"

"Confirmed, Cerberus. Patriarchs Beatrice, Charon, and Wraith are all online as your security detail. Various Denizens have been dispatched to run interference if the need arises."

"Have we been followed?"

"A careful route to avoid city surveillance and your costume change have been effective strategies. There are no signs of pursuit. Standby. Incoming message from Patriarch Tsuki."

"You alright up there, Kogami?"

"Define alright," he replied. "I sure could use a beer."

"Copy that. The Pit Boss says to skip the crossings, drop the hammer, and bring it in." As she spoke, the multiple crossings faded from the map with one exception, the crossing on the coast.

Kogami downshifted aggressively. The Porsche's tires hissed against the asphalt. To his delight, all three cars responded in similar fashion. Revving the engine, he spun out for a moment and raced down the street ahead of them toward the last and final checkpoint on the map.

"There lies our way, and that our passage home. Welcome to Purgatory," Virgil said. An interactive, three-dimensional, holographic map was displayed above Akane's lap.

Luda's sanctuary was a massive, 500-acre scrapyard sprawled on the edge of an isolated marina on an even more secluded section of beach and rocky coastline. It was an appropriate name for the final resting ground of junked metal, a place where cars and people went to be discarded, only to resurrected to new purpose.

The location of the outlaw haven was no mistake nor was the sanctuary's design. Surrounded by a 30-foot metal fence, the junkyard was arranged like an amusement park with separate zones dedicated to a specific activity featuring cars. There was a drag strip, a quarter-mile track, a pillory for drifting, a rally gymkhana track, and even an obstacle course to test tactical driving skills.

Situated at the crowded entrance as a clear deterrent to unwanted company. The first of three figure-8 tracks greeted new arrivals with the roar of eight sprint karts vying for position. A digital sign was posted above the gate: Abandon hope all ye who bank on a pink slip. The fierce racing heat that was in progress was halted to let Kogami and the other Patriarchs through the gates.

"Do they ever sleep?" Akane asked. She watched through the window as they passed by a Carousel Circle where two cars were engaged in tandem drifting. Tires fighting to catch a grip on the road, the vehicles swung in unison on a track slicked with traffic paint. Towers of tires, new and old, were arranged in stacks at the center of the loop and hid the cars from view as they drifted out of sight.

Among the ruins, there was a full-length race track designed around the layout of the scrapyard. Four street cars raced breakneck down a short straightaway before their drivers braked abruptly and then banked into an S-curve and that lead into a tight hairpin. Stopped by a racing steward in a caution yellow miniskirt and matching thigh-high boots, Kogami paused at an intersection before being waved across the track to avoid any possible collision with the zealous racers.

After fifteen minutes of weaving, redirecting, and rerouting, Kogami drove into a kind of in-field oval. The cars here, with the exception of a go-kart track, were parked. The vehicles here were on display for their aesthetic appeal and comfort, rather than their performance on four wheels. Hoods and trunks open, they sat beneath an array of floodlights.

Loud music blared from the cars as designer speakers and customized subwoofers competed for attention. A row of garage doors were opened in a nearby row of buildings, and people stood in line for various foods and drinks. Music was everywhere, and everywhere, people danced to whatever beats came to their ears at that particular moment.

Recognizing Luda's yellow Corvette C5, Kogami parked beside it and stiffly got out of the Porsche. There was so much activity about him that it was difficult to concentrate. His shoulder throbbed angrily, and it was getting increasingly more difficult to move his arm without a debilitating spasm of pain. Extending and flexing his fingers, Kogami tried to free himself of the annoying tingling sensation and restore some feeling in them. He couldn't be certain if the numbness was a result of being in the cold for so long or the injury. Afraid to let go for fear that he would collapse, he maintained a steady grip on the Porsche's open door.

"Kogami, at last! Safe and sound! Welcome to Purgatory!" Luda greeted. He embraced Akane for a long moment after helping her from the car. "When Virgil came back online and said the two of you were on the move, I almost didn't believe it." Flashing an admiring grin at BabyGirl, he asked, "Care to explain the new paint job? In less than 3 hours?"

"If I tell you that, I'd have to kill you," Kogami teased. He took one step from the car to take Luda's offered and collapsed to one knee.

"Kogami!" Akane cried out. "Luda, he's been shot." Wrapping the emergency blanket around him, she touched the back of her hand to his forehead. "We've been in a refrigerated shipping container for the last two hours. I'm not surprised his fever is back."

Luda glared at his Patriarchs. "What are y'all waiting for? Get him to my office."

Brian and Sung rushed to help Kogami, lifting him up by the shoulders. The Enforcer cried out as they inadvertently aggravated the injured one. "Not the left shoulder," Akane said to them. She tried to push Sung out of the way and duck under Kogami wounded arm to help, but Luda held her back.

"We got this, Akane." He glanced at his minions and growled, "Don't kill him. We just got him here in one piece."

The Purgatory tap room was crowded wall to wall with people at the bar getting drinks or mingling at tables. Others played videos games, foosball, or shot pool in small groups. The merriment paused, and the patrons were silent as the Patriarchs entered, carrying a semi-conscious Kogami to Luda's back office.

"Ludwig?" Rocio whispered. She was serving drinks from behind the bar.

"Get my kit, baby, the big one." Luda sat Akane down in the oversized chair behind his desk and retrieved a bottle of tequila from the bookshelf. "Tsuki said you were playing on the way here. You were playing behind the wheel like this? Man, you've got a death wish."

"Just trying to keep things interesting." Kogami let them set him down in one corner of a leather loveseat. He kept his eyes closed because the wold spun miserably when they were open, and he felt more and more nauseous with every dizzying shift.

Luda looked down at Akane and rubbed her shoulder. "No accounting for good sense these days. Wraith and Charon, summon some Denizens and sweep the streets. I don't want any surprises at my door." As the door to his office closed behind them, Luda poured a shot of tequila into a glass and handed it to Kogami. "Pretreatment from my assistant Jose Cuervo. Believe me. You're going to need it." He empathized each word.

Kogami took the glass and slammed back the shot. He was ready for the caustic bite, but the tequila was a bit sharper than he expected. He winced and grit his teeth in a wide painful grin of appreciation. "You call that good bedside manner?"

"Sorry, I don't keep hot sake behind the bar." Luda sat down on the arm of the loveseat and took the glass from him as Rocio arrived with the medical satchel. "Let's have a look at that bloody wing, shall we?" He cut the makeshift dressing that Akane had put in place over the injury. The wound started bleeding again as soon as he removed the gauze.

"How does it look?" Akane whispered. She left the chair and sat on the opposite side of the loveseat.

"Here," Luda said, handing Akane a throw pillow. "Put that behind his head. He'll be more comfortable."

Cradling Kogami's head in her arm, she perched the tasseled pillow on the back of the loveseat and gently rested his head on it. She brushed the hair from his forehead and tucked the sweaty locks behind his ears. "Luda, is it bad?"

Luda cut away the bloody t-shirt so that he could more thoroughly examine the entry wound. "Can't lie. It ain't good, Akane. Bullet didn't come out. I'll have to go in there and get it out." The pit boss glanced down at Kogami with sympathy. "Can't promise it won't hurt. Will I need a muzzle?"

"Maybe," Kogami replied.

Luda poured another shot of tequila. "This is going to require a little more than neosporin, my man. More pre-treatment?"

Without answering him directly, Kogami took the bottle and chugged the contents. Tears ran from the corners of his eyes as he forced himself to swallow the biting tequila. Wincing painfully, he handed the bottle back to Luda.

Luda saluted Kogami with the full shot glass and threw back the shot. "Nerve tonic," he chuckled, "for the hands." He slammed the glass down on the end table beside the loveseat.

"Akane, are you hurt, too? Luda, she's bleeding." Rocio gently took Akane's left arm and held up her bloody fingers. "My God, you're shaking like a leaf."

"Oh, I'm not hurt. This must be from Kogami's jacket," Akane explained. "I'd take it off, but I'm so cold. Kogami and I hid out in a refrigerated shipping container."

"In the port authority yard?" Luda asked.

"That's how we got away." Akane frowned. "I feel like an icicle."

"Then what you need is a good hot shower."

"But Kogami?"

"Honey, Luda's got him." She put her arm around Akane's shoulders and led her to the door. "Come along, mami, let's get you warmed up."

When the door closed behind them, Luda took a deep breath and sighed. "Another hit from the bottle before we start?"

Already feeling the effects of the tequila, Kogami simply shook his head. "Just need a distraction."

Removing a pair of long tweezers from his bag, Luda sterilized them in alcohol. "As my friend Virgil would say: How may I serve?"

"You might explain why Travis McNeill is so interested in BabyGirl. Interested enough to kill? For a car?" Kogami braced himself as Luda poured alcohol over the bullet wound. Sucking in his breath, he pressed his head against the pillow in agony until the burning subsided.

"Travis McNeill. On the record: successful entrepreneur; part-time philanthropist; so long as the proposed charity benefit fills his pockets, too. Off the record: all-around scumbag and asshole. If I could kill him, I would drag his body behind my Vette, the way Achilles dragged the body of Hector behind his chariot."

"Why would he go after Virgil to get to me?"

"Because he only wants what he cannot have. He wants BabyGirl. Virgil is how Reese and BabyGirl got away...well, almost. At least BabyGirl got away. So McNeill got smart this time and removed Virgil from the equation. Cocky son of a bitch!"

"Something you need to tell me?"

"That debacle tonight was a means to an end, Ko. Yeah, McNeill wants BabyGirl, but he was sending a message to me. Loud and clear." Luda shook his head, nostrils flared in anger. "He's been trying to buy Virgil for the last two years, but I won't sell. So he hacked my shit tonight to teach me a lesson. Never thought he'd go that far."

"He wants Virgil?"

"The man's got means, Ko, means and pockets, deep pockets." Luda pulled on a set of gloves and popped the rubber against his wrists. "That shit won't happen again though. I made certain of that. When Virgil came back online, he sent a little retro-virus back along the channel McNeill used to initiate his cyber abduction. The gloves are off. Somebody's shit on the other end is seriously wrecked. I guarantee it."

Luda braced his elbow across Kogami's chest and leaned down hard on him to limit the Enforcer's movements. Meticulously, he drove the tweezers down into the wound and along the channel created by the bullet.

"Why's McNeill so interested in street racing? Seems beneath him." Kogami gripped the toughened denim of his jeans and clenched his fists against the pain. Jawbone cracking, he grit his teeth and tried to cope as the tweezers penetrated inflamed flesh to find their target.

"There are cars and then there are cars. Babygirl is what we call on the streets a masterwork. Ask any career street racer. A little bit of blood, sweat, some tears, and a few aftermarket products does not a masterwork make." Luda squinted into the bullet wound as he dug around in the wound. "This is deeper than I expected. You good?"

"Just keep talking," Kogami said between clenched teeth.

"Wealthy men like McNeill like to collect things, one of a kind things, and they'll do almost anything, pay any price, to possess those things. For him, it's cars and maybe, just maybe their drivers. He likes to take them overseas, places like Saudi Arabia, Russia, Syria, and enter them in high-stakes races where anything goes. And I mean anything, like Speed Racer-type shit."

"And he gets away with it because of his influence and contacts."

"And his money. Let's not forget the money. People die, but nobody asks any questions because the authorities have been paid to look the other way. No self-respecting street racer would risk his ass or his ride like that. This here," he said, glancing at Kogami, "this is about respect. Proper respect. Not all the money in the world can buy that."

"If he can't get the racer, he'll get the car."

"By any means necessary." Luda leaned back. "Hold still. I think I got it." He gave the tweezers a finally plunge in Kogami's flesh and yanked them free with the bullet captured between the pincers. He dropped the bullet and the bloody tweezers into the empty shot glass. "Here, I think you need another hit."

Threatening to ebb away into darkness, Kogami's consciousness waned in and out. He thought about succumbing to it, if only to be free of the pain and weariness weighing down on him. Struggling to hold the tequila bottle, he only managed to get it to his mouth with Luda's help.

"You're going to need to take it easy, son," Luda said. "You lost a lot of blood and will probably lose more if you act up." He poured more alcohol over the wound and gently wiped the area clean. "Ready for step two?"

"Step two?"

"Stitches." Luda threaded a needle, sterilized it, and set to work closing the wound.

"Were you close?" Kogami asked to distract himself from the pain. "With Reese, I mean?"

"There are always five Patriarchs in my organization, but in the beginning there were two. Reese and me. We built Purgatory. Together. We made a lot of money and a lot of friends. And," he said with a shrug, "we made more than our fair share of enemies along the way, but nothing a quick quarter mile couldn't fix." He wrapped the wound with gauze and tape to protect the stitches from breaking.

Kogami rubbed his hand over his face and through his damp hair. Examining the pit boss handiwork, he looked up at Luda. "Impressive work for a career street racer."

Luda laughed, pointing to the medical bag. "Did two years of med school. Lucky for you, I left after my surgical rotation."

"Why did you leave at all?"

"It's hard to hold on to anything when you've lost everything," he replied, putting his supplies back in the bag. "My mother was everything to me."

"What happened?"

"LA riots, biggest one on record. Makes the 20th century riots look like a neighborhood mosh fest. My mother was a simple piano teacher. When she heard some commotion outside our house, she went into the street to protect a group of kids from having their heads bashed in with night sticks. It worked. The thugs didn't hurt the kids. They bashed her skull in for interfering."

"A man who has not passed through the inferno of his passions has never overcome them."

"Carl Jung?" Luda said. "You're right. I never got over my mother's death, but how could I? I just took a different path, that's all. I could say the same about you. Enforcer Shinya Kogami. In Japan, the Sibyl System keeps order. Here you just need a badge to keep the peace. Where you're from, the authorities have a number to prove why some people don't belong. In this country, you just need to be the wrong color. Same result: the herd gets culled."

Kogami was quiet for moment. He bowed his head, avoiding any eye contact with the pit boss. "What tipped you off?"

"Cops have been trying to infiltrate my underground scene for years now. They're usually not good enough or smart enough to get passed the quarter mile heats. And then here you come." He closed the medical bag and tossed it on the floor beside his desk. "Granted, you had BabyGirl, but you have to be a helluva driver to dance with her. You were a solid contender in the quarter mile against Tsuki, my best Patriarch. And then you punk all three of them in the Around the World challenge without even breaking a sweat."

"Was it that obvious?"

"No, not at first. You fit. She doesn't."

"Akane?" Kogami chuckled softly.

"Yeah, don't tell I said so, but she's a little too uptight for an old lady."

"We're not here investigating you, Luda, or anything that has to do with your underground."

"I know." Luda took a long drink from the tequila bottle. "That's why you haven't been set upon by the Denizens and turned out into the cold. Reese Iazzetti was a friend of mine, not just a Patriarch, but my brother. While I've got means," he said, extending his arms and hands to the side to indicate his assets, "my pockets ain't deep enough to take on McNeill."

"So you suspected he had a hand in Reese's death? All this time?"

"And the other Denizens who died. But I didn't have the resources to dig up the evidence and make it stick to him like stink on shit. Neither did the LAPD. And then you showed up with Akane. LAPD importing talent from Japan now?"

"Happened by accident," Kogami said. "We met some officers at a law-enforcement conference and then came home with them to observe for a week before going home. Never imagined we'd end up undercover in such a sensitive operation."

"FBI involved?"

"How did you put that final piece to the puzzle?"

"Nysa Iazzetti. Probably best aftermarket mechanic on the West Coast. I know that for a fact because she was one of my most promising students until she got the criminal investigation bug."

Kogami groaned and sat forward as the room continued turning circles before his feverish eyes."Are we good, Luda?"

"We're more than good, Ko. I can't normally relate to cops, but you. You're different. And our cause is the same. The enemy of my enemy, right? Anything you need, you'll have it. You can count on that."

"Appreciate it." Kogami shook Luda's offered hand, slowly going through the intricate hand gestures.

"If anybody can bring down McNeill, it'll be you. He likes to underestimate people, but in this case," he said, pointing at Kogami, "his sorry ass is going to regret the moment he crossed paths with you."

"Is that a compliment? I can't tell because you sound a lot like my boss back home."

"Take it as a fact." Luda opened a nearby closet and took a black Henley from a hanger. He tossed the clean shirt to Kogami. "Here, put that on when you get the chance. If the harem out there gets a look at that chiseled chest and abs, you'll have to beat them back with a tire iron. And I don't think you're up for that. Then your old lady will have to go all Mad Max on them. Can't have no violence in my sanctuary unless it's on four wheels."

Kogami snorted, wondering if the room was still moving because of his elevated temperature or the tequila.

"You think I'm playing? Those dance moves back there at the club has even my girl thinking about you. Somebody took video, and they've been ogling it all night. Don't make me shoot you and feed you to the crabs."

"Wouldn't do that." Kogami sat back and laid his good arm across his face. "Might give them indigestion."

There was a subtle knock on the door before it opened. Looking from beneath his arm, Kogami was relieved to see Rocio returning with Akane behind her. But he had not expected to find the Inspector looking so very enticing after their harrowing misadventures. She was wearing a black minidress with a plunging neckline that revealed a black sequined bra beneath it The material was a thick velvet that accentuated every girlish curve with its form-hugging style. Thigh-high boots graced her long legs and provided a peek of her thighs just below the hemline of the dress.

"Down boy," Rocio said. She rolled her eyes and shook her head at his reach.

"Down boy is right, but damn," Luda said, staring at Akane. "That looks good on you, girl. Your man's temporarily out of commission, but I could find you an upgrade. Me!"

"Luda! Stop playing!"

"Baby, you couldn't find her something a little less, you know? They going to bed, not the after-hours club uptown. And my man, Cerberus, ain't up for no temptations."

"I'm shot, not deaf," Kogami complained.

Rocio laughed while trying to maintain a stern expression. "Luda, stop teasing!"

"I think sleep would benefit both of us," Akane said. "Do you have a place we might stay?"

"Of course," Rocio said, she glanced at Luda sadly. "Reese's old room. I already took some things up for you."

"Rocio, have Tsuki put Babygirl in the vault. We're officially on lockdown. I'll be out to check on things once I get our guests squared away." Luda kissed her before she headed back into the bar.

Akane struggled to get Kogami up from the loveseat. He swayed unsteadily in her arms, catching himself on the wall as she attempted to support his weight.

"You got him?" Luda asked. He held the office door open and directed her to a back corridor and a staircase leading up to the second floor. "Just keep him moving."

A short flight of steps proved to be more than a match for Kogami. Head bowed in abject surrender, he leaned heavily on the door frame as Akane coaxed him on with soothing words of encouragement. He swallowed hard, his mouth watering with the threat of nausea. The bitter bile of tequila rose in the back of his throat. As he staggered at the top of the stairs, he felt Luda's hands at his back. "Just need to catch my breath."

"Take your time," Luda said.

It was cold in the upstairs hallway. With the air conditioning running full blast to cool the tap room on the first level, the chilled air felt like an Arctic gust. Kogami shivered uncontrollably. Every muscle in his body protested the involuntary motion as exhaustion loomed. Leaning on Akane for support, he took the final steps into the bedroom.

Catching the worry in Akane's eyes, Luda smiled sadly at her and then Kogami. "He's tough, boo. He'll be alright. Just needs to rest."

"Akane, there's a basin of warm water on the nightstand and towels, if you need them," Rocio yelled from the first floor. "Consider this home. Call down if you need anything."

"Thank you, Rocio. Luda." Akane helped Kogami stagger into the bedroom and closed the door behind them. Unaccustomed to the high-heeled boots, she nearly tripped over her own feet as she hurried to get him settled on the edge of the bed.

"You should be more careful," Kogami slurred. "Can't protect you from yourself, you know?"

"You're a good one to talk." She sat down in a chair on the other side of the room to remove the encumbering boots.

As he kicked off his own boots, Kogami heard her struggling with the hidden zippers in the back of each leg. He smiled and listened to the scuffle. She eventually gave up and decided to just pull her feet free. Tossing them aside, she took a towel and soaked it in the basin. Distantly, he could hear the water as she rung it out.

Hanging his head and closing his eyes, Kogami held his heavy head in his hands and took a deep breath. He pulled the 9mm from the small of his back and put it on the nightstand. Akane crawled across the bed behind him and kissed the back of his neck. He groaned, his back stiffening abruptly, aroused by her unexpected touch. His inhibitions were laid bare with his weakness. His emotions were unguarded and vulnerable with too much tequila. The cool touch of her fingers against his feverish skin left him wanting.

"Am I being called to special duty, Inspector?"

"Didn't you hear what Luda said? I'm not sure you're in the best condition for special duty, Kogami." Akane pulled him back into her arms, carefully cradling his head, and helped him lay back on the bed. Smoothing the pillows beneath him, she dabbed at his forehead with the damp cloth.

"I assure you that I will perform my duties as an Enforcer to the best and fullest of my abilities. With vigor." To show his commitment to the task, Kogami sharply raised his left arm in a cheer. This only aggravated the bullet wound. He gasped in pain and dropped it back down to the mattress with a groan.

"You're delirious."

"Perpetually," he said sadly, "especially when I'm with you." Kogami took her hand and held it over his heart. "Sometimes when we're on the job, out in the field, I feel rabid. Especially if it's dangerous. I'm barely in control. Only I can focus, as long as I focus on you, and keeping you safe."

"Kogami, you don't know what you're saying," she whispered. "Be quiet and go to sleep."

"Akane, you don't understand. I want to lash out at anything or anyone that might hurt you or make you unhappy." Kogami ran his fingers across her cheek. "I'm sorry if I seem distant sometimes. It's so hard to suppress how I feel. I don't mean to...to..." His voice trailed off as he watched her unbuckle his belt and the button of his jeans. "Inspector? Are you still planning to take advantage of me? I promise I won't kiss and tell."

"Did Luda drug you? You're acting ridiculous." Akane pulled the light comforter and a blanket over both of them and curled up beside him.

Kogami felt her trembling. "Are you still cold?"

"Freezing. I don't think I'll ever be a normal body temperature again."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you stay in that container so long."

"If you hadn't, we both might be dead. Who knows what would have happened. Especially if you hadn't come for me tonight." Akane kissed his cheek and laid her head on his good shoulder. "I never thanked you for doing that. Weaving between those SUVs and then power sliding to put yourself between the bad guys and me? As Rodriguez would say, that was some serious bad assery."

"You don't ever have to thank me. I meant what I said to you on the dance floor tonight. I would die for you." Kogami could feel a light sheen of perspiration on his skin and knew that he had a moderate fever. Rolling onto his side, he pulled her close to him and smiled as she tucked her head beneath his chin. "Inspector?"

"Hmmm?"

"Is your leg supposed to be there?" he teased her. He squeezed his knees together to prevent her from repositioning her legs.

"Kogami! You've been shot. I nearly froze to death, and now you're making fun of me?"

"I think you're taking advantage of my vulnerable state," he argued. "Right now, if you asked me, I would even be nice to Ginoza and compliment him on the way he shoves those glasses up his nose every five seconds when he's angry."

"Kogami!"

Leaning over her, he reached for her phone on the nightstand and scrolled through the most recent images until he found the picture of them holding the victory rose from the bachata dance-off. With a devil-may-care grin, he inputted the numbers and sent the image to Ginoza's wristcom.

Akane covered her face with her hands. "Tell me you didn't just do what I think you did."

"Nope. I did." Kogami laid the phone back down on the nightstand. "Just letting Gino know we're thinking of him."

"Kogami? Hey," she whispered with growing concern, "are you still with me?"

"Always and forever, Inspector." He held her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the back of her knuckles as the room darkened about him.

The world was slipping away, and it was a battle to remain conscious. A battle he could not win. There was no strength left in any part of him. Even his soul felt heavy and weary with fatigue. But none of that mattered because he was with her. Nothing could be wrong with the world in that moment.

Kogami could hear her whispering encouragements to him. He felt the warmth of her breath and her lips moving against his ear and the cool washcloth dabbing his feverish forehead. With a contented sigh, he let go and succumbed to the darkness.

# # #

Kogami slowly opened his eyes to an unfamiliar room. Lying on his back, he was remarkably comfortable. The mattress beneath him was softer than what he was used to, and the pillowtop seemed to cradle him on a floating cloud of warm air. A blanket and comforter were half draped over his legs and stomach, leaving his bare chest exposed, but he was warm enough.

The culprit was laying beside him, snuggly wrapped in the excess fabric. Akane's right arm laid across his chest. Kogami wasn't certain if she meant to keep him from rising or if she was laying claim to him. He turned to look at her face nestled on the pillow next to his. With brown bangs in disarray, eyes closed, she was beautiful.

Spreading her fingers in a stretch, she sighed and tightened her grip on his chest. Kogami couldn't help but chuckle. Her fingernails were tickling his pec muscle. While the laugh was quiet, it was enough to stir her from slumber. "What's so funny?"

"You," he replied. "I feel strangely like one of your stuffed animals."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No." He rolled onto his right side and kissed her. "Did you sleep?"

"You were pretty feverish most of the night," she replied. "I was scared, so I stayed up to watch you. I must have dozed off."

"I'm supposed to watch over you, remember?" He brushed the bangs from her face and traced the outline of her nose with his fingers.

"Kogami, you saved my life. Again. It's not like you're neglecting your duties." She circled the bandage covering his left shoulder. "Does it hurt?"

"Not as much as it did when I heard your voice on the other end of that phone last night." Kogami ran his hand anxiously through his hair. "I'm sorry I didn't drop more of them."

"Kogami, you've killed people."

"People who would have killed you." He stared defiantly into her eyes with no remorse for his actions. "Is there really a difference? Under Sibyl, the judgment would have been the same, and they'd all be pink sludge."

"Someone's feeling better." Akane grinned at his fire and caressed his cheek. "That was spoken like the hunting hound I know and love." She sighed, "This has been an unreal adventure. Almost makes me sad at the thought of going home."

Kogami was quiet for a moment. "Then let's not go home."

"Kogami?" Glaring at him, Akane pushed him away. "You know we can't stay here."

"I was kidding," he lied. Fluffing his pillow before lying back down, he turned his back to her. "Didn't mean anything by it, Inspector. Forget I even said it."

Akane laid beside him and was still for a long moment before he felt her tiny fingers curling the hair at the nape of his neck. Cozying up behind him, she laid her head against his shoulder and sighed, exhaling warm breath across his skin.

His back stiffened in response. "What are you doing?"

"What you're always doing to me," she replied. "I'm pushing your buttons." Hands on his hips, she gently ran her fingernails over the taut flesh at his waist and left soft, lingering kisses along the back of his neck.

Kogami fought to maintain some measure of control, but her lips against his skin had broken any reserve or resistance. "Sure you want to push those buttons."

"If you think you're up to it." Akane crawled on top of him and pressed his shoulders to the bed with a victorious smile.

In an attempt to topple her, Kogami sat up and tried to wrestle her back to the bed, but failed because of his injured shoulder. Gasping aloud in pain, he clenched his teeth and closed his eyes while the pain crippled him. Panting for breath, he laid still beneath her and waited for the stabbing intensity to subside.

"Kogami, did you hurt yourself?" Akane cried. She pushed his hands aside and examined the bandaged shoulder. "You didn't tear the stitches, did you? How bad is it?"

With a mischievous grin, Kogami grabbed her wrists and rolled over on top of her. Effectively throwing her back to the bed, he pinned her shoulders and straddled her legs. "Not bad at all, Inspector."

"You cheat! You pretended you were in pain!"

"Well it did hurt." Kogami held her wrists over her head in one hand while undoing the snaps to the bodice of her dress to expose the skin beneath it. Gazing in her eyes, he traced the graceful curve of her belly and heard her breathing quicken.

"Kogami," she panted, "why must you—"

"Ssh." He kissed her lips, her chin, her neck, deliberately and slowly making his way down her chest, inch by beautiful, quivering inch, until he had the perfect view of her stomach. Gently blowing into her belly button, he laughed when she arced her back, pushing her hips against his chest. To tease her, he ran his hand along the smooth skin of her stomach and kissed her below the belly button, allowing his lips and breath to linger there until she squealed.

"Ko—"

Unwelcomed, her cell phone vibrated noisily with an alert. Eyes narrowed in frustration at the intrusion, Kogami met her impassioned eyes. Within moments, his phone began to vibrate loudly. "You know," he said, "the last time we answered a message together, we ended up being blown up a few hours later."

"I also recall someone saying that there was only room for one latent criminal in this relationship," Akane retorted, "which means one of us needs to be responsible." She pulled her wrists free from his grip and reached for the phone.

"Who is it? So I can kill them later." When Akane did not answer, Kogami stared at her face. "Akane?"

"It's Rodriguez. Agent Iazzetti's been shot," she whispered. "She's in surgery, and..." her voice trailed off as she waited for another message to come through. "Kogami, they're not sure if she's going to make it."

Kogami scrambled out of the bed with purpose and stepped down into his boots. "This is McNeill's doing."

"Rodriguez wants us to meet him at her place. Phoenix is missing. Kogami, is McNeill prepared to go that far for a car?"

"You're staying here." He snatched the Henley that Luda had given him from the back of a nearby chair.

"I will not!" Akane hissed.

"This isn't Japan," Kogami said. "There's no rule here about Enforcers needing to be escorted by an Inspector. Do you remember last night? These are real guns, Inspector, and everyone seems to have one." He snatched the 9mm from the nightstand and put it in the small of his back.

"And there's no rule here about Enforcers outranking their Inspectors on foreign soil." Akane closed the bodice of the minidress and then shoved her feet back into the thigh-high boots. "We're on this case together! I'm going!"

Though stiff from the previous night's dangerous mayhem, Kogami swiftly made his way down the stairs to the tap room on the first level. The indulgent scent of fresh pancakes, bacon, and eggs filled the air. While tempting, especially on an empty stomach, Kogami ignored his hunger and scanned the crowded room for a familiar face. Luda was wielding a spatula in a back doorway behind the bar, which led to a small kitchen area.

"I make a mean batch of chocolate chip pancakes, but you two don't look like you're interested in breakfast," Luda said. "Care to give me the 411?"

"Nysa's been shot!" Kogami said. "And Reese's daughter is missing."

Luda's face darkened with the news. "Nysa?"

"She's in surgery right now," Akane replied. "It's not looking good."

Lips pressed into his mouth, Luda fought to control his temper. Nostrils flared, he laid the spatula down and laid his hands flat on the counter to avoid punching something. "McNeill's making his move."

"His mistake," Kogami growled. "And if I have my way, it'll be his last."

"If it is McNeill, he'll try to finish the job," Rocio said with concern. "Nysa's not safe, Luda, not even with the cops and feds watching over her."

"They probably have her at Great Palm Hospital. Virgil, summon the Patriarchs."

The holo of the poet appeared, sitting at one of the bar stools. "A priority call has been dispatched with details of the circumstances, Lord Patriarch."

Luda opened a hidden panel behind the bar and grab a set of keys. Tossing them at Kogami he said, "If this is McNeill, the last thing we should give him is what he wants. Babygirl should stay in Purgatory in the vault. Take my Dodge Challenger, the red one. Can't miss it."

Kogami caught the keys. "Thanks."

"You know this is a trap, right, Ko? McNeill's setting you up. For what, I do not know."

Kogami brushed a hair from his face. "I know, but when is a wolf most dangerous?" He felt Akane take his arm. "When it's back is up against the wall."

"Even so, he's playing for keeps. Watch your ass. And hers."

Kogami grinned in response. "Always."