-Chapter 4 : The Calm Before
The Storm-

"Why did you help us?", Conrad asked as he looked straight at Karen's eyes while Louis sat silently, listening to what Karen was going to say.

"Because you remind me of myself", Karen said, her closed hand resting on her chin with the index finger pointing upwards. Conrad's eyebrow raised slightly after her statement.

"What do you mean by that?", Louis said for the first time, clearly interested with the topic.

"I know how it feels to be a property of someone and I also know the nightmare we have to face after that", Karen replied, her blue eyes never leaving Conrad's. She saw how Conrad's eyes narrowed a little before he averted his gaze to look down.

Conrad took his cigarettes' box and the lighter from the table with his slightly shaking hand before he pulled out a cigarette.

"What are you talking about? I don't understand", he said, his voice trembling a little. Conrad cleared his throat awkwardly before he put the cigarette between his lips and lit it.

Louis patted his friend's shoulder briefly as he felt the tension that came out from Conrad. He saw Conrad turned his head to look at Louis, giving a tiny smile and nodding his head.

"There is no need for you to lie to me, denying will lead you nowhere. And, as for the answer to your question. Lets just say that last night, I heard you screamed", Karen started, cocking her head to side. She watched Conrad's eyes widened at that.

"I thought that someone attacked you so I came to your room but I found no one inside besides you-", Karen got interrupted as Louis lifted his index finger.

"I'm sorry for interrupting miss Karen, but, you said that you know how it feels to be a property of someone. Have you ever been one? A property?", Louis asked, making both Conrad and Karen's attentions focused on him.

"You have a sharp mind, Mr. Louis. I like you already", Karen said with a smirk on her lips.

"Well, yes, I was a property to someone but I'm not going to tell you any detail because you two are basically strangers to me. You could've been a wolf in sheep's clothing for all I know. Oh! That makes me remember about something!", Karen exclaimed loudly, snapping her fingers. Suddenly her face turned to serious as she looked from Louis to Conrad and back to Louis.

"Who are you? Last night's party was not the kind of a party that any people could attend to it. I never met you two before and I have met a lot of people from the criminal world. You two are either new mafia members or undercover polices or maybe... CIA agents?", Karen said as she looked at the two men with unrelenting stare, silently studying their body languages.

Louis was about to answer when Karen lifted her hand, signalling for Louis to stop. 

"More importantly, I made sure that only the members of the underworld could come in. I've told my subordinates to put a chip on the attendants' invitation cards. So, can you both show me your invitation cards?", Karen continued as she pressed her lips together, now her gaze turning into a cold and calculating one.

-9-

Louis watched as Karen looked between Conrad and him. He glanced at his friend, finding that he was busy between smoking and sipping his coffee. He turned his eyes back to Karen when she started to speak, listening to what she said.

Louis' eyes widened a bit when he heard Karen's question. He quickly concealed his surprised as he grabbed his glass, sipping the tea as slow as he could. He then put the glass on the table when he felt that his emotion was under control. He was about to answer when Karen stopped him with her hand.

"More importantly, I made sure that only the members of the criminal world could come in. I've told my subordinates to put a chip on the attendants' invitation cards. So, can you both show me your invitation cards?", Louis heard Karen asked, making him took a deep breath to calm his nerve.

'What should I say? What can I do? Maybe I should tell a lie then give the invitation's cards? After all, Director Rogers said to do everything for the success of the mission', Louis thought, remembering the event that happened a few days ago.

Louis and Conrad as always was on their joined office at George Bush Center for Intelligence, Langley, Virginia, U.S.. As the best agents, they got a privilege to have their own office, though it was a joined one. They were currently busy writing a report of their last mission when they heard someone knocked the door.

"Come in", Louis said while Conrad grunted, not bothering to stop typing his report on his white MacBook.

Creak

Louis heard the creaking sound, making him stopped typing. He looked up to see a medium build man in black dress pants, light blue dress shirt and navy blue striped tie. The man was tan with a square face and slicked back hair. Louis recognized the man, he was one of the best agents like them. He  Louis and Conrad's best friend, Leon Adams.

"Yo pal! Director Rogers asked your presence to his office", Leon said after he came closer to the two males CIA desks. Conrad only grunted as he closed his black MacBook only to pull out a cigarette and put in between his mouth.

"Why did you always smoke that when you were about to go to Director Rogers' office? Is it really that stressful?", Leon asked in amused tone, watching his best friends busy to tidy up.

"It's less troublesome than light your ass", Conrad answered as he walked pass the gaping man.

"Hey!", Leon protested as he followed Conrad out of the office, leaving the laughing Louis behind.

---

After walking for five minutes, and dodging a kick from Leon, Conrad and Louis stood outside of their director's office.

Knock

Knock

"It's us Louis and Conrad, sir", Louis said after he knocked the door while Conrad busy tossed his cigarette to the nearest trash bin.

"Come in", they heard a reply from his boss. Conrad opened the door and walked inside the office, Louis following behind and closing the door.

Inside of the room, a white haired man sat on the black leather chair behind a wooden office table. The man was the Deputy Director of NCS (National Clandestine Service/Directorate of Operations), John Carter Rogers.

"Please take a seat", John said to his subordinates, gesturing to the two leather chairs in front of his table.

The two men walked then sat on the chairs. They waited patiently for his boss to say why they were called here. They didn't need to wait for long because the said man started to speak after he put a photo on the table.

"This is your next target, I want you two to gather information about this target", John explained, watching as Conrad grabbed the photo.

"Who is this target, sir?", Conrad asked as he looked up from the photo in his hand to his boss.

"This target is an important figure in the criminal world. We got an information that since the target made an appearance, the criminal world has been unrested. We were also told that this target had a plan that could danger America", John started in his cold tone, clenching his hands together on the table as he looking at Conrad and Louis with a serious look. 

"You need to gather the information about this target and the plan. Do everything you need to do for that", John said in final tone before he dismissed Conrad and Louis.

-10-

"We are undercover interpols", Louis answered Karen's question, making both Conrad and Karen looked at him like he was an alien.

Conrad's eyes widened when he heard what Louis said, it was a lie yes but it wasn't a total lie. He was torn between feeling horrified because Louis has just told someone about their secret or feeling amused because Louis was in a way being honest.

"Undercover interpols, huh? And care to tell me why or who is your target? Is it me?", Karen said as she looked at them with her still cold and calculating eyes. She was slowly moved her hand to the underside of her table where a hidden button was. The button to alarm her subordinates that she was in need of their helps.

"No, our target is not you. Our target is Charles Cho, the current leader of the Triad. We have to gather information about him but we have no chance now", Conrad said, what he said wasn't a lie itself. Yes, Charles Cho was their target but the case had been covered right before their current mission.

Karen watched carefully Conrad's expression, noting that she couldn't detect any lie from him. She then turned her eyes to Louis, she too couldn't detect any lie on his eyes. Though her guts told her that something wasn't right.

'If they said that they're undercover interpols then there's a chance that their real target is someone from Yakuza. I'll keep an eye on them', Karen thought, nodding her head as she made a final decision.

"If you said so then there is no need for me to check your invitation's cards. But, don't mistake my kindness for weakness, because if you messed with me and my family then I'll mess with yours", Karen said in a cold tone, looking at Conrad and Louis with a cold eyes. A sound interrupted before the two men could reply to what Karen just said.

Knock

Knock

"Who is it?", Karen said, averting her eyes from the two men to her sliding door. She saw a silhouette of a medium build man stood on the other side of the door. 

"Ane-san it's me Tatsuya, I'm here to inform you about something", a male voice answered with polite tone. Karen recognized the voice, it was her assistant, Tatsuya, Tatsuo twin brother.

"Come in, Tatsuya-kun", Karen commanded as she grabbed her glass from the table, sipping her water softly as she waiting for her assistant.

Swish

Thud

Karen turned her head to side, just in time to see Tatsuya bowed to her before he stood straight. "Good morning, Tatsuya-kun. What brings you here?", she asked, tilting her head to side in confusion. She couldn't recall that she made a promise to meet him.

"Good morning ane-san. I'm here to inform you about something but before that please let me tell you something", Tatsuya said, half-begging half-demanding to Karen.

Karen nodded her head and waved her hand, motioning for him to go ahead and say what's on his mind.

"Ughh.. I want to apologize for what my brother did this morning. Please forgive him ane-san", Tatsuya said hesitantly as he bowed deeply to Karen. His statement stunned Karen, she never suspected that he said something like that.

"It's okay Tatsuya. You don't need to apologize when there's nothing to be apologized for. I know that he was just joking and I never take his jokes to heart", Karen brushed off Tatsuya's apologize with a small laugh.

Tatsuya quickly looked up, feeling that his heart was relieved. He was happy to hear that his boss wasn't mad at his little brother. He then bowed over and over again in gratitude.

"You look like Jack-in-the-box when you bow continuously like that", Conrad said out of blue with a smirk in his lips, startling the other occupants inside the room.

Louis looked at his friend with a horrified look while Tatsuya gaped at Conrad. Karen, on the other hand, laughed even more.

Tatsuya quickly righted his posture before he cleared his throat loudly. "Ane-san there is a message from Tsukasa-sama-", he wasn't done explaining when Karen cut him off.

"Oh my god! Tsukasa-sama! Damn, it's almost 10 am! Conrad, Louis, come, we have to go to Tsukasa-sama's office!", Karen hurriedly stood, righting her black kimono with small red, white and navy squares (1) and appearance. She turned her attention to the frozen men, Louis and Conrad.

"Uhhh ane-san about that-", Tatsuya tried to explain but Karen cut him off.

"Come on! Don't just gaping like goldfish!", Karen commanded as she walked away from her place to Louis and Conrad's.

Karen was about to pull up the men when she heard someone opened her door without her permission. She whirled around as she pulled out her pistols from its hidden place on her thighs. She was going to point her pistols on the said person when her feet caught the end of her kimono.

Karen saw that she was going to fall face first to the ground when she felt someone yanked her hand. The person pulled her, making her body collided with the said person. The impact was so great that they were knocked off to the ground.

"Well ane-san, I know that you're quite excited about this gigolos thing but I never know that you're an ochlophiliac (2). And just so you know that I'm not a voyeur (3)", a deep voice said from the direction of the door.

"Such interesting position, you're in, my dear Karen. And well, at least she did in inside of her room, Gou", a familiar voice said, looking at Karen and Conrad with amused look.

There, Karen was on top of Conrad. Her kimono was slightly opened and Conrad's was in a mess. Her legs were around Conrad's waist while her hands on his chest. But that was not all. Not at all. Well... their lips pressed together and Conrad's hands were on Karen's chests.... Well damn...

"Well ane-san, are you two going to do that all day or no?", Gou asked, slightly irritated because he stood a good five minutes in the doorway while his boss was having the time of her life.

That statement woke Karen out of her shocked state. She quickly rolled to the side with her hand grasped the front of her kimono. She stood and righted her kimono in no time.

"Ughh sorry about that, Gou, Tsukasa-sama? Huh? I thought that you want to meet me in your office?", Karen tilted her head to side, feeling confused for her oyabun sudden appearance.

"You didn't tell her, Sasaki?", Eiji asked, looking at the squirming wakagashira-hosa with a confused look.

"Ughhh... I apologize Tsukasa-sama... I was about to tell ane-san... but.. uh.. that happened", Tatsuya emphasized the 'that' word as he bowed deeply to his big boss.

"Ahh I see. Well, you two can wait outside while I talk to Karen and her gigolos", Eiji said, more like commanded to everyone's ears, gesturing to Gou and Tatsuya.

Gou and Tatsuya bowed before they left the room. Tatsuya closed the door as he stood outside Karen's room.

-11-

"So who are they? Don't try to lie to me because I know that they're not your gigolos", Eiji said straight to the point after Karen served him a glass of Eiji's favorite beverage, matcha or green tea.

Eiji, Karen, Conrad and Louis currently sat on the two long ottomans. Conrad and Louis on the same ottoman and Eiji sat alone on the other, while Karen left to sit on the floor.

"You're right Tsukasa-sama, they are not my gigolos. I apologize for lying to you", Karen bowed deeply, her forehead right on the floor.

"Rise, Karen", Eiji said in a serious tone, watching as Karen rose from her bow.

"Then explain to me who are they", Eiji demanded, folding his hands on his chest.

"They're undercover interpols, Tsukasa-sama. And no, we are not their target. They explained to me that their target is Charles Cho", Karen explained, all the time she looked down at her lap.

"Is it true?", Eiji asked, now his calculating eyes looking at Conrad and Louis.

"Yes sir, it is", It was Louis who replied Eiji's question.

"Do you know that there might be a chance that they lied to you, Karen?", Eiji asked, his attention was back to Karen.

"Yes, I'm aware of that, Tsukasa-sama. I also know the consequence of such thing if it happened", Karen said, biting down her lower lip.

"Do you also know the punishment if it happened?", Eiji said in his now cold tone.

Louis and Conrad looked at Eiji with widened eyes, wondering what he was talking about. What kind of punishment.

Karen quickly looked up at her boss. "Yes, I also aware of the punishment, Tsukasa-sama. And I'll take whatever punishment you deem fit for that", she said in an unyielding and firm tone, clearly serious about her statement. Louis and Conrad turned their eyes to Karen, surprised at what she has just said.

Eiji's eyes softened a little as a small smile graced his lips. He was about to reply it when a ringtone of Extreme Ways by Moby blared loudly. He knew who it belongs to so he looked at the Yakuza's second-in-command.

Karen's face tinted in pink as she apologized to her boss and the two men. She sheepishly pulled out her phone from the hidden pocket on her kimono's sleeve. She looked down at her phone and saw an unidentified number on the monitor. She once again apologize to the three men before she answered the phone.

"Moshimoshi (Hello)", Karen answered the phone using japanese, silently wondering who it was that called her.

"NANI?! (What?!). Hai (yes). Hai. Hai, arigatou gozaimasu (yes, thank you)", Karen yelled with a scared look on her face, startling the occupants of the room.

Eiji whipped his head to look at his kobun when he heard the scared tone on Karen's voice. Right before Eiji could ask anything, he saw Karen dashed out of the room. He quickly followed her, feeling that something was wrong. Definitely wrong if Karen ran like that.

Karen ran with all her might to the direction of the garage. She ran with blurry eyes, tears running down on her cheeks. She knocked off everyone on her path, ignoring them when they yelled at her.

When she was inside the garage, she looked to the left and right, spotting her black Harley-Davidson Sportster Iron 883 (4). She quickly started the bike after she threw on a helmet.

"Karen! Karen!", Eiji called off but it felt to deaf ears.

Karen kept riding her bike on full-speed and going away from the headquarter in a matter of seconds. There was only one thing on her mind and she needed to go there as soon as possible.

-To Be Continued-

Footnotes : (According to wikipedia.com, kinkly.com, drmarkgriffiths.wordpress.com, and riversideharley.com)
(1) Below is the female version of a kimono.

(2) Ochlophiliac is someone who is sexually aroused by crowds or things related to crowds.
(3) Voyeur is someone who likes to watch people without them knowing. (Voyeurism is the sexual interest in or practice of spying on people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other actions usually considered to be of a private nature).
(4) Sportster® Harley-Davidson models are both smaller and lighter than most others, with an appearance clearly inspired by racing cycles. Using either 883 cc or 1,200 cc Evolution engines to provide agile power on both highway and city streets. Below is the picture Harley-Davidson Sportster Iron 883 (one of the Sportster's types).