As the clansman led us closer, one thing I couldn't ignore was my growing fear.

    Mikey and Sarah's, too.

    I was sure I could feel theirs and that they could feel mine.

    Reason being, the abode wasn't just old and disheveled. It was, haunting. As though something was watching us from the shadows it created. Worse still, the onset of nightfall didn't make things any more comforting.

    Nevertheless, I'd maintained all game-faces as best I could.

    I'd patted Mikey's shoulder with conviction.

    Took a tighter grip of Sarah's hand.

    And puffed my chest as we entered the threshold.

    "There's, nothing here," Mikey then said, having spun on the spot and observed our surroundings.

    "What's going on," Sarah added, looking me square in the face. "I thought that, this is where O-Kenai, lived...?"

    I turned my stare onto the burly clansman, but spoke to my team, sharing what I now considered to be the likelihood. "Guys, she's smart. Too smart to ever reveal the actual location of her real lair. This is a, halfway house. Somewhere secluded where O-Kenai can conduct, 'business'."

    "Very good," the clansman said sarcastically. "You are the intelligent one, after all." He also acknowledged me with a nod, then reached for the sliding partition in front of us. Once he'd pulled away the rice-papered wood lattice, all three of us witnessed a thing of scenic beauty - literally - a cold heaven on Earth. To get a better view, we stepped out onto a quilted blanket of the whitest snow which compacted underfoot as all our weights shifted. On either side of the frozen garden there were snow-dusted shrubberies. More notably, straight ahead of us a twisted Sakura tree of magnificent girth stood in the middle of it. It was clearly as ancient as the dwelling; free of settled snow; and still strangely in bloom...

    I was sure that this eternal tree was the constant source of O-Kenai's notorious cherry blossom petals, and despite their menace, they were mesmerizing. Naturally, I'd gazed up at loose ones floating on the ice-cold air, until my eyes focused in on the constellations behind. Awestruck by the clear night, I squeezed Sarah's hand and reveled. "The star-speckled sky of the Milky Way...There's nothing more hypnotic..."

    "...Oh yes there is," a maniacal voice cooed. "'Me'."

    I didn't even have a second to stop gawping at the stars, let alone the time to recoil, pull Sarah back, or warn Mikey. Like a true phantom, O-Kenai had manifested in front of me, just an inch or so from my face. It was clearly her who'd been watching us from the shadows. The Pink Lady was also right. Her staring gaze wasn't only luminous, it was unwavering, with trance-inducing ability. Thankfully, Sarah pulled me back a little, which'd snapped me out of whatever spell O-Kenai was trying to work. "What 'are you'?" I quipped, as O-Kenai broke into soft laughter.

    "Your worst, fucking, nightmare," she stated, her eyes wide. "And, as previously discussed, Chon, it's time you reminded everyone else."

    I agreed with a nervous nod. A moment later, I'd pointed to where I thought Sarah and Mikey should set up. But I changed my mind a few times on purpose. I'd created the rouse to observe the garden. In all honesty, I was still mystified how O-Kenai was able to appear in front of me the way she did. The only area she could have concealed herself was behind the Sakura tree. Worst of all, I'd looked back down to the cold white blanket. It revealed an eerie truth. Aside from our large ones further back, there were no indentations of The Pink Lady's footprints in front.

    How on earth was she able to get to me without leaving petite marks in the snow...?

    "'Mr. World Affairs'," O-Kenai hummed at me, "now that they're set up, you can come and stand right back over here."

    She easily broke my contemplation.

    Moreover, the moon's chalky light reflected off her pink iLenses, and her prosthetic fangs gleamed revealingly after she'd smiled. For the first time, I'd also glimpsed her infamous umbrella blade at her back. Based on these factors, I chose to discard my game-face for a moment. Then when she could sense that my fear was at its ripest, O-Kenai began the torment. "It's show time. 'Action'..."

    I played her game; looked into Sarah and Mikey's AV-Holo-Suite; and spoke as fearlessly as possible. "Good evening, v-viewers. My name is Chon Lai, and tonight, I am tasked with showcasing, 'someone'. As you can see, that person is standing beside me, and is none other than the world's most wanted felon, 'O-Kenai Ashii', also known as 'The Pink Lady', and in recent times, 'The Queen of the Damned'. For those who do not know, O-Kenai is the world's only crime boss, and the Queenpin of The Rising Clans - a combination of gangster groups such as her Yakuza, the Triads, the Cartel, and Mafia. O-Kenai forced them all to unite under a mass-murder threat of their damned loved ones - and a threat she's explained she is triumphantly proud of. There is more," I warned. "Unofficially, O-Kenai is also one of the world's richest people, a multi-trillionaire, in fact. And, with regards to my brother, Xen Lai, once he'd created The Solution, he soon realized that his early financial estimations were wrong. He realized that legitimate combined funds would not be enough to make his orbital pilgrimage, happen. Therefore, he pursued the necessary and illegitimate funds of O-Kenai Ashii. Xen Lai also had a second motive for a contingency solution, and again, for trillions of privately invested money that he would need. Officially, we all now know that The Tripod Coalition consists of China, Kazakhstan, and more significantly, New Japan. As their richest citizen, O-Kenai is not only a huge asset to New Japan's recovering economy, but to Secretary Lai's programs as well. Subsequently, O-Kenai, here, has made her non-negotiable demands for her participation - demands I'm to share with you now, before The Result next month.

    "If either program goes ahead, The Pink Lady and her clans will finally ascend to the stars, away from Mother Nature's unpredictable clutches.

    "If either program goes ahead, Dwarven, or Earthian Star, will have a thriving black market, which The Pink Lady will strictly regulate from The Wealth Core - formerly The Central Column.

    "Lastly; with the exception of a female-born heir; if either program goes ahead, then rule of Dwarven or Earthian Star will be hers, until her dying day, and no others-"

    "-And, based on that," she interrupted happily, "I hope you all enjoy a pleasant stay aboard 'my star'. Sayonara. Suckers."

    Once again, I was shocked at the woman's audacity and as I'd looked back into the holo-suite, I concluded the showcase. However, my thoughts were elsewhere.

    Robin Albers was bad enough.

    But how on earth were we going to get rid of this, tyrant...?

    As the question looped in my mind, the tyrant in question snapped me out of it. "'Mr. World Affairs'," O-Kenai whispered, "you and your teams' compliance has been, appreciated. In addition to today's recording, publish the White Horde footage, and once done, you're, free to go..."

   "Really...?" I asked while accessing the file.

    "Of course," she nodded childishly.

    The whole situation felt way too easy. Nonetheless, I published the file of Xen getting his finger cut to WorldTube. Then with my AV-Holo Engineers latched onto me, I slowly moved away. That was until I'd backed into the chest of the burly clansman. Distracted, I hadn't heard him creep up behind us which now stopped any chance of retreat.

    That's when the atmosphere darkened. "Chon," O-Kenai chirped, "I must apologize for my blatant lies. Truth is, you and your bitch can go, but Mikey's got something that belongs to me."

    "Are you kidding me?" I barked. "What are you talking about?"

    "Chon, fucking hush. Or bleed out. Decide," she said with demonic flair.

     I decided to remain, mute.

  Just then, Sarah stifled a yelp by throwing her palms across her mouth.

     Mikey had slumped to the floor, and I'd turned to see the burly clansman putting a lid back on some kind of needle.

   "Good choice," O-Kenai praised me. "Now, like a good little couple, go wait in the hovermobile out front, until Emo drags your third wheel's limp ass back to you."

    Sarah and I fought back streams of tears as the man now known as Emo, led us away from our best friend; back through the desiccated dwelling and the rock-faced clearing; and then out into the tinted SUV.

    Emo returned to the house. A few minutes later, he appeared again with Mikey slumped over his right shoulder. Emo set him down, administered another injection, and miraculously, Chang came back to life! "Mikey! You okay?" I screamed from the hovermobile. Strangely, the goon driving had the holo-window down.

    "Dude, I'm okay," he groaned. "But what, h-happened?"

    "Mike, I'll tell you once you're inside and we're moving." I actually didn't know what the fucking psychos had done to him. "Then, we'll get you some water and go from there."

    "Alright," Mikey agreed.

    The second goon dematerialized the door from the outside, piled Mikey in next to Sarah, and then sat beside me. After the door solidified, Seatstream activations stopped Sarah from mothering the big guy, and I'd looked back out. I watched Emo who stood in front of the cracked rockface and dwelling with crossed arms.

    But he wasn't what freaked me out.

    She was.

    Just over Emo's left shoulder, O-Kenai now stood in a pitch-black room on the second floor. With an increase of pink fluorescence, her crystalized pupils gawped down at me from an open window for what seemed like forever. Even over the short distance, her eyes pierced my soul, and I only managed to break away once the holo-window fuzzed in to effect.

    As I blinked away from her, questions engulfed my mind.

    Why was Mikey suddenly on The Pink Lady's radar?

    Why had he been singled out?

    What on earth did he have that might belong to the Queenpin of The Rising Clans?

    As the goon sat next to me put sacks back over our heads, I was sure the three of us would remain none the wiser. But I was also sure that if anyone might have an idea of what Mikey owed O-Kenai, it would be my knowledgeable xiōngdi, Xen.

End of Chapter 16