Jianguomen Palace Hotel, Beijing, China. Thursday evening
[Part 1 of 3]
Lyle's anticipated call to the escort service had been diverted to Parker's phone, using the program supplied by Angelo. Miho had been sent to the address Lyle specified.
Now it was just time to wait.
Elsewhere, a door was opened, and Lyle smiled. "Hello! You look like just what the doctor ordered."
Miho smiled sweetly up at him.
She hoped he wasn't one of those who could recognize a fellow predator. Then this would get messy quicker than she'd planned.
Lyle paused, his eyes narrowing at Miho. "I've got champagne chilling. You do speak English, don't you?" He opened the door wider, eyes carefully watching her.
Miho just stared at him, wide-eyed, like she didn't comprehend. Maybe the escort service had just screwed up?
Should she giggle or something? She should probably giggle. But giggling was so undignified.
Lyle's smile widened. "That's okay. You don't have to talk. That's not what we're here for."
He shut the door, and loosened his tie. "Right. Now--" He reached to take her hand in a tight, vise-like grip. "This way, little girl."
Miho let herself be led, her free hand going surreptitiously for her blade because the gig was about to be very, very up.
Lyle let go of her hand to reach for the buttons on his shirt, then stopped, staring at his fingers. "What the hell...?"
Make-up was smeared across his hand, and he turned to stare at Miho's wrist, anger starting to drown confusion. "What's wrong with your arm?"
Something indefinable shifted in Miho's expression, and she reached up with the hand he'd just released to wipe off her face with her sleeve.
There was nothing wrong with her arm.
"Fuck!" Lyle fumbled for the switchblade in his jacket, not backing down even as the stare turned to a glare. "I don't like games unless I'm the one making the rules."
snikt!
"This one's over now."
No, it wasn't.
Miho drew her blade.
She loved games.
Lyle's grin widened even as the predator looked out of his eyes. "It's been a while since I had a challenge--"
He slashed toward her neck, then ducked toward the connecting door, where he'd left his gun.
Miho dodged the strike and stepped into his path in one smooth movement. It had been a while since she'd had a challenge, too, and honestly she didn't expect him to be one. But he still might be fun.
"So we are going to play--" Another slash, more of desperation than determination. "--good! You can join the others!"
Lyle threw himself at her, determined to wrestle her sword away. "Haven't used a sword before, maybe the next one will like it better after I'm done with you--"
There. A confession. Miho liked those. They meant she was in the right, which made other people happy. And people who'd hurt her sisters, even if they weren't Old Town girls, were almost as good as people who insulted her.
He could not have her sword. He could have a cut on the arm from it, though.
"Agh!"
He hadn't expected that, the others had fought, but they'd been scared, desperate, and unarmed-- "How did you know to bring that?" Lyle staggered back, one hand moving to cover the cut to try to stop the bleeding, knife still held up defensively. "Who sent you?! Was it Raines? Cox? Mr. Parker?"
Miho tilted her head and didn't answer. She wouldn't have anyway, but she didn't know any of those people so it was pointless.
"Bitch! Answer me!"
Another strike with the bleeding arm, as Lyle's temper got the better of him. Forget the gun, he'd finish her the old-fashioned way.
Oh, well, since he called her a bitch and all, of course she would answer him now. Why were men so stupid? It didn't matter, though. He was too angry to use any brains he might have, which meant he was boring her. Time to get to work.
For Miho, the fun was just getting started.
[Pre-played with the fatal fate deadly_little, and part 2 of 3
NFI, OOC = <3 ]
Lyle's anticipated call to the escort service had been diverted to Parker's phone, using the program supplied by Angelo. Miho had been sent to the address Lyle specified.
Now it was just time to wait.
Elsewhere, a door was opened, and Lyle smiled. "Hello! You look like just what the doctor ordered."
Miho smiled sweetly up at him.
She hoped he wasn't one of those who could recognize a fellow predator. Then this would get messy quicker than she'd planned.
Lyle paused, his eyes narrowing at Miho. "I've got champagne chilling. You do speak English, don't you?" He opened the door wider, eyes carefully watching her.
Miho just stared at him, wide-eyed, like she didn't comprehend. Maybe the escort service had just screwed up?
Should she giggle or something? She should probably giggle. But giggling was so undignified.
Lyle's smile widened. "That's okay. You don't have to talk. That's not what we're here for."
He shut the door, and loosened his tie. "Right. Now--" He reached to take her hand in a tight, vise-like grip. "This way, little girl."
Miho let herself be led, her free hand going surreptitiously for her blade because the gig was about to be very, very up.
Lyle let go of her hand to reach for the buttons on his shirt, then stopped, staring at his fingers. "What the hell...?"
Make-up was smeared across his hand, and he turned to stare at Miho's wrist, anger starting to drown confusion. "What's wrong with your arm?"
Something indefinable shifted in Miho's expression, and she reached up with the hand he'd just released to wipe off her face with her sleeve.
There was nothing wrong with her arm.
"Fuck!" Lyle fumbled for the switchblade in his jacket, not backing down even as the stare turned to a glare. "I don't like games unless I'm the one making the rules."
snikt!
"This one's over now."
No, it wasn't.
Miho drew her blade.
She loved games.
Lyle's grin widened even as the predator looked out of his eyes. "It's been a while since I had a challenge--"
He slashed toward her neck, then ducked toward the connecting door, where he'd left his gun.
Miho dodged the strike and stepped into his path in one smooth movement. It had been a while since she'd had a challenge, too, and honestly she didn't expect him to be one. But he still might be fun.
"So we are going to play--" Another slash, more of desperation than determination. "--good! You can join the others!"
Lyle threw himself at her, determined to wrestle her sword away. "Haven't used a sword before, maybe the next one will like it better after I'm done with you--"
There. A confession. Miho liked those. They meant she was in the right, which made other people happy. And people who'd hurt her sisters, even if they weren't Old Town girls, were almost as good as people who insulted her.
He could not have her sword. He could have a cut on the arm from it, though.
"Agh!"
He hadn't expected that, the others had fought, but they'd been scared, desperate, and unarmed-- "How did you know to bring that?" Lyle staggered back, one hand moving to cover the cut to try to stop the bleeding, knife still held up defensively. "Who sent you?! Was it Raines? Cox? Mr. Parker?"
Miho tilted her head and didn't answer. She wouldn't have anyway, but she didn't know any of those people so it was pointless.
"Bitch! Answer me!"
Another strike with the bleeding arm, as Lyle's temper got the better of him. Forget the gun, he'd finish her the old-fashioned way.
Oh, well, since he called her a bitch and all, of course she would answer him now. Why were men so stupid? It didn't matter, though. He was too angry to use any brains he might have, which meant he was boring her. Time to get to work.
For Miho, the fun was just getting started.
[Pre-played with the fatal fate deadly_little, and part 2 of 3
NFI, OOC = <3 ]