It had taken her a long time to calm down from her confrontation.
But it wasn't nearly as excruciating as she’d thought it would be. Though her hands had shaken for a while, and her back was still slick with sweat, her mouth dry no matter how many times she swallowed, she didn't want to run away and hide under her bed covers and never come out again.
In a way she was proud of herself.
She hadn't backed down.
She’d gone all the way to Chase Harlow and told him exactly what she thought of him.
She’d been brave and courageous.
Suicidal, possibly, but she had stood her ground. Her grandmother would be proud.
Rather than heading in to work, Keiko had made a hasty call to Jenny and had begged her roommate to fill in for her. Jenny had agreed, possibly only because Keiko had admitted she’d gone to see Chase, and in Jenny's mind that meant one thing.
Then Keiko had spent the rest of the day doing nothing, walking around the city, window shopping, and trying to calm down.
She’d bought her lunch, settled down in the park, and had stared at the trees shifting about in the breeze.
She told herself that she was never going to make a mistake like this again. She’d been taken away by his charm, good looks, and money, hadn’t she? Why else had she spent three days tracking down those documents, only to be so stupid to leave them with him?
'Well it's not going to happen again,’ Keiko said firmly to herself, really trying to make herself believe her own words.
Though she could spend the rest of the afternoon in the park, as the afternoon drew on, the air started to chill her even through her thick jacket. She’d pulled it from her car, along with some gloves and a scarf, but right now they weren’t doing their job, and with a quick look up to the fat, white, billowing clouds above, it almost looked like there was snow on the horizon.
Like all other weather, Keiko loved snow. She loved wind, rain, hail, everything.
Just staring up at the clouds, no matter what color they were or whether they were bucketing down with drenching rain, made her feel more alive. It made her forget herself and all her troubles.
But before she could kick back on the grass, bring her hands behind her back and stare up at the wintry sky above, she forced herself to her feet instead.
She had the afternoon off, and technically she should make the most of it. She had an assignment due in a week, and the apartment was a complete tip.
So grumbling, Keiko walked through the park, heading towards the side street that would lead down to her parked car.
She never reached it though.
Because a car drew up just before her, sharp and quick, the tires actually screeching as they mounted the curb.
It surprised her, and she shuddered, her hands still locked firmly in her pockets.
She stared at it for a moment, then turned away and continued to walk on.
She didn't get far. Someone jumped out of the car.
They ran up to her. She turned.
She expected him. She was wrong.
The face she looked up into belonged to a large, heavyset man, with several scars jagged down his cheeks and eyebrows.
'Can I help you?’ she asked quickly, her heart aflutter in her chest for some reason.
'I reckon,' the guy said in a low voice.
There was something about the tone and the peculiar curl of his lips that got to Keiko. It also made her realize how deserted the street around her was at that moment.
There were several entrances to the park, and it just so happened that she was near the one that was least used. It backed out onto a series of alleyways, and though there were buildings all around, they were mostly restaurants that were used at night but were hardly ever open during the day.
Keiko took a quick step back, the movement jerky.
The guy didn't say anything. But he did follow.
‘I'm sorry, but I have to go,' Keiko managed through a shaking voice.
She was not sorry; the guy was creeping her out. But Keiko had the kind of personality that had to excuse herself, even when she was facing down a brute of a man with scars all over his face and a menacing look in his eye.
That did not stop her from pushing herself into a jerky half jog.
She’d parked her car down a little side street that she knew well. It always had a few car spaces left, because it was practically abandoned. A fact that Keiko now dreaded.
In an instant she realized she should not lead the man to her car, but as she ran through the mouth of the alleyway, she could no longer turn back.
He was behind her; she could hear him.
A strange kind of desperation that Keiko had never felt before rang through her belly and shook through her back.
She could hardly breathe, hardly speak, hardly make a sound. Her jerky jog picked up into a run, then a sprint.
He was still behind her.
Just before she could open her mouth and force out a scream or reach for her phone, a car turned its way into the alley. It drove up fast, slamming on its breaks when it was opposite her.
Someone forced the door open.
It was Chase Harlow.
She had no idea what to do.
Then the guy behind caught up to her.
Chase Harlow
He’d gone out to find her. After he'd shared his story with Victor and Julius and the two had considered him with suspicion, Chase had realized that he couldn't just let this slide.
After he made his secretary call the nursing home and confirm that indeed two man had gone to visit Ami Teshi yesterday, he couldn't ignore it any more.
Somebody else knew about Keiko, and it had to be the sect. Or if not the Sect, maybe one of Chase’s other competitors. The point was, it was dangerous.
He’d left Victor and Julius in his office, Victor mumbling something about going to check through the security logs to prove that Keiko had been snooping outside of Chase’s office.
Chase had left him to it.
Because the longer the afternoon had drawn on, the more the guilt had surged.
He couldn't just leave Keiko alone, because he knew if he did, the Sect wouldn't.
So he'd crammed himself into his car and driven around to her house.
No one had answered, and swearing to himself, Chase had gotten back in.
He knew where she worked, as his secretary had already pulled up every snippet of information she could get on the woman, but Keiko was not at work either.
Driving around the city, at a loss of what to do, Chase berated himself more and more.
Because maybe Keiko was right. When she'd stormed into his office, she’d snapped at him that just because he was rich, he couldn't get away with everything he wanted. Maybe the possibility of finding out information about Aiko had gone to his head, and maybe Chase had forgotten that real people were involved in this. It wasn't just some personal game, some personal race to victory.
Swearing again, he circled around the park. Not because he hoped to see her there, but because the roads around that area were the quickest route back onto the highway. She might have gone to visit her grandmother or maybe she'd gone back to her parents. He already had the right addresses.
At that thought, Chase winced.
He really was creepy, wasn't he? He really was using his wealth and position to do things any decent person wouldn't.
But he was committed now, and he had to find her, before they did.
Then providence had smiled.
He’d been behind a car when it had roughly turned towards the curb, parking with a screech.
Shaking his head at the bad driving, he’d pulled around them to move on.
Then he'd seen her. Keiko. As he’d driven past, he’d seen her expression snap to white. Then she’d pushed across the street rather hurriedly, and made her way down the nearest alley.
Chase had gone to turn in to follow, but the damn lane was one-way, so he’d looped around, speeding as he did, heart racing, mind ablaze.
Did he recognize that car? The one that had parked so hastily on the curb.
Did he recognized the thick-necked man who had piled out of it?
Chase finally pulled into the alley, speeding up it and then slamming on his breaks when he saw her, the car jolting at the violent move.
His heart in his throat, he flung open his door. 'Get in,’ he called to her.
She hesitated.
She did not run over to him.
And that was when the man caught up to her.
He wrapped his arms around her middle, pulling off her feet. She let out the beginning of a screech, but he slammed one of his massive hands over her mouth, and it was cut short.
She struggled against his grip, kicking out with her legs, but the guy was huge.
Chase ran from his car, barely having the time to yank up the park break, lest it roll away.
He launched himself at the guy, but whoever he was, he was quick on his feet, and he darted back, pulling an arm out, dropping it to his jacket, and then grabbing out a gun.
'Don't you dare,’ he said as he pointed it at Chase.
He pulled his hand from Keiko's mouth to readjusted his grip, and she began to scream again, but the guy rammed his gun against the side of her head hissing at her to shut up or he would shoot.
Her face crumpled down in shock and disbelief, tears starting to streak down her cheeks.
Chase slowly brought his hands up.
He’d been in his fair share of confrontations with the Sect. If indeed, that was who this guy belonged to.
Usually they weren’t this desperate. Violent, yes, but secretive. If they wanted Keiko, they could have stolen into her apartment in the middle of the night and kidnapped her in quiet. For them to Chase her down in the street in the middle of the day, and risk having the police called, meant they were desperate. Unusually desperate.
Keiko kept on whimpering, softly, her arms shaking, more tears falling down her cheeks.
'I could just shoot you, but I won't if you're a good girl,' the guy said.
His words sickened Chase. From the particular tone of his voice to what he'd said; it was derogatory, sharp, and sleazy.
He tried to catch Keiko’s eyes, tried to reassure her, but she’d closed them against the tears and the onslaught.
'That's a good girl,' the guy said condescendingly, still not moving his gun from her head.
‘Now Mister Chase Harlow is going to get out of my way, step away from his car, and turn a blind eye,’ the guy said as he turned Chase's way, nodding at the car behind him. ‘It looks nice, I’ll be sure not to dent it, too much,’ the guy added with a loud laugh.
Chase, every single muscle in his body tensed, slowly stood to the side.
Because there was nothing he could do.
He couldn't tell the guy there was no way he was going to steal Chase's car. He couldn't rush forward, somehow pry the gun from his grip, and stop him from hurting Keiko.
'You know, we only keep you alive because you're dumb enough to bring us clues like this,' the guy admitted as he made it to the car, opened the back door, and got ready to shove Keiko inside.
Then Chase watched in sickened horror as the man pulled a syringe from his pocket as he somehow still had his arm locked around Keiko while his gun was pointed at Chase, and then he injected her in the neck in a swift but fumbled move.
She somehow managed to stifle a scream, and fortunately she didn't fidget too much; the needle going in smoothly without breaking in her neck.
Then she collapsed.
Seconds later, her body drawing limp, it was one of the most harrowing sights Chase had ever seen.
Not nearly as harrowing as watching the guy pile her into the back, get into the front seat of Chase’s car, offer him a low nod, close the door, and then drive off in a screech of tires.
Chase Harlow had only met Keiko Teshi about a week ago.
Before that, according to the information his secretary had managed to dig up on her, she had been a normal, if awkward, university student working for a catering company. Her grades were unremarkable, her ambitions apparently non-existent, she had been miles and miles away from Chase’s usual world.
Well now he had dragged her into it. And now her life would never be the same.
She’d just been kidnapped by the Sect.
And Chase was responsible.