In the Tokyo Mental Asylum in the heart of the city, a young woman was making her way through the building, into the room of her designated patient. She moved silently and swiftly through the door, and let it swing shut, before locking it again. She knew some of the other inmates were going to be allowed to prowl through the corridors in a minute. They may be supervised, but she did not want to take any risks. She turned to look at the female figure laying on the small bed.

The inmate was a tall woman, with a golden mane of hair which fell just past her shoulders, and she had blue eyes. Eyes that contained the flicker of criminal insanity. She was a high maintenance inmate; her arms were straight-jacketed and her legs had been bound together. Straps and buckles kept her pinned to the mattress, with a thin duvet pulled over her.

She turned to look at the doctor, who nervously ran a hand over her right wrist. The inmate had been forced to wear a bite mask since she attacked her doctor. There were the remains of teeth imprints in the doctor’s skin.

The doctor cautiously made her way over, and removed the bite mask, quickly removing her hands from reach.

‘Hello Kirsty!’ she said, in a falsely bright voice. ‘How are you this morning?’

The inmate grunted, instead of making a proper reply. The doctor restrained herself from rolling her eyes.

‘Did you sleep well?’

‘Tani,’ whispered Kirsty. ‘I want to see…Tani…’

‘Now Kirsty, you know you can’t see him. He won’t come to visit you since the accident with the axe.’ And I can’t blame him, the doctor added to herself.

Everything was an accident as far as she was concerned. Kirsty had stolen an axe from General Tani’s enemy, Count Takeshi, and then made her way over to the General’s house, where she attempted to butcher him. She had failed. All she had done was take one of his fingers off, and he had managed to subdue her and call the emergency services, who carted her away. That had been three months ago. The doctor, Sarah, had heard that his parting words to his insane ex-Corporal had been: “Goodbye, Corporal Kirsty, I will always remember you” but he had refused to see her, in case his presence made her aggressive again.

‘Are you hungry?’ asked Sarah, taking care not to look at the remnants of the bite on her arm, and made sure that there was no way Kirsty could try and bite her again. ‘It’ll be dinner time soon, and it would be nice to get out of this room for a bit, wouldn’t it?’

Kirsty attempted to shrug, but was prevented from moving much because of the many straps and buckles and fastenings binding her tightly. She was trying to remain as usual as she normally was, not showing any signs of the internal excitement at the prospect of this upcoming meal.

Kirsty had it all planned in her mind. Today was the day that she was determined to get out, escape from this prison and finish what she started three months ago. But, so as not to arouse suspicion, she acted as normal as possible, not trying to show any emotional at all, when all she wanted to do was run around and jump about.

* * *

Early that evening, the inmates were directed into the cafeteria, where they ate without their doctors breathing down their necks. The room was filled with white, circular tables, with four patients to each one. At every door stood a tall, muscular man, in a dark uniform, who held a baton in his hands and had tranquilisers close by in case something should happen.

Kirsty sat down in her usual seat, next to a young boy who had been in the asylum since his teenage years. He was very shaky, especially his hands, and he was constantly on the lookout for something flammable. He had to be kept under close observation most of the day because of his uncanny knack of finding something to start a fire with. Sarah had momentarily removed Kirsty’s straightjacket and bite mask, and her legs were untied, and then moved away as fast as was decently possible.

‘Have you spoke to, him lately?’ she asked, in a low voice.

‘Yes, I have, don’t worry.’

‘So you’ve got everything sorted out?’ whispered Kirsty, looking anxiously at the nearest guard, who seemed to be paying her a lot of attention.

‘Yep, I just said, don’t worry,’ replied the boy, showing Kirsty the contents of his pocket he had managed to obtain from somewhere, without anybody working in the asylum knowing and whispered something to her. ‘I’ll create the distraction, and get the guards coming for me, and then that’ll be the cue for Otohiko to set off the fire alarm. Then you can make your escape.’

‘Excellent,’ replied Kirsty, a broad grin spreading over her face. ‘When are you going to do it?’

‘Not yet,’ replied the boy, ‘we’ll wait until everybody is absorbed in their food, when the guards will least suspect it. You got transport to get well away from here?’

She nodded.

Kirsty waited and waited, but nothing was happening yet. It felt like excruciating mental torture. She slowly ate the muck that had been placed in front of her, uncomfortably aware that she was under the scrutiny of a nearby guard. It was more than his job was worth to let her escape, should she try it.

She was losing patience fast, and was just about to ask the boy what he was playing at, when he suddenly stood up at the table, and then plunged his hand into his pockets. He pulled out a small plastic bottle, which he had filled with deodorant, and a lighter.

One of the guards came over to him, to restrain him and get him sat back down at the table, but he squeezed the middle of the bottle, and instantly put the lighter to the deodorant that escaped, and used it as a flamethrower, catching the guard in the face. He screamed and backed off, holding his burnt skin as the other guards left their posts and rushed forwards.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kirsty could see Otohiko’s hand reaching up for the fire alarm, and then sharply pulled it down. The alarm rang out, and Otohiko rapidly moved away, so that nobody would realise it was him who set the alarm off. The guards stopped and a number cursed loudly, thinking that it was just an ordinary fire drill. None of them noticed Kirsty slipping out of the cafeteria.

* * *

She came to a stop once exiting the building. It was raining. The sky was grey, clouds everywhere. Large puddles were forming on the floor. She trampled through them without a second thought, her bare feet turning frozen already. There was a car waiting for her nearby. The driver waved at her, signalling her to get in, out of the rain, and fast. She ran, cold water splashing up her legs as she tore through the puddles, and then threw herself into the car.

‘It’s good to see you again, Kirsty,’ said the driver, turning around to look at her.

‘And you, Sonomanma,’ she replied. ‘I hope Count Takeshi isn’t too mad at me, after failing to kill General Tani.’

‘Well, it’s because of Tani that Takeshi wanted to see you break free…’

* * *

It was the next day, and General Tani was up, in his office, reluctantly sifting through the mound of paperwork that had been carelessly shovelled onto his desk.

A young woman had entered his compound, and was just about to turn the handle to Tani’s office, when a hand was laid on her wrist. She looked up into the startling blue eyes of his Corporal.

‘And where do you think you’re going?’ she asked.

‘I need to speak to General Tani,’ the woman replied, looking hard at the Corporal. ‘I have something to tell him.’

‘I’ll be more than happy to pass a message on to him from you.’

‘Fine,’ sighed the woman, impatiently. She reached into her bag and pulled out a strip of paper, and pushed it into the Corporal’s hands. ‘Just give him that, and tell him that my name is Doctor Wenman, please.’

The Corporal nodded and knocked on Tani’s door, listening for a response.

‘Come in,’ called out Tani, his voice muffled through the door. ‘Ah, it’s you, Ria.’

‘General Tani, sir, a woman just came to see you. Doctor Wenman, or something. She’s got a note for you.’

Ria held out the note in front of her, and started to read what it said. Her expression turned shocked.

‘Something about one of your exes…’ she stated, looking a bit dumbfounded. Tani gave her a look, and then realised what she was thinking. He laughed.

‘I seriously doubt that it’s an ex-girlfriend, if that’s what you’re thinking, Corporal. Although God knows they needed a doctor,’ smirked Tani, rolling his eyes. Ria laughed. ‘More like an ex-Corporal or somebody.’

‘Funny you should say that, sir, because I’ve just had a look at the name, and it s a Corporal the note is about.’

Tani felt a strange sensation in his stomach. He looked at his right hand, where he had a finger missing. A small wave of panic rushed over him.

Surely not…, he thought. Surely I’m not expected to visit her?…

‘Somebody called Kirsty?’

Tani felt the wave of panic intensify. He swallowed, his mouth suddenly curiously dry, and forced himself to speak.

‘She’s escaped, apparently, sir.’

The General half fell, half leaped out of his seat, and stared at Ria, his face a mask of fear.

‘Are you serious?’ he gasped, choked up. Ria nodded and handed the note over to him.

‘What…’ started Ria, her voice suddenly meek and hesitant. ‘What happened to her…to get her landed in a mental institution?’

‘She was severely injured in her work for me. The war with Takeshi…just before it finished, she was hit hard, and ended up brain damaged. Some of the Emerald Guards made contact with her, knowing her condition and manipulated her. I don’t know what they said to make her hate me so much, but it sure as hell worked, because they managed to convince her to try and kill me,’ explained Tani, still looking at his mutilated hand.

Ria followed his gaze and gasped, having made the connection.

‘She…did that?’

Tani nodded silently in his reply.

‘Am I the one who took over from her?’

‘Do a number of your Corporals end up really hurt, like her?’ questioned Ria, her voice saturated with unease. Tani looked up, sharply.

‘No, Corporal Newton, they don’t. I hope you’re not starting to have second thoughts about working for me?’

‘No sir, of course not!’

‘Good. Because you knew the risks when you signed up, like everybody else. I make sure that there is one of my Corporals, or Lieutenants or somebody there to tell the people that are thinking of joining what it is like, and the dangers. It’s a risky job, working for me, I’ll admit it. But once you’ve signed up, and I’ve accepted, there’s no easy way out.’

‘Yes sir, I know that, but - I - I was just…wondering…,’ mumbled Ria, looking embarrassedly at her feet. Tani visibly softened, knowing that he was a bit hard on her.

‘What happened to Kirsty was unfortunate. It was also the first time that one of my troops has been brain damaged. I’m thankful for that. Anyway, you are dismissed Corporal, I’m sure there’s something you can find to do.’

‘Yes sir,’ replied Ria, slipping out of his office.

Tani closed the door behind her, and looked at the note in his hand.

Tani screwed the note up and threw it on the floor, leaning up against the shut door. He held his hands to his face, the fact that one of his fingers was missing more noticeable than before.

Tani was subjected to a flashback of that fateful night when his deranged ex-Corporal came hammering on his door, almost breaking it off its hinges.

* * *

Tani could remember clearly himself clambering out of bed and heading to the front door, whilst a thunderstorm raged outside. He could plainly hear the pattering of the rain on his windows in his mind’s ear.

Just as he opened the door, he remembered a flash of lightning cracking through the sky, throwing the face of the person standing on his doorstep into sharp relief.

* * *

Tani shook his head, as though shaking the bad thoughts out of his head, and forced himself to forget about Kirsty’s escape. She would be lucky if she could remember where he lived.

* * *

It was a week later, and Corporal Newton, and Lieutenant Hideshi had noticed a real change in their General’s demeanour since he had received the news of Kirsty’s escape.

‘He’s got every right to be worried,’ explained Hideshi, when Ria confessed to him of her worries about Tani. ‘You weren’t in his company after Kirsty was locked away. He got frightened so easily, even the female troops worried him, because he thought that it was Kirsty coming for him again.’

The pair were walking through the compound grounds, watching the new recruits train with vigour. Tani’s secretary, Aki Higa, came hurrying over to them.

‘Corporal Newton, Lieutenant Hideshi, there’s something you ought to see. Something odd has arrived for General Tani, and I think you ought to take a look at it before I give it to him.’

They followed Aki back to her office, which was next to Tani’s. Ria paused outside his door, wondering whether he was still unnerved by the escape of Kirsty. Hideshi ushered her away, after Aki.

The Japanese woman motioned to a pile of paper work on her desk, as well as a bottle. Ria stared blankly at it.

‘You called us in for this?’

‘I know it doesn’t look like much, but just smell the bottle. It’s got some sort of chemicals inside,’ stated Aki.

Ria reached out for it, but Hideshi stopped her.

‘I wouldn’t touch it. If it is something sinister, you’re not going to want your fingerprints all over it, are you?’ he questioned.

‘Good point.’

‘Don’t you have any rubber gloves or something in here, Aki?’ he demanded, looking at her. Aki sighed, exasperated.

‘I’m Tani’s secretary, not a Chief Medical Examiner in a morgue, damn it!’ She sighed again, ‘I’ll have a look. You might be lucky.’

He waited for several minutes whilst she pottered around her office, searching for a pair of rubber gloves, and eventually found a pair. He snapped them over his fingers and tentatively picked up the bottle. The nauseous smell of chemicals overwhelmed him almost instantly, and he came close to dropping it. He cautiously put it back on the desk, looking worried. He turned to the wall where he knew Tani’s office was, and exhaled loudly.

‘God. Somebody’s sent the General a bottle bomb.’

‘Are you serious?’ asked Ria, dumbfounded.

‘No Ria, I was joking,’ retorted Hideshi, scathingly. ‘I doubt you’ll remember, but there was a scare when a number of people started making lots of bottle bombs and giving them to random people. So many casualties and fatalities.’

‘Yeah…’ started Ria, slowly. ‘Get to the point.’ Hideshi shot her a sharp look.

‘Tani was called in to try and apprehend the people making them, and spent most of his time reeking of chemicals. This bottle bomb he’s been sent now is the same stuff, it’s got the same distinctive smell,’ explained Hideshi.

‘Three guesses who sent it,’ muttered Aki, darkly.

‘GOOD GOD!’ exclaimed Ria, loudly. ‘Evil son of a bit-’

She was cut off by Hideshi clamping his hand firmly over her mouth and hissing ‘shut up!’

The door to Aki’s office opened, and Tani stood in the doorway, an expression of curiosity on his features.

‘What on earth were you wailing at, Corporal?’ He saw Hideshi give her an evil look.

‘N-nothing sir. Hideshi just made me jump, that’s all,’ she muttered in a completely unconvincing voice, not meeting his eyes. She looked up at Tani, and saw him gazing at

her, looking sceptical.

‘Hideshi managed to scare the crap out of you so badly, that you use profanities so loudly that half of Japan could hear?’

‘Erm…yes sir?’

‘Not buying it, Corporal. Now I don’t know what really made you so panicky, but it would be nice if you bit your tongue. Or at least turned the volume down in future, okay?’

‘Yes sir, sorry sir,’ she replied meekly, looking at his shoes.

She raised her view, and saw his right hand, with its missing finger. She knew that she ought not to stare, but could not help it. With the suspicion that Kirsty had already tried to kill him only a week after escaping, she found herself wondering exactly what happened before she was locked up. His injured hand was the only relic of a vicious attack. It seemed to hold her attention better than anything else in the room.

He caught her staring, and held the hand behind his back, saying in a stern voice, ‘you’d do much better to know when to stop staring.’

Without another look at the three, he turned around and left, closing the door quietly behind him. Ria turned to Hideshi.

‘He has to know.’

‘Are you crazy?’ he snapped, looking incredulously at her. ‘The last thing we want is for him to lose his head. You don’t know what the attempts on his life did to him. Staring at his injured hand isn’t going to win you any points with him, neither,’ he added scornfully.

‘Is one of you two actually going to do something about this?’ asked Aki, almost fearfully, looking again at the bomb on her desk. Hideshi gently picked it up.

‘Ria, get a gun.’

‘Why?’

‘Just do it!’

She drew out a pistol from the holster on her waist and handed it to him. He took it from her and held the bottle in the other hand.

‘Get out of the way.’

‘What are you going to do with it?’ Ria’s voice was filled with concern.

‘What do you think I’m going to do with it?’ Hideshi was getting more and more exasperated with every passing second. ‘We can’t let Tani find out about it, he’d do his damn nut if he did. God, that psychopath has only been out for a week, and already she’s trying to kill him.’

Ria silently followed Hideshi to outside the compound, where it was safe from other people. He set the bomb on the ground, and backed off, aiming at it with the pistol.

‘Stand back.’

‘You think I don’t know that?’ shot back the Corporal.

* * *

Tani was sitting at his desk, staring into outer space, allowing his mind to wander into dangerous ground. Kirsty’s escape was on his mind, still. He just could not understand how she managed to get free. She was a raving psycho when she got banged up, thought Tani miserably. He held out his right hand, and looked at it, gaping at the four fingers he had remaining. Every single detail of Kirsty’s final attack on him was still crystal clear in his mind. He could remember as though it happened only five minutes ago, how she swung the axe at him, whilst he was down. He remembered how, in his desperation to get out of this alive, he held out a hand. He recalled the excruciating pain that shot through him when the thick blade soared through his flesh and bone. The small thud of his finger on the floor resounded in his ear, making him feel sick. A wave of nausea rushed over him, causing him to gasp and hold a hand over his mouth. He wanted to talk to the doctor; he wanted to see her, to get some information about how Kirsty escaped.

He picked up the note that he had screwed up and thrown to the floor and read through it again. There was a number on the bottom which he had missed when he read through it so hastily the first time.

“I somehow doubt that you will want to lose anymore fingers because of her.”

Her mention of his amateur amputation angered him slightly. Like she had any idea what it was like for him. Like she cared, either. Despite feeling angry, and intimidated, he walked back to his desk, note still in hand, and punched out the number on the bottom, underneath the message.

‘Is that Dr. Sarah Wenman?’ he asked, when a female voice spoke.

‘Speaking. May I ask who is calling?’

‘It’s General Tani. I want to make an arrangement to meet up.’

* * *

Kirsty sat in her darkened room, huddled in the corner, arms wrapped around her legs and her head resting on her knee. She looked up as the door opened.

‘Do I have to stay in here all the time? I’ve just escaped from a place where I was locked up, only to find that the people who rescued me aren’t going to treat me any better.’

‘Kirsty, it’s a good idea for you to lay low. At least for a while. If the police, or the asylum workers or whoever can’t find you, then they’ll give up looking in the end, and then you can risk going out in public,’ said Sonomanma, in a bored voice. ‘I want to know what you were doing the other day. I know it was something you shouldn’t have been doing.’

‘Alright, I admit it. I made a bottle bomb. There was a pyromaniac there. A good friend of mine, actually. He showed me how to make several kinds of bombs, so I mixed up a bottle bomb, and sent it off to Tani.’

Sonomanma sighed.

‘The last thing you want to do is advertise your escape to him.’

‘He already knows. The only other time an inmate escaped, whoever was in danger got notified immediately. Chances are, Tani’s already been approached by Doctor Wenman,’ explained Kirsty.

‘Doctor Wenman?’

‘The poor cow that was assigned to watch after me, to make sure that I didn’t get into any trouble and stuff,’ replied Kirsty. Sonomanma nodded, showing that he understood. ‘I want to see him, Higashi. Take me to the General.’

‘You know I can’t. Not yet.’

‘What was it you said to me when I got into the car? Ah yes… “It’s because of Tani that Takeshi wanted to see you break free”. I’m free. So let Takeshi have his way and send me to the General.’

‘Takeshi understands that you can’t go out yet. He is a patient man. You will have to be patient, too. We can’t risk you getting caught again. Why can you not understand that?’

‘I’m sorry, but my mind isn’t what it used to be ever since Takeshi’s men tried to kill me,’ she snapped, her tone icy cold.

‘I don’t think you’re brain-damaged any more, though. You think too rationally, even if you are still a bit…over eager, and fail to comprehend things as well as you could.’

‘Are you trying to insult me or compliment me?’ retorted Kirsty.

She ignored him, and tried to think of what she could do to Tani once she was finally able to see him again. She imagined the look of horror on his face when they met up again. She pictured in her mind, him at her feet, begging for mercy, pleading with her not to kill him. Totally in my mercy…she thought. She imagined him repeating his cries, asking her with terror in his tone to spare his life, and her just keeping him on the floor, frozen solid in suspense. Would she let him live after all the pleading had stopped? Would I hell!

A lazy grin spread over her features as her head rolled back, leaning against the stone wall behind her. Her eyes were unfocused, but glinted dangerously. Sonomanma caught her expression and backed off, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Death by decapitation? She wondered. No. Asphyxiation? No, tried and failed. Unfortunately. Poisoning didn’t work, running him down in a car didn’t work, and just going completely nuts definitely didn’t work. How the hell am I meant to kill somebody who won’t die?

* * *

A tall and slender woman stopped outside the front door to Tani’s compound. She checked on the map she had with her that she was in the right place and entered. She strode determinedly towards Tani’s office, where she ran into the same person as last time.

‘Hello again Doctor. Come back again so soon?’ sneered Ria.

‘I’ve got an appointment with the General,’ the doctor retorted, looking coldly at the Corporal, and then strode past her, before she could utter another word.

Tani looked up from the tedious paperwork that Aki had left him when he heard a knock on his office door.

‘Come in,’ he stated flatly, shovelling all the forms and progress reports to one side.

The door opened, revealing an unfamiliar woman. She was tall and very slim, dressed in a dark suit. She had long, dark brown hair which was pulled tightly behind her head in a ponytail which reached almost to her waist. She had pale blue eyes that examined the General critically.

‘Doctor Wenman?’ he asked in a small voice. The woman nodded, sternly.

Tani got up from his leather seat and went around to shake her hand, taking care not to offer his right hand to her.

‘What did you want to see me for?’

‘I want information. How did Kirsty escape?’

‘We’re not sure yet. Literally, she was there one minute, and then gone the next. One of the inmates tried to burn the place down – again –’ the doctor rolled her eyes ‘- and we think she used that as an opportunity to escape. But we cannot confirm anything.’

‘Please,’ he begged, looking intensely at her. ‘You need to get her back, you just have to.’

‘We’re doing everything we can, General. If it makes you feel better, then I can contact the asylum and get a few people to stay and guard your office, like personal bodyguards, just in case she comes here,’ offered Sarah.

‘Yes, that would be great, thank you,’ replied Tani, visibly relieved.

* * *

Corporal Newton and Lieutenant Hideshi were still debating over whether they ought to tell Tani about the bottle bomb that they previously disposed of.

‘I still think he ought to know,’ snapped Ria.

‘Not a good idea, trust me on this. If she’s capable of sending out bottle bombs, then my guess is that she’s nearby,’ replied Hideshi.

‘All the more reason we should tell him! If we don’t tell him, then he probably won’t think twice about being extra careful when out and about, which will make him easier to catch,’ stated Ria, looking daggers at the Lieutenant. Sometimes his attitude towards her made it hard to believe that she outranked him.

‘General Tani is an intelligent man, and you know it. He won’t be stupid enough to go out wandering when the maniac that tried to kill him is on the loose. He doesn’t need the stress, Ria! Why can’t you understand that?’

‘If it was me, I’d want to know. I don’t care what you say Hideshi, I still think he ought to be told. Now, I outrank you, so therefore you should listen to me –’

‘Well, even the cleverest of men can make mistakes,’ interrupted Hideshi, muttering mutinously.

‘If you don’t tell him, then I will. I think he has a right to know. Suspecting that Kirsty is nearby will make him more alert to his surroundings.’

Hideshi turned away from her, sighing in an impatient manner. He thought back to when Tani returned to work once Kirsty was put away. He remembered the General’s palpable fear. Loathe as he was to admit it, he secretly thought that Ria made a good argument, but was unwilling to be the one that had to bring the news to him.

‘Are you going to tell Tani, or shall I?’ demanded Ria, a bite of irritation in her tone.

‘You can. I’m familiar with the phrase ‘shoot the messenger’, Corporal. Good day to you.’

Hideshi rapidly walked out, leaving Corporal Newton on her own, with the prospect of speaking to Tani weighing on her mind. She went to his office and paused outside the door, not really wanting to be the bringer of bad news. She took a deep breath and knocked, then opened the door.

To her surprise, Tani was not alone. Doctor Wenman was still talking to him. She heard them mention something about body guards.

‘Ah, Corporal.’

‘Oh…sorry sir, I didn’t realise you were still in a meeting,’ apologized Ria, already backing out of the office, glad for a reason not to tell him about the bomb.

‘Nonsense, it won’t take long, will it?’

‘Not really…’ she murmured.

‘Well spit it out then girl, don’t keep me in suspense!’ joked Tani. If only you knew what I’m about to say…you won’t be too pleased then…

‘It’s about Kirsty, sir…’ her voice trailed off as the grin dissolved from Tani’s face instantaneously. ‘Lieutenant Hideshi didn’t think that it was advisable for me to tell you, but I thought you had a right to know…Erm, you know when I, uh, swore really loudly?’

Tani managed a wry smile.

‘I think a number of peoples’ ears are still ringing from volume in which you yelled.’

‘Well…Hideshi didn’t make me jump. I lied about that,’ said Ria, looking sheepishly at Tani. He rolled his eyes.

‘That much I could have guessed, Corporal.’ He seemed genuinely amused by this.

‘Well…Aki got a hold of something that came for you in the mail, and it looked a bit suspicious, so she got Hideshi and me to have a look at it. It turned out to be a bottle bomb.’

‘Kuso,’ swore Tani. ‘Not the bottle bombs again. God, I had enough of them to last me a lifetime trying to apprehend the bastards that made them two years ago. And somebody made one for me?’

‘It just seemed a bit of a coincidence that just after a week since Kirsty escaped, and somebody tried to send you a bomb. Hideshi reckons that if it was Kirsty, and she’s capable of sending you – or, trying to send you – bombs, then she must be nearby. We’re just concerned for you sir, in case she manages to do something to hurt you,’ babbled Ria.

Tani had his hands clasped on his desk. The sight of his interlocked fingers seemed to amaze him. Ria could have sworn that her General had started to pale underneath his golden tan at her words.

‘Thank you for telling me, Corporal. You are dismissed.’ He turned to Doctor Wenman, who had been listening into the exchange with great interest.

‘If what your Corporal has been saying is true,’ she started, eyeing the closing door, ‘then it makes your situation all the worse. The logic of your Lieutenant sounds about right. I can’t imagine a bottle bomb being sent here from a long distance. Just watch yourself, General, and I’ll get bodyguards dispatched from the asylum to here as soon as possible.’

‘Thank you very much, I greatly appreciate it, Doctor.’

* * *

Kirsty was still sat in the decrepit one room house, feeling even more like an animal than ever. At least when she was in the asylum she was allowed to go for walks daily, even if it was just inside the grounds. She was able to stretch her legs. She had been stuck between the same four walls, - which seemed to be closing in on her – for over a week now, and was feeling like if she ever did get to stand up, she would probably fall back down immediately again.

‘Can’t I just head outside for five minutes?’ she protested, looking angrily at Sonomanma. ‘There’s nobody else around for miles, you’ve managed to succeed in hiding me from civilization.’

‘I can’t take that risk all the same, Kirsty. Do you want to head back to the asylum?’ snapped Sonomanma.

Kirsty glared at him. It was so obvious he did not trust her to run off and do something stupid. She was getting fed up the way he was acting. All the time, holding onto his katana tightly, in case she was going to rush him and run off, killing people randomly.

‘At the moment, getting caught and heading back to the asylum seems to be a more attractive thought than staying here and allowing my legs to turn to jelly from lack of use,’ she snarled.

In a flash of anger, knowing how little he trusted her, she thought that maybe she ought to give him a proper reason to not trust her. She waited until Sonomanma had turned his back to her, and then silently stood up, taking care not to lose her balance. He did not hear the padding of her bare feet on the cold floor as she noiselessly crept up behind him.

Higashi was momentarily thrown by Kirsty placing her arms around his neck, and then thought that possibly she was trying to hug him. She pressed hard on his throat, causing an unbearable pressure on the carotid artery, and held it for about ten seconds, until he fell limp in her arms. She released the pressure on his carotid, but kept her arms in place, still holding him up, in case he was only faking being unconscious, or came round quickly again, and then dropped him disdainfully to the floor. She searched his kimono and extracted a piece of raggedy paper, and a pen, and wrote him a note.

"Sorry to have to do this to you Higashi, but I won’t allow myself to be kept up like this any longer. By the time you read this, chances are I’ll be long gone. Tell the Count not to worry; I haven’t forgotten what I need to do…"

Her hands rested on Sonomanma’s katana as she started to enter decent civilization once more.

* * *

Corporal Newton and Lieutenant Hideshi were milling around the compound whilst Tani got prepared for the arrival of the body guards the asylum were providing for him. Even though he knew that they were there to help him, he could not help but wonder how long it would take before Kirsty arrived to attack him. He had a horrible feeling that it was going to be soon.

Ria noticed how scared looking the General was and walked over to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

‘Don’t worry sir,’ she smiled, ‘I’m sure everything will be okay soon.’

‘Thank you Corporal,’ replied Tani, trying to smile in reply, but not quite managing it.

‘Within a few weeks at most, I reckon everything will be alright. She’ll be back in the asylum where she belongs.’

* * *

Kirsty travelled along the roads on her own, keeping the stolen katana as out of sight as possible. She made sure to avoid people as much as possible, no matter how strong the temptation to brutally kill them was. She laughed at herself as another man strolled past, unscathed, not knowing how close to death he had come. I really am a psychopath, she told herself with another laugh.

* * *

It was the next day by the time she had come close to Tani’s compound, and saw two thickset figures in dark uniforms heading out, with Tani behind them. Kirsty swore under her breath and hid nearby, keeping a close eye.

‘Oh damn it,’ she heard Tani complain, and leant out of her hiding place slightly, so she could see the General. She could tell from his actions that he had obviously forgotten something. ‘I’ve left my whistle back in my office, and I was going to supervise the training for the new recruits. Wait here a minute while I go and get it. No, you stay here,’ he added as one of the guards started to follow him.

As Tani retreated back inside the safety of the compound, Kirsty knew that if she did not use this chance to her full advantage, then she was going to be hard pressed to get another one. But pulling off what she had in mind without the guards spotting her would be another thing completely…

Near her hiding place was a tall tree, which overlooked the tall walls of the compound and snatched up a pebble that was on the ground. She approached it softly and started to clamber up the trunk, until she was hidden in the branches. Looking down at the compound from such a height made her realise how stupid she had been by crouching by the gates, peering out. There was a great risk that one of them could have looked forwards, and easily notice her lingering there.

Taking careful aim, still shrouded from view by the thick branches, she lobbed the pebble as far away from her as possible. It clattered noisily on the concrete ground, attracting the attention of the guards, just like she had hoped.

‘What was that?’ she heard one of them ask. He looked in the direction the pebble landed and pulled his colleague along.

Having successfully distracted then, Kirsty slid down the trunk until she was standing on the wall, and then dropped to her feet with athletic grace, like a cat. Being extremely careful not to make any noise, she slid into the compound as the guards returned.

Ria and Hideshi were still talking about Kirsty when they were sure that the General was not nearby to hear her words.

‘I’ve just realised something,’ stated Ria, looking at the Lieutenant.

‘Congratulations.’

‘I don’t actually know anything about Kirsty, apart from that she tried to kill Tani,’ replied the Corporal, ignoring Hideshi’s insult.

‘Shut up,’ whispered Hideshi, as Tani suddenly appeared in sight, heading towards his office.

Something in the shadows stole Ria’s attention. She thought she had just seen a glint of steel in the sunlight, as though somebody was hiding in the shadows, and had not kept their katana out of any light. She shook her head, putting it down to her overactive imagination, helped along by the fact that she and Hideshi had been discussing Kirsty.

‘I’m going to pretend that I didn’t hear what you were talking about, Corporal. Lieutenant,’ drawled Tani, coldly.

He headed into his office, and Ria followed him in, to apologise to him. She gave Hideshi a look to tell him that she was going to handle it herself. He shook his head and slouched off.

‘Erm, sir…I just wanted to apologise to you. I know you don’t like hearing…her…mentioned, but I don’t know anything about her. I was curious,’ rambled Ria, talking so fast that her words tripped over themselves.

‘That’s fine, Corporal,’ came the response. He left through a different door in his office, and started to go back outside.

Kirsty was watching from the shadows. There were two people, she saw, a man and a woman, and they were talking about her. So she doesn’t know anything about me…well, I’m sure she’ll find out a few things soon enough…

She glanced around to make sure that there was nobody else coming, and was satisfied with the well and truly deserted corridor. She swiftly moved across, and opened the door to Tani’s office, thinking that he was still in there.

He was not. Tani’s office only had one occupant. Bewildered, she looked around, and saw another door.

‘Who are you?’ asked the woman.

‘Depending on who you are, your worst nightmare…’

Ria looked at the newcomer, taking in her maniacal blue eyes and wild mane of blonde hair.

‘Oh my God…’ murmured Ria, seemingly unable to say anything louder than a whisper. ‘Oh my God…’

The last thing she saw was Kirsty wielding her katana, gingerly holding it by the blade and bludgeoning her over the head with the handle, before she fell into the irresistible abyss of unconsciousness.

* * *

When Ria came to, the first thing she noticed was that she was no longer in Tani’s compound. Her vision was blurry but she still failed to recognise where she was. She thought that it might have been light if there had not have been a figure standing directly in front of her.

When her vision cleared, she saw that the person who was standing in her light was the same person who had clubbed her around the head and knocked her out. Ria let out a startled scream.

‘Oh dear God, it’s you!’ she bawled, looking terrified. ‘You’re…you’re Kirsty...aren’t you?’

The blonde let out a childish giggle.

‘Poor ole Kirsty, they say she’s mad,’ she trilled, in a high pitched voice, ‘got screwed in the head and turned out bad. They messed her up, right in the head, but I know better, she wants revenge instead!’

‘Why the hell are you doing this?’ gasped Ria, thoroughly unnerved by the psychopath’s little sing-song. Kirsty shrugged.

‘Either because I’m bored, or because I can. A little from column A, and a little from column B,’ she taunted.

Ria could plainly see that she was in a cave now, and wondered how far away from Tani – and safety – she was. She was sitting against the back of the cave, huddled right down with Kirsty towering over her.

‘Now…tell me,’ began Kirsty in an authoritative voice, ‘who you are.’

‘My – my name?’ stammered the Corporal.

‘Your name, your rank, how long you’ve been working for Tani, how many times you’ve slept with him, whatever, anything,’ she growled.

‘Slept with him?’ cried Ria, indignantly. ‘How dare you, I’ve never –’

Her words were cut off by Kirsty striking her full in the face with as much strength as she could muster. Something trickled into her mouth. It tasted coppery. Ria knew that her lip was bleeding. She was immediately docile as the blade of Kirsty’s stolen katana rested gently on the nape of her neck.

‘Anything.’

‘I won’t tell you, I’m not going to betray my General,’ snapped Ria defiantly. Kirsty raised one eyebrow, looking far from amused.

‘Is an association with that man really more than your life is worth?’ Kirsty’s voice was low and menacing.

‘I know who you are, Kirsty, and I won’t tell you anything that will help you to kill Tani.’

‘Fine, if you refuse to co-operate, then I will just have to dispose of you.’

Ria gulped.

‘Dispose of me? W-what do you mean?’ Just seconds after the question was out, she regretted asking it. Kirsty merely just chuckled sinisterly. She hefted the katana in her hands once more.

As she swung the blade at Ria, the Corporal shrieked and rolled sideways, out of the way. The tip of steel clashed against the stone as she rose swiftly to her feet. She ducked as the katana blade passed over her head, making a humming noise as it tore through the air. She dashed forwards before Kirsty could aim another attack, and snatched at her wrists, trying to wrestle the weapon out of her hands. Kirsty brought her knee up sharply, catching Ria sharply in the abdomen, winding her. She choked, gasping for air and retreated a few steps, putting as much distance between her and Kirsty as was possible.

The Corporal was backed up against a wall again, unable to move as the sharp steel hurried towards her, at chest level.

‘No…’

Ria had her eyes closed tightly, and only opened them when it seemed like she was not going to be injured by Kirsty. She started to open one eye, just enough to get a look at what the ex-Corporal was doing.

Kirsty was holding the katana in both hands, and just glaring at Ria, breathing heavily, through what seemed like fury.

‘I can’t,’ she whispered. ‘I can’t…’

Kirsty shook her head roughly, attempting to clear it from thought.

‘I mustn’t get addicted to killing…there’s only one…one man, and then at last I can be at peace…’

‘Tani,’ said Ria, softly. Kirsty’s eyes blazed and burned into her own. A grim smile flickered over her lips.

‘Yes. Tani.’ Kirsty made her way slowly to the Corporal, who was still looking shocked at the prospect of Kirsty stopping herself from committing another murder. ‘You will take me to him!’

‘I won’t,’ retorted Ria.

The katana blade pressed lightly into her jugular vein. Kirsty looked like she meant business. She jerked it down, just breaking the skin. The smallest trickle of blood seeped down her skin. Ria stood her ground, aware of the fact that Kirsty was just trying to intimidate her.

‘You don’t scare me.’

‘I don’t?’ asked Kirsty, seeming amused. ‘I must be losing my touch if I’m not scaring anybody anymore.’

It happened before Ria even saw it coming, let alone was able to even think about defending herself. Kirsty’s fist seemed to come out of nowhere, slamming into Ria’s jaw, catching the bottom of her nose, close to breaking the bones. She was certain that Kirsty had knocked out several teeth.

* * *

‘Lieutenant, have you seen Corporal Newton?’ Tani’s voice shot through Hideshi’s dull thoughts, as he gazed dreamily into outer space, nothing better to do. He groaned internally, thinking that Tani was probably going to tell him off for not doing anything worthwhile in his spare time.

‘No sir, I haven’t seen her until she came to apologise to you earlier. Why?’ replied Hideshi.

‘I wanted her to start giving the new recruits extra training sessions, but she seems to have disappeared completely,’ explained Tani, a hint of confusion in his voice.

Two long shadows fell over Hideshi; the two guards had stopped behind Tani, as though flanking him.

‘Do you want me to go and look for her, sir?’ offered Hideshi.

‘Yeah, if you want to, if you can think of anywhere she could be. I’ve looked everywhere, and haven’t had so much as a hint of where she could be. Everyone who has seen her says that the last place she was in was my office. I don’t get it.’

‘I’ll have a look anyway sir,’ said Hideshi, a look of determination on his face.

* * *

Ria spent the rest of the day in the awkward company of Kirsty, who seemed delighted at the prospect of having a hostage to jerk around.

‘I want you to take me to Tani, right?’ she demanded, holding the katana at her throat. Ria swallowed.

Corporal Newton felt weakened after her battle with Kirsty, and was ready to collapse. Her legs were aching after being forced to walk back to Tani’s compound.

‘If you really think you’re going to get in there and kill him, then you’ve got another thing coming,’ snapped Ria to the silent figure grasping her neck tightly behind her.

Kirsty made a small noise, and uttered a small chuckle.

‘You keep thinking that. You keep thinking that…’

‘What are you going to do?’

‘You’re going to take me to Tani, and then, if you want, you can watch me kill him,’ replied Kirsty, her voice full of menacing glee.

* * *

There was a commotion as the door to Tani’s office was roughly shoved open. Ria struggled with Kirsty, trying to scream, to call out, to make any noise possible, just so somebody, somebody nearby would hear her, and see Kirsty.

‘Get in there!’ she hissed, pushing Ria through the door. The Corporal was resisting with all her might.

Kirsty struck her around the back of the head, and then attempted to trip her up. Ria staggered theatrically into Tani’s empty office. She was relieved that he was not in there. She shuddered to think what was going to happen when Kirsty and Tani came face to face again.

The ex-Corporal held the katana in a threatening manner.

‘Summon Tani,’ she snarled. ‘Now.’

‘No,’ retorted Ria.

Kirsty suddenly rushed her and slammed her against the wall. She let out a shriek, and Kirsty pressed her hand tightly over Ria’s jaw.

‘Shut it!’

Ria was breathing heavily, her lips crushed against her teeth, the back of her head pinned against the wall. There was no way out, no way she could overcome Kirsty and call for help. She knew that Kirsty was going to force her to summon Tani – force her, or kill her – and then murder him.

He’s not going to be able to win against her, she thought, terror seeping over her. He’s going to fight Kirsty and lose. He’s going to die trying…

Kirsty carefully backed off, keeping Ria in place by holding Sonomanma’s katana at neck height.

‘I’m not going to ask you again,’ she breathed, ‘so summon Tani. Now, before I really lose my patience.’

‘How am I going to explain things to him?’ blurted out Ria. ‘He – he thinks I’ve gone missing for the past few days!’

Kirsty shrugged.

‘You won’t have to explain anything to him; I’ll make sure of that for you.’

She took up her place behind the door, so that when Ria finally gave in and called Tani, he would not see her until she reached out and attacked him. Kirsty nodded at Ria.

‘Do it.’

‘Make me.’

With alarming speed, Kirsty crossed the office in two steps and snatched at Ria’s hair, and threw her into Tani’s desk. Ria’s side painfully smashed into the corner of the wood, causing her to cry out aloud. Kirsty seized a handful of her hair again and then threw her away, so that Corporal Newton slammed unstoppably into a wall. Dazed, she turned back to Kirsty, holding her head.

‘Do I need to convince you any more?’ queried Kirsty, eyeing both the doors in the office in an almost worried fashion. She was unsure as to whether anybody would have heard the noise caused by Corporal Newton being thrown about the room.

Ria made her way towards the phone and slumped down in his seat, feeling too scared, too hurt to make any argument, but praying that Tani was going to be unable to take the call.

‘Tell him to come alone,’ added Kirsty. ‘I know he’s got bodyguards.’

‘Um…Aki?’ Ria whispered into the phone. ‘It’s – it’s Corporal Newton. Can you find Tani for me please?’

‘Ria! You’re back, everybody’s been really worried about you, where have you been?’ demanded Aki, ignoring all professionalism.

‘Never mind that,’ Ria said darkly, ‘I need you to give a message to Tani. Tell him to come and meet me in his office, and he needs to come along. I…’

Kirsty gave her a threatening look.

‘…I don’t want to talk in front of the bodyguards…’

‘Right, can do. Great to know you’re back safe and sound, Corporal!’ replied Aki brightly.

Yeah…safe and sound…thought Ria miserably as she hung up. Probably safer than Tani, I guess…

Ria set the phone back down, feeling sick to her stomach. She felt disgusted with herself. She had just set up her own General, so that Kirsty could have another chance to try and finish what she failed to manage three months ago.

He arrived only minutes after Ria called Aki, and he had never seemed so pleased to see her. His entire expression oozed concern and relief.

Please, don’t come here, go back, there are more urgent things than me, GO BACK! Desperate thoughts chased one another around Ria’s mind.

He took a few steps closer to her, and shut the door without turning to look behind him, so that Kirsty went unnoticed. Ria looked very pale, and she was trembling slightly.

‘What happened to you?’ he asked, staring into her eyes. ‘There’s no need to be scared anymore, you’re back now.’

‘Hello Tani.’

He froze. That voice. It was here, he had recognised it instantly. It was the voice that haunted all of his dreams every night, when he was vulnerable. He did not have to turn around to see her, her psychotic expression she wore when bearing down on him, holding an enormous axe. He turned his head slightly, so that he could just about see a few stray wisps of blonde hair in the corner of his vision.

‘Kirsty.’

‘Did you miss me Tani?’

‘No,’ replied Tani, his tone cold, but his expression beginning to show his badly concealed fear. ‘I’ve been practising my aim.’

‘You still haven’t lost your sense of humour, General,’ giggled Kirsty, keeping her insane blue eyes on him.

Tani bristled slightly at the sound of Kirsty still referring to him as ‘General’. She moved around to him, trying to get close to him, but he backed off, keeping a distance between himself and the woman who had tried to kill him multiple times.

‘Don’t tell me you’re scared, General Tani?’ leered Kirsty. She had picked up that Tani did not like the idea of her calling him General, and was now just flaunting the fact that she used to work for him.

‘Me? Scared?’ Tani’s voice had turned from icy cold to an attempt at light and breezy, trying to laugh off any intimidation that he was secretly feeling.

Kirsty moved suddenly, throwing out the arm holding onto her katana and allowing it to rush towards his throat. He called out and took a sharp step backwards, striking a wall. He shot a quick glance to his side, seeing that the nearest door was too far away. If he moved, he was going to die. There was no way he was going to be able to fight her off when she was armed and he was not.

‘Yeah, scared. You seem to be a bit worried,’ laughed Kirsty, her eyes full of malicious joy. Tani had seen so many things in those eyes. Innocence, pain, love, care, but also sadness, madness, sheer anger and fear.

He shot a glance at Ria. She was stuck in her seat, seemingly too weak to assist him. He moved uneasily, trying to quash the urge to slap her and run. Even if he was prepared to leave Ria on her own with a psychopath, she would probably kill him before he took two steps.

‘Careful Tani,’ she warned as he shifted his weight. ‘You wouldn’t want to lose another finger before dying, would you?’

Tani did not reply, but turned a delicate shade of pale green. Kirsty was watching the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed slowly. Without any warning at all, he lashed out at her.

The sole of his boot struck her knee, emitting a loud crack which made Ria flinch and turn away. He forced her backwards, away from himself and away from his Corporal. She recovered from the shock almost immediately, and started on the offensive once more. He wrestled with her, and managed to get her down on the floor, pinned down.

‘Corporal Newton, call somebody, anybody, just get some help in here, pronto!’

Before she could even pick up the plastic phone on his desk, Kirsty screamed loudly, painfully. It sounded like she was being brutally tortured. She almost threw Tani off her and then slapped him around the face. She was clasping onto the katana tightly in her other hand and raised it once more to try and puncture Tani’s abdomen on the end. He managed to catch her hand before she got the opportunity to carry out her attack, and then snatched at the collar of her top, and spun her around, smashing her small frame into a nearby wall.

Ria was watching the door nervously, thinking how long it would be before somebody came in, to see what all the commotion was about. Remembering that she was meant to be getting help, she leapt over the desk and started towards the door.

Kirsty fought and screamed with Tani, trying to get out from his grasp. She hurled her fist right into his stomach, causing his knees to give way and for him to fall to the floor. Kirsty started after Ria, to prevent her from getting out of the door, when Tani’s fallen figure reached out and snatched at her ankles. Ria stopped momentarily when she heard the loud thud of Kirsty’s body hitting the floor. Not thinking properly, she did not get out of reach as Kirsty extended a hand - the other still clutching onto her katana - and grabbed Ria’s ankle.

Ria cried out and tried to shake the ex-Corporal off, as she kept a tightened grasp on her. A pained howl escaped her lips as Kirsty, in her total desperation to stop Ria from getting out of the office, sank her teeth into Ria’s ankle. A violent outburst of expletives burst out of her as she continued to try and get away from Kirsty, but not doing very well.

The Corporal was managing to get closer to the door, but dragging Kirsty as she went, when the door flew open, and Tani’s bodyguards came running in to see what was going on.

Their eyes swept over the scene in front of them. Corporal Newton, straining to get to the door with Kirsty on her stomach, holding onto Ria’s ankle, and trying to bite her, and Tani on his own, slouched against a wall, holding his stomach from where Kirsty had attacked him. It had seemed that he was winded.

Within seconds, Kirsty had gone from sprawled on the floor, grasping Ria’s ankle to bolt upright and thinking about how she was going to get out of the office. Her situation intensified as Lieutenant Hideshi joined the body guards.

He came for her, trying to grab her and hold her arms down so that the body guards could do whatever they needed to subdue her, but she dodged around him, and grabbed the hair on the back of his head and tugged hard, coming close to snapping his neck. He rubbed the back of his neck painfully as she face to face with the brick wall of the two thickset guards.

The one she crashed directly into grabbed the tops of her arms and tried to keep a tight grip on her, but she raised her knee sharply, putting him out of the fight somewhat swiftly.

Tani had raised himself to his feet and was heading towards the office door, to Kirsty. She barged past the other guard and them pushed him, so that he toppled onto Tani, who was getting somewhat frantic of the situation.

‘Don’t let her get away!’ he screamed, shrilly.

The two men hurried out of the office, both trying to fit through the door at the same time, whilst Ria went to Hideshi’s aid.

Tani was tearing down the corridor, the soles of his boots loudly slapping the floor as he ran to keep up with Kirsty.

‘General!’ called the guard. Tani stopped in his tracks and turned around, looking impatient. ‘Get out of the way!’

The guard pulled out a pistol; Tani lurched backwards, leaning against the wall to prevent being shot. A number of shots resounded, the noise bouncing off the walls of the corridor, causing other members of Tani’s militia to open doors and stick their heads out, wondering what all the racket was about.

Kirsty screamed as the bullets kept coming dangerously closer and closer to her, only just missing.

‘Foolish idiot!’ screeched Tani, motioning for the guard to stop his wild firing, before he hit somebody other than Kirsty, and then took off after her again.

Kirsty looked behind her as the rhythmic thudding of Tani’s boots striking the carpeted floor sounded again. He was gaining on her. She was getting so close to the front door…so close to getting away from Tani, her job unfulfilled, but more importantly in her eyes, away from the guards that were trying to shoot at her, almost aiming wildly. Judging by their poor accuracy, she would be more worried if they were aiming for somebody next to her. Her hand outstretched; she was so close to getting out…

She had just grabbed the handle and twisted it, when Tani piled onto her, both of them tumbling through, rolling over one another as Kirsty tried to escape and Tani tried to restrain her.

Kirsty had Tani on his back on the ground, and her katana was already starting to make its slice through flesh and bone -

Before she could do what she was trying to do, somebody dragged her off by her hair, so that the blade of the katana left the smallest of cuts on Tani’s neck.

The guard that had been attempting to shoot at Kirsty had come running out of the building after her and the General and managed to just stop her from decapitating him. He started to haul her to her feet and then made an attempt to drag her back into the compound, where she could be subdued and then have Doctor Wenman notified of her whereabouts.

She elbowed him sharply in the stomach, and struck his shins, before causing him to careen into Tani, both of them bowled over. Without so much as one look backwards, she turned on her heel and fled from the compound grounds.

Tani forced the guard off him and started to go after her, but realised that it was pointless. She was long gone. His bit his tongue, to try and swallow the profanities that wanted to come out of his mouth at the incompetence of his so-called bodyguards.

He made his way back into his office, the two guards following glumly. They were more than aware that he was angry with them.

Upon entering his office, Tani saw both the Lieutenant and the Corporal sitting on his desk, both of them soothing injuries Kirsty had inflicted on them.

‘Are you both okay?’ he asked, fixing them with a concerned stare.

‘We’ll live. What about you?’ replied the Corporal. ‘I notice you’re bleeding.’

‘I am? Where?’

‘Throat,’ stated Ria shortly. She watched Tani reach up his to neck, and find the small break in the skin that Kirsty had given him. ‘Doctor Wenman has already been alerted of Kirsty’s being here. She said that she’d come over as soon as possible.’

Tani nodded, feeling shaken. He hoped that he did not appear as unnerved as he felt to his inferiors.

* * *

She did not manage to arrive until the next day, some time in the afternoon, whilst Tani started to get more and more nervous, almost paranoid. He entered his office, and jumped when he saw Ria.

‘Oh, God! You scared me Corporal,’ he breathed, eyes wide with shock.

‘Sorry sir,’ she replied, giving him an odd look. Tani swiftly made his excuses and left, muttering something about training with the new recruits.

Hideshi had been walking down the same corridor, and saw the entire exchange, and gave Ria a look, who was still staring at the General with a look of confusion on her face.

‘What’s his problem today?’ she queried.

‘Kirsty. Don’t you realise how close to being killed he came yesterday? This is almost what he was like after she was locked up. Jumping at shadows, getting paranoid about almost anything. Just be nice to him, okay?’

‘Yeah, sure,’ said Ria.

She stopped speaking as she heard the sound of high heeled shoes clicking on the tiled floor. Doctor Wenman was hurrying over towards them,

‘Where is he?’ she demanded, looking from Hideshi to Ria.

‘By ‘he’ I’m assuming that you mean General Tani, yes?’ asked Hideshi, coldly.

‘Yes. Where is he?’

‘He said something about training. He’ll probably return to his office afterwards, if you’d like to wait there until he’s finished,’ stated Ria, politeness etched into every syllable. She held the door open for the Doctor, and then tapped Hideshi on the shoulder, who was staring in a different direction.

‘Do you want to go and find Tani and tell him, or shall I?’

‘I’ll search the training grounds and the changing rooms, just in case he is with the new recruits. You go and check the rest of the grounds,’ ordered Hideshi. Ria nodded and set off.

* * *

Kirsty was hovering around the compound grounds again, in a way that was reminiscent to the previous day. She was determined to accomplish her task today, no matter what got in the way. No matter who got in the way.

Anybody else that gets in the way will die, she thought, nodding to herself. Dispose of the spare…

* * *

Tani was in the changing rooms, getting changed into a t-shirt and shorts as though about to go for a short run. He slid off his jacket, and then pulled the t-shirt he wore underneath it over his head, and set it down on the bench, along with his belt. He heard the door open, and paused, listening. He was tempted to call out, to ask who was there, but decided that it was probably his imagination playing tricks on him.

He stifled a sneeze and stretched, feeling tired. He had hardly slept at all the previous night, worried out of his mind that Kirsty was going to break in whilst he was asleep. He pushed his jet black hair out of his eyes, when somebody unexpectedly slipped their arms around his neck, in an embracing hug.

Tani tenderly pulled his arms off him, and turned around to see who it was. He felt a chill run through his blood, coming close to freezing him into place when he stared into the blue eyes of Kirsty.

‘I missed you yesterday,’ she said, with a mischievous grin on her face. ‘I didn’t get to do what I wanted to do.’

Tani gulped, paralysed, unable to break free from the spell she seemed to have cast on him. Nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide. He was far away from the rest of the grounds now. Lieutenant Hideshi and Corporal Newton were probably in his office, planning another attack on Count Takeshi. There was nobody close enough to hear his screams. He was certain that Kirsty knew that as well. He was going to die, and nobody would realise. Nobody was going to find out that Kirsty had broken in again until it was too late.

He shoved her to one side, and made an attempt to run around her. Quick as a flash, her hands found his belt, and almost lashed it at him, brandishing it so that it practically wrapped itself around his neck. She slid the end through the buckle, and pulled it tight, dragging him back, squeezing the air out of him. She had him on a tight leash, not even capable of drawing breath without feeling dizzy, right where she wanted him.

Tani’s hands fumbled uselessly at the tight ligature bound at his throat, trying to get even the smallest gap between the black leather and his throat. If only he could draw a single breath…

Kirsty had him kneeling on the floor as though he was an animal, with the belt tied around his neck. Her foot rested on his back, yanking hard at the leather ligature, causing Tani to choke. Tani was certain that if she kept this up, he was going to black out shortly.

The lack of oxygen was making Tani feel light-headed, and weakened. He was still on all fours, choking and gasping, feeling as though the room had been spinning every time he took a breath. He knew that if he did not do anything soon, he was going to asphyxiate.

One of his hands seemed to take on a life of its own and snatched at Kirsty’s ankle. She stumbled and started to fall backwards, and then dropped the belt as she struggled to stay upright. Tani tore the ligature from his throat in relief and started towards Kirsty.

As soon as he took one step towards her, one of her hands flew to her waist and withdrew a pistol she had concealed in her clothing. Tani halted immediately, holding his hands on the air. His eyes flickered to the doorway.

‘Don’t even think about it,’ warned his ex-Corporal. ‘I think we should finish this in your office.’

‘What difference would it make?’ puzzled Tani. Kirsty shrugged.

‘Well you can be known as the man who died semi-naked in his compound changing room if you want. Anyway, I want to see your Corporal.’

‘What do you want with Corporal Newton?’ he asked fearfully.

A smile flickered over Kirsty’s face.

‘Back to the office!’

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