Author's Note: Sailor Moon and all related characters are the property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation and DIC. So, please, don't sue me because I haven't any money. I do this strictly for entertainment purposes, not copyright infringement.
The Vengeance Factor
by Jeffrey C. Branch
Chapter Six: Hunters And Targets
Rating: PG-13
Goro was in the middle of a restful sleep when he was suddenly awakened by the now familiar sound of Duncan screaming like a banshee.
"Aw, hell. This crap is getting old," he grumbled. Rolling over, the Yakuza gunrunner checked the time on a clock on his nightstand and saw it was a few minutes before five in the morning. With a scowl creasing his face, Goro climbed out of bed, stretched and headed out to where Duncan slept.
Entering the living room area of his boat, Goro saw Duncan sitting up in bed, his face in his hands and trembling like a leaf. What the hell kind of nightmares does this wingnut keep having, he wondered. "You okay, or is that a stupid question?"
Duncan turned to face his host. The Irishman's face was white as a sheet while his eyes bore a deep, haunted look, as if he had seen the Devil himself. Unlike the other times, the trauma of his bad dreams didn't trigger his powers as he still felt weak from yesterday. However, the pounding headache he suffered from had lessened considerably, reduced to a dull throb.
"No. I'm not. Every time I close my eyes, I keep havin' that damned nightmare. The one where Venus kills me," Duncan growled. "Over and over and over. Every single night. That's why I have to kill that bitch, Goro. I'll never be able to rest until she's dead at my feet."
Goro shrugged. He considered a smart remark about how stupid that sounded to him, but opted instead to keep that to himself. "If you say so. What will you do after you kill her?"
Duncan frowned. "To tell you the truth, mate, I don't know. I haven't thought that far ahead. Hell, I can't think of anything other than killing Venus."
"If you ask me, pal, that's extremely piss poor planning," Goro said bluntly. "With your powers, we could take over this town. We could make the bosses in the Yakuza kiss our asses, or run the risk of you blowing theirs off. You gotta think big, man! Instead of being some two-bit terrorist on a crazy vengeance kick, you could be king of Tokyo's underworld!"
The Irishman mulled over what he had heard for several moments. Then, with no warning, Duncan lunged at Goro, bowled him over, and, with a wild look of madness in his eyes, clamped his hands around the gangster's throat.
"There's nothin' crazy about this, Goro! I'm taking my vengeance against that bitch seriously!" the Irishman roared, his eyes wide from madness. "I don't care about you, the Yakuza, Tokyo or anythin' else! All I wanna do is kill Venus! Do you hear me? She has to die! SHE HAS TO DIE!"
"Okay! Okay! I hear you!" Goro croaked. "Now let me go!"
Duncan, calming down, released Goro who fell coughing and gasping at the Irishman's feet. Duncan stared at him in open contempt while his head throbbed. "I don't like bein' used for someone else's profit. The only reason I don't kill you here and now because I need you to help me kill Venus. From now on, that's your only goal, your only reason for livin', to help me waste that little slut. Got that?"
Goro nodded as he got up off the floor. Once again, he had serious reservation about Duncan's sanity. "Yeah, I got it. What do you need?"
Duncan sat back down on his makeshift bed and rubbed his chin in thought. "Do you Yakuza boys have any eyes or ears inside police headquarters?"
"I'm not privy to that sort of thing, but I can find out. Why?"
"Katrina Howell, that Interpol whore who followed me here from England is workin' with the cops to track me down. I wanna find her instead. Can you pull that off?"
Goro thought on that for a few moments before he responded. "I'll make some calls and see what I can turn up. What do you have in mind?"
"After yesterday, it'll be awhile before I'm fully juiced up again," said Duncan. His lips then curled into a crooked, evil grin. "We can put that time to good use by settin' a trap. We get our hands on Howell, then make Venus come to us so I can kill her at my leisure. Sounds like fun, eh?"
"Sure thing, Duncan. Lots of fun," replied Goro, wondering what would happen next in his association with the Irish madman.
Mina lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling for what felt like the entire night. Her sleep had been ragged at best, plagued by two demons: fear over Duncan and the monster he had become; and guilt over having kissed Lita last night. The blonde was more upset over the latter than the former.
Rolling over, Mina looked at her alarm clock which read six-fifteen. With a sigh of resignation, the blonde, careful not to disturb Artemis who was asleep at the foot of her bed, climbed out and padded over to the window where she saw the first rays of daybreak slowly paint the semi-darkened skies an orange red. It wasn't often that Mina, never a morning person was up early enough to see a sunrise, so she decided to watch it. If her mind weren't so troubled, Mina would have enjoyed the sight.
Mina's thoughts were pulled back to last night where she and Lita sat on her bed talking, suddenly, the girls were in an embrace and kissing, driven to do so by a force neither girl could comprehend. Even though the girls talked for two hours afterward about their feelings, they somehow managed to dance around the word for what drove them into that fateful embrace.
"Passion," Mina whispered. "No. That can't be. Or can it?"
From the moment Mina first met Lita two years ago, she was instantly attracted to the tall, brawny, ponytailed girl and quickly bonded with her as she filled the void left behind from Katrina's betrayal which was still painfully fresh in her mind. Even though Mina came to be close to Serena and the others, it was Lita she most wanted to be with. Each and every day. In time, Lita became much more than just her best friend and partner, and Mina found herself wondering if that was the problem.
Did I screw everything up last night, Mina wondered. God in heaven, I couldn't help myself. I needed to kiss Lita. I ached to kiss her. And, I think she felt the same way. Like her, I can't deny that I enjoyed it too. Still, did we go over the line?
Her chest heaving from a weary sigh, Mina turned away from the window and headed for the bathroom to shower. All the while, nagging questions assailed her brain.
What's wrong with me? What's wrong with us?
Lita, smartly dressed her school uniform, checked her appearance in the floor length mirror of her bedroom. Satisfied she looked presentable, the auburn haired girl glanced at the time. She decided to leave home early to enjoy the walk to school in solitude. She needed the time alone to think.
The last twenty-four hours had been chaotic for her. From the battle in Roppongi against the manaical, superpowered Duncan to that unexpected moment hours later in Mina's bedroom where she and her best friend kissed, something that greatly surprised both girls because the moment had been so emotionally charged. While the girls talked about what happened later, they both knew nothing had really been resolved. With a sigh, Lita sat down on the edge of her bed and picked up the framed 8 X 10 color picture of a smiling Mina that sat on her nightsstand and stared long at it.
"Are we still just friends, or did we cross the point of no return?" said Lita to the picture. "Something....happened between us last night. And that worries me, worries me a lot."
Lita fondly remembered the kiss, the soft warmth of Mina's lips pressing on hers for what seemed like forever when it was only a few seconds. But it was long enough for Lita to fully return Mina's affection with all her heart. Words couldn't describe how incredibly good that felt to her.
But now, hours after a fitful night's sleep, Lita found herself torn. Half of her wanted to treasure that kiss forever while the other half recoiled from fear. A palpable fear which came from the undeniable feeling in Lita's heart at the time, a feeling she recognized in that one frozen moment as passion. Her emotions roiling within her like an angry sea, that thought made Lita shiver.
"I'm scared, babe. And I don't know what to do," she muttered to the picture. "I love you, Mina Spencer, more than life itself, but did we go too far?"
For several moments, Lita waited for an answer, even divine intervention, despite her blatant skepticism when it came to religion, but wound up disappointed. With a sigh, Lita sat the frame back on the stand, then stood and left her bedroom.
Upon walking out the front door of her apartment building, Lita was surprised to see Katrina standing beside her rental car across the street. Wearing a navy suit with a short skirt and low heeled pumps, the woman's arms were crossed over her chest while an impassive expression was on her face. Upon seeing Lita, Katrina crossed the street and stood in front of her. Almost instantly, Lita's hackles rose and her eyes narrowed to slits at seeing the Interpol agent.
"What are you doing here?" Lita demanded, her temper simmering.
"Waiting for you," Katrina replied, her voice even.
"How'd you find me?"
"I let my fingers do the walking last night. Not many Japanese named 'Monroe' in the Tokyo white pages."
Lita scowled. She meant to have her phone number unlisted since she began living alone in her parents' apartment three years ago, but never got around to getting that task done. She made a mental note to do so at the end of the day. "Clever. I guess that's what Interpol pays you the big bucks for."
Katrina chuckled sarcastically. "Big bucks? Not likely. Do you have a few minutes to talk?"
Lita was about to tell Katrina no, and do so harshly when she remembered her promise to Mina that she'd try to get along with the British woman. With a slight frown, she nodded. "Sure, but not too long. I've got school."
"No problem. I could give you a lift there if you like."
"Okay. C'mon."
Once the women crossed the street and climbed into the car, Katrina started the engine and pulled away from the curb. After Lita gave Katrina directions, a couples of minutes passed before the Interpol agent spoke.
"Lita, despite what you may think, I'm not your enemy, though I can understand your anger. Mina told you about three years ago, didn't she?"
Lita nodded. "Yeah. That you stole the man she was in love with. How could you show up here after you broke her heart like you did?"
"That wasn't my intention. I came here to find Duncan, nothing more. If it weren't for the fact that he's after Mina, I never would've walked back into her life," a dour Katrina explained. "Regarding Alan, I suppose Mina also told you that he never loved her back, except as a friend. Unfortunately, he couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth."
"But he had no trouble expressing his feelings for you."
Katrina lowered her head, guilt written all over her face. "I know. At the time, we both thought Mina had been killed, we didn't know she faked her death because she had seen us kissing and didn't want to come between Alan and me. Falling in love with him never factored into the equation. It just happened."
"And you expect me to accept that?" Lita snapped back, her anger rising.
"Mina did. She forgave me, even though I didn't think I was deserving. Still don't, really. Can you at least try?"
Lita frowned for several moments, then sighed. "I suppose I can."
"That's a relief. Between you and Inspector Sakurada, I seem to have made nothing but enemies since I arrived here."
"Well, I wouldn't get my panties in a bunch over Sakurada if I were you. From what Talia and Tanya told us about her, she's a tight-assed bitch with an ax to grind against us because she hates vigilantes." Lita paused to think up just the right words to say next. "As for me, perhaps I can bury the hatchet. It's just that Mina's very important to me, and I don't like seeing her hurt. I'm sure you can understand that."
Katrina nodded. "Yes, I can. You love her, don't you?"
Lita was nonplussed for a second, unsure and confused as what the Briton meant by 'love' when it came to Mina after last night. "Of course I do. She's my best friend."
"I'm glad Mina has such a close friend. I can't help feeling like I betrayed her, but I never meant to hurt her, Lita. You must believe that."
Again, Lita was silent. Then she sighed. "I believe you, Katrina. Perhaps I overreacted to you yesterday. My friends are like family to me, in fact, they are my family, and I'm very protective of them, especially Mina."
"I expect no less." Katrina then broke out in a grin. "We both care a lot for that ditzy blonde."
In spite of herself, Lita giggled. "You're not kidding about ditzy. Mina's one in a thousand!"
Katrina smirked. "Don't you mean, 'million'?"
"Whatever!" Lita grumbled mockingly. And the two women enjoyed a hearty laugh.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" cried Duncan, bolting up from the couch on Goro's boat after having had the nightmare again. His skin was bathed in sweat, but he could feel his temperature rising, a sure sign that his strength, and his power was returning. But his delight was short lived as his throbbing, persistent headache also returned.
At that moment, Goro, a black plastic bag under one arm stepped inside. "Have a nice nap?"
"Don't push your luck," Duncan growled. "Find out anything?"
"Nada. Howell's keeping a low profile, like you," said Goro, plopping down in a nearby chair. He removed a six pack of beer from the plastic bag, popped the tab on one can and offered one to Duncan. "From what our snitch at headquarters dug up, Howell hasn't told anyone where she's staying, including that Tokyo P.D. Inspector she's supposed to be working with."
Duncan popped the tab on his can and took a long swig. He grinned from how good the beer tasted. "Ahh! That hit the spot. What about the Interpol office? Got any ears there?"
"Nope. The Yakuza's been trying to get someone into Interpol for years with zero luck. Those guys could teach the CIA a thing or two about security. What now?"
Duncan mulled things over in her mind. Thinking had become difficult thanks to the constant headaches he now suffered from. "Let's grab a couple of your boys from yesterday and stake out police headquarters. If Howell's chummy with the cops, she's sure to check in with 'em. Once she does, we follow her. She'll take us to Venus. Then I'll kill them both."
When Mina left school that afternoon, still thinking about what happened last night, she hadn't noticed Lita standing outside the building until she nearly bumped into her.
"Oops! Hi, Lita. Fancy meeting you here," Mina said.
"Yeah," Lita replied. "I wish we went to the same school, babe. Sometimes, I just go nuts waiting for class to let out so I can see you."
Mina smiled, her cheeks warmed from a blush. "That's sweet of you to say, love. Feel like having a soda with me at the Crown?"
Lita returned her partner's smile. "Sure. I'd love to. C'mon."
As the couple left the school grounds, Lita took Mina's hand in hers and their fingers intertwined. The blonde stared at Lita and her smile widened. Even though it had become second nature of late for the girls to hold hands whenever they were together, Mina never failed to appreciate just how special that simple act really was to her.
"You'll never believe who I ran into this morning," said Lita.
"Santa Claus?" joked Mina.
Lita giggled. "No. Too early, you doofus. Your friend, Katrina."
Mina gasped. "Kat? How'd she find you? I didn't tell her where you lived!"
"The phone book, how else? Anyway, we cleared the air between us while she drove me to school. Despite what I originally thought about her, she's not a bad person after all. She really cares about you."
"I know. When I stop to think about it, it's a damn shame our friendship came apart the way it did. I spent months hating Kat after thinking she betrayed me. And all because of my infatuation for a man who never loved me. I've been thinking about that, and a lot of other things all day long."
"In what way?"
"That for us, trying to find Mr. Right is not only a waste of time, but an invitation to frustration. Even if we succeeded, the end result would only be heartbreak."
Lita was puzzled. "Heartbreak? What do you mean by that?"
"No matter how hard we try, we can never lead anything even remotely resembling a normal life. We're just kidding ourselves if we think we can," Mina replied, a tone of bitterness in her voice. "I've lost track of how many times I've run out on dates, or stood guys up altogether because I had to go save the world. Believe me, nothing kills a romantic mood faster than getting a call to fight some stinking monster! Scout of Love? HA! Scout of One-Night Stands is more like it! Dharsite had me pegged, Lita! And it sucks!"
"That's not true, Mina."
"The hell it's not! And you know it! Outside of Serena who has Darien, we're all screwed! Remember, hon, we're immortal! Look at Amy and Raye! How can they maintain relationships with their boyfriends, knowing full well they'll outlive them?" Mina countered angrily. "Can you imagine the horrible pain of watching a loved one die while you stay eternally young? As for Tal and Tanya, they're no better off! Once the Starlights find Princess Kakyuu, who's to say they won't leave Earth with her? And leave them in the lurch?"
"You're overreacting, babe," Lita said quietly, a frown creasing her face. Mina brought up things she constantly avoided thinking about.
Mina abruptly let go of Lita's hand, her eyes shooting sparks. "Am I? How would you know? When was the last time you blew off a boy you liked because duty called, and couldn't tell him why? Or has it been so long since your last date you can't remember that far back?"
"That was a cheap shot, Mina. You think I like dealing with that sort of crap?" Lita snapped back, her temper rising. Mina's words had hurt her deeply. "I hurt enough as it is, thanks to the lowlife who dumped me! That haunts me every damn day! I don't need you telling me my love life is in the toilet!"
"Then, for God's sake, what's the use in even trying?"
"Because I don't want to be reminded that I'm a freak! Okay? All I want is to be just an ordinary girl!" Lita shouted. "That there's more to life for me than fighting madmen and monsters! I have to know that I can find my Mr. Right and enjoy at least a little normalcy! I need to have that to stay sane! No matter what, I can't give up on that hope, Mina! I can't!"
"Even though you keep getting rejected! Slapped down by good-for-nothing losers who don't understand or appreciate you a fraction as much as I do? That's crazy!"
"No! What's crazy is giving up on my dream! And I'm no quitter! While we're at it, what's crazy was us kissing in your bedroom last night! That was flat out insane!"
"Oh, really? I don't remember you complaining!" Mina shot back. She was stung by what Lita said about that moment of intimacy which she came to treasure. "You said, and I quote; 'I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it'! What's wrong, sweetie? Did being kissed by another girl scare big bad Lita?"
"Up yours! But I'm not the only one who's being a coward! Are you scared of falling in love after what happened three years ago? Maybe the reason you can't keep a boyfriend for longer than a day is because you're still spooked over Alan! Maybe you're the one who's screwed up, not me!"
Mina's anger skyrocketed as Lita touched on a raw wound. "Yeah, right! You're a fine one to talk, Miss 'He-reminds-me-of-my-old-boyfriend'! God! Do you have any idea how pathetic you sound every time you say that? Seeing the way you act makes me ashamed to be female! Despite how much that clown hurt you back then, you sure can't get him off your mind!"
"Go to hell, Spencer! I don't have to stand here and take this shit from you!" Lita roared, her fists balled. Enraged, she wanted to strike Mina but barely restrained herself. "I don't care how I act! Immortal or not, I'm only human! No matter what, I'm gonna follow my dream! With you, or without you!"
"Well, you don't need me around to mess up your life! You've done a bang up job without me!" Mina yelled back. "When some stupid jerk breaks your heart again, don't come crying to me! As far as I'm concerned, we're through!"
"Fine! Who needs you anyway? Goodbye!" shouted Lita, turning on her heel and stomping off.
Mina stared daggers at the back of the retreating Lita, hating her for being stubborn and unreasonable. But, moments later, regret overrode her anger. She tried to call out to her partner, but the words stuck in her throat as if glued there. Seconds later, Lita had rounded a corner was gone. Mina sank to her knees, oblivious to passersby who stared at her.
"Oh, God. What have I done? Lita," she whispered, feeling a deep pain in her heart as tears streamed down her face.
For the last four hours, a nondescript, dark blue sedan sat in the parking lot across the street from Tokyo Police Headquarters. The four occupants tried their best to remain patient during the course of their long wait.
"Now I know how cops feel when they're on a stakeout. Borrr-ing!" Goro grumbled. Seated behind the wheel, he sipped from a tall cup of convenience store coffee that turned cold a long time ago. "Say, Duncan, you sure Howell's gonna show?"
Duncan, seated in the passenger seat shrugged, a similar cup of cold coffee in his right hand. He wore a knit hat to cover his bald head. "Not really. But I'm guessing she will, if but for no other reason than to find out what's happenin' with the APB put out on me."
"And if this chick doesn't show?" asked Maki from the backseat.
"Then I'll blow up something and attract everyone's attention. Just like yesterday. But I wanna save myself for when I've got Venus right in front of me. And Howell's gonna help me do just that."
At that moment, a dark sedan pulled into a parking space in front of the building, and Katrina climbed out. Goro's eyes widened when he saw her.
"Duncan! Eyes front! It's her!"
The Irish madman grinned when he saw the Briton enter the building. Seeing her lessened the pain in his head. "Looks like I was right. Beautiful!"
"What now?" asked the fourth man, seated behind Goro.
"We wait for Howell to leave. Then we follow her. If we're lucky, she'll lead us to Venus," said Duncan, grinning from anticipation of the hunt. "If not, we'll grab secret agent girl off the street and use her to bring that blond bitch to us. Lads, we're about to have us some fun."
Goro and the others were silent. They weren't as sure as Duncan was about how entertaining this outing would be.
Twenty minutes later, a frowning Katrina left the building, disappointed after having heard from Inspector Sakurada that there weren't any sightings of Duncan since yesterday. She was equally saddened at having been told that the death toll from yesterday's incident in Roppongi was now up to a dozen.
In truth, Katrina wasn't surprised that the APB had turned up nothing so far. She knew the Irishman was extremely clever and would go out of his way to avoid been spotted if he knew the police were searching for him. The Interpol agent was certain that Duncan would try again to kill Sailor Venus, and would keep on trying until either he succeeded, or was killed.
After getting into her car, Katrina pulled away from the building and headed west for Mina's house. She wanted to update her friend in person about Duncan still being loose. A minute or so after Katrina left, so to did a blue sedan from the parking lot across from police headquarters.
Five minutes away from the building, Katrina noticed the car in her rear view mirror. That made the Briton scowl. She continued driving, staying just below the speed limit, so to did the other car. Katrina made a right turn, and so did her follower. Now, the agent was suspicious. Whoever that blighter is, he's been back there for the last several minutes. Am I being tailed?
When Katrina stopped at a traffic light, she casually took a look into the car as it pulled up just behind her. What she saw sent a chill down her spine: a hard faced Japanese man was at the wheel while Duncan was in the passenger seat and two more goons were in the back.
"Bloody hell!" Katrina muttered. Reaching into her handbag which sat atop an aluminum case on the passenger seat, the Briton removed her cell phone. When the light turned green, she made a right turn, losing her pursuer just long enough to put an earbud connected to the phone in her right ear and dial a number. It was answered immediately after the first ring.
"Lita? Thank God you called! I'm so sorry, baby! I didn't mean to say all those awful things! Please forgive me!" Mina blurted without taking a breath.
"Whoa! Whoa! Slow down, love! This is Kat. Sorry to bother you, but I'm in a spot of trouble," replied Katrina, keeping one eye on the road ahead and the other on the car behind in her rear view mirror. "I was on my way to your house when I noticed someone following me. I'm afraid it's Duncan."
"What? Oh, no! How'd he find you?"
"Well, since no one knows where I'm staying, he must've staked out Police Headquarters and waited for me to show up. And, fool that I am, I obliged him when I checked in with Inspector Sakurada thirty minutes ago. I should've anticipated he'd do something like that and called instead."
"But why is he after you?" a worried Mina wanted to know.
"Think, girl, think! Duncan knows I'm working with Sailor Venus. If he gets his hands on me, I'll be used as bait to draw you into a death trap."
Mina, already upset from her fight with Lita felt her stomach twist into knots. "Where are you now?"
"I'm westbound, about three minutes away from your street. Duncan's not trying to overtake me, I guess he's hoping I'll lead him to you."
"Good. I'll transform and head him off."
"NO! There's too many kids on the street with school having let out! And we both know Duncan's not particular about who he kills! Is there someplace I can take him where there aren't any people around? A lot? A field? Anyplace?"
Mina wracked her brain trying to think of such a place. Her face then brightened when one came to mind. "There's an abandoned office park, about four miles away from my door! It's been shut down ever since a fire gutted the place six months ago! Keep going west and you'll see it!"
"Sounds like a plan! Hopefully I can lead Duncan there before he gets suspicious. Have the Scouts meet us there! Fast!"
"I'm on it! Be careful, Kat!"
"Trust me, love! I will!" And Katrina ended the connection. She then opened the case on the passenger seat and glanced at a loaded 9mm Uzi submachine gun and two spare 30 round clips inside it which she picked up from the Interpol office armory. Despite what the Scouts thought, the Briton still believed that the only way to stop Duncan was to kill him.
"You're not the only one who can set a trap, Seamus," Katrina muttered. "But this is one ambush you won't be walking away from."
Her heart in her throat, Mina dashed through the kitchen, surprising her mother as the blonde raced out the back door. Once in the alley, Mina activated her communicator.
"Red alert, guys! Red alert!" she cried. "Duncan's on the move! He's tailing Kat! They're headed for the old Nanohana office park west of my house!"
"Mina! We're not ready!" came the worried voice of Amy over the speaker. "We still haven't come up with a non-lethal way of subduing Duncan!"
"I don't give a shit if you are or not!" Mina roared. "Kat's in trouble! We've gotta help her! NOW!"
"Calm yourself, Mina. We will be there to assist you," said Talia.
"Don't worry! We'll come up with a way to stop him!" Serena added.
"Okay! I'll meet you all there! Out!" As Mina pulled her transformation pen, she hoped to get to the office park in time to save her friend. "Hang on, Kat! I'm on my way!"
Thanks to her training and years spent facing all sorts of danger on the streets of London, Katrina maintained her calm as she drove through the front gate of the abandoned Nanohana office park. She glanced in her rear view mirror and saw that Duncan was still behind her, half a block away.
The Interpol agent checked her watch. It had been five minutes since she called Mina. She took into consideration that the Scouts lived in different neighborhoods and, even with their powers, it would take time for them to rush to the park. Still, Katrina hoped it wouldn't take too long.
Upon entering the park, Katrina took a right at the first corner and drove down the block, noticing the burned out and shuttered buildings on both sides of the street. Another glance confirmed that Duncan was still there. Katrina couldn't help but wonder how long the volatile Irishman would continue to be patient, knowing that the clock was ticking down to an explosion. Literally.
"I'm seriously startin' not to like this," growled Duncan, looking around him as the foursome continue to follow Katrina deeper into the park. "Goro, where the hell are we?"
"An office park that was closed after a fire," Goro replied. "It doesn't make sense for Howell to meet with Venus in a place like this."
The Irishman scowled. "Maybe she ain't. Maybe she knows she's bein' tailed and this is a set-up. Damn it all! Step on it, mate! Head her off! Now!"
Katrina frowned as she watched Duncan's car suddenly speed up in her rear view mirror.
"Oh, well. I didn't think he'd be patient forever," the Interpol agent muttered as she floored her accelerator and her car shot forward.
Katrina felt her stomach tighten, her heart pound in her chest and her mouth go dry as she gripped the wheel hard and sent her car hurtling down the street. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't be this apprehensive, having been in her fair share of high speed car chases and firefights in the past. But Duncan, with his frightening powers was a wild card since she had no idea what he would do outside of the disturbingly obvious: kill anyone in sight.
"C'mon, Mina! Don't take all blessed day!" she grumbled, her tires squealing as she took a hard left and roared down a street. A quick glance in her mirror told Katrina that Duncan wasn't too far behind.
The Interpol agent took a right, nearly fishtailing before she regained control and continued on her desperate flight from her opponent, speeding deeper into the abandoned park. After taking another right, Katrina's eyes widened from what she saw up ahead, a warehouse that stretched across the street, a dead end. And Duncan was only a hundred yards behind her.
"Blast!" she growled. With no side streets, Katrina yanked the wheel hard to the right and the car spun on it's rear tires into a rubber burning stop fifty feet from the front of the building. Hastily unbuckling her seat belt, Katrina scrambled out the driver side with the case that held the Uzi and the spare clips. Jamming the clips into her handbag, Katrina released the weapon's folding stock, flicked off the safety, chambered a round and waited for Duncan.
"There she is!" shouted Duncan excitedly. The rush of adrenaline from the chase made his body temperature rise while he ignored the throbbing in his head. "We got her boxed in!"
"Good! Grabbing her should be a breeze!" said Goro.
"Remember! We have to take Howell alive!" the Irishman cautioned Goro and the others. "She's the bait that'll bring Venus to us! If you jerks have to shoot, shoot to wound! Got me?"
Goro and the two hoods in the back nodded as one. When Goro came to within a hundred feet of Katrina's car, he slammed on the brakes and screeched to a halt. The four men piled out and took shelter behind the car doors.
"Hey! Howell! I guess you know who this is!" Duncan shouted. He was the only one of the four who didn't have a weapon. He didn't need one since he already was a weapon. "Why don't you come on out so we can talk! I promise not to hurt you! What do you say?"
"How about this!" yelled Katrina, popping up from behind the hood just long enough to squeeze off a quick burst from her Uzi, blowing out the windshield and flattening the left front tire. Duncan and the hoods, startled to be fired upon dove for the ground.
"Shit! Your girlfriend's packing heat!" Goro snarled at the Irishman. "Sounds like an Uzi! And all we've got are handguns! What do we do now?"
"Nothing's changed! I still want her alive!" Duncan snapped. "Goro, pin her down while you boys sneak around from both sides and cut her off!"
One of the thugs, squatting behind Duncan snorted. "Yeah, right! I ain't goin' up against some chick with an Uzi! Forget that!"
With an animalistic snarl, the furious Duncan whirled around, clocked the thug with a right to his jaw, wrested the gun out of his hand and shot the goon several times in the chest, killing him on the spot. Hissing through his teeth, his temperature rising from his fury, Duncan glared at Goro and the remaining hoodlum, his eyes bright from madness.
"Anyone else wanna turn me down?" he growled. "Get going! I want her! I want her! I WANT HER!"
Goro and Maki glanced at each other briefly. Even though they were armed, they both knew Duncan held the upper hand, thanks to his powers. To try and shoot it out with him would be suicide. The Yakuza thugs dashed off in two different directions, firing on Katrina's car to keep her pinned. Duncan hopped back in the car, put it in gear and slowly inched towards Katrina while his body temperature rose. A sadistic grin curled his lips.
The hunt was underway, and Duncan meant to enjoy every minute.
NEXT: Gains And Losses