-The Makai-
 

He had a sneaking feeling things would turn out interesting as time went on. Locke had spent a short time at the beach, walking around the hotel property and familiarizing himself with the lay of the land. On his way back from the beach, he caught the report on the television under the cabana - who had won and lost in the tournament so far.

Picking up a house phone, he dialed the extension to Meliza's office.

"Ms. Rinaldo's office," her assistant spoke into the phone.

"Is Meliza available?" he asked. "It's Devlin." She had told him to call about their dinner plans.

"Oh...I'm sorry...she's not in. She left for a meeting at six-thirty...she wanted me to tell you that in case you called."

"Thanks." His eyes narrowed slightly beneath his dark sunglasses as he hung up, glancing at the clock that hung in the cabana. Four forty-five p.m. Still early. He pulled his cell phone from where it was attached to his hip. It wasn't like her to leave without telling him. And there had been so many times when he had visited her that her meetings ran late. But she had always told him herself...either by text message, or a quick phone call made in private.

Not that he was the type of boyfriend who always had to know what she was up to, but anything out of the ordinary was reason to be a little concerned, wasn't it?

Her phone rang for several tones before it went to voicemail, so instead, he settled at the bar, and ordered a drink while sending her a text message.

Cancelling dinner? L

A nagging feeling settled in his stomach after twenty minutes of no response. He could just be acting paranoid, right? Glancing at his empty glass, he asked the bartender for a refill.

"Miss Kanzuki?" a frustrated voice came off to the right side, its owner seated at the bar beneath the cabana, a martini placed in front of him. "I'm sorry, I can't hear you...You'll be back when?...You don't know?...Well, what time are you...no, of course you're free to come and go as you please...I was just wondering what time you wanted to go over those questions...Yes. Yes. I'll see you later then..." The man quickly hung up his cell phone, placing it on the counter. Then he released a breath before taking a drink from his glass.

"Hey, Shibazaki!" a blond man spoke up, coming to sit in the stool next to the man who had just been on the phone. "How's it going?"

"Mr. Masters," the other man greeted with a nod.

"Everything all right?"

"Yes...Miss Kanzuki left almost an hour ago for a last minute meeting...and of course...has no idea when she'll be done."

Ken stiffened slightly. "She didn't say anything else?"

"No. Not where...not with whom..."

Ken cleared his throat and coughed. "I'm...sure she had her reasons..."

The man quickly changed the topic to weather.

From behind Locke, two pairs of running footsteps could be heard.

"Don't come back here until you get a permit!"

Locke turned around to see a man dressed in Makai security uniform chasing a man wearing a wide hat.

Then Locke glanced down, hearing his phone beep twice to indicate a message had been sent.

Home later. Don't wait up. M

What the hell was that woman up to?

=====

Natalie Wynshire, under the weight of the consequences of her own decision, had resolved to again take up the identity and job that she had tried so hard to leave behind shortly after Parker had left the room. The inner rage that boiled inside her found a small outlet in the binds that held her in place in the chair. When the agent walked back in, the cuffs were puddles of cooling steel on the floor, and Natalie still sat in the chair, though now with her arms and legs freed, the former crossed over her chest and the latter crossed at the ankles, stretched out before her. Kyle chuckled at her, though noticeably he stayed near the still-open door. "I see your unique abilities still come in handy. What did the cuffs do to you that your opponents don't?"

"You have a deal. Providing two things: first I see Jin to be sure you haven't done anything to him. Second, if anything ever happens to him, our deal is off... and you and every other agent I know will regret the day you brought me into the fold." Her voice was as cold as her expression. She hoped he understood the truth in her promise... if Jin were killed, she would kill them all, one way or another. That darker nature she had tried to bury raised just enough to show through the hate in her eyes.

Parker smirked, tossing something on the table before her. She didn't have to look at it; she knew from the shimmer of metal under the florescent that it was her old badge, still in the wallet with her I.D. from when she'd left it in her cabin four years ago. "Fine, though honestly, you're in no position to threaten anyone. As soon as you're done seeing to your boyfriend, you and I are going to the briefing room. We couldn't have found you at a better time, Wyn." His smile unsettled her, though she neither inquired nor hesitated when he gestured for her to follow, and they left the room with him in the lead. She picked up her badge on the way out.

The hall was even less remarkable than the room she'd been in. They walked all the way to the end, took a right in the adjoining hallway, and continued until they reached the second door on the right from the very end of that hall. Cell 325. Two security personnel stood on either side of the door, though Natalie found it almost amusing. If he'd had his mind set on getting out, it would have taken a lot more than two guards to stop him. Parker pulled out his combination I.D. and keycard and unlocked the door.
 

-Cell 325-

Although the air in this holding cell carried a musty and stale scent, it was also cool, exhibiting that as it began cooling the gathering sweat across Jin's forehead. So far, the only way Kushina could draw his mind away from his current situation was through putting himself through a series of gruelling workout exercises. With the dimensions of the cell not allowing for much manoeuvrability, however, these exercises have been primarily relegated to nothing more than different crunch and pushups variants. The amount of time that passed since he began is unknown, for while the cell is able to provide musty, cool air and limited space, it failed at providing a clock.

...one ninety-seven... one ninety-eight... one ninety-nine...

His arm was aching slightly with the strain on his muscles, yet Jin maintained his position for several more painstaking seconds. At the moment he has one arm folded behind his back, and with the other extended towards the ground, using his fist to support his entire body weight. He brought himself down once more and then, in a smooth motion, pushed himself right into an upright posture, signifying the completion of his workout exercise by lying across the metal bench, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Whatever thought Kushina was about to slip into was cut short, firstly due to the sound of approaching footsteps, and then the electronic sound of his cell door being unlocked.

The door opened.

It was her. Natalie, his mien.

Parker held the door open for her in mock chivalry, and she walked in. He followed her, and again stayed close to the door. Natalie hadn't realized just how anxious she'd been until she saw Jin sitting on the metal bench, when her heart beat hard enough for her to feel the vibration in her chest. Her _expression stayed neutral, as his did, though years of knowing him and learning how to read even the subtlest differences told her he was equally relieved to see her. She turned to Parker, "Can you wait outside?"

To Kyle, it really didn't sound like much of a question. Not that it mattered to him. He shrugged, "You got two minutes. Then we're going to the briefing room."

"And he can go then, right?" she asked, her eyes narrowed at her superior officer. Parker walked out and pulled the door behind him, leaving it open just enough to say, "After you prove your sincerity about coming back to us, Wyn. With any luck, later tonight you two lovebirds can be back at your hotel, having drinks and talking about what an @#%$ I am." He shut the door, and through the small window she could see him put his cell phone to his ear.

Natalie sighed heavily and looked at Jin again, this time with regret obvious in her eyes. She knew she'd be sent on assignment immediately, and there was nothing to be done for it. What was worse, Jin wouldn't be willingly released until she successfully performed her task, whatever it was. She stood where she was, a few feet from him, and glanced for a split second at the security camera. "Are you ok?"

Jin smirked, uncharacteristically, given the situation. "Never better," he answered. "And I thought The Makai was bad. At least that place is roomier, and provides room service." She didn't miss the blatant sarcasm in his tone, and instantly she picked up on the code. The room is rather stuffy, and the guards never enter the cell.

She replied in kind with a fake smile and a quiet chuckle, "Oh, well enjoy it while you can. I'm sure they'll let you out soon. Those two have better things to do than watch people like us. Standing up for six hours at a time is no fun at all, trust me. Keep entertaining yourself in the meantime." I don't know when they'll let you go. Two guards, and the shifts should change every six hours. Keep your guard up.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm sure if I'm patient, a window of opportunity will come up." I will. I'll keep an eye on the window for the change in shifts.

She nodded, glancing at the window again with the same fake smile, "Well, if I don't make our date tomorrow, don't hold it against me." Something may happen. Leave if I'm not back soon. She walked to the bench and sat next to him. They had about a minute left. She sighed, her smile fading a bit as she continued the code-speak, "I may be pretty busy from here on out. If I am, you'll just get in my way here. Maybe you should go see your best friend. I'm sure you two have some catching up to do, and he's always talking about stuff he'd like to do." I have no choice but to work for them again. They'll probably keep using you against me. If they do, go to David. Tell him the situation. He'll probably have a back-up plan.

She took one of his hands in hers, knowing they already knew her relationship to him and having no need to hide common knowledge. He replied to her with a small, feigned smirk of his own, "I'll probably do that. In the meantime, you work on keeping that date. I hate being stood up." Ok. Be careful and stay alive. The meaning of the rest was clear enough in his eyes. Natalie glanced at the window in time to see Parker closing his flip-phone. She smiled a little more and kissed him briefly on the lips, "I'll try." I will.

She stood as Parker opened the door, and wordlessly they left Jin in the cell alone, Parker with a milder version of his trademark smirk and Federal Agent Wynshire with nothing but cool spite in her eyes.

=====

-Elsewhere-

Karin had seen her share of classy hangout spots. She'd been to several back in Japan, and plenty had given her the VIP treatment. Ali'i Lounge, as it apparently meant in Hawaiian, meant royalty. And she could clearly see why.

Thick, plush leather seats were placed around small tables lit with fragrant candles. The room was lit with soft, pale blue, violet, orange, and yellow tones. Several groups of business associates occupied the lounge, talking in circles, in low tones as the pianist glided his fingers over the ivory keys, the rich sounds lingering in the air.

The young heiress easily slid into an empty booth as Meliza followed. They had left the eastern shore of Oahu not too long ago, fought downtown traffic, and had managed to secure a parking spot with fifteen minutes to spare.

Karin glanced at her watch bracelet. "Is he supposed to call us again?"

Not too long ago, Meliza had received a strange phone call...the caller had said that he had useful information about Umbrella Pharmaceuticals. When Meliza demanded that the caller reveal who he was...the hotel owner and Karin herself were surprised that the mysterious caller was Umbrella's Director of Marketing and PR. What could he want, anyway?

Karin surveyed the area one more time. Their appointment had called just as they had passed Waikiki during their drive into downtown, leaving instructions saying that he would meet them at the lounge.

"Ken didn't seem too happy when I told him about this little meeting," Karin tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"You told him where we were going?" Meliza asked.

"Yes." Karin rolled her eyes. "I was doing it to be nice. Which doesn't happen very often, mind you."

"Right."

"I thought he'd like to know, so I told him."

"You ladies are early," a voice spoke up as it approached their table.

The two women carefully studied the man who came to stop in front of them. He was dressed casually, with a dark green collared shirt tucked into a pair of loose-fitted black trousers. A black folio was tucked under his arm. He kept his light brown hair cut short all around, and his green eyes met their cautious stares.

He held out his hand. "Adam Holden."

The two women glanced at his outstretched hand then each other. Meliza took the initiative and rose from her seat, accepting his hand to shake. It was a tactic she had learned in business - never let the opposition stare too far down at you.

"Meliza Rinaldo."

"Nice to meet you," he responded. Then he turned to Karin, who also stood up from her seat. "Karin Kanzuki, I'm assuming?"

"That's correct," the blonde woman said politely, but coolly.

"Pleasure to meet you. Please sit." He cleared his throat and settled into the soft couch and said to Meliza, "I fully expected you to bring company, but not..."

"Not me?" Karin finished his sentence.

He chuckled. "I'm surprised that's all."

"Oh really?" Karin shot back. She crossed her arms. "This had better be worth it. You made two ladies drive in traffic..."

Holden's light eyes shifted to Meliza first, then back to the other woman. "How much do you two know? Based on the fact that you're both here...what I'm about to tell you may not be that much of a shocker..."

"I have reason to believe that your company hired spies into my organization," Karin declared vehemently. "Spies. And for what?"

Holden glanced at Meliza. "And you?"

"Let's just say that I don't believe the press' story about Raccoon City," came Meliza's cool answer.

"Wow," he nodded once. "That sounds about right." Then he let out a mischievous smile. "I remember helping create that cover up. Great stuff."

"Is that all you're here for?" Meliza asked. This man was actually proud of what he'd done?

"We don't have time for this," Karin added haughtily. Never one who wanted her time wasted, Karin impatiently waited for him to make their journey worth her while. She hated sitting in traffic.

His smile faded before he glanced around the room, signaling for a waiter. It had taken a few minutes for their drinks to arrive, but after Holden had downed a glass of scotch on the rocks, he let out a sigh before looking at the two women again.

"Umbrella's president died a few days ago."

"I was told it was a heart attack," Karin said.

"That's what they want you to think," Holden responded.

"I know that," Karin retorted. She wasn't dumb!

Holden cleared his throat. "If you looked at his hospital records...his symptoms don't match a heart attack. Not that that kind of stuff is for public viewing anyway...but since Umbrella's own medical division was overseeing his care...they can pretty much say whatever the hell they want."

"So he didn't die of a heart attack," Meliza said flatly.

"No...he died because of experimentation. His body couldn't take it anymore."

"Excuse me?" Karin stared hard at the man in disbelief. "Experimenting with what?"

"To the public, Umbrella is known for being one of the largest distributors of medical supplies. Anything from your standard hospital equipment to that small stuff you see in a doctor's clinic. But Umbrella is really interested in genetic and viral experimentation. The president contracted some rare disease about a year ago that caused him to black out several times a week. He didn't want to step down, so he asked our scientists to take care of it," Holden explained. "If he stepped down from the position, he'd only be given a pension plan, nothing else, and he's been with the company for a while, so plans on retiring as a rich man." He shrugged. "Anyway, the scientists were able to make something up for him. But you know how it is with any kind of drug or substance that's gradually introduced into the body...you start to develop immunity to it. The last dose might have been too much for him."

"Drugs?" Karin echoed.

"They injected him with something every couple days. I don't really understand what it was made of and what it did, but it basically made him stop passing out."

"How do you know all this?" Meliza asked.

Holden smiled slyly. "You'd be surprised how lonely female scientists can get."

Karin made a low sound of disgust.

"Now about spies in your company," Holden nodded in Karin's direction. "Umbrella's put operatives in several different organizations and cities. Some of the shareholders recommended that we keep an eye on you...Ken Masters...a couple places in Hong Kong...Metro City...said it would be in our best interests if we wanted to 'advance medical technology'."

"Wait a minute," Karin placed her palms flat on the table. "What you just listed now...there are a couple former contestants in the Street Fighter tournament who live in Hong Kong and Metro City."

"Right."

"But why would shareholders want to spy on fighters?" Karin demanded.

"I don't know," Holden shrugged. "All I know is that you weren't the only one they were watching."

"Do you have any proof to back up what you're saying?" Meliza asked.

"Yeah," Holden admitted.

"So what do you want in exchange for all this?" Karin asked cautiously.

"Actually...that's where you come in," Holden focused his eyes on Meliza. "I've got a decent amount of money saved up. And to be honest...I'm damn tired of being Umbrella's errand boy whenever they screw up. It's a tiring job and I don't feel like doing it anymore. Rumor has it that your marketing guy ran off to be a stripper."

"What?" Karin exclaimed, whipping her head around to face Meliza, who shook her head in dismay.

"You want to work for me," Meliza said slowly.

"Yes, ma'am," he grinned. "Hospitality industry sounds like it'd be fun."

"You're out of your mind," Meliza said quickly.

His smile disappeared and he said, "Considering the company I work for right now, I won't take it as an insult."

"What the hell is your problem, buddy?" a male voice erupted into the room.

"Nothing...she isn't interested in you!" came the response.

Karin made a face as a small group of wealthy, yet obviously loud drunks began to argue.

"Give me one good reason why I would even think about hiring you," Meliza said in a tight whisper.

"Because in spite of Umbrella's reputation...I'm good at what I do." He pulled out a sheet of paper from the folio and placed it on the table. "I think you'd like to see what's on my resume."

The nerve of this...this...Karin said inwardly. She was too surprised by the gall of this man she couldn't even finish her thought.

Meliza took the paper, folded it once and stuck it in her purse.

"You're not going to read it?" Holden asked.

"Later."

I think you should read what it has to say...

Meliza made herself not listen to Holden thoughts, glancing behind them as the group of people had gotten larger, with waiters trying to split up the parties.

"What kind of an idiot goes around being a company's lap dog?!" Karin exclaimed. "I've heard of company loyalty, but that's ridiculous."

"Would it help at all if I told you that Umbrella's got a research facility here on-" his sentence cut off as he slumped in his seat.

Meliza and Karin looked up at his sudden silence, their jaws dropping simultaneously at the sight of two bullet holes in his chest. Not a single shot had been heard.

"What in the world?!" Karin cried out.

Meliza immediately began to scan the room, focusing on others' thoughts and cursing herself for not paying attention to what was going on around her.

Then she caught sight of a tall, skinny man dressed in all black, his dark brown hair slicked away from his forehead, his finger pressed against the earpiece of his small headset. He was about twenty feet away.

"Target - Holden eliminated."

"That's him," Meliza whispered.

Karin glanced wildly in the man's direction, then back at Meliza. "That scrawny man? Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Not needing any further encouragement, Karin vaulted over the couch and into his direction. The man's eyes rounded, obviously surprised that he had been spotted, and quickly broke into a run, dodging around small crowds and furniture. Karin leapt forward and managed to knock his legs out from under him.

Chaos all around began. Patrons began to throw things, fighting amongst each other.

"Who are you?" Karin demanded, grabbing the man by his collar. "Why did you-oof!" Air rushed out of her lungs as the man socked her midsection before trying to escape.

The young woman clenched her teeth in frustration before rushing forward, palm facing outward, striking the man between the shoulder blades several times in succession. He managed to avoid her last hit and swung a fist towards her head but she ducked and stepped to the side.

The sounds of metal hitting marble echoed in Karin's ears. She looked to her right side as smoke canisters emptied gray clouds into the lounge.

Taking advantage of her distraction, the man did a leg sweep and she fell on her back. Getting up on her elbows, Karin watched helplessly as the man disappeared through the smoke. Coughing, she crawled on the floor, in the direction where she had left her companion.

Meliza, on the other hand, tried her best not to get stepped on, wishing she had just taken the day off, wondering how the hell she managed to find trouble, after carefully avoiding it for the last ten months.