West Maui Hospital, Maui (2:45 PM local time)

"I'm glad you're awake," Meliza said.

She and Locke were sitting on chairs by RJ's bedside. Her cousin looked pretty banged up. Cuts and bruises were all over his face and arms, and several bandages wrapped his head and up his left arm, his lower body set in casts.

"Are you...?" Meliza trailed off, her gaze shifting to his legs.

RJ smiled ruefully. "I'll walk again. Just... not for a long time. I'll be in this for a few months."

"Months?" Locke echoed.

"Yeah. Then I'll probably have to go through therapy." RJ shrugged.

"I... thought the worst had happened..." Meliza admitted. "Uncle didn't say much on the phone..."

Her cousin grimaced. "Yeah... he had Mom freaking out, too. She was so worried she started crying when I finally spoke to her on the phone." He then smiled. "But it's good you guys came to visit. I know you're busy-"

"You're family," Meliza cut in.

A playful glint entered RJ's eyes as he looked back and forth between them. "Anyway, let's not talk about that anymore. You two have been together... what? Two years or so?"

"Yes..." Locke glanced at Meliza before turning back to him, wondering where the conversation was going.

"When are you guys getting married?" RJ grinned. "I mean, come on, that's a long time. I'm only looking out for my cousin here."

Meliza rolled her eyes.

Locke smiled wryly then said, "No comment."

"What he said," Meliza agreed.
 

==
 
 

Makai Poolside Cabana (2:45 PM local time)
 

Luke Blaze gazed up at the TV monitor, idly stirring his drink.

"And of course, the tournament is running as smoothly as I said it would." On the screen, a blonde woman stood behind a podium, the Makai serving as her backdrop as she spoke into a few microphones.

"Any thoughts on who's going to win?" a random reporter asked.

"No," was the flat answer.

"Miss Kanzuki, you and Mr. Masters are usually the ones conducting these weekly press conferences. What about representatives from Umbrella or Rinaldo Hotels? Will we ever get to hear from them?"

Luke watched as Karin picked up her water bottle and threw it in the reporter's direction, laughing at the action before he went back to his drink.

"I am more than enough as a representative of this tournament!" Karin declared. She flicked her hair back. "Ken Masters and I go back several years as peers in the tournament scene. He graciously asked to take part in these press conferences, and I kindly allowed him to do so. As for Umbrella Corporation and Rinaldo Hotels... I can't answer for them, but perhaps they lack experience in public speaking..."

"Need a refill?" the bartender asked him.

"Yeah. Thanks..." Luke handed his empty glass to the bartender.

"I recognize you," the bartender spoke up. "You're doing pretty well in those fights."

Luke smiled. "Thanks."

"Got any tips? My son is interested in learning some martial arts..."

"Just work and study hard."

==

Hong Kong, China (8:45 AM local time)

An insistent knocking felt like anvils dropping in her head. Esperanza groaned and pressed her hands above her ears. When that didn't help, she crawled out of bed and flung open the door, ready to yell at housekeeping for waking her up. The scream died in her throat at the sight of her partner freshly showered, fully dressed, backpack slung over one shoulder.

"You awake yet?" he asked.

"Yeah... thanks..." she muttered.

"The driver's taking us to the airport in twenty minutes," Jacob informed. He shot a questioning look at her appearance. "Are you going like that?"

She stared down at her wrinkled shirt and jeans, blinking. "Oh. Right." She stepped aside, letting him in. "Give me... ten minutes to shower and get ready."

Settling at her desk, he pulled out his packet of notes and continued to read while the sounds of the shower went on. Six minutes went by until...

"Turner."

"Yeah?" He looked up, seeing her head poke out of the bathroom.

She bit her lip nervously then had the strangest request. "Could you please turn your back for a few minutes?"

"What?" He frowned before his eyes widened in realization. "Did you forget to bring your clothes into the bathroom?"

"Will you please turn around?"

"It's not like I haven't seen a-"

"Please just do it!"

"All right, all right." He got up and faced the window. In the glass, he could see her small reflection in a white towel scurry out of the bathroom, grabbing random things from her backpack. She nearly dropped one of her shirts and practically dove down to catch it. He tried not to laugh at that. Then she promptly disappeared into the bathroom.
When she emerged, she was dressed in a fitted polo shirt and jeans, her long hair pulled up in a bun held by a claw. She placed a bag of small toiletries into her backpack, doing a final check of her belongings.

"Um... what happened last night?" she asked tentatively.

His eyes flicked in her direction before going back to his notes. "We drank. You more than me."

Uh-oh..."And?" she gulped.

"You spanked several men, grabbed women's chests, and I nearly got in five fights because some men wanted my seat since I had the best view of the chest-grabbing," he said in the calmest voice.

Mortified, Esperanza sank to a sitting position on the bed. "You're not... joking, are you?"

"Nope."

"Did... I do anything else?"

"That's about it," he said cheerfully.

"Um... we're never going out like that again."

"It was kind of entertaining."

==

The Makai private beach (6:55 PM local time)

The Makai's beach was lit up by tiki torches; the tribal music from a nearby party had set the tone for tonight. Victoria looked around. Aside from the referee, there weren't many people watching this fight, since it was touted as another no-show, because of Iwa's chronic truancy to earlier battles. The ones present were simply familiar faces.

Out of the range of the firelights, Victoria caught someone swinging the flame sticks about like a double bladed lightsaber. Sean would've liked to see one of these performances if he were here, she couldn't help but note. It was quite the worry trend now, people going missing and dying. Even Iwa and Heagy were missing. She had checked as discreetly as she could, but the conclusions she came to were quite worrying.

Ryu, Chun Li, Ken and Guile were among the spectators. Victoria had no doubt that the big four wouldn't miss this. All of them had once risked life and limb to bring Iwa back from Bison only to lose her again. It was unlikely they would take this quietly.

Riq was here as well. Usually, he didn't have the time to attend her fights yet for some reason was interested in this one. Either he was really concerned for her, or something fishy she wasn't aware of was about to go down. Their eyes met briefly, and Victoria couldn't help but blush slightly at the memory of the events of the previous night and the conversation she had with Meliza that morning. She quickly decided to divert her gaze elsewhere.

On the other side, Vega raised a glass to her in greeting when he caught her eye. The Spanish ninja had a tent to himself and he was currently having his dinner. Set up beside his table was a video camera hooked up to a laptop. He was casually dressed tonight, yet she could see the bandages under that loose shirt of his.

The sound of a Jet Ski veering towards their part of the beach shore drew Victoria's attention to the sea. The splash of water from the braking vehicle died down and its rider disembarked. Recognizing the fighter coming in, the referee jotted down something in his PDA. The fight would start soon.

Making her way up to the designated area of sand, Iwa scanned the crowd. Those who should be there are there. It's going as planned. Taking her place she showed a pair of bracers on her wrists and nodded to the referee, indicating her willingness to let Victoria incorporate the Escrimas into the fight. Victoria took her place as well.

"Subject Victoria Enid Millán, Essence of Emotions. Empathic abilities: one of the tougher ones. Doll Potential 75%," Iwa said, placing one hand on the earpiece, concealed by her hair.

"Fight!" The referee declared.

Both fighters dashed towards each other. It was obvious to Iwa that her former ally intended to pound some sense into her. Igniting her fist for a Psycho Smash, Iwa looked on with some form of detached interest as Victoria smoothly retaliated with a Soul Blast.

"Quick Defense," Iwa commented. The qi fist extinguished on cue and she leapt over the incoming qi projectile. Once she landed the qi fist ignited again, and she dashed towards the open Victoria, but her opponent turned, catching the glowing fist between the cross of the Escrimas.

"That's an old trick by now, hon," Victoria laughed, booting Iwa the stomach as she released her catch. The older woman skidded back, yet a smile appeared on her face.

"A quick mind. Lead Doll potential."

A slightly irritated Victoria dashed forward with a flurry of smashes from the kali sticks. Her victim blocked as much as she could with the bracers.

"Not quick enough!" Iwa hissed as her fist ignited again. An alert Victoria leapt backwards, wary of the damage the attack could do at close range, but instead the wispy energy was transferred into a qi projectile that roared towards Victoria. It hit its target, sending Victoria flying.

"Still holding back. Just like him." Iwa laughed. She beckoned Victoria to stand back up.

"Who? Who are you talking about?!" Victoria asked, pulling herself up and getting onto her stance.

"Fight me if you want answers." She dashed towards Victoria. They both leapt at the same time, landing a kick in each other's guts and canceling out what devastation the other intended.

"He puts up a better fight than you!" Iwa laughed, when she regained her composure. Not waiting for her opponent to stand Iwa dashed forward again and leapt, stomping a foot down on Victoria's head and pushing for a second leap behind her. Landing on the ground, Iwa dashed forward once more, not giving her opponent time to think.

"Can you last longer than him?" she asked, smashing the qi fist down, forcing Victoria to the ground.

"Do you want to find him?" Iwa mocked as she bounded backwards, allowing her opponent the opportunity to stand.

"Where is he?" A somewhat exasperated Victoria said between heavy breaths before leading the next attack, which Iwa avoided by hopping backwards out of the way of the jabbing Escrimas.

"Who's 'he'?" Iwa suddenly burst into laughter.

"Sean!" The Escrimas connected with its target, and a series of punishing blows followed. The last was a backward somersault, sending Iwa crashing into the sand. Victoria pounced upon the fallen Iwa, stabbing the Escrimas down into the sand, catching Iwa's neck where the sticks crossed.

"Where is he?" Enid demanded in a low and angry tone.

"How should I know? It's not my job to keep schedules for you."

"Who the hell were you talking about then?" She pursued her demand, applying pressure on the Escrima to get her point across.

"A few mutual friends of ours..." Iwa's eyes signaled to small group of spectators... "...now one of them might know where Sean is."

"Others have gone missing but you came back," Victoria tried again to get through to Iwa.

"I'm not supposed to come back?" Iwa asked with a slightly hurt tone in her voice.

"Don't twist my words." Victoria warned.

"So now it's guilty by association?!"

"You know I don't mean that."

"You're all alike," Iwa sneered as she threw a handful of sand into Victoria's face, taking the opportunity to break free. Returning to her stance she waited for Victoria to rise.

As soon as Victoria was upright, Iwa rushed her again, blinding her now and then by igniting and extinguishing her qi fist in a feint, forcing her to fight back and not allowing her much time to think. What she wanted was for Victoria to tap into her qi and push herself as far as she could go.

The unrelenting blows came fast and furious. Iwa was hitting and running just to throw Victoria off, not giving her time to focus and much less time to think.

"It ends!" Iwa yelled, leaping towards Victoria with a double knee press. But Victoria managed to block, instead forcing Iwa to leap back thereafter.

"Kali Rave!"

The one opportunity came as Victoria launched herself against the Doll in a myriad of strikes of two consecutive Kali Drills. Fifteen hits in total connected on Iwa's form. The next feeling Iwa registered was being lifted into the air by a strong uppercut under her jaw, and then forced back onto the ground by a kick to her side.

A small window of chance presented itself to Victoria, as she sensed a faint familiarity in Iwa. Taking advantage of her opponent's weakened state, Victoria's psyche probed into Iwa's own, trying to reconnect with her old friend.

Within the chaotic realm that was Hoshi's mind, she ignored the presence of Iwa's ever-present Essence, knowing that it wouldn't do her any good to confront the curious entity. She forged on in the darkness; Iwa can't be that good as to be immune to psionic attacks.

Amalgamated qi! She latched onto it chasing it to its source. Bits of falling leaves hinted to her friend close by, but the closer she got, the stronger she felt the shadow of Psycho Power looming. Was it the amalgamated qi or something else?

Victoria tapped into a taunting spot of Iwa's mind in an attempt to break through the ringlets of dark chi known as Psycho Power. One obsessively guarded word in Iwa's mind caught her attention: mission. What was that suppose to mean? It could be the answer to all this. She had to know, she had to burst her way in to find out.

The result was unexpected, however, for Iwa's eyes snapped open upon the connection of opposing chi and the malevolent energy materialized itself. Screaming, Iwa hurled the blast towards Victoria, sending her back to the ground.

The opposing psionics created a light show, crackling with fury, as the violent energy still engulfed both fighters in a flame-like spectacle. Victoria felt as she quickly lost the grip she had on Iwa's mind, but not only that, she couldn't see anything else around her but it was unknown to her if the block on her mind was the product of the Psycho Power attack or the hellish headache she currently had. Unable to move, she tried her hardest to fight in and out of consciousness.

The referee began the countdown as those present watched with obvious concern. Iwa was the first to stir and attempted to drag herself up. The mental trap was meant for Victoria but Iwa caught some of the backlash nonetheless. She knew that if she didn't move in the next couple of seconds she would not accomplish her mission. The incessant beeping of her earpiece made her draw her hand up to click it in answer.

"Master? The Empath... is... down." She managed to say.

"Good, but she'll no longer be needed."

"What?!"

"She can't break Mid Strength. Not by a long shot."

"She blasted the crap out of me!! That should amount to something!" Iwa almost screamed. Here she was getting her mind ripped apart and now she's told it was not worth it?!

"She can't break Mid Strength. She should have been able to overcome the trap otherwise."

"But she's a potential lead!" Iwa tried to defend her point. By her own judgment that was pretty much breaking mid and getting comfortably too high. And she was disoriented enough to prove it.

"Are you defying my orders? I won't repeat myself, doll."

"But what about the backlash?"

"I've seen to that. Remember what I told you this morning. I will contact you again."

The line went dead.

Seeing that Victoria wasn't able to get up at the end of the count, Iwa was declared the winner, but all things considered it felt hollow that the plan fell through. Glancing at Victoria, she had no doubt that Umbrella would gladly take her. She dreaded the thought of what they would do to her as the medics lifted the barely conscious Victoria onto the stretcher. The veterans watching the fight were already on their feet and were prepared for the worse. She knew she might not escape this and wondered whose hands Victoria would fall into.

"How are you holding up?" A voice broke her thoughts. A female medic was by her side.

"Backlash... numbed...dizzy."

"Don't worry. I got ya." The medic said, allowing Iwa to relax as she helped her to the ambulance. Escape was possible for now.
 

==
 

St Peter's Medical Center (7:15 PM local time)

Through half lidded eyes, Victoria watched as the nurse, Veronica as her nametag read, carefully adjusted the IV on her left hand. The woman then moved to switch on the flow of medication and Victoria instantly felt the cooling sensation streaming through the veins of her hand.

At least she was feeling something other than that aggravating soreness. Her mind strained somewhat in an attempt to read any no-so-friendly intentions from the nurse, but failed as the only thoughts she could hear were her own.

Mistaking Victoria's mental efforts for an expression of discomfort, the nurse caught her glance and smiled sympathetically.

"This will help with the pain." She said, pointing to the substance in the IV before unhooking a metallic clipboard from the bed, taking it with her as she headed towards the door.

Outside Victoria's hospital room, Riq sat browsing through the day's newspaper. He reached the page that contained the gossip column and was about to skip it for the next interesting article but his curiosity did not allow it. He scanned through it, some very incriminating phrases about him and Victoria catching his attention. He shook his head slightly, somewhat regretting the fact that he stopped Victoria from mauling that reporter. Pushing the thought aside, he turned to the next page.

Enrique raised his eyes from his reading when Veronica stepped out of the room. He stood to meet her, setting the newspaper aside.

"She's in pain but doing well nonetheless." Veronica said, now glancing at the patient's medical record she held. "Minor injuries include several first degree burns and a sprained ankle."

The nurse flipped to the second page of the record. She spoke more softly now so as to not be overheard... which wasn't hard anyway since that area of the hospital was rather isolated ... and she kept her eyes on the notes.

"She'll be ready to leave in about an hour. We need to treat her dehydration first... then we can act as planned."

To any onlookers it would have seemed that the pair was still discussing a patient's record.

Enrique nodded and Veronica handed him the clipboard.

"You may go in to see her now. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Thanks." Pierantoni said sincerely to which the nurse smiled sweetly before heading off.

Enrique opened the door as quietly as he could, and yet still noticed how Victoria tensed slightly at the possibility of an intruder entering her room. He couldn't blame her really, for not trusting anyone in the facility. She relaxed and gave him a tired smile as he came closer.

"Hey..." He greeted. "How are you doing?"

"Been better. Been worse too." Victoria replied with a small smirk. "I bet that thing says I'm all screwed up."

Knowing she referred to the clipboard in his hand, Enrique glanced over it. "At least nothing's broken." He noted, although noticing the several bandages that covered her arms.

"Doesn't feel that way." Victoria chuckled.

"You fought well." Riq said, now setting the board aside and slipping his hands into his pockets.

Victoria smiled, but her expression soon grimed. "I almost got through to her. I could feel her struggling inside her own head. But his hold on her is so strong. I couldn't..."

The soft caress of Riq's hand on her forehead interrupted her words. "You tried your best. Sometimes people don't want to be helped."

Victoria pondered on that for a second, but deep down she believed that whatever Iwa was doing for that man was not out of her own will.

Enrique moved his hand away from the girl's forehead, Victoria already missing the comfort it provided, and glanced at his watch.

"It's not safe here. We're leaving in an hour."

Victoria nodded in understanding. "Ok."

Veronica strolled back inside the room, carrying fresh bandages in her hands. Enrique took that as a request for privacy and was about to leave, until the fingers of Victoria's free hand laced themselves with his own. It was Riq's turn to offer her a smile and he squeezed her hand in a "you're going to be ok" manner before leaving the room to allow the nurse to attend to Victoria.
 

==
 

St. Peter's Medical Center (7:21 PM local time)

The couple stopped a few steps away from the door; Chun Li nodded to Ryu indicating that it was best for her to go in alone. He frowned, not liking the idea but knowing he had to keep up with the appearance that he had come reluctantly.

"May I come in?" Chun Li announced, knocking on the door.

"Like I'm in any condition to stop you." There was resentment in Iwa's voice. Chun Li sighed and entered. She pulled a chair by the bed and sat down beside her former disciple. The silence was quite awkward and Chun Li could still fell the after effects of the qi blast gnawing at her. Such weak traces she simply shrugs off but it disturbs her that Bison was using Iwa this way.

"Monsters in the basement." Iwa said, handing over a thumbdrive, the older woman known better than to question her any further.

"You disappeared during Ken's fight? I was worried when you were gone for days."

"He challenged me to meet up with him. To settle things once and for all. And he turned me into target practise!" Iwa spat out her story. Chun Li knew who she was talking about as they had both disappeared around the same time.

"You were flirting with him on some counts."

"And he used to be such a nice boy. Should have known he was trouble when he bugged my room each time I swept it clean. I have a nice hotel room and zero chance to use it."

"You didn't...." Chun Li need not complete the sentence. She just needed to know that Iwa hadn't killed anyone.

"How should I know where he went after I lost him in Kauai. I'm not insane enough to stalk my stalkers." Obviously the escapade with John had traumatized Iwa, Chun Li assumed that he managed to break her various forest-based tricks. Still considering the boy's incident in a female bathroom it was logical to assume that it was a plan to bring down his inhibitions when it came to taking down Iwa.

"I will not freefall at night ever again." Iwa rambled on, clearly upset at having to recount the events of the last few days.

"At least you managed to come back. There's been a spate of disappearances over the past few weeks."

"Conveniently blaming it on me. They'll use that as an excuse to shut me away and dig what little information he lets me in on. "

"They will have to get through me first. You're officially in my custody." Chun Li assured her disciple.

"Like you have any authority."

"My suspension ended when I arrived on this island. I'm on a working vacation."

"So now I'm nothing more than an asset to you. Like they'll believe you."

"Let's just say I'm playing peacemaker. And I doubt they would want to spook you this early if they want Bison."

"Whatever." Iwa turned away, not wishing to continue this conversation any further.

Undercover or not, Chun Li could not shake off the feeling that Bison had done something to her disciple in the course of six months. It had added much bitterness to the younger woman that she was afraid that if the others pushed too hard or too soon. It might make her snap and run back to Bison. She had to let Ryu in on her findings and they had to be careful not to provoke her.
 
 

==
 
 

St. Peter's Medical Center (7:26 PM local time)
 

Unlike a select few in the tournament, Riq's power in battle was mostly physical, while others like, say, Victoria, could tap into an inner energy that compensated where their otherwise muscle strength would lack. He could however, recognize a familiar chi when he sensed it. He halted his pacing, one of the few sounds in the near-empty waiting area, and quickly went in pursuit of the presence. Stopping at the corner when he reached the end of the corridor was when he saw her. The tiny murder child... she held something in her hand, which Pierantoni realized to be only a red crayon, and the little girl was simply drawing on the wall. Ironically enough, she seemed to be producing crimson gashes on the "Winnie the Poo" depiction on the wall.

His breath caught in his lungs. That was it right there, the wickedness of Umbrella's experimentation: turning innocent people, children, into destructive weapons. He slowly stepped closer, not wanting to scare little Eleonore who was busily leaving her disturbing art on the hospital wall.

She stopped coloring, and he halted his steps. Eleonore Dumont looked up at Enrique Pierantoni, stared into his green eyes for a few seconds. He couldn't read anything in the child; Eleonore was expressionless.

Enrique cautiously began kneeling in front of the child, and was about to say something, but in the blink of an eye the child nicknamed as "La Legion" threw herself against him. He didn't have time to muse a sound since by the time he could have reacted she had already swallowed him into the abyss that was the darkness of a cloak.

Both disappeared without leaving a single trace behind.
 
 

==
 
 

Elsewhere...
 

He hated snatch missions, he thought as cautiously made his way through the window. There was no room for error or creativity and everything had to be done to the letter. Most of all, he hated the stealth suit, it was just so not him to be so covered up. At least he wasn't forced to wear face paint since he was allowed a black version of his own mask instead.

There was a limited time frame for him to get his job done. Surveillance from his people indicated that the one known as Riq had already been dealt with. Unfortunately for his rivals, he had reached the room first. As for his mark, she was sleeping soundly from the effect of her medication. He smiled, watching her sleep, quite the pretty little dear. Using his camera phone he took a picture of Victoria's sleeping face in various angles and attached it as a file to be sent with the text message - "Optional sleeping head to be made and promoted with doll." A lovely opportunity as this should not be missed.

As much as he would like to watch her sleep some more there was work to be done and steps to be followed. Vega saw as the girl stirred in her sleep somewhat. Her psionics were probably awakening from the effects of the Psycho Power and she had most probably unconsciously sensed his presence.

He removed a tranquilizer dart from his belt pack and proceeded to inject her with the serum. The dart was then capped and returned to his pocket. Searching the bedside cupboard he found her backpack and within it her travel documents and other important things... even her precious pair of Escrima sticks. A change of clothes was also included within. He stuffed the shoes into the pack as well.

Rummaging through her bag he found her cell phone, switched it to silent mode and began to text another message with one hand while removing another cellphone from his pack and switching it on.

'U knw where he is. Don't u?!' He sent the message.

His second phone vibrated when the message was sent through. He texted a reply back to Victoria's phone.

'Visual confirmed dwn at d warehse docks. R u sure abt doing dis?'

'In yr wrds – Affirmative.'

'Oi.... I b grilled 4 dis.'

"Its up 2 us 2 get them both back!"

"Oi...."

With the last message sent Vega switched off both cellphones and placed them into his pack. With his gloved hands he removed a ziplocked 4"x 6" photograph of Sean from his belt pack, removing the picture from the bag he placed it in Victoria's right hand for a moment, ensuring that her fingerprints were transferred onto the photograph. That done, he dropped it by the bed. The plastic bag he returned to his belt pack. He unplugged Victoria from the IV tube and hoisted her up and left her on the chair, he took a look outside the window.

He needn't worry that much, fortunately it was the quiet side of the building. He took one last look around the room to ensure he had everything

Collecting all bed sheets and curtains available he fashioned a cloth rope, which he secured on the bed frame and threw it out the window. He retrieved both the backpack and its owner. Descending the building was too easy for him. He headed for the trees; a bit of distance later two agents in civilian clothing were waiting for him in a dark colored van. Everything was on schedule.
 

==

St. Peter's Medical Center (7:40 PM local time)
 

He whistled a happy tune as he walked down the corridor towards his destination. He smiled just as happily at a sweet old lady who was making her way to the nearby vending machines. His smiling face then turned to the pretty little nurse guiding him. She didn't look nearly as content, she in fact whimpered ever so softly as both reached the door displaying the room number he had inquired for.

Her whimper became a tad louder as she felt the added pressure of the weapon held against her back.

"Open it." The man ordered, and she did. He quickly pushed her inside the hospital room, forcefully placing a hand over her lips to avoid any annoying screams.

He heard however, the muffled gasp she liberated beneath the weight of his hand when she realized that what he was looking for was no longer there.

Rez stared at the empty hospital bed, irritated. He threw the woman against the wall, an action that caused her to yelp in pain, and then aimed his gun straight at her face.

"Where is she?!" He demanded.

"I-I don't know!" Tears were freely streaming down Veronica's face.

"Where was she taken?" He asked again, this time pressing the weapon against the woman's forehead.

"I swear... I don't know where she is! Please... I don't want to die." Her sobs became uncontrollable.

Sergei was about to reiterate the seriousness of his demands, when he felt a soft, cool breeze on his skin. He glanced to his left, noticing the open window. Rez pulled Veronica into a tight, choking grip and dragged her to the other side of the room. Looking outside, he saw the tightly made escape rope... with simple linen sheets.

Rez pulled down on Veronica's hair, forcing her to her knees.

"Was the girl in any condition to do that?"

Veronica shook her head ever so slightly. "No... please, let me go."

He pulled her to a standing position again, this time delivering a powerful blow against her head with the grip of his gun, effectively knocking her out.

Rez looked out the window once more. They had gotten to the girl first.
 

==
 

West Maui Hospital, Maui (8:00PM local time)
 

"You know... you're lucky. There really isn't much I can do with you... given that you won't feel any pain below your spine." Sasha crossed her legs and stared at the man sleeping on the bed. A wicked smile came to her stunning features. "And I'd hate to ruin that face of yours. So how about we make this easy on you and you tell me what I want to know." She patted his arm, feeling him stir slightly. "And I'm feeling merciful today. Aren't you lucky?" She grinned before reaching in her bag of supplies, pulling out a small needle. "See? I said I'd make this easy on you..."

"Who the hell are you?" a woman's voice demanded from the doorway.

Sasha looked up in alarm, surprised to see a dark-haired woman wearing a peach-colored spaghetti strap dress that fell to her knees. Right behind her was a man wearing a blue collared shirt and khaki pants.

She smiled at the woman. "I'm just here giving him his medication."

"This late?" the woman asked suspiciously.

"It'll help him sleep better," Sasha said smoothly. Luckily, she had worn scrubs as a disguise so she could walk freely in and out of the hospital halls. "Besides, visiting hours are over at six."

The man narrowed his eyes. "In ICU, not in this unit." Sasha stiffened ever so slightly. "Who are you?" he demanded.

Sasha quickly drew her gun and fired a shot in their direction. The man was faster and managed to drag the woman with him as he jumped out of the way. "S--t!" Sasha quickly glanced behind her, and keeping her gun trained on the door, she opened the window, prepared to jump out through the second story.

==

Sandy beach park (8:00 PM local time)
 

Stopping at the carpark, Vega heaved Victoria over his shoulders and made the rest of the way in on foot. There was no need for the two drivers to see who he met up with or where he would go after. At the point where the beach met up with the nature reserve, he could see two commercial helicopters of a tour company waiting.

A pilot came up to him, a team of med-techs at his side. Vega rose an eyebrow.

"Master?" He was surprised, he was aware that Bison was trying to 'travel' via his minions but to actually see one in action. He understood the method was not perfected and quite was tedious.

"Victoria comes with me." The pilot said. The med-techs proceeded to relieve Vega of his catch and haul her to one of the helicopters. A streaky hair Doll and two senior doctors helped the med-techs get Victoria on board.

"You can't come with us." The pilot pointed to the other helicopter instead and Vega understood on seeing the other streaky hair Doll within.

"The detective has her." Vega reported as he walked the pilot back to the helicopters.

"I know. She has her own task to complete." Reaching the helicopter, one of the bespectacled doctors gave a thumbs-ups sign and the pilot boarded the helicopter.

Vega backed off watching the helicopter take off before heading to his waiting transport.
 
 

==
 
 

West Maui Hospital, Maui (8:05PM local time)
 

While Meliza called for help, Locke cautiously peered out the window to see the woman dash away. He climbed on the sill, just as he heard Meliza's voice behind him.

"What are you doing?"

"Going to get some answers," Locke answered quickly, jumping down.

"Dev!"

He glanced behind him to see Meliza and a nurse at the window. "Call your uncle!"

The woman wasn't far ahead. He quickly sprinted in her direction, determined to catch up. He hurried through the parking lot and into the first level of the three-story parking structure. He kept low, staying in the shadows as he crept closer, dodging between cars. The woman glanced behind her to see if she was being followed. She was breathing heavily thanks to her run, and she unlocked her car, opening the door. Locke quickly came up from behind, muffling her cry of surprise by clapping a hand over her mouth. She struggled viciously.

Locke leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Your choice. Easy way or hard way."
 
 

==
 

Lahaina, Maui (9:10 PM local time)
 

Locke looked out the window. Just a few feet away from the door, a silver Jaguar practically glowed under the moonlight. Whoever she was, she was certainly paid well. Locke had driven her car several blocks away from the hospital, stopping at an abandoned business by the waterfront in Lahaina. He flipped her passport holder open, scanning the picture and identification info. Sasha Wentworth. He briefly wondered if it was her real name.

A groan from behind him caught his attention.

Locke had taken all the precautions, making sure to tie her wrists behind her back and her ankles together so that she couldn't move her limbs. He tossed her passport at her feet, adjusting his black gloves, waiting for his prisoner to wake up.

Her green eyes fluttered open and after glancing around, settled on him. She licked her lips and cleared her throat, her voice cracking, "Who are you?"

Locke arched a brow. "Do you really want the answer to that?"

"Good point." Her eyes strayed to the counter beside her, to see the syringe and her trusted firearm sitting side by side. She glanced at him.

"They're both empty," Locke informed casually.

"You mean..."

He merely looked out one of the windows that framed the establishment for several moments. "You never answered my question."

A brief smile came to her lips. "You knew exactly what I was doing in that hospital room."

"It wasn't hard to figure out," he responded.

"Then it isn't hard to figure out that you're not going to get a direct answer from me. Truth serum or no serum."

A ghost of a smile touched his features. "The person who hired you to go into that room...how much did they pay you?"

"What's it to you?"

"What if I offered to pay you more to tell me about the person who sent you into the hospital?"

"You?" She frowned skeptically. "I don't believe it."

"How much?"

"Twenty-five."

"That's it?"

"What do you mean, 'That's it?'?" she demanded.

He shrugged. "Nothing... that seems so little."

"What are you, an expert on freelance job compensation?" She stared hard at him. "Besides, I can't be bought."

"Anyone can be bought," he countered.

"I happen to have loyalties."

Locke sighed, moving to the counter behind her and walking in front of her so that he was in her full view. In one hand he held a small black Gucci bag. Locke pulled her cell phone out. "If you're not going to tell me, then I'm just going to take this."

"Wait. What are you..?" Her eyes widened.

"A person can find a lot of information from a cell phone."

Her green eyes studied him dubiously. "You're bluffing."

"Are you willing to bet your life on that?"

He suddenly jumped to the side as she flew in his direction and out of the stool, in an attempt to ram her head against his nose. She let out a cry of pain as she landed front first on the floor.

"You bastard!" she spat.

Locke casually turned her over using his right foot before planting it on her midsection. He leaned down slightly, placing a little weight on his right foot, effectively keeping the air out of her diaphragm. "I'll ask again. Who hired you?"

"Go to hell."

A cold smile came to his features. "Been there. They'll like you." He studied her cell phone for a few moments before he glanced down at her again. "What's your turnaround time to return phone calls?"

She merely glared in his direction.

Locke waited a heartbeat then used his cell phone to dial. Keeping his eyes trained on her, he spoke into the phone. "Ka'anapali Police? I have a tip for something going on at West Maui Hospital. I heard something bad happened to one of the patients. Some strange woman was in his room trying to kill him? Yeah...I think I saw the woman running into the parking lot so she could get away. She got into a silver Jaguar and drove off. License plate number? Let me try to remember..." He took a couple steps back towards the door.

"All right!" she hissed. "You win."

He paused for a moment. "I'm sorry, nothing's coming to mind... Sure, glad to help..." He hung up.
She adjusted herself to a sitting position.
"What's the name?" He squatted in front of her, a safe distance away.

"Thad."

"Full name."

"I don't know his full name. He usually calls me from a pay phone when he wants to meet up." He continued to stare at her in silence, so she sighed in defeat. "I met him through a friend. June Panaloa owns a nightclub in Lahaina..."

==
 

Somewhere in Tibet (3:00 PM local time)

"The journey to the site will take several days," their guide informed as he drove the jeep away from the metropolitan landscape and towards the Tibetan mountain range.

"On foot?" Esperanza asked for verification.

Jacob glanced at her from his seat in the front. "Kundu will take us as close as he can, which will help cut our trip. The rest is a three-day walk in the woods and mountains."

"Sounds fun," Esperanza mused.

"As soon as we park, we can walk until dusk then set up camp," Kundu stated. He then glanced at Jacob and Esperanza. "You are American?"

"I am," Jacob said.

Kundu said thoughtfully, "We do not receive many Americans who go this far."

"Why's that?" Esperanza asked.

"It is common knowledge that Tibet has the harshest winters. You are lucky to come during the summer months. Our weather is more forgiving during this time of the year. We do have the occasional heavy rainstorms. But it is beautiful during the day."

Neither Jacob nor Esperanza could argue with that. The lush valley and towering mountains... being out in the open like this... made one appreciate the simple things in life.

After parking, the three gathered their backpacks and began the trek through trees. Kundu began to tell them all about Tibetan monastery life. Particularly about the group of monks they would be visiting. The artifact that they'd be retrieving was technically on their land. Where, exactly, they didn't know. Jacob did remember his grandfather saying that the group didn't particularly welcome outsiders. Kundu had confirmed that statement. Jacob figured that they'd worry about that part later. Regardless, Veracruz couldn't get his hands on it. He and Esperanza wouldn't allow it.

After about two hours of hacking away brush, the three came across a loud rushing noise. Kundu leaned slightly forward, pointing to the rushing river below - approximately a forty foot drop from the bank they were standing on. The expanse of the rapids was several meters wide.

Esperanza surveyed the area. "We're going to have to climb across."

Jacob brought up a pair of binoculars, scanning the bank. "Looks like it..." He frowned, studying the distance from where they stood. Then he glanced towards one of the trees to their right.

As if reading his mind, their guide followed his gaze before looking at the water. "The rope is more than long enough." He looked at them. "After we cross, we can set up camp."

Esperanza watched as Kundu and Jacob took their backpacks off and began to take some equipment out. Kundu secured a rope around the tree closest to the bank, while Jacob attached the other end to some contraption similar to a grappling hook. Holding the device in both hands, Jacob brought it to eye level, took aim, and fired. The hook caught on to the very top of the other side of the bank. Kundu attached a hook to the rope and began to tighten the slack while Jacob strapped something around his waist. He tugged the hook on the rope and then attached it to the loops connected to the brace he wore around his waist.

"I'll go first, you follow," Jacob said. He then glanced down towards the water. "Which works best for you, head first or feet first?"

"It doesn't matter," Esperanza answered. "I'll be able to grab the bank either way."

He was halfway across when Esperanza began her climb across the rope. They worked quietly, methodically, one hand over the other with Kundu calling out instructions and telling them how much farther their destination was. When Jacob was three feet from the bank, he tilted his head up to see how much room he had left so he could change positions and climb over the edge.

What he saw made his blood run cold. The clamp was pulling on softened rock, about to loosen any minute.

"Oh sh-t..." he whispered.

He had to get to the bank quick and secure the rope so Rios and Kundu could make it across.

Unfortunately, he didn't get that chance as the clamp popped off the bank, causing him to plunge into the water below.

==
 

Lahaina, Maui (12:00 AM local time)
 

"This is the place?" Meliza looked up at the neon sign at the top of the building that spelled in bright pink letters, 'The Corner'.

Locke glanced towards the front door, a six foot, two hundred plus pound man wearing a suit stood guarding the front.

"Doesn't look like much," Locke muttered.

The building was on the far outskirts of Lahaina, at a street corner. The parking lot adjacent to it was packed, however. As they exited their rental car, Meliza pulled her shawl closer, covering her bare shoulders. The bouncer inspected their IDs and let them in. Locke led the way through a dark corridor before it opened up to a dimly lit room. Black chairs and small tables were arranged in a semi-circle formation around a stage two feet above the ground, where a piano player currently was in the middle of a smooth jazz piece. White marble tiles with black diamond shapes made up the floor, and the bar, in the back facing the stage, was made of rich black wood with glass cabinets. The posh decor contradicted the casual dress of the patrons.

Locke sat at the bar, his eyes surveying the room.

"What can I get for you two?" the bartender, dressed in a white button-down shirt, green vest and black pants placed two napkins on the bar in front of them.

"Jack and Coke," Locke answered.

"Cosmopolitan," was Meliza's response.

The bartender moved away for a few minutes, promptly returning with their drinks.

"That'll be thirteen," he said, setting the glasses down.

Locke handed him a twenty. "Is June Panaloa available?"

The bartender was silent for a few moments before he shook his head. "Sorry." He handed them seven single bills.

Locke turned to watch the pianist. He waited until the bartender was out of earshot before he glanced at Meliza. "He's lying."

"No kidding," Meliza murmured. "She's in her office."

"You read that in his head?"

"It wasn't hard to." She took a delicate sip of her drink.

Locke idly drank his own order, waiting a few minutes before speaking. "How's RJ?"

"He's good," Meliza answered. "We talked to Uncle about what happened. Uncle's arranged for him to receive care somewhere else. They're getting him out of the hospital now."

"Smart idea."

The pianist was now in middle of a blues song.

When they finished their drinks, Meliza pushed the glasses away, placing three single bills underneath. "Ready to go?"

Locke tilted his head in the direction of the back, where the restrooms and presumably offices were. Meliza moved off the stool and they walked in the direction he'd indicated. The hallway leading to the restrooms was narrow, lit by few red lights. Several couples were already taking advantage of the darkness while they waited for the restrooms to be unoccupied, engaging in make-out sessions, or climbing over each other like monkeys up trees. The hallway broke to a sharp right with a series of six doors, three on each side. Locke leaned his back against the wall, crossing his arms, waiting patiently as Meliza focused on the different voices around them. Normally, he'd check every door, but judging by the people in the hallway...he didn't feel like running into a compromising scene.

Did you see that guy sitting at the table next to us? He was totally checking you out...

Damn, I drank too much already...

I feel sick...why can't I throw it up now...

Oh my gosh, I can't believe we snuck in this office...we're going to get caught...

Text message from Sasha?

"There." Meliza pointed to the far door on their left.

Locke moved to the door and knocked.

"Come in," the faint reply could be heard.

He pushed it open and stepped inside.

A woman of Pacific Island and Asian descent sat at a large cherry wood desk. Her black hair was pulled up and away from her face, held by green hair sticks. A dark green sequined strapless top clung to her curves. Navy blue eye shadow emphasized her dark eyes. She looked to be a few years older than him.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

Meliza closed the door behind her as Locke moved forward into her office.

"I have some questions to ask you, Ms. Panaloa."

Her eyes widened at him mentioning her name.

"Who are you?" she repeated. Get out of my office.

He ignored her question. "Sasha Wentworth a friend of yours?"

Sasha... what has she done now? Get... out. She frowned. "I don't know who you're talking about."

"Now isn't a good time to lie," Meliza said quietly.

"She told me herself that you could provide all the information I'd need about her clients," Locke continued.

"I'm calling security," she announced, moving to pick up the phone.

Locke quickly reached out, his hand on the receiver so she couldn't make the call.

Her eyes widened and she took a step back, glaring at him. Meliza moved forward, placing her hand on Locke's forearm.

"Ms. Panaloa," Meliza began. "We're not here to harm her. Or you." She nodded towards Locke. "He's... really good at telling when people are lying. If you could just tell us what we need to know, we'll leave."

"What do you know about Sasha?" she demanded.

"That's my question." He pulled his hand away from her desk.

Meliza sighed. "We're not cops, federal agents, or anything like that." Her eyes focused on the woman. "Just at the receiving end of a bad situation she caused."

A flicker of sadness entered the woman's eyes. "I tried to take her in. But she ended up getting mixed with the wrong crowd."

"Did you know people in this crowd?" Meliza asked.

"Some of them. She works for them," Panaloa said vaguely.

"Who specifically?"

The older woman shot daggers at him and turned to face Meliza. "Does Tarzan ever have any manners?"

"Sometimes," Meliza grinned.

That got a conspiratorial grin back. "Typical for handsome devils."

Meliza caught Locke's eye the instant she could hear two separate thoughts.

Get out of my office. Just...leave. It's better for everyone...

Can you read anything from her?

The 'get out of my office' part had been pretty prevalent the last three minutes. Meliza shook her head once with minimal movement.

Breaking eye contact, Locke cleared his throat, then said quietly, "Information always has a price, right?"

"Meaning?" Panaloa placed her hands on her hips.

"What would I have to do in order for you to tell me everything you know about Wentworth?"

She looked at him, a sly smile on her lips. "Now that's an interesting question." She circled her desk, stopping just inches in front of him, her eyes going up and down his form. "What I want from you..."