Chapter 205
Seoul, Korea
Hotel’s Security Basement
Lula stood in the corner of the small interrogation room wearing a pant suit, blouse, and tactical boots, unarmed per hotel procedure.
Being a child of Evie Blanchar and Murai Yasuhiro meant she didn’t need to be armed to be lethal.
That was lesson one when growing up.
Lula was watching Ryo, trying to read her, but the woman was surprisingly expressionless, her face slated like stone.
Ryo was sitting in a metal chair that was bolted to the floor in the center of the room.
The prisoner’s arms were crossed in front of her and wrists cuffed to the opposite chair arm, causing her to hunch forward some. Hands were bound in leather to a piece of tungsten that prevented her from slipping out of the cuffs. Her ankles were also crossed, each ankle cuffed to the opposite back chair leg.
It wasn’t comfortable, and it wasn’t protocol in the least, but Lula was hyper aware of the training Imperial Guards get, and she knew Ryo would be able to easily slip traditional restrains. This way, Ryo wouldn’t be able to slip them without clearly being seen doing so.
“Does this amuse you?” Ryo asked, finally breaking the silence.
Lula shook her head. “Not in the least. I am merely here out of respect for my uncle in heart.”
Ryo snorted. “I will be out soon, and then you will once again be looking over your shoulder everywhere you and that bastard you sleep with go.”
That was a rather bold statement and confirmation that Ryo had a hand in the attempt on William Lee most recently.
“Not this time,” Lula informed her. “You are being taken into NIS custody for terroristic activities on Korean soil. That, is not something the Emperor will get involved with, and neither will your former Master.”
Ryo continued to look at her, impressively hiding the ting of emotion that started to surface from the comment.
“You did not hear?” Lula asked, trying to keep from chuckling over the woman’s ignorance. “Princess Suiko has denounced you and your actions and is heading back to Japan as we speak, without you.”
Ryo looked unconcerned. “Much like your whore mother, you have her uncanny ability to make a lie appear as if it is truth. I commend you for that annoying skill, but you can save your wasted breath. The Princess would never turn her back on me.”
Lula snorted. “Twenty-four,” she said.
“Twenty-four what?” Ryo asked, annoyed.
“Twenty-four guards is how many the Princess went through after Kita retired from her service,” Lula explained. “You are the twenty-fourth. I cannot even count how many she went through prior to Kita being assigned to her protection detail, but I am more than confident that there will be more and more that come and go before she finally grows up. And you will be nothing more than a distant memory that she won’t waste her time bothering to remember your name in. That, is how Princess Suiko is.”
Ryo glared at the amused woman, tugging on the restraints, but they firmly held her in place. “Lies,” she snarled.
Lula motioned around the empty room; it was just the two of them there. “The proof is obvious, is it not? Your Master abandoned you without even giving you the dignity of an explanation or goodbye. Even after everything you did for her, she threw you away as if you were nothing more than a piece of trash that has served its purpose.”
Ryo jutted her chin out in defiance. “The Princess is not to be questioned,” she said. “Her actions have purpose, even if those of mixed and polluted blood cannot see them.”
“And you do?” Lula retorted, ignoring the snide comment in regards to her partial-French heritage.
“It is not my place to say,” Ryo replied. “You never had the honor of being an appointed Imperial Guard so you will never understand what it is I know and have done, and the honor I will bring to my family when I return home. Me being here, in this chair, in this moment with only you keeping watch, it was planned in order to allow the Princess to flee this horrible country.”
Lula was a bit disturbed by the annoying creature’s dedication, especially because Ryo was wrong on all accounts.
“You are wrong, you know,” Lula said, pulling the ball-chain necklace from around her neck that had her credentials hanging from it. “I am the first female Imperial Guard, and my clearance surpassed yours in ways that you will never know.” She pulled out her identification and behind it was one denoting she was an Imperial Guard of impressive rank.
Ryo looked from the identification that stated she was just under her father in stature. “Unlike you, I had to work for my credentials.”
“I worked very hard for mine, for years, since the time I was a child,” Lula said, putting her identification cards back into the leather pouch then replaced it around her neck. “I was never seen or heard, but the impact I made was felt. Can you boast the same?”
Again, Ryo tugged on the restraints securing her to the chair, but they held her firmly in place.
“No, you cannot,” Lula continued. “Your father, Master Ryoko, I knew him.”
Ryo glared at her. “Do not speak of my father-”
“Do you know why he was dishonored and put to death?” Lula asked, knocking on the door. “He plotted against the Emperor, and it was my blood that took his head for it. It was a mercy killing, Father had called it,” she said, as if it were obvious. “Otherwise the entire family would have gone down with him. Now, I clearly see compassion nearly cost them their own family years later. It is not a mistake I will make when it pertains to Master Ryoko’s only heir,” she warned.
Ryo’s nostrils flared and she bit her tongue to keep her venomous words to herself.
Agent Han entered with four other Agents.
“She is yours,” Lula said. “This Imperial Guard is officially turning over the suspect in the terrorist bombing in the Gwangjin District, Amano Ryoko, to NIS custody for processing.”
Agent Han bowed and motioned for his Agents to secure the prisoner. “The NIS accepts transfer of suspect into our custody,” he said.
Ryo continued to look at Lula as the Agents prepared her for transit.
Agent Han stayed behind as the former guard was escorted down the hallway towards the waiting prisoner transport vehicle. “She didn’t talk?” he asked.
Lula made a face. “She did, but nothing that was of use. She will not go down without a fight. Your Agents need to be careful.”
Agent Han nodded. “Agreed. Transport will be private, one lead car and one trailing. The marked transport will be empty and go the traditional route around the city. Our alternate route will take us straight through the city with green lights. Would you like to accompany me? I was able to facilitate your request; though, he still isn’t talking.”
“Thank you. Lead car or trailing?” she asked, pulling her hair back.
“Trailing. Shall we?” he asked, waving for her to follow the others.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
