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The Company
On December 17, we had Bonnie ("Xiang Wen," a.k.a. "Wu Xie Zhi" and "Dot"), Marc ("Anabel Windsor," a.k.a. "Abigail Wilson" and "Vicky"), and Torsten ("Qoqa Ramazanova," a.k.a. "Zoya Petrovna Sidorova").
Time: Friday, August 23, 2013 (night).
Place: Milan, Italy.
Last Event: Abducting Asuka and defeating her goons.
With Klas, Lev, and Wen keeping watch, Anabel and Jili bundle Asuka into the rental van. Qoqa helps Paul stagger over to the vehicle, too. Then Qoqa does her hasty best to dispose of evidence of the recent fight; this includes enlisting Jili's aid to siphon some gasoline, which Qoqa uses to denature the blood on the pavement. After that, the Agents pile into the van and hit the road, with Klas behind the wheel. As soon as they're moving, Anabel calls Chaturvedi, who provides the address of a safe house in a small town to the north and promises that longer-term arrangements are in the works.
It's just before dawn on Saturday when the Agents reach their destination. The key is where Chaturvedi said it would be, and the location looks reasonably secure. Taking great care not to be seen, the group carries Asuka to the basement, where they restrain her while making an effort to keep her comfortable. Then Klas searches the girl's clothing and bag, where he finds a phone, makeup . . . and a small pistol, a tiny knife concealed in a lipstick, and a stun gun. He confiscates the weapons and switches off the phone. After everyone agrees to some basic rules for monitoring Asuka, it's time to get some rest.
The house's main downside is that it's small: Paul gets one of the two single beds because he's wounded, while Qoqa gets the other because she's the medic and needs to stay sharp. Everybody else is out of luck. Claiming to have seen a rat in the basement, Anabel opts to camp out in the van. The others take turns standing watch and sleeping on the sofa or the floor.
There's a brief scare just after daybreak, when Klas sees a scruffy young man loitering near the van. Klas doesn't need to be a secret agent to recognize a smalltime crook. Rousing Lev just in case, Klas dashes outside and scares off the would-be car thief. Amazingly, Anabel sleeps through the entire incident! Klas and Lev make a point of waking her to let her know that she was almost abducted by accident thanks to her lack of vigilance. While the lads pester Anabel, Jili pulls a fuse to make the vehicle harder to steal.
Toward noon on Saturday, the Agents check in with Chaturvedi, who has no news as yet. They inform him that they'll call in every day at noon until there is news. With nothing better to do, Anabel and Klas head out in the van, return it, and rent a replacement from a different company using another identity. They stop off on the way back to buy camping mattresses and food . . . as well as soft, safe restraints to put on Asuka. Visiting the sex shop is always fun!
Back at the safe house, Jili examines Asuka's phone. She finds evidence of dozens of text messages and long-distance phone calls to Japan over the past several months. The records go back far enough to overlap the team's last visit to Tokyo, just prior to which several texts promise a nameless someone that "the competition is going to have a bad accident." This offers damning evidence that Asuka has been scheming with criminal elements based in Tokyo, and makes clear that her actions in Italy were premeditated rather than spontaneous.
Meanwhile, Qoqa physically examines Asuka, keeping Wen nearby for security. After finding no evidence of injury or drug abuse, she decides to remove the girl's gag and check on her psychological health. Qoqa tries to get her to explain what she's up to in Italy, and confronts her with the details that Jili discovered. This serves only to make Asuka angry and abusive. All Qoqa manages to learn about Asuka's actions are that she has been using Lu©a as part of some hopelessly intricate plan to regain her family's honor. However, Qoqa is able to deduce that Asuka is delusional – especially when the girl starts talking about her dead father "getting back from his trip" and accuses the Agents of abducting her from the family home.
Saturday evening passes uneventfully, as does the night. Come Sunday's check-in, the group learns from Chaturvedi that he has found a secure private mental hospital near Nice – a high-end place where wealthy rock stars go when their lawyers get them off the hook for major crimes, and where prestigious families stash crazy old aunts. Everything is set up; all the team has to do is meet him there on Monday. He counsels against the whole group showing up, looking like thugs. A couple of respectably dressed Agents should suffice, and it would be best for Paul to keep his bandaged gunshot wounds out of sight.
Monday morning comes without incident. The Agents leave before dawn, with Klas at the wheel. An uneventful drive sees the group arrive a little early, giving them time to survey the private loony bin. As it happens, the place is quite attractive, and sits in the middle of a nicely manicured property set a good distance from the road. When it's time for the appointment, Klas drops off Asuka, escorted by Qoqa and Wen. They find Chaturvedi and Ben waiting, and enter the building at once.
It's soon clear that Chaturvedi has pulled strings and paid a significant sum of money to ensure that Asuka is committed with minimal fuss. There's an interview with a Dr. Charlotte Liège, who insists on seeing Asuka accompanied only by her caregiver. Chaturvedi indicates that Qoqa is Asuka's psychiatrist, and Qoqa says all the right things. Strangely, rather than protest the situation, Asuka rants in a way that convinces Dr. Liège that she is indeed quite mad. Before long, paperwork is signed that makes Asuka a patient for an indefinite period of time.
Asuka is then escorted to her new quarters, whereupon Qoqa and Dr. Liège rejoin Ben, Chaturvedi, and Wen. Wen attempts to convince Liège to provide details about the hospital's physical security measures, but Liège stonewalls, claiming that the precautions wouldn't be effective if everybody knew what to expect. Then Liège thanks Chaturvedi ("Mr. Chaudhry") for his "generous donation" and excuses herself. With their business done, the Company personnel take their leave.
Ben and Chaturvedi give Qoqa and Wen a lift off the hospital grounds. They link up with their associates a short distance down the highway. Before Chaturvedi departs, he asks the team to lie low and stay off the radar for a few months until Mr. Gae's people in Korea are ready to roll out their new line of fancy phones. The Agents agree and then bid Ben and Chaturvedi adieu. Anabel wonders how long it will be before Chaturvedi finds the pair of fuzzy handcuffs she slipped into his pocket . . .
Time: Friday, August 23, 2013 (night).
Place: Milan, Italy.
Last Event: Abducting Asuka and defeating her goons.
With Klas, Lev, and Wen keeping watch, Anabel and Jili bundle Asuka into the rental van. Qoqa helps Paul stagger over to the vehicle, too. Then Qoqa does her hasty best to dispose of evidence of the recent fight; this includes enlisting Jili's aid to siphon some gasoline, which Qoqa uses to denature the blood on the pavement. After that, the Agents pile into the van and hit the road, with Klas behind the wheel. As soon as they're moving, Anabel calls Chaturvedi, who provides the address of a safe house in a small town to the north and promises that longer-term arrangements are in the works.
It's just before dawn on Saturday when the Agents reach their destination. The key is where Chaturvedi said it would be, and the location looks reasonably secure. Taking great care not to be seen, the group carries Asuka to the basement, where they restrain her while making an effort to keep her comfortable. Then Klas searches the girl's clothing and bag, where he finds a phone, makeup . . . and a small pistol, a tiny knife concealed in a lipstick, and a stun gun. He confiscates the weapons and switches off the phone. After everyone agrees to some basic rules for monitoring Asuka, it's time to get some rest.
The house's main downside is that it's small: Paul gets one of the two single beds because he's wounded, while Qoqa gets the other because she's the medic and needs to stay sharp. Everybody else is out of luck. Claiming to have seen a rat in the basement, Anabel opts to camp out in the van. The others take turns standing watch and sleeping on the sofa or the floor.
There's a brief scare just after daybreak, when Klas sees a scruffy young man loitering near the van. Klas doesn't need to be a secret agent to recognize a smalltime crook. Rousing Lev just in case, Klas dashes outside and scares off the would-be car thief. Amazingly, Anabel sleeps through the entire incident! Klas and Lev make a point of waking her to let her know that she was almost abducted by accident thanks to her lack of vigilance. While the lads pester Anabel, Jili pulls a fuse to make the vehicle harder to steal.
Toward noon on Saturday, the Agents check in with Chaturvedi, who has no news as yet. They inform him that they'll call in every day at noon until there is news. With nothing better to do, Anabel and Klas head out in the van, return it, and rent a replacement from a different company using another identity. They stop off on the way back to buy camping mattresses and food . . . as well as soft, safe restraints to put on Asuka. Visiting the sex shop is always fun!
Back at the safe house, Jili examines Asuka's phone. She finds evidence of dozens of text messages and long-distance phone calls to Japan over the past several months. The records go back far enough to overlap the team's last visit to Tokyo, just prior to which several texts promise a nameless someone that "the competition is going to have a bad accident." This offers damning evidence that Asuka has been scheming with criminal elements based in Tokyo, and makes clear that her actions in Italy were premeditated rather than spontaneous.
Meanwhile, Qoqa physically examines Asuka, keeping Wen nearby for security. After finding no evidence of injury or drug abuse, she decides to remove the girl's gag and check on her psychological health. Qoqa tries to get her to explain what she's up to in Italy, and confronts her with the details that Jili discovered. This serves only to make Asuka angry and abusive. All Qoqa manages to learn about Asuka's actions are that she has been using Lu©a as part of some hopelessly intricate plan to regain her family's honor. However, Qoqa is able to deduce that Asuka is delusional – especially when the girl starts talking about her dead father "getting back from his trip" and accuses the Agents of abducting her from the family home.
Saturday evening passes uneventfully, as does the night. Come Sunday's check-in, the group learns from Chaturvedi that he has found a secure private mental hospital near Nice – a high-end place where wealthy rock stars go when their lawyers get them off the hook for major crimes, and where prestigious families stash crazy old aunts. Everything is set up; all the team has to do is meet him there on Monday. He counsels against the whole group showing up, looking like thugs. A couple of respectably dressed Agents should suffice, and it would be best for Paul to keep his bandaged gunshot wounds out of sight.
Monday morning comes without incident. The Agents leave before dawn, with Klas at the wheel. An uneventful drive sees the group arrive a little early, giving them time to survey the private loony bin. As it happens, the place is quite attractive, and sits in the middle of a nicely manicured property set a good distance from the road. When it's time for the appointment, Klas drops off Asuka, escorted by Qoqa and Wen. They find Chaturvedi and Ben waiting, and enter the building at once.
It's soon clear that Chaturvedi has pulled strings and paid a significant sum of money to ensure that Asuka is committed with minimal fuss. There's an interview with a Dr. Charlotte Liège, who insists on seeing Asuka accompanied only by her caregiver. Chaturvedi indicates that Qoqa is Asuka's psychiatrist, and Qoqa says all the right things. Strangely, rather than protest the situation, Asuka rants in a way that convinces Dr. Liège that she is indeed quite mad. Before long, paperwork is signed that makes Asuka a patient for an indefinite period of time.
Asuka is then escorted to her new quarters, whereupon Qoqa and Dr. Liège rejoin Ben, Chaturvedi, and Wen. Wen attempts to convince Liège to provide details about the hospital's physical security measures, but Liège stonewalls, claiming that the precautions wouldn't be effective if everybody knew what to expect. Then Liège thanks Chaturvedi ("Mr. Chaudhry") for his "generous donation" and excuses herself. With their business done, the Company personnel take their leave.
Ben and Chaturvedi give Qoqa and Wen a lift off the hospital grounds. They link up with their associates a short distance down the highway. Before Chaturvedi departs, he asks the team to lie low and stay off the radar for a few months until Mr. Gae's people in Korea are ready to roll out their new line of fancy phones. The Agents agree and then bid Ben and Chaturvedi adieu. Anabel wonders how long it will be before Chaturvedi finds the pair of fuzzy handcuffs she slipped into his pocket . . .