12 Chapter 12: Cleaning Up (1)

Touya looked at the supposed man in astonishment, they were very similar in terms of ideals even if they were poles apart in personality.

"I don't we need to go that far," said Touya with one eye closed as he sighed.

Katya turned to look at him carefully and he let out a light smile.

"Where'd the silent one go?" asked Katya as she suddenly noticed.

"To see if we can settle this before it starts," Touya replied.

Kovit suddenly came up to her with a victorious smile and chicken in hand.

"Boss, what do you want me to do with this?" he asked, a glorious, goofy smile displayed on his face.

Katya looked at the chicken, still clucking with its wings spread out, then at Kovit with her eyelids twitching. They were asking her what to do with a chicken? How was she supposed to know? She turned to Touya…

"Do we have anything to use as a makeshift cage," he asked turning to Ly and Quedell.

"We don't have anything of such," said Ly shrugging.

"Let them run around in the yard," suggested Quedell. "Keep the gates closed so they don't run out."

"We can't do that," one of her gang said suddenly.

Touya and Katya raised an eyebrow at that, asking him to explain.

"There's something else in there," said the man. "A fox or a dog or something like that."

Kovit nodded as if suddenly having a realization, "He's right."

Katya turned to Touya, "Is this really a hotel building or a zoo?"

"You ask me?" said Touya. "I haven't been here for the last five-six years, you were the ones using it like it was yours."

Frowning Katya turned back to her, "You gathered here and used it like your house, how did you not notice any of this."

"We never paid attention to the yard," the same man that spoke earlier said. "We mainly just used the inside."

"Do we call animal control or something now?" asked Katya turning back to Touya.

Touya sighed, "Let's find out what it is first."

He turned and was about to step in through the gates when he suddenly stopped, stopping Katya as well who followed him.

"There are no snakes in there are there?" he asked, a question that stopped Katya cold.

She turned to Kovit with a ferocious gaze and he gulped and stepped back involuntarily, nearly letting go of the chicken who finally seemed to find a home Kovit's grasp as it just shot its gaze around instead of clucking and waving its wings.

"Uh, no there are no snakes," he said. "At least at the parts we stepped on, nothing too dangerous."

Touya stepped back and motioned for Quedell to come forward.

"Really," said Quedell with a raised eyebrow.

"You're strong aren't you," said Touya with a shrug.

"Touya, you know that on any given day you would argue with me tooth and nail about who's stronger," he said with an exasperated grin.

"Yes, but today's not that day," he said with an innocent smile.

***

Quedell stepped in front and stepped in through the gates wading through the tall grass, followed by Touya and Katya. Ly, Kovit and a few others meanwhile decided to stay outside. Ly preferred not to be involved in this process and Kovit still hung onto the chicken.

"Gee, yeah, this place is a mess," said Quedell whistling.

"Tell me about it," said Touya agreeing, suddenly he stopped short as he felt someone grab onto the back of his shirt.

He quickly turned to see Katya gripping his shirt as she pointedly stared down at something and he almost laughed after positively seeing what it was. He moved forward an pulled out the piece of rope dangling it in front of her and in panic she moved back nearly tripping over the long grass. Touya quickly reached out and grabbed her pulling her in and she hit his chest. She found herself listening to his heart beat until she realized the proximity again. She quickly pulled back patting her chest and she looked at his face, a slightly worried look rested there. Now that she looked at him, he did look very good, way better than most people she would see and there was a drawn out charisma about him, she quickly realized she was too far into her thoughts. Patting her chest she calmed down.

"All good?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied quickly turning around.

Katya pushed forward in front of Quedell with some new found bravery and Quedell hanged back with Touya as he stood there looking at her back with a conflicted face.

"Are you alright man?" asked Quedell. "You know it's fine if you swing that way."

Touya scowled, "I don't mind it either…but I don't understand this sudden damn change."

"Hey, he's attractive alright," said Quedell with a short smile.

"You like him?" asked Touya.

"Well somewhat," said Quedell nodding and then he looked at Touya who seemed to be looking at him with a conflicted face. "It's different for you though?"

Sighing he walked forward without answering Quedell. He needed to figure himself out. He soon reached the place only to see Katya looking at something held in the hands of one of her people. His eyes trailed to what it was only for his eyes to widen. It was a puppy…was that the boogeyman that they all outside were afraid of. What on earth was a puppy going to do with chickens? How did the puppy even get here in the first place.

"Where's the mother?" he asked curious.

One of the men nodded to behind him and he smelt it before he saw it. A dead dog lying a fair few feet away, it was showing signs of decay. He looked at Quedell with a raised eyebrow.

"Can we keep him boss?" asked one of Katya's gang.

Katya herself looked at the puppy and then at the dog, conflicted on what to do. She finally sighed, there was no way anyone with her could ever take care of a puppy.

"No, we can't keep it," said Katya. "We'll give it to an animal shelter or something on our way back, for now keep it aside and be careful with it."

Some of the men had disappointed looks on their faces causing Katya to feel somewhat annoyed. She inwardly yelled to them, 'you're all freaking gang members, you're all halfway criminals and you want to take care of a puppy!'

"It's cute," said Touya snatching the puppy out of their hands and holding it some feet away, carefully to stop it from biting at him.

"What are you planning?" she asked a little too quickly, blanching at the rough way he'd grabbed it.

"You're giving it to an animal shelter right?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Why…?" she asked. "What are you planning?"

"Quedell, what do you think?" he asked. "D'you want it?"

Quedell grinned, "Been wanting one for some time now actually."

He passed the puppy over, much more gently this time to Quedell who cradled it even as it tried to nip at him.

"It's really young, still has puppy teeth," said Quedell looking into its mouth as it continuously tried to bite him. "Not tamed either, but that's a fixable problem."

"You're going to take care of it?" asked Katya, her eyes widening.

"Not me," Touya said, he then nodded to the dog. "Quedell is going to take it and let's bury that body."

Katya paused for a moment before. They hadn't as of yet given her a reason to be distrustful of them, if anything they were a little too helpful.

"We need shovels?" said Katya looking around.

"We have some," said Touya taking a set of keys out of his pockets. "It's in the car though."

"You there," Katya pointed at one of her gang randomly. "Go pick up the tools."

Touya threw the keys to him as he came up.

"A real shame about the mother," he said walking up as he covered his nose.

As Katya decided to walk up as well, merely out curiosity about the dead dog's body, the phone in her pocket suddenly vibrated. She took it out to see a familiar name, Shade.

"Hello?" she spoke, attending the call.

"Katya, we have some trouble," he said causing Katya to frown.

"What is it?" she asked, not particularly liking the tiredness or the graveness in Shade's voice.

"It's Kriti-" he said and Katya groaned.

"Don't tell me," she said. "She decided she was going to rescue some one else?"

"No, she's been taken in by the police," said Shade and Katya froze as scenarios ran through, Touya gave her a questioning look, Shade further continued. "Something about the kid."

She cut the call and clenched her phone.

"What is it?" asked Touya.

"It's Kriti," she said. "She's been brought in by the police."

"Probably for questioning," said Touya smiling lightly.

"Well we knew it was going to happen," said Quedell smiling and the puppy too relaxed in his arm as it finally bit him, something Quedell didn't even seem to notice.

"You did?" she asked frowning first then the anger slowly becoming apparent.

"Calm down," said Touya putting an arm around Katya and turning around away from the corpse of the dog. "It's obvious, Kriti's the only link on paper they have to Jin."

"Why…why didn't you warn her?" she then paused, she could've surmised this much herself. "Why didn't I warn her?"

Touya chuckled, "Calm down, she's only been brought in for questioning."

Katya took in a deep breath nodding, perhaps she was too worried. The only thing to connect Kriti and Jin was the mother who had killed herself and possibly the witness testimonies of gang members, something that shouldn't play too great an importance in the large scheme of things.

"They'll let her out," agreed Katya. "But I need to plan for the next move…if Forest Snakes come to out door."

"They won't," said Touya pulling her around in his grip. "You'll have to go to theirs, it's always better if you can to take advantage of their turf than fight on your own."

"Right," said Katya smiling, she had been letting this bother her, Wing and his Forest Snakes were dangerous but in all rights she was a gang leader herself, comparable in power.

She walked out of Touya's grasp towards the gates, to talk with Kovit. Touya stayed back watching her with a mix of exasperation and amusement.

"I feel strangely proud for some reason," he said.

Quedell snickered as he willingly continued to let the puppy bite him, "That's not all you feel is it?"

Touya looked flustered for a moment before he shot Quedell a dirty look, "Keep quiet, honestly."

Quedell let out a chuckle at that, happy he had triggered Touya properly, if only for a moment.