Chapter 1

In obscure eternal darkness, ...

"Sorry, man... but can you move your leg. It smells"

"What!! You who should move this elbow, it's penetrating my side..."

-Sighs shared by both men entrapped in the darkness of the hatch bag of an SUV-

"... Don't forget this Sunday, dinner at my house, bring Lewis & Claire"

"Okay, I got it... How is Rai & Your new baby -Tsui-?"

"She is so cute, so like me"

".. Are you sure we're talking about the same person?"

"She is my daughter; I know better"

-Bang- -Bangs- Fire shots outside.

"Okay okay. Beside, lower your voice... We might get caught. How many do you think?"

"6 shooters, 4 dead about 2 still on the run"

"Okay on 3... 1-3"

2 men barged outta the SUV. An American man around 36-years old, with elegant look & vigorous demeanour, but dealing on his own agenda, quietly hiding some secrets.

The other one was an Asian man -Japanese- Much younger than his partner around 29 years old, with short hair, strong sense of justice that always dragged him in problems, with his bad habits of recklessly doing things.

They jumped on a battlefield like a sea port with old ships linked together around the harbour in the middle of the night.

"Kyousuke, don't jump first on your own" John brought out his gun following his hasty partner.

But the young fella already jumped onto some ruined ship, already shooting his shotgun, hunting the criminals here and there -he was always a hot-blooded officer when it came to criminal, he couldn't contain himself-

"That man, Tssk" John traced his partner's steps, covering his back.

And after they finished taking down the last 2 men who refused to surrender, Kyousuke brought up his phone calling the HQ to come and wrap the scene up while John went to look for any survivals... A masked man sneaked up at Kyousuke unscathed his attached sword -to his back- trying to slash him dead but fortunately Kyousuke turned instinctively shooting the man in the face while falling on his back, -Bang- the masked villain got blown to the sea leaving his red demon mask half-broken on the ground beside Kyousuke.

John came running "What happened? I heard a gunfire"

"Some man wearing a mask appeared... but I sent him to the bottom of the sea"

John helped his friend up and picked up the broken mask then called reluctantly with warry eyes and concerned look "You sure about that?"

"Well, I shot him in the face"

"The morgue is full of people that thought they got this son of a bitch"

Kyousuke turned to his partner "What are you talking about, John? you sound like you know this guy"

"No... There's that talk of the Yakuza had hired that independent hitman to deal with the Triads. Supposed to be the best DT they got"

"Death trader! But they all were killed when the CIA double-crossed them when they finished that assassination in Ukraine"

"Well, they say: one survived, their worst"

"You don't believe in ghost stories, John. The man behind the mask is a phantom, a myth. They tell his stories to scare children, noobs in our job"

"I have seen the double slashes ⛌ mark on one victim, which is his signature"

Kyousuke felt the concern of his partner's face so he asked in the same level of seriousness "Do you really think the man behind the mask works for the Yakuza?"

"That's the problem in this job. You don't know who is working with who or for who"

Police sirens and flashlight spotted the two men, a voice ordered "This is San Francisco police, remain where you are with your hands in the air"

The two men casually pulled their FBI badges out of their pockets and walked leisurely towards the light.

Time read 4.00 pm,

At a bus stop on forest road, stopped a yellow big school bus. A 15 y/o Asian kid with short neat black hair stepped outta the bus, the school driver behind his wheel called "Is here okay, Rai?"

"Yes, thanks. Mr. Tom"

"Wait, wait" a shorter braided-blonde haired girl with a heavy bag on her back called in a childish voice "I'll get off here too"

"Are you sure, Claire. Last time I got a call from an angry dad asking about his missing daughter!"

Replied the 12 y/o girl "Don't worry, Mr. Tom. Rai will walk me home"

And as the bus began rolling, a rotten sandwich was thrown at Rai "Hahahahaha, Loser" laughed a fat larger bully boy on the bus, Claire looked to Rai and gave him a napkin

"..." he just rolled his eyes awkwardly.

"you are a better person"

"For getting bullied every day by Vince"

"No, for not fighting him, I get scared when you fight"

Rai looked to her "Claire, you are coming to my party tonight, right. I wanted to tell you something important__"

The little girl's face blew like a red tomato she shouted embarrassed "I have to go, bye"

Rai stopped in his place blushing too watching her running away to her house outside the forest -at the small compound located there after the hill- then sighed "See you at 6.00" walked the boy dispirited to his house, it was a lovely lonely house on a beautiful hill just half a mile from the road outside the forest.

Rai stopped before the door and was about to knock but the door opened suddenly & a grotesque scene was uncovered.

By 5.30 pm

A beautiful blonde woman drove her car on the road leading to the forest. Beside her on the seat by the driver rested her husband in deep sleep. And in the backseat, sat the beautiful blondie girl, Claire watching the scenery from her window thinking of his words to her.

Suddenly the woman pulled over her car as she saw the rising smoke in the forest from a distance. The great gathering of police cars, the don't-pass tape, firemen and their cars.

"John, John. Wake up" Lewis called nervously.

John woke up tired then looked at the heavy black smoke up in the sky arising from his partner's house "Kyousuke!!"

John got off the car "stay here Lewis" He barged into the scene. An officer stopped him halfway John asked "What happened?"

"Sir where the hell do you think yourself are going _" the man stopped his argument as John showed up his badge and asked again but this time with more firm.

"A gas pipe explosion, 4 victims: 2 males, one female and an infant"

John went to the corpse bag dragged by two medics.

"Hey, what do you__" another officer said. But the first one waved his hand "He is a fed, let him"

John's hands trembled as he unzipped the corpse bag to see his partner's half-burned body with a remnant ⛌ slash mark on it. John turned away panic-stricken. His eyes travelled to his wife. They both shared a horrifying sad look. She began crying hugging her innocent girl who had her eyes wide shocked only fixed on the fire.