In Cold Blood [Ash Lynx] - Banana Fish

Seven - Tiger Teeth

Alex nods. "Sing's guys told him it was some girl with a pocket knife. They'd seen her in Chang Dai talking to Nadia so they confronted her. Turns out she was the wrong girl to mess with and disarmed Yang before she kicked his knee in."

"What?" Ash questions. "What was she doing talking to Nadia? Did they get that out of her at least?"

Kong shrugs. "She hasn't got any business with the Chinese, something with you?"

Furrowing his eyebrows, Ash rests his elbows on his knees, interlocking his fingers together. "Business with me? Did they say what she looked like?"

"Not much," Alex says. "She was smoking when they saw her and she was Japanese."

Eyes widening, Ash stands up, looking at Alex. "Japanese? Are you sure she wasn't Chinese and they got it wrong? You're sure they said Japanese? They must've got it wrong."

Alex shakes his head. "They said she was Japanese."

As Ash opens his mouth to question Alex further, his eyes flicker to the door frame and, without skipping a beat, he grabs his gun from his back pocket and holds it up.

"There's someone at the door," Ash tells them. "Alex, go check it out."

Nodding to his boss, Alex rushes off out the room and they hear him climbing the set of stairs that lead to the front door.

Unlocking the padlock, Alex grips onto his knife as he opens the iron door out onto the street.

Stomping out the butt of her cigarette on the pavement, Tora turns to Alex with her hands in her pockets. "You're not Ash Lynx."

Still cautious, Alex hides the blade behind his back. "No, I'm Alex, his second in command. What do you need from Ash?"

Tora takes a step forward. "I don't think I want to give that away since you're not Ash Lynx himself."

Alex shrugs. "Well, then I can't let you in."

Sending him a sweet smile, Tora flicks her hair over her shoulder and steps closer to him. "Listen, if I can just see Ash, he'll know who I am and I can talk to him."

"Just tell me who you are and I can go ask him." Alex smiles back. "It's quite simple, really."

Tora places a hand on her hip. "If you knew the whole story, you'd understand. Now, what I need you to do is to step aside—"

As she takes a step inside the doorway, Alex grabs her arms, pushes her wrists together and puts the blade to her neck. "No, what I need you to do is hold still so it makes my job easier."

Tora laughs, complying as Alex keeps her detained walking down the stairs and through the corridor.

"Ash," Alex calls out. "There's a chick here to see you, I've got a knife to her throat."

Guiding her through the hallway, Alex turns into the second doorway and she comes face to face with a room full of gang members holding up guns to her.

Standing up with his arms wide, Ash sends her a cocky smile. "Just as I thought. We've caught ourselves a Japanese cat."

The gang members look between each other, lowering their guns when they see Ash relaxing.

Tora rolls her eyes. "A Japanese cat —really, Lynx? This isn't much of a welcome."

Alex raises an eyebrow to the boss. "You know her, Ash?"

"Of course I do!" Ash folds his arms over his chest. "We've never formally met before, but I know her. Trust me, boys, there's nothing to worry about with this one."