In Cold Blood [Ash Lynx] - Banana Fish

Nineteen - Serpents

"Not my doing."

"The drivers?"

Yut-Lung stands up and looks at her, his eyes narrowing with an almost condescending look on his face —a sudden switch from his previous act. "I think you can tell where I'm going here."

"So who was it?" She asks.

Pouring three cups of tea, Yut-Lung holds up a cup for her to take. "I had a feeling this may happen, but I can assure you it wasn't me."

Tora throws the cup to the floor. "Who the hell was it then??"

Yut-Lung huffs, tossing his long braid over his shoulder and turning his back to them as he looks out the window.

"Narita Kenji."

"The new leader of the Daikoku-Kai syndicate?"

He turns back, nodding in response to Ash's question.

Clammy hands squeezed together, Tora takes a seat on the chair, afraid her legs may buckle beneath herself. "That just makes no sense."

"Don't believe me?" Yut-Lung hands her his open laptop. "Read for yourself."

On the screen is an email from an unknown user, with the subject: TIGRESS.

As her eyes start to scan the screen and her stomach twists and turns. Ash steps closer, Yut-Lung crossing his arms.

"Don't be shy, you can read it aloud."

Tora nods weakly. "Mr Yut-Lung, following our last email and other means of contact regarding the possession of a sample of Banana Fish, we had word that one of our Chinese associate Liu Chang was to be assassinated by your doing. It is also in our knowledge that the assassin, known by the alias of The Tigress, is to gain some information regarding said drug after the assassination is complete. Let it be known that we do not care if this happens, but that The Tigress will regret her actions and we will find out who she is. Try to contact this address again and you will have no luck. It is unfortunate that our business together has to end so suddenly. Kind regards."

"What business have you been doing with the syndicate leader?" Ash questions.

Yut-Lung takes a seat at his chaise lounge. "It was when Golzine was alive and his foundation was at its peak. They'd been in contact regarding Banana Fish and using it for themselves. The Monsieur never told me too much, so I discreetly found out for myself."

"And?" Ash continues.

"The leader, Narita Kenji— he's not as he seems."

Ash crosses his arms. "How so?"

"When I'd been in contact with the syndicate, it wasn't Narita who I'd been speaking to, but someone else of extreme importance," Yut-Lung tells them. "He wouldn't tell me who he was, so to maintain our connection I didn't pry. However, he explained that their leader had been a follower of their old boss and was liked by many. So when it came time to overthrow the boss, he wasn't happy doing so. This was the first time that they had used it within the syndicate, they decided it would be best to put him under the influence of—"

"Banana Fish."

The pair look at one another, Ash taking a step towards Tora before she abruptly stands up.

"Narita is a puppet leader, right?"

Yut-Lung smirks. "You've got it. And he's being controlled by Banana Fish."

"Who's doing it?" She questions and he shrugs in response. "So, that's it? The guards and drivers with Liu Chang were members of the Daikoku-Kai syndicate, there to set us up and take me out?"

"It seems so." Yut-Lung sighs.

Clenching his fists, Ash storms over to Yut-Lung, grabbing him by the ponytail as he yelps out in pain.

The doors are immediately thrown open and four of Yut-Lung's guards rush in, two holding guns up at Ash's back.

"You set us up, you bastard!" Ash grips his hair tighter. "Those guys had better not come any closer."

"Let go!" Yut-Lung cries out. "You're hurting me!"

"Tell us what happened back there, that wasn't just a set-up. You tipped them off! You'd rather we get killed than get closer to the truth and stop all of this!"

"I didn't do it!"

"You know exactly what happened! You—"

"—Ash."

With a tight grip on Yut-Lung's hair, Ash turns to look at Tora, his chest rising and falling rapidly, blood boiling. She shakes her head, pursing her lips as she looks down.

"He didn't do it."

"What do you—"

"Let go of him." She says, turning on her heel. "He didn't betray us."

Huffing, Ash does as she says, releasing Yut-Lung's braid, who cowers on the edge of the sofa as two of the servants rush over to his aid.

Ash walks over to her. "Are you crazy? He set us up to fail, don't you get that?"

She shakes her head —her voice is despondent. "I put us in danger accepting his offer in the first place. I put us in danger by coming here to try and find the truth."

"What are you talking about?"

Sighing, she walks over to the door, Ash looking on with furrowed eyebrows. She looks back at him from the doorframe.

"This is too dangerous. If the leader of the syndicate is being controlled by someone else, who knows what will happen to us if we get any closer."

Ash scoffs. "You can't be serious."

Pursing her lips, she shrugs. "I don't know what we can do. I think... I think it's over."

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"she sleeps beneath the surface

consorting with the serpents" - Neck Deep