Episode 5: Solving The Riddell Pt. 1

Master Yukrina seeks out the young giftful warrior for help rescuing Jacobi and his friends

"You need my help?" Amaya Nakamura repeated, making sure she completely understood him.

"That's correct," Master Yukrina responded again.

"What can I do that they can't? I mean, who even has them?"

"Amaya, what's going on down here?" the voice of Mr. Nakamura quested, slowly strolling into the living room. His ginger brown face was completely flushed and his short cocoa brown hair was mangled. He squinted slightly before he turned back on the torchiere light. A few seconds later, his vision came into focus and he noticed Master Yukrina standing in the doorway with Amaya. "What are you doing here?" he penetrated with bitterness.

"I'm here to see Amaya," Master Yukrina answered back. "I need her help."

"No! No, No, No, No, NO!" he shouted angrily, shuffling to the both of them.

"Papa, maybe hear him out," Amaya tried.

"Hear what out? First he kicked you out of his little 'babysitter's club', and now he wants your help? I don't think so!"

"I understand your frustration, Mr. Nakamura," Master Yukrina stated, trying his best to diffuse the situation.

"Oh, do you?"

"Please, may I come in?"

"No, you may not!"

Amaya scoffed loudly. She couldn't believe how outrageous her father was being. She'd never seen him this pissed off in her sixteen years. Maybe that's where she got her smarta** mouth from. "Papa, this is ridiculous. Of course, you can come in, Master Yukrina." She parted the door even more to let him in.

Master Yukrina was reluctant to do so. His eyes met Mr. Nakamura's once again.

Nakamura's eyes were filled with such unbridled fury. He ceased for a brief moment and told him in a clear audible severe tone, "Five minutes. That's all you get."

"That's all I need," he said, stepping over the threshold into the house and sealing the door behind him.

Russell began awakening slowly, stirring somewhat. Pain danced around his throbbing skull, taunting him every which way. He finally opened his eyes. His eyesight slowly started to focus all around the pitchy black room. First of all, he was upside-down hanging from the ceiling. Maybe that was the reason his head ached. All the blood rushing to his head. His legs were tied by thick robes to a steel post. His arm bound by tight handcuffs behind his back. Still, he tried to ignore his predicament and scan the room. All far as he could tell, he was some kind of huge warehouse. Only thing that could be made out other than this was four distinctive silhouettes hovering in peril like himself.

"Guys! Guys! Is that you?!" he shouted with dismay escaping his lips.

Slowly, the others began acknowledging his presence.

"Russell?" Nash questioned, groggy. "Russell?!" he screeched again, this time alarmed.

"W-where are we?" Dex questioned, trying to shake his body free from the cuffs and ropes.

"I'm not sure," Russell responded. "I think we're in some kind of warehouse."

"The last thing I remember was fighting in the bank. We had Storan and his goon squad. Benson, you here too?"

"Yeah, I am," Benson spoke into the palpable darkness.

"Jacobi, you too?" Nash asked.

"I'm here," Jacobi replied solemnly. He hadn't even tried to free himself. He knew it was no use. He didn't have his sword anymore. Plus he blamed himself for them being in this strait.

The next moment, the creaky door swung open and the sun's lucency warmed their pulsating heads.

Russell made out two figures pacing inside the room. It was the boss from earlier named Storan and his right hand man Jerry.

"Well, what do we have over here?" Storan questioned amusingly. He flicked on the fluorescent strip lamp overhead.

Instantly, Dex was able to get a peek at the warehouse. There were sets of olive green briefcases stacked on the worn concrete floors. Long rectangular tables housed rolls and rolls of stolen money. And there was a huge eighteen wheeler open from the back hatch with even more money.

"Where the hell are we?" Dex sifted, growing infuriated.

"You're in our secret hideout--well, it's not secret anymore, is it?" he quested, pacing over to one of the briefcases. "But it will be, after we end you."

"Why not just kill us now?" Benson challenged with curiousity.

"Yeah, Benson, I don't think it's a good time to question that," Nash advised.

"But it's something I would love to share to you," Storan tantalized. "A member of the Spiral's coming."

Immediately, his heart sunk into unbelievable dismay.

"Why are they coming?" Russell queried, puzzled.

"Well, my naive young victim," he started, admiring his Beretta storm gun, "you ruined our heist last night and the Spiral doesn't take kindly to opposition."

"Especially when that opposition is Valor," Jerry spoke, smiling from one to the other.

He trekked close to Jacobi's face and snatched his jaw cruelly. "So you get your wish, Blackwater."

Jacobi tried to wrestle away from Storan's ugly paws but his grip was intense. He could feel the beast's dirty fingers digging into his smooth caramel skin.

" You get a glimpse at the Spiral before your demise."

He spat toward Storan with all intents to hit his face but his saliva landed on his Storan's stealth ninja suit.

"You stupid little b*****d!" he yelled, punching Jacobi in the stomach as hard as he could.

"Ohhhh!" he groaned, twitching slightly. He coughed slightly, grimacing from the impactful blow.

"You know what? The Spiral can have the rest of your little 'rowdy ruff boys', but I got dibs on the milk dud," he told Jerry rabid simper. "Call in the rest of the boys and pack up all the cash. It won't be long before our associate arrives." He promenaded towards the entrance way and exited without another word.

Amaya still hunkered on the ruby bridgewater sofa in her home back in Tokyo. It had been exactly fifteen minutes since Master Yukrina had arrived. Exactly fifteen minutes since her dad went off the deep end and completed berated her former master. She was actually surprised her dad hadn't kicked him out yet like he said he would. Perhaps it was the fact that she went into the kitchen and made him a pot of his favorite roasted green tea which calmed his nerves. She'd watched him only take a sip of the fresh steamed tea from his cup. But nevertheless it seemed to be working. She and her dad sat on opposite sides of Master Yukrina which undoubtably made him nervous. Her dad's narrowed gun-metal black eyes peered at him from the side as he spoke.

"So tell me, Master Yukrina, why are you asking for my daughter's help?" Mr. Nakamura summoned in the most pleasant voice he had showed since his arrival.

"My pupils are in danger," Master Yukrina repeated again.

"How do you know this?" Amaya petitioned curiously.

"There's a panic button inside of Jacobi's suit. I placed it there for emergencies. In all of the fights he has been in, he's never once used it."

"That does sound a bit odd," she agreed.

"But still, why does my daughter have to get involved in this?" Mr. Nakamura challenged, folding his arms as tempers began to flare again. "You're their master. You mean to tell me you can't do it yourself?"

"Papa, Master Yukrina's fifty-nine."

"And I'm forty-one! See how long it takes me to whip his ace if he doesn't get outta my house!" He stood up immediately.

"Papa!" she shouted, reaching her feet and stepping in front of him. She spoke in Japanese, "Please tell me you're not serious!"

"Serious as a heart attack!"

"So you think mom would've wanted me to abandon my friends when they need me the most? For me to look the other way like everything's okay?!"

He dropped the glass tea cup on the floor accidentally. He watched it shatter and scatter across the room. "She'd want me not to lose you!" he snapped back, revolving to Amaya.

Tea seeped into the polished frame built floors.

She could see it in his emotional loving black eyes. He felt the same way she did. Like their relationship had suffered severely when her mother passed and had never picked up the same way again. She turned to Master Yukrina. "Can I have a word with my dad please?"

"Of course, Amaya," Master Yukrina responded by bowing to her and walking slowly to the front door. He stepped through the outlet and gradually shut it behind him.

After she was certain he was out of earshot, she returned to the conversation with her dad. "Papa, you're never gonna lose me," she encouraged, embracing him in a tight hug. "I love you with all my heart. No one can ever change that."

He returned her hug and gave her a kiss upon her forehead. "I love you too, my little Amaya-kun."

She slowly released him and gave him her brightest smile, revealing the most impeccable set of teeth.

"So you're going back? Back to Valor?" he sifted gallantly.

"I am.....my friends need me."

He sighed deeply, chuckling a moment, reminiscing. "Where did the time go? My little girl, saving people. Seems like just yesterday you were five placing with little Serika-chan. And now you're----" His voice trailed off as his eyes began to flush. "It's just---your mother would be so proud."

"Thank you," she replied, taking her papa's words to heart.

"Be careful," he pleaded with her.

"Don't worry dad," she said, meandering over to her katana blade and flicking it into the air. She caught it by it's handle and added, "I always am."

Back in Storan’s warehouse, Jerry stood there leaning up against the eighteen wheeler which housed all the booty the nightrider’s had stolen.

“Jacobi? Jacobi?” Russell called in a whisper. “Did you hit the button?”

Jacobi knew very well which button he meant. The panic button inside his suit. He thought he had gravitated into dreamland before he hit it but there was no way he could be sure. Unless back up showed. “Not sure,” he quietly stated.

“So we’re screwed,” Benson spoke aloud, anger escaping his lips. “You know if you had just waited for us, we probably wouldn’t be in this!”

Nash scoffed. “You and Dex are the ones that caused that argument!”

“Oh, so you followed him in, right?!” Dex petitioned, testy.

Russell had no clue if there was a way to diffuse this situation. Especially without Master Yukrina here. There’s no stopping these guys. All they do is argue. And at a time like this. He couldn’t just hang there. (no pun intended.) “Look guys, stop it! This is insane! Is this really what we’ve become?”

No one responded.

“Of course it is. We’re no team. Storan is right. We’re no match for the Spiral. Not like this.”

Jacobi knew Russell was 100% percent right. He thought maybe their group as a whole was shocked by his outburst. Especially considering that he never spoke up in the face of Dex and Benson. And that was now his glimmer of hope.

“Are you girls done fighting?” Jerry asked, pacing nonchalantly over to them, holding his Beretta gun.

“Why don’t you free me from these cuffs and find out?” Dex challenged, trying his best to ignore the pain of his blood traveling to the front of his skull.

“And if I did that, you’d be dead right now.”

“Try me.”

He snorted maliciously, pivoting away from Valor and then returning his attention to them. “You guys think you’re so smart, don’t you? Well, let me tell you how this ends. There’s no one coming to rescue you. No one knows where you are. And if by chance they did find this warehouse, it’d be too late because the Spiral would have already killed you.”

“Where are our weapons?” Russell sifted.

“Out of your reach.”

Within a few more seconds, Jacobi heard the doorway open once more. The luminous light from the entrance informed him it was now daylight out. They had been in this warehouse all night. And now to make matters worse, Storan was back with a special guest.

Nash clapped his eyes on a 6 foot tall, young Japanese man. He had lazuli blue eyes, smooth light yellow skin, a thin straight nose, ginger highlighted puffy straight hair, and a set of fine gorgeous pink lips. He wore a pair of dark small hipster glasses, a sleek iron gray suit with a matching necktie, Stacy Adams smoke-gray dress shoes, and a gold timepiece on his right arm. He couldn’t have been any older than eighteen. Needless to say, he was quite dashing.

“Well boys, your hour of reckoning is upon us,” Storan announced, prowling toward them with his new friend. “For the very first and last time, let me introduce you to Wesley of the Spiral.”

Wesley didn’t speak right away. He stood there glancing from each of them, stalking back and forth, careful not to take his lazuli eyes off of them. Then he halted, turned to Storan and Jerry, and lastly returned to Valor. “Which one of them is the leader?”

“That would be this pretty boy scout,” Storan spoke, pointing out Jacobi with his index finger. “Jacobi Blackwater.”

He sighed and took a step closer to Jacobi. “Jacobi…….Blackwater,” he repeated slowly with furor. He socked Jacobi in the face with his right hand with all his might.

“Ohhhh!” Jacobi groaned as his head went rocking and blood slowly dripped from his lip. He felt like Wesley had just hit him with a lead pipe upside his head. This guy was strong, slender, and muscular much like himself. In this very moment, Jacobi realized what he had just gotten them into.

“Jacobi!” Nash yelled, showing concern in his leader.

“Hmm,” Wesley remarked with a smirk. “Now they don’t seem so tough.”

“They’re not,” Jerry revealed to Wesley, beginning to chuckle a bit.

“Really? Then why did it take you two nights to bring us the money we requested?”

“Complications,” Storan interjected.

“The Spiral does not accept ‘complications’,” Wesley responded seriously, removing all indication of humor.

“But---”

“No buts, Storan.”

“I gave you twenty-four hours to retrieve the money and report back to us. It took you twenty-five. And for that there’s a price.”

Storan looked like a deer caught in headlights. Scared to death of his own shadow. Complete and total apprehension.

Suddenly, Wesley snatched Jerry’s Beretta gun, slapped him in the head with it, and fired three rounds into his stomach.

“No!” Storan bellowed, watching his right hand man drop to the ground riddled with oozing bullet holes.

Then he tossed the gun to the ground instantly. “Take this as a warning, fail us again and that’ll be your dead carcase laying there.”

“I understand,” he remarked, glancing at his dead man.

“Have the rest of your gang gather the money.”

He nodded and snapped his fingers. Within a few moments, several of Storan’s nightriders shuffled into the warehouse. “Load it up now!”

The rest of the nightrider’s swiftly gathered the loot filled valises and loaded them into the back of the eighteen wheeler.

Jacobi remembered the conversation Master Yukrina had with them at the gym. How he spoke of dismantling the Spiral by killing off their leader. So now he wondered. Was this Wesley their new leader? “I heard about you.”

Straight away, Wesley spun back to Jacobi, his blue eyes locked on Valor’s leader. “Oh yeah? Tell me, what is it you’ve heard about us, Blackwater?”

He knew good and well what his intentions were at this point. To get under Wesley’s skin. Despite the fact, his jaw was still stinging from the blow he was dealt. “That my master took your master’s head.”

“Jacobi, what the hell are you doing?” Dex interrogated indignantly. He understood Jacobi so well and knew he was gonna do what he does best: annoy. “I don’t think this is the time for your ‘witty humor’.”

He completely ignored Dex and continued, “That you guys ran like a b****.”

Wesley snickered absurdly. “We ran?”

“Yeah. Almost wet your pants before you were halfway out the door. Tail between your legs and all. But you got plenty of room down there, considering there are no balls.”

“Do you have any idea who you’re screwing with? I’m in the Spiral, b****!”

“But you’re not the leader, are you? You have a boss you answer to, don’t you?”

“Wesley, you want me to---” Storan started, inching toward him with his Beretta.

“No!” Wesley bellowed, turning to him. “Finish loading up the money. I’ll deal with him. I’ll deal with them all.”

“Then, you’ll be needing this,” he spoke, guiding one of his henchman toward them.

His croony got down on one knee and held out an Odachi sword for Wesley.

Nash gasped immediately.

Benson shook his head as best he could. Oh god, what did Jacobi just get us into?

“My odachi,” Wesley stated, smirking and holding it in his hands. “Excellent suggestion, Storan. Keep it up and I just might let you live.”

“The money’s all loaded up!” one of the Storan’s backup called, closing the back of the hatch and jumping off. All total, Storan had a squad of ten men excluding the deceased Jerry.

“What do you say we take them out? Together?” Storan whispered to Wesley, trying his best to appeal to his sadistic side. “I would be honored to kill even one of Valor’s warriors.”

“We all know if you were here alone, I’d kick your ace myself,” Dex snapped at him.

“We’d all kick his ace. Even Russell here,” Benson preached, turning his attention to Russell.

Russell couldn’t believe Benson complimented him. This was the first time it’d ever happened. Which made him start to wonder.

“I suppose I couldn’t have all the fun,” Wesley confessed, showing his faultless smile. He then pointed his Odachi at Jacobi. “I’m taking his head though! And anyone else who tries to stop me!” He rushed toward Jacobi prepared to plunge his sword though his heart.

This is it, Jacobi thought, closing his eyes. Better him than the rest of his cartel.

Worry flickered through Dex’s eyes for a split second as Wesley attacked Jacobi.

Nash too closed his eyes as Storan and his goons all pointed their guns at them.

Finally, Russell did remember. Could he really still have them?

At the last second, the doorway spun one more time and this time Amaya Nakamura and Master Yukrina stepped through.

Immediately, Wesley halted his blade just before it plunged into Jacobi’s chest.

“It’s Valor’s master!” Storan remarked loudly, rotating to them.

Jacobi took this opening to headbutt Wesley as hard as he could in the face.

“Uhhh!” Wesley groaned, staggering for a second.

“Now!” Master Yukrina ordered Amaya. He ducked to the ground and flipped two of Storan’s goon and snatched their Berettas.

Amaya stared in awe of her master for a moment before she got engaged. If she didn’t focus now, they’d all be dead.

Storan wheeled to her and cocked his gun at her. “You again!”

“Ya missed me?” she taunted, spinning her katana.

He and two of his henchmen opened fire on her.

She craftly evaded their projectiles by doing several backflips. Then she tossed her katana directly toward Jacobi’s legs. Her aim had to be dang near perfect to free him from the post but she had trained for moments like this. She watched as her katana sliced through the ropes on Jacobi’s legs and then clanged to the ground.

Jacobi dropped to the ground on his back, staggering back up to his feet. He still had his arms handcuffed behind his back.

Several more projectiles zoomed through the establishment.

Master Yukrina flipped over one of Storan’s boy’s back and then fired their own beretta at their heads.

Instantly, blood splattered through the room and he dropped dead.

Another one ran at Amaya firing several more rounds in her directly.

“Amaya, watch out!” Jacobi yelled, finally reaching his feet.

“You need to worry about yourself!” Storan screamed, cocking his gun.

He high-jumped in the air and dropkicked Storan in the face.

“Ooh!” he screamed, falling backwards. Then Jacobi spotted Amaya’s katana on the ground and grasped it in his hands.

Russell had to something to help. He wiggled a bit back and forth, trying to shake something free.

“What are you doing?” Nash questioned, gawking at him.

Within a few more tries, a throwing star fell from the bottom of his leg and he caught it with his teeth.

“Oh, how cute,” Benson spoke annoyingly.

Jacobi realized what his plan was. “Amaya!” he called through all the commotion.

She glanced up, brushing her cocoa brown hair away and crouching down. She spotted the throwing star Russell clenched with his teeth. If she could free him and get him to use them, she could put an end to the gun war she was in. She had to make a run for it, she darted through the gun traffic, spinning and flipping her way around the shots. When she landed nearby her friends, Storan snatched her by her neck as tight as he could and pressed his gun against her head.

“Everybody stop!” Storan shouted, holding Amaya in his bear grip.

She tried to free herself but his vice grip was so tight, she could barely breathe.

Master Yukrina instantly stopped fighting and turned his gaze to Amaya.

The last nine of the nightriders aimed their rifles at Master Yukrina and Jacobi.

“Let her go, Storan,” Jacobi advised. “You don’t wanna do that.”

“Why not? Afraid for your little damsel in distress?” Storan questioned, denying her advances to free herself.

“There’s one problem with that statement,” Master Yukrina informed him.

“Really? And what’s that?”

Amaya returned to her Japanese language and answered, “I am no damsel in distress!” She flipped him over her shoulders with all her strength and then twisted his right arm as hard as he could.

“Aaah!” Storan yelled in pain.

Master Yukrina then took Amaya’s katana blade from Jacobi and sliced through five of Storan’s boys with one swing off the blade.

Immediately, they collapsed to the floor, bleeding from their abdomen.

“Give me the keys now!” Amaya ordered Storan, threateningly close to breaking his arm.

“Never!” Storan pronounced arrogantly.

She snapped his arm instantaneously and released him.

“Aaah!” he writhed in pain.

She kicked his Beretta across the room, reached into his filthy pocket and extracted a single key. She raced over to Nash, Benson, Dex, and Russell and unlocked their cuffs. “Sorry we took so long.”

“Don’t be. You did great,” Nash told her as she unhooked his cuffs.

Then she untied his legs and carefully let him down. She purposely waited to free Dex and Benson last just to gloat a bit. After all, they needed it.

Meanwhile, there were still four more bad boys in Storan’s army that Master Yukrina had to dispense with.

“Kill him now!” one of the guys ordered, ejecting shots from his beretta as the others followed.

Master Yukrina then spun off the wall, dodging the last four groupies bullets. Then he sped with great agility and slashed through them all.

Jacobi couldn’t believe how great his master was. It was like he was untouchable. Now he understood how he was able to take down the Spiral by himself before.

“Amaya,” Dex spoke plainly as Amaya released him.

“Dex,” Amaya retorted, untying him from his cuffs.

Directly, he crashed to the ground, hard.

“You’re welcome,” she said with a grin.

“Uh-huh,” Dex stated, picking himself off the ground.

Benson was able to catch himself when she freed him.

Finally, Amaya approached Jacobi with the key, excitement dancing along the curve of her thin curved rose pink lips.

He held out his hands to her, smiling. She had impressed him so much. He knew he made the right decision and picking her for Valor. “I knew you could handle yourself.”

“I guess that’s your way of saying ‘hi’,” she responded, uncuffing him at last.

“You’re finally starting to understand him,” Nash revealed to her.

Russell gazed at each of his friends and his legendary master. He had his doubts they could escape this one but they did. He pushed his chestnut brown dreadlocks back and retrieved the throwing star from his teasing full sized lips. “Amaya, duck!”

She took cover as Russell chucked his throwing star directly at Storan’s hand to knock the Beretta away.

He was trying to attack Amaya again but this time Russell saw it coming. He still had a broken arm and now the other one was injured.

“Great shot, Riddell,” she told him, returning to her feet.

Jacobi scanned the grisly scene a few seconds. Gaping at all the spattered blood oozing beneath their feet. Then he approached Storan, “Where are our weapons?”

“In the back of the semi,” Storan replied with a chuckle, clutching his broken arm.

“No.” How could they have forgotten? In the midst of the fight, Wesley from the Spiral had jumped in the eighteen wheeler and was about to take off. “The Spiral.”

“What about the Spiral?” Master Yukrina queried, concerned.

“One of them is here and he’s taking the money and our weapons now!” Dex informed them, galloping toward the bay door of the warehouse.

Amaya, Jacobi, Russell, Dex, Nash, and Master Yukrina followed.

He pushed open the hatchway and gazed out into the bright side roads. He spotted the big rig darting out into the road. He leapt onto the right side of the vehicle, his puffy highlighted hair slapping his forehead lightly.

“Dex!” Jacobi exclaimed, dashing onto the right rear side of the moving semi.

Amaya wasn’t about to let them have all the fun. She grasped her katana from Master Yukrina and launched herself onto the back of the eighteen wheeler.

“Amaya!” Jacobi shouted, looking back at her.

“What’s the plan?!”

“Stop this truck at all costs!” Dex told them both. He slid his way carefully to the passenger side door. He peered inside and saw someone cocking a semi automatic pistol. He bend down quickly.

The shot went off and bounced through the rear view mirror.

“Dex, are you okay?” Jacobi cross-examined, genuinely concerned. Even though Dex was the biggest jack*** on the planet, he still cared about his friend. They were brothers in Valor. Til the end.

“I need a little help!” he uproared, watching as the driver turned onto the next streetway.

He climbed on top of the truck using his upper body strength. He landed on his stomach for a moment.

“Jacobi, be careful!” Amaya warned. She then slowly took her time and climbed onto the top of the truck. She planted her katana through the truck to have something to hold onto.

“Amaya!”

“I’m fine!” she retorted. “Keep going!”

She was right. Jacobi had to focus in order to stop this truck. He then turned away from her and approached the driver’s side door. He leisurely gaped inside and saw the driver’s attention was still on the other window, perhaps waiting for Dex to peek out again. He couldn’t wait though.

She slid forward a bit more and pulled her katana out the truck. She was now directly on the side of Jacobi. She gently placed her katana between his fingers.

He scrutinized Amaya once more now.

“Do it,” she whispered with a smile.

He took her blade and sliced through the glass driver side window.

“Holy hell!” the driver shouted, beginning to swerve the vehicle.

Broken glass scattered in the wind.

Now Jacobi dove into the open driver side window with the driver. He could see now that this driver was not Wesley. Maybe one of his flunkies. He tried to wrestle the gun away from him.

This dude was extremely strong. He was able to overpower Jacobi and aim the gun toward his head.

He kicked the driver in the head and touched the automatic latch with his feet.

The opposite door opened and Dex Eshimoto jumped in. He snatched the gun from the driver and then cold-cocked him in the head, knocking him out instantly.

Now Jacobi opened up his driver side door and tossed the guy off onto a sidewalk. “Thanks.”

“Thank me when we stop!” Dex reminded.

The eighteen wheeler was now out of control and going 100 mph and headed onto a busy freeway.

Jacobi focused and tapped the brakes slowly so they wouldn’t go out.

The semi gradually came to a stop.

“A little faster, Jacobi!” Dex shouted worriedly.

Within a few more seconds, the eighteen wheeler had completely stopped.

Jacobi and Dex both let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank God,” Dex spoke, completely out of breath. “Rough day, huh?”

“Amaya!” Jacobi said loudly, exiting the eighteen wheeler immediately and looking for Amaya.

“I’m okay,” she related, slithering to the edge of the vehicle and dropping off easily.

“Glad you’re okay.”

“Yea, me too,” she responded with a grin.

He smirked a moment.

“Hey Jacobi, Amaya,” Dex called from the back hatch of the truck.

He and Amaya rapidly followed.

He spotted all of their weapons. His crossbow, Nash’s kukri knives, Jacobi’s samurai sword, Benson’s Miao Dao sword, and the rest of Russell’s throwing stars and throwing blades. But there was something missing. The money Storan stole was gone. And Wesley from the Spiral was nowhere to be found. “We have a problem.”

“How? Here are your weapons,” Amaya remarked, leaping onto the back hatch.

“Amaya, you don’t understand. The money Storan stole for the Spiral is gone,” Jacobi informed her.

“Heck, forget the money. Wesley’s gone. The Spiral’s gone.”

                       ***

Later that night, Master Yukrina called Amaya Nakamura into the boardroom after dinner.

She didn’t know what to expect. Especially considering the rocky road, she’d been on with him. On again off again, they might as well been dating at this moment. Weird.

He extracted a marbolo cigar and took a light puff, careful not to blow it in her direction. “I guess you’re wondering why I called you here.”

“The thought did cross my mind,” she said, pacing toward him.

“Amaya Nakamura. The youngest member of Valor. I’ve never been more impressed with you than I was tonight. You were composed, skillful, and caring. Even with Dex and Benson who loathed you from the start. I think every single member of Valor has garnered some type of respect for you today. And I couldn’t be prouder. Your mother would be proud of the woman you’re becoming.”

“Thank you, master,” she responded at last, embracing him tightly for a moment. “So does this mean I’m officially back in Valor?”

He paused a moment and then gestured to the entrance way. “That’s for them to decide.”

She shifted on her heels and clapped her eyes on other five members of Valor. She scrutinized each of them carefully. She saw Jacobi with the most pleasant smile, Nash smoothly winking at her, Russell gave her thumbs up, and Dex and Benson both trying their best not to show the earnest of respect.

        ***

Dex stood inside Valor’s sparring chamber with his hands heavily wrapped in tape. He wore a simple white tank top and a set of black jogging pants. He was sweating copiously. He was standing in front of a navy punching bag. He took a deep breath and jabbed at the speed bag.

Poom! Poom! Poom!

What was on his mind was simple: The Spiral. Today was their first look at them and Wesley did not disappoint. And if the rest of the Spiral were any worse than him, then they needed Amaya for this. There was no way they’d be able to stop them ((The Spiral) without her.

Benson strolled inside the chamber gently, carrying his gym bag. He was mad as hell. Why? You’re about to find out. “5-1.  5 to 1!” He sauntered over to Dex and got close to his ear. “How could you vote to keep Amaya?”

“How could you not?” he questioned, ceasing his workout. “We’d be dead if she hadn’t showed.”

“No. We’d be dead if Master Yukrina hadn’t showed!”

“Why do you think Master Yukrina brought her back?” he sifted, turning to face his best friend. “You saw Wesley tonight. He’s like frickin Jacobi 2.0! And he might not even be their best warrior.”

“So you’re saying----”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this. But I think we need Amaya. I don’t think we can do this without her.”

                        ***

           (PARTYNEXTDOOR’s “Come And See” feat. Drake played)

Jacobi Blackwater was inside of his living quarters placing his cherry red ninja suit on his coat rack. His room was the biggest of the Valor fighters. Approximately a 15x20. He had a king sized bed with a silver comforter covering the frame. A small andon light sat on his polished brownish red dresser. His floors were carpeted in mustard gold and a wooden sofa was placed nearby the small warm enclosed fireplace.

He was dressed in a white vest with black buttons, his classic white apparat cuff bracelets, and a pair of navy blue shorts. He was reflecting on the today they’d just had.

There was a low knock at his door.

It’s after 2 am. Who could this possibly be? He slowly paced over to the black entrance way and parted it immediately.

Amaya stood on the opposite side dressed in a satin carmine red kimono robe with a dragon print on the backside of it. Her cocoa brown hair laid against her perfect hershey skin in a wavy hairstyle now. Her features bore delightment which Jacobi of course returned.

“Amaya?” he spoke a bit surprised with a smile. “Didn’t expect to see you here,” he whispered, stepping back to let her inside.

She accepted his invite and stepped over the threshold and quietly closed the door behind her. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

He paused for a moment, glanced into her honey gold narrow eyes and remarked, “A little of both.”

She scoffed with amusement and studied her surrounding. “I love the room. How do I get one like this?”

He folded his arms again smirking, “First, you have to actually have stuff in it. You know.”

She snickered, “Are you really trying to fight at this hour? Didn’t you see what I did out there?” She gently sat on his wooden sofa.

“Yeah, I did.” He roved over to the couch and sat next to her. He gazed at her with the upmost of honor.

She placed a hand beneath the side of her cheek, tilting in his direction.

“You were incredible.”

She released her smile for a moment, thinking about what transpired before she left. Contemplating about the reason she was kicked out of Valor in the first place.

He knew exactly what she was thinking. He had a way about him. The ability to empathize for Amaya. “Amaya...I’m sorry for snapping off at you before. At the bank.”

“No. Don’t be. I screwed up. You guys had everything under control.”

“Still, though.”

“Hey, what were you trying to say to me before I left?” she challenged curiously. “When you came to my room?”

Again, he hesitated. But this time he had an answer. “Amaya, you’re what was missing from Valor. You’re the anchor that balances us, the lifeboat that saves us, the heart of Valor. And more than that, I need you,” he said, grasping her right hand.

She glanced down at his hand, pondering a moment. Something was changing within her. She was beginning to care about Valor. It started to mean more to her than just a way to deal with her mother’s death and punish nightriders. More importantly, Jacobi was starting to mean more to her.

“That’s why I found you.”

She sat up straight and turned her body to him. “You found me? I thought you said Master Yukrina sent you.”

“No. For the first time ever, Master Yukrina gave me the task of finding someone. And that someone was you. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.”

She sighed deeply a moment. “Wow. You chose me?”

He nodded with a smile.

She tried to contain her excitement. Just knowing that Jacobi chose her made her feel truly special. Jacobi could’ve chosen anyone for Valor. Heck, even Serika but he chose me. “Wow. I-I really don’t know what to say, Jacobi.”

He snickered a moment and released her hand slowly. Then he returned his hazel brown eyes to her. “No words speak best.”

She leaned in and took him in for a loving hug.

He reciprocated her embrace.

Then she freed him and got to her feet. “I’d better go. It’s late.”

He straightened up as well.

“Wouldn’t want Master Yukrina to catch me out this late.”

“Right.” He shuffled to the doorway with her and opened it for her to exit.

She turned back to him once more before she exited. “Goodnight Jacobi.”

“Goodnite, Amaya,” he spoke in a sexy whisper.

Finally she rotated on her heels and walked off.

He shut the door behind her. He knew exactly what was happening between the two of them. She was catching feelings for him. It was his whole demeanor drawing her in. The swag, the finesse, more than his good looks. She was drawn to him because he was all man and he was immersed in her because she was all woman.            

        (The song ended)

The next morning, Russell Riddell and Nash Woods were both in the dungeon room beneath the fighting gym. This dungeon was lit by several torch lights, the walls were made of cobblestone, and two sets of barred windows. It was large and eerie down there with cold occupying every section. The reason they were both down there was simple. Watching the prisoner, Storan.

He was bound with hammered metal shackles on his hands and feet. He was still in terrible condition from the battle yesterday when Amaya broke his arm. He had a bandage across his left hand. His hair looked even filthier than before. Perhaps he was laying on the dusty floors all night. His pale face was still lathered in the blood of his victims at the bank.

“So nice of you to join me!” Storan remarked cheerfully. “Please take a seat and let’s talk!”

“You’re awfully cheerful for a guy that got his *** kicked by a ‘little’ girl yesterday,” Russell reminded him, folding his arms.

“Not to mention he didn’t get any money,” Nash taunted.

“Ooh. I forgot about that one.”

“And his wife probably left him for someone a whole of a lot better looking,” he continued.

“That’s not hard to do though, Nash,” he snickered.

“You b******s!”

“Now we’re getting somewhere. How about we settle this like gentlemen and you tell us what we want to know.”

Right away, Dex, Benson, Jacobi, and Amaya paced through the doorway and down the spiral staircase.

“If Master Yukrina wanted interrogation, he shouldn’t have sent in the girl scouts,” Benson trolled.

“We do love their cookies,” Nash snapped back with a grin. “Something you’d know nothing about.”

“How bout you go upstairs and whip me up something good?” he investigated, approaching Nash.

“A noose would do wonders,” Jacobi chimed in.

Amaya snickered briefly.

Russell kept his silence during their verbal abuse. He still wasn’t as confident in himself in the presence of Dex and Benson the way everyone else was. He had no idea how he spoke up when they were kidnapped. Maybe it was because they wouldn’t be able to do anything to him.

“Are you done yet?” Master Yukrina sifted, examining his troops.

“Not yet,” Dex announced. “I haven’t had my fun yet.”

“It’ll have to wait.” He gallivanted to Storan quietly and stared at him a few moments. “I want to know all the members of the Spiral and their location.”

Storan rested a moment with a face set in stone. Then he burst into hysterical laughter.

Everyone else remained completely unamused.

He stopped and wheeled back to Master Yukrina. “Oh, you were serious.”

“I’m guessing you must’ve missed him last night,” Amaya stated, “considering I was kicking your ***, I’m gonna let that one slide.”

“And you think you can stop them again, Master Yukrina?” Storan measured unbelievably. “Look at yourself. You’re not the young warrior you once were. Sure you took out all my goons, but do you honestly think you can defeat them again?”

For the record, Storan was right. Master Yukrina was not as physically fit as he appeared to be last night. He was walking with a limp and he didn’t even get touched yesterday. He was weaker than Dex or Jacobi had ever seen him. His strength was simply not there anymore.

“No,” Master Yukrina responded to Storan. “I believe they can,” he pointed to his pupils.

Storan scoffed. “Whatever.”

“I’m gonna give you one more chance. Give me a name to find the Spiral.”

“Or what?”

“We were hoping you’d ask that,” Nash replied, extracting his Kukri knife from his pocket and grasping Storan by his dirty black hair aggressively. He placed the knife directly against his neck. “Answer the question!”

Amaya had never seen this vicious nature of Nash. It was incredible for her to watch.

He glared at Nash and Master Yukrina and at last uttered a name, ”Atachi.”

“Who’s Atachi?” Master Yukrina scrutinized deeply.

“Russian spy. He can tell you anything you want to know about the Spiral.”

“And where can we find this ‘Atachi’?”

He grunted and fought with all his might not to tell this info.

“Tell us or you die.”

“He’ll be at a banquet this friday.”

He glanced toward Nash and nodded.

Reluctantly, Nash freed Storan from his grip and retracted his knife. Then he strolled out of the way.

“Thank you, Storan. You’ve helped us a great deal. And for that, you’ve earned your freedom,” he told the criminal, kneeling to him and cupping his hand together.

Storan suspired with relief.

Suddenly, he clasped Storan’s head and….

Crack!

He snapped the nightrider’s neck.

Storan’s lifeless body descended to the hard ground with a thud.

Master Yukrina did let him go. To hell.

     To be continued…….