Silent Water

by

DeepQuote  <deepquote@hotmail.com>

This and my other works can be found at  Http:\\www.deepquote.f2s.com

Author's note:  The NPA is the National Police Agency and it is the only
"official" Japanese law enforcement agency I could find so please bear with
me.
C&C welcome, Flames doused, and Psychological evaluations shredded.



Ranma 1/2 and related characters do not belong to me, and are used here
without permission strictly for entertainment purposes. This story was
partly inspired by Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris.



"When I wish to find out how wise, or how stupid, or how good, or how wicked
is anyone, or what are his thoughts at the moment, I fashion the expression
of my face, as accurately as possible in accordance with the expression of
his, and then wait to see what thoughts or sentiments arise in my mind or
heart, as if to match or correspond the expression."

    ~Edgar Allen Poe  "The Purloined Letter"


Step.

 Step.

  Step.


Ranko Tendo cursed silently to herself as her footsteps echoed through the
empty hallway, announcing her arrival to the inmates held in the cell block.
This wing of the prison was beyond maximum security, it was specially
created to house inmates of  "Special" circumstances. The wing was a
prototype designed to test the effectiveness of a prison system solely based
on the maximum security level and beyond. Housed within these wall were some
of the most dangerous criminals in the entire world, and within this hallway
was the most evil of them all.

The neutrally colored walls were constructed of a carbon polymer designed to
look like concrete, but have the strength and durability of  10 inch steel.
In addition to the cheapened cost of the synthetic polymer walls, the
coating of the wall made them easily to clean and added some additional
residence to attempts to destroy the walls. The clear coating was a silicate
based compound used to clear up the synthetic polymers only weakness...
heat. The compound was capable of withstanding great amounts of heat and
energy when applied to the walls. Combined with the advances in the prison
construction, a state of the art surveillance system, and individual inmate
tracking chips, this particular wing of the prison was as close to
inescapable as any prison was.


Despite the technological assurances of the prison, Ranko was still on edge.
This place unnerved her, and why it did that she did not know. Someone who
didn't know her would just put it aside as she was scared. They didn't know
her, Ranko Tendo didn't get scared, she got even.  Those that did know her
would say she was alert, ready for whatever was going to happen. The warden
of the wing, Dr. Kuno had assured her that escape was impossible. Ranko
didn't believe him, she was ready for the impossible.

With each step continuing to echo down the hall, Ranko continued on towards
her destination. She was here to visit the most deadly man on the entire
planet.  A serial killer that had taken the combined forces of the NPA and
Interpol to catch. She was here to talk with the very man this cell block
was created for. Ranko had not even graduated from the NPA academy and she
was already walking to the darkest recesses of the prison system.  While
continuing down the hallway, Ranko noticed a slight chill beginning to
develop, as if all of the heat in the far end of the hall was being sucked
away. The cold brought an involuntary chill to her bones, as she thought
back to the beginning, back to the day she got the assignment....


~FlashBack~


Tokyo, Japan.  NPA Academy.

2 Days Earlier...


Palmstrike, Left sided dodge, Dragon tail....


This kata was one of Ranko's favorites, it helped her relax, and it also
earned her reputation among her fellow classmates. When Ranko first started
doing katas early in the morning, she found two male admirers watching for
their own benefit. The men were given a close and person demonstration of
the kata. The female students, however has a different attitude to Ranko's
katas: they were affectionately named  "Slow motion ass-kicking".


There was no admirers this morning, there were no distractions and Ranko's
mind focused on her art. Water flows, Wind flys, and Ranko seemed to do both
during various parts of her kata. This deadly but beautiful dance soothed
Ranko it lulled her into a sense of peace. It also gave her evidence...
Evidence that she had control of herself and her body. Oxygen filled her
lungs, and  Instincts flowed among split second decisions as one kata became
another.



"Tendo."

Gone. No more grace, no more flow, and barely any control. The flawless form
of anything goes was stopped by a single word as Ranko fought to regain her
center before reacting to her company. She fought desperately, only to
regain the control shattered by a single world.

"Tendo"

Biting back her tongue, Ranko flowed into an improvised ending to her
workout bringing her face to face with her company.


"Yes, sir?"


"Takahara wants to see you in his office, pronto."


"Yes, Sir.  Sir, you wouldn't happened to know why would you?"


"Sorry Tendo, but I don't. I'm just the messenger. I suggest you report to
his office immediately."


"Yes, Sir!"

Digging her feet into the moist earth, Ranko sprinted forward, her leg
racing as she sped off toward the other end of the campus.  The wind flowed
through her wild hair as Ranko bounded through the campus with speed usually
reserved for Race cars and fighter jets. It was only a matter of minutes
before Ranko reached the main doors of the Behavioral sciences offices. Upon
entering the building, Ranko adapted a more civilized pace of walking, as
she composed herself, and tried to look as presentable as possible.

She nodded politely to the agents and staff that she passed, as Ranko winded
her way through the various nondescript offices that made up the Behavioral
Sciences Division. Ryu Takahara was the director of behavioral sciences, and
he was her mentor. Takahara was the finest profiler the NPA had, and he
single handedily led the NPA And Interpol to the downfall of the most
notorious serial killer of the modern day.

  The Wild horse.

Finally arriving at her destination, Ranko waited politely for Takahara's
secretary to address her before attempting to enter his office.

"Ms. Tendo."

"Yes?"

"Mr. Takahara wants to see you immediately, please go right in."

"Thank you."

Consciously aware of her cautious pace, Ranko enter Hackwood's office. Upon
entering, idle thoughts of what she must look like bundled in her regulation
PT sweat suit all covered with sweat. With her close and wild hair, Ranko
was quite sure she looked wilder than even her name could express.


Ryu Takahara's office was like any other you would expect to see in the
behavioral sciences division. Manila file folders sat on the desk piled
among pictures, maps, and forms burying the desk. Even the walls seemed an
extension of the buried desk as multicolored push pins held many of the same
items to the walls.

"Ms. Tendo. Its good to see you. Please sit down."

"Thank you, sir. um..You wanted to see me?"


"Yes, Tendo. I did. I have a job for you. You know you come highly
recommended by your instructors for this assignment. And, I recall you
giving me quite a had time on my views of  primitive instincts in serial
killers."


"Yes, Sir. I remember you being most adamant about the fact that most serial
killers are methodical in their madness, not animals of instinct."


"Correct and most of the research the bureau has collected on serial killers
in custody support my theory. Well, I should say All of them except one
support my theory. He refused to cooperate, and I know that if he did his
insight would be more valuable than all of the other data. I'm sure you've
heard of him... Dr. Ranma Saotome..."


"The Wild Horse."




"Yep, that's him, and I want you to interview him. So far he has refused to
cooperate with any attempts to categorize him. Saotome being a Doctor of
Psychiatry he knows exactly how to block our attempts to understand him. He
knows better than anyone both sides of the human mind, the sane, and the
insane."


"I've read about Dr. Saotome many times before. The FBI marks him the most
dangerous serial killer ever. Even before his capture and murder, Dr.
Saotome was a renowned psychiatrist, what makes you think he will talk to
me? What can I do that a agent can't do?"

"You can agree with him Tendo."

"Agree with him sir?"


"The reason you were picked for this assignment is actually simple, Tendo.
Saotome believe just as you do on the primitive mind. He published a
philosophical article shortly after his capture called "The nature of the
beast.". With that similarity I believe you have an insight into him no one
else does. Use that insight to talk to him, connect with him. In essence,
Tendo I am giving you a chance to prove me wrong."

"Prove you wrong how sir?"

"Get Saotome to talk with you, learn his method, or Tame his beast if you
prefer, but find out what makes him what he is."

"What is he, sir?"


" A predator."


"Tendo, I've booked you on a flight to Tokyo. I have here a copy of
Saotome's file, an expense account, and a special ID for you. The flight
leaves in a few hours, I suggest you go and pack. '

"Thank you, sir. I'll do it. I will bring you back some insight into Dr.
Saotome."

Takahara chuckled.  "Good luck Tendo. One last thing. Get inside his head,
but don't let Saotome into yours that is when he is really dangerous."


~End Flashback~

That was how, Ranko ended halfway around the world in a hi-tech prison
visiting the most dangerous man on the earth.


The last cell was quite different from the others. Instead of the standard
issue bars, the front of the cells was encased in what appeared to be a
clear version of the Synthetic steel with large air holes in it, along with
what appeared to be a sliding drawer. Among the walls, Various drawings, and
pictures lined the walls.  The far corner held a large canvas depicting a
scene that seems vaguely familiar to Ranko,  but she couldn't place it.
Small pools of what dotted a slopping valley as endless bamboo poles stuck
out of the pools in the foreground and the fog in the back ground.

Within the cell, stood an immaculately dressed young man, his black hair
pulled into a ponytail falling over his solider. Upon closer inspection, you
could tell it was almost if not a single hair was out of place to put the
man's appearance to any less than perfect. Upon noticing the ponytail, the
redhead tugged nervously at her pigtail before speaking. Her voice booming
forth from her small frame as she tried to exude confidence.


"Dr. Saotome. I am Special Agent Ranko Tendo; I'm with the NPA and We'd like
to ask you a few questions."


"Welcome, Wild Child. I know who you are. Warden Kuno informed me I had a
visitor coming. I naturally suspected good ole Ryu Takahara.  How is he by
the way?"

"Agent Takahara is back in the states doing his job Dr. Saotome."

"I see. I didn't expect him to send someone else. So Wild Child it is a
pleasure to me you. You must forgive me, if I don't shake your hand. I'm
incarcerated at the moment."

"At the moment, Dr. Saotome? It sounds like you plan on escaping from this
inescapable cell block.'

"Plan? Wild child. no. no. no. no. I know I will escape. It is only a matter
of time and opportunity. Now, What do you want from me, Agent Tendo. Did Ryu
Takahara send you down to analyze me? Or does he need new insight on chasing
that new one... Cane. I believe his name was."
Ranma lips turned into a cruel smirk as his grey eyes seemed to stare
unblinkingly at the young agent before him.

Pausing only to place her bag on the floor, Ranko stepped forward to the
entrance of the cell. She stopped no closer than an inch away from the glass
before she spoke.

"Dr. Saotome, You don't frighten me."


"hahahaha..." he chuckled. "That my child is not the problem." Dr. Saotome
mimicked
Ranko's motions as he placed himself exactly opposite from her inside the
cell. He leaned forward, his eyes never leaving hers as he spoke.

"I scare myself."


Stepping back, Ranko Stumbled  taken aback by the frank answer from the
madman. That was not at all the response she had expected from him. Steeling
herself, Ranko reached into her small purse. She pulled forth the
Questionnaire, she had been given.

"Dr. Saotome, As I'm sure you know the agency often conducts studies in
order to understand the criminal mind, and I was hoping you'd...."

"Tut, Tut, Tut. You were doing so well. You've been polite, courteous, and
even forthright by telling me you are unafraid me and , now this...   this
half-witted attempt to get me to take a...  a.. Survey.   No. No. No. this
will never do...  And I had such high hopes for you wild child.  You may go
now."


"What would you have me do Doctor? Hold up a mirror and ask you what you
see?  You tell me your scared of yourself, why won't you tell me why? Too
afraid to look at a real monster? No man is the judge of another, Doctor.
The only one should be examining is yourself."

"Good-bye, Wild Child."

"Fine." Ranko hurriedly gathered her purse, and straighten her appearance
before regarding the young man once more.

"Good-bye, Doctor."


Step.

 Step.

  Step.


Just as her heels had announced her arrival to the cell block, they
announced her departure just as loudly. About halfway down the hall, Ranko
shiver involuntarily. She heard something that sounded like water. A bucket
of water to precise. The mere thought of the cold clear liquid sent shivers
down Ranko's spine as she continued out of the cell block. Calming herself
Ranko managed to hold onto her fear until she heard a strange battle cry
come from her right side.

"SWEETO!!"

Seconds after the strange outburst, the cells occupant, a Japanese pervert
named Happosai threw cold water from his water pitcher through his cells
bars at Ranko. The pervert's beady eyes became riveted to Ranko's white
blouse searching for some source of perverted enjoyment.
Ice cold water, chilling her to the bone covered her right side, as Happosai
cackled maniacally at her discomfort. The cold grip of the water struck her
by surprise and her body continued to shiver as the water dripped down to
the floor.

"Aaaaaaaa!!!!!!"

The cold liquid gripped Ranko stronger than anything. It's icy grip struck
fear into her very being. The feel of cold water brought a vision of a small
pool with a bamboo pole, and for reasons unknown Ranko hated this place with
a vengeance. Caught up in the swirl of emotions brought on by her assault,
Ranko almost failed to noticed the doctor calling for her.

"Ranko!"       "Wild Child!"


"Come  back!"


Racing back from the cold water, Ranko took in the warm sounds of the
Doctor's voice and once more presented herself before his cell. The water
still dripped down her pale face, as the water made her clothes stick to her
body. Ranko watched the doctor try to slip his mask of control back on as
his eyes glanced over her body trying to insure she was unharmed.

Stammering more from nervousness than the temperature, Ranko spoke.

"d...d..Doctor?"


"My humblest apologies, my dear. I would rather that not have happened to
you."


"Then help me doctor. Fill out the survey. Make this humiliation worth my
time." Ranko demanded sensing a opportunity.

"I'll do more than help you, Wild Child. I'll give you Cane's head on a
plate."

"Cane, doctor? What do you know about him?"

"I know that if you are a good little girl, and travel through the looking
glass just like Alice, you will find what motivates our mad Mr. Cane."

"Through the looking glass? What do you mean, Doctor?"

"As the American say, Let you fingers doing the walking young Ranko and you
will know what I am talking about. Now go, Wild Child. I don't think the old
fart will be expecting you so soon. Now go!!!!"


Sliding the survey into Ranma's cell, Ranko slipped off her heels and tore
down the cell block, and out of the building.



To be continued


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Writing is like prostitution. First you do it for the love of it, then you
do it for a few friends, and finally, you do it for the money."
-Moliere
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