DISCLAIMER: Ranma and co. don't belong to me. They
belong to Rumiko Takahashi, who incidentally also owns
Inuyasha, who incidentally looks a bit like Ranma, who
incidentally likes Kagome, who incidentally is the
complete opposite of Akane. It's a refreshing change.

**********************************************
Chapter 10-Entree

The next morning found Ranma and me holed up in a
ratty little motel room, a far cry from our five-star
hotel of the previous night. We'd taken one look at
the bug-infested mattress and curled up in separate
blankets.

Memories of how the night had started slid through my
mind, Ranma's hands on my body, my hands on his. Then
I forced the images aside and did breathing exercises
and tricked my body into sleep. 

I blinked as the bright sun hit my face through the
dirty wooden slats of the room's tiny window. Bits and
pieces of dreams still clung to me, images of a slim,
laughing woman with long, dark bejewelled hair,
dressed in diaphanous robes, being chased down a
marble hallway by a bearded man who was obviously her
lover.

I sat up, feeling incredibly grimy. The first thing I
reached for was my gun. The cool comfort of steel in
my hand was immensely reassuring. I straightened my
spine, sat cross-legged, placed my hands palms upwards
on my knees and took in a deep deep breath, expanding
my lungs to their fullest. The cobwebs began to fall
away.

Getting to my feet, I glanced at Ranma, who was only a
curled-up wooly blanket ball on the floor. I walked to
the tiny bathroom and turned the rusty faucet, filling
the cracked plastic bucket for a quick shower. The
cool water refreshed me immensely and even having to
put my dirty shorts and parka back on didn't faze me
much.

Back in the room, Ranma was doing stretches. He looked
up when I came in, his face betraying nothing but
business-like concentration. I had felt him withdraw
from me last night, in the rain, as though he were
afraid he would spill his secrets to me in some
unguarded moment. And that was exactly what was going
to happen, if I had my way.

"Good morning, Ranma," I half-sang, humming as I
passed him. He stared at me curiously.

"You're in a mighty good mood for someone who ain't
got nothin' but the clothes on her back," he said.

"That's about to change," I said, "If you get your ass
in gear and we head over to Mr. Yoro's shop."

At the shop, we found the front doors firmly locked. A
woman at a neighbouring shop came out when she saw us
and handed us a suitcase.

"Mr. Yoro asked me to pass this on to you," she told
us in Chinese. "He was regrettably called away."

"Oh, really?" Ranma drawled. "My guess is Mr. Yoro
ain't gonna show up here any time soon." I frowned. I
really had to get to the bottom of this, but so many
other things clamoured for priority. My deadline to
find Blaine was getting ever closer and a lot of
people were paying to see that that didn't happen.

Back at the motel, we opened the suitcase and I
smiled. Even Ranma let out a grunt of satisfaction as
he pulled out replacement clothes for himself. Mr.
Yoro had found us an odd assortment of clothes. Ranma
received a casual Chinese outfit, a black silk tunic
and matching trousers. I got black denim shorts and a
shirt t-shirt that said Sex Police: Up Against the
Wall and Spread 'Em!

Ranma laughed. "Women in authority do turn me on!" I
scowled at him and pulled out another short black
t-shirt.

"Since when?" I asked. "You always like to be the one
who's in control!" I blushed when I heard myself.

Ranma got an odd light in his eyes, and he began to
walk towards me. I suddenly got the feeling that the
room was a lot smaller than I'd thought. Ranma reached
me and prowled around me in a half circle. I began to
feel like something edible, and the thought made me
blush even harder.

Ranma leaned in and nuzzled the soft skin beneath my
jawbone, placing his hands lightly on my shoulders. I
could feel myself trembling.

"With you, yes," he whispered. "I've gotta be in
control." His warm lips ran the length of my jawline,
teasing. His palms were warm on my shoulders. "If you
want it any other way, you'll have to work to convince
me, Akane."

He smiled and stepped back, leaving the path to the
bathroom free. I grabbed my clothes and ran in.
Forcing myself to concentrate on dressing, I found the
t-shirt only skimmed my midriff, though the shorts fit
fine. Eventually, my breathing was back to normal,
simply by virtue of refusing to think about any of it.

Ranma had dressed in the time I'd been in the
bathroom. Pulling a holster for my gun out of the
suitcase, I strapped it on and sighed in satisfaction.
Now, I felt complete. I scavenged a long white shirt
to wear over the holster, completing the ensemble.

Packing the rest of the things into two small duffel
bags that Mr. Yoro had provided us, we departed from
the motel with almost lighter hearts.

It wasn't very hard to rent a jeep with my fake ID and
before long, we were on our way.

"And where are we going?" Ranma asked me from the
passenger seat. I was driving. He said he was happy to
have his hands and eyes free to do his bodyguarding
duty. I watched the crowded streets, focusing on the
feeling I'd been having.

"The diamond is calling me," I said. "I can feel it
tugging at me."

"Diamonds call to pretty girls," Ranma agreed. "It's
an age old attraction, that's for sure." I glared at
him. Then I inhaled, letting the air fill my lungs
again, soothing my temper. I could hear my teeth
grinding.

"What happened with Toshi Yoro? How did you end up in
his brothel?" I asked. Ranma clammed up. Good.

I let him stay quiet and followed the winding streets
instinctively, until slowly we were fully downtown and
the lanes had broadened, and cars were zooming by
pretty fast. Where had they taken the diamond, I
wondered. 

We were getting into the richer parts of the city now.
I could see the buildings getter posher, the cars
getting more and more expensive. Damn, I always worked
to fit into my environment. My shorts weren't going to
cut it here for long.

"Here we are," I said, turning my head to stare up at
the tall, tall building of steel and glass that loomed
to my left. Tall exotic potted palms flanked wide
red-carpeted marble stairs that led up to where a
doorman in a resplendent uniform stood, his back
straight as an arrow, obviously guarding the entrance.

"The Plaza Stars Hotel," Ranma read the gold-plated
plaque as we cruised by. "THIS is the place? You
picked one of the poshest hotels in Shanghai out of
the millions of buildings in this city?"

I turned the jeep around into a side street and
parked, watching the entrance then running my eyes in
a practiced sweep over the hotel environs. I read the
hotel plaque carefully.

"How are we even going to set foot in the front door,
Akane?" Ranma asked with exasperation in his voice.
"They obviously expect suits. We'd stick out like sore
thumbs."

I scanned the hotel again, then the street. A van of
laughing people with a logo on the side caught my eye.

"I'm just about to tell you," I said.

********
As Ranma and Akane plot to enter the hotel-

The bar of the Plaza Stars Hotel was hosting a party
that evening for a very important gentleman. The rich
and influential creme de la creme of Shanghai rubbed
shoulders with men and women who were of shadowy
origin yet held many of the reins of power in the
city.

"Ah, welcome, Mr. Ashish," said an elegant Chinese
gentleman in an expensive silk suit, moving forward
with his hands outstretched. "As the guest of honor,
you are doubly welcome. Come, come," he said,
motioning to the tall, slim Indian man he was
addressing. "Let's find you some refreshments."

"Thank you for inviting me, Mr. Zhang," the man
responded in a crisp, Oxford-educated voice. "I'm
pleased to be here, and I'm awaiting the unveiling of
your great surprise."

Zhang laughed coyly. "Ah there are a great many
amusements to sample before that, my friend."

The Indian started as he felt a soft hand at his
elbow. He turned to see a stunning Chinese girl in a
slinky gown with a high slit up the side smiling at
him, offering him a glass of wine. He thanked her and
took the glass. She stayed at his side.

"This is Puu," Zhang said. "She is most pleased to be
your......escort for the evening." Ashish smiled at
Puu, patting her hand softly.

A tall young man dressed conservatively came to talk
briefly with Zhang. Zhang introduced him to Ashish.

"This is Shekuto. He's my secretary. Don't know what I
would do without him." Ashish assessed him as Shekuto
bowed briefly. A dangerous man, he thought to himself.
Shekuto had the look of sleek sharks Ashish had seen
in certain aquariums. He moved with oiled grace, his
black opaque eyes never resting, always watching.

"I hope you are enjoying your stay in China, Mr.
Ashish," he said in soft tones.

"Certainly, certainly!" Ashish smiled, not fooled for
a minute by the polite attitude. "I hope you are,
too."

Shekuto looked startled. "Not many can tell that I am
not from China, Mr. Ashish." Ashish grinned widely,
obviously pleased by his feat. " I spent some little
time in Japan, Mr Shekuto. I found it very
entertaining."

"And if I'm not mistaken, some furthur diversion is
about to begin." Zhang motioned towards the stage set
in one wall of the bar, where the curtains were
drawing open to reveal a darkened interior.

The guests hushed, and turned to see this new
entertainment. Slowly, rays of colored light
illuminated dazzling statues standing alone in a
circle of darkness on the stage. The statues slowly
came to life, spreading their arms outwards, as music
suddenly began to pound through hidden speakers.

The dancers, as they now obviously were, broke out of
their stasis and began to stalk towards the front of
the stage, leaping and whirling as they did so. At the
centre of the stage, a last ray of light illuminated a
girl in a diaphanous white, sparkling gown, modest in
its length and drapery. The girl sat demurely on the
ground, arms folded about herself. As the music
changed, she raised her face and stood, flinging out
her arms and whirling in a complex dance step. Her
white gown spread out to reveal that it was actually
slashed quite cunningly to let the watchers glimpse
the girl's slim, athletic body clad in a silver
bodysuit. The audience cheered and clapped as the girl
began to sing.

"Wah wah!" Ashish laughed and clapped his hands as
well. "You do put on a great show, Mr. Zhang!"

Zhang smiled and gave a shallow bow.

The girl had been belting out a love song, moving
through intricate dance steps as she did so. A lone
male dancer appeared from the crowd of accompanying
dancers. He grabbed the girl and pulled her through a
series of dizzying dance moves that left many of the
ladies in the audience feeling flushed and eyeing the
muscular young dancer closely, wondering what it would
feel like to be in his arms.

Ashish watched spellbound. "It's rare to see such a
great performance even in my country, my dear Zhang,"
he said admiringly, all the while stroking his
escort's bare arm absentmindedly. "I'm afraid I don't
know how the rest of the evening can top this." He
leered slightly at Puu, who smiled invitingly and
caressed his arm.

The dancers on stage now were moving in a slower
rhythm, spiralling, then they put on a burst of speed
and the male lead dancer led his partner in a series
of moves where they sped up until with a crash of
music they flipped around and landed at the front of
the stage to thunderous applause.

As the curtains closed, Zhang gave Ashish a pleased
smile. "I believe I shall have requests for an encore.
Not everyone will be as......" his gaze switched
briefly to the clinging Chinese girl, "....pleasantly
diverted as you."

******************************* 

"I can't believe we pulled that off!"Ranma cried back
in the dressing room. "Impersonating dancers to get in
here has to be the craziest idea I've ever heard,
Akane!"

"Hey, if it works, don't knock it!" I retorted. " If
we hadn't seen that there was a show on tonight on the
plaque, and we hadn't seen the dancers' van at the
same time, I'd just have thought of some other way
in."

My heart was pounding like mad. Amid the excited cries
and movements of the rest of the dancers backstage, I
ran a shaky hand through my hair. The adrenaline rush
was still holding me high. "Besides, we weren't
impersonating dancers. I think we did a pretty good
job out there..."

Ranma, standing close to me, moved in closer and ran
his hands down my sides. "I could see all those old
men out there drooling at you. This costume is just a
bit too sexy for my liking. I don't know if......"

"Dont worry," I said airily, stepping back and trying
to calm my thumping heart. Dammit. "I'll change my
costume for the next song."

I did. It was a short, fire red number that was made
of feathers and little else. The audience loved it.
Ranma was seething. We danced all the way through
dinner before we were allowed a break.

"You guys were awesome!"A petite brunette dancer
rushed over to tell us. She smiled at Ranma
flirtatiously. "We should offer you a permanent job!"
I noticed she didn't say 'jobs'. It figures, I thought
to myself.

Ranma grinned back at her. He was ticked off with me
about my costumes, though I didn't see why he should
care. Besides we still needed the dancers, so we were
still making nice. "Thanks, you were pretty light on
your toes too!"

The girl took that as encouragement and sidled closer
to Ranma and they struck up a conversation. I was
starting to feel like a third wheel.

I've been here before, I sighed with wry humour. Some
things you can never escape.

Well, that was okay. I wasn't mad because there were
things to be done. It was time to scout out the lay of
the land. I knew the diamond was close by. I could
feel it. I just didn't know where. Dammit. 

If only I could home on on the thing like a homing
beacon, then I could.....no, wait. That was too
creepy. Be a lodestone to a diamond? No thanks, Akane
Tendo's got enough on her plate, I muttered silently.

I stood up and moved off. Ranma sent me a questioning
glance. 'Washroom' I mouthed to him, and he sat back,
satisified.

I moved furthur backstage, looking for the stairs that
led out. I found them but they led to a whole
different level of dressing rooms. I turned a corner
slowly and climbed a set of stiars, deciding I was now
again on the level of the party.

The other dancers had told us the party was being
hosted by a Mr. Zhang, quite a hotshot here
apparently, but rather on the shady side. His guest of
honor was Mr. Ashish, an Indian who was suspected to
have international dealings with all sorts of people
and currently was negotiating something with Mr.
Zhang.

I was interested in Zhang as well as the Indian,
Ashish- Zhang because I couldn't beleive that a
diamond and a shady man were occupying a space where
one had no knowledge of the other, and Ashish because
I had remembered that the goons who had attacked us on
the way from the airport yesterday, gosh, was that
only yesterday, had been paid by an Indian. What in
the world was the connection? Was the Indian in
Zhang's hire? Of course, everyone could be perfectly
innocent.....

I snorted. Yeah, right.

Now I was in the corridor where I suspected the open
guestrooms lay, where any guest could avail themselves
of the comforts of a room without the bother of a key.
It could be locked from the inside, I knew. Perfect
spots for couples to steal off to.

I did run across a few couples here and there,
obviously trying to escape for some privacy now that
dinner was mostly over. Some of the men were
Americans, I could see, and their host had graciously
provided them with 'escorts' who were trying to pull
them into rooms with their broken English.

"Lima make you feel good and happy, you come inside,"
said one slim girl, tugging at her man's hand. She's
probably being really well paid for this, I told
myself firmly. Don't interfere. The couple moved into
a room. I continued down the corridor, now looking for
Mr. Zhang. 

I heard a guy yell, and someone saying something
really fast in Chinese around a corner. Still
disturbed by the other girl, Lima, my overcharged
instincts took over and I dashed around a corner, only
to see a girl holding what definitely had to be the
Indian gentleman, Ashish, was that his name? She had
her hand clenched around his windpipe and had drawn
him up so that his shiny dress shoes barely touched
the ground.

I couldn't see her face, but she was growling
something in English when I slammed into her back,
sending both of them sprawling. Before you could say
'dim-sum' I had my gun out and cocked and pushed into
the small of her scantily clad back. She yowled and
tried to throw me off . I'd learned some tricks in
recent years and I locked her in place. Just then, a
dagger came whizzing out of thin air to thunk into the
wall across from me.

"Damn!" I yelled. "Buddy, whoever it is, you send one
more little present this way and I'll turn your
girlfriend into so much spaghetti...." I flipped the
girl around and had my gun shoved against her jaw
before I recognized the incredulous whiskey eyes
staring up at me.

"Shampoo?"

"Mousse, don't shoot!" she screamed. "It's Akane
Tendo!" 

***********************************************
A/N- Let me just point out here that Shampoo's
appearance is just as big a surprise to me as it might
be to you, and this is NOT a Nerima reunion as someone
moaned.

C&C is appreciated. I prefer private replies, but 
public C&C is fine, also.


______________________________________________________________________ 
Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca

             .---Anime/Manga Fanfiction Mailing List----.
             | Administrators - ffml-admins@anifics.com |
             | Unsubscribing - ffml-request@anifics.com |
             |     Put 'unsubscribe' in the subject     |
             `---- http://ffml.anifics.com/faq.txt -----'