In Cold Blood [Ash Lynx] - Banana Fish

Eight - Nothing Personal

New York City at night is a completely different sight to see.

The streets during daylight are filled with commuters, taking their morning commute on the subway, tourists, exploring the city's sights and college and high school students, either on their way to school or choosing to bunk off.

But once the commuters take their train home, tourists call it a day on the sightseeing and college students return to their dorm rooms, it's a totally different city.

When the clock hits 5 pm on a Friday, most people take that as their cue to either dress up nice and go out with friends or stay at home on the couch with a glass of wine. Either way, they stop working, dreading their return on Monday morning.

However, for some people, Friday night is the start of their business and working hours. This includes bars and nightclubs, but it's also the prime time for people in power to bend the rules and have some fun of their own —blending into the crowd and getting unnoticed.

Ash could quite easily name at least ten political figures who fit that mould and, unsurprisingly, he watches as a handful of them are on the prowl tonight and they enter 'Elevate Lounge' —the nightclub opposite his gang's hideout.

Sat on the window seat, Ash cradles a cup of coffee, looking down at passers-by and whoever decides to spend their evening at said club.

The problem with the people in power who are running the country, is that most of the time they only made their way up the ladder by partying and making appearances at the right time. When in reality, what happened behind the scenes wasn't as PG as they'd like you to believe.

The amount of Senators, Investors and Government Officials who spend their leisure time drinking, grooming and assaulting girls and boys —mostly teens and younger children— is unbelievable. Unfortunately, only a handful get their comeuppance in life and are sentenced for their sins. Most of them get away with their crimes, either buying or talking their way around the system.

After coming up with the evidence that proved Golzine and his associates were responsible for doing all kinds of illegal and sexual activities with minors, Max had reported on the story and the Government went into an uproar. It was just unfortunate that Golzine wasn't alive to have to deal with the consequences of his actions; children and teenagers like Ash had to live with the nightmares forever.

Even so, the same acts continue to this day and that's never going to change. As Ash always says —it's a beast eats beast kind of world.

As he watches more and more people enter the buzzing nightclub, his eyes widen and he spits his coffee out.

Dressed in a dark green dress, black heels and a black fur coat, Tora flashes the doorman her ID, before he unclips the red tie rope and she strolls on inside.

"What is she doing in there?!" Ash questions, placing his cup down on the floor beside him.

Idly walking into the kitchen, Alex turns to check on him. "Boss? You okay?"

Taking a seat at the coffee table, Ash pulls up his laptop and opens up a search engine. "I don't know why I didn't do it before, but I need to know more about Tora. You guys find out as much as you can about her; her background, everything."

Alex nods. "Of course. Question, Boss —how much do you know about her already?"

Ash sighs, shaking his head. "Not much Alex. She's an assassin from Tokyo and, like me, she was taught young and she gets results."

-

Shrugging her fur coat off and handing it to the coatroom attendant, Tora saunters over to the bar, holding her black purse and wearing a midi-length, long-sleeved, emerald bodycon dress with a plunged V neckline.