Sherlock's Interpreter {Sunday Updates}

Chapter 8: Tamamo

From the door of the captain's cabin, Charlie watched as the car came to an abrupt stop on the dock and a darkened figure emerged from inside the vehicle. He pointed the gun in her direction, and soon after, lowered it to his side grudgingly.

A mixture of relief and victory washed over her. She had escaped Shiro again, but it was a bittersweet win at best. He would never stop coming for her—that she knew. But this time, she had something else he wanted, needed. And she knew he would never, ever stop trying to find her until he got it back.

Her eyes dropped slowly to the man sitting in a heap of rope on the deck. His head swivelled from the dock and then to her, and in the darkness, she could barely make out the scowl on his face, but it was there. She crossed her arms over her chest and returned his glare.

Damn him! Why wouldn't he just leave her alone? She drew several long, steadying breaths. Well, she already knew the answer to that question, and as much as she would've loved to believe she had left Shiro standing on that dock, she knew she had just taken a piece of him with her. The most annoying piece!

Charlie turned on her heel and slammed the cabin door behind her. Making her way across the cabin to the wheel platform and the window that overlooked the front of the boat, she stared out at the wide, temperamental sea.

She grasped her knapsack from the old wood floor, and put it beside the wheel, withdrawing a thin leather notebook from inside. Thumbing through the pages, she slid her finger down the Japanese characters scrawled on the yellowed page.

"Okay, Busan. So how long is that going to take me?" She chewed her lower lip, and pulled her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans, and flicked it on.

"Oh, come on!"

She held the phone above her head and walked around the cabin. No signal. Of course, there wasn't. What did she expect?

She rubbed the back of her neck, exhaustion wrapping its arms around her as she listened to the water rhythmically slap against the hull as the Kaze no Kizu pushed through the waves. Even the engine humming beneath her feet sounded like a tired old dog on its last lap.

She held up her phone higher, swearing under her breath. No signal. No contact. Nada. So how was she going to contact Aiko?

It was just like that day on the elevator...

Charlie's toe tapped impatiently as she pressed the elevator down button again. "Oh, come on."

She glanced at the exit sign leading to the stairs and then dropped her gaze to her feet. Damn heels. She was only 24 floors up, and if it weren't for her shoes, she would be down to the lobby and out the door before anyone could stop her. But maybe. . . maybe she could take them off and go barefoot. Who would know?

The sound of her phone and the text arrival made her roll her eyes. "Please, no more work. Please, please. . ." she murmured as she flipped her phone in her hand.

Text: We need to meet.

Her chest tightened as dread settled over her. What did he want now? Her fingers slowly moved over the keyboard.

Charlie: I have nothing more to say. I'm not doing it.

Text: You will.

She swallowed as a chill rippled through her. Break away. Do it now or he'll never stop.

With shaking hands, she typed.

Charlie: I want nothing more to do with you. I'm blocking you.

Before she pressed send, she glanced up at the numbers over the elevator. Be brave. Do it. You've gotta do this.

Her thumb hovered over the send arrow.