Home and Blood ✔

29

The next day of their mission Zima and her team were up bright and early. They were at the breakfast dinner sharing a table and eating breakfast before they had to move forward for the day.

"So, what are we doing today?" Hino asked after taking a sip of his coffee.

"We need to talk to families that are victims of seeing their loved ones disappear," Jade said as he spread butter on her toast. "They will give us the biggest clues that we need." Everyone nodded in agreement and went on to finish their breakfast. After leaving the breakfast hall in the local hotel they were staying in they travelled to one of the first families of the day they were going to talk too.

She was a single mother leaving in small slum area of the town. Her home was small and she two young boys, her oldest daughter disappeared last year. When they arrived, Jade knocked on the door.

The door opened revealing a middle-aged woman, holding a boy that was toddler on her hip.

"Oh, you must the ninjas sent to investigate?"

Jade nodded and introduced them all to her.

The lady nodded taking in the information and let them in, "Well my name is Hasha, it's a little bit messy in here and tight."

Inside her small living area, was lots of praying and religious material. It seemed the disappearance of her daughter played a major effect on her.

Setting her child down, she guided the group to the small living room where they could all sit. Hasha remined in the middle.

"Well, lets get down to business," she said with a slight smile.

"You daughter I understand disappeared last year? Where did you last see her?" Jade asked.

"Before she disappeared, she was acting strange. She was a lot more aggressive and mean. The last time I saw her was when I sent her out to go buy food at the market. She ever came back."

"Can you explain more on the strange behavior?" Jade asked.

Hasha handed her a picture, "She used to constantly draw this, I don't know a blonde woman, and talk and mutter about enteral beauty."

Hino, Bo, and Zima took a good look the drawing. Zima's eyes widened after recognizing a picture of Cruella. She would tell Jade who that was after the meeting.

"Hmm," Jade said looking at the picture. "Do you mind if I keep this?"

Hasha said it was fine.

"Anything else you could tell us?" Jade asked.

A tear dropped from Hasha's eye's unfortunately no, "I don't much else, the stranger she got the more she kept secrets from me."

Jade thanked her for the information, and they left to visit the next family. Zima wanted to say something about Cruella, but she felt like that wasn't the right time. The next family they were visiting was richer, with a house nearby. Both parents were there and had lost their only daughter.

The mother was dressed in simple white dress when they knocked on the door. She had long brown hair and was tan. Showing them to the living room, that was decorated nicely, the father sat on the sofa reading scroll. He had short hair and was tan as well. He stopped reading the scroll and greeted them as they entered the room. The mother started to talk and give them information they needed, as they sat down.

"Well the last time she was seen was before she left for school, and the school had said she never came."

"Anything strange out of normal?" Jade asked.

"Well she wanted to dye her hair blonde and talked about waiting to look like eternal beauty," the mother continued.

"Yeah, she was becoming obsessed with how she looked like," the father spoke up.

Jade, Hino, Zima, and Bo all looked at each other. The same clue they got before blonde women, and obsession with ethereal beauty.

"I think that's enough for us to now," Jade said in a rush. Two of the same descriptions in a row. She needed to see what the last man they were visiting for the day was going to say. Leaving quickly the parents were confused.

"Did we say something wrong," the mother asked walking behind them.

"Nope you just gave up a major clue," Jade yelled walking out with the rest of her team.

The final person they had to visit was a farmer on the edge of town. They arrived at a big open field area.

The farmer and was working on the field already when they arrived. He was collecting plants when he noticed the group approaching him. He stopped and looked at them.

"Were you the ninjas coming to ask me about my twin's daughters and wife disappearance," he asked. His voice was a deep accent.

"Wife too?" Jade asked. This was the first time she heard of an older women's disappearance.

"Yes, my wife too, she disappeared with them, and the mayor hasn't done jack about the situation," The farmer said annoyed.

"Do you have any information on what could have led to the disappearance," Jade asked.

"A witch, I tell you. A curse was put on my family," He said reaching down to pick up more plants.

"A curse?" Jade asked.

"My wife was insane, she worshiped this picture of a blonde western women, and worried so much about her looks. She made this weird temple, and always acted out of character," The farmer walked away, and Jade and the group followed her.

Behind his small house was a shrine area in the garden. What was disturbing was the amount of drawings similar to the one that they got at the first home they visited.

Jade crouched down to examine it. Strands of blonde hair, and words like youth were written down on the floor.

"That will be enough thank you," Jade said quickly standing up and getting ready to leave.

"You're our last hope, that bloody mayor hasn't done anything for us," the farmer said, and they left.

. . .

The next day in the afternoon they have gathered up all their information based on everything yesterday.

"So, three things we need to focus on, blonde, European and eternal beauty. This matches all three families we visited yesterday," Jade said to them at the lunch diner at the hotel they were at.

Zima still hadn't told her that she might have sense on who she was.

"Tomorrow we have some confronting with the mayor to do, as for now let's get some rest for the day," Jade said. Hino and Bo went up to their rooms, however Zima stayed to talk with Jade.

"Yes?" Jade asked curious as to what Zima wanted to talk about.

"I know... who could be behind the disappearance's..." Zima said.

"Really?" Jade asked curiously giving Zima her full attention.

"Cruella is her name; I don't know much about her. She targeted my family before and seemed to have a vendetta against me and my mother," Zima said. "She attacked my village before."

"Cruella?" Jade said out loud. "Hmm I don't think I've have heard of her, does she match blonde and European?"

Zima nodded.

"Interesting, thank you for tell me, I'll have to look into this. We're getting closer to this much faster than I thought we would." Jade stood up, "Go rest we have much more to plan and handle tomorrow. The information you just gave me is lethal."

Zima nodded and went back to her room, leaving Jade alone in the lunch dining room.

All Jade knew was that someone that was a blonde, European women was deeply involved in this. The problem was why? What was the motive?

. . .