The unfamiliar beep from Toru's cel

The unfamiliar beep from Toru's cell phone woke him from his three-hour sleep. He sat up from his double bed, staring at the blinking lights on the phone as he checked the caller.

Private Number

The electric alarm on his bed side table read 3.30 a.m. Who would call at this hour? Toru thought as he swiped the green button. Pressing the phone to his ear, Toru said nothing, waiting for the other party to speak.

"Toru san?" A foreign, male voice called out.

Toru immediately reached for his gun under the pillow. "Who are you?"

The deep voice chuckled before coughing a little. "I'm not sure if you have heard of me but I am known by my acquaintances as Chey."

Toru gripped his gun tighter, as though as Chey was standing in front of him. "No, I've not heard of you," Toru answered, trying his best to sound as confused as possible.

Again, Chey chuckled. "Now, that is a surprise. And here I thought Asami must have briefed you about me."

For a Cambodian, Chey spoke good Japanese. The pronunciation was a little off but overall, he spoke clearly. His voice was low and hoarse, evidence that Chey was either suffering from a chronic cough or a common cold.

Gathering as much confidence as possible, Toru spoke again. "Who are you and what do you want?"

Chey cleared his throat. "I am Chey from Cambodia and I have a business proposition for you."

This is it, Toru thought as he gripped his gun. "I am not interested in –," Toru calmly replied when Chey interrupted.

"You are misunderstanding me, Toru-kun," Chey spoke softly, to the point that it was almost eerie. "I am not requesting, I am telling you that you have to do it."

"Why should I follow your orders?" Toru asked.

"If you value your life, you should," Chey replied. "And before you ask me how I can kill you when I am thousands of miles away; I assure you, I can."

The threats meant nothing to Toru. As Akihito's bodyguard, he was prepared to sacrifice his life when needed. Chey sounded very confident and Toru dared to bet that he must have a few men in Japan, ready to obey his every command. Kirishima had told him to stall Chey for a while to avoid suspicion but since this wasn't a request, Toru found that his options were limited.

"Don't tense up." Chey coughed a little. "I am a reasonable man. You will be rewarded handsomely if you help me," he chuckled.

Toru stood up. Supporting the phone between his cheek and shoulder, he put on his dress pants. "What do you need me to do?" Toru asked in a low, quiet voice.

Chey let out a victorious laugh. "Simple. Bring the boy to me."

Toru's eyes widened. "Which boy?"

"Your boss's precious pet, of course," the Cambodian drug lord replied. "Bring him to Cambodia in three days."

"I can't just take him out of Japan," Toru argued. He finished putting on his pants and began to grab the white shirt he discarded on the sofa a few hours earlier. "His schedules are overseen by the boss."

The man on the other line went quiet for a moment before replying, "That is something for you to think about, Toru kun."

"The boss will kill me if he finds out," Toru said. "I want you to guarantee my anonymity."

Chey laughed. "That is something that you don't have to worry. Once you are in Cambodia, Asami Ryuiichi is equivalent to a toothless tiger."

Odd choice for comparison, Toru thought since he always thought his boss resembled a dragon but he did not elaborate further. "What do you intend to do with Takaba?"

"That is the least of your concerns," Chey's voice turned into a growl. "Bring Takaba to Cambodia at the stipulated time or the next time your parents' see you, you'd be in a coffin," Chey warned and the line went dead.

Toru slid the phone in his pockets and secured the remaining buttons on his shirt. He rushed out of his apartment without bothering to put on his coat and walked stealthily to Kirishima's apartment. He rapped his knuckles three times, knowing that the soft knock would have woken the secretary up.

As he stood outside Kirishima's door, Toru replayed the conversation in his head. The Cambodian crime lord was well informed although he must have thought Toru was insignificant enough for a full background check. Toru was orphaned after his mother passed away two years ago. Chey's desire to take Asami down had outweighed his common sense, making him sloppy.

The door opened, revealing the secretary in his dress pants, shirt and tie. One look at Toru's dressing had Kirishima stepped out of the apartment. "Don't speak," he whispered, walking to Suoh's apartment. "Get Ando; we're going to Asami sama's penthouse."

Nodding his head, Toru walked towards the other end where Ando's apartment was located. Like Kirishima, Ando opened the door after three knocks. The younger guard looked confused for the moment but snapped into attention the minute he saw Toru's unusual attire.

No words were necessary for the guards. Silently, they took the private elevator up to the penthouse, with Kirishima leading the group. The secretary dialed his boss's number and waited two rings before ending the call, signaling Asami that he was about to enter the penthouse.

As Kirishima unlocked the apartment, Toru took the chance to fix his attire and finger combed his hair before entering. Kirishima did not bother with the lights, opting to head straight to Asami's home office.

The crime lord, already seated behind his desk with both hands clasped together, remained silent when the guards entered. Wearing nothing but his robe, his uncombed dark hair tumbled down, covering part of his eye. The dimly lit room did nothing to hide the intensity of his eyes. Golden orbs gazed at his sleep deprived subordinates, revealing nothing but displeasure.

"Asami sama," Kirishima started, bowing a little and the rest followed suit.

Unclasping his hands, the crime lord reached for the whisky on the table and poured himself a drink. He swirled the glass, watching the amber liquid dance round the crystal glassware before taking a sip. "Who got the call?"

As expected from Asami, the crime lord did not need to be informed about the nature of their meeting. An urgent meeting like that could only mean Chey was involved.

Toru stepped forward. "I got the call at 3.30 am, Asami sama."

"And?"

The lanky guard stood up straight as he gave his report. When he was done, Asami remained silent, opting to stare at his drink.

The guards began to tense, knowing that the lack of comments meant that Asami wasn't in his best moods. And a quiet Asami meant a more dangerous Asami.

For a full minute, no one uttered a word as they watched the crime lord. Finally, after an uncomfortable silence, Kirishima braved himself to speak. "Asami sama, do you need us to find a substitute for Takaba sama? We can select a guard about Takaba sama's height and have him undercover."

Asami drank the remaining whisky and placed the glass on the table. "Chey's age is catching up but he isn't senile. The guard's cover will be blown before he can even meet Chey." He reached for his pack of cigarettes, pulled a stick out of the box and placed it between his lips.

Suoh stepped forward, watching his boss lighting the cigarette. "Damn that bastard. Fei Long killing his son didn't mean anything at all since all Chey did was to pass the job to his right hand man."

"And killing Chey's right hand man will not change anything because it's the bastard's head we want," Ando cursed, clenching his fists on his sides.

"Asami sama –," Kirishima said and halted when Asami held his hand up. The room fell silent, devoid of any sound as the crime lord stared at his men.

Toru was the first to break the deafening silence. "Sir," the lanky guard stepped forward, clasping his hands together at the small of his back like a soldier. Calm and composed, Toru met Asami's eyes before saying, "I am neither afraid of his threat nor death."

Kirishima placed his hand on Toru's shoulder. "Toru, Chey will never stop until he achieves what he wants. So even if you win this round, there will always be a next time."

"Toru," Asami said, looking at the guard. "Your courage is needed elsewhere. Do not throw away your life foolishly for nothing."

The lanky guard averted his eyes from the crime lord, staring at his feet.

"Asami sama, what do you reckon we do?" Kirishima asked, watching the crime lord crushing the cigarette in the ashtray. "We tried sending men to pose as buyers but only his subordinates turn up during the negotiations. Chey is getting more careful after his son's death."

"Sir, I say we wipe out Chey's men, until he has no choice but to show his coward self," Suoh moved to the side of the table, awaiting Asami's orders.

"Or I could go undercover and you can get the bastard," came a voice at the door.

All heads turned to the door. Akihito, dressed in his boxer shorts and an oversized sweater, stood by the door, with both hands folded across his chest.