Just work on the task...

The night is restful, and you wake to the world once again, though you admit you are feeling a little groggy. Despite that, you get ready for work once more. It's easier the third time. You start a routine but linger in your room longer, so you don't run into anyone in the lobby getting breakfast. You'll just grab whatever leftovers there are and a cup of coffee. This time, however, McKinley arrives and hands you a black coat and chats with you until you he has to go. It felt kind of weird talking to the man whose wife you had slept with the night before. He mostly talks about the weather, which has worsened overnight... You make it to the theater and watch the girls dance as Kenji watches. He seemed more...fixated on the room around this time, though. He knows something is wrong.

"Good morning, Kenji." You sit beside him, almost 6 feet apart. He grunts.

"We had transfers this morning. Some of the older guards just rotated out with some newbies." He crosses his arms as he looks around. He doesn't like the new guys...And to make matters worse, they might be Mikka's new clients.

"Are they regulars?" You ask.

Kenji sighs. "A mixed batch. We must've lost more getting to Deadwood. Lots of new contractors..." Suddenly, he leans in. "We've lost a lot getting this far. Fuck."

You fix your gaze on Kenji for a few moments and then adjust your gaze back onto the stage. "Life of a soldier of fortune, Kenji. Don't get trapped with the faces you work with."

Kenji looks at the stage too. "I've got someone else to worry about now. Don't worry about me."

The day drags on with more bitter exchanges and dreadful conversations. You'll have to distance yourself from Kenji, so you don't trap in knowing who you are now against. If he finds out what you did, he'll kill you without a second thought. If you need to defend yourself, you'll need to know it's either you or him. Since it's another short day, you retire back to the hotel pretty early. However, before you leave, you find Akiko. She seems a little...standoff-ish this time, however. "You looked pretty good up there today."

"Um. Thanks." She manages.

"Same thing in the morning for everyone?"

"I guess." She replies.

"Well, I won't keep you long. Have a good night." Realizing that you weren't going to get anywhere with her today, you decide just to give up before this can get too awkward.

"Yes. Have a good night, Visser."

All considering, the day felt kind of backward, despite your best effort to get into the groove of finding a routine to attach yourself to. Again, you find yourself dropping into a chair in your room and watching the outside. You do this until it's time to eat. Dinner was simple and kind of lackluster, but you know better than to complain. Few dancers enjoy your food, but you know that most of them have better meals prepared and brought to them while they are in their rooms.

You see McKinley and Sasha eating and talking. You think about bothering them, though you remember that they are married and probably want some distance. You see Kenji, but he seems distracted with his thoughts. You then see Mikka and Zuprik, but you notice they are talking to several other men before you can sit down with them. They have pretty severe expressions for, and you don't feel like getting involved in anything work-related right now, so you find a table and eat alone, gathering your thoughts together. Now wasn't ideal, but the more time you put into plans, the better...

When night rolls around, you are in your room, wide awake and comfortable in your chair. Your Glock is field stripped and in pieces in front of you with the manual sprawled out beside it. Tinkering with your gear was always a good way to clear your mind. You were just in the middle of a break when someone knocks on your door. "Mikka..." you figured. You stepped away from the table and opened the door, not to see your guess again.

"Akiko?" You say, opening the door wider. "What are you doing here?"

"I have some questions!" She yelled.

You stammered and then stepped out, but she remained firm where she was. "No! Not out here. Inside your room. Now!"

Akiko seated herself at the foot of your bed, pressing her knees together as she kept to herself. You stuffed your hands in your pockets and asked what she wanted to talk about. It seemed severe and being her guard. You needed to know what the matter was. She looked up and scrunched her face together. "I'm worried about Sachio. She hasn't been herself lately."

Oh, great...

"I couldn't find Kenji anywhere today, and I missed him when we closed out. You're friends with him, aren't you? Can you please talk to Sachio and find out what's wrong with her? I think it's family-related...Kenji should be able to help since..." She paused, debating whether or not to continue from there. "They are just both close friends. He'll know what to tell her."

This might be a good time to get Mikka involved, too... He might have some **** to lace her with while she's depressed. You shook your head and sighed. Now isn't the time to think like that...Was it? You knew it was, tactically speaking, but morally...?