†Chapter 3: The Fight Outside the Cage†
“ERICA! Why did you let them arrest Zelaide?! You’re horrible! How could you? He’s innocent!” Euphemia charged, barging into Erica’s office.
“…Can you lower your voice, please? It’s echoing in my ears.” Erica sank into her office chair, worn out.
Euphemia rarely saw her sister look exhausted. Erica never showed fatigue at work, even when they were alone. She still had a full day ahead of her too.
“You look tired,” Euphemia said softer, restraining some of her anger.
Yelling at the only person capable of helping wouldn’t improve the situation. Erica’s secretary and aides waited outside the office to give the siblings space.
“I’m sorry… But I’m not baselessly claiming his innocence, Erica. He doesn’t have any reason to kill the prostitute…to kill Manuela. He has no determinable motive, and even if he had one, he’s currently my bodyguard,” Euphemia attested. “He’s a professional. He wouldn’t ruin a limited-time job opportunity by committing such a blatantly obvious murder. I mean think about it, he hunts some of the world’s most carnivorous creatures, why not just toss her corpse to them rather than leave it defiled where anyone can find it?”
“I can piece that much together myself, thank you,” Erica sighed. “This is clearly a threat aimed at me.”
“Then why—”
“That was an arrest warrant with an authentic authorization number. In other words, the chief of police officially ordered his arrest. Arguing the point with officers acting under official orders wouldn’t help Zelaide, you, or me. Zelaide went with them without a fight because he understood that. You can’t figure that out?” Erica asked, rebuke edging into her tone.
“…I know that, but it’s a trap. Once they have him in custody, they won’t let him out again…”
“Even so, we have to play by the rules of this city. He bought us time.”
“…Time…” Euphemia repeated.
“Yes. Now it’s up to us to carefully and daringly make things happen. We are going to repay Zelaide for his help along the way.”
Erica’s logical explanation rendered Euphemia speechless. She collapsed onto the sofa with a heavy thud. “Was that your plan all along? I’m sorry. I panicked…”
“You did. You acted rash and without thinking. Confessing your love in front of our enemies essentially shackled Zelaide and put an even greater target on his back.”
“…It did, didn’t it? My confession is a burden…for you, too…”
Saying she loved Zelaide in front of Erica’s two anti Beast Blood proponents was a dumb move, even if it was the truth—no, especially because it was true. She realized that after she calmed down enough to think straight. Overcome with regret, Euphemia buried her face in her hands.
“I’m always so dumb, never thinking before I act…”
Erica exhaled a small sigh and offered a wry smile for her remorseful sister.
“We can’t do anything about the past. What matters now is coming up with our next move. I’ve allowed my opponents to act first and suffered for it. With Zelaide’s arrest my options are limited. On the bright side, we can now determine who set him up and perhaps discover the true puppeteer hiding in the shadows.” Erica swept her bangs out of her face.
“The enemy assumes I can’t do anything without damaging my position because they brought the police into this, but I’m not such a fool to have no connections at the precinct,” she continued. “My net might not be as wide, but I do have my own supporters who will act without drawing attention. Let’s start by investigating what evidence they fabricated and submit it.”
“Erica…”
“I won’t forgive them for cruelly taking someone’s life just to overthrow me.”
Erica is furious…
The always calm and logical Erica was enraged. Euphemia sat up straight and realized this wasn’t the time for her to whine and do nothing. This was where she needed to become a wise and bold woman capable of crossing swords with an unseen enemy.
“You convinced me, Erica. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Didn’t you have a police officer friend?”
“Yes. Wei Lin-jie.”
“I’ll look into him.”
“Why? He’s a good guy. You suspect him?” Euphemia defended one of her few good friends. Wei would be moved to tears if he knew. But Erica wasn’t so lenient.
“You know, it’s about time you learned it’s dangerous to judge people based on their outward personality. I trust the facts I have researched. And not even the facts tell you the whole picture. I draw my conclusions about a person after I have looked into them from various angles.”
“…What will you do after you look into him?” Euphemia asked, leaning forward on the couch.
“I’ll use him if he’s as good as you say. He’s a normal police officer, so he will have an easier time poking around than us. Contact him when I give the okay, Mia. I can’t be the one to ask him. Be extremely careful not to bring up my name,” Erica warned, brushing a stray hair behind her ear.
“Got it. You proceed using your methods, and I’ll proceed using mine.”
“Were you even listening to me?” Erica panicked, sensing the underlying danger in Euphemia regaining her usual stubborn calm.
She knew her younger sister never backed down once she made up her mind.
“You’re planning on going back out there, aren’t you? Don’t. I understand your feelings, but for the time being behave under my protection. Any action you take will throw mud on Zelaide’s sacrifice.”
“I’m stubborn and dumb, but not that dumb. I won’t go back to my apartment or Zel’s house. I’ll be your annoying house guest for the time being. Under one condition: let me continue my research.”
“You want to keep working?” Erica sighed. “That’s the last thing you should do right now.”
“No, it’s exactly what I should be doing. I’ve been crossbreeding the gerbils and have finally created an immune generation that only eats Night Blooms. They have a huge appetite too. If I can increase their numbers, we could literally nip Nightz in the bud. At the very least we will be able to reduce its numbers. There is also the possibility of my gerbils leading police to illegal Night Bloom farms too!”
“I’m opposed to it. You will become their next target… It wasn’t long ago that the biker gang attacked you. I won’t let you out of my sight until I have a feasible lead on who to go after. Don’t even think about asking me to have the Guardians escort you to and from work. I can’t use them for personal reasons.”
“My research doesn’t have to be done outside your protection,” Euphemia suggested with a smile.
“What do you mean? Ah! You can’t possibly be thinking of…” Erica pressed her hand against her temple. She had a bad feeling about where this was going. Her foolhardy little sister’s brain was running in full gear.
“Exactly that. I’m going to have my adorable gerbils come to me,” Euphemia announced with delight. “I’m not going to stay locked up in this tower doing nothing. I can fight back against the enemy in my own way.”
“Hold on! Are you going to turn the clean and sacred City Hall into a gerbil nest?”
“How rude! My gerbils are as clean as City Hall. Anyway, I’ll make it work out. Size is about the only thing this place has going for it. The real problem is how to get the gerbils and equipment here. You also believe there’s a spy working at Biotech, right?”
“Of course. Hard to ignore after the rare snakelike Muta attacked you at Zelaide’s house.”
“Oh, you mean the Chude? Have you learned anything further?”
“Still haven’t received word on it,” Erica admitted.
“Who do you have looking into it?”
“I can’t tell you yet. They’re a bit of a fruitcake, but incredibly skilled. I know they will do their part once they are confident who the traitor is.”
“Hmm.” Euphemia was quite surprised. She didn’t know Erica trusted someone that much at Biotechnology.
I wonder who it is. Probably not any of my coworkers. Maybe Director Burhardt? He seems likely. Erica and the Director are kind of similar types… Or is it someone higher up? I hope it’s Director Burhardt…
“On that note, I will talk to that person about your rodents and see what can be done. Better for me to take action than let you run wild.”
“Thank you, Erica!”
“Keep them contained. I won’t stand for any documents or cables being chewed.” Erica shivered at the thought of a bunch of rodents running around her office.
“I promise to keep them under control. Give me a big room that can be sealed off.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. Behave in your room for today and tomorrow. You mustn’t set foot outside my residence,” Erica warned her sister who had regained her usual vigor.
“At least let me help your secretary—”
“No need. You will only increase my workload. All right, we are done talking for today. I have work to do.” Erica’s long, manicured finger pressed a button on top of her desk. The head of her secretarial staff immediately entered the office. “Hello, Naomi. Show my sister to her room. Also, I hate to burden you, but can you keep an eye on her today?”