Yuta Omori was not a happy security guard.

	He was not happy because it sounded, at the moment, as though 
somebody was in the building sneaking around.  Just because he worked 
as a security guard didn't mean he liked living dangerously; he liked 
the peace and quiet of the night shift much better than he liked the 
thrill and the danger of actual law enforcement.  That was why he was 
worked for a corporation rather than the government, which might 
actually expect him to risk his life in the line of duty or something 
preposterous like that.  He didn't have any interest in doing that.  
Being a security guard paid the bills for him and his children, and 
that was it.  As far as he was concerned, the less excitement and the 
less danger the better.

	Nevertheless, the hushed voices coming from downstairs told him 
that he was going to get more than his share of excitement for the 
night.  He cautiously descended the stairs, gripping his metal 
flashlight like a club.  The flashlight was off because he didn't want 
to risk exposing his position until he knew what he was up against, if 
in fact he was up against anything.  He wanted to make sure his 
imagination wasn't playing tricks and he wasn't just hearing things 
before he called for backup.  He trembled, and his knuckles were 
turning white from gripping his flashlight so hard.

	He stopped on the middle of a staircase that descended into a 
large office area, and looked out into the darkness.  Several shadowy 
figures were moving along the low cubicle walls, and one of them 
suddenly turned towards him.  He started in surprise and dropped his 
flashlight, which thumped loudly on the floor.

	He suddenly found three separate flashlight beams turned on him, 
and he turned to run back up the stairs.  He heard the cocking of a 
gun, and quickly grabbed his walkie-talkie off his belt.  "Come in!  
This is Omori in Sector 2, we have an armed breaking and entering in 
progress!"

	A bullet ricocheted nearby, and he ducked instinctively as he 
climbed up the stairs.  "I need immediate assistance!  Please!"

	There was another gunshot, and pain shot through Yuta's side.  He 
touched the source of the pain, and saw that his hand was covered in 
blood.  He laughed sickly, and turned to where he saw one of the dark 
figures climbing the stairs to face him.

	Two more shots rang out, each one sending waves of pain through 
him.  Finally, he coughed up a fountain of blood and collapsed to the 
ground.

	The last thing he heard before he passed out was the hiss of his 
walkie talkie.  "Come in, Omori... do you read..."  A boot stepped on 
the walkie talkie, causing it to crackle and hiss static.  The boot 
came down again, crushing it to a thousand pieces as Yuta finally lost 
his grip on consciousness.

	      ------------------------------------------------

	The next morning, Ranma strode briskly through the Special Ops 
department.  Her heart was pounding, and she smiled with the 
possibility of impending action.

	Yesterday evening, they had run the Misato officials through the 
database and drawn a blank.  Nothing more serious than traffic 
infractions turned up on any of their records, and while two of them 
had been involved in more serious cases in the past, they had only been 
witnesses- neither had been implicated in anything.  In other words, 
there had been nothing to go on.

	Now they finally had something- and from the tone of her boss on 
the phone, it was big.  She had been told in no uncertain terms to haul 
ass to the police department ASAP, even though it was two hours before 
she was due to report in.

	Now, the adrenaline was coursing through her veins.  She chuckled 
to herself at some of the other people who were in early, clutching 
coffee mugs as though their very lives depended on them.  She didn't 
need coffee.  This was her coffee.  And she enjoyed every minute of 
it.

	Hiroshi met her at her desk.  They greeted each other, and she 
tossed her coat her coat onto her desk.  "What's going on?"

	"Apparently there's been a break-in at Onishi Technologies.  I 
just got here myself, so that's about all I know.  Kusaka wants to see 
us immediately."  Ranma nodded, and the two began walking toward the 
Lieutenant's office.

	Her pace was quick, and Hiroshi found himself having trouble 
keeping up.  She swung open the door to Kusaka's office, and the two 
officers walked in to find him on the phone.  As soon as he saw who had 
walked in, he muttered a quick "goodbye" and hung up the phone, turning 
to face them as he did so.

	He looked bone tired; his posture drooped and the lines on his 
face seemed especially prominent.  Yet his eyes were alert, and he 
spoke quickly, and there was no apparent fatigue in his voice.  He 
handed them a sheet of paper, and did not offer them chairs, but 
immediately went into his briefing.  "That's the initial incident 
report.  At about 4:30 am, the night security guard at Onishi 
Technologies reported a break-in at their research facility about a 
mile from here.  He was shot as he was calling in."

	Kusaka waited for them to finish skimming the incident report, 
then when they looked back at him he frowned and leaned back in his 
chair.  "A team's already been sent over there, but Homicide has 
insisted on sending people of their own in to investigate."   He 
frowned.  "When you get there you'll be in charge under my authority.  
There's liable to be a turf war going on when you get there, so be 
careful- you're there to gather information, not act as a referee 
between the departments."

	Ranma frowned as she studied the report.  "Do we think that the 
people behind Mikawa's murder are behind this break-in?"

	"That's what you're going to find out, Saotome.  I'll warn you, 
though: when we pressed Onishi for information after the Mikawa murder, 
they refused to say much; said it was all 'classified'.  I don't want 
you two to take that shit now.  Do whatever it takes to get the 
information you need.  If you need authorization from higher up, I'll 
get it for you.  Is that clear?"

	Ranma and Hiroshi spoke in unison.  "Yes, sir."

	"Good.  Take whatever people and equipment you need.  If you need 
help from Homicide, then get it from them.  I expect you to crack this 
case wide open.  Now get out of my sight."

            ------------------------------------------------

	Onishi Technologies was housed in a large building several 
stories tall.  When Ranma and Hiroshi pulled into the parking lot they 
found that the place was a madhouse, concentrated mostly around the 
western end of the building.  Hiroshi parked as close as he could, and 
the two proceeded to weave their way through the crowd.  There were a 
few police cars clustered around the entrance to the building that 
blocked a horde of onlookers, most of whom Ranma assumed worked for 
Onishi.  To her dismay, she noted that there were a few news vans as 
well.

	She weaved through the crowd, pushing back several news reporters 
as she did so.  They reached one of the several patrol officers 
standing guard around the scene, and displayed their IDs.  With a nod, 
they were allowed to pass and she and Hiroshi walked into the building.

	They were in a small lobby, which opened up into a large 
cubicle-filled office in the back.  A table was set up in the middle of 
the lobby, around which several people were gathered discussing 
something.

	"I'll handle this one," she whispered to Hiroshi.

	Ranma walked up to the table and butted her way into the group, 
Hiroshi close behind her.  "I'm Ranma Saotome, Special Ops.  I'm here 
to assume command of this investigation."  She looked at the various 
faces, some of which bore hostility, some of which bore relief, and 
some of which were unreadable.  "Give me an update."

	"I'm Senzo Kitani, with Homicide," said one of the men standing 
across from her.  "We've got one dead security guard and no conclusive 
evidence linking this break-in to Yakuza.  Give us room to breathe, and 
we'll let you know what we find."

	In her mind, Ranma filed the man under a rather large listing of 
people who she considered to be jerks.  Keeping her tone friendly but 
firm, she responded.  "Onishi is already part of a Special Ops 
investigation.  We have every reason to suspect that this is a related 
incident.  You boys can do your job, but I expect to have your full 
cooperation if and when I need it."

	The man glared at her, but didn't say anything else.

	She turned to a Special Ops detective who she recognized from a 
few previous cases.  "Fuchida-san, have we found out what they were 
after?"

	The detective shook his head.  "Nothing appears to have been 
stolen; we think they were after something in the computer systems.  
We've got somebody working on it right now."

	"Good.  Who's been questioned so far?"

	"A few of Onishi's programmers, and the manager of security.  
We're going down the list of employees who work in the area where the 
break-in occurred."

	"Broaden the questioning.  I want the run-down on every person 
who works in this building.  Make sure every employee can account for 
their whereabouts last night.  Also, look for disgruntled employees and 
the like; people who might have the motivation to pull off something 
like this."

	"So you think it's an inside job?" Kitani asked.  "If that's the 
case, then there's even less reason for you to be here."

	Ranma glared at the Homicide detective.  "If the Yakuza are 
behind this then it's likely that they had had inside help.  You do 
your job, Kitani-san, and let me do mine.  We'll both get more done if 
we don't spend time bickering with each other."  She turned back to 
Fuchida without waiting for a response.  "Also, I want to talk to 
someone high up in the company.  CEO if possible, we'll go down from 
there."

	Fuchida nodded.  "We were planning on that already.  Onishi's CEO 
is Masaji Fujikana; he should be arriving here any minute, and we'll 
question him as soon as he gets in."

	"Great.  Juzo-san and I will handle that personally."  There was 
a brief pause in which nobody moved, and Ranma frowned.  "I assume 
everybody has something to do besides stand around this table.  Do it."

	After a few seconds, most of the people had dispersed except for 
two Special Ops detectives discussing some aspect of the 
investigation.  Hiroshi whistled in admiration.  "Way to whip 'em into 
shape, Saotome."

	Ranma grinned wryly.  She prided herself on her ability to 
command people who were bigger, older, and sometimes more experienced 
than herself.  "The key to being in charge," she told Hiroshi, "is to 
act like you're in charge.  Everything else is just details."

            ------------------------------------------------

	Masaji Fujikana leaned back in his oversized chair and frowned.  
"After the Mikawa investigation, I really don't see what I can tell you 
that I haven't already told the police.  At least, anything that would 
be of use to you.  You'd probably find better clues at the crime scene 
itself."

	Hiroshi refused to let himself get irritated at the man's 
none-too-subtle way of telling them to get lost.  "We're investigating 
this from all possible angles, sir.  We're doing everything we can to 
make this quick and painless, and your cooperation would help us 
immensely in this matter."

	Fujikana eyed the young police officer as though he were a 
specimen under a laboratory microscope, studying him.  After a few 
seconds of carefully calculated silence, he leaned forward and rested 
his elbows on his desk.  "Very well.  Tell me what you need to know."

	Hiroshi easily met Fujikana's gaze and tapped his pen against his 
notepad, looking down at it for a moment before responding.  "Tell me, 
who are your company's biggest competitors?"

	Ranma eyed the proceedings impassively from her vantage point, 
standing several meters away.  She listened to every word and watched 
every movement, taking in details that Hiroshi, caught up in his 
questioning, might easily miss.  She also had a small audio recorder in 
her pocket; Hiroshi's pen and paper were needed only to help him focus 
his own train of thought and to help put the person he was questioning 
at ease.

	That didn't seem to be a problem with Fujikana.  The CEO of 
Onishi Industries was slightly heavyset, and his appearance was neat 
and trim.  He leaned back in his large chair, and seemed to radiate 
arrogance and confidence- just as the CEO of a large corporation 
should.

	Hiroshi was sitting in a small chair across from the desk, but 
she noted approvingly that he refused to be intimidated by Fujikana.  
Since she had essentially taken control outside, she had agreed to let 
Hiroshi take charge of the questioning.  There was also the fact that 
because Hiroshi was male, he was more likely to be taken seriously by 
Onishi's top executive.  She, on the other hand, was female, short, and 
not physically intimidating in the least, which meant that someone like 
Fujikana was much more likely to cooperate with Hiroshi and tell him 
what they needed to know.  Ranma could almost certainly get the 
necessary information from Fujikana with enough persistence, but it was 
easier for all involved if Hiroshi was the questioner.

	The first time she had worked with a male partner and this had 
been pointed out to her, she had been furious.  Now, she quietly 
accepted it and consoled herself with the knowledge that if Fujikana 
knew what she was really capable of, he would be thanking his lucky 
stars that he was dealing with Hiroshi instead of her.  For example, 
with Hiroshi questioning him he was much less likely to sustain any 
physical damage during the interview, whereas her own limited patience 
in dealing with people made violence a distinct possibility.

	"There are a few other companies that do what we do, but by far 
our biggest competitor is Misato Industries.  At any given time we're 
usually fighting with them for at least one government contract or 
another."

	"I see."  Hiroshi made a few notes.  "And you do most of your 
business with the government?"  It was a throwaway question, to prevent 
Fujikana from catching onto the main target of the questions.  If he 
did not know they were looking for information specifically about 
Misato Industries, he was more likely to give them accurate, unbiased 
answers.

	Fujikana responded, and Hiroshi once again jotted down something 
frivolous on his notepad.  "How's business lately?" he asked, keeping 
his tone casual.  "Any particularly big contracts come your way 
recently?"

	The man scowled slightly.  "We're looking at a few, yes."

	Hiroshi forged on, unfazed by the man's seemingly evasive 
answer.  "And what would be the nature of these recent contracts?"

	The scowl deepened into a frown.  "I'm afraid it's company policy 
not to divulge proprietary information to people outside of the 
company."

	"Sir, we can get permission to seize your company records if it 
becomes necessary.  And I can guarantee you, the hassle you've endured 
up to this point will be nothing compared to what you'll have to go 
through if you decide not to cooperate.  It would be much easier for 
everyone involved if you gave us this information voluntarily."

	Fujikana leaned back in his chair, and for a moment looked 
several years older.  He sighed in resignation, and met Hiroshi's 
gaze.  "We've been focusing almost all our efforts on seizing a huge 
missile contract with the Self-Defense Forces."

	"Missile contract?"

	"Yes.  Satellite-guided missiles, to be precise, all of it based 
on state-of-the-art technology.  To be deployed in the event of a 
Chinese or North Korean attack.  It's a huge contract, and has the 
potential to secure the future of this company for a long time."

	"I assume you're vying with Misato Industries to get this 
contract."

	Fujikana nodded.  "Oh, yes.  But I'm confident we'll pull 
through; we're in the finishing stages of developing a guidance system 
that's both cheaper and more reliable than what Misato's offering."

	"Tell me, how did the death of Kaei Mikawa affect the development 
of this system?  He was your vice president of R & D, after all."

	Fujikana chuckled.  "Juzo-san, our research division consist of 
hundreds of people.  The loss of one of them, even if he was the 
vice-president, would not have a noticeable impact on the whole 
department."

	Hiroshi looked up from his notes and eyed Fujikana unflinchingly, 
as though by watching him he could read into the truth of the man's 
statements.  Fujikana met his eyes but shifted away after a few 
seconds, flinching almost imperceptibly.  Ranma saw it, too, and 
allowed herself a small smile; they had hit the jackpot.

	"Sir, we are here to help you.  But to do that, we need you to 
tell us everything.  It's the only way we can find out who killed 
Mikawa and who broke into your building.  We think they might be the 
same people."

	Fujikana looked back at Hiroshi at the last comment, and nodded 
slowly.  "Can you guarantee that if I tell you this, it won't leak out 
to the public?"

	"Of course, sir.  All information gathered here is strictly 
confidential until such time as it is presented in a court of law."

	Fujikana leaned back, seemingly satisfied.  "I suppose that'll 
have to do.  The truth is, Mikawa was no ordinary VP.  He was a 
computer whiz, and a genius.  He designed the guidance system we've 
been working on almost single-handedly, and from the beginning he was 
the person overseeing its development, because he was the only person 
who had the knowledge to do so.  When he died, it was a disaster; there 
were a lot of people who understood different parts of it, but no one 
could step up and fill the vacancy he had left.  Naturally, if this 
became public knowledge our hopes of winning the contract would be 
seriously damaged, so we kept it secret.  We've managed to do a fairly 
good job of developing the system despite his absence, but we saw no 
reason to let our competitors or the government know that the project 
was for a brief while on the brink of disaster."

	Hiroshi took this down, seemingly unimpressed but in reality very 
excited.  It was a puzzle that was slowly but surely coming together.  
"Who was competing for this contract besides you and Misato?"

	"There were several companies that made bids, but the only 
companies with the manpower, knowledge and resources to seriously hope 
to win it were us and Misato.  They were certainly the only other 
company that we considered a threat."

	Hiroshi clicked his pen shut, and stood up.  "Thank you for your 
time and your cooperation, Fujikana-san.  If you think of anything else 
we should know, just call the number on this card."

	Fujikana stood up and took the card.  "I understand.  Good luck 
in solving the case."

	Hiroshi and Fujikana bowed to each other quickly, and Ranma moved 
silently from her position, bowing to Fujikana before she joined 
Hiroshi on his way out the door.  As she left, she shut off the 
recorder in her pocket and allowed herself a brief smile of triumph.

            ------------------------------------------------

	As soon as they were out of earshot of the office, Ranma said, 
"It makes sense, doesn't it?"

	"You mean the Mikawa hit?  Yes, it does."

	"I'll bet ten thousand yen that the same people who arranged the 
Mikawa hit were responsible for last night's break-in."

	"Sorry, but I agree with you there, too."  Hiroshi frowned.  "We 
just don't have any hard evidence to back that up yet."

	"It'll come."  They stopped at the elevator and Ranma pressed the 
down button.  "Now that we know what we're looking for, it'll come."

	They boarded the elevator, and Hiroshi leafed idly through the 
notes he had taken.  "I'm starved.  With all the excitement this 
morning, I missed breakfast.  You want to go get something to eat?"

	"Sure.  First, though, let's check out the progress at the crime 
scene.  I want to see if they've found anything yet."

	Hiroshi closed his notepad and pocketed it.  "Gotcha.  It'd be 
nice if we got a solid lead before the day was out."

	"I trust our people."  The elevator doors opened.  "If there's 
something to be found, they'll find it."

	"I trust our people, too, but do you trust Homicide?"

	"Yes, as long as they stick to what they're supposed to be doing 
and leave us alone.  I'm sure Onishi's night watchman was a decent 
fellow, but right now he's not my main concern.  Besides, if we don't 
find something soon, we'll have a lot more to worry about than dead 
security guards."

	They headed toward the first floor offices, where the break-in 
had occurred.  After a hectic search, the employees had finally been 
allowed back in all areas of the buildings except the area surrounding 
the murder site and where the break-in occurred.

	They had just entered the offices when Asami Muraki, one of the 
few women besides Ranma who worked in Special Ops, came walking up to 
them.  "Officer Saotome.  Officer Juzo.  We've got a few things you 
might want to take a look at."

	"What have you got?"

	"A couple of things.  First, we found out what data was 
accessed.  Second, we, well actually, Homicide, recovered a bullet from 
the body of the security guard.  It was sent back to headquarters, and 
preliminary analysis shows it to be of a make imported by Misato 
Industries."

	Ranma nodded.  "You're right- that's is interesting.  Still, it's 
very circumstantial."

	"That's true.  Still, it fits with what we already know."

	"What did you find about the data that got lifted?"

	Muraki frowned, and moved to a nearby computer terminal.  Typing 
some keys, she pulled it up.  "This is a list of the files accessed 
within an hour of the time of the break-in last night.  What do you 
notice about them?"

	Hiroshi whistled.  "All of them have our good friend Kaei Mikawa 
listed as the author."

	"Right.  The funny thing is, they didn't cover their tracks well 
at all.  I think that the run-in with the security guard spooked them, 
and they got out as quickly as possible."

	Ranma sighed, studying the computer screen.  "What about 
fingerprints?"

	Muraki shook her head.  "None.  They were probably wearing 
gloves."

	"Damn," Ranma muttered.  "We've got this great picture built up, 
with means, motive, and opportunity, we know why Misato wanted this 
done, we know how they could have done it, but we don't have one shred 
of hard evidence to actually support it!"  She clenched his fists in 
frustration.  "I'm gonna have to take a rain check on lunch, Hiroshi.  
I've got an idea."

	Hiroshi looked at her questioningly.  "What kind of an idea?"

	Ranma sighed.  "I think I know someone who might be able to help 
us, who has connections with Misato Industries.  I figure I'll pay her 
a visit."

	"You want me to come?"

	Ranma shook her head.  "No, you stay here and keep an eye on 
things.  I'll see you back at headquarters in a few hours."

	"You want to take the car?"

	Ranma looked out the doors.  "That's all right.  It's a nice 
day.  I'll walk to the Metro station instead."

	Hiroshi shrugged.  "Suit yourself.  Who is this connection, 
anyway?"

	"An old friend of mine.  I figure she owes me a favor or two."

	Hiroshi watched her walk out the door, and shook his head.  Just 
when he thought he had gotten used to having her as a partner, she had 
found some new way to completely baffle him.  He turned back to 
Asami.  "You hungry?"

            ------------------------------------------------

	For what seemed like the millionth time, Ranma wondered if she 
was doing the right thing.  She knew her reasons, but they did little 
to quelch the feeling of foreboding that was continually building in 
her gut.  She lay her head sideways on the seat, letting her mind 
wander and watching the blur of the tunnel wall as the train raced 
beneath the streets of Tokyo.

	She suspected Misato Industries was involved in criminal 
activities; however, she had no reason to believe that undertaking 
involved Nabiki Tendo.  If Nabiki was not involved then there was a 
chance that she could be a valuable informant and a source of 
information, simply by the fact that she worked high up in Misato.  If 
Nabiki was indeed involved, then perhaps a visit from the police would 
scare her and the rest of the conspirators enough that they would 
terminate their deal with the Yakuza.  This would make it harder to 
solve and prosecute the case, but it would have the desired effect; cut 
off the Yakuza from a supply of weapons that could conceivably lead to 
war on Tokyo's streets.

	There was also a strong feeling of frustration caused by the lack 
of hard evidence from the morning's search; the circumstantial evidence 
had come together beautifully but there was still a lack of hard 
evidence to support it.  It was as if she could clearly see the entire 
conspiracy but it was untouchable, hanging just out of her reach.  She 
hoped that a visit to Nabiki would give her that final boost; a piece 
of evidence or information that would let her reach out and bring down 
the conspiracy for good.

	There was another possibility that she steadfastly refused to 
admit to herself; that she might be worried about Nabiki.  That 
possibility suggested she still cared about someone from the past, and 
that was something that disturbed her greatly.  Pain was the only 
feeling she still carried from the past, she told herself, and any 
feelings of love or friendship had long since died under its pressure.

	"Shinjuku Station, next stop," announced the voice over the 
loudspeaker.  Ranma stood up, holding a nearby pole to brace herself 
against the deceleration of the train.  The doors opened, and she 
weaved her way through the crowd with an ease that came from years of 
practice.

	Back on the street, she quickly found the building she was 
looking for.  It was a tall building, and Ranma wondered idly if 
Nabiki's position in the company meant that she was entitled to an 
office on the top floor.  Steeling herself, she walked into the 
building's lobby.  It was only one story but very expansive, and Ranma 
walked over to one of the receptionists near the wall.

	"Hi.  Can you tell me where Nabiki Tendo's office is, please?"

	The receptionist eyed her for several seconds before responding.  
"I see.  Is she expecting you?"

	"Yes."  It was an easy lie.  "I just need to know her office 
number."

	"It's on the twelfth floor, suite 1217.  Would you tell me your 
name so I can call up and tell her you're coming?"

	"Don't worry about it; she knows I'm on my way."  Ranma walked 
away before the woman could say anything else, heading toward the 
elevators with an air of confidence that she did not feel.  If there 
was one thing policework had taught her, it was how to lie.  Now she 
lied with her entire body, walking purposefully toward the elevators 
with a quick, measured pace that belied her underlying anxiety.  She 
carried herself as though she belonged there, and waited calmly at the 
bank of elevators.

	The doors opened quickly, and as she rode up the spacious 
elevator she breathed regularly and deliberately, calling up from 
within herself all the frustration she had felt earlier in an effort to 
steel herself for the coming meeting.  By the time the doors opened, 
she was fully immersed in the role of the cold, unshakable police 
officer.

	She found Suite 1217 quickly, and walked into a luxurious waiting 
area.  There were several comfortable-looking chairs, and an attractive 
female receptionist sat out front.  At the back were two double doors.  
Ranma walked over to the receptionist.  "Excuse me, ma'am.  Is Nabiki 
Tendo in?"

	The receptionist nodded.  "Yes, she is.  If you'd like to give me 
your name and take a seat, she'll be with you as soon as possible."

	"That won't be necessary, ma'am, I'll let myself in."

	The woman moved to protest, but Ranma had already walked past 
her.  Without hesitation, she pushed open the doors and walked inside.