High Protocol

[Kayito-san]

The country air was clear and fresh, suspended with moisture. Dew hung from the leaves of a large, wrinkled oak tree, around which looped a gravel driveway and adjacent sat a low, wide house. It was the very capital of nowhere, suspended between sloped green hills. A simple 'rustic cottage'.

A tall and lanky but otherwise handsome man. Dark hair fell just beyond his shoulders and his face was pensive but severe. His eyes... deep and cruel. 'Mr. Moss' was a name he used sometimes, as secrecy was key in many of his affairs.

Mr Moss' eyes crept from his book to the clock and back. He was expecting a delivery, and as soon as he could sign for the damned thing, he could get on with his day. Several months previous, he had done business overseas with a rough sort of man from southern Ireland. The man, 'Tulip' had vehemently refused to pay him with valid currency due to his paranoia about traceability.

While Mr. Moss was debating whether to simply kill the Irishman, Tulip made a very promising offer. Allegedly, he had connections with a reputable branch of the human trafficking network and could get him an 'insane deal' on a trained assistant. Considering this, Mr. Moss had been having some difficulty managing his home affairs due to the vast demands for his services. He hadn't had much else of a choice.

Mr. Moss closed his book. It was 'The Art of War' by Sun Tsu, a book that Mr. Moss had read many, many times. He stood and drained the rest of his coffee, cleared his throat, and started towards the garage. He was certain the package would not arrive today. His next client was from Kobe, Japan, so the time difference would set the meeting back by several hours. Not much else to do but head into town for groceries.

 

[Loveme]

Sophia had been in the box for about a day now, she had been traviling from Kobe, Japan. The time differences had been messing her sleeping habit up. She was to be the new assistant of a so called 'Mr. Moss'. All she had known was that she would become his new assistant and travel there in a box. Knowing no further information, she had been very curious and anxious to arrive. More the so to get out of the box that she was in. It had only been big enough for her to sit down in and curl up in a ball to sleep.

Hearing and feeling movement, she looked up. She had must arrived at her new 'home'. She felt a thud as they lowered her on to the front steps. Hearing the truck speed away, she wondered when she wold be let out of the box. But her luck, no one was home.

 

[Kayito-san]

The black Mercedes rumbled hastily into the driveway. As it slowed and turned, the front passenger window slowly slid down. Mr. Moss peered across the passenger seat at the wooden crate freshly bestowed upon his front steps. He cursed under his breath. How long had it been there? He'd been gone well over an hour. The weather was fairly warm, who knows when the detainee had eaten last. A dead body was the very last thing he needed right now. The car swung right and slowed into the narrow 2-car garage. Mr. Moss removed his suit jacket and folded it over his arm before stepping out into the bright sunlight. He examined the horizon before turning his attention to the smallish wooden crate.

It seemed a little small to comfortably house a person, so he could only assume the inhabitant within was somewhat contorted as a result. An assistant with a bad back? Fantastic. He walked over to the crate with slow, deliberate steps, and flicked open his penknife. He carefully pried the staples out of the top of the crate, but left the lid down as he flicked the knife closed. Mr. Moss rapped his knuckles on the lid of the crate. He hung his jacket on the hook below the mailbox.

"I am going to open this lid," he announced, "You are to put both hands on your head and stand up slowly. It would be in your best interests to do as I say."