Hey everyone! I made my weekend update a bit early!! Weeell, hope you don't mind!! ;) Please let me know what you think. I'm so happy I got to make this a long chapter, like I wanted. ****************************

The next morning found Ranma and me holed up in a ratty little motel room, a far cry from our five-star hotel of the previous night. We'd taken one look at the bug-infested mattress and curled up in separate blankets.

I blinked as the bright sun hit my face through the dirty wooden slats of the room's tiny window. Bits and pieces of dreams still clung to me, images of a slim, laughing woman with long, dark bejewelled hair, dressed in diaphanous robes, being chased down a marble hallway by a bearded man who was obviously her lover.

I sat up, feeling incredibly grimy. The first thing I reached for was my gun. The cool comfort of steel in my hand was immensely reassuring. I straightened my spine, sat cross-legged, placed my hands palms upwards on my knees and took in a deeep breath, expanding my lungs to their fullest. The cobwebs began to fall away.

Getting to my feet, I glanced at Ranma, who was only a curled-up wooly blanket ball on the floor. I walked to the tiny bathroom and turned the rusty faucet, filling the cracked plastic bucket for a quick shower. The cool water refreshed me immensely and even having to put my dirty shorts and parka back on didn't faze me much.

Back in the room, Ranma was doing stretches. He looked up when I came in, his face betraying nothing but businesslike concetration. I had felt him withdraw from me last night, in the rain, as though he were afraid he would spill his secrets to me in some unguarded moment. And that was exactly what was going to happen, if I had my way.

"Good morning, Ranma," I half-sang, humming as I passed him. He stared at me curiously.

"You're in a mighty good mood for someone who ain't got nothin' but the clothes on her back," he said.

"That's about to change," I said, "If you get your ass in gear and we head over to Mr. Yoro's shop."

At the shop, we found the front doors firmly locked. A woman at a neighbouring shop came out when she saw us and handed us a suitcase.

"Mr. Yoro asked me to pass this on to you," she told us in Chinese. "He was regrettably called away."

"Oh, really?" Ranma drawled. "My guess is Mr. Yoro ain't gonna show up here any time soon." I frowned. I really had to get to the bottom of this, but so many other things clamoured for priority. My deadline to find Blaine was getting ever closer and a lot of people were paying to see that that didn't happen.

Back at the motel, we opened the suitcase and I smiled. Even Ranma let out a grunt of satisfaction as he pulled out replacement clothes for himself. Mr. Yoro had found us an odd assortment of clothes. Ranma recieved a casual Chinese outfit, a black silk tunic and matching trousers. I got black denim shorts and a shirt t-shirt that said Sex Police: Up Against the Wall and Spread 'Em!

Ranma laughed. "Women in authority do turn me on!" I scowled at him and pulled out another short black t-shirt.

"Since when?" I asked. "You always like to be the one who's in control!" I blushed when I heard myself.

Ranma got an odd light in his eyes, and he began to walk towards me. I suddenly got the feeling that the room was a lot smaller than I'd thought. Ranma reached me and prowled around me in a half circle. I began to feel like something edible, and the thought made me blush even harder.

Ranma leaned in and nuzzled the soft skin beneath my jawbone, placing his hands lightly on my shoulders. I could feel myself trembling.

"With you, yes," he whispered. "I've gotta be in control." His warm lips ran the length of my jawline, teasing. His palms were warm on my shoulders. "If you want it any other way, you'll have to work to convince me, Akane."

He smiled and stepped back, leaving the path to the bathroom free. I grabbed my clothes and ran in. Forcing myself to concentrate on dressing, I found the t-shirt only skimmed my midriff, though the shorts fit fine. Eventually, my breathing was back to normal, simply by virtue of refusing to think about any of it.

Ranma had dressed in the time I'd been in the bathroom. Pulling a holster for my gun out of the suitcase, I strapped it on and sighed in satisfaction. Now, I felt complete. I scavenged a long white shirt to wear over the holster, completing the ensemble.

Packing the rest of the things into two small duffel bags that Mr. Yoro had provided us, we departed from the motel with almost lighter hearts.

It wasn't very hard to rent a jeep with my fake ID and before long, we were on our way.

"And where are we going?" Ranma asked me from the passenger seat. I was driving. He said he was happy to have his hands and eyes free to do his bodyguarding duty. I watched the crowded streets, focusing on the feeling I'd been having.

"The diamond is calling me," I said. "I can feel it tugging at me."

"Diamonds call to pretty girls," Ranma agreed. "It's an age old attraction, that's for sure." I glared at him. Then I inhaled, letting the air fill my lungs again, soothing my temper. I could hear my teeth grinding.

"What happened with Toshi Yoro? How did you end up in his brothel?" I asked. Ranma clammed up. Good.

I let him stay quiet and followed the winding streets instinctively, until slowly we were fully downtown and the lanes had broadened, and cars were zooming past pretty fast. Where had they taken the diamond, I wondered. We were getting into the richer parts of the city now. I could see the buildings getter posher, the cars getting more and more expensive. Damn, I always worked to fit into my environment. My shorts weren't going to cut it here for long.

"Here we are," I said, turning my head to stare up at the tall, tall building of steel and glass that loomed to my left. Tall exotic potted palms flanked wide red-carpeted marble stairs that led up to where a doorman in a resplendent uniform stood, his back straight as an arrow, obviously guarding the entrance.

"The Plaza Stars Hotel," Ranma read the gold-plated plaque as we cruised by. "THIS is the place? You picked one of the poshest hotels in Shanghai out of the millions of buildings in this city?"

I turned the jeep around into a side street and parked, watching the entrance then running my eyes in a practiced sweep over the hotel environs. I read the hotel plaque carefully.

"How are we even going to set foot in the front door, Akane?" Ranma asked with exasperation in his voice. "They obviously expect suits. We'd stick out like sore thumbs."

I scanned the hotel again, then the street. A van of laughing people with a logo on the side caught my eye.

"I'm just about to tell you," I said.

********

The bar of the Plaza Stars Hotel was hosting a party that evening for a very important gentleman. The rich and influential creme de la creme of Shanghai rubbed shoulders with men and women who were of shadowy origin yet held many of the reins of power in the city.

"Ah, welcome, Mr. Ashish," said an elegant Chinese gentleman in an expensive silk suit, moving forward with his hands outstretched. "As the guest of honor, you are doubly welcome. Come, come," he said, motioning to the tall, slim Indian man he was addressing. "Let's find you some refreshments."

"Thank you for inviting me, Mr. Zhang," the man responded in a crisp, Oxford-educated voice. "I'm pleased to be here, and I'm awaiting the unveiling of your great surprise."

Zhang laughed coyly. "Ah there are a great many amusements to sample before that, my friend."

The Indian started as he felt a soft hand at his elbow. He turned to see a stunning Chinese girl in a slinky gown with a high slit up the side smiling at him, offering him a glass of wine. He thanked her and took the glass. She stayed at his side.

"This is Puu," Zhang said. "She is most pleased to be your......escort for the evening." Ashish smiled at Puu, patting her hand softly.

A tall young man came to talk briefly with Zhang. Zhang introduced him to Ashish.

"This is Shekuto. He's my secretary. Don't know what I would do without him." Shekuto bowed briefly.

"I hope you are enjoying your stay in China, Mr. Ashish," he said in soft tones.

"Certainly, certainly!" Ashish grinned. "I hope you are, too."

Shekuto looked startled. "Not many can tell that I am not from China, Mr. Ashish." Ashish grinned widely, obviously pleased by his feat. " I spent some little time in Japan, Mr Shekuto. I found it very entertaining."

"And if I'm not mistaken, some furthur diversion is about to begin." Zhang motioned towards the stage set in one wall of the bar, where the curtains were drawing open to reveal a darkened interior.

The guests hushed, and turned to see this new entertainment. Slowly, rays of colored light illuminated dazzling statues standing alone in a circle of darkness. The statues slowly came to life, spreading their arms outwards, as music suddenly began to pound through hidden speakers.

The dancers, as they now obviously were, broke out of their stasis and began to stalk towards the front of the stage, leaping and whirling as they did so. At the centre of the stage, a last ray of light illuminated a girl in a diaphanous white, sparkling gown, modest in its length and drapery. The girl sat demurely on the ground, arms folded about herself. As the music changed, she raised her face and stood, flinging out her arms and whirling in a complex dance step. Her white gown spread out to reveal that it was actually slashed quite cunningly to let the watchers glimpse the girl's slim, athletic body clad in a silver bodysuit. The audience cheered and clapped as the girl began to sing.

"Wah wah!" Ashish laughed and clapped his hands as well. "You do put on a great show, Mr. Zhang!"

Zhang smiled and gave a shallow bow.

The girl had been belting out a love song, moving through intricate dance steps as she did so. A lone male dancer appeared from the crowd of accompanying dancers. He grabbed the girl and pulled her through a series of dizzying dance moves that left many of the ladies in the audience feeling flushed and eyeing the muscular young dancer closely, wondering what it would feel like to be in his arms.

Ashish watched spellbound. "It's rare to see such a great performance even in my country, my dear Zhang," he said admiringly, all the while stroking his escort's bare arm absentmindedly. "I'm afraid I don't know how the rest of the evening can top this." He leered slightly at Puu, who smiled invitingly and caressed his arm.

The dancers on stage now were moving in a slower rhythm, spiralling, then they put on a burst of speed and the male lead dancer led his partner in a series of moves where they sped up until with a crash of music they flipped around and landed at the front of the stage to thunderous applause.

As the curtains closed, Zhang gave Ashish a pleased smile. "I believe I shall have requests for an encore. Not everyone will be as......" his gaze switched briefly to the clinging Chinese girl, "....pleasantly diverted as you."

********* "I can't believe we pulled that off!"Ranma cried back in the dressing room. "Impersonating dancers to get in here has to be the craziest idea I've ever heard, Akane!"

"Hey, if it works, don't knock it!" I retorted. " If we hadn't seen that there was a show on tonight on the plaque, and we hadn't seen the dancers' van at the same time, I'd just have thought of some other way in."

My heart was pounding like mad. Amid the excited cries and movements of the rest of the dancers backstage, I ran a shaky hand through my hair. The adrenaline rush was still holding me high. "Besides, we weren't impersonating dancers. I think we did a pretty good job out there..."

Ranma, standing close to me, moved in closer and ran his hands down my sides. "I could see all those old men out there drooling at you. This costume is just a bit too sexy for my liking. I don't know if......"

"Dont worry," I said airily, stepping back and trying to calm my thumping heart. Dammit. "I'll change my costume for the next song."

I did. It was a short, fire red number that was made of feathers and little else. The audience loved it. Ranma was seething. We danced all the way through dinner before we were allowed a break.

"You guys were awesome!"A petite brunette dancer rushed over to tell us. She smiled at Ranma flirtatiously. "We should offer you a permanent job!" I noticed she didn't say 'jobs'. It figures, I thought to myself.

Ranma grinned back at her. He was ticked off with me about my costumes, though I didn't see why he should care. Besides we still needed the dancers, so we were still making nice. "Thanks, you were pretty light on your toes too!"

The girl took that as encouragement and sidled closer to Ranma and they struck up a conversation. I was starting to feel like a third wheel.

I've been here before, I sighed with wry humour. Some things you can never escape.

Well, that was okay. I wasn't mad because there were things to be done. It was time to scout out the lay of the land. I knew the diamond was close by. I could feel it. I just didn't know where. Dammit. If only I could home on on the thing like a homing beacon, then I could.....no, wait. That was too creepy. Be a lodestone to a diamond? No thanks, Akane Tendo's got enough on her plate, I muttered silently.

I stood up and moved off. Ranma sent me a questioning glance. 'Washroom' I mouthed to him, and he sat back, satisified.

I moved furthur backstage, looking for the stairs that led out. I found them but they led to a whole different level of dressing rooms. I turned a corner slowly and climbed a set of stiars, deciding I was now again on the level of the party.

The other dancers had told us the party was being hosted by a Mr. Zhang, quite a hotshot here apparently, but rather on the shady side. His guest of honor was Mr. Ashish, an Indian who was suspected to have international dealings with all sorts of people and currently was negotiating something with Mr. Zhang.

I was interested in Zhang as well as the Indian, Ashish- Zhang because I couldn't beleive that a diamond and a shady man were occupying a space where one had no knowledge of the other, and Ashish because I had remembered that the goons who had attacked us on the way from the airport yesterday, gosh, was that only yesterday, had been paid by an Indian. What in the world was the connection? Was the Indian in Zhang's hire? Of course, everyone cold be perfectly innocent.....

I snorted. Yeah, right.

Now I was in the corridor where I suspected the open guestrooms lay, where any guest could avail themselves of the comforts of a room without the bother of a key. It could be locked from the inside, I knew. Perfect spots for couples to steal off to.

I did run across a few couples here and there, obviously trying to escape for some privacy now that dinner was mostly over. Some of the men were Americans, I could see, and their host had graciously provided them with 'escorts' who were trying to pull them into rooms with their broken English.

"Lima make you feel good and happy, you come inside," said one slim girl, tugging at her man's hand. She's probably being really well paid for this, I told myself firmly. Don't interfere. The couple moved into a room.

I continued down the corridor, now looking for Mr. Zhang. I heard a guy yell, and someone saying something really fast in Chinese around a corner. Still disturbed by the other girl, Lima, my overcharged instincts took over and I dashed around a corner, only to see a girl holding what definitely had to be the Indian gentleman, Ashish, was that his name? She had her hand clenched around his windpipe and had drawn him up so that his shiny dress shoes barely touched the ground.

I couldn't see her face, but she was growling something in English when I slammed into her back, sending both of them sprawling. Before you could say 'dim-sum' I had my gun out and cocked and pushed into the small of her scantily clad back. She yowled and tried to throw me off . I'd learned some tricks in recent years and I locked her in place. Just then, a dagger came whizzing out of thin air to thunk into the wall across from me.

"Damn!" I yelled. "Buddy, whoever it is, you send one more little present this way and I'll turn your girlfriend into so much spaghetti...." I flipped the girl around and had my gun shoved against her jaw before I recognized the incredulous violet eyes staring up at me.

"Shampoo?"

"Mousse, don't shoot!" she screamed. "It's Akane Tendo!"

Tbc…