Tastes like Serious Business-(Hantu Raya)

[Dulce Periculum]

“Saya meminta merah dengan sedikit hitam. Bukan titik hitam di laut merah.” Icy blues stared at the table linen that had earned her disapproval and clear rejection. It was not what she asked for and because it was still there the joints of her jaws absorbed the tension of her teeth lining up. “La menjadi isu malang yang nampaknya mengulangi sendiri secara teratur. Saya telah selesai dengan ini. Anda akan tiba seperti yang diharapkan dan bukan bersembunyi di bawah batu anda. Apabila anda sudah selesai, saya akan mengharapkan anda di pejabat saya.”

Dulce Periculum was not in the mood to end the call with any sort of pleasantries that she was nowhere close to feeling on her end of the business with the company representative in Borneo. The snap of the communication device to the heavy furnished wood said as much. If a witness was needed there was one present. Sada Abe, personal assistant extraordinaire was perched in her designated sitting chair with her eyes on the Amazon of a boss that finally looked her direction.

“I told you that they were sending the wrong table sets. I tried to cancel the order but I ended up with two of them yelling at me with last years history and refusing to accept you changed things up.” The petite woman turned her wrist to set off a shimmer of a pricey time piece displayed on her. “Do you want me to make reservations for them? Tomorrow night to early or late?”
“I would expect them to arrive promptly, yes.” Sitting at the desk any longer only reminded her all the more that the decor changes she was mixing up to freshen things would be delayed even longer than she originally planned. “They can stay here.” Her eyes caught those of her assistant as she passed by heading for the door to the office. Sada knew what that meant and her color seemed to leave her face as the much taller woman finally cleared her space. “Inform Hantu that we will have business guests.”

[Hantu Raya]

The iron door of the vast lockbox opened slowly as he entered the code by turning the wheel. It was all mechanical, no electronics or even computer used for this storage device. Hantu did not trust anything that possibly could be hacked, especially not when it came to storing such valuable items. Each trap he now placed in the iron vault had been handcrafted by him, years ago, but still he remembered some of it as if it was yesterday. Many priced memories were linked to these traps, and yes on some there still seemed to be a faint smell of blood, or a long blond hair caught somewhere in the device’s intricate mechanism. Oh yes such dear memories indeed.

A little dog was running back and forth around the muscular man as he worked on putting the items into the storage box, organizing them by type and quality. Then for a moment he paused in his work, hearing the sound of the elevator going up, then soft footstep walking up to him on the white marble corridor. “What is it Sada?” he asked, not looking up from his activity, as he began to repair a slightly damaged bear trap carefully, making sure not to get injured by the device’s cruelly spiked maw. “Business guests?” he asked, more to himself than to Sada, then listened as she explained. “Special guests from far away”, he said smiling softly. “This calls for a special meal”. He knew that his isteri had had quite some trouble with these rather stubborn people. Trouble that could no longer be ignored. But it was always a good idea to end a business partnership the same way it had begun. With a feast...

[Dulce Periculum]

Waiting was all part of the time consuming process of dealing with humans. Time invested wasn’t a huge tax to her but waiting for the particular humans she was waiting for had her in a spot she wouldn’t have had to be in doing what she found about as stimulating as watching grass grow. Waiting for a plane to land was not on her list of top ten things to do.

“I just checked and the flight is finally coming in.” Sada looked up for the proof that the information given to her was correct. A soft late summer breeze passed over both of them and their hands swept the lengths of black and honey blonde strands back into their respective places. “You see it or picking anything up?”

Sada knew that was a fair question. The woman looming beside her petite shoulders could taste a drop of blood in the night air that was up for grabs like a hungry shark could in open water. Fuel spent in the air should be up her alley to locate. Especially something as large as a double decker wide body four engine airbus with the carrying capacity of five hundred bodies give or take a few who got the unfortunate bump and screw. When she received no fast answer she glanced up which meant her neck had to crane and her head had no choice but to tilt back. It was that or step away a few feet, It wasn’t worth drawing more attention to herself than she already had by asking in the first place.

“It is coming.” The confirmation was followed by a nod to the massive building only yards in front of them that the guests would eventually find their way through to search for their luggage. More time would pass before they all finally met up.“Please retrieve and greet them. I will check in with Hantu.”

As soon Sada disappeared a click of her sharp heels had her approaching the door of the chauffeured luxury car that was black on black with even more black where something else besides black should be. Long pale fingers opened the back door and the allurist slid inside on her own. It was a thing that had to be done since the uniformed chauffeur was heading into the airport as directed to. Sada Abe covered all the bases.

“Tetamu kami mendarat. Saya mengharapkan mereka dalam masa setengah jam.” Icy blues sparkled in the dark as they found the screen used for communication where she could view Hantu doing what he took pride in. Which he should given his known talents. It had brought him a respectable wealth and business portfolio that was increasing each year. “Saya tidak akan menangguhkan keesokan harinya jika boleh dielakkan.”

[Hantu Raya]

Star anise, cinnamon, cardamon, clove, dried chili, and fresh chili. The spices were set out in front of him, in little bowls, made of polished rosewood from the jungles of his native Borneo. Traditional bowls, traditional spices, for the distinctive taste of his homeland. Each spice had been harvested by families that worked in their trade for centuries, and with each of them he had a contract to make sure that the best spices of each harvest were delivered to him exclusively. Hantu Raya wanted to make sure that the dining experience for each guest at the Dragon Gate Inn was truly a unique one. And indeed it was.

The muscular man smiled inwardly as he reached for a sharp kitchen knife to swiftly cut the fresh bird's eye chilies into small pieces. He liked cutting things. The swift movement of the deadly steel always brought him delight, no matter if it was through the vegetables he was cutting for his dishes, through animal meat or, even better through human flesh. The meat for the main course was not there yet though. Mixing together the marinade, making sure it had the desired rich, spicy flavor, he already pondered about ways to properly prepare the prime cuts of meat.

His isteri was taking care of the limousine to bring the guests to the restaurant. It was always great to be in a position to combine your business with your pleasure. And it easily could be said that Hantu Raya was one of the men fortunate enough to be in such a situation. The Dragon Gate Inn was doing well, and constantly new guests arrived in the somewhat remote River Rock location, almost between the warehouses and the wharves. The proximity to the fisherman's wharf guaranteed a steady supply of fresh fish – and fresh fishermen. Both had become a staple of Hantu Ray's unique cuisine, blending traditional Malayan, Dayak and Iban recipes with the local ingredients provided by Harper Rocks flora, fauna and populace.

Guests from afar always brought in new challenges, tastes, new variations, new opportunities. “Akan kutemukan /Gemala Saktiku / Dalam diri”, he softly sang as he cleaned the knife and put it back. It was time now to get changed and greet the guests who should be arriving soon. The restaurant was decorated for the Chinese ghost month already, magic lanterns glowing with an eerie light, illuminating the restaurant and the water that surrounded it. Soon it would be time for the festival of the hungry ghosts, one of the most important traditional holidays for the owner of the Dragon Gate Inn. A festival that was always celebrated to the fullest to make sure that no ghost would be left hungry. No ghost left behind...

And there were many ghosts around the Dragon Gate Inn, many spirits of the dead, of those who had given life to provide nourishment and pleasure. It all was a perfect cycle. One life taken to feed the others, like in ancient times. Like in those traditions the old man in the forest had taught him when Hantu Ray was a boy. Traditions older than the written word.

To anyone looking at the man now as he stepped into the elevator, he would appear much too respectable to harbor such dark thoughts, to revel in such forbidden practices, such morbid wisdom. Hantu Raya was dressed in a finely tailored dark gray suit, black vest and red tie. The black rimmed glasses he wore made him look even more respectable, and a bit older, which was a good thing, for his guests had last met him in person many years ago, and he didn't want to startle them right away by appearing untouched by the hand of time. A pair of spectacles and a tiny quantity of gray hair dye were able to do wonders to hide his true nature, especially from guests as superstitious as the ones he was expecting.

ATTIRE

[Dulce Periculum]

Thirty minutes later the vehicle was floating in the lead of a smooth procession of cars through the city. The glow of nightlife in full swing towering in buildings that lined the streets offered the only light to be had in the otherwise extraordinarily black interior. A branching off of a single lane into two had the limousine navigating to the right while most behind opted for the left. The gradual change in direction did little to shift Dulce’s attention. Sounds of two heartbeats echoed in her head while she stared coldly at the bodies each belonged to.

“Kami menghargai penginapan yang anda tawarkan secara murah hati. Kami berharap anda tidak akan tersinggung bahawa kami telah mendapat tempahan di West Hotel.” The glow of a cell phone screen illuminated in the interior. Each face framed in black hair and outlined with similar structures came to view while the phone shifted hands between the two opposite of her rear facing seat. “Ia adalah yang paling sedikit yang boleh kita lakukan.”

The hat perched on the petite head sitting in the driver's seat turned just enough to catch the slight turn of the golden one behind her. The hard to miss signs of the option of Hotel West for travelers to rest pulled the Tokyo born beauty’s face back to the road ahead. Her boss would handle it. She always did. A shimmering pale bow of a smile formed as the car sailed right on through the intersection leaving the towering upscale building of comfort behind. While glare of the screen softened the two heads turned with the hotel sinking behind the car. The light faded to darkness as any energy saver option on a quality cell phone should be expected to do.

“Sekurang-kurangnya anda boleh lakukan bukan pilihan. Penerbangan anda seperti yang dijangkakan. Anda tiba dengan selamat. Anda mengharapkan hak ini?” She sat so still she didn’t even blink.

For two humans so far from their home it was hardly a sign they were hoping for. Both heads turned to look at the other as if some solutions could be found to warm the instant chill settling in. The woman was known to have a frosty disposition that could solidify and sharpen a witch’s tit. A cold *** ***** even on the hottest of August summer nights summed it up and generally it would have been no surprise for the two guests in her care. The exception was that the two at a loss for what to do next never found themselves on the receiving end before. So far they had only been spectators that were fortunate to slip out of the boardroom before icicles formed on the ceiling.

“Ya. Sudah tentu.” Came out of one mouth while the other took a hopeful long look out of the window.

Silence and body heat was the consistent theme in the duration of the ride to Dragon’s Gate Inn. Once the car arrived Sada performed dutifully by opening doors and assisting with the limited luggage which helped immensely given the woman barely held solid standing up at five feet even. While Dulce led the business guests inside the bewitched human struggled with the last bag that was giving her the most trouble. A repeated tug succeeded in the suitcase coming free of the trunk and hitting her in the face for her exerted effort.

“Oh, I don’t think so, Blondie.” Sada hissed. Her lip and nose were instantly throbbing.

Everything that happened to her, as far as Sada Abe was concerned, was Dulce’s fault. The amazonian ice queen reject and her Cuisine Houdini ginsu knife happy mate needed to find someone else to get ***** slapped by the guests luggage. A few steps had her dropping off the suitcases being pulled via leash in the right hand. The offending carry on piece that more than likely delivered a mean right hook and split her lower lip didn’t make it in the restaurant. A firm stretch back of her dominant left hand had the designer leather spiraling out over the open railing and splashing down in open water.

“Sada?” Her name called out had her heels clicking double time to head inside.
“Yes, Ma’am.” Feeling better already the pint sized beauty strolled in no worse for wear. “Coming!”

[Hantu Raya]

Syaitan emas, Bobohizan, Bomoh, and of course his most prized weapon, the deadly rapid fire pistol Iban, Hantu Raya had all of his favorite handguns on him, well hidden in his finely tailored suit. He liked to have the cold steel close to him, and he liked to craft those guns, sitting there are at his desk, breaking apart guns he had salvaged in the bad sections of this city – and Harper Rock had many bad sections – and taking only the best of these parts, modifying them to perfection. The little gun called Iban was the crown of his effort so far, created in many many hours of diligent arms crafting. The gun was small, and easy to hide, but as deadly as a heavy assault rifle, and in full auto mode could plow through enemies as if they were made of butter.

Dark eyes now wandered over the interior of the restaurant, as Hantu Raya stepped out of the elevator. Everything looked great at first glance, from the festive decorations, to little details, like the placement of the cutlery. His keen eyes spotted a few imperfections though. For a moment he concentrated, to log into the app that he used to track the position of the limousine. Since he had recently learned telepathy Hantu Raya no longer needed to pull out his phone to access the net. Just as expected there was still a little time. Enough to personally set right what was not as it should. Sada would have to answer for that. Hantu Raya tolerated no negligence.

He was satisfied finally, just in time when he heard the footsteps on the bridge that lead towards the restaurant. There was no mistake, these were no random guests, arriving a few hours early. The click of his isteri's heels on the red carpet covered bridge was unmistakable. “ Selamat petang.” he greated the guests, with a cordial smile on his face. “Adakah anda mempunyai perjalanan yang menyenangkan? Sudah lama sejak kita terakhir bertemu secara peribadi.” Aged had changed the two siblings, both no longer looked as youthful as they once were when their paths first crossed Hantu's. But what they have lost in youth they seemed to have gained in experience and business savy. Both looked wise enough to realize, that something was odd here, something dangerous...

Had he left out some little detail, given an unintentional hint? Or was it his wife, or Sada that had made them feel uneasy? Each was professional enough not to let anything slip. So most likely it was his guests sixth sense that had alerted them.The populace of Borneo was considered superstitious even by South East Asian standards. But Hantu knew well enough that what was superstition by many western scholars, was in fact well founded knowledge of the supernatural, based on the wisdom of dozens of generations. Vampires were until very recently considered just a myth, too.

His guests replied to his questions with polite small talk, praising the restaurant in which they recognized their own work among the decorations, as well as commenting on the smooth journey they had. But Hantu noticed easily that they were on their guard. Each and every little noise made them almost jump out of their skin, especially that sudden splash from just outside the door. Sada, obviously. Hantu sent her a mental message. “Saya tidak pasti apa yang anda lakukan sahaja, tetapi anda pasti anda akan dihukum kerana ini.” Then he turned to his startled guests, offering them a seat and a glass of his beast imported arak. He knew his guests were not the kind of people to be impressed by fancy cocktails.