Waiting Game
by Chocobahn
DISCLAIMER
Taiho Shichauzo / You're Under Arrest copyright Fujishima Kousuke, Kodansha, Bandai Visual, TBS, Marubeni
This fanfic is purely the product of the author's imagination and any resemblance to any other fanfic is entirely coincidental. All characters appeared in this fanfic is designed and owned by Fujishima Kousuke. Anyone think otherwise should contact Fujishima-sama directly via the Goddess Helpline. Just dial your local take-away shop until you get the wrong number.
***** ***** ***** *****
Defeat, the word I despise. I did not like being defeated, no one in the world like losing, especially when one's occupation is in the line of fire. Defeat means a loss for the righteous, and a victory for the iniquitous. As a policeman and a superior officer, I am responsible, no matter how small the defeat was. And this time, I must take full responsibility, we have lost totally. The Bokutou Police Station is in complete devastation, worse than anything I have ever seen. It is like Natsumi's desk, only a million times worse. My guess is that the station would be out of action for at least a week, if not longer. Damages would mount up to hundred of million of yen of taxpayer's money. The only consolation we have is that in the process of all this destruction, thankfully no one was injured, not us, not them. As a bonus, we have captured two "victors" without firing a single "live" bullet. Five are still on the run. Kobayakawa Miyuki and Tsujimoto Natsumi, and I am sure the entire Bokutou Police Force as well, are after those who are responsible for these terrorist acts. Assistant Superintendent Kinoshita was right, they might have won the battle, but they certainly haven't won the war. And to win the war, we must seek out the General, the one person whose action has started it all. And for that, I know exactly who the General is, and I know where to find him.
As soon as I heard from Miyuki that the traffic lights that went out on Tuesday was no accident, I knew almost instantly that Emoto Tadashi was behind it. The communication blackout only confirmed my belief. There is no doubt in my mind that it was his work, Hachiichigo, that has disrupted the city that morning. I once told Senior Superintendent Arizuka that I believed in Emoto, but now I am not so sure, not after I have seen his enhanced version of Hachiichigo. I once thought that he was forced to deploy this destructive mechanism, as I have told everyone, but as soon as I found out about his enhancement, I knew better, he was the only person that has the talent and skill to do such work.
The only thing I am sure right now is that after all these years, Emoto has finally decided to reappear in Tokyo. For two years I have been waiting, and for two years, he has never show himself. But now, my instincts told me that I will find him in the place where he was supposed to meet me two years ago. I might be wrong once again, as I have been for the last two years. But if human instincts is anything to go by, then this will be my last chance. I will meet him today or never to see him on the face of this Earth again. As I zoomed pass yet another commuter at the Kinshichou Train Station, my thoughts drifted back to the day when I first met Emoto to discuss the Hachiichigo project.
-----
It was a cold winter morning, work has been slow. Half of the department, including Miyuki and Natsumi, were out on patrol and the other half that remained were buried in paperwork, or at least that was what they made me believed. Emoto Tadashi walked into the Traffic Control Department as the clock on the wall stroke nine. Everyone in the office was somewhat surprised by the entrance of this unexpected guest on this slow morning. He was wearing his usual brown suit. Almost the standard issue for all detectives around Tokyo. Like our uniforms, this brown suit is what separate them from us.
"I have been expecting you, Detective. Come this way." I showed Emoto to the meeting room. On the way out, I asked Aoi to make some tea for our guest. As I was closing the door, I caught a glimpse of Nikaidou and her shining glasses. I could only imagine what she would be saying first thing I stepped out of the room.
"So what brings you from the Headquarter to Bokutou, old friend?" I asked as we settled into our seats.
"Catching up with old times, of course." Emoto said, almost casually.
"Never catch up with old times in office hours." I thought, but I restrained myself from thinking aloud. "Of course, we haven't seen each other... what? Five or six months?" I asked instead.
"Something like that. Has been quite a while. Remember when we were still at the academy? We could stay up at the bar all night drinking... and after a couple cans of Yebisu, you would start singing some old Japanese folk songs just to entertain the crowd." He joked as Aoi put down our tea and excused herself.
"I remembered, I always forced you to join in. And in the end, we almost always end up acting like Kabuki actors." I laughed with Emoto, "It had been fun at the academy."
"Yes, it had," Emoto commented while sipping his cup of tea, "Have you been back at the academy?"
"No," I replied, "not since graduation, I had been busy with work since then. How about you?" Not that I can be busy on this slow morning.
"Me neither. Busy at work, just like you."
"Really?" I asked, "Last time you told me that you were promoted to the Criminal Department Investigation Second Unit at the headquarters. How is that going?"
"Well, it has been good." was the standard answer. I cannot imagine anyone who would feel horrible when they were promoted. "I have been in-charge of investigating organised crime and all these cyber hi-tech crime." Emoto continued, "Last week my superior has authorised and ordered me to write a police handbook on Police Station Terrorist Attack Simulation."
"So this is your real reason why you came." I thought.
"I have been asked to write a police manual to simulate the possibility of any terrorist attack on any police station," Emoto continued, "I have to make it a real life situation. So I need a real police station to model upon. I have been thinking over the past week, and all I can think of is Bokutou."
"Bokutou?" I was a bit taken back by his comment.
"Yeah, the people from upstairs will never let me use the headquarters as model. Besides, you are a Chief." He said almost immediately, as if he already knew my reaction.
"But I'm not the Station Chief." I complained.
Emoto nodded, "I know how hard it can be. But I don't know where else I can get help."
"You know, this has to go through alot of approval and so on, it might take months before any blueprint shows up..." My voice trailed off.
"I know, I understand your point completely," Emoto said, "but please realise the importance of this project. Its purpose is to protect the very people who protect this city. If we cannot protect ourselves, how can we protect other people? The chance of any terrorist attack is almost nil, but they are there nonetheless. We must be prepared. With this manual, I hope to present the Chief Commissioner with the real threat of terrorist and show them that Police Station CAN be taken down."
"I see," I commented, "but my bet is that you will never find any blueprint for this place."
Silence followed. I finally broke it by saying, "What I suggest, though, is for me to show you around the station, and you can take notes, take photos, whatever. This is probably the most appropiate and best way to appoarch this. And we can all escape from the administrative mess. You know how sensitive the people upstairs are." I joked, half serious.
"I guess you are right, Kachou," Emoto replied, "that seemed to be the only way I have." And with that, we concluded our discussion and changed to a lighter topic. If it wasn't for the loud, hungry Natsumi who walked passed the office complaining about her stomach, we would have missed lunch.
After lunch, I went back to the office. Even before I turned the door knob, I could hear the chatter that was going on. When I stepped inside, I saw Yoriko talking to Miyuki, who was cleaning her desk. Natsumi was sitting next to Miyuki, listening to Yoriko and her story. "Did you know what happened this morning? There was this detective who came in at nine and talked to Kachou all morning. I heard that he is having problem solving a big case. That's why he came to Kachou. I even heard from the canteen lady that he had three bowls of miso soup at lunch time just then. I have even received news that his wife is really sick. Poor guy..."
By the time Nikaidou finished her story, I was already standing behind her unnoticed. Natsumi saw me and twitched her face, but that made little effort to stop Yoriko. As she was about to start another round of gossip, I put a hand over my mouth and coughed.
Nikaidou turned around and jumped, "Ka... Kachou! How long have you been here?"
"When you said, '... came in at nine and talk to Kachou all morning...'" I imitated Yoriko's voice as everyone laughed. I was hardly settled in my chair when everyone jumped up to my desk and started firing questions. "How did you know him?"; "Is he really a detective?"; "Which station is he from?" All I could managed was a sweatdrop. It seemed like I have taken over Nakajima and Miyuki as the hot item of Bokutou for a minute.
"Just hold on, everyone," I pleded, "He is just an old friend of mine at the academy. We graduated together. After that, he decided to join the Criminal Department and I, on the other hand, decided to join the Traffic Control Department. He wasn't having problem solving cases, and he certainly did not have three bowls of miso soup. Oh, one more thing, he is not married."
Just when people stared at Yoriko, I saw Natsumi's expression. She has this glare in her eyes that I knew what she was going to do. Within thirty seconds, Yoriko was wrapped up in a big bag, looking like a charming christmas present. "Take care of it for me, Miyuki." She said and walked out of the office.
Over the next week, I acted as a tour guide for Emoto. He asked questions constantly, only stopping for lunch and going to toilet. Most qestions he asked were unlike those asked by civilian when we had them over for a Police Station tour. Questions like "where is the nearest exit?", or "what are the time for patrol?" constantly came up as we walked from room to room, department to department. Even "where is the toilet?" popped up a couple of times, that was because he needed one. As I answered questions, Emoto wrote down every detail on his little notepad vigorously, somehow he managed to take photos as well.
One afternoon, when I was showing him the communication centre, he asked me, "So you guys only have one communication room?"
"Hai," I said, "Are you looking for another one?"
"No," Emoto replied, "I was just thinking, if this communication centre is out of order, then the station will be completely in isolation."
"That's right." I agreed, "This is not the heart of the station, but it's a vital part of it. I thought you knew this. Or did you pay attention while we were at the academy?" He laughed at my joke and nodded, as if to say, "Yes, I did pay attention at the academy."
By the end of the week, Emoto has the entire five floors of the Bokutou Police Station covered, plus the roof top. During all this time, no one ever questioned, or commented on Emoto's presence. Now that I thought about it, Kobayakawa and Tsujimoto has never seen Emoto during his brief stay. In fact, I did not think anyone in the Traffic Control Department has ever seen Emoto after the morning when he came into our office.
Emoto thanked me over and over again for my information and brought me to an exclusive club at the Tokyo Prince Hotel, overlooking the Tokyo Tower. I suspected that all of the expenses are paid for by the headquarter.
Over the next six months or so, we talked to each other seldomly, and saw each other even less. Main reason was because Emoto has been busy with the project. Later I found out that the project was called "Hachiichigo". The ultimate aim of this project is to create a tailor-made handbook for all police stations in Japan to counter-attack any threat of terrorist. Whenever we had a chance to talk on the phone, or meet in person, we never mentioned anything about the project. I guess sometimes, Emoto was very stressful in writing his police manual.
One afternoon in July, a call from Emoto notified me that Hachiichigo has been completed and presented to the Chief Commissioner in a meeting only consists of the commissioner, several very high ranking officals and Emoto himself.
"So how did the meeting go?" I asked over the phone.
"It went great," Emoto answered, "I think the commissioner was impressed."
"Any promotion in the near future?" I joked.
"Don't I wish?" He laughed back, "I think I have finally achieved something that is worthwhile, you know. I think this is my duty as a police officer."
"Really? I hope you like what you did." I said.
"I did, I really did enjoy the work. It gives me satification."
A week later, I was attending a regular bi-monthly meeting with the Cheif Commissioner and other officals at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Headquarter where Emoto worked. The top agenda of the day was Hachiichigo. I was surprised to see that the creator, Emoto Tadashi, was not present in the meeting. Later in the meeting, I found out why.
"So what are the real chance of Detective Emoto's simulation happening?" The Chief Commissioner asked.
"Unlikely, sir. Unless, they are insane... or charging in with a large army." An offical said. I recognised him as the Chief Director of the Counter-terrorist Operations Unit.
"So you are saying that it is impossible to penetrate a police station?" An gloomy looking four-eyed offical asked.
"Ah... no, sir. Hachiichigo is a very thorough handbook on terrorist attack, from preparation to escape route, it is almost perfect. The only flaw I can find is that this handbook is only a theory. If it were to be carried out, we do not know what damage it will cause. Assuming Detective Emoto is correct on all counts, then a police station can, in theory, be penetrated and lots of damages can be done."
"Umm..." The Cheif Commissioner was lost in deep thoughts. Everyone in the meeting room did not dare to distrub him. After several minutes of silence and wondering what the commissioner was wondering, he finally declared, "This handbook is dangerous." Everyone was surprised, even me.
"I do not see the practical use of such handbook." He continued, "As a result, I have decided to discontinue this project."
"But sir..." The voice belongs to Emoto's immediate supervisor, as I later found out. "The purpose of this project is to protect our officers. You approved it yourself."
"Don't you think I realised that!" The Cheif Commissioner brusted out loud, "I was not anticipating such a handbook. The very existence of this manual is a threat to all police stations throughout Japan. What if this manual has fallen to the wrong hands? If the chance of such terrorist attack is almost none, and the chance of it falling into the wrong hand is higher than that, don't you think we are losing more than we gain?"
At that, everyone kept their silence. The commissioner said when he calmed down, "I realised the importance of this project, and I am very well aware of the threat of such terrorist attack. However, we must, in all circumstances, consider both sides. It is a very comprehensive handbook, I must admit, and I congratulate your department's effort for it. But the chance of this manual being misused cannot be ignored."
I stood up and spoke to the Commissioner, "I understand your concern, Chief Commissioner. And I agreed with you that this handbook can be abused. But I do not see any reason why it has to be destroyed."
"What are you saying, Kachou?"
"What I am saying is to conceal this manual in a place where no terrorist can reach. If ever there is a similar situation arise somewhere, we could retrieve such manual for counter measures. There is no need to destroy such a comprehensive work." I could not believe I was saying this.
With that, everyone in the room seemed to agree, except for the commissioner, who seemed to be in deep thoughts again. "So where do you think we should keep this?" He finally asked openly, but kept his eyes directly on me.
-----
Some time in August, I received a phone message from Emoto. He sounded very different from his usual coolness.
"Kachou, it's me, Emoto. Listen, I need to talk to you urgently, in private. It's two in the afternoon right now. I want to pick a place quiet. I know you live near Tokyo Tower, so how about there, three in the afternoon tomorrow? Please come." With that, he hung up. I replayed the message several times. From the background noise, I realised that he had made the call from a public place, outside his office. It seemed like he was having trouble calling from the office, just like in the movies. It has been three weeks since the discontinuation of the Hachiichigo project. Since then, I have not spoken to him. The phone call was a surprise to me. I never heard Emoto sounded so... frightened. It was as if he was chased by wild dogs, and made the phone call faster than Miyuki's Honda Today on Nitro. My instincts told me that something was about to happen at the Tokyo Tower. I was wrong.
As a matter of fact, nothing happened that day, not that I want anything bad to happen. I arrived at the Tokyo Tower's lower observation deck shortly before three. When I arrived at the deck, I saw many excited tourists looking out of the windows, taking pictures of Tokyo, but no sign of a single male wondering around looking somewhere else other than the view outside. By half-past three, half of the people I saw earlier has left the observation deck, only to be filled by more tourists and other dating couples in their places. During the course of the four hours I stayed there, there had been eight large tours, in the number of twenties or so, and five smaller group of tourists. But no one resembled Emoto. I especially noticed them because I thought Emoto would try to disguise himself as a tourist.
No one came. Not that day, not two years after that. During that time, many thoughts have passed through my mind, and only one came up constantly. Emoto Tadashi was hiding. He was hiding from me, and he was hiding from the very people he worked for. It was as if he has disappeared into thin air. I was not sure if the headquarter has investigated his disappearance, but one thing I was certain was that Emoto's disappearance has something to do with the Hachiichigo project. I knew, the Chief Commissioner knew, and I suspected few other high ranking officals also knew about Emoto's disappearance and his link with Hachiichigo. After his disappearance, I visited the Tokyo Tower every so frequently, in hope to find him there, waiting for me. I felt betrayed by the very person I thought was a friend. He is still my friend, but not the friend I met years ago at the academy.
Last year, I had an accident at the Tokyo Tower. I was trapped with a nine years old outside the upper observation deck. Before we were recused, I talked to the little boy to calm him down. Our conversation landed on friendship momentarily. As I talked to the kid about true friends, Emoto's face flashed in front of my eyes. "You may never find a true friend." I told the kid. I once thought I had, but now I was not sure. I may never know if Emoto is actaully my true friend, or just another person that I had met at the academy.
------
And now, I am here at the Tokyo Tower to prove that very point. Is Emoto my true friend? or is he just someone else I have met? I looked to the right and saw a pair of father and son. The kid looked like the boy I saved a year ago. On my left was a group of tourists. I stood at my spot, staring out of the window, looking at the city that I work so hard to protect everyday.
"So he is not coming afterall." I said aloud.
As I was about to leave the Tokyo Tower for the last time, I heard a familiar voice, "You would not happen to be the person who has been waiting for me for the last two years, would you?"
~ O S H I M A I ~
Author's note:
I tried to bring out Kachou's feelings towards the Hachiichigo project, since he didn't show a great deal in the movie. So how do you like it? I have tried to follow the movie script as closely as possible, so please tell if I have made any mistakes. Suggestions, comments, complains, queries, criticism, donations, flowers, gifts welcomed.
by Chocobahn
DISCLAIMER
Taiho Shichauzo / You're Under Arrest copyright Fujishima Kousuke, Kodansha, Bandai Visual, TBS, Marubeni
This fanfic is purely the product of the author's imagination and any resemblance to any other fanfic is entirely coincidental. All characters appeared in this fanfic is designed and owned by Fujishima Kousuke. Anyone think otherwise should contact Fujishima-sama directly via the Goddess Helpline. Just dial your local take-away shop until you get the wrong number.
***** ***** ***** *****
Defeat, the word I despise. I did not like being defeated, no one in the world like losing, especially when one's occupation is in the line of fire. Defeat means a loss for the righteous, and a victory for the iniquitous. As a policeman and a superior officer, I am responsible, no matter how small the defeat was. And this time, I must take full responsibility, we have lost totally. The Bokutou Police Station is in complete devastation, worse than anything I have ever seen. It is like Natsumi's desk, only a million times worse. My guess is that the station would be out of action for at least a week, if not longer. Damages would mount up to hundred of million of yen of taxpayer's money. The only consolation we have is that in the process of all this destruction, thankfully no one was injured, not us, not them. As a bonus, we have captured two "victors" without firing a single "live" bullet. Five are still on the run. Kobayakawa Miyuki and Tsujimoto Natsumi, and I am sure the entire Bokutou Police Force as well, are after those who are responsible for these terrorist acts. Assistant Superintendent Kinoshita was right, they might have won the battle, but they certainly haven't won the war. And to win the war, we must seek out the General, the one person whose action has started it all. And for that, I know exactly who the General is, and I know where to find him.
As soon as I heard from Miyuki that the traffic lights that went out on Tuesday was no accident, I knew almost instantly that Emoto Tadashi was behind it. The communication blackout only confirmed my belief. There is no doubt in my mind that it was his work, Hachiichigo, that has disrupted the city that morning. I once told Senior Superintendent Arizuka that I believed in Emoto, but now I am not so sure, not after I have seen his enhanced version of Hachiichigo. I once thought that he was forced to deploy this destructive mechanism, as I have told everyone, but as soon as I found out about his enhancement, I knew better, he was the only person that has the talent and skill to do such work.
The only thing I am sure right now is that after all these years, Emoto has finally decided to reappear in Tokyo. For two years I have been waiting, and for two years, he has never show himself. But now, my instincts told me that I will find him in the place where he was supposed to meet me two years ago. I might be wrong once again, as I have been for the last two years. But if human instincts is anything to go by, then this will be my last chance. I will meet him today or never to see him on the face of this Earth again. As I zoomed pass yet another commuter at the Kinshichou Train Station, my thoughts drifted back to the day when I first met Emoto to discuss the Hachiichigo project.
-----
It was a cold winter morning, work has been slow. Half of the department, including Miyuki and Natsumi, were out on patrol and the other half that remained were buried in paperwork, or at least that was what they made me believed. Emoto Tadashi walked into the Traffic Control Department as the clock on the wall stroke nine. Everyone in the office was somewhat surprised by the entrance of this unexpected guest on this slow morning. He was wearing his usual brown suit. Almost the standard issue for all detectives around Tokyo. Like our uniforms, this brown suit is what separate them from us.
"I have been expecting you, Detective. Come this way." I showed Emoto to the meeting room. On the way out, I asked Aoi to make some tea for our guest. As I was closing the door, I caught a glimpse of Nikaidou and her shining glasses. I could only imagine what she would be saying first thing I stepped out of the room.
"So what brings you from the Headquarter to Bokutou, old friend?" I asked as we settled into our seats.
"Catching up with old times, of course." Emoto said, almost casually.
"Never catch up with old times in office hours." I thought, but I restrained myself from thinking aloud. "Of course, we haven't seen each other... what? Five or six months?" I asked instead.
"Something like that. Has been quite a while. Remember when we were still at the academy? We could stay up at the bar all night drinking... and after a couple cans of Yebisu, you would start singing some old Japanese folk songs just to entertain the crowd." He joked as Aoi put down our tea and excused herself.
"I remembered, I always forced you to join in. And in the end, we almost always end up acting like Kabuki actors." I laughed with Emoto, "It had been fun at the academy."
"Yes, it had," Emoto commented while sipping his cup of tea, "Have you been back at the academy?"
"No," I replied, "not since graduation, I had been busy with work since then. How about you?" Not that I can be busy on this slow morning.
"Me neither. Busy at work, just like you."
"Really?" I asked, "Last time you told me that you were promoted to the Criminal Department Investigation Second Unit at the headquarters. How is that going?"
"Well, it has been good." was the standard answer. I cannot imagine anyone who would feel horrible when they were promoted. "I have been in-charge of investigating organised crime and all these cyber hi-tech crime." Emoto continued, "Last week my superior has authorised and ordered me to write a police handbook on Police Station Terrorist Attack Simulation."
"So this is your real reason why you came." I thought.
"I have been asked to write a police manual to simulate the possibility of any terrorist attack on any police station," Emoto continued, "I have to make it a real life situation. So I need a real police station to model upon. I have been thinking over the past week, and all I can think of is Bokutou."
"Bokutou?" I was a bit taken back by his comment.
"Yeah, the people from upstairs will never let me use the headquarters as model. Besides, you are a Chief." He said almost immediately, as if he already knew my reaction.
"But I'm not the Station Chief." I complained.
Emoto nodded, "I know how hard it can be. But I don't know where else I can get help."
"You know, this has to go through alot of approval and so on, it might take months before any blueprint shows up..." My voice trailed off.
"I know, I understand your point completely," Emoto said, "but please realise the importance of this project. Its purpose is to protect the very people who protect this city. If we cannot protect ourselves, how can we protect other people? The chance of any terrorist attack is almost nil, but they are there nonetheless. We must be prepared. With this manual, I hope to present the Chief Commissioner with the real threat of terrorist and show them that Police Station CAN be taken down."
"I see," I commented, "but my bet is that you will never find any blueprint for this place."
Silence followed. I finally broke it by saying, "What I suggest, though, is for me to show you around the station, and you can take notes, take photos, whatever. This is probably the most appropiate and best way to appoarch this. And we can all escape from the administrative mess. You know how sensitive the people upstairs are." I joked, half serious.
"I guess you are right, Kachou," Emoto replied, "that seemed to be the only way I have." And with that, we concluded our discussion and changed to a lighter topic. If it wasn't for the loud, hungry Natsumi who walked passed the office complaining about her stomach, we would have missed lunch.
After lunch, I went back to the office. Even before I turned the door knob, I could hear the chatter that was going on. When I stepped inside, I saw Yoriko talking to Miyuki, who was cleaning her desk. Natsumi was sitting next to Miyuki, listening to Yoriko and her story. "Did you know what happened this morning? There was this detective who came in at nine and talked to Kachou all morning. I heard that he is having problem solving a big case. That's why he came to Kachou. I even heard from the canteen lady that he had three bowls of miso soup at lunch time just then. I have even received news that his wife is really sick. Poor guy..."
By the time Nikaidou finished her story, I was already standing behind her unnoticed. Natsumi saw me and twitched her face, but that made little effort to stop Yoriko. As she was about to start another round of gossip, I put a hand over my mouth and coughed.
Nikaidou turned around and jumped, "Ka... Kachou! How long have you been here?"
"When you said, '... came in at nine and talk to Kachou all morning...'" I imitated Yoriko's voice as everyone laughed. I was hardly settled in my chair when everyone jumped up to my desk and started firing questions. "How did you know him?"; "Is he really a detective?"; "Which station is he from?" All I could managed was a sweatdrop. It seemed like I have taken over Nakajima and Miyuki as the hot item of Bokutou for a minute.
"Just hold on, everyone," I pleded, "He is just an old friend of mine at the academy. We graduated together. After that, he decided to join the Criminal Department and I, on the other hand, decided to join the Traffic Control Department. He wasn't having problem solving cases, and he certainly did not have three bowls of miso soup. Oh, one more thing, he is not married."
Just when people stared at Yoriko, I saw Natsumi's expression. She has this glare in her eyes that I knew what she was going to do. Within thirty seconds, Yoriko was wrapped up in a big bag, looking like a charming christmas present. "Take care of it for me, Miyuki." She said and walked out of the office.
Over the next week, I acted as a tour guide for Emoto. He asked questions constantly, only stopping for lunch and going to toilet. Most qestions he asked were unlike those asked by civilian when we had them over for a Police Station tour. Questions like "where is the nearest exit?", or "what are the time for patrol?" constantly came up as we walked from room to room, department to department. Even "where is the toilet?" popped up a couple of times, that was because he needed one. As I answered questions, Emoto wrote down every detail on his little notepad vigorously, somehow he managed to take photos as well.
One afternoon, when I was showing him the communication centre, he asked me, "So you guys only have one communication room?"
"Hai," I said, "Are you looking for another one?"
"No," Emoto replied, "I was just thinking, if this communication centre is out of order, then the station will be completely in isolation."
"That's right." I agreed, "This is not the heart of the station, but it's a vital part of it. I thought you knew this. Or did you pay attention while we were at the academy?" He laughed at my joke and nodded, as if to say, "Yes, I did pay attention at the academy."
By the end of the week, Emoto has the entire five floors of the Bokutou Police Station covered, plus the roof top. During all this time, no one ever questioned, or commented on Emoto's presence. Now that I thought about it, Kobayakawa and Tsujimoto has never seen Emoto during his brief stay. In fact, I did not think anyone in the Traffic Control Department has ever seen Emoto after the morning when he came into our office.
Emoto thanked me over and over again for my information and brought me to an exclusive club at the Tokyo Prince Hotel, overlooking the Tokyo Tower. I suspected that all of the expenses are paid for by the headquarter.
Over the next six months or so, we talked to each other seldomly, and saw each other even less. Main reason was because Emoto has been busy with the project. Later I found out that the project was called "Hachiichigo". The ultimate aim of this project is to create a tailor-made handbook for all police stations in Japan to counter-attack any threat of terrorist. Whenever we had a chance to talk on the phone, or meet in person, we never mentioned anything about the project. I guess sometimes, Emoto was very stressful in writing his police manual.
One afternoon in July, a call from Emoto notified me that Hachiichigo has been completed and presented to the Chief Commissioner in a meeting only consists of the commissioner, several very high ranking officals and Emoto himself.
"So how did the meeting go?" I asked over the phone.
"It went great," Emoto answered, "I think the commissioner was impressed."
"Any promotion in the near future?" I joked.
"Don't I wish?" He laughed back, "I think I have finally achieved something that is worthwhile, you know. I think this is my duty as a police officer."
"Really? I hope you like what you did." I said.
"I did, I really did enjoy the work. It gives me satification."
A week later, I was attending a regular bi-monthly meeting with the Cheif Commissioner and other officals at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Headquarter where Emoto worked. The top agenda of the day was Hachiichigo. I was surprised to see that the creator, Emoto Tadashi, was not present in the meeting. Later in the meeting, I found out why.
"So what are the real chance of Detective Emoto's simulation happening?" The Chief Commissioner asked.
"Unlikely, sir. Unless, they are insane... or charging in with a large army." An offical said. I recognised him as the Chief Director of the Counter-terrorist Operations Unit.
"So you are saying that it is impossible to penetrate a police station?" An gloomy looking four-eyed offical asked.
"Ah... no, sir. Hachiichigo is a very thorough handbook on terrorist attack, from preparation to escape route, it is almost perfect. The only flaw I can find is that this handbook is only a theory. If it were to be carried out, we do not know what damage it will cause. Assuming Detective Emoto is correct on all counts, then a police station can, in theory, be penetrated and lots of damages can be done."
"Umm..." The Cheif Commissioner was lost in deep thoughts. Everyone in the meeting room did not dare to distrub him. After several minutes of silence and wondering what the commissioner was wondering, he finally declared, "This handbook is dangerous." Everyone was surprised, even me.
"I do not see the practical use of such handbook." He continued, "As a result, I have decided to discontinue this project."
"But sir..." The voice belongs to Emoto's immediate supervisor, as I later found out. "The purpose of this project is to protect our officers. You approved it yourself."
"Don't you think I realised that!" The Cheif Commissioner brusted out loud, "I was not anticipating such a handbook. The very existence of this manual is a threat to all police stations throughout Japan. What if this manual has fallen to the wrong hands? If the chance of such terrorist attack is almost none, and the chance of it falling into the wrong hand is higher than that, don't you think we are losing more than we gain?"
At that, everyone kept their silence. The commissioner said when he calmed down, "I realised the importance of this project, and I am very well aware of the threat of such terrorist attack. However, we must, in all circumstances, consider both sides. It is a very comprehensive handbook, I must admit, and I congratulate your department's effort for it. But the chance of this manual being misused cannot be ignored."
I stood up and spoke to the Commissioner, "I understand your concern, Chief Commissioner. And I agreed with you that this handbook can be abused. But I do not see any reason why it has to be destroyed."
"What are you saying, Kachou?"
"What I am saying is to conceal this manual in a place where no terrorist can reach. If ever there is a similar situation arise somewhere, we could retrieve such manual for counter measures. There is no need to destroy such a comprehensive work." I could not believe I was saying this.
With that, everyone in the room seemed to agree, except for the commissioner, who seemed to be in deep thoughts again. "So where do you think we should keep this?" He finally asked openly, but kept his eyes directly on me.
-----
Some time in August, I received a phone message from Emoto. He sounded very different from his usual coolness.
"Kachou, it's me, Emoto. Listen, I need to talk to you urgently, in private. It's two in the afternoon right now. I want to pick a place quiet. I know you live near Tokyo Tower, so how about there, three in the afternoon tomorrow? Please come." With that, he hung up. I replayed the message several times. From the background noise, I realised that he had made the call from a public place, outside his office. It seemed like he was having trouble calling from the office, just like in the movies. It has been three weeks since the discontinuation of the Hachiichigo project. Since then, I have not spoken to him. The phone call was a surprise to me. I never heard Emoto sounded so... frightened. It was as if he was chased by wild dogs, and made the phone call faster than Miyuki's Honda Today on Nitro. My instincts told me that something was about to happen at the Tokyo Tower. I was wrong.
As a matter of fact, nothing happened that day, not that I want anything bad to happen. I arrived at the Tokyo Tower's lower observation deck shortly before three. When I arrived at the deck, I saw many excited tourists looking out of the windows, taking pictures of Tokyo, but no sign of a single male wondering around looking somewhere else other than the view outside. By half-past three, half of the people I saw earlier has left the observation deck, only to be filled by more tourists and other dating couples in their places. During the course of the four hours I stayed there, there had been eight large tours, in the number of twenties or so, and five smaller group of tourists. But no one resembled Emoto. I especially noticed them because I thought Emoto would try to disguise himself as a tourist.
No one came. Not that day, not two years after that. During that time, many thoughts have passed through my mind, and only one came up constantly. Emoto Tadashi was hiding. He was hiding from me, and he was hiding from the very people he worked for. It was as if he has disappeared into thin air. I was not sure if the headquarter has investigated his disappearance, but one thing I was certain was that Emoto's disappearance has something to do with the Hachiichigo project. I knew, the Chief Commissioner knew, and I suspected few other high ranking officals also knew about Emoto's disappearance and his link with Hachiichigo. After his disappearance, I visited the Tokyo Tower every so frequently, in hope to find him there, waiting for me. I felt betrayed by the very person I thought was a friend. He is still my friend, but not the friend I met years ago at the academy.
Last year, I had an accident at the Tokyo Tower. I was trapped with a nine years old outside the upper observation deck. Before we were recused, I talked to the little boy to calm him down. Our conversation landed on friendship momentarily. As I talked to the kid about true friends, Emoto's face flashed in front of my eyes. "You may never find a true friend." I told the kid. I once thought I had, but now I was not sure. I may never know if Emoto is actaully my true friend, or just another person that I had met at the academy.
------
And now, I am here at the Tokyo Tower to prove that very point. Is Emoto my true friend? or is he just someone else I have met? I looked to the right and saw a pair of father and son. The kid looked like the boy I saved a year ago. On my left was a group of tourists. I stood at my spot, staring out of the window, looking at the city that I work so hard to protect everyday.
"So he is not coming afterall." I said aloud.
As I was about to leave the Tokyo Tower for the last time, I heard a familiar voice, "You would not happen to be the person who has been waiting for me for the last two years, would you?"
~ O S H I M A I ~
Author's note:
I tried to bring out Kachou's feelings towards the Hachiichigo project, since he didn't show a great deal in the movie. So how do you like it? I have tried to follow the movie script as closely as possible, so please tell if I have made any mistakes. Suggestions, comments, complains, queries, criticism, donations, flowers, gifts welcomed.