Would you Kill for Love?
I held the handle of my gun with one hand firmly. The other officers and myself stood in a large hallway of a very old and unused mansion. We had an electrical team working on fixing up the power of the mansion, but they said it would take some time.
We all stood in complete darkness; the only light shining through was the lightning that flashed through the sky every now and then coming from the very small and dirty windows.
I moved my hand around silently signalling to six officers' to move down the left passageway and get into position. I did the same for the right passageway and then it was four officers and myself heading down the central one. We had received the blue prints of this mansion and worked out a tactical team to raid the place. We started at the bottom and worked our way towards the top of the mansion to be placed in the scenario we were in at the moment. As we positioned ourselves in our respected passageways, officers broke off into pairs, as they stood at closed doors ready to bash them down and search the rooms.
"Ready Detective Sargent." Each officer spoke into their wire telling me they had reached their doors and were ready when I gave my command. I too stood at the end room down the middle passage…knowing this was probably the biggest room in the upstairs area and tightened my grip on my gun.
"NOW!" I spoke firmly into the wire on my long coat bashing the door open to the room. I could hear the echoes of other officers doing the same as they began raiding the rooms. My gun was raised; I was armed and ready to shoot…ready to kill, as my finger was firmly on the trigger. I had raised my other hand for more support and accuracy on my weapon but it also held a torch so I could scan the room of its contents.
I moved into the darkened room quickly but stealthily as well. I held my gun and the torch steady, sweeping across the room only to find a white sheet draped over a large chair, a set of small chest draws near a large bed with rumpled up bed sheets. To the right of me, dark wooden cupboards lined the entire right wall. I moved quietly towards them, my martial arts skills kicking in. Yes I am an officer, but felt the need not to just think my gun would protect me. It wasn't something I solely relied on. It was a necessity, but if needs be I'd rather use my other skills then kill someone…unless being fired upon first then I would injure them…but not kill them…that is not my way. Each cupboard door was opened slowly and efficiently without making a single sound. Nothing…not a single trace of evidence had any interest in my eyes.
"Clear Sir…" Officers spoke into their wires telling me that they too had found nothing.
"Sir, we are all clear. I shall contact headquarters and tell them we have found nothing, no clues of her whereabouts." Hannya spoke into his earpiece. He was a very intelligent and trustworthy officer. I have much faith in him as I have appointed him my second in command in all the raids we have done over the years together.
"Correct Hannya. Everyone move out, there appears to be noth-" I stopped in my tracks from exiting the room and cast my gun and torch over the large spacious room once more.
"Shinomori? Sir?" I heard Hannya speak, as I hadn't finished what I was going to say to him and the other officers. I moved back into the room knowing something wasn't quite right…something was out of place.
Takani Megumi in Intelligence back at the station had been working with Hannya and myself over every single case we had. This one however, had tested her intelligence, tested her skills…tested all of us in trying to find the young victim.
"Something isn't right…" I spoke absently into the wire. I moved around the room once more, stepping in further and lifting my gun and torch up at the high ceiling to have a look. Something quite interesting caught my eyes and I moved closer getting a better look so I could judge it for myself.
"Something has been taken…and cut from the ceiling…wires appear to be sticking out of the roof."
"Sir?" Hannya questioned into the earpiece while staying in position wanting to know what my orders were. I looked at the wires closely and moved my torch to approximately where the object would have been pointing too…the large bed with the ruffled sheets.
"It was a camera gentlemen, someone was definitely here early on and they were filming. Check the rooms again and search everything!"
"But sir what about dusting for evidence on prints later on? Won't we mess that up?" An officer spoke, his police rulebook taking over his better judgement.
"I said check everything officer!" I firmly yelled into the wire.
"These are professionals gentlemen so search everything! See what you can find. See if someone has slipped up giving us a clue on their whereabouts…anything on our victim."
"Yes sir!" Officers replied loud and clear as they went back into the rooms turning them upside down. I moved closer towards the large bed this time. I could feel a fighting chi, but it was very faint and quite weak as though someone was dying.
My eyes widened slightly, my hand on my gun tightening once more as I cast it and the torch to the carpeted floor. A small delicate and bloody hand clasped the lower part of my trouser leg wanting my attention…needing my help. I quickly descended to the carpet lying on the floor and flashed the torch under the bed…
"Hannya?"
"Yes Sir?" Hannya replied firmly awaiting my instructions.
"Call off the other scheduled raids. I've found her." I placed my gun back into its holster and grabbed the young girl's wrist pulling her from under the bed. She smelled of dry and fresh blood mixed with stale cigarette smoke…possibly two days old. I checked her pulse immediately and found one…a dying one…
"Hannya, get the medical officers in here now!" I yelled to my second in command as I picked the girl up and placed my long coat over her semi-naked form. I had to cast a hand over my eyes, blinking many times to get used to the light as the electrical team had gotten the power working. I watched as the medical staff raced in and began working on the victim.
"She's not breathing!" An officer spoke alarmingly and quickly proceeded with mouth to mouth.
"Her hearts stopped as well!" The other attending medical officer spoke before preforming CPR. I watched on with my eyes narrowed and my fisted hand shaking as she wasn't gaining consciousness. Minutes had passed, the medical officers stopping as though ready to give up on her and call the time of death.
"Get out of my way!" I yelled loudly and pushed the officers away from the woman and began mouth to mouth and CPR myself.
"Shinomori?" I heard Hannya yell as he was now in the room with the other officers watching me frantically trying to save the girl.
"I'm not going to loose another one!" I yelled through clenched teeth as an explanation to my second in command. Minutes passed again…
"COME ON!" I shouted to the unconscious girl.
"Detective Sargent Shinomori! Its time to stop!" An officer spoke.
"Don't you dare tell me what to do. Let go of me!" I furiously spoke as three officers pulled me away from the girl.
"She's dying!" I bellowed towards the officers that were holding me tightly, not letting me go back to the poor victim.
"She's already dead." I cast my green-grey eyes over at Hannya who was shaking his head at me.
"Shinomori…that's enough…" I stopped struggling and the officers loosened me and let go as I finally came to the terrible ordeal of loosing a victim…loosing another victim…such an innocent victim…
"Time of death is…" The medical officer was not able to continue as a loud scream filled the room, echoing through the entire mansion. I watched with wide eyes as the young victim's stared right up and into mine and watched stunned, along with the other officers as she fell back to the carpet with a soft thud.
"H-Help her dammit!" I roared grabbing the attention of every officer and watched as the medical officers went back to working on the girl. After a short period of time one f them finally spoke.
"S-She is stable…" The medical officer looked up at me in bewilderment. He stepped back watching as an Emergency Service team raced in with a stretcher and the usual medical equipment. A drip was placed into the victim's arm and I watched on as the medical team placed the girl onto the stretcher, strapping her in loosely and wheeling her away…heading for Tokyo Private Hospital…the nearest hospital.
"Sir?" Hannya spoke grabbing my attention. I turned to stare at him and spoke my last words before leaving the mansion to write up a small report so far and then needing to go out and buy myself a stiff drink.
"Report to Captain Saitou we have found the victim. Tell him of her whereabouts and suggest guarding her 24 hours a day. Assign yourself as one of them for a couple of days and make sure you report back to me. I'm on pager and mobile."
"Yes sir." Hannya replied before heading back into the main room to assign certain officers to the first duties.
"Hannya?" I quietly spoke grabbing the man's attention once again.
"Sir…"
"Tell the family we have found their daughter. Its time to get the Makimachi's out of hiding…"
"Yes sir…"
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To be continued…
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