Public service (1) - 12

"Congratulations on the win, everyone of team AAA," Yanagida extended one hand to receive the disc they had just stripped of the team ICE.

"Ah, thank you very much," Saitou said, rummaging in his bag to retrieve the disc they'd just won. He was about to give it freely when Nakajou took hold of his hand.

"Nakajou-san?" Saitou looked at him inquiringly, then turned at Mishiba, who eyed the judge distrustfully. He'd been the first to suspect Yanagida but remained silent as usual, seeing Nakajou had things under control anyway.

"Just a second," the AAA brains grinned. "How do we know you're the real judge and not just some guy from the rival company... Yanagida-san?"

"Because if you don't follow my instruction, your team will be disqualified," the elderly man replied with calmness, but such that reminded them of a quiet volcano, waiting for a cause to explode.

That's right! Saitou thought. Until now we've always given the discs we won to the Midou-Seimei. But I thought, since the rules for today have been changed, perhaps this is just one of the new rules.

"We haven't been told about this new regulation," Mishiba spoke. "If you have something to say to us, as the judge, you know how to find us. Good evening." With that, he turned and left.

Saitou followed, somewhat a bit forced by Nakajou's pressure on his arm.

"What if he's the real judge! What if there's been a mistake!" Yanagida still managed to catch bits of Saitou's frantic hiss as Nakajou pushed him down the escalator.

- - -

Nakajou was in the middle of explaining to Saitou that it was very unacceptable to change the rules without telling the gamers about it when Mishiba spotted three or four policemen running after them, shouting, "Hey you! The three of you! Stop!"

"What now?" Saitou turned, eyes wide in amazement. "They're after us? Again?"

"The hell, Saitou, run!" Nakajou said, half pushing the boy down the escalator. Mishiba already jumped over the handrail and landed smoothly on the fifth floor.

"Toki-san, don't leave us!" Saitou shrieked loudly.

If the police call for backup, we won't be able to get out of here anyway. Mishiba pressed his face hard into the glass window to see whether there were police cars down there. There was one parked, and two coming in with howling sirens.

Saitou and Nakajou ran past him, the first never giving up calling on Toki-san. Mishiba took one look at the policemen close at his heels and then dashed after the other two, almost skidding over the floor's slick surface.

"Two back-up cars coming in!" he informed the other gamers.

"As if we don't have enough behind us now..."

But there were now only two policemen close at their heels, the rest lagging behind. So the officers shouted to other visitors for help, "Stop them!"

A burly man, obviously wishing to impress his girlfriend, stood in their way at the end of the escalator with wide stretched arms and feet. He looked nervous, and even so nervous that it seemed he wouldn't have been able to move if he changed his mind anyway.

"Out of my way!" Saitou yelled and then at the last moment decided to slide through the opening made between the man's feet. He reached the fourth floor safely and stopped to look back. Mishiba, again, jumped over the handrail, while Nakajou made his way through the wannabe hero, giving him bruises on his body and a nosebleed. The man fell down on the floor, and bought the fugitives some precious time. The policemen rushing afterwards did not appreciate someone that big lying on the floor, whining and groaning in pain.

Now it was Saitou and Mishiba on the front line, Nakajou just behind them. "Toki-san, what are we going to do!"

"Chances are, with back-ups we won't make it home," Nakajou said.

Saitou's face went pale.

"We split up," Mishiba decided. "Saitou, you have the discs. Hide yourself. Nakajou-san and I will keep them busy."

"If you get caught..." Nakajou said, and then thought it over again. "No, don't get caught."

They reached the third floor and did not head for the escalator, but instead for the normal shopping surface. Nakajou gave Saitou a strong shove and made him land somewhere between the racks. The youngest gamer ran, almost crawling, as he kept low on his way towards some fitting rooms.

In the room furthest from the entrance, he sat on a chair, careful to put his feet up so it seemed no one was there. He panted, breathless, but the thing worrying him most was Mishiba and Nakajou. Whether they will make it? Will I make it? He decided not to take any risk and was ready to wait until the department store was all clear, even if he had to spend the night there.

Mishiba and Nakajou found another escalator and ran down it to the second floor. There they split up, Nakajou taking the stairs and Mishiba the escalator, careful to move quickly but not to run, in order to avoid any attention.

Nakajou sneaked out of the emergency exit just before some cops thought of barricading it. Through the front door Mishiba had to undergo some examination, but then, so did every young man. Presumably since he had no discs and thankfully had got rid of his conspicuous hat, he was free to leave the building.

- - -

Saitou had been sitting inside the fitting room for almost half an hour now. He was still tense and something tightened in his chest every time he heard footsteps coming nearer. His hands kept getting wet even though he'd rubbed them on his shirt. Not that it was dry either.

Now I've come to think of it, waiting until tomorrow is pretty much a pain in the ass. Stupid new rules! Why did they have to make it so obscure?

A voice so close to him almost made him fall down the chair. Obviously someone had walked inside noiselessly and that someone was now talking to another person. "You don't have time anymore? Too bad."

Saitou grasped the edge of the chair nervously. He tried to listen, but it was hard, because his own heart beats were louder than anything else.

"Well, I'll just try this one blouse." A woman looked inside the fitting room Saitou was in, quickly apologized and went to the room next door. Saitou could feel his heart going down to his toe.

At the rate this is happening, either I'm going to be found first and die later, or, out of heart failure die first and be found later.

"Why is it me that has to be the bearer of the disc!"