"Thanks for the ride." Jeric said as he stepped out of the taxi. Sal, the cab driver for Queen City Taxi Co, gave him a mock salute.
"No problem Jeric, pop's got the tab?" He asked.
"Yea, he'll be back at the end of the month." Jeric informed. Sal nodded his head and Jeric shut the door. The taxi coughed up blue smoke, then raced off. Jeric looked around at Halliville. It was around 10 o'clock on a Tuesday afternoon, so there wasn't very much along the lines of foot traffic. He looked around at the center of the shopping complex. Apartments lined the top while colorful displays held up the bottom. Jeric took the short walk over to the larger complex behind the shopping section.
"Wow, so this is where you live?" Ryuk asked as Jeric opened up the door. Past the door was a wide hallway that led to a kitchen on the left and a living room on the right.
"Yep, been living here the past few years." Jeric said, tossing his keys on the counter that looked into the kitchen. He turned away and walking into the living room. A decent sized flat screen took up the opposite end of the wall. He picked up a wireless keyboard and began clacking away. About thirty seconds later, Jeric called Ryuk over from his apple-fest.
"This is what I was talking about." Jeric said, showing a Wikipedia page to Ryuk.
"мертвая рука" Jeric spoke in Russian. He brought up another program on the computer
(Dead Hand)
and selected the text that he wanted to view. There was a short loading process before a metallic, feminine voice flowed from the speakers.
"Dead Hand (Russian: Система «Периметр», Systema "Perimetr") known also as Perimeter, is a Cold-War-era nuclear-control system used by the Soviet Union." The computer started. This caught Ryuk's attention.
"General speculation from insiders alleges that the system remains in use in post-Soviet Russia. An example of fail-deadly deterrence, it can automatically trigger the launch of the Russian Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) if a nuclear strike is detected by seismic, light, radioactivity and overpressure sensors." The program stopped.
"Oh My…" Ryuk said as he began to chuckle.
"The Russians claim to keep it off, and only bring it online when an emergency arises. While I highly doubt this is the case, we can't take any chances," Jeric started.
"Heh, we?" Ryuk asked. Jeric ignored him.
"I've been looking on CNN, and lately Russia and North Korea are on shaky terms." Jeric explained.
"With their test in Nuclear Warheads, I bet the Russians are on the tips of their toes. I bet that'd be a good reason to lock the back door, so to speak." Jeric joked.
"So how are you going to fire the missiles?" Ryuk asked.
"I'm not entirely sure on that. I need to learn more about the note itself." Jeric said, simultaneously asking a question. Ryuk floated up and landed on the back rest of the couch.
"What do you want to know?" Ryuk asked, eating his last apple.
"Can I kill people with more than just a heart attack?" He asked, turning sideways so he faced Ryuk.
"Definitely. Really, as long as it's physically possible, you can kill them in any way you see fit." He explained.
"Is there a set time that the death has to take place?"
"The death itself cannot take place after 39 days it was written down. If not, they will either die of a heart attack or they will perish in the way you had set, just not at the time." Jeric cocked his head while Ryuk prepared an example.
"If you write down 'dies of a cancer in 40 days', he'll die of some other disease within 39 days. If you write 'dies of illness' without writing down the specific illness, the target will die of a disease that can kill within 39 days.
"If you write down 'dies in car crash in 40 days', he'll die the soonest he can in a car crash. Do you understand?" Ryuk explained. Jeric nodded.
"Anything else?" Ryuk asked.
"Can I make people do something before they die?" Jeric questioned, a plan brewing in his mind.
"As long as it's physically possible and as long as they don't kill anyone else. When I read the guide before I dropped the note, it sounded like as long as it's physically possible and as long as it's something they could have concluded on their own, then you can make them do it." He said.
"Any examples?" Jeric requested.
"For example, you can't write down the name of a super model you've never met and write that she marries you; she wouldn't have made that decision with her pre-existing knowledge. However, if you write down that she meets the owner of the Death Note living in the Halliville Apartment Complex and then falls in love, I suppose that would be possible." He said, sounding a bit unsure at the end.
"You don't sound 100% on this." The human pointed out. The God of Death responded.
"The only reason is because we don't really understand the book ourselves.
"The only reason a Shinigami kills is so that he himself stays alive. When we kill a human, their remaining lifespan is transferred too us. The only reason we kill is because we ourselves are afraid of death."
"Ironic." Jeric pointed out.
"Almost as ironic as a boy trying to rebuild the world by destroying it. Hyuk hyuk hyuk." Ryuk laughed as he retorted. Jeric shrugged.
"Gotta make room for the new world." He said. He turned back to Ryuk and suddenly asked,
"Is there anyone safe from the Note?"
"Anyone younger than 780 days or anyone older than 124. If a humans' name is misspelled more than four times, the owner dies and the target is not affected." Ryuk said, remembering that much. Jeric seemed slightly disappointed by the news.
Ryuk grinned.
"Have you a plan now?" Ryuk said, his mouth stretched out.
"I do. I just need time." He said. Ryuk was interrupted by a knock on the door.
XXX
Light's hotel was surprisingly right down the street from where Jeric lived. He also had the luck of catching him as he stepped out of a cab.
"Odd, where is he coming from? His school claimed he was out for the day." Light whispered to himself. He made note of it on his phone. Trailing Jeric, he followed him through the light foot-traffic to his apartment and stopped outside of the door once he had gone in. Light wasn't able to hear much, but it sounded like he was asking question on a phone. Was he talking to his father? Is his father okay with him staying out of school so often? That's when Light heard someone coming up the stairs. He knew it'd be suspicious if he had stayed outside of the door, so he knocked.
The kids' probably just scared he witnessed someone die the other day. No need to try and make him confess to something. Light thought as the door opened a crack.
"May I help you?" A lightly accented voice called from the door.
"Mister Koran?" Light asked.
XXX
"He isn't available." Jeric told the strange man at the door. He was a tad bit shorter than Jeric, at 5'11, and he was extremely well tailored. His brown hair was swept over on his tanned face.
Before Jeric had a chance to fully close the door, the man wedged his foot in the doorway.
"You must be Jeric. I'm Detective Light Yagami, with the Japanese NPA." The man spoke. Jeric thought for a second before he opened the door.
"Hello Detective Yagami, call me Rogan," Jeric said, trying to throw him off.
"Everyone calls me that." He concluded. Jeric, now Rogan, stepped out of the detective's way as he invited him in.
What the hell does this guy want? There's no way they could have known I'd killed him. What's he trying to pull? He thought as the locations of the two handguns flashed through his mind. One was in his father's night stand; the other was hidden under one of the couch cushions. He wondered is he actually was with the NPA, and not someone trying to get to his father.
Or Jorge… Jeric thought, but his mind was pulled away when the detective sat down on the couch. Oh well, he could always try to bail and grab the note. That brought up Jeric's first question.
"So, detective, do you have a badge or some form of identification?" Jeric asked.
"I do actually; sorry, I should have presented this." Light said, handing Jeric his badge.
Damn, just as I thought- it's in Japanese He thought as he noted the squiggly lines all over the ID. Jeric reluctantly handed it back.
"Jer- Rogan, I'll just get down to it. We have video footage of you yesterday when Yugashi died. I assume you know who he is?" the detective asked.
XXX
"No, I don't believe so. To be honest, I didn't really want to stick around." Jeric, or Rogan, Light didn't know, confirmed.
"Well, he was a Japanese thug working with the Mashio family. He's one of the best when it comes to smuggling drugs and weapons, and he seems to do well in this area." Light spoke. If Avery was right, than either Jeric or his late friend Jorge could have possible known him.
Right now, however, he just wanted to find what connected Jorge and Yugashi.
Jeric stood up.
"Where are my manners today; Detective Yagami, would you like something to eat or drink? I have lemonade, some soda, and Sour Cream and Onion chips." He asked as he walked to the kitchen. Light stood to keep a better eye on him.
"No, thank you." Light replied. He preferred Barbeque to anything else. Jeric returned from the kitchen with a blue colored can. Light wasn't able to see the lettering, but he doubted that a can with blue lightning bolts would be anything aimed towards adults. Light jumped straight to the next question.
"Do you know a Jorge Smith?" Light asked.
XXX
"Do you know a Jorge Smith?" The detective asked. Jeric tried his best not to freeze up.
"I do. He's recently deceased." Jeric said, now just trying not to break down.
"I'm terribly sorry," Yagami lied," But it is to my understanding that he dealt in narcotics?" He asked. Jeric felt that, if this Q&A would be going on any longer, he might actually pull a gun on him.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think now would be the time for this."' Jeric spoke.
"Are you aware that he died of a heart attack? Same as Yugashi?" Yagami asked. This caught Jeric by surprise.
"I wasn't aware." Jeric finally spoke. He thought about Hanna. Was this man going to go to her next? Jeric couldn't allow this. Now he knew what he had to do.
Jeric, trying to appear as subtle as he could without arising suspicion, looked over Yagami's shoulder. The detective rose slightly and turned around. Jeric, who was sitting across from him in a plush chair, moved to snatch the handgun from under the seat cushion that his foe was in.
XXX
They stood there, piece in hand. Light held his .38 Special Ruger professionally while Jeric stood sideways holding a .45ACP 1911.
"Head back to Japan, Mr. Yagami." Jeric spoke venom through clenched teeth.
"Not until I find out what happened." Light shot back. Both muzzles where around 3 inches from the respective opponents' faces. Both hammers were cocked. Safeties off. Fully loaded.
"Sachiro's dead. That's all that should matter." Jeric tired to reason.
"How do you know his name?" Light asked, recalling Jeric said he had no idea who he was.
"There's a lot that I know. There's a lot that you need to learn." Jeric replied coolly.
Back in his own little world, Ryuk began to laugh hysterically.