Well, it didn't take quite as long as I expected it to. Hopefully I'll be able to follow with the next chapter within a reasonable amount of time. Hope you enjoy it. Please post a review if you're so inclined.
Nabiki sat in Keona and Yasuo's old bedroom in Aiko's house, watching Keona sleep. He'd been out of the hospital for almost a week, and was recovering quickly. He was more mobile every day, and he appeared to be in good spirits for the most part. But both Nabiki and Aiko could see something dark simmering beneath the calm exterior, and it worried the both of them. Nabiki couldn't understand why Keona affected her the way he did, but she couldn't seem to keep herself away.
In the time since he'd first woken up from his four-day coma, almost two weeks ago, they'd done a great deal of talking. Nabiki had found herself opening up to him as she'd never done with anyone before. Unfortunately, he wasn't quite so forthcoming. All the same, she had a feeling that she needed to stick around. He'd need her before long.
She smiled as he groaned softly and slowly blinked his eyes open. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, and then looked over at her. "You're still here." he said.
Nabiki put her hand on his, and said, "I realize that, Keona-baby." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, before saying, "How are you feeling today?"
He took a deep breath, and slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. The grimace of pain told her that it still hurt, but he put on a brave face anyway, and said, "Better."
"Good." Sitting down in the chair she'd placed next to his bed, she said, "Aiko's at work, so I figured I'd hang around at least until she got home. I'm going to need to go home sometime soon, just to let my family know that I still exist."
Keona smiled weakly, and stood up shakily. Taking another deep, steadying breath, he walked to his closet and pulled a pair of sweat pants out. He also grabbed a baggy blue t-shirt to cover his bandaged torso. After putting his clothes on, he said, "Let's go to the living room." He turned and walked slowly out of the room, slightly hunched over.
"Okay." Nabiki replied, as she followed him out of the bedroom. They went into the living room and sat down on the couch. Nabiki picked the remote up off the coffee table and handed it to Keona, who turned on the television. He flipped through the channels until he came across an American football game.
Keona set the remote down on his thigh, and said, "I'm kinda hungry. You hungry?"
Nabiki said, "I could eat. What were you thinking of?"
Keona shrugged, and replied, "How about Mexican?"
Nabiki raised an eyebrow, and said. "You have Mexican delivery in northside Juuban?"
"Yeah. Good stuff too."
Nabiki thought about it for a moment. Mexican wasn't something she often ate, as none of her family members besides Ranma really liked it. "I haven't had good Mexican food in a while. Sure, why not." She watched the football game while Keona ordered, trying to figure out what was going on. As far as she could tell, the point of the game was for the guys without the ball to smash the guy with the ball. When Keona hung up the phone, she said, "Keona, why do you watch this?"
"Because I like it. It's a good sport. It takes intelligence and a lot of athletic ability to play. I respect that." He looked over at her, and asked, "Why?"
"I don't know...it just seems kind of pointless, that's all. I mean, what exactly are they trying to do?" Nabiki asked. "It doesn't seem like they're particularly intelligent."
"They are though. Football is like a big chess game. Every player is like a piece on the board. The coaches and coordinator's put the players where they want them, and formulate strategies for them. Everyone has to be where they're supposed to be, following their assignment, or the whole play falls to shit."
"Okay, explain what's going on then, because I'm still not seeing it." Nabiki said in reply, her nose wrinkled cutely in confusion.
Pointing to the TV, Keona said, "The guys in the white jersey's, that's the away team, they're on offense right now. They're trying to move the ball down the field, to get into that big painted rectangle. That's called the end zone. That's one way to score. They have four downs, or chances, to move the ball ten yards forward to get another set of four downs. If they get to their fourth down and still haven't gotten ten yards or scored, and they're within kicking range of the big goalposts behind the end zone, the kicker might try to kick a field goal for three points.
"A touchdown is worth six, with an extra point kicked through the uprights to make it seven, so they'd rather get the touchdown. If they're not within range, then another kicker, called the punter, will come out and kick the ball to a return man on the other team. He'll try and run it back as far as he can. If he gets tackled, his offense will take over right there on first down."
"Okay, that makes sense...but what does each guy do? It seems like they're just running around aimlessly and throwing the ball, and the guys in the red jersey's are chasing them around. And then there's the guys pushing each other around. What's that all about?" Nabiki asked.
Keona waited until the current play was finished and then said, "When they line up, they line up on what's called the line of scrimmage. The guys who are crouched on the line are the linemen for each team. The away team has their offensive squad on the field right now, so that's the offensive linemen. The red guys, the home team, have their defensive linemen on the field. The defensive linemen are trying to get to the quarterback, the guy throwing the ball, to tackle him before he can throw. That's called a sack. The offensive linemen are trying to protect him."
Keonapaused, as the quarterback called the snap and handed the ball off to the running back. "Okay, this is a running play, obviously. The guy running it right now...ooohhh damn, good hit...the guy who was running it was the starting halfback, or tailback. He'll also block for the quarterback sometimes, or catch balls out of the backfield. The guys who are lining up way out on the outside and running out to catch balls are wide receivers, or wideouts. There's also a formation with a third receiver, called the slot receiver, but that's not out there right now. They've got an I formation in. The guy on the end of the line, the one who sometimes runs out to catch the ball, and sometimes blocks, is called the tight end."
Nabiki snorted in a most unfeminine manner, and said, "Wide receivers, slot receivers, tailbacks and tight ends catching balls out of the backfield? Do you have any idea how homoerotic all of this is? A bunch of big, muscley guys in tight pants pushing each other around?"
Keona rolled his eyes and gave up on the explanation of the game. "Never mind."
"Keona-baby, don't be like that!" Nabiki said, sounding vaguely apologetic. "I was just making an observation."
Keona shook his head minutely, and said, "Nah, it's cool. Let's just watch the game. You're a smart girl, you'll figure it out."
Nabiki said, "Okay." and leaned into his side. She smiled as he put his arm around her, and she leaned her head on his strong shoulder. They watched the game for almost thirty minutes before the food arrived. As he'd said, she was beginning to figure out what the game was all about. Everyone had a specific job, that was for certain, but they didn't always do the exact same thing. Through her observations, and the resulting questions that she asked Keona, she was able to learn about most of the positions, and had figured out what the terms "zone coverage" and "man-to-man coverage" meant. Once you learned a bit about the game, it really wasn't all that bad. Still, it wasn't exactly her cup of tea, so she was grateful for the distraction when the food finally arrived.
The doorbell rang and she said, "I'll get it." She stood up, careful not to jostle Keona too much, and fast-walked to the front door. She opened it up and pulled her wallet out. The delivery boy handed her their order, and she paid him. After shutting the door, she went back into the living room and sat down. "Time to eat." She said.
"Cool." Keona took his hotplate from Nabiki and opened it up to reveal a steaming hot Chile Relleno smothered in Ranchero sauce, surrounded by whole pinto beans and spicy Mexican rice with bits of fried corn kernels in it. He looked up at Nabiki, and said, "Thanks babe."
Nabiki found herself taken aback at the casual endearment, and it took her a moment to formulate her reply. "Th...no problem Kiki." She smiled at him, and was thrilled when he returned the smile. It was only for a moment though, as he turned his attention to his food and began eating. Instead of feeling disappointed though, she was elated. He'd called her babe! Sure, it wasn't the sweetest term of endearment one could bestow, but it was something. It was progress! Fighting the urge to begin humming cheerfully, she got out her own food and sat down next to Keona to enjoy her meal and watch the rest of the game.
Takai shifted uncomfortably under Akihito's intense stare, and said, "I understand Takeda-san."
"I'm glad that you do. This is very important to me. I've got people looking right now, but none of them know him like you do. It would be best to avoid a scene, if you understand my meaning. I'd like to get this done as quickly and cleanly as possible." Akihito squared his shoulders, and looked down his nose at the ugly little man before him. "Kokoru is on the hunt as we speak, but I have a feeling that you know exactly where he is. You could go there by yourself, and save a lot of people a lot of pain. You would earn my favor. Think about it."
Takai bowed deeply, and said, "I will Takeda-san. Thank you for this opportunity to prove myself to you."
Akihito inclined his head slighty, and said, "I'll be thanking you if you will do this thing for me. You'll be a lieutenant after this. You'll have your own soldiers, your own incomes, and you'll answer directly to me. Of course, it would mean an increase in pay and a better apartment. Perhaps a penthouse."
Takai showed no outward reaction, but inwardly he was fighting to maintain control. It was everything he'd ever wanted growing up in northside, but the price was incalculably high. Still, others had sacrificed more for less in the bloody, twisted maze of Tokyo's underworld. Finally, he said, "I will go to Keona." As he turned and walked out of Akihito's office, he squeezed his eyes shut, and muttered, "I'm sorry." almost inaudibly. It was too soft for Akihito to hear.
Takai walked out of the large home that his Captain owned, and marveled at the fact that he could one day have a home much like it. All he had to do was make Keona disappear. He walked to his car and sat down. Turning the key in the ignition, he threw it into gear and began driving down the long driveway that led to the main road. He knew exactly what to do, and exactly where to go. His mind was filled with all the probable outcomes, but he knew that if everything went as planned, he stood to become a whole lot richer.
The drive to Aiko's house seemed to take forever, and when he'd arrived, he found himself in doubt. Was this really the best thing to do? But there was nothing for it. Keona had to go away for the situation to be resolved. Who better than him to make it happen? He made sure his pistol was tucked into the waistband of his pants before getting out of his car. He walked up the short walkway to the front porch, and stopped at the door. Taking a deep breath, he opened it without knocking. Stepping inside and closing the door behind him, he walked through the small entry hall and into the living room. He found Keona and the girl from the club sitting on the couch, watching the tail end of a football game. Keona looked over his shoulder at him, and said, "Hey Takai. What up?"
Takai tried to smile, but found himself unable to do so. He strode around in front of Keona and the girl, and stared hard at the both of them. Finally coming to a decision, he said, "You've got to disappear for a while Kiki."
"What?" Keona said, not understanding.
Takai swallowed hard, and plowed ahead, knowing that if they fucked this up, he was a dead man. "Takeda-san was the one who had you shot. He was trying to prevent a war between the Yakahito-Gumi and the Red Oni. That would have involved the Sun Yee On."
The girl sat up now, suspicion evident in her beautiful face. "How do you know that? And who's Takeda-san?"
Keona sent a harsh glare her way, and said, "Don't speak." Nabiki was about to protest loudly, and venomously, when the skinny man named Takai turned his eyes on her. Something in his gaze told her to keep her peace, and she sat back against the couch, fuming silently. Keona would get an earful for this later.
Takai turned his attention back to Keona and said, "I just came from Takeda-san. He's got Kokoru after you. The guy you met in the parking garage was Yonosuke Hirohata, a high-ranking soldier who answered directly to Takeda-san. They found him dead and rotting in his car a few days after the incident." He took a deep breath, and said, "Takeda-san sent me here to kill you. He knew that I'd know where to find you. So we're going to make you dead."
Nabiki found herself unable to keep silent any longer. "What the hell do you mean you're going to make him dead?" Keona turned to silence her again, but she locked eyes with him, and said frostily, "Don't even think about it." Keona sat there, his mouth hanging open, his thought processes stalled by the fierceness in her words.
Takai cleared his throat loudly, and said, "I mean, he's going to go underground. We need to find a sterile house, in a neighborhood with as few mob connects as possible."
Nabiki's eyes brightened, and she said, "Nerima!"
Takai nodded thoughtfully, and said, "Nerima is good. All that weird martial arts shit keeps most of the criminals out. You know a safehouse there?"
She nodded, a grin on her face, and said, "My house."
Keona's brain finally caught up with the conversation, and he said, "How do you figure your house is safe?"
Nabiki replied, "I have one of the most powerful martial artists in the world under my roof. He's my brother-in-law. And his little friends are easily manipulated. Trust me, it'd take a whole lot more than the mob's got to deal with a slew of angry, super-powered martial artists who are defending their turf and their people."
Keona looked skeptical, but Takai said, "That's gonna have to do. We don't have a lot of time."
"How can you be so sure that this is gonna work?" Keona asked peevishly, apparently not liking the sound of the idea at all.
Takai rolled his eyes, and said, "Would you rather I'd shot you?"
Keona finally relented, and said, "Alright then...how we gonna do this?"
"Convincingly."
Sixteen year old Haruta Mihoshi sat on her aunt's front porch, watching the scene across the street. They'd heard the gunshots and had gone running to the windows to see what there was to see. All that was, was a blue car tearing off down the street. Twenty-five minutes later, the ambulance had arrived. Mihoshi was visiting from Kyoto, and had never been to a neighborhood like this before. Her family was fairly well-to-do, and had always flown her aunt and her cousins up to visit. Now that she was older, she'd wanted to see where they lived. Forty-five minutes post-gunshots, she was beginning to regret it.
As the paramedic crew, followed by a sobbing young woman who looked to be around her age, loaded a body covered in a bloody white sheet into the ambulance, she heard her cousin Sato remark, "Damn Kiki...they finally got you homeboy." He had a huge bottle of beer in his hand. He called it a forty. He looked pretty sad, and she watched, puzzled, as Sato walked down onto the sidewalk as the ambulance drove away, and poured several long streams of beer onto the concrete.
Following him down to the sidewalk, she cocked her head to the side, and said, "Why did you do that?"
Sato shook his head, and said, "Kiki was a friend of mine. I used to run with him when we was younger, before he moved over to the projects. I'm just havin' one last drink with my boy." Mihoshi was suddenly deeply saddened by what she'd witnessed, the realization that her cousin had been stoically watching an old friend of his being carted off to the morgue striking a low, mournful chord deep within her. As the first tears escaped her eyes and began rolling down her cheeks, Sato said, "Don't you worry, little cuz. What goes around comes around."
Mihoshi's head snapped up, and she saw him take a long drink of beer and then stare in the direction the ambulance had gone. "What do you mean?" She asked.
"Nothin'. Don't worry about it." Sato replied. His voice was steady, but she could see his eyes beginning to tear up. Turning towards the house and walking slowly up the walkway, he said, "You should get inside Mihoshi."
Mihoshi didn't need to be told twice.
Keona threw the bloody sheet off of himself and gingerly sat up. Nabiki was sitting on the small wall-bench next to one of the bogus paramedics. The guy smirked, and said, "That should put the bad guys off your trail for a good long while. We'll take you over to Nerima and drop you near the high school. You're on your own beyond that, okay kid?"
Keona said, "Cool, thanks. Just, make sure that you drop us in an alley or something. Don't need any more awkward questions than we're already gonna get, and hopping out of an ambulance in plain sight will definitely raise a few."
The guy nodded, and said, "No problem." He moved from the bench, and made his way back up to the cab of the vehicle.
Once they were alone in the back of the ambulance, Keona said, "You should call Aiko. Tell her you need to see her; you have something to tell her that you can't tell her over the phone. Put some tears in your voice." He tilted his head to the side and asked her, "Think you can do that?"
Nabiki raised an eyebrow, but didn't respond verbally. Pulling her cell phone from her pocket, she dialed Aiko's number and waited for her to pick up. When Aiko answered the office phone, Nabiki said, "Aiko? It's Nabiki. Something's happened, and I need to talk to you in person. Go to the Cat Café in Nerima and they'll tell you where to go." Keona watched with interest as her lower lip quivered, and he could hear the plaintive tone in her voice. She sounded like a frightened little girl. She was good. When she hung up the phone, she grinned and said, "Was that good enough for you?"
He nodded. "Works for me."
"Good. I have one more call to make." Flipping open her phone, she dialed the Cat Café. Cologne was a dangerous old woman, but she could trust her with this. All she had to do was tell her it was a family matter. That was something that Cologne understood and respected. So far, everything was going smoothly. Takai was a pretty sharp guy after all.
Aiko stepped into the main room of the Chinese restaurant and looked around. She caught sight of a stunningly gorgeous young woman with ridiculously proportioned breasts and hair dyed a brilliant shade of violent, and waved her down. The girl appeared before her faster than she could believe, and she was put even more off guard when she heard the high pitched falsetto that the girl spoke in.
"Nihao! Welcome to Cat Café! Shampoo be your waitress tonight!"
Aiko fought the urge to laugh at the girl's name and childish mode of speech. She was a foreigner, and likely didn't have much experience with Japanese. To tease her for it would be inexcusable. Still, the name was truly bizarre. First Cologne, now Shampoo. What's next, Soap? "Actually, I'm supposed to speak with...um, Cologne?"
Shampoo frowned cutely, and then turned to a Chinese boy who was wearing a long white robe and the thickest glasses she'd ever seen. "Mousse, tell great grandma is someone here to see her!"
Mousse...not soap. Well, at least it was KY Jelly or something. Aiko giggled at the private joke, and hoped that it had passed the girl's notice. The boy wandered off to the kitchen, and returned a moment later with what Aiko thought might be some kind of highly articulated puppet. It certainly was hideous, whatever it was. It seemed to be attached to some kind of stick. When the ugly puppet spoke she realized, much to her dismay, that it was actually an old woman. A very, very old woman.
"Hello child. You must be Aiko." Before getting a chance to answer her, the old woman said, "Mousse will escort you to your destination." She turned to the Chinese boy and whispered something in his ear.
His eyes widened, and his fists clenched, but he nodded his head in acquiescence and said, "Yes Matriarch." He stepped towards her and bowed. "My name is Mu Tsu, but you can call me Mousse." He straightened, and muttered, "All the other barbarians do." The old woman whacked him on the head, and he grumbled something in Chinese as he rubbed the spot. "My apologies."
Aiko, finding herself increasingly uncomfortable in this place, simply said, "Thank you Mu Tsu. We can go whenever you like."
As the myopic martial artist and the pretty young financier's secretary walked towards the exit, Cologne yelled, "Wear your glasses, Mr. Part-Time!"
Aiko was terribly confused by everything, but she shook it off and said, "My car is this way." Leading him to the aforementioned automobile, she waited until he was settled inside, and then said, "Okay, where to?"
Mousse didn't know the actual address, but he gave her directions as they went. It didn't take long before they were at the Tendo Dojo. "This is it. Home of the infamous Ranma Saotome, tormenter of women everywhere!"
Aiko looked at the obviously unstable young man pityingly, and said, "How are you getting home?"
The young man stepped out of her car as she did, and shrugged. "I'll fly."
"What do you mean you'll fly?" She asked, only to be stunned into silence as he produced a pitcher of water from the sleeve of his robe. He proceeded to dump said pitcher over his head, and instead of a tall, handsome young Chinese man, there was now a pile of wet robes and a big white duck wearing glasses. The duck quacked at her, and then took off in the direction of the Cat Café. Aiko stood in the street next to her car, too shocked to move. She only faintly heard the sound of a young man's voice asking her something.
She was finally brought out of her shocked state when she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. Slowly turning towards the person, she found herself looking at a scruffy young man with shaggy black hair that was barely held in check by a yellow bandana with black spots on it. He wore what looked to be a martial arts outfit straight out of some feudal martial arts drama, and carried an archaic red bamboo umbrella and a ridiculously large backpack."Excuse me, but can you please direct me to the Tendo Dojo?" He asked shyly, a sharp fang poking out adorably from under one lip.
Aiko pointed towards the house they were standing in front of, and said, "It's right there. I'm actually going there too." Then, looking in the direction that the...duck had flown off in, she said, "Did you see that young man turn into a duck?" She desperately hoped she wasn't going crazy.
"Oh, him? That's just Mousse. There's a guy here who turns into a girl, and another who turns into a panda." He sounded so nonchalant about it, but Aiko couldn't help but shake her head.
"That's impossible. That can't happen." She said.
The boy shrugged his shoulders, and said, "Eh, you get used to that kind of thing around Nerima. Nothing stays normal for long."
Finally hearing something that made sense, Aiko said, "Well, I can relate to that at least. Why don't we go in?"
"Okay." The young man said. "My name's Ryoga...who are you here to see?"
"Tendo Nabiki...and my name's Aiko."
"It's nice to meet you Aiko-san." Ryoga replied, suddenly having reservations about talking to this woman. She seemed nice enough, but anyone who had dealings with Nabiki was someone to be suspected. A moment later, a young man in a red, northern-style Kung Fu shirt and black Kung Fu pants stepped out the front door.
Aiko recognized him as Ranma, the boy who'd carried Keona to his car. Smiling brightly at him, she said, "Hello Ranma. I'm here to see Nabiki."
Ryoga, seeing the face of his most irritating rival, slid into a fighting stance, and shouted, "Ranma! Prepare to die!"
"Not now porky." Came Ranma's firm response. He stared, hard-eyed, at Ryoga. "Kasumi said there ain't no one allowed to fight around here for a while."
"So you're afraid to fight me then, is that it?" Ryoga snarled.
Ranma smirked, cracked his knuckles, and said, "Hell no! Let's take this to Furinkan. Be there in fifteen minutes!"
"You're on Ranma. You'd better be there!" Ryoga growled, before turning and running off.
Ranma just laughed and turned to Aiko. "Hey Aiko, you coming in?"
"Um, yeah. Don't you have to go fight him? Isn't there some kind of honor thing with you martial artists?" She asked.
Ranma shrugged. "It's no big deal really. See, Ryoga has a terrible sense of direction. He went the wrong way to get to Furinkan High." Shaking his head mirthfully, Ranma said, "He'll probably realize that he's been tricked once people stop speaking Japanese. He'll be back in a few days, a week or two at the most. We'll fight then."
Aiko said, "Okay then." Her voice carried more than a hint of incredulity. "Why don't we go inside and see what Nabiki has to say?" Ranma ushered Aiko into the house, and into the living room. Nabiki sat in front of the television with Akane, watching some magical girl anime and eating chips. Kasumi could be heard in the kitchen, humming cheerfully and chopping up ingredients for dinner. Soun and Genma sat near the back doors, cheating at Shogi.
Nabiki glanced up at Ranma and Aiko as they entered the room, and she smiled a smile filled with relief. Standing up, she walked over to Aiko and embraced her warmly. Everything in the house ground to a standstill, as everyone watched the Ice Queen of Furinkan High willingly show affection to someone. The only sound that could be heard was Kasumi humming obliviously to herself in the kitchen. "Thank the Kami you're here." She introduced Aiko to each of her family members, and then said, "Why don't you come up to my room."
Aiko nodded, and followed Nabiki to her bedroom. Upon entering, she saw a plush, western style bed, and next to it on the floor, a futon. Lying on the futon, snoring softly, was Keona. "What's going on here?" She whispered.
Nabiki pulled her back into the hall, and said, "His friend Takai stopped by your house today. He told us that some Takeda guy sent a hitman after Keona. That's what happened at the mall. They found the hitman dead in his car a few days later."
Aiko's eyes went wide, and she looked at Nabiki's closed bedroom door, as if looking at Keona. Turning back to Nabiki, she said, "How did he know this?"
"He said that Takeda wanted him to find Keona and kill him. I guess there are other's looking for him too. Takai called some friends of his who have an ambulance and fired off a few shots in the house. The ambulance dropped us off in an alley near the house, and we walked the rest of the way. Takai said that Kiki needs to lie low for a while, that people need to think that he's dead."
Aiko chuckled softly, and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she said, "I didn't think he had it in him."
"What?" Nabiki queried.
"Takai...I never knew he was so loyal. I can't believe he'd betray Takeda-san like that for Kiki." She chuckled, and then wiped a single tear from the corner of her eye. "Damn noble of him." she said.
Nabiki leaned against the wall, and said, "Who's this Takeda guy anyway?"
"Since you're already pretty well wrapped up in it, I might as well tell you. Kiki's going to be angry when he finds out, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there." Leaning against the wall opposite Nabiki, Aiko said, "Takeda Akihito is one of the most powerful Captains of the Yakahito-Gumi Yakuza family. Takai is a soldier under one of Takeda's Lieutenants, and Takeda has been grooming Keona to eventually take oaths of membership since he was fourteen. Yasuo was involved too. That's what the tattoos on his arms are. They're status symbols, not decoration. He was very close to taking the oaths when he and Yasuo were shot. After that, he sort of...turned inward, I guess you could say."
Nabiki didn't blink for almost thirty seconds, the enormity of Keona's affiliation with the Yakuza beginning to settle in. She'd had no idea it went that far, that he was that deeply involved. When she regained her train of thought, she said, "I had no idea it was that...that bad. I didn't know he was that close to...wow." It was all she could think to say.
"We have to keep him here now, that's for sure. He can't leave until we can get him away from the city. If he's found out, he'll die, you'll die, and Takai will die. Hell I might die too." Aiko said all of this with absolute certainty. "These people do not show mercy."
Nabiki took a deep breath, and said, "I know. Trust me, he'll be well protected here."
"I hope so." Aiko stood again, and made her way back down to the living room. She walked over to the two older men playing Shogi, and said, "You don't mind Keona staying here Tendo-san?"
A voice from behind her spoke up, softly but firmly saying, "A martial artist's first duty is to protect those who can't protect themselves." She turned around to see Ranma standing a few feet behind her. "I give you my word that he'll be safe here."
Ranma was younger than Keona, that was obvious, but he had an old man's eyes. He really had seen some things, she didn't doubt that. Somehow, his promise made her feel better. "Thank you."
Yassine sat on her sofa, looking over the piece of paper that Kota over at the lab had brought by her house. She had been helping Reiko clean up after dinner when the doorbell rang. Initially, she'd set it aside to watch some television and spend time with her new girlfriend, but she could contain her desire to further the investigation for only so long. After two made-for-TV movies and a pint and a half of chocolate fudge brownie ice cream, she'd finally picked up the manilla envelope and opened it.
She wasn't supposed to bring these documents home, but she needed to get some work done, and she and Akina had been pulling overtime for weeks, so the office was out. Reiko sat next to her on the couch, watching some ridiculous variety show. The pretty redhead was making a rather obvious, although unsuccessful efforts not to look at the paper in Yassine's hands, being somewhat resentful of the tree by-product that was taking attention away from her. Finally, her curiosity got the best of her, and she asked, "What is that?"
Yassine glanced up, and pushed her glasses up on her nose. "It's just some paperwork for that case I've been working on."
"Ah...you've been staring at it for fifteen minutes. It's only one piece of paper. What's on it, the killer's name?"
Absently, Yassine nodded her head, and said, "Hopefully."
Reiko leaned in close and nibbled her earlobe gently. Breathily, she whispered, "It's getting late...you should come to bed."
Yassine felt a rush in her loins, but with a herculean effort, she managed to fight off her powerful libido. "Just...give me a few more minutes, okay? I'll be in soon." She turned her attention back to the paper, trying to ignore Reiko standing up in a huff and walking towards the hallway that led to the master bedroom. After a few more minutes of studying everything on the page, she picked up her phone and dialed Akina's number.
"Hello?" It was Akina's husband who answered, a high school science teacher...an odd match if ever there was one.
"Hey there Shiro, it's Yassine. Is Akina still up?"
"Uh, yeah...hold on." She heard his palm muffling the mouthpiece, and then a few moments later, Akina's voice came on the line.
"Yassine? What's up?"
"Kota just dropped by with that lab report we asked for. The first blood sample came from - you'll love this, trust me - the vic from that car they found outside Tokyo; the Yakuza hitman. The other sample is what took them so long to trace, but they finally got it. It goes back to an orphanage up in Maebashi, about 65 miles north of Tokyo City proper. The original sample on file at the orphanage is almost eleven years old now, apparently a routine blood sample taken when a child becomes a possible candidate for adoption."
Akina excitedly asked, "Well, what's the name? Was he adopted?"
Yassine supressed a humorless laugh, and said, "Well, that's the kicker, ain't it. There's only a given name. No surname. It's Keona. That's it. One word. I don't know if he was adopted though, we'll have to talk to the orphanage for that."
"Keona?"
"Yeah, Keona. Why, does it mean something to you?" Yassine asked, hoping for a miracle.
"Actually, yeah, it does. When I was in the special forces, we had an exchange program with the US Navy SEAL's. I was one of three soldiers from my unit sent for training in the US. One of the SEAL's in the SEAL team that I worked with was a Hawaiian named Keona."
Yassine sighed, and said, "Thanks for that. That really helps. It's a Hawaiian name. That's something we can give the DA."
Akina laughed lightly, and said, "Oh, lighten up you silly American. You're all so uptight."
"The Greek balances it out. Anyway, that's what we've got. It's not much, but it's something." She said.
"So, does this mean we get to take the bullet train?" Akina asked. She loved taking the bullet.
"I guess it does. I'll call them in the morning and arrange a meeting."
"Yassine, it's been a few minutes!" came Reiko's yell from the bedroom.
Feeling that perhaps she'd best wrap it up, Yassine said, "Listen, I've got to go."
"I heard that. She's got you whipped already Yassine. I'm impressed, I can't wait to meet her." Yassine could hear the smile in Akina's voice.
"I'm sure you'll love her. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay, bye."
"Bye." Yassine hung up the phone and slipped the piece of paper back into the envelope. Setting it under her coat, which was sitting on the end of the couch, she stood up and walked into the bedroom. She found Reiko dressed in a pair of pink pajamas, propped up with pillows behind her, reading a book.
Reiko glanced up, and said, "More work?"
Yassine crossed the room to the bed and began undressing. "Oh, the phone call? Yeah. I've got to run up north tomorrow. I'll probably be gone until late tomorrow night. I'll leave you the key if you want."
Reiko smiled at her, and said, "That would be nice. I work tomorrow, but I get off at nine thirty. I'll make you something to eat when you get home."
"Thanks." Yassine slipped under the covers and laid her head on her pillow. "It's really nice having you around, you know that?"
"It's nice to be here." Reiko replied, before kissing her gently on the lips.
Yassine deepened the kiss, before breaking it off and saying, "So what are you reading?"
Reiko looked at the book, and then back at Yassine. Tossing the book aside, the pretty redhead answered, "Nothing interesting."
As Reiko descended on her for another kiss, Yassine fervently hoped that she'd be able to wake up in time to call the orphanage. It was going to be a long night.
Sato sat in his bedroom, looking at the three firearm's on the small table in front of him. A Glock 17, much like the one Keona had, was the one he carried day to day. They'd gotten their guns from the same guy. A matte black Desert Eagle .50, and his pride and joy, an AK-47, rounded out his small collection. Picking up his cell phone, he dialed and old friend of his, Kai Wing, a Chinese kid who'd joined the 3 Serpents nearly four years ago when he'd arrived from Hong Kong. When Kai answered, Sato said, "Bad news man."
"What kind?" Kai's voice was wary, a result of many such phone calls. He was about due for another.
"It's Kiki man. Somebody clipped him man."
"What the fuck do you mean somebody clipped Kiki?" Kai shot back, his tone of voice rising as he finished the sentence.
"I heard shots goin' off at his house, and then these folks rolled up in the ambulance and took a body out. Some chick came out with it, all sobbin' and shit."
Kai's voice was beginning to return to normal, and he said, "Did you see him?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, did you see Kiki's face? Do you know it's him?" Kai asked.
"Well, no I ain't see his face. But the body was about the right size for him, and I don't know who the fuck else would be over there." Sato replied angrily.
"Chill the fuck out, Sato. Think this shit through man...did you see cops?"
Sato thought about it for a moment, and then said, "Shit, no I didn't. None."
"Alright, check this out. We get ahold of Takai or Aiko, see what the fuck is going on. But I promise you this. You didn't see no cops, there wasn't no murder."
Sato allowed the words to sink in, and then said, "How the fuck you think of this shit?"
"Just some shit happened...I'll tell you later. Just, call Takai and Aiko."
"Alright, I ain't seen Aiko all day, but I know Takai's cell number. I'll give him a call when we's done talkin'. Either way, some weird shit is goin' down, and we gotta figure it out."
"I hear you man. Keep me posted. Don't tell no one else about this shit until you talk to me again."
"Cool. I'm out." Sato flipped his phone closed, and began brooding on the new thoughts that were running through his head. It did seem very strange that the cops hadn't shown up after the shooting. Something like that should have pulled at least one squad car and a plain clothes detective at the least. But instead, they'd sent no one. He took one last look at his weapons, before wrapping the Desert Eagle and the AK-47 up in a large towel and stuffing them in his closet on the top shelf. It wasn't time for that yet. He still needed some answers.
I lie on the futon in Nabiki's room, listening to her breathing softly on the big bed above me. I try to take comfort in her presence, but there's only one thing I can think of. Takeda Akihito. On some level, I know I should have expected this. He'd told me not to fuck with the Red Oni, and I had given him my word. What's done is done, that's what I'd said. I guess I wasn't fooling anybody. It ain't done...not even close. Takeda makes it tougher, but not impossible. I still have people, and now I know I can count on Takai. He may not look like much, but when push comes to shove, he ain't afraid to take a swing...or pull the trigger. I'm banking on that.
For me, I know that they're all right. I need to lay low for a while. I'll do that. I'll lay low, and I'll heal up. Then I'm coming back. I'm the thing that men like Takeda Akihito and the gang leaders fear most...focused rage with nothing to lose. I know I'm not going anywhere now. Not with the Yakahito after me. It's come down to a simple choice, and it's the easiest one I've ever had to make. Them or me. I've made it before, but never with consequences of such magnitude looming over me. Now, I'll make it again. I've already made it. Nabiki told me that she got rid of my gun, but that's not a problem. I'm not even angry at her for it. She has no idea how easy it is for a guy like me to get a gun. One phone call will open up an armory if you've got enough cash, and I've got plenty of that. I just have to figure out a way to get to it first.
I stare at the ceiling and I can see Takeda's face before me. It's sitting next to Yamada Ichiro's, bloody halo's surrounding each. I'm going to make this vision a reality, even if it means the end of me. Ichiro first; he's small fry now. I'll sniff his bitch ass out and finish him off; his homeboy's too. Then I'll take it to Takeda. One way or another, I'll find a way to take him down with me. Of that I have no doubt. As I stare at the ceiling, I wish for a bottle of whiskey to help me fall asleep. I know that I'm going to dream tonight. It's starting to happen now that I don't have my sleeping medicine. But it's not to be, not tonight.
So I'll lie awake for as long as I can, fighting sleep until I can't keep my eyes open anymore. Then I'll dream, and I'll be awake again before too long. I just hope I don't wake up Nabiki. More questions is the last fucking thing I need.
