Chapter 4 (3D)
On the night before everything ended, Kenny Nakajima spent a quiet evening with his parents. In this case, however, that didn't mean small talk, card games or watching TV. It meant motorcycles, tools and lots of work.
Kenny had come to Zapper, the motorcycle shop his father Daimaru and stepmother Sena ran together, to work on his father's latest acquisition-a 1958 Meguro S3 250cc in desperate need of some TLC.
Kenny was sitting on a stool in front of the lift that held the frame and wheels of the motorcycle. Daimaru was on the other side of the lift, making final torque adjustments to the engine. He picked up the engine, turned around and expertly placed the motor back on its mounts. Kenny helped guide the engine to its proper position and began the job of securing the engine back onto the frame.
As they sat there tightening the mounting bolts, Daimaru cleared his throat, looked through the frame at Kenny and asked "So, how are things with Miyuki and you going, son?"
Sena was walking in the workshop with a couple of mugs of tea as Daimaru asked his question. She clucked her tongue and said "Daimaru, honey, you shouldn't be asking such questions of our son."
Kenny's face reddened, as much by being called "son" by a stepmother that was younger than him as by the personal nature of the question his father asked. "Uh, uh... why are you asking, Dad" he replied, his voice wavering just a bit.
Daimaru started 'Son, I'm just..."
Sena jumped in and said "Your father's just getting tired of being only an uncle to Megumi. He wants to become a full-fledged grandfather."
It was Daimaru's turn to have his face redden but he had a big grin. "I'm wanting to hear the pitter-patter of little feet in the shop so I can spoil them rotten and send them home to you."
Kenny sat back on his stool and sighed. "I know what you mean, Mom and Dad. I want to marry Miyuki and have lots of kids but... but something's holding me back. I can be fearless on a motorcycle or when facing a criminal but just looking at Miyuki turns me into a bowl of mush."
"Why are you that way when you love her so much?" Sena asked softly.
"I... I... I guess I'm afraid of losing her" Kenny replied, his eyes downcast.
"Kenny, what about Miyuki?" Sena pointed out. "Did you ever think she might be afraid of losing you?"
"How could she lose me?" Kenny asked.
Daimaru spoke up. "Son, you're a motorcycle cop in a big city. Not only are there chances you could be assaulted by a criminal-even killed-but she could lose you in a traffic accident."
Kenny sat there and thought about what his parents had said. "You know, I never looked at it that way" he finally admitted. "I guess I've always looked at myself as invincible-the White Hawk of Bokuto. I didn't think that Miyuki might ever have such worries about me."
"Son, she knows you have feelings for her" Daimaru said. "Perhaps it's time to show her just how deep those feelings really are."
Kenny grinned. "That might mean I wouldn't be here as often to help you, Dad."
Sena chuckled. "Or it might mean that the four of us would be out here working on this bike." They all laughed at that, then Sena added "come on, clean your hands, the two of you. Your tea is getting cold!"
Miyuki, Natsumi and Kenny walked into the cafeteria. As Kenny came in, a cheer erupted from the officers assembled there. Miyuki blushed but Kenny broke out in a big smile.
"Good news travels fast" Natsumi chortled.
"I never thought I could be this embarrassed" Miyuki replied. They went over to the serving line, got cups of tea and sat down at a nearby table.
"With all that we've been through, we needed a little bit of good news" Natsumi admitted. "Seeing Kenny become a man was one of the best things that could have happened today." Turning to Kenny, Natsumi continued, "So just why did you do that, Nakajima?"
Kenny turned serious. "I realized I'd been a fool for wasting all those years by being shy. I wanted to have a lovely future with Miyuki. After being out on the street this morning, I know that we can't have a lovely future, but I want us to try to have some type of future."
"Is it that bad, Kenny?" Miyuki asked.
Kenny could see fear in her eyes. "I can't lie to you. It is bad, and probably is going to get worse."
Natsumi suddenly got a panicked look on her face. "Shouji!" she exclaimed. I completely forgot about him!"
"I'm sure he's alright, Natsumi" Kenny said, trying to reassure her. "From what I remember, the training facility is pretty secure."
Natsumi stood up. "I still need to know. I need to hear his voice. I've got to go." She headed for the cafeteria door.
"Natsumi, your tea!" called Miyuki to her partner. Natsumi made a beeline to the door and did not appear to have heard the call. "Oh, well. I'll take it to her later." Turning to Kenny, Miyuki asked "So what happened to you out there?"
Kenny got quiet, then began. "The day started out like always. I was moving around from street to street keeping an eye on the children as they walked to school. I gave out three tickets for speeding and one for driving the wrong way on an one way street. By then, it was time to switch over to the main streets so I went over by the river to patrol the area around the new bridge. It was actually quiet there, so I started widening my patrol area. I should have realized it was getting too quiet."
"What do you mean, 'too quiet'?" Miyuki asked.
"It was odd" Kenny continued. "There weren't many people on the street, even though it was mid-morning on a weekday. It was like they suspected something was happening, perhaps from news reports. As I rode down the street by the station, I heard the radio call about the assaults." Kenny stopped, a puzzled look on his face. "Now that I think of it, just after I got the call, I saw Yoriko and Aoi-they passed me going the other way and turned a corner. Then I saw their car out front when I came back to the station, but I haven't seen them around."
"Kenny, I have some bad news" Miyuki said with a heavy sigh. "Yoriko was bitten by one of them and Aoi had to shoot her."
"What? You're joking, aren't you?" Kenny exclaimed. People around them turned and looked at the two. Miyuki's eyes were once again brimming with tears. "You're serious" he said. "How is Aoi?"
"She's devastated. I think she was in one of the other beds in the infirmary" Miyuki replied, wiping her eyes with a napkin.
Kenny sat back and shook his head. "I can't believe it."
"So how did you find Inspector Kinoshita?" Miyuki inquired quietly.
Kenny closed his eyes as he collected his thoughts. Opening them, he continued. "I got to the next main street and saw a car fly by as a high rate of speed. I only got a glimpse of the driver but he looked like he was in a panic. I also saw the top of someone's head in the back seat. I realized he might be trying to get a sick or injured person to a hospital, but He wasn't heading in the right direction so I took off after him. I was going to stop him to confirm my suspicions and escort him to the hospital. He was about 4-5 blocks ahead of me, so I really had to gun it.
"I almost made it to him when I saw some movement in the back seat. All of a sudden, the car seemed to double its speed-the it started careening from side to side. Before I could get close to him, he sideswiped a black sedan and drove it into a lamppost, then ricocheted into a storefront. Before I could get to the car, it exploded in a ball of fire. There was nothing I could do for them, so I turned back to the black sedan."
"Don't tell me..." Miyuki gasped, he hand to her mouth. By now, everyone around them had stopped talking and were listening intently to Kenny's story.
"Yes, it was Inspector Kinoshita" Kenny nodded. "She was stunned but she only had a cut over her right eye. Her airbag had protected her. The driver's door was jammed but not too bad and I was able to get it open and the Inspector out of the car. She was conscious but somewhat dazed. She must have been OK, because she recognized me immediately. Just then I noticed the spectators around us... or what I took to be spectators. Something didn't look right."
Miyuki gasped. "How many were there?"
Kenny got a faraway look. "About three or four. They had that vacant stare and they just shuffled closer. I knew we had to get out of there, so I asked the Inspector if she felt up to riding on my motorcycle. She looked around and told me she'd be fine with it." He stopped. A look of horror crossed his face. "Oh, no! I just realized one of those people was Mrs. Kurusugawa from the store by the station!"
Miyuki closed her eyes and dropped her head into her hands. "I know. She was on the phone with Natsumi when her husband attacked her."
The color drained from Kenny's face. "How many of our friends and family will this claim? What about Dad and Sena?" Miyuki's head came up and she reached out for Kenny's hand. "I wouldn't worry about them. Daimaru will protect Sena and they're both smart enough to avoid trouble." She gave him a tenuous smile. "So what happened then?"
Regaining his composure, Kenny said, "I helped the Inspector onto my bike and got out of there as quickly as possible. The only problem was I had to take a winding route back to the station as I tried to avoid... them... as much as possible. It almost seemed like their numbers were growing exponentially and they were all attracted to me."
"That's because they seem to react only to sounds" Miyuki offered. "I'm glad you did, Kenny. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." Tears began forming once again in her eyes.
Kenny took her hands in his. "That's not going to happen-now or ever."
The Chief walked into the cafeteria. Everyone looked at him with a mixture of anticipation and dread. Only Miyuki spoke.
"How is the Inspector, Chief?" she asked, keeping her voice as steady as she could.
"For all she was through, she's doing remarkably well" he replied. Turning to Kenny, he continued, "Nakajima, I need to thank you for getting her here safely. I don't know what I... I mean, we would have done if she had been injured more severely... or worse."
"Thank you, Chief." Kenny replied. "Will the Inspector be going back to headquarters soon?"
The Chief looked around the cafeteria. He saw a sea of concerned faces. He realized there was no good time to make the announcement so he set his jaw and replied, "No, she won't be going back to headquarters. In fact, Sumida ward is under quarantine as a major contagion hotspot. Ladies and gentlemen, we are here for the duration, it seems."
A young dispatcher in one corner of the room started quietly weeping. Her co-worker consoled her. The rest sat or stood there, stunned.
Kenny broke the silence. "What's our orders?"
"We are to maintain order as much as possible, shelter as many uninfected people as possible here at the station and hold on until further notice" the Chief declared. Grim determination replaced fear as the officers of Bokuto Precinct realized the formidable task at hand.
Officer Noguchi cleared his throat. "Chief, if we're going to shelter the survivors, then we better make the station secure" he suggested, looking out the window at the open driveway into the station compound.
The Chief's eyes widened. "Nakajima and Noguchi, get down there and close that gate NOW!" he barked. "You and you", he continued, pointing at two other patrolmen, "help them!" The four took off at a dead run as a murmur started to arise. "People" the Chief said, raising his voice above the din, "we need to get this station ready to take in survivors as well as to give us all places to rest. Report to your supervisors-they will have assignments within the next quarter hour. If you are from another station, stay here for now." He turned around and walked out of the cafeteria.
Miyuki had left the cafeteria when Kenny did and arrived in the squad room as Natsumi hung up the phone. She had a big smile on her face as she turned towards Miyuki. "Shouji is alright. It took me a few calls to track him down. He didn't have his cell phone turned on at first. He said the base is locked down tight and is very secure. If we need to and we can make it there, it would be an ideal sanctuary."
"Do you know we're under a quarantine?" Miyuki inquired.
"Inspector Tokuno came in and told me while I was talking to Shouji. He also said he had found some other pistols that could be distributed and needed to let the Chief know about it. I told him he was on his way to the cafeteria" Natsumi said.
"I did pass him on the way back here" Miyuki noted. "I told him the Chief was still talking to the people in the cafeteria."
"If Inspector Tokuno has any pistols, they're probably the P230s the detectives use" Natsumi mused out loud. "If that's the case I'd rather have that than a revolver."
"With your training, a P230 should be a piece of cake" a familiar voice said behind the two policewomen. They turned around to see Inspector Kinoshita standing there. She had a bandage on her forehead and her left wrist was wrapped but she looked well otherwise.
"Inspector!" Natsumi exclaimed with obvious joy. ""So you're up and around!"
"I've got a bit of a headache and my wrist is sprained but Nurse Okazaki cleared me to leave the infirmary." Kinoshita said. "I think she knew I wouldn't be able to just lay there for much longer."
"Now that's a fact!" Natsumi said in agreement. "So what happened to you? I had to go make a phone call before Ken... I mean, Officer Nakajima could finish his story."
"I got sideswiped by a speeding car while sitting at a stoplight and ended up hitting a light pole" the Inspector said. "Nakajima got me out of my car and brought me back on his motorcycle."
"How did you get sideswiped?" Natsumi asked. "It's too early for a drunk driver."
"I don't know" Kinoshita admitted. "I did get a fleeting glimpse of two people in the car. It looked like the one in the back was attacking the driver."
"I'll bet it was someone trying to get a loved one to the hospital thinking the doctors could help" Miyuki surmised. "They probably came back to... to... This is such a foreign situation that I can't even find the right words."
"I think you're right, Miyuki" replied the Inspector in a quiet voice. "I wonder how many people were lost trying to be of help to friends or family members."
A look of panic shot across Miyuki's face. "Daimaru! Sena! I hope they are OK."
"They are" Natsumi said. "They called here while I was trying to contact Shouji. They had barricaded the shop and I told them to try and make it here if they could. They said Honda took off, however-they think he was trying to get Megumi from school."
"I hope they can make it here safely" Miyuki said.
Kenny, Noguchi and the two other patrolmen made it to the front entrance of the station in just a few minutes. Kenny had made one quick detour, to the recreation room to grab a baseball bat. The four officers looked around and saw no activity on the street outside the station compound walls. Kenny pointed to Noguchi and one of the officers and said, "You two, start closing that gate." He pointed to the last officer. "Go get some more people as quickly as possible." He ran off.
Noguchi looked at Kenny and said, What are you going to do, Nakajima?" Kenny replied, "I'll stand guard. Those... things... can be deceptive. We almost were attacked while I was helping Inspector Kinoshita on my bike. You two get this one gate section out, then we can switch and I'll help wrestle the other section while you stand guard-OK?" He grinned.
"Sounds like a plan to me" Noguchi admitted, then turned to the task of moving the heavy gate. The other officer came running back with one other person-the desk sergeant, who stood there with a bemused grin. "What are you people doing?" he asked.
"The Chief told us to close the gate" Nakajima replied.
"I see" the sergeant said. He keyed the mic on his left lapel and said "Close the gate."
Two electric motors started humming as the gates began to move towards each other. Kenny, Noguchi and the other two officers stood there dumbfounded.
"All you had to do was call down and we'd have had them closed in 30 seconds" the sergeant chuckled.
Just then a green sports car screeched to a stop inches from the gate. "Open the gate!" a woman's voice cried out. Kenny started as he recognized the voice of his stepmother. "Quick! Open the gate! That's my mother!" he cried out.
The sergeant called back to the desk. "Open the gate. We need to let some survivors in." As a gap the size of Sena's Morgan formed and she pulled forward Daimaru pulled up right behind her on his motorcycle. When they both cleared the gate the sergeant called to have the gate closed again.
Kenny ran over to his parents. "Mom! Dad! I was so worried about the two of you. How are you? How did you know to come here?"
Daimaru pulled off his helmet. "Sena called here and talked with Natsumi. She said we should make it over here. What were you doing?"
Kenny replied "I was saving Inspector Kinoshita's life. She had been in an accident and a group of them were gathering around her."
"Good work, son!" Daimaru beamed.
"Take your car and motorcycle around to the parking area in the back" the desk sergeant told the couple. He then turned to the officer who had summoned him. "You come with me. I'll get the remote for the gate. You'll need to stand gate guard duty for now. I'll get you a walkie-talkie in case you need help." The two of them headed towards the building.
Noguchi held out his hand and said "Kenny, you need to go take care of your parents. I'll stand watch here until the sergeant gets back." Turning to the other officer, he continued "and I'll need you... what's your name?" he asked.
"Shimura" the officer replied.
"I'll need you, Shimura, to stay by the front door to relay messages until someone gets here with either the remote switch or a radio" Noguchi ordered.
"Yes, I will" Shimura replied and left to take his post by the front door. Kenny handed the bat to Noguchi and headed for the building while Noguchi moved over to a position about 10 feet away from the gate. Kenny turned and called to Noguchi, "In case you hadn't heard, they seem to respond to sounds-their eyes are dead."
"Thanks for the tip" Noguchi called back "and keep it down!" He turned back to face the driveway.
Kenny made it up to the squad room to find Sena and Daimaru already there. They were chatting with Miyuki, Natsumi and Saori. The Chief and Inspectors Kinoshita and Tokuno were conferring at the Chief's desk. Other officers were on telephones. A TV was on in the background, but hardly anyone was paying attention to it.
Kenny walked up to his parents. Daimaru grabbed his hand and started pumping it, with a huge grin on his face. "Congratulations, Son! I knew you could do it!"
Puzzled, Kenny replied "Do what?"
"Natsumi told us everything." Daimaru roared with laughter as he threw his arm around his son's shoulder. The three at the desk looked up at him. Kinoshita smiled, the Chief had a gleam in his eye and Tokuno just shook his head. They turned back to their deliberations.
Kenny reddened a bit but stood his ground. "I've come to the realization I have been a fool and wasted so much time. I will never let that happen again."
Daimaru's face turned serious. "I understand, Son. You've faced death. That does tend to make things like a little embarrassment become insignificant. I only hope the two of you will have plenty of time to make up for the past."
Nurse Okazaki walked into the squad room. "Has anyone seen Aoi? She's not in the infirmary." The whole squad room stared at her. Inspector Tokuno looked up, surprised. "You mean you didn't release her?" he asked.
"She's not ready to go back to duty" Okazaki replied. Tokuno's eyes grew wide.
"What is it, Tokuno?" the Chief asked.
"I gave her the keys to my car. She said you had given her an important assignment." Tokuno dropped his head in his hand.
Natsumi glanced over to her desk. "She's taken her gun" she said almost in a whisper. "What is she doing?"
