November
Mitsuru could not recollect how or when she had returned back to their tiny apartment above the cantina. It wasn't surprising that the memory was foggy considering the intensity of yesterday's activities. She probably hadn't said thank you or goodnight to Alejandro - a fact that she regretted now that she was awake. Mitsuru made a mental note to herself to apologize and express gratitude to Alejandro for his services. She hoped he did not mistake her exhaustion for rudeness.
Her eyes opened the bright light illuminating the curtains on the windows. Alejandro was singing in the kitchen.
This morning it was Nina Simone.
By the way his deep voice carried the lyrics of 'Feeling Good', it was clear Alejandro's spirits were high. Mitsuru watched small particles of dust drift through the exposed morning light as she listened to his thick and soulful voice as it passed through the walls.
The melody soothed her, but Mitsuru could not entirely share in the sentiment of the song.
While their operation had been a success, the challenge now was meeting Maeda and his sellers on an even playing field. He'd either come after Mitsuru here in Mexico, or build up his reserves and strike in Beirut. Mitsuru would need a different plan to cut to the quick of the illicit operation in Lebanon, one that relied less on opportunism and more on infiltrating the enemy's operations.
Mitsuru silently rose from the bed and slipped on a light sweater. She pushed the door open silently and then smirked as she crossed her arms, her presence unnoticed. Alejandro continued his singing as he moved the iron over his shirt.
"My father used to listen to that song," Mitsuru commented, leaning against the doorframe. "It always made me smile when I heard it coming from his office. It meant he was enjoying his work."
Alejandro turned to her defensively, holding the iron in his hand like a weapon. He furrowed his eyebrows at her with calculated ambivalence.
"Don't know what you're talking about, boss," he said before slowly returning the iron to his shirt, his eyes still burning back at her accusingly.
"Of course not," Mitsuru nodded.
Once he finished ironing, Alejandro whipped up a breakfast large enough to feed an entire village. Mitsuru tried to eat slowly, but since she hadn't eaten dinner last night, she eagerly devoured the large pile of tortillas, eggs, and ham. Mitsuru apologized for her taciturn nature after their return last night.
"Boss," Alejandro responded, clearing his throat from across the table. Seeing his apprehension, Mitsuru gave him an encouraging nod as she took measured bites of her food.
"Something's been bugging me," he continued, looking down at his hands. "The way you showed your face. . . gave them your family's name."
Alejandro sighed and crossed his arms, averting his gaze out the window.
"Then the school . . ."
"You think I was careless," Mitsuru translated.
"It was bold," Alejandro shrugged. "Just don't get why you did it."
"I see," Mitsuru said, swallowing the rest of her breakfast and gently patting her hands with the napkin. "Let's spar."
The stern expression on Alejandro's face was quickly replaced with one of bewilderment.
Dust puffed up from the floorboards as Alejandro hit the ground with a yelp. While his impact against the ground seemed painful, Mitsuru suspected Alejandro's grunt had more to do with the blow she had just dealt to his ribcage.
His arms were spread out to his sides as he let out one long slow wheeze. Mitsuru carefully tidied her hair into a bun before putting her hands on her knees and leaning over him. He looked up at her, not quite surprised, but certainly not expecting her to actually come at him so quickly.
"You recall, Alejandro, my confusion during our initial sparring sessions. I was confused at why you weren't taking my attacks seriously," Mitsuru commented, slightly out of breath. Alejandro closed his eyes in a tight wince as the pain of his injuries seemed to intensify.
"Every adversary I've encountered has addressed me as a serious threat," Mitsuru continued. "I realized that, unlike you, my previous opponents never assumed I would hold back. I realize now I have taken this for granted. Thank you for helping me realize this critical error."
"Don't mention it," Alejandro squeaked.
"You see, after you made it clear that I wasn't a threat to you, your doubt spurred doubt in myself and adversely impacted my commitment to attack."
"I think you broke something," he wheezed, putting his hands over his ribs.
"Therefore, in order to prove that I was not "bluffing" so to speak, I couldn't attempt a mere feint. I had to pin you. Now you know how threatening I am."
Alejandro's stoic expression flickered with a grimace.
"You hit hard," was all he decided to say.
"I became concerned that Akabe or Maeda might regard me in a similar fashion. As that is risk I cannot take, I had to demonstrate my resolve. This should answer your question as to why I showed my face to the enemy, why I so ostentatiously uttered my father's name, and why," Mitsuru straightened her back and rolled her shoulders. "I had no qualms burning down the Agua Prieta School."
Alejandro looked as though he might be sick or start crying. Perhaps both. Mitsuru suspected he was still listening, however, and continued on.
"Maeda and Akabe need to know I'm coming. When they realize the full extent of my conviction, they will feel threatened. Their knee-jerk reaction will be to strike back carelessly," Mitsuru said, nodding down at him, her hands on her hips.
"Whether it's on the battlefield, or in the company archives, our coup de grace will come when Akabe and his attack dog swing back."
"Why not try a more subtle strategy, boss?" Alejandro swallowed hard before releasing a rumbling exhale. "You know, come at 'em out of nowhere?"
"If your uncle wanted subtle, he wouldn't have recruited me," Mitsuru offered Alejandro her hand, but he waved her off.
"I'm just gonna stay down here for a bit, boss," he said, trying to appear nonchalant.
Mitsuru remained hidden away in the tiny apartment for the next week. Alejandro brought her newspapers, some from as far away as the United States, proclaiming the liberation of the seventeen school children from Agua Prieta. The Mexican Government was taking credit for the release.
According to Alejandro and Ava, the cartel's activities had shifted away from Hermasillo and Agua Prieta. The seller appeared to be nervous, but Mitsuru wasn't discounting the risk of a retaliatory strike from a disgruntled cartel ring.
One evening, Mitsuru overheard the sounds of a celebration from the bar downstairs. Alejandro returned late in the evening with a shotglass filled with tequila.
"On the house, boss. Salud."
She took a sip and the liquor had burned her throat, but not in a painful way. A slow burn that sizzled and glowed in her stomach.
The proprietress of the bar downstairs had excellent taste. Mitsuru only wished Ava and the others would be more reserved in their celebrations.
Ava was doing her best to work with the children and their families, but the children were still having difficulty readjusting to their home lives and had the added bonus of persona to contend with. The children needed a persona user to guide them, but right now, Ava would be more than enough. She was strong, she was patient, and she cared enough to stay.
If Mitsuru's luck prevailed, she would return to help finish was she started.
Mitsuru neatly folded the newspapers and stacked them on the table. She reached for the file she had plucked from the Agua Prieta School and went over each of the emails in meticulous detail.
Unfortunately for Mitsuru, luck as well as time were precious commodities.
She needed to break up operations in Beirut, but in order to do so, she had to be absolutely confident that it was the sole locus of the trafficking ring. Things in Mexico were beginning to appear stabilized and while Mitsuru doubted the violence had truly died down, there was a lull in the storm. She needed to take advantage of it and soon.
Mitsuru looked up from the papers as Alejandro tipped the spout of a tea kettle into a mug.
"Can you get me across the border?"
Alejandro cocked an eyebrow, as if to say 'really?'
"Think I can manage, boss," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. Alejandro put the mug in front of Mitsuru with a heavy thunk.
"Good," Mitsuru nodded curtly, sifting through the pile of evidence. "Please make the necessary arrangements before booking a flight to Beirut at the end of this week. I'll be going ahead alone."
That last order did not sit well with Alejandro.
The two sat across from each other at the dining room table. Both had their arms crossed defiantly and both were staring each other down with cool, disagreeing stares. A small cellular phone was glowing between them.
"Congratulations," Josue Perez stated. "You have all done excellent work. Kirijo-san, I trust you are collaborating well with my nephew as your associate?"
Mitsuru smiled grimly to Alejandro, who furrowed his eyebrows at her in response.
"Very well, though I'm afraid the reason for this phone call today is to seek your mediation with a disagreement we seem to be having."
"Oh?"
"Boss got it in her head she could head to Beirut alone."
"I need to start operations on the ground," Mitsuru said briskly. "However, I'm not ready to have Ava take on mentoring the children and fending off the cartel. I need your nephew to stay here until we are certain that our enemies are not planning to retaliate."
Alejandro looked close to rolling his eyes.
"Cartel's moved out of town," he said dully, staring keenly at the phone. "Bigger problem is waiting for us in Lebanon. Yusuf won't take kindly to a woman leading his men through an operation."
Mitsuru could not hide her surprise at Alejandro's candor, even though she knew this would likely be an issue for her. Josue had briefed her about their associates in Beirut, but compared to the other problems the operation entailed, general sexism was rather low on the priority list. Still, Mitsuru took this opportunity to quietly fume. To think that the lives of innocent children could be forfeit due something as trivial as her sex.
A long, drawn out pause amplified their staredown until Josue chimed in at last.
"I am inclined to agree that our contact in Beirut is rather . . . old fashioned."
Mitsuru shook her head disinterestedly as Alejandro puffed with satisfaction.
"However, Kirijo-san is no stranger to misogynist business partners. She can appropriately navigate cultural norms while achieving our objectives without a male chaperone. Would you agree with this assessment, Kirijo-san?"
"Absolutely," Mitsuru said leaning forward confidently. Alejandro was clearly biting back an argument.
"Then I believe the issue is settled. Alejandro, I'll be wiring funds to you shortly. Ensure Kirijo-san crosses the border and catches the next flight out of Phoenix. Remain in Hermasillo for no less than a week before you follow."
Alejandro sulked.
They departed for Phoenix the next morning. Mitsuru looked into the rear-view mirror as Hermasillo disappeared behind her. They'd pass through Nogales this time, for the sake of time. A pang filled her stomach when she wondered if she'd really be able to return here once the work was done. By that time, her company would likely be in ruins and no one would want the help of an embattled former CEO who had been ignorant of an internal scandal.
The drive to Phoenix was refreshingly shorter than their inbound route from Mexico City. They passed forests, alien rock formations, and waves of desert in silence. They crossed the border without incident, although their strange appearances did raise the eyebrows of a few border officials. They continued through Arizona in silence and Mitsuru wondered if Alejandro was still miffed by his uncle's decision for them to split up temporarily.
Still, Mitsuru knew there would be no better opportunity to breach the conversation that had been in the back of her mind since last week.
"I have a proposition for you, Alejandro," Mitsuru took a deep breath as an unusual nervous feeling moved into her chest. From the driver's seat, Alejandro regarded her as though something had suddenly sprouted out of her neck.
Mitsuru allotted herself another long pause. Alejandro drove on patiently.
"I'd like you to serve as my private security detail."
Alejandro's befuddled expression grew sharper. The sound of the tires rolling against the pavement filled the car. Mitsuru closed her eyes, bracing herself for disappointment. He was going to say no.
"You want me to be your bodyguard, boss?"
"If you prefer," Mitsuru said in a tone that clearly indicated her distaste for the term. "Assuming we survive our mission and I retain control of the company, your talents and keen eye for detail would be extremely useful while I'm cleaning house, so to speak."
Her companion made a wistful sounding grunt before he retreated into deep thought.
"What do you need with a bodyguard?" Alejandro asked at last, his voice still thick from sleep. "Yesterday you toppled a dude twice your size."
"Appeasement," Mitsuru said shortly. "Will you consider my offer?"
Alejandro looked at her blankly before turning his eyes back to the road with a large grin.
When they arrived at the airport, Alejandro walked Mitsuru to the security gate with a neutral frown. He handed her a small bag. She didn't need to look inside.
"Let me guess," she said with a sigh. "I stick out."
"You will," Alejandro nodded. "Don't lose your temper with Yusuf. He's a dinosaur, but he knows the extremist network in Beirut better than anyone."
"We will all do our very best," Mitsuru said encouragingly. She smiled professionally at Alejandro. "I'll see you very soon, Alejandro."
Alejandro scowled at her.
"Don't get shot, boss."
Sergeant Sanada removed his cap, shaking off the excess rain from his shoulders. The unexpected drizzle had rolled in early morning and was expected to be upgraded to a severe storm by late evening. Ken had messaged him saying he had arrived from the U.S. without incident, but may be a few minutes late meeting him for drinks.
It was fine by Akihiko. He was meeting someone now anyway.
There was no crowd to search through in this bar, and Akihiko easily spotted Kurosawa sitting at the bar.
"I'll have what he's having," Akihiko said, taking a seat at the bar and nodding to the bartender. "Anyone new on the Baltic Technology front?"
Kurosawa let out a defeated sigh as he shook his head. He paused before bringing a bottle of beer to his lips.
"The Board Chair is starting to wonder why we're talking European nanotechnology over beers instead of politics."
"Not asking a lot here, sir. Just a little detail on the competition."
"His name's Alvar Laar - sometimes referred to as the Technological Prince of Estonia."
"A prince?!" Akihiko ran a hand through his hair. "Jesus, you can't be serious."
"Relax, it's a nickname."
Akihiko shook his head as the bartender knocked a beer against the countertop. He released a distraught sigh before he took a sip of the beer and chewed his lip thoughtfully. This entanglement was only getting worse, and Mitsuru hadn't made things any easier by concealing the truth.
After they had returned from Yakushima, Mitsuru had spent several long nights in her home office reviewing piles of portfolios from rival companies. Akihiko had expressed polite interest about the nature of these file reviews, and was met with short and somewhat defensive answers.
He shrugged it off and figured she was still stressed from the Board pushing a bodyguard on her.
Akihiko didn't think of it again until he met Kurosawa for beers after their shift a few weeks later. He could tell Kurosawa was taking extra care to be sensitive, which had scared Akihiko enough to ask what was wrong. Kurosawa had gravely asked how he was handling news of a potential merger. Akihiko had shrugged, not sure how to respond. After all, it was Mitsuru's company. If she was planning a merger, it would probably be a wild success.
When Kurosawa had given him a look Akihiko recognized as the 'This is going to hurt' expression, Akihiko knew he had grossly misjudged the situation.
Kurosawa was drinking buddies with the Kirijo Board Chair, and had learned through this contemporary that the Board was giving Mitsuru an ultimatum: Get married or get a bodyguard.
Akihiko had had a few sparring sessions with Mitsuru to give her a taste of what practical self-defense looked like, but she'd obviously been placating him. Mitsuru was closer to painting the Kirijo Headquarters pink than getting a security detail.
Receiving this news, Akihiko began to distance himself from Mitsuru. He'd started to ignore her calls and cancel their plans with excuses that work was too busy. Every time he shut her out, it pinched at his gut. Hurting Mitsuru was never part of the plan, but Akihiko to needed time to build up his own portfolio for the Kirijo Board so he could propose to Mitsuru without her getting wind of his plans.
Why Mitsuru didn't want Akihiko to know about the ultimatum was less important to him than getting a foot in with The Board. After all, he could explain his motivations and how he had come to acquire the company details later. Fences could be mended.
The idea of the Board trying to marry off a grown woman off by backing her into a corner was the most egregious part about this whole mess. They were leveraging Mitsuru's loyalty and her desire to lead with their own designs.
Akihiko had to stand up to them.
"They keep raising the stakes on me," he muttered dismally.
"No offense, son, but I don't think they even know you exist. If you just explained your relationship with Kirijo, I'm sure they'd welcome you with open arms."
"Can't risk that," Akihiko shook his head. "Not yet. Might cause them to double down on this guy."
"Then make Kirijo aware of your intentions," Kurosawa instructed deliberately. "Look, the only reason they're getting away with pigeon holing her into this is because she's afraid. If you propose, Kirijo will accept your offer and inform the board of her decision. Then I guarantee you these guys will back off. The Board doesn't hedge bets against the company heir once she's made up her mind."
"Can't do that either," Akihiko felt a coldness fill his lungs.
"Why?"
"I broke up with her last week."
Kurosawa looked away, shaking his head with obvious disapproval.
He had to do it, Akihiko reminded himself. Mitsuru kept the topic of marriage so far away from Akihiko, it was clear she wasn't considering that as a possible recourse. Akihiko needed the time and the space to better himself and convince her and her company that he was worthy.
"Jesus, Sanada," Kurosawa grumbled. "I know you like a good challenge and all, but breaking up with the girl you're trying to marry? A little counterproductive, don't you think?"
"I need to dedicate myself entirely to work. The Board won't take me seriously if I'm a Sergeant. I need a Lieutenant rank at the very least if I want to stack up to some of these guys they're lining up."
"And you explained all of this to Kirijo."
Akihiko rubbed his hands against his beer. He had to do it, he told himself for the millionth time. This was his idea. Mitsuru had enough to deal with. She just needed to hold out long enough against the Board for Akihiko to get a good word in-
"I'm disappointed in you, son," Kurosawa sighed. Akihiko forced his chin up high, steeling himself against the harsh words. "You've known her pretty much your entire life: You owe her more than that."
"Look, this isn't permanent-"
"How the hell is she supposed to know that?"
"If I told her anything about this, she'd only try to stop me. She'd-"
"Ask you to marry her."
"And I'd say no."
"Right. Because her proposing to you would just make this too damn easy."
"Captain, I can't look like I'm hiding behind Mitsuru. The Board needs to know I'm not some feckless guy who's trying to take advantage of their CEO. They need to see I'm a man with station who isn't afraid to walk in those doors and-"
"You know what I think, Sanada?" Kurosawa cut him off, swiveling his barstool to face his protege. "If the man I'm looking at now can't walk through those board room doors, and tell the Board that he's marrying the woman he loves with or without their blessing, it doesn't matter if he's a rookie cop or Chief of Police. He's just a gutless badge who doesn't deserve Mitsuru Kirijo."
Kurosawa stood up and dropped a few bills on the counter.
"You were enough for her when you were a runny-nosed kid, Sergeant. Maybe someday you'll get that through that thick skull of yours."
He clapped a heavy hand against Akihiko's back before pulling on his overcoat and leaving. Akihiko glowered at the remnants of his beer, the foamy beverage curdling in his stomach.
"Evening, Sanada-san."
A lively presence dropped into Kurosawa's vacated barstool.
Ken Amada smiled at him, but Akihiko deciphered a strange sadness in the college student's expression. Probably just jet lag.
"Hey," Akihiko straightened his back and cleared his throat, jutting his hand out to Ken. "Welcome home. How long have you been here?"
"Not long," Ken answered dismissively as he shook Akihiko's hand. The smile on his face remained tight. "How about a fresh one?"
January
Akihiko's skin was covered in goosebumps. A strange cocktail of anger, shame, and regret stirred around in his gut and tickled at his nerves. In the backseat, Aigis was silently staring ahead at the road, knowing better than to get involved in this particular conversation. Ken had just finished retelling his account of that night and his hands were drained of all color as they clenched the steering wheel.
"You were there the whole time?" Akihiko murmured, cinching his eyebrows. Outside, he could almost see the desert heat sizzling as it blurred by. He should have been angry. He should have been livid. Instead, Akihiko just felt defeated.
"I was waving at you from the back like a crazed idiot when you walked in," Ken laughed exasperatedly, waving his arms for emphasis.
Akihiko hardened his gaze on the passing scenery.
"I saw you sit down next to Kurosawa and I came up to join you, but then I heard what you were talking about so I hung back. I was going to walk away, but. . ."
Ken shook his head miserably.
"The conversation was about two people I care about," he finished with a sad shrug. "I couldn't just disengage."
"You heard all of it?" Akihiko confirmed, still unable to fathom how he'd been so oblivious that night. He sharply reconsidered. He'd obviously had other things on his mind on that particular evening.
"Every word," Ken's voice rose impatiently. "And you know what? After I finished at the bar with you, I paid a visit to Mitsuru-san. It took a few glasses of wine to get her talking about you again, but do you know what she told me? She said she was happy for you. You could finally become the officer you always wanted to be without any obligations holding you back. Obligations, Akihiko-san."
"That's not how I felt about her," Akihiko snarled, pumping his fists in his lap.
"I know that. Jesus, we all know that," Ken groaned. "But she didn't."
"She should have."
"What are you? Twelve?" Ken snorted, glaring out the windshield.
"Watch it," Akihiko warned. Ken plowed on.
"Just like you should have known she'd take on an arranged marriage rather than try and coerce you into choosing between her and your career?"
Akihiko shut his mouth, not appreciating the latest in a long string of schoolings from someone several years his junior. In the backseat, Aigis spread open an atlas to cover her face. Apparently, the conversation was personal enough to cause a robot to feel embarrassed.
"Mitsuru-san told me about how her company's Board were pushing mergers on her left and right," Ken continued quietly. "A few more glasses of wine, and she spilled just what kind of mergers the Kirijo Group was looking at. The next morning she made me promise not to tell anyone a word of what she had said. That this was a company affair, not personal, and should be handled by her alone."
Ken sighed, exhausted.
"So there you go. That's how I know about your relationship with Mitsuru-san in a nutshell. Neither of you talked to each other, both of you thought you were inadequate or in the way, and neither bothered to ask the other if those convictions had any truth."
Silence plugged the car. A wave of excuses, justifications, and good reasons for his breaking up with Mitsuru rained down upon him, but nothing stuck. In the end Akihiko had to swallow two hard truths: She was stubborn, and he was an idiot.
"You'd make a great cop," Akihiko grumbled.
"More like therapist."
"That's pushing it."
In the backseat, Aigis breathed a sigh of relief.
They stopped outside of Agua Prieta for lunch. To their shock and surprise, the attitudes of the locals had completed reversed. Men tipped their hats to them, women waved at them with wide grins, and the children followed Ken's car singing and chanting rhymes. The man in the small corner shop bellowed at them happily and offered them a free lunch. No matter how much they refused, he would not take no for an answer.
Ava and her friends could spread news faster than a wildfire.
Not wanting to linger or draw any more attention, they parked behind a gas station and ate in Ken's car. Ken seemed pensive.
"What do we do now?"
"As far as we know, Mitsuru's still in Beirut," Akihiko swallowed a savory lump of beans and rice. "An Iranian flower market isn't much to go off of, but right now it's all we got."
Akihiko watched Aigis shoot Ken a furtive look, which was averted by Ken shyly.
"Okay," Akihiko cleared his throat, wadding up his napkin and stuffing it into the empty styrofoam bowl. "Spill it you two."
Ken sighed.
"I think . . . I think I want to stay here."
Akihiko had hardly enough time to register Ken's statement before Aigis chimed in.
"I do as well."
Akihiko whipped around, pinning Aigis with an incredulous stare.
After the initial shock wore off, Ken and Aigis' decision made an awful lot of sense to Akihiko. Both of his friends had a knack for mentorship and were always ready to lend a helping hand. Aigis had always been a free spirit and Akihiko was prepared to support her in whatever she chose to do. Still, he had cause to worry about Ken.
"What about your classes?"
Ken made a noise somewhere between a hiss and a sigh.
"Well, I haven't technically registered for my spring coursework yet."
"What?" Akihiko asked.
"I can go back anytime!" Ken rushed, waving his hands. "Really, it's no big deal. Besides, this is more important."
Akihiko sighed with uncertainty.
"It's your future at stake here, Ken."
Ken nodded and pursed his lips.
"I've been thinking about Shinjiro-san. Without him, and well, all of you. . . I wouldn't know what Kala-Nemi would be like today. You guys," Ken turned to Aigis and smiled. "You helped me become the man I am today. He's the reason I have a strong and good persona. Shinjiro-san would want me to do the same for these kids."
Akihiko dropped his head back against the seat and frowned. He had nothing.
"Don't worry, Akihiko-san," Aigis laid a comforting hand on Akihiko's shoulder. "Soon, we will all be together again."
Akihiko's lips quirked into a crooked smile as he turned around to face her. She squeezed his shoulder, and Akihiko suddenly was more concerned about himself traveling to Beirut without her steady temperament and calming way with words.
"Just keep each other out of trouble," he muttered, focusing back on Ken.
"Why'd you look at me when you said that?" Ken gasped innocently.
"I believe Akihiko-san thinks you may have romantic designs for Ava," Aigis explained for the benefit of nobody. Ken simply whistled with a sly grin as he put the car in reverse.
Akihiko took a seat on the bus and immediately noticed that he had caused a blast radius around himself. No one wanted to sit within two seats of him.
He didn't blame them. Akihiko looked pretty roughed up, and in this part of Mexico, that mean he had earned the ire of the cartel. He was bad news.
Happy not to be harassed for the next five hours en route to Phoenix International Airport, Akihiko leaned his head against the window of the bus and closed his eyes.
Ava had practically squashed Ken and Aigis in her embrace. Her gratitude had been fierce, and Akihiko had no doubt she and her colleagues would ensure his friends would be treated with the utmost hospitality and respect. As soon as he found Mitsuru, he would call them.
Akihiko's phone buzzed in his pocket. A pang of dread hit him in the gut when he saw it was Fuuka calling. Something must have happened.
"What's wrong?" He immediately asked.
"I'm all right, senpai," Fuuka cleared her throat and laughed nervously. "Junpei and Yukari are okay, too, just worried. How are you all doing down there? We haven't heard from you since you called in Phoenix."
"I'm fine," Akihiko said shortly. "We're all fine. Ken and Aigis are staying in Mexico for the time being. I'll explain later. What's going on, Fuuka?"
"Well, a lot's been happening in Port Island since last month," Fuuka paused and Akihiko did not take her statement as good news. Still, he tried to hear her out.
"It's a long story, but when I got back from Paris, the Kirijo Company Board Chair was waiting for me at my apartment."
Akihiko pounced.
"What happened? Did he threaten you? Fuuka, tell me where you are and I'll get Kurosawa to-"
"Please, Akihiko-senpai, I'm fine. But um, he would like to speak with you."
Akihiko was floored. She must be referring to Kurosawa-
"Is this Lieutenant Akihiko Sanada?" a deep voice replaced Fuuka's. Akihiko was trembling. The blast radius of people fanned out further.
"Listen to me very carefully," Akihiko said deliberately. "I don't care who you are, how much money you have, or who your friends are. If you hurt my friends, I'll find you and will personally ensure you get a taste of the full extent of the law-"
The Chair simply laughed.
"My, Kirijo-san was not making an understatement when she extolled your loyalty."
Akihiko's threat died in his throat. Stunned, he missed his opportunity to continue his vehement outburst and the Chair continued.
"I must apologize for not making your acquaintance earlier. I do believe we passed each other briefly in the hospital corridor after Kirijo-san's unfortunate motorcycle accident a few years ago. I hope you will forgive me, I was in no mood to make friends that day."
Unsure of how to reply, Akihiko pushed his lips together in an angry frown.
"Our surveillance equipment caught Yamagishi-san entering Kirijo-san's townhome last month. She told me she had just returned from Paris and was attempting to gather information from Kirijo-san's computer. I quickly stopped and deleted the surveillance footage before rushing over to Kirijo-san's townhome. I believe I gave her quite the scare when I intercepted her in the act of infiltrating Kirijo-san's data files!"
"Wait, wait," Akihiko breathed. "You deleted the surveillance footage?"
"Yes. I believe this was the third time I did so. I'm becoming quite skilled! Let's return to that point later, shall we?"
Akihiko found himself nodding.
"I immediately made it clear to Yamagishi-san that I was not there to turn her in to the authorities or harm her. Indeed, I wished to lend my assistance in locating Kirijo-san. You see, since Kirijo-san's disappearance, the Board has consistently voted to keep her disappearance and our search for her clandestine. Rest assured, I have and continue to be a voice of dissent in these proceedings. This is a matter for law enforcement, not for financial wizards. At first, I assumed positive intent behind my colleagues' motivations for keeping this matter out of police hands, but it soon became apparent to me that Treasurer Akabe and his allies were less concerned about Kirijo-san's well-being and more concerned about other matters."
"Such as?"
"To be very honest with you, Lieutenant, I believe Treasurer Akabe has been undermining and indeed plotting a takeover of the Kirijo Company for several years now. When Kirijo-san was involved with the motorcycle crash, I had some evidence to suggest that it was no accident. I believe Treasurer Akabe was behind the foiled kidnapping plot. However, the evidence was insufficient and Kurosawa could not help me pursue the matter."
Akihiko choked back the I knew you son of a bitches were behind this comment rising in his throat and settled on clenching his fist on his thigh. He realized he was glaring venomously at a cringing old woman two seats ahead of him and quickly averted his glare.
"To my dismay, it was not long after that the Treasurer suggested to arrange a marriage between Kirijo-san and a company rival. The majority of the board members, rattled, were quick to approve of the idea. Again, I was a voice of dissent in this matter. Since the majority ruled, however, I had to fall in line behind my fellow members. The only recourse I was able to offer was that she procure a bodyguard instead of a husband. I thought this option would protect her from forces inside the company as well as without. Both options seemed equally unpalatable to her, as you may very well recall. I realize now my good intentions only afforded another way for the Treasurer to box Kirijo-san in and limit her freedom as CEO."
Akihiko heard the older gentleman shift on the other line and for a moment he could almost hear Fuuka wringing her hands.
"The situation has become increasingly sinister. You see, with the help of my credentials, Yamagishi-san was able to retrieve some of the files purged from Kirijo-san's computer. We followed the clues back to the company archives, and have found a disturbing pattern of questionable purchases in the Charitable Giving wing, deliberately signed by Treasurer Akabe on dates where the CEO was absent. No doubt, Kirijo-san was onto Treasurer Akabe's deceit prior to her disappearance. Unfortunately, I do not feel as though we have enough conclusive evidence to lay charges against the Treasurer."
Akihiko wanted to point out that it wasn't the Chair's call to decide if there was sufficient evidence or not, but he kept this mouth shut out of growing respect.
In order to prevent Treasurer Akabe from realizing I am on to his games, I have been independently following you and your friends as you work to find Kirijo-san and covering your work so as not to arouse suspicion from Akabe. Hence, why I deleted the Kirijo Company's surveillance footage of your friends nosing about."
Again, Akihiko stifled the urge to to unleash a slew of questions fit for the interrogation room. Patience had always been his greatest failing, but at this point, his limited supply of the virtue was completely tapped out.
"The Treasurer is smart enough to know that a missing persons report will inevitably result in searches of company property," The Chair continued. "He is stalling for more time. In order to end this, I need your advice, Lieutenant. Is the best course of action to allow Akabe to stall for time or would it be better to spring a trap?"
"Spring a trap," Akihiko said curtly.
The Chair was obviously taken back by this quick response.
"Are you certain, Lieutenant? This option may yield unintended consequences for Kirijo-san. I do not wish to do anything that may cause Akabe to lash out and cause her harm."
"If he does, I'll be there. She won't be alone," Akihiko said, staring out of the window determinedly. "I don't know exactly what Mitsuru's planning, but if what we heard in Mexico is any indication, she's turning up the heat up on the operation end of things. I think she wants to cut off the arm before she attacks the head, but there's no time for that kind of strategy. This needs to end before she or someone else gets hurt."
"What do you suggest?" the Chair asked patiently.
"You need evidence that the Treasurer's been siphoning off funds and defrauding shareholders for nefarious purposes. The only way to do that is to back him into a corner. Make him sweat that the police will find Mitsuru before he does. He'll act recklessly."
Akihiko took a deep breath and squared his shoulders.
"Go to Kurosawa's office directly. Don't call, don't email. File a missing person's report in person. Don't speak to the Board, employees, or shareholders about this. Most importantly, bring Fuuka and Chihiro Fushimi with you when you file the report. They'll corroborate everything. Make sure Fushimi brings hard copies of the files for the schools. That should be enough to get Kurosawa started on a trail."
"He will want to speak with you."
"He certainly will. Unfortunately, I'm currently on extended vacation and not available for consultations."
The Chair released a slight exhale.
"Lieutenant, I strongly advise you to reconsider your pursuit of Kirijo-san. She needs your expertise as an officer of the law. Endangering your own life in this way will not assist her."
"With all due respect, sir, I never had any intention of helping her as an officer of the law. As her . . ." Akihiko shook his head. "Someone needs to help get it through that head of hers that there's no way in hell she's doing this alone."
"Very well," the Chair replied agreeably. "I will follow your instructions."
"Mr. Chair?"
"Yes, Lieutenant?"
"When I find Mitsuru, we have some things to hash out. It's going to be well, an execution, most likely. Whatever happens, it's personal. It's between me and her. Not me, her, and the Company. I'm going to help her and then, with a shred of luck, someday we'll stop arguing long enough for me to get a proposal in. I will not be asking for your blessing, but it sure as hell would make things a lot easier."
The old man let out a frail sigh. Akihiko readied himself for the worst, but was met with a desolate murmur instead.
"I sorely wish you had expressed that sentiment several years ago, Lieutenant."
"Yeah," Akihiko swallowed. "Me too."
He only realized how much he loved something until it was taken away from him. Miki, Shinji, and now-
"To clarify," the Chair continued firmly. "You have had the blessing of the Kirijo Company the day you befriended Kirijo-san. As you say, though, this is a personal matter. Expect no company interventions when Kirijo-san accepts your proposal. Yamagishi-san will be in touch with you as the situation develops. Your friends are in good hands here."
"Thank you. And. . ." Akihiko paused. "I'm sorry. I think I may have misjudged you, sir."
". . . We will speak soon, Lieutenant."
The Board Chair ended the call.