Title: Silent Consonant
By: Dr. Kim-chan
Author's Note: Today I want to call out Armagnac, who not only gave me the idea for this chapter's title, but also gave me some food for thought and a huge compliment. I'm extremely honored that you broke your promise by reviewing my fic! I try to do my best, even when I let my "fangirl side" loose and write pairings. As for the subject of Raye, I think he's more insecure than misogynist. (For one thing, he looks like a perfect gentleman next to Light.) Sure, he's an FBI agent, but I always thought of him as more of an information specialist than a gung-ho field operations guy. Then you have a classic case of "opposites attract": his engagement to a woman with a much more powerful personality. And after constantly seeing her put her life at risk, I guess he felt the best way they'd have a future was for her to quit. And maybe Misora also secretly wanted to settle down. We may never know now…
As for the rest of you fine reviewers, I thought it was weird that no one pointed out the fact that Naomi pretty much tore L a new one last chapter—or maybe you were thinking "about damn time". (laughs) I was also hoping I didn't make it seem like L was giving up too easily. L may be a lot of things, but he's certainly not a wimp.
And more and more of you are also expressing interest in my clues, which is a coincidence because I've been thinking that in an upcoming chapter, I'd include a in-depth analysis of all the clues Beyond's given out thus far, since I've gotten into the habit of doing it for the more recent chapters. I'd appreciate everyone's input on that idea as well.
(looks up) Wow. Long Author's Note. Let's get this chapter started already…
11:30 PM.
In one of the larger office complexes on the third floor of the NPA headquarters, the members of the SIS-L Japan Branch were gathered in front of the desk at the head of the room. Usually reserved for the section chief—Soichiro—now Watari commandeered the desk, a detailed map of Tokyo behind him. For a few members of the team, this was their first time laying eyes on the elderly man's face.
A stone-faced Raye sat closest to the elderly man on the opposite side of the desk. Surrounding him were the rest of the SIS-L, including Aizawa, Ukita, Mogi, Ide, Matsuda, and Soichiro. Ever since being deemed an official member of the SIS-L Los Angeles Branch, they'd been all the help and support he had these past couple of weeks as he did the best he could working alongside a police force from a completely different realm of culture and protocols. However, despite his proficiency in the language, only Soichiro knew the emotional turmoil he'd had to endure.
His fiancée, Naomi…in the clutches of the madman she once helped L chase through Los Angeles streets and summer heat. He'd read the official reports on the Los Angeles BB Murder Cases, seen the photographs. He knew what Beyond Birthday was capable of.
But for some inexplicable reason, he relented easily, and tonight, he would get Naomi back—and Light, for Soichiro's family's sake—with the help of the enigmatic Mitsuko Ona.
Raye knew as much about the female detective as anyone else in the SIS-L—which was to say, very little. But it hadn't been difficult to glean what little clues about her personality they could from her videos and her decision to take on the kidnapper all by herself. It wouldn't have been the way Raye would have handled the situation, but he had to admit, she'd accomplished her goals with little resistance.
Her tenacity, quick wit, and her aggressiveness…
She almost reminded him of…
Watari stood up and coughed quietly, instantly grabbing everyone's attention.
"Let's go over the plan for tonight's drop-off."
He turned slightly and gestured at the map hanging behind him.
"Chief Yagami has secured the rest of the police force's assistance in cordoning off the area around Tsukiji for the duration of the operation, including sections of Ginza and the Hama Rikyu Garden. Now, he and Penber will drive to the location via Harumi-dori, followed by Aizawa and Ukita. At the last intersection, Aizawa and Ukita will stop and remain there as lookouts. Mogi and Matsuda will be stationed near the Hama Rikyu Garden while Ide's team and I stand by at the Kachidokibashi Bridge. Once Chief Yagami and Penber enter the area, Penber will get out of the car and go ahead to the drop-off point alone while Chief Yagami stays behind and acts as his immediate backup."
Watari paused to pick up a box full of sets of earpieces and receivers. He took one for himself before passing the box to Soichiro, who also took one for himself before passing the box on.
"These are the devices we'll be using. Everyone will be able to hear in on the drop-off and intervene should a problem come up. This method of communication will also prevent us from arousing suspicion from the kidnapper. The only pitfall is that these are rather outmoded, so we can't establish separate channels, and turning down volume would be too much of a risk, so the second Penber exits the car, everyone is to maintain radio silence until he's back in the car with Misora and Light, or unless there is an emergency."
Raye picked up his receiver, fitted it to his ear, threaded the wire through the inside of his shirt, and clipped the other end of the device to the inside of his coat pocket. This brought the reality of tonight's mission crashing down on him, but he kept a calm demeanor. That was certainly more than he could say for Matsuda, who was fidgeting constantly with his receiver.
"Once Penber IDs the kidnapper, everyone around the perimeter will keep a sharp lookout, and once the kidnapper leaves Tsukiji, tail him as best as you can. We won't detain him on the spot, but at the very least we want to ascertain his whereabouts. At best, we can follow him all the way to his hideout, or he'll have arrived at the location by a car from which we can pick up a license plate number."
Everyone nodded solemnly. Watari paused again, looking around at the modest assembly, reflecting on all that had happened thus far. L wouldn't be found tonight, but they would take back two people who'd probably know where he was.
At the very least, it was a step in the right direction.
"Does anyone have any questions…? Well then, let's test the receivers…"
1:52 AM.
"Repeat it back to me."
Light's face froze in deep concentration, and then he recited the same set of instructions and codes Beyond just told him. He lost count of how many sets Beyond drilled him on, but so far his renowned intellect hadn't let him down, and he was certain he'd still remember everything when he had the opportunity to implement them.
"I see the title of 'Japan's best student' isn't an empty one," Beyond murmured. He reached for a box of cookies and immediately began devouring them one by one, but stopped long enough to offer Light one. The teen declined, and Beyond shrugged and ate that cookie too, descending into his sober, thoughtful expression once again.
"A shame this'll be over so soon. I was having fun."
"Why? Because you're going to be captured?" Light asked sarcastically.
"No. If Watari's as smart as I think he is, he won't make such a drastic move. Then again, desperation can be a powerful motivator."
Beyond sighed, still curled up in his peculiar sitting position.
"I wonder if desperation will drive L tonight…"
"Desperation?" Light repeated.
Beyond said nothing else on the subject, instead eating one more cookie before putting down the box and, for the first time since their initial encounter with each other, untied the cords that bound Light's feet together. Even though his hands were still captive behind his back, the caramel-haired teen nearly sighed with relief as Beyond helped him to his feet; he almost forgot the luxury of standing up.
Unfortunately, no sooner did he accomplish this feat did Beyond pick up a piece of red cloth and wrap it twice around his eyes, fastening it in a tight knot.
"Insurance," Beyond explained simply. "Now let's go; we don't want to make the SIS-L wait, now do we?"
2:26 AM.
Matsuda stared out of the windshield of the car blankly, Mogi sitting behind the steering wheel, blinking once in a while but still keeping a vigilant eye on the one street that bypassed the Hama Rikyu Garden and what little they could see of the Tsukiji fish market's outer perimeter.
He may not have been the sharpest of the team, but even Matsuda found little value in keeping a lookout at a location like this. There were many alleyways surrounding the open warehouse space; it was a veritable maze, and a few of the alleys were wide enough for most small cars to go into. Also given that the area was deserted now, it was doubtful the kidnapper would park in such an obvious spot.
Still, anything was possible, and despite the seriousness of the situation, he could barely stifle the rush of adrenaline pumping through his bloodstream. To think—the epicenter of the case of the missing superdetective L was taking place right in Japan.
As the young investigator fiddled with his earpiece for the sixth time, a green taxi passed them by. This wouldn't have been noticeable if not for the fact that it was practically crawling along the road.
Matsuda immediately touched his earpiece.
"Matsuda in. Suspicious vehicle near Hama Rikyu Garden. It's a taxi."
"Has it stopped? Any sign of the occupants?"
"Stand by." He turned to Mogi. "I'm going in for a closer look."
Mogi nodded, and Matsuda opened the door and climbed out. With as much stealth as he could muster, he walked up to the edge of the sidewalk and squeezed himself behind a tree. Double-checking his surroundings, he peered around the bend. The taxi had indeed stopped on the curb, and the occupants were already out.
…Occupants?
"There's two people getting out. One male, one female. Female has a leather jacket and long hair. Looks like she's in her mid to late twenties. Male has messy black hair, white shirt, and jeans. He has a strange walk, almost like his back is hurt…also looks to be in his mid-twenties…wait…okay, they walked around the main warehouse and entered an alleyway on the east side."
The pause this time seemed to be longer than the first, and at the same time, Matsuda couldn't help but notice that the female looked strangely familiar…
"Watari in. This is most likely Mitsuko Ona, but I'm not sure about the male. Everyone stay on high alert."
"Penber in. Yagami and I have reached the south end. Requesting confirmation of Mitsuko Ona's arrival."
"Affirmative," Matsuda and Watari whispered.
"I'm going in, then."
"Affirmative," Watari said. "Penber has exited his car. Drop-off has begun. Everyone maintain silence unless someone spots the kidnapper."
Where do I know her?, Matsuda thought frantically, the image of the woman stubbornly glued to the forefront of his memory. The two he'd been watching had already disappeared, so he quickly ran back to where Mogi was waiting.
"Hey Mogi, you still got a picture of Misora?" he asked, scrambling back into the car.
Mogi looked at him quizzically, but he dug around until he found a manila folder in the backseat and passed it to him. Hurriedly, Matsuda flipped open the folder, nearly spilling its contents, and shuffled through the papers until he found the picture.
His eyes widened.
"M-Matsuda in! Emergency situation!"
Naomi?
Raye's eyes widened as he heard Matsuda's frenetic announcement, and irrational fear forced his legs into a brisk jog. All around him were narrow corridors, small stacks of crates and two-by-fours, the lingering odor of raw fish and octopus mingling with the night air. The half-moon languishing in the sky cast still shadows everywhere, transforming the empty fish market into an unsavory labyrinth.
And Naomi was possibly somewhere in this labyrinth.
But Naomi was supposed to have been kidnapped.
He turned a bend and entered an alley barely wide enough for three people standing side-by-side…a place that felt like he left Tokyo entirely and entered a bizarre parallel universe. Somewhere above his head, protruding from two opposing building fronts, were a fish's head and a giraffe's head.
Directly in front of him was an even more peculiar sight—Naomi.
And next to her, the male Matsuda described. Just like the description, he was wearing a white shirt with baggy jeans. Ratty tennis shoes covered his feet, a nest of black hair covered the top of his head, and were it not for the faint glow of far-off streetlamps and moonlight, the dark bags under his eyes would have gone unnoticed.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"You must be Raye Penber. I am L."
The bold, terse statement sent Raye reeling—so much so that he even took an actual step backwards.
"L? Wha…what's going on?" Raye demanded, his desperate eyes shooting back and forth from L to his emotionless fiancée, searching for an explanation.
"You."
A slightly higher and scathing voice cut through the air. Raye immediately turned around, hand going for a concealed gun holster provided to him personally by Watari.
At the intersection from which Raye just entered the alleyway a few seconds ago, there now stood another man, this one in a black hoodie and jeans. The hood was pulled back behind his head, revealing hair similar to L's. However, his face was marred not by dark bags, but from patches of second- and third-degree burns. One of the man's arms tightly gripped the back of the person who was with him—Light, the red blindfold around his eyes now removed, his hands still tied behind his back.
The "you" remark came from the L-lookalike, who was now marching straight towards the bewildered Raye, but it had been directed at L.
"What are you doing here?" Beyond demanded. Up until now Naomi had tried to keep her calm, but she'd never seen that much anger (or surprise) in Beyond's eyes before, not even the night when he sneaked into her apartment after she and L discovered Watari's thesis.
"I'll explain that later," L responded, "but first I owe Misora's fiancé an apology."
L took a small step forward, finally forcing Raye to turn his back on Beyond.
"Despite the fact that she willingly agreed to come with me, this was a kidnapping nevertheless. I, however, was never kidnapped; I left Watari's side of my own volition and kept my whereabouts private due to a situation which had grown almost completely out of my control, partly because of the person currently standing behind you, and ultimately I succumbed to stress and turned to Misora for help once again. If you're looking for Mitsuko Ona…this is her."
Raye's eyes widened even further.
"I wanted her to make contact with the SIS-L on my behalf for personal reasons, but before the situation could come to a perfect close, Light Yagami was kidnapped, and Misora valiantly used the alias I forced upon her to make a decision of her own right, and that was to try and rescue Light, which she pretty much accomplished."
Leaving Raye with that explanation, L turned his attention to his nemesis.
"I'll admit this: I'm not as suitable a criminal as you are, so I'm turning myself in to the SIS-L and going to Watari to settle the matter. I suppose this means I've lost. But if I've lost, that means you no longer have a reason to continue this game. Therefore, you also lose."
The ensuing silence was virtually crushing everyone's ears. Beyond stood in his place for what felt like forever, his grip on Light having somewhat loosened, but even Light was too baffled to try and escape.
Then Light hissed as Beyond's grip suddenly became a vise.
"What the hell's going on?" Ukita hissed.
While the sound wasn't perfect, the entire conversation in the alley thus far had been picked up by everyone in the SIS-L, including Ukita and Aizawa.
"I don't know. Watari should've had us make a move by now…"
So L showed up on his own…
Watari stood outside Ide's car, overseeing the blockade at the Kachidokibashi Bridge, also aware of the new developments that just occurred within the Tsukiji fish market…and even more aware of the deeper implications.
He knew right from the moment Matsuda described the male. Everything from the shirt to the crippled-like gait fit L's description to a T.
And his other suspicion about Mitsuko Ona was also correct.
But what did L mean to prove by returning now? Was he looking for a truce?
The communicator gave him silence.
Then…
Someone shouting something angrily to someone else…L's composed voice…another rage-filled reply, and then…mad scuffling…more shouts and grumbles…
"Penber, what is your status?" Watari asked. No answer. From inside the car, Ide glanced up at the older man's tipped fedora.
"Penber—"
At that moment, a gunshot cruelly interrupted Watari's request, and Ide jumped in his seat.
"Yagami in! Shot fired! I'm going out to back up Penber!"
(End Chapter 21)