NOTE - "/Speech bracketed like this signifies Japanese./"
CHAPTER 26
Charlie knocked on the door.
"Charlie!"
"Hi Ibe," Charlie said. "Got a second to talk?"
"Sure. It is a mess but come in."
"I hear you're going back to Japan." Charlie said once they were seated.
Ibe nodded. "Yes. I got a telex from Tokyo. There has been too much trouble so they have called me back. It is too bad."
"When do you leave?"
"Late tonight. We will go straight to the airport after we visit Max."
Charlie frowned. That wasn't the answer he was hoping for. "Where's Eiji?"
"He is sleeping in the next room. The doctor told him to be careful, he said Ash already told him that. He is doing well."
Ash told him, Charlie noted. "I - Ibe, I know I have no right to ask a favor like this but …" He hesitated, met Ibe's eyes and continued, "Could you possibly delay your return to Japan?"
"Why?"
"I need your help with Ash. Actually, it's Eiji's help I need."
Ibe started to respond but the bedroom door opened and Eiji said, "What about Ash?"
They waited until Eiji was sitting. Charlie said, "Eiji, Ash is about to make a gamble he can't win. He's going to try to use his single trump card to take on the Syndicate boss who framed him for murder and killed Skip."
Eiji looked worried but he said, "Ash is smart. He must think the risk is worth it."
"Then he's wrong," Charlie argued strongly. "He hasn't a snowball's chance in hell. If he goes through with this, he'll be killed for sure, no doubt about it." Seeing he wasn't getting through, he added, "Unless he thinks whatever he's after here is worth more than his own life, he's … Eiji, what is it?" he asked, seeing the doubt and fear that suddenly crossed Eiji's face.
"Why did you save me? Why risk yourself to save me?" Eiji asked as they spoke in his hospital room.
Ash didn't respond for a long moment. Finally, meeting Eiji's eyes, he stated, "Some things are worth dying for. My kind of life, you gotta know what you stand for; you know, things like what you can ignore, what's worth killing for, what you'd die for. Cause whatever you do, you've gotta be able to face yourself."
Eiji thought on that awhile, then asked, "How do I fit that?"
"I'd given you safe passage, I would kill anyone that tried that with someone I gave safe passage. I don't stand for anyone killing innocents to get to me either." Ash glanced up, catching Eiji's gaze again before looking away. "That doesn't really answer your question though, does it."
"Not so much."
"Skip saw me as worth dying for," Ash said. "I guess, I think you might be." A slight pause, then feeling too exposed, Ash added, "Not that it's a big deal anyway. There's tons of shit worth dying for. I have a harder time finding what's worth living for."
"Eiji?" Charlie said again.
"There are many things worth dying for," Eiji breathed.
Charlie and Ibe waited but Eiji said nothing more. Ibe asked, "What 'trump card' is Ash holding?"
"I really don't know," Charlie said. "But Dino - That's Marvin's boss - is going after Ash with a vengeance. It's possible that Ash has gotten hold of something very important to Dino. It could be that Ash himself doesn't really know what he's got. The card he's hoping to play may turn out to be worthless. But win or lose, he'll die for sure."
Eiji thought on this. "But why me? I can't do anything."
"Because Ash saved you."
Though it meant a great deal to him, and he knew it wasn't meaningless to Ash, he told Charlie, "That is not enough reason. Ash said it is harder to find something to live for than something to die for." Despite his words, he knew it was enough reason. He wasn't sure what Ash's reactions to him meant, but he suspected Ash was just as confused.
Charlie didn't know Eiji's thoughts so answered his words, "I don't know why but Ash endangered himself and Skip to rescue you. Maybe, just maybe he'll listen to you. Ash doesn't trust us and who can blame him? Damn that son of a bitch!"
Ibe leaned forward. "Did something happen?"
Charlie hesitated. "Do you know what 'kiddie porn' is?"
Eiji froze at this, remembering Skip's words on Marvin. "He's gay. He's got a thing for Ash." Eiji hoped this wasn't leading where he feared it was.
"Yes," Ibe said. "But you don't mean …"
Charlie looked down, embarrassed just to remember what he saw in that god-forsaken video. "That scumbag Marvin preyed on children. Ash was one of them."
Eiji was lost in thought, remembering Ash's actions in that warehouse, understanding what took place so much clearer now. He didn't hear anything else said until Charlie said his name.
"Eiji, please," Charlie said, and saw the moment Eiji was once again aware of him. "Will you try to talk Ash into turning his trump card over to us? I can't stand it anymore. I'm sick of seeing children being murdered in cold blood! I don't want to see Ash's body end up on the coroner's slab too."
"I …" Eiji hesitated. He still believed Ash knew what he was doing, he just wasn't sure if survival was part of it. The thought of Ash Lynx dead filled Eiji with a terror he couldn't begin to understand and it was this feeling that had him answer, "I'll do what I can."
Charlie sighed in relief. "Good. I'm not sure if he'll be there yet when we see Max or …"
"Why would they send Ash to the adult prison?" Ibe questioned. "Isn't that strange?"
"It is extremely unusual. If it were a case with wider ramifications, that would be one thing."
"So why is the prosecutor so interested in a little case like this?"
"That's a good question. Someone's pulling strings at the top, we aren't sure where it's coming from." Charlie stood. "If you're ready though, we can go see Max at least. I'm going to ask him to watch over Ash for us."
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Ibe and Eiji looked over as Charlie joined them. "Ash is in the warden's office. It'll be tomorrow before we can see him," Charlie advised as the three headed into the visitor's room. Charlie and Eiji took seats while Max and Ibe greeted each other. Max's smile fell when he caught sight of Charlie's face though.
"Hey Charlie, what're you doing here?" Max asked as he sat down. "You look like your best friend just died."
"Max, I've got a favor to ask …" He explained the situation.
"Dino Golzine's one of the top Syndicate bosses in New York, isn't he?" Max questioned.
"That's right," Charlie said. "You can bet he'd already alerted his men in here to Ash's arrival. What we're asking is for you to do what you can to protect Ash from them."
Max looked shocked. "If that's a joke it's not funny." He waited but Charlie said no more. "Are you nuts? You know what kind of place this is! I can't play babysitter! I've got myself to watch out for. Besides, how can a nerdy intellectual type like me stop goons like that?"
"I know I'm asking too much!" Charlie yelled, silencing him.
Max just looked at him for a long moment. "Is what this kid knows really so goddamned important?"
"I don't know," Charlie admitted. "But we need time to figure things out and we're dealing with a tough customer."
"Time to figure what out?" Max shook his head. "Really Charlie, do I look like the kind of guy that can take on the Syndicate?"
Charlie smirked at this. "Max, you fought on the front lines."
Several emotions passed across Max's face before he threw on a mask of indifference. "That was a lifetime ago. I have a son that I would like to see again. You're asking me to risk my life for some gang leader."
"Please Mr. Lobo," Eiji said, cutting in quietly. "Ash saved my life. I almost wish I could join him in here. I think Ash must be frightened. Please, whatever you can do to help him."
Max looked at Eiji, and found it impossible to tell him no. But he couldn't say yes.
Eiji hesitated, glanced down before looking up and meeting Max's gaze. "That look you got when Charlie mentioned the war. I've seen it before. On Ash."
Max flinched at this but still didn't speak. Eiji smiled softly and said, "Your son is very lucky that you think of him. Ash does not have that."
"Okay! Okay!" Max cut him off, afraid of what else the kid might say. "I'll do it! I'll do whatever the hell I can for him!"
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Continued - Let me know what you think. Review