A/N: So I have to admit, this was not how I planned on spending my three day weekend but it was fun nonetheless. I hope you enjoyed having three chapters in three days!
It was a little unsettling having such a large escort. Akihito had somehow managed to get use to have three people tailing him at all times but to suddenly double it? Six people felt like way too many. They were approaching the warehouses on foot and slowly different people were peeling off to take up their positions. Three were maintaining look out locations outside and three escorting Akihito into the building. The third guard accompanying the photographer inside disappeared off to the other side of the warehouse, leaving Akihito with Ueda and a guard called Fujioka, who he had apparently met before, to make their way to the unused second story walkway that ran along the warehouse walls.
Fujioka was one of Asami's guards who had been originally assigned to his security team before they changed tact.
"Takaba-sama, I'm not sure if you remember me but we've met once before. I was originally assigned to your security team but was put back into Asami-sama's team once we realised you were scaling buildings. I was there that first day when you lost us in less than half an hour. You caused quite an uproar within Sion's security division. No hard feelings though, I'm not really cut out for that kind of manoeuvring. But you'll be safe with us as long as you stick close okay?"
They climbed up onto the walkway and carefully constructed a place for all three to hide before settling in to wait. They have arrived well over an hour early to try and ensure they got in unseen and without a hitch. It would be a long and boring wait but it was something Akihito was used to. What he wasn't used to was the thick feeling of tension that hung over them. Everyone was on high alert and none of the usual playful banter sounded out over the communications channel.
Akihito thought back to his conversation with Asami earlier in the evening when he had admitted to being worried. There had to be more to it than just Officer Mino's threats. Asami wasn't one to show such obvious concern over nothing or over something as vague as 'I'll get you'. This was just an ordinary stake out. Nothing fancy, nothing too dangerous.
Yet the tension choked the air and Akihito couldn't help but feel on edge.
It was just under an hour later when Nakahara's voice crackled out through the line, startling Akihito enough that he jolted.
"You've got four more men incoming to help secure the perimeter. Kamiya, Teiji, Hayashi and Kogara. Sudou's lost his tail and the boss thinks he might come here to meet up with Ichikawa. Teiji is going to join the group inside and the rest have locations posted around the building. Be sure to advise if he's spotted. Boss want's Sudou captured and brought in for questioning if the opportunity arises. I doubt I need to remind anyone that that objective is secondary to seeing Takaba-sama safe?"
There was silence over the channel and Akihito cast a look over to Ueda whose face was set in grim determination.
"Good. Make sure Takaba-sama has been extracted from the location and given the all clear before even thinking about going after Sudou. Keep me updated on any arrivals and their locations."
Silence descended once again and Akihito let out a long breath. The tension was really fraying his nerves. He fiddled with his camera lens, trying to will time faster. Soon enough quiet voices sounded over the communication channel to indicate the four's arrival and Akihito watched as Teiji entered the building before swiftly disappearing at the back of the warehouse.
It was only fifteen minutes later that the first vehicle could be heard approaching. Confirmation sounded in his ear. Akihito clutched his camera and focused his sights on the large doorway.
"Shit. It's a fucking sale."
He only had a second be confused before the doors opened and Ichikawa waltz in, loudly throwing orders over his shoulder. A number of men followed, herding in women of varying ages and even a few young boys. They were chained and dressed in rags. More than one with visible bruising on their bodies. Suddenly the words meaning hit home. Sale. They were selling human flesh. Looks like Ichikawa had truly taken over Kikkawa's human trafficking circuit.
Akihito held his camera in a white knuckled grip and tried to breathe. A hand squeezed his shoulder and he glanced over to Ueda. The man gave him a look and then nodded at his camera. Right. This was why he was here. He would gather the evidence necessary to bring the bastard down. He held up his camera and started snapping off photos.
The quiet, broken cries of one of the younger girls just ripped his heart to shreds.
He kept snapping off photos with shaking hands as they were arranged on the dirty warehouse floor as though for viewing.
"Fucking bastards." Someone mumbled over the channel and Akihito couldn't help but agree.
Confirmations of more approaching vehicles were quietly given and soon enough people were wandering in.
Prospective buyers.
Akihito felt sick to his stomach. He kept dutifully snapping off photos however, making sure to get a good, clear close up of everyone's faces. It wasn't just Ichikawa that needed to be taken down. All of these buyers were probably contacts from Kikkawa's time running the circuit and they deserved prison just as much as he did. Akihito let the rage burn quietly, a simmering heat that sharpened his focus and fired his determination. A quick glance either side showed both Ueda and Fujioka seemed to be in the same state of mind.
"I have confirmation on Sudou."
"Roger that."
Akihito tensed. So, he was here again. Sudou's presence just confused him though. What did the manager of Dracaena gain by moving in circles with known human traffickers? And did he really think Asami wouldn't find out at some point? It just didn't make any sense.
The man in question strolled into the warehouse as though on an afternoon walk. He just radiated calm with a very slight spring in his step. The photographer couldn't make out what was being said but it seemed Sudou knew most of those present and passed out his greetings. Only once that was done did he move to the side of the room, just a little in front of the walkway that they were located on.
Akihito put the man's presence from his mind and focused his attention back on the proceedings. Money was starting to change hands.
"I got more incoming." There was a pause, then- "Fuck. I've got confirmation on multiple people in SWAT gear. They are surrounding the building."
"We need to move." Ueda crouched but indicated for Akihito to stay down. "I have no idea how they got this intel but we are starting extraction now. We'll use the distraction of the bust to make it clear of the building."
Akihito dissembled his camera, packing it away with the speed of much practice and crouched, waiting for the signal. They waited, minutes stretching out with agonising slowness. Akihito was aware of both Ueda and Fujioka readying their guns.
Then it all seemed to happen at once.
The doors burst open and police swarmed in. They opened fire almost immediately. He had just enough time to register Ueda cursing before suddenly they were falling. A series of small explosions were heard from both sides of the warehouse and the walkway that ran around the outside of the warehouse on the second floor gave way.
Akihito didn't remember hitting the ground. He woke up to controlled yells in his ear and screams echoing from around the building. The room spun fuzzily and he tried to move.
Pain tore through him.
Dimly he was aware of his own pained cries and more urgent yelling into his ear. He thought he heard his name but he couldn't get certain. He cried out as he tried to move again.
"Takaba. Takaba please respond. You need to get out of there. Can anyone see him?"
"Can't… Can't move. Hurts."
"Takaba has been wounded, someone get to him! Ueda, Fujioka, please respond!"
"There's too much gunfire, we're pinned down. They seem to think we're part of this set up."
"Fuck. Someone get me confirmation on Takaba."
Akihito whimpered as he moved his head to the side. He could dimly see the outline of a man on the ground nearby with a small pool of red under his head. Blood. He focused and realised it was Fujioka. He was slumped over and completely still. Akihito couldn't even tell if he was still breathing.
A gunshot sounded out just behind him, far too close and then Akihito screamed as he was wrenched up by his hair. Tears blurred his vision and he felt rather than saw a hand reach around and pull out his ear piece. It was dropped to the ground and a foot crushed it into the concrete.
"Can't have any of that now, can we, little whore?"
His vision swum but Akihito recognised the voice. He was forcefully wrenched up, still by the hair, and dragged back out of the gun fight and behind some crates. Every step was agony and his left arm hung limply at a strange angle by his side. They paused there for barely a minute before he was being pulled from the building by a back entrance and thrown in a car. Sudou forced him across the back seat and handcuffed him to the seat belt. He quickly slammed the door shut and strode around the car before slipping into the driver's seat.
The car roared to life and then they were racing away from the warehouse. Akihito whimpered as pain shot through him with every bump of the vehicle.
"Ah, there is so much satisfaction to be had when your carefully executed plans go off without a hitch." Sudou practically sung in his gleeful pleasure.
"You… You planned this?"
"Of course. I'm not about to let a little slut have all of Asami-sama's attentions. Oh no. He is all mine and you are getting in the way."
Akihito bit back a cry and he shifted unconsciously. "I'm his soulmate, you seriously think you can take my place?"
Sudou hummed, he seemed far too delighted over the events. "Even if I can't, then no one can. Least of all you, tramp."
"He knows it's you."
"Good."
"What? Are you crazy?"
"I want to make him mine. He's the perfect man. Money, power, looks. I want that gaze on me and me alone. I've been hinting at my adoration for him for some time but he always brushed me off. Until I show up to that damn meeting. I had given the tip off, I knew you would be there but Ichikawa would not shut up and insisted I be there to strengthen his ties." Sudou snorted. "He's not as idiotic as he could be I suppose. But then after that, I am suddenly being followed. Suddenly I have Asami-sama's attention. My actions, all my movements are being reported to Asami-sama. And then I think, maybe it is better to be hated. If it gets that man's focus solely on me, perhaps that's better. So I'll take you out, nice and slowly for my own satisfaction. Then Asami-sama will no doubt seek me out and give me his undivided attentions." Sudou shivered and gave a small moan. "Those intense golden eyes focused on me alone."
"You…" Akihito stared at the back of Sudou's head. The man was completely insane. "You gave the tip off?"
"I did. Are you impressed, slut? It's just a shame none of the previous attempts at getting your filthy presence away from Asami-sama worked. It would have saved me so much trouble. I gave anonymous tip offs to both the police and your editor. Little titbits every now and then but all true. They led to stories and arrests. I became a trusted source, sacrificing a few contacts along the way. I knew you were responsible for Kikkawa's arrest so it would only make sense that Ichikawa would interest you. The fool was greedy and had no patience but he served his purpose. Getting the raid to go down at the right time was trickier but well worth the hassle.
You see, little Suzuki Seina was a rescue. A poor little girl caught up in the dark world of human trafficking. She made such an excellent sob story to the organised crime unit and promised to pass on information from others who knows are still caught up in the circuit so as to bring them down once and for all. A perfect disguise to feed them information of my choosing. All correct for a start and very believable details. And one day she appeared with information for one Officer Mino. Ah, such a poor pitiful man. One day out of the blue his partner since he joined the force suddenly announces that he's going to be an undercover agent. Mino is reassigned and left in the dust as his best friend gets case after case closed. He is a certified hero within the organised crime unit. Then one day he just disappears while under cover at Sion. Just vanished into thin air. And the only person to blame must be Asami Ryuichi, the person he was investigating. Mino focuses on avenging his old partner and dear friend. He's patient at first. Methodical. How else did he become part of such a specialised department? But he gets nowhere. Nothing but dead ends and long nights of fruitlessness. Slowly his life falls to pieces. He can't cope without his best friend and seeks solace in alcohol and gambling. His wife leaves him, sick of his pitiful words and piles of debt. She refuses to let him see his daughter unless he gets help. The pills he gets barely work. They keep him flat and zombie like. He ignores them most days and his emotions spike. Rumours spread around the department. He's incompetent. Hasn't closed a case in years. So he lashes out. Becomes rash and sloppy.
Then one day a survivor appears and offers him information. Information on the one man who is the cause of all of his problems. Asami Ryuichi. It offers him salvation. He becomes fixated on bringing the man down. Doesn't bother to check the information. Doesn't know it's falsified. He's like a mad dog, completely rabid. I thought he had ruined it when he approached you earlier today. Thankfully, your impudence just seemed to fan the fires of his madness. He skips all procedure, faking reports and documents so he can organise a raid that is kill on sight. He's flying high on possibility. Feeling the moment of retribution at hand. He skips the pills. They would only bring down his high. Then he makes his way right into the lion's den. Arrogant and crazed, he yanks on the lion's tail. But not before the raid has been authorised and is already underway. He laughs in the lion's face, completely unknowing of the danger that lurks just behind him." Sudou laughed. It was loud and carefree. It sent terrified shivers down Akihito's spine. "I hope Asami-sama had fun putting him in his place."
"You're completely insane."
Sudou ignored him. He seemed to be lost in his own little world. "And soon those stunning eyes will be solely focused on me."
