Last Alarm

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"Sanctuary"

Part One


UPDATE 6-13-2014:

Based on some suggestions by a few of my readers, this chapter and several others have been dramatically altered.

However, because of what I've done, these "altered" chapters might appear crudely written.

Eventually, I'll get around to "polishing up" these "altered" chapters so that they won't be so crude a read as they are now.

The reason for this "alteration" is because many of my readers became confused as to what I was hoping to accomplish by what I had originally written, and since it's looking like it'll take a couple of years to finish this story, I decided it wasn't worth continuing with what I was doing after all.

As a result, the glimpse into the future that was written into this chapter has been omitted and a completely new ending for the story will be written when the times comes, with a completely different outcome for all the characters.

I apologize for the confusion and the inconvenience.


Date: Spring 2013

Z-day Plus Three

Location: Tokonosu City, Japan

City Evacuation Tunnel #29

Everyone in the back of the van screamed in surprise as the formerly unconscious man suddenly sat up after Shizuka had just finished administering an I.V. as he slapped her hand away and then grabbed Saeko by the arm as Yuriko instinctively placed her hand on the butt of her pistol, ready to draw her weapon and shoot the American if necessary.

But to everyone's further surprise, the man merely sat still for a moment and did nothing for a moment, and then slowly turned his head towards Saeko and opened his mouth as if he were trying to speak.

Saeko gazed in shock at the bruised and swollen face of the American as his lips parted to speak but then gasped and released his grip on her arm as he reached up and was about to place his hands over his head but was prevented from doing so by Shizuka who grabbed his hands before he could rip the towel off his head.

"Jimu-san, you mustn't!" Shizuka said warningly. "You have a serious scalp would, and I only have a towel in place over your head as a bandage. If you try to remove it, your wound will begin to hemorrhage again."

"Dare, da?" The man said in passable Japanese.

"It's me Jimu-san, Shizuka." Shizuka replied as she watched the American reach up and place his right hand over one of hers.

Shizuka?" The man said.

"H-Hai, Jimu-san." Shizuka replied as she looked into the man's face as he started to turn his head towards her and then reacted in pain, gasping as he tried to place his hands on his head, but was stopped by Shizuka again.

"Jimu-san please, you need to lie still!" Shizuka said protesting loudly as she placed her hands on the man's chest and shoulders, trying to force him to lie back down. "You have a very bad scalp wound and you've lost a lot of blood as well."

"That explains the pain in my head, but why am I blind?" The man said slowly as he gingerly felt his face, wincing from the pain. "I don't feel any dressings on my face, what's wrong with me?"

"You have a lot of swelling around your eyes." Shizuka replied. "Probably from the repeated blows to your head."

"That explains why my head hurts like a sunuvabitch." The injured man replied.


"Massive swelling, you mean like as in "raccoon's eyes"?" The man suddenly asked, referring to the medical condition where blood begins to collect under the soft tissues around the eyes mimicking the dark circles found on the eyes of a raccoon, commonly referred to as "raccoon's eyes" in medical terminology.

"Yes, exactly that." Shizuka replied, growing nervous as the man's anxiety level seemed to be rising with each passing moment.

"Are there any signs of CSF in my ears or,…." The American began, but was cut short by Shizuka who abruptly interrupted him from self-diagnosing himself and making his condition worse.

"Jimu-san, I've already checked for all that and there aren't any signs of intracranial hemorrhage." Shizuka replied and then firmly began to force the man to lie down. "Now please. You need to lie down, now!"

The man slowly shook his head and then gasped as the pain from his wound began to affect him.

"Jimu-san, please! You're just making it worse!" Shizuka said as the man stubbornly refused to lie down as he leaned forward, with one hand on the side of his head as if he were trying to support it.

"Where is everyone?" The American said as he turned his head, trying to listen for signs of the other's presence. "Where are the kids?"

"They're all here, Jimu-san." Shizuka said as she placed her hand on the man's shoulder and tried to push him back. "The children are fine, now you must lie down. You're badly injured."

"Shizuka?" The American asked suddenly. "What happened? You said "blows to my head", what are you talking about?"

"Jimu-san,…" Shizuka said growing frightened that the man's condition might be getting worse. "You need to lie down, NOW!"

"Why,….why am I hurt, Shizuka?" The American said, apparently not remembering the attack.

"Jimu-san, don't you remember what happened?" Shizuka asked growing extremely concerned that the man's injuries were worse than she thought.

"I remember the talking fish, and,….F_CK!" The man suddenly shouted, frightening everyone with his outburst as Yuriko unsnapped the safety strap on her holster and drew her pistol out of its holster.


"SHIZUKA,WHERE ARE THE KIDS?!" The man roared as he suddenly seemed to have regained his senses and began to panic. "I DON'T HEAR THEM! WHO HIT US?! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!"

"Jimu-san, calm down, it's me Saeko!" Saeko replied hastily as she placed her hand on his shoulders to calm him as he immediately recognized her voice and gingerly reached for her.

Saeko-chan?!" The man said in a shaky voice.

"Hai!" It's me." Saeko replied teary-eyed, as she tried to keep her emotions in check at seeing the man so badly injured and regardless, was still acting more concerned for her and her friends and ignoring his own injuries.

"Saeko-chan, where are the others?" The man said softly but with a noticeable edge to his voice.

"We're all here!" Each of the teens piped up and then began chattering excitedly, each of them having been frightened by the man's outburst but now each of them also trying to convince the man they were unharmed.

"Everyone, quiet down!" Shizuka said trying not to lose control of the situation, despite the good intentions of everyone who were merely concerned about their wounded guardian and just trying to help.

"Jimu-san, please,…" Saeko pleaded. "Everyone's alright and we're safe. Now please, do as Marikawa-sensei says and lie down, please."


Instead of obeying her concerned plea, the man turned his head towards the sound of her voice, and then reached up towards her with his left hand as Saeko reached up and clasped it in both of hers.

"Jimu-san, please do what Marikawa-sensei says and lie down." Saeko pleaded again as she gazed upon the man as he reached up with his other hand and placed it on her cheek where she had been struck earlier.

"Are you hurt?" The American asked as he softly rubbed her cheek. "Did he hurt you?"

Saeko blinked, not comprehending the American's meaning at first and then realizing that he was referring to when one of the guards had struck her back at the condo.

"No, no,….I'm fine." Saeko replied, as the man seemed to shake as if in anger and then gasped in pain.

"Jimu-san! What's wrong?" Shizuka said frightened by the man's strange reaction as she reached up and touched the man on the arm trying to calm him.

"Jimu-san, please don't worry, everything's all right now!" Rei shouted anxiously.

"Rei?" the man asked as he reached for her as she grabbed his hand.

"Hai." Rei replied as tears began to fall down her face. "I'm here."

"So am I." Takashi said as he placed his hand on the injured man's arm as well.

"Me too." Kouta said as he placed his hand on the American's other arm.

"Oji-chan, watashi mo so." Alice said as she placed reached over and grabbed the man's arm crying, as the man smiled and rubbed her head with his free hand, trying to comfort her.

"Everyone's fine then,and I can even hear the dog scratching around." The man said calmly trying to lighten the mood with a joke, realizing they had all been frightened for him as well.

"I'm so sorry guys." The man croaked. "I'm so sorry I didn't protect you."

"Jimu-san," Saeko said with horror, realizing that despite his injury, the man was blaming himself for their predicament.


"It's not your fault!" Saya shouted, tears falling from her eyes as she bowed her head. "It's my fault, it's my fault!"

"Pumpkin?" The man said, as he let go of Saeko and reached out towards the direction of Saya's voice.

"I'm here." Saya said as she reached for his hands as he then gently pulled him toward her as she began sobbing against his chest.

"It's not your fault either pumpkin, it's not your fault." The man said as Yuriko watched awestruck at her daughter being comforted by the man.

"But it is." Saya replied still crying. ""They all came here because of me."

"Huh?" The man said confused.

"Never mind that for now, guys, where are we?" The man said as everyone began surrounding the man and helping support him as the vehicle made a turn in the road.

"Jimu-san, the children are unhurt and we're all being taken to a safe place where we can treat your injuries." Shizuka interrupted as she began to lightly brush the children away.

"But you're injuries are quite severe and I must insist that you lie down,…now!" Shizuka said firmly growing very frustrated at her patient's refusal to obey her.

"So who hit us, and what do they want?" The American said his voice tense, ignoring her again.

Before anyone could answer, Yuriko spoke first.


"My, you are a troublesome patient aren't you?" Yuriko said as the man cocked his head at the sound of her voice.

"I normally try not to raise a fuss." The American replied casually in response to Yuriko's question.

"That is unless people start talking about inserting Foley catheters or performing colonoscopies." He added as Shizuka giggled at his response.

"For someone who is suffering from such an extreme injury to your head." Yuriko observed. "You seem to be handling yourself quite well."

"Well, my dad always did say I was the most thick-headed person he'd ever known." The man said with a hint of sarcasm. "Guess dad was right."

"It would appear so." Yuriko agreed.

"But considering the circumstances, you really can't blame me for being a little apprehensive as to our current situation." The American said seriously.

"Actually, your reaction is quite understandable." Yuriko agreed with a smirk on her face.

"Tell you what my gaijin friend; if it will help calm you down so your acting physician can keep you alive, my name is Takagi, Yuriko." Yuriko replied. "And I am Saya's mother."


There was a moment's silence as the American stiffened at Yuriko's reply.

"Pumpkin?" The American said in a somewhat shaky voice. "The person in charge of the guys who hit us is your mother?"

"H-Hai, Jimu-san." Saya said hesitantly. "It's true, she's my mother."

Everyone watched as the American sat still without speaking for a long moment. And as everyone then began to grow nervous as the American still did not move, he then finally spoke.

"Whoa, I didn't see that coming." The man said as he seemed that he was about to pass out.


"Jimu-san!" Saeko and Shizuka shouted as they reached up to steady the man. "Are you alright?"

"No." The man replied matter-of-factly.

"I'm kinda feeling dizzy, I think I need to lie down now." The man said as he began to lean back and then suddenly stopped and leaned forward, holding his head as if he were in pain.

"Hurts too much." The man stated. "Sorry Shizuka, but I think I need some help."

"Hai." Shizuka replied as she leaned forward to help the man, but was gently pushed aside by the teens, including Alice, as they all reached over to help him instead, easing the man gently to the floor.

"Are you alright now, Jimu-san?" Saya asked anxiously after they had laid the man back down on the door.

"I'm fine sweetie, thanks." The man said as he patted Saya on the arm. "Sure could use a pillow though."

"Here." Rei said as she passed an extra towel forward as Shizuka bundled it up and then placed it under the man's head.

"Better?" Shizuka asked.

"Yup, thanks." The man replied gratefully.

Yuriko looked upon each of the teens trying as much as they could to help the injured American and could not help but be moved by the sight as she noticed Shizuka staring at her.


"I hope all this is not lost on you Takagi-sama." Shizuka said, a stern expression on her face.

"I beg your pardon?" Yuriko asked stiffly.

"Ask yourself,…." Shizuka said her eyes blazing in fury. "Would these children be so concerned over this man if they even thought that he ever meant to harm them or anyone else?"

"I'm not the police, Sensei." Yuriko replied stiffly. "We came to rescue my child and the rest of you if possible, nothing more."

"This man did that and more." Shizuka replied. "He was a complete stranger to our country and to us, and yet he took it upon himself to help, not just your daughter, but all of us, despite the fact that he's also wanted by the Government."

"I realize you feel responsible for your patient, Sensei….But,…"Yuriko began, as she shook her head.

"I won't argue with you any further,.." Shizuka interrupted angrily. "If you can't trust your own eyes or your own heart, then I see no reason to say anything more."


Yuriko frowned as Shizuka turned away from her as she then noticed the children's behavior as they all were kneeling next to the man.

There was no fear in their eyes, nor was there anything to indicate that they had anything but complete trust in him as they all watched over him with concerned looks on their faces, each of them obviously worried about him as the nurse tended to his injuries.

"Either this is the worst case of Stockholm syndrome I've ever seen." Yuriko thought as she turned around quickly and glanced out the windshield as the vans drove through the long dark tunnels running underneath the river.

"Or perhaps this man is not the cold-blooded killer we were led to believe he was in that video." Yuriko thought, as she began to question the reliability of the information given her by her brother and her husband, given their sometimes deceptive nature.

"I'm going to get to the bottom of this fiasco when we get back." Yuriko thought as she watched the American scratching the small puppy behind the ears as it wagged its tail.

"And if they lied to me, I'm going to kill them both." Yuriko said as she gritted her teeth.


"So, are ya'll Yakuza or something, pumpkin?" Yuriko heard the American ask Saya, interrupting her angry thoughts.

Yuriko snickered at the man's comment as Saya glared angrily at her mother.

"Okasan! It's not funny!" Saya snapped, as Yuriko smirked.

"Sorry about that." Yuriko said as she regained her composure. "I couldn't help but laugh at the irony of what your friend just said."

"We're not Yakuza, I'm afraid." Yuriko explained as she returned her pistol to its holster and secured the strap. "Although I think we'd be better off if we were, seeing as how well armed they usually are."

"Well that explains a few things." The American said with a smirk.

"What do you mean?" Yuriko asked puzzled.

"Are you holding a gun to my head?" The American asked.

"No." Yuriko replied.

"Good, let's keep it that way, then." The man replied with a grin. "And let's just say I had a feeling that there was something odd about the way ya'll executed your rescue."

"I see." Yuriko replied with a slight smile despite herself at the man's sense of humor as she gazed at the wounded man. "Well the fact is, we actually came to rescue my daughter and the others in your group."

"You however, are under suspicion of espionage, kidnapping, murder, and other crimes against the State, and as a result, you're now in our custody until the J.S.D.F. sends an escort for you." She added.

"If you come with us quietly,…" Yuriko continued. "You will not be harmed, and your injuries will be treated at our temporary medical facility while under guard, until your escort arrives."

"And the kids?" Asked the American. "I know since "pumpkin" is your child, she'll be safe, but what about everyone else?"

"They'll be kept safe until we can either return them to their families, or we can hand them over to the proper authorities." Yuriko replied. "So, do you promise to behave?"

"Of course." The man replied, nodding his head slightly.


"By the way,.." What is your name, soldier?" Yuriko asked, not really expecting a truthful reply from her prisoner.

"Americans." Yuriko thought with distaste. "Every one of them thinks he's John Wayne."

"I'm afraid you're mistaken, ma'am." The American replied. "I'm not a soldier."

"Oh?" Yuriko replied. "Just another American tourist sightseeing in our country, are you?"

"Something like that." The man replied. "I always did want to travel once I retired. Japan just happened to be first on my list."

"Oh, really?" Yuriko asked, playing along with the American's story. "Why is that?"

"I'm an anime fan." The man said with a smirk on his face. "And I was really hoping to bump into Kikuko Inoue and get her autograph."

"So you're an otaku?" Yuriko said with a laugh as the children nervously exchanged glances with Saya, worried that the American was going to say something to set her mother off. "And so you're telling me you're here to watch anime and flirt with seiyuu?"

"Actually I believe she's married, which I admit, was a real bummer when I found out." The man replied. But still, I am a big fan, and if Aya Hisakawa and Yumi Touma are around as well, then hell, I'll die a happy man."

"You're pretty heavily armed for just being a visiting otaku." Yuriko replied, a noticeable edge to her voice forming.

"Well, I am from Texas." The man replied, a grin forming on his face as Saya rolled her eyes, having been a victim of the same stupid joke once before.


"Very funny, fan-boy." Yuriko snapped. "All right, who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Bored already?" The man quipped. "Dang, I didn't think it was that dull a conversation."

"Answer me or else." Yuriko said testily.

"Not one for casual conversation are ya, Yuriko-san?" The man said with a smirk.

The loud click of the hammer on Yuriko's pistol being thumbed back was his answer.

"Wow, you guys don't really care for us otaku's do you?" The man quipped. "You know, we're really not so bad. Although I can't speak for the hentai-guys. Never quite understood the appeal of the whole tentacle thing, myself"

"Are you done?" Yuriko said, the tone of her voice becoming more frigid.

"Jimu-san, please." Saeko said as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Do not make things worse."

"I suppose I am." The man said with a grin, amused at how annoyed he had succeeded in making Yuriko with him as he reached over and patted Saeko's hand.


"My name is Jim Trevino." The man replied. "I'm an American otaku visiting Japan and hoping to get an autograph."

"Trevino? I thought your family name was Campa." Kouta said as Saya reached over and bopped him on the back of the head.

"Baka!" Saya hissed as Kouta rubbed his head.

"Actually, that's my grandmother's maiden name." The man replied. "My real name is Trevino. Sorry for the confusion."

"Trevino-san." Yuriko said, frostily. "You agreed to be cooperative, so unless you wish to be handcuffed to a pipe in our basement until the authorities arrive or you bleed to death, I suggest that you answer my questions, truthfully and immediately."

"You do have a way with words, miss." The American said dryly.

"Sounds like you've been married awhile." The man joked as the children and Shizuka gasped in horror.


"I'm in no mood for jokes, whoever you are." Yuriko said her voice like ice. "Several of my men are injured and one is Infected because of you!"

"All you had to do was knock on the door, lady." The American said coldly, no longer being humorous. "I'd have been more than happy to surrender myself if it meant knowing the others would be safe."

"You're the ones who decided to perform a half-ass tactical entry on a room full of kids with a bunch of amateurs who didn't know what the hell they were doing in the first place." The man said angrily as Yuriko seethed at his words. "So don't blame me for your f_, uhm,…..screw-up."

"You, are my prisoner. And I don't have to explain myself to the likes of you." Yuriko said barely controlling her anger.

"And right now, I want some answers, mister." Yuriko said frostily. "Starting with your real name, rank, and Branch of Service, soldier."

"I told you the truth, I'm not a soldier." The man replied.

"So you're a spy then?" Yuriko asked.

"Nope." The man said with a sigh.

"What are you then?!" Yuriko asked, her frustration with the American close to boiling over.

"Just a guy in bad need of a cup of coffee and an aspirin,…" The man replied as Yuriko was about to explode.


"Enough, already!" Shizuka shouted loudly as she glared at the American and then at Yuriko, the tension in the van becoming too much for her. "He's an American Navy DOLPHIN, all right?!"

"Now will you please lie still and SHUT UP, Jimu-san?!" Shizuka said with an angry huff as she then glared at the injured man who started to shake his head in response to Shizuka's loud shout but stopped suddenly, wincing from the pain.

"American Navy DOLPHIN?" Yuriko said with a confused look on her face.

"Yes, he's a DOLPHIN, I heard Kouta-chan calling him that last night." Shizuka said with an angry frown as Saya and Kouta face-palmed themselves.

"Uhmmmm,…."Dolphins" are the insignia worn by members of the U. 's Submarine Service, Shizuka-san." The American replied, correcting her.

"I think she meant to say that she believes I'm an American Navy SEAL, Yuriko-san." The American said with a heavy sigh. "Which would be a member of the Naval Special Warfare Sea, Air, and Land Teams."

"And no, I'm not one of those either." The man said with a snicker at Shizuka's blunder.

"Well, we do have the ability ourselves to find out exactly who you are Cxxxxx-san, if that is indeed your real name." Yuriko said sternly. "And if you insist on being coy, we can also do this the hard way if you want."

"Very well, since you put it that way ma'am, I guess I have no choice but to prove to you that I'm no threat to you, the children, or your country's National Security." The American said as he reached into a cargo pocket on his left trouser leg.


"STOP!" Yuriko shouted as she drew her pistol, and leveled it at the man's head. "What are you doing!"

"Okasan!" Saya shouted in fear, worried that her mother was about to finally shoot the American. "Please stop! He doesn't mean any harm!"

"SAYA!" Yuriko snapped. "STAY OUT OF THIS!"

"EASY!" The man roared over the loud shouts from both mother and daughter.

"Everyone,…calm down, there's no need to get ugly here." The man said trying to calm the nearly explosive situation that had almost erupted, as he pulled out a leather I.D. case from the cargo pocket of his trousers.


"Since your people would just find out whom I am in a couple of hours anyway after making an I.D. check on my fingerprints, miss." The American began. "I figure I'll just save you the trouble of waterboarding me or putting acupuncture needles under my fingernails by just giving you this."

"Here." The man said as he held the leather I.D. holder in the air over his head as Yuriko cautiously reached for it and then removed it from the man's hand.

"What is this, a wallet?" Yuriko asked, as she returned her pistol to its holster and then opened the thin leather case, keeping one eye focused on the American for any sudden moves.

"Actually, I think one of your men confiscated my wallet already, that is my old work I.D." The man replied. "Even though I'm retired, I still hang on to it for sentimental reasons."

And as Yuriko Takagi opened the leather case, her eyes grew wide at the contents, as she gazed first upon the small silver-plated badge resting on one side, and then at the photo I.D. matching the man lying injured in front of her, and nearly dropped the leather case out of shock.

"Okasan, what's wrong?!" Saya said, shocked to see her mother's startled reaction upon opening the case.

"This-This can't be!" Yuriko stammered as she looked back and forth between the photo I.D. in her hand and the man now in her custody. "This has to be fake. I saw the video,….."

"I'm afraid it isn't." The man replied, a small smirk on his face. "Real kick in the head, ain't it?"

"You're- you're really a,…" Yuriko began, unable to find her words.

"Yup." The man replied as he sounded off the information on the I.D. card for everyone in the van to hear.

"Jim Trevino."

"Firefighter/Paramedic. "

"Badge Number #38XX."

"Engine Company #XX."

"City of XXX– XXXXXXXXX Fire Department."

And as the American finished speaking, the eyes of everyone in the van grew wide as Yuriko turned the leather case around for all to see, as their jaws dropped in shock at sight of the silver Maltese Cross recessed into the leather badge case, symbolizing that the injured American was a member of the American Fire Service.

And then they all gaped at the now familiar face in the photo I.D. of the man that had been friend, guardian, and father figure to them all for the past three days.

A man they now realized they hadn't really known at all.

"Retired, of course." The American added as everyone in the van continued to stare at the man in awe.

"Told you I wasn't a SEAL." The former firefighter said with a chuckle.


Author's Notes:

First, I wish to say thank you for the support all of you have given to me and my story since I first posted this story back in February.

I apologize that a lot more time than usual has passed in between the last couple of chapters I have written than is usual.

But work, family and life itself has made it necessary for me to slow down a bit.

I still have every intention of finishing "Last Alarm". However, I've never wanted to just shoot out chapters for the sake of posting just anything. So bear with me, I just want to make this worth your time if I can.

And for the record, I'm glad to see such enthusiasm for the requests for when the next chapter will be posted. Bear with me, I'm doing my best.

In fact, this chapter has actually been cut in half, with the second half now being written up as "Part Two."

On another note, I have been asked recently again why the story has become more emotional when the pace of the story was so much better in the first five chapters.

Well for one, I'm not a professional writer, nor have I ever taken a writing course, so what can I say?

The story is what it is.

I realize many of you may not care for the emotional writing in this story.

Actually, I also worry about it becoming too emotional sometimes myself and I'm still working at it so this doesn't become a tear-jerker, although some parts of it are meant to be.

And as I said before, one thing I wanted, was to not make it a story that is just mindless violence or emotional turmoil throughout.

So bear with me, I'm trying, but it's rough.

As I've said before, in "Last Alarm", everyone is a normal human being.

Scared, lonely, and needing help in many ways. And not just from the Infected.

Basically, everyone including the teens are meant to be exactly like the people that I've encountered that asked for help in the almost 27 years I've been a fireman and as a paramedic.

The difference is, my OC, instead of treating the teens as victims of a horrible crisis and keeping himself emotionally detached from them because he is no longer a firefighter but a mercenary, he decides to do just the opposite.

He decides to help, just as if he were still a firefighter trying to help others instead of a PMC whose job is to join up with the others in his team at the American Embassy.

But as they travel and fight together, he also makes the mistake of allowing himself to care about the teens and their nurse because his own life has been all about duty and sacrifice for strangers and for his family back home in Texas.

And for most of his life his own personal wants and desires have always been pushed out of the way, until now.

And by helping the group instead of escaping to meet up with his comrades, he starts to get attached to the teens and allows them to fill the emptiness in his heart from not having his own family.

And as a result, he is now in constant conflict with himself as they in turn, also grow more attached to him.

That is the spirit of my story here.

But don't worry; the mindless violence is coming soon. LOL

Even I'm looking forward to that stuff too.

And in this part where the teens have grown up and are telling their story on this hill is important to how the rest of the story continues and how it concludes.

As I said, please bear with me. Jim