51.

Last Alarm

Chapter 51

"The Alamo"

Part Two

"Whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always from the noblest of motives"

_Oscar Wilde


Time: Late Evening – Exact Time Unknown

Location: Front Lawn of Takagi Manor

Z-Day Times Four

As she stood silently in the shadows listening to the sounds of her husband and his men busily directing the unloading of the remaining supplies from the now useless fleet of vehicles parked on the far east section of their lawn, Yuriko Takagi found that she could not help but stare at the shadowy figure standing all alone at the top of the staircase leading up to the front of her home, who was busily writing something on several pieces of paper under the pale glow of a blue cyalume-light he held in one hand.

And even though the Matriarch of Takagi Manor could not see from her vantage point exactly what it was that the former American firefighter was writing, she had no doubts whatsoever as to the subject matter of the letter, or to whom he was writing the letter for as well.

And as strong-willed a woman as Yuriko Takagi was, the Matriarch of Takagi Manor could not help but be deeply moved as she continued to watch the man writing his final farewell to the "daughter" he knew would never see again, and Yuriko could feel her own heart beginning to break at the sad scene unfolding in front of her as she desperately fought back the urge to burst into tears of her own.

"Perhaps it would be prudent of us to speak to Trevino-san after he finishes his correspondence, don't you think, my dear…?" The voice of her husband said unexpectedly from behind her, as Yuriko quickly turned around and noticed that her husband was now standing directly behind her and gazing down upon her expectantly.


"Eh?….oh, gomen nasai Soichiro-san." Yuriko stammered slightly embarrassed that her husband had noticed her staring at the American. "…did you say something?"

"I was saying that perhaps it would be best if we had another talk with Trevino-san once he has finished his writing, my dear…" Soichiro replied as he turned his head and stared in the direction of where the American mercenary was still busily writing as Yuriko gazed upon her husband's face in the pale moonlight and was shocked to see that the usual ever-present scowl that had always been a permanent feature on her husband's face was now completely absent, and had been replaced with a look that almost resembled sadness.

"What is it that concerns you, Soichiro-san?" Yuriko asked with growing concern for her husband's sudden and completely unexpected empathy towards the American.

"I find myself growing extremely concerned that perhaps Yoshioka's plan to dissuade the child of Busujima-sensei from chasing after Trevino-san once she realizes he is missing, is having a far greater emotional toll on our American ally than I thought…" Soichiro replied, the uneasiness in his voice unmistakable. "…and personally, I am beginning to wonder if perhaps Yoshioka-san and I may have gone too far by asking such a thing from him, especially considering his fondness for the child of Busujima-sensei."

"Actually, I was beginning to feel the same way as well, Soichiro-san…" Yuriko replied still feeling very much conflicted herself of the Security Chief's plan as well. "...and I still don't agree that this is the best course of action either, especially after all that Saeko-chan has been through already."

"I know you don't, my love…" Soichiro replied with a heavy sigh of regret as he gazed down upon his wife and noticed the visibly troubled look on her face, reflected in the moonlight.


"However…" Soichiro added as he gestured with his hand towards the refugee camp. "There still lies the fact that over three hundred men, women, and children are relying on someone successfully making contact with the JSDF, and advising them of our situation here."

"And if the Infected do indeed begin to wander in this direction…" Soichiro continued dropping his hand to his side. "…with our depleted manpower, we still are left with no choice but to allow Trevino-san to continue on with his attempt to make contact with the rescue team."

"That still doesn't justify the horrible thing Yoshioka-san wants to do!" Yuriko said bitterly, her whole body shaking with emotion as her husband frowned and then lovingly placed his arms around his wife slender body and then squeezed her affectionately.

"I know…" Soichiro said with a heavy sigh as he felt his wife's body trembling with anger in his arms. "But you know as well as I do that the risk of not going along with Yoshioka's plan is far too great."

"And as much as it pains me to say this…" Soichiro continued. "As cold and cruel as Yoshioka-san's plan is, I would rather live with the shame of this deception, than suffer the loss of the daughter of Busujima-sensei, or any of the other children."

"Not to mention our own child..." Soichiro said as he suddenly felt his wife wrap her arms around him and then squeeze his body tightly.


"You know I don't want that either…" Yuriko replied as her whole body shuddered at the horrible thought of anything happening to her own daughter. "But I still hate this whole plan of Yoshioka-san's."

"I know..." Soichiro said sighing heavily with resignation as he gazed over at the lone figure of the American mercenary still busily writing in the darkness. "And I can't even begin to imagine how Trevino-san feels right now."

"Nor can I…." Yuriko said softly as she and her husband stood silently in the shadows and continued to watch the American as he finished one letter and then began busily writing another.


"It's amazing…" Soichiro continued as he held his wife in his arms. "Ever since the moment he first arrived, I have felt nothing but resentment towards that man."

"And now..?" Yuriko said curiously as she looked up and gazed at her husband.

"I'm not quite sure, now that you mention it, my love…" Soichiro said with a noticeable smirk on his face. "I have to admit, by far he is most definitely… "unique", as compared to most Americans that I've ever encountered."

"You say that about every American you've ever met, Soichiro-san…" Yuriko said teasingly as her husband actually broke out into a laugh.

"That is true, but that is not quite what I meant, my dear…" Soichiro said quickly regaining his composure as several people stopped their laboring and began to stare at the couple with curiosity.

"What do you mean then, Soichiro-san?" Yuriko asked as her husband paused for a long moment as if carefully choosing his words before he then shrugged his shoulders in response.


"As you witnessed for yourself, my dear…" Soichiro began with a sigh as he returned his gaze back to where the American mercenary was still busily writing. "…his behavior is very much like most Americans I've met over the years whom all seem to believe that they are supposed to act like the arrogant, wise-cracking heroes you see in American cinema."

"And personally, I still cannot believe how he managed to get away with that reckless stunt of his with the mob this morning, and without even so much as a scratch." Soichiro said with a snort of disgust as Yuriko tittered loudly, despite herself.

"But as reckless and foolhardy in the face of danger as that man has annoyingly proven to be…" Soichiro said in a slightly different tone. "…I must admit that he does possess some traits, which I do find admirable."

"And that being said, I must also admit that there is something that I do indeed envy about him…" Soichiro added with a heavy sigh.

"Oh, and what is that, Soichiro-san?" Yuriko asked worriedly as her husband turned to face her again.


"The seemingly unfathomable devotion that the daughter of Hiroyuki Busujima has for him…" Soichiro replied sadly as Yuriko placed her hand comfortingly on her husband's shoulder knowing full well what her husband was really referring to.

"You wish that Saya-chan would look at you the same way that Saeko-chan does to him…neh, Soichiro-san?" Yuriko said pointedly as she could feel her husband's shoulders seem to sag at her words.

"Yes…" Soichiro replied with unmistakable sadness in his voice as Yuriko felt a twinge of guilt for even mentioning the one subject she knew that deeply affected her husband. "…I wish that very much."

"My love, you know that our daughter loves you very much…" Yuriko said quickly trying to smooth things over. "You do know that, don't you?"

"Hai…" Soichiro replied in a voice filled with deep regret. "And I know in my heart that she loves you as well, my dear."

"Still…" Soichiro said shaking his head sadly. "…I cannot help but wonder how things would be for all of us now if perhaps I had perhaps treated Saya-chan differently?"


"What do you mean, Soichiro-san…?!" Yuriko said with a worried frown. "…you've been nothing but an excellent father towards our daughter!"

"If that were truly the case, my dear…" Soichiro replied with a thin smile as he gazed sadly into his wife's face. "…then there truly would be no reason for our daughter to look at me with such hate in her eyes, wouldn't you agree?"

"It's not hate, Soichiro-san…" Yuriko replied worriedly, trying desperately to console her husband whose current melancholy behavior was completely uncharacteristic of him. "…Saya-chan is just going through a phase, as all teenagers do."

"That may have been true at one time, Yuriko…" Soichiro replied shaking his head. "…but now I'm afraid it's more than just a phase, my dear."

"Why are you so convinced that your daughter hates you, Soichiro-san?!" Yuriko said growing more concerned with the way her husband was relaying his most innermost feelings which was something he seldom ever did in front of her, and absolutely never did in the presence of others.

"Because of the things she said to me right in front of that angry mob that had attacked you, shortly after your arrival here…" Soichiro replied as he gazed intently into his wife's eyes. "…and to my shame, everything that she said that day, was true."

"Soichiro-san, Saya-chan meant none of those things, she was just upset!" Yuriko replied, remembering the way her daughter Saya had stood defiantly against her father and had hurled hate-filled words of contempt at him in front of the angry mob.

"Perhaps, but that still doesn't take away the fact that everything she said was the absolutely truth…" Soichiro replied, interrupting her.

"I wasn't there to rescue her when this nightmare began…" Soichiro added as he continued to stare vacantly at his wife. "…and I wasn't there with you either, when she was finally rescued."


"Soichiro-san…" Yuriko interrupted in an effort to prevent her husband from heaping more blame upon himself. "You're not being fair to yourself, you were doing everything you could to find her…"

"No I wasn't Yuriko…!" Soichiro interrupted his voice becoming angry. "…Instead of departing immediately to search for my only child, I was here wasting time with "other" matters!"

"You were hardly "wasting time", my love…" Yuriko replied in a gentle tone as she placed her hand on her husband's cheek in an effort to calm him. "All these people here are alive and safe, thanks to you."

"That still doesn't change the fact that I wasn't there when my only child needed me…" Soichiro said in a calmer voice shaking his head sadly as he placed his hand over his wife's and then kissed it gently.

"And it shames me greatly knowing that her life was saved by a total stranger, when it should have been her father there at her side, instead." Soichiro added as he then glanced over at the American and gestured with his hand towards him.

"And I suppose it was my shame for not being there when Saya needed me most that was perhaps part of the reason why I resented Trevino-san, at first…" Soichiro said as Yuriko could feel her husband's body tensing up again.


"But then when she said those awful things to me in front of that mob…" Soichiro continued. "I could not help but feel pierced through the heart at the things she said, and not just because of her words or even how she said them."

"Her words cut me so deeply because I knew they were absolutely true." Soichiro said as Yuriko embraced her husband tightly, unable to think of any words of her own to ease her husband's pain.

"But then instead of admitting my guilt, all I did was harbor even more resentment towards Trevino-san…" Soichiro continued. "And all I wanted was to get him as far away from the children and our home as quickly as possible."

"And then later when I saw the way the daughter of Busujima-sensei began to regard Trevino-san as her "father"…" Soichiro said clenching his fists angrily. "I could not help but feel anything but absolute hatred for that man."

"But now as I look at him writing his final words to the "daughter" he loves so dearly …" Soichiro continued as Yuriko felt her husband's body slowly begin to relax. "I must admit that I deeply regret the way I acted towards that man, especially since his only crime was his desire to adopt the orphaned child of Busujima-sensei, as his own."


"And on that note…" Soichiro added shaking his head. "I must also admit that in all the years I've ever known their family, I have never seen such joy in the face of Saeko-chan, as I have today."

"Now that you mention it Soichiro-san…" Yuriko said lifting her head as she glanced over at the American again. "…I cannot remember a time that I have ever seen Saeko-chan laughing and talking like the way she did during dinner, either."

"Hmmmm…" Soichiro grunted simply in response as he tilted his head back and seemed to stare up at the star-filled sky as if he were suddenly lost in thought.


"You know, in all those years that I ever saw Saeko-chan whenever I visited her father's dojo…" Soichiro began as he continued to stare at the night sky. "I never saw her behaving as most children her age normally do."

"In fact, now that I think about it…" Soichiro continued with a troubled frown. "…whenever I did see her, she was always very quiet, and spoke only when spoken to."

"And I always used to think her to be the perfect child…" Soichiro said with a regretful-filled sigh. "…because she was always respectful, always well-behaved, and always smiling whenever I saw her."

"And I remember how I used to wish so very much, that Saya-chan were more like her..." Soichiro said as Yuriko listened sadly to her husband's words, the guilt in his voice palpable.


"It used to frustrate me to no end when Saya would misbehave in front of everyone, especially in the presence of my old Kendo teacher, whose own child's behavior was so exemplary…" Soichiro said shaking his head sadly.

"And I cannot remember how many times I used to scold her severely and then ask her why she couldn't behave more like Saeko-chan." Soichiro said as Yuriko felt her husband's body tense as she then hugged her husband in an effort to comfort him as Soichiro paused for several moments before speaking again.

"Of course, Busujima-sensei would laugh and tell me not to be too strict with Saya…" Soichiro went on as he continued to stare vacantly into the night sky. "...and Saeko-chan would merely smile bashfully in response, and would continue to just sit there quietly as we continued with my training."

"But as I think about it now…" Soichiro said lowering his head to face Yuriko again. "…even though she was always smiling in our presence whenever I went to visit Busujima-sensei at his home, I must admit that it almost seemed to me that there was a hint of sadness in her eyes, almost as if the smile she wore was merely a mask hiding the pain she that was truly feeling underneath."


"But I would always regard such thoughts as merely figments of my own imagination…" Soichiro continued shrugging his shoulders. "…after all, she was the daughter of a well-known kendo Master of a respectable house and as far as I know, they lacked for nothing financially, so what reason would she have to be sad?"

"But now I realize that the little girl with the sweet smile that I watched growing up was indeed hiding a sadness that no one, including her own father, ever knew about…" Soichiro said shaking his head.

"And now it shames me deeply that all those times when I was upset at Saya-chan and wished that she were more like Saeko-chan…" Soichiro said with a heavy sigh. "…it seems that our child had more in common with Saeko-chan than I thought."

"And now I realize that perhaps the reason for her sadness was because her own father made the same mistake with his daughter, that I did with my own child." Soichiro said with resignation.

"What do you mean, Soichiro-san?" Yuriko said with growing apprehension. "What mistake are you referring to?"


"Busujima-sensei was a world-renowned kendo teacher, Yuriko…" Soichiro replied as he gazed sadly into his wife's eyes. "…and because he was so extremely gifted in his art and was so well-respected in the martial arts world, his teaching skills were always in high demand, especially in his dojos overseas."

"And because of the success of his dojos in Europe and North America, he absolutely insisted on visiting his schools regularly…" Soichiro continued. "…which of course was the main reason why he was frequently away from home, often for weeks at a time."

"And like my former teacher, so much demand has been placed on my time due to the increasing demands of the political arena…" Soichiro added. "…and as a result, I too have spent far too much of my time away from home than I realized."

"And while I have proven successful in satisfying the material needs of my family…" Soichiro continued as he gazed sadly at his wife. "…I have come to realize lately that unfortunately, I was extremely negligent in providing what you and Saya needed from me the most."

"The love of a father…" Soichiro said as Yuriko could feel heart own heart beginning to break at her husband's words. "…and a husband."

"And despite all the material things Busujima-sensei and I showered on our children, neither of us stopped to realize that all our daughters ever truly wanted, was for their father's to be with them…" Soichiro continued gazing sadly into his wife's face. "…and yet all they ever saw was merely a glimpse of us as we hurried off to our next destination."

"I was a fool, Yuriko…" Soichiro said as Yuriko's eyes began to tear. "…and for years, you and Saya-chan suffered because of it."

"Please forgive me, my love…I am truly sorry…" Soichiro began but was interrupted as his wife suddenly and unexpectedly reached up and kissed him passionately.


Astonished at his wife's sudden display of affection, Soichiro Takagi hesitated for a moment before returning her kiss as he held her tightly in his arms as many long moments passed with neither of them speaking as they continued to embrace each other, as the pain from the many years of loneliness and resentment that had developed between the couple finally, at long last, began to melt away.

Finally, after several more moments had passed, the pair then slowly relaxed their hold on one another as Yuriko lovingly placed her hands on her husband's face and gazed once again into the eyes of the man she had fallen in love with so long ago, and had not seen for so many years.

"I love you…" Yuriko said with tears flowing from her eyes as her husband reached up with one hand and gently brushed the tears from her cheeks.

"And I, you…my beloved wife..." Soichiro said as the couple then suddenly flinched at the sound of the Security Chief snapping loudly at the group of people who had earlier stopped their work in order to stare at the couple.


"What the hell are you people staring at…?!" The Security Chief snapped as everyone scattered like frightened hens. "Get back to work!"

"Gomen nasai, Takagi-dono…" Yoshioka-san muttered with embarrassment as he began to order everyone away before finally excusing himself and then hastily disappearing along with everyone else towards the other side of the mansion as the Lord and Lady of the Takagi House began to snicker loudly at themselves in embarrassment.

"Oops…" Soichiro said with a sheepish grin as he and Yuriko then burst into embarrassed laughter until their sides hurt.

After several minutes had passed and the couple had finally managed to regain their composure, Yuriko Takagi was wiping the tears from her eyes from having laughed so hard when she suddenly noticed that her husband was gazing at her with a rather curious expression on his face.


"What?" Yuriko asked blushing under her husband's gaze as her husband merely shook his head in response and then smiled warmly at her.

"I cannot remember the last time I heard you laugh so happily, my love…" Soichiro said as Yuriko gazed at her husband and then saw the same look of sadness and regret that had been on his face earlier, was beginning to return.

"Nor I you, my love…" Yuriko said as she placed both of her hands lovingly upon her husband's face and then gently pulled him towards her and then once again kissed him deeply as he wrapped his arms around her small body and held her close.

"Forgive me, Yuriko…" Soichiro said after their lips had finally parted as gazed fondly upon his wife's face. "Forgive me for being so foolish to have neglected you, and our child, for so long."

"I promise that I will never, ever, allow anything to ever interfere with our family's happiness again…"Soichiro said as Yuriko began to cry tears of joy upon finally hearing the words she had longed to hear from her husband's lips, for so many years.

"This I promise you, my dear wife…" Soichiro repeated as the last remains of the bitterness and resentment that had existed between husband and wife for so many years, finally crumbled away.


Time: Late Evening – Exact Time Unknown

Location: Front Entrance of Takagi Manor (Top of Staircase)

Z-Day Times Four

"Get a frickin' room already, will ya..?" I said sourly under my breath as I gazed over at Saya's parents passionately kissing and embracing each other in the shadow of a large tree near the garage.

"Of all the times the "Frost Giant" and the "Ice Queen" could have picked to get all lovey-dovey all of a sudden…" I said with a snort as I shook my head in disgust. "…they pick now as the perfect time to suck face right here in front of everyone."

"Of course, then again, if I had a wife of my own as gorgeous as her…" I thought to myself with a heavy sigh as I turned back to the letter I was writing. "Yeah, guess I'd be doing the same thing myself right about now."

"Geez, frickin' rich guys have all the luck…" I muttered with mock bitterness as I finally finished the letter I had been working on for Shizuka and began to stuff it into a manila envelope, before placing it atop the others that I had placed on the marble staircase railing next to me.


It had taken a lot longer for me to finish all the letters that I had written for my family as well as for Shizuka and the teens, and by the time I had finally finished most of the civilian volunteers had already drifted off back to their tents for the night, although a few others still hung around near the mansion enjoying a quick smoke break after having off-loaded the last few boxes of supplies from all of the disabled vehicles lying dormant on the far side of the lawn.

And now that most of the supplies had been secured as well as the mansion itself, there really wasn't a whole lot more that could be done, other than to maintain our overnight watch which was already well underway as I observed the Security Chief quickly briefing the next group of "volunteers" getting ready to relieve the first watch.


Fortunately, so far there had been nothing for anyone to report by any of the lookouts as of yet (thank goodness), and I was pretty sure that everyone had their fingers crossed that the same could be said for the second and third watches as well, as I watched the Security Chief bark a few brief instructions to everyone before they all then proceeded to break off into their respective teams and head off to their assigned stations located in strategic areas all around the mansion.

Because there just wasn't enough trained men in the Takagi's small security force to maintain an adequate watch overnight, it was finally agreed that each bodyguard would be assigned to serve as the team leader of their very own security team, which would be made up of several civilian volunteers, as well as themselves.

In turn, each team would then be positioned strategically all around the grounds of the mansion in order to be able to keep an eye out for any potential threats, with everyone working four hour watches at a time using an antique sand hourglass for time reference.

Still, even with the added help of the civilian volunteers we were still stretched pretty thin as far as adequately covering the grounds of the sprawling mansion went, with only one group of twelve people and one security supervisor covering the front of the mansion, while another twelve-man team was responsible for guarding the rear, with the remaining four-man team stationed on the roof of the mansion where they could oversee the entire area as best they could with binoculars.

And even though it really wasn't the worst plan I had ever seen as far as trying to maintain an adequate watch for such a large area, in my opinion it really wasn't all that great either, and I had offered some alternate ideas to the Security Chief based upon what Andy had taught me from his many years of experience in maintaining security at both British and foreign embassies when he was still with the SAS.


But despite my suggestions, the Security Chief respectfully but rather bluntly, pointed out that having everyone maintain a sharp watch would be hard enough as it was with everyone as thoroughly exhausted as they were.

"And…" The Security Chief added, implementing any of the other measures that I had suggested would only put more of a strain on the few "volunteers" we had, some of whom had already been caught falling asleep at their posts already.

And as much as I hated to admit it, the man did have a valid point there as I gazed upon the visibly exhausted "volunteers" from the first watch, as they all shuffled drowsily past us, headed towards their tents.

Realizing there was no point in arguing any further, I let the subject drop and then excused myself in order to go do a perimeter check of the mansion in order to assure myself that everything was secure for the night.

And then once I was sure that everything was secure, I then set about performing the extremely unpleasant task that I had been dreading all evening, as I then made my way to the Security Chief's office and snagged several manila envelopes and a few sheets of blank paper from off his desk before heading back outside.


In truth, it would have been much easier to write my final words to Saeko and the others inside the privacy of my own room where I probably wouldn't be disturbed, but the last thing I wanted at this particular moment was to be shut up in my room alone as I made my way back outside and headed for the small staircase located near the front entrance of the mansion.

And once I arrived there, with pen and paper in one hand and cyalume light in the other, I then went to work writing what I knew would be the very last words that Saeko and the others would ever receive from me again.

Hell of a thing trying to write down what you know are going to be the very last words anyone will ever receive from you, especially when you're trying to attempt the impossible task of squeezing a lifetime of so many unsaid words to those you love onto such a small sheet of paper.

And if writing one letter to your loved ones whom you know you will never see again is such a monumental task, then you can only imagine how hard it was for me to write four of them.


It took some time for me to figure out exactly what I wanted to say in each letter I wrote, and even then it was only after several failed attempts that I finally managed to finish the letter I wrote for my younger brother back in Texas, and even longer for the one I wrote to my parents.

But then when it came to the letter that I wrote for the Shizuka and the teens, for some reason the words just seem to sort of flow as I put pen to paper, and before long, I was done.

But then when it finally came time for me to write my final words to Saeko, it was then that disaster struck.


I had purposefully left my letter to Saeko for last, knowing that it would be the hardest of all of the letters to write, but as I stood there staring at that sheet of white paper reflected blue under the glow of the cyalume-light I held in my left hand, to my horror, at that very moment my mind just completely went blank, and try as I might, I could not think of a single thing to write down.

Considering the circumstances, most people would have considered my sudden mind block as completely understandable, after all, writing what you know will be your last words ,ever, is extremely difficult as it is.

But considering that the person whom I was writing to was not a friend, an associate, or even a distant relative but was someone whom in my mind and in my heart was my only child, the difficulty of performing such a truly heart-rending task made any attempts to put something down on paper almost impossible.

However, the reasons for my sudden mind block wasn't just because I knew there was just simply not enough paper in the entire world to be able to tell my beloved child all the things I wanted to tell her knowing that in a few hours, I would never see her again.

Nor was it the fact that none of the things I wrote would be able to convey to Saeko just how much I loved her, or how precious she was to me, or how her very presence had brought so much joy into my life.

And neither was it the fact that no matter how hard I tried, there was just no way that could I ever find the words to tell Saeko the one thing that no man ever wants to tell his child…

Goodbye.

No, as distressing as all that was for me, those weren't the only reasons for my sudden mind block.

It was guilt.


And the reason for my feelings of guilt was due to the fact that in just a few hours' time, I was going to participate in an act meant to intentionally break Saeko's young heart, and in the worst possible way.

And the guilt of what I was about to do to the girl whom I loved as my own child continued to stab me in my heart over and over again, as I stood there holding that damn blank piece of paper in my hand.

And it was all I could do to keep from crumbling it up and calling the whole damn thing off.


But as much as I wanted to put an end to this horrible nightmare and back out of the mission to contact the JSDF, I knew in my heart that I couldn't bring myself to do it, and not just because the lives of over three hundred men, women, and children were hanging in the balance.

It was because Saeko and the other teen's lives were also at risk, and there was just no way could I back out even though I wanted to more than anything else in the world.

And as I stood there alone in the dark, I couldn't help but reflect on how in order to help save the lives of so many who had wanted nothing more than to kill me, Saeko, and the rest of our friends just earlier that day, I was forced to crush the heart and spirit of the innocent girl whose only crime was to love me as her adopted father.

But in truth, I really had no one to blame for the situation I now found myself in but myself, and all because one of the things that I had lived by and had preached my entire career had been…"It's not about you, it's about them".

And now those very words had come back once again to bite me in the ass.


I had lived by those very words all my life with the idea being that no matter how exhausted I was, or how angry, sad, overwhelmed, or panicked I was, those very words would always remind me that people had called out to me and my brothers for help, and it was our job to answer that call.

No, actually it had been our duty to answer that call for help, and it was those very words that I had uttered so many times under my breath when my own strength and courage was being put to the test that had given me the strength I needed to go above and beyond for those in need, both as a fireman…and also in my own personal life.

Unfortunately however, I had put so much faith in those very words that I had lived by for so long, that I never stopped long enough to realize that in putting the wants and needs of others above my own, I had not stopped to think about my own needs, as well.

And before I knew it, years had passed without my pursuing any of the few truly precious things that most people in this world take for granted, with the end result being that I was now tired, burnt-out, depressed, alone, and just barely a shell of the man I once was.


But then when Saeko had entered my life, it had seemed to me that the heartbreak of not having a family of my own had been forever changed, and it was then that I began to believe that my prayers had finally been answered and that all the love and joy that I had always wanted to share with a child of my own now seemed possible.

And so without thinking of the consequences, I had completely absorbed myself in the fantasy of finally being a father.

But it had all been a dream…

And worse, it had been a selfish dream, and because of my selfishness Saeko was going to pay a horrible price.


Next to physical abuse, I can think of few things that will break a child's heart and crush their spirit than the belief that they are unloved and unwanted by their parents, although that was not at all the reasons why I had explained to Saya's parents earlier that I would not be returning to the mansion when my mission was over.

But regardless of my reasons, I knew that Saeko's heart would be crushed once she realized that I was not going to be a part of her life after all, and the guilt that I had been feeling had been eating away at me for hours.

But my taking part in the plan that the Takagi's and their Security Chief had proposed to me earlier, was by far the most evil thing that I could ever do to Saeko, and the very thought of it tore away at my heart even more than the thought of never seeing her again.


Not more than a couple of hours earlier when I had still been in my room checking all of my gear for the mission I was about to depart for in the morning, there had been a sudden knock at my door, and upon answering it, I was surprised to find Saya's parents standing there along with their Security Chief, all of them appearing extremely grim.

At first I had been alarmed that something bad had happened, but as it turned out, the reason for their unexpected visit was to discuss their previous concerns about what measures should be taken once Saeko and the other teens had found out that I was no longer present on the grounds of the mansion.

At the time, I hadn't really put too much thought into that scenario myself since I had been more concerned with preparing for the mission itself, and the last thing I had wanted to dwell on was the pain that I was about to put Saeko through either, to be honest.


However, the Takagi's concerns were completely understandable since there was no doubt in anyone's mind at this point that Saeko and the rest of the teens were capable of almost anything, especially after the little stunt they had pulled just a few hours earlier.

And even though Shizuka had made it abundantly clear to the teens afterwards that kind of crap wasn't going to be tolerated again and had promptly "grounded" all of them indefinitely, each of us knew that simply having the teens confined to their rooms would not be enough to keep them contained within the walls of the mansion for very long.

And we also knew that placing the kids in different rooms wouldn't matter much either, because it wouldn't be long before all of them would begin to realize that something fishy was going on.

And then it wouldn't be much longer afterwards that Saeko would realize that I was no longer on the premises, and would eventually begin to put two-and-two together.

And then all hell would break loose.


And there was no doubt in our minds that once Saeko found some way of breaking free from the confines of the mansion she would then attempt to catch up with me…or kill me, depending on how pissed off she was once she found me.

But what we also feared might happen, based upon the teen's previous actions was that Saya and the others would also attempt to run away with Saeko as well, whether out of fear for her safety, loyalty to their comrade, or just typical teenage rebellion.

And understandably, that scenario scared the absolute hell out of the Takagi's at the thought of their only child Saya, running loose in the city amongst all the Infected again.


And so when the Takagi's had asked to speak to me about what we should do about the kids, I had assumed that they had wished to discuss what cover story we should come up with in order to keep Saeko and the kids from flying the coop, once they realized that I was nowhere to be found.

To my surprise however, the real reason that the Takagi's had wished to speak with me wasn't because they wished to talk about a cover story, rather, their true intent was to inform me of a plan that the Security Chief had come up which they believed would best solve our dilemma on what to do about the kids.

Curious as to what Yoshioka-san had come up with, I had then asked all of them to enter, and once everyone had settled down in their seats around the new coffee table that had been sent up to my room as a replacement for the one I had smashed earlier that morning, I then leaned forward in my seat with piqued interest to listen to what the Security Chief had to say…

And then nearly fell out of my damn chair at what he told me.


And the reason for my shocked reaction was because the plan that the Security Chief had come up with in order to prevent Saeko and the other teens from breaking out of the mansion and coming after me….was to convince them all that I had been killed by the Infected.

It had taken a long moment for me to get over my initial shock at the horror of what the Security Chief had said, and you would have thought that the look of stunned belief on my face would have been a big enough clue for Yoshioka-san to realize that perhaps maybe I wasn't all that enthusiastic about his screwed up plan.

But then again, evidently "Clueless-san" must have been really proud of coming up with such an ingenious plan all by himself which probably explained why hadn't realized that he had obviously struck a nerve at that point, as I began to ball my right hand into a fist.

And if he had, then he would have realized that he really should have considered dropping the subject right then and there like most sane people would have, as I listened quietly without interrupting him and allowed him to finish, even though I was desperately fighting the overwhelming urge to knock the guy out of his chair with one blow.

However, before I could even open my mouth to voice any type of concern, the idiot then went into even greater detail on how he and his men were going to go about making the deception even more convincing by providing a "corpse" for Saeko and the teens to view, as proof of my grisly end.

And then I nearly lost it...


Admittedly, when I had been talking to Saya's parents about my attempting to link up with the JSDF rescue team on my own shortly after the nuclear airburst had detonated over the city, I had figured that neither one of them would argue with me very much about the sanity of my solo recon mission, especially after I had informed them that I would not be returning to the mansion afterwards one my mission to contact the JSDF was over.

In fact, seeing as how Saya's parents had been trying so hard to get rid of me the past couple of days because of the relationship growing between Saeko and myself, I had almost expected to see both of Saya's parents begin dancing in the streets the moment I told them that I had finally realized that I had made a mistake in getting too close to Saeko, and that perhaps it would be best for all concerned that I disappear completely from Saeko's life so that she could have a chance at a "normal" life, in their care.

Still, while the only reason I had even considered not coming back was because I was concerned about Saeko's welfare, the thought of all the pain and heartbreak that I was about to put her through by leaving her behind without even so much as a goodbye, was by far the most horrible feeling I had ever experienced in my life, and it was all I could do to keep from backing out on the mission, as it was.

But what the Security Chief had just proposed to do was just sick beyond words, and my first instinct after hearing this last portion of his psychotic plan was to draw my Sig P226 from out of its holster and shoot the mother_cker in the head for even approaching me with something so heinous.


But then after a few moments had passed and I had finally managed to gain control of my emotions, the only thing I ended up doing was telling Saya's parents and their Security Chief to go f_ck themselves and then threaten to walk out of the mission altogether as I began to rise from my seat in order to walk out of the room.

But then after Saya's parents pleaded with me to calm down, Saya's father had then tried to reason with me that as horrible as Yoshioka's plan sounded, there really was no other choice but to go along with the Security Chief's plan if I really wanted to help them prevent Saeko and the other kids from possibly being hurt or killed if they attempted to run away in order to look for me in the city.

But despite his attempts to reason with me of the logic behind the Security Chief's plan, I was still vehemently opposed to it, even after Yuriko Takagi realized how distraught I was becoming and had then quickly proposed that perhaps the ruse would only be implemented long enough to fool the kids until they and everyone else was evacuated to a safer location, and then Saeko and the others would then be told the truth of what had really happened to me, once everyone was safe.


Bless her heart, as kind and compassionate as I knew Yuriko Takagi really was at heart and how much I knew that she probably hated Yoshioka's plan even more than I did, even now I still cannot fathom the logic behind her idea that fooling Saeko and the other kids into believing I was dead and then telling them "April Fool!" afterwards, was going to somehow smooth things over with them once the truth came out about what had really happened to me.

In fact, it seemed to me that doing something like that would have been far worse than what the Security Chief had originally proposed, and I had no doubt that the moment Saeko realized the truth about how she'd been fooled, then her hate for me would be like no other on earth and she would immediately give chase after me anyway, if only so that she could kill me with her own bare hands.

However, despite my fierce opposition in going along with the Security Chief's ruse, eventually even I had to admit that as insane as his logic was, there really didn't seem to be another fool-proof way to keep Saeko and the other teens from trying to leave the mansion, even though I was racking my brain as hard as I could to come up with something, anything, other than what Yoshioka-san had proposed.

Still, in my mind just because there seemed to be no other way to keep Saeko and the kids from foolishly trying to chase after me did not justify putting her or the others through something so undeniably heinous, and I was just about to call off the whole thing.

But then at that exact moment, in frustration Soichiro Takagi then brought up the fact that I had been the one that had begged for him and his wife to see to Saeko's welfare, and since I had been the one that had said that I would not be returning to the mansion once my mission to make contact with the JSDF was over, and since I hadn't exactly come up with any bright ideas on how to keep the kids from running away… then dude, seriously, what the f_ck did I want from them?


Well, actually he didn't quite say the word "dude" or "f_ck", but the ultra-refined words that the Lord of the Takagi House did use to convey to me that he felt that he and his wife's backs were up against a wall and that they were doing the very best that they could to help under the circumstances despite the fact that he believed that I was being an unreasonable prick, pretty much amounted to the same thing.

And it was then that I remembered the exact reasons why I had ever asked such a thing from Saya's parents in the first place, and also why I had made my decision to walk out of Saeko's life forever.


Earlier that morning when the kids had first tried to run away, I had tried so hard that to show the teens the error of their actions by calmly and patiently trying to reason with them and treat them all with respect and kindness, which was exactly how I always believed that a good father should speak to his children.

In fact, the way I handled the matter was in sharp contrast to the way my own father used to treat me as a child where verbal and physical abuse were his tools of choice when it came to disciplining his sons, and the only lesson I ever truly learned from him was how one person whom I loved so dearly could also cause me to fear and hate him like no other person in this world.

And it was because of all the pain and humiliation I experienced as I grew up, that I made a vow to myself that if I ever was blessed with a child of my own, I would never, ever, repeat the same mistakes my father had made raising my younger brother and I.

And for a moment's length of time, it seemed that I had actually succeeded in being a "good father", when the tense situation between the kids and the adults, had finally calmed itself.

And then later during dinner as I watched everyone laughing and conversing with each other like family and it seemed that all previous mistrust and animosity had finally disappeared, I was even further encouraged in my belief that I had handled things correctly, and that the worst was now over.

And then I started to believe in my heart that based on this first success, I actually could succeed in being a "good" father to Saeko as long as I treated her with the same respectful attitude, loving heart, and mild spirit that I had before.

I couldn't have been more wrong…


Because later as it turned out, despite everything that I had said and done, apparently it turned out that Saeko and the teens had not learned a damn thing after all, and no one standing on the grounds of Takagi Manor was more shocked than I at the sight of Saeko and her friends standing directly behind us just shortly after the nuclear airburst had occurred, instead of remaining indoors like they had been told.

But as shocked as we all were to see the teens standing directly behind us where they were not supposed to be, no one was more shocked and pained than I when Saeko smugly confessed to physically subduing both the guards and Shizuka so that she and her friends could successfully carry out their little plan to sneak out of the mansion.

But what really struck me like a slap in the face was the sight of the smug look on Saeko's face as she gazed haughtily at the Security Chief as if she were without a care in the world for what she and her friends had just done.

And it was then that I realized that all the kindness, respect, and most importantly, the trust that I had shown her and her friends earlier that day, had been for nothing.

I had not succeeded in trying to be a "good" father, after all.


All I had succeeded in doing, was to encourage the delinquency of a group of rebellious youths whose reckless behavior had just now proven that they could no longer be trusted.

I was heart-broken…

I was humiliated…

And then I was angry

But that still was no excuse for what I did next….


Furious at Saeko and her friends for their reckless behavior and angry at myself for my own failure, I foolishly lost my temper, although I doubt anyone would have blamed me for doing so, all things considered.

Unfortunately, it was because I foolishly lost my temper that I then proceeded to completely humiliate Saeko and the rest of the teens in front of everyone.

In truth, the kids really did deserve a good chewing out, and what I did was nothing like what my own father would have done had he been in my place, and certainly nothing like the ass-chewing that Shizuka gave the kids afterwards.

But after reading the kids the riot act for several moments, I then turned my attention towards Saeko and was about to chew her out for betraying my trust in her, when I was suddenly rendered speechless by the horror I saw in her eyes as she stared back at me in shock just as I was about to chew her out.


And as I gazed into her frightened eyes, almost immediately I saw what it was that my own father must have seen so many times as well, a child paralyzed with fear awaiting the vicious strike that was sure to come, followed by a hail of angry blows either from the leather belt he used to use to whip me with when I was still a small child, or with his fist when I grew older and a belt no longer had an effect on me.

And it was at that exact moment as I stared into Saeko's horrified eyes that I came to a final horrible realization…

Despite what I had promised myself so many times over the years, I was behaving the same way my father had when I was a child.

And worse, I was doing it to my own child.


And in that moment a horrible vision appeared before my eyes of Saeko standing there in front of me quaking with fear as she stared fearfully at me with pleading, tear-filled eyes while blood oozed from her nose and from her lips from having been cruelly and repeatedly slapped over and over again.

And it was that horrifying image of Saeko having been cruelly beaten by my hand that nearly brought me to tears in front of everyone.

And it was also then that I realized what a fool I had been for even thinking that I could ever be Saeko's, or for that matter, anyone's father.

Because no matter how much I tried to deny it, the horrible truth was I was a ticking time bomb, waiting to go off.

And I had just proven that fact by the way I had gone off on the kids….twice.


When I was still working as a paramedic, I had been trained on how to approach and deal with victims of abuse, although it was my own experience as a victim that I relied on during those times when we responded to those types of calls.

But as I was helping others who had been abused by their parents or spouse, it never occurred to me just how deeply I had been affected by all the abuse that I had endured at the hands of my father.

And although my brother and I had both been victims of child abuse, I being the first-born son, had borne the brunt of years of mental, emotional, and physical abuse at the hands of my father long before my younger brother had even been born.

And then later as an adult I had spent years in a high-stress occupation that placed even more abuse on my mind, body, and soul, all of which combined was a hell of a lot of baggage for one man to carry all his life, and made me a much better candidate for the nut house, than a likely candidate for raising a child.

And yet here I was, a retired fireman-turned-mercenary marooned in a foreign land and experiencing one of the biggest horrors in mankind's history, whom had had decided that now was a good time to adopt a child and try to be a good father.

Oh, how stupid I had been.


And just like that, all my hopes and dreams of a happy life with my adopted daughter Saeko… ended.

And while I knew that I would never, ever, lay a finger on Saeko the same way my father had done to my brother and I for so many years, the truth was, at least from my standpoint, was that I was still a ticking time bomb, set to go off at any time.

And as I gazed into Saeko's face as she continued to stare back at me in shock, I then made one last vow that my beloved daughter would never go through that same hell that my younger brother and I had gone through for so many years


I had finally learned my lesson, and I had learned it well…

I would never again raise my voice to Saeko or the other teens again…

I would also never lose my temper with Saeko again, and most certainly, I would never get drunk and strike her either.

And the reason I was so sure that I would never do any of those things, was simple.

Because after today, I would never see her again.


And as I watched Saeko as she followed her friends back inside the mansion to face the wrath of Shizuka, I knew that the overwhelming guilt that I felt for the pain that I had caused Saeko already would be nothing compared to the heartbreak that she would experience once she realized that I had left her behind.

But never did I ever imagine doing anything as horrible to Saeko as what I was being asked to do now.


The plan that the Security Chief had conceived, was that he and I, along with two of his men, were to board the Humvee just before first light and depart through the rear entrance of the mansion while everyone, especially the kids, were still fast asleep.

And then once we passed through the gates, we would then drive down a previously designated route through the abandoned streets of the surrounding neighborhood until we reached a certain point where the JSDF had hastily strung multiple high-tension wire barricades across several key streets in a desperate attempt to prevent the spread of the Infected.

From there, I would then part ways with the Security Chief and his men and head off in the direction of the power plant while Yoshioka-san and his men would be busily engaged in attracting as many of the Infected near the wire barricade as they could find in the immediate area.

And then once they had gotten a sizeable group together in one spot, the Security Chief and his men would then immediately dispatch the Infected with their weapons and also toss a few grenades into the mix to give the impression that a fierce firefight had taken place.

And then once all of the Infected had finally been put down, a few of the bodies would then be gathered together by the Security Chief and his men into a small pile where the remains would then be doused with diesel fuel and then touched off with a *"Willy Peter" grenade, setting them all ablaze.

*(Willy Peter- White Phosphorous Grenade)


Once that grisly task was over, the Security Chief and his men would then return to the mansion without incident and await the arrival of the JSDF rescue team, if my mission had been successful.

However, if my mission had not been successful and I was forced to find help elsewhere, then it was my hope that Saeko and the teens would not be aware that I was gone for at least 24 hours since they were supposed to be confined to their rooms, anyway.

However, I knew that there was no way the alarm bells wouldn't begin to start ringing in Saeko's head the moment she began to wonder why I hadn't come to check up on her before nightfall, and it wouldn't be long after that before she began to tear the mansion apart looking for answers.

And then once Saeko realized at last that I was no longer on the premises, then came the scenario that we had all dreaded would come when Saeko and her friends would attempt to run away in order to find me.

And then there would be no other choice but for the Takagi's and their Security Chief to approach Saeko and the teens with Yoshioka-san's cover story about how I had perished on a failed mission to link up with the JSDF rescue team.


The cover story that the Security Chief had concocted, was that we had departed early that morning in the Humvee in order to make contact with the JSDF at the scheduled time.

However, as we were driving through the abandoned neighborhood located behind the mansion, we were suddenly forced to come to a halt once we came across the high-tensile steel wire barriers that the JSDF had set up on all the roads leading into the neighborhood.

Upon realizing that cutting the heavy-gauge wire was just not possible with the tools we had on hand, Yoshioka-san would then explain how we had all then come to the decision to abandon our vehicle and scout out some of the shops located in the nearby area, on foot.

However, as the Security Chief would then explain, just as we had all made our way a short distance away from the barriers, the four of us had then suddenly been attacked by a large group of Infected coming at us from all directions, as we then found ourselves engaged in a fierce battle as we tried to make our way back to the Humvee.

Unfortunately, Yoshioka-san would then relate to Saeko and the rest of the horrified teens, in the fierce firefight that had ensued as we were trying to fight our way back to the Humvee, my primary weapon had suddenly jammed in the middle of the fight and I had immediately been pounced upon by several of the Infected and bitten as I was trying to clear my weapon.

"And then…" according to the well-rehearsed story that Yoshioka-san had come up with, immediately upon realizing that my situation was indeed hopeless and I was dead anyway, I had then decided to go out in a "blaze of glory" by detonating one of the incendiary grenades I carried, instantly killing myself and the Infected surrounding me as our bodies were charred beyond recognition by the extreme heat from the phosphorous grenade.


Of course, being that Saeko and her friends were not stupid, the Takagi's and their Security Chief knew that she and the other teens would no doubt demand proof of my horrible demise, especially after hearing something so devastatingly horrible as the tale Yoshioka-san had just related.

And having already prepared for that scenario in advance, the Security Chief would then "reluctantly" comply with Soichiro Takagi's order for him and his men to drive Saeko and the others to the spot where the so-called "firefight" had taken place.

And once there, Saeko and her friends would see for themselves (from a safe distance) the "evidence" that proved that everything the Security Chief had said was all true, including the still smoking pile of bodies where my grisly "remains" also lay underneath.

The beauty of the plan, if you could call it that, was that since the flames from the WP grenade and the diesel fuel would be extremely intense, there would be no way that anyone could possibly distinguish one body from another, even for someone as big as I was in relation to any of the Infected.

And of course, since the bodies were all lying one on top of the other, there was no way that anyone would even attempt to try to separate one smoking corpse from another in order to verify which body was mine.

Especially Saeko, who would surely be too devastated at the sight of the smoking bodies to even try.


It was a simple, yet ingenious plan, which was definitely guaranteed to be fool-proof, and at any other time, I would have been more than glad to implement such a plan against an enemy force in order to cover my tracks.

But seeing as how the plan was to be used in order to fool a group of innocent children including my adopted daughter, as far as I was concerned the Security Chief's plan was the most f_cked up thing I'd ever heard in my life.

Still, that still didn't take away the fact that there truly did not seem any other way to keep Saeko and the kids from leaving the mansion, and in the end, I finally told the Takagi's that I would give my answer to their Security Chief in the morning before we departed as I they then politely excused themselves so that I could be alone.


And even though I knew that perhaps he was just trying to be helpful, it almost felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest when Saya's father had then said as the three of them were walking out the door that even though Saeko would be heartbroken, she would at least have the comfort of knowing that I had died a hero trying to save the lives of over three hundred men, women and children.

And now as I stood alone in the dark trying desperately to think of what words I could put on paper for my letter to Saeko, I could not help but wonder how Soichiro Takagi truly expected me to believe that any of that "hero" shit would matter one bit to Saeko's shattered heart the moment she was handed the letter I had written for her as well as my silver fireman's badge, which would be the only thing she would ever have to remember me by, as I disappeared from her life altogether.

I doubt that there was ever a man in history that ever truly hated himself the way I did as I kept staring blankly at that blank sheet of paper in my hands as I fought the urge to tear it into a thousand pieces and toss it into the wind.

And I suppose it was because I was so distraught at the time that I hadn't noticed the two shadowy figures that had silently moved up behind me until the sound of a woman's high heel clicking on the pavement behind me, suddenly alerted me to their presence.


"Jim..?" Soichiro Takagi said in a low voice as I turned to face them both and noticed even in the darkness, that his wife was standing next to him with her arm wrapped around his in a display of affection that I had not previously seen from either of them before.

"I guess nothing makes even the most prim and proper people forego all forms of formality than fear, I suppose…" I thought to myself with a smirk upon noticing the Lord and Lady of Takagi Manor actually standing arm-in-arm with each other in my presence.

"Yes, Mr. Takagi..?" I replied dreading the words I knew I was about to hear. "…what can I do for you, sir?"

"Forgive the intrusion Jim…" Soichiro Takagi began in a voice that sounded like he was extremely uncomfortable with what he about to say as he paused for a long moment as if trying to find his words. "…but if you have a moment, my wife and I wished to speak with you about your mission tomorrow."

"Actually, what you really want to talk about is whether or not I've made up my mind about going through with Yoshioka-san's plan, am I right...?" I said in a low voice having already figured out what he really wanted to know.

"Hai…" Saya's father said in a voice that sounded almost as if he were embarrassed as I let out a heavy sigh in response, a part of me wanting to angrily tell him and his wife to get bent, and yet another part of me actually feeling sorry for the couple, knowing just how difficult it must have been for he and his wife to try to approach me about the subject.


"I would be a liar if I said that I believed that his plan was the only solution to our problem, folks…" I replied at last trying to keep my voice neutral despite the inner turmoil I was feeling.

"But then again…" I added gazing over at the shadowy figures of Saya's parents.

"Saeko's life isn't the only one at risk here either, is she...?" I said as I noticed Saya's parents actually hang their heads upon realizing that I was very well aware that it was the fear of what could happen to their only child that was their chief concern in all of this, and not the emotional trauma that Saeko would be forced to undergo if I agreed to Yoshioka-san's plan.


Yet as I stood there gazing at the couple standing silently there in front of me with their heads bowed low, it was plain to see that they were obviously feeling even guiltier about the whole situation than I had previously believed.

And once again, instead of listening to my selfish side that screamed at me that I was making one hell of a mistake, I was listening to my own haunting words yet again.

"It's not about you, it's about them…" I mumbled under my breath, silently cursing myself for once again giving in to what my conscience was telling me was the right the thing to do, although my heart was telling me something else completely.

And as much torment as I was going through with what I was about to do and the pain that I knew that Saeko would suffer because of it, upon seeing Saya's parents looking so distraught before me, I knew deep in my heart that there was just no way I could allow the Takagi's to blame themselves for everything that was about to transpire.


"You know folks, never before in all my dreams had I ever come close to knowing how it feels to be a parent…" I began as I gazed at the sullen pair still standing silently before me with their heads bowed low. "…and until today, I never thought that I ever would."

"But now in less than a day, I've experienced a joy I never thought possible…" I continued. "…and at the same time, I've also experienced a fear unlike any other."

"Many times when I was a fireman I'd witnessed the anguish in a parent's eyes when their child's life was hanging in the balance…" I added with a heavy sigh as I glanced back over at the mansion. "And even now I still remember the screams of anguish from those parents whose children we weren't able to save."

"And as much as I hate the idea of hurting Saeko and the rest of the kids…" I said as I glanced back at Saya's parents. "…I can't imagine what I would do if anything happened to her or the others, either."

"Which is why I know that even though your only child's life was at risk, both of you still chose to ask me to go along with Yoshioka-san's plan…" I added as I as I then raised my right hand and held it out to Saya's father. "…especially considering that you could have done it without telling me, after I'd already been well on my way to the power plant."

"I am deeply humbled by the extreme respect and consideration you have shown me by allowing me to make this extremely difficult decision on my own…" I continued as both of them perked their heads up and then stared at me with a mixture of shock and surprise upon noticing my gesture of friendship.


"I can't even imagine how extremely difficult that must have been for both of you…" I said with genuine feeling as Soichiro Takagi stared at me for a moment as if in shock before glancing quickly over at his wife and then finally reaching for my hand and shaking it.

"Thank you for allowing me to come to the right decision on my own..." I added after shaking Soichiro Takagi's hand as I then held out both of my hands to his wife who seemed just about as dumbfounded at my unexpected response as her husband was.

"Please forgive me for the way I acted earlier, Mr. and Mrs. Takagi…" I said as Yuriko hesitantly held out her right hand as I clasped both of my hands around her hands and then gently bowed. "I was so caught up in my own feelings that I didn't stop to think about anyone else's."

"I'm sorry for being so selfish…" I said with as much sincerity as I could muster, even though my heart was screaming at me that I was making the biggest mistake of my life.


"Think nothing of it, Trevino-san…" Yuriko finally replied with a strong hint of sadness in her voice as she gently shook my hands.

"You were only reacting as a loving father would have…" Yuriko Takagi said bowing slightly as she then placed her other hand on my arm.

"It makes my heart glad to know that Saeko-chan is so deeply loved…" Yuriko added as she patted my arm comfortingly.

"Thank you, Mrs. Takagi…for your kind words…" I said bowing again as I gripped Yuriko's hand for a moment longer before releasing her hand as I then straightened up and gazed at both of Saya's parents.

"Before I leave, I wanted to tell you both to know that despite everything that's happened, I consider you both as friends…" I continued with all sincerity. "And I really wish that I had met both of you under better circumstances."

"And since I do consider you as friends and I do not wish that there be any secrets between us…" I added as I noticed Saya's parents looking at me curiously. "…I also wanted you both to know that my real name isn't Jim Trevino."

"My real name, is Jimmy C******s…" I said as Saya's parents gazed at me with widened eyes at this latest revelation.


"Jimmy C******s?" Soichiro replied as he and his wife exchanged confused glances.

"Yeah, Trevino is my mother's maiden name, and Campa was my grandmother's maiden name on my father's side…" I said with a chuckle at the look of confusion on their faces.

"Originally, my father wanted to name me "Juan jr.", but my mother hated that idea…" I continued with an embarrassed smirk. "But then out of the blue, my grandmother decided that my mother should name me "Jimmy", and that was that."

"Personally, I would have preferred a much cooler name like "Santiago" which is "James" in Spanish…" I added with a shrug. "But at least it's a better name than what my mother wanted to name me if I had been born a girl."

"Oh?" Yuriko said inquisitively. "What name had your mother picked for you?"

"Gertrude…" I said with embarrassment as I noticed Saya's parents suddenly stiffen at the mention of the name as they glanced over at each other for a long moment before they both then burst into laughter.

"Yeah…" I said with an embarrassed chuckle. "Go figure."


"Anyway, sorry for the deception folks…" I continued scratching the side of my head in embarrassment. "…but as you can imagine, in the line of work that I'm currently involved in now, it was extremely important that I keep my real identity secret in order to protect my family back home in Texas".

"However, considering the world situation now…" I said gesturing towards the dark outline of the city. "…I really don't think I have to worry about protecting my identity from foreign nationals anymore."

"Your discretion was entirely understandable, C******s-san…" Soichiro replied as he and his wife both nodded their heads in response. "…do any of the others know of your true identity?"

"I revealed my real identity to Saeko a couple of days ago..." I replied as I reached over and picked up the small pile of manila envelopes lying on the granite railing of the staircase and stuffed the blank piece of paper into one of the empty ones. "…and in these letters that I wrote to Shizuka and the other kids, I've also revealed to them my true identity, as well."

"And being that this is the last time I'll probably see any of you…" I continued as I shuffled the letters in my hands nervously. "…there's something else I wanted to tell you both."


"I know it was difficult for you knowing that I wished to adopt the child of a dear friend of yours, and raise her as my own…" I began as I noticed Saya's parents once again suddenly begin to appear uncomfortable upon hearing my words.

"And unfortunately, I realize now that my getting too close to Saeko was indeed a mistake, after all." I continued saying the words I knew that I must, even though in my heart I didn't believe them one bit.

"And I want you to know that I'm sorry for all the trouble it caused you." I said at last, actually feeling genuinely sorry for the strained relationship that had occurred between Saya's parents and myself, but not at all for my desire to adopt Saeko as my child.


"Please understand… I said as I lowered my head and stared at the small stack of envelopes that I held in my hands. "…after being alone all these years, it finally seemed to that all my prayers about having a family of my own, had finally been at least partially answered."

"And I can't tell you how happy I was at finally having a child of my own, even if it was only for a little while." I added feeling my own heart breaking with each word I was uttering.

"I envy you, Mr. and Mrs. Takagi…" I said with a sigh as I noticed Saya's parents glance at each other in surprise at my remark.

"I'd give anything to be as blessed with a child of my own, like you have with Saya…" I added as I heard a heavy sigh come from Saya's father.


"Actually, in that regard, we both envy you, C******s-san…" Saya's father said with unmistakable sadness in his voice as I glanced up and stared into his face which I noticed, even in the faint light, had seemed to have finally lost all of its hardness.

"Me…?" I replied with extreme surprise at Soichiro Takagi's completely unexpected response. "…why is that?"

"Unlike the close bond you seem to share with Saeko-chan…" Saya's father said sadly as I noticed his wife squeeze his arm gently in an effort to comfort her husband even though it seemed that Yuriko was pretty much on the verge of tears herself. "…I have seen little else but anger and resentment in my daughter's eyes every time I gaze upon her face."

"And there's nothing that I wouldn't give to see my daughter look at my wife and I, the same way that Saeko-chan looks at you, C-s-san…." Soichiro said as I gazed in mute silence upon two of the saddest human beings I had ever known.


And at that moment, I couldn't help but think about all times in my life that I had often felt that the universe was out to get me, and how I wished that someone could have offered me a consoling word, a moment of their time, or hell, even a simple "f_ck you!" at those times just to help lift my spirits a little.

But not wanting to be labeled a whiner, I had always sucked it up and pushed on without saying anything.

However, if I ever noticed someone else feeling down, it seemed that no matter how down in the dumps I was, or even if there were times that I wished I could just die, the other person's suffering were somehow always more important than my own, and I just had to do something to make the other person feel better.

And as I gazed upon the two wealthiest, most powerful people I had ever met in my life who had just tried to kill me just a couple days earlier and had been trying their damndest to get rid of my ass ever since then, the only thing that came to my mind at that moment was how sorry I felt for them.

And despite the fact that my own world felt like it was crashing all around me, the only thing I wanted to do at that moment, was to do something to try to comfort them.

Yeah, I know…I'm an idiot.


"Mr. and Mrs. Takagi, never believe for one minute that anger is all that Saya has in her heart for you…" I said with all sincerity as I tried to find the words to help ease their pain. "…and believe me when I tell you that while your daughter does indeed have a bit of a temper, she really does love you both very much."

"And, Mr. Takagi…" I said matter-of-factly as I gazed upon the heart-broken man who now appeared nothing like the hard-case prick that I'd been acquainted with the past couple of days. "…believe me when I tell you that underneath that permanent scowl on your daughter's face, her love for you is a lot stronger than you think."

"I wish I could be as sure of that as you are, Jim…" Soichiro said with a sigh as I gazed at the troubled man standing there in the dark and shook my head sadly.


It was the same situation I'd seen so many times before when a couple would work their ass off to provide everything that they felt their family needed materially, but often times didn't realize until it was too late that the close bond usually forged between parent and child had been lost in the process.

Fortunately for the both of Saya's parents however, there was something I knew about their daughter that they obviously didn't, and I had no doubt in my mind that it was just the thing they needed to hear that would firmly convince them that the relationship with their own child had not deteriorated as horribly as they believed it had.

Of course, in my eagerness to provide the much needed comfort to the couple that they sorely needed, I probably should have thought first about what I was going to say before I said it, so that my words wouldn't have come off as awkward as they did.

But then again, I'm a retired fireman turned mercenary, not frickin' Dr. Phil…so sue me.


"Did you guys know that Saya snores?" I asked a little too abruptly, realizing almost immediately that I had come off as rather rude but deciding to roll along with it anyway as I noticed both of Saya's parents suddenly stiffen at my words, even in the darkness.

"Um…well, yes…we have heard some of our staff mention that in the past…" Soichiro replied rather briskly, no doubt embarrassed by my question that was admittedly, not really all that tactful.

"Did you know that she also talks in her sleep as well?" I then added which admittedly, wasn't any more tactful than my mentioning Saya's snoring, as I suddenly heard the sound of the leather on the scabbard of Soichiro Takagi katana began to crackle as his grip tightened on it.

"I don't see how that has any relation to our current discussion,… Jim!" Soichiro said in an unmistakably irritated voice as I noticed his wife quickly placing her hand on his sword arm in an effort to calm him.

"My husband is correct, just what does that have to do with anything, C******s-san?!" Yuriko asked just as stiffly as her husband, as I then chuckled to myself for my goof despite the dangerous situation I was currently in.

"Sorry folks, that came out kinda wrong…" I said with a snicker as I quickly composed myself in order to begin my explanation. "…please allow me to explain."


"On the very night just before you found us, Mrs. Takagi…" I began as I gazed warily at the visibly irritated couple who looked like they wanted nothing better than to beat me into a pulp. "…I had decided that for everyone's safety, all of us should remain together in the same condo where you found us."

"But in order to keep from scaring the kids…" I added. "…I told them we were having a sleepover, and so while everyone went off to sleep, I stayed up all night and kept watch."

"Well, needless to say, everyone was pretty exhausted…" I continued trying as best I could to tread carefully with my next words. "And I could tell Saya was uhm…pretty worn out."

"Anyway, sometime during the night when everyone was still sleeping…" I continued as I heard Soichiro Takagi grinding his teeth in irritation. "…I noticed that for some reason, Saya had stopped snoring, and I heard a strange sound coming from her that concerned me enough to quickly go check on her just to make sure she was alright."

"And then when I checked on her…" I said lowering my voice for effect. "I found out exactly why Saya had stopped snoring."

"Why….what was wrong with her…?" Yuriko asked with noticeable concern in her voice.

"Your daughter was crying, Mrs. Takagi…" I continued as I could see Saya's parents stiffen at my words, their hearts no doubt stabbed deeply by what I had said.

"And not only that, but she was calling out "Mama", in her sleep…" I added as I suddenly heard a loud sob escape from Yuriko's lips as she quickly clamped her hand over her mouth and looked as if she were about to collapse, as her husband quickly wrapped his arms around her to steady her.


"I'm sorry, Mrs. Takagi…" I said feeling extremely horrible for upsetting Saya's mother so horribly but knowing that she and her husband really needed to hear the rest of my story. "…but please, bear with me. It's important that both of you hear this."

"Go on…" Soichiro Takagi replied gravely as his wife wept silently in his arms.

"Anyway, when I heard her calling out for you Mrs. Takagi, I tried to cover her with a blanket carefully so as not to awaken her…" I continued knowing that my words were tearing the both of them apart, and not just Yuriko.

"But when I did, she began to cry even more…" I added feeling extremely guilty for the way I knew my words were affecting the Takagi's so deeply. "…and so I tried brushing her hair with my hand to try to console her."

"And when I did that, she immediately stopped crying…" I said as I gazed over at Soichiro Takagi knowing that what I was about to say next would stab him like a knife.

"And then she said "Papa" and then immediately went back to sleep." I said as Saya's father made a strange noise and then suddenly looked as if he were about to collapse as his tear-filled wife and I immediately grabbed him in order to steady him.


"I'm sorry that I've upset you both…" I began apologetically as Soichiro Takagi and his wife both struggled to compose themselves. "…It was not my intention to grieve you both by telling you this."

"I just wanted both of you to realize…" I said after Saya's parents had finally managed to slightly regain their composure. "…that no matter what you think you see in your daughter's eyes, believe me when I tell you both that underneath it all, there is really nothing but love in your daughter's heart for you both."

"I heard it in her voice that night…" I continued as I gazed at both of them and then pointed a finger at Saya's father. "…and I saw it in her eyes this evening when you praised her after the EMP, Mr. Takagi."


"I know it isn't my place to say…" I added lowering my hand as Saya's parents continued to hold each other in their arms. "…but in my experience, no matter what their age, most children absolutely crave the attention of their parents, and will do anything to gain their approval."

"And I know for a fact, that Saya absolutely worships the ground you walk on, Mr. Takagi…" I said looking at Saya's father. "…I see it in her eyes every time she looks at you."

"And quite frankly…" I said with a chuckle. "Now that I've become better acquainted with you, I've come to realize that Saya is almost a mirror copy of you in almost every way."

"What do you mean, Jim?" Soichiro Takagi asked curiously. "In what way?"

"Uhh…let's just say your "mannerisms" are strikingly similar…" I said trying to be tactful for once as I suddenly heard a very low giggle escape from Yuriko Takagi's lips as I saw her quickly cover her mouth with one hand to keep from bursting out in laughter.


"Yeah, she knows exactly what I'm talking about…" I thought to myself as Saya's father glanced down at his wife and then back at me with a confused look on his face which only made Yuriko struggle even harder to keep from laughing.

"Dude, is he really that dense…?" I thought to myself as Saya's father continued to act as if he were completely oblivious to my meaning.

"Geez, one look at that angry scowl on Pumpkin's face and you'd have to be a complete idiot not to realize she's a spot-on copy of her dad…" I thought to myself as I then rolled my eyes upon noticing the angry scowl returning to Soichiro Takagi face as apparently my meaning finally became clear to him…finally.

"Ah well, at least his wife is not crying anymore…" I thought to myself with a smirk at the irritated look on Soichiro Takagi's face.


"I know that it's really none of my business how you choose to raise your child, folks…" I began after Yuriko finally composed herself. "…but after what I saw back at the condo, I strongly believe that perhaps letting Saya know just how much you love her from time to time, would probably help her to open up to both of you."

"But that's completely up to you…" I said as I gazed down at the envelopes I held in my hand and shook my head. "But take my word for it, there is no joy like the happiness I've seen in a child's eyes when they know they are loved by their parents."

"And I myself would give anything to be able to see that joy in Saeko's eyes, just one last time…" I said with a heavy sigh as I gazed over at the mansion for a long moment before I then picked up my carbine and began to walk past Saya's parents.


"Take my advice, my friend…" I said in a low voice as I quickly stopped myself and then reached up and then placed my hand on Soichiro Takagi's shoulder in a very un-Japanese like way as I then looked him straight in the eye. "…first thing tomorrow morning when you wake up, whatever it is that is holding you back from telling your daughter that you love her, let it go, once and for all."

"And then after you do that…" I added with all seriousness as I gazed over at Yuriko as well. "I highly recommend that the two of you go find your daughter and wrap your arms around her as tight as you can and tell her exactly how much you love her, and never let her go, no matter how embarrassed she, or either of you, feel about it…"

"And I guarantee you that once you do that…" I said as I removed my hand from Soichiro Takagi's shoulder and then walked past him. "…nothing else you do in life will bring you, or her, greater joy."

"Do it my friends…" I said as I then began walking down the steps leading down to the grounds of the mansion. "Do it, or believe me you will regret it the rest of your life."


As the stunned couple watched the shadowy figure of the American as he made his way across their lawn, neither of them spoke as they watched him walking towards the front gate of their home where the Security Chief and several of his men were stationed.

And as Yuriko watched the American mercenary as he walked up to the shadow of the Security Chief and began to speak briefly to him, she heard a strange noise next to her and was shocked to see her husband leaning on the granite railing of the terrace for support as if he were trying to prevent himself from falling.


'Soichiro-san…are you all right?!" Yuriko asked with alarm as she reached over and placed her hands on her husband in order to keep him from falling.

"I-I…" Her husband replied sounding very much as if he were struggling mightily to speak.

"Soichiro-san, what is it, what's wrong?!" Yuriko exclaimed loudly as she began to panic at her husband's strange behavior.

"I- I'm a monster…" The Lord of Takagi Manor said finally in a hollow voice as Yuriko's eyes widened in shock at her husband's words.

"Soichiro-san…what are you saying…?" Yuriko replied with growing alarm. "What do you mean?"

"I'm a monster, Yuriko…" Her husband repeated as he suddenly gripped the granite railing as if he were afraid to let go.


"No you are not, Soichiro-san…!" Yuriko exclaimed as she began to look around frantically for help. "Why on earth would you say such a thing?!"

"But I am, my love…" Soichiro said with a sigh as he stood upright as his wife wrapped her arms around him in an effort to calm him.

"Soichiro…" Yuriko said her voice fraught with worry. "Please, tell me what's wrong?!"


"I have spent my entire life focused completely on accumulating both wealth, power, and prestige in the political arena…" Soichiro began after a few tense moments had passed as he then gazed with hollow eyes at the figure of the American still conversing with the Security Chief standing near the front gate. "…and because of my efforts, I have excelled in everything I set my eye on, and have amassed great wealth for myself and my family, and have lacked for nothing."

"Whereas that man has spent his entire life in the service of others…"Soichiro continued. "…and in doing so, he personally sacrificed every opportunity he had to try find some sort of happiness in his own life."

"But then by some unseen force he finally manages to find a small sliver of the happiness that has eluded him for so long…" Soichiro said with a heavy sigh.

"But instead of allowing that poor man to enjoy even that small fraction of happiness with the "daughter" he loves so dearly…" Soichiro added shaking his head. "All I've done since I've met him is to try to take it away from him."


"Yet now in an effort to save all of our lives, C******s-san is willing to sacrifice everything he holds dear…" Soichiro began as he glanced over at the shadowy figure of the American mercenary still engaged in conversation with the Security Chief. "…including the life he wished to live with his adopted daughter."

"And as for Saeko-chan, the "father" that had brought such joy into her life these past few days is going to disappear completely from her life…" Soichiro said as he gazed down sadly at his wife. "And the pain that she is about to suffer once she sees the evidence of his "death" is unfathomable."

"Yet, despite all that…" Soichiro added. "…in the end, that man's main concern was not in somehow attempting to salvage his own happiness somehow, or even trying to find some way to ease Saeko-chan's suffering."

"His only care in the end, was that all of the children would be safe, including our own child, Yuriko…" Soichiro said with a sigh as he suddenly raised both of his hands in the air and then slammed both of his fists down hard on the granite railing as Yuriko flinched at her husband's outburst and placed her hands on his arm to calm him.


"Soichiro-san…!" Yuriko exclaimed trying desperately to calm her husband as he suddenly gripped the railing as if trying to crumble it with his bare hands.

"Soichiro-san, stop it!" Yuriko said loudly as she grabbed his arm and squeezed it tightly. "You're going to hurt yourself!"

"I'm a disgrace, Yuriko…!" Soichiro replied with a heavy sigh as he then began to slowly relax his grip on the railing and shook his head. "…a complete disgrace to this family, and to you!"

"Soichiro-san, we all feel guilty about this, my love…" Yuriko interrupted as she tried again to offer some comforting words to her husband who was obviously feeling extremely guilty about his part in pressing the American to go along with the Security Chief's plan.

"But you mustn't torture yourself over this, it's not you're fau…"Yuriko began as she suddenly recoiled away from her husband as he suddenly slammed his fist down on the railing once more and then shook his head in response.


"You don't understand, Yuriko!" Her husband said interrupting her as Yuriko gazed with shock into her husband's face and noticed that even in the darkness, that her husband's eyes appeared dull and unfocused, almost as if there were no life left in them.

"My shame is not that I asked C******s-san to consent to go along with Yoshioka's plan, Yuriko…" Soichiro said gripping the scabbard of his katana so tightly that Yuriko could hear the leather creak.

"Because even if C******s-san hadn't given his consent for us to put Yoshioka-san's plan into action, I would have ordered Ken-san to do it anyway…" Soichiro continued as Yuriko's eyes widened in response to her husband's words.

"My shame Yuriko, is that I care neither for that man's noble sacrifice, nor for the pain Saeko-chan is about to suffer because of the lie we invented to keep her from leaving…" Soichiro said as Yuriko gasped in shock at her husband's words.

"The only thing I do care about…" Soichiro said as he gazed sadly into his wife's eyes. "Is that once Yoshioka returns and informs Busujima-sensei's daughter that C******s-san is dead, there will no longer be a reason for either of us to worry about our daughter's safety anymore."

"That, is my only concern, Yuriko…" The Lord of the Takagi House said as he relaxed his grip on his katana and then hung his head.

"And it also my deepest shame…" Soichiro said finally as he and his wife stood in the darkness without speaking as they watched the shadowy figure of the American mercenary walking away from the front gate and heading in the direction of the garage where the Humvee was being kept.


"What monster is it that stands before you, Yuriko…?"" Soichiro said after several moments had passed as he turned his head and gazed sadly into his wife's face again. "…what kind of beast would allow such horrible pain and suffering to befall another man and his child, merely so that he could save his own?"

For a long moment Yuriko Takagi stared sadly into her husband's face without uttering a word as her husband gazed back at her, the look of anguish on his face a stark contrast to the scowl she was often used to seeing upon her husband's face.

And then finally, the eyes of the Matriarch of the Takagi House softened as she lovingly brushed her husband's cheek with one hand before she wrapped her arms around his waist and held him close.


"You are no monster, Soichiro-san…" Yuriko said softly after a moment as she lay her head against her husband's chest and tears began to fall from her face. "You are Saya's father, as well as my beloved husband..."

"And the only thing you are guilty of my love, is being scared to death at the thought of losing our only child…" Yuriko added as she tightened her grip around her husband's waist.

"As am I…" Yuriko whispered as she and her husband held each other tightly in the darkness without a word being uttered between them, as the stars glittered brightly above their heads, in the night sky.


Author's Notes:

It has been about four months since the last time I updated "Last Alarm-Book One", and as most of you may have noticed, the teaser I had posted last time, was not included in this chapter.

The past four months have been extremely taxing for me and in the past two months the death of an uncle made it impossible for me to focus on the story.

And while admittedly I was not close to the member of my family that recently passed away, his passing basically turned my family's life upside down, and only now are things beginning to settle down, although life for my family and I will never be the same.

And as a result, while there was a lot more that I wished to add to this chapter before I posted it, including the teaser I had posted previously, I figured that since it had already been four months since the last time I had posted a new chapter and I decided to post what I have so that you wouldn't have to wait any longer, and then post the remainder later.

And while this chapter really didn't have any action in it, I figured that ya'll would still enjoy the fact that this chapter did deal with one of the ironies of life in which people who mean well often do what they feel is right, even though most people would not necessarily agree with their point of view.

In this chapter, both Jim and Soichiro Takagi are doing what they feel is right for the sake of their children, although I doubt very much that Saeko and Saya would agree with what they're doing, and would probably slap both of them silly if they knew what was really going on behind their backs.

As I've said before, "Last Alarm" was meant to show the human side of things as realistically as possible, and I hope that both Andy and I have managed to accomplish that, so far.

But as much as I've wanted to make my story dramatic, I didn't want my story to turn into a daytime soap opera, or as we say here in Texas, a telenovela.

And so, now that I've succeeded in showing just how dysfunctional everyone in my story is…

Now it's time for bullets to fly!

I've still got some work to do on the second part of this chapter which I'll be posting soon, but I'm sure all of you will be happy to know that at long last, the "Siege of Takagi Manor" is about to take place.

And I can't tell you how excited I am to have finally reached this point, although there is a LOT of work to be done yet before "Book One" is completed.

However, if all goes like I have planned, the wait will have been worth it.

As always, thank you for your support and your kind reviews.

Cya next time! Jim