Disclaimer - Despite my growing collection of Lupin III merchandise, I still do not legally own the rights to Lupin III or any related characters. This is just the way I envision Monkey Punch's characters.
Fujiko burst into the hotel room, straight into Lupin's arms.
"Don't listen to him!" she cried, a throb in her voice. "Whatever he says, it's all lies!"
"What?" Lupin said. "Who?"
Jigen walked in, fedora in one hand, the other rubbing the goose egg on the back of his head.
"Enough is enough," he said. "It's time this Jezebel tells us what her game really is."
Fujiko wrapped her arms tigher around Lupin, sobbing into his jacket.
"Calm down, guys. It's been a long night. Let's all just take a moment to . . ."
"I tried tailing her to see what she was up to," Jigen said. "And my reward was a bump to the back of my noggin."
"Look, I'm sure Fujiko has a perfectly reasonable explanation." He looked down at her. "Don't you, Fuji-cakes?"
She looked up and batted her lashes at him.
"Of course I do."
Lupin looked back up at Jigen.
"Ya see?"
Jigen tapped his foot on the floor impatiently.
"Aren't you going to ask her what it is?"
Lupin looked down at the girl again.
"What is it, sweetheart?"
"I can't tell you," Fujiko said. "You'll just have to trust me, lover."
"There you have it."
Jigen growled, angrily pulled the fedora down over his head, and reached for the door.
"Where are you going?" Lupin asked.
"For another walk," Jigen said. "Before I do something I regret."
And he went out and slammed the door angrily behind him.
The car stopped.
Machii stepped out, then pulled Dr. Carson out, Goemon following behind them with the rest of Machii's men. Several more were waiting for them in the abandoned park.
Kneeling on the ground was another figure, a bag over their head, arms bound behind their back.
"Any idea who this is?" Machii asked.
Dr. Carson shook her head, making little clicking noises of disapproval.
"Oh, Hilary," she said. "Why couldn't you just be a team player?"
One of the henchman pulled the bag off of the doctor's head. He looked at them in terror.
One of Machii's men juggled a flashdrive.
"We caught him searching your apartment, looking for this."
"I couldn't let them get away with this," Hilary said. "This whole procedure already didn't sit right with me. Absolutely ghoulish. And when I realized who the intended patient was . . ."
"You were sloppy," Carson said. "Did you think I wouldn't be able to read those e-mails? When I realized you were the whistle blower . . ."
She let her voice trail off. Machii crouched down to look the frightened doctor in the eye.
"I was going to pay you generously," he said. "You could have been set for life. Instead, you inform on me, offer up the Asimov project to the FBI?"
"Convictions are worth more than money," Hilary replied.
Carson shrugged.
"I wouldn't know," she said.
Machii stepped back.
"Goemon," he barked. "Execute this man."
For once, emotion flashed in Goemon's eyes.
"Machii-san?"
"You heard me," he said. "Anyone could shoot him, but I think a razor sharp katana sends a more distinct message."
"This man is unarmed. Bound. Completely defenseless."
"And completely without honor."
"To kill him in cold blood would be without honor."
"My father prolonged the life of Goemon Ishikawa XII. I thought you owed my family a blood debt. That you would defend my life in repayment of my father defending your father's."
Goemon stared hard at Machii, and at the man in front of him, making peace with his mortality.
"This man poses no threat to you."
"Not in the physical sense. But he threatens my plans. My livelihood. My very reputation. I want you to kill him."
"I will not."
Machii made a quick gesture, and several guns were immediately drawn and aimed directly at Hilary.
"You can kill him," Machii said, "or my men can kill the both of you."
Goemon approached Hilary.
Drew his sword.
And then turned so he was facing Machii.
"I will give you one more chance to do the honorable thing and let this man go free."
Machii made another gesture.
The abandoned park was lit by muzzle flashes. And the glint of Goemon's blade reflecting the moonlight.
It moved at lightning speed. Bullets and guns were cut to pieces. Tailored suits fell off of Machii's minions in tatters.
A hand flew through the air, and a stream of blood sprayed from a gunman's arm. He quickly tried to squeeze what was left of the sleeve around the stump in an attempt to clot the bleeding.
"I have once again cut something worthless," Goemon said, staring the man down. "But don't worry. I'm sure your boss can just make you a new one."
With that, he scooped Hilary up in his arms and, in what seemed like a super human motion, jumped up into a nearby tree, leaping from branch to branch and disappearing into the night.
"You're sure you don't want any further involvement in this?" Machii asked, turning to Benjamina Carson.
"I'll take my pay for the research, but I won't help perform the procedure. The more time I spend around you, the more likely it is to jeopardize my attempt to run for office."
"But you can provide surgeons you'd think are equally qualified to perform the surgery?"
"Gladly," Carson said. "And, unlike Hilary, I think all the money in the world will be good enough to put their conscience at ease."
An ice cream colored town car pulled up alongside Jigen as he walked the rain-slicked city streets.
The window rolled down and Vitti stuck his head out.
"Hey there, cowboy," he said. "How about I give you a ride?"
"Not interested."
"Don't be like that, compadre. I'm coming to you as a friend. And if you refuse this friendly chat, well, you know you won't like the alternative."
Jigen let out a deep sigh.
"I guess I'm as good with you as I am with that dame."
He opened the car and slid next to Vitti, and the car moved down the street.
"I head you'd gone to ground in Tokyo, cowboy," Vitti said. "Gone native. You really think you pass for a Daisuke?"
"You always were good at keeping tabs on people, Vick. That's the only nice thing anyone can say about you."
"Nothing about my smile that can light up the whole room?"
Vitti grinned wolfishly. It made Jigen's skin crawl.
"Whaddaya want?"
"I want to offer you a job, old pal. The one thing you're good at."
He snapped his fingers, and someone in the front seat passed back a suitcase. Vitti passed it to Jigen, who unlatched it and opened it to stacks of cold hard U. S. dollars.
"Or would you prefer yen?"
"Any job you're involved with doesn't interest me."
"A lot of dough in there," Vitti said, still grinning. "This phantom thief, Loopin . . . "
"Lu-pawn," Jigen corrected.
"But it's spelled 'Loopin.'"
"Doesn't matter how it's spelled. It's French."
"However you say it. Point is, he's been making a lot of trouble for my new employer, Mr. Machii. And you happen to be in a unique position, able to get close enough to just do what you do best. Work a little magic with that Magnum of yours."
Jigen picked up a stack of bills, judging its thickness, running a finger down the side and listening to the sound it made.
"They say the lowest circle of Hell is reserved for betrayers."
"And which circle's for guys who steal their boss' girlfriend?"
It all came back to Jigen. His life as a cocky young gun, running with the Caponata family. The moll, Marisa. A pretty, shapely brunette, not that different in appearance from Fujiko Mine. But with a heart of gold.
He remembered how callous and cruel the Don was with her. The fleeting glances. Stealing every moment they could with each other.
At a funeral for one of their crew killed in a gang fight, they'd stolen off to an abandoned part of the church and made passionate love.
But Don Caponata was suspicious. Jealous. And Vitti had been a voyeur, reporting back on Jigen and Marisa's affair. Jigen had to shoot his way out, fleeing with her to an airport with two new identities ready to go. He was headed for Japan. And he begged her to go anywhere else, not to even tell him where she was going, and to never go back.
"I found her," Vitti said. "I figured you could use a little more incentive to take this job. See, I managed to track her down. And I left Caponata, too. When I left, he'd pretty much given up on ever finding you. Had a new girl. Didn't much care anymore. Unlike you, we're still on fairly good terms. But I don't think he'd mind a little revenge for his hurt pride given the chance. I could give him your address, but I'm sure you'd meet death with that stoic courage of yours."
Jigen's hand was clenching the wad of bills tighter and tighter.
"But I found her," Vitti continued. "And I could give that address to you, along with this money. You lovebirds could be reunited, could settle down somewhere with this nice little nest egg to live a cozy little life. Or, I could give the address to the Don, see what he wants to do to the lost love that spurned him."
The car stopped in front of the hotel.
Vitti took the briefcase back and opened the car door.
"Choice is yours."
Jigen barely had time to get out of the car before it took off.
He took the elevator up to his floor, hand already hovering around his holster.
"Walk help clear your head?"
"Yeah," Jigen said, slowly smiling. "I feel a lot better now."
And the Magnum was immediately in his hand and firing.
Lupin dove behind the sofa as soon as he saw the glint of metal, the bullet passing through the cushions and just barely missing him.
"I thought you didn't want to do anything you'd regret?"
"Too late for that now."
Lupin's note – Wow, things have been crazy since I was last telling you guys this story! Someone we thought was just a respectable neurosurgeon turned out to be evil and tried to make a clumsy grasp at power. Friends and even family have been divided against each other. Everyone turning on each other at the drop of a dime. And that's just the world we live in! But I'm here to try to right all those wrongs in my own special way. Next chapter: "The Jigen's Up." And maybe I won't even make you wait another seven years for it!