XXV – Promises
The restaurant was full at the time the reservation had been scheduled. The only free table was their's as a waiter led the Dragon where his youngest associate was waiting. The man could easily understand the nickname given by his loyal driver – he really was a pretty boy. Certainly he was one of those often mistaken for a girl until puberty gave him a slightly masculine appearance.
"Good evening, Namikawa." Because he had a close business relationship with his father, the Dragon took the freedom of addressing him in what would have otherwise been considered a very rude and disrespectful way. Either way, the Dragon was superior to the one sitting at his table, so he could afford a less formal approach.
"Good evening, sir." It was easy to see the other one was nervous and a little irritated by the use of his first name. Even so, he was doing his best to keep a straight face, showing nothing of what he might feel.
"I asked your father if I could borrow your brilliance for a year or two," the Dragon began on the same relaxed tone. "You see, I have been experiencing some problems with my companies, so I decided to hire some new experts."
The waiter approached them and asked a little hesitantly if he could take their orders. The Dragon already knew what he wanted for dinner, while Reiji's son took a few moments to skim the menu before deciding.
"Back to more serious matters, I am willing to give you a rather high status for your age. I understand you only have a few years of experience, but I trust you to use this opportunity well." The Dragon had his old friend speaking very fondly of his son.
Taking his time to consider the offer, Namikawa began questioning the reasons of the Dragon. "With all my respect, sir, why do you consider me the right choice for a supposedly important position?"
The Dragon chuckled. "My subordinate who is responsible for the Asian branch of the company is weak. His illegitimate son will have a similar position to your's starting tomorrow, despite lacking the qualities or professional skills required. It seems to me the reason my profit is dropping at such an alarming rate would be poor management of human resources. Because you are young, I believe you have not yet lost the flexibility of a young mind. You see, this is something I have been noticing for the past few years – the young are more innovative, more resourceful, open-minded. I hope your brilliance and American experience will help my companies avoid a possible crisis in two years from now."
Immediately, Namikawa understood the situation was bad. If the man who owned the Yotsuba group - including about one hundred brands - was now anticipating a crisis in two years, then the numbers were not at all in their favor. Then, there was the head of the Asian branch who didn't sound like a professional. This meant he had an opportunity to rise to power in a very short time, perhaps as soon as two or three years from now.
"I will consider your offer, sir. If it is not too late, I would like to announce you my answer tomorrow," the younger man said with such calm, he looked almost inhuman.
The Dragon had a thought that maybe his daughter would compare him to some immortal movie character, looking much younger than he was and with calm, mature eyes. "That would be alright. I need your answer before the end of this week," the Dragon answered. It was already Friday.
"Thank you," was the short answer the Dragon received.
"Tell me, please, how has your father been?" The man had only a few he held close and he often tried to keep in touch with these people.
"Not so well lately. He is a suspect of cancer, though we will not have the results until the end of this month."
The news hit the Dragon like a bullet. He didn't seem shaken, but it hurt to know an old friend might disappear before the end of the year. Cancer was horrible, the most lethal assassin… and in their case, it might be cause by constant poisoning over the years. But would Reiji really not notice such horrible doing from anyone living under his roof? It was difficult to believe.
"I apologize and I will pray for his health. If there is any way I may help him or his family, please tell me."
Namikawa was not expecting such an offer. In truth, he did not really know his father's associates, but he would have never expected one of them to appear so concerned over his father's health. "I will. Let me say I appreciate the offer."
The elder nodded slowly. He may not say it, but he never forgot how much Reiji the senior had helped him in the past. Gratitude and loyalty were two of the most important values in life for the man and he always made sure to respect them.
Their dinner was brought to the table and served as they continued to speak of the Yotsuba group, of Namikawa's specialization, and the Dragon's suspicions of incompetence. It was why he intended on 'cleaning up' the most influential posts in the group, leaving each to reform one aspect in return and take care of their subordinates. In other words, he was hunting for young experts to revive all aspects of the corporation he owned.
To him, it was vital to know each important subordinate – and he knew his well. He knew their families and professional evolution, found out of their affairs and dreams, and often met with each one for dinner.
In a way, Shin was his subordinate as well, though not of the important ones. He was simply a number, a name on a paper at most. The break came at six, a few minutes later because the truck had to be loaded full before they afforded such luxury. The boy barely felt his arms, but he knew nobody there would help him in any way. No need to complain.
When most had their dinner packed by their wives, or lovers, or daughters, Shin had a bag of salty pretzels. He came to hate the taste, but these were the cheapest food he could take with him. One bag would get him through two days. Even if he wouldn't feel full right away, after a small bottle of water, he would.
"Hey, kid, wha'cha lookin' at?" one of his team mates asked.
"Are those cards or money?" he grinned, eyeing the man's back pocket.
"Yea, I've got some cards. So what?"
By that point, everyone was paying attention to the two. "Let's play," was the boy's obvious invitation.
"Yea, right. You want me to believe you have anything to bet?" they began mocking him.
"Go home, kid. Tell your momma to give you enough to eat," said another.
However, Shin took out of his pocket what he had won that day during the first period on the school rooftop. He was confident he would win much more during the remaining minutes of their break, so he put all he had on the table.
"What's it gonna be?" he asked with a wide grin, waiting for the others to decide the game and how much would they each bet. Shin was a cheater, but a very good one. He could count back four years since he had last been caught, though everyone suspected it at some point or another.
The supervisor watched as they all lost from the very beginning. If Shin was really that lucky and skilled or if he was cheating, he couldn't tell – the man had been watching him but saw nothing suspicious. Even so, in about ten minutes, the kid had made five times the money he bet.
"Alright, time's up! Let's get back to work," he said as soon as the game was over. They still had a lot to load, and Shin had to deal with everyone's hatred and frustration for having lost. But he was pleased. Perhaps tomorrow he would have enough to take Caterina out, without going through a small financial crisis. If not, he could always save the money for darker days.
Little did he know the assurance he heard from the girl that morning was a lie. While Shin was breaking his arms and back to afford taking her out, Caterina was already out with the one she would have swore is not her boyfriend. If someone told him about it, Shin would have swore it was a lie… But girls lie all the time, mostly to themselves.
Caterina was no different. She was well aware that Light will probably never be serious about it, but she still wanted to taste it while it still last. Their relationship was on a high way to disaster, but bittersweet like chocolate cake at midnight.
She held her mug between her hands, fingers laced and dark red nails shining in contrast to her light skin. Light noticed how she had changed during the one year they haven't met in person, but kept talking on the phone and sending texts. Sometimes they would keep in touch through the entire day, other times it could be weeks before she contacted him again, changing her number. He watched her taking another sip from her still hot chocolate, pressing her lips together because of a drop picked up a moment too late.
"How have you been? And where, if you can tell me?" he asked.
The girl still held her mug with her both hands in hope of warming them up. It was a new problem for her that her hands only seemed to get a little bit warmer during steamy showers and sweaty dreams.
"Everywhere," she answered with a smile, but continued before Light could get upset for her being so vague. "We went from one end to the other of China, then crossed over to Europe through Turkey. We cut it short over the sea until we reached Italy and from there, we were as good as home."
"But why didn't you warn me about it? And what happened to the yacht? The investigation had been cancelled, somehow…" In truth, Light had his theories about what may have happened, but he wanted to hear the truth.
"Well, Vincent was working for someone else. He stole my phone, I still don't know about the information on it… You know, recordings of him not being the most decent around my mother, pictures of cars in which my mother went for a few minutes, then walked out as if nothing happened, addresses, car plate numbers, phone numbers… I had yours, among others." She tried to explain.
"Then I should change it… Why haven't you told me before?"
Caterina shrugged. "I didn't think it was important. My father thinks the one who hired Vincent is dead, so we should be fine…"
"But you don't," Light continued her phrase for her.
"No," she answered before sipping from her hot drink. "You see, they found Vincent's remains, so we know for sure he's gone. But they didn't find this guy among the victims. There were about five or so who could not be identified, and… Well, he could be among these or he could have survived and gotten away."
Light nodded, staring down into his tea cup. "And your mother?" he asked, looking up to see Caterina frowning slightly. She turned to look away for a moment, then pressed her lips together and rolled them out into a pout.
"…I hoped you wouldn't ask," she eventually mumbled.
So she did care about her at all… Light hadn't expected that, but in a sense, he should have. Naturally, a child will care about the mother, no matter how many unforgivable mistakes the mother could have made. "I'm sorry."
"You're not, so don't say you are," she immediately replied on a bitter tone.
"I'm not sorry for her, I'm sorry for you. You're grieving," he said softly, reaching out and grabbing one of her hands. She held his back and sighed.
"I shouldn't be, but… I guess it has to be done. I'm mad at myself because I didn't stop it from happening, even if I saw it coming. I know it's useless to waste time with should, perhaps, and if, but sometimes it won't leave me alone. This idea that I could have stopped it from happening…"
He listened in silence and felt himself becoming calmer. Light didn't really get to see this soft, fragile side of her and in a way, it made her look so much more ordinary, like any other young woman having lost her mother. She skipped the three days of tears and hysteria and went straight to the silent acceptance of the facts. But would she do the same for her father…? Neither side of Light could be sure.
"But now, you're back. Does your father still have business in Japan, or…?" Light didn't want to get drunk with illusions of the girl returning there for him, but it was a thought that wouldn't leave his mind.
Caterina gave him a small smirk. "Why else? It's always business. You didn't think it was my idea, do you?"
Light was tempted to get mad at her words, if it wasn't for her tired, green eyes staring at him, speaking the exact opposite of her mouth. "You're lying," he smiled.
"Maybe. Girls lie all the time, don't we?" she smiled back. "No, I didn't ask him to come back here. It reminds me of what happened. You know, first the robbery, then the cruise… But I didn't protest when he said we're coming back. I just asked him to stay at a different hotel."
"That sounds closer to the truth," he commented. "So it's just the two of you now?"
Caterina nodded. "It's so quiet… Sometimes I get home early and he's not there. The apartment is completely silent, and cold, and lifeless. I hate it. It's like in those movies when the psycho is hiding behind the door, or the devil is looking through the mirror. Sometimes… I feel like I'm going insane, alone in a huge, empty space."
Light sighed. "You know you can call, right? I may not always be home, but if I am, we can talk. Or I can come over, if your father still hasn't found out about… that day."
Without even thinking why he might bring it up now, she shook her head. "He hasn't."
The Voice was pleased with her answer. She played her part well so far, not realizing to him this was a direct invitation to do anything he liked. As long as her daddy didn't know, he was safe – and if she didn't tell him for over a year, she won't start talking to him about it now. She seemed more mature now, but in a sense, Caterina was still a scared, lonely little girl struggling to find her balance.
"But… just so you know, I didn't like that," she woke him up from his reasoning.
"That what? A lot happened that day," he smirked.
"That snap, like you turned a switch off and you were a different person." Caterina snapped her fingers. "You made me feel small, helpless. I didn't like that."
He smiled. Perhaps she really did grow up a little bit. "Alright, no more of that."
For a moment, Caterina stared into his brown eyes, trying to read him. Did he mean what he just said? It seemed a little too easy how she managed to get that promise from him. He looked honest, but Light could put on a front that showed whatever she wanted to see. He proved that many times… Then, how could she possibly tell the difference?
"Good," she smiled weakly.
"We could do something else, if you want," Light suggested, still thinking about that certain day.
"What do you mean?" she asked, though the girl already had an idea about what he was going to say.
"Something less… aggressive. Something you would like, I hope."
Caterina smirked bitterly. "So now you care about what I like…" After a moment of silence, she continued. "I will soon get used to this softer, warmer side of you. I don't want that."
Light was surprised – honestly. "Why not?" he asked in sincere confusion.
"Because you are not serious about this. We will never be together, and if we will – it won't last. This thing between us is too strange, too complicated. You will get tired of me, or I will get in your way, and do you know where we will be headed then? You will call me crazy and slam the front door, I will cry and throw myself on the bed, and we'll both drown our sorrows the way society tells us to do - with alcohol and sex."
Light gave her a half-smile, uncertain, uneasy. For once, he was afraid this really could happen… It sounded like them to fail so miserably, because they were both so cruelly ambitious and with conflicting interests. "What do you want, then? Caterina…"
It was one of the rare occasions when he called her name, so she looked up. For a long moment, she stared into his brown eyes. The girl knew the answer, but didn't want to say it. "…I don't know," she eventually mumbled. "I guess you could say that I want the world, but then… not really. It would mean huge responsibilities."
Light smirked. "I suppose the greater the throne, the heavier the sword hanging above the seat. Even so, there are always people fighting for the damned chair."
"And there are so many…" she sighed, keeping the same bitter smile spreading and fading from her face. "Everybody wants it."
"Like you…" he chuckled. "Like you and me, am I right? You know, there are usually two golden seats in any throne room."
The girl shook her head. "I don't think I want this. My father has the throne now – you witnessed his power, I made sure of it. I did it for my pride, but the point is that you saw it. He put on a show on the scene of the entire world… What you didn't see is the price."
Her last word caught Light's interest like nothing she had said before. In truth, the world had no idea of what were the consequences of the ones they envied. His darker side fell silent, waiting anxiously for the girl to continue. "Which is…?" he urged her when a couple of seconds passed them by.
Caterina didn't look into his eyes. She avoided him entirely, but still, she answered. "…Scars, Light. Cuts and bullet holes mark his body, broken bones and muscles ache all the time. Threats – he can't trust anyone nowadays. He even suspects his most loyal connections of betrayal. Almost every day someone threatens him, after every execution it's coming from someone unexpected. The authorities are no longer on our side, and… perhaps they never were." She stopped for a moment. "There were times when we shared a room, or a train compartment. I never caught him sleeping, just slumbering for a few minutes with his hand holding a gun. At this point…" A cold chill ran down her spine. "At this point, I'm afraid not even his god with an army of angels and saints can save him anymore. This is what it means to have the throne. It's destroying him."
Light looked away as well. Well, perhaps he should have expected this… Though it still hit him hard, like a slap in the face. He never really thought about the ugly face of ruling the world, of reforming it. That might actually be him in a couple of years. Alone, paranoid, damaged on every possible level and barely holding onto what little sanity he will have left at the time. "But I won't be alone," he mumbled to himself. Everything was easier when you were not alone, right? How different can reforming the world be from… the class president title in middle school? Except they would have no choice but to listen to him this time.
"Careful with that… my dear," she mumbled back. For the first time since he could remember, Light saw Caterina asking for the check and paying for her own drink. "I'll call Diego. You can come too, he won't mind giving you a ride."
For a moment, Light thought she was inviting him over, but it seemed the only thing they will be sharing will be the back seat of a car. "Actually… how about a movie? We could go home, we don't always have to go to your apartment."
The girl thought about it. "My father would be worried. I don't want to upset him," she eventually answered. Soon after that, she took out her phone and called her driver. This gave Light some time to think. The Dragon must be really paranoid to convince Caterina to stay safe and was very likely that her father didn't trust him.
'That's highly improbable,' the Voice tried to assure Light. The Dragon didn't have surveillance cameras and spies watching him, so there was no way the man would know about the Note. He was no psychic capable of reading minds, either. Powerful as he was, her father was still a man and nothing else – he had no way of knowing about Light's recent finding.
Light was right to suspect the man's growing uneasiness, though. The Dragon's layer was threatening to collapse, burying him alive with his wealth. It was how he felt, staring at the clock and wondering where his daughter was. He knew very well her independent spirit loved to stray, to explore new places and people, to get lost in conversation. Even so, it was hardly the time for that.
When he got a phone call from Diego, the man's heart stopped for a moment, aching as it beat again. His throat and chest were tight with anxiety and worry. "Yes?"
His relief did not last for long. The familiar carelessness in Diego's voice was gone and his laughter felt strange, almost strangled. 'Oh, hi! Yeah, it's me… Y'know… Thing is, I'm sorry, brother.'
Panic pushed a cold sweat through the Dragon's skin. "What happened? Where are you?" he tried to ask as calmly as he could, but his calm was running out like sand through his fingers.
'Brother… For once, I'm scared,' the driver said through the phone, 'There are two cars following me. You know, she called me. I can't go pick her up and I don't think I can stop anytime soon. I'll try to get rid of these trash bags, alright, brother?'
The Dragon stood up the moment he heard about his daughter, putting on his shoes and taking the keys to a recently bought car. It was supposed to be a back-up, but at the time the man could not trust any of his employees.
About an hour ago, he received a picture of Caterina and Light talking, taken from where the waiters usually stood. On the back it read 'Sinners' with a stylized capital S. The man had been waiting for any sign from his daughter, too afraid of disturbing her with a call. He wanted to trust her to handle potentially sticky situations well, though he was aware this would be extremely risky.
'I will go now. Where is she?' the driver heard his employer and step brother asking.
"Should be gray, but it is not. There was a movie I liked… Indian." Diego had no idea if someone heard their conversation, but it never hurt to be cautious.
'I know,' the Dragon confirmed it.
"Hey, brother…? If I don't get to ask later… My blood father was your old man, right? Is that why mom said he died shortly after I was born?" The driver figured that if he was going to die, he should take the chance and ask what he never dared. The question had been burning inside his childish mind for years.
'…Yes. I killed your father, then made a deal with your mother. I paid her for the five years you two were together.' The Dragon's voice was bitter, though Diego couldn't have been happier.
"Then, we're brothers! Tell Mary next time you're in Rome." The driver hung up. He was speeding out of the city and towards the nearest bridge. All this time, he was smiling sweetly. The man was pleased.
First, because he kept his promise to Misa. They went out, ate, talked for a little bit, and then he was about to take her back home. That didn't happen though, as he noticed someone following him. He told Misa to be careful and let her go on her way – they were close anyway, her flat just around the corner.
Then, he called the Dragon and told him where his little girl was. That made him her uncle… Diego smiled even wider. He always had a family, even if he wasn't sure of it at times.
But perhaps more important, he found out about his brother. Even if they may not have the same blood, to him, the Dragon was the best big brother he could have asked for. Looking back into the rear view mirror, he saw the two cars still on his tracks.
"Mary, save my damned soul! Let me see Rome one more time!" he said proudly, blinking away the fog in his eyes. It seemed his foot had frozen on the pedal, as the car went faster and faster by the second. He was on a bridge in no time, keeping the same happy smile on his face, Diego closed his eyes and turned to the right.
The Dragon sped down the street, taking turns and ignoring every rule. He had to make it to the White Elephant in time. At one point, he was about to hit someone crossing the street. "Damned brats, looking at their phones!" he quickly cursed all young people who had ever looked at a screen while crossing the street.
Shin however had no phone to look at. "Look where you're going!" he yelled after the black car that passed him by so closely, Shin had felt the car's right side mirror stroke his back. With a few mumbled observations about the rich not giving a damn about the poor, he dragged his feet to the bus station.
His bus should be there in half an hour. The teenager could barely stay awake anymore, but the thought of his brothers waiting for him was enough to motivate him. He entered a store he knew was open until ten and he began mentally adding up everything he needed to buy. Shin tried to stay away from the money won during lunch, so he could save those for anything else. Once again, he had to limit his choices to food only – the cheaper, the better.
At the tea house, Caterina was standing up and so was Light. They had already paid and she had turned down his offer of watching a film at his house. They both shared a very strange feeling of uneasiness though – one that they didn't dare believe. As soon as Caterina took her jacket, someone walked out of the kitchen holding a shotgun.
"Down!" Light whispered, dragging Caterina down with him and trying to fit her under the table. People around them were screaming in panic and pain. The boy was using the four massive chairs at their table as a tent to secure two sides of the table.
Caterina was silent, though her eyes were shining with horror as if she was a rabbit surprised to see a car approaching through the darkness. Her frown showed confusion – she clearly had no idea why someone was shooting everyone randomly.
The Dragon left the car as close as possible, jumping out and running as fast as he could towards the White Elephant tea house. He could see people stumbling out the tight entrance, falling down the stairs with wounds. The man's heart began to ache again as he saw the red stains on everyone around him. He looked at every girl that passed, but none was his little girl.
Someone was grinning at both teenagers, looking under the table where they managed to take shelter from the bullets. "There you are…!" the man said in victory, holding the shotgun towards Light. "Sorry, lover boy. The boss wants her."
Just then, the sound of something shattering caught the attention of the aggressor, enough for Caterina to point his shotgun up, away from both of them. "Like hell he does!"
Light didn't miss the opportunity and turned the table on him, trying but not really hitting the aggressor. Lucky for them, Caterina's father was there, holding one gun at the head of the one threatening the teenagers and another gun towards the bar – just in case someone else would appear with the intention to kill them all.
The girl backed away in shock, closing her eyes shut and turning her head. She had seen more than enough scenes like that to not know how a person looked with their brains scattered and a bullet in their skull. Light was the first to stand and as soon as he did, he helped her up as well. The boy had never witnessed an execution before, but he wasn't curious at all.
"Can you walk? Are you alright?" he asked her, and she nodded her head.
"I'm fine…" Caterina mumbled.
"Good," her father nodded. Kicking the shotgun from his prisoner's vicinity, the Dragon began hitting his hostage's head against the already bloody floor. "You will tell me who you work for, or I will crush your skull like a nut!" the man growled.
There were some still alive and conscious, but too badly wounded to have made it outside. Light knew where this was most probably going and it was not how he had planned it. The Dragon behind bars would leave Caterina much too vulnerable while Light, with his new 'job', would not have enough time for her.
"With all my respect and as a volunteer for the police, sir, I ask you to stop. You have a unarmed man – this no longer counts as self-defense." On one hand, the Dragon stopped trying to crush his hostage's head against the floor. On the other hand, he was now punching his teeth out of his prisoner's mouth.
"Who do you work for?!" the Dragon asked the aggressor once again, only earning himself a bloody grin.
Diego was also grinning, watching the water coming closer. He was praying to his angels and saints, begging his Catholic God to help him survive. The car was flying off the bridge and only seconds later, water was filling the car. Diego reached out to undo his seat belt.
Author's Notes:
As usual, chapter proofread by Eat4Fun, my all-time favorite beta who doesn't seem tired of me yet, haha.
It's been a while, huh? Well, here's an update. It will be exam season for me all month, so expect the next chapter to take some time before it's finally out. If you didn't get Diego's references, he's talking about the White Elephant - in this story it's a tea house, but it's also a pretty old Indian movie about a little boy who befriends a magical elephant that happens to be white. It's cute, very fairy-tale-like. The second reference was religious. Since they're Italian people, it would be best fit for them to be Catholic, and since Diego is about to jump off a bridge, it seemed normal for him to think about Rome and then the Saint Mary ref just kind of... came along.
About the shooting - the boss who hired someone to bring him Caterina will make an appearance next chapter. And since there was another bad guy that received some tears and aww's, he's kind of haunting the Dragon from his grave now. Don't get me wrong, he's dead-dead (not Supernatural-dead, but really dead), but turns out someone wants him avenged.
Oh, I almost forgot! You know who is coming close to meeting his creator, so... We're going to try this one more time. Do you want me to save Diego? Or do you want him gone? Answer in the reviews, or message me instead, but please let me know.
