LIII - Exposure
As the Earth turned and morning came all over the world, a wave of dread was washing over most countries. The tension was thick through the air, as the news of the NPA being given hacked information by a supporter of Kira was everywhere in the media. If Kira had access to a hacker through this supporter, then everyone's identity and records were in danger. Of course, the people who knew themselves innocent and honest were rather glad and anxious for justice, but most of those in power were now desperately trying to whiten their existence.
A video call was initiated from a dimly lit and smokey room at the crack of dawn. It was already afternoon for the receiver, so he couldn't possibly have any excuse for not picking up. Taking a long drag from a cigar, the man rolled his eyes. What was taking so long?
Just as he was about to flip the laptop's lid down, the receiver accepted the call.
'Yes? Did anything happen?'
"I don't know, Ooi. Why don't you tell me?! What the fuck is this bullshit they talk about on the news?!"
'How should I know? Everyone is just as surprised as you. I've done like you've asked and delayed the payments as much as possible, but this little bitch is threatening to marry! By law, that means-!'
"Do I look like the kind of man who gives TWO SHITS about the fucking LAW?!" Ross yelled. "I told you to stop that little bitch from getting into the Dragon's bank accounts! I even fucking PAID YOU! IN ADVANCE!"
'I'm doing everything I can, but if she gets married, she has the legal right to sue me through her husband-!'
"Listen here, you egghead! You little shit! I made you who you are today, and all I ever asked of you is one small favor, right? ONE! A single fucking job! If I need to think for you and do your job, I'll do that after I splash your brains on a fucking wall! Do you get what I'm saying? Do you understand?!"
Ooi swallowed his saliva like a rock. "I understand, sir."
'Are you sure? 'Cause it kind of seems like you don't.'
"I understand, sir! I do!"
'Then stop fucking around and DO YOUR FUCKING JOB!'
As soon as Ross hung up, he received an access request for one of the main accounts of the Dragon under the name of Caterina Rosa Reiji. The moment he saw the name, Ooi froze. Air had left his lungs and his heart had climbed inside his skull, threatening to break it in a million pieces. He couldn't believe it. The man kept reading the name over and over, in hopes that his eyes would deceive him, but it did not change.
The situation was indeed tense. It was becoming obvious that they could not wait until summer for Caterina to take over her father's bank accounts, so as soon as Namikawa was awake, the King suggested a much simpler solution, effective immediately. The entire ceremony and publicity thing had to be left out for now, but the group dressed up elegantly and visited the City Hall. Although they were not scheduled, such trivial detail was easily ignored under the persuasion of a cash envelope. After all, who could resist a well-deserved bonus?
The papers were done in a few minutes, and the King signed as their witness. Caterina was in a black, backless top exposing her tattoo and showing off her status, paired with a very simple and elegant pair of wide-legged pantaloons and high heels. Reiji was in one of his best suits as well, signed by a designer and saved for special events only. He had bought it with his next promotion in mind, for the day when he will be taking over the Asian branch of Yotsuba, but one could argue that he already achieved his goal.
A private table separated by plants from the rest of the restaurant was occupied by a group of five. Yao didn't seem very interested in the conversation and neither did Rin, but the girl had brought her laptop along and they could keep themselves entertained that way. The King sat on the outermost seat, while the kids were in the middle and the newlyweds across from him.
"I should inform my father," Namikawa said, a soft but proud smile never leaving his expression.
"Most likely. We can sue Ooi now, as well," Caterina said as she leaned back into her seat. She sipped the champagne in her glass. It was ironic somehow... Although she refused this marriage back when her father proposed it, she had willingly signed the papers now, and the only regret she had was that Light will eventually find out about this.
The King laughed. "Easy there, Tiger! Why don't you two take a few days to enjoy it? Maybe go on a trip, visit family, I don't know... Newlyweds stuff, I guess."
"That would be his father," Caterina resumed. "There's a chance that Ross and Frost already noticed this, which means we should use the time while they are disoriented and shocked to plan our next move. We'll have time for that later."
After a moment, Namikawa began to smile brightly, like none of those present had seen him before. "I have an idea. Why don't we go to visit my father right now? We'll leave tonight with the first plane and we should reach him by morning. We can very well keep in touch with everyone here while enjoying a small vacation as well. You could be our right-hand-man!"
"I'm flattered, but I want to retire," the King mumbled through a smile.
"...We could do that, but it would be better to take everyone along," Caterina mentioned. "I don't trust the internet or phone calls after I've seen these two at work - no offense, of course."
"None taken," Rin said in an absent-minded voice.
"However..." Caterina continued in a low voice, as she watched the beautiful flowers inside her black watch - an incredibly similar model to one of her mother's favorites. "Isn't this a little predictable? The United States is governed by Ross, who may or may not already know about the wedding. Either way, there's a good chance he will find out by the time we settle down into your father's mansion, which places a rather gigantic and unnecessary spotlight over it. Also, you only have a total of fourteen days of paid leave this year, which means we couldn't afford to be on the run, lose our tracks and make a comeback before Ooi had a legal reason to fire you if something did ever go wrong."
The King sighed. "Kitten, what are the chances? Come on - all you've ever done since the moment we met is work! Unwind, celebrate, take it easy for a little while. What's the harm in taking a week off?"
"...I'm afraid that the chances are quite high. What do you say, Rin? Yao?"
The children looked up from the laptop. Rin shrugged.
"I'd say... around 70%-ish? Maybe higher. I'm not sure."
Yao shook his head. "So from what I understand, it could be a lot worse. Correct me if I miss anything, but right now, we know that the Russian Mafia, led by Frost, has an interest in taking down the European and Asian branches of Yotsuba. At the same time, they have someone here in Japan giving them information, and there's a 50% chance that this person will be willing to do some more active work if you get what I'm saying. Also, Ross has a personal obsession with you, and an economic reason to end the Reijis both, as this would free up the American market for him. It's very likely that Ross still has many connections here, in Japan, in close circles to Caterina, or Reiji Jr., or possibly both, and we do know for a fact that his men are quite active. I think Ross already knows of this marriage and has a target on Reiji Sr."
"On my father? Are you sure about it?" Namikawa questioned the boy.
"Certainly."
Caterina sighed, leaning over the table. "There's also L hunting down Kira... With the information I've given him, it's very possible that he knows of my existence as the Dragon's heir, and that I am not against Kira. He may be placing his bets on whether or not I am a supporter, and if so, if my support is active or passive, but he certainly knows this much - I am not against Kira."
"Then, is it true?" Namikawa asked in a serious voice. "Are you sided with Kira?"
"...I know his identity, and he knows mine. However, he won't kill me, because we used to work together in the very beginning."
The King's eyes widened. "Are you insane? He knows your name?!"
The girl rolled her eyes. "If this goes to prove anything, is his loyalty towards me."
"What if L finds out?" the King went on. "What if he accuses all of us here of helping and hiding a criminal?!"
"Calm down, okay?" Caterina stared him dead in the eyes. "We're safe from that point of view. If L does anything like that, it's illegal and we now have the resources to drag him into court and have his image spoiled. We may also get him to pay us compensation."
"L is very resourceful..." the King pointed out.
"So are we. Now, let's focus on the next move. It may not seem like it, but we're in the middle of a war right now. Every second we spend overthinking and panicking is a second somebody else can use to gain an advantage and we can't afford that. I'll deal with Kira last."
"You? Don't you mean 'we'?" Namikawa asked.
"...It's my mess, I'll clean it up when the time is right. For now, though, you will have to trust me."
The King rubbed his temples and his forehead. "Yao...? What do you think of Kira?"
"Hm... Nothing much. I think he's a madman with a god-complex and several psychological issues."
Although Caterina didn't like that description, it did seem to strike a few cords. Holding back from any reaction, she continued with the planning of their next move.
Of course, she wasn't the only one who had to plan carefully. After the Police had received a large amount of information incriminating many officers, lawyers, a few judges, and important businessmen who just happened to be his clients for a long time, Satori Yukimura was numbing his nerves in sake and keeping his eyes glued to the screen of his TV. The news was full of the latest event - everyone had an opinion about it and theories were just beginning to take roots. Nothing was too crazy at this point, as the audience was hungry for blood - a taste they had caught quickly from so many Kira news.
The lawyer's phone had been ringing for at least an hour when he decided he can't take it anymore. He picked up.
"What?!"
'What on earth have you been doing? I thought you were dead!'
"I might as well be! What the hell happened with the police being handled all of these connections?"
The voice on the other end of the line was just as furious. "Why don't you tell me?! I just got suspended because of all of this crap! I need you to sue the NPA!"
'I'm afraid that won't be happening.'
"Why not? Satori, come on - we've known each other for years! You know I'm the main financial support for Amai's treatments. Without a job, I can't pay for it anymore!"
'Well - tough luck, what can I say? Everybody dies, my friend, sooner or later!'
"What kind of answer is that?!" Kitamura yelled into the phone, but the only reply he received was a dial tone.
Mad, he threw the phone across the room and held his balding head in between his hands. How was he going to get out of this one, clean hands, and a paycheck included? His secretary, who happened to hear his side of the commotion, wandered into the living room of his apartment. She found Koreyoshi pacing the room, the panic was written all over his face, and he had a sickly white tone of his skin.
"What happened, sir? Are you alright?"
All he could do was shake his head. He was not alright - by far!
"Can I bring you anything? Water - do you want water? Come on, sit down, and I'll be right back, alright?"
Shamefully leaning onto the woman, Kitamura found his way to the nearest armchair. A terrible migraine was tormenting him, worse than any other before, as he felt his left arm aching with a billion little pains as if it was a pin cushion, continuously stabbed by needles. The sensation spread over his neck, and the left side of his face as well.
Once his secretary had returned, he reached for the water glass with his left, trying to tell himself it was just numbness. His arm was trembling uncontrollably, throwing most of the water across the edges of the glass. His ears were ringing loudly, so loud that he couldn't hear what the woman was saying, and then his vision blurred. The sense in his arm was fading fast, just like that of his left hip, and then lower and lower down his leg and foot. He wanted to throw up because of the headache, and the pressure in his skull made his head spin. The light was painful, and breathing was becoming harder and harder by the minute. The glass gave way under his clenched hand, which closed into a fist with several shards cutting through the skin. He felt nothing.
In the meantime, Caterina and Namikawa were just reaching their home, along with the two children and the King. The rest of the party was excited talking about the new orphanage and the familial houses, for which the construction company had finally managed to receive the first part of their money. On the other hand, Caterina began to feel the weight of her father's empire pressing on her shoulders. There were so many threads, she couldn't keep track of them all!
As soon as they arrived, Caterina excused herself into her former room. It was time to begin a journal or some kind of network-free way to keep everything under control. She sat at her coffee table and began making notes. She knew about Ross having had an affair with her mother, and trying to capture her for his own pleasure. She also knew that the Snake and Vincent had both been connected to him - this was perhaps the most frightening thing about him. If Ross had people so close to her father - sharing his home, then how close was he to her at the moment?
Then, she analyzed Frost, only to realize she didn't know much about him. He was a sadist and a fan of torture, but that did not reveal anything about his mental patterns. How did he manage to find out about Vitto and use him against Namikawa? Who were his people and how much access did they have? There was a blank page staring back at her, only saying one thing - Caterina knew nothing about this man.
At the same time, she couldn't lose track of the ongoing fight between Kira and L, especially after making it a statement that she was the heir of the Dragon. Then again... Most of the people in those two files mentioned by her were already dead. L wouldn't have much to find, even if he did try to locate the key witnesses and interrogate them. This could be to her advantage, but at the same time, it could incriminate her.
Downstairs, Namikawa was busy celebrating his newest achievement when his phone rang.
"Yes?" he answered, smiling a little too brightly because of the wine.
'I need three million.'
The man needed a moment to process the request. "You... what? Who is this?"
'Your lawyer, who do you think? I need three million by tonight. Otherwise, I'm dropping your case!'
"Alright, alright, alright... No need to shout, right?"
Satori was surprised. Was Namikawa drunk? He didn't sound like himself.
"Make the transfer right now! I need the money right now!"
'Woe... I thought you said... by tonight?'
"Change of plans, Reiji. So? Are you transferring the money?"
'Just... a moment...', he mumbled.
As Satori was waiting for the transfer, a new title flashed on the television screen.
'Breaking news, ladies and gentlemen! It appears that after the tremendous amount of information a hacker had delivered the police, the Deputy Director of the National Police Agency of Japan had suffered a stroke! According to our sources, Mr. Kitamura is currently in the hospital, where his state is critical. We've also been informed that before suffering this stoke, Mr. Kitamura had been suspended! Could this be the main cause of his health deteriorating so suddenly?'
The thought of their recent conversation over the phone crossed his mind, but Yukimura quickly shook off the guilt. After all, the strong will stay strong in hard times, while the weak usually crumbled. It was nothing new - he had seen people dying before. He muted the TV as some background noises could be heard from the other end of the line.
The lawyer already had a suitcase packed with his essentials - his ID, credit cards, and health insurance, a few clothes, a few suits and ties, an extra pair of shoes and all the cash he had hidden in various parts of his house. He was booking a car at a rental company from his laptop as he was waiting for Namikawa to pay the three million into his main bank account.
Around the same time, a new message was printed into the police headquarters. Matsuda took it, then ran all the way to L's base in order to deliver it. The message was intended for him, after all. As soon as he stumbled through the door, Matsuda saw the detective looking through some files with the Chief, so he rushed to their side. Panting, he held the paper towards L.
"This... It's for you, L! ...Just arrived!"
Surprised, the detective took the paper from Matsuda's hand and unwrinkled it a little bit.
"...Sooner than I expected. Yagami, do you think you can take care of this?"
Taking the message, the Chief read it aloud.
'At 4:57, someone will be transferring $3 mil USD into the bank account below. It belongs to Satori Yukimura and is the result of blackmail. I believe he plans on disappearing from your radars. Use this to track him down. I'd also check his phone calls if I were you. I think he might have caused Kitamura's stroke. I'm sure this will be fairly easy for you, L.'
Author's Notes:
Hello everyone. I know what I've said before about this not being continued, but I've recently gone over it again and decided to give it another chance.
There's a bit of a change in the timeline of events from the official one, but I figured this won't bother you much. I've also been researching L quite a bit. I won't give you any spoilers, but he may not be the cute cuddly socially awkward goofball he appears to be, and I think I might like this version of L better. Actually, that was the reason why I never really was a fan of L until recently, because he seemed like too much of a childish cutie fooling around.
This being said, I am currently publishing without a beta-reader. I only use Grammarly for checkups.
Favorite, follow, review - all is greatly appreciated and welcomed! I'll be back soon.
-NightOwl
