Welcome to the Madness that is Chapter Three.
All R&R welcome, even the bad stuff.
I was awakened around seven o-clock by the all-too-familiar sounds of the city: blaring car horns, the 'colorful' language of the cabbies and other commuters stuck in the morning rush. The faint scent of smog wafted through a crack in the glass.
*I really need to put some cardboard over that* I thought to myself, sitting up and rubbing at my eyes. I had to kick the blankets back, as they were tangled around my lower body, I wasn't exactly the world's quietest sleeper. I swung my legs out of the bed, brushing errant strands of red-brown hair from my eyes.
An involuntary shiver worked its way up my spine as my bare feet hit the cold floor. Damn. I'd forgotten that the throw rug was on the OTHER side of the bed, and that the uncovered floor was always a chill factor.
With a jaw-splitting yawn and a cat-like stretch, I headed out the bedroom and stumbled into the kitchen to find myself something microwaveable for breakfast. Hmm, maybe the left over spaghetti? Pizza's always good.
A soft creaking sound from behind me and the sound of bare feet on the linoleum of the kitchen.
*Wha-?* I spun around not-so-quickly. My reflexes were shot to hell from too much caffeine, too little sleep and less than nutritious food. I didn't REMEMBER anyone crashing on the couch…Kayla hadn't mentioned dropping by, so it couldn't be her….
The site of tussled blonde hair and sleep-shot violet eyes reminded me just what had occurred last night.
"G'mornin.." I managed to slur. Sage shot me a sleepy grin and slumped down in one of the hard kitchen chairs.
"Sleep well?" He asked, pushing his hair out of his face.
"Okay." I nodded, not quite up to speaking in anything more than monosyllables just yet. "Had too much coffee to sleep."
"I know, me too." He nodded. I popped a slice of cold pizza into the microwave and punched in forty five seconds.
"Well, you're certainly eating well." He commented wryly.
"'S too early to hit ya." I grumbled. "'R else y'd be face first 'n the wall."
"Ouchie." Sage moved in front of me and caught my wrist. "Mia, why don't you go take a shower, okay? You don't look so good. I'll see if I can whip up something out of the junk in the fridge."
I didn't even need to consider that. He was offering first dibs on the bathroom, AND a meal better than I could put together. I snatched up the opportunity.
"There's a catch though." He cautioned. "You do the dishes."
I just nodded, too eager to hit the shower to complain.
"Good. Then hand me a chisel and let me get to work at the freezer." Sage joked, pushing me out the kitchen door. "And for heaven's sake, put some clothes on!"
I looked down at my attire, one long gray T-shirt, and a pair of Looney Tunes boxers that my cousin had given me as a gag gift. Maybe he had a point.
Fifteen minutes later, I was feeling a shade less like a zombie and more like a human being. A clean pair of slacks and a blouse helped immensely. By the time I'd gotten my hair pulled back into a French braid the scent of SOMETHING from the kitchen caught my nose and my stomach let loose with a floor-shaking growl.
"Hungry?" Sage's teasing voice came from the same direction of the smell.
"Is this some kind of trick question?" I retorted.
"Well I see YOU'RE feeling better." He grinned as I rounded the door to the kitchen and took a seat.
I chose to ignore him in favor of the plate he set before me.
"My GOD! Are those omelets?" I asked, scarcely able to believe what I was seeing (not to mention smelling)
He just shrugged. "Michelle can't cook to save her life, so I had to pick up a few things here and there."
"No, really?" I asked sarcastically before digging in.
"I take it the shower's empty?" Sage asked hopefully. I could only nod in reply, as my mouth was full.
"Then I'll just help myself. I happen to have a change of clothes with me." He gestured towards a duffel bag sitting beside the couch. I must have missed it in all of the confusion. "Remember, you're doing the dishes."
Again, all I could do was nod happily.
It was somewhere around eight thirty by the time we finally made it to the office. I don't own a car, and Sage told me that he'd turned the rental car he'd been using back in. So I hailed us both a cab, not really feeling like making the long trek to the office this morning. The sky was a flat slate gray, portending a nasty deluge to come.
"So," Sage began, breaking the silence between the two of us. "Who's this guy you're working for? You mentioned that he's the heir to the Shakujo fortune, and that he wanted you to find this tiger of his, but nothing more than that,"
I grimaced and turned my attention out the window. That was the one thing I HADN'T explained. I was in the habit of never giving away any more info on my clients or sources than I had too, and I suppose I'd just forgotten.
"He said his name was Ryo Sanada…he's a little younger than you or me, but…damn, he just looked so Ihelpless/I…" I bit my lip. "You know, I never thought I'd ever get involved in any cases linked to the mob…especially after…"
Sage had to cough to break the awkward quiet. "I guess that was partly my fault.. wasn't it?"
"Sort of." I admitted. "But it was probably safer that way, I mean look at you!" I tried a half-hearted attempt at a smile. "Not exactly a good way to go."
The cabbie cast a queer look towards the backseat as we both cracked up.
"AIIIEEE!!!! MIA!!! THAT GUY LOOKS JUST LIKE-"
I clamped a hand over Kayla's mouth, pressing a finger to my lips.
"Hush Kay, I know. This IS Sage…back from the dead I suppose you could say."
Kayla peeled my fingers away from her face and gawked for a brief moment at the young man who shuffled his feet in embarrassment, a crooked grin on his face.
"Ummm…" He coughed nervously as my friend raised an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms expectantly.
"What do you have to say for yourself?" She asked, her voice dangerously low. "I assume there's Isome/I sort of explanation!"
"I'll give you the full scoop later Kay." I grabbed her elbow and towed her towards the office. "For now, we've got some calls to make and a few leads to follow up on. I want any files you can dig up on…" I yanked the piece of paper from my pocket and scanned it briefly.
"Anybody you can find who was once involved with the mob and went by these names: Cale, Sehkmett, Dais and Sabrestryke…"
Kayla nodded. "Righto Boss Lady! I'm on it!" She turned back to her desk to plop down into her chair and jiggle her computer mouse to deactivate the screen saver. A look of concentration appeared on her face as she skimmed through the police files open to our agency.
"Gimme about an hour Mia, I should have something good for you by then, last known address or Isomething!/I"
Sage blinked once in surprise, and I had to giggle at the expression on his face. He looked like someone had come up behind him and wacked him on the head with a two by four!
"I've still got some paperwork to finish up with." I said aloud. "By the way, Kayla, were there any calls for me?"
Kayla nodded absently from the comp. "Yup, Mr. Sanada called earlier, about a half hour before you walked in. He said he wanted to talk to you later."
I considered that for a moment. It was true that I had some new info for him, but things were still a bit too nebulous for any solid facts or answers. There wasn't much one could do in a half day. Not that I hadn't Itried/I…
~
A half hour later, I had finally finished the last of those annoying forms. With a relieved sigh, I set the police station's copy on Kayla's desk and put our own print in the filing cabinet.
"Any luck Kayla?" I turned to my secretary, leaning back against drawers. Sage looked up from the armchair he'd been sitting in, interest restored.
Kayla flashed me a triumphant smile. "Most definitely! The names you gave me were all aliases, used for their dealings in the underground. Their real names are, respectively of course, Sasaki Kujuurou, Yamanouchi Naotoki Jirogourou, Rajura, and Kenbukyou…umm, there's no surname for the last guy."
"It's all right Kayla…do you have anything else on them?"
"Well, given that this is the first information I've been able to find…I have the current occupation of Mr. Sasaki."
"Yes, and?" Sage leaned forward.
Kayla giggled "He designs alarm systems!"
I had to grin. "Now there's irony for you! Why'd he leave the service of our little friends?"
Her expression sobered, gaze focused back on the computer screen. "I'm afraid he did a total one-eighty on his superiors. Apparently they'd kidnapped a young child, and were holding him for ransom. The head honchos gave this guy guard duty, so he got to know the kid pretty well. After the child's parents missed the turn in date for the money, Arago shot him through the head…the kid, not Kujuurou."
Sage and I gaped at her, utterly stunned by the account of cruelty.
"So he flipped out. Granted, this is all his own testimony, so I don't know how much is fact, and how much is fiction. But he actually applied to police headquarters for witness protection."
"I don't blame him." Sage muttered.
"Served a short term in jail, but since he was basically a tech guy, not a hit man, nobody could blame him for much except selling dangerous materials to dangerous people."
I sighed heavily, crossing my arms and frowning at a point on the opposite wall. "Last known address?"
She nodded and handed me a printout. A quick glance at it revealed that we could probably get there in about forty-five minutes by taxi, given the traffic this time of day.
"Come on Sage, let's hit the road!" I beckoned over my shoulder as I shrugged into my jacket.
"Mia, we'd better be careful." He cautioned me, even as he pulled on his own overcoat. "Ex-gang members tend to be Ivery/I paranoid, he's probably got more weapons in his apartment that the entire police force!"
I nodded in agreement. "Yes, I know. But if what Kayla tells us about his past is true, then he should be willing to help us after we explain what we need."
"I hope so." Sage muttered "and I wish you'd tell me WHO this source of yours is, so I could figure out whether or not we're walking into one gigantic trap."
"Trust me." I grinned as we left the office. "It's perfectly reliable."
~
"I still don't think this is a very good idea."
"Calm down. Kayla called ahead and he agreed to an interview at the very least." I reassured my blonde friend.
"Huh." Was his only reply.
We stood before a five-story apartment building, located in one of the more dilapidated neighborhoods. A few of the windows were boarded up, or covered by cardboard and newspaper. The door appeared to be the most solid thing about the entire complex; thick metal and small fiberglass windows. The structure itself was of concrete blocks, rough, but very resistant.
"Looks like a good place to hole up if you're looking to make a stand." I observed nonchalantly.
"Yeah, a regular fortress." Sage replied.
"Think it's got a dungeon too?" I joked.
"Let's not even think about that." He shuddered, much to my amusement.
"Well, we should get a move on…" I walked up to those imposing doors and range the bell next to the apartment number, waiting for a response from the other end. We didn't have to dawdle long.
An unmistakably male voice could be heard through the speaker.
"Who's there?"
I coughed delicately before speaking. "My name's Mia Koji. I believe my secretary called ahead and cleared a meeting for me?"
"Ah, yes." At least there was a note of recognition in his voice. "Come on up." There was an electric buzzing noise and Sage pushed at the door handle. It swung open on silent hinges, revealing a bare stairwell, metal boxes for mail embedded into the wall on our right side. A lone light bulb swung from its fixture above our heads, dimly lighting the entrance hall. There was an unmistakable chill in the air that had nothing to do with the autumn weather outside. Somebody had the air conditioner running. I snuggled deeper into my coat, noticing that my breath was coming out in puffs of steam.
"Is this guy out of his mind?" Sage muttered, turning up the collar on his own jacket. "It's /Ifreezing/I in here!"
I shrugged. "Maybe some of that alarm machinery doesn't work too well in the heat."
My friend snorted wryly. "Then it certainly won't survive New York summers."
I laughed shortly. "Hey, it could be in the experimental stage!"
Without any further chit-chat, we made our way up the stairs, being careful not to touch the chill metal railing.
Our man lived on the third floor, behind a door even thicker than the one at the entrance. I raised an eyebrow at Sage, who simply gestured towards the doorbell, indicating that I should go ahead and ring it.
"You weren't kidding when you said he was going to be paranoid…" I muttered, even as I pressed the button.
Sage smirked. "You haven't had as much experience with these types as I have." He replied.
"Experience hmm?" I cocked my head to the side as I heard the chime of the bell on the opposite side of the door.
"Who do you think I meant when I said I was betrayed by an inside contact?" He countered.
"Huh." I mused, taking that information in and storing it along with the rest of the bulk of news I'd digested over the past few days.
We didn't get a chance to discuss that any longer, for the broad door before us cracked open, a single blue eye and a sliver of face visible through the slit. A chain was also in sight, telling us he had yet to undo the dead bolt.
"I'm Detective Koji…this is my…associate, Sage Date." I re-introduced myself, and my companion, who acknowledged it with a nod of his head.
The blue orb swept over the both of us, taking us in with a glance that was even colder than the air surrounding us. The door clicked shut, and the sound of a bolt being slid back from its case met our ears. The entranceway swung back open, and we got a good look at our informant.
A wild shock of midnight blue hair that rivaled even Kayura's in color topped both the eye we'd seen and its twin. He was very tall, towering over me by at least three inches, putting him at about Sage's eye level. A pair of worn jeans and a dark gray sweatshirt made up his attire; obviously he hadn't planned on going out.
The one distinguishing mark that locked him into my memory was a cross-shaped scar beneath his left eye. A part of my mind wondered idly how he'd received such an unusual defect. Another part replied that I probably didn't want to know.
"Kujuurou Sasaki?" I inquired.
"Call me Cale." He replied gruffly. "I'm used to it."
I nodded. "Alright then Cale…we have a few questions we'd like to ask you."
"Come in." He said shortly, stepping away from the doorway and gesturing us both inside. Exchanging a glance, both Sage and I entered the room.
The shades were drawn over the windows, casting most of the room into shadows. A lamp on the end table by the couch dimly lit the living room, displaying numerous gadgets in various states of completion scattered all over the room, on the furniture and coffee table.
"Take a chair and ask whatever you wanted to." Cale said bluntly, seating himself. We both followed suit, and I turned to face him, pulling a small hand-held tape recorder out of my pocket even as I did so. Cale raised an eyebrow at it, but didn't comment, so I flipped the on switch and settled back to begin the session.
"To begin with, we're mainly here to speak to you about a recent…uh…kidnapping." I said. "Would you happen to know anything about a tiger abduction?"
I got a strange look for that one.
"No, that doesn't seem to ring a bell." He answered nonchalantly, leaning back in his chair and regarding us both.
"As far as we're able to tell," Sage continued. "It has something to do with the disappearance of the Shakujo jewels a few months ago."
You'd have to be blind not to have noticed the change that came over our informant. He sat up ramrod straight, eyes going wide at the mention of the gems.
"What do you want to know about that?!" He demanded.
"I thoughtIwe/I were the one asking the questions." Sage remarked wryly. I shot him a look and turned back to Cale.
"We believe that they're connected…You see, this tiger supposedly knows the whereabouts of the jewels." I leaned forward and lowered my voice, as if the apartment was bugged. "He used to belong to Kaosu Shakujo, and is reputed to be of human intelligence."
Oh the expression on his face was priceless.
"You're kidding me right?" Cale scoffed. "It's just an animal!"
I nodded. "This is true, but somehow, the two disappearances are linked. We also have reason to believe that your former employers have abducted a veterinarian as well, which points even further towards them have taking the tiger in the first place."
Sage took over at that point. "So what do you know about these jewels?"
Cale ran a hand through his unruly hair and sighed. "It's sort of a long story…"
"We have all the time you need." I reassured him.
"Right, I figured you would have." He grinned with little humor. "Like I said, it's complicated." He paused for a deep breath. "Arago's involved in Imuch/I more than you realize."
"Oh?" Sage frowned thoughtfully. "What do you mean?"
Our informant laughed sharply, a sound that mocked the question. "I always knew he was too good at covering his tracks." He said, almost to himself. His eyes refocused on us and he proceeded with his explanation.
"Whether you know it or not, Arago has ties with nearly every major terrorist in the world. Sadam Hussein, Benladen, you name them and he's on a first name basis." Cale shook his head and made a face. "You see, he smuggles weapons and other arms out of the country and over to them, in exchange for a HUGE amount of money. The profit he's making off of this business is nearly unimaginable! He's also involved in so many drug rings I lost count inside my first month under his employment."
An uncomfortable silence fell then, broken only by the creaking of the couch as I shifted my weight.
"The jewels?" I prompted.
"Yeah, those." Cale said absently. "You see, the last I heard, Arago had fallen on rather hard times. Some cops down in Mexico busted up one of his most profitable drug rings, then a shipment of weapons got intercepted, and although the police couldn't trace it back to him, he still didn't get paid for them. That's a lot of cold, hard cash going right down the proverbial drain. He needed some kind of extra income.
"And then he heard about that crazy jeweler, Shakujo, and his collection of gems. I think he was going to pull a heist involving stealing them, but the old man passed away, and nobody knew where the jewels had vanished to."
Even though Sage and I both knew that part of the story well, we kept our mouths shut. If we interrupted him, he might forget some detail that could turn out to be very important.
"For a long time, no one had any clue that Shakujo had an heir. And I don't think they would have suspected that kid." Cale shook his head. "I'm not how exactly they found him out, but there was some talk of stealing the gems from him. This was before Arago realized that he had no clue where they were either."
"How could he possibly know that?" Sage raised an eyebrow.
"Surveillance." Came the blunt answer. "Then rumors started trickling in, about how that Itiger/I might know something."
"And no one thought that was even slightly far fetched?" I inquired.
"Well naturally!" Cale snapped. "The idea of a sentient animal is more than most people are prepared to consider. But what you may not know about Arago is that he's extremely superstitious…and cats are notoriously supernatural. So be bought that story, hook line and sinker." He paused for a moment before continuing thoughtfully. "Whether or not there's any truth to the tiger story, I'm not sure."
I exchanged a glance with Sage and we both refrained from commenting.
"Do you think you could tell us where we might…find these people?" I hazarded.
Cale shook his head. "No, it's not that simple. You have no idea how many bases of operation he has. And I'm sure that I don't know about all of them."
"Damn." Sage muttered. I could only agree. We had a lot more information to absorb, but as far as actually finding either the jewels or the tiger, we were back at square one.
"But I can tell you for a fact that there will be a rather large congregation of prominent Mob members down town this evening." The blue haired man continued, looking rather smug.
"WHAT?!" I gasped, eyes going wide. "Where would that be?"
"At a rather popular club…Anubis' or something like that."
I supressed the urge to groan. Though the possibilities to gather some information would be terrific, this meant Anubis was going to be rather….cross. After all, when I'd spoken to him the day before, he hadn't mentioned a single thing about such a get to-gether, which could only mean he didn't know it was going to happen.
"Something tells me our good friend Anubis is in for something of a shock." I heard Sage murmur under his breath.
"Something tells me you're right, and that we ought to get moving." I got to my feet and nodded at Cale. "Thank you for your help sir. It's been invaluble. If anything else comes up, would you inform us?"
An expression that could hardly be termed a 'smile' stretched across his lips. "If it helps you put that bastard away, then I'll assist you in any way I can."
"Thank you." Sage responded simply, "We'll need all the allies we can get."
Another smile, a genuine one this time, appeared. "Count me in."
I glanced at my watch and frowned. It was nearly noon, and if we were going to crash this party later on, then we had several preparations to make.
"Let's hit the road Sage, we have things to do." My partner nodded and stood as well. Without another word exchanged between the three of us, Cale opened the door and showed us out.