Chapter 04 - Doing Time

Tab looked at his watch. It was pretty late. Where was Amy? She'd gone out
earlier, saying she'd be back soon, but it was now half-ten at night and there
was no sign of her.
He'd been thinking about her all day, trying to hide the dreamy look on
his face from the other GGs. It wasn't just that he'd enjoyed kissing her. He
liked the way she talked, the way she seemed to think, the way she was so
totally not the sort of girl he'd expect to exchange friendly words with, let
alone, well, like.He'd felt like king of the world when she'd been so happy
with that necklace.
But where was she now?

Amy sat in the police station, wondering if she'd accidentally walked into a
movie. The dusty bulb above her blazed dull white light into her eyes, making
them ache. She was still handcuffed, and her wrists were sore. And Onishima
was sitting facing her, with a desk between them.
He'd taken down her name, age, and so on, and Amy knew that soon the
real questions would start. If he learnt that she was a member of the GGs,
she'd be in real trouble. She couldn't betray them, she couldn't - so her only
hope was to act like a rebellious high-school brat.
"So which gang do you belong to?" Onishima demanded.
Amy shrugged. "Look, I'm not a rudie. I don't skate or anything. I just
wanted to show off a bit, okay? I don't know anything about all this gang
stuff."
"Yeah, right."
"It's true! All the other kids would've seen the clock, wouldn't they?
That gives anyone a buzz. I just did it because I felt like it." She put a little
fear into her voice. "It was a bit of fun, okay?"
"Sure. A bit of fun that's gonna put you in juvenile hall for a nice long
time - unless you play fair. Anyone who helps the police gets their jail time
reduced."
"How do you mean, help the police?" Amy tried to keep her voice -
and her thoughts - calm. Thinking about being expelled, facing a prison
sentence and being in real big trouble would just lead to hysteria.
"I mean spilling any info you got on any accomplices."
"I don't have any accomplices, why won't you believe me?" Amy
snapped. "Not everyone does, you know!"
"So where'd you learn that tag, then?"
Amy swallowed. Why hadn't she used one of the tags she'd made up?
But no - she'd done one of Gum's, just to show that bitch that she wasn't the
only rudie on the planet.
"I copied it."
"From who?"
"I don't know! It was on a wall somewhere, I liked it, I practised
drawing it, and then I painted it. No one taught it to me or anything." That at
least was true. Gum was going to smush her when she found out her tag had
been borrowed. But that was the least of the problems now.
"You're a pretty good tagger for someone who's just 'copied' a tag."
"I'm a natural artist," Amy snapped.
Suddenly she realised something. She and Onishima had met before -
when she'd done her diversionary tactics she'd often run into him/screamed at
him/fainted on him. If he recognised her, her cover would be blown.
"I can't even skate," she said. "Do you think any rudie gang would be
interested in me?"
Onishima stood up. "I think you're a member of a gang I've known a
long time, and I think you're gonna admit that sooner or later. But I'll leave
you to think it over for a bit." He pulled her up, looked her quickly over and
said, "Take off your trainers."
"Why?"
"You're not allowed anything in your cell that you could hang yourself
with, though frankly I couldn't care less if you did decide to end it all. It'd
give me some peace."
"And put you out of a job," Amy said as she undid the laces of her
trainers and kicked them off.
"And that necklace too," Onishima said, apparently ignoring the jibe.
Tab's necklace. Tab's necklace with 'GG' round her neck. Tab's
necklace that would be #1 on the Incriminating Items list. Amy said, carefully,
"I can't hang myself with that."
"I don't care what you can hang yourself with, you got to take it off.
Now get moving or I'll rip it off you."
Heart pounding, Amy reached round and undid the clasp of the
necklace. Pinching the two Gs between her fingers, she laid it on the captain's
desk, taking care to place the chain over the letters.
"If you lose this I'll sue," she said, turning away from it.
"Oh, please. You'll have no use for jewellery where you're going."
Amy focused on the dark wall a few feet away from her, willing him not
to look closely at the necklace.
"It's not even that pricey - just a cheap little pendant -"
He stopped.
"So what?" Amy said, speaking angrily to cover the sinking feeling in
her stomach. "I didn't ask you to start being a fashion cop as well."
"If your name was Gertrude Grummler," Onishima said slowly, in the
tones of one who knows he could be holding the winning lottery ticket, "then I
could see why you got this thing. But Amy Winters? Doesn't add up to me."
"Of course it doesn't. A friend gave it to me, okay?
Ummm...Grizelda...Griswold. She moved away and gave this to me as a
memento. What's it to you, anyway?"
"I think you know, honey. Now come on. Come clean. It's not like it'll
do you any harm. Just tell me the truth."
"I already have."
"Like hell you have."
"Why would I lie to you?" Amy snapped. She felt the gritty surface of
the floor through her socks. "I'm in big trouble here, I'm about to acquire a
delinquency record, I am not having a good day and I'm in no mood to play
dumb games, okay? I'm not a member of -"
"Of what?"
"Anything! Except the orchestra."
Onishima dragged her round to face him. "Listen, if you don't start
talking I'm gonna lose my temper, and trust me, honey, you don't want to see
me do that."
"Oh, please. Who writes your dialogue?" Amy knew she was being
stupid, but she didn't care. "I'm not scared of you and I've not got anything
else to tell you."
Onishima slapped her across the face. It knocked tears into Amy's eyes,
but she said coolly, "Have to hit me harder than that, buddy."
She saw a vein start to throb on his forehead and wondered if he'd have
a heart attack and die. Not that that would help her; she'd probably get blamed
for it.
He dragged her out of the office towards a corridor lined with cells.
Amy swallowed down the fear rising in her throat. You've been locked in
before, she told herself. There's nothing to it.
She focused on her feet, on her socks which were becoming grubbier
every second. Heard a clatter of keys, and the creak of rusty hinges. She felt a
shove on her back, and stumbled through into the cell. Then the barred door
slammed behind her, and knocked cold fear through her body.

Gum looked up at Tab, and sighed. "Why are you asking me?"
"Cos I've asked everyone else and nothing's been heard. Even
Professor K doesn't have anything. So spill. Where's Amy?"
Gum wondered if he'd kill her for this. "Okay, Amy and I were talking,
and I told her she hadn't really had a fair test to get into our gang. And I gave
her one. She said she'd do it, and that's the last I heard of it. Maybe she's out
still doing it."
"What was the test?" Tab demanded.
"Put a tag on Shibuya High School." Gum fixed her gaze on the
hospital light fitting above her.
"What?"
"Geez, cool it," Gum snapped, fighting back a yawn.
"Look, Beat is the leader and he decides whether people have to do
tests!"
"This was just a dare. Between friends."
"Yeah, right. You and Amy are not friends! So where is she?"
"I don't bloody well know! Maybe she's just having a ball somewhere.
Maybe she got caught. I don't care." Gum sighed. She just wished, for once,
that he'd stop fussing over that girl. She didn't fancy Tab - she went with
Beat, didn't she? - but he was her friend. It had always been her and Beat and
Tab, even after the other GGs had joined. And now.
Tab glared at her and put on his radio. Up-set Attack filled the room.
They listened in stony silence. At last the song came to an end, and Gum
closed her eyes as Professor K's voice reverberated through her head.
"And Onishima got lucky again tonight - he's got the schoolgirl GG
behind bars!"
Click. Silence fell. Gum gazed out of the window, trying to ignore Tab,
whose gaze she could feel stabbing through her shoulder blades.
"Right," he said at last. "I'm going to the police station."
"What?" Gum looked round at him. "Why?"
"To get Amy out, why else?"
"Oh, and how are you gonna do that?"
"I don't know, but I've got to try, haven't I?"
"No, you haven't!" Gum shouted. "Stop caring about her so much! She
can't even skate!" She'd known Tab practically since birth, but now she could
no more understand him than she could a stranger.
He looked like he was thinking the same about her. "Why do you hate
her so much?" he asked, and he sounded genuinely puzzled.
"I just don't get on with her," Gum said. "She's not my type. And I
don't know why you do."
"Well, I'm going to save her." Tab headed towards the door.
"Yeah, right."
He stopped for a moment, and threw a sentence over his shoulder: "You
jealous bitch."
Then he was gone.
Gum lay there, a knot of self-pity and hurt growing under her ribs. She
wasn't going to cry. She'd learnt a long time ago how to stop tears. She closed
her eyes, and tried to sleep, but she could tell right away that it wasn't going to
be possible.

Tab skated down the street, burning with fury. The rage was carrying him
along, helping him ignore the problems he was facing, but deep down a small,
sensible voice was saying, Hang on. Hang on. What do you think you're
gonna do?
I'm gonna rescue her, Tab answered.
How exactly?
I'll think of something!
Go to the garage. Tell the others. They'll help.
They might not. Tab swallowed. If they didn't - if - they were the only
people he'd got in the world. He needed them to support him, be on his side.
If they wouldn't help him now.
Well, there'd be some pretty bad feeling around. Like there wasn't
enough already. It would just be easier if he rescued her himself, then they just
came back like nothing had happened.
And it would show Amy he wasn't just some stupid jerk in a boiler suit.
She probably knew really cool guys at school, guys who dressed smart and
brought girls flowers and stuff like that. He could never be one of those guys.
But he could get her out of jail.
Somehow.

Garam crept into the garage. It was quiet. Most of the GGs were asleep, or out
someplace - only Slate seemed awake, playing pinball, his face flickering as
the lights on the table jumped on and off.
Garam wondered where Piranha was. Just casually, of course. It wasn't
like he was gonna try and make up with her. How could he? What could he
say to her, anyway? I'm really sorry I tried to kill you. Friends?
Damn those Rhinos. They'd not care what they'd done to him, they'd
not care that if they'd cut off that music a few seconds later he'd have been a
murderer, all they cared about was.what?
No Devil's Contract now. Surely no one would want to try and resurrect
a demon now. Goji had been insane, but he was dead. Why were the Rhinos
suddenly active again?
Garam looked round the dark garage. The anger burned in his throat,
but he was curious too. What were they after?
Suddenly he heard the garage door click open, and his heart karate-
chopped his ribs as Piranha skated in. She dropped down on the sofa, sighed -
and saw him. Immediately she looked away.
"Don't act like I'm a leper or something," Garam snapped.
"Leave me alone." Piranha's voice had all the encouragement of a brick
wall.
"I can't! Piranha, you've got to believe me, I didn't want to hurt you!"
"I don't care whether you're telling the truth or not." Piranha got to her
feet and marched towards him. "All I know is that you did hurt me, and I can
never feel safe with you again."
"But why not? It wasn't me who did that, I was hypnotised or
something!" Garam knew he was starting to sound hysterical, but he didn't
care. He had to get her back. "Listen to me, why don't you?"
"Garam, just accept it. It's over!"
Garam felt like he'd been punched. "No! I won't let you do this! We
had something good going, please, just listen -"
He grabbed her wrist.
Piranha slapped him round the face so hard that his feet slipped from
under him and he fell.
She looked down at him, nose wrinkled in disgust. "Get away from me.
Just get away."
Garam got to his feet, wishing he could burst into tears. He stepped
away from her, backing towards the garage door, wondering how things could
have become so wrong.

Amy wondered how long she'd been in the cell. It was dark outside, the lights
in the police station only forcing the night into corners, not destroying it. The
cell facing hers was empty, and in the others most of the prisoners seemed to be
asleep.
She was tired. Her eyes felt forced open and her neck ached. But she
wasn't going to sleep. It wasn't safe.
Did the other GGs know what had happened?
Why should they care, she told herself. You're not a GG any more.
You failed.
I did not! Amy just managed to stop herself from shouting it. I tagged
the clock. Sure, I got caught, but I did tag it.
Gum won't accept that.
Amy sighed. If she got out, she and Gum would be wrangling over it
for ages.
She hadn't called her aunt. There'd be a big scene when she found out
that her niece had been expelled and arrested all in the same day.
And she wasn't going to get out of this. There were reliable witnesses,
an incriminating necklace and a death-to-rudies policy. It's juvenile hall for
you, she told herself. And you know you won't be able to handle it there.
But she wasn't going to cry. She wasn't going to let anyone in this
police station hear her.

Tab swallowed and gazed up at the police station. His plan was so simple it
didn't really deserve to be called a plan, more like 'desperation.' If it worked,
he'd look great. If it failed, he'd look like a bozo.
Oh, well, here goes, he thought.

Amy jumped as a thud echoed through the building. It had come from the
doors slamming against the wall as a blue blur hurtled through them. It
charged towards Onishima, whom she could see sitting at his desk through the
open office door. He looked up in surprise -
Amy winced at the crash. She heard sounds of a struggle, keys rattling,
then skates skimming along the concrete floor as Tab came tearing down the
corridor.
"What are you doing?" she gasped as he stopped at her cell and began
trying all the keys.
"Rescuing you, what does it look like?"
"Well, you'd better hurry -" Amy gulped as several cops came towards
them. Tab's fingers fumbled with the keys. None of them were fitting.
"Run!" she hissed as the cops reached them.
But it was too late. Tab yelped as his arms were grabbed. One of the
cops yelled, "Captain, we've got him!"
Amy groaned as Onishima stepped out of his office. He had the
beginnings of a black eye. This didn't look good.
"What are you doing here?" Onishima demanded. He glanced from Tab
to Amy and back again, and then he grinned. "Come to spring your girlfriend
outta here?"
Tab kept his mouth shut. Amy was glad of it. Not that it was going to
help much - even Onishima would be able to put two and two together.
"Come on, rudie, spill." Onishima shoved Tab backwards. "You know
her?"
"Never seen her before in my life," Tab said. "She looks cute, though,
so I thought I'd get her out and take her for a spin round Tokyo-to. Any
problems with that?"
Onishima's face went sour. He glared at Amy, and said, "I'm gonna
find out the truth about you, honey, and then you're gonna be in it deep."
Amy let him see her rolling her eyes, then stepped back from the bars as
Tab was shoved into the cell with her. They both stood there, waiting until
Onishima had stormed back into his office and pulled the door to, and then
Amy said, "Why? Why did you come here?"
"You know why." Tab kept his voice down. "I couldn't just leave
you."
"It'd have been safer to."
"Don't be stupid."
"I'm not. I'm just saying that I feel bad about getting you caught too."
"Well, don't." Tab took her hand. "I chose to, right? Okay, the whole
plan thing could've been worked out a little better, but at least this way we're
together."
"Um, yes, but I would have preferred to be together out of jail."
"That's just typical of you women. Never satisfied!"
Amy smiled. Okay, so she was still in trouble, but at least she wasn't
facing it alone.
Suddenly she heard a car pull up outside the police station. At first she
thought it was a police car, but it sounded too smooth and new to be that. And
when the occupant of the car sauntered through the double doors, she knew it
couldn't be.
Camilla Rokkaku was walking towards Onishima's office.
"Wow," Tab muttered. Amy couldn't blame him. Camilla was
stunning.
Her smoky hair shone in the dim light of the office, cascading down the
back of her wine-coloured suit. Her tanned legs were smooth, her skin creamy,
and her nails were expertly manicured. Amy glanced down at her own grubby
fingers, and at her jeans, which were smeared with moss and dirt from the
school buildings, and sighed.
Camilla headed towards Onishima's office, and as she entered they
heard her say, "Captain, I believe you have two rudies in custody at the
moment?" Her voice was low and elegant. Class act all the way, Amy
thought. She glanced at Tab, but he looked as puzzled as she felt.
"Yes - uh - Miss Rokkaku - that is correct." A fawning tone had
entered Onishima's voice.
"I would like them to be released."
"Huh?" Tab blinked. "Did she just say what I thought she did?"
Amy nodded, and waited for Onishima's reaction.
"WHAT?"
"Is there a problem with this, Captain?" Camilla said, ice lancing
through her voice. "Because if there is."
"Miss Rokkaku - you - I - well - you don't understand! Releasing
rudies - it'll destroy everything I've worked for! I need to make an example of
these two! This -"
"Captain Onishima, I wish them to be released into my care. There is
more at stake than what you are thinking of. I need to talk to them. It's
urgent."
Amy remembered Gum, lying there unconscious, and felt sick.
"If you have a problem with this," Camilla said sweetly, "I'm sure we
could see you being relocated to another department where this sort of issue
would not arise. Maybe cleaning this office, rather than sitting in it, would be
more suited to your talents."
There was a short silence. Amy could feel everyone in the building
listening.
"The two rudies, you said?" Onishima growled at last.
"Yes." A thin layer of triumph covered the word like golden foil on
expensive chocolate.
Amy heard Onishima stamping up the corridor towards them. "What
does she want?" she whispered to Tab.
"Dunno. But maybe we should go along with it. We might learn
something 'bout the music and all."
"Okay." Amy turned as Onishima viciously opened the cell door,
dragged her out, unlocked her cuffs, and shoved her towards Camilla, who had
followed him.
"If I ever see you in here again." he growled at Amy.
"You won't," Amy said.
The two GGs followed Camilla back down the corridor, and out of the
station. Parked outside was a long black limousine.
Camilla gestured for them to get in. Amy did so, heart pounding. What
was going on here?
The back seat of the car was wide enough to accommodate all three of
them comfortably, and was separated from the chauffeur, in the front, by a
tinted glass partition. As it pulled away from the police station, Camilla turned
towards them, and said, "Are you familiar with my father's actions leading up
to the end of his life?"
"If you mean all that demon stuff, then yeah," Tab said. "I helped stop
it."
"That's good," Camilla said. "Because I think you're going to need to
again."

The streets were an uneasy place to be, Garam decided.
He sat on a bench in Kogane-cho, wondering why he was here. Kogane
was a bad place at night. There were bad people in Kogane at night. But
somehow he'd ended up there, and now he couldn't bring himself to move.
Besides, he knew this turf. It wasn't like he was being na‹ve. He was
just nervous. Very nervous. Oh, all right, he was scared shitless.
Garam headed down the street, trying to ignore the black holes that in
daytime became side streets. There was one advantage to the fear, of course. It
helped him forget Piranha.
Damn it, now he'd thought about her again. Quickly he focused on the
limping footsteps he could hear behind him, trying to get her out of his head.
Hang on. The limping footsteps he could hear behind him?
Garam turned, heart pounding. There was a bulky figure watching him.
"What do you want?" he called, trying to act like his knees weren't
shaking.
"I want to talk to you, GG."
"Yeah? Well, maybe I don't wanna hear it."
"One of your lot got iced by the Golden Rhinos, right?"
"No, not iced. Just - temporarily disabled."
"They're back, aren't they?"
"What makes you think that?" Garam tried not to sound too interested.
This was Kogane-cho, and maybe the muggers were just getting smart.
"Music. Tags of rhinos. And rumours about rudies getting hurt by men
in black suits. Sound familiar?"
"Why're you talking to me about it?"
"I got my own score to settle with those guys. Come on. It's too cold
out here. Let's go talk."
"Where?" If he said 'down the alley,' Garam decided that he'd run.
But the guy gestured the yellow-lit doorway of a bar near them, and
said, "Let's go get a drink."
They headed inside. It was warm in there, but very quiet. A few people
sat hunched over glasses or sleeping, heads on the tables. From the partially
boarded-up window Garam could hear the gentle splashing of the river below
them as it lapped against its concrete banks.
"What's the grudge you've got against the Rhinos?" he said when his
companion came back with two drinks. In the light the guy was revealed to be
large and heavy, and he had only one leg. The other had been torn off below
the knee.
"I was a rudie once," the guy said. "A Poison Jammer. Then the Rhinos
took my friends, made'em into zombies. They didn't take me. I figured out
what had happened, tried to stop them. I ran into a bunch of their hoods. My
leg got smashed so bad it had to be taken off."
Garam swallowed and hoped he had a sympathetic expression on.
"When the Jammers came back they kicked me out. A one-legged rudie
is useless. Since then I been sleeping rough, or crashing in friends' homes
when I can. If the Rhinos are back I want to teach'em a lesson."
"They're back all right," Garam said. "But we don't know who called
them."
"My money's on the Rokkaku twins."
"I guess so, but.I don't know." Garam looked down at the scratched
table, then back at the ex-Jammer. "What's your name, anyway?"
"They called me Breaker once." He got up. Garam saw that he had a
crutch to lean on that looked as if it had been made out of a broom handle.
"I'll contact you if I find anything," Breaker said. "And if there's a
Rhino-hunting expedition, I want to be in on it."
"You got it." Garam headed back out into the darkness, following
Breaker. Once outside he turned left, to make his way back to Shibuya.
Breaker turned right. "I'll see you."
Garam nodded, and set off. He still didn't feel too happy about his life,
but at least someone had it worse than him.

"Someone's doing the history repeating thing?" Tab said. "Who?"
"This is only an idea," Camilla said. "I don't want you spreading
rumours. All right?"
"Sure."
"My brother."
"Koji?" Tab whistled. "Why?"
"I don't know!" Camilla said. Her voice wobbled a little. Amy felt a
little sorry for her, but it was difficult to feel more than that when Tab was
gazing at the woman like he was seeing a divine vision.
"I'm sorry." Camilla straightened the collar of her jacket. "But.well,
I'll start from the beginning. I noticed Koji had been working later into the
night than usual. I wondered if there was a problem with the company that he
wasn't telling me. So I checked out the file he'd been looking at. I had to
break a password, but I did get in."
"What was the file?" Amy asked.
"My father's notes on the Devil's Contract plot," Camilla said, her voice
heavy. "He had written them to Koji. And now Koji was reading them."
There was silence for a moment, broken only by the almost inaudible
purring of the car engine. Amy swallowed. She glanced out of the window at
the emptying streets. It looked very dark out there.
"Did you ask him why he read them?" Tab said at last.
"I did. He denied doing so." Camilla sighed. "I decided I had been
mistaken. Then."
"Then?" Amy said.
"I found a recording of the music my father had used. I found records of
calls made to names I recognised, Golden Rhino names. I had known some of
those people. We both had. My father used to entertain them. Koji could trace
them easily."
"But why'd he revive the Rhinos? He loves the corporation," Tab said.
"Or seems to."
"Oh, he's very serious about business," Camilla said. "It could be that
he's doing it for some reason of that sort. But I don't know what."
"But the record was a hoax.wasn't it?" Amy said. She took a deep
breath of the upholstery-scented air in the car.
"Maybe he's just investigating," Tab said. "Maybe he doesn't want to
actually do the whole demon summoning thing. Maybe he's thinking of using
the Rhinos to - uh - rub out opponents."
"He's changed, then," Camilla said. She sounded miserable. "Once he
would have fought fairly, and enjoyed it. Now."
"I don't understand why you're telling us this," Tab said. "What about
the Keisatsu?"
"You think they can do anything? The Rokkaku Corporation is the
richest entity in Tokyo-to. They'd find it pretty hard to arrest my brother, and
even if they did he could afford the best lawyers and he'd be free within a
year."
She shook back her dark hair. "Also, we'll be ruined if this gets out.
We've only just managed to get people trusting us again. If it's discovered that
the next generation of Rokkakus have turned bad.You rudies saved us all
before. I'm just telling you that you may need to again."
"Saving the world is our speciality," Tab said. "So that's why you got
us out back there?"
"Yes. Like I said to the captain, there is more at stake here than he
realises. And I wanted to show you that I need you. I'm really worried, I
confess. He's my twin, and even I don't know why he's doing this."
She closed her eyes for a second. Amy noticed that they were bright
blue. They looked anomalous in her tanned face.
"I'll drop you off here," Camilla said, ordering the chauffeur to stop the
car. Amy looked out of the window. They were on the edge of Shibuya-cho,
near the Rokkaku building. "Can you get home all right?"
"Sure," Tab said. "I know my way round this place great."
Amy, who was nearest the door, opened it and stepped out onto the
pavement. She watched as Tab wriggled out of the car. He kept looking back
at Camilla.
Amy remembered that the Rokkaku twins were only two or three years
older than she and Tab were. She felt jealousy stick in her throat.
As the car pulled away from them, though, Tab turned back to Amy and
said, "Lucky break, huh?"
Amy shrugged. "I guess so."
"What's wrong?"
"Umm." Amy decided to keep her mouth shut about Camilla. She
wasn't going to act touchy. She was not. "Oh, I'm just tired, I guess. And
I've got to find some way to tell my aunt I've been expelled."
As she said it she realised what a horrible scene it would be.
"What, now?" Tab said. He glanced at his watch. "It's midnight.
She'll be asleep."
"Or out," Amy said. "I guess I'll leave it till the morning." She
yawned. Suddenly she was very tired.
"You going home?"
"No." It was too dark. The house would be too quiet. Amy wanted
company tonight.
"Then let's check this place out." Tab pointed towards the Rokkaku
building.
It towered over them, making Amy feel like an ant. Covered in glass, it
caught the streetlights and let the light rush across its surface like water.
"What do you mean?" Amy tilted her head back to stare at it. The
Rokkaku symbol on the top floor looked down at her like an accusing eye.
"It's big. It's powerful. It quite possibly has a maniac living in it. What more
is there to say?"
"Very funny," Tab said, shoving her lightly. "I mean, see if there's a
way in."
"What?"
"Look, Camilla thinks there's something fishy going on, and she's a
smart lady. We might be able to find out something more, seeing as we'll be
looking at it for the first time. Then we could.I dunno.do something."
Amy considered the plan. It seemed crazy, but crazy in a sensible sort
of way. And after all, none of the other rudies would discard it. Especially not
a certain blonde one.
"Okay. Any ideas?" she said.

They looked for what seemed like ages. At last Amy saw a fire escape
branching up the side of the building. She waved Tab over, and they set off.
"Which floor do we want?" she said.
"Hmmm. I'm pretty sure Koji and Camilla have penthouses on the top
three floors, so let's go for the floor below that. If we can."
Amy nodded, and tried not to look down. The fire escape seemed to
creak too much, and when she looked down Tokyo-to seemed too far away.
Tab tested the door into the building as they reached the top. It was
locked. "Hmm."
"They'll hear you if you smash it," Amy whispered, shivering in the
night air.
"That's why I'm not going to do it. We'll have to try for the next floor."
"Why?"
"No one's on this floor, are they? So of course the exit's locked. But on
the next one the Rokkakus are relaxing. They don't want to be frizzled if there
is a fire."
"Let's just hope we don't walk straight into them, then," Amy said as
they climbed another flight of stairs.
"No worries." They reached the next door. Tab looked thoughtfully at
it. He shoved it. It remained shut. Amy didn't say anything. You never
know, upsetting his male pride might lead him to - she gulped - push her off
the fire escape. She looked down.
It was as though she was mountaineering, clinging to the side of an
enormous structure with the world spread out below her. The cars were tiny
darts of light as they sped along, and the houses looked like a picture, too small
and distant to be real. She was nervous - but there was excitement there too,
making blood pulse through her body. Freedom.
There was a click from behind her, and she felt a draught on her back as
the door swung open.
"How did you do that?" she asked Tab.
"Oh, I manipulated it a bit."
Amy couldn't see anything broken, so she decided to let the matter drop.
Then they crept inside.

It was a shadowy place, white painted and painfully clean. The windows, long,
low ones which stroked the walls, were covered by sharp slatted blinds, causing
thin stripes of moonlight to patter onto the floor.
"I reckon we'd better split up," Tab whispered. "Listen out for
anything."
Amy nodded, and at the end of the corridor she took the left turn, and he
took the right.
It was so quiet. Amy tiptoed along, heart pounding in her ears, hoping
desperately that she wouldn't be spotted. Unless, of course, someone was
watching her now. Unless they had video cameras here.
It felt like a small drop of icy water slid down her spine. She tried not to
panic.
Right. She'd reached a doorway. It was dark, so she hoped there was
nobody in the room. Hands suddenly damp, she reached out and opened the
door, and before she could lose her nerve, stepped inside.
She was now standing facing two more doors. One said Miss C.
Rokkaku, the other, Mr K Rokkaku. And under each name it said PRIVATE.
Bingo, Amy thought. She stepped into Koji's office.
There was half a large Rokkaku symbol on the wall, with a window set
in the middle. Presumably the other half would be in Camilla's office.
Underneath the symbol was a large desk, with several books and papers
scattered across it, and a computer surveying the mess. Against the wall was a
large cupboard.
Amy took a deep breath, and started to look at the papers. But it was too
dark to do so efficiently. On the other hand, turning on the light mightn't be
such a good idea. She compromised by sliding up the blind across the window
and reading by the moonlight and streetlight that filtered in.
Most of the papers seemed unsuspicious. She couldn't find any
references to Rhinos, eerie music, rudies, or Jet Set Radio. She glanced at the
computer. There was a disk in it, but could she risk turning it on? She looked
around. She couldn't see any trace of a burglar alarm, but you never knew.
Suddenly she heard footsteps.
She froze.
Then the door handle turned.

Deep below the Rokkaku building, six figures sit waiting.
They are not nice figures. There is cruelty in their eyes and frustration
in their voices. As they sit in the darkness, you can bet your life they mean
trouble.
"You know what he's planning?" one says at last. He's holding a coiled
whip in one hand, and stroking it with the other, like it's a cat. Sunglasses hide
his eyes. He bites off the ends of words as he speaks them.
"No." This figure is tall, taller than any of the others. His voice is deep
and slow, and he doesn't use it much.
"It's obviously something big." Another figure speaks now. His voice
is high and sneering, and seems to forever tremble on the edge of insanity.
"Perhaps I'll get a chance to use a Molotov on those flaming rudies."
"Flaming is right. Just wait till I get my hands on them." Another
figure slams a fist onto the table. "When I think how we were all beaten by a
bunch of kids."
"No worries," the last figure says. He's wearing a pair of flying goggles
on his forehead, and his skin has been eroded by high-altitude wind and rain.
"The boss says the word - we snuff 'em out."
"Sounds good to me," the man with the whip says. "So we wait,
gentlemen?"
"We wait," the large man says. He lifts a finger, and sparks spatter it for
a brief moment. "And then - we strike."