Se Soucier; fleur de cruauté…
At the light of dawn, a car drove up at the Kikai Highway. It did not stop till it saw a green car parking at the bend of the highway. Without delay, the car speeded and parked sharply beside it. Ken and Aya leaped out of the car and began to scope the area; Ken was left to examine the damaged car while Aya searched for Yoji if he was still alive.
Ken walked around the green car, which was in a total wreck. Dark blackish veins covered the polished green surface like a disease, the tires lifelessly spread out on the road. The left sides of the car were dented in a peculiar pattern and the car screen smashed. Walking around the car, Ken felt something crushing beneath the soles of his boots. Placing his foot aside, he saw a familiar pair of sunglasses.
Fear gripped Ken in the throat…
Aya need not spend much time in deciding where Yoji could be. The blood trails had already given him the answer, coming in tiny ovals, spatters and wavy lines varying in thickness. It was plainly seen who was the winner. As much as Aya tried to push back the dreadful feeling into the back of his mind, it kept on resurfacing. His eyes followed the blood trails to a nearby lamppost.
To where a puddle lay and droplets of blood were falling from above…
Like flipping a page of a book, Ken and Aya found themselves in a room where Manx ordered them to wait while she talked to the doctors who had finished operating on Yoji. In silent rage, Ken clutched the pair of sunglasses tightly in his fist. Aya could also imagine the curses that were accumulating in Ken's mind. Like him, he too felt the need for payback. Whoever savagely attacked Yoji and left him hanging dead had no idea who he was dealing with. The first suspect that Aya had in the mind was the intruder who took Jean Lobe's life. Maybe, Yoji had found him incidentally or the vice versa.
"The electric charge is set to stun mode. The health status of your comrades will not be affected. Let this be the first and last time we see each other."
So much for saying that…
Aya followed the blood trails to the near to a nearby lamp. He saw a red puddle and blood was dripping from above. Lifting his head up, he saw a sight that made him sick in the stomach. Hanging upside down was Yoji; a thin sliver thread shimmered in the sunlight as it wrapped around Yoji's bruised and battered body like a cocoon. Though speechless, Aya's body automatically drew out his katana and threw it straight at the attaching thread connecting to the lamppost. Swiftly, he caught the lifeless Yoji in his arms and set to release him from the thread bondage. He placed his fingers on Yoji's cold neck for a pause, thankfully, there was…
"Aya… Aya…"
"Huh?" Aya snapped out of his thoughts and turned to Ken. '"What?"
"The one who did this to Yoji, I think it's the same guy who killed Jean Lobe."
"Yeah, it should be…"
"And that thing is one of Âme's creations."
"Yeah, I suppose it is. From the way he hanged Yoji from the lamppost, it's impossible for a normal human to jump that high"
"The dents I found on the car door…" Ken held out his fist. "The shapes are like the knuckles of a human fist. I also found Yoji's revolver, his jacket and his handphone that self destructed after the he sent the message."
Aya reached out and touched Ken's shoulder as he watched his friend swallowed in his emotions deeply. "Yoji is going to make it. Manx has got the best doctors for him."
"Even so, Yoji knew that he might not live. That's why he sent the CYCLAMEN message."
"But he's going to make it."
"Still, but what is his condition going to be like?"
"That, I don't know…" Aya looked out at the four walls of the rooms. "But Yoji is going to live that's all it matters. Meanwhile, that bastard is going to get it from all of us."
"Aya…" Ken looked up.
"Yes, Ken?" Aya looked into his friend's brown eyes.
"What exactly are we dealing with?"
"Âme's genetically modified human beings, I'm afraid."
Ken grunted, "then our chances of beating are very slim."
"Maybe," Aya's lips twisted at a corner. "Those so-called superior beings may have a weakness like those in the TV."
Ken laughed softly. "Maybe…"
The door opened and red-haired Manx entered. She looked very relieved and very tired.
"Good news, the doctors said that Yoji is going to make it. I have placed him under a secure hospital ward till he recovers properly. His main injuries are factures around the rib cages, bruises on the stomach, chest and the neck, excessive bleeding from the cuts everywhere on his body including the back. The doctors had trouble taking out all those tiny glass pieces on his back." Taking in a deep breathe. "So, instead of waiting for the forensic reports, I say that the 3 of us analyze the past events first. I have already contracted Omi, he should be on his way now."
During recess time, André Masson sat quietly on his desk, staring out of the window like a stoned person, tapping his red pen onto the pile of essays that required the immediate attention of grading and correction. André wasn't in the mood for paperwork. He was pondering on the next move that ever-devoted Frère might be doing. It wasn't going to be easy since nobody in the world could see through the mind of Frère. The description of Frère was literally a duplicate of the television's stereo portray of serial killers - an appearance so common and manners so normal that nobody would suspect anything. Yet, that profile was what they wanted.
"Masson-san… Masson-san…"
"Umm?" André drifted his attention to a boy standing before him. His hair was light brown and eyes so sweet and innocent. "… Oh! Omi." André sat up and straighten his shoulders. "What can I do for you?"
"Masson-san," Omi began. "I have to leave school in an hour or so due an emergency so, I won't be able to attend your English lessons today."
"Daijoubu. Just read up on lesson 16 today and do all the exercises. If you need any help, you can approach me any time."
"Arigatou gozaimashita," thanked Omi, bowing. His eyes blinked. "Masson-san, your left hand…"
"Oh that..." André touched his bandaged hand. "I was careless when I was preparing something last night. It's not serious… ah… you better hurry since you have urgent matters to attend to." He looked at the pile of essays on his desk. "As for me, I have to finish marking all these before the end of the day. Otherwise, I won't be able to go through them with your class before the exams arrive."
"Dewa (then), sayonara." Omi bowed politely and left.
André flipped the essays with his finger and mentally counted them. 40 in all… mmm… nothing that André Masson can handle… right now, mark those essays. You are a teacher. A normal English teacher in a normal school in a normal country… A disturbing purple card stood out from the white scribbled sheets. André took it and turned the card over. It read:
Le parking – F
André stood up and looked through the window. Hiding behind some trees at the car park area, was someone. Feeling very irritated, André cursed under his breath and calmly proceeds to the area. Within minutes, a clean shaved blue-eyed man with a cap and an oversized jacket leaning against a tree, waiting for him.
Frère
"What the hell are you doing here?" hissed André, his black hair flipped to one side in anger.
"I was about to ask you the same thing," Frère replied in amusement. "You should be leaving this place."
"And why may I ask?"
Frère cautiously kept on his eyes on a lookout. "Because they have a lock on you."
"What!" André glared. "Is this some kind of a plot to get me to follow you? If it is, then forget it!"
"Remember the four florists a few shops away from you?"
"Yes, why? What do they have to do it?"
"Their main occupations are not florists. Its their cover-up."
André was taken back but recovered quickly. "And you expect me to believe you?"
"You should. I met one of them last night. He was spying on us during our brief moment of reunion. I think you are able to recognize him. Blond hair, the one with sunglasses…"
"Yoji…" André gasped. "What have you done with him?"
Frère smirked. "I send him my regards. Listen, neuf-trois-sept-neuf…"
"André…"
"Listen, André…" Deliberately stretching the name a bit longer. "I met them when I was paying a visit to Jean Lobe. They were there, all of them. Including the one who is currently your student, Omi Tsukiyono… am I right?" Watching André's eyes widen. "Do you know that his job is?" His lips widen like a genius that knew everything. An assassin… that's right, André. That teenager is an assassin. And so are his three companions. Their job was to eliminate Jean Lobe so that they could gain assess to the information of our whereabouts."
"Omi… an assassin? That's crazy… it doesn't make sense…"
"Nothing makes sense… we began assassinating people since we were children."
"Then, they have already known about Âme…"
"And us…" Frère bent closer to André's ear. "You know what that mean… he has to die including the others."
"What…" André's voice became faint. "Kill Omi…"
"Kill him to save us. Kill him to save us from them. Otherwise, what we have done 10 years ago, what our brothers and sisters have died for, would be all for nothing."
"But..."
"You are a great survivor. Use your skills to survive."
"I can't…"
"We are diabolic creatures of the damned and anything that is unholy. An abomination to nature. We can't afford to feel. If we do, Âme will finish us off. Which would you prefer, termination by Âme or being used like a puppet for the Japanese?"
"Kill Omi… why? He's just a child."
"It's survival…" Frère savored the sentence like a juicy piece of meat; his blue eyes caught André's bandaged hand. "What is this? He held it in his gloved hands. "My poor little brother…" His voice softened. "You have suffered so much."
André was in a daze like a stoned zombie, his heart stabbed a thousand times for a thousand lifetimes. He felt Frère kissing his bandaged hand. He didn't care. Nothing does, anymore…
"Don't be sad, neuf-trois-sept-neuf," said Frère, holding out his finger. "You won't be alone to do this, I will help you as always…"
A tear fell nicely on the tip of Frère's index finger.
And he ate it.
Instantly, André backed away from him, his voice hissing like hot iron in cold water.
"Get away from me!"
Frère simply leaned against the tree truck and smirked, as he watched the frightened André running back into the school. Sinister thoughts darkened the baby-blue eyes.
"Somehow, I have this feeling that the General is not completely honest about the whole…" said Manx, curling her red hair in irritation. Just then, Omi burst into the room. He stood there, his hands on his knees, panting nonstop as he tried to say the words that everybody guessed that he would say.
"Yoji is alright, Omi," said Ken, walking towards him and patted him on the back. "Take it easy. Catch your breath, first. My goodness! You are sweating. Did you run all the way here from school?"
"Sort of…" Omi gulped in air. "Is he injured badly?"
"Nothing that he can take. Do you want to see him? He's sleeping though."
"May I?"
"Of course, you can," nodded Manx. "He's partially wrapped up like a mummy, I warn you first."
"I bring him," volunteered Ken as he led Omi out of the room.
"As I was saying earlier," Manx flipped her red hair to one side. "I have this feeling that the General is not completely honest about the whole thing. Though he kept on saying that his mission is to eliminate the genetic modified human beings, he may want to use them for military purposes. Since they already have the technology, they could reduce their thinking capability to only accept orders."
"Somehow I have this gut feeling that the journal of Sakamoto might not be a genuine. On the 27th August 1989, he decided to investigate and managed to publish an article on the 24th October 1989 in France. A reporter like him with no influential connections couldn't be able accomplish it within 2 months." Aya showed her the journal. "Furthermore, this is the end of the journal."
"What!" Manx took the journal and examined the end cover. "Could the remaining pages be ripped off? Doesn't seem to be with the naked eye. Maybe, if we could get a sample of Sakamoto's works, we could establish whether the handwriting is his or not."
"If the handwriting is truly Sakamoto's, then how was he able to find evidence strong enough to bring down Âme? Unless he had help from Jean Lobe…" His eyes shifted. "Or maybe someone else that we don't know yet…. Like one of the 3 scientists that the General is after."
"We don't have time to look for either one of them," Manx pondered. "Then, we will have to backwards from the nightclub that Yoji was in to the place where we found him. Being a pop-u-lar customer there, maybe, the manager could tell us a thing or two." She held out her handphone and tossed Aya a bunch of keys. "I'll inform Ken and Omi. You get the car ready."
The unconscious Yoji was laid in a private hospital room guarded by 2 security officers. He was bandaged around the chest, arms, legs and the neck. Two tubes from two hanging pouches were inserted into his veins – one red and one transparent. An air mask was placed over his face. Next to him was a machine, monitoring his every breathing and heartbeat. Omi sat on the chair and watched him sleeping like a dead person. His fist clenched at the immediate thoughts of avenging him.
"Are you sure that the one who did this to him was of those genetically modified human beings that Âme created?"
"Yes, Omi," replied Ken. "The attacker only used very basic martial art techniques. We estimated the speed and strength and the results proved that only a genetically modified human being is capable. No normal human being is capable of that."
"But how did he find Yoji? He said that he hoped that he would see us for the last time."
"People can change their mind as easily as clicking their fingers. Maybe, when he saw Yoji, he decided to finish him off before Yoji could recognize him."
" I suppose so," Omi held Yoji's hand gently. "What do you mean by the attacker only used very basic martial art techniques? What kind of marital arts did he use? Judo? Karate? Taekwondo?"
"We concluded that the attacker used taekwondo. But most marital arts have the same basic foundations for each move. The attacker is focused on his arms rather than his legs. Like punching for example, when you strike, you always make sure that you strike with the first two knuckles of the fist," Ken pointed to the knuckles of the index and middle finger. "It is because they are the sturdiest and least likely to fracture. Then, with your wrist straight and fist tight and 2 knuckles in front, the blow will give its maximum impact and the minimum risk of injuring your hands and wrist. How we were able to determine that was due to fist blows that we found on the doors of the car. There were 2 distinct knuckles marks. Seemed like the attacker is a left-handed person or likes to use his left hand."
"The left hand," repeated Omi. "Sounds familiar…"
"Familiar? Why?"
"Ah… I'm not sure… mmm… was the attacker a different person?"
"The physical build of the attacker seems to match the same attacker who killed Jean Lobe as the power of the punch depends on the body weight of a person. The more the body weight is transferred from shoulders into the blow the impact will be higher. Besides having muscles, how skilled the person also influence the impact of the punch, when giving multiple punches, you have to concentrate on the speed, linearity of the footing, rotation of the shoulders and relaxation of the upper body. Speed from the legs helps too as it also generates power to the blow."
"But Yoji is also skilled at punching techniques. Surely, he could have given back a punch or two."
"Even so, the attacker could have used the jab punch technique. Considering his speed and agility, the jab punch could serve as an effective attacking strategy as it combines boxing, self-defense and sparring."
"What do you mean?"
"When giving a punch, we have to keep the elbow down as there is tendency to raise it. This will slow down the jab punch and make it vulnerable to a counterattack. When the punch is extended," Ken demonstrated. "The chin is tucked down to the shoulder while the rear hand is closed to the chin as a protection against counterattack for that side of the face." He pointed to his left side of the face. "And the chin is always down because if we don't, it will give a clear target for our opponents for a counterattack. So, the chin has to be down and head inclined forward."
"So, in other words, Yoji didn't stand a single chance in fighting back. He was literally a punching bag for him. All he could do was to hang on as long as he could."
"Afraid so."
"And the speed enables him to be light on his feet which makes his punch even more effective."
"Correct. This high level of the attacker's abilities shows that he was trained severely. A possible training center would be no other than the military camp."
"But what was the purpose of beating Yoji up? A warning sigh to mind our business?"
"Perhaps, or something worse. Maybe, he knows that we are working align with General Gloven though he doesn't know it yet. But his initial thoughts were to kill Yoji. By strangling with only hand."
"Is that possible?"
"With that amount of strength, it will be nothing to him. Aya found a bruise mark shaped like a index finger with a thumb." Ken demonstrated again. "It's called the throat strike. Its design to deliver a quick shock to the opponent's trachea by extending the thumb and partially curling the fingers like you would when holding a can. With precise timing and quick thrust to the throat, the victim is at his disposal."
"And Yoji is not the only victim," Omi turned, his face stiffened. "So, what do we do?"
"For now, Manx and Aya are trying to unravel the General's real intentions." The handphone rang. "Hold on a minute… Yup? Manx? Ah… ok… mmm… ok… bye." Ken looked at Omi. "That was Manx. She said that she and Aya are driving down to the pub where Yoji was last night to find some clues. For us, we have to watch over Yoji just in case he gained conscious."
"Looking at his injuries, he won't be awake for the next few days," Omi looking slightly dismayed. "Till then, we won't know much and the attacker may be fleeing to some other place."
"I won't bet on it. Manx and Aya will find something. As for Yoji," Ken grinned encouragingly. "He's tough. He won't let a thing beat him down."
Under the noon sun, Manx and Aya drove down to the streets where nightclubs usually dominated. The nightclubs seemed to quiet and lifeless under the heat of the sun. Stray cats yawned and stretched their limbs as they remained in the cool shade of the alleys. Without delay, Manx and Aya entered into one of the nightclubs. Being with Yoji for a long time, it was his most favourite. The dance floor and the pub areas were emptied except for a few workers mopping the floor. Manx and Aya proceed to ask the bartender, who wiping some empty beer mugs with a white cloth. The bartender peered up as he saw the two red heads approaching him.
"Sorry, people. This establishment is closed. You have to come at around 6 or so."
"We are not here for a drink," Manx sat on of the chairs. Aya stood behind her. "We just want to know if you know this person." She showed a photo of Yoji.
"Him? Who wants to know?" The bartender asked nonchalantly. "There are lots of people like him."
Manx placed a crispy dollar note into a squeaky-clean beer mug. The bartender's eyebrows raised, his lips pursed. Looking around, he took a note and cleaned the mug. "He was here last night, wanting to have a good time with one of our girls. A nice guy, you know, always giving tips."
"What did he do?"
"He was in one of the rooms with one of our girls. Then, he came down here to have a drink at around 3 in the morning. Later, he went upstairs for a short while, came down and left. That was around half an hour later."
"Was he followed by anyone suspicious? Or did anyone caught his attention?"
"The girls here always catch his attention… I don't know, I just work…" Manx held out another dollar note. "He was drinking martini and then, he followed someone. A Eurasian in purple shirt, black pants with mini plaited hair and green eyes… I think. Not very sure as it was difficult to see the colour of his eyes because there are coloured contact lenses available nowadays but he is purely a Eurasian."
"So, this Eurasian was seeing someone?"
"Look lady, everybody is seeing somebody and I can't keep track of all of them…."
"Did you have any foreigners lately?" Manx interrupted. "Europeans for example?"
"Err… Excuse me for a moment?" The bartender yelled out a name. "Rosé!! You are wanted here!!!"
A woman appeared from behind, skimpily dressed in her robe and messy locks of greenish blue hair tumbled all over her face. In a saucy and yet irritated voice, she replied.
"What the hell do you want?"
"Rosé. Who's the foreigner that you were complaining about last night?"
"Him?" She spat. "Like all foreigners, a total snob. They think that they know everything with their French accent!"
"French?" Manx asked. Her ears perked up. "How did he look like?'
"Medium built, red-orangey hair, blue eyes, deep raspy voice, long nose, square jaw, eyebrows almost knitting together…" She clicked her tongue. "I think that French fag is at the wrong place."
"Fag?"
"He doesn't have any interest in women. Except for his fag lover, another Eurasian, a pretty boy though. Raven black hair in mini plaits. Feminine features. Green eyes… think that his name was André or something…" Aya and Manx immediately exchanged looks. Rosé spot the photo of Yoji lying on the countertop. Immediately, she let out an eerie and spiteful yell.
"Satin!!! Seems like your lover boy has shown his true colour!!!"
"What!!!" Another equally skimpily dressed woman appeared, except for her pony-tailed blonde hair. "What the heck are you talking about?"
"See?" Rosé gleefully waved the photo in front of her. "Your Yoji boy dumped you last night because he had someone else. Seems like you are losing your touch." She laughed, her hand half covering her mouth. "That woman could be his new lover or maybe his wife!" She laughed again.
Satin glared at Rosé and shifted her eyes on Manx. Slamming her hand onto the counter, she asked hostility. "Who the ******* hell are you?"
"Just a friend of Yoji's. You must the famous Satin." Manx adapting the flattering approach. "Yoji spoke nothing else but the best of you."
"Well," Satin flipped her hair haughtily. "Of course, I'm the best. There is no woman who could satisfy Yoji the way that I could. What's your business with him?"
"Just something between him and the both of us. We haven't met him for a long time and Yoji is always so busy in his work and hardly have time to socialize. We are so glad that he has someone like you to keep him accompany." Manx smiled. Aya nodded his head.
"I bet you do."
"I can assure you that I have no intimate interests with Yoji," Manx stood up, wrapped her arms around Aya's neck and rested her head onto Aya's chest. "You see. I already have a partner."
Aya dumbly complied by placing his hands around her waist.
General Benjamin Gloven sat down on his desk and activated his computer. The screen was blank for a few seconds before a figure dressed in a lab coat, appeared on the screen. In French, he spoke.
"Our research on what you have requested is completed. General."
"And the results, doctor?"
"We analyzed the blood samples of the 3 remaining Âme children and discovered why they are able to do so during the 1989 shutdown. 80% of their DNA are purely human DNA that were able to adapt to the 20% mutated GBG and modified as they were growing. Since they reached 10 years of age, the DNA structure would have been stabilized and at their maximum potential."
"Interesting. But weren't the all the 10 000 children have purely human DNA and yet 50% died before 8, followed by 30% more at 10, before reducing drastically to 3 at the 1989 shutdown."
"Yes, sir. We have analyzed that we have come to the same conclusion with substantial results. The 3 Âme children had something that other 9997children didn't have. They were of mixed blood. Subject 9374 is African & French, 9377 – French & Dutch and lastly, 9379 – French & Japanese. The information was based on the reports of the late Âme president."
"So, somehow, when these mixed racial DNA get together, they create some form of resistance and adaptation to the mutated GBG. As time passes, they both integrated as one?"
"That's correct, General."
"Fantastic…" General Gloven rubbed his chin. "Have you received anything about the 4 missing Âme scientists?"
"They are all dead except for one - Fideline Josette. The Chasser team had reported that the Âme children were responsible for their deaths."
"And the data?"
"The Âme children had them. All they need is Fideline Josette's and they are complete."
"Thank you, doctor. That will be all."
He clicked the mouse and the screen went blank. Tapping his fingers for a moment, he then picked up a phone and said, "Get the my private plane ready. I'm returning to France within 2 hours. There is an old friend whom I have to meet." Placing down the receiver, "An old friend who would be willing to help."
"What do you know about this André person?" asked Manx, looking ahead at the road. "Does he have any involvement with Yoji's attacker?"
"He's a baker and a temporarily teacher at Omi's school. He has been in the area for a while. Rather quiet and hardworking. Involvement? Maybe considering that all of this happened when he appeared."
"Then, he better be cooperative."
Aya parked the car along the roadside. "We are here."
Manx stepped out and looked at the bakery shop. "Closed on a day like this. How convenient. Let's take a look inside, shall we?" Aya took out a card and slit it between the locks. The door opened and Manx and Aya entered and examined the place. The kitchen was neat and tidy with all of its utensils placed into the cupboards. On the white table was a marble tile with a stalk of flower placed on it. The flower's numerous petals were steaked with yellow, red and orange, complimenting with the green stalk and its leaves.
Aya sniffed at the scent and murmured, "Marigold…"
"There is a card next to it," Manx picked it and read. "It's all in French." Passing it to him, "Read what it…"
Aya held out his hand and mouthed, "Hear something?"
Manx kept silent and crammed her ears to hear something against the still atmosphere. Slowly and gradually, she heard a familiar and rhythmic ticking sound coming from one of the cupboards.
Without hesitation, both Manx and Aya ran out of the bakery shop and drew themselves behind their car. A thunderous explosion came, showering them with glass, bits of concrete and other debris. Manx and Aya coughed heavily at the dust clouds and smoke. Their faces were partly seared with dirt. Aya looked down and uncurled his fingers. A crumple piece of paper was lying on his palm.
Smoothing it out, he read, "Se Soucier; fleur de cruauté."
"What?" Manx dug into her pockets and took out her handphone. "What did the note say? In Japanese, please!"
"Marigold, flower of cruelty."
À Suivre