Partners In Crime
By CheeKy
Disclaimer: The following Slam Dunk characters belong to Takehiko Inoue. Any unfamiliar names, places or otherwise will naturally be my properties.
Notes: Yes, they *spent* the night together. Read it however you will, I shan't be elaborating. Myahahahaha.. ^_~
* * *
Chapter Seven ~ Fight
Sendoh drove to a stop in front the pier. Shutting off the engine, he then turned to Rukawa who was fidgeting nervously by his side. Reaching for Rukawa's hand, Sendoh gave a reassuring squeeze, "Hey, stop worrying. I'm there with you, every single step of the way."
Leaning forward, Sendoh then placed a chaste kiss on Rukawa's forehead before patting the side of his jacket, "I won't let him hurt you, promise. Besides, I have my trusty Colt with me."
Knowing that he was the cause of Sendoh's concern, Rukawa put on a brave front as he nodded determinedly, "Okay, let's go before I change my mind."
~ * ~
They were directed into Eshun Hamaguchi's office and told to wait. Several minutes passed before the man finally entered. He was a large man in his mid forties with large bushy eyebrows that partly hid his hawkish grey eyes, a drastic contrast to his receding hairline. As Rukawa stood up while extending a hand in the man's direction, Sendoh was genuinely surprised to hear the calm and collected tone of his lover's voice. Looks like the Ice Prince was back in town.
"Rukawa Kaede. I believe my lawyer spoke to you on the phone yesterday evening?"
Hamaguchi offered a genial smile as he accepted the hand, "Yes, I remember. And this would be him?"
Rukawa followed his gaze as he nodded, "My lawyer, Kitasawa."
Sendoh leaned forward to shake Hamaguchi's hand. The latter smiled as he raised an inquisitive eyebrow, "Just Kitasawa?"
Sendoh smiled back easily, "Just Kitasawa."
Hamaguchi dropped heavily in his leather seat behind the wide desk as he gestured for Rukawa to follow suit. Drawing out a packet of cigarettes from his shirt pocket, the business tycoon extended the box to Rukawa but the young man merely shook his head to decline the offer.
"Tsk tsk, don't smoke eh? Well, no matter, smoking is bad for you."
A deep chuckle ensured as the lighter was flicked opened. A bright flash of light and the tip of the cigarette started to burn. Hamaguchi breathed in deeply before leaning back in his seat to blow a cloud of smoke into the air. He then turned his attention back to Rukawa with a wolfish smile, "So, what can I do for you? Your lawyer wasn't too explicit during the phone conversation."
His eyes steadied against Hamaguchi's grey orbs, Rukawa sat forward in his seat as he explained, his voice devoid of any emotions, "I have a large shipment of goods that I would like delivered to the United States, or more specifically, to California."
The young man then added cautiously, "I trust you can be discreet?"
Hamaguchi laughed good-naturedly as he exhaled, "Naturally, after all, discreet is but my middle name."
The young man nodded his approval as he turned to Sendoh who pulled out several documents from his briefcase. The papers were handed over to Hamaguchi who proceeded to cast an expert eye over the various proceedings.
~ * ~
All three men stood up as Rukawa once more extended his hand towards Hamaguchi, "Don't hesitate to contact my lawyer if you require any further details."
"I'm sure everything that you've given me is more than adequate," replied Hamaguchi with a wide smile, exposing his canine-liked teeth. Without releasing the man's hand, Rukawa inquired casually, "I don't mean to pry, but is it true that the last owner of this shipping company, Tomotsu Nagashima, was murdered in his sleep just two days ago?"
Hamaguchi didn't even blink as he answered gravely, "Yes, that's true, Rukawa-san."
Unexpectedly, the business tycoon turned to stare at Sendoh before adding with a wide grin, "But you needn't worry. I sure our Tokyo policemen will be successful in nabbing the murderer; after all, they are a most capable body. Won't you agree, Kitasawa-san?"
Hamaguchi continued to stare unblinkingly at Sendoh and the detective felt a cold chill run down his spine. He didn't like the way Hamaguchi was staring at him; the hawkish eyes looked like they were devouring him alive. Suddenly the tension broke as Hamaguchi returned to his genial self. He glanced back at Rukawa with a smile, "Perhaps you would like a tour around the place? I'm sure as our new investor you would be most interested to see how we do our business."
Rukawa gave a wordless nod as he followed Hamaguchi outside. Sendoh followed several feet behind, an easy smile on his face as he took in his surroundings. He hummed softly under his breath; looks like their cover have been blown wide open.
~ * ~
Hamaguchi stepped inside a large warehouse with the two men following closely behind. He gestured at the large and empty space around him before announcing aloud, "And this is where we will be storing all of your goods until the date of shipment."
Suddenly, the door shut with a loud clang, cutting off their exit from the building. Hamaguchi turned and both men were taken aback by the facial change in the man. The genial exterior was gone, replaced by a look of sheer lunacy. The grey eyes danced madly as its owner started laughing manically. It was then that Sendoh realised that they were not alone; five other men emerged from the shadows, each armed with a lead pipe or a long knife. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Rukawa shiver but the detective continued to maintain an impassive front.
Hamaguchi snarled angrily, "Did you honestly think I would be fooled by your pathetic cover up?"
Sendoh smiled easily, "Well yes, actually I did."
His admission merely irked the man further as his face flushed deep purple, "I know who you are, Sendoh Akira."
The smile widened, "I'm flattered that you know me well enough by sight, Hamaguchi-san. In that case, let's not beat around the bush any longer. How about if you come clean with what you've done to Okita and Nagashima?"
"That American fool! He found out too much so we had to dispose of him before he went to the police with the information."
Rukawa whispered breathlessly, "You mean he's dead?"
Hamaguchi turned his gaze towards the young man as he smiled viciously, "Why should I kill him when I can make a profit? As we speak, he is bounded securely in one of the warehouse waiting to be smuggled out of the country. A friend of runs a people smuggling business and he should be arriving anytime today. You friend will be put aboard with the rest of the cargo."
"What about Nagashima? Why did you kill him?"
Infuriated with Sendoh's lack of distress, Hamaguchi growled furiously, "You're pretty nosy for a man about to die."
Sendoh shrugged as he replied lightly, "I doubt if I could go to my grave peacefully with so many unanswered questions."
Accepting the steel pipe extended in his direction, Hamaguchi tapped the tool against the palm of his hand as he smiled wickedly, "Very well, detective, I will satisfy your last request. Without informing me of his decision, Nagashima made plans to sell the company to Okita and then use the money to retire in some godforsaken island. Unfortunately for him, I found out about the deal and kidnapped Okita before any papers could be signed. Nagashima betrayed us, so he had to die. In fact, I personally shot that bullet."
Several guffaws engulfed them as the henchmen laughed along side with their boss. Finally, Hamaguchi grinned evilly as he whispered softly, "I'm a very busy man, Sendoh-san, so let's not waste any more time talking."
Rukawa was given no time to react as he was suddenly tugged from behind. He elbowed his assailant in the stomach before twisting around to kneel the man in the groin. Sendoh shouted from behind, "Hey Kae-chan, play fair."
The young man turned to him with an icy glare before swinging his fists at the next attacker, "Shut up Akira. And watch your back!"
The detective kicked out at his attacker as the knife missed him by a hair's breath. Out of the corner of his eye, the detective spied Hamaguchi pulling the pipe back and was about to slam it against his head when the detective pulled out his gun. But before he could fire a shot the pipe collided with the weapon and it clattered loudly to the ground. Sendoh's arm shot up to protect his head from the assault as his feet lunged out to trip Hamaguchi. As the man stumbled forward, Sendoh twisted the pipe from the criminal's grasp.
The sudden movements knocked Hamaguchi off balanced and he fell, hands reaching out wildly to pull the detective with him. Amidst angry snarls, both men tried frantically to gain the upper hand as they rolled on the ground. Suddenly, Sendoh's head collided with the wall and with a loud groan, the detective tried in vain to blink away the dizziness. His mind vaguely registered Hamaguchi's moving towards his gun but before Sendoh could shout a warning, the man fired.
Blood gushed freely from the open wound as Sendoh pushed painfully against the wall; he hoped to the gods that Hamaguchi had missed his stomach. Still grimacing in pain, his eyes caught a ghastly pale Rukawa and the detective vehemently shook his head to stop the younger man from nearing him. The rest of the attackers had momentarily paused to stare wide-eyed in his direction; clearly they had not anticipated the gunshot.
With a jubilant cry, Hamaguchi pumped his fist elatedly. Suddenly, another shot rang out and the gun clattered to the floor next to Sendoh's feet. Hamaguchi's eyes widened in disbelief as his fingers started to bleed.
On the floor, Sendoh couldn't help but grin even though he was hurting like hell, "It's over Hamaguchi. We've got the place surrounded and there's no way out. Guess I have the last laugh, huh?"
As if on cue, the door to the warehouse was kicked opened and the police swamped the area. Still standing in shock, Hamaguchi offered no resistance as handcuffs were clicked on his wrist. Seeing the blood on Sendoh's shirt, Joseph shouted loudly for the paramedics as Rukawa reached his side.
Dropping to his knees, Rukawa muttered something about 'doáhos' and 'dumb detectives' as he gently cradled his lover's head in his arms. Sendoh offered a weak smile before his vision dimmed and he lost consciousness.
t.b.c. ^_~
By CheeKy
Disclaimer: The following Slam Dunk characters belong to Takehiko Inoue. Any unfamiliar names, places or otherwise will naturally be my properties.
Notes: Yes, they *spent* the night together. Read it however you will, I shan't be elaborating. Myahahahaha.. ^_~
* * *
Chapter Seven ~ Fight
Sendoh drove to a stop in front the pier. Shutting off the engine, he then turned to Rukawa who was fidgeting nervously by his side. Reaching for Rukawa's hand, Sendoh gave a reassuring squeeze, "Hey, stop worrying. I'm there with you, every single step of the way."
Leaning forward, Sendoh then placed a chaste kiss on Rukawa's forehead before patting the side of his jacket, "I won't let him hurt you, promise. Besides, I have my trusty Colt with me."
Knowing that he was the cause of Sendoh's concern, Rukawa put on a brave front as he nodded determinedly, "Okay, let's go before I change my mind."
~ * ~
They were directed into Eshun Hamaguchi's office and told to wait. Several minutes passed before the man finally entered. He was a large man in his mid forties with large bushy eyebrows that partly hid his hawkish grey eyes, a drastic contrast to his receding hairline. As Rukawa stood up while extending a hand in the man's direction, Sendoh was genuinely surprised to hear the calm and collected tone of his lover's voice. Looks like the Ice Prince was back in town.
"Rukawa Kaede. I believe my lawyer spoke to you on the phone yesterday evening?"
Hamaguchi offered a genial smile as he accepted the hand, "Yes, I remember. And this would be him?"
Rukawa followed his gaze as he nodded, "My lawyer, Kitasawa."
Sendoh leaned forward to shake Hamaguchi's hand. The latter smiled as he raised an inquisitive eyebrow, "Just Kitasawa?"
Sendoh smiled back easily, "Just Kitasawa."
Hamaguchi dropped heavily in his leather seat behind the wide desk as he gestured for Rukawa to follow suit. Drawing out a packet of cigarettes from his shirt pocket, the business tycoon extended the box to Rukawa but the young man merely shook his head to decline the offer.
"Tsk tsk, don't smoke eh? Well, no matter, smoking is bad for you."
A deep chuckle ensured as the lighter was flicked opened. A bright flash of light and the tip of the cigarette started to burn. Hamaguchi breathed in deeply before leaning back in his seat to blow a cloud of smoke into the air. He then turned his attention back to Rukawa with a wolfish smile, "So, what can I do for you? Your lawyer wasn't too explicit during the phone conversation."
His eyes steadied against Hamaguchi's grey orbs, Rukawa sat forward in his seat as he explained, his voice devoid of any emotions, "I have a large shipment of goods that I would like delivered to the United States, or more specifically, to California."
The young man then added cautiously, "I trust you can be discreet?"
Hamaguchi laughed good-naturedly as he exhaled, "Naturally, after all, discreet is but my middle name."
The young man nodded his approval as he turned to Sendoh who pulled out several documents from his briefcase. The papers were handed over to Hamaguchi who proceeded to cast an expert eye over the various proceedings.
~ * ~
All three men stood up as Rukawa once more extended his hand towards Hamaguchi, "Don't hesitate to contact my lawyer if you require any further details."
"I'm sure everything that you've given me is more than adequate," replied Hamaguchi with a wide smile, exposing his canine-liked teeth. Without releasing the man's hand, Rukawa inquired casually, "I don't mean to pry, but is it true that the last owner of this shipping company, Tomotsu Nagashima, was murdered in his sleep just two days ago?"
Hamaguchi didn't even blink as he answered gravely, "Yes, that's true, Rukawa-san."
Unexpectedly, the business tycoon turned to stare at Sendoh before adding with a wide grin, "But you needn't worry. I sure our Tokyo policemen will be successful in nabbing the murderer; after all, they are a most capable body. Won't you agree, Kitasawa-san?"
Hamaguchi continued to stare unblinkingly at Sendoh and the detective felt a cold chill run down his spine. He didn't like the way Hamaguchi was staring at him; the hawkish eyes looked like they were devouring him alive. Suddenly the tension broke as Hamaguchi returned to his genial self. He glanced back at Rukawa with a smile, "Perhaps you would like a tour around the place? I'm sure as our new investor you would be most interested to see how we do our business."
Rukawa gave a wordless nod as he followed Hamaguchi outside. Sendoh followed several feet behind, an easy smile on his face as he took in his surroundings. He hummed softly under his breath; looks like their cover have been blown wide open.
~ * ~
Hamaguchi stepped inside a large warehouse with the two men following closely behind. He gestured at the large and empty space around him before announcing aloud, "And this is where we will be storing all of your goods until the date of shipment."
Suddenly, the door shut with a loud clang, cutting off their exit from the building. Hamaguchi turned and both men were taken aback by the facial change in the man. The genial exterior was gone, replaced by a look of sheer lunacy. The grey eyes danced madly as its owner started laughing manically. It was then that Sendoh realised that they were not alone; five other men emerged from the shadows, each armed with a lead pipe or a long knife. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Rukawa shiver but the detective continued to maintain an impassive front.
Hamaguchi snarled angrily, "Did you honestly think I would be fooled by your pathetic cover up?"
Sendoh smiled easily, "Well yes, actually I did."
His admission merely irked the man further as his face flushed deep purple, "I know who you are, Sendoh Akira."
The smile widened, "I'm flattered that you know me well enough by sight, Hamaguchi-san. In that case, let's not beat around the bush any longer. How about if you come clean with what you've done to Okita and Nagashima?"
"That American fool! He found out too much so we had to dispose of him before he went to the police with the information."
Rukawa whispered breathlessly, "You mean he's dead?"
Hamaguchi turned his gaze towards the young man as he smiled viciously, "Why should I kill him when I can make a profit? As we speak, he is bounded securely in one of the warehouse waiting to be smuggled out of the country. A friend of runs a people smuggling business and he should be arriving anytime today. You friend will be put aboard with the rest of the cargo."
"What about Nagashima? Why did you kill him?"
Infuriated with Sendoh's lack of distress, Hamaguchi growled furiously, "You're pretty nosy for a man about to die."
Sendoh shrugged as he replied lightly, "I doubt if I could go to my grave peacefully with so many unanswered questions."
Accepting the steel pipe extended in his direction, Hamaguchi tapped the tool against the palm of his hand as he smiled wickedly, "Very well, detective, I will satisfy your last request. Without informing me of his decision, Nagashima made plans to sell the company to Okita and then use the money to retire in some godforsaken island. Unfortunately for him, I found out about the deal and kidnapped Okita before any papers could be signed. Nagashima betrayed us, so he had to die. In fact, I personally shot that bullet."
Several guffaws engulfed them as the henchmen laughed along side with their boss. Finally, Hamaguchi grinned evilly as he whispered softly, "I'm a very busy man, Sendoh-san, so let's not waste any more time talking."
Rukawa was given no time to react as he was suddenly tugged from behind. He elbowed his assailant in the stomach before twisting around to kneel the man in the groin. Sendoh shouted from behind, "Hey Kae-chan, play fair."
The young man turned to him with an icy glare before swinging his fists at the next attacker, "Shut up Akira. And watch your back!"
The detective kicked out at his attacker as the knife missed him by a hair's breath. Out of the corner of his eye, the detective spied Hamaguchi pulling the pipe back and was about to slam it against his head when the detective pulled out his gun. But before he could fire a shot the pipe collided with the weapon and it clattered loudly to the ground. Sendoh's arm shot up to protect his head from the assault as his feet lunged out to trip Hamaguchi. As the man stumbled forward, Sendoh twisted the pipe from the criminal's grasp.
The sudden movements knocked Hamaguchi off balanced and he fell, hands reaching out wildly to pull the detective with him. Amidst angry snarls, both men tried frantically to gain the upper hand as they rolled on the ground. Suddenly, Sendoh's head collided with the wall and with a loud groan, the detective tried in vain to blink away the dizziness. His mind vaguely registered Hamaguchi's moving towards his gun but before Sendoh could shout a warning, the man fired.
Blood gushed freely from the open wound as Sendoh pushed painfully against the wall; he hoped to the gods that Hamaguchi had missed his stomach. Still grimacing in pain, his eyes caught a ghastly pale Rukawa and the detective vehemently shook his head to stop the younger man from nearing him. The rest of the attackers had momentarily paused to stare wide-eyed in his direction; clearly they had not anticipated the gunshot.
With a jubilant cry, Hamaguchi pumped his fist elatedly. Suddenly, another shot rang out and the gun clattered to the floor next to Sendoh's feet. Hamaguchi's eyes widened in disbelief as his fingers started to bleed.
On the floor, Sendoh couldn't help but grin even though he was hurting like hell, "It's over Hamaguchi. We've got the place surrounded and there's no way out. Guess I have the last laugh, huh?"
As if on cue, the door to the warehouse was kicked opened and the police swamped the area. Still standing in shock, Hamaguchi offered no resistance as handcuffs were clicked on his wrist. Seeing the blood on Sendoh's shirt, Joseph shouted loudly for the paramedics as Rukawa reached his side.
Dropping to his knees, Rukawa muttered something about 'doáhos' and 'dumb detectives' as he gently cradled his lover's head in his arms. Sendoh offered a weak smile before his vision dimmed and he lost consciousness.
t.b.c. ^_~