Chapter six
A few hours later, I met the others back at the Outlaw Star. Gene suggested that they extend the break and go to "The Moon Café".
When we got there, we sat down and ordered. In the booth next to us, we could hear some people argue.
"I don't care! You obviously don't care, either! You know that I didn't want to go!"
"Simple, dear, " A man who sounded like he was in his forties replied. "You can't deny that you want to be with me."
"No! I never wanted ANY of this! I should have listened to my father!! I never should have taken off with you!"
During the conversation, there were the occasional sniffles of a little girl.
I looked at Gene and noticed that his eyes were locked on the young woman. "Aniki? What's wrong?"
He snapped out of it. "Nothing, Jim." He passed me a photo and told me to look at the young woman. "What do you think, Jim?"
The girl in the picture and the young woman looked exactly the same. I did a double take. She also looked exactly like the little girl's mother!
I watched as the young woman took her small daughter's hand and started to leave. Gene followed her outside, motioning for me to be his backup. I grabbed my crutches and rolled my eyes as I got up to follow him.
* * *
"Excuse me, ma'am?" Gene sauntered up to the young woman. "Are you all right?"
"Yes," the woman replied "Why do you ask?"
Gene looked right through her. "You're lying." And he held up the photo from her father.
Her mouth flew open and she snatched it from his hand. "Where did you get this?"
"Your father."
"H-how do you know my father?"
"He hired us. He's very worried about you, Michelle."
Tears formed in her eyes. "But, how can I trust you? And what do you mean by 'we'?"
She looked behind Gene and saw me. "Goodness! What happened to him?" She pointed to my cast.
I sighed. "Geez, this's getting monotonous!" And I explained my accident.
She kneeled to my level. "Oh, you poor thing." Then she noticed the name signed on it. "Jamie.did my daughter sign it for you?"
"Yeah." I scratched the back of my head in embarrassment.
Just then, little Jamie ran right up to us and pointed to me. "Mommy, his name is James!"
Michelle put her hand on Jamie's finger. "Don't point, Jamie." And she shook my hand. "Nice to meet you, James."
"Please, just call me Jim."
"Okay.Jim."
She stood up and faced Gene. "You said you were sent by my father, right? How did he know where I was?"
"The real point is, Michelle, he didn't know where you were! We just stopped here to take a breather."
Just then, a real gruff-looking man stepped outside. "C'mon, Michelle, Jamie."
Michelle stood her ground. "No, Tetsuya!! This time I'm not coming home! I'm going back to my father, and there's nothing you can do about it!"
Tetsuya stepped forward. "Oh, I'll make you come home." Then he saw Gene. "Oh, is that it, huh?"
"What's it?" Gene asked innocently.
"That this here punk is trying to steal you away, huh?"
Michelle stepped in to protect Gene. "No, Tetsuya! It's not what you think!!"
"Out of the way, woman!!" He punched her, sending her into the wall.
"Mommy!!!!!!" Little Jamie rushed to her mother's side, practically blinded by her tears. "Daddy, why did you hit Mommy? Why?"
The man grabbed her by the collar and shook her. I could see the fear in her eyes as he spoke. "Stay out of this, you little brat." I couldn't take it anymore.
"Hey!" I called out to him. "Leave her alone! She's just a little girl!!"
He looked at me. "And just what're you going to do about it? You're nothing more than a little kid yourself, and besides, you've got a broken ankle!"
That did it. "I am not a little kid!" I growled. I hobbled over to him and attempted wrestling the girl from his grip.
"Cut that out, kid!" He growled, then stomped on my cast right where little Jamie had signed it. The cast broke apart, and my ankle hurt like blazes. But still, I couldn't let go.
"Jim!" Gene yelled "Get away from there, you idiot!!"
"Just what're ya gonna do, Jim?" The guy mocked "Oh, would you look. An open target." He stepped on my ankle again. "Oops, sorry, Jim!" I yelled in pain, but I still wouldn't let go.
Jamie burst into fresh tears. "Daddy, stop it!" She found her courage, opened her mouth and bit really hard into his arm.
The man screamed, letting go of her. I looked at Jamie in amazement. Just then, I felt a brutal force hit me right in the middle of my stomach, and I hit the ground.
"Jim!" Melfina screamed, running to me with Aisha and Suzuka right at her heels.
Tetsuya looked at his arm, which started to bleed. "Stupid brat." Then he looked at Gene. "All right, mister. Just you.'n me.and our weapons."
A few hours later, I met the others back at the Outlaw Star. Gene suggested that they extend the break and go to "The Moon Café".
When we got there, we sat down and ordered. In the booth next to us, we could hear some people argue.
"I don't care! You obviously don't care, either! You know that I didn't want to go!"
"Simple, dear, " A man who sounded like he was in his forties replied. "You can't deny that you want to be with me."
"No! I never wanted ANY of this! I should have listened to my father!! I never should have taken off with you!"
During the conversation, there were the occasional sniffles of a little girl.
I looked at Gene and noticed that his eyes were locked on the young woman. "Aniki? What's wrong?"
He snapped out of it. "Nothing, Jim." He passed me a photo and told me to look at the young woman. "What do you think, Jim?"
The girl in the picture and the young woman looked exactly the same. I did a double take. She also looked exactly like the little girl's mother!
I watched as the young woman took her small daughter's hand and started to leave. Gene followed her outside, motioning for me to be his backup. I grabbed my crutches and rolled my eyes as I got up to follow him.
* * *
"Excuse me, ma'am?" Gene sauntered up to the young woman. "Are you all right?"
"Yes," the woman replied "Why do you ask?"
Gene looked right through her. "You're lying." And he held up the photo from her father.
Her mouth flew open and she snatched it from his hand. "Where did you get this?"
"Your father."
"H-how do you know my father?"
"He hired us. He's very worried about you, Michelle."
Tears formed in her eyes. "But, how can I trust you? And what do you mean by 'we'?"
She looked behind Gene and saw me. "Goodness! What happened to him?" She pointed to my cast.
I sighed. "Geez, this's getting monotonous!" And I explained my accident.
She kneeled to my level. "Oh, you poor thing." Then she noticed the name signed on it. "Jamie.did my daughter sign it for you?"
"Yeah." I scratched the back of my head in embarrassment.
Just then, little Jamie ran right up to us and pointed to me. "Mommy, his name is James!"
Michelle put her hand on Jamie's finger. "Don't point, Jamie." And she shook my hand. "Nice to meet you, James."
"Please, just call me Jim."
"Okay.Jim."
She stood up and faced Gene. "You said you were sent by my father, right? How did he know where I was?"
"The real point is, Michelle, he didn't know where you were! We just stopped here to take a breather."
Just then, a real gruff-looking man stepped outside. "C'mon, Michelle, Jamie."
Michelle stood her ground. "No, Tetsuya!! This time I'm not coming home! I'm going back to my father, and there's nothing you can do about it!"
Tetsuya stepped forward. "Oh, I'll make you come home." Then he saw Gene. "Oh, is that it, huh?"
"What's it?" Gene asked innocently.
"That this here punk is trying to steal you away, huh?"
Michelle stepped in to protect Gene. "No, Tetsuya! It's not what you think!!"
"Out of the way, woman!!" He punched her, sending her into the wall.
"Mommy!!!!!!" Little Jamie rushed to her mother's side, practically blinded by her tears. "Daddy, why did you hit Mommy? Why?"
The man grabbed her by the collar and shook her. I could see the fear in her eyes as he spoke. "Stay out of this, you little brat." I couldn't take it anymore.
"Hey!" I called out to him. "Leave her alone! She's just a little girl!!"
He looked at me. "And just what're you going to do about it? You're nothing more than a little kid yourself, and besides, you've got a broken ankle!"
That did it. "I am not a little kid!" I growled. I hobbled over to him and attempted wrestling the girl from his grip.
"Cut that out, kid!" He growled, then stomped on my cast right where little Jamie had signed it. The cast broke apart, and my ankle hurt like blazes. But still, I couldn't let go.
"Jim!" Gene yelled "Get away from there, you idiot!!"
"Just what're ya gonna do, Jim?" The guy mocked "Oh, would you look. An open target." He stepped on my ankle again. "Oops, sorry, Jim!" I yelled in pain, but I still wouldn't let go.
Jamie burst into fresh tears. "Daddy, stop it!" She found her courage, opened her mouth and bit really hard into his arm.
The man screamed, letting go of her. I looked at Jamie in amazement. Just then, I felt a brutal force hit me right in the middle of my stomach, and I hit the ground.
"Jim!" Melfina screamed, running to me with Aisha and Suzuka right at her heels.
Tetsuya looked at his arm, which started to bleed. "Stupid brat." Then he looked at Gene. "All right, mister. Just you.'n me.and our weapons."