You're Under Arrest! Ghost of the Past
Chapter II:
Hachi Roku
.
Bokuto Station Garage
Day Two, Tuesday 8:00 am
.
Miyuki studied the dynamics of the Trueno and smiled almost in excitement. At first, the damage to the car made her wince. The driver's door was smashed, the windshield was broken, the tires were worn out and just enough of the body was starting to rust.
She didn't know whether Assistant Inspector Kinoshita was crazy but when she opened the hood, Miyuki almost screamed in admiration and glee.
In it was an AE 101 engine designed for street racing. Developed by the TRD (Toyota Racing Development) it could squeeze about 240 horsepower into the car. It may not be much for a drag race but it's perfect for circuit racing. But the Panda Trueno standing before Miyuki was NOT a circuit racer.
To her, it looked like...
"It's a downhill special," a voice of awe suddenly derailed her thoughts. Miyuki turned to find an amazed Mr. Honda walking towards the garage with his tools.
"Good Morning! Honda-san," Miyuki smiled. "I'm sorry to call you for this but..."
"No need for explanations," he smiled as he looked at the car. "It really looks beat up, doesn't it?"
"You should see the engine," Miyuki replied enthusiastically. "It's not normal for something like that to be in the Trueno."
"The original engine blew while tackling Akagi," Honda said as if stating a fact. Miyuki was surprised by this revelation.
"How did you know?" she asked.
"I helped install it," he smiled with pride, but being the man he it, he rarely shows it. "A friend of mine runs a shop in Akina and installed it in this car for a friend."
"Are you sure it's the same car?" she asked.
"It is," Kaoruko Kinoshita said as she entered the garage wearing overalls. "The driver of this car gave this to me as a parting gift, he said that he will never ride in it again," Kaoruko's voice was pained but she tried to control her emotions. Just seeing the car made her remember the past and the times of good cheer and the pain of losing a loved one.
"It's the Ghost of Akina," Ken appeared and leaned on the doorframe. This time, Miyuki didn't flinch from the word "ghost". "The fastest in Akina. I heard stories that would make your skin crawl. When he gets ahead of you, you'll never catch up."
"He's that good?" Miyuki asked.
"Yes," Honda sighed as he opened the driver's door. But when he did, he was alarmed on what he saw. "There's blood on the seats." Miyuki and Ken gasped and suddenly backed away. Kaoruko's face was filled with regret and sorrow that Miyuki knew she knew how the blood got there.
Kaoruko closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her, her hands were touching her sides. She couldn't tell them. Even if she could, the nightmares would return.
"Four years ago, headquarters sent a squad of officers to the Gunma area to investigate a series of car thefts," Aoi said softly as she walked towards them, looking at Kaoruko warily. "Before I was assigned to the anti-rape division, I heard this story from headquarters.
"It was the same as what's happening now. Only then, headquarters had a plan to stop them. But back then, they did not have a good driver to match these thieves for you see, they were all street racers."
Everyone's eyes turned to look at the car as Aoi continued her story.
"So they searched for the best. While interviewing the locals discretely, they found out that the fastest was an AE 86 Panda Trueno. At first, the officers laughed but one officer showed interest." Aoi looked as Kaoruko who till had her eyes closed. She was trying desperately to control her tears and Aoi knew that it was hard for her to deal with this.
"She waited the whole night for the elusive 86. She waited for hours but it did not show and just as the sun was coming up, she decided to call it a night.
"Then she heard it. A roar of an engine and the screeching of tire announced his arrival. She couldn't contain her excitement as the sounds grew louder. She really needed to know if this guy was as good as they said.
"She was not disappointed," Aoi smiled.
"As he entered the corner, it was like he was on a roller coaster for his drift was precise and smooth," Kaoruko sighed as she opened her eyes. "Such beauty in a drift cannot be copied and once you saw it, you will not forget it.
"He was as fast as the wind and as he exited the corner, it seemed like he stopped for no one. That's when I decided that he was the one.
"As he exited the corner, I caught a sign on the driver's door," Kaoruko smiled as she looked at the door. Honda opened it for everyone to see.
And everyone was surprised.
"Tenchi tofu shop?" they cried in unison. By that time, Yoriko and Natsumi joined them. "You have got to be kidding," Natsumi said.
"I'm not," Kaoruko sighed. "Imagine the surprise I got when I went looking for him," she blushed as she traced her fingers on the outline of the car. "I was expecting a cocky man but instead..."
"Go on," they all prodded.
"He was the sweetest man I have ever met," she smiled softly. "Needless to say, I talked him into our plan and he agreed." Then her face darkened. "But even the best plans can get awry.
"It was during the chase that we suffered dearly. We did not know that they were carrying firearms and took us by surprise. We had apprehended the first suspect when another showed up with a loaded shotgun. He aimed at me and fired, only, my friend was quicker.
"He used his body to shield me from the blast but still some of the buckshot grazed my sides. I could feel the numbness on my sides as pain fled my senses. And then, darkness.
"When I woke up, I was in the hospital," Kaoruko gripped the handle with all her might but found out that her strength had left her.
"Badly injured, the Ghost drove down the mountain towards the nearest hospital just to save her," Aoi continued for her. "He insisted that they treat her first and threatened the doctors to comply. The doctors admitted her in and when they came back for him, he was gone."
"Gone?" Miyuki asked almost scared. Aoi gave her a chilling nod.
"The only thing he left was this car that I promised to take care of," Kaoruko sighed and looked at the rest solemnly. Suddenly, with all the air of professionalism, she looked at her team with a smile.
"Let's get to work," she ordered and they obeyed, with a smile in their faces and excitement in their hearts.
Chapter II:
Hachi Roku
.
Bokuto Station Garage
Day Two, Tuesday 8:00 am
.
Miyuki studied the dynamics of the Trueno and smiled almost in excitement. At first, the damage to the car made her wince. The driver's door was smashed, the windshield was broken, the tires were worn out and just enough of the body was starting to rust.
She didn't know whether Assistant Inspector Kinoshita was crazy but when she opened the hood, Miyuki almost screamed in admiration and glee.
In it was an AE 101 engine designed for street racing. Developed by the TRD (Toyota Racing Development) it could squeeze about 240 horsepower into the car. It may not be much for a drag race but it's perfect for circuit racing. But the Panda Trueno standing before Miyuki was NOT a circuit racer.
To her, it looked like...
"It's a downhill special," a voice of awe suddenly derailed her thoughts. Miyuki turned to find an amazed Mr. Honda walking towards the garage with his tools.
"Good Morning! Honda-san," Miyuki smiled. "I'm sorry to call you for this but..."
"No need for explanations," he smiled as he looked at the car. "It really looks beat up, doesn't it?"
"You should see the engine," Miyuki replied enthusiastically. "It's not normal for something like that to be in the Trueno."
"The original engine blew while tackling Akagi," Honda said as if stating a fact. Miyuki was surprised by this revelation.
"How did you know?" she asked.
"I helped install it," he smiled with pride, but being the man he it, he rarely shows it. "A friend of mine runs a shop in Akina and installed it in this car for a friend."
"Are you sure it's the same car?" she asked.
"It is," Kaoruko Kinoshita said as she entered the garage wearing overalls. "The driver of this car gave this to me as a parting gift, he said that he will never ride in it again," Kaoruko's voice was pained but she tried to control her emotions. Just seeing the car made her remember the past and the times of good cheer and the pain of losing a loved one.
"It's the Ghost of Akina," Ken appeared and leaned on the doorframe. This time, Miyuki didn't flinch from the word "ghost". "The fastest in Akina. I heard stories that would make your skin crawl. When he gets ahead of you, you'll never catch up."
"He's that good?" Miyuki asked.
"Yes," Honda sighed as he opened the driver's door. But when he did, he was alarmed on what he saw. "There's blood on the seats." Miyuki and Ken gasped and suddenly backed away. Kaoruko's face was filled with regret and sorrow that Miyuki knew she knew how the blood got there.
Kaoruko closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her, her hands were touching her sides. She couldn't tell them. Even if she could, the nightmares would return.
"Four years ago, headquarters sent a squad of officers to the Gunma area to investigate a series of car thefts," Aoi said softly as she walked towards them, looking at Kaoruko warily. "Before I was assigned to the anti-rape division, I heard this story from headquarters.
"It was the same as what's happening now. Only then, headquarters had a plan to stop them. But back then, they did not have a good driver to match these thieves for you see, they were all street racers."
Everyone's eyes turned to look at the car as Aoi continued her story.
"So they searched for the best. While interviewing the locals discretely, they found out that the fastest was an AE 86 Panda Trueno. At first, the officers laughed but one officer showed interest." Aoi looked as Kaoruko who till had her eyes closed. She was trying desperately to control her tears and Aoi knew that it was hard for her to deal with this.
"She waited the whole night for the elusive 86. She waited for hours but it did not show and just as the sun was coming up, she decided to call it a night.
"Then she heard it. A roar of an engine and the screeching of tire announced his arrival. She couldn't contain her excitement as the sounds grew louder. She really needed to know if this guy was as good as they said.
"She was not disappointed," Aoi smiled.
"As he entered the corner, it was like he was on a roller coaster for his drift was precise and smooth," Kaoruko sighed as she opened her eyes. "Such beauty in a drift cannot be copied and once you saw it, you will not forget it.
"He was as fast as the wind and as he exited the corner, it seemed like he stopped for no one. That's when I decided that he was the one.
"As he exited the corner, I caught a sign on the driver's door," Kaoruko smiled as she looked at the door. Honda opened it for everyone to see.
And everyone was surprised.
"Tenchi tofu shop?" they cried in unison. By that time, Yoriko and Natsumi joined them. "You have got to be kidding," Natsumi said.
"I'm not," Kaoruko sighed. "Imagine the surprise I got when I went looking for him," she blushed as she traced her fingers on the outline of the car. "I was expecting a cocky man but instead..."
"Go on," they all prodded.
"He was the sweetest man I have ever met," she smiled softly. "Needless to say, I talked him into our plan and he agreed." Then her face darkened. "But even the best plans can get awry.
"It was during the chase that we suffered dearly. We did not know that they were carrying firearms and took us by surprise. We had apprehended the first suspect when another showed up with a loaded shotgun. He aimed at me and fired, only, my friend was quicker.
"He used his body to shield me from the blast but still some of the buckshot grazed my sides. I could feel the numbness on my sides as pain fled my senses. And then, darkness.
"When I woke up, I was in the hospital," Kaoruko gripped the handle with all her might but found out that her strength had left her.
"Badly injured, the Ghost drove down the mountain towards the nearest hospital just to save her," Aoi continued for her. "He insisted that they treat her first and threatened the doctors to comply. The doctors admitted her in and when they came back for him, he was gone."
"Gone?" Miyuki asked almost scared. Aoi gave her a chilling nod.
"The only thing he left was this car that I promised to take care of," Kaoruko sighed and looked at the rest solemnly. Suddenly, with all the air of professionalism, she looked at her team with a smile.
"Let's get to work," she ordered and they obeyed, with a smile in their faces and excitement in their hearts.