"The Detectives Kamiya: Backstabbing Brits," written by Freedom Fighter
Summary: Tai and Kari head to London, after Mina has identified the person
who killed the siblings' mother. Before they can apprehend the guy, the two
are wrapped in a Scotland Yard scandal of epic proportions! Well, at least
for the three officers involved...
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fanfic.
Rating: R, contains profane language, violence, and implied sexual situations
(though not all may be present in each episode). Do not read this if you are
too young or you are against reading fanfics that contain this type of stuff.
Back to the 3-part arcs everyone so much enjoys! The first of five scheduled
arcs, which you'll read here, will finally bring an end to one mystery
(getting their mother's killer) and lead towards solving a still unsolved one
(stay tuned to see what that one is). This story arc is also the first of
two involving a crossover. To see who the crossover stars are, keep
reading...
******
New Delhi, India
Tai, Kari, Agumon, and Gatomon are packing all of their things and stuffing
a souvenir or two into their suitcases as they prepare to leave their hotel
room.
"Can you believe it, Kari? We're finally going to nab this guy! All of
our hard work has finally paid off!"
"Tai..."
"Mom can rest in peace, Dad can move on with his life, knowing the murderer's
behind bars, and you... well, you can finally go back to college!"
"Tai..."
"Yeah, I know. What about me? Well, I was thinking to stay on the force
for a few more months. Just until I can find a well-paying job."
"Tai!"
"Yes?" Tai turns to look at his sister, who sighs and shakes her head.
"Tai... how do we know for sure this IS the guy?"
"Didn't you hear what Mina said? She said she's 93.2 percent sure!"
"That other 6.8 percent is what worries me."
"Come on! You said it yourself. 93.2 percent is better than Yolei's
prediction of not 100 percent sure!"
"But Mina also has dealt with the guy. What if she works for him, and is
calling him right now to tell him to go into hiding?"
"An informant NEVER chooses sides," comes a woman's voice from off-screen.
Tai turns around and finds Mina mysteriously in their room... and standing
right in front of him.
"Ack!" Tai yelped, jumping on to his bed. "Don't scare me like that!"
"For our own safety," Mina told him, "we try not to get involved in personal
scuffles. Or with clients."
"I hope it's okay..." Agumon cut in. "You guys were so involved in your
conversation that you didn't hear Mina knock."
"So we answered the door for you!" Gatomon added.
"How about a little warning next time?" Tai told Mina as he got back to
his feet.
"What's up, Mina?" the younger Kamiya asked. "Is something wrong?"
Mina pulls out a newspaper from behind her back.
"Well... it's about Scotland Yard."
Tai takes the paper from Mina and glances at the main headline. He then
gasps.
"No way! NO WAY!"
******
(Begin theme song - Limp Bizkit's "Boiler")
The siren of an ambulance wails in the background. Younger versions of Tai
and Kari are standing with their father and a hundred other mourners, all
dressed in black. A gravestone marked with their family last name, Kamiya, is
on it. Kari weeps openly into her brother's arms as a coffin is slowly lowered
into a hole in the ground and then promptly buried in dirt.
Now in present time, Tai, dressed in a gray suit with matching pants along
with a white buttoned long sleeve shirt and plain orange tie, walks out of a
police station. Kari is walking next to him, wearing the same clothes as her
older brother, with the exception of a knee-length skirt in place of pants.
Meanwhile, the title screen appears...
"The Detectives Kamiya"
Starring Tai Kamiya...
Tai laughs as he chats with an Indian girl.
Kari Kamiya...
Kari drives up to a house in her Honda Prelude.
Also Starring Matt Ishida as the Chief...
Matt fills out some paperwork at his desk, which has a framed picture of TK
on it.
And Yolei Inoue as the Informant...
Yolei pulls a white and black one-piece swimsuit out of her closet.
Fanfic Written and Edited by Freedom Fighter...
In one scene, Kari is seen handcuffing Davis' arms behind his back. In
another, Tai and Sora are grappling with each other. And in a third, Greymon
and Gatomon are digivolving to MetalGreymon and Angewomon, respectively.
As the song comes to an end, Tai and Kari stand in front of their mother's
grave. Kari sheds a tear as she places a bouquet of flowers next to the
tombstone. Tai hugs his little sister as he looks up to the sky, knowing that
their mother is now in a better place.
(End theme song)
******
Season 2, Episode 3 - Backstabbing Brits, Part 1 (03.25.03)
Kari, Agumon, and Gatomon ran over to see what Tai was yelling about. As
they saw the headline, they also were in shock.
"No way!" Kari shouted, repeating her older brother's utterance.
"That's what I said!" Tai reiterated.
"SPIES CAUGHT IN THE ACT!" Agumon said aloud, reading from the headline.
"Three officers arrested for spilling secrets."
"I think what will really grab your attention is the person in the picture,"
suggested Mina.
The foursome looked at the picture. In the center of it is a blonde-haired
gentleman. In fact, the same one that Mina had identified as Mrs. Kamiya's
murderer just last night. On either side of him were two woman dressed
almost like he was. One had purplish-red hair, the other yellowish-blonde.
Kari proceeded to read the caption.
"Mitsuo Yamaki, in the center, considered the ringleader, being brought into
Scotland Yard in handcuffs. Co-conspirators Reika Ootori, to his left, and
Megumi Onodera."
"So, what type of secrets were they selling, and to whom?" Tai asked as he
looked up from the paper.
"To the best of my knowledge, security secrets. You know, how and where
monuments are guarded... that sort of stuff. As for to whom... no one knows
for sure.
Mina then smirked as she held out her right hand and twiddled her fingers.
"But, I've managed to figure that out... but it's gonna cost you."
Tai and Kari glanced at each other and grumbled. Kari then went for her
purse to get some money.
"Are all informants as money-grubbing as you and Yolei?" Tai asked.
"Being an informant is a dangerous job," lectured Mina. "Even more dangerous
than being a gang ringleader or the head of the police force. Us informants
always have to watch our backs and be able to get what we need to escape on
a moment's notice. That's why we charge so much. After all, I can't just go
and steal stuff, now can I?"
"I guess that doesn't apply to stealing money!" Tai exclaimed as he watched
Kari hand Mina some money.
"You should be happy that I always put my earnings to good use," replied Mina
as she used her free hand to count the money and then pocket it in her robe.
"So, who did they sell them too?" Kari asked.
Mina takes a deep breath, then replies to Kari's question.
"Japan."
"WHAT?" responded Tai, after a delayed reaction.
"That's preposterous!" Kari shouted, defending her native country. "What
would Japan want to do with that kind of information?"
"I haven't figured that one out yet. But here's the real kicker! Yamaki
and his two 'girlfriends' were born... in Japan!"
"So they're Japanese-English?"
"This might be more dangerous than we thought." Kari then looks at Tai.
What if we're about to step right into the middle of an international
incident?"
"Yamaki's been loose for more than ten years, Kari! He killed our mother,
and if we don't get him know, he may take out everyone in London! We have
no choice but to step in!"
"By the way, I sent Yolei a copy of the clipping via e-mail this morning, but
she didn't reply before I left to come here."
"What's with you humans and your infatuation with war?" Gatomon asked, puzzled
over the possibility of another war between humans.
"Gatomon, humans don't like war. But sometimes... well, it's necessary."
"Like when?" Agumon asked, curious.
"I don't know," Tai replied, shrugging his shoulders. "The important thing
is, we've got stop one from breaking out here and now."
Kari picks up her bags and heads for the door. "Thanks for all your help,
Mina. We really appreciate it."
"Sure," Mina chided happily. "Oh, could you tell Yolei that I said hi?"
"I'll make sure of it myself."
======
As the foursome is at the airport waiting for their flight to start loading,
Kari is talking on a pay phone with Yolei.
======
Over in Tokyo, Yolei is holding the cordless phone up to ear as she deals
with ringing up a customer at her family's convenience store.
"It's a shock to me too," Yolei said into the receiver before hitting the
'Total' button on the register. "That'll be 1250 yen!"
"What?" the customer, a 27-year old man yelled as he had a jar of Pocky
nestled under his armpit. "This better be the best damn candy I've ever
eaten!"
He opened the jar and took one chocolate stick out. He bit a part of it off
and started chewing on it. After a few seconds...
"Lucky bitch," he mumbled as he pulled out the exact amount and then left.
"I guess you don't want a receipt?" Yolei asked as the guy stomped out. But
she returned her attention to Kari when she heard her talking.
"Any idea what Japan would want with that information?" Kari asked.
"What do I look like?" Yolei shot back as she put the money in the register.
"The army's commanding officer?"
"Okay, let me phrase it a different way. Can you find out what they plan to
do?"
"Hmmm... hacking into a military computer is very hard. And I do risk getting
caught and thrown in jail for it."
"Please?" Kari pleaded. "It would put my mind at ease if I knew what was
going on."
"Well..."
"Name your price."
Yolei's eyes brightened. "Really? Name MY price?"
"KARI!" came Tai's loud voice, which Yolei could now hear. "Don't offer to
pay her any more money! We've already used up this week's regular pay and our
seasonal vacation pay!"
With that, Tai hung up the phone. Yolei pushed the off button on her cordless
and placed it on the counter. Then she pulls out a digital timer from
underneath the register and starts to wind it.
"Let's see... twelve hours should do it!"
She puts the timer down on the counter and starts it. The ticker starts
counting down from 12 hours. On top of the clock is a label reading 'Time
Until Client Calls Back and Begs for Information.' Yolei smiled as she
pumped her fist in the air.
"At this rate, my apartment will back to the way it was before by week's end!
I LOVE this job!"
******
After a nine-and-a-half hour flight from New Delhi to London, the British
Airways flight carrying Tai, Kari, Agumon, and Gatomon finally lands at
Heathrow Airport.
As the quartet enters the terminal, they notice that most of the travelers
are shooting odd glances their way.
"Why do I suddenly feel like we're not welcome?" Kari wondered.
"Maybe they know we're Japanese," Tai replied.
"I doubt one incident would be enough to make everyone here hate Japan."
"Go home!" someone in the terminal yelled.
Kari rolled her eyes. "So much for that theory."
The foursome went to the luggage retrieval area to get their bags. Once
again, they were getting weird glances from the people waiting there.
"Maybe it's not the whole being Japanese thing," Gatomon spoke up. "I think
everyone's looking at me and Agumon."
"That would make sense," Agumon added. "Still, I thought most of the first
world countries had already embraced Digimon?"
"Yeah," Tai noted. "You'd think people here in the UK would know about the
Digiworld."
"It is strange," said Kari. "Still, we'd better be on our guard."
Finally, their bags appeared on the conveyor belt. The two Kamiya siblings
grabbed them and headed towards the terminal exit, with their Digimon not
too far behind.
======
After fetching a taxi, the foursome were off, heading downtown to Scotland
Yard. While their cabbie made his way through traffic, the detectives
enjoyed seeing the bustling metropolis up close and personal.
Roughly half an hour later, the cab pulled to a stop right at the entrance
to Scotland Yard. Tai and Kari are the first to get out. But before Agumon
and Gatomon could exit the cab, Kari holds her hand up and stops them.
"I think you two should stay here," Kari told the Digimon.
"Won't you need our help?" asked her partner, Gatomon.
"I'm sure we can handle this alone. Besides, we don't want to spook anybody
else out."
Agumon scratches his head. "I still don't understand why there aren't any
Digimon around here."
"We can figure that out later. Besides, this is personal for us."
Kari then turned to the driver.
"We'll only be a few minutes. Please wait for us."
The cabbie nodded. Kari then turned around and joined her older brother, who
was at the main gate. He was trying to convince the guard to let him in.
"First Class Detective Tai Kamiya," Tai announced, pulling out his badge to
show to the guard. "Tokyo PD."
"Tokyo?" the guard queried. "As in Tokyo, Japan?"
"That's the one."
"And what business do ye be having with Scotland Yard?"
"Allow me," Kari cut in, reaching into her purse and pulling out a piece of
paper. It was a photocopied version of the picture of Yamaki and company
being arrested yesterday. "We're looking for the man in this picture."
"The spy?"
"Yes, the spy."
"You think I'm going to let you bloody Japanese in so you can talk and
exchange more secrets? Not likely, love!"
"We're not here to swap secrets!" Tai exclaimed. "We have an outstanding
warrant on the man in this picture. He's responsible for a murder that took
place in Tokyo ten years ago."
"Eh? Well, if that be, show me the warrant."
"We don't exactly have a warrant..."
"Then I'm not letting you in. Sorry."
"We have every right to take custody of him!" Kari told the guard. "He is
a murder suspect that needs to be extradited back to Japan to stand trial!"
"Look, lass. My orders are strictly to keep anyone from communicating with
the spies until all of the appropriate paperwork is filled out. Besides,
you're in England. Warrant or no warrant, we still have jurisdiction."
"We're talking about a first-degree murderer here!" Tai yelled. "If he turns
out not to be a spy and you let him go, he could kill here in London!"
"That's not my bloody problem. Unless ye can provide the proof, ye cannot
enter and take him off our hands."
Tai glances at her sister, who was doing her best to keep from falling apart.
"I can't believe..." Kari began, "that you'd keep justice from being served."
"What was that?" the guard asked, as he hadn't heard the entire statement.
"We've searched for so long to find this guy... the guy who did us so wrong...
and you won't let us take him away to serve his time!"
"Kari, that's enough!" Tai shouted, pulling Kari back to the cab. "We'll
figure out something! Just keep a hold of yourself!"
"We've traveled so far to catch this killer... and you just deny us like that!"
"Kari!"
"Stop it, Tai! He should know the mistake he's making by keeping him here!"
"Calm down! I don't like it either, but the last thing we want is to get
into any trouble! Let's find somewhere to come up with another plan!"
The two Kamiya siblings were now by the cab again, as Gatomon opened the door.
Agumon and Gatomon pulled Kari in, who struggled somewhat at first but gave
in quickly afterwards. Tai then piled in with them.
"Do you know any good hotels around here?" Tai asked the cabbie.
"Sure!"
"Well, start driving!"
The cabbie pulled the taxi cab away from Scotland Yard. Meanwhile, Tai turned
his attention towards his irate little sister.
"Why did you stop me, Tai?"
"I don't know about you, Kari, but I don't want to be surrounded by all of
Scotland Yard!"
"The guy's a murderer! The reason we came to London was to arrest him and
take him back to Tokyo to have him tried in court!"
"We don't know that for sure! Mina said so herself! And earlier... you were
the one saying that maybe this wasn't a safe assumption!"
"Well, I've changed my mind from a few hours ago! This guy, beyond a doubt,
must be the one!"
"That's crazy talk!"
"What happened to your sense of justice?"
"It got replaced by my common sense!"
The two Kamiya siblings were staring each other down, both at wit's end.
Agumon and Gatomon were tugging on their shirt collars, holding them back.
"Don't fight!" pleaded Agumon.
"It's not worth it!" Gatomon told them.
"Don't worry," Tai said, turning away from Kari and towards the window. "I
know better than to fight over something as silly as this."
"This isn't silly!" yelled Kari. "We're talking about our mother's murderer!
There's nothing silly about that!"
"Will you listen to yourself?" Tai yelled back, turning back again. "Your
better judgement is being clouded by your hate for a guy we don't even know
is the one!"
"So now you don't trust the information that Mina gave us?"
"I trust it enough to lead our investigation in the right direction! I don't
trust it enough to come out finger pointing at some guy we've never met
before!"
Kari, frustrated beyond belief, crosses her arms over her chest and turns
away from her brother.
"I can't believe you! There we were, just mere footsteps away from throwing
the book at the guy, and you gave up just like that!"
Tai was about to retort, but he stopped himself. He wanted to make sure that
what he was going to say came out right.
"Kari..."
"What? You're going to refute the evidence? You mean the trip to India to
see Mina was all for naught?"
Tai sighed. "Look... whether this Yamaki character is the guy or not, I
don't know. But we'll never get in to question him by barging in and making
a scene."
"So, what do you suggest we do?"
"First... you've got to calm down before you give yourself a heart attack!
And second... we're going to make a few phone calls after we check into the
hotel."
Kari continued to look out the window as Tai laid out the rest of his plan.
"Once we get what we need, we'll go back and try to get into Scotland Yard
again."
Kari thought for a minute before shooting back a response.
"Okay... we'll do it your way. But only as long as we do go back for him."
"It's a promise, Kari! If he's the guy, we'll nail him good!"
======
Once the group had secured a hotel room, Tai went straight to work while
Agumon and Gatomon enjoyed some good old English television. And thanks to
some coaxing from Tai, Kari had gone off to take a shower and think over
things alone.
Tai fiddled through his bags to search for his address book just as he heard
the water flowing into the bathtub.
"I hope the guys at home don't mind me making a few calls," he said aloud as
he finally pulled the address book out. "I wonder what time it is over
there."
Tai went over to the phone and picked up the receiver. As soon as he heard
the dial tone, he turned to his address book and flipped through it. Finding
the phone number for his intended caller, he began to dial the number.
======
In an apartment halfway around the world, the phone began to ring off the
hook in a dark room. It rang about five times before someone had turned on
the lights in the room. The person started heading over just as the
answering machine began.
"Hi! You've reached the phone of Mr. Matt Ishida. I can't come to the phone
right now, but leave a message at the beep. If this is an emergency, please
call the number for the police station."
The machine beeped just as Matt reached it. He lowered his arm down to pick
up the receiver, just in case it was someone he knew.
It was...
"Matt! It's me, Tai! If you're there and you're not drunk or with a
woman..."
Before Tai could finish, Matt had picked up the receiver.
"Where have you been? It's been almost a week since you left!"
"We're hot on the trail of killer, Matt!"
"Hot on the trail? You mean you still haven't found the guy?"
"Well... we know who he is."
"A lot of good that does! Do you know how hectic things have gotten here
since you and Kari left!"
"We're not the only detectives on the force, chief."
"You're the only good ones! Look, if you're on a wild goose chase around
the world, then I suggest you two come back now. You're wasting your time
and mine."
"That's the thing, Matt. We know where the guy is, but..."
"But? But what?"
"Well... Scotland Yard got to him first."
"Scotland Yard? Where the hell is that?"
"In London."
"London? What the fuck are you doing in London, of all places?"
"This is where we tracked the killer to!"
"You told me you were going to India!"
"Right... and that led us here!"
Matt sighed and shook his head. "So if Scotland Yard has him locked up, why
haven't you gone there and interrogated him to find out if he's the guy?"
"That's where our problem lies, Matt. You see... the guy's accused of being
a spy, working against the English government."
"Hmmm... that is serious. And they wouldn't let you in?"
"The thing is... he's accused of spying for Japan."
"Japan?"
"I don't know if there's any truth to it, but Scotland Yard seems to think
so."
"Regardless of whether it's true or not, they'll probably keep you from
getting to him..."
"Because they'll think we're working with him. Right... we know that
already."
"So... what do you need?"
"You mean you'll help us?"
"Anything to get you two back here and on the job. I'll call the station
and get one of the nightshift guys to check it out. Tell me everything you
know on this guy..."
*** To be continued... ***
Author's Notes:
Just for those of you unenlightened with the English dub names -
Mitsuo Yamaki - Yamaki
Reika Ootori - Riley
Megumi Onodera - Tally
And so the Hypnos gang of Tamers guest stars in this arc of the series.
Interesting, huh? Well, things will get more interesting from here on out,
I'll tell you that much!
******
Next Episode Preview: Narrated by Kari...
After ten long years, we'll finally get to see the face of our mother's
killer, Mitsuo Yamaki. But why did he do it? How has he eluded us for so
long? And what if Mina's information proves to be incorrect? What if he
isn't the one? Even worse... could he actually be a spy for the Japanese?
Next time, it's "Backstabbing Brits, Part 2." Mystery solved at last!
Summary: Tai and Kari head to London, after Mina has identified the person
who killed the siblings' mother. Before they can apprehend the guy, the two
are wrapped in a Scotland Yard scandal of epic proportions! Well, at least
for the three officers involved...
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fanfic.
Rating: R, contains profane language, violence, and implied sexual situations
(though not all may be present in each episode). Do not read this if you are
too young or you are against reading fanfics that contain this type of stuff.
Back to the 3-part arcs everyone so much enjoys! The first of five scheduled
arcs, which you'll read here, will finally bring an end to one mystery
(getting their mother's killer) and lead towards solving a still unsolved one
(stay tuned to see what that one is). This story arc is also the first of
two involving a crossover. To see who the crossover stars are, keep
reading...
******
New Delhi, India
Tai, Kari, Agumon, and Gatomon are packing all of their things and stuffing
a souvenir or two into their suitcases as they prepare to leave their hotel
room.
"Can you believe it, Kari? We're finally going to nab this guy! All of
our hard work has finally paid off!"
"Tai..."
"Mom can rest in peace, Dad can move on with his life, knowing the murderer's
behind bars, and you... well, you can finally go back to college!"
"Tai..."
"Yeah, I know. What about me? Well, I was thinking to stay on the force
for a few more months. Just until I can find a well-paying job."
"Tai!"
"Yes?" Tai turns to look at his sister, who sighs and shakes her head.
"Tai... how do we know for sure this IS the guy?"
"Didn't you hear what Mina said? She said she's 93.2 percent sure!"
"That other 6.8 percent is what worries me."
"Come on! You said it yourself. 93.2 percent is better than Yolei's
prediction of not 100 percent sure!"
"But Mina also has dealt with the guy. What if she works for him, and is
calling him right now to tell him to go into hiding?"
"An informant NEVER chooses sides," comes a woman's voice from off-screen.
Tai turns around and finds Mina mysteriously in their room... and standing
right in front of him.
"Ack!" Tai yelped, jumping on to his bed. "Don't scare me like that!"
"For our own safety," Mina told him, "we try not to get involved in personal
scuffles. Or with clients."
"I hope it's okay..." Agumon cut in. "You guys were so involved in your
conversation that you didn't hear Mina knock."
"So we answered the door for you!" Gatomon added.
"How about a little warning next time?" Tai told Mina as he got back to
his feet.
"What's up, Mina?" the younger Kamiya asked. "Is something wrong?"
Mina pulls out a newspaper from behind her back.
"Well... it's about Scotland Yard."
Tai takes the paper from Mina and glances at the main headline. He then
gasps.
"No way! NO WAY!"
******
(Begin theme song - Limp Bizkit's "Boiler")
The siren of an ambulance wails in the background. Younger versions of Tai
and Kari are standing with their father and a hundred other mourners, all
dressed in black. A gravestone marked with their family last name, Kamiya, is
on it. Kari weeps openly into her brother's arms as a coffin is slowly lowered
into a hole in the ground and then promptly buried in dirt.
Now in present time, Tai, dressed in a gray suit with matching pants along
with a white buttoned long sleeve shirt and plain orange tie, walks out of a
police station. Kari is walking next to him, wearing the same clothes as her
older brother, with the exception of a knee-length skirt in place of pants.
Meanwhile, the title screen appears...
"The Detectives Kamiya"
Starring Tai Kamiya...
Tai laughs as he chats with an Indian girl.
Kari Kamiya...
Kari drives up to a house in her Honda Prelude.
Also Starring Matt Ishida as the Chief...
Matt fills out some paperwork at his desk, which has a framed picture of TK
on it.
And Yolei Inoue as the Informant...
Yolei pulls a white and black one-piece swimsuit out of her closet.
Fanfic Written and Edited by Freedom Fighter...
In one scene, Kari is seen handcuffing Davis' arms behind his back. In
another, Tai and Sora are grappling with each other. And in a third, Greymon
and Gatomon are digivolving to MetalGreymon and Angewomon, respectively.
As the song comes to an end, Tai and Kari stand in front of their mother's
grave. Kari sheds a tear as she places a bouquet of flowers next to the
tombstone. Tai hugs his little sister as he looks up to the sky, knowing that
their mother is now in a better place.
(End theme song)
******
Season 2, Episode 3 - Backstabbing Brits, Part 1 (03.25.03)
Kari, Agumon, and Gatomon ran over to see what Tai was yelling about. As
they saw the headline, they also were in shock.
"No way!" Kari shouted, repeating her older brother's utterance.
"That's what I said!" Tai reiterated.
"SPIES CAUGHT IN THE ACT!" Agumon said aloud, reading from the headline.
"Three officers arrested for spilling secrets."
"I think what will really grab your attention is the person in the picture,"
suggested Mina.
The foursome looked at the picture. In the center of it is a blonde-haired
gentleman. In fact, the same one that Mina had identified as Mrs. Kamiya's
murderer just last night. On either side of him were two woman dressed
almost like he was. One had purplish-red hair, the other yellowish-blonde.
Kari proceeded to read the caption.
"Mitsuo Yamaki, in the center, considered the ringleader, being brought into
Scotland Yard in handcuffs. Co-conspirators Reika Ootori, to his left, and
Megumi Onodera."
"So, what type of secrets were they selling, and to whom?" Tai asked as he
looked up from the paper.
"To the best of my knowledge, security secrets. You know, how and where
monuments are guarded... that sort of stuff. As for to whom... no one knows
for sure.
Mina then smirked as she held out her right hand and twiddled her fingers.
"But, I've managed to figure that out... but it's gonna cost you."
Tai and Kari glanced at each other and grumbled. Kari then went for her
purse to get some money.
"Are all informants as money-grubbing as you and Yolei?" Tai asked.
"Being an informant is a dangerous job," lectured Mina. "Even more dangerous
than being a gang ringleader or the head of the police force. Us informants
always have to watch our backs and be able to get what we need to escape on
a moment's notice. That's why we charge so much. After all, I can't just go
and steal stuff, now can I?"
"I guess that doesn't apply to stealing money!" Tai exclaimed as he watched
Kari hand Mina some money.
"You should be happy that I always put my earnings to good use," replied Mina
as she used her free hand to count the money and then pocket it in her robe.
"So, who did they sell them too?" Kari asked.
Mina takes a deep breath, then replies to Kari's question.
"Japan."
"WHAT?" responded Tai, after a delayed reaction.
"That's preposterous!" Kari shouted, defending her native country. "What
would Japan want to do with that kind of information?"
"I haven't figured that one out yet. But here's the real kicker! Yamaki
and his two 'girlfriends' were born... in Japan!"
"So they're Japanese-English?"
"This might be more dangerous than we thought." Kari then looks at Tai.
What if we're about to step right into the middle of an international
incident?"
"Yamaki's been loose for more than ten years, Kari! He killed our mother,
and if we don't get him know, he may take out everyone in London! We have
no choice but to step in!"
"By the way, I sent Yolei a copy of the clipping via e-mail this morning, but
she didn't reply before I left to come here."
"What's with you humans and your infatuation with war?" Gatomon asked, puzzled
over the possibility of another war between humans.
"Gatomon, humans don't like war. But sometimes... well, it's necessary."
"Like when?" Agumon asked, curious.
"I don't know," Tai replied, shrugging his shoulders. "The important thing
is, we've got stop one from breaking out here and now."
Kari picks up her bags and heads for the door. "Thanks for all your help,
Mina. We really appreciate it."
"Sure," Mina chided happily. "Oh, could you tell Yolei that I said hi?"
"I'll make sure of it myself."
======
As the foursome is at the airport waiting for their flight to start loading,
Kari is talking on a pay phone with Yolei.
======
Over in Tokyo, Yolei is holding the cordless phone up to ear as she deals
with ringing up a customer at her family's convenience store.
"It's a shock to me too," Yolei said into the receiver before hitting the
'Total' button on the register. "That'll be 1250 yen!"
"What?" the customer, a 27-year old man yelled as he had a jar of Pocky
nestled under his armpit. "This better be the best damn candy I've ever
eaten!"
He opened the jar and took one chocolate stick out. He bit a part of it off
and started chewing on it. After a few seconds...
"Lucky bitch," he mumbled as he pulled out the exact amount and then left.
"I guess you don't want a receipt?" Yolei asked as the guy stomped out. But
she returned her attention to Kari when she heard her talking.
"Any idea what Japan would want with that information?" Kari asked.
"What do I look like?" Yolei shot back as she put the money in the register.
"The army's commanding officer?"
"Okay, let me phrase it a different way. Can you find out what they plan to
do?"
"Hmmm... hacking into a military computer is very hard. And I do risk getting
caught and thrown in jail for it."
"Please?" Kari pleaded. "It would put my mind at ease if I knew what was
going on."
"Well..."
"Name your price."
Yolei's eyes brightened. "Really? Name MY price?"
"KARI!" came Tai's loud voice, which Yolei could now hear. "Don't offer to
pay her any more money! We've already used up this week's regular pay and our
seasonal vacation pay!"
With that, Tai hung up the phone. Yolei pushed the off button on her cordless
and placed it on the counter. Then she pulls out a digital timer from
underneath the register and starts to wind it.
"Let's see... twelve hours should do it!"
She puts the timer down on the counter and starts it. The ticker starts
counting down from 12 hours. On top of the clock is a label reading 'Time
Until Client Calls Back and Begs for Information.' Yolei smiled as she
pumped her fist in the air.
"At this rate, my apartment will back to the way it was before by week's end!
I LOVE this job!"
******
After a nine-and-a-half hour flight from New Delhi to London, the British
Airways flight carrying Tai, Kari, Agumon, and Gatomon finally lands at
Heathrow Airport.
As the quartet enters the terminal, they notice that most of the travelers
are shooting odd glances their way.
"Why do I suddenly feel like we're not welcome?" Kari wondered.
"Maybe they know we're Japanese," Tai replied.
"I doubt one incident would be enough to make everyone here hate Japan."
"Go home!" someone in the terminal yelled.
Kari rolled her eyes. "So much for that theory."
The foursome went to the luggage retrieval area to get their bags. Once
again, they were getting weird glances from the people waiting there.
"Maybe it's not the whole being Japanese thing," Gatomon spoke up. "I think
everyone's looking at me and Agumon."
"That would make sense," Agumon added. "Still, I thought most of the first
world countries had already embraced Digimon?"
"Yeah," Tai noted. "You'd think people here in the UK would know about the
Digiworld."
"It is strange," said Kari. "Still, we'd better be on our guard."
Finally, their bags appeared on the conveyor belt. The two Kamiya siblings
grabbed them and headed towards the terminal exit, with their Digimon not
too far behind.
======
After fetching a taxi, the foursome were off, heading downtown to Scotland
Yard. While their cabbie made his way through traffic, the detectives
enjoyed seeing the bustling metropolis up close and personal.
Roughly half an hour later, the cab pulled to a stop right at the entrance
to Scotland Yard. Tai and Kari are the first to get out. But before Agumon
and Gatomon could exit the cab, Kari holds her hand up and stops them.
"I think you two should stay here," Kari told the Digimon.
"Won't you need our help?" asked her partner, Gatomon.
"I'm sure we can handle this alone. Besides, we don't want to spook anybody
else out."
Agumon scratches his head. "I still don't understand why there aren't any
Digimon around here."
"We can figure that out later. Besides, this is personal for us."
Kari then turned to the driver.
"We'll only be a few minutes. Please wait for us."
The cabbie nodded. Kari then turned around and joined her older brother, who
was at the main gate. He was trying to convince the guard to let him in.
"First Class Detective Tai Kamiya," Tai announced, pulling out his badge to
show to the guard. "Tokyo PD."
"Tokyo?" the guard queried. "As in Tokyo, Japan?"
"That's the one."
"And what business do ye be having with Scotland Yard?"
"Allow me," Kari cut in, reaching into her purse and pulling out a piece of
paper. It was a photocopied version of the picture of Yamaki and company
being arrested yesterday. "We're looking for the man in this picture."
"The spy?"
"Yes, the spy."
"You think I'm going to let you bloody Japanese in so you can talk and
exchange more secrets? Not likely, love!"
"We're not here to swap secrets!" Tai exclaimed. "We have an outstanding
warrant on the man in this picture. He's responsible for a murder that took
place in Tokyo ten years ago."
"Eh? Well, if that be, show me the warrant."
"We don't exactly have a warrant..."
"Then I'm not letting you in. Sorry."
"We have every right to take custody of him!" Kari told the guard. "He is
a murder suspect that needs to be extradited back to Japan to stand trial!"
"Look, lass. My orders are strictly to keep anyone from communicating with
the spies until all of the appropriate paperwork is filled out. Besides,
you're in England. Warrant or no warrant, we still have jurisdiction."
"We're talking about a first-degree murderer here!" Tai yelled. "If he turns
out not to be a spy and you let him go, he could kill here in London!"
"That's not my bloody problem. Unless ye can provide the proof, ye cannot
enter and take him off our hands."
Tai glances at her sister, who was doing her best to keep from falling apart.
"I can't believe..." Kari began, "that you'd keep justice from being served."
"What was that?" the guard asked, as he hadn't heard the entire statement.
"We've searched for so long to find this guy... the guy who did us so wrong...
and you won't let us take him away to serve his time!"
"Kari, that's enough!" Tai shouted, pulling Kari back to the cab. "We'll
figure out something! Just keep a hold of yourself!"
"We've traveled so far to catch this killer... and you just deny us like that!"
"Kari!"
"Stop it, Tai! He should know the mistake he's making by keeping him here!"
"Calm down! I don't like it either, but the last thing we want is to get
into any trouble! Let's find somewhere to come up with another plan!"
The two Kamiya siblings were now by the cab again, as Gatomon opened the door.
Agumon and Gatomon pulled Kari in, who struggled somewhat at first but gave
in quickly afterwards. Tai then piled in with them.
"Do you know any good hotels around here?" Tai asked the cabbie.
"Sure!"
"Well, start driving!"
The cabbie pulled the taxi cab away from Scotland Yard. Meanwhile, Tai turned
his attention towards his irate little sister.
"Why did you stop me, Tai?"
"I don't know about you, Kari, but I don't want to be surrounded by all of
Scotland Yard!"
"The guy's a murderer! The reason we came to London was to arrest him and
take him back to Tokyo to have him tried in court!"
"We don't know that for sure! Mina said so herself! And earlier... you were
the one saying that maybe this wasn't a safe assumption!"
"Well, I've changed my mind from a few hours ago! This guy, beyond a doubt,
must be the one!"
"That's crazy talk!"
"What happened to your sense of justice?"
"It got replaced by my common sense!"
The two Kamiya siblings were staring each other down, both at wit's end.
Agumon and Gatomon were tugging on their shirt collars, holding them back.
"Don't fight!" pleaded Agumon.
"It's not worth it!" Gatomon told them.
"Don't worry," Tai said, turning away from Kari and towards the window. "I
know better than to fight over something as silly as this."
"This isn't silly!" yelled Kari. "We're talking about our mother's murderer!
There's nothing silly about that!"
"Will you listen to yourself?" Tai yelled back, turning back again. "Your
better judgement is being clouded by your hate for a guy we don't even know
is the one!"
"So now you don't trust the information that Mina gave us?"
"I trust it enough to lead our investigation in the right direction! I don't
trust it enough to come out finger pointing at some guy we've never met
before!"
Kari, frustrated beyond belief, crosses her arms over her chest and turns
away from her brother.
"I can't believe you! There we were, just mere footsteps away from throwing
the book at the guy, and you gave up just like that!"
Tai was about to retort, but he stopped himself. He wanted to make sure that
what he was going to say came out right.
"Kari..."
"What? You're going to refute the evidence? You mean the trip to India to
see Mina was all for naught?"
Tai sighed. "Look... whether this Yamaki character is the guy or not, I
don't know. But we'll never get in to question him by barging in and making
a scene."
"So, what do you suggest we do?"
"First... you've got to calm down before you give yourself a heart attack!
And second... we're going to make a few phone calls after we check into the
hotel."
Kari continued to look out the window as Tai laid out the rest of his plan.
"Once we get what we need, we'll go back and try to get into Scotland Yard
again."
Kari thought for a minute before shooting back a response.
"Okay... we'll do it your way. But only as long as we do go back for him."
"It's a promise, Kari! If he's the guy, we'll nail him good!"
======
Once the group had secured a hotel room, Tai went straight to work while
Agumon and Gatomon enjoyed some good old English television. And thanks to
some coaxing from Tai, Kari had gone off to take a shower and think over
things alone.
Tai fiddled through his bags to search for his address book just as he heard
the water flowing into the bathtub.
"I hope the guys at home don't mind me making a few calls," he said aloud as
he finally pulled the address book out. "I wonder what time it is over
there."
Tai went over to the phone and picked up the receiver. As soon as he heard
the dial tone, he turned to his address book and flipped through it. Finding
the phone number for his intended caller, he began to dial the number.
======
In an apartment halfway around the world, the phone began to ring off the
hook in a dark room. It rang about five times before someone had turned on
the lights in the room. The person started heading over just as the
answering machine began.
"Hi! You've reached the phone of Mr. Matt Ishida. I can't come to the phone
right now, but leave a message at the beep. If this is an emergency, please
call the number for the police station."
The machine beeped just as Matt reached it. He lowered his arm down to pick
up the receiver, just in case it was someone he knew.
It was...
"Matt! It's me, Tai! If you're there and you're not drunk or with a
woman..."
Before Tai could finish, Matt had picked up the receiver.
"Where have you been? It's been almost a week since you left!"
"We're hot on the trail of killer, Matt!"
"Hot on the trail? You mean you still haven't found the guy?"
"Well... we know who he is."
"A lot of good that does! Do you know how hectic things have gotten here
since you and Kari left!"
"We're not the only detectives on the force, chief."
"You're the only good ones! Look, if you're on a wild goose chase around
the world, then I suggest you two come back now. You're wasting your time
and mine."
"That's the thing, Matt. We know where the guy is, but..."
"But? But what?"
"Well... Scotland Yard got to him first."
"Scotland Yard? Where the hell is that?"
"In London."
"London? What the fuck are you doing in London, of all places?"
"This is where we tracked the killer to!"
"You told me you were going to India!"
"Right... and that led us here!"
Matt sighed and shook his head. "So if Scotland Yard has him locked up, why
haven't you gone there and interrogated him to find out if he's the guy?"
"That's where our problem lies, Matt. You see... the guy's accused of being
a spy, working against the English government."
"Hmmm... that is serious. And they wouldn't let you in?"
"The thing is... he's accused of spying for Japan."
"Japan?"
"I don't know if there's any truth to it, but Scotland Yard seems to think
so."
"Regardless of whether it's true or not, they'll probably keep you from
getting to him..."
"Because they'll think we're working with him. Right... we know that
already."
"So... what do you need?"
"You mean you'll help us?"
"Anything to get you two back here and on the job. I'll call the station
and get one of the nightshift guys to check it out. Tell me everything you
know on this guy..."
*** To be continued... ***
Author's Notes:
Just for those of you unenlightened with the English dub names -
Mitsuo Yamaki - Yamaki
Reika Ootori - Riley
Megumi Onodera - Tally
And so the Hypnos gang of Tamers guest stars in this arc of the series.
Interesting, huh? Well, things will get more interesting from here on out,
I'll tell you that much!
******
Next Episode Preview: Narrated by Kari...
After ten long years, we'll finally get to see the face of our mother's
killer, Mitsuo Yamaki. But why did he do it? How has he eluded us for so
long? And what if Mina's information proves to be incorrect? What if he
isn't the one? Even worse... could he actually be a spy for the Japanese?
Next time, it's "Backstabbing Brits, Part 2." Mystery solved at last!