Snitch: Showdown In Tokyo
Never Trust a Snitch, I thought, as I gunned the car away from the bloody crime scene.
I was hoping I left no substantial evidence behind that would connect me back to the murder. Well, if they do find me all they have is a fake identity, I thought, and a cheap rent-a-car that I can ditch.
Besides, I had motive. The bastard was trying to kill me first.
The sun was starting to set, and Houston was a huge city. I had been on the road for an hour before I reached the city limits. Finally, I saw a large freeway sign, AUSTIN 100 Miles. I smiled. My gas tank was three quarters full, and I would be there within the hour if I kept up my current pace.
As you may have noticed I temporarily postponed my trip to San Diego and took a detour to Austin. I don't take the word of assassins. That was my new rule of thumb. For all I knew I could have walked right into another trap. Tex promised he wouldn't try to kill me, and that was a lie, so why in the hell should I take his word that Beatrix would be in San Diego? I listened to my woman's intuition and played it safe. Even though Snitch was on Beatrix's payroll as well the information he'd given me was authentic; unfortunately, for the real Tex, Snitch had no allegiances. The incident in Tokyo with Kenny taught me that...
I took the note out of the envelope and read it again...
Dear Little Mongoose,
I hope that this letter finds you well. Let me make this brief. I'll give you all of the particulars when at last we meet. Inside the envelope there is a road map to my location in Austin, Texas. I sincerely want to meet you. Yes, you may not trust me, but it will be worth your while if you drop by. Besides, would an 'enemy' give you a Honzo sword, free of charge? Think about it before you make any rash decisions.
Sincerely,
Anonymous.
I went with my instincts and decided to pay my anonymous supplier a visit first. Perhaps whoever sent me the note/map, along with the sword, could be of some assistance. Or maybe, I might have to use this sword to wreak havoc on another hit man. I was ready for anything.
Part of me was still feeling good about the way I kicked the psycho cowboy's ass. All those years of martial arts training had finally paid off. But, another side of me still felt somber about the fact that I had taken another life, no matter how heinous it was. I suppressed it. I had to stay clear. Nothing, not even my own conscience, was going to deter me from what I had to do. I lifted the sword, partially, out of the scabbard and read the inscription again, "To The Brave Little Mongoose, may your journey end in victory..." it said.
The quote gave me strength. It inspired me. I did not know too much about Mongooses, but I knew that they were known for killing Cobras. However, I wasn't going after a Cobra. My prey was a Black Mamba.
I thought about Kenny. Hopefully he made it back to New York City okay. Even though he protested I knew I couldn't bring him along, no matter how great of an asset he would have been. This was my fight, my journey. I did not want an innocent bystander to get caught up in this. I didn't know if I would ever see him again, but I couldn't live with myself if something happened to him. I really do love him, and if we are meant to be then we'll end up together.
The road I drove was wide open and desolate. As the sun began to set calm came over me. The feeling was freedom, unbidden freedom. I was pursuing my destiny and there was nothing inhibiting me. I have never felt that way before in my life. I loved it.
I pressed my foot to the gas and accelerated. The feeling of speed on the open road is nothing less than exhilaration.
Three weeks had passed since I moved out of my Aunt Dee-Dee's house.
We haven't spoken to each other since then.
Now, I know what you might be thinking, "Nikki, what kind of ungrateful bitch are you?"
Well, it isn't that simple. It's not that I don't want to talk to her, I'm just really afraid to right now. In fact, a few weeks ago I called her on my cell phone and hung up when she answered. She dialed back, but by then I had lost my nerve.
You can judge me if you want to, but just imagine if you had found out that your mother, and aunt, were professional assassins? Yeah, it sounds like some sick demented reality television show, but it is my life. I'm trying to cope with it the best way I know how. It's sorta ironic that I found all of this out before I even went on my mission. I honestly believe that meeting Cutlass on the subway was divine intervention. The bible constantly tells tales of vengeance and 'justice.' In my opinion I am doing god's will going after Beatrix. She has to pay for all of her crimes, and the countless lives she has ruined.
"Nikkia, if you succeed you will become what I was, do you want that?" Aunt Dee-Dee asked, as I packed up my things.
"I'm not like you auntie." I said. I slammed the door behind me. That was the last time I spoke to her.
For the past few weeks I have been living in a quaint little motel room. It's not home, but it's very comfortable. Not to mention it also had cable television. Every morning they have an all you can eat buffet in the lobby, and Kenny always brought me leftovers from his house. He has been most adamant about me reconciling with my Auntie, but I told him to mind his own business. By that time I had started using fake ID's. I had about 20 of them, and I used a different one for each stop or transaction I made.
Kenny graduated high school around the time I left home. I attended the ceremony with Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd. Afterwards Kenny and I, and several friends, went out to a restaurant to celebrate. When the party ended I pulled Kenny outside. That is when I told him the truth about everything, the truth about why I was being so secretive and what I had planned to do...
He took it pretty well...
"Nikki, what in the fuck are you thinking?!"
"See, that is why I didn't want to tell you." I said. I turned my back on him and started to walk towards the subway tunnel. Kenny took me by the arm.
"Look..." he sighed, "All of that was A LOT to swallow. I'm sorry if I overreacted. But, what you're talking about doing is fucking crazy!"
"Why is it crazy, Kenny? Wouldn't you do the same thing?!" I said.
"Just think about it for a second! Do you realize the magnitude of something like this?! You are talking about motherfuckin professional assassins! Yeah, suppose you find that woman, then what? Nikki what you're talking about is murder, cold-blooded murder!" He exclaimed, "You could end up in jail for that shit!"
"So what, it is no less then what she did to me!" I screamed.
"The criminal justice system is not going to take revenge into account, Nikki! They are just going to lock you up! Not to mention that Beatrix Kiddo has probably been doing that shit along time! You could end up getting killed!"
"Kenny, what if someone killed your mother, right in front of you?" I hurled the question at him like a javelin, "What if all you could do was just stand there and not do a fucking thing, Huh? Answer my question!" The statement reopened a wound that I thought had finally healed. My eyes began to water as I tried, in vain, to force back the tears.
Kenny just stood there, silent. He looked me in the eyes and shrugged his shoulders. He walked over and took me into a firm embrace. I broke into tears, "It's okay," He said, "I'm sorry...I can't even begin to understand what you've been through. I just don't want to see you get hurt anymore than you already have."
I gently pulled away from him and wiped the tears away. My new water proof mascara had actually worked, "You don't have to agree with what I'm doing Kenny, just have my back, okay?" I asked.
"I don't support it, but I do have your back..." Kenny said, "Do you have any leads, anything concrete?" he furthered.
"I got in touch with Cutlass again. He told me about a guy named 'Snitch' in Tokyo that-according to him-knows everything. I booked a flight that leaves two days from now..."
"Wait, you were gonna go to Japan without telling me? Damn, I thought we were best friends Nik-"
"We are best friends. In fact, you are the only friend that I have in this entire world. That is why I even told you at all," I paused momentarily," But, even though we are best friends this is something that I have to do all by myself. I hope you understand?" I asked.
"No, I don't understand. You're my girl, and it sounds like you are into some heavy shit. I am going with you whether you like it or not." Kenny's tone was firm and authoritative, "In fact, my parents are flying to Hawaii for their wedding anniversary the same day you're leaving. I'll buy my ticket tomorrow. Don't try and skip out on me either, Nikki."
I smiled. I realized that if I didn't have anyone else I would always have Kenny, "I'm leaving early in the morning. My flight leaves at 6:00 a.m. So meet me, at my motel, 4:30 sharp."
"Alright, cool. I'll bring my sword too, just in case anything goes down. I'll be your personal body guard." Kenny chuckled.
"Well, let's hope you don't have to use it," I said, "Well, I better get going. The next train will be here any second."
"You want me to ride home with you?"
"No thanks...I'm fine," I paused, "By the way Kenny. Thank you for being so stubborn. I wasn't going to ask because I didn't think you'd want to go."
I started to walk away when...
"Hey, Nikki..." Kenny said. He walked up to me, until we were standing face-to-face, "Since my mom is not anywhere around right now..."
I rolled my eyes and giggled, "Mmmhmmmm..." I replied jokingly.
Kenny leaned in and pressed his lips against mine. I closed my eyes and did the same. I literally fell into his embrace as he held me up with his arms. In my life I had never felt that safe, that protected. The kiss was electric. I couldn't describe it as anything less than sensational. After several minutes I pulled away and looked into his eyes, "Kenny, does this mean that we're--you know--boyfriend and girlfriend, now?" I asked.
"It depends on you. You know I wanna be down."
Kenny's lips parted into that sexy, pearly white, smile. His lips and teeth were flawless. I wanted to melt.
"Well, I guess that settles it." We kissed again.
Even though I missed my train I caught the next one. I just wanted to enjoy the moment.
Thankfully, there were no interruptions.
We arrived in Tokyo, as planned, after a thirteen hour flight.
When we arrived Kenny and I didn't stop to do any sight seeing. We booked a hotel room, in advance, so that we could recover from jet lag. I literally felt sick after being cooped up in a plane for so damn long.
As I lie in bed, unconscious, my hotel telephone rang. I picked it up, "Hello?" I asked, groggily.
"Tamara Jackson?" A male voice asked. The accent was distinctly Japanese. He referred to me as one of my aliases. Thankfully Cutlass respected me enough to keep my real name private.
"Yes?" I replied, as I sat straight up in bed. I looked around the room as my eyes adjusted to the setting sun. I'm never going to get used to Japan time, I thought.
Kenny was in the bed next to mine. It was almost comical seeing the way his long, lanky, limbs hung off the small mattresses. After the phone rang he started to come around from unconsciousness, "Who that?" he asked, completely befuddled.
I shrugged my shoulders, "Who is this?"
"This is Snitch. Get dressed, go outside, and wait." He said.
"Where are you? How will I know who you are?"
"That does not matter. You can't find me. I find you."
With that the phone clicked off.
"Kenny, get up..." I said, as I fumbled for my robe.
"Who was that?" he asked, now more alert.
"It was Snitch. He wants us to get dressed and wait outside the hotel." After I put on my robe I quickly ran to the bathroom to get ready.
"Don't spend a year and a day in there!" Kenny yelled.
"Whatever!"
I was surprised by the diversity of Tokyo. The population was, expectedly, majority Japanese, but there were so many people of different races and ethnicities walking around. The native Japanese people did not even turn a blind eye to me and Kenny (except for a few kids who asked Kenny whether or not he was an American Basketball player). The hustle and bustle reminded me a lot of New York, only all of the signs were done in Japanese characters.
The two of us stood on the street corner as several taxis offered us rides. We politely waived them off.
I was dressed in my black leather jacket, denim jeans, and white t-shirt. The T-shirt was form fitting and had a red valentine heart in the center. My hair was down and straightened. My lips were painted blood red, and I accentuated everything with a pair of golden hoop earrings. I thought I was looking really cute, and Kenny validated it every chance he got.
"Damn girl, you look sexy than a motha--"
"Kenny?!" I had to laugh. It still sounded weird hearing that come from him. But I had to admit that I liked it. I loved it actually.
"What? I'm your man now, right? I can say that to you especially when it's true." He gave me a devilish little smile.
"Behave yourself. This is serious business." I said.
Damnit, I hope this doesn't turn into another Cutlass situation, I thought, remembering how tardy he was, these underworld people have no respect for time.
At that moment a sparkling black Mercedes Benz limousine pulled up to the curb. The windows rolled down to reveal the face of an enormous Asian man. Even though he was sitting down I could tell that he was big. His neck looked like a tree trunk, it was so thick. His features were small and severe. He had a very hard edge to him. The scowl on his face reminded me of a constipated person trying to squeeze one out, and failing miserably. He wore one of those little black limo driver caps and a dark suit,
"Are you Tamara Jackson?" he asked in Japanese.
"Yes..." I replied.
"Get in, Snitch wants to see you."
"Okay, but my associate here will be coming along."
"Who is he?" the driver asked, as he began to size Kenny up.
Kenny brought his sword in front of him,
"Keno Nakamura. I'm her body guard. I go where ever she does." he said.
The driver paused for a moment, "Get in."
Kenny and I both hopped into the backseat. As we settled in Kenny shut the door, and the car took off.
"Good evening."
I was startled by the voice. That was when the lights inside the limousine came on. Another person was in the car with us.
It was an old man. He was dressed completely in white. His clothes were so white that they seemed to sparkle. The outfit he wore resembled those of a Shaolin Monk, from any number of old kung-fu movies. His skin was swarthy, and he was undeniably Asian; however, he did not look Japanese. His hair was completely white as was his long beard. He looked very familiar, and for a moment I was embarrassed to acknowledge where I recognized him from.
Kenny did that for me...
"Hey man, has anyone ever told you that you look like Pei Mei, from those Kung Fu movies?"
"Kenn--Keno!" I caught myself from saying his real name mid-sentence.
The old man laughed outright at that, "It is okay. I get that a lot, especially from you Americans." He said politely.
"Are you Snitch?" I asked.
The Pei Mei look alike smiled, "That depends on who's asking."
"I'm Tamara Jackson, and this is my associate Keno Nakumura..."
"Yes, I know who you are. Cutlass told me you were coming. So, what can I do for you? Make it fast because I have a flight to catch in an hour." Snitch pulled out a pipe and lit it. He passed the end through his white whiskers and puffed away like we weren't even there. The aroma was sweet and smelled of incense.
"I need to know where I can find Beatrix Kiddo."
Snitch arched a white eyebrow, "Well, that is a name I haven't heard in quite sometime. I don't know where she is." He said matter of factly, "Sorry."
"Wait a second, Cutlass said you knew everything." I replied. I started getting mad. If I flew all the way to Japan, on my own dime, just to hear this Cutlass would have hell to pay.
"I know everything that needs to be known young woman. Beatrix Kiddo went into hiding long ago, after she murdered her former teammates. She left the business altogether..."
My spirit felt like a tiny sparrow that had been crushed.
"She does not wish to be found, perhaps living under an assumed alias. Sorry, I cannot help you," He said, "But--"
"What the fuck man? We flew all the way across the world for nothing? The least you could do is give her some information!" Kenny exclaimed.
"If you will calm down I will..." Snitch replied, condescendingly," As I said, I cannot help you but there is an American who can. His name is Denver Texas, everyone calls him 'Tex'. He runs a lodge just outside of Houston, Texas that served as a rendezvous point for The Deadly Vipers. If anyone knows her whereabouts it would be him."
"What's the name of the Lodge?" I asked.
"The Lonestar Lodge. I'll give you a map through Houston. It shouldn't be that hard to find," he said, as he handed me a key with detailed directions, "Oh and by the way...I have something else for you." Snitch leaned over and produced a large briefcase. He clicked open the latches, "A contact of mine, in America, told me to give this to you. This person prefers to remain anonymous."
I leaned forward as Snitch reached into the massive briefcase. My jaw dropped when he pulled the object out. It was a samurai sword.
"Is that a--"
"Hattori Honzo sword? Yes, that would be correct." Snitch said, "And it belongs to you now."
"Is Honzo still making swords?" Kenny asked, as he produced his own.
"No, Hattori died five years ago. His swords were auctioned off, and apparently the two of you were lucky enough to get your own."
As I held the sword I did not want to let go. Wanting to embrace it I pulled it close to me. I looked at the red scabbard, with the Honzo emblem upon it, and counted myself blessed. I unsheathed it to read the inscription, "To The Brave Little Mongoose, may your journey end in victory..." I whispered.
"My contact also gave you this." said Snitch, as he passed me an envelope, " I haven't opened it. My contact paid me not to. It must be quite important, and urgent."
"Thank you so much Snitch."
"Don't thank me just yet. I do have a fee."
"Oh yeah...sure." I said, as I dug the cash from my pocket. I gave him 1,000 dollars.
The car continued to drive on before we finally reached the airport.
"Well, it was my pleasure doing business with you." said Snitch, "Tell Beatrix I said hello." His tone was laced with sarcasm.
"I'll do that." I said.
With that a member of Snitch's entourage escorted him away from the limo and into his private jet. He took out his cellular telephone and jabbered with someone for a couple of minutes. He turned back around and waved at me and Kenny.
"Tell me you don't think he looks exactly like Pei Mei." said Kenny.
I didn't pay him any attention. I was engrossed in the fact that I now owned my own Honzo sword. I had to thank whoever had given me this, but first I had to find out where my enemy was. I was one step closer now.
I immediately recognized our Hotel the moment the driver pulled onto the street. He did not slow down.
"Driver? Driver, this is our stop." I said. The chauffeur did not even turn his big head. He kept right on driving.
"Hey man, didn't you hear her? That was our hotel right there." Kenny said.
The driving kept on going, only now he was picking up speed. I looked over at Kenny who was just as confused as I was, "Driver, stop the car!"
The driver did not reply. Suddenly, the limousine window--that separated passenger and chauffeur--closed, and the power locks came on.
"Holy fuck, This motherfucker is kidnapping us!" said Kenny. He got up from his seat and starting beating on the opaque window, "Hey, stop the car! This shit isn't funny man!"
I was getting scared. Soon we were on the freeway, and the car was going at least 100 mph. Kenny sat back down and buckled his seatbelt. I did the same, "Kenny, what are we gonna do?"
"I don't know." He said calmly. Kenny maintained his composure, but the expression on his face spoke volumes. If we didn't get out of this car we were fucked.
Suddenly, a caravan of black Benzes and motorcycles swarmed the limo like a horde of wasps, "What in the hell is going on?!" I shouted.
The car accelerated as did the fleet. By this time we were outside the city limits. The car began to swoop and swerve through a series of streets and alleyways, before finally coming to a screeching halt.
My heart was racing. I grabbed Kenny's hand and held tightly. I don't know whose palms were sweating more, mine or his.
Not much later, after the limo stopped, did the motorcycles and Benzes show up on the scene. The lights flooded into the windows like beacons. That was when Kenny grabbed his sword. He looked at me. His glare urged me to do the same. I picked mine up as well.
We saw several young men and women, with swords, axes, and knives, exiting the cars. They appeared to be fifteen or twenty strong, and they obviously weren't the Japanese welcoming party. If I knew any better, judging from their style and Kato masks, they were Yakuza.
I managed to hear several of them speaking.
"Is that them?" I heard one say.
"Yeah, Snitch said to kill them both, and dispose of the bodies." The other voice was the chauffeur's.
That was all I needed to hear. I felt the adrenaline surge inside of me. It was now, or never. I looked over at Kenny and I could tell by his expression that the two of us were in synergy. As the gangsters advanced on the car I felt myself grow more and more tense. One of them came and peered in the window, as he reached for the door latch.
The moment I heard the click I kicked the door open with all my might!
The black clad figure went flying towards the alley wall. I leapt out of the car, sword in hand, and Kenny by my side.
"Kill them!" the chauffeur exclaimed.
That was all we needed to hear.
One of the ruffians swooped towards me! Before I could get my sword out of the scabbard he started swinging at me with his. He brought the blade down over my head. I blocked it with my own. The moment I caught him off guard I got him with a hard sidekick to the abdomen! With his attention diverted I was able to release my blade from the scabbard, and it was on from there. He came back at me and continuously brought the sword down in an ax like motion. It finally dawned on me that this guy was not that good with a samurai sword...Bad move. Very bad move. I blocked all of his unskilled attempts and countered by slashing him across the chest! The honzo blade sliced through him like scissors across paper. He started bleeding profusely before he even hit the ground. He was still alive.
I didn't have time to catch my breath when a young girl with twin Katana blades came at me like a whirling dervish! Her skill with the swords was astounding. The bitch was good; I had to give her that. I used my Honzo blade to fend off her windmill attacks that came in rapid succession! I tried to break down her defenses, but I had to keep my own up! Her sword attack was like a blitzkrieg, it was relentless! But, as I expected, she couldn't keep up that pace for long! She started to get winded and slowed down, a little bit. When the moment came I dropped to the ground and slashed her across the thigh! She screamed, loud. The gash across her leg was deep, and the blood spewed like a geyser!
From there on it was a battle royale.
Kenny was faring very well! When I saw him fight I was amazed. Kenny had grown immensely as a fighter. He was like poetry in motion. His strong, sinewy, arms flailed the sword about like it was weightless. Six or seven of the gangsters lie in bloodied heaps at his feet. Another one came at him with two axes, and he sliced through them like a withered tree branch. The ax wielder got it even worse with the blade of Hattori Honzo going in his chest and out his back. Every chance I got I whispered a silent prayer, thanking the lord that he bullied me into letting him tag along.
I was no slouch either. The Honzo sword felt as natural as a fifth appendage in my hands. I sliced and diced through the gangsters like fillet mignon. Their weapons were nothing compared to ours.
My blood was pumping and my face was sweating. When it was all said and done Kenny and I stood victorious.
All of the gangsters lie wounded and moaning on the ground. Through all of that we managed not to kill any of them. They were nothing more than stooges, used by Snitch.
Kenny looked at me, his face marred by sweat and blood, and nodded. I returned the gesture.
But, it was too much too soon. Before us stood our chauffeur in all of his hulking glory.
He was at least 6'9 and 500 pounds of solid bulk. In his hands he held a massive spiked ball and chain. The chain had to be the length of a full grown python, and the iron ball was bigger than my head. In one fluid motion he began to swing the flail about like a lasso.
Oh...Fuck.
To Be Continued