Disclaimer: I do not own Peacemaker Kurogane.
Where's everyone's favourite Okita Souji? Read on!
Chapter 3: The Retreat
The young man felt a long fingernail tracing his jaw. He immediately snapped awake. "Gomen, Kichi-chan, I didn't mean to wake you up when you're sleeping so soundly…" A hand squeezed his knee.
"Keep away, you freak!" 'Kichi' slapped the hand aside. The young man was tense. He was being watched and he knows it. He has to keep up the bloody charade until he can get in contact with his Oniwabanshu counterpart on the outside. His contact has been ominously silent since…
"Kichi-chan, you're not being yourself since you got back from Edo," Maro purred. "Disappointed about the subway bomb failure? Only ten died instead of the projected hundreds…" Kichi-chan was his favorite follower, in more ways than one.
"No, Master Maro."
"Good, leave it to the others this time. I want you to come with me to the bath later… and relax a bit. Maybe things recently were a little heavy…" Maro reached out and ran his long fingernails along the young man's chin. Okita swallowed a gasp and moved as far away from the man as their seat would allow.
"Kichi, you're so cold, as usual…" Okita was sure when he volunteered for the undercover job it did not include being sexually harassed by a freak with painted nails and lipstick! He should have declined the cult leader's invitation… but it was unlike Master Maro to gather all his lieutenants like that. Something was up. And he has to find out what.
Their mini-bus bumped along and finally came to a halt in front of the onsen. "My, I think we've arrived."
Okita peered out of the window. This is Serizawa Makoto's resort! Makoto was the spinster aunt of their former chief, Serizawa Kamo. After being caught embezzling the Shinsengumi funds, Kamo committed suicide. Rumor had it the missing funds were hidden in the Serizawa onsen.
The Shinsengumi had sent a search party to search the premises. Okita was among the captains chosen to lead it. Makoto was very cooperative and he did try to limit the damage to property Shinsengumi search parties were notorious for inflicting. Still, the inn had to be closed for renovations after that. They found nothing. San-nan went through the onsen's account books and found not one cent unaccounted for.
Okita wondered if he could count on Makoto to contact Kyoto if anything should happen. He missed Kyoto. He missed his family and friends. Even the bad-tempered lard bucket Saizou. Hope he doesn't give Mitsu-neesan trouble, or she'll turn him into pork chops.
Taking his luggage, he got off the cult's rental bus. A flash of silver under the polar trees caught his eye. Sakamoto Ryouma's Harley! There was no mistaking the red-white-and-blue streamers trailing from the handlebars. Then he caught sight of the boy almost overshadowed by the machine's splendor.
The boy was short and small-built. He had a mop of red hair. Tetsu-kun! Tetsu was holding a rag and a bucket in his hands.
Tetsu stared at the bike. It was the stuff of his wildest fantasies. Maybe Ryouma wouldn't mind if he took it for a spin after giving it a wash like Ryouma asked him to. The trip up the mountain path had given it a fair splattering of mud. Tetsu caught sight of their new guests.
First was a man in a fancy robe and make-up. He was followed by several others who appear to be his followers. Then the last person disembarked from the vehicle. He was none other than…
"Ok…" A calloused hand clapped over Tetsu's mouth before he could yell his greeting across the parking lot. He was roughly hoisted off his feet and dragged into the nearby bushes without as much as a rustle. When Okita looked in his direction again, he saw only the overturned bucket on the ground. He hoped Tetsu was alright…
"Tetsu, loose lips sink ships," someone hissed a warning. Saitou-san! Tetsu recognized the man holding him. It hurt. Saitou was both wet and cold. He was wearing only a thin yutaka despite the cold weather at this time of the year. He waited until Maro's entourage was safely inside the onsen before releasing the boy.
Tetsu took several deep breaths of air. "Saitou-san, what are you doing here? Didn't you come with the other guys?"
"What other guys?" I'm on my honeymoon!
"The Shinsengumi! Demon Hijikata, the Comedian Trio, Ayu-nee…" Tetsu rattled off the guests' names. Saitou gave a groan. Whatever happened to his peaceful honeymoon?
"Say, is Okita-san on a mission like Yamazaki-san the last time? Can I help?" Tetsu asked eagerly.
"Welcome to our humble little onsen," Makoto beamed her service smile and handed them their keys. When she handed Okita his, Okita was relieved to see that she betrayed no hint of recognition on her face.
The lobby was empty now as all the other guests have been shown to their rooms. Only a white-haired boy was chasing the inn's mascot duck out of the front office. He caught the feathered beast.
"Makoto-san, I caught Feathers."
"Good work, Suzu-kun. Now put him on his leash and walk him."
"Walk the duck?"
"Yes, all the way to the waterfall pool and back. If you see a man sitting under the waterfall, pass him the message that his friends are here. You know the man who came in last night, Room 25?"
"Room 25? I thought only a lady's staying there…"
"No, Suzu-kun, Room 25's a honeymoon suite," Makoto smiled. Saitou's too good at melting into the background… Watching both boy and duck leave, Makoto made a note to get some traps and rat poison. They were having a rodent infestation on the premises. Nezumi Soku Zan. She jotted the words on the note as an afterthought.
Going by the sounds coming from the boys' room last night, they must really have some huge rats there, large enough to throw Tetsu out in the dead of the night.
Author's notes:
The slogan "loose lips sink ships" was coined in wartime Britain. It means do not benefit the enemy through careless talk.
I've linked Aunt Makoto to the Shinsengumi. Heehee, her inn mascot's a duck.
Nezumi Soku Zan? Nezumi means Rat.It's a twist on Aku Soku Zan. Any guesses what the sounds from the room are? Hint: Refer to Career Week.