The characters in the story don't belong to me. Just borrowing them for a
little escapade so lay off with the lawyer's letters.
Jason M Lee, hey, you were wondering when Misao was going to show up, right? She made her appearance last chapter so guess who else is going to show up in the next few chapters ; ) . And as for Sou-chan, I hate to do that to him seeing as how popular he seems to be but…sigh. I shouldn't say anymore 'cos I don't want to give anything away. Read the story and find out! And a bit more will be revealed about their past.
Chapter 8
The superintendant looked up from the report and examined the young woman standing in front of him. Worn jeans that had seen better years. Faded t- shirt and a tattered tan jacket that was stained with an unknown green splotch in the front. He raised an eyebrow. Even though the dress-code for plainsclothes was pretty lax, this was still taking laxity a bit too far. If not for her proud bearing, and the badge pinned to her jacket, she would fit right in with those homeless wanderers living in the park.
Misao looked straight ahead of her, seemingly impervious to her superior's close scrutiny but inwardly, she was cursing her luck. The day had not started well. First, she woke up late. She worked on her report til late last night and couldn't get up even though Akira tried to wake her several times. Then when she finally woke up at 8.30, she rushed into the balcony to get her clothes but they were all wet and wrinkled because she forgot to hang them out to dry. Having no choice, she got into yesterday's clothes and prayed they did not stink too much. Luckily there was Akira. Misao recalled with a smile. Sometimes, she wondered what she would do without him. He had already gotten breakfast ready for both of them, bathed, dressed and was all prepared to go out.
"Makimachi."
"Yes, sir." She snapped her attention back.
"You heard of Kobe and Shinzuku?"
Misao's interest was aroused. Kobe and Shinzuku were the biggest traids in Japan. Even the rookies have heard of them. But in the past few years, Shinzuku seemed to have changed its style from its usual brash, challenging attitude to a quieter, more unfathomable one. This change had created a buzz in the streets. Some of the older veterans Misao worked with thought it was just the calm before a storm, but there were rumours of a pending coup. And indeed.
Just one month ago, the body of the former leader of Shinzuku, Hayashi Jineh, was found in the wreck of a car explosion with a few of his trusted guards. Although the bodies were burnt beyond recognition, the dental records proved their identies. There were signs that the bodies were riddled with bullet holes but because the bullets could not be found and the bodies were too damaged, nothing conclusive was proven. Hayashi Kaoru, the new head of the clan was questioned but was released because of lack of evidence. Recently, there were new rumours that an alliance between Shinzuku and HongXing of Hong Kong were in the works but again, there was no proof.
All these information raced through Misao's head in a split second and she filed it up for reference. "Yes, sir." Unable to help herself, she asked, "Sir, do they have anything to do with the new case you are assigning me?" He nodded, not offended by her speaking out of turn.
"My informant in Shinzuku revealed that there would be a wedding in two weeks. I want you and your team to go in as undercover. It is very likely that the wedding ceremony would be interrupted by some interesting characters."
"In two weeks?" Misao was surprised. She knew that people were sent to penetrate the traids and work undercover but there were never any cases of success. She could not help but be suspicious of the information. "Sir, is the source reliable?"
"Beyond a shadow of doubt. You don't have to know more." He reached into his drawers and took out a file which he handed to Misao. "These are the details of the wedding. Look it through and make the arrangements. You are dismissed."
Snapping a salute, Misao turned and walked out of the office, her mind already on the assignment she was given. "Wait, one more thing," the superintendant called out. Misao turned back and waited.
"Leave Shinzuku alone."
"Sir?" Misao was curious. What did he mean leave Shinzuku alone? If there happen to be a gun fight, wouldn't that be a good chance to round up both the leaders of Kobe and Shinzuku and clean up the streets once and for all?
"Just do as I say, Makimachi," With that, he turned his attention back to his work leaving Misao puzzled and more than a bit suspicious.
After she left, Okina, as his old friends and subordinates know him as, took out his pipe and filled it. Sitting back in his old and comfortable chair, he replayed the scene in his office and knew that Makimachi was now suspicious of him. Probably thought he was taking bribes. He drew in a breath deeply and blew it out, enjoying the swirls of smoke that dissipated slowly. From what he knew of Shinzuku's new leader, the underworld in Japan was going to get a major shake-up. Hayashi Kaoru was, from all accounts, a woman not overly bound by scruples, ruthless and very, very clever.
Yet from the spy he planted, he was able to see a different side of her unknown to others. She donated generously every month to the neuroscience research center, a leading facility on brain surgery and also to the SPCA. According to the source, the former was for her sister and the latter, because animals are helpless victims, innocent and more deserving of help than most humans. There was still compassion in her and if she gained total control of the underworld, maybe something could be worked out between the police and the clan. Okina grinned…and started coughing violently. Puffs of smoke escaped from his mouth in sporadic hiccups. He set down the pipe hurriedly, patting his chest.
Feeling better, he glared at the offending pipe childishly before sweeping it back into the drawers. He continued on his dreams of a cooperative relationship between the police and the traids. He knew that Shinzuku was slowly phasing out the seedier side of their operations and turning towards karaoke lounges and nightclubs. Four years ago, Hayashi Kaoru started a hotel operation which had since grown into a famous hotel chain but nobody knew that the biggest shareholder was her. If her investments continued to reap such profitable returns, in another five years' time, Shinzuku could break free of the need for gambling dens and money laundering operations to become fully legal.
With Shinzuku's influence on the streets and growing clout in the business world, helping the police out occasionally would be very good PR. Okina nodded his head. Yes. For the potential usefulness of Shinzuku, overlooking a few cases of illegal possessions of firearms was nothing. And if that did not make Hayashi Kaoru grateful, he still has another very interesting secret up his sleeves. Heh, heh……
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Usui's mansion
Slamming the door, Usui strode into his study and removed a bottle of wine from the cabinet. Tearing off the stopper violently, he raised the bottle to his lips and took a deep gulp. His fist was clenched tightly and the knuckles of his other hand was white. With a sudden force, he flung the bottle away with all his strength and watched grimly as the bottle smashed against the walls, splattering the red wine across the white persian carpets like blood.
"Damn that bitch!" he gritted out. Getting behind his table, he reached for the phone and dialled a number he had not used in years. After the first two rings, the phone was picked up and a raspy voice answered.
"It's me, Usui,"
"What's the matter? This had better be important."
"There's a hitch in our plans. Hayashi Kaoru is more intractable than we thought. It will be harder to gain total control of Japan's traids without her cooperation."
"Got a mind of her own, huh? Well, you were the one who let her out of your sight. If you had not given her to Jineh, she would be easier to control."
"What!" Usui was furious, "You were the one who suggested that idea. Use her to gain Shinzuku then reel her back in. How dare you suggest I'm the one at fault!"
"Ha, ha…" The laughter was scornful and cruel. It was the second time in one day that Usui had been laughed at. Kaoru's laugh angered and humiliated him but this man…his laugh sent chills down his spine and he found that he dared not interrupt.
"I told you that these children had the blood of schemers flowing through their veins. Their parents were of the triads. Except for that runt, all of them performed better than expected. Once you let her go, how are you going to rein her in again? You are a fool."
Usui was stunned. All the while, he had been used?
The voice continued, "Let me tell you, Jineh was one of my pawns too. Where do you think he got the idea to shoot that runt and use her as bait? Both of you were taken in by illusionary plan of conquering the whole of Japan's underworld but my vision was greater! The world is the limit!" His voice lowered to an excited whisper, "Once those children gained the world, I shall snatch it from under their noses!"
"You are mad! If you already know the kind of people they are, how do you expect to defeat them?"
"Their parents were no match for me. Neither are they. As for you, you are useless now. Do as you wish but I doubt you are able to change your fate." There was a click and the line was dead.
Usui stared at the phone. There would be no help from this quarters but no matter what, he would go down fighting. A personal invitation to her wedding. Usui looked at the soiled carpet and his lips twisted in a parody of a smile. He'd bring a very nice gift to the wedding……
Finished. That was fast for me. Hope all of you enjoyed it. The mystery man's identity should be easy to guess. And if there's many unanswered questions, just wait for the story to reveal them slowly. The wedding will probably be another chapter later. Guess who's going to show up?(evil laugh)
Thanks again for all the reviews and I would like to add, reviews are like money. The more the better so give me reviews!
Jason M Lee, hey, you were wondering when Misao was going to show up, right? She made her appearance last chapter so guess who else is going to show up in the next few chapters ; ) . And as for Sou-chan, I hate to do that to him seeing as how popular he seems to be but…sigh. I shouldn't say anymore 'cos I don't want to give anything away. Read the story and find out! And a bit more will be revealed about their past.
Chapter 8
The superintendant looked up from the report and examined the young woman standing in front of him. Worn jeans that had seen better years. Faded t- shirt and a tattered tan jacket that was stained with an unknown green splotch in the front. He raised an eyebrow. Even though the dress-code for plainsclothes was pretty lax, this was still taking laxity a bit too far. If not for her proud bearing, and the badge pinned to her jacket, she would fit right in with those homeless wanderers living in the park.
Misao looked straight ahead of her, seemingly impervious to her superior's close scrutiny but inwardly, she was cursing her luck. The day had not started well. First, she woke up late. She worked on her report til late last night and couldn't get up even though Akira tried to wake her several times. Then when she finally woke up at 8.30, she rushed into the balcony to get her clothes but they were all wet and wrinkled because she forgot to hang them out to dry. Having no choice, she got into yesterday's clothes and prayed they did not stink too much. Luckily there was Akira. Misao recalled with a smile. Sometimes, she wondered what she would do without him. He had already gotten breakfast ready for both of them, bathed, dressed and was all prepared to go out.
"Makimachi."
"Yes, sir." She snapped her attention back.
"You heard of Kobe and Shinzuku?"
Misao's interest was aroused. Kobe and Shinzuku were the biggest traids in Japan. Even the rookies have heard of them. But in the past few years, Shinzuku seemed to have changed its style from its usual brash, challenging attitude to a quieter, more unfathomable one. This change had created a buzz in the streets. Some of the older veterans Misao worked with thought it was just the calm before a storm, but there were rumours of a pending coup. And indeed.
Just one month ago, the body of the former leader of Shinzuku, Hayashi Jineh, was found in the wreck of a car explosion with a few of his trusted guards. Although the bodies were burnt beyond recognition, the dental records proved their identies. There were signs that the bodies were riddled with bullet holes but because the bullets could not be found and the bodies were too damaged, nothing conclusive was proven. Hayashi Kaoru, the new head of the clan was questioned but was released because of lack of evidence. Recently, there were new rumours that an alliance between Shinzuku and HongXing of Hong Kong were in the works but again, there was no proof.
All these information raced through Misao's head in a split second and she filed it up for reference. "Yes, sir." Unable to help herself, she asked, "Sir, do they have anything to do with the new case you are assigning me?" He nodded, not offended by her speaking out of turn.
"My informant in Shinzuku revealed that there would be a wedding in two weeks. I want you and your team to go in as undercover. It is very likely that the wedding ceremony would be interrupted by some interesting characters."
"In two weeks?" Misao was surprised. She knew that people were sent to penetrate the traids and work undercover but there were never any cases of success. She could not help but be suspicious of the information. "Sir, is the source reliable?"
"Beyond a shadow of doubt. You don't have to know more." He reached into his drawers and took out a file which he handed to Misao. "These are the details of the wedding. Look it through and make the arrangements. You are dismissed."
Snapping a salute, Misao turned and walked out of the office, her mind already on the assignment she was given. "Wait, one more thing," the superintendant called out. Misao turned back and waited.
"Leave Shinzuku alone."
"Sir?" Misao was curious. What did he mean leave Shinzuku alone? If there happen to be a gun fight, wouldn't that be a good chance to round up both the leaders of Kobe and Shinzuku and clean up the streets once and for all?
"Just do as I say, Makimachi," With that, he turned his attention back to his work leaving Misao puzzled and more than a bit suspicious.
After she left, Okina, as his old friends and subordinates know him as, took out his pipe and filled it. Sitting back in his old and comfortable chair, he replayed the scene in his office and knew that Makimachi was now suspicious of him. Probably thought he was taking bribes. He drew in a breath deeply and blew it out, enjoying the swirls of smoke that dissipated slowly. From what he knew of Shinzuku's new leader, the underworld in Japan was going to get a major shake-up. Hayashi Kaoru was, from all accounts, a woman not overly bound by scruples, ruthless and very, very clever.
Yet from the spy he planted, he was able to see a different side of her unknown to others. She donated generously every month to the neuroscience research center, a leading facility on brain surgery and also to the SPCA. According to the source, the former was for her sister and the latter, because animals are helpless victims, innocent and more deserving of help than most humans. There was still compassion in her and if she gained total control of the underworld, maybe something could be worked out between the police and the clan. Okina grinned…and started coughing violently. Puffs of smoke escaped from his mouth in sporadic hiccups. He set down the pipe hurriedly, patting his chest.
Feeling better, he glared at the offending pipe childishly before sweeping it back into the drawers. He continued on his dreams of a cooperative relationship between the police and the traids. He knew that Shinzuku was slowly phasing out the seedier side of their operations and turning towards karaoke lounges and nightclubs. Four years ago, Hayashi Kaoru started a hotel operation which had since grown into a famous hotel chain but nobody knew that the biggest shareholder was her. If her investments continued to reap such profitable returns, in another five years' time, Shinzuku could break free of the need for gambling dens and money laundering operations to become fully legal.
With Shinzuku's influence on the streets and growing clout in the business world, helping the police out occasionally would be very good PR. Okina nodded his head. Yes. For the potential usefulness of Shinzuku, overlooking a few cases of illegal possessions of firearms was nothing. And if that did not make Hayashi Kaoru grateful, he still has another very interesting secret up his sleeves. Heh, heh……
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Usui's mansion
Slamming the door, Usui strode into his study and removed a bottle of wine from the cabinet. Tearing off the stopper violently, he raised the bottle to his lips and took a deep gulp. His fist was clenched tightly and the knuckles of his other hand was white. With a sudden force, he flung the bottle away with all his strength and watched grimly as the bottle smashed against the walls, splattering the red wine across the white persian carpets like blood.
"Damn that bitch!" he gritted out. Getting behind his table, he reached for the phone and dialled a number he had not used in years. After the first two rings, the phone was picked up and a raspy voice answered.
"It's me, Usui,"
"What's the matter? This had better be important."
"There's a hitch in our plans. Hayashi Kaoru is more intractable than we thought. It will be harder to gain total control of Japan's traids without her cooperation."
"Got a mind of her own, huh? Well, you were the one who let her out of your sight. If you had not given her to Jineh, she would be easier to control."
"What!" Usui was furious, "You were the one who suggested that idea. Use her to gain Shinzuku then reel her back in. How dare you suggest I'm the one at fault!"
"Ha, ha…" The laughter was scornful and cruel. It was the second time in one day that Usui had been laughed at. Kaoru's laugh angered and humiliated him but this man…his laugh sent chills down his spine and he found that he dared not interrupt.
"I told you that these children had the blood of schemers flowing through their veins. Their parents were of the triads. Except for that runt, all of them performed better than expected. Once you let her go, how are you going to rein her in again? You are a fool."
Usui was stunned. All the while, he had been used?
The voice continued, "Let me tell you, Jineh was one of my pawns too. Where do you think he got the idea to shoot that runt and use her as bait? Both of you were taken in by illusionary plan of conquering the whole of Japan's underworld but my vision was greater! The world is the limit!" His voice lowered to an excited whisper, "Once those children gained the world, I shall snatch it from under their noses!"
"You are mad! If you already know the kind of people they are, how do you expect to defeat them?"
"Their parents were no match for me. Neither are they. As for you, you are useless now. Do as you wish but I doubt you are able to change your fate." There was a click and the line was dead.
Usui stared at the phone. There would be no help from this quarters but no matter what, he would go down fighting. A personal invitation to her wedding. Usui looked at the soiled carpet and his lips twisted in a parody of a smile. He'd bring a very nice gift to the wedding……
Finished. That was fast for me. Hope all of you enjoyed it. The mystery man's identity should be easy to guess. And if there's many unanswered questions, just wait for the story to reveal them slowly. The wedding will probably be another chapter later. Guess who's going to show up?(evil laugh)
Thanks again for all the reviews and I would like to add, reviews are like money. The more the better so give me reviews!
