Chapter 26
Kazuya sat in his huge office reading emails on his computer when Lee entered for the fourth time in two hours.
"Don't you have anything to do?" Kazuya snapped at him.
"I... I..." Lee stammered.
"Yes, I know. You are supposed to watch me. Tell him that's ridiculous. I am not getting any work done when you annoy me all the time."
Lee turned around and walked out without saying another word.
An hour later Lee came into Kazuya's office again.
"I am still here, Lee." Kazuya said not even looking up.
"Lunch?" Lee asked.
"Oh so now he is interested in what I eat?"
"Actually that was my idea; I didn't want to go alone. Well, then I guess I will."
"I don't have any time."
"Ok, then I will see you later."
"Not before seven." Kazuya threatened him.
"But...."
"Get out!" he yelled.
Lee left Kazuya's office quickly.
45 minutes later Lee returned from lunch. He entered Kazuya's office once more.
"Before you kill me... I got a coke for you. That's all."
"Sit down!"
"What?"
"Well, if you have nothing else to do I will give you some work. And then you can stay here and watch me the whole time."
Kazuya gave him a pile of paper to work on and explained to Lee what he was supposed to do.
"At least this gives me some time to keep an eye on Heihachi."
"How do you intend to do that?" Lee asked confused.
"Watch and learn." he said and typed on his keyboard.
"You are trying to read his mail?"
"Not trying."
"You have his password?"
"It has been the same for the last two years."
"That's typical, you reading his mail. I bet he is reading yours as well."
"I think not."
"Why?"
"My mail is secure. I change my password every week. This is the new password I am using from today on."
He held up a card on which he had written a combination of numbers and letters which made absolutely no sense. He flipped the card over and placed it down on his desk before Lee was able to remember anything.
"15 letters? And you can remember that?"
"Not yet, ask me tonight."
"Ok, so I would have to nick your card?"
"Try!"
"I think I'll better do my work if I want to get out of here before midnight."
"Ah, you have been working with me for less than twenty minutes, and you have already learned something."
Lara and Bryce arrived back at the hotel shortly after lunch time. Lara brought the artefact up to her room and locked it in the hotel safe.
"Will you call Downey to tell him you got the stone?" Bryce asked.
"No. Not yet. He seemed strange last time we spoke. First I want to find out what's going on there."
"And what will you do about Kazuya?"
"Don't remind me of that. I don't know what will happen. The guards seemed to know about me, meaning that Heihachi will know. And if I understood it correctly Kazuya had an argument with his father yesterday. I am not sure what that means. Maybe he knows as well. We wanted to meet for dinner tonight. Actually I am a bit scared."
"YOU are scared?"
"Yes." she said quietly.
"So what's with this guy?"
"If I only knew. He is dangerous, but also so damned interesting."
Bryce laid his arm around Lara's shoulders.
"Lara, whatever happens. You can handle it."
Lara's phone rang.
"Oh no." she yelled.
She looked at the display to see who it was.
"Downey." she said. She turned off the sound and put the phone down onto the table. "Not today. I can't handle him today. Ok, come on Bryce; let's see if we can get something to eat. If we wait any longer we won't get anything."
After lunch Lara showed Bryce the city. She needed some distraction and it worked. Around seven they returned to the hotel.
Shortly past seven Kazuya turned off his computer.
"The rest can wait till tomorrow." he said to Lee who looked relieved.
"So you have a date with Lara?" he asked his older brother.
Kazuya threw him an angry look but didn't reply.
"Hey, I'm not spying. I was just interested how things are with you two."
"Get your stuff and let's go. If you want a lift home you better hurry."
"Yes, yes, I'm coming."
They left the office and Lee followed his brother down the corridor to the lift. Lee picked up the subject again.
"But aren't you going to tell me..."
Kazuya turned towards Lee in one quick move, his eyes were flashing. "No!" he yelled.
Lee stayed quiet for the whole journey home. They arrived some time before Heihachi who was still at the office. And of course nobody knew about the missing stone. The head security guard, a guy with short black hair and a moustache, informed Kazuya, who wasn't really interested, that the pool had been cleaned.
"I have to pick up my car now." Lee said. "But don't worry, I will ask someone else to drive me" he added when he saw the look on Kazuya's face. "See you later."
Kazuya didn't reply. Instead he got back outside and returned to his car. It was dark outside already. Kazuya was about to start the engine when he thought he had seen a movement in the rear-view-mirror. He looked over his shoulder. Behind him in the darkness was one of the jeeps of Heihachi's security force parked. Even through the darkness Kazuya could see that two guards, completely dressed in black, were climbing into the jeep trying to stay hidden in the shadow. They were hard to see in the darkness, almost impossible, but Kazuya could see them. His eyes were really good even in the dark.
"Damned task force." he mumbled. "Did you think I wouldn't spot you?"
He started the engine of his car and drove slowly down to the gate, forcing the jeep to wait a while longer. The guard at the gate opened the barrier for him. He drove through and waited on the other side till the barrier was lowered behind him. Then he hit the gas and was gone.
"Catch me if you can."
Unfortunately the guard at the gate was quick and the road led only in one direction so not even the big speed advantage stopped the jeep from following him. So when Kazuya looked into the mirror he saw the headlights of the jeep appear in the far distance.
"Damn, their car is not slow enough."
He grabbed his mobile phone and dialled Lara's number.
Lara's phone rang again. She had turned the sound back on when they came back from their city tour. She looked at the display.
"That's him." she said nervous.
"Pick up." Bryce encouraged her.
"I don't know." she said hesitating.
"You will never know if you don't pick up."
Lara grabbed the phone and answered the call.
"Hello?" she said trying to sound cheerful.
"Hey, Lara. It's me. Listen, I might be a little late. I have some of dad's friends on my tail and I have to send them to hell first. But I will come, promised."
"Ok, then see you later. Good luck." she said.
"Thanks." he replied and put the phone down.
Lara put down her phone as well. She was still very nervous.
"He didn't say anything..." she said to Bryce.
"Stop worrying."
"Let's see what we can do about you." he said to the jeep behind him.
Kazuya turned off the lights of his car when he approached the first crossing. He hit the brake and turned the car to the right to drive down the other road, which would bring him to another part of the city. After a few hundred meters he could see the jeep appear at the crossing but they chose another road and where gone. He turned his lights back on.
"You are sooooo stupid. See you later, guys."
Ten minutes later he had reached the city and was in the middle of heavy traffic. He looked into the mirror and saw another black jeep two cars behind him.
"Oh excellent. More of dad's idiots. Where did you come from?"
He went into first gear waiting for the traffic lights to turn green. When they did he hit the gas and left the car next to him standing. He changed the lane, overtook another car and went back. At the next crossing he took a sharp turn right without indicating and overtook a van to hide in front of it. After a few miles he looked into his mirror again. There was no jeep. So finally he made his way to Lara's hotel unseen.
Kazuya sat in his huge office reading emails on his computer when Lee entered for the fourth time in two hours.
"Don't you have anything to do?" Kazuya snapped at him.
"I... I..." Lee stammered.
"Yes, I know. You are supposed to watch me. Tell him that's ridiculous. I am not getting any work done when you annoy me all the time."
Lee turned around and walked out without saying another word.
An hour later Lee came into Kazuya's office again.
"I am still here, Lee." Kazuya said not even looking up.
"Lunch?" Lee asked.
"Oh so now he is interested in what I eat?"
"Actually that was my idea; I didn't want to go alone. Well, then I guess I will."
"I don't have any time."
"Ok, then I will see you later."
"Not before seven." Kazuya threatened him.
"But...."
"Get out!" he yelled.
Lee left Kazuya's office quickly.
45 minutes later Lee returned from lunch. He entered Kazuya's office once more.
"Before you kill me... I got a coke for you. That's all."
"Sit down!"
"What?"
"Well, if you have nothing else to do I will give you some work. And then you can stay here and watch me the whole time."
Kazuya gave him a pile of paper to work on and explained to Lee what he was supposed to do.
"At least this gives me some time to keep an eye on Heihachi."
"How do you intend to do that?" Lee asked confused.
"Watch and learn." he said and typed on his keyboard.
"You are trying to read his mail?"
"Not trying."
"You have his password?"
"It has been the same for the last two years."
"That's typical, you reading his mail. I bet he is reading yours as well."
"I think not."
"Why?"
"My mail is secure. I change my password every week. This is the new password I am using from today on."
He held up a card on which he had written a combination of numbers and letters which made absolutely no sense. He flipped the card over and placed it down on his desk before Lee was able to remember anything.
"15 letters? And you can remember that?"
"Not yet, ask me tonight."
"Ok, so I would have to nick your card?"
"Try!"
"I think I'll better do my work if I want to get out of here before midnight."
"Ah, you have been working with me for less than twenty minutes, and you have already learned something."
Lara and Bryce arrived back at the hotel shortly after lunch time. Lara brought the artefact up to her room and locked it in the hotel safe.
"Will you call Downey to tell him you got the stone?" Bryce asked.
"No. Not yet. He seemed strange last time we spoke. First I want to find out what's going on there."
"And what will you do about Kazuya?"
"Don't remind me of that. I don't know what will happen. The guards seemed to know about me, meaning that Heihachi will know. And if I understood it correctly Kazuya had an argument with his father yesterday. I am not sure what that means. Maybe he knows as well. We wanted to meet for dinner tonight. Actually I am a bit scared."
"YOU are scared?"
"Yes." she said quietly.
"So what's with this guy?"
"If I only knew. He is dangerous, but also so damned interesting."
Bryce laid his arm around Lara's shoulders.
"Lara, whatever happens. You can handle it."
Lara's phone rang.
"Oh no." she yelled.
She looked at the display to see who it was.
"Downey." she said. She turned off the sound and put the phone down onto the table. "Not today. I can't handle him today. Ok, come on Bryce; let's see if we can get something to eat. If we wait any longer we won't get anything."
After lunch Lara showed Bryce the city. She needed some distraction and it worked. Around seven they returned to the hotel.
Shortly past seven Kazuya turned off his computer.
"The rest can wait till tomorrow." he said to Lee who looked relieved.
"So you have a date with Lara?" he asked his older brother.
Kazuya threw him an angry look but didn't reply.
"Hey, I'm not spying. I was just interested how things are with you two."
"Get your stuff and let's go. If you want a lift home you better hurry."
"Yes, yes, I'm coming."
They left the office and Lee followed his brother down the corridor to the lift. Lee picked up the subject again.
"But aren't you going to tell me..."
Kazuya turned towards Lee in one quick move, his eyes were flashing. "No!" he yelled.
Lee stayed quiet for the whole journey home. They arrived some time before Heihachi who was still at the office. And of course nobody knew about the missing stone. The head security guard, a guy with short black hair and a moustache, informed Kazuya, who wasn't really interested, that the pool had been cleaned.
"I have to pick up my car now." Lee said. "But don't worry, I will ask someone else to drive me" he added when he saw the look on Kazuya's face. "See you later."
Kazuya didn't reply. Instead he got back outside and returned to his car. It was dark outside already. Kazuya was about to start the engine when he thought he had seen a movement in the rear-view-mirror. He looked over his shoulder. Behind him in the darkness was one of the jeeps of Heihachi's security force parked. Even through the darkness Kazuya could see that two guards, completely dressed in black, were climbing into the jeep trying to stay hidden in the shadow. They were hard to see in the darkness, almost impossible, but Kazuya could see them. His eyes were really good even in the dark.
"Damned task force." he mumbled. "Did you think I wouldn't spot you?"
He started the engine of his car and drove slowly down to the gate, forcing the jeep to wait a while longer. The guard at the gate opened the barrier for him. He drove through and waited on the other side till the barrier was lowered behind him. Then he hit the gas and was gone.
"Catch me if you can."
Unfortunately the guard at the gate was quick and the road led only in one direction so not even the big speed advantage stopped the jeep from following him. So when Kazuya looked into the mirror he saw the headlights of the jeep appear in the far distance.
"Damn, their car is not slow enough."
He grabbed his mobile phone and dialled Lara's number.
Lara's phone rang again. She had turned the sound back on when they came back from their city tour. She looked at the display.
"That's him." she said nervous.
"Pick up." Bryce encouraged her.
"I don't know." she said hesitating.
"You will never know if you don't pick up."
Lara grabbed the phone and answered the call.
"Hello?" she said trying to sound cheerful.
"Hey, Lara. It's me. Listen, I might be a little late. I have some of dad's friends on my tail and I have to send them to hell first. But I will come, promised."
"Ok, then see you later. Good luck." she said.
"Thanks." he replied and put the phone down.
Lara put down her phone as well. She was still very nervous.
"He didn't say anything..." she said to Bryce.
"Stop worrying."
"Let's see what we can do about you." he said to the jeep behind him.
Kazuya turned off the lights of his car when he approached the first crossing. He hit the brake and turned the car to the right to drive down the other road, which would bring him to another part of the city. After a few hundred meters he could see the jeep appear at the crossing but they chose another road and where gone. He turned his lights back on.
"You are sooooo stupid. See you later, guys."
Ten minutes later he had reached the city and was in the middle of heavy traffic. He looked into the mirror and saw another black jeep two cars behind him.
"Oh excellent. More of dad's idiots. Where did you come from?"
He went into first gear waiting for the traffic lights to turn green. When they did he hit the gas and left the car next to him standing. He changed the lane, overtook another car and went back. At the next crossing he took a sharp turn right without indicating and overtook a van to hide in front of it. After a few miles he looked into his mirror again. There was no jeep. So finally he made his way to Lara's hotel unseen.
