Chapter 9
The next two weeks quickly became some of the best days of Terry's life. Maki showed him her city by day and by night. They trained and sparred a little but ended in a draw when neither one would commit to a serious attack on the other. Guy was thoroughly surprised to see his best friend pass up clear openings to attack and more surprised that Terry would allow such openings. His rematch with Terry ended in a double knockout that neither expected. Little did either Terry or Maki suspect the machinations going on out of sight.
Terry had never felt so complete in all his life. Not even after his defeat of Geese Howard to avenge his father or his defeat of Krauser. Maki was delightful company, Terry thought, "I think I'm falling for her." He told himself one night as he got ready for bed.
Maki was feeling the same way. Complete. It was while meditating one morning before meeting with Terry that it dawned on her, clearly and undoubtedly: "I love him. I love Terry Bogard." She decided totell him the very next chance she got she told herself when a crashing sound came from her front door and two men in dark blue suits came running in. Maki picked up her tonfa and dropped into fighting stance when one of the men pointed a strange gun-looking device at her. Instead of the loud blast of a pistol, there came instead a quiet "fooshing" sound of compressed air and a sharp pain in her left shoulder. She looked down and saw a red-feathered dart sticking out of her shoulder. As the world started to spin and go dark, Maki's last thoughts were of Terry. 'Terry, I love . . . you.'
When Terry walked around the corner and saw the commotion out front of Maki's door, his heart lodged in his throat as he ran up to the police line only to be restrained by three officers as he tried to cross the line. "Damn you! Let me go! I HAVE to get in there!" The three officers were strong but Terry was stronger and nearly threw all three off of him as a man in a plain suit and a gold badge clipped to the breast pocket walked up and said: "Mr. Bogard?" Terry ceased struggling at the sound of his last name so formally spoken and turned to the detective.
The detective was a plain man, nothing that would make him stand out in a crowd, Terry observed detachedly: 'Probably makes him a good undercover guy.' When Terry nodded yes, the detective waved him past the police line and said: "Come with me please, you need to see something." Terry felt the all-too-familiar hand of death grasp his heart in a sub-freezing grasp. He said: "Is she all right? Is she alive?" The detective said: "As far as we know this early in the case, yes to both questions. Eyewitness accounts say that earlier this morning, two men in blue suits kicked Miss Renzabura's door in and a few minutes later, these same two men were seen taking, what appeared to be her unconscious body into a gray panel van with local plates on it. We found the van, but there was no sign of Miss Renzabura or her attackers."
The detective escorted Terry in past the officer at the door and into Maki's living room. A room he was becoming familiar with due to his and Maki's getting closer. Drawn on the wall in the living room in Maki's lipstick was a symbol that Terry was all too familiar with. Geese Howard's sigil. The detective pulled on a pair of latex gloves and handed Terry a pair as well. "Put those on please. I need you to look at something. We got an anonymous tip this morning about this kidnapping, about an hour before the 911 call came in from a neighbor. The phone tip said that we need to talk to Terry Bogard. I knew your name because I like to watch the King of Fighters tournaments so that was how I identified you when you got here."
The detective handed Terry a tonfa stick. Maki's tonfa. It had a note wrapped around it that had been read. The detective said: "It's in Japanese and we don't have a translator available yet. I was hoping you could read it since your name ison it. I know that names don't change a whole hell of a lot no matter what the language. I could see it in your eyes that you recognize the symbol on the wall. Care to fill me in?"
Terry could read Japanese though he was a little rusty. The note read:
Terry Bogard.
I have what you want. Come to me at my island retreat where we first fought. You win, the girl is yours. You lose, you lose your life. Come alone. You and I both know that my island is in international waters. If there is the slightest hint of law enforcement, I will personally dissect your girlfriend and send you her body parts one-by-one until you die of old age. I have waited for this day a long time, Bogard. No tricks. Or tomorrow, you'll get your first package.
GH
Terry looked to the detective and said: "Yeah I can read it. But I can't tell you what's in it. Maki's life hangs in the balance so I don't think you boys can help. I must go . . . alone." The detective said in a tired voice born of too much experience: "Mr. Bogard. I've forgotten more about the proper handling of kidnappings than you'll ever know. If you try to play the vigilante hero, you will only get Miss Renzabura killed and yourself too more than likely. Even if you do survive, I'll hunt you down, throw you in jail and lose the key for interfering in an investigation. I've got the best men and machines for these sorts of things. Let me handle it."
Terry gave him back the note, pulled off the latex gloves and walked out of the living room. As he left, he said over his shoulder: "In an age of scientific wonders, the human body is still the world's most dangerous machine." As Terry left, the detective said: "Damn fool of a hero, I knew he was going to say something like that. I just wish that heroes weren't always the first to die. Where's that translator dammit!"
Terry ran for the dojo to talk to Guy. He didn't know the ins and outs of this city near as well as he did South Town but found his destination as quickly as he could. He got to the dojo and found Guy meditating. Terry ran in and said: "Guy? Guy there's trouble and I need your help!" Guy's meditation had been unusually difficult so when Terry's concern filled voice came; he stood up to face Terry and said: "What's wrong?" Terry caught his breath quickly and said: "An old enemy of mine, whom I thought was dead, has got Maki. He wants me to come to him alone. I need to find the fastest way to get back to South Town. From there I can get a boat easily enough to go the rest of the way."
Guy now understood why his meditation had been so hard; Maki's fighting spirit had called out to him. He said: "I know who I can call to get a private jet set up, but you're crazy if you think I'll let you go alone. Maki's my best friend. I have to help." Terry said: "You don't understand my enemy the way I do. He said to go alone and I have to or he will kill Maki. You're already helping if you can get that jet set up." Guy couldn't argue the logic and picked the phone up as he dialed Cody and Jessica's number.
Cody Williams was watching 'granddaddy mike' play with his grandchildren. He couldn't help but marvel at how someone who had wrestled both professionally and underground, someone who had gone toe-to-toe with the Russian bear Zangief himself, and come out in one piece could be so gentle with children. His phone rang and he got it on the second ring: "Hello?" Cody said. Guy's voice came from the other end and said: "Cody, its Guy. I wish I could say this was a social call but I need to talk to Mike really badly. His receptionist at his gym said he was here." Cody said: "Yeah he's here, what's going on?" Guy said: "Maki's been abducted and the only one who can get her is standing next to me and needs the fastest plane to South Town." Cody said: "Oh shit! Taken? To South Town? Hold on, I'll get Mike."
Cody covered the mouthpiece with his hand and said: "Hey old guy! Get in here. We got us a problem!" Mike Haggar stood his nearly seven foot tall frame up and walked in saying: "Hold your horses kid Cody, I don't move as fast as I used to." Cody handed him the phone and Guy repeated what he had told Cody. Haggar said: "Sure. I can help with that, I can call in a favor but why don't you go?" Guy said: "I wanted to but Terry says Maki is as good as dead if anyone but him shows up, and I believe him. Terry doesn't scare easily. If he says only he can do it, then only he can do it." Mike nodded in understanding as he said: "Terry? As in Terry Bogard?" When Guy said yes, Mike said: "Stay where you're at, I'll be there in an hour."