Within the Shadows- Sanosuke's Adventure in England
Discaimer: I do not own the characters of Rurouni Kenshin.
Chapter Two
The cell was cramped and the cot was filthy. Sanosuke turned his nose up at the cot and decided that he would avoid potential diseases if he just remained standing. The rain had now begun to fall yet it did nothing to soothe his nerves. He leaned against the bars and peered out at the group of policemen who were congregated by the main table of White Chapel's local station. They spoke in excited whispers obviously about him, for they occasionally turned their heads to sneak a glance at him. Jails weren't new to Sano. He had been in his share back in Japan, and even a couple in America, but he had to admit that he never caused this much of a stir..
He thought back to what had happened this morning, and it all came back to him like a burden; the fear on the faces of those people, the nervous words that came from their lips, and the tenseness of their souls. He had felt all of that when he struck them down, felt the confusion of earlier incidents that had obviously shook them up and had them looking for any kind of justice. Sano lowered his head and banged it gently against the bars. He felt sorry for having been too eager to beat them up. He could have escaped the situation without hurting anyone, and as he pondered what other options he could have taken, the head of the local station, Detective Inspector Edmond Reid, approached the cell. Sano lifted his head when he heard the footsteps approach and he pushed himself away from the bars so that he could stand up straight. The detective studied Sano with quiet admonition.
"So, it was you who caused all of that trouble this morning? People are saying that you are some sort of killer, perhaps the one committed four grisly murders within the past month and a half." He paused a moment and lowered his voice to a whisper. "People are saying that you're Jack the Ripper."
Jack the Ripper.
The detective moved forward to have a closer look at Sano. He started from the bottom and let his eyes trail upward over the shoes, the bandages, and the gi. The inspection stopped abruptly when he gazed coldly into Sano's eyes. The detective lifted a hand to lightly rub his chin. "Your clothes are wet, and you smell like seawater. Based on this I can confidently tell my superiors that you did not commit those murders. However," he leaned closer to the bars and gestured for Sano to come closer. Sano cocked an eyebrow and remained where he was.
Reid grinned at the quiet refusal and stood straight again. "That doesn't mean that we have you in this jail for no particular reason. You have made quite a mess in the street- and you were not a legal passenger on that American ship." Sano narrowed his eyes and then looked away, refusing to say a word. The detective chuckled. "That ship, my boy is a cargo ship, which adds Stowaway to your list of misbehavior. You have been in England for less than an hour and you managed to frighten the citizens, assault twenty men, and severely damage public property- all by yourself," he added with a hint of awe in his voice. He shook his head when Sano remained silent. "You know boy, it may be safe for you to stay quiet in America, but in England, especially in my area of East London, the less you say the more trouble we blame on you. I highly suggest that you join this conversation before I change my mind and decide that I indeed have a killer in my jail." He stopped to consider something. "Could it be that you don't understand one word that I have said?"
Sano turned to face the policeman. He wasn't sure what the laws were in this country, but his plan wasn't to stay in jail for his entire visit. Although these prison walls couldn't keep him confined since his Futae No Kiwami could get him out of anything, that wasn't the kind of impression he wanted to leave on these people. He already regretted what he had done that morning, since part of his original plan was to pass through England without getting into trouble.
Kuso! That idea went straight to hell!
But he knew he had to get out of this jail, and playing games with this cop wasn't going to be much help for him. He also knew that giving away too much information would be worse than all of his London crimes combined. So he chose his words carefully.
"I understand you just fine. I'm just passing through. I'm not here to cause any trouble if that's what you're worried about." When the policeman raised his eyebrows Sano immediately added, "THAT wasn't my fault."
Inspector Reid snorted, looking doubtful. "That's what Mary says. Then again, she is raving drunk right now so I can't take much of her statement seriously. You must have been in London for less than ten minutes before you picked up Mary. She's one of the favorites around these parts you know. You have quite an eye for picking up prostitutes."
That last bit of information was news to Sano. Nani? A prostitute? She's one of THOSE women?
The look on Sano's face piqued the policeman's interest. "My, do you look surprised. Don't tell me that you had no idea about Mary. She was very close to falling out of her dress. That should have been a tip-off for you. Unless of course it was your doing," he said in a suggestive tone that annoyed the fighter.
"Oi! What the hell are you trying to say? I didn't do anything with that woman. The way you saw her is the way that I found her!"
The policeman raised an eyebrow. "Drunk, nearly undressed, and with bruises on her knuckles? Her hand was bandaged because she came close to fracturing her bones. Now I know Mary is very bad-tempered when she is drunk, but I've never known her to strike anyone under the influence, especially with the kind of force she had behind that blow."
Sano knew where this was going. "The guy she hit was asking for it. If she hadn't hit him, then I would have. If you don't believe me then feel free to check me for bruises. I don't mind at all."
Reid was impressed with the fighter. He marveled at his fearlessness and for the mere fact that he was able to beat up that many men at once without suffering any injuries. Reid knew that this man was no killer. The determination in his eyes and the confidence in his stance made the detective realize that he had more than just a street punk in his jail cell. He dismissed Sanosuke's suggestion with a wave of his hand.
"That won't be necessary. I think that I understand what happened and why. None of it was your fault, however what you did to stop it is what I am concerned about. Your mere presence caused that particular stir and it may very well cause future incidents, so it would be irresponsible of me to set you out into the streets of White Chapel." He paused and unhooked a ring of keys from his belt. "But I am turning against all of that, and regardless of what happened this morning, I am going to follow my intuition which tells me that you are not a bad fellow at all." He picked a key, slipped it into the lock and turned it. The loud click of Sano's freedom resonated throughout the entire station. Sano looked up and saw that the police officers were gawking at them, expressions of shock, apprehension, and worry coloring their faces. Sano couldn't help smiling.
"Your cops have a problem with that. Are you sure this is a good idea?"
Inspector Reid eyed Sano as he opened the cellar door, and kept his gazed fixed on the gangster as he stepped inside and slammed the door shut behind him. When Sano's smile faded, Reid pulled a folder from his jacket. "It is a good idea, IF I can get some answers to my questions. If not then you will be the special guest of White Chapel's local police after all. Is that understood?"
Yarou, you tricked me! I hate it when cops play around with me like this!
Sano was suddenly struck with the feeling that this policeman reminded him of someone. His shoulders sagged as his mind filled itself with the unwelcome memory of a certain hateful, law-enforcing wolf- and then he shook his head violently to get the image of the arrogant bastard out.
This world is full of them! No matter where I go shit-eating cops who think that they're smarter than me always FIND me. Chikusho, that goddamned Saitoh is everywhere!
Sano heard the sound of someone clearing his throat and looked up to see that the policeman eyed him cautiously. "Young man, are you alright?"
Sano glared at the policeman eager to get this over with. "I'm fine. What is it that you want to know?"
Reid did nothing to hold back the smirk that came forth. It was more than what Sano needed to convince himself that he hated the hell out of this guy. "Well, for starters, and for the record I need to know your name."
"Sagara Sanosuke. Kenkaya Zanza. Roosterhead. If you want to look up anything on me those are the names you would use." If he volunteered too much information he would remember to kick himself later.
Reid raised his eyebrow again. "I see. Mr. Sanosuke, was it? I'm not interested in where you are originally from, or how you ended up in America, but I do want to know why you decided to come to London."
Sano's face went blank and he shrugged his shoulders. "This is where the boat was going."
The policeman looked thoughtfully at the gangster. "Any reason why you left America? From what I hear, it's the land of opportunities. Why would you leave such a place?"
"There were lots of opportunities for me and once I found them all, it was time to move on. England seemed like the obvious choice with the new language that I learned and all. I don't plan to stay that long in case you're wondering." Sano's expression darkened as he remembered how he felt when he walked the dark alleys, and encountered the drab countenance of its citizens. "In fact, I don't want to stay here very long. No offense detective but there's something here that bothers the hell out of me. Those people talked about a killer, and to let you know a little of my past I've been in contact with lots of killers where I come from. They killed for their beliefs, they killed to change the government, or they killed because they took so many lives that it was all they knew how to do. From all of the killers I've encountered I can't tell you where your criminal falls under. I don't know much about what he's done, but I know that the people here are scared, and they want answers. Your cops want answers too, because it's hard to let the public believe that you have no idea in which direction to go with this case. Your cops have no idea where this killer falls either."
Maybe it was the fact that the early morning air crept into the folds of his wet gi, but he felt a chill pass over and wrap itself around him. The cop said nothing after Sano fell silent, and he went stiff as if he felt the chill as well. None of this seemed to comfort the ex-gangster and for a moment he began to wish he had not come to London.
I had some hard times back in America, and my life in Japan was one fight after another, but it seems as if there is something really serious going on here. What the hell did I stumble into?
Detective Reid shook off the chill and quickly composed himself as if he had not been affected at all. "I heard that there was one man who was able to get away before you could hurt him. He was the one who apparently had the gang attack you. He caused you so much trouble and yet managed to get away from you," Reid offered pointedly. "With that hanging over your head, I am sure that you would have no problems spotting him again. Do you remember what he looks like?"
Sano peered at the officer suspiciously. You're asking me about some prick who caused a public disturbance? THIS is the information you're holding me in jail for? Is that guy dangerous at all? Sano wondered as he thought back to that morning. He remembered the man vividly- the long dark over coat, dark pants, and the wicked eyes that glared out from under his bushy eyebrows. None of it had moved him until he remembered the vibe. Sano felt his chest grow tight again as he remembered the feeling of uneasiness that seemed to surround that man. He had exuded some of the most negative energies he had ever felt since the confrontation he and Kenshin had with that psycho Yukishiro Enishi. With his nerves so on edge now, Sano concluded that the man indeed had to be dangerous.
But why would a guy like that make me nervous? I was ready to beat him senseless, so obviously I'm not scared of him. But he's got something weird about him, and with all this talk of a killer on the loose I'm starting to get more and more suspicious of him.
Sano nodded his head and finally revealed what he knew about the man's features. It was as simple as that. Once Detective Reid had all the information he wanted, Sano had his freedom. The policeman handed Sano his sack and escorted the ex-gangster outside where it had stopped raining and they stood together in the midst of the gloomy aura of White Chapel. Sano looked around and felt the chill again. He wished he had changed into some dry clothes, but he assumed that even if he had done that the chill would still bother him. It had nothing to do with the crispness of the air or the present state of his attire. It had more to do with the anticipation that something horrible was soon going to happen.
The detective clapped Sano on the shoulder before he turned to head back into the police station. At the doorframe he stopped and turned to look over his shoulder at Sano.
"Stay out of trouble, for I won't be so lenient on you next time. Oh, and try to get some trousers and a shirt of some sort. It would be wise for you to try and fit in, unless you enjoy the public disorder that your appearance will undoubtedly cause. The shop three blocks west takes American currency. Good luck to you, and I hope that I do not see you again." And with that the policeman entered the building and left Sano to contemplate his next step.
The wind began to pick up again but this time Sano hesitated to follow it. He had gotten arrested because of where it led him last time. It had led him to a fight over her.
I said that I would stick to her once we got out of this. I came out all right and I know that she's okay. This is a big city. Where would I even begin to find her?
A moist gust came at him and blew his jacket open. He welcomed the cool air for it relieved him of the suffocation of the tiny cell, and he took in a deep breath. As grim as this city was he couldn't help appreciate how great the morning air always made him feel. He closed his eyes, held his arms into the air and finally stretched the kinks, and cramps out of his tired muscles. The first thing he decided to do was find a place to sleep for his eyes could barely stay open now.
Maybe I can stretch out and catch a couple of hours of sleep behind the station. If the cops don't like it then let them try to wake my sleeping ass!
He managed to peer through slits to find his way to the back of the station, but what his gaze fell on was a pair of wide blue eyes looking up at him. Those eyes were very familiar to him.
"Good morning, love. I was hoping that Inspector Reid would let you out sooner. He is quite a nuisance but that allows him to do his job well so I put up with it. How are you doing?"
Sano opened his eyes wide. The woman from earlier that morning was not the one who stood before him now. This lady had on a lovely high collared navy dress, and her blonde hair was clipped up into a loose bun that allowed stray hairs to frame her face. She had a slight rosy color on her cheeks and lips, but it was her eyes that cast the spell on him. He remembered the morning's incident and he knew now that this was the woman who he had protected. Her hand came up to grab his and she clasped it tightly within her tiny grip. Her brow knotted with concern as she took a closer look at the one who had saved her.
"Oh my. You look exhausted. That fight must have taken away all of your strength."
Sano smiled weakly. He felt her soft hand press gently against his forehead. "Oh no, you've developed a fever. Your clothes were all wet and the fight only made it worse for you." Her hand gripped his again and she headed away from the station. "You're coming with me," she said and Sano was only too happy to let the woman named Mary pull him down the street. As they walked, he felt the heat burning on his forehead and that confirmed that he definitely had a fever. If she only knew of the many fights he had been in where he never even broken a sweat. That gang had been no challenge at all, but she didn't need to know that. She was as happy to have found him as was he to see her again. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to stay. He could pass the time visiting every corner of the city with his new friend, and maybe get some of the memories of his old friends out. He didn't want to forget the life he had left back home, but he did want to put as many memories as he could between them for then he could forget once and for all, what it was he was running from.
End of Chapter 2