AN – From now on, anything in italics is either thought or being spoken in Japanese.
"How is mother?" Miho spoke awkwardly after the euphoria of the reunion had worn off.
"She's fine, considering she lost two of the three things that kept her going."
Miho looked at me in anger but turned away, having gone slightly sheepish.
"I never meant to hurt her feelings. You know that." I snorted like most Americans do when in disbelief.
"Do you know what wouldn't have hurt her feelings? You not bolting off, without leaving anything, not telling us where you went. God knows what could or even have happened to you. How come you're with these whores anyway?" Some of the girls gave me a disgusted look, obviously someone was inquisitive and asked what some words were in Japanese. Despite that, I'd doubt they'd try to shoot me again.
It was funny how these street hardened females were so apologetic when Miho told them. They got me a drink and a towel as I was positively freezing. I didn't mean to call them whores, all of them seemed like your average next door neighbors, good, honest. I just felt so angry, it surprised me, she didn't even feel like my sister any more.
"Don't call them that, they're my friends." I took another sip of my drink; Miho's eyes were welling up. It was obvious she had never stopped thinking about me and the family she left behind. I felt like crying as well, but not for the same reason. She disappointed me, Miho was so bright and could have been as rich as my parents, but now she lives in squalor with those she once looked down on.
"I have missed you more than you can imagine." Miho was sat about a meter away from me, next to the bar. I read a humorous beer mat to take my mind off of the feelings I felt. I paused and looked at her.
"Why didn't you come home then?" I rose from my stool and dropped a 5-dollar note next to my empty glass from force of habit. I turned to Gail. "Thanks for the drink."
"Shimizu." I ignored her and left through the door this time. The morning sun caused my eyes to squint as I stepped out onto the street. It's not often a place looks as seedy in the day as it does at night, but Old town manages it. There was still a bitter chill blowing through the air forcing me to pick up speed as I walked back to my hotel.
How can I not feel anything? I just flew across the world in search of her and I feel nothing?
My mind as crowded as the local airport; I failed to notice three large men jogging to keep up with me. A knife slid out of its sheaf making the same sound you hear in all the films. I span around and was knocked onto the floor before I had a chance to assess the situation. The ground fell away from view and I was lifted onto my feet and placed against the nearest alleyway wall. The smallest man stepped forward with a crowbar in his hand; he came so close I felt like a flower withering under his breath.
"You just left Gail's, nod once for yes and twice for no." Unsure whether he wanted Gail's location I hesitated. The guy smacked the bar into my side sending me toppling to the floor. Another of the three lifted me back to my feet, my sense kicked back into touch from the pain in my side.
"ONCE for yes, twice for no." The three looked at me expectantly, each rising and falling with there heavy breathing. I nodded, the leader shouting 'yes' triumphantly before turning to his nearest goon. I nodded again.
"Sam, he nodded again." The knife-wielding thug holding me signaled. Sam slowly turned back around, as if believing he was the lead in some gangbang movie.
"What, little man?" Sam asked. I giggled slightly and the guy holding me squeezed tighter.
"Manko." I uttered under my breath. Unbeknownst to him, that's the rudest word you could possibly say in Japanese. He didn't know that but he seemed suitably angry at being in the dark.
"What was that?" Lifting his crowbar, Sam moved closer.
"He said Manko boss." The third pointless thug answered. Sam silenced him with a wave of his crowbar holding hand. He leaned closer waiting for an answer. I breathed in, as if I was going to start speaking, my mind repeating what I was about to do.
Jerking my head to the side, I butted my captor, falling to the ground just in time to miss Sam's swing. I ducked under him, so I wouldn't be cornered any more but the third guy slammed my neck with his elbow. I guess he had a use after all. I rolled onto my feet and out of the shadow before he could land a second hit, Sam shouting at the big guy currently holding his bloody nose.
I knocked into a passing tramp as I backed onto the sidewalk, dodging the third guys drunken punches. A cruising car's wing mirror hit into my back and I fell forward. The thug hit me twice in the face and once in the gut, knocking me onto the road. The hard concrete hurt more than any of his hits, all three insults to the word punch. My head felt like it could glow with pain, the only way it could hurt this much is if someone had lit a fire in there.
Miho looked like a Greek Goddess among the other apparently beautiful women at Gail's place. She isn't the same as them, she has talent, she's clever and she shouldn't be here…
But she isn't my real sister.
The dark place in my mind left and I returned to the street, the sun burning my skin. I felt a pain in my side, but it was a different pain entirely. One of them must be kicking me in the ribs, cowardly can't describe it. What's the worst that can happen? I'll just lie here until they leave, why do they want Gail anyway?
CLICK
That click is just as familiar to me as the sheathing of a knife. Kicking a guy is acceptable compared to shooting him in the middle a mildly busy street. My eyes flick open, Sam's shadow covering all his features. The gun I heard being loaded is lowered and aimed at me.
"Wow, I thought the Americans would be brave. Even back home we don't shoot one whilst the others down." I don't even know if I said it, I was to busy noticing something on the roof behind Sam.
"This ain't home Jackie Chan and anyway, I'm Canadian." Sam laughed to his buddies who I heard reply with there own hearty guffaw. The figure seemed to pull something from behind them and disappeared, I knew who it was already.
"Well I'm Japanese and if I'm not mistaken…" Sam still facing away from me laughing so I rolled out of his view, I heard Miho's feet hit the ground and the swing of steel hitting air. Diving behind a burnt out car I heard shots, whether at Miho or me I was not sure. I peered through its burnt gray frame to see Sam running at me, gun still aiming in my direction.
Diving to the other side of the car, I heard the shouts of Sam's companions as they were sliced to pieces. Sam uttered an expletive and I took a second look, Miho acrobatically dispatching his gang distracted him. Taking this chance I ran up behind him and grabbed his gun holding arm, pulling it behind his back. Sam's hand loosened and I collected his gun. Before he had a chance to react I knocked him to the floor with the butt of his gun.
Miho approached me, sliding the sword into its sheath. Sam reminded me of Bambi as he tried to stand up.
"You've been gone how long?" Miho nervously asked, looking down at Sam.
"Trouble found me, I mean, it was looking for you." At my words, Miho pulled out a knife and plunged it into Sam's neck.
"What the? Miho! He was defenseless!" I watched as Sam's body twitched before freezing when Miho tugged the knife out. She coolly slipped it away, ignorant to my moral issues. I looked around the empty street; increasingly aware we were in an open space. I sighed in disgust, signaling Miho's attention.
"What?" She asked, placing a hand on my shoulder, I stepped away.
"You just killed a weaponless guy in the middle of the street." I glanced around again, expecting a team of SWAT to erupt from every alley.
"He was going to kill you and stop looking around! There aren't any police here, because we own these streets. Well, for now. This guy works for a higher boss, a man named McLean." She dragged the first body into the alleyway and signaled for some help, "They want Old town. I presume they thought you were working with us as he was looking for our location. If he lived we probably wouldn't last that long either."
I reluctantly helped lift the large guy into a green trash disposal unit unsure what Miho meant.
"So you mean?" I went back for Sam.
"We're at war."