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Chapter Thirteen

Thursday, December 22

10:32 A.M.

Jack's Apartment

The next few days passed quickly for Jack. He spent most of his time with Kasumi, afraid to let her out of his sight. And she was enjoying all of the special attention she was getting from the staff there.

Jack was relieved to see that she was having fun and not dwelling on her pain. Her body seemed to have recovered almost completely. She could now move without stumbling, although her hip made any walking very slow and tedious work. All the internal damage has been healed, despite the fact that the bullet wounds and large gashes were still there, even though they were getting much better. In fact she looked almost as good as new. Jack expected there to be at least some scars, but surprisingly, the medicine had prevented any from forming, keeping her skin smooth and soft.

Jack woke up in his apartment and fixed some peanut-butter waffles for breakfast, feeling like it had been days since he last ate a quality meal, if you call customized frozen waffles quality.

Kasumi was physically recovering very fast, but mentally, Jack wasn't so sure about. Other than the few words she had said to him when she woke up, Kasumi had kept silent about her experiences at the hands of the madmen. He wanted to get her to open up about it, but he couldn't bring himself to talk about the subject, knowing that it would only upset her. But there was only so long he was willing to wait.

Myamoto hadn't found any new information on the people who did this to her, which he had expected, but to his surprise nothing seemed to be happening. He had expected some half-hearted last attempt to eliminate her, but no one has tried anything so far. He sat down at the table and thought about everything that has happened.

Maybe this whole thing has finally ended.

But Jack knew better. He knew in his heart that nothing ever ended this easily.

After Jack had finished eating he decided to go back to the hospital see how Kasumi was getting along. He figured that the longer she remained safe, the more likely it would be that someone would attack her. He knew he couldn't keep doing this though, because the cops were sniffing real close. All they had to do was find his gun and match the bullets that were in Duncan's body to prove he did it. And then he'll look bad because he didn't come forward. And his story was a little hard to believe, so it was doubtful that they would be convinced.

When he arrived at the Charity Medical Complex, Kasumi looked much happier than she had in a long time. As a matter of fact he hadn't seen her bright smile since before she was taken. She looked even more excited than usual this morning, and the bright rays from the sun that were streaming through the window accented her cheerfulness. Her beautiful smile melted his concerns and he couldn't help but smile back.

"Guess what, Jack?!" she asked excitedly, clapping her hands together. "They said that I can leave soon. Isn't that great?!"

"That's awesome! I bet you can't wait to get out of here."

Kasumi nodded. "That's a serious understatement. The food here is awful."

"The coffee isn't much better. Trust me," Jack laughed. "Is your leg feeling any better? I know that yesterday was a little hard for you."

Kasumi nodded. "Yeah, it's not as sore anymore. Doctor Nikata thinks that I should take a walk everyday to build back my strength and agility."

Jack nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me." Then he cleared his throat and looked at Kasumi with a serious expression. "I'm glad to see that your feeling better, but I still think you should be careful. These people aren't just going to give up, Kasumi."

"I know, but I'll be safe at you're place. They don't know about you so they won't be able to find me very easily."

Jack nodded. "That's true. But don't you want to tell someone about what happened? It might make you feel better to get it out of your system."

Kasumi took on an uncomfortable expression and looked down at the bed. "Jack, I can't really remember that much. It's all so foggy. I just remember the pain," she said. Her voice became shaky and she looked up at Jack with tears threatening to spill down her face. "It was so terrifying."

Jack began to feel uneasy and he quickly changed the subject, not wanting to steal away her happiness. "So when exactly are you going to be able to leave? Even though you were only there for a day, home just doesn't feel the same without you."

"Probably tomorrow or the next day." Kasumi said. "They said that I'll still need to be extra careful when I'm walking or sitting because of the gunshot wounds and my leg, but other than that I should be fine, if I don't strain myself."

"They don't need to worry about that. I'll look out for you."

Kasumi smiled. "I wish there was some way for me to show you how much it means to me that you're letting me stay with you."

"Don't even think about it. It's a privilege to have you around. Who else is going to keep me out of trouble?"

"I guess you're right," she laughed.

"So are they going to give you crutches?"

Kasumi nodded. "I think so, but I'm only going to get one. It should make things pretty easy."

"That's good. You should call me tomorrow when you're ready to be picked up. It doesn't matter what time it is. Okay?" Jack asked.

Kasumi smiled again and gave him a nod.

"I want you to know you can always talk to me at any time. Don't be afraid to let it out, Kasumi. I'll be there when you're ready," Jack said warmly.

He got up and pulled on his new jacket. He had an awful feeling of dread in his heart that the worst was yet to come, and as a former private eye, he knew better than to just shake it off. He was scared for Kasumi and he wanted to find the bastards who did this to her, before they found her and decided to finish the job.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I'm just going to go check a few things out, but I'll be back tonight sometime."

"I'll be here when you get back."

Jack gave Kasumi a quick hug and walked out of the room.


Thursday, December 22

12:14 P.M.

Airport

Thomas waited at the airport terminal and continuously flipped the lid of his chrome zippo open and closed. Bayman's flight had just landed and he was anxious. He couldn't wait to get his hands on the money that Smith was going to give him. But of course he had learned not to trust Smith to keep his word, so he did have a backup plan.

He noticed Bayman almost immediately as he walked out of the gate. He wore a black long sleeved shirt and some gray camouflaged pants. Thomas pocketed his lighter and walked slowly up to Bayman.

"Do you always have to dress like a mercenary?! I mean we might as well be holding up a bloody neon sign," Thomas said angrily.

Bayman glared at him. "Do you have to talk at all? I hate your bloody accent."

Thomas shrugged. "Deal with it, mate." He took out the picture of the red-headed girl that Smith gave him and handed it to Bayman.

"What's this?" he asked roughly.

Thomas grinned. "I want you to kill this girl and bring me the body. I want to make sure she's dead."

"This is what you called me down here for? Why don't you take care of her yourself?"

"Because I want to make sure it's done right." Thomas said simply.

Bayman nodded and stared hard at the picture. He swore he recognized her from somewhere. "Who is this girl?"

Thomas shrugged. "I don't know. Does it matter?"

Bayman shook his head. "No, I guess not. I want five hundred before and five hundred after. Got that?"

"No problem, mate."

"Where can I find her?" Bayman asked.

Thomas grinned. She's at the Charity Medical Complex at the moment, but if you don't hurry she'll be gone. My man on the inside says that she's going to be released tomorrow."

"Great," Bayman said sardonically.

He walked away from Thomas with the photo in his hand. He decided he would head over there immediately and watch the place. It would be impractical to attack her while she was in the hospital so he decided that he would get rid off her when she left. Which meant that he was going to have to stake the place out for the next twenty-four hours. It's not like I have anything better to do. he thought.

By two o'clock that afternoon he was looking at the hospital's front entrance through the windshield of the black Mitsubishi Galant he had just rented. This was going to be the easiest money he had ever made. Although it bugged him that he couldn't remember where he had seen that girl before. Then it hit him. She was in the last DOA tournament. He thought her name was Kasumi, but he wasn't positive. Well, she may have beat him last time, but this time it would be different.

Thomas grinned as he drove away from the airport. He picked up his phone and dialed Smith's number.

"What is it?" answered an irritated Smith.

"Yeah. It's me, Tom. I just wanted to let you know that your first target should be taken care of shortly. I've sent Bayman to finish her off."

"Excellent! Remember not to open the second subject's profile until the first target's been eliminated. I don't want you doing too many things at once. That's how mistakes are made."

Thomas rolled his eyes. "Don't worry. You'll get what you want."

"Oh, and I wanted to tell you that I've changed the location of The Organization's base of operations. The location in the forest has been compromised due the girl's escape. I want you to bring the girl's body and the second subject to warehouse fourteen in the commercial district," Smith said.

Thomas was confused. "But hasn't that place been abandoned for about ten years?"

"Exactly," Smith said.

"All right," Thomas said as he hung up the phone.

Smith had started The Organization a while back. It's purpose varied from time to time, but Thomas never understood why Smith was so bent on finding something nobody was even sure existed. It seemed like everything was falling apart.


Thursday, December 22

2:12 P.M.

Myamoto's Apartment

Myamoto watched the screen on his computer intently and continued trying to trace the mysterious signal back into the woods. The signal was considerably weaker now like many of the relays had been removed from their designated locations. He shrugged and continued his task. He had bypassed the jamming signal but to find the true location of the hidden target he had to get past a firewall. He had tried earnestly to find the right code to get through, but there were so many decoys it was almost impossible to find the right key.

Suddenly the phone rang. "Hello?" he asked into the receiver.

"Hey, its Jack. I just wanted to let you know that you should start looking for other leads. I think the people who did this to Kasumi have figured us out and moved the location of their base."

"How do you know that?" Myamoto asked incredulously.

"Because I would," Jack said simply.

"You overestimate yourself, but I agree. This signal is a dead end and there's nothing on the Internet that I can find. I think we're cornered unless you can scrape together some new information."

"Believe me, Myamoto, I'm working on it." Jack said.

Myamoto recognized that tone. "What are you doing?"

"Getting some answers. Kasumi can't remember much so I'm going to see if I can backtrack her movements through the woods to see where she was being held."

"That's genius!" Myamoto exclaimed. why hadn't he thought of that. The recent rainstorm had made the ground all muddy which would leave a pretty distinct trail if someone was wandering through the woods. Then a thought occurred to him. "Don't you think the police will have the park blocked to the public by now?"

Jack laughed. "I think you're forgetting how good a private eye I was. I think I can get past a couple of beat cops. They can't possibly be watching the entire area."

"Be careful, man. I don't want to have to see your arrest all over the five o'clock news, and I'm sure Kasumi would feel the same."

"Don't worry, Myamoto. I can slip past them easily."


Thursday, December 22

6:52 P.M.

Jack's Apartment

Hayabusa had just gotten back to town. Hayate hadn't been much help, and he didn't really have any new ideas. His best bet was to go back to Jack's apartment and see if he had found anything new in the past few days. He was still concerned about the situation with the park ranger and hoped Jack wasn't in jail or he would be waiting a long time.

As the hours passed Hayabusa became increasingly impatient. Finally at around seven Jack finally showed up wearing an extremely angry expression and carrying a small digital camera. Then he saw Hayabusa and lost it.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Jack asked angrily. "I thought you'd been killed or something!"

Hayabusa ignored the question and handed Jack a disabled spider-cam. "This might help explain my absence. I found these in the woods."

Jack grabbed the camera and looked it over. After about five minutes he angrily shoved it into his jacket pocket and handed Hayabusa the digital camera he had been holding. "I have something to show you as well. Look at this and tell me what you think it is."

Hayabusa looked at the small display screen and glared as he passed through the pictures, becoming increasingly disturbed as the images presented themselves. The first picture showed a darkened hallway and some bloody footprints on the dark tiled floor. Then he saw a photo of a large room that looked like the inside of an airplane hangar. At the far end of the room there was an open door leading into another darkened room. The last picture was the worst. This picture was taken inside a small concrete room. In the middle of the room was a large flat metal table with metal cuffs welded into it. The table was covered with blood and a few tattered pieces of white and blue fabric lay in the center of it.

"Where did you get these?" Hayabusa asked calmly.

"I found a tunnel entrance," Jack said.

Hayabusa looked at Jack. "That's not the answer I was hoping for. Where in the woods did you find this?"

"It doesn't matter now, they're gone." Jack paused. "That's Kasumi's blood."

Hayabusa looked Jack in the face and said nothing.

"Didn't you hear me?! That's Kasumi's blood! They did this to her. That son of a bitch was ripping her apart!" Jack yelled angrily.

Hayabusa nodded. "Where is she now?"

"I found her that night in the woods. It wasn't bad enough that they tortured her for days, but he shot her right in front of me. He shot her and then he laughed about it." Jack's tone was ice cold. "So I killed him."

"The park ranger?" Hayabusa asked.

Jack nodded. "I have to find whoever is responsible for this. I have to bring these monsters down."

"I have a little experience in the ways of vengeance and I have some advice for you: don't let this consume you, Jack," Hayabusa said. "It doesn't lead you to a desirable destination."

"I don't give a crap, Hayabusa," Jack said in the same icy tone he had used before. There was a secret to Jack that he never even let Kasumi see, for it could drive her away. Underneath that cool and sarcastic exterior, Jack had a dark pool of anger in him. His grandfather had it, his dad had it and he had it too. Nobody had ever brought it out in him before, but whoever did this to Kasumi has awakened the monster within him and if he ever got his hands on the person responsible for this, there would be no telling what would happen.

Hayabusa looked at Jack calmly. "Calm down, Jack. Do you think you could take me to see Kasumi?"

Jack took a deep breath and let his anger settle down inside him. He would use it when the time came. "Sure."

He led the way out to his green Jeep, and Hayabusa looked at all the dried blood stained on his seat. She must've been hurt far worse than he had imagined for this much blood to be soaked on the seats.

"Are you going to stare at that stain all night, or are you going to come with me to see the girl who made it?"

Hayabusa glared at Jack and climbed into the small SUV.


Thursday, December 22

7:30 P.M.

Charity Medical Complex

Bayman watched intently as the green Jeep pulled up and parked a little ways away from where he was sitting. He could hear the conversation of the occupants as they got out. He leaned his seat all the way back and listened carefully.

"--doctor says she'll need a crutch for a while and that she should be especially careful because of her gunshot wounds. But other than that she'll be fine," the first man said.

"Good. Kasumi's lucky you were there, Jack." the second man replied.

"It was bad though, Hayabusa. You just saw the pictures. Being there for real was ten times worse."

The man named Hayabusa nodded. "I think I know how you feel."

After the two men entered the hospital, Bayman returned his seat to its original position. He remembered that the girl's name was Kasumi, which meant that there were a few men there to visit her. If they didn't leave before she was discharged, the situation could become very complicated very fast. He decided to call Thomas.

"Wilson."

Bayman cleared his throat. "We might have a situation."

He heard Thomas groan on the opposite end of the line. "What is it now?"

"A few guys just showed up to visit the girl. If they stick around, we may have a serious problem. What do you want me to do?" Bayman asked.

"Wait until you can get the girl alone. We don't want to draw any unwanted attention. Kill her as soon as they leave."

"You have to take the fun out of everything, don't you?" Bayman said.

He heard Thomas hang up the phone so he put his away as well. The mystery men probably wouldn't stay until she was going to be released, but someone would probably be planning to pick her up tomorrow. He was going to have to get to Kasumi early before anyone came for her.