Here's Chapter 9
Enjoy! :)
Mikan awoke to the snooze of the alarm. She'd acquiesced to another night on the futon in Hotaru's room and slept better, but not much better, than she had the night before. When Hotaru suggested they get breakfast somewhere, Mikan jumped at the chance.
They walked to a dinner and tucked themselves into a small booth with vinyl seat. Mikan ordered a cheese omelet and iced tea. She didn't feel as trapped as hemmed in and claustrophobic, as she had yesterday and realize it had been her own fears at work, not anything her brother's colleague had done to her.
At least she'd had the good sense not to mention the man at the park to Hotaru or especially to Natsume Hyuuga. Thinking she'd recognized him from Paris seemed even more ridiculous this morning. It was simply her nerves playing on her, ratcheting up the stakes and the tension. Her Sakura genes kicking in.
The omelet was hot and perfectly cooked, and Mikan ate every bite, determined not to let low blood sugar affect her thinking – she'd had a shock. Even if Ruka's situation was far worse than her own, she had to give herself time to adjust to what had happened.
Hotaru had a bagel and a cup of black coffee.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked Mikan.
Mikan nodded. "The street traffic is like white noise after a while, aren't they? I haven't lived in a city in so long." She drank more of her tea. "Where are you from originally?"
"Osaka." But Hotaru was obviously uncomfortable talking about herself and picked up the bill, heading for the cash register. "Come on. We'll take a cab to the hospital. I'll figure out a way to bypass the media if they look like they're going to pounce."
They'd watched the news last night and heard Narumi Anju's statement about his friendship with the Sakuras. It was no secret – it'd been covered in his campaign. Just no one had though the agent shot in Central Park was a member of that Sakura family considering he was using the surname Nogi.
Narumi hadn't called, but Mikan told herself that she couldn't expect him to.
When they arrived at the hospital, over a dozen of reporters gathered at the ambulance entrance not far from the main door. Video cameras were rolling, photographers snapping pictures, reporters asking questions. Mikan got out of the cab, and noticed Natsume in the middle of the throng.
"Ouch," Hotaru said, coming next to her. "He doesn't look very happy, does he? Hell. They've got him surrounded. He should pull a faint or something and get out of there."
A young female reporter thrust a microphone in his face.
"Agent Hyuuga, Kuonji-san was a known informant. Did you or Agent Ruka tell him that you would be in at the news conference?"
Then more questions, coming all at once.
"Do you believe he was the shooter?"
Sources say he died of a drug overdose – do you think he was celebrating the central park attack?"
"Can you confirm that the rifle allegedly used in the shooting was found at his side?"
"What about the prime minister? Has he talked to Ruka Sakura?"
Natsume held up a hand. "Sorry. No comment. If you'll excuse me."
That was it. He was done.
Hotaru huddled close to Mikan and maneuvered her toward the main entrance. "Let's get you out of here before they recognized you."
"What about Natsume."
"He can take care of himself."
Once past security and into the hospital lobby, Mikan shuddered as if she'd shaken of a swarm of bees. She turned to Hotaru. "What was that all about? Does the FBI have the sniper? It sounds as if he's dead – "
"I'll see what I can find out."
Who's Kuonji? Did you realize he was a suspect?" She took a breath, but Hotaru didn't respond, simply banged the up button for the elevator. Mikan felt stab of dread. "It sound as if the media think someone screwed up –"
"It's the FBI's investigation," Hotaru said tightly.
"Let's go –"
Mikan shook her head. "I'm fine on my own today. Really. Tell your bosses I appreciate the moral support."
"Mikan –"
"I'm used of being on my own, and I'm not in any danger."
Hotaru sighed. "I'll see you upstairs in ten minutes."
She headed back through the lobby towards the main entrance and the reporters, presumably, Mikan thought, to find what was going on.
The elevators churned and groaned inside the empty shafts. She didn't feel nearly as raw and exhausted as yesterday. She'd showered, put on fresh clothes – short, a red long sleeve hoodie and sneakers. Her morning call to Ruka's nurse had left a feeling optimistic. He'd had a good night sleep and was more alert today. They'd be getting him up and moving.
A trio of medical students floated toward the elevators in an intense discussion.
Natsume Hyuuga walked past them at a fast, deliberately pace.
There was no sign of Hotaru behind him.
Where was he off to?
The elevator dinged. Mikan watched its door open, and then bolted down the corridor, going after Natsume at a half run.
He had decent head start on her – she almost missed him retreating through a side door. It was an "Exit only," not an entrance and she went through it without hesitation.
When she reached the street, Natsume was climbing into the driver's side of a red SSC Ultimate Aero parked about fifty yards up from the ambulance entrance and the throng of reporters.
With an outward calm, Mikan stepped off the curb and stuck her hand up in the air, flagging a cab before she had seriously considered her options. She opened the rear door and climbed in. "Can you follow that red car just in front of us? He left his wallet."
"I can flash my lights –"
"No, that's not necessary. I'll just give it to him wherever he stops."
She knew what she was doing was wrong. Impulsive, insane. Even dumb. She was following an Alice agent who'd just been shot and undoubtedly was no mood to find her on his tail. Natsume didn't seem to have a lot of patience on a good day. And, given the journalistic onslaught he'd just faced and the possibility that an Alice informant was the shooter, this couldn't be starting off as a good day.
Not that he'd looked upset or irritated. He'd looked focused, as if he were on a mission.
Possibly doing something he shouldn't be doing?
She'd sensed his bridled energy last night.
As exhausted as he was, he was a man of action. He didn't take to being on sidelines.
Wounded, still experiencing the shock of what had happened to him, he could easily go off half-cocked.
Maybe today was his day to fall apart, to feel trapped and hemmed in by events, and if she could keep him from doing something he'd later regret, why not?
It was her version of catching him before he fell flat on his face.
Payback for saving her brother's life.
She stared out the window, her cab speeding north. She knew she was rationalizing her behavior.
But she didn't tell her driver to turn around, and tailing Natsume proved easier than she expected.
They ended up in run-down section of the city on a mixed bag of street, some buildings neat and clean, even boasting window boxes; others were complete wrecks with nasty graffiti, broken windows, and people loitering on the steps. Fortunately, Natsume's car stopped in front of one of the neat buildings.
He mounted the front steps at a trot and disappeared inside. No one had buzzed him in, and he hadn't used a key – which meant there was no lock on the main door.
Mikan paid her cab driver. "I'll be a minute. Can you wait for me?"
He didn't answer, but the moment she shut her door, he was hurling up the street, leaving her on the curb.
Okay, so she'd have to find another cab back.
Or ask Natsume for a ride.
She winced at the thought. Preferably, she wouldn't even have to see him. She just wanted to make sure he hadn't gone off the deep end.
Who was she kidding? She was one who'd gone off the deep end in following him.
A stout, elderly woman wearing a wild hat mounted the steps to an adjoining building, more run down than the one Natsume entered, and two young women in white uniforms rushed along the sidewalk, talking in Spanish – Mikan made out something about an exercise class they were taking. Their casual attitude helped her feel safer, although she had no idea where she was.
The front door was, indeed, unlocked, creaking loudly when Mikan pushed it open.
The entry smelled of a strong cleaning solution. She could hear music playing somewhere above her. The ordinates of the scene helped her to relax slightly. Natsume had followed her to Central Park yesterday. Even if hr motives weren't entirely pure, why shouldn't she follow him?
Because he's a federal law enforcement officer.
But she was an historical archaeologist, and that took a certain amount of curiosity, guts and drive – a willingness to take risks.
Not that she'd thought through the particular risks, whatever they might be, of following a
Wounded agent.
She had no idea where Natsume was. Upstairs, down the hall. Was there a basement? Should she start knocking on doors?
Feeling less smug about her tailing abilities, Mikan stood at the bottom of the stairs and contemplated her options. Just wait for him here?
"You're going to be a problem, aren't you?"
She almost screamed and spun around so fast, her hair whipped into her face. Natsume had materialized behind her. Mikan caught her breath. "Scare me to death, why don't you?"
His crimson eyes bored into her. "It's a thought."
Mikan told herself he had a right to be irritated with her. But she didn't let it get to her. "Where were you?"
"Let's go."
"This isn't your apartment, is it?" She glanced around the tidy, worn entry. "I thought you were going home. Hotaru and I saw you with the reporters and I concerned -"
"Bullsh*t."
She sighed. No way was she worming herself out of this one. "Okay, fine. You think the FBI has the wrong shooter, don't you? This guy, Kuonji –"
She was out the door before she realized what was happening. Her feet were touching the ground, but she wasn't walking on her own down the stairs and out to his car.
He opened the passenger door with his injured arm, apparently by mistake, and swore, then shoved her inside. "Watch you head."
"Going to cuff me, too?"
"I could. You're interfering with federal investigation."
"Me? What about you? Last time I checked, you were a wounded Alice Agent who supposed to stay on the sideline –"
He banged her door shut and walked around the front to driver's side.
She felt a wave of guilt when he climbed in "Do you want me to drive?"
He didn't answer.
"You're arm – is it bleeding?"
"Doesn't matter."
"You didn't need to haul me out of there. You could have asked politely, and I'd have left."
He started the engine. "I'm not in a polite mood."
"Are you ever?"
"Sure." He smiled at her then, a smile that reached his hard eyes and was so unexpected and so sexy, so deliberately sexy, it curled her toes. "I can be very polite."
Hotaru had spotted Mikan jumping into a cab and following Natsume's car and almost went after her – then she figured Natsume could handle Ruka's pretty Ph.D. sister all by himself.
She wasn't surprised when Natsume dropped Mikan off at the private room. "Don't let her out of your sight." He said through gritted teeth, and then disappeared down the hall.
Mikan's cheeks were slightly flushed, but otherwise she didn't look as stricken as most people would after pissing off Natsume Hyuuga. And she didn't look particularly guilty for having done it. But why the hell wasn't he at home in bed? Hotaru couldn't muster a lot of sympathy for him.
She crumpled up her paper water cup. "Dare I ask what happened?"
"Nothing. I followed him." Mikan sighed and sat in one of the plastic chairs. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
Hotaru tossed the paper cup and poured herself more coffee. It smelled fine to her, but people had been complaining about all morning. "Most people kind of wilt for bit after getting chewed out by Natsume. He's not exactly your warm and fuzzy agent."
Mikan managed a smile. "Is there such a thing?" But she didn't wait for an answer. "Did you learn anything about Kuonji?"
Hotaru had no intention of getting into the scuttlebutt on Kuonji. "Just what's in the media. Turns out two witnesses identified him. Said they saw him crouched in the bushes on the bank just below Central Park. He had rifle."
"Does the FBI believe he's their shooter?"
"There's been no official comment –"
"Tell me unofficially then."
Hotaru thought a moment. Mikan was upset, if not about Natsume catching her following him, then about her brother, the whole situation. She deserved what answer Hotaru could give her. "It's hard to say. Nobody's talking right now. Everyone's being tight lipped around here. We can't afford to screw up. No one wants the shooter to have crack at Natsume and Ruka – or anyone else."
"Why doesn't Natsume have security detail?"
Hotaru smiled. "He is a security detail."
Mikan didn't seem satisfied with that explanation. "Ruka has guards just because he's more seriously injured?"
"Correct."
With both hands, she raked her fingers through her hair, and then made an abrupt change in the subject. "I've been in Scotland on and off for moths, working nonstop to finish a major project. I saw Ruka briefly in Paris last month, but it wasn't nearly enough to get caught up with each other. What happened to the two of you?"
Hotaru shrugged. "We did great when we were working out of different district offices – not so great when we both ended up in Tokyo."
"You were here first?"
"That wasn't the problem. I'm more ambitious than your brother."
Mikan smiled. "Ruka can be very driven, but he's not ambitious."
Hotaru nodded in spite of her own urge to give Mikan Sakura hell for following an agent. "I should find myself a nice guy who doesn't know how to shoot. Why on earth did Ruka become an agent? I never figured that one out."
"I've always thought he watched too many James Bond movies."
But Mikan rising suddenly shook her head. "I think Ruka just like the idea of doing something that made tangible difference. Catching fugitives, escaped prisoners Con artist and the likes, protecting federal court – it's more like what my ancestor did."
"He told me some of them were bank robbers."
"Trains and river boats, mostly. Not that many banks. And it was only one - Kazumi Sakura. He ended up going west and getting killed."
"Probably by an agent from the sound of him." Mikan picked up the coffeepot, but seemed oblivious to how old and nasty its contents were. "Natsume does he hold a grudge?"
Hotaru tossed her crumpled cup into the trash. "Forever."
To her credit, Mikan seemed neither surprised nor distresses at the prospect of having fallen out his good graces. She set the coffeepot down, obviously having reconsidered the merits of pouring herself a cup – Hotaru figured it was rough enough coffee even for committed coffee drinker like herself.
"I'm going to check on Ruka." Mikan mumbled.
Given her track record, Hotaru followed her down the hall and made sure Mikan was inside the I.C.U. before retreating back to the waiting room.
Hotaru was fidgety and jumpy from too much bad coffee and her prolonged high state of tension. She knew Kuonji. Most people in the district office did. Ruka had reeled him in as an informant three months ago. He'd provided good information that had led to several high-profile arrests, ones the news conference yesterday had underscored. There'd been rumors Ruka had tried to get Kuonji into witness protection program, but Kuonji had balked. He didn't want to leave behind his neighborhood. Someone had to be a real player.
And he was a drug addict who always vowed he was going to stay clean.
The idea of Kuonji figuring out Natsume and Ruka were at the news conference, where it was being held. Where he should hide to get a couple of shots off the idea of him even owning a rifle that could do the job –
None of it washed.
Hotaru cleaned up the beverage area and found herself staring into a half filled mug of cold coffee, gray and filmed over, seeing a dead Kuonji, an AR-15 and a stash of cocaine next to his body. The cocaine she could believe. A drug overdose. Kuonji dead at twenty nine. All that made sense. But the AR-15? The silencer? Executing the difficult shots to hit Ruka in the gut and even Natsume in the arm?
She dumped the coffee into the trash.
Not a chance.
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And for those who leave reviews on the previews chapter I wanted to say Thank You also for those who followed and added LDWAL on their favorites list... Again Thank You
Sneak Peek of the next Chapter:
"Your mistake"
"What, are you going to arrest me?"
"I might."
She didn't seem especially intimidated. "You eat, sleep and drink your work, don't you, Hyuuga-san?"
"And you don't, Dr. Sakura?"
"My work doesn't involve guns and bad guys."
"Precisely why you're going home."
Oh. and I wanted to say Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there especially to my mom.
Don't forget to greet your mom too, okay?... :)
Till the next chapter...
~claire-chan143