EIGHTEEN

.

Kato hammered on the door, then went to the window and looked through. Finding no movement, he went back to the door and banged again. "Amy! Amy open the door!" he shouted.

"Excuse me, young man!" came a voice. He spun and found an older woman watching him from over the fence. "Just what do you think you're doing at this ungodly hour of the morning?" she demanded.

"Uh - Mrs… uh… Mrs Horbatchewskyj?" he hazarded.

"Yes? What of it?"

"I am Amy's boyfriend," he said, crossing the grass to come up to the fence.

"Oh - I see you now," she said, lifting her glasses from the chain around her neck, sliding them on to peer at him. "You're the one who helped me with my tyre that night when I thought I could ask Amy," she said, looking rather displeased by this. "What do you want, coming over here at stupid o'clock and making all this noise?"

"Amy - have you seen Amy?"

"Boy I just got out of bed!" she snapped. "I haven't seen anyone this morning apart from you!"

"Did she come home last night?"

"I'm not telling you that," she grumped. "A woman's comings and goings are her own business."

"Yes but—"

"And I thought you were a nice one," she said. "She's a fine young lady you know, and she doesn't deserve some noisy brute making her life difficult!"

"Yeah - ok," he said hastily, backing up. "Uh - thanks."

"Where are you going now?"

"I have to find her!" He turned and hurried back to his bike, climbing on and racing away as she just stood, her mouth open.

"Well I never," she said. "So much for being a nice young man. Still, I suppose he was better than that one she left with last night. Now he was rude."

.


.

Lenore snatched up the phone and saw the name calling. She accepted the call. "Kato? Anything? Right ok - where next? …Ok. Let me know. I'm trying her phone but it's still saying it can't be connected. Ok." She put the phone on the desk and looked up at Britt. "She's not at home."

"Well it was a long shot," he frowned. "Can't we like find her phone or something?"

"Yes - good idea," she hissed. She opened up her laptop and then paused. "Oh. I can't do that. I think you need police access."

"Well I was going to call the police but you stopped me, so—"

"Sshh - let me think," she said. He paused, watching. Then she leant over and picked up her phone again. She thumbed a button and put it to her ear. "Kato! Me again. Your hacker friend - can she trace Amy's phone? Yes I know it's illegal but so is wiping other people's phones remotely." She winced and slapped a hand over her face. "Sorry. Right - yes. Let us know." She put the phone on the table and looked up at him. "Can you drive?"

"Uh - kinda," he shrugged.

"Right. Then choose a nice car and I'll get us ready to move when Kato's got a location."

"What - no," he said quickly. "How about we get Kato back here while he's waiting on a location, and then the Green Hornet will go find Amy - and take out anyone trying to hurt her?"

She paused, thinking. "Ok… the Green Hornet shows up… snatches her for the footage… That's a better idea."

"Thank you," he said, surprised.

She picked up her phone again, pressing the last number dialled. "It's busy," she said. "He must be on to his hacker friend."

"Man that is cool," he breathed. "Why don't I have hacker friends?"

"You can afford proper wifi and new phones," she said off-hand.

His mouth opened then stalled. He nodded. "Yeah."

.


.

Kato cut the call, stuffing the phone back in his inside jacket pocket. He revved the engine on the motorbike, checking the traffic before streaking off. A few turns and a few cuts down side streets and he was making good time through the city.

He screeched up outside Amy's house again. He ripped the keys from the ignition and barely had it parked on its stand before he tore off across the grass. He knocked on the door this time, mindful of the neighbours who would no doubt be watching from behind net curtains.

"Amy!" he hissed, in a perverse attempt to be quiet. He fidgeted, resisting the urge to bang on the door as silent seconds slipped by. "Amy!" he hissed again.

Finally the door opened a crack on some kind of safety chain. One eye looked out.

He sagged all over, relief pouring off him like rain. "You're here!"

Her mouth worked for a moment. Then she gave a firm nod. "I am. You ok?"

His hands went to the doorframe to lean closer to the four-inch gap. "Yes! Yes! But I thought you were in trouble so—"

"Why would you think I was in trouble?"

"Well - Lenore said… She said you… " His eyes sagged at the corners and the bridge of his nose angled up in earnest worry. "She sounded really worried like maybe something had happened—"

"Don't be silly," she said, a little stiffly. "I was just working late and then I didn't get back from the office till like ten minutes ago. You're worrying over nothing."

He paused for a second. "…Really?"

She stared, taking in his nervous smile and the way his hair tried to get in his eyes from under his helmet. Her fingers clutched at the wooden door, determined not to let her reach out for him. "Yes," she managed. "I'm - I'm ok, just really tired. Can we do this later?"

"Has something… happened?"

She bit her lip. A sniff, a straightening of her back. "No, don't be silly."

"Sure?" he asked, trying to see better through the opening. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she said. "We're bowling tonight, right? Let me sleep and catch up on some work. Text me later, ok?" she smiled.

"Well… if you're sure you're alright," he said, undecided.

She swallowed, resisting the urge to throw the door open and get in a bone-crushing hug. Her hand clawed at the wood on the inside, desperate to touch his jacket, to inspire the reassurance she needed. "Of course I am. What time are you picking me up tonight?"

"Uh… seven?"

"Seven is good. I'll be ready," she smiled. He hesitated. "Off you go, get to work. I need some sleep."

He didn't move for a long moment.

"Go," she said quietly. "You can't be here right now."

"Uh… ok," he said, wandering a step backward. "Uh…" He managed another step but it was in complete reluctance. "Well… let me know if you need anything."

"You are too good to me," she said quietly. "Go on, get."

He waved awkwardly. "See you later."

"See you later. —Thanks for checking on me."

He made his hand drop and she watched him go back to his bike. He started it up, looked back at the house for a long moment, and then roared off into the traffic.

She closed the door slowly, turned, and slid down the inside. Her head went into her shaking hands and she began to cry in earnest.

.


.

"What?" Lenore gasped at the phone. "She's home? I thought you said—." She paused. "Ok… Yeah, I suppose," she muttered. "Right, well… Britt and I have a plan for the Green Hornet and his masked accomplice. Can you get back here and we'll go through it?" She nodded. "Gotcha. Drive safe." She put the phone on the desk, sat back, and blew out a very long sigh.

"Well?" Britt demanded.

"She's home," she said. "Kato is… not happy. I mean, he's happy, but… he's not happy."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Let's wait until he gets back and we'll ask him, ok?" she asked. "Now then - let's work out how we release the DA and make it seem like she escaped all by herself."

Britt sat down again, and between them they argued over cars, times, wine cellars and zip ties. Eventually they heard the sound of a motorbike round the front of the house. Britt went to get up but Lenore grabbed his arm.

"Stop," she said. "Just… let him tell us, ok? Don't get all demanding on him."

Britt put his hands out. "Ok - I'll be cool, alright? But I'm worried, man. He's all banged up and now this wiping her phong thing has his head all banged up."

"I know," she said quietly. "Just… take it easy."

"Ok," he said, plonking himself down in the seat.

Kato rounded the side of the building, already peeling off his gloves and then undoing his helmet. He simply sat in the chair opposite Britt, not saying a word as he took it off and put it on the table, dropping his gloves into it.

"So… she was home the whole time?" Lenore asked gently.

"No. She lied," he grumped.

"What?" Britt asked, sitting upright. "Why?"

"I don't know," Kato said quietly. "But she was not there when I was. The old lady next door - she knew she was not home but she would not tell me." He huffed, looking at the remains of his now stone-cold breakfast, still on the table. "I called my friend - she traced her phone. She said it was out by the docks all night - until just before I called her, and then it moved back to her house. When I saw Amy she said she was working late at the office and only got home just before I got there."

"She wasn't working," Britt scoffed. "Everyone at the office was looking for her."

Lenore shot him a look and he closed his mouth. She sat forwards. "Wherever she was… is she ok now?"

"Physically? Yes," he said, then looked at her. "But… she did the face."

"What face?" she asked, confused.

"The face that says 'I'm ok' but only because you're not ok."

"It could be… the phone thing," Lenore said quietly. "Maybe she just… wanted time to herself. Maybe she went AWOL last night and is embarrassed about it, so she lied and said she was at work."

"And her brother is sick again," he muttered. "This week is very bad for her."

"Her brother?" Lenore prompted.

"She has an older brother. He has cancer - again," he said, looking at his hands in his lap.

Lenore and Britt exchanged a glance.

"Whoa," Britt managed, under his breath. "Tough week."

Kato picked up a fork and then the plate, sitting back and shovelling egg onto it. "What about the DA?"

"That's cold, buddy," Britt said quietly, getting up. "I'll get you a hot one."

"Food is food," he groused, filling his mouth.

Britt sat back down, nonplussed. He looked at Lenore. She shook her head, then picked up her coffee. "So… yeah. The DA. We need to let her go. She's been in Britt's wine cellar for like a week already. Sapphire won't be looking for her any more - she's fixated on the Green Hornet."

Kato swallowed, still shovelling up more egg and bacon. "How do we know that?"

"It seems personal now," Lenore said. "I mean, she called a meeting and then tried to kill you. We think DA Park should be seen to escape by herself - then the papers will give her a good public image."

"Yeah," Britt gushed. "The brave DA who escaped the evil clutches of the Green Hornet!"

Kato polished off half the plate, swallowing it all down hurriedly. "Why is it always the Hornet? What about the man dressed in black?"

Lenore sat back. "You know he has a point."

"Yeah but he doesn't have a cool name," Britt argued. "Even the Sentinel just calls him 'the masked accomplice'. That's not even a superhero name, that's a description."

"Then if you're the Green Hornet, why isn't he…" She paused, looking at Kato for a long moment. He paused his chewing, eyeing her. "The Black Mask?"

"The Black Mask?" he managed, swallowing quickly. "Because I am not Jet Li."

"What?" Britt asked.

Kato rolled his eyes. "I don't need a name."

"So you're happy with never being in the headlines after all?" Lenore smiled. "Look, whatever people call you, we need you, ok? We need you to help us let DA Park escape so she can be a media hero and go back to work."

"Ok." He scraped more food onto his fork.

"Jesus, don't they feed you?" Britt chuckled.

Kato paused. His eyes flicked to Lenore, then back to Britt. There was an awkward silence. "Orphanages have set times for meals and if you miss it, you don't get any - and living on the street does not hand you meals at regular times," he grumped, emptying the plate. "So you eat everything when it's there even if you don't want it, because later it won't be."

"Dude you haven't lived on the street for…" Britt paused, realising he was totally lost. "Uh… years?"

"Then maybe I have habits, like you always order more vodka than you need because the idea of running out gives you anxiety."

"Do I?"

"Even you can't go through that much in a week," Kato said, one cheek full of food.

Britt lifted a finger to wag at him. "And you know that because… Wait - I bet you stockpile snacks, right? I bet if I go over to your place you'll have like food stashed everywhere so you never run out."

Kato blinked at his food, his head tilting as his jaw slid to one side. A suspicion of red slid up his face.

Lenore reached out and pushed at Britt's arm. "Anyway - let's get ready for tonight, ok?"

"Tonight?" Kato blurted. "What is happening tonight?"

"We let the DA go," Lenore said with a smile.

"What time?"

"You got somewhere to be?" Britt laughed.

"Yes," Kato said firmly.

Britt's smile shrank. "Oh. Well…"

"It won't be till like midnight," Lenore said. "You do whatever it is you need to - but be back here for that, ok?"

"Ok." The plate now empty, he stood up, collecting up various used plates and cutlery. "Coffee," he said, carrying everything inside.

Britt waited until he was well and truly gone. He turned to Lenore. "That dude is a basket case," he whispered. "What do I say that won't make his face look like I just kicked him in the jewels?"

Lenore sighed. "Just keep to the job, ok? Don't mention Amy."

"Right," he nodded. He looked at her for a long moment. "Thanks, Lenore."

"What for this time?" she smiled.

"For knowing everything."

"I try."

He patted her shoulder, then got up and went into the house.

.


.

Kato knocked on the door, then swung his hands behind his back. It opened slowly, the safety chain still across the gap, and Amy looked out.

"Hi," he said with a smile. "You still want to go out tonight?"

"Of course," she said. "Let me get my shoes." She closed the door again and he heard the chain moving on the inside. The wooden entrance opened back up and she waved him in.

He walked in and closed the door, keeping his right hand behind him. She turned away from him to step into her Converse, bending to tie the laces. He surveyed the hallway, the door to the kitchen open. He caught sight of her laptop out on the table inside, the screen still up. "How is your wi-fi speed now?"

"Oh - so much faster - thanks," she said brightly, moving to the other shoe.

"Still working?"

"Just converting some footage and stuff," she said, straightening back up.

"Doesn't the media department do that?"

"They're stacked out with work," she shrugged. "Ready?" She moved toward the door.

He stepped into her way. "Um… before we go…"

"What?"

"I have something for you."

"Me?" she asked, surprised. She stepped closer to him, waiting.

"I heard… well someone at work said… your phone was broken, lost some data, so…" He lifted his right hand, offering her a box. "Here. A new one."

"What?" she gasped. "A whole new phone?" She took the box slowly, turning it over and over, finding it an iPhone in all the sealed packaging. "Oh Kato - you didn't have to do this."

"I did. They… they said… you were upset the data was gone. I can't get it back, but… Sorry."

"What do you have to be sorry for?" she marvelled, turning the box over in her hands again. "I'm still kicking myself for not backing up the phone - it's not your fault."

His mouth opened. "Actually—"

"But you know what?" she smiled. "Thank you. It's not my photos back, but I get it. Thank you." She waved the box. "Let me put this somewhere safe so I can set it up later." She walked off into the house, and he put a hand up, rubbing it over his mouth. She re-appeared in the hallway, plucking her jacket from the peg by the door. "Well? Come on then. We need to go bowling."

He turned to go but she reached out and grabbed his hand. He looked back at her for a long moment. "If you don't want to go…"

"No, it's not that," she said quietly. She pulled and he turned to her. "Just… Thank you." She leant up and kissed him by the mouth. "I am so glad you're here."

He frowned. "Are you sure everything is ok?"

"Of course," she blustered, turning and pulling him to the door. "Come on. We need to lose-lose at bowling."

"Ok," he said cautiously, letting himself be pulled out of the house.

.


.

The Black Beauty rolled out of the secret lane, heading down through the fake cars and making a silent entrance on the main road.

"Keep still," Britt snapped, his hand out and pushing DA Park back in the seat next to him. "Don't make me shoot you before we get there."

"Where are we going?" she demanded, the large American football helmet bobbing as she talked. The duct tape was still plastered over the inside, blocking her view.

He glanced up at Kato, watching him in the rear-view mirror. He shook his head and Britt kept his mouth shut. Instead he pushed on her hands, now bound together with zip-ties, keeping her back in the seat.

"If you were going to kill me you wouldn't have left me in that underground room for days on end," she said. "Tell me what you want at least."

"Stop talking," Britt warned.

"You do realise if you kill me you'll only add to the DA office's determination to find you and arrest you - and indict you for multiple murders." She huffed. "Let me take you in. Do the right thing here. Give us all the stuff you have on rival gangs and we might be able to reduce your sentence. You can still win here, you can still take out everyone opposing you."

"Including you?" Britt shot back. "Just can it, lady."

The car rolled on, turning down side roads and then winding back on itself. Eventually Kato brought it to a stop under a large bridge. He went to turn in the seat but stopped, hissing and feeling quite content to communicate through the medium of the rear-view mirror. He nodded at Britt.

He got out of his side of the car. He went around to the other side and opened up the door. He leant in and put his hands to the DA's. "Get out," he ordered, pulling.

She shuffled up the seat in her dress, getting her shoes out to what felt like tarmac. He pulled and she was forced up to stand. "Watch it," she snapped.

"Don't move," he said, then stood back.

"What are you going to do?" she asked quietly.

He pulled a key from his coat pocket, using it to undo the locks on the helmet. He started to lift it. "Can't shoot you with this on," he said.

"What?" she gasped. "You're still going to shoot me?"

"Time's up, lady. You're no longer useful to me," he said roughly.

"Killing me will only add to your sentence when the city eventually catches you. You can still turn yourself in." The helmet was lifted off. She blinked, acclimatising to the light - and then she jammed a foot on his and slammed her hands forward into the helmet. It whooshed back and into his face.

He cried out - unable to stagger with her foot trapping him to the floor, he went over backwards.

She didn't hesitate. She kicked off her shoes. Her bare feet swivelled against the cold road. She simply ran for her life.

Britt scrambled to his feet. "Get back here!" He pulled the Hornet gun and waved it just as she risked a look over her shoulder. Then she put all her energy into the sprint.

He grinned, letting the gun drop to his side. He backed up until he was by the bonnet of the car, putting a hand to the roof over the driver's window and looking in. "Well that's that," he grinned. "A successful op, I say."

"Then let's go," Kato said.

Britt straightened again - then froze. Very slowly, he bent down again. "Don't look now," he said from the side of his mouth, "but I think we're on camera."

"Again?" Kato protested. "Where?"

"Don't look," he urged, keeping his face down. "There's literally like an arm hanging over the bridge with a phone in it."

"What are you talking about?" Kato demanded. He opened the door and got out. One quick glance and he had located the dangling phone. "哎呦 - 為他媽的你," he cursed. "I'll take care of it." He walked toward the arm. "Hey!"

There was a squeak; something wooden shifted and suddenly a body was falling from his head height under the overpass. It landed with a pained cry on the tarmac a few feet from him.

Britt gasped and ran over, pushing himself in front of Kato quickly - Kato had to step back to avoid getting his nose taken off by his shoulder. "You again?" Britt said, making his voice bigger, deeper.

Amy coughed and massaged her head. She snatched up her fallen phone. "This whole week," she heaved, pushing herself to her feet, "can just bite me."

"Give me your phone," Britt demanded, his hand out.

"No!"

"Your phone or - or your ass!" he snapped.

"Eeeyiiu!" She recoiled as if he were made of rotten fruit.

"I mean - I mean give me your phone or I kill you!"

She swallowed. She put one foot behind her. "N-no."

"Give!"

"I can't!"

He took a step. She turned to run but he grabbed her arm. He yanked her back, then fought for the phone in her grip. She wrenched and struggled but he tackled it free and stood back.

"Give me that!" she cried in fear. She jumped at him.

Kato's glove appeared from nowhere. It deflected her attempt to get a grip on Britt. Instead it smoothed it round in a circle until it was pressed up behind her back. Something grabbed her other hand. It too was whisked up her back and she was locked in place.

"Let go of me!" She struggled. Kato pulled on her arms and she stopped hastily. He made sure he stayed well behind her as he looked over her shoulder at Britt.

"Look, lady - you've got some balls, ok?" Britt said. "But you can't be taking footage of the Green Hornet. I don't want any more film of me on the news, you got that?"

"Please - I need that!" she blurted.

"You really don't." He lifted it, trying to get it to unlock with his gloves on.

"Please! Please I need that! You can't wipe it!" she begged. "I can't fail her! I just can't!"

"I don't care," Britt said, still trying to get the phone to do anything but demand a fingerprint for security.

"Just give it back! Please!" she begged. "Please! You don't understand!"

"Oh I understand you need another scoop for your paper," he scoffed. "Well you're not going to get it. How did you even know how to find us?"

She struggled, trying to get her arms free. Kato simply increased the pressure on her wrists. She cried out and stopped. "Traffic cams - and I had help!" she blurted. "I had to! I had to get this - it's already nearly Thursday morning! I'm running out of time!"

Britt huffed and gestured to Kato. "Get her finger. I need her to unlock this."

Kato moved her hand around, attempting to stretch one finger out. She growled and clenched her fist deliberately. He sighed and pushed at the knuckles, manipulating her finger until she cried out in frustration and let it open. Britt went over and between them they managed to hold her still enough to make her finger land over the button. The phone unlocked.

"Ha! So much for security!" Britt grinned. He stepped back.

"No! Please! I need that!" she cried. "Please! You don't know what you're doing!"

"Oh I know exactly what I'm doing," he grinned smugly. "Say goodbye to your footage, lady."

"No!" She kicked and wrenched. It took all of Kato's strength to stop her getting free. "No! Please! You'll kill him! You'll kill them both!"

Britt paused. "Who?"

"The two people who actually mean anything to me!" she raged. "Please - you'll kill them! If I don't get that footage back then they're both dead!"

Britt hesitated. He looked at Kato over her shoulder, then bit his lip. "I think you're making that up."

"No! I'm not! Please!" she begged. "Don't delete it! If I don't get her that footage before Friday morning they both die! If she sees me giving you that phone then he dies first!"

"Who?" Britt demanded.

She hauled in a breath. "Kato!"

"Yes?" he asked innocently from behind her. He jammed his eyes shut in abject self-kickery.

"Yes - yeah - what… are you talking about?" Britt said hastily.

"First they kill Kato and then Benedito!" she blurted. "Happy? They kill them both because I didn't get them pictures of your face to ID you!"

Britt stood back one. "What?"

"Who will?" Kato asked. His grip loosened.

It was enough. She pulled one hand free. His grip was broken. She turned swiftly and kneed him as hard as she could in the groin.

He went down in a heap with a cry of pain. She leapt over him to run. Britt jumped after her - and grabbed her by the arm.

"What the hell, lady!" he blurted. She turned and made a grab for her phone. He stepped back as she went for his eyes. The phone toppled out of his grip and bounced on the ground. Her right hook went for his head - but he grabbed her arm and yanked her round.

Kato grunted in pain as he flopped onto his side on the ground. He shuffled forward and reached desperately. His glove closed over the phone and he rolled onto his back, trying to breath and not think about the intense pain in his nether regions.

"Just - keep - still," Britt growled through gritted teeth, trying to enforce his bear hug round her from behind. She moved to stomp on his foot but he shifted. "Ha! You're not the only who fights on playgrounds!" he cried. She butted her head back. He swerved and then squeezed her harder. "Stop! Just stop for one minute!" he warned. "Goddamn you are a tigress!" He heard a noise in the road behind him. "Hey - you ok down there?"

Kato just groaned, torn between breathing in a way that didn't make him bring up his most recent meal and making sure he still had hold of the phone.

"Dude - can you get up?"

"Wait," Kato panted. "I cannot see."

Britt shook her slightly. "You don't go round giving a man a shot in the pills like that," he accused. "Over a freakin' phone!"

"Let me go!" she hurled, struggling again. She yanked; Britt's grip slipped. She found herself suddenly free. The momentum tossed her to the ground. A solid oof! pushed the wind from her lungs and she fought to get to her hands and knees. She panted in air and caught sight of the fallen man still on his back, her phone in his hand.

"Give me that!" She launched herself at him.

He rolled at the last second; she missed and landed flat out on her front. He ended up on his back again, past caring. Flipping back to her hands and knees she put a foot under her to get up.

She heard a ppffffff; something green clouded her eyes. She sank to the ground. Britt stood back, looking at the two people now lying in the road.

He put the Hornet gun away and just eyed them both, shaking his head. "Well, shit."