34

Last Alarm

Chapter Thirty-Four

"Prisoners of War"

"Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home."

John Howard Payne

On the third day of the Outbreak as the Contagion continued its deadly spread throughout almost every populated area of the world, there were few resources left in the world to aid the millions of helpless civilians running for their lives from the vast hordes of the Infected that were constantly pursuing them, hungering insatiably for their flesh.

The First Responders of each nation had been the hardest hit during the first day of The Outbreak, all of them being the first ones to receive the frantic calls for help and also being the very first to respond to what many of the rescue crews were led to believe by their dispatchers was merely a call for someone with a severe psychiatric disorder that had "gone off their meds" and were now screaming hysterically that "zombies were attacking".

But as the worn-out Emergency crews already deep into their shift rolled out in their ambulances, rescue trucks, and police units in the middle of the night and arrived on scene, the so-called "routine call" they had all expected to find turned out to be a horror none of them would have thought possible in their wildest nightmares, and very few of them would live to tell about afterwards.

And just like their fellow colleagues throughout the world of every nation who had all rushed to meet the unknown, each rescuer, medic, and police officer found themselves facing a threat of the likes that no one had ever seen before, and like their colleagues, each of them were quickly overrun by the hordes of Infected who's violent onslaught continued without anything seemingly able to stop them.

So quickly did the Contagion spread out of control that the World's Superpowers desperately scrambled their vast military arsenal to meet the unspeakable threat on their own doorstep.

And as roadblock after roadblock and battle line after battle line also quickly became overrun and eventually fell to the seemingly unstoppable hordes of Infected, those left in power then did what many generations of World Leaders and their subordinates had previously thought unthinkable, and turned their weaponry on their own citizens in an effort to stop the spread of the Contagion.

And as the world's population continued to dwindle in the face of this seemingly unstoppable foe, in a touch of irony, the world's poorest countries seemed almost immune to the Contagion, causing many of the citizens of those areas of the globe deemed "technologically superior" to speculate that the Contagion was indeed a new weapon of a kind never seen before, and only now had been unleashed on an unsuspecting world, for reasons unknown.

Or perhaps, for reasons more sinister than anyone could possibly imagine.

And as fear gave way to paranoia and then paranoia to panic, waves of those overcome by fear and anger quickly became a force no one on earth could counter as the vast waves of the living, driven to madness by the Infected pursuing them, viciously turned on those who had once been their leaders, peacekeepers, and even the few rescue workers left as mankind began to work towards its own extinction.

And as the world continued to destroy itself and all attempts to control the Contagion and the panicked populace continued to fail, those who had normally held much lower positions in their country's political office suddenly found themselves pressed into the unfamiliar position of being Leaders of their country, and were now bestowed with a power they had never expected to wield in their lifetimes.

Now in a position none of these newly appointed leaders had ever dreamed possible, it was these previous senators, ministers, lords, and diplomats of each nation that now held the welfare of their own country in their hands.

As well as the fate of the entire world.

And now faced with a threat never experienced before and with no knowledge of what to do in their dire situation, decisions were now being made by these same frightened men and women that previously would have never have even been considered by their now deceased predecessors.

And as the Contagion continued its deadly spread on the third day of the Outbreak, it was these same frightened souls who ruled their nation from their hidden underground bunkers, and other makeshift Offices of Power that began to consider what had always been regarded as something that had been every Political Leader's worst nightmare,… The Final Option.

And as millions of frightened men, women, and children ran for their lives from "The Infected" each of them wondering why help had not yet come to their aid, and wondering what their country's Government were doing about the crisis.

Many of those same panicked civilians and their families would never realize that it was their own Government ruled by those who had no business being in power in the first place, that were already sealing their fate.

And as the world loomed closer and closer to its own destruction, in one part of the world in a major metropolitan city located near the coast of Southern Japan, a group of young survivors that had just barely survived the onslaught of both the Infected as well as the depraved actions of the "Non-Infected", had finally gained a small respite from their life and death struggle still ongoing beyond the walls of their make-shift fortress.

And as the small group tried to recover from their ordeal, not far away, on a small, man-made island airport off the Coast of Japan, a former British commando and his Japanese captors also struggled to survive as the numbers of the Infected continued to grow on their small plot of land in the vast Pacific Ocean cut off from all aid.

And as each group of survivors continued their fierce struggle to survive, neither group could know at the time that their lives would soon intertwine with each other, or know of the cruel fate that would be awaiting them when their paths were soon to cross.

Neither group realizing that they would never be safe, no matter where they went.

Location: Tokonosu City

Estate of Soichiro and Yuriko Takagi

Time: Afternoon

Spring 2013

Z-Day Plus Three

"Hirano, what the hell are you doing, man?!" Takashi said irritably to the chubby teen who had been busily searching under each bed and then under each piece of furniture in their room ever since Yuriko Takagi's guards had left the room, taking the boy's clothes along with them as they left and leaving Takashi and Kouta with only the bathrobes they now wore to cover themselves with, as they locked the door to their room from the outside, imprisoning them.

"Looking for bugs, what else?" Kouta replied without looking up as he searched underneath a coffee table in the middle of the room.

"Kouta, do you honestly think a place like this would have a problem with roaches?" Takashi said grumpily as he threw a pillow across the room at Kouta in irritation, missing him by a large margin.

"Not looking for that kind of "bug", dude." Kouta replied rolling his eyes as he continued his search.

"For a guy that's supposed to be our leader, Komuro-kun's not all that smart sometimes." Kouta thought to himself, as now satisfied that the coffee table he was looking under was clear, he then began to search under the sofa for any hidden electronic listening devices as Takashi sat on his bed on the other side of the room watching him grumpily.

In one of the many luxurious guest rooms located on the west wing of Takagi Manor, young teenage Takashi Komuro sulked on the edge of one of the two elegant wood frame canopy beds in the enormous guest room that he and Kouta Hirano, his schoolmate and fellow survivor from the horrors of the attack at Fujimi High School, were sharing.

Clad only in a bathrobe, Takashi shook slightly as he continued to watch Kouta who was still busily inspecting every corner of the magnificent room from top to bottom, looking for hidden surveillance equipment as if the mansion was a maximum security prison.

The room that Takashi and Kouta had been herded into by Yuriko Takagi's guards earlier in the day was an exceptionally luxurious room furnished with many fine pieces of imported furniture lying throughout, deep-plush carpets, and many contemporary works of art decorating the guestroom walls.

The enormous king-size bed that Takashi currently sat on with its large mattress filled with real goose-down was an exceptionally luxurious bed, it's wooden frame hand-carved with intricate carvings throughout and was even inlaid with mother-of-pearl inlays into the wood.

Everything in the room where Takashi and Kouta were quartered was designed to impress the few guests who had been privileged enough to have been deemed worthy of an overnight stay, and had indeed been a rare pleasure known only by the wealthy elite who had been given the privilege to do so.

Every inch of the extravagantly ornate room was strikingly beautiful and of such extravagance that the young survivors from Fujimi High would admit later on in their adult lives, that they had never seen anything equal to the splendor of Takagi Manor ever again in their lifetimes.

However, although there were few things that the teens completely agreed upon as a group, in regards to the majesty and splendor of Takagi Manor there was one thing that in their point of view was unanimous.

Like Saya who had lived there all her life, every one of them hated every inch of the sprawling estate.

At that particular moment, nothing about the mansion's splendor impressed Takashi or his friends, even though not one of them, with the exception of Takashi and of course Saya who lived there, had ever seen the mansion with their own eyes before today.

For Takashi, the mansion had always been a loathsome place to him since the age of five, and had always seemed cold, dark,….. without any warmth.

And now as a teenager locked within its confines, the place seemed just as cold and as frightening as it did so long ago when he was still but a child.

Although he and Saya had always enjoyed playing together as children on the grounds of the sprawling estate, the house itself was something Takashi always wished to avoid, and even with the enormous drapes used to cover the giant windows leading to the veranda now pulled back allowing the bright rays of sunlight to flood the room, Takashi still viewed the room the same as he always had before as he felt a familiar chill running up his spine.

His discomfort however, was not from the cool air blowing through the air conditioning vents or the air being circulated in the room by the large ceiling fans whose blades spun continuously around keeping the room temperature comfortable.

Nor was it due either to his discomfort at being inside the home that he had always found uncomfortable as a child, even though the house was still as cold and uninviting as he remembered it, especially with the large glass doors leading out to the balcony having been locked shut, clearly indicating that they were actually "prisoners" and not just "guests" in the Takagi home.

Nor was it fact that Takashi and Kouta were actually stark naked under the bathrobes they wore that was the reason Takashi was shaking all over.

The real reason young Takashi Komuro was shaking was because he was more angrier now than he had ever been in his entire life.

The reasons for Takashi's fury had been all due to the fact that ever since Soichiro Takagi's grand entrance earlier, he and his friends had experienced nothing but one humiliation after another by Yuriko Takagi and her men who had embarrassed all of them in front of the entire crowd of people that they had just prevented from harming Yuriko and her men, as well as having prevented the panicked mob from rushing the hospital tent in an attempt to kill the wounded American inside.

Instead of being grateful that the attack had been stopped by he and his friends, Takashi and the rest of the teens had instead, been forced to endure the humiliation of being rudely searched and then scolded by Saya's mother who even smacked Takashi in the back of the head as they were all then hustled up to the Main House with the sounds of people in the crowd jeering at them as they were escorted away.

And then once they had all been ushered through the overly large wooden doors of the mansion, and after defusing a minor incident when Saya had nearly beaten Kouta half to death for slapping her on her bottom and had to be restrained by Yuriko and two of her guards, the teens were then lined up against one of the walls in the enormous parlor of the mansion and searched again for weapons, like a group of prisoners being processed into a prison.

And then after being frisked for the second time by the Takagi Security personnel, Yuriko then stood in front of all of the teens and proceeded to chew all of them out, Shizuka included, in front of her entire house staff that had assembled downstairs to greet the newcomers.

The Matriarch of the Takagi House seemed to have never stopped to take a breath as she scolded all of them loudly as if they were a bunch of delinquent schoolchildren who had misbehaved during a field trip, accusing all of them of being reckless and foolhardy for their actions that morning as they tried to protect the life of their American friend from the panicked refugees.

And then after being chewed out for what seemed like an eternity, everyone had then been marched upstairs and separated from one another, with the boys being placed in one guestroom while the girls had been placed in another, with Shizuka and Alice being quartered separately from all of them in another room at the end of the hallway.

Then as if to humiliate them even further, under the watchful eye of two of the Takagi guards, Takashi and Kouta had then been forced to endure the humiliation of being strip-searched and having their clothes and personal belongings confiscated, with only a bathrobe to cover themselves with.

And judging from the angry shouts of the teenage girls coming from their room across the hall, Takashi realized that the girls were also going through the same humiliating process under the watchful eyes of the female housemaids who had been given strict orders to do so by Yuriko Takagi, who was apparently not taking any more chances with the unpredictable teenagers.

The teens had not taken too kindly at all to being separated from one another or the humiliating strip-search by the guards looking for any hidden weapons on their persons, and Takashi was still seething over the humiliation of it all.

"Hey man, at least they didn't do a body cavity search." Kouta had joked trying to snap Takashi out of his foul mood, with no luck.

But it was the girls who had protested the most at being searched in that fashion, especially Saya and Rei who were both placed in one room together as Yuriko Takagi and a couple of housemaids forced them to remove their clothing in front of them, and then after being given a bathrobe to cover their bodies with, confiscated their clothes and locked them in their rooms.

Saya had been livid at the whole ordeal naturally, and not just because of the humiliation of being strip-searched by her own mother in the presence of others and treated like a prisoner in her own home.

Saya's fury was due mostly in no small part to the fact that she had not been allowed to stay in her own comfortable room afterwards, and had been forced to share a bed in the guest room instead with Rei.

Saeko on the other hand, had been placed in a separate room away from everyone else as an extra precaution, due in no small part to Yuriko Takagi's firsthand experience at knowing just how dangerous the young girl could be despite her being unarmed and barely clothed.

Despite her previously showing no hesitation at all of her willingness to employ her combat abilities earlier that day, Saeko had offered no resistance to Yuriko or her maids in being strip-searched, although in truth there had been little need to do so, as scantily clad as she was already.

And despite her obviously calm and non-threatening nature, Shizuka had also not been immune to the strip search either, mostly in part due to her having pulled a concealed knife earlier and injuring some of the Takagi guards that morning.

Alice however, had been shown considerable leeway by Yuriko who had allowed Shizuka to discreetly gather the girl's clothing under the pretense of having Alice take a bath as the little girl's clothing was then gathered without having to search the girl.

And then after all of the teens were searched and no more weapons were found, the guards then proceeded to take away all of their clothes and belongings, and then after a tray of sandwiches was brought in to each room for everyone to eat (minus any utensils) the guards then locked the doors and windows to their rooms behind them, leaving the teens to fume.

Sometime later after fuming quietly away in their luxurious "cells", Takashi's attention was suddenly aroused by the sounds of movement in the hallway, as he and Kouta both glanced at each other and then stared at the door, waiting anxiously for someone to enter their room.

Then after a few moments with no one entering the room and the voices outside their door now sounding as if they were moving towards the far end of the hallway, each of the teens in their rooms got up from where they sat and eagerly placed their ears against the door, all of them listening intently to the commotion going on outside in the hallway.

And based on the voices they heard as well as the other noises coming through the locked door, the teens finally realized that the noises that they were hearing were more than likely coming from the guards moving the American from the hospital tent to a room at the furthest end of the hallway, away from where the teens were being quartered.

And as Takashi and his friends all listened with their ears pressed against the door, everyone could tell that Yuriko, Shizuka, and someone else were having a rather loud discussion over the placement of the American inside Takagi mansion.

"Takagi-sama, I do not wish to sound rude, but what you're asking is completely unacceptable." Dr. Yamane said as he stood next to Yuriko in the hallway.

"I understand your feelings, Sensei,…" Yuriko replied. "But until the JSDF sends transport for him, this is the only safe place the American can be kept."

"I agree with that part completely." Dr. Yamane said attempting to be polite as the guards walked up carrying the unconscious man on a litter, the top of his head heavily bandaged. "But I cannot agree with having any of my staff pulled away from their duties to be locked up in there with him as well. We are terribly understaffed as it is."

Yuriko sighed as the headache she had been fighting all morning continued to throb as she tried her best to appease the Chief Surgeon, who was also an old friend of the family, but was continuing to hit brick wall after brick wall when it came to trying to be reasonable with the old doctor.

Earlier, when the American's wounds had been sutured and Dr. Yamane had agreed that the man was medically stable enough to move, Yuriko had protested loudly against Yoshioka's suggestion that the American be placed in one of the guestrooms inside the mansion, for fear of another possible escape attempt if the man should awaken, and had suggested that the unconscious man be placed in the pool house outside in the rear of the mansion, and placed under heavy guard.

However, due to Yoshioka's opinion that with his minimal staff that he would be unable to insure the American's safety anywhere outside of the mansion with the frightened mob still posing a threat to his life, the Security Chief had then suggested to Yuriko about placing the man in the basement of the mansion instead.

To this suggestion Dr. Yamane, who had accompanied them on the transfer of the unconscious American had given a vehement "No", pointing out that the conditions in the basement, no matter how clean, would only hamper the American's ability to recover from his injuries or his ability to be able to fight off any secondary infections to his wounds from the dank atmosphere below ground.

After much heated discussion, it was finally agreed by all parties that the prisoner would be placed at the end of the hall where the school nurse and the child had been quartered, and that the two occupants currently housed there, namely Shizuka and Alice, would then be quartered elsewhere.

And it had seemed that they had all finally come to an amicable agreement, in which the American could then be kept secure and far enough away from all other contact with the exception of one of Dr. Yamane's staff, who would be assigned to care for the man around the clock while he was kept under heavy guard.

The plan had been foiled again however, when Dr. Yamane had adamantly refused to allow any of his staff to be locked up with the unconscious prisoner, stating that the risk was still far too great for any of his staff to be hurt or killed if another attempt was made on the American's life, or if the American suddenly awakened and decided to use his caretaker as a hostage in order to escape.

Frustrated already by the morning events and the inability to achieve some sort of reasonable compromise, Yuriko had then angrily ordered for the American to be moved into the mansion and also ordered, despite his protests, that one of Dr. Yamane's staff would also be assigned to attend to the American's medical needs and that a guard would be placed inside the room as well as outside to minimize any risk that should arise.

Dr. Yamane's negative response to Yuriko's orders had almost resulted in setting off another round of frustrated arguing until Shizuka suddenly stepped in and volunteered to care for the prisoner as she and Alice were being escorted out of the room.

But what surprised Yuriko, Yoshioka, and Dr. Yamane even more than the school nurse's offer to take over the American's medical care, was also her request that she and Alice be allowed to stay in the room with the unconscious prisoner, without a guard being present inside the room to ensure their safety.

And just as Yuriko and Yoshioka were about to deny her request, Shizuka then pointed out to them that her entire reasons for doing so were based on the undeniable fact, as pointed out by Dr. Yamani, that there was indeed a severe shortage of medical personnel qualified, or available, or even willing to monitor the high risk patient. A fact that Shizuka had seen for herself while assisting the surgeons in the hospital tent earlier that morning.

And since everyone was afraid of being taken hostage or possibly harmed by the American should he awaken, Shizuka then pointed out also that if the American did awaken from his coma and saw a person he recognized, then there would be no cause for alarm since the man would not attack someone he trusted, namely, the people he had been protecting the past three days.

However, despite Shizuka's sound reasoning for volunteering to see to the American's medical care thus freeing Dr. Yamane and his desperately undermanned and sorely needed staff, Yuriko and Yoshioka still refused Shizuka's offer in hopes of avoiding another escape attempt by keeping the American separated from any of the other survivors, including Shizuka.

Eventually however, after Dr. Yamane had pointed out that the school nurse's offer was indeed the best option overall, Yuriko reluctantly agreed that the school nurse and her young ward Alice would be allowed to stay in the improvised "infirmary" along with the unconscious prisoner, provided that the American was kept handcuffed to his bed and armed guards be stationed at the door at all times with no other visitors allowed inside.

Shizuka agreed to Yuriko's terms as the wounded American was then carried past them on a litter as the guards entered the large room and then transferred the prisoner to the large bed within and then handcuffed the unconscious man by his right wrist to the bed frame while Shizuka and Alice watched quietly from the hallway.

"Marikawa-sensei, he's all yours." Yuriko said with a tired sigh as Shizuka and Alice bowed respectfully to her and then walked inside the room followed by Dr. Yamane as the guards who had just transferred the wounded man were exiting out of the room and then stopped to listen to some final instructions from Yoshioka as they then patiently waited for the Chief Surgeon, as Yoshioka turned and escorted Yuriko down the long hallway.

"Yuriko-san,…." Yoshioka said speaking quietly so as not to be heard in the hallway. "Do you truly think this is wise allowing that woman and her child to be locked in the same room alone with the American?"

"At this point, I honestly don't care anymore Ken-san." Yuriko said wearily as she rubbed her temples her head pounding. "This day has been much more of a headache than I thought it would be, and I'm just glad everyone's finally secured and can't cause any more trouble than they already have."

"Agreed." Yoshioka said with a tired sigh, nodding his head. "The JSDF should be sending transport for him soon, and once he's gone, everyone should finally settle down as well."

"I certainly hope so, Ken-san." Yuriko said as she glanced over at the door to the room where Saya and Rei were quartered and Yoshioka noticed the worried look on Yuriko's face.

"Shall I release Saya-sama to her own room, Yuriko-dono?" Yoshioka asked sympathetically knowing that while Yuriko was still very much the strong woman he had always known, inwardly, the loving mother Yuriko was at heart was heartbroken at the rift between her and her daughter and was aching to hold her child in her arms, especially after not knowing whether Saya had been alive or dead ever since the Outbreak began.

"No Ken-san." Yuriko replied the pain in her voice unmistakable. "Not until Soichiro and I have a chance to talk to her first, later."

"Wakatta." Yoshioka said with a nod.

"Demo, what should we do about the other children?" Yoshioka then asked as Yuriko suddenly stopped walking and then glanced at the closed doors where the other teens were being quartered.

"We cannot keep them as prisoners forever, Yuriko-san." Yoshioka said as Yuriko shook her head.

"I really have no idea, Ken-san." Yuriko said as she resumed walking. "Finding them was a miracle to begin with. Finding their parents now is impossible, and now that there is nothing but hate and mistrust for us in their hearts, I have no idea what we should do with them."

"Perhaps if we give them some more time to cool off, then maybe they will listen to reason later and we can figure something out." Yuriko sighed.

"Very well, Yuriko-dono." Yoshioka replied as they entered the Main section of the mansion.

Shizuka and Alice had quietly walked into the makeshift infirmary and then stopped near the bed where the man that had been their friend and guardian for the past three days lay unconscious with the top of his head heavily bandaged while his eyes remained closed, his face still visibly swollen and his breathing still very slow.

"Oba-san?" Alice said after the puppy she had been carrying scampered off as she placed him on the floor. "Is Ojii-san going to be okay?"

"Ojii-san?" Dr. Yamane said his eyebrows rising in surprise. "This man is the child's grandfather?"

"No, she just calls him that, Yamane-sensei." Shizuka replied with a sad smile. "He's not related to her at all."

"Her father was killed as he was trying to get them both to safety." Shizuka whispered to Dr. Yamane quietly so that Alice couldn't overhear. "And we don't know the whereabouts of her mother either."

"I see." Dr. Yamane said as he patted Alice on the head.

"Yes Arisu-chan, he should be waking up soon." The kindly old doctor said to Alice as she walked up to the bed and stared at the sleeping man and then timidly placed her hand on the unconscious man's arm.

"Is that true, Sensei?" Shizuka whispered a little excitedly. "Then there's been no trauma to the brain after all?"

"Not from all appearances." Dr. Yamane replied as he gestured towards the unconscious patient. "His vital signs have been stable, his motor function appears normal upon pain stimuli, and his pupils are reactive to light."

"Of course, without the benefit of a CT scan, there's no way to tell with 100% accuracy." Dr. Yamane cautioned.

"Still, I think his prognosis is good." Dr. Yamane added with a slight smile. "The wounds that were inflicted on him, while serious in appearance, were actually just glancing blows from the rifle butt that tore the flesh considerably, but didn't cause any visible damage to the skull itself."

"He will however, be in a great deal of pain when he awakens." The Chief Surgeon warned. "So I do have some medications for you to give him, but needless to say, with a head injury, he is not to be administered any narcotic analgesics."

"Wakatta." Shizuka replied nodding her head.

"He will also more than likely be experiencing headaches, vertigo, nausea and vomiting, and possible blackouts, so you will need to monitor his condition closely, Marikawa-san." Dr. Yamane added as he gave Shizuka some final instructions on the American's care before preparing to leave.

"I understand, Yamane- Sensei. Thank you for all you have done." Shizuka replied bowing respectfully to Dr. Yamane who politely bowed back and then gave Alice another friendly pat on the head and a lemon drop from his pocket before walking out of the room as the guards outside then locked the doors, shutting Shizuka and Alice inside.

"Oba-chan, is it true that Ojii-chan's going to be okay?" Alice asked as she gently patted the man's arm again, trying to awaken him.

In response, Shizuka walked towards the bed and stood behind Alice and then wrapped her arms around the small child and gazed worriedly at the unconscious man.

"Hai, Arisu-chan, he'll be fine." Shizuka said as she hugged Alice.

"Jimu-san,…." Shizuka thought to herself as she looked into the man's swollen face. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to panic when I saw you lying there so badly hurt. I don't know what came over me."

And as Alice watched the badly beaten man lying still on the bed with the top of his head all wrapped up like a mummy, she suddenly heard a strange sound coming from the nice lady that was hugging her and looked up into the woman's face and was surprised at what she saw.

"Please forgive me Jimu-san." Alice heard the woman say out loud, as Alice looked up at the nurse's face wondering why the nice lady who had been so kind to her was suddenly crying.

After hearing the voices of Yuriko and Yoshioka fade away as they walked down the long hallway and then after hearing no other sounds afterwards, Takashi then breathed a sigh of relief, grateful with the knowledge that their American friend would be kept safe and well taken care of by Shizuka and Alice watching over him.

And as Takashi and Kouta walked back to their large beds and plopped down upon them, physically and emotionally exhausted from the day's events, Takashi looked up and stared vacantly at the ceiling with a frown.

As a child, Takashi had always been afraid of the mansion.

It was cold, dark, uninviting, and he hated the thought of ever going inside, because even as a child, it had always reminded him of the outside of a prison.

And Takashi always feared that if he ever stepped inside the huge mansion that he would be trapped within and would remain a prisoner there in that house forever.

And ironically, so many years later, what he had always feared had indeed come true.

Later, after a few hours had passed since their dramatic arrival at Takagi Manor, only now had everyone calmed down somewhat since they had all been ushered into the mansion and searched like a group of prisoners being interred into a penitentiary.

And then suddenly the teens were once again alerted by the sounds of footsteps in the hallway once more, as Yuriko, along with her husband Soichiro and the Security Chief Yoshioka passed by their rooms and then entered the makeshift infirmary and began to question Shizuka about the American's condition, each of them appearing extremely eager to know if the American might soon awaken from his unconscious state.

And despite their eagerness to know if the wounded man would awaken anytime soon, Shizuka could only confirm what Dr. Yamani had said earlier that the patient's condition was stable and nothing more, and then humbly offered to notify the guards to contact the Takagi's whenever the man did regain consciousness.

And after Shizuka had answered a few more of their questions, Saya's parents and the Security Chief had then been about to leave when there was a loud pounding on the door and one of the maids came rushing in, a frightened look on her face.

"What's wrong Sachiko?" Yuriko asked the ashen-faced handmaid.

"Gome nasai Yuriko-sama, demo, one of the teenage girls you asked us to keep strict watch on has become quite vocal about being allowed to see the American." The maid replied as Yuriko sighed and shook her head, already knowing which one of the girls that the maid was referring to.

"Let me guess, would she happen to be the tall, skinny one with scary eyes, a large ponytail, and no issues with public nudity?" Yuriko said with a heavy sigh as she shook her head in frustration.

"Hai Yuriko-sama, that's the one." The maid replied as Yuriko audibly groaned and rubbed her forehead as Soichiro gazed at his wife with a puzzled look.

"She also says that since all of her requests about the American's condition have been ignored all afternoon, she has just threatened to tear the house apart from the inside out if we continue to ignore her requests any further, Yuriko-sama." The maid added as Soichiro raised his eyebrows at her words.

"Oh?" Soichiro said growing slightly irritated at the rudeness of one of the youths in their custody. "And just who is this young woman that thinks she can intimidate us with threats?"

"That would be Busujima, Saeko." Yuriko said rubbing her temples, the headache that had been throbbing earlier coming back with a vengeance. "She's probably worried that I'm going to put a bullet in the head of her American friend as soon as I have the chance."

"Busujima Hiroyuki-sensei's daughter?!" Soichiro said incredulously. "She's one of the children you rescued this morning?!"

"Unfortunately, yes." Yuriko replied with a sigh. "And she's every bit her father's child."

"Really?" Soichiro said rubbing his chin intrigued at this new development, not having recognized Saeko outside on the grounds earlier during the stand-off with the mob in front of the hospital tent. "I did not realize she was one of the young people you had placed in custody."

"You could no longer put Saeko Busujima "in custody" any more than you could a typhoon, Soichiro-san." Yuriko said with a disgusted snort. "And I have absolutely no desire to be in that girl's way when she unleashes her wrath again."

"Nor do I, dono." Yoshioka admitted pointing to his bandaged nose as Soichiro looked at them both, surprised at their remarks.

"Really? Why? What happened out there?" Soichiro asked intrigued as Yuriko then quickly related to her husband how she and the Security Chief had been attacked and then held off by the strong-willed teenager at the condominium as Soichiro listened intently, his eyebrows rising at the tale.

"She really did all of that?!" Soichiro asked in disbelief.

"Hai, and there's going to be hell to pay when I tell her the answer is "No" about seeing the American." Yuriko said with a grimace, as the maid Sachiko visibly shuddered.

"Yes, that certainly sounds like something the child of Busujima Sensei would be capable of." Soichiro said with a hint of amusement in his voice as Yuriko turned toward her husband with an annoyed look.

"Do you wish for me to relay that your answer is "No" then to her, Yuriko-sama?" The maid said hesitantly, dreading the idea of having to be the one to be the bearer of bad news to the teenage girl whose eyes appeared as if Death itself were staring at you.

"And get yourself killed Sachiko?! No, I'll do it myself." Yuriko said reluctantly as she motioned for Yoshioka to follow her as the maid blew a huge sigh of relief.

"Ano, Takagi-sama?" Shizuka asked meekly as everyone then turned to look at her.

"Hai, Marikawa-sensei. What can I do for you?" Yuriko asked politely already looking as if she were about to drop from exhaustion.

"I wish to thank you for all that you have done already for me and the children, Yuriko-sama." Shizuka began hesitantly as she bowed politely. "And I truly hate to ask anything more of you, especially after everything that has happened."

"What is it Marikawa-sensei?" Yuriko asked tiredly.

"Forgive me, but I wish to ask if you wouldn't mind if I offered another small suggestion, as regards to this situation with Saeko-chan?" Shizuka asked knowing full well how Yuriko was sure to react to her "suggestion" and feeling somewhat unsure herself, if it truly was such a wise decision either that the best way to avoid another possibly violent confrontation with Saeko was to do the unthinkable.

Namely, to allow the girl to enter into the room for a brief visit with her and Alice as they watched over the American.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Yuriko had shouted, aghast at the suggestion of Saeko being anywhere near the wounded man, nearly waking up Alice with her outburst who had been sleeping on the other bed next to the wounded man.

"I'm afraid that I have to agree with my wife, Sensei." Soichiro said in a firm but polite voice as he placed a hand on his wife's shoulder in an effort to calm her. "Based on what my wife has just told me about her violent tendencies, allowing Busujima Saeko anywhere near that man is not going to happen,…..ever."

"But,…" Shizuka began to protest.

"Sensei,…" Soichiro said in an almost gentle tone as he tried to be reasonable with the visibly upset nurse. "I realize that you and the children must have your reasons for wanting to protect this man, but the fact remains, I have already advised the JSDF of his capture and they will be coming for him as soon as they possibly can."

"And allowing the children near him especially the daughter of Busujima Hiroyuki, is only going to make it that much harder for them to deal with when he's taken away from here." Yuriko added. "Do you not understand why we cannot allow what you're asking of us, Marikawa-sensei?"

"Hai Takagi-sama, I do." Shizuka replied quietly to the surprise of Saya's parents. "And I completely agree that allowing Saeko-chan or any of the children be anywhere near Jimu-san will be extremely painful for them, and that it would be best to keep the other teenagers away when the Military arrives for Jimu-san."

"Demo,…" Shizuka said sadly as she looked over at the unconscious American.

"I think it would be better for Saeko-chan if you made an exception in this case, and allowed her to be with him, at least for a little while." Shizuka said calmly.

"For heaven's sake Marikawa-sensei, why?" Yuriko asked aghast at Shizuka's insistence on the girl being allowed to see the fallen man despite the potential hazard of doing so.

"Saeko-chan had mentioned to me earlier that both of you knew her father, is that correct?" Shizuka asked both of Saya's parents.

"Hai, he was my kenjutsu teacher." Soichiro replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Forgive me for asking Takagi-sama, demo, do you know if her father travels a lot?" Shizuka then asked.

"Yes he does,….."Soichiro replied. "He often goes overseas to instruct at his overseas dojos in the United States and France. Why?"

"I'm afraid that this may sound rather odd,….." Shizuka replied. "But I believe that if Saeko-chan were allowed to see that Jimu-san was alright and allowed a brief stay, then perhaps there would no longer be any more problems with her."

"But if you insist on ignoring her,…." Shizuka added. "Then I'm afraid she will only continue her attempts to see him despite your security measures, and I'm afraid she might hurt herself."

"Actually, I think the chances are better that somebody will actually get hurt by Busujima Saeko, not the other way around, Marikawa-sensei." Yuriko said dryly, speaking from experience.

"Gomen nasai, Marikawa-sensei." Soichiro said with a frown as he glanced over at his wife. "But based on what my wife has told me, I'm afraid I simply cannot grant your request right now."

"But,….."Shizuka began but was interrupted by the sound of a large "CRASH" coming from down the hallway, followed by the sound of dull thuds and the frightened screams of women and then the sounds of the guards outside running down the hallway as each of the adults in the room immediately rushed to the door and peered down the hallway as a frightened maid came running up towards them screaming that "the half- naked, pony-tailed girl with the scary eyes" was overturning the furniture in her room.

"Your turn Soichiro-san, I've had enough of that child for one lifetime." Yuriko said with a groan as she gestured towards the open door down the hallway as a maid still inside the room screamed again and the guards that had gone running towards the source of all the commotion suddenly ducked as a very expensive coffee table soared through the open doorway and was smashed into splinters as it impacted the wall on the opposite side of the hallway.

"Perhaps Marikawa-sensei has a valid point after all, Takagi-dono." Yoshioka said dryly as he and Soichiro ran down the hallway and then stopped before narrowly being mowed down by a loveseat sailing through the open doorway to crash into the opposite wall.

"Have fun, Soichiro-san." Yuriko said mischievously as she looked at Shizuka with an amused look.

"I do believe that my husband will be granting your request now, Marikawa-sensei." Yuriko said rubbing her temples again.

"But before Busujima-sensei's daughter arrives, I would love for us to have a nice, quiet, little chat together without any hot-headed teenagers around if you don't mind?" Yuriko said with a weak smile as the sound of a very large antique vase being smashed against the wall echoed down the hallway.

"Of course." Shizuka replied, laughing inwardly as they both listened to the sounds of angry yelling coming out of Saeko's room.

Later, after confronting Saeko Busujima himself and giving her a firm warning that her actions were no longer going to be tolerated, Saeko was finally given permission by the Lord of Takagi Manor allowing her to remain with Shizuka under her supervision, provided that she swear on her family's honor to refrain from any more violent actions.

And also to clean up the mess she had made.

And as Saeko began to clean up the broken furniture in her room and in the hallway after assuring Soichiro Takagi and the Security Chief that there would be no more angry outbursts or violent actions against their staff, the two men left to attend to other matters, leaving the guards to watch Saeko from a safe distance, as she picked up the pieces of broken furniture scattered all about.

After seeing that peace was restored for the time being, Yuriko had then politely taken Shizuka back inside the room and waited as Shizuka put Alice back in bed, who had been shaken out of her slumber by the loud clamor outside.

And as Alice eventually drifted off back to sleep, one of Yuriko's house maid's soon arrived carrying a large silver tray on which a rather elegant tea set was placed as the maid entered the room and then set the tray down on the coffee table in front of the couch and then left, closing the doors behind her.

"Marikawa-sensei, please have a seat." Yuriko said politely gesturing towards the large couch against the wall in front of the beds.

As Shizuka sat on one end of the sofa and Yuriko sat on the other facing her, Yuriko then poured some freshly brewed tea into a small gold-rimmed porcelain cup and then offered the cup to Shizuka as she waited patiently for her host to speak.

"Marikawa-sensei,…" Yuriko began after handing off the steaming cup to Shizuka before pouring herself a cup of tea from the teapot and then taking a large sip of the fragrant liquid. "I wish to apologize for the roughness in our security measures at having all of you so thoroughly searched as all of you have been, but I hope that you can understand my reasons for doing so."

"Actually, I'm afraid I don't understand, Takagi-sama." Shizuka said with a frown as she sipped her tea. "I still do not quite understand why we are being treated as prisoners at all to be honest. Especially since, as you stated earlier, that your original intent was only to rescue Saya-chan."

"And I definitely do not understand why you are treating Jimu-san there as a criminal either." Shizuka added gesturing toward the unconscious man. "You saw his badge and I.D. yourself. He's actually a retired American fireman and not a spy or a terrorist, and he has done nothing but protect your daughter as well as the rest of us since this whole ordeal began."

"I understand your resentment at being treated so roughly Marikawa-sensei, and again, I hope that you do realize that all of this is merely a precautionary measure and not a personal attack on anyone, including him." Yuriko said calmly as Shizuka continued to scowl at her.

"But as far as your American friend over there,….." Yuriko added gesturing towards the unconscious man. "He may indeed truly be a fireman from the United States, or he may just be using a fake I.D. as a cover to hide his true identity."

"Regardless, like it or not Sensei, despite what all of you feel he is still considered a threat to National Security by our Government right now, and as such, he will be treated accordingly unless he is proven innocent of the charges against him by a Military tribunal."

"But he hasn't done anything!" Shizuka responded hotly growing exasperated with Yuriko's stubborn conviction that the American was a threat to everyone around him. "All he's done is protect us, does he deserve to be punished for that?!"

"Sensei, have you ever known a fireman from any country to be as heavily armed or as well trained in combat as that man lying over there?" Yuriko replied calmly to the angry nurse as she glanced over at the unconscious man handcuffed to his bed.

"No, but that doesn't mean he means to harm anyone." Shizuka replied stubbornly.

"Shizuka-san, if you could have seen the video footage I saw of that man killing those men near the river while my Saya was standing so close by, you probably wouldn't be so quick to defend him as you are right now." Yuriko said with a frustrated sigh. "I don't suppose you know very much about that since none us saw you in the video footage until all of you met up with one another at the condo."

"Actually, Jimu-san and the children told us about that." Shizuka replied as she listened to the sounds of Alice sleeping in the other bed with the puppy curled up next to her.

"Really?" Yuriko asked somewhat surprised.

"Hai, the children told me and Komuro-kun later when we were all together at Rika-chan's condo that some men had tried to ambush them as they walked along the river to join up with us, and that Jimu-san had been forced to kill those men to protect them." Shizuka added.

"Sensei, do you honestly believe that?" Yuriko replied with an unconvinced look on her face.

"Yes, I do." Shizuka replied growing increasingly annoyed at Yuriko's attitude towards the American. "And if you had been with us the past three days Yuriko-san, you would have seen for yourself the good man that he truly is, instead of this monster that you and everyone else picture him to be."

"By the way,….."Shizuka asked growing curious. "What is this video footage you keep speaking of where you saw Jimu-san killing those men?

"At great risk to himself, my brother who is a General in the JSDF, sent my husband and I some classified aerial video footage of the children just as they were walking along the river on their way to the condo where we,….."found" all of you." Yuriko said clearing her throat as Shizuka frowned at her.

"If it was aerial footage taken at nighttime, then how did you know it was Saya-chan, then?" Shizuka asked still puzzled.

"Saya-chan is the daughter of one of Japan's most powerful politicians, Marikawa-sensei." Yuriko began in explanation.

"And as such, we have always been worried that she would be the target of kidnappers or terrorists seeking to kidnap her and use her to sway my husband by using her as a hostage."

"So as a result, when she was very young we had a tracking chip surgically implanted into her." Yuriko explained.

"Does Saya-chan know of the chip?" Shizuka asked, slightly stunned to know that Saya's parents would go to such lengths to keep such a close watch on their child.

"No, and my husband and I wish to keep that information from her if at all possible." Yuriko replied with a sigh. "We already have enough issues with my daughter as it is."

"I don't understand something though, Yuriko-san,…" Shizuka said still slightly confused.

"If you had a tracking chip surgically placed in Saya-chan and could track her anywhere, why didn't you come and rescue her sooner?" Shizuka said in a slightly accusing tone.

"Because during the first day of the Outbreak, all communications in the city went dead and all of our attempts to find her by satellite GPS monitoring were impossible because of a complete breakdown of the system." Yuriko explained. "And unfortunately, it wasn't until the second night of the Outbreak that we were finally able to manage to get a signal from the GPS system and get her coordinates before the system went down again."

"I see. That must have been horrible for you both not knowing where Saya-chan was." Shizuka said with sympathy.

"Hai, it was. I had never felt so helpless not knowing where Saya-chan was,…."Yuriko began as Shizuka was surprised to see her eyes beginning to tear, the wall Yuriko had always used to hide her emotions beginning to crumble.

"And then after we found out where she was, not knowing whether she was alive or,…." Yuriko said as her tears finally began to flow and the emotionally distraught mother who had been worried sick over the life of her only child, began to surface as Shizuka reached over and handed Yuriko some facial tissue from a box on the table.

"Thank you." Yuriko said as she daubed her eyes with the tissue. "Anyway, before we got a signal from the chip, Soichiro and most of our security force had gone out into the city to look for her near her school where we all hoped she'd still be."

"But just as he and his men were trying to reach that part of the city, our Security System came back up again and we realized she was nowhere near where my husband and his men were looking when the GPS got a lock on her position."

"And then when we realized that it would be impossible for my husband and his men to get to that part of the city where she was last pinpointed, he was forced to call my brother and ask for his help." Yuriko continued as she stopped to daub her eyes again with the tissue that Shizuka had given her.

"I waited for hours in agony waiting for word whether my baby was alright or not." Yuriko said trying to keep her emotions in control.

"And then when Soichiro called me back saying that she was alive, I was so relieved,…" Yuriko said as she dried her eyes.

"Demo,…" Yuriko said hesitantly as she then looked into Shizuka's face.

"Soichiro also said that there was an armed man following them, and that he had killed several men near where Saya-chan and her friends had been traveling." Yuriko added. "And because of that, we were afraid that perhaps he was actually stalking Saya-chan and her friends."

"And then my husband sent me some video footage that my brother had sent him over a secure video link on our sat-phones from the military drone that had caught the whole incident on film."

"And then because Soichiro could not reach her from where he was, Yoshioka-san and I then formed a rescue plan after getting some more information and more video from my brother later, after all of you had sought shelter in that condominium." Yuriko explained.

"So then when you found out exactly where Saya-chan was, surely by then you must have known by then that Jimu-san was really only protecting us and that none of us were in any danger from him, Yuriko-san." Shizuka replied.

"It did appear to us by then that he was probably just protecting all of you, I must admit. Especially after all of you rescued the little girl." Yuriko replied as she and Shizuka both looked towards the bed where Alice lay sleeping soundly.

"However, my brother had then suggested that perhaps your friend may have just been using all of you in order to use all of you as a shield in order to evade capture." Yuriko said appearing ashamed at everything that had occurred based on their assumptions.

"That's ridiculous!" Shizuka said almost a little too loudly. "Even if that were true, why would he have gone through all that trouble to keep us safe these past three days?"

"We couldn't, that is, I couldn't take that chance with my daughter's life." Yuriko said as Shizuka opened her mouth to protest.

"Marikawa-sensei, please understand, I really am sorry about everything that's happened, but believe me we really had no intentions whatsoever of hurting anyone." Yuriko said interrupting Shizuka before she could protest as Shizuka looked at her accusingly.

"Our original plan was a hostage rescue operation to rescue my daughter and all of you, not a violent assault mission to kill the American. We were merely going to rush in before the American could react and arm himself before anyone got hurt and then quickly secure everyone inside."

"And then after we made sure that everyone was alright, we were then going to take everyone here where all of you could be safe, and then the American was going to be placed into protective custody until we could turn him over to the authorities for questioning."

"Our plan was simply and honestly, an attempt to rescue my daughter as well as all of you." Yuriko said. "We had never meant to hurt anyone."

"But then when he attacked one of my men,…." Yuriko began but was suddenly and angrily interrupted by Shizuka.

"Attacked one of your men?!" Shizuka hissed angrily. "Jimu-san had surrendered peacefully until your men started beating him and Saeko-chan!"

"I have no excuse, Sensei, the man who hit her acted stupidly." Yuriko said trying to keep her voice neutral. "And even though none of my men have ever done something like a hostage rescue before, it was inexcusable for one of my men to have hit anyone, no matter how tense the situation."

"But then when the American attacked my men and wouldn't stand down, then we were left with little choice but to subdue him, especially with the threat of an entire city of Infected heading towards us."

"Subdue him?!" Shizuka snapped. "You mean allowing your men to nearly beat him to death and then drag all of us out into the street so that we couldn't witness you executing him?!"

''We didn't have much choice, Sensei!" Yuriko snapped back then upon catching herself, lowered her voice so as not to awaken Alice.

"We didn't have time to carry him and my wounded men as well as drag all of you, who started resisting violently, in case you've forgotten, before the Infected would arrive where we were!"

"That is,….." Yuriko said with a grimace as she sank back into the sofa. "Until Busujima-sensei's daughter knocked me and Yoshika-san on our ass and then held us at knifepoint."

"Saeko-chan did what?!" Shizuka asked in horror as Yuriko then related to Shizuka the events that transpired inside the condo while Shizuka and the teens were fighting the guards outside in the street.

And after she had finished speaking, Shizuka was aghast at Yuriko's tale.

"I did not know she did that." Shizuka said, a worried frown forming on her brow.

"Oh yes, it seems that Busujima-sensei's daughter is quite taken with your American friend." Yuriko said jokingly with a slight smirk on her face. "I didn't realize a young girl like her could develop such a crush on an older man like that, and so quickly too."

"No, no, no,…your mistaken Yuriko-san!" Shizuka said waving her hands in the air. "She doesn't have a crush on him at all."

"Oh?" Yuriko said slightly amused by the nurse's protests to her teasing. "What is it then?"

"I'm afraid,…" Shizuka began, the look of worry on her brow increasing causing Yuriko to suddenly grow concerned with the change in the nurse's demeanor.

"That based on what you've just told me about what happened inside the condo as well as what happened at the Hospital tent and just now in the hallway earlier, that without a doubt Saeko-chan has subconsciously started looking up to Jimu-san as her father." Shizuka said as a look of astonishment shown on Yuriko's face.

"It's funny you should say that,.." Yuriko replied as she bit her lip. "Because earlier when she was holding me at knife point, she told me that she refused to leave the "father" she had come to love so much back at your friend's condo. Although I had believed that she was only reacting out of emotion at the time."

"But she really has emotionally attached herself to him as if he were her own father, hasn't she?" Yuriko added, afraid of the answer Shizuka would give her as Shizuka nodded her head.

"I'm afraid it's true." Shizuka said in a voice filled with worry.

"I still can't believe it." Yuriko said her voice filled with disbelief. "Why would she attach herself to a man who just three days ago was a complete stranger?"

"Jimu-san has not behaved like most people do Yuriko-san. In fact, he has been extremely kind to all of us." Shizuka began. "And with Saeko-chan, I've noticed that he seems exceptionally fond of her and treats her as if she were his own daughter."

"But the real reason I believe that Saeko-chan looks up to Jimu-san the way she does now,…" Shizuka continued as she took another swallow of her tea. "Is that because perhaps it has everything to do with her real father not being here now when she needs him the most."

"I fail to see how that girl needs anyone to protect her, Marikawa-sensei." Yuriko said dryly. "Even though we were carrying firearms, she went through me and Yoshioka-san as if we weren't even there and then held all of us off at knifepoint threatening to kill anyone who tried to hurt your friend over there, as well as all the chaos she has done since then."

"Believe me, that girl knows how to take of herself, and doesn't need any "father figure" to protect her." Yuriko said flatly.

"Yuriko-san, I agree that Saeko-chan is completely capable of defending herself if she needs to." Shizuka replied as she looked Yuriko in the eye. "She was after all, the one who saved my life when I was being attacked by the Infected students back at the school, and again when we were attacked near the bridge on the way over here."

"But despite the fact that she is very courageous and is a skilled fighter,"Shizuka added. "I believe she is more vulnerable than any of us realize."

"Are you serious?" Yuriko said still not convinced. "What makes you believe that so strongly?"

"The reason I believe that is because in all the years I've worked at the school, I've seen so many children come and go over the years and I've learned so many things just by watching them whenever I saw them in the hallways, as well as the school infirmary, Yuriko-san." Shizuka began. "And while most of the time the students were mostly always concerned about dating or getting good grades, there were a few that stood out amongst the rest."

"Saeko-chan was one of those." Shizuka said as Yuriko took a sip of her tea.

"Why, because she was so popular with the other students?" Yuriko asked.

"No, although she truly was very popular with everyone." Shizuka replied. "Especially by all of the members of her kendo class."

"And of course, the boys were crazy about her." Shizuka said with a giggle.

"I'm afraid I don't understand then Sensei, if it wasn't because she was popular with the other students, how did she stand out from the others?" Yuriko asked slightly puzzled.

Shizuka took another sip of her tea and didn't answer for a long moment as if trying to gather her thoughts on how to answer Yuriko, as the long silence and the frown on the school nurse's face began to cause Yuriko to grow even more concerned about Shizuka's answer.

"The reason she stood out from all of the others,…."Shizuka finally said, breaking the awkward silence. "Was because I could see that behind that smile that she always had on her face in front of everyone, I could always tell exactly how she was really feeling whenever I looked into her eyes."

"You mean the look of Death she gives a person whenever she gets pissed off?" Yuriko said with a slight shiver remembering the way Saeko had looked at her with those same eyes back at the condo.

"No, that's not what I meant, even though she can be quite scary when she gets angry." Shizuka admitted.

"No, it was because whenever I saw Saeko-chan in the hallway or in the infirmary if one of the other students got hurt during kendo practice, her eyes were always the same." Shizuka continued as Yuriko looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"Her eyes were always so sad." Shizuka explained as she took another sip of her tea. "As if she was actually grieving about something, but hid it behind her smile and her polite behavior towards everyone."

"And you believe that the reason for that was because of her father's frequent travels overseas?" Yuriko asked beginning to comprehend Shizuka's explanation behind the teenage girl's behavior even more.

"I believe that may have been a huge part of it." Shizuka agreed. "And from what I've seen the past three days and from what you've told me about when you confronted her at the condo, I'm completely convinced that truly is the reason why Saeko-chan has always seemed so sad before, and also why she has become so attached to Jimu-san now."

"It certainly seems plausible when you explain it that way." Yuriko admitted as she took another sip of her tea.

"Yes, I was beginning to suspect that Saeko-chan was really sad because her father wasn't around, and that she was growing attached to Jimu-san and was beginning to look at him as a father figure." Shizuka said as she also sipped her tea.

"Especially when I saw her looking so upset when Jimu-san went off by himself towards the bridge looking for a way across the river." Shizuka added as she finished the last of her tea and Yuriko poured her another cup.

"And then when Saya-chan called him a "bossy old fart", she got pretty mad at her for insulting him too." Shizuka said as Yuriko rolled her eyes.

"Yes, that sounds like something my daughter would do." Yuriko said as Shizuka giggled.

"So then when I asked her about it after I separated them before they could start fighting,…"Shizuka continued. "Saeko-chan seemed extremely shocked when I suggested that the real reason she was so upset at seeing Jimu-san leave was because she was actually missing her real father in reality."

"And I guess my assumption was correct...," Shizuka added sadly. "Because then she suddenly broke down right in front of me."

"Really?" Yuriko said in shock at Shizuka's words. "After seeing her in action, I would have never imagined that she was so emotionally fragile underneath."

"Saeko-chan is the bravest person I have ever known." Shizuka said as she looked over at the man lying unconscious on the bed. "And when she is forced to fight, she is also the most dangerous as well."

"But beneath those cold eyes and iron will, there lies a heart as fragile as glass, and I'm afraid for her." Shizuka said with a sigh.

"That certainly appears to be the case." Yuriko admitted. "But what makes you so afraid for her, Sensei?

"I'm afraid for her Yuriko-san, because when we all thought Jimu-san had died while trying to save us from that gang that had attacked us on the river, something inside her changed." Shizuka replied. "It was as if she had watched her own father die in front of her, and it was the only time I've ever seen her so emotionally distraught,…..ever."

"And then when it turned out Jimu-san had actually survived after all, Saeko-chan was so overjoyed, more so than the rest of us, when he suddenly reappeared.

In fact, it was also the first time any of us had seen her react with such joy when we saw her run up and hug him."

"But then Saeko suddenly reacted in a way none of us ever expected." Shizuka added as Yuriko looked at her intrigued.

"She attacked him."

"She attacked him?" Yuriko asked in shock.

"Hai." Shizuka replied. "I suppose she was so upset at the thought that he had died trying to save us that she suddenly began to start slapping him and screaming at him as well."

"Although to be honest, we were all pretty mad and yelled at him too." Shizuka said blushing.

"Afterwards when everyone calmed down, she and Jimu-san talked alone for a while and everything seemed alright afterwards." Shizuka said with a frown. "But now that she has become so much more attached to him to the point that she has become so aggressive towards anyone threatening to harm him, I'm worried about what will happen if Jimu-san is taken away from her."

"Then why ask my husband and I to allow her in here if it's only going to cause her more pain, Shizuka-san?!" Yuriko asked incredulously.

"I can't explain it...," Shizuka said hesitantly, a little intimidated by Yuriko's outburst. "But I strongly believe it would have been far worse to keep her away from him."

"I hope that you're right, Sensei. Because if you're not, then all we've done is to allow a brewing storm a chance to gain more strength." Yuriko said shaking her head. "And when that storm finally unleashes itself, none of us are going to be left unaffected by its wrath."

"I fear that you are correct Yuriko-san." Shizuka admitted. "But after what Saeko-chan has been through, I think that keeping her away may from Jimu-san may still be more of a mistake than allowing them to have these last few moments together."

Yuriko studied Shizuka's face for a long moment after Shizuka had finished speaking, still unable to fathom the school nurse's reasoning's as Yuriko then shook her head and then looked Shizuka directly in the eye.

"Sensei, I still don't agree with allowing Saeko in this room because I believe that you're just inviting disaster to happen by doing so." Yuriko began.

"But just to be fair so that perhaps I can better understand why you insist on doing this, I would like for you to tell me exactly what happened to all of you out there." Yuriko said as she then jerked her thumb towards the unconscious prisoner. "And I would like you to begin with where and how all of you met this man."

And as Shizuka then explained to Yuriko of the events that transpired upon meeting the former firefighter, Yuriko could not help but be shocked as Shizuka explained in vivid detail everything that had transpired on the first day of the Outbreak when the Infected began to attack, up to the moment that Yuriko and her men had raided the condo on the third day.

And as Shizuka finished her tale, Yuriko stared back at the school nurse, her face ashen.

"Sensei, all of that actually happened to all of you in just two and a half days?"Yuriko asked in disbelief.

"Hai, I'm afraid so Yuriko-san." Shizuka replied.

"Good grief, I think I understand now why the children have reacted the way they have." Yuriko said closing her eyes and shaking her head. "No wonder they are so eager to defend him."

"Hai, I'm afraid now that all of the children, and not just Saeko-chan, look up to him as a father-figure now." Shizuka agreed. "Although Saeko-chan is still the most emotionally attached to him."

"Yes, I can see that." Yuriko said with a heavy sigh. "And I also could see it in Saya-chan's eyes when all of you were holding us off in the street."

"I'm really sorry about that." Shizuka said apologetically, feeling a little embarrassed about the whole confrontation after hearing Yuriko's side of the story.

"It's all right, Sensei." Yuriko said with a slight smile. "It wouldn't be the first time my daughter looked at me or my husband with such hate in her eyes."

"Saya-chan doesn't hate either of you, Yuriko-san." Shizuka replied placing her hand on Yuriko's. "In fact I know that she loves both of you very much."

"Oh, I know she cares for us deep down, Sensei." Yuriko replied. "I'm pretty sure that under that angry scowl she still loves us."

"More than you know, Yuriko-san.'' Shizuka replied as Yuriko turned her head to face her. "When I talked to her after speaking with Saeko-chan at the river, believe it or not, she also began crying after she told me how much she missed both of you."

"Honto?" Yuriko said reacting with genuine surprise, as Shizuka nodded her head, feeling saddened that the rift between parents and child was so great that Saya's own mother would react with such surprise at hearing about her own daughter actually crying for them.

"How sad." Shizuka thought to herself. "Their wealth and their power has provided them with everything that they could ask for, but they have lost their own daughter because of it as well."

"Yes Yuriko-san, she cried for both of you." Shizuka replied. "So you see, even though she and the rest of the children care about Jimu-san, it's you and her father whom she really loves."

"Thank you for saying that, Sensei." Yuriko said with a sad smile. "But I think that Saya-chan and her friends are going to be filled with nothing but hate for me and my husband when the authorities finally arrive to pick up the American and take him into custody."

"Hai, they will definitely be very upset I'm sure." Shizuka agreed.

"No, you don't understand, it'll be much worse than you think, Shizuka-san." Yuriko said with a bitter sigh.

"Why is that?" Shizuka asked growing afraid as she looked into Yuriko's face as Yuriko sighed once more before answering.

"Because when the authorities arrive and take him away, even thought that will be horrible for them, especially after what all of you have gone through together, that won't be anywhere near as bad as what will happen if he's convicted of the charges against him and he's found guilty, Sensei." Yuriko added as Shizuka looked at her apprehensively.

"What do you mean?!" Shizuka asked in alarm. "What are they going to do to him?!"

"Sensei,…." Yuriko began. "We are in the middle of a crisis right now. There is no possible way for anyone to conduct a jury trial or have him sentenced to prison. If the JSDF finds him guilty of any "war crimes" there will be no incarceration."

"You can't possibly mean!" Shizuka said with a gasp.

"Hai." Yuriko replied, her eyes staring down at the floor.

"They will execute him, immediately."

"BUT THEY CAN'T DO THAT!" Shizuka shouted as Yuriko held a finger to her lips to quiet the school nurse as Alice began to stir.

"They can't do that!" Shizuka repeated in an angry whisper, her voice desperate. "He's not a soldier or a spy! He's really just a firefighter, you saw that! He saved and protected us for three days! They can't do that! Please, you must do something!"

"Sensei, even if all that is true, it changes nothing." Yuriko said with a frown. "It still doesn't explain why he was so heavily armed or why he was able to act and fight like a trained soldier, nor does it explain what his real reason for being in Japan is."

"All that is certain Marikawa-sensei, is that right now all of the evidence that the authorities have points to the fact that he and several others are responsible for an apparent hijacking of a helicopter and taking of hostages at Tokonosu Airport before crash-landing at Tokonosu Park and getting involved in a firefight with the Police before they all disappeared somewhere in the city."

"So unless there's any real proof explaining who he is, why he's here, and why he's walking around Japan, there's nothing my husband or I or anyone can do to help him." Yuriko said with a sigh as she sank back into the sofa.

"Well,….he did mention that he now works as a PMC or something like that, and that he and his friends were traveling from America to guard some pipeline workers in Africa, if that helps." Shizuka said as Yuriko suddenly jerked her head up in response to Shizuka's words and stared at her as if in shock.

"What did you say?!" Yuriko said her face suddenly pale.

"Ano, Jimu-san said he was a PMC and he and some friends of his were on their way to Africa to provide security for some oil pipeline workers." Shizuka said a little frightened by the way Yuriko was staring at her.

"Yuriko-san, is something wrong?" Shizuka said her eyes growing wide at Yuriko's stare as Yuriko suddenly without a word, then jumped to her feet and ran towards the door and then disappeared through it, with the guards locking the door from the outside.

"Ano, did I say something wrong?" Shizuka asked out loud as she sat staring at the door, stunned at Yuriko's abrupt departure.

Location: Personal Study of Soichiro Takagi

Time: Mid-Afternoon

Z-Day Plus Three

Soichiro Takagi stood alongside one of six large tables set in a row upon which his Security Chief Yoshioka had placed all of the American's weapons and ammunition that had been removed from him during the raid, as well as the man's personal effects taken from the American's large pack that had been found inside the condominium.

Besides the weapons and ammunition, each individual item also found inside the man's clothing and his pack had also been removed and then placed neatly on the tables in the same manner as a police forensics team would have organized and logged each of the items during the investigation of a crime scene.

And as Yoshioka began to relay his findings to the Lord of Takagi Manor, Soichiro Takagi's eyebrows rose in astonishment at the number of items on display that the American had carried as part of his personal kit.

"Quite a bit of luggage our "friend" was carrying with him, neh Ken-san?" Soichiro asked his Chief of Security standing next to him.

"Hai, even during my career in the JSDF, I've never carried anywhere near as many items as I've found here, dono." Yoshioka replied a little impressed himself. "And to be honest, I'm a little bit astonished that the American, even as big as he is, was able to carry all that gear with him."

"My concern Ken-san, is why does he have all this gear in the first place if he's only a firefighter?" Soichiro asked his brow furrowed. "For what purpose does he even have these items and how did he manage to smuggle them into our country?"

"I do not know, Takagi-dono." Yoshioka replied his face showing that he was just as puzzled as Soichiro was at the mysterious man lying handcuffed to a bed on the opposite wing of the mansion.

"What scares me though." Yoshioka added. "Is that this particular load-out is consistent with what a Special Operations sniper would carry for a "search and destroy" mission."

"But just the same, I took the American's fingerprints while he was still undergoing surgery despite the surgeon's protests and ran them through my usual contacts at Police Headquarters and the JSDF and they all came back with the same results." Yoshioka said as he handed Soichiro a manila folder.

"Which is?" Soichiro asked thumbing through the contents in the folder.

"This man "Jim Trevino" is indeed who he claims to be, dono." Yoshioka said with a sigh. "He is indeed a retired firefighter from Texas, and has been living on his retirement pension for the past eighteen months."

"Are your sources absolutely certain, Ken-san?!" Soichiro said, still in disbelief as he placed the folder down and then gazed over at the table where the American's weapons lay and then reached up and traced his finger along the long heavy barrel of the sniper rifle lying on the table.

"They have always been extremely reliable, dono. And just to be sure, I had all of my contacts check their findings three times before they got annoyed and hung up on me." Yoshioka said with a chuckle at how his contacts at Tokonosu Police Department and at the JSDF Headquarters had both blown up at him for asking for background information on a "nobody" American firefighter while Japan and the rest of the world was falling apart around them.

"And all of the results came back the same each time, dono." Yoshioka said with a frown.

"What do you think Ken-san?" Soichiro asked looking directly at Yoshioka's troubled face.

The Security Chief sighed and made another face as he gazed over all the items on display before he answered.

"It's hard to say, dono." Yoshioka replied scratching his head. "This man is certainly a mystery."

"What I mean is, do you really believe the man is only a "run of the mill" fireman, Ken-san?" Soichiro asked curiously.

"No dono, that I don't believe." Yoshioka replied. "Especially not based on the material evidence I've found here by looking through the American's belongings anyway, Takagi-sama."

"Why is that Ken-san?" Soichiro asked lifting up a titanium colored compact pistol that the Komuro boy had nearly used to shoot the woman with outside.

"His choice of weaponry is a bit baffling for starters,.." Yoshioka continued. "And based on what I've found, I strongly believe that this man is on a covert sniper mission of some sort, due to the fact that this rifle he was carrying is a modified version of the American M24 SWS sniper rifle once used by the American Army."

"The pack that this rifle was stored in is a specialty pack known to be made for Military snipers to carry their gear with by a company named Eberlestock, and is also a pack favored by Military snipers from many other different countries as well."

"The items found inside are also consistent with items that would be used for a three-day "Lurp". Yoshioka added as he then noticed Soichiro cast a sideways glance at him, his expression showing his confusion.

"Gomen nasai, Takagi-dono." Yoshioka said apologetically. "It's a military term that stands for "Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol."

"I see." Soichiro replied with a slight smile.

"But there are also a number of personal items that he's carrying as well that would definitely not be used in the field by any combat soldier, such as these items right here,…" Yoshioka said as he pointed to another table where some items lay that even Soichiro Takagi could tell were definitely not military issue.

"On this table here as you can see Takagi-dono, I also found a toothbrush, deodorant, spare clothing and an old CD player with some burned CD's stored in a pouch, as well as several pairs of Oakley shooting glasses, all of them with corrective lenses." Yoshikoka explained.

"So in reality you're saying that he's possibly an American Military sniper and his being a firefighter is just a very well-placed cover for a covert mission?" Soichiro asked.

"Possibly dono, but I can't say that with one hundred percent accuracy." Yoshioka replied.

"While the M24 rifle he has here was once American Army Sniper issue at one time, it has since been replaced in the American Sniper Program with the M24-A2 and the M110 SWS Semi-Automatic Rifle." Yoshioka continued.

"The M4 carbine the American is carrying however, is still very much in use by the American Military Special Operations Forces." Yoshioka added. "Although this particular one is an older model American SOPMOD M4-A1 that's been heavily modified."

"Still, an American Military sniper would have both items with him on a mission, with the M4 carbine being his primary weapon until he needed to use his sniper rifle once he acquired his target."

"These other weapons however," Yoshioka went on. "Are not items issued to the Army Special Forces Teams, but are actually items that were once used by American maritime forces, specifically, Naval Special Warfare Teams."

"The American Navy SEALs, dono." Yoshioka explained as Soichiro looked at him again with a puzzled expression and then nodded in understanding.

"The American's pistol for instance,…." Yoshioka continued. "Is a Sig Sauer P226 which is used by the American Navy SEAL Teams as well as the SAS and many Law Enforcement Agencies around the world."

"However, this engraving of a ship's anchor here on the slide and this engraving here "NSW"on the frame clearly shows that this is a NAVY version of the Sig P226 used years ago before the current issue Mk25 was issued to the American Naval Commandos today."

"The compact pistol that you're holding that my men took from that boy Kumoro, is a police-issue HK P7 which is also known to be a favorite of those in covert operations."

"And also these two knives,…" Yoshioka said pointing to a large dagger-like knife and a large bowie in a plastic sheath. "Are knives also used by SEAL Teams."

"However, that one." Yoshioka said, pointing to the large dagger-like knife. "Is a replica of a Vietnam-era UDT knife, whereas the other one is a titanium-bladed knife that is still current issue with the Navy SEAL and EOD Teams."

"The other smaller folding knives that we found on the women are made by a company in the United States and are commonly used by various military personnel and are not specific to any branch or Service." Yoshioka continued. "Except for that small wood-handled one, which seems to have been bought in a third world market somewhere based upon the carvings on it."

"The other items I found, night vision goggles, survival gear, emergency rations, batteries, trip flares, etc., all point to the fact that this man might be,…." Yoshioka said just as he was about to offer his own personal theory, but then stopped himself as he heard Soichiro Takagi suddenly mumble something under his breath.

Yoshioka was then surprised to suddenly see Soichiro rush over to the table and gingerly pick up the small wood-handled folding knife with the tribal carvings on it that he had mentioned about earlier, and stare at it with his mouth hanging open as if in shock.

"Takagi-dono, is something wrong?" Yoshioka asked growing alarmed as Soichiro's eyes then went wide as he turned the knife over and over in his hands.

"This can't be." Yoshioka heard Soichiro mumble as if in a trance as both of them then looked up towards the door as there suddenly came a loud knocking on it and then Yuriko Takagi suddenly burst through the door.

"SOICHIRO!" Yuriko shouted in an excited voice as she burst through the door still breathing heavily from running.

"I think the American is,…!" Yuriko had started to say, but then stopped when she caught sight of the small knife in her husband's hands and her own eyes suddenly went wide in recognition.

"Andrew-san,…." Yuriko said aloud, as Yoshioka's jaw dropped in comprehension at what had alarmed his boss and then finally realized the significance of the small knife in Soichiro's hands, and the man being held prisoner in their home.

"Ohhhhh, SHIT!" The three adults swore.

Shizuka frowned as she adjusted the clamp on the I.V., allowing the drip rate in the chamber of the tubing to decrease the amount of fluid going into the patient's system since the unconscious American's vital signs had improved greatly since their arrival at the home of Saya Takagi and had remained stable ever since his transfer from the medical tent to one of the many guest rooms of the enormous mansion.

However, the injured man had not regained consciousness as of yet, and despite his improved vital signs, Shizuka knew that without the aid of advanced diagnostic equipment, there was no telling how serious any internal damage to the man's brain could possibly be without the aid of a CT scan or MRI.

As things stood, despite Dr. Yamani's encouraging words, it was still anybody's guess if the American had been permanently affected by the savage blows to his head, or an even worse possibility, Shizuka feared.

That their American friend might not ever wake up again.

And as she adjusted the clamp on the I.V. tubing, it was this very thought that troubled Shizuka's mind as she gazed over at the sleeping form of the teenage girl lying asleep in the very large plush chair next to her patient's bed.

Sitting up in the chair still wearing only a bathrobe, the still form of Saeko Busujima lay with her head against the back of the chair sound asleep, as Shizuka pondered long and hard about what she and Yuriko had discussed earlier concerning the young girl and the American prisoner.

After Yuriko's abrupt departure earlier, Saeko had been escorted from her room by the two guards down the hallway and allowed to enter the makeshift infirmary after she had finished cleaning up all of the smashed furniture she had destroyed in an effort to gain the attention of Saya's parents.

And upon entering the room and seeing the unconscious patient with the heavy bandage around his head, Saeko's immediate reaction was to rush to the bed and immediately attempt to awaken him had Shizuka not stopped her first.

Saeko's next reaction was to flood Shizuka with a torrent of questions about the man's condition, to which Shizuka had finally managed after much difficulty, to calm the girl down finally with the assurance that despite all appearances, the American's condition was actually stable, and had then suggested to Saeko that she stay near him in case he awakened.

While Shizuka believed that the man's chances of waking up within the next 24 hours was slim at best, the real reason she had asked Saeko to sit near the man was just so that the anxious girl could calm down and give Shizuka a chance to catch her breath from the torrent of questions Saeko had thrust at her.

And as Shizuka then walked over to the other bed to attend to Alice who was still fast asleep, Shizuka then watched as Saeko pushed one of the large chairs in the room close to the bed on the American's right side and then settled down on it, keeping protective watch over the sleeping man.

Shizuka frowned as the words that Yuriko had said earlier about the danger of Saeko being allowed near the American would only cause the girl even more pain came back to haunt her, and a twinge of guilt went through her as she began to worry that she had indeed made a horrible mistake.

But then after a few moments as Shizuka sat on the bed brushing Alice's hair with her hand, her thoughts were interrupted as she suddenly noticed that Saeko's head had started to droop and her eyes seemed to be fluttering as well as Saeko struggled to stay awake.

"Poor thing." Shizuka thought. "She's exhausted, and yet she's still trying so hard to keep watch over him as if he would disappear the moment she closes her eyes."

"Saeko-chan?" Shizuka then said quietly so as not to awaken Alice.

"Ha-Hai?!" Saeko said as her eyes flew open. "What is it Marikawa-sensei?"

"Saeko-chan, why don't you try to get some sleep? It's been a very trying day, and I can see that you're exhausted." Shizuka said sweetly.

"No-no, I'm fine Sensei." Saeko said as she sat up straighter in the chair. "I really want to be awake when Jimu-san wakes up."

"Saeko-chan,.." Shizuka said in a firmer tone. "You can barely keep your eyes open. I'll be awake for a while anyway so why not try to get some rest, okay?"

"I'm fine Sensei, really. I just drifted off is all." Saeko replied rubbing her eyes and yawning. "I'm really not that tired."

Not fooled at all by the teenage girl's bravado, Shizuka persisted in trying to convince Saeko to get some rest as she then tried a different tact by speaking to her in a motherly tone trying to quell the real reason Saeko was trying so hard to stay awake.

"Saeko-chan, you do not need to worry, nothing is going to happen to Jimu-san while we're both here, and when he wakes up, I promise I will wake you up the moment he does, all right?" Shizuka said with a kind smile.

"Thank you for your concern, Sensei, but really, I'm fine." Saeko insisted as she looked over at the sleeping patient.

"Very well." Shizuka said with a sigh as she continued to brush Alice's hair lovingly with her hand.

And before long, Shizuka smiled as Saeko's head once again began to droop and her eyes started to flutter as the exhaustion brought about by the stress of the day's events began to overpower her, until finally after a few more moments, Shizuka heard the sound of Saeko's gentle breathing as the teen fell fast asleep.

So as not to disturb both of the sleeping girls, Shizuka got up carefully from the bed and quietly walked over to her patient and checked the man's pulse once more, and then satisfied that her patient's condition was still stable, Shizuka then walked over to a nearby closet where the spare bed linen for the guestroom was kept.

And then after pulling out a large woolen blanket from the linen closet, Shizuka quietly tip-toed over to where Saeko lay sleeping and carefully draped the wool blanket over the still form of the sleeping girl, covering her with it.

Saeko's breathing never changed its steady rhythm as Shizuka placed her hand on Saeko's head and brushed her hair with her fingers, not realizing just how dangerous her act of kindness would have been at any other time.

Trained by her father since childhood in the ways of combat to always be alert for danger at all times, Saeko Busujima would normally have sensed the presence of someone approaching nearby and would have reacted immediately, perhaps even violently, to being approached, much less touched.

But as Shizuka lovingly brushed the small wisps of hair from Saeko's face, the teenager didn't stir one bit as her steady breathing continued while she slept, her subconscious allowing Shizuka to be near knowing that a trusted friend and not a threat was present.

"She's so exhausted, she doesn't even realize that I'm here." Shizuka thought sadly as she studied the girl's face for a long moment and then turned her attention towards the other young girl in the room who was also fast asleep.

Shizuka smiled warmly as she quietly walked over to the bed where the sleeping form of Alice lay, as Shizuka then sat on the side of the bed and watched both girls as they slept for a long time as she continued to brush Alice's hair with her hand and then began singing softly to both girls as they slept.

Curled up in a ball next to Alice's head, the puppy that Alice had brought along with them from Rika Minami's condo sleepily lifted up his head looking at Shizuka with sleepy eyes and whimpered at the sound of her singing as Shizuka began scratching his head to keep him from waking Alice.

"Shhhhhhhh,…." Shizuka whispered to the puppy as it licked her hand and then yawned as it went right back to sleep again as Shizuka continued singing.

After a short while Shizuka's own eyelids became heavy, and before long she then got up and lay next to Alice with her arm over her, and then leaning her head against a pillow, fell fast asleep.

Sometime later, Shizuka was suddenly aroused from her slumber by what she believed was the sound of a whimper coming from the puppy.

Believing that the puppy had once again awoken and was just getting restless from Alice still slumbering instead of playing with him, Shizuka attempted again to quiet the puppy so as not to disturb Alice.

"Shhhhhhhhh,….." Shizuka said to the whimpering puppy without opening her eyes as she tried to go back to sleep.

However, Shizuka's attempts to quiet the puppy went unheeded, and the sound of another whimper reached Shizuka's ears, slightly louder this time.

"Shhhh, you'll wake everyone up." Shizuka groaned as she opened her eyes and then looked over at the puppy that to her surprise, was still lying curled up next to Alice and still fast asleep.

"Ara?" Shizuka said puzzled as the sound of another whimper and then a loud sob came from across the room as Shizuka suddenly bolted upright in bed and looked over towards where Saeko had been lying fast asleep in the chair as Shizuka then gasped in shock at what she saw.

And as Shizuka was about to speak, the door to their room suddenly opened and Saya's parents and the Security Chief Yoshioka burst into the room and then stopped, held spellbound and momentarily speechless at the scene unfolded before them as Yuriko turned to face Shizuka with a horrified look.

"Ohhhh, dear." Shizuka moaned.

Author's Notes:

Updated: 12-17-2013

For those of you just reading "Last Alarm" for the first time,and for those of you who have been faithfully following since the beginning, I wanted to make an announcement.

Originally, I had first posted this story on February of 2013.

This is my first ever fanfic, and my first attempt at writing since I was in high school.

And when I first started this story, what was posted here was in actuality, a "rough draft".

Even though I had a story to tell, I had no clue on exactly how to use a computer to do it, plus, there were many other mistakes such as capitalization and other errors that I made.

And when I looked back at my old chapters, I realized that I've come a long way in my writing, and that my early chapters were extremely crude by comparison.

As a result, in between writing new chapters, I decided to go back and fix the mistakes I made in the early chapters I first posted, as well as add to the story to make it more enjoyable to read starting with Chapter One "The Bridge", which has been updated from it's original 5000 words to 8900 words.

Please bear with me as I update the next 20 chapters or so.

I will announce when a chapter is updated in the Author's Notes so that you will be able to keep up with the changes.

Thank you for your patience, and for all of you that have been so encouraging and supportive, I sincerely thank you for your support. Jim

Author's Notes:

I never did care for the way Yuriko Takagi was portrayed in HOTD.

In my opinion, it was extremely condescending to have such a potentially strong character remain so subservient and silent while her husband was "LORD of Takagi Manor" and everyone should tremble at his feet.

I don't know about any of you, but if any of us tried that crap with our girlfriends or wives here in Texas, we'd get our asses kicked royally and then get our asses thrown out of the house.

That is, if they didn't reach for their gun and shoot us first.

So in my fanfic, I wanted to portray Yuriko as a strong character, and is treated as an equal by her husband and the staff and not like the anime or manga portrayed her initially, before the Infected overran Takagi Manor and she and Soichiro started kicking butt.

It's been almost a year now since I started writing this fanfic, and to be honest, I thought I'd be long finished already.

But the story has grown much bigger than I imagined, and with some help from a couple of friends, it's going to get a lot bigger.

Think "ALIENS" meets "ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK" meets "BLACKHAWK DOWN" and you'll get a better idea of what's coming.

Bear with me, we're getting there.

When I started writing "Last Alarm" I wanted to write a good story, although what I've posted here is really just a "rough draft".

The intention was to eventually go back and make any changes later.

And as I've been looking over some of my old chapters, I've decided to start making some changes to them mostly because I had noticed that there were some mistakes here and there, and some things I would like to add as well as change completely.

One of the things I changed as you may have noticed, was that the character Jim now uses a SOPMOD M4 carbine instead of a Mk18 like I had originally written. The reason for that change will be revealed later when Jim gets an "upgrade" on his carbine.

That's just a small change, there will be quite a few changes made soon.

I'll announce it on the Author's Notes when I do.

Again, thank you for your support, I really do appreciate it.

Take care! See you next time! Jim