Chapter 6: Edo

Sam woke up - it was 3 in the morning. The same dream again. Murakami and her sacrifice...he was indebted to her forever. He looked outside the window. Tokyo was still rebuilding itself after the destruction of the War. It had built itself up quite faster than any of the other countries that had been devastated by it. Its economy was slowly picking up pace again. It seemed that the country's friendship with the United States was reaping its benefits. That friendship was helping Japan in all of its walk of its life, including its dark side. The Yakuza was helping the U.S government to combat its enemies in the far east in its own way, by trading in arms and ammunitions and through smuggling drugs, arms and ammunitions.

Castiel was sleeping peacefully next to him. The man had been a Godsend. It seemed the Gods were on his side this time. Not only did he save him from the police after Murakami's assassination, but he worked for Simmons as well. He wasn't just a saviour but an important contact as well. Castiel had no idea how much he had helped Sam when while having dinner he casually mentioned that Mr Simmons received a rather weird telegram that Castiel had delivered. The telegram read 'Edo stop bandrei30 stop E.N'. He said Mr Simmons was very annoyed at Ken, the office help, since it was his job to get the telegrams.

Sam was sitting at a tea house, watching Ken. He figured that the note for Simmons was from Edogawa Nakamura. It meant something would be delivered to the port near bandrei. He needed to know when, what and exactly where the shipment was arriving. Ken being the regular post boy for Simmons, he was his best bet to figure out what was going to happen on the Friday 30th. Ken was a regular Japanese Joe – he really hated Simmons. It was 6 in the evening, and Ken was already drinking his way to glory. Sam was really amazed of Ken's ability to drink sake. The rice wine was pretty strong for Sam who had stopped after just 4 drinks. "I hate the guy...he thinks...he's better than me", Ken slurred. Working at the U.S. embassy had improved Ken's English, he spoke it better than most people Sam had talked to in Japan. Sam motioned with his hands for another bottle of sake after fhaving inished pouring the contents of the first bottle for Ken. He was letting Ken really blow off his steam. "I know who he really is...we all serve the same master...Yakuza..."
"What happened?"
"Ahh...just one mistake I do and then he screams at me in front of his pretty boy assistant. You know that guy has no idea what his asshole of a boss mixed up in"
Pretty boy ... he wasn't wrong there, Sam thought. "For example, does he know that Simmons getting contraband stuff into the country which his government has banned in Japan!"
"Really? I can't say I believe you ... an U.S. official would never be involved in such things. I mean - why?"
"Haha, of course you won't. But what if I tell you that that Simmons will be picking a package for the Yakuza from the docks at 8.30. Then would you believe me?"
"Well that's pretty specific, I must say" Sam gestured for another bottle and left the tea house paying for Ken's bill.

So Sam now had the time and place of the transaction. Now the next part of his plan was supposed to go off. Since Simmons had framed him by setting the police on him, well, revenge was going to be even sweeter, Sam thought smiling to himself.

On the night of the 30th, he was so ready for Simmons. The next part of Sam's plan was officer Takagi Shiro. A rare specimen on the Japanese police force. He wanted to end the Yakuza at all cost. He was also the same officer who had ordered for Sam to be hunted down through the streets of Tokyo. It was funny to see how Yakuza used the very people who wanted them dead. So Takagi would be informed about this transaction. Then Simmons would be right where Sam wanted him. Takagi would be useful to him later on...when his plan to end as much of the Tokyo Yakuza branch as he could reach would go through. He needed someone trustworthy and obsessive enough to send all the material he´d gained from his father, and Shinichi´s diary, to, aside from US officials. It never hurt to have someone pinched from two sides if you really wanted to hurt them.

Simmons was a smart guy, he hadn't taken his car, because that would set alarms off at the ambassy. He was travelling by train. Sam was already there, at the point of the meeting. Edogawa' s boat hadn't arrived yet. He could see a silhouette of a man wearing an overcoat and a hat - Simmons. He also spotted Takagi and his men hiding next to the container waiting to pounce on Simmons. It was a quiet night, even though it was raining. In the distance he could see Edogawa with his boat. He lit a lantern and sent it floating in the air. Everyone was on the lookout for it. For Edogawa it meant that something was wrong and for the police it meant that Simmons was signalling to the shipment. As Sam looked through his binoculars, some of the men got down with the boxes and swam with them to the other side.

On the other side, Edogawa was peering through his binoculars to see Simmons, waving at him like a madman, signalling that everything was clear. Edogawa inched closer and almost set his foot on the dock, when Sam fired another flare, thus illuminating the police who were hiding right behind Simmons. It was too late for Edogawa, who was a known Yakuza face. The police sprang into action and went towards Edogawa - Simmons just stood there turning all white as though he had seen a ghost. As it turned out, the flare was also a signal for Edogawa's men that he was in danger. The firing began from both sides. Sam rolled a smoke bomb in the scuffle and smoke filled the area... he reached for Edogawa and carried him away from all this mayhem, right to a car he had parked on the other side of the street. When the smoke cleared, Simmons lay there, eyes still open, a shocked look on his face. He had been shot in the back and was lying in the pool of his own blood.

Edogawa raised his head from the back seat of Sam's hired car. He looked into the rearview mirror, and Sam said, "It's alright - you can sit up."

Edogawa sat up straight and dusted his coat. "Thank you."

Sam just nodded at him.

"Who are you?", Edogawa asked, with a heavy accent and a deep husky voice.

"I'm just a guy at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Did you come sight-seeing?", the other man asked, laughing at his own joke.

"I was working for Simmons."

"So are you the driver?"

"Driver, transporter, body guard - whatever you like to call me."

"I didn't know he even had a bodyguard."

"Oh, he just hired me for this particular assignment. Told me that he didn't trust his usual lot. Now I know why..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well I think he wanted to double cross you guys". Edogawa looked at him confusedly.

Sam continued. "Well... I did see him talking to a cop. I think it was on my first day?"

"That bastard", Edogawa said under his breath. He looked out of the window. "Where are we going?"

"Well... I'm just following the plan, and taking you to the hotel we were supposed to go to, after the deal was done. I think it's in Shizuka."

"I cannot believe that Simmons would turn on us like that", Edogawa murmured.

"Listen... you, why did you save me?"

"Can I be honest here?"

"Sure."

"I kind of lost track of Simmons in that smoke, so I just lunged in pulled out the first person I got. I put you in the car and made my escape. After driving away for a while I stopped the car and looked at you. I was almost going to throw you out but then I saw those tattoos on your arm and I realized I was in big trouble. If I knew this had anything to do with the Yakuza I would have never taken this job". Edogawa allowed himself to laugh a little.

"Listen boy ... we are not going to Shizuka. Take this left turn here". Sam did as he was told, and took the next turn. "Now a right here and once you see the circle take a left." Sam followed his instructions to the dot. He could see that they were now in the business district in central Tokyo. All the buildings were quiet and dark. As they took the next turn left, Sam realized that they were now heading towards the outskirts of Tokyo. There were fewer houses, and long patches of empty land on both sides.

"Take the turn left" Edogawa said heavily. Sam figured that maybe Edogawa was hurt.

"Stop here", the other man suddenly screamed. Sam stopped ... there was dust everywhere. They were on a dirt road and had stopped in front of huge structure that looked like a monastery. It was three storeys high, and there was a very old man stepping out with a lantern in his hand.

He asked in Japanese "who goes there?" Sam looked into the back seat and saw that Edogawa had passed out. He got out of the car and walked towards the old man. He explained his situation in whatever Japanese Castiel had taught him. The old man who Sam figured was a monk or priest came down the steps with Sam and helped get Edogawa out of the car. Before going inside the building, Sam pulled out the first aid kit from the trunk. As Sam placed Edogawa on the floor of the temple room the monk offered him, he noticed in the lamp´s dim light that the right side of

Edogawa's white coat was now crimson. He pulled open his shirt and coat and saw that there was a bullet lodged where his ribcage ended.

"This could take a while" he said to himself putting on his gloves.

A few hours later, Sam, who had fallen asleep with his back to a wall, woke up when he smelled the sweet smell of incense and heard low chanting. He got up and followed the sound, finally reaching the prayer hall which was lit up with candles. It was quiet and peaceful. Sam had never experienced such calm, silence and peacefulness... The monk was sitting in front of an altar, cross-legged on the floor, with a prayer wheel in one hand. "Good morning" he said without looking at Sam. "You had a very restless night" he said in Japanese.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you."

"Oh no. I'm an old man you see. Long hours of sleep are a luxury now. But whatever sleep I get its peaceful and enough for me. I fear it is not the same for you". He was still looking ahead at the huge statue of Buddha.

Sam felt himself stiffen; he wondered how much the guy had really heard. Did he talk in his sleep?

"My son... whatever battle it is that you're fighting, remember that the real enemy is inside of you and not outside."

Sam just smiled at his words and wondered how true the old man was. He looked around - there was a samurai tapestry on one of the walls.

"That's general Ichiguro. He was a celebrated general. After a battle with the northern tribes he had united the kingdom once and forever for his King. The battle had lasted for five long years. The general had lost many men. In desperation he had recruited boys as young 14. The general won the war and went to the battlefield to take stock. The general saw his reflection in the pool of blood of his youngest soldier. He committed hara-kiri in his tent that night. He realized that in order to get what he wanted, to fight his war, he had gone to the depths of hell as you might say. What he didn't know was that hell often awakens the demon inside of you."

Sam heard rustling from Edogawa's room. "Your friend is awake. You should leave soon. Things that remains hidden in the dark of the night cause difficulty in sunlight"

Sam left the monk with some self-doubt in his heart.

"You're still here? Why didn't you run away?" Edogawa said, looking at his bandages.

"I never believed in abandoning ship, or dying people at that. And where could I hide from the Yakuza?"

"Haha" It's was dry, rough, yet still a strong laugh. For the first time Sam had a good look at Edogawa's face. He had small beady eyes with bags under it, a long slender nose, big lips, a scruff shave. All in all, his weathered face showed hard life. Edogawa was quietly looking at Sam for a while, like he was trying to make a decision. Finally he spoke.

"Boy ... would you like to work for us?"

Sam had finally managed to breach this well-guarded underworld. He showed that he was considering the offer. "What do I get back in return?"

"Everything you can imagine...you'll live like a king..." He put forth his hand. Sam shook it, and both men were smiling thinly.

"I'm your Kyodai, or big brother. There's just one rule - you never leave Yakuza. It's a one way street.", he said, grinning at Sam. I'm in it till the end, Sam thought to himself.

After they had a humble breakfast made by the monk, they left the monastery. As they were driving, Edogawa murmured, "I won't be able to say this in front of the others, but -thank you...uhm... I mean it. Thank you very much."

Sam merely smiled into the rearview mirror. He saw that Edogawa was looking outside the window, he seemed to be considering something. As soon as they arrived at the city, Edogawa began barking directions. They came to a halt in front of a tea house. Three men came running out at as Edogawa stepped out. "We thought you didn't make it" said one of the three pretty agitated guys in Japanese. Edogawa just looked at him, and he closed his mouth. He told them to get in and drive, they had to go to Shinjuku. He bent down with great difficulty and gestured to Sam to sit with him in the backseat. Sam moved from the driver's seat, went to the back, and sat with Edogawa in the back.

"You are curious to know where we are going to."

"I am, but then I'm sure you will tell me soon."

Edogawa smiled at this and said "Haha...loyalty and obedience ... the two most important qualities for a Yakuza member". He mentioned to Sam that he was being taken to one of the waka gashira (first lieutenant), or Edogawa's boss. He informed Sam that Mouri San controlled the 4 regions which included most of the northern parts of Tokyo. The car now had stopped near the entertainment center of town. But as it was common with such places, it was almost dead in the morning. Sam and Edogawa left the car, and Edogawa asked the others to wait outside the building they were about to enter. The place looked more like a restaurant than a casino, with chairs topped on the tables and with only the sound of a fan disturbing the eerie silence. They walked into the farthest corner of the place and Sam saw a staircase leading up.

They slowly walked up the dark and narrow staircase, at end of which they were greeted by a guard, who smiled at Edogawa. He whispered something to the guard, and he opened the door for both of them. It opened unto a terrace. It was sparsely furnished, but had a small collection of plants in one corner, and a low lying table with four cushions. A man sat on one of the cushions, and he smiled at Edogawa, motioning for them to sit at the table and join him. They both started, but Edogawa pressed a hand on Sam's chest and stopped him.

He went over to talk to who Sam thought was Mouri San. He watched Edogawa walk over, and talk to the man in a hushed voice. The man was mostly nodding, but then he suddenly said something, when Edogawa mentioned Simmons. Sam couldn't infer what the man said. His accent was much harsher than Sam had heard so far... Osaka, he figured, Castiel had told him about the different accent. The man was looking in Sam's direction and nodding now. Edogawa motioned over to him to come closer.

Sam bowed down and the man bowed in return. He held Sam's hand, and shaking it, he said "Origato, Mr. Smith, and welcome". After this the man left Sam and Edogawa alone. Sam looked at Edogawa questioningly. "He has a meeting, but he approves of you - on one condition."

Sam raised an eyebrow at this interjection.

"He wants you to prove yourself..."

"Okay ...how?"

Edogawa gave him a slanted smile. "That's a question to ask now. ...Have you heard of the zero sum game?"

"You mean a win-win situation" Sam said smiling.

"You're much too smart , Vincent. I have a proposition for you ... why don't you help me, and in that way, you help yourself. I need you to take somebody out for me, and by doing this, you get an entry into the organization."

Sam just smiled, and Edogawa knew he had found his man.

"But I have a condition too", Sam added. Now it was Edogawa's turn to look confused.

"I need you to trust me."

"I do not follow" Edogawa asked.

"I want you to come clean. Tell me the who, the what, and most important, the why...I know you're asking yourself - why should you... but that's my condition. I wanna finish the job, and stay alive, too."

Edogawa stared at him hard, and long, before he answered.