All In The Name of Cement Shoes: Knight in a Shining Armani Suit
The view, Misao had to admit, was a bit dismal. Besides the occasional flicker of a dying flashlight, there wasn't much to the trunk. The lining was rough against her cold skin and the tire jack kept poking her ribcage. She would definitely be writing the company a complain letter about the interior material. Perhaps they could even paint a nice Monet knockoff? Misao sighed inwardly. Fate, as it seemed, was not on her side. The last thing she had seen before being plucked off the parking lot was Sano launching himself into full attack mode. The intended target could only be Aoshi. She pondered the events after her abduction and who made what emotions prominent. Thinking was all the mousey woman could do. She didn't know where she was being taken to or if she would even live to make it through the night. A single tear drifted down her porcelain cheek. She was so close to getting her life in order. So close? She angrily shook away the tear. Three men had taken her down. Three! She could easily defend herself with the lack of tools before her. There was no reason to declare death yet. She quickly felt around for objects around her. To her left, was the flickering metal flashlight. To her right, her fingers could feel the icy metal of the tire jack. Beginning at the pace of snail, her brain began to put together the pieces of a plan.
Sano was slowly but surely creating a permanent crease into the wood floor of the police department with his hasty pacing. The area around him was a carnival of office noises complete with an orchestra of phone rings and the soft applause of the papers being filed. It was making the criminal a tad bit nervous and he felt his muscles stiffen at the sound of a door being opened to the interrogation room nearby. The manic screams of the person found guilty until proven innocent could be heard before the door closed. It brought Sano back to the hard times when his father had to come bail him out repeatedly. It was always the same damn cop, too. He would catch the rooster head trying to break into a car, just as the lock popped. Or he would catch him with a pocket full of stolen merchandise when Sano was just across the street from him air around the gruff man seemed to grow colder as a string of vanilla smoke floated around Sano's nose. It seemed to snake its way around his hard body, sneaking into his senses and flooding his thoughts. It was a memory realized too late as the former gangster swung around to see the Black and Mild cigar hanging from his nemesis' lips.
"I thought I made it clear that I never wanted to see your ugly mug back in my office." Saitou. That's the only name given to the detective that, as a rookie, made Sano's teenage life a living hell. He would rather drink hot lava then be in the presence of Saitou.
"Piss off, pig. I hate to break your heart, but I'm not in trouble this time." The insult was lost on the officer as his eyes roamed over Megumi's lithe form.
"And who is this portrait of perfection?" Sano could feel his lungs lose the concept of breathing for a split second. "She's not interested, Saitou." A seductive smirk fell over the doctor's lips as she faked shyness. She gently offered her hand to the burly detective.
"I'm Megumi, pleased to meet you…?"
"Saitou." She posed a genuine smile and introduced Aoshi who had remained quiet since they had discovered Misao had been taken. She took a few steps to reach the cop's side and grasped his arm in a light hug. Sano's eyes narrowed as jealousy began to creep its way into the scene. "Well, Saitou, it seems a very dear friend of ours has been kidnapped. There's plenty of information available to you, so I don't see why we can't just put a small rush on this case, hm? I know the stress of rushing isn't even a stress at all for you, considering you're such a well known detective with many admirable skills, I'm sure." She pouted her ruby lips and batted her long eyelashes up at the man once dubbed 'the wolf'. He smiled lazily and took a drag off the small cigar. He winked once at the doctor and smirked at Sano before gathering up his witnesses and heading into the now vacant interrogation room. As the first person disappeared into the doorway, Megumi turned on her 3 inch heels to face Sanosuke. Her eyes were aflame with an anger she had never shown before. A pink tint stained her usual pallor skin. She was mad…and Sano had never been more turned on by her then at this very moment.
"Listen you dimwitted dipshit…your SISTER is missing! And that man is one of the most decorated detectives in this police department's history. He's the best of the best and gets the job done every time. HE will be the one who finds Misao. Making him angry is the last thing you want to do right now, understood?!" She didn't even give him the chance to respond as she wandered out into the narcotics division of the police department. He stood for a moment, watching the curvy backside of the object of his lust disappear into the various bodies shuffling about. He then turned to Aoshi who had kept the same demeanor, even during this heated moment. He stared intently, searching for a change in his expression, until finally, Aoshi stood and looked Sano square in the eyes.
"I'm going to go find her myself." It was a short sentence with no explanations or reasons behind it, but it somehow put Sano at ease. Saitou was the law. He had to abide by the rules and guidelines which permitted him to exercise the law. Aoshi, however, could buy the law if he damned well pleased…which made him practically above the law. And most importantly - above Saitou. His vision was quickly throwing up a good mental debate. To his left, stood the law in its most menacing form – a chain smoking detective. Granted, Saitou had his flaws but he always got the job done. He was even more skilled when it came to arresting members of the mob. More gangsters had been placed behind bars during Saitou's years as a detective than any other cop in the state. The men who took Misao would surely pay a hefty sentence when the wolf got a hold of them. But even though Saitou was perfect at upholding the law, there was no definite chance that his little sister would be found alive at the rate they were going. With Aoshi behind the judicial wagon, the men who took her were now considered dead men walking. His brain quickly shifted into overdrive. There was no need for a mental argument.
"If you go with him, there is no guarantee that you'll come back alive. And even if you do, if I find those corpses, I'm going to have to hold one of you responsible." Saitou was leaning against the outside wall of the interrogation room, scanning over his written evidence. "Besides, no offense to you, but you don't exactly have the best reputation, kid. A jury would convict you in a heartbeat." Sano huffed in defiance and began the short walk to the parking lot. Saitou shook his head as he watched the former troublemaker burst through the double glass doors. It was going to be a long night with a lot of paper work.
"What are you doing?" Aoshi didn't even have the courtesy to look at Sano when he asked the question. The vehicle was already in drive when the impulsive ass darted in. The answer was obvious so neither man said a word as Aoshi drove on.
Two blank faces stared at the trunk of the car parked on the South Dock in complete confusion. Their boss had given them instructions to 'take care of her', but when put in terms meant for an idiot, that could mean a number of things. They had never killed before and were extra leery about taking on such a mission. They opted to call in a favor from an old friend who would have no problem doing the deed but a sudden memory that the old friend was now currently residing in maximum security prison halted that idea. So, they figured they would just keep the girl locked up for a bit in one of the warehouses while they worked out what to do with her. "Maybe we should call Joey and ask for more specific instructions?" The ratty man looked up at the bulkier man. "Or we could just throw her in the river." The skinny man squinted his eyes in annoyance. "You idiot! What if the boss wanted us to keep her alive to find out where Natalia is? Did ya ever stop to think about that?" The heavy man shook his head. "Alright then, let's get her out and tie her up to something in the warehouse. I'm pretty sure all that steam from earlier has left her by now." The fat man quickly popped the trunk and braced themselves for an attack. Only nearby noises of the city could be heard. So the braver of the two carefully leaned in to see if the small woman survived the trip to the docks. With a small battle cry, a THUNK was clearly heard throughout the harbor followed by another blunt hit.