Chapter 6
The next plan was revealed. Mai read the list that Tanaka had written up, this was a hit list… of all the people responsible to his torture.
"Are you ok, Mai?" Asked Tanaka when it was just him and Okuyama in the room with her. "You look a little pale…"
"Yes, I just wasn't expecting this to be the next plan. I guess this is why Sato has been training us all like he has."
"Go get some rest anyway," Said Okuyama while uploading the video, "and don't worry about anything."
"Yes… both of you get sleep too." Mai left them and went to Sato's room… or could it be considered their room?
Inside Sato was spread on the couch tapping at his controller, he looked over and tilted his head for her to join him. Mai blushed and lay on the couch facing him, his chest was warm so it took only a second to relax. His arms wrapped around her waist so he could keep gaming and his head rested above hers.
"Tired?" It was more stated then asked… "Get sleep, we have some planning to do tomorrow."
Mai buried her nose against Sato's chest and closed her eyes, his breathing was steady and relaxing. And he was so warm… the tapping of his fingers was oddly soothing too. When there was an un-skippable cutscene he brushed his fingers against her head or planted light kisses on the top of her head.
It didn't take long to fall asleep like this.
When she woke it was to Tanaka tapping her shoulder, his cheeks were red at seeing their compromising position, "I need Sato for a moment… Okuyama saw something." It was now that Mai realised Sato had fallen asleep mid game, arms still wrapped around her and she seemed to wrap around him with her limbs. She went red too and jumped back.
Her sudden movement woke Sato with a start and he blinked sleepily as Mai fell off the couch, "Oh shit… you ok?" Tanaka looked concerned at the woman before looking to Sato, "Sorry to wake you sir, but Okuyama is requesting you."
"Hm? What did he find?"
"Apparently an American yakuza… or whatever they call themselves… has entered Japan and is making contact with the Commission board…" That got both Mai and Sato's attention.
"A mobster?" Sato stood up and straightened his clothes, "Let's go find out what Okuyama has to say."
The three walked into the computer room and waited for Okuyama to speak. The man looked back and took note of the scruffy look of Sato, "Sorry to wake you Mr. Sato but I thought this might be important. Two hours ago, a mob-boss from America landed in Japan and is having a meeting with the Commission minister…"
Sato blocked the screen as they watched the airport footage of the Boss and his men, "I wonder if they are here because of our list…?"
Mai peered around them as Okuyama zoomed into the boss's face. Ice filled her and she suddenly felt like she was drowning. A small sound escaped her.
It was now that Tanaka looked over his shoulder and his eyes went wide, "Mai! Are you ok, what's wrong?" Both Sato and Okuyama looked with faces revealing a small amount of their concern while Mai was completely focused on the computer screen.
"Why is he here…?" She whispered with a tremble, "He shouldn't be here…"
"Mai…" Sato was quick to wrap his arms around her and shield the screen with his body, he walked her backwards while speaking to the others, "Okuyama, I will be back soon so keep getting information on our guest."
In the safety of their room Sato asked no questions and simply held her as Mai shivered, he didn't need to speak. His mind already concluded a theory that he believed was 100% the truth.
It was her father…
Her father was in Japan.
"Everything will be ok." Sato said, "Doesn't matter who he is, he will have to get through all of us to reach you."
That eased some of Mai's stress, "I am sorry. I panicked when I saw him… I didn't think I would ever see his face again."
"Nothing to be sorry for…" Sato gave her a long kiss that left her breathless and relaxed. When he decided Mai well enough to be left alone, Sato re-joined Okuyama and Tanaka. "Updates?"
"Seems the Boss is here seeking two people. One is one of his top men who deserted to Japan a few days ago, and the other is a suspected Ajin from the family." Okuyama tilted his head, "Thoughts?"
"I believe the Boss is Mai's father." Both younger men tensed and frowned, "So the second person he is seeking is probably her… find the other and we will question him."
"Already on it," Okuyama twisted his second screen around to show what looked like an old military file that looked similar to Sato's before his uncle burnt the physical copies before leaving America, "and found that his name is…"
"James Crane…" Said Mai while joining them. She seemed better but still shaken, "He was the mobs security and training leader. Also, was my 'babysitter' for a long time."
That proved the theory, "Why would he have deserted?"
"Maybe the film after the Pharmaceuticals was sent to America?" Mai didn't look at the zoomed image of her father but focused on James, "He was always loyal to me. He would kill his own men if they insulted my… disabilities. He would have recognised me instantly."
"So, he came to find you?" Asked Tanaka, "Do we try contacting him?"
"I will call Nekozawa to get some men to bring him to a safe-zone." Said Sato while pulling out his burner phone, "Should I have this James brought in with force…?"
"No… he will come if Nekozawa says I am looking for him."
Several hours later, Sato, Mai and Tanaka were all waiting on the side of the road a mile or so from their hideout. Nekozawa's sleek white car parked behind them and the man stepped out, behind him was the familiar looming figure of James… he seemed smaller. Mai had to remind herself that she hasn't seen James since she was nine.
The man was aged a bit but still bulky and had that stern expression. His eyes lit up when he saw her and instantly recognised her, "My lady! I am so glad, you are safe!" He said in broken Japanese.
Nekozawa raised his brows but said nothing.
"Hello James." Mai smiled, god she was feeling nervous with everyone eyeing her, "How are you?"
"Amazing now that I know you are alive!" James ran at her with open arms and the two men beside her tensed but didn't react in defence when Mai opened her own arms so the man could hug her, "When you disappeared I was so scared!"
"You didn't know what happened?" Mai raised her own brows this time, James was being honest… so the others kept it a secret?
"We will speak more soon," Cut in Sato while passing a bag of money over to Nekozawa, "I will be in contact again soon, Nekozawa."
"Pleasure as always, Sato-san." The man nodded before leaving, the others got into their van and Mai leaned on her knees so she could look at James. Sato sat beside her instead of the usual front seat.
James was quiet as he studied her face before smiling, "How are your legs?"
"Healed… turns out I was an Ajin…" Mai laughed, "Funny how we use to joke about it…"
"Yes," James nodded before mimicking her position, "it worked out well in the end… but how did you die? Was it when you disappeared?"
Mai nodded before sighing. "I think it is best for everyone to know, if my father is here he could cause us issues… and I won't be able to keep everything secret anymore…"
They didn't speak again, Sato made a few comments to James about video-games which had the man confused. Mob men didn't get the opportunity to game, they weren't really allowed time to relax with the constant wars and strict boss. Sato surprised Mai by passing over his handheld but smiled shortly after as James seemed to have the same confusion as she had first playing Halo.
He hadn't changed much over the years. Only got greyer and more wrinkled.
They pulled up to the hideout and went into the kitchen area where they all grabbed coffees. Okuyama and the other pair joined them, all eyeing James with distrust, "He isn't as tall as I expected…" Said Gen.
James puffed out his chest, "And you are taller then Sato but does he get hindered by his height? No." His height was always a soft-spot… he was shorter then Sato by just a little bit.
"So…" Tanaka started nervously, "… you wanted to explain your first death. Are you sure you want to?"
Mai looked at him with appreciation, he knew how hard it was to talk about being suffocated…
"Yes." Everyone sat except for Sato, who leaned on the bench slightly behind Mai. "Let me just explain who I am a little bit, I am the daughter of an American mob boss. His main trade was drugs, hitmen, and personal soldiers."
Takahashi and Gen gaped while the others all nodded and took it in stride, "Being the only child meant I was to take over after my father. However due to my mother's drug usage I was paralysed in the legs after a few years, and father didn't want this…"
James tensed as his mind instantly formulated the possible endings of this story, being part of the mob and knowing her father he had the best ideas, "He didn't…" James went pale when Mai didn't deny, "He…"
"My father and a few of his men took me out to the local cemetery…" Mai swallowed, "… and then buried me alive."
Silence. Everyone was stunned, buried alive? That meant she would have died over and over, several times…
"I only got out because of my IBM, the constant deaths made it form." James tilted his head, "An IBM is a Black Ghost that Ajin have, like a second body that is 100% transparent."
"Oh!" James frowned and rubbed his brow, "I guess your mother was right then…"
"Mother?"
"When you disappeared, she attacked your father and spent the whole day screaming 'you killed my baby' and 'it was your fault, the ghost told me' but no one really listened. She hadn't been herself since she was having you… they threw her into the local Asylum."
"She took the drugs on her own accord, it was no one's fault but her own…" Mai snapped venomously but James shook his head.
"Not true…" He leaned back and sighed, "Your father has been dealing drugs for years. But before you he was also making it, one of his formulas leaked into the house where it affected your mother badly. The withdrawals made her suicidal… your father made the risk to 'save' you by letting your mother use small dosages of drugs. He didn't think it would cause you much harm… idiot never cared about the effects of dosing."
"I… I didn't know…"
"Your mother… despite being ill after having you, always whispered for me not to tell you…" James sighed again, "She was so close to recovering if not for what your father did to you."
Sato hummed, he was the only one not stunned into silence, and reminded the pair that they weren't alone. "So, her father is a really dangerous guy then? Sounds like fun. What do you think Mai-chan? We can add him to the list too."
"List?" Asked James. Right, he didn't know.
"I think…" Mai thought about it. A feeling of joy filled her at the thought of killing her own father, getting her revenge. "Yes… add him."
"Tanaka, get the camera. We will add him… I think I know the perfect words." Sato placed his hand gently on Mai's head, "Without bringing the spotlight on Mai-chan."
Tanaka nodded and the two left, Okuyama dismissed himself while Takahashi left to throw out his drugs. Gen shuffled closer to Mai and gave her a small smile, he pat her shoulder back before heading off to help Takahashi leaving Mai with James. He knew how hard it was to speak such a secret… he couldn't word his own.
Even though he knew the others were aware. Why else did they never put him in the firing line? But even so… he was too scared to admit the truths. He wasn't as strong as Mai.
They couldn't form words. They just stared at the table blankly, sipping their coffees occasionally. It wasn't a tense silence, just a calm and respectful one. No more words were really needed, Mai finally had her secret off her chest and no longer weighing her down while James finally knew what happened to the young lady he watched over.
After a moment of silence Mai finally spoke up, "You don't have to call me Lady anymore…"
"Then…" James hesitated, "… will Mai do? Is that the name you have chosen?"
"Please." Mai nodded and he returned it with his own, "Can you tell me… what was mother like before the drugs?"
James thought about it for a moment before smiling, "Look in the mirror and you will know…"
"What…?"
"You are everything like her. Strong willed, willing to speak her mind, and yet caring for her people." James tilted his head, "She used to work for your father before he married her. That woman was terrifying with a gun."
"She was… a hitman?" This was news to Mai, she only remembered her mother as the skeleton that wandered the house or was bed ridden, mumbling or drooling on herself.
"Your father destroyed everything she was," James crunched up his nose, "and it was a nightmare to stay silent. She used to be my partner before I was made the trainer…"
"You cared for her…" Mai closed her eyes when James fell silent, to think it was her father she should have been hating all this time. That monster ruined her mother, and she never got to meet the true face of the woman… Mai felt like she was robbed of more than just her life.
She was robbed of her mother too.
Thank you to the readers that have waited so long for the next chapter. I had this one sitting in the background for a while, it mostly just explains more of Mai's life.