LIVING A LIFE FORETOLD
Chapter 7: "Secrets and Lies"
A Sailor Moon fanfic
By Bill K.
Three women emerged from the shrine on the sacred grounds of Hikawa. Spotting them, two crows angled down from the skies. One, Phobos, landed atop the roof of the building, perched on the edge by the eaves. The other, Deimos, was more bold and landed, with some difficulty, on the narrow shoulder of the shrine priest, Rei Hino. As Rei was still conversing with her guests Usagi and Haruka, she didn't immediately respond to the crow. Deimos bent in and nuzzled the priest's cheek.
"Not now, Deimos," Rei scowled, brushing at the bird.
Petulantly, the crow cawed at her.
"Don't be jealous, Deimos. This is important."
Almost in a huff, the crow leaped off and joined her partner on the roof.
"What is it, hungry?" Haruka asked.
"No, she's upset and needs to cuddle," Rei replied. "Deimos and Phobos are sensitive to changes in the psychic aura of the city. They're probably responding to the fear and despair generated by that bombing you told me about. It's just that Deimos doesn't deal with it as well as her sister does."
Haruka digested this. To her, they were just crows. She'd never considered that an animal might have emotions. And the way Rei related to them, almost as if she could understand the noises they made, was almost supernatural. But then she'd never believed in the supernatural until she'd become a senshi and seen such things with her own eyes - - and animals had never held much interest for her.
"Do you think this is all related?" Usagi asked out of the blue. "Is it some new enemy making people do this?
"Like I said before, it might just be coincidence," Haruka told her. "Or it might be a separate group using the unrest of the moment to piggy-back on. If someone comes forward and claims credit for it, we'll know for sure. I don't intend to wait for that, though. As soon as Michiru gets home, she and I will start looking around."
"Be careful, please," Usagi appealed to her.
"Careful is my middle name, Dumpling," Haruka smiled at her. Then she glanced at Rei. "Any chance you can hit up this 'source' of yours for any more information?"
Rei grew tight-lipped. "I doubt there's anything more I can gain from that source," she responded thinly. "I can stoke up the fires again, but I can't guarantee success. If the kami aren't willing to talk, I can't force them."
The trio had reached the top step of the staircase leading down to the street level. Rei turned, grasped Usagi by the arms and looked her straight in the eye.
"You're sure you're all right?" Rei asked.
"Yes, Rei," Usagi sighed. "If you find out anything, please call me - - or Ami. Maybe it would be better if you called Ami. She can make sense of stuff like this." Suddenly Usagi stopped and stared at Rei, specifically her left shoulder.
"What?" the priest asked. Reddening quickly, Usagi pointed to the priest's shoulder. Rei glanced at it - - then suddenly whirled and faced the shrine. "DEIMOS!" she roared.
The crows retreated quickly.
Ami waved to Minako when she spotted the woman enter the hospital lobby. Her friend and comrade in arms was wearing cut-off blue jeans and a man's shirt. She had a large brown shoulder bag draped over her left shoulder and a laptop computer in her right hand. Ami found this strange, but put it aside and led her friend to one of the offices just off the Emergency Room.
"I'm glad you could come so quickly, Minako," Ami told her when they were safely inside the office. Then she looked more closely. "You seem irritated. I apologize if I took you away from something important."
"Forget about it, Ami," Minako sighed as she plugged the laptop's phone cord into the wall jack. "I suppose it was just as much my fault as his." Ami found this a confusing response, but let it pass.
The other oddity she couldn't pass.
"Minako, if you're carrying your laptop in your hand," Ami wondered aloud, "what's in the bag?"
"My secretary," Minako smirked. She opened the bag. To Ami's surprise, Artemis lunged out. The cat draped himself over the side of the bag and exhaled with exaggeration.
"I REALLY hate traveling in luggage," the feline gasped.
"Hospitals don't let cats in," Minako reiterated. "How else was I going to sneak you in here?"
"Dark glasses and a mustache?" Artemis asked. Ami and Minako tried to hold it in, but both emitted rude snorts of laughter.
Unmindful of them, Artemis hopped up onto the table. He opened the laptop and began typing furiously.
"Urawa say anything else?" Minako asked while Artemis worked.
"Nothing - - relevant to this case," Ami replied, averting her eyes. Minako sensed her friend's turmoil.
"So how's he doing?" she asked.
Ami drew in air. "He's critical, but stable."
"OK, once more without the 'doctor-ese'. Is he going to make it?"
"We're trying."
Minako grasped Ami's hand. "Hey, if there's anything I can do."
"Thank you, Minako," Ami whispered.
"I mean it. I played a doctor in a movie once," Minako said. Then she batted her eyes in a "dumb blonde" manner. "No, wait - - I played AROUND WITH a doctor in a movie once."
Ami gave her a cynical smirk.
"There, see," Minako grinned. "You do still know how to smile."
"Found it," Artemis told them.
Both women crowded in close. On the display was news footage of the Prime Minister entering the auditorium where he was to give an address. The picture was frozen moments before Ryo's entry into the scene.
"Ryo said the assassin was to the rear and left of Arashi-sama," Ami informed them, pointing to the display. Minako noted the familiar way she referred to Urawa, but let it pass.
Artemis tapped some keys. A box surrounded the bodyguard on Arashi's rear left and the photo grew bigger. A few more keystrokes enhanced the photo.
"I'm running a search program of police files and government registries," Artemis told them. "If I don't come up with a hit, I can expand my search. It'll take longer because I'm hacking into . . ." A file suddenly came up on the display. "There we go. Seita Taguchi. We've even got an address."
"Great," Minako said, committing the address to memory. "Think I'll pay him a visit."
"I think it would be prudent for another senshi to go with you," Ami advised.
"Back-up? For me?" goggled Minako. "The woman who launched a million Sailor V fanboys?"
"It's a good idea, Minako," Artemis scowled.
"All right," Minako frowned, then glanced at Ami. "You want the job?"
"I, um, think I should stay with Ryo," Ami said, embarrassed. "I, um, he-he might recall something else useful."
"Sounds like a plan," Minako smiled warmly. "I'll call Makoto. Hope she's got a babysitter lined up"
Shinjiro Hino was on the phone with his real estate agent. It was a hectic time at the Diet suddenly, with the bombing in the Juuban district coming so closely behind the attempt on Prime Minister Arashi's life. Rumors rattled through the halls, using familiar to this era words like "terrorism" and "homeland security". The hour recess for lunch had been the first time he'd had to check on the progress of negotiations to sell the land under Lotus Blossom shrine. As such,the buzz from his intercom was not welcome.
"Yes?" Hino asked his assistant.
"Toguro-sama is here, Hino-sama," the young man informed him. "He'd like to speak with you. He's brought Ishii-San of Kujawa Heavy Industries with him."
Hino scowled. He knew Toguro was here to do a little arm twisting because the funding appropriation they wanted wasn't moving fast enough to suit him - - or his client, no doubt. It was something he had neither the time nor the desire to accommodate right now. But he knew that he still had to play carefully around Toguro, despite the old man's loss of status. Hino brushed his mustache, sighed in frustration and told his assistant to show them in.
"Hino-San," Toguro said with indulgent gratitude as they were ushered in. "Thank you for seeing us, particularly on short notice. I imagine things are pretty busy here."
"You're right. Things are very hectic at the moment, given what happened over the last few days," Hino replied.
"Nasty business," Toguro scowled. "Any idea who did it yet?"
"If the security forces know, they haven't told us yet," Hino answered. "Because of that, I am really pressed for time, though. I don't mean to rush you . . ."
"Perfectly understandable," Toguro said, waving off his concerns. "I just wanted to introduce you to Hikaru Ishii of Kujawa Heavy Industries. He's one of the interests I represent concerning that matter we discussed."
"A pleasure, Dietman," Ishii smiled and offered his hand. Hino shook it and gave him a respectful nod. "Toguro-San has told me a great deal about you. I'm honored to have you representing my company's interests in the Diet - - particularly now. Recent events should make it clear how important it is to Japan to have state-of-the-art defense equipment."
"Not to mention the export potential," Toguro added. "Something like this could pull this country out of the recession Arashi's mired us in."
"I don't dispute the need for that," Hino began warily. "But tax incentives for industry are tough sells in economically depressed times. Promises have been made before and not always lived up to. That's part of why we're where we are today. The Diet and the public aren't going to give money to empty promises."
"I'm sure someone as eloquent as you could manage to persuade them," Ishii told him. "My company would be quite willing to provide financial support to keep an eloquent visionary such as yourself in the Diet."
"Your generosity is appreciated," Hino nodded. "But it is said that one voice, no matter how eloquent, is often not as persuasive as a crowd. I doubt that even Kujawa has enough money to influence the entire Diet. But if the public can be influenced to put pressure on the Diet to act, I'm confident that I can guide them in the desired direction."
"Well thought out," Toguro nodded.
"So how would this be done?" Ishii inquired.
"Recent violence has caught the public's attention," Hino explained. "If your company can give the public something concrete to grasp onto as a means of salvation, the appropriation should slide through. But it must be an actual product, rather than vague promises."
"But," swallowed Ishii, "I would hate to reveal confidential development plans to the public. Why, the potential of copying from our competitors . . ."
"I'm not suggesting you show all of your cards, Ishii-San," Hino smiled reassuringly. "But you're going to need to show something. Do you have some sort of working prototype that can make a good visual, something that can be plastered over the news reports? If it can be demonstrated, that would be even better." He leaned forward. "You don't have to decide now. Look through your R and D for something. Just remember, the sooner you act, the sooner I can act."
Ishii nodded. Toguro eased him to his feet and guided him toward the door. As he did so, the old man turned to Hino and said softly, "I'll work on him from my end."
Hino nodded. As they left, the Dietman watched Toguro and puzzled at what all those two were keeping from him. For he knew Toguro too well and he knew that Toguro never, ever showed all of his cards.
Strolling through the lobby of the high-rise apartment building like she knew where she was going, Minako led Makoto to the elevators. Because of her attitude, no one noticed that they didn't belong there - - only that they were two very beautiful women. When the elevator car arrived, the pair got on and headed for the eleventh floor.
"I'm glad you could get a sitter for Akiko," Minako commented. "I know it's short notice . . ."
"Fortunately Grandma wasn't doing anything at the moment," Makoto replied. "And she just adores Akiko. I think she spoils her."
"That's what grandparents are for," Minako smirked. "So how do you want to play this?"
"What choices do we have?"
"Well, we can knock as senshi and try to bully the information out of him," Minako explained, "or we can stay civilian and flirt and try to sweet-talk the info out of him." She glanced over at Makoto, who was wearing a button front blouse. "You might want to undo a couple of buttons on your blouse for that one."
"Blondie, I'm a married woman!" Makoto protested.
"So?"
"And I love San-San!"
"Well I love Toshi-chan! I wasn't planning on jumping into bed with this guy! Sheesh, you're as bad as Toshi is!"
"Let's do the first one," Makoto replied. "So what did you mean by that 'bad as Toshi is' crack? You two having problems?"
Minako grimaced. Makoto recognized the expression.
"Well let me know if you need anything from me," the taller woman told her friend.
"Sure," Minako replied softly.
They came up to the apartment door. After changing, Jupiter pressed the buzzer. A few moments passed, then a burly, rough-and-tumble man with black hair opened the door. When he realized Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus were at the door, he tried to close it very quickly. Jupiter, though, was faster. She threw herself against the door, forcing it back, and barreled into the apartment, with Venus on her heels. Seita Taguchi stumbled backwards several paces, then balled his fists and came up swinging. Being nearest, Jupiter was his first target. But the senshi evaded the blow, seizing his wrist in her hands, then swung her leg up and connected with his jaw. Staggered, Taguchi fell back several steps. He turned to make another lunge at Jupiter.
"Venus Love-Me Chain!" Venus called out. The golden heart-shaped links shot out from her and encircled Taguchi's torso until he was caught in the chain's grip.
"What is all this!" Taguchi roared as he struggled to burst the chain's grasp. "This is my place and you can't . . .!"
"Sit down!" Jupiter barked. She swept her leg across the back of his ankles, pulling his legs out from under him. Taguchi fell to the floor like a sack of flour, Jupiter towering over him menacingly. "We'll ask the questions."
"So, chuckles," Venus began, squatting next to him, "who ordered you to kill Arashi?"
"You're nuts!" the man sneered. "That crazy street bum tried to kill him! I was one of his bodyguards!"
"Uh uh," Venus grinned. "We're not the press. We know different." She jiggled the end of the chain she was holding. "So what happened? They pay you? Threaten you? Do they have something on you? And just who is 'they'?"
"You're full of it, bimbo," Taguchi sneered.
"Oh, the magic words," Venus chuckled. She handed the end of the chain to Jupiter. "If you'd be so kind, Jupe?"
"Sparkling Wide Pressure," Jupiter announced, calmly and with a hint of disdain.
Electricity collected in her hand, then flew down the links of the chain. Taguchi was seized by a shuddering electrical jolt. He clenched for a few moments, grimacing in pain, then sagged when the current stopped.
"Now, lesson one," Venus said as if lecturing a child. "I am Sailor Venus, not 'bimbo'. That is Sailor Jupiter. And you are the prisoner. You tried to stick a knife in the Prime Minister's back and you're going to tell us why and who got you to do it? Right?"
Taguchi remained sullenly silent.
"Jupe?"
"Sparkling Wide Pressure."
More electricity shot down the links. Taguchi groaned in pain, his teeth clenched tight. His body shook from the fire the electricity was creating in his nerves. When the assault finally stopped, Taguchi sagged with exhaustion.
"You can't do this," he panted. "I've got rights."
"God, you sound just like some Yakuza thug!" sneered Venus. "The minute the police got rough with them, they started whining about their rights - - and always right in the middle of one of my sets! Well what about the rights of that poor guy who's taking the rap for you? What about the right Arashi-sama has to live? You don't care about those rights, so why should I care about yours?"
Taguchi stood his ground silently.
"Our boy's being stubborn, Jupe," Venus said. "Give him another taste."
The electricity shot down the chain and shook Taguchi like a rag doll. The thug tried to hold it in, but a strangled grunt of pain was dragged from his mouth. When the current stopped, Taguchi sat bent over, panting deeply.
"I'm not telling you anything," the man huffed. Jupiter knelt down next to Venus.
"This isn't getting us anywhere," she told her partner.
"Well, I told you we should have tried seducing him," Venus quipped. Jupiter gave her an acid look. "So what do you suggest? You're the expert on disciplining children, after all," and she gave Jupiter a sly look.
"Maybe Rei can use that mystic mojo of hers to see it," Jupiter shrugged.
"Worth a shot," Venus shrugged. She rose to full height, then tugged on the chain. "On your feet, Taguchi. We've got places to go."
"Where are you taking me?" he grunted sullenly.
"There you go again," Venus replied, cuffing him on the back of the head. "I ask the questions, not you."
The thug got up and Jupiter shoved him out the door while Venus held his tether. As they headed for the elevator, one of Taguchi's neighbors peered out her door curiously.
"What?" Venus asked as a challenge. "Can't a person take their dog for walkies without being stared at?" The neighbor quickly closed her door.
"Do you have to embarrass me everywhere we go?" Jupiter sighed.
Continued in Chapter 8