Chapter 9

Problem 3 – The Feds

This was the part of the plan Mugen and I had the least control over, and we both found it unnerving to say the least.

Jin was confident he could...convince the shogunate of certain things. In fact, our plan hinged on us convincing several people of several things at once.

First, we had to convince Mugen's comrades to rob the treasury at city hall. That wasn't so hard. "Because fuck 'em! That's why!" was Mugen's rational, met with thunderous applause.

Then, we had to convince them that Mugen sold them out to the shogunate, which would be partly true, because Jin had already gone back to them with the robbery plans. If the cops show up at city hall, but Mugen does not, it wouldn't be hard to draw that conclusion.

But then there was me, operating as a double (triple?) agent. I know that the cops know about the robbery. So I can tip off the gang ahead of time, which will hopefully lead to less arrests.

As for making sure the shogunate don't continue to pursue Mugen, Jin would only say he'd take care of it.

"This is bullshit," Mugen sniffed. "I should be in on the convincing! I'm very persuasive!"

Jin almost laughed. "I'd say so. But you can't be involved. We really should know as little about each other's grander plans as possible. It gives us plausible deniability."

Mugen scrunched up his nose. "It gives us who in the what now?"

Jin sighed. "Just...trust me. This one time. And then if all goes well, you'll be rid of me."

Mugen smiled a bit, and then kicked a stone with his sandal. "Fine," he grumbled. "You know you suck donkey balls, though. Right?"

Jin shrugged. "You've informed me of that before, yes."

"Good. Just checking." Mugen sort of tapped Jin's sword with his own as he ambled past, and then that was it. I believe that was their version of goodbye. Possibly also, I love you.

Boys are so weird.

"Where the hell is he?" I heard someone whisper harshly behind me. The air was getting thick with anger and anxiety. All around me I heard the hum of general discourse, and a bad feeling started growing in the pit of my stomach.

Jin brushed his hand slightly against mine as he passed, whether by accident or to reassure me, I wasn't sure. I appreciated it regardless. It was nice to be reminded I had a friend out here.

I knew my role in this, my one job, was approaching. We were barely within eye shot of the building, looking dim and ordinary in the night. Jin took a few steps back into the cover of the trees and nodded at me. I took a breath, and it felt as though I had swallowed sand. I was about to usher in my own private Armageddon.

"IT'S THE COPS!" I screamed.

And then everything happened. All at once.

The gang scattered, darting into trees and swinging into branches. Some swore and cussed, and others charged the building, determined not to be taken in quietly. I felt as though I had wandered into a stampede of raging wildebeests and I steeled myself against a tree as the chaos erupted. There was a sudden thunk in the thick wood beside me and I realized my kimono had been pinned to the base of the tree with a throwing knife. "You traitorous bitch!" one of the boys yelled at me, eyes wild.

But before he could exact his vengeance, a member of the shogunate appeared behind him and knocked him out cold. "You OK?" he asked me, but then he too collapsed in a heap with my assailant. A flash of impossibly white skin flicked out to pluck the knife from the base of the tree.

"Here," Jin handed me the knife, barley looking at me. His attention had already focused on the next scuffle. His job was to stall. To minimize. To assist without being seen. I watched, dumbstruck, as he swung himself up into the branches and over to where another cop was apprehending a young boy. The kid was screaming, frothing at the mouth, and it was easy for Jin to dart from the canopy above and immobilize the cop before anyone knew what had happened. By the time the boy collected himself to realize that somehow, magically, he was free, Jin was back at my side.

"Find Mugen," he said. "He should be on his way to the dock."

"He won't be," I said. "He's here somewhere, I know it."

Jin looked at me, and he didn't even have to issue an "Hmmmm" before I knew my next job. Make sure he's on his way to the god damned dock.

I nodded and took off further into the woods, the sound of my own feet pounding the Earth joining the chorus of dozens of others doing the same. We were all just running, crazed and scared, towards whatever was next.

I heard a voice ring out behind me, and then I was on the ground, tangled in a mass of flailing limbs. "You're under arrest!" a voice cried, almost comically. He didn't sound so sure, as a fist emerged from the pile up and struck him square in the jaw.

Fed up, the cop just punched back, jamming his own fists into the pile of flesh and connecting with whatever was available. Everyone was just slapping, screaming, refusing to go quietly into the good night, and it was impossible to tell just how many people were embroiled in this most inelegant of scuffles. Someone punched me in the back of the calf as I struggled to break free, which was enough to seriously piss me off. I pulled out the knife Jin gave me and poked someone, medium style, in the ribs.

"OW!" one of the boys sprung up, startled, and we all rolled off of him, untangling in the process.

"You're all...under...YOU'RE ALL UNDER ARREST!!" the cop screamed as people began to spring up and dart towards freedom. "Come on! You're all under..." Thunk.

A sandal bounced harshly off his forehead. The cop stood there for a moment, as if debating whether or not this was how he wanted to end his night, and then toppled over. Yes, was the apparent conclusion.

No one had stuck around to witness this, however, and I was free to ask, "Shouldn't you be half way to the dock by now?"

Mugen swung down to retrieve his sandal. "Yer welcome. Geeze."

"We have to go," I insisted. Mugen was gazing towards the action, and his eyes looked like a gate holding back a dozen thoroughbreds.

I grabbed his arm. "Don't make this all for nothing," I said.

His muscles tensed in my grasp. "Fine," he said without looking at me. "Let's go."