Since I will be busy tomorrow, I decided to post this chapter today since I'm finished and I don't feel like waiting until June 8th to post.
Thanks to those who followed/favorite/reviewed~!
~FR242
[Acquaintance]
Chapter 4: Sparrow in a Net
A satisfied smirk spread across Izaya's face as he watched the green circle next to Red Rook's name disappear, signaling that the person had logged off. He knew it. There was no doubt in his mind.
Red Rook belonged to the enemy, and he had unknowingly done exactly what Izaya wanted. The first move of the chess game had been made, and so far, it seemed to be in Izaya's favor.
Red Rook had been in contact with Celty before, so Izaya reopened his private chat with the Dullahan and began his dig for information.
Kanra: Ne, Celty. Do you know anything about Rook-san?
Setton: What do you mean?
Kanra: Have you two ever talked about your personal lives?
Setton: Izaya, you have to stop messing with people. No wonder everyone hates you. Especially Shizuo.
Izaya winced. That was a low blow, even for Celty. But he could forgive her, especially since he never told anyone except Shiki about his reasons for disappearing from Ikebukuro for the past six years.
Kanra: I'm not trying to mess with Rook-san, Celty. That was really mean of you… T^T
Setton: How can you expect me to believe that when every person you talk to seem to become broken and ruined?
Kanra: I only mess with the people who deserve it.
Setton: So Shizuo did something to deserve being falsely accused of a crime? And why does Red Rook deserve your wrath?
Izaya paused, fingers hovering over his keyboard. Should he tell Celty? After seven years of dealing with the problem on his own, it would be nice to have someone else know about it. However, Izaya's pride refused to let him tell the Dullahan.
Kanra: Like I said, I'm not going to mess with Rook-san. I'm just interested to know who he is.
Setton: Even if that's the truth, I'm afraid I can't help. Rook-san and I never talked much about our personal lives.
Izaya was disappointed. Right now, he still had practically nothing to help him break out Red Rook's identity. But that's fine. He preferred a challenge anyway.
Kanra: I see. Well, if you find anything, letting me know would still be appreciated! ^3^
With that, Izaya logged off the chat and switched his attention to his other computer. He opened up a new window and began his tracking mission, using the information he already had to find ways to burrow into anything that he thought might be related to Red Rook.
Hours later, when Izaya finally turned away from the computer, he wasn't much closer to finding out the identity of Red Rook. He had tracked the pen name to a blocked road, and he couldn't get any farther. There was some kind of software protecting Red Rook's files. Breaking through the barrier would take a long time, seeing as Izaya had never come across it before now.
Meanwhile, he would notify Shiki of this new discovery and see what the yakuza leader could do. Hopefully, the man would be able to get his gang together and hunt Red Rook down after they took care of their business tonight. Speaking of their business, it was getting close to the targets' time of meeting. Izaya wanted to witness the capture firsthand, so he slipped on his fur-lined jacket and left for the bridge.
When Izaya arrived, he could see Shiki's car parked in a shadowy alley. The man was obviously already here with members of his gang, ready to trap the Sparrows in a net. Hopefully, they wouldn't mistake Izaya for a Sparrow and try to attack him.
"Hey, Orihara-kun!"
A red-haired man beckoned to Izaya from the shadows. A scar ran over one of his eyes, giving the man an intimidating look. However, Izaya wasn't fazed. Instead, he strolled forward with a wide smirk on his face.
"Well, if it isn't Akabayashi! Is Shiki-san here?"
Akabayashi grinned. "Yeah, and he was expecting you to show up. Otherwise, you would have been shot already."
"That's a relief." Izaya fiddled with the switchblade that was in his pocket. "How long have you been here?"
"A few hours. The two Sparrows should be here in a few minutes." Akabayashi looked at his watch. "How did you manage to find this information anyway? We've been looking for several years and haven't ever gotten this close."
Izaya hummed thoughtfully. "Just a bit of luck on my side and carelessness from my targets."
Akabayashi nodded and the two men lapsed into silence, waiting tensely for the targets to appear.
Just as the clock flashed half past eleven, the first Sparrow appeared. The man cautiously made his way onto the bridge, where he was shortly joined by the second Sparrow. Izaya watched from his hiding place as the two men conversed, no doubt passing news to each other.
Suddenly, one of the Sparrows jolted and collapsed. Yakuza members began pouring out from various hiding places, converging on the target that was still standing. Akabayashi also dashed out from his place next to Izaya, but Izaya stayed behind, watching as the second Sparrow fled the scene with his pursuers hot on his heels. Just as it looked as though the fleeing Sparrow was going to be caught, a loud bang went off and the lead pursuer dropped to the ground, tripping up the ones behind him. The Sparrow turned a corner and disappeared from view.
Izaya leaped out from where he hid and stalked his way over to where the second Sparrow had vanished. Silently, he crept to the corner and peered around it. The Sparrow was nowhere to be seen, but at least Shiki's group had caught the other one.
With a last glance around, Izaya turned and made his way back to where the captured man was being tied up. The man's leg had been bandaged, but blood from the bullet wound stained the piece of cloth wrapped around it. Shiki was giving orders for men to wash the blood out of the street.
"The second one got away." Izaya stepped up to the yakuza leader. Shiki grunted.
"That's unfortunate." The two men watched as the captive was bundled into Shiki's car. "No doubt the escaped one will alert his boss, and we'll have to be more careful when walking the streets."
"It doesn't matter." Izaya sighed. "I'm pretty sure they already know anyway."
"Explain."
Izaya recounted his chat with Red Rook, explaining how the person had sent him a message welcoming him back to Ikebukuro and how he had been unable to discover Red Rook's true identity.
Shiki frowned. "We can try to track this Red Rook, but I doubt we'll have much luck if you couldn't even track him down."
"You have another source of information now." Izaya nodded to the unconscious Sparrow who was slumped in Shiki's car. "Interrogate him for answers."
Shiki nodded. "It didn't go too badly. Only lost one man tonight." He and Izaya turned their gazes to the body of the gang member who had been shot down by the Sparrow who got away.
"Could have been a lot worse, boss!" Akabayashi lifted the corpse over a shoulder. "None of us knew that that Sparrow was carrying a weapon, and he could have killed a lot more."
Shiki gave another grunt of acknowledgement. "Did you know that he would be carrying a weapon, Orihara-kun?"
Izaya shrugged. "I honestly thought that you would have prepared for something like this, so I didn't bother mentioning it."
"You have a point." Shiki walked to his car, where a yakuza member held the door open for him. "We will be departing now. The sooner we get information out of our guest and find Red Rook, the better off we'll be." He looked at Izaya. "Want a ride?"
"That would be appreciated." Izaya followed Shiki into the car. The gang member shut the door behind him, and the driver started the engine. The car rumbled to life and rolled away from where it was parked.
The driver dropped Izaya off in front of the informant's apartment. Izaya exited the vehicle, promising Shiki that he would keep in touch. He watched as the car disappeared around the corner before walking back to his room.
At around the same time, the escaped Sparrow dashed through an open doorway in an underground maze and slammed the door shut behind him, his breathing harsh and labored. He stood there for a moment with his back against the door, catching his breath after running nonstop from the bridge.
After he regained his breath, the man stayed in his position for a while longer, staring down the dark hallway that lay before him. Without warning, he began to laugh.
The laughter wasn't very loud. Anyone passing by could have easily mistaken it for a coughing fit. The sound echoed down the long corridor, and the man continued to snicker as he stepped forward, his white jacket glowing ominously in the feeble light of torches that lit the way.
"What's so amusing?"
The sharp inquiry came from a person who stood against the wall about halfway down the hall. The Sparrow stopped dead, a grin spreading across his face as the other's green eyes bore into his mahogany ones.
"Ah, if it isn't the Cobra!" The Sparrow spread his arms in a welcoming gesture. "I'm honored that you find it worth your time to welcome me back. May I have a hug as well?"
The Cobra merely gave him an apathetic glare before turning around and stalking away. "The boss is waiting. He wants a game of cards." With that, the Cobra vanished into the darkness.
The Sparrow sighed disappointedly and followed his companion. His black boots made tapping noises that resounded off the walls around him and mingled with the clacking sounds of the Cobra's black knee-high boots.
As the duo passed through a doorway to a room that looked like a lounge, a voice came from the back of the room.
"Welcome back, Sparrow leader."
A lanky man with dyed silver hair smirked at the Sparrow and the Cobra. The Sparrow gave a little bow.
"Thank you, sir."
The silver-haired man gestured to the coffee table before him. "Have a seat, and we'll get our card game under way."
As the Sparrow and the Cobra sat down, a tall dark-skinned man with a pair of black sunglasses and broad shoulders stepped from the perimeter of the room. Heavy muscle rippled underneath his dark top, showing off the man's strength. He sat between the Cobra and the silver-haired man, and the latter greeted him with a casual pat on the arm.
"Now that everyone's here, let us commence. I believe it is the Tiger leader's turn to go first."
The dark-skinned man picked up the cards that lay face down on the table in front of him and scanned his choices. After a few moments of contemplation, he slid a card out and placed it in the center of the table. A two of spades.
The silver-haired man went next, sliding a two of diamonds on top of the Tiger's card. He smiled calmly and turned his gaze to the Sparrow, who was already looking through his hand for a card to play. After a few moments, he finally decided on one and dropped it onto the center pile.
A two of clubs.
As the Cobra glanced through the cards in her hands, the silver-haired boss turned to the Sparrow. "I believe you have a report to make."
There was a smacking sound as the Cobra slapped the three of diamonds and the three of hearts on top of the pile. Despite the dim light in the room, the red on the cards seemed to glare at the four players as the Cobra sat back in her chair.
"I do." The Sparrow watched as the Tiger contemplated his cards. "Everything on the other side of the bridge is currently going well, but I'm going to need to assign a new messenger."
"What happened to the previous one?"
Two black threes and the four of spades were placed in the center.
"The yakuza led by Shiki shot and captured him."
The boss paused in the middle of placing three cards down and turned to the Sparrow. "What happened?"
Two red fours and a red five.
"He was careless and allowed that shrimp Orihara to find out about the meeting. Naturally, the informant told Shiki, who laid an ambush for us at the bridge."
The four of clubs and two black fives were played.
"I see. That is most unfortunate."
A silence fell upon the four and lasted until it was the Sparrow's turn again. He placed two black sevens and two black eights down and spoke to the silver-haired man again.
"What do you want to do, boss?"
"Hmm?"
"About Orihara. How do you intend to deal with him?"
A red eight, two red nines, and a red jack.
The boss remained silent for a while, moving only to put down a few cards during his turn. None of the other three made any movement to hurry their boss along, knowing that the boss' answer would be more desirable if he was allowed to take his time.
"Cobra-chan." The only female looked up at her leader over her cards. "Where did you say Orihara is hiding?"
"Shinjuku."
"You saw him in Ikebukuro earlier today though."
"Yes."
"What was he doing?"
"Meeting with Shiki and fighting with Heiwajima."
The silver-haired man nodded to himself. "I see, I see."
"Should we continue our administrations from several years ago?" The Sparrow raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Not yet." The boss leaned back in his seat. "Cobra-chan, do you mind doing me a favor?"
"I've already said that I want no part in this." The Cobra glared at the silver-haired man from over her cards.
"Oh, I promise I won't force you to participate in taking care of Orihara." The boss smiled reassuringly. "I just want you to tail Orihara for a few days and report back on what he does."
"Please wait a moment, sir." The Sparrow cut in politely. "I thought that it was the Sparrows' job to spy and track people."
"That's true, but Cobra-chan is the best assassin in our syndicate. In fact, did you know that her skills are currently ranked number one in Japan? Therefore, she will be least likely to be noticed by Orihara. Do you get my drift?"
"Yes, sir. My apologies."
The man waved off his subordinate's apology and refocused his attention on the person across from him. "Well, Cobra-chan? Will you do it?"
"If I said no, you'd make me do it anyway." The Cobra sifted through the cards in her hands, plucked out two, and threw them on the center pile before getting up and stalking to the doorway. The boss sighed and sat back again, tossing his hand of cards down.
"What makes you say that?"
The Cobra stopped just outside the room and glared back at the boss. "I'm an interrogator, and it is my job to read my targets' intentions even before they realize it themselves."
The silver-haired man chuckled proudly. "Spoken like a true assassin and interrogator. Also, before I forget, you'll need to come up with a fake identity for your task. It's just a precaution, in case you have to speak with Orihara."
The Cobra stood there, waiting with a hint of impatience in her jade green eyes.
"Ah, I know!" The boss clapped his hands together triumphantly and pointed a slender finger at the Cobra. "While on this mission, you shall be known as Shiori. How does that sound?"
"Wonderful." The Cobra's answer was sarcastic, and without further ado, she stalked away, disappearing down the hall.
Once the echo of a door slamming faded away, the Tiger spoke up for the first time that night. "Boss." His baritone rumbled deep in his chest. "Cobra's rudeness. Why ignore?"
"Well, Zimmerman, there are some habits that you just can't break out of." The boss rubbed his face tiredly. "Besides, as long as she obeys her orders, I don't care how she speaks or acts."
"You don't want to mess with the Cobra." The Sparrow leader smirked and leaned forward. "She's the youngest and cruelest leader this syndicate has ever had. And her knives never miss their mark."
"True, Toki, true." The leaders' boss nodded absentmindedly and stared at the two black aces that the Cobra had played before her exit.
"Well, gentlemen, since Cobra-chan has ended the game, we are through for the day. Return to your stations and await further orders."
As the Sparrow and the Tiger were leaving, the silver-haired man called to them again.
"Remember to take this war seriously. Orihara will be taken down without fail. I will not be defeated because I am the Virus, and the Virus does not lose."
Ana: I try my best. ^_^
Inky: Ah, thank you, but I actually came across it by accident when I was sifting through Shizaya doujinshi on YouTube. You were right; it was garbage, not blood, but I really did only get a short glimpse of the excerpt and I couldn't find it again when I went back to look for it, so…oops? Oh, well. I don't think it's that big a deal. Thanks again!
Midnight: Like I stated in my reply to Inky-san, I found the doujinshi, but thanks for trying to help. I truly appreciate your support!
Shirohimes - Shizaya-story: Thanks! I'm glad you look forward to the updates.