Chapter 37
In a Galactor base courtyard the same day…
"I'm on a roll now Mekandor- first I defeat Nambu and expose Gatchaman's weakness…" Count Egobossler grinned at his new second in command.
"All we have to do is get rid of this piece of vermin…and victory will be ours in no time at all." Mekandor agreed looking down on the condemned prisoner kneeing before them.
"I have funeral to go to tomorrow in Utoland so best get on with it." Count Egobossler said casually a sinister grin spread across his blue lips. "I really should pay my respects to the late Dr Nambu after all I did for him…maybe not in person…but I will be there." His devilish grin broadened…. Kempler…just so you know I can't spend funds on burying traitors…but I figure you'll make good shark bait…" He hinted.
Kempler didn't even bother to respond to their taunts.
"What do I have here…a coward who deserves no mercy…" The snarling sound of the man he had followed so loyally for years pushed its way into Kempeler's thoughts.
Slowly Kempeler looked up at him from his position on his knees before him.
"I'll tell you what you have here…a walking corpse…I was dead long ago…the devil is waiting for me…and he's getting impatient." Kempeler spoke the truth, the man he longed to be once more died the night he murdered his wife. The satisfaction of Kempeler's approaching death fell from Egobossler's cold blue face.
"Drag him to wall…line up ten of our finest marks men…NOW." Count Egobossler shouted at the top of his voice. Mekandor stood sneering at him from his corner post.
The pain of the hard grip on his arms didn't register as he his thoughts went to the happier days of his youth with his sweetheart and bride. Death had become his only release from the ghosts that haunted him daily and drove him insane.
The sounds of the guns clicking faded into the background as he waited for the final call…the sounds of the guns and the initial pain of death lasted seconds as his wasted life finally came to a wretched end.
* * * *
Midmorning the next day…
The weight of losing Dr Nambu lingered inside of Ken from the moment he watched him being gunned down before his eyes.
"Are you ready?" Jun's hushed voice brought him back to reality as she fixed his tie.
"No…I can't believe he's gone…even though I saw his body it doesn't feel real." Ken admitted.
"I know how you feel, I keep expecting him to walk through the door and tell us it was a hoax or something like that." She gently smiled and looked at the door, the smile didn't last and the sadness in her green eyes returned.
"How did he know?" She asked seriously." How did he know about Dyami, I never mentioned anything to him fearing I would be off the team if he knew."
"I'm not sure Jun, but he found out somehow and it looks like he's been searching for him too from the last words he said." Ken picked up her hand and began examining her long fine boned fingers, and neatly trimmed nails. "Almeron….Dyami…." Rang through his mind, a clue but hardly a lead to when this place is.
Ryu ducked his head through the door. His grief stricken face made him look older, "Time to go guys…Joes waiting in the car to drive us to his memorial."
Silently Ken steeled himself for the procession to the memorial grave site. He was also still trying to comprehend why Dr Nambu had requested in his will a simple burial later in the evening after the viewing with only a few witnesses. He only found out when he and Joe arrived at the mansion from Kamo what the real proceedings would be.
The five of them would attend along with Kamo and another man called Dr Anderson from Ameris. He discovered quickly that Dr Anderson was Dr Nambu's nephew and he would inherit most of the estate and family assets being the next of kin. Ken quietly observed him during the short service at the grave site. Even in the moonlight he could have been his uncle's younger twin…He even wore the same heavy framed glasses that Dr Nambu had.
Afterwards when his coffin had been lowered and the moist dirt began to be pilled on top they began to walk towards their waiting car to go back to the mansion. Dr Anderson didn't speak to any of them instead he walked away on his own in the opposite direction lost in his thoughts towards a waiting black limousine.
The anguish deep pain of his loss would take a long time to heal for all of them. Ken concluded walking with Jun out the front door his Dr Nambu's enormous lavish home and down the long driveway towards the main gates where Joe, Jinpei and Ryu waited from them in a black four wheel drive.
* * * *
Ken and Jun a few picked of the colourful bunches of flowers that had been delivered for mourners from the buckets beside the main gates of the graveyard.
It didn't feel right to have TV camera's recording the procession to honour Dr Nambu. Even if he was the head of the ISO, it felt like the world would focused on seeing the famous Science Ninja Team, and his habit of wanting to stay anonymous hadn't faded with their identities being exposed.
They all walked together down the wide concrete strip to pay their last respects to their mentor and foster father, each carrying a small bunch of flowers to lay at his grave.
Ken stared at the huge framed photo of Dr Nambu resting against the headstone. He missed him, yet why even after seeing his body lowered into a grave he still couldn't comprehend he was gone forever. Walking alongside his teammates he laid the bunch of flowers down and turned to walk away.
"Haaahhhhaaaaaaa" A familiar chuckle made him turn around slowly to see the white mocking masked face of Count Egobossler standing next to headstone. Ken felt his temper rising at sight of him and ran back towards the memorial with Joe hot on his heels. "This is just the beginning of the end for you Gatchaman and the Science Ninja Team…"
Joe ran ahead of him and walked around the back of the memorial to investigate why he then suddenly vanished. He hesitated and ran back towards them shouting." Hit the deck…"
Ken threw himself to ground along with Jun, Jinpei and Ryu.
The explosion sent rock and debris and the smell of smouldering flowers floated over him. Gingerly he put his hands underneath him so he could stand up faster. Joe came to his feet first and ran back towards what was left of the memorial. The only thing left was a scattering of flowers and rubble.
"It had to be hologram Ken." Joe said angrily, "If he was here we'd know."
Ken picked one of the flowers that miraculously escaped the flames and held up with his heart racing from the anger building up inside of him.
From the corner of his eye he saw Jun purse her lips in anger at the destruction of Dr Nambu's last resting place. This final insult cut to the core of all of them.
"Get me Kamo…we're going to show Galactor the Science Ninja Team aren't taking this lying down, we can still operate without Dr Nambu…" He ordered.
Ken knew this is what the doctor wanted, the team to stick together and stay strong and bring an end to this war forever.
* * * *
"Sis, what's Aniki up to?" Jinpei quizzed as they ran through the base.
"I'm not sure, but he needs us back at the Gatchasparten, change of plans since I was supposed to set the charges." Jun didn't keep the irritation out of her voice. Did he decide she couldn't do it because she almost lost her grip under train she thought wildly- Or was he just being over protective.
She stopped in her tracks when she looked around the room they'd just entered. Wall to wall computers…
"Jinpei wait a second I need to check something out." She walking over to a terminal she began typing in codes she knew Galactor used as passwords to gain access.
"Sis, we don't have time for whatever you're doin…this place is gonna blow." Jinpei said pulling at her mantle.
"Jin, we could find him, after what better place to look for another base…than on a Galactor base." She said smiling, from the corner of her eye she watched the light turn on in his brain.
"Of course the clue Dr Nambu left Ken about Dyami." Jinpei said standing in close to her.
"Almeron…" She muttered as she typed it into a search.
"It's a Science Research Centre…hidden in the Himalayan Mountains…look it even gives me a map!" She declared.
"What exactly do they do there…?"Jinpei inquired peeping over her shoulder.
"That's strange it gives me a map but no other details…only that its top secret and I need higher access…" Jun mused She began typing in other codes she knew, but all were denied.
Frustrated she hit the print button. "Jin I'm printing this information out can you go and get it off the printer for me."
"Sure Sis…" Quickly he walked over quickly and retrieved the information, and then they raced out of the room to meet up with Ryu.