Chapter 15
Unhidden Hands
A week past. Godzilla's attack on New York had been the last of the monster attacks. The world was finally calm. Both humans and Xilians were working to rebuild.
At the Gotengo base in Tokyo, life was as hard as anywhere else in the world where monsters had attacked. People still packed the base having nowhere else to go. But thanks to Vincent, Gordon, and Yukie helping a great deal, things went by a little smoother.
Taylor Martin stood on top of the wide man-made plateau that was the top of the mostly subterranean Gotengo base. The sun was setting and there was a breeze that swept her hair up.
Most of the dust from the destruction had finally settled. It was safe to be outside without a mask. Without the dust obscuring everything, Taylor could at last see the fullness of the carnage caused. She did not know this city, but she easily related to its pain. She saw Manhattan get torn apart, this city's people must feel the same.
Taylor felt her hair. Water pressure was restored to parts of the city and she had been able to take showers (short, cold ones). However she had no shampoo. It left her hair dry and very unkept.
"There you are!" Vince said as he came through the roof access door. "Some of the other girls said you were up here. What's up?"
A lot was up with Taylor. Her entire life had been taken away from her. She felt like she was living outside her own life; plucked out and places here.
"Where are we going to live after we get out of here?" Taylor asked.
"Well, I hadn't even had much time to think about it." He stood by her and looked out over the city with her. "I guess we could live wherever we want. Whole new life. Not a fresh start we necessarily wanted, but one we're getting anyway."
Taylor looked down at her feet.
"I still feel like they're waiting at home for us…," she said.
Vince wrapped an arm around Taylor.
"It has been announced today that this year's olympic games will be held on schedule despite everything that has happened recently," the news anchor reported. "The Olympic Games Committee has even offered an invitation to leaders of the Xilian people. The Xilian Keizer then sent his response in the form of a video."
The news feed cut to the pre recorded video of the Keizer. "On behalf of the Xilian people, we thank you for your offer and happily accept. Myself along with the Erzherzog and a few more officials will be attending your games."
Glenn Adams along with the other members of G-force were watching the news in the Godzilla Memorial Lounge.
"Aliens! Smeshnoy!" Anton Gorodetsky announced in Russian. "Like the meme says, I'm done with this planet, I'm leaving!"
Ignoring the Russian's ranting, as he usually did, Philippe changed the topic. "Glenn, will you be using your ticket?" he asked, referring to the tickets to the Olympic Games they had all received as a present from New York for taking down Godzilla.
"Yeah, I suppose," Glenn replied. "Would've liked tickets to a Red Socks game, but I've never been to the Olympics before."
"Bringing your new lover, no?" Philippe asked with a grin. "You said she was coming. Are you pulling a leg?"
"Get outa here! She'll be here any..." just then, Glenn saw her. Miss Namikawa entered the lounge in search of Glenn. Both of theirs eyes lit upon seeing the other. "Boys, let me introduce to you the Lovely Miss Namikawa."
"Oh! You're too much, Glenn."
"Baby, these are my boys," Glenn introduced. "The rambunctious bunch known as 'GFAAU.'"
"Hello. It's such a pleasure to meet you all. To be honest, I'm in a little disbelief that I'm meeting the men who took down Godzilla!"
"Madam," Philippe spoke up. "You should know that it was Glenn that struck the final blow to the monster."
"Is that true, Glenn darling?!"
"Well, kind of," Glenn answered. "I mean, he got away in the end. So it wasn't the 'final blow.' But, uh, I knocked the sucker out."
"That's amazing, dear!"
Jason had remained pretty silent. He had been somewhat antisocial ever since he talked to Glenn in that same lounge a week ago. He decided now to speak up. "So what did you before, uh, the apokalypse?"
"I was a secretary. The building I worked in, including the building I lived in, were destroyed. But the shelter in the military base where that enormous airship is kept is very well run."
"It was the cyborg with the blades that ruined your livelihood?" Philippe asked.
"Yes, the Gigan decimated my whole neighborhood."
"The what?!" Jason inquired.
"Oh!" Namikawa slipped. The Gigan was not given a name yet by the people of earth. "I just heard someone call it Gigan, the cyborg monster."
"Where yu' from?" Jason asked, looking Namikawa directly in the eye.
"Right... here in Tokyo. My whole life." Namikawa grew nervous.
"Hey, is this twenty questions or something?" Glenn stepped in. "Are you ready to go, baby?"
"Yes, Glenn. I'm starving."
"You're going out to eat?" Philippe wondered. "The city is hardly back on its feet. What places are even open."
Glenn answered. "Um, we're having dinner in my quarters."
"Ah!" Anton saw his chance to be an ass. "They're splitting rations in his room! That's the trusiki kapel'nitsy back in my home town!"
Glenn knew enough Russian to know that "trusiki kapel'nitsy translated to "panty dropper." "Watch that mouth, Anton! Later boys!" he walked off with Namikawa, his arm over her shoulders.
Philippe asked Anton "Is that all you need to spend the evening with a Russian woman?"
"That. And about sixty rubles can help too."
"I expected as much from you." Philippe grinned.
The two continued to converse. Jason sat motionless. His mind raced with possibilities to explain what he just saw. He was sure he had not looked away. He was locked onto Miss Namikawa's eyes. She had not blinked once that Jason saw while she was there.
Kazama stood at the entrance of Anne's and Miki's small private tent. Many people made their way back and forth up and down the wide halls of Gotengo Base. It was all very unfamiliar to Kazama. It made his uneasy. Anyone who stepped too closely to the entrance of the tent received a dirty glare from Kazama who was guarding it.
Even Yuki got a look when she stepped towards the tent. "You don't mind if I check on the baby, now do you?" Yuki asked with a smile.
Kazama mumbled something just barely audible as he nodded and stepped aside allowing Yuki in.
Yuki uneasily stepped in while keeping her eyes on Kazama as if expecting a guard dog to attack. Then she looked to the new mother and child. "How's little Miki and mommy doing?"
"Very well. Thank you, Nurse Yuki," Anne answered.
Yuki began to inspect Miki. "I see you have yourself a watchdog. Doesn't Kazama want to spend some more time with his new daughter?"
"He sat with us for a little while. But he gets uncomfortable inside sometimes."
"Just claustrophobic?"
"Well, not really." Anne became distant, in deeper thought. "It's his way of showing he cares. He stands guard. He feels like he has to protect us. I had no idea he'd still be like this after we got out of Vietnam."
"Vietnam!? What were you two doing there?!"
"I was with my family on our yacht when we were attacked by pirates. I was taken and sold to this militia group. That's when I met Kazama. He had a similar story; captured. Although he had been there for a few years. And he was Japanese too, so I guess I was pretty lucky. He would come see me at night and bring me food.
"Soon after that, he took me and we escaped. That's about the time I fell in love with him. If we had been caught, they would have killed him. We made our way through the jungle, setting up camp at night. And he would stand outside the tent… all night. He stood guard every night and walked with me every day. I don't think he slept those few days, not until we made it into China. We both wanted to come back home, back to Japan. And here we are, monster or no monster."Anne looked down at Miki. "We couldn't have Miki be born in a nasty, hot jungle, could we?" she said in a cute baby tone.
"I never knew, Anne," Yuki was on the verge of tears.
Kazama entered the tent.
"Miki's doing perfectly well. I'll be back in a few hours to check up." Yuki left.
Anne smiled at Kazama. "Is the coast clear, Kaz?"
"This place is too cramped. We should leave once you're stronger," Kazama stated stoically.
"We're in the same boat at a lot of people. We'll get out in time. For now, why don't you hold Miki. She missed you."
Miki, eye's closed, let out a yawn.
"So at this point, Jason is already shitfaced," Glenn continues his story as Miss Namikawa listens with delight across the small table in Glenn's private quarters. They had just finished a candlelit dinner (a military ration on a plate lit by a small utility candle). "My friend Fuji, Philippe, and I all agree it's time to get the guy out of their. He actually agrees! Good so far. Then he asks what his tab is. The bartender tells him in Japanese. Jason leans over to Fuji and slurs 'The fu' he say?' And Fuji tells him forty-three hundred yen. Then Jason gets this dimmwitted and lost look in his face. He turns to the bartender and says 'Hey hey hey! What kind of crook job you settin' up 'ere! You think tourists have that kinda money?!' And he won't stop yelling at this poor bartender trying to close shop. I tried to tell him forty-three hundred yen was twenty or twenty-five pounds, but I didn't get through."
Both Glenn and Namikawa were laughing. It had less to do with the story and more to do with engaging one another.
"Oh, but then it gets better! This big sumo wrestler of a guy comes up and taps Jason on the shoulder and tells him to leave. Me and the guys are tellin' him the same thing. 'Jason, let's go!' But Jason, deciding to be a drunk dumbass starts shoving this big guy with little effect. After a little tussling, the big guy manages to pick Jason up over his head! And I have to leap out of the way as he literally throws Jason out into the street! Oh man! And we ended up carrying the sorry lush back to the hotel."
The two don't say anything for a short while. They only share each other's eyes. Then Namikawa snapped out of it. "Oh, um, I'm sorry Glenn. There was something I needed to take care of tonight. I hadn't realized what time it was." Namikawa got up from her chair.
"Ya. Didn't mean to keep you so long. Just lost track of time."
Glenn went to embrace her. A part of her was pulling her towards the door, but something greater held her in place to accept Glenn.
With Namikawa in the firm lock of his arms, Glenn landed a kiss on her ruby red lips. Namikawa's hands made their way up Glenn's back and neck until their fingers were running through his blond hair.
Their lips parted. Glenn whispered "I have another cot if you'd… like to…"
Their lips locked again and at that time Glenn pushed Namikawa up against the door as his hands clutched her hips and moved up.
Jason Sterlington sat in front of his computer monitor, only about 2 inches away, with a driven and intent look in his eyes. What had driven him to such horror were the many tabs open in his internet browser. Jason had looked up several dozen videos of leaders and officials from around the world making statements to their respective peoples concerning the recent events.
What all the videos had in common, aside from their messages of hope and perseverance, were a type of person. Standing next to or behind the leaders of the world were men or women with eyes that did not blink.
Then he remembered Namikawa. "Glenn…" he said under his voice before grabbing his jacket and side arm and bolting out of his room at Gotengo base.
After being thoroughly exhausted, Glenn was fast asleep.
Namikawa seemed to be the same until her eyes sprung open. She lifted her head to inspect her subject. She had made sure he would have a deep, rested sleep. She slowly got out of her cot which had been pushed up next to his. It squeaked a little, but Namikawa was careful. She got out and held the white sheet over her breasts. As she made her way across the room, the white sheet trailed behind her as if she wore an elegant dress. Standing in the light from the window, she looked up at the bright moon. Using the moon, she could tell it was time to leave. Picking through Glenn's jacket, she found his ID card for the base. She got dressed into her tiny red dress and headed towards the door.
Before leaving, she stopped to look back at Glenn. At that moment, she was already missing him. It was only a fraction of a feeling, but she knew what it was. She quickly snuffed the interruption and quietly left.
Namikawa waited in a hallway away from the the tents where people rested. Only one light illuminated the area. Namikawa kept looking back and forth, watching for anyone who may come by.
Then, from a shadowy nook behind Namikawa, someone did emerge. Coming into the light, it was the man who had attempted to assault Namikawa before in the alley.
"Hey," he said.
Namikawa jumped and spun around, holding her chest to still her heart. Upon seeing the face of the man, she calmed down.
"Where did you come from?! And you're late!" she loudly whispered.
"I found this service route. Thought it would be safer," the man whispered back. "Are you sure your subject didn't follow you? I don't want to die tonight."
"No, now come on. I have the ID."
The two silently and cautiously made their way down the hall, made a few turns, and came to a door. The door read "MAIN HANGER: AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY." Namikawa slid Glenn's ID card on the panel. The door slid open.
The two stepped into the hanger. There it was; the Gotengo resting peacefully.
"You go start at the front," Namikawa told her accomplice as she pulled out a device that looked like a thin smartphone or camera. "I'll meet you in the middle. Be quick."
They were interrupted. It was Jason Sterlington. "You weren't quick enough. I knew you were funny."
Namikawa touched her right earing. "You know what's funny?" She smirks. "You came alone."
"Well I think I can handle this punk and a little lady like you."
Around Namikawa and her goon, four strange points appeared. It seemed like these points were bending the light around them inwards. Then there was a flash. The next second, there stood four Xilians in black and blue plastic looking armor and long black coats. There were three men and a woman. They leered at Jason.
"Bullocks!" Jason said to himself. Then he booked it the other way.
The Xilians chased after him down the hanger. The Xilians were fast and ran efficiently like olympic sprinters, but Jason was in top physical shape and also running for his life. All the Xilians pulled out weapons that looked like pistols. With loud electric discharge sounds, the Xilians' pistols fired red lasers at Jason.
One laser hit Jason in the shoulder just before he turned a corner. He cursed out in pain.
When the Xilians reached the corner, they saw Jason already at the other end sliding his ID card at the security door. They fire a few more shots.
Jason hits the ground and dodges them. The door opens for him. He crouches and goes through before the door closes.
The Xilians did not pursue. He was with the other humans and they couldn't risk being seen.
Namikawa looked over to the goon she was with. "You're in disguise. Go get him!" She demanded.
He took off.
"The rest of you," Namikawa continued as she pulled several small blinking devices from her coat. "Place the explosives on the ship. I'll tell you where."
Jason was booking it down the corridors. There were tents with sleeping refugees around him. He glanced behind him to see if he was still being chased. He saw no one. His pace slowed until he stopped.
It was quiet. Most of the people around in the tents were asleep. A few murmured to one another.
Jason knew he had to go get Glenn.
The halls that led to the private quarters of the G-Force agents were uninhabited and quiet.
Jason made his way towards Glenn's room. He moved quickly, but did not run, fearing he would be heard by his pursuers. He knew they had not chased him because he entered a populated area, but now he was alone and vulnerable. He knew he was a tough guy, but also knew his chances against four armed aliens.
But he did not have to worry about the four armed Xilians, just a single stealthy one.
Pouncing from a shadowy nook, the goon that accompanied Namikawa launched at Jason and grabbed him
Jason, surprised, thrashed about to get loose.
The goon clung into Jason's back like a monkey, wrapping his arm tightly around his neck.
Jason threw his backside into the wall repeatedly. Just before Jason lost his strength from suffocation, the goon let go.
As Jason recovered, the goon got a sucker punch in on Jason's stomach.
At first keeled over in pain, Jason shot up delivering an upward headbutt to the goon.
Blue blood gushed from the goons nose.
Jason went to deliver a heavy punch, but his fist was batted away. Before he could deliver another, a powerful hand was wrapped around his neck. He was then swung and thrusted against the wall, still being choked.
Jason kicked and clawed at his opponent, but he was no longer in control. As his lungs failed to take in air, Jason began to black out. Everything got blurry for him.
Through his blurry vision, Jason saw a bright light shine on the goon as his head quickly turned towards it. He heard a muffled "What's going on?! Freeze!"
The goon dropped Jason and ran off. Jason fell to the ground, fully blacking out.