Sayuri had a difficult time sitting still as she waited in a quiet corner near the front check-in of the Central Police Station in Yokohama. Her pleas to the Judge had fallen on almost completely deaf ears. While the man had refused to block Takashi's transfer, he'd agreed to send a strong escort along with him.
The Asian woman wanted to step away from the situation with every fiber of her being, but she was unwilling to abandon the operation to another team. She'd irritated the Judge to the point that he'd allowed her to accompany the team who would be making the return trip to Okinawa, on the condition that she wouldn't darken his doorstep again.
Sayuri knew for a fact that Takashi was already in Police custody at Yokohama Headquarters, though she hadn't seen him. The longer she remained in her seat, waiting to be met by someone from the Special Assault Team that the Judge had commissioned, the more nervous she felt.
Getting transferred is part of his plan, it has to be. Sayuri fingered her phone anxiously, wondering about Hisui and Shunshi back at the hotel in Naha. I don't know if leaving them was the right thing to do, but surely they would have been at greater risk by coming with me. Kouhei is supposed to be joining them, and that will make me feel better. Surely one more call would not hurt though…
Sayuri snapped open her phone and dialed Hisui's number.
"Hello, Sayuri-san," the girl said with practiced patience. "Are you on the road yet?"
"No; I am still waiting on assistance to arrive. I feel as if I am going to jump out of my skin at any second."
"Are they certain that you will be safe?" Hisui asked.
"They cannot be certain of anything, Hisui-kun. These men don't know Takashi or the Akiudo the way that I do. I fear that they will not see this as a threat to national security, as much as a glorified baby-sitting job."
"But you have help coming. That is something," Hisui pointed out.
"Yes, more than I thought I would receive. You and your brother are staying out of sight, right?"
"We are following your instructions, Sayuri-san. Kouhei is waiting on us hand and foot." The teenager giggled.
Sayuri smiled too, despite everything. "Hold on to that one, Hisui."
"I am trying to. He would follow me to the United States immediately if he could, but Kouhei—Shun, come down from there!" There was a loud note of exasperation in Hisui's voice. "Can I call you back later, Sayuri-san? Or is it better for you to call me? Shunshi is making entirely too much trouble stuck behind four walls. He is thoroughly convinced that his karate skills will protect us from any of the Akiudo."
Sayuri took a sharp breath. "I don't want to scare him more than necessary, but he needs to be aware of the gravity of the situation. It would be better for me to call you, and I will do that once we are in the air."
"Don't worry about Shun, Sayuri-san. I can control him; it simply requires two hands. I'll talk to you later."
The Asian woman shifted on the hardback bench, resisting the urge to yawn as she hung up the phone. She was tired of waiting, but also dreading Takashi being exposed to access from the outside world. We could be easy targets once we are on the road, Sayuri thought ruefully. If he already has men in place, we could be driving into a giant death trap. This is ridiculous. The Police have no idea of the true danger involved.
She felt someone's gaze, and looked to her right to see an Asian man with crossed arms and the faintest hint of curiosity in his eyes. "Can I help you?"
"Perhaps. I am searching for a Detective Kimura-Sayuri," he replied. "I was told she was waiting near here."
Sayuri nodded, sizing up the man's build, stance, and holstered firearm that bore resemblance to a Glock. "I am Detective Kimura. I assume you are with the Special Assault Team?"
"We are more commonly referred to as the Tokyo Metropolitan Special Unit, but in this particular case, I am only representing myself."
"You are the only one who has come?" she asked incredulously.
"From that Unit, yes. We have other Officers assisting with the transfer as well, Detective. I think you will find our manpower quite adequate."
You don't know the Akiudo, she thought inwardly. Sayuri swallowed deeply, and her nerves must have been obvious.
"We will have him under control, Detective. It is roughly 19km to the airport in Haneda, from which we will return directly to Okinawa. The rest of the team is waiting for us, however, so we should get moving."
Sayuri forced one foot in front of the other, as the fear of walking into a trap increased in the back of her mind.
"I am Sergeant Hayashi-Hideki," he said in the same professional tone. "We are going to get him there safely, Detective. We have taken certain measures to make the trip more secure."
Sayuri doubted that they were prepared to handle what the Akiudo was willing to dish out, but she wasn't comfortable with saying so out loud yet. "Thank you for coming, Sergeant Hayashi," she said automatically. "I hope the transfer goes as uneventfully as you have planned."
"Allow me to give you a small run-down of our process," he said. "We have chosen an unexpected mode of transportation for the drive to the airport, and we told the Media that Takashi would not be moved until after sunset. That is not truly the case. We are taking him now, while there is no one to see us leave, or the vehicle we will be taking.
"You know that the flight to Okinawa is a short one. Takashi is going to be temporarily held in your own Prefectural Police Headquarters in Naha."
Sayuri nodded slowly, as Hayashi continued leading her through the Yokohama Station, until they reached another side entrance. A stretch SUV was waiting on the other side in the parking lot, the type of vehicle Sayuri imagined more for a celebration than a prison transport.
Hayashi smiled at her surprised reaction. "It is an effective ruse," he told her. "They will not be looking for a vehicle of this nature, if indeed there is a resistance left."
"How fast can it go?" she asked.
"Fast enough," he answered. "We are the last to arrive. Matsuo-Takashi is already inside too."
Sayuri wasn't sure how she should feel as she was ushered into the vehicle. She fought the urge to tremble, and put on a stone-hard face for the benefit of the Sergeant behind her. She had no sooner climbed in the side door of the SUV than her eyes began scanning the elongated back end, and were drawn instantly to Takashi.
The prisoner was in irons that prevented him from moving from the seat to which he was chained, but her heartbeat increased nonetheless. For a few seconds, Sayuri wasn't sure if she remembered how to breathe.
"Ah, my old friend, Detective Kimura. What a surprise to see you on this venture." Takashi's greeting would have sounded warm to her ears if she wasn't aware of the poison behind it. "You have come to help assure my safe passage back to Okinawa. How thoughtful of you."
"I am here to make certain you end up where you belong," she said shortly. "I have no intention of making conversation with you."
"That is a pity, Kimura. You have so many stories with which you could entertain these fine Officers while we travel."
"Leave the lady alone, Matsuo," Hayashi ordered. "Sit back and enjoy the free air, because it's the last you will be breathing."
"Of course, Sergeant Hayashi," Takashi replied condescendingly. "It is an honor to have required two hosts such as you. I have no desire to make any trouble. I only wish to find somewhere to be treated fairly, without fear for my own life."
"Without fear for your life?" Sayuri couldn't resist repeating. "As far as I am concerned, you are getting off far easier than any of those girls you brutally stole and sold to the highest bidder!"
"Detective—" Hayashi tried to intervene.
"If it is history you want to discuss, Kimura, perhaps you would like to share with these Gentlemen what actually happened on Yonaguni," Takashi interrupted.
Sayuri maintained a hardened exterior with difficulty. "They are not interested in hearing your twisted stories, Takashi."
"So quick you are to forget your role in my stories, Kimura."
"Now that is enough!" Hayashi insisted. "I will hear nothing else between the two of you. Matsuo, mind your manners; Detective, ignore him. I know that's difficult, but you have to do it."
Sayuri couldn't stop herself from looking toward Takashi once more, and the man smirked right back at her. Fear pulsed in her gut so strongly that she felt like she was going to throw up. She leaned back in her seat and willfully turned her face to the window.
Of all the absurd situations in which to put myself, this has to be the worst. He possesses knowledge that could do me in, if he could find a way to prove it. Sayuri rested her head against the window beside her. She couldn't actually see anything through the tinted glass, and it only led to a greater sense of anxiety concerning what could be unfolding around them. We would not even see it coming, she thought grimly.
The woman felt her phone vibrate, and glanced down to see Hisui's name appear on the facing. "Hello?" she answered vaguely, unwilling to allow Takashi to know with whom she was speaking.
"Sayuri-san, you will not believe what is happening downtown," Hisui told her. "There are protesters; people are gathering on nearly every street corner. There has been some kind of organized effort to rally against Takashi's return to Okinawa."
Sayuri sat up instantly. "Are they centered anywhere?"
"Not yet, but the News is saying that they are on the move," Hisui said. "There has been no violence, only discontent and anger. They have been peaceful, so the Police have not even unleashed forces against them yet."
"Thank you," Sayuri told her. "I need to look into this further."
"Call me when you get on the plane."
"I will." Sayuri hung up the phone and looked at Hayashi. "We could be facing protesters in Naha."
His eyebrows rose. "Protesting over him?" He jerked his thumb toward Takashi.
"That is what is being reported by the Media. None of it has been violent, but the crowds seem to be organized."
Hayashi shook his head. "Yes, Matsuo, it appears your Country will be happy to welcome you back with open arms," he said sarcastically.
Takashi smiled. "I am sure that Naha's fine Police Department will have no more trouble containing a misguided few than you will have in protecting me."
The idea that she was "protecting" Takashi made Sayuri want to scream. With a deep breath she flipped her phone open again, and began typing an overdue message to Greg.
I apologize that you have not heard from me, Greg-chan, but I know you don't support my actions in this case. I am currently accompanying a team of Officers that is transporting Takashi to an airport, from which he will be flown to Okinawa.
Being in the same vehicle as him is proving to be the greatest temptation I have ever had to kill a man before. I would not mind dying myself if it meant ridding the Earth of him, but my thoughts also dwell on you and the children, Greg-chan.
Please don't be angry with me, no matter what happens. I don't know if we will make it to Okinawa. I don't know if I will live to see another sunrise. But I know that I could not run away from this responsibility, no matter what it may cost me.
I wish that I could run. I wish that your love for me and mine for you was enough to force me to stay out of it. But I cannot do it. I hope you understand how I truly feel about you. There are some tasks that are more important than we are, Greg-chan. I will update you on our progress as our journey continues.