Chapter Ten – Escape
"We got him," Karma called over the radio. Static and feedback buzzed through the cheap headsets (probably purchased at a nearby electronics store). He smiled, they had really thrown this together, hadn't they?
"We're looking at you guys right now," Terasaka's gruff voice said, "Wave to the camera." Nagisa glanced upwards at the ceiling's camera.
"Are you recording?" he asked.
"No, it's a private live feed," Okajima said, "Anyone looking through the camera feed right now at security is getting a loop of you sitting down with Kayano and Nakamura."
"Are you ready for phase two?" Karma asked, looking over everyone.
"You mean, Phase Get the Fuck Out of Here?" Maehara asked, crossing his arms.
"That's exactly the one!" Karma chirped. Nagisa tilted his head, a little more than amused at the exchange. They haven't changed at all… Nagisa was full of conflicting emotions. He was happy and regretful all at the same time. His friends hadn't forgotten him like he had thought they would. They weren't angry. He never would've thought that they would still care for him. He thought that they would've moved on by now.
The unbearable heat of the desert was bearing down on Nagisa. He wrapped his scarf around his head, in hopes that it would keep away the worst of the sun. He gripped his robes against him.
"God, first I'm in Russia and now this? Next job, I'm demanding to go somewhere nice," he muttered to himself, "Dubai would be nice." He glanced down at his phone, carefully reading the directions. He was about two kilometers south of his destination, if the goddamn heat didn't kill him, then he should be there in about half an hour.
His eyes lingered on the screen, catching the date.
July 20th.
Oh.
Today was his birthday. Today, he would have officially become the age of majority in Japan.
It felt odd to think about. If he had asked himself where he would be on this day five years ago, his answer would have probably not been in Tunisia. But here he was. In the middle of the desert, sweating down to his very core.
He vaguely wondered how different his life would be if he hadn't left (normally, he would push these thoughts away, but it was a special day and he had half an hour to do nothing). He was sure Sugino and Karma would drag him out for a night of drinking (despite the fact that neither were legal yet either). Maehara and Kayano would somehow get involved, and it would be a mess all around. He chuckled at the thought.
It was rare moments like this that he missed them. He missed their voices, their antics, and their laughter.
But this was the life he had chosen, and he was happy where he was. He was killing the worst of the worst, making the world a better place in the meantime. His friends may not be by his side, but he knew that they were better where they were.
Despite himself, he smiled. He was sure that no matter where they were, they were happy.
"So what's the escape plan?" Nagisa asked. Kayano dug into her bag, pulling out an outfit and a wig. He blinked.
"You'll be dressing up as me," she said, "And you'll be walking right out the front door. I'm going to be taking the back exit. If anyone confronts me, I can just say I got lost." She fluttered her eyelashes at him. "It's bound to work." Nagisa chuckled as she threw the clothes at him. He supposed it worked to his advantage that they were similar heights. He glanced up at the five expectant faces. They had gone through so much trouble to come and find him…
"I appreciate the gesture," he started, "But we should separate."
"What? What the hell are you talking about?" Nakamura cried.
"It's dangerous if you're seen with me," he said simply, "If you're caught aiding me, you'll be brought up on treason charges. You don't deserve the death sentence for me."
"Yeah, so you can up and leave us again?" Kayano asked harshly. Nagisa winced.
"No, that's not it, I don't want to endanger any of you."
"You dumbass, we're already here busting your ass out, we're in as much danger as we possibly can be," Karma snarled, "We knew the risks when we came out here. Now stop stalling so we can get the hell out of here."
"You don't understand, I was framed. The mastermind has his hands in everything, I'm sure he already knows you're here. You're in more danger than you realize." The group exchanged looks.
"If that's the case, we'll deal with it as it comes," Kataoka said, "Now come on, we haven't got much time."
"Let us help you, Nagisa," Kayano said. Nagisa's further protests died on his lips when he saw the looks that the group was giving him. They're really not going to let this go, are they? With a sigh, he let his arms fall to his side.
"Alright, let's go." The smiles they gave him warmed his heart. He held the clothes close to his person. As his eyes looked over his four friends, he became acutely aware of how their shirts weren't pressed, the way their belts were a little too tight. They had an air of uncertainty and unfamiliarity about them. In that moment, he remembered.
They're still just amateurs.
They were better trained than most, but they didn't have the years of experience that weighed down Nagisa. He furrowed his brows as a thought flitted into his mind. He activated the headset.
"Hey Okajima, Itona, Terasaka, I have one question for you. How did you get into the security system? Something like the Ministry of Defense would likely have a remote system accessible only from security."
"It's not remote," Itona corrected, "We hacked into it." Nagisa sympathized, he hated hacking.
"But how?"
"It's actually kind of funny," Okajima jumped in, "They actually had a pretty big hole in the coding." He chuckled. "I've come across celebrity systems with that hole patched."
Nagisa went cold.
Nagisa sighed and tried another approach. It was all he could really do. Not that he really thought Asano would have such an obvious hole in his own personal system.
The interrogator's words rung in his head.
"You and your team are doomed to die. Asano-sama will make sure of it."
"Terasaka! You need to get out of there immediately!" He shouted. No, no, no! He couldn't let this happen to them too. "It's a trap! You need to get out of there! Abandon the plan! I repeat! Abandon the plan!"
"What the hell are you—?" Terasaka asked.
"Just get out of there!"
"Do as he says," Karma said, speaking through his own radio, "Get out of there."
"Right," Terasaka grunted, "Meet you at the rendezvous point." Then, it was radio silence.
"Nagisa, wha-?" Kataoka started. Nagisa pushed the straggling group into the room, slamming the door shut. It wouldn't do much, but it would give them a few seconds. In the distance, he could hear the pounding of feet.
"Karma, what's the fastest escape route?"
"Down the stairwell."
"Shit, they're going to have that covered," Nagisa growled to himself. He really wished he had a damn idea about the layout of this building. "Can you think of literally any other way out?"
"The elevator and windows," Karma said. Nagisa gritted his teeth.
"Are there multiple stairwells?" It was a large building, they couldn't just rely on one major stairwell to evacuate in case of emergency. The pounding of feet grew louder and Nagisa could hear the group nervously shuffle.
"Three, overall." Three… Shit, I need to know how many people are against us. Have Asano's men alerted the entirety of the building, or is it just a small faction? If we step outside, are we immediately going to get bombarded by cops? I need more information.
"What about the roof?" What would Asano do? What would best benefit him? I need to think ahead of him. A small faction would be easy to control and would closely follow his orders. But that requires finding more people to work for him. Setting the whole building on lockdown would make it more of a spectacle. It also makes it more likely that we'll be caught.
"What do you expect us to do on the roof?!" Maehara exclaimed. He's planned this from the beginning. He's wanted to capture all of us. But why? Why us? What does he get from this?
"What do you mean, Nagisa?" The footsteps stopped. Nagisa gripped his knife tighter. He pulled a gun out of Isogai's holster. God, I hope I'm right.
"Do you guys trust me?" He asked urgently. There were hurried nods. "Drop your visors! When they come in, I need you to be pointing your weapons at me, got it?!" He tossed the knife to Karma. "Sorry Karma, I'm dragging you down with me."
"You dragged me down a long time ago." They heard an ID card push into the slot, and the soft beeps of someone entering the passcode.
"When there's an opening, attack," he ordered. Nagisa pulled Kayano into a chokehold, pointing his gun at the entrants. Karma held Nakamura's arms back and his knife sat at her throat.
The door slammed open.
"If you shoot she dies!" Nagisa shouted, waving the gun around for emphasis.
"It's about time!" Kataoka shouted, her gun trained on Karma, "We pulled the alarm five minutes ago!" Nagisa was impressed, she took to the role very easily, although the trembling of her hand gave her away.
"Help!" Kayano cried, tears falling down her face. The guards faltered.
"Shut up," Karma spat, "Let us go and they don't die." One stepped forward, his gun lowered.
"No one has to get hurt," the man started, "Just drop the gun." He leaned down, placing his own gun on the floor. Nagisa almost felt bad for what was going to happen next. He watched their team quietly move to the back of the room, behind the new entrants.
"So your cronies can kill us?" Nagisa countered, pressing the gun hard against Kayano's head, "Step back and she doesn't die." Kayano trembled under his grip. Her acting skills hadn't deteriorated at all. Nagisa watched his team quietly raise their weapons above their heads. The change in their shadows caught the attention of one of the officers.
"What th-" was all he managed before the butts of their guns smashed into the back of the officer's heads. Two were immediately downed by the attack, though two remained. Nagisa was in action before they could react. He shot one in the calf, forcing the man down. He pushed Kayano to the side, using his body to defend her from the man who had been attempting to negotiate with him. He stood frozen, his arm extended in an attempt to grab his weapon back.
Nagisa held his gun at his forehead. "I'm not going to kill you tonight," he said, pulling the gun away. He leaned forward, his eyes bearing down into the man's. He used his left hand to grip the man's hair in his hand. "But I need you to tell me something. Are you working for Asano?"
"I don't know who that is!" the man exclaimed, trying to wriggle free. Karma sauntered up to the man, placing the blade against his throat.
"Are you lying to us?" Karma asked.
"No! We don't know anyone by that name!"
"Very well," Nagisa said. He slammed the butt of the gun into the man's head, knocking him out. The room was quiet, filled only with the moans of the man gripping his bloody calf. He pointed to Okano, she jumped a little in surprise.
"Take his radio," he commanded. Nagisa watched her trembling hands take the man's communication device. "You'll be in charge of monitoring their comm network. You need to keep track of their movements, understood?"
"Y-yes," she affirmed, sticking the earpiece in her other ear. The man doesn't know Asano, I could tell he was telling the truth. His men aren't directly involved with this right now. That must mean that it's just the police and security involved. In that case, they're going to have the building surrounded. He bit his lip. If that's the case, once we hit the street, there's no way we can escape…He leaned down, pulling the man's helmet off. His terrified eyes stared back at Nagisa. Nagisa's fingers tore through his hair, knocking his head against the table with a loud bang. Satisfied that the man was now unconscious, he stood up.
"Nakamura, Kayano, you should leave now."
"Nagisa!" the green-haired woman protested.
"You have an alibi," he insisted, "If you run out now, you can leave through the front doors. It'll be easier for us to escape if we don't need to worry about you guys."
"We wanted to do this together," Nakamura said, crossing her arms.
"Do as he says," Maehara said, "If you can get out safely, do it."
"We would be much more comfortable if you could do that," Isogai added. Nakamura and Kayano's eyes met. Nagisa could hear more footsteps in the distance. Unless we move soon, they're just going to keep coming.
"Look, if you want to be of help to us, then go out there and distract the officers," he said, "While you're seeking help from them, we can make our escape. It'll buy us time. Okay?" Kayano curled her hand into a fist. Nagisa understood her frustration, she never wanted to be in the sidelines in high school, not when she didn't have to be. She always wanted to help people directly.
She punched Nagisa straight in the face.
He stumbled back, more than a little surprised. "Kayano?!" he exclaimed, rubbing his nose, "What was that for?"
"What do you think, asshole?!" she responded, "I'll do it, but you have another fist waiting for you when I see you again! Got it!?" With fire in her eyes, she stepped over the bodies. "C'mon, Rio. Let's go." Nakamura trailed behind her, giving them a lingering glance.
"You guys better get out safe. Good luck." With resolve, she faced the set of officers whom had begun to gather. Nagisa could hear their pleas for help from the room and the scurrying of feet. He let out a breath of relief. They were impressive for amateurs, if nothing else. He looked back at the team. They couldn't stay here.
"We need to move while they're still distracted," Nagisa commanded, "Karma, where is the nearest stairwell?"
"It'll be right around the corner," Karma responded.
"Can you lead?" Nagisa asked, peeking out of the interrogation room. It was all clear, but he knew it was not going to remain like that for long. If they had Karma at front to lead them, then he could flank the group and protect them from any threats from behind.
"I can," he said, stepping over one of the bodies.
"We need to go now," Nagisa urged. They were bound to return soon. Karma pushed passed him, examining the hallway with his own eyes. He stood proudly, carefully waiting for any response from potential enemies.
"Come on," he urged, "It's clear, let's go." Nagisa let the group follow Karma's lead. Their shoulders were stiff with fear. They can't have expected this would be easy, but he was sure they hadn't thought this would happen. He patted Isogai on the back, giving him reassurance that he would protect their rear. Isogai gave a small smile back, the strain on his face relaxing just a bit.
"We'll do it," Nagisa said, "We'll get you out of here."
"Thanks, Nagisa," Isogai said, "It's good to see you again."
"Yeah," he said, a lump in his throat, "It's good to see everyone again."
"We'll get you out of here, okay, Nagisa?" Isogai marched forward, leaving Nagisa feeling another whirlwind of emotion. They still care… It was surreal to Nagisa, who had spent so much of the last eight years alone. It had always been eat or get eaten, every man for himself, and that was the kind of attitude he had adopted. He wanted to live, so he had done whatever he had to do.
He fell in step behind them, watching their backs. It was from the distance that he could really admire how they had grown up. Karma still stood at his imposing height, and he seemed just as calculating and playful as he had been before he had left. His red hair was cut short, with an undercut on the side. He had grown confident, Nagisa could tell. He was comfortable as he was.
Maehara and Isogai stood shoulder to shoulder. They both had grown their hair out long, and it looked like they had their ears pierced as well. And was that a tattoo Maehara had? Were they still together? He would have to ask them when they got out of this.
Kataoka and Okano slinked to the sides, not quite as confident in the situation as Karma was. Kataoka's brown hair was cut into a bob. Okano looked largely the same, although her nimble limbs showed signs of muscle training. Maybe she worked as a personal trainer? They pushed through the double doors.
"We need to head up," Nagisa said.
"Up? What's there?" Kataoka asked.
"The buildings are so close together in this part of town, we should be able to easily move to another building. Once we're there, it should be an easy shot to the bottom, where we can make our escape."
"I see," Isogai said, "Avoid the worst of it."
"Anything on the comm network?" Nagisa asked, turning towards Okano.
"Nothing, it's jumbled. It sounds like they're concentrating on the elevators and the bottom floors. Nagisa, what are we going to do when the police officers starting investigating the stairwells?" Okano asked.
"Leave it to me," Nagisa said confidently. The others glanced between themselves, not quite as confident.
"Alright," Karma said, "Let's go. It's our best option now." With a firm nod, he turned around and started up the steps. Slowly and steadily, they increased the pace. They had a ways to go, but they needed to get there fast. Nagisa's focus wavered as he thought of Nakamura and Kayano. He hoped that they had gotten out okay. If he was wrong about his assumptions, then they were in great danger. He took a deep breath. They would be alright, he just had to have faith in them.
"How do you think Itona, Okajima, and Terasaka fared?" he asked.
"They got out before the worst of it," Kataoka reasoned, "I'm sure they're fine."
"Is there any way to check their status?"
"They disconnected from our radio frequency," Karma said, "I could text them."
"No," Nagisa cut in, "Not unless it's a secure line." His fingers curled and twitched, frustrated by the fact that he couldn't communicate with the team. They continued their march in silence. After the first five stories, Karma, Okano, and Kataoka were faring well, but Maehara and Isogai's steps were growing heavier with each flight.
"Yuuma, when this is over, let's take up running or something," Maehara said with a gasp.
"Agreed," Isogai responded.
"You guys are weak," Kataoka said.
"It's not like we walk up fifteen flights of stairs every day!" Maehara exclaimed. Nagisa chuckled at the banter. His laughter was cut short as he heard Okano gasp.
"Guys, they're entering the stairwells," she whispered. Their feet stopped and they went silent. In the distance, they could hear the sound of doors opening and feet shuffling.
"Is it coming from above or below?" Maehara asked. Nagisa closed his eyes, trying to locate the source of the sound. This damn stairwell was making sound reverberate so much…
"We should get out of here," he said. It sounded like it was coming from above, but he couldn't be too sure. It would be safer for them to just abandon it all together. Karma reached into his pocket and pulled out his ID card. He swiped it into the slot by the door. There was a click and it swung open. He held it open and gestured for the team to enter. Nagisa spared a glance at the floor number. 16…eleven more to go.
"What should we do?" Okano asked.
"Let's duck into a room," Nagisa said, "It's not ideal, but if someone comes, then at least we know where from." She gave a stiff nod.
"It's no good," Karma said, "This level belongs to the Defense Force, all of the rooms are locked. Even my ID isn't going to be enough to get into them." Nagisa swore. Of course, they were like rats.
"No, this door is ajar," Kataoka said, pushing open a door, "It looks like someone forgot to close it all the way."
"Lucky!" Maehara said. Nagisa frowned, given Asano's power, he wouldn't be surprised if that was a trap as well. But it was better than being sitting ducks. He gestured for Karma to follow him in. Long bookshelves lined the walls, stuffed with boxes and files. Nagisa could see that the room went deep into the building, hooking off to the left. They huddled together behind one of the bookcases.
"Where are we?" Isogai wondered aloud.
"It looks like an evidence room," Karma said, "It might be a file room for employees, but I doubt the Ministry has physical files anymore."
"An evidence room," Nagisa muttered. He glanced around, "I'll be right back."
"Nagisa!" Kataoka hissed, but he ignored her. If this was an evidence room…
He followed the names, trying to orient himself within the sea of names and folders. His own file should be further in the room. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He glanced behind him, seeing a familiar red-headed figure.
"If you want to find your folder, you shouldn't go alone, dumbass," he said, "They'll keep watch, but let's make this quick." Nagisa nodded, not taking his eyes off of the names. I should be somewhere around here… He walked down the aisle, keeping an eye out for his name. I'm getting closer…
He stopped suddenly, causing Karma to run into him with a "Oof!"
There it was.
An ordinary box sat in between a sea of other names. It was innocuous, nothing giving away the fact that it belonged to someone who had killed countless people. It was inscribed with his name. Shiota Nagisa. He knelt down to get a closer look at it. The box was small, smaller than he expected. Then again, they probably had taken his guns to another room or were in analysis. That didn't particularly matter right now, he just needed a few things. He pulled the box out and placed it on the floor. He flipped open the lids, chuckling as he saw his wig on the very top.
"What the hell is that?" Karma asked.
"My disguise," Nagisa explained, pulling out the wig and the electrician outfit. The defunct ID card was still attached to the lapel, much to his amusement. He set it to the side in a crumpled mess. Numerous folders laid underneath it, none of which were actually his own. This must be what Asano used to frame me. He tucked one under his arm to look at later. If he was lucky, it would have some hints on Asano's end goal. He grabbed his wallet and shoved it into the waistband of his pants. He let out an excited noise when he realized that his knife was there. They had taken the guns, but not the knife Karasuma had given him. He pulled it out and placed it to the side.
His breath hitched when he finally saw what he was looking for.
It was sitting in a tangled mess at the bottom of the drawer, like it had just been thrown in there. Nagisa took the necklace out of the box and affixed it around his neck. He let out a breath of relief. He had felt naked without it.
Karma was staring at him with an odd look. "Y-you kept it?" he choked out.
"Yeah," Nagisa affirmed, playing with the small yellow charm on the end of it, "I always liked the reminder that you guys were still there." Nagisa threw the evidence back into the box, putting it back where he had found it. Karma still had the odd look on his face.
"You know that I came up with the idea, right? For the necklace…"
"You did?" Nagisa asked, surprised, "I thought it was a gift from everyone?"
"Y-yeah, I'm the one that suggested the idea to everyone," he said, looking away. Nagisa was endeared, that was oddly sweet of him.
"I've brought it everywhere I've gone," he said, "I even took it to a jeweler when it started turning. I didn't want to ever lose it." Nagisa glanced at Karma's face. He's flustered, I didn't think this would mean that much to him. When they got out of here, they would have to have a long chat.
"What did you get?" Maehara asked.
"My wallet and some of the planted evidence," Nagisa said, "I want to try and figure out what Asano's motive was, or rather, is. This might give me some clues."
"I still can't believe Asano would do this, what happened to him?" Okano wondered.
"I dunno, but we can speculate later," Nagisa said.
"Shh!" Isogai said, lowering his voice down to a whisper, "I hear footsteps." Their breaths were short. Nagisa's heart pounded against his chest, the safety on the gun clicked off, ready to fire at his will. They were still, fearful that the officers would hear the slightest movement.
"Any sign?" They heard a voice ask.
"No sir," a woman replied. He swore.
"They must've gone down," he said, "Keep looking, we know they're still in the building."
"Yes, sir!"
Nagisa let out a breath as their footsteps became fainter and fainter. He heard a distant door open and close and the floor was silent once more.
"We should keep moving," he said, "We're not in the clear yet. We've got eleven more floors to go." They gave him their affirmation. Nagisa pulled open the door to the stairwell, taking a moment to listen for footsteps or voices. They were clear.
"Eleven more floors to go," Karma said. Maehara and Isogai both groaned.
"Nagisa, you're buying us drinks after this," Maehara said as they started upward. Nagisa chuckled.
"I suppose I owe you that much."
"How much money are you sitting on, anyway?" Isogai asked, "Not to be rude, but your services can't be cheap." That was a good question, Nagisa hadn't really taken the time to look at his bank accounts recently.
"Hold on, I have to think about it," he said. There was 50,000 USD coming in from his last job. A million for that job in Prague. Four mil from the Dubai job… "Well, if I had to guess, I would say 15 to 17 million…" Maehara made a choked sound.
"Yen or…?"
"Uh, I think I have like five million euros…six million US dollars, and then four million Swiss francs."
"Okay, I take that back," Maehara said, "You're buying us dinner and drinks."
"Agreed," Kataoka said. Nagisa chuckled.
"I think I can do that."
Isogai and Maehara were leaning against each other, panting and rubbing their sore leg muscles. Nagisa rolled his eyes, they had just made it to the roof, and they were only halfway there. They still had another set of stairs to go down!
"Are you ready?" Karma asked, readying his ID card.
"There's going to be guards there," Nagisa said. He was sure that they were aware, but he needed to make it abundantly clear. They were close, but not in the clear yet.
Kataoka gave a stiff nod, stepping to the side, so that she would not be in the line of fire once the door was opened. "How many do you think there are going to be?"
"Two," Okano said. She tapped her stolen earpiece with her slender index finger, "They had more, but they've assumed we're downstairs somewhere."
"Only two?" Nagisa asked, somewhat surprised. It had been a while. It was entirely possible that they had already thought that the group had escaped and that an all-clear was about to be issued. That means that the guards up here wouldn't be on high alert. They're not expecting an attack from above. This works in our favor.
"Yeah," Okano confirmed, sliding next to Kataoka to avoid being seen. Nagisa looked back towards Karma and gave him a firm nod.
"You need to be my backup, are you ready?"
"I'm ready," he said. One hand gripped a knife, the other his ID card. He was ready. Nagisa was close behind him, while the others took spots against the wall. Karma swiped his ID, a soft beep indicating acceptance. He punched in the code he knew by heart. Nagisa's hands were on his pistol, ready to shoot.
The door swung open, and for a brief moment, Nagisa thought they were in the clear. No immediate gunfire came, nor could they see anyone in the immediate vicinity. He didn't allow himself to relax, Okano had said that there were two men up here, and he trusted her word. When no gunfire came, Nagisa slowly stepped out into the night. Karma was right behind him, his knife poised to attack.
The roof was some sort of communal area, Karma had told him as much. Many employees went up to the roof for their lunch breaks, to take a smoke, or to simply get away from the stifling confines of the grey and black offices. Round tables were placed sporadically throughout the roof, some with umbrellas to protect the people from the sun. Chairs were misplaced, custodial staff hadn't had the chance to put them back in order yet.
"Are we clear?" Karma asked, his voice hopeful.
"No," Nagisa said. His eyes hadn't yet adjusted to the night, so he listened to any sudden sounds and movement. Had the guards heard them conversing before coming out here? They must've given themselves a hiding spot.
There was shuffling to their right. Nagisa grabbed Karma's shoulder, pushing them both down to their knees, using the weak protection of the table's legs as cover. Karma gave him an odd look, but remained silent. They sat for a minute…
Two minutes…
They kept their breaths short, trying to hear any and all movement.
Three minutes…
Then they heard it. It was the unmistakable sound of rubber soles hitting concrete. Nagisa closed his eyes, willing his honed senses to identify the location of the man. Wind is south by southeast, they're not far… His eyes shot open. They're at our three. Nagisa adjusted the grip on his gun, clicking the safety off.
In a single movement, sat up, shooting in the direction of the guards. A muffled cry indicated that his guess was correct. They responded with shots of their own. A bullet came inches away from his face, causing Nagisa to step backwards.
"Stand down! We've already called for reinforcements!" One shouted. They needed to end this fast. A knife went sailing by Nagisa's head, causing him to jump. For a moment, he had forgotten that someone had his back. I've never had someone support me before. It's kind of nice. There was a cry, apparently Karma wasn't that bad either.
"When did you learn knife throwing?" Nagisa wondered aloud, his eyes still searching for the guards.
"College," Karma said, as if it explained everything (it kind of did). His eyes caught a shift in light, before he could let out two shots, a single shot rang through the night. It grazed by Nagisa, brushing his hair as it passed by. His relieved breath was cut short as he heard a loud cry behind him.
Time slowed down. Nagisa felt splatters of warm blood against his cold skin. Karma fell to his knees, gripping his shoulder as his palms tried to keep back the flowing blood. Nagisa's vision went red. Unable to control himself, he shot twice in the direction of the gunfire. The first shot missed.
The second didn't.
The man went down, never to speak again. Frightened, the other guard stood up, trying to find better cover. He was down with a second gunshot.
"Karma!" Nagisa cried, his mind already going crazy with what-ifs. If I hadn't urged him to cover me… If only I were a little more to the right. If I had taken that gunshot instead of him. Karma writhed in pain, unable to get words out in the haze of pain.
"N-Nagisa," he said, his voice cracking. Nagisa gulped. We can't stay here. I need to treat his wound, but reinforcements are already coming. If we stay here… He didn't want to continue that train of thought.
The rest of the group took Nagisa's cry as cue to leave their posts. Okano and Kataoka covered their mouths in shock at the state of Karma.
"Karma!" Okano gasped, kneeling down to his side. He let out a cough, some blood splattering on the ground. Nagisa steeled himself.
"Karma," he said seriously, "Can you move?" The others looked at him horrified, the thought of moving someone with such a serious wound seemed inconceivable for them. Nagisa thought back to a wound he had gained in the cold winter of Russia. He had to walk three miles to the nearest family doctor in the middle of the night. At least the cold helped then. Karma didn't have that luxury.
Karma groaned, and weakly stood up. He threw his arm around Nagisa's shoulder, using him to help stand up. "Y-yeah."
"We need to keep moving," Nagisa said, "Can you manage that?" Nagisa's instincts were screaming at him to give him medical attention. He's probably going into shock. If they waited too long, he could get an infection or bleed out. Not to mention the blood evidence he's leaving behind…
"Yeah...I can."
"Karma! You're bleeding!" Kataoka cried.
"I noticed," he said dryly.
"Someone lend me their shirt," Nagisa commanded, "We need to stop the bleeding, or at least slow it." Maehara quickly stripped his shirt off, handing it over to Nagisa. Using his strength (and years of experience treating his own wounds), he tore it apart. He tied the strips around Karma's shoulder, ignoring the way he let out grunts of pain at any movement. He was acutely aware of their time ticking down, second by second. "How's that?"
"Painful."
"It should be," Nagisa said. He lended a shoulder to Karma, who took it without a moment's hesitation. He pointed towards the nearby building. "That's where we're going. The fire escape to the nearby building. We need to move fast."
"But...Karma…" Kataoka said weakly.
"I can handle it," Karma snapped. She jumped a little at the fierceness in his voice.
"Alright," she said, turning away. Reluctantly, the group moved towards the ladder. Nagisa took a moment to close their eyes.
They were going to get out of this.
They had to.
The mood as they entered Karma's apartment was mixed. They couldn't help but feel relieved that they had managed to enter and escape the Ministry of Defense with a high level prisoner. It was thrill that they never thought they would experience (and certainly would never experience again). It was an accomplishment of the highest degree, and Nagisa was sure there were contact that would pay them a hefty amount to do it again.
On the other hand, Karma had grown more pale since the rooftop. The bleeding had slowed, but not stopped. Nagisa let his old friend lay down on the couch. His breathing was short and his movements weak.
"Karma, do you have any gauze or anything?" Nagisa asked.
"In the medicine cabinet," he said hoarsely. He heard Isogai's hurried footsteps rushing towards the bathroom. Karma was trying to regulate his breathing, although the pain made it difficult. Nagisa heard the pitter patter of Karma's dog behind him, it whined worriedly at his owner.
"What's your dog's name?" Nagisa asked, hoping the question would keep Karma distracted.
"47," he said. As if to respond, the dog yapped.
"You named your dog 47?" Nagisa asked, the strangeness of the name throwing him for a momentary loop.
"Y-yeah," he said with a grunt, "S-so together we're AK-47." Nagisa let out a snort. The name was so Karma it was ridiculous. Isogai returned with medical tape, ibuprofen, alcohol, and a towel. Nagisa took each of the items, placing them by his feet. He slowly undid the makeshift bindings, pulling the ripped t-shirt and throwing it to the side.
"Isogai, can you also get me scissors and plastic wrap?"
"Y-yeah!" he affirmed, hurriedly running to the kitchen.
"Can someone let Terasaka know we're okay?" Karma requested.
"You're not okay!" Kataoka protested.
"I'm alive and not in prison, aren't I?" Nagisa rolled his eyes. He's not in the clear yet!
"I'll do it," Maehara offered.
"He's in apartment 487," Karma said, "Tell him to bring beer."
"You're not drinking beer!" Okano exclaimed. He let out a chuckle, his head rolling back.
"That's right, I have vodka in the cabinet under the sink." Both of the women let out exasperated noises, unable to comprehend Karma's sarcastic quips at a time like this. Maehara pulled his shoes back on, heading out to inform Terasaka that they were, in fact, still alive and out of prison. Isogai returned with plastic wrap and scissors. Nagisa snatched the scissors out of his hands, immediately cutting Karma's shirt. The aforementioned man made a despaired noise. Nagisa cocked an eyebrow.
"I liked this shirt," he muttered. Nagisa rolled his eyes, and continued cutting. It would cause Karma too much pain and irritate the wound if they took it off normally. Besides, the shirt is never going to get rid of those blood stains.
Nagisa could finally get a good look at the wound. It didn't appear there was an exit wound, a small blessing if there was one. Although…
"We're not going to be able to get the bullet out," Nagisa said. They didn't have the proper anesthetic, nor the right tools. Even if he did, he didn't trust himself to dig the bullet out without doing damage to the surrounding muscles. He had field training, not medical training. Karma would have to live with bullet in him.
"Whatever," Karma said. Nagisa poured some of the alcohol onto the towel, spot wetting it. He pressed it against the wound, ignoring the way that Karma grunted at the pain, sharply pulling away. Nagisa pushed down harder, they needed to disinfect what they could. The last thing they needed to deal with right now was an infection. Nagisa worried that they had waited too long to disinfect it, that he wasn't getting everything.
"How are you doing, Karma?" Okano asked, kneeling down next to him.
"Just peachy," he spat, his temper too short to deal with people coddling him right now.
"When was the last time you got really injured?" Nagisa asked, somewhat out of curiosity and somewhat to distract him. He pulled out some of the plastic wrap, placing a square of it over his chest. Given the location of the wound, Karma was at risk of having his lung collapse unless he got a sealed dressing.
"I broke my leg in college. Got drunk and some asshole said I couldn't jump to the pool from a third story balcony. So I had to prove him wrong." Nagisa snorted as he taped the dressing down.
"I was on a job in Russia when I got shot. Had to walk straight through the Russian winter with a gaping bullet wound for three miles until I found a family doctor. Still have the scar." He used the rest of the medical tape to close the wound. The bleeding had slowed significantly, which was a good sign. Nagisa stepped back. He opened the bottle of ibuprofen that Isogai had brought him.
"Russia, eh?"
"Yeah, Russia." Nagisa offered him two pills. "Take these. They're not going to get rid of the pain, but they'll take the edge off, if nothing else."
"Only two?"
"I'm not dealing with an overdose," Nagisa shot back, his patience already wearing thin. Karma gave him a look, but swallowed the pills anyway. Isogai offered him a glass of water. Karma gulped down the cold liquid, sitting up.
"All things considered, this could've been a lot worse," he said quietly, his mind going wild over the events of the last 24 hours.
"Yeah," Nagisa said, standing up. His knees ached at the movement. I'm getting too old. Kataoka, Isogai, and Okano reluctantly took seats on the surrounding furniture. "You're hurting, and it'll probably scar, but you'll live." With Karma finally free, the dog yapped and licked his owner's hand. It trembled, sensing that its owner was in distress.
"Thank god, what would the world do without me?" Karma asked, absentmindedly
petting the nervous dog.
There was a knock at the door, followed by the doorknob turning. Nagisa spun around, relaxing only when he saw familiar silhouettes in the doorframe.
"You got shot, asshole?" a loud voice boomed.
"Nice to see you too, Terasaka," Karma said, "I don't suppose you brought beer?"
"You bet your ass I did," he said, closing the door behind him, "Your cheap ass still owes me a six-pack."
"I was shot, give me some slack."
"Were you shot the night you came over to my apartment unannounced and decided to play my video games?"
"I have no comment."
"Nagisa, good to see you again, bro!" Okajima greeted, pulling him into a hug, "Man, it got wild back there, but we did it." Nagisa pulled back, a smile working its way onto his face. It was one thing for him to hear that they were okay, it was another entirely to see them for himself. Okajima hadn't changed much in the last eight years. He could tell that he had broken his nose at some point, and that he had bulked up a little, but not much else was different.
"But you know, if you get caught again, we're not doing that again," Kayano said.
"Yeah, agreed," Nakamura said, taking a beer from the six-pack Terasaka had brought and cracking it open. Maehara followed her example, taking a good long gulp.
"Karma, you have used your lifetime break-a-friend-out-of-jail card," Maehara said.
Nagisa's heart was soaring. He was so glad to see that they were alright… He couldn't even begin to express his gratitude in words. They had taken such a risk to save him, and they had succeeded. He pressed himself up against the wall, watching the people he had grown up with celebrate a job well done. They cracked open beers (although kept them a good distance away from Karma) and laughed. The tension that had filled the room just ten minutes earlier cleared, replaced instead with satisfaction and happiness.
"Let's drink to a job well done!" Nakamura exclaimed. There were scattered cheers and the sound of cans clinking together. Nagisa watched them, detached. This was all for me...
"Good to see you, Nagisa," Itona said, sliding next to him silently.
"Good to see you too, Itona." His hair was shaggily cut, and he had a little hunch in his back, like he spent a lot of time at a computer or over a table. Nagisa guessed that Itona probably got his dream job as an electrical engineer or product developer. He still had the wild eyes from his youth, with a hint of mischievousness.
"It was a close call down there," he said, "The moment after we left, the building locked down."
"Yeah, it was a close call," Terasaka said, joining the conversation. He spread himself over the couch without regard to Karma, who protested, "We're damn lucky we got out." Terasaka gulped down the open can in front of him.
"What about you guys?" Nagisa asked, turning towards Kayano and Nakamura.
"Our acting killed it!" Nakamura exclaimed, "They totally thought we were just caught in the crossfire."
"They let us go after a half hour of questioning. We gave them our fake names and addresses and everything. We'll be out scot-free!" Kayano added, taking a seat next to Nagisa on the floor.
"Can you believe that we actually did it?" Okano asked, "I'm still shaking."
"It was a long-shot, but we did it!" Kayano agreed enthusiastically, "It's so crazy!" Maehara handed Nagisa a beer that he had taken from Karma's fridge. He smiled and opened the can. He took a long drink, enjoying the chance to relax for the first time since he arrived in Japan. The room dissolved into scattered chatter and conversations.
"So Nagisa, what have you been up to?" Okano asked, leaning over the couch.
"That's kind of a big question," he said, "I've done lots."
"Where have you been?" Kayano pushed, "You must've done a lot of traveling!" That was an understatement. He had been on every continent except for Antarctica.
"Yeah, I've done my fair share. I've been to India, Russia, the UAE, Kuwait, Russia, Canada, Mexico, Switzerland…"
"That sounds incredible," Kataoka said, "Ah, I wish I could travel."
"What have you guys been doing?" Nagisa asked. He had tried asking Irina at the café, but she insisted that he find out for himself. "Karma, Terasaka, you both work for the Ministry?"
"Yeah," Karma affirmed, "I work in Defense Policy and Terasaka works in Personnel Management."
"We all got offered positions at the Ministry upon graduating college," Kataoka explained, "Most of us declined. I'm currently working as a teacher at a nearby high school, I'm also their swim coach."
"I'm a personal trainer," Okano said, "I teach yoga and gymnastics. It's a lot of fun!"
"Product development at a start-up," Itona said, his mouth full of chips he had found in Karma's cabinets.
"I am Celebrity Public Enemy Number One!" Okajima declared, posing with the declaration, "Even other paparazzi fear me!"
"You're disgusting, Okajima," Kayano said. There were murmurs of agreement among the girls.
"I'm currently finishing law school," Nakamura explained, "I'll be graduating in a few months."
"Congratulations, Rio," Nagisa said earnestly. It was nice to see that his friends had grown up so well. "What kind of law do you want to practice?"
"I'm interested in international law," she said, "So I'm looking into doing a few years abroad once I graduate."
"That's incredible," Nagisa said. They were really great…
"Yuuma, Kaede, and I own a maid café," Maehara said, "It's called the Pink Octopus. Maybe when you stop being Japan's most wanted you could come and visit." Nagisa blinked. He must've heard that wrong.
"You guys own a maid café?"
"Yep, Yuuma handles all of the business parts of it, Kaede is the head chef, and I do all of the operational things. We're doing pretty well for ourselves, I'd say." Isogai beamed behind him.
"Are you and Isogai still together?" Nagisa asked curiously. Maehara grinned and grabbed Isogai's hand to show off their matching rings.
"Together forever, bitch! Now he can't get rid of me!"
"Why would I want to get rid of you, Hiroto?"
"I can think of a few reasons," Kayano muttered under her breath.
"How long have you been married?" Nagisa inquired, genuinely interested. He could remember back to when they had first started dating. That had been the gossip of the school for a while.
"We had our four year anniversary in May," Isogai said.
"I'm sorry I had to miss the wedding," Nagisa said honestly. He had missed a lot of things, it seemed. "I'll be sure you get you guys a belated wedding gift."
"Oh you don't have to do th-" Maehara's hand was over Isogai's mouth in an instant, cutting him off.
"We also accept cash," Maehara said. Nagisa laughed. He'd write them a check when he got the chance. Chatter began to fill the room again as the conversation died. Okano and Kataoka were talking about their respective students. Terasaka and Itona were bickering about the best restaurants in the area. For a brief moment, he forgot that he was now Japan's top criminal. He forgot that he had killed hundreds of people. He forgot that he had given up the best years of his youth to pursue a fucked up sense of vigilante justice. He was just a 26-year old kid hanging out with his friends and drinking beer.
Nagisa smiled gently. Is this how his life would have been if he had stayed? Would he be talking about the best TV shows airing? Would he have a boss to complain about or students to gush over? Would everyday feel as light-hearted as it did right now?
"Hey, let's watch a movie or something," Nakamura said, "There's gotta be something on TV."
"Yeah, I'd like that," Nagisa agreed, riding the high of being with the people he'd grown up with for the first time in eight years. Karma threw her the remote from the couch. She caught it and flipped it on. On screen was some sort of game show. She flipped through the channels, skipping reruns and anything that didn't catch her interest. She paused for a moment as it hit the news.
"-eaking news, the Ministry of Defense is reopening after a three and a half hour lockdown after treason suspect Shiota Nagisa escaped." Okajima clapped Nagisa on the back. The screen flashed to a mug shot. It was a bittersweet reminder. On one hand, he was out and having beers with his friends.
On the other, his career was over.
"We did that!" Okajima exclaimed.
"A group is involved in the infiltration and jailbreak. If anyone has any information on the following persons, they are urged to contact the police immediately." Two images flashed on the screen, two work headshots.
Everything stopped.
"Ministry of Defense Workers, Akabane Karma and Terasaka Ryoma." An image of a white-haired man. "Engineer, Horibe Itona." A shot of a man holding a camera. "Paparazzi, commonly known as Celebrity Public Enemy Number One, Okajima Taiga." A shot of three people in front of a café. "Owners of the Pink Octopus Maid Café, Maehara Hiroto, Isogai Yuuma, and Kayano Kaede." Another. "High School Teacher, Kataoka Megu." Another."Law Student, Nakamura Rio." Another. "Personal trainer, Okano Hinata." The camera flashed back to the anchor. "Anyone who has information on any of these persons is urged to immediately call the number below. They are considered armed and dangerous."
His head whirled around to the group, who had the same look of horror on their face. No, this isn't…this isn't how this was supposed to go! Everyone was supposed to be safe! The remote fell to the ground, Nakamura's grip slacking.
"You and your team are doomed to die. Asano-sama will make sure of it."