The Unceasing Path
Ch 7 : 第一繭
The First Layer - wherein cracks form on Ami's surface and Makoto breaks through.
As it turned out, Ami didn't get home until three nights later.
Makoto was getting ready for bed when she heard the faint scratching of a key at the door. Ami walked in slowly and without a word. Makoto moved to hug her in greeting but then stopped. She recognized the body language and the look on her partner's face.
It must have been a bad accident...
Ami flashed a grateful smile before taking herself to the bathroom. It wasn't until after a long shower that Ami came out and curled up next to Makoto on the couch. Makoto put down the magazine she was reading and just held her for a while. She knew better than to ask, but if Ami wanted to talk, she'd be here.
"Ready for bed Ami?"
"No. I crashed earlier this afternoon and took a nap in the staff lounge. What time is it anyways? My internal clock is all messed up now. Don't let me keep you up though. I think I'll probably just stay up to study or do some paperwork."
Makoto glanced over at the clock on the microwave.
"It's only 9. Don't worry about it. Tomorrow's a Tuesday. I don't actually have to be in the bakery unless I want to be." Makoto considered the situation "Hmm, come to think of it, I actually want my apprentice to get more practice handling the shop on her own. It works out for the best if I don't go in. Want some company?"
"Oh...yes please. I'd like that. I've missed you. You know that right?"
"If the paperwork can wait, maybe we could try that movie we wanted to watch the other night? I think you could use some some mindless entertainment. Unwind a little yeah?"
Ami hmmm'ed in Makoto's arms.
"That sounds amazing. How is it that you know me that well?"
Makoto continued her thought.
"...that, or maybe of your story. Where we left off the other day was brutal!"
"Really?!" Ami looked up. A twitch flickered at her lips until it spread into a full on grin. "I'm not going to lie, I already have the next scene in mind. If you're really curious, I guess the movie can wait a little longer..."
[Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront Promenade. Several nights later…]
Makoto took in the night. It was a relief to finally be alone. Out here, she didn't have to pretend to be someone she was not.
The evening was cool, verging on chilly. The breeze coming in from the harbour that gave Hong Kong it's name was clear for once. All around there were couples on dates and tourists taking in the sights. It really was a world-class view. Seen from across the water, the Hong Kong skyline was a sky of jewels, shining and magnificent.
Makoto headed away from all that. What she was looking for wouldn't be found in the light. She was looking for a specific bench. One off the beaten path and in the shadow of the roadway overpass above. Ami's text described it as a "surveillance dead zone". At least Makoto assumed the text was from Ami. She also assumed that Ami's text was about one of the surveillance dead zones that they had agreed to use as emergency meeting places. The unsigned, unknown number text Makoto received was cryptic at best.
"23:00, DZ-A3. TST waterfront."
It had to be from Ami. Who else could it be? Only two other people knew this number and Chiba was usually more cordial than this in their communications. No. The text was from Ami. It had to be. Makoto couldn't deal with any other alternative right now.
Makoto neared the designated area. Sure enough, there was someone already there. A figure sat, barely visible in the shadows. Makoto called out. That had to be Ami.
There was no answer. Makoto chanced a louder greeting.
"Hey! is that you?"
Still no answer. Not even a twitch.
Alarm bells went off inside. This didn't seem right. Every shadow took on new and sinister aspects. Thoughts sprang unbidden into Makoto's mind. Maybe this was a trap. Maybe someone discovered Ami's secret identity. Maybe Ami was dead, and her body was dumped here as a message.
When did she get so paranoid?
Makoto sped up her pace until she was all but running over to the bench. Either way, she had to find out.
As Makoto's eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw that the person on the bench was indeed Ami. Ami was sitting, eyes closed and propped up against one of the two large planters flanking the bench. Ami looked horrible up close but at least close up, Makoto could see that her chest was moving steadily up and down. She had tried to avoid hitting Ami above the shoulders the other night, but still Ami had a split lip and a greenish purple bruise on the side of her face. Makoto sincerely hoped that she was just sleeping and not in a coma or something. She took a second look to reassure herself that, yes, Ami was still breathing and another quick glance at their surroundings to confirm that they were alone.
Makoto let out the breath that she didn't know she was holding.
"Ami?"
Ami stirred, but did not wake. Makoto frowned. Ami must be exhausted for her to be out like this. She wished she could just cover Ami with her jacket and let her sleep but that was probably a bad idea. Ami must have called her out here for a reason and the longer they were together out in public like this, the greater the risk. Still, she couldn't bring herself to shake Ami awake just yet.
It was strange watching Ami sleep. Makoto had built this mental image of her sergeant as some sort of invincible superhuman crime-fighting cyborg. Even after beating her into unconsciousness, Makoto had left the alley with the sense that Ami was still in control of the situation. Seeing Ami asleep shook that image. Her cyborg sergeant looked strangely vulnerable in the pale moonlight. Moved by some unknown impulse, Makoto reached out and touched Ami face. Her face, and not her leather clad arm or her shoulder, just to feel that she was flesh and blood and not made of metal.
Ami's skin was cool, but at least it was above room temperature. She'd probably been sitting here in the ocean breeze for some time now. She stirred again at the brush of Makoto's hand on her cheek, leaning into the touch a bit before her brow furrowed.
Oh shit.
Ami jolted awake. Makoto found her wrist taken in an iron grip as Ami's eyes flew open. In a trice, Makoto was staring cross-eyed down the edge of a butterfly knife.
"Watch it. Don't sneak up on people like that. It'll get you killed."
"I didn't sneak up on you. You were asleep. I wanted to make sure you were ok."
"Hm" Ami grunted as she let Makoto go. "I'm fine...Thank you." The long pause between the two statements didn't do much to reassure Makoto.
"You sure you're ok? How many fingers am I holding up?" Makoto waved her hand in front of Ami's eyes. "Look. I just want to say that I'm sorry about-"
Ami batted Makoto's hand away irritably.
"Three. And don't apologize. You did well. The jacket over the head was brilliant by the way. I'd never seen that before."
Makoto lost it. She grabbed Ami by the collar and dragged her up so that they were face to face.
"I need to apologize! I could have killed you! Why didn't you fight back?" Makoto hissed down at Ami. She wanted to scream at her, but couldn't without drawing attention. "Fuck you! You scared me! It's been almost a week! You could have at least called and let me know you were alive ok?!"
"I...didn't think of it... I'm sorry." For a moment, Ami seemed confused, her eyes clouded and uncertain. Makoto wondered again if Ami had a concussion or if she was really just that bad at basic human interaction. The confusion passed as quickly as it came. Ami's gaze sharpened and she glared right back at Makoto."It worked didn't it? I take it you're in with the gang now."
Fucking Ami and her one track mind. Makoto gave up and let go of Ami's collar. Ami fell back onto the bench with a heavy thump. The way she clenched her jaw at the impact made Makoto regret the action instantly.
"Are you - Ami...just stop! You're obviously not ok. Shit, shouldn't you go to the hospital or something?"
"Answer my question." Ami's retort was somewhere between a growl and a wheeze.
Makoto sighed. "Yeah. I'm in." Maybe Ami would take it easy if she got the information she was looking for. "Haruka made it official yesterday. She introduced me to everyone at least."
"Did she happen to introduce you to her boss?"
"No."
"Damn. Of course it wouldn't be that easy. I had hoped..." Ami muttered "Nevermind that. You did well. Your primary objective now is to discover who the head of the Hung Fa Boys is. Haruka is in charge of the set that you run with, but she takes her orders from someone. We need to know who. We should to go over what happens next now."
Makoto couldn't concentrate. She needed a moment.
"No we don't. I can't deal with this right now."
"What's the problem?"
Makoto tried to answer, but couldn't find the words. The events of the past week were caught in a jumble in her mind. She needed a break. She couldn't think straight right now. Not with Ami. Not now.
Ami. That was the problem.
"You! You're the problem! Can we forget about the mission for a minute? I just spent the past 4 days worrying! I thought you were dead, or that I killed you, or that you were seriously hurt and... and now here you are and you won't even tell me if you're ok! We should have found a better way dammit! If we worked together, we might have thought of something or -"
"I said I'm fine!" Ami pushed herself off the bench and stood in front of Makoto with her arms held wide. "See? It's nothing! Just some bruises. Now can we please move on and-"
As if on cue, Ami toppled forward. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she fell into a dead faint. Makoto barely managed to catch her before she landed face first on the sidewalk. The words 'I told you so' sprang to mind but it would have been useless to say them out loud. No one was home to listen.
Makoto held the limp body of her unconscious sergeant in her arms. She'd needed a breather, but this was ridiculous.
Now what?
[In an unfamiliar room, some unknown amount of time later...]
The fresh scent of laundry. Starchy fabric beneath her skin. The feeling of being warm and comfortable.
She was lying face down in a bed. What the hell was going on?
Ami bit back a moan as her senses came flooding back. She wasn't alone. There was someone was humming quietly on the other side of the room. The humming got closer. Ami tensed, preparing for the worst. Then came the low chuckle that she recognized as Makoto's.
"It's ok. Don't move. The bleeding finally stopped." Ami's eyes shot open to see Makoto standing beside the bed with a small round bucket. "You're an idiot you know that?"
The lights in the room were too bright. Ami squeezed her eyes shut before opening them again slowly. "Ugh. Makoto? What happened? Where are we?" She tried to sit up, but Makoto held her down firmly with one hand. There was a splash and a damp towel was placed on her back. Ami hissed. The initial contact stung like hell, but soon enough, she relaxed into the soothing feeling of Makoto wiping the blood off her skin.
"You passed out. I dragged you to a hotel." Before Ami could say anything, Makoto added "Don't worry. Paid cash, no names. Told them my mistress was too drunk to get home. No one knows we're here, and there are no records."
"Mistress!?"
She tried to sit up again, but Makoto still wouldn't let her.
"Yeah, don't read too much into it. I used to work in a fancy ass hotel like this one. This shit happens all the time. Nobody asks questions." Makoto laughed "Hah! Wait... are you embarrassed? You deal with hard core criminals day in and day out and this is the thing that gets to you? That's hilarious!"
"Shut up. You're not the one that woke up half naked in a hotel room just now. Where's my shirt anyways?"
"I had to take it off. You were bleeding. There's a nasty cut on your back that must have reopened at some point. I didn't know until I saw blood on the bench after you stood up. Next time someone asks if you're ok, you should say "No. I'm bleeding significantly, thank you for asking!". Now hold still will you? I'm going to put on a new bandage as soon as I'm done disinfecting...Sorry. This might hurt a little." Makoto's voice shook though her hands remained steady dabbing at the edges of Ami's wound. "What happened? I didn't do that to you did I?"
Tape ripped through the silence. Ami was at a loss for words. The lie she had ready on her lips didn't seem right. If she wanted to be honest, then Makoto's simple question had a very complex answer. Much more complex than Ami wanted to share. The details of her life weren't something she had ever told anyone about. It was too complicated. Too dangerous.
Yet here was Makoto, asking her innocent questions and being her kind and good-hearted self.
Makoto, who was terrified that she had caused Ami pain.
Makoto, the only other person in the world who might understand.
Ami lay still, her mind in turmoil as Makoto began applying gauze. It was through a fog of paranoia, anxiety, fatigue and yearning that Ami came to a decision: Makoto deserved the truth.
"No. Don't worry. That wasn't you. It was Minako."
Ami began with a simple answer...
"Minako...as in Aino Minako? What the fuck? Your own gang did that to you!?"
...and now things were about to get complicated.
"It wasn't her fault. She had to. I disobeyed one of her direct orders."
"Holy fuck! That's terrible! I thought that the triads took care of their own. That's all I've been hearing about these past few days from Haruka."
Ami turned her head, hiding a wince. Makoto had accidentally pressed too hard on the cut during that outburst.
"We like to believe that, and that's true to a certain extent. Minako's the leader. She's got to maintain discipline somehow. If she lets me get away with things, it sets a bad precedent. Discipline falls apart top to bottom. The last thing we need is to fight another internal war."
"There, done." Makoto gave the taped-on gauze a final pat. "So she cut you up to make an example of you? "
"Yes and no. The cut wasn't intentional. It was my fault. I tensed up at the wrong time. Minako's got this whip you see... it's kind of her trademark."
"What did you do?" Makoto gulped "Holy crap, she doesn't suspect..."
"Oh no, not that." Ami said quickly "If she did, I wouldn't be here talking to you right now. I'd be in some basement somewhere having a face to face interview with a bunch of power tools. Hmmm, to be fair, after everything we've been through together, Minako might do me the courtesy of a simple bullet in the head. That'd be nice. No, this was just a result of..." Ami trailed off, spots suddenly dancing in her vision. "Ugh. Help me up? Can't talk and breathe lying down like this."
With Makoto's support, she managed to roll over and prop herself up among the ungodly number of pillows on the bed. Ami leaned back, taking several deep breaths to dispel her light headedness. Distracted as she was, it took a while to notice that Makoto was blushing fiercely. Ami looked down. A matching flush crept up her chest as she realized why.
"Um...Sorry. Where's my shirt again?"
Makoto gave an awkward cough "I err...washed it. It's still wet. Here. Put this on." Makoto took off her hoodie, revealing a tight green tank top underneath. She tossed the shirt over and then turned away. "I won't look."
"Too late." Ami observed dryly. "Doesn't matter. I look like shit anyways. Would you mind turning the lights off as well please? It's too bright in here."
Ami tried to get the shirt on while Makoto headed for the light switch. Luckily, Makoto's hoodie was a zip up. Ami doubted she could manage a pull over the state she was in. Even so, she was still struggling to get her arm through the first sleeve when Makoto returned to her side.
"Here. Let me help you with that." Makoto held up the sleeves for Ami to slide into. "You really don't wear a bra do you?"
"Couldn't get into one this morning. Ribs hurt too much."
"Oh."
Makoto's face fell. She pulled back, looking like she was about to apologize again. Ami refused to let that happen. She grabbed Makoto's hand, surprising herself and Makoto both.
"Stop. Makoto. Look at me." Ami pushed past the doubt in Makoto's eyes. "Promise me something? Don't let this get to you. Don't let this change you. You did the right thing. Focus on that. Focus on doing the right thing. It's why you're here isn't it?"
"I promise. I'll try." Makoto sighed, pulling her hand away slowly. "I know it's a bit of a piss coming from me, but this whole undercover thing. It's really difficult isn't it? These past few days...thinking I might have killed someone - wondering if I beat someone to death with my bare hands. I've been afraid of that since forever. It doesn't take much to break a person."
"No it doesn't." Ami looked down at her own hands and saw the blood that Makoto feared "It really doesn't..."
"At first, I thought you were just some kind of super human cyborg, but clearly, you're not."
"Keep that to yourself. I have a reputation to maintain."
"Don't make fun of me. I needed to believe that."
"Go ahead. I can see you thinking. What do you want to know?"
"How did you got started? I couldn't imagine doing it alone."
Maybe it was the lighting, the quiet isolation of being in a hotel room, but Makoto was surprisingly easy to talk to.
"Minako was my in. She was in jail for something or another. Small time stuff, petty larceny and obstruction of justice I think. The important thing was that she was a known member of the Yuet To Tong. I had myself put in prison as her cell mate. While in jail, we got to talking. Talking turned into plans. Plans turned into reality. The leadership of the Yuet To Tong was in flux at the time. We put an end to that. We took on the world together and we won." Ami gave a sardonic laugh. "I don't expect you to understand, but she's probably the best friend I've ever had. I'm sorry if that's not what you were expecting from your sergeant, but I need you to know that that things are complicated."
"No, I think I get it. I just met everyone in my gang. They all seem so...ordinary. It's like during the day they are just a regular bunch of guys, and then come nightfall..."
"It's remarkable isn't it? The enemy are never as evil as they seem, and we are never as good as we'd like to be. If you haven't already figured it out, that right there, is the most difficult part of being undercover."
Silence fell as both women became lost in their parallel worlds.
"Hey Ami, can I ask you one more thing?"
"Hmm?"
"This life. Being undercover. It's just one betrayal after another. It's horrible."
"That's a statement, not a question."
"Let me finish. I want to know why are you here. Why are you doing this?"
Over the years, Ami had asked herself that same question countless times. Alone, awake in the middle of the night, the question was there. Alone, while laughing and joking with her gang. Alone, while making decisions that could mean life or death. Alone. Always alone.
It was odd hearing the Makoto say out loud the question that had only ever existed in her head.
Some days, the answer came easily. Some days, Ami knew she had done right – an anonymous tip to that led to arrests, the uneasy peace on the streets maintained through her influence and machinations, or even just an impressionable teenager scared away from the triad lifestyle. There were small victories to be had. Those were the days that made living through hell worthwhile.
Other times, Ami was less certain. On the nights where the Mad Dog earned her name, the answer was muddled through an intoxicating haze of power, camaraderie and blood.
Tonight, however, Ami knew why she was here. The answer was right in front of her.
"One day, long ago, I met someone. She showed me something about the world that I needed to see. I saw someone who was strong, but didn't use that strength to her own advantage. She used it to protect others. Long story short. She saved me from being who I was. She showed me the way to becoming the person I want to be." Ami smiled to herself. "One day, I am going prove her that I'm not weak anymore. That's why I'm here – because she showed me the way."
Makoto tilted her head. "You're either completely insane, or incredibly romantic. I can't tell which."
Ami waved her off, "Probably both. It doesn't matter. What matters is that we have a mission. Mine is to limit the damage that the Yuet To Tong inflict on the city. Yours is to find the head of the Hung Fa Boys. One day, together, we will take them all down. We will shine the light of day into this city's rotten core. Between us, we can make a difference."
"Between us? Hmm, that's funny. I thought you said I'd be working on my own."
"I lied. What did I say about trusting people?"
Makoto laughed.
" Don't do it'. So, that's it? We're partners now? "
"We are. I trust you."
They shook hands. That night, as Ami drifted off to sleep again, her last thought was of how nice, how different it was to not be alone anymore.
A.N.
It's fluffy, and it's mafia! Two great tastes, now in one convenient package.
Cheers,
-Drift.
Up Next:
Ch 8: 江湖情 - The Underworld Situation - wherein we see the shape of things to come