Eiji held his cup of tea quietly, letting the warmth of the cup flow into his hands and relax his body. He inhaled slowly, focusing on the rich aroma carried by the steam, and breathed out again. He looked up and saw Ash watching him.

"You're staring," Eiji said.

Ash blinked like he was startled out of a trance. "Sorry. It's just-" Ash looked at him. "Are you okay? I mean I've seen you upset before but I've never seen you…"

Helpless. The look on Eiji's sleeping face had been one of absolute helplessness. Ash had never seen someone look that lost and alone.

"What did you dream about?" Ash asked. But he knew the answer before he asked the question.

Eiji looked away uncomfortably.

Ash's hands curled into fists and he clenched his teeth. "Golzine better never let his guard down," he growled. "Because if he gives me the opportunity I'm gonna-" He shook his head furiously then looked up and stopped. Eiji was watching him, his eyes wide and his fingers tight around his cup.

"I'm sorry," Ash said, "I didn't mean to-"

"No," Eiji shook his head. "It's okay. It's just- you remind me of your brother."

Ash looked startled. "What?"

Eiji smiled and looked into his tea cup. "Griffin was like that too. He didn't know me but he tried to save me. He was willing to risk his-" Eiji faltered. He didn't risk his life. He gave his life. Griff was dead and it was his fault.

Eiji looked up at Ash, eyes burning. "Ash, I'm so sorry. He was your brother and it's my fault he died. I shouldn't have-" Eiji broke off, shutting his eyes against the tears. No words could mend what he had done.

"Shouldn't have what?" Ash said. "Shouldn't have let him help you?"

Eiji looked up and Ash gave him a slight smile. "You didn't know my brother. He was always a soldier. Always the hero. Leaving you there would have killed him just as much as that bullet did. And if he could go back in time, he'd probably do it all the same." Ash shook his head and looked at Eiji. "Anyways, it's not your fault."

"No, it's not."

Eiji met Ash's gaze and a dark anger kindled in his eyes. "It's Golzine's."

Eiji stood. "I lied to you before, Ash. I didn't trust you but- you're Griffin's brother and I owe it to him to trust you."

Ash stood and met his gaze.

"I'll give it to you," Eiji said. "Banana Fish. Golzine didn't take it. I still have it."

"Where?" Ash asked.

Eiji looked up at him sheepishly. "I hid it in your van."

"What? When?"

"When you kidnapped me. The first time."

Ash gaped. "I've had it this whole time?"

Eiji shrugged. "I didn't want you to find it. I knew you'd search me."

Ash stared at him. "Where?"

The door of the van slid open. The interior of the vehicle looked as rough as the outside. Stains and holes in the seats, bullet holes in the walls, and what looked like a knife slash in the ceiling. The whole thing smelled like stale tobacco and gunpowder.

Ash started patting down and feeling his way across the many cuts and holes in the seat cushions.

"Back left," Eiji said behind him. Ash glared at him and began to search the torn seat cushion.

Eiji looked around the old junker curiously. He poked through the seat pockets and found a gun and an empty condom wrapper. He made a face and shoved them back out of sight.

He looked around and his eyes stopped. From the rear view mirror hung a gunshot dog tag. The bullet had punched straight through and only the letters "reed" were still visible.

Eiji reached up and touched it gently and for a moment touched the chest of the soldier around whose neck it had once hung.

"Max Glenreed."

Ash looked up at him, surprised. "How do you know that name?"

"He was the friend Griffin was talking about, wasn't he? The reason he was searching for Banana Fish." Eiji looked back at Ash. "The reason he found me."

"And found this." Ash stood, clutching the chain in his hand. From the end dangled a small pendant.

Eiji's face was grim as he nodded.

Ash looked at the pendant. "So what does it do? Hypnotism?" He swung it back and forth on its chain before deciding that was a bad idea and stopped it suddenly.

"I don't know," Eiji said.

Ash looked at the pendant warily and then noticed a thin line around the top. Praying it wasn't about to blow up in his hands, he twisted it and the top unscrewed and came off in his hand.

"It opens," Ash said. He shook the little capsule and a vial slid out.

"It's a powder." He looked up at Eiji.

"The man, Thompson," Eiji said. "They injected him with something before he went mad. Is it a drug?"

"Guess we'll find out," Ash said. "And I know just the guy."