The safe house was an unassuming warehouse at the end of an abandoned wharf. Sheets of rain rippled across the river and set the night lights of the city dancing in the water.
The door opened and Ash entered. He pulled his hood back and looked around the bare warehouse. Skip, Bones, and Kong were waiting for him and leapt to their feet when they saw him. Shorter was leaned back against a stack of crates, his arms crossed.
Shorter glowered at Ash. "I can't believe I let you talk me into you using my bike while I had to drive that piece of jiàn luh-suh."
"Shorter, you're the best driver I know," Ash said. Shorter relaxed a little. "I needed you in the van. And besides, I'm the better shot."
Shorter scowled again. "Funny way of saying 'thank you'. I'm not a part of your crew, you know."
"Did you find anything?" Ash asked.
Skip shook his head. "No luck, boss."
"The kid's clean," Bones said. "They drugged him pretty good but it's worn off now."
"Where is he?"
Bones gestured with his thumb towards a wooden door that'd been bolted shut from the outside.
The room was small and shoddily constructed with plywood walls and a concrete floor that had a rust-stained drain in the middle. Eiji was tied to a chair in the center of the room. He looked up as Ash walked in.
Ash shut the door and crossed the small room to his prisoner, letting his height tower above the boy.
Ash pulled a knife from his boot and held it loosely in his fingers, blade pointed toward Eiji. "Tell me everything you know about Golzine."
Eiji's eyes widened as he saw the blade and he tipped over his own chair and crashed to the ground in a panic.
Alex walked into the warehouse in time to hear the chair crash from the inside of the room.
Alex raised his eyebrow. "What's going on?"
"Ash is interrogating somebody," Skip said.
"Man, I'd sure hate to be in his shoes," Bones said. "He's only been in there two minutes and already-"
A panicked scream came from behind the closed door.
Shorter gave a short laugh. "Yeah, but that guy was a cinnamon roll. All you'd have to do is threaten him with a spatula and he'd give up his mother's dirty secrets."
They laughed.
Ash looked on in bewildered amusement as the boy cowered on the floor, babbling rapidly in Japanese.
"I haven't even touched you yet," Ash scoffed.
He tucked the dagger back in his boot and moved to right Eiji's chair. "You'd think-"
Suddenly Eiji's eyes narrowed and before Ash could react he had swiped Ash's legs out from under him, knocking him to the ground. Ash scrambled to get to his feet just in time to get thrown back as Eiji roundhoused him squarely in the jaw. Eiji hurled the chair across the room and Ash ducked just in time, the chair shattering against the wall over his head.
The gang was still laughing when suddenly the door flew open and Eiji burst out. Eiji sidestepped Kong and escaped down the hall before they knew what was happening. Ash staggered out of the room as Eiji crashed through the glass of the second story window.
"Boss!" Bones shouted.
"After him! Go!" Ash yelled.
Eiji groaned and looked up at the unfamiliar surroundings. Cuts from the glass marked his face and shoulders. He staggered to his feet as he heard commotion behind him and he fled through the rain.
Eiji ran blindly down the narrow corridors between the shipping crates. He gasped and ducked into a narrow alley as a car whizzed past him. Bones and Skip rolled down the window, cursing.
"Go around!" Ash yelled.
The car pulled back and Ash zipped down the narrow alley. The motorcycle headlight raced towards Eiji. He suddenly changed directions and ducked through to another passage, the motorcycle skidding to change directions behind him.
Eiji sprinted across the wharf. His foot slipped on the slick decking and he fell hard. Ash pulled up behind him and jumped off the motorcycle. He drew his gun. Eiji got to his feet, breathing hard. He backed slowly towards the edge of the wharf.
His eyes burned fiercely. "Modorimasen. (I won't go back.)"
Ash stared at him through the rain. Eiji glared back.
The sudden squeal of tires startled them out of their standoff. Three black cars swerved into view. Ash quickly pulled his hood over his face.
He grabbed Eiji and positioned himself behind him, taking him hostage as Dino's men surrounded them with their guns raised. Ash glanced at them, calculating their numbers and his chances. A fat, smug-looking man stepped forward.
"Stay back, or I'll shoot," Ash growled.
Marvin stopped. "If he dies, so do you."
"And if I turn him over you'll let me go?"
Marvin smirked. "I might be convinced to let you escape."
A man stepped out of the car, his face concealed by the headlight of his vehicle. Ash looked down as Eiji tensed suddenly. His eyes narrowed in determination and fear.
Dino said something quietly and authoritatively in Japanese. Eiji shook his head and took a step back. They were at the edge of the wharf, nothing behind them but the black river far below.
Dino's head turned and he said something inaudible to a figure hidden by the glare of the headlights. Eiji caught the glint of a sniper rifle in the darkness. He pushed Ash out of the way as the gun fired. The force of Eiji's shove sent them both toppling backwards into the darkness.
Eiji hit the water and sank beneath the waves, blood streaming from his shoulder where the bullet had hit. A bolt of lightning above them silhouetted Ash as he dove through the water towards him.
Ash gasped for air as he broke the water's surface downstream from the wharf. He staggered and dragged an unconscious Eiji behind him further up the shore.
The lights of police cars flashed into view from the street above. Ash ignored them and knelt beside Eiji. He tilted his head back and lifted his chin. Ash took a breath, and covered Eiji's mouth with his own. Eiji's chest began to rise and then he lurched forward, choking and coughing violently. He turned on his side, spewing out water and gasping desperately for air.
"Police! Don't move!" a voice yelled.
Ash scowled and put his hands on the back of his head. Eiji was still struggling to breathe and clutched his shoulder, blood gushing between his fingers.
One of the policemen rushed forward to him while the other cuffed Ash.
"We need Medical!" the officer shouted.
Hurt and confused, Eiji tried to resist but he was already weak. He fell back, whimpering in pain.
"Hold still, kid," the officer said, "Or you'll bleed to death faster than the ambulance can get here."
Eiji cried out as the officer applied pressure to the bullet wound and tried to stop the bleeding.