Chapter 7

Retaliation

Never underestimate a scientist.

They have a relentlessly analytical mind and are not easily deterred by setback or obstacle. Miyano Shiho was no exception. Having spent hours locked away in a small, rusted jail cell with nothing more than a simple padlock to occupy her mind, she meticulously planned out an escape.

Once satisfied that Moonshine wouldn't be returning, she set to work. Cannibalizing parts from an old coil spring mattress left over from the first world war, she was able to cobble together some makeshift tools. While no expert in locksmithing, she knew that with the appropriate instruments, the four pins of the double tumbler could be picked. Working backwards from the far side of the bars complicated matters, but with the proper application of force, fineness, and profanity, the lock eventually surrendered to her efforts and clattered to the ground.

The heavy gate yielded with a horrendous screech as she pushed it aside. If Moonshine was within earshot, he may have heard that. She would have to move fast. First thing's first.

Complex pharmaceuticals like the one he gave Kudo aren't easy to synthesize and don't last forever. Shelf-life can be prolonged when kept at low temperatures. That meant there had to be some sort of cold storage in this godforsaken place.

She had once written the book for this kind of thing. Standard operating procedures shouldn't have changed much. The antiserum ought to be located right next to this liquid lobotomy. Get that, then get the hell out of dodge.

She traced her steps back to the vault of the previous night. Without the blinding flood lights, she was able to find the door through which Moonshine had entered. This led to what once had been a break area of some sort. The room had clear signs of renovation with modern light fixtures, computers, heaters, and foodstuffs strewn about. Her focus immediately zeroed in on the refrigerator mounted by the wall.

The lid was flung open only to reveal frozen dinners and drinks for a week. A painful reminder of just how dry her throat was. The last time she had any kind of sustenance must have been more than 12 hours ago.

She considered taking a minute to thaw out the thermos and drink but angrily shunned the thought away. There was no time for that. The human body can go three days without water. Kudo didn't have that long.

She plowed on with the search, opening cabinets and drawers wherever they could be found. Most were empty. Some held random junk. One actually contained empty syringes and some saline solution, but nothing useful. There were no chemicals of any kind. It had to be here somewhere in the mess. Where is that good for nothing detective when you need him?

She thought back to the person she once was; the survival tricks she once relied on. This environment was a far cry from her old lab, but the principal was the same, right?

Duct taped to the underside of a table, she discovered a black colt model 1911 pistol. Her eyes glossed over as old, mechanical instinct took control. She pulled back the slide and released the magazine from the well by muscle memory. After checking to see if it was loaded, she returned the clip and let the block snap back into place.

It must have been well maintained, cleaned, and oiled on a regular basis. If he was methodical enough for an emergency gun, then where the hell was the antiserum?

There was a noise from the corridor as heavy footsteps approached from the far door. She thought fast.

Instantly, she returned to a cupboard with the syringes and saline. She took two needles, hiding one in her stocking and filling the other before taking up a defensive position next to the door. Gun in hand, she tried to suppress the growing sense of dread.

Failure meant not only would Kudo's life be forfeit, but she would likely face vivisection. Her old colleagues would open her up for an autopsy while she was still screaming in the hopes of finding out exactly what APTX could do. It was a terrifying prospect. But there was no going back now.

With a winter's breeze, the door creaked open, and Moonshine came in.

"No sudden movements." She demanded.

He paused briefly, then rubbed his eyes in annoyance. "I knew I shouldn't have skimped on the locks. Look, Sherry, I've had a very long day, I'm tired, and frankly, this paperwork I have to deal with has got me in an irritable mood. So, do you mind explaining just what you think you're doing exactly?"

"Where is the antiserum?"

He strolled over to a chair and put his feet up. "Bold of you to assume there is actually an antiserum."

Shiho reaffirmed her grip. "You're a lot of despicable things, but you're no amateur. You're gonna tell me where it is right now."

"Or what? You'll shoot me?"

"If I have to."

He laughed. "Do you know what your problem always was? You lacked ambition. All the talent in the world with no drive to seize life by the throat and squeeze until you get what you want."

"This trigger is about 2 pounds of squeezing away from ending you unless you tell me what I want to know."

"That's just it, though. Those 2 pounds of pull might as well be 2 tons. It's insurmountable. You're weak. See? I'll even make it easy for you." He removed from a shoulder holster his Glock and held it lazily at his side. "Now you won't be shooting an unarmed man. Nobody knows you're here. I'm saving that as a surprise for the boss. One little pop, and you're off scott free."

"You really haven't told anyone? Why?"

"Because I want to see the look on Gin's face. Tokyo branch has been beyond salvage for years now. Boss only keeps them around because he's sentimental. But when he finds out just how badly Gin screwed up with this one, he'll have no choice but to do some restructuring. And I'll be there, ready and willing to take his place. They're coming here, you know. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."

"That's what this is to you? You're doing this for a promotion?"

"Up or out. That's how it is in this game. And by out, I mean dead. You're proof of that. And when I present my proof you can be his problem. Nothing personal. Maybe if you're lucky, he'll put a bullet in you instead of throwing you to Vermouth to play with. She's missed you too. And all you have to do to avoid that unpleasantness is pull two more pounds of pressure on that trigger. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead. Shoot me."

The thought of Vermouth put more fear into her than being a medical experiment. Her voice wavered. "After you give me the antiserum!"

"God, you really have gone off the deep end. Sherry I knew wouldn't hesitate like this. Where's that old spirit of yours? You're smart enough to know it's too late for your buddy. Fire the gun and run away while you can. That's what you do best."

The blood in Shiho's veins rose. She had to do it. She had to pull the trigger. Why was her hand shaking? Why'd it feel so heavy? She grunted. She screamed. And, she failed.

Her arms fell down to her side in defeat.

Moonshine got up with an outstretched, almost sympathetic hand. "Give me the gun."

With teary eyes, Shiho looked at him confused. There was one gambit left. She put the pistol to her own temple. "You need me recognizable for this whole scheme to work. I don't care what happens to me, but you will give me that antiserum or so help me god, I'll take off my own head and leave you nothing."

Moonshine reeled back. "Now that's an interesting turn of events. Clever, very clever of you. Hmmm." He clicked his tongue as numbers were crunched and probabilities factored. Slowly, he brought his eyes back to hers. "I think…you're bluffing."

"If it really is as you say, I'd rather go out on my own terms."

"No, no, no. That was the old you. But that Sherry is gone, isn't she? Life on the outside has got your head filled with fairytales and nonsense like hope. I am curious, though. Let's see if I'm wrong."

The die had been cast. He wasn't going to surrender. Shiho took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and pulled the trigger.

The two loudest noises known to mankind are a click when there should have been a bang and a bang when there should have been a click. Here, it was the former.

The firing pin leapt forward, striking empty air. There were no bullets to escape. Her legs buckled, and she wilted against the wall, lost in a fog.

Moonshine walked over and retrieved the colt from her limp hand. "Can't even tell the difference in weight? You really have gone soft. What happened to you?"

Through clouded eyes, she watched as he came close. Once within range, she latched onto his wrist and pulled him down, driving the syringe into his neck.

He thundered and let loose a mighty fist across her face. "What the hell was that!?" He roared, yanking the needle out in disbelief. "You bitch!"

Shiho spat blood. "A taste of your own medicine!"

Enraged, he paced back and forth cursing in a manner that would make a drunken sailor blush before turning his attention back to her. He raised his foot as high as he could and sent it crashing down onto her knee like a sledgehammer.

In horror, she watched as her leg bent backwards just below the joint. Her opposite leg had been situated underneath, providing an air gap which collapsed with a muffled crunch. Most of her shin fell away to gravity as jagged bone shards ground into flesh and tissue. A single, strained monosyllable exploded out of her lungs before she could bite back the agony.

Determined not to give him the satisfaction, she focused and tried to diagnose the problem before shock took over and diluted her perception. Between labored breaths, she reached down to inspect the surreal sight. Spiral, compound fracture of the tibia and fibula, probably. At least the artery wasn't cut. She would already be losing consciousness if that was the case. But there was no way she would be walking anytime soon.

Moonshine stormed off to the far side of the room and snatched up the thermos. He unscrewed the top and poured out two small vials, administering a dose into his arm before putting the remainder into his vest pocket.

That's where he was hiding it! Quarter syringe, two milliliters. Looking at the mangled wreck of her leg, she only hoped that information was worth the price.

Moonshine rolled his neck and let out a hollow as the medicine flowed through his veins. He then grabbed her by the hair and dragged her back to the dark cells.

Suffering gave way to bewilderment as Shiho abruptly found herself midair. He threw her bodily against the concrete wall where she tumbled to a crash. She pulled herself upright just in time to duck out of the way of a first aid box that came flying in after her.

He slammed the gate shut, securing it first with a new lock then a car battery. "Congratulations. Now you've made it personal. Just for that, I think I will kill that friend of yours. You can watch the life drain from his eyes. In the meantime maybe that'll give you second thought before trying another stupid stunt."

His phone started playing a 8 bit version of the flight of the Valkyries. "Oh speak of the devil." He hit the button and placed it to his ear. "Mr. Kudo?- Hmm?- No, everything's okay.- Really? That's good to hear. Where are you now?- Alright, I'll be there in an hour. Don't go anywhere."

He hung up the phone with a sinister smile. "You said it yourself, Sherry, I'm a lot of things. Tell me, do you think I'm a liar?"