Slammed through a quick third chapter for today as the inspiration hit me. Its moving a
little slow here and I apologize. This is my first story and I end up overthinking every little
line and trying to nail down the overplot is hard. I appreciate any reviews and constructive
criticism is always welcome. Also pms are open if you have suggestions or anything else.
Hope everyone's 2025 is going well!
Chapter 3: The Aftermath
Kirihara and Saito came into the bank through the back door, the same door the Reaper had left
just minutes before.
"No signs of the door being broken looks like he used his electricity on the door here Chief."
Kirihara nodded.
Captain Hisaki, the police chief who helped them with the initial breach of the bank approached
the duo from the vault side of the bank.
"Chief Kirihara we have one dead in the vault as well as the security guard who was on duty. The
security camera system was running the whole time, unfortunately, it didn't pick up much. The
inside cameras aren't equipped with night vision and the safety lights that stay on were offline at
the time. The footage we do have is being brought to Section 4 as we speak."
"Thank you Captain my team will take it from here. If you can leave a uniform or two out front
to keep the scene secure while we work it that's all we need. We shouldn't be long."
"Yes Ma'am will do"
The Captain walked away and relayed the orders to his men as Kirihara and Saito met up with
Kouno and Matsumoto in the vault.
Inside the vault area was wrecked. The vault door itself was lodged in the concrete wall near the
entrance, and many of the safe deposit boxes had been opened.
"One dead guy's time of death and the fact he was here probably means he was Q4-275 Chief."
Matsumoto said while checking the dead man's pockets.
"Makes sense."
Misaki remembered the note the courier had given to her and checked safe deposit box 201. It's
lock was one of the ones that had been removed so looking inside was easy enough. A thick
manilla envelope was inside. She decided she would focus on it later when she could unpack it,
even though every fiber of her being wanted to tear it apart and lay things out next to the dead
contractor if necessary.
Kouno looked around the room.
"So we think BK-201 killed this guy right? Same signs as the rest no outward signs of foul play
but that creepy face is the same. This guy was a contractor so maybe he could control metal or
something. He probably ripped the locks out and the door off and they fought, just another
contractor who couldn't take him."
"You're probably right Kouno. Let's count the locks here in the room. BK-201 was injured when
Saito and I ran into him. One of those locks might be missing."
"On it Chief"
Kouno started gathering locks from the floor and grouping them in a pile.
Matsumoto spoke up again.
"Chief this blood trail here doesn't make sense. It didn't come from the dead contractor. If
BK-201 was injured like you said-"
"Then that's probably his blood great job Matsumoto bag it and let's see if we can get a match on
the DNA back at the office."
"On it Chief"
Kouno had finished counting.
"Chief you're onto something we're missing one lock. It must be somewhere outside the room or
still on BK-201. If he's injured he might go to the hospital?"
" I doubt it he's a professional that would be an amateur mistake. Our best bet here is to see if we
get a DNA match from the blood. Check with hospitals just to be safe, but I don't expect it to pan
out. I'm heading back to the office now you three check the rest of the building quickly and go
get some rest it's been a long day. Get the DNA to the lab asap, and then you're good. See you all
tomorrow."
"Bye Chief" The three men said in unison.
Misaki felt bad about leaving her team. Normally, she would stay and finish the sweep with
them, but today, she had the envelope to look through. She exited the bank, walked briskly to her
car, and drove what she would call "safe-fast" until she got home. She rushed up the stairs,
fumbled with the lock in her excitement, and entered her apartment. She took her shoes off,
switched into shorts and a tank top, and put some water on the stove for instant noodles.
Now that all those things were done she could focus on the envelope staring at her on her
counter. She went and opened it, pulling out the contents. It looked like it would contain a lot
more, but the only thing in the envelope were two pieces of paper. One of them was another note
from Amber.
"Misaki, I'm glad you found this second letter. It's complicated giving instructions like this, say
too much, and the advice I give changes things. I know MI6 is probably telling you all about me,
but the truth is I think you and I would get along great. I'm not sure if we'll ever have a chance to
meet, but we are both important to him in the end, which I think is more important. I know you
have a lot of questions and this letter probably won't answer any of them, maybe it even leaves
you with more. What I said in my previous letter is true. He is different than the rest. He didn't
have to save you at that party, he chose to. Not for any rational self-interest, but because I think
he likes you. Even now, so early in your story. You and he are perfect for each other, you both
lack what the other has in excess. Anyway, the Syndicate has a plan that you won't like when
you find out. It's the whole reason MI6 and the rest of them want me so badly. Remember that
you should only trust your team. The Syndicate has a network that we can both only imagine,
their reach is endless. If you hear bad things about me, remember the web of lies they might be
spinning to make their plan a reality. Trust your instincts. Like your instincts about him. The last
thing is the other document in this envelope is a location. This location will have someone there
important to finding out the Syndicate's plan and finding BK-201. Go there and remember don't
go as a cop, just be yourself and trust your instincts. Hope everything works out, I know it will."
-Amber
The other piece of paper in the envelope was just like Amber said, the name of a local ramen
shop Misaki had been to a few times. It also had a time and a date on it. 3 pm on the… that was
this Saturday. That gave Misaki enough time to stake the place out and try and figure out what
significance this place could have about what Amber had said in her letter, before the date itself.
Misaki stayed on the couch poring over the letter until sleep inevitably claimed her.
….
She looked down, and the two-sided blade stuck out of her gut, the black-gloved hand that held it
connected to a familiar black-clothed body wearing a familiar white mask.
BK-201's cold dead voice taunted her as he pushed the knife in deeper.
"How did you become the Chief? You trusted ME? Did you lose your mind? I heard women
shouldn't be in leadership positions but I didn't actually believe it before now. It was almost too
easy to get this close to you Misaki."
He twisted the knife, and Misaki felt the pain. Somehow though, his cruel words hurt more.
"Was it your heart that opened you up to me Misaki? Or what's between your legs? Got a thing
for criminals? Is that a stereotype I feel like it should be."
Misaki finally found the courage to speak up.
"This violence is easy right? Trusting is the hard part! I trusted you!"
"You trusted me and what now?! You die!"
He pulled the knife out and pushed her. She suddenly realized they were on the edge of a cliff,
she didn't remember being there. Misaki went over the edge still in her tank top and shorts, the
air cutting at her body as she fell. The ground started getting closer and closer.
CRUNCH
Misaki shot awake on her couch her hand instinctively going to her hip for her service weapon.
"It was just a dream, a freaky ass dream but still a dream."
She looked at the time and realized work was approaching, although the dream had been better
than an alarm clock she had woken up earlier than normal. She had time to get ready and get a
bite to eat, the water she had put on had evaporated and her electric stove was still on.
Well at least BK-201 couldn't kill me if my stove caught fire!
She smiled to herself as she got her things ready and got in the shower.
Why did he seem to truly think about what I offered him in the alley?
Why does he not act like a normal contractor? Jack Simon, or November 11, whatever his name
is spotted it too. He doesn't make any sense.
She heard her inner "Kanami voice" as she called it speaking from a less logical standpoint.
"Oh please, you just want him to be good enough for you to jump his bones. If he's not a normal
contractor, that means it's more likely, right? I didn't know we were into electrocutions is there
even a fetish for that?"
Misaki scowled at herself and finished up in the shower and headed to work.