Prologue

My name is Kei Satou. I am a 26-year-old cop. I’m hiding behind a dumpster right now, waiting for backup. What am I doing hiding behind a dumpster you ask? Well, I’ve been asking myself the same thing. The thing is that I’ve been assigned to hold an undercover investigation on a gang and well… I think I might have been found out! Carefully clutching my company assigned pistol I looked out from behind the dumpster only to be spotted by a thug. Crap! What was I thinking! Well, never mind that, I’ve got to get out of here. They shouldn’t find out that I’m a cop. This particular gang is infamous for its ability to dodge the police. They’ve been elusive for so many years and we’ve finally got a lead on them. If they figure out that their hideout has been discovered, they might jump ship and escape with all evidence of their wrongdoings. So it was best to be made out as a member of a rival gang than having my true identity found out.

"Oye! Who’s that?? Is that you Sabo?”

The thug yelled in a voice so shrill I wondered if he worked part-time at some discount sale supermarket.

Well, whoever this Sabo guy is, I'm sure I don’t look or sound anything like him.

Best to keep my mouth shut.

I stood up. If anything I can at least use the ‘I’m lost’ trick.

"Oh, you a new hire?”

Asked the thug.

Oooh, now this was better. I quickly nodded.

"My name is Satoshi. Please take care of me! I hope to learn everything sincerely.”

I gave a fake name and buttered up the thug.

"Ehh...It’s fine. Enough with the formalities. Did you meet the boss already?”

"Uhh… Not yet?”

Well, it was technically the truth. I had yet to meet the boss of this infamous gang. My plan at this point was to go along with the flow and get as much info as possible and get out of here asap.

Well, backup was on its way so I might meet some familiar faces as I leave.

After putting the gun back without being noticed, I followed the thug.

We walked into an open street.

Doesn’t this guy have any worries about being spotted?

Well, I guess this entire area is their turf so they don’t have to worry…

The thug introduced himself and started to talk about their new operations.

Yes! Waiting behind that dumpster was worth it! It was all for this moment.

Maybe I shouldn’t have been that nervous, I thought while sighing.

I started to take mental notes of all the places and assignments the thug was talking about. Now all I had to do was waste some time and then get out of here as soon as backup arrives.

Well, as you might know, things don’t always go as planned.

And this time was no exception. I can’t say that this was the most dangerous mission I’ve been on. Well, this was just about getting some information after all.

But the most important thing was that this time I was alone. In all those previous instances, I had my squad backing me up, but this time I wasn’t with them, and if I was spotted then it's game over. As I was wondering why I hadn’t seen another gang member, I heard someone call to us from the other side of the road. Ah great! I thought. Talk about a coincidence!

We crossed the street and went over to him. The two of them started to talk.

There were a few pedestrians. Weren’t they worried that they would be overheard? Well, whatever… to each their own.

And then, my temporary peace had been shattered. What I had been dreading about finally occurred.

The other guy asked our thug who I was. And the thug looked back at him in surprise.

"Wait a minute, weren’t you the one who recruited him?”, He asked.

"Eh? Never seen this guy before.”, he replied.

The both of them turned to look at me.

Realizing that my game was up, I instinctively moved my hand to my gun.

Seeing this sudden movement from my behalf, they must have figured out that I was either a cop or a rival gang member.

They instinctively stepped back and the guy who called us over suddenly grabbed onto a pedestrian walking on the street.

Crap! Why did I have to go and get a civilian involved!

The gang member took a gun out and held it against the pedestrian’s head.

"Take your weapon out!.. And put it down on the ground!!”, he shouted.

The woman being held hostage looked like a rabbit caught in the clutches of some wild beast about to devour it. She was shivering with fear and let out a small whimper.

It took me a moment to get adjusted to this sudden development.

After collecting my thoughts, I did as they asked and took my gun out and put it on the ground.

Damn it! This is bad… If I didn’t do anything…

"Who are you?? Who’s your boss?”, the thug asked me as he clenched his fists.

"Now kick the gun towards him!”, shouted the gang member as he poked his pistol on the woman’s temples.

I kicked the gun over to the thug, who immediately bent down and picked it up.

At that instant, I could see the cop cars in disguise pulling up towards us.

Backup was here.

The gang member holding the hostage turned to look back at the cars pulling up and for an instant took his eyes off me.

I don’t remember what my exact thoughts were at that instant, but I remember taking a deep breath and running towards him.

I lunged at him with all my strength, pushing the woman out of the way and pinning him down and I was wrestling the gun away from him when I heard the gunshot.

It had come from the side.

I could see the cops rushing out of their cars and holding down the thug who had fired the gun.

It took some time for me to start feeling the pain. The woman who was held hostage started to scream. All the cops were rushing to me after apprehending the thug. I realized. I had been shot. With my own gun nonetheless.

Hah! I thought, Kei Satou, killed in action with his own gun. For some reason, I felt that that was the funniest thing I had ever heard. I might have even been smiling! I put my hand against my chest and I could feel the blood seeping onto my palms. It felt really cold. Hey, I thought, at least I had managed to save her.

I saw someone holding me, they were looking at me and yelling something.

"…It’ll be okay Kei!! Hang in there!”.

Oh! Isn’t this Nakamura from my squad? Guess I couldn’t recognize him.

Well, everything was fading away anyway. I felt sleepy and my eyes were closing.

"Stay awake Kei!”, I could hear many of them say that. I also saw someone talking into their phone with frantic hand gestures. Guess they were calling an ambulance. I felt really sleepy. I was so tired and cold.

I decided to close my eyes.