A Dangerous Affair

The sky was dark, cloudy, starless, and the office buildings were all brightened up, separated into individual squares of light. We had washed down another anpan with some coffee. I felt my palms sweaty and sticky, and I wondered if I could be as optimistic as the detective next to me, forehead pressed again the car window. Everything was going to be ok. All I needed to do was follow the detective. She had told me the gun was only to be used in an emergency. If that was so, all we had to do was focus on running. Mana shifted in her seat and put her hands on the steering wheel.

The man we had met and spoken to a couple hours back walked out of the building and headed towards the nearest train station. Mana found a parking spot as close to the station as possible, and we exited, running after Tadao who had already climbed up the stairs to the station. Office workers in dress shirts and khakis were all standing about, their phones illuminating the otherwise dimly lit station. Everyone was too similar, and I could not identify him immediately. The roar of the train and thunderous tracks was racing towards the station. It stopped with a shriek before the door opened, and people came out by the masses.

Mana tugged my arm and pointed to a man in the slight distance. We tried to get to him, but the people poured into the train, pushing us with them. She grabbed my arm and pulled me with her as she made her way to the next car where Tadao should be. Mana squished through the many people along with me, still grasping my arm with an iron fist. The door closed, and with a gasp, the train took off, nearly pushing me off my feet if it weren’t for a man behind me. I gave him a quick apology before being pulled away by Mana.

We escaped the packed car and stepped through the gangway into the next car where Tadao was in sight. He stood in front of the train door and was holding a black suitcase, staring out the window, a hand grasped around the handle bar. I heard the sound of thunders in the distance.

After five stations, Tadao got off. Rain poured from the sky, deafening our ears with its impact on the pavement. We followed him from a distance away from the streetlamps hidden in the darkness. He turned on a street, and when we came after him, we were greeted by blue, yellow, red neon lights illuminating an entire street, and we witnessed the advent of a new city in the reflection of the puddles. Music was blaring, our left and right were filled with businesses whose windows shone from activity. The street was crowded with men in suits, some twirling with a necktie around their head, beer in hand.

We could barely see and keep up with Tadao, walking with his arms straight and not even glancing at the displays. He turned on another street, this time much quieter and darker than the last. He stopped in front of a building, a cabaret club. The inside was brightly lit with blue wallpaper and sparkling lights dancing across the interior. There was a black alleyway connecting to the club. Tadao took a deep breath and stepped inside.

“Dammit, we can’t see him from here,” I said, peering into the club from the corner of a window.

“What are you waiting for? Get in there!”

“I’m 18!”

“So? You look pretty old anyways.”

“How rude!” She wasn’t wrong, however. With my white dress shirt and black khakis, I could easily pass for someone older than 20.

I stepped into the club when I noticed Mana wasn’t coming with.

“Are you making me go in there alone?”

“This is a place for guys! I’ll wait out here just in case.” With that, I was forced into the club alone and was greeted by the ladies who took me to a seat deep inside the building. They placed a menu on the table, featuring numerous faces on them. Just then, I heard voices behind my seat.

“Welcome, Koike. We’ve been waiting,” said a man, his voice rough and heavy, and I thought it was familiar somehow.

“Yes sirs, I have brought what you’ve asked,” said Tadao, stammering though his words.

“Good. Put it on the table.”

I heard the suitcase pop open, and the man. The others gave confused grunts.

“What’s this supposed to be, sir? Doesn’t look like much to me,” said one.

Another nodded. “Just a bunch of papers. How’s this supposed to worth anything?”

Their leader slammed his fist on the table, and my heart threatened to lurch out. Everyone look at the table, and he cracked his neck before clearing his throat.

“Excuse these idiots. You’ve done well.”

“And my money, sirs?”

“Oh yes. The money. Men, lead him to the back.”

His men responded with a loud, “Yes sir!” and footsteps retreated deeper into the building.

I stood up and walked around the corner, heading further into the interior. Three men were escorting Tadao out a steel backdoor with a sign on top that read ‘EXIT’ in red. As I approached the exit, I caught a glimpse of the man Tadao had spoken to, his hair gray, a scar running across his left eye, clad in a leather jacket and jeans. I passed his table without paying it any mind, but he interrupted my approach.

“You. What are you doing here?” He said.

I stop in my tracks, keeping my eye on the exit. I swallowed my saliva slowly, hoping he didn’t notice the movement of my Adam’s apple.

“Just going to the bathroom.”

“Don’t play stupid. I know who you are. Your old pal around? He’s better at this than you.”

I turn my head enough to see him in my peripherals but still not facing him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just a guy, enjoying the scenery.”

He scoffed. “Still, if you’re here, I suppose you have some business with the poor wretch.” He took a sip of the alcohol. “Fortunately, I have that taken care of for you.”

The roar of thunder echoed throughout, but there was no mistaking the gunshot outside. Forgetting Ryuji, forgetting the ladies, forgetting my cover, forgetting my past, I slammed my body onto the backdoor and crashed into the dark, rainy alleyway behind the club.

A man was on the ground with two men flanking him, the water diluting the pool of blood pouring from his chest. In the distant darkness, I could only see a stout man cowering behind a girl, her damp, yellow hair barely visible in the dim white light. In her hands was a revolver, smoke rising from the barrel. The two men still had their backs facing me despite my loud entrance into the scene. In my urgency, I failed to see the pistols in the men’s hands as their arms raised, pointed at Mana.

I tackled the right man, pushing him and myself onto the wet pavement. Before he could recover, I slammed my fists into his face. My fists aching and him motionless, I stood up facing the other man. He had already seen me and was shifting his pistol away from Mana to me. I grabbed his hand and pressed a finger against the gun, searching for the release. He pushed me off him and dug the butt of the pistol into my head, and I fell to the ground and looked up to see through the black, hollow barrel.

A gunshot rang out from the other side, the brick wall next to the man punctured. He turned his attention away from me and aimed the pistol at Mana and pulled the trigger, the shell ejecting and rolling near me.

A scream erupted on the other side. The man slowly closed the distance between him and Mana. I rolled onto my abdomen and spotted a pistol from one of the fallen men on the pavement, the pain still sharp in my head. I pushed myself up and still hunched over, picked up the pistol. Back straight, I aimed the pistol at the man’s back and squeezed.

He fell down before the black silhouette on the ground which was much too big to be Mana alone. As I got closer, I saw someone on the ground, a bloody hole on their back staining the bluish shirt they had on red. Mana was over him, wide-eyed, rain streaming down her face, the revolver next to her.

“He jumped in front, I didn’t know what to do,” she said, stammering.

I crouched and heard the rasp breathing of Tadao. He was muttering something under his breathe. I leaned in, my ear close to his lips.

“Please take care of Akiko,” said Tadao. “Please, I’m begging you. I’m so sorry.”

His breathing slowed and fell until he was breathing no longer. His wish lingered and echoed in my ears, and I clutched my chest, knowing full well I could not fulfill it. And even if I did, what could I say to explain his death? There would be nothing but excuses after excuses for my actions.

I heard tires screeching to a halt outside the club. Multiple doors were opened then closed, and footsteps rushed into the club, erupting the cries and screams of the ladies.

“We have to go,” I said to the unmoving Mana, still holding her gaze at the fallen Tadao. I pulled her by the arm, but she remained motionless.

The voices in the club were getting louder.

I grasped her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Don’t let him die for nothing! There’s still something we can do, something only we can do!” I continued, “So please, don’t lose faith!”

Her eyes regained color, and she scrunched up her face, her tears disguised as raindrops. I grabbed her by the arm, pulled her up, and pushed her forward. The revolver came into my view, and I picked it up.

We turned around the alleyway, and behind me, the backdoor crashed open, and voices grow louder.

We escaped the alleyway and turned onto the busy, dazzling district towards the train station. Hiding in the darkness, I looked at our pursuers, their suits black and handguns tucked into their pocket.

The station was in sight, and we climbed the stairs. Our pursuers had spotted us, pointing and shouting at the others our location. Their shouts were deafened by the roar of the approaching train. It’s doors gasped opened, and we threw ourselves in. The men were running up the stairs, their feet clanging the metal steps beneath them. One man reached the platform and looked at me standing in the doorway of the train.

He pointed at me, shouted, “There he is!”

The rest ran up from behind him and charged the door. The train gasped once more, and the door closed, the men charging headfirst into the steel. They fell to the ground as the train started to move and speeded through the railway.

I went to Mana who was sitting on a bench and slumped down next to her, fatigue assaulting my body. She was still looking at her feet. I scanned our surroundings, searching for anyone who might’ve made it in. It was empty, and the only thing that came nearest to being a bother was the bright fluorescent light.

“I couldn’t save him,” said Mana. “The gun—it was—I couldn’t—.”

She choked on her breath, said, “I nearly got you killed too.”

There wasn’t anything I could say or do to make her feel less worse. The only thing we could do now was return to the car and drive to the office. It was then a terrible realization crossed my mind. The office might not have been a safe spot. I had no doubt that our earlier pursuers were after me and only me. The question was who called them in? Was it Ryuji? But he spoke to me normally unless he was pretending. Even then, he didn’t know where the office is. The only other person who knew where I might’ve been hiding was Kamiko. It’s entirely possible that she was behind all of this. What do I do? Should we even head to the office? My head ached from my earlier wound, and I could not continue to think.

The train eventually stopped, and we got off. Our car was right where we left it. As Mana drove, I told her my thoughts on the safety of the office.

“I know, but I want to check it out anyways.”

As we neared the office, Mana stopped the car. She drove slowly this time, so her lack of driving skills was less apparent.

“We’ll be less likely to get seen if we go by foot.”

There were multiple cars parked outside the office whose lights were turned on. Men in black suits like our earlier pursuers were walking in and out of the building.

“Did you find them?”

“No. They might not have made it back yet, so keep an eye out.”

“The madam isn’t going to be happy about this.”

“Yeah. Still, got to wonder what a guy has to do to be worth that much.”

“None of our business. Keep looking.”

We distanced ourselves away from the office. My concern for a certain secretary receptionist raised.

“Where’s Kido? Is she ok?” I said.

“Natsumi’s fine. She knows how to handle herself.”

“I could call her.”

“Don’t bother. She doesn’t have a phone.”

We reentered the car and drove away from the building, from the safehouse I had been using these past weeks, from the office Mana must’ve treasured so much. We’ll be back, I swore.

“Where to now?” I said.

“There’s a private hotel in the area we can stay tonight. I got a contact I’ll call in the morning.”

She drove us to the hotel, decently sized and inconspicuous. From her pockets, she took out countless cash and gave it to the front desk, renting the suite on the top floor.

“Are you sure?”

“It’s fine. It’s not my money anyways.”

We were given the key to the suite on the top floor which we ascended to using the elevator. Our room was large with two beds, a couch, a large table with a TV on it, and balcony with spacious view of the area. From up here, you could see the office and elevated railway wiggling through the city.

“Good, this view will help a lot,” said Mana, holding the hotel-supplied binoculars. She looked through the lenses and pointed at a spot near our office.

“Looks like they’re leaving. We’ll probably be safe for tonight.”

I felt my pants sag and reached behind my back to feel the revolver. I took it out and presented it to Mana.

“You dropped this,” I said. She eyed the gun and took a step back.

“Keep it. You know how to use it better than me.”

“About that I—.” She raised a hand.

“I’m not in a rush to hear it. For now, we have something more important to worry about.”

She took a seat on the couch, and I did the same, placing the revolver on the table.

“We can both agree that Kamiko set us up, right?” said Mana.

“Yeah. She wanted us to disturb the deal between Koike and another gang, so she could simply swoop in, take the contraband and money, and leave. As for the reason, it was probably to prevent a war between her and the other two.”

“That’s right. If the contraband and money were to go missing, everyone would just think the police took it.”

“That’s why she hired us instead of tipping off the police. They would just lock up the contraband.”

“Though it looks like she didn’t expect for them to turn on each other. She got the contraband but didn’t get the money. As a result, she tried to get the money another way.” I averted my gaze from her.

“You think the third gang is important?” I said.

“The one that got betrayed? Probably not. They’re considerably weak now without the contraband or the money.”

“Desperate people do desperate things.”

“Well, we won’t know until they move.”

“And Kido? Think she’s ok?”

“She’s fine. It looks like they didn’t find her.”

“Know where she could’ve gone?”

“Honestly? I don’t know.”

A worst case scenario crossed my mind.

“What if she’s working for Kamiko?”

“I don’t blame you for think that, but she isn’t. Trust me.”

Mana rubbed her temples.

“It’s late. I’m going to sleep. We’ll continue this tomorrow.” She stood up and went to her bed, hands on the mattress at its side preparing to pull herself up.

“How you holding up?”

She paused, and without looking at me, said, “I’m fine. I’ll be better once this is all over.”

I nodded. I turned off the lights, and we climbed into our own beds, eyes shut. I stared at the blackness of my eyelids for a few hours before opening them. I quietly climbed out of bed. I thought about taking the revolver, but she would need it more than me. The danger I posed to her was too great, and I feared that even if I was gone, they would come after her anyways. But with us separated, I hoped they would ignore her. I approached the door, and with a hand on the knob, twisted.

“It looks like I was wrong about you being in debt.”

I spun around, and there was Mana, arms crossed. She didn’t look particularly annoyed or angry. With nowhere left to run, I had no choice but to face my past.