Lima Romeo Hotel

Yoriyoshi drove Kimiko's Honda N-Box north on Route 6 as they entered Taito City with Kyoko and Kimiko in the passenger seats. Kimiko was slightly miffed that someone else was driving her car, but Yoriyoshi has insisted; it was the price of admission. When Kimiko had brought Kyosuke's instructions to him, Yoriyoshi's expression shifted briefly before he led the girls out of the shop.

"So, what is Rima Romio Hoteru?" Kimiko asked.

"Code phrase we worked out for a bug-out place, in case things ever went bad," Yoriyoshi explained. "When you've worked as a professional long enough, a backup plan's always a good idea."

"Right... every professional noodle chef needs a backup plan whenever gang members start attacking them," Kimiko sarcastically retorted.

"Look... I don't know much about gangs or violence, but we're in a car now," Kyoko pointed out. "Couldn't we just drive straight to Minato? Even if you do think some of the police are unreliable, my father's security will..."

"You mean like your head of security?" Kimiko pointed out. "The one who literally just walked in with some gang members all ready to bring you straight to one of the rival syndicate leaders?" The realization made Kyoko blush with embarrassment.

"She's right kid," Yoriyoshi reluctantly pointed out. "Under normal circumstances, sure, taking you home would be the easiest way, but if your dad's security leader's in on this whole mess, then there's no telling how many others he's got working with him. Not saying all of them are bad, but there's a good chance he would have brought at least a couple others with him to ensure his chance of success."

"So... you're taking us to Kyosuke's secret hideout? What about him?" Kyoko asked.

"He'll join us soon," Yoriyoshi assured. "Right now, he's buying us time keeping the gang covered, at least until their reinforcements arrive, but if I know him... he's already working out his exfil strategy, even as we speak..." 

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Akito Yamamoto's mind went through multiple scenarios as the standoff continued for seconds. He had no idea what Kyosuke meant by that cryptic phrase, but even he could assume it meant some kind of backup plan. The man was former military, after all, he recalled. People like that tended to be highly organized and rarely caught off guard. Still, he had a job to do; "Go after them," he ordered the gang members.

"Take a step, and I'll put a round through your kneecaps," Kyosuke warned. "If you're lucky, the ambulances will be here before you bleed out, and you'll just be limping for the rest of your lives."

"He's bluffing," Akito blustered. "He fires those shots, and the police will surround this place in minutes."

So much for the doing things the easy way... Kyosuke thought to himself as the two gang members advanced on him. The first man took a swing with his knife, which Kyosuke side-stepped and followed up with a throat strike with the butt of the pistol, dropping the man to the floor. The second man tried a vertical strike, which Kyosuke stepped backwards slightly, allowing the knife to hit one of the restaurant table. Once the momentum of the swing was spent, he knocked the knife out of his hand before flipping him to the ground.

Kyosuke then looked up and got ready for the next fight, only to see no one else in the room. Figures... part of him wanted to deride Akito's withdrawal as being cowardly, but the soldier in him knew it was the strategically smart thing. More of Tanaka's men would be here in minutes and nothing else would be served getting dogpiled and beaten to an inch of his life by sheer numbers. It was time to leave.

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The gang members had gotten off the Yoyogi-Uehara Station and made their way towards the Hana noodle shop in groups. Per the General's orders, they made their way with the minimum trouble and disturbance possible until they got close to their target. As they got within a block, they saw Akito Yamamoto exiting the building.

"He's inside," Akito snapped. "Go in and get him."

The lead gang member glared at Akito. "Where's the girl?"

"Sakurai-san decided to play 'white knight'," Akito spat.

The leader snorted derisively. "Too cowardly to take care of him yourself?"

"The targets are already in the wind," Akito equivocated. "The more you argue with me, the further away they'll be." 

The gang leader snorted and shook his head before gathering his forces. He waited until a group of ten had arrived, then entered the empty restaurant. He immediately spotted his fellow gang members sprawled out on the floor, seriously injured but alive. He shook his head with contempt, then gestured his team to pick them up to have them dragged away for medical assistance. He turned to Akito. "Did you see which way they went?" 

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The San'ya district north of Asakusa had several very seedy and gritty locations, mostly cheap, cramped housing, with a history as a hub for day laborers. Kyoko looked out of the car windows with undisguised wonder and curiosity while Kimiko regarded her with amusement; it's a slum, Princess. I guess you don't get to see that very much from your luxury glass towers in Minato City. 

"OK, we're getting close," Yoriyoshi announced. He pulled the car into a parking lot and helped the ladies out and got his bearings. Walking a few blocks, he maintained a protective eye of his surroundings and the girls until they reached an apartment building. It was in stark contrast to the glass and steel tower of opulence that the Ikemotos lived in, resembling more of a set of egg carton type exteriors with tan walls and stairwells. Climbing up four flights, he reached a particular door, unlocked it, and let the ladies in.

"Go ahead and catch your breath," Yoriyoshi offered. "We should be safe enough, at least for the time being."

Kimiko looked around. The apartment was tiny but reasonably tidy. The furniture was minimal, and it was clear no one really lived here, but obviously someone had set this place up for a purpose. "What is this, your secret place for hiding the bodies?"

Yoriyoshi looked at Kimiko drolly, "Yeah, that's right... this is where we chop up our kills and sell inexpensive animal feed for money..." Noting Kyoko's fearful expression. "Um... th-that was just a joke young Lady..." He continued. "Anyway, we set this place up in case we ever needed to go off the grid, at least for a little while, or if we needed to make a break for it." He went to the tiny kitchenette and opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of older model phones. "Burners; never been used. They should be completely safe. Once Kyosuke gets here, we'll use these to contact your dad, and only your dad, and get you returned in a place where there's no way any of the syndicates can possibly touch you or stop us from making the exchange."