Part 60- A Death in Okinawa

 

I was a little surprised, wondering who Seta was first off and that he died and that this would be a problem for Jia. Jia was immediately pissed. He got up from his desk as he took out his cell phone, calling Tai and Aya right away. I followed them as Nishiki said,

"I just found out this afternoon."

"How'd he die?"

"Murdered. They stormed into a restaurant, found him, shot him in the face."

Jia shook his head as he said,

"He was a good man. Who did it?"

"Don't know yet. Seta's people are still reeling from his sudden death so they can't provide anything major. Plus, the people who were posing as Seta's guards were killed as well."

"Fuck..."

Once Tai and Aya showed up on Jia's floor, Jia let them know what happened.

"Seta's dead. He was killed and information was only passed down to us this afternoon."

I looked over at Aya who seemed the most stunned as he said,

"He was killed?"

"Hai. We need to do something about this now. Tai..."

"I'm on it. What about the people who saw it?"

"Not happening. Whoever killed Seta, killed his guards as well."

Tai shook his head as he said,

"I'll have to head to Okinawa."

"So will I. This is going to be a problem. Aya, you'll come with us. I need Toki around here now and also Aka-chan, you're with us on this one."

I nodded as I called Toki upstairs. I filled him in on the information once he got there, telling him about Seta's death and plans for Okinawa. He cursed as he said,

"Li, we just got back from Kyoto man."

"It's not my fault Seta was killed so soon Toki. We're going to Okinawa."

Toki stuck his tongue out the side of his mouth in a very juvenile way as he looked up and said,

"Okay fine. The things I have to do. I just unpacked everything too."

Jia rolled his eyes as he continued talking to Nishiki and Tai, trying to see what was going on. I meanwhile lingered around with Aya as Aya looked a little sad. I had never seen him so sad before and I wondered why.

"Aya....daijoubu deska?"

He looked over at me as he nodded slightly and said,

"Just a little stunned about Seta."

"Did you know him?"

"Hai. I use to work for him before I worked for Jia. In Okinawa. He was very much like a father figure to me."

"Oh...I'm sorry about all this then."

He shook his head as he said,

"It was bound to happen sooner or later. Seta even told me so himself. He knew his end would never be a natural end."

"Oh..."

Aya took a deep breath as he said,

"I better get to work. We have to travel to Okinawa soon."

He stood up from the couch in Jia's office as he excused himself. I then said,

"Jia, should I do something?"

Jia nodded, lighting a cigarette as he said,

"Find out what time a train to Okinawa leaves tonight and when the last ferry is. We'll leave tonight if possible."

"Aish...tonight Li?" said Toki.

Jia nodded as Tai said,

"Tonight would be better then tomorrow."

Toki sighed as I went to check the times.

As I did that, Jia worked out the final details with Nishiki about him taking care of things while he was Okinawa since Tai was coming with him. Aya would be accompanying us because Aya knew Okinawa better then anyone else and I would be standing in as a second guard. That night after figuring out what time everything was, Jia packed us up and we were on our way to Okinawa. On the train, I was falling asleep, so I lit a cigarette to keep myself away. I needed the nicotine anyway. Once I lit up however, I saw Toki was putting his lighter away as Jia leaned back in his seat already smoking. I noticed Tai and Aya where the only ones not smoking, though I know Aya did on occasion. I leaned back in the seat and smoked for a while, thinking about going partnerless on this one. I missed Akio all the sudden, but then I thought it best if I actually got some time away from him. Not that I was mad at him, but I could use the time away just to stay like I was in Hong Kong a while back.

We arrived in Okinawa some time later. After a four, almost five hour train ride and then a half hour, almost an hour ferry ride to Okinawa, I was tired. But Jia wasn't. He was fine, wide awake. So was Tai and Toki. Aya looked a little tired, but nothing less graceful then usual. Jia then hailed a cab as he said,

"To Okinawa Onnason Beach."

The driver looked at us as he said,

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. Just drive."

The cab pulled out and took us to Okinawa Onnason Beach. Once there, we were taken to our hotel for the night since it was almost three in the morning. Finally in front of the Renaissance Resort Okinawa, we were dropped off. We checked in and I went to bed right away. Aya was my roommate for this one and I got a chance to watch him sleep. He was very beautiful even in sleep. I admired him for a little while though I should have slept myself since I had the chance to and Jia was kind enough to wait until the next day to start business. But I couldn't. I found myself awake, watching Aya. I sat on my bed, slouching slightly as Aya slept on his side, his caramel colored hair tucked behind his ear, his slender hand resting near his face, the white of his shirt surrounding his wrist as he laid there, on top of the covers rather then under since he was still dressed. He had just come in the room and fell asleep. He must have been more tired then he looked. Anyway, I did eventually go to sleep, but only after admiring Aya for almost forty-five minutes.

The next morning, it was time to work. Aya led the way since Jia didn't know Okinawa inside and out like Aya did. From what I know, Aya use to live here, even for sometime after he retired from Seta's syndicate. We went to the center of Okinawa where some of Seta's associates were there. They explained what they knew. The one who seemed to be in charge, Suzuka told us what he knew.

"About two days, Seta along with some of his guards went to have dinner. Seta's syndicate has been quiet with the years Jia. Shido from Yokohama had paid Seta a visit some years ago but only to tie things up with the arrangement of Yokohama to him. Seta told me he had planned to give that and Okinawa to you."

"Hai, Seta and I had made that deal some years ago when we first met."

Suzuka nodded as he said,

"Well, Seta is a man of his word. When Shido died and passed on his power to Seta, Seta was arranging to contact you again."

"He told me that when we saw each other recently."

"He was in the final stages of finishing everything to add it to the empire of the 36 Moons when he went to dinner. There, he was killed and anyone who could have said anything about those that killed him where killed as well. Guards and even the waitress who was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Jia shook his head as he said,

"And the papers, everything that stated that Okinawa and Yokohama would be mine?"

"Gone. Once everyone received word of Seta's death, we found out that Seta's home, where he kept everything because he thought his office might be too obvious, was ransacked, everything torn apart. They found a key to his safe deposit box and emptied that out. All he had in there were papers that proved you could now own Okinawa and Yokohama."

"Without that, I have to fight for the land."

Suzuka nodded as he said,

"Some papers were still here, such as properties to clubs, buildings, restaurants, those are yours. But major business such as this building, other buildings Seta owned, those are gone."

Jia nodded as he said,

"Fuck papers. I still own Japan and if I gotta snatch it back from whoever these motherfuckers think they are, then I will."

Suzuka nodded as he said,

"You have our cooperation Jia. Seta was a good man who didn't deserve to die the way he did."

Jia nodded as we all sat down and began working out the details. With phone calls back and forth to Nishiki and to the 36 Moons in Tokyo, we all worked. I was never on the phone so much, trying to figure out what was going and if anything had been heard in Tokyo. More phone calls from around Japan were coming back into Okinawa as to information wise to see if anything was going on from there. But without those guards that were now dead, it was hard to find out who these people were. Jia was growing frustrated by the minute. We spent hours trying to find out anything and Suzuka sent out the remainder of Seta's people out into the city to find out anything they could once it was night fall. Eventually, Jia called a break and we went to eat.

Having dinner was quiet. Jia didn't eat again, only settled down in having a drink as he rubbed the side of his nose. I noticed he does that a lot when he's stressed. Anyway he had a cigarette a little later as Toki took a sip of his drink and said,

"Hey, why don't you call the Black Hand for help."

"Because this is a Tokyo matter. Not a Hong Kong one."

"They could be of some use. Come on Li, making your fuckin marriage work to some fuckin benefit."

Jia glared at him as he said,

"Don't say that to me ever again."

Toki looked at him as he then smirked and mouthed the words I love you. Jia sighed as he rubbed the side of his nose again and said,

"My face hurts."

Tai looked over at him from his dinner as he said,

"Maybe you should get some rest Jia. This is the first break you cut yourself all day."

Jia shook his head as he said,

"No, I gotta keep going. I can't just sit here and worry about rest when a friend of mine was just killed."

Tai then sighed as he said,

"You should at least eat something."

Jia shook his head as he kept rubbing the side of his nose and said,

"Not hungry."

Tai left him alone after that but I was a little worried. Jia never ate and he was in pain now and stressed out. After we ate, Jia paid as we started heading back to Seta's building to go to work again.

Near three in the morning again as Jia and Suzuka talked about other possibilities, Jia's cell phone rang. Jia answered as he leaned back in his chair, Toki sitting on the floor beside him since Tai was in the other empty chair beside Jia as Suzuka sat on the other side of the desk. Aya and myself were standing near the desk, but everyone had some space since we all needed to use our phones. Jia rubbed the side of his nose again as he answered his phone, speaking to whoever for a little while as his hand suddenly dropped from his face as he said,

"No...you're kidding me."

Toki looked up at him as Tai and Suzuka started paying attention to him as well. Jia then nodded as he said,

"Okay...I'll be there soon."

He hung up as Jia stood up and said,

"We have to go."

Suzuka looked at him as he said,

"Did you find something out?"

"Hai, it turns out I'm having problems in New York as well, so I have to go there. Tsubasa, oyabun of the Yami there and also my associate has let me know of recent troubles going on now. So I have to go."

Suzuka nodded as we all started getting up and said,

"You think it was a possibility that those in America could have done this?"

"Possibly. I make enemies wherever I go."

Suzuka nodded again as he bowed his head to Jia and said,

"If you need anything please, call us."

Jia nodded as he said,

"I will. Thank you."

We all the got up, thanking Suzuka as we left. We had to head over to New York now...the problem was getting larger and larger by the minute.

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Definitions

Daijoubu deska- Are you okay

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