PREYS
by Kamorgana
Preys
Chapter 13: Interlude
(Sunday morning)
As usual on his days off's mornings, Saitoh was on his couch, watching
the news
channel, sipping some black coffee and smoking. He was reading a
detective novel at the
same time. He already knew who was the killer?c.if these authors were
the criminals,
his job would be boring to death.
Annoyance spread through his mind as he remembered his meeting with his
contact the
previous day. Not that he expected more than he had before about
Shishio's background,
but he was hoping that the moron could at least give him something
about Komagata.
The face on the screen caught his attention.
"We will catch him, and very soon. The Slayer won't make another
victim."
"Do you have new elements?"
Smiling, but noncommittal face. "I can't comment on this. Thank you
very much"
Another face on the screen. "And this is how the chief of the Violent
Crimes Section..."
Saitoh cut the TV and tossed the remote away. He felt restless. He
barely managed to
take the damn woman out of his mind; he didn't need to see her on TV.
What was he, a
teenager, unable to control his hormones? If he had energy to spare, he
could go to train
at the gym, and if his brain had to work, it'd better be on the ways to
catch Shishio,
rather than creating fantasies about her. If he hadn't been so obsessed
with her in the
first place, he would have figured out the modus operandi before. He
had made a
mistake. He had let her distract him, and that wouldn't happen again.
Okita would
tease him endlessly if he knew?c.He pinched his lips and drank his
coffee, watching his
cigarette consuming in the ashtray, the volutes of smoke stretching in
long curls.
Okita wasn't there anymore. Probably why he was in that mess in the
first place.
***
Tokio rolled in her bed. She had slept for more than twelve hours and
still felt tired. If
she could call that "sleeping". Between her nightmares about Seta and
her... dreams
about Saitoh, she had woken up at least ten times, her heart pounding
like drums.
She flattered herself to be in control, to be sensible. Her recent
behavior could only be
described as immature and foolish. You don't sleep with someone who is
under your
authority. And with Saitoh, of all people. Temporary insanity. She had
been tired and
shocked and sad and too exhausted to fight her physical attraction to
him. She had had
enough of trying to be perfect. There were explanations to her one time
weakness. Not
to thinking about it again. Not to have been as disappointed as she had
been relieved,
last night, after she left the office.
HE had obviously moved on. When she had that conversation with Aoshi
and him
yesterday afternoon, he had been distant and cold, but not overly
hostile like he had
been recently. No taunts, no spite. The game was over, luckily enough.
Whatever she
lost. Peace of mind was more important now than pride, she should stop
being stupid,
and erase the memories.
She sighed deeply.
If only she could talk about it with someone. She couldn't with Aoshi,
she was afraid of
what he could conclude. She couldn't with Meg, who was so judgmental,
and it was
worse lately. She thought Tokio and Hiko were together again and had
lectured her on
the phone the night before. They had ended up arguing, Tokio finishing
to tell her to get
a life. She sighed again. This had been so cruel. She should call to
apologize. Later.
The only one she felt like talking to was Okita. He was supportive,
speaking his mind
frankly, but knowing when to shut up too. But Okita wasn't there
anymore...
***
(Sunday afternoon.)
"Apologize," advised Tsunan.
They were on the beach, sitting near the water. Enishi was wearing only
his jeans, cut
just below the knee, displaying the tanned skin of his muscular chest,
his friend had an
opened white shirt and his jeans were cut at mid-thigh. They were
ignoring the women
looking at them. Sano hadn't: he was drinking beer few meters away with
three fake
blondes in miniature bikinis, who were squealing and laughing loudly at
his every word.
" I won't apologize for being sensible."
"You're not sensible as far as Kaoru is concerned." Tsunan offered him
a cigarette, and
they both began to smoke.
"She was right to talk to Takagi?"
"No. But you were wrong to let it get personal."
"I hate this guy." Enishi's voice had that peculiar childish undertone,
and his friend
stared at him, a bit worried. Enishi was able to beat the poor guy into
a pulp if he got in
one of his terrible rages.
"Nobody likes his exes' new boyfriend. And I agree with you, I really
don't get what she
sees in him..."
"Misao likes him too. She told me that yesterday."
"She thinks he's a nice guy. That's a first class burial. She would
never date a guy like
this. I can't believe that she actually said something nice about him
to YOU, she
should..."
Enishi grinned. "She told me she liked him, but that I was, and this is
a quote, a million
times better and that Kaoru would come back to her senses, or would
regret it forever...
you know Misao's way."
They shared a knowing glance. Misao was definitively the most loyal and
partial person
ever when it came to her friends. Tsunan could imagine her cheering up
Enishi,
sounding like he was a crossover between Superman and Prince Charming.
"Good for your ego, isn't it?"
"Better than the way Kaoru treated me."
"Hey, I understand. But if you want her to stay out of your business,
you should stay out
of hers, including her choice of boyfriend. Unless you still want her
back, in case you
should start with apo..."
Enishi shrugged. "I will stay out of her business. Now it's really
over anyway."
"So why can't we go to Kamiya's anymore? Yesterday night was so boring
at that other
bar. Behave like an adult, and deal with it! And let's go there again."
"Oh,oh... Somebody is missing, which one... Tae or Sae? Or both?"
Tsunan grumped at his friend ironical grin. If he was teasing, he
wasn't in such a bad
shape...
"We should bother about what they are hiding from us, more than my
privacy, anyway,"
Enishi went on, replacing his eternal sunglasses on his nose.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean Saitoh and Shinomori's private discussion in Takagi's office
yesterday
afternoon."
"Enishi, you're so paranoid. She had a private talk with each team."
"She was annoyed by what they said. She hid it well, but not enough."
"I didn't notice anything," objected Tsunan.
"You don't know her as much as I do."
Tsunan was not very comfortable with Enishi's last comment. He
dismissed the thought
as Sano called them. It was their day off. He'd have plenty of time to
worry later.
***
Opening the door of his apartment to go out, Aoshi came nose to nose
with a fuming
Megumi. Sighing, he let her in.
"You have to do something. She's becoming a real bitch!!!"
He closed the door, sighed once more, and took off his jacket, hanging
it properly. He
made some green tea, wondering if he should slip some anti-depressors
in hers. He had
known for a few weeks that he had to talk to Meg, but the last events
had just made it
more necessary, and she wasn't going to like that.
"After what she went through with him, she should think twice
before..."
He gave her a cup, and sat on the other side of the coffee table. She
had dropped her
shoes in the entrance, not lining them. The view offended his sight,
but in her state, he
should just be happy that she didn't walk on the tatami with them.
"Can you explain clearly?"
"She wasn't home all night on Friday. I tried to call her several
times, and she didn't
even answer her cell phone. I confronted that bastard Hiko on Saturday
morning, and
he didn't deny that she was with him. And when I tried to put some
sense into her, she
told me to get a life and hanged off on me!!! I can't be..."
"You're hysterical."
His voice was calm, absolutely detached, as always when he was emitting
a professional
diagnosis. She went red, about to explode, but he didn't change his
expression, and she
dropped her head and shoulders, surrendering. She knew her intimidation
methods
didn't work on him.
"Your recent behavior with Tokio is off limits. I don't remember her
allowing us to
comment on her private life, less interfering in it."
"But she can't go back with him! After what he did..."
"I don't remember either that he did anything deserving to be called a
bastard. Tokio
and him are still friends, ending their relation was her decision."
"Because that little brat made her life miserable." Megumi was
clenching her fists,
abnormally nervous again.
"Go on like this and I drag you into psychiatry. Nothing she ever
talked about took these
proportions. And if it can make you feel better, she wasn't at Hiko's
on Friday."
He had his idea about where she was, and felt that little satisfaction
he always
experienced when his guesses on people's body language and behavior
turned out right.
"Who is it?" she snarled.
"You talk like a jealous lover."
For once she was taken aback, mouth opened, eyes widened, brows high on
her
forehead.
"Are... you... mad...?" she finally hissed.
"Listen to yourself."
"I am NOT..."
"I know. But you depend on her. You can call her anytime, she will be
there, listening to
you, comforting you...If she had a real relationship, you couldn't do
that, there would be
somebody else she had to be available for. You're afraid of loosing
her."
She shook her head.
"You've never been aggressive towards Hiko before. You're afraid that
they mend
things." And there was somebody else she had been overly aggressive
with, lately,
though she didn't realize why. Jealousy was a fascinating phenomena,
blinding and
sharpening unconsciously deduction abilities at the same time.
She was mute. Good, he could go to the point now that he had her full
attention.
"Megumi, I told you then and I tell you now. You ended your therapy
much too early. You
can decide to shut yourself away from life, but you can't demand that
from her or
anybody else, just in order not to be alone. Tokio told it too
crudely," he went on, "but
that's what she meant too."
"You tell me that I'm a selfish bitch."
At least she had calmed down.
"I tell you that you have a problem. The late events are getting on
everybody's
nerves..."
"Not on yours..."she cut off, bitterly.
He sighed. "Call your therapist. Friends can't be a substitute for
treatment."
Resignation began to spread in her eyes, and he went on trying to
convince her, with
some success. He felt relieved when her phone rang, knowing it was
Tokio. Perfect, he
had other plans today than nursing Meg. He had an important request to
make.
***
(Sunday evening.)
"Aoshi-san!" Surprised at seeing him on her doorstep, Misao dropped the
teddy bears
she was holding.
He picked them up and held them to her. She blushed, and stuttered:
"It, it's not
mine..."
"Misao!!!! We're ready to sleep!"
"We want the presents!"
Girlie, small voices. Kids.
"I'm interrupting. I wanted to talk to you, but..."
"Oh, it's fine. Come in. Please take a seat, I'm back in a few
minutes."
She disappeared in the bedroom, and he observed the main one. He never
saw such a
mess, but strangely this room had something appealing. Warm colors,
green plants,
thick yellow carpet and comfortable, old armchairs?c.the smell of
lasagna was lingering
in the kitchen corner, mixing with the odor of green apple shampoo for
kids coming from
the opened bathroom. It wasn't unpleasant.
Squeals and giggles coming from the bedroom.
She came out a while after, a happy smile on her face. "Do you want a
drink? I have
green tea."
"Yes, thank you."
She put a cup in front of it, and opened a beer can, collapsing in
another armchair. "So,
why did you come?" Her smile vanished suddenly. "Is there something
wrong?"
"Not at all. I wanted to ask about Yukishiro, but as he's always with
you, I couldn't
during work hours. He was in a low mood, yesterday. Did he talk to
you?"
"Oh..."she sounded relieved. "Yes, I know what he has. But it's
private...it has nothing
to do with the case."
She was smiling again, still her gaze made it clear that she had no
intention to tell him
more. He looked intently at her. He didn't misjudge her: loyalty was a
strong part of her
temper. He could go to the real point of his visit, but first...
"Takagi-san explained me why she wanted me to work with Enishi. To
support him. Not
to spy on him. He's my partner," she stressed.
"Can you handle him?"
"Yes, I can." She spoke dryly, hostility flicking in her blue eyes.
"I'm not doubting about your abilities, Misao-san. Yukishiro can have a
very difficult
temper, and unexpected reactions. I just wanted you to know that if it
becomes a burden,
you have people ready to listen to you."
"Thank you." Her mood had changed once more; she was gazing at him
warmly. Now
was the moment.
"I wanted to talk about the case, too. There's something I need your
help for. You can
refuse, and if you do I'd like you to forget about this conversation."
She laughed. "Is it illegal?"
"Yes. I saw your confidential record. I'd like to use your special
talents."
She went pale. "Why?"
"I need Shishio's record from the military."
"It's already in the files."
She assumed that the swift bemused flick in his eyes was his way of
smiling.
"It's the official one. The Defense Agency has been very embarrassed
when the Slayer
turned out to be Shishio. They wanted this case to be buried as much as
Kawaji. I
wanted to know the whole truth, about his motives. Moreover I was sure
that this wave
of crimes was not the first time he killed. It was way too elaborated.
They refused to
give anything, and I was officially forbidden to study him more, or to
keep on
interrogating Seta after he was convicted, and the case completely
closed in spite of
several unanswered questions."
She swallowed another sip of beer. "But now..."
"Yes, now it's different. That's why the facility's direction let us
see Seta. It won't make
the Defense Agency more helpful, though. They denied again yesterday
the existence of
another record. They even refuse, until they have no proof, to believe
that Shishio is
alive."
"Maybe there's no other record."
"Saitoh and I are convinced of the contrary. When Shishio was his first
suspect, years
ago, he traced to and interrogated another soldier, who had
participated in some
operations with Shishio. Overseas."
"It's impossible. Japanese forces don't have the right to..."
"Precisely. According to that man, some elite soldiers of the
Self-Defense Forces were
recruited, during the late seventies and until the collapse of the
Berlin wall, to
participate along with the CIA into anti-communist actions, in Asia,
principally. It
would be a scandal if that went public, hence their reluctance, for
lack of a better word.
Shishio had been an active member of that small community, maybe 10
men, during the
eighties, for what we know. I think he started to kill at that time.
And I think he had a
partner, as I already said during the briefings, when a serial-killer
doesn't kill alone he
doesn't change his pace easily."
"He would be killing with his old partner?"
"I don't know, but I only have Seta as a reference for profiling his
new associate. The
victims are chosen for publicity, or strictly to fit the previous
murders, I can't get a lot
from that. If I had the previous one's characteristics, I could find
some patterns, and
give a better description."
"So why doesn't Saitoh just ask that guy again?"
"He did yesterday. He had already said all he knew the first time. They
didn't know
anything about each other. The only two he had met were Shishio, and
another man
called Raijuta. Saitoh's witness got recruited the last year, and
participated in too few
operations to be entrusted with more information."
"This.. Raijuta?"
"Saitoh is after him, though with few hopes of finding anything. That's
why I need you."
"Who knows you ask me?"
"The only ones aware of that part of the problem are Kondo, Saitoh, and
since yesterday
afternoon, Takagi-san. But none of them will know about your
implication. If you decide
to help me..."
"I'm not hacking anymore..."she objected, fixing the beer can she was
rolling in her
hands.
He smiled inwardly, glancing at her newest model of computer, and the
wires escaping
from under the fabric covering entirely the desk it was on. She was
unable to lie
convincingly, and obviously aware of it, as she was avoiding his gaze
instead of looking
directly into it, as she usually did.
"Hacking is an addiction, like smoking or drinking. I can't believe
you. But I'll
understand if you don't want to take the risk. I'm trying to avoid
implying people
outside the section, or I wouldn't ask you."
She turned her uncertain aquamarine eyes to him, her bottom lip caught
between her
teeth.
"If you are caught, the responsibility will be mine," he added
solemnly.
She burst into her clear, joyful laughter, and he saw she had made her
decision when
she gazed at him again, smiling confidently.
"I won't get caught, believe me."
To be continued...
Author's notes:
Of course the group of elite soldier and their secret military section
is just a product of
my imagination (Conspiracy theories? I obviously watched too many
X-files! Ahem. No
supersoldiers here though!). I'm going somewhere with this. (^-^)
As a reminder, the Japanese constitution forbids (article 9) the
existence of an army.
Though they have Self Defense Force, they can't participate in
offensive actions
overseas. It's a bit more complicated than that, in reality, but this
is the main idea.
Megumi's state of mind or the kids at Misao's place, aren't related
with the main
mystery plot, but I wanted to take a chapter to put in light the other
characters, and
some aspects of their relationship, as I focused a lot on the two main
characters in the
previous ones. It's important for the following of the story.
As I explained before, Kondo used to rely on Aoshi for counseling about
the members of
the section. So it was clear to me that Kondo consulted him when he
chose them, and
that Aoshi got to see Misao's confidential file at that time. I didn't
precise it again, but
just in case...
As usual, and as sincerely, special thanks to Mara and Firuze for their
helpful
comments and support!
Thank you to the reviewers!
JadeGoddess: Thank you for reviewing again!
FlameSolo: Thanks!
Oryo: I hope that it answers to your expectations. New elements are
still to appear. I
hope that you'll like the way they finally get to the solution! Thank
you for all your nice
reviews!
Mara: Welcome back! And thank you (^-^) I really regret that lemons
aren't authorized
here?c.the lemon chapters really have no sense without them
(redundant). I'm the same
with Saitoh, you know it?c.(searching for a good shrink right now!).
Next chapter: New internal conflicts, professional this time. Tokio
gets unexpected
support, but it disturbs her more (no she will NEVER get a break). And
finally... some
real action! What will be the outcome of the set up?
See you!
Kamorgana
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