YF continued walking down the fifth level platform. Now that he had already gone once, the sights and sounds of the lower levels were no longer as unnerving as before. It almost felt too familiar; it was like reconciling with an old friend with whom he had parted on bad terms. At the second level all sound of activity stopped, and the only indication of life anywhere was YF's boots against the metal surface. YF turned down the final alley that led to an open space where a pure white van was parked. He peeked around the van and the support columns of the third level above.
When he was satisfied that no one was around, he took out the scanner Kigali had given him and pointed it at the van. A projection hologram of the multiple paint layers came out from each area he scanned. He could see the upper white layer, the second layer that said "Itsugo Gochome Shrine", and all the layers before it. "Uwahara Tofu". That would be Misaki's mother's shop. YF opened the van doors and was instantly greeted by the pungent odor of hemp. There was nothing inside. He pointed Kigali's scanner on the walls inside and saw that there was discoloration from the natural decay of firearm reactors that had been stored in one place for too long. YF reached into his bag and took out a low quality explosive shaped like a brick, attaching it to the inner wall of the van. He continued to retrieve more explosives, spacing them apart along the interior. As soon as he attached the last one, YF heard a clank from outside.
He stepped out of the van slowly and looked around, but could not see anybody. YF turned to get back in the van and then heard the unmistakable clank of a boot on the ground. He stopped moving. “What are you looking for?”
The sound of another boot clanking against metal resounded before the area went silent. “I need that van.”
That did not sound like the person YF was expecting. Perhaps it was some deranged druggie; what was he going to do? YF started to move again until he heard a rifle whirring to life. That was no deranged druggie. “Easy…” said YF.
"Step out with your hands raised." It was Katayama's voice.
YF raised his hands up and stepped backward until he came out of the van.
“Now step away,” Katayama ordered.
"What do you need it for? It’s empty,” said YF.
“I think you know why.”
“I do not,” YF insisted.
"If not, then why are you here?"
"We do have to check the lower levels occasionally. I came down and found it."
"Step away from the van," Katayama repeated.
YF raised his hands higher and backed away from the vehicle, walking toward the flowerbed filled with weeds.
"Controls for the explosives," Katayama ordered.
"0502."
Katayama held the rifle against his shoulder with his right hand while he pulled out his receiver with his left. He pointed it toward the van and pressed a series of buttons. The explosives powered down, the LEDs and energy source indicators growing dim.
"Receiver," said Katayama.
YF reached one hand slowly into his pocket and plucked out his receiver, dropping it on the ground.
"Kick it over."
YF complied, kicking it in Katayama's direction. The latter picked up the device and pocketed it. Katayama waited a bit before side stepping his way toward the vehicle. With each step that Katayama took, YF’s heartbeat grew faster and louder, until he could hear a thumping in his ears.
Katayama stopped around three fourths of the way. “How did you know this was here?”
"I still don't see what you're getting worked up for."
"Let's not play dumb, senpai. This van is the one that was taken from Gochome Shrine."
"Is it?"
"How did you know this was here?" Katayama repeated.
“You come out here a lot?”
“No.”
"Why is that?"
Katayama seemed like he did not want to answer; that was because the answer was obvious.
“That's exactly why if I felt like dumping a stolen vehicle I would probably do it within the first five levels," said YF.
Katayama started walking.
"Why were you following me?" asked YF.
Katayama did not answer, instead moving closer to the van.
When Katayama came within two strides of the driver seat door, YF dove into the weeds and grabbed the rifle Mizuno had given him. He flicked the fire mode to rapid-engage and aimed in Katayama's general direction, opening fire. Katayama yelled out and returned fire; all of the bolts missed. YF could hear Katayama slam the van door shut and fire up the levitation modules. YF held onto the burning hot rifle as best he could while standing up amidst the tall weeds. He held the butt against his shoulder, lined the sights, and fired multiple rounds through the modules just as Katayama started taking off. The van rose and accelerated forward about a block until it crashed back onto the platform.
YF sprinted down the road until he got to the back of the van. He then approached the driver's seat slowly. When he reached the door, he saw through the shattered window that he had hit Katayama twice.
"Move over," YF ordered.
"Fuck…you…"
"No one's coming for you down here, and even if there were, there's no signal. They can't find you. So this is what I propose. You sit in the passenger's seat and I cuff you to the console. You remain quiet as I take us back to the upper levels. Understood?"
Katayama lowered his rifle through the window toward YF, who promptly moved out of the way and grabbed the thermal guard. YF then yanked the weapon out of his hands. "Move over," he repeated.
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
When Katayama did not respond, YF went over to the passenger's seat and shoved the rifle butt into the window repeatedly, shattering it after a few strikes. He then unlocked and opened the door. YF grabbed Katayama by the arms and pulled him — ignoring his groans — until he lay prone over the passenger seat. He cuffed him to the console. YF then slammed the door and went over to the driver's side, unlocking and pulling open the door and sitting inside. He drove as fast as he thought he could without jostling Katayama, ascending to the upper levels using the first ramp on each level that he could find.
When he reached the fourth level ascension ramp, YF found a Ward Police vehicle parked across the exit at the top. There was no reason a Ward vehicle would be this far into Itsugo. YF slowed down until the van was practically crawling up the platform, stopping about one car length from the patrol car.
He got out of the van and walked the final few steps up to the car. But when he examined the windows, nobody was inside.
YF barely dodged something that flew in front of his face. He turned to see a helmeted woman for one second before she somehow moved behind him and punched him hard in the back, sending him sprawling onto the ground. He rolled over just in time for her next punch to make an ear ringing thud against the spot he had just lay in. He glanced to see the strike had left a fieldball sized dent in the metal. YF scrambled up as the woman landed a front kick on his stomach, knocking the air out of him as he fell back. YF fought through the dizziness and sat up, managing to dodge the next kick. He stood to his feet and ate a few punches in the chest and stomach, making sure to breathe out each time before parrying the next punch to his face. After a few seconds he found that her movements had grown sluggish, allowing him to parry or block more of her attacks. It wasn't until he glanced to the side that he saw the whole world had started to slow down, not just her.
YF parried her next few punches and grabbed onto her wrist on the fourth, using the inside of his foot to kick at her ankle. She started to trip but then flipped sideways in the air, landing on her feet slightly off center from YF. YF grabbed the back of her neck with his free hand and kneed her in the stomach twice, letting go with both hands on the third so that she would back away. He planted his left foot behind his right and kicked out in a sidekick with his right foot, catching her in the stomach and sending her staggering into her car. Before she could regain her balance, he leapt forward and kicked out at her. She dodged at the last moment such that YF's kick hit the car frame.
YF let out a yell and sent a cross to her head. She dodged, his fist breaking the passenger window glass instead. When the woman threw a cross of her own, YF grabbed her wrist and planted his shoulder in her armpit, checking her stomach with his hip. He crouched and threw her over himself such that she bounced once against the metal platform before falling flat. YF grabbed the bottom of her helmet. She gripped his wrist. He felt a sharp pain on his fingers and yelled out, retracting his hand to see teeth and puncture marks along his skin. The cut was much deeper than he thought possible from a normal person's bite.
"Kita?"
The woman continued to lay on the ground, breathing hard.
YF pointed back to the van. "That guy's name is not Katayama is it?"
Kita didn't respond.
"You must not think much of people out here. Did you think I would just be a willing pawn in your little plan?"
"You had everything to gain and nothing to lose by continuing as we had started," she said, weakly.
"Why would I have done that?"
"To bring criminals to justice."
"Or to eliminate a rival of your sponsors." YF motioned to the van once more. "If you want
your associate to live, we're going to have to bring him somewhere. I am also going to turn all of you in."
"Are you sure that will be allowed?" she asked with a chuckle.
YF crossed his arms. "I'm sure you know a little bit about my background. My sister-in-law may ultimately serve the interests of Aritomo but I don't think she'll be thrilled to know her lackeys tried to kill me to cover up what they were doing. You know how this goes. You and 'Katayama' will take the fall and Aritomo will remain clean."
The reality of what had happened seemed to sink in, and Kita remained silent for some time. She then started to chuckle. "There's no returning from something like this." Kita pulled out her pistol and raised it to her temple. Before YF could react, she pulled the trigger.
***
Magistrate Kuroda somehow found a way to relay the incident to Magistrate Uraga, and the resulting scandal and fallout caused quite a mess at the Ward Office. Kuroda advised YF to lay low and to forget about any sort of promotion. The death of an officer on duty was too much, even if they could prove she supported the Nakajima family against Uwada or that she had supplied Nakajima with firearms. A week later YF called Ken. Ken had already been released after an overnight holding, a much better outcome than he anticipated. But YF still decided to treat Ken to a night out at the izakaya. Especially after taking so many hits from the Town police officers.
"I take it the promotion isn't happening," said Ken.
"Doesn't seem like it," YF admitted.
"Honestly the proposal sounded a bit naive."
Leave it to Ken to tell it as it is.
"Then why didn't you talk me out of it?" asked YF.
"You know that's not my style. Besides, the only way to get out of this shithole is to do something crazy anyway."
"So you were hoping it would work?"
"Of course."
YF smirked and turned to the panel, ordering two nama-beers and four portions of kara-age. He then turned back to Ken. "And don't worry, the money is still coming." YF had already started to make arrangements to sell the house in Nishida, and expected it would be done within a month. He thought he would hear immediately from encrypted channels that he was not allowed to do that, though no such thing happened. YF would be lying if he said he wasn't still bitter about how the case ended. Even so, he intended to fulfill his promise.
"Wasn't worried about that," said Ken. Though YF knew that was not true.
A minute later the waitress arrived with the beers and plates. "Hai, nama-biru futatsu, kara-age yotsu desune."
YF nodded and thanked her. She rose up from the tatami, bowed, slid open the fusuma and left the room.
"I'm sure the protein will help me recover," said Ken, starting to eat.
"Didn't seem like you needed much to recover from."
Ken frowned. "It was rougher than I expected." He lifted his shirt, showing the multiple bruises that still had not healed. "That's the problem. I'm getting old. The Ken you remember from high school is long gone."
That statement made YF much sadder than he had anticipated. It was not like he did not know the truth of it, though he could not help but compare how they were now with how they were back then. He knew that in their teenage years they would have stolen a shrine van in exchange for a few cups of instant ramen and a bottle of soda. YF would have been the driver. He may have gotten shot, even killed. But back then it wouldn't have mattered. It seemed strange that when they had almost nothing there was more to go around. There was no such brotherhood for men in their thirties.
"You going to marry her?" asked YF.
"Risa?"
"You seeing other women I don't know about?"
Ken chuckled. "Think you'll find me in a trash bag on ground level if I was."
"So?"
Ken shrugged. "Not sure if I'm into marriage like you and Eij. Might as well be married anyway. She's already stopped sending me nudes and just gives me a list of shit to buy while I'm out."
YF laughed out loud. "And you actually get it?"
Ken frowned. "Yeah." He sounded surprised at the answer.
"Huh, you two are meant for each other then."
Ken waved his chopsticks in the air. "That kind of talk freaks me out. Let's just eat."
YF smiled and held his hands together. "Itadakimasu."