YF activated his neckband helmet as Eiji accelerated furiously through the freeway passing lane, his siren blaring overhead. The cars on the road were slow to part, but YF was unsure if it was because they were reluctant to do so or if Eiji was simply driving too fast. One thing YF knew was that Eiji was thinking what he was: that the 36th block of Sanchome was where the Black Hat was. YF replayed the conversation he had with Lydia the day he took Erika away over again in his head, concluding that she must have known she was in danger. From a few exits behind on the freeway YF could see a long column of smoke rising from a building below. When they exited off the exit they had taken so many times before, the streets were completely devoid of pedestrians. Two patrol cars already formed a barricade on the arterial road.
Eiji pulled up next to them and placed his car behind theirs. “Get out and take cover!” he shouted at YF.
Eiji got out of the driver’s seat and then leapt over the roof of the car as multiple bolts began flying their way. YF opened the passenger door as Eiji was fumbling with the trunk, pulling out a tall shield and both rifles. When YF was safely out as well, Eiji activated the energy shields on his car just in time for the next set of bolts to disintegrate against the barrier. He then motioned for YF to get behind the shield, which clamped itself into the ground. Eiji began firing from the side of the shield toward the Black Hat. YF took position behind the rifle slit and aimed for the first sectarian he could see. When the sectarian stopped moving he fired a burst of bolts at her, two of the shots boring through her breastplate and dropping her to the platform. He then turned to the windows where a man was raining down bolts on their position. YF fired at the window and missed, but forced the man to take cover.
Even as more squad cars appeared on the scene the sectarians did not seem to be retreating, instead, increasing their rate of fire.
“Any chance we can light the place up?” YF heard someone ask on the comm network.
“No! We are not doing that,” YF heard Eiji’s voice in his helmet.
“A bomb?” asked YF.
“Someone tell the Village boy to shut the fuck up and clear the channel.”
“You shut the fuck up, we’re not using a bomb!” Eiji shouted.
“That’s fine Tokai. But someone’s going to have to apply pressure because I don’t think they’re looking to come out.”
“I’ll take point,” said Eiji. He turned on the private channel to YF. “Let’s go, we need to get Lydia.”
Any fear he had of advancing was overcome by a shame that he had not moved earlier. YF followed Eiji around the car shield barriers and started down an alley that ran parallel to the main road.
“Keep cover fire!” Eiji barked. Almost on cue, the other officers increased their rate of fire toward the building windows.
When Eiji and YF entered the alley there was one man guarding the exit back to the road near the club. He immediately fired in their direction, the burst so rapid that YF wondered if the man’s thermal guard could handle it. It was only when he looked over the dumpster he had taken cover behind that he saw smoke rising from the man’s hands and arms.
YF ducked back behind the dumpster. “You got anything else?” he asked Eiji through the comm.
Eiji reached into his chest plate holder and pulled out two cylinders, one large and one small. He started fitting the large one to the rifle stock and the small one to the rail. YF recognized the top cylinder as a scope but did not know what the one below was. He decided it was best not to ask where Eiji got those from — probably the war — and waited for him to act. Eiji held his arms over the top of an overturned crate and fired at the man. While one bolt struck him in the chest, the man did not seem fazed, continuing to fire in their direction.
Eiji took cover again. “Turn on your hearing protection,” he ordered.
YF did so just as Eiji brought his rifle over the crate and fired a large projectile from the stock modification. Even with his hearing protection on YF could hear a loud explosion as the projectile impacted something far down the alley. The bolts flying toward them suddenly stopped. YF decided to take the lead and came around the dumpster, sprinting toward where the sectarian was positioned before. When he stood over the man he could see that the man’s arms were completely seared to the bone. Upon closer inspection, YF could see puncture marks on his neck.
“Come on, we have to go!”
YF heard the clanking of boots as Eiji ran past him and in the direction of The Black Hat. YF followed closely behind. Eiji did not wait for YF before pulling open the side door. YF could hear the immediate sound of bolts impacting metal as a rain of rounds flew through the door.
“Gahhhhh!!!”
YF rushed over to where Eiji was and saw him grabbing his shoulder. YF ran past Eiji and pointed his rifle’s muzzle upward. The world seemed to slow as the first sectarian showed his head through a doorway, allowing YF to aim with ease and squeeze the trigger, shooting the man twice in the head. YF climbed up the stairs and planted his back against the same doorway on the other side, peeking into the club. Many of the girls YF recognized from The Black Hat were lying in various positions in the hall, all of them with multiple bolt holes through their bodies. Most of them had firearms in their hands. Several sectarians were lying near the girls as well.
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YF calmed his beating heart and walked into the hall, stepping over the bodies carefully as he made his way to the main stage. The first thing he noticed was that there was no music, the first time in so many years that he had ever been in the building without it. Two sectarians emerged from behind the stage as YF entered the main hall. But YF was able to bring the first man into his sights, squeezing his trigger once and shooting him in the chest before aiming for the next man, shooting him in the stomach. Both crumpled to the ground as the world around YF returned to its normal speed.
YF ran for Lydia’s office on the other side, replaying the memory of meeting Erika there just weeks before. The office door was about three fourths of the way open, making a squeaking sound similar to Mori’s apartment door when YF had tried to shut it. YF pressed the button to deactivate the opening process, stepping over the sectarian body in the doorway. He lowered his gun. Lydia was slumped over her desk, a pistol in her hand and a bolt wound through her head. Next to her arm lay a rifle that looked like it had started to melt down. Her hands were charred.
YF felt someone shove his shoulder aside, and turned to see Eiji running into the room. Eiji stood over Lydia’s body, frozen in a hunched position for a full second. The subsequent blood curdling scream was enough to send goosebumps through YF’s arms. He watched as Eiji picked up her body, holding her head against his breast. As he did, blood and brain matter spilled over Eiji’s chest plate holder, though he didn’t seem to notice, continuing to scream as the tears streamed down his cheeks and soaked into Lydia’s hair.
YF turned around and shut the door as far as it would go using the manual override. He stumbled as if in a trance back toward the side entrance they had come from. With each step he started to grow dizzy, the thirst in his throat returning as before; but he was too distracted by a sinking feeling of guilt that this was all his fault to feel as bothered by the thirst as he otherwise would have been. YF planted his hand on the wall at the top of the stairwell, looking down at the open door that led outside. The only thing he could think about as he began to descend was that Lydia must have known.
***
The subsequent week Division Four was taking pressure from all directions to solve the case, particularly from Eiji’s Counterterrorism Division. They had to figure out who the sectarians were and which families they were affiliated with. YF had to confirm from the overwhelming stream of evidence that the sectarians involved in the Black Hat incident were affiliated with Uwada’s organization, even though it was obvious to him that Uwada had nothing to do with it. YF was unsure how to prove that other than to say that he knew Uwada well, and Uwada would not have sanctioned such a blatant hit. Or would he?
What YF thought the more likely explanation was that this all connected back to Project Force of Nature. The Project was no longer contained the way it had been for years. Whatever Aritomo was creating, it had made its way out. YF suspected he, Hiroyuki, and the sectarians who attacked and held The Black Hat were all infected with whatever it was that Yui and Reina already had — or at least some strain of it. But all of this sounded like hunches and conspiracies. In any case, whether he believed Uwada would do it or not, YF needed him to honor the promise to protect Erika. Which meant he had to figure something out. The problem was how to do it without arousing suspicion.
YF arranged a meeting with Mizuno on the border of Itsugo and Nishida at a mountain pass pullout a few hours before sunrise. He had told Erika he was working late and Muto that he was going home early.
“Matsuhara’s men haven’t been with us for over a year,” said Mizuno.
“But their bodies are lying all over The Black Hat, and the Ward is planning on bringing the hammer down on your organization.”
“Wouldn’t they know about him leaving the family?”
“They don’t seem to,” said YF.
“Why are you doing this Mr. Sakai?”
YF turned to Mizuno “You remember the favor I called in with Uwada? The one you don’t know about.”
To Mizuno’s credit, he did not show any indication that he cared about it. “Yes I remember.”
“I need to ensure that the favor is done.”
“Aniki is many things, Mr. Sakai. But a man who breaks his promises, he is not.”
“And yet he just broke with the oyabun. I would say that’s a pretty big promise to take a shit on.”
Mizuno’s mouth grew into a flat, thin line. “I could see why you would think that.”
“So I need the favor done, and ask him for a chunk of money on my behalf if you think it’s too insulting to ask about the previous favor,” said YF.
“Thank you, Mr. Sakai.” Mizuno turned and looked around the pullout, fixated on the abandoned shelter near the overview trail. “Make sure you watch your back though, Mr. Sakai. Many will not take well to this favor granted to us.”
“I’ll handle it,” said YF, even though he was not sure he was.
“I’d best get going,” said Mizuno. “Please take care, Mr. Sakai.”
“I will.”
***
Eiji had insisted that the funeral be held just days before his own wedding.
YF watched the different groups of people offering their incense to the urn in front of the floral arrangement below Lydia’s portrait. In the corner, a priest of The Way was chanting sutras. When it was Eiji and Kaede’s turn, YF could see as they walked past him that Eiji looked angry, while the latter looked upset. YF was not sure if Kaede was crying over Lydia. Eiji lifted the incense in his good arm as his other was held in its sling, bowing three times in front of the urn before placing it inside. YF then felt Erika hold his elbow and lead him toward the urn. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying for most of the ceremony; YF wondered what would have happened if he did not take her out the day that he had. YF and Erika both took their incense and bowed three times, placing them inside the urn. They then followed the rest of the funeral procession on the trek up the mountain toward the cremation platform.
YF looked to the side at all the mourners in black kimono, wondering what memory of Lydia each of them were recalling as they ascended the steps. For himself, he only thought of the image of her leaned against the rail of the back entrance, smoking her cigarettes.
When they reached the platform the priests laid her coffin down on the raised centerpiece, then made their way back to the crowd. A sun barrier rose between those gathered and the platform. In the west, the first sun’s rays creeped over the ocean waves.
“One second,” said YF.
“Quickly, Mr. Sakai,” said the priest as he lowered the barrier.
YF stepped forward and reached into his breast pocket, pulling out the pack of cigarettes Mizuno had given him.
“Sorry, it’s half empty,” he said aloud to Lydia’s body.
He had never used the rest of them for anything, but figured it was probably best to leave them with her. She could probably use a smoke right now. YF placed the pack in her hands, then turned back to the crowd and stepped across the barrier slit. He heard it rise behind him. As he turned around, he could see that Lydia’s body had already caught fire from the sun’s rays, the flames engulfing the coffin and all the flowers around her.