Raid

Today though Megumi was in the bathroom with him.

“Can’t I have my privacy?” he groaned.

“You will have nothing” she replied. “Now hurry”.

“It’s not like I’m going anywhere” he said.

“We are actually. I need my bike back”.

“You couldn’t get a new one?” he teased.

“You can’t really control an account when you’re dead Fujiwara. You’re smart so you should know that” she rest against the door.

“I’m surprised you know that”.

“Just get dressed before I shoot you”.

And soon he was ready, her eyes not leaving his person not for a second. Not even as he dressed.

“See something….”

“If you think of completing that” she let the threat hang.

“If you hurt me and end up killing me, how will I help you raise your gang to its former glory?”

“I’ll find a way. I escaped death, didn’t I?”

“Now get dressed” she barked.

VVVVV

“Where are you going?” Maya inquired.

“Nosy” Karou played off as a cough.

“We’re going to get things that we need” Megumi said passing the table they were all seated.

“Alone?” Sachi asked.

“Yes” she replied.

“Last time you two were alone…”

“No need to remind me, and I can take care of myself Karou. I know all his tricks so it won’t be surprising”.

“And are you forgetting that I’m unarmed?” he asked.

“Move” Megumi pushed him harshly.

“Should I follow?” Maya asked.

“She beat you yesterday, didn’t she Maya?” Sachi asked, her face on her breakfast.

“Yes-but….”

“She can take care of herself” she finalized.

So he was outside after a few days. He wasn’t expecting to be outside. He was expecting to the worked to the bone and when his time was up a bullet to his brain. But now that he was outside there was a chance that he could escape.

And he’ll be out of Tokyo before they could even begin to look for him.

Megumi held onto his hand and squeezed really hard that he was fighting her so he could remove his hand from her grasp. He could feel his bones cracking.

“Don’t get any ideas” she whispered with a smile so they wouldn’t draw suspicion.

“Just like lovers” he said in pain. “Remember?” he asked.

“Thank you because you keep reminding me why I have reasons to kill you”.

“Where’s your house?” she asked.

“We’ll take the train and then we’ll go”.

“And you better not try anything funny” she warned.

“And why would I do that?” he asked her. How could he try anything with her if they were in public? Well if he did try anything, she wouldn’t be able to do anything like hurt him. They were in public and it would cause a lot of questions.

Soon they were in the train and they were sitting together, both their knees touching and their fingers interlaced on their laps. He wished for a while that he was someone else who didn’t know what was going on. He’d think that they were just a normal couple. That’s what any other person who looked would think. They wouldn’t know it was far from that.

He leaned forward resting his head on his knees.

“What’s wrong?” she leaned down her fingers running through his hair. “You better sit back up”.

“Well my stomach hurts. It’s not like you actually give me food back there” he said.

“You’re pulling a lot of attention towards us”.

“I’m just resting my head. I’ll be okay when the train stops”.

She let him rest their hands still together though.

The train stopped and Takashi was up, their hands disengaging. Megumi stood up and as she took a step she stumbled, but caught herself on the seat. Looking up Takashi was nowhere to be found. Just the everyday crowd that came with the train.

Looking down, the laces of her sneakers had been tied together with another piece.

She untangled the knot immediately and pushed through the crowd to get out of the train. Among the sea of people, she couldn’t find him.

Well played of him. That time he had his face on his knees he had been doing that. How come she didn’t see it? She didn’t even feel his hand moving? How did he manage to do that with just one hand?

She walked like any normal person and got her phone out making a call.

“Maya”.

VVVVV

He never thought it would be that easy to give someone like Megumi the slip and he did. Now that he was free of her just for a while, he’d go back to his apartment. That didn’t seem like a good idea because that’s the first place anyone looking for him would look. But he needed a way out of here.

His money was all in his apartment, his special things and also the bike. He had to get them. And walking slowly wouldn’t help. He had to pick up the pace and get out of here.

Getting there, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Everything looked the way it was meant to be. He walked all the way to his door and looking under the mat his key was there. He was always prepared. He stood up with his key in the hole, but he was pushed against the door and his left arm was twisted against his back.

He glanced over his shoulder and he would have preferred it to be a common burglar than who currently had him against the wall.

“You’re not going to get rid of me that easy Takashi. You will get what’s coming to you” Megumi whispered with malice lifting his hand so his fingers could touch his shoulder blade.

“Now open your door and I won’t break your hand”.

“Takashi” a voice called.

He turned to the elderly woman that had called him.

“Ah! Good morning Ms. Himari”.

“Where have you been for the past few days?”

He wondered if she wasn’t bothered at the sight right now. He was also worried at what Megumi would do if Himari decided to question them.

“Who’s your friend?” she asked.

“She came visiting. A friend from where I grew up” he explained.

“So you’ve been with her for the past days. Okay then, I’ll leave you kids to it” and she walked away. People were in the hall now. Moving, some giving them looks.

“Just so you know Takashi, I have a gun. If you don’t open the door right now….”

He opened the door and he stumbled in and she followed removing the key, banging it shut and she locked the door.

“How did you know where to find me?” Takashi asked sitting on the floor.

“When did you think Maya began her spying? I just gave her a call and I took a cab here”.

He sighed.

“Now get the keys to my bike and then we can go. You’re really wasting my time”.

“You’re not mad?” he asked.

“I am” and she kicked him in the face making him land on his back and there was a resonating thud in his small apartment. And the walls weren’t thick so he was sure who was in the next apartment surrounding him, above and below and opposite would hear the noises.

And people had seen him come in with a girl. Well he wasn’t going to be around for a while, so less humiliation. She tried to attack, but he delivered a sweep kick and she fell. That was still her weakness after all those months.

He got on his knees. He had things he could use to finally get rid of her, but then he remembered that no kind of poison works on her. So he’d have to use his bare hands. So he made his way to the kitchen. But before he could open the drawers she was on his back.

And she wrapped her legs round him and an arm round his neck, leaning her body back so he’d back away from the kitchen, but Takashi leaned back and then she realized that they were both falling, but still she didn’t let go.

They both fell, her taking most of the fall. Impact from behind and the front and she gasped her hold on him lessening. He unhooked her legs from his body and her arm from his neck and was on his knees again. And he was dizzy for a while but he could see the kitchen.

Megumi stood up and grabbed his shoulders, but he caught her hand and threw her over, but her having more skill bent her knees and landed on her feet, and spun around and her hands were wrapped round his throat crushing his windpipe.

She had the height advantage. And he was all disoriented so it wasn’t much of a fight. He pulled uselessly at her arms and tried to stand, but she pushed him back easily landing on him and trapping his arms.

And she squeezed with a determined crazed look in her eyes. She was alone, no one to stop her. She could end him here for all the pain he had caused. She had lost everything. She had felt so happy and fulfilled and that came crashing down all because of him.

He had stopped fighting and she groaned letting him go, getting off him and to the kitchen to splash some cold water on her face.

He tried to catch his breath.

Was that what being close to death felt like?

Was that what Megumi had gone through also?

That wasn’t a nice feeling. He didn’t want to experience that. He massaged his neck looking at her as she moved round the kitchen.

“Get my keys. And whatever gadget you might need and then we can be on our merry way” she told him and he got to packing.

“You’re the one driving” she told him.

Smart. Because there was no way he could jump off if he was in front and she was holding onto him.

VVVVV

“How was it?” Maya asked as soon as they came back.

“Don’t get me angry” she said as she walked past. This was what she was reduced to.

“Heard you tried running away” Maya focused her attention on Takashi now.

“Well it was a big fail” he said. “You know where I live?”

“Yes” she replied. “I’ve been tailing you for a while”.

“For how long have you been following me?”

“A month maybe more” she said. “Why does Megumi want to kill you?”

“You call her Megumi and not boss?” he asked surprised.

“We have a different type of relationship” she winked. “So why do the three powerhouses hate you?”

“A long story” he said. “I thought you knew with the way you kept talking about the past”.

“Well I was told what to say not the actual details”.

“Well it’s in the past and I don’t want to talk about it. You said that you and Megumi have a special relationship, you can talk to her” and she left.

Then early evening came and they were gathered in the kitchen with Karou going over the plans. Megumi was against the wall with Takashi.

“So why this raid again?”

“I was contacted by someone. Someone powerful and where we’re going tonight has what he needs”.

“What is it?”

“None of your business. I know what it is, all you have to do is cause a distraction that will lead them outside, and I’ll go get what’s needed and you will cover me and you won’t try anything stupid like earlier. Your poison can’t kill me, but a bullet can kill you remember that”.

Now he saw why they needed the bike.

They had arrived first and had parked just at the side of the building and had climbed up to the roof.

“When will they get here?” he whispered.

“When you do what you’re meant to do” she told him getting behind him and forcing him onto his knees. They looked through the open skylight and could see people. They all rounded up to ten, fifteen tops and that was the ones she could see. The door to the building was closed so they had to make them open it.

“Do it” she said getting on her knees.

Takashi sighed and took out a rip off of a gun and he loaded it with tiny balls and they were all beeping. He shot the balls into the building.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“It’s harmless” he said. “You want them to open the door and what I fired in there which none of them could see would make it smell like there’s a gas leak and that would lead to them opening the door”.

And just like he predicted they opened the door. Not all the way just halfway and they were filing out. While some went deeper into the building splitting up. Probably looking for the leak. They could enter now.

She opened it and she slipped in landing on the iron steps and waited for Takashi to slip in.

“You stay here, don’t draw attention to yourself and try to stay alive” and she went down the steps slowly.

She came prepared. She had two guns and her sword. She thought it was best that she get used the using it on field because she was going to use it soon. She knew she was.

She blended into the shadows looking for what she had been told to find and she wasn’t seeing it. Apart from the normal drugs and money she couldn’t find it. She heard voices and she stopped and stepped against the wall so just in case they heard they wouldn’t see her.

But their voices quieted down and she held her breath, her hand going to the gun by her hip. She could see his shadow due to the light seeping through the open door. But he stopped due to the shots that were fired all the way from outside.

Karou couldn’t have come at a better time.

He ran past her and another one followed. They seemed to be someone inside and due to the shots he should be armed. She took a deep breath and stepped into the light and shots were fired before the man inside could react.

She looked round the room looking for what she was sent, and with the shots being fired she couldn’t concentrate. She checked all the drawers, the cabinets and cupboards and nothing. It was places like this that things were hidden where you’d least expect it.

So she began to feel the walls and it was hollow just beside the cupboards and she peeled off the wallpapers to see a safe, and lucky her it wasn’t locked. She pulled it open and pulled out the velvet board that the materials were kept on.

And there was also a briefcase.

So they had already planned to sell it.

She took it and went back to where she had come in. Still on guard. Takashi was still there and still alive. Climbing up the stairs someone yelled.

“Shit!” she cursed and threw the box to Takashi who caught it and was already heading to the skylight. Megumi shot at him and was still making her way to the skylight. Her shooter had taken cover and she’d have to turn her back and jump and she wasn’t willing to get shot.

“Here” she heard.

She ducked as a bullet went whizzing past her head. She caught a canister that Takashi threw from his position from where he was, and she used her intuition because she didn’t know what the use of the thing in her hand was. She turned and threw at the guy, but he dodged and she took that distraction as her opportunity to jump out.

She ran to the edge and he was already on the bike. She climbed down, but the revving of engines and the screeching of tires told her that their time was up. And if they weren’t going to be followed by the people in, they would follow Takashi and her.

She jumped down and landed onto the seat, shocking Takashi and taking the pain out on his sides.

“Move!” she ordered.

VVVVV

Takashi stopped.

“Are you okay?’ Takashi asked.

Anyone getting hit between their legs would hurt. She had jumped off a ladder onto hard leather so he just had to know.

“Never better” and she got off.

“What are we doing here?” he asked.

“To sell that” she gestured to the briefcase.

“What’s in it?”

“Plates” she replied.

“Eating plates or…..”

“No” she said. Then a car came up to them.

A man walked out of the car and approached her.

“What do you call yourself again?” the man asked.

Yeah things were different now. He hadn’t heard anyone talk to her like that before.

“Megumi. I have the plates, do you have the money?”

“I’ll have to check first” he said and Megumi took the briefcase and she handed it to him. He opened it and he smiled and his driver came to his side to take it.

“Send the money to the account I gave you” she told him.

He looked to his driver and he went back to the car. The two of them stood there for a while and there was a silent exchange between boss and driver.

“Done” he said.

“You’ll have to wait for a confirmation” she said and her phone gave an alert. “Pleasure doing business with you”.

“Hope we can do it again” he said.

He drove away and she got on and they began their ride back to their base.

The drive was fast and quiet. There was nothing to talk about anyway. She wanted him dead and he wanted to escape because the only way he’d have to kill her was with a gun, or a knife, or his bare hands and against her, he knew he couldn’t do that.

Out of nowhere, a chain came out of nowhere catching him in his stomach and now he let go of the controls because he couldn’t fight against the force. The bike left their bottoms and they both landed on the hard road.

“What just happened?” she asked him.

“A chain just blocking the road?” he was unsure also touching the chain and going under it so he could get the bike that no longer had control and was just there, the engine still on.

She didn’t get it. Why would there be a chain in the middle of the road?

She heard the crunch of boots on the road coming from behind her and then she turned only to get hit in the face.

“Takashi!” she yelled as she fell.

He turned seeing a guy over her and he was armed so he had to stay where he was.

“We didn’t come to start anything”.

“You trespass into our territory and you say you don’t want to start anything?” he asked incredulously.

Takashi took a step.

“Your boyfriend takes another step and I shoot you” he pressed the gun hard against her forehead. Megumi glanced to Takashi.

“I heard about you. Megumi, right? Just formed a gang called Phantom? I’m sure that you feel like a big shot, but I run the streets and you should get that into your head….”

He trailed off his hand scratching his neck and he pulled out a dart and he turned to Takashi who had a pipe in his hand.

“W-what?” and he fell.

Megumi stood up immediately. “Did you kill him?!”

“No” he replied.

“Good. Let’s go!” she pushed him back to the bike and they were gone before reinforcements could arrive.

Getting back to the base they could already hear the sound of victory and excited chattering.

“How did it go?” Karou approached them.

“It went fine” she sighed removing her gear and handing it back to her.

“Well this was our first official raid and you being by yourself put me on edge”.

“Well nothing happened, so no need to fret”.

Karou seemed to be examining her with her eyes.

“I’m okay. Don’t worry about it” and she walked away. Karou didn’t even bother with him. Well he had given them their opening and he had saved Megumi, even though she was armed and could have probably killed him by herself, but still a thank you would have been okay.

He tuned out all the noise and made his way back to his room. His prison.

What he did didn’t matter. Nothing mattered anymore because he would die when Megumi said he would die. Poison didn’t work, and when he had served his purpose which could be any time, he’d be gone with no one to save him but himself.

He hadn’t even gotten his phone from his apartment.

There was absolutely no one to save him. And the only people that would miss him would be Lee and his mum. Their mum. He had just wanted to avenge his parents and he failed. He failed and Takahiro was none the wiser. Because he was sure after him, she would go to him next.

He turned round the hall.

Maya smiled and looked to her boss who had been watching.

“What’s your history with him boss?”

“A working one” she replied.

“I’m a people person and I also have the spy background and I see sparks between you two. You two were romantically involved”.

Megumi laughed once. A high one.

“You couldn’t be more wrong”.

“Okay then at least for a short while. There was a spark. Something happened between you two”.

“Wrong” Megumi said. “You’d be a bad profiler”.

“But you like him” she said.

“And what makes you say that?”

“The way you look at him” Maya replied simply.

Megumi laughed again. “Just stick to being a gangster and a spy Maya. You are bad at everything else” she said bluntly and walked away from the still smiling woman.

Maya bit her bottom lip and her smile disappeared. Frowning just observing the place.

She was good at other things. And she’d prove that to her boss