Don't make a sound

The young man suffered severe cramps, when his muscles contorted and twitched as he laid on the ground. His forehead glistened with sweat, dripping down his face as his body ached.

Natsuo had been sick for days - at least it seemed that way. He had a high fever and he couldn't keep any sustenance in his stomach. Even still, the yakuza continued to experiment with drugs, dousing their target with new chemicals.

One day, when the captive didn't seem to be reacting anymore, the two sets of dark eyes watched how their victim writhed in agony. The man wearing a fedora shook his head in clear disappointment and addressed his scarred senior advisor.

"This one is a failure even after two weeks. We must find another candidate if we want to make any progress," Miyahara, the leader of the second most powerful yakuza, grunted disapprovingly.

The saiko-komon bowed, but dared to challenge his oyabun.

"This is just a minor inconvenience. The boy will surely recover in no time. I believe we are close to a breakthrough, so let's see how far we can push him."

Miyahara seemed to contemplate his words. He glanced at the hostage and nudged him with his polished leather shoe, watching the young man's muscles jerk and tremble.

"Has he been responsive?"

"Yes, the doses have worked, although the effects have been short-lived."

"That won't work. There needs to be a formula that is half the cost and gives the same results as methamphetamine."

"Yes, oyassan. It will be done," the saiko-komon replied as he bowed to his leader.

Miyahara crept up the creaky stairs, tapping his shoes against the wooden steps. Then, a sudden loud bang shook the dark building, causing the oyabun pause with wide eyes.

Heavily armed police raided the clan's hideout, breaking down the door and rushing in with assault rifles drawn. The yakuza leader stumbled as he desperately tried to escape through a window, falling to the ground, before being quickly captured.

He cursed, realizing his prosperous crime empire was ending, before it had even begun. If they would have been successful in creating such a product, their organization could have thrived and flourished, allowing them to expand their influence and power - and even overtake Kamiwara.

The scarred saiko-komon heard everything that was happening above. He grabbed the limp figure and removed one plank from the floor, revealing a hole underneath - the special material was strong and durable enough to support man's weight, but thin enough to be quickly and easily moved.

"Act like a good boy again, and don't make a sound," he warned as he placed the body into the darkness. He reattached the panel, which was almost invisible to an outside eye by its seamless appearance.

That was their backup plan. They could get someone trustworthy to retrieve the subject later and ensure it was disposed properly. Ultimately, they would be prosecuted for drug offenses, but not for conducting experiments on other human beings.

The authorities stormed into the basement, guns raised, shouting orders for the yakuza's top advisor to get down.

The saiko-komon stayed still, staring at the spot where he had hidden the frail prisoner. Satisfied that the young man had remained quiet and the officers were unaware of his presence, the criminal allowed himself to be arrested without a fight.

(Elsewhere at the same time)

A man wearing a black suit was not bothered by the commotion below. His white hair fluttered in the wind as he watched the scene play out from atop a hill, far enough away to be invisible, but close enough to observe.

The man's pale brown eyes watched how police escorted tattooed criminals out of the building. Next, several officers carried packages wrapped in clear paper and sealed shut, presumably evidence.

Jiro planned the raid with his cousin, organizing the whole thing. They had sent an anonymous tip to the authorities about illegal wares that were being held in the yakuza's undiscovered base, giving them the opportunity to break in and seize the contraband - and there seemed to be something going on, since he didn't actually know anything about it. They only made it to get the place emptied.

Yoshio had been tasked with finding out the secret yakuza location, but it took him days of painstaking research and investigation to uncover it. The base was tightly guarded and information was difficult to come by, but he eventually located it and pass it on to those in charge.

Jiro had provided the police with enough details about the second largest yakuza clan to ensure they could search the premises without them realizing it was a set-up, making it appear the tip came from within and not from a rival clan. Not even his superiors would have approved of that, since he had acted on his own without seeking their approval - and he didn't want them to be angry.

The man pulled out his smartphone from his pocket.

"I don't see him. They haven't brought him out," he stated rather nervously as he stared at the building's entrance.

"Either he is elsewhere or they killed him already."

Jiro swallowed, discomfort rising in his chest as he realized how much danger his roommate must have been in. Still, the way the opposing oyabun had spoken about a volunteer, almost as if recruiting someone to work for them somehow, killing him wouldn't have made sense - unless something went wrong.

"No. I won't think that," he protested, trying to figure out a plan. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling that Natsuo, or even some sort of clue about his location, was inside that building.

"Could you distract the police for a little so that I can snoop around?"

"Have you lost your mind?" the hacker replied.

"Possibly," Jiro laughed stiffly, knowing he had come too far to back down. He understood it was a long shot, but he had to try.

"All right. It's possible that not all of them will leave, so you may have to wait," Yoshio agreed with a heavy sigh.

"Thanks, cousin. Talk to you later," Jiro said with a weak smile and ended the call.

He sat on a rock and observed the property intently, never looking away. He was determined to stay until he learned what had happened to his most hated classmate, whatever it might be.