Chapter 17 Common enemy

She didn’t think she’d be using the gun so early. After that failure nights ago, she decided to take a faster approach after having some time to think, she was renewed with vigor to kill him and it was time to use her birthday present.

She gave Maya and Karou a task of covering the floor so blood wouldn’t get everywhere. The rest of the gang were all wrapped up in their own thing and she took the very top floor where nobody really came to, so she’d be free of disturbances.

And she liked the way it was execution like.

Sachi was by her side here to offer support and she also wanted to shoot him too. Their prisoner was bound at his ankles and his wrists. So they’d be no way of escaping.

Takashi just looked out the window like his help would come from there. In the end death was just something that was inevitable, whether it was natural or you needed help so you would die. This really wasn’t his world. He didn’t understand everything, but he knew things now.

People are selfish.

You really don’t know who’s on your side.

You’re used for someone else’s benefit.

And you cross a gang leader like Megumi, she will hit back no matter what. And nothing would stop her.

He looked to Maya and just wondered what would have happened if he had accepted her help? Would he be here right now? And would Megumi again lose another gang? He didn’t even get to tell her about Maya’s upcoming betrayal. He couldn’t be so sure, but he knew. He had been there once, hadn’t he?

And now he was going to die, and what hurt most was that who he had helped wasn’t here to save him and Megumi was probably right about him.

He was pulled to the middle of the room by Karou violently. She didn’t show it, but with the way hand tightened round his forearm he could tell she was glad. And she was the most affected out of everything, and he knew sorry wasn’t going to fix it.

“Stay” she told him like a dog.

And he stood there looking to the three women.

“Now Takashi….” She began with a grin. “You will turn around and walk and you won’t stop no matter what” she said.

“How do you expect me to keep walking if I’m shot?” he asked. Even facing death he still had a smart reply for everything.

“You will keep walking” Karou told him.

He turned around and swallowed. He could hear the click of both guns and he could see the smiles on all their faces. This was the end for him.

He had lived two lives. One back at home with his mother and brother, and then the one he had begun here. He wondered what everyone was thinking about him right now. How he wasn’t that friendly, how he didn’t talk a lot or his job that he didn’t explain in detail to them. Knowing Megumi, she’d send his body back to them and he wondered how Aiko would react.

That her son got wrapped up in all of this.

“Ready when you are Fujiwara” Sachi’s low voice said and he closed his eyes about to take his first step. When his ears caught a sound. A window breaking, but he was sure they hadn’t fired anything.

He went with his instinct and ducked.

“Watch out!” Karou yelled and tackled Megumi.

The four were all on the ground.

“What was…” another breaking of the window and this time smoke filled the room.

Was that….?

He was hauled up by Maya.

“Everyone down…..”

Sachi screamed as the canister that was thrown into the room let out smoke and it hit her on her leg.

Megumi helped her and they all got to the stairs closing the door.

“What was that?” Karou asked.

“Everyone be quiet” Megumi said and they all held their breaths and again there was a shot.

“An attack” Sachi said.

Megumi’s eyes almost rolled out of their sockets.

An attack? That couldn’t happen, but now they were more shots and more screams and that was able to convince her.

They were under attack. Why? It couldn’t be the police, could it? No. The police had a way of operating and the other gangs wouldn’t dare. But they were under attack and all of them sitting here wouldn’t change anything. She just got this gang and she wasn’t going to lose it anytime soon.

“Karou” Megumi said standing up.

“Sachi” she said pocketing her gun.

“What about Fujiwara?” Maya asked.

“Well he isn’t just going to sit there, is he?” she asked and threw the key which she caught. “Make yourself useful” and the three women descended the stairs.

“You heard her Takashi” she freed his wrists and ankles. “Make yourself useful”.

The two of them went down the stairs cautiously. With all his time on the field he was now used to it, but an attack was something he hadn’t experienced before. His room was on the second floor and all his equipment were there and he had to go get it.

Maya was already armed and she waited for him to get his things, and they approached the stairs leading to the ground floor where they were the shots and the screams got louder. He was sure he could hear Karou giving out orders.

Takashi stopped and pushed his face through a rail.

“That won’t be necessary” Maya whispered quickly in his ear. And before he could comprehend anything he was kicked down the steps leaving all his protection, and he landed with a thud. All he could hear was a high pitched ringing sound and the throbbing of his skull.

He could see legs and that was it.

Megumi groaned to herself. They were taken by surprise and none of her members were ready for anything that was happening right now. Most of them didn’t even have guns on them, and she wondered where Takashi was and why he hadn’t begun knocking people out. She had watched as some of them fall without being given a chance, while others fought through.

Haru especially.

She didn’t want to lose any of them. She didn’t know who was fighting and she didn’t care. As a leader you made sacrifices. They couldn’t keep shooting at each other forever.

Megumi threw her gun over her hiding place and she could hear the brief pause of bullets, until it stopped and she made a move to get up, but Karou held her ankle.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Using my brain” and she stood up slowly with her arms up. She didn’t close her eyes. If they were going to shoot her, she’d see them do it.

Everyone had stopped shooting and she could tell all eyes were on her now as she approached her attackers who she couldn’t place.

“I surrender” she said.

A woman stepped out from behind the troop of men and she was searched and then forced onto her knees.

“Round the rest up” she ordered.

“If you hurt any of them I’ll make sure you die” Megumi said simply. Not in any way threatening.

“I’d love to see that” she tugged on Megumi’s hair.

They were all rounded up all in a line with their hands behind their back.

“Who are you?’ Sachi asked.

“I wonder how you keep forgetting faces. You’re a proud bunch” she said and looked to Karou who wasn’t even looking at her at all. “I still find it surprising that you’re alive”.

Whoever she was knew what had happened. She was from their previous jurisdiction. She knew them. She was from their past.

“Just answer the question!” Karou snapped.

“You’re in no position to demand anything” she said. Then she placed her hand on her ear. “You can come in now”.

And the others moved around making a way at the door and they could hear the heavy footsteps, but none were expecting that face to just walk in and stop in front of Megumi. She sprung up immediately and everyone else was slow to react, but a leg came out of nowhere kicking her in the neck and she was knocked down.

There were gasps.

Not because the unknown woman had attacked, but Maya.

The ropes came off her wrists easily and she massaged her skin and smiled at Takahiro. “Well I told you I’d do it” she said.

“I should have known….” Karou would have stood up, but a gun was aimed at her by the other woman.

“Do not shoot anybody” Megumi said back on her knees. “Don’t!” she warned.

“Okay Jun, don’t shoot anyone”.

“Then what do we do to the rest?” she asked.

“They’re of no importance and they really can’t do anything” Takahiro said with a small laugh. “Send them home”.

That would be for the best, Megumi thought.

“And let go of our friend won’t you?” he was referring to Takashi.

Maya let him go and she helped him up. He couldn’t believe this was happening. Well the signs had been there, he just ignored them. Who would have thought Maya would be working with Takahiro.

Certainly not Megumi.

“Surprised?” he asked with his signature smile.

“….well yes” he said.

“What is surprising is that she is alive” he gestured to Megumi and her sister. “I thought you said you killed her” he didn’t look so happy.

“Well…I didn’t know that she…she-they had medication and poison doesn’t work on them” he explained.

“Then again I’ll have to do things myself”.

“Ah boss, don’t forget what you promised me” Maya reminded him.

“Oh yes. Well she’s yours” Takahiro said with a wave like she wasn’t a person, and Megumi wasn’t expecting the foot to her face and she was knocked out.

Sachi closed her eyes and Karou hated that she was right at this moment.

“What about the rest of them?” Takashi asked.

He didn’t care for them. He wasn’t one for attachments, but he had to ask.

“Take them away” Takahiro said and the others apart from Karou and Sachi were taken away by his goons.

“And those two?” Jun asked.

“Keep them for now” he turned away and Takashi had to follow because he had questions to ask.

“Bye” Jun said and everything went dark. But Karou could see her Mistress being pulled away and she could do nothing.

VVVVV

This place didn’t have a study, so Takahiro found himself in the training room.

“So how did you know I was here?” he asked.

“Maya” he replied.

“How did you know that Megumi was alive and here?”

“Maya also” she replied.

“How did you know to put her here? How did you get an inkling at all…..how did you….”

“I plan ahead Takashi” he said. “Every good leader does it. Something Megumi is not. I have people everywhere and I mean everywhere. Every part of the country to be exact and they report back to me of potential disasters and foul-ups” he noticed him glare.

“You didn’t plan this with her, did you?” he asked.

“Why would I connive with….my parent’s murderer?” he asked.

“I thought so” he said to himself. “Maya was closest and she joined keeping an eye before I could get here” he explained. “And you’re not into that kind of thing”.

“Yeah” he said. “So what are you going to do to them?” he asked.

“Kill them of course. Why would I be here?”

“Takahiro…” he called.

“Yes” he replied.

“How did the late Hirose kill my parents?”

“Why are you asking?” he quirked his brow.

“Just so I can be sure” he said trying to play it off cool.

“You don’t trust me” he said.

“I learnt in business especially dealing with people like you, you don’t trust anyone”.

“And when you say people like me, what do you mean?”

“Gangsters. Two-faced liars and snakes” he said. Megumi’s words.

“Well you didn’t seem to mind when I told you about your parents. Why the sudden change?”

“Because it doesn’t make sense” he said.

“You’ve been talking to Megumi, haven’t you?”

“Well I was her prisoner, so who should I talk to?!” he demanded. “They both told me on different occasions that their father didn’t have any relations with my parents”.

“Didn’t you just call us liars? You can believe them, but you don’t believe me? Make up your mind Fujiwara”.

“Can you just answer the questions and prove me wrong?” he asked. ‘Please’ he didn’t add. He wanted to be wrong. He really wanted to be wrong.

“Well if you must know, they were gunned down. Just outside your house”.

“And how did you find out? I’m sure Hirose would not just call you and tell you he had killed one of your members”.

“You’d be surprised what happens in my world. But no he didn’t call to tell me. Like I said I have eyes everywhere”.

“And why didn’t you go after him yourself?”

“Like I explained to you, that’s not how things work”.

“Really?” he asked mock surprised. “Because you showed up here just like that, he killed my parents just like that, just the way you killed her father just like that. So tell me why you couldn’t kill him instead” Takashi furrowed his brows.

“I knew this would happen” he said.

“You did kill Hirose” he said.

“Yes” he replied.

“So you had already killed her father, then there was no need to send me there because you had already taken revenge”.

He was silent.

“When did my parents die? Was it before or after Hirose died?”

“Can’t really remember” he shrugged.

“Can’t remember?! You can’t remember when they died, but you could send me there to die?”

“Almost die” he said.

“Was it before or after?” he asked again.

“He killed your parents before I killed him” he said.

“But you already took the revenge, why did you send me?”

“To kill Megumi” he replied smiling.

“Why didn’t you go yourself?” he was angry, and also hurt that he was just sent there like he wasn’t human. Like he didn’t matter.

“I have better things to do than to play games with a girl” he laughed.

“Why did you want to kill her in the first place?”

“Because she was an obstacle and needed to be taken care of, and you obviously failed at that” he pointed out.

“You wanted Megumi out because she was an obstacle” he repeated.

“Yes. That’s what I just said. So not only are you bad at what you claim to be good at, you’re also deaf” he sighed.

“And you also took out Hirose because he was an obstacle” he was sensing a pattern. This was what Megumi had explained to him.

“And also because he killed my members” he added.

“Who were also a big obstacle” he said.

Takahiro smiled.

“You think I killed them? So I can see you’re so close to the Megumi girl to take her side on this”.

“You said they were gunned down in front of my house, and whoever saw couldn’t do anything right?’

“Well….”

“And you want Megumi dead because you want all your obstacles gone. Just like Hirose and just like my parents. Thinking about it now, I’m not even sure Hirose approached them. This was just your plan to send me to my death just in case I ever got to find out the truth”.

Takahiro was silent.

And then he smiled advancing on Takashi, his hands in his jacket and that was scary for him.

“Your parents were gunned down in front of your house and you had ran out and gotten to your dying…already dead parents” he laughed. “I saw you cry and I also wanted all of you out of the way”.

“You-you’re a very horrible person”.

“Tell me something I don’t know” he laughed and then he stopped moving.

“But you are so different from your father. You’re way smarter than him”.

“You…” his air was cut off.

An arm was wrapped round his neck constricting his windpipe, and a cloth was placed over his nose and mouth. “All you had to do was kill Megumi and go away, but you were able to screw that up. So you’re just as bad as your father”.

And Takashi closed his eyes and slumped against Jun and she sighed letting him fall.

“There goes your golden boy” she stated dryly. “What do I do to him?” she asked.

“Throw him in with the rest” he waved dismissively. “Where’s Megumi?”

“With your spy” she replied.

VVVVV

Megumi awoke with a gasp and she tried getting up immediately, but her hands were cuffed to the headboard. She tried pulling hoping she could break the wood with her strength, but she was only hurting herself.

She stopped her pulling and leaned against the wood panting. She should have at least listened to Takashi and believed Karou. Now she was living to regret it. She could get out of this. Everyone else was free she was sure of it.

Sachi and Karou were still here.

They were clearly outnumbered, but she was sure she could get through. When she saw Maya again she would…

“Thinking about me boss?” she asked as she stepped into the room.

“Don’t call me boss. Your boss is Takahiro you liar. When I get free you will regret crossing me”.

“Can you just shut up?” she yawned. “You’re not as tough as you claim”.

“So what’s your story Maya?” Megumi asked.

“Well I’ll make it short. Moved here and I had a lot of occurrences with Red Dawn, and I kind of stayed where they ran and I had to pay money. I fought with them and Takahiro wanted to meet me, and with my military background it was really easy”.

“So you left the military to be a spy for a gangster. You are pathetic”.

“And you aren’t?” she asked.

“You don’t know how to lead a gang, you lost everything for trusting someone and you’re here starting from the very beginning with the same person that ended you and you can’t kill him. Sounds like pathetic to me”.

Megumi groaned.

“You said, just stick to being a gangster and a spy Maya. You are bad at everything else. What do you think about this now?”

“I am a whole bunch of other things. I made you believe what I wanted. Waning to please you all the time and kissing your ass, and you didn’t even believe your babysitter when she told you I was bad news. Even Takashi tried to do it, but no one would dare betray you because you are invincible”.

“Your pride would be the death of you”.

“So why am I not dead yet?”

“Because it’d be fun to get to play with you” she replied.

“Excuse me?” she blinked. “Play with me. Do I look like a toy?”

“Well you are cute. You have long curls, and the way you just place that red on your lips which is way too much by the way. You look like a pretty doll”.

“Nice figure…” she said her fingers tracing down her ribs. “And an amazing chest” she squeezed at her soft chest. “And nice figure. I can see why Fujiwara can’t stop looking at you”.

Maya cupped her cheeks and played with them. “So cute. Shame that you’re going to die”.

“No kidding” she said and it came out all funny.

Maya straddled her legs and grinned.

“Let’s have some fun then. I always wanted to see what you did look like” and her hand went to her shirt.

VVVVV

Takashi groaned and he opened his eyes, and wherever he was kept was dark or he was blind.

“You’re awake” a sardonic voice said.

He turned and looked to the side of the room where Sachi was seated and Karou was pacing. He sat up slowly and the blood flowing down to his body made his vision blacken for just a minute. He rubbed his head and the only light that was filtering through the room was from the space under the door.

“So what are you in here for?” Sachi asked.

“Yes. You’re his boy, aren’t you?” Karou didn’t stop her pacing.

“I found out everything. You were right Sachi” he admitted.

“Really sweet” Karou commented dryly. “That doesn’t help our current predicament”.

“If I had actually talked to her, we wouldn’t be here”.

“Isn’t that nice” Karou still couldn’t stop pacing.

“You admitting that you made a mistake doesn’t fix everything” Sachi said from her corner. “You are still going to die”.

“Well I guess I deserve that. It was my mistake trying to play god”.

“Why don’t you two keep talking? That’s what will get us out of here. Why does this place have a basement?!’ she yelled and launched her foot at the metal door making Sachi wince.

“I can get us out of here” he said.

“How are you going to get us out of here?” Karou turned to him. “You’re not god, all of us are unarmed and the three of us are here while Megumi is up there alone……”

“Probably dead” Sachi sighed.

“Don’t say that” she turned to Sachi. “I know Megumi and it hurts I can’t be there right now, but she will fight and make Maya wish she had never crossed her”.

“I’m being realistic” she sighed standing up.

“How will we get out of here?” Sachi asked.

“Because we can’t break down the door” Karou launched her foot again. “And no protection” she complained.

“Well I have something on me” he said.

“Which is?” Karou asked.

“Well….”

“You were going to try and poison us again you bastard!” Karou wanted to grab him, but Sachi raised her hand.

“What are you planning?” Sachi asked.

“Well I have something. It’s not deadly but will buy us some time. If you’ve done crack before, you’d know the effects makes you slow. It makes everything slow even when it’s not. Just slows down your whole person”.

“And you have it on you?” Sachi asked.

“Yes, I just need to spread it round the entire premises and hopes everybody breathes it in” he explained.

“Hope?” Karou scoffed.

“And what about us? Won’t we get infected?” Sachi asked.

“I’ll give you the antidote” he said.

“Good plan I don’t see it failing” she said sarcastically. “So how do we get out of here? And also if everyone doesn’t breathe it in, how are we going to fight them? We’re unarmed”.

“Then we’ll use the available weapons before we get new ones” Sachi said.

“What about the door?” she asked.

Sachi stood in front of the door and she took a deep breath. She hadn’t fought physically in forever. Today things were about to change.

She turned to Karou. “Keep kicking the door till someone comes here” she said.

Karou sighed and stepped in front of the door and kept kicking.

“Sorry” she told Takashi. “You’re going to get much worse later anywhere” and she hit him hard. She had never hit him before, but it hurt. Like a combination of Karou and Megumi and her too. It hurt and it couldn’t keep it in.

“Owwwww!” and he dropped onto the floor clutching his jaw, and rolling around and Karou kept kicking. Hopefully someone would get annoyed and come down because she couldn’t keep kicking. Her legs were hurting.

And Takashi on the floor moaning and it was annoying. Sachi went back to her corner.

“This won’t work” Karou gave up and sat by the side rubbing her ankle and thigh.

“Well I guess we’re going to die today”.

To their surprise, the door opened and a man stepped in.

“Would you stop with that noise?! What’s going on here?!” he demanded.

“He’s hurt” Sachi said.

“Well….” Karou snuck up on him and knocked him out and he was on the floor. Sachi stood up and so did Takashi still in pain.

“Try anything stupid and I will kill you myself” Sachi told him.

“Sure” he said.

Karou searched him and unfortunately he was clean. Of all times for him to be clean it had to be now.

They all looked at the open door, Takashi was filled with trepidation.

“We die, we die” Sachi said.

Well he was going to do that anyway.

The disadvantage for all three of them was that they were at the basement, if they had been locked up, they would have been able to spray whatever concoction Takashi had made, and it would have spread, but that wasn’t happening.

They’d have to go with this carefully.

“So how are we going to do this anyway?” Karou asked.

“We go into this headfirst” Sachi said already heading for the steps. Looks like it had only been one of them on the ground floor. Lucky for them.

“And you think that’s going to work?” she questioned.

“Well, you want to see Megumi alive don’t you? I suggest you move fast” Sachi said ascending and Takashi got a spray can out which had already been filled just for emergencies.

“Let’s go then” Takashi said walking past her following after Sachi.

Karou followed and she wasn’t even at the top when she heard, “STOP!”

Karou stood where she was and Takashi had to get on his knees and lay low. Sachi stood where she was. It was now or never.

He approached with his gun slowly. “How did you get free?! Where are the rest of you?!” he got closer and now she had to remember all the training that money had been spent on just because of her.

He came closer and she leaned to the side quickly, pushing forward and then knocking into him making him fall, and the gun roll to the side. Before he could get up, she stomped hard on his neck. He wasn’t going to get up and she went for her gun now and turned looking at Takashi and Karou.

“Glad to see you could handle that” she said and caught the gun as she threw it.

“Now start spraying” Karou told him and both got behind her.