If I send anyone from Swallow, they won't be there for an hour. And what do I do? Uh? Think, Max, think. Think faster. Calling the police is the last resort.
This is the other side of the government giving you easy access to weapons. If I shoot someone on my own territory, that is, at home, in the club that belongs to me, or on the base—the law and traditions are on my side. However, if guns are used in the middle of the city, everyone is in trouble. In the best case scenario, Sugishima would be deprived of the right to own firearms, and Shidotamoru would be given a warning. If the number of these warnings exceeds a dozen—although, there are no clear set rules on this—both my firm and Sugishima can be deprived of the right to own weapons. It's not fatal, of course, but very unpleasant. The aristocrats cannot be deprived of this right, so they only lose their reputation, and even then, only if they ask the police for help. This situation led to the fact that the police often do not rush to interfere in disagreements, but still try to stay logical. For example, they will not sit still if the shooting starts in the middle of a crowd of civilians. In general, this is a rather ambiguous question, they have their own rules and traditions, with their nuances. In short, it is better not to involve the police in our case while possible. They won't leave you alone if you involve them.
What do I do then? Technically, if they could only make it to the shopping center, they'd be fine because there are security guards, with their own rules. They will not allow shooting. My guys will have more options if they get a hold of the guards there. On the other hand, even there they can be beaten to death or... it doesn’t matter. Anyway, they can't stay there for too long. And if the enemy has enough people to block all the exits, then my people will be trapped inside the shopping center. There is not much choice, really.
“How are you?” I asked Taro's bodyguard. “Not injured?”
“Two light wounds. My condition is within the norm.”
Hell, he‘s dragging Legless behind, too!
“How long till you can make it to Shinshi?”
After a moment's silence, Sugishima answered me, “Half an hour. Considering the wounds.”
“Look around. Is it possible to get a car? Preferably with a driver. If anything, I'll pay him. I can give him some motivation if he decides to be stubborn. You just have to bring him to me.”
“I'm not seeing any cars with drivers yet. Sakurai-san, I cannot steal a car: I just don't know how to get it started without a key. I don't have such skills.”
Right. Me neither. I'd lived so many years, I'd endured so much, but I had never learned how to steal a car. When I worked with McClaud, he was responsible for such things. That sounded funny now.
“Then keep walking. Call me when you reach the shopping center. This is in case you don't see anyone with a car. And if you do, threaten the driver, play the tambourine—do anything except murder, I'll deal with all the consequences. Understood? Any questions?”
“No questions. I'm on it.”
Think, think, think! Ask for help? Possibly. But it’s not a fact that Koyama has people around there. And I can’t reach out to anyone else with such a request. It's an option though. Mmm, I could also call Okhayashi... Nah, that’s dumb. Okay, let's ask Akemi about available people. Although, I doubt that she can help. I doubt it very much so.
“D-d-d-amn it!” I said to myself.
Shidotamoru! Shidotamoru is exactly where Taro was heading to, and I forgot. There's a freaking office next door and a guard change, with twenty freaking thugs. There. A-ah, what the hell! I don't know the phone number of the new head of the Security Council! Tanaka can be anywhere, like Kasai. It's not a fact that they are in the main office. How stupid of me!
Having dialed the number, I waited for the connection.
“Yes, Sakurai-san.”
“That's right, listen and do not interrupt,” I wanted Kuroda to be serious right away. “Twenty minutes ago, unknown people attacked Taro and his bodyguard. Sugishima—this bodyguard—was able to defend them, but in the end, they were left without a car. Now both are heading towards the shopping center of Shinshi, it's not far from our office. You should know this. The problem, if you do not take into account the very situation, is that they are both wounded, although lightly, and that they still have the attackers on their backs. As you understand, the help from the base cannot make it on time. In the one and a half hours it would take them to get there, anything could happen. Same with Swallow. I am farther than all of you. The police... are also predictable. If the opportunity presents itself, Sugishima will boost a car, but I think he’ll already be at the shopping center before he gets a chance for that.”
I paused for a moment, thinking if I needed to say anything else.
“It’ll take them about thirty minutes to get to Shinshi. Do you understand what I’m getting at? Now call your successor, explain the situation, send Taro's pictures, if necessary... Do you have any, by the way?”
“Nemoto Taro is still listed as a member of Shidotamoru, so there is a photo in his file.”
“Right. Then let them take photos from the Sugishima file, too. He used to work for you earlier.”
“Yes, I remember him Sakurai-san. There’ll be people who also remember him in today’s shift.”
“Excellent. They'll make it to Shinshi in twenty minutes, and then can find Sugishima. Is there a phone number for him on file?”
“Unless he changed it,” Kuroda said uncertainly.
“Okay, I'll send you the phone number just in case. One more thing. If there is an opportunity, bring me one of the dime-droppers. I don't need anything risky, but if that becomes possible... Well, you know.”
“Yes, Sakurai-san.”
“I think that's everything. I will send you Sugishima's number, and if you need to know something, you will ask him. But you know, it's better not to distract him now.”
“I understand, Sakurai-san.”
“Then that's everything. Get to it. If there's anything, call me.”
I hung up and leaned with my elbows against the windowsill, looking at the empty schoolyard.
First of all, I need to decide what to do right now. Wait for the end of class and leave? Or stay? Do I have to wait till the end of the class? Mmm, I probably should. Twenty minutes will not change anything, I still have about an hour. While they're picking up Taro and Sugishima, getting them to the nearest hospital, treating the wounds, and even after that, I have nowhere to hurry off to. Kuroda will certainly do all he can to find out about the situation, and he will do it no worse than I would. We are both militants, not investigators, and I doubt that I can ask a question that he will not ask. Also, if they manage to bring an informant, then it makes no sense to rush it. I should visit the poor fellows, of course, but darting off to the other side of the city would be silly. At the moment, the best thing I can do is not interfere with others and do extra work. What I could also do is find out something from Akemi. But she’s not the all-knowing goddess, she also needs time for research and going to her only to monitor the situation would be meaningless. This I can do over the phone. On the other hand, how can I sit at school at such a time?
“Oho-ho,” I sighed, leaning my forehead against the window glass.
Wait and catch up, Max. Wait. And catch up.
In the end, I decided not to torture myself. It might not have been practical, but sitting at home, or better yet at Swallow, being easily accessible would put my mind at ease. So after the class was over, I grabbed my things, told Rydon not to worry, and went home, where I needed to change first.
By the way, Rydon had made me feel better.
“Shin?” He said half-questioningly as I walked up to my desk.
If it were not for his upbringing, he would have thrown himself at me as soon as he saw me. He even jumped up when I entered the classroom. And that was... It's going to sound cheesy, but I suddenly felt warmth in my heart. It's nice to realize that you have a friend—not a dedicated subordinate, but a friend.
&
nbsp; “Everything's under control, Ray. But I will have to leave school to keep it that way.”
“Sometimes it seems,” he shook his head, “that you were forced to go to school.”
Wow. If he added “to this school,” that would be right on point.
“You almost got it, Okhayashi-dono,” I chuckled.
“What do you mean?” he was surprised.
“Well, uh ... I didn't want to join this exact school. It would be easier for me to attend an ordinary private school.”
To which Rydon just grunted.
“Do you need help?”
“I'm dealing so far. I doubt you can help.”
“I have a dozen personal fighters,” if I didn't know him so well, I would have thought that he was offended by this. “My father gave them to me when I turned fourteen. They are all Warriors, fully equipped, including MIAs. I can even loan you something heavier than that. So you shouldn't say that I can't help. Besides...” he hesitated, “I am a Veteran myself.”
“You're a ritzy boy, not a Veteran,” I muttered to myself. “That’s not the point, Ray. My problem is time and distance. Your people just won’t have time to get where I need their help. Don't worry,” I said, noticing his frown. “I told you everything is under control right now. But if anything happens, I’ll keep you in mind.”
I wanted to thank him at the end but didn’t. I didn't want to look melodramatic. Besides, there was nothing to thank him for because everything was going the way it should be. I wouldn't stay away either if he had problems. I think he understood this.
When I was halfway home, I received a phone call.
“Hello?”
“We found them, Sakurai-san,” I heard Kuroda's voice. “Although Nemoto lost a lot of blood, he’ll live. His wound is not really dangerous, only painful. But Sugishima worries me. Several fragments in the hip, a trajectory wound to the right shoulder, bullet in the left shoulder.”
He stopped talking to me and told someone to bypass.
“Two broken ribs,” he continued. “And the most unpleasant thing is a bullet in the side. In general, I can understand how he survived himself, but the fact that he had also dragged Nemoto on his back, I just can’t grasp that. It’s incredible.”
Wow. What can I say?
“Is there any good news?”
“Of course. They didn't make it to the shopping center. We found them in the alley behind it. The jerks who followed them didn't seem to understand that they couldn't make it to Shinshi. As a result, I have the pleasure of watching very arrogant and unsuspecting guys hanging around the shopping center.”
“So they have no idea about you?”
“That's right, Sakurai-san. They never saw us. Nemoto and Sugishima were sent to Sanno hospital, and now nothing is holding me back.”
Well, it seems that Daddy-Rabbit can also be lucky.
“Punish them, Kuroda.”
“It'll be done,” he replied very vigorously.
I hung up and pulled myself together. I had to go. Traveling with prisoners was not convenient so Kuroda would go straight to the base. I, on the other hand, had to go straight to the hospital. It was good that an action plan was starting to develop—it was exactly what I needed. And my mood got a hell of a lot better from the good news I received. Relatively good, of course.
Stop. What the hell? How did that happen? How did Kuroda end up at the shopping center?!
I raised my hand, in which I still had my cell phone, and gazed at it, not understanding.
No, Max, it's not mysticism. There is only one answer: he was nearby. I don't care what he was doing there, but why didn't he tell me? Actually, I was on him about what happened so he could have forgotten to tell me how he got there. What's the difference, anyway. The main thing is it's done, and the rest is not important.
I'm still curious: what was he doing there?
By the time I arrived at the hospital, Kuroda was already rushing back to the base at full speed. The result of his “field trip” was three informants and five corpses. Two more jerks had managed to escape. As far as I understood from his brief report, after they grabbed themselves some prisoners, Kuroda used his tactics skills to direct the rest into a trap. There were fewer people, and no one could disturb them there. In fact, what they did is quite difficult and complicated to pull off. I didn't even suspect that I had such professionals in my Security Council. It made me feel like some sort of a rookie. No, I knew they were good, but that good? It was excellent, of course, that they were not just regular fighters, they had more prospects in the future. At the moment, I needed brute force, but that would change eventually.
Sugishima was on the third floor, while Taro was on the fifth floor, so I visited the bodyguard first. I thought I should raise his salary, while I was at it. Something interesting happened when I reached for the door of his hospital room.
“Hey, little one,” someone behind me said in a deep voice, “I don't see you wearing a doctor's coat.”
“Excuse me?” I turned my head in the direction of the voice and looked at a beastly looking man, with a vertical scar stretching from his right eye.
Is that the guard? I wonder if he's worked for the police too?
When I walked down the hall, he and another man were standing across the hall from the room next door, so I did not pay attention to them. They didn’t seem important. I thought that the guards would be located right next to the wounded patient. If I was wrong, and it seemed I was, props to them for their professionalism.
“Where's your coat?” Smirked the guy with the scar. “Because if you are not a doctor, you are not allowed to enter this room.”
Should I prank him? Ah, screw it.
“Is Sugishima conscious?”
“What?” The second guard chimed in, while the one with the scar raised his eyebrow.
“Identify yourself,” he demanded.
“Sakurai Shinji.”
“Do you have ID?”
“Not really,” I spread out my hands and pointed my thumb behind my back. “But Sugishima knows me personally.”
“He's sleeping now.”
“Are you sure?” I raised my eyebrow this time. This conversation was getting on my nerves. “Think carefully before you answer now, take into account that there is a chance I'm telling the truth, and I'm Sakurai.”
“He's asleep. What else would he be doing there?” Responded the second guard.
“He's sedated,” the scar-face added.
“Oho-ho. Then call Kuroda. Do you know his number?”
“Yes, they've left it,” he grumbled.
It took five minutes to confirm my identity. Five more minutes were spent warning the second pair of guards. At the same time, we made sure that Taro wasn't sedated.
When I got to the fifth floor, I nodded to the guards and entered Taro's room. The guards followed me in.
“We have to make sure,” one of them shrugged his shoulders.
Good fellow, I respect him.
“Wake up, sickly,” I patted Legless's shoulder.
“Huh?” He opened his eyes sharply and said, slightly embarrassed, “Oh, boss. And here I am again, on the hospital bed.”
“Yeah, you struck again,” I said, sitting down on the chair next to the bed.
The guards left the room at that time.
“I'm not at fault this time,” he tried to deny.
“We will find out later who’s to blame for all this.”
“We were just driving and didn't touch anyone, but then they started shooting at our tires. Oh...” he grimaced. “The bastards shot my side. The doctor said it’s not fatal, but, God, it hurts.” He carefully sighed and asked, “Have you seen Sugishima?”
“Yes. He is asleep right now. I can’t wake him up.”
“How is he there?”
“Didn't they tell you?”
“Ah,” he jerked his cheek and glanced at the floor. “How do I know they tell the truth? They say that he will survive.”
&nbs
p; “Do you think they're lying?” I smiled.
“Well, I mean they never tell the whole truth. They don't want to worry me.”
“So you think I will tell you the truth.”
“You, boss—yes.”
What am I supposed to think now? That I'm such a cold-hearted idiot, that he trusts me so much. Who can understand him?
“He'll be okay. He was hurt, of course, but he's holding on to his life. Besides, he wasn't seriously injured.”
“No? I had to drag him myself at the end! He lost so much blood that it looked like it was two people.”
“Hehe, that's why you didn't make it to Shinshi.”
“How funny, boss. I panicked this time.”
“After the tenth time, you'll get used to it.”
“Khe-khe, oh, khe, oh... oh... khe, ah...”
Whether it was a nervous laugh or a cough, Taro curbed it almost immediately. But he pondered for about five seconds, before answering me.
“Don't jest like that, boss.” He finally gave out. “Otherwise, I'll spend another week here. And tomorrow I have a business meeting with Aketi.”
“What? Come on, Taro! You can't even laugh. How will you walk?”
“I've thought it through,” he said. “I even called my father. In...” he glanced at the clock hanging on the wall, “a couple of hours a healer will come here. Even if he can't heal me, for the money that he will be paid, he will put me on my feet for the rest of the day and one night. Then I'll go back to bed rest, but I'll have at least one day up and moving. Maybe longer, but I don't need longer than that.”
I understood him. The mission was above all, the task must be carried out, retreating and giving up was not an option. That’s how it was.
“Why would you do that?”
“I...” he began and looked out the window. “How do I... I cannot let you down, boss.”
Hmm. I have nothing to say. Nothing at all. No matter how much logic there is in my words, no matter how convincing I can be, in his heart, he will still think that he has failed. No matter what it was, the fact is that he failed. I understand very well the importance of the treatment, but if I were him, I'd do the same. Not in the current situation, but in general.
Losing Masks Page 24