The opening titles came then. Jolt III: Return of the Daysman. Brittany and her new boy toy had some darkness to fight.
The movie was another ninety minutes of wild demon hunting. Pretty sweet, actually. Bret didn’t make it—Brittany’s men never did—but he’d been working for the demons, anyway, and she had to take him out.
After all, a demon hunter’s got to do what a demon hunter’s got to do.
On the walk home, Jun found a store selling Jolt III posters, just like the one Keiko and Kozue had in their room. He insisted on buying one for me, which was awesome. I just hoped I could get it home to the States without ruining it. He bought one for himself too.
After that, Jun, Kozue, and Keiko blathered on non-stop about the movie. In Japanese. Leaving me to walk beside Grace. I only knew they were talking about the movie because I kept hearing “Buritani” and “Laitu Godesu” every few seconds.
The language barrier convinced me that the Mission League could pay for a few texts home, so I texted Kip about the movie. He didn’t text back. How long did it take a text to travel around the world, anyway? Wasn’t this supposed to be a super spy phone? But maybe it was three a.m. back in Cali or something. I wasn’t sure.
“That movie was so dumb,” Grace said out of the blue. “Who acts like that?”
“Sexy demon hunters,” I said. “Duh.”
“That’s not how you fight demons.”
“How would you know?” I asked.
“How would you?”
“Look, if you can’t say anything nice about the movie, just don’t speak,” I said.
“Fine.”
With nothing left to occupy my thoughts, they returned to the film. That whole bit about connecting to the untapped power inside was almost word-for-word what Dmitri Berkovich, the Russian mobster and Bratva cult leader, had said to me last summer. I shivered just thinking about it. Could the Jolt scriptwriters have something to do with Bratva?
Seemed like a stretch.
Still.
Last fall, Tito and Blaine had stuck a needle in my arm that had made me pass out. Maybe they knew the real Brittany. Maybe they’d been going to take me to the real Light Goddess, but Kimbal and Sasquatch had arrived just in time to save my hide.
Or maybe I’d been watching one too many scary movies.
● ● ●
The house was dark, old, and smelled of mildew. Beer cans cluttered the floor around a tattered recliner with foam poking out of one armrest. A scream pierced the small home.
A clump. A crash. Broken glass. Another scream.
A blond girl raced from a room at the end of the hall and entered another, her ponytail sailing behind. Grace. She slammed the door. Locked it.
A crash shook the windows and I sat up, heart racing. It was dark. I was sitting on my blankets on the hard tile floor of Jun’s bedroom. Rain pounded on the roof and poured off the eaves. A flash lit the room, and I stared out the window at the dark branches swaying in the storm, scratching at the window.
A loud boom shook the house again, and I jumped as it carried on, long and loud and menacing. I’d never heard anything like it.
“Supensa-san? Daijobu ka?”
I turned and saw Jun sitting up next to me. “It’s loud.”
“Taifuu.”
“Typhoon?” I blurted out. “Aren’t those dangerous?”
Jun shook his head. “Happen often in Okinawa.”
I lay back on the floor. Another flash lit the bedroom, illuminating Jun’s belongings. When the thunder came, I trembled along with the rest of the house.
Jun had hung his new Jolt III poster on the wall of his room, and, as hot as Brittany Holmes was, the thing was giving me the creeps in this weather. Especially when I started thinking about the Bratva-like phrases from the movie.
When I got back to Cali, I’d have to rent the movies with Kip so I could look for any other Bratva similarities, because those sayings were way too alike to be a coincidence. The thought brought my memory to the times I’d met Dmitri, which reminded me of Anya, which made me think of the torture dream and then the one I’d just had of Grace.
I should write it down. Someone was hurting her. Or already had. Or was going to in the future. She’d had that black eye when we’d met and that faded bruise under her arm on the beach …
My eyelids grew heavy. I closed them. Another flash of lightning flamed red though my closed eyelids. Later. I could log the Grace dream in the morning.
But the thunder shook my eyes open. I sat up and reached for my backpack.
Okay! I’ll do it now!
● ● ●
The next afternoon a bunch of us walked home from school together. Jun, Gabe, Wally, Keiko, Arianna, Isabel, Grace, and me. I started out walking with the guys, but by the end of the first block, I was at Keiko’s side. The heat wasn’t so bad when I had a pretty face to distract me from it.
“So, do you know karate too?” I asked her.
“Some. My mother believe girl should be able to protect herself. But my father say karate is for boy.”
“What do you think?” I asked.
“I would rather have peace.”
“Heiwa,” I said, holding up two fingers in the peace sign.
Keiko giggled and flashed me the peace sign back.
“Why do Japanese people always hold up the peace sign when they get their pictures taken?” I asked.
“It doesn’t mean anything, I don’t think. Is just cute photo pose.”
We approached the little shop on the corner where we turn left. Arianna, Isabel, and Grace ran inside, followed by Jun, Gabe, and Wally, so Keiko and I went in too.
I loved this store. I loved Japanese candy and snacks, especially their ice cream stuff. There was this melon slushy thing that was so good. Today I bought two lemon ice cups and handed one to Keiko then rubbed my cup against my forehead before I opened it. She giggled. We went outside, leaving everyone else in the shop.
“How can you stand this heat?” I asked.
“Does not bother me.” She spooned some of the icy lemon into her mouth and her lips puckered. “Pensa-san? You can keep secret?”
I slurped a dripping glob of lemon off the side of my cup. “Sure.”
“Last night I had strange dream. A man covered in tattoo chase me.” She paused. “I’m afraid it will happen for really, you know? In other words, do you think is crazy?”
Red light. Keiko dreamed about Tito in Okinawa? Nah. It had to be some other tattooed guy. “People have weird dreams all the time.”
“No me. My dream are special, okay?” Keiko looked down at her lemon ice and closed her eyes. “Many times,” she whispered, “my dream come to real life. I’m afraid tattoo man will come to Naha.”
Man, I sure hoped not. Tito was supposed to be in jail. “I don’t know.” But what if Keiko was gifted in prophecy like me? Maybe that was why I’d been assigned to track her. To help her deal with her visions and glimpses and everything. The idea excited me. I was on to something here. I was sure of it. Could even be God’s way of answering one of my prayers.
“You not think is evil, Pensa? My father says such dream come from evil spirits.”
“What? No. Keiko, I get strange dreams too sometimes. They’re from God. He’s sending you messages. You should tell your League instructor. That Mr. Toda, right? Toda-san?”
Her eyes were wide with wonder. “You have dream too?”
I grinned. “Yeah. I’ve only met one other kid besides me who does.” Mary’s warning about beautiful foreign girls came to mind suddenly, but I pushed it away.
“Who else dreams?”
“Oh.” Doubtful that Mr. S would like me telling people about Mary. “It doesn’t matter. Is this the first time you dreamed about the tattoo guy?”
She nodded and grabbed my arm. “Please, you will tell me if this is bad, okay?”
“It’s not bad, Keiko. Your dad’s wrong.” I was sure of it now. Prière had assigned me to keep an eye on Keiko be
cause, like me, she had prophetic dreams. And her dad told her the dreams were evil. How sick. I’d do everything I could to assure her God had gifted her for a reason.
Gabe and Arianna would be so proud. And maybe God too.
I caught sight of Grace standing in the doorway to the shop, watching us, the disapproval plain on her face. I put my back to her and drank another mouthful of lemon slush.
Once everyone had bought their junk food, we all continued toward Jun’s house. Keiko took hold of my hand, and I felt seven feet tall. My life was awesome right now.
Gabe came up beside me, shot me a Prude Patrol raised eyebrow, then opened a box of strawberry Pocki. “Jun paid for everyone,” he said.
“Not me and Keiko.” I spun around and found Jun walking with the girls. A bad feeling rumbled in the pit of my stomach. Where was Jun getting all the cash?
But maybe it wasn’t really Jun that was bothering me, but Kimura-san. How could he think such garbage about his own daughter? But he was letting a guy like Bushi into his dojo, so clearly some of his bolts were loose.
Maybe I should tutor Keiko in intercession like Prière had done for me. Teach her how to make her own dream journal. Prière had said that he never showed his journal to anyone, except for training purposes. But if I was training Keiko, that was pretty much the same thing, right?
● ● ●
That night, Jun, Joji, and I stayed up late playing video games. After I brushed my teeth, I came into Jun’s room to pull up my piece of floor. Gabe and Wally were already sleeping. Joji slipped out and into the bathroom. Jun was standing at his desk, flipping through a leather book.
I walked over and stood beside him. “What’s that?”
“Shizuka. Is book on meditation.”
Meditation? “It’s thick.”
“Is cult. My task from Toda-san.” He tapped the book. “This part of it.”
Maybe this was how he was getting all the extra cash. “What’s the assignment—I mean, ‘task’?”
Jun pursed his lips, as if weighing whether or not to tell me. “I don’t want to say too much, but something is happen at dojo. I think Kimura-san is involved. I have joined Abaku-kai to learn more. Bushi, he give this book to me, invite me to pray like Shizuka.”
Ego Boy? “You joined the Japanese mafia?” Not surprising that Bushi was in it, but dang. Jun was pretty gutsy to go undercover to track that guy.
“Hai. Is berry dangerous.”
No doubt. “Is that where you’re getting all the money?”
Jun paled. “Hai. I have job helping to make deliveries. I am supposed to turn in money I make to Toda-san, but I have been keeping the tips. Is nice to have some to spend. Please keep secret?”
“Hey, I won’t say anything.” It wasn’t my business. “Kimura-san and Bushi, huh? What about Kimura-san’s daughters? They’re not involved, are they?” Please say no.
“I don’t think so. Kozue is good daughter. She studies hard. Keiko, she was berry wild. But she is getting better now at Oroku High. She used to go Shogaku as well. But she was failing her classes and get into trouble. But she was girlfriend to Bushi then also.”
Keiko and Bushi? “No way!”
“Kozue said it was bad relationship. She said Bushi strike Keiko many times.”
I might have to kill him.
“Is okay now. Kozue said that Keiko is no girlfriend to Bushi anymore. I don’t think the girls know what their father is doing, but is berry bad.”
Berry bad, indeed. My mission was clear. I had me a damsel in distress to save.
REPORT NUMBER: 15
REPORT TITLE: I Ride a Banana in the Ocean and a
Motor Scooter through a Mall
SUBMITTED BY: Agent-in-Training Spencer Garmond
LOCATION: Naha Beach Side Hotel, Naha, Okinawa, Japan
DATE AND TIME: Saturday, June 20, 10:48 a.m.
SATURDAY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE banana boat day, which sounded so silly that I’d been looking forward to it. But as Jun’s dad drove us across Naha, it started to pour. He didn’t turn around though. He pulled up in front of the Naminoue Driving School and we all piled out into the rain. Then he drove away.
“Hayakushite!” Jun said.
Jun ran through the parking lot. I put my beach towel over my head, and Gabe and I chased him, Wally trudging along behind. We crossed a narrow road, then a small parking lot that was at the top of a tiny beach. This was Naha, so even though we’d found the ocean, we were surrounded by buildings, including a freeway overpass. The roar of a jet taking off reminded me that we were also close to the airport.
Jun headed for a building on the left that looked like a warehouse.
I caught up to him and yelled, “Where are we going?”
He pointed at the warehouse. “Wait for typhoon to pass.”
Another typhoon? At least there wasn’t any thunder and lightning this time.
The warehouse had a huge garage door on one end, which was opened to the sandy beach. We ran inside. Jake and Lukas were already here, as were Jensina and Beth, all of their host siblings, and Mr. S, Kerri, Mary, and Martha. The warehouse was filled with little boats and jet skis and these inflatable hotdog-looking things that I guessed were banana boats. Life vests, throw rings, and buoys hung on the walls.
The rain hammered the metal roof above. I stood just inside the door and watched the rain pound the sand outside. In the sky, dark clouds sailed past like a low-flying airplanes. I’d never seen clouds move so fast. It kind of freaked me out.
But then the rain stopped and the sun came out. So weird.
Kimura-san and the girls hadn’t arrived yet, but Toda-san gathered us together and started to pass out life preservers.
“Hi, Spencer,” Mary said.
I looked down and saw her standing beside me, Martha on her other side. “Hey, Mair. How you been? Hi, Martha.”
Martha raised one eyebrow and looked away. Whatever.
“You staying out of trouble, Spencer?” Mary asked me.
I’d normally find such a question obnoxious, but Mary meant well. “Yes, ma’am.” Though speaking of foreign women, why weren’t the twins here yet? I glanced out the garage door and could see only the edge of the parking lot.
Toda-san handed me a blue and white life vest. “You need extra-large, Supensa-san.”
True that.
I strapped the vest over my T-shirt—I wasn’t taking any chances with another sunburn. I followed Jun and Gabe out the garage door and toward the ocean. The temperature felt cooler than usual, though maybe it was because of the soft breeze.
Three Jet Skis were parked on the sand with banana boats hooked to the backs of each. Only one of the inflatable tubes was yellow. The others were red. I passed Wally, who was standing back from the surf, fully dressed, no life vest.
“You don’t like Jet Skis, Wally?” I asked.
“The term Jet Ski is a misnomer,” Wally said. “Jet Ski is a registered trademark of a specific line of personal water craft manufactured by Kawasaki. Over 90 percent of personal water craft accidents are caused by operator error. If I was allowed to drive a PWC myself in empty waters, I might be willing to try. As is, there is far too much risk involved.”
“Suit yourself, man.”
Movement up in the parking lot pulled my attention away from Wally. Kimura-san’s luxury car drove into a parking space. The doors all opened at once. Kimura-san got out of the driver’s side. Arianna, Grace, and Isabel climbed out of the back. Keiko and Kozue got out of the front—they were wearing bikinis again.
“Oh, those girls,” Kerri mumbled.
I fought back a smile as the girls walked toward us. One of the twins stayed back, though, standing with Kimura-san beside the car. They were yelling at each other. I wandered that way in hopes of figuring out what was going on. Jun ran past me and met the twin who was with Arianna, Grace, and Isabel. She kissed him and took hold of his hand, then they continued toward the beach with the American girls.
Which
meant Keiko was the one fighting with her dad.
Arianna reached me first and grabbed my arm. “Spencer, stay out of it.”
As if I’d been planning to go stand between Keiko and her dad or something. “Stay out of what?”
Jun and Kozue walked past us, chattering to each other in Japanese. Isabel and Grace stopped with Arianna.
“Kimura-san confronted Keiko about the lunch money she’d been supposed to give us,” Arianna said. “They’ve been fighting all day.”
“She didn’t take it, did she?” I said, knowing my Asian princess was no thief.
“Oh, yes, she did,” Grace said. No Hello Kitty bikini today. Grace was in her black one-piece. And she’d left her Miami Heat hat behind. “Keiko said Americans are rich enough to pay our own way.”
“That’s what she told her dad,” Arianna said. “She doesn’t think he should pay for our lunch. And that’s why she’s been keeping the money.”
“Come on,” I said, but Arianna took Isabel’s arm and walked past me toward the surf.
“You’re still taking her side?” Grace asked. “Even after what Arianna said?”
I didn’t answer. Didn’t want to believe Keiko would do something so ghetto. It must be a misunderstanding. Had to be.
“You know, Keiko has a picture of you on her phone,” Grace said.
“Really?” Though I tried to fight it, I grinned.
“A picture of your back.” Grace folded her arms and smirked, like she’d just insulted my mother. “What I did to you at Manza Beach. She and Kozue were laughing at it.”
Anger rushed through me. Grace was lying. Messing with me again. “Just shut up.” I turned and walked back to the surf.
Four people could ride the banana boat at once, and Toda-san had started three lines. Jake, Lukas, Gabe, and Tetsu were already sitting on the yellow boat. Beth, Jensina, Acne Face, and Keroppi Frog Girl were getting on one of the red ones. Arianna, Grace, Isabel were standing in front of the third one.
I wanted to ride with Keiko, so I went and put my towel next to Jun’s and Kozue’s, hoping that she would get over here by the time the first three boatloads returned. I also kicked off my flip-flops and left them on my towel with my wallet.
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