Cuttlefish
Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
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May 22, 1944
Location: Osaka
Course: Docked
Attached to: TF 23
Mission: Air combat
System Damage: 1
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 454
Orders: Await further orders
---
It is mid morning. The sunlight barely penetrates the opening of the narrow alley leading off a street near the Osaka docks. What light there is reveals several men standing around the body of a small, slender man dressed in black. The dead man lies on his back, sightless eyes staring as if in surprise up at the narrow strip of sky above. His head is cocked at an odd angle to his shoulders and a knife lies near one outflung hand.
Among the onlookers are Captain Shimura of the Tokeitai, two police officers, Captain Ishii, and Chief Petty Officer Shun. Standing a little ways apart is Petty Officer First Class Taiki Takahashi. Taiki is carefully not looking at the body. Not far from Taiki a small pool of vomit adds its aroma to the alley’s general stink.
“Describe what happened once more, please, Mr. Takahashi,” Captain Shimura asks Taiki.
Taiki focuses and addresses the Tokeitai officer. “Yes sir. I was returning to the ship early this morning – I had duty at 0600 hours – and as I passed by a man reached out and yanked me into the alley. There was another man with him and I saw that man was holding a knife. I didn’t fight the pull, I was off balance anyway, instead I just went with it and attacked. I…I broke the neck of the man with the knife and I think I broke the other man’s right arm. He ran off.”
“And where were you coming from at that hour?” Shimura asks.
“The Hotel Abiko,” says Taiki. “My wife is there.” Shimura glances up at Captain Ishii, who nods.
“And you have never seen either of these men before?” Shimura says. “Or have any idea why they would attack you?”
“No sir,” says Taiki. “I have no idea.”
“Perhaps it was just a mugging, sir,” says one of the policemen. “Sailors coming off a night on the town are sometimes temping targets for thieves.” Shimura nods but looks uncertain. Shun steps forward and kneels by the body. He lifts a limp arm and pulls back the sleeve of the loose shirt the man is wearing, revealing a wavy line tattoo on the forearm.
Shimura leans forward to examine the tattoo. “This is an Amur River man,” he says in surprise, then looks sharply at Taiki. “You are sure you have never seen him before?”
“Quite certain, sir,” says Taiki, looking reluctantly at the body. “Amur River, sir? I don’t understand.”
“The Society of the Black Dragon River,” supplies Captain Ishii, giving the Amur River its name in Japanese. “Or the Black Dragon Society, if you prefer. This was no random mugging.”
Taiki’s eyes widen in alarm. “Sir, what do they want with me?”
Captain Ishii looks searchingly at him. “I was hoping you could tell me, Mr. Takahashi.”
“Sir, truly, I do not…” begins Taiki, but Captain Ishii holds up a hand.
“I believe you,” he says. “But until we get to the bottom of this you had better stay aboard ship.”
“Yes sir,” says Taiki reluctantly. “Sir, my wife…”
“Yes, good point,” says Ishii. “Shun. Please go see Mrs. Takahashi and make sure she is all right. Give her my greetings and keep an eye on her until she can be moved to a place of safety. Will that do, Mr. Takahashi?”
“Yes sir,” says Taiki gratefully.
Shimura directs the two policemen to escort Taiki back to Hibiki. They and Shun move off on their various errands, leaving Shimura and Ishii alone in the alley with the body.
“Well, Captain,” says Shimura. “After the Umeda episode I thought that you and your men would leave me in peace. It seems I was mistaken.”
“It seems so,” says Ishii. “Captain, I believe that young man. I really don’t think he knows why they attacked him.”
“I believe him too,” says Shimura. “One learns to read people after a while in this job. The attackers certainly seem to have misjudged their target, at any rate.” Ishii looks down at the body with its head lolling at an unnatural angle.
“They certainly did,” he says.
Neither of them notices the old beggar who pushes away from the wall on the opposite side of the street and shuffles slowly away.
---
“Idiot!” snaps the Rickshaw Man. “Imbecile! You said that those men of yours were good!” The Japanese officer stiffens. He is unaccustomed to such abuse. The evil glitter in the Rickshaw Man’s eyes stifles his protest in his throat, however.
“They were,” says the officer. “And if you had mentioned that Takahashi was such a skilled fighter they would have been prepared for it.”
“You did not find that out either,” says the Rickshaw Man sulkily. He stares at the floor of the old warehouse for a moment. “Shun was there,” he says to himself. “Shun, of all people.”
“Shun?” says the officer.
“Old business,” says the Rickshaw Man. “Unfinished business. That Takahashi whelp must be his protégé. It is regrettable. We cannot afford to try and use Ariga any longer, we will have to find a new candidate. See to it, and this time try not to bungle things so thoroughly.”
The officer stiffens. “I will find someone,” he says curtly. “And what will you do?”
“Pay an old debt,” says the Rickshaw Man. “Pay it in full.”
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