Footsteps Leading Nowhere CH 2
":I'm
glad to see you've finally decided to wake up:." Mousse stepped into the room carrying two
white plastic bags. ":I was
beginning to worry that I had pressed the wrong point and caused you to lapse
into a coma:." Setting the bags
down on the counter he walked over to the bed and sat down. ":How are you feeling Des-chan:?" Smiling he put his arm around Destine's
shoulders. ":I went out and bought
some breakfast:."
":I'm feeling better now. Is Zashu still here? I'd like to apologize for my actions yesterday:."
":He should be back around before noon. He went out to get us some translation books, can you read Romangi:?"
Destine nodded and walked over to the bags. ":What is this stuff:?"
":Orange juice, milk, and cereal:."
Destine wrinkled her nose. ":Doesn't look very filling:."
":Yeah, I know. What I found disturbing was all the different types they sold. When we go to China town today we can buy the food and supplies we need. Have you seen Ryoga lately:?"
":I think he's in the bathroom:." Destine opened the box of cereal and tried a bit. ":Ugh, this tastes like its mostly sugar:."
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Destine stepped out of the shower and dried off. Slipping on her clothes she shook her head. 'And I thought Hong Kong was weird. Here people drive on the wrong side of the street and they seem to need constant noise.' She put in her contacts and began to brush her hair.
"Mrs. Hibiki, you in there?" Zashu knocked lightly on the door. "If you are ready we can head for China Town in a few minutes."
Destine opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom. "Is this acceptable to wear?"
Zashu blinked a few times. Destine had on a blue tank top, a pair of short cut-off jeans, white socks and a pair of tennis shoes. She had her hair tied back in a ponytail and a few strands were falling loose in front of her ears. "Um, you look OK. Where did you get the outfit?" His face turned bright red and he looked away.
"It's one of the disguises I use. I carry a little bit of everything in my backpack." Destine smiled and sat down on the bed. "Have Mousse and Ryoga returned yet?"
"I sent them down to one of the stores to get some tennis shoes. Neither of them had shoes that would be good for walking the streets of San Francisco. Ryoga understands English correct?"
"He just can't read it. Do you know English?"
Zashu nodded. "And Chinese, Korean, Latin, Vietnamese, and a few others."
"Could you teach me? I'm a very fast learner. It can't be as hard to learn as Chinese."
"I will do my best. By the way, here's your translation book. Mousse said you could read Romangi so I got you this one. If you are already able to recognize English letters, learning English should be a breeze for you." Zashu handed Destine a small but thick book plus a black wallet and sat down by the table. "There's enough money in there for you to buy whatever you need, including weapons. I figured you couldn't get most of your stuff past the checkpoints. We'll leave as soon as Mousse and Ryoga return. Is there some other name we could call Mousse? Here the word mousse means either a type of hair gel or a large horned mammal from Canada."
"In China we call him Muu-tsuu. Would that work?" Destine undid her ponytail and began braiding her hair. "Is it all right if we pick up some supplies while in China town? I can't stand the stuff we had for breakfast, it tasted like the main ingredient was sugar."
"People here tend to eat too much sugar. One could say that they are sugar-holics." Zashu laughed and looked over at Destine. "Sure, we can pick up supplies."
"Out of curiosity," Destine walked over to her backpack and took out a small knife. "Where are you staying?" Sitting back down she wound her hair in a bun and used the knife and sheath to hold the bun in place.
"I live in an apartment down by the college." Zashu leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
Destine raised her eyebrows. 'Lives by the college? So he apparently does not live in Japan. Knows Chinese, Japanese and English? Maybe...' Smiling slightly she leaned forward. "Um, Jay?"
"What?" He looked over Destine. After a few seconds his eyes grew wide and he slapped his hand over his face. "Damn it!" Sighing he stood up and walked over to the counter. "Man, I really screwed up this time, Shampoo's going to kill me! How'd you figure it out?"
"I just put two and two together. Ryoga told me that Jay was a professor here and that all the stuff in his house back in China was packed up. Then you told me that a man named Jay had paid for the room and limousine. At first it didn't click, but while in the shower I began thinking it over. The final and ultimate clue was when you said that you "lived" in an apartment by the college. You really need to guard yourself better." Laughing Destine reached into her pocket and pulled out a wallet. "Also I checked your wallet. I snagged it yesterday. Here." Destine sneered and tossed the brown leather wallet over to Jay. "So I take it you're not a policeman. How did you find out about Yosho and Yoshi?"
Jay sat back down in the chair and took a deep breath. "Well, to make a long story short, Shampoo told me about Yosho and Yoshi. Knowing that their sentence would soon be over she requested that I do a bit of research to try and help you and your family. We packed up our belongings and moved back to my apartment by the college. Once I made sure Shampoo and our children were settled in, I disguised myself as Zashu Koto and flew back to Japan to begin my research.
"With the knowledge I acquired from the prison, I went to your house to offer my help. When you turned it down, I camped out in the bushes near the house. The rest you already know."
Destine nodded and closed her eyes. "So you played me for the fool."
"I thought it would be safest for you. I also didn't think you would ever figure it out."
Standing up Destine walked over to the door and shook her head. Opening the door she knelt down to pick up a large yellow envelope. [TO MEKANA HIBIKI] She opened envelope and dumped the contents on the table. Among the various pieces of wadded newspaper were a small box, a piece of plain white paper and a long silver dagger.
"What is it? Who sent you this stuff?" Jay pulled out a pair of glasses and slipped them on.
"There are only two people who call me Mekana, my uncle and Yosho. And my uncle doesn't know where I'm staying. He's taking care of my daughter's ferret and our house while we're away." Sifting through the stuff on the table she picked up the sheet of paper.
[Mekana, here are the instructions to where we are. Come here tonight, ALONE, and bring the entire contents of this envelope. Take your backpack as well. Failure to do this will result in us harming your precious daughter. Yosho.]
She slipped the paper into her pocket and put the rest of the stuff back in the envelope. "You have a map Jay?"
"You CAN'T be serious about this Destine. It's an obvious trap, let us help you. Wait until Mousse and Ryoga return." Jay stood up and rested a hand on Destine's shoulder. "Please."
Destine shoved Jay's hand away and grabbed him by the collar. "I don't need any help. I have dealt with them before and I can deal with them again." Her hands began to shake and a tear rolled down her cheek. "I will do anything to protect those I love, even if it means walking into a trap. Now, do you or don't you have a map?"
Jay sighed and reached into his pocket. "You sure you can read this? I could only find maps in English."
"Yosho wrote the street names in English. If I set out now I should have some time to get a couple of weapons and a bite to eat before I need to be at the appointed location." Slipping on her backpack she turned to Jay. "Still got my business card? You can reach me at any time with the bottom number. It's my pager. I will make contact with you guys before tomorrow. Bye." She tapped Jay in the middle of the forehead and watched him crumple to the floor. "I'm sorry, but I can't have you following me." Adjusting her backpack she stepped out of the room and shut the door.
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"Well, we're back, took a bit longer than we planned, but we're back." Mousse stepped into the room and set a bag down on the counter. "Destine?"
"You won't find her here Mousse. She left about an hour ago."
"But why would she leave without letting us know? I know she has a bad habit of disappearing, but not in a place like this." Ryoga walked in behind Mousse and sat down. "Her backpack's gone too."
"A note arrived addressed to Destine telling her that she was to meet Yosho in a certain place tonight. Yosho also told Destine that if she failed to follow his directions, Megumi would come to harm. Taking the backpack was also in the instructions." Jay stepped out of the bathroom and put on his glasses. "I tried to get her to wait but the note had said for her to go alone. She wouldn't listen to me about this being a trap."
Ryoga looked over at Jay and gasped slightly. "Jay! When did you get here?!"
"I've been here the entire time Ryoga. I just went under the name of Zashu." Jay looked over at Ryoga and shook his head.
"You had on a very ingenious disguise Jay. I couldn’t see through it." Ryoga looked over at Mousse to see if he agreed.
Mousse lowered his head and sighed. "Ryoga, the only difference from earlier is that he is now wearing glasses. Jay right? Do you know where Destine headed to?"
"She didn't let me see the note. If I could have seen the instructions, if only for a second, I would be able to let you know." Jay sat down in one of the chairs and pulled out a map. "Right here is China town where it is believed Yosho has taken Megumi and the others. It's about three by six blocks. If we split up we can cover it in about an hour."
Mousse leaned on the table and scanned the map. "That would work, but Ryoga gets lost in his own house. One of us will have to travel with him. I'll take the north end."
Jay nodded and handed Mousse a white leather wallet. "If you need supplies...." Looking from Mousse to Ryoga he smiled faintly. "Since Ryoga already knows a bit of English, you should pair up with him. Remember to check thoroughly and ask questions. Do you each have a reliable weapon?"
"I've got my throwing knives and Ryoga's got his bandannas. Shall we meet back here in about two hours? I still need to pick up supplies." Reaching into the bag on the counter he pulled out two boxes. "Which one was yours Ryoga?"
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Destine walked into a small corner shop and looked around. In glass cases around the room were a large assortment of weapons. Looking in the case nearest her she spotted a set of blue handled throwing knives like the ones she left in Japan. 'I wonder how much?' She looked over at the storekeeper and pointed to the knives. "How much?" Thinking about what she had just said, she slapped a hand over her face and sighed. 'I bet she can't even understand me.'
"{Um miss? Those knives are $25.00 plus tax for the set.}" The woman looked over towards Destine and waved her over. Writing the price down on a piece of paper she pointed to the knives.
Destine nodded and pulled out thirty dollars and her driver's license. 'Why they need ID is beyond me.'
The woman gave Destine her change and walked over to the knives. Unlocking the counter she pulled the knives out and wrapped them in a red cloth. "{Here you go.}"
Destine bowed and placed the knives in her backpack. Stepping out of the store she looked up at the street sign and pulled out the note. 'OK, I need to turn left here.' Looking around she crossed the street and dodged out of the way of a group of kids roller blading down the sidewalk. 'Now I just need to follow this street for three blocks and I should be there.' Moving over next to the wall of one of the buildings she removed the knives from her pack and slipped them into her belt. She untucked her shirt and covered over the knife hilts. 'Now I'm ready.'
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"Now tell me why we need to pick up rice? Couldn't we wait until this evening?" Ryoga looked around the store as Mousse paid for a one pound bag of rice and some herbs.
"You want dinner or not?" Mousse slipped the rice and herbs into his bag and slung the bag back over his shoulder. "I asked if they had seen Destine and they said to check down the street. They think they might have seen her walk by and into the corner store."
"Then let's get going!" Ryoga turned and headed for the door. "We can catch up to her in no time."
Mousse bowed to the clerk and followed after Ryoga. "The other way Ryoga. They spotted her in the other direction. And that was twenty minutes ago. She's probably long gone by now." He jumped as a beeping noise came from his belt. Looking down he picked up his beeper and looked at the number. "We need to get to a phone."
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Destine stood in the alley next to a large building. 'I'm here, now all I need is for Mousse to call me back. Reaching into her backpack she pulled out a hair net, a one of her wigs, a change of clothes, and some makeup. A few minutes later she peaked around the edge of the building smiling to herself. 'She's Baaack!'
A ringing sound began emitting from her transmitter. Pulling down the mouthpiece she smiled faintly. "Mousse? ...Sorry for running out like that...I know I should have at least let you know what part of the note said...Listen, I'm standing outside the building Yosho told me to go to. If this is where they're keeping Megumi, I will contact you and give you directions...I can't let you know where I am at this moment Mousse...I don't want to risk it...I'll get in touch with you later.... Bye!" She replaced the mouthpiece and tossed her backpack through one of the windows at the bottom of the building. 'That's definitely the basement.' She looked through the window to make sure it was safe and wriggled through.
Destine landed with a soft thud on the floor. Picking up her backpack she reached into the right side pocket and pulled out her lighter. 'Good thing I carry this with me.' Pressing the button she waited until the flame was steady before she headed over to the door leading to the first floor. 'I should leave this here.' She took off her backpack and set it next to the door. 'OK, I need to get to the seventh floor and go to suite 15.'
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Megumi opened her eyes to the sound of a door opening and shutting. 'I hope they don't want to ask me any more questions.' She stood up and walked over to the window. 'I can't jump, I'm seven stories up and I still can't do any of the chain tricks mommy and daddy do.' Hitting her fist against the wall she closed her eyes to hold back the tears. 'I hate it here. I want to be home with mommy and daddy!'
The door behind her opened and a young blonde haired man stepped into the room. The man looked around and walked over to Megumi. Megumi whirled around and grabbed the chair next to her. 'They will NOT ask me any more questions!' Throwing the chair with all her might she tried to run around the man and make a break for the door.
"BAKUSAI TENKETSU!" To Megumi's surprise the man splintered the chair into tiny pieces and grabbed Megumi by the arm. "Stop fighting Megumi!" The man whispered in a harsh voice. "It's me!"
Megumi stopped struggling and turned to face the man. Pulling her arm free she cocked her head to the side. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"
The man locked the door and leaned against the wall. "Easy. Don't you know who I am? I thought I taught you better than this."
Megumi's eyes widened. "Mommy!" She ran forward and jumped into the Destine's arms.
"You got it honey." Destine hugged Megumi and looked around. "Are you all right? Where are the others?"
"I'm fine. I don't know where they are. Those men kept on asking me questions. They wouldn't stop. I couldn't even sleep." Megumi wrapped her arms around Destine's neck and began to cry.
"Hush now Megumi. Everything will be all right. I promise." Destine scooped up Megumi and walked over to the window. "I need to get you out of here."
She was just about to push open the window when Yosho unlocked the door and stepped inside. "{And what do you think you're doing young man? You will not take that girl. I will call the police!}"
Destine whirled around and glared at Yosho. "I am a member of the Yokohama Police Department. You may call me Detective Okaido. I was watching over the Hibiki household when I saw the break in. Following you here I managed to find the Hibiki's little girl. She is now under police custody. Step aside or I shall be forced to arrest you."
"Well detective, did you know that you have no power over me in the US?" Yosho grinned and drew a gun. "Now set her down and no one get's hurt." Pointing it at Destine's head he cocked the gun and grinned. "So what's your choice going to be detective? Either you surrender or I shoot you, take your pick. If I was you I'd surrender."
'What am I going to do? I can't risk that my speed will be fast enough. I can't get away either. It's a seven-story drop. What am I thinking?!' Backing up against the window Destine grinned. "You're not me. So bite me Yosho!" Throwing down some flash bombs she threw herself back and through the glass.
Yosho glared through the haze. "Mekana! I'll get you for this!" Running out the door he pulled down a small latch to set off the alarm.
Destine waited until she had cleared a few stories before she reached into her pocket and pulled out a long piece of rope with a ball on the end. Throwing it upwards, she wrapped it around one of the flagpoles. She turned her body around so Megumi was away from the building and prepared for the pain that would ensue when she hit the wall. Turning her head she noticed that they were headed straight for a large window. "Hold on tight Megumi! We're going through the window!"
Megumi gripped onto Destine's shirt with all her might and closed her eyes. Destine lowered her head and felt the glass from the window shatter and enter her back. 'I will get her to safety!' Landing hard she looked around to see that she was in a long hallway with stairs at the far end. She jumped up with Megumi still in her arms and ran for the stairs. 'I need to hurry, I'm beginning to get dizzy.' She shut the thought of the glass shards in her back from her mind and ran down the stairs.
Reaching the bottom floor she dropped Megumi and collapsed. "Megumi, take this and run. Don't stop running until you get lost." She handed Megumi her transmitter. "Then type 451 on the keypad. GO!" She felt many hands grab her and pin her to the ground. Closing her eyes, she let herself fall into a sea of red and passed out.
Megumi took the transmitter and, with tears in her eyes ran from the building.
":I'm feeling better now. Is Zashu still here? I'd like to apologize for my actions yesterday:."
":He should be back around before noon. He went out to get us some translation books, can you read Romangi:?"
Destine nodded and walked over to the bags. ":What is this stuff:?"
":Orange juice, milk, and cereal:."
Destine wrinkled her nose. ":Doesn't look very filling:."
":Yeah, I know. What I found disturbing was all the different types they sold. When we go to China town today we can buy the food and supplies we need. Have you seen Ryoga lately:?"
":I think he's in the bathroom:." Destine opened the box of cereal and tried a bit. ":Ugh, this tastes like its mostly sugar:."
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Destine stepped out of the shower and dried off. Slipping on her clothes she shook her head. 'And I thought Hong Kong was weird. Here people drive on the wrong side of the street and they seem to need constant noise.' She put in her contacts and began to brush her hair.
"Mrs. Hibiki, you in there?" Zashu knocked lightly on the door. "If you are ready we can head for China Town in a few minutes."
Destine opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom. "Is this acceptable to wear?"
Zashu blinked a few times. Destine had on a blue tank top, a pair of short cut-off jeans, white socks and a pair of tennis shoes. She had her hair tied back in a ponytail and a few strands were falling loose in front of her ears. "Um, you look OK. Where did you get the outfit?" His face turned bright red and he looked away.
"It's one of the disguises I use. I carry a little bit of everything in my backpack." Destine smiled and sat down on the bed. "Have Mousse and Ryoga returned yet?"
"I sent them down to one of the stores to get some tennis shoes. Neither of them had shoes that would be good for walking the streets of San Francisco. Ryoga understands English correct?"
"He just can't read it. Do you know English?"
Zashu nodded. "And Chinese, Korean, Latin, Vietnamese, and a few others."
"Could you teach me? I'm a very fast learner. It can't be as hard to learn as Chinese."
"I will do my best. By the way, here's your translation book. Mousse said you could read Romangi so I got you this one. If you are already able to recognize English letters, learning English should be a breeze for you." Zashu handed Destine a small but thick book plus a black wallet and sat down by the table. "There's enough money in there for you to buy whatever you need, including weapons. I figured you couldn't get most of your stuff past the checkpoints. We'll leave as soon as Mousse and Ryoga return. Is there some other name we could call Mousse? Here the word mousse means either a type of hair gel or a large horned mammal from Canada."
"In China we call him Muu-tsuu. Would that work?" Destine undid her ponytail and began braiding her hair. "Is it all right if we pick up some supplies while in China town? I can't stand the stuff we had for breakfast, it tasted like the main ingredient was sugar."
"People here tend to eat too much sugar. One could say that they are sugar-holics." Zashu laughed and looked over at Destine. "Sure, we can pick up supplies."
"Out of curiosity," Destine walked over to her backpack and took out a small knife. "Where are you staying?" Sitting back down she wound her hair in a bun and used the knife and sheath to hold the bun in place.
"I live in an apartment down by the college." Zashu leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
Destine raised her eyebrows. 'Lives by the college? So he apparently does not live in Japan. Knows Chinese, Japanese and English? Maybe...' Smiling slightly she leaned forward. "Um, Jay?"
"What?" He looked over Destine. After a few seconds his eyes grew wide and he slapped his hand over his face. "Damn it!" Sighing he stood up and walked over to the counter. "Man, I really screwed up this time, Shampoo's going to kill me! How'd you figure it out?"
"I just put two and two together. Ryoga told me that Jay was a professor here and that all the stuff in his house back in China was packed up. Then you told me that a man named Jay had paid for the room and limousine. At first it didn't click, but while in the shower I began thinking it over. The final and ultimate clue was when you said that you "lived" in an apartment by the college. You really need to guard yourself better." Laughing Destine reached into her pocket and pulled out a wallet. "Also I checked your wallet. I snagged it yesterday. Here." Destine sneered and tossed the brown leather wallet over to Jay. "So I take it you're not a policeman. How did you find out about Yosho and Yoshi?"
Jay sat back down in the chair and took a deep breath. "Well, to make a long story short, Shampoo told me about Yosho and Yoshi. Knowing that their sentence would soon be over she requested that I do a bit of research to try and help you and your family. We packed up our belongings and moved back to my apartment by the college. Once I made sure Shampoo and our children were settled in, I disguised myself as Zashu Koto and flew back to Japan to begin my research.
"With the knowledge I acquired from the prison, I went to your house to offer my help. When you turned it down, I camped out in the bushes near the house. The rest you already know."
Destine nodded and closed her eyes. "So you played me for the fool."
"I thought it would be safest for you. I also didn't think you would ever figure it out."
Standing up Destine walked over to the door and shook her head. Opening the door she knelt down to pick up a large yellow envelope. [TO MEKANA HIBIKI] She opened envelope and dumped the contents on the table. Among the various pieces of wadded newspaper were a small box, a piece of plain white paper and a long silver dagger.
"What is it? Who sent you this stuff?" Jay pulled out a pair of glasses and slipped them on.
"There are only two people who call me Mekana, my uncle and Yosho. And my uncle doesn't know where I'm staying. He's taking care of my daughter's ferret and our house while we're away." Sifting through the stuff on the table she picked up the sheet of paper.
[Mekana, here are the instructions to where we are. Come here tonight, ALONE, and bring the entire contents of this envelope. Take your backpack as well. Failure to do this will result in us harming your precious daughter. Yosho.]
She slipped the paper into her pocket and put the rest of the stuff back in the envelope. "You have a map Jay?"
"You CAN'T be serious about this Destine. It's an obvious trap, let us help you. Wait until Mousse and Ryoga return." Jay stood up and rested a hand on Destine's shoulder. "Please."
Destine shoved Jay's hand away and grabbed him by the collar. "I don't need any help. I have dealt with them before and I can deal with them again." Her hands began to shake and a tear rolled down her cheek. "I will do anything to protect those I love, even if it means walking into a trap. Now, do you or don't you have a map?"
Jay sighed and reached into his pocket. "You sure you can read this? I could only find maps in English."
"Yosho wrote the street names in English. If I set out now I should have some time to get a couple of weapons and a bite to eat before I need to be at the appointed location." Slipping on her backpack she turned to Jay. "Still got my business card? You can reach me at any time with the bottom number. It's my pager. I will make contact with you guys before tomorrow. Bye." She tapped Jay in the middle of the forehead and watched him crumple to the floor. "I'm sorry, but I can't have you following me." Adjusting her backpack she stepped out of the room and shut the door.
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"Well, we're back, took a bit longer than we planned, but we're back." Mousse stepped into the room and set a bag down on the counter. "Destine?"
"You won't find her here Mousse. She left about an hour ago."
"But why would she leave without letting us know? I know she has a bad habit of disappearing, but not in a place like this." Ryoga walked in behind Mousse and sat down. "Her backpack's gone too."
"A note arrived addressed to Destine telling her that she was to meet Yosho in a certain place tonight. Yosho also told Destine that if she failed to follow his directions, Megumi would come to harm. Taking the backpack was also in the instructions." Jay stepped out of the bathroom and put on his glasses. "I tried to get her to wait but the note had said for her to go alone. She wouldn't listen to me about this being a trap."
Ryoga looked over at Jay and gasped slightly. "Jay! When did you get here?!"
"I've been here the entire time Ryoga. I just went under the name of Zashu." Jay looked over at Ryoga and shook his head.
"You had on a very ingenious disguise Jay. I couldn’t see through it." Ryoga looked over at Mousse to see if he agreed.
Mousse lowered his head and sighed. "Ryoga, the only difference from earlier is that he is now wearing glasses. Jay right? Do you know where Destine headed to?"
"She didn't let me see the note. If I could have seen the instructions, if only for a second, I would be able to let you know." Jay sat down in one of the chairs and pulled out a map. "Right here is China town where it is believed Yosho has taken Megumi and the others. It's about three by six blocks. If we split up we can cover it in about an hour."
Mousse leaned on the table and scanned the map. "That would work, but Ryoga gets lost in his own house. One of us will have to travel with him. I'll take the north end."
Jay nodded and handed Mousse a white leather wallet. "If you need supplies...." Looking from Mousse to Ryoga he smiled faintly. "Since Ryoga already knows a bit of English, you should pair up with him. Remember to check thoroughly and ask questions. Do you each have a reliable weapon?"
"I've got my throwing knives and Ryoga's got his bandannas. Shall we meet back here in about two hours? I still need to pick up supplies." Reaching into the bag on the counter he pulled out two boxes. "Which one was yours Ryoga?"
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Destine walked into a small corner shop and looked around. In glass cases around the room were a large assortment of weapons. Looking in the case nearest her she spotted a set of blue handled throwing knives like the ones she left in Japan. 'I wonder how much?' She looked over at the storekeeper and pointed to the knives. "How much?" Thinking about what she had just said, she slapped a hand over her face and sighed. 'I bet she can't even understand me.'
"{Um miss? Those knives are $25.00 plus tax for the set.}" The woman looked over towards Destine and waved her over. Writing the price down on a piece of paper she pointed to the knives.
Destine nodded and pulled out thirty dollars and her driver's license. 'Why they need ID is beyond me.'
The woman gave Destine her change and walked over to the knives. Unlocking the counter she pulled the knives out and wrapped them in a red cloth. "{Here you go.}"
Destine bowed and placed the knives in her backpack. Stepping out of the store she looked up at the street sign and pulled out the note. 'OK, I need to turn left here.' Looking around she crossed the street and dodged out of the way of a group of kids roller blading down the sidewalk. 'Now I just need to follow this street for three blocks and I should be there.' Moving over next to the wall of one of the buildings she removed the knives from her pack and slipped them into her belt. She untucked her shirt and covered over the knife hilts. 'Now I'm ready.'
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"Now tell me why we need to pick up rice? Couldn't we wait until this evening?" Ryoga looked around the store as Mousse paid for a one pound bag of rice and some herbs.
"You want dinner or not?" Mousse slipped the rice and herbs into his bag and slung the bag back over his shoulder. "I asked if they had seen Destine and they said to check down the street. They think they might have seen her walk by and into the corner store."
"Then let's get going!" Ryoga turned and headed for the door. "We can catch up to her in no time."
Mousse bowed to the clerk and followed after Ryoga. "The other way Ryoga. They spotted her in the other direction. And that was twenty minutes ago. She's probably long gone by now." He jumped as a beeping noise came from his belt. Looking down he picked up his beeper and looked at the number. "We need to get to a phone."
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Destine stood in the alley next to a large building. 'I'm here, now all I need is for Mousse to call me back. Reaching into her backpack she pulled out a hair net, a one of her wigs, a change of clothes, and some makeup. A few minutes later she peaked around the edge of the building smiling to herself. 'She's Baaack!'
A ringing sound began emitting from her transmitter. Pulling down the mouthpiece she smiled faintly. "Mousse? ...Sorry for running out like that...I know I should have at least let you know what part of the note said...Listen, I'm standing outside the building Yosho told me to go to. If this is where they're keeping Megumi, I will contact you and give you directions...I can't let you know where I am at this moment Mousse...I don't want to risk it...I'll get in touch with you later.... Bye!" She replaced the mouthpiece and tossed her backpack through one of the windows at the bottom of the building. 'That's definitely the basement.' She looked through the window to make sure it was safe and wriggled through.
Destine landed with a soft thud on the floor. Picking up her backpack she reached into the right side pocket and pulled out her lighter. 'Good thing I carry this with me.' Pressing the button she waited until the flame was steady before she headed over to the door leading to the first floor. 'I should leave this here.' She took off her backpack and set it next to the door. 'OK, I need to get to the seventh floor and go to suite 15.'
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Megumi opened her eyes to the sound of a door opening and shutting. 'I hope they don't want to ask me any more questions.' She stood up and walked over to the window. 'I can't jump, I'm seven stories up and I still can't do any of the chain tricks mommy and daddy do.' Hitting her fist against the wall she closed her eyes to hold back the tears. 'I hate it here. I want to be home with mommy and daddy!'
The door behind her opened and a young blonde haired man stepped into the room. The man looked around and walked over to Megumi. Megumi whirled around and grabbed the chair next to her. 'They will NOT ask me any more questions!' Throwing the chair with all her might she tried to run around the man and make a break for the door.
"BAKUSAI TENKETSU!" To Megumi's surprise the man splintered the chair into tiny pieces and grabbed Megumi by the arm. "Stop fighting Megumi!" The man whispered in a harsh voice. "It's me!"
Megumi stopped struggling and turned to face the man. Pulling her arm free she cocked her head to the side. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"
The man locked the door and leaned against the wall. "Easy. Don't you know who I am? I thought I taught you better than this."
Megumi's eyes widened. "Mommy!" She ran forward and jumped into the Destine's arms.
"You got it honey." Destine hugged Megumi and looked around. "Are you all right? Where are the others?"
"I'm fine. I don't know where they are. Those men kept on asking me questions. They wouldn't stop. I couldn't even sleep." Megumi wrapped her arms around Destine's neck and began to cry.
"Hush now Megumi. Everything will be all right. I promise." Destine scooped up Megumi and walked over to the window. "I need to get you out of here."
She was just about to push open the window when Yosho unlocked the door and stepped inside. "{And what do you think you're doing young man? You will not take that girl. I will call the police!}"
Destine whirled around and glared at Yosho. "I am a member of the Yokohama Police Department. You may call me Detective Okaido. I was watching over the Hibiki household when I saw the break in. Following you here I managed to find the Hibiki's little girl. She is now under police custody. Step aside or I shall be forced to arrest you."
"Well detective, did you know that you have no power over me in the US?" Yosho grinned and drew a gun. "Now set her down and no one get's hurt." Pointing it at Destine's head he cocked the gun and grinned. "So what's your choice going to be detective? Either you surrender or I shoot you, take your pick. If I was you I'd surrender."
'What am I going to do? I can't risk that my speed will be fast enough. I can't get away either. It's a seven-story drop. What am I thinking?!' Backing up against the window Destine grinned. "You're not me. So bite me Yosho!" Throwing down some flash bombs she threw herself back and through the glass.
Yosho glared through the haze. "Mekana! I'll get you for this!" Running out the door he pulled down a small latch to set off the alarm.
Destine waited until she had cleared a few stories before she reached into her pocket and pulled out a long piece of rope with a ball on the end. Throwing it upwards, she wrapped it around one of the flagpoles. She turned her body around so Megumi was away from the building and prepared for the pain that would ensue when she hit the wall. Turning her head she noticed that they were headed straight for a large window. "Hold on tight Megumi! We're going through the window!"
Megumi gripped onto Destine's shirt with all her might and closed her eyes. Destine lowered her head and felt the glass from the window shatter and enter her back. 'I will get her to safety!' Landing hard she looked around to see that she was in a long hallway with stairs at the far end. She jumped up with Megumi still in her arms and ran for the stairs. 'I need to hurry, I'm beginning to get dizzy.' She shut the thought of the glass shards in her back from her mind and ran down the stairs.
Reaching the bottom floor she dropped Megumi and collapsed. "Megumi, take this and run. Don't stop running until you get lost." She handed Megumi her transmitter. "Then type 451 on the keypad. GO!" She felt many hands grab her and pin her to the ground. Closing her eyes, she let herself fall into a sea of red and passed out.
Megumi took the transmitter and, with tears in her eyes ran from the building.