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A Reunion of Sorts: Episode Two

Rating: PG/PG-13 for Action

“I’m sorry, but there is really nothing we can do,” said the beefy police officer. “If you have no more information to help us hunt down the perpetrator, there is nothing more we can do. I’m very sorry for the damage to your vehicle, but with a little engine repair, it should run again.”

Satoshi just stared at his car as the morning sunshine streamed through its missing window and warmed the seat. Satoshi thought that the officer would be much less intimidating if he fit the cop stereotype—fat, slow, over-fed on doughnuts.

“I appreciate all you have done for me. Thanks,” Satoshi said, sadly thinking. After all, the car crash wasn’t his fault, and there was no way of hunting down the person who did this.

“No problem. It’s what we do. Come with me, and I’ll take you two kids home.”

Being called “kid” annoyed Satoshi, although he tried not to show it—but Kasumi, still seated in the back seat of the police vehicle, noticed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Sir, you can just drop us off here,” Satoshi said, pointing to the sidewalk.

“Are you sure? It’s no trouble to take you all the way,” the officer replied.

“No, I really need a walk.”

Kasumi, however, didn’t. She was in enough pain already. Still, she got out when Satoshi did. She wanted to be there if he needed any advice. Then she realized what she was thinking.

“Him? Ask for advice? Never.”

Still, she went along. It seemed that the pains were getting worse.

Both walked in silence. She decided that her role was merely that of moral support.

The two ended up spending much of the afternoon just sitting on a park bench and talking over a couple ice cream cones.

It was getting late, so they two decided to head out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Hey, you, kid, come ‘ere,” came the voice from an alley. Satoshi whirled to face the speaker.

“Me?”

“Yes, you! See anyone else I might be talkin’ to? No? Then come ‘ere! I got a deal for ya’!”

“Um… No, I don’t think I’m interested,” he said, eyeing the short, dirty man, whose breath stank.

“Listen, you, I got a offer you can’t refuse,” he said, pulling on Satoshi’s collar and drawing him near. “Ditch the chick, and let’s us gentlemen do business.” This phrase did not please Kasumi. Still pulling Satoshi, the man pushed him up against a brick wall, which made Satoshi feel very uncomfortable. The man pushed a briefcase against him.

Speaking very slowly, quietly, and distinctly, the short man said, “See, I gots my cover blown. I need a… delivery man, you see,” looking to the case. “Just for one delivery,” he continued, “you’ll get paid very well. But if you’d be willing to accept it is a permanent position…” The man trailed off as he pulled a wad of bills from his coat and placed it in Satoshi’s hand, wrapping his fingers around it.

“What exactly is the cargo?” Satoshi asked.

The short man only flashed a toothy grin. He slowly pulled a plastic bag and placed it in Satoshi’s other hand.

“This, my young friend, is yours to keep—a bonus—and what young person wouldn’t want this?”

“Drugs!” Satoshi’s mind screamed. “I can’t believe this—but the value of this position has to be…” His thought trailed off as he imagined the clothes—the gifts—the car he could buy. “I… I…”

“Oh no,” Kasumi, peering around the corner, thought.

Satoshi stood dumfounded for a few more seconds. Suddenly, he snapped back to reality.

“You want me to be your drug runner?! Absolutely not! This stuff ruins lives!”

Satoshi defiantly threw both the cash and the drugs to the ground.

“I’m out of here,” he said triumphantly.

Kasumi felt like cheering, but tried to pretend she hadn’t seen or heard anything.

Satoshi came stepping proudly back to the sidewalk with a stupid grin on his face.

“What did he want?” she asked innocently.

“He was just trying to sell me a cheap watch,” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The short man was enraged. Redness filled his cheeks as his breathing sped. No one had ever declined one of his generous offers, especially not like that. He pulled a walkie-talkie from his long, dark coat, which had many secret pockets and many secrets.

“Catch and kill the boy,” he wheezed.

From the device came a static-filled response: “And the girl?”

He laughed cruelly and bitterly. “Do with her what you want. Keep her. Kill her, for all I care. Just don’t let her go and make sure that there is no evidence.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kasumi and Satoshi exited the urban area and entered a rural one that led to her house.

“I’m glad we’re out of there,” she said, holding Satoshi’s arm for support. The two continued walking.

A tall, slender man in his early 20’s slowly approached them from the opposite direction. He stepped before them and spoke with a deep voice.

“I’m sure sorry,” he said, his eyes looking tired.

“Sorry? Sorry for what?” both Kasumi and Satoshi replied, genuinely confused.

“Sorry… sorry for this!” he said, charging toward Satoshi. Faster than Satoshi could respond, the assailant formed a fist and landed it squarely in Satoshi’s stomach. This solid blow knocked him to the ground and knocked the air out of his lungs. He lay in the dirt, gasping for a breath.

Kasumi screamed as the attacker, who was well built and had solid muscles, grabbed her with a bear hug.

Two black sedans, headlights off, appeared from a side road. Several men threw open the doors and came charging to help. As Satoshi fought to regain his breath, one of the men, weighing at least 200 pounds, lunged on him, making it even harder for Satoshi to breathe. The man, now on Satoshi’s back, took a fistful of his hair and pulled his head back.

“Gentlemen! Look what we have here!”

The others just laughed as they climbed back into one of the cars with Kasumi. Just before they shoved her in, a tear rolled down her cheek, past her now-covered mouth, and fell from her chin to the dirt—and Satoshi, hopelessly pinned beneath a bigger man, could do nothing.

The black doors slammed shut and the car spun around. The driver lowered his window to speak to the two remaining assailants.

“Hurry up! We have to get out of here quickly!” he said.

The musclehead who pinned Satoshi only laughed.

“We’ll be done soon enough.”

“Very well then. We’ll be waiting at the end of the road for you.”

With that, it sped back down the dusty road from which it had come.

Satoshi coughed.

“Aww, what’s wrong? Too dusty for you?” With that, he slammed Satoshi’s face into the dirt and pulled it back up. Now, where beads of sweat had been, clung bits of dirt.

“Now we’re all dirty!” he laughed. The other guard looked annoyed.

“Finish him, you idiot,” he said.

“Okay, alright. Hey, kid, I figure you’re gonna die, so, got any questions before I make your head slightly heavier?” As he said that, he pulled out a handgun and placed it against the side of Satoshi’s head.

“Only one,” he wearily replied. “Why did you kidnap her? What does she mean to you? She doesn’t come from a wealthy family. There’s no way she can give you what you want.”

The guard began laughing and couldn’t stop until he was red in the face.

“You’re not the judge of that!” he spat. “This isn’t a kidnapping. When we’re done with her, we’ll just toss her in the river. Tie her hands and feet and cover her mouth so she can’t scream. I wonder if she’ll struggle? Will she fight to keep her head above the water? I guess you’ll never know!” He broke out into another round of laughter.

Satoshi was already scared—more scared than he had ever been in his life, but his own fears quickly took a back seat to what scared him much more—what he had just learned about what these men planned to do to Kasumi.

He now understood what it felt like to have his life flash by in an instant. Everything slowed down as he remembered everything that happened today. He suddenly remembered the drug dealer. This was his doing! Then, he remembered being hit, falling, and her tear hitting the ground…

It felt as if everything was happening in slow motion. He realized how angry he was now. His fear and weariness had left him. He felt his adrenaline surging throughout his body.

“There is no way I will let them hurt her,” he thought. He took one last breath—which may have been his very last, as far as he knew—and launched his impromptu action plan.

As fast as a lightning bolt spreads across the sky, so Satoshi moved. He shifted his weight and rolled onto his side—the gun still dangerously close to his head—and unleashed his rage. His first kick landed squarely in his attacker’s stomach. He propped himself up and let another kick fly—this one headed for the back of the left knee, which caused his attacker to topple. Satoshi kicked him once again to ensure that he wouldn’t be getting up any time soon.

The attacker lay motionless, but he moaned. His weapon was only inches away. The confrontation had only taken seconds. The other thug, who had just realized what happened, was left for Satoshi to fight.

In one smooth motion, Satoshi grabbed the gun, rolled back and put his weight on his hands, and sprang up to his feet.

The guard, stunned at what he had just seen, fumbled for his gun. Satoshi took this opportunity to land a jump kick to his upper chest, sending him flying onto the hood of his car. The guard finally succeeded in removing his gun from the holster and aimed it at Satoshi’s midsection. He did fire several rounds, but in his stupor, he failed to figure in Satoshi’s speed, so the bullets whizzed by him.

Satoshi landed a powerful spinning kick to the guard’s wrist, causing the guard, who was now experiencing quite a bit of pain, to release the weapon. After leaving one more immobilizing blow, Satoshi pocketed the second weapon and entered the vehicle, which was still running.

He had just done several things that he had never done before, including real fighting. He had never been in a fight other than sparring practices. Yet, more new experiences were to come—including what he was about to do now.

As he sped down the road, he looked up to the clouds, still breathing heavily.

“Uh, God, I’ve never been churchy or anything, and, uh, I guess you already knew that, but…” He started over. “I don’t exactly know how to do this…. Um… I need some help if I’m going to rescue Kasumi. So… you know… however these things work, please help. Even if I…” He gulped. “Even if she’s the only one that makes it out of here alive, please help me do it.” He was afraid that he was becoming too wordy. “So, yeah, thanks in advance.” Then he thought for a minute. “Amen,” he said. “Sounds pretty good for my first time,” he thought, nervously smiling.