In Secrecy... (Shuya)

[Shimizu Kuribayashi]

The sound of footsteps could be heard as someone walked down the street. People who walked in either direction turned to see what made the sound. The click of taps on the heels of military shoes could be heard a mile away at this rate. A man walked up the street towards a Japanese bistro of traditional standings. The Yokohama family owned it so it would be named after them. The footsteps got closer and louder, but the man could not be seen. People inside the bistro who would occasionally look out the window noticed that people were all looking in the same direction. Some people would just keep to themselves or would stop eating and start to look also; wondering what could be coming up the street.

White, red, and black with a glint of silver could be seen. The boy, Shimizu, walked up the sidewalk in his dress uniform. It was white, the trousers, blouse, and cover. The shoulder boards, that held his rank as Lieutenant, were red with the Imperial seal of the military on them. His perfectly polished low quarter shoes were a brilliant site to see. They were shined so brightly that you could see your own reflection in color if you looked closely enough. This was the pride of the Imperial order of Kempei Tai walking up the street to the bistro. He walked calculated, step for step, his feet being placed firmly and steadily in front the other.

Heel to toe, heel to toe; that was how he walked, as if he were in an eternal parade or pass-in-review ceremony. The wind outside was calm as if it didn’t want to distrub the way the uniform sat upon the sturdy frame of the boy who walked down the street. He walked passed the people who had stopped just to see what he was and who he was. He didn’t make any faces or look at the people as he went by. He was constantly in tunnel vision, zoning out any nonessential things from his site and mind. He continued to walk and finally reached the door of the bistro and as he was about to reach out to pull the door open, a man came and opened it for him.

Shimizu nodded to the man before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a hundred dollar bill and gave it to the man. The man looked down at the money and then smiled, thanking Shimizu before backing away, slightly bent over in thanks for the present. Shimizu looked around the bistro and saw that there were two men standing in front of a certain doorway that no one sat near nor walked through. He took his cover off and placed it under his left arm, gripping the top of the cover softly, the Imperial emblem facing straight ahead of him. He walked through tbe bistro and stopped in front of the two men and didn’t look at either of them before uttering the words that Katsumoto told him to say.

“I am here as a guest to Mr. Katsumoto.”

The men looked down upon Shimizu and then stepepd aside, showing a long hallway and a small man came down the hall and summoned me to come with him. He led shimizu into large room with two windows on the leading wall and another on the trailing edge of the right wall. The man motioned for Shimizu to sit and said that Mr. Katsumoto was on his way and would be here shortly. Shimizu reached, again into his pocket, and pulled out another hundred and gave it to the man before sitting down and waiting.

[Shuya Katsumoto]

‘I hate busy times…’

Shuya calmly left his apartment and locked the door behind him. Only a few seconds ago had he received a text message from one of his contacts at the Yokohama bistro. Apparently his guest had arrived so Shuya wasted no more time on studying. He had been reading up on some of his major subjects, he had more tests coming up tomorrow. Most of it was easy, but still he wanted to make sure he would pass all tests with good results. The bistro wasn’t too far from his home, so waiting at the bistro hadn’t been necessary. Shimizu would simply have to wait a few minutes… But Shuya was certain the boy wouldn’t mind. It had been obvious that Shimizu had been interested in something Shuya would probably know… and Shuya was always prepared to learn more about his country… or his enemies…

Shuya had already pushed a cigarette between his lips before starting his short walk, but as he arrived at the bistro, the cigarette was long gone. Shuya’s suit showed no sign of creases as he entered the bistro, slowly closing his suit’s jacket as he walked towards the private area at the back of the bistro. The two men who stood before the hallway slowly nodded towards them as they let him through. Truth about the place was that Shuya had not only befriended the owner but also contributed large donations towards the bistro when things hadn’t been going too well. So much money that he could almost be called co-owner. However, he wasn’t interested in running a business like this so the fact that he could eat for free and have private meetings here was more than enough.

Shuya walked through the hallway, the sound of his shoes colliding with the floor echoing through the deserted hall. Soon, the son of the manager left one of the rooms and walked towards Shuya.

*”He’s in there, mister Katsumoto. All dressed up… you’d say we’d be at war if you saw him”*

*”Don’t worry too much about it… have you offered him a drink yet?”*

When the man shook his head, Shuya sighed slightly and indicated the manager’s son to follow him. The two men walked into the room where Shimizu was waiting and the manager’s son asked Shimizu if he wanted anything to drink. He didn’t have to ask Shuya, he knew what Shuya would want on an occasion like this one. It would be a perfect time for sake. Without saying a word, Shuya reopened his jacket and neatly placed it around the backseat of his chair before taking place himself. Closing his hands by placing his fingers through each other, he finally looked at Shimizu.

“Kuribayashi… I see you like showing off your costume, eh? I take it you’re mission here doesn’t involve any secrecy then? Otherwise I’d have to suggest you trying to wear some clothes that make you stand out less…”

Shuya grinned slightly. He had been breaking his head about this one last night and concluded there had to be some sort of mission this youngster would have to fulfill… otherwise he couldn’t really see the purpose for any Kempei Tai to be around here… there had to be more to it.

“If you prefer Kuribayashi, we could continue this conversation in Japanese. It might be easier for both of us… just remember not to speak Japanese at Hircine… the headmaster doesn’t appreciate that kind of ‘foul’ language and besides… most people would only understand we’d be talking about stuff we don’t want them to hear…”

OOC:

*” <text here> “* indicates I or an NPC is talking in Japanese… okay?

[Shimizu Kuribayashi]

*” It isn’t what I’m wearing that means we have to meet in secret. Looks are deceiving. It is the information that I hold that is secret. This information regards a faction in the military that is trying to overthrow the government currently in power. That faction needs me as a bargaining chip because of my father’s popular position in the high ranks. He is on the Japanese chief of staff for the military. ”*

Shimizu looked at him before placing his cover on the table and reached into his breast pocket on the left side, taking out a note written to him by his father. The note entailed what was going to happen to him if the faction in the military in fact caught him. It was a complete plan of how much money they asked for as well as what would happen if their demands weren’t met promptly. They were ready to sacrifice anyone they needed to gain power.

*” This note has all of the information that you would need to know regarding my past. The military faction was ready to kill me if need and most likely assassinate my father if they government didn’t meet their demands after my death. Right now, they are still looking for me in this very city. They will use anyone they can to get to me. I will ask you something in pure confidence. Since you have some knowledge of this organization, have you had contact with it at any time or do you know people who are in it? “*

Shimizu looked at him with a steel stare, not trying to be rude, but this question had been bugging him since they met in the school building. This person knows more than most that had relations in the organization itself. If he had information of past encounters, then this could be of use or put him in a position that would lead to something bad. Shimizu wanted to make sure that this person could be trusted. As he waited for a response, the person who led him into the room came back with two drinks. I took up the glass, bowing my head to the man and took a small drink.

[Shuya Katsumoto]

*”You are wrong there I’m afraid… the fact that you hold a secret mean people might want to get it out of you… parading around in your uniform gets you unwanted attention… Now, if you say they’re looking for you… I’d have to say you’d be better off wearing regular clothing… or suits, whatever you like…”*

Shuya had slowly taken hold of the small note and quickly read it. Information that wasn’t too important for him… the fact that the Japanese government had problems wasn’t new to him, but the fact that they were being used as a financial resource for some fraction was new to Shuya. However, when Shimizu started to ask if Shuya had ever had any contact with people in his organization, Shuya got confused. He did not know whether the boy meant people in the so called rioting fraction or simply honest people from the Kempei Tai.

*”I’m afraid I don’t fully get your question, Kuribayashi. If you’re asking whether I know people from that cooping fraction, I’d have to say I probably don’t. If you want to know if I’ve ever been in contact with Kempei Tai, I’d simply answer yes, once… but the occasion is for enough for only me to know so I’d appreciate it if you dropped that subject right now. So, what is it that you truly wish to know about me? Is there something I certainly must not be in order for you to trust me enough? Cause let’s not forget… I’m only here because you told me there was something I could do that would be worth my time… But in all honesty, all you’ve told me was that your father is some high bimbo and that you’re being used by some fraction that makes menace in Japan… I don’t really see the profit for me…”*

As Shuya finished speaking, young mister Yokohama walked in to bring the two gentlemen their drinks. Shuya slowly picked up his whiskey as he waited for a new response from Shimizu. What was it that this boy wanted… and how come had this situation of him made Shuya curious about what was going down in his hometown? He had never cared for anything… hell, for all he knew he might’ve assassinated people for or from the Kempei Tai because there was a highest bidder…

[Shimizu Kuribayashi]

Shimizu listened carefully about how the uniform he wore gave him away so easily that it wasn’t even funny. He looked down at himself and then back up at Katsumoto. He had thought about not wearing his uniforms long before he met this person and asked him for help because he knew that no one in this area would wear this kind of uniform unless it was a costume. His face didn’t show it, but he knew that Katsumoto was right. He had to wear some normal clothes or it wouldn’t matter if he had a secret or not. He would be found and the information would be forced out of him by any means possible.

Shimizu took the drink that was next to him and drank what was left in the glass, quickly, before placing it back on the table. He didn’t mean to, but he hit it against the table rather hard. This sent an obvious sign to Katsumoto that he was in deep thought about his situation, taking in every part of what was needed to keep his secret, a secret. His mind started to race as the drink started to swell in his bloodstream. He didn’t think twice about what he had just drunk. He knew in a couple of minutes as he started to lose himself. He thought at first that this person had drugged him, but that thought quickly left him when a warm feeling started to fill his body.

*“Whiskey”*, he muttered to himself. He had just sucked down a large glass of whiskey without a second thought. That wasn’t exactly the best way to do things, but it was a bit late for that. He tried to keep himself under control, but it was too late. He saw himself looking up to the person who supplied the drink and realized that he was asking for another. He couldn’t believe himself. He knew that he wasn’t an alcoholic, but at this point with everything running around in his brain, it was going to happen very fast. He was almost successful in getting another drink when he caught himself and placed the glass back on the table, shaking his head.

He turned back to see that Katsumoto didn’t like the question that Shimizu had asked. At first, it seemed that the question wasn’t direct enough, but it got to the point when he realized this person did in fact have contact with the Kempei Tai. From how it sounded, this person didn’t have a good encounter with them. He would not dwell on the topic of his evolvement any further because this person could be of great value to Shimizu. He nodded his head in an apology to him and listened to the rest of what he said. He was right, in that Shimizu really didn’t say anything about what would make Katsumoto further interested in helping him.

*“I am sorry to keep that information from you. I’m not quite the type to let out the good information quite easily, due to people who do not need to hear it, being in the local area. If you wish to know what you will get out of this, money is one sure thing. Power and status is another gift from me to you. I don’t think you care too much about business, but if you wish to go into the venture, then you will have enough men and supplies to start almost anything you can think of, from food to illegal arms. I know that you probably aren’t into illegal business, but I was just telling you what you could get out of this by helping me to stay alive.”*

Shimizu looked at him and started to feel a bit strange, the alcohol giving him another kick in the ass. He regained himself and looked up to the man who supplied the drinks and signaled to use a phone. The man pulled out a cell phone and Shimizu signaled to see if it was a secure line. It was and untraceable, which was good for business in Shimizu’s eyes. He took the phone and dialed a simple seven-digit number. It wasn’t a telephone number because it was placed into the phone in three groups. They were coordinates to his location, but only trained people who knew how to do this would know how to track him down. He closed the phone after dialing the number and waited for Katsumoto’s response to his venture. He also waited for the men who also looked out for him to come to the building and further try to persuade Katsumoto to cooperate. They wouldn’t do it by force, but by putting the offer on the table, literally.

*“I’m sorry for the phone use, but it’s a measure that I had to take in order to successfully insure that this would go as needed. If you do not wish to have money placed into your pocket, I can have it placed into this business to help it expand and grow. With the money flow that I can create in such a short amount of time, this business will be scattered around the country in a matter of months.”*

He looked around and then looked back to Katsumoto, his face changing somewhat. He remembered what he did with the phone and decided that Katsumoto would have to know what he just did if he were to trust him in the future and in the long run if this were to pan out over a large period of time.

*“If you wish to know what I did on the phone. I sent out a coded patch message, which is the location of this place and me. The information is coded such that it would be interpreted by most as random GPS coordinates around the globe. There are millions of combinations available so I cannot be traced unless you know what you are doing. The first three numbers are the signatures of my name, rank, and status. The second group of three numbers is the location of this place. The city has a number, the district has a number, and this restaurant has a number also. The last digit in the seven-digit code is the go code number. When used in conjunction with the other six numbers, it will create a map and directions on how to get here. This only works throughout the local cell phone network so it cannot be used as another location by accident.”*

Shimizu looked at him and then looked at the man beside him. He raised his glass to him and signaled respectfully that he was now ready to have another drink. He let the man take his glass and the man walked away. He then looked over to Katsumoto and waited for the large or short responses from him. He hoped that everything he offered him would be taken and not rejected. If taken, then he had a valuable ally, but if rejected it was most likely the end of the road for Shimizu. He didn’t know of anyone else to turn to at this point.

[Shuya Katsumoto]

Shuya shook his head as Shimizu seemed to be effected the wrong way by the whiskey. He hadn’t intended on making the guy drunk, in fact, he nodded towards the owner’s son to get Shimizu a glass of water. Waiting on what the young guy would say, Shuya did nothing but finish his drink. Finally, after a little drunken man show, Shimizu spoke up again. Slowly, Shuya shook his head.

*”I’m afraid you think too little of me, Kuribayashi… Perhaps you should’ve at least asked around about me… Money is not something I need but I would never reject it. Second of all, don’t get me started about firearms… I have my people for that… Now, onto the point, don’t forget you came to me for help. If you wish me to aid you in your fight, you must tell me what we’re up against and what exactly it is you’re doing here… I doubt you’re only in hiding here…”*

Shuya suddenly slowly grinned;

*”Oh… and about how you’re going to pay me back… I’ll think of something when the time arises… I’ll call you up for a favor or something…”*

Suddenly, Shimizu asked for a phone and after he had made a small call, started to explain what he had just done. Shuya’s eyes shot from Shimizu to the owner’s son. The owner’s son looked a bit scared at the way Shuya was looking at him. He knew what might happen. Now directing his speech towards the son, Shuya spoke up again.

*”Get em ready…”*

Turning back towards Shimizu, his face had turned slightly hostile. Shimizu thought Shuya had ordered the owner’s son to get the drinks ready, which seemed like a natural request after Shimizu had asked for a new drink, but in fact Shuya had given him one of the small orders they knew they could receive from him. This one literally meaning: ‘have the guards ready their arms and question anyone who wished to come through by putting a gun to their heads.’ Finally, Shuya spoke up to Shimizu again.

*”Kuribayashi, I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing but to be honest, I’m getting a little tired by the methods you’re using. You either tell me, without bullshitting, what we’re up against or you continue you’re high tech revolutionary approach and send out more hidden messages. In that case, I might just have to get nasty… Now, who did you send a message and why would you send a message with our location while this meeting is supposed to be private?”*

Screwing Shuya Katsumoto over was not something most people could do and then live long enough to tell about it…

[Shimizu Kuribayashi]

Shimizu’s eyes were to the floor now, not knowing what had just happened, but knew that something had gone wrong. He slowly got up from his chair and tilted his head back; his steel gaze was right with Katsumoto’s. He turned around and saw the face of the person who was getting the drinks, but let him go. He turned back and then picked up the paper that had his credentials on it and placed it back into his breast pocket.

*“You want me to be straight with you? You will have that now. I’m sorry for the way things have gone so far, but I had to do something in order to get the third party out of the room. I did, however, send that coded message. The people that I stated earlier are coming here. They have already shut off the main video stream to the cameras in this room along with any listening apparatus that may be in here also. I do not like to be listened to or eves dropped upon by anyone and will not have it.”*

Shimizu walked around his chair to the nearest table and pulled out another paper and placed it onto the table. It was folded many times and flattened, but when unfolded, made a rather large map of the surrounding city.

*“I’m here not only the hide, but to build up resistance among the remaining Kempei Tai that are here. They are loyal to my father and will follow me at a moment’s notice. I need help from you because I have heard of you. My apologies for playing the stupid card, but I had to hear it from you without asking a question. A rather crude technique, but effective. Your power and influence around this area would greatly help me in my mission. Yes, I said mission. Me being sent here is in fact to hide, but at the same time to complete a mission.”*

He started to point to the large red colored regions on the map. They were labeled in Japanese that said Kempei Tai Stronghold.

*“You may not know or you may, but there are three major strongholds of Kempei Tai in this area. The Marina, Club Legion, and the sight where the former gang called The Hand operated, are strong points of Kempei Tai in this area. You don’t have to explain your ties with them, but I do need to know one thing. Are you in good standing with them or have you done something in your past that would make them not want to trust you. All I need is a straight yes that they trust me or no they don’t.”*

He looked him straight in the eyes and waited for his response.

*“One more thing, it would be best to tell the guards that you have outside waiting to stand down. It would be in your best interest. I do not want to shed blood in this nice establishment because people decided to point weapons at each other…One more thing also. This meeting was in fact secret, but to another means. I am sorry to mislead you, but this had to be done in order to get complete privacy with you.”*

He looked at Katsumoto and then stood up, turning and looking at the doors that he had come through. He heard the voices of men talking outside and the sounds of clicking. Guns had been pulled out and there was an obvious stand off outside the doors. He walked to the door, but didn’t open it. He just placed his ear against the door and listened for a small time and then his eyes widened. He turned quickly and ran to the table and gather up the papers.

*“I would advise you to tell the men outside to lock and load. The men who are outside are not my men. These are the men who are after this information that I carry along with me. If you do not wish to do a deal with me, I will let you hand me over to them right now. If you do wish to make a deal, I will owe you my life and my honor.”*

His usual calmness had gone straight out the window and his need to protect the information that he carried started to kick in. Military instincts started to overwhelm him. He started looking around to see what he could use as a potential object that could be used as a weapon since he was ordered not to carry his at any time unless he really needed it. He then remembered that Katsumoto said that his men carried firearms so he thought about it for a minute. That would most likely mean that Katsumoto himself carried one. He looked over to him and thought of what he should do. Would Katsumoto give him up? No, that wouldnt be in his best interest, but what would he do?

[Shuya Katsumoto]

Shuya’s hand shook slightly as he narrowed his eyes. How could he have been so careless… so stupid! He said this guy though too little of him, but it was him who had underestimated Shimizu. If he indeed was a Kempei Tai, his abilities would be diverse and he would likely match Shuya as a thinker… It seemed that in this case, Shuya had completely mistaken on his guest… Although only half of Shimizu’s story was correct, Shuya felt slightly pissed off about the way he was played. As Shimizu walked around a chair near to him and started to unfold another piece of paper, Shuya gave a short response.

*”You’re men had no need to do that… During my personal conversations I ensure all video and audio streams are turned off… I take it your men would have noticed this, no? It should at least have given you the idea that I can be trusted…”*

Shuya remained seated as Shimizu continued to speak, telling him how he had heard of Shuya… If that were the case, him removing Shuya’s cigarette had also been some way to gain his attention. As Shimizu continued and spoke of his mission, Shuya knew he would get sucked right into this mess if he would agree on helping him… but the sign of danger was tempting… Shuya wasn’t a man who would wait his days and do nothing… he needed excitement in his life and it appeared that even though graduation would be soon, his life in San Francisco would continue… As Shimizu spoke about the hiding place of the Hand and club Legion, Shuya suddenly let out a roar of laughter.

*”Club Legion? The Hand? You’re trying to tell me gang members are part of Kempei Tai? I haven’t seen too many Japanese people in these gangs… I doubt Shinato would ever play any part in Kempei Tai… knowing a bit about him and his history… In any case… I have worked closely with Kvist and left his side… but I don’t think his followers had anything against me. As for club Legion, I can show my face without problems there and though I might’ve… err… hurt Shinato’s girlfriend but I believe he knows I had a small part in that… Don’t know if he wants to trust me but I think he knows he can trust me…”*

Shuya then listened to what Shimizu told him about his guards and about their secrecy before he sniffed bluntly.

*”If there any bloodshed will occur it will be that of your men… I handpicked these guards and they know what they’re doing… And as I said before, you should have a little more trust in me… I know what I’m doing… this place is private enough…”*

Shimizu’s behavior abruptly changed as he heard men speaking outside their room and guns being readied to fire. Shuya knew the guards could handle some resistance but he had no idea how large Shimizu’s army would be until Shimizu told him it were not his men out there… Shuya only had a split second to think before deciding that there would be no way out of this mess for him anyway. He could gain more if he went with the flow of things and simply helped this young stranger. However, he did not want his close friend, the bistro owner, to get into any trouble. He knew the guards would fight till death but if these guys Shimizu spoke of were seriously dangerous and in great numbers, it would be senseless to have them killed. Suddenly, the owner’s son ran into their room with a distress look on his face.

*”Mister Katsumoto! There are at least 10 men out there demanding they are let through! I know you are a close friend of my father but we can’t have this place destroyed!”*

*”Thank you, Nobutada… tell the guards to stand down and let them through… I take it you said there was no one here? Stick with that story… let them search our rooms… By the time we’re here…”* Shuya slowly took his pistol from underneath his jacket and removed the safety handle, *”… we’ll be long gone… won’t we, mister Kuribayashi?”*

Shuya grinned at his new companion and gestured him to follow him. There seemed to be no other way out of this room but the hallway, but looks could be deceiving. Shuya walked over to the seemingly normal wall covered with a small painting of some bonsai tree, where he slowly pushed on one of the branches of the tree. The button shoved backwards as a door next to it was suddenly visible and opened, revealing a rather dusty corridor connecting all rooms and going towards the opposite direction of the entrance where a hidden back door would be waiting for them. Grinning at Shimizu, he gestured him to stay low and follow. They would take the backdoor and hope no one would be waiting for them there. While entering the corridor, Shuya slowly searched the other side of his jacket for his silencer which he firmly attached to his hand gun… If they met any resistance, he would be able to take them down stealthily.

*”God’s speed, mister Katsumoto… God’s speed…”*

[Shimizu Kuribayashi]

A blur, that was how he saw the situation. He didn’t see it was calculated movements, but a blur of commotion. He didn’t see any possible way to think this through in military order. There was any way to do that nor was it a smart thing to do at this point. The enemy is at your footsteps and the first thing you do is make an escape. You make sure that there is a cover story for why there is no one there, but they received a signal from this building. It was a long shot, but it happens. He was slowly moving throughout the room when he saw that Katsumoto had a silenced pistol in his hand. He didn’t think too much of it accept that it was a very good idea if there were to be people at the end of this supposed tunnel of his. He only heard the last question that Katsumoto asked and Shimizu shook his head with a small answer.

“Why of course, lead the way.”

He then looked around a bit and opened one of the desk drawers, trying to find a weapon of his own. He was stopped and the person named Nobutada handed him one. He had a short smile on his face and Shimizu smiled back before following Katsumoto down the tunnel. He turned back his head only once when the door shut behind them and the dark tunnel flooded with light. It looked like wasn't to be used in some time, but it was still a means of escape. By that time, they had come to the end of the tunnel and didn’t go out just yet. Shimizu looked outside and saw that there were more men circling the premise. These men weren’t his allies, but how did they intercept such a random code.

He didn’t quite know until he saw one of his own. A Traitor? No, he was a captive, but apparently he was too shaken about losing his life that he gave up the information without trouble. This was going to be interesting. He looked down the street and saw some more black cars coming this way. He tried to squint and see them clearer, but they were too far to identify, that is until shots started ringing out. They were automatic shots, like a driveby would be, but calculated. These were sniper shots, taking out each of the men outside one by one. The men only noticed that a man fell, but no real sound could be heard. The sounds that Shimizu heard and recognized were the shots hitting the ground.

Since you couldn’t hear the shooters gun fire, he was probably some distance away. Shimizu smiled and looked to Katsumoto. The right men were here now, taking out the opposition one by one without the chance of hitting civilians. He looked back to the left and saw that the cars were of his own. Those were the men that should have gotten here first; to prevent any of what happened right now to transpire.

“Mr. Katsumoto. In a very few minutes, this place will be crawling with my men. If you look out and to the left and see the black cars carrying the red, black and white symbol of the current Emperor, that is our ride out of here. I thank you for what you have done for me today and I will repay the person in charge of this establishment if anything is broken.”