62 – Alex
My phone buzzed in my pocket as we pulled up in front of the restaurant and I reached in, turning it off, without looking at the screen. Whoever was trying to message me would have to wait. I had to have my wits about me right now
This whole situation was literally a dance of life and death.
“Alexander, before we walk in there. I want you to listen to me. Taro Ikeda is an honorable man. If there are threats coming from his soldiers, he probably doesn’t even know about it.”
My jaw clenched and I nodded. I knew I would have to let Yuka do most of the talking, because my anger was se fucking white hot right now, I would probably accuse him and start a damned war.
“Let’s get home in one piece, shall we? I want to see my grandson tomorrow.”
Climbing slowly from the car, We stood next to it for a few moments, before the doors opened and two men stepped out. “Leave your weapons in the car.”
“Taor knows I do not carry a weapon.” Yuka said, “And Alexander is more deadly without one.”
I looked at Yuka, who had a smirk on his lips and I rolled my eyes and looked back to the pair, who looked confused as to whether my boss was joking or not.. and then I saw who it was.
These two were part of the group which were chasing Joey.
Oh.. this was going to be fun.
We were about to walk into this restaurant, just Yuka and 1, while Sota waited outside and we would confront Taro Ikeda, and literally accuse him of threatening not only my life, but that of my girlfriend; and then, hopefully, we would be able to walk out again.. in front of men who knew who Joey was.
One of them turned their head and spoke quietly to someone inside, before he turned back to use. “Come on then. Taro hasn’t got all night.”
Stepping forward, my stomach dropped to my feet, and I had to stifle a chuckle, as I heard the central locking on the sedan behind us, remembering Sota’s comment about the ‘seediness‘ of Ikeda territory. He was fucking Takada Yakuza, and was locking the doors…
We stepped past the pair of Ikeda and into the restaurant, which was a little larger than it looked from outside. Waiting for
us, I
the pair of men behind to stop myself from turning and watching them. It would be against protocol. My job was
to keep my gaze on Yuka; standing just back from him, but within arm’s reach, if something happened.
“This way.”
One of the pair who let us in stepped past and we followed him further into the room and to a large table in the center. The table was easily six feet wide and laden with food.
God, I hoped Taro didn’t expect us to e-
Holy.
Shit.
Taro Ikeda was fucking massive.
I thought Sota was big. But Taro was… massive.
Rotund and…
“Ah, Yuka. It has been too long. Please, sit. Enjoy the dumplings.”
-Yuka moved to the chair opposite–Taro, sat and I stood behind him, protecting his back. “You know I keep a strict diet and
don’t eat after six at night, Taro. But thank you.”
Taro Ikeda’s gaze finally moved to me. “And you, Alexander Kazumi? Would you like some dumplings!”
Fuck no I didn’t want some fucking dumplings.
I bowed. “No thank
you, Taro–an.”
Taro picked up a dumpling with fat fingers and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing loudly and I turned my head away with the sight. For fuck’s sake 1 didn’t come here to watch him eat.
02–Alex
“What can I do for the pair of you, this late at night? My general tells me of threats made against you, Kazumi.”
My gaze slipped back to Taro, but I didn’t answer him.
“Yes, this evening, the Jade Dragon was–Yuka started, but Taro held up his hand.
“Yuka. I respect you. You are one of the few left, who are with the old ways, but I did not ask you.” My gaze moved to my
boss, and I saw him straighten his back and I looked at Taro. “So, Kazumi, there was a threat?”
I bowed my head slightly. “Yes Taro–san. The Jade Dragon was broken into. A green Oni was left in a place which could only mean it was for me. And then another, Black oni was left at my place of residence.”
“Hmm… A black Oni.” Taro picked up another dumpling and again, I turned my gaze away, as he ate. “Someone do
you.
“The black Oni wasn’t for me.” I said, looking back at the fat bastard. “It was sitting on my girlfriend’s dresser. Some filthy fucker broke into my house and put it there, while my girlfriend slept.”
Taro raised an eyebrow and Yuka turned his head, whispering to me. “Alexander, calm.”
1 inhaled and looked at a couple of Ikeda soldiers lurking in the shadows at the back of the room. They almost skulked around, moving constantly, as if to try and figure out the best way of getting to us, and my stomach dropped to my feet. “And you think, this filthy fucker is Ikeda?”
There was a bit of a grumble from the back of the room, and my gaze moved to the men standing in the shadows. I could take them on…
“Taro, this is not the first time Alexander has been targeted. Only three months ago, we had a break into our offices. Alex managed to chase one of them into a local alley. But before he could determine who they were, or what they were after, they stabbed him the calf” Yuka’s hand slowly reached into his coat pocket, and he pulled out a yellow envelope and slid it across the table, through the piles of dumplings. “With this.”
Taor didn’t pick it up, instead clicking on one of the soldiers behind him. One of them came over, picked up the envelope and tipped the contents out onto the table.
The pocket knife that had stabbed into my leg, still in its ziploc bag, thudded heavily onto the surface. “Now you tell us our concerns are not justified.”
I blinked.
Holy shit.
Yuka had bought that in with us? After being told to leave all weapons in the car?
Taro reached out and picked up the edge the bag and lifted the knife so he could see it.
“I see.” “Taro moved the bag so that the men behind him could see it. “Does anyone know who this belongs to?”
A murmur went up around the room, but no one said anything about it…
“I might. May I look closer?” The man who had tipped it out, one of the ones who had been chasing Joey looked at both Taro, then Yuka and L
Yuka nodded and he took it from Taro’s hands and held it up to the light.
Fuck the next five minutes took forever…
He umm–d and ahh–d and I wanted to throw a fucking dumpling at him.
“Taro–san, do you remember the batch of knives we had made, and you inspected them, they had a default on the handle design?”
Taro looked at him. “Yes?
The man leaned in, showing Taro something on the handle. “There. This is one of the ones you said was not up to Ikeda standard and you told me to dispose of”
“Doesn’t look like it was disposed of very well, Riku.”
“But sir, I did. I took them back to the weaponsmith and watched as he took them apart and melted down the components.” Rika turned to us. “Every single one of those knives was dismantled and scrapped. This is not an Ikeda blade. This is a reject.”
62–Alex
He put the blade down on the surface of the table and looked at us.
“I will put my life on it.”
Taro, Yuka and I stared at him for a few moments, before I spoke.
“Riku, is it?”
He blinked and looked at Taro, who nodded, before looking back to me. “Yes, Alexander–san?”
“You were with a group of Ikeda three months ago, in the East Village, chasing a blonde woman.”
I watched as the man physically deflated, and nodded. “Yes.”
“Well, that woman, my girlfriend is the one who had the Black Oni put on her dresser. So, forgive me if I think that maybe, you might be full of-”
“Alexander.” Yuka pulled me up short and I bit my tongue. “Excuse Alex, he’s a little emotional about the threat to his partner. Riku, if you are telling us the truth, then I would like the name of this ‘weaponsmith.”
Again, Riku looked at his boss, and Taro nodded.
Riku bowed slightly and looked at us. “I will go and get the information right now. Please, be patient and wait.”
The man all but ran from the room and Taro looked back to us.
“Well, it looks like you’re not the only victim, Alexander.” Taro picked up another dumpling and pointed it at me. “Looks like someone is framing us, to take the suspicion away from them.”
“And who do you suppose that might be?” I retorted. “Yuka? Maybe my driver?”
Taro snorted and shoved the dumpling into his mouth, the juice from it flowing down his chin. “I’d look a little closer to home.”
