Re: Tokyo Tower

**Kir** Wed Apr 18, 2012 1:23 pm

Bourbon studied the girl; she looked like she'd gone through hell. Which she did. "Do you want something to drink?"

"I don't know," she mumbled, not looking at him.

He bent down to examine her eyes; they looked glassy and distant. He snapped his fingers in front of her nose and after several moments, she slowly looked up at him, but his appearance didn't seem to register any emotion.

She was probably suffering from depersonalization disorder from the trauma that she'd experienced in the last 24 hours. Maybe she'd be easy to control now.

But it could be a trap. He strode toward the door, planning to get himself a cup of coffee. "Don't go anywhere," he tossed back over his shoulder.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kir lost count of how many times Gin or Vodka hit her, but she kept her mouth shut despite the urge to open her mouth and talk. She spat up some blood and struggled to breathe as pain shot through her chest. They'd probably broken a few of her ribs.

Vodka bent over her with a rubber hose. "She's not talking, Aniki," he said with some admiration.

Gin pulled out his Beretta and examined it. "Maybe she will after we shoot a few of her body parts."

"Beating and torturing the traitor, Gin? How barbaric of you," a new voice broke in. "What's next, the rack?"

Bourbon. Kir tried to look up, but Vodka hit her with the rubber hose.

**Sera Masumi** Wed Apr 18, 2012 2:18 pm

If I wanted to I could try and escape... Sera thought as she looked around the room. There didn't seem to be any cameras or listening devices.

I... can't... there is no way I could do that... Was the first thought after the previous one. Very pessimistic thought, even she realized how depressing that thought were.

Tired... Sera's eye lids were heavy. She tried to fight back without any success.

-- -- --
"Bourbon..." Gin hissed. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, nothing special. Just taking a look how the things are here." The younger man replied with a smirk. He took a glance at Mizunashi's condition. "Don't beat her too badly, otherwise she might die and take the secrets with her-"
"I didn't ask your opinion!" Gin interrupted. "Shouldn't you be watching the brat?"
"She doesn't need to be watched. It seems she has no intention of going anywhere." Bourbon shrugged, knowing that Mizunashi would recognize those words.
"What do you mean with that?" The woman breathed heavily.
"Well..."

**Kir** Wed Apr 18, 2012 4:07 pm

She's too traumatized. Kir recognized the implication behind Bourbon's words. Her body shut down because it's overwhelmed. She felt Vodka cutting the tape off her hands and ankles.

"Don't worry, we won't kill her." Gin grabbed the front of her shirt and jerked her up on her feet. She swayed and would have collapsed if he hadn't been holding onto her. "We'll just make her wish we did."

Kir looked into his cold eyes and realized that he didn't care about who she worked for. He just enjoyed giving her pain.

"Oh, Anokata wants to talk to you about this situation and to say that Team D needs this room for their mission," Bourbon said. "That's actually why I came over here. And to get a coffee."

"Why didn't you tell me that before?" Gin snapped.

Bourbon shrugged. "It's fun to torment you?"

Gin dropped Kir back on the ground. "Put her in the brat's cell." He kicked her one more time and stalked out the door.

Vodka jerked Kir up and dragged her down the hall into another room. Opening the door, he shoved her hard enough for her to hit the wall and crumple next to Sera, who seemed to be asleep.

**Sera Masumi** Thu Apr 19, 2012 1:35 am

"Masumi-san? Are you alright?" Mizunashi asked. No reaction. Asleep... She must be tired if she can sleep in a place like this... Or then she...

"Yeah, she doesn't seem to be very well right now." Bourbon appeared behind her. "Although I can't help it. But I guess I know the reason..."
"Tell me."
"Hmm... you are not in the condition to give me any orders." The man sipped his coffee. "But I'll tell what I'm thinking."

"When she got kidnapped for the first time, it happened by me, when I was disguised as her brother. Even though she knew it was him it must be pretty shocking." Another sip of coffee. "She managed to escape with you and what I've heard from Gin, Akai himself appeared to help you two..."
"And?"
"When we got you for the second time we used high-school detective Kudo's face to get her. She realized immediately it wasn't the real thing but..."

"I see..."

**Kir** Thu Apr 19, 2012 2:09 am

Kir struggled to breathe as she attempted to sit up. "I admit, you were pretty good."

"You weren't bad yourself. Managing to infiltrate the Organization for so long. Your superiors must be proud," Bourbon raised his coffee cup in a toast.

"I guess. Although my superiors aren't the ty--" What was she doing? She was about to give everything away! Kir crawled toward Sera to check on her pulse.

He laughed. "Don't worry, she's still alive. I'm much nicer than Gin. He would have beaten her to a pulp within seconds."

Kir pressed two fingers to Sera's neck, leaving a smear of blood on the girl's collar. Good, her heart was still going.

"You've obviously been put through rigorous training. Probably the top of your class, eh?" Bourbon blew on his coffee.

Don't answer, don't answer. Kir gritted her teeth as pain shot through her body and she collapsed next to Sera.

**Sera Masumi** Thu Apr 19, 2012 2:59 am

Sera felt someone to touch her neck.

What... Who... The fingers were gone soon but thanks to that and her not-so-deep sleep she was awake now. She saw Mzinashi next to her.

"She was pretty worried." Bourbon stated. "Did you sleep well?"

"I... don't know..."

((gah, gotta go.))

**Kir** Thu Apr 19, 2012 3:15 am

Bourbon came over by her, holding a cup of something that smelled familiar. Sera frowned. It was coffee. Something that Americans really liked.

He noticed her slight interest. "Yes, I like coffee. Wanna try some?"

Did she really want to try it? Sera hesitated. "Dunno," she replied finally. There was something about Americans that rang a bell, but she couldn't remember. Or care to figure it out.

"I bet it was a drink that you had in America when you lived there," Bourbon continued, sipping at it. "Probably when you went out to eat with friends."

Sera stared dully down at Kir laying in front of her and noticed blood seeping out from underneath the woman's body.

"So what did you and Kir talk about, Masumi-san? You sent a lot of emails back and forth. What package did you mail to America?"

**Sera Masumi** Thu Apr 19, 2012 3:53 am

"It was... a boy." Sera said without any emotion in her voice. She didn't know why she said that and she didn't even know why she shouldn't have said that.

"A boy? Who?"
"Just someone. I don't know..." She mumbled. "Let me go. This is uncomfortable."
"No, I can't do that. You'd flee if I take away those tapes."
"I... don't wanna go anywhere. If I go... what should be my destination?" Sera asked herself.

**Kir** Thu Apr 19, 2012 11:54 am

Bourbon seemed to think about it, and then he nodded. "I will just untie your feet for now." Setting down his coffee, he took out a knife and cut the tape binding her ankles together.

Normally Sera would have kicked him, but now she just watched him as he stood back up and rolled the tape into a ball before tossing it into a corner. "Feel better now?" he asked.

"I . . . don't . . . know," she mumbled.

"Kir must have cared about this boy a lot. Was he a son, friend . . . brother?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The police got back to us on those vans' license plates. One was a car parts delivery van where the driver had hurt his foot. The second was an unknown. The third was a large family who had a sick kid," Kudo reported after getting off the phone with Megure.

"So we need to track the second one," Camel observed.

"Right. The police are pulling up city cameras and looking for it. I told them that I suspected it may have to do with blackmail."

"Is it smart, bringing in the police like this?" Black asked.

Kudo shrugged. "We don't have the technology power to access all the traffic cameras around. At the moment, we have no choice."

**Sera Masumi** Thu Apr 19, 2012 1:02 pm

Sera frowned. She tried to remember what was that boys connection to Kir but for some reason got only fuzzy memories.

"He... was in danger... I helped him to get away..."
"Go on. What else you remember about him?" Borbon encouraged the girl but got only an empty stare.
"Nothing... He just appeared to the school one day..."
"I see... Well, if you behave well I might get you to see your brother." Bourbon lied, he said so to see a shock on the girl's face and hear a question: "You got my brother? How that's possible?" But instead...

"My brother? Do I have a brother?"

Has she locked everything away? Even the memories about her brother and friends?

**Kir** Thu Apr 19, 2012 1:27 pm

Kir struggled to regain consciousness, and then wished she hadn't. Pain shot along her body and she fought the urge to groan.

She dimly could hear Bourbon and Masumi-san talk about a package sent to America . . . a boy. No, please don't tell. Then she heard the girl's slow answers.

Is she faking it? Or does she seriously not remember?

"I see Kir is awake," Bourbon said, using his shoe to flip Kir over on her back. She gasped as she stared up at them. Bourbon leaned over her, his breath smelling like coffee. "If you tell me everything, I'll try to persuade Gin not to kill both of you."

"Go to hell, Bourbon," Kir gasped.

"I thought you might say that," he remarked without malice, and then walked toward the door. "I'll let you two think about my offer."

**Sera Masumi** Thu Apr 19, 2012 2:09 pm

Sera felt Kir's gaze on her face.

"Masumi-san? Have you really forgotten everything?" The woman asked carefully. Slowly the girl lifted her stare from the floor to the woman.
"It depends what is that 'everything'..." She said without any emotion or hesitation in her voice. For a moment Kir thought the girl was alright but noticed then how empty her eyes were.
"Masumi-san..."
"That's my name yes." Sera continued. "The only thing I'm sure about right now." The girl bent her legs in front of her, like a shield and pressed her forehead against her knees.
"Are you alright?"
"I don't know... I... don't know..." From the shaking shoulders and shrap inhales Kir knew the girl was crying.

Did she hold that back all the time Bourbon was here? That sadness... It must have been subliminal...

"I don't know..." The girl whispered to herself, like Kir hadn't been there at all.

**Kir** Thu Apr 19, 2012 3:32 pm

Kir wanted to hold her, to comfort her. But she knew that if she showed any fondness, the Black Organization would not hesitate to exploit it to their advantage. Besides, Kir had no strength to sit up. I hope her mind isn’t permanently damaged, she thought grimly as she coughed up blood.

“Masumi-san,” she said, making her voice gentle and carefully choosing her words. “You are a very strong girl. Most people would have collapsed by now. But now you must remain strong for your brother. And all your friends.” She pressed a bloody hand to her side.

“My brother?” Masumi-san stared blankly at her.

“Akai-san. He looks a lot like you.” Kir tried to smile, but gave up. “He would want you to stay strong.”

The door to the room opened, and Gin and Vodka’s familiar footsteps entered. “That idiot Bourbon,” Gin muttered as Vodka jerked Kir up on her feet. “I told him not to interrupt my interrogation.” He jerked his head and the other man dragged her toward the door.

**Sera Masumi** Fri Apr 20, 2012 1:30 am

That woman... Who is she? Why she is so worried about me? Sera stared when Kir was dragged away.

"Aniki... what about the girl?" Another of the two men asked.
"She'll be next. But not yet." The other one answered. For some reason Sera was afraid of that man. She wanted to curl up and vanish from the room.

So much hate and anger in his eyes... He... is an enemy...

**Kir** Fri Apr 20, 2012 1:58 am

This time other B.O. interrogators worked Kir over while Gin and Vodka watched. She knew that she'd definitely need plastic surgery after this. Or a new face. The CIA could probably provide that.

"You work for the CIA," Gin said slowly. To her horror, she realized that she'd groaned her last sentence out loud. "Who is your handler?" he asked.

When she didn't reply, one of the interrogators broke her left index finger. She screamed.

"For every question that you do not answer, they will break one of your bones. Who is your handler?" Gin snapped.

Kir looked up at him. "Nobody," she lied. "I went rogue. I'm actually on the CIA's Wanted list."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The city cameras caught sight of the van headed toward the freeway, but it disappeared after that. All police cars have been given a description and its license number," Shinichi Kudo reported after conferring with Inspector Megure.

"The van is probably long gone. The Black Org is like a shadow, always fading into the background and blending in," Black remarked.

**Sera Masumi** Fri Apr 20, 2012 2:58 am

Bourbon was again in the room with Sera.

She doesn't seem to recognize anything... If she doesn't remember, there is no use for truth serum...Hmm... He stood up and walked to the girl. Sera gave him the stare he had been familiar the past hours.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you." The man said calmly and ripped off the tape that had been wrapped around the girl's chest and arms. He also took away the tape around the girl's wrists but taped them again in front of her. "Sorry, this is just in case you try something." He apologized. Sera didn't react at all to the man's words.

"Come. Stood up. I'll take you to a ride."
"Eh...? Why?"
"You'll see it later." Bourbon smiled.

If I let her see the FBI agents who she were co-operating with she might regain her memories...

**Kir** Fri Apr 20, 2012 3:12 am

This time they broke her other fingers and then her collarbone. Kir kept from whimpering, but the tears in her eyes revealed her pain. Gin smirked.

"I don't work for a handler . . .I'm on my own," she gasped.

"On your own, huh? What's your real name?" Gin grabbed her, and she screamed in pain from the broken clavicle and slumped over, unconscious.

"Heh. We'll get it out of her eventually." Gin nodded to the interrogators and they let her crumple to the floor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bourbon led the girl to a dark car with tinted windows and forced her to get in. She obeyed him like an automation. He had to buckle the seat belt for her. If this shock continues, perhaps we could train her to become a B.O. agent. Wouldn't that be ironic, he thought.

On the way to the hotel, he kept an eye on her, but she only stared blankly outside at the road.

**Sera Masumi** Fri Apr 20, 2012 3:53 am

Why are we here...? What does that man want me to do? Sera thought as she looked at the people around the hotel.
"Do you recognize anyone?" Bourbon asked.
"No..." Sera mumbled but then she saw someone going to the hotel. "That man..."
"That one with glasses and light-colored hair? What about him?"
"I know him... somehow..."

Who is that man? Is he an agent? Or someone else... Borbon thought whne the man went inside the hotel.
"I don't know..." Sera mumbled. Her stare was empty again when she didn't see the man anymore.
"It's alright..."

**Kir** Fri Apr 20, 2012 1:14 pm

Kudo received a call. "Yes?" He listened intently for a few moments, then hung up. "There is a suspicious black car sitting across from the hotel that may be part of the Black Org."

"Probably keeping an eye on us. It's hard for foreigners to blend in," Jodie reasoned.

Black asked the security guard in charge of the cameras to try to get a camera angle on it. The screen showed a small, unremarkable car with tinted windows. "Funny. From what I've seen so far, the Black Org usually likes flashy cars," he remarked.

"But the tinted windows are suspicious. Why would a cheap car need those?" Camel asked.

"They're probably bullet-proof," Jodie said. "Can you get its license plates?"

The guard typed a few commands in and shook his head. "I'm afraid not. The car's parked at an angle."

**Sera Masumi** Sat Apr 21, 2012 7:20 am

"Let's go back..." Sera said suddely. "I wanna go back..."

Bourbon nodded shortly and drove away. She doesn't want to go there... But return back to the base... Why? This might be an advantage for us though...

--
When they were back at the warehouse from where they had left, Bourbon took the girl to the room where she had been earlier. And about an hour later he went to find Vermouth and Gin.

"Guess what... I have an idea."
"For some reason I don't care of hearing it..." Gin mumbled.
"Oh, c'mon Gin. Don't be so cold for him." Vermouth teased. "It's about the girl, right?"
"Yes, it seems she doesn't even want to remember things she has forgotten... so why don't we use that fact for our own purposes."
"What do you have in your mind?" Gin gave a cold glare to the younger man.
"Recruiting her. She has after all a good reasoning and hand-to-hand combat skills. If we make the FBI believe she is dead, they won't even look for her. And on one way or another Akai will surely find out from them about it."
"And what wouldn't torture him more than knowing that his dear little sister is dead." Vermouth smirked.
"Exactly."

Only Gin was still suspicious. "And how you planned to give that information to those Americans?"
"Well, we have someone who they surely want back..."
"Kir..."
"Bingo! Let's move her to another place and order some minions to kill her. But via the girl's phone we send a clue for the FBI about the location. They surely arrange an ambush to that place and manage to prevent Kir's death."
"Are you sure? About letting Kir keep her life?"
"She is going to America anyways and hadn't got any useful information in past three weeks. No harm for us." Bourbon shrugged. "Besides... I have already done the first part of this plan..." He took a photo from the pocket of his jacket and showed it to the other two. In the photo Sera was lying on the floor. Her hair covered her eyes and under her head was a pool of blood. There were blood also on her face and the picture looked like she had been shot through her head.

"So... what do you think? The next step is to make Kir believe the girl is dead. This photo will be taken with her..."

**Kir** Sat Apr 21, 2012 2:05 pm

"Neechan, neechan! Look what I made!" The little boy held up a crumpled origami crane.

"Very good, Ei-chan," Hidemi applauded, picking up another piece of paper. "Shall we make another one?"

“Yeah!” Beaming, he started to clumsily fold the sheet in half, sticking out his tongue in concentration. Smiling, she smoothed back his black hair. It was a good idea to teach him origami; it distracted him from the scariness of the hospital that they were in.
Then suddenly something kicked her in the stomach and she gasped.

“Wake up.”

Another kick to her stomach brought all the pain and memories back. Kir moaned and forced open her swollen eyes as far as they would go. Bourbon and Gin stood above her, Gin holding his Beretta. She could tell by the sharp smell of gunpowder that it had been fired recently.

“I’m surprised she’s still alive, Gin,” Bourbon remarked. “Your interrogators worked her over pretty well.”

“We’re good at keeping our prisoners just barely alive. You should know that by now.” Gin glared at Bourbon. “Where does Anokata to dump the girl’s body?”

“Probably in a dumpster. Make it look like a mugging.”

“And Kir?”

“Shoot her in the head, and then drop her in the bay. Better yet, maybe even chop her up before dumping her . Makes it harder for the police if they’re missing the head and limbs.”

Kir struggled to make sense of it. They killed Masumi-san?

**Sera Masumi** Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:15 am

"Wha-? Did you...?" Kir couldn't finish her sentences from the pain but Bourbon seemed to get the meaning. He kneeled down beside the woman.
"Yup, we killed her. She had regained her memory and somehow find her cell phone. She managed to send one message before we found out about it. Smart girl I have to say, she destroyed her phone and SIM-card immediately so we don't know what did she send and for whom." The man explained. "But it was enough big reason to kill her."
"You..."
"I'm serious and I have even a proof." Bourbon took a photo from his pocket and showed it to the woman. Kir gasped.

"Yeah, a nice little shot through her forehead. Pretty quick death, we were nice to her. And I'm going to be nice for you, too... I'll allow you to take this photo with you to your last journey..." Bourbon smirked and wiped all finger prints from the photo away, put it inside an envelope and placed the envelope to the inside pocket of Kir's jacket.

-- --
In the other room Sera was wiping the fake blood from her forehead away. The affect of a sleeping pill had just worn off.
Why I'm covered in fake blood? Never mind...

-- --
Jodie's cell phone rang. She had gotten an email message.

-Mizunashi-san is in danger. Hurry!
Place is XXXX. Don't worry about me.
I'll be fine for now.

SM

"James, we have a new clue now. From Masumi-san."

**Kir** Sun Apr 22, 2012 2:02 pm

Bourbon signaled and two minions entered the room and dragged her toward the interrogation room door. She didn’t have the strength to resist them. They took her to a waiting car, tied her up, and then laid her in the trunk. As the trunk lid slammed shut, she let herself cry for the first time since the ordeal had started. I’m sorry, Masumi-san. I’m so sorry.

**Sera Masumi** Sun Apr 22, 2012 2:14 pm

Bourbon smirked to himself. This plan would be a success. He wiped the memory of the girl's cell phone away, took out the SIM-card and smashed the phone against the wall. After stepping a couple of times on it and snapping the SIM-card into two pieces he threw them into nearest trash bin.

"Now the American's can't even contact her... Hmh?" Suddenly he noticed only one weak point in his plan. The clock... "But it shouldn't be a problem either... Kir has no idea about the time of day... and has probably even lost her sense of time. No worries."

-- --
"Quickly! To the place XXXX. If we are there on time we can manage to get Mizunashi-san back." Black ordered.
"Yes, sir!" Several agents said in unision and left towards their cars.

**Kir** Sun Apr 22, 2012 2:55 pm

Kir faded in and out of unconsciousness as they traveled. She was only semi-conscious when the car stopped and the trunk lid popped open.

The two minions dragged her roughly out of the car, ignoring her cries of pain as they dropped her on her broken collarbone and arm. One man, who wore a dark scarf around his neck, grinned. "It's too bad she ended up a traitor, eh? I would have liked to get to know you better." He traced a line down her bloodied and tear-stained cheek.

"She's not much to look at now, is she?" the second man asked, taking out a pistol. "And to think that she was Nichuri TV's star reporter."

Please, no . . . Kir tensed as the first man untied her hands and feet, and then touched her limp bangs. "You think Gin and Bourbon would mind if we had a little fun with her? We've got time," he asked.

"We're not supposed to leave DNA behind, stupid. Doing that would leave DNA." The second man checked his ammunition.

Sponsored content