Did We Get Him?

(April 2020)

I hit the floor of the KEK control room hard enough that it stunned my tailbone and I think my legs might be paralyzed. But as the feeling comes back, I realize I am still holding onto Don-o’s leg, and Yuni has hold of him on the other side, and Don-o is complete and whole, laying there on the concrete floor with his arms thrown upwards like he’s signalling a touchdown.

DK is here, too, moaning and holding onto his thigh, which is running red.

And Charlie Cooper.

He huddles in the corner, shivering like a baby bird, legs pulled up and chin tucked into the space between his knees.

And the Russian, too, is here.

The chief stooge struggles to stand up, then staggers over to Charlie Cooper, clasping his hand to his left side to staunch blood that drips a crimson path as he ambles to Cooper’s corner. When he gets there he raises his gun.

“No.”

Ichihara’s voice is as strong as an iron barrier. The chief inspector stands up, holding his own arm gingerly.

“You no shoot Charlie Cooper.”

“He double-crossed my boss. He deserves it.”

“Two problems you shoot Charlie Cooper,” Ichihara says, holding up fingers of his damaged arm. His other arm reaches into the back of his waistband and pulls out a gun. It is the Russian woman’s weapon. He probably picked it up in the confusion while he was first helping DK.

“First problem is that I shoot you.”

The Russian turns his weapon on Ichihara. “I can fix that.”

“That bring second problem.”

The Russian’s smile was evil.

“Can not work in Japanese police without run into Japanese family,” Ichihara says. “I speak with them. They not like Russian bosses in Japan, but leave alone as long as you stay in place.. You shoot, and spirits will send message to ninkyō dantai.”

The chief stooge’s face dropped at the name, and I understand in that moment exactly how far Yuni Ichihara had gone here, realized that Ichihara had made reference to Yakuza, the most notorious crime ring in Japan. His gun hand fell, and he faded back to lean against the wall, perspiring with both the pain of his would and this news.

I think about Yuni’s phrasing … spirits will send message … and I hear the the ceramic crush of a bobble-head doll, and I hear DK warning about the prices of working with the spirits. I am beginning to think that my friend, Mr. Ichihara is one of the most interesting people I have ever met.

Yuni put his own gun down, and, checking its safety, placed it behind him again, shoving it back into the waistband of his pants.

“My boss will be unhappy.”

Ichihara nodded, and came to stand before the stooge.

“That I understand. But tell boss Japan courts not to treat Charlie Cooper with much forgiveness.”

“But the money–“

Ichihara stops him with a wave of his hand. “Money was never theirs to begin with.”

The Russian nods.

And as he puts his gun down for good, there comes a clamoring of footsteps from the stairwell. It is Dr. Incho.

Ichihara turns to him.

“Call medics,” he says. “Now.”

The doctor pulls a phone from his lab pocket and makes a call.

Ichihara checks DK, and sees the damage will not kill him. While he’s doing that, I finally capture enough of my nerve to work with Don-o, an in a few minutes his eyes flutter and he gives a grin. “Did we get him?”

I nod.

“Yeah, Don-o” I say. “We got him.”

By now, Charlie Cooper has started to come out of his shock, and I figure he comes to his full senses just in time to see Chief Inspector Ichihara of the Japanese Police Department standing over him, and just in time to hear that same Chief Inspector say “Charlie Cooper, whichever one you are, I arrest you under name of the Japanese people, I arrest you under all laws of universal and international community, and I arrest you under the name of baseball.”